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[Owen]<BR>
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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. <BR>
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[\Owen]<BR>
<BR>> Date: Thu, 27 May 2010 14:12:43 -0700<BR>> From: mightymartianca@gmail.com<BR>> To: taocowpbem@zork.net<BR>> Subject: Re: [Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter III<BR>> <BR>> > > [GM]<BR>> > > A mixture of relief and sadness are felt by the travelers as<BR>> > > they gaze at where the portal to the underwater base was.<BR>> > > Carlos, Ted, Koba, Lyle, Alex, Raven and Owen are alive,<BR>> > > once again narrowly avoiding death... or worse, but one of<BR>> > > their company is gone. They are cold, wet and exhausted<BR>> > > in mind and body.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > Within moments three members of the crew fly through<BR>> > > the elevator door, along with Louissa, Talas's lover. At first<BR>> > > she is happy, but when she's the absence of her beloved,<BR>> > > she breaks down.<BR>> > > [/GM]<BR>> > ><BR>> > > [Louissa]<BR>> > > "No!" Louissa says quietly, then louder, "NO! You have to go<BR>> > > back for him. You can't abandon him!" She breaks down into<BR>> > > sobs and one of the crew comforts her.<BR>> > > [/Louissa]<BR>> <BR>> > > [GM]<BR>> > > The other two crew members approach and salute.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > "Looks like you had a bad time of it." one of them, a tall man<BR>> > > in damaged armor says. "We had a bad time. Apparently, our<BR>> > > good doctor turned out to be a traitor, and it nearly cost us. We've<BR>> > > got ourselves some prisoners, Kittanni by the looks of 'em. Nasty<BR>> > > Splugorth minions. The Captain wants you to know we're under<BR>> > > way now, and she's expecting a full report from Sir Lyle, but she<BR>> > > says to get washed up and get some rest."<BR>> > > [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> > [Alex]<BR>> > Alex asks, "Is there anyway that you can send a diver out to<BR>> > see if you can find him? I am just so tired of having had to leave all<BR>> > my comrades behind."<BR>> > [/Alex]<BR>> <BR>> [GM]<BR>> One of the crewmen nods in agreement. "Aye, ma'am, that we<BR>> shall."<BR>> [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> [...]<BR>> <BR>> [GM]<BR>> Sometime later as the submarine slips away from the base, one of<BR>> the crew comes to visit the party.<BR>> <BR>> "We looked," he says sadly, "aye, that we looked. The base is<BR>> a dangerous place, mind you, but we searched as best we could<BR>> and find nothing. Bits o' the brain things ye talked about, but no<BR>> sign of your companion, save this."<BR>> <BR>> He leaves them Talas's kitana, broken a few inches above the hilt.<BR>> "A fine bit o' work, if I say so. He must o' been one kind of warrior.<BR>> and it grieves me not ta bring back a body for ye to bury."<BR>> [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> [...]<BR>> <BR>> > > [GM]<BR>> > > For the most part the sub stays below the surface, hoping to<BR>> > > avoid the pirates and other undesirables that plague these<BR>> > > dangerous waters between Atlantis and the Old World. There<BR>> > > are a few close calls, and one rather nasty sea battle with<BR>> > > a Kittani submarine bent on sinking the ship.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > It is a full eleven days before it is announced over the intercom<BR>> > > that land has been sighted. The submarine surfaces in short order<BR>> > > to reveal a green and verdant coast, clearly tropical, but the forest<BR>> > > removed leaving mile after mile of farmland. As the submarine<BR>> > > approaches the coast, it can clearly be seen that this is a land<BR>> > > divided into manors, with small villages centered on a large manor<BR>> > > house.<BR>> > > [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> > [Alex]<BR>> > The red headed scout will have spend a few days getting all of her gear<BR>> > ready for the field. As well, she would have tried talking to this<BR>> > dagger a bit although warning it that she does not glory in battle.<BR>> > [/Alex]<BR>> <BR>> [...]<BR>> <BR>> > > [GM]<BR>> > > ...<BR>> > ><BR>> > > And with that the company sets foot on Africa, admittedly<BR>> > > a very tame little corner of it. The transport drops them off<BR>> > > at a small but well-kept hotel. Inside, it's a surprise to see<BR>> > > that it isn't an inn, there is no commons per se, but rather<BR>> > > a lounge and restaurant. At the front desk a very smartly<BR>> > > dressed concierge looking like he stepped out of one of the<BR>> > > ancient pre-Rifts movies says in a crisp, English accent.<BR>> > ><BR>> > > "Ah yes, company of seven. Your rooms await." He snaps<BR>> > > his fingers and three busboys appear to help the company<BR>> > > with their belongings. In short order they find themselves<BR>> > > in a suite of rooms on the third floor, brightly lit with very<BR>> > > comfortable looking beds. The concierge appears behind<BR>> > > them. "The restaurant usually serves dinner at six. That<BR>> > > is about an hour from now. If you would care to freshen up,<BR>> > > or if you like, I can bring dinner to you."<BR>> > > [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> > [Carlos]<BR>> > Carlos mutters "Uhh, you can bring it to my room." He feels<BR>> > a little off-center from the group's last adventures, even after<BR>> > the ride across the ocean.<BR>> > [/Carlos[<BR>> <BR>> > [Koba]<BR>> > The long trip across the sea was the longest time Koba Had been<BR>> > without seeing the sun or sky. Upon arriving on the shore, Koba was<BR>> > astounded to see what looks like a verdant countryside. Near constant<BR>> > invasions and raids of his home town by violent and evil groups of<BR>> > bandits and creatures from the rifts left the people of his hometown<BR>> > huddled together for safety in squalor and poverty like a school of<BR>> > fish surrounded by sharks. The rare picture of the world before the<BR>> > rifts he has seen bears a remarkable similarity to this farmland.<BR>> ><BR>> > With the submarine's claustrophobic corridors now behind him Koba<BR>> > enjoys the fresh air on the ride to the hotel. Once he has dropped off<BR>> > his belongings in the room, he changes into his set of civilian clothes<BR>> > and heads down to he restaurant to have a warm meal in relative peace<BR>> > (with his pistol in his waistband of course). Picking an empty table,<BR>> > he will try to find something not too unfamiliar to his palate.<BR>> > [/Koba]<BR>> <BR>> > [Ted]<BR>> > Ted seeks Owen out for some healing and then lets the Mind<BR>> > Mage get his rest.<BR>> > [/Ted]<BR>> <BR>> > [Owen]<BR>> > Owen will take the opportunity to rest for an hour, and will join those<BR>> > who wish to eat at the restaurant, taking his pistol with him.<BR>> > [/Owen]<BR>> <BR>> > [Ted]<BR>> > Ted then goes to the restaurant unarmed.<BR>> > [Ted]<BR>> <BR>> > [Alex]<BR>> > Alex will not be real comfortable with the hotel. She is in many ways<BR>> > more used to barracks and the like than any fancy hotel. At home, she<BR>> > was in a small homestead with the rest of her family.<BR>> > [/Alex]<BR>> <BR>> [GM]<BR>> Raven does not join the company for dinner, and Sir Lyle announces<BR>> that he's off to dine with the crew. Louissa, still clearly distraught<BR>> by the loss of Talas, does not accompany them either.<BR>> <BR>> The food is actually quite good, the menu having some familiar items,<BR>> but dominated by dishes made out of lamb and fish. Still the food<BR>> is enjoyable and the setting a welcome relief from the cramped<BR>> galley of the submarine or eating outdoors. Alex may find this most<BR>> uncomfortable of all.<BR>> <BR>> The rest of the customers seem, if not to be upper crust, then at least<BR>> to be reasonably well to do. The women have modest jewelry, the<BR>> men dressed in somewhat odd finery involving kilts. A few people<BR>> look at them curiously, but for the most part no one pays them any<BR>> peculiar attention.<BR>> <BR>> The meal passes uneventfully, a real change of pace from the<BR>> normally manic lives the adventurers have. In fact, the evening goes<BR>> by peacefully as well, unlike the bloodshed of their last stay in an<BR>> inn. New Argyll seems a relatively prosperous, law-abiding place,<BR>> though overheard talk suggests that the inland regions are somewhat<BR>> more dangerous, and that to the north the Phoenix Empire has begun<BR>> to make its presence outside of the Mediterranean known. Still,<BR>> in the tranquility of Port Mackenzie, these rumors of strange empires<BR>> far away seem to occupy little more than idle banter.<BR>> <BR>> On the next morning, while the company enjoys a light breakfast,<BR>> Osiris, pushed in a wheelchair by a young, comely nurse and looking<BR>> a little healthier, if still pretty banged up joins them. "I hear they've<BR>> found passage for you, heading out to New Camelot. I'm trying to talk<BR>> the doctors into letting me go. But you know doctors."<BR>> <BR>> As Osiris and the rest of the company chat, Owen and Alex get<BR>> strange, distant expressions across their faces. Someone behind them<BR>> shouts "Oh my god! Everyone duck!"<BR>> <BR>> Quite suddenly there's a bright flash and an explosion that literally knocks<BR>> people out of their chairs. It's impossible to tell what's happening, as the<BR>> room is filled with smoke, dust and debris, and the air feels superheated<BR>> to the point where it feels like its burning lungs. It's quickly followed<BR>> by another blast, more distant, but the building itself seems to shake much<BR>> more and above the explosion can be heard, or rather felt, the subsonic<BR>> moaning of a damaged structure.<BR>> <BR>> Whatever the attack, everyone in the company realizes a good portion<BR>> of their equipment is upstairs in their room, which they're going to have<BR>> to get to fast, if at all.<BR>> <BR>> Mass panic is now spreading as people scream, running madly back and<BR>> forth. Sirens can be heard in the distance, and then another explosion...<BR>> and then another... and then another... Still they can see nothing through<BR>> the smoke and dust, but it sure sounds like an attack.<BR>> [/GM]<BR>> <BR>> -- <BR>> Aaron Clausen<BR>> mightymartianca@gmail.com<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> Taocowpbem mailing list<BR>> Taocowpbem@zork.net<BR>> http://zork.net/mailman/listinfo/taocowpbem<BR>                                            <br /><hr />Hotmail has tools for the New Busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. <a href='http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID28326::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:042010_1' target='_new'>Learn more.</a></body>
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