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| ------ Ral'gar's Second Weapon Shipment ------ |
| Chaos Soup: Offices
The door you just past trough lead to the all purpose office of the "Chaos Soup". The walls are colored with a multitude of meaningless paintings, except for a board where numerous notes, adds and warrants are pinned. In the middle of it all is a wooden table surrounded by used chairs. There is a specific one for every member and a lot of others for visitors, who are always welcomed. A rocking chair stands next to a bookshelf, fulled of books, and a small table, all of them same soft wood. In the far left corner, a door blocks the way to the second floor, where the members rests. On the far right, another black door stands with the word 'Meeting Room' on it. Between the two doors is a bar, incrusted in the wall. Benden walks in from the rain Trinity is sitting in her rocking chair, gently swaying as she reads a dark covered tome. Benden nods Benden looks at the Tome Trinity says "Hello Ben" without looking up from her book. Benden says, "Uhm, Trinity?" Benden smiles, hanging his wet coat on the rack.. Benden says, "Well, I've got a weapon shipment to help that Baatezu Ral'gar with, would you like to come along.." Benden says, "Will you join me?" Benden smiles Trinity scowls at the word "baatezu".... Benden says, "There's some jink in it." Benden says, "Could get to kill some.." Benden smiles You say, "Why would I wish to help such scum" Benden shrugs Benden says, "I don't know..." Benden says, "To keep tabs on them..." You say, "I will go if you need my assistance however" Benden says, "We could kill the guards and destroy the weapons.." Benden nods, taking his coat again, and puting it back on. Benden then heads out the door Trinity secrets the book away, then gets up, heading for the door Grand Bazaar: Liberty Street After walking through Sigil's gray, lifeless streets, coming upon the Grand Bazaar comes as a relative sensory overload. Every colour of the known spectrum fills the eye, and the noise of the crowd here is louder than anywhere else in the city, save deeper in the Bazaar. The caravans are sprawled across the streets like a spilled ant farm. A gypsy company dances merrily on the back of it's cart, across from a gith selling indulgences for the church of Jubilex. The laws of Sigil aren't well enforced here, as the Indeps who run the bazaar stress the freedom of the many. Rain patters down upon rooftops, the smell of woodsmoke in the air. Trinity looks at those gathered Cubix looks at the assembled humanoids... and others. Benden stands next to Trinity.. You say, "Quite some party we have here" Ral'gar sneers, then says in a rote voice the following, obviously prepared speech. "Okay, listen up, sods. I assume most of you mortals are here because you thought you could make a little jink in the process. Well, that's true - anyone who makes it from here and back with the weapons shipment safely will get 500 gold. I've made copies of the standard Baatorian Mercenary Employment Contract here," he says, holding up a sheaf of papers. "Before you start, each of you who wants to reap the reward must sign these papers. After you have signed these papers, I am your leader. You will not deviate from my orders, or you will die." With that, six barbazu appear from behind him, holding their cruel glaives ready. Ral'gar eyes the arcanoloth. "You will not accompany this party, incompetant one," he says, pulling a potential contract away from her. Mubodius floats in on his bubble-wings. Fovoham stands on the Announcment platform reading the news. Cubix ambles slowly to the front of the throng, on little stick-legs, waiting to examine a contract. A barbazu roughly distributes a prepared contract to Cubix. Cubix says, "**this unit would like to peruse the legalities of the contract.**" Cubix clicks and whirs. Fovoham says, "I didn't want to you sniviling scorpion." Benden takes a paper, and hands it to the cube to examine for Baatezu tricks Cubix examines the contract closely. The contract seems to clearly written and stipulates exactly the conditions required: complete obedience for the time of employment with the expected reward of 500 gold. The obediance includes carrying a weapons shipment to Baator. Safe return is guaranteed, although the contract explicitly states that Ral'gar and his associates are not responsible for any injury or death caused by unpredicted phenomenon. Cubix reiterates the above to the party. Cubix says, "**this unit has discovered no potentially dangerous phrasings, clauses, or loopholes in the contract.**" Benden takes the contract back and signs it, handing back to Ral'gar Cubix takes a piece of charcoal out of one of his storage drawers and signs the contract. The barbazu quickly confiscate the contract from Benden and Cubix, nodding roughly. One of the barbazu eyes Trinity carefully. "Is there a problem?", he demands in a gruff voice. You whisper, "Is it neccesary for me to accompany you...." to Benden. Benden whispers, "If you wish.." Trinity is still examining the contract.... Ral'gar inquires of Trinity, "Is there anything that you dislike about the terms as they have been laid out? Perhaps you need my trained eye to decipher what is clear to anyone with a simple sense of literacy?", he says, mockingly. Trinity signs the document Benden stands between Trinity and Ral'gar Benden says, "Watch it, fiend" You whisper, "It isn't like I care for written promises anyways...." to Benden. Ral'gar smiles a toothy smile. "I have no hostile feelings towards any of you. Why would I want to kill you?" Benden laughs, "you are Baatezu..enough said." You say, "Worry not Ben, it is obvious he is incompetent, he has enough troubles of his own" At his pronouncement, two barbazu move close to Ral'gar with their glaives held steadfast. Another goes over to Mubodius, offering a contract to him. Cubix shuffles from leg to leg with trepidation. Mubodius says, "Do you still want me to come along Mr. Ral'Gar, my master still has his sensing ability." Benden looks at Cubix and grins, "Worryment...that's a little chaotic don't you think?" Cubix looks at Benden with concern. Benden grins Cubix says, "**this unit is experiencing emotions unlike anything ever experienced before.**" Benden likes messing with Modron's heads... Ral'gar sneers. "If you do anything riotous or break the contract if you sign it, I'll simply kill you and spread your goo so far apart that not even your master will be able to reform you. As long as you don't plan rebellion, we'll get along fine." Cubix says, "**to 'mess with my head' as you put it, you would need a ratchet set and several pairs of pliers.**" Benden wonders how Cubix sensed his thoughts... Mubodius says, "That is unlikley, but you do not apparently understand. Jubilex can sense everything around me and within 10 miles of me. If you have anything secret happening, he will know and being an Abyssal lord, he would not hesitate to use that information." A barbazu shoves Mubodius backwards. "Then you cannot go," Ral'gar says. Cubix says, "**is there any way mubodius-unit can suppress this ability?**" You whisper, "To bad you had to say that, what he doesn't know won't hurt him...." to Mubodius. Mubodius says, "Ok, no skin off my back." Ral'gar frowns. "I do not like those with such direct connections to the Abyssal Lords on these ventures. Mubodius can stay here and guide his tanar'ri to 'glory'." Trinity grins Ral'gar snarls. "Okay, since you all seem to have agreed to my most reasonable terms, we shall travel to the Doomguard's Armory, where we shall pick up the weapons in carts from in front of it. Follow me," he says, walking down the street. Ral'gar walks down the street, accompanied by a regiment of his six barbazu.
Maladomini: Wasteland This is a huge wasteland, which seemingly stretches from one horizon to the next with seemingly in between except for broken rock and the occasional figure in the distance. The sky above is a bitter grey, and the air smells of an unpleasant acrid odor. Actually, it's not clear that sky itself is grey because of the billows of caustic smoke that seem to float through the sky, obscuring any sun, moon, or stars that may orbit this bleak and desolate place. A lone archway stands behind you, seemingly the only feature on this bleak landscape. Over the archway is engraved the word, 'Malagrasci.' Cubix examines the horizon. Benden walks in slowly, pulling his cart Benden stands, wiping his brow Benden says, "Whheeew!" Trinity stands leaning against her cart, as if about to take a nap Cubix examines the horizon with magnification lenses poised in front of one mechanical eye. Ral'gar sniffs, and looks at the horizon. "This way," he points towards a seemingly random direction. Ral'gar walks off towards the distance, while the barbazu stay behind to make sure that the mercenaries move the carts like they've been paid to. Benden yawns Trinity sighs again and starts pulling the cart, following the baatezu Cubix activates his internal odometer, to measure the journey from the party's entry point to its destination. Benden pulls the cart slowly Cubix begins pulling. The walk is a long one, and under the smokefilled skies of Maladomini, it is certainly not an easy one. The barbazu, urged on by the satanic urgings of Ral'gar, make the group move at a grueling pace, one that would probably bring the pansy Lords of the Lady's Ward to their knees. There is little water and no food to be found along the way. Fortunately, the landscape is mostly blank and empty, with little to no humanoid forms seen. Since this is Baator, the lack of life is probably a good thing. After about five hours of travel, the group comes what seems to be a crossroads of some sort. Ral'gar looks around slowly. Suddenly, he spies something approaching in the distance, and frowns. "This is bad," he says to a barbazu. "We've been discovered." In the distance, a large force can be seen approaching. Trinity sighs, "Mmmmm, wonderful....." Cubix begins to oscilate at a high frequency. Benden says, "Uh oh.." Benden grins Benden slips on his ring and becomes invisible Cubix begins reciting protective mathematical formulae. Trinity looks at Ben, "That won't help much" Ral'gar and the barbazu quickly look from one of them to the next, and vanish in a puff of reddish smoke. Cubix says, "**that was not in the contract.**" Trinity grins, and starts ripping open boxes, to see what is within them The horde in the distance can be seen, as it approaches, to be a horde of barbazu. The leader apparently stands a foot taller than the rest and has greenish eyes. Cubix says, "**we are not allowed by the contract to tamper with the contents of the boxes.**" Benden grins Benden looks at Cubix, "You don't have to, box.." The boxes are filled with finally crafted weapons. Cubix says, "**perhaps i will amend my decision.**" Cubix looks for a finely-crafted dagger. Trinity places about five weapons within her pouch, making others wonder how she did that Garlak sneers, and approaches the party, backed by a horde of perhaps a hundred barbazu. "Who are you, and what do you want?", he demands in a gruff voice, holding a finely crafted halberd in his hand. Garlak approaches closer, and yells again, "State your names, designations, and destinations, mortals!" Benden shrugs Benden whistles Garlak roars again, "SPEAK!" Garlak snarls, and moves closer to Trinity. "I don't think I would, no. I'm no fool. What are you doing with these weapons?", he says, looking at the weapons in a torn-open box. Trinity is sitting on the crates of her cart once again, "You wouldn't believe that we are lost and simply seek the nearest portal to Sigl would you...." Benden says, "Well.." Benden says, "We were helping Ral'gar with them..." Cubix says, "**we have binding and legal contracts to transport these items.**" Through the ranks, an erinyes with feathered wings can be seen moving towards the side of the huge barbazu. She whispers something in her ear, and the head barbazu says, "Very well, inspect the cargo." Garlak demands of the halfling, "Who is this Ral'gar?" Benden says, "From Malgrasci" The erinyes walks up to the weapons, and mutters a few words over them. Her eyes widen quickly. She then moves backwards towards Garlak, and whispers something in his ear. You can make out the two words, "enchanted... baatezu." Garlak snarls. "What leader does he answer to?", he demands. After his pronouncement, Garlak flicks a hand to the carts. "Confiscate these Benden shrugs The eight barbazu approach the carts, preparing to confiscate the weapons immediately. Benden says, "He's an Osyluth" Benden says, "Under the command of Heartchill the Gelugon..." Garlak looks confused for a moment, speaking to himself. The erinyes whispers something else in his ear, and he nods. "Perhaps you do work for this... Ral'gar. For the moment, you are to be pressed into service for the glorious armies of the Baatezu Noble Seragorn in his final triumph. We march on Malagard tonight." With that, he flicks a wrist to the people assembled. "You'd best take some of those weapons if you hope to survive the chaos," he observes wryly. Benden says, "Chaos?" Benden says, "In a baatez battle?" Benden grins Cubix freaks out. Suddenly, in the distance there can be heard a shrieking sound. The sky above immediately darkens, and thunder rolls across the horizon. Lightning can be seen in the distance. Cubix whirs, buzzes, and vibrates. Garlak looks at the sky, and frowns. "If you wish to die," he growls, "Then we shall kill you now. If you wish to live, you will join the ranks." Cubix picks up a dagger, wields it, and looks utterly pathetic. Benden yawns Trinity sighs, "I need to get some dust of dissapearence...." Thunder rolls across the sky in the distance as a light and slightly acidic rain begins to fall. Benden nods Benden says, "Me too.." Benden grins Trinity puts her hood up to protect from the rain Cubix says, "**this unit is not a warrior. this unit never _was_ a warrior, not even on mechanus.**" Cubix just stands there, rusting slowly. Benden wraps his trenchcoat around himself Garlak motions his glaive to the weapons. "Those weapons," he says, "may yet save your miserable hides, and ours. Come; this is not a time for us to stand around. If you fight along our sides, you may yet be spared. If you wait here, you will die of starvation and thirst before you reach a portal to your precious "Sigil." Lightning flashes in the distance, and the faint sounds of thunder can be heard. Garlak looks impatiently. "Pick your weapons up and prepare to fight, or you shall be killed now." Cubix chants a formula of visual dispersion, and Cubix's form grows less distinct. Garlak points to the source of the lightning and thunder amidst the darknening sky. "There," he growls. "Get in line," he demands. Cubix waits for the line to form. Garlak points to the ranks of the baatezu. Cubix gets at the back of the ranks. Benden stands next to Trinity Trinity intermingals with the baatezu, sticking her tongue out at a few before quickly relocating herself Trinity then joins Cubix in the rear of the ranks The walk is long and hard; a forced march isn't exactly fun, but especially not when you're heading straight for the source of all the trouble in the layer. The sky above has blackened to complete darkness, and you are doing nothing but walking towards where all the lightning and thunder seems to be originated. Then, in the distance, you can see it. Hordes and hordes of abishai flying towards the center of a city, while a few straglers attempt to flee from the perfectly circular city. Malagard is in flames. Cubix tries to ask Garlak what forces they expect to meet in battle. Garlak ignores Cubix. Benden says, "Ho, fiend." Benden grins Garlak snarls as he leads his batallion up to the gates of Malagard, grabbing any potential escapees as they do so. Cubix stays well behind the next-to-last line of Garlak's troops. Benden stands next to Trinity, invisible to all who cannot see him Garlak heads through the gates into the city of Malagard. The city is in flames, burning an eerily strange bluish flame. At the center of the city is a green glow, apparently coming from the tower are the center of the city. Cubix follows the troops at an ample distance. Garlak growls, and then motions to his batallion. "Split up, you slackers, and get to work. Lord Heartchill wants this city secured by morning!" The batallion splits up into groups of about twenty fiends each. The mortal mercenaries are forced towards Garlak by about twenty more baatezu, who eyes them levelly. With that, he says, "The situation here is better than I expected. Therefore, I do not need you, and my Lord has ordered that none leave this layer. Therefore, you will die." Cubix just stares in shock. You say, "Really, it will be amusing to see you try, but I may let you go if you ask nicely" Cubix then turns his shock-filled gaze at Trinity. Trinity grins, bareing her fangs even though she knows none of the baatezu will care Garlak looks unimpressed. "Don't make me laugh, young one. You're about to die," he says. A faint laughter can be heard from the sky above, although it may just be thunder. You say, "Come now, and I thought baatezu the more intelligent of the fiends" Cubix scans the skyline. Garlak says, "Perhaps not," he says, as he points to the barbazu behind the party. Pointing to Trinity, he says, "Kill her first." With that, he laughs cruely and the barbazu behind the group move foward, glaives pointed. Benden growls The erinyes advisor stands at the side of Garlak, whispering in his ear occasionally. Cubix notices his spatial distortion formula has worn off. Cubix watches Trinity intently. There is a straight street, heading towards the center of town. Buildings surround the group to the right and left, although a good majority of them are aflame. To the rear are twenty barbazu, and it to front is Garlak and his erinyes assistant. Beyond them is a strange green glow. A nearby lightning stroke touches down, hitting a nearby building. A distinct and rumbling laughter can be heard. A hundred feet ahead, there is a building which isn't on fire, and to the right, a door hangs off its hinges" A platoon of perhaps a hundred abishai flies above, patrolling the streets for any undesirables (or spies). A rumbling can be heard from the sky above. The slightly acidic rain begins to pour down, causing little more than a mild discomfort. Cubix chants a relatively complex formula, conjuring a glowing red door in front of him. He steps through, and disappears, emerging a little more than a hundred feet away, at the door of the nearby building. Trinity croaches down slightly, and in the matter of a second or three has lept upwards and into the raging flames of a nearby rooftop, dissapering within them. She then shouts down to Cubix and Benden, "Disperse, don't make a target of yourself...." A short man runs by Cubix, heading into a nearby alleyway. Cubix begins speaking a formula involving changing the variable of time, which speeds him up considerably. Cubix speeds after the figure. The short man seems to be holding a candle by the hand and is quickly attempting to make his escape, even as three green abishai swoop down at him with their teeth open in an evil-looking grin. Garlak curses, whirling around as his targets scatter in all different directions. Cubix speaks a simple equation, sending one streaking magic missile at each swooping abishai. The short man falls through an archway, pushed from behind by an abishai hurt by Cubix's magical missile. The portal flares with light for a moment. Cubix dives for the portal. Garlak curses as the portal opens. "Secure that archway, and destroy it!", he says, pointing to his men. His barbazu move forward, intent on destroying the portal before anyone else escapes. The sky rumbles with thunder, and it almost looks like a horned face has appeared in the sky, looking down and laughing at the folly of those attempting to escape. Trinity notices the open portal, and quickly leaps down grabing Ben and making a rather hasty dash to the portal after hurdling the baatezu in their path. Unfortunatelly it begins to close, so in a great throw, hurls the halfling though it, and is herself trapped here between the closed portal and the barbazu.... Garlak sneers as he approaches Trinity. "Thought you could escape, eh?", he chuckles. Trinity turns to face Garlak You say, "Not this again" You say, "I don't supose you have a candle on you" Garlak snarls, his glaive raised high. "You end here," he says, as about twenty of the fiends stand at his back. Trinity sighs, "Can't we discuss this...." Garlak shakes his head. "No, we can't. You are not to speak of what has happened here, and these events die with you." You say, "And of the other escapees...." Garlak sneers. "A regretful occurance. But you shall not speak." With that, he advances. You say, "I could keep them quite if you let me go" A harsh blood red light burns out from behind Trinity's shades Trinity sweeps Whisper out wide in fron of her and to her side as he begins to crackle with energy, she motion with her other hand for the fiend to advance Garlak advances slowly, with about four barbazu close at his side holding their glaives out towards Trinity. You say, "Coward, can't even defend yourself from a lone, half-breed women" Garlak snarls as he advances, "I've learned in my time that overconfidence is nothing but foolishness." Garlak snarls. "Surrender now, or die." After the fiends have andvanced to within a few feet of her, she almost instantly twist and slide inbetween the glaives, grabbing ahold of Garlak's and raising Whisper high, acting as a lightning rod a bolt of electricity surges down from the raging storm above, and encasing Trin and all nearby with an immense electrical surge. Garlak screams as he and the barbazu are enveloped in the lightning from the storm above. With a burnt scream, he falls to the ground, not moving. The nearby barbazu, without their leader around, suddenly look demoralized. Trinity glares at them, still cracking with energy A crash of thunder can be heard overhead. The erinyes that once stood by Garlak's side looks at Trinity. "You wish to escape. I can assist you." Trinity grins, "Very intelligent of you, thank you...." The erinyes frowns, "Seragorn hates me, and when he consolidates the power in this city, I will be dead. You must escape and tell the truth about what has happened. He *will* fall again; he is foolish. Come, we must escape before the patrols notice your actions." With that, she snaps her fingers and wax begins to drip from them, forming a sort of makeshift candle. You say, "Will you join me, I can assist you further survival...." The erinyes frowns. "I am Sharlena. We will escape now, the two of us," she says, as she sticks her waxy fingers into the archway. The barbazu stand back, scared of the power of the erinyes. You say, "Let us depart then" |