[19:12] Dawn breaks, and the wounds the party has suffered made it far easier to rest their weary wartorn bodies... The bodies of the Exalted, at least. Relain is still feeling the pain of a broken rib - The Overseer chucking him off of a swampy alligator-infested waterfall to blame - from the night before, but he can at least walk without slowing the group. [19:12] Accomodation in Dr. Shi's almost manorly-decorated house-on-the-edge-of-the-forest is very accomodating, to say the absolute least. All of Dr. Shi's servants wear a comforting shade of blue to complement the ridiculously Purple abode that Dr Shi lives in. [19:12] You're all made very comfortable, and are sat on pillows around a damn-near-touching-the-floor breakfast table set up in the meeting room where you have all been talking with Shi prior. Everyone of importance is sitting around the table, your preferred breakfast is set out infront of you, and chit-chat about what to do and where to go is, of course, inevitable. (Aaaand, ACTION!) 06[19:13] * @Soul isn't actually eating very much, he seems far too preoccupied 03[19:13] * Soul sets mode: +o Clarence_ST 03[19:13] * Soul sets mode: -o Soul 06[19:13] * Shim is quietly nomming some Nara-Os. [19:14] (wait, wait ... so you're saying that there'a a table ... and the table is only a few inches off the floor ?) [19:14] (because wat) 01[19:14] (because Japan) [19:14] (Think Japanese) 06[19:16] * Gandr softly clears his throat. 06[19:16] * Kris perks up. 06[19:16] * Gandr does not feel very comfortable in this sort of sticky situation. 06[19:17] * Gandr is more used to clear-cut issues. This whole "whoa let's kill him he's evil only no wait he's not" is an itch he can't scratch. [19:19] "So... We know who made the plauge, we have the raw materials to make a vaccine... Do we know why they made the plauge [19:19] ?"* [19:20] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy shyly digs into his fresh vegetable salad. "I'm right here, you know." [19:20] "Then speak up." [19:20] "I'm just summarizing." 06[19:20] * Soul clears his throat a little. "Actually..." 06[19:20] * Soul waits to have everyone's attention 06[19:20] * Gandr likes being able to say something without feeling like an idiot. 06[19:20] * Kris turns to Soul [19:21] "Hm ?" 01[19:21] "...we don't know for SURE that the Broc Flower can be used to make a vaccine, to be totally honest." 01[19:21] "It's just our best lead for the moment." [19:21] "Oh. Well, it's better than having no lead. Besides, we can ask Lemy if it would work?" [19:22] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I'm not even sure it alone would be enough. It's... one mother of a plague." He shakes his head and chews. [19:22] "So what IS enough ?" 01[19:22] "And then there's the matter of the fact that we almost died to get it." 06[19:22] * Shim glows quite visable as her wounds sew together and bones crack back into place inside her. 01[19:22] "I don't know if I want to risk getting the other ingredients, if I don't even know if they'll work..." [19:23] "Good point..." [19:24] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "So you don't want to risk your life to save creation because getting a few plants can land you a few bruises?" [19:25] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I thought you Solars were supposed to be the champions of truth, justice, and kicking probability to the curb." 06[19:25] * Soul assumes a somewhat sterner voice. "Let me be a little less obtuse. I'm worried that we're doing EXACTLY what your deathly compatriots WANT us to do." [19:25] "In which case we kill them." [19:25] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy frowns and shakes his head. "Right, right. Sorry." 01[19:25] "Or was _I_ the only one who noticed that there was ONE, and EXACTLY one Broc flower left, and that Overseer fellow didn't make any attempt to destroy it?" 06[19:25] * Kris blinks 01[19:25] "In fact, it was almost...on DISPLAY. THAT...worries me." [19:26] "You're actually right. Would it be a bad idea to experiment though? I mean..." 01[19:26] "Experiment? With what? We only have the one flower." [19:26] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "It... It was probably just a coincidence...' [19:27] "If there's only that Broc flower left, chopping it up for experiments is a bad idea." 06[19:27] * Soul takes the flower out of his coat pocket. "I dare say we might not even be able to make a vaccine at all...not enough to MATTER, anyway..." 06[19:27] * Kris thinks a bit. "There ought to be things we can do that won't consume or destroy the flower. Or we could breed more of them." 06[19:27] * Relain wanders in, taking a seat with a powerful yawn "Aww man, my chest is killing me... What did I miss last night?" 01[19:27] "Breeding would take a LONG time, I would assume...although it might be a good idea..." [19:27] "I'm just trying to say that 'might be a bad thing' is not enough of a reason to do nothing." [19:28] "Kris is right. We cannot stand idle." [19:28] "We KNOW they're out there. We know they're up to something." 01[19:28] "The possibility of failure isn't something to be afraid of, true. The possibility of making things much, much worse, however..." [19:28] "How can we make things worse ?" [19:29] "Set the plant for breeding - either here or elsewhere - and go on the hunt for these cretins." [19:29] "Agreed, the both of you are correct. We can't do nothing, but we shouldn't do something without being damn sure it's good. As for breeding, who says we have to do it? We can ask or convince others to do it for us." 06[19:29] * Soul shakes his head. "I don't know, I just can't shake the feeling I got back there, that we're doing exactly what that Overseer wanted us to do..." [19:29] "What, kicking his ass ?" 01[19:29] "Taking the flower, I mean." 06[19:29] * Relain looks slightly confused and nudges Shim "Did Lemy talk?" [19:29] "You're thinking the FLOWER's a trap ?" 01[19:29] "Why leave one, and only one, specimen? Why not just destroy them all? It..." [19:29] "Right, that's why we should exersize caution, and look for alternatives. But until we get a better idea, I think we need do something with wht we have." [19:30] "I'm not the herb guy. I can eradicate it so hard it'll leave scorchmarks back where we grabbed it, but for everything else, I'm not much good." 01[19:31] "Well, if we BREED the flower, then we can't use it to make a vaccine. If we use the flower to make a vaccine, then we render the plant extinct." 06[19:32] * Shim looks back to Relain and blinks absently a bit before nodding and going back to her breakfast. [19:32] "Look, we ..." [19:32] "We can breed it to make vaccines out of the crops. It's just going to take longer." 01[19:32] "That's what I meant." [19:32] "We talked about this earlier - we need to both cure this bitch, and make sure that it won't come up again." [19:32] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I'm pretty good with plants." [19:32] "Gandr's right." [19:33] "So why don't we breed it, and head out for the kill meanwhile ?" [19:33] "Curing it while it's still thick in the air won't help anyone, anyway." 01[19:33] "And where, do you propose, we find these people to kill?" 06[19:33] * Gandr shrugs. 01[19:33] "Precisely." [19:33] "Ask Lemy?" [19:34] "Start with Lemy ?" [19:34] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy smiles. "I'm... I'm sure I can breed the flower if I just get a few seeds..." 06[19:34] * Gandr jokes. [19:34] "Sounds good to me." 06[19:34] * Relain relain scratches his head and pours himself some Nara-O's 01[19:34] "You DO know how long that's going to take, though, Lemy..." [19:36] "Mm, nara-os. can I have some ?" [19:37] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Of course, but ever since my second breath, I've been finding ways to make plants grow. Even though my Deathlord doesn't like it... At all..." 06[19:37] * Relain nods, passing Gandr the box "Can you tell me what I missed last night?" 06[19:37] * Soul nudges Chei (who he assumes is also eating breakfast and also sitting next to him at the table) hard with his elbow. "You been paying attention right?" 06[19:37] * Gandr Pours himself some. [19:37] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy absentmindedly holds his chest. [19:38] "Yeah. Short of it is, we came home, Lemy's a deathknight from hell, everybody's angry." [19:38] "Now we talk about what to do. The end. [19:38] " [19:38] <@Clarence_ST> Chei: "Hng? Hnm. Yeah. Flowers, Lemy's a deathknight, Cure the disease..." [19:38] "Oh, lovely." 01[19:38] "You have an Alcohol problem, you know that?" [19:38] "Do not." [19:38] "Does he know what the origin of the plague is?" [19:38] "Oh you meant Chei." [19:38] "Yeah. [19:38] "He is." 06[19:38] * Soul glares at Gandr in a 'o u' sorta way [19:38] "'m srs." [19:38] <@Clarence_ST> Chei: "I don't. I really don't. I've just been having a bit of a slump, that's all." 06[19:39] * Gandr chews with muth full of -os. 06[19:39] * Gandr nods at Lemy. [19:39] "...Oh, well then." [19:39] "Boyo admitted it, flat on. He made the plague." 01[19:39] "This is no time for a slump. I am not going to have our sponsor be piss drunk half the time, and suffering massive hangovers half the other time." [19:39] "The plot thickens." 06[19:39] * Soul isn't pissed off as he talks, just sorta... 01[19:39] :| [19:40] "Considering what he's having to deal with, Soul, being shitfaced is maybe a blessing in disguise for us." [19:40] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy painstakingly boils tea with the utmost precision. "Anyone want any?" [19:40] "Sorry. I prefer beer." 06[19:40] * Soul raises his hand to Lemy. "How is THAT a blessing?" [19:40] "Ah, I'll take some." 06[19:40] * Gandr continues to eat his nara-os." [19:40] "He's not going to breathe down our necks." [19:40] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Huh? What?" [19:40] "Well, maybe he's going to PUKE down our necks - but he'll do so oblinglingly without remembering." [19:41] "Wait, you meant how is Lemy a blessing in disguise ?" 06[19:41] * Shim nods, "My uncle had a neck once." 06[19:41] * Soul raised his hand to lemy to signal that he wanted some tea, the comment was to Chei, sorry 06[19:41] * Kris would like some tea as well. 01[19:41] "Well, maybe it's just because I'm the only other Guild member in our group, but...come on man...you're making us LOOK bad..." 01[19:42] :| again [19:42] "Come on, cheer up." 06[19:42] * Gandr smiles broadly at Soul." [19:42] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy kinda shies away from Soul... again... and pours tea for Kris, Soul, Shi, Relain, and himself. [19:43] "Y'know, making you look bad would require the attention of someone who cares." [19:43] "So, if Lemy engineered the plague, surely he knows how to halt it, or at least has a very good idea." [19:43] "That's good at least." 01[19:44] "Fine, fine, but if he ends up wandering down the main street of Chiarosucho naked, don't say I didn't warn you." [19:44] <@Clarence_ST> Shi can NOT stifle his laughs. [19:44] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Oh, oh, Gandr..." He raises a hand to high-five him 06[19:45] * Gandr high-fives ! 06[19:45] * Kris hmms thoughtfully. 06[19:45] * Soul glares [19:45] "Hey, hey, don't take it so seriously." 01[19:45] "Like you don't take me seriously? Like that?" [19:45] "Lemy, who employed you to make this plauge?" [19:45] "just, y'know. Like Shimmer says, relax a little. This isn't Nexus. Nobody cares if you burp and scratch your crotch. [19:45] " 06[19:46] * Soul is still :| mode 06[19:46] * Shim burps and scratches her crotch. Breath is minty~ [19:46] "...Would they care about that in Nexus?" [19:46] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "My Deathlord.. the Mask of Winters." That name should be FAMILIAR to all of yous. 06[19:46] * Gandr burps and scratches his crotch. Breath is ... UFO. 06[19:46] * Relain coughs on his tea "Excusse me?" [19:47] "Mask of Winters." [19:47] "You sure he's completely a-okay with you going AWOL like that ?" 06[19:47] * Soul looks not at all assuaged by Gandr's attempts to make him feel better about...anything [19:47] "Wonderful, Gandr, we have a target. I suggest you develop your talents, Mask of Winters is not one you just walk up to and strike with a chain." [19:47] "We're... He's..." 06[19:48] * Relain reclines, slapping his forehead and wiping his face "Dragons, this job gets worse and worse..." 06[19:48] * Gandr is a little pale now. MoW has a very solid reputation for murdering. [19:48] "Yeah, that happens. We lead epic lifes, Relain." [19:48] "I like, met him once." Shim nods, "Or... It might of been him," She points to Relain, "It was like, definatly one of the two." [19:48] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I... Really do not think he likes me going AWOL." [19:48] "Lives. As in, being alive. As in, 'not being dead'. Which we will be, if the Mask comes for us." [19:49] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "He never really liked me since the beginning, but..." [19:49] "... wait." [19:49] "Wait, wait ..." [19:49] "If he didn't like you, why'd he make you ?" [19:49] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy shrugs. 06[19:50] * Relain is confused "Make?" [19:50] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "It's not like he hates me." [19:50] "Wouldn't that be recruit, or something?" [19:50] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Well..." [19:50] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Now I think he does." [19:50] "It doesn't quite work like that, Relain." [19:50] "You sort of hinted that you were given an offer, Lemy." 01[19:50] "All right, enough about that has been said." [19:50] "THat you accepted." [19:50] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "But I certainly wasn't his favourite pawn after I took my second breath." 06[19:50] * Soul sorta waves at everyone to tell them to move on [19:50] "So I'm thinking, there must've been something directly with the Mask of Winter ? Or SOMEBODY." 01[19:51] "ENOUGH, Gandr." 06[19:51] * Kris winces. "Yes Soul?" [19:51] "This is pretty important, Soul." 06[19:52] * Shim has been mimicking what everyone has been saying with her hands, like sock puppets, for a good while now. 01[19:52] "It's nothing we haven't already discussed." [19:52] "I'd like to know whether or not to prepare for another batch of 'rotting and stupid' or the Mask himself." [19:52] "It is EVERYTHING we haven't discussed. Mask of Winter - yes, no ?" [19:52] "There will probably be lots of 'rotting and stupid." In our futures, Gandr. Mask of Winters will be later." [19:53] "Now Soul, there's something new you'd like to explain?" 01[19:53] "About the plague itself. You engineered it, you said. Does that mean you know how to un-engineer it? Do you have any idea on how that would WORK?" 06[19:53] * Gandr sits back, relaxes. 06[19:53] * Gandr eats Nara-os. [19:54] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy scratches the back of his head and breaths in. [19:55] <@Clarence_ST> "Unfortunately, I hadn't had a chance to look at reverse engineering my own plague. It's not like I had a lunch break or days off when the Mask of Winters was requisitioning a plague to be made." 06[19:56] * Kris raises her hand. 01[19:56] "But...well...I'm confused, how did you MAKE it? Did you just will it into existance, or...?" [19:56] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Lots and lots of research, effort, and frankly a whole lot of leaps of logic & engineering that even I don't fully comprehend, even if I can understand the process." [19:57] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "It's all very hazy." 01[19:57] "...damn." 06[19:57] * Kris shakes her hand a bit more vigorously. 06[19:57] * Soul sighs and returns his attention to his tea. [19:57] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "But uh..." [19:57] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Maybe HOW I came about to making the plague could be of use to you." [19:57] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "After all, you've had more experience solving my plague than I did." [19:58] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Anyway..." 01[19:58] "Maybe. Some OTHER time I'd love to hear about it, right now we're just boring everyone to tears..." [19:59] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "...If you say so." [20:00] "I think we should hear LEmy out on this." [20:00] "I don't understand plants and I won't pretend I understand what Lemy talks about when he says "leaps of engineering". But we NEED to know what we're dealing with -even if only theoretically." [20:00] "I'm a dancer, not a doctor, but I think the first hting to do is find samples of the plauge, which Shi has, and then get the two of you somewhere with a decent lab to research this damn plauge." [20:01] "Do we really need to research this?" [20:01] "I would think Lemy would know it in and out." 06[20:01] * Soul glares at the idiot mortal for not paying attention [20:01] "He did make it, after all." [20:01] "he just pretty much said he doesn't." [20:01] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Shi has samples of the plague? Oh, right, Shi has samples of the plague. That dog, I almost forgot." [20:01] "He says he doesn't. Thus we need research." [20:01] "Ah, miles away, sorry." [20:03] "So, Shi, do you have the facilities we need? Or do we need to take everything back to Soul's workshop?" 01[20:03] "If you're not going to pay attention, son, maybe tactician isn't a good job title for you." 06[20:03] * Soul sorta clears his throat and takes another sip of Lemy's (obviously poisoned) tea. [20:04] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Soul has a workshop? Might I ask if your workshop has better... facilities, than mine?" [20:05] "S'what we're trying to figure out." [20:05] "Might be easiest to let Soul see what you have." 01[20:05] "Eh...not really. This place is much bigger than mine, to be honest. Most of my room is taken up with my wards and my patients...I have room for the reagentry, but..." [20:06] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Considering situations are most dire. . . Hm..." [20:06] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Where is your workshop located?" 01[20:06] "Outskirts of Nexus." [20:07] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Shouldn't be too difficult to work things there. How do you feel about me packing all of my things up, and setting up a better workshop at your place? I can, of course, expand the facilities if I call in a few favors." 01[20:07] "E-expand?" 06[20:07] * Soul blinks a couple times 06[20:08] * Kris perks up. "I can help get a workforce together, if you need it." [20:08] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "If you could, that would speed things up drastically." 01[20:08] "We-well I-uh-I umm...APPRECIATE the offer, but...is there really a NEED to take this all the way back to Nexus?" [20:09] "I'm a workforce." 06[20:09] * Soul is sorta a little flustered, as if the Scarlet Empress had just offered him a hummer 06[20:09] * Kris laughs. [20:09] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Let's just say I don't have the... most comforting feeling about this area come recent events." 01[20:10] "Hmm..." 06[20:10] * Soul becomes less flustered and more thoughtful. "THat IS a good point. Being closer to Nexus would make me feel a lot safer about would-be agents of death..." [20:10] "Anyway, If i could find a suitable location without a great deal of Immaculate influence, I think i'll be able to muster up a large sized workforce." 06[20:11] * Relain clutches his chest, doubling over "Oooh, I really don't think I should be up and about today, I'm sorry... I think I need an extra day of rest." 01[20:12] "Nexus is generally not the biggest hotbed of Immaculate Order influence...there are quite a feew high-level Guild officers who know of my...existance...and do not care." [20:12] "You okay ?" [20:12] <@Clarence_ST> Shi grins. "Nexus is about as Immaculate as a three yen hooker." 06[20:12] * Gandr concerns himself with Relain. 06[20:12] * Relain nods in a labored way "Yeah, I'll be ok, I just need a little more rest." [20:12] "Then we should be fine." 01[20:12] "No offense, my fellow healer, but considering how many three-yen hookers are IN Nexus, that's the OPPOSITE of what you intended to mean..." 01[20:12] "...sorta." 01[20:12] "...kinda." 06[20:12] * Relain finishes his tea and excuses himself, moving back to his room [20:13] "So we're going into Nexus for hookers ?" 06[20:13] * Kris nearly doubles over laughing. 03[20:13] * Relain (Ralewyn@sux-C30920A4.hsd1.ma.comcast.net) has left #clarencexaltedic 01[20:14] "I've got a few stories about ladies of the evening who've come in to have themselves treated for venereal diseases..." 01[20:14] "Gentlemen of the evening,t oo actually. 06[20:14] * Kris laughs harder, burying her face in the pillows. 01[20:14] "Not always veneral, either." 06[20:15] * Kris catches her breath. 06[20:15] * Gandr grins and laughs. 01[20:15] "Not always of the evening, either." [20:15] "Ah, Shi, Everybody, I think we've discussed this enough. Shall we set our plans in motion? Shi, would you begin managing the transfer to Nexus?" 01[20:16] "I hope there's still a building left when we get there...if those bumbling idiots managed to burn the place down I'll burn THEM down..." [20:17] "If i go a few days ahead, I could get the workforce sorted out and arrive at your facility and be prepared to work when you arrive." [20:17] <@Clarence_ST> Shi stands up with a CRACKING KNEE-BONES EXPLODING IN A RESOUNDING CACAPHONY OF AWKWARD UNCOMFORT echoing from Shi's knees. "I'll get right on it, I'll speak to my people and get this show rolling as fast as we can." [20:17] "or would you rather me wait until we're all there?" 01[20:18] "I'd rather go with you first, I want to make sure everything's OK there..." 06[20:18] * Kris looks at Gandr. And Soul. "On second thought, i should probably stick wtih you guys. Who knows what trouble you'll get into without a sane person along." [20:18] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "You're sure, Kris?" [20:18] "The only sanity I need is the UCS." [20:19] "Whatever works, Gandr." 01[20:19] "If you're calling me insane, then you'd better not go on ahead, lest you meet my apprentices..." [20:19] "You're insane." [20:20] "LET'S GO." [20:20] "I'm not here all the time, y'know? Some people call it insane." [20:28] <@Clarence_ST> Packing up all of Shi's stuff and getting on the road isn't instant transmission. It takes the entire rest of the day to pack everything of use, including all of Shi's decor and expensive nicities(which take up their own carriage on their own). And travelling during night-time is just plain lunacy. SO, EVERYONE RESTS ANOTHER DAY. [20:30] <@Clarence_ST> However, Gandr clearly doesn't like this pointless dilly daddling and starts pulling the entire caravan with his chain, and walks it down the checkpoint to Chaya. People are of course confused at this turn of events. The less said about Gandr's vigilante travel business said the better. [20:34] <@Clarence_ST> Everything WOULD be fine [20:35] <@Clarence_ST> But there is word of some preacher standing on a soap box, yelling about how death and decay are like sunshine and rainbows(at least according to Chei, who scouted a bit further while everyone interrogated gandr) [20:37] <@Clarence_ST> And to prove that the ST didn't forget the name of this village/town, and didn't look up logs to find it out, this place's name is Mo Ha village. [20:37] <@Clarence_ST> =-~MO HA VILLAGE~-= 01[20:37] (Which is where we started out...) [20:38] "...A preacher?" [20:39] "A what ?" [20:39] <@Clarence_ST> "Oh by the Abyss..." Lemy facepalms. "They can't be serious." [20:39] "This familar to you, Lemy?" [20:40] "Your tongue, Lemy." [20:40] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Death Cults are trying to encroach... in Chaya." [20:41] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I mean, seriously, how would they even HOPE to start convincing the Chayans of ANYTHING?" [20:41] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy clearly doesn't recognise the severity of what this event means. [20:43] "Ok... So they're trying to convert the Chayans... Which is a fool's errand." [20:44] "At least it would be if they were failing. Are they failing?" [20:44] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Should we check it out just in case?" [20:44] "We should." 01[20:44] "I wouldn't be concerned, except for the fact that you mentioned it being a DEATH cultist..." [20:44] "That's the prudent course of action." 06[20:45] * Soul sorta shrugs. "Might be relevant." [20:45] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Well, yeah. Death Cults are established all over creation; especially in Shadowlands; in order to give power to the Underworld." [20:46] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Mainly in the shape and form of spirits to harvest and forge into weaponry and war machines." 01[20:46] "That's...unnerving to know." [20:46] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Bah, spirit is the wrong word." [20:47] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "They don't forge Gods into weaponry, they forge human souls into weaponry." [20:47] "Very unnerving." [20:47] "Like that bow you had ?" 01[20:48] "So, this guy might be helping out enemy. Maybe we should take him out?" [20:48] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "Precisely like the bow I have." [20:48] "Direct confrontation seems foolish." [20:48] "Need to strike at the source - if possible." [20:49] <@Clarence_ST> Shi's servants don't quite like the way this conversation is moving around, and pretend to completely ignore the party talking. 01[20:49] "Well, I'm no assassin." [20:50] "Didn't say that. Just that fighting in the street is unwise." [20:50] <@Clarence_ST> The situation is clearly getting louder. [20:50] "Take a step back - what non-combat options do we have ?" [20:50] "I could like, take him to bed and beat him to death, or somethin', y'know?" [20:50] <@Clarence_ST> i mean [20:50] "Kris, Shimmer ? Soul ?" [20:50] <@Clarence_ST> The preacher is getting louder. [20:51] <@Clarence_ST> You can hear his sickly voice all the way from the outskirts of Mo Ha. 01[20:51] "Well, we COULD just ignore the situation and press forward." [20:51] "No. [20:51] " 01[20:51] "If this guy can be ignored." [20:51] "We cannot." 01[20:51] "We could...try...talking to him?" [20:51] "Yes." [20:51] "Combat in this case ought to be last option.ยด" 01[20:52] "That was sarcasm, Gandr. I doubt that if we ask him nicely to stop advocating for the underworld, that he'll say yes." [20:52] "You forget who we are." 06[20:52] * Gandr smiles. 01[20:52] "Touche...to a point." [20:53] "I'm thinking ... Kris is our best bet." 06[20:53] * Soul folds his arms. "Well, this is out of my league...my expertise lies on the side of matters of the living...death cultists, I'm at a loss. I'll let you guys figure things out." 06[20:53] * Kris thinks [20:53] "We need to know how much 'death-cult' there is. Can't research anti-plague in town with death-cult. That'd be silly." 06[20:54] * Soul ignores that comment because it made no sense in context. [20:54] "We could expose him as something to be feared and despised (no offense Lemy), or we could just outright remove him... Or we could put forth our own believe that overwhelms his." [20:54] "Or still, we could do all of the above!" [20:55] "Was thinking you'd find out where the cult is, and we'd strike at that." [20:55] "Or that." [20:55] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "None taken." [20:56] "Hmm..." [20:56] "Well, Gandr's idea is a good place to start." [20:56] "I'll go ask around, ok?" 01[20:57] "Hmm...I could go inquire to the local merchants...people tend to be more open when you're wheeling and dealing with them..." [20:57] "Sounds very good." [20:58] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I'll stick with Gandr." 06[20:58] * Kris nods happily. "a fine idea, i'll see if I can move into the higher social circles." [20:58] "Shimmer - any ideas ?" [20:58] <@Clarence_ST> Shi: "Sorry, but I really need to catch up on some reading. Have fun you kids." [20:59] "We will, Unca Shi." [20:59] "We have a town full of cultists to beat up." 01[21:00] "Well, if you'll all excuse me, then..." 06[21:00] * Kris nods. "Good luck, Soul!" 06[21:01] * Soul hoists his rucksack on his back where it belongs and goes off to find the nearest merchants who deals in medicinals/apothecarian products 06[21:01] * Gandr wonders idly what he'll be doing with Lemy and Shimmer. 06[21:01] * Kris nods to the others and sets off into town. She whispers to herself. "Hmm..." 06[21:01] * Shim looks around, "We should like... Go find people and stuff." [21:03] "Yes. But who ?" [21:03] "I don't know anyone here. And I'm not ... you know." [21:04] "Just like... Hit up bars and stuff, see if anyone knows anyone who would know what we want to like, know, y'know?" [21:04] <@Clarence_ST> AND SO THREE GROUPS ARE FORMED. [21:05] "Sounds good." [21:06] <@Clarence_ST> Gandr, Lemy, and Shim are going to hit up bars to "Research" this stuff [21:06] <@Clarence_ST> Soul is going to hit up the marketplace [21:06] <@Clarence_ST> And Kris is going to be doing her thang [21:08] When you say "hit up bars" [21:08] Do you mean "go to bars and talk" [21:08] or [21:08] "go to bars and hit people" ? [21:08] <@Clarence_ST> either/or [21:08] Can it be both ? [21:08] <@Clarence_ST> why not 06[21:09] * Kris strides into town with a purpose. She keeps an eye out for the likely places... Yeah, the fountain seems like a good place to start, built into a tree. She spies a person who seems to know what's what. She sits down next to him on one of the benches ringing the foutain and hmms softly. "Hi." She says with a smile. (more) [21:10] She asks him a few questions along the line of "what's the social scene like in Mo Ha?" Bit by bit she gathers her information. [21:20] <@Clarence_ST> Kris managed to shoehorn herself into the company of the precisely right guy for the jorb. This dude was the local executive's secretary, and informs Kris of the social scene being mostly travellers to Mr Shi's outpost, task-merchant-parties that go into the eastern forests to find stuff to sell. Mo Ha isn't a very large town, it only barely constitutes as a village. The only reason it's relatively large is the frequent inf [21:21] <@Clarence_ST> The only reason it's relatively large is the frequent influx of travellers. And the recent ones, the dudes preaching the Death Cult nonsense are a nuisance, but they did hire out the podium in the centre of town for three weeks. Unfortunately , they just arrived two days ago. [21:21] <@Clarence_ST> So there's quite a bit of time for the preachers to make their mark. [21:21] <@Clarence_ST> BUT. [21:21] <@Clarence_ST> The secretary likes you [21:22] <@Clarence_ST> and informs you of a hoity-toihgty fancy get-together [21:22] <@Clarence_ST> Apparently, several prestigious merchants are coming to Mo Ha for a rather important meeting. [21:22] <@Clarence_ST> But mostly drinking. [21:22] <@Clarence_ST> And of course meeting. [21:23] <@Clarence_ST> But mostly, drinking. 06[21:23] * Kris finds out when the party is scheduled and any other pertinent info, and thanks the secretary with a winsome smile. [21:30] "Shimmer. Uh." 06[21:30] * Gandr skirts the issue a bit." [21:31] "What's your full name ?" 06[21:33] * Shim extends her hand in a practice greeting, even her voice loses it's airy stoned quality, "Radiant Shimmers Of The Moonbeam." 06[21:34] * Gandr is a little weirded out that her name apparently makes her go ... not-Shimmer. [21:34] "'Kay." [21:35] <@Clarence_ST> Gandr, Shim, and Lemy are having drinks at the bar. Clearly they are pulling their weight and not just skimping out to drink and punch people. 06[21:35] * Shim drops back into her hippy ways and after the hand shake punctuates her sentence with a nod. 06[21:35] * Gandr takes a deep drink of his beer. 06[21:35] * Gandr Not that it helps a damn thing. 06[21:35] * Shim is sat on a table playing guitar, "And if you know anything about the Deathcult, clap your hands!" 06[21:36] * Gandr takes another stiff drink. [21:36] "Barkeep, get me one for me and one for my friend here" - indicating Lemy. [21:37] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy: "I don't dri... ... Why the hell not." [21:37] "Good boy. Knew there was something worth saving." 06[21:37] * Gandr bottoms his drink. [21:38] <@Clarence_ST> A few people glance at shim, and no-one claps their hands. But some stare in morbid fascination in the hippy with the guitar on the table. 06[21:38] * Gandr orders another drink. [21:40] <@Clarence_ST> Barkeep: "Hey, big guy-" Directed to Gandr "You seem to not be messing around. How long've you been a Professional Drinker?" he says with a smile. [21:41] "Since me mam put me in this bar." 06[21:42] * Gandr smiles underhandedly at the barkeep. Friendly faces to friendly places. 06[21:42] * Shim repeats her eariler verse, "And if you know anything shady, shout it out!" [21:43] <@Clarence_ST> The Barkeep yells: "I MADE A DEAL WITH THE DEATH CULT TO SELL DRINKS THAT POISON EVERYONE SLOWLY." [21:43] <@Clarence_ST> Barkeep: "Wait." [21:43] <@Clarence_ST> Barkeep: "Isn't that how the song goes?" 06[21:43] * Gandr bottoms his drink again, and begins keeping a slightly blurry eye on the crowd behind him. 06[21:44] * Shim keeps her tune, "And if you value your life, put down the booze!" [21:44] "So that's what it tasted of. Huh." [21:44] "Best drink I ever had." 06[21:45] * Shim keeps playing, "And if you poisoned the booze, what else did you do?" She begins to clap the rhythm. [21:46] "I SHOT THE DOG AND THE LITTLE CAT TOO" [21:46] "Who has the next verse !" [21:47] <@Clarence_ST> A guy at the back: "I SOLD OUT THE GUARD PATROL PATTERNS!" 06[21:48] * Gandr quietly mutters, "that doesn't rhyme at ALL." 06[21:48] * Shim claps loudly, "EVERY BODY NOW!" The tempo picks up. [21:52] <@Clarence_ST> A bunch of people bunch up together and hold hands singing "We all told them we would join their cult/ Even though it's not your fault/ We'll rat you out for booze & cash/ or else they'll burn us all to ash!" 06[21:53] * Shim plays the chanting people out and bows. [21:54] "Gimme another beer, barkeep." 06[21:54] * Shim sighs, "Well we like, got nothing out of that." [21:54] "No ?" 06[21:54] * Gandr drinks his poison-beer. [21:55] "They were just like, singing along with the song... right?" [21:55] "The town's one step closer to being clean. Honesty takes care of these liars' cobwebs REAL quick." [21:55] "And that's important. There's something to it - a cleanliness in the air." [21:56] <@Clarence_ST> Lemy, completely baffled by both Gandr AND Shim's attitudes, just slumps on the bar and greets his forhead to the wooden counter. 06[21:57] * Soul , meanwhile, has been walking through town, investigating where the major merchants are, looking specifically for A. any in his field (that is, potions/reagents/etc.) and B. any merchants who're affiliated with the Guild. Primarily the latter, for now. [21:57] "We could like, go back to the others and sing the song, but i like, got nothing." [21:58] "You mean sing this song for the rest of the circle ?" [21:58] "I don't think that's a good idea. There are enough inhibited murderous urges for now." 02[22:03] * @Clarence_ST (Clarence_M@sux-BEB871BC.vic.bigpond.net.au) Quit (Quit: Clarence_ST) 03[22:05] * Clarence_Mage (Clarence_M@sux-BEB871BC.vic.bigpond.net.au) has joined #clarencexaltedic 03[22:05] * Clarence_Mage is now known as Clarence_ST 02[22:06] * Windy (Windy@sux-E547CFC7.tbcn.telia.com) Quit (Connection reset by peer) [22:11] Soul quite easily manages to find companions whom share his taste in potions, regeants and medicines. With careful questioning and calculated wordsmothing, he manages to grill some traders for the name of an influential guild person around these parts; George Foreman. He is apparently going to attend a meeting in this town concerning trades issues(durr) with other Guild high-ups. It is unknown if this is relate to the death [22:13] It is unknown if this is related to the death cult or not. 06[22:13] * Soul goes to find this George Foreman, obviously 03[22:14] * Windy (Windy@sux-E547CFC7.tbcn.telia.com) has joined #clarencexaltedic 02[22:14] * Windy (Windy@sux-E547CFC7.tbcn.telia.com) Quit (Quit: ) [22:15] George Foreman is holed up in a shack of decadence, women in veils, and a ridiculous abundance of gravy. [22:15] A shack ? 01[22:15] (a love shack, baby) [22:15] A small, wooden building ? [22:15] So a pad. [22:15] (A love shack, gravy.) [22:16] A rorshach, maybe. [22:17] UNFORTUNATELY 01[22:17] (?) [22:17] The shack is made of SOULSTEEL. [22:17] The shack is made of SO-- [22:17] Shut up, Gandr [22:17] Seriouslyt [22:18] Im trying to ST here [22:18] soz bozz. [22:18] His gravy baby crib is guarded by rent-a-thugs of the meatiest calibur, and no-ones getting in without a prior arrangement. [22:19] Is being dead a prior arrangement ? [22:19] Sorry. [22:19] Sorry ... [22:20] There's an OOC channel for a reason. 06[22:20] * Soul decides to go back to one of the friendlier merchants he talked to and see if any of them has a prior arrangement with him...or knows someone who does. [22:25] A friend in a fez mentions to Soul that getting in with someone else when he knows absolutely no-one is damn near impossible. However, if he can find a way into the par-tay that the dude's going to be attending, he can be sure to establish connections and fast... If he's lucky. 06[22:26] * Soul of course asks about the party [22:26] THE PARTY IS A GET TOGETHER [22:27] WITH A BUNCH OF IMPORTANT GUILD DUDES WHOM SOUL RECOGNISES THE NAMES AND REPUTATIONS OF [22:27] AND IT IS DISCUSS WITH MANY IMPORTANT ISSUE 06[22:28] * Soul attempts to track down the guild member who's closest to him in terms of being important in the Guild [22:29] (huh? clarify plx) 01[22:30] (i.e. not someone he'd have to grovel at the feet of, but not someone who'd have to grovel at his feet, someone who's comprable in terms of importance) 01[22:30] (seniority, etc. what have you) [22:31] (ic) [22:34] Soul tracks down a foreigner in a fedora, who has a bit more sway over circumstances in the guild than he does. [22:35] he's wearing odd clothing - VERY odd clothing - for the circumstances he's in. Pinstripe business suit, what the cuck this person is strange. 06[22:36] * Soul greets the foreigner using your typical Guild niceities and inquires as to the circumstances of his being here [22:38] When you get right down to it, this man really just wants to get rid of this town in any way he can. He gives a slight invitation to help him do this with Soul. [22:38] *at soul? [22:38] *To Soul? 01[22:38] (get RID of the town? Did I read that right?) [22:39] (Quite right.) 01[22:40] "This party...is this a topic that'll be up for discussion there? I'm mainly interested in seeing the Foreman, what's his opinion on all this?" [22:43] "Oh definitely. However, I believe most representatives won't feel too happy about our little idea. The Foreman, however, has professed interest in making Chaya a bit... leaner, shall we say. Melt off the fat, and collect the cleanup." 01[22:44] "When you say melt off the fat, you mean their abstaining and abolitionist ways?" [22:45] "Quite." 01[22:46] "Mmm..." He nods thoughfully a couple times. "Well, the Chaya region has always been an...awkward...mixed blessing, eh heh heh?" Soul starts to act a little friendlier and a little less formal, leaning up against a nearby wall. "It'd be good to get in on a forum attempting to...enlighten the situation, yes..." [22:49] "I'll tell you what..." [22:53] "...I'll see what I can do. Glad to see I have someone else with me on this." [22:53] AND SO EVERYONE DOES THINGS [22:53] AND HAS DONE THINGS [22:53] NEXT SESSION, THINGS WILL BE ORGANISED [22:53] FOR STUFF TO BE DONE GOOD [22:53] NEXT TIME ON i really gotta get home [22:54] ~-=SESSION END=-~