Null's Game

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:16 am

Once the ichistag is out of the way, Kyrie takes a seat on the grass and begins slowly paging through the book, a brief glance about the others every so often as she scans carefully through its pages.

"I hope, then, that this isn't sacrilegious of us, Lady Elvenblade?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:25 am

"The ones who saw this as a holy place died out long ago." Elvenblade says. "No one is going to have your heads on pikes."

The book, Kyrie notes, is largely artworks in various mediums. Charcoal is the most dominant, and it's all been put together by the skilled hand of a very talented artist.

...The subjects, however, may be a tad worrying.

The first several pictures are simple. Plants, a few animals, seemingly random people. About a dozen pages in, the portraits become more specific- Triya and Sana, Kyrie, Oleai, Rasmus, Red and Spitter. Then, some more surprising additions: Several portraits of Stray. Even one of Captain Nezza. Several portraits of each, along with more ornate pieces; Oleai communing with the wind, leaves blustering around her. Red with a pair of pistols, holding them desperado style. Spitter divebombing onto some unsuspecting animal. Ramsus walking with a rather enormous sword slung over his shoulder. Sana in a spirited discussion with some unseen opponent, Triya standing incredulously to the side. Kyrie and Stray in a Mantid stance in a Nekana dojo. Nezza, slumped over a bar, several mugs at her side. And then Stray, standing in dramatic despair in front of some burning city.

Following that a page of text. Most of it is a language Kyrie can't even begin to understand, but near the bottom, common: 'Wake up my dear young friend, and the hate shall fade away'. On the page opposite that, written in large, jagged letters in blood red ink:

I WILL NOT MOVE YET
ILL STAND STILL INSTEAD

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:39 pm

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE DROPPIN' THAT!" Yelled Rasmus. He turned on his heel and stomped out of the circle, fuming. After kicking around the snow for a minute, he looked back and contented himself with glowering at Red, the meal ignored and book forgotten.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu May 01, 2014 2:31 am

Enraptured by the images, Kyrie continues to flip through the book, her expression increasingly confused and worried with each new page. Finally, she reaches the end, startled by the print and trying to process just what it is she's just seen.

Continuing on past the scrawled message with a slightly shaky hand, taking in every detail of the pages that feature herself and her traveling companions, she speaks up to Elvenblade without her eyes ever leaving the book. "...Lady Elvenblade...would you...happen to know who left this here? Was it here when you arrived today?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby AlwaysAPrice » Thu May 01, 2014 2:35 am

"I did." Red flashed Rasmus her smuggest grin. Admittedly, half to mask her nervousness as she wandered around the weird bubble thing until she had the much taller Oleai between her and Elvenblade's line of sight. It apparently didn't occur to her that a scrawny but bright red razorbeak would be a lot more of a giveaway than her outfit, as she shot Spitter a look and told her, "It's not doing anything to Kyrie, just go pull it out if you think it's gonna make it taste funny! You big hatchling." Spitter squawked indignantly, spat, then folded her wings tightly to her sides as if steeling herself before strutting into the bubble to snag the ichistag's broken neck with her beak and start dragging it out of the unnerving phenomenon.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Thu May 01, 2014 2:47 am

The springy nature of the grass makes it easy to drag the Ichistag off of, back into the snow where it can be devoured in peace without worrying about godless...time...bubbles.

Elvenblade continues to pay absolutely no heed to Red as she moves to inspect another stone. "It was here when I arrived, yes. Sorry, I can't help you."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu May 01, 2014 2:50 am

"The rest of you ought to look at this." Looking between the others of the party, she nods them towards the book, holding it open to some of the various images of themselves. "I...I don't even know what to think about it."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Oleai » Fri May 02, 2014 3:52 am

Oleai tests the bubble with her hand - like it might be burning or freezing, despite the pair who had already stepped inside. Drawing her arms in nervously, she steps in to crouch down next to Kyrie and look at the book.

"Are those.. those look like us almost!" She beamed, delighted at first as she scanned over the images. The expression changing in ticks every moment that passes. ".. Kyrie.. that IS us. These .." The plainsrunner glanced back at Elvenblade before waving to the others in her party, "Come look at this!"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Fri May 02, 2014 6:33 pm

Done with kicking the snow, Rasmus came over at Oleai's call and peered down at the book. Initially looking unimpressed, his expression quickly becomes one of confusion.

"Why'm I in your book? That book?"

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Kelne
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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Kelne » Sun May 04, 2014 8:22 am

"Well, that's... interesting," Triya said, perusing the pictures, "Looks as if somebody left it here for us to find, doesn't it?" she asked. If not, the coincidence was one to strain credulity that they'd just happened to run across this book, "Somebody else following our exploits, I suppose."

They already had the alchemists chasing them about, so this indication of another group watching them wasn't exactly welcome.

Then again, it was a strange world. It was possible the book had been in some way tweaked so as to show images of the first people to come along and pick it up. Somehow though, Triya didn't find such an explanation convincing.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Sun May 04, 2014 3:21 pm

"Not our exploits, though. Nothing we've actually done is in here, just...us in different scenarios." She hands the book off to one of the others, standing. "And it looks a bit old, too. I don't know...does anyone here know anything about bookbinding? I...almost get the feeling that this might not be as current as it seems."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Mon May 05, 2014 10:39 am

"You can put new drawings on old paper." Elvenblade says bluntly, moving on to another stone marker.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Wed May 07, 2014 10:23 pm

Rasmus took the book and flipped through a few pages with an unamused look before handing it off to the next person.

"'kay, so it's not old. But someone's still followin' us, or somethin' like that." He paused for a moment as a thought occurred to him. He glanced back at the book and asked, "There any kinda signature in there?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu May 08, 2014 9:26 pm

Feeling a tad silly now with Elvenblade's statement (though really, who would think a person to ruin old paper with any sort of imagery?), she takes the book back from Rasmus, nodding as she flips to a few varied images, and pointing out a recurring symbol. "This shows up on quite a few of the pictures; I imagine that might be exactly what it is. Do any of you recognize it? I've never seen it before."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby AlwaysAPrice » Fri May 09, 2014 9:32 am

Red nodded a little as she considered the picture of herself wielding exactly, or as exactly as could be represented in charcoal, the Black Rider pistols she was pursuing. The ones she'd never had her hands on in her life, but was damn well determined to recover. That, along with the final scrawled message, creeped her out enough to determine her reaction to the book as a whole. "Yyyeah, I'm going to go start a fire. So we can burn it." Red went to go start a fire. So they could burn it.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Kelne » Sat May 10, 2014 7:34 am

"What good would that do?" Triya asked, a tad confused about Red's plan. After all, it wasn't as if they could unsee the book if they burned it. Nor would burning it get rid of whoever had written it. "I mean, I'm not sure what to do with the book, but I don't think fire is the answer."

The symbol didn't mean much to her. She had a suspicion it might be an abstract representation of something, but what eluded her. Sana probably wasn't going to be much help either, judging by the gentle snoring emanating from the cart. Something to run by her in the morning, perhaps.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Sat May 10, 2014 8:26 pm

"I agree." Getting back to her feet, Kyrie shifts the book to a more protective grip. "We wouldn't gain anything by burning it, no matter how unnerving it might be. Whatever it is, one way or another, I can't imagine it coincidence that we found it here."

"Either someone has been following us and left in a hurry, or someone left it here for us to find. Either way, there must be something of use in here somewhere. We need to comb through it carefully, for anything that might hint at what it is and why it was here."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby AlwaysAPrice » Tue May 13, 2014 11:12 pm

"It's a flapping distraction is what it is, on top of creepy. Look at how fast the djinn had us going -- you all didn't know where you going until you decided, so how'd someone get all that drawn then leave it here for us to find faster than we could get here?" Red crouched over the pile of sticks and dry grass she'd gathered together and dug a tinderbox out of one of her pouches. Regardless of what the rest wanted to do with the book, she was making the fire so she could cook some stag. Spitter was busy tearing hunks of meat off the ichistag carcass for herself and gulping them loudly down.

Red continued. "So it's a trap, a distraction, left there by someone who knows what we're gonna do and where we're gonna go before we do. That's a complication none of us need! So burn it. Let whoever's stalking us know they've got to do better to get our attention, and maybe they'll show their face by the time we get to Partia."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sat May 17, 2014 3:39 pm

"I wouldn't." Elvenblade says, still inspecting one of the marker stones along the outside. "Whoever left it might get mad at you for destroying it; if they left it, they probably wanted you to have it. Also, you probably don't have that sort of time; there's a homonculus after you."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Sun May 18, 2014 3:08 am

That got Rasmus' attention. A stupid, somewhat vicious grin appeared.

"It's Envy, isn't it?" He turned to the others and raised his arms. "C'mon, this time we can take 'er! I bet she doesn't got support or anything! We can finish 'er this time!"

He looked to Elvenblade, "It is Envy, right?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sun May 18, 2014 3:15 am

"The hound." Elvenblade says. "And it's handler, obviously...Lesser Homonculus, but still, I'd be wary. With your numbers, you could probably defeat them, but a Homonculus never stays down for long."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Tue May 20, 2014 7:08 pm

"...what? How close are they?" Tail flicking, Kyrie peers off back the way their group came. "How could they have caught up with us? How could they have known where we were going?"

"...Triya, how long until we're good to start going again? How's Sana doing?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Oleai » Tue May 20, 2014 11:59 pm

Oleai reached for the book! Flipping back through the illustrations of the party and herself - unable to contain a little smile at her own portrait of what she thought would must be a much more capable version of herself. "W.. yeah, we can't burn it! We have no time anyway, lets get on the road so we can outpace that monster. Wasted energy is pointless afterall!" She tried to sound chipper - to recapture a bit of her enthusiasm for this journey she'd naively signed up for.

Snapping the book shut and clutching it to her chest, the tall plainsrunner reached up to brush back her tall ears - and looked to Triya and Sana for the reply to Kyrie's question.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Wed May 21, 2014 12:27 am

"Wait, forget all that. How'd you know that there's something after us?" Rasmus asked, finger pointed at Elvenblade.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Thu May 22, 2014 1:01 am

"Word travels fast." Elvenblade says, moving to another stone. "They used Well's communication network to get the orders back to the Ivory Towers."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Kelne » Thu May 22, 2014 9:36 am

"I do think Sana could use a longer break," Triya said. The djinn was not in evidence herself, having elected to stay with the cart and take a nap. "I was thinking at least until morning. She'll push on if we really need her to, but let's hold off while we work out what to do." Simply resuming their trip was just going to see pursuit right into Partia. And perhaps a welcoming committee if the alchemists could work out their destination. Triya was loath to drag trouble home with her.

"What, exactly, have our pursuers been saying about us over the Wells communication network?" she asked Elvenblade.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Thu May 22, 2014 3:06 pm

"They seem to want to speak with you pretty badly." Elvenblade mumbles, though makes no effort to get up from her kneeling position. "They're even pulling troops away from the Shadow Vault to help chase you down. I can't help but think they know that's a bad idea and just don't care."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Thu May 22, 2014 5:54 pm

After a quiet moment of thought, Kyrie speaks again. "This can't be as simple as the alchemists wanting to beat us to the punch, then, or being upset about us giving their homunculi the slip back there. There has to be something more to this if they're devoting that many resources. Maybe we're closer than we thought?"

"Elvenblade, has anyone said anything that might give a sign about why they're so intend on tracking us in particular down over the other investigation teams?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Thu May 22, 2014 5:58 pm

"You were on board the Invincible, weren't you?" Elvenblade says. "It's likely they think you can give them information about...I'm not sure, maybe something Null left behind when they gave the ship away. Plus...Well, not to sound horrible, but you are Nekana. They probably think you have something taken from the Invincible itself they could use."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby AlwaysAPrice » Fri May 23, 2014 5:48 pm

"That's racist, you're horrible." Red fanned her hands out in front of her and put on an expression of the fakest shock she could muster at a human making racial assumptions. "Biiig surprise."

Red then gnawed at a strip of meat she'd cooked over the fire and looked expectantly to Kyrie. "What'd you take?"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Sat May 24, 2014 5:13 pm

Ears perks, tail swaying, Kyrie judges her words before replying to Red. "...and what makes you think I took anything? I feel a bit offended, Red."

And with any luck, no one will bring up the manifest.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Fri May 30, 2014 10:57 pm

Before anyone has the chance to bring up any sort of manifest, or anything at all for that matter, an impossibly loud bonechilling howl breaks the quiet of the planes. An enormous grey wolf stands at the crest of one of the few hills overlooking the otherwise flat planes. It glares down at the group as if assessing prey, before charging full speed down the hill towards them. However, it leaps at the foot of the hill, landing heavily nearby, and a rider wearing an Alchemist uniform climbs down. Her shaggy, unkempt black hair and the jagged red marks on her cheeks just under her eyes indicate she's probably not one of the rank and file alchemists.

And the fact that she's riding a wolf that stands over seven feet tall.

She shuffles a bit, adjusting her uniform before pointing towards the group, and shouting with a rather unusual accent. "By order o' the Ivory Towahs, yer all under arrest!"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Kelne » Sat May 31, 2014 8:12 pm

After a moment's consideration of where certain lines fell on the map, Triya responded, "I'm afraid your authority doesn't extend here. If you'd like to arrest or detain us, you'll have to take the matter up with the Nekanese authorities."

Not that she expected little matters like legality to dissuade the woman, but she felt it was important to be clear about where they stood.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Idran1701 » Sat May 31, 2014 11:06 pm

While Triya addresses the Alchemist, Kyrie moves to the side of the others and keeps quiet, staring her down and daring her to act against Triya's advice. And in case she does, Kyrie keeps her muscles tensed, ready to leap for the carriage for at least some semblance of cover from which to strike. She doubts their chances if things descend to violence...but then again, they made a strong showing against Envy, however briefly.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Sat May 31, 2014 11:15 pm

The enormous wolf lowers it's head and growls loudly. The Alchemist grins smugly, jerking her thumb at him. "Gytrash respectfully disagrees."

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Oleai » Sun Jun 01, 2014 1:06 am

Oleai was about to speak as the wolf-mounted stranger approached - as the others postured and spoke, the Plainsrunner busied herself taking a length of cloth from her skirt to tie the book onto her back - lest it escape her in any potential scuffle or (more likely) rapid flight.

Showing a bit of courage, she shouted, "W-what are we under arrest for? We didn't do anything!" It was mostly to buy time, she could see the others making up their minds on how to act. She swung a hand behind her back, fingers splayed and waggling in a specific way to prep for casting - just in case.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Mon Jun 02, 2014 7:09 pm

"Yer unner arrest fer presumed connections with th' Null syndicate, fer holdin' a High Alchemist in contempt, an' th' withholdin' o' information deemed vital to th' Ivory Towahs!" the Alchemist points accusingly towards the bunch.

...And then Elvenblade brushes past the bunch, drawing her sword. She points it towards the Alchemist, before thrusting it into the earth at her feet. "Lancaster."

Both the wolf, Gytrash, and it's master, Lancaster, seem to be taken aback. They both bow their heads slightly. "M-Milady Elvenblade!" Lancaster stammers. "I didn't know you was here, Milady!"

"This far and no further." Elvenblade replies. "I'm declaring my neutrality in this measure. I'll not stop you, but I won't assist you, either."

Lancaster makes a face, obviously not quite sure what to make of that. Elvenblade simply brushes past the group again, kneeling by another markerstone.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Visavis » Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:49 am

"Gods, finally," Rasmus said with clear relief. The blade from Calamity came off his back and, after a couple of test swings, was pointed at Gytrash and Lancaster. "Seems like you're lookin' for a fight, am I right? It's about time we fought someone without backin' down, so thanks for steppin' up!"

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Kelne » Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:37 am

Triya shrugged, "A couple of points," she said, holding up a finger, "Firstly, these 'crimes' you are accusing us of would have taken place on the soil of Kokoniel. Their laws apply, and unfamiliar as I am with their legal code, I am reasonably certain they do not consider, for instance, 'Holding High Alchemists in contempt' to be a crime."

"Secondly," another finger rose, "It's not your place to enforce the laws of Kokoniel. The authorities there had the opportunity to hold us had they wished, and declined to do so. Certainly no charges were brought."

"Thirdly, as I've noted, this is Nekana. You hold no more authority to arrest people here than I do. Were we in your own lands, no doubt it would be a different story. I suppose this means we shouldn't set foot there in future unless we want to be arrested on charges of dubious merit. Consider us warned."

Of course, when it came down to it, any ability Lancaster had to arrest them and drag them back to the Ivory Towers would be based upon the use of force. No doubt they'd get to that eventually, but for the time being, Triya found she was warming to the argument. In theory, she had the ability to arrest people on her own home ground (the theory being that if you'd entrusted somebody with a djinn, you might as well entrust them with some legal authority while you were at it), though she'd never had occasion to exercise it. She liked to think she'd be a bit more professional about it than Lancaster.

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Re: Null's Game

Unread postby Shinigori V2 » Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:22 pm

Lancaster stares blankly at Triya as she pontificates, before pointing once again to Gytrash. "Do I needa remind ya 'gain 'bout the giant wolf? Cuz I've got a giant wolf an' there's no Nekana in sight an' the Gen'ral bowed out. That pretty much makes me King o' Wells as far as this situation's concerned."

As she finishes talking, Gytrash begins barking; like everything else he's done so far, it's almost painfully loud. Thankfully, he only barks a few times before returning to an aggressive growl.

Though it seems this was enough for Spitter, who's since taken the Ichistag back in her talons and taken to the sky again...though more likely, she just didn't feel like sharing her lunch with a giant mutt.

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