Getsemiel

As we play, occasionally we'll close a thread and open a new one to keep the size of threads (and relative complexity) down to a dull roar. Here's where we store the closed posts from the history of Errant Road.
Locked
User avatar
Graybeard
The Heretical Admin
Posts: 7180
Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Graybeard »

Sister Rose listened with interest to Tim's analysis, and when he was done, she rode on in silence for some time, organizing her thoughts. "That's an intriguing possibility," she finally said when they were half way back to Getsemiel or a bit more. "I'm not sure I'm willing to accept it yet. There are a couple of things that don't add up about it. The main one is, if they had this relationship and Kurou had been casing the site for months, as we know he had, then why would Blaise need a picture of him to help make connections? A picture of Maduin, I can understand. He'd never seen Maduin before we were in Umbertiel. But why Blaise? It makes no sense. I don't think they knew each other. You're right about one thing either way, though: we need to find them ... wherever they are."

She was about to say something else, but a man was approaching through the gathering twilight, riding his horse hard. "Sister Rose, ma'am!" he called as he drew near the wagon, waving his free hand frantically.

Brother Tyler, thought Rose. The young man who guided us to the temple, after ... partaking of Calfornican rituals. However, although he still had the red-rimmed eyes she'd seen on the way into town, his demeanor left very little doubt that now they were due to something considerably less benign than the brownies. She made the Sign of Luminosita -- the Calfornicans would recognize that -- and spoke in as soothing a tone as she could manage. "Yes, what is it, my son?"

The red eyes got wider. "Ma'am, there've been these totally awful explosions in town, and Sister Nimmie -- she's -- totally dead."

[OOC: Sorry about the fire, PF! I think we can stretch things out with Rose, Tim, Eli and Desiree for a while if need be, while you get things back together. Note also a VERY belated retcon to fix an amusing goof. It doesn't change a thing.]
Image

Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
User avatar
Jack Rothwell
Teller of Tales
Posts: 2405
Joined: June 17th, 2010, 7:35 am
Location: Liverpool, England

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Jack Rothwell »

"I will be? She meant because it won't be necessary, right? Right?"

"Of course she did." Eli replied. "Don't worry about it. If the worst happens I think I could get us both to safety.... although we might have to swim for shore afterwards."

The half-elf thought again about the amulet his magic benefactor had given him at the last town and the bolstering effect it had had on his attempt to burn a hole of the retreating ship. He supposed that if the gift could amplify a spell like that, then it should be able to support two people with a slow fall spell. Eli briefly considered mentioning it to Desiree before the words of the new arrival hit his ears.

"Ma'am, there've been these totally awful explosions in town, and Sister Nimmie -- she's -- totally dead."

Suddenly the trinket wasn't such an important issue.

"What happened?" He asked, in much sharper tones than he'd intended.
User avatar
Graybeard
The Heretical Admin
Posts: 7180
Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Graybeard »

"What happened?"

"Oh, dude, it was, like, totally awful!" Brother Tyler repeated; Sister Rose guessed, not inaccurately, that his vocabulary might be rather limited. "First, see, there was this big black cloud, and there was a devil in it, and he --"

"Wait a minute," Rose interrupted. This could be getting very strange. "How do you know there was a devil in the cloud?" And what was this "cloud," really?

Tyler looked at her as though she'd just questioned the observation that the sun rose in the east. "Yes'm. It like totally had to have a devil in it, on account of 'cause he was the one that made all the things blow up and catch on fire. It was totally awful! But then, Our Lord Luminosita Himself came in another cloud, and chased the devil away, and He made another big cloud and it put out the fire! But --"

Rose had been calculating how long it would take Fayna's airship to reach Getsemiel from Frobish Bay. Satisfied that she had an answer, she interrupted again. "Wait a minute," she repeated herself. "How do you know Our Lord Luminosita was in that second cloud? Are you sure it wasn't --"

It was Tyler's turn to interrupt, with pure awe on his face, now overtaking the horror that he'd been displaying when he first passed the news. "No, ma'am, it was Luminosita Himself! It had to be, totally! On account of 'cause when He made it rain, there was a light in the cloud, and it looked like Luminosita's Name! It was totally a miracle! And He totally chased the devil away, but it was too late, 'cause there'd been a big tower fall down when the devil blew it up, and it landed on Sister Nimmie, and now she's dead, and --" The rest of the explanation dissolved in tears.
Image

Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
Porcelain Fish
Mage/Priest War Veteran
Posts: 449
Joined: July 26th, 2009, 10:44 am

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Porcelain Fish »

A small flicker of surprise flickered across Fayna's face as she looked back at Lillith, her cheeks reddening perhaps just the faintest bit. "You're welcome," she said after a moment with a small smile. "As Jerecht intimated, they'll be more inclined to assist us if we offer it in kind, and it will reflect favorably politically." Her eyes went to Argus. "The gravitation-reversion engines have a lot of power, Daddy, so even though they have a head start-"

"Apologies for interrupting, Miss Cleiviein, but Helm thought you should know. There appears to be someone working very hard to get our attention down there." The disembodied voice came from a slender bracelet studded with chips of amethyst and carnelian on Fayna's wrist.

Her eyes lit up. "Maddy?"

"Apologies Miss - it is not, but one of them does appear to have been marked with Maduin's personal warding sigil. It's . . . quite potent.

"Bring us about and prepare for emergency airlift. Can we track the other airship?" Fayna was already in motion, all business as she strode briskly back toward the stairs, Jerecht attentive at her heels.

"The other vessel has already reached maximum burn, but yes, Helm can track it. The afterburners are generating an ionized particulate trail."

"It won't last long, will it?"

No, Miss. Atmospheric activity will wipe it out fairly quickly. If we are to pursue, we can't delay."

"I want to see that atmosphere blurring on the grav-fields, Helm."
User avatar
Drusia
Veteran of the Errant War
Posts: 1293
Joined: September 7th, 2009, 9:53 pm

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Drusia »

More people dead?

Mist rain creatures?

Why can't we ever go somewhere nice?

I sigh. Eli is probably going to want to go help. And I should probably go heal the injured. I'm just so sick of this crap. Why does this keep happening everywhere we go?

-- Desiree
User avatar
Graybeard
The Heretical Admin
Posts: 7180
Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Graybeard »

As if reading Desiree's mind, Sister Rose grimaced. "Just what we need, more death and destruction ... I'm beginning to feel cursed or something. It's too late for Sister Nimmie, but we'd better see if there are other injuries that need healing. Let's get a move on." She reined the horses into motion, Brother Tyler following dejectedly behind.

At least the horses were able to move quickly in the cool of the encroaching evening. Only half an hour later, the wagon crested the low ridge separating Getsemiel and Frobish Bay. The group paused briefly to check out the scene, and Rose was relatively encouraged by what she saw. Whether the rain had been caused by Luminosita or not, at least the fires were out. People were hurrying here and there in the town, presumably extinguishing residual embers, caring for the wounded, starting to assess the damage. Maybe the situation wouldn't be too bad after all.

"We'll be there in ten minutes," she said. "Everybody, get ready for some healing magic ... hey, what's that?"

A dark shape was passing in front of the stars above town ... a shape about the right size to be Fayna's airship. As she looked, she realized that it had its running lights on -- running lights and something else. And lo and behold, she could just about imagine that the illuminated Cleiviein crest, which she'd seen when the ship was at Frobish Bay, might possibly look like a script version of Luminosita's name in the old language of the region ...

"It's Him," Brother Tyler gasped, awe in his voice. "Luminosita Himself has totally returned to aid His faithful in our hour of need."
Image

Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
User avatar
Jack Rothwell
Teller of Tales
Posts: 2405
Joined: June 17th, 2010, 7:35 am
Location: Liverpool, England

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Jack Rothwell »

Eli eyed the cloud with skepticism written all over his face.

"... and there's a flying spaghetti monster on the far side of the sun." He murmured, not quite loud enough for the deranged Brother to hear.

The half-elf sighed and watched the shape as it passed overheard, fighting the urge to throw a spell at it just to snap the holy man out of his delusion.

OOC Dawkins ftw./OOC
User avatar
Drusia
Veteran of the Errant War
Posts: 1293
Joined: September 7th, 2009, 9:53 pm

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Drusia »

"... and there's a flying spaghetti monster on the far side of the sun." He murmured, not quite loud enough for the deranged Brother to hear.

"Eli!" I hiss softly, "Show some respect!" I put my hand gently on his shoulder. "They just lost people, and I don't think they're exactly sober, and they just saw something they couldn't explain. Just... be nice, okay?"

Just because they're religion is kinda silly is no reason to make fun of it. We're supposed to be above that.

-- Desiree
Alberich
Noble Knight Protector
Posts: 1892
Joined: October 5th, 2008, 9:58 am

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Alberich »

Tim hadn't considered that the photo was there for identification - but he didn't think it invalidated his basic idea. If this Korou was a powerful wizard obsessed with heathen cultures and ancient findings, and Blaise had found something dark, hidden, and old while doing his missionary work, it wasn't hard to imagine that Korou would find a way to get in touch with him, and gain his knowledge. Just how didn't really matter.

The news from the young Californican made him bitter - for sure, these explosions and deaths were the result of that heathen Maduin and the enemies he dragged around like a tail. Hopefully not the woman who'd slipped by him and that useless Bryce, but regardless, the truth was the same - the mission was a failure, his enemy-making skills had drawn him away when he was needed, and now it seemed they were getting innocent Veracians killed. The sooner he, and the other Tsuirakuan too, got out of this country the better.

He bit his tongue as the young priest attributed an airship sighting to the Good Lord Luminosita. What would be the point? If he found out, then he found out, and if he didn't, maybe his faith would be just a little stronger. Funny how these Californicans could drone on and on about how they experienced the God from within, with the aid of their rites and stories...but when it came down to it, they wanted to see Him just the same as the Orthodox in town.

Rose wanted him to "get ready for healing magic." There was only one kind of "getting ready" he could do. He took a nap while the wagon rolled along.
User avatar
Graybeard
The Heretical Admin
Posts: 7180
Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos

Re: Getsemiel

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC: We're kinda stalling here until that airship does whatever it's going to do. I'm going to make an assumption about that "whatever"; if it's wrong, let me know and I'll retcon. /OOC:]

I wish I could do that, Sister Rose thought wistfully as she glanced over her shoulder at the snoozing Brother Tim. Recovering energy for what might be a great deal of healing magic had to be a good idea. Unfortunately, somebody had to drive the wagon, and besides, she'd never been all that good at cat naps anyway.

Things seemed surprisingly tranquil for a town that had just suffered a series of explosions, she thought. There were no large fires anywhere that she could see. A tall building in the middle of town appeared to have crumpled -- possibly this was the site of Sister Nimmie's demise -- but no other major structural damage was obvious from up here on the ridge. Might Tyler have been exaggerating? No, now that she looked more closely, something had happened. Torch-bearing citizens were streaming back into town from the countryside. Something had clearly chased them out.

She turned her attention to the airship. Yes, that had to be Fayna's vessel, she decided. The lines were unmistakable, even without the Cleiviein crest. But what was it doing? After circling above the Calfornican temple, it was moving in her own general direction ... but then it stopped. A beam of light shot down to the ground ... and moments later, a human-sized figure could be seen ascending that beam, toward the airship's cabin.

"Awesome!" Brother Tyler gasped from beside her. "That's, like, totally an angel, ma'am! Our Lord must have sent him down to, you know, like, help fight the fires. Now that they're out, he's totally being called home! It's, like, another miracle!" The young man hopped off his horse, knelt, and began to pray.

Maybe, thought Rose. But I just have this feeling that if we got closer to this "angel," it would look an awful lot like Bryce. However, they would not get the chance; once Bryce, or the angel, or whatever it was, was on board, the ship turned and sped off. [OOC: Again, if this needs to be retconned, it can be done ... but we need to start moving forward.]
Image

Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
Locked