The trail from the temple eventually leads the caravan out of the maze of rocky outcrops and onto a vast plain that stretches out towards the horizons... Caeftin points towards the west, where a much larger trail it runs alongside the foothills of a snow-topped mountain range. There are a few clouds of dust that seem to come from things - animals, wagons or vehicles - moving in the distance. "Zel-Argose, and Lomrick, lies a day's travel in that direction... when we get there, Baeden and I will get you past the city walls... after that, you're on your own. Baeden and myself are going to operate out of Dae-Argose for a while... it's a week's trek inland, and far from Lomrick".
The wagons are set to join the trail when Caeftin suddenly calls them to a halt, "Wait!!! Do you hear that? From over there..." Hopping down from the wagon and taking two of the Dorgelf members with him, he heads towards a rocky outcrop... whispering to those who come with him, "It's a buzzing noise... like an alarm. There might be some plunder here!!!".
Ravboom looks around, and then nods at the rocky outcrop. "Wagon tracks over that way, wagons go in, don't come out."
Thrashing about in her tiny prison as panic sinks in. Any part of her that can move twists and pulls. Not knowing what would happen if she tired to speak through the goo she keeps her mouth shut. Even though the thrashing is what the Jagladine seem to enjoy she cannot stop herself. Knack! Where are you?
Finally! I have been waiting ages for you to awaken! Rolling through the goop to rub against Vael's hand. Moving his minimal pieces up her hand, ascending her arm, and stopping on neck. Lingering there just feeling Vael's pulse.
Ravboom waits a few seconds, then hops down off the wagon and moves into the bushes, following the tracks, the BoomRav in one hand, and a rapier in the other.
"Dunno, never met a bandit with a wagon before. Usually they leave wagon tipped over with bodies under it, all burned out."
Following the disguised tracks, Caeftin leads the group into a maze of jagged rocks… and there, buzzing with an increasingly insistent tone, the group find a metallic vat – some seven feet high and four feet in diameter – secured to a wagon. If the wagon was ever driven by beasts of burden they are gone… indeed, apart from the buzzing noise coming from a small box near the lid of the tank, there is little sign of life here… that is until the sound of something struggling within the confines of the metal tank becomes loud enough to be heard over the buzzing alarm…
Ravboom clambers up on the wagon, standing on the side of it next to the tank (briefly putting his sword away so his hand is free). Looking in, he sees something struggling. He raises the RavBoom up and puts the gun against the glass near the things head, waving at it through the glass with a demented grin...
...then waits for it to duck down before pulling the trigger and shattering the tube's glass, tinkling sounds as it collapses around the creature.
"That be warning, Ravboom have five more shots, make head go splodey if attack. So Ravboom suggest you no attack."
Looking over his shoulder, he grins. "Rav find tube, creature in tube, lots of broken glass, and wagon! Biggun, you get to be draft horse!"
Ravboom, ignoring Caeftin's pleading not to damage anything that could be salvaged, clambers atop the vat, lifts the lid to see a shape struggling within a clear vessel... and destroys the glass tube with a simple squeeze of the BoomRav's trigger!!!
- the world suddenly becomes brightness once more... and then noise as a sharp explosion shatters the boundaries of the abductee's tiny world. Her first reflex is to wrench two, thin tubes from her nose and to open her mouth to extract a small pipe which apparently kept the 'sleeping' woman from drowning in the thick gel now draining through the bottom of the metal tank in which she had been transported.
A harsh light shines from above as she wipes more of this unknown substance from he face and eyes, and her muscles feel weak and uncertain... and, grinning above her, a green-skinned creature - all teeth and ears - holds a smoking gun.
Diving back lower and wrapping what little is left of himself around Vael's flesh hand. Bellowing in her mind, We have gone from one monster to another!
Wiping the thick gel off of her face with a metal and wire arm. Her arm makes odd bubbling and hissing noises due to some damage and being submerged in the goop for so long. Tubes ripped out of her throat and nose finally let her gulp in air. Pointed ears twitch and move.
Staring at the little goblin with a big gun. Ravboom gets a good look at her eyes as they slowly focus on him.
Gripping one of the tiny baubles that make up Knick Knack. Ignoring the warnings in her head and snapping at the little green creature, "Do you always threaten people after you help them?" Exhaustion has made her reckless and loosened her lips, it really does not matter anyways. If that thing is like the Jagladine she would rather have her head explode.
Twisting to look for something grab so she can crawl out but her hands are shaking to much. Reaching out to shove at the goblin when he turns his head screaming at him while doing so, Finally freed of any caring wither she lives or dies she hurls her pent up anger at the goblin.
Thrashing about to pull herself out of her shattered prison heedless of the glass. The need to get out is far stronger than the need to avoid any more pain.
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After searching for a much-hated horse to kill with no success, Biggun watched the weird two-legger climb out of the case and start yelling. Wincing and digging a finger into am ear to get rid of the ringing her voice caused, Biggun looked at Ravboom and asked, "Biggun think it too noisy. Biggun make it be quiet?" His chain clattered as he unwrapped it from his shoulders.
Ravboom blinks, and then grins. "Rav see Timmerton gears in eyes! That look like Malverton lens for pupil! No smash Biggun, is full of clockwork gears!" The small goblin seems incredibly excited and puts the gun away so he can pull out a magnifying glass and hold it up to the creature's clockwork parts. "Oooh, that be mithral Olgarin cog, why it meshing against a steel Torgin gear? That gear going to get worn down over time by the mithral. Have to be replaced regularly. " The goblin pokes at a gear with a finger. "Already showing signs of wear, look? Steel dust."
Jerking her tired arm ways from the strange little goblin and snapping at him, "Foolish creature! You honestly think I made my arm out of incomparable pieces?"
Twisting and looking at the woman, "I am not a thing damnit!"
"Yeah, I think so Palo...hey! Maybe we can bring it...him...her? with us! It seems like Rav is already making friends, anyway," Relas responds cheerfully.
Pulling himself out of Vael's grasp and floating up in front of her. Two little golden orbs, one much larger than the other. The larger golden orb pulses with a dim light when it starts talking in a slow monotone voice, "Who are you all? Why did you free us?"
Ravboom pokes at the glowy stone. "Hah, small sun put in pocket, now just need crazy gnome." He pokes the stone again. "If no free you, then be corpse in tube.. corpsetubical. Nobody want corpsetubical. Well..." He thinks about it a second. "Maybe necromancer want corpsetubical, but no like necromancers, so easier free corpse before become corpse and then no have to sell to necromancer."
Rav then turns back to the arm, and pokes again. "You sure? That look like mythral, and that look like steel, no mesh well. Maybe someone sold you bad parts and lie?" He pokes the gears again. Then begins tracing the gearings along the arm. "Good gear ratios, good power transfer shafts. Rough around edges, but concept good. Whoever make need more time practicing with forging and grinding, but design good."
Pushing herself to stand, the top of her head reach five feet in height. Now no longer curled up the fact that she is a she is very apparent and on display, as are the scars that mark her as an experiment. One down her right thigh and little ones litter her form
Thick gel covers the fine details of it but her left forearm and hand are mechanical as is much of her abdomen. The lower part of her rib-cage is is not bone and flesh but metal. One flesh lung and one mechanical lung, which is visible under the ribs, work in synchronized silence to suck in air. Most of her stomach is twisting wire and gears to offer a protection to the assumed organ underneath them.
Reaching out with shaking hands and grabbing the orbs that float in front of her. Pulling it close to her chest while scanning the room. Sucking in a sharp breath before speaking again in a still clearly stressed tone, "My arm was originally made just fine but it has been tampered with."
Turning to glare are the over-sized goblin, "Knick Knack is not for sale... And he is not a sun."
Straightening her stance and looking around again before speaking, "I am both that is what my people are. Flesh and machine."
Ravboom nods. "Seen before. Cave troll bite off arm, make new arm out of clockwork. Better than have no arm or going in troll stomach after it." He explains to Biggun. Ravboom then motions Biggun over and climbs on his shoulder and begins to dig in his back pack. 'Rav may have replacement steel cog. Not as good as Mythril, but better to use with steel gear, so no chew up and arm stop working. Can replace gear with Mythril gear and put cog back later." The sounds are muffled as the goblin's head and upper torso are inside the backpack at this point.
Finally Rav wriggles around in the pack, and comes out with a shiny metal thing. He tosses the cog toward the half-mechanical woman. "There. See, Rav did have one."
"Aahhh, stay still!" Rav kicks Biggun in the kidneys as he scrambles down. With his strength, it's not much of a kick. "Nope, not have them running around. Mostly they stay in library and read, or cook in kitchen, or kill cave trolls when bored." He shivvers. "Never get Rav's sister upset."
Letting the cog fly though the air and fall in front of her. Not moving while staring down at it. The golden orb jerks itself out of her hands and floats down near the cog. Floating back up with the cog now floating with it to hold it at eye level for Vael.
Slowly reaching out to grab the floating cog out of Knick Knack and turning it over and over in her hands. All the fury in her stance vanishes, "Thank you."
Pulsing with each syllable it speaks in the monotone voice, "Her name is Vael Dahl and I am called Knick Knack."
Moving to circle around Vael while it continues to pulse and talk, "We were taken by the Jagladine for experimentation."
Vael flinches at that word but keeps her silence letting the golden orb do the talking, "Vael is an Auttaine. They are an part mechical species. She was born with some of those gears and wires along side her flesh and sinew."
Stopping its movement on Vael's right shoulder, "Thank you for the cog and for freeing us. It has been a long time since we received any kindness."
Ravboom shrugs. "No need, hate see good gears eaten up by bad placement. If you get Rav mythril, few ounces, Rav can make new gear to replace steel gear. Take day or two, no big." The goblin then pulls a lever on the side of his pistol, gears spin and the cylinders spin and move out of alignment with the barrel. Then he puts some black powder in one of them, shoves a lead ball and fabric down, and tamps it down by pulling on a lever built into the gun handle. He thumbs a new detonator cap on the top of the cylinder, and then the cylinders rotate back into the gun housing. When he's done, he spins the cylinders with one hand, making the complicated gears inside spin rapidly. "Rav need few days in city, need time rebuild BoomRav into BoomGar."
Nodding her understanding at the woman's offer, "Thank you. I am not sure where I am yet." Merciful Nimsharu I am completely dependent on these people!.. Its ok, its ok. I am not with the Jagladine anymore so gun-totting and over-sized goblins might be better.
Looking over at Ravboom and a small smile forms, "Thank you as well. When I have the materials and time to go over myself I will let you know what I might need help with."
Her smile vanishes as she runs a hand down her stomach and flinching at the thick gel that still clings to her. Looking down and seeming to notice her unclothed state. Frowning and looking back up, "Unless this is a very odd planet I will need some clothing before I go anywhere."
Ravboom tilts his head, and shrugs, before scrambling over to Palo and climbing up her back to paw at her pack. "Palo longshank woman, probably have frilly dress in bottom of pack or something..." He looks down at Relas. "Where she keep spare clothes? You know her better than Rav. Under canteen? In side pocket?"
Caeftin, his expression barely disguising the disappointment that his 'plunder' was a malfunctioning hibernation tank... and utterly unsaleable within Zel-Argose, corrects Palomia, "Your friend here is Auttaine... you'll be seeing a lot more of them when you get to where we're going. Zel-Argose has got more Auttaine than it has humans calling it home". Caeftin turns to Vael and points towards a small crate at the front of the abandoned wagon, "Best you get some clothes on sweetheart... it gets dreadful cold out here on the plains once the sun is down. The last couple of shipments we did for Lomrick, he was bringing specimens back to his place in Zel-Argose... couldn't guess why he abandoned you out here though. You should count yourself as lucky, if'n we hadn't passed by this way, well the power would have run itself down and that would have been that for you".
"Anyways, it's no bother to me nor Baeden if you do want to hitch a ride beck to Zel-Argose... we're headed that way. Unless you call somewhere else home?"
Ravboom looks up from digging in Palo's pack. "Got clothes?" He drops off Palo's back, leaving her to repack the stuff he dug out. "Hey, got new wagon at least." He thumps the side. "Biggun, you can pull wagon for us. May need wagon in future. Maybe find lizards to pull it, or big dogs?"
Lurching forward at the thump from Biggun, "I actually do not have to eat or sleep really, though I do need rest like most people. And none of my enhancements have made me stronger yet. The big one was my ears."
Looking over at Caefin and nodding. Thank the gods someone is local. Taking time to brush as much of the gel off of her as she can and then wondering over to the crate and beginning to dig in. Letting out a quiet sob and frantically digging though the box.
Most of the things she pulls out have bloodstains on them. Jerking out a backpack and digging though that before shoving things in the pack. Tugging on snug pants and a tight shirt which is topped off by a stained large leather jacket. Scooping up the backpack and looking over at the others. "Thank you for waiting."
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Biggun didn't really understand why others always made a fuss over clothes. If he didn't need armor, he'd probably just go around naked! Shaking his head at the strangeness of other big people, Biggun looked over the cart. "Biggun not pack animal, but maybe tie to back of big cart and pull to town?"
"Uh...I guess I can help pull too," Relas offers, sounding a bit resigned. "If we spread out a little between this wagon and the other, it shouldn't be too heavy to pull."
Ravboom whacks Biggun on the thigh. "See? Relas being good sport, Biggun help cat pull wagon." He looks at Caeflin. "Tube thing be no worth money right? If so, can just dump here after taking few bits out of guts of it."
The matter of salvaging this abandoned wagon is brought to a quick conclusion when an inspection of the wheels reveals that, as well as being hidden, it has been sabotaged. Sighing, Caeftin suggests that it would have been difficult to have sold technology in Zel-Argose that was so obviously Jagladine, "You'd have attracted the wrong kinda attention... if you catch my drift?"
Over the afternoon and evening hours until both suns have sunk to the horizon, the beasts haul the wagons of the caravan for a good thirty miles or so. The crunching of gravel beneath the hooves of the beasts and the large metal wheels of each wagon becomes strangely soporific as the caravan drives slowly to the west… every so often, the three wagons pass travellers coming in the opposite direction, the largest group being a ten wagon caravan bedecked in colourful flags and driven by robed folk – in some contrast to Caeftin’s caravan, this larger collection of vehicles is being pulled by horse-sized reptiles… their peculiar, low slung gait full of power as they drag much larger wagons than Caeftin’s own. The robed folk, indeed all of the travellers that the friends encounter, wave in acknowledgement of their shared journeys… and call out, ”Eronenem bless your passage… may it be ever-profitable”… Caeftin and Baeden, to all of the travellers that they pass, reply in kind…
Eventually, as the light starts to dim, Caeftin calls out to Baeden and the other wagon driver… and, veering off of the trail to a grassy bank next to a slow-moving stream, camp is made. As the wagons are pulled into a loose triangle, a fire is lit and various hampers of food unloaded, Caeftin reassures the friends, ”It’s another three hours before we get close to Zel-Argose… too far to make it before the only light is from the stars but close enough that we are safe from bandits and the like. Tomorrow morning, we will get you to the city”. Bedrolls, a strange stringed instrument (not totally unlike a harp) and a few flasks of a clear liquid are brought out and a watch established… and then, as meat cooks over the fire and a haunting tune comes from the instrument, Caeftin asks the friends about their homeworlds…
Ravboom rubs his nose. "Was decent place, called Goal'Air'Eon. Biggest problem too many long shanks. Most dumb, and keep trying to stick pointy things in Gobbies. Then again, most gobbies need sharp things stuck in them." Rav shrugs. "Goblins not so bad, Gobbie's a major pain. Had sky, trees, swamps, mountains, oceans, rats, dogs, cats, fish, gators, snakes, birds,..." The goblin continues on in that vein, naming everything his world had, from animals to trees to towns to races, all randomly mixed together with no rhyme or reason.
Rav grins. "Rav spent whole life making it! Making bigger version too! Took years to get it to work, got it to work just in time to leave world. Never got to show sister." Rav's ears droop.
"You've got a sister Rav? What's she like?" Relas asks. In all their time together Rav never had said much about his family and so now, the eidolon's curiosity was piqued.
Ravboom scratches an ear. "Sis Smart. Scary smart. Like... if brains were muscles, she would be cave troll that been bred with dragon..." Rav says, wincing some. "Also punch really hard. Have arm like Vale Doll, Rav make out of clockwork after cave troll bite off old one." Rav rubs his head. "Sis get mad at cave trolls after that, no more cave trolls." He gives a shudder.
Keeping to herself during the ride, curling into a corner. Seemingly fixated on checking over her gear, both physical and what was found in the crate. Slowly and carefully cataloging all any damaged, missing, or altered parts.
Easily following orders and helping to set up camp assuming she allowed to. Not needing the food though the smell is pleasant enough. Then conversations starts to flow.
Unable to contain her curiosity, "So you all came from a world were you never had contact with another world? Where you were the only ones?"
"No... had contact with spirit world..." He points to Relas. "And shadow world... and astral world... but not other physical worlds."