PPU Adventure #1

[Elfie]

*All The Time In World walks away, feeling rejected*

What happened to Krotos anyway?

[piñata]

I'm really not quite sure.

*Piñata's radio crackles with a burst of static, then an all-too-familiar voice issues forth*

Viperdude: Candybag, this is Serpent's Nest. You rang?
Piñata: Yes... you're needed in the harbor at Ragbralbur. Bring everything -- personnel, ships, supplies, etc.
Viper: What are you getting me into this time?
Piñata: Mashiara.
Viper: It can't be this soon...
Piñata: Spoken like a true immortal. It's been 700 years.
Viper: Really? Wow. Time flies when you're trying to force the Nyissan government to put an embargo on slave trading. By the way, we're really close... can't I leave a force behind to keep some pressure on the Murgo-lovers?
Piñata: No, sorry... I wish you could too, but we're going to need all the reinforcements we can get.
Viper: All right. What about Serpent's Nest? Do we burn it down?
Piñata: No... the dark side has their own prophecy, and if they win, I want you and the rest of the insurgency to have someplace to hide from them. Leave everything the way it is, but clear out as much as you can carry in the way of supplies.
Viper: We'll be in Ragbralbur in about three days. Serpent's Nest out.
Piñata: May the Force be with you. Candybag out.

*turns to the others*

All right, let's get this show on the road.

[SuperBassX84]

Dammit.

I warn you all now, there is a good chance Bane may escape a few times before I can deal with the added power he sapped from Zeles. I will do my best, but I would strongly advise against relying on me too heavily in any situation for a while. Bane my slip through, or I may have to leave to meditate heavily to control him.

That said, let's go.

[Scythe]

"-...Leave everything the way it is, but clear out as much as you can carry in the way of supplies.
-We'll be in Ragbralbur in about three days. Serpent's Nest out.
-May the Force be with you. Candybag out...."

Scythe keys in a command in his desk console, deactivating his reception of data from the comm-wave scanners.

"So, it looks like Viper is joining up too. His forces combined with ours will provide formidible firepower." says Mint, obviously interested in this new turn of events.

"Yes, Viper has always been a both powerful and honorable ally. Our company has even done business with his forces at times, though I'm not sure if he realizes that I run it." Scythe swivels his chair around and faces the window and gazes at the ocean sweeping majestically to the horizon.
"I just hope it will be enough. We don't know what we'll be facing out there..." Scythe stands and makes to leave the office, Mint follows. "So, how's business?"

"Well, there was an attempted ship theft at the Vasudan Spaceport on Plane T2274, but the thief was spotted and reported. Commander Aves pulled off a succesful raid on Palmacosta Drive Yards, capturing 5 Impstar Deuces and their full complements of fighters and countless other standard issue vehicles and supplies. Our arctic team on Plane L2301 has discovered an amazingly strong, benevolent well of blue mana. You might want to check it out and consider drawing from it. An organized prison riot broke out on J'nanin, but it was put down when local predators took out the leading rebels..."

News of this type went on, mostly good. Scythe took in the information, but his conscious mind was elsewhere. So Viper's joined up too. Another checkmark on the list... But who's this dark axe-weilding robot fella? Wait a sec...axe...? Hmm...this IS getting interesting. Perhaps I'll keep that speculation to myself.

As Mint finishes her report, Scythe returns his full attention to his surroundings. "Mint, Ive changed my mind, I'm gonna need you to come with us. Someone else can run our other enterprises. This Conclave business is more important."

Mint, noticeably more cheerful, replies "Of course! Will you want that banana back? "

"Nah, I'd just lose it. We'll be leaving tomorrow, by the way. Ready for it?"

"I've been packed, just in case. By the way, if we're leaving on this big quest tomorrow, wouldn't it be a good idea to turn in early?"
"Nah, I'm not tired at all." says Scythe.
"Who said anything about sleeping?" Mint replies with a grin.
Scythe matches the grin and replies by quickening his pace.

[piñata]

*Piñata watches as the others prepare to leave -- Elfie, practical as ever, counting arrows, bullets and rations, then cleaning his pistols and making sure his bow is strung perfectly; Bass, already mounted in his saddle, quietly meditating while Balkasior stands protectively alongside his horse; Krotos, deep in conversation with an Aven soldier who just flew up, possibly issuing last-minute orders as the Aven's rank insignia identifies him as a Colonel in Krotos's army; Ape Killer, getting in some last-minute practice by levitating a couple of nearby boulders, while Belgarath looks on with interest, occasionally offering comments; Kyliki, the Elf girl, silently sharpening her throwing knives, looking both beautiful and quite lethal; and the aptly named Wildkarrde, staring off into the distance, looking as pensive as it is possible for a machine to look.

A good group, Piñata thinks to himself -- a near-perfect combination of strength, intelligence, wisdom and raw magical power.

Piñata mounts his horse with a feeling of excitement -- not uncommon before setting out on an adventure, but this particular excitement is stronger. The strongest, in fact, since the last Great Hunt of the Horn nearly ten years ago. The Conclave was about to be restored... and those who served the dark side had cause to be afraid.*

[Wildkarrde]

::The Wildkarrde looked on as the meatlings wasted time preparing their weak, flesh and blood bodies, and their useless weapons. Mounting fragile, thin-legged steeds, where it would merely keep up with them at an easy lope. Soon, it thought. Soon they will no longer have to suffer the frailties of these weak bodies. Soon they will be thanking my lord for the gift he will have given them, and their newfound strentgh......::



((OOC: Ok, if anyone is still unclear as to what's going on with the Wildkarrde, you need to be slapped upside the head. Or just ask DA or pinata or someone who's figured it out. ))

[Soulcatcher4]

While conversing with the Aven, it pulls out 5 feathers, taken freshly from the vault.

Aven Colonel: Sorry that there aren't more sir, the vault was raided by Zeles, and only these were left.

Krotos: Thats alright, it's not your fault.

Krotos takes the feathers handed to him.

Krotos: Put the nation into level 5 security, you never know what may happen now.

Aven: Yes sir, but sir, I've never seen you so serious before. You were always laid back and easy.

Krotos: The journey I was on changed me a little in spirit. I'm still the same leader you once knew though. Now go and carry out my order. I'll be back as soon as possible. Farewell.

Aven: Take care sir!

The aven and Krotos both salute each other and the Aven flys back to his station.

Krotos: Okay everyone, lets get going.

(((OOC: Is that a decent amount of feathers to bring?)))

[piñata]

(OOC: Yeah, that's probably perfect. Like Bass said, we don't want to be in a position where it's TOO easy to avoid trouble.)

*Piñata looks over at the Wildkarrde again. He's never liked machines -- a side effect of a green mana base -- but this one, in particular, has something... weird about it. Every time Piñata looks at it, he gets a sense of impending doom... a fleeting suspicion of treachery that is gone almost before he realizes it's there. He sets aside enough mana for a Naturalize, guaranteeing that if the Wildkarrde does betray the group its mechanical parts can be destroyed easily.*

[Belgarath]

(OOC: Good, let's get going...I'm not too sure what we're doing, pinata does though, so get choppin'!)

[piñata]

(OOC: You know what we're doing... I posted it on the OOC thread. )

(OOC redux: I'm going to advance things a little.)

(OOC for the last time: in case anyone's confused, Maximillian's from the movie "The Black Hole".)

*After a day's ride, the landscape has begun to change... the more warm-weather trees of Extrinta have given way to evergreens, and silent movement is now impossible due to crunching frost beneath the hooves of the travelers' horses. The change marks the border between Extrinta and West Ragbralbur, a wasteland of frozen tundra that used to be Zero-One. The land is so wasted, in fact, that farther east the trees disappear entirely, and the land is perpetually buried under at least a foot of snow.

Piñata watches the changes with growing unease... there are many dangers in West Ragbralbur. Not only do Wampa snow creatures prowl the wastes searching for food (which consists more often than not of unwary travelers), but the leaderless machines of Zero-One still walk the wastes as well -- in fact, the last time Piñata was here he was accosted by a half-dozen sentry droids on patrol.

The group continues on -- there's no safe place to camp in this land, so if they don't make it out in one day they'll have to ride all night as well.

Suddenly, something off in the distance catches Piñata's eye... a red glowing something. It's moving steadily toward the group, and as it gets closer it materializes into the familiar form of a hulking, crimson assassin droid, floating a few inches above the snow on repulsorlifts, glaring at the travelers from a glowing red eye that moves in a horizontal line across its entire face.*

Droid: This area is restricted. State your business.
Piñata (under his breath): Hmm, that's new. He never talked before.
Piñata (louder): Hi, Maximillian.
Droid (arming a laser cannon): How do you know my name?
Piñata: You've probably had your memory wiped since the last time I saw you, but trust me, we've met. My security code is WTF-Six-Niner.
Maximillian (eye pulsing faster as he searches his database): That is an old code. It's still active, but it hasn't been used in centuries. I must ask my master to verify it for me.
Piñata (after doing a double take at the word "master"): Can you bring us with you? It's pretty cold out here.
Maximillian (after already turning his back on the group, but then pausing to consider Piñata's question): Come.

*The party follows the droid across the wastes, each wondering what lies in store for them when they reach their destination.*

[Belgarath]

Belgarath, near the back of the group, watches the exchange with mild interest. As they begin to move again, Belgarath stretches his arms over his head.

"It's good to be on the road again," Belgarath mutters to himself, "I've been cramped up in my tower for too long." Reaching into his robes, he draws out a flask, and making sure no one is watching, takes a swig out of it.

"I wonder who this DarkAngel person is however...I have a feeling I should know him, but I can't remember why," Belgarath says to himself again.

Placing his flask back into his robes, Belgarath settles himself into a half-dose.

[piñata]

*Piñata casts a surreptitious glance at the Wildkarrde, wondering what his reaction will be to meeting another mechanical being. As his eyes sweep past the others to focus on the strange creature, he notices Belgarath taking a swig from a flask, and winks at him before drawing a flask of his own from the folds of his multicolored cloak.*

[SuperBassX84]

-=Bass rides ahead of Belgarath, knowing of his drinking and assuring he doesn't fall of his damn horse. The landscape seems mildly familiar to him, but, having been so long since his last trip here, he remembers little. Piñata's encounter with the droid went well enough, and Bass wonders if the robot's master is who he thinks it is=-

[Belgarath]

(OOC: Damnit, my alcholism was supposed to be a secret )

[piñata]

*As the group travels on, the outline of a snow-covered rock outcropping ahead becomes more distinct. When they finally reach it, it opens up, almost as if whoever's inside was expecting the party's arrival. Piñata enters with absolutely no show of caution, and after a few moments the others follow his lead.

After Maximillian leads them through several stark, white corridors that have the look of a hospital or laboratory, a man comes out of a door in front of them. The man seems not to see them at first, but at a word from Max he turns around. Several of the group's members have shocked reactions to his face -- which, though the skin-covered part looks familiar, would fit better on a machine than a man, complete with a computer jack in the right temple and a glowing red prosthetic right eye. It takes a while before anyone can place him, but finally Piñata bows and says, "Lord Brent, it's good to see you again."*

(OOC: In case you guys haven't guessed, it's Redorblue01. I'm using his real name because it fits in better with the story.)