GW3 Summary (Rated T)

[Rikku]

PFA: PFA tries to play diplomat, suggesting that Kiddo can, you know, come along with the group and help them. But she's not too confident this confrontation will end well. Since we're talking a confrontation between a crazy phoenix-lady and an eccentric regenerating stone wall...

It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse, my lord.

... Sorry. >.>;

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2009 22:21:46 GMT -5 Rikku said:

PFA: PFA tries to play diplomat, suggesting that Kiddo can, you know, come along with the group and help them. But she's not too confident this confrontation will end well. Since we're talking a confrontation between a crazy phoenix-lady and an eccentric regenerating stone wall...

It is the wittiest partition that ever I heard discourse, my lord.

... Sorry. >.>;

Aye, verily. Mine ears hath never witnessed such glorious wordplay and clever wit!

*brick'd* *total Kovaran moment*

[Deleted]

Episode Five

PAGE 13

Lupehunter: Lupehunter agrees that the Underdeep will need to be explored to find new openings, but disagrees with the idea of Celes doing so... well, not immediately. But he says it's probably none of his business anyway. (Careful. You might end up regretting saying that.)

Four Messengers: The messengers return to report to Sarn. One says that the Ninja Dojo's fine. Sarn is upset that the one sent to ask about the Pirates got drunk, and orders the guards to take him away and do that head-dunking thing. A third, Chubby (who happens to be the late Scrubby's cousin), reports that the Merc HQ blew up. And the fourth couldn't get to Mage Manor; there was a new city in the way.

Draco: As Gil approaches the strange vehicle, it behinds begins to take a dive. Gil decides to help, giving the "pull up!" signal, though whether it works on helicopters I don't know because I havent' researched helicopters.

Moonlight: Wilhelm can't get comfortable thanks to the pilot's lousy flying. However, he is the first to spot the strange flying machine, and Gil making the strange gesture.

Sarn: Sarn does lots and lots of thinking here. We get some of the siblings' backstory: Sarn spent some of his childhood in Brassport, while it was still in the other world. Then he somehow got pulled into the NTWF, and while he was more accepted (thanks to the population being X% humans, Y% anthro animals, Z% catpeople, etc.), he missed his sister. And he'd been trying to pull Sarinon into the NTWF, via a "mirror opening" to the Underdeep, for three months before he finally succeeded. Sarn wonders if his sister might be in danger, and drops everything to get to Brassport to find her.
And in a move that took me by surprise, but in restrospect I should've seen coming, OOC!Sarn godmodes Oscar, Gentleman Adventurer in this post. Long story short, Sarinon volunteers to help, and gets the Gentleman Adventurer to help by way of paying his debt with his hands.

Kiddo: Kiddo's been gone for so long that she doesn't even know what Dunburrow is. Then Jasor shows up, and there's more rambling - according to the phoenix-lady, the NTWF doesn't have tectonic plates, but instead three underground levels and then the door to the Underdeep. (So, if the NTWF is a planet - with two moons, even...) She wonders if the newcomers don't know what happened the last time the door to the Underdeep was opened. Now it's her turn to be suspicious of someone.

Jason-Kun: Jasor pretty much takes an instant dislike to Kiddo, explaining that he was concerned about the other guilds and whether they were affected. He also mentions that he came from Mage Manor, twice, and is trying to find out what might've caused the earthquake - or, if Kiddo's right, the earthquake-like thing.

Squiesh: Sytra pretty much instantly gives up flying in frustration. So much for getting a free flying lesson, eh Sytra? *brick'd* When Wilhem points out the strange aircraft, she looks. ...at the craft.

Michelle: Asta concludes that Oscar, Gentleman Adventurer is "less of an explorer of lands and more of an explorer of...the population" (direct quotation), though she does admit he's charismatic. At the Aerodome, Asta also volunteers to help find out what's going on, in the name of SCIENCE PROGRESS!
Aly suggests everyone get out of the basement and get some food. Then she does something with her hands and traces something on the floor. Lika asks Omni how Rikku and Celes seem to her.
Ro watches the messengers leave - and then Sarn leaves. So she gets on her horse to follow him.

Shino: So not only is Shino back, so is King Kabe, and some other lords. (But the throne room was empty earlier...?) They discuss Leon's ominous warning and what to do. Shino and Leon are ordered to go and scout for any information about the impending "apocalypse" in secret; Kabe fears he might've sent them to their deaths.

Jina: Jina follows Rider and Zylaa back to the ship, where she basically pays no attention to the fact that Rider is trying to hide, and tells her they're not at the ship. (Unless Jina's drink was spiked.)
Owen volunteers for Brassport's "What The Hell Is Going On" drive.

PFA: PFA wonders what's with Kiddo, and explains what Dunburrow is - and, for the second time, mentions the earthquake.
Jernath (in chopper) can't enjoy some peace and quiet, it seems. While the whole pilot drama is going on, he sees the strange flying craft and wonders if the Mercs should talk to the pilot of that craft. Imminent first contact?!

Celestial: Cele agrees to let Rikku come along, as they're both messengers (this is not at all suspicious!). Luckily she also agrees to take a break before going on her mission, and gets something to eat. While eating in her room, she activates a telephone-like spell...
Aaaand it's the Author! Celestial's very, very meta Merc character who first appeared... elsewhere (the Bloids), and is now stuck in a computer in Tabloid Town. Cele asks the Author to cause some trouble in Spacefleet, to which the program happily obliges. Finally, we've started to live up to the RP's title!
Afterwards, Cele waits for Rikku outside in dragon form. Because nothing says "not evil" like turning into something huge and monstrous! *brick'd* Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

Huntress: Hunty officially welcomes Nasue as a member of the crew, before listening to Zylaa's report about the Underdeep expanding. At first Hunty's all, "Well it's the Underdeep" - then Bloody Mary reminds her about Merpo. I simply must quote the post here: "What. Was. In. That. Notebook?" Notes on the Underdeep, of course! So now their destination is Merpo's place.

Draco: Gil wonders if the people in the choppa are even trying not to crash anymore, and hopes that someday he might get to pilot it. Hey, you never know your luck.
Draco and his NPCs are tired, so they're resting - but the NPCs are complaining. Draco tells them to shut it or they'll be punished. Cue a flaming chair that misses them by a few feet. Draco winds up with a mental image of Super Furniture. In space.

--

PAGE 14

Leoness: WARNING! WALL OF TEXT! (Except this is a summary.)
Most of the post is a flashback. Leoness comes up with a solution to Ethan's Angels' dilemma: in a few hours she, with some help, develops a new medical system. She tests it on an unconscious patient who turns out to not have any known condition, then tells Hoshikira to give her journal, which has instructions on how to run it, to Cürien and Friedman, and try to get the system tested on a healthy person as well. (Wow that was a long sentence.)
Back in the present, it's time to enter the atmosphere!

Shade: Shade is having a hard time believing that "Bird" would be called "Bird", and wants to know why "Bird" was watching them when Amnei wonders what to do about the dust. Her response is that whatever he does, Amnei should make sure no-one else gets hurt. So "Bird" gets to go free, for now, and Shades heads to ambassadorial quarters to get armoured up. She senses an impending fight scene. So do I!

Amnei: Amnei heads to the hospital... and discovers that the buildings around it are damaged, there's debris everywhere, and the hospital is untouched. Ooh! I know what's coming!

Fraze: Commander Keen Fraze needs to get back to Spacefleet, since bureaucracy is a pain (AND SO IS WRITING THAT WORD!). As a parting gift, he gives Hunty a personal communicator so that she can contact him directly if need be. (There's no parting kiss, because the crew would probably watch.) Upon arrival at the spaceport, Fraze spots a crew shuttle coming in, and that piques his interest.
Merpo decides that KAM must be eccentric (oh irony, ha ha!). As he gets the wrench spanner and begins fixing the machine, he hears KAM's suspiciously specific information... and Merpo's mind suddenly goes bizarro as he also gives very specific information. When KAM asks for help finding someone, he suggests asking the authorities, although he could try and help.

Vyt: Vyt ends up alone in the place he's in (...except for Bird), only he ends up not alone as an NPC ninja shows up to give him a message from the Ninja Superior. Now we get more backstory and another subplot: Vyt had already gone to check something out, and he's apparently the only one who can end it. He wants the NPC to tell PFA she's done enough for him. Maybe GW3's subtitle should be, "Thirty Plot Pileup"?

Jina: Sandra decides to try the trickery route, telling Amnei that something's going on in the hospital (no [EDIT]) before running inside and pretending something horrible has happened to her while Patri plays with the lights.

Celestial: In a very amusing and highly meta post, the Author uses her Mad Hacking Skillz (distinct from powerz) to get into the personal email of... Zari, who hasn't been around for a while. As "Zari", she sends an email saying, "We're doing some testing. Please ignore anything which looks suspiciously like hacking. Spacefleet's security is, after all, really good and no-one could possibly hack into our stuff". And then she begins taking care of firewalls with waterwalls... it's portrayed as virtual reality, okay?

Jason-Kun: Jasor decides to come with the Kovaran Squad - he mentions that he has a healing scroll, which might come in handy. And I can guarantee you, it will at some point. But Kovaran probably won't be needing it.

A Dream: Yet another confusing post (although this one will probably make sense later). Someone walks around, then someone else puts a hand on Person A's shoulder. Person A turns to look at Person B.

Strife: HOLY lousy [EDIT]. HE'S BACK.
In the Underdeep, The Commander resigns himself to the idea that perhaps he's in the afterlife, doomed to burn for eternity. Except the moment he embraces his fear, the Underdeep's torture stops. Walking, walking... he somehow falls off a cliff, activates his jet boots (I gotta get me some of those), and then--
He's back in the NTWF! While recovering from being frozen in ice in GW2, he comes to the conclusion that the "savages" were a lot smarter than he'd suspected, and decides to get back at them - but first, he needs to get out of the open, get to some place where his gear can be repaired, and get it repaired. Then he comes upon Brassport, and is surprised he never saw it before. Putting on a crude disguise of a bulky guy in a robe and shiny boots, he enters the city.

Kwoiffei: Kovaran overhears the conversation and decides to let Jasor come with them, as long as he can "walk himself". By which he means, "pull your own weight". Kovaran Mokra, mauling the English language every time he opens his mouth!
After hitting the wall (from being thrown), Not-Bird wonders what to do, especially since she's between a brick wall and a spiky place. So she decides to fly to the hospital - hey, there's a shapeshifter at the hospital, isn't there? I'm already getting mental images of a shapeshifter battle.

Scar: It's a short post, which is a change from Scar's usual. (And not an unwelcome change, may I add. NotthatIhaveproblemswithtextwallsoranything.) Scar McHall, mercenary, manages to pull the choppa out of the dive even though he has no idea how to fly it other than "push the stick forward". They're a little too close to the ground, though, so he finds an old dirt road. The best the mercs can hope for is a rough horizontal landing.
Oscar, Gentleman Adventurer, decides to offer his services - particularly as an airship pilot.

Omni: Ethan mentally debates on whether he should go to Tabloid Town or directly to Mage Manor. Then he detects Fraze at the Tabloid Town spaceport, and decides to take a detour to speak to Fraze.
After Cele tells Rikku to clean up (yes, she did), Omni asks the other Mages to come to a place where they can speak in private. The Manor creates a doorway to an office which the Zafara chimera spends time in, and she spends the rest of the post pacing and wondering how to begin.
Ethan arrives at the Spaceport and catches up to Fraze.

Kiddo: Kiddo begins to follow Kovaran and run to Dunburrow, though she takes a moment to tell Jasor not to fall behind.

Ikkin: Still not quite fully recovered from the Underdeep and wondering if she should follow Rikku and Cele, Ikkin slips off to her own room to get some extra weaponry - and realises that Sev didn't follow her, and in fact she can't find Sev's magical signature anywhere. Suddenly, following the two not-villains sounds like a good idea.
Especially since Sev isn't quite Sev anymore - too much Underdeep has gotten into him, resulting in him acting on vague ideas on what a phoenix is. He teleports above Kiddo, decides she's put off her death-rebirth cycle for too long, and breathes fire at her. Uh oh.

--

PAGE 15

Nova: Nova heads up into the library, and by means of plot convenience, Fyren's memory returns to... her, it turns out. And she's angry at Nova for something he did. Fyren turns into a human named Sally, and impales Nova with the candlestick--wait, what?! And then... he dies.
Now, OOC!Nova has assured us that this is only a temporary death. So until he comes back, R.I.P. Nova.

A Dream: Remember what I said about confusing posts making more sense in hindsight? Well, here's proof. Person A, Juverna, is apparently under the control of Person B, Rivanth. Rivanth notices that a cat isn't dead yet, and gives Juverna the order to kill the cat. (ANIMAL CRUELTY!)

Sarinon: Sarn, getting close to Brassport, has flown too far - and the exertion of continually flying has taken its toll. His wings crumple, and he falls to the ground with the sound of a collision between person and ground.

Michelle: Luckily for him, Ro has followed him, and while she's not a medical expert (and apparently Feberi blood does not clot), she tries her best to wrap his wounds.

Lupehunter: Lupehunter follows Omni to the office, and there he voices his suspicions about the two mages who came out of the Underdeep. He also introduces himself, and we learn the character's real name.

Vyt: Vyt orders the NPC ninja to find PFA. More backstory, and we learn that Vyt has talked to the Ninja Superior and offered to lead the Ninjas for him - and he's regretting it. Then not-Bird flies off, and Vyt follows her parkour-style before he sees the hospital.

Kiddo: Kiddo leaps out of the way of not-Sev's fire, showing that while she might not longer be a ninja, that doesn't apply to what she can do in a fight. Interestingly, she calls not-Sev a "mist-taint abomination".

Fraze: Commander Fraze is contacted by a guy from Satellite Monitoring, who gives the update. Apparently there are roughly FIFTEEN Underdeep openings in Tabloid Town, and more all over the lousy' place. Also, while changes in the Underdeep would normally take months or years to happen, it's happening very, very fast. Surface Defence has a job to do, it seems. Then he gets the email from not-Zari, and tries to contact the real Zari - but with no response. One conversation with a security guy later, he realises there's a hacker. Fun.

Celestial: Fun for the Author, that's for certain. She discovers that her cover's already been blown, but she's all, "So? This party's just getting started!" So she decides to go for the satellites, after creating some clones for her to confuse security. A bunch of mooks show up. Cue a fight scene which ends when the Author pulls an Agent Smith disintegrates the mooks.

Moonlight: Liyer wakes up, wondering what in the blazes was up with his latest dream. He leaves the room, finds the office and goes into it. Being a cat, he can now do what all cats do: ignore people! (Yes I am a cat owner why do you ask?)
A mysterious figure is outside of the Manor, telling themself to "get this over with". Ooh! Ooh! I know who this is!

Huntress: Two city watchmen are having a smoke when a huge monster (read: the Blarf) appears, and a woman riding it (read: Hunty) asks for directions to Dreary Lane. One of the watchmen does so.

Strife: Haggoth (it's been a while!) logs into the Fleet's computers, and starts up the Omega Security Suite. Apparently he (Omega SS) takes up 7.96% of the Fleet's total disk space - and I'm going to estimate that's tons and tons of yottabytes. Holy crap, this guy's got a lot of code! Holy crap, this guy uses chatspeak! Holy crap, he sees the not-Author coming for Life Support and sends security drones after "her"!

Celestial: The Author's clone that's in Life Support valiantly sacrifices itself to gives the actual Author info about Omega SS, then disappears. The real Author is going to appreciate it; okay, sure it's not a giant dragon attacking Spacefleet, but this is fun in all sorts of different ways, ya' hear?

Ikkin: Not-Sev is really far gone; he doesn't even understand speech. He tries to fry Kiddo again - and now the others with her are in trouble.

Rikku: Taking a much-needed break, Rikku goes and changes her clothes, gets something to eat, and thinks about what she's supposed to be doing. The shows up, Rikku tells him to look after Fred, and... when The complains about how one of them always goes with her, she tells him to shut up. She's going to meet with Celestial, who has been changed like her. They will bring fire and blood and ashes to the world... unless what they say about the Power of Love is true.

End Episode Five.

[Deleted]

x3 That wasn't the installing of Ethan's implants, but the installation of the equipment that the Doctor and Nurse were talking about. Leoness made an alternate solution so both patients and the machines who could heal the minority had a chance (she basically used the basement as a base for the equipment and had her helpers draw the cables and such up from the floor and install them into the 'Arcs'. But I didn't want to go too much in detail because the main issue was the young man in the bed... for me at least ^^;

But awesome good job, Kwoi. Sorry about the text wall *cough*

[Deleted]

Dec 12, 2009 16:08:54 GMT -5 RilahFalco said:

x3 That wasn't the installing of Ethan's implants, but the installation of the equipment that the Doctor and Nurse were talking about. Leoness made an alternate solution so both patients and the machines who could heal the minority had a chance (she basically used the basement as a base for the equipment and had her helpers draw the cables and such up from the floor and install them into the 'Arcs'. But I didn't want to go too much in detail because the main issue was the young man in the bed... for me at least ^^;

But awesome good job, Kwoi. Sorry about the text wall *cough*

Thanks for clearing that up. *edits*

[Celestial]

xDD Awesome as always Kwoi, you're doing a really great job with keeping this hilarious and up to date. It's a pleasure reading this.

By the way, in case you weren't sure (I assume that's what the question mark is about), the Author a program. She appeared on the 'bloids first. ^^

[Deleted]

Episode Six

PAGE 16

Celestial: Our two resident sorta-villain mages have no need of Magecraft Airlines, because Cele is in dragon form and can just fly herself and Rikku to wherever they want. So they fly to Brassport. Upon arrival, Cele turns back into human form and tells people that they're now in a dangerous world.

Strife: The Author's clone is fried by a firewall. Omega SS is happy about "Splatty" being dead... only it turns out she's not dead. Back in the real world, Haggoth is clearly frustrated with "Subcommander Obvious".
The Commander visits some shops in Brassport, hoping to get repairs. The first time, he gets goggles and gloves instead. The second time, he trades away his communicator for some local currency. The third time, he's in Gil's shop, and while Gil's clerk tells the ominous returning villain to check upstairs and leave a note, he checks upstairs and then heads into a room to rummage around for stuff he can repair his equipment with.

Kiddo: Kiddo dodges not-Sev's fire again, but this time she tries a different tactic: instead of trying to spear him, she leaps up to grab him and remove the "mist-taint" from him.

PFA: The Osprey (the choppa) has a rough landing, and while the people inside are okay, the vehicle isn't. Jernath gets out and looks at the pilot of the strange flying machine.
PFA watches not-Sev's first fire-breath, dodges the second one, and prepares to defend herself.

Draco: Gil manages to land the Fantome near the downed choppa, and offers a first-aid kit to the Mercs. I don't think they'll be needing it now... and how would you apply first-aid to a helicopter anyway?
Draco and the two NNPCs (his word) spot an object falling in the distance and run towards it.

Ikkin: When not-Sev is grabbed impaled SOMETHINGed (I have no idea how to describe it) by Kiddo's hand, it doesn't fight, instead letting itself die and then explodes into super-hot fire. That--that was...

Kiddo: ... As she's being burned alive, Kiddo tears off a pendant that she was wearing and throws it to the ground, where it lands next to the spear. And then, the fire completely destroys her. OOC!Kiddo has told us that she is no longer a phoenix, so...
R.I.P. Kiddo. (...for now, presumably.)

Ikkin: At first Ikkin follows Rikku and Cele in hopes of finding Sev, but she detects phoenix in a different direction - the direction of the Dojo. Not-Sev's magical signature flares up really bright, but then fades, and Ikkin starts to worry.

Amnei: --is suspicious of what's going on, and decides he won't be able to handle it himself. (Cue one very disappointed Underdeep.) Only now does he realise he's forgotten his communicator. So he tells Vyt he's gonna get help, heads to the Spaceport, and tells Commander Fraze and Ethan an abridged version of what happened... except for the part about Bird.

Jina: Owen first mistakes Celestial for "Barney", then wonders about how to get rid of her, and then cries out that she's a witch. (...wait, what?!)

Kwoiffei: The newest member of the White Weewoo's crew (Nasue) travels on the Blarf, trying to tell herself it's okay to be nervous.
Not-Bird is also suspicious of the destruction around the intact hospital - and apparently she sees the Underdeep as her enemy. Kwoi shapeshifts into a dragon-like creature to prepare herself for anything that might await her inside.
Kovaran dodges not-Sev's second fire "attack", sees Kiddo try to de-mist the "firebird" (no, really, he calls phoenixes "firebirds") and get blown up, and assumes she sacrificed herself. Sometimes it's funny when Kov gets things wrong, but sometimes...

Moonlight: Wilhelm also takes minor damage from the crash, gets out, checks to see if the others are okay, and wonders what they're going to do.
Juverna (Person A) can't find her target (I'm assuming it's-- *cut off by chocolate*), reveals her fear of magic to the audience without even knowing it, and finds the door to the office.

Sarinon: Sarn's parents, who are... gods of some sort, go to the NTWF, heal Sarn, and tell him off for being an idiot. They go back to their own world, and Sarn wakes up.

Huntress: The Blarf reaches Merpo's place, and freakin' jumps over the front gate. Hunty gives the order to the crew to shoot first and ask questions later. Bloody Mary notices that Hunty's Sue-sword, which normally either looks useless or glows white, is glowing lavender...

Squiesh: Sytra also gets out of the choppa, and asks Gil who he is.

--

PAGE 17

Michelle: Ro isn't sure how to react, so she keeps tending his wounds, after which she grabs bread from her horse's bag and says they'll get moving once Sarn feels he's ready. (And according to the poster, this reaction is a few steps up from usual.)

Draco: Gil introduces himself, wonders about how they'll get back to Brassport, and asks a few questions about the world he's in. Oh, and he's interested in the choppa.

Jina: Jina almost goes flying off the blarf. Once landed, she pulls out a dagger and wonders if the crew'll be chased away by a rainbow security drone.
Sandra and Patri spot Vyt on the roof, then Kwoi transforming into something else - and they decide to grab the both of them and throw them in. Sandra turns into a Roc (read: giant bird) to grab Vyt first. Shapeshifter and ninja vs. shapeshifter and mage in 3... 2...

Celestial: Cele decides to play victim after hearing Owen's cry of "witch!", although she's pleased to see the people are growing scared.
More Author-related madness! =D The Author takes down more mooks, evades more traps, and finally reaches the door of Satellite Control... and there's an HUL computer waiting for her. Cue a from the Author to her RPer. (No, seriously, she actually does that. Forget breaking the Fourth Wall, this character has Medium Awareness!)

Goosh: KAM answers the door (Hunty rang the doorbell), using narrative powers to make sure she doesn't die horribly.
Goosh tells the rest of the crew to be on their guard. And--hang on. Goosh is playing two characters who are about to be in the same scene...

Kwoiffei: Nasue has a headache just from being near the mansion, though she tries to hide it. Then KAM opens the door and the headache gets a hell of a lot worse.
3... 2... 1... IGNITION! Kwoi grows wings and leaps into the air, aiming to body-slam bird!Sandra. I hope Rocs have tougher bones than regular birds.

Bacon: Clint grumbles about the stupidity of being in a flying vehicle piloted by someone who doesn't know what they're doing (careful, Sytra can hear you), and introduces himself and... most of the other mercs. He doesn't get Wilhem's or Hawk-Eye's names right.

Moonlight: "Wilbert" corrects Clint on what his name is, and says they really should get a pilot who knows how to actually pilot things next time.
Juverna opens the office door, sees Liyer, and rushes to attack him. And in a remarkably effective demonstration of why acting before you think can be bad, not only does she announce her presence by not opening the door subtly, but she leaves herself open to attack in Mage freaking Manor.

Omni: Omni speculates about what might've happened to Cele and Rikku and introduces herself to Lupehunter. Then Juverna enters. Omni isn't sure how to react.
Ethan first hears about the Underdeep expanding, then about the hospital problem, and asks Leoness if she's sure she wants to go to the Manor.

Scar: Scar decides to get out of the choppa, only to realise he's got one of the nastier injuries seen so far: a three-foot-long shard of metal has gone through his leg. In my line of work, the word we use for that sort of thing is "OUCH!"

Jina: Halin and Corenu arrive at the Manor, noticing that there's a strong presence of Underdeep and a strong presence of magic respectively. So they approach. Where's the Manor Guardian when you need it?

Strife: The Commander's spent the last half-hour getting materials to repair what can be repaired - his jet boots and flame shield can, but his infamous Leech gun has been scrapped thanks to it being pretty much useless. (Show of hands: who else thinks he's going to end up regretting that?) So he uses his earth magic powerz to assemble stuff for repairs, and... eats the gem fragment that once powered his Leech gun. No, I'm serious. He EATS IT.

Sarinon: Sarn spends part of the night in tons of pain (that's what colliding with the ground does to you), part of it speaking increasingly incoherent sentences and/or sentence fragments (during which he confesses to what he did), and finally falls asleep. Come dawn, he asks Ro if she slept at all. (Let's just hope we don't mess up the timeline, okay?)

Lupehunter: Meanwhile, still on Day 1, Lupehunter asks Juverna who she is before sensing some would-be intruders approaching the Manor.

Vyt: Vyt asks himself plenty of questions about not-Bird's intentions, especially once bird!Sandra appears. He warns everyone nearby to keep him out of the crossfire, OR ELSE.

--

PAGE 18

Huntress: Hunty fights off KAM's Sue powers with the one thing that can defeat Sues: logic. Because nothing says un-Sue like the "evil pirate" saying, "We need to save the world".

PFA: PFA tells Kovaran that she doesn't seem to be injured.
Jernath is confused by Gil's story (about being from a city from another world - don't worry, you'll get used to it). He does try to answer Gil's questions, and doesn't see any reason he [Gil] can't look at the choppa. And now I seriously want to see a Steampunk helicopter...

Nova: Guess who only temporarily died? (This is the NTWF. No-one stays dead, except when the plot requires them to or if I'm writing it.) The little blue star who could known as Nova wakes up in a forest, finds the remains of Merc HQ, then hurries over to where the Mercs - and Gil - are.

Strife: One of the security guys picks up activity in the satellite network, so a frustrated Haggoth decides to have Omega SS scan that. Leik ohemgee (please kill me), I sense an upcoming David VS. Goliath style battle!

Rider: Adeline thinks about how she once got called a witch, when in fact she was pretty much just a young alchemist (at least, as far as Steampunk guys are concerned). So she believes that mages/witches would hate science. Nervously she asks Cele if she was the one who brought Brassport to the NTWF.
Rider shakes off the Sue's influence by focusing on the potentially steal-able stuff, and points out what we players have known since this RP began: Merpo shouldn't be playing with potentially dangerous Underdeeps.

Celestial: HUL is, of course, a HAL 9000 rip-off. ("I'm sorry Dave" joke in 3!) The Author's usual code-scrambling trick (how she took down previous mooks) doesn't work, thanks to some "reality maze" around HUL. The Author gets scanned and recognised as a 1052 type, expresses sympathy for me - hi there Author! *waves* - and offers to let HUL take on a "human" form and come along. Of course, HUL doesn't particularly want to, so they're stuck. And there's an impending metal Godzilla-sized LOLcat approaching. Fun.

Strife: Text gradually increasing in size indicates that the Omega SS program is getting closer. And then... a door appears. And someone knocks on it.
... oh my lord... The Commander makes his getaway from Brassport and begins his trek to get to Tabloid Town Spaceport ON A STEAMPUNK MOTORBIKE WHICH HE BUILT HIMSELF. Excuse me, but I need to go pick my jaw back up from the floor!

Jina: Kwoi's body-slam connects, forcing bird!Sandra to move to avoid hitting the ground (and picking up a brick along the way). Patri shoots a Blast (a destructive bolt of magic) at Vyt, suggesting that Sandra try to draw the shapeshifter away from the area. So Patri begins going down the fire escape to the ground, while bird!Sandra tosses a brick at Kwoi.
Halin and Corenu's plan to go into the Manor is instantly foiled when the Manor shoots a sword at them moments after they open the door. So they decide to enter the Manor via the Underdeep instead. There are so many ways that can go wrong!

Celestial: Cele admits that no, she didn't bring Brassport to the NTWF - she can't. Then she starts lying (and proves to be better at it than Kwoiffei), saying that the other guilds have been warring for a few years now, and one of them must've brought the city over to gain a technological advantage. She even tells them that one of the guilds is coming to attack, and that she's willing to help. *does a poor imitation of what I imagine Cele's voice to be* "I am most definitely not a villain!"
The Author wonders how she's going to approach her battle with the giant LOLcat that's definitely behind the door, then decides to take an unusual approach: create an armchair, another shadow clone, a kitten, and a copy of Norton Anti-Virus for Dummies. I'm wondering how this combination's going to work out...

Ikkin: Ikkin hears Kovaran's yelling (see, loudness has plot benefits) and flies to where she heard him. She doesn't see any signs of phoenix, just scorch marks, so she asks the ninjas there if they've seen Sev.

Jina: Owen attempts to throw a wrench spanner in the direction of Cele's works by pointing out that Brassport has airships, so they can just send scouts to see if there really is an army.

Seresuchiaru Celestial: Cele responds by saying that there are multiple guilds and they're fighting for control. And they'll be coming. Or so she says.

Kwoiffei: Nasue's headache suddenly lessens, so she heads inside (taking care not to look at KAM). She wonders if Merpo would have any security.
Kwoi decides the best way to counter Sandra and Patri's plan would be to stay near the hospital. She grows a horn and breaks the brick, then waits for bird!Sandra's next move.
Kovaran gives an abridged version of what he saw, and manages to misuse the word "expand".

Rikku: After experiencing airsickness from Dragon Airlines, marvelling at Brassport, plotting destruction and listening to the conversation, Rikku pipes in when Adeline asks if they can help with getting home. Being manipulative by being honest, she talks about how while none of the mages can do dimensional shifting (to her knowledge), if they worked with other guilds, particularly Spacefleet, perhaps they could. Problem is, last year, the Commander went beserk...
And so the episode ends. And somewhere, Drakhé is crying.

End Episode Six.

[Deleted]

Episode Seven

PAGE 19

Kiddo: Kiddo ends up in what OOC!Kiddo called an in-between world, so presumably it's in between the Grey Lands and the NTWF. Some kind of afterworld or spirit world reserved for those who've been in the Grey Lands for too long? Anyway, she's taken on a new physical form, I guess, and decides that the mages were probably responsible for her death, so she begins running to the Manor. I guess it's the place to be!

Vyt: Rather than try to dodge the Blast spell, Vyt uses his energy powerz to stop it. He's clearly not happy. He jumps off the building, lands on the ground without hurting himself (typical ninja), and rushes towards Patri, energy powerz readied and hoping to avoid collateral damage.

Moonlight: Apparently Liyer knows Juverna and her boss. Apparently, Liyer knows that Rivanth wants him dead. Apparently Juverna's mute. Not-apparently, Liyer jumps onto the desk and prepares to leap at Juverna.

Draco: Gil gleefully takes the opportunity to examine the choppa - during which he notices Scar inside. He heads into his own vehicle and goes through the storage compartment.

Strife: Since Omega SS's detected The Author (and the copy) but can't find her, Haggoth orders one of his IT officers to cut off the satellite system from the rest of the network. The door is still there. Waiting.

PFA: PFA is too busy comprehending what just happened to correct Kovaran's misuse of "expand" or elaborate on his account, but she does manage to say the word, "Kiddo".
Jernath tells Nova that he's in the forest and wonders what he's doing there, but is interrupted by Gil asking if Scar is normally injured like he is. Scar needs the first aid kit, pronto! (Gah, how many male characters are in this scene!)

The Horsemen: Pestilence and the other three Horsemen hang out in a barn, going over Horseman contracts. They can't get a new Pestilence while the old one still has his powers, and they can't even completely seal off the Underdeep. Why? Famine (a former model) explains that if you seal up Underdeep entrances, it'll find new places to open new ones. But there's far too many entrances right now - the ideal number of entrances is roughly six hundred. There's currently SEVEN THOUSAND. Oh, and she has a place in the Underdeep, apparently.

Goosh: KAM acts like a typical Sue, throwing accusation after accusation at Hunty, calling her selfish and self-preserving and whatnot. Oh, and she threatens Goosh.

Huntress: In response, Hunty says that no, she ain't perfect, but neither is KAM - in fact, if Hunty's selfish and self-preserving and whatnot, then she's not so different to KAM. Stick it to the Sue!

Celestial: Yet more meta-ness as The Author (who's disguised as a kitten) makes it a meterologically unstable and photon-deficient after-dark time of day in the computer world, and starts playing Ominous Latin Chanting™. Oh, and she's waiting for the giant LOLcat.

Fraze: Commander Fraze tells Amnei that he'll get a team down to the hospital as soon as he can, and then suggests Amnei get one of his minitanks to help survey the Underdeep. Only now does he realise that Leoness is with Ethan.
Merpo heads for the door, sees what's going on, and runs into the Underdeep with nothing more than his map and a few coins (just in case).

Rider: --is about to warn Hunty that she's in the Sue's hands when she realises that Merpo's getting away, and tries to persue him - only to discover that he has an entrance to the Underdeep. I wonder if Nasue would show up if Rider actually goes into the Underdeep?
Adeline is fairly easily swayed, and asks the two Underdeep!mages how Brassport ended up in the NTWF. And she wants to know exactly how it worked. Wait. Underdeep mages... that actually sounds REALLY FREAKING COOL.

Zylaa: Zylaa's not having a good day. At first she's inclined to believe KAM's lecture on the "evil" ways of pirates - then the Sue threatens Goosh. Zylaa instantly snaps out of it, and tells Goosh to try sparkling. Then she spots Merpo (and Rider chasing after him), chases after him, and, possibly thanks to KAM's influence, blindly goes towards the Underdeep. Nightmares ahoy!

Omni: Omni suggests Liyer and Juverna save whatever conflict they have for later, pointing out that they've got bigger problems to worry about. Like the Underdeep mages.

Amnei: Amnei hopes Vyt's able to deal with whatever's at the hospital. Amnei heads to a storage area at the Spaceport to prepare a minitank and get up-to-date information. Amnei notices there's a large opening beneath... Merpo Mansion, so he heads there. Amnei immediately regrets doing so, since he just walked in on a confrontation between a Sue and Hunty. I should be careful how I use the words "walk in on", hm?

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PAGE 20

Moonlight: Liyer and Juverna decide to take it out of the office - and by "it", I mean "a fight". (He's REALLY strong for a cat - I've never seen any housecat-sized felines able to slam people into walls like that!) Rivanth possesses Juverna partway through, the fight continues, and Liyer loses. He's fatally stabbed, dies, and... turns into a tarot card. Huh. Rivanth (who's in the Manor all of a sudden) apparently wants to be a Pokémon trainer. The RPer did put up some notes which clear a few things up - they're in the same post, if you're wondering.

Strife: Omega SS the one-eyed robot Longcat opens the door, and begins a battle by shooting missiles at the Author's clones (and trying to stomp them for good measure). AUTHOR CAN HAS BATTLE NOW. Back in the real world, Haggoth orders people scan for all AI subroutines - including Omega SS.
The Commander and his STEAMPUNK MOTORBIKE arrive in Tabloid Town, and while at first he heads for the Spaceport, he picks up an Underdeep signal and decides to head for that instead. His reasoning is to "stop the nightmare world from taking him back". (Well maybe you should get off the planet!) So he heads to that signal... which, coincidentally, leads to Merpo Manor, does some stunts and gets into the mansion. As he sees Rider and Zylaa running in a particular direction, he heads off in a different direction, to find a place where he can just drop down to get to the Underdeep entrance.

Kwoiffei: Nasue's headache gets worse again, she hears The Commander entering, and panics, wondering what to do. The NTWF's Shinji Ikari, ladies and gentlemen. She decides to try chasing after Rider and Zylaa.
And a plot point from page one returns! Apparently people have been disappearing for a few months now - they all went into the same forest and never returned. Well, most of them never returned. Oncara threatens a doomsayer who's preaching the end of days, demanding information about this "missing persons" case. Oh, and Oncara is a big jerk; did I mention that?

Jina: Patri creates an illusion of Vyt, which draws a katana and swipes at the real Vyt. Meanwhile, bird!Sandra decides to try a surprise attack, so she dives out of sight and turns into a dragonfly.
Halin and Corenu find the door to the Manor's basement. They also find it's barricaded, so they'll have to tear down the door... then the barricades.
Owen gives up on trying to out-manipulate the mages, so he grabs extra power for his steampunk mech suit, and heads off to see what the NTWF's really like.
And Jina... is confused.

Vyt: Vyt doesn't try to stop the illusion's attack, instead letting the katana hit before he disintegrates the illusion. Then he touches his wound, which makes his energy powerz turn red. Red Powerz Take Warning!

Huntress: Cap'n Hunty realises that three members of her crew are being stupid, so Bloody Mary rushes after them to tell them to not go into the Underdeep. Hunty tells Amnei that she's trying to kill KAM.
Bloody Mary tells the crew members not to go into the Underdeep. Um, you're a bit late for that, I think.

Strife: After somewhat clumsily making his way through the mansion, The Commander finds a spot where he can just access the basement below by... using his steampunk bike as a chainsaw to cut the floor?!

Rider: Rider doesn't need Bloody Mary's warning, so instead she looks around the room, finding a book by one Lexandr. Then The Commander enters, and Rider wants to know doubleyuu-tee-aitch.

Strife: The Commander remembers Merpo's name (and earlier he remembered a scientist who got kicked out of Spacefleet - he connects the dots easily), and reveals his real name for the first time. And he's gonna hunt down Merpo himself.

Zylaa: Fortunately, Zylaa hears Bloody Mary's warning in time to not go into the Underdeep. And since Strife showed up and volunteered to go after Merpo, the weasel heads back to the sort-of fight to tell the Cap'n about it.

Kwoiffei: Nasue's headache has only gotten worse thanks to approaching the Underdeep. Then her headache gets even worse, and she starts... well, it's a bit like a seizure, I think.
Kwoi grabs a large piece of debris and uses it as an improvised barricade for the hospital's front doors, then decides to sneak around the back.

Draco: Gil gets some sheets from the storage in his flying machine (cause he's a Magnificent Man) and suggests someone else try to fix Scar's wound up. Then he notices Nova and says the word "Cool" to refer to the fact that stars exist in the NTWF. Yes. He says "cool", and in the context of "Rule of Cool".
Draco and the NNPCs STILL haven't reached the crash site yet. So they use some sort of shadow transport trick to get there faster.

Jason: Yes, Jasor has been following the rest of the Kovaran Squad (THEY WHO SCREAM AND CLEAVE EVIL or at least Kov does). After PFA says, "Kiddo", he gives his own summary about what happened, filling in the blanks that Kovaran left.

Amnei: Amnei is the next person to fall under KAM's Sue influence, though he shakes it off with the logic that Fraze would surely be smart enough to not get into a relationship with an evil pirate captain. When he hears that Strife's in the mansion, he too rushes inside, and upon arrival asks Strife if he's... do I really need to finish that sentence?!

Nova: Nova explains that he doesn't know where he is, only that he woke up in the forest a while ago (he consciously decides not to mention that he's a mage; that might actually be a smart move). Then he hears Gil talking about how it's cool that there are talking stars in the NTWF, and wonders where on earth Gil came from.

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PAGE 21

Jina: Patri opens the window, jumps into the hospital, creates another illusion, and writes a message for Vyt - then goes into the Underdeep. Meanwhile, Sandra uses a surprise attack on Kwoiffei by landing on her head as a dragonfly - and shapeshifting into something much bigger and heavier. (Agh! Kwoi's been trolled!)
A very confused Jina manages to pull out a bottle of chloroform. When it doesn't work on KAM, she stupidly tests to see if it is chloroform... and doesn't stay conscious long enough to see if it works on KAM this time. Is it me, or is losing consciousness in fashion now?
Halin and Corenu destroy the door and begin working at the stone wall. After trying a trick which involves tricking summoned monsters into running into the wall, they decide to just use their weapons. Eventually they tear open a hole in the wall.
And Owen would've gone into Castle Kestrel, except he sees a big purple building and heads towards it.

Strife: And then Strife gets back on his STEAMPUNK MOTORBIKE (I still can't get over that!) and zooms off into the Underdeep. He also makes sure he's mentally prepared for it - that is, no fears. According to this guy, "NOTHING MATTERS -- except THE MISSION".

Rider: A very confused Rider wonders if Strife = The Commander, asks Amnei about some blueprints she found in Merpo's lab, and is very confused. Of course.

Huntress: Hunty scolds Zylaa for blindly rushing into the house, wonders where Rider and Nasue are, ties up a now-unconscious KAM, and wonders how to wake Jina up.
Bloody Mary climbs up on Rider's shoulder and wonders if anyone else heard a voice he heard.

Amnei: Amnei has a look at the blueprints, then uses his laptop to send one of his minitanks into the Underdeep. And we get an interesting question: would the Underdeep try to get into the tank's fears, or try to use his fears through the connection instead? It's the Underdeep, man - we don't know! But it's gnarly! *brick'd*

Celestial: Underdeep!Cele admits that she doesn't know how an entire city got transported into the NTWF, and is still waiting. And now we definitely know she's possessed, as SOMETHING is controlling her (and possibly Rikku, by extension).
The Author, still disguised as a kitten, watches the giant LOLcat launch his attack. The Author's clone threatens to turn the "kitten" (read: the actual Author) into one of "her" clones and use it to do "her" bidding. The Author thinks this plan is extremely facepalm-worthy.

Vyt: Vyt throws red energy at what turns out to be an illusion of Patri, then sees the mage's message and... doesn't know where the ER is. Also, that red energy is apparently draining on him. So he decides to look for the two shapeshifters.

Rider: Rider questions the logic of sending a robot into the Underdeep, when a living being with anti-Underdeep protection might be able to get the information they want. ...wait, what?
Adeline doesn't care about politics, and asks the two Underdeep!mages if they could contact people from another guild to find a way to get home. Wow. Brave kid.

Draco: Gil explains that he comes from Brassport, which is in turn from another world. And then Draco and the two NNPCs arrive and... state the obvious.

Kiddo: Kiddo arrives at the Manor, speaks a bit about how people locked their nightmares away but now strange things are happening and she needs answers (did I break grammars there?), and begins climbing the walls. Apparently her new form has awesome claws.

Lupehunter: Lupehunter realises that there seems to be a two-pronged attack going on the Manor - one outside, climbing the wall, the other attempting to go in through THE UNDERDEEP! So he summons a staff and asks Omni for a plan of action.

Ikkin: Ikkin is confused, wondering what's wrong with Sev - and then Sev somehow comes back to life. But of course, Sev still isn't himself. Not-Sev grabs Kiddo's spear and pendant from Jasor, and flies around in circles. He does manage to call for help somehow. Ikkin asks the others for help in subduing a phoenix while she summons a big wind to force him closer to the ground. (If you could understand that, then legibility has triumphed over my brain.)

Omni: Omni decides that the hole in the basement is higher-priority, since it's a hole in the Manor's defences. Ooh! Ooh! Upcoming action!

Kwoiffei: Nasue goes unconscious.
Kwoiffei swears as she's ambushed, then drops to the ground, rolls to the side and attempts to stab the troll. (I've always wanted to stab a troll. =D *brick'd*)
Kovaran drops his sword, leaps into a tree, and hesitates before leaping at the now-flying Sev.
And Oncara's investigation isn't going well, so he heads for The River Tigris (a tavern) to see if one of his contacts is there.

Ikkin: Sev doesn't try to fight as Kovaran lands on him and crushes him. Ikkin is very upset, and as the episode ends, she draws her sword and starts yelling at the Screaming Dragon. (Dude, you can't out-scream Kovaran. That's physically impossible. You'd need regenerating vocal chords...)

End Episode Seven.

[Deleted]

Note before we begin: ...um, I forgot what I was gonna put here. Oh yeah, putting this up a bit earlier than usual (normally I wait until the first page of the "episode" has three posts).

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Episode Eight

PAGE 22

Kwoiffei: Kovaran realises he might've just accidentally killed someone, and tries to tell Ikkin that it was an accident.

Kiddo: So Kiddo's new form doesn't have wings, which makes it a little harder for her to stabilise herself when the Manor begins to shake. She falls through a window, and after a while she gets up to look around. Apparently her new form has slightly purple blood and some sort of regenerating ability.

Tokala: Long post recap of recent conversations ahoy! So, I'll just focus on the important stuff.
1. Blackstone agrees that the politics of this new world don't matter; getting back home is more important.
2. Athar telepathically(?!) contacts Cele and asks to speak to her after the meeting is over.
3. A guy called the Clockmaker thinks about the history of witches in Brigaia, and asks if he can be a stenographer for the meeting.

Michelle: Ro wonders if Sarn will be fine, and asks if he's recovered enough to be able to ride a horse. (And while it's tempting to make a Ro/Sarn joke, I'm not getting any 'shippy vibes from this. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you.)
Asta doesn't trust the two Underdeep!mages, and wonders which would be worse: working with them, or working with Oscar, Gentleman Adventurer. I honestly don't know which is worse, either!
Aly eats like a starving elephant while Lika questions the sanity of leaving a flame near a stone wall in front of an Underdeep entrance.

Huntress: Cap'n makes her way down to the lab (finding the unconscious Nasue on the way). She says sending a live volunteer to explore the Underdeep wouldn't be a good idea, realises that The Commander might have returned, and after some thought, decides that they need to find... Rane. Yes, that Rane.

PFA: PFA pulls out her katana, realising that a fight may be about to happen.
Jernath patches up Scar's wound as best as he can, all while grumbling about how there are so many people around the crash site. He wonders where the nearest hospital is, and there's one in... TABLOID TOWN. *dun dun dun*

Amnei: Amnei wonders if the mages would know anything about protective measures against the Underdeep, realises he might have to tell Spacefleet if the guy with the bike was really Strife, and wonders why the pirates are thinking of speaking to Rane.

Fraze: Fraze decides to investigate what's going on, and puts on some of Spacefleet's finest armour. Also he contacts 'Fleet security.
Merpo hears the sound of a motorbike, and heads towards the nearest exit, all while thinking about how silly he'd look out in the open. Dude, astronauts look more silly than you.

Jina: KWOIFFEI used HORN ATTACK! It doesn't have any effect on SANDRA! SANDRA used GRAB! SANDRA used HEADBUTT! Patri sees the fight and heads over to help.
Owen arrives at the Manor, wonders what's up with the broken window, and knocks on the door.

Vyt: Vyt hears the fight, heads over to find two shapeshifters fighting, and tells them to stop fighting OR ELSE. (He's really heavy-handed with his threats, isn't he?)

Celestial: Underdeep!Celestial mentions that she has to get back to the Manor soon, although she would be happy to give more detailed "information" about the NTWF. She decides to come meet up with whoever telepathically contacted her. And she feels like she's wasting her time.

Strife: Omega SS doesn't seem to be affected by the Kitten Bribe, instead just trying to flick the clone into the other clones. Meanwhile, Haggoth answers Fraze's call and tells him that while they isolated the virus, communications will be affected.
In another awesome post, Strife drives through the Underdeep. After getting lost and finding no trace of Merpo, he discovers that he's surrounded by an army of Sevs. So he creates a massive earth pillar, DRIVES UP THE PILLAR ON THE MOTORBIKE, AND FLIES OVER THE HORDE OF SEVS. (Oh, and he's going back to Merpo's lab.)

Moonlight: Wilhelm Scream notices that there's a blue star, as well as ninjas. He introduces himself to Nova.
Apparently Rivanth used to be an apprentice in Mage Manor. Hmm... He decides to head to Tabloid Town, cause it's the place to be!

Lupehunter: Lupehunter heads to the stone vines/wall, notices they're damaged, and prepares a spell.

Draco: And it's the first post where two characters in different guilds, played by the same person, interact! (At least I think it is.) Draco explains his story, accidentally killing one of the NNPCs when he jokingly mentions that said NNPC should be punished for killing the mercs. (Second time that happened. I'm not getting a good impression of Draco's leadership abilities.) Gil wonders how they'll get to Tabloid Town without moving Scar too much, and suggests he could put together something temporary.

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PAGE 23

Huntress: Cap'n explains why she suggested they need to find Rane: he has a gem forged from the soul of TMC (one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse). A gem that powerful could surely protect people from the Underdeep, but wouldn't it also be able to seal up Underdeep entrances? Anyway, she asks if Spacefleet could possibly find Rane's ship, the Golden Mast.

Rider: Rider proposes an alternate anti-Underdeep measure: she figures that the blueprints are for an anti-Underdeep suit, which she saw Merpo wearing when he ran off. The pirates can't build one, but the 'Fleet can.
Adeline gets into Blackstone's office by climbing up a tree and through a window, then hiding under the table.

Rikku: Underdeep!Rikku agrees, though she worries about how things are getting out of hand... then she gets the idea to kill the head of this new guild.

Ikkin: Ikkin throws more accusations at Kovaran, and a fireball at PFA. But wait, if you care about Sev, why aren't you trying to save him? *brick'd*
Sev isn't sure what to do, so he decides to trust Ikkin to find a way to save him.

Kiddo: Kiddo apologises to the Manor and looks around. She's in a lab (presumably an alchemy or potion place?). She opens the door... and realises she's probably in plain sight now.

Kwoiffei: Nasue is still unconscious.
Kovaran tells PFA to watch what she says, but otherwise doesn't say anything in response to Ikkin's accusations, probably because some of them hit a little too close to home. And apparently he can't take his eyes off the kitsuneeee~ *shot*
While trying to escape from troll!Sandra by turning into something bigger, Kwoi tells Vyt that it's not as simple as "stop fighting".
Oncara heads into the River Tigris, which apparently employed Drakhé (yes, that Drakhé) as a janitor. His contact, a centaur-like creature, shows up a few minutes later.

Michelle: Aly gets a sharp pain in the... something, and cuts off the flame she left (though not before something attacked it). She and the cat head to the basement... or rather, to where Kiddo presumably is. Aly's all, "Whiskey Tango Hedgeclippers, man?"

Strife: Since fission mailed (I NEED SCISSORS! 61!) Strife returns to the lab and turns his bike off. He asks Amnei who the commanding officer of Spacefleet is.

Fraze: Merpo leaves the Underdeep through another opening in Tabloid Town, and decides to spend the night in an inn.
After showing off how much of a potty mouth he has, Fraze contacts Amnei and asks if he's made progress. I think Commander Fraze is going to get a nice, healthy shock...!

PFA: Rather than dodge, PFA throws up a barrier to stop the fireball. (Well, she is related to Vyt.) She heeds Kovaran's advice to be careful with what she says, and eventually asks if the ninjas could help Sev somehow.
Jernath didn't think of how to move Scar. He suggests making a stretcher or something.

Draco: Gil has an idea: convert the Fantome into a ground vehicle and drive to Tabloid Town. While he and the one remaining NNPC get to work doing so, Draco (who explained why he was looking for the Mercs earlier in the same post) wonders who the heck Gil is.

Huntress: Hunty wonders why people are just sitting around - then Strife shows up and asks who the current Commander is. At first the Sue-sword stops glowing... then she hears Fraze's voice, realises that he might end up in trouble, and the Sue-sword begins glowing even brighter. Beware, Strife - hell hath no fury like an angered female pirate captain who happens to be the current Commander's girlfriend!

Celestial: Cele loses her battle against the Underdeep's possession, and Underdeep!Celestial sets things on fire, tells Overlord to get stuffed, and declares that it isn't over. Then she turns into a dragon and flies off.
The Author leaps out of the way of Omega SS's paw flick, and hides behind him while he damages her clones. She notes that her segments are supposed to be a contrast to the OMG DRAMAZ of Underdeep!Celestial.

Zylaa: Zylaa's still alive, just so people know. She... does nothing, although her weasel orchestra fight over what music to play now.

Kiddo: We learn more about Kiddo's appearance. She excuses herself from her impromptu meeting with Aly, and runs like hell only to have an impromptu meeting with a wall.

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PAGE 24

Jina: Owen just walks into the Manor, eventually finding Lupehunter and Omni and asking if he's in the Mages Guild. Right place, wrong time - you have an Underdeep to worry about, man!
Patri shoots some Blasts at Kwoi. Troll!Sandra rolls off Kwoi, grabs Vyt, and roars something in Trollish. Translation: "Shut up, go away, and stop interfering, or [I'll] throw you in the hospital and let the Underdeep take you away." Something tells me their opponents won't concede to this...

Michelle: Aly (and the cat) chase after Kiddo. After finding Kiddo the Whatever-The-[EDIT]-It-Is, Aly uses walls of flame to cut off most escape routes, and asks Kiddo what the [EDIT] she is - and why she's here.

Kwoiffei: I hold a conversation with Nasue. No, seriously. Then she wakes up from unconsciousness. Nice timing there, coati.
Oncara speaks with his contact (during which it's implied that Oncara killed the first person he interrogated), basically ordering the centaur-like creature to do thorough research on the survivors and everyone else who disappeared.

Amnei: Amnei recognises Strife pretty much instantly. He gets a discreet distance from the Hunty VS Strife confrontation and answers Fraze's call, saying that Commander Strife has returned.

Vyt: Vyt does some thinking about what's happening, gives a warning glare to not-Bird, gives his opinion on shapeshifters (Drakhé would want to have a word with you about that, except... oops, can't tell), throws glass shards at troll!Sandra and breaks into a dash.

Rikku: ♫ The final countdown! I am Kaiser Rikku! God or demon - dead or alive! ♪ *brick'd* Rikku likewise loses to the Underdeep's possession, but uses a very unusual method of attack. Using some very strange logic, she reanimates broken glass and turns it into two broken glass golems - and then orders them to kill everyone. Except her. Because then they wouldn't have anyone to obey if they killed her.

Strife: Strife tells Hunty to mind her own business... then asks Hunty what her business is. (Hey! Etiquette, please!) I can't wait to see the look on Strife's face when he discovers who Fraze is in a relationship with.

Kiddo: Kiddo doesn't even know what the [EDIT] she is. She gives an abridged version of what happened to her with Sev, wants answers, and demands answers.

Lupehunter: Says that yes, this is Mage Manor, but he and Omni are kinda busy at the moment. (With this thing called the U-Deep! ...what?)

Huntress: Cap'n says that she doesn't have any business with the 'Fleet... but her crew is allied to Spacefleet, and she owes them plenty of favours. *bricks self repeatedly to get rid of the sudden mental images* Oh, and she also says that as far as the 'Fleet is concerned, Strife should be locked up.

Fraze: Apparently bikes are the newest Big Thing in Spacefleet, because after getting Amnei's message and the coordinates, he grabs a SPACE BIKE and flies to Merpo's place on it! He puts a security measure on the bike in case Strife gets any ideas, grabs some weapons from a box on his shoulder (long story; it's kind of a scifi-ish version of a Bag of Holding), and heads down to the basement. Now this will be interesting...

Strife: Rather than do what any sane person would do and surrender, Strife the Blood Knight says that he doesn't need a reason to fight. He reveals that he plans to destroy the Underdeep, and gives the others a choice: step aside, or be faced by a guy who has nothing left to lose.

Fraze: Commander Fraze responds - first, put the bike down, man. (Strife was carrying the bike.) Second, they don't know what repercussions destroying the Underdeep would have, and they're not willing to take chances unless the benefits would outweigh the drawbacks. Third, how can it even be destroyed? The only thing that might work that I can think of is an absurdly powerful anti-magic bomb; where would you find one? And fourth... doesn't Strife have a chief medic he could potentially lose?

Strife: After basically telling Fraze to shut up about the chief medic business, Strife explains what he knows about the Underdeep. And look! He expects the others to be able to just embrace their fear, thus neutralising the effects of the Underdeep! That's a LOT to ask of them, man! (And I kinda doubt it'll be that easy.)

Michelle: In Brassport, Asta has a "what the hell" moment when the two Underdeep!mages suddenly go violent. She throws some explosives at one of the glass golems, rushes to rescue Overlord, and calls for help.
In the Manor, Aly is confused by some of what Kiddo says, but nonetheless manages to say some very straightforward things. She isn't willing to just blindly trust Kiddo (I don't blame her) and while she will help if she can, she gives an indirect "watch your actions" warning to the former ninja. At least she's being far more subtle about it than Kovaran - but then again, the big lizard has the subtlety and stealthiness of an explosion.

Stay tuned! Next episode, the people of Brassport will react to the glass golems, the conversations will keep on going, and I will desperately try to come up with jokes that I haven't already used! Get ready for Episode Nine!

End Episode Eight. (Hey! Alliteration alleviation assistance acquired! *brick'd*)

[Deleted]

Previously on the GW3 Summary: Strife and Fraze reunited in the laboratory of Merpo Madscientist! Celestial and Rikku decided they'd had enough of negotiations and attacked Brassport! The battle in Tabloid Town still raged, Ikkin screamed at Kovaran, and Drakhé couldn't enjoy his sandwich! ...wait, what?

--

Episode Nine

PAGE 25

Huntress: After listening in for a while, Hunty pipes up with an insider's viewpoint on the Underdeep - it's been around for as long as anyone on the planet can remember, and destroying it would be like curing a headache with a guillotine burning a witch who has twenty pounds of gunpowder hidden under her skirts. (Was that a reference, by any chance? I'm reminded of Good Omens...) So fix the Underdeep, but please don't blow up the NTWF. Oh, and then she asks if the 'Fleet could help in finding Rane.

Tokala: Blackstone hides beneath/behind the podium, not really looking at what's happening.
Apparently Athar is a mage an alchemist. He forms a shield of solid air around himself and shoots solid air at dragon!Underdeep!Celestial (that's a lot of exclaimation marks). Then the glass golems form and one of them effortlessly goes through his shield, so he throws himself out of the way.
The Clockmaker empties one of his burlap bags (he has multiple, presumably) and decides to put it on Rikku's head. He begins doing so.

Ikkin: When she hears PFA's offer to help, at first Ikkin sarcastically talks about how setting Sev on fire would fix him, then decides to get him to Mage Manor... and hey, the ninjas might actually be helpful there.

Draco: Gil converts the former V-22 Osprey into some freakish mishmash of a helicopter and a steampunk airship christened the "Phantom Merc". He does get rid of the broken glass (smart move) and calls for the Mercs to climb in. And Draco's NNPC minion gets into the co-pilot's seat.

Kwoiffei: The blasts hit Kwoi, who creates some extra layers of skin to cover it up. She then tells Patri and Sandra that giving away your plans to your enemies is really freaking dumb, and takes to the air, where she awaits her opponents' next move.
Kovaran says that since he hurt Sev, he might as well help Ikkin with getting him (the bird) to Mage Manor. He picks up Zankantou... and then remembers that Jasor has a healing scroll.

Jina: PATRI used GRAPPLE on KWOIFFEI! Sandra grabs the charging Vyt, and the two pretty much put him in the hospital. And then remind him that there's a nice big Underdeep opening there...
Owen decides he might as well help. Meanwhile, Halin's sword gets stuck, so he and Corenu decide to go back and get the others.

Strife: Revealing that there's another gem to the power-hungry Strife isn't very smart - Strife himself admits that (in a way, that's relieving). He decides to play along under two conditions. First, don't double-cross him. (Dude, you're dealing with pirates!) Second, find some way to mask or fix his voice.

PFA: Jernath is just as clueless as to what's going on as Draco... and, well, if the ninjas want an alliance with the Mercs, they'll have to pay for it. Cause they're Mercenaries. And they're starving. He climbs into the Phantom Merc and asks if Gil needs directions to Tabloid Town.
PFA is perfectly okay with using Jasor's healing scroll and with taking Sev to the Manor. Well, as long as they don't run into that healing statue from GW1...

Huntress: While she points out a few things herself (Strife's dealing with pirates, for instance), Hunty agrees to Strife's conditions. Oh, and then she notices that Nasue is awake.

Draco: Draco actually offers to pay the Mercs straight out (along with giving more proof that the Guilympics are canon), putting a big bag of money on the floor of the Phantom Merc. How did the bag even fit in his pocket? Does he have a jacket with Pockets of Holding?
Gil offers a trade to the Mercs; he keeps the machine, and in return he gets a group to rebuild the Mercs' base. Also he makes sure that the stuff in his storage compartment is properly labeled.

Vyt: Vyt knocks himself into the hospital (...is that even a good idea?), starts to go into Super Mode, and uses his energy powerz to create a sphere to crush Patri.

Rider: Rider snatches a pencil and paper, and wonders how Strife's voice ended up like this in the first place.
Adeline sneaks out of Blackstone's place... and then climbs up a tree to escape one of the glass golems. Which then begins attacking the tree.

Celestial: Underdeep!Celestial goes into... well, the Underdeep, turns back into human form, has an argument with the thing possessing her, and emerges in Merpo's lab. And right off the bat, she announces that she's going to attack people. Whee, violence!
The Author's clones melt and disappear. The Author herself, still disguised as a kitten, begins to climb up Omega SS (COLOSSUS CLIMB!) to reach the best place to corrupt his many yottabytes of code: the head.

Lupehunter: Now that the problem's less bad for the time being, Lupehunter asks Owen who he is, where he's from, and why he's in the Manor.

Kwoiffei: Nasue manages to get a few words out before her headache gets worse AGAIN... seconds before Celestial enters. How's that for timing?
Kwoi drops to the ground, realises that the help Amnei promised might not even show up at all, and changes tactics. Time to play defensively!

--

PAGE 26

Fraze: Fraze does some thinking about what Strife says, and after the devil offers his deal (a different devil to the one who made its "deal" with Rikku and Cele, mind you!), the current Commander contacts the 'Fleet and requests a neck-mounted voice synthesiser (with subvocalisations). He exposits to Strife about how the 'Fleet has been integrating with the NTWF, and is about to shake the ex-Commander's hand...
And then Underdeep!Celestial shows up. Fraze leaps into action, firing three plasma shots, while his security drone decides to sting her with a paralysing neurotoxin.

Kiddo: Kiddo gives a quick recap of what happened to her, and she's suspicious of the mages. So she asks Aly what "you and yours" have been doing.

Jina: Owen reveals that he wants to know why the mages are telling Brassport to go to war. He wonders if it'd be possible to seal off the hole in the stone wall by melting the sword(!?).

Strife: Omega SS celebrates his victory over The Author('s clones)... only to discover that there's an itch somewhere on him. In the real world a security officer reports that the virus has been deleted, but Haggoth isn't convinced.
Everything seems to be in order... and then Underdeep!Celestial shows up. Strife takes a defensive stance, still wielding that *$%#ing steampunk motorbike.

Amnei: --orders his minitank to lie in wait in case Underdeep!Celestial retreats. Because nothing says, "There is no way out of here. It'll be dark soon. There is no way out of here" like bullets and grenades.

Zylaa: Zylaa leaps in front of Hunty with a sword readied. She also thinks it's unfair that Strife isn't attacking the enemy, since he's so powerful. Probably for the best, though.

This is a work of fiction: A very wierd-looking being walks through Dunburrow and into the barn where the Four Horsemen are, and introduces himself as an alternate fourth Horseman. And his name is... OH MY FREAKING GOD. IT'S THE FOURTH WALL! (How did that rap from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann go again...?)

Michelle: Aly responds with the fact that she doesn't have a clue what's going on, and that to her knowledge, the mages didn't do anything... although, perhaps Rikku did do something. (Like try casting a spell which turned out to be completely unnecessary. I can't wait to see Rikku's reaction when she finds out.) They only managed to seal an Underdeep entrance. But something has happened; perhaps Kiddo could come along and try to help?

Kiddo: Kiddo thinks about what might've happened to make the Underdeep act like this (and I'm starting to wonder how she'll react when she discovers that the NTWF is a planet). She tells Aly to lead the way, and gives her name.

Michelle: Aly wonders if the Underdeep's acting on its own, and introduces herself. Once she, Lika and Kiddo reach the basement, they see people already fighting... kinda... and go, "Sra!" Watch your language, missy!

Huntress: Hunty is in the middle of trying to reassure Nasue when she recieves the INCOMING CELESTIAL warning from Bloody Mary. She creates five Sue-shields to protect Nasue, and runs at Underdeep!Celestial. Meanwhile, Bloody Mary runs in the opposite direction. ...to find help! Really! (Although Cele's dragon form is quite a bit bigger than the Blarf...)

The Horsemen: As dawn approaches (so it's Day 2 now?), the Horsemen finish up their paperwork when the Fourth Wall shows up. Famine breaks the fourth wall to get rid of Fourth Wall, and they head off to the office to drop off the paperwork. Pestilence is back in business!

Not Canon: Aaaaaaaand it's Big Lipped Alligator Moment time! Santa shows up, answers a call, and leaves again.

Vyt: Vyt realises he's in danger and leaps out of the hospital... and promptly vomits up some red marble. (Apparently it helped him somehow.) Realising that he needs to get the hell outta there, he does so, although there's the sound of a tiger growling near the hospital for some reason.

Celestial: Underdeep!Cele is hit by one of the plasma shots (hang on, so Fraze was not shooting at point-blank range?), damages the minitank, and retreats into the Underdeep, where it heals her wound. Because nothing causes Oh Crap moments like the discovery that your enemy can regenerate - although, as you'll see in the next page, that doesn't quite go as planned. She creates a shield of air currents around herself, and uses more to try and knock people over. Also, The Author intrudes at the very end of this segment. Yay, mood whiplash!
Back in her own segment, The Author dives into Omega SS's code and begins to tear it apart.
Overlord speaks telepathically to Asta, saying that something is horribly wrong with Celestial - she's not normally like that.

--

PAGE 27

Amnei: Amnei changes tactics, ordering the minitank to block the Underdeep entrance to keep Underdeep!Cele from going back inside and healing again. It does so with explosives, and the blocking is done with debris.

Lupehunter: Lupehunter explains that the Mages didn't send anyone to Brassport... but then again, the dragon mage and necromancer... He then uses his fire magic to melt the sword and fill up the hole.

Rider: Rider decides to try sneaking up on Underdeep!Cele, ignoring the little voice in her head telling her it's hopeless. Sneak attack #1 doesn't work thanks to the wind shield, so... Rider tries again!

Moonlight: Rivanth walks through Tabloid Town, passing by a possible Chekhov's Gun and eventually reaching the hospital. He realises that something's up.
Wilhelm climbs into the Phantom Merc and wonders if anyone in Tabloid Town would have any idea what's going on.

Strife: Haggoth realises that Omega SS is being decompiled, and orders people to start downloading the backup copy. In the virtual world, some of Omega SS's code forms into... Mini OSS, a miniature version of Omega SS. Mini OSS goes into the code of Omega SS, finds The Author, and pounces on her, claws at the ready.
Strife isn't too happy about losing an Underdeep entrance, but hey, he can always find another - after he gets up from being knocked over by U-Deep!Cele, that is. He removes the cloak and goggles, teleport-dashes right into the currents surrounding his opponent, and attempts to grab her while he's flying around.

Kwoiffei: Nasue's not quite all there at the moment. She's terrified by U-Deep!Cele. (And I'm terrified by Seresuchiaru's avatar!) And for some reason, she doesn't seem to be very much affected by the air currents.

Celestial: Watch me try (and fail!) to summarise this post in three sentences: U-Deep!Cele, who now has REALLY FREAKING CREEPY EYES, throws Hunty across the room with air currents, sets herself on fire (but she isn't hot-blooded! *brick'd*), grabs Strife and tries to pull his armour off.
The Author turns back into her regular form, dives into Mini OSS's code, and begins cannibalising it - because she apparently has not-so-secret fantasies of being a catgirl!
(See, I failed! I only got it down to TWO sentences!)

Bengal Tiger: A bengal tiger (what, you were expecting a Siberian one?) enters the now-empty Ninja Dojo and heads to the meeting room, where it sees the now-deceased Ninja Superior. Sad tiger is sad. *MAULED*
R.I.P. Ninja Superior.

Jina: Patri jumps on Kwoi and creates a massive explosion - large enough to obliterate anything nearby, including Kwoiffei and presumably herself. (By the way, I gave Jina permission to do that. As if I haven't already mentioned it twice.) Sandra and the hospital somehow survive, so they wait for the other adventurers.
Owen decides that yeah, the Underdeep probably had something to do with Rikku and Cele's odd behaviour. After the sword's melted he asks for a quick lesson on the Underdeep.

Sarinon: Sarn decides to ignore the possibility that he might not be well enough to be able to ride a horse. When he notices that there's only one horse, he decides on a beautiful solution: summon Deus Ex Machina, the legendary horse! Deus Ex Machina takes Sarn, Ro and Ro's horsie into Brassport, tells them where they'll find Sarinon, and heads off - presumably to rejoin his family. (Cop-Out misses you!)
Speaking of Sarinon, during the confusion of what's happening she stumbles around a little. Then she hears a familiar voice, and hurries towards it--it's her brother.
And speaking of brothers, Sarn sees what's going on, and comes up with an impromptu plan: if Ro (and a nearby man) can keep the glass golems still, the winged guy can try to freeze the glass [EDIT]s.

Lupehunter: Ask and ye shall recieve, Owen - well, sort of. LH (it's easier to type than Lupehunter, so I'll call him LH from now on) admits he doesn't know a lot, although he suspects that someone might have cast a spell to bring Brassport over to Fowritaen the NTWF.

Kwoiffei: Kwoiffei realises what's happening - too late to do anything about it. And then we get two successive mini-scenes in her head: first, the voice of her master telling her to send a message to the NTWF. And second, from a being called the Aurdroth, who basically says that Kwoi brought this fate on herself. Her last words are, "I'm sorry" - then she dies in the explosion. When the dust settles there's an OMINOUS MESSAGE written in blood.
Rest in peace, Kwoiffei.

Fraze: Please don't throw Fraze's girlfriend across the room. That's the same as making Fraze angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry... because he's more rational than the Hulk. He throws two flashbangs at U-Deep!Cele (to make sure that one is in her field of vision), but doesn't warn his allies. See, it might alert U-Deep!Cele that something's up...

Rikku: U-Deep!Rikku waits until the bag (it's burlap, by the way) is on her, then she burns her way out of it - and burns herself as well.

Strife: After Haggoth has a Robotnik an Eggman moment, he learns from one of his subcommanders that the Author isn't a typical digital virus. After some thinking and more info, he agrees to a dangerous plan: cut the power to the satellite networks completely to stop the virus from taking ctrl control.
Mini (b)OSS flails around, then CHARGES HIS LAZER and fires it at The Author.

So that's Episode Nine. Will Fraze's flashbang trick work on Celestial? What is the meaning of OMINOUS MESSAGE that Kwoi (presumably) left behind? Who killed the Ninja Superior? Did Patri really die? Mummy, can I have a Blarf for Christmas? (...what?!)

Join us next time for Episode Ten: Countdown to Page Thirty!

End Episode Nine.

[Celestial]

Dec 23, 2009 4:15:52 GMT -5 @kwoiffei said:

curing a headache with a guillotine burning a witch who has twenty pounds of gunpowder hidden under her skirts. (Was that a reference, by any chance? I'm reminded of Good Omens...)

I believe that was in fact a reference to Good Omens, Kwoi. ^^ (Agnes Nutter by any chance?)

[Huntress]

Dec 23, 2009 9:31:10 GMT -5 Celestial said:

Dec 23, 2009 4:15:52 GMT -5 @kwoiffei said:

curing a headache with a guillotine burning a witch who has twenty pounds of gunpowder hidden under her skirts. (Was that a reference, by any chance? I'm reminded of Good Omens...)

I believe that was in fact a reference to Good Omens, Kwoi. ^^ (Agnes Nutter by any chance?)

If it's me posting and a potential Pratchett reference, it ain't no coincidence xD Agnes Nutter, yes'm. Although I only stuck it in there because I thought it a fitting metaphor.

[Moonlight]

Moonlight: Wilhelm Scream notices that there's a blue star, as well as ninjas. He introduces himself to Nova.
Apparently Rivanth used to be an apprentice in Mage Manor. Hmm... He decides to head to Tabloid Town, cause it's the place to be!

----

Oh, I just now got the reference. I think....

How random XD

[Draco]

Dec 23, 2009 4:15:52 GMT -5 @kwoiffei said:

Draco: Draco actually offers to pay the Mercs straight out (along with giving more proof that the Guilympics are canon), putting a big bag of money on the floor of the Phantom Merc. How did the bag even fit in his pocket? Does he have a jacket with Pockets of Holding?
Gil offers a trade to the Mercs; he keeps the machine, and in return he gets a group to rebuild the Mercs' base. Also he makes sure that the stuff in his storage compartment is properly labeled.

Yes, yes he does ^^ Well my profile explains them as Shadow Pockets of sort, but similar idea as Pockets of Holding ^^

[Celestial]

(How did that rap from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann go again...?)

Do the impossible,
See the invisible
ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH

Touch the untouchable
Break the unbreakable
ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH

What you gonna do is what you wanna do
Just break the rule, then you see the truth
This is the theme of "G" coming through baby!
ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWAH!


There you are. ^_^ *plays 'Libera Me From Hell' over GW3*

<sub>It isn't really 'row row fight da powah' but that sounds much better than the original lyrics.

Also, this is just the chorus. x3</sub>