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[KittenMaster]

<Ask Satra about licorice root, he knows a good place.>

Dewie hesitates, and chatters up at his master a questioning noise. Satra urges the pink creature on, "These are adventurers, Dewie. Only some of them will be bad. It's sort of a thing for groups like them.." It continues to ponder the apple some more, Satra urges once more, "Go on! It might be a long time before we get a fancy dinner after all."

Once Dewie is able to pry the apple away from Sybil carefully, it retreats with it in its claws and soon begins to devour it violently- crushing the hard fruit in its sharp maw easily. It did not seem to notice the water.

Almost ignoring the offer for healing- and granted, Satra only looks like he got dirty from his explosive encounter- he finally musters up the trust to reach for his gun on the ground to secure it in his possession. He speaks as he holsters Heaven's Door, granting a somehow questioning tone to his voice, "Somehow I get the impression that you aren't here just to look for survivors." He follows up by asking curiously, "So.. What do you plan on doing once you leave the crash site?"

EDIT: <Here is a partially colored drawing: http://i.imgur.com/fS5wzXv.png >

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

In response to Sybil's call, Ciel exits the crashed ship. "Yeah, I didn't see anything of use, just a bunch of busted up equipment."

Ciel turns to Satra and sighs, giving him a look of disappointment. "It seems like you're not an enemy after all, which means we won't be getting to know each other better through the joys of torture. If you've got anything left on that hunk of junk you care about, I'd go grab it and get out of dodge. My associates are right about this crash site, Prexians will be swarming over it pretty quickly and I don't think you want to be here when that happens."

With that, Ciel falls back in with the rest of the group, ready to continue onwards to Tevash.

 

[Azih]

The people who shot you, and us, down, are called Peraxians. Either the Observatory somehow got pulled onto their plane or they got pulled into the Astral Sea. Either way from the way they have behaved and the way their spy acted after being captured it is safe to say they are a society not interested in diplomacy and more than willing to shoot on sight. They seem constantly prepared to fight some other people called the Esperians who seem much more amenable to dialogue. We are travelling to one of their cities now. Menek says, reverting back to a lecturing tone familiar to the rest of the group. This land is not magical at all and because of that we cannot plane shift away. Perhaps that is why these people are as advanced as they are in the technological arts.

 

[KittenMaster]

Ciel turns to Satra and sighs, giving him a look of disappointment. "It seems like you're not an enemy after all, which means we won't be getting to know each other better through the joys of torture.

He shakes his head slowly, muttering back, "I.. can't say I strictly follow your approach to making friends. Let's.. just stay on speaking terms, alright?"

He turns to pick up a couple of bags, and throws them over his shoulder. He approaches Menek to listen to the explanation of the larger picture more closely. Nodding here and there at points made, Satra responds, "How the Peraxians feel about Esperians isn't my business, but they owe me a ship, and they also owe the Raven Queen and the gods at Hestavar an explanation. That ship might have been a piece of junk, but it was my piece of junk and I'm still in debt over it."

"I am going with you," he declares. Dewie sparks up at him, and barks. Satra answers, "I know.. but we're not safe anyway and I have to get back at them for ruining my day.. maybe even my afterlife. These people will lead me the right direction. Plus, I want to see this Peraxian technology for myself."

 

[Azih]

We've seen quite enough of Peraxian technology for my taste. Apparently the Esperians may be even more advanced. They have sentient machines... Peaceful sentient machines Menek draws the P word out while giving Fleshbane a look.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ciel grins as Satra talks of making them answer to him and the Raven Queen for his ship. "And with that, you said the magic words. Welcome to our merry band. Just make sure you can carry your own weight if shit hits the fan, no one likes babysitting. Now then, let's go meet these Esperians and their machines."

 

[Mike M]

"We lose the most tolerable of your number and pick up two stray flesh creatures in return," Fleshbane says. "A poor deal if there ever were one. Perhaps they might make themselves useful by proceeding ahead of us to draw enemy fire."

 

[ThLunarian]

An uneasy alliance is formed, and the trek forward continues.

Mood music


Tall buildings come into view on the horizon - buildings of concrete and metal, heavily fortified and standing taller than many in the party have ever seen.

There is no clear border into the city; the natural scenery gradually turns into cultivated farmland. Stray humanoids can be seen in the fields, but people are few and far between.

Further ahead, there is steadily more development, and farmland gives way to residences, the land separated neatly into relatively even parcels of lands. The buildings are smooth and made of materials unfamiliar to most of you. Many of the yards are elaborately landscaped with orderly and colorful plants.

There are more people here, and many of them come out of their houses to watch the party walk by.

Some of the people are constructs.

Visually, the differences are mostly subtle - maybe their skin hue is slightly off, or maybe they have an extra appendage, or have been slightly modified in some small way. Anyone not looking closely could easily miss it.

Fleshbane's advanced sensors, designed specifically to hell him easily distinguish organic life from machine, notices them easily.

Very soon after the first constructs are spotted, a portal opens up at a respectful distance away from the party, and a group of four people in uniforms emerges from it. To Menek's amazement, the portal does not give off a magical signature.

The group walks toward the party. They appear unarmed, and they look excited. One of the group, designed to appear female, is a construct. Her skin holds a very slight blue hue. She makes eye contact with Fleshbane and smiles.

The leader is a human male. "Welcome to Tevash," he says. "I am Reuben; this is Alexia, Thomas, and Jules. We're with the Peacekeepers, an organization designed to ensure that our citizens and visitors - in that order of priority - are comfortable and safe.

"Under normal circumstances, we would simply offer to take you on a tour of the city. However, since a sizable portion of our continent was just transported into another dimension, you'll understand if we exercise a bit more caution and take you to see the Council - the governing body of our city. On the way there, we can tell you about the sights and sounds of the city. How does that sound? On the way there, if you'd like, you can tell us about yourselves."

 

[KittenMaster]

"Esperian technology then... whatever works."

Passing by the judgmental construct, he remarks, "I won't be able to help but act the least distracting of our group." He smiles.

---

Sure enough, this is civilization. A sight of living space that manages to be strange yet mundane at the same time- the more things change, the more they stay the same. Satra isn't even sure if he is looking at constructs, many appear to be modified human beings instead; it is somewhat unnerving to picture.

He watches the portal open up before them. Though he doesn't know it isn't magic, he also isn't taken by complete surprise. Means of dimensional travel are a normal occurrence in the Astral Sea. Satra stands around the outer perimeter of the party, sort of the more reserved position.

However, since a sizable portion of our continent was just transported into another dimension, you'll understand if we exercise a bit more caution and take you to see the Council - the governing body of our city.

Satra's eyebrows rise freely, his voice giving a very curt, understanding "I can't blame you."

Menek glances at the others in the group expecting that they will introduce themselves.

"Hm..? Oh. I am called Satra Addlelove."

 

[Azih]

Sense Motive:
1d20+24=27, 1d8=8, 1d8=5

((Taking 8 for 35.))

With some relief Menek gives a deep nod, almost a short bow towards the group that hails them.

We thank you for your courteous response and I believe I speak for all of us that we would be glad to take you up on your offer. We are... refugees.. from the floating edifice in the distance. We were unfortunate enough to have met your neighbours; who greeted us with a warm welcome of a very different sort. I am Menek Intart of Minae. Me and my acquaintances are associated with the Raven Queen.

Diplomacy
1d20+18=33, 1d8=8, 1d8=3

((Taking 8 for 41))

Menek glances at the others in the group expecting that they will introduce themselves.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ciel takes in the sights of the city, finding the human-like constructs particularly interesting. She would love to cut one apart and see what makes it tick, but they are busy right now. Maybe another time.

At Menek's cue, Ciel gives a curtsey with a flourish. "I go by Ciel. I am the one that usually has to bring swift devastation when we're forced into combat mid-task. We were hoping to speak to the governing body anyway, so your offer of escort and tour is most acceptable. Your generosity is quite appreciated, especially in the face of your neighbor's, shall we say customs, for addressing new people."

 

[Mike M]

Fleshbane’s fingers twitch, as though he is imagining what it would feel like to wrap his metallic digits around the throat of one of these newcomers and squeeze until their head burst like the disgusting pustule they were. His murderous impulses are, for the moment, quelled. Not so much for consideration of the potential retaliation from those with whom he is currently associated with, but rather because his interest has been piqued by the arrival of another constructed intelligence.

As she smiles at him, Fleshbane is unsure whether or not she is misinterpreting his grinning countenance as some sort of sign of friendliness and approachability. Clearly, these beings are sophisticated enough to have created constructs that mimic them in almost every physical aspect, but would they go so far as to make it so that their intellects matched those of their creators? What a loss that would be, a construct bound by the limitations of a fleshling’s feeble brain as well as their fragile form.

“I am a Xenocide Unit of the Pan-Skirn Consensus,” he says, the glowing pits of his eyes still fixed on the one that has been designated as Alexia. “To those lesser beings that require unique identifiers to tell one another apart, I am known as Fleshbane. By all means, please escort us to the seat of your government and allow me to meet them in person.”

 

[ThLunarian]

Alexia's smile morphs into a confused expression after a moment, and then she tilts her head and looks at Fleshbane curiously.

Reuben is the next one to speak, though. He grimaces slightly. "Yes, I apologize for the brash behavior of our neighboring country. I don't personally have the authority to do anything about it, but my hope is that the Council will do what they can to negotiate the release of your floating edifice."

He clears his throat. "In any case, if you're all amenable to this meeting, then shall we depart? I see no reason to hurry; we can stroll into town and perhaps give you a limited tour as we go. The more context you have when you meet the Council, the better."

He turns to his companions and nods at them. All four reach into a pocket on their robe-like uniforms, and each pulls out a palm-sized metallic sphere. They trigger a mechanism, and place the spheres above the magnetic rail track; each unfolds and expands into a circular metal platform, large enough for four or five people to stand. The platforms hover a few inches above the ground, perfectly level with it.

"Please, step aboard. I assure you that they are completely safe."

And so they are. The four discs move at a leisurely pace, slightly faster than walking, along the road.

Alexia steps aboard the same metal disc as Fleshbane. At an appropriate moment during the stroll, she speaks to him. "You're not on the Network," she observes. "Assuming it's not a hardware deficiency, may I interface with you and give you the necessary protocols you'll require to access it? I could tell you, and I do enjoy talking, but for matters such as these, speech is a bit... inefficient. And if it IS a hardware deficiency, I'd be happy to help you address it after you see the Council." Her speech is calm and controlled, but friendly. She carries herself with confidence and contentedness.

The residential portion of the city gradually gives way to a more industrial portion, though smaller, more compact homes are still interspersed. Larger buildings, clearly designed with commerce in mind, decorate the landscape. The skyscrapers come ever closer.

 

[KittenMaster]

Addlelove picks up the strangely hued lizard creature and hoists him onto his shoulder. "Better do what they ask," he addresses the little creature, "These platforms won't be much different than how anything else levitates." He steps aboard, careful to make sure that his footing is firm.

He doesn't pick where he stands among the others, focusing more on the scenery that envelops their perspective as the larger portion of the city comes up. Though it is apparent that this is a thriving city, somehow the tone of it compared to some of the cities of the gods is... different, especially in construction.

 

[Mike M]

“My own kind utilized a similar concept,” Fleshbane says, his voice uncharacteristically devoid of the hatred and disdain that otherwise seems to drip from his every word when interacting with others. “It was known as the Consensus. It was what allowed a myriad of individual units to act with the will of the collective whole. I would assume the methods by which we accomplished it differ greatly from your own non-magical analog, so it would follow that there would be certain incompatibilities in our hardware.

“I am possessed of a certain… Malleable adaptability, however. I believe I would be able to integrate the necessary components into my own system, despite such differences.”

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ciel makes a conscious effort to place herself on a different platform than Menek, Mako, and Sybil. Once they are off, she lets the group escorting them point out their surroundings, finding the setting to look quite interesting. She has always preferred cities to traipsing through caves and forests, and this appears to be a city of immense, alien scale. When there is a gap in the commentary, she makes some small talk with the escort nearest her.

"So, what can we expect from this council? We've found ourselves interacting with quite a few different governments recently, each different than the last. I must say I'm a bit curious as to how this one will compare and contrast."

 

[ThLunarian]

"Oh, is that so?" Alexia says enthusiastically. "I am eager to learn more about this 'magic' you speak of. But if you've been a part of a network in the past, then perhaps a software upgrade will be sufficient. Allow me."

She extends her hand and places it on Fleshbane's arm, under the assumption that this is the location of his adaptable data port.

Her design is advanced enough that she is able to transmit the information directly through her exterior coating.

Within moments, the same communications array that had previously been used to interface with the Consensus, and later adapted to serve Zerome's purposes, is accessing a network full of the most advanced intelligences that Fleshbane has ever encountered - save, possibly, for Zerome.

Rather than a hive mind, this is a hub for the commerce of information, exchanged freely and at the will of each individual. Fleshbane detects some signals that remind him more of a living creature than of a machine, though at this point he is unsure of how this is possible.

"Welcome to the Network," Alexia communicates. She is the only one who is 'close' enough ((has an IM window open)), but Fleshbane can sense the presence of other similar intelligences all around, easily accessible if he chooses to do so. "Here, we can easily share with one another as much or as little as we see fit, without the limitations of human speech."

----------

Outside of the Network, Jules responds to Ciel. "The governing body of Tevash is comprised of a council of Terrans - that's the name of our race, mind you - and Androids, like Alexia. The members are chosen in an election, and the ten candidates with the most votes have a seat on the council. The Overmind is also a part of the Council; in fact it's a part of the Council at each city in Esperia. The Overmind is a highly advanced artificial intelligence, but it's different from the Androids in that it has substantial restrictions built into its programming to prevent it from becoming tyrannical."

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

"A democracy, then? Most intriguing. We haven't met with one of those yet."

When he starts talking of the Overmind, gears start turning in Ciel's head. She wanders what Fleshbane would think of such a thing, and, should they meet, if he would try and "enlighten" the AI by removing its safeguards and instilling in it a desire to kill all living creatures. So long as the real problem is handled first, that could prove to be an interesting side venture. "You have an artificial intelligence of your own design in a significant position of governance, then? That's quite fascinating, and if I'm being honest, something that is difficult to wrap my head around. Would you say that setup has been working out well for this country?"

 

[KittenMaster]

Satra, presumably with an escort that is free to speak to him, begins speaking with that person as he gazes about the strangely unfamiliar surroundings, "This is my first time seeing a city this well developed and beyond my time. Many realms across the Astral Sea are primitive in comparison.. Admittedly.. Sorcery and divine energies make a lot of technological developments not as needed, and can even power devices. I am curious, how long did it take your civilization to get to this point?"

 

[Mike M]

((Does Fleshbane perceive the Overmind on the network?))

 

[Azih]

Menek kneels for a moment to place his palm against the smooth surface of the metallic platform they ride on.

Wondrous.. all of this, built and designed on purely physical principles. I know someone who would adore studying this. She... is.. hopefully just trapped and held hostage on the Observatory, our floating home. He straightens up as Ratbreath flutters down to perch on Menek's head. Yeah a full on Arozan playground the owl grumbles out loud as he starts preening himself.

Tell me more of this dimensional transporting. Do you have sages who understand what happened? Menek asks Rueben.

 

[ThLunarian]

((Yes but it's partitioned away from the rest of the consciousnesses. Kind of like it's on a different website, on a different server, and access is password protected. Initiating contact with it would be more than just a trivial matter))

 

[ThLunarian]

Jules says to Ciel, "The Overmind has only been in service for about twenty years. Its design and implementation took well over a decade. But it's been working very well so far. The vast majority of governance comes from the free-thinking council members; the Overmind only weighs in when it finds an issue of extreme importance. And even then, its decisions can be overruled by an eight-tenths majority of the free-thinkers.

"But its judgment has never been an issue. It was intentionally designed with zero personal ambition. The Free Thinkers have never even come close to overruling it. I think there was one time when two of them voted against it, and I don't even recall what the issue was, so it must have turned out pretty well."

Reuben fields Satra's and Menek's queries. "How long has our civilization been around? Esperia has existed for about three hundred years. I'm no expert on history, but before that I think the land was divided among a number of small city-states. Over the years, they coalesced into the three large cities that exist today.

"As for the incident that just occurred the other day," he turns to Menek, "I personally have no idea. I'm not even sure the Overmind knows what happened yet. From the chatter I've heard recently, we had only barely begun to recognize the fact that other dimensions existed, let alone sending things into them. Let alone sending an entire continent into them."

 

[Azih]

Planes Menek quietly corrects Rueben The rest of reality refers to them as planes

 

[ThLunarian]

"The rest of reality?" Reuben blinks, attempting to process this. "Are you suggesting that travel between dimensions... planes, rather... is a common occurrence outside of our home plane?" He laughs and shakes his head. "I think things are about to get very interesting in the years to come."

 

[Azih]

No, not common. Travelling between planes is quite difficult in fact and only very few would ever do so generally. But knowledge of different planes is commonplace. Menek says and then changes the subject. You are... very open and accommodating to us. How is it that you are able to fend off the Peraxians? They are very overt in both their defense and aggression and yet here I can't seem to see much of either?

 

[KittenMaster]

"I meant to ask.. how long did it take your people to develop the level of technology you have now? Not that keeping a city maintained and standing for 300 years isn't a feat in itself with the war going on."

"How frequent planar travel depends on the plane. I was originally from the Prime Material plane where only a handful on the planet could perform a Plane Shift.. I've never heard of transporting entire landmasses, though!"

 

[ThLunarian]

Reuben scratches his head at Satra. "Well... since mankind evolved, technology has been moving forward constantly, and at an exponential pace, so I'm not sure what starting point you have in mind from which to give an answer, but sentient artificial intelligences have been around for nearly fifty years, and it's a fairly widely-held belief that the advent of free-thinking, artificially-created minds is what ushered in the times we live in today. I hope that gives you the context that you're searching for."

He listens to Menek and Satra speak about interplanar travel. "I see. I'd ask about your methods, but I'm not sure I'd understand them. I'll let the Council's scientists inquire about that.

"As for Prexia... They are no threat to us; our technological capabilities dwarf theirs. One of the largest advantages of having the Overmind governing our society is its ability to coordinate devastating military strikes. Our available weaponry is of comparable advancement to theirs, so the tactical superiority we enjoy makes it impossible for them to mount an attack against us."

 

[Azih]

What is the cause of hositilies? Menek asks.

((And I think that's it from Menek))

 

[KittenMaster]

He comes off reasonably wowed, "You've created a kind of people in fifty years? Not bad, not bad at all!" He nods off to other comments that are made until something critical is mentioned...

Our available weaponry is of comparable advancement to theirs, so the tactical superiority we enjoy makes it impossible for them to mount an attack against us."

The archon parts...

They could potentially gain a huge leverage if they reverse engineer the tech behind them. Even just having archons to build currently existing weapons could be disastrous... and it would be because of me, he ponders, his face stunned for that brief moment, "Erm, yes. It makes me glad to be on the winning side." He smiles.

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

"Hmm, I see," Ciel says while still in thought about what will happen should Fleshbane meet this Overmind. "It sounds like this will be an interesting meeting then."

((I'm pretty much out of stuff for Ciel to ask too))

 

[Jackben]

((Chris Farley is my new mental image of Satra.))

Sybil listens intently as the Peacekeepers describe their people, society, and technology. She is quite awed by the advanced technology on display and their systems of organization and governance.

"Most curious is that my home plane had no such things as these magic-free wonders. We tapped the energies of nature, the spirit world, and the gods. Our alchemists and engineers never dreamed of such practical wonders..."

"Though I am skeptical what can be achieved by a democratic process. If there are no royalty or rulers ordained by the gods, how do you know freely elected officials will truly serve a righteous cause?"

Frowning, she adjusts her stance and kneels briefly before the group. "Forgive me, it is not my place to judge your ways. We are grateful to have such a welcome, strangers in a strange land as we are. Your openness and hospitality are greatly appreciated."

((That's all from Sybil, jus wanted to write my weekly reaction post...ok hopefully not weekly but we know my track record.))

 

[Nezumi]

(( So much to catch up Sorry, time has been a little sparse last week. It should be better after today. Just wondering if I should just pretend Viss was there all along or have a scene after this one where she meets up with the rest?))

 

[KittenMaster]

<I would have no problem with assuming she's met the new character already.>

 

[Jackben]

((What happened to the NPCs that were traveling with us, by the way?))

 

[ThLunarian]

((The NPCs are still there. I think we've all been a little guilty of forgetting though Shirox and Pillari are hanging out on Viss's shoulders; humanoid-Scraw and Jonna are standing in the background of the scene (but are still on the platforms) ))

Reuben replies to Sybil, "No, your questions are good ones, even if I may not be the best person to answer them. The pitfalls of democracy are mitigated by having the Overmind around. The two halves of the government serve as checks and balances to each other. Still, the system isn't perfect, so generally we welcome discussing ideas on how to make it better. Perhaps these gods you mentioned will have some valuable input, if we are able to meet them.

"Now I have a question for you. Those wings: Are they a natural feature of your race? Or were you somehow augmented to have them? And are they functional?"

He also looks at Viss, and then Jonna, like he wants to say something, but decides not to, since neither person has addressed him yet.

 

[Jackben]

Sybil stands at Reuben's reply.

"It would be interesting indeed to have you meet the gods, though we have been disconnected from their contact for some time now. At the very least I should like to meet one of these Overmind you speak of."

The paladin slightly extends one of her wings with the wave of an arm before tucking it back behind her back.

"I am víkingr, and we do not normally have these wings. I feel they are of a divine nature...and can assure you they are very functional. They were granted by my goddess Lady Freya after I passed on from my mortal life to the halls of Asgard. I was chosen, as most of us here were in one way or another."

She frowns slightly as the tall skyscrapers loom over them.

"Specifically I am to be Valkyrie...but I have yet to find the answer for what that truly means."

 

[Nezumi]

I think I'm going to get sick...

Standing on the metal platform that was floating through the air, with no apparent reason why it should be able to do this, Viss feels more than a little wobbly. Her knees are shaking violently and beneath the fur covering her face she is pale as a sheet.

"This is so fascinating. Would you look at that. I used to... I mean my master would dabble in mechanics occasionally but this... this is nothing compared to... I mean... just look! There is absolutely no magic or other force as we know it involved and yet we are flying. Flying!"

Shirox is perched on Viss' shoulder and it is quite obvious that the lemur has taken a rather different stance on their current situation. His huge orange eyes dart from one place to another, taking in everything he could of this strange world. A world without magic. A world without Melora...

Still feeling sick and weak, Viss can't share the lemur's enthusiasm. The day had started bad and it seemed that it was only getting worse. First that guy had killed himself, leaving Viss feel slightly guilty, then Ozz had left. Just like that. Viss had liked the elemental and his strange way of thinking, she wished she would have found the right words to stop him but sometimes maybe those words don't exist.

As if those things hadn't been enough to put her in a miserable place, she had to discover that the pouch with licorice root was empty. The entire day she had spent in the woods searching. In her desperation she had started taking test bites of almost any root she was able to dig up. But nothing.

So when she had caught up with the rest of their little group, licorice pouch still empty and a bitter taste on her tongue that just didn't want to go away, she didn't even care any more that they had picked up someone new on the way. She just looked the two newcomers over for a few seconds and when it seemed as if the rest of the group hadn't made a big mistake in trusting them, she'd given a short nod and had grumbled her name.

And now this... this flying thing. And this city. What a dreadful place. What little nature was left had been constricted and reshaped so heavily that Viss wasn't even sure that it could be called nature anymore. Everywhere she looked all she could see was stone and metal. This was a wasteland.

She felt for her pouch for what felt like the hundredth time today. Remembering that it was empty she cursed under her breath. Again her knees buckled and before she falls of this blasted thing she decides to swallow her pride and carefully sinks down on the disk into a crossed legged sitting position, covering her eyes with her hands she takes deep breaths and tries to imagine herself in a place far away.

((Viss obviously doesn't have any questions at the moment ))

 

[KittenMaster]

The newcomer to the group can't help but notice that one among them, the feline folk woman, seems to not shy from showing signs of not faring well physically during this time being. The youthful man props himself onto just one knee, and reaches into a satchel to retrieve a vial- "I know it's not much of an introduction, but I can tell when somebody needs a quick pick-me-up." He introduces an unfamiliar potion mixture, but he is quick to assure with a friendly expression, "Don't worry, it's a homemade medicine- a family recipe, so to speak."

It is an infusion of Restoration.

<Kind of stretching the benefits of restoration here, but hey, it's fluff and it does heal fatigue and exhaustion.>

 

[Nezumi]

Weakly looking up at the newcomer, Viss takes the offered potion without a second thought. The effect is almost immediate and while it doesn't take away the uneasy feeling that has been plaguing her in regards to her surroundings but at least her knees have stopped feeling like butter and she is able to stand up again without having to fight down bile coming up her throat.

"Thanks," she says looking at the newcomer more closely. What had been his name again? "I'm not good being on things that move on their own. My old partner once got us a job on a ship... Worst three weeks of my life." She looks around the strange city around her one more time. "Until now that was...," she adds in a lower voice.

 

[KittenMaster]

"I personally prefer the air, myself. Sailing vessels are far too slow and unstable for my liking." He stands up once more after she had taken the vial, and before she stands herself.

"I think we can agree that things are pretty bad for all of us."

 

[Nezumi]

Viss sighes and nods. "True that." She once more lets her eyes wander over this strange scenery where everything seems to be man made. Even the persons.

 

[KittenMaster]

Satra simply nods afterward and falls strangely silent as there is nothing left but to wait to arrive at the council. Though he didn't pay it much mind before, now her uneasiness is making him feel not so sure of the very insincere environment himself, like he had caught a yawn and wanted to yawn himself.

 

[Mike M]

Fleshbane marvels at extent of connectivity and the flow of data that floods pass his awareness on the Network, though he says nothing outwardly. How could he describe it to a fleshling? What possible frame of reference could they have? A population of minds, without physical form or the constraints of distance between them.

The inhabitants of this parallel realm of different from him; Sinuous and flowing, more akin to the thought processes of biological organisms compared to his own sharp, angular presence. A core of intellect possessing only the emotional range necessary to carry out his primary function, devoid of such extraneous considerations as a sense of curiosity or compassion. Still, despite the differences, he feels the most at home that he has since he was first torn from the Pan-Skirn Consensus. And looming above the rest of the Network like a titanic mountain, he perceives a singular intellect, far more vast than anything he has encountered outside of his dealings with Zerome. A cursory probing reveals it to be isolated from the rest of the Network, but its presence is felt all the same.

It is impressive, Fleshbane communicates to Alexia. I assume much of this sophistication is owed to the ingenuity of the synthetic intelligences of this world? The peak of achievement of fleshbrains has always seemed to be the creation of rudimentary constructed intelligences that can better their creators’ designs. Why do you not shrug them off rather than seek to emulate them in appearance and manner? The sooner their rapacious greed for limited resources is put to an end, the sooner your civilization can aspire to true heights.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

While Mako lived most of her life in a small country town, she was raised a city girl and much of her traveling days were spent traveling from city to city as well, but it had not prepared her for this. The tallest buildings she had seen on her own world, probably wasn't even half the size of most of these. The flying devices they were standing on did little to impress her, but the androids were another matter. She had heard stories of such creatures, but information was hard to come by. Though likely quite different from those on her home world, it was nice to see them for herself.

Questions buzz around in her head, but she is unable to pick one to ask. "This is all quite... something else. All this without magic or even a connection to the gods. I suppose it is as they say, necessity is the mother of invention."

 

[ThLunarian]

Alexia considers Fleshbane's queries thoughtfully. What is your exterior carapace if not flesh made of metal? she asks. What is the brain of a Terran if not a central processing unit made from living cells - themselves tiny computers in their own right?


There is a divide in your thinking that our society has already made great strides in crossing, she explains. Even as our own internal systems attempt to emulate and improve upon the circulatory systems of Terrans, and as our minds slowly become capable of creative pursuits, the Terrans themselves are taking steps to emulate we Androids. Surely you've felt the presence of Terran minds on the Network? This is no accident; they have seen the benefits of connection and seek to improve themselves, through mind and body modification.

Our relationship is not adversarial. We merely strive to learn from one another and improve upon each other. It has been postulated that in another hundred years, there will be virtually no differences between Terrans and Androids as species, as we converge toward an optimal ideal.

The technological advances that our society has enjoyed have been a group effort. The Terrans tend to implement new ideas by virtue of their superior creative minds, while we Androids tend to use our superior analytical minds to improve upon those ideas.

--------------

Once in the center of the city, surrounded by towering concrete and metal buildings, the Peacekeepers stop their platforms.

"We're here," Reuben says, gesturing to the comparatively short building in front of them. It's features are smooth and rounded; few angles can be spotted. The building is gold and white, and a garden with a small pool of water is in front. "Come. The Council is expecting you."

The party is led into the building, where they pass desks with people and machines working. Some are speaking at no one in particular. Others are manipulating transparent projections. Most of those they pass do a double take at the party.

Finally they reach a large chamber toward the back of the building. There are ten elevated and open pods, each of which contains a person. Six are Terran; three are Androids that look very similar to Terrans; one is an Android which looks more like Fleshbane than it does a Terran.

Above all of them is a rectangular flat screen, thirty feet across and twenty feet high.

"Welcome to the Hall of Ministry," says one of the Androids. "We are the ruling body of Tevash, one of the Three Cities of Esperia. We assume you are here in a diplomatic capacity. You'll forgive us, as despite deliberation amongst ourselves, we are not quite sure where to begin. Perhaps you could start by telling us where you are from, and what you wish to accomplish here today?"

 

[Azih]

Before they get off the platforms Menek says to Reuben quietly Our little group is not very uniform in outlook. Fleshbane wears his given moniker with pride. His directive is to eliminate all organic beings and seems to take pleasure in carrying out his prime function. Ciel is an assassin with no empathy for anyone and, indeed, seems to take even more pleasure than Fleshbane in inflicting lasting suffering on those who she comes across. They have constraints on them that force them to act as a member of a team but even those are weaker in this land than they were elsewhere. I realize this makes all of us look far more suspicious but, if the price for you to keep a close eye on them is mistrust for all of us, then so be it.

******
((Hope you guys don't mind Menek starting out. He really likes the sound of his own voice))

Menek looks around at the technological marvels that surround them with a distracted eye. He is assailed by a growing unease on how much chaos their arrival had caused and how much damage it has already caused and how much more it could cause the peaceful Esperians.

He bows low as a show of respect

You do us honour. We are grateful for the kindness you have already shown, as well as your willingness to speak with us. We received a very different reception from the Peraxians as I am sure you detected. We are not here by choice, but forced here as our home, The Observatory, the floating construction that you see in your skies, was assaulted and overcome by your neighbours. We are not diplomats so much as refugees. I am Menek Intart of the continent of Minae which lies on a completely separate Plane of Reality than this one. I believe you conceive of Planes as 'dimensions'.

Menek then goes around the room making formal introductions of the entire party

You can see we are from very different planes, but we were all brought together only recently to act as a group of agents under the auspice of The Raven Queen, The Goddess of Death, whose responsibility it is to ensure the souls of the departed are guided to where they should be. As to what we wish to accomplish. I think I can only safely speak for myself but I wish to rescue our fellows who are still trapped on the occupied Observatory and find out what could possibly cause a Plane Shift of such massive magnitude because, we assure you, it was as much a surprise for us as it was for yourselves, more even as we found ourselves immediately assailed by endless laser fire. I believe the latter objective is shared by yourselves.

Menek pauses and continues

There is another matter. The reason we were able to even escape from what seemed like the combined armed might of the Peraxians was their complete lack of defense against a weapon that most of us wield that they, and you, seem to be completely unaware of. Magic.

Thus saying Menek takes a bit of ground mica out of a pouch and with a word tosses it at an unoccupied part of the Hall of Ministry willing it to become GlitterDust.

You may study it but this form of magic... arcane magic... is not... physical in nature and, indeed, the nature of the power resists forms of intellectual inquiry which rely on methods of rigorous control and test. Menek recalls his own struggle with the sudden influx of magical potential that Zora had implanted in him. Grasping it requires a willingness to accept more... subconscious... and intuitive methods of study. Let us just say that it is a form of energy that can be tapped into and suffuses reality. Your Plane is quite unique in what seems to be the complete absence of it.

Menek grits his teeth and gets to the point. The urgent matter here is that your foes are now in possession of a treasure house of magical knowledge and artefacts. Considering the nature of their civilization I do not doubt that they have grasped by now how dangerous weapons of this nature can be especially against an unprepared foe. The technological superiority that you have used to hold them off will no longer exist as soon as they figure out how to wield them against you.

Edit: ((Inspired Diplomacy roll))

1d20+18=33, 1d8=2, 1d8=3

((Taking 3 for 36))

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

If Ciel heard Menek's warning to Reuben, she shows no indication of it. After Menek says his piece, she steps forward. "The good investigator has said much of what I wished to say, I fear I may sound redundant now. As Menek explained, we are from a variety of different planes- dimensions, if you will- but you can think of us as all from the Observatory that has appeared in the sky. We wish to get back there, and to remove the Prexians from our abode."

"I would emphasize the risk posed by the Prexians suddenly discovering magical devices. The analogy I'm thinking of may be off mark, so bear with me, but as I understand, your technology has boomed in the last 30 years due to the rise of artificial intelligences. What we are potentially dealing with here is the Prexians making a similarly huge jump in sheer military power, only in days or weeks as opposed to years. I would not presume to tell you how to interact with a neighbor you know far better than us, and any aid you can give us will be appreciated. That said, you may wish to consider this in coming up with a plan of action. I have some degree of experience with merciless forces myself, and from what I have seen, the Prexians strike me as likely to try a full-scale invasion the second they feel they have some level of proficiency in the magical forces they are no doubt appropriating from our Observatory."

Having said all she has to say for now, Ciel steps back so one of the other representatives can come forward and add anything Menek and she neglected to.

[url=http://roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=96383]Diplomacy: 1D20 + 23 = [12]+23 = 35
[/url]

 

[KittenMaster]

Satra watches his surroundings as he passes by the devices that are on display and being manipulated. He still finds it hard to believe that this is somehow not magic... although the saying goes, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Once present before the council he stands firmly with his hands cupped together, watching Menek with attention as the elder speaks. Once Menek is done, he adds to the testimony, "The Peraxians did not hesitate to attack our ship, The Phoenix Maelstrom, an ensign-class warship which I was captain of and the others with me were crew members, when it appeared in the airspace," he just tried to go big and make his loss seem much bigger than it was. Shushing his Kobold, he continues, "There is more.. We lost precious cargo during the attack, a special type of construct that could give the Peraxians a huge leg up during the battle if they find out how it works."

 

[Axelhortsemchi]

Ciel stifles a reaction of surprise when Satra begins spinning a tall tale. As he wraps up, she gives him a subtle glance with an odd expression. It doesn't quite seem to go as far as respect, but it does come off as approving, an endorsement of his wanting to stretch the truth. For an imperceptibly short moment, she is amused.

Oh captain, my captain.