Wild West Science versus Magic RP Main Thread

Refran raised an eyebrow at Jove nonchalantly shrugging off fire like it's no big deal. Yeah, sure, Magic WAS dangerous but that's exactly the reason you're careful with it... Ah, well. If this is a daily event and the entire place hasn't blown up yet, then this guy is at least good enough at his job to handle it without too much going to waste. "Right, es... I'd rather have something that can fight back. If it can throw a punch, even better, es. After my first job I kinda figured that I should teach myself how to fight better, es."

The warf followed behind Jove, though keeping a respectable amount of distance from them. This guy seemed like a complete nutjob to him...

Obligatory I'm still here post

Dart went over to the stables and started tending to Cocoa. She had, after all, suffered quite a few scares during that last battle.

Maximus would only just barely notice the drow butler Roger in time to avoid bumping into him; the drow's appearance was so sudden it was almost as if he'd just appeared from nowhere. He was currently facing to the side, slightly away from Maximus, and writing something on a piece of paper. "Reckless destruction of the Count's property will not be tolerated sir, intentional or not" Roger said, as always in his emotionless monotone.

"You will be repaying the damages" Roger added, handing the paper to Maximus. It was a neatly ordered and official Seliinan bill, charging Maximus with a 300 Seliinan coin fine for breaking the vase.

"Something to fight back it is. I hope you don't mean something that's specifically like a person, because I don't have any of those spare" Jove said to Refran as they went down to a lower room where a few golems were moving stuff around. "Now let's see... Aha! You there, with the legs! Come over here" the wizard called to one of the stone golems, which put down the box it was holding and scurried over to the two men.

The golem had a rough, oblong body that seemed to just be one solid rock about four feet long and two feet wide; it moved along the ground like a bug thanks to ten relatively short little legs that moved in sequence kind of like a centipede or millipede. It didn't really have a face at the front, but it did have four long, lobster like arms that ended in crude claws that were attached near the front end. "This one was a prototype to get some things figured out before I bothered putting the effort into getting the body shape to look better. It should do for a quick fight, right?" Jove asked Refran, as the golem just sat there silently. "It doesn't matter if you break it, but if you don't, just send it back here to continue doing work, alright?" the wizard told him before starting to head back upstairs.

edited 12th Nov '15 6:06:29 PM by FirockFinion

Maximus took the bill...

Spent the entire day and night sulking over it...

Enchanters Shop

Nathan nodded, pulling out his money pouch. With 99 marbles, he split the difference with coins and handed them over to the enchanter.

"Very well then. Here it is."

"How's it going there partner? Name's Dart. I don't think we've had a real conversation yet." the pumpkin-headed Dart grinned at Maximus, offering a hand to shake.

"You into juggling?" he asked, cheekily taking out his juggling balls.

Maximus paid no heed to his cheery teammate, he looked too saddened to do anything. Instead all he did was shrink back into a dark corner.

Refran watched Jove just walk off casually back upstairs, raising one eyebrow. "You'd seriously waste a perfectly good golem on target practice, es...?" They softly murmured under their breath. Well, it wasn't in his place to question the wizard's ethics. The warf knows that some screws are loose with them anyway. They turned their attention back to the golem, who actually was kinda short. "So, uh, you're going to be the one I'm fighting, right, es?" Refran walked back a few steps and drew his blade, weighing it in his two hands. It's still a little heavier than what they're used too, but that's what this session was for, right?

The white-haired warf focused himself on the blade they wield, tightening their grip. "Ready, es? Go!" Refran kicked off and burst into an instant sprint. The golem was patient enough to wait for Refran to signal the fight starting, scuttling to the side causing Refran to completely miss his first swing. A quick strike from the magic-induced rock knocked the warf unbalanced, causing them to stumble forward a bit. A scratch was left from the claw that dug into his back, but he managed to recover on his heel and spin around, going for a stab right into the middle of the golem. This easily got blocked though, it using two of the lobster-like arms to lock it in place. "Wha-?!" Refran blinked up in surprise before a few sets of powerful jabs came out to their rib, forcing them to break the offense and slide back the blade.

"D-Damnit!" What the hell was Refran doing?! He shouldn't have any problem with a small fry like this! He tried going for another strike again, tilting the blade on it's side to slice through the short, bulky opponent. But even that the prototype Golem deflects with ease, using a single on of it's arms to parry and leave the warf stunned for a moment, only to bash into them with their entire body like a sort of tackle. This knocked Ref onto the floor, the Golem running up to him and attempting to claw at his chest. Ref let out a surprised, pained cry after about seven strikes, shoving off the rock and getting up himself. This little escapade went on for a solid fifteen minutes, with Refran being unable to land a single blow.

"G-Grr..." Growls started coming from Refran as this fight was being lost, pretty badly. He was better than this. He was faster than this. He could do this, damnit! Something started to glow underneath Refran's left glove, a faint blue trail of light coming out from the rear end. "Faster..." They whispered, starting to run. The golem dodged. "Faster...!" They spoke again, this time a bit louder^note Spend 0 MP on Swordsmanship. This time, they managed to barely scratch the surface, though another quick claw to Ref's back made quick work of that small victory. "Faster...!" Now clearly audible, Refran's eyes became smaller, more focused. Adrenaline pumped through his body.^note Spend 1 MP on Swordsmanship. Dashing back towards the Golem, they got a few hits in without being hit themselves. Refran started circling the poor thing, it completely confused as to what's going on. "FASTER!" Refran shouted out, now completely entranced in the motion. ^note Spend 2 MP on Swordsmanship They became like a blur around the small prototype, kicking up dust and creating gusts of wind as they went. More and more slash wounds appeared on the golem as Refran continued to accelerate his running and swinging, completely blindsided to everything around him right now. Bits and pieces of rock were flying all around the place, hitting the wall and falling everywhere like little pebbles. Refran slowed down steadily, his energy wearing out, but continued to violently hack away at his practice partner before finally landing one last blow, coming down on one of his knees and breathing pretty heavily. He held the blade in his left hand, looking back at what he was hacking at only to see various pieces of rubble being scattered around the room.

"Huff... Huff... D-Damn... Huff... I went a little... Huff... Overboard, huh, es?" A few drops of sweat rolled down Refran's forehead. He completely let himself go there, frustrated at having been unable to do anything there... It felt like he'd learned nothing. It was more violently slashing and blitzing the thing to oblivion, rather than actually using techniques and skill... "W-Well... I... Huff... Should probably tell Jove..." Refran got up and inspected his blade. It dulled a little from constantly beating against solid rock, but a minute or so of sharpening should fix it back up again. That'd be the warf's next stop after this.

Jove's door opened again with Refran walking through. "Finished practice, accidentally kind of obliterated your golem. Just wanted to let you know. If you need any help cleaning it up, come find me." And as suddenly as they intruded, the man left again. He closed the door behind him, proceeding to go down the stairs afterwards. It took a bit of walking, but Refran found himself back in his room. They crashed down, back bent, on the bed and held one arm over their eyes. Ref was beat after that fight, having used up way too much energy...

Spending 99 of his marbles meant Nathan only had to pay 135 coins to make up the difference, leaving him with a single marble, and 215 coins left over. "Alright my friend. Return in one hour" the enchanter told Nathan, then took the money and the staff to begin his work.

Nathan was free to spend his hour however he felt around the town; when the enchanter was finally finished and Nathan came to get his staff, the enchanter handed it over. The sage in training could instantly feel the increased power within, a telltale wavering warmth that indicated an enchantment of fire resided inside the staff. The staff had the moderate enchantment, just as advertised. "I hope it is to your liking, no?" the enchanter asked as Nathan first held the staff after its enchanting.

After waking up and having breakfast, the Dorothans were instructed to grab their equipment and head to the stables by one of the servants; there the countess would give them their instructions for the next mission, though the servant did first tell them that they would have to spend a night away from the castle and thus should pack appropriately.

Countess Raleena was in the stables waiting for them as anticipated, currently seeing to it that the stable hands were properly preparing their horses. She began to address the Dorothans once they were all there. "Since that first mission went in our favor, I've decided it's time to press our advantage. You will be traveling to the district of Count Noxa; Count Noxa has a bit of a preference for Exlan technology, but not enough of one to side with Count Escom for nothing. Noxa holds not one, but two major cities in his district, connected by an Exlan railroad; it is the lifeblood of the district, so like Rakosh's mine, I believe we could 'convince' Noxa to act in our favor if we held his only train" Countess Raleena explained to them.

"And luckily, tomorrow morning the train will be making a special trip; one with no passengers, only cargo. Thus with minimal collateral, it would be an excellent time to strike" Countess Raleena continued, beckoning forth a servant with copies of a map in hand for the occasion. "Of course it will take you the better half of a day to even get there, so the plan is for you to go to the city today so that tomorrow morning you will be well rested enough for the mission. Tail the train after it leaves and make sure you capture and stop it before it reaches its destination; it does not matter how, but as always, killing should be a last resort" she finished.

"Any questions?"

After their own rest and breakfast, the Exlans were gathered in that familiar, fancy parlor again, where Count Escom was already waiting, busying himself with a mechanical typewriter while waiting their arrival. Only once they were all there did he set it aside and take a moment to put his thoughts together. "... The good news is that we have another target of opportunity" Count Escom began, not bothering with the part about having two different news. "The bad news is that it won't be easy, even as much of an opportunity it is" he continued, standing up from his chair and pacing over to the large grandfather clock.

"Count Noxa is one I thought I could rely on for his favor, as like me he prefers Exlan technology over Dorothan magic. However, it seems he does not prefer it enough to support me in favor of Countess Raleena outright, and has opted to remain undecided" Count Escom explained, turning back to the Exlans. "The most vital part of Noxa's district is a single train that goes back and forth between the two cities of his district. Tomorrow morning, that train will be making a trip with only cargo on board; no civilian passengers to get caught in the crossfire. You will go to the city, spend the night there, and catch the train after it leaves; the Exlan train is so vital to his district that I'm sure a reminder of what it could be like not to have it will swing Noxa's vote in my favor" he went on with a determined, almost sinister, small frown.

"Anything to ask before you leave?" Roger said from the side of the room in his usual monotone.

edited 22nd Nov '15 12:25:30 AM by FirockFinion

"What exactly do you want us to do to the train here boss man?" Dart asked, frowing as best as his pumpkin face could.

"A simple derailing is one thing but if you want cargo stolen then that's another."

"If we succeed does that mean I'll be forgiven for breaking that vase?" Maximus asked, he had spent most of yesterday sulking about his accident.

"We'll see..." Count Escom said to Maximus, sending him a quick glare before turning to Dart. "Preferably you would force the train to stop and hold it in impromptu ransom; I don't think simply taking the cargo would send the right message. The important part is that the train is stopped; if left intact, secure it lest those Dorothans show up and hold the ransom for themselves. But if it must be destroyed, I think I could still swing Noxa in my favor in that case; after all, Dorothan could not replace the train, but Exla could" he explained, giving a single nod of his head.

"You understand?" Count Escom asked, raising an eyebrow at the two Exlans.

"Yes." Maximus said curtly.

Refran was staring at his gloved right hand again, absently minding his own business. Their eyes had a mechanical look to them whilst they lay there, unmoving. The sun had settled a little while ago, and Ref should really be getting some sleep. But he just couldn't for now. The warf turned on his side, looking at the wall. He was thinking about something, for sure, and honestly they're pretty glad they're the only ones in this room right now.

"I should get some sleep, es..."

Refran got up with a groan, knowing full well that those few strands of light prickling his eyes meant they needed to get up. Ugh, he really should've slept more... The warf threw himself out of bed and ruffled his white strands of hair, who were sticking out all over the place on his head. The blader did a few in-room exercises and put together his gear to head out for the day...

Raleena had made the meeting point the stables, and Refran was completely okay with that. The warf held one hand on his hip whilst the other dangled from the side. A duffle bag sort of thing was thrown over his shoulder, but it seemed to be locked in place using two ropes. It looked surprisingly heavy, but Ref didn't mind. Surprisingly, only him and Nathan'd shown up. Where was Nid? It didn't seem much like her to be late. Not that it mattered, Raleena went over the plan quite clearly. Though one thing did bother Ref...

"No questions here." he answered. The thing that was bothering him was Exlan's force, they're not just going to sit idly by. The real trouble starts when they show up and decide to tail the train at the same time... And at that point, they have an advantage with their guns.

edited 25th Nov '15 7:24:11 AM by Nickpws

"Very good. See to it that the train is captured and we'll be one step closer to a more meaningful relationship between Dorothan and Seliin" Countess Raleena said, turning away as one of the stable hands motioned that the horses were ready. "You're free to leave once you're prepared; since you'll be staying the night there there's still time to spare now. So let my servants know if there's anything else you think you could use before you go" she told the Dorothans as she looked back at them. Then she headed out, back to the castle proper.

"Alright. There is some time to spare, so make sure you're ready before you go. I've had the staff already prepare your horses" Count Escom muttered, almost a bit dismissively. "Roger can help you if you need anything" he added, and walked out of the room.

Red Rock City, being ever so creatively named because it was nestled in a flatland littered with red colored rock formations, was not terribly large as cities went, but certainly was sprawling with life. It was surrounded by somewhat short though very sturdy looking stone walls, outside of which was a collection of big tents and similarly built-to-be-temporary huts gathered around each major entrance. That fabled rail line was easily visible heading out towards the South East where somewhere just beyond a horizon of plateaus was supposedly another city.

Down at one of the South gates, the Dorothans' entry into the city was delayed as the guards were half busy conversing with some higher up who was making a surprise inspection, and half busy making themselves look very busy by going through the process with the Dorothans in excruciating, by the books detail. It reeked very much of them desperately showing off so that maybe they could snag a promotion or at the very least not get fired. In time the higher up eventually left, and the process suddenly became much more expedient; soon the Dorothans were let into the city by the guards who seemed too relieved about keeping their jobs to bother apologizing for the inconvenience.

Up at a North gate, the Exlans didn't have it too much better as there was a heated dispute between themselves and the guards about whether or not they could bring their guns into the city with them. It got so heated that at one point it seemed like all it would take was one guy getting startled by something unrelated and drawing his gun then the whole thing would just explode into a firefight. Thankfully though, that did not happen and the Exlans were, eventually, allowed to enter the city with their guns still in hand; there was the distinct impression that the guards were probably making rude gestures and colorful remarks about them behind their backs as they went into the city, but that was now inconsequential.

It was around mid evening at that point, and both groups now simply had to find a way to waste some time before finding somewhere to sleep for the night.

edited 29th Nov '15 10:06:51 PM by FirockFinion

“Yeah, well at least I ‘’have’’ a mother you stiff!” Dart shot back to one of the mouthy guards. He spurred Cocoa forward and spun her around to face the rest of the group.

“Anybody care to make some extra money while we’re here? Local sheriffs in towns like these always have a few bums hanging around town who skipped out on bail. Trust me – bounty hunting money is good money.”

Maximus mostly ignored the squabble, he was dead set on the vase that he broke last night.

Nathan waited patiently as the guards went to the abnormally tedious guard procedure.

A true sage has the patience of the world...but seriously, will they hurry up?

After finally being allowed to go as he pleased, he proceeded to try and create a golem companion from the dirt. Never hurt to get a bit of practice for his new skill in. And also in case he ran into any Exlans from the mine incident.

Don't want to be caught off guard...

Something jolted awake in Refran's brain when the countess had mentioned something about forgetting things, the man's hand quickly patting his chest and neck to check if what they were looking for was there. It wasn't. "W-Wait, hold up! I gotta go grab something before I leave, es!" Refran jolted back towards their room, zooming past the servants in Raleena's castle and probably nearly knocking a few of them over while they're at it. Once arrived, the warf searched his chamber thoroughly for the pendant they'd bought the day before. Eventually they found it underneath the bed, still in a small box Refran had put it in. He opened it, then hung the necklace around his neck. "Right... I don't want to forget you..."

Refran had grown increasingly impatient with those annoying as hell guards, acting like suckups just because they wanted a cheap promotion. "Nathan, I swear es, the next guy I come across that makes me wait THIS much for no reason I'm going to hit, es..." the warf spat out, informing his travel companion. They, however, seemed to have fun playing in the dirt for some reason... "...A-Anyway, es. I'm going to go scout out the city for a place to sleep, let's meet back at the gate once the sun sets, es." Refran decided this was the course of action he was going to take, and didn't even bother to wait on a reply from Nathan. Who knows how long that'd take, anyway.

The warf headed into the city, keeping an eye out for any possible sleeping places that don't look shady. While he was at it, Ref also was on the look out for any possible trouble. If there was anything that could interfere with their mission it'd be in Refran's best interest to avoid or neutralize before it got out of hand.

Nathan's golem creation went off without a hitch, pairing him up with a hulking brute of a humanoid made of dirt; of course being made of dirt it would have some limitations, but this could definitely deal with any typical street thug and maybe even give town guards pause.

Elsewhere, Dart's search for bounties led him and Maximus to a marketplace where a wall had a whole collection of bounties listed. Searching through them Dart would find that most were for bandits outside of town, holed up who knows where, but a few were for high profile thieves presumably still in the city. Thing was, from the size of the bounties these people were either very hard to find, very dangerous, or both. They were here for a mission and only had so much time left in the day, which meant there was only so much time he could take pursuing these bounties if he so chose.

A bit higher up, Refran's search for a tavern was easy; searching for a tavern that didn't look too shady however, was a bigger issue. As the countess had mentioned, the city had a bit of a leaning towards Exlan tech, and most of the places Refran spotted had at least something clockwork or steam powered either on the building or somewhere in the main room. Along with patrons who didn't look like the friendliest, Refran was left searching for a little while. But eventually there it was; an inn with Dorothan style runes carved around the doorway; it should be the perfect place for the Dorothans to rest the night.

The inn was located on one side of a walkway, the other side of which had a railing to look out over a lower part of the city, specifically over a market. And looking over that railing, Refran spotted a familiar orange skinned figure and someone with him. Though Dart was too engrossed in the listed bounties to notice, Maximus clearly spotted a Warf looking down at him and Dart obviously, standing up at a higher part of the city a ways away. Refran likewise could see that one of the two men had clearly spotted him.

Maximus taps Dart's shoulder and points towards the suspicious-looking Warf, "Hey, is that guy familiar to you? He's been gawking at us for a while now."

Refran silently celebrated having found an inn to rest at, and the place looked damn good to boot! He'd have to tell Nathan about this later, poor lad doesn't seem to have any street knowledge with being such a bookworm. There was a railing a little ways away that caught the warf's interest, as there seemed to be a market below. "Couldn't hurt to take a peek, right es?" they mumbled to themselves, walking over and looking down. There wasn't anything in particular that really caught the man's eye in terms of items for sale, which was a shame.

Then they noticed something else. Two distinct figures, clearly Exlan... And one Ref's all too familiar with. They were part of that group that nearly killed Nid... He grit his teeth at the thought, coiling his hand into a fist. It was his own damn fault for jumping the gun, after all... Refran was too self-absorbed to notice he was left staring for a bit too long, and the new guy tapped the patchwalker on the shoulder. "Damnit!" the warf cursed under his breath, turning around and quickly bolting out of there. Dart knew it was Refran's fault all of them nearly died in a burning building, and the guy didn't want a repeat of that.

edited 2nd Dec '15 6:42:05 AM by Nickpws

In case Dart didn't see Refran, Maximus described the creature in full detail.

Dart would have the opportunity to get a good glance before Refran got out of sight; at his backside. Not quite enough to clearly remember him from the mine right away, but with Maximus' description it would eventually click with Dart.

After running away from the railing edge as fast as he could to the other side of the street, Refran nearly ran into a pair of guards who had been walking along next to the buildings. "Hey, what's the hurry?" one of the guards asked, the other having his hand go for his sword hilt in case Refran was about to pull something.

edited 14th Dec '15 5:46:07 AM by FirockFinion