Shepards Vampires 19 So

00[23:42] <02[GM]Mary> Loading from slot 2... please wait... |12:08 CAVERN 11.1%|
00[23:55] <02[GM]Mary> Joule: after spending an hour trying to figure out the little machine you bought off the merchant, you find yourself rather alone, your party having forsaken you and the strange skeletal man gone, having taken his business elsewhere.
[23:57] <Joule> ...!
06[23:57] * Joule takes a look around.
[23:57] <Joule> Oh, damn. Just the time, eh? I wonder just what I have to do so they can actually see me for once.
00[23:59] <02[GM]Mary> You can either double back to the cavern's entrance, or learn how to swim and take your chances with the foggy moat.
06[23:59] * Joule takes a look at the device, the back of her hand, and turns to walk back.
00[00:00] <02[GM]Mary> You run into a familiar face as you walk by.
[00:00] <Joule> . o (Regular running water is usually conductive... if I'm unlucky it would hurt like hell. I can just come back if nothing else works.)
06[00:01] * %Arani is just sitting there, knitting a... web-scarf or something. She looks kinda anxious, teeter-tottering back and forth. She doesn't say anything as you approach.
06[00:02] * Joule walks over and stops in front, not much else to do yet.
06[00:03] * %Arani knits. teeters. Then totters.
[00:03] <Joule> Hello again. As eventful as usual, I presume.
06[00:04] * %Arani is startled, fumbling her knit.
[00:04] <09%Arani> Oh! Um, sorry, I didn't see you there...
[00:05] <09%Arani> W-what do you want? Weren't you going with your friends?
[00:05] <Joule> I was. Key word. What are you working on there?
06[00:05] * Joule crouches to take a look.
06[00:07] * %Arani holds it out. It's just a silk web pattern, forming a circle.
[00:07] <09%Arani> It's a Minerva Dreamcatcher! I'm gonna get some beads and stuff from the maids in the castle and make a dreamcatcher out of it. Cool, huh?
[00:08] <Joule> Certainly sounds it. You intend to use it?
[00:10] <09%Arani> Yeah. I'm gonna hang 'em up all over the place. Then, maybe, no more bad dreams...
06[00:10] * %Arani resumes her knitting.
06[00:10] * Joule shrugs.
[00:11] <09%Arani> What're you doing, anyway?
[00:12] <Joule> Trying to find another way in, the moat or whatever would probably be troublesome. Know one?
[00:13] <09%Arani> Hmm...
[00:14] <09%Arani> Well, there's an entrance in the graveyard, but I can't remember where. It's real spooky, ya know? Ghosts and stuff haunt the place. I don't go there if I don't have to.
[00:14] <Joule> You don't like ghosts?
[00:15] <09%Arani> Not the creepy ones.
[00:16] <Joule> Hm~? I wonder where I fall when it comes to that...
06[00:16] * Joule gets back up.
[00:17] <Joule> So which way is it? Then again, there was a gate, I think...
[00:17] <09%Arani> Also, I guess you could just go through the front door, but you gotta get Ruthie to lower the gate somehow. And then, you gotta impress her or she'll whack you into the stratosphere, or maybe just the woods or the moat if you're lucky.
[00:18] <09%Arani> Are you any good at riddles?
[00:19] <Joule> If they make any sense, maybe.
[00:19] <09%Arani> She loves those. If you know a good riddle, she'll let you through even though she's not supposed to.
[00:19] <Joule> Ah... I might know a couple. Where's that way then?
[00:20] <09%Arani> Just go out the way you came and head for the castle. Princeton can show you the way.
[00:20] <09%Arani> 14Skit, skit, skitter-skeet, skitter-skitter skeet!
06[00:21] * Joule takes a look around. Princeton?
00[00:22] <02[GM]Mary> A few moments later, a black and white stripped gran-daddy longlegs the size of a beagle skitters into view. Its leg span is enormous.
06[00:23] * %Arani gives Princeton orders in spider-speak.
[00:24] <09%Arani> 14Ski-skit!
00[00:24] <02[GM]Mary> Princeton skits.
[00:26] <09%Arani> He said he would be happy to help.
[00:26] <Joule> Well, thanks again.
[00:26] <09%Arani> Sure. Just, uh, tell Miss Leticia I'll be waiting...
[00:27] <Joule> You've made it much easier for me to exact my vengeance on them for leaving- oh, certainly.
06[00:27] * %Arani fidgets, and avoids eye contact for a moment.
[00:31] <09%Arani> Well, uh... good luck, I guess.
[00:32] <Joule> I'll let her know. Who knows, perhaps I will see you again also.
[00:34] <09%Arani> Looking forward to it...
[00:34] <Joule> Glad to know I'm not one of the creepy ones. Until then.
06[00:34] * Joule waves her hand, smiling slyly.
[00:35] <09%Arani> ?
06[00:36] * %Arani gives the people's eyebrow, but not intentionally. She goes back to whatever she was doing as Joule begins to depart.
06[00:36] * Joule shrugs as she goes off. Could've been worse.
00[00:41] <02[GM]Mary> Joule: Princeton leads you out of the cave and back to the trail. The mist seems to swallow the cavern behind you, you'd probably need the spider to lead you back. From here you have the choice of approaching the castle, turning off onto the path leading to the graveyard, or turning around and going home.
06[00:43] * Joule looks between the two entrances, considering. Eventually she walks towards the gate.
[00:43] <Joule> . o (Riddling, huh? I haven't had a good game of that in a while.)
00[00:44] <02[GM]Mary> The trail leads to the castle, surrounded by a moat and with its bridge drawn up. Before it is a stone plaque with words engraved.
06[00:45] * Joule stops to read. A little worn, but easy enough.
00[00:45] <02[GM]Mary> The plaque reads in English, "An offering to the drink saves them from entering by stink".
[00:47] <Joule> ...English. I wonder what I'm supposed to offer...
06[00:48] * Joule walks closer up, looking around to find anyone. Supposed to be someone here...
00[00:49] <02[GM]Mary> There's no one but a moat and a raised bridge. And Princeton, of course, who skitters quite idly behind the plaque.
06[00:50] * Joule follows Princeton with her gaze. Something there?
00[00:52] <02[GM]Mary> Nothing in particular but a single gold coin. Looks like it's your lucky day.
06[00:53] * Joule picks it up, taking a close look at it.
[00:53] <Joule> Lucky, lucky...
00[00:54] <02[GM]Mary> It's the same kind you used to pay the merchant for your strange teal device.
[00:55] <Joule> Hm... clear enough. Now for the next piece...
06[00:55] * Joule walks over to the edge, adjusting her glasses.
[00:58] <Joule> Just the edge, isn't it...
06[00:58] * Joule walks back to the plaque, looking at the front of it again.
[01:04] <Joule> The drink? A risk, but... oh hell. I can just take the graveyard if this doesn't work.
06[01:04] * Joule walks back to the edge, twirling the coin between her fingers.
[01:05] <Joule> I might have some more of these.
06[01:09] * Joule tosses the coin, spinning, into the water. There could always be worse ideas.
00[01:09] <02[GM]Mary> A loud crack rings from the other side of the moat, the building mist preventing identification by eye. Five seconds later, the bridge crashes down before you, making the ground quake beneath your feet.
[01:10] <Joule> Hm. The mechanisms in these things have always been pretty heavy.
00[01:11] <02[GM]Mary> The bridge settles after much commotion. It's about a hundred feet to the other side, where a large, yellow torch pierces the evening fog. Before that, however, is a tall figure standing about halfway across the bridge, casting a shadow from the flickering flame.
06[01:11] * Joule walks onto the bridge rather casually, adjusting her bowtie.
[01:13] <Joule> Evening. Would you rather I speak in English? I'm Prussian, though, so I'm afraid I have a bit of an accent.
00[01:20] <02[GM]Mary> As you approach, the figure becomes more clear. It's over two hundred centimeters tall, and carries a massive spiked club, one that our viewers at home may recognize as a tetsubo or kanabo. It seems to be a woman, as the figure's large, toned body sports breasts concealed by a white tape wrapped around her chest several times. She wears no blouse or jacket, even in the night's cold, but sports a pair of red breeches suspended across her shoulders. Long, ginger hair flows freely in the sudden wind.
00[01:20] <02[GM]Mary> Long, ginger hair flows freely in the sudden wind.
06[01:22] * Joule quickly nods her head in further greeting, coming to a stop a few meters in front of the figure.
[01:23] <09%GateGuard> Evening, stranger. Words only have one business here, accent or not.
[01:24] <Joule> Must be rather important if it's the only one. Might I confirm which?
06[01:26] * %GateGuard steps slowly up to the uninvited one, rolling her kanabo back and forth across her shoulder, sizing her up.
06[01:27] * Joule maintains her casual posture, smiling amicably.
[01:28] <09%GateGuard> Maybe. Though we do tell names, as well. I'm Ruth, keeper of the gate here at this castle. You're not getting through unless I let ya. What about you?
09[01:28] * GateGuard is now known as Ruth
[01:29] <Joule> I'm Dr. Q.T. Boltzmann, a theoretical and experimental physicist.
[01:29] <Joule> Call me Joule if it's easier.
[01:30] <09%Ruth> Missus Boltzmann, hmm...
[01:31] <09%Ruth> You don't look the type to put up a fight. If that's what you're here for, you better go home.
[01:31] <09%Ruth> Wait a sec...
[01:32] <Joule> Hm?
06[01:32] * %Ruth grabs Joule by the chin, and pries her mouth open with two fingers.
06[01:32] * %Ruth pulls Joule up more closely, inspecting her canines.
[01:32] <Joule> !
[01:33] <09%Ruth> Hmm...
[01:33] <09%Ruth> Nope, you don't look like no vampire I've ever seen. On the plus side, though, your mouth is quite free from cavities...
06[01:34] * %Ruth holds Joule by the jaw, looking for cavities.
[01:34] <09%Ruth> Oh, wait... Here's one.
06[01:35] * %Ruth grabs a tooth in the very back of Joule's mouth.
06[01:35] * Joule 's eyes widen a bit while she waits to se what Ruth intends to do.
[01:35] <09%Ruth> Ya want me to fix that for ya? 'Cause the healthcare really stinks around here. I can make it quick, if ya want.
[01:36] <Joule> I'll let you try, but I don't know how successful you'll be...
06[01:38] * Joule 's voice, despite intention, is muffled beyond coherence.
[01:38] <09%Ruth> Huh? What?
[01:39] <09%Ruth> Was that a "yes"?
06[01:39] * Joule just shrugs.
06[01:39] * %Ruth still hasn't released Joule's tooth or jaw.
[01:39] <09%Ruth> Ya don't know? Why the hell not?
06[01:40] * Joule just half-closes her eyes, rolling them.
06[01:41] * %Ruth shakes Joule by the jaw.
[01:41] <09%Ruth> Hey, don't do that! That's rude. And I'm doin' this for your benefit.
[01:42] <Joule> Mmm!
06[01:43] * Joule nods. Maybe humoring her will get this part over faster.
[01:43] <09%Ruth> Oh, you want it out?
06[01:44] * Joule shrugs, then nods.
[01:44] <09%Ruth> Alright, hold still!
06[01:44] * %Ruth tears out Joule's wisdom tooth.
06[01:47] * Joule 's eyes go wide with the sudden pain.
[01:47] <Joule> !!!
06[01:48] * %Ruth holds it more closely, examining it.
[01:49] <09%Ruth> Hmm. Actually, I guess there aren't any cavities here. Sorry, my bad. Hey, you'd have to get it pulled later anyway, right? Better to get this stuff done ahead of time.
06[01:50] * Joule doesn't answer, bringing up her hand. The tooth disappears after a bolt of electricity connects it with her index finger.
[01:52] <Joule> No comment.
06[01:52] * Joule holds her cheek.
[01:52] <09%Ruth> See? It just disappeared. Brittle as could be. Probably saved you the trouble.
[01:53] <Joule> Well... you were saying?
[01:54] <09%Ruth> Oh, yeah. Right. So you ain't no vampire. I don't have any business with you.
[01:55] <Joule> ...It's really that simple?
[01:57] <Joule> Hm, still... you see, I'm hoping to pass, but as you said that's your field. If I want to do that, I first talk to you, right?
[01:59] <09%Ruth> You would, I reckon. But seein' as you have no business, and I ain't never heard of you, it's pretty a "get lost", or you'll be picking your teeth out of ass about half a kilo from here.
06[02:03] * %Ruth motions her kanabo, then points it to the forest.
[02:03] <Joule> Perhaps that is a bit hasty. There is something we both have now, but I think its expenditure would be better in some ways than in others.
[02:05] <09%Ruth> Huh?
[02:06] <Joule> You know. Think of it like this: All at once the longest, shortest, fastest and slowest.
[02:08] <09%Ruth> ...
06[02:08] * %Ruth 's face finally recognizes something.
[02:08] <09%Ruth> Oh, I see. So, you know the secret rule, huh? You trying me with a riddle?
[02:09] <Joule> Secret rule is the word for it? Hm.
[02:11] <09%Ruth> Hmm... I think I've heard this one before.
06[02:11] * %Ruth stands her kanabo down on the bridge and sits her elbow atop its end, perching her chin on a hand and thinking.
[02:18] <09%Ruth> Was it "The Day"?
06[02:20] * Joule shakes her head, saying nothing.
[02:21] <09%Ruth> Hmph. Well, try this one.
[02:22] <09%Ruth> "I have a dozen little knives, my hands are red and white. You can give me to your maiden, to make things all right."
06[02:25] * Joule holds her chin in her hand, thinking. Next time she sees a linguist she'll probably throttle him.
06[02:30] * Joule shrugs and shakes her head again.
[02:31] <Joule> I just keep thinking of clocks, and I doubt they're much help. So now?
[02:32] <09%Ruth> Nothing to do with clocks, riddler.
[02:32] <09%Ruth> Seeing as we've stalemated, we'll share the answers and try each other again. I'm interested in what riddles you have to tell.
[02:33] <Joule> Hm. Do you want me to say it first?
[02:33] <09%Ruth> My riddle is that of the Rose. Red and white petals are common amongst roses, and the "dozen little knives" is a term to describe the thorns that prick the unwary. And you can give 'em to your sweetheart to fix things up between you, right?
06[02:34] * Joule taps her head.
[02:35] <09%Ruth> Your riddle is old, that I know, but I can't seem to recall its answer. Will you spare me the time?
[02:35] <Joule> Tremendous analytics, little common sense. Mine was time; goes on endlessly, though you never have enough of it, and fleeting while you enjoy yourself but dragging when there is little to entertain.
[02:37] <09%Ruth> Hmm. I suppose I should have answered more closely "time of day" as that would be the object of your riddle. But no matter; try me again.
[02:38] <Joule> Hm...
[02:42] <09%Ruth> ?
[02:42] <Joule> Old, but perhaps... What can run, never walks; has a mouth, never talks; has a bed, never sleeps; has a head, never weeps?
[02:43] <09%Ruth> That is old. The answer is a river.
[02:44] <09%Ruth> If you can't answer this one, then the contest is over. here goes:
[02:48] <09%Ruth> "Light as a feather, there is nothing in it; the strongest man can't hold it for much more than a minute." Nor the strongest woman, I can confirm.
[02:49] <Joule> There is something that comes to mind... fire?
[02:51] <09%Ruth> Wrong.
06[02:51] * %Ruth grabs Joule by the throat and crushes her windpipe, lifting her off the ground.
[02:52] <Joule> I'm a physicist. Did you expect me to think in other terms?
[02:53]	<Joule>	Frankly, losing a fight of wits is what really stings... I oughta think of where I left that old imagination of mine. Ha!
[02:53]	<Ruth>	You oughta think about what's healthy for you.
[02:55]	<Joule>	Where's my mistake, then?
[02:55]	<Ruth>	Me.
[02:57]	* Ruth	tosses Joule in the air, and sends her flying with a professional batter's swing. Joule whistles through the air, and becomes a star in some lesser hemisphere's sky.
[02:59]	* Ruth	watches her go, yawns, then goes back to the bridge, drawing it back up again by hand.
[03:02]	* Joule	falls on the other side, fighting hard to keep from falling apart.
[03:03]	<[GM]Mary>	Joule: You're knocked clear across the moat, unable to locate yourself until you fall through the haze, landing into a thicket of trees. While the branches tear at your descent, they soften the blow the earth directly, eventually bringing you to the ground.
[03:04]	* Joule	sits back up, with a great deal of effort.
[03:06]	<[GM]Mary>	You're not too far from the trail. Just about five hundred meters away from the bridge.
[03:07]	* Joule	stands back up, absorbing heat and electricity to regain her bearings and get back to her original state.
[03:07]	<Joule>	Ow, my pride.
[03:08]	<Joule>	If this happens again I'll have to think more.
[03:08]	* Joule	jogs back to the trail, heading for the other entrance. No point in trying again, is there?
[03:11]	<[GM]Mary>	Following the waning trail that branchings from the castle's route, you stumble upon a smoky graveyard, complete with withered weeds, dusky earth, and some headstones so worn that they're rendered illegible.
[03:11]	* Joule	prepares herself for attack, muttering natural laws under her breath like they were incantations.
[03:14]	<Joule>	Cold here, isn't it...
[03:14]	<Joule>	Dammit, why'd I have to remember a better one right damn now?!
[03:14]	* Joule	scratches her head in exasperation.
[03:14]	<Joule>	Eh, best forget about that. Whatever.
[03:15]	<[GM]Mary>	This is all that is clear in the haze, at least; beyond, your eyes catch the sight of light, burning dim and yellow. The glow lasts for only a few moments, disappearing then reappearing seconds later.
[03:16]	<Joule>	Hm...
[03:17]	<[GM]Mary>	There's something here in the graveyard, aside from the wandering wisp.
[03:17]	<Joule>	. o (Last time I saw something like that I almost went to Hell. No problem in following it again, eh?)
[03:17]	* Joule	approaches, doing her best to make little noise as she does so.
[03:18]	<[GM]Mary>	The presence is definitely supernatural. Due to your paranormal sensitivity and makeup, the disturbance is clear: There's a ghost nearby, or perhaps a series of restless spirits. Whatever it is, it's like you and off its rocker.
[03:20]	* Joule	starts charging power, her irises beginning to glow.
[03:20]	<Joule>	. o (So, how to deal with this one? Talk to provoke approach, try to avoid...?)
[03:22]	* Joule	looks around. Where'd the damn thing go?
[03:23]	<Joule>	. o (Wait. That machine!)
[03:24]	* Joule	forgets everything in making sure the device she got is fine, and looks around again after confirming it is.
[03:24]	<Joule>	So... where was I? Oh, yeah...
[03:24]	* Joule	goes back to preparing for the thing while continuing to walk through the graveyard.
[03:25]	<[GM]Mary>	You happen upon the mentioned: A subdued-looking young girl with her arms and legs chained in bondage. They're broken, but their apparitional shake rings quite clearly in your ears.
[03:26]	<Joule>	...Hm? You? Who are you?
[03:26]	* Joule	addresses the spirit cautiously, not going too near it just yet.
[03:29]	* RestlessSpirit	glances at Joule, then looks away. She walks through the graveyard, dragging her chains.
[03:29]	* Joule	follows her, addressing her again.
[03:30]	<Joule>	Little lady, you should undersand I could use an answer even if it isn't the right one. Who are you?
[03:32]	* RestlessSpirit	stops, looks at Joule, makes sure she's following, and continues through the yard.
[03:33]	* Joule	continues on in silence, but looks a little annoyed at being ignored.
[03:34]	<[GM]Mary>	The casper leads you through the graveyard, then stops and descends through a large footstone. It's chains rattle as each link is pulled through it. She disappears.
[03:35]	* Joule	follows, still on her guard. Whatever it is is here, probably.
[03:38]	* Joule	stops at the footstone. So... now what?
[03:38]	* Joule	bends down to try and read it.
[03:38]	<[GM]Mary>	It reads simply, "ALICE 1810-1830". Oddly, the stone is much more pristine than the surrounding trappings of the dead; it shows no signs of erosion or even a speck of dust.
[03:40]	<Joule>	...Alice, eh? Turns out even other ghosts are younger than me. That band I joined really is unique, if impressions are to be believed...
[03:47]	* Joule	digs into the dirt right around the stone with her foot. Something's here, at least.
[03:49]	<[GM]Mary>	There is. Shifting your weight against the stone, it's obvious that it can be moved.
[03:49]	* Joule	crouches down, sliding it off its current location.
[03:52]	<Joule>	. o (Seems like this was just waiting for someone, wasn't it?)
[03:52]	<[GM]Mary>	Removing the footstone reveals a hole. A narrow, black hole whose darkness is impenatrable by the sharpest night eye.
[03:55]	* Joule	reaches in, but then decides that'll accomplish little and tries lowering herself in. Slowly, so as to not lift up her skirt or muss up something that'll take a second to fix.
[03:58]	<[GM]Mary>	Down, down, down, you plummet deep into enveloping darkness. Something nauseating comes over you, and before you know it, you find yourselves among small sticks, dry leaves, and damp bones, as you awaken in a dark crypt.
[03:58]	<Joule>	. o (...Poetic.)
[03:59]	* Joule	stands up, doing her best to see in the low light.
[04:00]	<[GM]Alice>	...
[04:01]	* [GM]Alice	is standing before Joule. She blinks twice.
[04:02]	<Joule>	Ah, you again. Now that you've taken me here, perhaps you can answer that question of mine?
[04:02]	<[GM]Alice>	?
[04:04]	<Joule>	Who are you? Why not start there.
[04:04]	<Joule>	I'll tell you my name and everything, don't you know.
[04:05]	* [GM]Alice	curtsies.
[04:05]	<[GM]Alice>	Alice.
[04:05]	* Joule	returns the gesture.
[04:05]	<Joule>	Q.T. or Joule, whichever you prefer.
[04:06]	<[GM]Alice>	Jewel...
[04:07]	<Joule>	What is it, Alice?
[04:08]	* Joule	leans against the wall of the crypt, talking as if this happens every Thursday.
[04:08]	<[GM]Alice>	What is, "what"?
[04:11]	<Joule>	That's a circular question, Alice. But to move on, why did you lead me here? Seemed quite deliberate, from my perspective.
[04:11]	<[GM]Alice>	You wanted in.
[04:12]	<Joule>	I... what?
[04:12]	<[GM]Alice>	Did you not?
[04:14]	<Joule>	I don't know what you mean by 'in', and I don't know what's inside either. What do you intend to do?
[04:15]	<[GM]Alice>	Nothing. You wanted inside the castle. I have led you. Is this difficult to understand?
[04:16]	* [GM]Alice	cocks her head, very awkwardly as her expression does not change in the slightest.
[04:16]	<Joule>	Not when you successfully explain it. So this is a way in?
[04:18]	<[GM]Alice>	It is.
[04:18]	<Joule>	Thanks then. Should I follow you?
[04:19]	<[GM]Alice>	...
[04:20]	* [GM]Alice	turns around, leading Joule down a path.
[04:20]	<[GM]Mary>	The sepulcher runs deep and dank, the way of those still living being low and narrow, a valley through the halls of the dead. Many graves lie open with their dead missing, yet their offerings still intact.
[04:21]	* Joule	follows Alice quietly, saying nothing the whole while.
[04:21]	<[GM]Mary>	There are two ways to follow: the most obvious being the marked path upstairs, the other following the mausoleum's desecrations. Alice points you to the direction of the former.
[04:22]	* Joule	moves in the indicated direction, but keeps her guard up just in case.
[04:22]	<[GM]Alice>	I cannot lead you beyond here.
[04:23]	<Joule>	...And what makes for that?
[04:23]	<[GM]Alice>	My chains are bound to this place, and not to you.
[04:23]	<Joule>	Is it alright for me to ask why?
[04:24]	<[GM]Alice>	It is fine.
[04:25]	<Joule>	If that stone is to be believed, you transcended your physical form ten years after I did and... well, you haven't moved on either, but bound... why is it?
[04:25]	* [GM]Alice	shrugs.
[04:25]	<[GM]Alice>	My chains keep me here. That is all I know.
[04:26]	<Joule>	Well, then I'll thank you for your help. I hope that changes... eventually.
[04:27]	* [GM]Alice	bows, and steps away, fading into the darkness.
[04:28]	* Joule	takes the indicated path. Strange...
[04:42]	<[GM]Mary>	Saving state to slot 2... |22:30 MAIN HALL 25.2%|