Variant Earth 13 E Mail Game Archive Number 26

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com>
Date:  Tue Dec 4, 2001  3:44 am
Subject:  Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5)

As Ari confiscates the Confiscator's pants, you make your move on Drag, Masque.  The bizarre reject from a Godfather's Pizza commercial just looks at you incredulously.  "I knew I should'a stomped my foot through your creepy ass when I hadda chance.  Now I'se gonna have to do it direct-like, see?"

As he moves to approach you though, Rebound drops from the ceiling after corroding his way through the... ice... and indeed lands on Drag's back - with a wet, slappy sort of sound... kind of like that which you get when a big hunk of liver falls on the ground, sort of sound.

He flexes mightily, though, and easily dislodges you, causing you to fall back onto the slush behind him.  Of course, the corrosives on you seem to have done their damage, as combined with Jinx's earlier monomolecular blade slash on his chest, you seem to have damaged him something fierce.

"No!  My suit... it's the source of all my power!  Nooooooo!"

Then Drag does something really weird... he starts to dissolve - not just his suit, either.  The suit and the flesh all start to ooze away, leaving a much smaller, much skinnier man in its place.  Looks like he's maybe four foot ten, perhaps 100 pounds - if he's lucky.

"I can't believe you wrecked my suit.  I kill you!"

Drag (?) then runs at you and kicks you, Rebound, but the explosive force from that alone knocks him out - he seems to be a true lightweight after all!

Meanwhile, Magus and Och continue their excavation efforts, and after getting about ten feet deep, they encounter Crimebuster as he attempts to climb / swim his way back up to breathable air.  As soon as they pull him out, however, those of you still paying attention can see Jinx pull herself out, as well.

Och then disengages the rope he anchored around your leg, Stone Cold, and does his best to then wedge Ken out of the hole Drag left him in... though the guy was just pulling himself out at that point.  Just then, though, all the villainous sorts before you pull the mystic magic fade.

Leaving you all alone in this quickly degenerating ice chamber... now what?

(Oooooh yEEEEEEah!)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Dec 4, 2001  7:54 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5)

> (snip drop on Drag) 

"Yummy!" 

> (snip effects of drop on Drag) 

Looking back up from his seat in the slushy expanse, Rebound admires his
handiwork... 

> "No! My suit... it's the source of all my power! Nooooooo!" 

"You gotta be freakin' kidding me." 

> (snip shrinkage of Drag) 

"I guess not. Come on, wuss. Hit me with your best shot!" 

> "I can't believe you wrecked my suit. I kill you!" 

"Been tried before..." 

> (snip the defeat of Drag) 

Rebound explodes in nearly uncontrollable laughter at the result, stopping
only when he realizes that people are missing. 

> (snip Och / Magus / Crimebuster / Ken doings)

> Leaving you all alone in this quickly degenerating ice chamber... now what?

> (Oooooh yEEEEEEah!) 

"Um...anyone see an exit?"

From:  "Charlie Clay Jr." <cclayjr@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Tue Dec 4, 2001  3:59 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5)

"Does the NEED to get out cross anyone's mind??" Stone Cold says as he 
yanks up Och. Grabbing him to keep him from slingshotting in to the 
ceiling.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Tue Dec 4, 2001  5:36 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5)

> ...now what?

"Hey, guys? I think it might be in our best interests to get the heck out of
Dodge!"

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Dec 4, 2001  6:08 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5)

"Right, folks. Any exit the way we came in? If not, how deep are we? If it's not far to the surface then we can blast our way out and the fliers can do evac. Any other quick suggestions?"

From:  scott.greengold@ey.com 
Date:  Wed Dec 5, 2001  8:55 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment... (Round 5) [WatchDog checked]

>> (snip unearthing of Crimebuster)

Crimebuster, having just been rescued, breathes heavily and is coughing as
he says "Did anyone get Jinx? I saw her get out

Those of you still paying attention can see Jinx pull herself out, as well.

CB gets himself up and tries to ignore the cold, dripping clothes he is now
in.  "Its time to get outta here. " He starts looking around for an exit, making
sure not to fall into any other melting patches of floor.  "Stoney, can you solidify the floor?" He says, barely missing a weak spot in the floor?

"And does anyone have a hair dryer....?"

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Mon Dec 10, 2001  11:46 pm
Subject:  To A Deluxe Apartement....

Masque shakes his head after the gravity wears off and he recoils the Bands
covering his face and arms.

"Ummmmm...WE"RE GONNA DIE, WE"RE GONNA DIE!!!!!"

He ceases his panic attack and eyeballs Stone Cold.

"YOU!...You can stop this. This place is made of ice... or haven't you
noticed? Freeze the place.  Make like superglue or something."

Masque picks up the errant Gecko and bands him again.
"We came up to get ourselves a Dragon and a Dragon is what we are gonna get!
Stupid Lizard's fried me twice and It took me years to get the Hand-me-Down
Robe look going here. I just can't abide by that. It's not right. A good
Wizard always looks slightly frumpled. It's deception at it's
finest.......Oh drat. I done told you our ancient Chinese secret didn't I.
Well,, just forget I said that."

He motions with his hand.
"You did not hear what the frumpled Mage just said."

Seemingly satisfied with that he stares at Stone Cold, patiently tapping his
foot.

<yer up stoney>

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Mon Dec 10, 2001  11:53 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To A Deluxe Apartement....

> (snip Masque speak)

"Hunh what?? Oh you mean me. You need to work on your english." Stone
Cold smirked as he focused on blasting parpets and other stable
structures around. (Rolls: 78, 85, 34, 91)

From:  "devilroot" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Dec 11, 2001  12:07 am
Subject:  Re: Busted!

> "We're trying to protect everybody from your temporal chicanery - even you!"

"Feh! I do just fine babe."

> (snip Moebius-ness)

Gunslinger starts moving away from her..slowly

> With that, Moebius vanishes. Into time, you'd imagine. Makes you fear for 
> the continuum.

Looking around, ready for some sort of surprise he says, "Hmmm."

After realizing that Moebeius is simply throwing a tantrum, he relaxes.

> (snip vindication of monsieur gunslingaire)

"You just said it yourself lady. I am innocent. Hope your ready to 
take the stand on my behalf after saying that."

> (snip Temporal Management policy)

"Temporal management can suck my ass. If they have been in the 
business as long as I think they have, then they should know that 
they don't exactly run a concrete operation. Nothing is set in stone 
here."

> (snip suggestion)

Gunslinger ponders this for a moment.
"I'll need my vehicle. AND a better gun. Trust me on this one."
Looking around and getting that eerie chill, he says,
"And my partner will be coming along too."

"We are gonna do this on my terms. I need all the information about 
said murder. Where and especially when. Who, witnesses, associations. 
All that good stuff. I need whatever protection you folks have 
against temporal problems. I KNOW you don't want any more of ME going 
around than there already is. I don't even want that. I can 
be...difficult."

He pauses to look at his watch.
"Funny how we still rely on time when we really don't need it huh? I 
will find this person, it's what I do best. After all it's just 
another Bounty and the price is apparently My freedom."

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Dec 12, 2001  2:44 am
Subject:  Re: To A Deluxe Apartment...

After Stone Cold reaches out with his icy powers and props the place up 
with his frozen constructs, the threat of immediate burial under an unknown 
quantity of ice seems to feel less... immediate. To all of you save for 
Och, of course.

"You c-c-can put me d-d-down now, S-S-Stone C-C-Cold..."

He seems somewhat... COLD all of a sudden.

Meanwhile, Ken flies up to the true center of this former cube of air in 
the midst of, again, an unknown quantity of ice, and peers at each face of 
the formerly perfect geometric void. "Hm... we came from THIS way, and the 
bad guys came from THIS way..."

"We seem to have THREE different options here, guys, but I'd say we follow 
the one hint we have - unless that, too, is another trick from this, uh, 
tricky dragon-person. Or something. Er."

You get the impression that Ken's not quite leadership material.

But he has a good question - where to now? Three possibilities before 
y'all (four if yer calling it a day... heheh)

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Dec 12, 2001  3:12 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Lieutenant Syde of Temporal Management looks at you long and hard, and 
apparently makes a decision.

"Very well. I will grant you most of your requests. For instance, you can 
go ahead and have your vehicle upgraded as planned; I had no intention of 
stopping that in the first place, since a) you are a time traveler, and b) 
so were the sources of your parts.

"Merely moving them from one traveler to another is irrelevant to myself; 
Management wouldn't like it so much, but then, we're playing it by ear 
here, aren't we?" Syde consults her electronic slate for a few seconds, 
and then gets back to you.

"Your temperamental partner can accompany you all she likes; quite frankly, 
I could care less what she does... as long as she doesn't cause any trouble 
for us like she says she's going to. We're only here to protect the 
omniverse from irreparable harm.

"Some people just don't get that."

"However, I cannot provide you any firearms or temporal equipment - you'll 
simply have to make do with what you've got; after all, you're only hunting 
you, and you should have comparable equipment to yourself - eyewitness 
accounts of your variant confirm this."

Meanwhile, as you take in Syde's speak, you hear a disembodied voice coming 
from nowhere. "Kill her... Kill her! Make her go away...!" Sounds a 
whole lot like Moebius.

You're not sure if Syde noticed this, but she doesn't remark on it. You 
definitely wouldn't want to play poker with her, that's for sure. "As far 
as information on the actual deed, here's a video shot by Management 
cameras on the scene. Here's your witness."

Suddenly, Lieutenant Syde's slate produces an image a few feet above 
itself, a holographic projection in 2D of the event from the camera's point 
of view. You see this older gentleman walking with several others folks in 
a sort of courtyard.

They're all wearing uniform like Syde's. Suddenly, you appear out of the 
blue and scream "I tole you I'd kill you, motherfucker, if you -" Your 
voice is overwhelmed by the sound of your gunfire, which makes 'blam' like 
reports, but also gives off an eerie, otherworldly scream.

The pastel orange flames vaporizes Captain Harley Warbucks almost instantly 
- leaving nothing but his smoking boots in their wake. Before the others 
can open up on you, though, you vanish into nowhere, leaving two of them to 
follow suit, and one to stand there.

Looking rather shocked, really.

When the video stops, Syde just looks at you intently, waiting for a 
response. While you try to come up with something, though, you catch a 
weird sort of shadow passing over yours out of the corner of your 
eye. Looking up, you see some sort of... bandaged flying man.

!?

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Dec 12, 2001  3:09 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment...

"Wake up that lil' gecko.  I bet if we tell him we're gonna feed him to Masque, he'll talk." 
 
From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Wed Dec 12, 2001  7:05 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment...

"I prefer to get this over with myself, I have this thing against
reoccurring enemies." Stone Cold said itching to finish of the
half-crazed Capt.

He then put Och down. "Sorry." He said, trying to reabsorb some of the
cold off of him.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Dec 13, 2001  8:49 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

Geoffrey smiles as someone finally has taken the time to offer him an
apology for the appalling greeting for one of his stature and importance. 

"If, perhaps, you would take more care to ascertain the civilized intentions of your visitors before initiating hostilities, your prophet perhaps would have less to fear. At least your 'guards' did not deem to strike out at me; that would have proved most foolish."

Geoffrey allows his words to sink in for a moment.

"Please, follow me..."

With little more than a glance to his "guide", Geoffrey turns to follow the new authority figure.

"And who might you be? You seem to command some manner of respect from the rest of the rabble."

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Thu Dec 13, 2001  8:38 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: To A Deluxe Apartment...

Jinx nods to Stone Cold, "Right. We need to finish this now or we'll never see things to the end."

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Dec 19, 2001  2:44 am
Subject:  To the Sky!

"It's O.K., Stone Cold... it was the thought that counted." Och seems much 
better once you relieve him of the cold you were inadvertently imbuing him 
with, Stone Cold. Not that it helps much, since there's still quite a lot 
of that to go around.

Meanwhile, Ken begins to fly down the path that the Normal Man came from 
(since only three of yer responded in the last week, I assume that nobody 
objects to this). He doesn't go TOO far ahead, however, in the event that 
more surprises are waiting.

As you walk, the ice is replaced by what looks like solid rock, though the 
dimensions of the subterranean passage seems unchanged. On the sides of 
the tunnel, you can see all manner of minerals suspended in the rock, 
including... gold...!

The lot of you catch up to Ken at a point where he simply stopped along the 
square path cut into the rock. He stopped at a spiral staircase, composed 
entirely of ice, that goes... up. Straight up, through a circular shaft in 
the rock.

You can't see the top, naturally... just a brightness above.

Ken then starts to walk up the stairs, with Och beside him, his axe 
brandished and ready. After about two hundred or so feet of ascendance, 
you come up to a flat, rocky plateau - and I mean flat! It's entirely 
smooth, as though the rock had been polished.

Looking around, you can see a truly impressive, mountainous vista 
surrounding this especially smooth rocky surface, which gives one the 
impression that this was a mountain whose cap was shaved off at some point 
in the past. There's more, however.

Looking out, it almost appears as though you're still INSIDE a mountain, in 
that the details of the world outside are obscured, as though you were 
looking at it through a one-way mirror; it's like the mountain top itself 
is... transparent?

Though definitely hollowed out in an impressive fashion, as the 'top' of 
this see-through mountain top is about four hundred feet above, and the 
chamber floor seem to be approximately 500 feet in diameter; the outside, 
'see-through' rock is about twenty feet thick.

Though slightly brown-tinted, the view without is nonetheless rather 
spectacular, affording an impressive view of the ice-covered mountains all 
around you, as well as the rather large clouds of ice and snow being blown 
about by the winds outside.

(note: anybody got a GPS system handy?)

Again, however, there's more.

Looking around this chamber, you can see a sizable generator powering what 
looks like a computer network, along with what can only be described as... 
heaps of loot. You see a stack of coins with all kinds of jewelry and 
weapons and statues and things heaped on it.

It looks like it would do Scrooge McDuck proud!

You also spy a rather large pile of what looks like... junk. Not just 
junkyard junk, mind you, but what would appear to be the grand-daddy of all 
spare parts bins, as though somebody was trying to make something big, and 
didn't know what they needed.

On top of all that, there's even more.

You hear voices, issuing forth from behind the pile of loot and high tech 
frippery and the massive computer network. One sounds rather familiar, in 
that it has a sibilant tone, and you all have heard it in your head while 
its owner attacked you.

It's the she-dragon.

Of course, the other voice also sounds somewhat familiar, if you were one 
of the folks that listened in on that conversation the gecko was having 
with a mysterious redhead in red leather and such outside that Cobra 
weapons cache in the Chrysler building way back when.

(though really, that was just hours ago)

The she-dragon voice speaks. "You know I've detected your comings and 
goings for quite some time now, War."* To this, the apparent War responds 
"I'm sure. I didn't think your gecko would keep that from you anyway, even 
though it was trying to impress me."

"I mean, what was with that fez?"

Then, you hear the sound of what you can only imagine to be a lawn chair 
being unfolded and placed on the rocky floor. "But yes, I never miss a 
good fight like this... after all, their fight with your minions was rather 
impressive, you know."

With that, the sexy redhead voice takes on an odd undertone; it's nothing 
you can put your finger on, but you get the impression that you hear 
machine gun fire under her breath as she talks. "I can only imagine the 
destructive onslaught their battle with YOU will cause, Elys."

To this, the she-dragon responded "True... I suppose I should prepare for 
the carnage. I AM rather hungry after all..."

!?!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Dec 19, 2001  8:27 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari eeps, and gets out her Defenestrator.  Looks like she'll be needing it. 

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Wed Dec 19, 2001  6:43 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Jinx surveys the blasted plain, concerned about the lack of cover.
 
~Hmmm...I could use the computers and loot as cover. That might make the she-bitch hesitate long enough for someone to get a shot or two in.~
 
Looking to her compatriots, she'd shrug helplessly, looking for suggestions as she checked the charge/ammo on her magcannon.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Dec 20, 2001  7:46 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

> (note: anybody got a GPS system handy?)

(Well, Rebound is fresh out of digital watches...maybe someone else has one)

Again, however, there's more.

> (snip stuff)

Rebound whispers to Ari as he examines the generator from afar..."Hey, you got an enormous set of jumper cables in that bag of yours?"


> It looks like it would do Scrooge McDuck proud!

>> (snip dragon-y intro)

"ShowTime folks. I'll jump down her throat and give you all some time to
hammer her before she can finish me off."
Rebound begins to move into position and make good on his "promise" when he
actually hears what is being said...

> (snip convo-sation)

"So the bitch has a name now..."

> (snip more convo-sation)

Rebound being true to form uses a few strands to help him vault over the
banks of computer equipment, hit the floor, and launch himself headlong at
Elys.

(As he hits the ground and launches at the dragon...)

"Eat THIS bitch!!!!

(KARMA TIME!!!! Init: 9, Leap over computers:60+25 karma=85, Launch at
dragon 79+25 karma=104, Hit dragon:99+25 karma=124!, hurt dragon:75+25
karma=100, multiple actions?:57+25 karma=82, other rolls as necessary:17,
8!?!, 19!?, 28*sigh*, 49*best stop already*)

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Thu Dec 20, 2001  5:49 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"Do you have a problem against waiting for a real plan!?!" Stone Cold
says as he blasts the Dragon and the ceiling to hopefully bring down
frozen shards on top of her. (2xblasts 84+25=109 76+25= 101w/ karma)

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Thu Dec 20, 2001  11:26 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Masque was just getting ready to "aha" when stone cold speaks,
'Ah..a......For once mister man, I am inclined to agree with you. Although I
am sure she knew we were here anyhow. She is a dragon after all...hey wait a
second...we got her name..hold on..."

Masque appears to be thinking, aloud at that,
"Elys..hmmm....Elys..."
(Rolling a 98 on his talent on occult lore)
"Ahhhaaa..."

(Yer turn denny..what do I know?)

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Dec 21, 2001  12:07 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

(this be a quick interruption in the action for a FEAT check)

***
Elys, Elys, Elys...

Your scatterbrained mind mulls over the name of your foe like an old dog attempting to eat a spoonfull of peanut butter, Masque. The name is 
familiar, yet distant - as though you read it in a book once.

Ah, yes. Books. Books about dragons!

It starts to come to you, slowly at first, but then you remember more as the time ticks by, moments passing by you much slower than they should be, your mind kicking into overdrive upon your remembrance.

You recall the old man, your mentor, forcing you to read the book about 
dragons, which you did not want to do at the time, for you were more 
interested in summoning things from Beyond - with Magic.

But you read nonetheless, as seven whacks with one of Old Faceless' rulers to the knuckles will whip any disciple of magic into order toot sweet. You read from the book about dragons, and found them...

Found them to be highly predictable, really. They generally do the same 
thing, hoarding a mass of whatever it is that they find valuable in their secret, highly defended lairs, wherever they may be.

Elys, as a specific passage stated, was an odd duck of a dragoness, one who wandered the myriad planes of existence looking for something she felt was lacking in the world, in her magic.

She wanted it to work properly with technology, you see; she felt that the ways of making ordinary items magical by the application of magic to said items was too artificial, too... crude, really.

She wanted to make the two tools one, for maximum efficiency. She could 
have wandered out into the trackless depths of space, oh no. Instead, she wandered the planes, became a Planewalker.

In a human guise, she learned much about technology and magic, but little about the two working in tandem. The closest she came was after 
encountering a bizarre race of clockwork beings, the Modrons.

Made of flesh and gears, these beings were magical in their own right, but didn't use the special blend of forces she desired. However, they served as an inspiration to how she would combine her tools into one.

Vowing to complete her work at long last, Elys retreated to parts unknown, and was never seen by mortal eyes again - at least, those that chronicle the comings and goings of dragons.

While the book stated no special, obvious weaknesses that Elys may have, other than the ones that dragons are usually bound by (which is to say, none), it did describe her obsessions quite well.

Evidence of which you can see all around you, Masque, in the pile of spare parts before you, and the technomantic hand of Morbis' monster clone carried upon your person.

You know, the thing that started this whole mess.

That's all you know - but then, Information is Power (R).

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Fri Dec 21, 2001  12:19 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Masque grins from ear to ear.....
"Ohhhhh Elllllyyyyyys!"
He eyeballs the generator....his grin threatening to split his head in
two.....
"What you wish to do won't work dear...not at all, so I am gonna save you
the trouble......"
He waves his hands around in that eye-popping way and murmurs some words and
...*Poof*, there goes the generator, banished to the moon. (76 roll)*
"As for this thing," he brandishes the hand..."we don't need this
either......"
some more hand motions and ...*poof*
Off to the sun with the Technomagical hand. (66 roll)*

Remembering that he really ain't that brave at all, he then runs away....for
cover rather...towards the piles of junk. Calling forth his Mystical ,
magical scythe, just in case.

*all rolls thanks to Firebomb's hand dandy die roll generator..woo woo

From:  scott.greengold@ey.com 
Date:  Fri Dec 21, 2001  7:17 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky! [WatchDog checked]

> It's the she-dragon.

CB looks around for a knight in shining armor, figuring that he will be the
first to be chomped.

> "Eat THIS bitch!!!!

Seeing Rebound be...well...be Rebound, CB mutters to himself "A plan would
have been nice...but if I wanted plans I would be
an Avenger."

CB Strikes-The Most-Dramatic-Pose-He-Can(tm) (mouth open in full TAKE THAT
mode), and releases his inner chi through Achira
at the she-dragon.

(OCC: Its karma time indeed, Rolls all +25 Karma : Init: 3 Attacks:21+25
= 46, 38+25=63, 90+25=115)

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  4:00 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

> (snip corridor)

Magus pauses but for a moment to look at the various veins of ore and
minerals, but seeing as how he is one of the last to proceed downward it
goes generally unnoticed.

> (snip stairs)

Magus mumbles something indecipherable in his native tongue under his breath.

> (snip view)

"Magicks..," Magus utters to himself, "..powerful magicks..."

> (snip loot)

Surveying the bountiful hoard of wealth himself Magus realizes that if not imminently close to a dragon...if not the particular one they all seek...they soon will be seeing as how they collections are almost a part of their nature.

> (snip Rebound speak)

"Lovely course of action..," Magus states in a tone that could slip
between two extremes of judgmental or approval.

> (snip dragon speak)

"Now would be the time to pray to your Gods, humans," Magus offers as he unsheathes his dual blades and prepares for their forthcoming destruction.

> (snip Ari and Rebound speak)

"He reminds me of a Kender...without the kleptomaniacal inclinations,"
Magus states to no one in particular.

> (snip Stone Cold and Masque speak) 

"You're truly wise when it comes to making friends," Magus replies
flatly, "About as well as an Elven ambassador to a Duergar Thanedom..."

> (snip Masque boobery)

Standing near where they first arrived Magus watches as the others run for cover or all out attack the force of nature before them and shrugs slightly to himself...

> (snip Crimebuster speak)

...right before running the opposite way. From the fight. From the
dragon. From those he's travelled thus far with for this one confrontation.

> (snip Criembuster actions)

Within moments the draconic warrior has all but disappeared from sight.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  6:11 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

(so sorry 'bout the delay on this one - I missed it in me e mail pile)

The three Atlanteans who brought you to Atlantis follow you as you follow 
your new guide. He seems uninterested in replying to your comments about 
foolish actions, but does seem willing to respond to your query about his 
identity.

"I am Captain Shwrtzz, kind sir, leader of a large array of our undersea 
defense force. It falls onto me to make sure that Atlantis itself is safe 
from any sort of... danger, regardless of its origin. I see that you are 
of no danger to us, though."

At any rate, the apparent Captain Shwrtzz leads you around the interior of 
the spectacular crystalline palace, and ultimately leads you into the inner 
depths, at a point that you speculate is pretty far under the ocean floor.

"The prophet is in here, kind sirs." He then opens the doors for you 
butler-style, and you see a haggard looking Atlantean, at least by the pose 
he has adopted in the large, throne-like chair he's seated in. Once you 
come in, he then bows.

"I will leave you lot here to speak as you wish with the Prophet. Simply 
knock when you are done, and I will escort you back out of the 
palace..." With that, Shwrtzz closes the door, though you could swear you 
heard a unpleasant 'clack' sound afterwards.

After hearing this, the so-called Prophet jerks awake in his seat, and 
screams "Don't let them lock the door! Nooo!!"

!?

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  7:09 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

As Jinx and Ari collect their weaponry and start to figure out what to do, you leap at the giant reptilian horror from Beyond, Rebound, and indeed manage to smash headlong into it.  Striking Elys in the torso solid, you make quite a spectacular blast on its side.

"ARROOOOOOOGGGGGGHHHH!", sayeth she, as you deflect off of it with impressive speed.  Elys retaliates immediately, though, leaping into the air with impossible velocity, and batting you towards the cavern walls with her tail in one fluid move.

This makes yet another explosive connection between yourself and your foe, the combined force of both blasts indeed knocking you clean THROUGH the weird, almost transparent rock that separates this chamber from the extreme cold outside... but you don't smash through it so much as sail through.

The most disturbing part of this, though, is that as soon as you are on the other side of the rock, Rebound, it suddenly becomes opaque - looking just like any other mountain in the area around you.  You keep going for quite a bit, too... 

(make an Intuition FEAT roll to make sure you don't lose that mountain in the midst of all the others, or if you wanna pull any other stunt to try and save your hide, now's the time... heheh)

"Foolish mortal - that was one-way matter!  Enjoy your long, lingering death at the hands of the Katabatic winds without.  At least, however, you will know that you lasted longer than your many compatriots, who - what?!"

Elys stops in her gloating whilst Masque starts to taunt her with his banishments.  As the generator goes POOF, it looks like the dragoness is ready to breathe all over the mage and put him out of his misery, but she's distracted by Stone Cold and Crimebuster.

The both of you manage to strike Elys rather easily, since she IS quite a large target, and you do indeed add some to the damage that Rebound has already inflicted upon her being; since there is no ice above you all though, you drop none on her head, Stone Cold.

It just... passes through like Rebound did.

Howling with rage, the dragoness looks ready to barbecue YOU two, but then Masque gets all smarmy, and makes her prize, the technomantic artifact that started this whole mess in the first place, go away.  To a bad place, from whence it won't return, even.

"Two can play that game, wizard."

Instead of breathing on any of you, Elys instead waggles her own fingers in an eye-watering fashion, and suddenly, the pile of scrap metal and appliances that Masque was running towards comes alive!  A seething mass of cables and small appliances binds Masque up, but good!

Then, a large, fifties-style refrigerator wheels up behind him, its doors closing after it has engulfed him into its mass, and then falls face-forward.  The large pile of scrap metal and appliances and whatnot then falls on top of IT.

Elys then walks towards the rest of you confidently, with what can only be described as an evil grin on her face.  "So, do you all wish to beg for mercy, or should I allow your chaotic, random assaults to continue until none of you are left standing?!"

Elys then laughs at you all.

What next?!

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  7:11 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky! (top secret addendum)

As Magus crept behind the piles of treasure gathered high throughout the huge plateau opposite from the sounds of battle he prepared himself for the task at hand. Not to mention the fact that he was risking his life even more so by following a plan of his own creation completely alone. Then again the tactics of the company he had been keeping in the past few days. Quietly creeping through the area the sudden glint of a steel from a rather large war fork caught the warrior scholar's eye. Snatching it up quickly and silently Magus reconsidered his plan only slightly. Glancing about the area the sight of a jousting lance cemented his modified plan further. Sheathing both of his bastard swords he hefted both large weapons and continued trekking around to flank the rear of their enemy...the crimson named Elys.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  7:33 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari eeeeeeps.  "Y'know, kids... some strategy mighta helped."  Looking around, at the dragon, at her teammates, and whatnot.  "In case you hadn't noticed, tall, dark, and scaly cut out on us, Mr. Booger's out the window... and a Mystery Science Theater reject just ate Masque.  We don't have issues.  We have the complete back library." 

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  9:01 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

>"Two can play that game, wizard."
 
Masque gets that 'Who,Me?' look and turns to run.

> (snip Elys burying Masque in stuff)
 
Masque freaks out. (No more Description needed).
 
He then gathers his wits, stares at the darkness around him and freaks out again.

In the Dark, no one can hear you scream.
 
Once again he calms down enough to think for a moment... moment's up...
An eerie blue glow fills the void and Masque waits.
 
To pass the time he will attempt to free himself of his death shroud, that being the cords and crap.
(68 on his circus talent thingy)
 
Outside the pile of junk, three of his Demon steed appear and start to kick the scrap away. Working their way to free Masque. Once they reach Masque's coffin, as it were, they will attempt to kick it over. Once done, he will get them to nip and whatever to free up his hands. That is if he hasn't done so already.

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  9:37 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

> "Some people just don't get that."

'S'funny how people never seem to listen to what you have to say huh?"

> (snip intro du Chicanery)

Gunslinger eyeballs the flying mummy, pulls his gun and takes aim... then shrugs his shoulders and holsters his weapon.  "Alright....I need something like a picture and locale of that witness. A time too. When did this happen?"

(theoretical response space)

He glances at his watch.
"I am sure my counterpart will find me once you are gone. I should be going.
Need to be checking up on the progress of my vehicle."

As he rockets away, he stops.
"How will I get a hold of you?....Oh wait....yer gonna say we'll be watching you huh?"

Once all is said and done, Gunslinger zooms on back to Juice's place.

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Sun Dec 23, 2001  9:31 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"I would love to beg, but I try not to beg to women less attractive than myself. So." Stone Cold runs and dives into the ground, freezing the refrigerator that Masque is in so it is so brittle that it crack while trying to get a blast off at. The dragon. (Rolls: 78, 61, 94, 55, 41, 80, 44)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Dec 24, 2001  7:41 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

Rebound will try to do something he has never been able to do before...keep himself from detonating and just cling like hell to the dragon's tail.  Should he succeed, he'll turn up the corrosiveness to an extreme and burn a Rebound-shaped hole in the tail.

(having lost track of Rebound's karma, I'll just hope he has enough left to pull off the power stunt - 1050 to try it and help the roll: 81 on the die, Corrosive roll: 61)

> (snip overridden dragon attack)

If it gets this far..."Oh, boy...this is going to suck!!!!"

> (snip instructions regarding overridden dragon attack) 

(Intuition feat roll: 45 - if all else fails)

> (snip)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Dec 24, 2001  7:48 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

(so sorry 'bout the delay on this one - I missed it in me e mail pile)

(Bah, don't sweat it there were a billion emails in that pile)

> (snip Cap'n Shwrtzz intro)

Geoffrey smiles to himself, amused to see yet another potential foe
underestimate him.

> (snip effacing Shwrtzzz text)

Geoffrey returns the bow, still chuckling to himself.

> (snip more 'niceness', and some trouble)

Geoffrey intentionally ignores the locking of the door and addresses the "prophet."

"...And you're the great prophet? Somehow I get the inclination to question the means and motives of this Captain Shwrtzz. You seem more prisoner than prophet..."

From:  "Scott G." <sgreen516@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Fri Dec 28, 2001  5:47 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"Laugh now lizard...but you know what they say about laughing last and best..."

CB attempts to mount the dragon (not like THAT you SICKOS!). Much like before, he will attempt to climb the dragon's back for a shot at her head.

(Denny, my dice rollin utility is at work....roll fer me willya? Add 30 karma to the mounting attempt)

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Fri Dec 28, 2001  6:15 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Jinx shrugs at the sudden violence erupting around her. With quick and efficient movements, she takes aim at the combat-engaged dragon and lets loose with a single shot at the mythical creature's right eye. She'll then make an immediate dive for cover to avoid any return attacks in an attempt to set herself up for a second shot (next round) at the dragon's left eye.
 
~I hope this leaves a mark.~
 
OOC: Rolls - 9 + Modifier for initiative. 86 + 20 Karma to Hit, 73 + 20 Karma for Damage, 70 + 25 Karma for a Dodge, 46, 21, 100! for any other necessary rolls.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Dec 28, 2001  7:10 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

(Have I posted yet? If not, hey)
Ari moves for cover, and as soon as she's relatively safe, she's gonna pop the
dragon with her Defenestrator. Yeh yeh.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 1, 2002  12:46 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

(okay, reality warp time)

Looking back a hair, allow us to slightly rewire what has gone down, for 
someone has too much Karma (heheh) and just decided to use it. =)

***

You tried with all your might, Rebound, and attempted to stick to the rather vicious dragon Elys when she prepared to bat you into the stratosphere - through her mountainous stronghold's walls, even!

She nonetheless hit you, though, and caused you to fly off, but the stickiness worked; though you actually got pushed halfway through the apparent one-way matter, you were still connected to your foe.

By a bevy of sticky strand thingies that managed to connect you despite your explosive exit from the villainess' master chamber. This then caused you to return quite quickly to your point of exit.

Luckily for YOU, you can apparently 'turn around' once you pass through this 'one way matter' business otherwise you may've gotten stuck in the middle of it, like a really bad, Rebound-shaped flaw in the glass.

Regardless, you snap back and strike the dragon in its tail before it knows what hit it, and whilst it was bragging at your fellows, and instilling within them a sense of doom and gloom.

Since it had moved, however, you sort of wrap around it several times thanks to your sticky strands, entangling yourself and Elys' tail in a huge corrosive mess, and preventing you from moving properly.

But then, moving isn't what you wanted to do, now is it?

You pour on the corrosiveness again, and indeed start to eat through the heavily armored scales of your foe, which causes another inhumanly loud howl of pain to issue forth from her...

Meanwhile, Jinx breaks out her remaining mag-cannon and takes a pot shot at Elys, since she's somewhat distracted by the intense pain issuing forth from the tip of her tail. She shoots, she scores!

You tag the beast once in the eye, Jinx, causing it to recoil in pain and anger, and making a satisfying spray of 'stuff' to come out of the stricken area. This, naturally, gives Crimebuster his opening.

You run up to Elys' tail, Crimebuster, even as it is thrashing to and fro, doing so easily thanks to the highly tacky nature of the sticky strands that Rebound left all over it in his last stunt.

Running up the rest of the reptile's length, you arrive on the back of Elys' head, and even see the same spot where you nailed her last time with your unique blade - the cut is still there!

Aiming at the break in the armor-like scales of the dragon, you try to repeat your shot from before, but don't quite hit your mark; Elys is bucking like mad to try and get you off of her back.

She remembers the last time you were there, after all. While you didn't hit the same spot, though, you DID strike Elys truly, and cause another spurt of blood to issue forth from her head.

Just then, Stone Cold freezes up the big pile of technological scrap that Elys used to bury Masque alive, and the mage then conjures forth a bevy of his weird, otherworldly mounts to dig him out.

(there's that word again... mount. heh heh m heh heh)

The beasts start to tear at the junk, causing it to come off in large, frozen-together yet more easily broken parts, but it looks like it'll take them a bit to dig the poor, crazy old wizard out.

(it'll take you one more turn there, Masque).

Then, of course, you step up to the plate, Ari, and brandish your Defenestrator at Elys, and, doing so while behind the relative cover of treasure, you pull the trigger on your mighty weapon from ... wherever.

Click, the trigger says.

The Defenestrator then makes a depressing 'beeeuuuu' sound, and an indicator light goes off on the side, one which says you need to plug the Defenestrator in before it can be used to defenestrate again.

(it only has two charges, as you may recall...)

Elys, while shaking her head and smashing her tail and otherwise trying to avoid all of your various implements of destruction, just stops. One of her lips curls up, almost as though she were smiling.

And then she lunges forward T-Rex style, and chomps Ari good!

The sinister red-scaled dragon actually managed to bite through your protective sports bra of plenty, Ari, giving you Monstrous (75) Edged Attack damage in the process (before your defenses, mind you).

That's not the worst part, though. Before you can react, Elys then makes a massive move with her throat, and swallows you whole! It's real, real dark inside Elys, Ari, which is probably a good thing.

(any idears!?)

This act, naturally, prompts a response from y'all. Your secondary attacks doesn't quite connect though, Jinx and Stone Cold, as the dragon has resumed its shake and stomp actions to get rid of its 'riders'.

However, Ken hasn't made his move yet, and he does so now. "Noo - you evil bitch!" He then rockets towards the dragoness at full speed, only to find himself suspended in mid-air only five feet away from her.

"Foolish ingrate, did you not think that I noted your stellar power well before you came here? I've had plenty of time to figure out what to do with you, you would be hero..."

Elys then pulls a Masque maneuver, and after waggling her fingers, Ken vanishes with a sad little 'poit' sound. And gets her toes cleaved off in response, by a foe that she had NOT planned for.

Looking down as blood sprays forth onto him, Elys sees the diminutive form of Och. "Think you're so smart, do you, you ugly flea bitten whore? Well, then, let's see how smart you really are?"

"Are you bright enough to spit Ari back up before I have to retrieve her the hard way??" You don't like the look in Och's eyes. You haven't seen that look since A.S.9 tore up the hall outside his apartment.

?!

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Tue Jan 1, 2002  1:21 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari attempts to maintain composure.  Assuming the Defenestrator is still intact, she shoves it into her backpack, then tries to fetch a flashlight.   

Otherwise, she'll pepper the dragon's insides with the wristband/gun dealies she swiped from that Harry Potter lookin' kid.  Who swiped 'em from that other girl.  Kinda funny, how life comes back to bite you on the ass like that, innit? 

(Other notes: OCH & ARI, BEST FRIENDZ 4-EVA!!!!1) 

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Tue Jan 1, 2002  1:50 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Stone Cold shifts to phase through the floor and come up beneath the dragon and phase her foot into the floor and resolidify it. (Should be rather painful *winks*) (Rolls: 84, 61, 92, 59)

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 1, 2002  8:37 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

> (it'll take you one more turn there, Masque).

Masque continues to freak out.

From:  scott.greengold@ey.com 
Date:  Wed Jan 2, 2002  7:24 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky! [WatchDog checked]

"ARI !!! NOO!!!!" screams Crimebuster in anguish, she being one of the
first people to befriend him when he arrived.
"That's it Lizard. I am going to cut her out of your cold, dead carcass.
All the way from head to stomach!"

CB looks stoic, and distraught, as heroes tend to do when they lose
friends. He refocuses his chi onto the blade of Achira, but does not
release it. Instead, he plunges the emerald hued weapon deep into the
skull of the writhing dragon, pouring all remaining karma into damage.

(OCC: I am back at office, and my trusty spreadsheet rolls: 85, 58, 64.
Init: 9)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 2, 2002  8:02 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

(okay, reality warp time)

Looking back a hair, allow us to slightly rewire what has gone down, for 
someone has too much Karma (heheh) and just decided to use it. =)

(Well it IS the time of year to spend everything you have left in savings,
isn't it?)

***

> (snip power stunt effect)

"Oh shi...."

> (snip magic mystery comeback)

"I'm baaaack!"

> (snip Elys close-up)

"Ha!" *woosh* "Now" *woosh* "You're" *woosh* in *woosh* "troub..." *splack*

> (snip dissolving effect)

Rebound tries to sound as confident and heroic as he possibly can...
"Burn in hell foul beast!" (Yeah, that's it.)

> (snip Elys et-ing Ari)

"That tears it, dragon. Cough her up, or I'll burn my way straight through to her. And don't think I can't. I'm done holding back on you."

> (snip the vanishing of Ken)

"Not again!"

> (snip when Dwarves attack)

Rebound, being all tangled up in strands and tail and such will try to wedge
his fingers between two scales and corrode his way deeper, eating through
the roots of the scales.

Rolls: Init: 3, corrosiveness: 61, others: 9 (oh dear), 16, 74, 94

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Sun Jan 6, 2002  4:44 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Jinx lets her brow furrow at the sight of her compatriot being swallowed.

~Damnit, I'll have to be careful not to take any throat or body shots or I
might hit her. Oh well, back to the target practice!~

With that, Jinx would concentrate and take aim on the dragon's remaining
eye, hoping to blind her and possibly make her roar out in pain, giving Ari
some light (and a path out).

OOC: Rolls - 10 + Modifier, 99 + 10 Karma to Hit! 85 + 10 Karma for Damage!
64 + 10 Karma for Dodge. 29, 80, 81 for other rolls.

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 7, 2002  1:10 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Hey! Watch where you point that thing, chump!"

> (snippity blah blah)

> Once all is said and done, Gunslinger zooms on back
> to Juice's place.

"Hey! Where you going? And why'd you pull a gun on
i, buddy? Hey! Hey!!"

Naturally, i follow the weirdo with the gun. If he's got disappearing friends and stuff, i guess he's interesting enough to follow and pester until something happens. "HEY FUCKER!"

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 7, 2002  1:33 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Good God, the dead have awoken?  What happened to you Charlie, you fall in the toilet?

Anyway...

   ***

Lieutenant Syde shrugs at you, Gunslinger.  "Fine, whatever.  I guess the simple fact that I just gave you all that information isn't sufficient.  I suppose I'll make you a cruddy Power Point presentation - since that's your primitive tech talking."

"Be right back."

Syde then vanishes, leaving you to return to Juice's - not that she knows where you're headed.

As you rocket back to Juice's place, Gunslinger, you find that that bandaged up flying fellow is following you.  He's still behind you once you arrive, prompting Juice to come out to see what's what, at which point Moebius appears out of nowhere.

She then sees the guy flying up behind you, and freaks out.  Whipping out her Uzis, she trains 'em on the guy and gets ready to fire.  "Ack - flying mummy!"  This prompts an exclamation from Juice.  "Hey meng!  No gunfire on the premises!!"

"Is bad for business, yah?"

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 7, 2002  1:51 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

The man on the throne looks at you and visibly deflates, despite the fact that he's virtually invisible here under the water.  "Damnit... I was hoping to bug out of here as soon as someone opened the door - but there was too many of you..."

"Damnit."

At your mention of prophet-ness, the Atlantean before you laughs.  "Prophet... hah!  I'm no more a prophet than you are - assuming you're not a prophet, at least.  No, I'm no religious weirdo, just a guy who tried to help his fellows."

"It's a dumb story, and nobody believes me, but here goes.  I'm from a... variant earth, one where technology was far, far more advanced than this one - at least as far as humans go.  See, their technology had almost wiped out Atlantis."

"I was the only one of us left, see.  And as luck would have it, some madman made from the genetic remnants of earth's greatest military leaders plucked me up and put me in some bizarre museum of his, where he stored mythical beasts."

"Including me, Slow Jim, the last Atlantean."

Pausing for a minute to catch his breath, and let you digest all of his exposition, Slow Jim continues.  "I got away though, thanks to my ultra-violent friend Jinx, who brought me with her when she returned to her own timeline."

"She was sort of time-lost, from what I understand.  Anyway, after she and her pals went off on some weird adventure, I decided to hit the oceans again, and mingle with my fellows, assuming they were still around here."

"When I returned to Atlantis, though, I made the critical mistake of telling everybody my story, to try and prevent Atlantis from dying again, and they locked me up in this hole.  If they only thought I was crazy, that'd be one thing.

"But somebody's using my story, saying I'm from the future, and trying to rouse up enough angry Atlaneans to cause trouble on the surface world... gaah.  It figures... I go from being a prisoner in one world to being locked up in another."

"I give up."

?!

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 7, 2002  2:23 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

While you wait for your mystical horses to dig you out of the ice-encrusted, brittle ton or so of metal that you are currently buried under, Masque - not to mention the refrigerator that you're actually tied up within - all heck seems to break loose outside.

You're not sure what's going on, but you ARE sure it's not good.

Similarly pinned down, Ari, you find that you do have a bit of wiggle room inside Elys' gullet.  The Defenestrator is in fact intact, just out of juice.  After you pocket it, you then make the decision to pelt Elys' innards with those power bracelets.

After you figure out the cybernetic trigger mechanism, they go ZAM ZAM ZAM!

The flashes of light they give off are quite brilliant, so much so that they temporarily dazzle your eyes in this incredibly dark space, but you get the distinct impression that they've had the desired effect - Elys seems off-balance.

She sure as heck seems to be moving about haphazardly, at least.

Whilst Elys is so distracted with the currently difficult morsel that is Ari, you reach up  from the ground and then phase back in, Stone Cold, taking Elys' bloodied stump of a foot (thanks to Och) down with you.  You are right - that hurt some.

Elys lets out yet another bellow of inhuman pain and rage!

She then breathes down upon both you and Och - luckily, you're phased and underground (pretty good cover), and Och rolls away like unto a supersonic bowling ball, crashing into the large pile of loot and avoiding a good barbecuing.

"Nice try, wench," says Och once he regains his composure.

Naturally, that's when the rest of you pour on your own forms of punishment.  Being literally pinned to the floor, Elys fails to avoid your second shot to her eye, your sword inna skull, and your dissolving attacks.

Not that she could really avoid the latter, of course.

Elys stumbles for a moment, obviously dazed by the massive amount of physical damage that she's just sustained, only to be interrupted by the one and only Ken, who rematerializes right before her in a flash of bright white light.

"Hah!  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice..."

He winds up as if to punch Elys really, really hard in her punctured head, at which point the dragon bends and contorts almost impossibly, and whips her tail right at Ken.  Naturally, she aims so that the part holding Rebound is face front.

"Hey there!" says Ken.  He looks quite surprised.

Ken says this as Elys smacks you into her, Rebound, causing a good Monstrous (75) physical damage before your impressive bodily defenses; you get the impression that, thanks to your explosive nature, Ken felt that lots more than you did.

He smacks through the wall, making a nice hole in the see-through rock.

"You insignificant fools - do you really think your paltry attacks will destroy me?  As if I really need EYES to see, or mobility to crush you... feh.  FEH!  I will consume you all, one at a time... prepare to DIE!"

You get the impression that either a) Elys is just now getting really, really angry, or b) she's on the ropes.  You're not sure which, but at least Masque has pulled himself out of the vicious psychological trap Elys dropped him in.

Now what, everybody?

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Mon Jan 7, 2002  10:49 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari focuses the blasts directly in front of her.  Maybe she can punch a hole in Elys from the inside...  If nothing else, it's gotta be terribly irritating.  And were she aware of her teammates' rescue attempts, she'd be very happy

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  8:02 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

> "Damnit." 

"Come again?" 

> (snip Slow Jim speak)

"...and they imprison you for it, eh? Are you quite certain these are the
sort that deserve assistance?"

> (snip more Jim speak)

"Sounds profitable..." Geoffrey trails off into thought only to be snapped back by...

> "Including me, Slow Jim, the last Atlantean." 

" Well, pleased to make your acquaintance my good man. Geoffrey McAlister at your service"

> (snip more Jim speak)

"Indeed, it would seem that they are, albeit not as friendly as you no doubt
remember them."

> (snip last of Jim speak) 

Geoffrey smiles at Slow Jim's despair, and begins to survey the room around him. 
"There's no need to despair, for Geoffrey McAlister shall not be imprisoned."
Geoffrey calmly walks to the door and confidently knocks. "We're done in here, you can open the door now."

?!

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  8:11 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

> (snip result of Rebound's attacks) 

"The tail bone is connected to the..." 

> (snip Ken's return)

"Hah! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice..."

> (snip Elys dodge)

"Oh shi..." *boom*

"Hey there!" says Ken. He looks quite surprised.

> (snip Ken getting throw'd out) 

"You think you're smart dragon, then ponder this: I'm about an inch away from shattering your tailbone, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."  Rebound tries to make good with his threat, pounding away as hard and as explosively as he can manage at the flesh underneath the scales he burned off.

(Rolls: Init: 8, multiple strikes: 86, Hit: 71, 56, Damage: 98, 49, anything
else: 34, 74, 3, 68)

From:  "Albedo" <albedo1@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  7:31 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Jinx maneuvers as best she can to improve her angle of attack and takes
careful aim at one of the dragon's flaring nostrils, hoping to pop a shot
off that will perhaps ignore some of her thick armor.

~Dragon, schmagon.~

OOC: Rolls - 8 + Modifier for Initiative. 87 + 10 Karma to Hit, 51 + 10
Karma for Damage, 72 + 10 Karma for Dodge. Other rolls: 20, 43, 10.

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  10:03 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!" Sayeth Masque.
 
As himself out of the pile of evil metal thingies, he readjusts his robes and all kinds of fireworks happen. First his shield appears, then he starts blasting the junk.
"Take that!"
*POW*
"And that!"
*KERPOPPLE*
"Ohhhhh...you want some of this....."
*KAPOW*
"You...come here...Oh...you want to stay there huh?! Well then How about taking some of this up yer keister!"
*ZAP*
Breathing heavily and rather disheveled looking, he readjusts his robes again and then his Mask...it got all crooked-like in that coffin ya know. He turns in time to fall backwards from the blast caused by Rebound. 
"Oomph!" 
And the final hurrah, his magical scythe appears and he vaults onto one of his mystical steed...and he charges towards Elys. Specifically her neck.
He steps up to the plate...he swings.....
(56 to hit, 65 damage, 87 dodge)

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  10:42 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

* "Hey meng!  No gunfire on the premises!!"
* 
"Ummm...I think a Hey you is in order here."
 
Gunslinger draws his guns too..."Hey You!"
Turning towards Juice,
"We ain't gonna shoot him. Especially you Moebieus."
He raises an eyebrow at her and tackles the mummy.
(91)
"Now...who the hell are you? Talk fast 'cause I got a job to do. And You don't want the pretty colored woman here to take you off my hands. She's unbalanced right now."
 
>"Is bad for business, yah?"

"Sorry 'bout that man. How's my car?"

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  10:45 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Hey Goddamnit! i'm a fucking invalid here... you're scratching the paint!" i make great pains to show off the nice bandages that the nice nurses put on my thigh and shoulder and whatever.

"Get off me or i'll bleed all over ya, you fuck... or..." Then i'll look at this would-be Kickers, Inc retard all crazy. "... or i'll frickasee your ass with my nigh-unstoppable eye beams of DEATH!"

> (snip Gunslinger speak)

"i'm me, dickwad. Charlie Chicanery. Chicanery! Hero to millions, illegitimate father of wee ones across the spaceways, and whatnot. i saved a whole planet once. Even if it was uninhabited."

"So you gonna get off me now or should i break out the rubbers?"

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  11:21 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Consider yerself lucky pal. I'm being nice. I ain't even this nice to
Jerry's Kids."

> (snip Charlie's Chicanery)

Gunslinger rolls his eyes and flips him over.

> "So you gonna get off me now or should i break out the rubbers?"

Gunlinger lets him up and ignores him.
"Moebieus.....find out what the hell he wants with us. If he is uncooperative...shoot him in the nuts. I am gonna talk to Juice."

Gunslinger moseys on over to Juice."

"So..?"

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 8, 2002  11:26 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

> "Consider yerself lucky pal. I'm being nice. I ain't
> even this nice to Jerry's Kids."

"You mean you don't tackle 'em on sight? How nice of you, sweet cheeks. i guess you at least give them a running start? Ow, my ass."

"Well, okay, they're more like eye beams of maiming.  Or at least extreme personal discomfort. Eye beams of feminine itch?"

> > "So you gonna get off me now or should i break out the rubbers?"

> Gunlinger lets him up and ignores him.
> "Moebieus.....find out what the hell he wants with
> us. If he is uncooperative...shoot him in the nuts. 
> I am gonna talk to Juice."

"Ooh, yeah, shoot him in the nuts... that's everybody's answer to trouble these days... shoot Charlie in the goddamn nuts. i swear, if i had a buck for every time someone shot me in the nuts..."

i look at the apparent Moebius. I point at my eyes.

"Don't make me use these..."

From:  "Scott G." <sgreen516@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Thu Jan 10, 2002  7:02 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"You WILL fall, lizard. It is only a matter of when"
CB takes closer aim and continues his attempt to extract Elys's brain from 
her think Wyrm skull. He keeps his Chi powered on the blade of his katana 
and repeatedly attempts to strike the same, already injured, area.

OCC: Rolls: 19, 95, 40, 48, 88, 26 (The dice...they need to get back on the 
ritalin....they are all over the place)

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 15, 2002  12:31 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

As you release Charlie, Gunslinger, Moebius just looks at Charlie Chicanery... and doesn't look too amused.  "I swear, you just have to attract the damn weirdos..."  She keeps on mumbling, but all you hear is 'rassm frassm'.

Meanwhile, in response to your query, Juice simply says "Two weeks."  He says it with that... techie look in his eye, that one that specifically stipulates that it won't in fact take that long, but he's leaving wiggle room.

Just in case.

Meanwhile again, Charlie, the apparent Moebius (despite the fact that nobody can spell her name) still has her guns trained on you, even though Gunslinger seems to be threatening to break out his own eye beams of feminine itch.

What now, y'all?

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Jan 16, 2002  3:08 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

After you knock on the door, Geoffrey, you hear a serious-sounding silence (if that makes sense), followed by what appears to be chuckling.

"See, I told you, er, Geoffrey.  They're not going to let me escape.  And now that I told you and your friends here what's going on, they're not going anywhere either... why must everything I touch fall apart?!"

While Slow Jim wallows in despair, the laughing on the other side of the door goes away, and somebody pounds on it, yelling "Quiet, prisoners!"  Sounds like the fellow who led you here in the first place, it does...

?

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 18, 2002  4:13 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

Geoffrey glares at the door. How dare they even consider imprisoning me?
ME? Will the insults never end?

Geoffrey quietly whispers to his fellow "prisoners"

"All of you stand back from the door and be ready for action. Geoffrey
McAlister will not be held like a caged animal."

Geoffrey will then complete his forcefield to protect his head and
scrutinize the door looking to see if he can see the hinges or the locking
mechanism, or both. He will then try to do two things simultaneously...use
Psychokinesis on the hinges and locking mechanism and apply a telekinetic
push to shove what remains of the doors out of the room towards the
"guards."

Rolls: Init: 6, Psychokinesis: 69, Telekinesis: 92, Forcefield: 56, anything
else: 72, 64, 78, 99, 79...talk about happy dice :)

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 21, 2002  3:00 am 
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky! (top secret addendum)

    Proceeding with a silence most would find hard to believe Magus continues around the perimeter of the cavernous lair. The newly acquired weapons resting firmly in his grip even as he continues to try and reconcile the sounds of the battle with the probable strategy and attack patterns being utilized by his...associates.
 
    *Wouldn't do for me to run one of them through..,* pausing in mid-stride Magus' head perks up slightly at the thought as the tiniest hint of a grin creeps across his features, *Nay....wouldn't do at all,* he thinks to himself as he resumes his stealthy approach.
 
    As the goal...unsurmountable as it is...comes ever closer to being reached flashes of images strike at the warrior mage's mind.
 
    Wyrms to rival the size and power of this crimson foe he now faces resting in the light of a golden sun that could barely rival the gleam of their scales.
 
    The taloned hands grip the weapons tighter...
 
    Bronze and silver dragons peacefully debating and learning from one another things that appear to have been all but lost on this world.
 
    ...leather boots land heavily upon the ground with each step...
 
    Countless smaller clusters of elves, gnomes and even dwarves mill about performing their duties not out of slavery but of choice.
 
    ...ragged, deep breaths rumble deep within the half-dragon's breast...
 
    A clearer sight of those same clusters just before their appearances are replaced by that of rotting death.
 
    ...muscles tighten reflexively as if preparing to pounce...
 
    Surrounding them the ruins of the wondrous realm scattered with the remains of dragons larger than anything he's seen yet in this new world.
 
    ...a pace quickened into a run as anger and sadness fills the heart...
 
    Seconds go by for an eternity until the sight of a grievously wounded crimson looms before him in the midst of fierce combat with those native to this world. The anger eats away at civility. Sadness tempers rage with predatorial instincts to heighten deadly skills learned through a lifetime far longer than those he has journeyed with to this stronghold.
 
    With a roar that echoes throughout the cave Magus finally releases his might into a mighty hurl of the lance towards his foe's unguarded flank. Even as the tool far exceeds it's normal use as a jousting lance by burying itself deep into the side of the villainess' neck does the taut muscles holding the fork-headed pike release their tension. Piercing the bloody scales deep, the twin points of the pike plant themselves just below the half-dragon's initial blow.
 
    As Elys rails against the pain of the sudden, surprise attack the sounds of swords sliding free of their scrabbards seem exceptionally loud to Magus at that moment just as everything else seems to dampen in awareness to him. Waiting for the gaze of his foe to meet his own, as he knows it will after such an assault, he releases with a animalistic passion a booming growl in the language of the ancient wyrms. 
 
<97, 91, 98>
 
<OOC for you, pal: The last growl more or less sounds like that basically...a growl. But to us that speak draconic and such it's one of the most grievous phrases for calling one out to duel. Sort of a courtly thing ya know? It's basically something that would make most dragons accept or lose 'face' so to speak. Understandable where I'm coming from with this?>

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Jan 21, 2002  3:22 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

You hack at Elys' brain, Crimebuster, and you cause all kinds of nastiness to
spew forth. Some of it looks like gray matter... you think.

You blast at Elys' snout, Jinx, and manage to cause a nice fine mist to spray
out of it - and somehow don't hit Crimebuster, either.

You hack at Elys' foot yet again, Och, and actually separate the stump from the
portion of the limb that was phased into the rock below.

You detonate on Elys' hind quarters, Rebound, and cause nice meaty chunks of
flesh to fly off of the beast - and hear the crack of bone.

You blast away at Elys' throat from inside, Ari, and actually make a hole that
you can see (and breathe) out of - though you now see Masque.

You hook Elys' throat but good, Masque, barely missing Ari at the last second
as you hack at the mythical beast's jugular - blood gets all over.

After all of this punishment, much less the stuff you dealt out in previous
rounds of mayhem, Elys decides she's had enough, and turns tail. She stops
short, however, when a loud roar issues forth behind her.

By the time you see what made said roar, a large javelin seems to bury itself
in Elys' neck - again missing Ari, though barely. Once you realize it is Magus
that has pierced your foe thusly, he strikes again, this time with an oversized
fork.

It's about fifteen feet long.

The two growl at each other for short seconds, and the light fades from Elys'
eyes. The beast falls to the ground, almost flattening Magus in the process. 
Magus! He who you thought had fled the fight, though only as a tactical move.

Magus! He didn't leave y'all after all.

As you dig Ari out from the carcass of the immense, magical beast, Ken also
pulls himself out of the wall. "Brr! Man, it's cold out there!" You can feel
the apparent Antarctic air (as identified by Elys earlier) coming in from
outside.

Now that there's a Ken-shaped hole there.

While everything seems resolved (save for wherever the heck Stone Cold got to),
the lady that Elys was talking to, the lady identified by your late foe as War,
is still sitting there in her lawn chair, just watching you all.

With a bemused look in your eye.

Before you all can question her, though, there's a rumbling in the huge pile of
junk and such that Masque was so recently buried beneath. As you all look at
the mass of metal, circuitry, used appliances, and ice, it moves.

It just quakes at first, like it had a chain of active jackhammers buried
within, but the movement starts to gel into a specific shape. It's a
disconcerting shape, really, for it is the shape of a dragon!!!!

The dragon has red picture tubes for eyes, and an immense speaker bank situated
in its mouth. It gives off a tinny, inorganic roar of laughter as it looks at
all of you, this appliance dragon, and its phosphoric eyes dim to reptilian
slits.

"Ignorant wretches. As though the loss of my physical shell would destroy me. 
Me! Elys, planewalker, technomage, goddess! Slain by mere mortals - and a rag
tag bunch at that. Heavens forefend, I am insulted by your temerity!"

The bizarre, technomagical dragon then starts to make a terrifying array of
hydraulic sounds, indicating that something is going on within it. "Very well
then, for those that would steal my treasure, even my physicality, have at
thee!"

She / It then sits and waits for you all make a move.

Gives you a very bad feeling...

!

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Mon Jan 21, 2002  6:36 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"Now this I think I can do. LUCY I HOMMMMME." Stone Cold blast the head
with frigid ice, trying to overload it and freeze the circuits. (Rolls
89, 71, 94, 22)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Mon Jan 21, 2002  1:42 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari is still sloughing off bits of dragon-guts when this happens, and looks none too happy.  "Right.  This time, she can eat someone else.  Anyone get the feeling this is gonna be one of those crazy-ass video game deals, where the more we chop her up, the bigger and meaner she gets?" 

Ari then waves her arms.  "Hey!  Hey Dragon!  You wanna be the synergy of technology and magic, right?  Well, you ARE, now!.  So lay off on us.  If anything, you owe us.  'Cause now you're Robot Dragon."

From:  "albedo1" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Mon Jan 21, 2002  10:29 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Jinx just sighs and shrugs as she sees the dragon go all Tetsuo on the group's ass.
 
"God damn dragons."
 
With that, she checks her ammo, seeing she has a few shots left, waits until the opportunity arises to plunk the beastie. Luckily, Stone Cold blasts the dragon's face with cold, hopefully making things a bit brittle.
 
Aiming carefully, she takes a single shot at the dragon's mouth, hoping to bust up some of those speakers.
 
[OOC: Rolls - 8 + Modifier for Initiative, 88 + 10 Karma to Hit 95 for Damage, 33 to Dodge, 23, 27, 62.]

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 22, 2002  7:55 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

Rebound sighs and slowly walks up to the dragon, flips her off, and says
"Eat me!"

(maybe it could be that simple)

> (snip Ari speak)

"You know, she does have a point..."

From:  "Scott G." <sgreen516@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Fri Jan 25, 2002  10:43 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Crimebuster, having spent everything he had in his last shot on Elys's 
former shell, is breathing heavily. Looking as much like Kurt Russell from 
"Big Trouble in Little China" he says "Oh come ON...what is THAT???"

> (snip techno dragon-y mayhem)

"Have at you? Ari just said it best. You are what you have always aspired to be and it is because of us" Crimebuster inhales deeply and continues talking "I don't want your stuff. I just want you to leave my world alone. If you can't do that, then i will have at you. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want."

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 29, 2002  10:29 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Hey, baby, who you calling a weirdo? i'm not the chick with the mutant freckles. Or the pointy ears.  And christ... at least i have a nose."

"And who said anything about attraction?? As I recall, he's the one who man-molested me, lady."

> (snip Moebius / Charlie standoff)

i kill her.

Well no, not really. I do give her the hairy eyeball, though, and brandish some bloody bandages at her.  "ooo... better look out, chiquita, i just might have to BLEED all over you! i'm so goddamn scary. Hell, even Mike Tyson runs from my ass!"

Assuming this doesn't get my august person shot d.e.d., i just look at the nutjob gun broad and shrug. You really think i'm gonna kill you guys? i've
already got three bullet holes in me... i just wanna see what's up."

"Not counting what's in my pants.... heheh."

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Tue Jan 29, 2002  11:26 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Either Masque has to go to the bathroom or he just has a nervous twitch.
Looking at Ari and Crimebuster with apparent disbelief and anger.
"What?!?"
More disbelief and anger...
"What, What?!?"
and yet more disbelief and anger...
"What in Hoggoth's name is wrong with you two?! You can't be serious....."
He risks a glance at the Techno-Dragon and eeps....
"Eeep!"
Seeing Jinx's apparent sanity he glares at Crimey and Ari...
"You two could learn alot from her. This monster is an
abomination!!!.Magicks and technology do not mix well.Try mixing
..mixing...mixing....."
Risking another glance at She-bitch, he fires an eldritch bolt at her.
*bazzzingg*
(57 to hit, 84 damage, 76 dodge)
",,,mixing...drat...well mixing stuff that doesn't go together..like
gasoline and Milk..It's just wrong!!!"

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Jan 30, 2002  8:34 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"I'm just tryin' to keep us from getting eaten, man." Ari notes.

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Wed Jan 30, 2002  9:03 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

"Then lets fragg the stupid cow and get the hell up outta here." Stone
Cold said as he continued to hyper ice the monstrosity.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 1, 2002  11:48 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

"At this point, me being eaten might be the best chance to stop this thing
...unless you have an EMP grenade in your backpack." Rebound adds.

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Fri Feb 1, 2002  12:20 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

Ari shakes her head. "Sorry. No dice."

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 1, 2002  12:39 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] To the Sky!

"That's what I was afraid of." Rebound, still standing underneath the chin of the now metallic beast, continues with a rather intricate series of obscene gestures.

"Hey, you gonna eat me or what, you silicon bitch!"

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 4, 2002  3:28 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] To the Sky!

Magus leaps over the former corpse of Elys plucking
the lance from it's neck. He hits the ground hard and
ready as the weapon flies forth again to strike at the
beast's new form.

> (snip foreboding)

As one hand clenches around the handle of the large war
fork, the other draws one of his two swords to the ready.

<Rolls: 83 93 97 00>

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Mon Feb 4, 2002  11:32 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Gunslinger slowly turns around.
"C'mere!"
He walks over to him and grabs his nose...hard.
"I am tired of you damned Humans telling me I have no nose."
He pulls Charlie down to the ground...by the nose...hard.
He then saunters back to Juice.

> (snip Charlie speak)

"What?.....You fuckin' goon. You have already used that one. You sound like a broken record pal."

> (snip Charlie speak)

"Moebieus....deal with him. Juice.....two weeks ya say?...Alright...see ya in two.

Assuming that Moebius and Charlie kiss and make up, gunslinger winks at her.
I'll be back... and he clicks a few buttons on his watch and disappears... into the FUTURE...

Approximately 2 weeks into the future to be exact. Knocking on Juice's door.

"I've come fer my car huh...meng.."

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 5, 2002  2:55 am
Subject:  When Appliances Attack

Even as Ari makes her point to the bizarre, mechanical dragon, you blast it in
the head with ice, Stone Cold - but it looks like the robotic beast is rather
warm; some of the stuff is melting off as soon as you place it on Techno-Elys'
head. "Fool! I'm running at two hundred degrees right now! And that's just
the beginning...!"

"And you! You have the gall to suggest that this bastardized form is what I
wanted? You fetal whelp! The whole point of this exercise was to merge my
flesh with the form you see before you, not inhabit it alone. This mechanical
contrivance cannot contain my life force for more than a few minutes without my
flesh to back it up."

You get the impression she's talking to you, Ari.

Before Techno-Elys can say anything else, you pop her square in the jaw with
your mag-cannon, Jinx, shattering it (and blowing a speaker or two) in the
process. "Hah hah hah! Do what you like, you flea-bitten cur. You'll all be
dead momentarily anyway...!"

The dragon then opens its ruined maw up, and showcases what you can now see to
be a battery of rockets within. "You like guns, do you, woman? Allow me to
show you my rocket breath. I'll -" Techno-Elys is interrupted, though, by
Rebound, who stands at her (?) feet and gestures at her in a most inappropriate
manner.

In forty different languages, even.

She / It looks down at you, and looks like she / it is going to blast you but
good, Rebound - those look like miniaturized stingers in there - and then she /
it gets interrupted yet again. This time by Masque and Magus. The former pegs
her / it with an eldritch bolt upside the head.

The latter, however, hurtles his oversized, dragon-slaying javelin at the
horror before you all, piercing her / its torso - and penetrating in a good
foot. This doesn't necessarily seem to faze the beastly abomination, however,
though the prod is still sticking right out of her / its chest.

"Half-breed, you should be helping me slay these fools... your kind always has
in the past. Instead, you challenge me, attack me, slay me! Turncoat!!"

"And you, little human swordsman." You're guessing she's responding to your
words, Crimebuster.

"Leave you alone? Leave your world alone? You naive swordsman, was it not you
lot who insinuated yourselves into my decidedly obscure study of your world's
technological sorcery?! You have ruined centuries of my work, for no apparent
reason, and you expect me to leave you alone!??! Your temerity is without end!"

Noting the exclamation points as her / its speakers tremble in apparent rage
(sounds like a poorly wired stereo system at that point), you see Techno-Elys
raise her / its mighty, collapsible composite material wings into the air, and
ignites the turbo engines absconded within them. "However, your world is not."

"I will raze this pitiful planet for your effrontery - you have no one to blame
but yourselves! But first..." Techno-Elys then opens up with the
combat-assault, and fires off her full salvo of rocket-breath. Over the roar
of engines and the red glare of rocket exhaust, you hear her over-taxed
speakers exclaim "Die!!"

The rockets seem trained on all of you, and the lot of you suffer Amazing (50)
Edged Attack damage from the fragmentary nature of the explosions before your
considerable defenses. Techno-Elys then starts to rise off the ground, thanks
to those huge jet turbine things in her / its wings. "Adieu, interlopers."

"My essence may be passing on to the next world for a time, but at least I'll
be taking your world with me!" You're not sure exactly how Techno-Elys means
to manage this, at least not until you see the strange sigil on the underbelly
of this electromechanical horror.

It looks like a nuclear radiation symbol, one surrounded in what can only be
mystic runes. Looks really, really dangerous, that... Regardless, the
Appliance Dragon ignores your further taunts and starts to leave... if slowly
(she / it IS rather heavy, after all... that's a lot of metal (and ice, as it
happens).

Before any of you can react, though, Elys' minion, that annoyingly smarmy
gecko, leaps on top of Masque's head, and looks as though he's trying to
unscrew it. "Nobody move - or the wizard gets it!"

!?!?!

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 5, 2002  3:14 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

(jimminy... must... clean... inbox...! Again, I'm really sorry I put you off
Doug... I'm not TRYING to tick ya off...!)

Well, it definitely LOOKS impressive.

The oversized, over-heavy doors explode outwards, pelting all the guards -
including the fellow who tricked you into entering this chamber - with massive
chunks of fast-moving wreckage. You manage to knock the lot of 'em out with
that one surprise move.

Slow Jim looks impressed. "Wow!"

He sounds like it, too.

He then zips towards the hole you just made, doing so at a speed that belies
his name. He's about twice as fast as these other fellows seemed to be when
you were following them here. "I haven't been outside this room in over a
month. A month!"

"Thank you, my friend. Anything I can do for you, at least once I get away
from this dreadful shadow of my former home, you name it!" Meanwhile, the
fellows who led you here look a bit less than amused at this whole situation.

The priestly fellow who brought you here looks, in fact, quite angry. "I
cannot believe this. I cannot believe that my own order would perpetuate this
charade, much less this imprisonment. It goes against every belief we cherish!"

"What ever shall I do??"

?

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 5, 2002  7:54 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

(No biggie...figured you mighta had some problems with all the ice and such)

> (snip Telekinetic flex)

Geoffrey does his best to not show the overwhelming pleasure he's feeling
right now at the sight of his handiwork.

> Slow Jim looks impressed. "Wow!"

"No force on this planet can contain my focused will. I will not be caged.
I cannot be tamed. I am , Geoffrey McAllister, at your service." Geoffrey
offers his hand to slow Jim.

> (snip Slow Jim's escape)

"Enjoy your freedom."

> (snip Jim's fellows' reactions)

"Im sure you will find some way to aid me in my studies of the rest of this
most interesting place."

> (snip priestly dialogue)

Geoffrey looks straight at the priest, and with all seriousness he states,
"Assume the mantle of leadership. Enact reforms to the return your priestly
order to its fundamental, core beliefs. You have the opportunity to do
great things for you people. Do not shirk this profound responsibility set
before you. And, if you are in need of allies, you need not look further
than myself and, perhaps Slow Jim, here. It can you do no injustice to have
'The Prophet' at your side in this cause. What say you? Accept you
destiny, or flee from it in terror like the cowards who tried to imprison
you?"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 5, 2002  8:03 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] When Appliances Attack

"If that's the best you got left, Elys 'the toaster' dragon-bitch, you are
in for a world of hurt."

> (snip Elys' attempted exit)

"Hey, Come back here! I have to stamp 'VOID' on your warranty!"

> (snip nuclear foreboding)

Rebound does what he does best (OK, most often, maybe not best)...he leaps
into action without considering the consequences. In this case it will be
to launch as many strands as he can manage at the underbelly of the
dragon...and just lie down on the floor letting his stickiness take over.

> (snip Gecko assault)

(a bit too late, Rebound registers that something else is happening besides
the dragon...)

(Rolls: Init: 5, Hit: 96!, Stick: 56, anything else: 84, 34, 73, 96, 12)

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Tue Feb 5, 2002  2:13 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Ari eeps, and immediately reaches into The Bag. "I need something to make her
Go Away. REALLY far away."

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  12:00 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Masque has just about had it....He simply lets a eldritch charge travel up
his body and right out of his head.
*Zaaapppp*
(78 damage)

Provided that works and the Gecko is weeping on the ground, he turns towards
the fleeing dragon and waggles his fingers and says some things and sneezes
a couple of times.
"You can't destroy this world, it's where I keep all my stuff(TM)!"
Attempting to make the dragon go away....to...hmmmm.....ummm....my
favorite...The Sun.
*banish banish banish*
(92 to banish....Denny.....yer handy dandy auto roller likes me)

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  12:21 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Us humans? i ain't no huu-maan. i'm a demon! 
Boogyboogyboogy!"

> (cut my biting re-per-twaar)

>"What?.....You fuckin' goon. You have already used
>that one. You sound like a broken record pal."

"Hey! What do you mean i'm a broken record? i
haven't ONCE mentioned Mike Tyson yet... ding dong."

then that knob Firebomb sed:

> (snip moebius speak)

> !

Heh. Well, i could react violently, but i'll be nice. After all, i can't use my death rays on everybody - there won't be nobody left. Well, nobody but me, anyway.

"Why do you keep calling me a mummy man? i'm not a mummy - just, uh, enraptured in bandages. Zoot Alors, Mon Pretty. It's a dirty deviant sex thing. Speaking
of which..."

> (snip time travel hoo-hah)

"Hey, goddamnit! What am i supposed to do for two weeks?! Bugger bugger buggerall."

Screw it, now i'm torqued. See if they can get rid of Charlie Chicanery THAT easy! i'll just take two weeks off in a nice L.A. hotel, NOT leave so i DON'T get all fucked up worse... hell, i might even heal up some.

i'll even abstain from hookers 'n beer.

mmm... hookers 'n beer.

well, maybe not the beer part. mmm... corona. And since i have a NOSE, i can enjoy the TASTE.

THEN i'll be back here in exactly two weeks, and see what this honky has to say about THAT. oh yes...

***

Presumably, two weeks later, i'll be all better, if a tad bit sore (as long as nobody tries to kilt me in the intervening time period), and i'll sneak up on
Gunslinger as soon as he pops into time and say something like "boogyboogyboogyboogyboogy!"

And hope he don't shoot me. 'Cause then i'll have to vaporize his ass with tachyons. TACKY ONS, MOTHER FUCKER.

From:  "albedo1" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  7:06 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Jinx just lies there filled with pain, grimacing at the bits of shrapnel protruding from her creamy flesh barely contained by her shredded jumpsuit.
 
With whatever focus she can muster, she takes aim at one of Elys' turbo rockets and lets loose with a full volley of shots, draining the remaining cartridges left in her clip.
 
"You're not going anywhere, bitch!"
 
[OOC: Rolls - 7 + Modifier for Initiative, 79 + 25 Karma to Hit, 73 + 25 Karma for Damage, 12, 25, 74 for other rolls

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  11:22 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Great. That's just super."
Gunslinger can't help but think of what the heck Mobieus might have done
after he left. Especially after seeing that minor glimpse into some other
timeline.

> Leading you into the garage, he presents to you: Your Car!

Gunslinger smiles.
"Thank you very much. Is there anything I should know. Any schematics? I am
gonna need such things so as I can repair it if need be huh."

Using his keen eye for detail, he examines the car inside and out and.......
(what does he see?)

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cacers@home.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 6, 2002  11:48 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Without a moments thought, Gunslinger's hand clenches into a fist and springs up and back, as if his elbow were a spring. Patent move number 23(TM).

He turns around to see just who has the gall to surprise someone, namely him, as they pop into existence in a new environment as it were

"You!...You.....I give up. Yer like a bad penny." He glares at him and turns back around to go get his car. "Just stay put huh."

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Thu Feb 7, 2002  6:02 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Stone Cold moves to try to bring the dragon down by creating large chunks of ice to fly into the engines. "You ain't goin' no damn. Where?" ~I haven't gotten a woman in ever. (Very long time.) And you want to destroy the damn planet!!! &^%$# please.~ He concentrated more and blasted more ice at her. (Rolls: 81, 54, 98, 61, 35)

From:  "Scott G." <sgreen516@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 13, 2002  9:02 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Crimebuster gets back to his feet for the 2nd time in almost as many rounds, 
shakes his head at the Techno-dragon's choice, and lets loose a volley of 
Chi blasts aimed at the junction of the Dragaon's left wing and it's body.

OCC: Rolls: 71, 58, 48, 30, 90 ( I would add karma but, well, I done went 
and used it all up getting rid of her FIRST physical form)

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 15, 2002  12:24 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Shit....hey Juice...can you work some sort of input jack fer my watch
here...it's ...special....?"

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 15, 2002  10:44 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Christ on a crutch!"

i yell this, of course, as the weird noseless alien caves in my skull. Or not, he may be a lightweight, I dunno. But jimminy, i just got healed up ( or i would assume ), so what's up with that?

"Can't take a joke, whitey?"

> "You!...You.....I give up. Yer like a bad penny." He glares at him and turns 
> back around to go get his car. "Just stay put huh."

"Rah bah. Stay put. Die, Fucker. Everybody's always telling poor Charlie what to do. Buggerbugger."

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sat Feb 16, 2002  1:58 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

> Slow Jim shakes your hand gleefully, more than happy to be free of his 
> imprisonment.

"Hm... leader..."

The priestly fellow considers his future for about two seconds, and then nods. 
"Yes. I will take this up with the leader of my order immediately... there
will be no such tomfoolery on my watch!

"Our faith is about FAITH, not warmongering!"

Just then, you all feel a change in the flow of water around you, an ill wind
if you will - even if there's no air involved - that seems to bode ill for the
lot of you. That's when you hear the laughter.

"Hmh hmn hmn hmn hmn." You don't see any source of such malicious mirth,
however, until the humanoid shape resolves itself out of the water in the hall
between you and freedom. "As if I would let you leave here, my brother."

"And you traitors! Siding with a surface dweller to defy me? Me?!?! You will
all die slow, lingering deaths at my hands..."

The man then starts to drift towards you, Geoffrey. The weird thing is that he
looks remarkably like Slow Jim... other than the fact that he appears to be a
bit more transparent...

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Sat Feb 16, 2002  4:25 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

A snarl plays across the alien features of Magus as he opens his mouth to reply. Instead of words though a barrage of crackling bolts of electricity arc forth striking at the lance protruding from her chest.

> (snip attempted Elys exit)

As the rockets explode before him Magus flies backwards and slides across the room momentarily dazed by the attack.

> (snip more of attempted exit, stage right)

Unaware of the strange symbol's meaning Magus staggers back to his feet. No sooner does he stand again does he strike out at the air with his hands towards Elys' wing. Which all in all would look quite foolish except for the large sphere of white flame trailed by flickering crimson that strikes the turbine.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Tue Feb 19, 2002  11:40 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

> (snip priest's reactions to Geoffrey's speech)

Geoffrey allows a smile to slowly spread across his face at the man's declaration of intent, only to have it quickly fade as he begins to sense something else in the atmosphere around him.

> (snip intro of watery bad guy)

Annoyed at yet another miscreant standing (floating) in his way, Geoffrey prepares for whatever it is he is facing. "And who might you be that you feel worthy to threaten me so directly?"

> (snip description of watery fellow)

Geoffrey looks back and forth between the newcomer and Slow Jim a few times..."Family squabble there, Slow Jim?"

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 21, 2002  9:23 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

(yeah, I'm late - but I passed out hard core yesterday... heh)

You leap into action, Rebound, and spray Elys with a plethora of sticky sweet
strands of stuff, and feel them stretching taut as the horror that is
Techno-Elys attempts to fly away under the power or her/its potent wing
turbines.

Just then, though, most of your ersatz compatriots go to town on the beastly
electromechanical horror's wings. Jinx nails the left air output with the
remnants of her magnetically accelerated bullets, as Crimebuster nails that
wing's joint with his chi.

Likewise, Magus creams the other turbine with an explosive blast of white-hot
mystical fire, which is then doused by Stone Cold, who clogs up both of the
engines just enough that they start to shake and buckle uncontrollably.

This causes both wings, first the left, then the right, to peel off of
Techno-Elys' torso with a brain-curdling metal tearing sound; they then fly off
at breakneck speed to explode against the almost-transparent walls of this
bizarre citadel.

That means, of course, that there's nothing holding the robot dragon up in the
air... so it promptly falls - right on Rebound! You hear his body go BOOM as
the dozens of tons of electromechanical gear creams him.

But only just; all of the robo-dragon's ordinance goes of upon impact, making
the beast look like a fireworks font... it's impressive, really, save for the
fact that you know one of your fellows is beneath it.

As everybody recovers from this, you pull an aerosol can out of your pack, Ari,
one that's labeled "* Repellent." What the * stands for, you're not sure, but
you walk up to the technological horror and do what comes naturally.

You spray it in the face.

Its eyes roll for a moment, and they then focus on you. As her/its head comes
back to life (Rebound making 'mmf mmf' sounds beneath her/its bulk), about a
dozen buzzsaws come to life within the gaping hole that was its mouth and jaw.

As she/it lunges at you, the beastie promptly vanishes.

Vanishes GONE.

Perhaps that * repellent works.

Either that or you didn't see Masque waggling his fingers at the monster behind
you. Unless his spell didn't work... you may never know. But, it would appear
that the threat is gone now - gone for good! So, what now?

!

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 21, 2002  10:35 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Juice shrugs at you, Gunslinger.

"Schematics? Hrm."

He then walks over to a handy printer, and puts his hand on the parallel port. 
Looks almost like... he put his hand IN it, but you can't tell for sure. It is
kinda far away, you know. And you're not really eagle-eyed, albeit evil-eyed.

Har har har.

About five minutes later, Juice hands you a really big pile of papers. "Here
you go, meng." You take the papers and, after you bludgeon poor, recuperating
Charlie to the ground after sneaking up on you, Juice reacts negatively to your
other question.

"Hm. Fine, gimme the watch, meng."

Assuming you do, he takes it in hand, and gets a weird look in his eye for a
second. Smiling wildly, he says "Sure thing. Just take me five minutes." 
Looking down at Charlie, he then says "Try not to kill anybody until I'm done,
ey?"

Meanwhile, as you're griping on the floor, Charlie, Moebius appears, as if out
of nowhere. "Hey, Pale Boy. Walk with me." She motions towards you with that
look in her eye that indicates that saying no would get her undies in a bunch.

And you definitely don't want that.

How Now Brown Cow?

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 21, 2002  10:47 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

Slow Jim looks at you and shrugs. "Yes and no, Geoffrey. He's not a relative
so much as he's me." While this sinks in, he adds "He's the me that was here
in this world when I got here... what I would've been, I suppose -"

Jim is, of course, interrupted by Jim.

"If he hadn't been tainted by the pollutants in his world's oceans, the ones
that killed all of our people. Tell me, surface entity, if you had
foreknowledge that your society would be annihilated, would you not take steps
to prevent it?"

"Being so warned, I have begun to take such steps. If humans will not stop
ruining the water we breathe, shall we not ruin their air in retaliation? Hmm?
I don't see the problem with that, and yet, here you are, trying to stop me..."

This time, Jim is in turn interrupted by... Jim.

"Jerk! If we do that, we're no better than them - and this isn't the same
humans that destroyed us on our world! This was done long before... I
explained the whole thing about not being from the future, but you're not
listening!!"

Jim then leaps at, er, Jim, but Jim is too fast for, ah, Jim.

You see the difference between the two not just in how they move, but in how
they look. This 'new' Jim seems to be composed of water itself, while the one
you recently liberated is merely transparent, like all his fellows.

And it looks like the 'old' Jim is outmatched by the 'new' Jim, who is
literally swimming circles around the already-fast fellow.

Hmm....

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Thu Feb 21, 2002  11:11 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Ari grins at her can.  "Kick ASS!"  Then she peers underneath where Elys was.  "Rebound?  You down there, buddy?"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 22, 2002  7:44 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] When Appliances Attack

(Assuming he's still breathing... )

"Anyone got a band-aid? I think I..."

(probably nighty-night time for the poor fellow)

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 22, 2002  6:00 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Stone Cold quickly moves to check on Rebound. "Yo' man you alright?" He
moves to get to him his hand reaches out to help him up if still alive. 
The other is looking at the mage and Ari. "Ahhh we still need to get out
of here. Whatever was holding this place together may very well buckle
now that she/it is gone!?!"

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Fri Feb 22, 2002  12:57 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Strangeness Abounds!

> (snip argument between Jim and Jim)

Geoffrey takes a moment to steady himself and assess the situation before
him. He sees the fight taking place before his eyes, marvels at the
ramifications, and decides upon a course of action.

"You have acted on false information even though you clearly have been
instructed as to the totality of the truth. You, therefore, are not, in
fact, acting in the best interests of your people. Normally, I would not
deem this noticeable, but you have clearly involved my personage in your
wayward crusade. Now, you must face the consequences of your folly."

Geoffrey concentrates on the two combatants, watching carefully the movement
of the two "Jims" and attempts to telekinetically restrain the "Watery Jim"
and allow Slow Jim some breathing room.

Rolls: Initiative: 9+2=11 Force field (you never know) 36, Telekinetic grappling?: 37, anything else: 39, 32, 34
(OK, who the hell loaded my 10's die??!?!?)

From:  "albedo1" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Sat Feb 23, 2002  4:22 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Jinx "hmphs" as the technological beast plummets to earth, cringing slightly at the sight of Rebound being flattened by the impact.
 
Despite her spent ammo, she continues to maintain her aim on the dragon as if to fend off the creature with sheer strength of will, pulling the trigger futilely and repeatedly as it lunges at Ari. She continues to do so even after the thing vanishes.
 
"Go away, damn you."
 
After few seconds of psychopathic trigger-pulling, the sound of the "click, click, click" of her empty mag cannon echoing around her seems to get through to Jinx and she slowly holsters her gun and pulls herself back to her feet.
 
"Right, we most likely need to make a hasty exit. No need to linger. Anyone have our ticket out of here?"

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 27, 2002  9:51 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Masque brushes himself off, collects the gecko, surveys the cave and promptly walks back to the entrance/exit.
 
"I say..who's up for some pancakes?"
 
Seeing the worried group of faces, he tries his best to explain to them that...
 
"No need to dawdle people. You think that we need to get out of here the hard way? I mean, that would be really heroic and a very climatic end to this but we DID come in this way. It doesn't just lead in. That's the best part it goes both ways. Kinda like Herma...hermaphr....herm..ummmm...you know those people that are like a pizza...anchovies AND sausage...."
 
Masque appears to be turning blue......
 
"Bwahahhahahahahhahahhahahahhaha...."
Sayeth Masque as he turns and walks out.

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Feb 27, 2002  9:54 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

> (snip Moebius speak)

Gunslinger bites.....
"What?"

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 28, 2002  12:01 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

After going about two feet, Masque stops cold. He slowly pivots around and his eyes start glowing an eerie shade of octirene. Stumbling back through the door, bumping into whomever is in the way.
"Scuuuusssssse m-m-m-m-me."
 
As he passes, anyone with a keen ear might be hearing him muttering something about Magic.
"S-s-s-s-so much m-m-m-m-magic..."
 
Leaving a trail of drool, he speeds up and dives into the pile o' magical items.
"Yeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Some may notice a faint blue aura shows up in front of him as he activates his magical shield right before he lands on some sharp bit in the pile. (he may be flighty but he aint stupid.)
 
Much like a kid in a candy store he starts grabbing everything he can get his grubby hands on.
 
Sitting up, he brandishes his new found items and grins that grin.
"Look what I found!"

From:  Charlie Chicanery <charlie_chicanery@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 28, 2002  12:21 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

"Yeah, sodomatic, try not to kill anybody. Just consider me Anybody Jones, a'ight???" Yeesh... here i'm still sort of wore out from being shot to all hell, and now i get pouned by aliens.

Always with the aliens... sigh.

SIGH.

> Meanwhile, as you're griping on the floor, Charlie,
> (blah blah blah)

"Hey, guys, what about your illegitimate love slave? 
Don't forget about Charlie C!"

Well, i figured it was worth a shot, since the plot seems to have moved along with out me. Filthy time travelers... haroobabooba.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Feb 28, 2002  1:25 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

As the others walk away, Charlie, Juice starts to fiddle with Gunslinger's watch, and smiles.  "Eh.  A time piece to travel through time... ah, the sweet irony.  Meng."

He then looks at you, Charlie, points at you, and laughs.

"You know, you got an attitude problem... either that or you like pain.  I never seen no body ask for a beating like you - momma always tole me not to sneak up on alien gunmen, how 'bout jours?"

Meanwhile, after Moebius pulls you away from Charlie, Juice, and the rest of the material concerns around you, Gunslinger, Moebius looks at you very, very seriously.

"Can you manipulate time, Gunslinger?  You know, speed it up, slow it down, etc...?  Like this?"  The tiefling sorceress then waggles her finger, and before you know it, she vanishes in a blur of motion.

That's when you feel someone slap you in the back of the head.

When you turn around, you see Moebius vanishing again, and poking you very, very, very fast in the ribs.  Not enough to hurt, but definitely fast enough to let you know she's much faster than you.

"Before you backhand me like your little bitch in there, I'm doing this for a reason, tough guy.  See, I found out those goofy Temporal Management jerks have the ability to slip into a time frame."

"You know, sneaking between seconds, shooting you while you're frozen and they're not, that sort of thing.  As soon as genius-boy there gets done with your watch, me'n you have to go for a ride."

"We can even take your girlfriend with us - he'll make great cannon fodder for anybody that gets in our way, eh?  But we should get you some sort of defense against temporal assassinations..."

"I gots one, after all."

??

From:  "Nathan Gecko" <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Fri Mar 1, 2002  2:05 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] When Appliances Attack

Magus glances towards Masque with a slightly peculiar look.
 
> (snip masque drool)
 
    *And here I was hoping he would be discreet...foolish of me..,* he thinks silently to himself. 
 
> (snip masque scrooge mcduck sequence)
 
    *Of course I fully expected him to be that foolish..,* the thoughts continue on in the silent warriors mind.
 
> (snip masque drool again)
 
    Magus quietly walks away at the exclamation. Albeit not directly towards the entrance they arrived from, but further into the cavern from everyone's sight.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Tue Mar 5, 2002  11:34 pm
Subject:  Interlude

As you all recover from the titanic battle you just waged against Elys, and 
find that none of you in fact died, you hear the sound of clapping coming 
from the redhead in that lawn chair (remember her)?

She continues to applause for about thirty seconds, and then stands 
up. "That was most entertaining. I'll have to keep an eye on you maniacs 
after all..." The lady then stands up.

She straightens out her tight red leather dress, dons her red-lensed 
sunglasses, and just... fades from view. Leaving you all to wonder just 
who this War character really was.*

That, of course, leaves you all to lick your wounds and figure out just 
what to do next. ..

* As usual, this is one of those things from the game's past. Those of you 
that recall Reaper and his adventures may remember that this abstract 
entity is the one that he got his spectral motorcycle from.

But then, that WAS quite a bit ago...

***

In-Ci-Dentally, this particular tale would appear to be finished - I meant 
to reply to y'all as soon as I got Gecko's reply to the action-packed 
finale, but as usual, stuff came up... whoops.

As far as Karma is concerned, you all pretty much KNOW that Elys isn't 
really DEAD dead - entities like that are hard to be quit of on a permanent 
basis; this means you still get Karma for beating her.

I'd say that, approximately, y'all should get 1,250 each for the total 
adventure - most of that is of course story award, but it includes all of 
your battles with Elys.

Not to mention her goon squad, figuring out where she was hiding (even if 
that took quite awhile) and that whole 'saving the world' thing. At this 
point, all you really need to do is choose your path from here on out.

I'm thinking that, between now and your next adventure, I'm going to insert 
a three month break in time; this is 'cause your characters have been 
fighting constantly since the game started, really.

That's like three YEARS of mayhem rolled up into a string of like three 
long adventures (real time, not game time, so it would appear that I'll 
have to use one application of Marvel time here... heh).

During this time, I guess you guys can decide where you want to go from 
here... if you want to go the 'public' super hero route, be the clandestine 
vigilante thing, or even if you want to stay together.

I figure that'll let you make up your mind whether or not you should set up 
a base, as it were, and where. Much less any other details that could be 
determined by three months of 'down time'.

I guess now's as good a time as any to figure out just who wants to do 
what, eh? I figure we can pick up and start with a new adventure as soon 
as y'all are decided, eh?

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Wed Mar 6, 2002  7:59 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Well, Ari's gonna try an' finish out whatever credits or whatever are needed for her degree, then probbly head back to NYC and set up shop in Och's apartment while looking for a job in some sort of Graphic Design field.  She's still keeping a close eye on The Bag, though.

(That's, of course, figuring that Och wouldn't mind Ari crashing there.  Which I don't think he would.  BEST FRIENDZ 4-EVAH!)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 6, 2002  11:56 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

(Well, isn't that just a little biscuit to chew on...)

Rebound would suggest that if the group were to stay together, why not use Elys' pad for a base of operations? That is, of course, if it would be safe to do so and the gateways could be maintained or even pointed to wherever we wanted to go. (Being completely ignorant about magic and liking it that way, he'd have no clue if it was even possible) In a nutshell, Rebound has no obligations, basically no resources, no place to call home, and well, too much time on his hands. Therefore, he would offer his help to whomever actually HAS something to do. He would, however, shy away from any plan that includes becoming 'public' super heroes. If no one accepts (or even asks for) his help, Rebound would most likely set a course for the Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.

From:  "albedo1" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Mar 6, 2002  7:37 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Jinx, because of her condition, wouldn't be all that up to forming a cohesive team, but she wouldn't be necessarily against it, either. Even if the group decided to part ways but keep in the same general area, she'd probably end up floating in the same circles, occasionally popping up to make sure they didn't need anyone shot or stabbed.
 
She'd definitely be unlikely to support a public super-hero group, but if people went in that direction, she'd most likely keep an eye on their antics.
 
If the search for a base of operations became desperate, she'd ask around with her connections to the D.A.A. to see if a now defunct safe-house or whatnot was available.
 
Oh, and Denny, make use of Jinx's Karma to raise her Agility if at all possible.
 
Thanks!

From:  "Christopher Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 6, 2002  8:50 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

>  BEST FRIENDZ 4-EVAH!)

You have got to be joking me .

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Thu Mar 7, 2002  12:15 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

> You have got to be joking me .

Who, Och & Ari?  They're the Danger Hardcore Mystery Team.  Plus, they're just so cute when they're busting heads.  They need their own cartoon.  Indiana Jones Midget + The World's Most Deadly Art Student = Super Fun Fun For All.

From:  "Charlie Clay Jr." <cclayjr@hotmail.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 6, 2002  1:06 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

> (snip weirdness from other game...?)

Stone Cold would need to continue college, but where would not be too important. He is starting to like the superhero gig, going public would get him more dates, but staying private would get him a life.

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 7, 2002  7:32 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

> (snip weirdness from other game...?)

Gee, a lot happens in three months when you're not looking...

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 13, 2002  11:26 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

Since no one seems to have picked up on his offer to help, Rebound would decide it's time for him to move on.

"Well, it's been a wild ride and I'll miss you all, but I think it may just be time for me to move on. If you need me, well, good luck finding me, but if you do find me, I'd be happy to help you out with whatever. But right now, I have some things of my own to check up on...things I have been putting out of my mind for far too long. Anyway, it's been a blast."

Rebound leaves at night under the cover of darkness. He relies on the stealthy techniques that served him well up until, well, everything stopped working right. He quickly finds himself sticking to the roof of an Amtrak train headed for Washington D.C., wondering for the first time in ages just how he's going to check up on the people responsible for his current condition without giving away who he really is...or for that matter, what he's going to do if he can even find them.

From:  charlie s clay jr <cclayjr2@juno.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 13, 2002  1:25 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

"What you leavin?!" Stone Cold said. "Just when I was getting used ta bein' blown da hell up?" He tried not to act like he had lost his best friend but Rebound was a close that he had had in a while.

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 13, 2002  12:31 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

Heh.

Well, just so everybody knows, the whole 'long break' thing was just an 
idear; we need not go with that if everybody finds the notion sucky; I'd 
hate to inadvertently break up the team (to use the word loosely) just 
because of that, mind you.

I just figured that would give y'all time to set up shop between this 
adventure and the next one, whatever that happens to be. Again though, it 
is un-doable... was just a notion of mine. As far as the base is 
concerned, well, a bit of investigation'll turn up some stuffs.

For instance, by Elys' computer network and whatnot is a steel door that 
leads into the rock of the mountain proper; this holds an actual control 
room for the portal generator, and yes, it lets you steer it (so it need 
not open into a top secret S.D.I. installation).

Just more chewables for your consumables...

(and hey Doug, I'll answer the outstanding post I owe you tonight... 
still hadn't dug it out of Yahoo after my reformat... d'oh)

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 21, 2002  1:38 pm
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

> Just more chewables for your consumables...

(Let's just wind the clock back a bit then...)

In light of the discovery of the control room, Rebound would spend as much time as he could discerning the ins and outs of the controls. He would do his best to learn how it all worked, what made it tick, and how to fix the thing if it should break. (spend karma to acquire appropriate skills if necessary)

"Well, folks, I don't know about you, but this place seems pretty darned secure and secluded...and that makes it the perfect base of operations in my mind. You feel different, that's fine, but I'm staying right here for a while."

From:  "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Thu Mar 21, 2002  5:13 pm
Subject:  Fw: [v13] Interlude

"Hey ....hey.....hey..."
Feeling a bit irritated tha Magus is not even paying any attention to him, Masque gets up and half runs, half stumbles over to him.
"Hey.....hey...where you goin'?"
 
O.O.C.
Masque really doesn't care what goes on , he is just here to experience the world and teach the ways of Magic.........So whatever happens..happens.

From:  Nathan Gecko <nathangecko@yahoo.com> 
Date:  Fri Mar 22, 2002  11:42 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude OOC

Hola folks...

Just wanted to let everyone know that I was still around but I'm also working on relocating (locally mind you) this coming week. So things have been, and still are actually, quite hectic. I hope to have time to catch up with all my e-mail by the end of next week.

Thanks,
Nathan Gecko

P.S.- And that includes certain insane magick-wielders
that have attached themselves almost Abbott-like to my Costello...

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Wed Mar 27, 2002  2:33 am
Subject:  Re-Interlude

Hey everybody.

I've resolved that Yahoo thoroughly hates me. Assuming that you even get 
this message, this will be the FIFTH that I've attempted to get to y'all 
regarding the future of our little game here.

Don't worry, I'm not quitting or anything - not by a long shot. As I've 
said, I just wanted to make sure I steered things in a direction that 
everybody was comfy with before continuing.

(though I REALLY need to get to Doug's and Chris' 2nd characters here 
really really soon - sorry 'bout that you guys)

Though I'm not even sure all my other messages over the last two weeks got 
to you all (they showed up on Yahoo's groups page, but I never got them), I 
kind of see where you are happy heading, I think.

So far, the general consensus seems to be that you'd rather keep with the 
'low key' sort of heroic approach... and that's perfectly cool. Despite 
the inherent conspicuousness of some of you, it's doable.

Also, the idear of the 'break' in time seems to have caused a considerable 
amount of shattering to the team dynamic, so I figure I'll drop that notion 
here and now.

I figure a mere week or two should be enough, in game terms, for all of you 
to heal from the considerable damage that you've absorbed over the last 
adventure... I'd imagine, anyway.

Now.

I know that two of your characters are going to split off for a 
character-based side adventure, and that's cool, so I won't mention that 
here... since one of you is virtually incognito of late (ya bum... heh).

Ari and Stone Cold had mentioned their college responsibilities, and I 
figure that y'all could easily transfer to some sort of New York related 
school - unless you're about to get out.

That all depends on where you see your characters being in your college 
years... I admit to being a bit fuzzy on that score. That just leaves the 
other three of you all.

I haven't heard from Crimebuster or Jinx in a bit, really. Assuming the 
group WASN'T taking a huge break, how would you two go about doing your 
thing? The only guy I've got something from of late was Rebound.

For a quick 'in character' post, here's the following for you:

***

You spend a bit playing with the portal mechanism controls, Rebound, and 
you figure out through trial and error what buttons and levers and knobs do 
what. It's pretty handy, actually.

There's two monitors over the controls, which show the surroundings of each 
side of the portal; one looking in on that 'Joe' fellow's over-top-secret 
S.D.I. facility, and the other showing an icy hallway.

The controls allow you to 'steer' the portal, in three dimensions, on 
either side of the hole in space-time. You can move its entry point to, 
say, this chamber, and the exit point out of the Chrysler building.

To wherever you wanted on earth, it would seem. You drove it all over 
N.Y.C. with very little effort, and that didn't seem to 'stretch' its range 
any... reminds you of Old Gruff's portal network a bit.

Even if this one is a bit more versatile.

The handy thing is that you can even tinker with the dimensions of the 
portal, making it wider, longer, etc... It would appear that you can even 
stretch it to fit Harry's big ol' space ship. Remember Harry?

As far as fixing the thing, you're not sure how that works. By pulling off 
the control panel, you see the knobs and whatsits extend into a bizarre 
crystal gearing mechanism... it looks quite 'new age'.

If in an industrial fashion. If that makes ANY sense.

***

I suppose if you wanted to build from that knowledge, or had ideas or plots 
you'd like your characters to pursue before I throw another long-winded 
adventure at y'all, now'd be a good time =)

Otherwise, I'll cook up your next tale here over the next day or three... 
groovy?

From:  "albedo1" <albedo1@cox.net> 
Date:  Wed Mar 27, 2002  11:28 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re-Interlude

Jinx would probably be willing to stick around and help set up security seeing as she's a paranoid-type.
 
She'd remain pretty aloof, though, as she would want to avoid getting close to any of the group for fear of polar bear attacks, freak meteor strikes, or a bad case of frostbite.

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Sat Mar 30, 2002  9:23 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Re-Interlude

OCC: It is cool. I am ready when you all are.

From:  "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sat Mar 30, 2002  9:43 pm
Subject:  Re: Re: [v13] Re: Busted!

Gunslinger swipes at the empty air.
"I see your point. Now Knock it off!"

> (snip moebius explanation)

Pondering this fer a moment, he grins and is about to say...? when she cuts him off.

> (snip more moebius speak)

"Alright then.....I'll go and check on Juice and see what's up and then we can vamoose."

He walks on back over to Juice...  "Done yet?"

From:  "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Sun Apr 7, 2002  8:17 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Masque haruumphhsss;
"Harumphh"
and he turns to walk away...
"Fine...just holler when you become exciting again huh. I am gonna go take a look at the Dragon's booty..."
He starts to shake and then shake some more...
'Bwahahhahahhahahaha...Dragon's booty.....hahahhahahahahhhahahahaa.."
He continues to laugh all the way to the pile o' loot.
 
He starts sending anything valuable to his masters abode..with fair warning of course...and pocketing anything interesting and ..magical that migh be of use.
 
(what does he find?)

From:  Firebomb <firebomb@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  3:34 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Okay. 

Since nobody else mentioned looting the pile of loot that the previous occupant of this facility had collected, this is what you come up with:

There's some sort of high tech bracelet.  It's got a few buttons, a tiny indicator screen that would at first appear to be an LCD model, or perhaps even one of those new-fangled Plasmatron (TM) dingii, but it does not appear to be pixel-based.  

Either that or the pixels are so small as to be non-visible (wow!).

There's also an electronic slate.  That, of course, would appear to be rather familiar to Rebound, in that he's the only person here who's seen one of those before - carried by Lieutenant Syde of Temporal Management.  It appears to be in perfectly good order, just... dusty.

By looking at the pile as a whole with your magical senses, you can dig through it Scrooge McDuck style, Masque, to find the twelve magical items within.  That dirty dozen, of course, does not include the rather large fork Magus used against Techno-Elys.

Three of said items are rings.

One is a somewhat short sword.

One is a pitch fork, which would appear to be made from some sort of 'solid flame', for it is glowing and flickering in a fiery manner.

One is a pair of spectacles, two lenses of glass held together in a leather framework that puts one in a mind of WW 1 figher pilots.

One is the single-largest sapphire you have ever seen.

One of them would appear to be a coin, made from some silvery metal that reflects light in every color of the rainbow.  You remember seeing one at Och's place, after you pestered him about the magic presence you sensed in that REALLY big safe he has in his apartment bedroom...

...the one he had to spend ten minutes disarming all the booby traps on.

One is a rather nondescript looking M1911A1 .45 hand cannon.

One is a hammer.

One is a sack.  It seems empty until you open it and feel around.  Inside you can feel that it is full of something... it feels like pencils at first, until you pull one out.  The object in your hand is an individually packaged Slim Jim (TM).

The curious thing about the bag is, after you seemingly remove all of the Slim Jims (TM) in the bag, there is a fresh batch waiting for you.  You try pulling out about five hundred Slim Jims (TM) from the tiny pouch, but there seems to be no end of the tasty meat snacks.

Snap into a Slim Jim!

The last one is truly curious.  It would appear to be... transient in nature.  It looks like nothing other than a small pinpoint of light, one that you seem able to manipulate in space by... wanting to, more so than actually picking it up, etc...

That's what you find, aside from the gigantic pile of coinage of various sorts that seem to originate from all manner of places, many of which don't correspond to any earthly government - from any time period.  Some silver, some gold, and plenty of additional precious items.

And of course, the rather large computer network, pile of assorted items in the large mechanical pile of stuff you almost met your demise in, the back-up power supply, and even whatever salvage you figure you can get from either Elys' or Techno-Elys' corpses.

(but... what's this about transporting everything away?  heheh)

P.S.:  If'n anybody's got any sort of last-minute comments one way or the other, now's a good time to get on 'em, or else I'm going to assume that everybody is proceeding in a certain fashion upon formally resuming this whole game thing tomorrow... groovy?

This, 'cause I'm jump-starting everybody and everything tomorrow... I think that, though I'm probably going to die horribly or some such, that it's about time I get on with it... heheh.  

From:  cclayjr2@juno.com 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  4:37 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

OCC: I would like Stone Cold to get the bracelet and the Hammer unless
that is being too greedy???

From:  "Lohse, Doug" <DLohse@banknorth.com> 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  7:57 am
Subject:  RE: [v13] Interlude

Magic? Bah! Nothing but trouble if you ask dear olde Rebound...

From:  EmarZero@aol.com 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  8:30 am
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Ari grins.  "Hey, neat.  Not quite as handy as my bag, but hey, can't go wrong with delicious processed-meat snacks!"

From:  "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  8:40 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

Masque sneers at her and uses his sleight o' hand and almost magically makes the bag disappear.
"I don't think so...."
  ...then he snaps into a slim jim and smiles.

From:  "Christopher W. Acers" <cwacers@technohol.com> 
Date:  Mon Apr 8, 2002  9:29 pm
Subject:  Re: [v13] Interlude

There's some sort of high tech bracelet.  It's got a few buttons, a tiny indicator screen that would at first appear to be an LCD model, or perhaps even one of those new-fangled Plasmatron (TM) dingii, but it does not appear to be pixel-based.  
 
Rifling through the pile he merely looks at the bracelet in disgust and tosses it aside.

There's also an electronic slate.  That, of course, would appear to be rather familiar to Rebound, in that he's the only person here who's seen one of those before - carried by Lieutenant Syde of Temporal Management.  It appears to be in perfectly good order, just... dusty.
 
"Harumppphhhh...'...
<toss>

Three of said items are rings.
 
 
"Ooooooo...." he says as he picks on up and puts it on...
"My Precious...."
(and if no one else objects, he pockets the others)

One is a somewhat short sword.
 
"Feh....can't use it anyways."
<toss>

One is a pitch fork, which would appear to be made from some sort of 'solid flame', for it is glowing and flickering in a fiery manner.
 
"Belongs with that sword...."
<toss>

One is a pair of spectacles, two lenses of glass held together in a leather framework that puts one in a mind of WW 1 figher pilots.
 
"Hmmmm....."
He slowly takes off his Masque and reveals a patchwork of scars across the left side of his face. trying to hide that siode of his face from the others he puts the glasses on....
",,arrrrrrroooooooooooommmmmmmm....I'm a pilot!" he says as he makes his arms simulate wings in that child-like way.

One is the single-largest sapphire you have ever seen.
 
"OH MY GOD....It's the Dragon again!!!!" He yells and points the other way....and he then pockets the gem.

One of them would appear to be a coin, made from some silvery metal that reflects light in every color of the rainbow.  You remember seeing one at Och's place, after you pestered him about the magic presence you sensed in that REALLY big safe he has in his apartment bedroom...
 
"There she is again....." ...he frowns as he realizes that no one fell for it this time and pockets the coin anyways.

> One is a rather nondescript looking M1911A1 .45 hand cannon.
 
"Feh"
<Toss>

> One is a hammer.
 
His eyes gleam as he sees this one and then....
<toss>

> (snip description of Slim Jim bag)
 
We've already been through this one haven't we Ari..heh.

> (snip speck of light description)
 
"Ummmmm.." he says as he eyeballs the crowd....."What!?!"
He plays around with the 'light' and then closes his hand over it and stands up.
"Hey..stop looking at me like that....you guys can have the gold and stuff......I have no need fer that milarky...It's not like you noticed the stuff until i found it...sheesh...and you got this whole base...and these things are cursed...yeah....cursed..but only I...I, a true mage, a wonder of wonders can break the curses. Magic is the cure for the maladies of these items and these items are the vure for the maladis of myself, for I am a super mage and I will.....ummmmm....."
Looking slightly embarrased he mumbles an apology....
"Sorry...got carried away...but yeah..they are cursed and i must begin my long journey to the black tower to mend these curses..."
 
He walks away towards Magus, hoping they are dumbfounded enough by his rapid fire Masque talk to scratch their heads in ...in..in....wonder.
