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Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

"It is a wonderful machine." Shirona spins around in her own chair, not even looking away from the ancient tome she holds in her left hand. A strawberry-filled donut is on her right. "So much concentrated sugar in one place. I haven't had this much since my last time in Serannian."

It's not so much that she appears out of nowhere, really; she's been in the room ever since the emergency message came up. But it's just now that she decides that everyone (without magic senses) should notice her presence right at that moment. Shinigami powers are weird.

Or would be, if Madeline wasn't around as well. Now it's just the milquetoast kind of weird.

"The snow, I could do without." She stops to fix herself to a respectable sitting posture. "It is already cold enough here as it is."

TurninTrix posted:

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs


· Aspects ·

Concept: Knight-Errant from the Dreamlands
Shinigami: Relic Hunter, Mage Slayer, Notorious at Both
Princess: Noblesse Oblige
Action: Do the Impossible
Omega: Stranger in a Strange Reality

· Skills ·
pre:
		Good (+3) Shinigami	Fair (+2) Princess	Average (+1) Action

Specialized			
		
										   

Focused		Great (+4):		Good (+3):	  			
		Athletics, Combat,	Provoke, Contacts,
		Notice, Physique,	Rapport
		Will, Dreamlands Lore
Shinigami Mode (9 pts): Athletics, Combat, Dreamlands Lore, Notice, Physique, Stealth, Will
Princess Mode: Renamed Banter Mode.
Dreamlands Lore Skill (Overcome, Create Advantage) (0 pts): An Occult skill that demonstrates knowledge of the Dreamlands and Dreamlands-related artifacts.


· Stunts/Mega-Stunts ·

Soul Relic - Dreamshaper (2 benefits):
· Function: Dream Matter Folded Into Shinigami Steel
· Flaw: A Beacon for Cat Spirits
· Masterwork Bastard Sword: Add +1 to Combat while in melee, Weapon: 2.
· Schrödinger's Cut: On a success with style with a physical attack, Shirona can spend a Fate Point to slightly alter one of the target's aspects to her advantage (with a free invoke). An Eldritch Society Wizard, for example, could turn into a Eldritch Society Mage Dropout in a single stroke. This only lasts briefly (at least one round) before reality reasserts itself over the paradox.

Absolute Territory (2 benefits): Wherever Shirona stands, the strange laws of the Dreamlands hold sway and protect her. When invoking an aspect to create an obstacle, Shirona gets a +2 bonus to the difficulty of that obstacle. Once per scene, she can also roll against a Great (+4) obstacle using Dreamlands Lore to subtly change the name of an existing scene aspect to her benefit (and gain a free invoke).

Don’t Lose Your Way: Shirona has a semi-conscious awareness of where she's needed most. She can spend a Fate Point to appear in a scene she wasn't in already, no matter how improbable it may be.

Lucid Dreamer: Shirona can use Dreamlands Lore in place of any other skill during a brainstorm, especially if her reasoning calls for dream logic.

Reality Is A State Of Mind (2 benefits): Fearproof against mental attacks, but weak to forces originating from the Dreamlands. Shirona can use Will to create an advantage through meditation or focus when she have a moment to breathe and concentrate.

(Total benefits: 8 - 5 = 3 fate points to the GM’s reserve.)

· Stress ·
Physical OOOO
Mental OOO

Mitama fucked around with this message at 03:03 on Jun 18, 2014

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Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

"What I am wearing is perfectly fine, thank you." Shirona says dryly, then takes a bite of strawberry donut. "It's this whole place that needs to get warmer."


She stands up, sets aside her tome, and gives her corporate superior a proper curtsy. Then bites her donut again. "Do we have any records of anyone coming in or out during that time, Director?" Shirona asks. No matter how much value the place lacks, she can't rule out a burglary attempt gone wrong.

Mitama fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Jun 10, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

"I have seen a dimensional engine explode once. Most of the time, the laws of reality simply collapse within the immediate area for a few seconds, causing all sorts of extra-dimensional distortions and other anomalies. Most of the time. I hear that in rare cases, it tears a small hole in space."

Shirona gobbles the rest of her donut and wipes her mouth with a napkin.

"So, when do we set off?"

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

While the other two bicker like they always do, Shirona turns towards the disabled alarm for a second. Mali pretty much spells it out for them.

"Let's assume this is burglary or sabotage." She says to Li and Madeline. "Is there anything here of value other than the Mark-III? I understand this place is more of a glorified museum."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

Shirona soon gets her answer, even though she needs to twist her face around and peer awkwardly into Li Wu's screen to get it. Accursed computers.

"Definitely someone here. Or at least that's what those blips are telling me." She sets off to follow Madeline and Cain. "Thank you, Li. I am going to find a way down on the opposite side the building. Whoever it is hiding down there, we may likely corner if we approach on different angles."

With that said, she finds a stairwell and simply leaps through the space in the middle to quickly descend.

She lands at Basement Floor 2 with without so much fuss or noise. Better keep moving quickly.

Athletics to create an advantage: //// +4 = 4.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

Shirona nods at Mali, then signals her to follow as she probes further in the facility.

"More horror movies?" She reaches into her communicator, her mouth a bit too close to the mic. "That is a terrible influence for such a young creature." The company's last Scary Movie Night is still processing in her mind up to now.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs

"That is also what I'm saying, you should not traumatize her to that very fact at her ag- oh."

Shirona finds herself right in the path of the grotesque dog-monkey beast, and frowns. "Well, you look charming." The ahuizotl doesn't take that as a compliment at all, since it drops from the ceiling and bounds away.

"Please take pursuit, Mali. I will take another way and we will catch it on both sides." Recalling the layout map of this area, the Shinigami immediately bolts forward with a terrifying speed.

Gonna assume I made the aspect Getting the Drop on Things since we're infiltrating this base in style. Now, I invoke that to give Mali an advantage for this challenge by heading it off.

Athletics: ---+ +6 = 4. Gonna try to Corner the Beast.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 6 -> 5

Taking the compel.

"So much for lack of battle!" Shirona draws her sword once more, in the face of more ahuizotls and a variety of hazards. "These creatures did not just emerge here on their own. Give me a minute as I cut the ritual that summons them."

She gives Mali a salute and leaves her with their captive ahuizotl. Shirona gives her a moment to focus and project her mind throughout this floor. Shinigami training teaches her to find evil magic (or just magic really) wherever she might be. It comes back to her as a very trace echo, but she soon gets a sense of the summoning circle.

The foam threatens to break her stride with the devious trick of... foaminess on the floor. But Shirona just needs to follow the monkey-dogs. As in, she hops over their heads and uses them like jumping stone over the slick foam. It doesn't take long for her to locate the summoning circle in the midst of this pack.

It's just in front of her. When Shirona leaps off the last ahuizotl, she raises Dreamshaper up high in both hands. She comes down swinging, with a cut powerful enough to split the summoning circle (and a good chunk of floor) in twain.

Combat to assault the summoning circle: ++-+ +4 = 6. Since tearing up Wizard poo poo is her thing, I'm going to invoke Relic Hunter, Mage Slayer, Notorious at Both and raise this to 8. I'll go and overcome this with a minor cost.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 5

"Huh."

Shirona dusts herself off, kicks away a car batteries that attempted to assassinate her, and takes stock of the flashing red light. Not exactly what she expected from a standard ward-slashing technique. It also looks like a lot of defenses to punch through as well to get out.

"If any of you saw me suddenly disappear into view and sink into the floor below, know that I am not dead." She buzzes that through her communicator, then checks out the thick doors with a strike from her blade. "Also, I might need help."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 5

Shirona slips right out of there as the doors open with a jolt. That was a short, if nauseating experience. She's not used to being confined in such small spaces.

"Thank you, Mali Sasithorn. You will be rewarded when we return from this." She smiles, then remembers all the chatter going earlier. "Oh, did someone mention hostile forces earlier?"

Mitama fucked around with this message at 00:20 on Jun 19, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 5

"I knew you all wouldn't let us die untimely over an explosion." Shirona beams, sheathing her sword. "Glorious battle against forces of the unknown perhaps, but not a cheap explosive and crushing debris. Who writes stories with an end like that?"

She wished that she did a bit more than cut down a summoning ward, though. Maybe there's chance for greater glory yet. So she helps Li Wu check out the tunnel as well. "If this were the Dreamlands, I could just cut the time we would waste walking through this tunnel and end up right where the dramatic part starts."

Rolling Notice (or Dreamlands Lore, they're both +4) to see things beyond what's immediately visible on the tunnel: +--+ +4 = 4.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 5

"The tunnel was dug in from this side, though." Shirona blinks and ponders. "If the goat was their escape route, then this tunnel was for a different reason. I'll help you scout this tunnel, Madeline, but be careful, it's not stable."

"...Hold on," She switches her attention to Li Wu. "Annabelle Ashton's notes? I suppose they would be of historical value, if nothing else." She is not familiar enough with the occult history of this world to tell, but it would rude not to know of the Foundation's founder. "Perhaps a collector hired them? But if that is what they were after..."

She heads through the tunnel to find out more.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 5 -> 6

"I see." Shirona nods, still investigating this derelict lab. "They certainly knew where and how to find the papers. The end of these tunnels lead to what I assume was Dr. Ashton's workshop, sealed away from the rest of this underground complex. The thieves were definitely all over this place. I will see what I can find."

There's not much light around here, save for the glow tabs. Shirona draws out Dreamshaper, hoping the cat spirits flitting along her blade right now will provide a brighter, steadier light.

I'll compel Relic Hunter, Mage Slayer, Notorious at Both: what were wizard-thieves looking to achieve, digging up long-buried occult treatises?

Also going to Notice stuff in this lab: //+- +4 = 4. Darn, a +1 would have at least been enough to invoke and tie with Li. :P

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 6 -> 4

"Leng?" Shirona says, not finding much evidence down in the laboratory. "I know of a plateau of that name, but it is north of the Dreamlands, not here on Earth. Unless we're speaking of different plateaus or there are non-Euclidean shenanigans afoot." At this point, the chances of the latter are pretty likely

She dusts off a nearby tome, conveniently about the Dream Cycle. Not entirely an accurate tome, but maybe she can glean some of Ashton's logic from here.

Dreamlands Lore to connect Tibet to the Dreamlands: /+/- +4 = 4. Willing to invoke Knight-Errant from the Dreamlands and Stranger in a Strange Reality to kick it to 8.

Mitama fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Jun 22, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"That is exactly it." Shirona sets aside the tome, after flipping around a bit. "If these thieves have a convenient way to go in and out of the Dreamlands, it would not only be trivial to cross those distances in such a short time, but evade conventional surveillance until they strike. Mind you, if they can do that, they have access to some very rare and powerful magic. Or a Shinigami."

Well, let's try not to focus too hard on the last bit.

"I do have family up there, Hyun-Ae, but you probably do not want to meet him." Shirona has been in this room long enough to affect it with her presence. Surely even more clues would beckon to her at this point. "My cousin committed some crime or another in the court and Father banished him to take care of a quaint little castle up in the northern wastes. He is not a pleasant person."

On the other hand, he would surely know the way to the Leng in the Dreamlands. Groan.

I'm going to declare that The Thieves Use The Dreamlands As A Shortcut. How and why are the things she needs to find out.

Dreamlands Lore/Lucid Dreamer to 'will' more clues to appear :P: //++ +4 = 6. Hahaha, we have all the victory points we need, so I'll let someone else attempt to score the last fact.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"If the Plateau of Leng is connected between Tibet and the Dreamlands, you cannot discount that the ones responsible have taken hold on the Tibetian side. Easy to assume the work of powerful wizards who could exploit that connection. Ones working on behalf of China, I assume." Shirona shrugs at the mention of the country, remembering an awkward debate a month back. A People's Republic apparently has no monarch, but certain people become very upset if she compares it to a democracy...

"Whatever Ashton discovered in Tibet, our interested party could have discovered as well. And could be in the dark about it, as we are in the dark about them." She ponders. "What if they believed that her notes were the missing piece of their puzzle?"

Dreamlands Lore for the final roll! /-// +4 = 3, invoking The Thieves Use The Dreamlands As A Shortcut to make it a 5.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"Not my government." Shirona waves the roomba off. "But your point is taken."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"If you are right about this, and I am sure you are... there would be a long list of people who would want those secrets. For any reason, from profit for themselves to slander against the Foundation." Shirona nods. This easily counts as a Special Circumstance, to her reckoning. "We should head back to Headquarters and consider our next move."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"I will look into the Dreamlands connection with my channels." Shirona nods, feeling sure that the Shinigami would know more about these grand schemes more than she does right now. She'll have to take a catbus to the Dreamlands, and that's always fun. "And... I suppose I could visit my cousin in the North as well. To find out how to reach Tibet from there."

That clearly bothers her. "If anyone wishes to accompany ne, I would be glad for it." And she looks at the others, almost pleading with her eyes. "He is a terrible boor and just drones on and on about himself and how he deserve the crown more and ugh."

Contacts to find more about the Dreamlands connection: /++- +3 = 4.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

First of all, it should not be understated that Shirona and Madeline went to the Dreamlands on a catbus.



Okay, that aside, the two of them make a brief visit Shirona's contacts in the Academy, then to her cousin in the northern wastes. All of them refer to the exact same problem at the heart of Leng.



"Closed for the last few months?" Shirona looks at the plateau from the vantage point of her cousin's palace in Kadath, a dreary gothic affair in the peak of a lonely mountain. "How does that even happen? This is your domain, is it not?"

"You make it sounds like your father punishment's included control of this entire northern province." Her cousin scoffs. "I only get this castle, sorry." In the realm of dreams, the Lord of Kadath presents himself to Shirona and Madeline as a living pile of bones covered in a rotted robe. His eye sockets writhe with worms, while his bony jaw occasionally spits out rats.

He doesn't look and sound bitter about his exile at all.

"I only know what I see from here." He continues. "More pilgrims being turned back while on their way to the plateau. Strange lights dancing above the earth. Reports of the plateau's inhabitants going missing. Some concerned parties have tried to search for them, but whatever's blocking the plateau keeps turning them away. They just end up wandering back here." He sighs. "It's so tiresome."

"Of course, it is." Shirona rolls her eyes, then turns to Madeline. "How about we look closer and to see this for ourselves?"

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"My cousin is still very, very bitter about his exile to this wasteland." Shirona explains rather matter-of-factly. "You stay in the Dreamlands long enough, you eventually start to look on the outside how you feel inside. Do not worry, he will get over himself within another hundred years."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"I have checked the plateau by way of the Dreamlands, and... well, it looks like our mysterious foe is most strongest at that side. There is a massive ward turns away travelers from the area, as well as some sort of creature guarding the place, I am certain." Not a lot of things scare Shirona, though anything from the Dreamlands can manage to give her a shudder. "We will need a lot of resources to break through that way, or find another way around, perhaps through Tibet. The latter might carry its own set of problems, though."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"They may have, but I am still not sure how they have managed to ward a significant part of the Dreamlands. It's not magic you come across easily." Shirona nods. "In any case, cults actually make things simpler. You can interrogate and kill cultists without remorse or any real repercussions. I am in favor of Hyun-Ae's plan."

"...Although jets make me feel ill." Just the thought of it prompts a gag reflex out of her. "I'm not sure how any of you tolerate flying with those things."

It feels like Stranger in a Strange Reality should get a compel here, but I'm not sure how yet.

Mitama fucked around with this message at 16:04 on Jul 21, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

Shirona opts for a heavy winter coat, some actual pants hiking clothes, and a cute pair of fuzzy boots for the mountain trip. It's all a lot heavier than what she normally wears. Normally, she would wax on about how important it is for a Shinigami to master her mind over the weather, how some of the greatest Grandmasters would stand in the peak of the highest mountains with nothing but a cloth diaper and unshakable will.

A migraine and a patch of diziness doesn't agree with that right now. She should have taken the medicine like that attendant told her to. Ugh.

Her sword rests right at her side, of course. Along with the mundane necessities for a jaunt across Tibet, she also has carries an artifact that she requisitioned from the Academy on the way back from the Dreamlands. She doesn't know exactly what it is, though. It fits well enough into a small, velvet pouch tied up (somehow) in a Solomon's knot, and feels like a bag of (infinite) marbles. It could turn out to be absolutely anything once she undoes that knot and opens it up.

Her superiors insist that she only does so, once she discovers the other side of the breach. It's all mysterious and everything. But she has other things to worry about. Like resisting the urge to throw up.

"If I ever need to take another eighteen hour flight, I am just going to walk the whole way through. Good grief."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"If I wished to, Hyun-Ae, I could simply will for cherry blossom petals to follow me around. And it would serve as a fitting contrast to this weather, if not for the fact we are in a 'clandestine' operation here." Shirona bothers to do the finger quotes on that word. She totally learned that from Madeline earlier.

"At least Cain does not need to worry about the cold. Or nausea. Or emotions." She mulls over this, half-remembering stuff from this book about modern technology. Or was that a sci-fi novel? "Do you need something to charge with, though? I have only read a little on how half-robots work."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"Oh, that would be helpful, thank you." Shirona nods. "The kind of robots I often see in the Dreamlands look much more boxy, and run on vacuum tubes and punch cards. And I think they have strangely shaped hands like these...?" She mimics a pair of c-shaped hands that feebly grasp the air. "What I see in this side instead are cyborgs and roombas and... very polite-speaking coffee machines."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"...Suuuuuuure, why not." Shirona nods at Li Wu. "Heaven knows I do not get to show it off enough."

"By the way, Cain, that story reminds me of that one Shinigami in my cla-" She hears the fans of the VTOL ready up. "Ah, perhaps another time. Time for work."

______

Shirona looks over at the scenery from her vantage point. Nothing, no sense of that oppressive barrier or any magic presence like in the Dreamlands side. She already knew that the magic in this side of the world wasn't that strong, but... where does this leave them, then?

"Cain and I will accompany you, if that is fine." She tells Madeline, her headache eager to remind her that she should get out of this drat VTOL. "I am personally no laggard in the art of stealth. And walking into trouble."

Mitama fucked around with this message at 18:17 on Jul 28, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4

"Just be careful. The fact that they barricaded the other side of the plateau to this extent means they expect visitors." Shirona swallows some pills to keep a bad headache from getting worse. "It is just a matter of where the ambush is."

That said, Shirona simply walks across the field of wreckage with a confident stride. A noble like does not need to skulk like a commoner and a thief. And thanks to supernatural shenanigans, most people can't see a Shinigami unless she allows them to. For all anyone knows, she just disappeared from view.


Stealthing. +++/ +4 = 7.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 4 -> 5 -> 3; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

"Of course."

Shirona unsheathes Dreamshaper without a sound and bounds towards the ruins.

By the time any mortal even perceives of her presence, her blade already falls upon the crowd of armed cultists like a fine pair of shears. Even a bloody migraine, it shouldn't take much to deal with cultist rabble. She feels a lot more concerned with that helmeted man and those huge... things close by.

"I'll handle the ones here!" She buzzes at Cain and Madeline. "Whatever happens, keep these things away from our aircraft!"


I just remembered that I took that compel. :shobon: Gonna account for my FP and consequence now.

Shirona appears in the Ruins, and uses Combat to attack the cultist mooks: ///- +5 = 4, and let's invoke Knight-Errant from the Dreamlands and Relic Hunter, Mage Slayer, Notorious at Both to deal a 8 with Weapon: 2.

If the summoned creature or the cultists intend to move from the ruins, I want to use my Absolute Territory stunt to counter. :| Anyway, it's Cain's turn.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 3; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

With a few wide strokes, Shirona cuts through the rocky outcroppings that the cultists used as cover. The moment she focuses on the surrounding area, a small part of the Dreamlands seep into the mountains. Cherry blossom petals descend from above, the wind blowing them over to her and the slain cultists.

That should impress Li Wu, hopefully.

Against all natural laws, the sliced off rocks float upwards to form a natural barrier against the summoned creature's charge. That doesn't stop the monster from plowing through anyway, but hopefully it buys enough time for the chopper to mount a defense. She trusts her companions to hold on.

Meanwhile, the enemy's summoner is right in front of her.

"I am Princess Shirona, heir to Celephaïs and daughter of King Kuranes." She points her blade at the priest in the most dramatic pose. "Who are you to challenge me?"


Just reposting my stunt here to clarify something in Gorbash's post:

Absolute Territory (2 benefits): Wherever Shirona stands, the strange laws of the Dreamlands hold sway and protect her. When invoking an aspect to create an obstacle, Shirona gets a +2 bonus to the difficulty of that obstacle. Once per scene, she can also roll against a Great (+4) obstacle using Dreamlands Lore to subtly change the name of an existing scene aspect to her benefit (and gain a free invoke).

So assuming the made the roll (I forgot to check Gorbash on this :x), I turn the Cover in the Ruins zone into Floating Cover and free invoke it as a +4 obstacle to block the monster. It still gets though with a roll of +6, sadly.

Anyway, let's Provoke and discover the summoner's aspect. -//+ +3 = 3. Also, tagging Cain!

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 3 -> 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

Will defense: ++/- +4 = 5. Let's take the boost on that...

"Not likely."

Shirona takes a step forward and quickly fades away from view. When she next appears again, she comes right into striking range of Master Kumara!

"The Storm lost long ago, madman." She swings her blade on the cultist's neck. "Join your fallen kind."


And roll Combat to cut his wizard head off! --+/ +5 = 4, invoking the boost, Madness and Genius Are Of the Same Coin, and an FP on Relic Hunter, Mage Slayer, Notorious at Both to go with 10, W:2.

Tagging Li Wu.

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

"Hmm." Shirona muses, making sure that Kumara's seals are taut. Not at all as dramatic as she wanted to end this, but it will do. "Perhaps I will kill you later, then."

She turns her head to the battles further below. There is still much work to do. A warbeast on one side, a robotic gorilla on another. But Shirona could trust Cain and Maddy to hold their own with their... compositions. Not so much with the more human VTOL crew.

"Thank you, Li Wu." Shirona crouches, as if about to pounce. "Can you support me from here?"

And then she takes a massive leap upwards. Her feet touch down on one of the floating rocks, and uses them as stepping stones to gain some height. She almost forgets her airsickness, though a mild queasiness settles when she looks down at the warbeast below.

"This is not my best idea..."

Shirona jumps off one of the rocks and plummets downwards. Sword raised, she comes down on the warbeast like bolt of lightning. Made of sharp steel. It sounds a lot better in her head, really.

Moving to Clearing and attacking the Warbeast with my W:2 sword. ///-+5 = 4.

Go, Li Wu!

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

"Well." Shirona sighs, sheathing her blade once more. Dreamshaper could barely cut that warbeast, and yet... "I will make it a point to not get in the way of that skull."

That's done. Time to finish her job.

She returns to Kumara by the ruins, grabs him by his hair, and yanks him down to the snow. Her sword whips out again, an inch away from his neck.

"Any final curses to cry out before I end you?"

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

By all rights, Shirona should slice off his head here and now. But something about this man's ramblings rankle her.

Also, Li might not appreciate blood spilling on her face at that moment.

"Why here, then? Why in this side of Leng, and in the side from the Dreamlands?" She asks plainly. "What do the Lords of the Air and Darkness seek that they encroach upon my father's domain?"

Mitama fucked around with this message at 15:21 on Sep 25, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

"That will not be necessary, Agent Cain."

Shirona gently nudges Li Wu back a few steps, raises her sword, and swings it across the the cultist's neck.

"We were just about done here."

As the man's head rolls along the rocky ground, the shinigami flicks away the blood from her blade. She sheathes her sword with a click, and the cultist's body collapses at last.

"Cultists." She looks at the corpse with disdain, then turns around to meet Li Wu again. "I gave him a chance, and he just spat out zealous nonsense. At least I know what the stakes are here." She throws her arm around the girl in a half-hug. "Come on, we should get warm with the rest of them. Good job back there."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

Shirona looks at Li, confused.

"That sounds rather extreme. I could buy one for you in the beverage machine back in the Foundation."

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2; Consequences: Airsick (Mild)

Strange need to kill for a drink aside, Li and Shirona follow the others inside the Quonset.

The others already scout ahead inside the tunnels, so the Shinigami hangs around instead to check the hut instead. "The laws that hold your world together are weakest at the heart of Leng. If our cultist was telling the truth, these tunnels must be how they are going around."

Notice to check the Quonset? -/-/+4 = 2. No. :(

Mitama fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Oct 16, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2

"It makes sense that these cultists would make do with old rubbish." Shirona says, picking up the horned skull for a few seconds. She frowns. "Wait, this looks like it comes from a fresh corpse." Have the Denizen returned to the Dreamlands, then? If so, what part do they play in this whole mess? They're certainly not doing well if they're pieces of some cultist ritual.

"Strange." She puts down the skull, then turns to Li Wu. "But it's all coming together, bit by bit..."

Mitama fucked around with this message at 05:38 on Oct 25, 2014

Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2

"What I am sure of is that we uncovered a cult who wants to summon an extra-dimensional deity from a realm I am not even aware of. That last bit is frightening, but otherwise a standard operation for power-hungry cult." Shirona says. "If we connect it to everything since the lab break-in, then we know some powerful people have spent significant resources to make this happen."

She notes the chatter in her ear. "This skull belongs to one of the former natives of Leng. The terrible ones, I will insist, pirates and slavers before my people drove them away. From the sound of things down there, Madeline may just discovered one of their cities."

Shirona taps into the communicator. [That black structure is the Holy Redoubt, the temple of our cultists. Whatever this entire scheme has built up to is behind those doors. Stay where you are.]

She looks at Hyun-Ae and Li Wu. "We have to follow them."

Mitama fucked around with this message at 05:36 on Oct 25, 2014

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Mitama
Feb 28, 2011

Princess Shirona of Celephaïs
FP: 2

Shirona listens, though most of her attention is on the device itself. Then towards the gate.

"The cult must be the ones responsible for sealing the way to Leng in the Dreamlands." She says to herself. "But if this is the same device they used to cross dimensions and infiltrate the Ashton laboratory..."

There's nothing else to it. She won't let those knaves defile the Dreamlands any longer.

"If we cut their communications, all the more they will realize something is wrong. We need to find and kill those cultists while we have the surprise. We need to stop them from summoning the Adept." She tells the others, gesturing at the device. "How do you turn this gate on?"

Mitama fucked around with this message at 19:24 on Nov 2, 2014

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