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Posted: **Fri Apr 08, 2011 12:23 am**

Gah, I forgot to update again. Drat. Uhm... Sorry guys.

This time? Yeah, I just plain forgot. :oops:

Double update in the next few days, I promise.

Posted: **Fri Apr 08, 2011 9:16 am**

Albtra had "Mother dear" wake him up...
Whoopsie doodle.

Posted: **Sat Apr 09, 2011 10:55 pm**

DhAkael wrote:Albtra had "Mother dear" wake him up...
Whoopsie doodle.

Well, sneakily and underhandedly awaiting her current carrier to reach a physical maturity level equal to an adult in order for said unfortunate shell to actually stand a shot at wreakin' some havoc?
Yup, sounds like her. :demon:

Posted: **Sun Apr 10, 2011 4:57 am**

taalismn wrote:
Cytibor wrote:[
Will our heroes ever catch a break? Maybe, but well... this is Hell, after all.

No, Hell is a politician who announces that he or she is not going to run for office again, and realizes that the crowd thinks he MEANT it.

Hell is being stuck in an apartment with only reality TV being recievable.

Hell is Newark(at least that was my impression of it; smoking oil refinery towers with PLANES LANDING BETWEEN THEM)

Newark hell hahahahaha not likely more like a dirty cesspool with a semi decent goth club

Posted: **Tue Apr 12, 2011 12:33 am**

Out of the Frying Pan, and Into the...Freezer?

July 21st [cont'd]: Faced with a giant sandstorm, funnelled through the miles-wide valley the group is passing through, the group hastily rigs up a system of Eris' devising: tarps for sails. Yup, they're going to try to ride the monstrous wind bearing down on them like a bellowing stampede. With their apparatus in place, each platform waited in anxious silence, and when the storm finally hit them, they held on for dear life as their platforms were plucked from the ground and hurtled forwards as if they were shot from a cannon.

They say time flies when you're having fun, and many people would attest to this. The D.A.R.T.'s, however, would probably argue that it flies much faster when you're in a life-or-death situation and fighting for your life. If you contested this point, they would use their flight on the crest of the sandstorm as evidence, because they rode those hurricane winds for over an hour, but it seemed like scant minutes to those aboard.

Showing a sharp contrast to the group's usual run of luck, the storm dropped them off in an oasis, a paradise within the giant frying pan that is the Great Dyval Desert, where Albtraum at last awoke from his comatose state and proceeded to begin gulping down water, eliciting raised eyebrows from the team, particularly when they noticed his body rapidly developing the musculature of an adolescent as he drank. Soon after, he began working his jaw, chewing on nothing, and describing the sensation driving it as a simple need to chew on something, as opposed to being hungry, which was taken care of by Eris' group-Sustain spell. Fishing through their supplies, Eris found a salted ham and passed it to the “teething” devil-teen, who proceeded to demolish it in mere moments. Before he could move on to anything else, such as the cigar Anna had given him, he began to writhe in agony, and as the group watched, his body changed. He became, rapidly, human in every respect, at least on the outside, taking on the appearance of the glowing-green-eyed and silver haired Sephiroth from Eris' home dimension, his twin in almost every way save for certain details. Despite being a little weirded out by this, Eris and the others were glad when the pain passed, and Albtraum seemed thrilled to have taken on a less-monstrous appearance.

With Albtraum happily chatting with Anna, the group checked their position, and adjusted their course to head for Tundra Ridge, gateway to the next level of Dyval. Heading out quickly, they soon entered the mountains surrounding the Ridge, where the temperature began to slacken to more tolerable levels. Passing through a valley between the peaks, they encountered a five-hundred foot wall: the Ridge was in fact a plateau, and there was no path up.

After some recon was done by a jetpack-toting Mouse, Eris hot-wired the platforms with some flight-inducing magic, and the group was soon on their way up and over the cliff-face. Reaching the top, they beheld a welcome sight: a second oasis, larger than the first, surrounded by what could only be a light layer of snow! The temperature, similarly, was much reduced from the Desert's norm, and those who had begun to catch on to Dyval's way of doing things began to suspect what was in store for them on the 4th level of Dyval. Fortunately, the entrance was among the easiest yet to find, a small shrine marked by a pair of two-hundred foot pine trees standing on either side of it. It was a simple matter for the portal to be opened, and the group to pass through into the darkness on the other side.

Their platform's lights auto-engaged, the group found themselves in a massive cavern that glittered like diamonds under light, with a steady trickle of water running away from the portal's opening point in small streams. The group's magically self-orienting maps banished any further doubt as to the nature of this level with the very name of the place: Tundra. The ice cavern, for ice it undoubtedly was, posed a problem beyond being devoid of light, however, for there were dozens of tunnels leading away from it, none of which were marked in any way. The group were stymied, at least for the moment. As they sat, pondering their options, Albtraum again grew drowsy and lay down to sleep, and Persia set up an IV drip of fluids to spare him the manic hydration-craze he exhibited at the oasis back in the Desert.

Meanwhile, the group began to notice some of the tunnel entrances were in fact more like alcoves, and each housed one or more ice sculptures. Moving for a better look, the group saw they were more akin to golems, bulkier than a sculpture would normally be, and movements out of the corner of their eyes only fuelled their suspicions. Deciding it was time to go, whether they were right or wrong, the group prepared to choose their tunnel, but some of them heard a voice calling to them, and directing them to a specific tunnel. Having nothing else to go on, they went with the advice given. Looking back as they ventured into the tunnel, they saw the ice sculptures silently watching them go, and as they looked ahead, they saw a pure white wall obstructing their path. Eris, asking for her paramour's assistance, readied a Fire Blast spell, and Jase used his Pyrokinesis to fuel the flames, melting the snowy barricade in mere moments. Emerging, they were at last in the outer world of Tundra, within the region of Glacia, a huge expanse of mostly flat ground and frozen lakes covered in snow. And, setting the group back into their usual run of luck, Glacia greeted them with a full-on blizzard.

That's the first installment, the update I missed last week. Second one to come soon, so stay tuned.

Posted: **Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:55 pm**

Don't let the thermal shock snap you... :twisted:

Posted: **Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:50 pm**

taalismn wrote:Don't let the thermal shock snap you...

You read my mind. :demon:

A Warm Welcome in the Deep Freeze

July 21st [cont'd]: Taking their surroundings into account, the D.A.R.T. decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to get out of Tundra post-haste. Fortunately, their environmental armour was space-worthy and held the cold at bay well, though Albtraum's unconscious form had to be swaddled in blankets and placed near the heat-exhaust to keep from freezing over. Unfortunately, the howling blizzard around them kept visibility to fifty feet at most, and navigation in such conditions is a tricky affair. A further problem was the rapid build-up of snow and ice on the deck, which Eris set about correcting by stringing some wiring and parts of the coolant system around the edge of the platforms to provide some much needed warmth.

Forging ahead to the best of their [borrowed ] Russian-tech's ability, the group at last confirmed that the levels of Dyval ran on a common [or nearly so, at least] time-stream, for it was growing dark and the temperature was dropping yet further. Visibility was also diminishing rapidly, and most alarming of all, their transportation was beginning to audibly complain as its' metal and workings contracted from the bitter cold. As the light reduced to near-utter darkness, their platform lights auto-engaged, and promptly burst. The group concurred: it was time to find shelter. Eris and Jase called up several Globes of Daylight to light their way [or about 10 feet of it] and they pored over the map quickly, pointing their pilots in the direction of what appeared to be some low hills nearby.

Coming upon the hills quite suddenly in the darkness, they vaulted over the top of it and landed on the far side, and the crew began scrutinizing the hillside, which payed off when they discovered a cave. Driving their transports inside one at a time, they discovered it was wide enough for both, and Eris used a Carpet of Adhesion spell and a tarp to 'fly-paper' the opening shut until she could peg it down properly. The platforms also kept groaning, the exposed coolant system beginning to freeze up, temporarily prolonged by shutting down the jets [though everyone knew the odds of the jets turning back on were terrible].

Moving to the cave mouth to peg the tarp properly, Eris was nearly finished when she heard what was unmistakeably a knock on the outside of the cave. Initially believing herself to be hearing things, a second knock prompted her to ask, though hesitantly, if anyone was there. Much to her surprise [and relief, not hearing voices is generally a good thing] her question was responded to, and Eris offered to let the stranger in as long as he didn't mind having a lot of weapons pointed in his direction. The stranger agreed, and a fur-wrapped humanoid was soon standing inside the cave. Oddly, this caused the temperature to begin rising. The figure began peeling layers of fur off, muttering to himself about the sheer number of garments he had been swaddled in.

The group, meanwhile was getting increasingly agitated, as he was caught up in extricating himself from his coats and was not being terribly forthcoming in identifying himself. However, once he had peeled off several layers of furs, their visitor suddenly began to look familiar, with tanned skin, dark hair and green eyes. Once he had shucked the last of the restrictive furs and revealed himself entirely, Eris pounced on him for a neck-wringing hug of relief, for it was none other than Law, and his very presence seemed to warm the cave to far more tolerable levels. The group was initially slightly suspicious, but this was taken care of when Jase asked Law what he and Imala had given the plainsman the last time they had met, and Law answered correctly: a medicine pouch and two of his feathers. [eliciting odd looks from Anna and Persia, who saw no wings on the young man.]

Hunkering down to discuss and explain, Law decided it was time to get some things out in the open, especially since their location made eavesdropping virtually impossible. He then assumed his true form, which was much the same as his normal one except with silver interlaced into his eyes and hair, and a pair of crimson-feathered wings with silver markings. He explained that his name was Kyros Sebhest, second son of Osiris the Lawgiver and Isis the All-Mother [third if you counted Anubis, his half-brother], deities in the Pantheon of Egypt. Persia, being from a predominantly science-based culture, was perplexed by this, but Kyros assured her it would all sink in with time.

He also explained that he and Imala [Justice's real name] had come to Dyval to help the group out after hearing of Xarl's abduction, and that they were also keeping an eye out for several of his father's preserved remains, as they had heard Sahtalus was in possession of one. However, their information had been incorrect: Sahtalus had THREE pieces of Osiris, though to their frustration they also learned that none of them were actually in Dyval, as they had been entrusted to Sahtalus' most trusted minion, who was apparently elsewhere. [And whose identity was unknown.] Kyros explained that Imala was waiting for them at Lady Rhada's Citadel [yes, she's a Lady of Dyval ] as the Lady in question was a prisoner within her own Citadel [due to complex circumstances] and was willing to offer them sanctuary in return for their company, and who had a favour to ask of them once they arrived.

Deciding they had talked enough for one evening, the group turned in and went to sleep, waking the next morning to find several sled-teams of Fenry Wolves outside, sent at Rhada's behest as replacement transportation. They also met Jiu Ba, a Kou-Ching Greater Demon that had sworn to fight Kyros to the death and utterly refused to stop following Kyros until the duel was held, much to Kyros' irritation. Before they could continue the conversation or board their sleds, however, Albtraum began to thrash and scream. The “Dark Mother” in his head had determined her carrier was ready, and she was making her move. But how can our heroes stop her without harming Albtraum? :eek:

Posted: **Fri Apr 15, 2011 12:50 am**

And tonight's session...
Albtraum's Frenzy, Sealing the Dark Mother, and Greetings from the Hall of the Tundra Queen!

Keep ya posted on those.

Posted: **Thu Apr 21, 2011 7:20 pm**

Sealing the Dark Mother and Meeting the Tundra Queen

July 22nd: The battle with the semi-possessed Albtraum was a short but furious one, with Kyros being thrown a good forty feet in an over-the-shoulder flip by Albtraum after trying to restrain his genetic 'son'. Albtraum also proved he had a hidden arsenal, firing a rapid burst of crimson, magical energy at Eris from between his horns and destroying her Invincible Armour protection. Fortunately, with the entire group working to try to stop him peacefully, it provided enough of a distraction for Kyros to return to the fight, working some Earth Element magic to turn the ground beneath Albtraum into mud, and then stomping on his shoulders to drive him waist-deep into it. Using this opening to her advantage, Persia loaded an injector with a potent cocktail of medications, and attempted to introduce the mix to the devil-man's system, however the “Dark Mother” in his head had other ideas, knocking the injector away at the last moment. Trying again, Persia was assisted by Albtraum, who managed to regain control of himself long enough to allow the injector to pierce his skin, though his supernatural system rendered the mix only briefly helpful. Loading a second dose, Persia gave him another helping, finally rendering their young friend unconscious.

Knowing that Albtraum would wake soon, and that Jenova was still in his mind, Eris decided the best course of action would be to attempt to seal Jenova's movements. Taking a feather that she had been given by Kyros some time ago, she pressed it against the scarred area on Albtraum's chest, and cast a Life Blast spell through it. After a moment's pause, the scar shrunk down to miniscule size, and Kyros reported that Imala, who had been attempting to assist Albtraum in his mental struggle against Jenova, saw Jenova being trapped behind a door, and a vast iron girder had been placed across that door. Eris nodded, satisfied that her idea had at least shut Jenova off from trying to hijack Albtraum again for now, but promising that she would look into a way to permanently removing her.

Boarding the waiting sleds, the group were whisked across the glacier landscape of Tundra by the Fenry wolves, making much greater time than if they had used their now-frozen platforms. As they proceeded, they had to cross a vast ice bridge over a chasm between the mountain range dividing Glacia from the rest of Tundra. To escape the notice of the outpost at the far side of the bridge, the group covered themselves with the blankets on the sleds, but upon reaching the other side, they discovered Albtraum had slipped away. Initially planning to go after him, the group were stopped by a reluctant Kyros, who explained that, whether they liked it or not, Albtraum had decided to fly solo until he could come to terms with Jenova, even if she was dormant for now. Not happy, but understanding, the group let the Fenry remain on their current course.

Reaching Rhada's Citadel, a vast mansion-like chateau in the mountains, the group got up to stretch their limbs, Kyros being tackled to the ground by an exuberant Imala, hasty in her excitement at her husband's return. After she reacquainted herself with those of the group she knew, and was introduced to the ones she didn't, they proceeded inside to meet with Lady Rhada, who they soon saw was a beauty befitting her crown as the Tundra Queen, with icy blue eyes, white-silver hair, and pale skin. Addressing the group, she outlined her request: that, when the D.A.R.T. went to free General Xarl, that they take Mephisto's key-ring back to her, so she could unchain herself as well. She explained that Mephisto's arrogance was such that he frequently left the key-ring in the prison itself when he went abroad, believing no one would dare to enter his prison to take them with his minions there on guard. Feeling positive about the proceedings thus far, the group then asked if, should they accomplish this, if Rhada would see fit to let them use her Citadel's link to Dyval Prime to make their escape, to which she readily agreed, and stated that she would be in their debt even after allowing them their shortcut out.

With their meeting drawing to a close, Lady Rhada brought up Sahtalus' reasons for having kidnapped General Xarl in the first place, citing that, while the D.A.R.T. may not look kindly on the ruler of Hell, that he was no fool, and he rarely did anything without a specific reason. She could not see what that reason was in this case, why he would kidnap the General of a city-state and simply leave the city intact, as such an action usually preceded an attack on said city-state. She hypothesized that Sahtalus may have been promised something valuable in return for kidnapping Xarl, but what could be so valuable and who would offer it for a simple kidnapping job, she did not know. The group had their suspicions, and Eris requested 6 hours for the team to rest and prepare before departing for Inferno, the fifth level of Dyval and Mephisto's realm, where they would find the Infernal Prison and General Xarl.

Posted: **Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:54 am**

This session was rather talky, so here's the quick-and-dirty details.

Pleased to Meet You, Hope You Guess My Name

July 22nd [cont'd]: The group set out from Rhada's Citadel, making excellent time to Mt. Inferno to reach the portal to the next level of Dyval. Kyros, showing his aptitude for communing with the elements, managed to turn the blast-furnace levels of heat within the lava realm down to more livable levels for the group.

Soon after entering, they were spotted by a Beast mounted upon a young adult Flying Horror. Rather than be intimidated by this, as most normal folk likely would have, our D.A.R.T. tried a different tactic: Anna shot the Greater Dyvil in the face. ...With a triple burst of exploding shells. .....Followed by a Psi-Spear from Jase. .......And a magic shockwave from Eris' Erschlagen Mond. Forcibly dismounted and dropped into the lava river below, the Beast was no longer in any shape to pursue them, and through some daring acrobatics, Mouse managed to get herself onto the Flying Horror cruising by overhead, and the group soon had their transportation problems solved, and were on their way to the Infernal Prison.

Arriving at said prison about 10 hours later after flying non-stop, taking shifts asleep, the group saw that the place was virtually free of guards, a fact that raised many warning flags, but they had little choice but to walk right in the front door, though Kyros and Imala had to stay outside, for the duration of their 'official visit' had been pushed as far as was possible, so they could not interfere directly, though they promised to mind the Flying Horror for the others. After heading inside, the D.A.R.T. were approached by a golem bearing what could only be described as a Hallmark-esque greeting card inviting them 'upstairs' to a party of sorts. The card also mentioned that General Xarl would be 'in attendance.'

Once again unable to say no, the group headed upstairs, and soon found themselves in conversation with the Supreme Lord Dyval himself, Sahtalus. Their infernal lord and master quickly outlined what they needed to know, and willingly at that: He had kidnapped Xarl because someone had offered him a complete list of all locations that supported a permanent Rift to Dyval. The other half of the agreement was for him to invade, and conquer, the City-State of Lazlo at the stroke of midnight. After dropping that particularly bombshell, however, he added that he had already received half of the list [as per his terms], and due to changing circumstances, he had decided not to go through with the invasion in the first place.

Ever the smug-and-in-control type, Sahtalus went on to explain how it was he had come to no longer need the remainder of the location-list, and he hinted it was because of the D.A.R.T. themselves. Deciding it was better to be used and actually know how, Eris agreed to the infernal king's offer to explain, and he first took the time to explain that the group had done him two large favours, and that was why he was being so generous. First: They had provided him the perfect way to free Rhada without "rendering Mephisto apoplectic." Second: They had provided him a way to secure another list of every permanent Rift to Dyval as well as a magically binding contract with the head of another pantheon for one unspecific favour, signed in blood no less. Growing immediately suspicious of how they had secured the Dyval King something so valuable, the group inquired further.

Sahtalus' did not answer them himself, but another in the room, hiding behind a tapestry, stepped forward to answer. "You delivered what I desired, and have desired for many, many years, right to Lord Sahtalus' doorstep." And to their horror, the group beheld Set Typhon-Tanis, head deity of the Pantheon of Taut, Kyros' wicked uncle. Which meant that what he wanted could only be their friend outside, which put both Kyros and Imala in grave danger. Taking no time to deal with the group just now, Set headed outside to join his pantheon members he had brought to capture Kyros, and the group were left alone with Sahtalus.

July 23rd: Understandably agitated, the group started to excuse themselves, but the Supreme Lord Dyval stopped them, saying that they had two favours with him that he would honour and repay. One, he assumed, was getting out of Dyval alive. The other would either be leaving with Xarl, or going to attempt to help Kyros and Imala outside. He left the question hanging, but as they stared at him in a mixture of anger and contempt, the clock chimed midnight. Sahtalus' scrying crystal showed his army appearing around Lazlo, to which Sahtalus paid no attention, because he had already left standing orders for his army to leave after spooking the citizens with their presence. However, much to his annoyance and consternation, a fair number of them did not.

In answer to the unspoken demand, a voice came in over the crystal. "Lord Sahtalus: I see my suspicions were more than justified. You have no doubt found your own avenue to secure what I offered, and I both understand and respect your treachery, it was well-done. However, the summoners you used to bring your army to bear? They were MINE. And it is through them that I have wrenched a portion of your army from your control. Lazlo WILL be mine, with OR without your help."

Now, as you can imagine, the Supreme Lord of Dyval did not take this kindly. Taking a deep breath, he turned to the D.A.R.T. still within the room. "It would seem that we have more business to conduct."

Someone's double-crossed the king of Dyvalian Hell. You don't DO that. :demon:

I wonder how our group will make use of that old saying: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Posted: **Thu Apr 28, 2011 10:32 am**

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend until I can dispose of him too and take his stuff."

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 1:51 am**

Initial thoughts on tonight's session... -ahem-
EPIC. So much happened so fast! There were deals brokered, rescues attempted, friends we were forced to abandon, a desperate race to get home before it was too late, and now we find out that the foe in charge of the attack has raided "THE VAULT", the Lazlo Security Force's repository for all things chock-full of nasty-not-niceness. :eek:

I'll fill you in after I go crash out and recharge the ol' batteries.

EPIC!

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:53 am**

Cytibor wrote:Initial thoughts on tonight's session... -ahem-
EPIC. So much happened so fast! There were deals brokered, rescues attempted, friends we were forced to abandon, a desperate race to get home before it was too late, and now we find out that the foe in charge of the attack has raided "THE VAULT", the Lazlo Security Force's repository for all things chock-full of nasty-not-niceness.

I'll fill you in after I go crash out and recharge the ol' batteries.

EPIC!

Oy...and all I did was watch the Royal wedding and see the Lancaster flyover.
Maybe I'm not living right?
Then again, I didn't have to leave any buddies behind...

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:01 pm**

Royals schomoyals... after Elizabeth passes on into the long-goodnight I call the monarchy offcially DEAD.
Anything else that happens will be just lame-duck wanna-be'ism

However, yeah, Epic session was epic.

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 3:35 pm**

DhAkael wrote:Royals schomoyals... after Elizabeth passes on into the long-goodnight I call the monarchy offcially DEAD.
Anything else that happens will be just lame-duck wanna-be'ism

However, yeah, Epic session was epic.

Bloom County: Prince Charles: "No, son, we will NOT be ordering the Royal Navy to 'take back Massachusetts'!"
William: "Gran'mum's right; you're a bloody WIMP!"

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 5:50 pm**

it will bypass lil'charlie . . . and go to william.
charlie kinda blew it with his relationship with car. . .whatever she is.
but he made it much worse by marrying the bint afterward.
SHE was carrying on her gramma's antics. so yeah . . like . . . 'ewwwwwwwwwww'

Posted: **Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:07 pm**

shiiv-a wrote:it will bypass lil'charlie . . . and go to william.
charlie kinda blew it with his relationship with car. . .whatever she is.
but he made it much worse by marrying the bint afterward.
SHE was carrying on her gramma's antics. so yeah . . like . . . 'ewwwwwwwwwww'

Americans are like...Oh, the Donald's on what, his second wife? His third? Hey, he's Presidential material!

Well, as long as the European royal bloodlines are no longer intermarrying to the point of producing genetic monsters, and have finally gotten rid of this 'gee, you can't marry a commoner!' nonsense...

But closer to topic, when the BBC reporter described the Lancaster flying overhead as 'graceful' I burst out laughing...I always considered it rather pugnacious and ugly-looking.
Oh well, gotta take Local Pride Bias into account, even though I HAD done a TW Lancaster conversion.

Posted: **Sun May 01, 2011 6:28 pm**

The Good of the Many, The Fall of the Few

Also Known As: The Epic [Censored] Session

July 23rd [cont'd]: Our heroes opened a rapid session of fresh negotiations with Sahtalus, and while the Lord Dyval kept up his required front of disinterest, Eris' well-worded demands kept things short.

Eris' demands:
* Safe passage to Lady Rhada’s realm for the D.A.R.T., Imala & her cubs and Xarl. Plus unobstructed passage through Dyval Prime’s gate to the mortal ‘verse (proper timeline and location).
* Delay (NOT stop, just delay) the Lords of Taut in their pursuit of Imala, should they give chase after capturing Kyros.
* Payment in recompense for inconvenience and physical/mental trauma to D.A.R.T. and General Xarl, to be paid from Lord Mephistopheles' coffers. Payment to be in currency or materials that will not devalue across dimensional boundaries, and can be used as collateral for financing D.A.R.T. projects. Total payment to be valued NO LESS THAN 240 million in Universal Trade Credits.
* For return of Dyvallian minions and greater powers that have gone under sway to the unnamed individual responsible for the incursion into Lazlo; 1 year per minion / greater power returned “intact” of non-interference with the City-State of Lazlo by the forces of Dyval under direct command of those under Lord Sahtalus.

In return for the above:
* The D.A.R.T. will henceforth NOT enter into Dyval unless extreme circumstances require it, and then only under express permission after an official request has been made to the High-Lord of Dyval. This will remain in effect for 10 years, plus a day, after the agreement of both parties.
* All resources of the D.A.R.T. and allied powers, will be brought to bear to return the middle and upper echelon minions and powers under sway of the mortal party responsible for the incursion into Lazlo.
* The responsible mortal party (or parties) will be given over to Lord Sahtalus, or a duly appointed representative, once the incursion has been neutralized, for punishment as deemed appropriate by the Lord of Dyval.

Sahtalus agreed to the terms and had Eris write them down on parchment, with each member of the D.A.R.T. present signing [Persia using her family seal and Eris using her house's seal, wax with 3 drops of blood], adding his own signature to it after they were done, and sliding a coin down to Eris, stipulating that she take it with her so he could 'keep an eye' on them as 'insurance' to make sure they stayed out of Dyval. Upon picking up the coin, it passed through her gauntlet, and after a moment's heat, entered Eris' hand with barely a trace.

With their business concluded, Sahtalus whisked off to uphold his end of the bargain while the group ran outside to behold the epic confrontation underway. Set had brought Anubis, Apepi the Immortal, and Ammit the Beast along to collect Kyros, making it four gods against them. Kyros and Imala were joined by Jiu-Ba in their defence, and even Albtraum made his promised reappearance to lend what aid he could, but they were losing ground fast. In a moment of defiance, Imala angered Set, and he responded by barraging her with deific magic, shattering her magic protection and searing away her armour, leaving her battered and dazed on the ground. Seeing his wife in grave and immediate danger, Kyros grabbed Albtraum by the horn, thrust the still-dazed Imala into his arms, and threw the young gene-devil out of the conflict, yelling for Eris to catch them. After making sure Imala was safer in the group's midst, Kyros asked Eris to promise him to get his wife away from the battle, to make sure she got back to their daughter safely. Eris agreed, already knowing Kyros had no way to escape and hating it.

Jiu-Ba, determined to stay at Kyros' side no matter what, assisted the young godling in driving up a barrier of rock and earth between the battle and the fleeing D.A.R.T., even as Imala realized what was happening and began to plead with the group to let her go back. Mounting the still-tethered Flying Horror they had arrived on, the group held down a now-struggling Imala as they moved to take off. Any question as to the outcome of the fight, if there had been any to begin with, were answered by the sound of cracking stone and shattering bones accompanied by a spray of blood trickling down the side of the stone wall. After that, there was only silence.

Following this, Imala's sanity became decidedly strained, and she began to scream at her friends for taking her away, calling them cowards, saying that they abandoned Kyros without even trying. They had no words to console her, and each just tried to deal with the reality of the situation as best they could. But they had no time to grieve just yet, for Apepi had risen on his wings, and the foul dragon was giving chase. He nearly caught up to them, when they hear Sahtalus' voice carried over the heat-blasted wind of Inferno: "A bargain once struck shall be upheld." Immediately following this, Apepi flew headlong into a magic barrier hundreds of feet across, and Thoth appeared on their Flying Horror's back, obviously having been allowed to come by Sahtalus, thus holding up the clause of the agreement of delaying the Gods of Taut from pursuing Imala.

Utterly consumed by grief, Imala continued her rant, accusing Thoth of being late and condemning Kyros to his fate. Eris, finally unable to bear her pack-sister's madness, asked - pleaded- with the Lord of Knowledge to lay her to rest so she could sleep. Thoth acquiesced, and though she frantically resisted, Imala soon lay in slumber. Gathering her up, Thoth then wished the D.A.R.T. his best and left via a portal created by Sahtalus, who had appeared on the Flying Horror as well. Deciding to go the extra mile, Sahtalus then used his power over Dyval to warp distances, allowing the group to reach Lava Bridge, and the gateway back to Tundra, in a matter of minutes. Taking his leave, Sahtalus vanished, no doubt to take care of his other contractual obligations.

Returning to Lady Rhada's Citadel, the group saw to her chains, and the Tundra Queen soon walked free once more, swearing she would uphold the debt of honour she owed them, and using her Citadel's link to Dyval Prime to give them a shortcut to the first layer of Dyval. From there, they flew to the East Gate, where they made contact with Lazlo and the portal home, at last, was opened. Returning, they saw things were not at all in good shape. It had been roughly an hour since the incursion began, and while the Greater Deevils were still outside trying to break through the city's walls, flocks of Dire Harpies and Shock Dragons riding upon Flying Horrors were raining destruction on the city, despite Plato's [in his natural draconic state] best efforts to defend the city's airspace. Worse, a band of Mystic Knights were operating within the city, had knocked out the power generators, and were busily sowing mayhem, supported by the remaining cultist-like fanatics who had summoned the infernal army to begin with.

Xarl, at least semi-revived, stomped off to assist the chain of command, while the group divided up to search for Tahlor and lend aid where best they could. Shortly after their arrival, they heard Tahlor over the radio announcing that the Mystic Knight leader was a man going by the name of 'Blackthorn', and he was searching for him. As the group combed the battle-torn city, they received a second radio update: the vault kept by the Lazlo Security Forces, containing all ill-intentioned artifacts brought into the city, had been breached. Those nearest to the vault's, supposedly secret, location could hear a fell shrieking begin, and those of the group who had been to the Paradox World of the Wraithking felt a chill run down their spine. The Wraithking's runic greatsword, Calamity, had been re-awakened. And it was screaming for blood.

Posted: **Thu May 05, 2011 1:07 pm**

just a heads up to all the players in the game.
Real life has decided to raise its head in the form of a full time job.
i won't be able to join the game anymore till after 10PM EST [7PST for me]
as a result, i will be withdrawing Mouse from the game for now.
MAYBE if the game is still on in October, i can rejoin. if not?
game on and have fun.
~cheers~

Posted: **Thu May 05, 2011 6:43 pm**

shiiv-a wrote:just a heads up to all the players in the game.
Real life has decided to raise its head in the form of a full time job.
i won't be able to join the game anymore till after 10PM EST [7PST for me]
as a result, i will be withdrawing Mouse from the game for now.
MAYBE if the game is still on in October, i can rejoin. if not?
game on and have fun.
~cheers~

Sadness

, but also joy :-D

, for you, in finding full-time work.
Remember; you are not allowed to eat, vaporize, explosively decompress, implode, transform, transfigure, extradimensionally exile, telepathically mind control, perforate, irradiate, curse with violent bowel movements, or sacrifice for favors from an Elder God, any client/patron/customer you disagree with.

Posted: **Thu May 05, 2011 7:13 pm**

taalismn wrote:
shiiv-a wrote:just a heads up to all the players in the game.
Real life has decided to raise its head in the form of a full time job.
i won't be able to join the game anymore till after 10PM EST [7PST for me]
as a result, i will be withdrawing Mouse from the game for now.
MAYBE if the game is still on in October, i can rejoin. if not?
game on and have fun.
~cheers~

Sadness , but also joy , for you, in finding full-time work.
Remember; you are not allowed to eat, vaporize, explosively decompress, implode, transform, transfigure, extradimensionally exile, telepathically mind control, perforate, irradiate, curse with violent bowel movements, or sacrifice for favors from an Elder God, any client/patron/customer you disagree with.

aw man . . .
take all the fun out of it . . .
:lol:

Posted: **Thu May 05, 2011 8:05 pm**

shiiv-a wrote:[
aw man . . .
take all the fun out of it . . .

You can still curse them on the time delay installment plan, however... :twisted:

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 3:41 am**

too disheveled to figure out the tie ins atm.....work make Chriax angry

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 1:40 pm**

Pun Absolutely Intended

Points if you know what I'm talking about.

July 23rd [And again]: The battle against Blackthorn was a furious one, with the Mystic Knight getting the drop on the group via Invisibility and proceeding to carve some nasty marks in Anna's armour, using magic like Invincible Armour and Spinning Blades to his advantage to frustrate the group, but despite his best efforts, he did eventually go down to a storm of bolter fire from the young Sororitas-in-training, though her rounds blew open his chest cavity - rather problematic when one has promised the target in question to the Infernal King of Dyval. Further adding to the problem, the man's blood spattered onto the runeblade, which promptly began devouring his essence. :eek:

Fortunately for all involved, a Dyvallian that Tahlor confirmed was friendly [at least for now ] arrived on scene to collect the man's soul, securing a segment of the D.A.R.T.'s end of the bargain with Sahtalus.

With Blackthorn dealt with and the runeblade thrown back into the vault for temporary safe keeping, the group decided it was about time they cleaned up the rest of the city. Eris and Jase took to the sky using Fly As The Eagle, seeking to assist Plato and Caesar in their aerial battle. And while Jase's expertise as a Shifter drove the Harpies away, they were unfortunately moments too late, for the spiteful bird-hags rakes Plato's wings, and he fell, poor Caesar on his back with some kind of metal fragment in his shoulder pauldron. The colossal dragon hit earth, nearly crushing the Cosmo-Knight beneath him, and smashed through several buildings as he came to a stop. At the same time, Persia and Tahlor had moved to assist Goji with the Flying Horrors and their riders, sniping the beast's eyes to distract them so Goji could get a grip on them. Persia then showed her feline agility in climbing the Titan-Lizard's tail to jump down to the hapless Deevils in his grip, and cut the saddles loose, the troops not fortunate enough to die on impact landing in the water for Goji's giant feet to crush. Upon seeing Plato go down, however, the feline doctor asked Goji to bring her to the dragon's side so she could take a look.

Plato was banged up, suffering from what was likely a dragon's equivalent of a concussion, but he would be alright in a few days. Caesar, however, had a far more dire condition, for the piece of metal that had been stuck in his armour had been driven fully through his shoulder, and upon removing it from the Cosmo-Knight's body, the metal fragmented, a single shard -magically contained within the metal- skittered across the paved ground, and Eris' blood ran cold. Blacksteel. It was Blacksteel. But... HERE? In this version of Lazlo? Not good... VERY not good. Jase used one of his silver arrowheads to touch the metal at Eris' direction, which produced the usual explosive reaction, destroying the fragmented metal.

Utterly unwilling to allow Caesar to die, Persia sprang into action. The man's entire upper left side had been tainted by the foul metal as its' evil spread through him, and in addition to rendering a lung useless, very nearly doing the same to his heart, it had reached the base of his neck and was choking him. She worked feverishly, opening an airway from the right side and working to stabilize him while the med-evac team arrived. Once they did, she used their facilities like she had built them, removing all tainted flesh from Caesar's body, effectively amputating his entire left side in the process. She did not know if cybernetics would interfere with him or not, but they were what she had available and she had no time to waste, so that's what he got. His entire left side, including the base of his neck, his left lung and the entirety of his arm; the only way to save his life.

Almost able to relax, the group were then hailed by Anna, returning from the Casa in search of medical help. Persia, exhausted and drawing heavily on the ley lines, and the med-evac team hasted to the castle, which was the site of heavy battle. The Mystic Knights had tried to get in, evidently, and Anna's sisters had been there to stop them. Entering the Casa, they found the girls playing cards nonchalantly, and it was only after a second glance that the blood, missing limbs and other injuries came into focus. :shock:

After a moment of awkward silence, the group mentioned the girls' sorry state, and they reluctantly allowed themselves to be carted off to be treated. Once done, Persia released her grip on the ley lines and permitted herself to pass out into the arms of her gentleman-caller, Tahlor.

At this point, Lazlo was shaky. Its' buildings were damaged, some destroyed, its' power generators were only just coming back on, and a hundred other things needed to be attended to, but it was SAFE, and once that sank in, the group unanimously decided it was time to get some sleep. Most of them slept soundly, peacefully, and undisturbed. Eris however... did not. :demon:

She woke up not long afterward, halfway to the washroom to empty her stomach into the toilet, in the process discovering she was taller, her incisor teeth were now fang-like, and she had curves in all the right places. :!:

We'll see if she explains how the hell that happened... next time.

Posted: **Thu May 12, 2011 2:43 pm**

Good thing she didn't use silver scalpels to remove the Blacksteel taint...if the last experience with the stuff was anything to go by, subcutaneous explosions are NOT conducive to speedy recoveries from life-threatening injuries. And they make open casket funerals problematic.

Posted: **Thu May 19, 2011 6:12 pm**

And without further ado, last week's events. Plus~ a very special addition, brought to you by our group making good Perception rolls.

Losing a Friend, Revealing an Identity, and New Recruits

July 23rd: Rousing early after much tossing and turning, Eris headed downstairs to her workshop, but passed a sobbing Alice along the way. A message had arrived stating that Borris Reeve, one of the group's long-time allies and kingpin of the Black Market, was dead, but the circumstances were odd and the officers were requesting assistance from the D.A.R.T. Knowing that Alice and Borris were more than acquaintances, Eris told her secretary to get some rest in the guest room before waking Jase and informing him of the situation.

The pair made their way down to the motel address specified, and once inside the room saw the problem immediately. Borris' body had been impaled, through the heart and into the wall behind him, by a spike of Blacksteel the length of the man's forearm. Jase, using his Telekinesis, removed the spike, and they took it outside to the parking lot, where he used his psionics to form a forcefield around the Blacksteel before throwing in a piece of silver provided by the officers. The reaction was among the most violent either of them had yet seen, for the spike was far larger than was normal for Blacksteel, and it blew a large chunk out of the concrete of the parking lot.

Turning to head home after receiving a page from Alice, the pair were addressed by Briar Croup and Armondo Calvinus, a young Ley Line Walker and Cyber Knight, respectively. The Ley Line Walker was a local of Lazlo and had heard of the D.A.R.T., and regarded the pair with an enthusiasm bordering on hero worship, while the Cyber Knight was more formal but no less polite. Not in the mood to talk just then, Eris and Jase told them to follow them back to the Casa, and upon arrival directed them to wait in the Sun Room while they got a shot of coffee and some time to gather themselves [and change clothes, in Eris' case, still dressed in her gym-clothes. ]. A delivery of crates had also been brought into the Casa's front lobby, though they sat unopened for the moment.

While they waited, Briar and 'Mondo' were attended to by Legion, the robot bearing a tea tray dutifully and acquainting himself with their new guests and potential recruits. Upon Eris' and Jase's return, the conversation started anew, with the two newcomers expressing a desire to join the D.A.R.T. Initially a bit skeptical that they knew what they were getting into, Eris made sure they understood the commitments they would be taking on, but the pair seemed determined. Accepting their request, Eris sent them to take care of their registration, looking around in the interim as though looking for someone.

Upon Alice's asking, Eris revealed that the note that came along with the crates had stated Lady Dyrella, Sahtalus' favourite minion and the one who had appeared to assist during the Infernal Incursion, would be along shortly to ensure everything was in order. However, she was late, which was most unusual. Alice, sighing slightly as if hesitant to continue, abruptly shifted her posture and mannerisms, and even this seemingly minute change made everyone stare. The brunette with baby-blue eyes suddenly looked startlingly familiar, and her voice shifting from the cheerful and upbeat tone it usually kept to the more self-assured, confident voice of Dyrella. :shock:

Eris' reaction summed up the group's feelings very well: "Buwhu..." *Blinks.* "You...how... where... HOW LONG!?" Dyrella proceeded to explain that Sahtalus had been interested by the group long before the events surrounding Xarl's kidnapping, and she had been assigned to keep an eye on the D.A.R.T. and learn about them. Doing her best to absorb this, Eris simply asked if Dyrella would be tendering her resignation, but to the group's surprise, the Dyvallian expressed a desire to remain in her current duties if the group would allow her to do so. She went on to say that she felt she owed it to them for their help in finding Borris' killer, suggesting that she genuinely cared for the man, a rarity among infernals for sure.

Somewhat surprisingly, Eris agreed to letting Dyrella stay on as secretary, in her usual guise of Alice of course, as long as she agreed to sign the agreement in blood. Dyrella agreed. Assuming her human form once more, she returned to her duties while Persia and Tahlor arrived on the scene, the feline doctor reminding the new recruits that she would need a physical examination for her records.

Meanwhile, Legion informed Eris that a visitor had arrived, one "Brightlance-Envoy" who was apparently from "home". Startled, Eris disappeared into a spare room with the cloaked figure of their visitor, and not long after they could hear Eris cursing up a storm. Whatever it was this visitor had come to say, it had rattled Eris' cage for sure.

Elsewhere in the Casa, while waiting for the two new recruits to arrive for their medical examination, Persia had decided to have a chat with Xsi, still inert and captive in the corner. Removing his heart from her stasis freezer, the skeleton-man's body reconstituted, and they proceeded to have a short chat while she filled him in on what had been happening while they were away. Upon informing him that "Mr. Law" [as she was still not sure if she should call him 'Kyros'] had been taken by Set, the lich-being reacted... loudly. :angel:

Throughout the Casa, his aura and voice resounded with: "SET HAS KYROS!?!"

Everyone arrived at the medical lab at roughly the same time, and saw Persia hastily putting Xsi's heart back into the stasis freezer, though the new recruits of course were at a loss as to what had just transpired. Persia defended her actions however, stating that if anyone was going to have information about Kyros' likely whereabouts or situation, it would be Xsi. She believed he would help them, to an extent at least, once he had time to calm down.

With the two new recruits taking their medical exams and the others spreading out to relax some, Eris dragged Jase off to attend to something important...

A Special Moment

Brought To You By: Perception Checks. Because You Just Can't Let People Have Their Privacy.

After dragging Jase away from the others, Eris stopped in front of their door, and got down on one knee. Somewhat confused, the plainsman looked at her for an explanation. She provided him one, by reaching into her pocket for something...
"If I left this to you, I'd be an old maid and you'd be decades dead."
...a small, blue, velvet box. Blinking at her with sudden understanding, he looked her in the eyes as she voiced exactly what she had on her mind.
"Jase Taggart...will you marry me?"
Picking her up in his excitement, the plainsman and Dragoon shared a kiss before his answer came: "Of course!"

She arrived in this world by accident via random rift, found a Lazlo she didn't recognize, and formed an underfunded organization to protect a city woefully unprepared compared to the one she knew, but at long last, Cloud Silver Eris knows exactly where 'home' is.

Posted: **Thu May 19, 2011 6:28 pm**

"In my home country, man or woman just punch prospective mate in face, drag down to justice of peace, register claim, and then make love until wilt! None this touchy-feely stuffes."

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 4:52 pm**

The Lich, The Shemarrian, and the Wolf-Hawk

July 23rd: With their engagement official, Cloud and Jase returned to the group, the Commander deciding she had to find the still-mysterious visitor who had come to speak with her earlier, taking Jase and Mondo with her. Meanwhile, Persia decided to give Xsi another chance, with Tahlor present in case of emergency, and Briar looking on with curiousity, and not a little apprehension. The black-boned skeleton behaved, initially, swapping pleasantries, though he seemed determined to intimidate Briar for kicks.

On their way in search of their foreign visitor, Cloud explained that the visitor had brought with her a prophecy which was believed to include mention of Cloud as well as herself, and that was why Cloud had to take her leave from the group for a time to check things out in her original 'verse.

Xsi, meanwhile, had revealed he did indeed know where Kyros was likely being kept, and he was prepared to trade the information for a suitable price, though when Persia informed him she didn't have the authority for such a thing, he seemed slightly put out, and decided he would go find Commander Eris on his own to begin negotiations. Not quite sure what he meant, all present were caught off guard when he suddenly sprang a 'Time Slip' spell, snatched his heart back, and was out the door before they could react.

Receiving the news of the lich's escape, Cloud, Jase and Mondo reacted with appropriate profanity, and the shadow-draped figure soon arrived on a rooftop near to them, and proceeded to lay out why he was there, seeking some manner of deal with the DART Commander. Unfortunately for all involved, he hadn't really thought about what he wanted in return for the information, which quickly led to a stalemate between the two sides as tensions rose. Frustrated with the situation, Cloud resumed searching for Hope, though with Persia's arrival shortly thereafter, the situation finally improved some. She managed to convince Xsi that, should he come down off the building and back to the Casa, nobody would attempt to steal back his heart to cage him once more, and they could discuss strategy. Xsi agreed, on the condition that no one wear mega-damage armour in his presence, a fair arrangement in his [hollow ] eyesockets.

During the ensuing exchange of information, the visitor returned, having met with Eris already, and introduced herself, officially, as 'Cydi Shondrali' or Hope Brightlance (In English ). Sitting in on the meeting, she at first maintained the appearance of a new-arrival, with broken English, though she soon let the facade drop, Cloud returning around this time as well. Now certain of Imala's location, thanks to information from the DARTs, Xsi offered to establish a portal to Sekhet-Aanru, home of the Pantheon of Ra, so the group could speak with Imala herself. Eager to check up on their friend and needing an update on certain pieces of information, the group readily agreed. After assuring her Xsi was not there to kill everyone [at least not just now ] it was agreed that, since he had access to the Pantheon of Taut's territory [being Anubis' son], Xsi would function as a double agent, feeding them information from inside, though the group weren't terribly pleased with having to rely on one of their longest-standing foes.

It was also explained to Imala that Hope wished her assistance in uniting two tribes in her homeland, the Hawkmoon and Wolf's Path, as Imala's 'divine' form as a demigoddess combined elements of both wolves and hawks, and the tribes would agree upon it being significant and possibly come to a peaceful agreement. Imala, though having quite a lot on her plate just now, agreed to help however she could as long as she didn't have to leave her current 'verse, as she refused to leave Kyros to his fate. Imala then asked Cloud if she could perhaps oversee the construction of a vault for the safekeeping of important artifacts, to which Cloud agreed, as the Lazlo Security Forces had been muttering about finding a new location for their vault anyway. Imala then recapped the pieces of Osiris they still had to gather, mentioning three of them were in the possession of a 'Lady Dyrella'.

Obviously surprised, Cloud pulled Alice aside for a chat, returning some time later with a simple message for Imala, to not worry about those three particular pieces for the moment, they were in good hands. More than slightly perplexed, but pleased nevertheless, Imala said goodbye to her friends for the time being, promising to be back in Lazlo as soon as she was able, and picking up her daughter, Evangeline, to wave through the scrying portal, Cloud appropriately gushing over her god-daughter's apparent cute-factor. :angel:

Xsi's Information Report

Point A] Outright invasion of Set's realm is not possible at this point in time. With Kyros finally in his grasp, he will have tripled the presence of his minions at every possible entrance to his realms, and the DART simply don't have the manpower.
Point B] The DART are exhausted from recent events, and need to maintenance their equipment and attend to matters at home, so it would be unwise for them to rush immediately into another major conflict anyway.
Point C] Imala will be unable to rejoin the group for a period of 6 months, due to the magic she and Kyros used to meet the group in Dyval, as they were technically ahead of the group in the time-stream, and they must reach the same point before meeting, or risk severe consequences. Paradoxes do that.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 5:18 pm**

The Remainder of the Year 100 Post Apocalypse

With our group embarking on a 6 month time-skip, it falls to me to note down the developments at home and abroad for their, and your, perusal.

So without further ado, please read the installments to come.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 5:18 pm**

At Home: The City-State of Lazlo

- The infernal incursion caused severe damage to the city, but it was repaired in good time. However, the real wounds were torn into the residents of this city of free-thinkers. Many families lost loved ones, and to add insult to injury, the general populace knew nothing of the DART's rescue mission into Dyval to save General Xarl, and while the government tried to find ways to explain the situation and that they did not know who was at fault, a rumour began to circulate.
"Did you know? General Xarl was abducted by Deevils, the same ones that ravaged our fair city. I know, I know, its' hard to believe, isn't it? The Security Council would have said something, you say? No, my friend, they hushed it up and sent their DARTs after him in a rescue attempt. Noble, of course, but was it worth it? What am I implying? Oh, nothing, nothing... simply wondering if saving one life was worth incurring the wrath of a dimension of Hell, and losing hundreds, thousands, in the ensuing retaliation? That's a decision for the public to make, don't you think? But no... it was kept from you by the government, and the DART pushed to be allowed to go on the mission. But don't listen to the ramblings of a bitter soul, my friend, make your own decisions. If the Councils will let you, anyway."
- The effects of this have been adverse and alarming. Despite the best efforts of the wiser members of both Councils, the loss of life has made the citizens of Lazlo angry and fearful, and all official explanations of the situation only resulted in confirming to the public that Xarl's abduction had, indeed, been kept from them. With pressure mounting, Xarl was asked to retire from his position as General of the LSF, and Nathan Lassiter elevated from his previous rank of Secretary of Defence to fill the wolfen's shoes by unanimous decision, as the new General had himself lost family in the incursion, his wife and son, garnering him massive public support.
- As for the DART, well, no action has been taken officially, as they did nothing wrong, but the rumours persist and their popularity is at an all-time low with the general populace. Nevertheless, a vault expansion has been made to the Casa's basement to house dangerous relics and weapons, and the Sturmfalke Transport they 'acquired' from the Coalition base has finally been refitted and overhauled into the space-worthy craft, the Lighthawk.
- Eris Cloud and Jase Taggart's wedding ceremony has been slated for late January, around the same time Imala was due to return, in the hopes she would be able to return in time to be present, and it has been decided that it will be kept largely private to avoid any of the rumour-mongers from getting the notion into their heads to ruin it.
- The general atmosphere of the city is one of apprehension, trust in the Councils has been shaken badly, and the citizens are victims of a mob mentality, lashing out collectively at anything they become frightened of. It is a difficult time for everyone, and none feel it more keenly than Councilor Plato, who fears a city of free thought is being reduced to a shadow of its' former self.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 5:30 pm**

Coalition States

- The Coalition States have been behaving... oddly. Towns of D-Bees, and the humans living with them, have been found destroyed, which in itself is perfectly normal for the Dead Boys, but the oddities begin when it is noted that every single body is headless, with the skulls piled deliberately where they can best be seen. A new form of cruelty, perhaps, or a machination of the propaganda machine to spook their enemies? Who knows...
- Bodies of Coalition troops that have been slain in combat within recent months have begun to yield odd personal items, necklaces, rings and the like, bearing odd, unknown symbols, presumably religious in nature. But the Coalition has made no public announcements in regards to their stance on religion, so these individuals are acting of their own volition. But is this a good thing for the rest of North America, or a bad thing?

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 5:36 pm**

The Orbital Community

- Trade continues between Freedom Station and Lazlo, and though the Orbitals have sensed the change in atmosphere in the city below, it doesn't particularly affect them so they pay it little mind.
- The quarantine of the former CAN Republic continues, not a soul venturing near to the ghost-colony, though from time to time those forming the blockade swear they see movement below. Just a trick of the eyes, surely, the colonists are dead, there is no comm-chatter, and the moon is cold.
- Mars, similarly, has been blockaded, leaving the giant insects to their own devices, though a diplomatic envoy makes regular, heavily guarded, visits to the mutant bees and ants, who have proven peaceful and open to talks of peace.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 5:47 pm**

Further Abroad

- At last communication, the reformed Reid's Rangers continue their fight against the vampire threat in Mexico as they always have done, Grizzly Carter being the new man in charge.
- The situation in the NGR, as far as intercepted communications from the CS suggest, is in much the same situation as it has been these past years, though the Gargoyle Empire seems to have suffered some kind of blow to their morale, though it was through nothing the NGR has done, and they have seen no sign of any other group attacking, so what caused this droop in spirits is quite beyond them, though no less welcome.
- Rumours from Atlantis suggest Lord Splynncryth is in a foul mood lately, something apparently is putting his business at risk and he's not taking kindly to it. What that is and how he reacts remains to be seen.
- As usual, anything further across the ocean than Atlantis is a complete mystery, as is South America.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 6:10 pm**

wow...much agoings on...
Very a'happy to see world updates as global community jello-pool stops a'shiverin' with ripples with latest adventure-fiascos.
Now is stable again, is time to spray with liquid nitrogen then hit new status-quo with sledgehammer, no? :-D

Pity the mutant bees are a matriarchal hive...the idea of a President Colbert in charge....maybe a Queen Colbert? :clown:

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 6:41 pm**

And so it is that the year 100 P.A. comes to a close, with many problems still to be dealt with and uncertainties to be faced. Our heroes have a lot of work to do... But that's enough of that for now, I've got to be going now. See you next year!

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 6:44 pm**

taalismn wrote:wow...much agoings on...
Very a'happy to see world updates as global community jello-pool stops a'shiverin' with ripples with latest adventure-fiascos.
Now is stable again, is time to spray with liquid nitrogen then hit new status-quo with sledgehammer, no?

Pity the mutant bees are a matriarchal hive...the idea of a President Colbert in charge....maybe a Queen Colbert?

lol, well, we'll see about the bees, but I definitely think the group would like a can of liquid nitrogen.

And I'm not quite so sure the jello's done shivering.

Plenty left for it to be scared of.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 7:33 pm**

Oh dear...is time order extra-large bottle panic-pills*, no?

*Now in flavored gel or caplet form, with anti-stomach upset coating, ulcer-fighting action, and universal drug non-reaction(won't abreact with alcohol or nicotine, even if chugged or chain-smoked). Inquire at your nearest interdimensional pharmacist's for special bulk discounts.

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 8:14 pm**

taalismn wrote:Oh dear...is time order extra-large bottle panic-pills*, no?

*Now in flavored gel or caplet form, with anti-stomach upset coating, ulcer-fighting action, and universal drug non-reaction(won't abreact with alcohol or nicotine, even if chugged or chain-smoked). Inquire at your nearest interdimensional pharmacist's for special bulk discounts.

Cloud Eris; "Ill take 3 skids worth...thanx."

Posted: **Thu May 26, 2011 8:18 pm**

DhAkael wrote:
taalismn wrote:Oh dear...is time order extra-large bottle panic-pills*, no?

*Now in flavored gel or caplet form, with anti-stomach upset coating, ulcer-fighting action, and universal drug non-reaction(won't abreact with alcohol or nicotine, even if chugged or chain-smoked). Inquire at your nearest interdimensional pharmacist's for special bulk discounts.

Cloud Eris; "Ill take 3 skids worth...thanx."

See? Is pressing need/demand for self-medication, no?
Chewables too, so as not hurt teeth during traumatizing life-threatening event!

Posted: **Wed Jun 01, 2011 10:02 pm**

Going to break tradition and give a quick summation of events rather than my usual long-winded approach. May return to the usual if the mood strikes me tomorrow, but mostly we were tapering off the old year to reach the time-skip information already posted above.

Remaining Days At The End of July
- Cloud was seen off at the House by her fiance, heading back to her original home dimension for a visit. [See Dhak's "The Saga Continues" for details.]
- Hope introduced the team to her warmount Storm-Glider, a mechanical warbird [http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/223134_2002935550906_1169109879_32448303_5348610_n.jpg] with the personality of a well-mannered butler. Most of the time. :angel:

- Anna and Albtraum began spending most of their time together, initially under the pretense of giving Albtraum things to do [as going outside so soon after the infernal incursion would likely incite panic] but soon they both realized that wasn't really the whole reason.

- Hope was introduced to the Darts old and new, reacting badly to Albtraum at first but apologizing once she realized he wasn't the demon he appeared to be. With the crew settling in to their routine with their Commander elsewhere, they set about assisting the city in being rebuilt, and getting the vault project moved into the basement of the Casa.

Kicking Off 101 P.A.
- February 1st: Cloud and Jase's wedding day.

Unexpectedly, a last minute guest arrived in the middle of the wedding preparations back at the Casa: Kyros! :shock:

With Imala's promised complement of Ra-Men guarding the remnants of Osiris tagging along, no less. Utterly surprised to see her wolf-sister's husband, Cloud expressed how glad she was to see him, and Kyros set about getting himself presentable to attend, chatting with Jase. The leader of the Ra-Men, one Jaglon [who sported peculiar tiger-like markings on his golden fur despite the Ra-Men being humanoid lions], asked to speak to Cloud in private for a moment, though once done he went outside to organize his troops into their patrols and camps without so much as a hint as to what he had to say, and Cloud was no more forthcoming. Besides, she had more pressing matters to attend to: like not tripping down the aisle. :angel:

Soon enough it was time for the ceremony, with Plato as officiate, the Darts and no-longer General Xarl in attendance, as well as many of the LSF officers who fought alongside the group during the infernal incursion, some of the magi guild members, and of course Caesar and Anna's sisters, the latter of whom were in charge of music. The ceremony was a hit with those attending, and Imala's arrival just in time to hear the impromptu vows certainly seemed to put the icing on the cake.

We'll get back to the proper long-style updating with tomorrow's game, never y'fear.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:09 pm**

So I've been wondering something for a while now, and I figured the best way to reach a decision on the matter would be to ask the opinions of those readers who frequent the thread to stay abreast of plot developments. Namely: should I continue to post summarized accounts of each session, post the entirety of the chat-log instead [with the non-game content edited out, of course], or perhaps combine each, with a posted summary as the main article and the chat-log contained within a 'Spoiler' field/box for those who wish to read it as it happened?

Summaries are certainly quicker and more succinct, delivering the point much faster, but its' always felt like they lacked the humour and spirit of the player's actual dialogue. I know this thread is not read by TOO many people, but some [or most] of those who do don't play in the game and don't really know the characters the way I or the players would, and I think getting to know the characters in any story helps us enjoy it more.

At any rate, I'd appreciate your opinions on this, and shall post last week's and tonight's session updates in the format that gets the most positive feedback.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2011 1:19 pm**

Your choice dood.
I stick to summary just cuz I can't be bothered to edit not only my own words ("...Typo daemons; why'd it have to be typo daemons...?"), but those of others. If ya want to post a game log on the given threads, I'm not one to say no.

I'm sure some of the readers who just casulally glance over this thread (and don't post; shame on you all :thwak:

), might be inspired and illuminated of they could read the game session as a "You were there when it happend." post along with the summary.

Posted: **Thu Jun 09, 2011 5:59 pm**

I myself like the chat-log idea with a spoiler. There is some witty banter that goes on and it gives the reader a feel for the characters. I think i just like the story aspect of it all.

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2011 12:52 am**

Great game BTW, but daaymn.... WAR.
Once the anti-magic cloud goes off, people duck.
As it was, yes the team beat on the appocalypse daemon BUT... he woulda started takin' names before being ganked.
Fortunately there was an Ace-High or peeps woulda started needin' organ donars or at least a good body & fender store.

Pestilence and Famine are NOT gonna be fun...

Posted: **Fri Jun 10, 2011 8:11 pm**

DhAkael wrote:
Pestilence and Famine are NOT gonna be fun...

They aren't, from what I remember of my old high school cafeteria...

Posted: **Wed Jun 15, 2011 11:21 am**

Clone-Kyros, A Meeting With The Splugorth, And On To Africa

February 2nd: Our heroes, recovering from the previous day's celebrations, gather to discuss a message Cloud sent to their PDA's. A message explaining that the 'Kyros' that had come back to Lazlo was in fact a clone created by (guess who) Gaphion, their eternal thorn-in-the-side. Imala, however, had plans to use the clone to their advantage, so via the message she asked everyone to go on treating the clone, dubbed "Law" for Kyros' old alias, as they always had. After deliberating between their options, they decided they would head to Africa to attempt to find Isis.
En route, they were contacted by a minion of the Splugorth, who wanted to speak with them. Upon meeting, he was possessed by Lord Splynncryth himself, and he talked business with the group, informing them of the arrival of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and offering them the Skull of Osiris should they succeed in slaying these terrible monsters. Agreeing, though they had little choice, the group went on their way.

February 3rd: Arriving in northern Africa, the group quickly found the Ivory Pyramid of Isis, and landed for a closer look. As they explored the interior, they found the main chamber, housing Isis' three favourite weapons: the Torch, Moon-Bow, and Retributor two-handed sword. Their reverence was interrupted, however, by a panting Albtraum running inside to inform them that WAR, the most violent of the Apocalypse Demons, was headed straight for them! Hastening outside, the group tried to prepare themselves, though Imala took her time to commune with the pyramid, and in turn was allowed to take the Retributor from its' resting place. Carrying the mighty blade to the mouth of the pyramid, she leveled it at the approaching demon, and fired the 'Light of Retribution', boring a hole in War's armour, and setting the stage for a titanic battle.

Chat log: For those who want it as it happened.

Spoiler:

That was week before last's game, shall have last week's up soon, today or tomorrow. Just need a quick breather. :angel:

Posted: **Thu Jun 16, 2011 7:40 pm**

Waging War

February 3rd: The group gave their all in the battle, trading blows at a furious pace. Cloud, Jase and Anna all came within eyesight of death, though Cloud and Jase only had their magic protections shattered, whereas Anna had her brand-new Sororitas armour broken. Refusing to give up, the group pressed their assault, with the Anna's bolter (enchanted by Cloud prior to battle) laying down powerful bursts of exploding shells while Cloud unleashed a storm of magic slashes from her two-handed sword. Jase contributed using Fujin and his psionics, while Mondo unleashed a steady barrage of laser and ion fire from his 'double' rifle.

As the battles continued, War finally began losing his cool, and Cloud managed to net him several times over with her Magic Net spell, and Persia (responding to the med-evac call for Anna) used the main gun on her space-fighter to end the showdown decisively. The battle was one, and the group took a moment to rest before heading down south at a lazy pace, giving themselves ample time to catch their breath before meeting with the Gathering of Heroes.

See the spoiler for the full battle commentary.

Spoiler:

Posted: **Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:15 pm**

Doin' The Crocodile Roll, The Darts And The Reptile, Doin' The Crocodile Roll~

[And yes, that's an Australian song, completely the wrong continent, but shhh...]

February 3rd: Taking turns driving the Ornithopter in its' land-bound hover mode (due to encountering some turbulence higher up) the group made respectable time heading down south, making for the isle upon which they would find the Gathering.

Arriving at around supper time, they took stock of themselves, rousing those who had gone to sleep during the trip. Imala, who had been dream-walking [as she is wont to do] woke with a strangled cry and promptly lost her lunch, triggering a very concerned response from everyone present, with the notable exception of Law, who seemed relatively cool about the whole matter. [Further evidence that he is not the Kyros we're used to.] She hastily explained that she had found some trace of Isis, but also learned that the odds of her appearing AS her usual goddess self were exceedingly slim. To put the icing on the cake, Isis had also been deprived of her memories, meaning even if the group walked right by her, she would not know them, nor would she be recognizable to them.

Deciding there was nothing to be done about this at the moment, the group disembarked to meet the locals, running into a spirited bunch almost immediately after entering the camp, comprising of an Atlantean tattooed man [Goalas], a Lady Cyber-Knight [Lady Cromwell, first name unknown], a calm, quiet Asian man [Lo Fung] and a scholarly book-worm [Katrina Sun]. Also sitting at the camp fire was Sebek, the crocodile-headed deity of the Nile Pantheon, who seemed to know the Darts, Imala in particular.

After sitting with their new friends for a time, and getting many a hearty congratulations over having brought down War, the group decided to pay Sebek a visit in his [vast] tent while Goalas and the others spread throughout the Gathering to inform the others present of War's demise. Briar was sent to keep an eye on Law as he poked around the camp, mostly to keep him away from the tent while the group discussed strategy and other matters the clone should not hear. Sebek was very hospitable, offering them an exotic but delicious fruit-based drink and some comfortable seating while they discussed business, namely seeing which side of the Light/Dark conflict Sebek sat on. To their surprise, he explained he sat on neither side, as neither side had come to him for aid. He also explained that his power had decreased markedly since being removed from the Pantheon of Taut, and he would gladly help if it meant he would regain his former glory, and perhaps have the chance to rub Set's nose in the mud to boot. [So business as usual, oddly human for a god, this one. ]

With Sebek's agreeing to run a distraction during the attack on Set's side of Ma'ip when the time came, the group headed back to the Scarab to pitch their tents, with Briar still wandering the camp and Law waiting for them. Mere feet from their Ornithopter, however, the group keeled over en masse, and the clone delivered a smug monologue on their foolishness for trusting a god they knew nothing about, before heading off at a brisk pace. Jase however, being a slightly paranoid fellow after his encounter with the Chaos-tainted sword, had not had any of Sebek's 'punch' and merely faked passing out, and took up a watch over his companions to make sure they stayed safe, keeping himself awake throughout the night.

February 4th: Needless to say, the group were more than slightly upset when they woke up, compounded by the fact Sebek was sitting cross-legged not far from them. After an exceedingly heated 'discussion', in which Sebek basically informed the group that it was nothing personal and simply his nature to play all the angles [which cut no ice with the gang, of course], Imala and the others let him go with the threat to make him into matching luggage if he did not follow up on his promise to assist during the attack.

Feeling defeated, Imala turned to go for a walk to get some air, and ran into Katrina, the young bookworm girl they had met the previous evening, in a very literal manner. As she helped the dark-haired girl to her feet, a golden ankh necklace fell from her neck, which Cloud [in a red-eyed rage of infernal proportions] practically fled from, heading into the Scarab to find somewhere to seethe herself to sleep. [And last seen near-comatose and having a muttering argument with an unseen voice.] Imala immediately took the ankh as a sign and quickly talked Katrina into joining them while the rest of the Gathering planned how to go after Famine, and once Lo Fung was informed, hastened the girl into the Scarab, isolating the pair of them in the rear of the crew compartment for a private chat.

And we'll pick up from there this coming Thursday.

Posted: **Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:19 pm**

And the chat-log from game.

[Separated it from summary post because of smiley/emoticon limit. :-?

]

Spoiler:

Posted: **Wed Jun 22, 2011 11:59 am**

6000+ mdc and a rune staff?
-psshaw- Mamma-Cloud needs a new set of boots. :thwak:

Is okay though...when the revolution comes, Sebbek and all his ilk will be the first against the wall.
Or is it the marketing department for Sirius Cybernetics?

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