The Campaign Builder's Guild

[ooc=Information]This thread is one of two game threads for City of the Chosen, a play-by-post strategic roleplaying game.
Rules (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,209841.0.html)
OOC Discussion (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,209838.0.html)
Characters (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,209844.msg222043.html)

In this thread you, as a player, can post bits of fiction, messages to other players, or other in-character actions that you want to make visible to other players. This thread is not for posting your actions/assignments for a given turn (for that, see the City of the Chosen: Events (http://www.thecbg.org/index.php/topic,209860.msg222395.html#msg222395) thread).

If you have some new roleplaying/communication/fluff item, post it as a reply, rather than editing it into an existing post. This avoids the need to post "message to Jens Faber" or whatever in the discussion thread.

You should feel free to have in-character conversations with other players over IRC or chat or whatever, but if you do BE SURE TO POST A TRANSCRIPT IN THIS THREAD. Some characters have eavesdropping abilities, and it's important to keep a log of all communications.

Wrap everything that you don't want to be public in spoiler tags and list the characters that can see it in the spoiler tag title. We're using an honor system to protect privacy, so be honorable.

Remember that you control NPC allies for the purposes of roleplaying them. If you want to have a conversation with an ally, just make it up; there's no need to consult me. (Though I will speak up if you're having the NPC do something very strange.) If you want to have one of your NPC allies talk with another player's NPC ally, you and the other player should roleplay as them. If you want to talk to an unaligned NPC, feel free to roleplay them for minor actions, responses and dialog. If you want the NPC to do something drastic you'll have to let me know so that I can set it up as an event.

It's a good idea to note what characters you're controlling, so that people don't get confused.

Always include the location(s) where a conversation/bit of roleplaying occurs. Again, this is important for eavesdropping. (On the first turn the only location is the Pod Tower.)

It is strongly encouraged, though not required, to post in this thread at least once per week, even if it's just something small like your character musing to themself.[/ooc]


I'll kick things off with a minor bit of NPC fiction. I won't normally do this; I'm mostly trying to illustrate the purpose of the thread.

[ic=Jéssica (Pod Tower)]Where the bloody hell was she?! The last thing Jéssica could remember was lounging about the Flor de Seda brothel, and the next minute she's waking up in some sort of egg-bed in some kind of glowing tower!

"Where in heaven's name am I?!" she yelled out, attracting the attention of several strangers who seemed to be just as confused as she was. She smiled a bit at the whole "heaven's name" thing. She liked to pretend to be a gentle-woman from time to time. She caught a teenage boy staring at her and another smile caught her lips. She winked at him and walked to the other side of the pod so as to make him want to give chase. He was a negro, like her, but he seemed straight out of the stories of Africa; wild and nearly naked save a loincloth and a blanket worn over the shoulder.

"He couldn't afford us." said an eerily familiar voice from behind her. She turned around and, for once, her smile faded into a look of pure surprise. There in front of her was standing Jéssica. What? It was true. Jéssica the surprised was staring open-mouthed at Jéssica the amused. The amused Jéssica reached forward and closed the surprised version's mouth with a gentile hand. "Now, now. It hardly becomes a lady to stand like that." And Jéssica the amused grinned wide.

"How is this... who are you?"

"Me? I'm you." said the clone.

"You can't be me! I'm me!"

"Now now, there's plenty of us to spread around, don't you think?" said the Jéssica with the grin.

"What sort of witchcraft is this?" demanded the shocked version.

The other Jéssica stopped smiling for a bit and looked somewhat cross. "There's no need to call us a witch, Fuzzyhead. I'm practically as shocked as you. And actually, I was just a minute ago. This is a spell happenin' TO us, not FROM us, so learn to enjoy it a little."

The surprised Jéssica turned into amused Jéssica at being called "Fuzzyhead" by herself. "What do you mean by 'a minute ago'?"

"Here, Fuzzy, I'll show you. Focus on the me that first surprised you. Imagine you are her."

Jéssica closed her eyes and tried. It wasn't hard. That Jéssica was her, after all. When she opened her eyes she was standing behind herself. Her clone seemed to be amused by thinking about the boy on the other side of the egg. Jéssica wasn't about to let herself be out-amused.

"He couldn't afford us." she told herself.[/ic]

[ic=Jens Faber (Pod Room)]
If this was some blasted starboy's idea of a prank Jens didn't find it especially funny. He felt his heart racing in time with the frantic pace of his thoughts. Maybe it was just a dream... Feeling his way he pulled out his knife pricked himself in the palm and... nope that was a stupid idea. Ok so this isn't a dream and he really had been kidnapped. Jens turned about slowly taking in the strange place. He wasn't especially familiar with startech but he recognized it well enough to know that it didn't look a thing like this place. Ships were cramped and contained, this place was way too spacious. He felt a rising mix of concern that he was lost combined with indignation that anyone would dare kidnap someone in this way. He'd figure it out, he'd been in tougher situations. The teachings of his father helped to kill the growing worry before it could bloom into full on panic. "Keep your head fixed on right" he heard the old man's voice say "flailing about never solved anything... now let's look at this one bit at a time..."

Jens took a moment to gather himself, his heart rate steadying. As he did so he felt an odd sort of freeing sensation and there was the lifting of a veil. He could see clearly again and his voice also seemed to be working now. Glancing down he saw everything fade into view. There were the familiar rough patches of skin and scar (and a fresh cut where he'd stuck himself moments ago). As he flexed his fingers Jens took a look around, noticing a very odd collection of people talking in an odd collection of languages. The concern almost rose up again when he realized he could fluently understand what they were saying. He pushed it back down and moved towards the gathering crowd. They were a motley assortment and Jens immediately latched onto the most familiar looking one he could find. He recognized the feel of her language, it was most certainly Russian and the way she stood upright with a cold yet not cruel look in her eyes reminded him of Sophie from the camp.

Holding his hand out in greeting he approached the woman respectfully. "Hello I am Jens, what is your name? Do you know where we are?" The Russian's gaze seemed to pierce him body and soul and Jens almost wanted to apologize for bothering her.

"I am Olga. I do not recognize this place."

Jens scratched at his beard absently, "This is very odd, I am sure we should gather our wits and work to discover what is going on."

Olga stared at him for a painful moment, "Yes I concur, panic will only serve to disrupt." With that she was off leaving Jens to ponder the interaction as well as what to do next.
[/ic]

[ic=Bastien Mcgregor (Pod Tower)]"Where in the world....."

Bastien couldn't end the sentence. That yell was something not easily ignored. Despite Bastien being always calm, there was something with the portuguese that make his nerves freak out.

"calm down" he said to himself.... and then realized he could understand that language.

He tried not to overthink; first things first.

"Where Am I?" the question filled his head "And why?"

There was no place on his memories that could look like the room in which he was. He has never seen these people before. And he doesn't know what was that thing that he was holding on his hand.

"A polearm?" no, the blade was so long for that. Being almost two feet higher than him and with half its lenght as a sword it was nothing like he has seen before.... or that was his thinking. Suddenly he closed his eyes and a memory came back to him. A memory he lost, but now it was so clear on his mind. He knows what it was, and more important, he knows how to use it. But where were this memory coming from?.

"Marianne" he said opening his eyes and reaching his chest.

He took a little amulet on his hand. It was heart shaped and has a lily on its center. As soon as the amulet on the necklace left his chest and entered the domain of his hand something changed. It was like passing out, but he was still there, fresh, as if just awakened. His mind took a new perspective, and began to explore the information gathered as it was an object of study.

(I'm not alone) he thought to himself ( Everybody else looks as confused as I am. They seem from different places. My amulet is tingling. This weapon it's property of Marianne, but I lost all contact with her family after her death......) a sad angered expression  filled his face just for halft a second before being again under control (.....There's no human way to find her family and bring this to me. Even this whole change on my perception is something so out of my grasp...... I wonder if it has something to do with my lost memories..... not enough information to be sure.) His mind become sharp as a sword checking all the possibilities with no results.

"I'll deal with it later" said finally abandoning his ruminations.

Feeling his arm exhausted, holding the long weapon he decided to hold it with the other hand.
As soon as the amulet was on the other hand he felt fading away, but he was still there, anew. This time he felt happy and the weight on his hand seems to almost dissapear. This time there were no thoughts, no sharp mind.
"I Need Meat" he said before paying attention to his sword-staff-whatever-it-was weapon. It doesn't took so much time before he was trying it. His moves was faster than usual and, somehow, resembled the ones of a feral beast.
He was just so excited doing so,that he lost perception of his surroundings....[/ic]

[ooc=Note]Everyone is welcome to roleplay events from the last turn (now that the outcomes have been revealed) as well as communicate with other players and write fluff for this turn. Keep in mind that you can write communications that occur before or after any events in the turn. If you want to be clear that you're writing something that takes place after an event, just specify with a bit of ooc text (in an ooc block or not).

You're also free, as always, to reveal information which is private to you or even to lie about said information. (But you cannot lie about an event.)[/ooc]

[ic= Bastien (Pod Tower)]Well, that was no good at all. This girl, Layla, apparently being a silent girl was indeed a worthy opponent. Every word perfectly fit to discredit his possition was like a stab..... there was something strange about her; every word was so keen for her age... but it was beyond his grasp to comprehend what makes her so particular. He needs to know more about this intriguing girl, but not now.
Bastien then set his eye to an old man, an asian warrior. He started a conversation and introduced himself as Bastien of the Mcgregor Family. The man Introduced himself as Hong Gyeong-su of the Goryeo kingdom. Bastien had never heard of such a place, but was kind of familiar with his spoken language. Not as syllabic as japanese, or with enough diphthongs as Chinnese. He should be Korean. The man seems impresed with Bastien.

Hong: "The others will, sooner or later, come around to the same conclussion that I have come"

after a brief silent moment the subject changed

Bastien: "What do you think about about this arab girl?, Layla"

Hong: "Disrespectful. She shouldn't have talked like that to a man without the approval of her parents. She can have a keen eye, but I will not follow a woman"

Bastien nodded. His beliefs about women were really different from the ones of the asian man, but he will not show disrespect to the old man.

Bastien: "Any idea of how we get here?"

Hong: "I suspect it may be the spirits...... for their intentions are still unkown"

Bastien: "Indeed, the intentions.... that's the the most worryng thing about this. What do you say to stay together to find out what's going on here?"

Hong: "A wise option, but I want to know more about the others before making a move"

Batien: "I understand. We'll see later"

Hong bow his head and Bastien did likewise, then Bastien stood up and decided to see the surroundings....[/ic]

[spoiler=Only characters assigned to "Hello, My Name Is...", Layla (Pod Tower)]

[ic=Bastien]

In order to amend his broken image Bastien is the first on approach the gathering to tell his background.

"Taking into account the latest accusations against me, I think is your right to know who am I."

Addressing to the group, but especially to Layla

"I'll be the first; if that's fine for you all, of course"[/ic][/spoiler]

[ooc=GM Note]I'm considering giving character development tokens to characters who have a decent showing in the RP thread to encourage posting. These tokens could be spent, once things settle down for the chosen, on purchasing additional mental traits. I recognize that people are busy, but it's been very quiet here.[/ooc]

[ic=Blood On Her Hands]Fuck. It hurt. Like a thousand white hot knives deep in her gut, and she was screaming. She was on her back in the Airlifter, and the rhythmic hum of the thrusters beat into her skull like waves crashing over jagged rocks. The paramedics were fussing over her, cutting away her clothes, trying to get at the bleeding. But she couldn't see their faces, and shadows crept in at the edge of her vision. Why couldn't she see their faces? Why the fuck couldn't she see their faces? Something was wrong. So so wrong. Wronger than the pain in her gut, the pain that would kill her.

"Get the fuck off me!" she screamed, and she lashed out with a fist. There was nothing there, and she was alone. She was nowhere, and blackness was all about her. There was no sky, no horizon, just the endless dark. She could see though, see herself, see forever into that blackness. The pain hadn't left her, and there was so much blood. She huddled over herself, trying to keep everything inside, but the blood ran over her hands. There was so much blood on her hands. The bullets, she could feel them inside her. The bullets were inside her, and she had to get them out. She dug through her own torn flesh then, her hand slick with hot, wet blood. She had something, and the pain seemed to reach an apex, and there were flashes of white behind her eyes, and she screamed her throat raw, and blood ran down her lips and from her chin. But she had it in her hands, and she took it out from inside of her. And then the pain was gone, and she held it before her. A disc, small and dark, but glowing with so much red. It had drank of her blood, she knew. Drank it all up. Killed her, just like that.

She felt so small, so insignificant. She cried as she held the disc. When was the last time she'd cried? She just wanted another chance. She just wanted to do it right this time. She was sorry. Sorry for all the people she'd hurt, sorry that it had to be this way, sorry that it was all such a waste. Her heart was beating so fast. So so fast. She tried to get up, but she couldn't. She was too weak, too tired. The disc only glowed brighter, and she hated it then. But it seemed to comfort her nonetheless, and she knew in that moment that it was her salvation, that someday it would save her. Today was not that day. Her heart stopped beating, and then she was gone.[/ic]

[ic="Memory Of The Great Library" (Kixthish Dream)]
A pleasant afternoon indeed, a good place to read a book,right between those Doric pillars.

What kind of book should he read? It doesn't matter to him. He opened the book and take a glance inside. Then he immersed on the book, between its pages, and then he was in a completely different location. In front of his eyes there was a library of overwhelming proportions filled with all kind of books; filled with knowledge.
He took one book and everything vanished.

He could feel the breeze on his hair. He was not inside the book, he was between those Doric pillars, with the book he took from the library on his hands. What kind of book he should read next? It doesn't matter... to him...

[.....]

Bastien began to recover consciousness.... there was the floor in which he lies.... the tower.... the "replica spillover" (whatever that means)... he needs to stand up
Bastien, move....[/ic]

[ic=Bastien (Pod Tower)]
It wasn't hard to feel in a dangerous position after being unconscious on the floor.
Bastien helped the others to get up and then looked his surroundings again: the hallway went down to the right, and up to the left, and tehre was a door right in front of them.
"where should we go?" he said addressing the whole group
[/ic]

[ooc] Maybe a little of coordination could be helpful for exploration[/ooc]

[ic=Saitoro (the Æther)]
Saitoro drifted, feeling the same wind he had felt before in the Pod Tower drag and pull on the outer extremities of his weightless body.
Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but the endless blue of the sky lit by a directionless luminescence - no landmarks, no features - and closed them again, as the unending stretch of blank sky was no more informative than the darkness of the inside of his eyelids.
Feeling the wind continue to tug him this way and that, Saitoro concentrated and began attempting to work out how to move in this strange new place and why he was here, idly wondering for a moment as to the nature of the 'replica spillover' that had catalyzed his transportation here before setting the thought aside in favor of contemplating his current circumstances.[/ic]

[ooc=Note]I'll be participating in the roleplaying thread more. In some cases I'll be posting dialog prompts for NPCs that I mention in the events thread. In other situations I may write dialog prompts for allied NPCs. If you have a request for a prompt for a specific event or character, feel free to PM me. I'll probably start with the prompts tomorrow or the next day.[/ooc]

[ic=*In utter Darkness, falling, drowning* ]

"Death..... I have been near that state for three times.
First, that damn uncle of Marianne: he staved me to the wall while I was a child; it hurt.

Second, The day of her death: I almost bled to death; it hurt.

And now.... beaten by myself, and drowning on a... "thing"; but it feels good.
In the darkness, it feels good.... It fills me, it's... joyful. But I'm dying.....
I can't accept that, not now... not now that I can remember Marianne Last Words to me: 'Live'....."

He opened his eyes, and there was a face, a woman face. Olga was staring at him with her shoulder-length blond hair slicked with black goop, and a smile of relief on her face. She looks beautiful. Then she stand up quickly, returning her face to her normally serious demeanour.

"Это хорошо, чтобы видеть' тебя живым"("It is a good thing to see you alive.")

"I'm happy to see you too" He said with a smile.
Standing up and looking the surroundings he continue
"where are we?"[/ic]

[spoiler=For Saitoro][ic=An Unexpected Visitor]The man is there without warning. Not even the breeze flows with his sudden appearance. He's only a bit taller than you, and dressed in a style similar to the man who called himself John Dante. If Saitoro were more familiar with the clothing of the future, he'd recognize the business suit with necktie. The man is clean shaven and his hair is well cut. When he speaks it becomes clear he isn't Japanese, even though he has the look.

"Ah baik, aku senang aku menemukanmu, Saitoro-san." (Ah good, I'm glad I found you, Saitoro.)

His gaze, previously fixed on the floor, lifts to meet yours, and you can see that his eyes gleam with a metallic shimmer; his irises are completely silver. In his arms is a large, leather-bound book.

"You'll forgive me if I don't stay long. I just wanted to talk to you before..." He hesitates. "I am getting ahead of myself. I have a question for you, if you don't mind." A small smile comes to the man's lips, but his eyes... His eyes are a mystery.[/ic][/spoiler]

[spoiler=For Bastien][ooc]It's TheMeanestGuest's choice where Bastien and Olga end up, and as such I'm not in a position to answer your question. Juliet can, though, and I've sent a message to TMG encouraging him to respond.

The following RP blurb is part of meeting the "stranger" that I mentioned in the events thread. It's not dependent on location, so it works regardless of where Juliet chooses. It happens significantly after you recover, though, so it's not meant to be a response to your most recent post.[/ooc]

[ic=Stranger]A gust of wind disrupts your explorations.

"Halo, Bastien. Saya harap saya tidak mengganggu." (Hello, Bastien. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.)

Behind you is a man in a business suit. His features and language imply an Asian origin, though he doesn't sound Chinese or Japanese. He's shorter than you, is in his early 30s or late 20s, and wears a business suit with necktie. His irises appear to be silver, and his eyes generally have a strange, metallic shine. He holds a large book in his arms. Bound in leather, you can see no indication of the tome's contents on its cover. Memories of your dream drift back to you as you recognize it. On either side of him are two tall white trees, their trunks reminiscent of pillars...

The man sees you eye the book, and holds it out for you to take. "My gift to you. I hope you like to read." The man smiles knowingly.[/ic][/spoiler]

I'll post more prompts later in the week. Remember that allied NPCs are always under your control, so there's no need for me to write half of any dialogs you wish to have with them.

[ic=In The Garden]"Yeah, great. We're all fucking alive, congratulations." Juliet said as she tried to scrape the slime out of her hair and off of her clothes, anger and frustration writ plain on her delicate face. She gestured grandiosely, waving her arms at their surroundings. "And God planted a garden, welcome to fucking Eden." A tree leaned over the pool, and she reached up and picked an apple from its branch, taking a huge bite out of it almost immediately. "No need to thank me for saving your damn life or anything. And yeah, there's food." She picked another apple and threw it - not so gently - at Bastien. "I just can't seem to get away from you people, can I? No matter how hard I try. I was fine on my own for fifteen fucking years, and I sure as shit don't need anyone now. So, I'm gonna get this shit off me, and I'm gonna eat everything I can see, and then I'm gonna peace the fuck out. Right? Have a nice life, Olga."[/ic]

[ic=The Garden (Night)]Trees rise up from black soil, their trunks white and ghostly in the dim light. The room, for this place is surely indoors, is deathly silent. No insects, animals, birds, or running water. Every now and again one can feel the slightest breeze, but it is hardly notable. The branches overhead obscure the ceiling, which is undoubtedly many meters above. Pale orbs of light drift through the canopy like miniature moons, throwing shadows every direction and yet making no noise.

The garden appears to be tended; paths of flat stones run throughout in winding patterns, but the land is hardly flat. Little hills are everywhere, and in the valleys are deep pools. Some are water, while others are strange liquids like the hot black goop found elsewhere. The surfaces of the pools are covered with leaves and the water appears to be remarkably clean, despite being stationary.

All around the trees are little bushes or plants, some with flowers and others plain. Small fruits are easy to find on the bushes and trees, but never on the ground. Apples, pears, strawberries, and more can be discovered if one searches, but they seem different in small ways--in their taste, texture, and coloration.[/ic]

[spoiler=Basnetl][ooc]Olga is your character, so you are free to respond to Juliet as you desire. You should know a few things, though:
* Olga approached Juliet very early, and learned that Juliet is not Soviet and that Juliet's superpower is lightning reflexes.
* Olga screamed to Juliet to help save Bastien, and it seems as though she did (this is an event for Juliet). (Bastien was unconscious at the bottom of a pool, and the women had to pull him out.)
* Olga probably thinks of Juliet as a bourgeoisie wannabe--a common person who lacks the moral fiber to endorse good, communist values.

(If I were writing her I'd probably have her say something like "The woman had no trouble, so she bought a piglet. Do you not see that we are sisters in this place? To preserve our brother's life is good, yes, but you act like a little bourgeois girl who is moaning over the dirt on her favorite dress. We need to work together to get out of here, after which I will be glad to see you leave.")[/spoiler]

[ic=Xangô]Jéssica looked at John with a smile that didn't come close to reaching her eyes. The weight on her arm, far off as it was, wore heavily on her. This place had seemed fun; it had seemed an adventure. She re-adjusted her dress, trying to keep the cloth together and not think of home.

"Xangô. That's who you are. I figured it out." said the whore to the detective. She looked down, unable to keep from looking at the black slime that had swallowed the others. "My mother used to tell me stories of Africa. Some of the old kings had magic powers, like we do, and Xangô had yours. I think we've been reborn as gods."

Jéssica shifted her dress slightly, the smile reaching her eyes this time. "And I guess that makes me Oxum... his wife."[/ic]

[spoiler=Juliet][ic=The Garden]Juliet's words were like cold water on Bastien face, who barely managed to catch the apple. He stayed still while trying to figure out what to say to that.
But Olga was not as quiet as Bastien.

"Не́ было у ба́бы хлопо́т, так купи́ла порося́(The woman had no trouble, so she bought a piglet). Do you not see that we are sisters in this place? To preserve our brother's life is good, yes, but you act like a little bourgeois girl who is moaning over the dirt on her favorite dress. We need to work together to get out of here, after which I will be glad to see you leave."

Olga's words where a little rough

"Well if you saved me, then I owe you two" said Bastien trying to lessen the stress "I do believe we ought to stay together in order to overcome this difficulty" He knew cohabitation would be hard, but he would make sure it was bearable.[/ic][/spoiler]

[ic=Binding Wounds pt 1]

John looked at Jessica, running a hand along the side of her face and brushing some stray hairs behind her ear, and then eases her into a sitting posistion, tearing some strips of cloth off his shirt to begin binding her wounds, talking quietly into her ear. "Doll, it would be a blast to find out exactly what that entails, but right now...now just isn't the right time, not with those damned doubles runnin' around, not with us all balled up from fighting. Soon as we get a quite spell, I'll be happy to show I'm not some bluenose, but as it stands...as it stands, we can't afford to be distracted." He gives her a regretful look as he ties off another bandage. "It's bull that we gotta worry about getting bumped off by mirrors of ourself, but we gotta stay focused. For now." He offers her his duster, a bit worse for the wear but servicable. "Here. It'll look a damn bit better on you, anyway. Besides, need you to take care of it for me."

He stands up, looking around at the assembled group. Bastien was gone, and Layla was unconcious.

"Alright, people, listen up. Until the dame wakes up, we gotta act. If anyone's worried about the others, don't. Some crazy mystical doohicky told us that they're still alive, and we gotta trust they can get themselves out of any danger their in. Now, those doubles, they're gonna be coming back again. I'm open to ideas as far as how to handle that, but right now looks like best option would be for Oryx and me to hold the bridge, on account of he's a complete big six and I've got this crazy magic lightning. Any other thoughts?"[/ic]

[ic=Binding Wounds pt 2]

John walks over to Oryx, a smile on his face.

"Good work on the bridge, kid. Wasn't for you, we probably all be dead. No, scratch that bull, we would have all gotten bumped off, no probably about it."

He looks at Oryx's smile, and lets the praise sink in for a moment. "There's just one little problem, though. You were swingin pretty wild there and hit one of us. Now, I didn't see well what exactly happened, but unfortuantely what happened exactly isn't what's imporant. You swung, you hit him. Need you to go over and let him know you're gonna make that right; there aren't that many of us, and we gotta make sure we're all on the same page. Make sure there's no bad blood, you know?"[/ic]

[ic]Gyeong-su was hoping to defend the bridge, but as Orix was there with Jhon he supposed it will be fine

"It's fine for me" said after hearing what Jhon said. "I'll look for an exit while you're on that"[/ic]

[ic=With the Stranger]
Saitoro considered the man before him, trying for a moment to reconcile the stranger's appearance as a fellow countryman with his foreign dress and language, before putting it out of his mind to focus on the conversation. Meeting the stranger's eerie gaze, Saitoro considered for a moment before the appropriate koan came almost of its own accord into his mind, deliberately using the level of keigo above what was required for a new acquaintance to test the stranger's Japanese.

"Makanu tane wa haenu." (Nothing will grow, if the seed not be sown) Bowing to the stranger, Saitoro gave a polite smile. "Ask your question, stranger."[/ic]

[ic=Saitoro's Guest]The man smiles, his eyes always shining. "Stranger", he muses, "It's a fitting word, don't you think? You don't know me yet, having only just arrived, but just because two people have met... does it really make things less strange?" He continues to use his native tongue, apparently oblivious to your linguistic shift. "We're all strange to each other. Even those of us from the same time. How could it be otherwise? The rift between cultures is too vast. If any of us had been blessed with a community, we might never have spoken more than a word. It's human nature to stick to the familiar, you know."

You are beginning to get the impression that the man enjoys the sound of his own voice.

"And speaking of familiar, here is my question--think hard before answering: Do you remember the Tango no Sekku when you had aged only 6 years? Was there anything... strange or unusual about it?" He shifts uncomfortably as he asks, suddenly seeming to become aware of the weight of the object in his arms.[/ic]

[spoiler=HippopotamusDundee][ooc]Feel free to answer that question in any way you wish. The narrative can accommodate anything from a simple "No" to something more involved.[/ooc][/spoiler]

[ooc]RP prompts and the details for the rest of the NPCs will be showing up over the next few days. Of course, don't wait up on a prompt if you're inclined to write something!

Also, some of you may notice that I've started writing more in-depth descriptions of events and character-reactions. This is largely due to a desire to have the world and characters more fleshed out. If I ever write one of your characters doing something that you don't think is right, don't hesitate to let me know. I also leave some situations intentionally vague or incomplete so that you can fill them in, if you so desire.[/ooc]

Please don't use my RP against me :p.

Please make your allocations before you read the RP since I'm probably blowing some of my actions here.

[ic=In Pod Tower 2]
Vic stumbled out of his pod, hacking and coughing. The smoke swirled around him and then he got a good look at where he was. Where he was was not the bed he'd nodded off in. It wasn't the seedy motel. It wasn't a ditch. It wasn't a crick. It wasn't a jail. It was a white room, with black ceilings. Black-roof country, sparkling pavement, marble walls like a Freemason settlement. Freemasons. Shit. Vic always knew they were into some crazy things, but kidnapping?

His eyes adjusted and he saw others stumble around in the room. A lady, or at least the vision of a lady skulked in the side, lipstick or blood smeared over her face, bent over like a panther hiding to pounce. Suspicious. Demonic. Strange. No Freemasons then. Wimmenfolk wouldn't be allowed in their sanctuary.

Then it disappeared... Maybe then Freemasons... Mummers? Woodsmen of the World?

And what was this, a kid stumbled out of a pod dressed straight out of like she was on the little house on the prairie in North Dak or west of Wichita town?

Total snake oil. Total hallucination.

Then the visions hit him.

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/c/cream/white+room_20034207.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkae0-TgrRU
***

Now THOSE were hallucinations. Then THIS was reality? Or purgatory?

Vic got out his gun and pointed it at his leg. Then he thought better of it and sheathed the thing back on his hip, displaying it to intimidate the freak-show assorted around him. Lady, Lady, Kid, Monkey-Lady dressed like a Colorful Mummified Creature, Dwarflike Chisled man. Freak show of a Hell-"Hello." Vic spoke up, his showmanship taking front.

"'bout time I introduced myself, ladies and gents. Y'all look mighty confused, mon bon amis, mon bon gentlefolk. And confused we should rightly be, but standing around and doing jack o'all nothing ain't going to get us nowhere. What's this, m'lady, did I hear you wonder where your husband was? Well I don't know where he is, but I know how we can find out where we are. First things first, better find out where you last were? Think about that, if it's clear. But I digress, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Vic Fellowes, or in the mother tongue, Claude Feldaire, traveling apothecary extraordinaire. And I can guarantee that this didn't happen from drinking wormtounge because I ain't had a draught o' that yet. Maybewise we might be dead and this be purgatory, but this ain't a hallucination."

***Fight

"Well then there, I did say I was an apothecary no doubt, that means Doctor where I come from, or Pharmacist, ain't got tha schoolin' of a doctor, but I've got tha experience to know what to saw off, what to leave on, what to draught down."

***

'K, so things could have gone a lot better. Seems like either we gonna sort these things out one on one mano a mano and some people are gonna get kilt. I don't like getting kilt. Anyone who doesn't like getting kilt better be ready to work together. Anyone here wanna work t'gether wit' me?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Soy3PHV3RiM

***

Say, I'm goin over to this weird looking station control room. Maybewise we can meet a conductor of some sort.


[/ic]

[ic=The Abandoned Campsite (Jéssica and the Medicine Man)]"And so! 'To every undertaking there are always four trials.' said Coyote." The Medicine Man rattled his beads, and Jéssica nearly fell over in shock. For a man practically covered in rattles he could be weirdly sneaky. "Of course, Coyote was talking about making the Earth, you know, but the truth is the truth. Four is still a sacred number. Is this known to your people as well?"

Jéssica clutched the overcoat about her more tightly and frowned. Most of the time she'd give some sort of retort, but her throat was burning and her head felt like an overripe fruit. She slowly closed the lid to the wooden box she'd found, hoping the man wouldn't see the treasure. "I don't have a people." she said with more than an intended level of bitterness. "My grandparents were stolen from their people. My mother never saw her lands. And I'm a bastard. Unwanted by my own house. Nothing is sacred to me."

Medicine Man smiled, somehow pulling his wrinkled face to reveal a kind and gentle man. "Nothing is sacred to any of us, really. Not even the number four. We pretend things are sacred to make them grow in size. Like Coyote. He knew how to make a world. The first step was the dreaming. The second step was collecting (though he had the ducks do that for him)..." Medicine Man made a goofy imitation of a duck, and even with cold sweat beading on her face, and her arm weighing her down, Jéssica found room to smile. "The third step was the pretending. Coyoted pretended that the soil that the ducks had found was the most sacred thing in the world. And because he pretended, he began to believe..." The man shook his beads for dramatic effect. "And because he believed..." The man suddenly thrust his arms out wide as if the thing in his hands grew beyond imagination. As he did so he blew into a slide-whistle which had somehow appeared in his mouth, making a comical "growing" noise. "The world was formed."

"What was the fourth trial?"

Medicine Man walked to the younger woman, a confused look on his painted face. "Hrm?"

"You said that there were four trials, didn't you? Coyote said that." said Jéssica.

Medicine Man slowly replied "Oh, you must have miss-heard me. I said 'three'." And he opened the wooden box with his foot before Jéssica knew what was happening. Looking down he simply smiled and said "I do believe you've found my breakfast! Thank you, child."

[spoiler=Bastnetl & Xathan]Either of you are welcome and encouraged to extend this interaction. (Though you may have other ones you'd rather write about.) Remember that in the end, Medicine Man swindles the entire package of dried meat from Jéssica, who is poisoned.[/spoiler][/ic]

Roleplaying/Fluff ideas (no obligation here; just pointing out opportunities):[spoiler=HippopotamusDundee]* Respond to the stranger regarding your childhood
* Describe a kixthish dream or memory
* React to being "physically transcended" (Eternal)[/spoiler][spoiler=The Meanest Guest]* Remember the person from Earth
* React to finding the new chosen
* Introduce yourself (if you're going that route)
* Describe your physical appearance after being attacked/transformed (if you're going that route)[/spoiler][spoiler=Basnetl]* Describe how Medicine Man convinces Jessica to give up the food/interact with Xathan.
* Have a conversation with Olga about the 20th century and their different times
* Write a "journal entry" for the events thus far
* Start a conversation between Gyeong-su and John about what to do next[/spoiler][spoiler=Xathan]* Describe how Jessica reacts to the Medicine Man, and eventually gives up the food she found (but doesn't tell him about the map)/ interact with Basnetl
* Write a dialog between John and Jessica
* Start a conversation between either John or Oryx and either Medicine Man or Gyeong-su
* Describe a memory from Earth or a kixthish dream (John was certainly exposed to the kixthish inside the gleaming factory, and memories are part of exposure)[/spoiler]

[ic=Bastien's Journal]Bastien Mcgregor,
Day of Arrival
I can not understand how's possible to be so calm when all this things are happening so suddenly. I should be overwhelmed,but for my attempts to keep my mind busy with enough irrelevant thoughts. Otherwise I'll be near collapsing, I'm lucky there's other think here to let my mind maunder. This book is in my memories.... in that dream I had earlier today; It is weird that I had already written on it, when it's the first time it is on my hands.... isn't it?

Anyway. Despite of what this journal says, Juliet is not death, and I'm not with Riccara, but with Olga. This is enigmatic.
I'll try to go through the Hellscape, despite it's dangerous. It looks like there are other ways to come here, but the elevator was damaged on the last journal entry and it was on the sixth day since arrival... And there could be someone... or something spying on us.....  There is something called "the lightdrinker".....

I don't know what to think; but I have got to reunite with the others. I only hope I'm not taking the wrong choice going through that blasted Hellscape.....[/ic]

[ic=Eagle's Request (Xathan)]
Gyeong-su knew the replicas would be a major problem if not handled with precaution. And having survived his last encounter with them he was about to make sure not to make the same mistakes... even if it suppose looking for help from an old aggressor.
Gyeong-su looked for Oryx and tried to convince him of retake the balcony...
[spoiler=Events]
4.[ic=Retake the Bridge!]Public, Opportunity, Blood, Attack, Combat
Location: Blackslime Bridge

Requirement: Only characters who began the turn at most one step away from the Skyward Hub may be assigned here. (i.e. no Bastien)

Assigned characters decide to launch an attack to re-take the bridge, since Medicine Man did not maintain his blockade last turn. This event is considered to be an attack on 1d6 replicas, and they are automatically assigned as an opposing group. Each character beyond the third assigned to a group imposes a -1 to all elements due to over-crowding. (Thus if 6 replicas are assigned to this event, their group gets a -3 to all elements.)

Challenge Domains: Combat, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Strength

Blood Outcome: All losers are injured an knocked from the bridge. The winner gains control of the bridge.

Iron and Frost Outcome: Up to 1d4 random losers become injured (injured replicas are destroyed). The winning group gains control of the bridge.

Tie Outcome: One character from each group becomes injured by a random foe. Control of the bridge does not change.

In this event, if an impervious character would be injured, prevent the injury.[/ic]
5.[ic=Retake the Balcony!]Public, Opportunity, Blood, Attack, Combat
Location: Balcony of Shards

Requirement: Only characters who began the turn at most one step away from the Skyward Hub may be assigned here. (i.e. no Bastien)

If the Chosen are not in control of Blackslime Bridge during this timeslot, they are assigned to a copy of Retake the Bridge! at this timeslot instead. The number of replicas on the bridge does not change from timeslot 4.

Assigned characters decide to launch an attack to re-take the balcony. This event is considered to be an attack on 2d7 replicas, and they are automatically assigned as an opposing group.

Challenge Domains: Combat, Melee Combat, Ranged Combat, Strength

Blood Outcome: Two random winners deals damage to two random losers. For every two points that this outcome exceeds the next-highest outcome (in any group) another random winner deals damage to a random loser. The winning group gains control of the balcony.

Iron Outcome: Two random losers become injured (injured replicas are destroyed). The winning group gains control of the balcony.

Smoke Outcome: Three random characters take damage from three random opponents. Control of the balcony goes to a random group. Characters that contribute smoke to this outcome cannot be injured unless there are no other valid targets.

Tie Outcome: One character from each group deals damage to a random foe. Control of the balcony does not change.

For this event, damage is handled as follows: Roll 1d4 and add the deadliness of the weapon of the character dealing damage (if any). On a damage roll of 0 or lower nothing happens, on a 1-2 the victim is injured (-2 Elements to all domains, increased chance of death in future turns), on a 3-4 the victim is severely injured (cannot be assigned to events, likely to die unless tended to), on a 5+ the victim dies. If an injured character would become injured or severely injured, they die instead.
Seriously Injured characters are pulled to safety by their peers, if possible.[/ic]
[/spoiler]
[/ic]

[ic]Oryx looked at Gyeong-Su, considering. Then he just nods once, looking determined, and begins to steel himself for battle yet again[/ic]

Once again, please don't read till after the turn.
This IC RP is from events that happened last turn.

[ic=True Lies (Vic)]While Everyone Was Talking About Where They Had Been
"And where was I, Little Lady, before I was taken? Lyin' happy on a bed with two of the sweetest sisters that could be. Twin redhead firebrands they were, Sally and Sue, little balls of energy, ain't it true."

Not so. He had been sleeping alone over a bar, penniless after a crooked poker game where he'd bet his last bullets on a sure thing Flush. Only to lose to a Royal Flush. If only he'd known what was gonna come next, he wouldn't have been down to his last possessions and an empty room. Lost the cart too- the travelling one he'd been having as part of the medicine wagon act. Split with Chief Talks-Not-A-Lot, downed a swig of Dr. Poulsen's Wonderful Elixir (brandy and 50% apple juice) and he'd conked out for the night.

The crowd in general didn't seem taken with his tale, but he'd double down. "True it was and true it is. Unless that was the dream and this is reality."

"Sounds like a dream." The redheaded man spat.

Mya raised an eyebrow and snorted, but otherwise she and the others had nothing to say.

"So, who's next?" Vic moved the conversation forward.

<After Hearing about Juliet>

"So no one of us here knows if the others disappeared, died, was committed in an asylum, or naught before we were taken. Not a lot to go on. Though at least that demon-creature probably was considered dead. Maybe. Possibly. Wish we had more to go on here. Let's assume this "Juliet" was considered dead after she disappeared. That means we're all probably dead. Or we can't get back. But this ain't dispositive. Could be that some of us got back to our time, our place- keep in mind I'm assumin' y'all aren't a hallucination. I know I am d--n well gonna do everythin' in my power ta' set things straight and either head back to my time... or move up a bit in the future 'cause well, future prob'ly is progress- ain't it Mo-hon-dous? Athena? Right?"[/ic]

I felt like writing something. Here's a random bit of unimportant dialog between Medicine Man and Vitus.

[ic=Nowhere (Skyward Hub)]Vitus paced nervously around the circular room, always watching the others, never speaking. They spoke among themselves, but never to him. He wasn't worth it, wasn't interesting, and certainly wasn't friendly. Vitus had no friends. He had never had friends. Only enemies and strangers. He hoped to keep these strangers from becoming enemies.

<Where are you going?> said a voice.

Eyes turned on Vitus who had been creeping down one of the hallways, trying to escape. He was caught in the act, but he might still mitigate the damage. Vitus ducked his head and his dirty face seemed to shrink into his beard as he turned to face the group. "Nusquam." he muttered, returning to his spot.

The man with wrinkles on his face and paint atop the wrinkles asked again <Where are you going?>. The American Indian's clothing rattled as he moved closer to Vitus.

Vitus pulled back as his eyes locked on the Medicine Man in an intense stare. "Dixi: Nusquam!" croaked the man in rags. He said it one more time for emphasis, his voice burned with hostility, <I said: nowhere! Leave me be!>.

Emily and Mary looked over at the two of them and Vitus turned away as though their attention burned him.

<You heard the man! He's sitting right here!> cried Medicine Man, suddenly full of anguish. <Go back to talking about your womanly things and leave the poor soul to rest!> As he spoke, the American swept his arms dramatically, as if pushing away a tide. Before turning around, somber and quiet, his eyebrows danced with a mischief that hinted that he was not as serious as he pretended to be.

Emily scoffed and pushed her glasses up her nose, but she and the others at least made an effort to stop watching the interaction.

Medicine Man took a seat near the vagabond and watched as Vitus scrambled to make more distance between the two. The homeless man had an awful smell about him, but the Indian gave no indication that he even noticed it. For a while the two of them sat and waited for something to happen. Medicine Man eventually spoke. <My father was like you. He didn't trust anyone and wanted nothing but to be alone.> The rest of the group glanced over briefly as the old man played a sad note on his slide-whistle. <He died alone, too. We never found his body. I often wonder if he was happy in those last days, when the snow covered the ground and all he had to bother him were the spirits of the woods. We looked for him for days, and I remember hearing the howl of the wolf as I lay at night and thought about whether he could hear the wolf as well.>

Vitus looked at the older man and shifted uncomfortably. Tears welled along the bottom lids of the Native American's eyes, but his face was firm. As he spoke he looked out at nothing in particular, remembering the past with vivid detail. <We asked the spirits of the pines if they had seen him pass, but in winter even the evergreens sleep, and they were of no help. My mother hated my father; when he was around she had rattlesnake's eyes and saw nothing but darkness, and yet now that he had gone she missed him dearly. I could hear her weep to the moon when she thought I had fallen asleep. It was the first time I had heard her cry in years.>

Medicine Man was silent.

At last Vitus spoke up. <Why did he leave?>

Medicine Man gave a sad smile. <My father's job was to gather the souls of the dead and take them to be reborn in the great cave. He was the only one who could do this because he was born with spirit eyes. I still remember them, blue as turquoise beads, but clouded and blind to the world. Carrying the souls was hard work for him and each time he came back from the cave he was less happy. He wanted to stop, but it was his destiny. And then one winter day, as we were traveling south to make a trade with our cousins of the Red-spears the sun came down from the sky to meet us. The sun told my father that Coyote sent a message saying that if my father would go see him and sell his eyes that Coyote would carry the souls forever-after. As the sun left and night began my father left us. I never found out what happened to him, though I suppose he died.>

Vitus stared at Medicine Man's face from behind his bushy beard. <You're a liar.> he accused. Medicine Man smiled and turned to look at the rogue. Vitus flinched away automatically.

<All men are liars.>

Vitus spat on the ground and grumbled <All men are fools.>

Medicine Man played another sad note on his whistle. <And now, at long last, one of us speaks the truth.>[/ic]

[ic=Awakening (Athena)]
An unconventional problem and an unconventional predicament. I've been here before.

Athena, symbol of transhumanism, the woman/man/all/naught/am that I AM/IS, considered her surroundings. She was in a sleep pod; padded; and she was blinking off a nightmare. White wall, white light. She'd been drinking- then- stabbed? She'd seen the b*tch-no- she felt her side. Fever? No. Her probe monitors told her that. What about the digital records of her health? A spike about fifteen hours ago [GM- don't know if that'd be the appropriate time], then normal. She'd blacked out, or slept? Unclear. And concerning.

She sensed several heat signatures nearby; and she looked around. She grabbed the side of her pod and she pulled herself outside. She watched others clamber outside.

They wore- old clothes- like actors'.

They were preoccupied.

Some greeted each other, but not her. Athena put a hand on her forehead and considered, staring up--- she had no hand. But, she felt it, raised it. Still, it wasn't there. She raised her other arm.

She was... Not quite visible.

She was... hallucinating? Captured?

She was... feeling something new; something she'd never felt or seen. She'd been here before. ... She'd adapt... And overcome.[/ic]

*Edit: changed last word from escape to overcome... Athena seems to be more about confronting a challenge than fleeing from one.

[ooc=Note]As always, feel free to add in small details about the environment, characters, or items. (You can also specify big details about characters you control, too!) I will try to adapt to anything presented by players in the fluff.[/ooc]

As always, players please read only after the turn. (Raelifin may read at any time).


[ic=Wistful While Erstwist Allies Are Shotdown (Vic)]
Mirrors reflecting demons. Damn that foresight. Maybe Juliet had been behind that and maybe she hadn't. He'd probably used up his currency with the group though.

Who needed them anyway.

Vic had Athena, and she, more than anyone, knew what needed to be done to get out of here. She was from a future with "automobiles" that drove themselves [greek: auto... self], "computers" that added information into a massive web that floated in the sky throughout which people could grab possibilities and information that traveled at the speed of light. With understanding of wonders like that and of the machine in the train-like control room, she was his ticket to a past... or at least something familiar.

Familiar- like the nagging pang in the pit of his stomach that he needed something to fill it. Food, whiskey, even... water. Harder than the pangs that'd come in the midst of a ten hour poker game, or a five hour scientifically plotted campaign at whist.

The rest- they'd use up any resources they found- if there were any. There were what- 12-11-10? Who knew now that Mohandas and that girlie had gotten themselves disappeared or kilt.

He had a feeling he needed to go down the stairs and look at something. A good feeling. A premonition. A vision--and one alone could live longer that one with fools behind his back- fools who trusted him not a whit. He'd win th' game wi'tout them. He had to.

He was wistful for their trust, but as allies now, they'd be erstwhile...former partners...erstwist. He'd lost the first trick, with Juliet interrupting his play for lead, and he'd lost the second, with shadows striking out. He'd not lose a third.

He wished... he wished life was as simple as whist. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whist) ("In Scarlett, the sequel to Gone with the Wind, Alexandra Ripley mentions several times that Scarlett O'Hara is an extremely skillful whist player.").

[/ic]

[ic=Grasping at Straws (Vic and Athena)]
Grasping at Straws
A Song For Athena and Vic's Psychotic Reactions... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9a4W2FZnpc)

A flash occurred to Vic and he fell stumbling. He heard a voice and a cry for "Help." The voice...familiar, was that of Athena.

"Juliet got t' ya?" Vic asked as he stumbled around in the smoky darkness of the tunnel.

"No... No..." Athena's voice in his head repeated again and again. He saw a flash; she would hear some crucial information about Mohandas- the man- who came and went and who was from the future like her.

"I'ma sort of turned around here. Any'thin I can do?"

"No... No..." She repeated. Maybe she heard him and maybe she didn't.

"Tell you what." Vic said. "I know y'er gonna hear s'thing 'bout that fellow Mohandas. M'bye wise it'll be vital to us gettin' out of here. Dude's alive. Came to me, made me an offer- I refused. He weren't right happy 'bout it. Then he went. Think he knows what's goin' on.

Vic saw a flashing light and he stumbled toward it.
[/ic]