"Well, that's very interesting," Brother Miguel said as Sasha secured the folder. The file's contents were indeed fascinating, but what he really meant was: it's interesting that this so-called grad student has access to Tsuirakuan state secrets, Freedom of Information Act or no Freedom of Information Act. However, he didn't belabor the point, because Sister Rose was pointing to the sky, in the direction of what appeared to be an inbound carrier parrot.
"RAAWK. Ears-only message. Code word HENBANE," the bird said as it settled onto the tree sheltering the wagon from the light rain that had started to fall. Now that was interesting. Colonel Bogiel had told them that the parrots had a capacity for ears-only messages -- of course, else why would parrots be used rather than pigeons -- but it was only supposed to be used for what he euphemistically called "sensitive" information. Why would a bird be coming in bearing something like that? And how much trouble would Miguel and Rose be in if they let the capability be exercised in the presence of Tsuirakuans, even expatriates?
Hmmm. Not sure how to proceed here, but in for a penny, in for a pound, Sister Rose thought. After all, the capability itself had been more or less declassified, and Argus and Sasha had seen it at work. Furthermore, Bernie hadn't exactly said the messages under the HENBANE code word were classified ... "Code word LOCOWEED," she told the bird. "Proceed."
An instantaneous change came over the parrot as its eyes glazed and its Phidelphiel accent gave way to clearly enunciated, closely clipped Veracian. You could just about hear the paragraphs... "To: Major Nuria-Lucas and Captain Monterio. From: Colonel Bogiel. Classified LUMINOSITA'S SECRET by authority of Colonel Bernard Bogiel, Veracian Special Forces. Subject: CENTORIEL. Subject is classified SECRET..."
We probably shouldn't have done that, but too late now, Sister Rose thought as the parrot started its narrative.
Centoriel
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Drannin
- Prince of Space
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: August 15th, 2008, 2:46 pm
Re: Centoriel
Argus folded his arms, vaguely surprised. A couple of Veracian priests, ex-special forces (presumably) allowing himself and Sasha to listen in on State Secrets? Still, these were unusual circumstances, and if the information pertained to the mission at hand...
Besides, mentioning the TAP, failed effort or not, was pretty much the same thing. If he hadn't been an exile, it would have been grounds for a treason hearing.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Argus dedicated himself to the parrot's message.
(OOC: Just an aside question. Can someone in exile technically commit treason?)
Besides, mentioning the TAP, failed effort or not, was pretty much the same thing. If he hadn't been an exile, it would have been grounds for a treason hearing.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Argus dedicated himself to the parrot's message.
(OOC: Just an aside question. Can someone in exile technically commit treason?)
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Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
- Posts: 7180
- Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
- Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos
Re: Centoriel
[OOC:
The parrot's dry, almost clinical recitation continued as the rain intensified slightly. Brother Miguel and Sister Rose marveled: its prose somehow managed to accomplish paragraph marking for classification...
(UNCLASSIFIED) Thank you for your recent message. It confirms other reports we have received.
(LUMINOSITA'S SECRET) The ambulatory statue that you saw was an experimental war golem dating to the time of the Mage-Priest Wars. Two or three of these golems were produced in anticipation of a Tsuirakuan attack and stored in an underground depot at Centoriel. Because the Mage-Priest Wars ended suddenly, without large-scale invasion by Tsuirakuan forces, the war golems were never used in combat. Their current state of functionality was unknown until this golem surfaced.
(SECRET) Control codes for the golem are currently being sought. Details are classified LUMINOSITA'S TOP SECRET and cannot be transmitted via this medium. Please make contact with Commander Lauriel on your arrival in Lorenzel. He will be wanting to debrief you and may have more information about control codes by that time.
(SECRET) In the interim, High Command directs that you avoid contact with the golem while the control codes are located. However, they would be very interested to know more about how it came to be activated. Anything you can accomplish in this regard would be valuable.
(LUMINOSITA'S SECRET) Records are sketchy because of the Mage-Priest Wars, but it is believed that this golem and the other members of its class were confined under a high-level Binding spell. During Luminosita's Departure, this spell may have been weakened, allowing outside forces to break through the Binding and activate the golem. Again, details of the provisional analysis are classified LUMINOSITA'S TOP SECRET and must await your arrival in Lorenzel.
(SECRET) For now, I suggest you proceed with utmost caution through the Centoriel region. There is no way of knowing what other ancient weaponry might be out there. Travel beyond the presumed elven training center (the ruins outside Zantel) is presumed hazardous. If I interpret your last correctly, you are already right in the middle of the Centoriel Hazard Zone. Be careful out there.
(SECRET) In addition, please classify all reports of your observations at Centoriel as LUMINOSITA'S SECRET and transmit via this courier technology's ears-only features. We will arrange to get you more carrier parrots because of the resulting attrition. Please send only one report per day unless something unusual arises, to minimize wastage.
(CONFIDENTIAL) On a personal note, I'd have given my left nut to see that thing come alive. I don't think it's going to hurt you, and what a show! Tread softly and keep us posted.
Delivered of this oration, the parrot promptly dropped dead. Argus and Sasha gasped, but Sister Rose and Brother Miguel barely shrugged their shoulders. Rose scooped it up in a sack while Miguel explained, "Security feature. And it's supposed to taste like chicken, so waste not, want not..."
Governments get to choose definitions however they want to, and you can look at situations as diverse as John Walker Lindh, Salman Rushdie (remembering that where he originally came from, "church" and "government" overlap, to put it mildly), and Alexander Litvinenko for insights into how different cultures view the issue with their expats/exiles -- whether officially or otherwise. (Heck, in Rushdie's case, he didn't even have to be a citizen of the country to commit treason against it, as far as the country/church was concerned.) Also OOC, I seem unable to move Viking's last treatise to this thread as hoped, so I'm going to leave the Saus thread here rather than moving it to the rear-view mirror, although it'll be locked. So back to business:]Drannin wrote:(OOC: Just an aside question. Can someone in exile technically commit treason?)
The parrot's dry, almost clinical recitation continued as the rain intensified slightly. Brother Miguel and Sister Rose marveled: its prose somehow managed to accomplish paragraph marking for classification...
(UNCLASSIFIED) Thank you for your recent message. It confirms other reports we have received.
(LUMINOSITA'S SECRET) The ambulatory statue that you saw was an experimental war golem dating to the time of the Mage-Priest Wars. Two or three of these golems were produced in anticipation of a Tsuirakuan attack and stored in an underground depot at Centoriel. Because the Mage-Priest Wars ended suddenly, without large-scale invasion by Tsuirakuan forces, the war golems were never used in combat. Their current state of functionality was unknown until this golem surfaced.
(SECRET) Control codes for the golem are currently being sought. Details are classified LUMINOSITA'S TOP SECRET and cannot be transmitted via this medium. Please make contact with Commander Lauriel on your arrival in Lorenzel. He will be wanting to debrief you and may have more information about control codes by that time.
(SECRET) In the interim, High Command directs that you avoid contact with the golem while the control codes are located. However, they would be very interested to know more about how it came to be activated. Anything you can accomplish in this regard would be valuable.
(LUMINOSITA'S SECRET) Records are sketchy because of the Mage-Priest Wars, but it is believed that this golem and the other members of its class were confined under a high-level Binding spell. During Luminosita's Departure, this spell may have been weakened, allowing outside forces to break through the Binding and activate the golem. Again, details of the provisional analysis are classified LUMINOSITA'S TOP SECRET and must await your arrival in Lorenzel.
(SECRET) For now, I suggest you proceed with utmost caution through the Centoriel region. There is no way of knowing what other ancient weaponry might be out there. Travel beyond the presumed elven training center (the ruins outside Zantel) is presumed hazardous. If I interpret your last correctly, you are already right in the middle of the Centoriel Hazard Zone. Be careful out there.
(SECRET) In addition, please classify all reports of your observations at Centoriel as LUMINOSITA'S SECRET and transmit via this courier technology's ears-only features. We will arrange to get you more carrier parrots because of the resulting attrition. Please send only one report per day unless something unusual arises, to minimize wastage.
(CONFIDENTIAL) On a personal note, I'd have given my left nut to see that thing come alive. I don't think it's going to hurt you, and what a show! Tread softly and keep us posted.
Delivered of this oration, the parrot promptly dropped dead. Argus and Sasha gasped, but Sister Rose and Brother Miguel barely shrugged their shoulders. Rose scooped it up in a sack while Miguel explained, "Security feature. And it's supposed to taste like chicken, so waste not, want not..."
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
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Drannin
- Prince of Space
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: August 15th, 2008, 2:46 pm
Re: Centoriel
Argus pondered this new information. So parrot tastes like chicken... but almost everything tastes like chicken... Wait, does chicken taste like anything to begin with? This mental debate resolved, he moved on to the more pertinent information. "It seems your contact concurs that we should check out this war-golem's storage site. I'm a little curious myself..." I didn't realize Veracia had this level of magic... "Though I have to wonder... are we going to run into any other superweapons while we're looking around? I'd rather not end this day a a cloud of free vapor."
"I disagree with that Commander guy," commented Harker. At the others' startled reactions, he explained: "He wouldn't have given his left nut. Because at my angle, I SAW that thing's-"
"Thank you Harker, you can stop there."
"I disagree with that Commander guy," commented Harker. At the others' startled reactions, he explained: "He wouldn't have given his left nut. Because at my angle, I SAW that thing's-"
"Thank you Harker, you can stop there."
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Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
- Posts: 7180
- Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
- Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos
Re: Centoriel
"Superweapons? I suppose it's possible," Sister Rose replied. "A lot of the stuff that was done leading up to the First Mage-Priest War wasn't well documented. There are still arms caches being discovered along the west coast of Veracia, which I remind you is exactly where that golem is heading. Most have been degraded beyond repair by the passage of time, but some ... haven't."
Uh, oh, Brother Miguel thought. This was a painful topic for Major Rose Nuria-Lucas, nun and shapechanger and reservist and widow, and he knew it. Time to change the subject. "Truthfully, I'm more interested in what's above ground at this Centoriel than in superweapons that may or may not be buried there, may or may not work if excavated, and have a good chance of blowing up in our faces if we do get our hands on them. Sasha, that document you showed us piqued my curiosity. The name of the branch of the Veracian Church was 'redacted' when you got it, but it looks like it started with M. The only two major branches that I can think of with names starting with M are the Millenarians, which are Father Egbert's people, and the Mechanists. The Millenarians really aren't that different from the Orthodox branch in most ways. They have a considerably different view of Hell, as I mentioned earlier, and there are some other minor doctrinal differences. They also are a bit more, I guess I'd say, liberal on many social issues. In general, though, the differences aren't so great as to be noteworthy, nor are they anything I'd expect to see 'redacted' in an analysis.
"The Mechanists, though ... they are very heterodox people." And we may get a chance shortly to see just how heterodox, he thought as he followed Rose's gaze half a mile out to the west, where a light horse-drawn buggy was approaching through the rain.
[OOC: This would actually be a good time to introduce a new player character or two. Private-message me if you're interested.]
Uh, oh, Brother Miguel thought. This was a painful topic for Major Rose Nuria-Lucas, nun and shapechanger and reservist and widow, and he knew it. Time to change the subject. "Truthfully, I'm more interested in what's above ground at this Centoriel than in superweapons that may or may not be buried there, may or may not work if excavated, and have a good chance of blowing up in our faces if we do get our hands on them. Sasha, that document you showed us piqued my curiosity. The name of the branch of the Veracian Church was 'redacted' when you got it, but it looks like it started with M. The only two major branches that I can think of with names starting with M are the Millenarians, which are Father Egbert's people, and the Mechanists. The Millenarians really aren't that different from the Orthodox branch in most ways. They have a considerably different view of Hell, as I mentioned earlier, and there are some other minor doctrinal differences. They also are a bit more, I guess I'd say, liberal on many social issues. In general, though, the differences aren't so great as to be noteworthy, nor are they anything I'd expect to see 'redacted' in an analysis.
"The Mechanists, though ... they are very heterodox people." And we may get a chance shortly to see just how heterodox, he thought as he followed Rose's gaze half a mile out to the west, where a light horse-drawn buggy was approaching through the rain.
[OOC: This would actually be a good time to introduce a new player character or two. Private-message me if you're interested.]
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
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Drannin
- Prince of Space
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: August 15th, 2008, 2:46 pm
Re: Centoriel
Argus was intrigued despite himself. He was about to ask for further information when his gaze also fell on the cart in the distance. Hmmm... fellow travelers? Locals? Psychotic cultists with a taste for blood sacrifice. Women with loose morals, I can only hope? What Argus would do around women of loose morals, considering his present company, was something he chose to ignore. A man could dream, after all.
Actually, this talk of 'Mechanists' reminded Argus of yet another odd religious sect he had run into while conducting some field research. He didn't know why he kept running into weirdos with odd religious beliefs. It just happened. This crew had dug up some sort of dwarven artifact that they apparently worshiped as a divinity. It was some sort of flat plate with a number of odd protrusions. Touch the protrusions and the device began intoning in a dead, emotionless voice. This group considered it to be the avatar of an ancient dwarven death god. Argus thought it sounded stupid, and said so.
The commune in question had also acquired an assortment of what were apparently dwarven death-rays. Funny how you only learned about this stuff AFTER insulting the religious fundamentalists. Oops. And that was Argus' only experience with the Sect of the Holy Spek'an-spel.
He discovered, what with giant war-golems on the rampage, that he rather missed that harmless little whatsit, and the comparatively harmless little people, with their malfunctioning weapons of death and despair. It had taken him a single lightning bolt to get the point across that he was not to be screwed with. But the lessons still held.
Currently Argus was wondering what king of religious wackos he was going to run into in this bizarre little area. And who the hell WAS that on the cart...?
Actually, this talk of 'Mechanists' reminded Argus of yet another odd religious sect he had run into while conducting some field research. He didn't know why he kept running into weirdos with odd religious beliefs. It just happened. This crew had dug up some sort of dwarven artifact that they apparently worshiped as a divinity. It was some sort of flat plate with a number of odd protrusions. Touch the protrusions and the device began intoning in a dead, emotionless voice. This group considered it to be the avatar of an ancient dwarven death god. Argus thought it sounded stupid, and said so.
The commune in question had also acquired an assortment of what were apparently dwarven death-rays. Funny how you only learned about this stuff AFTER insulting the religious fundamentalists. Oops. And that was Argus' only experience with the Sect of the Holy Spek'an-spel.
He discovered, what with giant war-golems on the rampage, that he rather missed that harmless little whatsit, and the comparatively harmless little people, with their malfunctioning weapons of death and despair. It had taken him a single lightning bolt to get the point across that he was not to be screwed with. But the lessons still held.
Currently Argus was wondering what king of religious wackos he was going to run into in this bizarre little area. And who the hell WAS that on the cart...?
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Sareth
- RPG All-Star
- Posts: 2604
- Joined: August 23rd, 2007, 8:54 pm
Re: Centoriel
"This will be good," the young woman said, addressing the driver of the cart. The driver, who appeared to be nervous and sweating, nodded his agreement, and reigned the horses in, not failing to show his relief. The horses, for their part, complied, though their flaring nostrils and tossed head indicated that just standing there didn't seem to please them.
The woman descended from the cart with a hop that belled her skirt around her legs, then walked to the back, pulling a pack from it and settling it on the ground. She returned to the front of the cart and smiled pleasantly to the cart drover. "Here." A coin with a lovely yellow tint appeared in her hand, and was flicked towards the cart man. "A bonus for continuing even after we saw that... whatever it was."
"May Luminosita bless you, lady," the man replied, pocketing the coin, then flicking the reigns to get the horses moving again. He spun them and the cart around with greater alacrity than one would expect of the assemblage, and began rumbling down the road, the horses clearly eager to be gone. As he rolled off, the man turned his head and called, "And steer clear of towns around her during the Departure! Next time you might be so lucky.!"
Nodding, the woman stepped back to her pack and rummaged around for a bit before producing a crystal. She pushed a button on it, and a small light shot out then displayed a light display before her. The girl watched it for a bit, then shut the display off with a sigh.
"Just as I suspected. That gollum, if that's what it was, came from the depot. Not good. Not good." She tucked the map away, and bent back down to the pack. Quickly she pulled out several sticks of incense, settling them in a splayed out fan like arrangement sticking up from the ground, and lit them, waving the smoke about her. Pulling a pendant from out of her bodice, she knelt down, clapped twice, and began muttering quietly, her hands clasped about the icon at the end of the chain about her neck.
[OOC]One new character! Ready for pickup! But just what is she up to?[/OOC]
The woman descended from the cart with a hop that belled her skirt around her legs, then walked to the back, pulling a pack from it and settling it on the ground. She returned to the front of the cart and smiled pleasantly to the cart drover. "Here." A coin with a lovely yellow tint appeared in her hand, and was flicked towards the cart man. "A bonus for continuing even after we saw that... whatever it was."
"May Luminosita bless you, lady," the man replied, pocketing the coin, then flicking the reigns to get the horses moving again. He spun them and the cart around with greater alacrity than one would expect of the assemblage, and began rumbling down the road, the horses clearly eager to be gone. As he rolled off, the man turned his head and called, "And steer clear of towns around her during the Departure! Next time you might be so lucky.!"
Nodding, the woman stepped back to her pack and rummaged around for a bit before producing a crystal. She pushed a button on it, and a small light shot out then displayed a light display before her. The girl watched it for a bit, then shut the display off with a sigh.
"Just as I suspected. That gollum, if that's what it was, came from the depot. Not good. Not good." She tucked the map away, and bent back down to the pack. Quickly she pulled out several sticks of incense, settling them in a splayed out fan like arrangement sticking up from the ground, and lit them, waving the smoke about her. Pulling a pendant from out of her bodice, she knelt down, clapped twice, and began muttering quietly, her hands clasped about the icon at the end of the chain about her neck.
[OOC]One new character! Ready for pickup! But just what is she up to?[/OOC]
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Graybeard
- The Heretical Admin
- Posts: 7180
- Joined: August 20th, 2007, 8:26 am
- Location: Nuevo Mexico y Colorado, Estados Unidos
Re: Centoriel
"That's very strange," Sister Rose said as she watched the young(?) woman in the distance. "It looks like she's doing some kind of religious ritual out here -- definitely not one of ours, regardless of the branch."
"Yeah, and it's making me nervous," Brother Miguel said, remembering a certain moment up north. And another moment in his homeland in the south. Yet what he was seeing definitely wasn't like either of those ... unsettling ... experiences. Truth to tell, he wasn't sure what the girl was doing. It looked like no religion he'd ever studied, and he'd studied quite a few. The rain was slacking off for the moment, so he paused to watch...
... And that was when he saw the largest cave bear he'd ever seen in his life emerge stealthily from a group of boulders behind the meditating woman.
The others saw it too. Rose looked at Argus, Argus looked at Miguel, Miguel looked at Harker, Harker looked at Sasha. All nodded. "HEEE-YAH!" Rose screamed, as she whipped the horses into a gallop toward the bear and its unsuspecting meal-to-be.
"Yeah, and it's making me nervous," Brother Miguel said, remembering a certain moment up north. And another moment in his homeland in the south. Yet what he was seeing definitely wasn't like either of those ... unsettling ... experiences. Truth to tell, he wasn't sure what the girl was doing. It looked like no religion he'd ever studied, and he'd studied quite a few. The rain was slacking off for the moment, so he paused to watch...
... And that was when he saw the largest cave bear he'd ever seen in his life emerge stealthily from a group of boulders behind the meditating woman.
The others saw it too. Rose looked at Argus, Argus looked at Miguel, Miguel looked at Harker, Harker looked at Sasha. All nodded. "HEEE-YAH!" Rose screamed, as she whipped the horses into a gallop toward the bear and its unsuspecting meal-to-be.
Because old is wise, does good, and above all, kicks ass.
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Sareth
- RPG All-Star
- Posts: 2604
- Joined: August 23rd, 2007, 8:54 pm
Re: Centoriel
She reached out, not with her body, but with her essence. She drifted on the smoke of the incense, she cast herself upon the air. She floated, feeling.
May clarity grow within me
Open my eyes to life's many wonders
May I feel the pulse of all creation within me
Open my spirit to Awareness
Fill my heart with deeper Understanding...
Understanding might be hard. The spirits of this place were upset. Luminosita had long burdened the natural order of things, making the spirits sullen, reluctant to emerge from the stupor in which they labored. She'd grown used to it since she'd enter the lands controlled by Veracia. Their created All-Father sucked a lot of their strength from them.
But here the problem was worse. The spirits had been roused. Whatever had released that gollem had further troubled the natural order already damaged by the mad religion here. These spirits were angry, reluctant to communicate with her. They were stirred up like hornets.
She felt for a warm, friendly spirit, any spirit.
"Lord Bear..." Her eyes opened and she turned to her visitor. There was no small amount of fear in her. She was having trouble maintaining the calm of the prayer, and the open and listening spirit that is demanded of the Goddess and all of Creation. The cave bear she had felt approaching her was troubled, angry. If he took offense, rather than pleasure in her supplications... Well, there was nothing for it. Wrapped in the incense and what spiritual strength she could garner, she turned to the bear behind her. She bent forward at the waist, still on her knees, and pressed her hands and head to the ground before him. "Will you stoop to speaking with me, mighty one?"
May clarity grow within me
Open my eyes to life's many wonders
May I feel the pulse of all creation within me
Open my spirit to Awareness
Fill my heart with deeper Understanding...
Understanding might be hard. The spirits of this place were upset. Luminosita had long burdened the natural order of things, making the spirits sullen, reluctant to emerge from the stupor in which they labored. She'd grown used to it since she'd enter the lands controlled by Veracia. Their created All-Father sucked a lot of their strength from them.
But here the problem was worse. The spirits had been roused. Whatever had released that gollem had further troubled the natural order already damaged by the mad religion here. These spirits were angry, reluctant to communicate with her. They were stirred up like hornets.
She felt for a warm, friendly spirit, any spirit.
"Lord Bear..." Her eyes opened and she turned to her visitor. There was no small amount of fear in her. She was having trouble maintaining the calm of the prayer, and the open and listening spirit that is demanded of the Goddess and all of Creation. The cave bear she had felt approaching her was troubled, angry. If he took offense, rather than pleasure in her supplications... Well, there was nothing for it. Wrapped in the incense and what spiritual strength she could garner, she turned to the bear behind her. She bent forward at the waist, still on her knees, and pressed her hands and head to the ground before him. "Will you stoop to speaking with me, mighty one?"
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Drannin
- Prince of Space
- Posts: 1350
- Joined: August 15th, 2008, 2:46 pm
Re: Centoriel
"What in the name of all that is holy is she doing?!" Argus greamed. 'Greaming' was a sort of hybrid between groaning and screaming. "Does she fancy herself some sort of sacrificial maiden or something?!"
Harker took in the situation. "Well... that is a lotta incense, y'know. Could be some fun stuff in the fumes." Harker nudged Argus. "Might wanna get inta some of that Boss, instead of the booze. Healthy, natural, right?"
Argus ignored him. "She vaguely reminds me of some group I met up north. Wat were they... the tree-huggers... huggys, uh, the hip... whatever. This woman's going to get herself killed!"
Sister Rose was pale. "We won't get there in time. Argus, can you...?"
A large stone, nearly a boulder really, loomed along the side of the road. "Now? Yes." Stretching out magically, Argus seized it and heaved it into the air, floating alongside the rushing cart. Taking a deep breath he squeezed his hand into a fist, and the small boulder reshaped itself into a massive spike. Thus literally armed for bear, Argus directed his attention to the rapidly nearing ursine beast, carefully aiming the spike to point towards its heart. "Okay... now just one good push..." Argus prepared to launch his weapon...
Harker took in the situation. "Well... that is a lotta incense, y'know. Could be some fun stuff in the fumes." Harker nudged Argus. "Might wanna get inta some of that Boss, instead of the booze. Healthy, natural, right?"
Argus ignored him. "She vaguely reminds me of some group I met up north. Wat were they... the tree-huggers... huggys, uh, the hip... whatever. This woman's going to get herself killed!"
Sister Rose was pale. "We won't get there in time. Argus, can you...?"
A large stone, nearly a boulder really, loomed along the side of the road. "Now? Yes." Stretching out magically, Argus seized it and heaved it into the air, floating alongside the rushing cart. Taking a deep breath he squeezed his hand into a fist, and the small boulder reshaped itself into a massive spike. Thus literally armed for bear, Argus directed his attention to the rapidly nearing ursine beast, carefully aiming the spike to point towards its heart. "Okay... now just one good push..." Argus prepared to launch his weapon...