Session Start: Fri Feb 24 21:11:04 2006 Session Ident: #lunar-iog2 * Logging #lunar-iog2 to 'logs\#lunar-iog2.log' * TheStoryteller changes topic to '-= Chapter 5: Railroaded! | Location: Underground Railroad | 4185 § | 3 MXP =- http://storen.rpgcafe.net/IoG/ | OOC chan: #iog-ooc | v5 of magic docs posted' * TheStoryteller sets mode: +m == SESSION START == * ChanServ sets mode: +o Gayo Last we left our intrepid band of explorers, they had just came upon an ancient relic, apparently designed to traverse the miles of tracks in this lightless cavern and carry valuable to and fro. Starting it up, it begins to move and come up to speed... « er valuables. » Niri is in the driver's seat, faced with a single lever that fits in the palm of one's hand while sitting. It can swivel to the left and the right. Nearby is handle coated a fadd red color, and a couple of guages that are starting to rise from 0. « er faded » * Niri peers at the gauges, trying to figure out what they mean! In the rear of the train car are two rows of seat that can fit about 10 men comfortably, and the door to the rear leads to the hauler portion, filled with now broken crates, courtesy of Saki's iron fist. * Ryllan moves up to the front, wondering if his old hand with things that drive will help him interpret gauges and things. * Vytor kicks back and relaxes for the trip * Trune plops down in a seat, a plume of dust shooting up as he does so. He sneezes. >_< * Saki glances at the others, frowning. "You're seriously going to try to get this running?"# The train moves very very slowly, obviously doing little more than coasting along at a walking speed. Niri isn't too sure what the readouts mean, though one is "PSI" and the other is "mph". * Vytor represses the urge to start singing, "To Morrow" * Tanan settles down as well, near the front. "It seems to be moving a little, at least." * Niri thinks about what she knows of the old language! "Um...I wonder if this means...monkeys per hectare? Wait, no..." Up ahead in the window you spy the fork you passed, a lever sticking up from the ground near the rails. It is connected to a system of metal joints to the track. It looks like it could be moved with a slight push. * Trune snorts into his hand at Niri's comment, apparently trying to stifle a laugh. * Ryllan snrks, "It's a measurement of speed, Niri. Yeah, what Ryllan said. * Tanan stares blankly. "Why would it track that? I mean, I could see an agricultural device, sure.." [Leah] Yeah, I've seen that before on some old contraptions! * Saki puts a gloved hand to her head, rolling her eyes for a moment. "Ugh. Fine," she mutters, then hefts one of the now broken-crates... and throws it off the side. Then goes to repeat. ...Oh. *Blinks* Monkey is a unit of speed? * Niri smacks her forehead Oh! Wait! Miles. Sorry. [Leah] Although, the last time I heard of something saying "psi" it blew up... Keep that meter down then, please. Hey, can someone whack that lever? S'might be important! Btw, you would note the windows of the train are broken, with some panes missing and the stale tunnel air flowing in. * Vytor wonders if he can reach the lever somehow Oh! Lever! * Niri rummages for her boomerang * Niri takes aim! Can we stop this thing and t- * Tanan stares at Niri. "Oh sweet heaven is she serious?" Apparently so. This oughtta be a trip. I thought we agreed to stop with the puns What puns? * Saki hefts another of the broken crates off the car, apparently trying to lighten the weight. Tripping a switch? * Ryllan shrugs, "You can never stop puns. They're the ninth element." ...I actually wasn't trying! Seriously! [Leah] Good idea! * Tanan grins * Niri hurls her boomerang at the switch! * Vytor watches the boomerang whizz by With a swish of cut air, Niri's boomerang darts out the window and connects with the switch. *KCHINK* The push is enough to start it moving to it's secondary position. The weapon zooms in an arc, plopping faithfully back into Niri's hand. Nice shot Huh, not bad. * Trune looks like his almost saying this grudingly. Huh! Impressive. As soon as the lever falls into place, the track junction moves, aligning the rails to turn right, instead of left. * Tanan smiles. "All that time exploring instead of attending classes was worthwhile, huh?" Saki's work does lighten the load, as the thing increases it's speed to more of a brisk run. Heh, awesome. :D Umm...I attend classes! Sometimes! * Saki kicks away another crate, then opts to just hold onto something. The vehicle is probably as light as it can be, but it still is moving rather slowly up to the junction. Perhaps there's something you have to do with the controls? Kind of a slow ride, isn't it? Be glad, this thing really shouldn't be moving at all. Maybe we can hit something to speed it up? * Tanan frowns. "Although... Yeah. I don't know that we want to risk trying to make it zoom along or anything." A blast of steam escapes from the underbelly of the machine as it plods along with a slow click-a-clacka sound. * Vytor decides to take a gander at the funky controls Hmmm. Not sure exactly what these do... * Saki looks grimly amused. "I could give it a kick." Let's not, I just got this working working...sort of If it's all the same, I'd rather you didn't. I've seen you kick things! Vytor notices the swiveling lever for one's hand is in the centermost position. <> ...Yeah. Perhaps we should just ride along liesurely? I think you'd probably kill it. I'd rather we didn't blow this thing up if possible. * Vytor looks at Niri, "May I?" [Shiro] *sits in a seat, toungue hanging out the window as it peers around* Go for it! You probably know more about this than I do... *Scoots out of the driver's seat* * Vytor sits down and starts tapping gauges, making sure none of them are stuck Let's see now All the guages are very dusty, but appear to be working! The mph guage is still rising, though it is barely above 0, and can go all the way up to 60. The PSI is holding steady at 100, with a maximum of 400. I'm not sure what this MPH gauge means. But this PSI one...assuming this system operated partly on steam, it might inidicate pressure * Niri scritches Shiro's head :D * Ryllan nods, "So let's not let it go to high. High pressure is /bad/, if I remember correctly. * Vytor looks the swivel handle over, "The lower lumbar supports don't look like they could turn, so this can't be a directional control." This red one here, its made to look obvious, so there's a good chance that's used for emergencies. Maybe a brake? The train approaches the junction Niri altered, and begins carefully turning with a low screech and some sparks of metal on metal. * Trune leans back in the chair, having no IDEA what Vytor is yapping about. This thing seems stuck on the rails, anyway. It wouldn't make sense to have turning, would it? No it wouldn't, but we don't want to assume too much about something we don't completely understand * Tanan folds his arms and leans back. "Must have been strange, living with things like this instead of a simple willforce device." * Vytor grips the swivel handle, "Everyone hold onto something, I want to test a theory." [Leah] It is strange. I wonder why it doesn't use Adept interfaces? * Ryllan eyes Tanan, "I think you of all people'd know ho- Oh hell" He grabs a convenient protrusion of the wall, "how 'simple' willforce is." This theory won't cause us to explode in a grand fashion, will it? Because I'm not down with that. * Trune grabs onto a pole regardless. * Vytor begins, very gently and slowly, to push the swivel handle to the right What do you mean? There's plenty of simple things you can do with it. * Niri grabs on as the train turns. "Whee!" :D Leah garbs onto a rail near her seat, as Vytor works the control. His hunch proves correct.. as the handle is turned right, you feel the motion of the train increase. The speedometer (as you figure it) begins to increase more, and the turn becomes harsher and noisier. * Niri glances at Tanan. "What, like...lighting the stove? And accidentally setting the kitchen on fire? * Vytor moves the handle back to where it was * Tanan braces himself, turning to look at Niri. "Do you actually know anyone who's done that? Well.. more than once?" * Saki easily leans with the curves, keeping a hand on a rail herself. She's interested, though not showing much excitement. I get it now, this this controls how fast we go. I bet the harder I push it to the right, the faster we go. The train completes the turn, and is now traveling down a straight length of tunnel. Some powered lights on the walls appear to be working, as they cast shadows about the car. It also slows down again at Vytor's nudging of the switch. And because we're on a rail system, its important to control the speed as the we make the turns on this system Oh man...go a little slower! (w) I dunno if my stomach can take it... I'm willing to be if I start cranking this thing to the left, we'll actually start backing up. Awww, but this is fun.... <> That could be useful if we come to any more of those switches, Vytor. Be good to be able to get back if we make a wrong turn * Tanan glances backward. "Or get back at all. This is a lot easier than walking." * Vytor starts moving the wheel to the right again, now that its a straightaway Let's not go too crazy with the speed, since we don't know what's ahead Sure enough, the train picks up speed. Clack, clack, clack clack. Progressing further, the tunnel begins to take a curve to the left and there is a sign on the wall with a light above it. * Trune cranes around to peer at the sign on the wall. * Vytor slows the train down to get a better look at the sign It's hard to read through all the dust, but you can make out a letter T on a yellow background that stands out. Anyone know what that's supposed to mean? Something to do with the letter T, I guess. * Saki keeps an alert eye on the rails ahead, hanging onto the rail with a grim determination. Coming around the bend at slow speed, you can see another lever on the right side, near an almost identical switching point. * Niri peers out the window Switch ahead * Vytor slows down some more Should I flip it? You can either switch these tracks, or continue on your same path. * Vytor shrugs Might as well. If Vytor's theory is right we can always backtrack. Well, which way do we want to go? I guess I'll flip it and we can find out... * Niri readies her boomerang, takes aim, and throws it! Or we could see where it's set to go alread-.. right, then! * Vytor decides to test that theory, and slows the train down more, eventually moving the handle to the left Niri switches the junction to the left! She is taken aback a bit as the train lurches to a halt, barely catching her weapon. It starts to protest a bit as the axles grind, but eventually starts tiptoing back the way you came. Hmm...that went poorly * Vytor slows the train to a halt, then starts it moving forward again Saki gets a good view of the turn up ahead. It seems the eft path is very dark, compared to a well-lit right turn. « left » Ummm....we're turning around? :/ What's going on? :o The vehicle resumes it's forward motion dutifully. Maybe just shaking off the rust on that reverse shift? Nope, just seeing if this thing will actually go backwards Before we head off somewhere we can't return from * Saki , as the car slows to a halt, hops off nimbly. Carefully watching her footing she heads forward a short ways to get a better view around the lit-up turn. * Vytor spots Saki moving ahead of the train, and slows down further Ahh, okay. * Niri peers ahead, trying to see into the darkness! Wonder what's down here, anyway? I mean, we might be going to Bob's Jiffy Mart for all I know. Only, you know, it's abandoned and destroyed and in ruins. Maybe with undead rednecks. That'd be awesome. Niri, what the HELL are you talking about? ...Um, nothing! ..? * Niri looks cute ^^;; Saki scouts a bit ahead, as the train begins mvoing slower than she. Down the lighted path you can see more working lights and the walls appear to become tiled. There is also the faint aroma of something .. rotting? Leah blinks once. "Ooookay there." * Trune sniffs the air, smelling the rot, "If we find any undead rednecks, Niri, I am so kicking your ass." * Niri wrinkles her nose. "Ugh! What IS that?" Something dead. * Saki huffs to herself, and picks her way a trifle slowly back to the cab, hopping into it. "The right path is lit, but I don't much like the smell of it. There's no way I'm picking along the left in that darkness. Your choice." Something dead. The dungeons smelled like this when... * Trune shuts up, his face darkening just a little. Driving this things into the darkness isn't smart We'd better go right * Saki nods curtly. "I'll stand guard." And she does, staying in the driver compartment, ready to leap out at a moment's notice. Someone hit the switch again, please? We could probably get some sort of lights mounted on the front if we need to go down the darker path. Leah hmms and stares at the switch, concentrating. A small purple glow surrounds it as it slowly is yanked back to the right. * Tanan looks at Leah questioningly. Nice trick. Everyone keep a sharp lookout. [Leah] Heehee. * Vytor coaxes the train to move forward again [Leah] Oh, do you want more light? I can handle that if you think so. Awww. [Leah] Though it's a bit tricky, this power of mine... I mean, Leah, that was cool, but...I felt important being the one in charge of switches. ;) [Leah] Sorry Niri, but you're having all the fun! * Trune hms, giving Leah a closer look now that she's shown to have rather intresting telekenetic ablities. Or at least can do fun palor tricks. ...Well, true. ^_^ * Niri lifts Shiro into her lap so he can see out the window easier! Vytor starts up the metal beast crawling along the path. It veers down the right tunnel. Light cast by what you feel is electrical systems still functioning after all this time illuminates a mosaic of blue and white tiles that criss cross on the curved cieling above you. * Tanan sighs. "Figures. I never know what's going to happen either, sometimes. I'll give it a try, but I'm not sure I can actually keep it sitting out there." * Ryllan looks up, "Still running? ...Impressive. I wonder what's powering these lights. [Leah] That's right.. you're a teacher of Chaos magic, aren't you, Tanan? Well, he would be if anyone would take his classes. * Tanan makes a ball of light in his hands and tries to send it out to sit on the front of the train. Yeah, I am. T-.. hey! * Tanan looks at Niri, a little hurt. Heh. I'd take them. It sounds a little like what I do. What? I'm not making fun of you! I feel bad for you! ;_; I mean, I took the class. Um...not that I understood much of it. But at least I tried! Tanan's bit of light magic swerves and veers around as his concentration wavers. It's better than nothing though, since whatever lights this train had were broken ages ago. Heh, I was planning on taking it, but uh, I probably won't be invited back to the academy anytime soon. * Saki doesn't speak, still watching the rails ahead like a hawk. A slightly scary, silent, psycho hawk. * Tanan chuckles, and looks back out at the light. "If I can keep it there, that'll help if it gets dark.. and honestly, that's true, Ryllan. You and Leah here both might have some luck with it." Trune, sneak into the class! Submit stealth essays! Sneak them into his inbox! * Vytor keeps his attention focused on what's ahead, and controlling the train What are you making me out to be? The Hylan academy ninja? Hey, I've never actually failed anyone who shows up and pays attention. ...Actually, that'd be pretty badass. ...You'd be a whole lot more awesome if you were. The smell of rot gets stronger, until you find out what's causing it. Saki is the first to spot what looks like an opening in the right side of the tunnel, and beyond it a similar set of track, running parallel with yours. There is a platform nestled inbetween them, and on this platform are... bodies. Hey, I'm pretty goddamn awe---oh wow. What the hell? o_o O_O What...happened down here? * Niri covers her mouth suddenly as her stomach rebels * Tanan makes a face, the little light wavering briefly. "Ough! Why are there.. are those still fresh?" They...really should be just skeletons by now. *looking distinctly green* What the heck is going ON here? * Saki recoils from the windscreen, making a strange short horrified gurgle. "... n... not with that smell, I don't think." Shiro whimpers. But... they should be hundreds of years old! Thousands! Those don't SMELL like fossils No, Niri is right, they should be skeletons by now. How recent is this? This can't be all that old? Not with that kind of reek. * Ryllan covers his mouth protectively, "...This musta been just when the devastation war happened." It can't be, though. Who elcce could have been down here? Drawing closer you can see it actually isn't the bodies giving off the smell, so muhc as some crates of rotting food. * Niri buries her face in Shiro's fur, trying to block the smell ;_; The bodies themselves are skeletons clothed in tattered raiments. Some have hints of grren and blue. This doesn't make any sense. ...Uh, no, it doesn't. What's the smell then? The bodies are decomposed to bones, but the food isn't? It's...almost like time has partially slowed down here. There is rotting and decay, but not nearly fast enough for thousands of years. * Saki nods to the crates and chuckles darkly. "Good food packaging." And the lights and this machine still run. Something.. odd The crates of the offensive, pugnant slop are contained in a box that looks complicated, stacked with fans and a metal grill. Perhaps this is not unlike a cooling system used in the Academy. Seems as if someone has to have been down here recently. And left all this food behind to rot? That is pretty weird... * Saki mutters under her breath. "Too much wrong with the world." She shakes her head, then glances at Vytor. "Want me to take a look?" [Leah] Ugh. This is what I hate about abadoned ruins. ...if you're going to check it out, do it fast. This whole thing gives me the creeps. The platform has about 10 skeletons on it, and there is a door at the far end. We should see what's behind that door. * Tanan sounds like he doesn't really want to, though * Ryllan shrugs, "I'm feeling suicidal today. i'll look. Anyone else want to back me up?" * Saki nods quickly and hops out of the cab, making a cursory check-over of the platform and bodies. She tries to be efficient and fast, but can't hide the distaste on her face. * Ryllan walks over to the door. * Vytor slows the train to a stop Careful, Ryllan. I don't like any of this. * Tanan sighs, hopping down as the train slows. "Not really, but let's take a look." Among the remains you catch a glint of metal here and there, though it's hard to tell what it could be. The door is bent violently inwards, as if it was kicked in from the other side. Beyond it is a stairway leading upwards * Vytor considers what to do Shiro sniffs at the rotting food curiosly, but doesn't look too happy. * Saki tries to identify a couple of the metallic glints, but keeps an eye on these at the door. ...Trust me, you DON'T want to eat that, Shiro. Uh...hey! You! Uh...yeah! Shiro! Don't eat that! Saki thinks one looks like the barrel of a weapon famous in Takkar, the gun. If we're going to explore, I'd ratrher we didn't split up * Ryllan frowns, "Yeah. All or none. Or we'll be in trouble." leah whaps Shiro and he returns to the bunch. * Tanan sniffs a few times and shudders, the light on the front of the train winking out. "This is just lovely. I vote we go up the stairs. It almost has to smell better up there." I agree Yeah, is there anything useful to gain by staying down here? :/ Might as well. I still feel weird about this. * Saki frowns again, shaking her head to try to dispel the sudden headache. Straightening up, she moves over towards the door, but talks to herself as she does "A battle. Guns; hmf." Up we go then. * Vytor works on powering down the train * Ryllan heads upwards, sighing slightly. * Trune pales and shakes his head, "...Very weird about this." * Ryllan looks back, "Trune? Something wrong? * Niri manages to find a part of the train that doesn't smell bad. I just have this...feeling about this. I dunno if this is the right choice. Vytor sucessfully idles the train, but seems to be unable to stop it completely. It emits a dull hum. * Niri has a sudden craving for chocolate bananas! What do you mean, the right choice? What do you think WOULD be the right choice? Is there another choice? Just going back isn't really one. * Vytor jumps down from the train, and moves carefully towards the door Well, we could backtrack and....*sigh* Just trust me that if you're gonna go this way to not be a dumbass and run headlong into it like LAST time, okay? * Niri sighs. "Fine, fine. Although you do realize that ancient skeletons and rotting food have a rather sobering effect on my cheerful overeagerness? I'm not stupid, you know. * Trune doesn't actually retort. He looks even MORE uneasy. * Niri waves a hand. "Hey guys, Trune has a funny feeling. I guess we should follow him and see if it means anything. Whatcha think?" * Vytor looks through the door * Ryllan shrugs, "Not like we've had any better basis for our decisions so far." * Saki follows Ryllan up, but glances at Trune, her mouth set. "If we see that woman, I make no promises." The door in front of Saki suddenly falls off it's hignes for no reason whatsoever. It's creepy. « hinges » * Vytor jumps! * Tanan looks back at Trune. "Funny 'funny', or funny 'horrible death awaits us if we climb those st- yikes!" But we may as well keep going up for the mo- Wha!? * Saki steps back twice. Despite herself, she shivers a little. I dunno if it's quite 'oh my god splat' kind of death, but something unpleasant that could lead to that, yes. Also what the hell?! * Vytor takes a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves * Niri blinks. "Okay, definitely getting the creeps now." Thankfully, no zombies or haunetd ghosts of the past come through the mangled portal. Just normal decay, looks like... * Vytor goes to look trhough the door again But we should take extra care. * Ryllan slides his daggers out of their sheathes. * Tanan nods, adjusting his shield. "Right." * Saki frowns, then with a grim grin kicks aside the broken-down door and heads on through. * Tanan follows. "Yeah, definitely glad you didn't kick the train-thing." Someone wanted in here at one point, and didn't care who knew it * Niri gives Trune a sidelong, appraising look Going up the stairway, it is tight and hard to traverse. The steps are well-preserved though, and up at the top of them you reach a wide open room. * Trune keeps to himself, looking on edge. * Niri peers around curiously It is filled with chairs and desks. many are overturned on their sides and setup in a very staggared manner, in a way like a fort's walls. ...unsettling trend There is a lamp or two on the wall, and it audibly fizzles, winking in and out. One portion of the cieling in a corner has collapsed, and a mound of earth is leaking into this chamber. :/ [Leah] Hmm... at least it doesn't smell so abd up here. « bad » Looks like someone was hiding out here. A shelter of some kind? Or a barricade? Kind of looks that way ...Defensible. It's a barricade. Yeah. From the Devastation Wars, then? * Saki looks around and grins, in a vaguely unpleasant fashion. "A barricade? More like a last stand." There are some drawers from a wooden desk laying strewn about the far end of the room. * Tanan walks into the room, a new light in his hand, looking around. * Vytor starts winding his way across the room ...So I'm guessing those people out there were the ones hiding in here. Looks like the barricade didn't work for long. *Feels sick again* (w) They didn't have a chance... Considering what we've seen so far, that's a pretty good theory * Tanan goes to see if there's anything in the drawers. "Probably..." * Niri sighs :/ So...who killed them, and why? I wonder if there's any way to know. Vytor notices the floor is unstable here, but it still is supporting his weight. Tanan uncovers some documents, and strange metal circles. * Tanan picks up a paper at random and looks at it In the chair by the drawers is a skeleton of a man, hunched over and skull on the floor. :o Watch the floor, it might be kind of weak in places Tanan's paper is hard to understand. It looks faded in many places. The only part that is legible speaks of "evacuations to the cave cities". There is another part where you make out letter head of "The Pentagon". * Ryllan goes to investigate the skeleton, looking for clues as to the circumstances of his demise. * Niri peers over Tanan's shoulder ...Pentagon? Hey, isn't that...? That's what it says. * Vytor keeps working his way across the room That's the name of the ruins my dad and I explored. Ryllan investigates the corpse. He's much more well preserved than the ones downstairs. He probably was choked to death, seeing as how the neck was broken. And something about evacuating to I guess underground? Didn't work, looks like. * Niri looks closer, trying to see if she can make out more of the letter * Tanan glances back at Niri, holding the paper up for her. "It is?" Choked... Whoever did this got /close/. The scraps of his clothing are different than his compatriots, and the fabric seems fancy. On the skull is the remains of a black-brimmed cap, and a half-broken golden eagle. * Niri nods. "Hmmm. Looks like the people at that building were in charge of ordering the evacuation. * Ryllan looks at the eagle, "An insignia of some kind...? Anyone here an expert on pre-War history?" Not me I know a bit...but I'm not sure what that insignia represents. I think it has to do with...something military? [Leah] Well, that symbol's been sighted before.. it could be the symbol of an ancient country that existed here a long time ago. I'm not sure what though. I wish I had my books. Or some sort of.. * Saki regards the room with a slow, careful eye, then turns it towards that crest being pointed out. * Tanan nods to Leah Right, uh. Yeah, sure. Ignore me. * Tanan reaches down with his free hand and picks up one of the metal circles. * Vytor freezes as the floor creaks again, waits a moment, then starts moving again It's a very shiny multi-colored metallic circle, about 3 inches wide. There is a hole in the center. So he's an official of some sort. Hmm. It also has the eagle symbol on it and the words "TOP SECRET". * Ryllan pockets the insignia, "No offense, old fellow." Huh. Wonder what this is... As Ryllan pockets the symbol, the floor creaks some more, and a bit of dusts falls from a crack above you. Right...uh... are we near done in here? Because that unsettling feeling is starting to come back. ...Yeah. * Ryllan looks up, "we should get out of here before the place falls in. * Saki is quick-as-a-flash back in the doorway without so much as a word. * Tanan jumps up and down on the floor as hard as he can! ...or maybe he just grabs the metal circles and makes his way towards the door * Niri heads out with the others * Vytor starts working back towards the door * Trune quickly heads to the door. * Saki heads back down towards the train. You all hurry back down the steps to the platform. As you do, the area above gives way and a desk comes crashing down through it and slams into the cooling system. *CRASH* Grit flying about blinds you for a moment, before all falls quiet again. * Vytor blinks a lot at the new destruction ....Good timing. Missed death and destruction there. Good deal. * Tanan coughs. "That's all you can ask for I guess." * Saki coughs twice, brushing herself off as she does and glancing back up the stairs at the destruction. * Ryllan eyes Trune, "So, was that what your weird feeling was about, then? * Trune looks down, "I...I dunno." Leah looks a bit frightened, but tries not to show it. I suppose we should keep going * Tanan walks over towards the front of the train, carefully replacing the light back on it. "Ok, new theory. People who explore ruins are crazy and deserve better pay." A fine layer of dirt is covering all the bodies now. perhaps they can rest in peace. ...Eep. * Saki frowns to herself in some manner of scattered thought, but hops back into the train. We're getting paid? * Niri glances at Tanan. No way, that's the fun part! Well, usually. * Trune trudges back onto the train, plopping back down in a seat. He still look uneasy and is being quiet -- very quiet. I mean, as long as the crashing objects MISS you, it is. * Vytor goes to check to make sure the train still works Well.. The headmistress did give us a large chunk of money for this, if I recall right. . o O ( Did I just imagine all of that? I freaked out over nothing. /Nothing/. ) * Tanan stops and stares at Niri for a few seconds, then grins. "Yep. Crazy." * Niri makes a face. Yep, the train's still working. It's a bit dirty now, what with silt on the floor coming in through the windows. * Tanan chuckles, and climbs into the train Let's get out of here * Ryllan gets back in and sits down, "I agree." Trune, you alright? You're brooding even more than normal. * Vytor dusts off the controls, and sits down at the wheel Uh...I'm fine. Yeah. Fine. * Stelas takes up the self-titled lookout/guard spot. «ooc: ... » «ooc: stupid opers-can-talk-through-+m » HEY STELAS! HI! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?! * Ryllan raises an eyebrow. (nuke that) * Saki takes up the self-titled lookout/guard spot. « lol » * Trune forces a small grin, "I'll just be glad to get out of here, s'all." * Tanan sits down and stares out the front, muttering to himself. *Mutters* Brood brood brood. * Ryllan shrugs, letting it pass. So! What next? * Trune death-glares at Niri, "Just...don't." * Vytor waits for everyone to get aboard, then gets the train moving again, anxious to leave this place Vytor warms up the train, and soon you are moving ahead again at a good clip. When all this is done, I'm suggesting to the faculty that we start making students concentrate on things while it smells horrible and stuff is falling on them. If that light goes out I apologize in advance. * Niri makes a face back at Trune! * Vytor tries to shake off the heebie-jeebies You pass some points where the nice tiles are once again chipped off and flaking away into dust. On the track ahead is another familiar junction point. * Vytor slows down Saki notices by the light of the spell that beyond the junction to the right, there are signs of twisted rails and broken supports. So...what now? * Saki mutters to Vytor. "Left." * Niri can't see very well...cleans her glasses * Vytor looks to see if the tracks are angling left this time The junction is set to lead you right, currently. Someone hit the lever again please * Gayo is now known as Gayo|Gone * Niri wields her boomerang again! And ping, the track slides over and the train follows suit. Good thing too, that right path looks like it had a cave in... * Vytor starts the train up again Going left you bank farther to the left, starting to turn hard! Numerous warning signs appear again, this time "R" and red and white arrows. Man, the people in the past sure loved the alphabet. R? What';s that supposed to mean? Your stomachs start to feel a little woozy as the track angles downward as it turns, gaining speed without imput from Vytor. Momentum and downhill rides are a bad combination! R, R.. Reduce Speed? Right turn? Really annoying layout? Ro..tund.. badger? I've got nothing. Whoa! Oh man I'm gonna throw up! * Vytor tries to slow the train down! Eep. O_o Um...where are the breaks on this thing? << sdsdafas brakes >> * Saki hangs onto a rail, making a noise of exertion as she tries to keep her footing steady. I'd assume they're up there. Vytor, Y'mind! «ooc: !? » <> Vytor begins slowing the train down, but it is a gradual stop that the vehicle fights every step of the way. In front of you, there is something laying across the tracks. Not good o_O * Vytor takes a gamble and throws the red lever as hard as he can! Ack! What's that? * Trune looks up from his near-throwing-up postition to see the object in the tracks, "Oh shit! Someone stop this thing before we DIE!" * Niri grabs onto Shiro ;_; Hang on! Oh shit! Vytor's hand yanks on the lever hard as you hear a FWOOSH of air fill some hidden tank and the PSI meter shoots upwards. Everyone inside is throw forward and the machine forcible applies the brakes. * Trune is slammed facefirst into a random chair! [Shiro] Aroo! ;_; Ow! Mother fucking...ow! Ouch! * Niri bangs her elbow on a seat. "OW!! My funny bone!" * Saki nearly goes through the windscreen were it not for her arms wrapped around a rail post; as it is she buckles and lurches forwards, slamming her lower body into a wall of the train before coming to a standstill. Leah nearly hits the cieling as the train comes to a full halt, and taps the obstruction lightly. Gh. /Ow./ What we went hit? :o Everyone OK? << Heh, scratch that. >> Steam escapes into the air as the dust settles and the brakes cool off with a faint sizzle. * Saki brings herself back to some semblance of reality, shaking her head to clear it before looking out at whatever they hit, crackling her knuckles in subconscious irritation. * Trune rubs his nose, which looks very red but hopefully is not broken, "I'll libe." * Vytor exhales Owwww. What is that on the tracks? Saki is staring at a crate on the tracks. * Tanan winces a little, making yet another ball of light to replace the one that just fizzled. "I think I'm ok." Glad we didn;t hit that I'll live. Nnh. What'd we almost hit? The obstacle is mostly intact, but bit of the contents seem to be spilling out the bottom. Fine grains of white sandy-substance drains onto the tracks. Looks like a crate Looks like a crate. «ooc: ... » * Tanan looks back and forth from Trune to Vytor, then chuckles. * Saki growls under her breath. "If there are no objections--" the tone of voice making it clear there had better not be, "-- that thing is mine." She hops out of the traincar to take a closer look. Punching it into oblivion can wait until after a little curiosity. * Trune almost looks like he wants to chuckle as well, but suddenly has that uneasy look on his face. Ah, Saki? If y-.. actually go ahead. * Vytor waits for Saki to finish The white powder spilling out is definitly not sand. It immediately downs on Saki what it is.. a crate of fine-grained sugar. * Radien (zipo@c-67-171-223-140.hsd1.or.comcast.net) has joined #lunar-iog2 >> Saki acquires the ingredient 'sweetener « er » * Niri blinks What the... [Leah] There sure is a lot of food down here. ...Yeah. A pity most of it's old. * Saki frowns for a moment, clearly surprised and more than a little suspicious. She works silently, packaging some up for later study, before rather unceremoniously booting the rest of the crate off the tracks and out of the way and getting back into the car as if nothing had happened. Weird * Saki nods in agreement. "I'm surprised it kept. I'll have to test it when I've a moment," she deadpans. They must have had this place ready.. a place to hide, stocked with food. * Vytor checks one more time to make sure the line is clear, then starts moving the train again I wonder how much warning they had? And....precisely what were they hiding from? A lot happened during the wars... ...(w) Not all that much time at all. Maybe just the war in general? It could have been any of the weapons and destructive forces that were used. * Saki frowns, settling back into guard position as they move on. The train begins chugging along again, swaying a bit as it runs over some sugar-coated rails. The is another junction lever ahead, but the end is twisted off. You are forced to go to the right track. Whatever they were hiding from got them in the end, looks like.. You think? * Vytor checks to see which way the tracks are headed Things continue uneventfully for a little while, but then the light apparently start to break down here again. Thankfully, Tanan's spell allows Saki to see decently. « er lights » Well.. they certainly didn't starve to death, not with all this food around Heads up. Seems we're heading into another dark and spooky area. There is a gooey blurp sound as the train runs over a few slimes. Ew. ^^ * Vytor tries to ignore the squelchy, popping sounds of dying slimes Hey Niri, wanna fight those slimes with your fork of justice? * Niri raises an eyebrow. Oh, very funny! In the darkness you can make out the next junction. The tracks are leading left before the switch is hit. Leah giggles. You know very well I don't have it with me! Oh, funny you should say that... << Dude, this is totally like the mine carts in Alundra where you can run over slimes on the tracks.) >> * Trune reaches into his huge backpack and pulls out a fork, "I prepared just in case you forgot! Here, Princess. Go have fun!" « really, I didn't know that. » * Niri takes the fork, looks at it, and looks at Truen. <> * Niri starts combing Trune's hair with it! H--HEY! Hands off the hair! What? Everyone knows a fork's true power is in its hairstyling ability! * Saki doesn't comment on the antics behind her, instead straining to see further beyond the junction in the darkness. "... can't make much out." Yeah, on whatever planet YOU come from. I mean, the slimes will make great hair gel. We'll have that mop of yours looking great in no time. People normally use combs! Not the COOL people. And hairbrushes! What is this fork-combing you speak of? Crazy. * Vytor concentrates on getting the train to go in the right directions, despite the mayhem behind him You're nuts! Crazy! Loco! Well, yeah! It's part of my charm. Niri is apparently too busy playing stylist with Trune. The train heads left and begins climbing uphill, slowing down dramatically. Well, if you think that forks are awesome to comb hair, how come you don't have a fork of your own? Hey! I think you missed a lever, Princess. Oh dear. Back it up, Vytor? * Vytor slows the train to a halt Backing up Vytor has no trouble slowing the train down. It gladly stops, and rather than staying put starts to slowly drift backwards. Bah, Trune. You're no fun. *Goes back to paying attention to where the train is going* * Vytor backs the train up to before the junction Can someone reach the switch? And back it goes, leaving the ascending fork for another time. You are now halted a few lengths before the lever that switches the tracks. In the murky black off to the right fork, Saki can hear a faint noise. It sounds like water. I can be fun! I just like to live, thank you much! I got it, Vytor. * Niri does the boomerang thing again Click! Her boomerang is certainly enjoying itself. The pathway is now set to go towards the sounds. * Vytor gets the train moving once more Careful on this one, Vytor. If this tunnel hits the water table, that might be the sound of a flooded track. Right Oh boy, train surfing! :P The party's ride lumbers along, as you see the source of the watery sounds. Pools of it are everywhere here, and it drips in slowly from the roof through many cracks. What the heck? Session Time: Sat Feb 25 00:00:00 2006 ...We must be under a lake or river of some sort. I wonder if we're under a water source, like a lake or something. The train cuts through a few puddles as it goes, thankfully none too high that it causes failure just yet. * Ryllan looks at Trune. What? It's a logical explanation! You just happened upon it too! Here goes * Vytor keeps the train moving * Saki keeps a close eye out for worryingly-sized bodies of water, but otherwise remains in grim silence. She seems very restless. As you continue, you notice pipes begin running alongside the walls, carrying who knows what. One of them up ahead is broken and is spewing steam. Oh my. eird <> Hmm. Steamy. This place just keeps getting more and more fun. * AngelAlex242 (~Angelalex@c-67-170-131-204.hsd1.wa.comcast.net) has joined #lunar-iog2 There's steam running through those pipes? ...there's ANYTHING running through those? This is getting weirder and weirder. Either the people before the war built really really well.. Or someone's been repairing? Let's ...not go there. Hmmm. I wonder if someone might have been down here relatively recently. I'm thinking maybe... The broken pipe spits water onto the train as it approaches and you notice it's really damn hot! There are more broken ones ahead, and the fact you don't have windows might make this very painful... This could be bad * Tanan glances at Trune. "I think we need to go there. I'd rather not be surprised by what we run into. Ummmm....can I use Trune as a human shield if we get sprayed with boiling water? ...Either we back off, or we find a way to shut the steam off. Hang on, let me try something. * Trune takes out the staff and holds it aloft, concentrating, "I'm not sure this'll work on a whole train, but I'll give it a go." We may get wet though. Sorry. ..? The train is blasted by another jet of water! The golden staff Trune wields starts to crackle with energy and a second skin of light enshrouds the entire vehicle and it's occupants from harm. Badass. Did I mention how much I /love/ this thing? Different, but I won't complain >> The Elementalor Staff casts Elemental Barrier automatically! The party is rendered immune to the damage. * Vytor gets the train going again ...Impressive. Kind of cheating, though. I mean, for Bree to have it. It really doesn't seem entirely fair. :P But it's handy now! Bree didn't play fair herself. What wasn't fair about it? What? About this staff or Bree? Well, she was supposed to be this amazing hero and all...but I kind of wonder if it wasn't just all the staff. :P Mmm. She's no hero. If you give a coward, a fool, and a weakling that staff, they'd still be all three. Just harder to burn. * Trune says this with a surprisng amount of bitterness. [Leah] Well, Laike used to always tell me that the minute an explorer relies on his equipment alone he's not going to last long out in the world. * Niri nods. "Makes sense to me." [Leah] That's why I always eat my Wheaties. :D Still, she had to have gotten that staff somehow. I don't know a whole lot about the adventurers those people had, but I can't imagine it was all the staff. You mean she WAS no hero. Doesn't look like she's coming back, does it? I hate to say it, but that might be a good thing... ...I dunno whether to feel sorry for her or not after what she did. * Ryllan looks distinctly uncomfortable. Yeah, same here. (m) She wasn't supposed to /die/... You make her sound like some sort of demon or something. Maybe she wasn't the best leader ever, but being smashed... * Niri sighs. Well, yeah. I guess I just feel kind of resentful. I mean, she's one of the people everyone looks up to as heroes. And after what she did and how she acted...I really don't like that so many see her on the same level as, say, my dad. The train continues on its merry way past the obstacles, and the barrier soon fades along with the watery environment. I'm sure there's people who think your dad's not worth a whole lot too, though. Or the headmistress. Or.. who knows. On the other hand, that said, by all accounts Bree was a selfish bitch. You are approaching another junction point, this one is switched right. The lights appear to be fizzling here, signs of power in this area. * Tanan shrugs. By the way, I just thought you all should know that she put my friend into a freaking labor camp just for petty theft, and she'd have her minions beat the crap out of her prisoners, and I think a few were outright killed. That woman let power go to her head. So don't make her out to be a saint, because she's not. .... ....Okay then. O_o Saki picks up some more sounds this time, but now it is akin to a rymthmic thumping. It is coming from the left fork. * Tanan looks at Trune. "No one said she was a saint. Power corrupts, though, you're right." [Leah] Labor camps? I had no idea! * Vytor listens to Trune quietly, still trying to pay attention to driving as well Trune's not exaggerating. Believe me. I know. * ZackFallout2 is now known as Zack I know you guys weren't saying she was a saint, but I don't think you realized how bad she got near the end. I feel bad for her because everyone deserves thier own chances, but I don't feel Meribia has suffered for the loss. * Saki frowns slowly, and mutters at the first available pause. "Hang on to something. Tightly, if you can." Again? Aw damn. You have got to be kidding me. * Ryllan obeys anyway. * Trune holds onto a pole so that he doesn't fly through the air and break his nose for real. * Tanan braces himself again. "I'd say the whole thing was a loss for Meribia. Maybe not the part where she isn't mayor, but..." * Vytor grips the controls, preparing for the worst * Niri holds on tight! The train continue on to the right path, the thumping getting louder as you cross the juncture. You realize what is causing it as a stray train car goes zooming past, barely mising where youw ere a moment ago! Hoi! o_O! The hell!? * Tanan stares, gaping. "...I am so glad I didn't suggest we slow down." Shiro hides under the seat. * Saki winces as the other car shoots past. "G-gh! Not... what I was expecting." Her voice drags down to an embarrassed mumble. "... sorry." O_o Was there...anyone in that? Whew...no harm done, right? Hells... Was someone in that? Did anyone see? * Trune looks to Saki, "Don't sweat it. I was wrong earlier too." Sorry, was too busy seeing my life flash before my eyes I...didn't. I was too busy...doing what Vytor did. That whole life flashing before my eyes thing. The train coasts along another ways, and then it begins to hit some bumps in the track, forcibly slowing down. Something on the railway is tripping the brakes automatically.. It slows down to hit a big pile of yellow-painted metal with a dull thud. * Saki shakes her head. "I didn't--..." She frowns, and glances out the front. "We're slowing down. End of the line?" She slimes without humour, and more than a little unpleasantly. End of the line indeed. The tracks stop here. «ooc: smiles. wtfs » Well, looks like we're walking from here on out? Looks like it Ugh. If we have to... Off to either side of the resting place are thin walkways that lead to darkened doorways. A few words decorate them. * Vytor slows the train to a halt * Saki hops out to take a cursory look around, specifically in regards to ways up to the surface. * Tanan stands up. "Nothing rotting really strongly here, at least." * Trune looks around curiously, "So far, ain't quite as freaky as the last stop." Saki can make out the words "Egress" on both of them, painted in what once might've been a bright orange. * Vytor hops down from the train Leah coaxes Shiro out from his hiding place and tests her footing on the walkway. * Niri follows cautiously. * Saki glances between the doors, sighing as she tries to get rid of another headache. "Same words. Same place?" * Ryllan hrms, stepping out, "...Well, looks like an exit." I suppose Might as well see where it goes. * Saki shrugs, and picks the right door apparently at random, heading through it. When in doubt, go l- or right, this works too. It's a set of very spartan and functional metal mesh stairs. * Vytor follows They seems to lead up a huge distance, and at the top of the tight stairwells a speck of light shines down on you. Ah, the light! How I missed thee. I wonder where that's coming from? Outside? One way to find out * Saki takes the stairs up at a brisk pace, on the principle there's only one way to find out. * Ryllan follows, watching Carefully. The air is definitely fresher as you ascend, one by one. before you reach the top, Saki nearly trips over something. :o * Saki sighs to herself in irritation; it's clearly been a long day if she's messing up her footing. She investigates, however. You OK, Saki? At her feet is a strange looking bracelet, carved out of black metal, cast aside on the floor. It looks like it was dropped recently, and doesn't match the decor quite well. * Saki calls down as she crouches to pick up the brooch and take a closer look. "My pride's in need of resuscitation, but I'll live." Huh? A bracelet? * Niri peers at it. What's that? >> Saki finds a Shadowheart Bracer! Interesting. I wonder who left it here. Dunno Let's keep going. * Saki frowns at the thing for a long moment, apparently lost in thought... before standing up all of a sudden, and pocketing it. "I'll hang onto it. Could be that that woman came through here for something. It feels..." She frowns again. "... odd." Howso? * Saki pauses again, then shakes her head as if trying to dislodge something. "Ask me later," she mutters, before taking the rest of the steps up two at a time. ... Okay... * Vytor gives Saki a weird look, but lets it pass [Leah] What's her problem..? * Trune also gives Saki a look, but shakes his head and lets it slide. Antisocial. * Saki 's voice wafts down from the next storey up the staircase. "Antisocial with good hearing, I'll have you know." Heh. OWNED. * Trune follows Saki up the stairs. ...So? I assumed you would hear. Can we not start a fight here, please? I'd prefer to find out where we are before we start giving each other a hard time * Vytor follow quietly, figuring this is not a hill he's willing to die on Keep walking, people. I don't want to spend all day down here. ;_; And up you go, the speck of light becoming clearer.. it's a hole in the roof! Up above a bit of a cold wind blows by. There is a landing here, and one of the doors is half-open. Awesome, we're almost out of this death trap! * Saki looks both quietly smug and somehow very slightly sulky as the rest of the party catch up. It's a strange change, to say the least. She's not looking too enamoured with the idea of the cold; she's also vaguely muttering under her breath about how she owes Ryllan a match anyway as she scans the outside region. * Niri sticks her head up outside and looks around to see where they are. So where are we? The middle of nowhere, I'm guessing? With everything we've seen thus far, this nowhere had to be somewhere at one point Niri pokes her head out and finds herself staring at a vast overgrown landscape. Here and there beneath the shrubs are the remains of asphalt highways and concrete buildings of glass and stone. It is similar in some respects to Old Capital, but on a vastly reduced scale. ...now what? Hmmm...wonder how far we are from the Academy? Good question. Niri also realizes that the bunker they are exiting is right in the shadow of a giant black obelisk... no, wait... a former tower, it must've been. It casts a shadow over the landscape as the sun sets in the distance. Hey, wow. Wait a minute.. * TheStoryteller changes topic to '-= Chapter 5: Railroaded! | Location: Ruined City of 3 Rivers | 4185 § | 3 MXP =- http://storen.rpgcafe.net/IoG/ | OOC chan: #iog-ooc | v5 of magic docs posted' There are a few rivers all meeting at a point not far away, and some crumbled parks and streets have become marshes, teeming with life that begins to come out with the darkening skies. * Ryllan steps out of the bunker as well, "...Huh. How about that?" * Trune steps out of the bunker, and gapes, "Whoa." * Tanan looks around. "This might be the ruins the academy is near? We didn't travel all THAT far." If you squint to the south, you can almost make out the tips of the Academy's central building glinting in the fading light. * Vytor notes the setting sun [Leah] Wow, what a view Maybe we should find a place to make camp. Exploring in the dark is a bad idea I agree. It'll take too long to head back, especially in the dark. Shiro sniffs the air a few times. [Leah] So camping in this place? Might be fun. Huh. I've been past this place in a boat before, but never actually been here. We probably should find a safe place to set up. * Saki nods. "I agree." * Vytor starts looking around for a likely campsite * Ryllan peers around as well, "Yeah, not a good idea. Stumbling around in the dark, I mean. Vytor finds one not far away! It looks like this was once the site of a circular walled monument, though whatever once stood in the open grassy space is now long eroded away. This looks promising * Vytor waves everyone over Leah hops over, looking satisfied with Vytor's choice. * Trune heads over to where Vytor is, "Found a spot?" * Saki checks it over and nods. "If you want food, we'll need a fire. And maybe some long branches to navigate tomorrow." I think so Let';s see about getting some wood and kindling [Leah] If we're going to setup camp here, let me show you a neat trick... Hm? A trick? Leah fishes inside a pocket of her traveling robes and pulls out 4 things which look like a cross between a crucifix and a tent stake. They each are a different color, red, blue, black and white respectively. * Vytor watches, curious as to what this is going to pan out as [Leah] These are a set of great artifacts I got from the Virtue Society. The 4 Dragon barrier! Leah starts runnign around the site, throwing them down into the ground at the exact points of each cardinal direction. As soon as the final white one is placed at north, a lightly colored aura seems out and surrounds the perimeter of the campground. « seeps » ...? Whoo. That's a neat trick, Leah. Hmm. Interesting. Protective? * Vytor prods at the aura with his hammer * Niri can be found curled up on the ground nearby, asleep with Shiro cuddled in her arms. It seems she couldn't wait for camp to be set up. [Leah] Observe! The 4 Dragon barrier will keep most common types of annoying monsters at bay... [Leah] leaving you worry-free and getting a good rest. [Shiro] Yipyip. :D Awesome. Thanks Leah. I could use a good night's sleep. Neat That's useful! Shiro's yipping doesn't seem to wake Niri, who is quite exhausted. * Vytor taks the opportunity to go find some firewood, assuming the others know how to make cap <> * Trune sets up a sleeping roll for himself and one or two extras, and notices that Niri is still sleeping way off in the corner. He sighs, "I'm going to regret this." * Trune walks to Niri and attempts to move her without waking her up. Seeing that he's never done this before, he expects to fail! Horribly! Mrrfff? Mffzrtrt. * Vytor comes back with an armload of sticks and rocks, and sees about setting up a makeshift firepit Shh. Go back to sleep. * Tanan pokes at the perimetere aura once or twice, looking rather interested * Ryllan sets up his own sleeping roll, and gets one or two others out. * Ryllan watches Trune out of the corner of his eye, barely restrained amusement playing over his face. Mmf. Kay. * Niri snores softly! :D * Trune gives Ryllan a look like, "Oh god don't you dare tell her." * Saki works frugally with base necessities; a blanket and a small assortment of rather well-worn travelling cooking equipment is dug out, followed by ... veggies. * Trune lays Niri down on a spare roll and then flops onto his own. * Vytor nods in approval to Trune, as he works on prodding the fire to life * Ryllan puts his best 'Who me?' expression, "Sleep if you want, folks. I'm waiting on the chow, since Saki has so kindly offered." Eh, I'm hungry. I can hold out. But I'll uh...rest my eyes for a bit. S'been a long day with the stiffs and the rotting everything and general nastiness. * Niri curls up in the blankets and falls back to sleep. ^_^ * Vytor finishes the firepit, and steps aside to let Saki do her thing * Tanan nods and stands up, apparently satisfied. "I'm impressed. Not entirely sure what keeps it going, but it seems secure enough." Want me to poke you when it's ready? Shiro doesn't seem to mind Niri's cuddles. Though leah looks a bit preturbed that her stuffy is being monopolized. :P * Vytor rolls out his bedroll, glad for a chance to relax * Trune 's voice sounds a little muzzy, "Yeah...that'd be great, thanks." * Niri would know, if she were awake, that her friendship with Leah is strong enough not to be overcome by puppy stealings! * Ryllan stretches back on the cot, bouncing a small piece of white aura between his fingers out of boredom. Well, for those going to sleep, goodnight And a good night hopefully it will be. For before the next sunset life is going to get very interesting for this group of adventurers... == SESSION END == Tah dah! :D Session Close: Sat Feb 25 01:36:20 2006