Session Start: Fri Jul 05 19:14:50 2002 *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 36.0: The Island of Encos | Location: Cereshanti, July 17, morning | Crappy GrandiaRPG summary/primer at http://whafroofdeath.rpgcafe.net/temp/grandiarpg.html | Session Start' ==Session Start== The group tromps merrily on their way (minus the skipping and Smurf song, thankfully), heading for the shore where their ship is anchored, in order to head to the Island of Encos... * Dylan whistles a tune * Nathan moves towards the ship in haste, anxious to get going * Erellisae wanders along with the group, sticking rather close to Feray and showing just a bit of trepidation on her face. Hrmm. You think you're ready for whatever we're going to face, Ms. Jalanda? * Feray glances down at Erel but keeps moving, a look of amusement brightening her features. She has a noticable bounce in her step, aside from being tired looking. * Mitsuo looks a bit nervous, pulling his windbreaker closer to his slight body as he once again takes up the rear of the party. * Cassidy steels herself, and relentlessly plods onward. * * Jalanda pads along the beach, smoothing out her robe, and pulling the hood over her brown hair. "That depends on where your concern rests." It doesn't take long before they can see the seashore up ahead down the road. Some distance out, their ship is anchored. A longboat is tied to a peg in the sand... * Nathan stands by the longboat and starts herding people into it * Dill resumes its position in Jal's cowl. * Mitsuo clambers onboard. Easy there, crabmeat. Don't fondle the merchandise if you aren't gonna make a purchase. ^_- * Feray hops into the longboat and stretches out a bit. * Erellisae takes a deep breath as she sits down on the boat, staring over the side a little into the distance. Who says I'm not? ;) * Mikari trails behind the group for the moment, to the side of Mitsuo. * Cassidy reluctantly boards. * We have begun upon the path, either way I cannot turn back... I will face things one way or the other. Think now on what trials await us on this island... for my ominous feeling has dulled, but not subsided. * Feray bites her lip cheekily, blushing at some silent thought. * Dylan climbs aboard, helping Jal in. * Nathan unhooks the boat once everyone is aboard and pushes it out into the water * Jalanda graciouslly accepts, boarding with the others and casting a careful eye around the vessel. * Feray drags her fingertips in the water idly, gazing into it. ^^ Sho-raoo follows slowly, watching as the party gets in the boat. He himself dives smoothly into the water, languidly swimming alongside the boat as the set out for the ship. Hmmm. Ominous, eh. Are we gonna have some 'ppropriate weather for this? 6*Mikari looks up at the sky sarcastically, if it is possible to look sarcastic at the sky* * Nathan clambers aboard once the boat is underway * Erellisae sighs faintly, watching the waters to the north for any sign of the island. :/ The sun shines obnoxiously back at Mikari. Birds twitter happily in her ear.' Hey, wow, 'kari...those birds appear to be drawn to your head.. It's a sign of impending doom! Better perhaps to be reminded of what we work to save. * Feray waggles a hand at Mikari. ;) * Mikari raises an eyebrow at the timely response. Ooooh. * Mitsuo wiggles a hand as well. ^^ * Nathan chuckles lightly Fear the birds! For they come to eat your soul! Or peck at your eyes! Whichever comes first! Or drink your spirits * Erellisae blinks, shaken out of her reverie before watching Feray and Mitsuo slightly disbelievingly. ^^; Those birds looked damn apocalyptic t'me, actually. ^_~ Are you all done yet? ;) * Jalanda closes her eyes a bit at that... * Feray raises her hand from the water and flicks some at Erel's nose slightly. No, we're just warming up. Wait for the REAL fun. ^_- * Cassidy blinks at the two who seem to have suddenly injested considerable amounts of seawater when she wasn't looking. * Oh goodie * Mikari shakes her head and dismisses the birds with a wave, and settles down in the boat. * Erellisae acks and hunkers down, hiding in Mitsuo's cloak with a mock-hmph. As the longboat reaches the ship, bumping gently against its side, Fidelio peers over the ship's railing. "Morning! You-a are back...." Hey there Fidelio * Feray waves cheerfully to Fidelio and nudges the tiny mage girl, eyeing her. * Nathan secures the longboat while everyone disembarks Don't make me make you all wet again. Wet again? O_o * Mitsuo blinkblinks. Best not to ask Mitsuo. Women are strange like that. Ah yes. True. Yeah. You know. I threw her into a brook earlier. It works good for the brooding. ^_- * Erellisae eyes Feray ownlishly, grinning. "If I go in the drink again, I'm taking you with me." ^_~ ... Oookaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.... ^^;; * Mitsuo clambers off the boat. * Mikari leaps out, directly to the ship. * Dylan climbs onto the ship. * Feray grins back and laughs, standing and clambering off the boat. ^^ Fidelio starts to haul the boat up, apparently unusually strong for his tiny size. ^^ * Nathan hoists himself onto the deck * Jalanda nods up to the Mogay as she makes her way onto the Alent's Light. "Yes... I hope everything has been well here? We need to depart as soon as you are able." * Erellisae climbs onto the boat, then makes for the bow, keeping an eye out ahead for any big islandic rock formations. * Feray watches Erel go in amusement and shakes her head, clambering up to the crow's nest! * Feray flops leisurely against the rail and tugs out a dagger, beginning to carve words into the wood.. ;) Let's shove off as soon as possible * Mikari just stands by the railing for now, looking out at the ocean and surrounding region. Fidelio secures the boat so they can clamber out. * Nathan heads to the prow as usual, feeling most comfortable there * Dylan sits down on deck, watching everyone sort themselves out. * Cassidy saunters over, gazing into the impassive and timeless sea as she crosses.. * * Mitsuo leans against the side of the ship, watching the ocean. * Erellisae watches the ocean in silence, almost absentmindedly taking hold of the Talisman hanging around her neck. * Feray idly works at defacing the crow's nest bannister, whistling cheerfully. * Jalanda meanwhile speaks with Fidelio quickly about the new destination of the group, relaying the information about Encos... How long will it take to get where we're going? * Cassidy finds a coil of rope, and once having dropped into it, flicks some of her hair over her eyes, and settles in for a small nap.. * Fidelio nods and goes to set the ship's course. "Not terribly long. Perhaps an hour?" * Nathan leans on the railing, watching the prow cut through the water below The ship is well on its way now. Nathan can see a telltale ripple in the water, and a dolphin leaps into the air.... * Nathan watches the dolphin in action, figuring he knows who that is * Mikari hears the splash and turns over to watch the dolphin on Nate's side. * Dylan walks over to Jalanda * Feray finishes off her uneven scrawl and sheathes her knife...she tilts her face to the wind and grins. * Erellisae watches the horizon in silence for a while, before making an irritated sound, shaking her head, and turning to climb up the rigging to the crow's nest. ^^; * Nathan nods to Mikari as she approaches * Jalanda nods, and stands in no place in particular on the deck, looking stoic as the slight sea breeze makes gentle ripples her purple garb. * Mikari looks down into the water, catching only the tail end of the departing dolphin. "Hmmm. Friend of yours?" ^_~ Ms. Jalanda.. Although I hope all goes well, if.. it.. doesn't.. Do you have any messages you need passed on, so to speak? It's Sho-raoo * Mitsuo watches the dolphin speed along, then turns back to watching the horizon. He's following us * Feray leans over the railing of the crow's nest and makes sure she knows where the others are.. * Erellisae hauls herself up into the crow's nest, blinking as Feray leans over. "Boo." ^^; Followin' us? Really? Why'zat? Erk! * Feray jumps a bit and grins at Erel, quickly regaining her composure. "Hey. What'cha doing up here?" He has an interest in this matter * Erellisae shrugs, leaning on the banister slightly. "Feeling antsy... reckon I could get a better view of the island as we come up on it from here." ^^; * Jalanda shakes her head. "Words fall too short of the things that I would wish to reveal... and in ways, I have already passed from the world in that sense. The question is: where shall I be bound to stronger." Mm...you'd be right....you need to settle down though, littlebit...we'll get there and you'll find what you wanna know.. A shame, ties to one's home.. I cannot imagine losing them. * Erellisae shrugs faintly. "I know... I'm trying! Really...!", she says, looking down at the banister... before blinking, and laughing loudly, pointing at a spot on the banister. * Feray blinks and backs her ears. "Hunh?" Erellisae starts to feel a tickling in her mind, and up ahead they can see something appearing on the horizon.... * Erellisae points at part of the etchwork, giggling. "Butter--...huh?" * Mitsuo blinks, as he notices something approching on the horizon as well. * Erellisae blinks, looking up with a faint wince at the shape ahead, and muttering under her breath. "That's it..." * Feray coughs a bit into her hand, looking meek. She then furrows a brow and turns her gaze to the horizon.. * Cassidy slowly sits up, flicking her hair out of her eyes.. * * Erellisae nods, starting to climb down from the nest. ^^; * Mikari blinks at Nathan. "Oh, that's him, eh... Gah, so easy t'forget... looks like every other dolphin, t'me." ^^; * Jalanda speaks quietly, "Wherever fate and your feet lead you, never forget your home. It is a precious thing... and the trasgressions of the past shall not see repetition here." The island looks rather...odd, however. O_o * Nathan chuckles * Feray watches Erel with a quiet look that the girl can't really see in her clamber down the rigging. She seems very worried. * Jalanda raises her head to look at the approaching island. * Feray shakes it off and quickly follows suit. Would it surprise you to know that we find you surface dwellers to be remarkably similar looking? ;) It actually looks more like a pillar, rising from the sea, that spreads outward at the top. It's the height of a great tower, perhaps, too high for them to see what lies atop it.... Oh jeez...are we gonna have to CLIMB all that? * Erellisae jumps the last few feet down to the deck, hurrying to the front of the boat and looking to the pillar, her voice sounding breathless. "So that's it..." The sides are smooth, and the way it spreads out at the top appears practically impossible to climb. Mmph. ^_- Well, fair 'nough, I guess. Heh, for some of 'em I might agree with 'ya. * Feray slides quickly down to the deck and heads after Erel, grimacing at the sheer....tallness. * Erellisae sweatdrops slightly. "I... dunno. Heaven forbid the Lumians build something /normal/, I guess..." ^^; * Nathan is about to say something, then notices the 'island' * Mikari starts to look over towards the horizon to see what the others are calling attention to. Wow. I have two words for you. Oooooooooooookay Phallic imagery. * Cassidy snorts, and stifles a laugh, quickly recomposing herself. * The ship drifts to a stop, floating languidly in the water some distance from the pillar. Fidelio lowers the anchor, then jumps down to the lower deck to join the others. This is going to be annoyinhg, I can see it now -_-; * Mikari facepalms to Feray's comment. [Fidelio] Wow. It's-a rather large, no? What do you-a think? * Erellisae looks carefully up into the sky, trying to see up to the island. "Well... I think..." I say we make Erellisae float us up! I suppose we need to find a way in or up * Erellisae blinks at Feray. "I'm not quite that good yet... but..." I assume there's a way in. Looks like a tower There's a scuttling noise, and the sound of someone climbing the side of the ship... ...? * Mikari eyes Feray, and then Nathan. Then shakes her head. * Feray tenses and swiftly draws her daggers! Unless all Lumians could fly lik.. Feray! It's probably just Sharu Sho-raoo hauls his loinclothed form over the railing, dripping wet, and walks over to join the others, blatantly ignoring Feray's drawn weapons. * Nathan looks over at the noise, figuring it's Sho-raoo Relax Feray, jeez ;) .... * Erellisae reaches for her own, before relaxing as the merman comes on deck, turning back to watch the pillar in silence. Excuse me?! Remember Mitsuo almost getting chewed into meaty bits? * Feray waggles a dagger and hmphs before sheathing them. ...much confusion abounds in this place. Hmm. * Mikari grabs her grappler reflexively as well, despite Nathan's warning, but it turns out to be friendly company anyway. She unwields it as Sho-raoo approaches. Actually, no. Sho-raoo's been following us since we left. Its onl natural he'd come up to see us now that we've stopped True. After all, everyone wants to get a better look at this...uh... ..... ...big structure. So anyways, back to the giant finger in the ocean ...Alright then. Whaddya want? * Erellisae makes a vaguely irritated noise, looking over the boat and down into the water, eyes following the line of the pillar downwards. * Jalanda reaches out into what appears to be empty space, the water vapor in the air beginning to gather and coalesce into a globe of pure crystal where nothing was a moment before... * Feray leans a bit over Erel. "What'cha looking for?" Up looks difficult to say the least. Down maybe and then in? This monster's got to be anchored to something My, Nate! We haven't even had a first date yet! Shao-o-ruu, could you check if there's a submerged entrance? * Nathan waggles a finger at Feray But sure, I'd say that'd work. You know, considering we can't climb. * Cassidy examines the curious tower-island.. * Either that or there's some sort of magic Erellisae has to do.. * Erellisae hmms, straightening up. "I wonder..." * Mikari crosses her arms and nods. Well, if this is a Lumian thing, then Erel might be able to get us in or up or something Mmm. * Erellisae takes the Talisman of Knowledge slowly off her neck, holding it in her hands as she closes her eyes in concentration. "If it works for Alent, then maybe..." Great spirits of the ancient legacy, tell me your secrets that we may gain entry to the stone of victory... *casts Scry!* * Feray cants her head to the side and watches Erel, a bit of serious worry creeping into her gaze. * Mikari gives Erel and Jalanda her attention. * Nathan just watches the tower for a while Sho-raoo blinks. "I suppose I could go scout the area." Let's wait a moment, something may happen first Alright, but if I see something that resembles a woman's chest, I'm so going back to Leck. Erellisae's concentration reveals little, except a slight niggling feeling at the back of her mind. * Nathan raises an eyebrow at Feray ...*snicker* ^^ * Erellisae shakes her head, making an irritated sound and lowering the medallion. "Nghh... there's... /something/. Some feeling. But I can't /quite/ reach it in my mind..." * Feray blinks away the cheer and frowns at Erel softly. * Cassidy smirks. * I've gotta plan.. * Mikari squints and hides an upturned lip. "Er... eheh..." * Jalanda draws the sphere inwards, concentrating upon the island pillar deeply as she plombs the depths for insights. "Perhaps I can be that path to reach it..." Erel...are you going to be okay? :/ * Cassidy scoops up her backpack, and dashes below the deck.. * ... * Feray watches Cassidy go. * Nathan looks after Cassidy Jalanda's spell slowly takes form. Peering into it, she sees a smaller image of the towering island. It starts at the tops, scanning downward, plunging down into the water. In the floating sphere, she can see the murky, watery image of an ancient door, of rock and metal and wood, somehow not rotted by years of immersion in salt water... Gut clenching feeling of impending doom. Let's see what she's got Sho-raoo blinks and frowns in the direction Cassidy went. * Erellisae nods slowly with a lopsided smile. "Yeah... I will be. I just wanna get /up/ there." ^^; ...there. Beneath the azure waves, a door untouched by the tides and time. Huh. ^_- Down huh? * Feray eyes Jal in amusement before peering over into the water. * Nathan looks over the railing Dive and it should be clear. *nods to Nathan and Sha-roo* Before we go down let's see what Cassidy's got in mind first. Her way might be faster * Cassidy returns, clad in a nice one piece swimsuit whose color matches her hair, grinning as she stands triuphantly on the deck. * My plan! ..Is to go have a swim while you figure this out... Ah....huh * Erellisae peers over the side, hmming in thought. "... a door? ... I... maybe if I'm ther--..." * Cassidy looks at the others.. * Uhm.. if you haven't figured something out already... * Mitsuo gacks O_o ... * Erellisae blinks in faint disbelief at Cassidy. ^^; * Feray chokes out a laugh! Sho-raoo blinks oddly at Cassidy. We have, but you're at least suited for it Cassidy ^_- Agh, Cassidy....we so need to go drinking sometime. ...Did you drink saltwater, cass? O_o We're going down * Jalanda replies non-commitally. "Actually, we were going for a dip." She points down vaguely. * Mikari grins a little at Cassidy. There's th'girl with th'plan, 'lright. * Feray tightens the sword sheath onto her back and makes sure her small pouch is tucked beneath it securely... The door is just barely visible with the naked eye, a dark patch against the rocky pillar. However, it seems very deep down....not easily reached. Fidelio frowns. Hmm.. well.. so much for my nice leisurely swim if you solved the problem. Rats. [Fidelio] I think I will-a stay here...but I can send Jakino with you if-a you wish. ^_^ But...how will you get down there? * Erellisae nods, sweatdropping slightly. "Some kinda door downwards. I... think maybe taking a look'll help me figure this out." :/ Worry not! These men have magic lips! Leave that to Sho-raoo and me Sho-raoo stares at Nathan. * Mitsuo hmms. [Sho-raoo] You are not seriously suggesting that I.... * Feray raises an eyebrow. Yes I am * Mikari stretches and adjusts her clothing, naturally already dressed for swimming, thanks to minimal footwear and lightweight cloth. * Erellisae griiins slowly at Nathan and then at Feray, a gleam in her eye. "... so you two /finally/ get to kiss...?" ^_~ Sho-raoo blinks. "But they're surface dwellers! I don't know where they've been. O_o " ... They don't know where you've been either, so it evens out We can wash our lips with spirits first, if you like? * Feray makes sure not to meet Erel's gaze, a faint blush on her cheeks. She then scowls at Sho, jabbing a finger at him. Excuse me, Mr. Dolphin lips. I should be the one protesting here, not you. Sho-raoo sighs and shrugs. "All right, fine." * Mitsuo shakes his head. * Jalanda looks to the side, smiling faintly. * Dylan taps Cassidy on the shoulder * Erellisae grins wider, sidling up next to Feray and Sho-raoo. "Feray's a special case. Only Nathan's magic will work on her." She sounds about ready to collapse in giggles. ^^ ... Erellisae.. Is that thing part of your uniform? * Feray turns and grabs Erel by the shoulders. She literally lifts the girl into the air. Sho-raoo stares at everyone as if they're insane. * Mikari shrugs away somewhat from this conversation while the others distract themselves... Wanna go for a swim, littlebit? ^_- * Cassidy blinks, turning around and looking up at the taller Lainian. * * Erellisae flails, a wide grin on her face. "Hey c'mon! Only fair for you teasing me about Mitsuo!" ^_~ * Nathan levels a gaze at Erel, but gets to work anyways Fidelio heads belowdecks, muttering something about "waking up Jakino." A few minutes later there is a splash, and a loud yelp. * Feray puts Erel down on the deck and snorts softly. ^^; * Jake mutters. * Cassidy laughs. * This? You think the Cobalt Guard usually traipses around in swimsuits? Nah. Don't be silly. ^^; Mraaaahhhh.... -_o Relax folks, I've had all my shots ;) * Mitsuo chokes just a little at the 'teasing about Mitsuo' part. ^^; * Cassidy poses. * I just bought this one once because it was stylish. Don'tcha think? Fidelio returns with a grin on his face, holding a half-full pitcher of ice water. "Jakino, he is awake now." ^_^ Classy, Cass. ^_- * Mikari hehs, lightly, looking away. * Feray seems a little apprehensive and gazes down into the water. ^^; Nice to see you have interests outside your duties then. You should practise them more often. And it suits your lines quite well. * Mikari watches Fidelio return. ^^; Sho-raoo sighs. "Right. Are we going to do this, or not?" * Jake stumbles around soaking wet in cow pajamies. * Erellisae calms down, grinning down into the water and looking a little less worried than earlier. "... yeah. Let's do it." ^^ Sho-raoo eyes people, wondering who to work his magic on first. :P He blinks oddly at Jake. O_o ... ..... Just pick someone Sho-raoo They're comfortable. Hey, does that mean you guys get to smooch Jake? ^_- ... * Jalanda bows apologetically to Sho-raoo. "Worry not. It is how they face the day's challenges..." * Nathan starts with Dylan, then moves onto Mitsuo, then Mikari Sho-raoo goes to Cassidy and mutters, then uses his mer-magic quite skillfully. Let's go folks Bleh. Can I have a bit of your flask, Mikari? * Erellisae giggles at Jake's pajamas, before throwing a glance at Mitsuo then at Sho-raoo. "Man, I'm kissing everyone lately... and I so wanted to stay pure and honest and virtuous!", she whines, putting a hand to her forehead in mock-anguish. * Nathan stops in front of Feray, thinking * Mitsuo spits just a bit at the kiss. Just a little. ^^; * Mikari blushes slightly and hands Dylan her flask. ^^; * Feray backs her ears a little and fidgets. * Nathan leans close and whispers to her for a bit ...? * Dylan swigs from the flask, and hands it back. * Jake turns around and returns after a bit in his perper clothing. ^^; His hair is still a touch soggy. * Feray blushes a little and mumbles. * Erellisae watches Nathan and Feray eagerly, hopping on her feet with a grin. "(m) C'mooon!" ^_~ * Mitsuo grins as well, "C'mon you two. ^_- Work that magic. * Cassidy blinks a moment, and upon the completion of the kiss, she wipes her lips, not ranking this particular merman particularily high on the kissing enjoyment scale.. * Sho-raoo goes up to Jake and smooches him. * Dylan goes below deck to leave behind his soakable things. * Nathan cocks his head to one side, waiting for Feray to finish All done? ...mrrh. Not yet. ^^; * Jake still half awake is a little unclear of what is going on around him. Good Sho-raoo heads over to Erellisae matter-of-factly. * Mikari turns her head just in time to watch Sho-raoo "take care of" Jake, and promptly snrrks. * Nathan grabs Feray closely and tilts her back, kissing her fully and passionately for probably an unnecesarily long time for what he's trying to do * Feray wideyes and flails a little! * Feray then slumps into the arms and growls a bit. ^^ * Jake blearily looks over to the fellow who just kissed him. * Cassidy pats Jake on the cheek. * Wake up, bud. We're goin' swimmin'. ... Sho-raoo wide-eyes at Feray and Nathan. O_O * Erellisae blinks, and whoops as they kiss. ^_^ * Jake points at him with an expression of inquiry at the group. * Nathan finishes and rights Feray again * Feray gapes a bit, a bright red flush on her cheeks. ....guhh... * Mikari turns away from Nathan and Feray, no longer laughing. * Mitsuo looks to Sho-raoo in utmost seriousness. huuhh...wha.. Hmm. I don't think I want to hear Feray's reaction.. There, all finished ^_^ * Jalanda glances at the two, a bit of her gloomy demeanor definitely breaking for the moment. * Dylan leaps over the rail into the water He's cleaning out the food inbetween her teeth. He's a good guy, huh? He's some friend of Nathan's. He's not the greatest kisser. * Mitsuo grins. [Sho-raoo] ... * Jake nods to himself a bit. .... AHH. ><;;;;;;; Let it go, we got more important stuff to do. * Mikari follows Dylan quickly, without saying anything. * Erellisae grins, snickering at Feray and Nathan with a smile threatening to cut her face in two. * Feray rubs her face furiously and blushes more. "Uh. Yeah. Water now." * Feray quickly hops over the railing! FIRST I was woken up with a bucket of water and now I wake up and i get... I get.... Sho-raoo eyes Erellisae. "Let's get this over with." * Mikari dives into the water with a splash, the irony of a cow being the most eager to dive offship not escaping her.... * Jake gestures to cassidy as he struggles to finish his sentance. "Not the greatest kisser." * Nathan stands by and waits for everyone to get smooched I mean.. ><;;; * Erellisae waggles a finger at Jake. "It'll let you breathe underwater. Magic." ^^ * Erellisae nods to Sho-raoo. * Dylan reaches the seafloor by the expedient of sinking. Now.. WHAT? * Mitsuo sighs, and jumps off hte side of the boat, "Bonanzaiiiiiiiii!" Sho-raoo kisses Erellisae rather perfunctorily. We're going underwater to get inside that tower by way of an underwater door It is a blessing, Jake... * Dill flaps around Nathan's head Puff! You too Dill? * Dill nods * Feray has already begun to dive downwards in the water. ^^;; Well, if you like * Jake whimpers like a beaten little boy. =/ Puppy boy. ;_; * Erellisae accepts the kiss. "(m) Now I'm gonna haveta kiss Mits again to even it out...", before shaking her head and turning to Jake. "See that pillar? We haveta reach the top... by going in the bottom. So we haveta swim. You coming?" ^^ Sho-raoo dives headfirst into the water, his form changing into that of a dolphin's in midair. * Jalanda walks up to Nathan, not far from the puffy. "If you would be so kind." * Mikari swims alongside Dylan, his weight pulling him down surprisingly fast compared to the lightweight Mikari, who actually has to make an effort to dive deeper. ^^; * Nathan grabs Dill and gives him a smooch * Jake holds his nose, even with Erel's comment, and leaps in. OK, is that everyone? * Erellisae drops off some of the contents of her pack in the boat, then runs to the edge of the boat and literally leaps off into a rough dive. ^_^ * Dill winghugs Nate before crawling back into Jal's hood, nuzzling her cheek * Nathan hops over the railing and into the water * Cassidy scoops up her weapon and a few other necessities, and takes the plunge. She might as well enjoy her swim while she can. * Everyone in, let's go * Nathan dives and works his way downwards Fidelio sits back to watch the ship as the others take off. Sho-raoo swims expertly down toward the door deep in the water, not waiting for the others... * Erellisae swims her way downwards, beelining for the door with a determined look on her face. The talisman is still wrapped around her wrist, held in her hand. * Jalanda looks at Dill. "I believe you stole my kiss, little one..." * Dill blinks * Mitsuo does his best to swim and keep up with everyone else. Well.. it's better this time than the last time. Sloshin' around in those shorts and jacket. * Jake is now more awake and figures things out, swimming gracefully after everyone. Puff? * Feray curves and arches through the water, twirling a little, obviously enjoying the freedom.. * Jalanda receives the blessing and hops off the railing into the water with a very subdued sploosh. Everyone congregates down near the door. It's very large, a double door that is tightly sealed, made of some unidentifiable metallic rock, with strange designs carved in it.... * Erellisae steps forward of the group, touching the door faintly with her fingertips as she examines it, trying to concentrate on it as she traces the designs in silence. * Feray furrows her brow as she sticks a little close to Erel, her hands on the hilts of her daggers as she paddles a little in the water. The door has a strange, irregularly shaped but very smooth panel in about the center, overlapping the two sides of the door. It's about palm-sized.... * Nathan stands by and waits to see events unfold * Jake follows after everyone, having some trouble swimming in his leather vest and belt. * Dylan waves his mace around, trying to get a feel for it, incase they have to fight underwater Sho-raoo waits, eyeing Jake as he flails closer. "Having trouble?" * Erellisae makes a vague hmming noise, pressing her hand to the panel. "... c'mon... open for me? Please?" ^^; No no...you're supposed to say... Open Sesame! No response to Erellisae. She feels a tiny tingling in her hand, but the door does not respond... .... *Faint blush crosses his cheeks for a moment and fades.* * Cassidy swims around in circles for the hell of it. * Shoulda grabbed some duds more suited to the occasion, bud. ^^; * Jake notices Sho. * Mikari looks over the panel, carefully, not saying much. * Mitsuo gets dizzy watching Cassidy. O_o Hmm...maybe Mitsuo? * Mitsuo looks back to the group, "Why me?" * Jake shakes his head no confidently. Why not? * Erellisae makes a faintly exasperated noise, before trying to press the Talisman to the panel instead. "No... it's definitely... Lumian. There's /something/..." ...Hm. Hey, maybe we could try and press Syri into it.. There is no response from the Talisman. Apparently it only works as a key to one specific kind of lock... :/ * Jake manages over with a bit more grace after his abilities were questioned, perhaps a little too much. * Mitsuo shrugs, and places his hand on the door, hoping to trigger something. You. Door. Open. Now. No response. Mitsuo doesn't even feel the tingling that Erellisae did... Sorry, Erel...I don't feel anything.... * Erellisae waits for Mitsuo to move, then makes a faint growling noise as she loops the Talisman around her neck, her wrists glowing faintly as she gets annoyed. "C'mon, you stupid door! Open!" Her hand faintly glows with Fire Magic as she near-punches the panel this time. ^^; * Jake swims over to the door. * Mitsuo swims back a bit so Erel can work. * Jake shrugs, and "sprinkles" some soggy cilantro on the door hopefully. Heh, when in doubt, make threats ;) .. ... ....I hope there's not open air on th'other side'a this thing. It could be... turbulant. * Jake backs off, too. ...yep...definitely a Lupris. * Feray rubs her neck with a grin. * Nathan chuckles As Erellisae casts a spell, the smooth panel glows very faintly, then fades away, but there is no other response. Huh.. The cilantro steams and boils away as Erellisae casts her spell. ^_^ ;_; * Erellisae blinks, then hmms, lapsing into silence again, her hand pressed to the panel. The group can see her tattoos quickly flicking through a rainbow of colours as Erellisae tries the different elements available to her. * Nathan goes to check out the rest of the tower. Maybe there's something more to find that might help Er... Erel? Careful with th'fire magic underwater. We don't wanna be boiled from gettin' too close. ^^; * Feray watches uncertainly.. Erellisae hurls a burst of wind at the door...another faint glow. Same with a zap of lightning... A-ah...! * Erellisae gasps as her tattoos suddenly fleck a bright white, her hand shining with light against the panel. She sweatdrops, but keeps her hand against the panel with an effort. Erel...Be careful! O_o * Mikari swims aside, flailing, to avoid the nasty underwater lightning bolt O_o * Jake floats in a sassy, sexually confident manner... despite the recent potential blow to his machisimo. The panel glows brightly this time, and there is a low rumbling from within the pillar. Slowly, a mechanism begins to grind away, and the doors begin to move under Erellisae's hand.... * Nathan returns, not finding anything * Erellisae grins faintly, pushing against the door. "It's... okay. It's... me doing it... somehow..." Ah, she did it * Feray glances at Nate and nods a little. "Yep. Nice swim?" ^_- Not really But doesn't really matter Shall we? The double doors swing outward to reveal a small chamber within the pillar, and the magical light dies away. * Feray shakes her head and swishes a hand at Nate's general direction, sending a whush of water towards him. "We shall." You are too kind ^_^ * Jake looks around at the undersea scenery very pleased, taking advantage of being able to revel in its beauty. * Mikari nods in approval and starts to wonder why the ancients have such an obsession with this silly idea of balance. * Nathan makes for the chamber * Erellisae eyes her tattoos curiously as the white light fades away from them, shaking her head slightly. * Feray pauses a bit, eyeing Erel before assuring herself the younger girl didn't just fry her brain or something....she darts forth into the chamber. * Mitsuo stops for a moment, glancing at Erel, "You're okay, right?" * Nathan waits inside for everyone to assemble * Mikari eyes Jake, who acts like he's in an art gallery. ...Heh. * Mikari swims over and grabs hold of Jake's collar, pulling him in. Sho-raoo pushes ahead of the group, swimming into the chamber in human form. He treads his way upward, seeking surface or ceiling in the high chamber... * Jake notices the heat of someone's smug glance, and then is grabbed. * Erellisae shakes her head suddenly, snapping out of her thoughts and following the others into the chamber, still watching her tattoos. "... y-yeah... I'm okay. Like I say, that was me... somehow..." Come on people, places to see, towers to climb. ...What. I can't do anything here anyway. o O (Cilantro. ;_;) * Mitsuo nods, and then grins a little. * Mitsuo grabs Erel's hand, and gently swims/leads her to the others. ^-^ * Jake floats. * Erellisae blinks, then flushes slightly at Mitsuo's forwardness, following after him. ^^; Pick out a herrin' or two for dinner, Jakino. ^_~ *she lets go of his collar and grins, following the others* ... Never. EVER. Call me that again. * Feray grins slightly but doesn't take the time to tease, instead looking upwards.....she starts upwards with easy strokes. Cassidy, fun swim over. Time for exploration. Sho-raoo swims upward, his head breaking the surface of the water eventually. He shakes the water out of his eyes, flinging droplets everywhere from his long blue hair. Peering around in the murky dimness, he waits for the others. * Cassidy tags along, beginning to wonder that if and when the water ends, if she should have brought shoes... * * Nathan swims upward with care, not in any real hurry * Mikari only grins more, chuckling a little, and swims out of reach of Jake. ... * Erellisae swims slightly faster to draw alongside Mitsuo, shaking her head slightly, her 'breathing' in the water slightly fast. "W-wow. Whatever that was, it felt far more magic than... uhm... magic." ^^; * Dylan follows the group * Feray breaks the surface of the water and slicks her hair from her face with an easy movement.. * Mikari swims slowly enough for her ears to adjust, then breaks the surface of the water in turn. She catches bits of Erel's conversation, though. I hope they trusted the door enough not to trap this place. * Mitsuo hms, and frowns again, "...Just be careful with that...I mean...I know that was probably another clue to your identity...but I really would hate to see you...well...uh...explode or something! O_o" We'll see soon enough See anything, Sho? * Jake glares, then his expression softens. He looks to the side at nothing in particular as he dallies along, contemplating, and then smirks devilishly. Well. As devlishly as one can smirk with kelp in one's hair. As the others reach the surface, they find themselves in a watery chamber, dimly lit by faintly glowing orbs of light. The water casts little reflected light-ripples on the rocky walls. A stone stairway with a strangely carved banister leads up and out of the water, spiraling upwards.... * Nathan breaks the surface, and looks for the next place to go I guess we climb * Erellisae sends Mitsuo a reassuring smile before breaking surface and looking around. "... wow..." * Mitsuo breaks the surface as well, and pales at the sight of all the stairs. * Nathan makes for the stairs and starts climbing * Feray jerks her head a little as she notices the stairway. She raises an eyebrow, So... ...Many... .....STAIRS! >_< Want a piggyback ride, 'suo? ^_- Think of it as endurance training * Jake looks at the stairs and lets his eyes TRAIL... * Feray grins, though there's no mean-heartedness in it. Just actual concern ^^; Uh...no. I'm fine. ^^; * Cassidy pulls herself out of the water. * Yep. Shoes would have been in order. * Erellisae climbs out of the pool, looking around curiously. "Hold on, Nathan..." Alright. :) * Nathan stops his climb, and waits * Feray tugs herself out of the water and wiggles furiously, water flying! ...Ah, all it means is we get to enjoy eachother's company all that much longer. ^_- Sho-raoo starts climbing, a stoic expression on his face. * Cassidy shields herself from the barrage of droplets from Feray. * * Jake is splashed with Feray's doggy-shake. * Mikari jumps lightly up the stairs. "Eh, s'not so bad. Easier'n climbin' for ya, isn't it?" ...Phhhftthht. *Kelp flops.* Whoops. Uh. * Erellisae walks slowly to the stairs, her hair falling limply around her as she places a hand on the wall. "... there's magic /everywhere/ here..." Sorry.. ^^; Considering this is a Lumain claptrap, I'm not surprised ...I don't feel anything weird about this place... * Jake shrugs, winks at Feray sexually, then warilly removes the kelp from his face. * Feray sweatdrops at the wink and hurriedly climbs five stairs. * Feray waits. ^^ * Mikari stops at a point on the spiral staircase which is around the first 'revolution', and looks down to wait for the stragglers. * Dylan looks around for Jal Should we keep waiting or move on? * Erellisae shivers faintly despite the lack of cold, before grinning and levelling a mock-glare at Nathan. "Hey! Call it claptrap again and get blasted out of here!" ^_~ Yeah....don't mock the odd phallic tower! * Erellisae starts to climb the stairs quickly, pulling ahead of the group in her eagerness. * Jake follows after everyone. he actually jumped in WITH his boots, and as of now they go *Sloshsloshslosh* as he follows along. Psh ^_- * Nathan resumes climbing ^_^ * Mitsuo bursts out laughing at Feray, and starts climbing. * Feray grins and hurriedly follows after Erellisae. Come on now, the sooner we get started, the sooner we get to the top ^_- The group continues up the stairs. Tramp tramp tramp slosh....tramp tramp tramp slosh.... Huh...pegged you more as a guy who looked to be o....well, nevermind. * Dylan walks at the back of the group, tapping the wall out of habit. Man these stairs go on forever. ...Feray, stop corruptin' Mitsuo! ....Ya already got Erel. ^_- *Sploosh* *Sploosh* *Slsshslssh* *Fuqwsk.* ... ...*Suspicious glares at the rest of the party* .... How come everyone ELSE isn't covered in kelp. Hey now! * Nathan chuckles * Feray pauses in midstep ^^; Hmph! * Feray keeps going. Sho-raoo eyes Jake quite seriously. "I would say the kelp likes you." Anything less than the Cobalt Special Training, and I'm sure my feet would be worn down to little nubs by now... * Nathan doesn't bother to get water off himself * Erellisae heads up the stairs quickly, looking a little tired but with a determined scowl on her face as she doesn't break pace. * Dylan picks a strand of kelp from his horn and flicks it at Jake * Jake mutters something under his breath and blushes. * Jake eyes Dylan. [Sho-raoo] I am guessing you have some knowledge of herbs and plants...perhaps the kelp appreciates that. * Jake nods understandingly. * Nathan takes the stairs at a good but even pace, knowing its going to be a long trip Jeez....littlebit....I know you're curious and all...but....ughn. The more you rush now, the harder it will be later on Take it slow, Erel... Pace yourself, and it will pay off Well, if you ask nicely, I'm sure Jake'll give you his shoes, Cass. * Feray sucks in a faint breath, the strain beginning to catch onto her already...you know, because of the muscle-eating poison she had earlier. * Jake looks confused at Sho, serious expression crossing his often either goofy or sexy countanance. * Mikari grins a little unfairly, then casts a glance to the squishy Jake. "Sheesh, Jakey, ya didn't need camo..." ...How did you know that? ... ...It was the cilantro, wasn't it. * Erellisae blinks and looks back, mouth working a little before she nods with a serious expression, resuming her climb at a slower rate. * Jake blatantly ignores Mikari until he remembers something, then licks at some kelp sensually in her direction. * Nathan notes Feray falling behind, and slows to catch up with her The stairs start to spiral in continuously wider circles. Eventually, they trudge up to a heavy door of some strange silvery metal that blocks the way.... Sho-raoo nods at Jake. * Feray waves a hand a little at Nate and motions to the door. * Mikari blinks and wide-eyes, at Jake, simply because she cannot believe someone actually tried to lick sensually at kelp. O_o Hehh.....see, here we are...I hope.. * Nathan nods, and leaves it at that * Erellisae lays a hand on the door, giving it an experimental push. We'll soon see Hrmf, another door? *sits down on a step. * Feray rubs a bit at her thighs and watches Erel.. * Jake sucks on a peice suggestively after Mikari's weirded out expression, snickers and resumes. The door flickers, the metal growing transparent. O_o With a strange VHWOM sound, the door vanishes under Erellisae's touch! Woah.. Interesting * Jake slooshes up some more stairs. Done already, Ms. Erellisae? * Erellisae blinks as the door disappears. "Uhm. That's a new one on me. Less mess than blowing stuff up, though." ^^; Hey, can she do that with clothes? Beyond the door, they can see a rocky tunnel that ends, not far ahead, in daylight. * Mikari buries her face in her hands at the sound of the squishing Jake produces with his kelp-filled mouth. Maybe ^_- * Nathan heads up Thank the Spirits. An end to these stairs. * Erellisae throws a glance and a grin back at Feray, before offering her a hand up. ^^ * Jake drips. * Feray accepts the hand and gives Erel a faint squeeze before heading out into the daylight... "(m) Lucky Mitsuo." Come on Cassidy, at least get a kiss from the opposite sex out of this trip. * Jake .. ehem. Drips attractively. * Erellisae blinks, then blinks again, then turns red. "Feraaaaaayy...!", she whines, following after her quickly. ^^; * Feray chuckles under her breath ^^ * Jake removes kelp. * Jalanda looks a bit winded as she reaches the top and nods approvingly as the door yields to Erellisae. * Mitsuo pants just slightly from all the stair climbing. Are you okay, Jalanda? As they come out into the daylight, emerging from the underground cavern, they find themselves on what appears to be the edge of the island atop the pillar. A few feet away, the land drops away into nothing. In the other direction stretches the island, densely covered in green foliage, with brightly-colored birds flitting here and there. * Nathan blinks at it all Whoa... O_o I will be fine. It is a bit of work getting up so many flights... * Mikari pops her head out and looks around at their destination from this climb. "Hmmm..." * Jalanda takes a few steps into the daylight. * Nathan looks over the edge of the island * Erellisae looks around slowly at the scenery, smiling faintly. "Wow..." Nice place. Well, all those 'fraid of heights, stay in the staircase. Everyone else, enjoy th'view. ^_^ Long way down * Jalanda draws in a long breath. Hmm. Air's a touch thin.. reminds me of home. * Jake slips into the daylight, some damp hair near his eyes. He moves some of it with a smooth gesture from two fingers, eyes narowed at the offending light. His thin shirt is dripping, sticking to his chest. He fixes his belt and glides the final peice of kelp from off one of his hips before he follows along. Nice.. Mmm. *Turns his gaze* Very nice. Its OK * Erellisae takes a couple of steps forward into the foliage, looking ahead. "Well... let's go see what the folks left me." ^^; Not sure if I like the idea of this place.. doesn't seem right.. * Dill winghugs Jal before flapping over to play with the birds You get used to it after a while. The world is full of ruins and weird places like this.. * Feray blinks and grins a bit at Erel's words, heading forth.. ..though this one's in pretty good shape. * Nathan looks away from the precipice, and heads towards the island's interior Ruins I can understand, towers I understand.. but a parody of nature up here... I don't like it. It is peaceful, but... I agree, something is wrong here. * Mikari, while she doesn't find Jake UNattractive, cannot take him at all seriously after the kelp thing. ^^; * Mitsuo looks nervous, and follows Nathan and the others. * Nathan takes a deep breath * Cassidy shrugs. * Eh, maybe I'm just desensitized then. Mm...bet some of these feathers would catch a nice price on the market.. You've probably seen stranger things than I. * Nathan furroughs his brow * Jake pushes some hair behind one of his ears. At least there appears to be a lack of gravel or sharp rocks around here. I'll never go spelunking underwater without boots again. Hmm... * Jalanda begins walking after Erel, a bit uneasy. * Erellisae blinks, then turns to Feray. "Heey! No hunting up here. I don't want you to fall off or something." ^^; She treks forwards, glancing at her wrists, which have started very faintly glowing white again. "I'm not even concentrating... so much..." Lumians were here once, there's a lingering scent Fall OFF? Hey now! * Feray trails close to Erel, eyeing the wrists worriedly. * Erellisae looks up at Feray, sweatdropping slightly. "Sorry. 's kinda... a magical rush." ^^; * Jake looks down at Cassidy's feet with sympathy. =/ * Cassidy looks down at her feet too, before glancing back up at Jake. * Shoes. Don't leave home without 'em. * Erellisae looks up at Feray as they walk along, sweatdropping slightly. "Sorry. 's kinda... a magical rush." ^^; ..Hey. * Nathan sniffs the air a few more times * Jake slouches over to Cassidy. Don't apologize...it's your thing...but...uh.....the fire that burns the brightest burns the fastest.... ^^; * Jake bends down. "C'mere." Strange place * Cassidy blinks, and tentatively steps closer.. * Uhm.. what's up, bud? ...Your poor feet. They're too lovely to be tainted by these floors any longer. >;) * Erellisae nods slowly in thought. "I'll be careful... It's just... I'm curious too." ^^; * Mitsuo snirks at Jake's attempt to woo Cassidy. ^^ * Jake gently prods, implying he wishes to pick her up with his gestures. * Feray nods and casts the smaller girl a wry grin. "Curiousity? You? No!" * Cassidy barely manages to contain an explosion of laughter, but the mirth on her face is plainly evident. * ^^;; ...Aw. C'mon. Just humor me. * Nathan moves forward with more caution, not liking this place anymore * Erellisae sticks her tongue out at Feray with a grin. "Careful, or I'll start mentioning the kiss again." ^_~ ... * Jake winks. No more kelp on me, baby. ;) * Feray stutters off into silence, blushing furiously. * Feray continues walking! * Cassidy laughs, she has no choice. * ^^; Okay, comedian. I'll humor you. You're sure? * Jake carries her, and as much of a wuss as he is has little trouble for some distance. ^^ The trees loom on either side, their foliage thick. As they walk, the trail starts to be littered with broken tiles and stones, apparently the remains of an ancient road... Sure. ... * Jake grimaces a bit at comedian, but smirks over it. * Jake eyes the trail before him curiously. * Jalanda bends down for a moment to inspect the shattered remnants. * Mikari looks about with interest, stopping to pick up one of the tiles and examine it. Hnn. What a strange place... * Cassidy clings to Jake. * Well.. there's stones and stuff.. so ya know what, bud? I really am grateful. ^^; * Erellisae grins triumphantly, catching up with Feray. "That makes up for the clothing thing. ... you think I might be able to?" ^_~ * Dylan stops and follows Jal's gaze * Jake smirks more, and wordlessly massages her feet. >:) Anything of note? The tile has tiny intricate patterns carved in it. * Nathan keeps a watchful eye out * Cassidy bites her tongue. * ^^; * Feray coughs a bit before grinning wryly at her sis. "Of course. Loincloths are especially in. Take it from the huntress and note the merman." Sho-raoo eyes Feray. ...a long time has passed since Lumians graced this walkway... perhaps their feet cast a spell to speed travel along it. * Erellisae giggles before blinking at Jalanda and Mikari, and eying the stone to see what she can make of it. * Feray waggles her fingers a bit in a wave to Sho. * Jake doesn't know what lies before him but nevertheless proceeds with caution, precious cargo and all. Hmm. Might be spent by now. The tile seems of little note, beyond the artistry of the carving. Hmm. don't recognize anythin', but 'simpressively detailed. 6*shrugs* Not much else t'say. * Dylan roots around for a piece that catches his eye, and pockets it. ..Poor little feet. ;) * Jalanda stands. "An interesting concept, but let's not stop for too long. Something here still has me ill at ease." * Erellisae hmms, and stares up the road briefly, nodding and continuing on. They continue walking down the road, which becomes somewhat more paved and less broken as they continue on their way. After a while, they here a strange droning off ahead, slowly growing closer... * Jake kisses one of her toes before continuing. * Feray glances at Jake and Cass in amusement, following...she pauses. What's that? * Cassidy latches on gently, but more firmly. * Ack.. you're kissing those.. do you have any idea where they've been? ^^; * Dylan takes out a small dusky skipping rock, and places it next to the path, before offering Jal his arm * Jake shrugs. * Mikari walks further down the road, and ends up tossing the tile as she determines that there's nothing special about it which would prompt retaining it. * Erellisae stops, hands going to her daggers. "... don't ask me, I'm just the guest Lumian." ^^; The sound grows, and then a strange metal object zooms overhead, heading back the way they came. O_o * Jake jokingly puts cilantro on her toe. Woah! What the hells! * Jalanda does not take the arm, pausing for a moment as the object rushes overhead. ..! * Dylan looks up * Erellisae blinks, practically falling over and staring behind her at the object. "Wha--!" OK, now I really don't like this place * Mikari stops in her tracks and looks up as it flies by. "What th'...." * Cassidy is about to reply, but is distracted by the curious object, wobbling a bit on Jake's shoulders as she attempts to track it.. * * Feray hooks a dagger from her belt and twirls it a bit in her hand, ready to toss it if she has to. She furrows her brow. A flung metal fish? ....was it a metal fish? I've never seen a round fish before. At least not a metal one * Jake nnhfs. "Should I put you down?" * Mikari is unconsciously loosening her weapon. * Dill flapps back and hides in Jal's cowl, apparently scared of the big metal thing * Erellisae blinks at Feray and Dylan, and hides under her hair. "Maaann... I'm never gonna be allowed to forget that, am I?" ^^;; Heck no. ^^; but, uh, let's keep going. * Feray looks a bit uneasy now. ...such a simple spirit. Yet a cold skin... that presence... * Cassidy frowns a bit. * Uhm.. maybe, yeah. I guess I don't wanna topple you over or anything. Thanks for the lift though, bud. * Cassidy grins. * Come on, Ms. Erellisae, it's not like *you* made it. I'd have expected a pie thrower from you. Crossing the path in front of them, another metal object passes before the party. It has several appendages and seems to be flying under its own power; it's about three feet across, perhaps. ?! * Nathan watches the flying objects warily Let us hurry and find what we seek. * Jake beams darkly at her, flashing some teeth before helping her off his back... and being a bit brave with his hands. Accidentally, of course. * Erellisae nods, drawing her daggers as she gets to her feet, blinking at the thing curiously. "... are they... pets? Made of metal? That one was a bird?" ... * Nathan growls a little Erellisae... think back to the tales of Justin... the answer lies there. * Cassidy forgivingly chalks up Jake's latest foray into the fact she's in a swimsuit.. she'd have never let it go if she were in her normal clothing.. * ... Good thing I brought my dagger. I might need it. * Feray doesn't seem comfortable with the odd metal animals. ^^; * Cassidy grins at Jake. * * Erellisae shrugs with a confused noise, nodding slightly and stepping carefully around the thing. "It's... uh... kind of cute. I... think." * Nathan raises an eyebrow at Erel * Mikari looks around suspiciously in front of them, not yet noticing Jake's latest test of courage. * Jake adds Cassidy's comment up with him noticing Mikari remove her weapon... and realises he is armed only with a colorful rack of spices and a crochet hook. * Feray idly creeps around the animal and follows Erel. ^^; Another metal object spins closer, zooming up to the party and floating about three feet in the air in front of them. The thing is circular, on closer inspection, and has several spiraling appendages....it slowly rotates, bobbing up and down. * Jake gulps. ... * Nathan stands still * Erellisae scritches at a cheek absently, sweatdropping as the thing zips up to her. "Well... hi there, little guy. I'm... home? Maybe?" ^^; Hmm.. I've seen alot of strange floating things before.. but this thing takes the cake. * Jalanda stops, considering the next visitor. "A guard, perhaps." This place is.... b'zarre. Let's not aggrivate it, shall we? * Jake looks up at the word cake and is dissapointed. :( The metal thing starts to buzz and spin faster, a little red light in its center flashing warningly. Another spinning metal thing zooms out of the trees; a third descends from the sky above... * Dylan hefts his mace.. "Let's hope it recognizes us as people not to attack" Crap Guys! Scatter! Uuh? O_o A fourth comes up behind them! They start spinning even faster, then suddenly dart forward to attack! * Erellisae blinks, rearing back and away from the thing. "And here I am without the alarm password..." ^^; * Dylan goes to intercept one of them! * Jake all but yeeks and scatters!! ;_; Crap! Oh sure, days and days without battle, and then I decide it's a good day to go for a tan. Battle. * Nathan tries to intercept one The spirits are sure on my side, alright. * Jake equips his crochet hook menacingly. * Nathan hefts his axe and prepares to fight * Mikari quickly leaps to one side, then adjusts to her full battle stance. >> Spinners 1, 2, 3, and 4 appear. Battle begin! A quick work-out will be good for you, Cassidy, don't want to put on the pounds. * Jalanda steps aside, but is cut off by a spinning sentry as well... * Jake crouches down and hugs his knees, holding his hook over him like it does something. * Erellisae steps back into a combat stance in a mimicry of Feray's own, gripping her daggers. "Guess I get my first exam in these..." * Cassidy looks down at herself, before glaring at Dylan. * Are you saying I'm fat?! No, just that it would look really bad on you. * Jake is still crouched down, waving his crochet hook in an attempt to ward off opposition. * Erellisae backs up against Feray, sweatdropping slightly at the robots. "Aw, c'mon, guys, I'm okay! And they're my friends! What, is there a cover charge or something?" ^^; >> Dylan's declaration. * Mitsuo eyes the monsters, trying to figure out what would work best at stopping them. I knew I didn't like this place :\ * Feray pauses for a moment, feeling her strength tumble through her, and she draws on it as she unsheathes her daggers smoothly....she casts Erel a faint chuckle. "Sorry but we'll have to smash your pets, littlebit.." * Dylan cracks his knuckles, and eyes Spinner 4 * Feray begins to twirl her daggers expertly in her hands as she eyes the spinners.. * Erellisae laughs. "I'd call it okay at this point. Hey, maybe I'll learn to build them." ^^ Today I'm you opponent! * Nathan slams his axe down onto the ground, and starts charging his body with energy >> Jalanda's declaration. It appears we have no choice... I will not hold back against such things. * Jalanda lifts her pale right hand from the robes that hide it, as it begins to gather a silver magical aura. "O, Spirits of the Air..." *whimper* * Cassidy laughs. * Smile, bud! This won't take long. No worries, Jake. Stay out the way and this'll be over in a jiffy. * Jake gets a bit braver and peeks over his knees at the group on Cassidy's words and makes a small puppy noise. >> Mikari's declaration. * Mikari eyes Jake's croquet hook questioningly. * Jake hides it. * Feray cracks her neck idly, jerking her head to the side slightly to accomplish it. * Mikari smirks and decides to take advantage of the situation. She starts preparing for a running start. Well...guess there's no better time to see if dying screwed with my battle reflexes. ^_- Ah, you'll do fine * Feray casts Nate a warm look, her lips quirking into a grin. "You're just biased." Nah, I just have faith >> Spinner 2's declaration. Prepares a special move aimed at Jalanda! * Erellisae grins, waggling a finger at Feray. "I know you'll do good. Man, I guess I'm /really/ the rebellious daughter now." >> Feray's declaration. * Jalanda narrows her eyes, her spiral of wind energy intesifying. "I'm afraid I cannot allow you to stop me." * Feray utters a soft laugh and fixes her gaze on Spinner 2. She twirls her daggers and prepares to combo! * Mitsuo blinks a bit at Jalanda's wording, but doesn't say anything. * Feray closes her eyes as she allows the natural flow of it run through her, managing to do it with an almost natural grace that Erel lacks. ^^; >> Jake's declaration. * Jake uncrouches himself. * Jake makes a chibi flying leap and throws paprika into one of the thing's eyes in mad desperation! NYAAARRR! * Jake falls. * Mitsuo nearly drops his rings in surprise. O_o Nyaaaar? . o O (Nyar?) * Feray snaps her eyes open. O_o * Jake scurries. ;_; * Cassidy dawns her winning smile. * Way to go, bud! Onward, to victory! ....what the.. >> Jake hurls paprika at a spinner! No effect. * Erellisae watches Feray absently out the corner of her eyes, trying to pick up some more ability. ^^; ... Well, uh, at least it's tasty now. * Nathan lets the whole paprika incident slide >> Cassidy's declaration. * Jalanda is not distracted by Jake's antics, though it is extremely tempting. * Feray pauses in the flow of her twirling to flip a dagger into the air, noting Erel watching and feeling a glimmer of showoffyness come through. She catches it with two fingers and resumes her twirling. ;) * Mikari eyes Jake disbelievingly, giving him a "what the hell was THAT?" look. * Jake resumes cowering. * Cassidy, still smiling, flipping her dagger into the air once before catching it, makes ready to unleash Dazzing Blade upon Spinner #3! * * Jake stops cowering. * Jake licks his lips at Mikari. * Jake cowers /sexily/. >> Mitsuo's declaration. * Mikari rolls her eyes. 9_9; Someb'dy go cast Cold Shower on that guy... * Mitsuo balls both of his hands into fists, a purplish aura begins to seep from them. * Jake eyes Mikari with big brown puppy eyes through his knees, breaking into cuteness for a second before fixing his glance to a lustful and devious one. ;) >> Spinner 3's declaration. Prepares to cast a spell on Nathan! * Nathan stands firm, intent on finishing what he's doing >> Spinner 4's declaration. Prepares to combo attack Cassidy! * Mikari wisely starts to employing the strategy of ignoring Jake except for the purpose of keeping him from getting himself killed, which seems like quite a likely possibility here. ^^; >> Nathan's declaration. * Nathan directs his energy back into his body >> Erellisae's declaration. * Erellisae grins faintly. "I've been wanting to try these out..." she mutters, before running towards Spinner 2. * Feray raises an eyebrow in faint amusement. >> Spinner 1's declaration. Prepares to critical attack Cassidy! (m) Self defense. Self defense! >> Spinner 2's action! Executes Spinner Daze on Jalanda. Its appendages whirl in a dizzying spiral, slashing at Jalanda. 29 damage! Jalanda is confused! Jal! O_o Ak! * Feray bares her teeth in a slight growl. >> Feray's action! * Feray lunges forth, sprinting easily past Erel and slamming into Spinner 2! She drives the daggers hard into the top of the metallic spinning disc thing and rips them both in opposite directions! * Jalanda is actually disoriented by the attack, losing her normally keen focus and teetering... strangely the right hand with the magic remains unphased, as if it's acting of it's own accord in the casting. >> Feray combo attacks Spinner 2. 29 damage...27 damage! * Mikari blinks as Jalanda starts to act differently. "Er, Jal?... You 'lright?..." * Feray falls back into a crouch and then backflips into her original spot...she flashes a smirk. * Dill leaps out of Jal's cowl and flaps arond, puffing worriedly at her.. >> Cassidy's action! * Cassidy grips her weapon tight, charging towards Spinner #3. The small blade begins to glow brightly, and as it's razor edge collides with the mechanical monstrosity a blinding explosion of light flares, it's brilliance illuminating the field of battle! * >> Cassidy executes Dazzling Blade on Spinner 3! 30 damage; Spinner 3's action is cancelled! ...my sight betrays me. But... it must be finished... * Mikari nods approvingly as Cassidy holds her own. >> Nathan's action! Time to fly! * Nathan is surrounded by a brief green aura, and a shadowy, monstrous figure seems to appear behind him for a moment, then its gone with a soft rasping sound. >> Nathan executes Celerity. Gains +1 ACT level! * Nathan hefts his axe again, and looks for a likely target >> Erellisae's action! * Erellisae grins toothily, pouncing at the damaged Spinner two and driving a dagger through it, slashing the other forward to score a line across it before moving away. * Feray sweatdrops. >> Erellisae combo attacks Spinner 2. 5 damage...7 damage! * Feray blinks and chuckles. "Not too bad, littlebit!" * Nathan refrains from commenting Your form needs a bit more work but at least you can inflict some damage instead of bouncing harmlessly off. ^_- >> Dylan's action! Power Technique! IRON FIST! * Mitsuo is rather quiet because he's concentrating on his magic! Yes! * Erellisae grins faintly, moving back to beside Feray and looking pleased with herself. ^^ * Mikari grins unintentionally to watch Erel fleabite the metal enemy. ^^; * Dylan rushes Spinner 4, pulling out a brass knucle from his belt, and slipping it on before slamming a fist into the underside of the spinner, disrupting it's motion. >> Dylan executes Uppercut on Spinner 4. 55 damage; Spinner 4's action is cancelled! * Feray nods and eyes the spinners.. >> Spinner 1's action! Critical attacks Cassidy...37 damage! * Cassidy buckles under the attack, getting knocked backwards a good ways.. she slowly gets back to her feet.. * Now that.. that wasn't very nice... >> Jalanda's action! Whispering warriors of the breeze, send the lost to their knees... Howlslash... * Jalanda spreads her arms wide, the sleeves of her robe fluttering in the wind as it picks up. The once calm battelfield is suddenly beset upon by a vicious storm, the air currents slashing at every foe as like a dozen knives from seemingly infinite directions. And soon, all is silent once more. >> Jalanda casts Howlslash! 58 damage to Spinner 1. 53 damage to Spinner 2...Spinner 2 is done for! X_x 53 damage to Spinner 3. 56 damage to Spinner 4. * Jake is still cowering, a little disheartened at his failed paprika assault, feeling helpless and soggy. * Jalanda holds her head after the spell, finally visibly succumbing to the affliction of the Spinner's confusion, uttering a very soft, "...help me." . . . >> Mikari's action! Hmm. Keep at them guys, I'll snap her out of it! * Mikari darts up to Spinner 1, suddenly appearing behind their right shoulder. Heyyy, now, you won't be needing this, will you?... * Mikari rifles through Spinner 1's pockets, and before her target realizes what's going on, she slams her hand into their back, knocking them over!! ^_^ >> Mikari executes Explorer's Discount on Spinner 1. Stole Scent Crystals! Spinner 1 is stunned momentarily. O_o Thanks... You're a pal!! * Mikari winks, mouthing a playful 'tch' sound out of the corner of her thieving smirk. * Mikari looks satisfied, having found pockets even on an automaton. >> Mitsuo's action! Thunderous heavens, close the circle! * Mitsuo opens his hand upwards, and sparks of purple light billow out in all directions, forming a ring of seething power around his enemies. Mitsuo then makes a chopping motion with his hand, and the electric circle closes with a deafening bang! >> Mitsuo casts Zap! on the three remaining Spinners! Spinner 1 takes 76 damage...done for! X_x Spinner 3 receives 64 damage. Spinner 4 receives 60 damage. Both are done for! X_x * Erellisae sheathes her daggers and straightens, looking impressed. ^^ "Erm... sorry everyone. That musta been the guard dog." ^^; >> Battle won! Gained 50 EXP, 50 G each! * Nathan notes the group is making quick work of the enemies today * Dylan runs over to Jalanda now that the threat is gone, and shakes her gently * Mitsuo pumps a fist, letting out a small shout of victory. ^^ * Dill hugs Jal, and nuzzles her worriedly * Nathan stands down, but remains wary Jalanda, are you all right? O_o * Feray shoves her daggers into her sheathes and turns her gaze onto Jal curiously.. * Jalanda staggers, mumbling incoherently as Dylan grips her, each shake bringing her focus a bit more upon him rather than dizzying madness. I... the dark... no, Dylan. Yes... forgive me... * Jake ceases his uhh... "sexy" cowering and joins the group like the paprika never heppened... or rather wishing it did. * Feray pauses, noting Cassidy's discomfort, and taps the hilt of a dagger against her lips in thought. "Looks like you need a pick-me-up." She kisses the hilt of the dagger and then points it at her hurt companion, enveloping Cassidy in a sudden healing glow. "Snap into this!" ¤ Beef Jerky! * Erellisae looks around carefully at the remains of the automata, a little unhappily. "I wish we didn't have to break them... they're incredible..." ... >> Feray executes Beef Jerky. Cassidy regains 45 HP! * Feray turns her gaze onto Erel curiously. "In a sort of 'wanting to eat your bones' sorta way." * Cassidy picks up a bit. * Well now.. I feel better. * Mitsuo watches Jalanda with visible concern on his face, unable to really help. * Jake mutters something about not being able to heal, but at least HE is good at rubbing feet. * Erellisae sweatdrops faintly, and nods. "Well... yeah, I guess. I'd love to pick through one, though, try to figure it out... Lumian artifacts..." C'Mon Jal, get your wits back, we need you. * Feray chuckles and heads to Erel's side, ruffling her hair softly. "You could always take bits along if you wanted." * Dylan looks around the group.. Maybe later. We don't know if there are more of those around * Mikari eyes Jalanda with concern and checks through her pack. * Erellisae stands up with a nod. "Maybe. But, yeah, the way back, I think." ^^; Anyone got any Scent Crystals? She's needs a hand to come to.. ....Wait. I do have some'a these. * Erellisae grins. "Maybe we'll find a friendly one!" ^_^ * Jalanda gasps a few times, trying to get a grip on herself and holding her head. "The... destroyers... holding salvation... awaken the senses... salt of the earth... please... gggn." Bought 'em awhile back... almost forgot I had 'em. *Mikari pulls out some of the smelling salts, and hands them over to Dylan* * Feray nods as well and chuckles, casting a worried glance back towards Jalanda.. * Dylan cracks them open and waves them under Jal's nose Ugh. Smell bad. So.. what now? We keep going once Jal's OK Jalanda...? * Jalanda breathes very deeply of the item, shaking as the essence sends her senses reeling. * Mikari narrows her eyes and looks for Jalanda's recovery. * Erellisae watches Jalanda worriedly, scanning around for any more of the robots. :/ >> Mikari uses scent crystals...Jalanda recovers from confusion! Are you okay? Or are you still hurt? * Mikari eyes the item she stole from the robot closely this time. "Eheh. Funny. These're th'same thing. How convenient. Guess the makers gave 'em an emergency supply or somethin'." * Jalanda's head lolls forward once, then snaps to attention. "Such.. a horrible smell... but." * Jake solemnly watches everyone recover and slowly fumbles in his pocket at his crochet hook dejectedly. Eh, Jake.... um... if yer gonna stick with us, maybe I can get you a better kind of hook. ^^; * Cassidy moseys on over to Jake, gazing up at him again. * You did good, bud. Better than me. You didn't get hit once! * Jake kicks at something. * Jake responds in a deep, serious tone. I wouldn't know how to use it. I'm... alright. I apologize. This is... unfitting for me. * Mitsuo smiles, "Don't worry about it, Jalanda. I'm just glad you're okay." It happens to the best of us, are you hurt at all? * Dill puffs merrily * Jake keeps his hands in his pockets and gazes distantly at the forein surroundings. A faint shiver falls over him. He stares at his feet. * Jalanda bows her head, looking directly at Dylan for a long moment. "I would have been... but you have kept your promise. Thank you." ... Heh, it'd be better'n nothing, I can tell ya that, boy. ^^ *Mikari holds the hook end of her weapon and rests it over her shoulder* * Jake pulls some kelp out of his pocket with a sour expression. He tosses it. * Cassidy looks down at Jakes feet. * Hey. You got shoes. No problem, Ms. Jalanda, shall we proceed onwards? Yeah. * Mikari looks a little awkward, as Jake shows signs of inexperience regarding battle duress. I was too tired to comprehend what I was doing, fortunetly it -kind of- worked out. * Cassidy smile fades, and she gives Jake a dubious look. * Hmm.. you're even more glum than Mitsuo. C'mon, smile. You'll feel better, I promise. Let's keep going, everyone. More of those monsters may come out. * Jake slooshes. Well, yer still alive, so... s'all good, eh? Leather and salt water are an unfriendly combination. ...Geez! I am NOT glum! * Mitsuo flails slightly. ^^; * Jake smirks. * Jalanda gets her bearings, looking around carefully, and making sure she is entirely alert. She looks down at her hand a moment, flexing it once, then hides it in the folds of her robe as normal. How could I ever be sad surrounded by a party of beautiful women. * Nathan takes another deep breath, trying to see if more foes are coming * Erellisae waves a finger at Cassidy. "Now, now. We at least know how to break Mitsuo out of his glumness. You tickle him, or mention butterflies." * Cassidy points a finger back at Mitsuo. * Hey! You need to smile more too! ^^ * Mitsuo flails more at the mention of butterflies! * Dylan herds people onwards Yes, this only serves to delay us... please do not stop on my account. I DO smile! Just in situtations where we're not going to be eaten by giant fish! Up ahead, above the trees, they can see the gleaming rooftops of a building... * Jake grins like a shark at Mitsuo. * Feray points towards the building.. Hah! That's one of the best TIMES to smile! We'll be fine. Just gotta find whatever's been left for me here... like... say, a big building. ^^; It is? Why? The ladies like confidence in the face of danger! ;) Let's go explore your heritage, huh, littlebit? You gotta smile even then. Never let 'em see you frown or show doubt. It's called being confident. Laughing in the face of danger, n'all that. ...They do? ...Hm. * Nathan presses on, still not liking this place one bit * Feray seems a bit distracted now and shuffles forward.. * Mikari raises an eyebrow. "...And a few other men too, if ya hadn't noticed. Not t'mention the lightnin' squirrel and the marshmallow moth." * Jake flicks some hair from his eyes. * Mitsuo smiles...only it's really wide. O_o * Erellisae giggles. "But it's so cute when he flails.", she grins, before turning serious and nodding to Feray. "... yeah." She moves forward, flanking Feray. This good? :D However we might extend it, our paths do not continue forever. Take all the joy you can, when you can. * Jake follows, not exactly as confident in his knitting object as he is in his dashing good looks and sparkiling personality.. he lags a bit, not too close to the front, but not prepared to bring up the rear. ^^; * Cassidy trails along, doing her best to avoid sharp stones and metal bits. * The trees part ahead, and they can see the reliefs and carvings on the wall of a strange, metallic building. It's vaguely dome-shaped, but with turrets of all types, gleaming in the sun. The metal has various tints to it, and some parts are made of white brick... * Jake smirks at Mitsuo and gives him a sassy thumbs up. "Confidence, but layed back confidence. But then, you seem to be doing well enough. Usually I consider myself an authority, but right now I feel my handsome confidence is a bit more than tarnished." * Erellisae looks up at the building, a vague mixture of apprehension and curiosity on her features as she slows and approaches. * Nathan is less mindful of the archetechture, and more wary of more attacks Aww. Don't let that battle phase you, Jake. I've never seen anyone throw...spices like that! * Mitsuo eh-hehs. The building seems to beckon. As Erellisae approaches, however, another spinner zooms up, this one a bit smaller than the others... ...! * Cassidy grips her knife a bit tighter.. * * Feray growls and draws her daggers.. Agh, another one. Agh, not another one! The spinner revolves slowly, waiting for them to come closer * Jake looks over at Mitsuo saying about the same thing as him at the same time, shrugs it off. * Erellisae blinks, rearing back again. ^^; I can certainly say, Jake, that had that been a human oppenent, it could have been quite effective. The spinner revolves faster, bobbing up and down, before slowing again. * Nathan growls * Erellisae sweatdrops at the little thing's size and antics. "... oh man, and I thought the others were cute?" ^^; Eh, I'm a lover, not a fighter, anyway. ;) The spinner begins to float closer to Erellisae... Erel...be careful...I think it's planning on attacking you. * Jalanda slows, keeping a keen lavender eye rivetted on the smaller cousin of her recent aggressor. "You are different from the rest..." * Erellisae takes another tentative step back, before watching the thing in silence. ^^; ....Great. 'nother one. Maybe it recognises her...? * Jake eyes Mikari. * Jake frowns to himself. o O (Aww. She's always bitchy. I thought I was special. ;_;) * Nathan keeps his axe handy, ready to shash the flying thing if it makes any sudden moves The spinner locks on to the pendant around Erellisae's neck! It shines a beam of light on the medallion, a lens telescoping out from it to examine the disc. O_o Hope it doesn't mind we shashed up th'other ones. * Mikari turns to Jake, who is watching her. What...? ^^; Hey! H...Hey! Erel!?! * Mikari blinks and turns as the spinner suddenly reacts! * Erellisae blinks, holding her hands out to stop the party. "Hold on! It's okay! I think... it just got the password off me." ^^; ... * Jake shrugs his shoulders, a little less damp now from all of the drama, kisses his pointer finger and shoots it at her with a wink. * Nathan growls again, not liking this * Feray curls her lip but stays her daggers.. ....PASSword? >_o * Jake watches the thing... * Erellisae shrugs back at Mikari. "I dunno. Maybe the pendant means I'm allowed to be here or something. Whatever it is, the little guy's interested in it." ^^; The spinner retracts its lens, turns off its beam, and slowly floats around to Erellisae's side...then lands on her shoulder gently. :D ...Huh. O_o * Jake points at it happily! It would seem it has accepted you as rightful master here. * Jake ehems. . o O (Yet another little one.. hope it doesn't get in a fight with Dill..) Hunh. * Erellisae giggles at the thing, before patting it on the top. "Awww. See?" ... So, can we go in? * Feray eyes the thing with distinct distrust before reaching out to poke it. Er.... right. 6*Mikari turns her head as Jake seems to be motioning to her, and gets thrown offguard again by his little overdone flirting. She gives him another "are you nuts?" look, but this time it lacks the same direct approach.* The spinner buzzes a bit at Feray, revolving its spiraling arms slowly. * Jake pouts, wishing he has a cute little metal thing on HIS shoulder.... then remembers he had a cute little GIRL on his shoulders.. * Jake spaces out and fantisizes. * Erellisae shrugs. "I... guess. Little Guy, this is Feray. She's my sister. Now you be nice to her." ^^; * Feray gazes at the spinner uncertainly before looking at Erel, noting the sparkle in the green depths of her eyes. She snorts a little. "Bleagh. Cutesey wutesiness wins again. Let's keep going." * Feray grins just slightly. Yeah, let's go. ^_^ * Erellisae grins and pokes Feray in the side with a mock evil laugh. "I'll win you over yet!" Fine. But if that thing so much as twitches, I'm punting that thing to mars Oh sure. ;) I can just see me in a dress. * Feray rolls her eyes and prances forward comically ;) The automatons seem to be of a singular purpose. If it is her friend, it will continue to be until quite past our lifetimes... Let us go further in, then. * Erellisae giggles at Feray, and cuddles the little bot protectively, sticking her tongue out at Nathan. "Aw, he'll behave! Won't you... uh... ... hmm. I have to think of a name for you now." ^^; She shakes her head slightly, releasing the little bot to fly as she heads towards the building. Eheh. Didn't ya know metal is weak t'cutestuff? ^_- 6*Mikari shakes her head and tchs, then gives in and follows Erel too.* * Nathan tromps forward, wondering why Lumians seem to have a need to overcomplicate everything The little spinner goes up to the door, shining a beam onto a blue glass lens set in the center of the door. A mechanism whirs, and the door slides open. * Jalanda follows Erellisae, still feeling a bit regretful about what happened earlier, but the intriguing setting soon dispels this train of thought for now. * Nathan follows * Mitsuo once again sticks to the rear of the group. * Erellisae smiles at the robot, telling it "thank you" before heading inside, looking around curiously. * Mikari walks ahead too, starting to become intrigued enough to explore this place. The hallway is lined with little lights on the floor in green, blue, and orange-red, lighting the way. There are no branching hallways, only one long one that leads deep into the building... * Nathan follows the path quietly * Erellisae hangs back slightly, looking suddenly nervous, before shaking her head and following the path, still looking carefully around. * Mikari is slightly disappointed with the lack of explorer expertise necessary for this ruin, but continues to inspect its nuances anyway. * Feray sticks close to Erellisae, thinking her presence a comfort.. * Jake slouches after everyone before reminding himself of the pretty girls and straightens up a bit, darkly smirking at various lady-types, even in this situation. At the end of the long hallway, it opens up into a very large, circular room. There is a dais in the center, with a pedestal on top of it.... ..? * Erellisae throws a grateful smile at Feray, hugging her arm slightly. ...What is this? * Feray quirks a faint grin down at Erel and then motions a bit to the dais. "Guess that's where we need to go." They can see SOMEthing up there in the dais, shimmering dimly... * Nathan takes another careful sniff Looks like it. ^^; * Erellisae nods, heading towards the dias slowly. You think this is it, Ms. Jalanda? * Feray follows, glancing about.. In the dais is a center of the dais is a switch, with completely unknown uses. :P In front of it, more interestingly, is, of all things, a harp. It has silver strings, and its frame is made of a soft, almost rainbow-colored material. It is unclear what kind of material it is...it is almost stone, almost metallic...perhaps some kind of shell? Or another mineral? Huh... * Erellisae examines the harp, tracing a finger along it. "... wow... it's beautiful..." * Nathan seems somewhat impressed Hmm.. I bet that'd look good in a museum. * Jake stares at the shiny things. We'll have to show this to Sharu later.. But what is it for...? Besides being a harp, of course. Music to sooth the savage beast? Hmm. Maybe. :) As a savage beast, I can say that rarely works. But as far as spirits go, it might work * Jalanda steps forward, studying the instrument from a distance. "You may not be far off in that assumption." * Jake smiles at Nathan's comment. * Feray tilts her head. "Nice. Can I throw it around and bounce it off the walls?" * Feray grins. Hmmm. Wonder how much this stuff'd go for. Heh. You break it, you bought it, Feray. * Feray chuckles. ;) * Erellisae picks up the harp slowly and more than a little reverently. "I guess... this is what we came for..." She gives Mikari an almost shocked glance, hugging it to her. "No selling!" o_O * Mikari chuckles. "After you're done with it, of course." ^_- As Erellisae picks up the harp, her elbow nudges the switch on the pedestal. Ah...Mik... ^^; Hmm. Do we play it here, or take it to the Angelr? Erellisae... don't forget about the... o_o; * Jalanda stops as she nudges the switch. * Erellisae blinks down at the pedestal. "Uhm. Oops." ^^; ...I'm only kiddin', Mits. That's my day job. ....Oh crud. There is a staticy crackling hum, and then suddenly, a pearlescent glowing sphere flickers into view, floating gently above the dais. O_o * Mikari blinks. * Mitsuo wideyes. O_o ..? A message. Instructions perhpa? * Erellisae blinks, stepping back and looking up worriedly, retreating to Feray's side. ^^; * Jalanda looks up at the sphere. * Cassidy looks up, examining the new object carefully.. * * Mikari's "investigate or run" instinct kicks in, and she gets ready to bolt... though the worry soon subsides. The sphere flickers, going in and out, changing shape and elongating and then springing back to a sphere again. They can hear a voice, crackling badly...as if the reception is horrible, or maybe the device is faulty.... *bzzt* "...-one there? It...." *bzzt, vhiirr* ...bad reception, w-...one second..." * Feray blinks, backing her ears... o_o That's a new one... * Erellisae blinks, looking up at the orb, her ears twitching. "... uh... hello?" * Jalanda's slightly-pointed ears perk at the voice. ...This isn't a recording? ... Apparently not... "Hologram transmission faulty...wait while-...change settings..." * Feray looks down at Erellisae and then to the hologram... * Jalanda whispers, "...could it be... the one I heard calling...?" * Erellisae watches it carefully, looking rather scared indeed. ^^; * Dylan waits, listening The sphere flickers, then steadies, becoming clearer. It settles into a solid shape, and an image appears inside it, much as in Jalanda's scrying crystals.... Looks like Jal's got good reception. ^^; A feminine face looks back at them. The transmission is still somewhat faulty, and the picture is not terribly clear, but it appears to be a young woman with lavender hair, tied back in a ponytail and put up in a headscarf. She has dirt and dust smudges on her cheeks, and she is wearing a loose, gray tunic with black trousers. [Woman] Who's there? I wasn't expecting a call... Such a magical construct is quite beyond my abilities, Mikari... * Nathan raises an eyebrow * Feray raises an eyebrow slowly and nudges Erel forth. * Jalanda pauses. G'on, littlebit...it's your time. Erel...it's okay. We're all here, just like I promised. :) * Feray nods in agreeance with that. The sphere flickers and fizzles, buzzing out and then in again. The woman mutters and reaches forward, apparently fiddling with some dials. * Mikari blinks and doesn't answer Jalanda. * Cassidy remains silent.. * * Erellisae blinks, stumbling forward and over her words. "Uhm... I'm on Encos Island, I... turned this on by accident... I... my name's Erellisae, I'm a Lumian..." ^^;; The woman blinks. (w) It is the same voice.... it must be. [Woman] Lumian? Why...you are, aren't you? No one has been on Encos Island in centuries. Where did you come from? Erellisae might notice pointed ears peeking out from under the woman's headscarf.... Uhm, well... I came from Merrill in the east, but... I think I came from the Lumian island originally, my parents must've moved away... y-... y-you're a Lumian too? * Feray rubs her neck, watching carefully. * Jalanda bows her head in an almost reverent fashion to the image. ... * Erellisae backs away slightly towards Feray, looking rather small. ^^; The spinner lazily circles her head before perching on her shoulder, bobbing slightly up and down. * Jake stays silent. The woman nods. [Woman] Ahh. The island...you must mean Tresallna. I know of it. *Her voice is smooth and elegant, very comforting, though here and there the transmission fades into buzzing.* [Woman] I'm sorry, this device is not..... *bzzt* good order...many old ones *bzzt* disrepair, you know... * Erellisae blinks, stepping forward. "W-wait...! Where is it? I have to find it...!" [Woman] But yes, I- .....*wrvrrr, bzzt* ...Lumian, long ago. ...-never been to Tresallna, but it is to the southwest of Encos. You have .....weeks to go perhaps, by ship. * Erellisae stops, deflating slightly. "...weeks..? I... but, wait. Where are you, then? There's another place...?" * Feray furrows her brow.. [Woman] Transmission so terrible, out of alignment with.... *bzzt* the ones here. I'm attempting to repair them, but I haven't gotten to the one from *bzzt* Encos yet....I- *crackle, vrrr* ...Weeks, eh... * Erellisae shakes her head, shrinking back slightly towards Feray again. "I... is there anything I can do from here?" [Woman] Your journey will not end in Tresallna, however. You are seeking something more...perhaps I may have some answers for you. Do you have.... *bzzt* ....more questions to ask? I cannot promise *vrrrm* -ery much.... [Woman] I don't think so. It takes delicate work and *bzzt* knowledge of the systems. [Woman] But thank you. Perhaps we should ask about the harp, Erellisae. * Erellisae shakes her head faintly. "Too many questions... how do I reach you? How do I reach Alent? Do you know where Justin and Feena are...? Are you... L-liete?" * Jalanda continues to bow her head. "To bridge such a gap... it is a miracle in itself, great madam Liete." * Erellisae blinks, and nods. "...y-yeah... forget those for now. How do we use this harp...?" * Feray takes a step forth to rest a hand lightly on the small of Erellisae's back, wanting to give the younger girl strength. [Woman] I must talk to you from a different transmitter that is not so *bzzzt............* - blasted thing, I will kick you into next Tuesday, I swear...... That last part appears to have been muttered and not meant for the party to hear. ;) * LittleRobotDude falls off Erellisae's shoulder from all the movement /again/, and bounces off the floor with a soulful low chirruping noise. ;_; It floats up to Feray's shoulder, finding it more stable. * Cassidy sniffs, and glances away a moment. * * Feray blinks and shies away from the scary robot thing at first. But when realizing it isn't about to eat her head, she relaxes slightly... * Mitsuo can't help but grin slightly at that. . o O ( In the end, Liete is just as normal as everyone else. ^^ ) * Erellisae glances up at Feray with a vague smile, and takes a deep breath to compose herself. "O... okay... where can I find another? And... we need to use this harp we found... how do we do that?" [Woman] I see you found one of the automata. Spinners are usually guards. It must have recognized you as Lumian... * Jake continues to watch and listen. * LittleRobotDude makes a satisfied beep and lands on Feray's shoulder. It's not heavy, but the metal is slightly cold. ^^; [Woman] I will have to look up the uses of the Cyfaredd Telys, but I can help you, yes...as I recall it *bzzt* is used to..... *bzzzzzzzzzzzzt* * Feray murmurs. "Ah, the wonders of technology." * Erellisae blinks, and sweatdrops. "H-... hello?" * Jalanda widens her eyes a bit, noting how cruel fate can be. [Woman] .....calm, entrance, and enforce one's will. Playing the Telys and singing with it will help you to control the aura of an area and to enforce an emotion or attention on a creature or person.... Handy.. [Woman] It takes delicate use and skill, but I can help you if I can find my notes on the matter, but this *bzzzzzzzt* transmitter will not last much *vrrrrr* longer.... * Jalanda looks relieved. "So that is the secret..." * Feray looks down to Erellisae... "Ask her where you can find another transmitter...there must be another." * Erellisae nods, glancing up, biting her lip. "W-well... where's another transmitter near to this one...?" [Woman] You will have to seek out the nearest one. If I recall, there is one some distance to the west....let me think. *bzzt* And oh yes. *Wipes a dirt smudge from her cheek* You asked who I was. My name is L- *bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzt* All of a sudden, the sphere flickers madly, then blinks out, the light dying away into nothing. ... ... * Erellisae blinks, and lets out a rush of breath, hugging Feray's side. "To the west, huh...?" Well now. (m) Technology...pfft * Feray grunts softly and offers Erellisae a wry grin, ruffling soft blonde hair. "The west." * Erellisae shakes her head forcefully, wiping at her eyes slightly, and chuckling to herself. "Well, I did it... I found Alent and Liete... kinda." ^^;; Hmm. Do we seek out the next transmitter, or try to deal the with angler first? Angler comes first. We might need souls to track down the transmitter. * Mitsuo smiles at Erel, "Was there any doubt? ^_-" The transmitter can wait. Than angler is still feeding * Feray arches an eyebrow at that and idly reaches up to tap the odd robot thing on her shoulder. "Well, aside from you, eh Spud?" Another truth comes to pass... you are coming ever closer. * Erellisae hugs Feray's side, smiling wanly at Mitsuo. "H-heh... but controlling emotions doesn't sound like making something killable..." Hmm. I hate to put you in this position.. but do you think you can use the harp without further instruction, Ms. Jalanada Uh, yeah, th'giant killer fish seems just a li'l more threatenin'... * LittleRobotDude makes a 'doot' noise as it's tapped, bobbing slightly at Feray then twirling in a circle, beeping. * Jalanda considers something a long moment... * Jake takes his hands out of his pockets. * Feray arches an eyebrow. "Pieces of the puzzle, littlebit. It all fits together." This is... not quite what I was expecting... but perhaps.. it is a blessing in disguise. * Cassidy cracks her knuckles, flashing her winning smile. * So, lets axe the Angler, then start wandering west. Let's get this all done while there's still enough daylight for me to try to catch a tan. Cass is right. Let's do this, huh? ^_- * Erellisae nods slowly, looking down at the harp worriedly. "I... guess, yeah... S-southwest of Encos, too... I... I have a direction to go at last..." * Jalanda adds, "To use music.... this is something I can do." Yeah, let's do this. :) * Spud floats up from Feray's shoulder, then landing in Erellisae's hair. It beeps in a very satisfied sort of way. * Nathan turns around and heads out the way they came in * Mikari frowns. "A harp's a bit'v an odd thing t'find here, but alright..." * Feray looks amusedly at Spud and shakes her head. She grins wryly. "C'mon. Dusty ole rooms make me sneeze. Make sure you got that fancy harp, Erel.." We'll give it a shot. * Erellisae takes a deep breath again, hugging Feray tightly briefly before letting go. "... yeah. Let's do it." She holds the harp very carefully, looking back at the dias with a pause and another deep breath, before starting to make her way out. ^^; * Dylan follows people out, frowning worriedly The group starts to make their way out the hall, following the lines of lights on the floor toward the entrance. * Feray trots on out as well.. * Nathan continues to stay wary * Mitsuo once again takes up the rear. The reach the end of the hall, and the door slides open with a *vhwwrrrrrrr* noise to reveal bright sunshine. * Erellisae slides her pack off her shoulders, one strap knocking Spud off her shoulder, before packing the harp carefully away. * Spud whirrs and clicks as it's knocked off, before righting itself and buzzing along and around the party. Just as they exit the building, however, as Erellisae is starting to put the harp away, they see several very large spinners closing in on them! O_o * Mikari shields her eyes as she adjusts back to natural sunlight. Revolving rapidly and whirring loudly, they head straight for Erellisae and the harp! * Emmitt leaps from some bushes nearby and rushes forward, tackling Erellisae to the ground and covering her body protectively with his to save her from the Spinners! They are nose to nose on the ground. He grins wryly at her and brushes a kiss across her forehead, squeezing her in a hug. He is breathless sounding. "You can thank me later, lovely." * Emmitt pushes himself up and rushes off into the foresty settings, Spinners suddenly blocking the path after him! o.O * Nathan snarls * Dylan blinks in confusion... * Cassidy pauses for a moment.. * * Mikari stands with her legs and arms outspread, trying to take in what the hell happened here... * Erellisae blinks, then blinks again, getting herself to her feet. "Rrrgh! I'm going to hurt him one of these days!" ><; As Emmitt runs off, the spinners close in behind him, only deterred momentarily from their attack on the group. O_o Erel! Watch for those spinners! ...Check, please? --; Erellisae, if she looks down, will notice something is strange about the object she was putting away.... * Erellisae blinks downwards, checking the harp is okay from her sudden tumble. * Jalanda begins exiting, lagging behind a bit, and comes upon the strange sudden sight. Erellisae finds she is not holding a harp at all, but....a coconut?! O_o * Feray tugs her daggers loose... "Uh....guys..." ....we have the issue of these spi--.. * Feray stares at the coconut. ...Ooogh! * Mitsuo flails angrily. Emmitt!! You thief!! ...how predictable. * Erellisae /growls/ now, her tattoos igniting with a white light. "... when I catch up with him..." Pardon my french, but I'm going to kill that bastard! >_< * Mikari leans against the doorframe with one arm, holding her forehead. "...I think we've had just 'bout enough of this. Damn it." We'll have to chase him down then... I'm going to chop his fingers off, I swear... * Feray swallows her rage. ....ahem. Spinners. ...Oh yeah. * Feray points at the rather angry seeming robots. Shoot. * Nathan hefts his axe, "You of my way you flying tin cans!!" * Spud doots and whirs at the multitude of spinners, before recieving a mild electric shock for it's trouble, spiralling to the ground. x_X * Feray blinks at Spud and lunges amusedly forth to collect the small robot. She grabs Erel and tugs her back as well! * Cassidy looks nonplussed. * All this crap is getting in the way of my tan. ><; Time to party! * Jalanda turns her attention to the path Emmitt ran down. "You who would steal hope... woe be to you when this is done." * Jake looks at Cassidy. * Nathan charges the spiiners You don't need a tan. ;) Don't be silly, of course I do. Who doesn't? Except possibly Dylan. Or Syri. Or Dill. But you're too lovely without a tan. With a tan, the world might die because the sun would never be able to turn away from your beauty. * Feray glares after the way Emmitt went, mentally cursing the day she ever met the stupid bard and then turns her anger on the unfortunately robots. I don't tan, I burn. * Mikari ceased her pained expression and makes a decision, following Jalanda's line of sight at full tilt, straight towards the gauntlet of spinners. "I'm not takin' this anymore!" * Erellisae blinks as she's tugged back, white energy arcing up her arms as she seethes. It tingles agaist Feray's arms, not hurting, just... there. Focus, littlebit. Right there. * Mitsuo growls, eying the spinners, "This is NOT my day....I'm NOT smilin' now!" * Feray releases the smaller mage girl and snarls at the spinners... * Dylan twirls his brass knuckles around a finger.. "I hate these things, punching metal bad. Iron fist once again." * Erellisae nods, trying to compose herself, the white energy coming under control a little as she breathes deeply. "Grrh... no-one is going to stop me. Not spinners or distance OR /annoying bards/!" ><; The group stands, ready to fight! ==Session End== *** GMAmy changes topic to 'Grandia: New Horizons | Chapter 36.0: The Island of Encos | Location: Island of Encos, July 17, midday | Crappy GrandiaRPG summary/primer at http://whafroofdeath.rpgcafe.net/temp/grandiarpg.html | Session End' Session Close: Sat Jul 06 00:09:37 2002