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15:32, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Chapter 3: Origins.

Posted by FacilitatorFor group archive 0
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 646 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Sun 1 Nov 2020
at 21:10
  • msg #480

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Frank narrowed his eyes.

"That only proves that they're bad guys. Not that you're a good guy." He paused, glanced back towards the gates they'd entered through. "You're asking us to take a lot on faith, here. We've already shown plenty by even turning up here, but you have to understand that you're dealing with a couple of doubting Thomases here. To put it another way; we want to see the holes."
Facilitator
GM, 717 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Mon 30 Nov 2020
at 02:46
  • msg #481

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Bacco/Terrel sighs and starts pacing in a small circle in front of his helicopter.

Right, he says, stopping his pace. Follow me then.

Not waiting for Frank and Tobias to respond, he walks directly between the two of them, heading towards the silos.
Tobias Byrne
player, 563 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Mon 30 Nov 2020
at 08:05
  • msg #482

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Toby looked over at Frank, gave a small shrug, and then followed after Terrel a few steps behind him. He dropped a few steps behind and murmured sotto-voice to Frank. "This is either evidence... or an execution."
Facilitator
GM, 718 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Mon 7 Dec 2020
at 01:25
  • msg #483

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Baccho/Terrel gives no indication that he hears Toby, but he yells over his shoulder as he continues. Oh, and no worries, chaps, the execution field is in the other direction!

He's kidding, of course... that's not the kind of thing someone would say for real... right?
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 647 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Wed 9 Dec 2020
at 13:19
  • msg #484

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Frank followed after Toby. Bacco/Terrel's comment about the execution field actually made him relax a bit more. In his experience, it was the bad guys who never joked about that sort of thing that you had to watch more carefully.

"You can give us a tour of your killing fields, later," he said. Some of the edge had come off his voice. "Lead on, MacDuff."
Facilitator
GM, 719 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Fri 18 Dec 2020
at 01:40
  • msg #485

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Frank can't tell for sure, but from behind, it seems as if Baccho/Terrel let out a smirk at his comment.

The enigmatic man continues walking, still not looking back to see if the boys are following him. He steps off the paved road onto a dirt sidewalk that leads to one of the silos that has a particularly lovely flower arrangement in its window box. It is also the only silo that has any plants in the ground, albeit only a very young fig tree, barely as tall as a man. He politely raps on the door.

In the window, the curtain covering the window flutters, then after a few seconds the front door cracks open. Frank and Tobias see the silhouette of a woman peer out at them, but she doesn't open the door enough for them to get a good look. They feel her gaze, even though they can't see her eyes.

It's alright, Syke, they are friends., says Baccho/Terrel. The words he uses are not English, or even any language known by polyglot Toby, yet both he and Frank understand what is said. If Bacco/Terrel knows they can understand him, he gives no indication of it.

The woman opens the door and steps out into the light. She breathes in and smiles, clearly enjoying the feeling of being outside. In the light, she is much older than she first seemed, easily in her 70's or 80's. That is, if she were human: it's immediately apparent to the boys that she is not. Her ears come to points at the top, like those of an elf, and the lines in her face, which at first appear to be wrinkles of old age, are deep and sharp, like the bark of a tree. Her hair, seeming scraggly at first, is long and turns into twigs at the tips. She is dressed very plainly, in patterned linens that would go unnoticed on the island.

Baccho/Terrel continues, very slowly, and with clear enunciation. Syke, these are friends of mine. They would like to chat with you if you have time?

The woman nods and smiles congenially, clearly taking a few seconds for full comprehension to set in. Baccho/Terrel does a slight bow and fans his hand out to Tobias and Frank, as if presenting the woman to them. You gentleman are free to do as you like. If you don't like what you hear, you know how to get out the gate. I won't try to stop you. Otherwise, I'll be at my helicopter.

With that, he abruptly turns and heads back towards the helipad, not waiting for either of the men to interrupt.
Tobias Byrne
player, 565 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Mon 28 Dec 2020
at 01:21
  • msg #486

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Toby tries and fails to not react at being able to understand a language he knows he doesn't know. He tilts his head and blinks, glancing to Frank and then to the back of Terrel's head. Hmm.

As their host stalks away, he finds himself disconcertingly... guilty... about the whole thing suddenly. Shaking it off, he looks back at the... What was she anyway? "Uhm. Hello. I'm Toby."

[Private to GM: Would Arcane Lore let me figure out what she is, by chance?]
Facilitator
GM, 720 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Sun 3 Jan 2021
at 18:59
  • msg #487

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

The woman timidly takes another step forward and nods a polite bow. Hello, Toby

Her voice is soft and airy, full of light. It has a heavy accent that sounds vaguely Greek. My name is Syke.

[Private to Tobias Byrne: Between your Arcana (33) and History (14), you know that Syke is a dryad. In Greek mythology, dryads are a creature of nature, inexorably tied to their host tree. Like most other mythological creatures, it is thought that the first dryads were native to other dimensions and passed over to ours in a period of harmonic resonance.

13:09, Today: Facilitator, on behalf of Tobias Byrne, rolled 14 using 1d20+10.  Knowledge (History).

13:08, Today: Facilitator, on behalf of Tobias Byrne, rolled 33 using 1d20+16.  Knowledge (Arcane Lore).
]
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 649 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Mon 4 Jan 2021
at 15:25
  • msg #488

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

As Bacco/Terrel walks away, Frank's features soften. He smiles at the woman and offers her his hand to shake.

"Frank," he says. "Pleased to meet you, Syke."

Noticing a lack of plants at the other silos, he asks "Are you the only one here?"
Facilitator
GM, 723 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Sat 16 Jan 2021
at 15:46
  • msg #489

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Very pleased to meet you, to meet both of you. She looks around at the other silos, gesturing towards them with outstretched hand. There are a few of us now, Athos lives  in that one, and Silenus lives over there. Euryale and her children live at the house at the end there. However, they are all travelers, like the rest who come through here. I stay here, for it is where I am rooted.
Tobias Byrne
player, 567 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Sat 16 Jan 2021
at 16:06
  • msg #490

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Toby nods to Syke's answer, and leans over to Frank and murmurs, "She's a dryad. Tied to the plantlife here." He turns his attention back to Syke, but waits for Frank to continue the questions; he was always better at this than he was.
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 651 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Thu 21 Jan 2021
at 13:55
  • msg #491

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

"Thanks, Toby."

'Might as well get right to it', thinks Frank.

"Thanks for your time," he says. "Can I ask you about Mr Terrel? What do you think of him? How did you meet him?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:06, Thu 21 Jan 2021.
Facilitator
GM, 724 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Sun 31 Jan 2021
at 16:55
  • msg #492

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Oh, Meester Terrel ees my savior. Before I was rooted here, I had a wonderful tree/house. She speaks the word in her own language, and it translates in Tobias and Frank's heads as multiple meanings at once.

It was the biggest tree/house in the entire forest, and I was rooted to it for many year. One day I stepped into it, and instead of coming inside, I was somewhere else. I didn't know where I was, but I could not feel my tree/house any more. I was, how you say, wilting, when Meester Terrel found me. He and hees friends took me to here and rooted me again so I could live.
Tobias Byrne
player, 568 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Fri 26 Feb 2021
at 00:56
  • msg #493

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

"And he's never mistreated you, made you feel unwelcome? If you wanted to, uh... re-root somewhere else, he'd let you?"
Facilitator
GM, 725 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Thu 4 Mar 2021
at 02:59
  • msg #494

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Meester Terrel ees very nice. He make sure I have everything I need.... She paces gracefully around her fig tree, stroking the bare branches as she talks.

... at least, everything possible to give to me here...

When Tobias metions re-rooting, she recoils. Oh, no, he would not let me do that! If I were to try I would surely blight. Eet was only a miracle that I could change my tree/house when I arrived here. I have never heard of one of my kind doing that before...
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 654 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Wed 14 Apr 2021
at 16:29
  • msg #495

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

"I am glad he was able to help you, Syke," says Frank. "Do you think you could introduce us to some of your neighbours? Are they home?"

He is finding Syke's responses hard to follow. Some aspects of her culture, her nature, are so alien to him, that it is difficult to judge whether she is being coerced or manipulated, evem without realising it. He hopes that by speaking to more of the vistors, he can get a better read on Terrel.
Facilitator
GM, 729 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Sat 22 May 2021
at 01:19
  • msg #496

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Yes, I can do that. She bows slightly and starts walking towards another silo. Her arms trail behind her when she walks, like tall grass blowing in the wind.

The neighborhood is mostly empty, but there are a few other residents here. The first is a man so large he can barely fit out the doorway. Syke introduces him as Athos. He is very gruff and speaks in short statements.

The second man, Silenus, is shirtless and wears short pants tied with a rope belt, revealing that he has the form of a goat from the waist down. Despite the early hour, he seems wobbly on his feet and smells strongly of wine.

The last neighbor is a woman named Euryale. She wears an opaque shower cap on her head, and speaks very softly, almost as if she is afraid of speaking at full volume.

All three have variations of Syke's story, which they tell in the mysterious language (with Syke's help to translate Frank and Tobias's speech). In one moment they were in their own world, and in the next they were in ours. Baccho/Terrel and his team were there quickly to whisk them to safety. Unlike Syke, her three neighbors have only been here a short while; most residents stay about a month before moving on. All three speak positively of Bacco/Terrel.

OOC: I summarized here, but you can ask more questions if you like
Tobias Byrne
player, 571 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Tue 8 Jun 2021
at 17:47
  • msg #497

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Tobias glances aside at Frank after Euryale's conversation, quirking his mouth in indesicion. "What do you think? I'm not going to lie, it feels a bit like we might be among the good guys here."
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 657 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Wed 7 Jul 2021
at 10:41
  • msg #498

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Frank shrugs. "I don't know." he says, looking pensive."He doesn't seem to be mistreating them, so that's something. I'm still not convinced that this isn't a gilded cage, but I'm willing to give him benefit of the doubt for now."

"There's a potentially bigger question here. I've heard of people slipping across to our world from Shadow, but never in this number. I think we should go back to Terrel and ask him about that."

Frank thanks the residents for their time and their stories and turns to head off to find Terrel.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:41, Sun 11 July 2021.
Facilitator
GM, 731 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Sun 11 Jul 2021
at 00:19
  • msg #499

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

OOC: To clarify, you wouldn't find it terribly unusual that people are coming over from the Shadow dimension (Henry --the missing boy from Chapter 2-- and his family were from the Shadow dimension, and you found a portal in the back of a burnt down hot dog shop that let you freely walk through).

With his high Arcane Lore, Toby would know that while it's rare for so many translocations to happen in one small area, it's not unheard of, either. Our plane and the Shadow dimension are like two sine waves with very close frequencies. In parts of the sine wave there will be almost no overlap, but in others the two lines track almost perfectly. Henry and his family were the former, and this area seems to be the latter.

Tobias Byrne
player, 575 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Fri 30 Jul 2021
at 00:53
  • msg #500

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

"Could be he's concentrating them here too. Nothing inherently wrong with centralizing the safehouse." He follows after Frank, cautiously looking forward to having a clear side once more.
Facilitator
GM, 735 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Wed 4 Aug 2021
at 01:21
  • msg #501

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Bacco/Terrel is pacing in front of his helicopter, puffing anxiously on the pipe. When he sees Frank and Toby returning, his face lights up.

Well, chaps? I hope Syke and her friends were able to change your minds about me? I'm sure you have lots of questions, and I'll promise I'll answer as many as I can. But right now, we really need to get going.

[Private to Francis 'Frank' Decourcey: What you may previously have thought was a sinister tinge to his voice, you now start to recognize is simply Bacco/Terrel's particularly dry form of humor. Almost alien, but friendly nonetheless.]
Francis 'Frank' Decourcey
player, 661 posts
Warrior for God
On the run
Mon 6 Sep 2021
at 16:46
  • msg #502

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

"Thanks for the opportunity to talk to them," says Frank. "Hearing their stories helped me form a better picture."

He's visibly more relaxed than he has been in conversations with Toby, but it's not clear whether that's genuine or he's affecting it for Bacco/Terrel's benefit.

"It's clear we're on a clock here," he says, walking towards Bacco/Terrel and then with him towards the helicopter, gesturing for Toby to follow.

"I'm willing to call it water under the bridge, but I need your word that you'll pull any levers you have to keep my family safe!"

He starts to shout as the sound of rotors starts to drown his words.
Tobias Byrne
player, 577 posts
There is brilliant,
and then there's me.
Sun 19 Sep 2021
at 21:34
  • msg #503

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

Toby follows after Frank, nodding silently and stepping into the helicopter. "And you need to promise not to shoot at us again! It's not very nice!"
Facilitator
GM, 737 posts
Master of the Universe
Creator of Worlds
Wed 13 Oct 2021
at 01:02
  • msg #504

Re: Chapter 3: Origins

I'll do all that and more he promises, as he buckles into the bench seat across from Tobias and Toby. By now the rotors are loud enough that he puts on headphones to be able to communicate. He gives some instructions to the pilot and the helicopter lifts off.

Once in the air, he says, I do apologize, however I'll need you to trust me just one last time...

The helicopter tilts, speeding over the island.



From below, a group of tourists rests on the hill where Frank was playing amateur birdwatcher just a few hours before. The tourists become a different sort of birdwatcher as they watch the sleek, expensive helicopter take off from what they see as a military hospital and zoom across the island. Quickly, it's apparent that something isn't right. The top rotor starts trailing smoke and the chopper wobbles on its course. The smoke turns into licking flames as more onlookers gather to watch.

The helicopter keeps wobbling, and doesn't make any apparent moves to change course. It makes it to the other side of the island and is out over water again when it is engulfed in a huge explosion, sending debris plummeting into the water. The onlookers scream, and a few start running to contact emergency services.

To be continued...
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