DragonRage

"I should hope so," Alexandria groans, "In fact, let's just agree to not shoot first this time. Well, not unless we are absolutely certain we're firing on enemies. Please? The last thing we need is to be arrested for assassination with a side of first degree murder. Never mind that Halley evidently tried it once already. If you get arrested for this, I will find it very hard to justify rescuing you from the consequences of your actions. "On a debatably more cheerful note, I've been told you have an AI with delusions of grandeur we need to scrape out of a building's mainframe, and his creepy cult to dismantle. Any information you could provide about the site, its inhabitants, and the cultists would be greatly appreciated. Information about the hardware he's inhabiting would also be helpful. I have extensive experience with AI technology, but I am unfamiliar with the 'Ultraviolet' system he is using. My own OS is supported by a quantum storage matrix, which could not develop spontaneously in a building network as I am informed Deus' Ultraviolet core has. More information on this system would be very helpful in shutting him down. As would any information about the higher-level hacking techniques used in this world. My OS should be incompatible with local hacking attempts and I do not have broadband wireless connectivity, but it never hurts to be prepared. Hackers often have little sense of their own limitations."

"We have a description of the person the cat and the pagan zealot think we should be attacking," Iowa says, "And we have the biggest guns. I'm here. Besides, you seem to be assuming that the person we've been told to fight is present. This could be unrelated. And if you can change your size somehow, that just makes you more vulnerable to catching a stray bullet. Or being stepped on. People get killed for far less risky choices than that in battle. If there's shooting going on and one's available, let the battleship go first." Not that Iowa has told anyone here anything about what she can do either, though to be fair she isn't entirely sure of her new limits. Still, anything short of an artillery piece shouldn't be much of a threat to her, and even if they have one of those her armor is proofed against twelve inch guns.

"An ambush only works if we know the local terrain well, and know who to attack. We don't have any Rules of Engagement, we don't know who the good guys are here, and we're not locals," Iowa points out, "Rushing in guns blazing isn't a good idea here. Instead, we let them see the guns, realize theirs are smaller, and then invite them to talk. If they do, great. If some of them don't, we'll know who our enemies are. I'll go in first, I think. Even if they shoot us on sight, I doubt they have anything that can penetrate my belt."

Alexandria steps into the room, moving with comically exaggerated care. The building still creaks and groans under her feet, the floor noticeably bowing beneath her. "Shoddy, cheap, flimsy... What kind of useless, void-sucking contractor makes buildings this bad? There's no way the savings in materials outweigh the maintenance costs. Tear the whole place down, put something that'll last in here. They'd thank me for it."

"The local deities? Are you sure?" Lexiel asks skeptically, "This could get messy. Poor Elspeth... If you're certain. But unless you're from this world, I would caution you that a deity that shares the name of one you're familiar with might not share much else. Urza's bones, this could be about to bite us in the butt."

Jade fires a bullet into the silver scorpion. He misses the mask, but connects solidly, dealing 49 damage! Cell activates his Scintillating Orb and swings his Giant Killer at the silver scorpion, dealing 69 damage! Cap stabs the Silver Scorpion with his spear, dealing 19 damage. The silver scorpion's next attack on Cap will deal 1d10 + 45 damage instead of the usual amount! Cicivexa casts Fire Bolt on the silver scorpion, dealing 12 damage! He gains a stack of Astra, increasing fire spell damage by 10%. Halhi slices up a Kofo-Jaga with her machete, dealing 8 damage to the swarm. Soryn uses Impale, dealing 28 damage to the Kofo-Jaga by paying 12 HP. Edmond shoots the silver scorpion with his long gun, dealing 22 damage! Nuparu fires his clockwork cannon, launching a large blue fruit into the midst of the Kofo-Jaga swarm. The scorpions instinctively recoil from the horrible stench, and so do Cell and Soryn! "Ack! Sorry!" He shouts, upon realizing that some of his allies are vulnerable to the fruit's effects. Soryn and Cell no longer want to advance down the tunnel... The silver scorpion hisses angrily and points its tail straight at Cicivexa. A bubbling sphere of magma four feet across builds at the tip of its stinger, where a less terrifying scorpion might keep its poison. The Kofo-Jaga swarm is disrupted by Soryn's attacks and the awful stench from Nuparu's fruit. They mill around without advancing. Hiroki uses her Giga Flare on the magma scorpion, dealing 35 fire damage! Initiative Status

Iowa walks up to the half-track and pauses, quite confused. She walks around it, fidgeting with her purse and occasionally scratching her head, before she walks over to Atton, looking quite perplexed. "Okay, I give up. Where do you hitch the horses?"

Grumbling indistinctly under her breath, Alexandria goes up the stairs. It takes a while. The building makes alarming creaking noises with every step. By the time she reaches the top, the android is rather annoyed.

"Iii've never heard of Romania," Moss admits, "Iiit must be very far away. My parents... They never triiiied to eat me, even when they made me leave. They let me keep a few thiiings from the hoard. Most dragons aren't so lucky."

Jade draws a bead on the huge scorpion and fires a freezing shot! He deals 55 damage to the arachnid, but does not hit either of its masks! The creature's initiative is reduced by 2. Cell uses a cryo-grenade on all the scorpions. The large one seems mostly just angry, but several of the Kofo-Jaga actually freeze to death when hit. The silver scorpion can't act right now! Gozer and Cap use Spray, scattering caltrops everywhere and stunning the Silver Scorpion and some of the Kofo-Jaga. But there's too many scorpions in the Kofo-Jaga swarm to fully immobilize them. Cicivexa casts Blizzard on the Kofo-Jaga swarm, dealing 24 damage! Their initiative is already zero... Cicivexa gains Umbra. Halhi slashes at the Kofo-Jaga with her machete, dealing 11 damage and slicing one of the little creatures to bits. Soryn sacrifices 25 HP to give Jade a 37 HP barrier that deals 30 damage to whoever breaks it. Edmond shoots the silver scorpion with the Long Arm of the Law, dealing 20 damage. Nuparu loads a fist-sized blue fruit into his Clockwork Cannon. The Kofo-Jaga can't act right now! Hiroki attempts to Melt the Kofo-Jaga, dealing 19 damage! The scorpions directly hit by the blast pop like popcorn, but the ones further away seem to drink in the heat and grow stronger... The silver scorpion shakes off the icy attacks it withstood, steps on a bunch of caltrops, and is forced to spend the rest of its turn keeping its balance. The cohesion of the Kofo-Jaga swarm has been disrupted! It mills around, advancing forward somewhat, but doesn't get close enough to sting anyone. Status Initiative

"Battles are not always decided by who can deal the most damage," Alexandria assures the newcomer, "People talented in healing and other supportive skills are in painfully short supply, as they nearly always are. Besides, between Navin and myself, we should have plenty of firepower should violence prove unavoidable."

"I'm honestly not sure of that myself," Iowa admits, "I arrived, and a partial explanation was presented. But it quickly degenerated into making up words and insulting moon people, who apparently lost a war with the United States of America. And now we are either suppressing a violent mob boss who has turned himself into a machine, or supporting a popular uprising against a tyrannical theocracy. More evidence is needed to decide which course of action is just, but I do hope the rebels are either in the right or back down without trying to fight. A genuine and motivated popular uprising is nearly impossible to put down, even with atrocities the likes of which I refuse to commit."

"Does the name 'Seattle' mean anything to you? It's a city on the planet Terra. Sometimes called 'earth' by its less creative inhabitants," Alexandria offers, "If those words do not mean anything significant to you, it is probably safe to assume you have been plucked from where you were and sent to defend all worlds from a force of malevolent creatures called Trespassers, who come from the void between universes. Here we have been tasked with the removal of a malevolent artificial intelligence, as a previous group affiliated with us accidentally allowed him to gain a position of power in destroying a Trespasser that invaded this world. A sort of clean-up operation if you will, with a side of pest control."

Sister Rachel readies her Inferno Pistols to shoot at the first enemy to come within range, positioning herself to cover the retreating XCOM operatives. It worked well the last time, after all. "Hah! You'd better run, Xenos scum!" She yells after the Assassin, "Your fate will be shared by all who dare assault humanity! Holy Terra will never fall to your ilk!"

Scritch, scritch, scritch. Countless tiny, glowing, red eyes carpet the floor, accompanied by precisely half as many glowing red stingers, as a seething tide of six inch long scorpions march toward the party. "Kofo-Jaga!" Nuparu exclaims, "Uh, uh, likes heat, hates the cold, very social! Don't get stung!" "Cold? It's like a sauna down here! Even if one of us had ice powers, any ice we made would melt!" Halhi starts backing away from the arachnids, lightstone beam shaking along with her hands, "We've gotta run to somewhere cooler, before- Mata Nui what is THAT?" Amidst the still oncoming horde of tiny scorpions, a huge scorpion rounds a corner up ahead, its body covered in thick, metallic plates of armor. Over one of its claws rests a rusty, dented, pitted mask, and over the other a mask gleaming clean and silver. "Even Nui-Jaga don't get that big!" Nuparu analyzes, fear subsumed by curiousity, "I don't think anything like that's ever been seen on the island before! We may have discovered a new species!" "Less biology, more running!" Halhi shouts at him, "We need to get out of here before they swarm us and feed us to their big brother!" Status: Initiative: Don't forget your Heartlights and Masks of Power! The former are kind of attached to you, and you'll pass out without the latter. And then probably get eaten by scorpions.

"Earth stone. Right. I- I can do that. We should be close," Nuparu pulls himself together, handing his lightstone off to Halhi so he can hold his weapon in both hands, "Follow me. Great Beings, I hope the Makuta didn't use the time we spent talking with him to set up traps. Oh, who am I kidding, he totally did." Nuparu leads the group down the tunnel, as the air continues to warm, until a strange, rhythmic noise fills the air. Scritch, scritch, scritch. Jade and Cicivexa (intelligence 21 v 1, backstory precident) recognize it as the sound of insectoid feet. Lots and lots of insectoid feet. Somewhere up ahead a rather lot of bugs are on the march...

"Meeting a lizard alien in an ill-fitted mammal suit was a remarkable experience! Thank you for speaking with me!" Alexandria calls after the gang leader/Lexiel cultist, "I had believed your kind to be an urban legend previously! And if that elevator breaks under me it deserved to! Because it was already broken! "Call me fat, will you? I'll show you fat," Her fans spinning up to dissipate the heat of her anger, Alexandria puts her foot on the steps, which creak alarmingly under her weight. "Or maybe I'll just take the stairs."

Nothing unfortunate happens to Cell. It seems that whatever the disc does, it isn't activated when it's picked up. Hiroki's shot blasts out, sending the shadows spiralling wildly about the tunnel as it burns toward the Makuta. However, before it gets anywhere near the towering entity, a slender rapier of stone, shrouded in an aura of purple-edged black, slices it out of the sky without a sound, as Dackly's shoulders begin to shake. "Makuta was right," The plant gorgon sobs quietly, childlike confusion filling her voice, "Gozer doesn't care about me. He's not my friend. He isn't anyone's friend. He doesn't care about anyone at all. He doesn't care about anything! Anything but keeping me from learning my name! But I remember now! I remember it all!" "And what do you remember?" The Makuta prompts smugly. "I remember my fall from heaven. I remember when that vile so-called hero kicked me back into the pit of Tartarus to suffer nonexistence for eternity," Her voice gains strength, growing a bit deeper as it picks up a sultry lilt and traces of a Greek accent, "I remember when Hades gathered the pieces and used them as his stalking horse. I remember when the remains of that patchwork were gathered once again, and Gozer set over them to ensure they never would remember anything that mattered. And now the scattered pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are whole again. With this mask, I know who I am," Her eye glowing faintly in the darkness, the gorgon turns toward the party, and the shadows rise around her in a loving embrace. "I remember my real name. I am Medusa, goddess of darkness, rightful queen of the underworld. AND THIS TIME NO SKY BITCH OR HER FILTHY PET HERO ARE GOING TO STOP ME! THEY'LL KNOW THE PAIN I GREW SO USED TO I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IT FOR CENTURIES! But first, I think I'll be getting some sweet, sweet vengeance upon the pathetic creatures who thought they could keep me a slave." The Makuta's eyes move in such a way as to suggest that he's leaning back against the tunnel wall, enjoying the show. "Would you like some assistance with that?" Medusa scrubs at her chin with her free hand, a pensive expression stealing across her face. "I get full rights to the Goddess of Darkness title," She states. "Done," The Makuta chuckles, "The matoran always get caught up on the whole darkness thing. It's not like I was the only one with shadow elemental powers even before you showed up. They're too useful to give up, of course, but... I was always more partial to being the god of lies and spirit of treachery." "They will die by my hand!" The gorgon ventures, clearly wavering. "Seeing as they just refused my generous offer and the protection it would naturally grant, I don't see why not. It's always fun to watch a bunch of would-be heroes flail their way to a mostly self-inflicted demise." "Just don't try that treachery on me. I'll turn you to stone and display you in front of my fortress as a warning to the next fool who considers it," Medusa snarls, "Get out here. It's murder time." "Really? Just like that?" The Makuta weedles, "After I went to all the trouble of preparing a restorative, too." "A restorative... for what?" "I mean, if you don't want your good looks back, I could just dump this out," The shadowy entity offers insincerely, "You never know when such rare ingredients will be available again, and they're viable for such a short time. But I understand. Sometimes you just need to murder a fool for his transgressions." "You know, watching them flail around like idiots looking for the Toa Stones does have a certain appeal," The goddess allows, "And with a side of spa treatment. Mmmm. Tempting. I can defer the murder. Pencil it in later. Take me to your lair, o mighty master of lies. I hope it impresses, or I might start thinking this little deal is looking a bit less good." "You won't be disappointed," A tendril of purest black detaches from the oppressive darkness and wraps around Medusa, before the unnatural darkness recedes, leaving behind no sign of either shadow deity. Nuparu's lightstone begins to shine again on the floor and the stunned matoran scoops it up. Its light is as dim as ever, but after the encounter with the Makuta it feels as bright and warm as the sun (albeit without the negative consequences for Soryn). The onu-matoran hugs the lightstone close to his chest with one hand and his weapon with the other, staring off into the middle distance as he mutters "Mata Nui Mata Nui Mata Nui," In a dead, flat tone. Halhi is feeling a bit more expressive. "What. In the name of the Great Beings. WAS THAT?" She shrieks, heartlight flashing like the strobe lights in a rave, "You had a murderous shadow creature BRAINWASHED and were using her as a GOON? ARE YOU ALL INSANE? Mata Nui, the only reason we're STILL ALIVE is that she thought getting a mani-pedi was MORE IMPORTANT than killing us RIGHT NOW! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

"I exist. Therefore, full AI exist. I believe this place has developed the technology to create more, though the process is still extremely resource-intensive," Alexandria affirms her own existence as she lowers her shield, "I believe we have business in the apartments behind you, but I am hardly the sort to allow a tense situation to devolve into violence when it is within my abilities to de-escalate."

Alexandria gives Heidrun's words all the consideration she feels they deserve. Then, the ancient android reaches out and gently pokes Heidrun in the forehead. "I am not a drone. Really, why do people always assume having squishy bits makes them somehow superior? I do just fine without them, thank you very much."

“Hide in the shadows? I am the shadows. The shadows in this tunnel. The shadows behind your backs. The shadows in your hearts. I know you, heroes. Better, perhaps, than you know yourselves. “Edmond, a pleasure to meet you. It’s always nice to talk shop with a fellow schemer, especially one so polite with his avowed enemies. The way you sold your allies out to the Megacorporations of Seattle was a brilliant piece of work, even if you had second thoughts in the end. Or was that not the intent? Perhaps I might teach you a way to ensure you will always be at your allies side when they need you? It would certainly be within my power. As would simply instructing you in the fine art of conserving your pawns, a vital skill for any planner. “Cicivexa, the so-called Black Mage, dabbling in arts his ancestors shaped worlds with and fancying himself a master. I’m honestly not sure I should bother with you. Your ilk came within heartbeats of destroying your world, and I’m rather fond of this one. Besides, any fool with a big stick can destroy. Give him a tinderbox and he’ll light fires too. Fire and shadow could be a potent combination, but I must wonder if cutting all of our losses would be the wiser course. There’s little point in ruling a cinder, or an ice block. Do you even have any skills aside from killing and burning? “Hiroki… As a fellow master of deceit I must compliment your skills. If not for my Mask of Shadows, even I wouldn’t spot a hint of your fear. Put your toys away. We both know that popgun of yours will never down a god. You tested this, I believe. Was it sufficient to the task? No? Within my vaults lay a weapon. Cordak is its name, desolation in your native tongue, and cordak is what it will bring upon your enemies. With such a weapon, you might compensate for your… deficiencies.” His eyes briefly pan up and down the armored warrior’s body with a dismissive air. “Well, perhaps some protosteel plating, a Kanohi mask of accuracy, and hydraulic strength enhancements are also be in order. “Soryn, Soryn, Soryn. Whatever shall we do with you? You call yourself a hero on the word of a single virtuous woman. But we both know the truth, and soon so will your so-called friends. There is little on this island with the life-giving blood and bioelectricity you must consume. Should I command the Rahi of this island to flee your presence, what will sate your thirst? The matoran? Your former allies? How long will it be before you stop seeing friends, and begin seeing foods? The words are so similar, are they not? You will join me now, or you will do it later. Only the body count is yours to decide. “Jade the gunslinger. The mortal who stands with gods by the strength of his weapon and the skill of decades of practice. Such a fragile power you rely on, mortal. Your friends withstand hits that even I would feel, and fight undaunted. But all it takes to end your pitiful efforts is one. Broken. Finger.” As the Makuta says this, Jade feels the light brush of a huge, jagged hand across his trigger finger, gone like a whispering breeze but impossible to forget. “Your ability to assuage your guilt hangs by such a tenuous thread, mortal. Mayhaps you should consider having that thread reinforced. “Gozer, scion of the earth. Avatar of the earth. Puppet of the earth. Is there even a point in addressing you rather than the rocks and soil? Do you even care for Dackly? For anyone at all? Is there a single spark of soul in that shell of rock and metal? Bah, I’m wasting my time with you. One does not reason with a mindless automaton. “Cell… Phfah. Too easy. Have a shiny,” A silvery disc arcs out of the shadows to land at the strange creature’s feet. “A taste of what you might have the opportunity to steal or be issued from my vaults should you choose the rational path forward. I trust you are smart enough to recognize it. “But of course you don’t trust me. Why would you? I wouldn’t trust me, were I approached like this. Fortunately, I happen to have brought an assurance. The Kanohi Rode, the Great Mask of Truth,” The darkness recedes, revealing a silver mask that gleams faintly in the candlelight. “One who wears the Rode cannot be deceived. Lies, falsehoods, and even half-truths fail against its ancient and subtle power. Don it, you who doubt me, and see for yourself. I am no evil. I am the only hope this world has left to fend off the Trespassers. I could do it myself, if I had to. But with your assistance, perhaps the matoran might survive the battle to serve me as is their destiny.” “That mask… It’s not infected!” Nuparu exclaims, sounding stunned, “If the mask was trapped, it’d be covered in rust and dents by Makuta’s corruption, but it isn’t. It’s clean! Aside from infection, there’s absolutely no way to turn a Great Mask against its wearer. Somebody take it, quick! Its power might help us escape the Makuta!” “Of course it isn’t infected,” The Makuta almost sounds offended, “Infected masks on intelligent beings create boot-licking yes-men without a scrap of creativity. Giving one to future allies of such caliber would be a tragic waste of talent.” “There’s no way it’s a Mask of Truth. If the Makuta speaks the truth, and the legends agree with what he said about the Rode, it’s the perfect counter to his abilities,” Halhi reasons, “There’s no way he’d give us something that effective against him. But there are no bad mask powers.” Daringly, she darts forward, grabs the mask, and rushes back to the group, pressing it into the closest pair of hands, Dackly’s. “Quick! One of you put it on and activate it! It’s our best chance!”

Alexandria considers the gangsters, Heidrun, and her allies behind her, and their relative positions. She raises her right hand, and a bright yellow hexagon is projected in it. Then, hundreds of identical planes join the first, extending into a shimmering barrier that extends between the gangsters and Heidrun, while also giving her allies space to take cover if they want to. “There will be no shooting today, thank you. This conflict will not be resolved with violence. One would hope all parties can act with maturity.”

"People just fall out of the sky without an aeroplane? All the time? And they aren't hurt by the fall?" Iowa asks, "The future is strange."

"Uh, the tunnels should be pretty stable," Nuparu guesstimates, "They've been here for as long as anyone can remember, even the Turaga, and they're over a thousand years old! If these were going to collapse, they probably would have done it by now. Buuut, just to be on the safe side, maybe don't use any explosives down here? If you have explosives." "Sorry, but lightstones are very valuable, especially in these times," Halhi explains, "The brightest ones have to be reserved for the village centers. The Makuta is the master of the shadows, so he could be anywhere that darkness falls, or so the legend goes. The well-lit village centers are the only places we can be certain are safe. Why, he could be in this very tunnel, and... We'd never know he was here unless he wanted us to." "Oh, foolish little matoran," A voice like grinding rocks rings out from before the group, where a pair of red eyes burn in the darkness beyond where the feeble light of Nuparu's lightstone and Cell's candle reach. Based on the height of the eyes, whoever it is towers over everyone in the party. "What possible reason would I have to hide from any of you? Here? In my domain? You may as well have stepped into the palm of my hand." Nuparu drops his lightstone in shock, sending the shadows skittering crazily across the walls, before a tendril extends from the darkness and seems to snuff the phosphorescent rock out, leaving only Cell's candle to protect the party from the looming blackness. Halhi responds a bit more aggressively. She draws her machete and takes a few wild swings at the darkness, until her weapon strikes the side of the tunnel and flies out of her stiff, nervous grip. "Oh, Mata Nui preserve us," She whispers, backing toward the tenuous safety of the candle. "Fear not, little one. My brother cannot hear you," The Makuta assures you all, "His slumber shall continue unabated, as is best. Do you not see? These matoran are blinded by the barest hint of shadows. Blind to a greater threat than any I could pose, one you all well know. I may not share your power to travel between worlds, but I have seen what is coming to this world in the stars, and what is already here in the minds of its victims. You surely have greater concerns than the well-being of a few... peasants. Abandon this pointless quest for the Toa Stones. Come with me, and I shall give you the knowledge you need to purge this infestation from my world."

"They liiive far away. Iiii don't know where," 'Facemelter of Faces' shares sadly, "Too many dragons in the same place causes problems. Food gets scarce. Humans notiiice things. Iii'm big enough to leave the nest and surviiive. That's what they said before they left me here. Um, my name isn't actually 'Facemelter of Faces'. It's..." He trails off, eyeing Lucine's very human-looking teeth and lips. "Moss. Well, not really. But Iii don't think you have the right jaws to speak Draconiiic, and Moss is close. Kiiinda."