Of Steam and Steel: IC (Mature) {Currently Open}

[Tapewolf]

"I'm Sethir Clandover," the 'Cubi replied, turning away from the vista of mechanisms.  "Clandover enginering.  Not sure we have time to explain why I'm here.  I'm curious how you got up in here yourself, but that can wait."

Turning briefly to Renard, he spoke to the Demon.  "It's complicated.  Very, very complicated, but I think I see the overall picture.  Tell me what you think of this.
"Unless I'm very wrong, this little lot is driving the at least one of the legs.  That naturally takes a lot of energy to do because this thing is very massive.  If we were to suddenly cut out these..." he pointed at some gearing, "...and maybe shear off the governors over there for good measure, where do you suppose that energy is going to go instead...?"

[Yugo]

The heavy machine moved with ominous purpose along the rocky wastes near the Aeliesian and Nhylamarian border, its blocky legs thumping loudly with each step. Humanoid in shape and approximately six meters tall, it was painted a fading yellow ochre. Flecks of color had peeled off to reveal the dull grey metal beneath, and its surface was marred and pitted with battle scars as well as partially eroded by sand. On one arm an industrial cutting blade hung from the wrist. Its teeth gleamed, wickedly sharp. Mounted on its shoulder was a rectangular cannon, with a heavy-duty black feed chute leading back to the ammunition containers in the back of the vehicle. Its engine chugged out wisps of black smoke from soot-stained pipes jutting from its shoulders.

Zeke sat half-stripped to the waist in its cockpit, mouth half-agape, tongue lolling. His fur was matted against the leather upholstery. He was clad in drab fatigues stolen from an Aeliesian supply post, his gloved hands clutching the arm controls. Even as lean and fit as he was, the deserted highlands were starting to take their toll. The feline sighed as he brought his war engine to a halt. Excess water flowed down his chin as he swung back a metal canteen, drinking deeply. His eyebrow quirked at a muffled metallic ring from outside. It sounded familiar, like the steady pulse of an oil derrick.

The lenses of the head glinted as Zeke pulled down the scope controls, turning them back and forth to find the source of the sound.

[techmaster-glitch]

Inside the shack

  Gezzemocht tilted his head at Lucy's comment of disbelief, but does not pursue the subject. He does nod approvingly as Lucy finally tries to explain to the little girl that she has to go with him. In an attempt to close it up, Gezzemocht, still standing a few paces away, kneels down until his eyes are level with the little girl's across the room, and he speaks softly.
  "It's okay, I don't want to hurt you. I want to help you, really." He says, offering a small smile.

Outside the shack

  Arroyo approached Gaakronacht up in the high open cockpit of the Storm Scorp as he was settling in with the downpour. He shakes his head, as if snapping out of thought, and looks down to the lion. "Eh? Um...sure, okay? What is it?" He says, though he doesn't yet move to climb down from the cockpit.

[Chairtastic]

Still, the Axeman is not Welcome

Haien was...confused.  Auriga was never the sort to settle down.  She couldn't stand people who did not meet the standards she set for herself, and constantly upgraded those standards.  What's more, she despised children.  Had these two people gone insane?  In light of having to deal with a sister who's respect he would never be able to earn, and merging his Nhylimar interests with a senator's family...

"What terms did you have in mind for this merger?"

[Lisky]

Finding the Spymaster

The vixen flashed a smirk at Kath, "Dining hall, touch the wall on your left between the third and fourth torches.  There's a lot of hidden rooms here, you'll learn where they are eventually... for now, though. That should be enough."


Threats That are Less Empty Than Your Future

The chilled voice cooed again to Arroyo, almost in a seductive tone that was tainted with a hint of bemusement.  ' You are alive because i still have purpose of you.  When you are no longer of any use, i will use you until you no longer entertain me.  You will be no more, and my face, my claws, they will be the last things you see.  Now be a good pet and run along and play with your friends '


The Steel Titan 

The mass of gears looked vaguely similar to Seth.  He understood the basic idea of how everything worked, simply that these interactions were on a complexity and scale that boggled the mind.  The winding gears, the spinning belts, it all seemed to have purpose, but how much was actually redundant was difficult to determine to say the least.

The wolf-demoness replied to Chris, "Think you could keep a few bugs off us while we go hunting for the boilers?  Maybe fuse a door with a fireball, freeze a lock or something?"


On the ground, the source of the thumping would quickly become apparent to Zeke.  He was behind a monster of metal.  Turning gears, pulling cables, and armored plate that made his little machine seem all but insignificant.  As if on cue, the massive turret in the rear fired, shells slammed behind him as the guns struggled to depress further.  He seemed safe for now.

Impudent Youth Need to Learn Respect 




Mama, Just Killed a Man! Put a Gun Against His Head

Paige would note the shell deflect from it's initial course.  Slightly.  It should have been an instant kill, however, the bullet dropped, suddenly.  The Angel had managed to erect  a minor barrier just before the succubus pulled the trigger.  As he fell to the ground gurgling, gasping, and clinging to the gaping hole where his throat had been, Paige would feel 2 pings behind her.  A demon male, very canine, very sleek.  Her was a Doberman, with a sleek, narrow and predatory build.  Next to him, a feline succubus, some type of spotted cat who had altered her colors to be an almost active camouflage shifting and shimmering to match the dirt and haze.  Both wore the green and black of the crew. 

The canine spoke first, rage filled his voice, "Just what the -fuck- was that? Gunning prisoners down in cold blood... for what? Sport?!  I don't care that you are the captain's bitch."  He started reaching for his own sidearm before the feline grabbed his arm, more concern, but disipline came from her as she whispered something inaudible.  She felt her stone wiggle for a moment, before hearing Baseel's voice, "Motherfuc... Shhhhhhhhh... are you sure? You sure that's what happened? really?  I'll be there in a moment."

Basic Swordsmanship

Holding her hand up, the feline stopped her class with a simple "HOLD!"  She turned her head, while flicking her tail in amusement, "Well, if you're interested in practicing, feel free to find a spot!" The demoness spoke, "It's not like i couldn't hear or smell you... very acute senses, you see." 

She grinned, "I am the guild weapons master, and you shall refer to me as master while in this room.  As long as you understand that simple rule, you are quite welcome to join instruction."


Honesty and Weakness, Hand in Hand?

The demon cracked a crooked grin at the succubus' question regarding his assessment of her nobility, "Well you see, milady, I doubt anyone not of blue blood would be haughty enough to carry a high and mighty, nigh condescending tone to a Duke's successor. You see,  if the rules of how one is expected to treat fellow nobility were to no longer applied... such a person must be suicidal, really."
His emotions oozed with self-confidence, though no sign of hostility.  He seemed to almost be toying with her.

The weapon she was given was a 6 shot revolver, each shell of similar proportions to her thumbs.  The weapon had elegant reliefs across it's surface.  Intertwined knots of precious metal polished across the barrel.  The grip was a bit large, but to be expected.  It was a heavy weapon, something no being could safely handle with one hand.  It was designed to be used by creatures simply by it's size and weight, and the added enchantments she could feel only added to her knowledge of the large pistol in her hands.

As if on cue, Keaton felt the demon's emotions shift into sudden hostility and focus.  He hissed at her "Motherfuc... Shhhhhhhhh... are you sure? You sure that's what happened? really?  I'll be there in a moment."

The demon bolted ahead at a quick pace, his wings carefully folded to help him keep balance.  Keaton watch as he headed towards the area around one of the mostly intact trains.  Perhaps 300 yards away clearly winged figures were circled, too far to feel emotions, but the posture of the wings made things appear tense.



(OOC: Apologies that this took so long.  Heading off on an adventure before AC... i shall be back when i get back... those that i didn't reply to, apologies again, but i am heading off now See you all with fun tales later!)

[Paladin Sheppard]

Pissed off Paige Persuasion (checks) with Penalties

Angry at the Angel that she had just shot, and her temper was ruffled even further by the two crew members who accused her of  killing the former POW out of hand. Struggling mightily and just barely containing her fury Paige's headings reared up and she glared at the pair.

"Oh thank you soo very much for assuming the worst of me..."  She snorted at the Demon. "For one you didn't hear squat what was said, I merely managed to do him in before he did me."

Paige pointed to the contents of the Boxcar "I was grabbing the prisoners valuables, well at least what I can carry when he cam up and accused me of stealing his property. When I offered to return his belongings he proceeded to blackmail me. I for one AM not one for being extorted."

The succubus blew out a breath slowly attempting to calm down after venting her spleen her headwings flattening down to normal. "Now that you are here mind helping me?"

[Tapewolf]

Inside the Bug

Inwardly, Seth snarled at the lack of a response to his suggestion and his headwings flicked slightly.  But it couldn't be helped.

"Are we going together?" he called softly to Nadia.  "I'm not sure splitting up would be a good idea, even for Demons."

[Inumo]

The Search is On

"Thank you, Mistress." Kathostral turned back and followed her directions to the dining hall, then inquired on the location of Gavin Mylfyre. Once found, he asked the spymaster, "I have been assigned the task of... dealing with an incubus that has taken to a wealthy client's eldest daughter. I'm sure you know the one. I understand you may be able to help me?"

[Lisky]

Impudent Youth

Stephan saw the mental image a moment before the smack across the back of his head landed.  It wasn't painful per-say, but it certainly got his attention.  He felt very strong fingers dig into the back of his neck as he was drawn face to face with the pale wolf.  He could see both of the wolf's arms crossed across his chest.  A bemused grin flashed and displayed those oh so sharp and well cared for teeth.  

The professor spoke, "Seems shock, and surprise aren't your primary emotions.  At least, not in a negative sense.  More testing will be needed to determine your affinity, boy.  In case you hadn't noticed, you don't exactly have a lot of options, and, if you're going to be stuck at SAIA, you best deal with the decipline system.  Some professors can be particularly cruel.  -If- you don't die, the punishment is pretty much fair game.  Your screams, mean nothing, your protests mean nothing.  You listen to your professors, do as they tell you, and show them respect.  Heed my warning, and heed it well... if you want to survive at school, you best start applying the lessons that your retriever there has been trying to teach you."

In a flash, the scene around them changed.  Ed was no where to be found, Stephan was in a marble-lined hall.  pillars, 100 feet high, broke up the room.  There were creatures everywhere, cubi everywhere.  All of them had wings, and the pings of thoughts and emotions quickly started to overwhelm the fledling.  He could feel the pulsing heading form.  As the incubus instructor strode forward, stephan would note the wide berth that the other students gave the man.


Mesua House Madness

"The merger is simple" Haien's father replied.  "You take madam Vashkyr  in marriage, sign a contract to use your shipping contacts to siphon soul stones from our stores to the Nhylamar market, and we keep one third, the Vashkyr family keeps one third, you and your wife keep the rest.  The catch is this.  The contract is binding.

Again in the background, the ladies continued to conspire.  "Do you have an orb? What's the next in line look like?"  a long pause, then more evil giggles.  "Okay mom, you're right... he's cute if nothing else."  "He's developed a reputation as a warlord as well.  You'll probably butt heads a lot, asserting dominance will be... interesting."


Belly of the Beast

"Yes, we're staying close.  You stay in the middle, Sethrir,  we'll use you to keep track of us and them.  Renard, you take the front, and i'll watch our back.  Chris, you're on support, work with Renard, and we'll see about stopping this thing."

The feline demon found a door, and promptly started to rip it from it's hinges.  "I think this way leads to the heart.  We need to break this thing quickly... and that means boilers.  At least, that's my thoughts"


Murder Outside the Orient Express

Baseel arrived before either of the soldiers could reply.  he looked at the situation, made careful observations of the now still body, then finally answered a few seconds later.  "Look, i'm going to need -everyone's- story one at a time about what happened here."  He stopped for a moment and tapped the small stones on his collar. "Pixie, need a wrecker and recovery team on my position, ASAP.  Train is going up and we've found personal items."

"no one touch anything else, come with me, and let me reign in before more accusations are thrown."  The demon glared at the his subordinate for a moment before giving Paige an equally annoyed look.   "Paige, what happened?" The demon's tone oozed with mild disappointment, and she could feel the twinge of anger behind his shielded mind.


Spymaster

(in a bit)

[Tapewolf]

"Okay," Seth said, after a moment.  "But we'll need to destroy the boilers, and the associated plumbing.  Simply cooling them down won't do.  We have to cripple it quickly, but also make sure they can't simply repair it."

His wings flowed into tentacles and he followed the Demoness. 

"My gods," he said, as if he'd seen a vision.  "The water tanks!  If we can drain those..."

[JamesCray]

Basic Swordsmanship

"Understood, Master, and thank you," the diminutive being said, his ears flicking back briefly in embarrassment at suddenly being the centre of attention.  "My apologies, I had intended not to interrupt, but the opportunity is much appreciated."

Stepping forward, he looked for a spot where he didn't need to worry about his prominent ears being skewered by an errant blade.

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige sat down on the lip of the door of the Boxcar and blew out another calming breath. "As I was trying to explain to you minions here, I was securing the POW's belongings in case we had to pull out quicker than we anticipated. When mister dead guy there" Paige waved a hand at the dead Angel "Interrupted me, accused me of stealing and resorted to threats despite my offering to hand over his property."

"Then these to turn up and accuse me of simply offing the guy." Paige glared at the pair of soldiers.

[AmberCross]

"Sure thing!" Chris chirped, bouncing over to Renard. With someone else around to make the important decisions, he was glad to hand over the problem to this group which seemed more competent than his earlier attempts. Yeah he was a good mage and could hold his own against other demons and angels, but he'd figured out by now this metal monstrosity was well out of his league. Or maybe not *well*... but enough. He fiddled with one of the charms on his bracelets wondering if he should get a weapon ready.

[Cogidubnus]

Alex smiled.

"I think this will all do very nicely, don't you?" he said, running a hand over the heavy machine gun propped up against an entire crate of ammo, and them smiling at Kierana.

"Let's go tell the boys that things are all clear down here, shall we?"

They navigated swiftly through the blood-soaked hallways with nary a sound between them except for the creak of leather and clank of metal. Before long they were standing outside the bulkhead door, and could hear the rest of the crew talking quietly beyond. Alex stopped Kierana short leaning in close to the succubus's ear.

"12% is a bit much for beings, don't you think?" he said, waiting for her reaction.

[Arroyo Milori]

Waiting in the Rain

Arroyo just let out a sigh, knowing the pilot wasn't going to bother climbing out for whatever reason the Lion had. He took out the wand that was wrapped in his handkerchief and gently tosses it into the cockpit of the mech. "It's a wand of somesort. I detected it around the perimeter.  He felt a bit on guard, knowing he was watched. Was the wand perhaps tracking his location? "Apparently you can make portals with it, but not sure if you can go through them..."

[SquirrelWizard]

Stephan rubbed his head and grumbled as he followed after the Professor. It took some doing, but he managed to block out the background noise in his head... well mostly... it went from the dull roar that accompanied large crowds to an irritating grinding sensation in the background. He spent a few minutes picking over what he just heard. The general attitude of Cubi was beginning to fail to amaze him. Apparently most Cubi professors had the mentality of a crotchety kindergarten teacher. One thing the Professor still nagged at him, "What do you mean by primary emotions?"

[VAE]

 
Don't worry, the procedure is painless. Oh, you meant for the patient?

Who the hell is the dead bugger anyways? Must be someone important if...
Avram lost his train of thought as the second creature grabbed his hair. The feline froze, and sweat from his paws began dripping onto the ground.
- Y-yes!
Grabbing the feline's head, the demoness could feel Avram's pulse go from distinct beats towards an undistinguishable flutter.
Fuck my life, just the day I got a good job...  

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Addy's guide, Analizea, must have had some sort of homing device to help her as she led the doctor through the increasingly thick smoke and dust. Eventually they came to a burning train. Carefully following it down the cars they soon came upon the young lord's group. With one quick look down at herself to make sure the cleaning spell in her locket was still keeping her spotless, she stepped carefully into range of the group, letting Analizea lead the way in case anyone was feeling twitchy.

A dead kangaroo lay on the ground. To one side were two uniformed soldiers and to the other Lord Baseel and scruffy midget demon with a large gun. All looked tense except the kangaroo who just looked dead. Sitting on the edge of the open boxcar was Lord Baseel's special friend who appeared to be sulking. Since no one seemed injured Addy gave the kangaroo a scan with her magic. The soul was gone so even her best efforts would be wasted.

"Sorry milord, but I'm not quite that good. You'll need a necromancer or a medium for him."

[Chairtastic]

Maddness?!

...Great.  Instead of a sudden rush of funding, I have my present supply ground up even further.  Just...great.
"Fine, fine.  Have the necessary documents sent to my hotel-"

"Hotel," his mother suddenly said, interrupting conspiracies, her tone sharp.  "And why would you not be staying here?"

Haien gave her a sidelong look.  "Because the soon to be head of the family doesn't want me breathing in her house, let alone living, and I am not in the mood to argue with her."  Auriga scoffed.  Haien shrugged.  The energy to fight had been spent on actual combat, politicking was too taxing after that.  "If there are no further business deals to discuss, I will take my leave."

[Yugo]

The mech lurched and hissed as Zeke pushed it frantically under the range of the behemoth's guns, his pulse rapidly accelerating. What the hell was thing doing out here? For that matter, what the hell was this thing? The crash of the hostiles' guns still echoed off of the canyon walls as he approached the unbelievably complex machine. He couldn't help but keep his eyes locked on it and keep going forward despite every nerve in his body screaming at him to flee. If he retreated now he would come back within range of the monstrosity's guns, which would no doubt vaporize him in a single hit. Tentatively, swallowing his anxiety, Zeke began to plot firing solutions in case he had to deal with any ground based infantry. God forbid he had to use them.

[Kafzeil]

Exile in the Rain

Lucy walked by Gezz, briefly glancing at him.

"We'd best leave before I change my mind." She muttered.

Like you actually have any say in this, Lucy. In a more ,melancholy tone, Lucy made a correction of sorts."I don't want her becoming another bigot."

Her voice was one of futility.

She stepped outside, opening the door and walking into the rain. Looking up to the sky, she managed a slight smile as she spread her arms, welcoming the storm.

A bad omen for some, Lucy loved a good storm. The smell of the fresh rain, feel of the droplets hitting her face, the roar of thunder and the flash of lightning.

Of course she still remembered all the shit that happened today. But for one moment, she was at peace.

[Lisky]

Massive Mechanical Menace

Nadia gave a soft chuckle, scratching her head lightly.  "I... don't know why i didn't think of that"
Above them, Seth could feel numerous origins of thoughts, mostly weak.  Either weak willed, or distant, whoever was above them was difficult to pinpoint.  Things were growing louder.  The screams of venting steam, the clangs of metal, the rumble of turning gears.  From the standpoint of an infiltrator, it was an incubus' dream.  He might not be able to hear people coming, but he could certainly move around with impunity.  Hell, many firearms were quieter than some of the massive drive-rods above their heads.

For Chris, it was loud, difficult to hear, difficult to follow, smelly, and hot.  He could barely hear what was happening.  Renard grabbed his shoulder while waltzing through the now open doorway.  He said, "Stay close.  We're going up... and there will be trouble there.  Keep your head on a swivel,  and try not to... *smack*" 
A section of chain slapped the feline across the side of the head,  cutting off his "Be careful" speech rather abruptly.  "Don't do that."


Sword Play

Running through a small cadre of movements, steps, attacks, and blocks.  The weapon's master kept the class going for a good half hour after the fennec had joined the fray.  She watched carefully, lightly tapping various body parts to improve the novices' stances.  After making some minor adjustments on Johan, she halted the class.  "Now, with the basics under your belt.  Lets try something a little more hands on.  I'm going to divide the class in half.  You will stand on opposities sides of a circle, and wait your turn. "

As the class started following directions and lining up.  Chris would note a particularly slight fellow trying to line himself up with the diminutive being.  An angel, or perhaps an incubus, the large feathery wings were a giveaway to creature blood.  He kept tabs on the being as he took his place in the line on the far side of the ring where the students had been lead.


Cue the Dramatic OBJECTION!

The canine replied, "He had a pike, you have a gun.  You shot him in the throat while he was leaning against the pike.  What would you say in -my- position?  She shot him without him being anywhere outwardly threatening.  Didn't hear what was said, but he seemed relaxed enough."

The feline spoke, "You know, we could always let her lower her mind shield, and let a cubi read her.  Would at least be easy enough to tell if she was lying or not."

Baseel  looked between them, and sighed.  "We'll conduct an investigation -after- the mission.  Holdups like this are exactly what are going to get more people killed.  Fuck!  We -don't- have time for anything like this."  Tapping another stone on his collar, the demon shouted, "All units, press, keep up the pressure, we slow down, we fail!"

"I'll have some support gather all evidence..."  pointing at the pair of soldiers, "You two, rejoin your unit, and continue the press"  Pointing at Paige, "You stay with me, no 'helping' the prisoners, we've got something more important to do."  Pointing at Sister Addy and Keaton, "Keep your heads down, and stay close as well.  Given the way things have gone thus far, we'll probably need your services again, doctor.   As for you, my brightly adorn lady... well... Enjoy your revenge."


Gas Bag Back Stab?

She cooed back with a similar sentiment.  Whispering in reply, "They're just beings, misguided loyalties.  They're competent enough, but they're ambitious.  Never trusted 'em anyways.  Quiet and mysterious? or Loud and messy?  Honestly i doubt any of the others would care.  We -are- the superior breed after all" 

Inside, the armor-clad beings were propped against the steering column, scrawling over a map.  They were arguing over exactly where they were, and how the compass was clearly failing them, given the amount of metal all around them.

Heavy Rain

The wand whispered to Arroyo -Clever boy, thinking about what you could possibly do with such a wand.  It would be a shame for you to visit now though.  The families were a delicious treat, the screams were music to my ears.  If you're going to do something foolish, why not wait a few hours when i'll be ready for another snack-  

The storm was heavy, the rain pattered down hard through the dark sky.  It soaked into Lucy's clothing, causing them to hang heavily.  Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the downpour carried on.  She wasn't all that far from the Nhylamar border.  Due east would take her to the creature friendly nation.

The girl was quiet, as well as shocked.  Being left with the brothers was a scary prospect.  Another orphanage, new kids, new everything.   It was fairly obvious she'd also need some rather massive psychological help to fix the damage caused by brush with death she'd oh so recently had.


SAIA Misadventures 

"Simple, you have a natural 'taste' for certain emotions.  Most clans have one, and a secondary family emotion.  Your taste will be what tends to keep you at your peak, in terms of ability and power.  Well... unless you go the route of devouring souls... but that's for another time and place.  As for you, you'll find that, for me for example, shock and pain are a personal favorite.   Some feed on lust, others on happiness.  I'll be honest, most of what you hear about is isn't good.  Nobody cares about the hope feeder who works as a master healer.  They would rather know about the lust cubi who seduces husbands as their own wives.  They would rather hear about the pain-cubi going on a torture bender.  So yes... there are both positive and negative influences in the community.  It's just that the positive ones tend to have to hide when problems arise, because they don't take in power like we do.  Pain and shock, that is what a warzone is filled with... it's why I am so terrifying, i keep myself stronger for longer when fighting."

"Now... are you ready for the next round of tests?"  The wolf smirked.  He was wearing a painfully spotless lab-coat.  The toothy grin he flashed looked rather like a bear-trap. 


This Is MESUA MANSION!

It seemed that no one had any complaints about Haien's departure.  Aurgia turned back to her mother, learning more about a nobleman she was supposed to meet.  His father was discussing business with his future wife.  There was little to do as he was left in the dark.

Outside, Haien would find that his bodyguard had in fact been foolish, bored,  or perhaps both.  He was hanging upside-down in a barbed net, dangling over the floor, bleeding slightly where the metal hooks had managed to find skin.  "Little help here, boss?" He managed to squeak.


More Massive Metallic Menace 

As if on cue with his line of thought, ropes began to descend from the massive metal beetle.  A handful of bugs were sliding down.  They looked to be fairly heavily armed, with large rifles and bandoliers of ammo.  They wore gas-masks, and what appeared to be protective clothing.

The small team looked to be maybe 2 dozen men, and none of them appeared to be really well equipped to fight war machines... they seemed to be hunting for smaller, faster targets.



Spy Master's Lair

The weasel that greeted the boy sat a huge desk.  He had bizarre contraptions everywhere.  Brass, glass, crystal, gems, unnatrually bright liquids, some of them actually glowing.  The wood furnished room seemed to be ancient, and poorly lit.  The man behind the desk looked to be little older than a teenage.  He head feathery wings, and carried himself with an aloofness that bordered on unnerving.  A small dagger sat sheathed at his desk, along with an envelope.  It had Kathostral's name hastily scrawled on it.  He gave a simple nod and waved the demon out of his office. 

Inside were a pair of dossier files, they had names, addresses, work locations, known contacts, last places of residency, most likely locations by time of day.  Most of the leg-work was already done.  Now all Koth had to do was get a direction to high-town to find incubus. 

[Paladin Sheppard]

Paige still not happy that her word was apparently worth nothing glared at the canine trooper as the feline one spoke. "I'm more than happy for someone to scan me." She said flatly.

"What ever you say Baseel" The Succubus said as the canine demon gave out his orders "You're the Boss". "And thanks for the vote of confidence...So much for trying to do a good deed" she thought as she followed him.

[Tapewolf]

Inside the Metal Monster

"I wish I'd thought of it earlier," Seth admitted.  "Then again, my profession is all about fixing machines, not destroying them..."

He cocked his head slightly.  "Not to alarm you, but I think there are more people upstairs than there were earlier.  Their minds are a little stronger as well.  I'll keep you posted if things change."

[SquirrelWizard]

If life is like a box of chocolates, why do you need to know my favorite?

Stephan followed the wolf warily. Saying "yes" would mean that he'd probably be at this guy's mercy, saying no means he'd be at the mercy of the crowd here. Grumbling he shifted uneasily, "Fine... I'll come, lets just get this over with."

[techmaster-glitch]

Inside the shack

   Gezzemocht nodded to Lucy as she let go of the child and walked by to head outside. Once more, Gezz kneeled down to the girl, and offered an upturned hand. "Come, little one." He said in a gentle voice barely above a whisper. "Come with me, please. I will keep you safe. I will take you away from this bad place, to a new safe place. Doesn't that sound nice?"

Outside the shack

   "A...wand?" Gaakronacht asked as Arroryo tossed the object up to him. Gaak caught it, then held it as if it were something contaminated as he examined it. "An object of magic...thank you for reporting this." Gaakronackt then stowed the wand away in a secure compartment. "Wish I had an actual containment unit to transport it in, but I'll take it with us to the nearest base for proper disposal. Thanks."

[Lisky]

The Local Gusta... Police Station

The succubus smirked, whispering the to the demoness.  The feline leaned down, hissing in Avram's ear, "What did the man look like? Focus very clearly, remember everything you can.  Describe all the details you can remember.  The way he moved, the way he spoke -everything-  Tell me all you can.  If you Lie, well... Don't lie... you won't like it very much at all." 

She moved in front of him, her eyes piercing into his, watching his face carefully.


Bringing the Fight to Them

With an earth-shattering ka-boom, the massive steel gates protecting the entrance to the underground was ripped apart by an enormous ball of fire.  The massive deck guns on the MJOLNIR hit home, tearing the several ton hunk of metal from it's mounting.  There were cheers among the creature ranks as their own war walkers shambled forwards, spewing hot lead, and deadly magics in their wake.

Baseel pressed onwards as the last of the outer resistance shattered, keeping the small party close as they reached the shallow ramp.  The path was dimly lit, with high vaulted ceilings.  There was easily enough room to fit 4 trains, side by side, through the entrance. 

Paige could feel the thoughts from down below... they ranged from hostile, to downright murderous. 

Sister Addy was the first to spot the faint red glow, just before a rocket whistled past, overhead of the first wave, flying out of the tunnel, and exploding several hundred feet away.

Keaton could feel many of the same things as Paige, her powers were returning, and the place was poorly lit, pools of shadows were everywhere, and the poor lighting combined with her quickly returning strength was certainly a welcome sight.


Metal Monster Massacre

Chris could see the the large compartment they'd entered rather clearly.  It held 2 massive cylinders, one on either side, making the room seem squashed as the walls bulged in.  It was dimly lit with soft, yellow, indirect lighting coming from somewhere up above.   There was less noise in the room, more of a constant hum, than the banging and clanking of the previous room. 

Seth would note that there were perhaps a dozen different sources of thoughts now, at least half of which were coming from near straight ahead. The other half still above them. 

The first sign of trouble was when the door on the far side of the room started to creek open.  Standing there, holding a pair of, what appeared to be coffee mugs, one in each claw like appendage.  The ant-like creature stared, confused for a second.  It seemed to freeze, not quite sure what to do.

(OOC: Gotta crash for work in the AM, still owe Squirrel and Tech posts... see about getting them done during some down time tomorrow, or maybe after work)

[AmberCross]

I'm really more of a tea fellow myself...

On the one hand... Renard had just told him to stay back and be careful. On the other hand... these weren't part of the unpredictable machine, they were caught off guard, and were apparently in the middle of a coffee break. This meant the worst thing they could do was sound the alarm and they'd need to be shut up fast. So in this case, 'stay back and be careful' really just meant 'use projectile spells, not melee'. That was perfectly okay with Chris, he preferred range attacks anyway. So while the insectis were still staring stupidly (and somewhat grotesquely) at them, he shot off a couple of icicle spikes to injure and if lucky, incapacitate.

However he was well aware he PROBABLY wasn't the most powerful person in the party and so only shot off a single barrage so the others could move in for melee on the heels of his attack. Plus it would be a good idea to not use all his magic right away. He wasn't running too low just yet, but he HAD used a lot in his early (ineffective) attempts to sabotage the machine earlier and if he was incautious, he might blow the rest of it only to find himself out of magic in a desperate situation.

[Inumo]

Someone Hit the Easy Button

That was simple, Kath thought as he exited the Guild building and began searching for the undesirable Incubus. Once found, he laid out a plan, then kept his mind as mundane as possible as he calmly passed by and froze the 'Cubi's foot to the earth, following up with a swift slash to the throat using his knife. Immediately following, he leapt into the air and blasted his opponent away with a magic blast, using the force to push away while bringing his spear and shield about as he landed.

[Tapewolf]

The Metal Monster

"Shit!" Seth spat.  The gall of someone to sneak up on a telepath!  "There are more out there," he hissed to the others.  "Six or so on this floor, others elsewhere.  We can't let these ones alert the rest - we should cover the entrances and try to dispose of them quietly."

Shifting his wings into a shielding position to cover himself against gunfire, he began to sprint towards the end of the room where the insectis had entered.  If the Being's ice blast worked, so much the better.  There were only two entrances to the room - if he could camp by the door, his tentacles would be able take off the insectis' heads as they entered, with only minimal effort.