Cytibor's Creations, Ideas and Innovations

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:26 pm

Cytibor wrote:Apologies for the delay, folks. This week's session was put off, but we'll be returning next week and boy do you have things to look forward to in the recap of last week's.
Murder; intrigue; a psychotic breakdown! It's good, wholesome entertainment at it's finest.

And as for next week (for you players of mine trying to get a look at what's coming) all I can say is: tattoos. Yes. That's right. Tattoos will be a thing. (I will leave you to wonder if they will be of the Atlantean variety or not, though I urge you to consider where we are before deciding on that for yourself. )

"You know, you figure maybe having a tattoo of a bullseye on your forehead is maybe INVITING trouble?"

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 4:19 pm

taalismn wrote:"You know, you figure maybe having a tattoo of a bullseye on your forehead is maybe INVITING trouble?"

"Nah man, s'reverse psychology. If I have a bull's-eye on my forehead, it's like I'm asking them to shoot me, so they won't because they'll wonder why I want them to."
"...Ever consider that they might just pass you off as using flawed logic in a failed display of reverse-Darwinism?"
"You're just jealous of my genius strategy. ...What's reverse Darwinism, anyway?"
"You don't want me to answer that. Just walk a good fifteen feet away from me; I'm willing to bet the first one to try a potshot at you will be embracing some other counter-intuitive custom and be toting a rocket launcher."

My mind is a strange place. :angel:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:18 pm

Three Lumps of Bad Luck

April 7th: Having retreated to the Stellar, the crew quickly saw to their wounded; Iron Wolf was re-booted in the medical bay while their medical A.I. (dubbed Persia 2.0 or v2, depending on who you asked) tended to Mondo' eye. The wound was cleaned and stitched up, but with the A.I. doctor without the skill or facilities to implant a replacement cybernetic, the good knight was forced to go without for the time being. (Iron Wolf also found that he bore a 'scar' from the fight; the Hound had, at some point, scraped a chibi-skeleton into his backside. The 'borg, of course, had this buffed out ASAP.

)

Orion, moving about in his usual quietly secretive manner, paused to talk with Gliriel and Hope; showing Gliriel his recently finished ring upon her request (half inch silver band with a black gem set centre, between four clear gems.) His purpose in the lounge area, however, was to ask Hope for her permission to 'enlighten' the Council. He did not elaborate, but did reluctantly confirm it would probably result in one of them dying; Hope, of course, refused, deciding instead to send a written warning to the Council to advise them of the danger presented by the Nightlands.

Their next order of business was to decide what their next move would be; stay to try and 'fix' the Nightlands issue, continue with their original exploratory mission or return to Earth to confer with Cloud and the others. Most of the group expressed a feeling of responsibility to deal with Noir, either from personal feelings or a desire for a rematch; the decision was left in the air, however, as Hope pointed out they were still contracted with the T'Loak's for the time being. Making sure Orion knew not to kill any Council members, she relocated to the bridge.

Orion, with one of his trademark warped smiles, slipped off to who-knows-where, leaving Mondo and Iron Wolf to shoot the breeze; until, of course, they heard a loud metallic crash from the bridge. Sprinting to the scene, they saw a chair had been bodily thrown against the wall for reasons unknown; a prompt informed them that Hope had gone to the recreation gym for some exercise (unbeknownst to them, this was because her warning to the Council on the subject of the Nightlands had been utterly ignored; complete with a veiled threat, no less.) Iron Wolf, heading off to make a list of the systems he wished to upgrade given the chance, left Mondo to keep an eye on things; the cyber-knight saw an urgent message was pending and brought it up. (Hope also received it, being 'wired in' to the ship most of the time.)

The message informed them that Gliriel, in her room at this time, was acting very strangely in front of her mirror. Tearing down there, the group found the elf (oddly naked) collapsed on the ground in front of said reflective surface; confused and somewhat dazed. Covering her up, the group did their best to find what had happened in as gentle a manner as they could; she had apparently been paid a visit by Noir, who she had mistaken for Orion in the mirror. The reflected caller had run his hands over the elf's reflection, prompting chills and her eventual collapse. She explained that it had seemed to her like he was trying to persuade her to remove the mesh on her mirror and had left when it became apparent she could not (as it had been glued in place so securely it would break the mirror to remove it. :angel:

)

As if their day had not been stressful enough, Hope promptly received a message saying their ship was to be locked down; being of a free-spirited nature, this of course was unacceptable. Hurrying to the bridge, the crew prepared for lift-off while she deciphered what exactly it was they were being suspected of. Her answer; footage of Executor Pallin's (the fellow who escorted them, rudely, to the Council Tower) office showed a shadow stretching outward and neatly cutting the Turian's head off. With Hope's message so recently received (and ignored) the group had been placed under suspicion for the act. Checking that all were aboard, the group briefly saw that Orion registered in two locations; a quick re-check confirmed one of them and they were satisfied the young oddity was with them.

Blasting off, they saw they were in fact almost totally unopposed. Orion, arriving on the bridge, offered his own explanation on this after Hope expressed her concern and frustration at his actions (as it was fairly easy to see how it could have been him); they were foreign nationals and it would take the Council days, if not weeks, to convene all the delegates from their various embassies to decide if the murder was even worth acting on. After all, with their stubborn refusal to believe in magic, seeing a shadow killing someone would be impossible for them to swallow. Even if they did accept that what they saw had really happened, it would take another round of political tag before they came to any sort of decision about the group's involvement. Frustrated by the young man's nonchalant attitude towards the situation, Hope focused on getting away from the Citadel.

They were stopped, only briefly, by The Indomitable; Mogra Hazrik's heavy cruiser. Commander Hazrik hailed them and told them a few things: first, that he was the first to have accepted the Council's offer of a privateer's license; second, that, as he was not officially allied with the Council, they could not order him to stop the Stellar's egress; and third, that he would let them go as long as they brought a message back to Aria T'Loak asking her to consider joining the Council's side. Despite this endorsement of the Council's cause, Hazrik did not seem like he had been entirely won over; he seemed more like he had chosen what was, to him, the lesser of two evils. A starting point, perhaps. But that was a debate for another time and the crew focused on engaging their FTL drives to secure their escape.

With some time on their hands, Hope decided to take Gliriel to get some proper armour while the boys saw to their own tasks; Orion, still somewhat unpopular with the Commander, seemed unphased by everything that had happened and focused on a list of things he intended to order through the T'Loak's influence when they arrived on Omega. His attention, however, was caught by the ladies' conversation as they left; Gliriel had asked Hope what would have happened to her had Noir gotten through her mirror. Hope told her of an incident where denizens of the Nightlands had wiped out an entire city overnight as well as of several other grisly tales she had heard from friends and allies she knew of in her original 'verse.

This seemed to light a fire beneath Orion, driving him to question why they had never sought to harm him through all the years they had watched him from the mirrors; when he reached his conclusion, he tore from the bridge as quickly as he could. Concerned for the erratic young man, Iron Wolf went after him while those remaining on the bridge traced him via ship camera. His mad dash brought him to the main bath/hygiene facility, where he began verbally attacking the wall-length mirror there... (Excerpted again.

)

Spoiler:

With Iron Wolf assigned to graffiti-duty and a Gliriel-supported Orion bound for the med-bay, the Stellar 1 continues its course toward Omega; it was certainly a long day for the gang, though. 0.o Orion never did get around to elaborating on exactly what it was he had figured out; I suspect the gang will want that cleared up sometime tonight. :angel:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:23 pm

Yoiks!

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 21, 2012 3:28 pm

Apologies to you readers out there; I am afraid I'll be infringing upon your patience once again. Tonight's game IS on (barring any cancellations I've yet to be made aware of), but I had a very rough night (long-running personal illness, nothing new or dangerous so no worries there) and just need to spend the day recuperating.
So you can look forward to a double update over the next week.

- Cy/Orion

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 1:43 pm

Seeing Is Begetting

April 7th: (Has it really only been a week since they got out here? Hoo; busy peeps are busy.) With Orion taken to the medbay for some stitches (for which he refused anesthetic) by Gliriel, Hope saw to removing the few mirrors not properly secured while holding a conversation with the elven T'Loak. Iron Wolf joined in on the radio as well and the crew batted some ideas and theories around. Once he had roused, Orion asked for Gliriel to take his latest written request for materials, but wanted Hope to be in the room when he explained these new acquisitions.

Upon her arrival he first began by revealing his theory on his unique 'condition'; logically, the only reason the denizens of the Nightlands had never harmed him would be that they had some need of him. The fact that he could see their world through any mirror had seemed an odd contradiction to that logic; after all, it gave him a unique ability to foil their plans and rob them of their element of surprise. He had combined these two facts and drawn a single conclusion; whatever it was they needed him for was worth enough to overlook his ability. Once he recalled that Hope had mentioned there was not supposed to be a Nightlands away from Earth, the truth became obvious; by looking through a mirror, what was reflected into it was realized on the far side. In short; the act of looking through a mirror projected the reflection through the Mirrorwall, 'creating' a new area of the Nightlands like a twisted photo-negative.

His solution, then, was to request specially made mirrored goggles, flatly refusing Hope's suggestion to have his eyes replaced with bio-systems in favour of bearing his curse; his reasoning was that, as long as his eyes let him 'hunt' the beings on the far side of the mirror, they had their purpose and he would not waste it. Since he would be wearing the goggles for most of the rest of his life, however, he had requested they come with optical systems and the like; one cannot say he is not being practical, at least.

Putting in at Omega, the group went to see Aria; the elder T'Loak was at first skeptical of Orion's ability, but had no reason to doubt Gliriel's word in support of the story and was forced to swallow the truth. After adjusting to the idea of demons inside mirrors, she actually seemed semi-appreciative of the situation; after all, if the Citadel was taken over by demons and monsters, their war against the Terminus would be a thing of the past. Acknowledging that the group wished to go back to Earth for a time, she gave Gliriel leave to go along with them as well if she so wished. Thanking her mother for her permission on the subject, Gliriel stayed behind with a (sleeping; the group dragged him out of bed :angel:

) Orion to talk over the specifics of his list of requested materials.

Talking with Iron Wolf on the way back to the hangar, and after they had arrived, Hope and her cyborg companion realized after a time that Gliriel and Orion had still yet to rejoin them; after a half-hour, minimum, that was somewhat odd. When a messenger arrived bearing a letter for Gliriel from Aria, that concern deepened; if Aria thought Gliriel was with them and they thought she was with Aria then... where is she?

[Second segment coming in a few, folks, so you don't have to get cliffhanger-ed this time.

]

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 28, 2012 2:18 pm

Approaching Critical Mass

April 7th: (Well, I suppose they DID leave on the 10th of March, so s'been a month since they last saw the folks back on Earth. ) Rousing Mondo, Hope and Iron wolf moved to Afterlife to check things out; quickly ascertaining that Gliriel and Orion had last been seen heading to the markets, they set out in that direction. Arriving, they saw nothing out of the ordinary, but neither did they find their missing persons. Looking around, Mondo (oddly observant for a man who recently lost an eye

) spotted Gliriel's sword tucked into an alley between two vendor's stalls. Moving to investigate (Hope with him), the Commander found the small alley led to a service tunnel of sorts, at the mouth of which they also found the blanket and pillow Orion had been toting around after being pulled from his bed. The pillow sported a blood stain; trouble was definitely afoot.

Moving through the tight quarters of the maintenance area, they found an old, disused storage room; inside which they found an unconscious Gliriel atop an overturned cabinet someone had intended as a table, of sorts. She had been tied so that her arms were above her head and her legs were apart; fortunately, she was still clothed (though it looked as if there had been attempts to change that, judging by the stretched parts of the fabric. -_-) What truly caught the group's eye in the dim area, however, was the man standing over her; Orion, his Darkscythe resting over one shoulder with his hands and mouth stained bloody. But his eyes, as usual, were the worst of all. Their usual red depths were in an utterly manic state of blazing oranges mixed with bloody crimsons and, framed by his wild, black hair, he looked rather like the sort of psychopath you would find in the villain role of a horror flick. :eek:

Acting immediately, Iron Wolf tackled the young man off of the cabinet while Hope freed her and instructed Mondo to carry the elven girl outside to safety. Oddly, Orion did not retaliate against Iron Wolf except to kick the 'borg off of himself (obviously having cast 'Superhuman Strength' on himself previously.) Disappearing into the shadows, he fled instead of attacking, leaving the group somewhat confused. As they started to leave, Gliriel began to stir in Mondo's arms; seeming somewhat jumbled, she pointed out a lightswitch to the group (elves being able to see in the dark, after all) so those who were having trouble with the low light conditions could see better (and to give the room back its colour for those using nightvision :angel:

.) With the lights on, they saw Iron Wolf was trailing bloody footprints; following his trail back to a blood stain near the back wall, they found a pile of overturned junk. Digging through it, they found several bodies; strangers to them and of differing species, but all native to this region of space. And rather savagely deceased; most slain by a cutting weapon, though one had been bitten on the neck before having their heart ripped out through brute force. 0.o

Now even more confused, the group left the maintenance tunnel; Hope giving Gliriel her cloak to help cover her ill-fitting clothing and appear more normal. A merchant approached and held his ground even when fixed by the Commander's 'irritated' look; humouring him, Gliriel asked what the problem was and he mentioned that Orion had stolen the pair of mirrored goggles he had been looking at (though, curiously, he had apologized when he did it.) Gliriel, determined to find him, took Mondo with her while Hope and Iron Wolf returned to ensure that the ship was sound (Hope had previously ordered Legion to lift off in case Orion attempted to sneak aboard.)

Seeing a head of dark hair moving into Afterlife, Gliriel and Mondo gave chase; after a few minutes of searching through the crowds, they found the young man. Being cryptic, he led them back outside, saying he would speak once he reached his destination. Somewhat amusingly, that destination was the chair of a tattoo parlour (fulfilling that mention I gave a while back about tattoos being a thing

.)

[Excerpted 'cause I'm feeling lazy.

In all seriousness, though, this way is better. Gives you a look at Hope and IW's conversation, too.

]

Spoiler:

With Gliriel, Orion and Mondo on their way back to the Stellar, looks like it's time for a chat. -_- The question is; will Orion accept whatever sanctions the crew has for him now that their trust is so badly shaken? We'll find out... tonight.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 05, 2012 12:15 pm

Actually splitting last week's session re-cap into two... I guess 'episodes' works.

Returning Home, Minus One

April 7th: After a lengthy discussion, the group came to something of a stalemate; Hope and Iron Wolf wished to sedate (or otherwise restrain) Orion during the trip home, to ensure everyone's safety, while Mondo and Gliriel wanted him to be free to do as he pleased, like before (Orion obviously on that side as well, but his vote was sort of biased.

) Though the 'secure' side was not unsympathetic to the situation, Hope had the safety of everyone to keep in mind and so would not budge, just as Gliriel's stubborn streak would not give ground on the other side. The solution came in the form of Aria T'Loak making a surprise visit.

She proposed that Orion's fits of uncontrolled violence were a result of him struggling with himself: one set of morals, full of angry, violent intent, too accustomed to surviving in a galaxy that cared nothing for him; and another that recognizes the fact there are 'friends' around for him to interact with and that his usual behaviour does not have to apply anymore. Aria's theory was that, trying to force himself into this new set of morals was causing, for lack of a better word, 'relapses' of extreme violence whenever he was sufficiently agitated (such as when Gliriel was nearly taken advantage of; his 'new' morals found this just as appalling as his 'old' ones, which let him completely off the leash in terms of guilt. Hence the mangled corpses.) The solution that came with said theory was a simple one; let Orion remain on Omega. She would train him to harness his 'old' set of morals, for of course she could recognize an asset to her business when she saw one. Her idea was simply that, once he could control his violent tendencies, it would be easier to behave more... sociably when they were not necessary.

While Gliriel was not pleased that her mother had suddenly taken an interest (or that Orion would be gone, perhaps?) she did something nobody had expected; she presented Orion with his papers. Signed in all the correct places; Orion was no longer 'owned.' Not sure what to make of this, he left quietly, gathering his things and disembarking from the Stellar to follow after Aria; though he did not see them do so, the group all acknowledged his passing in some way. Feeling an expected whirlwind of emotions coming on, Hope took up the piloting duties for most of the week-long trip back to the Sol system.

Unexpectedly, as they underwent systems checks, a message from the ship's medical A.I. was found. She identified herself, not as Persia 2.0, but 'Narylka' and took on her own appearance different from the Persian-cat style of her creator. She declared that she had decided to go with Orion, but had left adequate medical support in the med-bay should the group need it. Somewhat perplexed by the A.I.'s having found sentience, the group resolved to fill Persia in on this upon their return.

And On Your Left, You'll See... Bodies?

April 15th: The group's return home was fairly uneventful; that is, until they got back into their orbit. Hailing the orbital community stations of Laika and Freedom, they were surprised when nobody answered. Nobody, that is, except for an automated message advising them to keep away from the stations, as they had been placed under quarantine. Almost a full month ago. Sweeping the area with tight-focused scans, the group detected what appeared to be bodies floating in open space; tracing them back to their origin, they saw they had drifted from the Lunar Colony; possibly the remnants of whoever had been in the docking bays at the time the station went dark, after the minions of the Void-Dragon took over (and were subsequently banished back to Mars.)

Not liking the situation much, Hope had Gliriel land them; once they reached planet-side, things seemed more normal. The small settlement around the Casa Loma that had been moved to Egypt had grown into a veritable town and now had a name to go with it; Neo Alexandria, sitting at the mouth of the Nile River estuary.

Excerpted Approach;

Spoiler:

Landing, they were welcomed by Eris Cloud, Jaglon (now Head of the Ra-Men Guards charged with seeing to the burgeoning population's safety), and of course Kyros, Imala and their little girl, Evangeline. Persia was also in attendance, though she was quickly distracted as she saw to Mondo's eye. Seeing as both parties had much to share, the new Pharaoh and Queen (announced loudly by Jaglon :angel:

) set about organizing a banquet for their returned friends.

Information swapping time tonight.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:26 pm

Last week's update shall be posted in the next few days; things came up to keep me from getting to it at my usual time, but it shall be posted before the weekend.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:45 pm

Sorry folks; preparations for my vacation kept me from my promised update, and since we're down a member tonight we won't be running. Keep yourselves tuned for next week. *nods*

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:19 pm

Cytibor wrote:Sorry folks; preparations for my vacation kept me from my promised update, and since we're down a member tonight we won't be running. Keep yourselves tuned for next week. *nods*

S'right...few plans survive first contact with reality.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 1:13 pm

taalismn wrote:
Cytibor wrote:Sorry folks; preparations for my vacation kept me from my promised update, and since we're down a member tonight we won't be running. Keep yourselves tuned for next week. *nods*

S'right...few plans survive first contact with reality.

No kidding. -_-
Was going through the files I sent myself so I could update the thread whilst on vacation, only to realize I'd sent myself the file in which I kept the finished updates and not the one containing the actual session logs I need to WRITE the update. :oops:

Ah well. Going to be a whopper update when I get home on Tuesday, that's for sure. XD

Game tonight is on as far as I know, for any of my players who read this stuff.

- Cy/Orion

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Jul 26, 2012 4:52 pm

HOPEFULLY see everyone @ game 2nite.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:35 am

Upcoming triple update, folks. It'll be up before game-time, though I'll have to actually roll up my sleeves a little since I'm only going to bed... well, now. :oops:

S'what I get for staying up way too late watching Howl's Moving Castle. Gets me every time, that one. :angel:

'Til later.
- Cy/Orion

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 11:31 am

Cytibor wrote:Upcoming triple update, folks. It'll be up before game-time, though I'll have to actually roll up my sleeves a little since I'm only going to bed... well, now.
S'what I get for staying up way too late watching Howl's Moving Castle. Gets me every time, that one.

'Til later.
- Cy/Orion

Is okay; was up till 4am watching a Mythbusters tripple bill so no worries.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 2:48 pm

Can't go wrong with Hayao Miyazaki. :ok:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 4:42 pm

taalismn wrote:Can't go wrong with Hayao Miyazaki.

Agreed. Howl's is my favourite so far, but I've yet to see one I didn't enjoy.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 5:15 pm

A'ight; triple update time. *Rolls shoulders, rotates wrists, flexes fingers.*

I See A Green Moon A-Risin'

April 15th: With the banquet ready despite being called for on such short notice, the group reconvened in the grand hall of the palatial structure; out of respect for the team's likely somewhat fatigued state, the table-guests were kept to a minimum, mostly just their friends and teammates. [Including Mondo, recently returned from being fitted for his replacement cybernetic eye.] Gliriel was initially a little hesitant, still unsure of the ways of planet-dwelling people, but Isis called her to sit; her gentle, motherly presence doing something to make her seem less imposing to the elven woman.

The information swap began with Hope and Mondo filling Cloud in on what they had found on their galactic travels; Omega and the Terminus clans, the Citadel and its politicians. Gliriel chipped in where she could, but became quieter after the subject turned to Orion; their missing member apparently still a sore spot for her. After confirming Orion's story, and being told he possessed the magic archive she had entrusted Mondo with, Cloud simply asked if Orion could find his way to Earth; the answer being, yes, most likely. With the 'awakened' A.I. with him, he would have someone with firsthand knowledge of the route and likely had already copied the group's star charts into her memory bank. Not commenting on this beyond a thoughtful 'hmm', Cloud then turned things over to Isis, so the goddess could fill the newly-returned elements of their team in on what had been going on locally. And it was not entirely positive.

Taking them down a hallway to a segment of the palace with a skylight, she indicated the full moon above; it was green. Not as in 'verdant jungle' green; it was more akin to a sickly, seeping shade that tainted everything it passed through or over. The stars, behind this curtain, seemed to be tiny, weak pinpricks of greenish light, while the clouds looked like green-haloed smoke. Isis, listening to the group's wonderings about it, mentioned her own theory; that she was not certain if the moon itself was different, but felt that the light that was being reflected was coming away 'tainted' in some manner. Seeming concerned about this in a way that suggested she knew at least what it could be, the goddess asked Cloud if she could have her team investigate as quickly as possible.

Agreeing, Cloud set the group's clock for two days; preparations began pretty well immediately. Mondo's suit needed repairs, and one of the group's old PSICOM suits had to be re-fitted for Gliriel's use. A forcefield over her usual clothing was all well and good when it came to stopping bullets, but wouldn't do her much good if whatever was causing the Orbital Community's protracted quarantine was still active on the moon.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:25 pm

That Extra Helping of 'Bad'

April 17th: With their preparations made, Cloud, Gliriel and Mondo lifted off from Neo Alexandria two days later. Persia, having set up a 'sick-bay' of sorts a short way from town in case they needed treatment upon their return, kept an eye on their vital signs remotely. Landing two miles from the lunar colony's hangar and primary entry point, the group readied themselves to move out. Trucking across the lunar surface, they paused for a while to evaluate how best to get down into the hangar; a 200 foot deep space with a gangway roughly halfway down. Being well-accustomed to environments of reduced gravity, Gliriel led the way down; jumping, much to Cloud's alarm. Using her telekinetic biotics to cushion her descent [boundless acceleration and such], she waited for the others to join her; Cloud using flight magic to ferry Mondo down. Proceeding inwards, they saw that the metal of the halls was corroded, but still retaining atmosphere. Unsure of what exactly that meant for them, they moved further inside.

As they traveled, the air began to get progressively thicker with some manner of particle that registered only as 'unknown'. Before long, this unknown contaminant was thick enough to obstruct vision, and shortly thereafter they found themselves feeling their way through a thick, cloying fog through which they could barely see. [Though Cloud spotted a strange symbol on both walls every 7 feet that she seemed to recognize; and not in a good way. http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/c/c1/Nurgle_mark.png] Stumbling over something, they turned back to find a body. Human and most definitely deceased; deceased and rotting. Tied at the wrists and ankles, they followed the ropes and saw that it was not just one body, but a chain of them, being slowly pulled down the hallway, though to where they could not see. Deciding the chain was long enough, Cloud sliced the ropes; apparently getting the lunar colony's new resident's attention in so doing.

The body nearest them began to convulse; his flesh rotting rapidly and his insides literally moving and churning. Tumourous growths appeared within moments, before animating into a dozen small, vile little creatures with small arms, legs and disproportionately large mouths, full of rotten, crooked teeth. [http://images.wikia.com/warhammeronline/images/5/50/Nurgling_ss.png] Fighting this first batch off as best they could (and finding that even blasting one caused it to 'burst' in a rather repulsive manner), the group found themselves assailed by a new threat as well; humanoid creatures possessed of disgusting qualities.
Description excerpted from game; [Pic; http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZBr6RYYpxAw/TBtoN5ofNvI/AAAAAAAABZk/jENicFqTW1A/s1600/Plaguebearer_of_nurgle_by_Sumaki.jpg

Spoiler:

Attempting to combat these new enemies as well, Cloud took the fore, but (in a throwback to her encounter with Pestilence back in Africa) found that these 'Plaguebearers' possessed a disease-inducing touch. Feeling herself break out in hives, boils, blisters and just about every other skin-affliction in scant seconds, she knew it was time to fall back. Losing strength rapidly, she attempted to Sonic Blast the humanoids out of their way, but they stubbornly refused to budge; fortunately, Gliriel's telekinetics managed to shove the pestilent roadblock aside after Cloud's final attempt; a successful 1-2 punch.

With Gliriel exhausted from expending all of her mental energy and Cloud's condition rapidly sapping her strength, it fell to Mondo to help support the ladies' egress. Running is good.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 6:53 pm

Diseased Swarms, Acid Projectiles and Traumatic Visions

April 17th: Hauling butt down the hallway, Mondo managed to keep just ahead of the oncoming tide of Nurglings that had given chase as they tried to flee; the other bodies in the chain apparently having been used in a similar way to the first to spawn the horde. Coating the floor, ceiling and very walls, the disgusting little snotlings ran surprisingly quickly and ensured the group had no time to take their foot off the gas.

Despite a few very close calls (during which the group was literally showered with spit-projectiles. Ew.) they managed to reach the hangar ahead of the Nurgling swarm; Cloud had already commanded the Stellar to meet them and to defend itself, thankfully, though as they arrived they saw it had begun shooting well before they, or their pursuers, came into sight. The reason; Nurglings from other sections of the colony had found their way onto the surface and, even now, were climbing the walls of the hangar from the surface to get at the fleeing trio. Plaguebearers had, apparently, also tried to cut off the group's escape by climbing along the gangway, but the Stellar had blasted the walkway to bits, causing them to fall. Signalling the ship to extend its dorsal docking extension, the group hurried aboard, seeing the Nurglings along the walls leaping at them in a final bid to stop them. Closing the upper doors and reactivating the shielding, they felt the ship shudder as hundreds of the tennis-ball sized creatures impacted at once; very nearly overwhelming the shielding in the process.

Getting the hell out, Gliriel was left to pilot as Cloud was tended to by the medical drones (to the best of their unguided ability, anyway), while Mondo also passed out from his heavy exertion. Taking the Stellar up and out of range, she hung their for a minute while she attempted to calm down and decide what to do. The Nurglings, however, had other ideas; gathering together in a massive group numbering easily into the thousands, they collectively spat one last shot after the retreating vessel. One individual spit-shot did little (though their saliva had proven to be virulent enough as to be corrosive) but the mass display of vile behaviour had created something more to the size of a small spacecraft. Moving the ship to avoid it, Gliriel watched (and recorded via ship systems) in mute horror as the projectile began to accelerate for no apparent reason; hurtling up to speeds that would rival an interstellar cruise missile. Slamming into the next-nearest target, Freedom Station, the corrosive substance began eating through the unshielded metals and, within minutes, the station was no more.

Having gotten in touch with Hope during the acid-projectile's flight, Gliriel snapped out of her stunned state long enough to set course back to Neo Alexandria. Arriving shortly thereafter, Persia sprang into action to treat those aboard; Gliriel and Mondo appeared healthy, though the elven 'princess' seemed deeply bothered by the sight of a station being snuffed out so quickly, having grown up on one and spent most of her time on such constructs. Moving to Cloud, the feline doctor saw she had her work cut out for her; the very air in the containment room was already stagnating and she quickly gave instructions to set up an air-filtering system that involved an honest-to-goodness furnace in place of anything that could let the air back outside. Trying to determine exactly how best to help the Commander, she used her Psychic Diagnosis to go inside; a procedure she had done many times before without incident. Not this time.

Excerpted from game (new to group, also, since this was whispered to her initially. Figured she'd relay the 'vision' herself, so wanted to get this up here in case the details had gotten fuzzy since last week.

)

Spoiler:

(GM_Cy): (whispers to (Gliriel/Persia)) *As her mind reaches into Cloud's flesh, Persia at first sees nothing beyond simple afflicted skin and tissue. As she tries to go deeper, to know what it is and how to treat it, she suddenly sees Cloud begin deteriorating; rotting away, literally to the bone, all the while crying out for Persia to save her, to do something, ANYTHING. The sickness corrodes the pod she's in, then the floor, the walls, even the dirt becomes loose, devoid of nutrients. The walls of the room fall away and she sees the taint spread throughout Neo Alexandria. Buildings fall; metal corroding, wood rotting, stone wearing away to nothing. All around her becomes a reeking, stinking mass of rotting corpses and fallen infrastructure, while a deep, throaty, gurgling laugh sounds in her ears.*
(Gliriel/Persia): P: *hissing as she shakes her head, she realizes she's on her knees, and with a fluid grace and a bit of speed she leaves the room to decontamination, and as soon as the beep sounds it is safe, the helmet comes off and the vomit comes out* "OH my...what was that?"
(Tahlor): *carefully making sure he has gloves on, pats Persia's back*
"Chaos. The Warp. My people have encountered a few time sin our journeys through the megaverse. Though we have only dealt with chaos undivided, never one of the 4 great powers. We never say or put the names of them to recording. Even the sound of their names have power."
(Gliriel/Persia): P: "I will not let what I saw come to pass."
(GM_Cy): *Almost on-cue, the pair see that the contents of Persia's stomach are settling on the ground; settling into a pattern. Shapes. Letters. N... U...* (GM_Cy): *R... G...*
(Gliriel/Persia): P: *looks at something catching her attention* "Names have power?" *and with her still suited boot she stomps on her own vomit*

(Tahlor): *draws his mystic blaster and carefully moves Persia aside*

Result of the throw of dice "1d20 +5" :
20 + 5 = 25

(GM_Cy): *The shot and stomp do their work; scorching the mess and crushing what's left.*
(Tahlor): *Looks around and finds industrial cleanser, pours half the bottle onto the remaining goop & carbon*
"Yes...they do."

With Cloud out of commission, but recovering, the group's plans have been set back at least a week; add to the problem that they do not have any obvious means of dealing with the infestation on the moon and they have even bigger issues. It has been suggested that they could perhaps 'purge' the moon with a large enough explosion, though of course the math would have to be spot-on to avoid causing overly-calamitous damage. Unfortunately, Neo Alexandria is quite a ways off of any kind of production where weapons of mass destruction are concerned; if they DO take the nuclear path, they'll have to find one from somewhere else.

For now, however, they prepare themselves in other ways; the Nile Gods have suggested an outpost be established on North America to keep an eye on things, and that will be no small feat in itself. Whether the group will in fact have to snatch a nuclear weapon from their old friends the Coalition remains to be seen; hopefully Cloud will have an idea when she's feeling better. For now, though; we wait. And hope things don't get any worse. -_-

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 09, 2012 11:01 am

Catching Up and Heading Out

April 25th; Having been busy for the past week, the day opens with Cloud (finally released from her isolated medical chambers) checking in on a project of hers she had been semi-remotely supervising; a Techno-Wizard Antimatter bomb, with a reactive gas component to give it that extra 'kick'.

Everything seemed in-order, until an error occurred in said gas' inclusion into the already-built shell; a small explosion resulted. Fortunately, the spell portions were not yet active and no one was hurt, but the bomb casing and other components were pretty well slag at this point; and, Neo Alexandria being the small-ish city it is, no replacement parts were readily available.

Focusing on getting themselves prepared for their outpost-creating journey instead of this setback, the gang got themselves mobilized; Cloud having been asked by Isis to use the Stellar to fly the worker-settler's around Atlantis rather than have them risk it with slower, less flexible vehicles. The benign goddess also mentioned she had been having... visions. Scenes of immense bloodshed wavering in and out of their future in North America. Oddly, this was not what bothered her most; no, it was another oracular dream that had her unsettled. She was dreaming of a scarecrow, seen from a distance but evidently approaching, bringing with it a menacing feeling of uncertainty and perhaps death. Never having seen a scarecrow represented in her dreams, Isis merely asked Cloud to be cautious and keep an eye out for possible real-life things that could explain these odd scenes and figures.

Assigning Mondo to getting the settlers aboard, Cloud spent a few minutes talking with now-Pharaoh Kyros and the little Princess of Egypt in his lap. Knowing he could not come along, Kyros instead shot the breeze a little, but remarked that Evangeline was taking after her mother in how determinedly she was developing. Not even a year old and already stubbornly crawling around when unsupervised; he wouldn't be surprised if she was walking soon and talking not long after. Following this train of thought, he remarked that, should the time come when Cloud is ready for another stab at being 'domestic' herself, if Evangeline DID have her way and was walking, she might enjoy some junior-level recreational self-defence training. [And coining the term 'Aegis Guard' for a possible future defence team for Neo Alexandria in the process of his joking. :angel:

]

Wishing the Pharaoh well, Cloud got onto the now-stuffed-to-the-gills Stellar and squeezed her way past their guests up to the bridge; Hope would be riding Stormglider alongside, while Gliriel and Mondo assisted with bridge-operations. Their destination; Boston Harbour. Just up the coast from Madhaven. This could be entertaining.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 6:58 pm

A Bad Omen and a New Comrade

April 25th: Using the Stellar's engines to get well around Atlantis, the gang touched down in Boston Harbour, in a fairly shallow bowl-like depression that shielded them from being seen at a distance. Letting Mondo and Gliriel scout around in Tahlor's hover jeep, Cloud saw to the colonists and Hope took to the sky. The scouting party quickly confirmed the ruins of old Boston just over the lip of their bowl-shaped landing point. Hope, up above, was mildly concerned when no heat traces of any kind were detected in the fallen buildings or the undergrowth that had overtaken the vast majority of it; what sort of ruin had no animals living in it?

The answer to their question came when the aerial pair noticed a large, burned stain on the ruins. Flying in for a closer look, they were soon joined by their land-bound friends; what they had found was less encouraging, however. Burnt bodies left strewn about across the charred ground, their heads left stacked in a neat pile. Judging the recentness of the scene by the rot setting in on the skulls, the group estimated it had been no more than a week since the location's events had played out. Inspecting the area, Gliriel was the first to note something odd about the human skulls; a symbol carved into the bone of their foreheads, semi-obscured by their rotting flesh. Using his new multi-optic eye, Mondo swept the skulls to get an idea of what the mark must look like, sketching it out roughly into the dirt; http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/1/1c/Khorne_mark.png.

Seeing the mark brought a sense of discomfort to the group almost immediately; it was reminiscent of being stalked by some manner of predatory beast, large and angry. Smudging the mark out once Mondo had copied it onto a piece of paper (so they could show it to Cloud) the group returned to the site of the colonist's unpacking while Hope had Stormglider 'cleanse' the site with his on-board weaponry. Detecting a single heat trace approaching, she went to investigate while Gliriel and Mondo relayed their findings to the Commander. Cloud, recognizing the mark immediately as belonging to yet another of the Ruinous Powers (the Blood God, specifically), ensured the paper-copy's destruction and ordered the colonists to pack up at once. Not happy about it, they nevertheless agreed and got themselves and their supplies back aboard the Stellar.

Deciding to go pick up Hope (and the new arrival she had reported meeting with after investigating the heat source), they had the Stellar lift off; unfortunately, when they tried to land near Hope and her guest, who was the biggest human most of them had ever seen, they nearly landed it ON their comrades. Hope and the hulking fellow both managed to dive clear, but Stormglider suffered a glancing blow to his chest-plate. Nothing seriously harmed but his pride. :angel:

Taking the man, a Titan Juicer named Corey, aboard, Mondo struck up a conversation with the big man while they flew further north in search of a new site to land. Locating a rather ideal one by a river, they set down. With night fast-approaching, the colonists pitched their tents early, determined to get an early start while the group took turns keeping watch (though Cloud had a few things to fill Gliriel in on before they could see about watches or sleep.)

A new friend they've yet to really get to know, a new site for their colony; it would have been a good day, if a third Ruinous Power hadn't decided to make itself known. Still, the random killings seem smaller-scale than the situation on the moon is; perhaps there's time to yank this particular weed out by the roots.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:03 am

The Berserker's Bloody Business

April 26th: The following morning, the group (minus Gliriel, who was still asleep after spending much of the evening reading up on various demons and the like) gathered for a briefing conducted by Cloud; it was interrupted mid-way through by Hope discovering something unusual in her breakfast of various scrap metals. A brass skull pendant bearing the same mark on its forehead as the beheaded victims had. Showing this to Cloud, the Commander reluctantly decided to send her troops out to see what they could find out; but under strict orders to retreat if it was determined they could not handle the threat of anything they found.

Returning to the Boston Ruins, the group (consisting of Hope upon Stormglider, with Mondo and Corey in the hover jeep, which had been modified somewhat to fit the Titan Juicer's nine-foot frame) then struck out westward, the direction Corey had seen the hover-cyclists departing in. Finding evidence of a crash, they rationalized that one of the vehicles must have been faulty (as there were no signs of battle) and hoped that, perhaps, it would have broken down not long after, allowing them to catch up. Sure enough, they soon saw a plume of smoke ahead and, from Hope's aerial perspective, they quickly ascertained that the bike had indeed been faulty. A second bike had remained behind, along with an additional person, to defend the downed bike at it's resting place near the eastern tip of Lake Ontario; all told, the three people consisted of two individuals in Coalition Scout Armour, both of whom had painted their armour with brass highlights and a third who had painted his armour (reminiscent of Coalition Special Forces armour) entirely red, with the skull symbols and other details similarly brazen.

Jamming their communications, Hope left the meet-and-greet to the boys, who adopted an accepted story for their being in this part of the country; a hunting trip. Complete with their best attempts at hillbilly accents. Needless to say, the three Coalition-types didn't buy that two random hillbilly hunters in the middle of eastern North America would have the technology to jam their communications; but the boys didn't once try to deny they had done it, they simply stuck to their story of coming by to see if they could help. Rapidly losing their patience, the Coalition soldiers in light armour lifted their rifles and demanded Corey and Mondo surrender their weapons; their red-armoured compatriot, throughout, merely danced about on his tip-toes and tapped his fingers as though on an invisible piano, seemingly filled with restless energy.

When Mondo led the attack against the two grunts with his twin Psi-Swords, however, that all changed. The red-hued man retrieved his weapons from a nearby rucksack; specifically, a pair of axes. Rigged up with chainsaw teeth. Sprinting into action like a human blur, the fellow displayed speed to rival or exceed Corey's (being a Titan Juicer, we'll let you decide if that's impressive or not.

) and agility far greater than what the group were used to dealing with. After inflicting substantial damage to Mondo's powered armour, he executed a perfect handstand, gripped the knight's helmet and neck area with his shins and feet, and pulled himself into an upright position through core body strength alone; transitioning the force of the move down into the unfortunate knight serving as his pedastal, sending Mondo crashing to the ground, face-first. Landing almost delicately on the knight's back, he kicked his helmet free and brought his chain-axe to within a whisper of the man's throat and proceeded to signal a time-out, of all things, to Corey and Hope (hanging in mid-air above after announcing her presence.)

Upset by the severity of the assault against Mondo, Hope opted to attack their crimson-armoured opponent rather than play it safe; aiming for his arms, she had Stormglider burn through his arm-guards, nearly striking the shoulders of Mondo's armour in the process, but narrowly missing. Landing with a rush of air, the wind displaced the man from the knight's back, but in the process of attempting to dodge the attacks from above, the chain-axe's teeth had bitten into Mondo's neck. While the knight still lived, he had to be immediately medicated and treated via nano-bot kit; he was brought to stable condition, but most definitely out of the fight. Corey finished out the round with a few attempted strikes at their nightmarish foe, landing some but not seeming to rattle the fellow overly.

At this point, the two grunts (who, admittedly, were almost entirely superfluous in this combat) approached with a proposition; if the group would let their 'teacher' go, they would remain behind. The group decided not to accept and renewed the attack; the chainaxe-wielding man found himself under assault by Corey, but nearly ignored the Titan Juicer in favour of assaulting Stormglider (now on the ground). Sawing through the war-mount's force field and very nearly through one of his wings, SG escaped by flying away as quickly as possible while he was still able to do so; turning, the berserking man then brought his rage to bear upon Corey, inflicting serious harm to his armour before finally being put down by a combination of the big Juicer's fist and Hope's wrist-mounted lasers punching through his helmet.

Seeing their teacher slain, the 'initiates' opted to slice their own throats with their vibro-knives instead of being taken captive; left with no captives, Hope ensured the crimson-armoured man's (a Crazy, actually, as was now apparent by the brass-coated rods sticking out of his head) death by stomping his skull into the dirt. Gathering Mondo up, Hope placed him securely on Stormglider's back and opted to drive the hover-jeep, while Corey claimed the second, working hoverbike as his own.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 1:29 am

The Other Shoe

The Deathbringer APC settled down, landing on a flat segment of ground a short way from the water's edge. They had seen that their men were dead from the air and the sight of their demise did not surprise any aboard; what did was that none of the enemy lay with them, even with one of their long-time members present.
"Two of the uninitiated, properly offered to the Skull Throne. But their mentor's, a promised skull, denied its place at the foot of the Brass Throne? This is unacceptable."
"There ain't any enemy corpses here, sir. They could'a gathered their dead before departin', but the Dog Pack don't smell death here, 'cept for our own losses."
"How long has it been since their departure?"
"No more than a half hour, sir. We hit full speed after losing contact with 'em 'bout thirty-five minutes ago. Even if they stopped to chat before gettin' down to business, they can't have been here longer than, say, five, maybe ten minutes."
"Hmm. Evidently there are forces at work here we are unfamiliar with. Release the Hounds; have them find these enemies and tear out their throats. The Blood God does not allow for debts; he is owed a skull and will be most upset if he does not receive one."

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:53 am

Well'p; apologies folks. There won't be any Rifts this week, we're down at least one player and, considering where exactly the group stands right now, it's probably in their best interests that we wait until everybody's available before continuing. *nods* Stay tuned for next week.

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 3:47 am

"should" be on deck Thursday.
Will keep all parties appraised if things change.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 5:09 pm

I'm still wrapping my head around the idea of chain-axes....

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:50 pm

taalismn wrote:I'm still wrapping my head around the idea of chain-axes....

It's a

Spoiler:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Aug 29, 2012 9:17 pm

Rifts postponed until next week; apologies folks. Stay tuned.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Sep 13, 2012 10:08 am

The Baying of Hounds

April 26th (contd): Hurrying homeward as quickly as they could, the group sent their injured Cyber-Knight ahead on the back of Stormglider; but they were soon made aware of pursuers coming up from behind. A squadron of Coalition Scout Rocket Cycles; five in total. Making use of the hover-jeep's turret and Corey's railgun, the pair of remaining team members did their best to hold their assailants off; but they were outgunned by the mini-missile-toting vehicles. Corey, however, did have some fun with the encounter; hopping from his bike (which was bombarded with missiles moments after and completely destroyed) to one of the Rocket Cycles, then to another just before his 'new' mount self-destructed at its previous owner's command.

With the hover-jeep also reduced to so much molten slag, Hope was grounded; two Rocket Bikes closed in on her while Corey's second new bike spiraled out of control towards the ground (its pilot hadn't exactly been ready to share seat space with a Titan Juicer. :angel:

.) The fifth bike, and the only one not piloted by a Dog Boy, carried a human who, landing, began muttering across the radio to his remaining Dog Pack; mentioning their 'Blood God' and what he expected of them. Apparently triggering some manner of possession, three of the Dog Boys (out of four; the last was simply too damaged after being thrown, bodily, from his rocket cycle by Corey.) began to undergo a transformation into larger, ferocious dog-things with massive teeth, brass collars and ram horns. [Ex; http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb5 ... _Hound.jpg]

These 'Hounds' of Khorne proved vicious opponents; while Corey was able to evade any serious damage through an impressive surge of good fortune, Hope's armour was swiss-cheesed and she was thoroughly bitten; fortunately the Shemarrian warrior pulled through and the pair managed to send the Flesh Hounds back to the hellish dimension they came from; making use of the remaining rocket cycles, they started for home. [I should mention that Stormglider and Mondo had arrived at the Stellar during the fight and sent some long-range assistance back that way, but the missile-strike did not arrive in sufficient time; they were re-directed to impact harmlessly elsewhere. :angel:

]

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 8:01 pm

Defences and a Dirge

April 26th (contd): Arriving back at the colony site at last, Hope was pulled aside by Cloud for a quick 'chat'; Mondo and Corey were, fortunately, let off the hook for the time being as they stowed their gear and (in Mondo's case) got themselves comfortable in the medbay. Gliriel, resurfacing after a long night's study session, spent some time with the injured knight until Hope was released from her lecture. Leaving the two alone to engage in their usual almost-but-not-quite flirting (which actually developed into proper flirting, for a change

), the elf was intercepted by Cloud. Discussing the encounter the group had had to clarify certain details, the Commander decided it was time to fortify their position; while their current location was ideal for a colony, the colony itself was not yet very well fortified. In addition, Gliriel asked that she make some improvements to her sword, adding a second forge-related task for the Commander to attend to (the first being the repairs to Mondo's armour.) Seeing all that they had to do, the group decided it was time to set some time aside to attend to what needed doing; specifically, setting aside the month of May.

Over the course of the month, the small tent-camp grew into a proper founding for a colony; longhouse-like dwellings for their (now several hundred) colonists, a granary of sorts for the storing of food and a palisade stretching around these buildings, with enough spare room for further improvements. A moat had also been dug around the palisade, keeping the more fearsome of the local wildlife away from the relatively fragile wood barrier. With Corey's assistance, several 'ambush points' had also been identified around the colony and some small look-out positions had been founded there to keep an eye out for potential threats to the farmland outside the town's new walls.

June 1st: The morning of June the 1st dawned fair and bright and saw most of the group about their own activities. Corey had set out into the nearby forests in search of large game, while Hope had a somewhat awkward, but endearing, conversation with 'her' knight; expressing to Mondo that she had a journey, of sorts, to undertake and being embarrassingly pleased when he made it very clear he wished to be there for her during this period of her life (a 'Rite of Upgrade' as she explained it to him.)

Gliriel, meanwhile, had noticed an odd display going on in-town; many of the farming community had gathered, with wrapped bundles very similar to ritual offerings, and were making their way out into the fields. Asking what was happening, she was invited along to see for herself; the young girl she was talking to explained that, in their early weeks, they had had a great deal of trouble keeping the local wildlife out of their fledgling crops, but a 'spirit' had arrived to keep them safe. The offerings, therefor, were to maintain the favour of this 'scarecrow', of sorts.

Arriving at their destination, Gliriel saw that the 'spirit' was indeed a scarecrow, of sorts, though not exactly in the manner she had been expecting. Instead of a benevolent spirit, or even a straw-stuffed man, the villager's newfound idol of worship was a large, somewhat ominous bird perched a short distance from the edge of their fields in a tree. The bird was easily the size of a man, if not larger, for even in the usual hunched posture of an avian it was nearly 8 feet at the shoulder; its wings were folded at its side, so its wingspan was unknown, but it was its 'face' that truly caught the elven girl's attention. Instead of a beak, it had a smoky-gray 'muzzle' filled with razor sharp teeth set below its eyes; large, hollow-looking things with a dull red light burning in their pits.

Intrigued by the bird, Gliriel asked the gathered crowd of colonists what they called it; learning that they had no proper name for the creature, she named it after a mythical avian her mother told her of as a child. Dirge, the bird of death, that comes on silent wings to take those whose time is called. The bird itself seemed to support this, releasing a long, mournful cry that did indeed remind those nearby of funeral music. Accepting the name, the villagers left their offerings and went back to their work; Gliriel, fascinated by this 'piece of home', so to speak, remained for a time before returning to town.

Deciding it was time for her team to convene, Cloud called a meeting that evening and, with everyone present, began to discuss how best they should proceed. The group seemed to agree that they needed more information on the strange sect of Coalition they had stumbled across, as well as potentially secure some trade connections with nearby, independent villages or kingdoms (not Lazlo, of course, given their history.) When Cloud asked who should go on this reconnaissance trip, however, she received an answer she had not been expecting from Gliriel; specifically, that they should ask the Dirge if it would scout for them.

A carrion bird from an alien-raised elf's childhood story-times; hey, Gliriel's got the townsfolk on her side when it comes to believing the bird is benign.

This is of course assuming they can make the creature understand what they want. Oh, and of course it remains to be seen if everyone else in the group will trust the task to the ominous bird to begin with.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:31 pm

Apologies, folks, no Rifts this week.
I've got a dentist appointment in the morning, need to take a look at my wisdom teeth (all six of them -_-) and I'm not exactly sure of the state I'll be in when I get home. I'm not going to ask folks to put off making other plans until early or even mid-afternoon for me to check back in, so we'll just pick up next week. *nods*

Wish me luck and hope everyone has a pleasant week,
- Cy

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 8:53 pm

Cytibor wrote:Apologies, folks, no Rifts this week.
I've got a dentist appointment in the morning, need to take a look at my wisdom teeth (all six of them -_-) and I'm not exactly sure of the state I'll be in when I get home. I'm not going to ask folks to put off making other plans until early or even mid-afternoon for me to check back in, so we'll just pick up next week. *nods*

Wish me luck and hope everyone has a pleasant week,
- Cy

DAMN...okay, so I don't feel guilt at having to 'show the colours' at Bakaphoenix then.
Good luck and hope they use the GOOD drugs if they do anything with yer teeth then & there. :ok:

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 8:00 pm

Take Care Cy, wisdom teeth are not to be trifled with.

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 2:02 pm

Just a wonderin' if the gang is gathering 2nite or not.
By the looks of it Corey/Calto40k will be personae non-boogie.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 3:47 pm

Yeah, probably better we wait until next week, considering Calto's out and the news Frost got earlier this week. *nods*
We'll get some RP in before the holiday craze sets in though, never fear.

- Cy/Orion

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:31 pm

Cytibor wrote:Yeah, probably better we wait until next week, considering Calto's out and the news Frost got earlier this week. *nods*
We'll get some RP in before the holiday craze sets in though, never fear.

- Cy/Orion

Okay; so it is being declared Bad hair day until next week then? :-?

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:37 pm

DhAkael wrote:
Cytibor wrote:Yeah, probably better we wait until next week, considering Calto's out and the news Frost got earlier this week. *nods*
We'll get some RP in before the holiday craze sets in though, never fear.

- Cy/Orion

Okay; so it is being declared Bad hair day until next week then?

S'what I said. :angel:

Or what I meant, anyway.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Oct 11, 2012 6:52 pm

The Slayer, The Child, The Distraught Cult Member Dumped Unceremoniously In The Street

June 2nd: Rising from their respective beds, the group saw to their usual routines; Gliriel heading out to visit the Dirge, Mondo seeing to his exercises, Corey going out in the hopes of hunting some big game and Cloud nearly dropping her coffee as the aforementioned bird practised its hourly time-keeping with its mournful calls.

Reaching the Dirge's chosen roost at the edge of the fields, Gliriel began her attempt to communicate with the monstrous avian. Seeing the bird react to her words in a manner she hoped suggested comprehension, she then asked the bird if it would assist her (and the group at large) in scouting for signs of the cult that had formed within the Coalition, those bearing the brass skull pendants. With Cloud approaching to speak with Gliriel, the Dirge spent a moment looking between the two humanoids before taking wing. Feeling a little disheartened, Gliriel nevertheless defended her faith in the bird, rationalizing that she had brought nothing in trade for its services and that was why it had simply departed.

Cloud, while sympathetic, suggested it was time to convene the troops, however; they did, after all, have things to discuss. On this particular day's agenda was expanding the colony's scouting radius and becoming more aware of what was around them, possibly even establishing some trade with neighbouring unaffiliated communities. (The issue of finance was also brought up, with several suggestions made, including taking up a business as pelt traders, for lack of a better term.) With Corey having found some large-scale tracks to the northwest, the group decided that was as good a way to start looking as any, leaving Cloud behind to keep things under control.

Heading out, the group quickly found the trail in question, but encountered an additional complication; a distress call from some concerned parents, explaining that their child had been snatched up by a demon. Sending Gliriel and Mondo to check on the call, Hope and Corey continued to follow the tracks in question, just in case they turned out to be the ones they needed. Keeping their introductions brief, Gliriel and Mondo were able to confirm that the trail was indeed the correct one, though they were uncertain as to what, exactly, they were following. The parents were unsure of what exactly had taken their daughter, Melissa, but were just distraught enough not to particularly care.

Sneaking up on their quarry, Hope and Corey were able to get a look at it before any hostilities broke out; a towering hulk of armour plates, with two-fingered, shovel-sized, clawed hands and tentacles spilling from its 'mouth'. An Armoured Slayer, as identified by both Hope and Gliriel, then confirmed by Mondo (so basically a consensus all 'round.

) With precious little information on the hulking creature, however, the pair on-site were hesitant to pursue a course of action recklessly. Unfortunately, the creature noticed them before they were able to withdraw to plan their next move and they were forced to attempt communication; which, they discovered, was rather like talking to a very large, rather lethal child. (If children's voices sounded like an air leak. :angel:

)

After a great deal of slow progress, they eventually worked out that the Slayer had been fighting recently against a 'small dog'; though what exactly that was they weren't sure, at least until it directed them to the maimed body of an Alu Demon Hound. With the 'demon' identified, the group's concern shifted to ascertaining the whereabouts of the little girl and, much to their relief, the Slayer plucked the somewhat frightened child from where it had hidden her, in some bushes. Seeming unharmed, the little girl was nevertheless a little on the distraught side, but was calmed by Hope and Gliriel while the Slayer got back on its way, plodding slowly through the undergrowth. Relieved that everything had worked out well, the group returned the child to her parents, who thanked the group by answering some of their region-based questions; the group learned that most of the communities in the area were under the aegis of Free Quebec, with the exception of a coastal village that got by through fishing endeavours that was too far south for the regular patrols to keep an eye on.

Setting out for this village, the group decided to check in with the colony while they had some downtime; Gliriel made the call, hoping the Dirge had returned, but was disappointed to hear it had not. Before she and Cloud finished their chat, however, they could hear the familiar, mournful call sounding from outside; checking it out, Cloud reported back that the Dirge had returned, and had brought company. Specifically, one rather irritated Coalition grunt with irregular brass paint spots on his armour, dropped rather clumsily from the roof of a single story building into the middle of the street upon seeing Cloud.

Needless to say, Gliriel was rather pleased that her confidence in the bird had proven well-founded.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 4:45 pm

Orm's Moat and The Brass Skull Cultist

June 2nd: With the group en-route to the fishing community mentioned to them by the grateful parents of the little girl they rescued earlier (it was nearby and they figured it made more sense to visit before returning to the colony) Cloud set to interrogating their recently delivered brass-highlighted cultist. She quickly discovered several things; first, the man was fairly typical Coalition fodder in that he was both illiterate and generally convinced that the true evils of the world were all non-human, supernatural, or magical in nature. Second, he viewed the 'group' that he had joined up with as a sort of fraternity within the Coalition and not as any sort of cult at all. Aside from the brass paint and the skull necklace, they were doing nothing the Coalition weren't already; preaching the evils of magic and those who used it and issuing orders and missions to deal with communities deemed to traffic in such things. The only difference, really, was that the anti-magic sentiment was particularly strong in this 'Brass Skull' group. Cloud, frustrated by the man's ignorance as to the danger of his new friends, nevertheless opted to knock him out with a Life Blast and a dose of medication instead of doing anything more drastic, thinking things over while the others were out and about.

Arriving at the fishing village, Hope, Mondo, Gliriel and Corey found it to be a small, fairly unassuming place. Its only truly distinguishing feature was a 20-foot moat encircling its land-bound side, making it virtually an island. A dock with several small fishing vessels could be seen on the far side, facing out into the ocean, with the small community on the dry land portion amidst the moat. Approaching, the townsfolk began to panic; Hope realized this was likely due to her and Corey's appearance, being taller and generally more imposing than your average human. The group's armament, of course, did not help either. Letting Mondo go first to try and calm the locals with reasoning, they managed to talk themselves into a meeting with the mayor of the village; waiting for some manner of bridge or crossing to be made apparent, the group were surprised when the mayor emerged from the moat itself. And what a mayor it was.

Spoiler:

The massive serpent introduced himself as 'Orm'. Cautious at first, he was slowly brought around to the notion that the group were peaceful. Without Cloud present to form any official agreements, he accepted the idea that the group could return in two days' time to speak again. Responding to a request from the group's biggest eater (Corey, of course

) their host then took a brief plunge into the sea, returning with a twenty foot shark to sate the Titan Juicer's appetite. With a second look at Orm's sheer size, the group realized the true reason the village had a moat; the massive, serpentine dragon had circled his body around the small community and gouged the moat out in the process. Somewhat in awe of the large creature, the group took their leave and returned to the colony to meet with Cloud.

Convening an impromptu meeting upon their arrival, Cloud told the group what she had learned from the Coalition/Cultist grunt, as well as her impressions of the Cult itself. With its non-invasive approach of recruiting, simply capitalizing on the things the Coalition already taught, she realized it could grow in number fairly rapidly without ever being of real concern to the 'normal' Dead Boy rank and file. A fraternity that made its members even more hateful towards magic was good news to the Coalition, after all. Mondo put forth a theory that the cult could be an attempt by a local commander to establish his own 'kingdom', of sorts, since their location was on the very outskirts of the Coalition's territory. Listening to the theories and ideas being passed around, Cloud decided that, regardless of who was behind the cult, their first priority was keeping the colony safe through anonymity, their second was perhaps to train their militia a little better and then came to their third priority, which was flushing out the leader of this cult and hopefully putting an end to it before it became too well-entrenched. Unfortunately, she was not sure where to begin and could not very well just go take a survey at the nearest base without the Coalition itself taking notice of their presence. It was Mondo who suggested seeing if the Dirge could lead them there, a notion supported by Gliriel (who was still rather pleased that the bird had brought them their current prisoner.) The Dirge, having landed nearby, seemed to take notice of their conversation including it and, rotating its head 180 degrees so its 'muzzle' was straight up and its red-lit, hollow eyes stared at them upside-down, began to speak.
"The Knight says a jester can rule so long as the king is away; the Clouds ask where the peak is while the Princess wishes to be shown where the fools play; I see many things between where earth and sky merge; who, then, is willing to bargain with the Dirge?"

Huh. So it CAN talk. :demon:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 5:15 pm

Depends...is the Dirge into straightfoward answers or the cryptic kind? Because I'd start looking to refill all my down pillows if it's the cryptic kind.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:54 am

Will post a full update before next session; the group is presently wrapped up in a fight, so I'll wait until I'm able to give you folks a definite conclusion.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 1:02 pm

Amendment; sounds like the gang could use a day off, anyway. The strains of real life have reared their ugly heads yet again.
Never fear, we'll try it again next week.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 2:41 pm

A'ight; need to stop putting this off. :angel:

Eight Men, Four SAMAS, a Hellfire and One Whopper Headache

June 2nd (contd): Continuing their conversation with the Dirge, the group quickly ascertained the location of the outpost the eerie avian had lifted their Brass Skull grunt from; organizing themselves, they shipped out in short order to deal with this location. Knowing it was far from Coalition territory (and was actually within the northern bounds of the Magic Zone), the Dirge's impression of the place ('simple') was still their only first-hand evidence.

Arriving after several hours' flight, they saw it was indeed a smaller affair, staffed by just eight men. Deciding to approach with stealth, the group hit the dirt and used the terrain to their advantage, utilizing the long grass as cover for their advance. Unfortunately, the grunts happened to be looking the right way at the wrong time and, while they did not see any of the group themselves, had the distinct impression that something was approaching. Naturally, when a CS team expecting to deal with the denizens of the Magic Zone see anything suspicious, they take it seriously. The eight men rapidly built an impromptu 'sandbag' wall out of pretty much anything they had on hand and took cover. Continuing their advance, Hope had Stormglider jam the outpost's transmissions, hoping to keep them from sending for any help (unfortunately, the grunts had already managed to begin a short-range call to those members of their expedition not currently present.) Spending the next half-minute or so getting closer, the group then went on the offensive; Hope attempting to disarm or otherwise incapacitate, while Mondo (who was a little further back) rushed to assist and Gliriel got pinned down in the brush.

As luck would have it, however, the 'elite' of the outpost returned quickly; a four-man SAMAS squad. With SG engaging them a short distance from the main fight, the Shemarrian warmount had his talons full buying time for the others. Things were looking a little grim for the team, with fortune just plain refusing to go their way. Much to their relief, Corey (who had been off the grid for a while after receiving his shark from Orm) turned up to lend a hand, drawing some of the concentrated fire away from those group members present, while Hope succeeded in disarming most of the footsoldiers remaining; SG, retreating from his air battle, then used the main command tent of the outpost to further inconvenience the soldiers while Hope dove out of the way. With the ground battle looking good, the air battle remained grim; the SAMAS were bearing down on the remainder of the group and, aside from moderate damage to one of them and minor damage to another, were virtually untouched. Luck swung the group's way in the end, though, with the arrival of a (prototype) Coalition Hellfire; an unlikely savior, to be sure. Depleting its missile launchers, it wiped the SAMAS from the air before they knew what had gone wrong. With the surrendered ground forces under Mondo's watch, Hope went to investigate their unusual assistant and found it empty, the pilot and gunner swinging from a rope ladder, quite dead with their throats slit.

Unsure of what to make of this, the group nevertheless chalked it up to an unknown ally; Mondo, utilizing his power armour training, was able to get the walker-style robot vehicle moving while Hope instructed Corey to broadcast a message on Coalition frequencies suggesting heresy and the like at this location. The grunts left behind, minus their weapons but still in-armour, were to receive their judgement at the hands of their former allies. Returning to base late that night, Cloud saw their return with a mixed reaction; it had been a while since the group had come back with real salvage they could get some funds out of, but the damage to Mondo's suit would once again require some of her time to repair (though it was not as bad as it could have been.) Gliriel, in a haze since the battle's end, simply tottered off to her room in a fog, emerging here and there for food or other necessities, but never seeming to acknowledge the presence of anyone else. Deciding to note their unknown benefactor as a 4th party (counting the Dirge as the 3rd), Cloud then sent her team to get some rest.

June 3rd: Started off clear and bright, and that's where we pick up tonight. (Rhyme unintentional.

)

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:05 am

Considering we just took a week off [what with Turkey Day for our American neighbours and all :angel:

], I hate to say this, but... there won't be any Rifts this week. I'm just not going to have the time, have to tend to finalizing things IRL; which sucks, because I've been looking forward to this part of our story for a while now. Next week for sure (I hope.)

- Cy

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:46 pm

Cytibor wrote:Considering we just took a week off [what with Turkey Day for our American neighbours and all ], I hate to say this, but... there won't be any Rifts this week. I'm just not going to have the time, have to tend to finalizing things IRL; which sucks, because I've been looking forward to this part of our story for a while now. Next week for sure (I hope.)

- Cy

Got the memo :ok:

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:45 pm

Copy that...next game i will play from the tropical island of Guam...should be fun.

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 6:51 pm

Monkra wrote:Copy that...next game i will play from the tropical island of Guam...should be fun.

Ah; business trip or vacation?

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:25 pm

DhAkael wrote:
Monkra wrote:Copy that...next game i will play from the tropical island of Guam...should be fun.

Ah; business trip or vacation?

both

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:01 pm

Just'a wonderin' if we WILL be having da game 2nite.