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mabee the sucker went inside the shell for protection and is stuck inside. Brutus suggests somehow using someone elses magic to counter the magic in the shell. Brutus has a strong feeling sucker is trapped in there. or someone talk me out of it with a more sensible tactic
Right, due to pressure on MSN (*cough*Shane*cough*) Tarein will enter the shell first, the dagger held ready but not in a threatening way.
Brutus will follow with wired reflexes on the ready. any danger and Brutus will be there GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
(Message edited by swanaldo on July 22, 2008)
Chapter 5
Tarein approaches the huge shell, steps through the entrance and vanishes€¦ Brutus follows moments after
Inside the finds the same place as Brutus described - a cave with torchlight, but given that they has more time to look than the troll€™s previous visit, she also sees the full picture.
Up a slight slope and partially hidden by a rock directly in front of her, is a village. It currently seems to be in the midst of some kind of celebration - the whole village is covered in banners of black and gold just like the pole outside, and in the market square there appears to be some manner of feast going on. The whole place is deep beneath the ground and everything is illuminated a fierce orange through the torches that provide most of the light, though Tarein also glimpses neon-lights, a hovering orb of light and numerous different electric light bulbs - it would seem that whatever lights here is not in steady supply€¦ There seem to be three shops that they can see offhand - a supplies shop, some kind of pawn shop and a clothes shop.
The pungent smell they had smelt outside seems to come from the feast in the market square. The beings here are mixed and varied - a fair number of humans are present, a troll like Brutus lumbers by, a being 12 foot tall seemingly made of solid metal and with eyes that seem to burn with white fire strides by, a weary look on its face. Three ape like creatures with grey fur converse in the corner, one holding a book with its foot. What appears to be a floating armoured orb drifts away, seemingly just an eye that rearranges floating sections of armour about itself. There is a huge black eel in a tank on legs that speaks through a small speaker at its base. There is what appears to be a meter long Chinese dragon with a face like a pug covered in pale blue fur that seems to ripple as if it was water.
They notice one of the creatures approaching them - it resembles a large blue ringed octopus in all ways except that it is wearing a top hat and a golden mayoral medallion and carries an ebony cane.
€˜Grrrrreetings strangers!€™ it exclaims in a voice that sounds something like Lloyd Grosman if he was speaking through a jelly. €˜Wwwwwelcome to Underton!€™ it pauses for an instant€¦. One of its strange eyes stretching towards them both, peering from one of the companions to the other€¦.
€˜Ohhhh€¦.. you must be Fallers! Ohhh, I€™m dddrreeadfully sorry, I should have realised, you must be hhhhooorrribly confused. You are in luck, we had another faller just ttttoooday, we can explain to you both at the same tiiiiime€¦. Do you have annnnyyyone with you at all?€™
********************
Outside the magic fish raises its squeaky little voice:
€˜Errrr€¦ Excuse me sirs, but may I point out I€™ll need to remain here so you best ask your questions before you go anywhere, I€™m afraid that hanging onto me for use later is considered €˜cheating€™ by the guild€¦ Oh€¦ they are ever so strict these days€¦but you must ask me here€¦€™
After chatting with Tarein Brutus heads back to tell the others.
Tarein: *looks to Brutus, then back at the octopus thing, sheathing her blade* Yes we do...err...weve lost one of our company...this, er, faller youre talking about, it wouldnt happen to be our missing groupie, would it?
Im gonna ask the golden fish what happened to Sucker!
Ill hang around and listen to the question/answer session first while Brutus and Tarein come out and invite us in.
Once invited, Ill head in using my electric form and the first thing Im going to do is look at what theyre eating. If theres anything catfish shaped, there will be an electrical apocalypse.
The Octopus manages to look confused for an instant, then works out what you are asking
Ohhh no no, a Faller is a word for someone new to this world.... you see, this world is something like.... errr... lets see.... well its like we are the very bottom of the multiverse, and anything that somehow manages to fall out of somewhere else, usually ends up here.... its a little difficult to explain... but the presentation will help do a better job than me
*******
When asked the question, the fish goes into an odd little trance, muttering to itself for a minute or so.... then, in a uncharacteristically clear and ominous voice
The fish has been taken into shadow. He is not dead. Not yet. But do not seek him, for that would bring about both is doom and yours. If it is meant to be, you will find him in time.
The fish snaps out of it....
Ooh that question must have touched a nerve with a higher power, I dont usually get to do that voice... hmmm... well it sounds like he was taken by the shadow thigns, I assume you must have witnessed them yourselves, they arent very subtle... well I suspect there are other people who can fill you in on them better, and from more personal experience
next question: what are the motives of this higher power?
The fish rolls its eyes....
I wont count that as a question as I cant answer it to guild standards...
I would *guess* that the higher power is almost certainly the shadow collective - its basically just the combined power of all the shadows which somehow amounts to one being. No one knows much about the shadows at all really, I mean they appeared not long after all the Lords fell a thousand years ago this week..... and they seem to be energy vampires.... but there is very little we know for certain about them in our psychic fishipedia, what with considering that they make more than half the world almost uninhabitable at any one time... I mean Im quite impressed you guys are out here at all what with how many there are in these woods at night...
alternative question 2: tell us what benefits might we get from entering the village ahead, especially ones we might overlook?
The fish seems quite happy,
Oohh, I can do this one, thats easy.... well quests! Im sure you could get loads of quests, you adventurey types love quests right? Hmmmm.... and shops to buy stuff, and food..... hmmm... food is always good.... hmmmm.... it seems there is someone there too who would join you in wherever you go.... hmm.... well.... errr.... oh and be sure to show that dodecahedron to a mage - he can show you some more functions.... and errr.... there is a diamond ring lost behind a rock near the entrance, and the owner will give you a reward for it.... the owner is the banshee by the way hmmm..... also there is knowledge in there.... I dont know what exactly but apparenly two of you have been here before, and that knowledge may interest them in how the world has changed... Oh and ask after Randall Steel.... hes not there, but looking for him will put you on the way to discovery
The fish has an intense look of concentration on its face for a moment...
Errr... is that enough? Oh and apparently the spiced pork is particularly delicious, what with it being the Doomfall festival and all
Chapter 6
Those interested proceeded over to the presentation, which turns out to be a powerpoint presentation on an ancient desktop pc running windows 95. The presentation seems to have been hastily amended today to update it, there are numberous typos in the bits that reference current events. In there already is a lean looking elven woman with two rapiers who the party presume to be the other fallen.
The presentation runs down the basics of the world:
- This universe forms what is essentially comparable to a plug hole cover - when things fall out of other universes they don€™t cease to exist but are instead €˜caught€™ by this world. This means that this universe contains things that have fallen from every other universe, ranging from a single bacteria in some cases, to entire galaxies. This world is an alternate earth that fell through, though no one seems to know exactly from where, and its population is comprised of all manner of species from any number of different earths is a strange very multicultural melting pot.
- The world used to be run by a number of €˜Lords€™ beings of massive power who acted as kings, though their individual temperament varied greatly. However, a thousand years ago this year they vanished in varied fashions. Some seemed to die of illness, others went down in spectacular battles against foes, although no one can remember who exactly those foes where.
- There are rumours of the most powerful Lord still living, though his floating castle crashed into the mountains not 20 miles from here, but no body was ever found as with the other lords. If he still lives he is well hidden.
- Today is exactly one thousand years to the day since the castle crashed, hence the Doomfall festival - after the lord a €˜Lord Doomforall€™ - a name with which two of the party are all too familiar.
- Since the lords where broken the shadows emerged. No one knows exactly where they came from, although some seem to be vaguely human, some are utterly alien. They seem to be guided by some greater consciousness but are all individually mad. Not directed but more herded. They make anywhere in the dark impossible to inhabit without them being taken unless you are a race that naturally emits lights.
- They attack by swarming over a foe, leaving a dark ectoplasmic residue. No one knows exactly where they are taken. People will occasionally return from this, but almost inevitably they are different than before and shortly disappear again, never to be seen again.
- The northern reaches of the world are only inhabited much in the summer, and in underground (and magically protected) cities like this or floating cities that roam around.
- There is a prophecy that the shadows will only leave when someone who was once one of the Lords returns to his citadel.
The Octopus looks between those present - and then addresses them.
€˜I totally forgot - this woman is named Ferri, and she€™s just as new here as you. Can I suggest that she tags along with you lot, if you are all together you can help each other adapt.
Ferrienna joined the party
Dirge and Cerberus check out the town. This world makes a welcome change from slaying zombie animals and combatting Aliens. For now.
OK so the ecto-blob I found earlier is where Sucker used to be.
Im going to go around gathering intelligence on whether these shadows have any weaknesses apart from light and if anyones ever managed to kill them.
Perry will remind the Baron that he too has 3 questions left to ask the golden fish :proud:
Baron Update:
- Ask the fish where one can find more technological devices, ones of importance with the ability to get us home. If we can fall here, Im damn sure we can fall back...
damn straight baron. Brutus asks the Baron to ask fish boy if he has ever seen the floating city and if the lord is still alive. brutus strolls over to the food willing to stuff his face yet again.
Right, Im sure you dont need me to answer in roleplay style for all this questioning, so its list time:
Frank:
- People think they have killed shadows, but the numbers of them make others unsure of whether they just regenerate later. They arent vulnerable to physical damage but any kind of energy attack which produces light (lasers, fire, electricity, glowing radiation etc) seem to be able to harm them. Energy based magic is particularly effective, but use of necromancy draws them like frenzied sharks, regardless of light. The only surviving necromancers live in the sky cities. Even using it here would make them tunnel through the rock to get to it.
Baron
- Due to the nature of technology falling into this world, it is mostly luck of the draw as to where it appears, though usually a few A.A.E (above average earth) pieces of technology can generally be found anywhere. The best bet for really advanced things are some of the really high tech cities. The nearest is 40 miles to the south and is refeered to as Mechus - it is build inside the vast corpse of a gigantic robotic dinosaur like thing. The next nearest is Databank - a single spire of mixed alien technologies 75 miles to the west. Though the fish quickly inputs data on several other significant ones into the PDA that can be accessed if wanted later.
Dirge
- Without any particular purpose, Dirge finds himself in the pawn shop. The whole thign is filled with everything imaginable, there are extensive weapons, armour, magic, technology sections, as well as books, jewellry, clothes amoung others. You cant see the owner immediatly but you are sure if you looked about a bit you could find him.
quote:
damn straight baron. Brutus asks the Baron to ask fish boy if he has ever seen the floating city and if the lord is still alive. brutus strolls over to the food willing to stuff his face yet again.
I have 1 question left myself, and Im gonna use it to ask the question on Brutus mind :proud:
Ferri would try to introduce herself a little further to anyone who would listen, then wander off to get some food.
And, of course, listen for anything of interest.
(Message edited by Shadowflare on July 27, 2008)
Frank will wander off to get some food, happy in the knowledge that he is shadow-proof. He also knows that any ginger beer going belongs to him, and anyone who argues is going to get tasered.
Brutus likes elfs and introduces himself to Ferri. has a soft spot for her already. says id she in any bother to give him a shout.
Perry would love to talk to Ferri but he doesnt want to leave the golden fish alone :P
Perry
- The fish responds that someone has tried to shield that knowedge, and asking whether he is alive results in no answer. However, by asking the inverse and asking whether he is dead reveals that no, he is apparently not dead.
- Fortunatly the fish took the castle question as conversation - he asks whether you means the floating cities, to which he says yes - several, but he hasnt seen the crashed citadel of Lord Doomforall, but if they wanted to see it it is ver nearby.
Ferri
- Overhears various information, including
1) That a party is going to head north to find out why the river has frozen so completly and instantly
2) There is a particularly famous scholar of the Lords at the crashed citadel at the minute, who is searching for evidence to help find the lost Lord.
3) There is a small party of merchants who would pay some capable people to protect them while they head to the village at the foot of the crashed citadel.
4) The owner of the pawn shop has a secret set of hidden stock, its all particularly potent stuff. To see it you have to ask Barry the owner if he has any panda eggs in stock as a password.
Frank
- Finds something like ginger beer and drinks it heartily. The buffet seems to be all free durign this festival. He also gets chatting to the eel like creature in the tank, who suggests that if someone could offer him transport to the next town he would reward them handsomely.
Baron Update:
-Heavily interested in going to Mechus or Databank.
-Interested in sampling the liquor supply too.
-Is content with following the crowd for now.
Im sure we can transport Eel boy to the next town. What does he calss as the next town though?
What does calss mean?
Baron:
Remember you have two more questions I think. Also, anyone wanting some equiptment remember to go to the pawn shop, particularly using the panda eggs password that Ferri found is you want some serious hardware. Of course, youll have to work out a means of paying for it.
As Im nice though, Im going to assume that everyone starts off with 200 credits.
Calss = calls spelt wrong:lame:
That still doesnt make any grammatical sense - What does he calls as the next town though?
Just assuming you talk to him more, the eel reveals he is a travelling Doctor of sorts, in addition to being a skilled surgeon and herbalist is turns out that he can function like a leech, sucking no blood but just the illness out of them to sustain himself by cultivating different bacteria within different contained pods within his body and absorbing the energy produced. He can also break down poisons it turns out.
Brutus goes to the pawn shop and uses the panda eggs password cos he wants to know what is serious hardware. (hopes there is a minigun with smartlink installed). Smartlink is a device when added to any kind of weapon guides the bullets to the enemy and avoids friends. for those who dont have a steady hand or for the more unacurate of weapons like the minigun :)
Barry it turns out it a normal sized albino chincilla who happens to be of human intelligence and have a voice and attitude like an inner city thug.
Upon muttering some expletives under his breath on the subject of people not keeping their mouths shut, he leads you off to a small backroom hidden behind a bookcase to show you the nine items he has stashed there.
1) The Liefeld XS Tramuter Mini-gun
A vast minigun using advanced technology, it transmutes the air around it into the bullets so unless you are in an airtight environment it NEVER runs out of ammunition. It is a massive piece of hardwear and only Brutus could possibly weild it, and furthermore its special No-Phys circuits mean that it can somehow fire up to 7000 rounds a minute. Barry suggests that he could supply a smartlink device at extra cost.
2) The Collosus Integrated Arm-ory
One huge hydraulic arm enhancer, it it adamantium planted for extra durability, and requires a special harnass to wear, but would give the wearer the ability to lift upwards of 100 tons. Would only be useable by a human sized and shaped being (Brutus and Perry couldnt use it)
3) The Mask of Ferrametis
Wearing this exudes fear when the user wishes, to the point where even the toughest foe will break down and sob or run away screaming, agaisnt weaker foes it can even just kill them out of fright. The downside is that it would have the same effect on the rest of the party AND it would be ineffective against beings that dont experience conventional emotions (Dirge would be immune, as would most undead except recent ones, golems, robots and beings of energy and magic will also be immune.
4) A Hellgate Ruby
When used would open up a 30m wide portal into the hells and basically bait every single demon for thousands of miles to try and get through it. There is really no situation that is going to be bad enough where using this is a preferable option.
5) iSlayer
A foot tall roughly humanoid robot in smooth translucent white plastic with silver trimming. It looks quite friendly, but a run down of the features reveals its intent. It has various hidden weaponry about its body, including mithril tantos in its arms, massive tactile strength in its fingertips enough to not only hang from the ceiling using onyl two fingertips but to be able to hold a ton in the other hand. It also has eight times human speeds and a shuffle feature on its massive poisonbank. It can also play mp3s and the previous owner has somehow locked its music bank which seems composed of bad 90s pop...
6) Genome ZED
A carefully tailored mutagen developed by the Weapon ZED program, it enhances speed, strength, endurance and agility to ten times the normal for any species in addition to inserting nanites which essentially build a cybernetic network in the brain allowing the user to assess any opponent and items available and the best way to kill it should the situation arise.
7) White Super Suit
Was the costume of a former superhero who retired, and the instructions are lost, consists of what looks like a white spandex full body suit. It grants the wearer vast strength almost indestructibility, flight and fire concussive energy beams from the hands. Barry seems to express slight amusement in the item.
8) The Wizarding Hat
Instantly grants any wearer a wide range of spells ranging from low level telekinesis, various energy attacks, a corrosive cloud spell, various physical enhancement spells, illusions, invisibility and a disintegration beam.
9) Ring of Ultimate Armour
A magic ring that makes the wearer utterly indestructible to anything. They no longer can drown or suffocate, be injured in any way, be poisoned, get diseased or infact die or be moved by any means unless you want to. The issue is that it drinks your blood to a level where you are constantly dizzy.
Any of these items would cost you all the moeny you each have, though if you choose to self things you may get a little more.
Perry wants to eat some stuff from the free buffet before heading for the Pawn Shop
lol, Tarein will take The Collosus Integrated Arm-ory and I suggest Dirge takes the Ring of Ulitmate Armour since he wouldnt be affected (Zombies dont have blood do they?)
I point out it needs the blood to work...
You and your script rewrites :proud:
how much for the minigun. how much for the minigun, how much for the minigun dancing around like homer simpson :) also wants the smartlink.
just read the rest. alex your imagination stretches beyond the norm dude. i just love the islayer. only have enough money for minigun so will buy it and trade my leatherman for the smartlink extra. does anyone want to lend me a couple of hundred quid so i can treat myself to the islayer
The Ring of Ultimate Armour reminds me of the Bloody Armour from Star Ocean 2. Did you ever play that Alex?