(OOC: Once you've wrapped up your main and side thread stories. Feel free to hop into this thread.)

 

--- Trouble in Berlin ---
Nov.10th, 5:36PM

 As the afternoon wears on. The bustling city of Berlin has begun to settle down slightly as nightfall approaches. Businessmen and women have filled the streets with their comings and goings. The smell of woodfire smoke permeates the darkening winter skies.

 The train station is similarly filled with activity as workers move cargo to and from the train. Oil lamps are lit by uniformed lamplighters as they make their way through the city streets. The station's platforms are filled with people saying goodbyes to loved ones and mounds of baggage have porters busy filling the storage compartments. Near the front of the train, the Conductor and the train security escort the assassin and Marconi's effects into police custody. Along with his report.

 Meanwhile, two blocks away, the streets are similarly filled with people. The wide intersection is a crazy mess of traffic. A combination of horses and carts and simple motorcars are pushing through at a dizzying pace. Two traffic police are directing the craziness.

 Suddenly from one side of the road, a man tromps into the road holding his head. He appears to be in the grips of an excruciating headache, and his breathing is hoarse and fast. He squeezes his eyes together tightly as he aimlessly sways disoriented, wandering into the traffic lanes. Horns and loud bells (and the people controlling them) scream at him to get out of the way. The traffic director blows a whistle as he closes on the man. The man falls to his knees in agony. Finally unable to take it, he shouts into the sky, and to his surprise, is accompanied by a deafening sonic boom that could be heard across the city most likely.

(B-BOOOOOOMMMMM!)

 Nearby people are knocked down, one car is overturned and a horse is plain knocked out by the shockwave. Hundreds of people begin to turn and run in the opposite direction. Almost all glass items shatter apart with in a one block radius.

(OOC: The characters back at the train(or station) definitely know what's up. Those elsewhere on threads are taking place prior to this, so do not cut short your conversations, please. Take care of what you want to first.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:56, Tue 30 Mar 2021.

S had only just arrived back at the train station when the boom occurred. To her this was sheer agony, causing her to drop to her knees, hands aside her head to cover her ears but to no avail. Her senses are scrambled and her nose bleeds. Her brain hurts, her literal brain feels like someone has set it aflame.

Having decided he could go for something local, like some schnitzel, he directs the hackney carriage driver towards the train station in the hopes of finding somewhere close to there to eat.
As they get close to the rail station, James is looking out the windows to find a restaurant, when he sees the strange spectacle of a man staggering into the street.  Thinking the man may be drunk, he does not really pay much attention.  And then the worlds gets blown sideways....
An incredibly loud sound slams into the carriage, James covering his ears just as things go topsy-turvy violently.  When he is no longer being thrown around the inside of the carriage, he finds himself sprawled across the roof with the supports collapsed and the carriage upside-down over him.
He surveys himself, finding that he seems to have all the limbs and digits he had when he first hailed the cab.  Slickness on his face and the side of his head indicate that he seems to be bleeding from his ears and his nose, which is quickly verified by manual inspection.  He pulls himself towards the half-opening where a door had once been, and crawls out.  Standing up, dizziness washes over him, and he feels nauseated, indicating a probable concussion.  Once he clears his head a bit, he surveys the scene around him.
His taxi driver is trapped, unmoving, under the back of his seat at the front of the overturned hackney, blood pooling around his head and abdomen indicating there is no need for a doctor.  The mare pulling it was collapsed on her side, ten feet away, the shafts of both traces broken away from the carriage, breathing, but apparently unconscious.  Around him, he sees much the same destruction, people staggering to their feet, or lying either dead or unconscious on the street.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:10, Tue 30 Mar 2021.

 Ms.Sanderson's pain is palpable to any who can see her. The train station is a flood of people staring towards the downtown area, silence fills the space. The sound of the cracking cobblestone road echoes through the streets, bringing somewhat more pain to her ears with their sharp sound. However, the area is awash in yelling and screaming, not enough to cause more pain but definitely confusing the image she was being presented with two blocks away. She absolutely knows where the sound came from though it's centered near an intersection with a crazy amount of growing activity. A kindly young man of perhaps sixteen appears at her side and begins to help her to her feet. "Geht es Ihnen gut, Ma'am?"

 Phoenix, slowly recovering from the shockwave can see a man a quarter block up the road, devastation surrounding him. Phoenix sees glowing cracks spreading through the cobblestone road and sharp cracking sounds from where the man was kneeling. His eyes open and they glow bright blue in the growing gloom, just like the glowing cracks spiderwebbing out around him. Phoenix can see the man but feels the wind whipping at his clothing as if the man were the center of a tornado.

 In the next moment, the man stands up, eyes glowing but he's got a terribly frightened look on his mid-twenties face. He's got the look of a man who just realized he killed people by accident. His clothes look tattered and ruined by the force of his blast. Hand-crank sirens can be heard within a few kilometers, probably headed this way. The man looks completely shaken and begins to run through the intersection away from the sirens.

 Above, a blimp begins to descend and cast its shadow across the street.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:30, Fri 02 Apr 2021.

Phoenix, without thinking, and without regard to how soon the train would be leaving, takes off after the man.  If he can get close enough, and in an area that is more secluded from prying eyes, he will call out in some of the limited German he knows, Warten (Wait)!  Halt!  Warten!  Sprechen Sie Englisch (Do you speak English)?

Nic blinked several times in a row and shook his head a bit, coming out of his reverie. He looked around confusedly for a moment, and then frowned as he stood up. He exited the train and noted the direction in which people seemed to be looking. Unlike what most people's first instinct might be to do, he turned and headed that way, towards where the sound had come from.

"I'll say one thing 'bout this group....it's almost never dull."

 Unfortunately, there isn't much for cover, the street is the main thoroughfare and though wide and building fronts massive and stone, are not particularly sheltering here. Phoenix calls out anyway.

 When the man turns at James' voice, he can see the man's facial skin has begun to crack and glow with blue light, and similar to the ground where he manifested, glowing spiderwebbing cracks crisis cross his exposed hands and through his tattered clothing. The force of wind seems to pick up when he sees Phoenix. People begin to move back away from the man as he calls back to Phoenix, his voice changing to become unnaturally deep. "Du kannst mir nicht helfen, ich bin verflucht worden, ich bin in einem Albtraum!"
OOC: "Stay back, I'm cursed, I'm in a nightmare!"

 Nearby, opposite Phoenix's side of the intersection to the west, the blimp slides between the tall buildings as it descends, finally coming to rest a few meters above the streets in the direction the man seemed to be moving. The door on the side rises up on pneumatic pistons and four men in black drop out of the cabin to the streets. They have forest green uniforms and masks that look a bit like gas masks. One of them has a pair of sidearms which he draws, pistole parabellum, commonly known as a Luger, these seemed customized with brass trim and ivory grips that catch the lamplight. Another man seemed to be built of a mass of muscle, his bulky frame stands a head and shoulders above the others. The third man did not seem to be particularly big or armed. The fourth was the build of a woman of uncommon grace and agility it appeared. The blimp begins to rise again as soon as they drop out.

 The man in the street's pace falters as he sees the force opposing him as they spread across the street. Allowing the fleeing people between them as they begin to advance on the man.

 Nic comes upon the scene as the scene plays out and sees Phoenix climb from the wreckage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:02, Sat 10 Apr 2021.

Nic spotted Phoenix and was about to shout something out when things got even weirder. the man shouted something in what Nic assumed was German, but didn't understand. He waved his arms at the people, "Get out of here! Run! Go!" He hoped some might understand his gestures for them to leave the area if not the English words.

However, he heard something above them, and started to look up just in time for some new arrivals to drop in, literally. His eyes narrowed. A...blimp. Could these people be the ones using Helen? It would be a weird coincidence if not - or there were a lot more of those things than Nic realized.

He took a chance, getting ready to fire a laser if they came after him as well. "Hey! Who are you?"

He tried to reach out to Helen, ~~Helen, by chance, did your ride just stop moving?~~
This message was last edited by the player at 06:24, Sun 11 Apr 2021.

 Nic can feel the gesture of affirmation as she spoke, ~~Nic, yes! You're so close, aren't you!?~~~

 Nicholas can see the people beginning to come to their senses and flee in proper panic. One of the newly arrived men in black and green on the other side of the intersection calls to the man in German as well. The four spread out across the street in a line and begin moving forward towards the man. "Bitte beruhigen Sie sich, finden Sie einen Weg, sich unter Kontrolle zu bringen, oder wir werden gezwungen sein, Sie Gott zu übergeben. Wir können Ihnen Sicherheit bieten, wenn Sie mit uns kommen. Du bist wie wir..."

OOC Translation: Please calm yourself, find a way to bring yourself under control or we'll be forced to deliver you to god. We can offer you safety and security if you come with us. You are like us...

 The man begins to turn back towards Phoenix and then heads left through the wide intersection, fear and a sheen of sweat clearly apparent on the man's agonized face. This happens to be away from Luminary, whom the man has not really noticed yet.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:29, Mon 12 Apr 2021.

S could stay conscious no longer, she fell out from pain. Her ears and nose are bleeding.

I am back but this seems right. I think S would be rendered unable to continue from combination of the sound and the concussion.

Hearing the words of the Berliner, Phoenix tries to reason them into a rough translation.  But he comes up with nothing from it, other than the words "Ich bin," words he had learned from a lovely German immigrant who had been in life-threatening trouble, "I am."
Seeing the dark-attired, military-looking personnel disembarking from the dirigible, he looks at the fires that have been started by the running man.  With a wave of his hand, he causes them to create a wall, a barrier of flames between himself and the man, and those now pursuing him.  He then turns to follow the man again.
Upon seeing Nic, he pauses to speak.  Try to delay them a few minutes, then get back to the train.  I will catch up.


16:42, Today: Phoenix rolled 64 using 1d100.  Fire control Rm28.  Create wall of fire.

16:36, Today: Phoenix rolled 9 using 1d100.  Gd08 Reason, translate German to English

Nic sent to Helen, ~~Right below you almost I think. Hang on.~~ Right after he 'sent' that, he realized she might take the 'Hang on' differently than he meant it. He meant, he was going to stop talking to her for a moment.

He stepped forward, more towards the intersection, and fired a laser 'across the bow' as it were in front of the strangers, definitely not trying to hit anyone but get their attention. Then he pointed a finger at the blimp above. "Stop or we'll see what happens when I literally light up your ship!"

Update!

 Phoenix flashes a wall of flame from him out and it hangs between the newcomers and their target. The man seems confused and a bit surprised as powers begin to appear. He's afraid of what it all means and he's trying to put distance between himself and everyone else. Within a short stretch of road Phoenix has caught up to the man, barely winded.

 The four militant types each begin to follow and are shortly cut-off by Luminary's blast of the white-hot laser. He waves the beam across the road in front of them, essentially creating a line in the sand. They abruptly recalculate and begin moving on Nic. The slimmer man suddenly blasts into the sky, a rocket on his back. The second bulkier soldier appears to begin growing as he stomps towards Nic. The remaining man and woman continue behind the first and the man says in a clear German voice, "Sie tun gut daran, aufzuhören, während Sie einen jungen Mann zur Auswahl haben. Wir sind nicht für Sie da, aber wir nehmen Sie auch mit, wenn Sie nicht aufhören."

(OOC Translation: "You would do well to stop while you have a choice young man. We are not here for you, but we will take you with us as well if you do not stop.")

As he moves towards the frightened man, he tries to remember a bit more if the German he had learned during that case.  The woman had been grabbed off the boat, forced into prostitution like a number of other immigrant women who could barely speak English, if at all.  In the end, they were freed, the perp was punished, and Helga had tried to show her gratitude in the only way she felt she knew how; as tempted as he had been, he had refused, trying to explain that it would be wrong of him to take advantage.  Last he had heard, she was married to a factory worker with a child on the way.
The only thing ge can remember from what he had learned from her and the translator were two phrases he had used the most.  Luckily, they are probably the most appropriate to the situation.
Ich bin ein Freund. Ich kann Ihnen helfen.  I am a friend.  I can help.
He says this to the man, fire flickering across his skin.  He then adds, in an excellent imitation of the man's own dialect and style of speaking, his very own words, though he does not know what they mean.  Ich bin verflucht worden, ich bin in einem Albtraum, he says hoping to let him know that he knows how he feels and has been as scared as he is right now.
While his wall of flames is up, obscuring them from the view of the soldiers, he waves at the man to follow him as he turns to start heading back to the US Embassy.

Nic tilted his head at the....people...eyes widening a bit at the sight of what some of them could do. But he was starting to get a bit more used to 'unusual' things being seen. Not to the point where it wasn't surprising yet or anything, though.

Speaking loudly and slowly - playing to the American stereotype - he called out, "Sorry, what? I don't speak German!"

But he made no move to get away for the moment, despite the odds being against him and Phoenix leaving him there alone.

 The man stops and stares at Phoenix, understanding seeming to percolate in his mind. His eyes widen when he repeats his own words. He scrunched his face and tears seemed to be streaming now, he is trying his utter best, "H-elp?"

 James then sees two figures above his wall heading towards Nic, one seeming to grow and the other flying by rocket pack. It's a sight to see in the failing evening light.

 The Rocket-flyer gets to Nic first. As he descends behind you somewhat. His goggles were quite dark and at this distance, you are sure this was the man you saw take off from the train earlier this morning. His lips curl into a snarl, but he stays quiet and nods to the big one. The big one is still getting bigger, he's now twenty feet tall with a four-foot shoulder span and he looks down across the street scenes and yells down in a booming strong English accent, "he said. ya betta' stop it or we'll knick ya, see?"

Nic looked at the wall of flame and then back at the other people. Specifically, he regarded the very large and still-growing man. "My, my, you are big. Thank you for the translation, I think." Knick? He wasn't sure of that one but assumed it was no good for him.

He looked at the rocket-pack man. "You...I saw you fleeing the train after your...failure."

He frowned and then took a few steps back as if to get out of their respective way. He did ask, "I could let you go by unmolested...but first I have to ask....why are you spying on me and my allies?"

Phoenix shakes his head in the affirmative.  Ja, he says.  He spots what is going on past his wall of fire, the growing Englishman's increase in size.  Not good.  He concentrates on the wall, altering so that it moves between Nic and the black-clad Exceptionals.
He then turns back to the man with the explosive powers.    Come with me.  He waves a hand to indicate the German man should follow him, as he turns to duck through alleys to find their way to the US EmbassyA.

(OOC: Phoenix, give me a roll on percentile. I'm giving it a 40% chance the two of you lose them in the alleyways. They don't have any great trackers, but there aren't many ways to lose them you can find. Roll under 41.)

 The broken man seems to move with Phoenix like a lifeline and stays close looking over his tattered shoulder. James quickly finds an alleyway.

 Nic was becoming acutely aware that if they decided he was in their way anyway, he could get squashed or worse, swept up by this guy's massive hands. Though the rocket guy leans in and snarls in bad English with an Italian accent, "we are gonna keep you from getting to de Event zone. You canna handle de things you see. People go mad. Turn back for yer own good," and he takes off abruptly.

  The wall of flame at that moment sweeps in front of the big guy as Phoenix adjusted its course. He utters a muffled scream as he stumbles backward in pain. It seems to quickly turn to anger however and he begins to grow again. His feet begin to buckle the roadway with his growing weight as he reaches 30 feet in height. He turns and begins searching for the source of the flame wall...

 Meanwhile, the two other wolves were already moving in on the pair. The man who seemed to be in command and the female agent. She grabs the man's hand and pulls him up and over the firewall with what appeared to be a single hop. They followed towards the alleyway calling out, "Du kannst dich nicht verstecken. Komm raus, dir wird kein Schaden zugefügt."

(OOC Translation: "You cannot hide. Come out, no harm will come to you.")
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:16, Wed 21 Apr 2021.

Phoenix makes sure to lead the man under awnings, into open doors, where ever they could slip to avoid being seen from the ground or from the air.


21:41, Today: Phoenix rolled 38 using 1d100.  Did we lose them rill @ 40%.

Nic gave a slow nod as the people ignored him and dealt with the....moving...wall of fire? Must be Phoenix, he thought to himself. But he couldn't just leave Phoenix to face them all alone, despite the reverse having happened. But it was more of the guy running from them. And for Helen.

And cause that guy was kind of rude.

He pointed a finger, closed one eye, and fired a laser at the backpack thing that the one bad guy was using to fly with, hoping for some explosive results. Regardless, he could expect unfriendly company his way after that, so he started moving back away from them. He'd at least bought Phoenix a bit of time if nothing else.

14:13, Today: Luminary rolled 69 using 1d100.  Laser TAG! Jetpack pieces for everyone (spending 40 Karma).
This message was last edited by the player at 20:26, Thu 22 Apr 2021.

 Phoenix spies a partially open manhole off the alleyway and decides to make a go for it. The glowing man follows only paces behind, after you both enter the man flicks a hand at the cover and it slides into place with a grating sound. He turns back still covered in sweat and nods with a meager smile for you to lead on. Panic was still evident around the edges of his face but it didn't seem to have the same maddened look on his face. The way ahead was not pleasant but it took them outside James' likeliest estimate of the search radius of these Exceptionals. They were most dangerous because of their coordination it seemed so far...Phoenix and the man don't bother to find out if their pursuers notice the manhole or stop to investigate. However, neither of you seems to hear any sound from behind you.

 ...Meanwhile, Luminary saw a truly crazy sight which might've caused him a little bit of joy as well. He fires off a laser beam at the flyer's jetpack and with bullseye accuracy hits a fuel tank on the pack, cuts into it like softened butter. The pack bursts into flames as the flyer spirals out of control. He enters an uncontrolled ascent and then a huge pop sound reminiscent of big fireworks as the engine blows. His trajectory would land him up on the top of one of the buildings on the downward arc of his depowered descent.

 The giant spins after breaking the fire barrier and marching through. He hears the flyer's cry and tries to catch him, but completely misses, just a little too slow. Fury etches itself across his features suddenly as he traces the attack back to you. One ton of fist slowly begins its journey towards you, charging at you like a freight train picking up speed. His whole body seems to be leaning into the attack, and his massive foot braces against the foyer of a department store to push off of.

 A woman screams somewhere up the street from the giant and from the direction Phoenix and the man had disappeared into, it's a scream of rage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:36, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

Once they get out of what he expects to be the extent of the search area, he finds a ladder and climbs up to the nearest manhole, waving his good hand to suggest the German exceptional follow him.
Once they are clear of the sewers, he gives the man the address of the US embassy.  Hopefully, he can find their way there faster than Phoenix would be able to without flying.  An extraordinarily bad idea, it would draw unwanted attention should they be spotted.  Which, they most assuredly would.

"Bullseye!" Nic's momentary joy at his good aim and the spectacular results from the laser he fired off were short-lived and quickly replaced with healthy panic as the giant-sized man turned his attention towards Nic. He muttered to himself, "Dagnammit."

Nic returned back to the 'roots' of his power - He held up a hand and a flash of white blinding light flared outwards. He then began quickly moving away from the man and the fire wall, trying to weave out of the way of where the fist had been heading from the hopefully-though-temporarily blinded foe.

OOC: 2 69 rolls in a row? Is something fishy going on with the roller? So 99 if I needed to roll. If not, I'll take the Karma back, lol.

Blinding flash then movement to get away from where he had been.

16:25, Today: Luminary rolled 69 using 1d100.  Roll for Light Emission power if needed (+30 karma).

 The giant reels back in pain and confusion as he's blinded, further adding fire to his rage. The giant plants his fist into the ground sending cobblestone across the roadway and although Nic is far enough away from him to avoid the hit, he stumbles on his feet as a rippling shockwave from the strike sends him tumbling.
OOC: Nic roll agility to recover next round + whatever you wanted to do next.

 Meanwhile, the man nods and takes the address, and begins heading that way, calmer now and he'd ceased his glowing. He now looked worn out and beaten but not out from the looks of the glint in his eyes. Phoenix takes it as a sign of his heartiness and continues back towards the conflict where he'd left Nic.

 On the streets, it only takes him a short time to get back to the throwdown, but he's surprised when he gets close. A stout man steps out in front of him. It was the german who'd called out the warnings. Phoenix noted a light footstep behind him as well. A female voice behind him speaks with a Russian accent, "We are well aware of you and your mission. It is best if you get on your train now to avoid any bloodshed."

After writing the address, Phoenix made sure to write a quick note to The Bureau Liaison to let him know this man needs help and why.  He watches as he heads off, hoping he makes it.  Perhaps they will run into each other again one day.
As the man steps out in front of him, he lets his control slip at the surprise, his body temperature starting to rise.  When the woman comes up behind him and speaks, he smiles at the man.  The last time my blood was shed, it burned through the deck of a ship.  Fortunately for you, that's where I am headed.  Infortunately for you, I am a hot-headed fellow who does not take kindly to being threatened.
As he turns to look at the Russian woman, while postioning himself so he can see both of them, flames flicker across his face.  I recommend you call off your... hulking attack dog over there before any more civilians get hurt.  Maybe he would better served helping to get up the rubble now, and freeing trapped people.

20:45, Today: Phoenix rolled 64 using 1d100.  Gd08 Reason +1 CS Espionage, recognize agency Ex16.  Green FEAT.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:46, Wed 28 Apr 2021.

Nic let out what was an extremely manly noise, a quiet yelp almost, as debris flew towards him and made things more difficult for walking. He stumbled several steps as he tried to desperately keep his footing. He looked back towards the very large man with a frown.

He called out, "Stand down and shrink, or I shoot down your blimp." He then immediately moved some more just in case the giant was still not seeing well so he wouldn't be in the same place.

12:22, Today: Luminary rolled 67 using 1d100.  Agility check.

 James saw that both of them wore gas masks with a side filter for better filtration. So when they spoke there was a bit of muffle and hollowness to her words, even more than the content of them, "He'll calm down soon. You're mission, I'll tell you what's there, so you can go home soldier. Insanity is what you'll find there. Something from another world exploded in Tunguska and it is shredding reality. Worlds melding together. What did you call it Doctor Zola, portals, yes?"

 The man nodded, "Portals, ja. Exposing za vurld to dimensional energies. Changing us," he pauses to watch the flames across James in fascination, "even more."

 As they talked, Phoenix observed their uniforms were swiss style with layered protection, however, there were no nationalities on the green uniforms he could see nor insignia with rank, rather there was a half-circle with several wavy lines emanating from the shape like a sunset. Each was a patch that was on the shoulder of the uniform. Otherwise, each uniform seemed unique so far, modifications on each according to their preferred mode of attack or status? It was unclear, but all four seemed different, James remembers from a few moments before.

----------

 Nic saw people in the rubble here and there, mostly from the initial outburst but some from this maniac. You are beginning to doubt his ability to calm down and be rational because he roars back at you with animalist frustration as he wipes at his eyes like a toddler to "get the blindness out". Nevertheless, you've bought yourself a few moments to formulate a plan. He snarls back, "You dun wanna do that dat laddie, we got ya girl onboard that thing. You gonna kill her in cold blood?"

 Just then he looks down squinting, as red and black manacles manifest around his ankles, forming into crystalline cuffs, chained together. The giant continues to grow and howl in pain or rage, you can't be sure.

OOC: You've rolled with the rippling, so you easily keep moving.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:24, Fri 30 Apr 2021.

Nic raised one eyebrow though it was force of habit rather than for the giant to see. "MY girl? You mean the girl you've kidnapped and forced to SPY on me?" He shook his head. "You obviously couldn't care less, you chicken-hearted ruffian!"

He frowned as something seemed to be happening to the enlarged man. ~~Helen? Are you...chained or tied up? Or locked in a room?~~ He paused. ~~Are you in a secure room if the blimp were to crash - would you be safe?~~

He aimed at the giant with a finger, ready to send a laser at the man's head should he make a hostile move towards Nic or any innocents.

OOC: Readying to fire a laser if needs be, but talking that much is likely my action for the round.

Zola?  That name sounds familiar, Phoenix muses as he stares at the German-accented man.  He then looks over at the giant and Nic.  Since we both have our missions to complete, neither of us really has the time to stand around just flapping our gums.  Besides, it seems your... rage monster may need a bit of assiatance.
He steps away from the duo and begins heading for the train.  We need to get back, he callsto Nic, even as he spots Rose Blankenship and Davin Mandic.  He waves a hand, as he begins walking towards the train once again.

Davin slows and before she vanishes reaches out to make a connection to Rose before she disappears. He starts to circle around the enraged and apparently still growing giant. His hands glowing darkly Davin adjusts the size of the manacles around the giant as it grows or shrinks.

 UPDATE!

 Nic's thoughts were received and he quickly gets a hurried reply, ~~I...I don't know. I haven't left this room, I only saw a hall outside. They've got me manacled to the wall...So I guess I'm kinda secure...~~

 Phoenix turns to leave and heads for Nic, but things are not so simple and cut dry. The giant is not stopping despite being chained in the legs. He's still moving but slower using an arm to grab the roadway and pull himself along, tearing up the street more in the process. He's crawling towards Nicholas, whose readying up a shot at the giant's face. He doesn't seem to care about Nic's threats though. Veins are popping out on his face and all across his arms like his blood pressure is about to go, but nevertheless, he's wearing a menacing and vicious grin. His next swing will take him to Nic.

 Dr.Zola and the woman seem to disappear behind Phoenix as can-shaped objects fly forward past Phoenix and jets of pressurized gases begin to shoot out of them. Phoenix coughs and tastes something bitter in the gas. All around the streets, barrels begin to fall as well from the zeppelin above, streaming gas as well. Within a few short beats, the misty gas is flowing across the downtown area.

OOC: Staying in the area will require an Endurance feat each round...
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:38, Mon 03 May 2021.

As the gas begins to fill the air, Phoenix coughs, but seems to be able to withstand whatever the substance is.  For now.  He turns towards one of the canisters,  shooting out a jet of flame at it to see if he can possibly burn off the gas.


20:13, Today: Phoenix rolled 55 using 1d100.  Rm36 Agility to hit canister for In43 damage.  Green result.

20:09, Today: Phoenix rolled 38 using 1d100.  In36 Endurance feat.
A Green result.

Davin huffs slightly - more in annoyance at Ms. Blankenship then anything else really, before he strides forward. The misty gas retreats before him as he strides forward. He tilts his head back to stare at the dirigible then the combatants. This was beyond the pale. A storm? Yes. The land itself rising up to fight you? Acceptable. Caustic gas though? No. That would not stand! Obviously, these whoever there were needed a sharp lesson in how to conduct a war.

Walking quickly towards Phoenix Davin gestured and let his energy begin to more fully engulf the giant. The energy crept up his waist and chest to begin to cover him in a cocoon of red-black energy.

Nic began backpedaling and then moving quickly away from the giant despite his previous threats. He didn't really want to laser some random British stranger with a temper in the head. That would be...rude. More rude than the giant was being - and Nic wasn't sure the giant could control himself fully.

Plus - there was gas suddenly! That seemed like a bad area to stay around in. So he called out to Phoenix, "Can I get a lift?" He gestured towards the blimp.

OOC: Moving and talking, hoping for a ride, though not sure Phoenix can take others with him when he flies, heh. Nic needs to learn how to fly! lol
This message was last edited by the player at 03:46, Tue 04 May 2021.

UPDATE!

 Phoenix finds that his fire does ignite the gas, but rather than simply burn out, it turns the color of your flame blue and flares like it has extra flammable pockets or perhaps the chlorine elements that are used in pyrotechnics displays. The Giant is now completely enraged, and coughing, nearly having a fit. James himself seems to be dealing with the smothering gases so far, breathing only when absolutely necessary. At the edges of his awareness though he though he could tell something was tingling at the skin near his cuffs and gloved single hand. Perhaps something of this gas was beginning to get into his clothes. Examination of his skin reveals nothing at this point.

 Nic had to cover his mouth to prevent as much from getting into his eyes and mouth and even though they begin to water immediately. Davin feels pretty much perfectly, as the cloud of noxious fumes seems to part before him. For him, it's still a perfect winter day.

 Davin's black and red energy manacles begin to creep up his body to hold him fast, his arms waving now in panic. Davin lets him enough room to breathe sensibly however that was what was troubling the giant at this point.

 The giant continues to struggle for air and then collapses into the thickening layer of foggy gas. Succumbing rather suddenly with a loud thump, and his arms slide out from under him, tossing many more chunks of cobblestone around. His form begins to shrink slowly. His skin seems to be changing however into another color rather than his old human face, it was becoming paler and dryer. In a few words, deformed and monstrous. Strange protuberances emerging from his joints and then you soon realize it's something like bony spikes. He wasn't moving but continued to slowly shrink as if the power was wearing off.

Davin continues towards Phoenix and Nic as his cocooning of the now fallen giant slows and stops once he is fairly secured. With a drawing gesture he begins to drag the body towards him. "Gentlemen!" He gives them both a calm nod glancing around thoughtfully as he continues to come closer to the both of them. "It seems I can not leave you alone for more then a moment." Davin frowns at the secured giant and his changes and then the mist. "I wonder if this is what is inside the canisters from the train."

Covering himself in flames, he moves towards Nic.  I'm not really good at flying with passengers, but we might be able to find a solution to that.  Stick close, but not too close.  My flames are pulling in oxygen, but also that gas to burn, too.
He starts heading back for the train, holding up a hand and waving it to indicate for Davin and Rose to hurry up.  When he sees the kid, he puts up a wall of bluish flames between him and the gas, hoping to discourage him and burn if the gas before it can expand any closer to them.  When the flames don't do what he wants them to do, he tries to reign them in unsuccessfully, causing him to yell at the kid, HALT!

Chlorine actually burns green.  Copper burns blue.  Thought you might want to know... LOL

20:17, Today: Phoenix rolled 25 using 1d100.  Reign it in, correct it.

20:17, Today: Phoenix rolled 2 using 1d100.  Rm Fire Control.

Nic had asked Phoenix for a lift but the....gas?....or whatever the substance was made staying in one place too difficult. And he wasn't sure if he could move far enough to get out of it by running. He coughed as he tried to cover his mouth and not breathe, eyes watering.

Phoenix replied but Nic barely heard the words, washing over him without grasping them. He needed to get out of there. He needed to get to the airship. And as if the subconscious desire was given form without conscious thought, his forehead began to pulse slightly and light began to form under his feet.

He quickly without really thinking about it, began to almost 'skate' up in to the air and towards the airship, what looked almost like "bubbles" of solidified light helping him rise above the ground and the gas.

22:30, Today: Luminary rolled 55 using 1d100.  Power Stunt (50 Karma for attempt, +40 Karma to boost the roll).

23:33, Today: Luminary rolled 87 using 1d100.  Endurance check (not sure it's needed since he's leaving the area).

 UPDATE!

 The gas comes in much too quickly to organize a speedy retreat. The last barrels fall from the cargo door of the blimp above. One lands close to Davin as the bubble environment surrounding him contains the chemicals and even seem to be preventing them from erupting from it. Holding the pressures steady against the flow and broken barrel. As soon as he moved away however it would erupt, he realized.

 Phoenix watches Nic as he tries to step in towards him but the gas had repulsed Nic and then he almost appears to climb over the misty fog of gases, as if finding invisible purchase and orbs of light appeared that gave him stability like he was on skates, yet like skates, he was working for balance, but it seemed to come naturally to Nicholas. To James' knowledge Nic had never exhibited this kind of power before, so it's totally shocking and the bright orbs of light leave tracers in their wake and stars in one's eyes.

 Nic had breathed in some of the gas but he seemed to be handling it pretty well. It smelled noxious and the burnt stuff even worse. Of course, now he had the skies to worry about as he was rapidly leaving the ground, and every few moments the lights beneath his flickered. In truth, he wasn't certain how long he could do this. Up above, the Zepplin craft seemed to grow in size as he approached, and he could see the open cargo door, where the barrels might've been located a few moments prior. On either side propellers lazily thwooped rhythmically and continued to carry the thing forward.

OOC: Power stunt Red Success! Well done! "Up-up, and away achievement" unlocked! Please roll an agility check, green is all that's needed to maintain normal flying.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:49, Sat 08 May 2021.

Phoenix watches as Luminary basically walks, or skates, on platforms of light towards the dirigible.  I was going to suggest he shoot it down, but that may work as well.
Rising up off the ground, he turns to destroying canisters, starting with the one nearest his position.  Unfortunately, he seems to be having trouble seeing through the strange fog.

16:39, Today: Phoenix rolled 6 using 1d100.  And again.

16:39, Today: Phoenix rolled 31 using 1d100.  Try again.

16:39, Today: Phoenix rolled 20 using 1d100.  Rm Agility, In43 fire damage.

Davin pauses where he is and finishes dragging the shrunken giant to him so that the body is resting within the half shell of clean air around him. Glancing through the mist he spots the flying Phoenix and waves, "You!" Davin grimaces slightly as he doesn't remember the man properly introducing himself then glances around the situation and sighs. He was perhaps overly trained in such matters. "Agent! I have a canister here, do you wish to keep it intact or come over here and destroy it for me?"

Nic was surprised when he tried to fly...and it...worked, sort of. He was less flying -at least like he'd seen the rocketman do - and more skating uphill. It was very odd. He hadn't really known if it would work. But since he'd already been able once before to make light solid, he thought it might work. Or hoped it would.

And it did! He headed up towards the blimp above. He had to try and get to Helen, had to try and free her. He couldn't leave her there, imprisoned, being used. It wasn't right. He hoped Phoenix would back him up but he didn't dare look back down to check on anything - he was afraid if he looked down he'd fall!

He headed towards the open cargo bay door, right hand ready to blast or blind if he saw an enemy or multiple enemies.

22:57, Today: Luminary rolled 60 using 1d100.  Agility check for flying.

 Update!

 Davin watches the Luminary take to the sky and Phoenix blasting at barrels blindly, it appeared as though the mist might've been getting to him. They must not have heard him. It appears he'll have to make the decision himself or link up with the Agent. He's carefully secured the former giant and now currently being allowed to breathe. At a glance, it appears that he's alive but probably not for long if left unattended. Something might be blocking his airway or some kind of complication with the uncontrolled mutation that's been inflicted on him. Though he could definitely help with that blimp too if only he could get up there.

 Meanwhile, Phoenix watches Nic take to the skies, but he's more concerned about the falling barrels and what harm they could do. He misses as he coughs even through the considerable smoke and fog. There were other options though, and he quickly realizes that Davin was just down the way from him, having apprehended the former giant and containing one of those barrels, mid-burst.

 Nic could see into the cargo hold of the craft and within two men dressed in similar garb to the others, though they appeared normal to his eyes, not powered. The cargo area was otherwise empty for some crates and what appears to be metal parts. The men see him rising toward the craft and one of the men flips a red switch on the wall while the other rushes a crank to draw the door closed. Nic had only a few moments to slip in without damaging the craft. From the sliver he can hear, ~~Something is happening, we seem to be moving faster now and there is activity like somebody smashed The bee's nest. Sounds like soldiers Nic.~~

Seeing Mandic's issue with the bursting canister, Phoenix turns to fire a bolt of flame at it.  Let it go!  I got it, he yells.  The bolt is a direct hit.
He turns back to the closer one, but can not seem to hit it, strangely enough.

20:19, Today: Phoenix rolled 16 using 1d100.  Rm Agility attack with In43 fire damage.  Closer canister.

20:19, Today: Phoenix rolled 88 using 1d100.  Rm Agility attack with In43 fire damage.  Mandic's canister.

Davin steps quickly away from the barrel letting it burst into flame outside of his aura of free air. Davin sighs as the giant edges closer to death. One of the things he had neglected to acquire was anything more then the most basic of medical training. Hurrying towards Phoenix he doesn't stop until he is within ten feet of the man - which is the radius of the bubble of clean air around him. "I have no idea what is wrong with this gentleman and no idea how to fix it. If you have an idea please share it." The body wrap of the giant rearranged itself into a bier that left his body mostly above the gas. "It also seems like your friend might blow up the dirigible and possibly cause pieces of it to rain down on Berlin. So, I am about to go and join him. Unless, you have a better plan you are welcome to come along."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Tue 11 May 2021.

I need to stay here to burn off as much if this gas as possible, he says in a voice that sounds almost like he is speaking through a fan.  He points to the alley way he had exitted.  I spoke with a scientist named Zemo over there, who was one of the people from the dirigible.  He and his agency are attempting to use the gas to alter people.
He nods at the blimp.  If I were to burn that dirigible and everyone of those bastards aboard, especially that Dr Zemo, I would still sleep well at night.  But, he's not a soldier and I don't think he will sleep well at all.  So, make sure he doesn't.  Leave the rage monster here, and I will look after him.

Nic saw what was happening, what was coming. He didn't want to just destroy the blimp, tempting though it might be, but he couldn't just let them get away either. Not with Helen still on board. Not with how reckless and careless the powered beings seemed to be.

He pushed for all he was worth, even while still trying to figure out his new ability, trying to get inside before the cargo hold got closed up.

~~It's cause they see me coming for you! I can't make a guarantee, but I'm trying to make it to you!~~

Davin grunted then taking a deep breath he flung out his arms and let his breath out in a long exhalation. The same aura of energy seemed flicker and flow over him. A Great Eagle-Owl should be enough he thought as the energy built up and his bones begin to liquefy.

OOC:   Davin Mandic rolled 34. Turning into a Eagle-Owl to catch up the the high stepping Nic.

 ~~Oh, god, please. Get me outta here...~~ Helen intones to herself even more than Nic.

 Phoenix washes the area in flame trying to hit the barrels and finds the one near Davin to be the bullseye, Davin steps away perfectly timed to work with Phoenix's firebolt. Davin quickly shapes the encasement of the former giant into a pillar that rose from the gases and into the skies, bearing the former giant and possibly dying one into fresher air above the slightly heavier gas cloud as a last recourse.

 Davin looks skyward to see Nic approaching the cargo, his body seems to naturally lean into the vector of his velocities, gaining speed as he goes. Davin feels his link to Rose go completely silent, a little shock accompanies the cut and it might've been worse if he'd known her longer. However, there would be only time to make his final decision on any deviation from his current course as he took to the skies himself, or rather, as he shifted shape into a creature of myth. A huge black-winged bird, that had the look of a raptor but with unusually large eyes. The creature grasped the air pulled itself upward beyond the foggy mist.

 Nic tries to reach the limits of his power and the velocity already matching that of the airship. He pushes this new ability and feels a new reservoir of power flood into the luminous laser skates. As he kicks it in, he notices the surge of speed as he feels the actual ignition of the air near his feet, and within a few blinks, Luminary blasts into the cargo hold heading through the door hatch at breakneck speeds, completely passing the two soldiers.

OOC to Nic: Make an agility check, let me know if you plan to go through the hatch or stop. Space is insanely limited so both moves will need the check. Excellent airspeed =  150mph, just for reference. This success will be your first stunt of the power that will be at Excellent (16), always one CS down from the power it stems from. I mentioned this being a step towards soldification, this power stunt will be some travel power of your own decision. Sometime further down the line you may want to power stunt solidification from this travel power. In this way anybody can chain powerstunts. To achieve a cool kind of organic character development.

Nic thought at Helen, and the strain was 'audible' even in the mental conversation. ~~Shh, now! Need t'concentrate!~~

He flew past the 2 soldiers, and started trying to slow down, but he was brand-new to this new power and was moving much faster than he thought he was. He headed for the door hatch, the one to get out of the cargo hold. His eyes widened as it came at him fast, too fast, he tried to twist his feet towards the hatch and wall to...slow himself or at least not break his damn neck!

OOC: Welp. My dice luck always turns when it's funniest or deadliest, heh.

21:38, Today: Lu1minary rolled 2 using 1d100.  Agility going further but slowing down some (+20 Karma).

As Mandic follows Nic, his shapeshifting an interesting twist, Phoenix concentrates upon his power.  He begins to work the flames he is producing into a whirlwind, using the heat produced to draw the gas into an up draft that will pull it through the flames so it can burn off.
When he can not get the flames to spiral in a sizeable circle, he starts to feel a bit frustrated, and attempts it again.  With about the same amount of auccess.  He flings his hands ip in exxasperation.  He has apparently lost his ability to focus at the moment.


03:43, Today: Phoenix rolled 19 using 1d100.  Try again.

03:42, Today: Phoenix rolled 15 using 1d100.  Rm28 Control. 

Davin falters for a moment his wings spasming before he begins to beat them again and begins to gain altitude.  Ms. Blankenship had not seemed to be unduly under stress and without her mind acting as a beacon he would not be able to find her. Better to deal with the immediate threat and then track her down. Still, he let his mind reach out ready to contact her again if he found her mind. Most of his attention though was turned to the airship and the problem it presented. Unlike Nic, Davin had no interest in going into the dirigible - at least right now. Instead he begin to head towards the propellers of the airship.

Phoenix continues to try to control his flames, tries to turn them into a spiraling tower to draw up the gas to burn it off.  With no success.


02:13, Today: Secret Roll: Phoenix rolled 21 using 1d100.  Rm28 Fire Control

02:13, Today: Phoenix rolled 13 using 1d100.  Enurance In36 Roll. 

 Update!

 Nic blasts into the cargo hold of the airship, as if riding on one of his own light bolts. The way ahead was tight and it was looking to be like throwing a penny through the eye of a needle. He crashes through the wooden doorframe and keeps going, slower now and with slightly easier time agility-wise. He could feel the sliver, tuning into Helen's by proximity. He could tell her direction! He runs through a group of soldiers and sends them scattering. The airship seemed to be composed of the main carriage area of about eight meters of space onboard width-wise so far as he swiveled to look through adjoining doorways. He slides past the rear quarter, into the main corridor that seemed to run forward twenty meters. He saw all manner of gear and glowing canisters, pumps of several kinds, tools, a metal table in the shape of a person, that one nearly takes the light out of his skates, but he keeps going until he finds several tiny cells off of the main hall. Four soldiers emerge from their posts to head towards him batons in hand.

 Outside, Davin finds the turbines to be particularly interesting. Well, interesting because they weren't actually housing any engines it seemed. They were being spun by the wind, giving off the illusion they were powered. In fact, they were empty, just a facade. There were a few small places where he should be able to see engine parts, and there was nothing there, shadows under a canvas skin. He hears something insanely interesting though as he approaches the airship, it was the sound of buzzing electricity and the smell of ozone.

 Phoenix feels the world begin to spin as he tries his best to control the flames that had been generated by his own body. He felt the fire within his veins and his eyes moved towards the stump of his hand, the skin still healing. In a flash of garbled memory, he recalls there was someone who bit off his hand and the bastard had been a feral man named Roach. With a crack of thunder, he's standing on the framework of some sort of gigantic round structure, it resembled a soccer ball with its hexagonal-shaped patches. Light came from floating orbs as they passed around and through the structure without seeming to damage it. Inside the hexagonal structure appeared like a soap bubble, a thin membrane that shimmered with iridescence. A man in a full set of armor works at a machine nearby, punching buttons, without looking back he speaks to James, "we best get a move on, or Victor may still wipe this mission from history...and with it, any hope of securing the vessel. I'm sorry about your friends..."

 James is somehow peripherally aware that he's falling to his knees in the fog, but he's also here speaking to this man in armor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:57, Mon 17 May 2021.

Victor?  His voice sounds strange to him.  Because of the gas, but, perhaps, also due to the strange circumstances in which he finds himself.  Who is Victor?  What are you talking about?  What do you mean by "Wipe from history"?  What happens to my friends?
What has Zemo and his group, and this gas got to do with any of this?
His rapid fire questions seem to bring his mind back to focus somewhat as he still tries to fend off the gas and to create the whirlwind of fire outside of this strange bubble of a different world.

21:59, Today: Phoenix rolled 73 using 1d100.  Rm Psyche to focus.

21:58, Today: Secret Roll: Phoenix rolled 83 using 1d100.  Rm Fire control roll.

21:58, Today: Phoenix rolled 65 using 1d100.  In Endurance roll. 

If Davin had a nose at the moment it would have twitched at the smell of ozone. His great-aunt had been attempting to harness the power of lightning for the last few decades and that smell brought her and her experiments to mind. Particularly, her creation of various strange glass made from sand and alchemical substances.

Still he followed the sensitive sense of smell and even more hearing to try to find where the electricity was flowing. That might lead him to the engine of the ship. He also reached out to Nic to make sure he wasn't going to blow the ship up and to try to get a feel for where he was in relation to where Davin was.

OOC: Davin Mandic rolled 78. In Intiution.

Nic stopped at the sight of the four soldiers converging on him. He glanced around nervously and then sort of half-shrugged, letting them close in slightly. He then let loose a blast of blinding light once more, noting ironically that he'd used it more in this single day than he had in the last month.

Only after the flash, did he move, trying to be elsewhere from where the soldiers had last seen him in case they attempted to blindly attack him.

OOC: Flash and move!
Can I tell which cell might be Helen's?

Update!

 Within the hall of cells on the airship, Nic flashes brightly and steps away in an attempt to dodge the assaulting soldiers. They had been dressed similarly to the ones on the ground and so each also sported smokey goggles that seemed to protect them from the worst of the blinding attack. Except for the giant previously who seemed to outgrow his goggles rather quickly. So in spite of this working somewhat to dazzle the incoming soldiers, one of the soldiers seems by sheer luck to have avoided seeing stars for a moment and throws a beefy right hook into Nic's face.

 As the soldiers in the cargo hold manage to recover their senses, red lights flash along the corridor.
(OOC: That'll take you down -10 health, roll an endurance for the start of next turn.)

 Davin's senses took him up to the lifting balloon structure. It was rigidly shaped, so supports with stretched material overtop gave it a river pontoon look. The silvery material was far beyond anything he'd seen before, definitely expertly manufactured. However from within, he could hear that sizzle of electrical arcs and smell that ozone being created, so the material had to breathe somewhat, or perhaps there was some spot that was already open to the atmosphere. Nic's own presence aboard the ship had also set off an intruder alarm, and Davin could hear the fight taking place based on yells from inside, while also locating him via his mental signature about halfway through the vessel's compartments. He couldn't see him in order to make direct contact, but he could feel his mind as he went.

Meanwhile, on the ground, something was happening to Phoenix, his psyche had divided somehow, and he was in two places simultaneously. Perhaps his current state was simply making him remember something he had forgotten or perhaps he was accessing some otherworld mentally. He couldn't tell yet. The man he was with had long shaggy sandy-blonde hair, a decent build, and some clockwork gadgets held to him with leather straps and woven hoses. He looks at Phoenix with a quizzical eye. Recognition flows into the man's face as he does so, "you're already forgetting that this ever happened and remembering things from the new timeline. Suffice to say, we must prevent Victor from erasing all your compatriots from the timeline. Already a number have fallen to him and his machinations. Gas, Zemo?! There was a gas attack on Berlin, yes, I can see it here. Zemo is known to me, but he's not supposed to be involved this early. Victor Von Doom, he's not born yet but he's trying to manipulate events to his own benefit in the future, the man in the warehouse in Paris you told me about was one of his agents."

 The man gestures to a screen on his machine that depicts with some kind of light projection, a number of newspaper headlines characterizing the event in the light of an attack by another nation. Prompting war in a few short weeks. As he looked on. James manages to catch another one of the headlines that seemed to be from the near future, "UBERMENCH UNLEASH DEVASTATION ACROSS EUROPEAN NATIONS."

 Elsewhere, on the street, Phoenix seems to start getting himself under control again. The heat-whirlwind sweeps up and some of the gas in the immediate area with it. His connection to the other place seemed to be slipping away as he regains his focus.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:07, Sun 16 May 2021.

Even as he is able to better control hismpowers to burn off the gas, he looks back to the... Chrononaut?  What has this got to do with the mission to Siberia?  If you can give me more information, I might be better able to fight what is happening here.  Leave me something somewhere I will be.

In reply to Phoenix (msg # 60):(Sub-Update)

 The man blinks as if he's been going on about that the whole time, and then sighs, "If you can remember, the T-Event lands a number of powerful resources in the region that have the ability to reshape your time. If you can prevent them from being misused that should be your guiding light and possibly for years to come. Otherwise, you might be able to destroy them, but the enemies of man are already beginning to use them, such as the gas. Destroying these could restore the timeline as I work to prevent incursions from other travelers. I calculate only a twelve percent deviation from average events if you can destroy them."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:10, Mon 17 May 2021.

Nic reeled back from the punch, realizing the men could still see him. He frowned at his own stupidity. Either those goggles protected their eyes, or something else protected them - either way, it was no good for him!

He glared at them. "Back off or get or you'll get more of this!" He fired a laser beam at the one who'd just punched him, scoring a direct hit.

OOC: Heh. Whenever I spend karma on a roll, it either failed too hard or would have still succeeded anyway. =)

20:16, Today: Luminary rolled 74 using 1d100. Endurance check (RM) (+20 Karma). Total 94.
20:29, Today: Luminary rolled 67 using 1d100. Light Emission (Laser) vs the one who punched him  (+40 Karma). Total 107.

One of Davin's biggest fears had been that they were using hydrogen as a lifting gas. Dangerous, but the presence of so much electricity would seem to argue against that. Still the unknown nature of the environment made him wary of bursting it. Wingtips flickering with energy he begins to try to transform the silvery material into the much heavier and stiffer crystalline material he could create. He intends to create the largest amount of crystal he could - twenty square feet of material turned into crystal.

OOC: Not sure if a giant dirigible counts as a moving target but his Agility roll was a depressing 5.

How do I find these... resources that are already in use?  How do I destroy them?  This whole thing has the appearance of a hallucination or fever dream, though Phoenix is no longer subject to fevers.

UPDATE!

 "When you see them they should be obvious. They won't belong here. The gas is mutagenic it appears. Derived from something called Isotope-8. An unstable molecular bond holds the stuff together in compounds so incredible, it would set your head spinning. Suffice to say, something extremely powerful crashed there. As of yet, there have been no reports from your mission in my history, and history still only recounts the event as a meteoroid impact, but I have made it my goal to see your mission to the end in this timeline and get to the truth of it," the man says, his eyes getting a disturbing look of craziness for a moment before reigning it back under control. "You are worried, as you should be, it's a hard nut to crack. Victor has been relentless. He took your friend Asar, Nathaniel, the deviant Angok, your partner Geo and even Roach, diverting their timelines."

 Hearing this suddenly reinforces the fading memories of the people he'd been sent to back up initially. The foggy set of events that had brought him and the others here. The man goes on meandering a bit, "how to destroy them won't be as easy an answer to give you. For some it will be obvious, you can break it or burn it, like the gas. Sometimes this will render it inert, other times it will be the opposite. There are three main groups, the kind that will interact with living things like Iso-8, are fluids and gases, and in some rare cases machines. The second variety is a metal alloy and a fuel source, the kind that makes oil and steel look pathetic by comparison. The last kind is more complex to explain but will be artifacts of other dimensions. These won't be affected by burning or smashing or even bombing. They will be small gateways to other worlds, bubbles of reality set adrift on ethereal cosmic winds. They will be most dangerous however for falling into one could mean certain doom. I've never encountered anything quite like this event, so the mission is quite critical. And further, it could destabilize other timelines if something cannot be done and if I cannot find a way to dissuade the Victor incursions. This is why I can't tell you everything, there are only probabilities for me, anything may yet transpire."

 Davin attacks the blimp with a raking strike to its greatest weakness and strength, he started making the craft heavier by changing the volumes of stretched material into red crystalline shard growths. They spiderweb across the material as the change takes place, and eventually, he is able to take a breath before he starts again to measure his effect. The desired outcome begins first in front where he worked back from, and it began to take a nosedive and list forward ominously, somehow keeping its height but not its balance. Within, it would be terrifying as the center of gravity begins to change. Somehow, it was remaining aloft even though it was wildly out of balance though.
(OOC: No need for agility on that, it can't dodge!)

 Within the harrowing holds of the airship, as it begins to tip forward Nic watches as the body of the man he'd lasered began to slide down the corridor, the others take advantage of the changing situation to get back at Nic for blasting their buddy, and to utilize their more specialized training in corridor free-fall fighting. He found himself face to face with the three remaining who seemed to bounce off the walls with kicks and launch themselves fist or foot first at him. Nic easily sidesteps the first but the second and third land as Nic nearly runs into them and is knocked back into some crates full of food tins. All of it begins to slide forward and down the hall again.
(OOC: Roll some agility to regain your 'skates', and let me know if you want to use your move action in  evading which is a fighting feat roll, it makes you harder to hit. You can reference the Universal Table to see which is appropriate in a given situation, as you sometimes want to dodge which is an agility feat instead.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:58, Wed 19 May 2021.

Nic felt the ship do something strange, and move in a way it didn't feel like it was supposed to. His eyes widened a bit and he somehow was able to will the skyskates to renew their ability to keep him aloft as he bobbed and weaved trying to avoid the soldiers attacking him - and they seemed somehow extremely prepared to do so! "Jumpin' Jehosphat! Like a buncha monkeys leapin' around!"

The laser had hurt one but he thought he'd try something different this time. He had to time it well, however, which was very difficult to do while they were leaping all around and he was bobbing and weaving - so instead, he settled for letting loose a bolt of light made solid when one was moving past him, 'helping' the fellow on his way just with much more force than intended or needed.

OOC: Just burning Karma away, LOL!! So that's a 109 for the Agility check and 62 for the RM Fighting Evading feat, which should be Green.
Blasting one with a kinetic bolt, narrative flavor to try and help send them in to the wall or deck hard with their jumping and whatnot. That's an 107 total.

19:37, Today: Luminary rolled 89 using 1d100.  Agility check (+20 Karma).
19:40, Today: Luminary rolled 22 using 1d100.  Evading (+40 Karma).
20:16, Today: Luminary rolled 67 using 1d100.  Light Emission (+40 Karma).
This message was last edited by the player at 02:17, Thu 20 May 2021.

S woke slowly. Her head was still ringing from the sound blast. Someone was dabbing her forehead with a cloth, how nice. Another had a syringe and although most of it was garbled she heard "Laudanum." She reached up and grasped the wrist of whomever was about to inject her. She spoke way too loudly, as someone with hearing loss is prone to do. "IF YOU TOUCH ME WITH THAT NEEDLE, I WILL SEE TO IT YOU CANNOT USE THAT ARM AGAIN, EVER. UNDERSTAND?"

Davin squawked slightly in frustration at what had happened to the dirigible and Nic. The listing was not what he had hoped for. He suppose he could make more on the other side, but he was trying for a controlled crash and to find out what the electricity and ozone was coming from. So frowning as much as a rather large bird could he concentrated, red black energy flickering around his wingtips and talons, flakes of red-black crystals forming. His crystals were in some way an altered version of his personal energy. He could move and shape that, he could form the crystals. His energy surged and flickered in time with his heartbeat as he reached out to the large plate of crystal he had summoned and tried to move it - to cause at least a small rip in the dirigible around the edges and possibly let the crystal fall straight down into the balloons below.

OOC: Trying to power stunt Matter Animation (Crystalline Solid) - Spending 50 Karma for the stunt and 40 for the roll. Which was: Davin Mandic rolled 75 using 1d100 ((75))

UPDATE!

 Phoenix felt his tenuous grasp on this other place begin to slip further and the man's voice became unintelligible and the world swirled around him for a few slippery moments. He snaps to, in the center of his fire whirlwind, hands raised high. Though he could still recall what had just transpired, he was struggling to make some sense of it and coming up with more questions. Maybe he could finally get some answers now though...

 Davin made an adjustment to his mystical plasma control and bent this solidified version to his very will. It began to bend in on itself, in the section that had been crystallized, tearing at the fabric and the wooden skeletal structure of the blimp's shape. A slightly pressurized balloon began to vent air and the ozone, flashes of white light from within could be seen clearly, lightning as from electricity and some mechanism that looked challenging to try to comprehend. However, rather than continue to crash, an auxiliary mechanism began to spin up in the forward section like this one apparently. It was picking up speed as it had begun to drop, as the forward mechanism seemed to provide more lift to the front. As it was, they were barely clearing the tops of the city buildings.
(OOC: Power stunt numero uno completed!)

 Nic uses the skates to evade his attackers, for the most part, the three that were left. They were incredibly skilled but Nic's talents had served him well and as he comes around to one he lets loose an almost soundless slug of solidified light at him. It punches the man in the gut and sends him against the wall hard and he doesn't get up. The other two look at each other and then back at you as the blimp begins to level out again. The bigger one's voice was a low growl. "You bastard," he says as he plinks a pin from his grenade and tosses it at Nic. The other one flings a tangling net at Nicholas.

 From one of the cells beyond the men, Nic hears her, "Nic, is that you! Help me, I'm in here!" From another cell, however, he hears more voices call out, desperate for help, "Nic, help us we're in here!"

 Meanwhile, back at the train, S was beginning to awaken. She was being padded and prodded and she didn't care for any of that, not one bit. There was nothing for it though, so she finds that the blood in her ears had subsided and the ringing in her noggin was finally beginning to become muted. She tried to reach out with her senses as she dusted herself of her would-be rescuers and regained her feet. The small crowd was watching her expectantly, the young engineer from the breakfast car chances a harmless question to the loud woman, "are you okay miss?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:02, Fri 21 May 2021.

S felt like there was a fog around her sonar. She could only make out vague shapes, like shadows, with it. She did not let this get to her face. She maintained a "stiff upper lip." She turned to the Engineer and replied, "I'M BRITISH." It was as good an answer as she would give. Losing her sonar, even in a short term, was like losing a limb. She had no idea how much she had come to use it until she couldn't.

She tried to stand but her balance was gone. She had to grasp the engineer's arm to keep from falling. "PERHAPS I'VE HAD BETTER DAYS."

Unable to truly focus on both things any longer, Phoenix lets the vision slip away, conentrating solely on the task of "vaccuuming" up the mutagenic gas and burning it off.

One of the soldiers insulted him and Nic got angry. "You're GASSING people and I'M the bastard?!?!" He opened his mouth to say more but then things got dicey! Nic's eyes widened as the idiot tossed a grenade in close quarters. "Foozler!"

He quickly flung himself backward even as he pulled his will together and instinctively threw up a wall of solid light between him and the grenade. And the remaining guards.

09:54, Today: Luminary rolled 36 using 1d100.  Energy Solidification power stunt attempt 2 (50 Karma +40 Karma to roll).

Davin let the crystals return to their natural state - the odd silvery canopy and then expanded his personal shell of air as far as he could. The eagle-owl flew through the now gaping hole in the dirigible and headed towards the bottom of the balloon - avoiding any lightning and looking for a safe place to land. Hopefully near any interesting looking machines. He didn't want to crash the airship in Berlin after all - that would make it much harder on everyone involved.

His head did turn slightly to stare through metal and wood at Nic as he attempted to manifest solid light though.

UPDATE!

 The Engineer holds Ms. S's hand for a blushing moment, he wasn't much younger than herself. However, even through foggy senses, S hears a patterned footstep that she recognized instantly. A face from her time at Proving Grounds Academy in London, her instructors had trained twenty-five other young ladies and this was one of them. Her name was Ms.Echo. Her voice was as trained as Sanderson's. "My dear, you are clearly in need of a handkerchief! Come with me."

 Phoenix occupies himself with funneling the gas upward and though slow, it appeared to be having an effect. Winds seemed to be coming in as well and felt like they were carrying the gas upward and dissipates. The blimp seemed to be picking up speed as it glides towards the horizon.

 Inside the blimp's internal compartment, a deadly encounter was occurring. The grenade flies from the infuriated soldier, who roars in frustration as Nic raises a wall of light, tapping the full power of his abilities, he has learned to do this new move on instinct. The wall materializes and the grenade bounces off of it, and from it, a thick green gas begins to fill the room as it gushes out, for now though, Nic's field seems to be holding it back like a stopper, but the men and the cells were on the other side of it. The men's masks were obviously made to filter this stuff Nic recognizes. Visibility would make things slightly more difficult to hit these guys now though too.
(OOC: -1cs to next attack roll.)

 Davin tucks in his wings and dives skillfully into the opening where he saw something really amazing. There were two machines that appeared to be holding up the entire craft. The machines were crackling with arcing electric power, the machines appeared to be generating or perhaps capturing, a bubble or field of energy that appears to defy gravity and some sort of harness that surrounded the bubble which was fixed to the craft. The harness contraption flexed as the fields shifted in the harnesses to pull the craft in a new direction. A fascinating and unique form of propulsion to be sure. Within a boiler continues to chug and spit smoke, not the noxious chemicals from outside in Berlin, but entirely new petroleum-based ones. The amount of energy being supplied here would not be insignificant though. The skin of the balloon flapped free with the hole in the side, it didn't appear to have any lifting gases at all within, or a minimal amount that Davin had offset severely by tearing a hole in it. It didn't seem to need it though, it probably relied on them only for a low power consumption option. The top of the airship compartments was safe to land on so long as it didn't list in any direction too much...
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:22, Thu 27 May 2021.

S is relieved and grateful for a familiar person. She nodded, "Yes, a handkerchief." She followed Echo without worry. This was her friend, after all.

Nic let out a groan, "oh crap...gas!" He hadn't thought of it, but looking back he should have, what with the gassing going on down below. He had thought it would be an explosive.

He let out an angry sigh and shook his head. That wouldn't do. He didn't imagine the prisoners got gas masks as well. He frowned deeply, concentrating. trying something else but not sure it would work. It might not help either.

He mentally tried to 'shove' the wall of light forward like a battering ram at the two guards - well, PAST the two guards really, to try and push the gas past the prison cells. If it happened to hit the guards and/or shove them as well, so much the better.

Mini-Update!

 Echo nodded and lead Ms.S to an alcove inside the train station where everyone had taken cover after the sonic explosion. She dabbed at Ms.S' face with a look of concern wordlessly, but her eyes were full of emotion. Ms.S remembered that Echo was in many ways her opposite, with the surreal ability to control sound through a variety of special aptitudes she inherited from her father, one Sir James Braddock a notable man in English society, both had much to lose if that information ever got out.

 The young woman finally broke the silence when they were well enough alone, "I knew this mission was going to be a problem, too many mysteries."

*****

 Nic feels the wall of light as if it is touching his fingertips, and with a hard shove, he moves the wall forward, his power seeming to simulate the resistance a real wall might provide, so perhaps a construct of his own mind? Anyway, the result is that the hallway acts like a syringe, and the atmosphere on the other side of his wall vents through the only place that would give, the doorway behind the men. The door pops open and a rush of air escapes backward from the men.

 Meanwhile, Nicholas shoves against the three men and finds he is a match in strength for all of them luckily. At first result in an equal amount of pressure from the three men and Nic, who was really flexing his muscles and pushing himself to the limit. Then they began to give, when one of the men slips, Nic pushes hard and forces them back another few meters. Some of the gas had been vented, but not all, and worse, some was beginning to slip into the cells, further, there was screaming from some of the cells now.

Phoenix begins to float upwards, his flaming form peeking from within his clothing.  Flames swirl about him, drawing cooler air in as it superheats it, pulling the gas before it to burn within the flames.  Anger at the situation builds within him, though it does not yet fuel his flames any hotter.
He rises towards the dirigible, dragging the flaming maelstrom with him, so that it extends further and higher.


02:15, Today: Secret Roll: Phoenix rolled 16 using 1d100.  Rm Control to increase heat/damage of flames.

S, ever suspicious, pulled back from Echo. Narrowing her gaze, S asked (In a slightly less shouting voice) "Why are you here? How did you get here?"

Davin glanced around and hopefully seeing no one resumed his more usual form. He stares transfixed for a moment in a rather whiplash feeling of both excitement and disappointment. A fake! He had been hoping to study an advanced dirigible, but instead it was something else entirely. His gaze darted around taking in as many details as possible. Then his head snapped around as Nic shoved his light wall forward. His pupils still hidden behind his glasses expanded until they nearly consumed the silver iris - leaving his eyes completely black with only a thing silver ring in the middle.

Glancing at the engine once more, Davin begin to head towards Nic as quickly as he could.

UPDATE!

 Ms.Echo looked shocked and scandalized, as she glanced around and created a sound barrier with a wave of her hand, Ms.S could hear the vibrations of it. She sniffed and spit, trying to take the insult. "I can't believe you'd ask me that. What with our having grown up together and the life we've lived. You know exactly why I'm here. I'm glad you're ok, but now you've got to stand up."

 Phoenix rises again, his body fairly glowing in the night. The firestorm rises with him, the gas was being burnt like fuel for the maelstrom. He appeared ready to take on the blimp, which appeared was already ruptured on the side where Davin had entered. The major concern was that it was moving away at a decent clip now, both losing altitude and gaining speed, it began to rush into an Easterly direction.

 Davin quickly located a top hatch and began to move towards it, just then he sees one of the soldiers pop up from the cabin within. He levels what appears to be a radically advanced gun, however, he was familiar with the older horse artillery cannons, which had a round barrel and fired with a crank-powered rotating set of barrels. This appeared to be like that but in miniature and it took Davin a moment to realize what was about to happen because it seemed so unlikely. The soldier fires off a wave of ammunition that tore a burning hole behind Davin into the strange canvas. The soldier quickly fixed his aim and turns it on Davin to properly target him.

 Inside things were getting dicey, Nic was working out what to do next. The soldier that had fallen had been getting to his feet after being pushed hard by Nic. Suddenly, just before the soldier had fully stood, he was yanked through the mist like a ragdoll. His comrades leaning against the light wall were spooked by that and called the man's name. "Joseph, where are you!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:51, Fri 28 May 2021.

S stood and followed warily. Could this be Echo? It made no sense, she would have a mission of her own. S did not trust the situation but followed, guardedly.

Nic let out a growl as the gas started to seep in to the cells. He could keep making progress or he could try and keep the prisoners safe - it didn't look like he could do both at the same time.

Then something grabbed one of the men. Nic looked as surprised as the guards as he hadn't been expected 'help'. For a second he considered just dropping the wall and letting the guards escape but he was having trouble fighting so many at once.

So he concentrated once more and the wall of light expanded and moved up along the walls to cover the prison cells. He didn't like the idea of letting 'something' grab them one by one but he also had planned on beating them senseless at the very least so he wasn't too concerned (unless he started hearing the sounds of the man being eaten or something like that).

He dared to glance behind him and make sure no one was sneaking up on him, however.

11:38, Today: Luminary rolled 76 using 1d100.  Energy solidification change (+40 Karma).

Davin barely noticed the man wielding the weapon. It was the weapon itself that he focused in on. He wasn't particularly afraid of it, but the look, the way it fired, all screamed out to him that the same technological level used to make this ship fly was being used for that weapon. He wanted it. So he reached out and altered it, crystallizing it's structure in his desire to own it. "I would be more shocked by that, but your faction's actions have shown me to expect no courtesy or respect. So, I think you have forfeited your right to that weapon."

OOC:
Today: Davin Mandic rolled 95 using 1d100.  Initiative.
Today: Davin Mandic rolled 75 using 1d100.  Agility roll to crystallize the weapon.

As his whirlwind of fire sucks up and destroys the gas, Phoenix flies towards the open side of the dirigible.  As he enters, the whirlwind follows.  They merge to form a single trail of fire that begins to circle him in multiple orbits until it resembles an atom with the man as the nucleus.

 Ms.S watched and followed the woman who told her she was Echo. They walked a short distance to the trainyard abandon by all except the falling snow which was already an inch deep on the stone and dirt between tracks. Echo turns back to Ms.S and whispers, "We're here to meet an assassin from the East, a practitioner of ninjitsu so I'm told. They're due to arrive momentarily via the next train. Are you ready? He's here to kill you and your friends. I found out who your train assassin's employer is. My father knows him. I managed to get a copy of his schedule. I came here to warn you and help if I can."

 Around them, Ms.S could hear the coming train a few miles away, the vibrations from the rails. So at least she wasn't lying about that. Her heartbeat though, could give her away...( You can make a hyper hearing roll and ask her a question about your life, if you want to take a shot at testing her loyalties.)

 Nic pushed foward and began to cover the cells, just as a whipping appendage of some huge crustacean darting forward with crazy speed. It bumps into the spot where the man was just a moment ago and knocks into the light barrier hard, though ultimately it didn't stop Nic's forward movement. The two men pressed back, in the end they too disappeared into the mist. Nic made it to the end of the corridor though and flushed the mist out the adjoining car. Around him, coughing and cries for help in a variety of languages emanated from each of the ten cells. He was just about to exclaim about how lucky he was no one followed him when he noticed the door he'd entered from was locked and sealed. He could hear bumps and thumps from beyond the doorway when he moved up to it, perhaps some sort of carpentry was taking place?? Nic quickly studied the hall and noticed the small sliding windows for giving food and medicine in prisons or asylums. He then swept his gaze across the floor noticing a pool of red leaking under the door of one, and near there was a button on the floor labelled "Eject test subject cells", and under a thick glass cover that could be opened. However, he could also open each of them it appeared, but without a key, he had to make sure he didn't get stuck in one.

 Davin used his power judiciously on the soldier and he fumbles the weapon from it's immense weight change but found a moment of awkwardness between Davin and the man just before he lunges into the cabin below apparently disarmed. Davin's mind finds rapid fire thoughts and emanations from the cabin below, dangerous thoughts, pain and agony slipping across the ether. They were being attacked or changing within, maybe both simultaneously, many were just suffocating though in the poisonous mist and Davin could hear their final whispers as well.

 Phoenix enters the heft of the airship through the torn and shiny side canvas-like material and sees Davin making his way towards a cabin hatch. The fire swirled about him, arcing streams of plasma crackling across his body. There were two advanced looking engines(?) holding the craft aloft it seemed. The arced electricity from some sort of dynamo that spun within a housing attached to the craft. Within the dynamo appeared to be some kind of static field of energy that pulled the craft around from the twin engine setup in front and back. The ship didn't appear to need the dirigible portion of the craft at all.

Fascinating, Phoenix says as he looks at the strange engine housing.  Part of him wants to get a closer look.  Part of him wants to take the craft back to The Bureau.  The stronger part of him wants to burn it all into ash and slag.  Whichever way he goes, he knows he can not let Dr Zemo keep this "dirigible".
He turns to Mandic.  We can't let them keep this.  We need to take it to The Bureau.

Davin curses in a language that is rarely heard on Earth before he picks up speed and heads towards the minds that are quickly being extinguished. He pauses to scoop up the crystallized weapon - assuming the man dropped it - before hurrying on towards Nic and the dying. Davin pauses for a moment and glances back at the new arrival with a frown, "We have more immediate concerns then the ship." He glances back at the engine, "I doubt this is a prototype and if we do manage to land without blowing it up, I rather think the people of this land might try to exercise first claim." Not wasting any more time he heads towards the dying minds.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:06, Mon 21 June 2021.

Nic glanced back at the door behind him but he couldn't worry about that right now. He wasn't sure that the 'eject' would not just launch the cell occupants out of the ship in to open air. He hesitated then hurried up and began to, as quickly as possible, open up each of the cells. "Nononono don't die!"

 Nic opened the first cell quickly with a ka-chunk sound. Within he found the source of the pool of blood. A young person with blood running from some kind of wound where a piece of metal had been attached to his shoulder. In the next cell was a young man of sixteen or seventeen, huddled in a corner but when Nic looks at the boy, even though the boy made no move or even looked at Nic, he could feel a screeching sound/feeling from his sliver. Something was not right about him, but the third sliver was finally confirmed. Moving on, Nic threw the next cell open and saw a young woman ready with a metal food tray to whack him with it, but upon seeing him, "Nic is it you?"

 Several meters away, Davin descends into the airship, eyes scanning, he finds a room with electric lights that have begun to flicker, human gore everywhere, some circuit must be shorting out. The pattern on the floor appears as if something slithered through it. The minds Davin can still feel are nearer Nic towards the center-rear and then again in front of the airship. It seems that a central corridor runs through this point and a door forward and back from here is clear even in the inconsistent lighting and smokey air, even as it's pushed aside by Davin's bubble.

 Outside, Phoenix watches Davin head into the airship. James can see outside through the torn hole in the blimp's lifting chamber, the skyline has changed and the ship seems to be over the outskirts of town now.

Nic was hurrying, no doubt. He was a little careful, never fully stepping in to a cell after opening it. He couldn't take the chance of getting stuck in one. Or being attacked. He didn't like leaving open cells with potentially dangerous people with powers in them...but he figured he might be buying a little good favor by releasing them at least.

He wasn't sure what to do about the bleeding person so he reluctantly kept moving for the moment.

He winced a little and leaned away from the boy with the sliver.

He hesitated when he saw the woman and nodded. "Yup, that's me. I told you I'd get you outta here didn't I?" He hesitated. "Well...it's a work in progress still but something's better than nothing!"

Phoenix moves over to the tear through which he had entered and looks out, scanning their surroundings to see where they had come to in relation to Berlin.

Davin hurried towards Nic's mind and began to pay closer attention to the other minds - attempting to find out which might live, which might react harshly to any attempt to help them, and which were already fading. As he moves, he glances up and down the corridor paying attention to the gore splashed everywhere.

UPDATE!

 Phoenix could see the city's borders coming into view and he looked back towards the city center about five miles away. Here there were mostly houses, warehouses, and small factories dotted with lamps and light, some of these structures were still being built. Smoke from some of the smokestacks passed by as they flew, quite low to the ground, but they were beginning to slowly climb again and heading East. The scene around him was disturbing to him as he was learning how potentially dangerous the craft could be.

 Davin moved towards Nic, a corridor ahead had several minds still. One was fading fast. Another was becoming something else, losing his mind slowly but not really fading. Another was the woman Nic sought, while the next one was somewhat more menacing, dangerous thoughts flowing through the mind there. Across the corridor, another four rooms contained living subjects but two were affected by the gas, unconscious but alive and suffering from anxious dreams. The remaining two there were listening to Nic and Helen's interaction closely, huddled against the door. Beyond Nic's corridor was another smattering of minds, mercenaries the lot of them, panicked but alive and well, and on high alert. They were not prepared to let anyone access the engine from under at least and definitely not going to unseal the passage Nic had entered through.

 Mr.Mandic could see the hall ahead was extra gory, perhaps the site of a brief and ill-equipped battle with the slithering thing. As he paid attention to that which was close at hand, he noticed psionic movement not within the gore but within the bulkheads surrounding him. It was quiet for now, out of sight, perhaps sated for the moment. Davin couldn't read a mind there really at all, the neural network seemed to be propelled by simple animal instinct alone.

 Nic on the other hand, was relived that it seemed that she was okay, she gave him a smile that also said thanks relief flooded her face too and threatened to burst out at that very second. She nodded as her hand went limp with the metal tray, "Thank you, Sweet-Jesus! Can we get out here!"

 She was dressed in a black and white striped jumpsuit fitting for a captive or prison inmate, but she was lovely and soft under her dirty face. Her medium length hair fell into her face in pretty black curls that contrasted with her pale skin. She was around twenty-two and yet some strong will remained to keep her blue eyes sparkling, while others would've succumbed to the hopelessness of her captivity.

Nic gave her a quick smile and a nod. "Good to put a name of the voice." He placed a hand on one of her shoulders. "Hold it together a bit longer, alright? We're not outta here yet. Help me open up the other cells, free anyone, please?" He hesitated and looked back at her, "Anyone in the cells that will attack me if I let them out? One of them is bleeding and I don't have the training to stop that."

Unless told otherwise, he then went back to opening cells.

Phoenix floats back in, heading after Mandic and Luminary.  He looks around, seeing what the other men have seen.  We are about five miles outside of the center of Berlin.  Let's do what we can to help these people, then let's either destroy this ship, or remove the crew and give it over to The Bureau to study.
He moves into the cell where the man is bleeding profusely.  He extinguishes his flames he approaches him.  Let me try to help you.  If the man allows it (or if he is unconscious), Phoenix attempts to cauterize the man's wounds to stop the bleeding.

Pulling 100 Karma from advancement fund for use.  Using 50 on the roll.
00:47, Today: Phoenix rolled 27 using 1d100.  Rm Fire Control to use flame to cauterize wounds.  +50 for 77.

Giving the bulkheads an uneasy look, Davin hurried forward and opened the doors containing the two conscious prisoners, while he started to flit through the minds of the mercenaries for thoughts on who had hired them or was now giving them orders at the very least.

UPDATE!

 The ship begins to list to the starboard around that moment, and Davin can feel the emotion of sudden ravenous hunger coming from the forward section of the craft as well as a lot of panicked thoughts. Pilots trying to block out the danger and trusting desperately their comrades at arms to protect them. Some were fighting, with adrenaline-filled thoughts. The events there sent a sizzle down Davin's spine as he realized the creature must've moved forward after their passage to join Nic.

 All this seemed to be occurring as they begin to help where they could. First Phoenix moves to the bleeding lad with a metallic device attached or perhaps replacing a decent chunk of his shoulder but it follows the contours and joint patterns of a person. James rolls the young man over, his body limp and lifeless but he finds a weak heartbeat. As Phoenix fires up the ol'surgical torch and begins to ply his trade, he notices that the device seems to move, it doesn't change its position, but rather a chunk of the attached electronics seemed to shift forward as if some part of it were activated and begins to glow with mystifyingly tiny blue lights. Around the device is the source of the wound where wires seemed to be feeding into the boy. However, Phoenix takes a chance when he moves in and applies his skill and precision. It appeared the lad would live thanks to the binding of his wounds however temporary a fix it might be, his body going through something else obviously outside the scope of his expertise but troubling nonetheless. Ahead in the corridor from where they all sat, a sound that was familiar to him could be heard and the exchange of heat through the open passageways now had suddenly begun to rise, there was no mistaking it, the slightest smell of woodsmoke.

 Nic and Helen opened two doors she pointed to, and she shook her head at the one next to her. "Not that one," she says with a shiver and a dark look. So they rushed across the corridor to two others and opened them nearly simultaneously. Each revealed a convulsing man and woman of middling age respectively. The man before Nic was changing his skin color, it was becoming a bluish-green. The woman before Helen was developing scales. "No, no," Helen whispered, "not you Milly."

 Davin opened the second pair of doors and let his mind scan the group of merc brains to the rear of the corridor. The man and woman shake with relief, they were in full health, but skinny and in much worse shape than Helen, and their spirits had sadly been relentlessly torn apart. The man wheezed a muffled, "Danke."

 Beyond the corridor, however, the group of minds had been busying themselves with fortifying the passageway to the rear. The plan so far as he can glean on the surface was to ditch the ship if they didn't get a green light soon. An image of a monitor station with a light message board from the front of the vessel flitted through his mind. Beyond even this, one of their wills buckled against his mental strength to reveal, they each had been trained and hired by the famous cultist Aleister Crowley's minions and goons called 'the Order of the Golden Dawn'. They were all paid in full every week, and they greatly feared and respected their employers in varying degrees...

Nic felt the ship list a bit, but kept his balance. He gave a nod to Helen's instructions on which ones were 'safe' to open and which was not. He opened the one and frowned at the convulsing person. He glanced at Helen, "Uhhh...what's...happening to them?"

He wasn't quick to head inside since he didn't know if it was a medical condition...or some sort of experimentation.

Davin nods his head to the two pair of humans as he passes by. He flares his aura out to the limit clearing a space around him twenty feet in radius. "We have to make a move soon. The guards behind us are getting ready to ditch the ship if they do not get an order soon and the ones in the front.......seem to be about to be eaten. Which will most likely cause the ship to crash."

He gently pats the young man on his other shoulder.  We're going to do what we can to help you, son.  Hang in there.
He stands and turns to rejoin the others in the corridor.  They've started a fire up ahead.  What's the situation?

Davin glanced back and then forwards, "The crew in the back are fortifying their position and readying to abandon ship unless their employers give them a signal. In front the pilots and crew are about to be....consumed by something. And we have the gas that was release below. Stay close to me, I can keep it away. If you want to save the ship then we need to move quickly."

He looks thoughtful.  I may be able to clear everybody and whatever they are running from, but it won't be good.  I can burn all of the oxygen out, or I can fill the air with fire.  It would do the same thing, but burn everyone in the  process.  Either way, everybody dies.

Davin sighs softly, "If you bring everyone you do not wish to kill within a few feet of myself then I can protect them from the lack of oxygen and weaken any heat they might experience."

UPDATE!

 The trio onboard the ship notices the air becoming warmer as well. Helen looks to Nic and appeared to want to bury her head in his chest but realizing this was still actually their first time meeting, "I'm sorry, she helped me stay alive while we were captive. The gas changes people, randomly, activating something I heard Zola call the mystery gene."

 The three other survivors rasped and bobbed their heads in agreement with whatever all of you come up with. They aren't very clear on what's happening around them. Malnutrition, confusion, and overstimulation prove to be meddlesome in their ragged movements, but with the slightest patience, they are easily guided. The emaciated man proffered a muted question in embattled English, "who sent you, and are we going home?"

 Just then a blast erupts from somewhere forward of their position and the entire craft along with everyone inside pops up a meter and back down jarring everything and nearly knocking the people in the corridor to the floor.

Phoenix lands,allowing his flames to die out as he approaches the man who had asked about going home.  I can make no guarantees, but we are going to do our best to get you all home, he says.
Then the airship jumps and drops as something explodes.  We need to get these people out 9f here now.  I don't think this place is going to stay flying much longer.  Help me find something we can use to get them to the ground safely.
Rope, chain, anything that can beused like a basket or a gondola.

Nic shook his head and looked at Helen. "Well, I know it's not their fault but...is it safe to bring them with us?" He gestured at the people that were affected by the gas, clearly unsure of how to classify them in the friend or foe category. "We have to go, now, so do we bring them or not?"

If she indicated yes, he would begin moving closer to the middle of the 'hall' where everyone could group up. If she indicated no, he would steer her that way and leave them.

Davin jerks slightly at the change in elevation, grabbing a wall to keep upright before throwing an annoyed look at Phoenix, "As you wish." Frowning down at the ground, Davin holds his hand out with a grasping motion and slowly red-black crystals begin to appear. Then spread outward in a rough circle before beginning to slowly rise to form a rough circle bowl. The top of which has hand holds where the crystal just didn't form. It is several feet across and perhaps waist high on most people.

UPDATE! INTRO Outreach!

 The lurching of the airship was accentuated by increasing piloting errors as they seemed to pick up speed as they had begun to lose altitude. Everyone tries to keep from sliding sideways as the ship continues to move into a sideways roll. There seemed to be an attempt to right the flight but it must've been difficult because there did not seem to be much correction in the sideways listing of the ship.

 Somewhere ahead a flash of light erupted in the darkness. The missionary had not counted on something like this happening while travelling to Russia, but he had suddenly and without much warning except for tingling in his fingers and his danger sense he had crossed a non-insubstantial distance in a blink. He suddenly found himself inside of the hold of an airship, he could feel the danger all around. However, as he took a moment to understand where he was, he could hear murmurs from another room nearby, distinctly rearward of the place he'd found himself as relative to the forward motion he could feel. Red alert lights were the only illumination inside the hold and there seemed to be blood splashed across the room as if some terrible monster had fed recently, and smelled bad too. The fearful murmurs continued as authoritative voices tried to reassure some of the murmurs.

 The man nods to Phoenix, understanding the danger of the situation now with the turbulence. Davin works quickly shaping a basket of energy, its red and black energy became frozen within a lattice of geometric patterns, solidifying. Helen reached out tentatively to knock against the sculpture and it didn't seem hollow in the slightest and didn't crack under the gentle knocking, she turns back to Nic for a moment and looks away, shaking her head in the negative, sorrow and pain evident on her face. "They are not likely to survive from what I've seen, it might be better if..."

 She can't seem to finish her sentence as soft sobs are emitted from the woman, she turns to make the hard choice to Nic, Phoenix, and Davin, "how do we use this to get out of here?"

(OOC: Outreach appears in the compartment forward of the prisoner location. There is danger ahead more than behind you(the direction of the murmuring folks.))

The older man blinked in the dim lighting from the red alert lights as he made sense of his new surroundings.

"Sovereign One, please guide and guard me now, I pray..."

After his murmured prayer, he briefly pondered querying for more information directly, but such efforts could alert whatever that forward danger source was to his presence, and he had little desire to invite having his own blood splashed across the room.

Beyond that, the airship's flying did not seem stable, so there was probably limited time to render aid.

Therefore, he quickly and quietly made his way back toward the murmured voices.  They could no doubt provide him with useful information, and he could hopefully be useful to them in this time of need as well...

As he drew nearer to the source of the murmured voices, he briefly reviewed his options.  He could blink in to join them, but his sudden appearance might alarm them.  He could knock, but the noise might bring blood-splashing monsters to investigate.  So it was that he elected to simply open any doors between them unannounced.

The murmuring resolved into a final utterance that he heard clearly.


The older man regarded those conversing with an empathetic gaze, meeting the soft sobs with an almost tangible aura of calm reassurance.

"Pardon me.  Does anyone need help here?"

 Everyone sees the form of a man step through from the adjoining hall. His presence seems to bring with it an empathic wave of calm, it's almost tangible. His manner seems to fascinate Helen, "who are you?"

 She took a step towards him and looked back to Nic, "We need to get out of here. This thing is gonna crash!"

"Several of us can fly, I am sure we can handle getting the basket down. If you would please all climb into it." Davin turns to frown at the newcomer not having caught his thoughts until he spoke - most of his attention had been on crafting the basket. "We need an exit point. If someone would be so kind as to make us and exit that we can use?"

Well, there is that hole through which we entered, but, if you want to exit here, I'll make one, Phoenix says as he covers himself in flames.  He turns towards the Troubleseeker.  I don't know who you are, but you don't seem to be a part of this insanity.  You certainly aren't dressed like these agents of Hydra.  So, for now, welcome to the band.
He turns towards the nearest exterior wall and blasts intense fire at it in order to melt through it.
Get these people out.  I'm going to bring this false dirigible down.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:27, Fri 30 July 2021.

"I am Cornelius Christophers. 'Peace be unto you.'  I am here to help evacuate you."

The older man observed as one gentleman talked of flying and as another covered himself in flames.  It would seem that he was not the only one present with extraordinary gifts.  So much the better.

He gave a friendly nod at the flaming man's welcome.

"I cannot fly, but I can transport safely to the ground in the blink of an eye, and I can bring some others with me.  Shall I bring some of the more frail down to safety with me now?"

OOC: Am I correct in my impression that the four malnourished survivors together weigh less than 400 lbs?  :o

Too many new people, too many voices. Nic frowned as he was started to get a little worried that there might be too many cooks spoil the meal or whatever the saying was. He shook his head and waved one of his hands.

"Okay, okay. Talk later, get people safely to the ground for whoever can. Please!"

He looked at Helen. "Let one of them get you out of here safely, okay?"

He stayed behind to watch over the convulsing people helplessly for a moment. He tried to firmly tell himself that he couldn't save everyone, that they couldn't save everyone.

Davin frowned at the man and reached out to skim the man's mind and ascertain his intentions even as he finishes his basket. Should he like or at least have no objection to what he finds, "Grab one or two of them. Try to avoid the rather broken and gassed area below. It might.....alter you. Everyone else who can't fly into the basket." He turns to the two....the best word he could think of was maschal, "Also need a way out. Melt, break, whatever. Something large enough for us to push this out without having to fight our way through the guards in the back or the hungry thing in the front."

He turns to Davin Mandic.  We are already a few miles outside of Berlin.  And I burned off as much of the gas as I could.

UPDATE!

 Helen nods as she joins the other people to clamber into the basket and it ends up fitting about four safely. Outreach feels a tingle of his danger sense just before there is a mighty lurch, that sends everything into the air for a moment including everyone in the hold. The steeple of a large building suddenly tears through the flooring as the craft skids across the top of it in a glancing blow.

(OOC: Phoenix and Davin roll agility to dodge or your flight power in a surprise situation.)

 The basket and the people are ok for the moment but any further movements could tumble it out across some acreage as the ground it's on, indeed none of the deck flooring in this section was completely solid. It all seemed to be unraveling, and any sudden movements could send it all splintering. Below them, wilderness had begun to sprawl before the path of the craft, both pastureland, and forest with a few rare ruins. Only the occasional roadway and small cluster of buildings bore any sign of human habitation. (Any movement now requires an Agility feat roll of green or better.)

 Helen let a little yelp as she saw what flew by the gaping tear in the flooring from inside the basket. "Let's go!"

 Just as she cries out and from behind the recovering Cornelius, who manages a five-inch blink dodge but still takes a whack as the huge tentacle is projected into the cabin and knocking the basket into the skies below. The great appendage was easily three feet around and the end of it sprouts a batch of eyeballs as it scans the area and picks out Phoenix as its end splays wide with razor-sharp spines. Before each of you, a meaty mutation begins to advance on you threateningly. Before Nic one appears like a spider clambering to the walls of the corridor, but with only four legs that ended in human digits. Another creature appeared to Davin to be made of other frog-like creatures, like an ant colony. The side of the great tentacle sprouted another eye to glare menacingly at Cornelius.

(OOC: Everyone roll for initiative. That's a percentile roll + Intuition.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:26, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

Though Phoenix tends to float up off the floor an inch or two when his "flames on", it is not enough to avoid him being struck by the floor when the airship bucks like an angry and throws him like an untrained newbie.
As he floats back to an upright position after being knocked around, he sees the strange tentacle thing come at him.  With no real time to react other than to attempt to make his flames flare even hotter, he can only hope that his fiery form will leave a bad taste in the fanged maw.

15:31, Today: Phoenix rolled 12 using 1d100.  Rm28 Fire Control-make it hotter.

15:11, Today: Phoenix rolled 82 using 1d100+26.  Initiative+Rm26 Intuition.

15:10, Today: Phoenix rolled 23 using 1d100.  In36 Flight to Dodge.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:32, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

Davin glances around at the unraveling craft with a grimace and then at the precarious basket.  His face drawing into a frown of concentration, he splays his hand out in an attempt to grasp the crystal, but it seems to slip away from his mental fingers as he is tumbled around the bucking deck.

OOC:

13 + 40 on Initiative for 53.
59 on Agility to move.
28 + 40 on Power stunt for 68 to move crystal. Only a high green stunt.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:34, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

Nic felt a wave of relief wash over him seeing Helen in the basket. It was a very small wave, however, as none of them were really out of the woods yet. Things were deteriorating quickly once again, which seemed to be more of the common occurrence for this group he'd been paired up with.

And his heart lurched in to his chest as the basket was smacked out of the ship and in to the air!! "NO!" He couldn't pop the wings of light out in there, as he wasn't sure he could make it out of the 'holes' currently, though he certainly wasn't keen to just let the basket of people fall to their deaths.

One of the former prisoners was making its way towards him, very spiderlike. Anger flooded him. His eyes narrowed and he let out a growl. An angry red beam of light blasted out from his eyes at the spiderlike prisoner. He took a few steps towards the hole the basket had fallen but hesitated. He wasn't sure he was the best person to save the basket of people. Which only made him more frustrated.

"We don't have time for this! Someone go save the basket! Please!"


21:47, Today: Luminary rolled 110 using 1d100+26.  Initiative.
21:48, Today: Luminary rolled 97 using 1d100.  Agility for movement.
22:20, Today: Luminary rolled 97 using 1d100.  Optic Blast on spiderprisoner.

The older man's eyes widened as the basket was ejected from the airship, a sight even more shocking to him than the arrival of the monstrous creatures.

His empathic senses resonated with the horror felt by those aboard the basket, as well as by those they left behind.

"Sovereign One, please help me now, I pray..."

Thankfully, the surge of sensory input from both empathic and danger senses did not overwhelm him, but rather drove him toward a reaction that was both extraordinarily rapid and precise.  A moment ago, he had shared his calm reassurance with others.  Now, he in turn received calm reassurance from his own Rescuer...

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.

He reappeared right next to those within the basket as they fell through the sky.

He reached out to touch Helen, and his horror was replaced with hope as he saw all four frail folk within the basket in physical contact with one another.

And in the blink of an eye... all five of them disappeared.

In all of his wide wanderings through this troubled world, he doubted that any bit of pastureland or forest looked quite so lovely as the solid ground upon which they all safely reappeared.

He regarded the four with calm reassurance once again.

"Thanks be to God.  The others may have need of me.  May I leave you here for a few moments?"

RPoL Dice Roller:

09:36, Today: Outreach rolled 99 using 1d100+20.  Initiative.
22:21, Today: Outreach rolled 113 using 1d100+25.  Move Action Teleport +25 Karma.
22:22, Today: Outreach rolled 111 using 1d100+25.  Regular Action Teleport +25 Karma.

OOC: YES!!!  Regular Action Teleport RED Feat => all four frail folks are in physical contact for successful four-passenger-teleport !!!  :D

UPDATE!

 Nic watched helplessly as the basket tumbles into the opening as he manages to catch himself getting ping-ponged around the close quarter's corridor. While the spider thing advances from the forward hall where it appeared with the other creatures. He shrieks and turns on the creature, it hisses, "satisfy us..., " as Nic unleashes an optic blast on the monster and he sees a shred of a uniform on it. This was one of the soldiers most likely. It sizzles into the center mass of the still-changing man-thing. It grabs the girl who had fish scales Helen has cried over with one of its hind legs, dragging her after as it bounds towards Nic.

 The spidery thing retaliates despite the burning hole in it and rakes at Nic, managing to grab him as the thing attempts to pin him against the wall. A low guttural growl comes out of the thing. (Slap to Slap, take 30 heal 3 every other round per Regen)

 Cornelius watches in abject horror as the basket full of former prisoners falls through the opening on the floor even more than the creatures. He blinks away nearly instinctively as he selflessly attempts to rescue the falling passengers. Down to a roll of the dice proverbially and literally, the stars align and all four passengers happened to be touching one another and the moment Cornelius touched Helen's hand, they all disappeared. They alight in the pasture, a herd of cows some distance away. Everyone here breathes a sigh of relief, as they watch the pseudoblimp arc through the sky on a collision course with the ground.

 Phoenix smolders and begins to glow anew, attempting to create a hotter situation and leave a burnt taste in the thing's mouth. It slams into James sending him reeling back. The heat damage working quickly to burn through the creature's appendages, but it seemed to remain undaunted. The thing was ignoring its own self-preservation but at a great cost as it boils literally anywhere near or touching Phoenix. Its flesh seemed to scale and crack as it seemingly tries to adapt to the heat. The fangs tear into him though regardless,

 Just as Davin failed to retrieve the crystalline fire, however, the inner flame responded to his summons he could feel it, it wanted to obey. He did have the chance to notice the movement of the newly freed prisoners as they blinked from the tumbling basket to safety. His surprise at the blink was as interesting as his interest in the man who saved them. His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of disgusting and tiny voices at his own feet, "satisfy...," as the hive of tiny crab men intoned it like a bird call. They moved as one, and it gave Davin the sudden impression of a single mind guiding them, and it was then that he understood the neural noise he had heard from the creatures earlier, it was a rudimentary hive-mind intelligence that began to leap onto Davin each little creature stabbing him and it hurts but it doesn't seem to do any harm. His lack of reaction doesn't deter them though...


OOC:
Init: Nic, Spidery, Outreach, Phoenix, Tentacle, Davin, Hive


This message was last edited by the GM at 09:05, Thu 05 Aug 2021.

Nic's face pulled up into a fierce frown, teeth bared. He let out a growl at the spider-thing as it grabbed and slammed him against the wall. He let out a pained noise at the hit, head whipped to the side.

The thing was strong. He thought about trying to escape but wasn't sure he could manage. He thought about trying to manifest a weapon made of light and stabbing it, but he wasn't sure he could hurt it enough to make it let go.

He let out a breath and then gave a gritting smile as he turned his head back to look a the creature. "You think you got me, huh? We don't see eye to eye." His eyes released another blast of light damage right in to the creature in front of him, point blank range. "Satisfied?"

OOC: Geez. After last round's rolls, I had a bad feeling...and I was RIGHT! 70 total to blast.

20:21, Today: Luminary rolled 30 using 1d100.  Point Blank Optic Blast Escape (+40 Karma).
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Fri 06 Aug 2021.

Davin stared down at the crab men as they began to crawl on him - both physically and mentally. With a grunt of disgust he flares his flickering red-black flame from his feet to strike at any of them clustering around him. "About time to leave gentlemen."

OOC: Rolled 30 + 40 from Karma to hit the little crab men. In Intensity. They/It need to roll Psyche or be feared for 1-10 rounds.

Phoenix attempts one more time to increase the heat of the fire he wears, only to have it all snuff out.  Shit!
However, his panic is only momentary.  He is able to summon flames to shoot forth and into the mouth of the fanged tentacle, hoping to hurt the thing enough that it retreats to lick its wounds.

04:48, Today: Phoenix rolled 94 using 1d100.  Rm Agility to shoot flames into tentacular mouth for In43 damage.

04:47, Today: Phoenix rolled 1 using 1d100.  Rm Control to increase heat/damage of flames.

The older man was not able to visually sense what had transpired on the airship after his departure, but his empathic senses detected the movement of his next rescue target, Helen's friend Milly, the one afflicted with fish scales.

When last seen, Milly did not look able to move on her own...?

"Sovereign One, please help us now again, I pray..."

The older man's view of Helen and her three current companions was suddenly replaced by Milly, Nic, and a monstrous creature holding both of them.

His eyes widened, but the flood of sensory input from both mundane and extraordinary senses again sharpened rather than disoriented him, and his mind was clear with calm reassurance.

Thankfully, his location was such that he could reach both Milly and Nic, and he did so immediately.

And, in the blink of an eye, the three of them disappeared, leaving the monstrous creature to grasp only the empty air left behind...

Arbiter:

So you could do it, although Nic is being pinned by the creature, so if either of them goes so does the creature.

Arbiter:

It's in contact, so maybe on another red teleport roll you could exclude the creature? Otherwise, it would definitely come with, it's not very heavy or large, but it packs a whollop.

Woo hoo!  The dice love me so far...  :D

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:18, Today: Outreach rolled 63 using 1d100.  Empathy: Fish-Scale Friend Teleport Targeting.
22:19, Today: Outreach rolled 69 using 1d100.  Move Action Teleport +25 Team Karma.
22:19, Today: Outreach rolled 94 using 1d100.  Regular Action Teleport +25 Team Karma.

I forgot to add the +25 to the dice roller, so my teleport rolls with team karma were actually 94 and 119 respectively!

Move Teleport Red Feat for optimal positioning to touch both Milly (Fish-Scale Friend) and Nic while avoiding the creature.

Regular Teleport Red Feat for excluding the creature.  :)

This message was last edited by the player at 05:49, Sun 08 Aug 2021.

UPDATE!

 Nic blasts into the creature staring it directly into the eyes as a sustained blast of both concussive force and white hot light that peels back burning layers of the creature's disgusting biology. He can see bone protruding from the area he smote and it seemed that the thing must not feel pain in the same way normal creatures did. The thing hisses in anger before digging it's clawed hooks in deeper. (OOC: It is apparently not satisfied, even if you can see it's facial bones. -20.)

 Outreach pops back into the airship to see Nic pinned against a wall and Milly being dragged by the creatures. He calmly reaches out and grabs hold quickly, before blinking back out leaving the creature to fall against the wall of the corridor jarringly, which pops open to reveal one of the people Helen warned Nic about. Nic, Milly and Outreach reappear in a field near Helen and the three others. A smoky trail leads through the air to the airship. She was appearing to come apart before their eyes.

 Phoenix manages to get his flames under control enough to give the creature another fireball into it's thick crusting hide. It yanks back with it's star-shaped maw still attached to Phoenix's chest. It lifts him off the ground as it writhes, the damage beginning to be too much for it, but it seemed determined not to let go.

 Davin casually fires off some small puffs of red and black darklight fire at the swarm of tiny crab creatures. They seem undeterred by his inflicting small amounts of damage against them. They continued to run back to him and continued their chant. Davin could feel the weight of this uni-mind now coming along shortly, the noise he could sense from these creatures was that of insanity; circular, disjointed, coordinated insanity and it messed with his head when he unconsciously tried to read it.

 As if all of this wasn't enough, the damaged cells become unhinged on the craft, designed to be ejected, they were now only hanging on by a few clasps as their secure mounting mechanisms begin to fail and swung out to reveal the passing winter night below them, before crashing back into the ruined deck of the section. Then one of them falls out completely, but opposite side as the spidery thing.

OOC:
Init: Nic, Spidery, Outreach, Phoenix, Test-Subject#6, Tentacle, Davin, Hive

This message was last edited by the GM at 11:13, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

The older man turns to Nic with a concerned glance at his wounds.

"Do you want to go back with me now or stay here?"

Feeling nauseous and Davin let himself......slip. He no longer fought against the sinking ship and it's slide to the ground and instead simply rode it out into the air letting the air rush through his hair as he fell to get him away from the craft before letting the change take hold and transforming into an Eagle-Owl that began to fly away from the wreckage.

OOC: Today: Davin Mandic rolled 68 using 1d100 ((68))

Finding it difficult to concentrate on increasing the heat of his flames, Phoenix turns to the others as Outreach asks Nick his question.  GO!  GET OUT OF HERE!  I'M GOING TO TRY TO BLOW THIS THING UP!
He decides it may be time to move back to the engine room.  Let the damnable thing follow him.
21:51, Today: Phoenix rolled 18 using 1d100.  Rm Fire Control-Increase heat output of all generated fire. 

Nic let out another cry of pain as the spider creature dug its claws even deeper in to him. He wasn't sure if he could escape those claws. But then something unexpected happened. One moment he was painfully grappled, the next he was down on the ground in a field.

He blinked and shook his head, a little disoriented from the sudden shift. He looked at the old man that he didn't really know but was...apparently popping in and out of nowhere. He hesitated but then sighed and shook his head. "As much as I want to help, I'm not in great shape." It pained him to admit that.

"Go on. I'll watch over these people."

"I'll be back to help heal folks as soon as I can..."

The older man nods, and... disappears.

The repeated, rapid-fire hops, blinking from place to place...  The repeated, rapid-fire shift of intense ambient emotions...  It makes it difficult for the older man to locate the other bluish-green-skinned victim he had seen aboard the airship via empathic senses, so he has little choice but to appear next to where he had last been seen.

Thankfully, unlike Milly, the bluish-green-skinned man had not been moved.

He calmly reaches to touch the victim, and glances at Phoenix as he grapples with the writhing creature.

"DO YOU NEED ME TO COME BACK AND HELP?"

And, after either hearing a reply or seeing any other threats approach... he and the bluish-green-skinned man disappear.

RPoL Dice Roller:

21:03, Today: Outreach rolled 17 using 1d100.  Empathy: Bluish-Green Skinned Friend Teleport Targeting.
21:04, Today: Outreach rolled 75 using 1d100+25.  Move Action Teleport +25 Team Karma.
21:04, Today: Outreach rolled 46 using 1d100+25.  Regular Action Teleport +25 Team Karma.

No Empathy success or Red Teleport feats, but thankfully they weren't needed this time around.  However, the karma did prevent disorientation after the last blink, in case Phoenix needs my immediate return... :)

UPDATE!

 Both Outreach and Davin hear Phoenix's plea before they depart, Outreach taking another of the fallen victims with him. Leaving Phoenix with more than a handful. He concentrates and feels the heat of the forward compartments and pulls it towards him. The creatures had been fleeing the flames, now they were trapped between an inferno and a furnace. The creature batters Phoenix into the walls while the crab-spiders begin to climb onto the tentacle and towards James. The larger spidery creature screeches in anger as warm bodies seem to be disappearing all around it. Finally, it turns its attention on Phoenix and prepares to join in the fiery melee.
(Phoenix take -60)

 Outside, Davin feels the rush of transformation as he falls and soon he catches the wind as his feathers appear. Davin-as-a-large-eyed raptor watches as flames begin to engulf the front of the craft. The thick smoke drives him away however for it reeks of chemicals and propellant. Davin sees the last trooper jump off of the back of the craft and activates his chute immediately. The noise of the mutated creation's thoughts begins to drift away as his distance increases. He can feel Phoenix's plight, however, for each pained shocking breath after being slammed into the wall repeatedly shrieks out a painful echo with the force.

  On the ground things were growing quiet as the growing crowd watched the arc of the flight, the trail of smoke heading towards a rough landing in only about fifteen more seconds. It looked like forested foothills in the area it was heading.

OOC:

Init: Nic, Spidery, Outreach, Phoenix, Test-Subject#6, Tentacle, Davin, Hive

This message was last edited by the GM at 18:58, Wed 11 Aug 2021.

As he watches the others escape, Phoenix can feel the heat inside of himself begin to build.  He can feel the blood boiling within his veins, his skin begin to char and crisp.  He begins to laugh.
WELCOME TO HELL, he snarls as he pushes that heat outwards in all directions.  BURN, BASTARDS, BURN!
11:59, Today: Phoenix rolled 92 using 1d100.  RmFire Control-Increase the heat of all generated fire.

Nic kept shifting his attention between the surrounding area and the airship above, trying to make sure nothing was going to threaten the people near him that he was trying to protect...but also wanting to make sure Phoenix was going to be okay, as he saw the first new guy pop out and take flight. He didn't like not being up there to help, but he was hurt.

After reappearing on the ground with his last evacuee, the older man regards the descending ship with some concern, and briefly ponders going back.  But the flaming man's instructions were clear, and he seems to know what he is doing... and the older man can sense his laughter amidst the flames of the doomed airship.

Of course, what will become of the forest where the flaming wreckage crashes?  But that must wait, for there are folks in need of healing...

The older man regards Nic and the airship victims with mundane and empathic and danger senses, attempting to discern the best triage prioritization.  But he was uncertain whether or not he could even help with the unique afflictions of the airship victims...

He turns to Nic.

"Would you like me to see what I can to for your wounds?"

UPDATE!

 Away from the fray, Davin hears something familiar, an emotional tone he hadn't felt since earlier that day. It was an emotion only a being can have that has lived for hundreds of years already. It is a bit of melancholy mixed with an edge of apathy. It felt like someone from home. In the noise and confusion of the airship, Davin had nearly missed that one of the people that'd been saved was one of his kinsmen. They were among the unconscious so it was difficult to suss out the identity of the owner without closer and more careful examination. What brought the person aboard this ill-fated airship was perhaps a new mystery. As well as someone else that was approaching the group below, one of the surviving soldiers of the airship.

 Outreach feels a pang of danger from across the snow-covered pasture. At the fence line, he felt danger approach, he'd often found these days that there seemed to be low levels of danger all around. The lucky four Outreach originally teleported seemed as though they were doing the best of everyone present, aside from Outreach himself. Cursory examinations revealed Nic with deep lacerations on his chest, though he wasn't losing much blood. The silvery-scaled woman was still unconscious and though she moved little and her breathing was ragged, she bore no wounds. Much like the last, the dark-skinned man seemed to be reacting with the inhaled gas very poorly.

 Nic feels a hum when he gets close to any of the four with Helen. It's like the hum of a radio that has found an AM channel on dead air, it's a quiet hum of sound, but it feels weirdly like an in-tune choir. His shard is even making it's own hum from Nic's perspective. Each of them look at you at nearly the same time as if each of them is also feeling this. The cyber lad's human hand begins to glow and he slumps to the ground, the young man looked asian with shoulder length black hair and the beginnings of a pencil mustache beginning to grow in, now that you can see him more clearly. Right now his face stares at the glowing spot on his hand uncertainly.

 Phoenix screams at the creatures as fire engulfs the entire section vaporizing it within seconds, an area around him simply combusts, but that wasn't the end. The frame of the craft survives, albeit a smoldering wreckage on a rapidly decellerating arc of flight. The entire craft rolls as it sheds it's blimp disguise, but the exposed dimensional harnesses crackle and sizzle as they rake the forest below in a line of crackling forest fire. It completes rotation and as the nose hits something, the craft snaps in half and that front half explodes, sending the second half ejected by concussive force of the magnetic field failure. Disintigrating as it rushes upward at several gees was enough to test anything's mettle. The Phoenix image ironically froze like a static afterimage in the sky, at an event horizon. Phoenix created a singularity in that moment, two atoms fused and the resulting plasma erupts into a miniature super-nova, the back half is washed away with a flash of light. A shockwave rolls across the hills and forests in the area. By the time it reaches the rescued, it is nothing more than a strong breeze and a fluttering of clouds overhead. But over the ridge, everyone could see the tiny mushroom cloud rising already...and everyone's ears are bleeding.

(OOC: Phoenix, lets discuss what's next for you.^c^)

Davin screeched and went into a dive heading towards the group of survivors, red energy gathering at his wingtips as he accelerated towards the ground. Several quick back wing strokes slowed his momentum above the ground and he transformed back to his more normal shape, the red diffuse energy now around his hands as he landed crouching on the ground next to the survivors.

Nic was distracted a bit but the two simultaneous things happening. He restrained the urge to reach up towards the sliver, to touch his forehead, scratch at, or whatever. But he could feel the connection, the hum. It was...disturbing.

But the crashing of the airship drew his gaze away even as he said absently "Stay calm. We'll sort this out."

He raised a hand to shield his eyes a little reflexively as things started flashing and blasting, even though they weren't that close. He frowned, hoping Phoenix made it off, but not wanting to leave the rescued people alone.

He hesitated but then turned back to them. "Try to stay calm. What's your name?" to the Asian man.

UPDATE!

 As the light begins to die down, the fires on the ridge begin to slow their burn in the deepening chill of the night. Everyone seems to be caught up in the moment, but the five slivers seem to be caught up in something altogether different. The line of debris however still smoldered and in some places, Davin could sense no other surviving minds in the near vicinity. A smattering of hamlets and farmhouses dot the countryside but here in the foothills of the Alps, there were few sizeable populations.

 The Asian young man with the machine arm looked up from the glowing light, his accent was Japanese but he'd learned English. He furrows his brow, a sheen of sweat apparent on his face even in the cold darkness, he was trying to maintain his calm, "I'm Tagusa Cho, what...is this?"

 The light continued to gain potency as well, the frail man suddenly cries out, his own hand beginning to shine as well.

 Nearby the unconscious scaled woman and the dark blue-skinned man lay fitfully in the snow. There was no physical way of speeding up their recovery, but the man oozed decades of life, a feeling that Davin had grown accustomed to. Fortunately, Davin could easily gain access to their thoughts, should he wish it. Upon closer examination of the man showed black inked tattoos that marked him as one of the Wayfarers of the dark lands, though he appeared to be basically human.

Nic shook his head, one eye squeezed shut after the blast, mouth opening and closing as he tried in vain to pop his ears. He shook his head one more time, blinking several times as he tried to clear things out.

He looked at the now-named young man. He gave a small nod and smile. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Nic Raines."

He hesitated, "Well...so....there's a much longer explanation, but...Here let me see if I can help you..."

He reached out and attempted to...drain off the light energy or cause it to dim.


18:14, Today: Luminary rolled 88 using 1d100.  Light Control?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:50, Tue 17 Aug 2021.

Davin gave a cursory glance at the others before moving to his own kin. Dropping down so he was kneeling above the man's head, he reached out and brought his hands to hover near the sides of the man's head. Then he made contact and reaching deep he started to read his memory of events and send reassurances that a fellow was with him - lesser tendrils reached out to the other survivors and started to listen to their thoughts too.

The older man watched as the ship exploded, stretching forth both mundane and extraordinary senses in an attempt to discern what had happened to the man he had left behind...

When he turned to the others, he noted that everyone's ears were bleeding, on top of the other injuries received thus far.

It seemed that, despite his wounds, Nic was otherwise occupied, as were the others.

But his danger senses suggested that not all of the danger had passed...

He extended his empathic senses toward the direction of the approaching danger, as well as toward his preoccupied companions.

"I sense danger approaching.  Shall I move us to a safer place?"

"If so, please gather together quickly.  I can transport from two heavier to four lighter people at a time..."

Davin only glanced quickly at the newcomer and then out and around without moving his hands from around the head of the man he was kneeling over. "Can you tell in which direction?"

The older man nods, and points across the snow-covered pasture...

"Did you see anything approaching from that direction as you flew down to us?"

UPDATE IN THE PASTURE!

 Outreach feels outwardly with his empathic senses and finds some comfort in a strange blanket of emotion over the area as if Phoenix's last emotion was that of triumph. It was short-lived however because he felt a "cold-will" helpfully pinpointed by his Danger-Sense, also amongst the forest and fast approaching. Only an emotion of cold-blooded determination as if a remorseless entity stalked towards them.

 Davin knocked metaphorically and found the mind of the dark-skinned man almost inviting. He wandered the landscape of his mind easily, searching out where his memories lay locked behind the fog of its subconscious layers. Here he heard familiar sounds, creatures the man had encountered in the past. Finally, he found a clearing in the fog and the forest of his earliest sensations. Here he found the path of the man's life. As Davin walked it, he found he could easily skip past his early days and decades if he wished and find the most pivotal points in the man's life, his identity. In this way, he quickly ascertains that he was the illegitimate son of a Duke, within the realm of Day, forty years old now, but his face didn't look over twenty in human years. His illegitimacy made him something to hide and get out of the way, and as such, he'd been forced into an academy of martial mages, then given several posts as a magister. Finally, he was cast out by his master, bestowed a quest to search out new magic from the multiverse. Once upon the Earth Realm, he'd spend years tracking down Tibetan monasteries, traveling to lost lands, and even to fantastic hidden treasures from other worlds, from other eras. He was about to find the entrance to the inner world, a land somewhere inside of the Earth when he was hunted by the Golden Dawn, and in the end, captured. They had experimented on him, cut him open, and exposed him to many terrible things that no being should be exposed to by another. He lay there, raspy breathing, slowly dying. Nathius of the House of Dawn had been hunted down by a militant cult called the Golden Dawn. Completely ironic.

 Davin peripherally notices the other survivor's minds, the scaled woman was actually from a Mediterranean island near Greece for instance. The four with Nic, including Helen, Togusa, Philip, and Tanya, each had the sound of a tuning fork running through their thoughts. However, each of them had been involved in some sort of explosion, perhaps the huge explosion that took place in Tunguska. The explosion had implanted a sliver of some sort of metal, which each of them had been told was meteor shrapnel. Over recent weeks, the shards had begun to speak to one another after a fashion. Through these individuals, the shards had exercised great power. They were thinking about these events now, as the light began to emanate from their palms.

 Nic watched as each of them began to sprout lights in the palm of their hands now. Helen gasped in surprise as her own palm even lit up to her own surprise and wonder. The emaciated man and woman both nodded at Nic, "Tanya," and the man simply, "Philip."

 Each of their lights begins to join the bit that Nic was siphoning off of. Soon Nic has a sizeable quantity of the accumulated light as Nic felt his shard assert itself, taking some control of the formation that was developing before them. Suddenly a flash, as Helen's eyes begin to glow too, a voice that was not Helen's comes out, deep and resonant with a metal scratching sound like a phonograph record, "Tau, Imoteh, Omikron: Light failing, seeking champions, incursions imminent, five in one to free us of earthly moorings, five in one to take it home."

 The light from the five seemed to be growing brighter, and from the far edge of the pasture they were in, a voice boomed out as a figure made its way through the trees. "STOP!" A simply gargantuan man who stood easily eight foot tall stalked up to the fence through the foliage. Davin was puzzled, he found this man to be a complete blank spot telepathically and Cornelius found only the malaise of remorseless determination edged with a steel will.


(OOC: IF you are going to participate in the possible melee developing, you'll need to roll initiative. Otherwise, you may all try to flee...)
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:58, Thu 19 Aug 2021.

There was some talk happening nearby, and it could be very important...but something else had Nic's full and undivided attention at that moment - and he didn't so much hear the names of the other two with slivers when they introduced themselves as he just knew them, felt them, as if they were part of him, or he was part of them, or they were just all part of some whole.

A whole? Or a hole? Pieces of a whole. A hole in his mind, his soul.

"I..." Another person's palm lit up. "I...can't..." The fourth person's palm lit up. "...there's..." His own palms were glowing brightly as well he noticed finally.

The buzzing inside head, the ringing noise, was so loud then, it was hard to think, hard to be an individual. And then something else spoke, not Helen, not Nic, and it was familiar yet alien. It spoke of things Nic didn't understand, yet felt he should.

But something or someone else was coming, and wanted them to stop. Nic - his eyes blazing with light, palms burning with light barely contained - turned slowly to look at this new arrival, head titled slightly to one side.

22:55, Today: Luminary rolled 7 using 1d100.  Initiative (in case it's necessary).

With a silent prayer, the older man looked from the extra-large foe to the others, rapidly assessing how best to either transport as many others at once as possible to safety, or to try to dissuade the foe...

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:56, Today: Outreach rolled 59 using 1d100+20.  Initiative.

Davin leans down and speaks softly, "Lór-o Aur a Dú. Post hi gwanur. Baudh na-tul-os-at vedui." Even as he speaks he lets the thoughts echo around his dying cousin's mind soothing the pain. Red-black crystals began to form around the prone man as Davin rose to his feet, forming a bier that lifted up the figure until he rested at waist height.

OOC: Davin Mandic rolled 44 using 1d100+40 ((4)).
For those who are interested: "Dream of Day and Night. Rest now brother. Judgment is come around at last."

UPDATE!

 The pasture seems to come to life as the man on the far side of it, hops the fence with ease. As he comes closer, it becomes plain to see that the man stalking towards them was wearing some kind of "person mask" of rubber or similar material. Cold metal glinted beneath the mask's openings like the mouth and eyes. Nic felt he should know this man, and can't shake it. He was large but not like the guy from Berlin, he seemed to be powered on top of everything else though as he raises his hand and the very earth seemed to obey his command. In this instance, it catapults him towards the group.

 Nic noticed the sphere continuing to grow, the voice that'd been given them was continuing to do something. Light spread around between the five and a holographic topographical map seemed to shimmer into existence. A red flash appears to the west on the map as the view expands to greater than the continent. Somewhere deep in Russia, the red dot blipped like a warning. The view is replaced by a view of the slivers, before each person. Slowly they began to come together between them, to create a whole shard of crystalline. The lines of the puzzle pieces are healed, signifying some kind of unity.

 Outreach sees all that transpires and feels twinging danger not only from the man now but from the bunch of people with him too. Saved as they might be, he didn't think they'd do him any harm on purpose, but something was happening between them and he'd already witnessed some of them use remarkable powers...

 The faux-man shouts again as he flies through the air, "STOP!"

(OOC: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic)

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:08, Fri 27 Aug 2021.

Nic turned towards the shouting newcomer - and everything outside of the five of them felt like time was moving very slowly. It wasn't really, it was just that feeling when the mental capacity far outstrips the physical, thoughts rapid firing in his brain.

Who is that man? Why does he keep yelling for us to stop? And why do I feel like I know him?

But the thoughts were washed quickly away as the sphere continued to grow. And...a map? His eyes widened as he looked at it but only for a second. Then the slivers, familiar, enveloping, joining.

As if speaking from somewhere far away, no emotional inflection in his voice, he stated the very obvious. "Something...is happening..."

As if not consciously thinking about it, his hand started to rise up as if to stop the oncoming angry earthmover.

The older man considers the scene rapidly as he prays silently.

Something is happening with the sphere folks, and the approaching man seems to want to stop it.  Therefore, transporting some subset of them away would actually assist the approaching man.

He could attempt to transport the others, but the flying man seemed to be able to take care of himself.

He could attempt to transport the approaching man, but he suspected that target might be too large to transport reliably.

Therefore, he instead reached out toward him with his empathic senses while holding out his hand commandingly...

"Halt!  Bleib jetzt stehen!^*"

RPoL Dice Roller:

23:21, Today: Outreach rolled 83 using 1d100.  Emotion Control: Submissiveness.

OOC: Ooo!  Yellow Result!  :D

^*"Stop!  Stand down now!"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:40, Fri 27 Aug 2021.

UPDATE!

 The man halts in his approach, he lands hard a few meters away from the group. The ground shakes as everyone feels the weight the behemoth carried. As he stands upright, emotions seemed to be playing out across the rubbery face mask, as if made from animatronic engineering a hundred years hence would create, so lifelike and yet, so very mechanical.

 However, the thing must possess a mind, for Outreach could feel the influence working on the machine in the shape of a man. It was wrestling with emotions, perhaps being overloaded with it, for it could not seem to express itself properly. Frustration began welling up within the consciousness.

 The fake-man speaks in a low resonant tone, almost compartmentalized from the emotional turmoil he was going through, "You five must STOP, you are sending a signal by uniting the slivers. You are calling out into the Void!"

 Nic watched as the sphere of light in his hands swells and reaches some kind of critical mass, and begins to become a little squirrelly, nearly slipping from the grasp of his powers, he needed to channel it somewhere and soon or it was gonna blow up in his face. He looks up at the other four and they are being enveloped in light, now, and beginning to join the rest of the sphere's growing pool of liquid light.

(OOC: Intiative: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic

Outreach, you feel like the man is being submissive to the best of his understanding while trying desperately to retain his power of speech.)

This message was last edited by the GM at 07:20, Mon 30 Aug 2021.

Davin looked up from his study and glanced at the growing sphere of light with a growl, "You!" He was pointing at the newcomer, the teleporter. "Teleport two of them away from here, then another two in the opposite direction before we are all covered in light." Davin's left hand begin to glow faintly in black-red light as he points at the apparent human whose mind he can't read, "While he is doing that, you start talking."

The older man observed the increasingly unstable light in Nic's hands with some concern.  It looked like damage could be unleashed in a less-than-controlled fashion at any moment, and it wasn't entirely clear just how much control or awareness Nic had.

Meanwhile, the huge man appeared to be more controlled for the moment, and brought relevant tidings.  His proclamations of danger from the activity of the sliver-bearers did match the blip of his own danger sense.

Davin's urgings were similar to his own, but the most immediate need was to remove Nic alone, since anyone near Nic could be injured or killed if his unstable light exploded.

So it was that he reached to touch Nic with a silent prayer... and the two of them disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The pair of them immediately reappeared at the far corner of the pasture... only to have the older man disappear again.

And, in the blink of another eye, the older man had returned to the others...

"All right, the slivers have been separated.  Now, please explain more fully why that was necessary..."

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:13, Today: Outreach rolled 46 using 1d100.  Move Action Teleport.
22:14, Today: Outreach rolled 57 using 1d100.  Regular Action Teleport.

OOC: Woo hoo!  Green and Yellow results respectively...  :)

This message was last edited by the player at 05:42, Mon 30 Aug 2021.

UPDATE!

 IN that quick moment, Outreach blips back and forth, Outreach having removed Nic from the equation temporarily at least. Nic realized only peripherally that the scene had changed. Though his thoughts were now syncing with the others, he could feel them now in his head like the sliver sounds. However, now separated Nic felt the other's energy begin to wane in power, even begin to dissipate slowly, like a slow leak in a balloon.

 Meanwhile, the other four who'd been with Nic drop like wet blankets, unconscious it seems like.

 The man was struggling against his emotional domination, but relaxing since Cornelius had moved Nic, but it seemed that for now at least, Outreach could influence him to remain still at least, submissive. He took Davin's suggestion to heart though if not his head, the submissiveness affecting the man seemed to loosen his inhibitions as well. "I have reason to understand that they are going to send a signal beyond the bounds of Earth. I think it may be my Makers, though I have no memory of them. The Slivers react with my...engineering."

 The man does something that at first seems horrible, he removes his face starting from his mouth and he pulls back the rubbery skin from over his head like a cowl. Beneath was a metal skull, with obvious machinery making all his joints move properly. Clearly far more advanced than anything anyone in the Pasture has ever seen, except perhaps the working of the vessel they'd just bailed from.

(OOC: Intiative: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic

Outreach, now you understand how and why he's experiencing such emotional turmoil. He's normally a cold husk bereft of emotions, and lacks a meaty-mind for Davin to read.)

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:23, Wed 01 Sept 2021.

The older man considered as he glanced to monitor Nic's status, as well as the status of the other sliver bearers.

He turned his gaze back to the Terranean.

"Questions...  What was the purpose of the airship that just crashed?  Why were these people imprisoned there?  How can they be cured from their current afflictions?  And what do you know of Tau, Imoteh, and Omikron?"

UPDATE!

 The metallic being nodded amiably and continued, though continual fighting for control that Outreach was experiencing, he nearly slipped off the "hook" so to speak giving up things he felt he shouldn't. "The vessel was a prototype for a new breed of flying machine, and it seemed to perform that role quite well. These people were being scrutinized for their implants. Collected as it were. However the woman Helen back there, also allowed my mentor, Zola to monitor a most fortunate set of events, the assembling of a multi-national team to investigate the source of all of this. My name is Geo and I've got no issue with you, good sirs," he gestures to Davin as well, "so please kindly leave this place, it's my last warning."

 "Tau refers to the late hour of your coming together, I believe. Omikron actually means small, which refers to the reserves of power I think. Imoteh refers to the designation of the last human they were in contact with, if I had to venture a guess I'd say Egypt, twenty-seventh venture B.C. If you wait the slivers will disappear over time, they'll run themselves out of power and that will be the end of it."

(OOC: Intiative: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic)

Nic was conflicted. Confused. Too much input. He wasn't sure what was correct and what was wrong. Or could be wrong. Or might be bad. Or good. But there was the light...

"AAHH!"

...and then there wasn't. Or at least there was a lot less after a jarring disorientation and movement-without-moving. He grit his teeth, and wondered at the feel of it, the feeling of individuality still, when he was being drawn in to a whole.

"ugh."

He was angry. He was relieved. He was NIC once more. He strained to keep letting the light release gradual instead of in a full blast at the man...the masked m...metal...headed...'person'?

His first instinct was to go check on the others that had been joining with him. Or he'd been joining with them. But...he wasn't sure he wanted to start that up again. And he at least needed to wait for the energy he was holding to die down a bit. Or be used. He looked to the 'other' in the pasture.

"Do you mean to take them captive again? Do you mean to take ME captive?" He faced the being fully, the light still glowing in his hands for the moment.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:01, Wed 01 Sept 2021.

Subdate!

 The creature's features contort mechanically into a bit of fury mixed with frustration, "I mean to study your affliction and prevent you from completing your sliver-alignment. I will capture you if I must but if my makers come they will take me from this world and humanity, which I have grown to enjoy. I need to remain free. I don't believe it would benefit mankind either."

 Outreach notices the four other Sliver-bearers on the ground, panting and nearly unconscious. This had clearly been something important and had strongly affected them. Nic was a ways off but he could tell that he was feeling confused as well about the situation, perhaps he did not know what would happen either if the slivers delivered their final message.

Davin gestured to the figure on the bier, "And this one? He was also implanted or was he being studied for another reason? Also how many need to be together to complete this....alignment?"

The older man gently examines the four nearby sliver-bearers, obviously checking upon their well-being, while subtly shifting them so that they are all in physical contact with each other.  He nods at Davin's queries.

"Also, how can we cure those with afflictions such as this blue skin or these scales?"

He straightens up, and fixes his empathetic gaze upon the metal man.

"Geo, my name is Cornelius.  Well met.  I appreciate your warning, and am happy to leave this place."

"You wish to remain free, and I support your desire to do so.  These five sliver-bearers also wish to remain free, and I support their desire to do so."

"I have already separated them, and so we need only wait for the slivers to run out of power, and they can remain free, just as you desire to remain free."

"How may I help you to remain free?  May I be of any assistance to you, or to your mentor Zola?"

 UPDATE!

 Cornelius manages to covertly place the sliver-bearers in contact so that they might teleport at the same time.

 The metal man seemed visually perturbed by the questions, but answers them one at a time, seemingly to the best of his ability. "To my knowledge, all of the Slivers must be in close proximity to begin the alignment. The man there was affected by the gases I believe, there is no reversing the changes to his physiology to my knowledge, or the woman with the scales."

 With effort, he takes a step forward and appeared to be bolstered by his success and attempts another but his legs seemed slowed as if fighting a river current. "The slivers pose some threat so long as they are loose, if they stay together they will likely be used up by the slivers. On the other hand, separately they each will display unique abilities like him and her," he points to Helen, then Nic twenty meters away.

 "I do not know how these slivers came to inhabit these individuals and I don't know exactly what these creators have planned for them. I only know that they will send out a signal. My own powers come from similar devices and they have reacted to one another's presence before. A high-pitched whine, static from my inputs on par with radio signals."

 "You should know I have alerted Zola's group to our whereabouts, if you do value freedom, then you should leave this cold place and them with me. I do not wish to harm them, but I must understand how they made the signal so that I might send a signal of my own."

(OOC: Intiative: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic)

The older man gently shifts his leg an inch to put his ankle in contact with the arm of the nearest sliver-bearer.

"I do value and support freedom, Geo.  My freedom, your freedom, and theirs..."

In the blink of an eye, the older man and the four sliver-bearers disappear...

... and in another blink of an eye, the older man reappears next to Nic.

"I do not wish to be at enmity with you, Geo.  I would like to help you, if I can.  What signal of your own do you wish to send?"

RPoL Dice Roller:

19:38, Today: Outreach rolled 63 using 1d100+30.  Move Action Teleport +30 Team Karma.
19:38, Today: Outreach rolled 68 using 1d100+30.  Regular Action Teleport +30 Team Karma.

Yellow feats for each!  :)

Sorry for burning more team karma, but I suspected that you folks would rather have me around for the next several seconds...  :o

Davin shrugs his shoulders as the newcomer disappears and reappears. His mind reaching out to track the destination, but he gives no further attention to them. "That was rather foolish, but I have more personal concerns then these slivers. If you wish to pursue them feel free. I only wish to take my countryman and depart." Davin gestures with his hands in a hard pulling motion as though he were pulling a rope tied to something unbearably heavy and the bier begins to float in the direction of Berlin. "Should Zola appear, I will of course destroy him, but you....." Davin gives an uncaring shrug and begins to walk with the bier, keeping an eye on the automata.

OOC: 50 Karma spent. Davin Mandic rolled 37 using 1d100 +40 for 77 and just barely a yellow feat for Matter Animation (Crystal) 2nd Stunt.

Nic looked at the group of people from the ship and started to turn away when one of the newcomers started teleporting again. He let out a growl. "What're you..."

He whirled to stare at the man when he re-appeared. "HEY! What the hell!" He took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself - but he didn't know the teleporter. Sure, they'd been 'helpful' thus far, but Nic didn't know them.

He pointed at Geo and said, "You aren't taking Helen, and you sure aren't taking me."

He then stepped close to the teleporting man and very quietly said, "if you got them to safety, thank you. if not, well...that'll be a different conversation neither of us will enjoy."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Wed 08 Sept 2021.

The older man barely nods, and murmurs in response.

"It is my privilege to serve.  Lord willing, you will join them in safety very soon..."

UPDATE!

 A shout of surprise as the people and Geo responded to the quick evacuation of the four Sliver-bearers. His eyes slid to Nic and the reappearing Outreach, who appeared to be winded for the second.

 Davin began to walk away from the scene with his countryman, levitated by a crystalline pillar that glowed with a reddish inner-light in an otherwise black structure, almost as if it were flickering with fire. It did not incinerate the man to anyone watching. Geo took notice and nodded.

 The metal man actually seems to growl as his gaze resettled on Nic and Outreach, an unsettling sound. "You'll wish you hadn't done that!"

 He raises a hand and literal hands appear from within the earth, each the size of a motor carriage. The first smashes where Outreach had been a moment prior, his danger sense kicking in at the last second and blink-teleporting him several yards away. The second hand engulfs Nic in a ton of pasture sod and snow where he stood, grinding him into gravel. (OOC: Taking 30 damage.)

 To his now left-side, Geo flashes a second hand, raising a wall of earthen material between themselves and Davin, effectively splitting the Pasture in half but not impeding Davin's retreat. Outreach stands between the wall and Nic currently, Davin on the other side of the pasture from this scene.

(OOC: Ongoing Intiative: Outreach, Davin, Terranean, Nic) Nic, please roll strength and endurance, plus anything else you want to try in the short time you have left....^_^
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:53, Thu 09 Sept 2021.

Davin paused in his walk as the wall of earth rose to cut him off and he sighed. He carried little for this battle, but the rudeness along with this Zola and the automata's willingness to work with him was tiring. He also supposed he needed to make sure the idiot was alive. He let the bier slow to a stop though still hovering and stretched out his arms. His body dissolved into that of an Eagle-Owl and he took flight to gain position above the wall. The thoughts of the automata were hidden from him and so made him uncertain for a moment before he continued on. The bier rose with him in sympathetic response.

OOC:  Davin Mandic rolled 80 using 1d100 ((80)) Shapeshifting.

The older man is momentarily taken aback by the complete engulfment of Nic, leaving no immediate means of evacuating him from Geo's wrath.

He recovers himself as well as possible, holding up a restraining hand once again.

"Halt, Geo!  Release him now, without further harm!"

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:25, Today: Outreach rolled 50 using 1d100+40.  Emotion Control: Submissiveness +40 Team Karma.

OOC: On the Original Universal Table, 46+ would be a green feat... but on the Newfangled Universal Table, 51+ is required.  I maxed out allowable Karma spent on a single roll, and still just missed... :o

UPDATE!
(OOC: @Outreach: the rolls are meant to be failable even with maxed karma. It's a little harsher, I try not to make failure hurt too badly when it happens. There should always be an outside chance that you can still fail. I'm hoping Nic will post soon so we can see what's about to happen, but I'm grateful he's letting us get a little workout first. ^_^)

 Davin takes to the air coming up over the wall of earth that Geo had raised.

 Geo looks at the man and shakes his head. "I told you, not to interfere. I still do not wish to harm you, nor this man. Bring back the others or I will have no choice but to keep this man captive. I will trade them if I must. They cannot be allowed to return together. No matter the cost. I don't think he's going to last much longer, so you must decide quickly."

 Seeing Davin makes Geo change his tactics then. As a boulder of grey stone and shiny hematite spiderwebbed throughout it seems to unearth itself and shapes itself, cracking, tumbling, and refusing into another wall around Geo himself, complete with a shadowy viewport. Two suspiciously barrel-shaped hollow cylinders smoothly begin to extend from the top of the wall as pieces of rock tumbled up to join in its creation. "I only need ONE of the sliver-bearers though. So perhaps I should simply make my exit..."

(OOC: This is the kinda drama I love about making games! Make agility rolls for me, both of you during your next turn Davin and Outreach, and any other rolls you'd like to try!.)

Davin made a high screeching sound of indignation and simply circled higher into the sky dragging the bier behind him by force of will. He made no attempt to cross the wall and instead seemed to be orienting himself on Berlin and the crashed airship. Slowly circling away from the confrontation below him.



OOC: Davin Mandic rolled 74 using 1d100. Agility Roll.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:17, Mon 13 Sept 2021.

Nic was engulfed and his world was made out of earth, dirt and rocks suddenly. And pain. He was so beaten up and tired.

He was confused for a moment, then he got angry. He was tired of arrogant assholes thinking they knew best and doing whatever they wanted. And people deciding things for him - that only partially included Davin intruded on him mentally and offering something that sounded less like a suggestion than it might have been intended.

Regardless, he was hurt, unable to breathe and didn't want to be captured or used as a bargaining chip/hostage. He kept his mouth closed, his breath inside, whatever he'd been able to get right before the wall came up. He kept his eyes closed as well, not wanting to get any gunk in them. He didn't need to see for what he was about to try anyway. He reached out for the power, for the light inside him, and showed it to the world around him once more.

He created light around him, skin tight and thin, then began building it quickly, pushing it outward from him rapidly, pushing the earth away from him as hard as he could, creating a bubble around him.

22:43, Today: Luminary rolled 20 using 1d100.  Light Control (Solidifcation 3rd time) (50 karma to try, +40 karma to roll).

The older man prayed silently, grounding himself as he faced the stresses of the current situation.

Then he holds up his other hand calmly, his voice carrying clearly.

"Geo.  Please release him NOW, without further harm."

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:25, Today: Outreach rolled 59 using 1d100+40.  Emotion Control: Submissiveness +40 Team Karma.

OOC: Green feat at last!  :)

UPDATE!

 Outreach extended his power and calm. The metal man actually screeched to a halt. Geo's hands clenched into a fist and struggled forward defiantly but at that moment Nic explodes from his earthen prison, a bubble of white light surrounded him.

 Davin a dozen meters away is repulsed by the flash of light but shakes it off quickly. Circling higher overhead with the chill air. His senses tell him the others were safe in a place far from harm, Nic would be fine if they could get away from the mindless metal man.

 Nic and Outreach find themselves facing Geo who looked thoroughly pissed but stayed quiet except for some moans of loathing and betrayal. It was clear, he knew he was beaten and he had no leverage.

(OOC: Ok, how you do you want to deal with Geo now?)

The older man silently gave a brief prayer of thanks as his eyes wandered over the field of battle.

For just a moment, he considered further questioning Geo... but one look at Nic dissuaded him.

The latter had already been injured before getting engulfed, and he seemed even worse off now.

His control of Geo also did not seem quite as firm as before, and there was no telling when he might break free once again.

Whatever further information could be obtained was not worth the risk.

"Geo...  You have brought harm to others, but I still do not seek your harm or your enmity..."

In the blink of an eye, he appeared next to Nic.

"Farewell..."

And in another blink of an eye, they disappeared.

RPoL Dice Roller:

20:49, Today: Outreach rolled 108 using 1d100+30.  Move Action Teleport +30 Team Karma.
20:50, Today: Outreach rolled 49 using 1d100.  Regular Action Teleport.

Red feat and green feat respectively.

Hopefully the former is sufficient to get through any challenges posed by the light bubble.

Hopefully we also get a bagload of Karma, since I have been deficit spending Team Karma like there is no tomorrow... ;)

Davin cirlced one last time before flapping his wings and heading towards Berlin with his grim baggage trailing behind him. In the halls of his mind he sang an old lullaby that was old when Romulus and Remus were born - it spoke of night's gentle embrace and day's rising call. He sang the song until he could no longer hear the mind following behind him.

As he sang he sought out the thoughts of the others - particularly Ms. Blankenship and the agent.

Nic started to get himself ready. He turned to look at Geo, encased in a bubble of light. His face clearly showed his anger. He was angry about several things - but right then, it was mostly about being seen as not even a person, but just something to be studied and used!

He let out a growl, "You're not taking me anywhere, metalhead! Nor the others!"

He got ready to unleash the light in a powerful blast if Geo was determined and tried anything hostile again.

Chapter 1.5: Conclusion

 When Nic breaks free, chunks of sod fly everywhere. He stands within the light bubble and makes his ultimatum to Geo, who seems locked in place for the moment. His features are unsettling and unreadable for the most part, but the metal man's moaning groans seem to continue despite his words. His voice did not match his calm demeanor, however, "I will have my revenge if the signal goes out. Mark My Words..."

 With a sudden blink of the eye, Outreach is with Nic, "Farewell"

 
Moment's later in St.Petersburg, Russia...

 The pair suddenly appear within a Hostel's barn stable. There are several horses quietly neighing, eating feed, and snorting. Outside, the sounds of city life seem quiet but still obvious at this later hour.


 High above the skies where he'd left Geo, Davin watched as the last two living people winked out, jetting minds across time and space. The man seemed at peace after his struggle against the gas' toxic components, and Davin feels his mind slip into the ether... Scanning across the landscape he senses Ms.Blankenship's mental signature moving further and further afield, and came to understand she'd continued on the train.

(OOC: Great RPing folks! Karma awards forthcoming! Check the Team status thread and record your karma on your char sheet!)

Davin lands with the bier, returning to human form he sighs softly as he closes the eyes of the dead. Then reaching down to place his hand on the forehead of the deceased, "I am sorry. I do not have the true light or darkness." Red black energy coursed from his palm and engulfed the body searing heat and darkness in a strobing flash of red black. It went on for quite some time until only ash remained of the body. The red black fire congealed into solid energy and collected the ashes. Reaching into his jacket he collects what remains into a small canister and tucks it back into his jacket pocket.

Orienting himself toward Ms. Blankenship's thoughts and thus the train, he let's the crystal bier fall to the ground to dissolve in it's own time before leaping upward as an Eagle-Owl again. The train had a head start, but he was faster in the air then it was on the tracks.

Nic felt that now-becoming-familiar wrenching sensation as he was quickly and forcibly transported to a different location. He let out a grunt and looked at the ground, flinging his arms out a little to steady himself.

"UGH!" He swallowed and then brought his head back up, finding the teleporter that he barely knew. "Will you st..." He let out a sigh and calmed himself, drawing in a deep breath. "Where are we? And who are you?"

Freed from the necessity of keeping Geo controlled, the older man breathed a sigh of relief, and reverted to radiating his natural peaceful calm.

"We are now in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the barn of a Hostel."

"For obvious reasons, we are on the opposite side of the barn from your four rescued companions."

"My name is Cornelius Christophers, a Calvinist missionary to Siberia.  Well met."

"It seemed like you were in need of a helping hand.  You five are safe for now, thanks be to God."

His mundane and extraordinary senses blipped as he regarded the man gravely.

"It seems like you are still in need of a helping hand.  I appreciate your curiosity, but you have significant injuries.  I would strongly advise my attending to the latter first, but I will leave the choice in your hands."

Nic's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot towards the sky. "Russia?"

He let out a breath. He ran a hand through his hair. "Nic Raines."

He shook his head. "I'll be fine in a bit. Just need some rest." And time in the sunlight.

He eyed the other man. "Why're you involved? How did you even know to come to the airship?"

"Well, 'God moves in a mysterious way'..."

The older man pondered the query thoughtfully.

"You also have received extraordinary gifts, so that saves me some explanation."

"The Sovereign One gave me extraordinary gifts useful to a missionary, including transport, languages, healing, and other empathic-related abilities."

"One of these will, from time to time, spontaneously transport me to where there is need... but there are obviously many needs in this troubled world."

"Why was I sent to you, rather than to another?"

"God is Sovereign, both in choosing these gifts for me, and in choosing how they operate."

"Therefore, I came to the airship because God brought me to you."

"There are many that I have been able to minister to where our ways parted quickly after.  There are others where bonds of one sort or another were formed."

He regarded the younger man appraisingly.

"But why was I sent to you?  Perhaps you five together... may hold some significance, shall we say, greater than the norm...?"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:25, Mon 20 Sept 2021.