[Taocow PBEM] Chapter VIII - The Portal And Beyond

[Aaron Clausen]

OOC: Apologies on the long post, just trying to cover some
ground.  Some of this to the original players is going to seem
familiar, but hopefully it should be interesting to the new
ones.

> > [GM]
> > Even as Rod finishes speaking, Arden suddenly leaps
> > to his feet and starts screaming.  He runs at Alex
> > waving his arms.
> >
> > "It sees you Alex!" he shouts so loudly that it seems
> > like it will bring the whole tunnel down.  "It sees you,
> > and Frost, both.  Vimakardu will break the bonds of
> > Time!"  He suddenly starts swinging at Alex.
> > [/GM]

> [Alex]
> Alex is not sure how to feel about all this and simply
> stands quietly.  The swing takes her by surprise but
> training kicks in.  She blocks the fist with a forearm and
> brings her knee into his groin .
> [/Alex]

[GM]
Arden goes down like a ton of bricks.
[/GM]

> [Ted]
> Ted jumps forward to restrain the elf, using whatever
> technique is necessary to keep Arden from hurting himself
> or anyone else.
>
> "Under the circumstances, I think it best we not sleep down
> here," he says, struggling against Arden, "if you know of
> someplace safe, I vote we go there. Perhaps there you can
> tell us what is going on."
> [Ted]

[Phaeton]
Phaeton nods in agreement.  "If, as Lady Frost says, we risk
disturbing the order of events, I agree that we must distance
ourselves.  Our good elf here may have another fit at a far
less opportune moment."
[/Phaeton]

> [Angelica]
> "You want outa here? Find me a reflective surface and a
> damn good description of where you want to go. I'll get us
> somewhere safe."
> [Angelica]

[Rod]
"I'm envisioning a good pub." Rod replies.
[/Rod]

> [Ted]
> "What is your range?" Ted asks.
> [/Ted]

> [Talas]
> Talas quickly sheaths his Katana and places himself
> between Alex and Arden.  Arden can bash his knuckles on
> Talas's MD armour.
>
> Talas gives Angelica a quick glance and says "Thank you
> for the offer. But If I understand my frends, yhere should be
> a stair well leading up to the surface just down the hall."
> [/Talas]

> [Kyle]
> Kyle has been quietly watching this discussion steps
> forward and say.  "I suggest we get to the surface and
> continue this later."
>
> With that he heads off towards the exit.
> [/Kyle]

> [Angelica]
> "That works for me too."  Angelica follows Kyle towards the
> exit.
> [Angelica]

> [Ted]
> The lizard man checks Arden again, making sure he is
> breathing, and lifts him to his shoulder. He waits for the
> others, then moves toward Talas, hoping there will be
> enough of a lull in the next few minutes for the elf to fill him
> in on the group's recent adventures.
> [/Ted]

> [Talas]
> Seeing that Angelica is heading for the surface, and Ted
> has  Arden under control. Talas turns his attention toward
> Osiris.  "Sir Osiris are you alright? Can I be of any
> assistance to you?"
>
> As Ted comes closer Talas says "Mr. Ted my friend, I think
> WE all need to sit down and explain to each other how and
> what each of us are. I was totally unaware that Osiris was a
> Knight."
> [/Talas]

> [Bongo]
> "Osiris IS a knight..." Bongo mutters as he comes up
> beside Ted  on his way to check on Osiris.  "C'mon my
> friend, let's get outta here so  you can tell us how you
> survived back there."
> [/Bongo]

> [Ted]
> "I believe you." Ted says.
> [/Ted]

[Osiris]
"All this fuss over me." Osiris says as he rises to his feet.
"Lots of time for stories, not that I think anyone is going to
be very happy about what I have to say."  With that, Osiris
follows suit and starts moving towards the exit.
[/Osiris]

> [Alex]
> The ex-Coalition Ranger thinks that she has heard tales of
> Cyber knight going bad but does not but that into words.
> Instead she states, "I agree that we need to get out of here
> as quickly as possible. I think we might want to see if our
> vehicles are still where we left them."
> [/Alex]

[Osiris]
"I used to have a pretty good horse." Osiris chuckles.  "I
guess we've been gone, what, about a night?  I think I need
a shave."
[/Osiris]

[GM]
With Kyle leading the way, the company makes its way past
the green-blooded remains of the creature they have just
defeated, out of the exit.

They found themselves standing in a subway tunnel.  For
Alex, Rod, Osiris, Lady Frost and Bongo this is familiar
ground, but for the others this is a strange place.  The tunnel
is lit by the same earie green fungus as the passage they
have just left, and the rails are still intact.

After a few minutes they pass a sign; "New Chicago Island -
20 Miles."  There are numerous side passages, most dark
and unlit, some with ominous or foul odors coming from them.

Finally they reach a door marked "Subway - Emergency
Exit - Do Not Use."  Parked near it is a remarkably intact
subway car, faded advertising for some restaurant called
Burger King still visible.
[/GM]

[Rod]
"This is it." Rod says, pointing to the door.
[/Rod]

[GM]
The door swings open to reveal a cracked concrete stairway
leading up. The stairs lead past a number of doors, but it
appears as if many of the levels long ago collapsed on to
each other, leaving a massive jumble of concrete, steel and
cars.

Finally they reach a landing where the walls are covered in
graffitti.  Some of it is little more than crude renderings
hard to recognize as anything, but others are works of art.
Dominating it all is a verse:

	"Down beneath the shaken Earth,
	Where hellspawn join in violent mirth,
	Vlykath, Lord of Pain, Death and Woe,
	Slumbers, sleeping, waits and grows."

In the midst of the landing is a firepit, apparently not used for
a while.  But to Alex's trained eyes, it's clear that a number
of people have been by here not so long ago.

The company presses on, moving up the stairs and through
a final door into what is obviously a hotel lobby, revealing a
mouldering interior, with smashed remnants of furniture,
rotting wall decorations, glass covering much of the floor and
a ceiling sagging so much that at places it almost touches
the floor.

The company is inside a lobby that must be the size of a
couple of tennis courts.  Off to one side are what appear to be
shops, some, despite the centuries, still containing
merchandise in the form of rusting watches and jewelry.  To
the other side are a series of what could be some sort of
communication booths, most smashed and their valuable
electronic innards stripped.  In the middle of the lobby a
statue of a mermaid lies toppled in once was a fountain pool.
Oozing sludgy water still sits in the pool, letting off a rather
foul odor.

At the other end of the lobby are smashed glass doors.  It
is night outside, but it is all well-lit by what must be a very
close leyline.  The blue light of the ley line casts strange
shadows on the street beyond, and in the distance can be
heard the terrifying baying of wolf-like creatures.

A sudden flash of light from a ley line that must be very
tempermental reveals several bodies of what look like very
large wolves in the rubble of the street beyond.  It's very
obvious that there was a firefight not so long ago.
[/GM]

[Lena]
Lena shivers.  "Is this where we're stopping.  This place gives
me the creeps.  I've heard legends about Old Chicago, but
nothing prepared for this."
[/Lena]

[GM]
Lena's words seem evoke the feeling of this place.  The walls
themselves seem haunted, the ghosts of time and death have
ingrained themselves into the very bones of this once-great
city.  Lady Frost remembers it as it was, a vibrant, living,
breathing society, but now it is rot and horror.

The company makes their way through the doors and on to
the street.  Outside the doors awaits another horrible sight;
the bloodied torso of a man, arms, legs and head missing.

Suddenly those with Sixth Sense feel danger again, and
Bongo's ears pick up the soft padding sound of many canine
feet approaching...
[/GM]

--
Aaron Clausen   mightymartianca at gmail.com

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