[quote=@Cruallassar]"I don't want to be here. My name is Kael, I'm the student of the Ranger Cruallassar, I don't know why I'm here or where here is, and only have a vague idea of how I got here...but I would really like to know these things, or to go home. Whichever comes first, I'm not picky. And if going home means doing whatever these other people are here to do, then that is fine by me. It's nice to meet you...I hope."[/quote]
"What the lad [i]meant[/i] to say was that he was evoked in order to lend assistance to Sir Fortune in rescuing the Duke." The pavise knight interjected, shooting a scowl at the young ranger. "I can vouch for him - but that is it. There is no way you are having me head into that [i]death trap[/i]. I did not sign up for this - and I don't owe you [i]that[/i] much."

"No, but you and your partner together did." Aesch said with pained twist of his head and a grimace aimed vaguely in the knight's direction. "Her debt still has yet to be paid back. The burden falls to you. If you do not like it, I can always have a word with the district attorney's office." The pavise knight grit his teeth, the fingers of his left hand clenching tightly - but he kept silent.

[quote=@WiseDragonGirl]"I really need a cup of coffee before doing anything else." It didn't matter to him if people would follow him or remain behind for a chat. All he wanted was to find Tafans and go home, but not before he had a good cup of coffee. And the best chance of locating either was in the university. [/quote]
[@WiseDragonGirl]
"Oh? And how do you plan to get inside? You have not been invited in and your biometric data is not in the registry." Aesch called back to Andreas' retreating form, without even turning his head to look at the departing doctor. "Get back here you pedant. I know pediatric care is not the most cerebral of medical studies, but one would expect you to have a modicum of common sense."

As Andreas distanced himself from the group, the tenuous finger of coherent space surrounding Aesch's personal entourage extended out further, following the doctor as a small spherical area of influence. With every step he took though, the distorted and hyper-compressed spatial disturbance surrounding them all encroached upon the slim thread of sanity between Aesch and Andreas. If he took but another step, the thread would be wholly severed. There was nothing stopping him from separating from the group were he to proceed - and though it was hard to make out admist the tangle of jumbled gothic architecture up ahead, Andreas swore he could see the dark outline of a vaguely humanoid form beckoning to him, obscured in many parts by intersections and overlays of stonework.

[quote=@Bright_Ops]"I was informed that there were innocent people trapped in the university by a situation that has gone horribly wrong and it is my duty of a knight of the lady to try and rescue as many of them as possible... and failing that avenge their deaths. If you are not inclined to give us a more full picture of the warp blasted mess we are heading into, then please kindly point us towards our entry point and allow us to find out what is in there ourselves." [/quote][quote=@Doc Doctor]"Ayuh, coffee first, and a laundromat. If yuh ain' noticed, we went through a real double skunkin' jus' go get intah a position tah save yah hide. Ah wanna tawlk privately with yah as well Mistah Aesh. Ah'm thah kinda fella who don't move lessin' he knows what he's in for. A'course yah could say Ah shouldn't expect any unfahseen problems, but, well... Odd thing. Ah find mahself both drench'd in blood, an' not quite skippah tah take yah at your word, frahnd."[/quote]
[@Bright_Ops][@Doc Doctor]
"Yes, yes, I was just getting there." Aesch rolled his head again with the same pained expression - the motion seemed to one of habit. "You may well prefer your current clothes as they are rather than getting them cleaned, unless the thought of wiping off a stain before stepping into a septic pit appeals to you so much." Aesch sniffed scornfully to punctuate the statement. "It's all very simple. The University was hosting a symposium. One of the first presentations was to be made by one Leona Olypmia Cetona, doctor of theoretical physics and specifically of recently deregulated Allineation studies." Aesch idly raised his right hand and pointed straight up into the horribly twisted sky as he spoke, as though in reference. "Prematurely deregulated, as it turns out. She used her own presentation slot in order to stage her own ascension scheme. She apparently made something called a..." Aesch trailed off, and glanced meaningfully at the still-fallen man to his right, staring off into space where his comrade's head was busy drifting off. "Wilkins, boy, are you still there?"

The suited man turned to look at Aesch blankly for a moment, his face still chalk-white in pallor. "Sir?" He inquired hoarsely.

"The gizmo the doctor made." Aesch rolled his head again with another grimace.

"Oh. A fractal analogue iteration transistor, sir." The man said, fully righting himself and assuming a kneeling stance, facing both Ariett and his deceased's associates body. "More colloquially referred to as an Allineator."

"Yes, that." Aesch continued impatiently. "Intelligence is limited, but Leona somehow used the Allineator whatsit to hijack the symposium. She started by killing the hundred or so visitors attending her presentation. Then the guards. The the university staff. She kept on going - apparently the University's security measures have not been able to stop her. All the good they've done is stop her from getting out, but they've also trapped everyone still alive inside with her. Including," Aesch turned his gaze to Fortune with a wary expression. "One Duke Aldric De Palenbergo of many other names I do not have the reverence to recite in full. We know he's still alive, for the moment, due to his guest pass and biometric data having been used little more than fifteen minutes ago."

[@Holmishire]
"Your jobs are as follows." He looked to Ariett. "[i]You[/i], Ms. Deveca, are the only person who has a guest pass and biometric data registered with the university. Your little team will need you to stand by and open any locked doors for them - at least, those you can find which your limited privileges can open at all." 

He turned then to look at Donny. "You need to find Dr. Leona and deal with her, and shut down the Allineator. Preferably, destroy it once that's done. Do [i]not[/i] destroy it before turning it off, my techies inform me that would be bad." He waved irritably before addressing Fortune.

"Finally, you and Dr. Bansing will be responsible for locating and rescuing the Duke, whatever condition he might be in. As a secondary priority, you are to provide medical assistance to any wounded you find inside. I understand one of Dr. Bansing's patients is currently inside, some...uh..."

"A Kanuri boy sir. He's the one who called out using the emergency line before it was cut." The suited man to Aesch's left said. "Tafans was his name. He claimed to have observed Leona's use of the Allineator first hand."

"Right, so he's also a priority as the only confirmed survivor of her initial massacre." Aesch carried on. "Find and rescue him too. If he can't be saved, try to pump him for anything useful at least."

[quote=@Holmishire]"The boy is dead; he was trying to save us when the… slug started spinning." She sighed, turning to the male pavise knight. "Does this mean you'll be coming with us? Though you've never given us your name."[/quote]
"Then unless your evoked help happens to know anything about molecular golem interfaces, I suppose you're rather in a spot of trouble." Aesch replied dryly. "Make do."

"This whole thing is utter trash." The pavise knight complained loudly, seeming to ignore the inquiry as to his name. "I mean, I'll go in if only for the sake of covering Hiecro's debt - and helping out these poor bastards - but do you honestly expect us to make any difference? How come you don't just send in the army or something? Now that Deveca is here, you should have access through that one wing, right?"

"Well in case you had not all noticed, certain other powers have taken advantage of Dr. Leona's power play." Aesch replied sourly. "All of my men are currently busy keeping the university grounds secure, and my influence with the militia has been...curtailed." He drummed his fingers in irritation. "Certain other parties want Leona to escape the university. Hence why your limousine was intercepted. And why if I send anybody else with you, certain busybodies will slip through the cracks - and then we [i]all[/i] lose. So yes, it is just you five. And if you fail, I will cut my losses and just burn the whole university to the ground."