Into The Strange: The Eschatology Code

[z011]

Lexi's heart leaped into her throat and for a moment she couldn't speak. "Krey...are you remembering, Salvatore? Do you remember Ardeyn now?" 

 

Do you remember me?

 

She wanted to ask, to push, for more, but they didn't have the time. She grabbed the other War Glasses and stuffed them into Ian's backpack, giving him a stern look when started to protest. She then went over to the hole in the wall where the lines for the computer and servers ran through. "Do we try to shut it down correctly, or just break through and destroy the power supply?"

[z-Ian]

“Sweetheart, I’m not sure if that was a memory or what, but it doesn’t matter.” Ian glared at the computers. He could have a breakdown over that weird memory later; right now he needed to focus. “A spider is a spider but I know that I need bigger shoes to deal with this.

 

“And I say we just fuck up the computer directly.” Ian reminded her of Salvatore in that moment, his jaw clenched tight as he drew out a knife and a collapsible baton. He stepped forward and raised the baton in a clear strike only the pause. “Or this.” He stepped on the power strip,tripping the button and killing the servers, turning the computer dark. He gave her a wry grin over his shoulder. “That’s why I’m the expert, huh?”

[SalmonMax]

The rhino-man was still reeling from whatever had forced him to reveal himself, and even though Juno was doing a little reeling herself, some animal instinct got her moving with the simple imperative: it was giving an opening!

 

Ignoring the flowering pain in her ribs, the ringing in her ears and the shock of seeing the impossible, she charged the towering mutation as if SHE were the rhino, leaped up and grabbed its head...using her weight to drag his chin right down into her upwards-rising kneecap. The impact sent her staggering away, limping on that leg. It had been like knee-punching a boulder! But the effect it had on Bignasty was pretty satisfying even so.

 

(OOC - Spending Effort on attack, rolling vs Diff 1 (because Effort requires a roll) and getting a 16 to hit. Damage is 8 (4 base + 1 from ability + 3 from effort)

[Ravenhurst ST]

LEXI AND IAN

 

Lexi was kneeling trying to peer into the hole the wires vanished through while listening to Ian when she caught a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She twisted in that direction bringing her gun up only to see Ian's foot descend onto the power strip and suddenly the room was silent and dark as the computers shut down. Both of them could hear the wispy sound of scurrying behind the boxes and cabinets and Lexi notices a faint glow of red light beyond the hole where the muffled sound of the engine can still be heard.

 

Game Info

If you stay in the room make an initiative roll lvl2, if you leave the room initiative is not necessary.

Let me know where you will head if you leave the room before the scurriers attack and I will move you there in a follow up post.

 

 

 

SCOTT, CURTIS, AND JUNO

 

Still riding the wave of drug induced euphoria, Scott is completely unfazed by the weird transformation of man to stunted rhino man and simply shoots it in the face with the dart gun. He nonchalantly steps over the shuddering thing and continued on down the row toward the prettier lights...

 

Curtis recognized the Yents from his briefings and looked across the way where Juno was facing off alone against what had to be the Prime Yent just in time to see the knives speeding toward the oblivious Goth-mother. As his mind raced through his options his body was already in action. He lept passed the two shuddering creatures undergoing transformation shock on to the hood of the nearest car racing with as much power his legs could muster he topped the roof and launched himself into the air intersecting the path of the twin knives one he slaps aside with an outstretched hand. The other slices into his shoulder barely missing his neck but bot are deflected fom the defenseless Gothmother.

 

Curtis lands and rolls back to his feet pain searing into him from a the deep cut, he sees that Goth-mother has stopped spinning and is staring at him with wide eyes that show him a universe in twisting turmoil. He knows he needs to help Juno but the eyes of the being expand and colors of the prism begin to flow...

 

The Giant Yent's head meets the quickened adrenalin pumped knee with a crack that sounds like thunder. Bone and cartilage shatter, blood sprays and the Intelligent alien is sent flying from the force, flipping head over heels to land with a resounding crunch on the unyelding pavement.

For Juno the pain from ribs and knee rip through her and she is only peripherally aware of what is happening in the courtyard with Curtis and the strange glowing woman because her eye is drawn back the the Armored Yent who with a gasping grunt sits up and through broken teeth spits a vile stream of curses at the tail end of which it switches to english “Now i'm going to fuck you up Bitch!”

 

 

Game Info

Next Round Scott will be coming up on the two remaining sub-Yents both of whom will be focusing on Curtis and the Crazy Glowing Shining Girl in the hooker outfit. They have thrown away their dart rifles and are drawing what look like some sort of High caliber hand guns. Scott will have initiative and as they are not aware of him their level is reduced to 2

Curtis you initiative and can see from your vantage both juno and scott if you take a shot at the Big yent he is lvl5 the two smaller are level 3

Juno he is fucked up regardless of his bravado but he is still moving relatively lively so may still be dangerous especially since he too is drawing a sidarm.

As always any questions pm whisper in chat or post in combat thread.

[z-Ian]

Ian grasped the cords in one hand and stuck the knife in the loop he’d made. With a savage jerk, he cut through the cord on the servers, ensuring that someone couldn’t just come in and turn the computer on again. The second he did, he could see golden-white light shining out of the cut end. “What the f-“

 

“Salvatore!” Lexi’s cry had him flinching, instinctively responding to the warning in her voice and doing so as if she’d called him ‘Ian’. He hunched into his coat protectively as he tried to dodge toward his companion.

 

Initiative:

Carver *rolls* 1d20: 16: 16

[Curtis Shane]

Curtis clapped a hand to the bloody wound, beginning to staunch - it, though his grip slipped as he saw Juno - what the hell was she doing here now? Both her and the Prime Yent were not exactly in the best of shape. Damn business. Then he saw the rhino-monster begin to draw his sidearm.

 

No - enough of that. That firepower would take down Juno. The Estate agent's fingers hooked around the Manipulation Beam, and the Prime Yent found his gun suddenly spin around out of his hand - barrel pointing point blank at his face.

 

*BAM*

OOC

Effort on Manipulation Beam, 2 uses.

Modified to lvl 4.

Jeremy *rolls* 1d20: 16: 16

---

For the next hour, Curtis has an asset to Speed defense rolls.

 

Might: 4/8

Speed: 10/10

Intellect: 16/18

 

Current Cyphers

Manipulation Beam (Level 8) [5/8 uses]

Vanisher (Level 7)

Curative (Level 6)

[Ravenhurst ST]

LEXI AND IAN

 

As Ian's knife slices through the cords and the radiant light pours out replacing the computer screen glow and filling  the room pulsing surreal shadows. Lexi is attracted to the sound of clicking coming from the vicinity of the filing cabinet. Looking up  she sees a nightmare climbing up from behind the cabinet.

 

The Scurrier, all legs and pincers, its body, roughly the size of a human head, a cross between a spider and a scorpion and all savage evil incarnate. It's only purpose to feed on the flesh of its victim, paused as if waiting for a signal.

 

"Salvatore!" Lexi's cry shatters the silence and she whips around looking for more because she knows scurriers are seldom alone!

 

Game info

Initiative lvl 2

ian rolls a 16

the round has commenced.

 

 

CURTIS, JUNO, AND SCOTT

 

As the giant yent draws his sidearm and points it at Juno he suddenly stops and as if fighting an unseen foe points the gun not at Juno but at his own head! A thunderous bang and Flash of fire heralds the spray of blood and bone as the Yents head disintegrates from the passage of the very large caliber bullet.

 

game info

lol

 

 

 

 

 

[SalmonMax]

Juno stares, utterly surprised and with a serious case of adrenalin-blue-balls.

"I...okay," she said, bewildered. "Thanks, I guess? Someone?"

[Curtis Shane]

"You're welcome!" Curtis' voice rang across the distance, "and perhaps you'd like to be of service with the baby Yents?"

[z-Ian]

Ian stared wide-eyed at the monster, his mind frantically trying to remember what kind of alien that was. There was no effort to counter the alien because there was almost never a counter to them. You just tried to avoid their notice altogether.

 

“Nice, spider monster,” he muttered, stepping back so that he stood between Lexi and it. His knife was held out toward it, prepared to defend himself. He started to edge back, trying to push Lexi toward the exit with his back. “We’ll just go and leave you alone to be scary and hunt small dogs for food.”

[z011]

Ian felt an arm wrap around his waist, Lexi's bulk stopping his backward progress. She leaned up and spoke softly in his ear. "You don't run from them, that just makes you prey to chase down. Cover your ears." Her arms still around him, she leaned to one side and fired her gun at the oncoming monsters.

 

Speed Roll

Malachite *rolls* 1d20: 15: 15

vs. TN 6, so hit for 4 damage.

[SalmonMax]

"Naturally, there's babies," Juno muttered, and headed back towards the motel room at a pace somewhere between a limp and a jog. Along the way she spied her pistol where the hammerblow the monstrous 'yent' had delivered to her sent it sprawling, and she scooped it up.

 

Something about nursing cracked ribs made her not eager to venture back into fisticuffs range if she could avoid it.

[Ravenhurst ST]

As Juno and Curtis cautiously approach the remaining Yents guns at the ready, the being identified as Gothmother goes to the Prime Yents corpse and searches its body.

 

Curtis and Juno find the smaller Yents dead of no apparent cause but before they can begin examining the bodies, Scott sneaks up on the scene and guns are pointed but shots aren't fired as Gothmother calls out to them as she joins them.

 

“He's human,” she tosses the Yents large caliber hand gun to Juno along with some spare ammo and holds up a smartphone, “I found the gate. Its open and active.” She passes it to Curtis.

 

“I believe its connected to the source of the Betrayers device, it should take you there directly.”

 

Curtis looks at the phone wondering how she knows so much. “We need to get Lexi”

 

“There's no time. You need to stop this now before the world ends.” Gothmother reaches over and pushes a key on the phone and the three humans Translate as Gothmothers solid form is torn apart by the energy of the gate.

 

 

 

Game Info

Sorry for the railroad

 

BFG – Hand does 6 damage can be fired 5 time before needing to reload. There are four reloads.

If you have not chosen an Ardeyn form now is the time to do so.

You must change to a foci from Ardeyn unless you have a focus which can carry over. Your Type and Descriptor remain the same.

Your physical description will change to match the recursion this can include species or race even gender if you wish it. Note once you have chosen a transformation to a new recursion it will always be the same from that point on.

I will issue xp you may spend if you wish before we continue.

[Ravenhurst ST]

Just as the scurrier rears up to leap at Ian Lexi's shot roars out and the bullet strikes the monster in the body sending it tumbling backwards to fall behind the cabinet from where it had climbed.

 

Ears ringing the two humans back away as two more scurriers charge out from behind boxes claws lashing seeking flesh to rend.

 

game info

of the three scurrier one is completely out of sight and badly wounded of the other two only one is close enough to make an attack

It's target is ians legs.

Ian needs to make a speed defense lvl2

 

[z-Ian]

It had been a long time since Ian had fought. It showed when the scurrier slashed at his legs; while he got both of them out of the way, its claw slashed through his jeans, opening up a tear in the heavy fabric. I’m a runner, not a fighter!

 

Still, Jailbait wasn’t leaving and so Ian wouldn’t leave her either. Again, he was aware that his affection for the woman went beyond the norm, especially for him. He really was a runner but he pulled out his baton as he slashed at the monster.

 

He really should have just focused on the attack rather than trying to do two things at once; the slash from his combat knife barely scored the creature. He hastily switched weapons by tossing his knife in the air, putting his baton in his right, and catching the knife on the drop. He didn’t realize that he was unconsciously fighting like he did in Ardeyn, though not with the same level of ability he’d known there.

 

“I hate spiders!” he shouted, repressing a full body shudder. “Especially alien spiders who give me fucking flashbacks to things I never did!”

 

     [Carver] 11:50 am: defense roll

Carver *rolls* 1d20: 7: 7

     [Carver] 11:50 am: O.o

     [Carver] 11:50 am: Attack roll

Carver *rolls* 1d20: 6: 6

[Noir] 11:51 am: Wow

[Nina] 11:51 am: it catchs ians pants leg ripping his jeans but ian escapes harm

     [Carver] 11:51 am: Nothing like achieving through mediocrity.

[Ravenhurst ST]

Ian's knife slashes the scurier's hard carapace shoving it back a bit, foula smelling ichor seeping from the crack in the hard shell. It rears back preparing to slash forward again. Meanwhile the second creature races at Lexi bunching its legs under its body for a leaping attack Lexi is familiar with from her memories of the horrid monsters on Ardeyn. At the same time the first Scurrier which Lexi had shot pulls itself back to the top of the filing cabinet dragging itself using its claws only it legs twitching and useless leaving a trail of ichor in it's wake.

 

Game info

round two
neither of you are husrt two of them are one badly

your attacks go first

 

[z011]

Lexi didn't let go of Ian quite fast enough, her next shot going wide of any useful target. She bit back an annoyed curse at herself and ducked away from Salvatore, getting out of his fighting space as he'd taught her to so long ago. "They're scurriers, not spiders, and you have fought them before. Stupid little monsters, you're supposed to be in Ardeyn! And no one likes you there either!"

 

So, petty insults weren't nearly as good as bullets, but she was working with what she at the moment. 

[z-Ian]

“Stop telling me what I have and haven’t done!” Ian snarled as he slammed his baton down on its shell, shattering the carapace. “It was cute when you started it but I’m tired of it!”

 

Good job. Now you're not getting laid by her.

 

Carver *rolls* 1d20: 10: 10

     [Carver] 1:11 pm: That was an attack.
[Nina] 1:11 pm: sweet
     [Carver] 1:12 pm: Does that kill the one he already cut?
[Nina] 1:12 pm: hitting witht eh baton this time?
     [Carver] 1:13 pm: Yes
[Nina] 1:20 pm: not quite u teh blow will smash open the carapace cripling it.   pretty much tha same as the one Lexi shot originally. basicly all you have to do next round to kill it is step onit it cant
dodge any more.

[Ravenhurst ST]

The three scurriers start hissing and the one whole creature remaining starts to scurry back away from the humans into the shadows of the boxes. The other two continue to press their attack however feeble the attempt may be. The one on the filing Cabinet uses its claws to drop to the floor and begins crawling toward Ian , the one Ian crushed swings its claws at him as well.

 

Game Info

The two scurriers that are damged are no threat they can easily be avoided or killed by stepping on them. Ian can accompih killing both with his action next trun or he can avoid them and attakc the fleeing on.

Lexi can do the same however she will discover that her gun is jammed to unjam it will require her full action and take a lve 2 speed roll. if you are specialize in the weapon you can reduce that to lvl on if you reduce it to level 0 then you can clear it as a free action and take a shot at the fleeing monster. other wise lexi will have to decide on clearing the gun or attacking with a melee attack. If she wishes she can use the gun as an improvised weapon treating it as a light weapon, or she can draw and attack with another weapon.

[z011]

Lexi rolled her eyes and muttered, "Then start remembering, Salvatore!" It was mostly to herself; she knew it wasn't his fault even if it was so frustrating. She tried to fire her gun again and felt the weapon seize up. Adding another growl of frustration, she brought the handle of the gun down on the nearest scurrier, crushing it like an oversized cockroach.

 

Some of her annoyance released by the satisfying crunch, she amended to her companion, "We'll go to Ardeyn. You'll remember once we're there." I hope.

 

Roll

Malachite *rolls* 1d20: 11: 11

[z-Ian]

Ian flinched at the blatant – to him – threat in her statement. Still, there were giant spider-alien-scurrier things to kill. His face twisted with rage, he stomped his combat boot on one of them, mashing it into bug-pieces and goo. “You’re hot, but not hot enough to let you abduct me.”

 

Another high-knee stomp destroyed the other and he glared at her. “And I’ll do whatever I have to stay free. Even give up the chance to tap your amazing ass.”

 

[Nina] 1:59 pm: yes lexi just shot teh one that was undamaged bot th of the others are cripple and you can just step on them they cant dodge so its a free hit. you can take your full action to kill both

of them

[Ravenhurst ST]

The two scurriers crushed and on the bottom of Ian's boots emit a terrible stench which gag them  causeing them to hold their breath as the third forgoes its attemp to escape. with two of its legs crushed it spins on Lexi and lashe out with its sharp claws.

 

GAme Info

The smell is bad if the two of you don't leave the room soon you will need to make might rolls to keep from being sick. but not yet you have couple of round before that is needed.

Lexi needs to make a speed defense roll to avoid the claw attak and teh we go to 4th round and both of you can attack the remaining scurrier still lvl 2

[z011]

Shock went through her and she nearly dropped the gun. She stared at him, her cheeks blazing into a crimson red. "Wh-what?" 

 

The last of the injured scurries tried to take advantage of her distraction, swiping out with a claw to avenge itself on the soft, fleshy thing that had crushed its carapace. Almost absentmindedly, she brought the butt of the gun down again and put the annoying little pest out of its last moments of hatred.

 

She glanced away from Ian, still blushing, and asked softly, "What did you say?"

 

Roll

Malachite *rolls* 1d20: 13: 13 - defense

Malachite *rolls* 1d20: 15: 15 - attack

[z-Ian]

Jesus. Well, you already shit on the birthday cake, might as well try to convince her it’s chocolate. Plus, in his experience, women who had things like that said to them thew beer in the guys' face, and all she had was a gun.

 

The stench of the dead creatures gave him a moment to delay. He waved her to the hallway and stepped out himself, repressing the urge to gag. He was already in enough trouble; he didn’t want to add ‘vomiting copiously’ to the list of reasons why he’d fucked the pooch.

 

“I said, if you try to kidnap me, even the desire to take you to bed and render you paralyzed with pleasure won’t stop me from doing whatever I need to stay free.” He grabbed her hand and pulled it up into his hair, guiding her fingers to a scar. There was something up under the skin there; doctors had told him it was everything from a bone shard to shrapnel but he knew what it was. “That’s where they left the implant so they could find me later and I have worked very, very fucking hard to stay away from them. I lost three and a half years of my life to them and they did such horrible things that it hurts me to remember. I get physically ill if I push that too hard.”

 

His brown eyes locked with hers, so close to him he could have kissed her. Since she had a gun, he didn’t try. “So no. I’m not going back, not even for you.”

[z011]

Her fingers brushed over the small irregularity and she frowned. "Three and a half years?" her lips pressed together and her brow drew tight in confusion. "It was only three years for me. Did the Betrayer have you? Is that why you've forgotten?" Did he somehow make me forget as well? Her eyes were shining as she thought of her Knight in the hands of that foul creature, but it also made her remember again why they were where they were. She let her hand slide out of his hair, lingering against his cheek for a just long enough to be intimate. 

 

"We have to shutdown the generator. Then we'll talk. About everything. Okay?" The last was asked with pleading, vulnerable eyes. 
 

[z-Ian]

“Yes, we can talk,” Ian told her, even as he thought, God, save me from fucking talking. That was all women wanted to do but sometimes it was necessary before you could get to the good stuff: sex. “But going to Adreyn is not negotiable. I won’t be taken back.”

 

They turned to find the door to the room holding the generator, and Ian added, “Only three for you? And it wasn’t awful? I wish I’d been there—Don’t. Please don’t insist I was. Just let it go right now.”

[Ravenhurst ST]

It wasn't until the door to the  cellar  had opened  that Lexi thought to wonder why no one had come to investigate the sounds of gunfire within the church. but by then Ian had taken his first step across the threshold and it was too late.

 

Ian had been first, an instinctive totally subconscious imperative to protect Lexi from any harm. He saw the same dark room red glow lighting the stairs down and could see where the power cable went through the wall inot the office where thya had just killed the spider things. At the bottom of the steps he see the webs covering the entrance to the cellar below, steeling himself for a second encounter with the scurriers he took that first step. Instantly every nerve in his body lit up. he felt as if jellyfish were biting him and his flesh was melting as he translated for the first time in his living memory.

 

Lexi seeing the surge of Strange energy engulf Salvatore grabbed him to pull him back and was caught in the translation surge as well.

 

Gothmother no longer in physical form remained in the motel courtyard for mere seconds before altering her location, she needed to find...Ian and warn him. The church was empty the only people the few guards and Father Foss all of them brain dead still wearing the glass which were now emitting some sort of feedback signal. She followed the signal back to the pen cellar door and saw the gate emanations. She knew that he was gone now and with out her own Q- stream she couldn't follow. They were on their own now unless...

 

 

Game info

This session is closed.

I will post xp tonight and you may use the xp if you so desire.

I will commence the next session soon probably tomorrow.

Make sure you have your Ardeyn forms ready Including weapons, armor and so forth if you have any questions ask me as usual

[Ravenhurst ST]

Translating from a gate is much different than through the normal means available to quickened beings. For instance translating through a gate is practically instantaneous there is no long build up through the Translation meditation, the second benefit of a Gate is that translating does not leave the translated with a lengthy acclimation period. Once through the gate it takes only seconds to assume the newly translated form and function. On the offside once a gate translation has begun there is no stopping it, with a normal trance translation the trance can be stopped at anytime. But the most serious drawback to a gate translation is they only connect two points so if the gate is known they are almost certainly monitored and guarded.

 

The obviously unearthly chamber the Translated agents found themselves in was huge on a scale only seen in the largest of summer tent- pole movies. It was roughly oval in shape. Ringed with tiers, at its widest point it was nearly 1000' across and stretched over 1000' each way up and down. In the center of the chamber freely floating is a massive bluish green sphere which pulsated with a constant rhythm casting an eerie glow about the chamber. From the top and bottom of the sphere multiple twirling beams of energy flow to the opposite ends of the oval. Every 50' around the tier the is a hole in either the floor or the top of the tier they alternate. Scattered around each tier are many humanoid figures completely hairless wearing nothing but loin cloths and sandals armed with small swords and bucklers. These humans send chills thru the agents once they are viewed for EACH ONE IS IDENTICLE. Among the strange humanoid are still stranger beings much less in number they are identical in appearance except that their skin is completely translucent showing all of their internal workings. These creature are wearing a breast plate as well as the other garments and wield long curved swords.

 

The quickened appear bunched in a tight group two tiers above the center line of the chamber. Juno, Lexi, Curtis, and Ian all recognize each other despite the altered appearances brought on by translation. Scott is recognized by those who have already encountered him from the motel. There is also a sixth person with the group a tall woman, whom none of the quickened from earth recognize.

Several seconds pass you the quickened take in their surroundings, Lexi and the Stranger stand staring at each other or rather at each others chests. The rest of the quickened spot the the weird humanoids at about the same time one of the Clears spot them.

 

 

Game Info

You are the Quickened

Surprise all around.



You are surrounded by hundreds of these things, but do not despair only the clears provide any real threat. These are the trash mobs before a boss fight

While the bad guys can come at you from two sides only two of them can actually attack form each side they do not have any ranged weapons. Thats two attack each side for a total of four attacks around at the pcs.

The non-clears are lvl1 for defense and attack purposes but a single hit of any weapon will kill them as they are cannon fodder. The clears are level 2 and have full health.

Attacking the horde if you wish you may make a Level two attack you can kill 2 regulars this progresses level 3 kills three level 4 kills 4 etc. You can use effort and training on these rolls. If there is a clear I you are facing I will let you know so I I have not specifically said there is a clear assume that the opponent within reach are trash

This is a cinematic battle and Im more concerned with a really cool battle at this point than in game mechanics..

Wow me, Dazzle me , Make me happy and earn bonus xp

the Sixth quickened is Firanis. So asa is joing the fight from somewhere.

Lex and Firanis each are wearing the same Pendent. Thats why they are staring at each other.

Behind the Quickend is a gate here it looks like an 8' oval mirror.

Lexxi and Ian – the pulsation of the sphere matches the same tempo as the gasoline engine you were hearing in the church. What you were hearing was the translated representation of the spheres mechanism.

I'm sure you will have questions.

As always either ask in the combat thread, pm me , or catch me in chat.

Oh Rorx's character I believe is Now Qephilim also the rest of you have also changed so you may wish to post pics or give a good description. Keep in mind that when in a recursion the person is a part of that recursion so not only is the physical and skill changed but also the languages and names you transformed and have complete history It not like going to a alien plant and disguising yourself. You are people and creatures of Ardeyn now even while you are also who you were.

[z-Ian]

Awareness flooded Salvatore like pollution pouring down a pipe. Not all of it was horrible; the sweet memories of his life on Adyern far outweighed his years on Earth. Yet the taint of his life on Earth overrode all of that like sewage on honey.

 

He turned to look at Sophia, seeing the child in the woman she’d become. How could I be that man? How could I have said such things to her? It hurt him to carry this shame in his chest. He would have killed someone for speaking to her as such and there was a part of him that wished to cut out his own heart now.

 

Only it wasn’t his heart and hadn’t been for centuries. It belonged to her, though it beat in his chest, and he could no more damage it than he could maliciously pluck a hair from her head. Still, his chest ached with the desire to separate himself from the treacherous organ. Instead, he drew a deep breath and drew his swords.

 

“Sophia, I’m so sorry,” Salvatore said, his face twisted with misery and regret. The look on her face broke through his self-loathing and he turned to look at the strange woman his companion was watching. It took a beat for him to see the necklace; when he did, he tensed. After a moment, he took his position at her shoulder, guarding her back.

 

He saw the milling forms of the enemy preparing themselves. “My Lady Sophia, we shall soon be set upon. We must be ready for their attack.”

[z011]

Her world had narrowed down to the necklace - sure only a replica of the one she wore - around the neck of the strange woman across from her. Her bow was half pulled up on the stranger when Salvatore spoke. Hearing his voice, the cadence and quality that was him, not Ian, nearly made her fall to the floor in relief. He remembers. He's back. The warmth of his body behind her as he took up his proper place kept her on her feet and her eyes scanned past the unknown woman to the rest of the chamber. 

 

"Who are you? What is this place?" she asked the room, but her eyes came back to the woman across from her.

[Curtis Shane]

"Ardeyn."

 

Lexi heard that voice, of her old tutor and team leader. Curtis was wearing a straightforward ensemble of breeches, shirt, belt, solid boots and a cloak with hood currently thrown back. His glasses were gone, vanished, but it didn't seem to inhibit him in the least. His expression remained as unamused as she remembered last seeing.

 

"Probable quantum device chamber. Two new strays." Curtis' look only shifted the slightest possible to acknowledge Scott and Firanis. "Homunculi coming to kill us." Curtis had long ago distilled brusque terse summaries into an art form.

[Firanis 'Fi' Flux]

Perhaps I shouldn't have stepped through that mirror, Firanis Faerinia mused irritably, victim to her curiosity once more. I should have heeded the warnings this time... maybe. Transformations to her form, she was almost accustomed to, but this mental morphing she was feeling, a new history meshing with the old, was quite unlike anything she had ever experienced before. A new personality with its own slate of memories and the old were marching in her head, though the new set was taking the lead now, but she knew with a terrible certainty that both were in some indefinable way, real.

 

Perhaps I'm living out a dream or tale being told by some psychic entity or machine god? Play it out for now, see where it goes...

 

Shamshir in hand, curve blade nicked with use, but sharp and well-maintained with professional, was held down at her side as Fae swept her vibrant violet eyes around, getting a sense of the situation she had stepped into this time. Some great, tiered, interior chamber, perhaps in the Night Vault, surrounded by a sea of eerily identical enemies, encompassing a ball of some manner of energy. Fae found herself amidst another group, one a Qephilim, another a towering golem fashioned in a woman's shape, who mostly seemed known to each other - though not actively hostile, they weren't necessarily allies yet.

 

Before she could start a second pass, her eyes narrowed sharply, attention riveted by the pendant hanging from the neck of one of the women. It was an exact match to the one about her own neck, which Fae would have considered unlikely, bearing on impossible if she wasn't seeing it with her own eyes. She suppressed a shiver, as though a spirit from the Roads of Sorrow dragged its fingers through her soul, when she noted the hands on the other's watch were turning the wrong way!

 

Faerinia was already bringing her steel buckler up, its surfaced embossed with a scarred black crescent moon, when the woman started to raise her bow, but refrained from continuing her own strike when it seemed the presence of the man at her shoulder but her somewhat at ease. Besides, she was outnumbered, and if they began fighting among themselves, they were be easy prey for the homunculi surrounding them.

 

Faerinia briefly glanced at Curtis, angular, finely wrought features favouring him with a scowl at his brusque comments. "I'm no stray!" she retorted sharply, "but an adventurer. I took the steps that landed me here with purpose."

 

She turned her attention back on Sophia. Over six feet tall, sleekly toned yet tautly curvaceous figure showcased by her snug, dark leathers, shiny with use, Faerinia was a very attractive woman with fair skin and glistening black hair shorn short of her shoulders, a faint, twisting scar marring one fine cheek. Apparently a few years shy of twenty, she carried herself as if a decade older, and her expression was fierce and intent when she pointed at Sophia with the tip of her shamshir.

 

"I'm Faerinia Grace," Firanis Phlux, "Gibbous Agent of the Black Moon Explorers," Wanderer and Numenera-hunter, "out of Citadel Hazurrium," from the village of Broley in the Beyond.

 

The tall, young woman swiped her sword in a tight circle with a twist of her wrist, indicating the chamber they were in and the not-men surrounding them, stopping with it pointing at Sophia once more. "And I don't know where in Lotan's bloody colon we are, or who in the Strange any of you are, but when we get out of this, I swear by the fallen Maker and his seven broken Incarnations, I'm going to find out what you are doing with what looks like my mother's pendant."

[z011]

The creatures in the room began to move in a wave of aggression. Arrows flew past Fae on either side as Sophia picked off the easiest targets. "I am Sophia the Seeker, daughter of the Incarnation of Lore - who is not broken," she bit out the words angrily, "and this pendant is mine."

 

As more of the homonculi rushed at Fae, Sophia decided she probably wasn't controlling them. "How did you come to be here, then?" She asked as she continued to fire past the woman and keep as many of the enemies off of her as she could. I'm going to run out of arrows, she thought with annoyance. Bows didn't have compact clips like guns did and she found herself envious of the more sophisticated Earth technology. "You said your steps brought you here deliberately. Where is here? Do you know what this place is?"

[Firanis 'Fi' Flux]

Fae's eyes widened in complete shock at the revelation of who she was addressing... then she burst out laughing even as she spun around with an enviable dancer's grace to face the oncoming homonculi. The damned Seeker, which would make the man at her shoulder the knight Salvatore. She probably shouldn't antagonize them, but she had scraped and earned all that she had - she wouldn't kow-tow to anyone, even the child of an Incarnation. I wonder if there is a way I can copy her agelessness?

 

"Well, this one was my mother's," Fae retorted with a grunt. Still surprised at who she was talking with, the Seeker's arrows flashing by her shoulders while half-expecting of getting one in the back, her first two slashes glanced off the blades and bucklers of the homonculi in front of her. "And you ain't she. Like you own, my mother died."

 

Her buckler deflected one blow, she slipped by another, and leaped a third, her shamshir darting and slashing like a serpent, cutting one homuncoli from shoulder to hip and hamstringing the second. The third got the rim of her shield in the throat, making it gurgle as it went down, giving her a moment to catch her breath and respond to Sophia.

 

"I said I don't know where we are. What I did was deliberately step into the unknown from... elsewhere. I was exploring some ruins from a previous Age and found a mirror marked with glyphs. Deciphering the ancient text, I found out the mirror was in fact a portal. There may or may not been some obscure warnings as well. Curious where it led, I stepped through." Affecting a cool nonchalance, Faerinia shrugged. "It led me here. Grrr!"

 

She growled as the next phalanx of Homonculi were preparing to rush them, but Fae wasn't going to give them the initiative this time, instead charging them with long, flowing strides. Before clashing with them, she rolled to the side and used the balustrade ringing the tier to redirect her momentum, somersaulting behind the first row of homonculi. Her polished shamshir flashed turquoise from the light of the ball of energy at the center of the chamber as with a smooth, lightning quick blow, Faerinia beheaded three of Lotan's minions before making a dancing withdrawal to the group, lining up with them so they wouldn't be overrun.

 

"I'd think the Lore-Child would know more than me about where we are and what this place is," Fae tossed over her shoulder, while impeding the homonculi from reaching those engaging them at range.

 

Rolls

Just made a few rolls to see what her initial actions against the homonculi might look like.

Asarasa *rolls* 1d20: 5: 5
[Asarasa] 8:16 pm: /1d20
[Asarasa] 8:16 pm: Warning ! Only IRC subset can be used (Type /? or /help for list
of IRC commands)
Asarasa *rolls* 1d20: 11: 11
    [Abyss Phantasia] 8:16 pm: oh, Lotte
Asarasa *rolls* 1d20: 20: 20

[Renata Hodges]

"Ugh..." The voice was familiar, but a little deeper, and carrying an unearthly resonance. It was coming from where Juno was hunched over, on one knee, holding her head.

 

She was made of stone, that was immediately obvious. Stone carved to approximate a female figure, but fairly roughly cut. There would be no mistaking her for human here. Not only the composition of her body, but from the eerie yellow glow pouring out of her eyes and mouth when she opened them, as if there was some intensely hot conflagration inside that stone physique that could be glimpsed through those holes. And of course...she was much bigger now. In fact, as she woozily got back to her feet it looked like she was probably about eight feet tall, maybe a squidge more. Whatever she was made out of now was such that it ignored the usual square-cube rules; her legs weren't thick and chunky...she still had normal human proportions. At that size, it implied that she was made of tough stuff.

 

"What the hell was that?" she rumbled, looking around. Her shining yellow eyes immediately locked onto the giant energy ball, but before she could even get into that she noticed the threats starting to swarm around them. "Guys, what the...fuck it, explain it after we're done he..."

 

And that's when Juno caught a good look at her hands. Everything else went away for her.

 

"What the fuck?!"

 

She started wildly flexing her fingers, moving her arms, trying to look back over her shoulder at herself to see what exactly was going on.

 

(OOC - Lost the URL for the pic, and the site seems to download the pic itself rather than store the address, but I did add a picture for reference sake to her character profile, along with a new sheet for her golem form)

[Ravenhurst ST]

The chaos of combat erupts, the nearest Clears send their Homonculi at the intruders in waves, and watched them get mowed down. One clear advancing to engage himself stopped when he heard one of the females announce her identity as The Seeker! He turn snad retreats the Homonculi clearing his path he shouts command as he goes. the creatures redouble their efforts.

 

 

Game Info

please continue.

Anyone can see the retreating clear due to the Homonculi clearing out of its way. he is at long distance about to move beyond that. you may attack him but only range can hit him and the attacking pc must be above the heads of the rest either on the rail floating on someones shoulders etc.

none of you have sustained any injuries yet.

[Renata Hodges]

Juno isn't given much time to freak out over being turned to stone. Almost immediately the clonelike armada starts closing in, punching and kicking and trying to hold or grapple her. Their efforts produce nothing but cringe-inducing thunks though; Juno in this form is simply too tough-skinned and heavy for them to affect much. But the others...the others don't have that. She didn't know this, but as a golem there were words deep down in the magical core of her. Words written in fire, that formed the entirety of her purpose and existence. Her Words in this world were not so far from the maxim she lived by on Earth.

 

Protect and Serve.

 

As the horde closed in on her team, the light spilling from her eyes and mouth intensified, and she began fighting back.

 

It was like watching a tornado; something both terrifying but fascinating. On Earth, against human beings, she had some sense of restraint...but here her only goal was to thin this crowd out as quickly as possible. Her size and strength and apparent invulnerability to their attacks let her do this with impunity. With a cry she swept her arm across in an arc, knocking several of them flying back into the pressing mass. She lifted a fist and brought smashing into the ground hard enough to feel the ripples pass through the stone, crushing two of the identical clones in the process. A little experimentation taught her quickly that her new body's limits were much higher than her old, and soon every shot she sent out was a haymaker. The giant golem looked weirdly like a gardener tilling weeds. Bending over and then yanking back upright, and sending sprays of people and blood fountaining up into the air.

 

In this way, she fought her way to where the others stood.

 

"We've gotta get out of here!" she boomed over the din of the constant attacks. Absently she twisted and thrust her rocky elbow back, smashing most of the upper body of a clone that was trying to climb up her to get to her head. Where he fell, two more started trying it again.

 

"I can't stop all of them!"

 

(OOC - In my mind's eye it looks a bit like Sauron attacking the Last Alliance in the War of the Ring in the prologue of Jackson's Fellowship of the Rings movie )

[Rorx]

Scott wrinkled his muzzle then gave an all over body shake as he settled into his new form. No, no longer Scott,  but in this place Klanth. Klanth of the Silent Kindred and for the past ten years the Fifth Battalion. Twitching his long ears he lay them back ready for the fight as he took in the approaching horde of the Betrayers homunculi. Tightening his three fingered grip he drew his shamsir, having too few arrows to make an impact with his bow.

 

Glancing about he recognised most of the people with him, he just hoped shirtless guy wasn't going to cause any more trouble here. With resigned tones Klanth made a single comment before wading into enemy.
"I guess we fight our way through to that thing?" He said, twitching his ears towards the glowing sphere. Moving forward his strikes were characterized by there precision and economy of movement, a throat cut here, a disembowlment there. He quickly met up with the others and eliminated the few still trying to scale the Golem.

[Curtis Shane]

"Oh yes, of course. Let them know the Incarnation's daughter is present" gripped the cloaked man, as three more homunculi came forward, trying to barrel their way past him. Only to get a knife slicing up and through vitals, hacking and stabbing the creatures down. It was not the most respectful manner, particularly with regards to a holy man of the Incarnations to one's daughter.

 

But then, that was the nature of Curtis Shane's Ardeyn guise: Korthos, the stodgy yet compassionate holy man. A young Gandalf. Who was feeling like he had enough of those hobbits around him.

 

A whack sounded as he rapped a new greenie with a solid haymaker and then deftly sank down to cut its throat.

[z-Ian]

Of my own free will, I offer to you allegiance, obedience, and loyalty.

 

His vow to Sophia rang in his ears, even as he protested, “Lady Sophia’s mother is not dead.” Salvatore wasn’t so sure about that himself, but he’d rather cut out his own tongue than express that doubt aloud to Sophia. He shot a dark glare at this ‘Faerinia’, unwilling to trust the stranger with his Sophia.

 

I swear to serve you faithfully in all things great and small, to obey your orders, and carry out your wishes, whatever they might be.

 

He didn’t have much choice in the matter though, something that he freely admitted. He spun as the first of the homunculi minions reached him, his sabers flashing like twin lightning strikes. They both cut into one being’s neck, scissoring through skin and bone alike. He jerked his weapons free and beheaded the minion, feeling the sabers as extensions of his own arm.

 

I commend to you everything I possess, material, intellectual, and physical that you may dispose of as you see fit.

 

The twin blades sang in the air, Barra almost trembling with its eagerness to cut flesh. Sciopero created his brother’s path through the air, leading in their dual dance. Salvatore jerked his head back to avoid a large fist swinging for his face but his right arm curled up like a scorpion’s striking tail and Sciopero received a feast of flesh and blood. Barra followed in only to break off in his own motion to open a second smile on another homunculi and have his own draught of blood.

 

I swear to dedicate myself to you, to remain by your side as long as you choose, as your attendant, soldier, defender; to support and protect you, whatever the circumstances, in every way possible, even should it cost me my life.

 

“Salvatore, hold!” Sophia’s command cut through the air and habit older than many countries locked his muscles. His ward scaled him, finding handholds in his armor and toeholds in the exposed parts of his harness. They had done this countless times; her finding higher ground on his shoulders. Yet this time it was different - this time he had all of Ian’s memories clouding his mind and the shameful knowledge that he was that man. When Sophia innocently hooked her leg over his shoulder, he felt a vile pleasure at her proximity.

 

He felt her draw and release, the tension in her lower body holding her taut against him. He couldn’t see the result of her shot, and he couldn’t give her another; a homunculi slashed at him with a weapon. He dropped Barra and grabbed her belt, holding her on his shoulder even as Sciopero opened the creature’s chest from jaw to groin.

 

Sophia fell and he took control of it, guiding her into his arms. He quickly set her down and retrieved his sword. He took time only to be sure she was well and smile at her before the Child’s Knight returned to battle.