The veil is sometimes thin between worlds! What happens when you cross the boundary?

If You Never Say Goodbye [The World Knot]

Yuni **Previously, on IYNSG! 
18:42 Yuni A small but clear "hem!" sounds from the darkness.  A woman's voice.  The sound of stiff-heeled shoes /click/ing across smooth floor...  
18:42 Yuni She is closer--you can sense her warmth seeming to radiate out of the darkness--but she is no brighter, no clearer.  The Dark Lady of the Dark Place has arrived, stars braided in her hair, faint moonlight caught on her lips.  
18:42 Yuni "I apologize for the lack of notice.  But there has been... misfortune."  
18:43 Yuni "In Ectdysozoa, in the farmlands theirof, small communities have been--vanishing.  One, a few months ago; the second, two weeks ago.  And now, a third, within the hour."  
18:43 Yuni "I trust you will do your best... as will you all."  
18:43 Yuni And so, our intrepid heroes set off to the farmlands, only to find...! 
18:44 Yuni They are--human--or used to be--but each of them is lopsided and ungainly, their body parts exchanged with those of oversized insects and arachnids.  Three of them bear the features of beetles; splinters of broken door catch on fine hairs between cracks in their natural armor, massive cacking jaws snapping rhythmically, giant blunt instruments in their claws. 
18:45 Yuni After a lengthy fight, our heroes dispatch the enemy ambush (though not without a few injuries!).  
18:46 Yuni But who is this new mystery woman from underneath the rubble? 
18:46 Yuni The debris surrenders with much effort, as the woman appears to be stuck in a thick glob of glue.  The chemical smell becomes /quite/ potent.  Judging from her terribly sodden robes and pointed hat, she's a witch.  She looks at you with a nervous smile.  
18:46 Yuni "Don't suppose any of you brought... solvent... of some kind..."  
18:46 Yuni ---- 
18:47 KriegsaffeNo9 A recap that's a TV-show-style clip montage?  I dig! 
18:47 Yuni (yay!) 
18:48 KriegsaffeNo9 Indeed, that is where we left off last time--bruised but able, and face-to-face with some poor creature enrobed in goo. 
18:48 KriegsaffeNo9 (A couple more minutes for Hali and we pick up from there--I'll send 'er the recaps and setch when she arrives.  In the meantime, I fetch mood music!) 
18:50 KriegsaffeNo9 (  ) 
18:50 Yuni (Love that game) 
18:50 KriegsaffeNo9 (Ah, a little RPing in the meanwhile won't hurt.  'hem!) 
18:51 KriegsaffeNo9 One clear blue eye peers from the muck, as does a small, nervous smile.  "I, ah, really am stuck."  She tries to raise a demonstrative arm to no success. 
KriegsaffeNo9 Alex: You recognize her accent--it matches that of your home country, Dondorian.  [That is to say, a Scottish brogue.]  However long she's been abroad, it's still quite strong. 
18:53  Desmond makes no move to aid her, instead saying, "You will become stronger if you get out on you own merits. Try harder." 
18:53  Yuni is hesitant to touch the gooey muck, but attempts to grab her hand and tries to pull her out. 
18:54 Alex "...Wow. You're kinda mean, you jerk." With all of his 12 year old strength, Alex goes to lift up the debris off of his fellow countrywoman! 
18:54 Seseth "I don't have any solvent, but I think I can get you free without getting sticky myself." 
18:54 Seseth She expends 1 focus and starts telekinetically pulling goop off of her! 
18:54 KriegsaffeNo9 Yumi, Alex: Defy Danger with Strength, the danger being embarrassing yourself. 
18:55 Yuni Chanserv: roll 2d6 
18:55 GameServ 5, 5 == 10 
18:55 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: Defy Danger with Wisdom, the danger being embarrassing yourself. 
18:55 Seseth roll 2d6+2 
18:55 Seseth Chanserv: roll 2d6+2 
18:55 GameServ (3, 5) + 2 == 10 
18:55  Desmond ignores Alex's comment and pets his dog. 
18:55 KriegsaffeNo9 Alex, one roll to go!  Or shall you defer to the pair of tens? 
18:56 Alex chanserv: roll 2d6+1 Wis! 
18:56 GameServ (5, 1) + 1 == 7 
18:56 Alex Close. 
18:56 Alex Oh wait you wanted strength from me. 
18:56 Alex chanserv: roll 2d6 
18:56 GameServ 1, 3 == 4 
18:56 Alex Ballucks. 
18:56 KriegsaffeNo9 (At least that's +1 Xp for you!) 
18:57 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth, Yumi: Between the two of you, you pull the trapped lady free from the puddle with a thick /glop/ sound. 
18:57  Desmond eyes the muck covered woman warily. 
18:57  Yuni grimaces as she tries to shake the glop from her hands.  
18:58 KriegsaffeNo9 Alas, Alex did not catch wind of this before you did, and so winds up with a tiny--I mean modest and respectable--bit of sticky-goo-covered cleavage in his face. 
18:58 KriegsaffeNo9 And pinned underneath the woman, who's at least a full head-height taller than him. 
18:58  Alex flushes with embarrassment, and desperately tries to pull away from the goop. "This is /dumb."/ He plaintively complains. 
18:58 KriegsaffeNo9 She clears her throat and climbs to her feet!  The paladin still attached. 
18:59 KriegsaffeNo9 Somewhere, the Thunderbolt Maiden keeping track of your behavior giggles.  On the plus side, you're definitely adhering to your vow of Temperance. 
18:59 KriegsaffeNo9 "Thankee," the lady says, offering a bow once Alex is pulled free. 
19:00 KriegsaffeNo9 Still quite thoroughly coated, but mobile!   "So, uh, I suppose ye might be wonderin' what happened here..." 
19:00  Desmond nods. 
19:00 Alex "That. That would be nice to know, yes. If you don't mind." 
19:00 Yuni "Y-Yes...how /did/ you find yourself in this mess, if you do not mind my asking? Do have information on these...human insect beasts?" 
19:02 KriegsaffeNo9 "Well, I kinnae say I know /who/ they are, or /what/ they are.  It was a mighty lovely mornin' afore they arrived, an' they just sort of--appeared, out of the shade or the earth." 
19:03 KriegsaffeNo9 "They were grabbin' folk up, webbin' 'em down or tyin' 'em up as such.  They didn't shoot or bite 'less they got shot or slashed at first.  Seemed mighty particular on takin' prisoners." 
19:04  Desmond raises an eyebrow, "They came from shadows?" 
19:04 Seseth "We should check and see if there's disturbed earth." 
19:04 Alex "Do you mean, like, the shade from the tree? Or the black darkness of the ancient night?" 
19:04 Alex "'Cause one is cool, and the other one's kinda silly." 
19:05 Alex from a* 
19:05 KriegsaffeNo9 "Er... a bit of both, I guess..." the lady says.  "Like they weren't there one moment, and then they were the next." 
19:06  Yuni widens her eyes. "Apologies, but...what are /you/ doing here?" 
19:06 KriegsaffeNo9 "I got to layin' some hurt on 'em, but--well--I didn't see what it was, but one moment I was tossin' a molly, the next I was all bundled up in this--stuff--and all I could do was listen to all the sounds grow quiet   And then a shack fell on me." 
19:06 Seseth "That could be why they didn't take you." 
19:07 KriegsaffeNo9 "Just my luck," the woman groans. 
19:07 KriegsaffeNo9 "--ah.  Name's Scarlet, by the by."  She attempts to doff her hat, but to no avail.  She clucks her tongue. 
19:08 Alex "Is it that sticky? What is this stuff, anyways?" 
19:09  Yuni bows. "My name is Yuni. A pleasure to meet you." 
19:09 Alex Alex hums in thought, poking at Scarlet with his now-sheathed sword. "It's super sticky." 
19:09  Desmond nods to her slightly, "I am Desmond." Pointing to his monster of a dog he adds, "This is Miruna. Do not pet her without asking." 
19:09 KriegsaffeNo9 "I won't, sir.  Not with all this, anyway."  She doesn't seem to object getting prodded. 
19:09 KriegsaffeNo9 "If I had to guess... maybe it's something one of the bugfolk sprayed me with.  Little hooligans..." 
19:10 Seseth "I'm Seseth. And..." She sniffs the goop to see what she can learn from it. 
19:10 Desmond The scary looking dog wags her tail. Her tongue lolls out happily...perhaps not so scary now? 
19:10 KriegsaffeNo9 She notices the work you've done on the slain beasties.  "Really incredibly dead little hooligans, at that!" 
19:10 Alex "Really? But, I don't know - they didn't spray any of this stuff on us." 
19:10 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: Discern Realities! 
19:10 Seseth Chanserv: roll 2d6+2 
19:10 GameServ (6, 2) + 2 == 10 
19:10 KriegsaffeNo9 "There were a lot more than this.  Maybe it was a kind that didn't stick--er, stay--around." 
19:10 Seseth Hmm. What is useful or valuable to me? 
19:11 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: You can scent certain weak biochemical bonds in the stuff.  High-proof alcohol could get the stuff dripping free.  Something to keep note of! 
19:11 Seseth What has just happened? 
19:12 KriegsaffeNo9 It's definitely something biological and, other than maybe the volume.  You'd guess it'd be some kind of natural weapon one of the bugs projected. 
19:12 KriegsaffeNo9 *other than the volume, mundane 
19:12 Seseth And what is not what it appears to be? 
19:13 KriegsaffeNo9 The other creatures smelled of an unpleasant amalgam of bug and human.  This... smells like something else.  A more holistic blend, if you had to guess.  With traces of... perfume...? 
19:13  Yuni fidgets. "W-Well..maybe they didn't get a chance to spray us with this...'stuff'. You all /did/ dispatch them rather efficiently..." Besides the grabbing, and the screaming, and the injuries...yea, it was pretty efficient. 
19:14 Seseth "This doesn't smell like it came from the same kind of creature as the rest of the ones we fought." 
19:14 KriegsaffeNo9 "Ah.  So I'm /really/ lucky." 
19:15 Seseth "The others, and their blood and secretions, smelled like a mix of bug and human. This one smells... did you have perfume on before you were sprayed?" 
19:16 KriegsaffeNo9 "Perfume?  Not in the mairnin'.  You'd just be smellin' soap on me." 
19:17 Seseth "No, it's not soap. Maybe it came from the bug..." 
19:17 Seseth "Also, do you know where there'd be alcohol on hand?" 
19:18 KriegsaffeNo9 "...Well, that just sounds silly.  Bug with perfume on.  What's the world comin' to." 
19:18  Yuni smiles. "M-Maybe she's a queen-like bug...that likes to keep up with her appearances...?" 
19:18 Alex "Mmmm. Maybe it's...some kind of tracker?" 
19:18 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet points at a shop in the square.  The door's been blown open and it looks fairly damaged, but there should be enough to use to help Scar out. 
19:18 Alex "Like - Mister Desmond's dog can smell things, and find things by smelling stuff." 
19:19 KriegsaffeNo9 "Tracker?  Like they're markin' me for somethin'?" 
19:19 Alex "And... and can't bugs do the same thing?" 
19:19  Desmond sighs, "Bugs can make both foul and fair smells. So perhaps she isn't lying." 
19:19 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet blinks and goes red under the stuff.  Her mind is racing with possibility, it seems.  "Well, hell, I /am/ lucky, aren't I?" she says shakily. 
19:20 Seseth "Look. Is there a bar around here?" 
19:20  Yuni looks at Seseth with a puzzled look. "Why are you looking for alcohol Seseth?" 
19:20 KriegsaffeNo9 "Yeah.  The Blue Barrel's a block over." 
19:20 Seseth "Because it's likely that it can dissolve this stuff." 
19:20 Yuni "Oh? Wow, that's good to know!" 
19:20 KriegsaffeNo9 "Oh praise the gods," Scarlet says. 
19:21  Desmond only grunts and sets off to find some booze, his dog trails behind him. 
19:21 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: the Blue Barrel's mostly intact.  Not many people in a bar this early in the morning, after all. 
19:22 KriegsaffeNo9 The interior is dimly-lit, though it looks like there was a party from the stacks of unwashed dishes in the sink.  Let's make a Scarlet's Luck roll right quick... 
19:22 KriegsaffeNo9 Chanserv: Roll 2d6 
19:22 GameServ 5, 4 == 9 
19:22  Yuni follows Desmond, her eyes darting about for the first sign of insectoid attackers. 
19:22 KriegsaffeNo9 Alas, they're out of vodka, but they /do/ have gin.  It smells, but it's translucent and won't stain.  They have plenty of cheap, evil-smelling fortified wine, but that both smells /and/ is bright red. 
19:23 KriegsaffeNo9 Yuni: Gimmie a Discern Realities. 
19:24 Yuni Chanserv: Roll 2d6+2 
19:24 GameServ (4, 4) + 2 == 10 
19:24  Desmond swipes the gin and a bottle of the wine. One can never be too prepared. 
19:24 KriegsaffeNo9 Yuni!  Ask away! 
19:25 Alex "Uhm. Won't dumping Miss Scarlet in alcohol make her, uhm... 'flammable'?" 
19:25 Alex "And she was talking about using fire magic. That. That sounds kinda dangerous." 
19:25 KriegsaffeNo9 It shouldn't need a dunk so much as a douse.  That would involve dousing a rag and then rubbing her down... 
19:26  Desmond walks back to the group and hands the gin to Seseth with a hint of a blush. 
19:27 Alex "Uhm. Can't. Can't Miss Scarlet just do it herself?" 
19:27  Seseth pulls out a cloth and pours the soaks it with the alcohol. 
19:27 Alex "Because Cat's a /cat/ with, like, claws and stuff. And also she's new to not-dreaming" 
19:27 KriegsaffeNo9 "--right, I suppose I--could. 
19:28  Seseth hands it over. 
19:28  Yuni crouches down to observe a nearby scorch mark. She takes a small whiff of it. 
19:29  Desmond turns his attention to Yuni, "Are you trying to track?" 
19:30 Yuni "Maybe...Apologies, but could you bring your dog over here to smell this?" She points to the earth below her. 
19:30 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet ducks into a building!  After several minutes, she re-emerges, the gin-soaked cloth slung over her shoulder as she carefully cleans a pair of glasses.  She's a short, red-headed lady, face and shoulders dotted with freckles, dressed in a modest and what was presumably once comfortable black dress before it was soaked with insect-goo and then rubbed down with alcohol.  She scrapes her... 
19:30 KriegsaffeNo9 ...heels on the cobblestone. 
19:31 Alex "You're not gonna hurt yourself with fire, right?" 
19:31  Desmond whistles for Miruna. The beast plods on over and gives it a good long sniff. 
19:32 Yuni "I'm not a tracker, but I can tell the earthen soil here is not...normal. Apologies..." 
19:32 KriegsaffeNo9 "Perish the thought.  This is water." 
19:32 KriegsaffeNo9 Indeed, she smells only faintly of gin!  Though you imagine that must be murder on her everything. 
19:33 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: Miruna snuffs around and snarls.  Whatever he smells, he doesn't like it.  You have a scent! 
19:35 KriegsaffeNo9 Josef / Halibel, what's your lad been up to? 
19:35 Halibel I believe he got his priorities a bit skewed while trying to find where the damned bugs went. 
19:35  *** Halibel is now known as Josef 
19:36 KriegsaffeNo9 There are no clear signs of /where/ the rest of the bugs went.  There are those weird symbols that Yuni found, scorched into places in shade or out of sight.  Perhaps they vanished back through as they came out. 
19:36  Desmond turns to the ninja, you can barely see his eyes the way he wears that hood, "Yuni..we should follow the trail..something is still out there. Mira doesn't like it..at all." 
19:37 KriegsaffeNo9 "--Might I help?" Scarlet interjects. 
19:37 Alex "Uhm. Shouldn't we find a save haven for Miss Scarlet first? And, you know, other survivors?" 
19:37  Josef has been investigating them, out in the hills. 
19:37 Alex "Please don't, Miss Scarlet. You could get hurt! Or sprayed again." 
19:38 Desmond "Help how?" His voice is harsh and dry. 
19:38 KriegsaffeNo9 "Thanks for that, lad, but I'd rather follow than stay around here."  She glances at the rest of you. 
19:39 Yuni "Alex has a point...our job was to find any survivors, and save them if possible, regardless of what Miss Scarlet thinks." She looks at Scarlet apologetically. "A-Apologies..." 
19:39 KriegsaffeNo9 Josef: There's not been any signs of intrusion from outside of the town--but there are signs of struggles.  Particularly tracks left by large, multi-legged creatures. 
19:39 Alex "Well, in that case - we could split up. Team Mean with you, and Team Nice looking for other people." 
19:40 Alex Alex sneezes again, as Seseth walks by.  
19:40  Yuni frowns and bites her lower lip. Did this mean she was part of team Mean? 
19:40 Seseth "Well, the thing is, she's the only other person we've found who might know more about these things." 
19:40 Seseth "And she's technically 'saved' as long as she's with us." 
19:41  Desmond glares at Alex the armored child, "It is /not/ mean to encourage others to help themselves." 
19:41 Seseth "But what if she wants to help herself by helping us?" 
19:42 Alex "It totally is when they &Bcan't&B help themselves! Then you're just being a, a smug bully!" 
19:42 Alex can't 
19:42 Alex Derp 
19:42  Yuni looks like she's about to cry. "H-Hey now...let's not fight. Let's just go over our options, and take a vote, alright?" 
19:43 Desmond He frowns, "I am not against her travelling with us..if she is trustworthy. Miruna should sniff her first, I trust her judgement." 
19:43 Alex "Okay. I vote Mister Desmond and Miss Cat stay with Miss Scarlet, and Miss Yuni, Mister Josef, and me go look for more survivors." 
19:43 Alex "We can worry about the bugs once people are safe." 
19:43 KriegsaffeNo9 "I'd be fine with that," Scarlet says.  "Just sittin' around would drive me batty." 
19:45  Desmond looks to Yuni, "I owe you. Would you rather travel with or without me?" 
19:46 KriegsaffeNo9 Miruna gives Scarlet a sniff.  After chuffing and whuffing a bit at the bugsmell clinging to her, he seems to relax.  Scar doesn't do anything like attempt to pet him, though. 
19:46  Yuni scratches her head. "We.../would/ get more done if we split up presumably. But...we suffered a few injuries from our last battle, and we're sure to encounter another fight again as long as we're here. I vote we travel as a group and track the monsters. The enemy attacked us in a group, so maybe we could find other survivors while tracking the monsters..." 
19:46 Yuni "...Er...assuming they're all...still in a group that is..." She's fidgeting now. 
19:47 Alex "But I healed both you and Mister Desmond, so we're all good now!" He keeps mum about his own injuries. "Miss Scarlet should stay safe. That was our job." 
19:47 Seseth "Well, let's get moving rather than jaw about it." 
19:48  Desmond seems less stiff now that his dog accepted Scarlet. He figures the group will sort out any divisions and starts studying the trail. 
19:48  Yuni looks to Seseth. "Well...what do /you/ think we should do?" 
19:48 Seseth "Let's all go in one group, including Scarlet." 
19:49  Yuni looks to Josef. "And you, Josef?" 
19:50 Alex "Uhm." 
19:50 Alex "Miss Yuni. Josef hasn't come back yet." 
19:50 Yuni (oops sorry) 
19:51 Alex "And, uhm. I'm just saying, but someone should probably get him." 
19:51 Alex "He's not gonna find anything. 'Cause I know how they got here and left." 
19:51 Alex "...I think." 
19:52 Yuni "Well...then I suppose that leaves Desmond." She looks to Desmond. "What do you think?" 
19:53 Josef (you and me both. I'm looking for a good spot to either stumble in or meet you guys on the trail) 
19:53 Alex "Miss Yuni, I don't think he cares." 
19:53 Alex (Just /walk back over to us./ Cripes.) 
19:53 Seseth = 
19:53 Alex (Don't worry about breaking the flow, just jump in!) 
19:53 KriegsaffeNo9 (Yeah, you can just walk in on the crew any ol' time.) 
19:53  Desmond is too absorbed in staring at the marks on the ground to even realize he's being spoken to. 
19:54  Yuni pouts. "Well...let's travel in a group then!" 
19:54 Alex "Booo. Democracy sucks." 
19:54 Seseth (Sorry, that was the cat.) 
19:55 Josef (Even if they're in the latrine? That seems like it would be awkward." 
19:55 Josef * 
19:55 Josef ) 
19:55 Josef >< 
19:55 KriegsaffeNo9 (yu) 
19:56  Josef walks in through the pub's front door at that moment, brushing some dust off of his clothes. "No luck--they're completely gone." 
19:57  Yuni waves at Josef. "Glad you're safe Josef!" 
19:57 Alex "Oh - sorry, Mister Josef.  We just figured out they wouldn't leave any tracks." 
19:57  Josef blinks and nods to her. "Indeed. How's the civilian doing?" 
19:57 Seseth "She's less sticky now." 
19:57 Josef "Ah. That would have been helpful, yes--because they didn't." 
19:57 KriegsaffeNo9 "Cleaner, if not clean." 
19:59 Alex "Uhm - right. It's because they were summoned. They didn't leave tracks because they didn't travel!" 
19:59 Alex "They just - poof, right in." 
19:59 Josef "Ah." 
19:59 Josef "...do we have any leads as to /who/ summoned them?" 
20:00 KriegsaffeNo9 "Maybe a bug with perfume on, likes making hard-working witches look terribly indecent?" 
20:00 Alex "Uhm!" Alex pauses. "No." 
20:00  Yuni shakes her head. "No...we have very little information to go on." 
20:01  Desmond clears his throat then loudly says, "I found a trail. It leads away from here." 
20:01  Yuni blinks. "Wait...a trail? So they /do/ leave tracks?" 
20:01 Josef "Brilliant! Lead the way." 
20:02  Yuni scratches her head and gives Alex a confused look. 
20:02  Alex looks all confused back. "But. /Summons./ Weird symbols! Scorch marks!" 
20:02  Desmond clarifies, "Miruna found it really. She has a good nose." 
20:03 Alex "I know I'm right!" 
20:03 Seseth "So which way is it?" 
20:03  Yuni pats Alex on his shoulder. "Er...well, you could still be half-right?" 
20:03 Desmond Chanserv: roll 2d6+3 
20:03 GameServ (3, 4) + 3 == 10 
20:04  Josef nods to Desmond. "Well, then you could follow her." 
20:04  Alex just pouts a bit. 
20:05 KriegsaffeNo9 Speaking of the dog--she's wagging her tail, leaping and barking.  She's got the scent of something! 
20:05  Desmond gives his dog the track command and follows her to the north-east. 
20:06 KriegsaffeNo9 Anybody followin'? 
20:06  Yuni follows 
20:06  Seseth is following, but at the back! 
20:06 KriegsaffeNo9 Josef, Alex? 
20:07 Alex I'll be sticking with Miss Scarlet. /Someone/ has to protect her. 
20:08 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet sticks behind, guarded by Alex! 
20:08 KriegsaffeNo9 And possibly Jo. 
20:09 Josef And I'll go with those two. They don't look like they could arm wrestle a house cat. Poor things will surely benefit from my manly presence. 
20:10 KriegsaffeNo9 Alex and Scarlet, Josef? 
20:10 Alex (but a 12 year old totally could?) 
20:10 KriegsaffeNo9 Alright then--Seseth, Yuni, Desmond, you follow Desmond's fluffy-yet-dangerous pet towards the forest! 
20:11 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet finds herself defended by a handsome young man and boy!  She finds a couple of seats in the town square and sets 'em down.  "Don't suppose ye know any card games...?" 
20:12 Alex "Card games are for suckers. That's what Auntie Helel always taught me." 
KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: the trail is consistent, but every now and again your pup gets lost and has to re-orient.  You notice that while there are no conventional prints there are some unusual sounds--twigs and leaves swept off the main path, for one.  When the foliage overhead gets particularly thick there are broken branches and short braces of tracks. 
20:14 KriegsaffeNo9 Very odd tracks... a pair of massive footprints almost like oversized high-heels for a footspan as long as your arm, but sporting grasping claws and something that leaves irregularly-brushed whisps of dirt behind. 
20:15 KriegsaffeNo9 There are also cracked and snapped branches overhead.  You'd estimate whatever it was was around... oh... fifteen to twenty feet in height. 
20:15  Josef nods at her, grinning. "Do you play Bratawak?" 
20:15 KriegsaffeNo9 "Yer aunt's smart," Scarlet says.  "Bratawak, that's a new one..." 
20:15 Seseth "What kind of creature is that?" 
20:16 KriegsaffeNo9 It's none you've heard of, Desmond. 
20:16  Desmond is starting to rethink this...he mutters, "I don't know, but it's a large one." 
20:16 KriegsaffeNo9 What's /really/ interesting is when the trail ends... 
20:16  Josef nods. "It's easy to learn, do you have your own cards?" 
20:17 KriegsaffeNo9 The last few sets of prints, before they veer off the main road, are vastly smaller.  And there's two sets.  One high-heeled, the other a boot print. 
20:17 KriegsaffeNo9 They lead into dense foliage off the path.  What do you do? 
20:18  Desmond pales and tries to recall exactly what kind of shoes Scarlet wore..he wasn't exactly paying close attention.. 
20:18 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet pulls out several sets of cards from a pocket.  All of which are still coated in goo.  She scrapes her hands against her char.  "I did.  We might need to borrow a set." 
20:18 KriegsaffeNo9 *chair, even. 
20:19  Josef raises an eyebrow. "Yes... er, let me see if I have any of mine before we go asking around." He searches through his pockets and other likely places, producing at last a small set of squared-off cards that look more branded than stamped. "Aha." 
20:20 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet was wearing boots--but these shoes are larger than her's.  A couple sizes larger, in fact. 
20:21 KriegsaffeNo9 "There we go!  Teach me, good sir," Scarlet says, grinning. 
20:21 Desmond That is a relief to him, at least he had not let that annoying child in the hands of a monster...still..he had no idea what kind of beast could transform like this.. 
20:21 Seseth "Do you think we should follow the shoes?" 
20:21  Josef nods and deals out five cards to her and to himself--him first and her second. "Alex, do you want in?" 
20:22 Alex "But... Oh, okay. Just don't tell Auntie."  
20:22 KriegsaffeNo9 "I'll keep it under my hat," Scarlet says, winking. 
20:22  Desmond hesitantly says to Seseth, "I am unsure. I don't know this creature...and that makes it all the more dangerous." 
20:23 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: you catch a whiff of that perfume that clung to the mystery ooze! 
20:23 Seseth "I don't know what it is, either, but it smells like perfume." 
20:23 Seseth Can I try and see if I've heard of anything like this before? 
20:23 KriegsaffeNo9 Roll Spout Lore! 
20:24 Seseth Chanserv: roll 2d6+1 
20:24 GameServ (5, 5) + 1 == 11 
20:24  Josef nods and gives him five cards also. Instead of dealing in a circle, it goes by person. "Alright. Now, the first rule is to remember everything that might slight you. For example, Scarlet, I dealed my set of cards before yours. And Alex, you got yours last." 
20:25 Alex "Yeah, but I'm the youngest, so that's not a slight at all." 
20:25 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet giggles.  "Clearly ye follow your auntie's advice a little too well." 
20:25  Josef sets the deck in the middle of the table. "The object of the game is to convince everyone else that you have the highest possible hand and that thye have cheated you. It's a strategic game based on reading your oponent and being a good liar." 
20:26  Josef blinks. "Well, no, and besides, I shuffled these--although you didn't see me do it, which you can both use when the time comes. But the cards are of course random. You're just using it for ammunition." 
20:27 Alex "My auntie's a /dragon/ and she sets bad little girls on fire!" 
20:27 Alex "And I didn't want to be set on fire." 
20:28 KriegsaffeNo9 "Does she light boys on fire too?  Or were the girls back home more prone to breaking out the aces and eights?" 
20:28 Alex "Er, uhm - a bit of A a bit of B!" 
20:29 Josef "...I'm... not sure why that has to do with this at all, but regardless, you only need to lie for the purpose of the game. It's like... er, a storytelling... contest. You want everyone to beleive you." 
20:29 Seseth "Yeah, I've heard of this. The royal family of Ecdysozoa is rumored to be able to turn into giant insects or arachnids." 
20:30  Desmond looks confused, "Who?" 
20:30 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: The country you're in. 
20:30 Seseth "It's the royal gift. I'm honestly hoping it's a by-blow, though, or things may get really awkward." 
20:31  Yuni widens her eyes. "Royals? So perhaps my queen bug theory wasn't too far off?" 
20:31 Alex "Okay, well - Josef, you /suck./ You lied about shuffling the cards right!" 
20:31  Desmond thinks on this, "So did we just attack royalty?" 
20:31 Josef "I may have. Good start." 
20:32  Yuni shakes her head. "No...at least not yet." 
20:32 Alex "I can tell you lied with my PALADIN POWERS." 
20:32  Josef fans his cards out in one hand. "But I think you might be overreaching--after all, you're probably just feeling guilty about the way /you/ hid one of the cards in your blouse." 
20:32 Josef "I've heard of those--how are they at shifting blame?" 
20:33 Seseth "No, because we never actually saw or fought the queen bug. Let's keep following." 
20:33 Alex "Bl-blouse? I'm not a girl, I don't wear those!" 
20:34  Desmond continues on the trail, it is much easier now that there are footprints. 
20:34 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet giggles.  "You'd pass for a good girl.  With those bonnie blonde locks of yours.  Just have to tape down the action while you're doin' it." 
20:34  Seseth follows Desmond, her mind open for danger. 
20:35 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: the tracks are less clear due to the debris and irregularity of the soil, but they're followable. 
20:35 Alex "The...the action? What's the action?" 
20:35 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: After a short distance your hair and fur stand on end, as if your whole body conducted static electricity. 
20:35 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet whistles innocuously.  "You know, the boy parts.  Between your legs?" 
20:36 KriegsaffeNo9 "That, my friend, is the action." 
20:36 Seseth "Something's here. It's electric." 
20:36 Seseth (You can't see it.) 
20:36 Seseth (You gotta feel it.) 
20:36  Josef shakes his head breifly. "See? I knew it--feigned innocence will get you nowhere. I'm an old hand at this, and can get to the highest score better than either of you." He gives Alex a pointed look. "Despite your best efforts." 
20:36  Yuni assumes a stance as a sweat bead forms on her brow. 
20:37 Alex "Hey, that's not fair! You didn't even say what a good hand was! You could just say 'oh look my hand is the best hand I win'! 
20:37 Alex " 
20:37 KriegsaffeNo9 None of you in the forest see anything imposing... what do you do? 
20:37 Alex Alex very pointedly ignores Scarlet's lewdness. 
20:37 Seseth "Let's keep going." 
20:38  Desmond commands Miruna to guard and pulls out his rifle..just in case. He nods to the girls and continues onward. 
20:38  Yuni follows cautiously, but tries to listen for any sign of danger. As a great ninja grandmaster once said, if you can't see em...hear em. 
20:39 KriegsaffeNo9 Yuni, Seseth, Desmond: Defy Danger with Wisdom, the danger being disrupting something that does not want to be disrupted! 
20:40 Seseth Chanserv: roll 2d6+2 
20:40 GameServ (5, 3) + 2 == 10 
20:40 Yuni Chanserv: Roll 2d6 
20:40 GameServ 6, 5 == 11 
20:40 Yuni (WOO) 
20:40 KriegsaffeNo9 Dang, Yuni, that was a hell of a roll! 
20:41 Yuni (ninja skillz) 
20:41 Desmond Chanserv: roll 2d6+1 
20:41 GameServ (5, 1) + 1 == 7 
20:41 Desmond (crap barely made it!) 
20:41 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth and Yuni: You come to a stop as you feel the edges of the half-closed world knot. 
20:42 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond, though, briefly steps through... 
20:43 KriegsaffeNo9 Desmond: You step into a dim, foul-smelling alleyway.  Your senses are assaulted by a sudden burst of sound of crowds of people and horseless carriages and music. 
20:43 KriegsaffeNo9 After a moment--perhaps backing up in shock!--you slip back through the knot, and back into the forest. 
20:44 Josef "A good hand? Well, that's easy--you want the highest score when eveyrthing's combined together and finishes cancelling out." 
20:44  Desmond stands stock still. He then shudders and says, "The veil is thin here.." 
20:44  Yuni is trembling. "W-What do we do?" 
20:45 KriegsaffeNo9 Indeed... what /do/ you do? 
20:45 KriegsaffeNo9 World knots are tricky things.  There's no telling how much longer this will be open. 
20:46  Desmond slowly shakes his head, "I have no idea. I am no mystic." 
20:47 Seseth Can I stabilize it somehow? 
20:47 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth: you are capable of trying.  Defy Danger with Wis!  The danger being making the situation that much weirder. 
20:47 Seseth Chanserv: roll 2d6+2 
20:47 GameServ (6, 5) + 2 == 13 
20:48  Seseth sticks her hands out of space, into the knot. 
20:48 KriegsaffeNo9 You perform the telekinetic equivalent of jamming open a door. 
20:48 KriegsaffeNo9 It should be open without letting something unwanted through. 
20:49 Alex "But what's the point of lying if we just show each other our hands?" 
20:49 Seseth "Right, it's open. Desmond, does the trail go through here?" 
20:49 KriegsaffeNo9 "The cards you have are called a 'hand,' little lady," Scarlet says, giggling. 
20:49  Desmond asks Miruna to check if it does, she'd know best afterall. 
20:50 Josef "No, no, you don't /show/ your hand. You just try and convince everyone else that you have the best one." 
20:50 KriegsaffeNo9 Miruna steps through the world knot, disappears for a moment, and then returns, excitedly bouncing and wagging.  Looks like it does. 
20:51 Alex "Little lady!? And - Mister Josef, then how do we know who wins? Everyone just says they have the best hand, and no one will know if they're lying if they don't show each other their card-hands!" 
20:51  Desmond does not like this, but he'd follow his Mira to ends of this world and the next, so he step into the rift. 
20:51 Desmond steps* 
20:52  Yuni gulps, and follows him as well. 
20:52  Seseth follows. It can't be weirder than the dreams of psychedelic users... 
20:53 Josef "Well, that's the interesting part. Now--I'm not sure if you want to participate, but the traditional rules state that for every time you get caught in a lie, you remove a piece of clothing, or let someone take a swat at you. Or both, if more than one person catches you at different ruses in the same turn." 
20:53 KriegsaffeNo9 The three of you--four with Miruna--reach the other end of the world knot.  The alley is dismal, but at least it doesn't smell too strongly.  In fact, the smell of baking bread is stronger here than grime. 
20:54 KriegsaffeNo9 There's a street ahead, and people walking past, chatting between themselves in Ecdysozoan.  What do you do? 
20:54  Yuni is trying not to freak out. What did they just step through? The outside world is full of terrifying wonders... 
20:54 Alex "So, like - what, I say I have four kings, and then you say 'no, I have a king,' and then show your card to prove it?" 
20:54 Yuni "W-Where are we? W-What just happened?" She turns her head to and fro, trying to get a grasp on the situation. 
20:54  Josef indicates his hand. "Now, say that I posit--as part of my story--that I saw you hiding a card in your blouse, but luckily it wasn't any of these cards with the hagall rune and oak leaves. Because I have all of those. ---but Scarlet, say you happen to have one of those exact cards. You've caught me in a lie." 
20:55  Josef nods. "Exactly." 
20:55 KriegsaffeNo9 Yuni: you recall hearing that a world knot is a sort of magic road that connects two points regardless of how far apart they are. 
20:55 Seseth "This could be the capital, if it is a royal. They'd be going back to their home. Desmond, lead the way." 
20:56  Desmond scratches Miruna's ear, his guff voice says "Yes, you are a good girl, now keep on the scent." 
20:57 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth, Yuni, Desmond: You get the feeling that if you venture much further you'll leave your companions stranded behind you.  [GM Excessive Team Split warning!] 
20:57  Yuni is on the verge of an emotional breakdown. "G-Guys! Let's go back for now!" 
20:57 Seseth "Actually, let's get everyone here first, or at least let them know what's going on." 
20:58 Alex (LEAVE US LEAVE US) 
20:58 KriegsaffeNo9 (For the sake of not having to run two games of DW at the same time, I'm gonna have to politely decline that.) 
20:59 Twibphone (Booooooooo.) 
20:59  Desmond calls his dog back then ventures a shy smile at Seseth, "Aye that's a good idea." 
20:59 Seseth "I've got it stuck firmly open, so it won't collapse." 
20:59 KriegsaffeNo9 (Alas, a GM has his limits!) 
21:01 KriegsaffeNo9 Alex, Josef, Scarlet: There's a time-lag of about thirty minutes--that is, your adventures in card-gaming will go on for about thirty uninterrupted minutes before the away team meets back up with you. 
21:01 Yuni Without even waiting for her companions, Yuni quickly makes her way back to the other side of the portal. 
21:02 KriegsaffeNo9 What would be the likely outcome of this misadventure, ye two betting-men? 
21:02 Yuni "A-Apologies!" She says, as she runs to the other side of the ''magic road.' 
21:05 Alex Well, does Mister Josef want to make any sweeping judgements? I don't care! 
21:05 Seseth (One of them has to end up in their underwear. ) 
21:05 Yuni (Once they got the hang of the card game, they made a bet, and Alex was forced to strip because he lost!) 
21:06 Alex (Ahaahahahahahaha no.) 
21:06 Yuni (Yay pedophilia! Or whatever.) 
21:06 KriegsaffeNo9 (He also has Oath of Temperance on.) 
21:06 Yuni (damn) 
21:07 Alex (I will /smite people with my sword/ if lewdness begins on my person.) 
21:08 Josef (Does swatting you count as lewdness?) 
21:08 Josef (Asking for a friend.) 
21:08 KriegsaffeNo9 (hue) 
21:08 Desmond (loling so hard!) 
21:09 Alex (...It does not.) 
21:09 KriegsaffeNo9 (Oh ho ho!) 
21:09 KriegsaffeNo9 Very well then. 
21:10 Josef [For reference: The most likely outcome of any given game of Bratawak is a half-naked fight, usually involving some of the participants chasing the current loser around the room/bar/field/mountain and trying to give them their due.) 
21:10 KriegsaffeNo9 By the time you fine fellows get back to the card game in progress, Alex is getting his behind tanned by Josef and Scarlet is laughing herself breathless. 
21:10 KriegsaffeNo9 You can only /wonder./ 
21:10 KriegsaffeNo9 Or one of them will tell you. 
21:11 Alex "I WILL SMITE YOU IF YOU EXPLAIN THE CONTEXT." 
21:11  Josef is having trouble chasing him down to exact his due, but he manages to get one or two blows in before tripping on his socks and going down in a heap. 
21:11 Josef "If you help me up, I'll say you were being a very bad girl and no one has to know otherwise." 
21:11 Alex "BUT I'M A BOY!" 
21:11 Josef "Are you going to help me or not?" 
21:11  Desmond looks extremely confused...did the officer fancy children? 
21:12  Seseth falls over laughing. "Oh, you silly humans." 
21:12 Desmond Miruna runs over to lick the child on the ground! 
21:12 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet's doubled over, her face as brilliant-red as her hair.  "Oh, if only I weren't sworn to secrecy~" 
21:12  Josef pulls his socks back on, sitting and then standing up. "So--did you find anything?" he asks, looking around for his pants. 
21:13  Yuni bends over, placing her hands on her knees. She still hasn't quite caught her breath yet. Hearing of such terrifying things and actually experiencing them are two completely different things... 
21:13  Alex flushes with complete shame, putting on his trousers and such with as much dignity he could bare. 
21:13 Alex He doesn't make eye contact with anyone, clutching his sword like it's a security blanket. 
21:14  Desmond tries to use his body to shield Yuni's eyes. She is too sheltered to see such things. 
21:14  Josef hops around for a minute before resecuring his belt and going after his boots. They must be around here somewhere. 
21:14 Seseth "Right, what we saw, and I figured out, is that it's possibly a member of the royal family." 
21:14 KriegsaffeNo9 "Ohhh.  So, uh!" Scarlet says, trying to regain her composure.  "Did ye find out what the... thing was..." 
21:14 Seseth "That can change into a giant insect." 
21:14 Josef "Which royal family?" 
21:14 KriegsaffeNo9 "...royal... family?" 
21:14 Seseth "The royal family of Ecdysozoa." 
21:15 KriegsaffeNo9 "...well, heck." 
21:15 KriegsaffeNo9 (Quick BRB!) 
 
21:16 Alex "Uhm. Mister Josef, they're next to Miss Scarlet." 
21:16 Seseth "And there's a world knot that she (probably she, since she had perfume) used to go back to a city. I jammed it open." 
21:17 Alex "Wait. So - the bad guys are the royal family?" 
21:18 Josef "Thank you, honey." 
21:18  Josef quickly laces them back up. 
21:19 KriegsaffeNo9 "That would be... why?" Scarlet says, confused.  "Why would they--kidnap a whole town?" 
Desmond says, "I don't know that they did. I only followed where Miruna led." 
21:19 Josef "Maybe the town saw something it shouldn't have? A catastrophic problem that they had to contain?" 
21:20 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet shivers.  "I've heard stories about the Great War..." 
21:20 Seseth "That wouldn't explain why it was done to multiple towns. Could be a by-blow." 
21:21 KriegsaffeNo9 "By-blow...?" Scarlet says.  Not familiar with the term, she is. 
21:21 Seseth "A bastard." 
21:21 Seseth "An illegitimate child." 
21:22  Desmond winces at that. 
21:22 Alex "But. /Babies."/ 
21:22  Yuni scratches her head. She seems to be calmer now, but she isn't any less confused about the situation. 
21:22  Desmond gives Alex a stern look, "Sometimes babies /aren't/ wanted." 
21:22 KriegsaffeNo9 "Like, a whole town'a bastards getting picked up?  That many contestants for the throne?" 
21:23 Josef "Maybe they couldn't tell which one he was..." 
21:23 Seseth "No, I mean the one doing this could be a by-blow of the royal family." 
21:24 Seseth "She inherited the power, but not the responsibility to go with it." 
21:24 KriegsaffeNo9 "Oh.  Ooooh.  That'd make more sense." 
21:24 Alex "Who wouldn't want babies? They're the best!" 
21:25 Seseth "Right. Let's go back to the world knot before it closes." 
21:25 KriegsaffeNo9 "Right.  For the babies!" 
21:25 KriegsaffeNo9 "...I can come, right?" 
21:25 KriegsaffeNo9 "It's, uh.  It's kind of scary here, alone." 
21:25 KriegsaffeNo9 "....don't wanna be slimed again..." she mumbles. 
21:25  Desmond sighs at the boy Alex's innocence, "You'd be surprised how natural it is for many creatures to abandon their young.." 
21:26 Seseth "Yeah, everyone's going, so you're coming too." 
21:27  Desmond and his dog lead the way. 
21:27 Josef "Who would /want/ one, that's my question..." 
21:27 Alex "Well, if we all have to go. Just keep Mister Josef away from - you /monster."/ 
21:27 Alex "Babies are the best! They're so cute, and warm, and you just wanna protect them..." 
21:28 Alex " I want a baby, thank you very much!" 
21:28 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet smiles.  "That's just adorable." 
21:28 KriegsaffeNo9 "You'll make a great dad one day, Alex.  Witches can tell these things!" 
21:28  Desmond snorts, "Next time Miruna has a litter of pups then I'll give you one." 
21:30  Yuni doesn't like the idea of going back there...but it's not her decision to make. She lets out a sigh. "Apologies, but can we just...get this over with?" 
21:30 KriegsaffeNo9 To the World Knot? 
21:30 Desmond (aye onward!!) 
21:30 Yuni To the World knot! 
21:31 KriegsaffeNo9 Onward and outward. 
21:32 Josef "A great mother, more like..." 
21:32 KriegsaffeNo9 The World Knot spits the lot of you into the alley. 
21:33 Seseth "Right, Desmond. Do you have the trail again?" 
21:33 Alex "Thanks, Mister Desmond!" 
21:33 Alex "For Miss Miruna's puppies, if she has 'em." 
21:34 KriegsaffeNo9 Miruna sniffs along... and whines in frustration.  It seems that the scent is too mixed with the hundreds--maybe thousands--of people who have passed here today. 
21:34 KriegsaffeNo9 Looks like you'll have to re-find the trail. 
21:34 Seseth "Shame." 
21:35  Desmond frowns, "She can't isolate it.." To Alex he says, "No problem, I want her babies to have good homes." 
21:35 KriegsaffeNo9 You also get a good look at the city. 
21:35 Desmond Both he and the dog get to work finding the trail again. 
21:37 KriegsaffeNo9 The alley leads to a street, which leads to this: 
A bridge overlooking a river towards one end of the city.  Not quite an outskirt--for you're quite thoroughly enmeshed in a city right now. 
21:37 KriegsaffeNo9 It smells /fantastic,/ by the by.  No city should smell this good. 
21:38  Yuni widens her eyes at the sight, though still terrified. The city is beautiful, but the very idea that any of this is possible still frightens her. "Is this /truly/ where the danger originates?" 
21:39 KriegsaffeNo9 Baking bread, clean water.  You're surrounded by people--mostly human, but among them enormous insects.  A tarantula, nicturcating hairs the length of your finger, tromps by you, led by a young man with a short leash. 
21:39 Alex "Well." 
21:39 Alex "At least they're not cats." 
21:40 Seseth "Hey!" 
21:40 KriegsaffeNo9 ("Length of your finger" would mean the tarantula's about the size of a car, by the by.) 
21:40 Josef "Urgh." 
21:40  Seseth flicks her tail at Alex. 
21:40 KriegsaffeNo9 That directed at the man with the tarantula, Ses? 
21:40  *** Twibphone quit (Ping timeout) 
21:40 Seseth Nope, to Alex. 
21:40 Seseth It's more of an outraged "Hey!" than a calling-out. 
21:41 Alex "Cats have allergies!" 
21:41 Alex "Spiders are /clean./ " 
21:42  Desmond finds himself mesmerized by the size of all these creatures. 
21:42 KriegsaffeNo9 This is most definitely Mactans, City of Lights.  And City of Crawling Things. 
21:42  Yuni is trembling, but manages to speak. "S-Should we...ask around?" 
21:42 Seseth "We don't have allergies. You have allergies." 
21:43  Desmond turns to Yuni, "Hmm?" 
21:44 Alex "Well, who do we ask?" 
21:45 Alex "I mean. /I/ could ask. I can do that." 
21:45 Alex "Because I'm a BOY." 
21:46 Yuni "The...the locals I mean. Should we ask the locals some questions? Perhaps they can shed some light on our situation...help us get back on the right track. I...don't know how to track, but from the looks of it, this city is already comfortable with insects. And if what Alex said beforehand is correct...we could ask the locals for the whereabouts of a mystic.. 
21:46 Yuni ...or even a summoner?" 
21:46  Desmond looks unsure, "Do they even speak our language?" 
21:47 Yuni "I'm sure they do. We've all heard about this place, haven't we?" 
21:47 KriegsaffeNo9 It's impossible to /not/ have heard of this place.  It's one of the great cities of the world. 
21:47  Yuni continues. 
21:48 Seseth "Well, can we ask about someone who turns into an insect with perfume?" 
21:48 Alex "I can? Can I do it? Can I, can I?" 
21:48 Josef "Are you qualified?" 
21:48 Yuni "Also...the insects /we/ fought seemed...half human." She shudders at the thought. "Surely, they weren't naturally /born/ that way. Maybe there's rumors of...a mad wizard ...or...or something..." 
21:49  Josef waves his hand about five feet in the air. "I seem to remember that you must be this tall..." 
21:49 Alex "I am a Paladin! I can totally do this!" 
21:49 Josef "Will you be needing a stool, then? Or maybe a ladder?" 
21:49 Alex I kick Josef in the shin, and then climb onto a perfectly good box. 
21:49 KriegsaffeNo9 There is always a box. 
21:50 KriegsaffeNo9 A number of people pass by, but few give you a second glance.  This city sees a lot of oddities. 
21:50 KriegsaffeNo9 Any kind of person in particular you wish to impress? 
21:50 Yuni That guy! Over there! 
21:51 KriegsaffeNo9 Er--address. 
21:51 Alex "People and Insectoids of Mactans! We are a special government force, and require your cooperation in our investigation! If anyone knows any information about the attacks in the villages yonder, please do your gods proud, and speak up now!" 
21:51 Alex Chanserv: roll 2d6+2 I AM THE LAW 
21:51 GameServ (4, 2) + 2 == 8 
21:51 Seseth "That might work." 
21:51 KriegsaffeNo9 Your voice echoes with divine authority! 
21:52 KriegsaffeNo9 Those passing by pause to stare at you, shaken by the sudden potent declaration. 
21:52 KriegsaffeNo9 Most of the people simply regain their composure--or attempt to--and walk off.  But there are some who peel away from the common mass and speak up. 
21:53 KriegsaffeNo9 "Excuse-moi, monseur Paladin..." a young woman says.  "I speak some Common.  I have the news followed as of late.  What is it that you need to know?" 
21:53 KriegsaffeNo9 Scarlet's impressed, at least! 
21:53 Alex Alex opens his mouth. 
21:53 Alex And then he stops. 
21:53 Alex "Uhm, what did you guys want to ask, again?" 
21:53  Yuni facepalms. 
21:54 KriegsaffeNo9 Wa~ wa~ wa~ 
21:54  Yuni builds up her confidence. 
21:54 Seseth "We wanted to ask if they knew anyone who could turn into an insect and wore perfume." 
21:55 KriegsaffeNo9 Discussion engages! 
21:55 KriegsaffeNo9 "...Surely the princesses would wear perfume?" an older man says. 
21:55 Yuni "Also, if I recall correctly, the insects we fought were half man and half woman. Perhaps there's dark rumors about...maybe a mad wizard...or even a scientist." 
21:55 KriegsaffeNo9 "But they don't just turn into insects.  That's a legend," an older woman says. 
21:56 Yuni *half man and half bug, sorry 
21:57 KriegsaffeNo9 That gets some discussion going. 
21:57  Yuni turns to the older lady. "Excuse me? Apologies, but could you elaborate on the legend?" 
21:57 KriegsaffeNo9 It seems everyone around has had particularly vivid nightmares about half-man half-bugs lately.  The common folk seem quite distressed realizing how common the dream is, in fact. 
21:58 Josef [      Shira is that you?] 
21:58 KriegsaffeNo9 "Oh--the legend?" the lady says.  "They say that the royal family of Ecdysozoa was granted a gift by the Many-Legged One over a thousand years ago.  They may take the form of the beast that symbolizes their soul, great and powerful, in order to defend the people!" 
21:59 Seseth "Well, one of them hasn't been doing much defending." 
21:59 Desmond (lolz...maybe) 
22:00  Yuni nods. "So...this confirms what Seseth said earlier about the royal families and such." 
22:01  Desmond stands behind you all, stoically crossing his arms. Miruna is lying down at his feet. 
22:01  Yuni turns to Alex. "Perhaps we could inquire more about the dreams?" She'd ask the civilians herself, but she feels Alex would be better at it, what with his confidence and all. 
22:01 KriegsaffeNo9 That statement gets people murmuring, too. 
22:03  Josef nudges Alex forward, one hand on his back. "No better man for the job than this one." He pats him slightly, smiling benevolently. 
22:04 Alex (Give me a few sec gotta take care of some stuff.) 
22:05 Alex Alex, a bit embarrassed from being in the spotlight, slowly walks up towards the rest of the citizens of the town. "Uhm -- there are rumors, of a contagious dream; people speak of human-insect hybrids, terrorizzing and destroying all." 
22:05 Alex "Have you ever dreamed these dreams?" 
22:06 KriegsaffeNo9 There's a general sussurus.  It looks like almost everyone here has. 
22:06  Yuni whispers to Alex. "Perhaps we could get more specific details?" 
22:11 Alex "My apologies, but do you recall any strange details? Anything at all would help us greatly." 
22:11 KriegsaffeNo9 After some more discussion, common elements are shared: 
22:13 KriegsaffeNo9 The sensation o being bound or "glued" in place, great towers of other people being webbed or stuck in place.  The hybrids being--mismatched, misshapen, uneven, clearly in great pain.  Humans and arthroods being stitched together by a gray-skinned, needle-bearing /thing./  And, troublingly, glimpses of truly gigantic forms in the mist-shrouded darkness on the borders of the dream. 
22:14 KriegsaffeNo9 That last detail being thrown in by a beret-wearing young woman who scribbles down that phrase in a moleskin notebook. 
22:15  Yuni gulps. If these dreams bear any truth, than her theory was correct. Someone is creating these hybrids. 
22:16 KriegsaffeNo9 Seseth--this is sounding... not familiar.  But like a phenomenon you've heard of before. 
22:16 KriegsaffeNo9 But exactly /what.../ 
22:16 KriegsaffeNo9 Why, we'll have to find that out next week.