[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XVII

Thu Dec 31 21:54:48 UTC 2015

>> [GM]
>> The ship's energy cannons blast fire and death on the incoming
>> Maligs even as the last people board the ship. The surviving
>> Maligs flee, realizing they're bested. What is left is blasted and
>> burning vehicles, some barely recognizable as such.
>>
>> The deck of the ship is crowded with civilians huddled together.
>> One of them says "We a free..." and they all begin to chant
>> "We are free... We are free... We are free..."
>>
>> Meanwhile below Ted can see his alter ego racing down the
>> pyramid by the stairs, with the woman in his arms. There are
>> no visible enemies nearby.
>>
>> Louissa, more herself, looks at Ted's twin and then turns to
>> her companions. "We can't just leave him and that poor
>> women to die, or worse!"
>> [/GM]

> [Alex]
> Alex cannot see everything that is going on. She will continue
> watching for threats while they return back to the ship.
> [/Alex]

> [Oz]
> Oz ignores Louissa, beaming at the display of the ship's
> firepower. "Excellent work, captain! As long as we've got the
> breathing room, let's get everyone on board who can climb a
> ladder." Oz turns to the crew. "Look alive, people, I don't
> want to get ambushed by strays while we're playing hero.
> Jacek, the dwarves, and heavy weapons are on overwatch.
> Burn down anything that approaches. Captain, keep us
> ready to fly at a moment's notice. Sergeant, have the rest
> of your people facilitate boarding for the rescuees."
> [/Oz]

[GM]
The Sergeant shouts to his men, "Alright lads, move it move it! We're not
safe until we're a long ways away from here!"

Jacek, the Captain, and Skarn all in their turn set their people to
carrying out Oz's commands. The Sergeant nods, impressed. "Welding this
into one fine oiled machine, sir, if I may say so myself. We'll be the
equal of any unit in the New Camelot army before you're finished."

More ladders are lowered and more people are brought up, and still more are
arriving via the sewers. Alex sees the young boy that lead her into the
compound is there too, helping more people up. All in all there is nearly
ninety people; men, women and children, some with a few belongings, most
with only the clothes on their back.
[/GM]

> [Oz]
> He nods at Vesper. "I certainly don't blame her for being
> kidnapped and impregnated by an alien monster, but this
> ship and the people on board are my responsibility, not the
> life of a single woman we don't even know. But now we've
> got time. If you can save her, do it. If it turns out you're
> wrong, she's not coming aboard."
> [/Oz]

> [Vesper]
> "I am on it!"
>
> Vesper calls down to the other Ted, "Hold on were coming
> to help,  I will need you there."
>
> Vesper will disembark from the ship and head to where they
> are.
>
> "I am going to perform an exorcism, which I am hoping will
> help that woman, so we can take her and you with us."
>
> "It is fairly grueling and you will need to hold her down to
> keep her safe, maybe even put something in her mouth
> to keep her from biting her own tongue as well as us."
>
> Vesper cast cleanse on himself, he then set about to
> perform an exorcism on the woman.
> [/Vesper]

> [Ted]
> Once inside the vehicle, Ted will move toward the pilot's
> seat and start looking for a good place to rendezvous with
> his twin.
> [/Ted]

[GM]
The alter-Ted is standing towards the edge of a large piece of concrete,
offering him some good defense against oncoming attack. It's a short ride,
and when they land alter-Ted comes up.

"Thanks for not abandoning me," Alter-Ted says. "I couldn't leave this
woman to those creatures, and I'm not likely to find my way back to my
dimension soon. Things are a... little different here."

Vesper prepares himself, but this is going to take some time. Alter-Ted
keeps an eye out for any oncoming attack, but there's none to be seen. It's
the better part of a half an hour before Vesper is ready [OOC: as per Rifts
Main book p.115], and finally he begins the ritual itself.

In the meantime, the people are loaded into the ship, and the New Camelot
soldiers move efficiently to find places below decks to stow them. It's a
very crowded ship now, and the Sergeant reports that supplies could be an
issue in very short order. "We have maybe two weeks food now, and that's on
strict rations, maybe three if everyone can get used to hunger pangs."

As Vesper begins the ritual, one of Jacek's men, on watch shouts, "We've
got bogies, flying in from the northwest, close to the center of the ruins."

Sensors show four aircraft, all larger hover vehicles, well-armed, and
looking like far better technology than any of the Maligs had (most of
their equipment looked like badly-patched together refuse from pre-Rifts
times). Oz recognizes them to be of Triax manufacture, but at least thirty
years old, older versions of the Triax MZ-10 Wilderness Crusaders [NGR
p.138, see attached MZ-10 description for stats]:

All are painted in camouflage colors, all have identifying numbers and a
flag:

Jacek recognizes it at once. "That is the standard of the Kingdom of New
Strathclyde. I don't see how it's possible, that kingdom fell when I was
still a lad in Gdansk."

Meanwhile, Vesper begins the actual ritual. It will take seventeen minutes,
and will fail if interrupted. He can already tell that the poor women was
indeed impregnated with some supernatural horror, and she writhes and
screams, as an alien voice comes from her mouth, commanding "Withdraw,
mage, or thou shalt die! Withdraw I say!"

Alter-Ted whispers to Ted, "We've got company," as the first of the
hovercraft comes into view off in the distance.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com

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