OOC: Okay. Let's see if I can get this started again.
IC:
It was weeks later when the hungry nomads traveled into the stone framework of Baron, the villages dispersed among dozens of willing helpers as the king took swift action to aid the ailing people. The rumors of trouble from the south at this point were but a distant memory and further more was their lost teller of stories.
The party regrouped in the middle of the north, their clues, two stars of power and a third to the south. As well as their tablet, speaking strangely of star lights risen upon towers.
Things were never simple though in the wasteland, and rumors more reached their ears of the city of New Reno seeking to extend itself northbound. So a decision stood before the heroes, to investigate the problems of baron with it's rowdy neighbors and head south towards tower and star that lay in the core of the wasteland or to head east, where rumor had it another star did lie. Or equally, to abandon either and take the offer that arrived to join a trade expedition to the north, where rumor had it a clan of men unlike any they had known lived.
Dracos
"What do you fellows want to do?" Felix asks of his companions as he scratchs his chin in thought. "I think heading south is our best option, but you're the ones that have been at this for far longer."
"I'm tired." Jan shook his head. "I'm going to see what they have in the way of churches here." The negotiator started away from the group, not really wanting to hang around them for long now.
Meandering through the town, Jan found it was woefully lacking in churches or indeed churchlike things. What a strange place. Despite all the european trappings it was as if any signs of religion had been carefully and consistently stripped away.
Indeed, the only thing he could find that even spoke of religion was a strange man with greasy blonde hair dressed in ratty brown robes towards a less fortunate era of town. He spoke of the "Player" and his relation to the "World" and that they moved and danced in accordance to his whims and nothing else, hammering upon a deep ratty book he referred to as the holy "Player's Guide".
Dracos
"South probably is our best bet," Leets answered speculatively, even as a despondant Jan left the group in search of a church. The young thief didn't blame him in the slightest, as their situation was the most dire they have been in yet. "We can resupply more easily along the way since there will be towns closeby, killing two birds with one-stone," he continued. Though supplies weren't the only issue, the long trek had stretched themselves thin.
Jan continued walking along, occasionally reading over a well worn letter he had kept in his vest the whole trip. 'Dammit, old timer. This shouldn't have happened to you.'
He vaguely remembered that the castle had something that came close enough to the church. Having remembered the white mages, the negotiator started towards the castle.
Being a known face, Jan quickly obtained entry, a kindly older woman in white robes greeting him at the white mage's hall. She was a bit wide, with a matronly air about her, her hood down, revealing a chubby face with gray streaked red hair. Acolytes were visible around the room, studying white magic at various desks.
"You look as if you are carrying a heavy burden, young man?"
Dracos
Re: Leets
Leets realized that they did have friends in town, who could probably help them with supplies if they asked.
Dracos
"I was just wondering if you could put souls to rest? I'm not sure how religion works in this kingdom, but I'd appreciate it if a friend of mine could get a proper send off to the afterlife." Jan trailed off at the end.
"Ah, I see... We might be able to help if it's recently deceased. But if not...we can say prayers for your friend's soul. What was his or her name?" The motherly woman came over, gently patting Jan on the shoulder.
Dracos
"It was Fizban. He was a very good friend, and loyal to the end." Jan tucked away the final farewell he had left them in his vest pocket.
The older woman nodded, leading the congregation around her in a hymn. Jan couldn't quite make out what language it was in, but it sounded very beautiful and he could recognize Fizban's name in it from time to time.
Dracos
'I hope that you can hear this wherever you are, old timer.' Jan thought as he merely bowed his head in reverence for the moment.
Jan felt a sense of peace. He could not know whether the prayers were heard or whether this gave any peace of mind to the spirit of Fizban, gone to this world.... It did give him a sense of peace though, a feeling that things would be alright.
Dracos
Jan made sure to thank all the white mages for their time and help. He made his way out of their way as he began to wander about Castle Baron aimlessly, wanting to take some moments to reflect on things before he had to go talk to King Cecil.
"Hrm, well, what to do while Jan is out church hunting?" Felix mutters to himself once Leets seems to agree on heading south.
Not really having any idea on what to do, Felix simply goes hunting for any stores with anything interesting. Perhaps some new spells to learn now that he's gotten better with the spells he started out with. Well, that, or a nice drink. Not like he'll be driving after all.
"Well, I dunna 'boy you boys, but I'm all fer a rest. Think I'll go out an' find myself a saloon 'round 'ere. Wind down 'an relax a bit, 'fore goin' all out again."
As the trio made their way around the merchant district of Baron, they did in fact come across both stores that claimed to teach magic and a place that seemed, at a glance, to be a saloon. Leets focused on figuring out where they should go next as they walked and discussed.
Felix spotted two such places, as different as night from day. The windows were dark in the first one as a sign on top painted the picture of a scroll, the open doors belying its otherwise closed looking appearance. No visible name was across its front. Another was a lively storefront, sweet fragrances tracing across the path before it, bright light showing inside as a young woman with long blue hair in a white robe stood at the counter, mixing things.
The saloon that Mary sought was quickly found, a sizable venture of stone and camraderie, where good rooms, good food, and good ale looked to be found. While it was a bit early in the day, the sounds of life could be heard from the pleasant looking place.
Dracos
Jan:
The castle was a peaceful place. One could almost forget the hardships that were reflected outside of baron here. While not as naturally beautiful as the elven village, it was place of stone and structure, a bastion of order and reliability that was built into every stone.
Dracos
Felix heads to the store with the lovely storefront first, looking around as soon as he enters the store.
Mary wanders into the saloon and looks around breifly before heading straight to the bartender.
"Two 'a yer strongest, 'tender. I got things that need 'ta be drank away."
Mary:
The bartender waves him over to one of their many tables as there seems to not be seats near the bar itself. Shortly after, a young waitress heads over, carrying two mugs of something fairly dark.
Dracos
Felix:
"Hello there," The young woman greeted on entrance. "My name is Mary. Can I help you with anything?" Lots of potions and things seeemed to grace the wall, though any scrolls and whatnot seemed to be behind the counter.
Dracos
"I was just looking for the most part, my dear," Felix says politely. "I'm something of a beginner at the arts of magic, and looking for new things to learn."
"Ah, you've chosen the right side to study," The young woman nodded. "White magic is helpful in all kinds of ways."
Dracos
Leets watched his comrades split apart for a brief moment, before he continued along the road. Maybe a little exploring to pass the time couldn't hurt... did they have a place to meet up again later? Hmm...
Mary takes the mugs with a somber smile for the waitress and softly sets one down in front of the empty chair next to him. With a few moments of silent staring at the mug, he raises his in a salute and begins drinking..
"'Ta strange friends from strange times, and men better'n myself."
Leets:
It came to the young lad that they'd not agreed on any meeting place. Lucky, the castle town, while sizable, was not the metropolitan skyline of New Reno, and if he wanted to find them, he probably could easily. It helped that both Felix and Mary had just left him shortly on the street.
Dracos
Leets shrugged off the relatively minor concern, and continued by himself to look around Baron.
It was by this temporary distraction that he happened upon a certainly unique sight, even by his usual standards. "Player's Guide?" he mumbled, mentally juggling the disturbingly familiar term. He continued watching the actions of the strange man, his curiosity hooked by the book he was waving around.
Felix tilts his head at that response. "White magic, you say? What does that entail exactly, miss?"
The man, noticing he had a consumer, a consummate listener, began talking louder switching tracks.
"In the beginning, there was... THE TABLE... and around it they gathered..."
The ratty book he was holding was hard to get a good glimpse of. It seemed much maligned, made of paper and he was waving it around energetically with his motions. Leets could kind of make out Player Guide on it though.
Dracos
Resting his spirit, Jan found his way to King Cecil's throne room, where an audience was quickly had, for the two men both had much to speak and hear from each other.
"It is good to see your return, Jan. I trust the rest of your companions are well within the city walls?"
Dracos
"Most of them...Fizban didn't make it." Jan paused as he admitted it to the king.
"mmm, the quiet gray wizard, was he? Did you find what you were seeking? My men tell that you returned ahead a village worth of people."
Dracos
"They lost their home when the demon showed itself. It knows what we're trying to do...and it's strong. Much too strong."
Mary's mostly left alone to his drinking.
Felix:
The woman smiled, a warming sight indeed. "White magic is the purvoy of those who would as the winds to hide them, the waters to heal them, who would aid with their thoughts and their strength others."
Dracos
Jan:
"There is hope, for despite this strength, you stand here before us and it has not followed you. Do you have a plan for it?" The older king wondered.
Dracos
"I'm going to leave by myself. I'm going to go to one of the Towers and use a starstone. My other self can probably handle it. If one of the towers gets sealed, maybe we can have a fighting chance."
"Healing? My, that'd be useful!" the magician nods. "Well, I'll look around I suppose."
As he starts to look around he asks, "Oh, since you said white magic, then what are other classifications of magic? Thinks like black magic, red magic and purple magic or something? Could you explain a bit about all that?"
"Sealing a tower seems wise, but the entire trip by yourself? Those to the south seem a brutal people, uncivilized and course." He remarked worried for the young man.
Dracos
Re: Felix
She graced him again with a smile, "All I know is of white and black. Black is the art of destruction," She said with distaste. "To harness the elements to shatter those before you."
Dracos
"Harness the elements, you say? Like throwing lightning or fireballs?" Felix asks, a bit more interested. "I met a young lady some time ago that helped save the life of myself and a group of friends that used such spells," he says, thinking of Miss Klein.
Shaking his head out of the memories, he comments, "But I'm disgressing from your prefered topic of making a sale, I suppose. Are there any spells you might recommend as useful, and not too difficult to learn? They don't have to be the easiest you have, but not something that would leave an old man such as myself with a serious headache either, if you please."
"Maybe, but it's not right for them to die like Fizban did. I dragged them into this mess by opening Pandora's Box, so I have to try my best to stop it." He snorted a bit. "Besides, I'm not human. Maybe I'll get along with those demons better."
"The basics of healing and curing should be part of any white mages repitoire," She pleasantly suggested, holding forth a pair of books. "The power of illusions is also found to be welcome novice skill."
Dracos
The king frowned disapprovingly. "Martyrdom, while noble, rarely serves much purpose. Believe first you alone can do it, and free yourself from the doubts of the past or they will hinder your strength when you need it most."
Dracos
"That's for people who have a future." Jan countered. "I think I lost all claims for that when I opened Pandora's Box all these months ago." He shook his head.
"Anyway, I'm sorry for coming here so much to bother you, but do you know anywhere safe enough for me to leave the villagers we brought with us? They're as much my responsibility as the other goings on."
"Think nothing of it. We'll take care of them here... And I'm disappointed. I was hoping to inquire into your aid for an expedition to the northern seas. but one must follow their own path."
"Maybe it'll bite some sense," A snarky Yomi floated behind him, causing the king to step back, his hand reaching for his sword in surprise.
Dracos
"Ah, yes. My ball and chain appear." Jan lifted a hand to keep Cecil from striking the primordial flying creature. "Don't worry, he isn't one of the enemy."
"What do you want, Yomi?"
"To climb the tower, of course. Not thinking of heading off alone are you?" He replied jovially, his attitude switching. "I've seen it done before...but it's a rough climb."
Dracos
To that, the magician perks up. "...Illusions, you say?" he says with some excitement. Moving almost intimately close to abusing personal limits, he cups his hands around the palms of the girl's own as she holds the books. "Madam, you have just locked the entirety of my attention on what you have to say about such a wonderful and intriguing branch of magic."
Mary blushed as Felix made his proclaimation, taking her hands. "We-well, perhaps you'd be interested in the basic art of Blur? It allows one to create shadows of yourself that trace along and make it very difficult to hit you."
Dracos
"Go with the others. They might need you more than I would, Yomi." Jan looked at Cecil, dismissing the flying creature for a moment. "What's going on to the north, King Cecil?" He curiously asked.
"My wizards believe that far to the north there be a tribe of people unlike anything we have ever dealt with and that the winds of fate indicate that it is imperative that we gain their aid for the trials ahead. I was hoping your group would be willing to spearhead it, since none have as much experience with dealing with strange cultures here."
Dracos
"...hm." Jan pondered on that. "I'll go ahead and let the others know. I can put off my trip for a bit if it's that important."
The king's eyes were grateful. "Indeed, I trust well in the Mysdian prophets we have here and I can think of none better to oversee the task. They spoke of finding the warlike ones, fearsome of visage, who would be as a spear of hope in times of darkness."
Dracos
"...alright. I can handle that, then." Jan nodded. "By your leave." When he got the king's nod, he started making his way out.
"One thing after another." He softly muttered to himself.
Now to round up the others, who at last he saw, were wandering the town. Scouting around, Jan found Felix flirting with the white magic shop owner.
Dracos
"So, what inspired you to come out of your box?" Jan asked Yomi, not really wanting to interrupt the man as he moved away, moving to take a seat.
"Did the big bad demon keep you away?"
ooc: her name is Mary? It's not some alternate dimension girly version of Iddy's character is it?
ic:
"That sounds like a fine start," Felix agrees to the shopkeeper's suggestion.
OOC: Totally is =p. Only not.
IC:
Mary nodded, turning and digging under the counter and pulling forth a series of scrolls. Each were pretty decently expensive. "This is a spell of healing, allowing you to purge foul spirits or disease from a person. This spell can be used to close minor wounds, returning an individual to health. Here you can create multiple images of yourself in shadow around you, making it more difficult for an enemy to strike you. They'd all be good for a beginner to learn.'
Dracos
OOC: Fun times with jet lag. ;x
IC: He brought it on himself. Really, he did. But the man's fanatical preaching did offer distraction from... less inspiring topics.
"Why did they gather?" asked Leets, feeling the need to clarify the stranger's ramblings, while watching the ratty looking book being waved around.
"Naw...just heard you talking about the tower and wanted to put in my two cents. Sealing the tower should push the darkness back temporarily at least."
Dracos
The man's bushy eyebrows drew up, as if stunned by the question.
"They were drawn, boy. Drawn by the strings of fate, the pull of destiny! Upon that table sat the way of heaven and the dictates of of the legendary Um-M laid down upon them!"
Dracos
Leets blinked once-then twice-and wondered what drove him to listen in. "The legendary... Uhm Em?" he repeated phonetically, trying to place the term. Not a gamer by trade (having spent the majority of his previous life on the move), he could have sworn overhearing other people on his world mention these tabletop games were run by Gee-Ems or Dee-Ems.
The man leaned forward and in a conspiratorial voice whispered, "It is verbotten to speak the name, young one. In public the creator is only known as Um-M!"
Dracos
Felix nods at the explanation. "How much for these then?" he asks the young shopkeeper, waiting for the price before he checks how much money he has available. Curse old age and its ability to deprive him of something so important.
"I see..." murmured Leets, "so, when they gathered, just what did they exactly do?"
The young woman quoted Felix a reasonable price and one he found within his means to afford.
Dracos
The man looked seriously at Leets. "They looked deep into our hearts. Our beings. Our very souls... and found them lacking! They tossed them all down upon this accursed trash can!"
Dracos
Leets looked rather dubious at that surprise twist. "Let me guess, the secret to atonement is in that Player's Guide?" he asked blandly, recognizing the usual fire and brimstone speech.
"NOT ATONEMENT! SURVIVAL! INTEREST! EXCITING SIDEQUESTS!" THe man screeched loudly.
Dracos
Leets stumbled back a step from the screeching, his hands instinctively raised in defense even as he mentally clicked to stealth. It wouldn't hide him from the man, but it would at least keep anyone passing by from staring. "All right, I get it! I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions!" he responded, trying to calm the preacher down. "So what are these exciting sidequests?"
The older man's eyes were wild, streaked with madness one might say, as he peered into the young Leets soul. Or counted the hairs upon his chin. "No...No, No, No... You are not ready. Not ready to accept it." He held the book tightly, hugging it against his grimy body, the ragged text protected by his scrabbly arms. "You must accept! Accept that you are god's unwanted! That you are the tossed wreckage of the dreamers!"
Dracos
Felix noticed Jan waiting for him outside, Yomi's familiar tones audible to him.
Dracos
"Accept that I'm nothing more then trash...?" Leets repeated tonelessly, a feeling of resentment bubbling deep inside. Involuntarily, he thought back to Origin's words and the startling revelations within them.
"I'm already a dream... I carry a sword of dreams... This world is a mishmash of dreams from entities beyond-our-understanding! You might be a dream too!" he retorted, jabbing his finger up to the preacher's chest, as a memory of Fizban rose up, along with the reminder of who they had lost. "I can accept that none of this is real, but I refuse to accept that we are here without a purpose!"
"You...You, You!" He howled. "This is why you cannot read the book! It would break one such as you and traffic in madness before! Flee child! Flee from the truth of all things!"
Dracos
"Madness?" parroted Leets, restraining a bitter laugh. "I think it might be a little late for you and I," he quipped. "I doubt anything in that little book of yours can be any more inspiring then speaking to fragments of ancient beings."
"Not ready yet are you! Now leave here!" The man chortled.
"...fine," Leets replied patiently and continued on his way. He waited until he was far out of sight before circling back the long way. When the path began looking familiar again, he slowed down to a more sedated pace, focusing on staying unnoticed with his ability. He slipped close to the edge of a building just as the preacher came into sight, and waited there for the man to lower his guard.
The preacher was continued to madly preach his way of absolution, the ratty torn up book kept tight in one hand as he gestured with it.
Dracos
Leets hummed thoughtfully to himself, waiting to see if the preacher would relax his hold any further. When it didn't seem likely, he worked his way closer, studying the preacher's movements for an opportunity to grab the book.
An opportunity presented, Leets rushed forward and snatched the book from the preacher's hands.
The man spun, his hand tearing pages from the precious tome as Leets made quick his escape with most of it, the man left screeching in rage and soon chasing after the vanishing thief.
Dracos
This certainly brought back memories. Not very good memories, but still...!
Leets used his years of experience in escape and evasion to their fullest, as he put as much distance and obstacles between himself and the preacher, all the while weaving around pedestrians to keep himself hidden as long as possible. The trick worked a few times in the past where his pursuers, losing sight of him, would waste their time asking anyone if they saw him.
The partially sane preacher was no match for Leets' footspeed or his skills in stealth, leets finding it almost childsplay to slip away with his precious book beyond the enraged shrieks of the man and even the guards that paid him heed and helped him in his hunt.
Dracos
So even the guards got involved? mused Leets. It would seem he'd have to lay low for a while.
Stealth still up, he slipped into hiding and opened the book, wondering if it was worth all this fuss.
It was said that some tomes were not meant for mortal eyes. That certain knowledge should never have been scribed to paper. Some say this because the knowledge is evil. That the power contained within would corrupt the user, spelling despair and terror for all who come before. Some say even the benign ones can be dangerous, letting a mortal know things that their minds were not made to comprehend. That what would be left behind was a being shattered where a man once stood.
As Leets sat down, hidden in a shadowy alley from the searching Baron guards, these types of sayings were no longer theoretical. Slowly turning the ratty and abused pages of the so-called 'Player's Guide', Leets found himself staring into the heart of the universe, enlightenment coming upon him, matched with despair and with hope. The man he had spoke to was not entirely correct, but nor was he wrong as he read of the refuge of that this world was made of. His very being brought into question by even the first few pages, as only his in-born tenacity allowing him to continue turning the pages, showing before himself the life of the world in more detail than he thought possible. Years and years of information spread before him as he continued on inevitably down the stories of the lives of people he knew and places he had been and would be, continuing on towards....
But he would not know, for at a point, it stopped, pages from the end torn out, a shock through his battered mind as he groped confusedly for another page. A shaken and recovering Leets was left, the book in his hands.
Dracos
Going over the details in PM.
Leets' fell to his knees limply, the book held between nerveless fingers as he stared incomprehensibly at some distant point among the pages. The newfound knowledge bombarded him, bringing back the arrogant words he had thrown at the preacher just moments before. Beyond our understanding indeed...
Broken laughter bubbled from his throat, as he felt his tenuous grasp on reality crack before forcing himself by sheer will to hold on to his sanity. He tightened his hold on the precious tome, clouded eyes staring back towards the open streets as a single thought began pounding in his head.
"The remaining pages... can I... should I?" he murmured, forcing himself to stand as he considered his chances of stealing them from the preacher.
He knew with relative certainty that in his current condition, he'd have trouble stealing candy from a baby, much less walking more than ten steps in a straight line. Stealing the rest of the pages from the crazed and probably very paranoid at the moment man was not likely to happen at the moment.
Dracos
"Tell me why I keep going on people's errands, Yomi?" Jan rethorically asked the flying primordial puffball. "I mean, I owe them that much, at least."
He sighed as he overanalyzed.
"Let's check on the spears. At least I won't feel like a fifth wheel." He opened Pandora's Box.
Leets laughed, feeling his vision spin and legs wobble. "Not enough action points," he concluded amidst giggles as he stumbled out of the alley. He wracked his mind for a course of action, but exhaustion kept him from focusing past a single thought at a time. As he wandered in search of direction, a corner of his mind wondered if this was what it felt like to be drunk.
Yomi laughed. "You mean you people don't always do that?" He said almost observationally. "I thought that went along with the type that would ever open the box. Anyhow, going in..."
The world swirled around them as the two found themselves in Yomi's miniture study.
"...waffu....refu....waffu...
A slightly strange sound was audible from behind one of the bookshelves. The three doors to Yomi's various storage rooms avaliable.
Dracos
Leets wandered on through the streets, aimlessly and slowly as he had to focus hard to even walk, man that had been a lot to take in. He headed, in his dazed state, towards the magic shop that Felix had been patronizing.
Dracos
"I should've kept the box closed." Jan began...only to come to a stop at the sound. Confirming that he was indeed still hearing properly, he held a finger up to Yomi.
Reaching into his vest, he drew out one of his collected firearms to bear as he snuck up to where the sound was coming from.
Images... memories began to slip stealthily though his mind. Snippets of conversation building a picture for him to follow.
"Magicians in the magic shop," he singsonged lightly, the memory of a store near where the group parted rising forefront to his thoughts. He grasped onto it like a drowning man, and his movements became slightly more purposeful (though still uncoordinated) as he headed towards his new goal.
Sneaking around the study, he moved next to the bookshelf which the sound was coming from, armed and ready to deal with the threat that had somehow invaded his private intradimensional box. Glancing cautiously at the other side of the bookcase he saw... an odd sight.
A young woman, maybe five two or so, with long black hair was standing against the back of the bookshelf. She was dressed in a white dress with some odd symbols along it, and a blue stripe down the chest, craddling some metal staff to her as she...slept? Her eyes were closed and despite standing up perfectly she seemed clearly asleep.
Dracos
"...this box just keeps getting stranger and stranger." Jan lowered his arm, prodding the woman with his free hand.
Yomi had a shocked look, "What... how'd that get in here/"
The woman looked confused as she woke up. "Time for the party?" She said with a bright and cheery smile as she came to.
"Is that an invitation?" Jan quipped. "Otherwise, I just don't know why you're inside Pandora's Box right now."
"Oh no... Fuu, I did it again," She stomped. Kind of an energetic if a bit vapid girl. "I was looking forward to that huge slab of roast beef too."
Dracos
"...right." Jan turned to look at Yomi. "Is this common?"
"Actually... no. It's never happened before and I don't know how she got in here. Who are you lady?"
Dracos
The woman blinked. "I'm Viki. Pandora's box? I've never heard of that city," She remarked. It came to Jan's observation that the way she moved seemed familiar, reminiscient of some of the mages he'd seen in Silmaria or in Baron.
Dracos
"Well, you're actually in Baron. Pandora's Box can be considered a...house in Baron." Jan somehow got the feeling she'd appreciate it that he played it down.
"I'm Jan. The puffball is Yomi." He nodded at her.
She smiled, "Nice to meet you. Felt more like a pocket than a house. Mmm, where is Baron? Near the Dunan empire?" She seemed disoriented, but almost eminated cheerfulness.
"I wouldn't know. The world's a giant mess these days." Jan decided to trust his gut, putting away his sidearm for now. "Anyway, just go see the King. His castle is at the end of the road you'll show up on when you leave here. He should be able to tell you what's going on better than I could."
"Well, okay," She nodded and blinked.
The three of them suddenly standing in front of the king's castle. "This one?"
Dracos
The shock of it all would've made men shout, curse, or even throw up in many cases. Jan's eyebrow merely quivered as he restrained the urge to draw a bead on the girl. Even that restraint was just because he as used to magic as he was.
'Damn, I'm slipping.'
"Yes. This is Baron Castle. If you'll excuse us." Jan made as if he was going to go.
"Um..." She looked a bit nervous. "Could you introduce me? I'm not too good with kings."
Dracos
Jan crossed his arms before him as if in consideration.
Viki's eyes were wide and pretty innocent as she looked at him hopefully, her body language matching her story of a girl lost in a land that was not her own. She gave off a sort of etheral vibe to her though, despite that. There was just something he couldn't put his finger on about her.
She looked a bit confused at his stare. "um, do I have something on my face?" She tapped around with her hand.
Dracos
"...fine. Let's go in. I need to ask King Cecil about the details of his request." Jan let out a tired sigh. He turned towards Yomi. "What's eternity for you, huh? Let's put off our meeting with the devil for another time."
He led the way to the king's throneroom.
"Huh, that's a strange question," The two headed into the castle, finding unfortunately that they had to wait a bit for King Cecil to finish an organizational meeting. They were both given accommodations in a royal waiting room while the king was indisposed.
"Mmm, somewhere new again," She smiled. "Well, it should be exciting... though whatever would I do for protection." She murmured absent mindedly.
Dracos
"You mean you've done this before?" Jan asked, surprised at the tone.
She nodded sadly. "2? Or was it Five? Or ten? I always seem to get lost right before the big victory bash," She pouted.
Dracos
Jan slowly blinked. "Right...if you've gone through this ten times, why the need for protection. Just poof yourself away or something."
"Huh, but then I miss everything. I like being there for stuff, you get to meet all kinds of interesting people. Like you for instance. I bet you have a colorful past, full of plot twists, suffering, adventure, and all sorts of exciting stuff."
Dracos
Jan merely raised an eyebrow at the strange woman. "Right. Anyway, this isn't a game. This world is too harsh and if you don't watch yourself you'll die."
"I know that.. that's why I always try and stick with good and strong people. I help them out, they help me out," She nodded. "I get to be where exciting stuff is happening too. Like just a week ago, Riou defeated the highlanders and unified Dunan. It was all very exciting...even if it was really scary," She said in almost an otakuish fashion.
"Don't sound so cheerful about it." Jan admonished a bit sharply. "Man people don't get to walk away from those types of things." He finished, remembering Fizban as he sighed.
"Just...you shouldn't do those kinds of things, I think."
"Yeah...I know. I've watched more than a few," She said a little seriously. "War isn't fun and games. But it always seems to be going on."
Dracos
"Not a bad price. Hrm..." he ponders.
Ignoring for now the sounds of singing outside, he continues on. "Do you have something a little more advanced as well that I can try to puzzle out after learning the rest?" Felix requests after a little thought.
Depending on price he'd see about buying something more or maybe he'd just end up saving up for the other shop. Just because the storekeeper, young beauty that she is, doesn't like it, didn't mean there wasn't something for an old stage magician like himself.
Felix noticed leets bumping into the door of the shop, as the shopkeeper raised her eyebrow. "Well, we do sell quite effective spells to heal ailments and cure the wounded, though they're more expensive."
Dracos
"How much for either? And...can you see what's wrong with the young lad? He seems a bit out of it," Felix asks hesitantly, looking at Leets a little strangely. Is he drunk or something?
Leets stumbled, leaning against the entryway of the shop for balance as he took in the shop's sights. His eyes were clouded by the sights, almost like he was daydreaming. "Not out, pausing," he corrected Felix seriously, his tone in conflict with his apparent daze, before a sharp laugh slipped from his lips. "The wonderful DuCartes."
"Well, of course," She walked around the counter and considered, chanting as white light swirled around her moving hands. Gesturing towards Leets it moved towards him, swirling about his head before slowly absorbing into him.
To no effect...
"That's strange... He's not sick with anything..."
Dracos
"Really? Leets, er, that's the lad's name, well he seems to be acting drunk..." the magician asks the shopkeeper before looking at Leets. "What happened to you, anyway? Get into a bar fight or something?" he asks with a small smile, though still somewhat worried for the youth.
Leets shook his head, ignoring the tickling warmth of the spell; his dreamy smile widening. "No, took something. Probably bad idea," he snickered, cradling his ill-gotten Players' Guide and adding, "too late to regret."
The magician raises an eyebrow. Pausing as he considers just taking the book to see what's happened, instead he decides to ask. "Do you mind if I look at the book, Leets? I'll give it back in a bit."
His obliviousness cracked for a brief instant as Leets stumbled just out of reach, clutching the Players' Guide protectively. "No touch! Break me, break you!" he snarled-literally snarled-keeping a death grip on the tattered book.
"Oooookay. Well, I suppose that explains what happened, though not how or why. You know anything about cursed books or some such, miss?" Felix asks after backing away from Leets, and looking at the storekeeper, now much more worried about the youngest of his companions.
"I'd have to look into it, but I can cast a general remove curse," She nodded willingly, her magic again leaping from her fingers in a sort of glowing orange and white this time, but splashing around Leets with as little effect as before. "He's not under a curse," She looked most perturbed at that.
Dracos
Felix is likewise rattled. "But if not a curse, what else could a book do that it'd leave my friend in such a condition?" he mutters, mostly for himself, though not particularly quietly.
"I looked into the abyss," Leets muttered, apparently in response to Felix's quiet musing, "and failed my saving roll."
"I'm not sure. Maybe he was just really rattled by something?" She said in response to his comments, shrugging. "I could look after him, but not for free."
"Well, lets see how he does with a good night's rest first. If he's still stuck like this in the morning, we might swing by here again, I guess, though hopefully it'll go away," Felix says with a sigh.
Mary blinks his bleary eyes, which are fogged over in complete drunken-ness, and shoves himself out of his chair, using the table for support. As he turns to the door, his drunkenly numb hand swings into the collection of empty mugs on his table, knocking more than a few onto the floor as he heads out into the street..
After having stumbled into the street, he tries to remember where his friends are, but can only remember one place: the Church. Heading after Jan, he sways on his feet as he works his way from person to person along the street, asking each for directions, though forgetting them after a few moments in his drunken stupor..
... After all, who wouldn't give directions to a obviously distressed and drunk man to a church? Perhaps he could find help for whatever problems he has.. And it's not like Mary doesn't a few sins to confess, either..
As he heads towards the door, the barkeep steps up, offering a hand. "Are you alright? You didn't have that much to drink," The man steadied him, surprised that anyone could drink themselves into such a stupor so early in the day.
Dracos
"I'shm fhine.. Ju's ben 'while sinch I been closh 'ta a drink.. Tha' one on th' tablsh ish fer.... 'frien... dead.. Don' jush t'row it outsh... Resphect fer itsh.."
Mary drifts off into mumbles as he leaves.
Leets stood straighter in response, seemingly sobering up, then instantly destroying that image when he inexplicably began humming seemingly random notes. "Outside," he mumbled and slipped out the exit, "find our gunslinger."
The Barkeep tried to hold him back. "Why don't you take a rest here for a bit? Sleep it off?"
Dracos
Felix blinks at Leets' statement. "Eh, Leets? Find Mary?" he asks as he strokes his beard.
"Why you know, I'd forgotten about the fellow somehow!" he exclaims in surprise. "Almost like he hasn't been around for a while."
Bowing at the helpful storekeeper, pulling his hat off his head and holding it behind his back, he informs her, "Madam, you have been most helpful and a wonderful seller. I believe we shall depart however and attempt to find the rest of our companions, such as the gunslinger Mary."
She smiled graciously at him. "You're welcome here anytime."
It seemed mostly sincere. Given it could've been just wanting his spending money.
Dracos
"Whatever." Jan changed topics. "What's that teleport move of yours? Magic? I haven't seen that type yet."
She nodded answering cheerfully, "It is my speciality... Blinking magic. I can get anywhere with it."
Dracos
"Anywhere, huh..."
"Yes," She smiled. "That's why I always need to hook up with good protectors. Folks always want to kidnap me for it. And...almost anywhere. I sometimes have trouble if I try to go to a place I don't really know about."
Dracos
"Hm. You want to see this world, right? I need to get around to places fast. If you want, I'll protect you and you lend me the use of your power to help fix this world. This situation can continue until you want to end it, but I'll provide for you until that point, alright?" Jan knew that this was it, the break that they needed to finally get over the hump they had been hitting - travel time.
"Mmm, I don't know... are you trustworthy?" She said half joking. "that'd be a fair deal. So where are we going?"
A young man entered in a guard's uniform. "The king is free to see you now," He remarked calmly.
Dracos
"We'll be seeing King Cecil first." Jan stood up, dusting his pants off. He turned, offering Viki a hand up before they followed after the guard.
She smiled as the pair was lead to the throne room.
"What is it, Jan? Is something the matter?" The king wondered, no terseness showing in his voice, though a bit of surprise, given Jan had held audience with him a mere hour and so ago.
Dracos
Once the lady is paid, and the scrolls packed away, the old magician attempts to help Leets out of the store and finding the rest of their group.
Leets isn't that hard to steady. It's more like carrying someone who has just gone shell shocked from too many explosions happening near by. He still walks, but on the fitz. Felix is quickly able to identify the bar he saw Mary go into, not more than an hour ago.
Dracos
"I took another one under my wing, it seems." Jan shook his head in wonder at how many times it had happened, in retrospect. "I wanted to introduce her to you, since you'll be seeing her a bit in the future. Her name's Viki. I was originally going to leave her here under your care, but she possesses certain...gifts that are too attractive to pass up."
The king looked to her...then to him, then to her again. "You know, it's traditional here for the bride to dress in white when you're asking the king to marry you," He misunderstood.
Dracos
It probably wouldn't be a good idea to take someone acting almost drunk into a bar, so the magician leans the younger lad against the wall near the entrance.
"Wait here while I get Mary, okay?" Felix requests from Leets before he enters the bar, looking for a drunk gunslinger.
"Mmmkay..." responded Leets, his gaze drifting away as Felix left him against the wall.
He spots Mary, quite drunk, trying clumsily to push his way past a bartender that he doesn't seem to notice is even there...
Dracos
Jan blinked. 'Well, that was new.'
"No...I just wanted to let you know who she was since we'll be helping you out more often. She can teleport, so hopefully that means we can do more to aid you."
The woman was less... socially quick on such matters. "Marriage...but it's so soon! I'm too young...I don't even read romance novels!"
King Cecil coughed a bit. "Teleport...but that doesn't work if you haven't been there before," he commented.
Dracos
"Oy, gunslinger!" Felix calls out to Mary as he walks towards him, with a frown. "I hope you're finished with the drinks?"
He looks more towards the bartender instead of Mary while making that question.
"There's probably books in the library here." Jan said as an aside to Viki, humoring her for now. Weird sense of humor on that girl.
"We've been to quite a few places already, though. This is just a way to jumpstart, I guess."
Felix:
"Friend of yours? He's been drinking since he came in here and didn't look steady to head out on his own," He let go of the drunken Mary in answer.
Dracos
"Been to a few places? All it really matters is having a good idea where you're going," Viki responded to a raised eyebrow from the king. "Why would I be able to only go back to places people around me have been? That'd be pretty silly." She explained with a straight face before giggling. "Well, unless I was drinking, then it is anyone's guess."
Dracos
"There's...no limit on your ability?" Jan had a considering tone in his voice as he took that in. He turned to King Cecil. "Feel like testing that with us? Maybe we can see if any of your other kingdoms made the jump here. It'd probably help to have more allies for us too."
"Well, not exactly...just sometimes I can get lost," She admitted. "Or end up somewhere I didn't intend. But that's part of the excitement of Blinking," The young woman explained. "I met all kinds of neat people that way."
"What does that mean?" Cecil wondered, interested in this strange woman's magic.
"Well, it's much safer to go to a place that you know is there than one that might be there. And much much safer going to a place that might be there than might not be there. Does that make sense?"
Dracos
"So we can die if we teleport to the wrong place?"
"Well, technically... Obviously I never have or have met anyone who has," She pointed out. "More likely you just end up somewhere you didn't want to go."
Dracos
"I'll go fetch the others, then. Shouldn't be teleporting away without them."
"Hmm? Where are your companions? If they're roaming around the town, I'll just send a messanger for them," Cecil graciously offered.
"Well, that's fine with me. Two of them were hanging around the tavern a few minutes ago. The last one, Leets, I'm not sure where he went." Jan explained to the king. "Mary and Felix couldn't of gotten far since Viki and I teleported here."
The king nodded, "Well then, let us talk on where you are going... I will send a messenger to gather them." The paladin rose, talking briefly with a nearby aide as a messenger was sent to gather them.
-----
Leets:
You see, as you are leaning upon the side of the bar door, one of the king's messengers approaching, looking around the area, but generally making a beeline for the tavern they were at.
Dracos
"Well, thanks to Viki, we can move much faster than before. I'd like to help you out with your expedition, but could you wait long enough for us to take care of the Tower? I have a feeling that if we use the starstone in it, it'll wind up benefiting the world..."
Leets gaze followed the messenger, blinking when his steady stare started to dry his eyes out. "Going for a drink?" he called, waving cheerily, "Are you on or off-duty?"
The man blinked and looked down at a message. "Are you leets?" He wondered, checking the kid against the description.
Dracos
"Leets? Of course I am!" Grin widening, he took the messenger's hands and shook vigorously. "A pleasure! A pleasure, I'm sure."
"A bit exuberant...where are your friend, lad?" The man asked, shaking off the kid's frantic hand shaking.
Dracos
"We could delay a week... but no longer," The king said firmly. "I suspect every day will count, though I do not know what danger threatens us."
Dracos
"A week? Okay. It shouldn't take too long to get our affairs in order."
"Friends inside. Du-merveilleux-Cartes and Merrick getting drunk," responded Leets after losing his grip on the other man's hands.
THe man reached forward to steady the boy. "Are you okay?" He opened the door, peering in to see Felix and the Barkeep talking.
Dracos
Felix sighs. "Yes, he is one of my companions," he replies before looking at Mary. "So...you're pretty trashed then, right? If I help you out of here, you won't vomit on me will ya?"
The magician doesn't wait for an answer to the question as he grabs the gunslinger and supports him. "Thanks for taking care of him," he comments again to the bartender, with a grimace, before beginning to head to the entrance of the bar.
"Fine, yes, no." Leets blinked at the steadying grip. "'m broken puppet; lookit the strings."
"Naw, nost guna toss usp... Jus' don' do any spinny thin'. Lesht go! Need ta fin' someshin' ta kill..."
Mary tosses an arm around Felixs' shoulders jovially and heads for the door, drunkenly singing an old drinking song as he goes.
Felix just rolls his eyes, and helps drag Mary along the way to where he 'stashed' Leets.
The messanger, waiting at the door, looked rather...confused at the site. "Felix and...Mary I presume? The king requested you come promptly," He remarked, doing a fine job of keeping his thoughts to himself about the odd scene.
Dracos
"The king?" the magician asks before sighing as he thinks 'figures'.
"Sure why not. You take the drunk one, I'll take the mad one," he mutters as he passes Mary onto the stranger, not giving him time to protest, as he shakes his head.
"Lead the way when ready. Hopefully the king won't take offense at the state of these two."
Mary snaps one slightly glazed, bleary eye onto his new support with a frown, staring at him for a few seconds.
"...'ey.. Ya evr drinsk fer a frind whosh died?"
The man stiffened a bit, "Yes, once, Miss Mary," He pulled the drunkard along, leading the way towards the castle.
Dracos
5 minutes to respond...then I'm posting again :)
Mary continues to stare at the man, and then slowly draws one pistol, pulling the hammer back with his thumb and puts the barrel of it up against the underside of the man's jaw.
"Ish don' mish much of anyshin, boy. Might'n wansh ta re..res.. say that again.."
Being that guns did not exist as far as the kingdom was concerned, the older man looked down at the strange device, recognizing it as some weird kind of threat and pushing it away. "The king calls, now come... or you will spend a night in the jails," He said firmly, displeased both with the mockery and the threat.
Dracos
"Jail time not productive towards saving world time," Leets murmured loud enough for Mary to hear, before the boy started pushing the drunken gunslinger away from the messenger.
"No, but it is good to pick up girls. They do love a bad boy. Or so I'm told anyhow. That lass at the magic store seemed to prefer a gentleman's behavior," Felix comments wrily. Or maybe nervous? It's not every day you go to see a king, especially not with a pair of mad and drunk companions.
Mary glares at the messenger, pointing his pistol at him again, but this time trying to find the trigger... only to fail. Repeatedly. After multiple attemps..
OOC: *Coughs*
IC:
Being that Mary was too fumble fingered to manage his feat, the messenger managed to return them to the throne room without too much incident... a rather confusing sight to Jan and the king as the rather ...not prepared companions were waved in.
Dracos
"...maybe I should've left you guys behind." Jan mused.
"Apologies, but our resident gunslinger didn't get a chance to get sober and Leets...well...I don't know how to really explain what's going on with him, though just treat him like he's a happy drunk for the time being," Felix informs Jan and the king with a small sigh. Pausing he adds in an unabashed tone, "And Mary seems the angry drunk too."
The king coughed, showing his diplomatic side, "The desert was fairly dry, I take it... No matter, if you need, go sleep it off at the inn."
"Are these your comrades?" Viki asked Jan, curiously.
"Not drunk. Too young to drink," protested Leets, blinking owlishly at the new girl. "Hero Jan's new stray?" he wondered.
"I know you're not drunk, but I'mjust saying they should treat you as such. It's easier to understand you that way until we find out how to cure you of whatever you've got," Felix replies to Leets.
"Something...like that." Jan answered Viki's question. He gratefully nodded to King Cecil. "Please just give us the time we discussed and we'll join the expedition."
He gestured for the others to follow as he began to exit the room.
"Agreed..." His faith in them showing a bit in a strained voice. "But please hurry, Jan. The tides of fate seem grim."
The group of five traveled out, yomi staying quiet in his box as the strange black haired young woman whistled a strange tune, seemingly unconcerned...even distracted from the fact that two of their companions were stumbling about uncoordinatedly, the stink of drink thick on Mary's breath and Leets eyes were unfocused and daresay confused.
Dracos
"All of you get yourselves to an inn and sleep it off. You apparently need it desperately."
"Select rest, HP & MP full recover," murmured Leets, seemingly to himself, though it was just audible enough for the others. He broke off into humming again, this time an odd little jingle that was both soothing yet annoyingly repetitive.
Jan looked worried. "Hey, kid." He reached over to grasp Leets by the shoulder, shaking him a little. "What's going on with you? You've never acted this way before."
"Took something, wasn't supposed to," answered Leets dazedly, and giggled unexpectedly, "broke something. Misfit gear missed its fit."
"I...see." Jan looked toward Felix. "Try and get a white mage or whatever professionals they have to come to the inn, quick. I'll drag the others to one of the rooms upstairs so they can rest."
He turned back to Leets. "Were you attacked? How are you feeling?" He asked as he lead the group towards the town's inn.
"He came up to me in that state while I was -in- a white magic shop, unfortunately. The woman in charge didn't know what was going on and tried a couple of spells to cure him, but nothing worked," Felix replies, understanding Jan's worry. "Leets said a book's at fault if I remember correctly. Wouldn't let me look at it to see what was going on though..."
"Let's continue the conversation somewhere more private." Jan advised, leading them to an inn. Once they had secured a place to stay, he finally continued.
"Would you let Yomi look at the book, Leets?"
Leets backed away, clutching his tattered prize protectively. "No, nonononono!" He shook his head, eyes comically wide in protest. "Primordial puff is part of this!"
"Part of what?" Jan casually spoke to the younger Leets. "We won't try to take it from you if you don't want us to, but it could be cursed. We just want to make sure that thing isn't causing you harm." He assured him.
"He's not normally like this?" Viki interrupted, not used to them yet. "What a strange curse, I thought he was speaking some foreign language."
Dracos
"Not cursed," murmured Leets, still holding the book tightly. "Informative. Knows all. Secrets..." A possessed gaze. "The towers..."
Felix sighs. "And that's about all I've managed to get out of him."
"Maybe you should stay behind while we take care of the towers, Leets..."
"That sounds like some bad curse," Viki said airheadedly, almost casual, though her concern came through.
Leets shook his head adamantly. "Needed. I'm needed. I have to help. I must help."
"If you're this adamant about it...I'll let you come along. You're going to have to pull yourself together more, though."
"m'kay..." Leets responded dazedly, before collapsing limply like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Leets!" Jan rushed towards the fallen youth, helping him up and getting him into a bed. After checking to make sure the boy hadn't gone and died on them, he turned seriously to the others.
"We have to take turns watching him. I don't trust the state he's in. No one touches that book either. I don't want more of us winding up like this." He rapped on Pandora's Box to call Yomi out.
Yomi popped right out. "Okay, boss, what's the phantasmic emergency?" He said in a comradeish tone.
Dracos
"I think he was cursed. Don't touch this book, but think you can do some magic scan or somesuch to see if there's anything inherently wrong with it?" He pointed to the book Leets was clutching.
"I don't think touching it would be the real problem so much as looking inside, but you might as well be cautious about touching the book," Felix tosses his two cents into the matter, not really able to do anything besides look on worriedly.
"What is leets holding?" Yomi asked, confusion evident in his voice. "I see no magic there...nor anything else...but clearly he's holding something."
Dracos
"I don't know. He's been babbling about stats and branching dialogue trees ever since I've seen him."
The little creature floated around Leets, obviously agitated, his wings twitching slightly. "I haven't ever encountered something like this... I don't understand."
Dracos
"Then take your time looking it over." Jan calmly advised.
And so the creature did, Yomi looking none the less agitated when the sun rose and the party turned from their beds and began their preparations for their trip. Indeed he only sighed and gave up after Felix began poking him with a stick, retreating to his study in defeat.
OOC:
Leets, it is off now.
Leets yawned, stretching stiff muscles as he slowly awoke. "Mmgh... did someone sleep on my head?" he grumbled as he pushed himself up, rubbing at an ache within his skull.
"Leets!" Jan snapped awake, having set up a chair near up against a nearby wall to observe the potentially demented youth. Letting out a sigh of relief, he moved his hand from within his vest to lay it against his lap. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I went a few rounds with the local bobby." Leets blinked at the group's negotiator. "Did you sleep in that chair?"
"Something like that... someone had to keep watch over you."
"Keep watch... why?" Leets blinked owlishly, "I was just recovering my A.P."
"You were going craz...A.P.?"
"I was what? Going Crazapy?"
Jan shook his head. "You were acting delusional yesterday. We eventually got you here and you were out like a light ever since."
"Oh, you mean how I was after the book," Leets replied, sounding somewhat uncomfortable as the memory came back to him. "That was just a little karma for stealing from the NPC," he said abashedly.
Jan blinked. "NPC?"
Leets blinked back. "NPC? What's an NPC?"
"You just mentioned that you stole something from a 'NPC'." Jan responded.
"I did not. I said I stole from that babbling priest!"
"Maybe it was divine punishment." Jan mused.
"I wouldn't be surprised at this point," muttered Leets, before his irritability faded. "Ah, right, the towers. I suppose I delayed our turn quite a bit with that nap."
The sounds of pots and pans clashing to the ground in the next room were heard.
Dracos
Leets shared a look with Jan. "Are we near a kitchen?" he asked warily after the crash.
Mary, awoken by the clanging, pushes himself out of bed and winces with the noise.
"Damn fools.. What in tar'nation is goin' on now?"
Getting out of bed, Mary straps his gunbelt on and heads out of the room, wondering what's going on..
Man he had a hangover... Not that that was going to stop a drinker like Mary. He was sharing a room with Felix, who seemed still asleep. or at least had before the pots and pans fell a few rooms over. Stepping out, he doesn't see any commotion in the hallways, but the next two rooms contain his companions and the sound seemed like it came from over there.
Dracos
"WHAT'S THAT RACKET?!?" Felix shouts briefly as Mary steps out. He mutters about old men needing their rest as he continues to lie in bed.
"Oh, I somehow know who it is..." Jan mused as he moved to see if Viki was at the source of the racket.
He spotted the girl dressing, her room a wreck as she finished getting her shirt on, somehow managing a reasonably formal appearance despite the havoc she'd wrecked in her room, turning to leave she gasped. "What are you doing here?"
Dracos
"I was wondering what the racket was. Came to check." Jan calmly replied.
Leets stood just behind Jan, peering around the negotiator. "Oh, you're that girl from before," he stated rather obviously. "How did you make this mess getting dressed?"
"Mess?" She seemed ignorant of the scattered pots and pans behind her. "Ready to go," She pulled her staff up, the perfect picture of...readiness?
Dracos
"This is Viki, Leets. Viki, this here is Leets." He introduced them. "You two met when things weren't...quite normal around here."
"As soon as the others are ready we can go to the first tower."
"Okay, nice to meet you, Leets" She curtseyed and stepped out of her room.
Dracos
Leets nodded a greeting in return. "Nice to meet you..." he trailed off as Viki left the room.
"Do you look for the weird ones or do they find you?" he deadpanned in Jan's direction.
"I'm not weird," Viki replied, a touch hurt, as she stood in the hallway with them.
Dracos
"Yes, you are. Practically everyone who joined this party is." Leets hummed thoughtfully, "except for Mary, unless you count his parents' tastes in names."
"That's normal," She remarked about the party in general with a straight face.
Dracos
"In one perspective, yes." Leets nodded agreeably. "Saving the world is always left to the misfits. Otherwise the oppressors would crack down on them with legality."
"Legalities, I can handle." Jan shook his head. "I wish I was fighting someone that used lawsuits instead of physical violence, though..."
He cleared his throat. "Let's go get the others. I want to get to the tower as soon as possible."
Leets rolled his eyes. "Of course you would. You're a louse, Mister Smith," he said sarcastically, before mock saluting. "Yes, sir. Will we be taking the car today?"
"Many of my old girlfriends would be inclined to agree." Jan reasonably responded with a smile. "We won't be needing wheels where we're going..."
"...did a tower pop up somewhere nearby?" asked Leets curiously.
"Viki here is able to use teleportation magic to take us to the Tower. We go there, use the starstone, then we come back to help out King Cecil." Jan gratefully nodded towards Viki. "She's a real sweetheart."
Viki graced the flirt with a smile. "Sure, I can take you guys there as long as you remember it firmly."
Dracos
"Let's start getting ready then." Jan nodded decisively as he went out to begin fetching the others and getting freshened up for the trip.
"Ah, would you mind stalling on that?" Leets said suddenly, looking a bit shifty. "I... have a quick errand to finish first."
"It'll take a while to get ready, so if you have to do something, go for it."
"Thanks. I'll meet you guys at the gate then." Leets waved as he headed off. "Oh, if I'm late, have Viki 'port me out of the dungeon," he called back as he left in search of the old preacher.
Stepping out and returning to the scene of his crime, Leets found no sign of the strange addled old man, bereft of much of his holy tome.
Dracos
Leets hummed, unsurprised that the preacher wasn't here. Still, he couldn't let the man run around when he had the rest of the book... Sighing, he headed to the privacy of an alley before pulling out the Players' Guide. Bracing himself, he cautiously opened to the Index and searched for the NPC Preacher.
His mind took in the information....unfortunately, it wasn't there to find as he dug through, finding it among the missing pages, A shiver as he closed it, the mortal world seeming small and confusing to his eyes.
Dracos
Roll of whether it was there or not failed.
"Sulking, page not found," Leets murmured dejectedly. He leaned against the wall dizzily, though in truth, he was considering his options. Steeling himself, he tried to reach into his mental drawer of tricks, and pulled out the file on stealth.
"Stealing from police. Report report report," he snickered, weaving off towards a guard station in hopes of finding a hint of the Preacher's location.
It was, indeed, disoreinting, and he could tell quickly his stealth skills were not up to their top as travel forth he did to the guard station, near the center of town, wavering from time to time on his feet.
Dracos
Leets hid out near the police station, half of him wanting to burst in and find what he needed regardless of the consequences. He forcibly ignored that half, willing what little focus he had to recovering to as close as full to possible for what he had to do, and hoped it would be before he had to get back to the others.
Focusing, or what accounted for it, did not help the disjunction between his mind and body, the strange confusion behind each motion that left him lurching more than walking smoothly.
Dracos
OOC: Offcamera searching
IC:
Leets was persistent, Leets was dogged, but luck just wasn't with him. Returning to where the others were ready to go, he was empty handed, his skill not bringing up hide nor hair of the strange preacher.
Dracos
"Find what you were looking for?" Viki asked the frowning thief.
Dracos
"No. He's either gone or doesn't exist," Leets responded, somewhat frustrated. With the things they've seen, he wouldn't be surprised at the latter.
"That's too bad," She said obtusely, not really knowing why he left. "Well, let's get moving then. maybe he'll be back when we return."
Dracos
Felix yawns as he finally brings himself up into an awakened state, no draconic alarms (they certainly do feel draconic with their bellowing noise at least) telling him to revive, only his own internal clock to push him into action lest he waste away. Looking for the rest of his companions he heads to the kitchens were he last heard anything from, searching for Jan, Leets or Mary.
He finds them easily enough, the crew gathered now downstairs in the inn, well fed and rested.
Dracos
"We're going to the Tower now. Or to be precise, we're going to the area right outside the tower. Viki's power of teleportation can only take us somewhere we've been before, so we'll need to concentrate on how the area looked and we'll be whisked there."
Having said his peace, Jan began loading his bag with odds and ends he had retrieved from the car, the bag of weaponry heavy in his arms.
Gathering there things, the five companions, and the cute lady making it all possible, gathered readily, thinking thoughts of the desert far away... and with the feeling of a whoosh they found themselves standing in the hot sands, the sun bearing down on them, a familiar tower rising above the world right before them.
Dracos
"This is it..." Jan felt a shiver run down his spine, but embraced the warmth and heat of the world outside as he acknowledged the sensation of fear. "Let's do this...for Fizban."
He cocked a shotgun meaningfully as he began crossing the sands towards the Tower.
The tower stairs ominiously lead up from the sands to the same steely cold gate that had blocked them in the past. The face twisted forth from the metal to greet them.
"Halt.... Only those who bear the star of heaven may enter here."
Dracos
Jan presented the starstone, deciding not to level the shotgun barrel towards the door. At least, not yet. "Let us in, then."
"Know that only the dead enter here... By the star of creation, I am unsealed.."
The voice echo'ed as the face shifted into the door, pulling upwards, amazingly thick and heavy, held floating in an open position, revealing a dark corridor inwards.
Dracos
"Hmph. Then I guess we'll have to be the first to go against that." Jan replied. He half turned, making sure he could keep an eye on the door as he addressed the others.
"If any of you want to back out, do it now. Especially you, Viki, since you've barely met us. You can just go back to Baron and come back in a few hours if it's too dangerous for you."
"Don't people normally travel in groups of six?" She blithely replied. "This looks exciting!" The young(?) mage scanned over the building. "This tower doesn't seem at all like its been standing in the desert, does it?"
A ghostly wail from inside, chilling their bones interrupted any answer.
Dracos
"You're not going up there without me, Smith," said Leets, drawing Masamune out, along with the knowledge to tap its power. "If what happened back on that mountain was any indication, these things will be hell going alone against."
"'Ey, I been runnin' 'round in circles with ya fer how long now? Next time ya suggest I'm cowerdly like that, I'll shoot ya like a lame horse. Come on, we got a dark hole waitin' fer us."
Mary snaps his pistols into his hands with a grin and starts moving into the tower..
"We're all in this together, it seems," Felix comments on his own. "That said...Do we want to enter in any particular...er, formation, I guess? Something to give us the best chance of surviving or protecting each other or noticing danger or something of that sort?"
"Monsters first." Jan moved towards the entrance. "Then you, Felix. You know how to snap out spells fast. Mary can go next to support either the fronts or the rear with his gun. Leets and Viki come in last. I trust Leets is good enough to protect Viki."
Leets nodded once, falling into position next to Viki as he followed Jan and the others inside.
OOC: Anyone protesting, speak up now. Good to see the party together.
IC:
Stepping forward into the darkness, the six went... the light from beyond dimming...and then suddenly going out as the gate slammed shut behind them, the darkness forboding and all encompassing. All was quiet here for a moment as they tried to find their way.
The sound of running water though slowly filtered to their ears, a chill in the air...
Then with a roar, a fire in the distance, glowing green and illuminating a mighty statue, as big as a man and the stone floor about it. A moment passed...and another lit. Then another. Two dozen, the ghastly green light cast upon them revealing the chamber for what it was. Bones were spread almost carelessly about the stone flooring and strange white spheres floated, swirling about the flames like moths. Each statue stood in a row, six back, four across, with twenty feet between each. The last four embeded in the back wall. Each a silent armored figure, humanoid. Those nearby almost seemed to have faces, wretched faces each in almost individual agony. Or at least, it seemed from where they stood on a landing, slightly above the main floor of stone and bone. The small landing lead down by a small series of steps into the main chamber.
The roof was about fifteen feet up from the floor, not letting much heat come from the torches..but then if they were brought near, they did not seem to give heat. Indeed, were a hand brought near them, they seemed to sap the very life and vigor from the stale air around them. No visible stairway up from this chamber could be seen. A moat seemed to flow on either side of the main chamber, coming and leaving from apparently nowhere. In the very center, between four of the statues, a gaping pit of darkness swallowed the green light. As their eyes adjusted to the strange difference in light, another ghoulish shriek roamed through the chamber... the lights flashing slightly as the white globes manifested as human ghosts, scretching in torment. The bones on the floor seemed to rattle...and then it was gone once more.
The eerie quiet filled the roam...only the flow of water and the crackling of flame breaching the silence.
Dracos
"Yomi, guide us towards where we're supposed to use the Starstone."
Yomi came out as called, though he looked notably unwell, a sort of dark cast to his features. "We're in a tower....There's a room, at the top of each one. I've never seen it myself though."
Dracos
"Okay. So we'll fight our way to the top, then." Jan declared as he began looking around for some way to get up to the next floor.
OOC: Pleased to be describing moving around in a bit more detail (Doesn't have to be much, but that could be anything from standing looking over the room to exploring it). Dungeons are rather hard to do in vague. =) Everything you guys can see from the landing was described in the opening post. THe stairway you are on top of heads down a bit and there is nothing visible leading up.
"There's something about the statues," murmured Leets as he studied them. "Smith, can you try to move the one on the far left?"
OOC: shouldn't I be able to spot small details since I'm a negotiator.
Jan moved towards the statues. "Right." He drew a bead on the shotgun as he moved closer towards the back of the room, avoiding the water that was on the floor.
As Jan stepped down the stairs to enter the main 'room', the ground rumbled, ghastly shrieks again filling the air as skeletal creatures, as many as a dozen pulled themselves from the gravely floor to face them.
Dracos
Jan stood his ground as he calmly moved towards the closer ones, unleashing shotgun fire towards their heads with the few shells he had left that he had 'liberated' from the gangsters in Reno.
The three closest approached the man, the shotgun shell spreading in and cracking some of the bones, but not doing much to slow the hungry undead down. They leapt towards him with a boney crack, their gleaming red eyes frightful.
Dracos
This is battletime...meaning I'd prefer everyone to try and act as they can. Though if they don't, I'll just write to those who do.
"Felix, trade with me." Shifting his grip on Masamune, Leets charged into the fray, moving down two steps at a time until he reached Jan. With a grunt of effort, he cleaved his sword through the leaping phantoms. "What did I say, Smith? You're not equipped to do this alone."
"I'll just have to change my equipment up." Tossing his armament backwards towards Mary's feet, Jan rushed away and closed his eyes as he brought up an arm.
Seconds later bringing it down as his body was consumed by power as he unleashed his true power. A massive golem of gleaming steel standing in a crater made by the lightshow.
With loud, thunderous steps, he brought down a fist on one of the demons.
Jan felt strange in the tower...almost disconnected. As if the very tower wrapped his entire being in tinfoil, causing him to tear and frit at every motion. Still, he could concentrate enough to bring down his mighty steel fist, working quite effectively on the skeletal creature and reducing it to so much dust.
His friend's blade was even more effective, glowing with a strange purple light, it felt all too real. Fearsomely so, to Jan's eyes, as it tore through the bone, shattering two to dust. The others fled back from it, chittering in the distance as they banded together.
Dracos
Jan ignored the discomfort, planning on returning to his human self if it got worse. He had a fight to finish. He continued aiding Leets in his endeavor, keeping him from getting picked off in any moments he might leave his guard down.
For the moment, the skeletons left them alone, the group having carved out a safe standing point in the grimly lit chamber. They could chase after the skeletons...or simply dispatch them as they explored.
Dracos
"All right, Big Jan. Let's clear this puzzle so we can upgrade a level," Leets said casually, considering life endangering adventures with ravenous ghouls as part of the norm.
Jan started moving towards the statues in the back. He held a hand to keep Leets from following as he moved to try and jostle them from their locations.
As he did so, the skeletons leapt on him from all sides, a dozen tackling onto his massive form as he reached the back, clawing and scratching.
Dracos
Jan continued moving towards the statues, crushing the lower half of the skeletons hanging off him and pulling off the ones that were trying to build him down.
A gleam lit Leets' eyes at the temporary opportunity granted. Gathering the energy of Masamune, he slashed the sword viciously downward, sending the energy in a shock wave engulfing the undead clinging onto Jan.
The skeletons shattered, fallling off of Jan and leaving the room quiet... though Jan himself was not untouched. The energy of Leets' strike flowed through him, feeling like fire burning away at his connection between his real self and his golem self... for a split moment he was both...two beings staring at each other in confusion...before he returned, finding he had been staring for a full several minutes at the statue before him.
Once the statues were removed, they cleared the path to a hidden room in the back, two ladders visible, about seven feet off the ground just above the doorway's entrance, only visible from inside. On the floor was a ragged looking satchel of leather.
Dracos
"Huh. Didn't expect that... sorry, Smith." Leets said contritely, relaxing his stance to investigate the new room. He cautiously examined the satchel, using the blunt edge of his sword to check for traps.
Jan's golem form shimmered moments before a hazy of mist surrounded him, steam shooting out and obscuring as the massive silhouette of the golem gave way to that of a man.
"Ugh..." From within the cloud, the negotiator reappeared. "Well, it was certainly different. When'd you learn how to do that?"
Leets blinked, considering his words thoughtfully. "I'm honestly not sure, since it wasn't on my stat sheet," he replied. "Before I picked up that book, I had only an inkling that this sword was epic after getting it appraised. The Final Battle of Fizban was the major clue stick," he added wryly.
"However, after I picked this up-" he tapped his satchel for emphasis, referring to his latest acquisition, "-it's like I got bonus points to my INT stat. Stuff I can't even begin to understand, yet have no trouble popping up as I need... like someone scribbled shorthand on my character sheet and forgot to tell me the translations were on the back."
"...right." Jan replied, with a worried frown. He made a mental note to seperate the boy from that book as soon as this was over. "There's some ladders up here. Let's go up."
"All right, don't rush me," hummed Leets, absently picking up the leather satchel before following after Jan... before realizing a certain problem.
"Uh... little help?" he called, making a jump to the ladder. His hands barely gripped the bottom rung, and he struggled to pull himself the rest of the way due to lack of footholds.
Jan helped Leets up, offering him a hand up. "It's just...you just found that thing all of a sudden. Why don't you get rid of it?"
"I've been finding loads of useful knick-knacks lying around since I got here," Leets said indifferently, "take Masamune. It was just a rusty hilt when I found it, and look at how useful it's been."
The leather satchel dropped out a few papers as Leets made his leap, noticibly having some weight inside.
The others gathered around, needing equal help to make it up to the ladder. Looking up from the inside, they could tell that there was a trap door built into the ceiling, maybe twenty feet up the ladder.
Dracos
Hearing papers fall, Leets mentally berated himself for not securing the bag before he started climbing.
"Miss Viki, could you grab those papers I dropped for me?" he asked, while tightening the satchel to prevent anything else from slipping out.
"Okay," the cheerful white robed mage replied, reaching down and grabbing the papers, stuffing them into her bag. "that all?" She waited her turn to climb over the giant mech, pretty unsurprised by the whole turn of events, cold air and zombies and all.
Dracos
"Yes, thank you," he said gratefully, making note to look over what exactly he picked up when there wasn't a chance of something eating his face for not paying attention. He climbed higher until he reached the trap door, pausing to check it over.
The door was more of a carved out stone block with a metal ring on the bottom for pulling shut. A brief brush against it indicated it was fairly heavy to lift.
Dracos
Having scrambled his way up, Jan moved towards the door. "Let us handle it, Leets." He waved for the other men to move with him to shove open the door.
Pushing hard, Jan found he was able to shift the door open to slam down above, clearing room for a man to slip up into the darkened room above.
Dracos
"Go on ahead, Leets. Your magic sword should be able to handle whatever is up ahead. We'll follow."
"Not canceling Big You would probably be a bonus," retorted Leets, quckly climbing onto the next level and scanning for imminent dangers.
Looking into the next room, he found a mostly empty floor of stone before him, lit by suddenly appearing torches which continued to spread along the walls, with the doorway opening on one end of it. On his left, he could see a closed steel gate. and, slowly illuminated by the spreading flames, three huge statues stood, each at a cardinal point. Their eyes began to gleam as the torches came towards the last of them...the statues were that of huge knights, towering maybe tweleve feet in height with tremendous spears at their side.
Dracos
"Let's go." Jan went up to the next floor as well. "We can admire the scenery later." He looked over the room, eyes focusing in on the door. "Best if we just tear down the door and move on fast."
He started towards the door.
The statues across the room's eyes began to glow a wicked red, turning step by step to face the two as they entered the floor.
Viki was on the ladder at this point behind them, waiting for Jan to completely clear the way up, with mary taking up the rear.
Dracos
Jan slammed against the door, but despite his bulk and strength, the steel barrier did not as much as give... a jab of pain hitting his back as one of the knights lashed out at his undefended rear side.
"Oh now you decide to move," Leets grumbled, and moved to draw the statues away from the others climbing up the ladders. "Hey, Lancalots! Are you compensating for something?" he taunted.
one of them glowed slightly and moved with rather dangerous speed towards Leets... fast as a car as it lifted its spear.
Dracos
Fast! Leets leaped to the side, rolling back to his feet as he lashed out with Masamune to strike the statue's spear.
Masamune clanged against it, catching for a moment, before the statue's superior strength sent him flying back several paces. The spear twirled and realigned, giving him but a half second to think.
Dracos
It seemed like these statues had to be destroyed before anything else could be done. The golem spun about, the piston in its arm ominously crashing out into position as the pressure began to gather in the punching arm.
With a hiss of steam, the arm was propelled like a missle towards the guardian attacking his back.
The creature raised a shield, denting inward as his powerful fist slammed into it and sending it skidding back, damage clear but still standing. A stab jabbed into his extended arm painfully by the other one, even as the third rushed towards leets...
Only to vanish and slam down on the one he hit before his eyes, the two entangled for the moment as they tried to slip free of each other.
Dracos
"Thanks for the assist, Big Jan!" Leets called back, retreating as he decided on a gamble. A safe distance away, he swiftly reached for the guide and looked up information on the golems, particularly weaknesses or information on how to placate them if he couldn't destroy them.
OOC: 3, leets. Cannot be effectively communicated.
IC:
Opening the book, Leets felt the strange disorientation take him once more, almost as if he was viewing the scene in split, seconds passing as he quickly found their information.
Dracos
Jan rushed the two stunned opponents, a bit shocked himself about how he was being hurt. No wonder they were called demons. Drawing strength in, he prepared his attack again.
With a loud clang, the piston in his arm began to draw in air to power the attack even as he launched another attack with his left arm at the standing golem.
His gamble had failed, yet Leets couldn't bring himself to entirely care, stumbling back as Jan's golem form charged once more, arming itself for another attack.
He burst into uncontrolled giggles as he tried to steady himself, his rationality and motor controls piecing themselves back together achingly slow. "Heheha, smashing good, Big J. Ho-ho-horses and men won't put them together again."
It too raised its shield, driven back, even as it fieercely smashed him with knee shaking force. He was stronger, but these things sure could hit.
Dracos
The giant toppled backwards, desperately lashing out with limbs to keep from falling over. Finally drawing to a halt, it lashed out with a one two jab from the arms as it pressed forwards.
One blocked, the other sent the enemy golem's head clean off, leaving him facing...the remaining two as they managed to stand.
Only to have the body of the third again vanish and collapse on them both, entangling them a moment longer as a group...and target.
Dracos
Leets forced himself to stand on unsteady legs, the rumbling of the three golems' impacts upon the ground not entirely helping his situation.
The golem's right arm thundered as steam hissed, angrily gathering with a shrill whistle as the piston exploded downwards as the steel behemoth rushed forwards and punched down hard on the gathering of enemies, releasing the pressure that had been built in instant of contact.
Against the ground, his blow struck true, the shattered wreckage denting the floor. The fearsome guards no more than scrap metal on the floor.
With a loathsome creak, the door swung upwards revealing the stairway onwards.
Dracos
The massive golem released a blast of steam as it transformed into human form, Jan stepping out of the high pressured moisture. He coughed a bit, waving the steam out of his face.
"Let's get up to the next floor."
Heading through the gateway, a baffled seeming Leets hanging onto Jan's side, they stumbled their way up a set of darkened stairs. The chill of the air helped return Leets to his senses as they hugged the wall, Viki summoning light to help them.
Though soon the chill grew worse as lights began to appear up and down the tower, howls of fright and anguish sapping at them, nightmareish faces floating around, slowly twisting closer to them as they lead up the spiral stairway.
Dracos
"Gah..." Leets grimaced, his senses returning with as much grace as a flying bag of hammers. "I feel I screwed something up," he muttered, trying to regain his bearings.
He paused to consider the face of a tortured soul that had apparently slowed to wail agonizingly in his face.
"...right, maybe I was better off being loopy."
The grim chill got worse as they climbed up, the spirits drawing closer, almost massing around them as they got halfway up the tower.
Dracos
"Use the Masamune, Leets. It seems to be capable of handling them." Jan quickly ordered.
"Right," Leets grimaced, pulling away. It took only a moment for his full mental facilities to return as he unsheathed Masamune.
"Evil spirits BEGONE!" he declared with unnecessary drama, slashing at the cloud of ghosts.
It tore through those it hit with the greatest of ease, though those that remained screeched loudly, swirling around nearby hungrily watching just out of leets reach.
"Everyone safely behind? Okay!" Certain that there wouldn't be any more accidents like earlier, Leets focused Masamune's gathered energies, slashing loose with another shock wave at the distant spirits--albeit one that was somewhat weaker then the one he used on the skeletons.
It was quite slow, the tormented spirits filtering apart and seeming to reform further off. It seemed remarkably effective at driving off the ghosts though and they were quite near the top.
"Um, Leets!" Viki warned, scooting back from the wave of them coming from behind.
"On it!" Leets replied, dropping to rearguard of the group. Masamune was already charged--a preemptive move if the first attack didn't ward the spirits off--and Leets slammed down, the wave of blessed energy slightly stronger than the previous one flying off to the pursuing ghosts.
Jan could see a shadowy doorway ahead, a few ghosts between them and it as Leets' used the mighty sword of dreams to protect their path.
What lay beyond this shadowy gateway...?
Jan figured now was about as good a time as ever to take the blunt path. In a flash of power, he began to rush the door, transforming into a golem halfway through the rush. Carrying the momentum, the golem smashed into the ghosts with fists as he moved onwards.
A terrifying chill passed through Jan's body as he charged, seeming to sap strength and life even through his golemish form as he tore through the last of the ghosts and into the shadowy gateway beyond. Viki stayed back, close to the defending Leets, the ghoulish faces screeching in rage and torment, but staying away from his blade.
----
Stepping into the next room, Jan found himself facing a long passageway, deep dark pits on either side which one might guess would lead to a quite deadly fall down through the tower, save for the complete lack of light. A single figure stood, roughly 1/4th the ways done the passage. "You have done well to make it here," The voice was familiar, though he could not see the face, a steel mask covering every feature of his face, a long black cape flowing behind him. "As have your friends. Behind me lies the door to a new world. It is my task to guard it, a task I have fulfilled since time immemorial. Only once have I been passed."
It was the voice from the door that had let them in with the showing of the star.
Leets entered the room, closely after Jan, in time to hear the mysterious figure's speech. He narrowed his eyes, placing the figure's voice as the the one that greeted them at the doorway, and wondered...
"You said only one passed before... do you know what it was they found?"
"A new world." He replied curtly, looking at the three, a darkening blur surrounding his form, obscuring it in the mists.
"How very helpful," Leets commented sarcastically, watching the figure vanish into the mists. He frowned thoughtfully... If this guy was a guard, then why did he...?
"He's probably transforming or calling for muscle," he said, answering his own unspoken question.
A horrendous shriek answered his observation, a terrifyingly huge buglike creature standing in their way, completely blocking off the oath with its bulk. A huge spiked tail swayed menacingly behind it as it spit a series of blueish energy balls towards them.
Leets sweated, eyeing the monstrosity skittering on the path. It's spiked tail swaying, as if trying to pick a target to lunge at. He sidestepped out of the path of the beast's attack, experimentally brushing Masamune into one of the energy balls to see its effect.
"Jan, Viki, if I distract him, do you think you can get Big You close enough to squash him?" he asked, keeping an eye on the creature.
The energy ball nearly tore his arms out of their sockets, or felt like it as he brushed it with Masamune, getting swung around slightly.
Leets winced, nearly thrown off his feet by the force of the drag; his shoulders screamed at him, clearly demanding never to try experiments like that again.
"I can try... are you ready, Mr. Jan?" She looked at the bolderman for some sense of notice as the bug crawled forward dangerously.
The golem gathered its strength, the piston pilling up with pressure as it drew in air from around him to fill the massive container. It half turned towards Viki, raising its left hand up slightly to gesture the go ahead.
********
"Okay!" The brunette gripped her staff tightly as mystic light ignited on her brow, a runic symbol briefly manifesting as the massive golem vanished from before her, and appeared upside down above the scorpion.
"Please work."
********
The golem suddenly materialized high above the scorpion, and promptly began to plummet down towards the beast. It continued gathering as much air to fuel the pressure attack as it could before unleashing it upon the monstrous creature!
A tail lashed forth towards him as he fell, the strike would be costly if he went through with it, or he could twist, defending himself...
Jan was quite sick and tired of the villians always having the upper hand. They had lost so many allies in their adventures because of how overwhelmingly larger than life the monsters and demons in their way seemingly were.
It was time to strike back. Even if his body was destroyed, even if his spirit were crushed, they were going to pay for keeping the gifts of a good life trapped in these horrid places.
The golem unleashed his greatest attack at the scorpion's head, deadly and true.
The piston struck true, even as the tail lashed through him, painfully ripping through his armored body and strangely leaving him reverted to normal by the smouldering hulk of a beast his body bleeding fairly painfully. Not fatal, but not pleasant either.
"Jan! Dammit, what are you trying to pull here!" Leets demanded, seeing the Negotiator land in a bloody heap next to the thrashing, decimated beast. He darted in quickly, dragging Jan from the guardian's death throes and to the dubious safety of the group.
"Hah...ah...I finally got 'em back, kid." Jan coughed, looking pretty horrid for the exchange. He felt dizzy as he lay back. "I a bit tired...want to go on and unlock the tower?" He shakily held Pandora's Box up to Leets.
Leets shook his head in disbelief--the bloke's gone postal! he thought dizzily, taking Pandora's box into his arms.
"Watch 'im, Viki. Don't let him do anything else stupid until we get a doctor or healer," he said, blinking at a sudden though. "D'you think you could heal him?" he wondered out loud before looking at Jan again.
"And what am I supposed to be doing with this anyway?"
"The Star Stone can open up the path. Ask Yomi when you get to the top. He should know what to do with it." Jan grunted.
Leets nodded, tightening his grip on Pandora's box. He glanced at where the guardian lay, seeing if it was safe to cross or if it was still thrashing about.
The creature was smouldering away...the path clearing before his eyes. The steel door opening, though not revealing what was inside.
Dracos
Leets swallowed whatever misgivings he had remaining, and headed towards the distant door.
Heading into the door, he found himself in a brightly let pentagonal room, a star carved in gold on the floor and seemingly the walls fading away showing the cosmos swirling around in a bright blue mist. In the center, lowered down was a turning globe with a hole in it for a star to be placed.
Viki stayed behind, wrapping some cloth around Jan's wounds. She wasn't very experienced, so it didn't do much good, but she tried.
OOC: Please do remember what hints have been given so far :) This is not a 'turn on, do thing' machine but more a 'turn on, here's temporary godlike power to change things' machine.
Laying Pandora's box down, Leets knocked on the lid to summon Yomi, clearing his throat before he spoke.
"Please bring one of the starstones you have inside, Yomi," he intoned clearly. "It's needed now."
Yomi nodded and tossed into his hand the glowing starstone, glowing all the brighter here of all places.
Dracos
Catching the starstone in his hand, Leets took a steady breath, bracing himself for what he knew was going to happen. Stepping forward, he slid the starstone into the recess in the globe, and that whatever was coming next would hit him softer then the guide had.
Several copper rings began to spin about the chamber, the central globe glowing brightly as it started to spin faster. The machine, whatever it was, clearly working.
Leets closed his eyes as the chamber spun to life, gathering his chaotic thoughts as he tensed in excitement. This was it, the culmination of everything they've been pushed through. Immediately, he focused his mind on a single, pulsing desire. To stop the decay... to bring life to this dying world...
The light grew stronger and stronger still... and then suddenly stopped. No obvious sign that anything had changed, though the machine was quiet and still and the light gone.
Leets blinked, deflating in disappointment. That was... anticlimactic, he thought, scrutinizing the darkened room. Finding nothing else happening, he reached for where the starstone was.
The stone was cold and dark and firmly embedded in the strange machine.
With a sigh, Leets pulled his hand away. While not unexpected, it didn't lessen his worry that someone--or something--else would try to use the starstone as well. Retrieving Pandora's box, he nodded to Yomi and left the chamber to rejoin the others.
Jan, while hurting, was conscious under Viki's none too skilled ministrations.
"Mission accomplished. Are you still with us, Jan?" Leets asked as he and Yomi rejoined the group.
"Takes more than a scorpion to kill me...I did endure the end of the world, afterall." Jan grunted, thanking Viki with a smile. "She helped me out loads."
He looked seriously at the two of them. "Did it work?"
"I'm not sure. There were lots of lights, but I can't tell if anything happened from here." Leets sighed, "The only way to know for sure is to see for ourselves what's outside."
Jan let out a wet cough as he tried to get up. "Let's leave and go see what happened, then."