Skyrise

[Click]

IC: Fifteen - Capstone

 

She took a few deep breaths and glanced toward where Rorohiko was pointing. As far as she could tell, it was just as much of a mess as the rest of this ramshackle town. But he had offered her a glimmer of hope. "You're right... he must be at the ship. He's probably waiting for us there, wondering where we are..."

[Timageness]

IC: Saffina - The Wastes (Shipwreck)

 

"Fair enough. Caution usually isn't something to be casually ignored, after all."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Rorohiko - Uh

 

"That's, uh, not what I said," Rorohiko said, giving her a confused look. "I said I heard him yelling from that direction, and maybe we should go see if he's okay. I mean, I'm no fighter, but we can't just leave him there if he's in trouble, right?"

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril/Varim/Barlow - Cliffside. 

 

The duel between the two spymasters turned out to be surprisingly evenly-matched. While Xaril held superiority in terms of size and strength, Varim maintained an edge through speed and agility, not to mention the added advantage provided by his powers and mask. 

 

Barlow tried to scamper away a few times, only to be knocked back by one, or the other, or both, of the other two beings. In the end, he just lay there on the ground, waiting to see which of the pair would emerge triumphant. 

[Coconut Fella]

IC: Threiaa - Beasty Bits

"Oi! Don't be rude!" She flicked the back of Ailun's head with her hand, not with any intent to harm, "It's a roight noice pin. Thing."

"I think we would like to talk with this Branar, though. Moighta roughed up Maiden a bit much with that rammin', and I'd like fix whatever ails her.."

Her smile widened, thinking back to the smashing event.

 

IC: Tveke - Second Breath

I took her hand gladly, and shook.

[Click]

IC: Fifteen - Capstone
 
Her shoulders slumped, and she started leading the way along the path of destruction. "Come on then..."
 
 
IC: Ailun - Beastie BIts

 

Ailun glared at his captain as he absently rubbed the back of his head. "Where can we find this Branar?"

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - Goopy Guts

 

Armani considered this briefly. "Well, the best place to find him would likely be the Tower. I would try there first. At the very least, there would be someone to point you in the right direction. He is very busy, being Captain and such. I would be glad to accompany you, if you would like, to lend further credibility to your story. Or, you could simply show him your incredibly tasteful badge, though he may still require some manner of proof of your actions, if he hadn't witnessed them himself."

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - NERD CREW Expedition

 

He followed behind, but in front of Karanta. "Look, sorry for insisting, but I just don't think we should leave him out there by himself if he's in trouble. And I don't know if it's a good idea for any of us to go back alone, so we all have to go."

[Eiji Hino]

--IC: Tolo: Tesara--

When the handshake was over, Tolo pulled out her tools and started her work by rewiring those readout screens.

"So you got a name?" she asked, while she was elbows-deep in wires.

[Dane-gerous]

IC: Taurek - Talking to Kathok

 

I thought it over for a moment.

 

"Fine." I growled. "But if you try to make off with any of this reward, watch."

 

 

IC: Wehtok - In a chase

 

I felt my head beginning to lighten as blood poured from my wounds. I ducked just in time to dodge a metal disc flying past my head.

 

Desperately I sped forward, my eyes shooting towards my gun every few seconds frantically.

[Onaku]

IC: Drukann - Capstone

 

Meanwhile, Drukann had entered Capstone. Apparently, with the two dolts outside trying to lure her outside, Silvana had survived and made it back to Cliffside. Drukann looked around the space inside Capstone, and sure enough, there she was, sitting at the bar.

 

What with the bar having been his destination before he even knew Silvana was sitting there, he decided to go there anyway. Taking a seat next to Silvana, although not so close that he was invading her personal space, Drukann asked the bartender for the usual. A bottle of cheap alcohol to stave off his sobriety.

 

"Well well. So you survived and made it to Cliffside after all?" Drukann said to her, an impressed tone to his voice.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Silvana - Capstone. 

 

"Hm?" She glanced over to Drukann, her tired mind taking a moment to process who he was, "Oh, hey. Yeah, I made it. My client wasn't too appreciative of the delay, but there's not much to be done about that." 

[Onaku]

IC: Drukann - Capstone

 

"Yeah. Well, here's to living for the next contract." Drukann raised his bottle.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Silvana - Capstone. 

 

"I'll drink to that," she agreed, taking another gulp from her own glass. 

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - Shipwreck

 

Her ship turned left and she took off to take another look around the wreck. She was flying close to the ground, inspecting holes up close and glancing away every now and then toward the horizon. Ektana's gut was telling her that something was there, waiting.

 

IC: Parii - Cliffside

 

Parii kept staring, curious of who will win the fight.

Edited April 28, 2017 by permanentlyExtinct

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril/Varim/Barlow - Cliffside, Outskirts. 

 

Grinning wickedly, Varim activated his mask once more, flinging Xaril towards the edge of the plateau. The larger being scrambled for a handhold, managing to dig his fingers into the gravelly ground before he could slide completely over the side of the settlement. 

 

"Well, this has been fun, Xaril," Varim panted, "I'd wish you better luck for next time, but..." he raised his spear, "...I'm afraid there's not going to be a next time for you." Xaril was about to simply shatter his body into its crystal form, but before he had the chance, Varim was grabbed from behind and punted over the edge, vanishing into the darkness without so much as a cry of surprise. 

 

"I helped you," Barlow growled, lowering his foot, "Now you leave me be." 

 

"It doesn't work like that," Xaril dissolved into a cloud of crystalline shards, rematerialising beside Barlow as the Steltian attempted to enter flight mode. Xaril's sword came crashing down onto one of Barlow's legs, and the Bruiser crashed to the ground with an agonised cry, "You have a lot to answer for, Barlow."

_________________________________________________________________________

 

GM IC: Bloat/Joe - Aqua Magna, Golden Being's Fortress.

 

Keeping their weapons at the ready, the unlikely duo cautiously approached the ruins, Joe gesturing excitedly for the rest of the group to follow. There was a fallen tower just ahead, which looked to have once stood in the very centre of the structure. With any luck, it would lead the group directly towards the heart of the Golden Being's once-mighty fortress.

_________________________________________________________________________

 

GM IC: Hakkzan and co. - New Atero, Fallen Wall. 

 

Remaining at a safe distance alongside his usual aides, Hakkzan watched his people go to work. Already, airships had been deployed from the docks to help raise the damaged section of wall, while guards and citizens alike were going to work clearing away the wreckage and bodies. Beyond the wall, ground transports were beginning to attach cables to the monstrous corpse, in preparation to drag it away from the city. 

 

Misguided fool that he was, Hakkzan couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as he watched his people hard at work. 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

GM IC: Shipwreck - Plateau, The Wastes. 

 

Given the speed that aircraft had to move at just to remain airborne, Ektana would discern very little from her aerial expedition, especially given the low-light conditions in the current environment.

 

However, if she or Saffina were to dismount and more closely inspect the surrounding ground, they would notice Vorox tracks. Lots of them. But there was something not quite right about the footprints. They appeared and disappeared at random, and didn't seem to actually lead off anywhere. The question of where the Vorox had come from, or where they had gone, remained unanswered. 

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - Shipwreck

 

After a full round around the aircraft, she put her worries aside. "Everything seems good," Ektana reported.

[Timageness]

IC: Saffina - The Wastes (Shipwreck)

 

Given that the Vortixx had already been on the ground prior to Ektana's second scouting pass, the footprints weren't exactly difficult to notice. At first glance, she had nearly chalked up the discrepancies to possibly boarding some type of vehicle of sorts, which would've only provided more evidence to potentially prove her theory, but upon further examination, something still didn't seem quite right with them. There were no signs that any other craft, aside from their own, of course, had been anywhere near the downed airship for quite some time (if ever at all), and any older wheeled or treaded machinery that were previously favored by the inhabitants of this planet would've certainly left behind indications of their presence. Worse yet, none of them seemed to even head towards the wreckage in any capacity whatsoever, meaning that those that made them hadn't even stopped to loot their quarry after going through all the trouble just to bring it down out of the sky.

Shifty Cliffside Skakdi... Scorch marks on the armor... An attack from above with pinpoint accuracy... Advanced knowledge of an airship's interior... Supposed Vorox assault with tracks that lead nowhere...

Yeah, this didn't practically scream "Trap" or anything.

Passing it off as a relatively simple scan of the perimeter, she began gingerly looking around, trying to assess the nearby terrain for any feasible vantage points, only to settle on one area in particular after taking the current position of The Takea into consideration. Cursing mentally for not coming to the conclusion sooner, she continued to pretend as if everything was normal as the Skakdi eventually returned.

"Excellent," Saffina responded, darting her eyes back towards the foliage, and assuming that her companion would pick up on the hint. "Then we can finally get to work, and drink to our success when we arrive back in - "

And that's when she made her move.

Subtly inching her foot towards a fragmented piece of scrap metal as she spoke, she quickly flipped it up into the air with her toes before catching it, spinning herself back towards the brush, and blindly hurling it into the tree line as if it was an extremely blunt Razor Disk. Sure, it wasn't the most aerodynamic shard of airship armor, and the area itself was quite large, thus reducing her chances of actually hitting anything that wasn't composed of plant matter, but it would still certainly hurt if it did. Especially if it were to, say, dome a certain Skakdi of Lightning upside the head, for example. One who obviously didn't put too much time and effort into fabricating the fake Vorox trail he was planning to trick people with. And if that failed, well... at least he'd now know that they knew he was out there.

Better luck next time, Blackbristle. It's going to take a lot more than that to separate me from my vessel.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Shipwreck - Plateau, The Wastes. 

 

For someone who was supposed to pride themselves on planning her every action down to the smallest detail, Saffina had certainly rushed into this operation with almost no consideration for the actual facts. Much of her theories about the current situation were incorrect, and her habit of immediately jumping to whatever erroneous conclusion that popped into her head definitely wasn't helping. 

 

Firstly, if she'd stopped to inspect the loading ramp at the rear of the downed vessel, she'd have found the doors wrenched wide open, with further Vorox tracks and drag marks in the sand serving to indicate that the attackers had indeed taken the time to loot their prize.

 

Secondly, there was no plantlife in the wastes. That was why they were called the wastes. There was no rain, no soil, no solace from the unrelenting wind, or the ever-shifting ground, or the searing sun that burned down upon them for 18 hours a day. The wastes were nothing but rock and sand, the only cover upon them being slightly taller rocks, or slightly deeper piles of sand. 

 

Thirdly, the two Skakdi Saffina had encountered at Cliffside had been warning people to avoid this area. If they'd been trying to lure people into a trap, they surely would've come up with more compelling bait than "stay far away from this place". Not to mention the fact that Cliffside's preeminent pirate had far better things to be doing with his time than setting half-baked ambushes out in the middle of nowhere. Indeed, at this very moment, Blackbristle was sleeping soundly in his bunk aboard the King Irnakk's Revenge, moored back at Cliffside. Saffina was overestimating her own importance to an extraordinary degree if she thought he would go to all of this trouble just to steal her ship. 

 

But for all of her mistaken preconceptions, Saffina latest actions did produce results. As the chunk of wreckage she'd flung bounced off a distant outcropping or rock, it startled... something... out of hiding. Something that let out a nightmarish shriek before launching itself into the air, borne into the murk of the evening gloom by a set of oversized, dragonfly-esque wings. The thundering of wingbeats soon filled the still night air as more of the creatures emerged from their vantage points, beginning to circle the shipwreck, just outside the reach of the pirate's lights. 

[Eiji Hino]

--IC: Hestala: Capstone--

Hestala took the opportunity to examine her recent "findings."  She had picked them off of her now-gone barmate after severely intoxicating him; though even without all the drinks, he would still have been disappointingly easy to pickpocket.

The bag of widgets she had taken was about a third full of the currency; not too bad, but still not as much as she'd have liked.  In addition to the bag, she had also taken a rather fine-looking dagger.  That would surely bring even more widgets.

Dropping a few widgets on the bar counter, the Vortixx exited the bar and began to amble about the complex of establishments called Capstone, looking for a pawn shop or some place she could sell the dagger.

 

--OOC:--

Hestala is Open For Interaction.

[Ehksidian]

IC: Karanta - THE NERD CREW

 

"Well...I'll go with you if you wanna go, Roro. We should stick together as much as possible."

 

IC: Enannas - Trophy obtained.

 

Once Ennanas had retrieved her trophy, she lifted off and began circling the beast once again...just to make sure it was fully dead. As she circled it, her eyes caught sight of a few ships parked by the guts of the beast...the ships that helped assault the beast with her. She slowed down, and landed next to the other ships.

 

"Hail, fellow hunters."

 

OOC: Ennanas landed next to Armani and co.

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - Goopy Guts

 

At the greeting, Armani turned and grinned. "Hello, pilot! Thank you very much for your assistance in felling this beast. I was just discussing the matter of payment with my cohorts here. I understand your ship was damaged in the battle?"

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - Cliffside

 

"Yeah, I think-"

 

He stopped as he reached Xaril and an injured Steltian, and it seemed like they had stopped fighting. Rorohiko scuffed at the dirt, a little embarrassed. "Oh. I guess we didn't need to help after all. Guess that's for the best, really."

 

Not wanting to waste the trip he led all the way out here, he called out to the taller pair, "Um, hey Xaril... You okay?"

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril - Cliffside, Outskirts. 

 

"Okay... is a relative term..." he straightened, turning towards the group, "...but I have what I came for."

[Ehksidian]

IC: Karanta - NERD CREW

 

"Well...uh, that's...good. Is it time to return to the Fist? 'Cause I feel like it's getting preeeeetty late."

 

IC: Ennanas - IT HAS BIG GUTS

 

Ennanas gave a short, curt nod. "Ship was damaged. Still flyable. Will need repairs." Her eyes wandered over to the beast's corpse, and she let out a sigh. "Successful hunt. Collapse of wall is...very unfortunate. Repair assistance needed for that?"

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril - Cliffside, Outskirts. 

 

"Unless you would all prefer to stay the night in this desolate cesspool," Xaril muttered, using Barlow's coat to wipe the blood from his sword, before sheathing the weapon and hauling the wounded Steltian upright, "Then yes, I think it's best that we left this place." He cast a wayward glance towards the trail of collapsed shanties left in the wake of his pursuit, "I think we've already overstayed our welcome." 

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Ektana - Shipwreck

 

GM IC: Shipwreck - Plateau, The Wastes. 

 

But for all of her mistaken preconceptions, Saffina latest actions did produce results. As the chunk of wreckage she'd flung bounced off a distant outcropping or rock, it startled... something... out of hiding. Something that let out a nightmarish shriek before launching itself into the air, borne into the murk of the evening gloom by a set of oversized, dragonfly-esque wings. The thundering of wingbeats soon filled the still night air as more of the creatures emerged from their vantage points, beginning to circle the shipwreck, just outside the reach of the pirate's lights. 

Ektana glanced at the Vortixx for a fraction of a second and started running towards her ship, hoping to get inside in time. "Saffina?!" she tried to scream through the cacophony of shrieks and wingbeats.

Edited May 16, 2017 by permanentlyExtinct

[Click]

IC: Fifteen - Cliffside Outskirts
 
She shook her head adamantly. "Let's go," she said curtly.
 
 
IC: Ailun - Beastie Bits (New Atero)
 
He looked up at Threiaa. "Well? Let's go already. I want to get paid!"
 
 
IC: Serka - Golden Being Fortress (Aqua Magna)
 
She followed the two with gentle kicks of her fins, carefully searching the water for the least sign of movement. That one monster couldn't be it...

[Ehksidian]

IC: Karanta - NERD CREW

 

"...No thanks. Leaving is a very good idea at this point," Karanta answered, glancing around at the ruined buildings. "Let's, uh, get moving. Fast."

 

IC: Ennanas - GUTS.

 

Ennanas glanced over from Armani, towards Aliun. "Hunter? Did not take you for one. Glad to see even fake Agori can hunt."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - Goopy Guts

 

Armani was going to offer to tag along with the group again, but stopped at the newcomer's comment. "Hold on a moment, pilot. What you just said to our companion can very easily be seen as impolite and hurtful! But, it seems you were unaware of the implications of your statement. I am sure any offense was accidental. Just keep it in mind for next time!"

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - Cliffside

 

He looked between Xaril and his new companion, and then nodded. "Um, sure. We're done at the markets, anyway."

Edited May 18, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril - The Iron Fist of Fe.

 

Shoving the limping Barlow ahead of him, Xaril wasted no time in heading straight back to the waiting safety of his ship. Once on board, he forcibly strapped Barlow down into one of the seats in the hold, then turned to address the group. "I suggest you find yourselves a chair or an empty cabin and get some sleep while you can. It'll likely be morning by the time we get back, and you know our esteemed leadership frowns on its citizens taking days off." 

 

With that, he gave a shout to the pilot, and the airship began its steady, slow ascent. 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Nato The Traveler

[Coconut Fella]

IC: Threiaa - Grimey guts

She let out a bark of a laugh.

"HA! Y'hear that? You're a bon-a-foide fake agori, Ailun! Haha!"

She chuckled a bit more to herself, before settling down, and turning to Armani.

"Alroight then. I'm sure my companion here would be fine with you tagging along, being an official an' such."

Edited May 24, 2017 by Coconut Fella

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Rorohiko - Xaril's Friend Ship

 

Rorohiko smiled. "Thanks for the advice, but I slept yesterday. I'm good. Besides, I have work to do with me."

 

He took a seat near Xaril's prisoner- not too close, he knew the guy had to be some kind of criminal, the way they were strapped down- and flipped open the covering on his arm. There was a self-replicating loop that had been bothering him all day, and he was pretty happy to spend the flight over trying to puzzle it out.

 

~

 

OOC: Just editing in an Armani reply, don't mind me

 

~

 

IC: Armani - Goopy Guts

 

She replied to Threiaa, "I would be glad to join you, pilot! Your noble sacrifice deserves to be acknowledged by New Atero."

 

She paired this statement with a wide, warm grin.

Edited May 24, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[Ehksidian]

IC: Karanta - SLEEPING IN THE FRIEND SHIP

 

Karanta stepped into the ship, close behind Xaril and Barlow. Soon after Xaril finished speaking, she gave a brief salute. "Yessir," was all she said, before wandering off to sit in a chair. Soon after Karanta strapped herself in, her quiet snores bounded off the walls of the room.

 

IC: Ennanas - HUGE GUTS

 

Ennanas tilted her head in bewilderment. "False Agori simply are. Fact. Built to mimic Agori, but different. Not negative, nor judgemental. Simply is name," She muttered, glancing between both Aliun and Armani. "Glad to see they hunt. Mechanical means hardy. Hunting is excellent use of hardiness. More fake Agori should hunt."

 

Her gaze finally settled back to the towering Skrall. "Proper name for false Agori?" Ennanas asked curiously. "Unaware of it. Simply call them fake Agori."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Armani - External Entrails

 

Her eyes lit up with realisation. "Ah! You simply don't know the term? That explains things. You see, pilot, the term 'fake Agori' is considered offensive by some, as it implies that they aren't real people. Which, I understand, was not your intention, but it is important to know the implications of your words! As for our friend here, he is a Matoran, I believe."

 

She turned to Ailun. "Oh, and how rude of me not to ask! Would you like me to join you in speaking with Branar? If such a thing makes you uncomfortable, or the option is otherwise disagreeable to you, that is perfectly fine."

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - Xaril's Friend Ship

 

He glanced at Karanta settling down in her chair, and then his gaze drifted to Xaril's new friend momentarily before going back to his work, buckled into a chair. Without looking up, he asked the Steltian, "So, uh. What are you in for? Or, well, being brought in for. I think. I don't mean to jump to conclusions, but Xaril didn't seem all too happy with you."

[Click]

IC: Fifteen - Iron Fist
 
She too offered Xaril a Fean salute and fell into line behind Karanta. It had been a long, stressful day, and Fifteen hoped they might arrive before her early shift. She did not like being late...
 
And with that thought, she too dropped off into sleep.
 
 
IC: Ailun - Beastie Bits
 
Ailun could only listen in stunned silence as his excellent comeback was cut off by none other than Miss "Thumbs Up" herself. He could only listen to the nonsense spewing out of her mouth for so long. "No! In fact, I'm not fine with it! We can find Branar on our own. Come on, Captain." And he started wandering off toward the city center.

[Nato G]

GM IC: Barlow/Xaril - The Iron Fist of Fe. 

 

"I..." The Steltian started to stammer.

 

"Barlow here stole valuable schematics from Fe and sold them to New Atero." Xaril interjected, "The Council will, of course, sentence him to death, a public execution to remind our people what happens to traitors."

 

Barlow hung his head. 

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

OOC: Oh noooooo, Ailun ;a;

 

IC: Armani - Ruining Ailun's Sick Burns

 

She followed Ailun, noting his tone. "I apologise, pilot, if I have said anything to upset you. It was purely unintentional if that is the case. I will not insist upon joining you, but I do hope that Captain Branar rewards your actions appropriately."

 

~

 

IC: Rorohiko - Awkward

 

He looked up, at Barlow, and then at Xaril, and then back at Barlow. He shifted uncomfortably. "Um... really? Wow. That's... That's harsh. Does it, uh, have to be... that? The death penalty, I mean? Can't they do something less, you know... deadly?"

Edited May 26, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[Nato G]

GM IC: Xaril - The Iron Fist of Fe.

 

"I don't make the rules," Xaril replied, "I just enforce them." With that, stepped into the corridor in search of an empty cabin to lie down in, leaving both passenger and prisoner alike alone in the cargo hold. 

[permanentlyExtinct]

IC: Parii - Cliffside

 

What.

 

He wasn't entirely sure what exactly happened. Parii woke up from his "trance" once the group left. He tried to catch up, but before long he could only see their ship taking off.

 

He stared into the sky, his eyes following the airship. Well, at least he was still alive; that's a good thing. Probably.

 

OOC: why am I so late, I literally missed all the good stuff. Parii is OFI

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Rorohiko - REALLY Awkward

 

He looked back to Barlow. He knew, of course, that stealing from Fe was a very serious offence. But he didn't like the thought of the Steltian sitting before him returning to Fe, only to die. He didn't know what he could do about that. "Um, look, maybe they'll be lenient? Maybe if you tell them who you gave the stolen schematics to- or if you still have them on you, you could return them?"

[Nato G]

GM IC: Barlow - The Iron Fist of Fe.

 

"Fe doesn't do leniency," Barlow muttered.