Session 215

Chancel_Amyra
Chapter 31

=-= User mode for Angelo is now +ix
--»| YOU (Angelo) have joined #Nobilis
«Angelo» Ciao guys!
«Random_Nerd» Hey.
«Verithe» Hi!
«Etheric» It's annoying only to have the e-book though... I'm not used to PDFs.
«Verithe» Soon! Soooooon!
«Angelo» me too
«Random_Nerd» When reading them, pay particular attention to the timing rules, all the attributes, the wound system, and the section on bonds and afflictions.
«Random_Nerd» Those are where the biggest changes are.
«Etheric» And Beth, that's the problem. I wouldn't have been able to even dream of the things that RN could come up with. I mean, he's at least twice as evil as you and you thought of "married to an Excrucian" without trying.  :P
«Etheric» Anyhow, thank you for the tip, RN.
«Etheric» I am going to save that to a Notepad doc on my notebook.
«BethE» Hiya Angelo!
«BethE» Only twice? You flatter me. ^^
«Etheric» Conservative estimate.
«Etheric» But thanks. (I think that I can say "thanks" to that?)
--»| Knockwood (~chatzilla@MagicStar-E048CE2B.dhcp.reno.nv.charter.com) has joined #Nobilis
«Knockwood» Hi guys
«Knockwood» Hey Eth, LTNS
«Random_Nerd» Hey, Knock.
«Knockwood» ... what's up?
«Verithe» 'Allo, Knock!
«Angelo» Hi Knock
«BethE» Hiya Knock
«Random_Nerd» Okay, now, Laz sent a PM saying he might be late or not here at all.
«Random_Nerd» And this session will be a shorter one, because I'm partway through a multi-day takehome exam for a law school class.
«Random_Nerd» So we should probably get going pretty soon,.
«Angelo» yay!
«Knockwood» OK, so, who's got Magic Missile?
«Random_Nerd» The Power of Darkness.
«Random_Nerd» Someone used it against him, and he stole it.
«Verithe» That was a pretty smart thing to do.
«Angelo» and who have Tenser's stuff?
=-= BethE is now known as Theresa
«Random_Nerd» The Excrucians.
=-= Knockwood is now known as DanteE
=-= Verithe is now known as Kite
«Random_Nerd» That's why there aren't Floating Disks in Creation any more.
«Kite» Awww. :(
«Angelo» that is way sad!
«DanteE» (It actually opens up a whole new level if you consider fantasy novels & games may be part of a vaguely-remembered Antebellum reality... )
«Random_Nerd» Okay. When we last left Our Heroes, they'd just kinda-sorta resolved the issue with Jerren, Kite had made a deal with Jan ben Jan, and the Imp had gotten what purported to be an Excrucian banknote.
«Random_Nerd» Any questions?
«DanteE» How much time do we have before our various meetings/deadlines?
«Angelo» the excru banknote... I don't remember nothing on that
«DanteE» Also, what's my flight speed?
«Theresa» Are you being gripped by the husk?
«Kite» The Imp (Puck?) was assuming it was gratuity from the Excrucian on the moon.
«Random_Nerd» The timeline before the various meetings is being left deliberately vague in the interests of narrative.
«Angelo» also Ftisk want to knock on Dante door the first possible night
«DanteE» We should go investigate something before our meetings...
«Random_Nerd» Which thing would you go and investigate first?
«Kite» I love vague timelines! It allows one to run around and level-grind before saving people from the house on fire!
«DanteE» Good question.
«Theresa» I think the Dante Ftisk talk should happen first!
«Angelo» me too! :-P
«DanteE» I'm going to try and let Ftisk down easy, because while I like him, it's not _that_ way.
«DanteE» Moving on.
«Random_Nerd» So, should we start at a Noble meeting, implied to be one or two days later, with you guys working on strategy?
«DanteE» (Oh, reminds me, I rejiggered my map.)
«Kite» I am fine with a Noble meeting and strategy.
«Random_Nerd» (Oh? How so?)
«DanteE» (RN: did a count of the points and figured out what goes where.
«DanteE» (Basically I have 2 big projects: Figure out what's going to happen, and get through it.
«Random_Nerd» (Those sound a bit too much like "do things" and "discovery things," though.)
«DanteE» (with 'Deal with Shirk' basically overlapping both.)
«Random_Nerd» (I'd really like you to turn those into more of a "get through these catastrophes /by/ doing X")
«Random_Nerd» (Like, by encouraging Noble cooperation, or by making a peace with the Excrucians, or by selling Lord Entropy on ebay.)
«DanteE» (Also, I figured out which sessions the points came from and put those in.)
«Random_Nerd» (That way, they're more of an active project, rather than just a framework imposed on a variety of activities after the fact.)
«Random_Nerd» (So, could you think through how to put more of an implied plan into those?)
«Random_Nerd» Ready to start?
«Theresa» (What kind of currency would you have to accept for selling Entropy on eBay?)
«Random_Nerd» (Determining that would be a Victory.)
«Kite» Ready!
«Random_Nerd» ________________START__________________
«DanteE» (Well, it's figure out how the Exs et al are going to wreck things at the age end.)
=-= YOU are now known as Ftisk
«Ftisk» (ready!)
«DanteE» (Ready.)
«Random_Nerd» William: "I have put in an information request with the Aides on any other "Excrucian money" that they're aware of. So far, no reports have turned up."
«Ftisk» "And if that is an elaborate joke only?"
«DanteE» "Think it's possible that Mr. Science is just making this up?"
«DanteE» (Describe the bill again?)
«Random_Nerd» William: "Entirely possible. But even if it is, it may be a joke that is influenced by faint memories of Outside, and may thus be informative."
«Ftisk» "huh? no more Mr. Mad Science? When you update his label/nickname?"
«Theresa» "It's probably what he thinks people use for 'money'."
«Random_Nerd» ("It has a picture of a boring looking guy with a fancy wig and stars in his eyes on the front, and on the back, what looks like a vaguely Roman temple. It purports to be worth five denarii.")
«Random_Nerd» (There is a motto engraved at the top, above the columns. It's the Angelic for "They can kill you, but they can't eat you.")
«Random_Nerd» (And the temple does not seem to correspond with any specific real temple.)
«DanteE» "'They can kill you but they can't eat you'...
«Kite» "Should we try eating an Excrucian to prove them wrong?"
«DanteE» "... how much of a metaphor is it to say the Excrucians want to eat our Estates?"
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Didn't Snow do that once? Part of one, at least?"
«Ftisk» "I take a leg!"
«DanteE» to Kite: "Ftisk kinda did that."
«DanteE» "... indeed, Snow ate a Shard's head."
«Kite» "Then this paper doesn't make sense.
«Ftisk» "We fused together to become a _better_ being!"
«DanteE» "It does if it was printed before that... and it never happened before."
«DanteE» "Or it could just be propaganda."
«DanteE» "Wait... that's on the temple, not the bill..."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Big Brother says that reports of Excrucianophagy by Nobles are highly exaggerated..."
«Theresa» "How many families live by their motto?"
«DanteE» "We need more info.
«Theresa» (Om nom nom shards?)
«Kite» "Theresa, families confuse me so much right now.
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Like... start eating an Excrucian, and see if he looks surprised?"
«DanteE» "Theresa, William, is there anything he's requested that he hasn't gotten yet, that would be a little tough?"
«Theresa» "Kite, that's usually just a sign of having a family, Kite. Did your knowledge help any?"
«DanteE» "Alternatively...
«Theresa» (Beats me. As far as I know he hasn't asked me for anything yet.)
«Random_Nerd» William: "Horses, of several different breeds. Various plants, some of which we can't get in Amyra. Several extinct species, most but not all related to horses. 'A million dollars', but I think that one was a joke."
«Kite» "I think I'm more confused for having it."
«DanteE» "We could see if he has more bills by either selling... or exchanging. Who has a million royals?"
«Kite» "How many lives did you have before Kudzu picked you?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "And a unicorn. And the former Warmain-shard mount downstairs."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "I think we /do/ have unicorns, William."
«Kite» "Two, right? The one outside the wall and the one inside?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "Really? I guess I just assumed that we didn't."
«DanteE» "The mount has a kill-everyone-in-the-vicinity miracle attached."
«Theresa» "That is Snow's horse. She won it, fair and square."
«Random_Nerd» William: "I think he just wants it for stud services."
«Theresa» "I can fulfill the missing plants, though."
«Random_Nerd» William: "I didn't give a firm answer either way."
«DanteE» "OK... if we can trade him some other bills for things he wants we can get, well, more engravings to look at."

• Theresa ponders. "Have you ever seen a unicorn, Sam?"
  

«DanteE» to William: "If he wants stud services, there are other horses."
«Random_Nerd» William: "That's a firm answer, then? No access to the Warmain mount?"
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Does television count?"
«DanteE» "It's far too dangerous. No one gets access except us."
«DanteE» (Sam's a brony? :) )
«Random_Nerd» (This is /Sam/.)
«Theresa» "No, I was meaning in person. Television gets many good supernatural creatures."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "No. But there are reports of wild herds in Amyra, post-enchancelling."
«DanteE» "We have herds of unicorns?"
«Theresa» "Hmm...interesting."
«Ftisk» "I want to see one of these herd!"
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "I guess I just assumed you knew. You've mostly only been interested in the /humans/ who have been turned into mythological creatures."
«Theresa» "Dante, we have a walking tree with pet cows, a demon, an imp and Ick. Unicorns make you blink?"

• Ftisk fly around like a crazy cowboy doing "clopete clopete" with the mouth
  

«DanteE» "The herds do. Aren't they solitary creatures?"
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "What I heard, said herds."
«Ftisk» (clopete clopete is in my mind the sound that horses do when run)
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "So... give the Mad Doctor access to unicorns... yes, or no?"
«Ftisk» "Yes!"
«Theresa» "I don't see the harm in it. If the unicorns are traditional, we can see if Excrucians have sex."
«Kite» "Or virginity."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Unicorns yes, warhorse no. Okay. What about the extint ones?"
«Ftisk» "being ex peoples unicorns I bet against Kite and T."
«Theresa» "If we don't have it in Chancel or if it isn't connected to one of our Estates, I would say no deal."
«DanteE» "We'd need to do time travel to get them...

• DanteE thinks about Carrie's Vision...
  

«Random_Nerd» William: "So, are there any Nobles or Imperators you want me to set up an audience with?"
«Ftisk» "I want an audience with Dante, subject our liaison"
«DanteE» (Remind me, when on Earth's calendar did the Second Age start and end?)
«Kite» (Sam's already working on an audience with [Imperator of the Sky] for Brian, yes?)
«Random_Nerd» (Second Age began at the Fall, which was 7000 years or so ago.)
«Random_Nerd» (And it ended 2000 years later.)
«Ftisk» (so short?)
«DanteE» (So, Adam & Eve were in 2nd?)
«Random_Nerd» William: "Let me see... other business. The Giant has been sighted multiple times in Kaerkoven."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "No word as of yet on whether he has a posse."
«DanteE» "Did we ever get him pants?"
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Yes. Lesson's tailor obliged us."
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "He's developing a niche as a tailor to people who got turned into nonhuman creatures and want to stay that way."
«Theresa» (Does Sam get a bonus for every reference?)
«Theresa» "Exclusive clientle."
«Random_Nerd» William: "And there is a request for an audience with you from a group calling themselves 'The Barsoomian Intelligence Agency In Exile.' They seemed to know more about Nobles than most of Amyra."
«Ftisk» "So when there is an opening in Dante schedule?"
«Random_Nerd» Sam, to Theresa: "Yes, but a disproportionate number of them are at least minor celebrities."
«DanteE» (I'm thinking we could find put something about history, either ours, Creation's, or Kudzu’s)
«Theresa» (Barsoom? Why does that sound familiar?)
«Random_Nerd» (Edgar Rice Burrough's name for Mars.)
«DanteE» (It's Mars, in pulp novels)
«DanteE» (Also the Martian underclass in Eclipse Phase)
«Theresa» (..why do we have the Mars-IA in our backyard?)
«Random_Nerd» (You don't know.)
«DanteE» "those guys sound ... interesting."
«Theresa» "Barsoom? As in the name for Mars in those pulpy books? Why do we have the BIA in our backyard?"
«DanteE» "Did they say what they wanted to talk about?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "They claim to be the remnant of an actual intelligence agency from, ah, Mars."
«Random_Nerd» William: "And they want to know what your positions are with regard to the end of the world."
«DanteE» "... we're against it?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "Should I arrange for you to meet with them, so you can tell them that?"
«Kite» "I think we have to clarify what they mean by 'end of the world'."
«Ftisk» "well... end of word can be awesome to see..."
«Theresa» "End of which world, how much of an end and are we going to get Imperator Jerren mad again?"
«Theresa» "I would like to meet with them, yes, please."
«Random_Nerd» William: "I'll set it up. When do you want it?"
|«-- Etheric has left irc2.magicstar.net (Ping timeout)
«DanteE» "Definitely before meeting with anyone else..."
«Ftisk» "And Will, this will be before or after the meeting I ask to schedule?"
«Theresa» "Hmm, within the next two days, please."
«Random_Nerd» William illustrates through his body language that his attention occupies a snailless room.
«Random_Nerd» William: "Will do."
«Ftisk» (lol)
«Random_Nerd» William: "Is there any other business?"
«DanteE» "Any progress on the prophecies about the Kings?"
«Random_Nerd» (William's point of view is that he works for Locus Amyra, and thus he always takes their side against Locus Vulcan when it comes up.)

• Ftisk sigh
  

«Random_Nerd» William: "I don't think there's that much more progress to make, unless we get some new information to work from."

• Ftisk fly to Dante's shoulder
  
• Ftisk change my mind and fly to Theresa's shoulder
  

«Kite» "You'll just have to get your own Aide to set appointments, Ftisk."
«Ftisk» "I'll set this one myself"
«Theresa» (Or bondage. Bondage might work, but being Blades, that would be hard to trump.)
«DanteE» (huhwah?)
«Ftisk» (fakeDanteVoice: don't give the snail ideas!)
«Random_Nerd» William: "If there's nothing else, I will return to my duties."
=-= YOU are now known as Conrad
«DanteE» "Damn it, I hate being unable to do anything while the world's ending.
«Random_Nerd» Sam: "Then do something!"
«DanteE» "We're the ones who could supposedly fix it.
«Kite» "Dante. We have no choice but to revolutionize the world."
«Conrad» "Mr. DanteE we _need_ to talk and straight our different view on some matters. When we can meet for a private, formal talk?"
«DanteE» "What matters, Ft... Conrad?"
«Random_Nerd» (So, if you guys have nothing better to do, we could cut to the meeting with the BIA.)
«Random_Nerd» (Or were there other thoughts?)
«Conrad» "on our reciprocal interaction"
«Kite» (I'm for the BIA)
«Theresa» (Kite - now I'm thinking Utena...)
«Theresa» "Plus, just because the world is ending, it doesn't mean that everything is. It's..change."
«Theresa» (BIA is fine with me.)
«DanteE» (OK.)
«Kite» (Exactly what I was going for, Theresa. :) )
«Conrad» (I'm for Dante vs Ftisk mudfight ... but BIS is ok)
«DanteE» (So, we should cross-dress?)
«Conrad» BIA even
«Random_Nerd» The BIA office appears to either disguise itself as, or actually be, a small private detective's office in downtown Kaerkoven.
«Theresa» (If Dante tries to pull a sword out of me, I'm going to slug someone.)
«Kite» (Just make sure he's not wearing a black rose ring.)
«Random_Nerd» For this meeting, the three main guys have changed into what are presumably some sort of official uniforms. They look A, like a cross between a three-piece suit and a toga, in bright white, and B, kinda stupid and uncomfortable.
«Random_Nerd» The office appears to consist of one receptionist (a thirtysomething woman of east Indian extraction) and three "detectives" of somewhat hard to determine ethnicity.
«Random_Nerd» Something about the cheekbones seems odd and unfamiliar, they have lobeless ears, their skin color has odd tinges of green and red. Finally, they're all oddly tall and skinny, with the shortest of the three being six foot four.
«Random_Nerd» Pinned to their togalike "uniforms" they have metal emblems of rank that look like they were made for a slightly low-budged sci-fi series.
«Conrad» "Well, we have the femmefatal, right Theresa? So how many other hardboiled novel cliques we need?"
«Theresa» (The fact that they look stupid and uncomfortable gives more credibility that they're real.)

• DanteE looks around for hidden cameras
  

«Kite» to Dante: "Has Kudzu been watching old sci-fi movies?"
«DanteE» "He didn't mention anything about it."

• Theresa steps up to the three. "Greetings. I am Theresa, Plant's Regal. And you are?"
  

«Random_Nerd» Tallest Agent: "I know it's somewhat silly. But we do have to make rent, since the paychecks from home stopped coming a long time ago."
«Conrad» "a cult resurgence?"
«Random_Nerd» Tallest: "We are agents Ten, Paren, and Carter of the Barsoomian Intelligence Agency, currently in exile."
«Random_Nerd» He points at each of them as he names them. He's Ten, Paren is the slightly shorter one, and Carter is the shortest and stockiest of the three.

• Kite looks at the receptionist expectantly.
  

«Random_Nerd» Ten: "It is generally our policy not to operate openly, but previous attempts to make contact and ask questions have been waved off as not worth your time."
«Random_Nerd» She looks like she's paid well enough to keep a straight face.
«Random_Nerd» "Agent Carter" drinks his coffee, and looks a little frustrated and sad.
«DanteE» (Someone's pulling our legs)
«Theresa» "Welcome. How long have you been here in Amyra? Or were you here when the Chancel was still a part of Earth?"
«Theresa» (Yes. That would be the GM. )
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "We've been operating here for the last seven years."
«Conrad» "Agent Ten, Ten is from Ben Ten?"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "I beg your pardon?"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "It's a common name where my family comes from, or so I've been told."
«Kite» "Benten, as in the goddess?"

• Conrad lc some Ben Ten videotapes
  

«Kite» "That is not Benten!"
«Theresa» "Ben Ten, as in the cartoon about a boy who can take the form of different aliens."
«Conrad» "like this one..."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "I can't do that. Sorry."
«Theresa» "When did you lose contact with home?"
«Conrad» "ohhh, sorry"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "About a hundred years ago, depending on how exactly you define your terms."
«Conrad» "oh, are you from the lost 500 years?"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "See, the thing is, none of us have ever actually /been/ to Mars. Personally, I mean. But... it's kind of a family business. Eventually, Mars is going to get colonized again, and when it does, we're going to be ready. Until then... we wait, and prepare."
«Random_Nerd» Paren, to Conrad: "Depends on what you mean."
«Theresa» "So..you're keeping your bloodlines..and having children..until the Earth goes back to Mars?"
«DanteE» What do they look like to the Sight & Mythic?
«Theresa» (Would Carter like something stronger?)
«Random_Nerd» They look like humans. A little taller, a little hard to peg down ethnically, but grade A mundane humans.
«DanteE» (and the Font of All Human Knowledge sez the Barsoom novels started 1912)
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Look, I /know/ it sounds stupid. I know that almost nobody remembers it. Even the Aides don't remember it, and we worked very closely with their previous incarnation."
«DanteE» "What do you mean, their previous incarnation?"
«Conrad» "Previous incarnation? There was another Sam? Or Will?"
«Theresa» "A) Few things actually are stupid to us anymore, no matter how it sounds and B) can you please tell us more about the previous incarnation?"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "That's not what I mean. But the Aides have been, according to our records, two separate organizations. One was during the timeline that nobody remembers. They had an interplanetary focus, a strong presence on Mars, and the BIA often collaborated with them. This was back when Nobles openly ruled Earth and the other planets."
«Conrad» "Cool!"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Now, they're a much more secretive group. They recruit from colleges and the like, but it's not like you can look up a branch office in the phone book and interview."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "It took us, well, our grandfathers, over a decade and a half to figure out that they still existed, that Nobles did, and all that."
«DanteE» to William: "When was your organization started?
«Random_Nerd» William: "Well, that's something of a tricky question."
«Random_Nerd» William: "When you count it as starting? When Luc began work as an Anchor? When he started training others at the same task? Do you count the lost years?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "What they're saying /roughly/ matches up, and when I quizzed them they did seem to know some things about the organization that aren't common knowledge. But a lot of what they knew was just wrong."
«Theresa» "Wrong as in utterly wrong or wrong given a change in time of the universe?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "...yes?"
«DanteE» "When on the Cosmic and Earth calendars?"
«Kite» "Which Earth calendar do you use, Dante?"
«DanteE» "Gregorian."
«Kite» "Hmm."
«Random_Nerd» William: "On the Heavenly calendar, it was started several decades before the lost period began. Say... 4580 AP or so."
«DanteE» (So, something happened in the lost 500 years that resulted in Nobles openly ruling nations on Earth?)
«Theresa» *to the Martians* "Okay, what was it that you needed to talk to us about?"
«Random_Nerd» (Rather, something happened since then that resulted in Nobles /not/ openly ruling nations on Earth.)
«Random_Nerd» (For most of Earth's history, that was the default. Then... Entropy happened.)
«DanteE» (Entropy's the reason Nobles basically have to hide?)
«Random_Nerd» (Basically, yeah.)
«Random_Nerd» (Before that, Earth was a lot more like Dionyl, in how Nobles were integrated into society.)
«DanteE» (Was Entropy's rise to power after the start of the lost 500 years?)
«Random_Nerd» (No, but he didn't do the Lethe Wind immediately.)
«DanteE» (er, what would have been the start of the lost 500 years...)
«DanteE» (Suddenly that bit about verb tenses and time travel in the Hitchhiker's Guide makes a lot more sense)
«Random_Nerd» (Entropy took over centuries before the Lost Years, but in this game's timeline, he took control from the Nobles at some point after 4895 AP)
«Random_Nerd» (This is a slight change from the default chronology, in which the two acts were simultaneous.)
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "So, what we want to ask is... do you plan to end the world, to prevent the end of the world, or to change it in some way?"
«DanteE» (We're trying to preserve Creation.)
«Theresa» "Change it."
«DanteE» (oops)
«DanteE» "We're trying to preserve Creation."
«Kite» "What do you mean by 'end the world'?"
«Theresa» "The changing of the Ages is coming."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "That's an issue on which there is some debate. The mainstream view of the BIA is that the turning back of the clock was an 'end of the world' in the sense I'm using it here."
«DanteE» "Things are in motion that seem to be pointing us toward something huge, but we don't know what."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "Sure, things were still there, but... different. It was the world of a different sun."
«Conrad» "I.. would really like to see what will came... these are funny days!"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "And the something huge that you see coming... what do you believe the effects will be, for Mars?"
«Kite» "The Change of the Age involves the breaking of the Sky."
«Theresa» (Hmm, how to put it that I don't think that humanity will be getting to Mars anytime soon...)
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "Interesting. Is that likely to make manned spaceflight more practical, less, or about the same?"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "This is tricky because many of the principles that made it possible the first time around aren't the same now. The Lumiferous Aether is gone. Breathable air can only be found near planets."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "And not all planets, at that."
«Kite» "I think Brian is working on setting up a meeting with Lord Ymir. We could try asking him some of those questions."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "So, a shakeup could be advantageous, Barsoom-wise."
«DanteE» to William: "Is there a Power of Mars?"
«Random_Nerd» William: "There's an /Angel/ of Mars. But it's not an Estate, it's just a place."
«DanteE» to the Martians: "Well, whatever's about to happen may affect all of Creation."
«Conrad» "well that can make a bridge to Mars more easy, so you can recolonize and be marsian? marxist? again"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "It's 'Barsoomian.'"
«Conrad» "Oh, ok!"
«Conrad» "BTW why Barsoomian? What mean?"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Although it actually was rather Marxist. But then, back then, communism worked."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "That's just what they called it. Named after some early explorer or something."
«Kite» to Theresa: "Should we give them contact information for Johaclypse?"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "It was what you called the inhabited part of mars."
«Conrad» "Hoooo cool! I would have had the chance to visit! :-( )
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "Me too."
«Theresa» *to Kite* "I'm not sure if he knows more about what his purpose is or not. My understanding was that he knew what he was to do, but not why or what would happen next."
«Random_Nerd» Carter continues to drink his coffee, silently.
«DanteE» Is there a 'Mars' in Amyra?
«Random_Nerd» (What do you mean?)
«Theresa» *nods to Carter* "And yourself? Anything you would like to add?"
«Conrad» (there is mars in chancell Amyra?)
«Kite» "I was thinking that, perhaps, the Barsoomians could help him or find out for us more about what the breaking of the sky would mean."
«DanteE» (When Kudzu took Amyra, did he put a copy of Mars in the sky?)
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "Look, I'm not even sure if I believe all that stuff. It just sounds /stupid/. And all the proof, the designs for Atheric Ray Projectors and Interplanetary Ornithopters and so on, they don't /work/. But I said I'd be here."
«Random_Nerd» (The "top" of Amyra extends past Monty's moon, but not as far as the real one. Above that, it's the same stars, the same sun, and so on.)
«DanteE» "You should meet Physics."
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "Oh? Why?"
«Kite» "Margara....Marsupia..... What was her name?"
«Random_Nerd» (Miriam.)
«DanteE» "She could make those work, for one thing."
«Random_Nerd» Ten looks a little excited. "Is there a new Power of Physics? One more likely to be open to... negotiation... on how hard it should be to get out of a gravity well?"
«Kite» (Kite was way off!)
«DanteE» "Which one did you meet?"
«Theresa» "Yes, she's quite new. Is interested in trying to beat our Brother Numbers at building a Tardis."
«Conrad» "And a giant robot"
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "Middle-aged guy. Black, balding, unflattering glases. Ted or Terry or something."
«DanteE» to William: "That description ring a bell?"
«Conrad» "threepwood, definitely threepwood"
«Kite» "Miriama! That was her name!"
«Random_Nerd» William: "Two back, maybe? Three? 'Power of Physics' is something of a revolving door in recent years."
«Theresa» "Explains the collider."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "I thought you guys were immortal, or nearly."
«DanteE» "There's a war on.
«Kite» "There are...incidents."
«Theresa» "Sometimes. On occasion. It varies from Noble to Noble."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Oh, yes, the 'Excrucians.'"
«Random_Nerd» ("We have dismissed those claims.")
«Theresa» (Maybe the Aides should have an email listing that they send out every once in a while of who's new.)
«Theresa» "Oh, you've heard of them?"
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "I gather that, even back in the day, they weren't really part of our purview. If you see them on Earth, you notify the local authorities but stay out of it. And if they show up in Barsoom, they were... distracted. People who contacted them were extensively debriefed by psychologists."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "But we didn't go to war with them. They were just... natural hazards, as I understand it. Sometimes they show up, and you clean up the pieces afterwards."
«Conrad» "Bad guys, want to stole creation, with a distinctive feature..."
«Theresa» "Hmm, interesting."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Stars. In the eyes."
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "But what does that /mean/? We don't have any photos, so... are their pupils supposed to be star shaped? Or what?"

• Kite coughs.
  

«DanteE» "Wait, they weren't fighting the local Nobles?"

• Conrad blink
  
• DanteE points to Conrad.
  
• Conrad bow
  

«Random_Nerd» Paren: "They fought the local Nobles. They didn't fight /us/. If you pick a fight with an Excrucian, it goes badly for you. So we were just supposed to avoid them and not do anything..." he looks at Conrad's eyes "...to... offend..."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Shit."
«DanteE» "He ate one, and apparently you are what you eat."
«Random_Nerd» Carter looks at Paren like he's an idiot: "What?"
«Theresa» (*laughs* I love you, dear.)
«Random_Nerd» Paren, to Carter: "I don't know what you're talking about. So, nice weather we're having here."
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "Look! I said I'd be here for this stupid thing, but" *looks at Ftisk* "...ah."
«Theresa» "It's okay, Paren. There is a process that Excrucians use to...meld with a dead Noble. Our friend here simply turned the process on them."
«Conrad» "I'm the best of two world and totally, totally, totally harmless" *blink*
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "It is the policy of the Barsoomian Intelligence Agency to take no positions on Excrucian plans or actions."

• Kite coughs again.
  

«Random_Nerd» (He's acting like he totally doesn't believe you, but has been taught to never openly contradict Nobles, Excrucians, or both.)
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "So, you are a Noble and not an Excrucian. That is interesting to know, I suppose."

• Conrad nod
  

«Conrad» "Yes my brother can confirm and these other too"

• DanteE non-threateningly pulls out a dagger... then makes it float.
  

«Kite» "This is Ftisk'aaak, Noble of Machines and Data. Both he and I belong to Lord Vulcan."
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "Sure, okay."
«Kite» "Sometimes Ftisk will prefer to be addressed as Conrad. This is probably one of those times."
«Random_Nerd» Carter stares fixedly at the dagger.

• Kite stares at Carter.
  

«Random_Nerd» The other two, just as pointedly, ignore it and look at things in other directions.

• DanteE makes the dagger 'split' into a series of (ghost) daggers.
  

«Conrad» "Ftiskaaaahk Sn'Gnok son of Vulcan power of Machinery and Data"
«DanteE» "I am, among other things, Dominus Gladii.
«Kite» "Are...er...are you people protected from dementia animus?"
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "It's floating..."
«DanteE» (oops)
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. NOTHING NOTEWORTHY IS HAPPENING HERE."
«Theresa» (Thanks, Dante. Drive the Martians nuts.)
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "This is true. Only perfectly ordinary things are occurring."
«Kite» "If not, Dante is really good about sneaking wires into places. We will remove them for you before we leave."
«Conrad» (this time is not Ftisk fault! O___O !__! )
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "You dumbasses, it's /floating/..."
«Theresa» "So, uh, how about we pass along a way to contact the new Physics and we'll try to find out more from the Imperator of the Sky?"
«Kite» "Wires, Carter. Wires."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "Didn't your father teach you /anything/? We only let you in because of the family ties, but..."
«DanteE» (Ah, how far can I go with this before somebody goes snap?)
«Random_Nerd» Paren, to Ten: "What are you talking about? Nothing relevant to that is happening."
«Random_Nerd» (Depends a lot on the person.)
«Random_Nerd» Carter reaches out and touches the floating dagger
«Random_Nerd» Or, at least, the closest one.

• DanteE calm: "Well, see, when they say Nobles are 'in charge' of whatever their Estates are.. they're not kidding.
  

«Kite» (Can I create a system of wires and hooks that are difficult to see without trouble?)
«DanteE» "With a bit of effort, I can make blades... 'gladii' ... do what I want."
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "I think I left the...iron... on. in the other room. Be right back."
«Random_Nerd» He steps to the back room.

• DanteE takes the original dagger. The others disappear.
  

«Kite» (nevermind)
«Random_Nerd» He returns with a large and vaguely handmade-looking taser, which he applies to the back of the neck of the distracted Carter
«Random_Nerd» Do any of you stop him?
«Kite» (Nope)
«Conrad» (nope)

• Theresa does not. Is vaguely embarrassed.
  

«DanteE» to Ten: "Wait."
«Random_Nerd» Carter collapses to the floor, twitching and urinating on himself.
«Random_Nerd» (Do you move to stop him, or just say that?)
«DanteE» (Well, looks like it's too late...)
«Random_Nerd» (You can do an interrupt.)
«Random_Nerd» (If you want to.)
«Random_Nerd» (Last call.)
«DanteE» (OK then, I stop Ten.)
«DanteE» "Now, if you want...
«DanteE» "You can choose to believe I did that with, say mirrors.
«Random_Nerd» Ten: "I don't know what you're talking about."
«DanteE» (That was to Carter)
«Random_Nerd» Paren: "I totally saw the mirrors. That he didn't do the thing. With."
«Random_Nerd» Carter: "That's bullshit. I saw it floating."
«Kite» "That's why it's an illusion."
«DanteE» "Similarly, Theresa here is the Power of Plants, such as the one behind you."
«DanteE» (Your cue.)
«Random_Nerd» Ten, to Carter: "You shut up or you're fired, and you can go back to working at the post office."
«Random_Nerd» (Mind if we stop here? My final is due tomorrow afternoon, and I should get to either sleep or work.)
«Theresa» "Dante, I'm not going to break his mind. He's not trained like the Aides."
«DanteE» "There are more things in heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
«Conrad» (ok for me)
«Theresa» "And they are folks of our Chancel and we do not break them just to see it happen!"
«Theresa» (Okay for me.)
«Kite» "If you would like to learn more about this, Carter, I have someone you can talk to."
«DanteE» (OK.)
«Kite» (Okay for me.)
«Random_Nerd» ____________STOP_____________________
=-= Theresa is now known as BethE
=-= YOU are now known as Angelo
=-= Kite is now known as Verithe
«DanteE» heh... forgot about DA, damn it.
=-= DanteE is now known as Knockwood
«Angelo» they are stock humans Dante! :-P
«Random_Nerd» Okay, so, next week's session is on, but a week after that not.
«Knockwood» in my defence we've been dealing with either Nobles, Imperators, or Aides for a while.
«Random_Nerd» And, yeah. These guys aren't Aides. Even the two with a bit of anti-DA training have it mostly fourth-hand.
«Angelo» nopro RN
«Knockwood» RN: well, you could always compute our XP. :)
«Verithe» "We can just ship him to Gil. Gil can train Carter in worldviews."
«Angelo» and a interesting organization is that
«Random_Nerd» So, what did you guys think of this session? A bit small and unexciting, I guess, but this was what inspiration I had to work with.
«Knockwood» not too bad. :)
«Verithe» It was fun!
«Angelo» was fine, a change of pace is refreshing once in a while
«Knockwood» BTW, check out my Strategy map, and let me know what I need to put in it?
«Angelo» well I run to bed, that way I can catch 1:30 of sleep! yay!
«Knockwood» I suspect I'm screwing up what needs to be in a Project.
«Knockwood» good, uh, morning, Angelo
«Angelo» nightly night to all but Verite, Good day Verithe
«Random_Nerd» Okay, I'll give it a look after I'm done with Estates and Trusts.
«Random_Nerd» Friggin' intestate succession.
«Verithe» Take care, Angelo!
«BethE» I'm heading to bed. Good night, all, and good game!
«Knockwood» g'night Beth
|«-- BethE has left irc2.magicstar.net (Disintegrated: All shall love me and despair?)
«Knockwood» RN: Don't worry, it's not like there'll be a country here in a week... :P
«Random_Nerd» Oh, yes, the debt ceiling thing?
«Verithe» How is that going?
«Random_Nerd» My theory is that tomorrow Eric Cantor will refuse to acknowledge that Obama or the Democratic Party exist.
«Knockwood» Yeah. but on the bright side, people have been preparing for zombie hordes for a while, so this won't be too much of a problem...

• Verithe sighs
  

«Random_Nerd» This is what happens when you have a bizarre astroturphed quasi-populist movement that gets enough attention.
«Knockwood» then again, that means only the stupid will survive... aw, crap.
«Random_Nerd» People get elected that don't just act in evil self-interest, but who pull random crazy bullshit for no clear reason.
«Knockwood» V: it's going nowhere.
«Random_Nerd» Anyway, see you next week if I'm not busy hiding out in the hills with the rebel army.
|«-- Random_Nerd has left irc2.magicstar.net (Disintegrated: )
«Verithe» I just hope there are no riots. Riots claim innocent victims. :(
«Knockwood» if the US collapses, can I crash on your couch? :)
«Verithe» I imagine so. I can also put you in touch with some organizations that hire native English speakers. Is your passport in order?
«Knockwood» no, but will it matter?
«Knockwood» (Dang, it's been expired for 7 years)
«Verithe» I doubt Japan will be approving of letting in hordes of suddenly-poor Americans.
«Verithe» If you can make it here, though. Couch!
«Knockwood» even if we suddenly have refugee status?
«Verithe» Japan is currently dealing with its own disasters.
«Verithe» And xenophobic.
«Verithe» Who knows what Japan will do.
«Knockwood» well, next week, assuming we're still here.
«Verithe» Yes! I hope the nation's economy doesn't dissolve in the meantime!
|«-- Knockwood has left irc2.magicstar.net (Disintegrated: ChatZilla 0.9.87 [Firefox 5.0/20110615151330])
|«-- Verithe has left irc2.magicstar.net (Disintegrated: ChatZilla 0.9.87 [Firefox 5.0/20110615151330])
«--| YOU (Angelo) have left #Nobilis


Chancel_Amyra
[[Amyra:Chapter_31|Chapter 31]