2018-11-16: The Fortress Lost in Snow: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "*'''Log: The Fortress Lost in Snow''' *'''Cast:''' Character :: Ambrosius, Character :: Lunata Croze, Character :: Yarobeleedt, Character :: Elvis, Character...")
 
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Ambrosius didn't particularly...''want'' to get into a fight for Yarobeleedt's sake, though. They were ostensibly allies, but he had a sneaking suspicion that one had it out for him.
Ambrosius didn't particularly...''want'' to get into a fight for Yarobeleedt's sake, though. They were ostensibly allies, but he had a sneaking suspicion that one had it out for him.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.
<poem>        Snow from the tree shot by Gwen falls upon Yarobeleedt with one last 'hex'. His head pops out from the snow pile, and then...
        Yarobeleedt's dizzy, unfocused eyes fall upon Lunata, and he crosses his more solid arm over his less solid one. The lasting wound ''she'' inflicted when he thought he killed her high up in the sky - a wound that further damaged his ability to use one of his arms, preceding a later wound inflicted by the unison of Fei and a Hellionized Ida that took away the once solid stable state of his upper torso, and he uprights himself as the Veruni approach the tent all... reasonably.
        "what"
        He backs towards Ohiru's dogs. Yarobeleedt is an unnatural (to Filgaia) shambling melty ''thing'' and it is utterly horrifying. He turns one-eighty and screeches.
        As he backs into Rudy, the boy whose resolve to take out someone like him is truly iron-clad. He cranes his neck further than a neck should to see that he is there, and... he starts to shrink down. According to those who had the misfortune of tending to him, he would have been dead at Adlehyde were it not for someone donating their blood to him. To this day they have zero idea who would, because why waste it on a worthless, cowardly cretin like ''him''?
        "Nonono. Come back? Go front!! It is an affront...!" He stammers nonsensically.
        ...Then Elvis and Ambrosius listen to reasonable requests.
        "For ^Extrasensory Water^ it is an unlay of the hand???" He sounds incensed. Horrified. Yarobeleedt back-slithers across the snow, his lower body crinkling and cracking as top layers of 'skin' freeze over, fracturing to account for the amorphous flexing of his blobbier self. He shakes.
        ...He screams, throwing his arms up.
        "Silly silly silly!! Veruni want to not strike, but spare, even seven-ten split," what, "over the ^Extrasensory Water^?!" His breathing goes funny. His eyes googly about abit in apopleptic rage. "Mother is here! Over there. Why afraid? No. Nonono. You must be manyfraid. More than onefraid, that is how much fraid...!"
        This will not end well.
        "Yarobeleedt is Nothingfraid of you! You are less than something! Yarobeleedt is nothingfraid of nothing...!"
        Suddenly, the world goes dark to a foreboding sting of music, - https://youtube.com/tg31ybFST8w - a dimming pinwheel of black filtering through one's view of the world. It extends from the center until it covers everyone's vision, promising a great battle...
        Moments Later
        Then everything flashes bright colors to a resounding WHACK, and a light-hearted, relieving ditty plays - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bdihblgfLE
</poem>
</poem>



Latest revision as of 16:42, 17 November 2018

  • Log: The Fortress Lost in Snow
  • Cast: Ambrosius, Lunata Croze, Yarobeleedt, Elvis, Gwen Whitlock, Ohiru Amano, Lemina Ausa, Rudy Roughnight
  • Where: Northern Steppes
  • Date: November 16th,
  • Summary: Abandoned deep in the reaches of Elru, there is a fortress, lost to the snow and to time. To those seeking to strike out at the Metal Demons, it would make a fine base of operations...but others have found it, as well. The two opposing forces converge...but rather than a fight, what occurs is talk of understanding hardship and a temporary cease-fire - if only for a single night.

============================<* Northern Steppes *>============================

The northern regions of the Elru continent are composed of broken, barren hills, their soil frozen and crusted over with rime. Little grows there, and even less lives. The monsters and wildlife of the region are notoriously fierce; a monster seeing a traveller will chase that person down for weeks if necessary, as that may be the only protein it sees in that time.

The Steppes have been the dominion of the military Kingdom of Arctica since before the Day of Collapse, but in recent years their castle has been silent and unresponsive. The walls sit shattered and broken, the gate open and scored with long-dead flame.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfRBmqBlzzQ
DC: Lunata Croze switches forms to Riskbreaker Lunata Croze!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Within the snowy reaches of northern Elru, there is a fortress. Once intended to protect the borders of Arctica from whatever might threaten them, the sudden, overwhelming assault by the Metal Demons that destroyed the kingdom overnight saw it abandoned, its empty shell standing as a testament to the people who once called this land home.

Now, the only hints of its existence lies in the mind of the former citizens of Arctica - those small few who managed to escape that fateful day. To those drifters and mercenaries who have been passing through New Arctica, word might spread to the of the fortress's existence - or perhaps you've just stumbled upon it by chance.

A fortress lost in snow, that may yet be able to serve its purpose as a bulwark against the encroaching dark. But it's defenses will soon be tested, for other forces have located it as well.

Above a massive structure of stone, a drone flies ahead, scanning the area. The fortress below looks as if, in its prime, it could have comfortably served an entire unit of soldiers. Durable walls dotted with turrets(the structure, not the gun emplacement, though they could certainly hold those as well) surround an open courtyard and a main building where the soldiers once lived.

And atop the wall stands a man cloaked in a red poncho and wearing the now-familiar body armor of a Veruni soldier stands, observing the sights through a device held in his hand.

"...I see." He murmurs to himself, looking out in the distance. They would have company soon, then.

Very well.

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        YESTERDAY

        "You know what we haven't done yet, Shalune? Fortress camping," Lunata points out.

        NOW

        Ambrosius' drone picks up on a... an unusual sight. There's a two-pole tent snugged in underneath one of the fortress' awnings, the snow cleared out to make room for a small campfire that's currently lit with a small pot of soup.

        The drone's camera zooms in on a surreptitious little chalkboard:

        TODAY'S SOUP

        Russet potato and pancetta soup in onion consomme
         served with parsley pesto bruschetta
         and a fresh serving of fallen snow ontop

        There's... there's only one suspicious individual enough that this sign could've come from...

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        There is a serpent-bug-whatever who is clinging to the very top of one of the intact walls. They cling on the inside of the intact walls, rather than outsie where their sight might be better valued. It is not clear why, but does it ever matter? It's Yarobeleedt, one of the Metal Demon advance scouts. With the champions of the Guardians making landfall in Elru, now is his time to... eke out a meager existence as a deeply physically wounded soldier of a none too proud track record.
        He is quiet and pensive, the former of which may be one of the most welcome developments one can have, so maybe it is best to count one's blessings. (Most would have since given up counting the indignities, of which there are... many.)
        It is through a tiny crack in the intact wall that an eye that seems to have problems holding still and focusing peers out into the distance, where suspicious figures are present. Yarobeleedt doesn't say anything.
        Not because he is afraid of what he sees.
        He's just spiteful enough that he hopes Ambrosius misses it and that everything will instead be their fault, it's not like he could see with a wall in his way and this crack was totally not here when he first got here...

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

"I wonder what could have been left here... This was a long time ago, yes? Wonder if any books or notes survived the test of time."

A man sits atop a wall near a certain individual. This person is also probably insane because they are only wearing a thin blouse and vest out here. Shouldn't they be wearing layers of clothing?

Earlier~

"IT MAKES FOR GOOD BODY TRAINING SHUT UP!" is yelled and a random passer-by making a snarky comment.

Now~

"Wonder why this one was left intact? Perhaps a Metal Demon camping place, a waypoint of some kind?" is mused, as a giant hand palms some snow, articularing it into a highly packed ball of snow. It is pitched randomly at the wall Yaro may be hiding in, though he still goes unnoticed. "Yknow, knowing some of the humans along the way that have somewhat decent redeeming qualities, I bet some are going to come here."

"Mind you I haven't a problem making sure they don't interfere with Veruni plans, but... eh, never mind."

A humph comes from Elvis, foggy breath wafting up. There may be a few icicles in his moustache, but otherwise seems utterly unphased by the weather. Ambrosius can most likely feel it, an aura of watery magic around Elvis. Most likely channeling something to ward off extreme cold. Odd his mosutache still has icicles though.

"What do you see?"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Since the Fiends' somewhat ominous(?) ship 'The Calamity' landed on the shores of Elru, Gwen's doing something she hasn't had to do for a long, long time: scouting.

        (Well, on Filgaia, anyway. She had to do some rudimentary scouting pretty much all the damn time on Lunar.)

        Holding a ragged pair of binoculars as she crouches behind a large boulder, a mottled whitish cloak and scarf spread out to try to mask her activities out on the open expanses of tundra, Gwen tries to tighten the focus on the device. "There's a fortress alright. Make that's one Jack knows about?"

        She swings her binoculars over the snow. "There's people out there, looks like. Lessee what else there is-" She suddenly goes quiet, stuck in intense concentration.

        "....... There's a cafe." She's silent for a beat. "Well, we *did* find the fortress, so, uh. Not like we can... take *on* the fortress by ourselves. And there's that tent cafe. Lemme look at the menu." Time to LOOK AT THE MENU. "Russel... potatoes n'... pan...cakes? No, Pancetta. And onion... con-som-my...?" Her stomach growls. "And then, p.... parsley! P.... pesto? Brush-etta?" She doesn't know what some of those words are, but they sound absolutely delicious. "..... Sounds kinda like Lunata's cookin'..."

        It could be a trap. But it also could be delicious. Gwen's preparation and better judgment desperately with the looming, giant beast of her stomach. It is a hard, vicious battle, but in the end, Gwen's stomach emerges from the ashes of that bitter fight, the ragged victor.

        She looks up at Lemina, offering up the binoculars with a pleading look in her eyes. "... ..... Maybe we could, uh, take a peek? Like, a small peek. There's pancetta, we *have* to investigate what that is."

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        Gwen hears something that sounds like Lunata's voice going, 'That kinda sounds like Gwen outside--'

        And then a Lunata head pops out of the tent zipper (despite zippers being lost ARM technology) as she perks and goes, "... oh hey, Gwen, Lemina! You want some soup? We're just camping out here--" she gestures. "Lunie's inside, but she's kind of a warm caterpillar right now so I don't think she's gonna respond even if the Metal Demons attack."

<Pose Tracker> Ohiru Amano has posed.

         DO you know who have good noses?
 
         Dogs.
 
         Lots of dogs. Like, say. Two and a half. Two five foot tall, white-furred, red and orange marked hounds (accompanied by a mini, about half their size), crest a bit of a hill nearby. On the back of the largest is a young woman, a hat pulled down weirdly but snugly over ears, and a rather loose jacket to allow for movement. There's motion on her face, but it's hard to tell what she's saying with her tucking her chin into her jacket.
 
         Then- "Awoo?"

<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.

Lemina sticks close to Gwen; she's not actually a terribly experienced scout, to put it gently, and needs... a lot of help. On the other hand, Elru is well within the coldness band she's familiar and even comfortable with, so she hasn't had too much of a problem on *that* front.

"Oh, uh -- pancetta's, like... bacon, but better, basically?" Lemina says. She opens her mouth to object to the idea of immediately moving straight for the food when it seems like there's more going on than *just* food, but her stomach decides to make a spirited objection to the idea of objecting.

Lemina frowns. "... Let's -- go to the cafe," she agrees.

Lunata pops her head out as they approach, and Lemina nods extremely vigorously. "Soup sounds mega-delicious, actually! Let's have some soup," she agrees. Lemina has never once turned down offered food.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

 'Knowledge is power. And like all power, it's important than it's gathered, shared, and used in a responsible manner.'
 
 Zepet's words were meant for Diggers to take in for what they found; that regardless of the information that it would be used to better mankind (and all the other races). But for Rudy, with his brown eyes seemly focused on protecting his friends and defeating his foes, it has taken a different slant. Overhearing the rumors of a possible defensive position, Rudy has gathered a thick red poncho to help fend off the elements and made his way through the snow in order to find the truth and perhaps some resources to turn the tide.
 
 Far from the enemies he's so eagerly wishes to destroy and the allies he wishes to save, he only gets the faint silhouettes of the cafe seekers in the distance. Movement.
 
 Rudy frowns slightly. Lacking a scope or anything that would actually be useful for recon, the young man with the blue hair decides to explore with his usual subtle nature (AKA just walking forward until someone talks to him and tries to kill him).

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Company, in this case, seems to take the form of...a tent with a chalkboard set up, detailing today's soup.

Behind his helmet, Ambrosius frowns.

"...It appears to be...soup." Ambrosius replies to Elvis, as if he's not entirely sure what he's seeing. "I will go talk to them."

It's about this time that a lot of dogs crest a nearby hill, along with a young woman riding the largest. Ambrosius doesn't see this, as he's currently leaping down from the wall and into the courtyard.

Even though it's pretty high up.

He approaches the tent, those gathered underneath, and those who seek it.

"This fortress is now under Veruni jurisdiction. Please vacate the area at once." Ambrosius says. He doesn't draw a weapon - not immediately, anyway. His voice doesn't carry nearly as well as the Professor's does, but it could still be heard pretty clearly throughout the vicinity.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        Soup in these environs is always welcome. Elru is not a hospitable place. Good food is scarce, especially as they start heading into established enemy territory - whether they know it or not.
        Yarobeleedt hopes for something really bad to happen. Since this tends to happen, he has taken to the forbidden art of Learning From Past Mistakes. Which is to say, if he is aware something bad is going to happen, and instead he just wishes for it to happen, it should happen to someone else for once.
        ...
        Elvis' strength is tremendous. In his mighty hands, to him, it may be a 'mere' snowball, a trifling plaything to fling about in which to alleviate one's boredom and/or enjoy the unique properties of snow while it is present. To the rest of the world, which is decidedly nowhere near as mighty as Elvis tends to be on average...
        It's a projectile with enough weight and force that it may well be a watery cannonball as it makes contact with the gap in the wall where Yarobeleedt resides. There is a muffled screech as the once (mostly) intact wall collapses and begins rolling down a snowy hill piled up against this fortress outpost. It is a thing of idiocy, but also beauty, that nature and physics cooperate in so much to make Yarobeleedt's life that much more miserable.
        The rolling snow boulder will give the soup tent the nearest miss. A nearby tree is not so fortunate as the snow boulder hits it, causing its snowy payload to explode in icy watery shrapnel, depositing a frosty slug-like Metal Demon whose foul blobby lower half noisily crackles as it fights against the possibility of being frozen solid.
        (He was in that wall for a while. It probably has been frozen solid.)
        "Nnnnuts! Stunnnn~" Yarobeleedt garbles as he lies sprawled on the ground, seeing stars around unfocused eyes while his gross tongue lolls out the side of his open maw.
        He doesn't look any better since the last time anyone might have encountered him, but when has he ever looked fine?

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        Lunata blinks a few times as she perks her head up, distracted from ladling bowls to Gwen and Lemina. She kinda spots Rudy in the distance, but he's looking at something... oh...

        "Oh, Mister Ambrosius?" It's the nice guy who saved her back in the Starfall Saloon! "Veruni jurisdiction? Geez..."

        She scratches her head. He tells them to leave. "Shalune's asleep right now. Can we just stay here the night? We'll leave soon--"

        A giant snow boulder rolls on through and slams into the tree nearby their tent, exploding snow everywhere and prompting a kind of bland look from Lunata as she stares down to the sprawled Yarobeleedt.

        "Oh. It's... you."

<Pose Tracker> Ohiru Amano has posed.

         The three and a half awoos hear a shenanigans.
 
         Glancing over at the snow boulder, the trio of wolves traipse through over, Ohiru sitting up top of Omi. They don't get all that close, but close enough they can see everyone and talk without shouting across the way. There's a couple of inquiring 'barking' noises.
 
         "Hallo, is ... everything okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

"HM?!" Elvis says, suddenly getting up, the snow accumulating on his shoulders flings all over. "What kind?! I need to know."

"For... research."

The Sentinel didn't really notice the wall coming down from his throw until he heard a series of hexes coming from it, muffled within as it tumbled down toward the tent. "Oops. HEY!" Elvis shouts down at the tent! "This is our fort! We found it first! Step off--"

An eye to that soup. "Hmmmm!!!"

The man leaps into the air with enough force that causes snow to blast around where he was standing. Ambrosius is close enough to the epicenter that he doesn't get coated.

The Veruni lands with a mightly clap from the ground meeting his boots. "How dare you!!! You dare trespass-- wait, what?" A look back to the fort. Back toward Lunata. "Ah.. you don't.. want it?" A large hand palms the back of his head, brushing away snow. A look toward Ambrosius. "Ah... okay? I guess?"

After all, they were to keep trespassers out of the fortress. If they aren't going in, then...

...

"What is uh... what's in the soup?"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        "Like bacon.... but better..." This is valuable information for Gwen. Enough so that they just sort of... just rush over to the campsite (at least Gwen does), with some part of Gwen wondering if it'll simply evaporate into the crisp air, like a mirage. Mirages could happen in snow, right?

        When Lunata emerges, Gwen's lips spilt wide in a grin. "I *knew* it was you! Hey, you know anythin' 'bout this fortress? When those folks arrived, n' all? Tryin' to get a better grasp of how many people are in there, n' how big it is. Stuff like that."

        Gwen's head jerks up at the distant howl of dogs, caution still kept like a snarling dog on a short leash at the back of her mind.

        This is only made more obvious when she hears Rudy's footsteps compacting the snow, prompting her right hand to jerk up like a hand possessed. "... Rudy? H-hey, almost mistook you for a Metal Demon there." There's more people gathering here. Enough that Gwen begins to wonder if they'd be able to take the place back all by their lonesome.

        It's possible. They just need more time. More information. More...

        "-Ambrosius." And that large scientist guy who helped at that harbor on Lunar. Is he a Metal Demon? Or a Veruni? Lowering her right hand yet again, Gwen makes a worried sound in the back of her throat. "Was kinda... hopin' that one battle we had was a one-time deal." She blinks. "What's the Verunis' stake in all this anyway?"

        The snow boulder rolling through does more than make Gwen's hand jerk- she shoots, diverting her aim to the poor tree's top at the last moment. "... Oops! Uh, sorr.... oh." It's.... that metal demon.... thing. ".... Sorry," she resumes.

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

 As the conversation begins, Rudy moves toward the group moving with a bit more haste when it seems that there might be familiar faces present. Ambrosius explains something to those ahead, conversation between Lunata and soup investigators lost to Rudy on the snowy breeze. He doesn't seem trouble at first, but soon a snowball comes forward and reveals itself.
 
 The young man moves forward with a sprint, but stops cold when he sees who the center of the icy mass was. While many here are supportive of peace, there is one that is more concerned with another 'noble' endeavor: 'Justice', though some may argue how noble Rudy is at the moment considering the ire in his eyes.
 
 The poncho is throw off swiftly, the anger in Roughnight all but negating the chill in his mind. One hand moves to lean the pummel of his oversized bowie knife while the other pull back the handle of his gun. While he's no fast draw master, it's clear that he's waiting for a reason (or is it an excuse) to attack. "Metal Demon... I am giving you one chance to surrender yourself or I will use force." A glance is given toward the Veruni, Elvis in particular. "I kindly request that you not get in my way."
 
 And he doesn't even say hello to his friendsalliesdigging buddies. War sure makes a boy rude.

<Pose Tracker> Lemina Ausa has posed.

Lemina narrows her eyes a little as she hears about 'jurisdiction.' There's something about rules and procedure that just gets her blood up a little bit - especially when it threatens to push people around. She doesn't comment on it immediately, because this seems to be getting disarmed well en --

-- oh, there's Yarobeleedt. Then, shortly thereafter, Rudy threatening Yarobeleedt. Lemina is distantly aware that the Veruni and the Metal Demons work with each other, and is *very* aware that this is about to get bad real fast.

"... I think you might want to try coming back tomorrow, uh, people... other... than the mega-nasty blob guy." Lemina offers. It's very articulate and smart. After a second, she puts together what Gwen said, and says, "Veruni!" As if that somehow makes her implied maybe-threat-maybe-just-assertion more pointed. Somehow.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

It seems like more Humans are converging on the location. One has quite large canines with them. A pair show up. A familiar male is nearby from a ruin delve.

And then there is Gwen. He offers his own answer at her inquiry about the Veruni, though leaves room for Ambrosius to offer his own as well. "When the whole world is out to get you, you make friends with who you can." There is an inflection on how he says 'friends' that could suggest something else.

And then Elvis gets a better look at Gwen. He immediately stomps over and gets in near-personal space before pointing a very large finger at her. "I know you. You should go home, someone is very worried about you. Doesn't even have to do with this fortress thing!" Though i nthe moment, that probably isn't very believable.

"Huh?" a look toward Rudy. The fella i nthe ruin that certainly did not like him. "I... didn't even know he was here until about ten seconds ago." The Veruni doesn't particularly seem to care, and is more interested in the Humans coming over. "So I take it you are all heading to the same end location, eh?

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Of all the people he expected to run into here, Ambrosius didn't expect Lunata Croze. Beneath his helmet, Ambrosius frowns. This was not exactly the manner of trouble he had expected to encounter.

"...Hm." He considers. And then, heralded by a great set of 'awoos', come the dogs. Ambrosius turns his head to watch as Ohiru and her pack arrive.

Is everything okay? That was a difficult question. Ostensibly everything was okay...but things had a tendency of turning for the worse.

He stares for a moment, only distracted by the arrival of...Yarobeleedt. His attention turns toward the slug-like Metal Demon who has somehow managed not to freeze solid.

"...Ah. You." He states, at about the same time Lunata does. He looks toward Gwen, then, as she addresses him.

"Miss Whitlock." He replies. Truthfully, he didn't particularly want to fight her, either. Elvis lands soon. While Ambrosius is clearly of the snow that erupts outward, he has to brace himself from the shockwave.

"...If the Professor is alright with it, then you may stay. I suggest you leave the moment she awakes." Ambrosius says, looking back toward Lunata.

And then Rudy appears. Ambrosius turns to face him as he speaks. He doesn't particularly recognize him.

"...Stand down, young man." He states.

Ambrosius didn't particularly...want to get into a fight for Yarobeleedt's sake, though. They were ostensibly allies, but he had a sneaking suspicion that one had it out for him.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        Snow from the tree shot by Gwen falls upon Yarobeleedt with one last 'hex'. His head pops out from the snow pile, and then...
        Yarobeleedt's dizzy, unfocused eyes fall upon Lunata, and he crosses his more solid arm over his less solid one. The lasting wound she inflicted when he thought he killed her high up in the sky - a wound that further damaged his ability to use one of his arms, preceding a later wound inflicted by the unison of Fei and a Hellionized Ida that took away the once solid stable state of his upper torso, and he uprights himself as the Veruni approach the tent all... reasonably.
        "what"
        He backs towards Ohiru's dogs. Yarobeleedt is an unnatural (to Filgaia) shambling melty thing and it is utterly horrifying. He turns one-eighty and screeches.
        As he backs into Rudy, the boy whose resolve to take out someone like him is truly iron-clad. He cranes his neck further than a neck should to see that he is there, and... he starts to shrink down. According to those who had the misfortune of tending to him, he would have been dead at Adlehyde were it not for someone donating their blood to him. To this day they have zero idea who would, because why waste it on a worthless, cowardly cretin like him?
        "Nonono. Come back? Go front!! It is an affront...!" He stammers nonsensically.
        ...Then Elvis and Ambrosius listen to reasonable requests.
        "For ^Extrasensory Water^ it is an unlay of the hand???" He sounds incensed. Horrified. Yarobeleedt back-slithers across the snow, his lower body crinkling and cracking as top layers of 'skin' freeze over, fracturing to account for the amorphous flexing of his blobbier self. He shakes.
        ...He screams, throwing his arms up.
        "Silly silly silly!! Veruni want to not strike, but spare, even seven-ten split," what, "over the ^Extrasensory Water^?!" His breathing goes funny. His eyes googly about abit in apopleptic rage. "Mother is here! Over there. Why afraid? No. Nonono. You must be manyfraid. More than onefraid, that is how much fraid...!"
        This will not end well.
        "Yarobeleedt is Nothingfraid of you! You are less than something! Yarobeleedt is nothingfraid of nothing...!"
 
        Suddenly, the world goes dark to a foreboding sting of music, - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg31ybFST8w - a dimming pinwheel of black filtering through one's view of the world. It extends from the center until it covers everyone's vision, promising a great battle...
 
        Moments Later
 
        Then everything flashes bright colors to a resounding WHACK, and a light-hearted, relieving ditty plays - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bdihblgfLE
 
        YOU WON !
 
        * Everyone gained 5100 exp.
 
        Yarobeleedt twitches in a growing pool of quicksilver blood over in some snowy corner, like he didn't know what just hit him.
        ...
        As everyone was.

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        ON LUNATA'S END, SOME TIME LATER

        "I can't believe you just slept through it. How did the snowslide not even wake you up? I think the tent wound up tumbling through twice and landed pole side up and my heart was at my throat."

        A pause.

        "What? Why was there a snowslide? Uh-- no, I didn't use the Call Gear button or anything. That'd be dumb. Who'd shoot a high-energy heat weapon straight onto a snowy slope? Ha ha... ha......"

        Gained:
        5100 xp. worth of don't use beam weapons in snow

        its a bad idea

        And knowing is half the battle. (TM)

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        Yaro's appearance make not have inspired more pity than ire from Gwen, but Rudy would have an entirely different opinion on the matter.

        *MOMENTS LATER*

        "So," Gwen plainly begins, turning to Elvis and Ambrosius. "I'm on a roll, so." She clears her throat, looking towards Elvis. "What's this about 'the whole world's out t'get you'? I mean, up until some of you guys started revealin' yourselves, all I really knew about Veruni was that they were some sorta weird boogeymen told to scare kids to behave, mostly out East. Is there somebody tryin' to battle with you guys, or what? Because, I mean, the Metal Demons reaally don't seem the type t'honor any agreements with sharin' things."

        She does not state their goals, notably. "I mean, y'seem pretty human n' all. What... exactly *are* Veruni?"

<Pose Tracker> Ohiru Amano has posed.

         Yaro starts having issues. Ohiru sighs. Rudy has issues. Mami sighs. Things go bad. Romi sighs.
 
         *moments later*
 
         There's a pile of wuffs in a group, and Ohiru is lounging in the pile, Romi's head in her lap. She's gnawing on a bit of beef jerky herself, before asking- "Um... what are Veruni?"

<Pose Tracker> Rudy Roughnight has posed.

As he is requested to stand down, Rudy merely takes out his gun as the Metal Demon tauntsyellsdoes whatever Yaro does whenever he attempts to communicate. He just looks at Ambrosius right in the eye, even as he takes his first shot toward Yaro. Now he's just being feisty, but Roughnight does seem to have a personality, even if it's hidden under his normal bouts of silence.
 
 A short battle and a smoking barrel later, Rudy calmly puts his weapon away as Gwen speaks of the Veruni. He doesn't really have much to remark on the matter, but an arched brow demonstrates his own personal interest. Occasionally, a glance is given toward the wolves, but the Drifter doesn't seem to have any opinion on them for the moment. For the time being, he seems content to have just gone after Yaro, but it's clear from the slightly widened stance of his feet, he's still a bit on the wary side.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Elvis can only flinch as the battle system betrays one of its own. Hopefully it never ends that way for him. At least Yaro has the ability to come back from all these horrid things that happen to him. Kinda.

A look to Ambrosius, then back to Gwen. "I don't know if there's really anything out to get Metal Demons other than Humans, but Veruni got the entire planet against them. And I'm not talking about its inhabitants. It's a long story."

"I guess the simple way to put it is, what, we're. Hm. What's an easy way to describe this...? OH."

"We're more alike to you than you know," he gives Gwen. "Not much I am allowed to say unfortunately, but theres a reason we look a lot like Humans."

The Sentinel just takes a seat right in the snow. Still not wearing anything but a small vest and blouse, mind you. "So, you lot are going to converge on the Metal Demons? I don't see why else you would be here, especially after all the hunting for seafaring vessels and some of you I have seen before being here."

He is i na bit of a tight spot on what to say aloud... How to convey it...?

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Ambrosius doesn't really interfere, even as Rudy shows an act of defiance. Yarobeleedt was kind of asking for that one, there. He doesn't feel sorry about it, and has no intention of fighting the Metal Demon's poorly-chosen battles for him.

The fight goes quickly, though far too spectacular to describe with words.

And thus, they are left with questions. What exactly were they up against? And, from Ohiru, what exactly were Veruni? Good questions, both of them. Ambrosius looked toward Elvis. It was a matter of dispensing information to a potential enemy...but moreover, the Sentinel could probably explain the situation far better than he could.

And he does, but in a way that does not give away too much. But to answer Ohiru's question...

"...The Veruni are our people." He says, gesturing to himself and Elvis. "And that is all you need to know.

And it was all he could say - his specialty was machines, not biology.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        "...." Gwen tilts her head with a frown, pulling down the scarf from over her mouth. "You... didn't mean us, but the planet itself?"

        There's an awkward silence as Gwen considers this, shifting from one foot to another.

        ... Didn't the Hyadeans have the same problem?

        "So you're in the same boat as the Metal Demons, then." Kaguya's face flashes momentairely in Gwen's mind. "Does it, uh, make you sick, or something like that?"

        Why does Filgaia reject these races?

        'So, you lot are going to converge on the Metal Demons?'

        It's not like Gwen can really deny it. Instead, her lips thin, and she gives Elvis a sober nod. ".... We have to. Right now, the Metal Demons that still follow Siegfried believe they have the upper hand 'cause Mother may be alive." May. There's something not quite right on that front, unless Gwen read a little too much into Siegfried's momentary slip of an expression during the raid on the port. "As for whether she actually is or not, we're gonna find out when we get there. N' if we don't, Siegfried's gonna lead a lot more Hyadeans who haven't figured things out to attack, and that's gonna lead to a lot of innocent people dyin'." Her gaze strays towards Rudy in that moment, remembering that flare of rage he just displayed.

        "But that doesn't mean Filgaia rejectin' you guys is right, in my book. There's got to be a way t'make it stop. If we had access to the Guardians again, we could at least ask what's goin' on. But until Mother or whatever goes away, we got no choice."

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

"You could say that. Our bodily functions gradually deteriorate, and then, eventually, we die. It is a 'when', not an 'if'. ...Unless we find to put a stop to it." Ambrosius replies.

Gwen speaks of the Metal Demons. He could understand getting involved in a fight for the sake of protecting others. That was why he did everything he did, after all.

But the Guardians...

"The Guardians will not help. They will continue to scorn our very existence." Ambrosius replies. "You will learn nothing from conversing with them."

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

He can understand Ambrosius' wariness. The less your typical drifter knows, the better.

"Yeah."

The one word is said with a grave intonement. This was a topic he could speak about. If not because it relies solely on him. He led the charge on this topic throughout the Veruni enclaves. It was anathema to them. "In a sense, yes," the man says, popping a few knuckles., aching slightly fro mthe cold. For the first time since coming out here, anyway. "Yes. It is an unknown blight, with deleterious effects, weakness, frailty, then death. No known cure yet. When the very place you live wants to kill you, you tend to band with those in similar situations."

"Mm," a thoughtful noise at the approach to the Photosphere. "Well, we have been assigned a task by them, to keep any from taking this fortress. However," A pause. "For now that means we need to stay here, for any future passers by, if you get my meaning."

"One of the Tainted that oppose the Metal Demon's current path mentioned something similar. We have reason to believe its not a physical ailment. Talking to them is my main course of action, to be honest," a look to Ambrosius. "I can understand your feelings toward them, but I feel we must try. Several research points lead back to them."

Elvis did not favor them much not too long ago as well, but... if it is a possibility to find a cure for his people, He will set whatever it takes aside to have the cure in his hands.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

        "That's..."

        It's so much worse. Gwen shakes her head. "That's..."

        Her face wrinkles in a helpless expression of despair, continuing her shake her head. "Wastin' slowly away? I just don't get it. Why would a planet reject people? I mean, I could kinda understand the Metal Demons and it bein' like some sort of antibody response, but this... it's just wrong."

        Gwen closes her eyes, What now, though? It's not like she could just go home.

        "..." She takes in a breath, and opens her eyes, now blurry with tears. "Damn it..." Why does fact hurt so much? Is it because of the people she left behind, back in Ignas?

        None of them could fight back, if the Veruni or Metal Demons invaded.

        "So in other words..."

        It's the same thing she told Frea, back then.

        "So we have to fight you. You got your people to protect, and we got ours. It's as simple as that. But, I promise you." She presses a fist against her heart. "I firmly believe everyone deserves a place here. I know some smart people. I bet, after alla this is over, if we all knock heads, we could think of *somethin'*."

        She looks back towards Rudy, then to Lemina, and the others. "For tonight, how 'bout we all have soup? Like, a small cease fire. Just for tonight. I promise ya, I won't let up next time we meet, but tonight, we'll eat as Filgaians."

        She extends her left hand, palm up, a smile on her face. "Whadaya say?"

<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.

Elvis lays it out - the progression of the VR Factor. Ambrosius looks toward him as he speaks. To try to reach out to the Guardians...it had been done, and had gotten them nowhere. But...

"...I suppose if anyone could it would be you, Professor." He replies. The Sentinel had a way figuring things out. Ambrosius still didn't have high hopes for it, but...he wouldn't try to dissuade Elvis if that was the path he thought would help.

His attention soon turns back to Gwen. It is a difficult truth to come to terms with. He does not blame her, and eventually she reaches a conclusion.

She seems to understand, now.

"If only that were the case." He says, and then considers the offer. A temporary cease-fire - just for tonight. He looks toward Elvis for a moment. It was the Sentinel's call in the end, but as for his own desires...if the Sentinel agrees, Ambrosius will extend his hand toward hers.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

"It's fine. Try not to worry about it."

A thought to a fight that may be inevitable, or avoided by things such as convenient soups. But the fight wont be meaningless. Oh no. "I... have an idea. Though it is not ready. Perhaps I can mention it another time before putting it into action." Wanting to help both sides is a difficult proposition.

The best example is finding all these Humans and defect Metal Demons wanting to help his research cause. And the people they are teaming up with? Pff, Alhazred has no time to try and solve the problem. Just to find ways to obliterate Humans better. Who is he supposed to side with as a MAN OF SCIENCE?!

A look toward Ambrosius at the offer, then back.

"...I see no harm in it."

It was complicated for sure, but he wanted to see the Humans succeed in their effort. It was nothing against the Metal Demons. They have a similar degrading fate. But the continued existence of Mother stymied his own efforts of saving his people. And while he was sure there was no way they could talk it out, it is a stark realization.

A desperate people lashing out to find some way to propogate their existence. And now those they have harmed are coming for them.

If the Veruni continued on their track, would it be them in the court of judgement, that the divergent inheritors of the planet would look to them, and find them wanting?

A path Elvis does not want to see, for certain. "Could be some interesting talks of this odd land we can share-- actually some of you were on Lunar, ther are a few things I'd certainly be interested to ask about for my research."