The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

[T-A-B]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Triacca stood in the entrance to the tent and listened intently to Alice's remarks. Her diagnosis was of particular interest:

"Madam Doctor, there has been an, ah, accident," she begins. "Miss Penny seems to have ingested a heavy dose of an aphrodisiac."

Yes... an accident. Triacca's eyes narrowed angrily as she recalled the chuckling soldiers they had spoken to just a few moments earlier. They clearly knew what was going on in Penny's tent, the only question being whether they were actually responsible for her condition. She had to find out.

Triacca stepped away from the tent, calling over to Victor. As he approached she led him away, behind another tent and out of earshot of his cohorts. Immediately Triacca adopted a casual stance, her face softening and placing one hand on her hip.

"Victor, you're going to be spending the next week or so as my mercenary. We're going to be going into hostile territory, and likely fight some very nasty creatures. People could die." Triacca took a step closer to the scout. "I need to know that I can trust you. So I'm only going to ask you this once: Do you know who might have drugged Miss Penny?" Triacca focused intently on his response, trying to discern whether or not he was lying.

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

The letter is neatly printed, the writer having paid special attention to make every letter identical, aside from a few words.

Pennny, my darling​

sister,
I didn't think to hear from you so late. It has been nearly a year since you've written, and I was very worried. But it is good to hear that you are well and things have been uneventful, and I'm sorry to hear that your current love interest is a dense rock. Your cousin, Mellisa made you a love potion, which I'm sending with this letter.

The writer rambles on for the whole page about how boring being a librarian for the army is, signed by Maria. On the reverse, the ink glows with fey magic. The writer's handwriting barely legible.

Cousin,
I'm glad your OK. That guy you talked about sounds like a real meat wad. I made a magic potion so that you can get him in you. What's his name, by the way? What's he look like?

Now unlike my other love potions, this isn't the kind you take all at once. It's a really strong one you have to sneak tiny bits onto him over a long period of time. Put a couple of drops on your gloves or shirt or something, and touch his skin with it. Not too many drops, or he'll go bonkers and rape you on the spot. Unless you want that kinda thing. But the point of this potion is to make him associate his raging boner with you, and eventually he'll get the idea. Hope he isn't gay!

Lots of luck and love. Mellisa

-------

Penny doesn't even pause from servicing herself as she is moved. Other than her own stimulation, she is dead to the world. She some how ends up in the same position when Alice lets go of her.

"Aphrodisiac? Oh my!" the female medic exclaims as she enters and sees the condition Miss Penny is in. She begins to panic. "Quarantine? Half the medics are men! The Medical Sergeant is a man! All the guards are men!" She stumbles, apparently very dizzy for a second. "Sorry. That was odd of me. Perhaps the aphrodisiac is affecting me?" She pats herself in several places before determining "No, I'm just stressed."

She walk over to one if the open crates, pulls out a couple of small leather sacs and presents them to Alice. "We don't exactly have many, but since we haven't had any injuries to warrant them in a long time, we have a surplus. These are 'field bandages', not that they are a bandage at all. They are filled with a gooey alchemical substance that fills and clots wounds in seconds. Do not open them until you wish to use them, apply them directly to the wounds. Don't use them for little things like nicks and scratches, only actual ruptured organs or arteries, as once the sac is opened, all the contents solidifies in a moment. Here, take a few more." (get 5x Stabilizers)

-------

"No ma'am," Victor replies in absolute seriousness, "I have been up since before sunrise, before Miss Penny awoke. She was normal then, left for a short while, then came back with an envelope. She greeted us politely, then went into the supply tent and closed it. She sometimes gets envelopes, and she sometimes isolates herself in that tent, so i assumed that it wasn't suspicious. No one in my unit has been missing, nor has given her anything."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

After reading the note, Alice sighs, takes a writing stick off a nearby inventory slate, and writes down "Take the lead yourself, use less drugs". She folds the letter up and looks for a pocket in Penny's clothes to leave it.

---

"Thank you, Doctor." Alice makes a basket with her arms to hold them in. "I'm sorry to leave you with this mess to handle, but I've got work to do as well, and I've still got to see the mess tent and the oracle before we can leave."

Finished here, she steps out of the tent, and calls out, loud enough to be audible to everyone in the area, "Captain Orly, the supply tent has been quarantined, and is off-limits. The Doctor that came in after me is dealing with the situation, please defer to her. Triacca, Sen, we've got what we needed."

She walks to the Captain, and continues, "Actually, Captain, I'm going to need a few rolls of parchment and a writing stick as well. I'm sure I have some in my wagon, but it's all the way across camp. With that, we should be done here, though."

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Yes Exalted," Captain Orly replies, saluting. "I'm sorry, but my own writing implements are across the camp as well. I'm certain there's some in the supply tent, however you just quarantined it."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Is that so? Well, never mind, then," she replies.

"Han, Nete, would you please go to the wagon and pack my notebag? Some scrolls and charcoal. Take it to the main gate and wait for us, we'll meet there. Miss Valiere, Miss Silvers, I think that's all we'll be needing from here. Let's go to the mess tent before we see the Seer, I'd like to have what she says fresh in my mind."

Colin pipes up at the mention of food. "Hey, hold up, you two. D'ya think we'll have time for breakfast, Aly? Them two an' me ain't had any yet, an' we should have a hot meal before we go, eh?"

"Oh, right. I forgot. Valiere, Silvers, what do you two think? A proper meal would be good, but we've only got so much daylight, and we can take some extra food to munch on while we walk."

 

[Pheonix Alugere]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Finally getting a chance to leave after having been forced to stand their tapping her foot for a long while, Sen immediately votes against staying for a meal. As you said, we only have so much daylight, and we've wasted enough time here already. If you had wanted something other than ration bars your people should have grabbed it during this whole fiasco. Then, considering the mention of a seer earlier. Hell, I'd even vote no on the seer. You do realize just how unreliable seers are? The future is never set in stone, and anyone who says it is is a con artist.

 

[T-A-B]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Triacca crossed her arms as Victor spoke, raising an eyebrow at the mention of a letter. His body language suggested that he was telling the truth... and also that she scared him a little. She liked that. "Alright Victor, I believe you. But later on I'm going to go check on your story regardless. Let's head back to the others."

As Triacca was walking back past the now-quarantined supply tent, she paused for a moment and peered inside. The opportunity to search for the love potion was tempting -- Triacca once used one to great effect when dealing with a rival mercenary leader -- but quickly decided against it. She couldn't run the risk of a potential backfire reducing her to Ms. Penny's state, or to have it drive her own mercenaries into some sort of sexual frenzy. Not while on a job, anyway.

When Triacca rejoined the other Exalted, they had just begun discussing the issue of where to head within the camp before embarking on their journey. "Normally I'd agree with seers being a waste of time," Triacca chimed in, "But I'd like to see this one briefly. I came to Mirafar to find someone, and this Pyynana person can possibly provide a lead. General Duke seemed to have some confidence in her skills, so she can't be completely worthless."

"As for a meal," Triacca continued, "I don't feel strongly either way. My men and I ate recently so we're ready to move out, but I wouldn't deny any of us here food if particularly hungry."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

As they spoke, Alice walked to a clear area, and took off her coat, showing the plain, linen shirt underneath. "Should have done this earlier..." she says to herself, and shakes the jacket out, just in case any residual fumes from the tent clung to it.

"Right. Sorry Daz, looks like we won't have the time," Alice says to him, as he grumbles.

"I do want to see the Seer, though. If she is employed in our main force, she must have some ability, no? We aren't asking her about the future, just what she knows about our destination, remember."

With that, she shrugs her coat back on. "Since you're so eager to go, though, we'll go straight to Pyynana, and we'll let Hannibel and Nete get the rations and my papers. Han, you get the rations, please, I'm sure Nete knows where my papers are."

"Right, let's go."

 

[Pheonix Alugere]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Fine, just realize the longer we stay in one place, the better chance the old bastard has to scry my position. I rather like not being found by him. Sen replies, not bothering to clarify who the 'old bastard' is, but simply motioning for everyone to get a move on.

In some respects, that was one of her other problems with seers. Sen doesn't exactly know why, but her best guess is that when a seer actively uses her abilities, it's like turning on a light in darkness or something. Even if that isn't the case, she has noticed in the past that Aslan is far more likely to find her after she has dealt with a seer than at any other point in time. As is, Sen plans to step outside if the seer starts to use her powers and will simply talk from outside the tent in that case.

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Certainly, my lady," Hannibel and Nete answer to Alice's order, Hannibel with her typical polite smile, and Nete with his sheepish grin.

"The Seer?" Victor asks sheepishly, "That woman gives me the creeps. But if you really want to go see her, she's this way." He points and begins to lead the Exalted.

After a brisk walk among the sea of tents, Victor points to a blue flag hanging from a raised pole high above the others. "That's her tent there."

As the exalted see the tent, a soft raspy voice is heard from another. "Actually, I'm over here."

 

[T-A-B]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Err... hello?", Triacca said, not expecting a reply from that direction. She slowly walked towards the source of the voice, stepping into the tent. "Are you the camp's Seer?"

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"The camp's seer? Nope. You must be thinking of someone else. I'm Pyynana." the woman introduces herself with a neutral smile. Standing within the dark empty tent is a small women wearing a dark red dress. Long, faded grey hair frames her soft face, of which a blind fold covers her eyes.

 

[T-A-B]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Oh. I see." This seemed rather confusing. Triacca returned the smile, unsure whether the woman could even tell what the Exalted's facial expressions were.

"We're glad to have found you. My companions and I will be going on a dangerous journey soon, and General Duke mentioned that you have some powers of... clairvoyance?" Triacca paused for a moment and cleared her throat, hoping that she wasn't coming across as rude.

"Would you mind if we asked you a few questions about the places we are heading? We'll try not to waste too much of your time, if it suits you."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Alice enters the tent following Triacca, and bows. "Good morning, Madam Pyynana." Colin enters as well, to hear what is to be said. He gives a quick bow as well, but on noticing the blindfold stumbles out a "g'morning" too.

"Miss Silvers speaks of the city of Mirafar. We're going to try to enter it and see what may be seen. Can you tell us of the hazards that await us, or what might be found?"

"We are somewhat leery about entering through the gates. We are considering an alternate entry - perhaps through the mines. Have you any knowledge on such a way in?"

 

[Pheonix Alugere]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

As the others enter the tent, Sen stays out by the door. While she didn't want to force anyone to repeat what was said to her, she'd rather not be near any sort of seer if at all possible.

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Clairvoyance? Not really, since I'm completely blind, but I'm more than willing to answer all your questions. I enjoy helping others find what they seek, so ask away." She listens intently to Triacca and Alice, nodding politely, before waving her hands around each other.

Her face becomes sullen, "The fallen capital is a scary place since the Black Moon came. Once the quiet streets were home to a stoic people that enjoyed the fruits of their King's providence and conquest, turning raw magic into industry and comfort. Now the streets are completely silent, littered with the remains of the surrounding buildings and the bones of the dead. Only the occasional skirmish between the Spawn of the Black Moon and the monsters created by the City's magic left unchecked break the silence of the fallen capital." She pauses, letting her hands drop to her sides. She begins to slowly sway as she continues, "It isn't just monsters in there. Some people didn't escape the invasion. Many were slaves to the Black Moon, there minds enthralled by the coils of the Mind Worms. But several decades ago, their minds have returned, somewhat, along with their mortality. They are still trapped in the miasma, their thoughts in a fog just as dense, but they eek out a living on the hallowed ground the monsters and the spawned cannot walk."

She stops, crosses her arms and holds her chin on a fist. "The gates aren't exactly safe. I hear of many Black Moon spawn and soldiers garrisoned at the southern gate, but I know nothing of the other two. As for the mines? I only know that the kingdom abandoned them when the war started, organizing everyone into a militia to try and retake the Capital after it fell."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Alice thinks for a moment upon hearing about these survivors. When her thoughts are gathered, she speaks up. "This is unexpected. These survivors, this hallowed ground - can you tell us where it is in the city, or the origin of it's protective powers? Do you know if we can expect the survivors to be friendly?"

"What do you know of the South Gate? Have they archers or those infernal tube-shot creatures, or patrols up on the wall? It stands to reason a similar garrison would be stationed at the other gates, correct?"

 

[the_taken]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Oh, they don't gather all in one place. They sort of move about, hiding from the monsters and moon spawn. There are many places in the ruins which are basking in a potent magic that the corrupted instinctively avoid. They called them 'hallows' before the miasma clouded their thoughts."

She pauses to listen again. "Those fell warriors are well disciplined, their steps are heavy from their thick hides, and many a loud clack rings from their arms. Many of the undead that lurk about never reach within arms length before falling, damaged to total inactivity. Are their weapons really shooting tubes? I've never seen one. But that's not the scariest things there. It's those big jaws low to the ground, flapping their massive fangs about as they run and tear into flesh. No thing but clopping teeth and scampering feet. I don't think they even breathe! Scary things."

 

[T-A-B]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

Triacca shifted uncomfortably. She had battled many dozens of different monstrosities in her travels, but struggled to determine what these creatures could be. Thick hides, and destroying the undead at a distance -- they must be basilisks. No no, disciplined she said -- soldiers from an elemental realm. Wait, unbreathing? By the gods, they must be golems! The most advanced she'd ever heard of, able to wield arms of their own! The sorcerer who created them was either phenomenally powerful, or had already been slain at their hand. Triacca hoped it was the latter.

If what Pyynana had seen was the truth, their party would have to use the utmost care against these creatures. Triacca began to turn away, but quickly stopped herself. Now was as good a time as any to ask the seer of her other quest.

"We thank you for your vision, Pyynana, as dire as it may be. However, I must ask that you share your assistance on another matter." Triacca stepped closer to the seer, and sat next to the woman. She looked into her eyes, despite the blindfold. "I am searching for an ogre. An ogre of my own blood, a mother I have never known." Triacca paused and drew her gaze downward momentarily, remembering her father's final moments. "I have very little info regarding her or her location. Only that she is somewhere in Mirafar, and that she was capable of besting a skilled swordsman in a duel. Oh, and that she was very beautiful... or at least, she was three decades ago." Triacca paused and thought to herself -- how quickly do ogres age? Despite her heritage, everything she knew about ogres stemmed from how to fight them.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: The Nightmare's Beginning (T-A-B, Gargantua, Pheonix)

"Mouths on feet? How big are these things, are there many? Do they attack the Black Moon soldiers, too? And what about these survivors, in the Hallowed grounds? Have you an idea of whether they will be friendly or not?" Alice presses, hoping to acquire at least a basis for a plan of action later. Colin stands behind them, listening, but silent.