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Karnir 15/18 (M), 14/15 (S), 9/11 (I) Karnir jolted up out of the chair, yelling in pain. The spike in his head was burning hot and was sending shards of pain to the rest of his body. He shot his hand out behind his ear and hastily ripped it out. It fell to the floor and with steam rising off of it. He noticed then, that the floor had changed. The spike was seemingly floating in mid air above a field of grass and when he looked down, he realized that he was as well. He was back in the jungle again, amidst the towering trees and the flowering plants. The grid from before had disappeared, but everything else was as it was before. "How?! I ripped that drat spike out of my head! The cable melted! How am I still seeing this?!", he thought to himself. Suddenly, a disembodied voice sounded in the forest. "What happened?! Are you alright, Karnir? Say something at the least!" He blinked, and then saw he was in the cabin again. The others in the cabin had worried looks on their faces, especially the Aeon Priest Andus, who was in front of him offering a hand. He reached out and grasped it, and then the scene warped back into jungle. He panicked and released the now invisible hand of Brother Andus, falling to the floor yet again. He felt the wood of the carriage rub against his cheek and then thought, "Keep it together, Karnir. You aren't in the device anymore. You are here with the others. You need to calm down and focus!" He slowed his breathing and then put all of his effort into seeing what was real. Eventually, the carriage slowly faded back into view. It was insubstantial and seemed to be nearly ghost-like in comparison to the forest around him, but he could see where he was, and that was good enough for now. He climbed back up into the chair and said, "I "downloaded" something, whatever that means, into myself, and began to see a huge jungle with a series of numbered squares hovering above the floor. A grid, I think it's called. Then it flashed back to the desert here, Matheunis, but the jungle resembled the desert in ways, if you can get that somehow. I think they might be one and the same." He then blinked a few times, trying to refocus on the real world. "Something happened, though. Apparently, my eyes are "corrupt", and the numenera rejected me. It fried the cable, as you saw, and now I am seeing double; I see the forest all around me, and yet at the same time I see all you people here with me. Do you think there's anything that can be done?"
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Dec 20, 2013 15:58
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Ghos Ghos responds to the questions in order. "For now I'll reserve judgement; she seems capable but until I see her in action I won't know for sure. As for the mercenaries, I think that we should be able to deal with those two. Of course, if they call in reinforcements then it might not be so easy; another reason to be proactive." When the numenera goes haywire, Ghos hangs back and lets the more experienced brother Andus deal with it. He does, however, offer his help. "If it's a problem with his senses, I might be able to help. I know a thing or two about numenera messing with your thoughts."
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Dec 20, 2013 18:20
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Aleksey Aleksey, concerned with the idea of unwanted Iron Hands along with the caravan, decided to accompany Heyn as he looked for anyone familiar. Aleksey couldn't say that he could pick any out based on sight alone. I'm going to see what Heyn does before acting.
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Dec 20, 2013 19:21
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Heyn M:15/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 Blood, it's Horrek and he's smiling. One of us will be dead tonight. Lowering his voice so only Alek can hear "These men are here to kill me, One's a manhunter. the other a insane thief. I'll take the man, you the woman." With that said Heyn charges the man, knowing that he would have to take him down fast. Horrek had a reputation for being a brutal fighter, but not one to have too much staying power. Running out, pole-arm spinning around to keep the man on his feet about the angle of attack he would take he straightens it out and aims for the mans chest. I take it i get 1 XP for the GM Incursion thing that just happened? using Thrust + high quality polearm for 7 damage total.(Trained with Medium/Light Weapons, Very Powerful and Weapon master: Pole-arm are applicable traits afaik) The roll says 6 but i forgot about weapon master. Thrust+High Quality Polearm(hitting for 6 total) (1d20=15) Jezus, i just realized that Heyn almost doubles his damage with the polearm. Dayumn. AzMiLion fucked around with this message at 21:03 on Dec 20, 2013 |
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Dec 20, 2013 20:45
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Arkainé I'm good with an intrusion, hopefully my post isn't too late for it! Arkainé scrambles to grab the device and fan away the black smoke. With a frantic expression she looks the Numenera over for any damage, hoping to the gods nothing's melted. "poo poo! What was it... Ah. System tools, status." Looking up to Karnir, she now notices his pain. "I apologize for any trauma that caused you, Karnir. It does sound like it was worth it, though! Are you able to see the blue path the device projected?" Arkainé's practically jumping over the table with excitement.
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Dec 20, 2013 21:50
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saberwulf posted:Arkainé Karnir "No. Just the grid and a large amount of rainforest. The latter I can still see right now, although I'd rather not," muttered Karnir. He grabbed his pack from the corner of the room and grabbed two medium sized bags out of it. He lifted a small device out of one and began to look at it. "I need to do some repairs. I'd prefer if one of you nanos could help me out, seeing as you know more about the numenera than I do. This device will show you what's broke and what isn't, that bag contains spare parts, and that bag contains some tools. Doubt you'd be able to fix my eyes, but the other things seem simple enough. Maybe half an hour's time if you work at it. Press the button and you'll be able to access what's broken. Like so." He then thumbed one of the buttons on the device. His left forearm developed lines that suddenly opened up, revealing his metal-lined skeleton within. "I have no idea how that works, but it makes fixing everything a lot easier and allows me to keep this stuff below the skin. Also it's slightly easier to hide this from the public eye. Some people tend to get skittish around cyborgs for some reason." He pressed the button again and his arm sealed up, looking like it never even opened in the first place. "So, if one of you helps, I guess the other should continue to tinker with that box. Despite the fact that it torched my skull, I still want to see exactly what it does. Hell, I might even still have the information from it stuck in my head. I know that something stuck around, that's for sure." SunAndSpring fucked around with this message at 22:30 on Dec 20, 2013 |
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Dec 20, 2013 22:26
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Arkainé checks on the box, and inquires after the status. She gets a terse respond: Low batter, sleep mode activated. Replace or recharge battery. She notices a panel under the buttons: probably the battery's housing. Karnir's eyes begin to ache again, the initial burn of the neural wiring returning as a mild tingle. It's not unlike a limb falling asleep, except the sensation is happening in the middle of his skull. His entire body feels tired, and his left arm aches with old pains he thought long-fixed. As he shakes his head, trying to clear it, everyone hears a loud cry for help come from outside. It's coming from a man, and he sounds like he's in pain, perhaps fourty feet away. Brother Andus looks to Ghos and Arkainé, saying, "Go, find out what's wrong. I can see to Karnir here. Numenera repair was my expertise at Nihliesh, and it sounds like these Iron Hand goons may be hurting someone." Aleksey and Heyn Please roll initiative! Heyn, you get your 1 XP for GM Incursion. Heyn moves at the man, thrusting his pole-arm upward through the falling snow at Horrek. He connects, too, thrusting the blade through Horrek's armor. Warm, scarlet color fills the snow on the ground as Heyn pulls his blade back. Horrek grabs at his arm in pain, letting out a call for help into the surrounding caravan. Thermody moves faster than you should she could. Faster than anyone could expect, really. She's there, next to Horrek, one moment, and the next she's driving a dagger at Heyn's throat. Make a Defense Roll. What do you two do?
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Dec 21, 2013 00:51
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Aleksey Initiative: Initiative: 1d20 10 With a flash decision, Heyn jumps into the fray and before Aleksey could even react he was in a tussle with the two Iron Hands. Because Thermody is distracted (and I assume doesn't know I'm there with Heyn) can I back stab her? Aleksey drew his blade and with electricity flowing through his hands into the broadsword, he lifts it and plunges it down into the female Iron Hands neck where the armor is weakest. Stabbing: 1d20 19 If it's a sneak attack I should be skilled, if not I shouldn't be but either way plus one damage from the electricity
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Dec 21, 2013 01:14
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Heyn M:15/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 Assuming you also want initiative from me Initiative (1d20=4) Might Defense roll(Might Defense Trained) (1d20=11) Before Heyn knows whats happening the woman is on him, When did she get so fast? Before the thought finishes, She lands a blow on Heyn. Full of the thrill of battle he doesn't immediately feel pain, so he carries on with the dancing. "Come dance!, With the Jack o' Shadows!" putting this here since i don't know if i can post tommorow yet Heyn whirls his polearm around again, once again lining it up to take on Horrek, as he sees Aleksey diving into the fight as well. High Quality Polearm(5)+Weapon Master(+1)+Thrust(+1)(hitting for 7 total) (1d20=10)Weapon Master and Trained with Medium/Light Weapons are applicable skills.
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Dec 21, 2013 01:45
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Heyn It's usually speed defense to dodge a blow, which you failed. However, the might defense saved you from something... worse. Thermody sinks her dagger into your shoulder to the hilt, the thin stiletto finding its way through your padded leather, and tries to quickly retreat as you take the blow. You watch Aleksey come forth and strike her with his blade, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Aleksey By my math, that's 5 damage. And I just realized you have no weapon training at all. You drive your blade at Thermody, but she manages to move just in time to keep her head attached. Even so, you leave a nasty gash down her left shoulder blade. More impressively, the electricity from your blade jumps across her metallic armor, and she writhes in pain for just a moment. Looking dazed, she tries to stumble away from you and joins Horrek in his cries for help. "Please, help, they're killing us! They won't stop!" Heyn Again You step past the dazed Thermody and force your pole-arm into Horrek again. This time you catch his stomach, and a great deal of blood comes back with your weapon. He falls to one knee for a moment, and begins to backpedal way from you as he gains his footing again. Thermody shakes her daze off and moves to him, supporting part of his weight on her good shoulder and holding her stiletto out toward both of you with her wounded one. Heyn and Aleksey Horrek and Thermody are both bleeding onto the snow, shouting for help, and you hear other people calling out in the growing blizzard. "What's going on?" "I think someone's being murdered!" "Get the sheriff! gently caress!" You hear the pounding of footsteps. What do you do? Initiative order is: - Thermody (used her turn to move to Horrek and start backing up) - Aleksey - Horrek - Heyn
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Dec 21, 2013 02:06
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Karnir Karnir suddenly felt as if he was carrying a hundred pounds more than he was. His left arm especially ached, despite the fact that it was only a slight wound he received from the mercenary. He groaned and said, "Dammit, I'm going to have to sit this out." He noticed then that he had said that slightly slurred, as if he had taken a blow to the head or drank too much. His head was pulsing, and each pulse send a wave of hurt through the rest of him. He tried to stand and realized he could not. "You do what you have to. If it's those Iron Hand bastards, try to stay as far away as possible from the fight but provide any support you can, Ghos. They're already suspicious of you and by extension me. They see you getting in on this and the sheriff will assume that we're all in this together, and that won't end well." Karnir then turns to Brother Andus. "Alright, I don't know too much about Numenera, but I can at least try to help you fix me faster. Let me see if I can remember how to repair that thing over there in my shoulder..." Helping with repairs: 1d20 3 Least it ain't a botch.
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Dec 21, 2013 02:49
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Ghos Nodding to Karnir, Ghos cautiously leaves the carriage and looks around. Taking in the commotion, he decides to wait for Juliette before going any closer.
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Dec 21, 2013 11:48
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Zezarick (M: 10/10 0) (S: 11/11 0) (I: 11/13 1) With the conditions worsening, it looked like this stop would need to be made permanent. He started helping guide the various carts and carriages into forming a horseshoe shape to act as a bulwark against the wind and snow. This trip was certainly not turning out how he thought it would. He expected some danger and excitement, but not so soon. He continued his train of thought until he stumbled across something in the snow…...
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Dec 21, 2013 18:31
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Arkainé Hearing the screams outside, Arkainé places the box down and charges out the door, hand grasped tightly in the basket hilt. The sight of bloody snow makes the scholar draw her blade, though she stays near the forming crowd to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. "Where is that godsdamned sheriff?! This is on her hands if anyone dies!"
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Dec 22, 2013 03:57
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Heyn M:15/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 Seeing that Horrek and Thermody are out of the fight is enough for now, Justice be dealt later. For now, best to deal with the crowd and make some sense of what is going on here. Putting his pole-arm down for now and leaning on it. "Horrek! Thermody! The Wolf and the Crow! I recall both of you joining up with the Band of the Iron hand! Did you not swear the same oath as me? To serve the people and protect the innocent? And yes, we fell from grace, did horrible things. But you Horrek, You most of all. You hunted down and killed those who left in the Band's fall, and brought back their heads. Should I name all of them? Jaeden!, The farmer. He lead a life of peace once he left, and redeemed himself. You took his head, and those of his family! Hod!, The hermit. Content with living out his life alone to atone for his sins. His head you took as well. Lag!, The merchant. Bringing goods to the poor and downtrodden of the westwoods. Gulor and Hed!, left to travel as entertainers, You murdered them during a performance. Want me to name all of them? I care not what purpose you serve in the Band now, Wolf. You cam here to hunt me, and I struck you down. I'm giving you a choice now. Leave and let these travelers alone, they are under my guard. Or stay and find your peace in death." Turning to the crowd in general, and holding up his marked arm for all to see. "This is Iron Hands business! This man came here to murder me! He is known as the Wolf in the band. He has slain at least 7 men who left the Band to redeem themselves,I would have been the eigth!" Looking around the crowd to see if he can spot Juliette. "Juliette, I would like a word in private with you, I think I owe you a explanation for what's going on right now." Used a different rolling site as Orokos and IC are unreachable for me at the moment Rolled a 12. AzMiLion fucked around with this message at 17:12 on Dec 22, 2013 |
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Dec 22, 2013 16:13
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Sorry for the delay, everybody. I wasn't sure how things were going to play out until I knew what Aleksey and Heyn were going to do. Karnir Brother Andus gently takes the device from you and manipulates it masterfully, bringing your shoulder open to reveal the underlying mechanisms. He grabs up the tools from your bag, and gives you a kind smile. "Relax now, I'll see to it that this is all taken care of." He replaces the bolt and expertly rearranges your arm. You hear several more shouts from outside, but Brother Andus keeps you from moving. "Don't worry, you won't do them much good anyway. Just relax here and let cooler minds deal with the problem." While he works, he tries to make small talk with you. "So tell me how you came to be so enhanced. Surely this much numenera cost quite a bit: who was your generous benefactor, to instill such riches on you?" After a while, he manages to locate the problem: a splintered bolt near your shoulder joint. He quickly removes the bolt and produces a new one from his own bag, then begins the slow process of reassembling your arm. "Why did you come along, if you don't mind my asking?" Ghos One of Juliette's large guards approaches, and stops along side you. He gives you a second look. "Are you involved in this? More fighting with your supposed 'thieves'?" Zezarick I'm not certain the caravan was planning to stop just yet, regardless of the weather. As you start guiding carts to stop, Therius appears. "Do you think it will get so bad that it warrants a rest? I've been through worse, but I've made my life out in this desert. Perhaps you know better than I if we should set up camp already. I'm just afraid that if we dig in here, with the snow still falling, we'll have to dig out in the morning." Before you can answer, there is a momentary lapse in the snow and you both hear the cries for help. As you two approach the scene, you begin to hear the cries for help. You see, through the snow, Aleksey and another man standing, weapons ready, against the would-be bandits that Karnir spoke of. One of the bandits seems to be bleeding profusely from his stomach, crying out in pain and pleading for help. The sheriff, Juliette, is there, too, with two of her men. They're speaking to the mercenary with Aleksey, and he's claiming that the bandits are there to kill him. Arkainé Juliette appears next to you, holding a large crossbow. "I'm here, child, what is going on here?" She looks over the scene. "Lord, not these two again. Perhaps they were the ones who started the trouble earlier. Guess I better see to this, then. Would you go fetch Alithey? He's got the wagon with the red cross on it. Tell him to bring his medical bag, tell him it's a stomach wound." She proceeds away from you, speaking to the group of combatants. Two of her men close upon the scene, and they start to take the bandits into custody as she carries on a conversation with Heyn and Aleksey. Heyn Juliette and two of her guards appear, along with maybe fix or six others, watching the scene unfold. Horrek gives you a pained look, and coughs up some blood onto the snow. "How do you know we aren't here for the same thing as you, Heyn? How do you know we didn't leave, too, to find a better beginning?" Your words, however, seem to convincing. Juliette makes a hand motion, and her guards move to arrest the two criminals. Juliette approaches you and Aleksey, and inclines her head. "I look forward to the full story, uh, Heyn, but first I'd like to have a word with my friend here. Why don't you help save Horrek's life, so that we can properly imprison both of them. Good or bad, I won't have them slaughtered in the snow like animals. Aleksey?" "Everyone else, don't worry. I'll take care of this matter. It seems we're stopping, so go see to your carts. Let's get a warm encampment set up quickly." She pulls Aleksey aside for a private conversation. Aleksey Juliette arrives with her large, old crossbow in her hand. She has two men in tow, and they quickly take control of the conflict. It looks like she is about to arrest the bandits and let Heyn go free, but she asks you for a word first. She pulls you away from the dispersing crowd and the others involved. Her voice is low, as if she's hoping the conversation to remain private. "Aleksey, these two Iron Hands started trouble earlier. More accurately, they were involved in some trouble, but it wasn't clear who was at fault. Is this man telling the truth? Was he really one of those sadistic mercenaries, too? How well do you know him? Can I trust him?"
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Dec 22, 2013 22:10
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Ghos Ghos raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, hold up; I've got nothing to do with this. I just came from the carriage over there to check out the disturbance." He points the guard to Brother Andus. "Here, the priest can vouch for me."
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Dec 22, 2013 22:27
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Ghos "Relax. I was there at lunch, when that other fight broke out. It looks like those same people started some other trouble, which pretty much means you were in the right as far as I'm concerned." The guard grins, and offers you his hand. "The name's Tobler. I've been working under Juliette for almost a decade now. What's yours?"
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Dec 22, 2013 23:13
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Heyn M:15/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 "Yes Ma'am, I'll get him patched back up, Wouldn't want him to die before he faces justice. Horrek, Thermody. Kindly dispose of your weapons before I approach" After making sure that Horrek and Thermody have both gotten rid of any immediate threats he sends for a man to get Jak and Hugo and his bags. Once Jak and Hugo return with his gear, Heyn speaks up "Hey Jak, guess who decided to pay us a visit? The Pup and the Magpie, Didn't expect them in this neck of the woods." Heyn starts working. "Blood and Ashes you two are though ones, you could've had me there if you tried." Once Heyn is content with the amount of patching up he's done he gets out the rope from his pack and starts tying Horrek and Thermody's hands. "Wouldn't want you escaping into the wilds now, that'd be bad." Seeing as Juliette is talking to Aleksey, Heyn relaxes for a moment, tucking his gear back in his pack and resheathing his polearm, making sure that it's available if he needs it in a hurry. Roll for patching up and tying up the pup and the magpie, IC is still on it's rear end. Using up some rope and materials from Juliette's medical bag i guess.
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Dec 23, 2013 01:52
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Arkainé "We've run into trouble already," she says to herself before ducking through the crowd. When Arkainé's found Alithey's carriage, she gives it a trio of loud thumps with the side of fist. "Hoi, is there an Alithey in there? Some folk have been wounded in a fight— Stomach wounds, lots of blood!"
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Dec 23, 2013 02:03
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Karnir Karnir winced as the bolt was tightened into place. "Never will get used to that sensation as long as I live. Feels like getting a tooth drilled." "So, about where I got these augments from? Slave owner by the name of Cathak-Ros. He owned me for about three decades ever since his men raided some jungle village to the north. I believe some other petty noblemen made light of Cathak's lack of mutation despite being related to multiple Fahat members, and Cathak responded by taking me and rearranging my bones and organs to be the best revenge money could buy. I killed each and every thing that he asked me to. Noblemen who entered into the ring not knowing what I was capable of, mutants who wanted a shot at glory, mercs looking for prize money, and slaves who were forced into the ring with me. Didn't have a choice in the matter, thanks to a little disc he had that made me obey everything he said without resistance." Karnir laughed and said, "After all those years of trying to figure out a way to get around that damned disc and break his neck, he goes and has a heart attack! Can you believe that? First time I've ever felt robbed of somethingq. So, before his son could come back and reclaim the disc, I took it, my weapons and armor, and some necessities and left. Tossed the disc in some furnace and found the first caravan out of the city. I'm hoping to find a job here and make an honest living. Didn't expect to fight bandits or get my skull rearranged by a Numenera, though."
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Dec 23, 2013 02:18
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Aleksey "Definitely. I put out the word for him to come on this expedition because I knew that Heyn was trustworthy. Don't be fooled by his past ties, he's good people. I had no idea that he'd bring along trouble but I have a feeling that once we sort it out he will prove his value." Aleksey wiped the small amount of blood off his sword onto his leg and made sure it was sheathed and secure. "These two though I recommend we tie them up and leave them for someone else to deal with. They're not worth the mud on the bottom of our shoes. We have to be able to trust the people we bring along - I have a feeling were going to have enough to worry about without watching our backs from the people we're with."
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Dec 23, 2013 05:31
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Ghos Shaking the offered hand, Ghos replies. "Nice to meet you, I'm Ghos. I'm here escorting a wealthy couple, so I guess we'll working together in the future." He looks at where Juliette is arresting the bandits. "What's going to happen with them?"
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Dec 23, 2013 14:38
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Heyn Before either mercenary can react, Juliette's two, large guards move in and forcibly handcuff them. No rope necessary, the guards produced handcuffs. I'll be clearer next time, sorry. When Jak arrives, Horrek struggles a bit. "Dear God, both of you are here? Thermody, are you awake? The Bardiche and the Tongue, in the same place. How lucky would we have been, to bring back both heads." He coughs again, and it quickly turns into a wheeze. His skin is clammy when you touch him, but your knowledge of first aid serves you well. You manage to stop the worst of the bleeding, and the bandage provides enough pressure that Horrek looks like he might pull through. Jak gives you a serious look as you step away. "Why? Why save his life, after everything? Wouldn't it be better to let him bleed out here in the snow, Heyn?" You see the young nano from earlier approaching with an older man. The man is carrying a large medical bag, and you guess that he's here to do surgery to make sure Horrek survives long term. Hugo and Jak urge you to return to the cart with them to help set up camp. Arkainé An elderly, round man opens the door. He's bundled in too many furs, and lets out a cold puff of air. "A stomach wound?! Let me grab my bag." Alithey disappears for a moment before returning with a large, leather bag that looks to be full of medical tools. He seems bothered by the cold, but stops short of complaining. "Show me the way, won't you? What exactly happened? Who is hurt?" When you arrive at the scene, Horrek is in handcuffs and laid on a blanket in the snow. Thermody is being held nearby, next to two guards. Juliette is standing by with a white-haired man you don't recognize, and they're discussing the fate of the prisoners. The man kneels near Horrek, and inspects the wound. He pokes and prods and removes the bandage enough to inspect the bleeding, then sits back. "Oh, dear, this is bad. I think I have something that will help, luckily." He opens his bag, then, and produces a spider-shaped device of some kind. He manipulated the buttons on it for a few moments before cursing. "By the gods, this damned thing never quite works. I was hoping to avoid doing this the old-fashioned way." He looks over Horrek's wound again, and then looks at you. "It would appear you're stuck serving as my nurse for the time being. I've disturbed this wound too much to take the pressure off. Would you get the sutures and disinfectant out of my bag? Or try to get the damned surgical robot working, if you think it'd be faster." Karnir Brother Andus snaps the last piece of your arm into place, and offers you the controlling device. Your arm feels better, but your vision still seems to move freely between jungle and permafrost. "There, that should do you. Such a life seems grim. Does it bother you, that you have killed so many that did not deserve to die?" When you reflect on your recent adventures, Andus tries to empathize. "This isn't my first time out in the wild, and these trips usually go much more---erratically---than anyone would prefer. My first time out, I watched the leader of my clave lose his left arm and have it replaced with a mechanical contraption. I'd say that mild illusions and a broken bolt are par for the course." He makes more tea, relaxing after the work, and someone knocks on the door. Another priest enters, and nods toward Andus. "Brother, it seems we are stopping for the night. We're going to start setting up the tents, and then preparing dinner. It will be early, but it will let us start a warm fire. Do you need anything?" Andus replies, "Thank you, Brother Gradius. I want not, however. What about you, Karnir? Is there anything you desire? Are you interested in staying longer?" Aleksey "Thank you, Aleksey. Heyn seemed trustworthy enough, though perhaps lazy, when I met him earlier. I will keep him in mind when it comes time to organize a proper guard at our destination." Juliette watches as the surgeon arrives and begins his work. "I do not think leaving them tied up in the waste is any better than putting them to death here, and I don't like the idea of starting a journey with execution. I'd just as soon let them stay the night and send them off in the morning, with the threat of the death hanging over them if they return. I won't stop you if you want to kill them, however." Ghos Tobler seems genuinely pleased that you shake his hand. "I suspect we will. I'm sorry for doubting you earlier." His eyes follow yours to the two bandits, and you both see the surgeon arrive and begin to tend to Horrek. "I suspect Juliette will let them go and tell them that they will be killed if they return. She seldom has the stomach to kill people, even those who deserve to die. I'm still not sure if it's a quality I like about her. What do you think?" Zezarick As the scene quiets down, Therius asks, "Would you help me get the rest of these people stopped and set up for a cold night? I suppose here is as good as anywhere to stop, and there's no point in trying to get all of these carts dug out now simply to travel another mile and stop there." QuantumNinja fucked around with this message at 20:32 on Dec 23, 2013 |
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Dec 23, 2013 20:28
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Ghos "Yeah, I don't agree with that. For one, there's too much we don't know. What if they're not alone? They might have been scouting out the caravan and letting them go would just mean that we get attacked later." Ghos thinks for a moment, then adds. "I'd suggest interrogating them at least. Do you have anyone who's good with that?" He points at the mind crystal on his neck. "If necessary, I've got some talents in that area."
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Dec 23, 2013 22:07
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Arkainé Arkainé nods and gets the two out of the bag, handing them to the doctor in case her repairs don't work. Next she reaches into her own bag and pulls out a case of tools for the medical droid. "I should have this up in a blink, doctor." Repairng the robot (1 INT edge, trained): 1d20 6 The scholar seems to be having some difficulty, but she presses on.
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Dec 26, 2013 23:53
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Heyn M:15/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 Let's flee a crime scene again! "How nice of you Horrek, to confirm my suspicion of your purpose here. Did my new guard friends here that too? Take their weapons and store them somewhere locked away. And I'd recommend that you tie them up with something strong as well. Any Iron Hand worth his wages knows how to escape from a tricky situation, these cuffs will not hold them." Turning to Juliette and seeing that she is speaking with Aleksey for now, he waits for a lull in the conversation then shouts over "Juliette!, My companions need to be informed of what happened, and we have a cart to bolt down and secure as well. Mind if we speak later or at my cart in a bit?" "Jak, Hugo. Let's get our cart sorted for the night. I'll explain why I did what I did once we are there." After arriving at the cart and getting it set up for the night Heyn speaks up. "Jak, I know you and I both have had bad blood for the Band ever since we left, but we came here to serve these people and protect them. To do that we don't want them to fear us. We want them to respect us, and striking down a beaten man in public will do nothing to help our image. I'm known as a Hand and by extension you and Hugo are also suspects. Those fools calling us by our Iron names all but confirmed it for the people here. Horrek will face justice. I'll see to that, and if I don't there's still a chance that Aleksey will flay the poor bastard, He's not a man to be tangled with either. We put fear into them tonight, Horrek and his wench might not show it. But I've changed since I left the Band. I no longer fight for gold and shiny baubles. I fight for a purpose, for peace and a future for these people. He's seen that. And inside him he knows that my purpose is just, and his is a fraud. Therefore I will not let myself fail. That's the conviction in me that scares him, that's why i still wear the mark of the Band, to remind me of what i gained and lost, what I stole and the misery I've caused. To remind me of the man I must never become again, The Bardiche. The man who burned innocents, poisoned villages and broke men. If I hadn't spared him I would either be dead or earn respect by fear, not by trust. That's why I didn't kill them." Noticing Hugo taking notes on the speech. "Hugo, I hope that you keep that private, as you do all things. This was and still is Iron Hands business. not for eyes unseen at this time." "Anyway, now that I've explained this all to you, mind if we speak about this later? I've got a caravan leader who probably wants my blood to burn by this point so I'd better get back to her." With all said, Heyn heads back to the place of the fight, easily found by the group of people still circled around there. They unsteadily part ways for Heyn as he waves over to Juliette "You ready for me now?" Heyn is basically off untill the bussiness between Juliette and Aleksey is concluded. Let's not flee a crime scene this time.
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Dec 27, 2013 03:40
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Karnir Karnir thought for a while, and said, "Fighting the nobles was a pleasure; the satisfaction of defeating them and laying low their ego and grandeur was always a treat to me. Fighting those who entered the arena for money was business; they knew what they signed up for and while I took no pleasure in fighting them, I have no remorse about ending them. Fighting slaves was shameful; they were almost always used at the beginning of an event as a sort of preview of things to come. I made sure their deaths were quick and not drawn out. Does that answer your question?" The priest offered him the diagnostics device, whcih he accepted and then used to seal his arm back together. He wondered how that worked for a brief moment, but decided that the Numenera were too much of a mystery for him and that curiosity had wounded him enough today. Andus then offered some more aid if needed. "Well, you've fixed what you could. Problem is that the device did do damage to my head, and the device doesn't work on there. It would take surgery to fix that, and that would put me out for a few weeks. I'm thinking I need some sort of nanomachine remedy. Get the little Numenera in there to fix the big Numenera, you know? Problem is finding that kind of stuff, especially out here in the middle of nowhere." I assume I get one point of Might back from getting my shoulder fixed, correct?
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Dec 27, 2013 17:40
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 Tobler gives you a measuring look, and you suspect he's curious if you're looking into his mind at the moment. After a second or two, he decided you probably wouldn't do that. "I don't know who I'd ask about interrogation. I don't really have the stomach for it, and Aleksey's probably the most ruthless guard that Juliette brought with her. He's over there, with the white hair. Maybe ask him?" Tobler indicates the man in question, and the begins to depart. "Sorry, I'm supposed to be making rounds. I was in the middle of them when this all broke out, and I should make sure the rest of the camp looks safe enough."  The doctor begins to disinfect the area. Horrek lets out several murmurs of pain, but seems a bit too far gone to really understand (or care) what's being done to him. You look away, focusing on the device to help take your mind from it. He takes his time, assessing the wound and trying to determine where to best to stitch. You open the device quickly, and see a number of electronic panels and small, electric engines all caked in dust. You pull forth a number of small scraping tools and a bottle of alcohol, rapidly removing the dust and gunk filling the device. As you pull several large bits free, the gears click to life and the machine's legs start moving. Alithey looks up at you, and the moving device, through his frosting glasses. "Ah, great, please, pass it here!" When you hand it over, the places the spider-like device directly on top of the wound. It begins to extract some sort of string from its abdomen, precisely where a spider would produce silk, and precisely closes the wound. As it works, Alithey says, "What was the problem, my dear? You got that fixed with quite some speed; I'm used to a priest with a day or two turnaround for such work."  Juliette nods toward you when you call to her, and shouts back through the storm, "Certainly! Come see me in the morning tomorrow. If your Aleksey is telling any bit of truth, I'd love to have you join the guard." Jak takes your speech in seriously, and gives Hugo's note-taking a second glance before replying. "Their death wouldn't be undeserved, that's all I'm saying. You're right, though; we left for a reason, and it isn't like we'll accomplish it by killing the Hands. We have to be better than them, not just more deadly. But we can talk more later. Hugo and I will take care of the wagon." By the time you return, the only people left at the scene of the fight are two of Juliette's men, Ghos, a doctor and the debutante nano, who are saving Horrek's life, and Juliette, who is finishing up her conversation with Aleksey. Juliette looks you over, and her old bones shiver in the snow. "I was fairly serious, Heyn. It's cold, and it's late, and I still have to deal with these two. Aleksey has explained part of the situation to me, and he's said I can trust you.. If you betray that trust, it will reflect poorly on Aleksey, too. If you'd like, share Aleksey's morning shift with him." I felt like I should specify: Juliette is acting sheriff, but it is Therius who is the actual caravan leader. Juliette is in charge of keeping people honest, and Therius is in charge of everything else.  Andus considers your answer. "Well enough, I suppose. I guess violence is something this world will never be free of." When you speak of the nanomachines for repair, he pulls a book from under the table and starts thumbing through it. "I thinkt hat nanomachinary would be the easiest fix. Or perhaps we could convince this poor, broken map here that it is actually a frozen waste outside, and the synchronization---whatever it was---could be used to update your own oculuar, ah, circuitry. Ah, yes, here it is!" He pushes the book over to you, and you see several diagrams that seem to describe some sort of wireless connection and map coherence protocol. "Ages ago, great steel and silicon structures used to float above the planet, watching everything. It's likely that the map spoke with those. If we could find one, or, dare I say, launch one back into the heavens, perhaps it would learn enough to untrick your eyes." As the afternoon turns into evening, you find the strangest sight: the jungle in sunset is like nothing you've seen, except in pictures, and it seems so much more real when it's fed directly into your eyes. Brother Gradius arrives with a large pot of soup and two bowls, and Andus looks at you. "So, are you staying for dinner?" Put your pools in your posts, please. I would guess that having a qualified Aeon priest work on your arm would heal your might up to max, assuming it's missing only less than 5.
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Dec 27, 2013 18:47
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Ghos Waving goodbye to Tobler, Ghos walks over to Juliette. He greets everyone present with a quick nod, then patiently waits for her to finish her conversation with Heyn.
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Dec 27, 2013 19:19
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M:18/18 1 S:12/12 0 I:10/10 0 E:1 "It'd be an honor to serve these people, Aleksey, Juliette, See you in the morning." Returning to the cart where Jak and Hugo have set up shop for the night. "Jak, Usual deal tonight, I'll keep guard for 3 hours, then you, then Hugo. Best keep our eyes out for any stray Iron Hands. Who knows if the rest of the pack came along with them. The Wolf and the Raven are the most dangerous, but there's still the Crow and the Fox. If they decided to tag along for hunting me. Knowing them they probably think me either too strong, or still have familiar feelings with towards me, If they do show up. Use the knock we trained, Three rapid knocks, two slow. Or just start screaming. Either way is fine by me." Bedding down for the night, Hugo, Jak and Heyn have a rotating guard schedule for the cart for now. also using this for an opportunity to use two rest moments for the day, resting for a guaranteed 4 pool points so i'm not rolling for it.(1 minimum +1 tier bonus x2) Also went and stole your banner thing.
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Dec 28, 2013 03:58
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 Heyn wanders off into the snow, likely to sleep for the evening. Juliette turns to you. "Hello. I'm Juliette. Can I help you with something?"  Sleep comes fast enough, and your guard duty seems uneventful. The snowfall stops after the first hour, thankfully, and you fight back the cold with a heavy blanket. We'll get to the morning when everyone is finished up for the night.
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Dec 29, 2013 18:58
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If you want me to switch over to the banners, feel free to say so, Quantum. Arkainé "Seems the insides were choked with dust, as simple as that sounds. As for my speed, it's really nothing special! Priests tend to go through so much procedure when it comes to Numenera. I guess my impatience pays off," she says with a laugh. She watches with interest as the metal spider works its duty. "My talents allow me to converse with them as well. I can understand their needs and desires as much as a doctor can of his patient. Speaking of which, are they going to be okay? I confess I'm not experienced in medical sciences."
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Dec 30, 2013 10:21
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Ghos Offering his hand to shake, Ghos introduces himself. "Hello, I'm Ghos. You probably remember me from the earlier scuffle, when you had to separate us from the bandits." He starts explaining. "You're in charge of security, right? I'm currently guiding the couple from the carriage over there. Because of that, I'd like to help with the interrogation before you kick them out." He then points to the jewelry around his neck. "You should probably know this anyway, but I've got an implant that lets me read minds, which is how I found those guys in the first place. I'm normally not the type to go snooping, so you don't need to worry about that, but to ensure my friend's security I'm willing to make an exception." "So, what do you say? It's probably less violent than the alternative."
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Dec 30, 2013 15:07
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 (I don't care if you want to use the banners or not; I just did it for fun.) As the spider works, Alithey moves to examine Thermody's back. "The alcohol, please, Arkainé. It's the clear bottle. And the cotton rags." As he swabs the long, shallow wound, he continues his conversation. "They should both be fine, depending on what the sheriff decides to do with them. You seem to be a bright girl: would you like to work with me at the settlement, and learn the medical trade? If you're set on adventure, it might save your life---or the life of someone with you." He finishes cleaning the wound, and applies a small bandage. By the time he's done, the spider-like device has sutured Horrek's wrenching gut wound. While still red and swollen, the gash is well-mended. He carefully packes his supplies back into his medical bag, and moves to speak with Juliette, who is currently speaking with Ghos. "Hello, Ghos, it is a pleasure to meet you," says Juliette, extending her hand. "I do remember you. I'm glad you didn't have a hand in this situation: it seems to support Karnir's story from earlier. You're right, I am in charge of security." When you suggest interrogation, she furrows her brow. "Oh, bother. First, Aleksey suggests their murder, and now you want to interrogate them? Look, you can do what you'd like, but I'll tell you what I told Aleksey: I won't stop you if you want to interrogate them, but don't expect me to get involved. I'll make sure my men cooperate." She turns away from you in time to see Arkainé arrive with an elderly fellow you gather is a doctor. Both of You (Banners defeat me!) "Hello, Alithey," says Juliette. "How are the prisoners?" Alithey lets out a puff of warm air, and shivers. "Good. They're both stable. The woman seems fine---she's more than capable of caring for herself. But the man, uh, Horrek, will die if we leave him alone with her." Juliette gives a sharp nod. "I see. I was hoping to leave them come morning, but we might as well kill him if we're going to abandon him to die. It would be more more merciful." She gives each of you significant looks. "I wouldn't mind leaving them anyway, but I think that I'd like to hear some other opinions first. What do you two think?"
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Dec 31, 2013 06:03
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Ghos "Well that depends really on what they're here for; I'm not feeling all that merciful towards people hoping to slit my throat. If they're just here as thieves, then blindfolding them and leaving them with some supplies somewhere far enough away might be ok. However, they have already shown themselves quick to resort to violence, so I'd lean towards executing them." After a moment, Ghos adds. "Not without a prior interrogation though, no need to set an unpleasant precedent." He then turns to the doctor. "What do you mean that the man will die if left with the woman? I thought he was stable?"
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Dec 31, 2013 14:46
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Zezarick (M: 10/10 0) (S: 11/11 0) (I: 13/13 1) With the weather growing worse Zezarick tired to make haste as he went from cart to cart, letting everyone know what the plan was. Not all the carts were packed tightly together and many were, perhaps wisely, keeping there distance from the bustle of activity. Eventually Zezarick came across his friend Dalen. They shared a bit of bread and caught up with each other for the first time on the journey. Resting: 1d6 6 After some time, Zezarick finished his task and went to find the Priests carriage once more. Hopefully Kharnir was doing better, and maybe they had made some progress with the numenera.
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Jan 1, 2014 23:56
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Juliette snorts, "An unpleasant precedent. I'm sure it's worth finding out what they know, though. I wasn't going to spare the supplies---we're only a day out of the city---but whatever happens, I don't intend them to let us stay with us without being bound." The doctor puffs out an answer. "He's stable, but a wound like that can kill anyone who doesn't have a week's bed rest. If I understand the situation correctly, those two shouldn't stay with us for an hour, let alone a week, but I'm certain he will die if he tries to walk back to the city on his own. Perhaps we could spare a wagon, send him off home?" Juliette lets out an annoyed sigh, and Therius arrives almost on cue. She's well-bundled, and seems more comfortable in the cold than you thought a person could be. "Ah, Juliette, thanks for dealing with this. We've got a lot of the carts squared away for the evening, and the snow seems to be lightening up. How is all of this going?" Juliette explains the stomach wound, and the need for a cart, and Therius looks a bit shaken. She says, "You know, if we abandon an Iron Hand to die, and the rest ever find out, that will be grounds enough for them to attack us. And I'm not certain we can deal with their entire band as we are. Maybe we can scrounge up another cart."  You find Dalen wrapped in a warm set of furs: say what you will, the man always had a nice, warm set of clothes on hand. He's got a loaf of dark, fresh bread: it must have been made that morning, before he left. He breaks off a piece and offers it to you. "How are you, Zezarick? Staying warm, I trust? It seems there has been some trouble with the caravan today. Do you know about it? Should I be worried?" ---- You arrive at the same time as an Aeon priest touting a large bowl of soup. The steam curls off the warm fluid, and he shows you inside. You see Brother Andus and Karnir relaxing, sipping some tea. Andus is in the middle of asking of Karnir to stay for dinner, before turning to you. "Would you like to stay for dinner as well, ah, Zezarick, was it?" The other priest sets the bowl down and excuses himself, stepping outside. You see him move to prepare the two other Aeon carriages for the night. QuantumNinja fucked around with this message at 15:55 on Jan 2, 2014 |
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Jan 2, 2014 15:53
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Ghos Ghos interjects. "Well, how do we know they won't do that anyway? We still don't know just what they're really doing here, aside from snooping around and starting fights. If they're mainly mercenaries, then this might very well be part of a job they accepted. In that case, treading lightly may delay an escalation, though probably not prevent it." Gesturing in the direction they came from, he continues. "On the other hand, if they're here simply as thieves, then screw 'em; iron hand or not, we can't allow them to just get away with this or everyone will try. If we worry about any two-bit thug with 'connections', then, really, we might as well turn this thing around right now." He finishes. "This probably also isn't the last time we run into a band of outlaws, so deciding how to deal with this now is probably for the best. Do we avoid danger as much as possible or do we try to stand our ground?"
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Jan 2, 2014 18:48
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Karnir 18/18 Might, 9/11 Intellect, 14/15 Speed 2 XP Karnir looked to Brother Andus as the nano from before entered the carriage and said, "I might poke my head out in a bit. Check in on the others. I'll have a quick bowl of soup, however." He took a bowl from the other priest, thanked him, and leaned back in his chair, thinking about the problem with his sight. "So, we've either got to give that machine over there another shot, or I've got to scrounge up some shins and buy some nanomachine miracle cure? Hmmm, both are going to be trouble. For starters, the machine isn't working anymore. 'Out of batteries', it said. Batteries are those things that provide electricity to Numenera, right? Don't know where we'd find one of those out here. And also, I'm broke. Spent all I had getting basic supplies like bags and a tent." He lifted the bowl to his mouth and poured a gulp of broth down his throat. It tasted of onions and a sort of pepper that he was unfamiliar with. He liked the taste, although he was slightly disappointed by the lack of any meat. "Save the rest of this for me, would you, Andus? I'm going to go find out what those others have got up to, as well as set up my tent for tonight." With that, he stepped out into the outside. He stumbled for a second, trying to step over a rock in the illusory jungle only to realize that it wasn't around in the frozen waste. Grumbling about his bad luck, he made his way towards where Ghos and Arkaine had went. Right away, he noticed a large spray of blood staining the snow. It steamed, very slightly, as if it were somewhat still fresh. Karnir then saw the caravan leaders, Juliette and Therius, discussing something with Ghos and another man. The girl, Arkaine, was kneeling over what looked like two bodies. He approached the group, saying, "Well, I'll be damned. Looks like someone took a sword to the gut. What happened here?" SunAndSpring fucked around with this message at 22:32 on Jan 2, 2014 |
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Jan 2, 2014 21:37
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