Session Start: Sat Aug 11 00:00:00 2012
Session Ident: #nightfears2
03[00:01] * grautry ([email protected]) has joined #nightfears2
03[00:18] * kongurous ([email protected]) has joined #nightfears2
03[01:02] * Jm2c ([email protected]) has joined #nightfears2
03[01:05] * Jm2c is now known as MrCavern
03[01:05] * GSD is now known as Zan
03[01:06] * kongurous is now known as Andrew`
03[01:06] * grautry is now known as Malcolm
[01:10] <MrCavern> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[01:10] <MrCavern> After a few minutes, the license plates on Mal's car are back on, and the Impala is ready to drive away with brand-new tires and seats.
[01:13] <Malcolm> "Right, since we're going into the sewers and I just had new leather installed, everyone is getting a new pair of clothes."
[01:14] <Andrew`> "I was going to change back into the stuff I got at Wal-Mart anyway. Kobe can take a little bit more shit for the team but this coat wasn't cheap."
[01:15] <Zan> "Right. New t-shirts."
[01:16] <Malcolm> "Anything will do, if money is an issue, I can cover it."
[01:17] <MrCavern> Another trip to Wal-Mart and some disposable clothes later, the Malmobile is en route to the sewers, guided by a little faerie.
[01:20] <Malcolm> First, Mal drives around in circles a bit around the site of the boom, to verify just how much public attention the site might've attracted.
[01:22] <MrCavern> Eventually, Malcolm finds himself having to stop - the street is cordoned off with police tape, though there aren't any officers around to be seen. There are a bunch of workers though, just sitting around and drinking. The faerie indicates that the target is past the blockade, roughly in the direction the group thinks they exited the sewers earlier.
[01:23] <MrCavern> The workers seem to be ignoring the big and very nice car.
[01:28] <Malcolm> "So, time to call Xie?"
[01:29] <Andrew`> "Might as well."
[01:30] <MrCavern> As the trio discusses calling their ally, a melodious voice that sounds like Xie's, but slightly off, makes itself known from a side alley. "Took you long enough. Summer is already here." Something shifty among the trash in the dim alley, and the front half of a big tiger seemingly constructed entirely of dark steel and copper, emerges from the shadows, eyeing the car.
[01:33] <Zan> "Metal tigers? That's new."
[01:34] <Andrew`> Andrew rests his hands on his pistols and makes a motion of tipping his hat before remembering he's... not wearing his hat at all but sea green scrubs. Nevertheless. "Can we help you?"
[01:36] <Malcolm> Mal cocks his head to the side, tasting the flavor of energy, but otherwise stays silent.
[01:36] <MrCavern> The tiger stalks fully into view and sits down on its back paws, laying a paw on its chest proudly. "A specialty of mine. And I should hope you can. That was the deal. Although there have been some complications."
[01:37] <Malcolm> "Xie? What complications?"
[01:38] <MrCavern> "Correct. As I said before, Summer found the place first, if you're going where I think you are."
[01:41] <MrCavern> "Once I actually started looking, it wasn't too hard to find this place myself either. It's easy to guess that something is going on when half of the Summer Court's lower ranks are swarming a big hole in the earth."
[01:43] <Malcolm> Mal frowns. "Fuath didn't exactly lose the support of Summer, I imagine."
[01:47] <MrCavern> The metal tiger nods. "Indeed. And Summer's forces all over the place make the operation quite a chore, especially given that I am... not exactly on speaking terms with them at the moment."
[01:51] <Zan> "I'd like to note that metal tigers are my favorite kind of tigers."
[01:52] <MrCavern> "You have good taste, mister Zan. Shall we explore, then?"
[01:53] <Malcolm> "If we're going off exploring and this area is crawling with Summer... I could veil us, I suppose. Not sure if that's a wise use of power, though, we might get into a fight here."
[01:55] <Andrew`> "'Might'? We have the woman who shanked Summer's Hatred and the Winter Knight going in. We're not exactly asking Summer for afternoon tea."
[01:56] <MrCavern> "Indeed, it would likely be a waste of power. Veils are the Faes' specialty, after all. Summer is unlikely to attack us outright unless they have a specific dislike of any of you, though. If Sir Winter announces himself as an ambassador, they might even escort you."
[02:00] <Andrew`> "Or they might thank me for making myself a target and attack. We ran into some faeries before who shot first and didn't even get to the 'ask questions' part. I talked them down but that's besides the point."
[02:03] <MrCavern> "In which case there is a tiger made of steel, which contains iron, next to you."
[02:04] <Malcolm> Mal frowns. "Don't you think this is going to be sort of like walking into an ambassy with a deadly biological virus next to you?"
[02:04] <Andrew`> "Which is a lot like storming into the White House with a nuke strapped to your ba--or what Mal said."
[02:04] <Malcolm> *with a walking, talking deadly
[02:06] <MrCavern> The tiger grins. "It gets their attention." It's easy to see how she might have strained relations with Fae.
[02:07] <Andrew`> "You remind me too much of someone I know."
[02:08] <Andrew`> "Yes, that one. No, I'm not saying names."
[02:10] <MrCavern> "I understand. I have never met your mistress, so I'll take your word for it. In any case, then, what would you do?"
[02:14] <Malcolm> "Well... I suppose it depends on whether we want to make an impression and get their attention or play diplomats."
[02:15] <Andrew`> "What, like Winter Knight atop a metal tiger steed?"
[02:16] <Zan> "Sounds like a Summer nightmare. And a great action movie."
[02:19] <Andrew`> "I can't tell if you're seriously considering that or not, because I was joking."
[02:19] <Zan> Zan shrugs. "I'd watch a movie about a cowboy and his steel tiger mount."
[02:20] <MrCavern> "You would have to mind the sharp edges. They pinch," Xie's voice croons.
[02:22] <Andrew`> "I'm sure I could take it but we're dawdling. Let's just go. Leave the theatrics for the bar afterwards."
[02:23] <Malcolm> "Yeah," Mal parks the car somewhere safe and plainly and openly goes in.
[02:24] <MrCavern> "Good. Shall we?" The tiger moves forward along with Mal, ducking under the police tape. The construction workers ignore the lot as if nothing was wrong with the world.
[02:25] <Zan> Zan follows the others in.
[02:31] <MrCavern> Moving further in, the little faerie excuses itself, pointing straight forward and saying she doesn't want to go further. Following those directions, the group of three men and a tiger soon sees figures that seem like Summer fae a few streets away.
[02:31] <MrCavern> Zan hears something move on the pavement right behind the group, and when he turns around, there is a little fellow, maybe three feet tall, holding a bow in a relaxed position and eyeing the group warily. "Sir Winter?"
[02:33] <Andrew`> "At your service."
[02:34] <MrCavern> The elf stands straight and bows stiffly, clearly not happy to see him. "We were told to expect you, Sir Winter. Your Queen takes an interest in this affair as well."
[02:35] <Andrew`> "I love the sound of that." Andrew makes no attempt to hide the displeasure in his voice or expression.
[02:35] <MrCavern> "You've been briefed on the situation, then?"
[02:35] <Andrew`> "I think I know enough."
[02:36] <Zan> Zan wonders if the Winter Queen often sends midget archers as messengers, but decides it is probably wise to not voice the question.
[02:38] <Malcolm> "Though we could use a fresh perspective, without bias," Mal says, fishing for information.
[02:41] <MrCavern> The short man licks his lips nervously. "What are your Queen's wishes in this business, then? She only said that you would be coming, nothing else."
[02:42] <MrCavern> His eyes flit to Malcolm. "Part of Summer's forces are gathered here, having finally found traces of Summer's Hatred. We prepare to move in force once we have conclusively found him." The tiger seems to be sitting still in place, making no sounds.
[02:43] <Andrew`> Andrew murmurs something about how he'd like to know the same. "According to courtesy and the Accords, we are bound to aid our cousins Summer as they are to us in times of duress." It couldn't sound more phoned-in. Enthusiastic diplomat, Andrew is not.
[02:48] <MrCavern> The elf gives Andrew a long, difficult to read look, then nods. "Understood. I shall escort you, then. We are currently still searching for the hiding place of these creatures."
[02:49] <Andrew`> "Let's just say, we're all in this together and I want to help you guys as much as you want to find Fuath. That's from me to you, not Mab's order."
[02:51] <MrCavern> Again, the elf nods, then wordlessly moves around the group and takes the lead, looking back to them.
[02:51] <Malcolm> "Incidentally, are any forces of Winter here, aside from Sir Knight of course?"
[02:53] <MrCavern> Their escort seems shocked at the question. "None. We could hardly ask for more; sending the Knight himself already places Summer in Winter's debt."
[02:54] <Andrew`> "I could have told you that."
[02:59] <Malcolm> "Alright, lead on to the search party then. What traces did you find?"
[03:03] <MrCavern> Without further ado, the elf guides the group, with the tiger prowling behind and looking like an inconspicuous mindless construct, onwards, through ranks of Summer fae of all kinds. Gruffs, elves, the odd nymph... "Lord Fuath was inactive the past few days, gone without a trace. Now, he is active again. We can feel his... fingerprint, in a way, on the place."
[03:06] <MrCavern> Soon, the group is led to the edge of a medium-sized crater in a crossroads. Some abandoned cars lie scattered around it. Inside the hole int he ground, they can see the large cavern of the sewers they left, the rubble being scoured by search parties of three at a time. A broken automobile or three lie around inside as well.
[03:07] <Andrew`> Andrew lets out a low whistle. He's only seen the hole from the receiving end, after all.
[03:08] <Zan> "Did it get drained or something?"
[03:09] <MrCavern> The elf raises his eyebrows. "Drained? The water? No. Summer's magic is not very good with water. Especially water full of... 'decomposing matter'. We hoped Sir Winter might be more in his element."
[03:09] <MrCavern> "...No offense."
[03:10] <Andrew`> Andy shrugs. "That's how it goes." He thumbs his pistols back to half-cock.
[03:13] <MrCavern> The elf's eyes quickly flit to Andrew's pistols, and he takes a few steps back and to the side.
[03:14] <Andrew`> "Hold your horses, Tonto, it's just a precaution. Besides, half-cock." He lifts a pistol, barrel skyward, and tugs the trigger a few times, which doesn't budge. "Won't shoot."
[03:17] <MrCavern> He eyes the gun warily, clearly unsure how the thing works.
[03:20] <Andrew`> The cowboy holsters it with a spin. "Shall we, then?"
[03:24] <Zan> Zan cracks his knuckles. "Might as well get it over with."
[03:25] <MrCavern> The elf nods and guides them down the hole onto a wooden platform that has been built in the water, under the curious stares of a few scores of Summer fae. Arrived inside the sewer, they seem to have dammed off the whole area from the rest of the sewers, and a handful of ogres are diligently working on draining the pool through the rather inefficient chain of buckets method.
[03:39] <Andrew`> "Should we show them where we found the weeds?"
[03:40] <Zan> "Don't see why not. They could help kill them."
[03:42] <Malcolm> "Perhaps. It'd be convenient if we had more Winter help, lively Summer magic isn't exactly the best tool against lively Outsiders."
[03:43] <Zan> "Any bit helps."
[03:44] <Andrew`> "There's something to be said of wishes and reality. Well, I suppose they want me to put on a show, so I should... get ready for throwing spells, shouldn't I."
[03:50] <Malcolm> "Look, guys, this is where the entrance is," Mal says to the group and points out where the entrance is. "Your method isn't exactly efficient."
[03:52] <MrCavern> The red-skinned ogres look at Mal with a dull "what is this fop saying" kind of look, while the elf and a few others eye him curiously. "The entrance to what? You know where they are?"
[03:53] <Andrew`> "Unfortunately."
[03:54] <Malcolm> "I'm a wizard," Mal says, as if that explained everything.
[03:55] <MrCavern> The ogres seem to accept that answer and get to work on relocating the dam along with some gnome-like creatures, while the elf and some nearby kelpies give Malcolm a skeptical look.
[03:59] <MrCavern> After some grumbling and half an hour of work, the narrowed-down area has been dammed up... and the ogres proceed to start clearing it with buckets all over again.
[04:09] <Andrew`> "Alright. Here we go." Andrew sets his legs at shoulder's width, palms open and out. He begins a series of breaths to help him focus and remove distractions from his mind, flat-ignoring the stench of the scenery, and ticks off steps in a mental check list. He imagines the water in his mind and then pictures it freezing, cracking, and shattering, and holds the process in his mind, focusing......
[04:09] <Andrew`> ...focusing...
[04:12] <Andrew`> ...And it's no good. "Mal, got anything to help? Like a talisman or a wand or a... whatever?"
[04:14] <Malcolm> Mal nods and draws a focusing chalk circle to properly contain the magic. "Lemme see..." he reaches into his pouch to check for something...
[04:15] <Malcolm> "That should do it," Mal places a rune-inscribed sapphire in the middle of the chalk circle.
[04:20] <Andrew`> "Thanks. Alright, once again." Andrew begins to call up, focus, and store his will. Call up, focus, store; call up, focus, store; again and again, bit by bit, within the chalk circle with the image of the sapphire in his mind. When it feels just like he's about to burst with power, he digs even deeper for one more boost from his own Winter nature and breaks the circle with a scrape of his...
[04:20] <Andrew`> ...foot, thrusting out with his right hand and a loud grunt.
[04:23] <Andrew`> The temperature drops drastically and immediately as vast amounts of heat are suddenly shunted out of the water and through the open hole. The terribly reeking water freezes over, and then Winter's entropy takes hold, sending cracks throughout.
[04:27] <MrCavern> The ice cracks and crumbles, eventually disintegrating into a fine white mist that fills the cavern, revealing a surprisingly deep gulf of bare rock, seemingly artificially dug out... and an inconspicuous little cave entrance that the three remember all too well.
[04:28] <Zan> "Wow. Score one for Winter."
[04:28] <MrCavern> Andrew feels the stares of the gathered Summer fae on him. One ogre looks at him sullenly, holding a bucket now filled with powdered ice in mid-motion.
[04:28] <Malcolm> "Right," Mal climbs down. "We need a meatsh- could we get a gruff or an ogre over here to lead the way?"
[04:29] <MrCavern> A good dozen or two of fae step forward, and their guide announces. "If that is where the creatures have hidden Summer's Hatred, as many of us will go as will fit."
[04:31] <Andrew`> "I'm okay with this plan."
[04:32] <Zan> "The more the merrier."
[04:34] <Malcolm> "Lead the way then, noble soldiers of Summer."
[04:35] <MrCavern> The forces of Summer move forward as one. A company of ogres is the first to get to the little cave, and begins squeezing through the opening one by one with some difficulty. Gruffs follow second, with more disciplined and likely squishier elf archers and a handful of nymphs and kelpies following behind.
[04:36] <MrCavern> "How convenient," purrs the voice of Xie from behind once the group is left alone on the platform, the first sound she has made since they met the elf scout. "Are we following?"
[04:37] <Malcolm> "Yep," Mal follows the soldiers of Summer.
[04:39] <MrCavern> Once the massive ogres are inside, the smaller forces flood the cavern, And soon the group is arrived inside the cavern as well, where the fae have already filled into the rooms that Mal and Andrew already know and the ogres are hard at work on the collapsed portion of the cave.
[04:41] <Zan> He might not be a huge beast, but he is abnormally strong, so Zan decides to help out.
[04:42] <Malcolm> Mal is conserving energy, aka slacking off and keeping watch in case of an ambush or something.
[04:43] <MrCavern> Between half a dozen of ogres and a half-dragon, the rubble is moved swiftly, eventually clearing a way deeper into the cave... and revealing a corridor absolutely infested with outsider weeds, easily containing more alien plant matter than air.
[04:44] <MrCavern> The ogres waste no time in digging in with their firsts and clubs, while the gruffs engage with axes and swords. The noncombatant fae shoot into the corridor with arrows and bolts of Summer flame.
[04:44] <MrCavern> From behind, Xie's voice sounds in a low tone. "Our allies look to be occupied. Let us waste no time, the way is free."
[04:49] <MrCavern> Slowly but steadily, the Summer forces press into the cavern unevenly, opening a path for the group to follow through.
[04:49] <Malcolm> "Fine, but you lead the way. You're steel, you can take a boot to face."
[04:51] <MrCavern> If the tiger's face were more expressive, Mal could swear it just gave him a "think you're so smart" face. Nevertheless, it takes the lead without comment, jogging into the breach.
[04:54] <Andrew`> Andrew draws his pistols and follows.
[04:58] <Zan> Zan is still near the front anyway.
[05:00] <MrCavern> The way takes the lot through a jungle of outsiders and Summer fae hacking at them, branching off into rooms here and there that the fae summarily assault as they reach them, but largely following a single corridor. After a few minutes of slow progress within the fighting, the group and a handful of ogres and gruffs spill into a large room at the end of it and find Xie's escaped experiments.
[05:03] <MrCavern> As the gruffs engage the regular weeds that dot the walls of the room, a familiar silver-black shape darts around the room, taking on strange geometric forms with its movement. In the back of the cavern, however, stands what can only be called a mishappen tree of liquid metal, its gangly branches connecting to the walls or swaying freely. A big opening in its trunk reveals the insides of the tree, and the sought Summer Shidhe.
[05:03] <MrCavern> Fuath is a sight to behold, to say the least. Flowing blue hair frames a face that would put most pretty-boy singers out of business, falling across his moss-green skin all the way down to his hips. In a word, he is beautiful... or he would, be, were he not impaled on liquid metal in the belly of this outsider, pitch-black burns marring his lithe form, his face twisted in agony and disgust.
[05:03] <MrCavern> The Shidhe's eyes are widened, staring off unconsciously into space.
[05:04] <Malcolm> "Fuck me."
[05:05] <MrCavern> As the group of mortals and fae enters the room, flickers of bright orange fire play across the branches of the tree, and Fuath twitches.
[05:05] <Zan> "Welp."
[05:06] <Andrew`> "That ain't somethin' you see everyday."
[05:08] <MrCavern> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
03[05:09] * Malcolm is now known as grautry
03[05:09] * MrCavern is now known as Jm2c
03[05:10] * Zan is now known as GSD
03[05:10] * Andrew` is now known as kongurous
02[05:31] * kongurous ([email protected]) Quit (Quit: memory leak)
03[05:32] * kongurous ([email protected]) has joined #nightfears2
02[06:35] * grautry ([email protected]) Quit
02[08:01] * kongurous ([email protected]) Quit (Quit: I'm gonna take a nap)
03[08:30] * Jm2c ([email protected]) has left #nightfears2
03[09:20] * kongurous ([email protected]) has joined #nightfears2
Session Close: Sat Aug 11 12:19:24 2012