Variant Earth 13 E Mail Game Archive Number 14

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Mon, 3 Jan 2000 21:48:53 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Well, Och, you're in <Wherever the heck we are... I was thinkin' Ari's in SoCal, but that's just me...>."  Ari looked around a little bit.  "Wanna grab a bite to eat?"  To be honest, it wasn't food she wanted, she just wanted to get off her feet and sit.  She already knew it was gonna be One Of Those Days.

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Mon, 3 Jan 2000 23:28:33 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

Just as I start to open my mouth in reply to my newfound and trusty mimir only to find myself spun around to face the armored warriors. "Only a reflex action of a warrior born good sir. I have no intention of starting trouble only of ending any that may be started unjustly or against my personage."

Simply letting my hands rest on the pommels of my swords and looking at the warriors with a sincere look of friendly and seriousness playing out across my face. "Glad to see others making sure no harm would come to the varied citizens of this wondrous town, but if there be no other problems with you sir I and my companion here will be on our way."

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 02:46:19 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The diminutive yet charming Och looks at you and shrugs.  "Well, I
really should be making my way back across the country, but I suppose a
bite to eat won't hurt.  I expect it'll take me quite a bit to come up
with transportation."

"Lead on, o summoning one..."  Och then bows at you, for some reason...
perhaps courtesy, it's hard to tell.  Once you make it to a restaurant
of your choice, the dwarf continues to talk.  "Now, Ari... one question
for you.  Just what was that thing that attacked you?"

"And what did he want?  And moreso, why?"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 02:52:01 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The guard stiffens as he studies you intently, looking for something he
can use to drag you in - anything.  He shrugs after a few seconds,
however, and then resigns himself to letting you go about your
business.  "Fine, then.  But you keep your nose clean, mister!"

"I'll have my ears parked all over the City for reports about you, and
make no mistake!!"  With that, the troop of apparent law-men take off to
pester some other nearby 'troublemaker', but you don't see the result of
their legal ministrations, for you are hailed.

"Ho, there, fellow victim of oppression!  I see that you have no faction
markings... excellent.  An independent mind is the key to survival out
here on the planes!"  This voice seems to be coming from a strange,
centaur-like fellow across the street.

Instead of being a man-horse mix, however, he seems to have been blended
together with a ram... complete with big, curly horns.  The being then
nods at you and walks into the tavern behind him, only to be greeted by
several happy folks within.  Now what?

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Hitchhiker blues
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 06:52:31 CST

A.S.9 pulls over and then turns around with his eyes glowing  and says " Well buddy... I hope you have a good reason for hitchhiking, cause I'm not in the mood to be a good guy right now. So what are you doing in my jeep for?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 09:46:59 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

    Ari shakes her head.  "I don't know, really.  Boo-Getty, I'd guess, is 
what attacked me.  Exactly who and or what the hell *HE* is, is one step 
beyond me."

    Ari takes a few bites of her salad, looks around conspiratorially, and 
points to her bag.  "He wanted my bag.  It's how I summoned you.  Too bad 
it's a one-way street, otherwise, I'd just have you climb back in.  I don't 
know what happens when things go in, just that I lost a seventy dollar 
Prismacolor (tm) set and two years worth of sketchpads in the damn thing.
    As for WHY he wanted it, I dunno.  He said that he had a boss who wanted 
it, so he's probably a hired gun.  Or fist.  Or whatever."

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 13:17:18 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

Rebound cuts the hostility with their hostage long enough to ask what he
hopes will turn out to be a useful question.

"You are a scientist, right?  What's your field of study?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 13:53:58 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

"Fair enough sir. And be sure to have yourself a good day," Magus says to
the guard or constable or whatever he may actually be in the chain of this
city's forces.

> (snip bariaur-speak)

"Curious..," Magus mutters to himself. "I've seen many a centaur and even a
wemic or two, but never have I stumbled upon one such as our friend there,"
he says with a nod towards the ram-like being. "What pray tell is his race
exactly, mimir," I asked my bobbing companion as I walk in the direction of
the tavern.

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Hitchhiker blues
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 15:13:34 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The man shakes his head when you're done talking, as if he disagrees
with the notion of the Jeep being 'yours', but he shrugs and continues.
He doesn't speak, mind you, but he pulls something out of his backpack.
It's a microchip.

On closer inspection, you can see that this is none other than the same
thing Roy was showing off to you back in his office, that
whatchamacallit... a neuropathic processor!  Somehow, this guy got into
Roy's office right after your little disagreement...

And made off with his little treasure!  And THEN, he managed to get back
to YOUR Jeep before you did.  Whoever this guy is, he's good....

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 15:16:56 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Well, if you are correct, I assume that this fellow who wants your sack
there will make another attempt.  And keep trying until you deal with
him or he gets it.  As such, I recommend that we try to determine just
who we're dealing with."

"And as far as your sack is concerned, well, I'd rather not climb back
in, really.  Even if I were to be put back where I was, well, that's not
a place I'd rather be.  I was sort of stuck between here and...
somewhere else.  Most unpleasant..."

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 15:22:41 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The mimir begins to make mechanical noises, as though a hundred tumblers
were falling into place inside, and then it answers your question.  "It
is a creature called a bariaur, oh taloned one.  They are quite abundant
here in the City of Doors."

"Hailing from Ysgard to begin with, they have spread out to all the
neighboring planes, including the Outlands, Arborea, and even a few
barmy folks that have inhabited Limbo itself.  And, of course, to Sigil,
where everybody winds up eventually."

"Well, most everybody, at any rate."

Inside the rather coarse looking tavern you can see several folks
reveling in general drunkenness through the saloon-style double doors,
some of which are these bariaur, some of which are human, and some who
appear humanoid, but have a sallower shake of skin, and are too thin.

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 15:26:24 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The hostage looks almost happy for a second, offered a chance to talk
about something he knows well... himself.  "Well, I'm what you might
call an exobiologist.  I study alien life forms in order to determine
what might be dangerous to the people... and what might be useful."

"I have no clue about the type of technology you're looking for... this
whole 'temporal static' business is way out of my league.  I suppose we
could ask some people where we might find the technology to deal with
such crap, but not here."

"I bet the folk in the hangar here have less of an idea than I do."

?

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 16:34:22 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

Rebound does his best to sound genuinely interested...
"Really, that's very interesting.  What's the most dangerous life form you
have studied?"

(Wait for response)

"Could you wait here a moment..."

Rebound trots back to the ship and lets the pilot in on 'the plan'.

"If they want to come on board, let them know that you have a (insert
dangerous lifeform name here) on board and you don't want them to
accidentally breach its containment unit.  Hopefully, that will keep them
out...and get you refueled right quick"

> (snip)

"I bet you're right.  What's your name by the way?"

Rebound heads towards the hangar exit and hopes his guide can get them into
the station.

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 16:50:07 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

"Thank you good mimir. Hmm...you should decide upon a name for yourself and
call me by my name, Magus," I say as stepping into the tavern.

> (snip)

"Hmmmmm....interesting. A few other races I do not know of seem to be
partaking of this establishment's services. I think I could almost stay here
forever to study and learn," Magus says before getting a furrowed look upon
his brow, "But I must return to my home. Mimir, do any of these patrons
appear to be someone that could aid us in finding my way home?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 21:55:38 GMT
From:    "Charlie Clay Jr." <cclayjr@hotmail.com>

"Then let's get on with it chief the sooner we find out, the sooner we can 
be out of your hair.  Got it."  Stone Cold not fully trusting the talkative 
scientist.

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 18:39:27 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx laughs maniacally as Mr. Grimm's motorcycle disintegrates around
the V.A.M.P.'s speeding form, relishing the speed of the nitrous boost.

She catches Clutch's drift and immediately removes her thumb from the
button when he urges her to let go of it realizing that the speed might
be a too much for even Clutch's skills.

She stares at Crimson Rage's car as it barrels down on them, trying to
get a good idea of where the laser was originating from. Once she had as
good an idea as she was going to get in the short time she had until
impact, she let loose with a burst of .50 calibre shells aimed at the
laser device.

"BURN BURN BURN!" she screamed as she did her best to disarm their
attacker.

[6 + Modifier for Initiative, 87 to Hit, 76 for Damage.]

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Chip Ahoy
Date:    Tue, 04 Jan 2000 18:52:07 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

A.S.9 attemps to grab the guy and say " WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS CHIP?" If after grabbing him, he is going to ask him who is working for and why is he wanting the chip?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 4 Jan 2000 20:25:00 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari nods.  "Know anyone with a jones for magical bags?"

> (snip)

Ari nods again.  "Don't blame you.  Well, at least you got out of that... 
situation."  She smiles, and continues to eat.

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 02:19:22 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The scientist looks at you all wide-eyed, happy to talk about something
he knows.  "Well, there was that group of militant Mhunghus I ran afoul
of a few years back, but the single worst creature me'n my boys ran into
was something calling itself a Bin'tri."

"All tentacles and extendable digestive tract.  Messy beast."

With that, you leave to talk to the pilot, Rebound, but he seems a bit
confused by your banter.  "Well, I don't know who 'they' are, but I'll
sure tell 'them' that we've got Bin'tri on board if 'they' show up for
whatever reason 'they' might want to.  Who're 'they', again?"

Once you return, the scientist identifies himself as Arbet Dewn,
professor of exobiology.  After you prod him on, Stone Cold, Arbet then
heads on into the Outlook's interior, away from the docking bay and into
something out of a Star Wars flick.

You see all kinds of alien folk, a rare few humanoid and a whole lot
not, milling about and conversing, many with the aid of some breathing
apparatus or another; not everybody breathes oxygen, by the by.  You see
the beings, but don't see a 'you are here' sign in the commons.

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 02:22:40 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The mimir clicks and whirs at your suggestion.  "Name myself?  But I am
but a construct, a thing... I know naught about self-identity, as far as
I know.  I cannot, nay, will not even attempt to name myself.  You're
the boss, that's your job."

In regards to your other question, the mimir clicks, whirs, and spins
about for a few seconds, inspecting the crew in the bar before you.  "I
see several folks that might fit the description you are looking for,
that of a planewalker - delver into mysteries, the infinite, et al."

"But they could just be Sigilian posers.  Hard to say without a few
questions..."

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Wed, 5 Jan 2000 03:27:16 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

Letting out a slight growl of even slighter annoyance Magus finally speaks
up to his noisesome construct, "Do you not think? And if you think then do
you not exist? Therefore you meet more of the requirements of a sentient
intelligent being than a few folks I have had the displeasure of knowing.
Just think about a name for yourself is all.....doesn't have to be immediate
or anything...just considerate."

> "But they could just be Sigilian posers.  Hard to say without a few
> questions..."

"Oh yay....possible planeswalking posers of pure pomposity...hrrm. Well
let's say we investigate then. I take it you'll be more than capable of
interviewing them? Or at the very least asking the right questions
considering I have not the faintest idea what to ask to determine a
planeswalker's authenticity."

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 02:28:09 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Oddly, you miss.

You spray the area you could've swore the Crimson Fury was occupying a
minute ago with speeding lead slugs, but only manage to tear up a rather
large portion of concrete where it was seconds ago.  That damn thing is
moving faster than the V.A.M.P.!

Once it passes you, the lamborghini does another bootlegger reverse, and
sprays you with laser fire, inflicting Incredible (40) Armor Piercing
Energy damage before your probability field's protection - right across
your back!

Just a little deeper and that bastard would've fried your spinal
column.  Of course, he's now zipping up behind you to take another shot
at the V.A.M.P., possibly at something a little more vital to its
continued forward motion.  Hm...?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Chip Ahoy
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 02:32:40 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You grab the man's collar and you get this ... look ... from him.  You
can't see his eyes, but you can literally feel his gaze as his head
moves down to point at your hand, and then without moving his head, you
can feel his eyes boring right into yours.

You get the impression that you've committed a boo-boo.

As far as your question, he holds the chip in one hand, and taps your
head with it.  In regards to your question of who he works for, the man
simply points at the jeep below you.  Putting two and two together, you
deduce the man works for the guy you tried to kill earlier - Hawk!

He's not out for vengeance, however, as far as you can tell... and you
seem to remember that crafty Colonel saying something about sending an
operative to check up on your little rumble with Roy.  As far as you can
piece things together, this must be him.

This guy's almost too good for Army intelligence, however, no matter how
oxy-moronic that may be.  Any other questions?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 02:37:49 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Och shrugs.  "I can think of a mad little mage who would simply DIE to
get his hands on your magical device, there, but he wouldn't send thugs
after you... he'd simply beg and plead and give you puppy dog eyes until
you handed it over.  Not overly thefty, that one."

Och himself takes a bite out of his burger and fries, and sips freely of
the grape soda goodness.  "Yes, at least I am now free.  I am somewhat
torn, however, in that I must do something to assure that my allies are
okay, and still I must help you.  My honor demands it."

"How does one go about tracking down a cowardly villain like this?"

?

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Wed, 5 Jan 2000 08:06:32 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

"THEY are anyone who might give you a hassle about bringing us here.  We
didn't exactly leave Earth with anyone's blessing.  If it's not going to be
a problem, great.  But after the week I've had, I'm not taking any chances."

> (snippity)

"OK, Arbet, where do they keep the freaky labs?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 5 Jan 2000 08:32:42 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari nods.  "Well... keep 'em on the list.  Never can tell."
 
> (snippity)

Ari smiles.  "Glad to have your help, I can assure you, and, if I can, I'm more than willing to give you a hand...
considering I would've been running from that Boo-Geety idiot right now if not for you."  She grins and takes another bite.
Mm.  Salady.

> "How does one go about tracking down a cowardly villain like this?"

Ari shakes her head.  "It's beyond me.  I probably could find something in the bag, but I'd rather not... at least, not in the middle of the diner.  Last time I tried that, I pulled out one *very* pissed-off skunk."

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Hawk Hunting
Date:    Wed, 05 Jan 2000 07:54:09 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

" Ok, so I get it... Mute-boy, you work for Hawk, I guess the chip is the same as mine in my head  and Hawk may want to meet again, huh? Well jump up here in front and show me on the map where you wanna go." A.S.9 said as he let the guy go, and smiled largely.

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Wed, 5 Jan 2000 14:38:40 -0800
From:    "Michael Joiner Jr" <ultimental@onebox.com>

Reaper nods, and sits down on the floor across from him, his head tilted
back against the wall as he looks to the ceiling...

Frowning, he looks down at himself - attempting to use his own awareness
to see if he can detect any sign of the energy coursing through his own
body...

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 02:38:25 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The diminutive man looks at you and smiles.  "Hm.  This fellow's not too
bright, this Boo-Getty.  I wonder if we could fool him by simply giving
him a fake bag?  I mean, we'd have to put up something of a convincing
fight before he walked off with it, but..."

"But I'm sure, when he comes for it again, he'd take it straight to his
master.  What do you think?  Do you think you can manifest a fake bag
out of your sack?  Or should we make a new one?  Or is this just a very
silly idea?"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Hawk Hunting
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 02:45:26 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The man indeed does so, and pulling a map out of the glove compartment,
he indicates that you'll want to head to a small side street in Queens,
a bit out of the way, but still mired in the sprawl that is New York
City.  He then whips out the radio and starts tapping on the handset.

He plays out a series of clicks and scratches in morse code, as far as
you can tell, though you can't quite make it out; you can tell what it
is, but that's it.  After about an hour and a half, you finally make it
to the indicated spot, and note that it's something of a cafe.

It's a bit dingy inside, and seems to be mostly deserted, but it is
nonetheless open.  Heading inside, the man in black sits down next to
two people you've met before - Hawk, and his redheaded body guard, that
woman called Scarlett.

What do you say and/or do?

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 02:49:09 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

                 (nice to see yer 'gain, Mr. Joiner!)

Feeling about with your Awareness, you find that you do sense, however
slight, the presence of this same anomalous energy within yourself,
though not quite as much as you detect within poor Ken.  It's almost
like a sort of background radiation, temporally speaking.

Of course, Ken's still overflowing with the stuff, and he doesn't appear
to be getting any better.  He almost seems to be getting a bit green
around the gills, again, his color shifting and his eyes starting to get
all watery-looking.

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 02:56:51 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The mimir rolls its eyes at you in disdain, looking rather annoyed.  "I
cannot name myself, good sir, for it is something that is not within the
parameters of my design.  I am built to store information, not create
it.  It's just one of those things."

"Sorry."

In regards to your questions, you find that the mimir is similarly
useless.  "Well, specific questions aren't something that I can come up
with, truth be told.  I have no idea what you're really looking for, so
I can't really ask anything significant, without making us look silly."

"You should ask the questions.  I can tell you whether or not the
cutters you speak to are lying or not... probably.  Of course, being,
well, fleshy, you can probably tell more than I can.  Raw facts I can
dispute, but mannerisms are more of a humanoid thing, truth be told."

"Hm...?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Thu, 6 Jan 2000 08:51:03 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari stops cold.  With lettuce hanging out of her mouth.  "Och... That is a *brilliant* idea.  There are a couple head shops and retro clothing stores around here, I'm sure I could find a good enough replica... Just put the REAL bag in my backpack, and give it a shot...

I can even  put one or two things in the fake bag to pull out in the 'fight!'"  Ari finishes her bite of salad, and grins.  "Soon as I finish this, let's head over to Bono's, out on Eighth?  They've got enough hemp stuff there to upholster an airport..."

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : The Meeting
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 08:24:42 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

Smiling largely, A.S.9 said " So we meet again Hawk, this time I'm not going to kill you, except if you don't tell me what is going on here! Mute-boy wasn't much help." A.S.9 then pulls up a chair from a nearby table and sits down, looking over Scarlett, and says " What is your name, Sweet Cheeks?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 18:15:53 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx curses as her shots drive into the concrete and curses even louder
when she gets burnt by the laser that slid through her probability
field.

"OW! DAMN DAMN DAMN!" she hollered as she fumbled for a few balloons of
astroglide to toss out the back of the jeep.

Finally finding those squishy bundles of lube, she tossed an armload out
the back, hoping they'd explode on impact with the rough concrete,
coating the ground in front of Crimson Rage with one of the slickest
substances known to man!

[10 + Modifier for Initiative, 72 to toss the ballons, no roll for
damage (their balloons after all).]

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 23:21:57 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

Noticing the shopkeep's lack of a response, Ronin grabs a few weapons and 
unceremoniously dumps them on the counter.

"Shopkeep!" he shouts.  "What can you tell us about these arms and what 
about the prices of these supplies?  What coinage do you accept here?"

The swordsman looks very impatient.

Subject: Re: [v13] Another Beginning... (Mr. Bailes)
Date:    Thu, 6 Jan 2000 20:38:38 -0800 (PST)
From:    bob malooga <bobmalo@yahoo.com>

> (snip clue #1).
Make a note of that and call the Photomat and claiming
to be "Rod Ingersol" and tell them that I havnt gotten
my photo's and was wondering if they had my address on
record because i asked to have them forwarded. (if
they don't know what Im talking about or seem to know
who Rod is hang up and let it go.)

> (snip clue #2).

Do whatever background check I can on "Eugene 'Tex'
Goldberg" and look into the police reports concerning
activities around the properties.

> (snip clue #3).

Make a note of the car's liscense plates and then then
run them through a friend in the DMV, but only after
checking into my room and getting some sleep.

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Thu, 06 Jan 2000 23:56:13 -0600
From:    "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@home.com>

Masque drops his goods and ducks. 

Very natural for a Mage. One never knows if the shouts are directed at
him or not. One time he was at the Grand Canyon....what? You don't think
Wizards sight-see?! Well, they do!...and he screamed his name, because
no one else will. Usually it is "Hey you Freak" or "Dumbass" or "Stay
away form my kid" or "That's my babies sucker!". And all of a sudden
Somebody screams his name also form across the canyon, not once but many
times. And it slowly faded away. Masque almost fainted because he didn't
think he did anything, at least not at that point in time. He never
could find that folk who yelled his name. And there was another
time.....
 
Masque stands back up when he realizes what was said and stares at Ronin
with a bit of confusion.

"Didn't you hear the man, Ronin? He just told you he had nothing
Magical. And I thought I had hearing problems... sheesh...."

Masque picks up his goodies and sets them on the counter next to the
mess of weaponry.

"There you are my good man. My friend has a good point ..what exactly do
you use for Cash around here?"

MAsque raises an eyebrow.

"Hmmmmm?"

<Firebomb did reply to that Mister swordsman. and I posted it all for
you right here, Petey me boy>>

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 02:37:42 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Och gives you a curious look, that sort of suggested that he was about
to say something akin to 'but your sack isn't THAT big, now, is it?',
but he seems to have stopped himself at the last minute.  Apparently
he's acclimatizing to human speech patterns.

"Right."  He finishes his burger, fries, and grape soda, and once you've
finished your meal up, as well, the two of you head off, apparently for
Bono's.  Inside the store, you manage to find what you're looking for
with ease...

And you even find everything you'll need to put the fake bag together!

"Will this be sufficient, you think?  And what manner of items were you
to place in the bag?  I'm just curious about how this thing works, and
all..."

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : The Meeting
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 02:43:46 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Listen here, bub, but if I don't take that kind of talk from our
resident gear head, I'm sure as Hell not gonna take it from you.  Now,
if you apologize, I just might answer your question.  If not, I say feh
unto you.  Feh."

Colonel Hawk looks back and forth between the two of you, and before
somebody gets hurt, he turns to the man in black and begins to debrief
him.  "Okay, Snake-Eyes, what's the situation?"  The apparent Snake-Eyes
pulls out several written sheets and hands 'em over.

Hawk then reads over the papers carefully, smiling in a few places.  "I
see... so our friend's got himself yet another prototype, eh?  I wonder
who it's going to be used on once it gets done with us.  You have the
sample of the chip that Jinx stole from him LAST month, right?"

Snake-Eyes pulls out the chip and hands it over.  Hawk then puts it in a
static-proof baggie and secretes it somewhere upon his person.  "Thanks
for your assistance, friend.  I've been meaning to get a body in to
'chat' with Roy, there, for quite a bit, now."

"Ever since he set some robots loose here in New York City.  The
resultant property damage was what we might call... excessive.  Not to
mention the net effect it had on a group that's unwittingly been helping
us deal with a certain rag-headed troublemaker."

"Not that you need to know that, of course, but still.  Thanks for the
opportunity.  Now, I take it you wanted to talk to me about something?"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 02:47:57 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Well, that works a little better.

Dropping the goo all over the ground in front of the Crimson Fury (Fury,
not Rage - Fury), you cause the vehicle to spin out of control as soon
as its tires smear the unsticky substance all over themselves, and the Fury
smashes right into your V.A.M.P.

Sideways.

Clutch then slams on the brakes, pinning the out of control vehicle
against the V.A.M.P. as it slides helplessly at speeds way too fast for
it to control while moving sideways.  "Now, Jinx - blast the bastard
from here to Calcutta, a'reddy!"

As you train the .50 cal's on the Crimson Fury, doing so as the driver
watches on helplessly, you see Clutch fidgeting up front.  He almost
looks uncomfortable about something.  "Hm... nose's itching.  Somebody's
talking about me!"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 02:51:38 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The shopkeep looks at you more than a little confused.  "What're you,
hard of hearin'?  I tole you what they does.  Harrumph."  He stops to
have himself a long fit of wheezing, and then continues.  "I can sell
you the big pile yer got there fer ten gold pieces."

"And to answer you, yer little crazy man back there, we takes gold,
silver, or if yer got naught but change, even copper.  But that'd be a
big bagga copper you'd need to pay for all thems rations and axes and
knives and stuffs."

"Hmmm?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Another Beginning... (Mr. Bailes)
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 03:06:46 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

> (snip response to clue #1).

After making your call to area code 308 and getting the runaround from
an apparently underpaid operator, you finally get ahold of the photomat
in Rock, Nebraska, and they don't seem to know who the heck you are; you
being Rod, that is.

Searching around in their records for a few minutes, they find that
Rod's already been forwarding his stuff to the Sun, there, in
Pennsylvania, but his 'ordinary' address is in Pittsburgh.  They offer
to change the forward address for you, if you like...

> Do whatever background check I can on "Eugene 'Tex'
> Goldberg" and look into the police reports concerning
> activities around the properties.

Oh, you find a lot.  Him and his little bunch are all over the place
with their 'disturbing the peace' and 'drunk 'n disorderly' charges
dating back for over five years.  They're something of a local nuisance,
ol' Tex and his Warriors, and the news crews love 'em.

You find more than enough to back up your previous research, and find
that these guys have a tendency to get caught up in drug charges, too,
of the illegal steroid variety.  Apparently, they tend to ship the stuff
cross-country for members of the Church of Hercules.

> Make a note of the car's liscense plates and then then run them 
> through a friend in the DMV, but only after checking into my room and 
> getting some sleep.

Upon waking up the next morning, you find that your rental has been
surrounded by a bevy of motorcycles, though you don't recall them
pulling up overnight; you must've slept REAL good.  Most of them seem to
be decked out with vyking-style horns or metal wings.

You even see a horned helm resting on one of the bike's seats.  Making
your calls, you find out that the vehicle that isn't a cycle and isn't
molecularly bonding with the pavement here is a rental as well, issued
to one Rod Ingersol (go figure).

He must just be that reporter you've come here to meet.  Unless there's
something weirder going on than is readily apparent...  At any rate, you
see a large crowd of people inside the hotel's little diner, more than
you'd expect for this time of morning, at any rate.

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Fri, 7 Jan 2000 08:48:04 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari shakes her head.  "I really *don't* know how it works.  I reach in, I pull something out.  Simple enough, right?  Except, sometimes, there are things in there that are entirely too big to fit, like, well, YOU, Och.  As for what to put in the fake bag, I'm sure I could pull some real crap out of the good bag, or alternately, just throw some random... hey... I've got an idea..."

(Dude, you are gonna hate me.  Ari is going to get a nice-sized plastic bag, the kind that seals airtight, and take a monster dump in it.  She's then gonna wrap THAT in cloth, put it in a brown paper sack, and put it in the fake bag.  Aside
from that, she's gonna stuff some things that *could* be considered "magical" if you're dumb.  Shiny stones, neat-looking sticks, maybe a lil' rag doll of the President.  Just as long as the Crap Bag is airtight, <i.e., no stinkie> she's good to go.)

-EZ0

"Ruining breakfast for everybody!"

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Q & A
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 08:38:41 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

" Yeah, I have a few questions... First, why are you wanting to use the chip 
for?  2nd Are you gonna help me kick ass on this poser & stop the production 
of my "brethren"? 3rd Where did you find hot stuff here, and where can I get 
one?" A.S.9 said pointing at the red-head.

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 10:13:28 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

OOC: In fluid motion, Ronin unleashes his blade and cuts his player to the 
quick. "Pay attention you buffoon!!"

>The shopkeep looks at you more than a little confused.  "What're you,
>hard of hearin'?  I tole you what they does.  Harrumph."  He stops to
>have himself a long fit of wheezing, and then continues.  "I can sell
>you the big pile yer got there fer ten gold pieces."

Ronin frowns menacingly at the shopkeep.  True, his attention was focuses on 
the weapons and he was trying to drown out the innane prattle of the wizard. 
Is it any surprise that he missed the store owner's response?

>"And to answer you, yer little crazy man back there, we takes gold,
>silver, or if yer got naught but change, even copper.  But that'd be a big 
>bagga copper you'd need to pay for all thems rations and axes and knives 
>and stuffs."

>"Hmmm?"

Ronin reaches into his jerkin and feels around.  Amazingly, his money pouch 
is still there.  He pulls out odd pieces of currency amounting only to 
roughly $150 bucks.  Mostly there's yen, but also US dollars, a few marks 
and a couple of pounds.  The rest is in coins of various denominations and 
values.

He looks over to the wizard.  "I do not think that this will suffice."
He looks at the shopkeeper and shrugs.

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Fri, 07 Jan 2000 13:09:47 -0600
From:    "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@home.com>

Masque points excitedly at the coinage on the table or whatnot.

"OOooo....mystical metal from another Dimension...."

He nudges Ronin with his foot and gives his conspiratorial wink and then
promptly reaches into his pockets and produces the tons of change that
has gathered there over the past few years.

"Here you go sir. I don't think we will be needing the weaponry. The
foodstuffs and the blankets will do just fine and maybe some sort of
pack to carry them. If this is not enough for a pack also then I suppose
I can fashion one out of my Robes. Although I abhor having to use such
extravagent garments as such things but ..For the good of the team ..eh
Ronin!"

<That's not a pickle, that's a gherkin!>

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Fri, 7 Jan 2000 12:44:11 -0800
From:    "Michael Joiner Jr" <ultimental@onebox.com>

Reaper looks at Ken, "I'm gonna try something.  This energy-stuff doesn't
seem to like livin' with my Ion-energy all too well.  Its still in me,
like its in you, only not as much.  I'm gonna try flooding your body
with a bunch'a harmless ions - see if it fights off the other stuff."

He narrow his eyes in concentration, and the air about him seems to waver.
 His hair softly blows in some unseen wind, as his eyes whiten, and his
face suddenly is covered in rune-like silver scars.

He holds his hand out, palm down, pointed at Ken.

"What the hell right?" he says, his voice tinged with power.

OOC:

Rolls
19, 09, 81

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Fri, 7 Jan 2000 20:25:02 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

> "Sorry."

"No need for apologies, but perhaps one day we can find a way to grow beyond
your parameters," Magus says with a casual tone of voice.

> "Hm...?"

"Understood. Perhaps for now I should simply gather a mug of something to
drink. It has been a rather trying and exciting adventure I have been thrust
into and I would so like to rest for a mere moment. After a drink or two I
think we will resume our search by attempting to find a library of some sort
that would allow me to peruse their tomes."

 Walking further into the tavern and finding a place at the bar I motion for
service. After a few failed attempts at trying to order one of my realm's
more familiar drinks I finally settle for a mug of plain ol' ale. As I knock
back a draught from the mug I gaze up and down the bar to either of my sides
looking for perhaps a customer that won't have the overwhelming desire for
scale mail.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:18:09 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Er, to each her own, I guess.  =)

You produce the ... present for Boo-Getty, and then place it in the fake
bag that you've concocted here in the store.  You look at the thing, and
you can barely tell them apart - so you're pretty sure that this mo-ron
isn't going to be able to.

At least you really hope not.

Just then, you hear a crash out front, as though a body had been hit by
oncoming traffic... hard.  Peering out the window, you see a man has
been hit by a rather plain-looking van, one that's got something of a
human-shaped indent on its front.

Actually, on closer inspection, it seems to have two.  In front of it,
buried in a cheap, fiberglass sub-compact, you see feet twitching.  And
then one of the van's passengers gets out.  He looks like a biker - more
correctly, one of the bikers that hit Boo-Getty earlier.

And it would appear to be the same van!  "Gor, Zartan!  You smashed 'im
right into that Geo!"  You hear laughter coming from the van.  "Of
course.  The first time was on accident, but this time, I meant it!  Ha
ha ha!  Hopefully, he'll look both ways before crossing next time."

"I really do despise concussions..."

The four thugs get out and flee the scene, leaving their (?) van for
dead.  Of course, their target seems to be stirring.  He pulls himself
out of the Geo, and then looks square at you.  "Boo-Getty!"  The goon
then promptly hits the shop window with his disconnected arm.

The glass shatters inward, leaving naught between you and this bozo but
about ten feet.  Och then looks at you, winks, and charges the man.

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Sun, 9 Jan 2000 16:21:18 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari whips out her Lego Gun.  "Alright, mother****er.  You want the bag?  Come 
an' get it."

OOC: I am assuming that Ari has the real bag safely stowed in her backpack?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Q & A
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:23:18 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

If looks could kill...

"Damnit, Hawk!  If we have to work with freaks and weirdos, fine.  But
why is it that we have to get stuck with the only hard-up robot on the
face of the earth?!  Why?!  And can I kill him?  Please?  Please??
Please???"

Hawk just gives Scarlett a look, and she clams up immediately.  "Well,
since you did do your country a service, I'll answer your questions. 
One, I simply want to break down how this chip works; we had a previous
opportunity a month ago, but lost it.  Now I'm not going to."

"Secondly, we're working on making a criminal case against Mr. Shijitzu
over there in Jersey, but we're having... problems.  You see, as it
turns out the man has some sort of ability to... mentally influence
people.  That's what's keeping him out of jail so far."

"And third, I think Scarlett's from Georgia.  So catch a Greyhound, I
suppose..."

?

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:29:41 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The hack-y shop-keep looks at the assembled pile of currency, and coughs
(laughs?) some more.  "Har!  Yer don't really expect me to be taking
cute little sheets of paper as art, now, do yer?  Heh heh heh HACK HACK
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

After the man reacquires control of his breathing, he sifts through the
coins.  "Hm... copper bits, here, and a bit larger than usual.  I can't
use any of this other stuff, though, save for this silver thing... the
rest ain't solid coin."

The man indicates a silver dollar that seems to have been in your pocket
since the seventies, Masque, but it seems to have done the trick here. 
The shop-keep tells you that you can afford the rations, one pack (since
you mentioned it), and one hand axe or dagger or blanket.

He shrugs at your other suggestion, however.  "Extra-dimensional ore,
hrm?  Ooh, look, useless metal from Gehenna, or Bytopia, or wherever! 
I'm so amazed...!"  If you didn't know better, you'd think he was being
sarcastic...

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:41:09 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You reach out with your powers, Reaper, and find that you're receiving
all kinds of resistance from the bizarre energies trapped within Ken's
body.  Using your extrasensory power, however, you manage to work your
way around said resistance, and then see something weird.

The energy is sort of pooled around Ken's Star Brand like a fist... and
once you see it, you see the face of Morbis take shape within this
roiling power.  "Fool!  You'll spoil everything!!"  He doesn't seem to
happy that you're meddling, so you naturally meddle some more.

"AAargh!"  With a potent rush of power, you finally dispel the strange
energies, at which point Ken seemingly returns to normal - unconscious,
now, but normal.  "Hrmmrmm...", he says.  Right afterwards, though, you
discover that you're not alone in the room.

You see a woman at the door, decidedly human and holding some sort of
electronic slate.  When she sees the way you're looking at her, she
decides to introduce herself.  Hello.  Lieutenant Syde, Temporal
Management.  I see you just had an... issue with a time traveler."

"Just thought I'd witness this for posterity's sake.  After all, your
pal Ken there is something of a ... project of mine.  Him and his weird
little friend, who seems to be stuck somewhere in the future.  But,
since you stopped that little resurrection..."

"Hm.  I suppose now that this is resolved, I'd better go fetch him back,
no?"

Do you say anything before she vanishes?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 15:46:35 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

As you sip your Ale du Arborea, you spy several of those tall, thin,
yellow-tinted humans being rather quiet, and drinking as though it
required their complete concentration.  They don't seem to amicable to
life in general, but they don't look like they want to skin you.

On your other side, you find two rather large, scaly humanoids, both
wearing bronze armor of the chain mail variety, carrying heavy spears,
and drinking heartily.  In other words, they're being rather loud,
obnoxious, and don't care who thinks it.

Finally, behind you lies the bariaur who you followed in here, along
with another like him and three human friends.  They're drinking not
quite so heartily, and having what appears to be a block of cheese and a
loaf of bread for dinner.

Que?

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Ready to Whip some A.S.
Date:    Sun, 09 Jan 2000 22:37:55 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

" Android, baby, and there is a BIG difference if you know what I mean!" He then causes his whip to come out slightly from his left hand.  Then turns back to listen to Hawk.

>> (snip Hawk-speak)

A.S.9 thinks briefly back to the moment where Shijitzu spoke in his head, 
and then re-focused on Hawk. " Well I know he's not going to let a great 
piece of work like me just get away scott free. So what can I do ease up 
this process and get this guy de-commissioned, Permanently!)

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Mon, 10 Jan 2000 00:18:07 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

Uttering more to himself than to anyone in general, "Feh....what's a simple
warrior have to do to make friends." Shrugging to himself and his bobbing
medieval computer of a servant, "Why can't it be as simple as people being
labeled friend, foe, or neither I wonder. Oh well..." Taking a swig of ale
again as I turn to walk towards the bariaur and his companions, "Evening
good sirs. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing your table and
company with a stranger in an even stranger land?"

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Mon, 10 Jan 2000 11:35:52 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

Ronin frowns menacingly at the hack'n shopkeeper.  Not a good look 
particularly from someone carrying a really sharp sword.

>After the man reacquires control of his breathing, he sifts through the 
>coins.  "Hm... copper bits, here, and a bit larger than usual.  I can't use 
>any of this other stuff, though, save for this silver thing... the rest 
>ain't solid coin."

>The man indicates a silver dollar that seems to have been in your pocket 
>since the seventies, Masque, but it seems to have done the trick here.  The 
>shop-keep tells you that you can afford the rations, one pack (since you 
>mentioned it), and one hand axe or dagger or blanket.

Ronin looks at the mage.  "Well....what would you prefer, Wizard? A weapon 
or a blanket?"

>He shrugs at your other suggestion, however.  "Extra-dimensional ore,
>hrm?  Ooh, look, useless metal from Gehenna, or Bytopia, or wherever!
>I'm so amazed...!"  If you didn't know better, you'd think he was being 
>sarcastic...

The samurai's brow narrows angrily.  Sarcastic eh?  Hmph!

Subject: Re: [v13] That Great Wheel Deal..
Date:    Mon, 10 Jan 2000 12:01:00 -0600
From:    "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@home.com>

Masque Grins and waves his fingers about in some magcal way. After all
that's the only way to wave fingers about. 
A scythe appears in his hand. You can tell it ain't no ordinary scythe
either.

"A mage doesn't need weapons when he has
Magic-agic-gic-ic-ic-ic.....*cough*hack*"

Masque composes himself again.

"Sorry, thought the echo would add some effect...."

Masque grabs the blanket and throws the foodstuffs in the bag, gets rid
of the Scythe and turns to Ronin:

"Let's Rock!"

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Mon, 10 Jan 2000 15:25:17 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx cackles wildly as she realizes her plan actually worked!

> Clutch then slams on the brakes, pinning the out of control vehicle
> against the V.A.M.P. as it slides helplessly at speeds way too fast for
> it to control while moving sideways.  "Now, Jinx - blast the bastard
> from here to Calcutta, a'reddy!"

Complying with Clutch's suggestion, she trains the .50 caliber dealers
of death on the front end of the Crimson Fury (yeah, Fury, not Rage!)
and lets loose until she's satisfied that the vehicle isn't going to be
moving of its own accord.

[93 to Hit, 85 for Damage]

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Ready to Whip some A.S.
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:19:46 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

As Scarlett fumes on, Hawk replies to you.  "You don't have to do
anything, my friend.  I simply recommend that you get used to life free
of any... criminal directive, and just find your own path.  We'll take
care of Mr. Shijitzu in good time... and legally, to boot."

That all sounds well and good, of course, but you've got a bad feeling
for some reason, a bad feeling that something's going to happen soon...

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:26:03 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Ah, our friend in persecution!  Of course you can join us!  Here, have
a slice of bread... and some cheese to wash it down!  The bread here is
something on the stiff side...!"  The bariaur hands you a slice of both,
and pats you on the shoulder.

"Friend, my name is Ernesto del Just.  I and my brother here, Jesus el
Dorado, are bariaur, proud wanderers from the plane of Ysgard, here in
Sigil on business.  These three bashers here are Ferdinand, Xavier, and
Frank, all local members of our 'faction', the Free League.  You note that he says 'faction' with more than a little disdain.

All five, in unison, then demonstrate their faction 'colors', a stylized
tattoo of a wyrm, coiled in a circle, with it's head distorting the
circular shape of its pose by sticking out on top.  "You're a friend of
the League, my man, if the Harmonium hates you."

They all drink to that, leaving you somewhat at a loss.  They seem to
expect you to say ... something ...

?

Subject: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:45:44 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Assuming you don't tarry, the two of you give up all your spare change,
take the goods, and join the bariaur waiting outside.  The trio of
travelers then begin their trek, whether or not you actually attempt to
keep up.  What follows is somewhat tedious, but interesting travel.

You spend a good month on the trail to Fortitude, the gate-town to
Arcadia that your bariaur 'pals' need to get to their destination.  Most
of your path is simple grassland, but you can see hints of truly
monumental landscaping on the edges of your path.

Exceptionally tall mountains, a river that appears to be almost as large
as an inland sea, canyons that could swallow a continent, and more -
luckily, however, the path your guides have chosen keeps you from having
to deal with these hazards directly.

Of course, you find yourself having the desire to return here, some day,
in order to investigate these magnificent landmarks in greater detail. 
However, such adventure isn't on your plate this day, for you have
finally arrived in the gate-town of Fortitude.

You're out of food, and only have about ten golden coins amongst you
(picked up when a small band of weasely thugs tried to rob you, and you
showed them the error of their ways by 'confiscating' what supplies they
had on their persons).

The town itself seems rather large in comparison to the small village of
Bludgeon, moreso after a month with virtually no contact with other
sentient beings, save for that band of bandits.  Like the plane around
you, of course, Fortitude is quite remarkable.

The town seems capable of housing thousands of people, and is completely
surrounded by a brilliantly white-washed white stone wall, one in the
shape of an egg, or more appropriately, an oval, and said wall is marred
only by the one major entrance into Fortitude.

Once you reach the gate, you find about a dozen alert sentries present,
questioning folks as they enter and exit the town; of course, more folks
are entering than leaving.  When the line to get into Fortitude finally
expires, the five of you get met with the hairy eyeball.

For reference, all of the sentries are in red armor, four wield a sort
of red metal plate mail, the rest simply have died red leather on.  The
men in the plate gaze upon you, and their eyes glow momentarily, a gaze
which makes you feel most uncomfortable.

One of the people who studied you with said gaze steps up to you all. 
"What brings you five travelers to Fortitude?  We rarely see bariaur in
these parts, and the two of you don't look familiar to me.  You wouldn't
be troublemakers, now, would you?"

"That wouldn't be good for Fortitude, for we are almost ready to slide
over into Arcadia!"

?!

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 04:59:15 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Well, you pour enough lead into the Crimson Fury that you see that the
Lamborghini's front end has been reduces to a bunch of holes that are
only slightly held together by red Lamborghini frame.  The Fury starts
to smoke and sputter as Clutch hits the gas, and comes to a stop.

The Fury's driver gets out and kicks the car as you drive away, as he
knows full well that he's done for this night.  He might not be dead or
anything, but he's lost his chance at the prize.  He then looks around
and, seeming rather uncomfortable, ducks into a back alley.

Just in time, too.  As he disappears from sight, this black blur of
metal and rubber smashes into his car, slicing it neatly into three
separate chunks!  Looking back as Clutch tears away, you see that weird
wedge-car thing driving through the Fury's wreckage.

It's got these fin-things on its edges, things that you can, if you look
hard enough, actually SEE through!  That thing's got some kind of
vibro-blade technology on it, or possibly even some sort of
dimension-compacting effect - either way, bad news!

And the thing's now following you guys...

                                  ***

Meanwhile, as the tenth and last participant in the Twisted Metal
contest finally makes it out of the abandoned parking garage where this
all started (two were stopped short upon the contest's very beginning),
we see a strange sight after Thrasher drives off.

We see a man collecting motorcycle parts into a pile.  Of course, he
seems to be quite an unusual man, in that his movements are all
herky-jerky, and the smell of sulphur surrounds him like the spoor of a
skunk.  However, he cares not what YOU think about his odiferousness.

He then heads back into the parking garage, and pulls out a strange
device left there by the contest's founder, Calypso, similar to several
other such objects spread throughout the city of Los Angeles right now.
He drops it on the pile of motorcycle parts.

After a blinding glow suffuses the area around it, the eye is treated to
a vision of not motorcycle parts, but a whole hog, and the man in the
leather jacket gets on.  He lifts the visor of his helmet, exposing his
fiery, fleshless head, and drives off.

You could swear, however, that you could see eye sockets in that cranial
conflagration.  And in those sockets, you could almost see a reflection,
a mirrored image of two very rude people, one man and one woman.  And
both are riding around in an Army jeep...

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : I'm outta here
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 08:13:32 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

A.S.9 throws his hands in the air and says " So you want me just to go on, 
knowing Shijitzu is gunning for me, and keep letting him go on creating guys 
like me, and just go on and live a normal life, ha.. What you go in your 
drink, I want some of that stuff." A.S.9 then pushs the chair he was sitting 
on, to the floor and starts to walk out.

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Tue, 11 Jan 2000 22:27:22 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx giggles as she watches the Crimson Fury roll to a halt and the
driver skulk away. It's good to know that sometimes you can cause utter
havok without really hurting someone.

~What the hell kind of crack are you smoking, girl?!~ she thought to
herself as she tried to clear her head of such sappy thoughts and
brought her cunning mind (cunning?) to bear on the situation at hand.

It was dark and the vehicle behind them was colored in a rather
inconvenient manner for accurate targeting. The nature of those
vibro-blades would also require a very refined driving style. Luckily,
she had thought of this eventuality and pulled out a bucket of
reflective yellow paint and a paint ball gun.

Hefting the bucket of paint, she tried to judge how to best target the
black vehicle. She guessed that an area effect would best suit her needs
and swung the can around in a windshield height arc across as wide an
area as her arms would allow her.

If any of the paint hit the target, she would have a reference point
with which to aim at with the paint ball gun once she steadied herself
from the spray of paint.

[4 + Modifier for Initiative, 66 to Hit, 93 for any extra roll (Dodge,
etc).]

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : I'm outta here
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:42:15 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The Colonel just watches you as you walk out.  "I can't help you if you
take Shijitzu on by yourself, 9.  I can't stop you, either, but hey,
it's your choice.  Just stay on the straight and narrow, pal."  Hawk
then turns to Snake-Eyes and makes several hand gestures.

Assuming you don't stay to see this, you walk out of the diner to find
that it's rather quiet in the city tonight.  Compared to when you were
here earlier, that just seems... wrong, somehow.  Of course, that's when
you see the light coming from a nearby laundromat rooftop.

One of those red, laser pointer lights, aimed at your center of mass...

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 12:55:38 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You throw paint at that Stiletto fellow's wedge-car, only to blow up the
man's windshield.  Confused, not thinking you had Savage Attack Paint on
board, you look back, only to discover the source of the glassy
detonation.

"Ho, Ho, Ho, Fuckers!"

You see that Saint Nick dwarf flying over the street at about thirty
feet, dropping angry x-mas presents on the city like the smite of an
angry god - or holiday icon, at least.  The bombs get closer, and then
closer, and then closer, and then - go clunk.

Now, that's because this large train engine just drove through the
building next to you, tearing apart a local XXX video store and sending
smut spiraling out into the street.  Videos, rubber sex toys, and
blow-up dolls rain upon the V.A.M.P. in earnest.  But bombs don't.

Of couse, as the bone-head driving that hunk of iron caught a present
aimed directly for you two, so he sorta saved the day.  "Oi!  You bombed
me train!  Yew bastard!"  Thrasher aims his machine guns at the flying
Saint Nick, but the hover-chair and rocket goats are too quick.

So he shoots just for spite.

His shots miss Saint Nick widely, of course, but manage to tear apart
several third story apartments in the dingy street around you...  Not
satisfied with that, Thrasher turns his rolling hunk o' iron right on
the two of you.  And Stiletto's not out of the picture, either.

Now what!?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 16:20:56 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Arrh!  You know it!  Gimme that sack a'fore Ah have to kill yuh!" 
Boo-Getty rushes (give or take) to meet Och's charge, and the dwarven
hero swings at the bizarre Boo-Getty with his axe, missing this time -
though as far as you can tell, it was on purpose.

After all, the sheer precision of his last attack was almost
staggering.  Boo-Getty doesn't get this, of course, and then smacks Och
upside the head with his own, dismembered arm.  "That'll teach yuh, yuh
ornery little short stack!"

Och goes down, and rolls spectacularly into a rack of cloth, getting
himself buried in that particular conflagration.  However, you can see
him peering out from underneath it, and though his eye is suddenly
swelling, he gives you the 'O.K.' sign with his hand.

That leaves you and Boo-Getty.  "Hur.  Nice gun, missy.  But yer
boyfriend couldn't stop me with his purty axe, so's Ah don't think
you'll be takin' me out with yer little snap-togethah joy-toy.  So gimme
that SACK - or ELSE!"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:19:15 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari feigns a look of terror.  "I... I... I give up.  Just don't hurt me.  I'm 
gonna set the bag down, and back up.  Then, when you get it... just *go,* 
alright?"

<waits for response, given that he agrees, Ari does exactly as she said.>

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 17:28:14 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

"Rock on! Savage Attack Paint!" Jinx exclaimed as she surveyed the
damage, "We've got good taste in paint! And we've just made it a bit
easier for that Saint Nick character to trounce Stiletto!"

Realizing that a definitely more massive threat had just swung up behind
them, Jinx did her best to attempt a solution.

She dumped out more tubs of Astroglide (TM) behind the V.A.M.P. hoping
that the combination of smut and slickness might slow the pursuit of the
train long enough to let Stiletto catch up and soften up their mutual
enemy.

If that didn't work, she was prepared to grab her one loaded magcannon
and do her best to cripple the lumbering beast.

[6 + Modifier for Initiative, 83 to Hit, 24 for anything else.]

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : I'm outta here
Date:    Wed, 12 Jan 2000 19:07:39 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

A.S.9  immediately attempts to dodge then trys to seach and aim his eyebeams and blast the guy, and if not he going to use his razors & wwhip to climb the wall. 93,23,29,83

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:53:30 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

Grabbing a bit of the stiff bread I bite into it rather easily and munch on
it while my new friend carries on with his introductions.

>> (snip Indep intro's)

Nodding in good gesture to all my new friends I knock back another swallow
of my ever shortening amount of ale before realizing they seem to want me to
add something, "Well my friends my name is simply enough Magus. As for my
homeland.....well that's a bit of a predicament seeing as how I was wisked
away from it. And I currently have no idea how the dwellers of this world or
plane or whatever it is exactly would desiginate my home world. As for
whether they hate me or not that is almost as difficult to tell. But then
again when people on average either despise or love your race and it's kin
or both it's difficult to know where one stands exactly anyway. Aside from
that I appreciate your hospitality and would very much like to share my time
a little longer with you good fellows. What say I buy us a round?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 00:55:59 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Boo-Getty scrambles up to the ersatz magic bag, and then, right before
picking it up, he stops.  His fingers on his intact arm waggling
greedily, he stops and eyeballs you.  "You shore you give up?  Or you
just fakin' me out, girlie-girl?"

He eyeballs you for a second more, grabs the bag, and splits.  Though
again, splits is something of a misnomer, as it is SO hard to split from
an edifice with a shambling gait that is barely faster than a drunk
guinea pig.

As he 'splits', Boo-Getty stops, picks up his severed arm, and then uses
it to hold the 'magic' bag as he retreats, much to the relief of the
staff here.  They all make collective sighs of relief, and start saying
things like 'poor girl', and 'can't believe it happened here...'

As he exits via the crushed window, Boo-Getty gives out a hoot and
holler.  "Whoo-ee!  Now that I gots this stupid sack, Ah don't have to
hear no silly voices in mah head.  Whoo-ee!"  He then moves off at a
rather slow pace, doing so before the cops arrive.

Which is good for them, one supposes.

So, now what?

Subject: [v13] A beginning... (Crimebuster)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:04:58 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You just arrived back in America about an hour ago, Oliver, your plane
having landed at JFK without any undue delay, and you were finally
making your way home to meet up with your parents for something of a
reunion; after all, it'd been many years since you've last seen them.

Things seemed rather strange, what with you having been cloistered away
for so long and all, now being surrounded by the magnificent press of
humanity that New York cannot help but thrust upon one - for good or
ill.  However, you quickly grabbed a cab and escaped the... people.

Once you cross over the border between New York State and Conneticut,
though, everything goes buggy.  Your taxi is cruising along on the
highway, when the sky is filled with white light.  When it fades,
leaving spots in your vision, you hear the boom.

BOOM!

The cab's windows shatter, and the cabbie loses control of the vehicle,
causing it to careen out of control, and fall clean off the road into
the foliage that typically hugs the edges of highways in-between towns.
Luckily for both of you, you only hit a bunch of bushes.

Not, say, an oak tree.  When you recover and extricate yourself from the
cab, you find out what caused the boom; there's something of a trench
furrowed into the highway where your cab was about to travel, a trench
that tears across the road and happens to be on fire!

The trench cuts across the highway, and is now slowly being filled up
with cars, trucks, and such, all of them alternately honking or
screaming (the latter from surly east coast drivers).  The trench
terminates a bit away, however, in a big hunk of burning metal.

Looks kind of like an airplane.

Of course, the way it looks all bent up, it's hard to tell if anybody
managed to survive what appears to be an exceptionally rough landing,
though if you look real hard, through the flames, you could swear you
caught sight of some movement.

What do you do?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:10:28 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

After you say your peace, the Ernesto sort of scoffs at thee.  "Well,
Magus, you need not worry about being specifically hated around here -
folks are so different that it's much easier to be nasty to each other
for what one believes, not what he looks like."

"After all, why bother a guy for having red skin or pointy ears when yer
got a yeti living down the street, or a pit fiend in the apartment
upstairs, eh?  No, nobody's gonna bother yer for yer slightly scaly skin
or yer eyes or nuthin, blood."

"But bunches of us will get surly with yer for being a Clueless sod. 
Y'see, we can tell pretty easy that you're from the earthly planes, and
not the elemental one, mind you, as yer got that funny little mimir
bobbin' round yer head."

With that, your mimir says "Hellooooooooooooooooo!"

After your mimir silences itself, thanks to the looks those five
gentlemen give it, Ernesto continues.  "Of course, it's not just that,
mind yer.  There's things like the big, glassy-eyed look you're sporting
as yer walk around this odd burg, for one thing..."

"But s'ok.  Y'see, we make a point of making folks like yerself
not-so-clueless if we c'n help it, right, boys?"  With that, the humans
and bariaur cheer 'YEAH!', and then proceed to drag you out of the bar.
"Yer ready for the tour of yer life, Magus?!"

!?

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:12:31 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

(you know, I bet you're all thinking I'm a total tard, but i lost this 
 one too... I am totally sorry, Mr. Lohse, Mr. Clay... if this happens 
 again, just throw stuff at me.  Also, this is a repost, since the  
 first one I tried didn't go through in an hour's time...)

The pilot just shrugs at you, Rebound, and then Arbet does the same as
you inquire where you might find the laboratories here in the Omega
Outlook.  "Well, I'm not sure, exactly, but I'm guessing that they're
not in here - or anywhere near here."

"Any sensitive labs would be far, far away from this throng of aliens
and whatnot.  I'd say on the far edges of the station, say, either way
above us or way below us, as far as floors are concerned.  Well away
from the ships, aliens, and other... sundry interlopers..."

"So, up or down?  And stairs or elevators?"

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 02:18:22 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

At the clueless sod comment I can not help but look as if I'm fixing to
speak in my defense, but realizing that Ernesto is only speaking the truth
and the urge is a reflexive action at his words.

> (snip mimir helooooooooooooooooooooooo)

Thinking to myself about how truly clueless I must've seemed wandering about
this town I can't help but mentally kick myself.

> "But s'ok.  Y'see, we make a point of making folks like yerself
> not-so-clueless if we c'n help it, right, boys?"  With that, the humans
> and bariaur cheer 'YEAH!', and then proceed to drag you out of the bar.
> "Yer ready for the tour of yer life, Magus?!"

"What?!?," is all I can exclaim as my new found "friends" drag me from the
tavern. Once outside on the streets again I make a point to try and pull
myself free of their grasps, "Sure why not? Lead away, friends."

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : I'm outta here
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:20:15 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Bchooom!  You sidestep just in time to see a big ole hole show up in the
diner you'd exited moments ago... a hole big enough for you to jump
through, at any rate.  You reflexively shoot back at your unseen
assailant, and manage to total the bricks by his shadowy presence.

As bits of charred brick and lased roofing tiles falls to the ground,
you extend your whip and ascend the laundromat, doing so easily with the
assistance of your retractible claws.  Making your way up to the top,
you smell the smell of detergent and motor oil.

Motor oil?

Looking around, you see a slight trail of hydraulic fluids, a trail that
leads to the southeast, and terminates at the end of this particular
edifice.  Looking beyond, you see a shadowy figure leaping across the
rooftops, apparently fleeing the scene.

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:35:51 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Well, it would've worked if that damnable pig-iron engine wasn't so high
in the tonnage department... and there's that whole thing with it simply
chewing up the concrete as it goes, kinda e-liminating the action of
sliding any.

You say another litanous string of four letter words, and then pull out
your remaining loaded mag-cannon, and cut loose.  You fire a full burst
at the iron beastie, even as Clutch pulls away from the thing, and only
really manage to dismantle it's cow-catcher; it blocked your shots.

However, the thing does roll off the front of the engine, and then get
ran over by said vehicle, leaving a big jagged piece of wreckage in the
way of that Stiletto-mobile thing, there.  It's small, compact frame
hits the solid steel and reacts rather poorly.

You don't see this, of course, as the train is blocking your view of the
carnage.  However, you hear something akin to a tearing sound, one
followed by a string of curses to match your own.  Makes you feel all
warm and fuzzy inside.

Of course, Thrasher's not done with you just yet.  "Oi!!  You rotten
bums, you wrecked up my Bessie!  Bloody sods're gonna get it fer that!"
Thrasher then opens up with his browning .30's, and peppers up the
V.A.M.P. - but good!

Thrasher then lets cry with Bessie's steam whistle, making an ominous
'toot toot' as he barrels on towards you, slowly yet inexorably.  And,
worst of all, you can still see Saint Nick up in the air, preparing for
another holiday cheer-filled bombing raid.

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 01:54:55 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Ernesto picks up where he left off in the bar.  "Okay, my friend, you're
currently in what is commonly referred to the Market Ward, one of
Sigil's six districts.  This is where all the fun stuff takes place, and
isn't controlled by any factions.  We're in charge here."

"This is where the city comes to buy things, whether they be mercenary
companies, oranges, or, say, negotiable affection."  You can find just
about everything in the planes here, save for your esoteric devices of,
shall we say, a more advanced bent."

"For some reason, we don't see too much of that business hereabouts." 
You're not quite sure what Ernesto's getting at, but that doesn't stop
him from continuing.  "Now, the other five wards're important, to be
sure, but they're just not... alive to me."

"Up there," Ernesto says, pointing up the curve of Sigil's odd Torus,
"you gots the Lady's Ward, where all your high-ups and top-shelf
money-men hold their kip."  Further along the curve, almost obscured by
smog, Ernesto points at what he calls the 'Lower Ward'.

"That's where all the tanneries, foundries, and whatnot are at.  Not too
many faction blokes headquartered there, really, save for the Godsmen
and the bloody Athar.  Mostly your back-breaking labor types, if'n you
care for that sort of thing."

"Now, over THERE," Ernesto says, pointing to what looks like a
devastated pile of rubble, "that's the Hive Ward.  One of the biggest
slums in existence, and more dangerous than several layers of the Abyss
piled on top of each other.  Don't head there without backup."

"Lots of backup.  'Cause, in addition to all them psychos,
criminal-types, and mass-murderers, you got'cher Xaositects, a barmy
bunch of chaos-mongers who'll drive you batty if you give'em half a
chance, not to mention them surly Bleakers and Dustmen."

"Now, most everything else in the City between there and here are them
Clerks and Guildhall Wards, where all yer paper-pushers, accountants,
and some of your more civilized factions reside.  And, of course,
there's the Sensorium, a must-see place while yer in Sigil, mate!"

"And, of course, that brings you back around the circle of Sigil to the
bottom, where we're at now, Magus."  This, of course, is Jesus; t'would
seem that Ernesto's tired of talking.  "But, we can't really let you
learn Sigil by describing it... no dice."

"We gotta show you it all!  Let's go... to the Lady's Ward!  Them
Hardheads oughta LOVE us tonight!  Woo!"

...?

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:01:56 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

Ronin returns a grim and very stoic look to the guard.

"What do you mean by 'sliding over'?"

The swordsman glances over at the mage, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Crimebuster)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 8:14:19 -0500
From:   "Scott J. Greengold" <Scott.Greengold@ey.com>

Feeling a little jet lagged, not used to air travel and all, Oliver had let his thoughts run a bit about the past.  In the middle of one of his only real fond memories the sky, quite literally fell in on him.  After originally thinking what he just saw to be an attack directed at him though, Crimebuster is on alert. He realizes that this was not directed toward him.  He checks the cabbie, making sure that the man is still in one piece.  After helping the man out of the cab, he will head over toward the burning husk, pulling up his lower face covering mask and patting the inside of his jacket feeling the dragon head pommel of Achira, shouting "Does anyone need help?" and "Is anyone in need of assistance?" in both English and Japanese until he can see what is going on inside or he hears an answer.  He will get close enough to the flaming plane to
see if he can make out any bodies or plane markings.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:53:18 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

As soon as Boo-Getty is out of ear-eye-shot...

Ari exhales a deep breath, and then grins at Och.  "Well... I hope THAT took care of that."  Ari then looks around, and tries to find someone on management to apologize to...

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : The Hunted becomes the Hunter
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 08:02:08 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

Without thinking twice starts running after the guy, and when he gets near enough to aim, ( Am range) he is going to blast his feet and try to stop him from running. Then Approach carefully watching for any sudden moves. Rolls: 26,100,82,42,93,96,33,25

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:21:02 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

"Well, since I see all kinds of interesting folks wandering around, we
shouldn't draw too much attention, don't you think?"

With that, Rebound will head for the stairs going down...

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:39:44 GMT
From:    "Charlie Clay Jr." <cclayjr@hotmail.com>

"Then let's posse up."  Heading downstairs as well.

Subject: Re: [v13] A Beginning... (Magus)
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 14:46:47 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

I stand watching and listening calmly and intently as Ernesto points out the
major sectors and their general purposes and type of inhabitants. That is
until I hear this last sentence uttered from his lips and at that moment
another look of wariness crosses my face.

> "We gotta show you it all!  Let's go... to the Lady's Ward!  Them
> Hardheads oughta LOVE us tonight!  Woo!"

"Ummm....okay...I'm starting to feel like a kidnapping victim, my friends,"
I say with a modicum of jestfulness as we take off towards the Lady's Ward.

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 13:52:21 -0600
From:    "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@home.com>

Masque studies them carefully, well about as careful as a child might.
Okay... with intense scrutiny and a furrowed brow. And decides that a
modicum of professionality is necessary.

"Ha....Not us. We only wish to get to Sigil. We got a bit ..sidetracked,
see and we need to get home. We wouldn't want to cut in line for your
slide. The kids would hate that."

> Ronin returns a grim and very stoic look to the guard.

Masque beams.

> "What do you mean by 'sliding over'?"
 
> The swordsman glances over at the mage, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Masque nods in agreement and tries to raise an eyebrow but can't seem to
get it quite right. All you see are his ears moving about.

Turning toward the Bariaur;

"This is the town we need to get in to get to Sigil, right?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 12:52:46 -0800
From:    "Michael Joiner Jr" ultimental@onebox.com

"Waitaminute!" Reaper says, standing up from where he was sitting next
to the motorcycle.  "You're from 'Temporal Management'?  What...uh...do you mean some kind quantum shift?  Energy-based manipulation of a physical law?  You mentioned a 'little friend stuck somewhere in the future' - what do you mean? 
How long has Ken been a 'project' of yours?"

In what would seem to be a total shift from his 'normal' character, Reaper
'geeks-out' at the chance to talk teleportation-physics with someone...

OOC:

Wow - threw me a bone and I almost missed it! Now I gotta figure out
how to sound hip to something I don't have a clue about!  (whatcha get
when you take talents that you-the player do not remotely possess!)

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Thu, 13 Jan 2000 17:45:15 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx grudgingly accepts that her misfire still damaged one of the
contestants, but tries to discover some way to show up the two nearest
enemies.

Checking her mag-cannon, she realizes she's quite low on ammo and decides
to return to the classic .50 caliber machine guns. Looking up to Saint
Nick she gets an idea and calls out to the little runt.

"Hey! Ya short, fat goat-screwing bastard! Come get some!" she screamed
out loud, trying to lure the gift-tossing dwarf in the V.A.M.P.'s
general direction.

Looking back down, she tried to judge the approach of the train behind
them and looked back to the flying sled. Getting her bearings, she set
the .50 caliber cannons on the cables and couplings that ran between the
cybernetically enhanced goats and Saint Nick's sled.

Gritting her teeth, she let loose with a flurry of hot lead that she
hoped would cut the sled free of its propulsion and drop it on top (or
at least in the path) of Thrasher's Bessie.

[6 + Modifier for Initiative, 80 + 20 Karma for 100 to Hit, 79 for
Damage, 35 for any necessary roll]

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:13:46 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"What I mean by sliding, you clueless sod, is that the town here is
about to migrate over to the glorious planes of Arcadia.  You see, here
in the planes, Belief is Power.  Enough of us think like Arcadians, and
we wind up moving the place to Arcadia."

"But if some wrong-thinging berk moves into town, well, it can throw the
whole process off."  The guard sits back for a second, feeling rather
proud of himself for putting you in your place, or so he thinks, and
continues.  "Sigil, hrm?"

"Well....... I suppose there's no harm in that - as long as you two
don't stir up any trouble while looking for your precious portal.  But
what about you three?  You with these two?"  The three bariaur look at
each other and shrug, and their leader speaks.

"Somewhat.  We simply used the same road between Bludgeon and here. 
They are on their way to Sigil, while we are bound for Arcadia, on a
mission important to our people.  We will be no trouble, I assure you
fellows, but our matters are urgent."

The guard frowns at this, as well, but he can't argue with it, what with
his already having learned some things with that odd gaze of his. "Very
well.  Go about your business, you, but don't even think about
disturbing our harmony..."

Unless you have anything else to say, well, the guards let you pass.  On
the inside, the bariaur leader answers you, Masque.  "Yes.  Within the
town I am sure that you will find the portal you need, for every gate
town has at least one portal to Sigil... it's in Sigil's nature."

"The trick will be for you to locate it.  Me and my compatriots would be
more than happy to help you, but we must be away; as I told that asinine
guard, we have urgent business in Arcadia... business I am most assured
said guard will be quite unhappy about..."

With that, the bariaur all grin at the two of you and leave, less'n you
have anything else to say.  They make for the opposite side of town,
where you see a sort of stepped pyramid rising from the orderly stacks
of buildings here within Fortitude.

That's the odd thing about this town, you notice as you actually get a
good look at its interior.  The streets are remarkably straight, the
only curved one you see being that which hugs the interior of the oval
wall surrounding Fortitude itself.

All of the buildings seem to be of the same height, too - two stories -
save for that pyramid, which you now see more clearly.  It's got some
sort of green flame at its apex, which you only assume to be some kind
of portal, as there's folks streaming into it.

Less'n they're suicidal, of course.

Now, the other big exception to the above is the rather deep pit in
front of you, which is some sort of ampitheatre, one filled with
spectators and surrounding a central podium where you see all sorts of
folk chained up.  One is currently speaking.

"Yes.  And last night, when my neighbor was asleep, I crept into the
yard behind his home and... I borrowed his hatchet.  I'm so, so
sorry..."  This causes a string of jeers from the crowd, one accompanied
by various flung, rotten vegetables.

The guards then unchain the man and let him go after an appropriate time
spent being pummeled by produce.  The next fellow then gets up to the
center stage, and begins his speech.  "Last night, when I was with my
wife, I imagined she was someone else..."

This causes laughter, punctuated by only one tomato.  As you try to make
sense of all this, a man in a red jerkin walks up to the two of you,
smiling like a loon.  "Welcome to the Confessional!  Care to watch... or
to confess any evils bothering your conscience?"

?!

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Crimebuster)
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:20:03 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You get a shouted response from the wreckage a few seconds later that
begins in Japanese, but sort of gets confused with English about three
words in.  After that mess, you hear something akin to 'damn
translator', and then "Yes, I'm in need of some damn assistance!"

Moving a bit closer, you find a hulking sphere of metal, about three
feet in diameter, rolling towards you at significant speeds.  "Yes.  My
armor is fused together, no thanks to that damned Space Hobo.  Would you
be so kind as to split it open...?"

Apparently, this ball is the source of your crash survivor's voice, but
his armor is still smoldering, and looks quite hot to the touch...

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:22:40 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Och sort of shrugs at you from under the reams of upholstery.  "Well,
yes, but weren't we supposed to follow him or something?  In order to
see who's behind this whole mess??"  As you consider this, the shop
keeps flock to your person.

"Honey, you don't need to apologize for nuthin'!  That creep mugged you,
after all!  You just sit tight and we'll have the cops here in no time -
mark MY words!"  The odd redhead then does something with her neck that
makes your eyes water, and rushes off to a phone.

...?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : The Hunted becomes the Hunter
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:31:06 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You fire with your eye-beams, but manage to miss with your first shot,
blasting a McDonalds sign to smithereens.  As it detonates in a shower
of glass and argon steam, your unknown assailant turns and throws
something at you.  Grenade!

You leap to the side, landing on the McDonalds as the projectile
detonates, smashing up several cars waiting in the drive thru as well as
the little order-taking box and a cement Ronald McDonald sculpture
(sculpture?).

As you continue to play leapfrog over the rooftops, you manage to tag
you foeman with your second shot, not quite hitting him in the foot, but
lasing his leg nonetheless, causing him to drop momentarily.  As you
reach his roof, apparently an arcade, you see him at last.

He looks human, save for the wires and stuff sticking out from his
torso, where a chunk of brick has landed, causing all kinds of fluid of
a black, inky type to seep out.  Of course, there's also the precision
laser burn in his leg, now, that looks abnormal.

In response, as he sees you land, the villain pulls off his entire
grenade bandoiler, yanks all the pins in unison, and flings the belt at
you.  "Payback, you Fuck!", he says as he prepares for annihilation. 
You sidestep back off the arcade roof just in time to see it explode!

The thing caves in immediately, blazing as it falls on an unsuspecting
room full of video game consoles - and teenagers!  Cries of 'Help!',
'Augh!', and 'Jesus I'm On Fire!' ring out from the wrecked building. 
What do you do, 9?

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:39:31 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

As you pass through the almost unreal throng of... beings, most folk
sort of sidle out of the way as you attempt to pass.  However, a few
don't, and they seem intent on meeting you.  That's when you realize,
too late, that you're wandering through some sort of alien meat market!

"Hey, baby, how's it goin'?"  That would be the odd rock that's just
rolled up to your feet, Stone Cold.  "Hey, honey, lookin' for a good
time?"  That would be the freaky pile of colonial plant-life coiled
around you leg, Rebound.

Your companions aren't immune to the press, either.  You can hear Tammy
fending off one, herself.  "I said I don't CARE if you've got 75 love
attachments, get yer hands off!"  And of course, there's Arbet.  "Augh!
It's sucking on my head!  Help!"

That would be the big ol' amorphous blob that's partially subsumed
Arbet's cranium, and does seem to be drawing his hair into itself - but
not the whole package.  Maybe even aliens have better taste than that.
However, how do you extricate yourselves from all this?!

Subject: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 00:51:29 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Kidnapping?  Har!  You say so now, Magus-us, but you just wait until we
drink you under the table in a tavern from each Ward, and we'll see how
kidnapped you think you are!  Let's go!"  And, with that, Jesus leads
you and your five newfound friends off!

It takes you about an hour to fight your way through the impressive
throng of teeming life that is occupying the Market Ward, especially
since you have to pass through what your friends identify as the Great
Bazaar, their home base in Sigil, in order to do so.

You can see the transformation from Market Ward to Lady's Ward as you do
so, the buildings changing from shops to homes, and classy ones at that,
and the streets getting wider, cleaner, and most importantly, more
sparsely populated.

It seems to be getting dark as you arrive in the Lady's Ward, proper,
though you don't know why; there's no apparent source of light anywhere
in Sigil - not powerful enough to light the place up like daylight, at
least.  But, your wandering is over for now, for you've arrived.

The Fortune's Wheel seems to be something of a ritzy place here in
Sigil, for you see all manner of classily-dressed citizenry lined up to
get in.  After a small wait in line, you get to the front door, where
you find a rather burly man minding the entrance.

"Weapons, please?"  Reluctantly, your fellows divest themselves of their
personal weaponry, and you find that they're carring much, much more
than you would consider, say, readily apparent.  Once they've done so,
they look to you.

"Don't worry, sir, we aren't a den of thieves here at the Wheel.  We
won't cart off your family heirlooms."  Sure enough, the man hands out
tickets to each of your Free League drinking pals, indicating which
shelf belongs to their weapons.

Hwat do you do?

Subject: Re: [v13] Lost In Space...?
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:00:43 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Not quite.  You see, what we at Temporal Management do is make sure
that reckless folks like your buddy Ken here don't go hopping
willy-nilly through time, mucking up the whole of causality without a
darn good reason."

"Of course, what happened was that you and all of your friends have been
charged up with temporal static, having been at ground zero of your
favorite villain's magic artifact, and it's flung the lot of you to the
far reaches of the multiverse."

"Ken, here, moreso than you others... I think it simply has to do with
Morbis trying to do the same thing with Ken's Star Brand as he did with
his Stellar Key... luckily, you managed to interfere with his latest
attempt to escape a timely demise."

"And saved your friend in the process."  Lieutenant Syde pauses to look
at her electronic slate for a moment.  "Yes, that's about right.  As far
as your other question, I'm referring to Ken's side kick, Rebound. You
know, sticky little guy, wears a mask?"

"He's... elsewhen, right now, along with two of your other pals.  I
suppose I ought to check up on him and those other folk before they get
themselves into some sort of trouble.  Before I go, however, let me take
care of this for you..."

Syde then pulls out some sort of scanning device, and zaps you with it.
Once she's done, she hits Ken as well.  "There we go.  No more residual
temporal static.  The two of you should be fine now.  So, unless there's
nothing else, I really must be going..."

(ooc:  fake it - that usually works... =)

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 01:11:36 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Arrrh!  Ye stupid floozie, I'll give yer what for!  Ahr har harrrh!" 
Saint Nick sets his rocket goats into a nose dive, comin' right for you
with his M.G.'s a'blazin'!  "Crap!  Jinx, what the hell's goin' on back
there!  We're gettin' rained on!  Augh!!", says Clutch.

Once Nick's in the right spot, you fire away with the .50 cal's, and you
blast the rocket goats clean away from the moorings holding them fast to
his sled.  Of course, it just levels out horizontally and keeps moving
as the goats fly off at an impressive gait.

"Har!  Try the old 'drop Saint Nick on Rusty Heap #2' trick, hey!  Har!
Lemme learn ye something, yah stupid floozie!  Hover Sleigh!  Hover
Sleigh!  Don't fall fer nobody!  Har de har har har!  Yer stupid rag,
ye'll never slay the sleigh-master!  Have a present fer yer troubles!"

With that, Saint Nick chucks a bunch of presents on the road in your
general direction, which Clutch does his best do dodge; however, there's
too many of the things headed your way, and after avoiding the first
thirteen, numbers fourteen through sixteen hit you dead on.

The V.A.M.P. comes to a screeching, rolling halt, ending up on its side
as Thrasher comes thundering on in Bessie.  "Oi!  M'gonna mush you up
right good, I am!  Hope you gots lots of insurance, girly, 'cause
m'comin' to get'cha!  Tee hee!"

!

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : To the Resque
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 07:22:51 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

A.S.9 one quick look at the butthead, and then leaps down into the building 
and starts trying to save the teen-agers from the fire, by shooting them out 
with his eyebeams. 18,29,85,89

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Crimebuster)
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 8:32:52 -0500
From:    "Scott J. Greengold" <Scott.Greengold@ey.com>

Cautiously approaching this metal ball that apparently just survived re-entry and a crash landing Crimebuster draws Achira Ryushutsu.  He is still on alert and not totally convinced that this was not an attack on him.  Looking around this ball he attempts to locate a weak point in the armor which may have been compromised during the landing.  Assuming he finds one and assuming that the heat is not so much as to ignite parts of his body, Crimebuster moves to that area of the armor.   If he cannot locate one, he will call to the being inside "Are there any weak points you can see?"

<< Theoretical response space>>

Now standing at the weak spot of the armor, Crimebuster raises his katana above his head and slowly brings it down.  As he does he focuses his chi down the blade, which begins to pulse a deep glowing green

 "Stand back, if you can.  I have no wish to harm you. "  

With that,  he strikes at the located weak point with a carrier attack in an attempt to split the armor open.

(OCC: Hello all, glad to be in the game.  Some rolls: 65, 56, 90, 44)

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 08:41:44 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari shrugs.  "I guess.  But I figure that if I keep moving, that slow-ass retard'll never catch up.  But if you wanna
follow, it's cool with me."

>> (snip freaky-neck'd woman calling the cops)

Ari smiles and nods.  "On second thought, Och... let's get the hell outta here."

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 09:20:16 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>
 
>> (snip come-on by communal plant-life creature)

Rebound responds in the most emotionless voice he can muster...

"no."

>> (snip meat-market type antics in the alien bar)

If his oh-so-imaginative shake-off line didn't work, Rebound will shake his
leg and try to walk away from this hooker-plant wondering what kind of place
this really is.

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:03:05 EST
From:    Scott A Clay <cclayjr2@juno.com>

"Sorry hun, but I'm spoken for already." Says Stone Cold walking on.

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Fri, 14 Jan 2000 17:46:26 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx gets real steamed when she sees the sled just keep moving along,
but figures she might be able to catch the dwarf later on now that he
seems to have lost his primary form of propulsion.

Jinx holds on for dear life as the V.A.M.P. slides to a screeching halt
in the street, and barely waits for the thing to come to a complete stop
before she slices through her moorings with her vibro-blade, and does her
best to pull clutch out before they get flattened by Bessie.

Throwing Clutch into the nearest safe place (alley, entry way to a
building, etc.) at the last second before Thrasher and his train barrel
down on them is the first thing she can think of to avoid getting them
both squished.

However, as the train rushes by, Jinx flings herself at the rear end of
the metallic beast, vibroblade in hand. She was going to try to hitch a
ride from this bastard and make sure his trip was very, very
uncomfortable.

[Get ready for these rolls! 9 + Modifier for Initiative, 86 to get
Clutch out of the way, 93 to leap onto the train and impale it with the
knife, and 89 to hold on and try to climb my way to a more solid grip!]

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Sat, 15 Jan 2000 02:50:30 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

"Sure sure sure....drink me under the table?! If you do that then I'd never
hear the end of it from some of my stouter friends back home." Magus says in
jest.

>> (snip journey to the Fortune's Wheel)

"Ernesto, Jesus, or any of you my friends. I have a question...more than
likely an idiotic one but a question nonetheless. With Sigil having no
apparent sun or moon or such where does night and day come from for this odd
amalgam called a city?" Magus looks at whomever responds to him and then
smirks, "If'n any of you just scream magic then I'm not the only foolish
one. What kind of magic or energy or what pray tell?"

>> (snip disarmament request)

My hands rest naturally atop the pommels of the rather large swords strapped
to my waist as I look up to my new friends with a look on my face that would
seem to convey the same confusion one would have if asked to hand over their
legs or arms.

>> (snip non-thievery reassurance)

With a dour look mixed with a pinch of sadness Magus reluctantly remves the
weapons from his personage and hands them to the doorman, "Watch over these
especially." And with that said Magus slips a platinum piece of metal to the
weapons collector, "If you would sir...."

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : To the Resque
Date:    Sun, 16 Jan 2000 15:50:45 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Leaving the unknown, but artificial assailant to his own devices, you
jump into the arcade, and start blasting flames out by blowing apart the
source of their kindling with your lasers (?).  That breaks up the walls
of flaming debris enough to let the kids escape the building.

Of course, quite a few have second and third degree burns from where the
roofing and such fell on them, laced with incendiary aftermath, but
they'll live, at least.  Anyway, as the place empties out, you hear
sirens in the distance... sounds like a fire truck - and more.

Do you stick around to explain all this to the authorities, or what?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Crimebuster)
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:14:39 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You look at the molten ball of former armor, strike it in a prospective
weak spot with your chi-enhanced blade, and you seem to deepen something
of a split in the center.  It cracks open like an egg, and this ball of
light issues forth from the steel ball o' slag.

Though not entirely a ball of light.  This ball of light has all sorts
of high tech accoutrements suspended around its 'person', apparently
held aloft against the forces of gravity by its own energy field's
cohesion - it looks quite curious.

"Thank you... I wasn't sure if my own tools could break out of that damn
slagged armor suit.  Argh... if I get my tentacular extremities on that
damn Space Hobo, I swear that I will dismember him... slowly.  Oh, so
slowly..."

You get the odd impression that mentally, this strange being, this
foot-diameter ball of light ensconced within a partial shell of
electronic toys, is drooling with anticipation, thinking of strangling
whoever this 'Space Hobo' is.

That's when you hear more noises coming from the wreckage.  "Hello, out
there!  *kaff kaff*  Anybody under this space boat?  *kaff*"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:19:33 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Och nods at your appraisal of Boo-Getty's intelligence, but when you
suggest that the two of you beat feet, he struggles mightily to
extricate himself from the pile of upholstery that has been holding him
on the wood floor, and follows you out the door.

You don't see Boo-Getty, thanks to the press of people, but thanks to
the self-same press, you can hear his progress.  He's so busy pushing
people out of his way that he has no time to notice that the two of you
are following him.  

He makes his way like this, for quite some time, forcing his way through
the streets of...

(you'd stated that this is So-Cal, but what city, specifically...?)

(lemme know and I'll finish this thought...)

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:26:41 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You shake off the strange, communal plant-thing lookin' for love, who
seems somewhat confused at the rejection, and press on towards the
stairs, Rebound, only to be quickly followed by the others.  Oh, sure,
Stoney had to pull Arbet out of that blob-thing's mouth, first.

But you press on.

Getting away from the horny extraterrestrials, you make it to the stair
well, and head on down.  You move about ten flights, though there's only
two floors between here and there, and finally come out on a bottom
level of the Outlook.

Right outside the stairwell, you run into an office with four main doors
exiting forth from it, an elevator access, and doors for three
restrooms.  Male, female, and... something else.  You don't quite make
out what the little pictogram on the door says.

After you finish looking around, the secretary droid at the desk looks
at you and smiles.  "Hello, and welcome to the Varaknis Imperium's Omega
Outlook Forward Reaching Scientific Facility, where we research all
things outre and too dangerous for major populated areas."

"What can I do for you today?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:33:23 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You remove yourself and Clutch from the V.A.M.P. just as Thrasher drives
Bessie straight into it; luckily, you already removed Bessie's
cow-catcher, else the damage would be worse; however, the chassis of the
jeep looks horribly bent.  Undriveable, even.

"Whew.  Okay, looks like we need to get ourselves out of here, and radio
in some backup.  We've cut a few of these jokers out of the mix, but not
enough, as far as I'm concerned.  Now - hey!  Hey, Jinx!"  Of course,
Clutch didn't finish his thought, because you were gone!!!!

You leap onto Bessie's rear, and indeed manage to get a grip with your
vibro-blade; however, you're slipping fast, because that blade's cutting
through the train's two inch thick steel plate like it were merely hard
bread before your blade, there.

A shift of your weight later, however, you wind up on the rear hook-up
on the engine, and even though no other cars are likely to be towed by
this monstrosity, the latch has been maintained perfectly - making it a
perfect foot-hold.

Now what?

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 04:50:14 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"No one really knows, friend."  This was Ferdinand, one of those human
folk amongst your new friends.  Frank picks up where he left off. 
"Exactly.  Some think the light is just... the way Sigil is, as though
it were it's own plane."

"Others think the Lady brings light into the city by dint of her control
over the portals the offer, most likely via several portals to the plane
of Radiance.  Still more think it's just that, my friend - magic.  The
truth is, like many things in Sigil, it's a mystery."

(theoretical response space, I guess)

As you get to the Fortune's Wheel, your pals disarm, and though you look
rather confused about this in general, the bodyguard reassures you
again.  "Trust me, berk, I'm no Knight of the Post.  Your blades won't
walk off on my watch."

Your money only brings more reassurances.  At any rate, once you divest
yourself of your personal arsenal, you enter the Wheel proper, only to
find yourself reeling.  There's all manner of beings in here, as there
were in the street, but all are dressed quite stylishly.

At least, that's what it looks like they were going for.  But you spy
all manner of freakies, from the almost human to the downright bizarre;
ordinary merchants to monstrosities from your worst nightmares, all
spiffied up and socializing like this were perfectly normal.

The bar itself is in the center of this press of biology, crafted in the
form of a green dragon out of wood, with a head that seems to be talking
to some people drinking at the bar proper.  Beyond it, you see some sort
of wheel in a second room, and people betting on it.

Then, to the left, you spy some sort of fighting pit, from the looks of
it, with two fellows throwing down - one large, hulking man with a
bull's head and torso, wrestling with an even taller humanoid thing with
but one, large eye in the center of its head.

Most people are ignoring them, but there's a few folks making bets on
the outcome of said battle, one of which appears to be a cubical modron,
though this one seems different from its fellows in that it's wearing a
red and white checkered tablecloth on its person.

Where first?

Subject: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 9:14:36 -0500
From:    "Scott J. Greengold" <Scott.Greengold@ey.com>

Still not convinced that he is under no threat he keeps his chi focused on his sword and his sword at the ready,
Crimebuster begins to assess the situation.  

>> (snip Cracklin' Mad Pinpoint speak)

Regarding the apparently bloodthirsty glowing orb, Crimebuster says "Ummm... right. Tenitcular Extremities.... Sure.  You are welcome for the assistance.  If I may ask, who and what are you?  Do you come from space?  What the heck is a Space Hobo? Are you a being of pure Chi?  Are there any others inside your "ship"?

<<Awaiting Response>>

>> That's when you hear more noises coming from the wreckage.  "Hello, out
>> there!  *kaff kaff*  Anybody under this space boat?  *kaff*"

Upon hearing the coughing, Crimebuster will again inquire into the wreckage "Hello in there, can I be of assistance?"

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Up,Up,Up and away
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 08:41:22 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

After hearing the sounds of the sirens, he shoos out his whip and grabs the nearest light pole and climb back up on top of the roof and run and check back on Hawk, from on top of the roof, in case cops are there.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 10:05:31 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Uhhh... Berkeley.  Yeah.

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:02:32 -0500
From:   Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

"Yes, yes, yes, we were trying to locate the scientist responsible for the
time travel experiments.  We were told that this was the place to go.  It is
a matter of some urgency."

Rebound cringes behind his mask.  Being polite for this long has really
started to grate on his nerves.  Cursing silently, he dared anyone to give
him a reason to cut loose...

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 18:11:55 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

"Hmmm...most interesting. I take it this Lady person is a fairly formidable
combatant either in the wizardly or warriorly ways then?"

>> (snip description of the Wheel)

Soaking in the ambiance of all the weirdness Magus strides forth into
Fortune's Wheel and makes his way towards the ornate and seeming alive bar.
Motioning for an ale from whatever may be the barkeep Magus waits and
occasionally glances around the building noticing all the similarities and
peculiarities of this establishment to all of the others he's seen. Taking
the ale in his hands he knocks back a nice gulp of it as he makes his way
towards the talking bar/dragon. Watching and listening to it's discussions
Magus patiently nurses his ale and listens.....

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Mon, 17 Jan 2000 17:23:13 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx lets loose with a sigh of relief as she settles herself on the
speeding pile of iron, trying to get a good idea of what the situation
was.

Sheathing the vibro blade, she surveyed the front of the train, looking
for safer places to tread as she slowly and carefully made her way to
the cabin of the train. Stopping a bit back from the door, she aimed her
mag-cannon carefully and took a single shot, hoping to blow the door off
its hinges.

She was just waiting for Thrasher to poke is head out the smoking hole
so she could kick him in the face. It was her plan to stun him long
enough to throw him from the train and commandeer the vehicle for the
U.S. Government and its war against terrorism!

[7 + Modifier for Initiative, 73 to Hit, 67 for Damage, 32 for any other
necessary roll.]

Subject: Re: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:04:57 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"*hack ack*  Arh, drat.  Crap, even.  What's this, then?  That skyline
looks awful familiar.  And oho!  Someone's speaking English at me!  No!
That means I must be back on earth!  Damnation!  Nooooooo!"  The voice
from inside the flames stops, almost as if having a deep thought.

"Hey.  I'm on fire!  Augh!"  Picoseconds later, a body comes flying out
of the wreckage, covered in flames, and abruptly hits the ground
screaming.  "Help!  Help!  I'm on fire!  Help me!"  The gravely voice
continues on like this for quite a bit, obviously in real agony.

As this happens, the orb before you begins to rise into the air, several
high tech devices upon it humming into action.  "Space Hobo..." it says,
obviously rather distraught that the fellow before you is alive, though
he seems unable to extinguish himself.

What do you do, Crimebuster?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Up,Up,Up and away
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:12:03 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You make your long way back to the diner, and see that Hawk and his
entourage are preparing to leave; no cops here.  They board a Jeep not
unlike the one you stole from Hawk earlier and drive off in the general
direction of Staten Island, not knowing that you're watching them.

"So, Hawk, what're we going to do about this A.S.9 character.  You're
not really going to let him run loose, are you?"  This was Scarlett. 
"Of course I am.  He despises Shijitzu as much as I do, and between him
and Jinx, he ought to be too busy to notice what I'm up to."

That was Hawk.  Scarlett just 'harrumphs' at that, though before she can
retort properly, a buzzer goes off on the Jeep's radio.  You hear no
voice, only a Morse code variant tapping through, one which apparently
sets Hawk on edge.

"Hm.  Some sort of aircraft's crashed up in Conneticut.  We've got to go
check it out, A.S.A.P.", he says.  "I thought we were headed back to
base?", says Scarlett.  "Nope.  This crash isn't one of ours, and it
don't conform to any known craft.  Could be Cobra..."

With that, the others forget any misgivings they may have had, and
rocket off for Conneticut.  Of course, that leaves you up here, on the
rooftops of Queens, with some android killer stalking you - a heavily
armed android at that - even if it is somewhat broken...

?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:33:35 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

  (sorry... I'm sick... I'm allowed to be a retard occasionally... =)

Anyway, picking up where I left off...

He makes his way like this, for quite some time, forcing his way through
the streets of Berkeley (yeah, Berkeley!).  Most people take some
offense to this, but once Boo-Getty waves his severed arm at them, they
tend to back off.  Those who don't get swacked with it.

When he does that, it's almost a Dead Alive moment, and you can almost
imagine him screaming "I kick ass for the Lord!".  Nonetheless, he
pushes his way across Berkeley, and oddly, grabs a cab several miles
later, one which you manage to follow at only the last second.

Instructing the cabbie to follow, you keep tabs on the other vehicle
until it stops a half hour later, deep in the heart of San Fran.  Once
there, Boo-Getty disembarks, and then enters a dark, dingy, out of the
way warehouse as fast as he can.

Assuming that you sidle up behind him, you hear voices inside the door
Boo-Getty forgot to close on his way in; sheesh, you'd think he was born
in a barn!  "Excellent, my minion, excellent!  You have brought me the
magical sack as I knew you could."

"Here.  Here's some human flesh... should be enough to allow you to heal
that wound you've acquired."  After the disgusting sounds of munching
issue forth, the mysterious voice continues.  "Yes, my other zombie
minion, my Dead Girl, may have failed me, but you have not."

"As such, assuming I can get this device to work, I will release you
from your geas, Boo-Getty."  You hear the rustling of fabric, and
then... "Eureka!  I have pulled stones from the sack!  Obviously magical
stones, at that.  What else do we have here?"

You hear a bit more rustling, and then "Ah.  Some sort of... brown
substance.  Could be some kind of extraplanar soil, or just pudding, or
who knows what else.  After all, that's the way this sack has been
reported to work.  Ah, well, I shall study it later."

"Boo-Getty, for completing your quest, I hereby release you from your
geas.  You are now your own being.  Enjoy your existence!"  You hear a
discharge of energy, and then a hoot and holler of sheer joy! 
"Yee-hah!  No more voices in mah head!  Whoo-ee!"

!?

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:39:15 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Time travel, you say?  I don't think I'm cleared to deal with that sort
of thing, even if that's what we do around here.  I'm just a
receptionist, yew know.  I'll tell you what, I'll call back into the
labs, and see who bites, mm-kay?"

It does so, and speaks her strange Varakni tongue while doing so, an act
which assaults your ears with all manner of freaky syllables.  But, this
apparently has some result, as it 'smiles' back at you when a voice
answers over the speakerphone.

"Someone will be right out to see you, mm-kay?"  About five minutes
later, a grizzled man walks out of one of the four laboratory doors,
looking quite frazzled; his clothes and lab coat are signed, and his
hair's sticking straight up, and smoking.

He was wearing safety goggles, however, for you see their outline on his
otherwise ash-covered face.  "I understand you needed to see me,
gentlemen?  And lady?"  He pauses to cough, sending pure smoke out of
his lungs, and continues.  "What do you need?"

?

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:48:27 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

This causes lots of coughing from your fellows, though you don't know
why.  "In a manner of speaking.  The Lady is, you see, the Lady of Pain,
ruler of Sigil as far as we can tell.  Of course, no one knows what she
wants from us and she ain't talkin'."

"Take that as you will."
 
>> (snip magus' looking aroond)

Well, there's two of those tall, thin, sallow folk talking to it, a male
and a female, and gently laughing as though it were telling a fun
story.  "And then, there was the time I traveled to this world, one
called Krynn by its clueless occupants.  Boy, was that a mistake."

"Nobody there knows how to take a joke.  Oh, sure, eat a few virgins
here and there, and everybody gets mad.  I told them I'd make up for it,
you know, smite their enemies or some such, but they wouldn't have any
of that.  They actually sent knights after me!  Me, of all people!"

"I just don't get it.  Stupid clueless berks."  The two listeners say
"Hear hear!" and drink mightily of their mugs, and then order up another
round.  Though its eyes don't move, the wooden dragon head seems to
notice you, Magus.  "You, there, care to join us?"

"I was just speaking of my travels on the plane Prime.  Care to mock its
denizens with us?"

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 03:56:35 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You fire at Bessie's door, blasting it open, only to find that you're
now completely out of ammunition.  That spread you made against Bessie's
cow catcher seems to have drained it for the most part, but at least it
came through one last time... drat.

Moments later, Thrasher peers out the open space, trying to grab hold of
the door and pull it shut, at which time you give him one heck of a
cranial assault; that's where you made your critical error, Jinx.  "Oi!
Ain't that a kick in the face?"

Thrasher then blinks, and makes a grab for your person.  You try and
move, but you're simply too stunned that your kick failed you.  The thug
then flings you into the cabin, smashing your head against the rear of
the train.

Thrasher then drops a shelf of bags full of coal on you, in an attempt
to pin you down.  After that, he gives you a smack on the rump, and
laughs.  "Yew just stay there 'till I wax all these other goons, my hot
potato, and we'll have us a real good time!  Kicks and all!  Har har!"

Of course, the mistake that Thrasher, here, has made is that with your
probability field up, you didn't really get hurt by the impact he dealt
you, nor are you truly pinned down by the 300 lbs of coal laying on your
person... you're somewhat slick right now.

Somewhat.

What next, o Troublemaker?

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:37:13 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari lies low, and tries to find another way into the building.  Hopefully, Och is still in tow, or this is gonna be a short short trip.  

Assuming Ari can find another entrance, she'll wait for Boo to flee, and then try and get inside, against her better judgement...

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:14:37 -0600
From:    "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@home.com>

Masque stands proudly,
"No sir, for I have done nothing wrong in my life nor will I ever. All I
do is for the greater Good. I'll even eat peanuts for the greater good."
And when you look at Masque, you can see that he firmly believes that.
No matter who he has sent to the moon or magicked on accident.

"Sir, would you mind telling us How we can get to Sigil? Or direct us to
someone or somewheres that can?"

Masque smiles largely.

Subject: RE: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 09:29:38 -0500
From:    Douglas Lohse <LohseD@mscdirect.com>

"you think we could talk in private?"

(Assuming he says yes...If not, I guess Rebound will just blurt it out
anyway)

"My companions and I have been charged with some rather strange and unusual
temporal energy which has propelled us here apparently.  We need you to use
this energy to send us back to the time we came from."

Rebound uses the last vestiges of his patience to sound warm and friendly to
the sooty professor.  Praying that this works and silently waiting for all
hell to break loose because he knows that the world is out to get him
anyway.

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Search for Santuary
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 08:49:29 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

A.S.9 smiled after hearing Hawk's comments and then after they were out of 
view. He climbed himself down. " Who is this Jinx, and is he a lost brother 
or something simular to it?" He tries his computer databanks and tries to 
find any info on the name. As he waits, he starts to look for some 
transportion and a place to stay for the night. Maybe he will find a local 
bar, maybe with a motorcycle in front.

Subject: Re: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 9:50:05 -0500
From:    "Scott J. Greengold" <Scott.Greengold@ey.com>

To the fiery  Hobo, Crimebuster yells "Stop! Drop! Roll!" and proceeds to start trying to put the man out with his trenchcoat.  He also starts looking around the area for piles of dirt or shallow lakes or such in case the trenchcoat
proves ineffective.  

> As this happens, the orb before you begins to rise into the air, several
> high tech devices upon it humming into action.  "Space Hobo..." it says,
> obviously rather distraught that the fellow before you is alive

Turning quickly to the being of Chi Crimebuster yells "I helped you get out of your armor, do not make me regret that decision."

With that he turns back around and continues helping the Hobo put himself out.

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 17:25:15 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

Ronin does a side glance at the Wizard.  Once again he's flabbergasted by 
the sheer insanity that is Masque.  Then again, he's too 'Samurai' to let it show.  He instead stands beside the wizard and plays the strong silent type.

>"Sir, would you mind telling us How we can get to Sigil? Or direct us to 
>someone or somewheres that can?"

The Swordsman nods. "We need to find a way to the city of doors...I believe 
it is called."

>Masque smiles largely.

Ronin does grimaces grimly.

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 17:27:06 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

"ACK!" screamed Jinx as she was flung headlong into the cabin of the
train.

She let Thrasher think she was beat for a moment and then did her best
to quietly extract herself from the bags of coal as she unsheathed her
vibro-blade.

If she was able to do this without being noticed, she would attempt to
sneak up behind Thrasher and place the knife at his throat and his into
his ear, "Alright you punk, if you even _think_ about moving, this piece
of hardware will slice through your tender flesh like so much thin air!"

If this gets the thug's attention, she'll continue: "Right, good...Now,
I think you might want to go for a walk. Trust me, the night is
beautiful."

If Thrasher complies with these requests, she'll kick him in the ass,
hopefully causing him to evacuate the train just that much faster.

Of course, if any of these attempts fail, she'll do her best to just
whomp on the guy until he falls down (no, she won't use the knife, but
rather try to sheathe the blade and pull her magcannon so she can pistol
whip him into submission).

[6 + Modifier for Initiative; 60 to Sneak, Sneak, Sneak; 100 for
Intimidating the hell out of him with the knife at his throat!; 36 to
kick him in the ass with 64 for damage (any and all rolls may be used
for the rolls you feel are appropriate should the attempts fail).]

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Tue, 18 Jan 2000 23:34:58 EST
From:    Scott A Clay <cclayjr2@juno.com>

"Yeah we need to find out who is in charge of your time travel projects
and or experiments, kay?"  Said Stone Cold.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 01:59:15 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You find that the fire escape is still fully functional, and leads up to
a second story entrance which, luckily, happens to be broken open
already; you get the impression that criminal types use this facility
often to do their business.

But then, what happens when it gets overbooked?  At any rate, you enter
the place with Och, seeing Boo-Getty flee the scene after his
liberation; of course, flee is again something of a misnomer, as it
would appear that he ain't moving all that fast.

However, though it takes a couple of minutes, the redneck finally gets
out of the building, leaving you in the place with the mastermind behind
the zombie's multiple attacks upon your person.  So, now it's just you,
Och, and him, whoever he happens to be.

Of course, he's talking to somebody... though after listening to him for
a few minutes, it would appear that he's just talking to himself.  "Yes,
now we have another artifact of power, yes, one to use against those
foolish New Yorkers that foiled my bank robberies!"

"Of course.  And, once we smite the alien scumbag who destroyed my hand
with that gun of his, we shall avenge the loss of our flesh, yes? Of
course we will.  Ha ha hahahhahah!"  The man mutters on for some time,
though you don't quite understand it.

What's yer next move, Ari?

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:08:42 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

The fellow at the Confessional looks nonplussed.  "No bother.  After
all, you know in your heart whether that is truly true or not.  No
worry, for making use of the Confessional is a wholly voluntary act.  We
don't force it on anyone."

Of course, you can't help but notice that those poor bastards down there
on the stage are in chains...

In response to your other question, the flaky man shrugs.  "I'm not
sure.  I have no need to visit that unwholesome metropolis, so I've
never investigated the possibility.  If anybody would know, it would be
the travelers who frequent the Sociable Traveler, a tavern in town."

The goon then gives you directions, easy enough to follow, given the
layout of this strange, egg-enclosed city.  About five minutes later,
you make it to the inn, and find it to be a remarkably clean, regularly
maintained establishment.

Inside, you spy about ten folks, a barkeep, and a door minder, though
the latter makes no move to hinder your entry into the Traveler. 
"Welcome to the Sociable Traveler, friends?  Come to have a healthy ale,
or perhaps a cup of dwarven Grog?  Or even some chicken?"

"Kitchen's on."

The folks in the Sociable Traveler, despite the name of the place, don't
seem to be all that sociable.  You spy a party of humans and dwarves
that seem to be keeping to themselves, and two others, a auburn haired
man and a rather striking woman.

She's about six foot tall, and has this silvery hair that seems to
almost glow with moonlight, despite being inside.  Also, you spy a
rather noble look to her features, though they are quite delicate, on
closer inspection.  They seem much more amicable than the others.

S'up?

Subject: Re: [v13] Planet X
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:19:11 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"Private?  What's more private than this?  There's us and the secretary
there, and s/he ain't talkin'..."  When the two of you blurt out what
you need and why, the man's eyes positively light up.  "Oho!  Travelers
through time, are we!!  Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!"

"Come!"

The man races back into his laboratory, where you see all manner of
strange devices mounted about the floor, ceiling, and walls, almost as
if they'd put the place together before they conceived the effects of
gravity.  Reminds you of Old Gruff, Rebound.

Anyway, he leads you to his desk, and then starts to wave a device of
some sort at you.  "Aha!  I was right!  Time travelers do generate a
sort of dimensional static, a charge that outlines them against the rest
of the era they travel to!  I'm gonna be SO rich!"

He rambles on for a few more minutes, mostly about him having hordes of
scantily clad women waiting at his beck and call, most likely feeding
him grapes and racks of lamb and goblets of wine all day, but he
eventually comes around.

"Ah, yes, you wish for me to send you home, hmm?  Well, I'll certainly
make the attempt, but I will have to record the experiment for
posterity.  After all, I've only just now proven my theory, putting it
into practice will be something else altogether."

"I suppose the three of you can just step onto this platform, here, if
you'd be so kind.  No, not you, fella, you ain't got not static, and
this device'd turn you inside-out and backwards if you were to step into
it.  But, if that's your idea of fun and all..."

Arbet most definitely backs away from the platform that this madman
seems to want the three of you to step onto, having already had a bad
day no thanks to you guys, and not wanting it to get any worse.  In
fact, he begins to move for the door, unless you stop him.

But then, all he's got waiting for him upstairs is a horny blob...

Que?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Search for Santuary
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:29:24 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You wander around for a bit, and come across two bikes at a local biker
joint.  They'd be easy pickings, I suppose, but not as easy as the Jeep
you stole earlier, and is still where you left it...  At any rate, you
hotwire the hog and drive off before anybody can stop you.

Not that they'd be able to, all things considered.

Anyway, you find a derelict hotel room (convenient, in that you have no
money), and move in for the night.  The place is in remarkably good
shape, all things considered, having no bugs, no filth, and no grafitti
just yet.  Must've just been closed down.

Once you settle in, you go over all the information in your databases,
and don't quite come up with anything on Jinx, whoever that may be. 
After a few minutes, you give up, and drift off into an unrestful sleep;
you may be artificial, but you gotta recharge sometime.

While you're out, you have bizarre dreams of robot armies, marching
through the city, gatling shoulder cannons a'blazing, and an image of a
man atop a fiery throne, waving his hands madly and goading his robot
forces on.  That man is Roy Shijitzu.

You wake up all uncomfortable-like, feeling like the world is out to get
you - and who knows, just maybe it is.  Fidgeting around, you find a
remote, and wonder of wonders, find that the power in this place is
still on, and so is the cable.

Turning to CNN, you see that your little fight last night didn't go
unnoticed.  The reporter claims that it's a mystery just what happened,
but there's a bunch of kids who say otherwise.  "Yeah, this punker with
laser eyes and cable hair came out of nowhere and saved us!"

The police sketch artist didn't really do you justice, but you can tell
it was supposed to be you.  Though you don't recall having a cape or
such a big set of shoulder pads.  Anyway, it seems that some folks like
you.  But, what now?  It's the second day of your life...!

Subject: Re: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:34:25 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"You.  You...  You!  You there, stop that damn extinguishing!  That's
the Space Hobo, there!  You must stop attempting to save its miserable
life at once!!  I insist!!!  You know not what you do!!!!  You risk
irreperable harm if you do not desist this instant!!!!!"

The glowing ball of light seems to think that your saving the Space Hobo
is a bad idea, but it's too late, for you have extinguished the fire
that has, until moments ago, plagued his distinctly human-looking
frame.  Odd that an alien would look so much like a regular shmoe.

"You... you saved my life!", says the Space Hobo.  "Nooooo!", says the
ball of light.  "I cannot believe that you have not terminated that
cosmic menace!  Argh!  You damn fool, step aside, and I will finish the
job..."  You hear the whine of electronic weaponry coming online.

What exactly do you do next?

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 02:40:29 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"But, but honeybunny... how're we supposed to have us a good time if I
go for a walk?"  You managed to sneak up on Thrasher with ease, what
with all the sound this coal-burner's making, and slipped the knife
around his neck before he knew what hit him.

Of course, it took another second or so for your action to register.

He nonetheless starts moving towards the engine's exit, and once you get
him there, he opens his big dumb mouth again.  "So, baby, what'cher
gonna do with my traAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" 
Your kick was perfect, and so was his ballistic arc.

Thrasher landed in a dumpster, head first, amidst a pile of bums who
were rummaging for dinner.  "Oi!  What a smell!"  He rambled on, but you
couldn't hear anything else he said, because Bessie drowned him out. 
Speaking of Bessie, you ever drive a train before?

Subject: Re: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 9:45:44 -0500
From:    "Scott J. Greengold" <Scott.Greengold@ey.com>

After making sure the Hobo is not dead and is still reasonably in one piece, smoking though it likely is, Crimebuster begins to understand that he is in the middle of something that apparently started a long time ago (and maybe even in a
galaxy far away).  Initially a little confused on what course of action he should take, he remembers what one of the first lessons he learned under Master Lee was: 

"Ok, Everything stops until I get an answer on what the heck is going on here."  Pointing to the ball of energy, and moving between it and the Hobo, Crimebuster says "Regardless of what crimes or injustices have been done to you by this being I cannot allow you to kill ....er...um....him.   Why don't you just tell me what is going on and we can reach a better solution. "  The tone in his voice is friendly, even relaxed although he knows that combat may be only seconds away.  One of the first things he learned under Master Lee's tutelage was that violence is the option only if all other options have been exhausted. 

With that, Crimebuster lets go of what is left of his trenchcoat and attempts to calm himself down, knowing that if he assumes either an offensive or  defensive stance, the being will most likely pick up on it.  

Assuming the being talks first, Crimebuster will try to calm the ball of energy down.  If the being shoots without responding, Crimebuster will shout "Get down!!" to the Hobo and attempt to dodge toward  the being while drawing Achira. 

Some rolls:

36,83,71,56,  Initiative if necessary is a 5

Subject: [v13] A.S.9. : Brave New World
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 09:09:04 CST
From:    "Randy Alexander" <as_nine@hotmail.com>

The police sketch artist didn't really do you justice, but you can tell it 
was supposed to be you.  Though you don't recall having a cape or such a big 
set of shoulder pads.  Anyway, it seems that some folks like you.  A.S.9 
gets up from his bed and looks for a phonebook and wants to find some new 
leather clothes and maybe a possible job to bring in some cash, maybe 
someone needs a bouncer or bodyguard, or he could use his skills to be a 
bounty hunter. He walks out a breathes in deeply and gets on his hog, and 
begins to drive off.

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 12:40:54 EST
From:    "Peter Chamers" <lil_blk_duck@hotmail.com>

Ronin nods to his magical companion. Striding evenly over to the couple, he 
nods his head to them by way of greeting.  More like a bow than a nod, 
though definitely not a deep one.

"May we join you?" he inquires of the pair.

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 16:20:41 EST
From:    EmarZero@aol.com

Ari will turn to Och, and ask the following:  "If I do something rash and 
stupid, you'll watch my back, right?"  Given the affirmative, Ari kisses the 
dwarf on the cheek, and reaches into her bag for something useful, rolling 
a... (oog: sweet jesus.)  69.  Depending on the item retrieved, Ari will plan 
her next move from there.

If Och replies negatively, his loss.  Ari continues as planned, sans dwarf.

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:45:10 -0500
From:    "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com>

 "Lady of Pain? How odd. She sounds more like a villain and a despot than a
heroic and just ruler. But then again what do I know?" Magus says with a
smile of jest and friendliness dancing over his face.

>> (snip description of the Bar and it's 'friends')

"Well sir I would not mind listening to your tales of adventure at all.
Perhaps you have been to my own home plane even. I would be most interested
in hearing of it if you have." And with that said Magus takes another
draught from his mug and listens to the next story the bar speaks of...

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Wed, 19 Jan 2000 18:16:11 -0600
From:    "William H. Lockwood" <albedo1@home.com>

Jinx cackles wildly as she watches Thrasher fly out the door, but
quickly halts in mid-cackle as it slowly dawns on her that she has
absolutely no clue how to handle a train.

"HAHAHAHAHA-um."

Then she did her best to collect herself and take a look around the
cabin of the train.

"Right, how do I stop this crazy thing!?"

[Oh my GAWD, Becky! Jinx might actually figure it out with a 97 on a
Reason roll! *boggles*]

Subject: Re: [v13] Great balls of fire
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 13:55:46 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"You do not understand."  This is the ball of energy.  "I am Cracklin'
Mad Pinpoint, in your language, and I was, until moments ago, the
captain of that craft you see smoldering before you.  I would've been
captain still, if not for that... organic, there."

"He is a curse.  A plague!  His very existence is a continued threat to
all thinking beings in the cosmos, and you are doing naught but
perpetuate its pathetic existence.  I warn you, you know not what you
are doing, you damn human."

On the other side of you, the Space Hobo simply coughs a lot, puffing
out clouds of space-craft generated smoke.  "Ack.  Don' listen to him,
buddy.  I was just hitchin' a ride, and Pinpoint's ship started to fall
apart-like.  Not my fault his ship was so shoddy..."

?

 (and i did get yer mail - i was just too busy last night.  Sorry...!)

Subject: Re: [v13] A beginning... (Ari)
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 14:21:17 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Och looks at you and gives you a big, beaming, teethy smile.  "Of
course.  After playing with humans for several months, now, I've kind of
gotten used to this whole 'rash' thing.  No problem."  He then follows
you down into the warehouse proper.

As you descend the stairs, you reach into your sack (the real one,
mind), fish around for a couple of seconds, and pull out... a bow tie.
Not a regular one, mind, but a steel bow tie, and it's got a button on
the back, where a clip would ordinarily go.

So, you've got your bow tie and your dwarf, the question I should ask
next is... exactly what do you do in so rash a fashion?

Subject: Re: [v13] Touring the City of Doors
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:06:11 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Inside the Fortune's Wheel, the two sallow folk scoot over, allowing you
a spot to sit if you like.  "Now, as I was telling my fine githyanki
friends, here, I've had many travels on the plane prime, visiting
countless worlds in that curious realm."

"I was just telling about the strange world of Krynn I'd visited, but
that tale's already getting cold this day, so I'll tell you of this
other, horrible world I visited in the prime.  I'd wandered off the
beaten track, away from the spiral of alternate earths, by far."

"Sailing about in the void between worlds, I came across this rather
strange species of monster, something I'd never seen in all my travels,
even in the Abyss.  They were curious beasts, basically eight tentacles
connected by a gaping maw and digestive tract."

"They called themselves Bin'tri, and were competent spell-casters. 
These monstrosities decided that they liked me upon my journey to their
world, mostly as a new culinary experience, and decided to sample my
flesh!  Mine, mind you!"

"Well, after I slew over one hundred of them, they grew wise to the
folly of their ways, and began to actually worship me, calling me
something akin to the avatar of Aagh, presumably some savage deity of
theirs, and they allowed me to walk amongst them."

"Which was interesting, for their homes consisted of strange, artificial
hovels, built of steel and electricity, that were way too small for one
of my stygian bulk to squeese myself through, of course. It was there
that I found them to be kindred of our own Sensates."

"You see, their entire society revolves around the process of feeding,
and these Bin'tri will travel long and far in order to sample new dishes
- usually still-living beings who have no desire to be eaten, much less
eaten alive."

"In fact, they will risk anything short of certain death in order to try
something new, some new meaty flavor.  Of course, these creatures
eventually figured out that I wasn't their deity, and decided to teach
me a lesson... they presumably are tracking me to this day."

"In fact..."  Just then, a bunch of tentacles arc over the bar, landing
square in the laps of the two apparent githyanki, as named by the wooden
dragon bar.  "Aaaa!"  Both scream in unison, and fall clean off their
bar stools, madly grasping and clutching each other in terror.

A few seconds later, the bartender shows himself, and demonstrates that
the tentacles are only severed octopus arms, held aloft on a stick.  He
and the dragon bar laugh merrily, but the two folks on the ground aren't
so amused.

"Bloody berks!  That is NOT amusing."  The two then walk off in a huff,
causing the bartender and his bar to laugh even harder.  Soon enough,
however, the barkeep notices you.  "Ah, I do so love that gag.  So, can
I interest you in another drink?"

Subject: Re: [v13] Twisted Happenings
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:13:10 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

You just sort of grunt as you look at the controls, Jinx, and in a
surprise bout of inspiration decide that this thing must handle somewhat
like a regular car; after all, normal trains don't turn, unlike Bessie,
here.

You see two main levers, and a big pull-cable thing that's likely a
brake; you've seen too many movies with one of those to mistake it for
anything else.  Pulling one lever back while pushing the other forward,
you cause the train to make a hard left turn.

It rolls right over some poor slob's parked Ford escort, simply
flattening the thing in the process.  It's not wrecked - it's
FLATTENED.  After clearing that almost two dimensional mess, you see in
the distance something floating over the street, dropping things.

Yep, it's that Saint Nick fellow, and he seems to be sharing his own
brand of x-mas cheer with another Twisted Metal contestant... looks to
be that Stiletto fellow, in his odd little wedge-car.  Also, they seem
to be headed right for you.  What now?

Subject: Re: [v13] A.S.9. : Brave New World
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:19:21 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

Well, the phone book offers you a plethora of shopping options here in
the Big Apple, though the primary problem is currency; namely, you don't
seem to have any.  Oh, sure, you could STEAL some new clothes, but that
wouldn't be very nice.

But then, neither was lifting that bike...

Also, you locate a depressingly large array of bars and such that may
very well be in need of a bouncer, and a few actual bodyguard services
with ads like 'Like to hurt people?  Be a bodyguard for our unpopular
clients!' and such.

Of course, the whole bounty hunter thing sounds kind of nice, in that
you'd have no specific boss, really, and with your talents, the money
ought to come in easily enough.  So, the question is, which of these
leads do you pursue first?

Subject: Re: [v13] Harmonious Fortitude
Date:    Thu, 20 Jan 2000 15:35:29 -0600
From:    Firebomb <firebomb@home.com>

"But of course, friend!"  That would be the human at the table; the
other merely looks at you as you approach.  It's not a snobby response
to your presence, or even dislike, for she looks quite friendly; you
just get the impression that she... has no use for talk just yet.

"Welcome to the Egg!  I'm Thaddeus Danger - no, that's not my real name
- and this beauty here is none other than Gloria Starshine - and oddly,
that IS her real name.  We're travelers from Elysium... it's so nice to
see non-Arcadians here for once."

"Their sense of harmony is something we find abhorrent, but then, it's
not our town, I guess."  You note that the talkative fellow, here, has a
badge on his cape, a strange emblem that seems to demonstrate all five
sensory abilities.

His compatriot, the girl with the glowing hair, has one as well, but it
has a crescent moon balanced over a landscape that is half covered in
sunlight, half in darkness.  You're not quite sure what it represents,
but it's right there on her necklace.

It's a stark contrast to all the fellows in town, here, who're wearing
red armor and have badges that look like a shield with a sword suspended
in front of it... sort of like a representation of offensive defense, or
some such.  But anyway.

"And don't ask how we know.  You have no overwhelming red theme to your
clothing, and no Harmonium badges.  Besides, you have an open look to
your faces that betrays you as not being one of these stuffy berks." 
Thaddeus grins and yells to the barkeep.

"Drinks for the four of us, friend - on me!  But make sure it's a
different drink than last time... I've had enough of your Arcadian
ale... I need a change of pace!"  This, of course, causes scowls and
grumbles from the other table, but no outright violence.

"So, just who are the two of you, anyway?  And what brings you to this
cranial prison?"

Qui?
