Ambrosia Software Web Board: Journey to Auracti (TS) - Ambrosia Software Web Board

Firana looked disdainfully at the room she had been assigned to. It seemed small, and the bottom bunk was a tight fit to get into. Nonetheless, she managed to squeeze herself inside, deciding to retire for the night rather than meet the rest of the crew. After all, Leandra wouldn't be here tomorrow to do the cooking. She preferred the silent solitude anyway.

She stared up at the bottom of the middle bunk, just inches from her face. With a mutter, she rolled off, stripped her bed, and placed the pillows and blankets against the far corner of the wall, so as to not obstruct passage to the upper bunks. She sighed and finally managed to drift into sleep.

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"I'm a controversial figure. My friends either dislike me or hate me."

It was with only a little fanfare that the Deep Passage departed from the dock.
A crowd of about twelve mixed humans, and one dwarf.

Aboard the vessel, Talm stood aside the helm of the vessel, having returned early last night.
He watched as Salmaris guided the vessel lithely out through the bay and into the open sea.

The Journey had begun.


*I'll probobly do more later. *

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Ein weasel hat Sie Gehirn!
 
Those online traslators just don't live up to the hype.

Horgan isn't coming. He is saying goodbye to the adventurers with the rest of the crowd on the shore.

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Meh, it's just a little mushroom creture, it won't hurt us...
(Famous Last Words #512)
     
Where do you want to [url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/tricks/rJade.htm"]teleport[/url] today?

Try this: [url="http://"http://homepage.mac.com/abryce/.Public/cythera/ts.htm"]http://homepage.mac..../cythera/ts.htm[/url]

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Meh, it's just a little mushroom creture, it won't hurt us...
(Famous Last Words #512)
     
Where do you want to [url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/tricks/rJade.htm"]teleport[/url] today?

It was Wolmark’s shift at the helm. The inventor had taken to controlling the craft, he didn’t know if Wolmark would readily relinquish the controls when Salmaris’ shift rolled around.

Talm turned and headed down out of the bridge and into the kitchen area.

The galley had swiftly become the favorite place for off-duty crew to hang out, in the around two days since they’d left dock. Talm leaned against the wall and tired to make himself comfortable. It wasn’t working.
Why didn’t they put more chairs in here?

“So, anyway, there we were, facing the Goriban Slugidon, with nothing but simple spears and rocks!”
One of the crew was clearly recounting an adventure story of some kind. Talm elected to listen.

“Now, the Slugidon was a massive beast, as wide as this ship and twice as long! We didn’t have a clue what we were going to do. But then, it hit me. I remembered the most useful thing an adventurer can know - almost any monster can be disabled by....”

Before he could reveal the alleged secret to monster-hunting, a minor tremor shoke the ship.

“What was that?”

“It’s the Slugidon, back from the earth to seek revenge!” Joked Brink.

A quick chuckle started, but subsided instantly when another, stronger tremor hit the ship.

Suddenly, Salmaris rounded the doorway and whispered something to Talm.
Talm took on a startled expression so reviling that it was almost pointless that Salmaris had whispered in the first place.

The two of them walked briskly out of the room and down the hall.

•••••

The engine room was seemingly normal at first glance, but a check of the pressure gauges reviled something awry.
“Pressure is one-hundred-twenty percent!” Salmaris said. “Something’s wrong with the boiler!”

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Ein weasel hat Sie Gehirn!
 
Those online traslators just don't live up to the hype.

"Hrm, trust that machinery of yours to get us into trouble." Moonshadow frowned, leaning in the doorway and staring at the boiler.
"Do better!" Salmaris snapped, without ever looking up.
"Do you think I'm a ban'mâo or what?"
"A what?" Talm queried distractedly.
"Oh, never mind that now." Moonshadow replied. "Would cooling this...thing down help the situation?" She asked after a moemnt's hesitation, the words for an appropriate spell already forming in her mind.

*Not much, but I felt like posting something...*

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Wer denken kann, ist klar im Vorteil.

[This message has been edited by Moonshadow (edited 05-26-2002).]

Flynn peered over his wife's shoulder, trying to get a better look at what Talm was doing to the mechanics of the engine. "After all that trouble with the balloon, don't tell me you forgot to install one of Katze's cooling systems?"

*** OoC ***
Also not much, but I thought I should register the fact that I'm still here
*** BiC ***

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I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.

Rahl was awakened from his slumber by voilently shakings and running feet. He followed to footsteps to the engine room.
Steam was billowing out, devouring all that stepped into it.
Rahl thought quickly and bounded back up to the control room and into the second level of the engine room. Once again he felt terribly alone. Rahl pushed the feeling to one side and closely inspected to engine. One side of the boiler was glowing an incadescent red, clearly the source of the proplem, or at least part of it anyway. Rahl placed his gauntlet on the side of the tank, yes, the solar shard must have fallen out, but surely that couldn't cuase all this.
"Talm! Salmaris! Wolmark!" Rahl shouted above the clamour, only vaguely registereing a reply
"I Think the shard has fallen out! One side of the tank is red, an there looks like a few screws have come out!" Talm shouted something back, and soon Rahl was joined by Wolmark.
"Don't touch the side!" Rahl shouted. Wolmark closely inspected the glowing red side, not easy through all the steam. "Your right! The shard must have fallen out and now rests against the side! We'll get this fixed as soon as we get what ever else is wrong fixed!"
Darken Rahl nodded and got out Wolmakrs way as he headed back up to the first level of engines.

*There we go, i posted and left the topic open *

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Yesterday, we bent our necks to kings and emperors. But today, we kneel only to truth -Kahil Gibran

Wolmark's mind was racing. "Turn off the engines!" Talm yelled from down below.

"No!" Wolmark yelled back. "We have to use up the energy, or it'll overload! Set the engines to full speed!"

The submarine lurched, as the turbines kicked into their rated maximum performance. The deck beneath their feet began to shudder.

"We better move fast, she's not designed to take this speed for very long!" Talm called.

"Moonshadow!" Wolmark responded. "Try and cool down that hotspot, but don't over do it - if the metal shatters from the stress, we're finished!"

"Right!" she called back.

"Talm," Wolmark continued," we've got to get the crystal under control. Get a bottle of that heat suppressant!"

"I'm on it!"

Wolmark slid quickly down the ladder to the base of the engine, to get a better view of the crystal.

"Is it just me, or does that thing seem to have an unusual tendancy for getting out of control?" Wolmark glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the familiar voice, seeing Flynn staring past him at the Fire Shard.

"Not now, Flynn, I'm a little busy. Look, you might be best to take Moonshadow's place cooling the metal; I think we'll need her telekinetic magic to get ahold of the shard."

"Right. Action now, questions later."

Flynn quickly climbed back up the ladder.

Wolmark turned back to the blazing crystal. Flynn was right; first the incident on the balloon, now this. There was something odd going on. He shook his head. "Not now," he muttered. "Stay focused on the problem at hand."

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I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.

The Solar shard called thorugh the void to it's kind.
The third of us is too be united!

A positive devlopment!
Responded the elder time shard.

We can only hope the tremors do not consume us before we are united
Pessimisticly replied Auracti.

With subtile acknoledgement, the Shards returned to their disseprate bussiness, and, in the case of the Solar Shard, Fought for it's life.

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Meh, it's just a little mushroom creture, it won't hurt us...
(Famous Last Words #512)
     
Where do you want to [url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/tricks/rJade.htm"]teleport[/url] today?

“I think something’s wrong with the Shard itself!” Shouted Salmaris over the mounting clang of the engines.
“Yes, it’s fallen off the...” Started Wolmark.
“No, the actual christal. It’s malfunctioning. The elemental shielding is being compromised!”

“The what?”

“The elemental shield both regulates output and prevents any spurious emission of fire element from the Shard. But it’s not working fully...”

“She’s right, I can feel the fire element. It’s far stronger than it is usually, even close to the Shard.”
Replied Moonshadow, wearily.

“Has this happened before?” Salmaris asked.

“Yes, a few times.” Talm answered, reflecting on the Shard’s past episodes.
Talm handed a newly retrieved bottle of heat suppressant to Wolmark.

“What did you do to fix it?”

“This.” Responded Wolmark as he poured the liquid into the steam-lock on the upper boiler, and pressed the cycling lever.

In a matter of seconds, the red-orenge glow disappeared, along with the hum of the engines.
The group watched with anticipation as the pressure fell out of the red zone and down to only slightly above atmospheric pressure.

Moonshadow looked relived.
“I can now only barely feel the fire element.” She said.

“I think we’re out of the woods, for now, anyway.” Stated Talm lightly.

“But were in the middle of the ocean, with no power source.” Wolmark corrected.

They shared a nod, it was indeed so.
“Let’s hope the shielding regenerates before the heat suppressant wears off.” Salmaris said.

------------------
Progress is not an illusion, it happens, but it is slow and invariably disappointing.

There was a thud, a loud resonating boom, like the slapping tentacle of a Sea Monster. The only reason it sounded as it did, was because it was a tentcale!
With the crystal no longer producing heat, the sub wouldn't be able to submerge. Talm and Moonshadow looked up simaltanously. From the engine room a slimy blue and green spotted tentacle could be seen making its hurried way into the cabin, sliming up the buitifull couches that Rahl had painstakingly brought, only to ahve them shoved aside as the benches in the galley took up first place.

"We'll ahve to fight them, ALL HANDS ON DECK!" The group rushed along the narrow passage way with swords drawn, spells and bows at the ready.
They spilled up the ladder passed the already severed tentacle and onto the deck, emerging like a bad smell from the outhouse.

"Go for its head!" One of the attackers cried.
So swords swung left right and centre. Rahl swathed into, his armour and gauntlets giving off all sorts of funny colours.
Arows and spells shocked the sea monster, piercing into its hardened scales. The battle was furisous, and more then one was wounded, none seriously though.
The fight with the sea monster consumed all resources late into the afternoon, when finally, with a mornfull cry, the near dead monster slipped back into the sea and retreated.

Rahl scooped tenactales off his gauntlets and sighed, relief written across his face. He stared long out to sea, the waves gaze off an odd glittering effect, like sunlight on the belly of a snake. Sunlight on the belly of a snake, sunlight on scales.

"There's more. Get ready everyone, i ahve a feeling we'll sleep well tonight" Rahl stood up and readied one of his only spells.
Katze gritted her teeth "You ahve a habit of understatement you know"
And with an odd grating noise, the swarm of sea monsters approached the boat, battle insured.

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Yesterday, we bent our necks to kings and emperors. But today, we kneel only to truth -Kahil Gibran

Avatara lugs the topic out of the mud, and comtemplates a possible post.

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"I hate that! Your answers are always short, precise, and utterly useless!"
"Yes."

Firana groaned and attempted to put a pillow over her head to drown out the chaos resounding through the ship. Another loud tremer convinced her it was futile. She wasn't going to get her little snippet of sleep this evening after all. Dismayed, she quickly dressed and hurried to the kitchen. She was useless in a fight, only knowing the basics of a knife, but she could provide some relief for those carrying on in her absense.

Briefly surveying the contents that had managed to stay securely in their positions rather than scattering across the floor, she began heating water and stirring in several herbs. Reaching for a mixing spoon, she discovered another bottle that she hadn't noticed before. The label revealed it was a stimulant, useful for boosting strength and endurance, but in her experience the withdrawl effect would take its toll. She decided it wasn't worth it to risk the wrath of her shipmates, the situation wasn't that desperate, and stored the exotic herb aside for future reference.

She quickly gathered several bowls, using her memories aboard her father's ship to help brace against sudden jarrings or rockings of the boat. Filling each in turn, she balanced them on a tray, tightly gripped in her fingers and made her way.

She found most of them arrayed behind any obstruction they could find, watching and waiting for the next creature to attack. Silently, she began handing them each a bowl, having to press it into their free hands to divert their attention breifly from watching. Several complained, but ate ravaneously nonetheless. It seemed to lift their spirits. She smiled, returning the empty dishes to the kitchen and pondering what she could do next.

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"I hate that! Your answers are always short, precise, and utterly useless!"
"Yes."

Hidden beneath the waves, a watery figure observed the battle with an aura of satisfaction.

"You are pleased, my lord?"

Akhalin 'turned' to look at the other Undine, a subordinate of little consequence. "Yes; our minions are doing well."

"But what if they escape?"

"It doesn't matter. The scylla only need to delay them long enough for us to locate and retrieve the crystal ourselves. Another few hours should suffice."

----------

Flynn, Moonshadow and Woolmark were leaning against a wall, observing their comrades fighting against the mass of scylla tentacles. Occasionally, Flynn casually swatted away a tentacle that approached too close with the Ruby Fang; each time, Moonshadow would screw up her nose at the disgusting smell of scorched scylla flesh.

"This is getting boring," Wolmark commented. Flynn nodded in agreement.

"Hey," Flynn called out, "have you lot finished playing around, yet?"

Rahl, glanced back at them, and nodded happily.

"Right," Wolmark said forcefully, rolling up his sleeves. "Everybody stand back!" Once they were all clear, he powered up a huge fireball, and cast it into the middle of the mass of scylla.

"Well," Flynn commented, with a lopsided grin, "I guess we're eating seafood for the next few days."

Moonshadow grimaced and playfully punched him in the arm, before disappearing below.

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I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.

Thanks cache., for getting it out of the sea-monster slump.
The technical problems with the shard having been corrected, diner began aboard the submarine.

The atmosphere seemed tense to Salmaris, though she could not fathom why. Things were by all accounts normal, and she'd expect a mood of relief to be prevalent. Sadly, this was not the case. So strange, these humans. And elves. She gave a quick glance to Moonshadow.
The elven woman seemed to have some issues with Salmaris' ideology, that was for a certainty.

She looked at the plate before her. It was surprisingly tasty, but it couldn't keep her mind off the growing sectarianism around her.
History class back on the air-castle had demonstrated that oftentimes societies possessing psionic ability were highly resistant to change. The history class had pegged this as being detrimental to the race in question, hampering their ability to evolve as societies.
Salmaris' opinion was in flux, the ability to manipulate the forces the natives called 'elements' had admittedly provided them with comforts not had by a non-psionic culture of the same technical caliber.

Salmaris directed her attention to Talm. She had to confess a certain fondness for him, as a kindred spirit.
Wolmark too shared the quality of scientific inquiry, but didn't have quite the same visionary aptitude. Perhaps she was pegging him wrong, but it seemed that he was more interested in studying Cythera than improving it. Maybe he had the right idea.

Salmaris returned to eating her food, still wondering about what the future held.

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Progress is not an illusion, it happens, but it is slow and invariably disappointing.

I mentioned the solution to this, have Moonshadow try to kill Salmaris. If you wanna get really fun, have her be sucsessful :|

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"Why do these candles say T-N-T?" - (famous last words 104)
     
Where do you want to [url="http://"http://www.macclassics.com/cythera/tricks/rJade.htm"]teleport[/url] today?
  

After heading a loud thump in the middle of the camp the active guardsman roused the otheres. When one of the Ronin called to the camp I've found Sephiroth over here he is not breathing. Sephiroth was taken to the camp and placed by the fire.

*0oC* please dont kill this I want to do a twist and if someone could help me they would be granted a powerful boon *BiC*

-HD

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- INSERT SIG HERE -

Um, are you sure you got the right story? This is the one where everyone's on a submarine.

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The e-mail of the specious is deadlier than their mail

"Look, Amphritite, a fossilized TS!"

"Dig it up, Liara!"

*

Amadeus leaned against the wall of the galley, silently watching the others eating their dinner. It had been a rather sombre evening, after the events of the Shard.

Mostly he had refrained from speaking to the others, except when neccessary. Whenever possible he spoke only to the elf Moonshadow. He stared around at the humans- and Salmaris- in distaste. He'd taken the time to learn their names, and that was about it.

Humans. Ugh. He'd been utterly shocked when he found out that Moonshadow and Flynn were wedded. Why- no, how could an elf do that? Amadeus's lips curved into a disapproving frown.

He straightened up and silently left the galley, uncomfortably aware of the many sets of eyes watching his back as he left.

*

Sleep did not come easily that night. The rocking motion of a sea vessel was familiar to Amadeus, but he tossed and turned restlessly, unable to enter the deep stages of slumber. Something was nagging at his mind, and while he knew what it was, there was little he could do about it then.

He had come to Cythera in search of two particular people, but upon his arrival realized he knew nothing of the customs and the people. There had indeed been a purpose to him taking part in this journey- to familiarize himself with the people, and if he was lucky, maybe to learn of those who he searched.

He stared up blankly at the ceiling of the small cabin he shared with Darken Rahl and Shiroko. Tomorrow. He was unwilling to do so, especially if it involved the humans, but tomorrow he would inquire of those for whom he searched.

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Arrogance and ignorance walk hand in hand.

Flynn and Moonshadow remained in the galley long after the others turned in for the night. Flynn leaned on the table with his chin resting on his hand, deep in thought. It was Flynn's nature to be inclusive, to make others feel like they were part of the group. Somehow, he felt that this time, he was failing.

Amadeus had tried hard to conceal his distaste for the human company he found himself in, but Flynn knew the signs all too well; he'd had a great deal of experience of it when he'd first met Moonshadow's sister, Ranari. Then, he'd borne it for Moonshadow's sake. This time, he was determined to bear with it for the sake of Amadeus - to give him a chance to realise that humans (in spite of his mixed genetic heritage, Flynn still thought of himself as human) weren't all that bad.

He finished his peppermint tea, and pushed the empty mug across the table. Moonshadow reached out and took hold of his hand.

"Don't worry," she murmured, "we'll get him through it."

Flynn was constantly amazed at her uncanny knack of knowing precisely what was on his mind, without using any telepathy whatsoever.

----------

"Bad news, my lord."

Akhalin's annoyance was evident to any other Undine, although someone of another race would have had difficulty detecting any emotion at all in such an alien race. "Report."

"The scylla have failed, my lord. What should we do now?"

Akhalin pondered deeply for a few moments. "How goes the search?"

"No progress, my lord," a third Undine replied.

Akhalin nodded, and the Undine equivalent of a slight smile showed on his features.

"Then all is well. They will lead us to our goal, and then we shall have them - and the crystal!"

------------------
I will classify my lieutenants in three categories: untrusted, trusted, and completely trusted. Promotion to the third category will be awarded posthumously.

Amadeus woke early the next morning. He glanced out the single porthole in the room, and was greeted with a blaze of yellow early-morning sunshine. There was a eastern wind, and the submarine, not being able to submerge, was rocking back and forth wildly in the waves.

Making his way to the cabin door, Amadeus was thankful for his many years' worth of experience aboard ship. He had gained his sealegs early on in life, and now had little difficulty walking even in the strong waves.

He slipped into the control room silently and glanced around. Salmaris was at the helm; not actually steering due to their lack of mobility, but there anyways. She was accompanied by Talm and Shiroko.

Talm looked up as Amadeus entered and greeted the elf with a smile, though warily. Amadeus nodded back, keeping an impassive expression, and walked over to one of the windows. The sun was sparkling off the salt water, and the occasional fish jumped. It looked peaceful and melancholy.

Amadeus looked away in distaste. Peacefulness was temporary. It never lasted.

He turned to the other three, swallowing his pride and speaking to them. "Do any of you know where Moonshadow is?"

Salmaris nodded. "I saw her in the galley, earlier. She might still be there."

Amadeus discovered that Salmaris was right. Moonshadow, Flynn, and Wolmark were sitting in the galley together. Each had a mug and was gripping it tightly, so as to prevent it from sliding off the table. The sub was still rocking back and forth.

He approached them warily and sat down across from Moonshadow. He rested his arms on the table and glanced at each person in turn, then looked back at Moonshadow.

"I...have some questions. I was hoping you could answer them."

Moonshadow smiled. "Well, I'll try. What do you want to know?"

"I suppose I'll have to explain a bit first." Amadeus took a deep breath, forcing himself to bring up memories; and even harder, to share them in front of humans. "I am from an island east of here. We...had a quest which led us to Cythera." Amadeus hesitated, wondering how much he should tell them.

"Go on," Moonshadow prompted him. Flynn and Wolmark wisely stayed silent.

"Our quest was to find two people. They were two elves, by the names of Vaughn and Aphrodite Ala'keinn. Have you heard any mention of them on Cythera?"

Moonshadow tilted her head, thinking. "No, I'm sorry, I can't say I've heard of them."

Flynn looked at Amadeus intently, then turned to Wolmark. "Do you remember Trinias introducing Sya to us? What did he say her last name was?"

"I think he said Ala'keinn, but I can't remember for sure." Wolmark frowned.

"Syamena, do you mean? That was Vaughn and Aphrodite's daughter!" Amadeus said sharply, then caught himself. "Did she ever mention her parents?" He made sure to direct his question at Moonshadow.

"I don't think so," Moonshadow said, but she could sense his distraught and so chose her words carefully. "But I didn't talk to Sya much about her past, so I don't know much. It's a pity Trinias didn't come."

Amadeus stared at the wall unseeingly. He could only guess at what could have happened to Vaughn. And Syamena! He hadn't seen her in- how long had it been? Not for ten years, at least. She, at least, must be alive, if these people knew her.

He awoke from his reverie with a start, and shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Thank you," he said, rising from his chair to return to his bunk. Then he hesitated. "All of you."

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Arrogance and ignorance walk hand in hand.

Talm examined the broken hull chamber. One of several that controlled the sub's buoyancy, this one had been broad sided by a spiny arm of a sea monster. Thankfully, the hole was not large, and it would not be the end of them, or the Sub's ability to dive.

The problem remained, though - how to patch it?
The chamber must be airtight, or the sub risked being unable to surface once submerged. It had been sealed originally with a special blend of pitch tar. Thinking ahead for such an emergency, Wolmark had packed a barrel of the substance in the hold, but it had been lost in the skirmish. Such poor fortune.

Wolmark, the most capable practical chemist of the lot, was looking for a subsitiute aboard the vessel at the very moment. Talm had confidence that something could be improvised, but he worried that another attack might come before then.

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Ein weasel hat Sie Gehirn!
 
Those online traslators just don't live up to the hype.