Ruins of Khazan - Part 1: All Things Among Fallen Leaves

[Nik Hasta]

Jane started as the construct began speaking.

Is that even code as I would understand it? Not made up of a binary...what are you?

"If you have no designation, do you recall your primary functions?" Jane inquired. "Or anything you might have done or groups you may have been involved in prior to coming to this dimension?"

As she spoke, Jane decided some cursory scans might be in order, although she doubted from the way the robot was constructed she might find anything much.

OOC: Jane stacks BRA and CHR, then uses Nekromantia on herself before seeing if she can determine anything about the nature of the robot, or what it is designed for that she did not already know.

Jane's Nekromantia ability kicks into action with the high pitched whine of her CPU.

spoilers:

And she learns little that is not already apparent. Nekromantia as a system, is tuned to the spiritual plane and this machine has no spiritual presence to speak of. Unlike herself, who was constructed to house necrotic energies and commune with the dead and could be argued to have some kind of equivalent to a soul or spirit, her senses tell her she is looking at distinctly soulless automaton. With her CPU running higher, she takes in how the machine is constructed more closely. None of its parts are singular units, they are constantly shifting and changing fractionally as it moves from step to step. Jane feels that she is looking at less a singular cohesive machine rather it is a conglomeration of smaller machines.

end of spoilers

The robot replies to her, still not breaking its stare at Ella.

"Primary function is to provide assistance. <Sub-objective> Rendezvous at [WAYPOINT]. Prior affiliation is with [PRIMARY_FLEET] only,"

"P-parasite?!" scoffed Rae, whirling her hat around to face the robot. "Oi!" With a whirl of threads, she sudden unraveled herself off Nemo, leaving the rabbit-eared woman in only her underwear and boots. Rae raveled herself back into shape behind her partner, floating such that it appeared an invisible woman was now wearing her. With the hem of her dress floating a foot off the ground, and the hat and gloves floating in proper spacing to the dress, she put an arm on her hip as she floated backwards, the group still walking as she gave the machine a piece of her mind. "I'll have you know I'm a fully autonomous entity who happens to be hitching a ride! I mean, sure, we share a mana pool for strings, but if anything, that makes us a symbiotic partnership! But I could leave and do my own thing at any time! I--ACK!" Rae suddenly wobbled in the air, her body sagging out of its form.

Nemo sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, reaching out to catch the dress by the back of the collar before she could collapse on the ground. "What did I say? Stay on me at all times!"

Meekly, Rae split open and raveled herself back on Nemo, sagging over her frame. "Ugh... I guess I am just a parasite right now..." she said in a pouty tone.

Nemo patted the hat, "There, there. You're not a parasite, you're just a little unwell." Nemo glanced to the others and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, folks."

The robot does not visibily react to Rae's demonstration and remains focused on Ella, awaiting a designation. Presumably, whatever parameters it considers grounds for designating her as a parasitic are not ablated by her protestations.

"M'not a demon," Rae poutingly muttered, but she seemed humbled from performing any more outbursts.

Nemo nodded. "I understand Trevor. I'll say you have the wrong idea about Rae, and my grip is stronger than it may appear. But I'm not interested in arguing. Thank you for being honest with me."

"Didn't want to do your quest anyway," mumbled Rae.

"Shush, you," said Nemo, reaching up and giving a light pat to the hat.

Krys blinks. "It's as I said, Trevor. You stand up and face things, and that's worthy of respect." Cocking her head, they eye Trevor thoughtfully. "Your world sounds like a dark one in some ways, with magic used by a privileged few to control, and beings you name demons preying on your people. This wizard seems the epitome of that; I can understand why you have problems with sorcery and beings who appear different." They wave at the group. "We're all from different worlds, of course. To Rae and Nemo, magic is at least somewhat normal for their world, and so is Rae. In my world - well, the one I was born in - there wasn't any known magic, and it would have absolutely terrified people. As would anything that didn't look like me. And...some who do, unfortunately." They grin at that, a touch too sharply. "Things are different, here. I'm not asking you to like Rae - I don't think you will, and that's fine. We can't all like each other, and trust is something that's earned." Granted, a person can't become trustworthy without being given some trust, but Krys isn't going there right now. "And I'm not asking you to set aside your feelings, because..." They wave to the hellhound. "Might not be a demon from your world, but it probably acts similar. You were right about that one. But then, it showed us that, didn't it?"

Krys looks at Trevor, meeting his eyes directly. "I'm just asking you to keep an open mind, that's all. Nothing more, and it's an ask, not a command or anything." Another smile, this one without a trace of edge, only a hint of sadness. "I don't have the right to command you."

Then Jane's words roll over the group, and Krys grimaces. "Explosions...fantastic. I'm not great with explosions."



OOC - Krys will use "When One Understands The Road, It Is Simple To Choose The Proper Branch" to buff their persuade, stacking CHA and BRA to assist with both and Open and Honest presumably helping as well. They're not trying to persuade Trevor to change his views. Nor are they trying to argue or debate the rightness or wrongness of said views. They're just trying to get in the idea in that there are a lot of worlds, and things might be different in another place. And that's worth consideration. Totally not expecting to 'change his mind' or anything, and not trying to do that either. Better if he comes to a different conclusion, himself.

While Kinu and her inspiring performative nature captures Trevor's imagination, it is Krys that holds the most direct sway over the boy. There is something in their gentle manner and their reasoned argument that strikes with him in a potent fashion. Perhaps it is that he is unused to being afforded the space to consider and respond rather than being told what to do.

He looks to them, then at Nemo and Rae and then at the ground.

"The world - the worlds? All of them creations; they're big places with lots of folks of all shapes and whatnot. Until the winter of darkness, I'd not even been far outside of the village, much less been around magical folk. Now I'm walking in an endless city with ... all sorts of people and mebbe - mebbe my gut ain't right to fear 'em. I get what you mean Ser Krys; I don't know Mistress Nemo or her de-" he cuts himself off, "Or... Rae. I ain't gonna be able to trust them easily. Power is power wherever you are in the many worlds and makin' ties to... things that ain't human... strikes me as risky but... there's precious few of us in a place so large, so I'll keep a civil tongue in my head an' I hope that you'll forgive me for being afeared,"

He bows slightly to Nemo and Rae. His words seem authentic, if tinged with caution. It's uneasy but it's perhaps the best they can hope for given the circumstances.

[Nik Hasta]

GM Note:

Jane: ENR is at 155/180 (-20 capacity for Stack)

Krys: ENR is at 150/200 (-20 capacity for Stack)

[Sharpandpointies]

Krys nods to Nemo as the woman responds; so magic isn't quite as omnipresent as they thought, interesting. Given Nemo's universe of interconnected dimensions...worlds...pocket universes...call them whatever one wishes, it's not surprising. Specific kinds of magic implies a culture learning rather than the natural laws of each world, given Nemo's magic likely functions in each world. Unless that's one of the laws of her so-called gods, of course. Their gaze flicks forward again, planning the route and noting obstacles, then Krys puts her regard again upon Trevor, deep in consideration.

He speaks and Krys listens.

He's pretty smart - limited in experience, but smart. Adapting fast to the situation, willing to consider new things despite cultural bias, and strong enough in himself to question those biases. But wise enough to stay cautious. It's growing more and more apparent why Trevor became - in Krys' understanding - the de facto leader of his little group of rebels, and why the sorcerer-king chose him for this mission despite his lack of experience. That mage-king may have made a dreadful error; Trevor, Krys decides, will go far if given the opportunity. "All this mess is a huge change for you," Krys agrees. "For a lot of us, I'm guessing. For myself as well, though I've been through...something similar." They suck in a breath through clenched teeth as a voice whispers in their memories.

~ "I have a life. It's a good life, a fulfilling one. Family, friends, a great career. Then you pop out of the blue after some animal that doesn't exist tries to kill us in the middle of a city that somehow went instantly empty and tell us we're all gods. It's a lot to absorb all at once." ~

The words knife pain through their chest; Krys distracts themselves by opening up once again to the fundamental energy of All Things, letting the shifting web around them bleed into their own wave-form, receiving from it as they give back.

For a moment they skip from stone to stone, choosing that rather than walking around the small obstacles, testing their balance. "Power is risky," Krys agrees. "In a whole lot of ways, including Where It Comes From." They make sure to put a particular emphasis on that last. "Risky to tie oneself to another like that. Or be tied. Some people make it work." They roll their shoulders, not-quite shrugging. "There's no shame in being afraid of things - I hope not, anyway, because I'm more than a little afraid at the moment myself. So that's easy to forgive, at least for me." They cock an eyebrow and that corner of their mouth in a half-smile. "And for myself, I figure it's better to not blindly trust, better to question. It's just...sometimes I need to question my own ideas as well, figure where they come from and if they're valid for the situation." The half-smile completes itself. "You seem to have the hang of it, yourself; that's another thing that takes strength, if I may say so without sounding too pretentious." It's a good conclusion upon which Trevor has arrived, they feel. It would be ridiculous to hope for everyone to get along perfectly with each other; given the vast gulfs in cultures possible, tolerance is more than enough.

Their toe catches on a rock, and Krys stumbles, shaking their head at the brief clumsiness. "Sometimes I need to look where I'm going, as well," they mutter with mild exasperation. "Too easy to trip myself up while considering 'lofty thoughts'."

OOC - Unsurprisingly, Krys will employ All Things Are But Foam Upon The Waves until their energy reserves have risen to their maximum. It's a mundane technique, they can repeat it fairly often.

[Sharkerbob]

"The world - the worlds? All of them creations; they're big places with lots of folks of all shapes and whatnot. Until the winter of darkness, I'd not even been far outside of the village, much less been around magical folk. Now I'm walking in an endless city with ... all sorts of people and mebbe - mebbe my gut ain't right to fear 'em. I get what you mean Ser Krys; I don't know Mistress Nemo or her de-" he cuts himself off, "Or... Rae. I ain't gonna be able to trust them easily. Power is power wherever you are in the many worlds and makin' ties to... things that ain't human... strikes me as risky but... there's precious few of us in a place so large, so I'll keep a civil tongue in my head an' I hope that you'll forgive me for being afeared,"

He bows slightly to Nemo and Rae. His words seem authentic, if tinged with caution. It's uneasy but it's perhaps the best they can hope for given the circumstances.

"You're forgiven," said Nemo, bowing back. "And thank you for your understanding." She paused, then poked her hat again. "Rae?"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't blame ya, like I said, I'll stay outta your hair if you stay outta mine," Rae said.

For a moment they skip from stone to stone, choosing that rather than walking around the small obstacles, testing their balance. "Power is risky," Krys agrees. "In a whole lot of ways, including Where It Comes From." They make sure to put a particular emphasis on that last. "Risky to tie oneself to another like that. Or be tied. Some people make it work." They roll their shoulders, not-quite shrugging. "There's no shame in being afraid of things - I hope not, anyway, because I'm more than a little afraid at the moment myself. So that's easy to forgive, at least for me." They cock an eyebrow and that corner of their mouth in a half-smile. "And for myself, I figure it's better to not blindly trust, better to question. It's just...sometimes I need to question my own ideas as well, figure where they come from and if they're valid for the situation." The half-smile completes itself. "You seem to have the hang of it, yourself; that's another thing that takes strength, if I may say so without sounding too pretentious." It's a good conclusion upon which Trevor has arrived, they feel. It would be ridiculous to hope for everyone to get along perfectly with each other; given the vast gulfs in cultures possible, tolerance is more than enough.

"I suppose, given our occupation, we've become accustomed to the strange," said Nemo. "Perhaps a bit too accustomed. I mentioned before, our Gods are directly active in our Worlds, though most don't know when or what guises they take. Even at the height of my power, I'm just another ant at their feet. For as... playful... as the Trickster may be, her mere presence is always a dubious company. I have a mostly beneficial arrangement, but also, no one wants to be on her bad side. One should be cautious around power."

With that in mind, she checked her reserves again, wincing at how shallow they felt. "That said, I'm going to see if I can recharge a bit more. Rae, nudge me so I don't run into anything."

~~OOC: Nemo attempts Draw Mana three more times as they walk, or until they are interrupted. She will Stack on PRE for each use, then drop the Stack when finished.~~

[Postmania]

With an arm wrapped around Trevor, Kinu turned for a moment to exchange a look Jane - and for a second cranking the kid to one side as she shifted. It seemed that whatever switch or mechanism had exposed the inner workings of their mechanical comrade had since reset itself, and her more familiar countenance had been reformed.

"And why'd you be sorry for that," she smirked, "that's the name of the game."

The overcast rain under the stars seemed to carry a shadow over her. Wine-red figments blot from her lips with every word.

"You don't move to claim the kill, then something else will...ha ha ha..." In an instant the bloody trail was gone. "Question is, d'you make your move to get there before something bigger gets there, or reach the top yourself? Your eyes look like they're always peeled, yeah?"

Just like the little Skullseeker.

"The big beasts eat the littler ones, fangs, claws and jaws, and that's that. Except for the cleverer ones."

Jane dipped her head in acknowledgement.

"True enough. Although haste can be its own mistake."

Jane watched as Kinu swung around and began speaking animatedly to Trevor, then swung her attention back to the robot as she waited for a response from the mysterious machine.

It's no surprise Jane finds the mechanoid a trifle upsetting; compared to her, it is a glitchy thing, its programming seemingly damaged. It may even unnerve her, in its own way. People often feel this way when confronted by something not quite 'right' by their standards; it can and has led to bias. The discussion quickly turns toward Krys' future, and Jane's as well, and Krys can't help a quirky smile from blossoming. "I suppose I'm a little strange," they murmur. "I'm a little strange to myself, these days." That they are a standout among the strange, that's interesting. And here I thought I was the normal one...but then, isn't that always the case? For all of us?

An amusing thought; certainly Krys knows they are not immune to bias, themselves.

They grow more serious as the talk turns to Nekro. "I wouldn't want you take Nekro's place, myself, though I've known a death-god of a more gentle nature." They shrug. "Truth. But maybe there's another path - it doesn't have to be a binary choice. I don't know...maybe we can find a way to convince Nekro it's in their best interest to just cut you loose. Maybe there's a way to deal with Nekro that doesn't involve you becoming them. I think this journey is going to show us a whole lot of possible roads - we're going to need to find one that suits best. After all, the rules?" They wave their hands at the shifting scenery, the broken rubble of an infinite city. "They're different, now."

They eye the collapsed pillar as it settles, but none of the detritus bounces in Krys' direction.

"I've no idea where I'm going from here, other than toward that eventual end. But aren't we all, in one way or another?" They shrug; it does sound awful, to realize everything has already played out in Time out of Time, that end is unavoidable, the only reason one continues 'through' a life is thanks to one's mind being trapped within entropy. But the end will come regardless, and knowledge does not obviate any of the choices; that in some way they have already happened does not weigh at all against the fact that the choices are nonetheless Krys' choices. And that those choices have impact. "I'd be interested in that story, when you've time to tell it." A creature Jane could not kill, a hunt...curious. Not the story, no; what is interesting is the why of it, the reason for Jane bringing this up. That, Krys suspects, will become clear as the story unfolds, and will no-doubt have to do with the 'strange' sensations. "I'd also like to hear more about this Facility, and the people in it." They had precogs, it sounds like, and possibly other psychics. Or perhaps theurgists; Jane's universe seems to have a surfeit of gods, and there is little doubt that any 'magic' within that universe is linked to the supposed divine beings.

Don't point fingers, Krys; there were an awful lot of 'supposed' gods back where Kris came from.

"Certainly I can talk about these things," Jane responded readily. "Although what you mention of a 'gentler' Death-God is a curiosity to me as well. I would like to know more about that. I also have an inquiry about an aspect of yourself that has been building in the lower registers of my processes."

"Thank you, Krys," said Nemo. "Magic is common enough across the Scribed Lands, though Worlds have only specific types. But there are some Worlds where it is still quite alien, and prone to suspicion. All at the whims of our own gods." She frowned and glanced to Jane. "I overhead a little bit of your conversation. Not to pry, but I think Krys is right. If there is any place we may be unbound by destiny, this would be it."

"Were we not in this strange city," Jane replied, with some dubiousness, "I would say that were impossible. But the existence of this place, and with it the existence of other multiverses, does indicate there is a non-zero chance of something like that happening."

Jane looks back at Kinu, who seems to be in a deep discussion with Trevor.

"Perhaps as Kinu says, I just need to claim it."

Jane's Nekromantia ability kicks into action with the high pitched whine of her CPU.

spoilers:

And she learns little that is not already apparent. Nekromantia as a system, is tuned to the spiritual plane and this machine has no spiritual presence to speak of. Unlike herself, who was constructed to house necrotic energies and commune with the dead and could be argued to have some kind of equivalent to a soul or spirit, her senses tell her she is looking at distinctly soulless automaton. With her CPU running higher, she takes in how the machine is constructed more closely. None of its parts are singular units, they are constantly shifting and changing fractionally as it moves from step to step. Jane feels that she is looking at less a singular cohesive machine rather it is a conglomeration of smaller machines.

end of spoilers

The robot replies to her, still not breaking its stare at Ella.

"Primary function is to provide assistance. <Sub-objective> Rendezvous at [WAYPOINT]. Prior affiliation is with [PRIMARY_FLEET] only,"

No especially new information, then.

Jane thought she could likely press the robot on the "Primary Fleet" aspect of its response, but then decided it would likely not provide anything especially intriguing there.

Once again, Jane went through the process to refill her power reserves.

OOC: Jane uses Heart of Darkness to again refill her ENR, dropping Stack after she uses this.

She looked around again. Kinu seemed to have parted from Trevor at this point, with the boy now engaged in a fuller discussion with Krys and Nemo/Rae. She caught a fraction of what the boy said as he picked his way through a response.

"Magic is a poison and demons are tricksters."

Jane frowned. Magic was a key part of her existence. If that was truly his stance, he might come to view her as a threat as well as he had with Rae and Nemo. Jane found that thought concerning, but curiously, not because of potential for physical harm.

Her internal system opened a diagnostic form and filled out various categories to inquire about this with Krys at a later date, as well as the other notes she had considered asking earlier about the other Death God and the matter regarding their previous experience. Somewhat annoyingly, the form was of a format of a combat report, which was not quite accurate for the situation. Jane added another note to see about reformatting this form to the end of the section. She closed the form upon submittal. Likely entering the conversation now could be viewed as a threat, so she turned to Ella, recalling what was recently spoken.

Gesturing towards herself, Ella continued. "and me? I've had my fair share of scuffles as they say. Drunk patrons, Overzealous Fans, The occasional Loanshark. I'm well equipped to handle any occupational disturbance your likely to come across. That being said...." The orb in Ella chest seemed to turn its optics backwards while her body continued to face ahead. "I'm not exactly a combat type....I can, however, assist with repairs and simple medical needs as required. I can also cook, clean, perform magic tricks, run tax calculations, perform local mapping, take care of pets, entertain and play therapist as needed. The...last one is still in beta..."

"I appreciate your replenishment of energy reserves in the previous combat encounter," she said, dipping her head in acknowledgement.

"Your...bodyguard? Seems to be quite scrambled from the transit process. Still, her? skillset seems likely to have proven helpful in..."

Jane consulted her systems for any details, but was unable to draw a direct quote on what this other mechanical lifeform might do.

"What is your occupation again?"

[MrSandman]

The machine turns to look at Ella, twisting its whole upper torso to do so as it continues to walk, apparently it does not require to look where it is going to maintain forward motion.

"Designation update; [HARD_LIGHT_CONSTRUCT>{***rather**I**insist**you**c all**me**Ella***}]" it says, once again using a reconstruction of Ella's own voice to communicate. "This unit has no designation in this context. As it is [DETACHED_FROM_CORE_SERVICES] any prior designation exists in <context of/relation to> [PRIMARY_FLEET] therefore it cannot be employed. Please supply suitable designation,"

As they continue to walk, the machine does not break its gaze from Ella as it awaits her response.

"Ohhh....Are you one of those Networked Mind Types? Neat!" Ella exclaimed, her voice holding an ever so slight measure of envy. "I don't have a network adaptor myself...so I had to do all my AI growth and information gathering manually. Everyday interactions, books, TV and world-net encyclopedia entries.....Hmm..."

Ella paused. "But you're currently not attached to your fleet by the sound of it....I guess your adrift like the rest of us. Lost at sea." She processed the idea moment, lights flickering on her core in contemplation. "Adrift...like a.....Castaway!" Ella clapped her holohands. "How about we shorten that and call you Cassa! How does that sound?"

Jane turns away to initiate discussion with the robot, and Krys takes the opportunity to speak with Ella. "Good to know," they hesitantly state, studying the curious orb in the middle of the young woman's chest. Is she a mechanoid, herself? Or a cyborg? It's hard to say. 'Combat type' seems to imply some kind of created being, or altered one. 'Beta' seals the deal. Mechanoid, most likely. Free-roaming intelligence or hard-wired frame? Don't have enough information on that. Given her words, she doesn't come from any kind of utopia. Occupational disturbance begs the question of 'what occupation', of course. "Thank you. Seems like everyone here has some level of capability."

"Oh naturally...Just let me know whenever you need something." Ella chimed in with no small amount of enthusiasm.

"I appreciate your replenishment of energy reserves in the previous combat encounter," she said, dipping her head in acknowledgement.

"Your...bodyguard? Seems to be quite scrambled from the transit process. Still, her? skillset seems likely to have proven helpful in..."

Jane consulted her systems for any details, but was unable to draw a direct quote on what this other mechanical lifeform might do.

"What is your occupation again?"

"It isn't my bodyguard....if anything I'm its bodyguard." Ella huffed. "But yeah, they were offering the fire dog assistance when I found them...helpful to a fault, would have likely helped the mutt chew while it ate them. Not sure how it would have turned out otherwise. Its a good thing they're coming with us, I'd feel bad leaving it alone the way it is.

At the mention of her occupation, Ella mood lightened. "Ahh yes, Well...I'm Hostess/Bartender/Performer/Cook/Mascot for a popular establishment, Schrodingers Cafe." Ella beams, literally to some extent.

[Nik Hasta]

"You're forgiven," said Nemo, bowing back. "And thank you for your understanding." She paused, then poked her hat again. "Rae?"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't blame ya, like I said, I'll stay outta your hair if you stay outta mine," Rae said.

Trevor seems a little surprised at the ease and manner with which Nemo and Rae accepted his declaration that he didn't trust them. His face creases for a moment, as if to question further but then he thinks better of it. He shoots a glance to Krys and heads back over to walk with Kinu, pointedly away from Nemo and Rae.

GM Note to Krys
spoilers:

To a person of Krys' intuition, Trevor's quick look clearly communicates that he doesn't buy this platitude from Nemo for a moment and his stated mistrust remains just that. For all Krys' counsel and reasoned arguments for keeping the peace in the party; Trevor's view appears to be just as he said, he does not think that Nemo or Rae are inherently trustworthy and the look he shot at Krys suggests that he thinks them perhaps dangerous. Nemo's apparently blasé response to being told that she and Rae aren't trustworthy and her complete sandbagging of his accusations of their power being inherently corruptive hasn't gone any lengths to making the boy more comfortable. This fracture in the group, such as it could be called such, was forestalled from deepening for the moment but the tension was definitely still there.

end of spoilers

~~OOC: Nemo attempts Draw Mana three more times as they walk, or until they are interrupted. She will Stack on PRE for each use, then drop the Stack when finished.~~

GM Note:

Nemo: ENR levels are now at 307/410 (74%)

[Nik Hasta]

"Ohhh....Are you one of those Networked Mind Types? Neat!" Ella exclaimed, her voice holding an ever so slight measure of envy. "I don't have a network adaptor myself...so I had to do all my AI growth and information gathering manually. Everyday interactions, books, TV and world-net encyclopedia entries.....Hmm..."

Ella paused. "But you're currently not attached to your fleet by the sound of it....I guess your adrift like the rest of us. Lost at sea." She processed the idea moment, lights flickering on her core in contemplation. "Adrift...like a.....Castaway!" Ella clapped her holohands. "How about we shorten that and call you Cassa! How does that sound?"

The robot stares blankly at her for a moment before responding.

"This unit will be referred to as the designation <**Cassa!**How**does**that**sound***> by members of this fleet," it says, Ella's voice issuing from it once more. The conversation satisfied, the machine focuses ahead once more as the party makes their way through winding streets behind the glowing skull and the smoking hellhound.

Once again, Jane went through the process to refill her power reserves.

OOC: Jane uses Heart of Darkness to again refill her ENR, dropping Stack after she uses this.

GM Note:

Jane is now at 200/200 ENR (100%)

[Nik Hasta]

OOC - Unsurprisingly, Krys will employ All Things Are But Foam Upon The Waves until their energy reserves have risen to their maximum. It's a mundane technique, they can repeat it fairly often.

GM Note:

Krys: is now at 200/200 (-20 capacity for Stack) (90% of normal maximum)

[Postmania]

"Ohhh....Are you one of those Networked Mind Types? Neat!" Ella exclaimed, her voice holding an ever so slight measure of envy. "I don't have a network adaptor myself...so I had to do all my AI growth and information gathering manually. Everyday interactions, books, TV and world-net encyclopedia entries.....Hmm..."

Ella paused. "But you're currently not attached to your fleet by the sound of it....I guess your adrift like the rest of us. Lost at sea." She processed the idea moment, lights flickering on her core in contemplation. "Adrift...like a.....Castaway!" Ella clapped her holohands. "How about we shorten that and call you Cassa! How does that sound?"

Lost at sea, Jane mused. Lost in time as well. And with this mechanical lifeform in particular, lost in its own defects, its own mind.

Out loud, Jane commented, "I also exist as an independent unit."

She frowned after a moment, recognizing the missing element.

"With the exception of the connection to my god, unfortunately."

"It isn't my bodyguard....if anything I'm its bodyguard." Ella huffed. "But yeah, they were offering the fire dog assistance when I found them...helpful to a fault, would have likely helped the mutt chew while it ate them. Not sure how it would have turned out otherwise. Its a good thing they're coming with us, I'd feel bad leaving it alone the way it is.

At the mention of her occupation, Ella mood lightened. "Ahh yes, Well...I'm Hostess/Bartender/Performer/Cook/Mascot for a popular establishment, Schrodingers Cafe." Ella beams, literally to some extent.

Jane studied the pleased other and despite herself smiled, if only slightly. The majority of what she had just said were tasks Jane had never even thought of once, but she understood, intuitively, the feeling of being pleased in her function.

She looked more closely at Ella, taking in her illuminating presence.

"You seem to be very advanced to be only specified for entertainment purposes," she noted with a some surprise. "Your world must be very advanced and opulent to create a mechanical intelligence to run a...standby, 'Definition: a small restaurant selling light meals and drinks.' "

Jane shrugged.

"Apologies, I only have only dictionary definitions of what most of that might entail. Such experiences are not high priority for the mission objective list of an avatar of a god of Techno-Death. Correction, former avatar? Continuing wielder of Techno-Death, however."

Jane seemed a bit at a loss on how to clarify her status immediately after these last lines, before seeming to simply move past it.

[Sharpandpointies]

Still trotting along at whatever speed is needed to keep up with the group - they're not travelling quickly at the moment - Krys blows out their breath in a sigh, nodding a weary response to Trevor's significant look. I get it, Trevor. Given your culture, your experience, and some truths in your perspective, I can't blame you, either. But there's nothing Krys can do about that - the entire situation is what it is at the moment. Perhaps there will be opportunity for further understanding between both parties in the future. Preferably before something unforgiveable happens, they silently hope, hopping over a small crevasse in the broken street, enough to prove a serious danger to an ankle's integrity.

For themselves, they feel better...less-weary than moments before, in any case. But that niggling pain in their chest has returned, and Krys suppresses a cough. Brown eyes narrow, a line appearing between the pale brows. Then they shake it off, glancing to where Jane continues her conversation with the two mechanoid beings. She wants to hear about a benign death-god. I have no idea how she's going to take that idea. Nekro, to her, seems to be a consumer of spirits, what some universes might refer to as a 'demon'...in their own languages.

And an inquiry into an 'aspect' of Krys?

Krys grins, though, as Jane struggles to consider an appropriate 'occupation'. "Why not just 'Jane'?" they call out. "Titles are for people who don't know you."

OOC - Krys now stacks BRA, SKI, SPD and PRE, mostly to increase their Notice, Insight, and Computation.

[Nik Hasta]

The party follows the hellhound through winding streets, space itself seeming serpentine and confusing. Looking behind them, the route that they had taken mere moments ago seems to have vanished into the shifting mileu of infinite city. If they thought they were lost before, in that mad dash into the city to rescue Ella, they are surely now truly submerged in the shifting and twisting streets.

It's also the silence that is eerie. Beyond the muffled sound of distant explosions and their own conversation and footsteps, there is little else beyond the rustling of leaves and the ever-so-quiet pitter-pittar of the rain on the ground. The discomfort stems from being in a metropolis, to be surrounded with evidence of civilisation and commerce and other such things that even the most alien would associate with activity and life and to find it desolate and as quiet as a charnel house.

They occasionally pass another body on the ground. Some clearly having not survived the trip but some twist of fate or space had deposited them here. Others look to have been killed here, not unlike the woman Jane experienced that lead the group together.

The rain fades after a time, the sky remaining that unsettling pallour of twilight.

Abruptly, things open out a little, almost like they are disgorged from throat to stomach by the city itself. A great open square, closed in with walls on all sides, centring on an ornate and intricately decorated building. A mansion? A town hall? Some kind of institution? It's unclear from the outside but it suggests a concentration of power and design. In its heyday it would have been quite beautiful, the remains of a modest gardens with a water feature and wrought iron benches have given way to chaos and disorder. Where there was opulence and finery, there are now fires, toxic ooze and conflict.

Before the building, peppered throughout the remains of the gardens is a collection of ramshackle barracades constructed from park benches, a few wrecked cars and, curiously, a carousel from a fairground that is largely on fire. Behind these structures crouch armed figures, occasionally popping out to shoot at the windows of the building where another group of figures are returning fire and occasionally throwing out grenades to drive any bold enough to approach the main doors back to cover. The main door is blocked by a large amount of furniture, a hastily assembled blockade that has a few gunmen behind it. The group has wandered into a stand-off of sorts.

The figures shooting into the building are misshapen and disturbing, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes. They all look like the were human or some similar iteration on the bipedal template but have been... melted? Their bodies ripple slightly as they move, sinew is swollen and bright vibrant colours and they leave footprints of sludge behind them. The party is assaulted immediately by a stench, sharply chemical and acidic in the nostrils. Trevor's eyes begin to water and he barely suppresses a fit of coughing. Of note is that the shambling figures all seem to be wearing caps of a matching style; those from a mundane world such as Krys would recognise them as the kind of hats that the police would wear in East Coast America. NYPD, or something similar.

The police force, or whatever it is, seem to be taking direction from a large and revolting figure stationed near the back. A barely humanoid mound of yellowing and rotting filth, police cap on what could be approximated as a head. He has a strange weapon in a hand that is really more of a mitt than something with defined fingers that seems to feed metal tubes and piping directly into his quasi-liquid body. In his other hand is a megaphone into which he is speaking. His voice sounds like the dredging of a sewage farm, dripping and sliding over words that seem to have trouble escaping the maw of toothless pustles that sits in the middle of what could be generously called a face.

"Come on out with yur hands up lawbreakers," he booms, loudspeaker amplifying his voice so it echoes around the square, "Yur days of thievery are r'over and yur'll be judged for your crimes by tha' Viceroy. Dis place could be a buontiful land of order and opp'rtuniddy but it's ... male-con-tents like yerself that r'holdin' us all bayck,"

He continues in a monologue about justice and order and entreating his targets to surrender, while his soldiers continue to attempt to assault the building. From this distance, the party cannot quite make out the figures within the building who are being attacked, they seem to be stuck with shooting their way out in lieu of another exit presenting itself. They are using a combination of grenades which go off with a bright coloured hue to the explosion and crossbow bolts that splat wetly into the bodies of those who are not quick enough to find cover.

Kinu intuits through the attitude of her new pet that the hellhound is not leading them here specifically, it wishes to go around the building and exit through the far side of the square to continue on. She quietly communicates this to the party. At this point the party has not been noticed by the sickening and spalshing police officers who are focused on laying siege to the building before them. It may be possible to sneak by without getting involved.

The way behind them has closed. An impermeable wall of exposed flint rock removing any suggestion that there had been the alleyway they had just walked down was ever there.

[Sharpandpointies]

Krys moves into hiding, taking cover behind a broken wall where they can peer out at the hellish scene. Between the appalling-appearing shooters, their sludge-born commander, and the desperate situation for those trapped within - seemingly no choice but to fight - it would on first glance appear to be some kind of authoritarian oppression. But there is an enormous amount of bias at play in that briefly-formed impression, and Krys frowns.

"Don't know the situation," they quietly state, counting on the gunfire, explosions, and shouting to keep their position unnoticed. "For all we know, those in the building have been pillaging people innocent of malice, and the shooters outside are just trying to end that predation." Appearance, biases from their own, former culture...those things have no more meaning here. "I wonder where these buildings come from," they muse, taking in the situation, searching for details. "An infinite city can't have builders...well, it can't have builders who exist in Time, in any case. Perhaps fifth dimensional beings...but why make ruins? Or carosels? Perhaps the city itself steals places...or concepts...or steals from places in a similar fashion to our arrival...?"

Their voice trails off and Krys focuses on the words, the leader, and the warriors running to and fro.

OOC - Krys is going to try to get some kind of Insight, here. What's the mood? Are the shooters angry? Fearful? Enjoying themselves? Eager? Their leader - are they just parroting the words as 'something to justify their actions', or is there real meaning behind the flat tone? Does 'surrender' have any real meaning, or just something they are saying? I know they're not human, hard to read the situation well, I'm sure. But trying to get a little more information, especially if Krys can get a look at the defenders and try to figure out THEIR mood.

[Postmania]

As they continued traveling, Jane considered Krys' response. While not untrue, for some reason it did not seem quite sufficient. After all, who was Jane without everything else?

While she was caught in thought however, trailing the hound, the situation abruptly shifted as they came upon an internecine conflict.

Jane spied, from above with Skullseeker and her position on the ground in stealth, the evolving series of a more familiar combat pattern. A firefight. Projectile weapons and grenades and cover and desperate peeks out to establish vision. The drawing of lines from one individual to another, with the connection being fatal. It was refreshing, at least for a moment.

"Complicated situation," Jane noted. "There was no standard for me to typically approach conflict resolution between two unrelated parties to me when I encountered one on mission. Typically, I would either choose to avoid the conflict entirely, or choose to attack the side that was the most interesting."

Jane eyed the figures in the building for a moment.

"Unclear which side that would be at present. The origins of the buildings are one thing, Krys, but I'd rather determine the origins of these beings right now. Since I have SkullSeeker active, I can attempt scanning multiple perspectives."

Jane sends her drone high...then a curious set of black goggles glowing with emerald glow appear over her eyes, simply slipping on out of what appears to be nowhere as she scans the crowd. They manifest as a strangely three lensed mechanism.

OOC: Jane stacks BRA at the moment, then uses the Skill Spectral Sight to enhance her Notice.

She then uses Skullseeker to try to get a sense of where the Police-things might be coming from and if there are reinforcements on the way for either side of the conflict. She also tries to use it and her own vision to see what the nature of those in the building are (biologically, and how organized they are).

After a scan from higher up as mentioned she'll direct Skullseeker more daringly, even seeking to fly it into the building's interior for information although she will try to direct it in a more clandestine fashion through a window not being observed at the moment.

[Sharkerbob]

Noticing a couple of the other's reactions, Rae said, "Sometimes not having a sense of smell can be a blessing, huh?"

The stench was such that it snapped Nemo out of her mana-trance a few seconds later, her nose twitching for a second first, then shaking her head with a hard flinch as her brain caught up to her olfactory nerve's alarm bells. She blinked and immediately tuned in on the stand-off in progress, assessing the situation.

"Don't know the situation," they quietly state, counting on the gunfire, explosions, and shouting to keep their position unnoticed. "For all we know, those in the building have been pillaging people innocent of malice, and the shooters outside are just trying to end that predation."

"While it is a wayfarer's duty to be helpful to the downtrodden, one of the first lessons you learn is to not jump in with blind assumptions," Nemo said in agreement. A few moment's casual observation is not enough to tell her anything, either, even for all her experience with a wide variety of cultures across the Scribed Lands.

"I wonder where these buildings come from," they muse, taking in the situation, searching for details. "An infinite city can't have builders...well, it can't have builders who exist in Time, in any case. Perhaps fifth dimensional beings...but why make ruins? Or carosels? Perhaps the city itself steals places...or concepts...or steals from places in a similar fashion to our arrival...?"

"Perhaps this place has its own gods, so capricious, they can't make their mind up about anything," said Nemo, a sardonic smirk touching her lips as she recalled a rather disorienting trip through a particularly mad god's realm.

"Complicated situation," Jane noted. "There was no standard for me to typically approach conflict resolution between two unrelated parties to me when I encountered one on mission. Typically, I would either choose to avoid the conflict entirely, or choose to attack the side that was the most interesting."

"I'm good with avoiding," said Rae. "The pooch over there seems eager to move on, and we're following its lead, yeah?"