[Taocow PBEM] Chapter VIII - The Portal And Beyond...

[Aaron Clausen]

OOC: Apologies for the tardiness of this.  Had a ton of stuff on my plate
over the last week.

> [Ted]
> Ted moves to catch Arden before he hits the floor. He attempts to do some
> first aid, but, if nothing else, he can carry the man for a while, too.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
Ted can see nothing physically wrong with the elf, other than exhaustion. 
But Arden keeps murmuring "Great danger... seek the gate... take the path to
the left... Chamber of Vimakardu, Guardian of the Catacombs."

Phaeton looks at Arden curiously.  "Does anyone know what he's talking
about?"
[/GM]

> [Lady Frost]
> Two and two make four.  In other words, Frost adds up the situation fast
> and picks up Arden off the floor.
>
> Glancing around she quickly heads for the nearest decent concealment,
> motioning to the others as she moves.
>
> "Where's Doc Brown when you need him.  Hide dammit. You really don't want
> to find yourself down here.  And I mean that literally." Her words carry
> to the others, but are far more silent then she typically is.  She clearly
> doesn't want those approaching to hear her.
> [/Lady Frost]

> [Talas]
> Talas takes cover were he can find it, and then whispers to Lady Frost
> "Lady Frost do you Know were we?"
> 
> Still whispering "Lizard man I do not know how strong you are, but if we
> need to run, let my take my kinsman. His weight will but a feather to me."
> [/Talas]

> [Ted]
> *I've got him, but thank you. The name is Ted, by the way* he projects
> telepathically as he steps out of the center of the tunnel. He looks the
> same direction as Lady Frost, still trying to decipher her warning about
> 'founding himself down here'.
> [/Ted]

> [Lady Frost]
> Exasperated, Frost quickly, but quietly, moves out towards the others. 
> With frightening ease, she picks up Kyle, SAMAS armor and all, and moves
> back into concealment.
>
> "For cripes sake, That's us!"  She whispers.  "Doesn't this place look
> familiar to you guys?  We were here, we are here, we're heading down under
> old Chicago with Pierre right now." She points down the passageway towards
> the approaching voices.
>
> Setting Kyle down she frantically gestures for the others to get out of
> sight.  "If we meet ourselves down here, there's no telling what sort of
> damage we'll do to the timelines."
>
> "Bongo, can you prevent your other self from sensing us mentally?"
> [/Lady Frost]

> [Bongo]
> Bongo shakes his head.  "Not outside of simply being as quiet as
> possible...  nobody make a sound or even THINK about anything... let's
> hope I'm not being all that observant at the moment."
> 
> He ducks into a dark corner and tries to still his mind as much as
> possible.  If Frost is right, and those approaching were really
> themselves, then maybe they'd have a slight chance.  The past version of
> himself might mistake their present versions' scents for their own and not
> think anything's amiss.
> 
> Of course, it _would_ be their luck to run into themselves.  Bongo's last
> thought as he tries to still his mind as much as possible was that he
> REALLY didn't want to have to explain to St. Pierre or Osiris why they
> weren't among the present group.
> [/Bongo]

> [Kyle]
> "Damn it woman, I hate it when you show off."  Kyle mutters various rather
> rude remarks about being manhandled by the Ice Queen.  He will then switch
> on his various sensors that might be usefully and scans the area.  He will
> also check the area trying to assess if he has to use his Rail gun will it
> cause a cave in.
> [/Kyle]

[GM]
The passage looks very old, and it is quite possible that any heavy arms
fire could bring the whole thing down.

By the time the voices approach the company has found themselves hiding in a
narrow side-passage which makes Kyle feel more than a little squeezed.

A voices come nearer and finally, they pass by, a few flashlights in hand.
First comes a strange humanoid creature with enormous white eyes, pale white
skin and white hair.  It has long hands and oddly-shaped feet, and is
wearing only a loin cloth.  Behind him come Bongo, in very different armor,
Kyle, Rod, Osiris, Alex, Lady Frost and an old man some here know as St.
Pierre.

The creature is muttering something about "Lishun".  He stops for a moment
in front of the passage, and sniffs.  "That funny." the creature says to the
other Bongo.  "Some Lishun maybe, come by not long ago?"

The other Bongo begins to sniff himself.  He begins to point down the
passage the party is hiding in when Rod growls "What's the problem?"

"Funny dwarf not smell good, twice!" the creature cackles.  "Not tarry here. 
Maybe we all smell bad, so bad seems like two of us."

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the other group passes on.  After a
few minutes there is no sign of them.

"I am presuming," Phaeton says, "that that was what you feared, Lady Frost. 
Now what of our elf.  And what of our new companion."  Phaeton looks long
and hard at Ted.  "What is your part in this drama?  Did you serve the
demon's army?  Are you a spy?  Speak quickly.  Do you know anything of this
Vimakardu that the elf speaks in his madness?"
[/GM]

[Rod]
Rod sighs.  "We know that.  But this time I am not being put asleep.  That
little bastard nearly got us called in our dreams.  Don't remember what the
'path to the left' refers to."
[/Rod]

[GM]
Phaeton looks at Rod, and then turns back to Ted.  "It would be well to
answer us."
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen	mightymartianca at gmail.com

Palladium Rifts PBEM:
http://test.alberni.net/taocow/rifts_pbem/