Outside: Grass touch place

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Ironsmith
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Ironsmith »

[Forsaken Cathedral]

"I'm not going to argue with you." Miranda says quietly, slowly lowering the cylinder over the artifact, not turning around. "Yes, I'm a mortal pretending to be a succubus. Yes, your daughter sent me. And yes, I am attracted to you. You didn't ask, but I'm sure you wanted to know that. Ex-queen of the succubi and all." She shrugs. "Some people get insecure about their looks around your age. Don't worry, you've still got it."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.

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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
Sapphira laughs. "Clever, if empty, flattery." An unseen force pushes up against the cylinder. "Now... Miranda," she nonchalantly reveals that she knows the agent's name, "I know my daughter has no appreciation for the succubus' way of life, so as fetching as it is, why are you disguised as one?"
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Forsaken Cathedral]

Well. That's not good.

"If you know who I am, you know I'm already familiar with disguises as a matter of course." Miranda says nonchalantly, twisting the cylinder in a likely-futile attempt at circumventing the protective force around the artifact. "And you also know that I'd be BSing you if I tried to tell you that they carried no significance whatsoever. You make a persona, you put too much of yourself into it, you get attached, it's just how these things work." She shrugs nonchalantly. "The more interesting question is why you're disguised as one."

It's a bit of a stab in the dark, psychologically speaking. But Miranda's guessing that Sekhmet and her mother aren't entirely removed from one another; somewhere in there, she's banking on the former demon queen having experienced the same reluctance, the same dissatisfaction with her lot in life as Sekhmet. Just buried under a few dozen more layers of denial and rationalization.
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Here's to us!
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
"What a strange question. You're hoping I have some buried regrets. I don't." Sapphira spreads her arms wide in an expressive gesture. "I think you'll agree," she smiles suggestively, "Power is sexy. The seductive nature of power, that is what I'm all about! What you see is exactly what you get, and believe me when I say, all this," She gestures at her body, "Could be yours." Does she mean that she could give Miranda all that beauty and power, or does she mean it in a curtainy way? Probably both. "Oh, and I love that dress. You look fabulous." Sapphira licks her lips. Now that Sapphira's called attention to it, there have been some changes to Miranda's attire. A tight-fitting black dress similar in structure to Sapphira's own (not so much the same style, but the same state of would-fall-off-in-a-stiff-breeze), decorated with glittering jet stones, covers her body. Very high heeled shoes, also black and decorated with black gems, cover her feet, with enough straps and buckles that they can't just be kicked off easily. And gold and diamond jewelry serves to accentuate and contrast.
(Miranda's body won't be spared either, but those changes are progressing more slowly - clothes have no will by which to resist the transformative magic.)
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Forsaken Cathedral]

...Yup. That sounded about right.

"Sure you have regrets." Miranda continues, turning to face Sapphira and setting the cylinder down. "We all do. It's part of being human. Or... something human-adjacent, I suppose." She takes a step toward the demon queen, looks down at her new heels, frowns, and kneels to undo them, preferring to go barefoot. "Take me, for instance. I'm not really happy with the way I handled the last succubus who got inside my head and tried to convince me to let her have her way. I mean, sure, she was... awful, but dealing with her brought out a side of me I don't especially like." She stops in front of the queen and looks up at her, making direct eye contact and offering her a little smile. "I mean, are you really happy with how everything turned out? You're dead. Your daughter is on your throne, ruling in a completely different way from how you intended. What followers you had are dwindling, and a lot of them are simply abandoning your way of thinking. And you're... okay, with all of this?" She spreads her hands. "I mean it. You really are just pretending right now, and we both know it. Putting on a brave face to cope with the fact that you're... just not in a good place." She gestures around the room, empty as it is. "It's just the two of us. You don't have to be queen right now. You can just be Sapphira."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
Sapphira takes a sharp breath, almost like she's smelling the air. "Ah, Erzsébet. She always was one of my favorites." The former demon queen shakes her head at Miranda's allegations. "I played the hand I was dealt, and Fate decreed it was time for me to lose. I made no mistake to regret." She steps forward to caress Miranda's chin with a clawed hand. "It's cute that you're trying to seem sympathetic so I'll lower my guard. But face it, my dear, you're out of your league. At least you tried to play the game. You have plenty of spirit, and even a modicum of power. You could go far in my service."
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Ironsmith »

[Forsaken Cathedral]

Miranda reaches up and gently takes hold of Sapphira's hand, shaking her head slightly. "...I... you're right." She says, collapsing into the demon queen's chest. "There's no point in resisting you. I shouldn't even want to. I'm... I'm not just outclassed, I..." She trails off, wrapping her arms around Sapphira's waist, sniffling and burying her face in her garments. "I'm sorry, it's just... you're... you're so beautiful..."
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

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Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Rebonack wrote: Dec 05, 2022 4:51 pm [Tower of Oujet]

Laz decides to cut loose!

In several ways, as it happens.

Minding her spacing this time like a proper fencer, Laz sweeps her sword at the incoming constructs! One of them awkwardly skitters away from her while the second doesn't move quite fast enough, getting smacked by the blade and sent toppling over the side of the clearly not up to code stairs. Those things need a guard rail for exactly this reason! What could the builders have been thinking?

The fallen golem smashes into the ground on the first floor pretty hard, cracks spider-webbing through the white marble and causing one of its four legs to crumble when it tries standing back up. The thing LOOKS like it's getting ready to limp back toward our heroes, but then several zombies come clawing up into the first floor and it immediately turns to open fire on them.

Huh.

Seems like they just shoot at whoever happens to be closest that isn't supposed to be in the tower.

The other golem levels its arcane blaster to begin shooting at Laz but this is about the time it probably gets tackled by a bear.
Earl of Purple wrote: Dec 05, 2022 6:08 pm Sky Library

Benedict watches, face surprisingly placid for what's occurring before him. The gold metal glows hot, though fortunately the decorative gems are not combustible. Mergei, however, shudders and steps so her husband is between her and the dragon, and also begins to use her magic. Nothing is notable, given the nature of copper allomancy; she's projecting a bubble which interferes with senses looking for magic and coincidentally protects her from mental influence. There's no supernatural fear effect (to Earl's knowledge), but it does at least make Mergei feel more confident.

The bubble's presence might only be revealed- if Megeshi can sense magic- when Benedict's offered the tumi back and he sketches a symbol in blue light in the air and reaching through it. The flesh of his hand seems to disappear as his bones begin to glow with the blue light of the symbol as his fingers grasp its hilt, and he winces slightly. "A little hotter than expected, but nothing I cannot handle with preparation."
[Tower of Oujet]

Yep, an angry bear.

Taking out all her pent out rage against this confusing tower by repeatedly mauling this one golem which in this instance becomes a physical representation of her frustration.

Won't stop until the golem stops moving.

Sky Library

It's a good thing Benedict is so quick as the tumi might have disappeared into the lake of books otherwise the way it was burning through them.

Megeshi raises up from the ruined books and gazes down upon them. "I doubt you need to hear this but don't let yourself or those you care about get cut with that now." She rumbles. "The only thing it won't attempt to devour once it tastes spirit, magic or blood is me." Sounded like inanimated objects and robots might be safe then. Depending if a robot can be considered having a spirit or not.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Ironsmith wrote: Dec 05, 2022 11:13 am [Wildfire]

The scroll flops open, revealing a length of text along the top that reads "Dolor's Shit List" and a carefully-curated series of names, ranging from specific people to places to various cabals to things the Devil of Wrath apparently just finds annoying, like "small children" and "that little nub at the end of a banana".

"...Ah, here we are." Dolor croons, tapping a name near the top of the list. "There's a hamlet not too far from here, the town of Welmet, that has had things far too easy as of late. If you wanted to toy with the concept, that would be a lovely place to start."
Welmet.... Welmet, Welmet, Welmet.

It says absolutely nothing to the rooster. Names given by humans to their settlements are usually none of its concern. But, the man says it's near. The bird lifts its head up high, craning its neck. It is tall enough for to see over the treetops, and its crimson eyes can see far indeed. It takes note of the terrain, and the roads, and the direction where remaining survivors of this town are running. It turns on its perch, its feet crushing burned timbers into dust and sinking deep into the sludge, causing toxic steam to rise up. It spreads its wings in anticipation of taking flight. The man need but confirm it is facing the right direction.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Earl of Purple »

Sky Library

"Of course, that is usually the idea with ritual daggers of this sort. They should only taste the blood of whatever offering you are making." And now, Benedict is wondering if it has the power to kill an entire devil, and not just a smidge like the one in his grandfather.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Neon Forest]

In the future OSHA can't hear you scream.

Or something.

"It says the thing that powers the place is that way,"
Khannie says, pointing toward the slope and stairs leading toward the artificial 'sun' hanging in the sky. "And the thing that makes the weapons is down that way," she continues, gesturing to the downward descent. "And the other part..."

She glances off toward the trees to their left.

"I... think that's where stuff gets worked so the weapon making machines can use it? Like turning ore into metal that can be used," Khannie guesses. She knows a LITTLE BIT about smithing processes. A bit from her dad doing enchantment and a bit from Mary talking about the work her mom does with black smithing. Or did. Does Sekhmet still do that for fun?

Khannie bends down and grips one of the handles sticking out of the floor and gives it a twist, pulling up a column with a hiss of steam to reveal it has a slot inside it. "I bet we gotta find what goes in these things."
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Shadowcaller wrote: Dec 05, 2022 11:52 am [Hog Heaven]

Dena let's out a 'tsk'. "That's how you're treating customers, huh? Calling them 'delicate flowers' if they don't participate in your blood sports." Her eyebrows raise.
"Since I could use someone with that kind of attitude so hear me out here. MERC already have an agreement with bars like this one around the nexus. Discounts for members and things like that. I'm a bit more ambitious though. I figure we could overcome our self-isolation with the help of technology. So tell me Tsumi, how would you feel if MERC members could suddenly get here to your little piece of paradise instantly?" Dena holds up her hand as if to stop her. "But before you answer, I know the question in your mind already. 'How is this connected to dancing and blood sports?' Well, I'm glad you asked since if that sort of thing would happen it would be appropriate to launch it with some sort of event. Say, a dance performance? Since I happen to know another dancer in MERC. A male dancer."
[Hog Heaven]

Tsumi leans forward onto the bar, arms folded beneath her. "What are you talking about, little flower? Some kind of teleport?" Tsumi eyes the drowess. "So I'd be like the official bar of MERC, is that it? I'd hope this whole 'instantly' thing is exclusive."

As the oni listens further, her crimped and pensive expression breaks out in a widening grin. "Oh, baby, now you have my attention. Mmhm. Now when ya say dance performance, you mean..." Tsumi wheels her hand in the air with amusement in her eyes. "Like a show. Just what kind of dancing do you and your friend do?"
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Hraithre wrote: Dec 06, 2022 12:31 pm Welmet.... Welmet, Welmet, Welmet.

It says absolutely nothing to the rooster. Names given by humans to their settlements are usually none of its concern. But, the man says it's near. The bird lifts its head up high, craning its neck. It is tall enough for to see over the treetops, and its crimson eyes can see far indeed. It takes note of the terrain, and the roads, and the direction where remaining survivors of this town are running. It turns on its perch, its feet crushing burned timbers into dust and sinking deep into the sludge, causing toxic steam to rise up. It spreads its wings in anticipation of taking flight. The man need but confirm it is facing the right direction.
[Wildfire]

The Devil makes a dismissive wave. "There you go. Go get 'em, tiger."

He won't follow the rooster, of course. Clearly, it's plenty capable of devastation on its own. He'll saunter on over sometime later and see how that all turned out. If all goes well, he'll have established himself as a source of good ideas and can levy them later when the need should arise.

If nothing else, he can at least take the opportunity to brag to Libidine about his enormous cock. He's only likely to get an eye-roll for his trouble, but the pun is totally worth it.
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Here's to us!
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
"I know," Sapphira embraces Miranda. "You are too. You did well on that disguise. Of course it could still be improved..." Letting Sapphira alter the magic Miranda used to disguise herself as a succubus is almost definitely a Bad Idea. But it would probably help lower the former demon queen's guard (not to mention that refusing might raise it further). Is she willing to take that risk?

Neon Forest
Kothar nods. With the directions simplified to something he understands, he can think about the best possible approach. Any of the three sites would bring this place to a halt if destroyed. "Go mine first. Stop making until we destroy maker." Hopefully that makes sense. Without raw materials, the fabricator will be unable to reinforce the constructs, and therefore will be easier to destroy.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Earl of Purple wrote: Dec 06, 2022 4:07 pm Sky Library

"Of course, that is usually the idea with ritual daggers of this sort. They should only taste the blood of whatever offering you are making." And now, Benedict is wondering if it has the power to kill an entire devil, and not just a smidge like the one in his grandfather.
Sky Library

"And what sort of sacrifices will you be making, hmm? Will it taste the blood of the innocent perhaps?" Megeshi inquires as her head settles down on the book in a resting position.

It is difficult to tell if there's any judgement in her voice or if she's simply curious. If she did detect their use of magic she doesn't seem to have reacted to it. At least with her mouth further away the smell of ozone isn't as overwhelming.

[Hog Heaven]

Dena decides to ignore the 'little flower' comment and makes a so-and-so gesture by rocking her hand slightly. "Ehh, you can market it however you like. But it would let you call this place the official MERC bar, yeah. Since you're right on the money. I'm talking about a teleporter. Something perfectly safe and reliable. We would be letting our own members through it after all so we'd be risking more than you do." She clarifies.

"As for the dancing we'd perform, that I need to discuss with my co-worker. But I don't think he'd want to miss this opportunity for all the boys in the world." She gestures to herself. "It would likely be something akin to a belly dance performance if you're familiar with it. Nothing too burlesque though. Wouldn't want the patrons getting too rowdy now, would we?"
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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bc56 wrote: Dec 07, 2022 7:28 am Forsaken Cathedral
"I know," Sapphira embraces Miranda. "You are too. You did well on that disguise. Of course it could still be improved..." Letting Sapphira alter the magic Miranda used to disguise herself as a succubus is almost definitely a Bad Idea. But it would probably help lower the former demon queen's guard (not to mention that refusing might raise it further). Is she willing to take that risk?
[Forsaken Cathedral]

Miranda slowly pulls away from Sapphira, looking up at the queen of succubi with glassy eyes, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Good sense seems to have left her just now. She's meeting with a demon of corruption, alone, having been warned that said demon would try this and was very good at it, and her response was to hug her?

She must be out of her mind.

Miranda's gaze suddenly snaps back to a place of clarity and she shoves Sapphira away. "No!" She shouts, stumbling away a short distance and collapsing onto her side.

That... that shouldn't have been as hard a decision as it was. Miranda was always opposed to the exact nature of what Sapphira was offering. She didn't even say anything that would appeal to her other sensibilities. Just... overwhelming force of personality, so far as Miranda could tell.

This isn't going well. If she can't keep a clear head, she'll give in sooner rather than later.
Who're you? ...Don't matter.

Want some rye? Course ya do!

Here's to us!
Who's like us?
Damn few,
And they're aaaaall dead.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
"Pity," Sapphira sounds disappointed. And angry. "We could've had fun together. What are you going to do now? Kill me? It won't work." She takes a menacing step forward, looming over Miranda. "But I can kill you."
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Forsaken Cathedral]

"Killing you was never the plan." Miranda replies matter-of-factly, taking a step back. "In fact, I was hoping we could come to an understanding. But if you'd rather I blow this chamber to kingdom come and your location be lost to any other interested parties, so that you'd slowly drain yourself dry over the next several centuries, with nobody to talk to, I can do that, too." She reaches for her hotbox as she says this, telegraphing her plan quite a bit... and if Sapphira's in her head, she might recognize this ploy from when she dealt with Lizzie, too.
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Here's to us!
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Earl of Purple »

Sky Library

"Perhaps. It has before. I found it in a ruined temple, resting on an altar next to a skeleton that turned its skull to watch my movements. Not the knife's effect; the altar refused to let them die until they were removed." Benedict wasn't sure what might happen if the skeleton was removed, so he left it there. "My family has dabbled in the darker side of magic; necromancy, diabolism, blood magic, and blasphemy. I have, too. Occultism hasn't always been widely accepted." It's been seen as dabbling in multiple fields, which specialists have seen as cheating or inferior. It's a true specialism, however, just one that touches other fields in an unusual way. "I don't foresee anything I might wish to do that would require the death of an innocent, however. Perhaps teaching my son, Donatien, if his interests align with such practices. That is nearly a decade and a half away, so it's too soon to tell." Given Donatien is eight months old, there's not really any way to say if it would interest him yet.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Junkyard]

In an otherwise unremarkable junkyard in a sparsely-populated area, Vigil has set up their trap. Mia, Khafir and Eun are to fake TARBot's signal here, giving the impression that he escaped Vigil and came here to get some repairs. Should Zeeland bite the hook, Wenomir will engage him directly, while Khafir and Eun try to disable his abilities. Mia can participate in combat directly or indirectly, depending on what's needed.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Shadowcaller wrote: Dec 07, 2022 12:00 pm [Hog Heaven]

Dena decides to ignore the 'little flower' comment and makes a so-and-so gesture by rocking her hand slightly. "Ehh, you can market it however you like. But it would let you call this place the official MERC bar, yeah. Since you're right on the money. I'm talking about a teleporter. Something perfectly safe and reliable. We would be letting our own members through it after all so we'd be risking more than you do." She clarifies.

"As for the dancing we'd perform, that I need to discuss with my co-worker. But I don't think he'd want to miss this opportunity for all the boys in the world." She gestures to herself. "It would likely be something akin to a belly dance performance if you're familiar with it. Nothing too burlesque though. Wouldn't want the patrons getting too rowdy now, would we?"
[Hog Heaven]

"Sounds like a pretty good deal," Tsumi decides, still leaning on her bar. She raises her eyebrows. "And I'm familiar."

A razor grin parts Tsumi's lips. "I don't know about 'too rowdy'. This place does rowdy alright. But I'll leave the details up to your judgement. It sounds like you might have some experience with getting people riled up." She rubs her mouth. "Though of course, I could use a demonstration from you prior to the main event. Just to see exactly what kind of show you wanna put on in my place," she posits.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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Forsaken Cathedral
"Then do it." Sapphira calls Miranda's bluff. "Blow us both to kingdom come." The threats don't ever give her pause. "We could make an agreement, but I don't give away anything for free. You've got to give me something more valuable... And I doubt you have anything worth more than my totem."
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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[Hog Heaven]

"It is a pretty good deal. All we need in return is for you to pay part of the construction of the teleportation device and of course make sure the local is appropriate for our dancing needs once we perform." She leans forward, propping up her chin with her knuckles. "A private performance though? Might be a bit too much to ask for, miss Tsumi. Those are very exclusive. I'd need more to justify that sort of treatment." The gorgon smiles widely.

"Since otherwise there's video evidence aplenty of my talents for you to review. For Fayyaad's too if you're so inclined."

Sky Library

"Then as I've granted you this gift, and access to my library, I shall ask you to try to reconsider each time time you're going to spill innocent blood. Not that it won't devour it like everything else but that I prefer humans to play nice with one another."

The dragon leans in a bit closer to Benedict.

"Since surely that's not too much to ask for?"
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Earl of Purple »

Sky Library

"My son takes after his mother, he is not entirely human. Regardless, I shall endeavour to steer him away from such arts." Benedict considers asking for the dragon's definition of 'innocent', but decides that would not endear him to her in any way and it's best to just avoid killing anyone who is incapable of fighting back with the tumi. He did, fortunately, mention he can't foresee a reason to need to kill an innocent in the future. His manservant works better with a live host, but he can either source 'guilty' people for new bodies if he needs one, or else use corpses.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

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bc56 wrote: Dec 09, 2022 5:17 am Forsaken Cathedral
"Then do it." Sapphira calls Miranda's bluff. "Blow us both to kingdom come." The threats don't ever give her pause. "We could make an agreement, but I don't give away anything for free. You've got to give me something more valuable... And I doubt you have anything worth more than my totem."
[Forsaken Cathedral]

It might occur to Sapphira as Miranda pulls out the blocks of C4 that she was not, in fact, bluffing. She's shown a certain proclivity for doing things that will get her killed if she thinks the sacrifice will be worthwhile, and sealing away the former queen of the succubi under several kilotons of rock, in exchange for very likely killing a singular mostly-human intelligence agent, seems to her to be a worthwhile trade.

The trouble would be more logistical than anything, as setting up said explosives while Sapphira is coming at her would be more than a little difficult. But not too much so; she can already plant one on the column behind her, driving a spike through it to hold it in place while she gets the others set up. If Sapphira doesn't stop her immediately, explosive results are inevitable.
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Hraithre »

[Wildfire]
Ironsmith wrote: Dec 07, 2022 6:45 am
The Devil makes a dismissive wave. "There you go. Go get 'em, tiger."

He won't follow the rooster, of course. Clearly, it's plenty capable of devastation on its own. He'll saunter on over sometime later and see how that all turned out. If all goes well, he'll have established himself as a source of good ideas and can levy them later when the need should arise.

If nothing else, he can at least take the opportunity to brag to Libidine about his enormous cock. He's only likely to get an eye-roll for his trouble, but the pun is totally worth it.
Oh yes, ladies beware - the big red cock is coming!

. . .

It's the kind of joke that's funny only up to the point where you see the rooster in action.

There is an explosion of soot and debris as the colossal creature takes flight, leaping up in the air and flapping its wings in one go. The speed and power of the motion spits in the face of natural law.

---

[Later - Welmet]

The rooster flies faster than the survivors of Weirding Wood run through the country side. As such, the hapless people of Welmet see the bird gliding over their settlement, splitting the clouds and casting its dreadful shadow on them, before they've had a chance to hear the news.

But, the bird does not land, not yet. It is not here this time to destroy these people before they even know what hit them, oh no. This time, it wants them to know, to fear the horrors that will soon follow.

So, after making a few passes over the village, the rooster flies away. It can wait a few days. Word will soon spread, of an ominous sighting of an avian monster. Some will no doubt draw a connection between that and the spine-shivering crow they hears, as well as the glow of the wildfire at horizon. The refugees of Weirding Wood will follow, their witness giving awful context to such portents.

Only then, will the rooster re-emerge, and announce its presence. It will demand a tribute, the sacrifice of a living human, perhaps monthly at first... then weekly... then once per day... if the good people wish to avert its wrath. Yes... it will be glorious.
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bc56
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by bc56 »

Forsaken Cathedral
Sapphira watches impassively. "By all means, go ahead." She stabs her tail into the ground, and the rock shudders. Cracks spiderweb through the walls of the cave. "But you're going to be buried right beside me."
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Magtok
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Magtok »

[Tower of Oujet]

Okay, now that the golems are out of the way, Saint Lazarus turns around, intent on figuring out the inscrutable machinery of this place, so they can climb to the top of the tower and claim the Oujet and save the day...or whatever it was that's supposed to be waiting for them up there. Some sort of magical artifact which was accidentally activated by some adventurers, one that the zombie factions are now fighting over, right? Something like that, she thinks.
Rebonack wrote: Dec 01, 2022 6:04 pmMore important is the fact that a gold and marble armature has extended over the central pillar from both the floor and ceiling. It LOOKS like the two armatures could be pulled together and connected.
Okay there we go, that looks like the way to go. Saint Lazarus hurries over to push the things together, hoping she's not foolishly using physical force to do something that was meant to be achieved with the push of a button. She considers checking out the controls Anika was fiddling with, but those are all the way over there, and who knows if another golem or zombie will show up while we're wasting time looking for the right switch or lever?
"You probably found 'How to Survive a Robot Uprising' in the humor section. Let's just hope that is where it belongs."
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Ironsmith »

bc56 wrote: Dec 10, 2022 5:39 am Forsaken Cathedral
Sapphira watches impassively. "By all means, go ahead." She stabs her tail into the ground, and the rock shudders. Cracks spiderweb through the walls of the cave. "But you're going to be buried right beside me."
[Forsaken Cathedral]

"And?" Miranda straightens, holding up a fob detonator, having set and armed the explosives. "That seems like a fair exchange to me. One washed-up ex-ARC operative for one demon queen. I might think you're too selfish to understand the concept of sacrificing yourself, but tell me you've at least played chess or something." She holds up the fob, finger over the button. "So do you really want to make a trade? Or would you rather get in the cylinder and go talk to your daughter?"
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Rebonack
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Re: Outside: Grass touch place

Post by Rebonack »

[Tower of Oujet]

Anika's main obstacle to success in this case will be the fact that the golems don't bleed. How are you supposed to inflict bleeding damage on things that don't have any-

Oh.

Wait.

There's some kind of weird blue arcane fluid leaking out of the thing.

That's on fire.

Because of course it is.

The golem fights back, lashing out at Anika with a blue-bladed axe crackling with arcane power and occasionally tries to jab her with that same stunning prod weapon that it used on Laz. Hopefully Anika has some good sense and maxed out her stun resistance.

Meanwhile!

Laz grabs the handy leavers sticking out of the upper and lower armature and with her zombie strength YANKS them together! She can feel something engage inside them, then it's just a matter of twisting the two sections so they lock in place. Power begins flowing upward once again! Also a bunch of weird equipment begins folding out of what otherwise looked like unremarkable marble walls. Slabs surrounded by spidery golden and stone limbs each ending in a multitude of fine tools that look like they would be pretty good at taking something apart or putting something together. Each device is flanked by a hopper for dumping raw materials into. Probably?

Well!

That's pretty fancy.

More machinery begins humming on the next floor up where Anika had initially encountered the golems. They've just got the next room to puzzle their way through and then they should probably be up at the top of the tower after that.


[Neon Forest]

Khannie gives a nod there. "Okay, that sounds like a good idea," she replies before lowering the casing back into the floor and setting off toward the trees.

Trees that don't get bigger as they walk, but instead grow increasingly vine-like. If they follow the churning sounds they'll soon come upon a series of massive green pillars that look like... stone? Metal? Grass? reaching from the floor to the ceiling high above. Trees like vines wrap around them, reaching toward the blazing artificial sun high above, their glowing magenta leaves notably brighter here. Little robots zip about like dragon-flies, shaped more or less like little flying buckets with a pair of sea-green glowing exhaust ports on the back. They dart here and there, catching blazing magenta orbs that periodically drop from the trees. A few have fallen to the ground where they seem to have taken root, sending out tendrils and growing shrubbery that looks as mechanical as it does organic.

When the robots fill up on orbs they go zipping off toward a massive tree with an incandescent white canopy in the distance. That seems to be where the material is being processed. Maybe our heroes will be able to make it there without being harassed?

Image
Last edited by Rebonack on Dec 10, 2022 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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