Goriel and beyond, part 6

[Graybeard]

Sister Rose's eyes got wide as she saw what Tamina was doing. "NO! DON'T!" she cried -- but it was too late, as the rock bounced off the idol with a dull clang.

And absolutely nothing happened.

Nothing obvious, anyway.

Except that Tamina's eyes momentarily also opened wide.

[OOC: PM coming, JR, if Alberich doesn't get to it first. /OOC:]

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Therese's smile softened at Desiree's question. "Just be yourselves," she said. "Women who need help. No need to be more specific than that."

She tucked her hair back up under her hat, and made a few other minor wardrobe adjustments, before approaching the gate to the Vatnikov compound, looking male again. "Good morning, estimable sir," she told the sentry. "I wish to speak to the eminent Dowager Lady Vatnikov, if you please."

The man eyed her with no hostility, but also a complete lack of warmth. "The Lady Vatnikov does not receive visitors," he said.

"Ah, but she will receive this one, my friend. Go, and tell her 'The Flame' is waiting. She'll understand."

[Jack Rothwell]

Tamina clamped the hand which had wielded her blunt instrument and made a mewling noise. She moved back from the idol in what would be best described as a slink.

"Something's in there... It's cold... cold magic..." She stuck her fingers in her mouth and sucked them as though they were numb. "Cold life... bad spirits."

[Graybeard]

"That settles it," Sister Rose said grimly. "When we're done here, we're going to collapse the roof of this damn place, so that that idol is buried and stays that way." She looked at Argus. "I assume you can do that?"

[Drusia]

Therese's smile softened at Desiree's question. "Just be yourselves," she said. "Women who need help. No need to be more specific than that."

I can't help it - I blush. That smile and... well, it's been a while since anyone suggested being myself. It's nice.

Although... half-elven priestess of fertility and passion... probably a little more than these people are ready for. I'm not sure I qualify as a woman who needs help, but Anfisa certainly does, so... there's that.

I put a hand on Anfisa's shoulder and try to be comforting.

-- Desiree

[Drannin]

"I can cover this thing under tons of rock, then mould the rock so that no one even suspects there's something here." Argus was blunt, and to the point. There was something very, very dark here.

[Graybeard]

[OOC: Traveling and with limited access, so things will be sparse for a few days...]

Therese smiled at Desiree and Anfisa, all the time wishing she didn't have rules.

Shortly, she was distracted, as a gray-haired woman, apparently of considerable age, was hobbling toward the gate, using a cane. She paused a safe distance away from the iron bars that blocked access, and squinted at the people beyond ... and suddenly her face broke into a wide smile.

"La Flamme!" she said, seeming to grow younger and more upright with every word. "What brings you here?"

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"Let's get out of this hole so you can bring it down," Sister Rose said to Argus, and headed for the entrance to the cave -- but now she saw something she'd missed while her eyes were still adjusting to the reduced light.

A piece of paper was protruding from the moth-eaten bedroll that their late adversary had been using. Feeling a little guilt at reading the correspondence of a dead man, she pulled it out; clues were still clues, even in a setting like this. Clearly, it had been there for a while, and had seen some wear and tear. Most of it was illegible or torn away, but a few words remained ...

"Anybody know who 'Winslow' is?" she asked the group, holding the paper out for examination. [OOC: A, feel free to elaborate on what you told me, as you'll be in a better writing position than I for a few days.]

[Alberich]

Udo responded to that one. "Sounds familiar - let me see that!"

Rose handed it over, and he read aloud - "that lout Winslow hasn't the slightest hint of what it means to embrace death. Stupidity, yes; death, no." He laughed long and hard, and explained to Tamina. "Remember those weirdos in the colored robes we shot up outside Port Lorrel? Apparently their leader was some kind of junior fanboy to this guy."

As well as having a totally stupid devotion to the works of Daifusimu, and a ridiculous, ignorant prejudice against the superior artistry of Pomikiru...bastard said Elf Empires was derivative of Typhon the Antelope. Truly, he deserved his death!

Now Udo, personally, would've been in favor of taking the black rock out to some wilderness far away from everybody -- like where they already fucking were! -- and smashing it to pieces. Any good reader of illustrateds knew what happened when you buried the evil artifacts. But these bozos were all set on burying it and he didn't care to get into a debate. Not with Argus on the other side anyway!

[OOC: Pretty busy myself and I don't really have anything to do with Tim right now. Basically, his goal is to get up to that airship as fast as possible -- because the Duravsky are scouring the country for half-elves and the Gibazov are scouring the country for Cleivieins, and the overheard conversation from Harker indicates that they are helping each other look for their respective targets...hanging around in any town for long is not a good thing, nor is rolling along in a wagon since the Gibazovs showed they are searching pretty thoroughly.]

[OOC2: Anfisa hasn't yet spotted that Desiree might leave her - if she does get a hint of that she will be upset in proportion to the strength of the hint.]

[Graybeard]

[OOC: As will be seen, there is a good reason why the powerful clans don't venture into Rosteriel. These people are about as safe there as they can be anywhere in the Northern Confederacy ... except from Rosteriel itself.]

Nothing else being discovered in Carloc's lair, the party stepped back outside, with no regrets. Sister Rose turned to Argus. "Let 'er rip."

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Therese smiled about as broadly as anyone had yet seen her to do. "The usual. People need help."

[Drusia]

[OOC2: Anfisa hasn't yet spotted that Desiree might leave her - if she does get a hint of that she will be upset in proportion to the strength of the hint.]

OOC: Well, unless you post as Anfisa and give me something to play off of, there really isn't much for me to do with this. I mean, it's nice to know where she stands at the moment, but...

Anyway, I've been checking in the past 24 hours or so and I don't really have anything to do. Other characters are talking... mine are just sort of hanging about... and neither of them have much to contribute ATM.

So if you guys are waiting on me, well, I've been waiting on you. Just lettin' y'all know. /OOC

[Drannin]

Argus let it rip. The cave disintegrated, tons of rock sealing the entire space. Another gesture, and the rock flowed together, forming a solid space with no sign that anything was ever there.

"There. If that didn't destroy the object, it's buried for good." A brief rumble shook the ground. "...But I think that did the job," he finished.