Rifts Adventure IC

[Sherwood]

"Yes, you can have full access to your mecha and vehicle. They are just too powerful to be allowed inside the heart of the city walls. Come this way." At this point, you are led through the first layer of the city wall to a vehicle park where there are several other military style vehicles and mecha stored there. A handful of guards guide you into a parking position where it is safe to power down, whereupon they take pictures of you and basically gives you a claim ticket to be able to access your mecha later on. Not like it is a problem for Terra to prove that Baby and Junior are hers; no one else can operate them while you live.

From there, you are allowed to pass through a second, smaller, personnel gate into the city. You are allowed to carry melee weapons on you, and firearms of sidearm scale only. Other than that, you have free rein to go about the town as you wish.

Where do you go from here?

 

[Psychie]

Terra takes her sword and pistol, leaving her other weapons behind with the Automations. Once inside the city, she then turns to look at Sir Dru and Bobo. "Well, we are in. We now need to try and find a central military command or government to warn these people about the Mechanoids, and hopefully we can get some backup in our efforts to take on this fortress. Lets get some directions from one of the soldiers here on where we can locate a commanding officer."

Vaneheart sirlabe

 

[Sherwood]

Terra's inquiry leads you first to Capt. Crombie of the gate watch, a fit middle aged man with a receding hairline that reveals several cyber implants imbedded in his skull. As you enter the watch office, you see him standing and talking with another soldier. Their conversation stops as you come in. Crombie looks at the three of you and raises up an eyebrow. "I was told that you needed a few minutes of my time. Well, you have three before I have to be out the door. Make the seconds count. What do you want?"

He doesn't seem to be overtly hostile, just blunt and to the point.

 

[Psychie]

"Sir, I am Terra Alvana, True Atlanean and adventurer, and these are my companions, Sir Dru the Cyber Knight and Bobo the Bearman. We have come to warn you of a dire threat to your people here, and to ask for your aid in wiping it out before it can spread." She quickly goes into detail on the Mechanoids, showing the pictures and videos that have been taken of the fights that they have been through, along with the images of the fortress that Hagan took, all the while she is aware of the ticking of the clock.

"We have other friends approaching Dweomer, looking for more allies in this battle, but every little bit that New Haven can do to help would be a huge step in stopping this threat before it can spread."

 

[sirlabe]

Bobo extended his arm out for a handshake, "It is of great importance that we gain your cooperation."

 

[Sherwood]

The Captain looks at the video with a sour look on his face. "You say that these Mechanoid things want to wipe out all humanoid life? Not just humans. Hmmm. Do you mind if I make a copy of these recordings? I would like to show these to some people. I have a meeting with the battalion commander, and I want to talk to her about this. Can you wait here?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra nods. "Of course, Captain. We are at your disposal." She looks about for a seat, then settles down to wait. One skill she learned quite well in Dweomer.

 

[Sherwood]

Capt Crombie takes the copies of the videos and pictures that you share and leaves, letting you stay in the office while several staffers are going about their business of running the gate garrison. You get a few odd looks from the staffers; after all, you don't exactly fit in with the rest of the people there, but they don't do or say anything rude to you as you wait.

After an hour and a half goes by, Capt. Crombie comes back into the office with a thundercloud rumbling over his head. He is able to maintain his composure as he comes to a stop in front of you. "Unfortunately, based on what limited intel that you have been able to share, my superiors consider a fortify in place strategy better to employ at this time than a preemptive strike. At this time, your request for assistance is denied."

Before you can even open your mouth to say anything, or get to your feet to leave, Crombie turns and shouts, "SGT COLE!"

"SIR!"

"Get me two squads of suits pulled off the Wall. I want a recon team ready to go out within the hour. Time for some . . . field training. We'll load into a pair of Sky Hawks for a extended flight."

At this time, Capt. Crombie turns once more to look at Terra, Bobo and Dru. "Why are you still here? Don't you have a fortress to get ready to attack?"

 

[Psychie]

Terra looks up at the Captain with a odd expression, then slowly stands. "Uh, of course, Captain. I believe I understand, and I thank you for your time. We will not take up any more of your day with our business." Gathering up her companions with a glance, she says, "C'mon, guys. Lets go."

Quickly heading out of the office, Terra does her best to conceal her emotions. Well. It sounds like we are getting some 'unofficial' assistance from these people. Two squads in Sky Hawk transports. Better than getting a kick in the teeth, at least! Hell, I'm just glad that we're getting any help at all!

 

[Sherwood]

Purr

After meeting with the Cyber Knights at their Chapterhouse, is there anything else in particular you wish to do, or shall you go back to Lord Brazamal's mansion house for your (in progress) conversation with Shaona?

 

[Purr]

Sherwood

Gradicus smiled warmly at the Cyber-knights and thank them greatly for their time and assistance. "I shall reunite with Sir Dru before long. Despite my admiration of your people, I remain largely ignorant of your culture. Is there anything you wish for me to pass along to Sir Dru? I would think he would be happy to receive any message or keepsake from you."

* * *​

( Silanon Feel free to add Shaona to Grad's convetsation here if you like!)

Gradicus returned to Elder Brazamal's mansion and summoned Walker Olsen for his aid. He explained that he had met with the Cyber-knights of Dweomer. He expressed his pleasure as his meeting had gone quite well and Olsen could expect their presence in the morning.

"However," the troubled Undead Slayer explained, "there are more factions I would see enlightened of the Mechanoid menace - Mellar with Ragnar and their alllies, my fellow Atlanteans who are also threatened, and of course, Captain Raimus and his ship-full of refugees.

"With the Mechanoids already loose and slaying in their lands, how can they return to Wangler's Knob and what chances have they with Free Quebec?

"Olsen, might you have some way that I might contact all three of these factions and warn them of all that I know?"

 

[Sherwood]

Sherwood

Gradicus smiled warmly at the Cyber-knights and thank them greatly for their time and assistance. "I shall reunite with Sir Dru before long. Despite my admiration of your people, I remain largely ignorant of your culture. Is there anything you wish for me to pass along to Sir Dru? I would think he would be happy to receive any message or keepsake from you."

* * *​

( Silanon Feel free to add Shaona to Grad's convetsation here if you like!)

Gradicus returned to Elder Brazamal's mansion and summoned Walker Olsen for his aid. He explained that he had met with the Cyber-knights of Dweomer. He expressed his pleasure as his meeting had gone quite well and Olsen could expect their presence in the morning.

"However," the troubled Undrad Slayer explained, "there are more factions I would see enlightened of the Mechanoid menace - Mellar with Ragnar and their alllies, my fellow Atlanteans who are also threatened, and of course, Captain Raimus and his ship-full of refugees.

"With the Mechanoids already loose and slaying in their lands, how can they return to Wangler's Knob and what chances have they with Free Quebec?

"Olsen, might you have some way that I might contact all three of these factions abd warn them of all that I know?"

The two Cyber Knights bid you farewell for now, saying that at least one of them will be at the mansion in the morning to join in, so any message to Sir Dru can be delivered to him in person easily enough.

Once you return to the mansion, it takes some time before Olsen returns from his own errands, but when he does, he is quick to go into your questions. "I cannot speak for all that you ask, but I do know that Dweomer does try to maintain some contact with Free Quebec on a state level, and with Lord Brazamal being influential with the Elders of the city, he should be able to deliver a formal warning to their government, assuming that he has not already tried to contact them. Communications between here and there can be troublesome without using magic to make it happen, and the officials of Free Quebec have some holdover of the old Coalition days of resentment to the use of magic for official messages."

"There are some pyramids in Dweomer that can be used for communicating to the various other dimensions that your people live in, and between now and our departure time tomorrow, I would be hopeful that we could get the time to send out a message to your home Clan, and I am thinking that Ragnar is likely to be one of the warriors recruited to join in our efforts here. He is a gifted combatant, and his aid will be very much needed."

"Assuming that we are not all killed in this endeavor, the people on the refugee ship should be safe to return to their homes soon."

 

[Purr]

Gradicus mused. "Aye. That is good news for the most part. Olsen, do you know of means with which I might contact the team up north?"

Gradicus came from a race of dimensional travelers, cosmic explorers, and Megaverse-wide adventurers. if anyone had the means to communicate across a continent, it would be his people. But how? Perhaps it was time to return to Dweomer and find out...

 

[Sherwood]

The mage nods. "I can send a Magic Pigeon for you. It will take a written message to the recipient of your choice. Let me fetch you a pen and paper, and once you have written your message, I'll cast the spell, we attach the note, and send the Pigeon on its way. At its flying speed, it should take it less than half a day to arrive at the destination of your recipient."

What would you like to write?

 

[Vaneheart]

Sir Drutarak

The cyberknight looked to Terra and said "Well that went better than I had hoped. When we went through that last checkpoint, I was almost certain they were going to detain me. I doubt that they get many minotaurs this far north. Despite our fur, this cold climate doesn't suit my kind. Even in the ancient legends of earth, minotaurs lived in warm climates like the Isles of Crete in a far away realm known as Greece. On my world of Palladium, we mostly live in the the jungles of Yin-Sloth and the deserts and mountains of the Baalgor wastelands. I have heard that some even live in the accursed realm of the Lands of the Damned. I haven't ever heard of any tundra or arctic minotaurs." He grinned, and added "Enough of my rambling. Good job taking charge of this. You are doing quite well as a team leader. Shall we look for more allies, or rejoin Hagan and press the attack?"

 

[Silanon]

OOC: I'll stay out of the Grad/Olsen-conversation for now - feel like it's better to only be involved after the Shaona/Grad-dialog in the library. Speaking of which: Here we go...

A bit of patience is indeed needed after the slayer finishes his advice. Of course, there are some hints, some reactions while he first sings, then speaks: At first a sparkle in her eyes as her surprise shines through - of all possible responses, a song might be the least expected. Few could even recite those lyrics to begin with, or so she reckons; to think of them on the fly is not quite what you'd expect from a former gladiator. A smirk emphasizes the first impression, but slowly fades away as the words' meaning outweighs the unexpected performance. A vague shadow of it remains, however, even when spoken advice takes over. A shadow that turns right back into a smile right before she breaks the silence thereafter.

"Blinded hemispheres, huh? That's stupid." A short pause, mostly for effect. "It's true, though, pretty much. Feels like two things that ignore each others' existence." Ask until one path won over the other - that's what he advised, and that's what she'll do. "Y'know, I spoke to a few people. Old friends, mostly. Companions. Spent years on the road, going here and there - mostly near the coalition borders, a skirmish here, a little help there. Picked me up, taught me magic, got me away from potential trouble." Might be a coincidence that her hand comes closer to the candle on the table; maybe not, though. "Always knew that things would escalate at some point. Not because of us, hell no - tried to maintain a low profile, mostly. But you notice the changes. The fear in a child's eyes; the reaction time of 'em. The small things, really. Never doubted how it'd end, kinda wished it'd just happen. One big bang." Shaona shrugs. "It's almost there, I'd say. So they asked me to return to the road, do what I've been doing for more than a decade. Help them to finish what's always been in our minds."

"And then the mechanoids. Does it matter that we win a war if they kill us regardless? Does it help us if we beat them up, just so that the coalition can overrun us? No matter where I go, it feels like I'm not dealing with the real threat. The mystics go crazy about the mechanoids, so I doubt it'd just be a matter of storming one fortress. That'd be too easy; maybe worth a vision or two, not as many as we got. Or so I'd think, you never know with them. Far from precision magic, those few. But even if - we'd want to find a way so that they don't just return, right?"

She turns away, stares at the book-covered floor. "So that's what's on my mind. There shouldn't be anything worth my time, other than the war; but now, there is. Fricking machines killed civilians, and they won't stop. Don't call me a fool, I won't change that; won't win the war, either. But I'd still want to fight in the right place. For the right thing. Not gonna lie, felt like beating the coalition is more important than helping their people these days. Like we remember our losses, but not what we die for. Maybe that's just Ivan and Estevan, though. Been at it for a long time, both. Think Olar would do better." The hand reaches the candle, grabs it in thought. "Think I could do better, think they'd need me for that more than for my magic. Might be gone if I return from the fortress; no reason for them to wait, really. But it'd feel stupid to just turn away from the mechanoids now. About as stupid as not leaving with them. That's the problem."

 

[Sherwood]

Is there anything that either group wishes to do before I move the story forward?

 

[Psychie]

I am ready to move forward and reunite the party.

 

[Vaneheart]

I am good. No objections to moving things forward.

 

[sirlabe]

(I'm ready for blast off.) Bobo held his gun, and then his staff, and he thought why not give this whole magic thing a shot. He figured out how to use his son's gaming console, how hard could magic be? The bear-man put away the gun equipping his staff, and was ready to fight some gigantic robotic spiders.

 

[Sherwood]

Gradicus makes his way back to Dweomer to be able to find one of the many pyramids that have been built in the city to tap into the power of the ley lines crossing over the city. There are three different pyramids here, all three on a different nexus point inside the city. Whichever one you go to, you find that there is a large guard contingent there of both mystical and mundane defenses protecting the pyramid. You are challenged several times to for your purpose of being there before being allowed to pass on to the interior with an escort to guide you.

One of the ritual chambers inside the great structure is a transdimensional communications room, where it is possible to speak with other pyramids and send messages back and forth. There are a trio of wizards there that ask several probing questions about where you are sending your message to, and with their aid, they are able to 'tune in' the right dimension and pyramid for your own home Clan.

You soon get a reply from Kotu, the Messenger of Pyramid. It has been many years since you have heard his voice. "This is the lands of the Atlantean Clan Mariciniszyn. What business have you with us?"

Purr

 

[Purr]

Gradicus gave a warm greeting in his native tongue. "Family business, Kotu. Glad tidings to you and your clan! This is Tattooed Undead Slayer Valerius Pacifica of Tamaerus going by the adventuring name Gradicus the Red Edge. Are you aware that a great swarm of other-dimensional creatures Mechanoids are threatening all of Rifts Earth?" Unless Kotu already knew of the crisis, Gradicus showed and told him everything including the camera footage he had taken, allies notified (including Hagan), his team's identity and make-up, and exact last known location.

"Are there any among our people who have run into these Mechanoids before? If so, what have we learned and how do we combat them? Are there any other factions who might aid us?"

 

[Sherwood]

The reply is jovial at first. "Greetings, noble Gradicus the Red Edge! It is always a blessing to hear from members of the family that have traveled to far away places." When you mention the Mechanoids, you can almost hear the frown in his voice. "This is a name we have heard of before. We have been fortunate to have never crossed paths with this scourge, but not all of our brothers have been so lucky. The fact that these mechanical monsters have found their way to Earth threatens many more worlds than just that one. I shall have the alarm sent forth, and rally as many of our warriors as we can muster on short notice to join you. Do not worry, my friend. Your Clan will stand with you."

 

[Purr]

Gradicus thanked his fellow Atlantean and gave him all of his contact information. Then he made his way onward.

 

[Sherwood]

With the warning sent, and your business concluded in Dweomer, now would be a good time to return to the others and see what news they have and share with them what you have learned.

At your massive flight speed, it does not take long before your short range radio is able to pick up on the homing beacon of the Badger, and you are guided in to the small camp that Dru, Terra, Eric and Bobo have set up as they wait for Hagan to arrive. It is now evening, and soon full night will fall.

Purr Psychie sirlabe Vaneheart

Back at Brazamal's mansion, Shaona is no longer the sole guest of the dragon. Many soldiers, Controllers, Cyber Knights and mages have gathered here, and talk around the table is rather upbeat for those preparing to go into a pitched battle in the next few days. Especially with some unknown enemy that has the potential to end all humanoid life on the planet.

At the head of the table, Lord Brazamal stands and the room falls silent. "My friends, thank you all for coming on such short notice. Rest well tonight, because in the morning, we will open a Gateway to the location of our allies that have brought us this advanced warning, and by working together, we will be victorious in saving countless lives. Just a word of caution, however. Opening the Gateway will use a sizable amount of energy, so the spellcasters of the group will be somewhat vulnerable until we have a chance to recover what was lost. But that is why we have each other, right? To be able to depend on one another when we need help."

Silanon