[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XIV

[Aaron Clausen]

>>>> [GM]
>>>> The mouthy soldier gulps and pulls a rag out of his pocket.
>>>> "Here you go, er... Miss. Where exactly is this New Tormuk?"
>>>> None of the men seem to have any more desire to grope or be
>>>> suggestive, and all stare in wonder, fear, and a bit of growing
>>>> respect.
>>>> [/GM]

> [Anne]
> Anne cocks her head, as if listening to something no one else can
> hear, and then points downward at an angle to the floor. "Roughly 43
> million light years that way. MUCH shorter by rift." She breaks down
> her rifle and gives it a good cleaning. As she does so, she explains
> a bit further "My people are a bit new to interstellar space travel,
> and all the good real estate around our home world is already taken.
> So we're focusing on other dimensions and alternate timelines for
> expansion. The Explorer Corps is tasked with charting worlds nearby
> via Rifts and locating uninhabited versions of nearby worlds for
> colonization. Earth is too populated and too far away to be a good
> prospect, but this place is an incredible hub of Rift activity, and
> is worth an in-depth look."
> [/Anne]

> [Anne OOC]
> While the rifle looks NOTHING like a Naruni design externally,
> internally is another matter. It looks like someone took the guts
> from half a dozen Naruni heavy weapons, threw out most of them \ and
> combined the good parts into a single oversized rifle. The rifle
> uses very oversized plasma cartridges (bigger than Naruni produces),
> and the entire forward third is a massive magnetic coil. Where a
> Naruni rifle has a 2 inch inner muzzle diameter, this one's inner
> diameter is only about a half inch. But the cartridges it fires are
> nearly three inches in diameter.
> [/Anne OOC]

>>> [Alex]
>>> Looking at Anne, Alex responds, "Not a true sniper but a
>>> markswoman myself. I have been working as the team's armorer as
>>> well. More of a ranger myself however. Pleased to make your
>>> acquaintance?" Her JA-12 is a pretty good sized rifle as well.
>>>
>>> Any strange reaction out of her dagger?
>>> [/Alex]

> [Anne]
> "Good to meet you. Depending on how we work together, we might be
> able to form a scout/sniper sub-team."
> [/Anne]

> [Anne OOC]
> Anne's weapon is a "rifle" only by courtesy. It might be more
> accurate to refer to it as a sniper cannon. It's larger than the
> sorts of rifles that many powered armor suits carry.
> [/Anne OOC]

[Jacek the Borg]
The full conversion borg looks at Alex and Anne, and while his face is 
made of inscrutable steel, there seems to be an approving air about it. 
"A sniper team might be a very useful thing." he says in his perfectly 
pitched Euro accent. "We have enough men here for a decent combat unit, 
and scouts and snipers would serve us very well."
[/Jacek the Borg]

[...]

>>> [GM]
>>> "It is my understanding," von Schellburg says, "that you wish to go to a
>>> dwarf colony in eastern Wales, for ze cold iron. I trade with them
>>> regularly, and I can be there in a day or two... providing there are no,
>>> how do you say, obstacles."
>>> [/GM]

>> [Vesper]
>> Vesper introduces himself to any newcomers.  "An airship this should
>> be interesting." He smiles to Alex and then to the others. "Were
>> going to get some more cold iron on the way I hope."
>> [/Vesper]

> [Ted]
> "Ted Smythe," the lizard man states, introducing himself in a slight
> Australian accent. He stands only five feet tall and its covered in
> brown scales. He has dark eyes with a faded web of scars around his
> left. He is clad in a dark hooded robe that covers everything but
> his head, hands, combat boots and the last foot or so of his tail.
> He carries a rifle and sword.
> [/Ted]

[Louissa]
The blond-haired woman, perhaps eighteen or nineteen, smiles at Anne. 
"My name Louissa. I'm originally from a small kingdom in North America 
called New Poughkeepsie."
[/Louissa]

>>> [GM]
>>> von Schellburg nods. "That is ze goal, though you'd best have some
>>> credits. I give you and your friends transport because the Druids ask,
>>> but maybe ze dwarves will not be so generous."
>>>
>>> The captain turns to the newcomer, Anne. "With ze gun like that, I'd
>>> wager you will prove useful. You come with us, no?"
>>>
>>> The old druid with the odd glow seeming to emanate from his skin, who
>>> had been sleeping soundly, pops one eye wide open. "I think I shall go
>>> as well. A trip in an airship sounds like fun, and I haven't been to the
>>> land of Cymru for many years now."
>>>
>>> The council of Druids look at the old man oddly. "If it is the will of
>>> Captain von Schellburg and these adventurers, we have no objection."
>>>
>>> The head of the council looks to Ted. "We believe your illness will
>>> become much worse soon. Do not tarry long, and if you cannot obtain the
>>> cold iron, then you must go north as soon as possible, without this
>>> thing in girl's form."
>>> [/GM]

> [Ted]
> Ted nods grimly. "Thank you for all you have done for us so far, Master
> Druid," he states.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
The head of the council nods and smiles, perhaps sadly. "I see a great 
fate wrapped around you and your friends. You go with our blessing, and 
with what help we can offer. We shall send word to those of our order 
throughout the Isles, and if you can find them in Tree, stream or 
cavern, they shall offer you aid."
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> The red haired ranger does smile a lot at Vesper. Been quite a while
> since she had a romance.
>
> "In the Coalition, we were suppose to avoid all magic as being the
> work of evil. As such, never seen an airship although heard a bit
> about them. A bit nervous about them as a result."
> [/Alex]

[Jacek the Borg]
"It is not so different where I come from." the borg says. "The New 
German Republic has little love of casters of spells and the like. And 
yet I spent a decade serving a man who used those forces to keep his 
people safe."
[/Jacek the Borg]

[GM]
"Then good luck to you all." the chief of the council says. "If all goes 
well, you should be back here in a few days to pick up the girl-thing. 
If you do not return, we will hold her as long as we can, though her 
imprisonment is... taxing."
[/GM]

OOC: If there's anything else the characters need or want to talk about, 
put it here. Otherwise, sometime in the next few days the company will 
be boarding an airship!

-- 
Aaron Clausen