Calamity dropped Calamity's Timestop.

 

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Timestop dropped by Calamity at Thu Aug 13 03:57:49 2009 has left.

 

 

 

    Previously, on Battlestar Calamity...

 

    With the escape of 'Mister Grey' to this cave hideout, a party of adventurers boldly set out on horseback in pursuit, to trap him before he could escape, for the plotted and narrowly foiled murder of an Alexandrian Officer. Having cut through hired mercenary guards in the caves, several members of the band had broken off to pursue the escaping survivors for capture and interrogation, while others delve deeper into this excellent natural hideout, further joined by their colleagues. The way down is dark and barely lit, but the cave can't go on for much longer, could it?

 

"You still there, magus?" Darshan trudges ahead. His wounds, and armor, slowly seal themselves as they walk. The sith'makar, as always, is about as silent as a--as exactly what he is. His armor glows faintly, but not enough to provide decent lighting.

 

When we last left our heroes... Narah, not really much of a hero, but even so, was sitting on the club of the big fallen ogre, using it like the log of wood that it is. She seems somewhat relieved to see that the Maugrimite warrior has taken it upon himself to leave, even as she busies herself cleaning blood and gore off her giant falcata. "So, uh... How do we rejoin the others?" This, to anyone else still left up top.

 

Chandrakanta looks a little more then annoyed after getting out of the hole, she moves again to take the leads on the group. She takes inventory of who is standing, "We all made it, then?"

 

Bartaz is busy too, making sure his rifle is impeccably clean, while they wait for reinforcements and whatnot. Can;'t be going into battle with a dirty rifle. He also makes sure that he's still got enough black powder, and bullets. He does! His sun-rod is also still glowing and casting plenty of light on the area.

 

Moving forward, Gauvian spots the rather obvious Darshan with the glowing armor, and trots Strider, his warhorse, over to the Lizard. "So. Brother. Have you considered the idea of NOT clowing likew a holiday Candle in the dead of winter Solstice?" He nods his head to the others, allowing a little bit of deeper nod to Narah, whom he actually knows. Dismounting the Knight looks at the mess and raises an eyebrow to Narah. "I'm wounded Narah. You didn't save any for me."

 

"Yes, paladin." Xander drawls, having allowed Darshan the pleasure of walking ahead and thus being the one to be charged, fired upon, or step in traps. S'what Darshans are FOR, you realize. One of the arrows that nearly took his life has left the mage with a slightly altered hairdo - one lock of hair, now too short for his ponytail to hold, is hanging down one side of his face. He blows at it irritably.

 

And behind Gauvain comes Dern, glancing behind him. "Sorry we're late. It took our horses a little longer to get here than it did you." The dwarf sniffs, "but it looks like you've all been quite busy. Damn! Is that an ogre? I missed killing an ogre!" The dwarf is, actually, pretty dissapointed.

 

Narah quirks a half-grin at Gauvain at that. "You should see the thing Ser Darshan fought down below. I could open the trapdoor for you, if you want, and send you down to its corpse?" She makes a move as though to reach for the lever nearby, and breaking into a full-on grin at Gauvain. Who happens to be standing -on- the trapdoor. "But never fear, I have no doubt we shall see more fighting deeper within. Perhaps even more ogres for you, Ser Dern."

 

There is a quizzically raised brow when the dwarf finally made it inside, "And a dead.." Looking at Xander, "What the fuck was that thing we killed down there?" No one has taught the Averite not to swear around the children.

 

Darshan blinks, a slow blink, and looks down at his forearm. "Looks like a side effect," he says after a time. A slow smile comes with it, wider as he lowers the arm. "I can't say I mind it--it's one more difference between them and me." He looks towards the other arrival, and nods to Dern. And says absolutely not a thing about the swearing. He finds sudden, solemn interest in the cave ahead of them, instead. "How was the trip?"

 

Serene walks slowly behind Dern, pacing her steps so as not to overtake the dwarf. She is quiet at first, Dern having explained her tardiness away quite nicely, and instead takes stock of the impromptu camp. Her eyes linger on the ogre, then she looks on ahead to where Darshan's attention shifts. "Perhaps it is time to move on, since it seems your reinforcements have arrived."

 

    From the far distance, deep down and further ahead in the cave, there comes a loud creaaak, then a slamming noise. How very odd! It echoes bizzarely along, making the sound cacophanous and unsettling.

 

"Be warned. There was a troll about." Chandra at least knows what the thing is they missed killing.

 

Narah springs to her feet at the sound of the... well, sound. "Damn!" That giant fuck-off two handed sword is held out toward the deeper end of the cave. "That does not sound good." And she starts moving towards the source of the sound... but then pauses, glancing back at the others. "We had better get a move on."

 

"A dragontouched gorgon." Xander answers in an almost idle manner. There's an attempt to tuck the stray lock of hair behind an ear. It proves... unruly. There's a pause, the mage's attention snapping to the sound. "I think it might be time to go, before THEY recouperate as well, if they haven't already." he says quietly and with a frown.

 

Drawing his own bastardsword, Gauvain moves beside Narah. "Agreed." He states calmly. He idly checks the straps on his shield and moves cautiously, one step at a time. "Do we know what all is down here?"

 

Bartaz nods his head, slinging the rifle over his shoulder, bullet in and match lit, and then makes his way onwards behind Narah. After all, he's got a gun, why would he go infront of the armored people with swords.

 

A pause, and the sith'makar nods. "He's been poisoned, m'lady, if you can help him," briefly, quickly to Serene. He gestures at Xander with the tip of his tail. "I'm afraid the troll shot at him, and disappeared into the stone pretty fast after it. Guy had alot of poisoned arrows." Another pause, pause, and a quiet exhalation... and he looks down the caves again, nods. And waits for Chandra to move ahead and do the sneaky thing before the lumbering thing moves in behind so he can, presumably, be the first one to be shot at. Ahem.

 

    Exploring deeper into the caves is slow and nerve-wracking work. Oddly, the cave remains decently spacious, with few narrow passages as you go down what may in fact be rough stairs cut in the stone. After some hundred yards of further exploration, you come across a large chamber, easilly fifty meters wide. A stone door has been shoved aside by a creature of great strength, allowing you now to hear the sounds from it. A natural formation, stalactites point down from above. It's very dark, and even Sunrods don't illuminate very far in such a room. However, the noise of rushing water is clear here, quite loudly echoing.

 

    On the far side of the chamber is some sort of rectangular marking, faintly glowing with runes. It seems to be etched into the rock.

 

    As you enter, Darshan feels something slip under his step, unsecured and---- Oh Sweet Daeus, Darshan is barely maintaining balance, on the very ledge of a very long fall!

 

Serene frowns at Darshan, then moves beside Xander, edging around people if she has to. "I can offer some healing, but I am afraid healing poison is beyond me right now.. magically, at least. Does anyone know what sort of poison... Darshan! Watch your step!" She reaches for the lizardman tank machine thing, though he's undoubtedly beyond her grasp.

 

Narah, having dropped back to cover the rear in case of any ambush, doesn't really notice the drop until she literally walks into the back of whoever's in front of her, having stopped abruptly. "Oof! Hey, what is the--" And then she notices the chasm, dimly lit by the sunrod. "-- oh."

 

Darshan...looks down. And down. And...then there's Serene's arm on his shoulder, and his foot, his other foot--poised above nothing. Oblivion. Darkness. "I think..." recover voice. "We need some more light. What do we have?" And slowly, the foot's...replaced. Clunk-click.

 

For his part, Dern follows along. Hey, he has Darkvision, actually, so he's going to let himself fall into the rear guard with Narah. Well behind Serene, actually. He gives the Highborn a big old grin behind his beard. "ANd there we are, with a pair of giant weapons at the ready. Looking forward to the fighting."

 

Bartaz takes out a couple more Sunrods, "I have two spare Sunrods here." he offers at Darshan's request.

 

Being ever so light on her feet, Chandra avoids that misstep. She draws a sharp breath at the sound of slipping heavily armored Sith'makar, 'Careful..' She tells him, cleaning her language some.

 

"Thank you," as he takes the sunrod. Darshan turns, and cracking it, holds it over the chasm. "I...did not want to fall in on that." And silence says the rest. You could hear a pin drop at his digesting just what nearly happened.

 

    It's a massive chasm alright, with a raging underground river far below probably. But where could Mr. Grey be? The room is split entirely by the vast chasm, with only the odd glowing runes on the wall beyond.

 

"Do not worry too much of me right now. I've still a spell protecting me, and I've received some treatment." Xander tells Serene. And when Dar nearly falls into a hole, he grabs the lizardman's OTHER shoulder by sheer reflex, even though he probably couldn't HOLD him, let alone pull him back up if he did fall. He frowns, peering across the chasm at the runes beyond, squinting in the darkness.

 

More silence before he clears his throat, and Darshan takes a step back from the rushing river. "Thank you both," he...the unsteadyness is there, fought down, fought down. He looks down at the river and its rushing waters, one way, the next. Thinking. "This place is too damn big. ...how many of us have the godsight?"

 

Narah gives Dern a grin, half-seen in the oppressive darkness. "Hopefully, it will go as well as the last fight in here. That ogre was the least coordinated I have ever seen. Never touched me once." She pauses, and squints into the gloom ahead. "What is that circle of runes, there? Ser Xander, any ideas?"

 

Nodding to Darshan Gauvain says, "I can do it." He closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment. He opens them a moment later, casting his vision out into the darkness, searching for the darkness hidden in the shadows.

 

"Great. Runes," says Dern, thoughtfully. "I don't know magic, but generally, are not glowing runes a bad thing?" He looks down at the waters beneath them, pausing. "That is a lot of water." He looks down at his plate. His shield. Then at Narah. Pauses.

 

Bartaz frowns, "I've never been one for runes, myself. Especially the glowing kind."

 

"I don't know how many of you can swim.." Chandra doesn't like water, not at all. She purses her lips slightly, "My vision is guiding by Averium, you know that Darshan.." She doesn't move just yet. Control? How unlike her.

 

"Not this time." Xander says, squinting, squinting at the runes, mouthing the pronounciation. "I can't be sure at this distance, but that looks like the marker of a gateway. A door. It is entirely possible that wall isn't truly a wall." Isn't having a mage around wonderful? "What I wonder is how they cross the chasm, if they do at all."

 

After Darshan has safe footing once more, Serene turns back to Xander and scruitinizes him. But she accepts his explanation eventually, and turns her gaze to beyond.. much like Gauvain, accessing that gift for rooting out evil with a mere look. "Do you think the runes may be related to the crossing? Perhaps they activate some sort of bridgeway."

 

Darshan laughs, lightly, and starts to...concentrate along with Gauvain. His helm shifts, a visor dropping in front of it, and the glow around changes, starts to hum, softly. "Not so good at swimming anymore. Not in this," he answers Chandra's question. "...crossing?"

 

"I think we've got bigger troubles if we wind up in the water down there," says Dern, eyeing the river. "I've, uh, some rope. But I suspect there might be some other way across." He pulls his axe out and begins poking at the open air at the edge of the chasm, checking to make sure there's no invisible footbridge or something crazy.

 

"... I have an idea." Narah moves up towards the chasm, and... stoops down and grabs a couple of handfuls of dirt, tossing them out to spread a thin layer of dust and earth across the edge of the chasm. "If there is an invisible bridge or the like, this might reveal it."

 

Bartaz eyes the runes, "I could shoot them." He comments. "If it's an illusion, the bulelt should go right through." He comments.

 

Gran has arrived.

 

    Dust is spread all about by Narah... and indeed! A brilliant idea. Outlines can be seen, indicating a bridge of sorts spanning this large chasm! As the dust settles more, it's clear that there are THREE bridges, converging on the same point at the rune-gateway.

 

Gauvain kneels and looks out accross the bridge. "Good work Narah." He says calmly. Then he slides his sword back into it's sheathe and picks up another handful of dirt. He moves to the ledge and pushes down on the strange bridge to test it while still keeping one foot on the known solid ground.

 

Darshan just...looks. "You know, Ganesa's stories always had trolls underneath bridges," wry. He looks back, and then..."I'd like to mrm, get another look at those stones before we go across, and see what they are. Anyone have any objections?" The tail flickers, and for a moment, the visor comes up again. Apparently, nothing had shown up. Yet.

 

When Narah spreads dust onto the invisible bridge, Dern stops his poking with his axe and then says, "Or ye can do that." A nod and then he syas, "Now, I'll go first, if no one minds?" And with that, he begins to step forward.

 

Trotting up from behind at a swift jog comes Gran, who has followed the relay of posse members down into the cave. Being horseless, it has taken him some time to arrive. The dwarf is not wearing the finery of the party, and is once more in a dustier-colored monk's robe that accomidates his hefty frame. Lightfooted he is nonetheless as he slows to a halt behind the group and taps on someone's arm or armor--that which belongs to whomever is most distant from the chasm, before he can see what is going on. "Hoi--what's this big hole in the ground? Someone go the wrong way?"

 

"Quick thinking." Chandra commends the other Veyshanti. "Well, then stay back and let others cross. Besides, we've already seen the troll so it won't be a surprise." She eyes the bridge shadows, before she begins to cross.

 

    Dern gets two good steps, before the bridge colapses under Dern. Bartaz however, is quick enough and attentive enough to lunge for the Dwarf, grabbing at his arm! Dern dangles precariously, as Bartaz, strained, can barely hold on! Fat dwarf in fat ARMOR!

 

"GWAH!" Narah is startled by the sudden appearance of Gran, and thus a little preoccupied trying not to fall into the chasm as the start sends her almost off-balance. Flailing a little, she regains her balance and rounds on the second dwarf that appeared behind her. "Less startling me like that, please!"

 

Bartaz winces as the Dwarf begins to move, "Wait!" he ex claims, falling to his knees as he manages to catch the dwrf, He braces himself against the edge with one hand. "Fiool dwarf..." he grunts. "Someone give me a hand!"

 

So the bridge collapses. Dern seems to've been expected this. This is probably why he is the only dwarf in the world that has a *broom* with him at all times. He reaches for it as Bartaz grabs him. "AWWWK," CLANG.

 

Xander narrows his eyes at the bridge, only to have them shooting open again as the thing fails to hold Dern and he goes a-falling. There are stronger people to grab onto him and hopefully pull him back up, and he's not about to take their place! And well, if there aren't, he stands poised to save them ALL with magic if need be, but holds it back, for the moment.

 

    Darshan's MASSIVE muscles quickly pull up Bartaz and the nearly fallen Dern. Thank goodness!

 

..However, the runes glow brighter, rippling for a moment as a head passes through them... that of a powerfully built troll, somewhat injured, but regenerating rapidly no doubt! He grunts a bit, passing through the doorway to stand on an invisible foothold, kneeling down and nocking an arrow!

 

Calamity dropped Calamity's Timestop.

 

ATTENTION!!!

 

Calamity has dropped a Timestop. Please cease all roleplay immediately and wait for Calamity to instruct you further. To look at the commands for the timestop, please type: +lhelp timestop.

 

Do not use any commands until the DM says it is all right to do so.

 

Calamity has cleared initiatives.

 

Darnit, "Dern!" Armor. Dwarf. Fat dwarf. Another armored creature lunges forward to grab hold of Bartaz. Darshan hooks an arm around him and hauls backwards. Sometimes, it's good he weighs as much as he does, and he throws his tail out behind him to redistribute it. He just gets the two back on solid ground, returning the favor from earlier, when it's, "...Troll."

 

 

---------------  At a glance around Calamity's Nefarious Lair  ---------------

 

Gran             53s 4'3"     203 Lb                                 

 

    Robe-wearing Dwarf with grey-brown skin and a thick black beard           

 

 

 

Serene            1m 6'2"     165 Lb                                 

 

    Tall, dark skinned woman. Armoured and cloaked.                           

 

 

 

Chandrakanta      0s 5'6"     140 Lb     Human/Veyshanti   Gurl      

 

    Dredlocked Veyshanti Averite with ink and blades.                         

 

 

 

Xander            1m 6'1"     184 Lb                                 

 

    Tall, handsome, goatee-wearing human mage.                                

 

 

 

Dern              2m 4'4"     260 Lb                                 

 

    A black haired mountain dwarf of regal bearing. For a dwarf, that is.     

 

 

 

Bartaz           32s 5'9"     144 Lb                                 

 

    Slim, Well-dressed Tsurai man. Rogueish, Jovial.                          

 

 

 

Gauvain           4m 6'2"     213 Lb                                 

 

    A tall brown haired armored man.                                          

 

 

 

Narah            32s 6'1"     155 Lb     Eldanar           Female    

 

    Tall, dusky-skinned Highborn woman; green eyes.                           

 

 

 

Darshan           0s 6'4"     274 Lb     Sith'makar        Male      

 

    Mechagodzilla                                                             

 

 

 

Calamity         35s           Lb                                    

 

    Oh. It's just a cosmic catastrophe. Move along.                           

 

==============================================================================

 

Gran's question is answered as Dern and his broom go tumbling off the edge, mauled by the assistances of Darshan and Bartaz, and soon a looming form of Troll evilness appears off on the opposite side of their expanse--and he's filled with a sensation of dread! "Careful! Something odd--where did that Troll come from?" His shortbow draws tight as he peers down the length of the arrow, watching the creature for movement.

 

Chandrakanta reaches for her belt, she fingers a vial and then downs it. Making a face, whatever it was she just forced down did not taste good.

 

Bartaz rolls over his rifle, picking it up when Dern is pulled back up. Still laying on the ground, he levels the rifle with the troll, and fires a shot off at the creature.

 

The ball strikes the Troll across a shoulder in a glancing strike. Being a troll of course, he nearly ignores the puny bullet.

 

Serene stays out of the way of the rescue effort of Dern.. there are enough hands there, too many will just get in the way. Instead, she takes a half step closer to a wall as she readies her shield.. and empowers it with divine protection.

 

    The Troll shows his big teeth. "You don't learn, do you?" he asks the wary and confused band, as a shot rings out into his shoulder! With a barking cry that echoes down the cavern, he lets fly the prepared arrow, nocking another with expert precision on his oversized greatbow! From his defensive position, advancing across that bridge seems quite hazardous, as arrows are let fly!

 

Xander snarls in a very ungentlemanly manner. "Great." he mutters, "It's him again." At least this time he's shielded from the poisons, eh? The mage's hands swirl in the motions of spellcasting, his visage shaking once, twice, and then shattering like spun glass, only to reform into several identical copies. And then every single one of them steps behind the wall of protectiveness that is Darshan.

 

With a fierce yell, the dark-skinned, green eyed Highborn woman raises her sword aloft... and steps out onto the bridge, starting to charge towards the troll. The footing is treacherous, but somehow she manages to keep her balance, rushing towards the enemy. "You will not stand before us!" she yells.

 

Preparing to just offer soft cover to the ranged fighters, Gauvain sighs when He sees Narah moving accross the bridge. Drawing his blade, the Knight moves behind the Highborn woman and accompanies her in the trek accross the bridge. Unlike the Highborn, the Sendoran does not offer a battle cry. Just a calm steely silence as he moves.

 

Darshan reaches around and unhauls a shield from his back. It, too, glows faintly with the marks of Daeus, and the sith'makar raises it. He starts to raise it above Xander, and--then he's hauling tail after Gauvain, snarling, yelling something in the older tongue. "Gauvain! If you've got any fire on you, now's the time to use it!" muttered, "And if you don't, I do!"

 

"...gaaah," groans Dern as he's hauled up. Then? Then he -jumps- off the edge. Literally jumps. He falls a short distance before he manages to get his broom in place and, well.. -it flies-. He is a flying dwarf now. On a broom. It is, perhaps, the most ridiculous thing that has been seen in some time.

 

Chandrakanta pulls the rapier from her back, she runs, light as a feather across the bridge. She doesn't even pause or wobble a single step. Going straight for it, her rapier glides into his skin. And then it does the unexpected. Lighting him up, electricity arcing through him. His hair smokes a bit from the jolt.

 

Bartaz reloads the rifle, which is actually quit a bit easier when one is braced against the floor, takes aim once more, and then pulls the trigger, loosing another ball of lead the troll's way.

 

Gran's arrow flies as the Troll's voice booms out--but it goes into the darkness instead of into the foe. "Blast," he says, letting the bow drop as arrows race in from the far side. His feet patter down on the stone as he slings the bow over his back, fists clenching and knuckles popping as he speeds up! He turns his head to the side as Dern bobs up into view on his -flying broom- and the rigid traditionalist in Gran weeps silently... before he lunges forwards and swings for the troll, fist punching into thick trollhide, and achieving nothing.

 

Making it across the bridge - somewhat unsteadily - the tall, dark-skinned woman lets out an incoherent yell of... yelling, and swings her sword two-handed over her head. It slices nicely into the nasty troll's hide, splattering troll blood everywhere. Eww.

 

Narah then staggers, coughing, as an arrow slams into her from the troll's crossbow, and nearly falls as she has to use the sword to ptop herself up. That hurt!

 

By Troll's Crossbow, she probably means Bartaz's rifle.

 

Yes. Bullet. Bartaz' rifle. Totally.

 

Serene shakes her head to herself, and despite the reckless charges of the others she takes her time. She draws her sword and picks a bridge.. and after a tentative step, she continues on. An elvish word passes her lips and the longsword ignites, an angry, red obscuring the blade.

 

Xander extends a hand towards the other side of the chasm. Good grief, the others are making quite a swarm over there! And he's dead sure SOMEONE would complain if someone got flambe'd. The mage grumbles to himself, lowering the arm and thwirling his hands instead in the invocation of the spell of speed, encompassing his allies in it. Those who have felt it before know it and love it. The rest, well. The world seems to slow down around them, attacks and evasion becoming all the more easy.

 

Bartaz has disconnected.

 

Assured of her footing, Serene's pace picks up until she's rushing the bridge, behind those who led the charge... the firey blade, as it arcs toward the troll, takes on a white hue as divine power lends might to the blow.

 

    Now the Troll is angry! "Grah! Gnats, all of you!" he calls out, bow left to one hand as his other draws up a heavy blade. To some, it may be a greatsword, but he wields it like an oversized machette, sweeping away at the puny beings around him, his hand with the bow lashing out as well in a backhanded strike. He parries the Monk's swift blows with the back of his hand, as the blades of lesser things stab into his tough body. The wounds however, seem to close rapidly, with few truly severe injuries!

 

    "I'll eat you all!" bellows the grotesque giant in perfect common, bringing his sword about for a devastating blow on someone! But before he can land the strike, Serene's burning blade cuts into him, searing with a flaming edge! The guided blow throws him back, screaming with a bellowing yell of pain! Staggering back from the blast of flame, the Troll nearly plows over Narah, careening over the edge of the invisible platform down into the watery rapids below. "You shaaalll sufffeerr for----" he manages to make out before disappearing far below.

 

Calamity has cleared initiatives.

 

Bartaz has connected.

 

Narah staggers to one knee, clutching at her side. "You -shot- me!" This, to Bartaz. Accusingly. "You -shot- me." Gingerly, she fingers the hole in her armour. It's... well, bullet-shaped. There's blood leaking out of it. The dark-skinned woman is uncommonly ashen-faced.

 

There is vague disappointment on Chandra's face, she really wasn't ready for that to be over. She wipes off her blade before putting it away, "Xander, come check out these runes.."

 

The world spins crazily as Xander's spell takes effect--Darshan takes a step back, a step forward, and then he does what paladins have to do. The most dangerous thing of all, down in the depths of the caves. And that--is crossing a bridge in full, heavy armor.

 

Gauvain finishes crossing the bridge and looks over the chasm where the Troll had fallen screaming. Idly he kicks a rock off the edge estimating about where the troll landed. He looks over to narah. "You okay Narah?" He kneels down beside her and examines the hole in the armor. "The good news is I or Myrana can patch the armor for you. The wound is pretty nasty. I /might/ be able to field dress it. But Magic would probolly be best."

 

Bartaz protests, "I shot at the troll. I had no idea you were going to leap infront of it." He complains, as he stands up. "It's hard to take aim with three hundred pounds of steel and flesh charging into your field of view."

 

"Watch out, Darshan! I'll make sure you don't fall!" Dern is saddened by the falling troll, his flaming axe haviug been readied to try, desperately to reach him. It didn't work, however, and he shakes his head before moving, -flying- on the broom alongside Darshan as he crosses over and then landging. Once he does, he says, "If any of you breathe a word about this to Disa, I will hunt you down."

 

Darshan thud's!, and lands on the other side in the dust. And...decides to rest there a while, before getting to his feet. The ground's much more comfortable than a bridge. With water. And a troll under it. Eventually, he slowly gets to his feet, and offers Dern a wary look. With Coyote's mischief dancing there, who knows?

 

The glow from Serene's sword fades as it becomes obvious the troll isn't going to jump back up. She sheathes it and puts her shield back in place, then turns when she hears someone is injured. She puts a hand on Narah's shoulder, briefly channeling to heal her wound. "We ought to continue."

 

Xander, carefully now, goes to cross the bridge as well, one of the lucky... two? Three? Who do not have to do it in the midst of furious battle and whilst being shot at. He draws his elegant longsword as he steps back onto solid ground. "As I said, they make the wall into a doorway." he repeats himself, pushing the sword's blade through the wall as if it were thin air, and then withdrawing it to resheathe it.

 

Gran adjusts his belt and watches Dern come prettily down on his broom like a young witch trainee. "Oh, not a word, absolutely," he says, peering over the edge into the torrent the Troll toppled over into. "Interesting bit of design, this cave--obviously not all natural. The troll can't have done all this. Our friend probably can't swim too well either--I know the fall won't kill it, but I'm not sure if a Troll can't drown," he muses, walking back to the group, pulling stunty dwarf-sized hooked polearm from his back.

 

Narah pulls herself to her feet, giving Serene a grateful look. "Thank you very much, Sunblade," she says, and sounds like she means it. Bartaz is... well. Given a dirty look.

 

Darshan looks up towards the wall and away from Dernly Potter. The point where Xander's sword went through catches his attention, and trusting the mage, he steps forward, and--plunges his hand inside.

 

"So, make it work.." Chandra says with a bit of an annoyed tone. She really wanted to stab that troll more.

 

Bartaz seems oblivious to the dirty look. After all, as he said- noe one warned him they were running across the invisible bridge to get in the way of his shooting. He begins to make his way across the bridge. Carefully.

 

OH GOD, DARSHAN'S HAND IS... completely okay.

 

"Before we go any further...I've got another of those antitoxins if someone needs it. It doesn't taste very good, but it's alot better than what--it's alot better than the alternative." Darshan pulls his hand back, and wriggles it in front of his muzzle to be sure everything's still there.

 

Gran watches as Xander demonstrates the runes. The Dwarf takes his polearm and jangles the wooden end of it around in the walldoor, testing it himself just like Darshan and Xander had, simply for the sake of it. "Before we go further? Once we're all patched up, we should get a bit of a marching order. Who knows what's next," he says, and looks down at his fist--concentrating, it appears, as his skin begins to grow dull and rigid, swell, and crack to the sound of snapping. He looks vaguely as if stone, or as if he had extreme need of Elven skin balm. "I'm sure it won't be a surprise to anyone that we have arrived."

 

Narah drops a hand onto Dern's shoulder. "I shall take up the rear with Ser Dern," she says, volunteering the dwarf and his darkvision along with herself for guarding the back of the group. "We should probably make haste, then."

 

Bartaz does, finally, apologize when he reaches the other side. "I don't normally miss. I'll... be more careful next time. Sorry." he offers Narah. He takes his position just in front of Narah. Since she's unlikely to let him go behind after that.

 

"We have one." Chandra looks down at the dwarf. "I go first." She's rather stern in her claiming that right. She taps her toe, impatient. Magic things take too long for her impatient nature. "Whoever wants to can fall behind me, no more of this running ahead and shooting each other."

 

Calamity says, "YOU MUST GATHER YOUR PARTY BEFORE VENTURING FORTH."

 

Gauvain moves to take up a position behind Darshan. He shakes his head lightly but is otherwise ready to go.

 

    As Chandra ventures through the passageway, she finds another chamber. Not as grand as the chasm room before in scale, but certainly in contents! Crates are organized around, many chests and barrels as well. The glint of gold peeks out of the top of one chest, as various oddities and artifacts from all about are stored here, like some mishmashed warehouse! Fine Veyshanti rugs, Alexandrian magitech, Myrrish finery lay in a state of disarray, clearly being packed up. A pair of Runic pillars with floating mana crystals are to one side, ith a worn bronze statue on the exact opposite side of the chamber. Riches and wonders galore!

 

    Near the back however, a was a slight gasp. Eyes closed, leaning against a barrel is a cowering girl of perhaps sixteen seasons, clothed in merchant-class Alexandrian fashions, though battered and dirtied. She is trying to hide, whimpering softly to herself.

 

"Come on, then. Let's get a move on. We've been dilly-dallying enough," sniffs Dern. He runs his fingers through his beard, getting it nice and smoothed out before he takes a few steps forward, axe and heavy tower shield back at the ready. He's very much ready for battle. And, instead, all they find is a girl. "Damn it," says Dern.

 

The Dwarf clearly is not moved by the massive riches.

 

Gauvain moves forward and in one move has his cloak off his shoulders. He tries not to look too scarey, despite his tattoo's and says softly, "Misress? I mean you no harm. I am a a Servent of Deaus." He offers to drape his cloak over her shoulders as he asks, "Are you injured?"

 

Serene just nods her head to Narah, accepting the thanks quietly. Once everyone else seems ready to go, and begins to continue onwards, she resumes her somewhat middlish spot and falls in line. When the group reaches the new chamber, she is little moved by the bits and pieces of culture stolen away and hidden here. The girl draws the majority of her attention. "Be careful," she warns, drawing her sword again.. and this time its smaller partner as she looks away from the girl to the rest of the room, looking for hidden danger.

 

Whimpering is not good, Chandra moves in. She reaches for something on her belt as she ignores the masses of looted wealth. Others swoop in to help, leaving her to keep watch, "Someone has been busy.." She mutters.

 

When no one takes the offer, Darshan reshoulders the shield, and--plunges through the illusion after Chandrakanta. The armor hums faintly, glows faintly, and his moving's no secret...nor is the slowly growing snarl at the sight of the tattered girl. It probably doesn't help her. It's not aimed directly at her, but it probably doesn't help--he jerks his head away to quiet the noise, and focuses hard on the rugs and expensive things, the glitter, the gilt. His face slides into a sort of...numbness as he takes it all in, and closing the reptilian snarl, that takes effort, too. "Is. She--okay?"

 

"What in the--" Xander says after stepping into and glancing around the newly-discovered room, not quite staring at the treasure, but... it's close enough. His eyes narrow soon enough, however, and he looks around not for riches, not at the girl - but for exits, and if none, nooks and crannies where someone may hide. They're after a man, after all. Mister Grey is still nowhere to be found.

 

Gran is apparently the only one interested in the massive piles wealth, and his eyes quickly move from the woman to the riches that lay strewn across the interior of the hall. He's careful not to grab any of it. "Probably a trap," he mutters to himself, looking at a few of the lovely floating mana crystals whizzing in orbit of each other. He turns as the party moves forwards to the girl. He appraises her quickly. "Probably also a trap," he says, rocky hand on craggy chin.

 

Narah pauses as she enters the room. The girl is being seen to by people eminently more qualified than her; her attention is, instead, on the two hovering mana crystals and the statue, eyes flicking between them. "This is new," she notes. She's still not sheathed her sword; clearly she's expecting more trouble.

 

Bartaz's eyes DO flit over the treasure. And then to the girl. And then the treasure again. He nods at Gran's assessment, "Probably, but a man can hope." He comments.

 

The girl looks up very carefully, as if afraid of what she may see. With the sight of Gauvain and others, the warmth of a cloak wrapped about her, she weakly shakes her head. "N-no, mister..." she says, in a quiet Alexandrian accent, slowly wrapping herself. She looks extra afraid of Darshan, growling lightly, covering her eyes once more.

 

    The room has no apparent exits aside from the portal you have just come through, though nooks and hiding places must be everywhere with so much chaotic loot stacked about. 

 

"Well, ain't this just a pretty place. Looks like he left behind a girl, too," says Dern, moving towards the lass. He moves to take a look at her, offering a hand to her, "You're safe now. Where did he go?" He's relatively sure she knows who he is talking about.

 

    The Girl hears the voice of a Kindly Dwarf, to offset the suspicious sarcasm of the Monk, Gran. She looks up again at Darshan, pointing out towards the gateway with a slight tremble."

 

Narah immediately turns around, heading back out through the portal. It seems the Veyshanti has an idea again. Once outside, she'll proceed to do the same thing she did at the other end of the chasm, tossing dust and dirt into the air to see if it highlights more invisible structures. Like, say, a flight of stairs.

 

The air gets mighty dusty. Someone sneezes.

 

Chandrakanta beings to wander a way a bit as she looks around, one of the crates catches her attention for some reason. She approaches it, she pulls a rather ordinary dagger.

 

Gauvain smiles lightly, pulling at those Tattoos and making his face... Maybe less evil likely. "Don't you worry about Darshan mistress." he gestures toward the armored Lizard. "He's about as scary as a stuffed bear." He nods to her and looks around the room for the first time noticing the stuff in the room. "That'll help the war effort." He turns his head toward the sound of the sneeze. I have a bad feeling about this .... "

 

Gran nods to Bartaz, and watches Narah as she admires the floating stones as well, before she heads off. He thinks a moment and leans on the guisarme as he hazards a wild guess. "Perhaps, like with the bridge, this is not what it appears. Maybe this isn't here the same way the bridge actually was. It seems an inconvenient place to store so much valuable finery." He pauses.

 

The Sneeze is just one of the party members!

 

Darshan steps to the side, and focuses instead on the areas Gran had pointed out, the shining, stolen goods. He looks then at the girl, pausing--and seems to put forth a second effort, to stop instinct, to pause it. He shoves down the growls with a heavy swallow. "It's...okay. I just...didn't expect to see someone like you here. I...I came to chase down the thief. I wasn't expecting a..." he gestures. "I wasn't expecting you."

 

The girl clambered to her feet a little, helped up a bit by Gauvain and Dern's kindness, nodding a little more to the big lizardy thing. She seems to be less afraid now, blinking her watery eyes. "Can.. can I go home?" she asks, scuttling a little on ratty shoes.

 

"Blackrose.." Chandra calls over her shoulder, "What does this mean?" She is standing over a crate that has a few valuable items, gold plates, silver candle sticks. And a large bronze with an inscription on it. She's full of questions and demands for the wizard.

 

Darshan looks askance at the girl, gently, at least, for a reptilian face. Quiet, as though deciding just what to /do/ in a situation like this, with a softskin smallthing, as it were. "The man next to you--" he flickers a tail towards Gauvain, "Is one of the Great Dragon's servants. Stay next to him. ...I'm afraid we've a ways to go just now, but if you could stay close, that would be the best thing."

 

"Yes, of course. Where is home?" asks Dern of the girl, curiously. He seems concerend for her well being, of course, and he's helping to steady her. "Where -is- this guy? He can't have gotten much further than this.. Perhaps there is some sort of secret passage?"

 

Xander crosses his arms, looking around still, as if glaring really hard might make their elusive target come out. He strides over to Chandra to see what in the hells she's talking about. There's a moment of pondering. A long one. "Check the crates. Wooden ones, especially. Anything that looks like it has rusty hinges." he suggests, in the meantime, to the others.

 

The -this- that Chandra is pointing out has an inscription on it that reads: RUNE INVICTUS

 

Narah comes shuffling back in through the portal, wiping her nose and looking... well, dusty. And a little embarrassed. "Well, there are no hidden stairs beside the bridge..." So she busies herself following Xander's instructions and, well, searching. For what, she has no idea.

 

Gauvain nods to the young woman and shrugs lightly. "Once we're done here, I'll see you home safely."

 

Gran's attention snaps up as Xander gives out a directive, and he looks to Bartaz knowingly. "Well, let's find us some doors. Stones are my specialty, so I'll check the walls," he says, and bonks the hovering manacrystal with his polearm's tip, seeing if it wobbles or not, before he goes off to tap the walls and floor.

 

A slow nod as Gauvain and Dern take hold of the girl, and Darshan moves over to look over the crates. The visor falls again, the light changes as the othersight kicks in. He crouches down, using it--his own version of sensing, or looking. It's just a little different.

 

"Xander, are you sensing any additonal magics?" asks Dern, curiously, glancing towards the wizard. He grunts, looking a little unhappy. He's still hanging near the girl, though. "Your name?" He asks

 

    "Thank you... thank you." the Girl leans into Gauvain's shoulder, warmed by his cloak and protection. She looks to Dern a moment, blinking into his eyes. "D'lisa..." she says softly, starting to move off a little for the door.

 

Darshan, the less-than-nimble, sniffs the air again, quietly drawing in an inhale before stepping back towards the 'door' and drawing his blade. Just...drawing it, drawing it and assuming a guard position. He looks solid, heavy, and fa...he has big bones.

 

Gauvain shakes his head toward the girl. "No mistress. You should stay with us." He closes his eyes and concentrates for a moment, before opening them again.

 

Bartaz begins rifling through the treasure, looking for anything that might indicate there's a bad guy in the area. Eventually, he pulls a bandolier out of the masses of treasure. A bandolier with a bunch of bombs on it. "Hrm. Well, not our theif, but could come in handy." He comments, and slings it over his shoulder.

 

"That's interesting." Xander says, peering at what Chandrakanta showed him. "A Runic Battle Golem. They serve as personal guardians of the more powerful mages. Traditionally, they're made in Rune." he says. Isn't he being a good little mage? At Dern's request, as well as a thought of his own, he then invokes a spell of magic detection. Might as well see if there's any Additional Magics (tm)!

 

"Hey, I think I know the man who makes these," comments Narah, having apparently gotten sidetracked in her important mission to... stand and stare at a pile of Veyshanti carpets. Sigh.

 

Gran taps along the borders of the wall, doing a passable job. "Mmm... adequate stonework, nothing interesting..." he mutters. "Could have used a little more care." He rubs his chin, and gravel rolls off. He raises a craggy brow to the woman, especially with such a truly ridiculous name. The sardonic Mr. Monk, that is, Mr. Gran the Monk, wanders from his dead-end stoneworks to the confusing treasure lass... whom he has felt to be trapped from teh get-go. "D'lisa, is it? Where are you from again? We have your name--and quite an unusual one. Are you Alexandrian native, or perhaps Drannish, or Gateway?" His face betrays nothing but suspicion. But afterall, his face does look to be a little rocky at the moment.

 

"Do you? They are nice carpets," says Dern to Narah, now distracted by them as well. "How much do they cost? One would be welcome in my home hall," he adds.

 

The explanation just made the hairs on Chandra's neck stand up. She reaches for her black sword. "And what is keeping it from waking up." She doesn't draw just yet.

 

"Oh, they are quite expensive. They are custom made, each one, you see. Notice the deep pile, and how well it holds together." Narah seems to have forgotten entirely about the search, instead now kneeling in front of the pile of carpets and tugging lightly at one of them.

 

Timestop dropped by Calamity at Thu Aug 13 05:24:20 2009 has left.

 

Darshan looks over at it, but stays his post. The sith'makar looks tense, suddenly. Solemn, "I've gone against those before," pause, "And I'd really appreciate not having to again. I /don't/ have an adamantine weapon if that thing decides to wake up." The tail flickers, flickers.

 

Xander... stops. He turns, looking at the girl. "As a matter of fact, I do." he says, as if in answer to Dern's inquiry, stepping AWAY from the golem. "Whatever it is you're holding, please drop it." he requests serenely. "I have a sneaking suspicion it might be the binding key of this battle golem that I can feel charging up." Oh that's wonderful news.

 

Calamity dropped Calamity's Timestop.

 

ATTENTION!!!

 

Calamity has dropped a Timestop. Please cease all roleplay immediately and wait for Calamity to instruct you further. To look at the commands for the timestop, please type: +lhelp timestop.

 

Do not use any commands until the DM says it is all right to do so.

 

"What?" says Dern, glancing towards Xander. What he just said was enough to draw his attention away from the rugs back to the girl. "You'd best do as he says, my lady, quickly!" He's concerned for her!

 

    The Girl stops, hiding a little behind Gauvain as more and more paranoid eyes focus down on her.

 

    With a low bass, the Golem's flat plate armor-styled helmet emits a long, whale-like noise. A single red pulse slowly flickers to life in the T-shaped strip of the visor, slowly turning sweeping side to side. It's single red orb affixes then, having found something of interest... Xander.

 

It's left arm rises, bronze gauntlet-like hand flipping back over itself to reveal barrels. Three, glimmering silver barrels, each with a ruby gemmed tip. They spin up rapidly, before beams of light emerge from the barrels, strafing the flat-footed Mage with energetic bolts!

 

    Meanwhile, one large crate is opened from within, with three humanoid forms emerging. Why, it's Dern, Xander and Darshan, brandishing bladed weapons! They move quickly for the two magical pillars!

 

Gran is about to waggle a finger at the woman just as a Box of Wierd pops open, and blazing violence streams down like electric neon ribbons of hate! Thankfully it's only fakeXanders that take the hits--but the rumbling Battle Golem and the arrival of new duplicates... it rattles the Monk! He tumbles across the floor and lands in front of the Evil Xander clone, hands up and ready for a grapple.

 

The black blade doesn't catch the light or sparkly, its just menacing. Chandra swings with the power behind her. Smashing into the brass skin of the golem. Her weapon dents and cracks the hard carpace of the golem. And it will certainly be giving her a lot more attention after that.

 

The Golem continues to attack, as it's body eminates arcane light from the thin cracks in it's armored form. Even Chandra's mighty piercing blades are of little concern to such a powerful thing, although they cut into the armor plating. The gatling beam arm falls back into place, gauntlet closing about the arm. Suddenly, crackling electricity arcs across the knuckes of each fist. It swings about, taking a lumbering step forward and smashing down towards Chandra!

 

By the exit, Darshan stiffens beneath the armor, and so the movement's stiff, the gesture's stiff--he sketches the symbol of the Dragon in the air in front of him, and the blade in his hand illuminates briefly, his hands, his claws...his fangs. Every weapon, every point as the tension in the room builds and he looks at the little girl. Thickly, "Whatever you have in your hand, girl. Drop it."

 

The glow dies on Serene's swords as she calmly... puts them away. They are not, unfortunately, the right tools for this job. She looks to the golem, ignoring the girl, then slips her hand to one of the warhammers at her hip.

 

"...hey! You're copying me!" Dern is shocked by this. Shocked. He chages directly towards the Dernplicate and leaps that last step, bringing his greataxe to the ready. "You're going to pay for this afront!"

 

Xander's hands move in the motions of spellcasting, intoning words of a spell used both for protection and capture. A shimmering, circular shell forms around the golem... and then disperses, as if it never were. The mage curses into his chin. "Be careful! It absorbed the spell's energies, it may be capable of releasing them!" Oh. Lovely.

 

"Halt, evildoers!" Yes, she actually yells that. With her giant fuck-off two handed sword at the ready, the tall dark-skinned Eldanar woman rushes in, aiming for the replica of Darshan, prepared to throw a mighty swing at it!

 

    Evil!Dern, Evil!Xander and Evil!Darshan are caught up to, right as they reach the large arcane pillars. EvilDarshan places his scaley hand upon a spot on one pillar, causing the crystals to glow with life. However, the charging adventurers grab their attentions quickly, as they draw their weapons to strike back at their attackers!

 

As the battle is joined, Gauvain nearly charges in but he stops and looks to the girl he found trembling. "Mistress." He says softly. "My brothers and sisters are locked in combat. Fighting to protect you from the evils that could be unleashed. If you have anything that could help us. Be it information or an item of importance, I ask that you give it to us. Please."

 

To Gauvain, the Girl seems too overcome with terror, frozen right before the man's attempts to negotiate with her.

 

Gran dodges out of the way as the evil blade slams down into the stones next to him, and Gran turns, turning the Guisarme away as he sends out a kick, knocking the creature in the side... as he finishes his spinning turn, and does a hop--landing his rocky forehead right into the face of the Evil Xander, causing flecks of rocky Stoneskinned Dwarf to clatter off as Gran drops back to the floor with a thud, but on his feet.

 

Chandrakanta shakes off the pain, she grips the black blade as if she was channeling Karelin. Except she won't be begging for Kor to witness. This fight is for Averium. The plates of metal begin to buckle with each well aimed strike.

 

The blade Darshan draws crackles with energy, mirroring the golem as he moves in to flank with Averium's warrior. It flickers, slicing quickly with Xander's added speed, cutting into the metal, and scraping--it makes an almost keening sound, and what damage is there is lent by the force of the hit, and not anything else.

 

    Under assault from multiple targets, the Golem presses forward still, as Chandra's dancing blades stab and punch into it's armor, Darshan's sword crashes along it's forearm shield, and Serene's heavy hammer crashing across a plate. It lumbers ahead, before twisting for it's greatest threat. With the bounding red eye locking onto Chandrakanta, a small plate opens on it's chest, revealing a red glowing stone! Runes and patterns appear in spinning arcana in the air, projecting a a globe of force at Chandra!

 

The sphere misses, instead creating a massively impervious bubble right where Chandrakanta USED to be!

 

When Serene's hand closes around the head of the darker warhammer, she nods and pulls it forth and steps forth to join the fray. Her other hand grasps the shaft, and as she gets into range, moving in beside Chandrakanta, she smashes into the armoured construct, tearing off a piece of plating.

 

So Dern? Totally cleaves evilDern in two. Just like that. There's not much more to it than that. He swings and cleaves him in twain, looking annoyed. "-That's-," he says firmly, "what you get! Nobody does that to me!" He's angry. Angry dwarf!

 

Evil Dern's corpse on the ground isn't Dern at all of course. Just a featureless, grey-skinned and hairless... thing.

 

Bartaz is unacustomed to moving so quickly, so it's as if he's in a daze when he ducks and weaves around Evil Darshan, slicing at him with his rapier.

 

Xander seems to ponder, very briefly, tossing another spell the golem's way. Instead, he marches over to the Little Girl (tm). "Now, then. I'll be polite, but I'll not be so for very long. Snap OUT of it and hand over the magical object that is with you, and we might just all walk out of this with our lives." he says, quite firmly. His brain is reeling. It can't possibly be... but it IS, how can it not be? Augh!

 

And... suddenly, a sharp smack hits Gauvain from behind the head as Xander tries to speak. His words are very eloquent and sincere, but the girl is apparently not interested.

 

In fact, she's so not interested, that she's pistolwhipped Gauvain on the back of the head and shoved him away, pointing the gun at Xander's chest. One of them at least. The barrel glows suddenly, as it discharges at the shocked Mage!

 

Getting stabbed in the side by the Darshan-duplicate's blade, Narah snarls savagely. "You - are - NOT - getting out of this alive!" And then she heaves her giant fuck-off two handed sword high over her head and HACKS at the doppleganger. Ohhhh, it FELT that. Blood and gore flies! There's a giant, sickening-looking wound starting at the shoulder and going down -into- the thing, making one of its arms flop queasily.

 

As the Evil Trio of Dopplegangers start to fall from their far superior opponents, Fake Xander staggers into a pillar, stunned and battered from Gran's fists of fury. Fake Darshan is bleeding badly, holding only one blade now to fight off Narah, as he tries to activate the pillar, placing his hand on another indentation. Arcs of lightning suddenly flare up between the two crystals, as he struggles to fight off Narah!

 

A Bolt of Lightning however, emerges from the massive arcane pillars! It strikes the nearest metallic target... Darshan!

 

Stumbling forward and falling to his knees in surprise, Gauvain blinks a few times and then spins as he stands, the first blade evaded by the girl, even as the second manages to score a glancing shot on the girl. He lets loose a string of curses in Celestials and finally manages to focus his eyes. "Alright you bitch. What's your issue?"

 

Bartaz has disconnected.

 

Bartaz has connected.

 

Bartaz has disconnected.

 

Bartaz has connected.

 

Bartaz has disconnected.

 

Bartaz has connected.

 

Gran's feet twist, shoving the dwarf across the floor with the sound of stone on stone and a burst of dust, and the monk lands behind the staggered, sloppily reforming Doppleganger. "Aha! Come back here," he mutters happily to himself, and sends a kick low--catching the beast in the leg, turning it around as he jackhammers it with a set of strikes, and as it begins to sag, he braces it back up and knees it into the pillar. Gran, remembering the zap his guisarme got earlier, is not surprised to see it pop and sparkle, falling to the ground with the smell of a rumproast. Unfortunately, it still just looks like meatloaf. The monk adjusts his robe.

 

"Averium's strength, infuse my blade.." Chandra prayers are said aloud as she raises the adamantine blade. Her aim getting better and better, the arm. It falls off in pieces, exposing the intricate gears once protected by the layers of metal skin.

 

As Chandra does her work, and Gauvain strikes away at the girl, her form... changes. First, to a plain hairless form, then to that of Mister Grey, looking contently smug as he swiftly steps to the side, with but a light knick on one arm. The gun is up again, another cloth-wrapped cartridge rammed into it's breach loading end. Again, going for Xander! "Die, Human!" he snarls. The mage had interfered too much with his plans!

 

With it's master now in danger, the Golem needs to get to protect him somehow! Engaged in combat, a tube on it's back opens, firing a stone into the air above! Shattering in the air, blisteringly sharp frozen hailstones rain down on those engaging it, as it tries to move back towards Mr. Grey!

 

Darshan shoves at the construct as he moves past--the same sword lifts, cuts across the air in front of Mr. Gray as the sith'makar charges, only to miss, finding air instead of cloth or body, and the paladin chokes, baring teeth at the man in the most primitive expression imaginable. "Youuuu diiiiiiie noooooooowww!!"

 

Bartaz has disconnected.

 

---------------  At a glance around Calamity's Nefarious Lair  ---------------

 

Gran              1m 4'3"     203 Lb                                 

 

    Robe-wearing Dwarf with grey-brown skin and a thick black beard           

 

 

 

Serene           26s 6'2"     165 Lb                                 

 

    Tall, dark skinned woman. Armoured and cloaked.                           

 

 

 

Chandrakanta     14s 5'6"     140 Lb     Human/Veyshanti   Gurl      

 

    Dredlocked Veyshanti Averite with ink and blades.                         

 

 

 

Xander            4m 6'1"     184 Lb                                 

 

    Tall, handsome, goatee-wearing human mage.                                

 

 

 

Dern             12s 4'4"     260 Lb                                 

 

    A black haired mountain dwarf of regal bearing. For a dwarf, that is.     

 

 

 

Gauvain          21m 6'2"     213 Lb                                 

 

    A tall brown haired armored man.                                          

 

 

 

Narah             1m 6'1"     155 Lb     Eldanar           Female    

 

    Tall, dusky-skinned Highborn woman; green eyes.                           

 

 

 

Darshan           0s 6'4"     274 Lb     Sith'makar        Male      

 

    Mechagodzilla                                                             

 

 

 

Calamity         16s           Lb                                    

 

    Oh. It's just a cosmic catastrophe. Move along.                           

 

==============================================================================

 

Serene stays focussed on the Golem despite the chaotic mix of doubles and big boss villains ntrying to complicate things. She switches to a two handed grip on her hammer for a much more satisfying style of combat.. the one where you just beat and beat and beat on your target until it submits. The bubble shooting chest thingy gets smashed. Alot.

 

Xander grunts, two searing-hot bullets, specially enchanted to hurt those like him, just went right through his gods-damned flesh. He snarls, and the snarl turns into a chant. The mage grows, grows, his skin taking up the hue of rogue stone, his features becoming just a bit more angular, and his muscles... well. Let's not talk about the muscles. They're very big, now. He sneers at Grey, blocking off the exit. "Try not kill him. I've... words to have with him." he rumbles, cracking his knuckles. Words, like 'hot iron poker', maybe.

 

"Now wait a minute! YOu'r3e not going anywhere!" Dern chases off after, well, the evil types. Well, evil Darshan. he swings his axe, but the only thing he manages to do is miss a tail. Barely.

 

    he magical pillars are building more and more power. Wherever these were taken from, they look damned valuable. Still, with Darshan out of range, they go after the NEXT nearest metal target---DERN. An even stronger blast of electrical force crashes into Dern!

 

Narah catches him, instead, whacking the retreating doppelganger in the back of the head with the hilt of her sword, making a nice, yummy *crunch!* sound. And down he goes. And off goes Narah, glaring daggers over at Mr. Grey. "Yooooooooure NEXT!" she yells.

 

The Averite has a whole new angle on the golem. Chandra doesn't evoke her divine inspiration as she runs after it and puts a dent in unblemished metal.

 

Gran lurches across the room, vaulting a pile of delicious treasure... and comes down like a sack of iron ingots right behind Mr. Grey, landing with full speed and getting his rocky arms wrapped solidly around the hideous abberation before it slips off in a quite expected display of unusual physical structure--causing the monk to grunt in frustration, and get to his feet. 

    Mister Grey ducks out of the way of Darshan's blow with disdain, his features shifting to mock the lizard. He loads another round as he evades the swing, looking wide eyed towards the door. Where did--- that come from?! He dodges again, firing another shot for Darshan, stepping out the way as the golem barrels closer and closer. His one chance of escape. That Golem was clearly going to try and plow through Xander to make an opening!

 

PLINK. Another bullet bounces off Darshan's armor and lands in a box full of old holy books. It explodes, splintering crate bits all over.

 

The Golem, under the wordless commands from it's master goes for one last gambit. Systems failing and one arm about to come off at the elbow, it bull rushes for Xander, to plow him under the way with what remains of its magical charge!

 

The response to Gray's look is an angrier one--the blade moves across and down, twice, three times and comes away with the man's blood. The teeth move in, ripping cloth, ripping blood--it gives the sith'makar an odd look, a primitive look as he snarls, "Put. The. Gun. Away."

 

    Xander is bull rushed back through the doorway, on the edge of the platform as the Golem is now locked in close with it, missing an arm and a leg about to fail!

 

As Chandrakanta flies off to follow the Golem and attempt to finish it off, Serene follows her. Rather than follow up on the attack, however, she doles out a little bit more healing, courtesy of Elune, and as the Warrior of Averium remains focussed on Grey's automated protector, her wounds heal.

 

Dern? Advances on Mister Grey. Or at least presumably Mister Grey. Then? He brings his axe up. And then he hits at him. With his axe. "The next one'll be through your skull." He totally meant to flail like that. Honest.

 

Listening to the carnage being delivered, Gauvain finally has had enough. With a flip of the blade the Knight grasps the broad sword by the blade and swings the weapon like an axe twice. The first strike hits Grey in the gut doubling him over, and the second hits him under the chin forcing him back to standing striaght up. Letting go of the blade he catches it by the hilt and then stomps on the man's chest with armored boots planting the tip of the blade on the Grey's neck. "Stay down you son of a (Insert Celestial Word for Bitch here), or I'll run you through your (Celestial Swear Word) throat."

 

"..thank the gods," says Dern when Mister Grey is finally defeated. He runs a hand over the top of his head and over his beard. "..ahh... can we.. stop epople from getting hurt somewhat?" He looks for where he dropped his shield an axe earlier, recovering them. Now that Grey is down, anyways. "By Reos' sweaty balls, that was a fight."

 

Narah lowers her hand from where she was pointing at the remaining doppelganger and yelling that he was next, since... well, he's been downed. She feels kind of silly. "Well... that went well!" Rallying enthusiasm. And... looking around. Wow, the place is trashed from the combat. "I assume that one -" she nods towards the doppelganger who's totally being sat on by someone in -"is our elusive Mister Grey?"

 

Calamity has cleared initiatives.

 

Gran looks down with satisfaction as Grey skids away across the floor, and pats Gauvain on the shoulder. "An excellent kick," he comments. "And at just the appropriate moment too! Now we'll have someone to speak with... or somet/thing/ that is," he muses. "Tsk. I knew she was a trap."

 

Chandrakanta walks over to the golem, standing over it with her black blade. She looks like she might hit it again even though its down, and she sort of does, giving it a kick with the toe of her boot, 'fucking golems. I hate golems.." She then gets a look at the grey featureless corpses, 'doppelgangers.. I haven't seen those fucks since Veyshan.."

 

"What *are* these things?" asks Dern, kicking one of the corpses with his boot. He seems... very displeased with qall of this, actually. And disturbed. A lot disturbed.

 

The golem rams into Xander, the mage just... holding it steady, for a moment, as it fails and stops. He pushes it down onto the platform where it'll be nice and snug, and then steps over to one of the pillars, idly tapping the stone panels of it in the sequence the doppelganger did to activate them. Happily, then? He walks to Grey, with thunderous steps... picks him up by the legs... and slaps him around a bit with a large stone-giant hand. He? Will not be waking up any time soon.

 

Serene spares a single glance for the fallen Grey and his golem.. then puts her hammer away and sets about healing the group's hurts. No prayers, no words of comfort.. she just pauses by each person, rationining her paladin gift out enough to heal up the worst of everyone's wounds.

 

Narah then sits down on top of a chest probably full of expensive things, and huffs, pressing a hand to the bleeding wound in her side. "Ow," she says, succinctly.

 

As Serene attempts to heal people, it seems clear that nobody has turned off the electricity machine. It targets Darshan AGAIN, as the metallest thing around with it's full power blast!

 

Moments after discharging one last time, Xander's work at the panels shut the arcane machine down. Pfew. That was getting vaguely kinda dangerous. Just not to Darshan.

 

The healing from Serene has done its trick, the wounds on Chandra only bruises. "Thank you Sister.." Acknowledging the healing she couldn't during battle. She continues to hover near the golem. Her grasp on the blade relaxing, she's not longer threatening anything with it.

 

Kssssching. That big, curved blade of Narah's slides back into its sheath as the tall Highborn woman rises to her feet again with a grunt, seeming to finally realise the fighting's well and truly over for this time. She gives Dern a weak grin. "At least you got the fight you were spoiling for, eh?"

 

Lightning slams into the lizard's body, not once but twice--it leaves him crackling with energy, sizzling with it, glowing. He shrugs his shoulders tensely beneath his armor, a slow move that comes with a silent grimace...and the electricty begins to dissipate, disperse. Slowly, it buzzes to a stop, becomes the ghost of smoke and crackling static...around him and the remains of the control amulet. Underneath the crackling, leftover energy, the paladin's face looks quiet, angry...seething. "If anyone," he says, firmly, "tries to build another one of these..." and the pieces are flung, angrily, across the room for good measure.

 

Yeah. Take THAT!

 

"In fact.." Chandra turns and looks at Mister Grey, "doppelgangers are the reason my parents are now in Alexandria.." She's eyeballing hte passed out figure. She keeps a limp grip on the swords hilt, "Its a good thing I was occupied and you all tooke care of them." Because she's got a real reason to hate. Did the Averite suddenly aquire a favoured enemy? She puts away her sword. "Do you need help, Sister, with healing everyone?"

 

(New BB message (9/12) posted to 'Plot Announcements' by Whirlpool: Open Scene, Friday)

 

As Darshan, well, does that? Dern just sort of winds up staring. A lot. He scratches his beard again and then says to Narah, casually, ".. that's.. well. I wasn't quite expecting that."

 

Serene shakes her head in answer to Chandra. "I believe I have it covered. The wounds are not too terrible," she adds, which might lead one to wonder what Serene believes a terrible wound is. So she makes her rounds.. Narah, Gauvain and Gran first, followed by Dern and Xander. Darshan, playing with lightning, misses out.

 

Timestop dropped by Calamity at Thu Aug 13 07:26:23 2009 has left.

 

"We did what we came to do. Now we must pack all this up and return to the camp." Xander rumbles. He? Is taking the golem. It's completely harmless now, honest. It's a really good thing they brought all those horses. REALLY good.

 

"...Reos' testicles," swears Dern again, "I.. .am going to get an *earful* when I get back. After last time and *this* time, I'll be surprised if I can get a word in edgewise. For a *month*." Apparently, being nearly married has its disavranges. This is one of them.

 

Lanternlights flicker in from beyond the magic portal, as voices call out. Was it more reinforcements? Enemies? They're speaking common, with Myrrish and Alexandrian flavors to their speech. "Here... over here!" calls one voice, as a patrol of soldiers arrive. Several gawk at the great chasm, and the dust-covered bridges that span it. "Who is there?!" calls the scout, peering through the darkness with a sunrod in one hand.

 

Xander has reconnected.

 

"I think we should have some of us stand guard, we can't take all of this back with us. Not across those bridges." Chandra notes the complications on the other side of the doorway, "and I bet if there is one troll there are two." Her tone indicates she's volunteering to keep watch, "Take the prisoner back to camp and alert the proper channels what is here. I see things from many places."

 

(New BB message (18/27) posted to 'Sendor War' by Agril: Preperations Proceed Apace)

 

"Go outside and greet our friends." Xander rumbles to Darshan. He is very large and thus somewhat hard to recognize, right now. He is preparing the various goods for transport.

 

Gran waves off Serene as she comes. "No no, I'm fine, uninjured, thank you," and steps aside so she can move off towards Dern and Xander, following afterwards... as, apparently, support arrives. "Oh? How useful--extra hands to haul out this warehouse full of other people's belongings! Ideally it'll be in it's original packaging, and we can just slap some postage on..." he says, kicking a box lightly.

 

Darshan shudders--if he'd had hair, it'd be crackling and standing on its end. As it is, small sparks form and buzz over the lizard's form as he steps over the control's remains. "That...I've seen what they did in Merkabah. Things like that," he says, finally. "They're just...weapons. War's weapons, Xander." When he gets there, he picks up one of the arms. "I don't know why someone needs these...this." He tosses it, flings the arm away. Harshly.

 

(New BB message (18/27) posted to 'Sendor War' by Whirlpool: Preperations Proceed Apace)

 

The Box breaks. It was full of something glass.

 

Narah ducks out of the portal, raising her hand in greeting to the scout and patrol. "Ho there! Daeus' blessings! We have located the Baron's treacherous second and secured him." She stands tall, allowing herself to be easily identified. She's been seen around camp a lot, and is likely easily recogniseable. "I am Narah bint Yussuf bin Mahmud al-Shahla al-Harad, Irregular to the war effort against the Bludgunni armies."

 

"Indeed! I, Dern, a Son of Gateway. Know that we have captured Mister Grey and defeated his allies. They appear to be some form of shapechanger, so precautions must be taken to ensure he does not escape through his abilities." He sounds deeply concerned about this, and he clearly has no idea what those precautions would necessarily entail.

 

Darshan looks up in surprise at the scouts. And lets go a breath, heading that way. By the time he makes it there, he's managed /to/ smile. It's a translation of a smile, that curving up at the edges of reptilian lips, something learned, but something he uses naturally, and likewise, tucks claws behind his back. Doesn't help the electricity. His hair'd still be standing on end if he had it.

 

"Guardians. These golems are built to protect." Xander says to Darshan as he gathers the poor thing up in a large crate, including the flung arm. "The Temple of Tarien has two rows of constructs, and they serve the same purpose - but they protect the temple, as opposed to protecting a person." he calmly explains.

 

A suspicious person may find the arrival of soldiers convenient. Perhaps... too convenient. They secure the cave, dropping lanters and torches at regular intervals. A Sergeant arrives, and assures that arrangements will be made for the two captives. No comment about the treasure of course, aside from that nobody was to touch it for now...

 

Serene refrains from interfering with Darshan and Xander's discussion... in fact, goes to lengths to avoid it. As soon as she healing is more or less done, she stands near Grey's sleeping form instead. "Keeping him unconscious certainly would not hurt. In restraints. Some sort of band round his arm to reveal his identity if he changes shape.."

 

Narah is a suspicious person, and so she lingers around the troop, burning their faces and names into memory, trying to see if she can recognise them from the camp. She also makes sure none of them try to make off with anything. It's like having a very tall, very armoured security guard hovering over your shoulder at all times.

 

"Captain, I believe.. these things may be tied to the Obsidion Syndicate," Chandra approaches the soldier in charge. She skips introductions, by now most people around the camp know who Chandra is.

 

Serene has disconnected.

 

"I don't care, Xander. I've seen them take...they're--" Darshan makes a slashing motion with his hand, and lets go a breath as he watches the play of scouts around them. "They're misused," he says, finally. "And you know the situation in Rune right now. If you don't, there's a...political unrest," a long, slow pause. "There was a demon tugging the reins not so very long ago. It's a story I've yet to tell you."

 

For his part, Dern is making sure these are actually properly taken care of as well. "Can't say I'm not glad you destroyed it, Darshan," he adds, taking his helmet off.

 

Xander has partially disconnected.

 

Gran prods the treasure, sifting through it a bit, looking for something interesting--something with a mailing address, preferably. "Strange things happen to treasure in warfare," Gran notes. "Let's hope it finds it's way back to where it is meant to be. Ideally... in better shape than the Golem will be," the monk says, looking at one of the blades dropped by the Dopplegangers.

 

"I doubt this one will see more use. It is quite badly damaged, and you did away with the key." Xander asides to Darshan as the thing is collected. Poor, poor golem. He got so stabedededed.

 

"Spare parts, perhaps," muses Narah, probably the least likely person to pipe up on the subject. A Veyshanti, and a Daeusite, and very much a fighter type? Commenting on magitech? Oh well, wonders will never cease.

 

Darshan's skin and armor crackles. More static. A grin tugs there for the first time, and he laughs, "Yeah. ..I suppose it is. I suppose..." the tail flickers, flickers. "Just not Rune, Xander," and he's firm on that. And he grins at Narah, then.