Rifts Adventure IC

[Sherwood]

Silanon
Pausing to examine the tracks, Eron kneels down to look close at them. Moving from side to side, stepping carefully to avoid ruining the traces he's looking at, he finally comes to an opening in the rock wall. Here is the most traveled path of these creatures, with the freshest tracks. There has been a group of ten of these that just scuttled through here less than an hour ago.

 

[Purr]

Snowfall looks around both with his optics and without. "Eron," he whispers, certain his Crazy friend can hear him. "Whatever here recently, went the direction you're going in."

But the question remains. What could it or they be?

"A moment, my fine fellow terminators!"

As easily as a human stretches their limbs, Snowfall the fox-spirit channels into his Chi and transforms into his native Fox form. Now teeny, tiny, furry, and light, Snowfall eagerly sniffs around, his 750-year-old nose ("no age-shaming now, you guys! Yip!") for what his canine nose can tell him.

What kind of animal or monster made these tracks?

 

[Sherwood]

If your nose is not mistaken, you would swear that the creature or creatures that made the tracks are rats. But the typical rat is not a four-foot-tall humanoid, so on one hand, you might be wrong. On the other hand, you are directly underneath the heart of the Coalition's genetic manipulation center, the very one that first introduced the Dog Boy as a viable species capable of reproducing on their own. Rumor has it that the scientists at Lone Star have experimented on cats as well, but you don't know for sure. So, with that in mind, it is possible that some kinds of rodents have been the subject of genetic manipulation here.

 

[Purr]

Satisfied, Snowfall returns to a form where his fellows can easily understand him. For a single moment, he feels it is a shame that no one else here has learned how to speak like a fox in his time here, but he understands. They're more important things to take care of.

Ah! Like rice and tofu and warm sake!

Returning to the form of a man in his early forties, he smiles and reaches for his lunch box to retrieve some delectible goodies within. But then his hand pauses! His lunchbox is magical! Baka! One wrong move and he could blow the whole mission!

"Sorry, fellas," he consoles his tastebuds and stomach. "It will have to wait."

Then he remembers! In his best 1940's Italian mobster accent, he sneers at the tracks. "Why, yooou diiirty raaat!"

Then he quietly tells everyone. "Hey! I smell a rat! Really! There are rats down here! And I'll bet you a sushi dinner they've been worked on by the Coalition!"

 

[Psychie]

Terra looks over at Eron and Snowfall, saying, "Rats? Giant frickin' mutant rats. Great. That's just great. I don't suppose that there is any way to know if these ratpeople are intelligent and controlled by the Coalition or not, so we get to assume the worst and hope that these are wild animals that won't be a threat to us. Lets continue on exploring that tunnel and see if we can't find some way into the lower levels of the complex without discovery."

 

[Silanon]

"Eron," he whispers, certain his Crazy friend can hear him. "Whatever here recently, went the direction you're going in."

"Ten of them... Walking rats, you say? That tunnel could lead where we need to be - or right into trouble. Or both. Best shot we have, though, I'd say, at least for now. They're an hour ahead. With luck, we'll be able to keep it that way."

Taking a deep breath, Eron focuses and activates his enhanced perception, adding to the supernatural senses he already has.

 

[Purr]

"No," Snowfall immediately corrects lest he be misunderstood. "Rats. Probably Coalition-modified rats. Does that mean they walk? Talk? Are brainy? I have no idea." The kitsune looks about for signs of rat intelligence in their surroundings; drawings, tools, signs of order. "For all I know... they're just rats with..." he places one hand near one of the paw prints, "...big enough to make tracks like these."

Facts mattered to Snowfall. Relying only on facts was one big reason he felt he had made it to his ripe old age.

 

[Sherwood]

As you slowly advance down the tunnel, keeping watch all around you, there is a chittering and squeaking coming from up ahead, along with a faint greenish glow that looks kind of like the illumination of a chemlight. Moving closer, you can see that the glow is coming from what looks to be bio-luminescent moss that is attached to the wall in splotches here and there. In the faint glow, you can see that you have stumbled upon what looks to be a nest of several dozen rat-people. They are humanoid in stance, with the biggest ones standing about four feet tall. There is more than just a bunch of adults here; several young can be seen running around crazy as children will do.

These rat-people are not armed or equipped with any weapons more impressive than a sharp stick, so it is not likely that they are members of the Coalition's security force. Unless these guys have some hidden power or weapon to them, they can't hurt your MDC armor at all.

What do you do?

 

[Purr]

As the team takes in the sight, Snowfall winces and whispers very quietly out of the side of his mouth to his augmented companion. "Uh, Eron? By the way... I could be completely mistaken about the rats not walking upright or, uh, using tools y'know! Oops! Heh heh." Then something in him recalls, and he shares:

"Remember, guys! No magic use or you'll blow our cover!"

Snowfall pauses in the temptation to duck back and transform into his new Kitsune body - a purely non-magical process but a natural if fantastic transformation of Chi. In many cultures, the idea of looking closer to a folk sometimes meant having a closer bond with that folk. It assisted with the "us versus them" problem in a big way. But what kept Snowfall in his lean and wiry human form all of five feet tall was the notion that he did not know who these people were at all! It was time to gather more facts - unmagically

Snowfall examines the rat-folk. They use bedding, he notes, and thus they use tools. Did they use magic? Snowfall looks and feels out with his natural Kitsune senses for anything that radiates magic. He listens too . Kitsune have a knack for languages and it had been some time since he had picked up a new one. Were they conversing? If so, what were they saying?

 

[Sherwood]

Snowfall examines the rat-folk. They use bedding, he notes, and thus they use tools. Did they use magic? Snowfall looks and feels out with his natural Kitsune senses for anything that radiates magic. He listens too . Kitsune have a knack for languages and it had been some time since he had picked up a new one. Were they conversing? If so, what were they saying?

There is no magic in use in the room at all, either by the ratfolk or the party. It would seem that these creatures are completely mundane and lack any magical ability at all.

That being said, there is a hint of magic at the edge of your perceptive range, most certainly not in the chamber you are looking at now. It has a very dark taint to it, one you would associate with negative chi and the undead.

The chittering of the ratpeople is hard to make out, since there are so many here and the acoustics of the chamber makes it hard to identify individual voices. There is one thing that you can make out from your observations of them: they seem to be very scared and are huddling in a large group in the center of the room, looking about and clutching their wooden spears close to them. With this level of alert, it will not be long before they spot your group peeking out around the corner.

 

[Purr]

There is one thing that you can make out from your observations of them: they seem to be very scared and are huddling in a large group in the center of the room, looking about and clutching their wooden spears close to them. With this level of alert, it will not be long before they spot your group peeking out around the corner.

This changes things dramatically in Snowfall's mind!

"Guys!" he gives a whispered fox-like squeak. "Get back before they spot us!" Snowfall immediately and quietly retreats around the corner lest Terra's Terminators ("Terra's Titans?" "Terra's T-baggers?" he continues to inwardly wrestle with possible party names despite the current danger) lose their chance at surprise.

"Fellas! Those rat-folks are spooked by something dark and dangerous - there's dark chi! Bad juju in there! That usually belongs to baaad people and the, y'knooow, dead-people-that-oughta-be-dead-but-ain't-quite? That's probably what they're afraid of! Miss Terra! Eron! What should we do? Maybe ambush whatever's threatening them?" Psychie Silanon

Snowfall concentrates and flows cloud-like into his newest of forms, his four-foot-tall, white-furred Kitsune form complete with seven tails. Snowfall thinks gingerly. "Ooh! Maybe if they see this, they'll see something less threatening?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra nods. In a quiet voice, she says, "I am thinking that, from what you have described, what we are looking at to be causing this fear is a vampire. If it is, we can easily deal with it, once we find the fiend. Well, it may not be as easy as usual, since we are trying to cut back on our magic use while we're in here. But even so, we can prevail. Now, I am thinking that we try to make a deal with these rat-people. If we can show them that we've dealt with their vampire problem, perhaps they can show us the way through these tunnels to the entrance to the Lone Star complex that we're looking for. It would save us a ton of time instead of having us hunt blindly through here until we stumble upon it on our own."

 

[Sherwood]

Morrolan nods slowly. "I suppose that the next step is to try and get these ratpeople to peaceably speak with us and not either run away or blindly attack us in panic. Anyone have some thoughts on how to do this?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra looks to the others, and says, "I say that I simply go out and say 'hello'. I'm sure that many of these guys are going to freak and run away, but I have a feeling that there are enough 'warrior' types here that will stand their ground and give us a chance to talk." She sheaths her sword, but makes sure it is able to be readied quickly, just in case things go bad. "Lets try to put on our friendliest faces here."

With her decision made, she turns off the invisibility cloak and folds it up so it won't be damaged by any sticks or claws that might try to hurt her. Then, with her Automation left behind to keep from inducing more fear in the rat people, she will step out with her hands slightly raised up towards the roof, hoping that they will see that she's not carrying any weapons in hand.

"Hello there. I am Terra Alvana. Can you understand me? I mean you no harm." She then stops, keeping some distance between her and the nervous ratfolk.

 

[Purr]

Snowfall just about face-palms. "Miss Terra! What about the undead-type energy? What about the negative Chiii?!" He reaches after her but for once is too slow.

The rat-folk are scared out of their mind and not just one or two, but apparently all of them. Being an animal-spirit himself, Snowfall does not even consider doubting them in this. It would, he feels, be best to wait and see and feel things out - not to approach when they are on their guard expecting the worst. But it is not to be.

So the Japanese kitsune does what nearly foxes do. He remains low and hidden and as safe as he can make himself as he quietly observes. His rifle remains at the ready and aimed towards the blackness so clear to his natural senses.

 

[Sherwood]

Terra's sudden appearance causes the reaction that she had expected: some of the ratfolk run to the opposite side of the chamber and others grab their wooden spears and form a rough phalanx between you and the young ratfolk. Several of the spear carriers are hissing and snarling in a clear threat display, possibly trying to hype themselves up in order to attack. But a few of the larger ones in the front are just watching Terra intently, trying to decide what to do next.

One of the more cautious ones in the front takes a step forward, sniffing at the air. It is still watching Terra carefully, but it says in thickly accented English, "Wait! This one is not dead. She is not the thing that stalks us in the night." When it says that, other spear carriers also pause and sniff at your general direction. One hisses and bares its fangs, saying, "She must be one of the lab workers that made us like this. She deserves to be food!"

The first speaker snarls out, "Hracht! No, I think not. This one is not one of the Makers." Finally, it speaks directly to Terra. "What you want in our warren, human? Why you here?"

 

[Psychie]

Standing still and keeping her hands out and away from her body to show she's not armed, Terra says, "I am not here to harm you or your young. My friends and I are looking for a hidden way through these tunnels into the heart of the science complex to stop the lab workers and their masters from unleashing a horrible weapon out on the people of our lands here. Many lives will be lost if we can't stop the weapon from being used."

"It sounds like you are being hunted by a vampire. We can stop it. We know how to end it's existence for good. If you can show us the way through your warren to the labs, we can stop the dead thing that hunts you in the night. It is a fight we are prepared to win for you, if you can help us in return."

 

[Silanon]

Still in the shadows farther behind, Eron draws "Shining Mirror" to examine the blade's color; just in case. Only then does he make a point of slowly strolling forward and pushing his blade back into its sheath as soon as the ratfolk can see the gesture of peace. "What she said", he nods, "only that the dead thing will find its end either way, whether you know the way or not. But if you know how to get there, that'd be most appreciated."

A short pause as he squats down to appear even less as a threat than before. "The dead thing... how does it tell day and night apart, down here?"

 

[Sherwood]

When Eron comes into view, there is more hissing and spear waving, but the larger rat person that is doing the talking lets out a hiss of his own at his fellows and they seem to back off - slightly. One wrong move could set them off into a wild attack.

Eron does note, however, that the rune blade is not showing any signs of being near creatures of supernatural evil, at least within its short range of detection.

A short pause as he squats down to appear even less as a threat than before. "The dead thing... how does it tell day and night apart, down here?"

The lead rat man looks at Eron and says, "The dead thing doesn't hunt every night, but it only comes to hunt us when the sun is down. How it knows when we are this deep inside the earth, we don't know."

 

[Psychie]

Terra nods to herself. This thing is sounding more and more like a vampire with every bit of information given to them. She looks at the lead rat-man, saying, "We will destroy it. All we have to do is find it." She thinks for a moment, then says, "It will be nearby. Such fiends will inevitably stick close to their food source." To the lead ratman, she asks, "Are there any dead-end tunnels close by that you know of? Ones that might have some natural barrier that keeps you from being able to get into them? That would be my first guess as to where the fiend will tuck itself in for the day."

OOC What time of day is it? Are we still in daylight hours?

 

[Sherwood]

Terra nods to herself. This thing is sounding more and more like a vampire with every bit of information given to them. She looks at the lead rat-man, saying, "We will destroy it. All we have to do is find it." She thinks for a moment, then says, "It will be nearby. Such fiends will inevitably stick close to their food source." To the lead ratman, she asks, "Are there any dead-end tunnels close by that you know of? Ones that might have some natural barrier that keeps you from being able to get into them? That would be my first guess as to where the fiend will tuck itself in for the day."

OOC What time of day is it? Are we still in daylight hours?

OOC According to your watch, it is 15:30 hours (3:30pm for those not familiar with 24 hour time), giving you plenty of sunlight time to be able to find the vampire (if that is what it is) and destroy it while it is helpless.

The ratmen look to one another, chittering back and forth in rapid-fire ratspeach that you don't understand. Finally, the one that is doing all the talking points its claw down one of the tunnel openings leading away from the central chamber. "There is a chasm that is too wide for us to get across, and the bottom is too deep for us to see. That is the only place in here that matches your words that we know of."

 

[Purr]

The lead rat man looks at Eron and says, "The dead thing doesn't hunt every night, but it only comes to hunt us when the sun is down. How it knows when we are this deep inside the earth, we don't know."

"I do," Snowfall says as he finally rounds the corner and into view in his Kitsune form, sniffing and peering about. "In vampires in this part of Earth, it is an inherent knowing - similar to animals knowing what time of the year is best to frolic or save up, raise pups or do your best to hide them, and so forth. Call it an internal clock if you like the technological metaphor?"

To the Ratfolk, Snowfall gives a very Japanese bow in greeting, his hands pressed together with his rifle sitting atop his seven fluffy tails, before returning the weapon to paws. "Kon'nichiwa ("good afternoon"). I am Snowfall, servant to the Foxiest of all cool spirits, Prince Inari."

"1530 hours," he notes as he looks up to Miss Terra. "If it is indeed a vampire or vampires, we have a few hours to rid the Earth and these folks of its predatory presence? Speaking solely as a prey creature, and as one who has sworn eternal hostility toward such demons, shall we pull from our previous adventures and do a bit of hunting? I think the idea of tracking one down without casting a single spell or use of a magic device might prove to be quite the challenge!

"Not to mention..." Snowfall suddenly and viciously snarls, ears flat, fangs bared, in the direction of the Dark Chi in a way that combines animal fierceness with comic book-silliness. His voice hops up an octave as his feet just hop up and down, "...the sooner such unholiness gets exorcised, banished, trapped and Ghost-busted, destroyed, reformed, evicted, 86ed, blacklisted, bankrupted, castrated, blasted out the nearest airlock, nuked from orbit, or otherwise just-plain-stopped, the happier this ol' adventuring Kitsune will be, I tell you! Aaawrff!!"

*boing boing boing*

 

[Psychie]

Terra smiles, saying, "I concur with your assessment, my friend." Looking to the ratfolk, she says, "If it is a vampire, it should be dormant for a few more hours, making its elimination that much easier if we can locate its sleeping place. You should stay here and keep your people safe while we deal with the undead, in the very unlikely event that it is able to slip past us." Looking back to her companions, Terra says, "Lets go. Snowfall, you said you could sense the dark chi of this thing. As we get closer, can you sniff it out? Might make finding it that much faster."

She puts her hand on a wooden stake at her hip, thinking that soon enough, she will be putting it to good use.

 

[Purr]

Looking back to her companions, Terra says, "Lets go. Snowfall, you said you could sense the dark chi of this thing. As we get closer, can you sniff it out? Might make finding it that much faster."

Snowfall has to grin that that. "To a Kitsune, magic and Chi are not each a scent but a sensation. You know how Atlanteans like you can detect ley lines? You don't smell it, you don't hear it, oh, you might not even see it, but it's there... or it's not! Blindfold us. Put a mask over our noses. Even a helmet. But we still know."

Snowfall gently fades into a soft faint cloud and then reappears as an ordinary-looking single-tailed white-furred fox. Here, he lets his sharp animal senses and instincts reach out along with his natural Kitsune senses as he begins to track and discover.

 

[Sherwood]

The sense of the dark chi is at the outer edge of Snowfall's detection range, but it is there, roughly in the direction of the one tunnel that the lead rat person indicated is the location of the chasm. Following the path of the tunnel, the feeling of the dark chi is getting stronger, right up to the point that the group comes to a section of the tunnel that is split by a deep rift in the earth. It completely bisects the tunnel, making any advance on foot impossible. It is roughly thirty feet wide, and deep enough that Terra's flashlight doesn't reach the bottom.

The sense of the dark presence is just on the other side of the chasm, but it is wide enough that you cannot see the other side to know what is over there. What do you do now?