Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9: Theah / Swashbuckling Chapter 4 Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:29:28 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012759 >On Thu, 02 Mar 2006 23:46:35 -0800 >Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00012747 > >>On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:08:09 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012746 >> >> Arturo's smile briefly becomes one that resembles actual joy, >>rather than sadistic fury. "You don't know who I am," he says, his >>tone one of psychotic glee. "You genuinely do not know who I am!" He >>laughs maniacally and charges at Marivale, ignoring all slashes, >>leaping forward and spinning in a crimson whirlwind of death... > >"Other than a jumped-up construct with delusions of grandeur? No. I >neither know nor care who you are. Your technique is sloppy," >Marivale says as he tries to disembowel Arturo with his hold-out. He >looks mildly annoyed when nothing happens beyond a second slit in the >Butcher's skin, but he continues dodging or parrying every attack >against him. "Your footwork is execrable," he says as a quick foot >sweep sends Arturo crashing to the deck. "And you place too much >confidence in your supposed invulnerability." "Wh-HNN!" Arturo grunts in a very realistic manner as his body leaves a moderately-sized crater in the deck. >"Let me see if I have the story right from your point of view: you, >the invulnerable villain, are free to do whatever you please while >we, the heroes, attempt to restrain you without killing you, thus >severely limiting our options. I have two points that you seem to >have forgotten to take into consideration. First, that heroes find a >way to win despite their limitations. That's what makes them heroes, >after all. Second," and Marivale steps up and grabs Arturo by the >shoulders, "I'm not a Hero, I'm a Scoundrel. Give my regards to St. >Rose." Marivale rolls onto his back, pulling Arturo with him, then >kicks powerfully as he lets go, sending the Iron Butcher over the >rail. Arturo (who weighs about three times as much as he looks like he would as a human) makes a last desperate grab for the railing with his prehensile whip. The rail breaks in its grip. "NOOOOO!" he screams...for a very long time. Suddenly, everything goes wrong at once. The deck gives out from under Marivale. At the same time, a spar comes down as a result of Syrneth pistol fire between the dwarf and Dr. Mobius. Finally, debris rains down on the swordsman, somehow coming down at just the right (wrong) time. The woman behind the black veil grins. >On Sat, 4 Mar 2006 11:26:12 -0800 (PST) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012748 > >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012746 >> >>>On Mon, 20 Feb 2006 19:08:44 -0800 (PST) >>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012741 >>> >>> Kell mentally tags each of the attackers as they charge, using >>>terms familiar to him - spiked chain man/leader, dwarf wrestler, >>>swordsman, knife thrower, and mage. Then he makes a note to adjust >>>his guesses as necessary, before deflecting three knives with his >>>own blades. >>> The fourth blade hits him in the shoulder. [I hope it's just >>>poison...I can deal with poison.] >> >> There is no poison. The blade burns with a strange, blue light -- >>and the burning _hurts_ -- but there are no side effects unless Kell >>regenerates/casts healing magic, in which case the wound proves >>stubborn. Her knives, however, returns to her hands. She smiles like >>a hungry wolf and throws again, three blades darting at crew and the >>other three at Kell. > > Kell grins back. [Normally, I leave the fancy tricks to the >lordling over there, but...] He deflects the three knives flying at >him, then tosses his weapons in the air, and draws a pair of plain >steel blades from over his shoulder, and tosses them at the >knife-user, before catching his daggers again. [...sometimes I can't >resist.] > The other three knives are left alone; Kell's too used to working >with people who can take a dagger or two to think about such things >as a problem. The woman, caught off-guard, stumbles back -- and trips, just managing to catch herself before she falls over completely. This, however, saves her from both blades. Scowling, she throws her hands out, retrieving all six daggers, and recognizing Kell as a real threat, throws all of them at him in deadly, spinning arcs. The veiled woman smiled. >On Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:06:15 -0000 >Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012752 > >>On Sun, 19 Feb 2006 19:32:47 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012733 >> An entire island emerges from the clouds above them, massive >>downward spires of rust-red metal echoing with the tremendous >>clanking of gears the size of small houses. "INCOMING!" Mobius >>roars, then vaults downward, looking for Karma. If he spots her, he >>tries to catch her and grab hold of the nearest rigging, though a >>lifeline will do. > > Karma went pale as she caught her first glimpse of a more solid >shape within the clouds. She stopped momentarily as Mobius caught her >up, her mind suddenly filled with the image of another island, far >different from this one, a tree at its center, whose people left it >for the plains of the world below. > "Funny," she said, staring, "Now that I see it, I realize I've >seen it done better." > > >> "ATTACK!" He roars instead, using the prehensile "whip" to grab >>onto a broken spar and swing towards the heroes. The others scream >>the classic "ARRR!" and follow suit. All except the woman behind the >>spider-web veil... > > [No sense staying here,] Karma thought, [Swashbuckling, eh? >Okay...] > Karma grabbed her pack, sliding it on, and a line leading up into >the rigging. She swung out over the side, arcing through open air >toward the island. The woman in the veil pulls at the air like a weaver feeling through threads. She scowls. Something is wrong. She yanks harder. A motorcycle and three people appear practically on top of her. "What in Theus' NAME?!" she blurts. Kanto looks around, a bit in confusion, but mostly in delight. "Ah, now _this_ brings back memories. A dead Borgia, a stolen sculpture, hundreds of half-trained fools..." Rio, meanwhile, turns the throttle with mild annoyance. Nothing. "Shoot. Wrong realm." "Indeed," the Fate witch sneers, and grabs the threads. Rio's head snaps around, and she _glares_ at the Fate witch. "Ohhh, _no_ you don't," she replies decisively. Fingers dance on Rio's Rio, and the main theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean" comes out of the speakers. The boom crashes through the deck, creating a convenient ramp for Marivale. Wind picks up around Kell, blowing the knives somewhat off-course and away from him. The Fate witch snaps back as if slapped, strange multicolored cords woven all through her black dress. "What?" she whispers, and struggles briefly in the strange predicament. Snarling, she glares at Rio and claws at the air. She blinks in frightened astonishment, grasping thin air impotently. Rio grins. "Honey, never play a player." The Castillian, who is actually holding Kanto off (albeit barely) thanks to superhuman speed, looks around, then barks a short laugh. "Thank your friend for my promotion, Vodacce," he says to Kanto, then retreats at about forty miles an hour. "Men! To the Fist!" The pirates fall back, the dwarf throwing an unresisting Fate witch over his shoulder. Kanto frowns, disappointed. "Borgia's men had more stamina, though." He looks around, then returns to Rio's side. Jeanne is putting away an anachronistic hand cannon. "That was rather impressive, my lady," he adds roguishly, kissing the Ecstatic's hand. "She was good, but all her strength was in one Sphere," Rio explains, in no hurry to retrieve her hand. "Hm. Genetic sorcery manipulation. Interesting. I doubt, however, that such fickle allies are Vincenzo's most formidable defense," Mobius notes. "We should move into the interior of the island." He gestures at the towers dominating the center of the giant floating platform. "Caligari's main defenses will no doubt be there, as will the controls for Nerezza itself." Some time later... The heroes find themselves walking through a fantastic city of Restoration-era skyscrapers, reaching ten, fifteen, even twenty stories up, with bridges running through them in rickety zig-zags that imply nosebleeds even to those on the ground. The entire city is eerily empty and silent. "Fascinating," Mobius says, sounding faintly Spock-like. "It seems that the Vodacce have developed a variation of suspension bridge science centuries ahead of time. I must admit to considerable curiosity about Vincenzo's..." Mobius trails off into silence as he turns the corner. Before him -- and within moments, the CAoLers present -- is a titanic fortress-machine, a cylindrical keep constructed of obsidian tiles. As they watch, the tiles move, extending out on gigantic mechanical arms. Prince Caligari stands in its center, working a huge set of keys like a virtuoso. "Welcome, my friends!" he shouts, his voice echoing disturbingly in the empty canyons of the city. "You've arrived just in time...to die. AH-ha-ha-ha-ha!" "_Tell_ me I didn't sound like that," Mobius groans. "Villain talking point number six," Rio replies. The tiles move again, most of the parts of the "wall" in front of them aiming at the heroes. Mobius steps forward cautiously, examining the glistening darkness on each facet. A burst of darkness explodes out. Mobius explodes in turn, becoming a sandstorm that swirls toward the tile. He reforms just in time, his foot in the tile itself. Mobius pulls it free, the boot popping loose with the sound of suction being broken. "You know," he notes, his voice taking on a touch of its old edge, "I do believe I am no longer enchanted with the Prince's style." He steps back carefully. "On the other hand, this does present a fascinating opportunity. These facets are clearly portals to one of the many shadow dimensions. If we can turn it on itself, that may cause the entire island to implode--" Three more bursts of Darkforce lash out. Mobius dodges, albeit barely. "--easier said than done, of course. I fear this teamwork business is not my forte. Any ideas?" -- Pharaoh Mobius I and Prince Vincenzo Caligari ...so much for professional courtesy... =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 10:24:39 -0700 Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00012761 >On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:29:28 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012759 > >>"I'm not a Hero, I'm a Scoundrel. Give my regards to St. Rose." >>Marivale rolls onto his back, pulling Arturo with him, then kicks >>powerfully as he lets go, sending the Iron Butcher over the rail. > > Arturo (who weighs about three times as much as he looks like he >would as a human) makes a last desperate grab for the railing with >his prehensile whip. The rail breaks in its grip. "NOOOOO!" he >screams...for a very long time. Marivale rolls his shoulders a bit, then turns to scan his remaining foes, a haughty sneer on his face. [I'm glad that throw uses momentum and not just brute strength. Even with the belt to help, that thing was heavy.] > Suddenly, everything goes wrong at once. > The deck gives out from under Marivale. Marivale looks startled, but lands lightly on his feet. [What the...? That woman in the black must be a fatespinner. Oh, Hells. All right, the first step is to get out of this blasted hold before...] >At the same time, a spar comes down as a result of Syrneth pistol >fire between the dwarf and Dr. Mobius. Finally, debris rains down on >the swordsman, somehow coming down at just the right (wrong) time. Marivale tumbles right, dodges left, and as a last resort bats a few bits aside with his blade. He still winds up bruised, but at least he isn't paste. He looks decidedly annoyed. >Rio's head snaps around, and she _glares_ at the Fate witch. "Ohhh, >_no_ you don't," she replies decisively. Fingers dance on Rio's Rio, >and the main theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean" comes out of the >speakers. > > The boom crashes through the deck, creating a convenient ramp for >Marivale. [Hmm...have we a fatespinner of our own, then? Or did that black-robed witch miscalculate? Either way...] Marivale speeds lightly up the boom. > The Castillian, who is actually holding Kanto off (albeit barely) >thanks to superhuman speed, looks around, then barks a short laugh. >"Thank your friend for my promotion, Vodacce," he says to Kanto, "Thank me yourself, braggart," snarls Marivale. >then retreats at about forty miles an hour. "Men! To the Fist!" [Hmph. I could keep pace with him, but to what end? Mine, most likely.] > Three more bursts of Darkforce lash out. Mobius dodges, albeit >barely. > "--easier said than done, of course. I fear this teamwork >business is not my forte. Any ideas?" "Just one," responds Veren as he fires a grapnel arrow at Vincenzo's shoulder. Erindrea eyes him askance as he fails to hold onto the rope, then watches the rope start trailing down toward the obsidian tiles. "Huh. Ah don' know which would be moh of a problem foh him: if he is strapped in, oh if he ain't." Veren just grins nastily and fires another grapnel arrow at the Prince's other shoulder. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Sun, 9 Apr 2006 10:27:10 -0700 (PDT) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012762 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012759 > >>On Sat, 4 Mar 2006 11:26:12 -0800 (PST) >>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00012748 >> >> Kell grins back. [Normally, I leave the fancy tricks to the >>lordling over there, but...] He deflects the three knives flying at >>him, then tosses his weapons in the air, and draws a pair of plain >>steel blades from over his shoulder, and tosses them at the >>knife-user, before catching his daggers again. [...sometimes I can't >>resist.] > > The woman, caught off-guard, stumbles back -- and trips, just >managing to catch herself before she falls over completely. This, >however, saves her from both blades. Scowling, she throws her hands >out, retrieving all six daggers, and recognizing Kell as a real >threat, throws all of them at him in deadly, spinning arcs. > The veiled woman smiled. Kell recognizes the pattern - there's nowhere he can go to dodge it that won't make matters worse. [Not a knife thrower - a *Master* thrower! This is going to hurt...] > Suddenly, everything goes wrong at once. > The deck gives out from under Marivale. At the same time, a spar >comes down as a result of Syrneth pistol fire between the dwarf and >Dr. Mobius. Finally, debris rains down on the swordsman, somehow >coming down at just the right (wrong) time. > The woman behind the black veil grins. [...fatespinner...] > Arturo (who weighs about three times as much as he looks like he >would as a human) makes a last desperate grab for the railing with >his prehensile whip. The rail breaks in its grip. "NOOOOO!" he >screams...for a very long time. [...corpse...] > Rio's head snaps around, and she _glares_ at the Fate witch. >"Ohhh, _no_ you don't," she replies decisively. Fingers dance on >Rio's Rio, and the main theme from "Pirates of the Caribbean" comes >out of the speakers. > > The boom crashes through the deck, creating a convenient ramp for >Marivale. > Wind picks up around Kell, blowing the knives somewhat off-course >and away from him. [...and reinforcements, Tymora be thanked.] > The Fate witch snaps back as if slapped, strange multicolored >cords woven all through her black dress. "What?" she whispers, and >struggles briefly in the strange predicament. Snarling, she glares at >Rio and claws at the air. > She blinks in frightened astonishment, grasping thin air >impotently. > >Rio grins. "Honey, never play a player." > > The Castillian, who is actually holding Kanto off (albeit barely) >thanks to superhuman speed, looks around, then barks a short laugh. >"Thank your friend for my promotion, Vodacce," he says to Kanto, then >retreats at about forty miles an hour. "Men! To the Fist!" > The pirates fall back, the dwarf throwing an unresisting Fate >witch over his shoulder. Kanto frowns, disappointed. "Borgia's men >had more stamina, though." Kell sheathes his daggers, retrieves the two he threw, and asks, "Did you arrive at the start of the fight with Borgia's men? And did you have help? Not fair to judge 'em as less if the fight was different." > Mobius trails off into silence as he turns the corner. > Before him -- and within moments, the CAoLers present -- is a >titanic fortress-machine, a cylindrical keep constructed of obsidian >tiles. As they watch, the tiles move, extending out on gigantic >mechanical arms. Prince Caligari stands in its center, working a huge >set of keys like a virtuoso. "Welcome, my friends!" he shouts, his >voice echoing disturbingly in the empty canyons of the city. "You've >arrived just in time...to die. AH-ha-ha-ha-ha!" > "_Tell_ me I didn't sound like that," Mobius groans. > >"Villain talking point number six," Rio replies. "But did he do the Stupid Laugh?" Kell asks, while pulling out his daggers again. > A burst of darkness explodes out. Mobius explodes in turn, >becoming a sandstorm that swirls toward the tile. He reforms just in >time, his foot in the tile itself. Mobius pulls it free, the boot >popping loose with the sound of suction being broken. "You know," he >notes, his voice taking on a touch of its old edge, "I do believe I >am no longer enchanted with the Prince's style." He steps back >carefully. "On the other hand, this does present a fascinating >opportunity. These facets are clearly portals to one of the many >shadow dimensions. If we can turn it on itself, that may cause the >entire island to implode--" > Three more bursts of Darkforce lash out. Mobius dodges, albeit >barely. > "--easier said than done, of course. I fear this teamwork >business is not my forte. Any ideas?" Kell doesn't answer. He's never figured out how some people can fight and talk at the same time, but it's one skill he never learned. And dodging the shadow bolts is fighting, by his lights. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 23:15:30 -0700 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012777 >On Sun, 09 Apr 2006 10:24:39 -0700 >Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00012761 > >>On Fri, 07 Apr 2006 21:29:28 -0700 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012759 >> >>> "I'm not a Hero, I'm a Scoundrel. Give my regards to St. Rose." >>>Marivale rolls onto his back, pulling Arturo with him, then kicks >>>powerfully as he lets go, sending the Iron Butcher over the rail. >> >> Arturo (who weighs about three times as much as he looks like he >>would as a human) makes a last desperate grab for the railing with >>his prehensile whip. The rail breaks in its grip. "NOOOOO!" he >>screams...for a very long time. > >Marivale rolls his shoulders a bit, then turns to scan his remaining >foes, a haughty sneer on his face. [I'm glad that throw uses momentum >and not just brute strength. Even with the belt to help, that thing >was heavy.] OOC: Why didn't I snip the above when we've moved on? Heh heh heh... >> Three more bursts of Darkforce lash out. Mobius dodges, albeit >>barely. >> "--easier said than done, of course. I fear this teamwork >>business is not my forte. Any ideas?" > >"Just one," responds Veren as he fires a grapnel arrow at Vincenzo's >shoulder. Erindrea eyes him askance as he fails to hold onto the >rope, then watches the rope start trailing down toward the obsidian >tiles. > >"Huh. Ah don' know which would be moh of a problem foh him: if he is >strapped in, oh if he ain't." Veren just grins nastily and fires >another grapnel arrow at the Prince's other shoulder. OOC: Ever wonder what would happen if one of these tricks just worked right out of the gate? At first, Vincenzo just looks at the arrow contemptuously -- he doesn't seem to feel the least pain from the blow. He doesn't even bother acknowledging the second arrow, but he does follow the cord back to...hey, wait a minute... "EEYAHHH!" Caligari screams as he's yanked into the black void of the machine. Mobius pulls himself together -- literally -- and looks up. "It can _not_ be that easy." The machine begins to hum dangerously. "Oh dear," Mobius says calmly. Caligari's ancient, withered face appears in every one of the hundreds of ebon tiles. "You think you can defeat _me,_ the great Caligari, so _easily?!_" he roars, his voice echoing as if through a Cylon sound effect and replicated hundreds of times. "Fools! Nerezza is indestructible -- but _you_ are _not!_" The mirrors begin to face the center of the machine they protrude from. "No, Caligari, you fool--!" the former Pharaoh blurts. He turns to the group. "We should leave. Now." "What, is he going to destroy it _himself?_" Rio asks incredulously as they run. "Yes and no," Mobius explains, once again seeming to have absorbed Reed Richards. "As he said, Nerezza is virtually indestructible, being a Darkness Device -- each of which can survive the implosion of an entire universe. However, even Darkness Devices require sustenance, specifically a portion of the Possibility Energy they siphon from invaded realities." He leaps for no apparent reason, though it quickly becomes apparent when the building behind him collapses, sending rubble through the space he just vacated. "And when all those portals turn on themselves, they will cause the implosion of the Darkness Device. While it will technically continue to exist for an extremely long time, it will essentially be plunged into the void to which it sends Possibility Energy to placate their true, Nameless creator. There it will remain, beyond any chance of recall, until it is simply...unmade." "But why would Caligari _do_ zat?" Jeanne asks, stunned. "He's not -- the machine is turning on itself thanks to Veren's brilliant stratagem -- but Caligari is not trying to _stop_ it because he's too stupid to realize there's no escape, even for a High Lord!" Mobius snaps, clearly frustrated with Caligari rather than Jeanne. "Nor will there be any escape for _us_ if we don't get off this island!" Buildings crash and stone screams as it is crushed to powder behind them. Rio's MP3 player starts playing Danny Elfman's "Flash" theme; people start running faster. "Hey, guys, I got the engine working again!" Wesley shouts as the group approaches with alacrity. "Uh, guys?" he asks as he realizes just how fast they're approaching, an avalanche into nothing coming up behind them. "Haul anchor, among other things!" one of the bridge crew shouts (with apologies to Captain Roger Sparrow), and Wesley hauls other things below decks as the sailors still on board prepare the ship. The heroes arrive, still moving a bit faster than usual, when Rio's Rio switches to the ship-chase music from "Pirates of the Caribbean." Mr. Wharf pulls up the anchor almost single-handedly as it comes free of rock that the implosion pulverizes. The ship wheels around, a wind miraculously soaring into its sails, pulled around by the swirling Nerezza vortex. The twin impulses, pushing and pulling, hold the Black Phoenix in place for a few short, nail-biting moments -- then the sails win, and the mighty vessel snaps free to burst through the sky as the deadly machine becomes a pinpoint of shadow in the sky. While the reality storm clouds continue to flicker with pink and blue lightning in the distance -- good news, since it means there's no reality backlash killing millions -- everything else is still. /Aurora, it looks like you can deal with the stelae now without worrying about the Darkness Device. We're heading back for Marseilles, I think, to drop off Jeanne. I think I also heard something about loot and--/ OOC: Rio is cut off in mid-sentence by the seven-sector callout to the final battle. Epilogue: The angler fish swam towards the motion, in hopes of catching some lunch. Something caught it, instead. A tendril of something lashed out faster than the fish could react, crushing it almost instantly. Arturo Caligari strode forward. His skin was torn and he had lost most of his bearings, but he knew that north was somewhere _that_ way. So he walked. He could not swim, but he would not drown, and his gears would turn for thousands of years yet. He had time. He had all the time in the world. And when he got to land, time would run out for far more interesting prey than fish. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:53:32 -0700 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00012779 >Roland X wrote As CAoL Message # 00012777 > >/Aurora, it looks like you can deal with the stelae now without >worrying about the Darkness Device. We're heading back for >Marseilles, I think, to drop off Jeanne. I think I also heard >something about loot and--/ /*"Hydra and I are already working on it."*/ Aurora answers. =========================== Subject: Re: AAE9t: Diabolo Ex Machina On Thu, 11 May 2006 21:44:37 +0100 Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00012783 >On Wed, 26 Apr 2006 23:15:30 -0700 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00012777 > > At first, Vincenzo just looks at the arrow contemptuously -- he >doesn't seem to feel the least pain from the blow. He doesn't even >bother acknowledging the second arrow, but he does follow the cord >back to...hey, wait a minute... > "EEYAHHH!" Caligari screams as he's yanked into the black void of >the machine. Karma slowly rose from behind her latest patch of cover, she'd been ducking behind anything reasonably solid since the first shot had been fired, and stared. She blinked. "..." she said. "Well," she added for clarification after a moment. "..." she reiterated, concluding finally, "That was... anti-climactic." > Mobius pulls himself together -- literally -- and looks up. "It >can _not_ be that easy." "No?" Karma said. > The machine begins to hum dangerously. "No," Karma concluded on her own. > "Oh dear," Mobius says calmly. "Uh huh," Karma agreed. > Caligari's ancient, withered face appears in every one of the >hundreds of ebon tiles. > "You think you can defeat _me,_ the great Caligari, so _easily?!_" >he roars, his voice echoing as if through a Cylon sound effect and >replicated hundreds of times. "Fools! Nerezza is indestructible -- >but _you_ are _not!_" The mirrors begin to face the center of the >machine they protrude from. > "No, Caligari, you fool--!" the former Pharaoh blurts. He turns to >the group. "We should leave. Now." Karma didn't need to be told twice. ===========================