My computer died. :( Posting will be highly irregular for a few days.
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Lorne's expression turns to anger and disgust when he hears Sara's tale. "...This may be an island of wonders, but there is too much evil here for even my tastes. The evils that have been done to you and your kin will be extinguished, Sara. And do not yet give up hope of returning to Blackcove- we, too, have begun to suffer from this... affliction, as you can see. We intend to find a way to reverse its effects. If you wish it, we would be happy to share any cure we find with you and anyone else transformed in this way." "Do you have any idea of where we can look next? We would appreciate any help we can get."
"Lorne Richter- nice to meet you, Sara, despite Aella's snubbing," the archaeologist says, sticking his tongue out at the paladin. "Pray, tell us what you know of Nal-Kashel's masters. And worry not... it is as my friends have said. Your Adler awaits your safe return. Now, er, if we could perhaps relocate to a more... clandestine location?"
"...Not so fast, Kit. We need to ensure this woman's safety before we run off to investigate strange lights. Speaking of which..." He looks up at Aella. "Darling, could you spare some healing magic for this lass? If we could awaken her, she might have some useful information to tell us- she didn't seem to be under the same sort of mind control as that fellow who came after Harry earlier."
Lorne, seeing that both Aella and the woman have been freed from the cloakers' embrace, rushes in to take another stab with his rapier at the creature Aella is fighting.
Lorne steps back five feet from the cloaker attacking Aella and picks a point between it and the one that remains flying. He begins to chant a spell...
Welp, I got called in to work early right as I was sitting down to make a post. I'll be putting something up tonight/tomorrow morning.
Lorne nearly stops dead in his tracks as the creature's eerie moan drudges up a deep sense of dread within him. Desperate to make it stop, he drops his crossbow to the ground and approaches the Cloaker that has attacked Aella, drawing his rapier as he goes, and takes an overly cautious poke at it. He taps into his luck in hopes of counteracting his shaking hand... for
"What magnificent creatures!" Lorne shouts as he raises his crossbow. "Shame they're as insanely aggressive as everything else on this island. Hold the others off, Harry and I will save the woman if we can!" He takes aim at the one that has engulfed the woman and hopes he's not too late.
"...Hmm. I doubt there is much more we can do here, at least right now. What else could be explored on this island? If there are any more notable structures we have not yet poked our heads into, let us head that way."
"...Well, Kit, perhaps it will help you swim better," Lorne says, wiping blood from his own eye sockets. This taint will affect us all before long, he realizes grimly. We'll need to find some way of reversing its effects. Perhaps Gerlach will know, if we find him. Seeing Heirang continuing to inspect the coral wall, Lorne distracts himself from his grisly thoughts by doing the same.
Lorne raises an eyebrow at his comrades as the conversation continues. Seeing Robert's expression change, he quickly inserts himself to cover for the gunman. "What's wrong with naming parts of your body? I've got names for all my most useful appendages. Anyone care to hear them?" And then they come to the wall of coral. Lorne strains his eyes against the wind as he peers down toward the cave in the cliff face.
"Metal scraping on stone back behind the wall," Lorne says. "Everyone here seems terribly caught up in their work. Think they're in a trance? Or simply terrified of being caught slacking off?"
I'll be at DragonCon from today through Monday, so I apologize in advance if my access to the boards is limited. I'll try to keep an eye on things here anyway, but I wanted to warn everybody ahead of time!
"Yes, well, let's be careful to ascertain their true identities before we get too friendly. We saw what happened to that poor lad that guided us here- turned into a skum almost instantly. If need be, I've spells that might ease our diplomatic efforts." He takes one of the scrolls and tucks it into his pack. "Could be handy," he says.
"Careful, Kit. Harry, are you picking anything up? If this skum possessed tools that might prove useful to us, we should certainly take them." Lorne steps back and lets them do their work, keeping a close eye on the pool. He picks up his crossbow, cleans it, and loads a new bolt as he waits.
Lorne picks himself up off the floor and stares at the water. "Stay down, creature," he says. "I was just saying how I'd hope not to have to kill any more simple beasts..." He groans and dabs at his injuries. "Healing is not something I would be averse to, actually, but it seems as if we've all taken something of a pounding. Aside from our feline friend, of course." He, too, avoids the middle of the room as he goes.
"Less banter- more stabbing...!" Lorne gasps as he thrusts his rapier again, well aware that he is in for a drop if the creature dies. No problem - it's better than being crushed by a tentacle.
What a horrible time for a misfire! Lorne grunts in pain and fights back panic as the tentacle wraps him up, and struggles to grab his rapier as his crossbow falls to the floor beneath him. Gasping, and hoping to preserve a positive attitude at any cost, he weakly calls out: "Things with tentacles... seem to like you... Aella!" He opens his mouth to say some old and tasteless joke about Tian pornography before the pressure on his chest discourages any more talking. Perhaps Desna, even if she is not his patron, might lend him a bit of luck here...
Lorne curses under his breath and tries to move into the best position from which to target the octopus. Gritting his teeth, he raises his crossbow and takes aim...
Enjoy the Netherlands! Also, just throwing this out there: I have been continually really, really impressed by this adventure. It's been incredibly cool so far. So much neat imagery, and with the lighthouse encounter, the "taint" Robert and I are suffering, and all the weird stuff going on across this island, I'm really enjoying it. Just thought I'd share my appreciation. :)
"I'm quite all right, actually- don't worry about me!" the archaeologist says, putting on a winning smile that hardly hides his dire concern. "The fate of the poor creature's brood is simply getting to me. Alas... this is why I hesitate to draw weapons against mere animals and dumb brutes. I apologize for getting emotional. We should move along once you are done with the eggs, Aella. Harry's on the right path, as usual- to the Aquarium?" This... is not going to help my chances in the arena of romance, he thinks, but even he is not fooled. This affliction, as well as that which has affected Robert, will take them all before long.
As the thrill of the kill fades from him, Lorne sighs as he observes the fallen creature. "I take no pleasure in killing a simple creature that wished only to survive. Still, I suppose it was it or us, yes?" He reloads his crossbow and chooses to keep it out in case another foe appears. "...That's a gruesome idea, Aella, but it couldn't hurt. Let's get to the tower, shall we?"
"Bravo, Aella, good hit! Give the beast what for!"
Lorne, hoping to turn the lizard away before it can get close, draws and loads his masterwork crossbow.
"It's, uh... don't worry, chap. I'm sure it'll all go back to normal before long." Lorne feels at his own face, making sure that it remains its usual, handsome self. Regarding the tower, Lorne is stumped. "Aella may have the right of it. I would rather make a dash for the inside of the tower than try to fight out here with all that debris raining down. I do know this- a tower that continually grows and retracts like a living being is too fascinating not to investigate further. Surely it has something to do with Blackcove's predicament."
Lorne nods, confirming Harry's statement. "Aye, I hear it, too. Think we could draw it out into the open?"
Lorne covers his face in his palm as Kit cracks up. "Kit... you are truly the most ridiculous being I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Nonetheless, Harry, my good man, I am in agreement. To the Organic Tower!"
Lorne happily takes Idionestra's Histories and begins pawing through it- at first out of aimless curiosity, and then for any sign of anything that might suggest why people from Blackcove might have been disappearing. Any mentions of strange laboratories and experiments, for instance...
"...And don't even offer me one, do you? I'm hurt, Kit. Wounded." "But back on point, yes, now that the wee beasties have fled, shall we see what else is hiding in this place?"
Lorne groans and puts his hands on his knees. "That was... stressful," he says. "Alas, we are victorious! ...And look, no lives lost. Exactly as it should be, eh?" He gives Robert a droll look, but does not have the heart to talk back to him- especially since it was the gunman who drove the Rust Monsters off. "...Shall we continue on as we were before we were so rudely interrupted by those uncouth beasts?"
Lorne will not run away just yet, actually- he will stand his ground and attempt to beat back the Rust Monsters once again before they can snuffle his friends' equipment into slag.
"Somebody hit 'em with something non-metal, please! We can't let them send us all running with our tails between our legs- we don't have tails! Except Kit, obviously, who does have a tail."
Still considering my options as far as this turn goes, but I had this thought: I CAN'T KILL RUST MONSTERS WHEN YOU DESCRIBE THEM AS "SNUFFLING" AROUND it's too cute i can't do it guys
Lorne cringes at the sudden surge of violence, but he supposes it was inevitable- Rust Monsters are, after all, capable of completely decimating the tools they need to solve the mystery of Nal-Kashel. He stays at the maximum distance he can and turns his whip against the nearest creature. "Back, beasts!" he shouts, hoping they will be intimidated by the loud cracking of his weapon.
"Rust monsters," Lorne says. "Everyone, keep your distance. They won't likely try to kill us, but they have a voracious appetite for metal. Aella, you should probably get out of here- they'll have your gear for dinner!" Lorne sheathes his rapier and retrieves his whip, in case he needs to frighten the Rust Monsters away. "If anyone has anything metallic they can stand to part with, we might be able to lure the beasts away."
Despite the beauty and wonder all around him, Lorne's well-trained senses detect movement nearby. "On your toes, lads and ladies," Lorne says quietly. "Something's alive in here, buggering about behind those crystals there. Arms out and senses sharp. Who'd like to draw our guest out into the open?"
"What a marvel," Lorne says quietly as he observes the strange shapes of the roads and the floating globes and plates. "The Azlanti truly were incredible architects. This place would be the perfect place to begin our investigation- as soon as we know how dangerous those copper plates are. What's it look like, Harry?"
"Well," Lorne says, "that was... a thing. Is anyone else feeling a bit strange after that?" "Well... if none of us are capable of deciphering that graffiti, perhaps we should keep moving. Up that road, perhaps?"
"Estian, you fool!" Lorne shouts. Seeing what Robert is planning, Lorne will also attempt to knock the man off the boat.
"Astounding," the rogue archaeologist says in admiration of the island and its orbiting towers. "What force or mechanism causes those structures to move in such a way, I wonder? There must be some power source somewhere on the island- oh, it's fascinating!" To Harry, he says: "I suggest we make landfall and have a look around those ruins. The towers dipping into the water suggests to me that this island might have wonders that run deep- we should be on the lookout for some sort of passageway that leads beneath the surface." He does his best to ignore Estian's poorly-timed remark, instead focusing on his excitement at the prospect of exploring this mysterious island.
Lorne smiles broadly and lays a hand on Gervus' shoulder. "Thank you for your honesty. I won't speak for the rest of my fellows, but the chance to delve an Azlanti ruin is reward enough! I have spent my life plumbing the wonders of the past. If I can do that while helping you people at the same time, well..." It might make up for past transgressions? "In any case, it sounds as if we must head for this Nal-Kashel sooner rather than later. We don't want to risk that tentacled monstrosity coming back for seconds, do we?" He looks out the window where Marcus was pulled out. "Robert? Aella? With Marcus gone, I suppose you lot are in charge of what we do next. What say you? Shall we turn our collective talents toward saving Blackcove? We worked pretty well together, I would say."
"Would you two get a room?" Lorne says with a weary laugh. Preferably one with a sizable peep-hole? he almost adds. "Everyone, check in! Are we all still alive?" Other than Marcus, the bloody fool? Lorne then looks around for any authority figures, especially any priests who might be able to help with any injuries.
Lorne moves to assist Kit'Arr, hoping to finish off the injured tentacle and free the fisherman. "Lay on, friends! This beast can't have too many more arms!"
"Yes, Robert, we are clearly having trouble! Now stop lecturing and throw more hot lead into these things!"
"Unhand that woman!" Lorne shouts, turning his rapier against the tentacle.
Lorne runs toward the tentacle that Robert had already wounded. He knows he might not be able to hit hard enough to take the tentacles down himself, but he could certainly finish off one that was already damaged.
"Good Gods!" Lorne shouts as the tentacle snatches Marcus from the room and out into the storm. Were this any time for a jest, he might wonder if he had wished Marcus's fate into existence; in its suddenness, the horror of it is almost lost on him. Almost. His enchanted rapier, won in a game of chance with a priest of Cayden Cailean a few years ago, flies from its scabbard. Daring has always served Lorne well; with any luck, it would serve the people trapped in this lighthouse as well. Lorne dashes toward the nearest tentacle. "Everyone, to arms! Beat them back before they take anyone else!"
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