Rifts Adventure - IC Thread

[Psychie]

GunMan2 Psychie Sherwood

Leisurely sitting nearby, carefully sipping from a container of orange juice, Dreamy does a lot of listening and quiet thinking. One doesn't need sight to put pieces together and she is not only paying full attention, but with an occasional "mmm!" here and there, she is clearly coming to her own realizations and conclusions.


(Quotation marks mine.)

"I'd rather keep my hands free and not carry a flag. How about on my cloak? Say, big on the back and on the sides of my hood?"

The Ninja Undead Hunter gives Oleg an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Oleg! My writings to myself tell me enough innocent people had their lives turned upside down back in Turner Town. I'd rather not harm anyone who doesn't have it coming."


"What is the name of this smuggler?" Dreamy motions to the others in her team. "I probably won't know his name, but maybe you might?"

Dreamy finishes off her juice and carefully makes her way to wherever one rinses out drink containers. "Mr. Colson? Or maybe I called you Rab in my past life?" She runs a hand through her hair in thought. "How well do you know this territory in case we have to rabbit?"

Rab looks over at Dreamy and says, "Yes, I don't see any reason why that having the recognition symbol on your cloak would be a problem. Besides, with so many of us having the symbol on us and on our vehicles and are traveling with us, it will help to grant you the benefit of the doubt and you will not be attacked straight off." He nods at your comment, adding, "I completely understand and agree with what you are saying. I wouldn't wish it any other way, to avoid doing harm to any person, be them a DBee from some far removed place or human, so long as can be avoided."

He leans back and stretches, then says, "Our smuggler friend is Captain Dennis Morris, and we have made use of his services on many occasions. There are many challenges on the open sea that Capt. Morris has much experience in dealing with. There may be a time or two that we will have to use force to defend ourselves, but with any luck our voyage will be uneventful. And if there is an y trouble with our approach to our haven on the coast, we can run, but we can also call for help from the guards of the Order there. Between our own capabilities and those of our guards, there will be very few threats that we will not be able to deal with."

 

[Purr]

"Oh! All right," she rises and stretches her healthy limbs. "I say let us go onward then!" Dreamy smiles with youthful eagerness and points completely in the wrong direction. Then she pauses, waiting for movement from the others. She has no idea which way to go and knows it. Still, she's smiling - living in the moment.

From time to time, being sightless came with little moments of embarrassment. But it was a small price to pay for being free and alive on Rifts Earth!

 

[Sherwood]

Raven asks, "Rab, is there anything I can do to assist you in getting things ready for our final leg to your temple here?"

Psychie

 

[Psychie]

Rab nods with a smile. "Of course! More hands makes even hard work much easier to finish, and this is hardly hard work. I will show you the symbol so you can put it on your Mountaineer, and I will take a chalk pencil and mark on Dreamy's cloak, so she can keep her hands free as requested. It will not take us long at all to be ready to move out."

Just as promised, Rab shows Raven the special symbol so he can put it on his transport, and then he puts the proper markings on the back of Dreamy's cloak. All in all, it takes only a few minutes to get set to go.

Once Rab is satisfied with the way the markings look, he gives his approval and everyone is ready to set out if there are no other concerns.

 

[Purr]

Just as promised, Rab shows Raven the special symbol so he can put it on his transport, and then he puts the proper markings on the back of Dreamy's cloak. All in all, it takes only a few minutes to get set to go.

Dreamy stays close as she doffs her cloak. "Mr. Colson? Would you trace my fingers over the design? I'd like to know what it feels like if that's O.K.?"

The Altarian Ninja Undead Hunter seems not only ready to go but eager to do so!

 

[Psychie]

Dreamy stays close as she doffs her cloak. "Mr. Colson? Would you trace my fingers over the design? I'd like to know what it feels like if that's O.K.?"

The Altarian Ninja Undead Hunter seems not only ready to go but eager to do so!

Rab shakes his head and holds his hands up. "I cannot touch you, due to the oaths taken when I went into the Order. But Oleg can. Come here, my boy, and help out our friend."

Oleg nods, saying, "Yes, sir. Ms. Dreamy? I'll show you, if its ok with you, of course."

 

[Purr]

Rab shakes his head and holds his hands up. "I cannot touch you, due to the oaths taken when I went into the Order. But Oleg can. Come here, my boy, and help out our friend."

Oleg nods, saying, "Yes, sir. Ms. Dreamy? I'll show you, if its ok with you, of course."

Psychie
"Oaths?" thinks Dreamy as she seems to ponder deeply for a few moments. "I'm glad he decided to have Oleg before he joined his Order, but I hope those oaths don't include providing medical treatment to women - bullets and bombs don't discriminate."

"It's more than O.K., Oleg!" With an affectionate and trusting expression, Dreamy offers her strong and able hands.

 

[Psychie]

The young man takes Dreamy's hand and shows you the shape of the symbol on her cloak several times to make sure you are confident you can recreate it yourself, maybe not perfectly, but well enough to get the message across.

When that is all done, Rab asks, "Are we all ready to make the final push into New York to our safe house?"

 

[Sherwood]

Raven says, "I see no reason to wait. We can make it there in, what? An hour or two driving? So long as we don't tangle with anyone going in, keep moving forward quickly with Oleg's psi power keeping us from being noticed, we should have no problem getting to the safety of your temple. Unless I'm missing something that anyone else can see that I don't?" He looks around at his fellow travelers, waiting to hear from them as to their opinion on the options ahead of them.

 

[Purr]

The young man takes Dreamy's hand and shows you the shape of the symbol on her cloak several times to make sure you are confident you can recreate it yourself, maybe not perfectly, but well enough to get the message across.

When that is all done, Rab asks, "Are we all ready to make the final push into New York to our safe house?"

Psychie Altarians are not like humans in that their sensitivity to certain matters is greater - touch being just one. Dreamy allows Oleg to guide her hand, openly smiling as she lets her fingers become the bridge between learning and the unknown. Once she understands the shape and is able to recreate it (imperfectly, but well-enough), Dreamy gives Oleg an affectionate pat on his shoulder in thanks.

"You're a good teacher, Oleg! Just like your father!"

Dreamy thinks hard on Mr. Colson's question. Then suddenly, like a flower in bloom, a question rises in her own mind. And so, she asks. "Oleg? This... strain your power will put on you - is it a matter of internal energy? Or "Inner Strength?" If so... might there be some way I could share some of the burden by allowing you some of mine?

(See O.O.C., please.)

 

[Psychie]

Purr

The young man lets out a sigh as he says, "I don't think that there is a way to share such powers, at least, I don't have any way of doing so. It is not like magic where other people can tap into the energy of spellcasting from one another. This task is a burden that I have to face on my own, but I thank you for your kind offer, Ms. Dreamy."

 

[GunMan2]

Takuma thought about it for a bit. "Maybe you should try to meditate and try to get a grip on your power, get more control. That way you could manage how much the strain can affect you." He listened to the conversation quite attentively. "Maybe we should prepare for the eventuality, have a quick escape route ready"

 

[Purr]

Takuma thought about it for a bit. "Maybe you should try to meditate and try to get a grip on your power, get more control. That way you could manage how much the strain can affect you." He listened to the conversation quite attentively. "Maybe we should prepare for the eventuality, have a quick escape route ready"

Dreamy finds she likes Takuma's practical approach to entering New York. "Always have a way out," she adds. "You're a Rabson, Oleg." She smiles warmly. "I bet if anyone can not only survive but succeed under harsh circumstances, it's folks like you and your dear father here."

* * *​

Sherwood

As the time passes, Dreamy finds herself restless. Lying atop the Mountaineer, she turns to the hatch leading inside the vehicle and, believing she senses Raven the Cyber-knight, she asks. "Raven? Have you a moment?"

If he agrees, he finds the Altaran lying down, facing a sky-full of stars she has never beheld. They twinkle, they shine, they illuminate in their own cosmic, distant way. Dreamy's tone is filled with curiosity. "What is it like to see?" She tucks her hair under her head and neck using it as a pillow though she doesn't appear to need much of it to do the job.

"Owl showed me once what it was to see - when we all escaped Atlantis together! I didn't know what to make of it; I still don't know. I have no memory of what each thing I saw was - only that each thing was there. I have no names for any of them." Dreamy's confused expression continues as she takes a deep breath and lets out a long sigh.

"It is one of the few times in my existence I wish I had the power psychics call Total Recall. Just so I could relive it again. I don't know how to make some sense of... this... ability each of you use... in your every waking moment?"

(OOC EDIT: And if no one is in the mood to pass the time chatting IC, I can remove this post - no biggie! Just trying to give Sherwood something to look forward to while he's in Boredom City the hospital.) =)

 

[Sherwood]

Raven nods, then motions for Dreamy to join him in the passenger seat as he props his feet up on the dashboard. "Sure. Come on up and take a load off. I always have time for you." He listens to Dreamy as he ponders his response. "I - I don't quite know what to say to describe what seeing is like. I've been able to do it for so long I take it for granted." He thinks some more, then says, "I wonder, if my sense of sight is in any way like your own senses, just a little . . . different. Describing sight to someone that has never seen before is like a bird trying to teach a fish to fly. I could tell you the words I know, like saying that a flower is red, but if you've never even seen any red before, you won't be able to visualize what it is I'm trying to convey."

He then thinks some more, and asks, "Have you ever considered getting bio-eye implants? To give you the ability to see on your own. I know that the technology exists, and I'm sure that there are several places that can provide you with bio-eyes for a moderate fee. I would be willing to assist with the cost of that, if you would be interested in entertaining that thought."

 

[Purr]

He then thinks some more, and asks, "Have you ever considered getting bio-eye implants? To give you the ability to see on your own. I know that the technology exists, and I'm sure that there are several places that can provide you with bio-eyes for a moderate fee. I would be willing to assist with the cost of that, if you would be interested in entertaining that thought."

Sherwood

"It's far too soon for me to answer a question of that nature - there's so much I don't know. But it's quite kind of you to think that far ahead and want to pitch in already." Dreamy stretches her arms and relaxes.

"It is only because of Owl and our escape from Atlantis that I've ever seen anything at all." The Altaran takes a deep breath as she thinks and then slowly releases it.

"There was just so much data at once. It was hard, no, nearly overwhelming to make sense of it all. And yet... our escape relied on my being able to see. I've been thinking... what if something similar happens again? What if I need to see in order to do what we do?

"And yet I've been getting by without being able to see for literally centuries. All of my lifetimes. I don't know if seeing will change me... or how... and so I ask people like that I trust to tell me what it is like to see. People like you, Raven."

Dreamy uses her enhanced hearing to learn if there is anyone else nearby who might be involved in this conversation. "Up until recently, my biggest worry about not being able to see is my inability to color-coordinate my clothes!" The giggle that follows is lighthearted one.

 

[Purr]

Sherwood "Raven! Want to see a neat trick?" Dreamy bounces.

Without waiting for an answer, the Altaran removes her gear down to her (color-mismatched) worn military harness and fatigues.

There, in sitting position, she places both of her hands on the floor. She pushes and lifts. With her great physical strength, she is able to hold her body weight up, lifting her feet, her thighs, her legs, and finally, her entire body up, suspending herself in midair with only her palms touching the floor. It is clear that even aided by her Altaran endurance and olympic-level training, she can only maintain this position for so long.

As the moments pass, she is breathing deeply and focusing hard as she holds herself. "That's... not the... trick. Watch... this!"

Dreamy takes one deep breath. Her entire being seems to calm until there is not a trace of stress anywhere from her hairy head to the tips of her toes. All tension vanishes. It appears as if her body has become near-weightless. She pushes with her palms and this time, Dreamy is able to pull her legs back underneath her until they are behind her and over her head.

She forms an excellent handstand with her toes touching the roof. All of this without a single sign of physical effort - it all appears to be possible due to something she is intensely concentrating on.

"Isn't that neat?" Dreamy smiles, speaking without effort. "This takes lots of concentration, but one day? If I train long enough, I may be able to use it in combat!"

She moves her feet this way and that, all the while breathing easily.

"Are there ways you test yourself, Raven? Are you working towards any goals? Besides being all fair and noble-hearted, that is!" She raises her voice for a moment. "Hey Takuma! Sylvie! Come look!"

 

[Psychie]

Sylvie comes flitting over and hovers in place near one of Dreamy's feet, a look of wonder on her face. "Wow. You. Are. Strong! I could never do something like that! My wings would probably get in the way. But I can do loop-de-loops! See!" She speeds up and over, looping over and over again until she stops, wavering in the air. "Ulp. I get so dizzy when I do that."

 

[Sherwood]

Raven lets out a hearty laugh at the pixie's antics. "Don't worry, Sylvie. Everyone is granted with their own special gifts; yours are the loop-de-loops and being a wonderful friend to those you care about. Dreamy is just showing us a gift of her own. Its not a competition even if you both can do things that I never could. I have gifts of my own, which I will describe to you using - interpretive dance!" With a silly grin on his face, Raven leaps to his feet and beings to gyrate around, striking crazy poses and generally making a fool of himself but not seeming to care at all. When he's done, he says, "See? That is a gift of mine that I've been keeping under wraps for a long time."

 

[Psychie]

EmperorNorton1 and Eonivar

The two of you have been on the run for days on end, fleeing from a platoon of Coalition Skelebots that stumbled across your path and now been locked and loaded on taking you guys out. You have been on the move towards the coast with these bots on your heels, with the possibility of getting out of the country to somewhere that you can travel about without the risk of imminent death from the Coalition, with arrangements having been made with a ship captain that will be meeting you in the ruins of New York to leave for Europe.

While pausing for a moment in your exhaustion to try and catch your breath, you glance up just in time to see that you have been surrounded by a full dozen of the killer robots, putting you in a rather precarious position. There is some cover, but with the Skelebots all around you, there is little in the way solid defense for you to be able to get out of the line of fire. Things are looking rather bad for you.



Sherwood Purr GunMan2

While Raven uses his 'interpretative dance' to show off his hidden skills, Sylvie is laughing so hard that she has tears running down her face and she's gasping for breath. Even Rab and Oleg are enjoying the light-hearted moment, with the two joining in on the laughter as the normally serious Atlantean is suddenly cavorting around like a madman.

This comes to a sudden stop when you hear the distinctive sound of gun fire very close to you, with bursts coming from multiple weapons. Rab frowns as he stands up, saying, "Those sound like Coalition rifles to me. What the hell are the Skull Boys doing here?"

Sylvie manages to catch her breath enough to take off and goes zipping off in the direction of the shooting, and she comes back a moment later, saying, "Its a bunch of the skeleton robots attacking two women! The robots have the women surrounded, and are blasting like crazy! We have to do something to help them!"

 

[Sherwood]

Raven moves with a purpose, grabbing his Barrier Projector and his assault rifle, strapping his spare magazines on his waist. "I have to go and assist these women against the Skelebots. It is one of the callings of being a Cyber Knight to help those in need. If you all want to go on ahead, I can try and catch up with you later on. But if you wish to join me, that would be welcome." With that, he pauses long enough to give his companions a chance to gather their weapons in order to help out.

Spoiler

Activating my Invulnerability Tattoo and my Wingless Flight Tattoo.

Augmented Strength Power Punch: 2d4 MD
With Tattoo: Inflicts 6d6 S.D.C. on a restrained punch, 5d6 M.D. on a full strength punch, or 1D6x 10 M.D. on a power punch (counts as two melee attacks).

Level: 4
Class: Cyber Knight
MDC from Bio-Enhancement: 125
Invulnerabity Tattoo MDC: 300
Psi-Shield MDC: 80
Body Armor MDC: 70

Power Matrix PPE: 40
PPE: 65 / 5
ISP: 85
Psi Sword Mega Damage: 4d6 MD

Action Points: 7

Combat Bonuses
Number of Attacks: 7
Strike: +8
Parry: +9 / +11 (Sixth Sense)
Dodge: +9 / +12 (Sixth Sense)
Roll With Punch: +3
Initiative: +2 / +8 (Sixth Sense)
Perception: +6
Critical Strike on a Natural 20
Critical Strike From Behind

Assault Rifle
Triax Pump Rounds: 4D6 M.D. per single round or 1D4x10+10 M.D. per short burst of three rounds. 45 / 45
Barrier Projector
120 MDC Force Field Bubble, Two shots per melee 6 / 6

 

[Purr]

Sylvie comes flitting over and hovers in place near one of Dreamy's feet, a look of wonder on her face. "Wow. You. Are. Strong! I could never do something like that! My wings would probably get in the way. But I can do loop-de-loops! See!" She speeds up and over, looping over and over again until she stops, wavering in the air. "Ulp. I get so dizzy when I do that."

"Oh, the first part was muscle and coordination. But the second part where I was focusing? That's special! It's called--" Then the shots were heard the threat was confirmed.

Dreamy was about to explain one of her favorite mystical martial art techniques - the sacred method of Karumi-jutsu - an ancient technique that allowed one to decrease their own body weight by some 85%, allowing for otherwise-ordinary people to perform leaps and feats of agility and balance unknown to their mundane counterparts. And for not-so-ordinary Altarans? Even more. While the intense focus required excluded the technique from being used in, say, combat, it was an incredible tool for martial artists including those of the undead-hunting variety.

Of course, none of this could be explained with the interruption, but hey, that was life in the wild!

Raven moves with a purpose, grabbing his Barrier Projector and his assault rifle, strapping his spare magazines on his waist. "I have to go and assist these women against the Skelebots. It is one of the callings of being a Cyber Knight to help those in need. If you all want to go on ahead, I can try and catch up with you later on. But if you wish to join me, that would be welcome." With that, he pauses long enough to give his companions a chance to gather their weapons in order to help out.

Dreamy, having spent some 2,000 years as a Splugorth slave, knows quite well that True Atlanteans possess Tattoo Magic, Raven among them. That he has called upon it tells Dreamy her Cyber-knight friend deems this situation to be quite serious. While she pulls her own gear and weapons back on, her enhanced hearing and radar sense tells her this much, perhaps more.

The first people that come to her mind concerning two women being threatened by Coalition forces are the trio of Altarians her party had freed back in Florida - but there was no way they could be here in New York so soon, could they?

"There are Coalition Skelebots are about?" Dreamy cheers. She casts Supernatural Strength upon herself activates her Altaran Talisman. "Let's go save some people!"

She exits the Mountaineer from a hatch not facing the combat. Using Art of Stealth, the Ninja Undead Hunter does her best to fade into the environment. With her enhanced strength, she is hoping to use her Blackwood Bow, "Tranquility," to strike the Skelebots at range and unseen.

Besides, she thinks - if Dreamy can't see them, why should they have the same benefit?

 

[Eonivar]

A short dark-skinned looking person with long white hair and light pastel colored clothing and cloak (now covered in dust much to their dismay) had huddled up against the remains of a nine foot tall heavy concrete wall to stop. While the wall protected them from the two skelebots that they ducked away from, the short one realized there were ten more coming from all angles.

The short one spoke in a musical and pleasing voice with a hint of desperation and concern. She looked over at her recent travelling companion.

"Thea, I know now that I do NOT like machines...particularly the ones that work on their own, chase us, and shoot at us..." As she looks and yells at the ten incoming "AND WILL NOT EVEN TALK TO US, HOW SO VERY RUDE!!!" She focuses back on Thea. "Let's focus on the two behind this wall first, hope you like ice with your drink..."

The woman raises their hand and begins to whispers incantations to themself...their eyes glow blue and the air grows cold as a round ten foot tall and ten foot thick wall of ice forms around the two women with a notch where the concrete wall is (with a little space to move out of the circle)

<OOC Xinyi casts ICE (15 PPE-10 PPE from Ley Line = 5 PPE, 200 MDC), selecting the wall option>

Spoiler: Stat Block

Wall of Ice MDC = 200

4 of 4 Attacks Per Melee
Current MDC (300) 300
Current PPE (209) 204
Current ISP (80) 80

"That should hold them to give us long enough to dispatch a couple of them and then we will work on the rest."

 

[EmperorNorton1]

The taller of the pair crouched beside her traveling companion, jaw clenching as she braces her shoulder against the concrete ruin for balance while pulling out her rifle, clicking off the safety and checking the ammunition. a full cartrage. it'll have to do it's closer than she'd like to be, but it'll pack more of a punch than the revolver. speed's good, but accuracy was more important. every shot had to count. Besides, Hand to Hand should be more of a last resort. Don't bring a knife- or a fist- or teeth to a gunfight.

"I'm sure there are nicer bots. but these bad boys? anything coded by the dear old States is gonna shoot first, ask questions never. Can't talk down programming!" Thea's voice was gruffer than the more melodic tone of Xinyi, but not entirely displeasing in its coarseness, though her tone was slightly strained. the damn bots had been chasing the pair for a few weeks and Thea for longer, and she had run out of patience with them entirely.

the air grows icy cold as Xinyi raises the frozen barrier around the duo, Thea exhaled, her breath fogging up her glasses slightly. "good thinking! I'll pick em off, you hold them off." The dark-haired hunter shifted, now kneeling by the gap in the ice as she readied her weapon, peering through the scope to try and find the best angle to shoot the skelebots on the other side of the concrete.

 

[Eonivar]

Xinyi's golden freckles show in the sunlight as she grins back at her taller friend, her breath also misting

"Of course, at least we were able to draw them to a ley line"

A golden energy field flickers around the shorter woman as she draws forth what looks like a flintlock pistol with fiery glowing runes along the barrel as she draw back the hammer.

<OOC: Xinyi's activates the Ley Line Walker's "Ley Line Force Field" (10 PPE) and draws her TW Firebolt Pistol>

Spoiler: Stat Block

TW Firebolt Pistol Range: 800 ft Damage: 4D6 MDC Shots: 35
Wall of Ice MDC = 200
Ley Line Force Field MDC (28) 28
4 of 4 Attacks Per Melee
Current MDC (300) 300
Current PPE (209) 194
Current ISP (80) 80

 

[Psychie]

Initiative rolls, everyone.
Sherwood Eonivar GunMan2 EmperorNorton1

Round One
19 - Dreamy