Editing All Roads/Session 4

Pete:	Quick recap please?

Isis:	We were all at the Guardian hosted meeting to see the events of the protest that went bad with Abyssal intervention in a postcognition ritual.

Nebuchadnezzar:	(Pete also enter AllRoadsOOC

Isis:	During the ritual Isis saw something the others couldn't and they found a Guardian acting strangely (name of Alastair). Before they could do much about it the ritual went Havoc and then Manifestation on everyone, leading to general panic.

Isis:	Lights are out, a misaimed fireball has set fire to the chairs on one side of the room, and most everyone is in a panicked crowd near the door which won't open.

Isis:	Oh, and there's an Abyssal Manifestation which is looking nasty (and perhaps hungry?), which Neb just attacked with a covert mind bullet

Pete:	Excellent.


Pete:	The twisted, disorientating effects of the postcognition effect end abruptly, leaving you with darkness and the frenzied shouting and screaming of the crowd crushing towards the door.

Pete:	Magic sparks your unseen senses constantly, panicked mages twisting reality to protect themselves. Interspersed is the sickening lurch of paradox as spells twist form their creators' control.

Pete:	The creature stalks its way across the roof towards where Isis cowers against a wall. It's silhouette moves in an unnaturally fluid manner.

Isis:	As the abomination comes in her direction Isis' thoughts race. Flee? Attack? No. One would mark her as prey, the other as an adversary - and neither plays to her greatest strengths, as Diana explained to her.

Isis:	"Don't use your magic as a club to beat people with," the Arrow had said, "use it as a lever to drop an avalanche on the guy trying to kill you."

Isis:	So Isis forces her eyes away from the approaching creature. Cupping her left hand as if holding some sort of vessel she moves the athame pointed downwad in a clockwise motion as if stirring a cauldron. Unseen vapors of calm and reasonable thought arise, not banishing fear so much softening its adverse effects.

Isis:	Without panic short-circuiting everyone's thoughts there should be enough powerful mages here to contain any manifestation, she reasons.

Pete:	The effect is almost instantaneous, people blinded by their almost unnatural fear and panic quickly gain clarity again. Their agitated yelling and crying lessens.

Pete:	They still huddle against the wall, but a Guardian mage you recognise as Eidolon steps cautiously from the mass, his eyes fixed on the shape that slips across the ceiling.

Nebuchadnezzar:	"What to do, What to do?" Neb mutters, "Attacking it seems to provoke paradox", as he wipes blood from his mouth and nose with a tissue. "And you guardians wouldn't want that. Despite the fact I've been containing the backlash."

Nebuchadnezzar:	He glances askance at Alastair still trapped. "Best make sure my companions are alright I think."

Nebuchadnezzar:	With a glance he picks Isis out of the crowd, "This way Isis, best we stay together in this mess. It is after all safer this way." And begins to give her instructions on where to find him and Alasdair.

Isis:	As Nebuchadnezzar's mental voice reaches her her gaze flicks over to where he and Kenan are. /I can see you now,/ her thoughts return, /yes, I'll come./

Isis:	Despite the confused mess of the situation Isis smiles to see her spell work and give the assembled mages a fighting chance against whatever crawled out of the Abyss.

Kenan:	Kenan notices the manifestation's movement, and his gaze shifts to Isis. His eyes seem to go slightly blank as he's focusing, possibly casting some spell

Isis:	Isis' mental voice is lightning fast but unhurried. For the situation the emotional resonance is more controlled than one would expect.

Isis:	She begins to edge along the wall in Nebuchadnezzar's direction.

Kenan:	with a hint of what could be considered guilt in his voice, Kenan yells at full voice "it's coming straight for Isis", while pointing at his companion, trying to get the gathered mages' attention to the fact

Pete:	A couple of eyes turn from the crowd, but no-one seems willing to help. That is, except for Eidolon. Looking down at Kenan then to Isis he barely wastes a second before sprinting the length of the room to stand between her and the creature bearing down upon her.

Pete:	The scowl of determination on his weathered features almost instantly turns to shock as he turns about. With utterly unnatural speed the creature launches itself forward, claws barely contacting the ceiling as it scuttles then leaps down at the man. You catch a glimpse of it's twisted face, white eyes bulging and bristling fangs beared as it attacks.

Pete:	Eidolon grunts as it hits, it's bulk far larger than the man. They struggle for just a moment but you soon hear a horrible crack and gurgling, a spray of blood wetting the carpet at Isis's feet. A second later it's head snaps up to look her in the eye, a mere metre from her.

Isis:	Following Nebuchadnezzar's advice Isis moves along the wall in the direction of her cabalmates. She is quick enough on her feet - but the monster is faster and if not for Eidolon getting in the way would have reached her already.

Nebuchadnezzar:	"So much for not attracting it's attention this way." Nebuchadnezzar says with a sigh as the thing lunges towards Isis and then onto Eidolon

Isis:	Even so it's gaze freezes her in place, the blood on the carpet like a barrier she can't cross. Cornered there is little she can do ... except fight. Raising her athame she points it in a different way now, aggressive. The monster is meeting her eyes, so that's her way in.

Isis:	Fluid thoughts snap into shards of sharp-edged ice which with a sharp and high-pitched exlamation in High Speech she casts into the thing's mind through the open windows it displays to her.

Pete:	The beast's face, frozen in a perpetual snarl, does not shift despite the attack. Coldly and silently it regards her, runners of thick blood flowing from it's maw.

Nebuchadnezzar:	Watching Eidolon fall, Neb shakes his head, "Fool... that should have been me he whispers quietly." Instead kneeling to the floor and cutting up the carpet with a small pen knife. /You'd best step back, Isis. For your own safety./

Isis:	Shaken though she is the medium of telepathy allows Isis to answer in the same moment. /What are you doing?/

Nebuchadnezzar:	Finding concrete he lets his hand brush the surface and chants in High Speech, scraping it on the stone in the stone with the knife edge quickly. /Watch/

Nebuchadnezzar:	The floor under the manefestation buckles, hissing and letting off steam. The creature plunges down and into the hole, screaming as the concrete under it turns to acid.

Isis:	Isis quickly takes a step to the side, away from the sudden hole in the ground.

Pete:	A rancid smell fills the air, along with the screams of the creature. It's long limbs claw at the ground around to escape, clawing gouges in the carpet and stone below.

Pete:	Acid splashes about violently in it's frenzied bid to escape.

Pete:	Small spots of acid dot her clothes, but Isis manages to jump aside in time.

Pete:	Neb, however, is caught less aware as a gob of the vicious chemical catches his hand.

Pete:	The creature's death throes are short, and soon it falls still.

Pete:	It's bulk slowly slides into the violently hissing pool, a cloud of noxious fumes fillingthe air about it.

Kenan:	Kenan runs up to Eidolon, unless there's someone else closer already trying to help, in which case he'll just quickly approach

Nebuchadnezzar:	Neb screams as the acid hits him and falls back to the floor resisting the urge to cradle his hand.

Pete:	Eidolon is still concious, barely. His wounds are terrible, the beast biting into his face and having almost taken off his jaw. The floor around his head is stained dark with blood.

Isis:	Isis, her eyes wide, stands as if frozen. The dying abomination, Eidolon possibly dying, Neb badly hurt. What can she do?

Kenan:	"someone help him!" Kenan shouts, while leaning over the man and trying to comfort him, if at all possible

Pete:	The people are hesitant, pack inertia seemingly holding them in place. Then, after a moment someone breaks away to run over.

Isis:	Seeing Kenan run to Eidolon breaks Isis out of her numbness. Joining Kenan she draws a symbol into the air, reordering the threads of fate to give him the best possible outcome.

Pete:	It's Ledger, a young Arrow Thyrsus. He falls to his knees to look over the man. "Holy shit.."

Pete:	With the creature subdued the crowd loosens, people begin to break away. Someone grabs a chair and with it they begin to hammer at one of the windows, after tearing down the black plastic.

Pete:	Ledger wastes no time and begins to cast, placing his shaking hands over the wounds upon Eidolon's face.

Nebuchadnezzar:	writhes in pain, grinds his teeth and struggles to a sitting position. Inching away from the lava pool he glances around mostly glaring at the other assembled mages with the exception of his Cabal and Eidolon.

Pete:	There's no fanfare or golden light, but when he takes his hands away the blood-slick skin has knitted itself together once more.

Pete:	"He's lost a lot of blood," He says hoarsely to Kenan, looking as shell-shocked as Eidolon himself.

Isis:	"But he will live?" Isis presses, her voice shaky.

Kenan:	Kenan is quite shaken, having seen what happened to Eidolon "can you cast something to make a transfusion? what blood type is he?"

Pete:	"I think- Uh, yeah. Yeah he should." He nods to Isis, before looking back to Kenan. "I don't know. I could, uh.."

Kenan:	Kenan is quickly thinking, trying to help in any way at all

Pete:	With a crash the window shatters, and the young man responsible quickly begins to climb out. Several others notice and begin to make their way over, coughing and choking at the fumes.

Isis:	"He can't die," Isis says as if hoping that saying so would make it so. "This all can't ... this shouldn't have happened. None of this makes sense. Why ..." She shakes her head.

Kenan:	"It will be all right, Isis, he'll be fine" Kenan tries to calm her down. Now that Eidolon appears to be stable, Kenan searches for Neb

Isis:	With her reordering of Fate sending every fortunate coincidence and chance event toward Eidolon Isis doesn't know what more she can do.

Isis:	"He shouldn't have got in its way. Of course it would attack. He had to know that."

Nebuchadnezzar:	Neb struggles to cast, trying to use Mind to block out the pain for the minute.

Isis:	Isis shakes her head, having trouble grasping the whole of what just happened.

Pete:	Ledger continues to do what he can for the man, who seems to be stable if almost unconcious.

Pete:	Solaris, pale-faced and shaking stands some distance away from you, watching.

Nebuchadnezzar:	Struggling to his feet, with some success, Neb blinks back the tears in his eyes and swallows, hiding his ruined hand. "Time I think to go."

Nebuchadnezzar:	angles his head to gesture to the smoke. "Solaris, Kenan, come on and help me move Alasdair. We'll move Eidolon after, see if Ledger can do anything for him."

Isis:	"We have to get him to a healing house," Isis nods.

Nebuchadnezzar:	As Neb staggers towards the unconcious Guardian, he corrects her, "A Hospital Isis, a Hospital."

Isis:	She stands, slowly, looking around the room for something to carry Eidolon on. "Nebuchadnezzar, are you ok?"

Nebuchadnezzar:	"No," he says but carries on with what he is going. "But I'll survive for the moment."

Kenan:	Kenan, with slightly blank stare, is looking at Eidolon again

Pete:	Solaris looks up but doesn't do anything for a moment. Finally he nods, giving the pool a wide berth as he comes over to help. "I'm sorry. Neb."

Isis:	Isis accepts the correction without comment, whatever the correct term may be Eidolon needs the best possible medical care.

Pete:	With little ceremony the door to the room opens, and the people gathered around it part as someone pushes in.

Pete:	Arclight, Olemba and a group of about ten local sentinels pour in, eyes wide as they regard the room.

Isis:	"Can we move him?" Isis inquires of Ledger, still tending to Eidolon.

Pete:	Syn isn't with them, you notice.

Pete:	Ledger leans back on his heels, rubbing his hands together. "Yeah, we should get him to a hospital now. There's not much more I can do here." He looks over his shoulder as the others enter.

Nebuchadnezzar:	"Whatever for Solaris, your inaction?" He sounds bitter and scoffs, "You aren't alone in that. However if is about my hand, then I'll accept the apology, as it is my livelihood, unless you happen to be a powerful Thyrsus?" The last an attempt at a poor joke to lighten the mood.

Pete:	Solaris doesn't smile, but just gives a weak nod and moves to grab Alastair.

Isis:	"Let us do that then. Do you have a vehicle?"

Isis:	Hearing Nebuchadnezzar mention his injury Isis looks to him. "You need to come, too. To the hospital."

Nebuchadnezzar:	"Best make sure the Sentinels get him Solaris, he was under some powerful mind effect before the trouble started." He says before staggering over to the others, his hand still hidden from view.

Pete:	"Are you all alright?" At the same time Arclight crosses the room to address you. A scruffy man in his late 30's his outward appeareance strangely contrasts with the firmly cold a professional air he speaks with. His eyes flick between the creature's remains, Neb, Isis then Eidolon. "Olemba, we've got wounded."

Pete:	All about the place the sentinels move to usher people out and help those hurt.

Pete:	A large man of african descent, dressed in casual clothes, comes over and crouches near Eidolon.

Nebuchadnezzar:	nods tiredly at Isis before slumping down into a sitting position again, the Mind spell is beginning to wear off and shock is settling in.

Isis:	"We are unharmed, but Eidolon and Nebuchadnezzar are badly hurt," Isis reports looking up at the Sentinel.

Isis:	"Eidolon from the Abyssal creature, if that's what it was, and Nebuchadnezzar from the stone-eater he used against it."

Kenan:	Kenan rejoins isis and neb and, whenthey finish talking and he's certain he won't be overheard, says quietly "I did what I could, I'm sorry I couldn't find a better way of helping you"

Pete:	Olemba looks up at Neb from where he is crouched, squinting his eyes a little. "Come here." He gestures.

Isis:	"You helped," Isis says quietly. "If everyone had acted like you did, maybe nobody would have been hurt."

Isis:	"I tried to make them help, but it didn't work."

Pete:	"We'll see they get treated." Arclight wets his dry lips, looking over the scene with barely concealeed incredulousness.

Nebuchadnezzar:	Neb manages to pull himself forward before the Mind effect fully wears off. "Question... Alastair." He manages to gesture his head towards Solaris, still trying to hide his hand. The pain and shock effecting him badly now.

Pete:	"You'll both be better off outside, if you could just step out. We need to secure the area." He points Isis and Kenan to the door, before moving over to Alastair and Solaris.

Pete:	Olemba closes the gab between them, and holds his hand out. "Where are you hurt?"

Isis:	"Nebuchadnezzar ... your painkiller spell," Isis hesitantly inquires, "should I reinforce it?"

Kenan:	hearing Isis' words, Kenan's mood seems to have got even fouler

Kenan:	"let's go, seems we'll just be in the way here" Kenan addresses Isis and makes his way to the exit

Nebuchadnezzar:	"Might be an idea..." He manages to mutter, as he topples forward to the floor.

Isis:	hesitates, unwilling to leave before she's completely certain that everything possible is being done for the wounded.

Isis:	As Neb falls Isis, although she is unlikely to be able to do anything, tries to hold him upright.

Nebuchadnezzar:	His hand falls out as he falls flopping to one side clearly melted to the bone and much of the muscle around it fused and melted.

Pete:	Olemba moves forward with a start, barely catching Neb as he falls. "We need to get these men out of here, now!" He calls over his shoulder. A broad, brown-haired young man quickly moves to help.

Isis:	Thankfully there's Olemba to take the weight and properly catch him.

Kenan:	only now Kenan notices just how badly Neb was hurt "oh, Lord" he mutters, and tries to help Neb stand upright

Isis:	So Isis does as she offered and weaves layers of soft distance between Nebuchadnezzar and the pain he must feel.

Isis:	She does nothing to wake him, though, knowing that unconsciousness might be the best thing right now for someone as hurt as he is.

Pete:	The rest of the recovery passes in a blur, everyone is ushered out as the sentinels secure the hall and the surrounding area. The wounded are tended to as best as is possible before being taken away for more intensive treatment.

Pete:	While Neb is taken to a local safehouse for just that the rest of you are required to stay at the scene temporarily.

Isis:	lingers perhaps overly long, loath to leave before Eidolon and Nebuchadnezzar do, and still periodically shaking her head murmuring "none of this should have happened".

Pete:	After taking your name and cabal affiliation you are finally allowed to go, though you are told to expect follow-up questioning in the days to come.