[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter III

[A Gardner]

[Owen]

 

Realizing that there might be bigger trouble coming, Owen will dash upstairs to collect his equipment, and will get back out the door as quickly as he can. 

 

[\Owen]

 
> Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 14:12:43 -0700
> From: mightymartianca at gmail.com
> To: taocowpbem at zork.net
> Subject: Re: [Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter III
> 
> > > [GM]
> > > A mixture of relief and sadness are felt by the travelers as
> > > they gaze at where the portal to the underwater base was.
> > > Carlos, Ted, Koba, Lyle, Alex, Raven and Owen are alive,
> > > once again narrowly avoiding death... or worse, but one of
> > > their company is gone. They are cold, wet and exhausted
> > > in mind and body.
> > >
> > > Within moments three members of the crew fly through
> > > the elevator door, along with Louissa, Talas's lover. At first
> > > she is happy, but when she's the absence of her beloved,
> > > she breaks down.
> > > [/GM]
> > >
> > > [Louissa]
> > > "No!" Louissa says quietly, then louder, "NO! You have to go
> > > back for him. You can't abandon him!" She breaks down into
> > > sobs and one of the crew comforts her.
> > > [/Louissa]
> 
> > > [GM]
> > > The other two crew members approach and salute.
> > >
> > > "Looks like you had a bad time of it." one of them, a tall man
> > > in damaged armor says. "We had a bad time. Apparently, our
> > > good doctor turned out to be a traitor, and it nearly cost us. We've
> > > got ourselves some prisoners, Kittanni by the looks of 'em. Nasty
> > > Splugorth minions. The Captain wants you to know we're under
> > > way now, and she's expecting a full report from Sir Lyle, but she
> > > says to get washed up and get some rest."
> > > [/GM]
> 
> > [Alex]
> > Alex asks, "Is there anyway that you can send a diver out to
> > see if you can find him? I am just so tired of having had to leave all
> > my comrades behind."
> > [/Alex]
> 
> [GM]
> One of the crewmen nods in agreement. "Aye, ma'am, that we
> shall."
> [/GM]
> 
> [...]
> 
> [GM]
> Sometime later as the submarine slips away from the base, one of
> the crew comes to visit the party.
> 
> "We looked," he says sadly, "aye, that we looked. The base is
> a dangerous place, mind you, but we searched as best we could
> and find nothing. Bits o' the brain things ye talked about, but no
> sign of your companion, save this."
> 
> He leaves them Talas's kitana, broken a few inches above the hilt.
> "A fine bit o' work, if I say so. He must o' been one kind of warrior.
> and it grieves me not ta bring back a body for ye to bury."
> [/GM]
> 
> [...]
> 
> > > [GM]
> > > For the most part the sub stays below the surface, hoping to
> > > avoid the pirates and other undesirables that plague these
> > > dangerous waters between Atlantis and the Old World. There
> > > are a few close calls, and one rather nasty sea battle with
> > > a Kittani submarine bent on sinking the ship.
> > >
> > > It is a full eleven days before it is announced over the intercom
> > > that land has been sighted. The submarine surfaces in short order
> > > to reveal a green and verdant coast, clearly tropical, but the forest
> > > removed leaving mile after mile of farmland. As the submarine
> > > approaches the coast, it can clearly be seen that this is a land
> > > divided into manors, with small villages centered on a large manor
> > > house.
> > > [/GM]
> 
> > [Alex]
> > The red headed scout will have spend a few days getting all of her gear
> > ready for the field. As well, she would have tried talking to this
> > dagger a bit although warning it that she does not glory in battle.
> > [/Alex]
> 
> [...]
> 
> > > [GM]
> > > ...
> > >
> > > And with that the company sets foot on Africa, admittedly
> > > a very tame little corner of it. The transport drops them off
> > > at a small but well-kept hotel. Inside, it's a surprise to see
> > > that it isn't an inn, there is no commons per se, but rather
> > > a lounge and restaurant. At the front desk a very smartly
> > > dressed concierge looking like he stepped out of one of the
> > > ancient pre-Rifts movies says in a crisp, English accent.
> > >
> > > "Ah yes, company of seven. Your rooms await." He snaps
> > > his fingers and three busboys appear to help the company
> > > with their belongings. In short order they find themselves
> > > in a suite of rooms on the third floor, brightly lit with very
> > > comfortable looking beds. The concierge appears behind
> > > them. "The restaurant usually serves dinner at six. That
> > > is about an hour from now. If you would care to freshen up,
> > > or if you like, I can bring dinner to you."
> > > [/GM]
> 
> > [Carlos]
> > Carlos mutters "Uhh, you can bring it to my room." He feels
> > a little off-center from the group's last adventures, even after
> > the ride across the ocean.
> > [/Carlos[
> 
> > [Koba]
> > The long trip across the sea was the longest time Koba Had been
> > without seeing the sun or sky. Upon arriving on the shore, Koba was
> > astounded to see what looks like a verdant countryside. Near constant
> > invasions and raids of his home town by violent and evil groups of
> > bandits and creatures from the rifts left the people of his hometown
> > huddled together for safety in squalor and poverty like a school of
> > fish surrounded by sharks. The rare picture of the world before the
> > rifts he has seen bears a remarkable similarity to this farmland.
> >
> > With the submarine's claustrophobic corridors now behind him Koba
> > enjoys the fresh air on the ride to the hotel. Once he has dropped off
> > his belongings in the room, he changes into his set of civilian clothes
> > and heads down to he restaurant to have a warm meal in relative peace
> > (with his pistol in his waistband of course). Picking an empty table,
> > he will try to find something not too unfamiliar to his palate.
> > [/Koba]
> 
> > [Ted]
> > Ted seeks Owen out for some healing and then lets the Mind
> > Mage get his rest.
> > [/Ted]
> 
> > [Owen]
> > Owen will take the opportunity to rest for an hour, and will join those
> > who wish to eat at the restaurant, taking his pistol with him.
> > [/Owen]
> 
> > [Ted]
> > Ted then goes to the restaurant unarmed.
> > [Ted]
> 
> > [Alex]
> > Alex will not be real comfortable with the hotel. She is in many ways
> > more used to barracks and the like than any fancy hotel. At home, she
> > was in a small homestead with the rest of her family.
> > [/Alex]
> 
> [GM]
> Raven does not join the company for dinner, and Sir Lyle announces
> that he's off to dine with the crew. Louissa, still clearly distraught
> by the loss of Talas, does not accompany them either.
> 
> The food is actually quite good, the menu having some familiar items,
> but dominated by dishes made out of lamb and fish. Still the food
> is enjoyable and the setting a welcome relief from the cramped
> galley of the submarine or eating outdoors. Alex may find this most
> uncomfortable of all.
> 
> The rest of the customers seem, if not to be upper crust, then at least
> to be reasonably well to do. The women have modest jewelry, the
> men dressed in somewhat odd finery involving kilts. A few people
> look at them curiously, but for the most part no one pays them any
> peculiar attention.
> 
> The meal passes uneventfully, a real change of pace from the
> normally manic lives the adventurers have. In fact, the evening goes
> by peacefully as well, unlike the bloodshed of their last stay in an
> inn. New Argyll seems a relatively prosperous, law-abiding place,
> though overheard talk suggests that the inland regions are somewhat
> more dangerous, and that to the north the Phoenix Empire has begun
> to make its presence outside of the Mediterranean known. Still,
> in the tranquility of Port Mackenzie, these rumors of strange empires
> far away seem to occupy little more than idle banter.
> 
> On the next morning, while the company enjoys a light breakfast,
> Osiris, pushed in a wheelchair by a young, comely nurse and looking
> a little healthier, if still pretty banged up joins them. "I hear they've
> found passage for you, heading out to New Camelot. I'm trying to talk
> the doctors into letting me go. But you know doctors."
> 
> As Osiris and the rest of the company chat, Owen and Alex get
> strange, distant expressions across their faces. Someone behind them
> shouts "Oh my god! Everyone duck!"
> 
> Quite suddenly there's a bright flash and an explosion that literally knocks
> people out of their chairs. It's impossible to tell what's happening, as the
> room is filled with smoke, dust and debris, and the air feels superheated
> to the point where it feels like its burning lungs. It's quickly followed
> by another blast, more distant, but the building itself seems to shake much
> more and above the explosion can be heard, or rather felt, the subsonic
> moaning of a damaged structure.
> 
> Whatever the attack, everyone in the company realizes a good portion
> of their equipment is upstairs in their room, which they're going to have
> to get to fast, if at all.
> 
> Mass panic is now spreading as people scream, running madly back and
> forth. Sirens can be heard in the distance, and then another explosion...
> and then another... and then another... Still they can see nothing through
> the smoke and dust, but it sure sounds like an attack.
> [/GM]
> 
> -- 
> Aaron Clausen
> mightymartianca at gmail.com
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> Taocowpbem at zork.net
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