After spending another half-year in Starsong around the neutron star Rhythm, you had begun to see decent profits from your resort. You of course, continued to train in Individualized Combat Style-Jhiaxus Ryu which was a Fast Weapon-Dependent Style, and with Siljonic. Tessa was beginning to tease you about her prophecy...the one that had said she would marry a prince or you by calling you the "Prince of Rhythm Relaxations Resort". You learned more about Nuclear Physics attaining a Basic Degree 2@1 in the subject, and learning a synopsis of the technology and the mindset behind the star-spanning civilization of which Starsong Trinary System with its trillion inhabitants was but a small part.
And then your curiosity got the better of you, or their paranoia did. You asked the computer what you thought was an innocuous question about miniaturized nuclear fusion devices for power, and an hour later, your Kaizen bodyguards were fighting for their life and yours against a horde of insane fanatics.
One got through to you, and you slashed his head off, but his blood flowed green and purple down your blade like motorized quicksilver. Before you could do anything it touched your hand.
Everyone stopped fighting, the remaining standing Kaizen bowing apologetically to you, and the leader of the fanatics staring at you with disturbingly intent eyes before he declaims a set speech.
"In the name of Buddha, and Jesus, and Thor, and Amateratsu, you have been judged to be a threat to the Peace of the Starsong Systems, and so you have been removed from life. May the Coyote judge you mercifully."
Tessa comes charging in from another part of the resort, and then calls for a Medbox, a domino shaped robot to heal you, but the Medbox apologizes after it arrives ten seconds later.
"The House of Peace uses poisons that are sufficiently lethal and unknown to my technologies that even full organ transplant and DNA rewriting would not suffice. No charge. Our apologies."
You see Tessa crying over your chest, and then with a feeling of disbelief you watch your body dissolving beyond her, and then your chest begins to sag...
==========================
*The House of Peace are good people* You hear in your left toe. *They are not sectarian, but ecumenical in their love of bananas* Says the monkey sitting on your left hand, eating a grapefruit on which stand three figures.
A girl with a green tunic, a cigarette lighter, and a cig she's smoking. She's cute in a modern way. An Irish wolfhound who looks at you with genial contempt. And the raven.
"That's him?"
A mouth opens on the wolfhound's shoulder and speaks with disdain.
"He's been useful." A banner appears and unrolls with these words out of the raven's mouth.
"Well, tell him what we need, then girl." The dog spits out a chaw of tobacco.
"I can't. Its against my nature." She says, and flicks the lighter on so that a flame appears. She poses for a second with lighter over her head to her right. She studies you with hope and calculation. One eye shows the word 'hope' and the other shows columns of numbers.
"Well, its not against mine. I'll tell the peasant..." The Irish fox pauses. "Drat, he's waking up. Raven, you never said..."
"Just cause you didn't read the fine print, my fine highbred..." The raven caws with laughter.
You hear laughter from several voices and a sprightly tune not far away, and feel someone tugging at your arm.
"Get up, me boyo. Drunk and disorderly is fun, but the coppers will toss ye in the paddy fer sure." Its a male voice with good humor in it.
Playtester
*groans a bit and tries to sit up before attempting to get to his feet, vaguely remembering what happened and looking around not seeing his friends, wondering why he always seems to lose what he cares about most, while picking up the vibroblade that feel from his hand and putting it back in its sheaf*
*looks around at his surroundings hearing the Irish accent, putting coppers and paddy in the back of his mind, sounds like 1920's or 30's speak*
*makes a fake look around for his wallet*
"Damn punks must have knocked me out and taken my money, can you do me the favor of telling me where I am? This doesn't look like where I came from?"
*running his hand over his slightly shaved head as he asks*
Jhiaxus
"Aye, and wouldn't you be on Harbor Street?" A striking ice blonde asks. You're surrounded by a quartet of helpful guys, and two females. Above the cobblestoned street, dangling from telephone? poles of concrete you see a banner.
'Paddy's Day Festival'.
Most of the people seem to be cheerful as they stroll about the one and three story tall weather-tough buildings with one holding green cotton candy, and a little girl with her older brother both blowing bubbles in the cool air. Most of the pants are bell bottom.
Beyond the street, you can see piers, fishing boats, some other sort of boat, and a wide harbor.
The blonde cajoles the others with you to gather a quick collection of cash for the 'puir laddie who's been set upon so unfairly', and they stuff a half-dozen paper bills into your hand.
*smiles a little shocked at their generosity*
"Well, Irish law says I need to pay you back with drink and companionship. *keeping the blonde in his sight a little too long and a smile*
"I'm Jhiaxus, I used to go by Adam, either way, it's good to meet you guys" *looking around for his bag and releasing he is armed to the teeth and closing his duster and buttoning it*
"his eyes always coming back to the striking ice blonde"
*So what do you guys want to do?*
Jhiaxus
((PS it's been awhile, I think I got the complete starsong upgrade package, what did all that entail?))
OOC: You have a liquid metal shock-absorbing skull cap that changes the shape of your skull a bit. Your metabolism is boosted a bit (I reread most of the games and that was one thing you mentioned) so you've dropped to 260 (Metabolism, well-balanced food, and lots of practise at sword-fighting). Any allergies, vision problems, buh-bye. You are to use a word I saw in one SF book...Adamified (at least as well as they know how) which means latent genes for this, that, and the other nasty disease thing are corrected, and if you listened to too much rock and roll and blasted your ears, you now can join the Navy as a sonar tech, and you find that you don't like spinach just like when you were a tyke. You have an O2 pump with backup supply of powdered oxygen at the base of your skull so if you get your head chopped off, a Medbox robot has enough time to sew you back together. You have a low-level link, small bandwidth, neutrino connection to the Starsong Net which they used for Overlaid Reality.
"Perhaps some other time, me boyo." The man who helped you up says quickly.
"Yeah, later tonight." Another guy says trying to sound persuasive.
The ice blonde seems amused, and her red-headed companion rolls her eyes. Evidently the four guys are generous with their money, but they don't want to add more competitors for the girls.
You see your bag kicked up against a wall of a nearby storefront.
"So, Jhiaxus, is that your new name?" Asks the blonde.
*smiles and nods*
*to the blonde*
"Yes, I figured a new name for a new journey, might I know your names before you go?"
*looks at the blonde when asking his lips curling in a smile*
*waiting to see her reaction and the rest before grabbing his bag*
Jhiaxus
"Carl," Says the cheerful man who's been calling you 'boyo'.
"Sean," Says the next man who offers you a hand to shake.
"Mcmiller, or, err Iron."
"Lucas." The last says quietly.
"Shannon." Says the blonde who returns your smile. "I like your new name, and it fits with all the weapons."
"Aye, I do too, brother." Says the guy who stumbled through "Iron". He gives you a warrior's hand clasp, hand to forearm.
"Arrow." Says the strawberry headed girl with an almost sniff. She's not that impressed with you, you decide.
"We're hanging at the Reykavik Imperial Hotel." The blonde adds to Arrow's obvious irritation, and at least Sean sighs (very quietly).
*smiles* "Good to meet you all, shakes the men's hands, and forgetting the armor he is wearing with the hand clasp."
*sorry about that, I kind of forget I'm wearing it and looks to his axe and bag leaning against the shop wall*
"I think I see the rest of my property" *trots over to my bag and sling it on over his shoulder and puts his Axe in a sling on the other side and trots back still wearing his glasses, and wonders why things are so out of sync, and takes them off and remembers and tucks them into his pocket*
"Guess I don't need those anymore, well Shannon thanks, now if it's a party, I think we need to find some more friends and do it right" *knowing the guys are a bit ansy and they really need some more girls even if I didn't show up*
*heads up to Shannon and asks* "I noticed some weapon and strength names in the mix, is that common here, or are they also changed for other reasons, call me curious?" *assuming they are walking keeping an eye out for some more girls to joint he pack*
Jhiaxus
Arrow outright giggles in shock.
Shannon raises a finely arched eyebrow and speaks.
"The Coming of the Gods? That rings any bells?"
"Wouldn't you say the most important event since, well, um, the last five hundred years?" Iron says.
"I serve the Great Goddess Athena." Arrow says proudly.
You do see a few other girls not attached, and a pair of blondes heading your way.
I found this on rpol. I think I kept it updated:
Adam Micheal Keller
A.K.A.: Jhiaxus (Online handle)
Attributes
1@10 Persuasion
2@1 Charisma
1@6 Animal Magnetism
2@1 Strength
2@1 Stamina
2@1 Resistance
2@1 Density
2@1 Flexibility
1@7 Agility
2@3 Hand/Eye
2@1 Intellect
2@7 Intuition
2@1 Education Level
2@1 Will Power
Averaged Attributes
2@4 Ranged Strike Value
2@3 Martial Strike Value
2@1 Target Value
2@1 Damage Value
Best Relevant Attributes
Tech 2@5 Intuition
Body 2@1 Strength
Magic 2@5 Intuition
Psi 2@5 Intuition
Bias:
Tech 14@1
Body 7@1
Magic 1@1
Psi 4@7
Weaknesses
Description
Skin very pale, 6'2", 270 lbs. Dark brown hair, and blue eyes. Big boned build,
scar on index finer knuckle, scar below knee, no piercings, tattoos, birthmarks:
one at neck, freckles. a few small scars. Sub-dermal armor, Unbreakable rib wiring,
RIF wraparound skull plate to protect your brain, and an O2 pump in your brainstem
with Synergine blood clotting supply, Gene treatments, Comlink to Starsong embedded.
Tech
3@3 Computer Software/Hardware Programming
2@1 Teaching
1@10 Repair
2@2 Basic Science
1@4 Basic Nanotech Theory
2@1 Nuclear Physics
Psi
2@1 Possession
1@7 Read Minds
1@6 Astrial Projection
1@8 TK Pulse
1@3 Heavy TK
1@5 Mind Block
1@6 Thought Conceilment
1@2 Teaching
1@9 Management Skills
1@8 Intimidate
Mag
1@3 Religion (Norse)
1@2 Communicate with (Huginn)
Bod
2@5 Climb
2@5 Hide
2@5 Stealth
1@6 Archery
2@5 Sword
2@2 Breaking Blade
2@1 Duranium Axe
2@1 Automatic Shotgun
2@1 Pump Action Shotgun
1@10 Pisol
1@8 ICS Individualized Combat Style-Jhiaxus Ryu which is a Fast Weapon-Dependent Style
Equipment (Free):
Carried/Worn:
Leather Duster
Blue jewel, looks like eye on a silver chain on neck.
Blue Carpenter Jeans
Dark Blue Big Dog T-Shirt
2 Breaking Blades and sheafs from Starsong.
Windows 2100 Super PDA
Boots (Steel Toed)
Solar blanket offers 1Kw of power.
1 Leatherman Tool in Pouch on Belt
1 Swiss Pocket Cybertool in Pouch on Belt
1 Set of Starsong Nanoweave Armor
1 Shield Belt full power
1 Skorpian SMG (6 Magazines, 30+1, 200 rounds stored)
1 Glock 17 9mm (6 Magazines, 17+1, 200 rounds stored)
1 MKII Jackhammer Automatic Shotgun (10 round drum, 200 rounds stored)
1 Winchester Defender 1300 Defender (Shotgun 7+1 rounds, uses same as above)
1 Duranium Hook Sabre
1 Duranium Axe
1 Orange Jeweled "Sensitive's Ring"
2 Large Blue Sapphire "Knights of Terra Rings"
Large Backpack: Located within at time of con
3 Spiral Bound Notebooks
1 Dozen Pens and Pencils
1 Protractor, and Arc Tool
1 Calculator (Solor and Battery Powered)
1 Set Hackmaster Complete RPG, books, modules,
class guides (they give indepth of both divine,
and arcane magic, thief and fighter skills +styles)
1 Final Days Game by Kenzer
1 Dwarven Dig Game by Kenzer
2 Bags of Dice
Starsong Indestructible Laptop in Laptop Bag
Misc Items (begin 200lb limit)
3 Deoderant Sticks
1 Folding brush/mirror combo
1 Toothbrush
1 Tube of Toothpaste
1 Box of dentil floss
1 Bottle of Mouthwash
1 Bottle of Hydrogen Proxide
1 Bottle of Isopropal Alchahol
1 Box of Band Aid Bandages
1 4 roll pack of Toilet Paper
1 Bath Towel
1 Washcloth
1 Mach 3 razer, with 10 refill packs
1 Bottle of Salon Shampoo and conditioner
1 3 pack of Irish Spring soap
1 Large Dufflebag
15 pounds of clothes (including jeans, tshirts, slacks, socks, underwear)
1 Panasonic fz-10 camera with extra battery and charger
1 Set of small screwdrivers
1 Set of regular screwdrivers
1 Ball of Twine (100 foot)
1 Roll of Industrial Strength Ductape
1 Hammer
1 Studfinder (electronic)
1 Case of Ramen Noodles
1 1 1/2 Gallon Jug of Deer Park Water
3 Shield Belts full power
1 Shield Belt out of power
1 Duranium Sabre
1 Pair Magnet Boots
1 Knight Of Terra Handbook, and commission
1 Radioactive Plutionium Dragon Scale, and protective wrapper (magic item)
1 Black box of some light-absorbing material.
Adam "The Jhiaxus"
(I saw you posted a level for the Nuclean Physics, but not the Martial arts, do you have a number?)
*smiles*
"Ah that makes perfect sense, *pulls out his Blue eye necklace and shows them* I serve Odin, and it's probably apparent I'm not from here. I believe he summoned me here."
*to Arrow* Ah the Goddess of the Hunt, I'm honored *bows his head*
*smiles* I believe, if my eyes do not deceive me, some ladies that look to be of company, shall we ask them to join our little group?
*still looking Shannon over, but giving Arrow a nod, as I think I understand her a bit more now, wondering if Tessa is waiting for him, a little confused, but putting on a good front*
Jhiaxus
OOC: A year of training with ICS, and of training with Siljonic in the feared Drow Deathdealer techniques (smile) with +3@ marks from various learning experiences with ICS. You were doing about an hour a day on ICS, and 2-3 a day with Siljonic Edit: with probably +2 with Siljonic in new experience marks. That sound about okay? Edit: If this is ok, then I'll try to figure it up, and see if MJ can give me a letter grade on how well I do my math.
IC: They look surprised. And at first you can't figure out why, and neither can they until Lucas points out that the Gods have been the Greek Gods, and if Odin is come, then he is the first of any of the other gods to show up.
"Since the Christ almost 2000 years ago." Sean says, and then quickly adds. "If you believe that kind of thing."
No stirring defense of the historic truth of Christianity seems to be forthcoming from this group, mostly just a shrug.
"I mean, we're all good Catholics." Shannon says with a shrug and Arrow nods.
Arrow grins and pulls out her tiny gold necklace and holds it in front of you, and says some words in halting Greek (perhaps??) in response to your courtesy.
"I blessed your aim in war."
The guys look discreetly enthused and the girls go along with the attempt to snag more dates, and soon enough, Raquel, and Merri Fleetfoot (protege' of Mercury) have joined your band.
Have you scriff-searched for Tessa?
((OOC Works for me looks to put that at 1@8 then, going to have to get that higher))
*smiles* "I can't say that he is showing up, all I can attest to is I have served as his will in the past, but I would never try to speak for him. With that said, usually I'm urged to act on his behalf, so I think it's safe to say he at least has his eye on this world.
*nods* "I was raised Roman Catholic, so I can relate."
*smiles at Arrow's gesture and pulls his back out* "May Odin's all seeing eye watch your back in the coming times".
*grins* "I solve problems, or at least end them, seems to be my lot, but it's good to be among good people".
*occurs to him that he expected Tessa and Siljonic to be next to him, or at least within eyesight when he versed, maybe they are father away closes his eyes for a moment and tries to sense other scriff presences here*
Jhiaxus
As you pray to Odin, you notice a poster over Arrow's shoulder in the next storefront as your group starts to drift down the street toward the harbor.
"Twilight." Its something about a vampire who looks cute, and possibly turns your stomach. But the word...Twilight seems to shine off the poster with an unnerving glare.
You remember visiting a world with a fair number of scriff presences. Here you sense a lot more than five. But less than fifty, you're pretty sure. Which was is Siljonic or Tessa is a mystery to you.
*looks at the poster and considers* "Is there something suppose to happen at twilight?"
*shivers a bit never sensing this many versers before* "I think this might be a gathering, I sense....many others like me that may have been brought here the same way, two are friends, the rest, who knows. I got a bad feeling about this...."
*keeps himself behind the ladies, acting as rearguard, not liking the omen and that many versers around, having had bad experiences with them before*
Jhiaxus
You head down the street with them to McCaffrey's with the group. Jugglers entertain with their flying daggers (and yes, nearly everyone is armed with a stylish dagger on their hip), and food sellers promenade up and down the street with RC controlled wagons on which food is served.
Obviously they have better battery tech, or some sort of quiet engine better than in your home time.
"Oh, Jhiaxus, um, I think that there is some fireworks over the harbor at twilight." Shannon says. "Nothing like Dublin of course, but we try."
At McCaffrey's you see a sign in the window 'No Mandies Served.' Inside the eatery, a long trench engraved in a granite table running down the middle of the room is lit by a small line of gas fire which serves as much of the light for the dim, smoky room. People crowd up to all sides of the center table at bar stools, and stick long metal forks with chunks of marinated meat and veggies over the fire to cook them.
"Traditional Neo-Viking Cookery. Just like home, me boyo." Says Carl.
"But did Mom give you beer?" Shannon asked with a grin.
"Mine did." Several chorus, and Shannon shakes her head in grinning disaproval.
"My father believed children shouldn't imbibe until they were fourteen."
A joking chorus of boos answered this until Shannon stated.
"I, of course, visited my uncle who solved teething problems with akavit."
The band is 'The Ax-Men' and they are playing "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppellin.
The cups of beer are small.
*considers this fireworks show, and if that's when something major will happen, checking every so often with the versers, seeing if they are migrating to each other or not*
*looking around admiring the tech, and noting the daggers, and also that he is much more heavily armed and armored*
"If the gods are coming back, and if I was a god, I'd come back when all eyes were on me, if anything happens it will be during the fireworks". *follows them to the eatery, never being to a place like this, interested in the culture and listening to them talk*
"My mom never gave me beer, it was a different culture, it my world the Normans broke the Vikings hold over North Western Europe, or at least that's what I gathered. It's funny how even a change in one battle or event can change the course of history. With beer, we drank it anyway, so kids aren't always different" *grins*
Jhiaxus
They do not seem to have the Starsong attitude of 'let's fight at the drop of a hat'. And you do see one altercation, but its a shoving match between two huge guys that ends with their respective girls exchanging a look and then separating the guys.
You do see a nuclear reactor dome on the far side of the harbor.
"Normans?" Asks Carl.
You explain, and they stare at you boggle eyed.
"Um, the Vikings landed in Ireland, and merged with the local population which set the stage for the Irish conquest of Britain, Wales, and Scotland, and then that led to the Union of the Longboats..which eventually led after a lot of centuries and stuff to the formation of the II, the Irish Imperium, led by Emperor Dhuiglas the Fast, long me he reign."
From listening, you decide that a Viking-Irish nation rules the world north of the sub-tropics. Their principal foe is the Mandarins.
You drink the beer, and its weak. And you realize you're the only one 'drinking'. They sip, talk, think about drinking, talk some more, eat, sip...
A crude TV on the wall has a awkwardly dressed man announce another man with lots of flourishes and bows.
"I am the high priest of Ireland for the New Who Are Old. We are pleased to announce that the Vatican has agreed that worship of the Walking Gods is not idolatry as all are joined in the Light. And now for the Daily Blessing...Lord Apollo."
Suddenly the man next to him glows with what might look like divine power if you were not familiar with Starsong holographic techniques. To you it looks like a poorly programmed glow field.
"My blessings upon you, my children, and upon the Vatican. We hold this world for the love we have for you."
*putting the nuclear reactor dome in the back of his mind as being potential a big bang and listens to these people, taking a genuine interest in how they talk, and do things, enjoying the comrade, and thinking about his old friend and fiance, and deciding to see if he can use technology to help*
*slows down on the drinking and does a lot more eating and talking, being open if they have any questions, taking an interest in all of them, still looking at the girls, as he has always had a wandering eye, but takes out his Windows 2100 PDA and sees if they have identified and been able to track scriff by that time, and if this device can do that. If not he will fire up the Starsong laptop and try the same with that, making sure not to keep his focus on those things, but to do when there is a lull.*
*watches the TV, and what is going on, his eyes going wide, and sighs* "That's Apollo? He's using a badly programmed glow field to make himself radiant like the sun. Wait....this many of us here, you don't think they could be masquerading as gods....."
*saying this outloud not thinking about keeping it quiet*
*hoping to be able to track these "gods" and find his friends*
Jhiaxus
You see one man without a knife, and he's generally sneered at.
"Either a straw man pacifist, or more probably a criminal." Shannon remarks.
Despite this war-like talk, people seem polite and not very violent. Its like carrying a knife proves you're a responsible citizen who is willing to defend himself, and then no one is rude enough to push it beyond a shoving match.
The men tend toward the big, although you're bigger than most. Still there are a number of guys at the table who overtop you, and one cheerful giant with a shock of blonde hair who looks like he could break you in half. He's evidently a local sports star in the sport, Singles Competitive Full Contact Jousting.
The girls tend toward shades of blonde and red and beautiful. And they don't seem to mind you looking as they smile and laugh back. Of course, they laugh and smile at pretty much all the guys.
Scriff is identified in the Starsong PDA as a Forbidden Material. There is new information upcoming, the PDA claims relating to the Young Research Project.
The others near you go dead quiet when you say that.
"What are you saying about Ares?" Iron asks, his friendly eyes turning cold. The giant jouster looks down the table.
"What? Ares?"
*backtracks a bit seeing that these people probably believe these are real gods and smiles*
"I got you good Iron, you should see the look on your face" *starts roaring with laughter and pulls a hunk of meat from the spit out and takes a drink*
*smiles and gets him a refill hoping to avoid an issue and getting an idea, putting in the properties of starsong metal into the pda, seeing if he can locate his friends that way, Tessa is wearing a ring, and I know Siljonic would have picked some things up that are metallic, trying to see if he can locate them with the information he has on hand, trying to hopefully find them before twilight*
*if he gets this to work, will excuse himself* "I think I can find my friends, Reykavik Imperial Hotel right? I'll meet you guys there when I find them.*
*if not he wonders if his friends got the starsong communicators, and if you can do a person to person call with them*
*trying anything within his power to know if his friends are here and trying to contact them*
Jhiaxus
Iron looks a little uncertain, but he tentatively accepts your explanation and laughs weakly with you.
You excuse yourself to invites to come visit them at the Hotel.
Its very low bandwidth, but you find it does have an emergency channel with two other users on the 'Net'. Siljonic and Tessa.
You tab Tessa and text her as thats all the channel will support?
There is a message already waiting for you from Tessa.
"M N Truble capt godes"
You're of course, able to track the two of them, the problem is distinguishing them from all the other scriff sources.
*will tap text to Tessa*
*Ware R U, 30+ versers*
*texting to Siljonic is useless, now a little frazzled, hoping his training was good, starting to run his way to the closest scriff sense, looking for an officer or an a uniform that looks like an person with authority*
"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you. I got a text saying my fiance was in trouble, is Capt Godes a person, or perhaps a place? I'm worried about her, and want to make sure we don't miss the twilight fireworks together."
*angry at himself for not thinking of checking sooner, wishing he would have planned for something like this before it was an emergency, taking out his PDA, seeing if there is cellphone or net technology here to see if it can detect to see about getting a map*
Jhiaxus
'templ rescue me'
How are you finding the closest scriff sense? They all feel the same distance away.
"Your name, sir?" The officer asks you as he thinks. "There's no place in Reykavik by that name, now there is possibly a Captain Goodes at the Fleet Sea/Air Base..." He pauses, and asks a question of his walkie-talkie.
"Station doesn't think we have a Captain Goodes, we do have a Sergeant Goodes."
No Net connection appears. But considering he's holding a walkie-talkie...
*nods* I am Jhiaxus, Hand of Odin. Is there a grand temple here? I'm sorry I'm not from the area, I should have picked up a map, apparently she got lost and ended up there. If only she had a better sense of direction. *smiles*
*trying to get the information without looking desperate or too much out of place, she seems to be in very dire straights, and remembering her prophecy, thinking if he doesn't get to her soon, she will be married to a prince*
*hopefully will get the information, and once out of sight from the officer, will run full speed toward the temple*
Jhiaxus
"We have the New Temple to Mnemenysos, Lady Memory, in the converted Old Governor's Residence." He gives you directions, and you set off at a quick stride which turns into a full-tilt run a minute later when the officer turns a corner.
Panting, two miles later you come to a stop outside the low white painted stone walls which are topped by black iron spikes that top out at eight feet. In the spacious grounds of about two acres you see trees, and rocks and pathways and little ponds, and small tour groups, and a guitar singer. In the center of the property you see a two-story five thousand square foot white Victorian house.
Walking up past the regular entrance, you see a friendly tickettaker/guard, a couple waiting tour guides, a line of twenty visitors paying five marks to get in, a sign that says...
"This home was built for the seventh governor of Iceland in 1875, and it passed out of use when the modern home was built in 1932. Now it has been converted to the Great Temple of Mnemenyssos who has come to bless us with her Divine Presence."
Inside, you can detect two scriff sources when you check.
Above the gate, you see what looks to your eye like a modern 21st century spy camera, not a clunky one suited to the walkie-talkie tech. No one else notices it.
There is a back gate for cars but its closed. You're surrounded by downtown Reykavik, but its mostly nice 3-4 story buildings with the towering part of the city beginning a mile away.
*gets in line and shows the Orange Sensitives ring he is wearing to the guard/tickettaker, "Lady Mnemenysos is expecting me, I should head in and not keep her waiting *sees the camera and ignores that it is there*
*heads toward the center of the property and to the front door, repeating what I did at the front door to get in*
*expecting to walk on in and rescue his fiance*
Jhiaxus
You climb up the front steps, and a young girl drops a pile of books in front of you. They land like a partially displayed deck of cards, and she's flustered. You help her get them back up, and enter the front door.
Inside the entrance hall, you see people hurriedly leaving to the right and left. And up an Escherian staircase, you see a glowing woman in a long, Greek gown. She standing on the side of the staircase, hanging out over air and the wooden floor twenty-five feet below, and unless physics is totally wonky, there is no way up the staircase to her.
"I'm Lady Memory, or Memo to my pals. I thought we should discuss some issues." She sounds more Californian Asian than Greek goddess.
*nods* "I am Jhiaxus, hand of Odin, I would be more in the mood to discuss issues if my fiance were released. When she frantically communicated with me, saying she's being taken and in trouble, it tends to make me very agitated, but I am trying to hold my temper."
*really trying to be reasonable in the situation, but his face denotes worry*
Jhiaxus
"Ah, yes, but she's an immortal verser, a potential goddess if you choose wisely."
She waves her hand and a picture appears in the air.
Tessa is hanging by her wrists from a wooden rafter in a dingy garage. In her right hand, you spot her text machine. The view expands and you see that her feet are tied together and a lit candle protrudes out from between her ankles. About eight inches of petrol, a clear liquid is sloshing around the floor, if the overturned 'petrol' can is any indication of the substance's nature.
"There's also a remote control mini-car, suited for kids, with a lit candle in the driver's seat sitting on a bench ready to launch..."
She pulls a sad face.
"I was once burnt alive by the Ivy League Inquisition. Not a fun way to go."
*looks and frowns*
"I will start with, I have no choice but to choose wisely, but I will add, that a simple conversation without the dramatics would have saved us both a lot of time. I don't want her burned alive, and I'm not going to do something that could make her verse in such a way. I just want you to know, that unlike most versers, I do have my humanity, so I can relate and sympathize with what happened to you in the past. With that said, please keep that in mind, that I am a rational and empathetic verser. May I call you Memo? I am Jhiaxus, and if I guess correctly, you have an offer of some sorts for us. I think I can speak for my fiance, so Memo, you had Tessa bring me here for a reason, what is that reason?"
*not sure if he is dealing with a lunatic, or a woman jaded, either way, has no real choice but to listen to what she has to say*
Jhiaxus
She laughs a bit brokenly.
A dozen pictures flicker for a few seconds each in the air.
"Sorry."
"No, we can't do that."
"Sounds like a good idea, but..."
And then her face changes, and the pictures change.
"You're a complete lunatic."
"O...K...just don't..."
"Why? WhY?"
"I learned that reason and kindness got you no where. Appealing to people's better natures was mostly useless unless you held a stick."
Another picture appears of you and Tessa appearing on the streets of Reykavik several dozen feet apart.
"I am 'a demigoddess' in the cabal that runs this planet, and if I bring in three more gods and goddesses in to my fold, why I then become a goddess. Its kinda like Amway that way. That means I can force my way on to the Council of Gods, and get some real power."
*anger boiling*
"You made me think I was alone here, make me think the woman I care for didn't care enough to come with me? That my friend abandoned me, and that you were going to blackmail me into helping you? You actually thought Odin would allow me to bow down, and allow his Hand to bargain in a position of weakness? I think not, *taking out the spear with the scale and holding it to his neck, ready to pull off the bag to end himself*. "Tessa doesn't burn if I end myself, I take her, and my friend and leave you at square one. Do not treat me as some pawn to manipulate around a chessboard. Check, your move."
Jhiaxus
She stares at you with her mouth opening and closing. The air picture fuzzes to a video of Tessa hanging in the air.
The Escherian stairway blinks on and off, revealing the real, normal staircase under the holo illusion, and she dissapears as well taking the illusionary staircase with her as well.
You see Tessa crinkling her nose, and you realize that Lady Memory's improvised deathtrap has an added wrinkle. The gasoline in the garage is evaporating, and with two open flames in the area, the death trap could go off any minute.
OOC: +@1 Intimidation.
*knowing that the remote control car can be tied to a device that triggers when he opens a door, wasting no time heading to a wall of the house that he knows from the outside would have to open up into the garage and unfolds the portable hole, saying a little prayer hoping that it will allow him entry to the garage without triggering a door trap if it works, heading to the remote control car first, using his fingers to put out the flame, and then one hand to the candle to hold between Tessa's ankles and doing the same putting the flame out in his fingers, and cutting her down with his cutlass, and carrying her back through the hole, taking it as he leaves*.
*if the hole doesn't work will have will tap text Tessa, "Don't startle", giving it 4-5 seconds to go through, open the door I think leads into the garage, and be ready to leap in grab the car if it shoots off the desk, hoping I put the fear of Odin into Lady M, and that the remote control car was a manual control that she is too scared to use. Doing the above if the car doesn't shoot*
Jhiaxus
The garage is a free-standing structure behind the house you find to your intense revulsion as you look fruitlessly for a proper wall, and then gritting your teeth upon the discovery as you look out the window. Cursing at the wasted time, you bolt out the back door, knocking over a couple guys, and sprint to the garage.
Slapping the portable hole against the garage, you step into a fume-laden five inches of gasoline. The RC car is sitting on a bench. Snuff. Spin. Hear Tessa's gasp. Snuff that flame and hold the candle. You slip the candle into your pocket as the safest place for it, and cut Tessa down.
"Oh, thank heaven." Tessa says as she drops into your arms.
You shove Tessa through the hole first after trying to carry her through, but the hole is too small for that, or perhaps you're just having an awkward moment as you slip and slide in the flammable puddle. You dive through your self, and drag Tessa to her feet, and away.
You see a guy in bell bottoms, smoking a cigarette.
"Wow, can I help?" He flicks the cig past you...
Bwoommmmm!
Your body aches as you wake up, and you feel as if you have serious sunburn. You're looking up into Siljonic's face.
"Boss, you gotta stop cheesing off the gods."
*wakes up groggily* "Is Tessa alright? Did I die, did we verse? If we didn't what happened?
*looking around*
"If we did verse, that time, I was completely in the right or we all would have been slaves to a lunatic, and face the Wrath of Odin. I will gladly cheese off the other gods, if it's the right thing to do."
Jhiaxus
Tessa is already awake as you were between her and the garage exploding. You're laying in the flower bed around the Governor's Mansion aka Lady Memory's Grand Temple. The garage is a pile of ash and blackened wood spars with a couple people hosing it down with garden hoses to make sure it doesn't restart.
You piece together what happened. There is another guy laying on the ground near you. He's fine, and his girlfriend is attending to him in semi-hysteric fashion.
"I don't remember what happened. I was smoking a cig, and then bam, I'm awake." He says. You remember him offering to help as you escaped from the garage with your shoes soaked in gasoline and trailing fumes of gas...and him tossing a lit cig past you.
With that, you get up, and wince. Your shoes are half-melted to your feet. They peel off smoothly in chunks with no burns underneath, revealing yet again the good engineering of Starsong, but they're only fit for the garbage now. Looking around, you finally spot a jagged bit of portable hole laying on the grass. It 'eats' itself out of existence.
Your right forearm and your right side of your face and neck feel as if you fell asleep on the beach for five hours. Other than being barefoot, and having a serious sunburn, you feel fine. The body upgrades helped you sustain getting hit by a wall of flame and compressed air with little trauma.
Tess is even better off than you, and Siljonic speaks...
"I was heading back this way with a few friends", he waves at a trio of girls. "And then I saw an explosion, and just knew it was you so I came running."
*when he gets his wits about him checking Tessa to make sure she's alright and then hugs her and kisses her deeply, glad she came out of this alright* "I was worried I wouldn't make it in time, I woke up here and didn't see you, and it was awhile before I thought to check the comm."
"to Siljonic* "This explosion wasn't my fault, it was setup for me, but I didn't set it off or put the events into motion, just our bad luck to be involved." *waves to the girls* "I made some friends too waiting back at the hotel." *considers*
*to them both as he gets out his steel toed boots to put them on* "Lady M needs us to become a god, I tried to reason with her, and then she showed me a picture of her having Tessa taken mere feet from me and I lost it. We are together now, and at her home, and she is going to either hunt us or be a problem. Anyone object to dealing with her, here and now, we can send the girls ahead to the hotel to meet up with my friends. Lady M made me lose my portable hole, tried to torture and kill Tessa slowly by fire. I don't plan on getting violent at first, but this needs to be dealt with now, are we in agreement?"
*fishes out the two of the three extra shield belts and hands one each to Tessa and Siljonic* "These are kinetic force belts, they stop bullets and such, they work well for a sustained period of time, with Tessa's and my solar blankets, we can figure out to recharge them, so in this world of ""gods"" we need all the help we can get. As far as I figured, there are about 30-50 versers here, I would assume spread out in the world, pretending to be ""gods"". I think that they are mostly Greek, as when I said I was with Odin, they seem shocked he has decided to come back. That's what I got so far, now let's see just how willing Memo is to talk now that she isn't trying to blackmail me?" *stands up and adjusts his nanoweave armor and duster, smiles and takes Tessa's hand and looks at her ring*
"We should do something about that you know." *to Tessa*
Jhiaxus
She kisses you back enthusiastically assuring herself you're there.
"Memory said she was afraid of you with all your weapons, and so she grabbed me while we were waking. She's got the whole city rigged for sight and sound." She pauses. "She took me because I looked weak."
Siljonic has his game face on as you state your plan to go after Memory, and Tessa is looking increasingly angry at Memory now that she's getting over her fright.
Siljonic closes his eyes, and steps sideways and back.
"She's fleeing northward unless there's another verser nearby other than us."
Tessa grins at your last comment.
"After we kick lil miss pschyo's teeth in, I look forward to a nice, quiet discussion."