Kralthanlaghan(Nemo): While there is high hopes that the card would open an entrance, your attempt in doing it is met with peculiarity. Placing the card on the seemingly solid wall, causes it to bend like soft liquid, before rebounding the attempt to touch it and seeming to reinforce solidly when touched again. Dromani(Merkos): Taking in the emotions of things around you is a lot "quieter" than it should be. That doesn't stop you from taking grasp of a few things that while fairly distant are pretty powerful. The strongest comes from a source that just by it's nature...feels wrong. While vicious and dark in nature it feels like a wounded animal that's both, frightened and scared. From as far as you can tell, it comes from several floors above. It's not the only thing that can be picked up. Something on the very floor your on can be felt just directly ahead of the abnormal wall. It's another unusual thing that isn't easy to quite put into words. Somewhat lonely...but carrying a deep fascination and maybe just a hint of something close to arousal. The last readily obvious source is also on the same floor your own. It's joy. Close to almost finding something hysterical. Likely caused by the situation your in. Also probably with a realistic possibility of being the cause of it. It radiates all across the area, and can't be pinned down to a single location. Shesten(Generic): Travelling on foot is time consuming, but without any new difficulties to follow the roads. Kobold subordinates following suit, it feels like a lot of distance to cover on land, but probably the best option. At least these roads are kept mostly safe and fairly straightforward so it should actually be possible to reach things fairly quickly, if you chose to press on without resting. But then that would leave the problem of not being in top condition for whatever situation arises. Cera(Moonblack): The thing doesn't seem bothered by either of the responses it was given. It just holds a confident smile that treats your answers like they were the expected reaction and just seems...generally uninterested in them. It first fixates on you. "Heh. "Need for you." That's cute. I'm wondering what your reaction would be if you knew the exact reason they went out of their way to take low level grunts when they have Knights and Generals who could wipe entire squadrons. But...they will probably tell you the facts themselves. As for those you're waiting for...the joker, the fool, and the buffoon. Between the six of you, you'd think one of you might be worth something. Alas, the possibility that this ends as normal is strong." It's head rotates while giving a half grin. It's not a welcome sight. "But...this is interesting to me. Do you believe that you know better than Lady Atis, if you wish to second guess her choices? After all, she chose you, did she not? Perhaps you will try to convince me that's not the case, and establish that you aren't willing to at least standby the things you say." Having felt like it spoke it's piece it shifted and contorted it's body to make direct eye contact with Carmen. Carmen(Majus): "Being interesting is not within my purpose. But.....you implied that I'm a liar....and I'm so deeply hurt." Given the natural tones of the being's voice, it doesn't sound at all like it. "Your say wouldn't have been ignored. It would never be brought up if your opinion didn't matter. Miss Ash, certainly doesn't bear the patience to talk to everyone about their feelings, I assure you. Granted...Eli might." It shifts it's body weight again as it makes distance, not having actually moved from it's spot. "Where you wish to stand is clear. Yet, is that any good if you are you unwilling to voice your thoughts to others?" The physical nature of the being isn't obvious. The only thing obvious about this creature is the fact that it is not even trying for fairness.
"Walls, made of stone, are not, flexible..." Kraltha-Tan snarled. Then spoke as though addressing empty air. "I don't know what the meaning of this is, I don't know why you have decided to impede my progress. I also don't care. Whatever the options open to you in this situation are mine are exceedingly finite," She put forth one great draconic hand, extending it's semi retractable claws to full dagger like length and activating their inherent not-exactly-magical destructive aura, "One, I can simply leave, disobeying an order from Mistress Eli to report to the hospital here," The finger went down, the claw, even with the aura which made its mere daggers length as lethal as an arming-sword, not harming her polished black scales in the slightest, "Unacccceptable." She hissed like an angry cobra. "Or I can allow you to delay me here for as long as you chose for whatever your reasons with no further explanation when I have been told the summons is of some urgency: again, Unacceptable..." A second claw went down, the thumb, in this case. "That leaves two options and two options only," she declared holding up her remaining two claws, "ONE, you, for your part, can either open this barrier for myself AND my companion by the time two ticks of the world engine have expired, what you would know as twelve seconds, or I can tear it down with the arts and powers at my disposal, Twelve-one-thousand, Eleven-one-thousand, TEN-one-thousand..."
"Somehow I do not think that whatever is doing this is going to respond to your threats. It is either a game or a test." I back away from Kraltha in case her burst of violence backfires in some way.
Cera rolls her eyes again. “One, in most cases sending knights and generals when common soldiers will do is a waste of resources. And two, do not put words in my mouth. Listening to you twist my words is mildly entertaining and helps alleviate the boredom while waiting; putting words in my mouth and trying to pretend I said things I did not isn't.” She pauses and tilts her head as gives the creature a look. “Of course, if twisting my words and coming up with things I did not say is the best you can do, then by all means, please continue.”
Carmen grins at Cera aftert her comment. "You, I like." She then turns to the creature. "You poor little creature." She shook her head. "I didn't call you uninteresting. I called you an idiot." her smile dropped from her face. "Now get out of my sight and deliver our answers. Worry not your little brain if you cannot comprehend them - your masters will."
Kralthanlaghan(Nemo): Threatening the barrier wall is met successfully. The barrier wall expresses all the fear that a wall can possibly show. Which isn't much to look at, but compared to other walls it is undoubtedly acting with bravado and feeling in expressing it's raw emotion. However, despite the wall's masterful and beautiful performance, tugging at the heart strings, it remains yet, merely a wall. Despite all it's dreams and wishes it is still but a wall. Now and forever it shall be. The wall barrier remains the same. Dromani(Merkos): Despite the emotionally charged performance the wall gave, you are left thinking that you are correct. Either whatever's responsible can't hear you, doesn't want to, doesn't know, or just doesn't care. At any rate, it won't be simply letting up on it's own. Shesten(Generic): I'm going to write you off as still travelling and relatively close to your destination by now. You can write about your own sub-events that happen in the mean time, if you want. Cera(Moonblack) +Carmen(Majus): "All very interesting. For all you know, I could just be an aspect of Atis herself. You assume your importance is greater than I. But I will still do you a favor. I will relay what needs to be heard. Not what the reality is." It begins to sink through the floor still grinning in an unwelcome way. "Of course, I could just be a voice in your head. One of you has already seen things that you shouldn't have. Maybe you're simply hearing them now?" It's body already begins to evaporate in the air as the rest of it keeps sinking until it vanishes, leaving the room empty again.
For a moment Cera considers replying but in the end decides not to waste her breath. Once the strange creature is gone she sighs and shrugs. “Well, that was disappointing...” Though the comment abut having seen things we shouldn't have is interesting. Is that about the transparent woman I saw, about the... odd... way the castle looked, or about something else? She wonders in her mind as she resumes waiting.
Kraltha does not make idle threats, with both draconic breath, (a great outpouring of vitriolic acid in her case,) and with diamond hard tallons, she begins doing her dead level best to tear this barrier apart...
While my companion continues her assault on the barrier, I'm going to go back to inspecting the rest of the room looking for any kind of hint of how to remove the barrier. (I feel like i'm missing something obvious, but that's often the case when it comes to RPG's)
Carmen narrowed her eyes. Could it truly be a higher ranked creature? She sighed. In the end, it doesn't really matter. Carmen closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, resigned to continue waiting.
Kralthanlaghan(Nemo): Acid proves effective in dissolving the obstacle. Despite all the unbridled passion it was displaying, it seems to hold a certain stoicism and quiet dignity at it's dissolving. Perhaps it was prepared for the day it would have to meet it's end. Perhaps it's duty and pride that keep's it's head up high as it's crumbles and liquefies. Whatever the reason for it's silent and graceful demise, it holds onto it's pride even as the last stone is reduced to nothing. After, blowing a hole through the obstruction it reveals a relatively small room that would be just barely big enough for two people. Multiple runic buttons are on a panel on one side, and you realize this is one of those elevators. Most of the buttons have no glow, other than a few basic levels. There is also a small slot which it looks like something could be swiped in. It's not hard to put two and two together. Dromani(Merkos): Although you are positive, that there was another way to manage, the opening to the small room is still there. Still picking up on the emotions of things around you, the sense that whatever was enjoying itself is no longer doing that is clear. It doesn't feel upset. But rather...sort of bored and mildly disappointed. It's still not obvious what the source of it is, but it seems unlikely it intends to simply reveal itself until it feels a need to. Cera(Moonblack) +Carmen(Majus): Now being back by yourselves, the room is as silent again as it is still barren of anything interesting. Whether or not this is also part of a test merely to see what people will put up with or just because they couldn't be bothered to do anything with it, is a very real question. Whatever the case, it still leaves you two with little to do.
'Someone will be with you momentarily'. That's what the voice from earlier said. I wonder if the weird creature is the 'someone' in question, or if someone else will show up when the other people we're waiting for arrive. Thinking of, I hope it won't be much longer before they get here... Cera continues to stand in place, as she has been doing since arriving, waiting to find out why she has been called.
Enter the elevator as well. (Sorry I'm not playing the creative puzzle solving Rogue type, but I was never very good at that role...)
Shesten kept his squad moving at a steady pace, not marching them into the ground but not ambling over, either. The journey took three days. On the first night, the kobolds slept in a small forest cave, packed together with barely enough room for them all to sleep on separate bedrolls. On the second, Shesten carefully lead them to an abandoned tower for the night. He spread his group out across the three floors. Je’Klin the fighter, Vraral the ranger, and Vrakin the brawler were on the ground as guards, Lozli and Fealka were on the first floor to rest and prepare their magics (Lozli being a very weak sorceress, and Fealka an aspiring alchemist), and he shared the highest floor’s bed with Ruhrar. The jade-scaled killer was still an unknown quality, a recent arrival from another clan, and though he seemed loyal, Shesten wanted to make sure. Or at least, that’s what he told himself as he prepared to fuck the little assassin... Spoiler: M/M Sex scene The two of them lay on the bed, naked except for their loincloths, their weapons lying at the foot of the bed. There was a silent moment that stretched on and on, as they recovered from the strain of a day’s march followed by two flights of human-sized stairs, before Shesten leaned over and kissed Ruhrar on the cheek. He felt Ruhrar’s scales grow warmer, and he could hear his shocked gasp. The other kobold’s eyes went wide and his scales grew brighter as blood rushed under them Shesten kissed him again, and again, forming a trail of kisses from near his earholes down to his throat. As he went, Ruhrar’s gasps changed into soft, lust-laden moans, music to Shesten’s ears. “Mmm, sounds like someone needs a good fucking…” The chieftain whispered, reaching down to adjust his loincloth so that his growing erection was comfortable. Ruhrar didn't answer, so Shesten gently ran a finger along the bulge in his loincloth. That drew another moan, and a faint, whispered, “please”. With a grin, Shesten pulled the loincloth aside and wrapped his hand around Ruhrar’s cock. It was much like his own, perhaps a little larger, especially as it stiffened in his grip. He started to stroke it gently, whispering wordlessly into his minion’s ear. Ruhrar’s cock started to throb and his moans grew louder after a few minutes, so Shesten pulled his hand back, silencing the assassin’s disappointed sigh by turning him around and placing a kiss on his lips. He entwined his tongue around Ruhrar’s, and lay like that for a few moments, before the throbbing of his cock spurred Shesten to put the kobold’s mouth to another use. Breaking the kiss off, he murmured. “Get onto your knees.” Feeling Ruhrar shifting his weight, Shesten stood up, and was pleasantly surprised to find his cock almost exactly in line with the assassin’s mouth… He put one hand on Ruhrar’s head, behind one of his short horns, lined his cock up with the other, and pushed his hips forward. Ruhrar opened wide as his chieftan’s cock pressed against his lips, his tongue licking at the underside of Shesten’s dick. He gave a pleased moan, muffled by the cock in his mouth, and got to work. Shesten could hear his underling slurping as Ruhrar sucked him off, and he gave a low hiss of pleasure. Where had he learned to suck like this, he wondered? Ruhrar started to bob his head back and forth, taking Shesten’s cock all the way down to the slit before sliding back until half of his cock was cooling in the night air, coated in saliva, then rocking forward again to slurp up the whole cock once again. He let one hand drop down, stroking his cock, while the other started to toy with the outside of Shesten’s cockslit. Shesten shuddered as one of Ruhrar’s claws curled around and stroked along his inner walls. He's definitely going to be joining me again, he thought. He pulled Ruhrar forward, holding his head pressed against his groin. “Tongue my slit.” He hissed. Ruhrar did so, his long, flexible tongue wrapping around the cockmeat still inside the chieftain's slit, and orbs of light flashed before Shesten’s eyes. It took all of Shesten’s willpower not to cry out as he came, his cock throbbing as his seed worked its way up from his internal balls, past Ruhrar’s still-coiled tongue, to the very tip, before exploding into Ruhrar’s sucking mouth in long white spurts. He drank down every drop, massaging the cock with his tongue to work out the last few drops, before pulling his head back. Shesten let him go. Ruhrar lay back down on the bed, and Shesten lay down atop him, sliding his arms underneath the assassin and hugging him close. He entwined his tail with Ruhrar’s, and as he did so the tip brushed through a puddle of slowly-cooling seed. Seems like he had fun too… With that last thought, Shesten drifted off to sleep. On the third day, as the sun dipped behind the mountains, sending jagged lines of red light and shadow across the countryside, Shesten and his force arrived at the hospital. (Sorry for the delay in posting. I hope this makes up for it.)
Kralthanlaghan(Nemo)+Dromani(Merkos): Your black cards begin to glow as soon as you step in the elevator. A light blue button with a cross sign glows on it's own and the lift begins to act on it's own as a replica of the card begins to glow where it should be inserted. The lift proceeds to move upward and the force of it's speed can be felt before a faint blueish glow comes across the entire lift and it starts to slow. The door of the lift opens to reveal a room with almost nothing in it, save for two very bored looking mages and a door that's pulsing with magical energy. Shesten(Generic): The moment that your force arrives, there is nobody to greet you at the entrance. Undoubtedly, there is something keeping an eye on your movements that you're not seeing, but the way to the bridge and the doorway leading inside remains completely unobstructed. There is also the view of a bright red magic circle in the center of the courtyard that's glowing actively. Teleportation. Lift. Walk on. Use. Simple. The only indication if it's purpose is a sign to read in front of it that looks hastily put together like something was scrambling to make it moments before you got here. While it might seem convenient, the better parts of your mind have to think about where exactly this is supposed to teleport someone to. Cera(Moonblack)+Carmen(Majus): The sounds of mechanical ticking can be heard from the entrance that you came, as the door swings open to reveal a black dragon woman and a sphinx. Given that when you two arrived that exact same entrance had stairs, it seems a little bit strange. Yet, not a whole lot stranger than anything else that goes in this place. Four of six. Fifth should be arriving shortly. Status of Six is indeterminate. Current data suggests to presume dead. The odd sounding voice echoes again before dying down seeming to come from no particular direction, and leaving you to observe the two newcomers to the waiting room.
A dragon woman and a sphinx? That's an odd pair... Cera notes. “Hello.” She offers a polite greeting to the new arrivals, then her gaze goes to the elevator behind them. So, the stairs turned into some sort of an elevator? This place is full of surprises... Must require some powerful illusion magic and other spells to maintain it, though. She muses as she goes back to waiting. Based on what the voice said it should not be long before the last person we're waiting for is also here. I wonder what is going to happen once everyone has gathered?
"Hmm..." He quickly runs through some options in his head. Someone should test the portal first, to make sure it's not a death trap. Ruhrar is too fun to discard in sucha manner, Lozli, Fealka, and Vraral are all poor performers in frontline combat, and Je'Klin is loyal to him, so... "Vrakin, please test the circle for us."
Kraltha-Tan eyes the two individuals standing awaiting them and addresses them "To whom do I have the pleasure of addresing myself?" She asks in a surprisingly calm and cordial voice, at least compared to the tones she used just before entering the elevator, which they probably don't know about, but the sphinx distinctly does...
I was planning to wait for everyone to get here before doing the introductions, but I guess this is good enough. Cera thinks before answering the dragon woman's question. “My name is Ceramidelle, but people usually call me Cera. And who might you all be?” She introduces herself, then looks at each of the other three people and holds up the black card that was delivered to her earlier. “I don't suppose any of you know why we are here?”
