Mokley

Lantern

You guyyyysss are all aaawesome. Hugs all around! Thank you. I promise to stop second-guessing myself, and focus on moving forward!

So what we need is one great mod post to rule them all, to draw all of you into the same new scene and begin to clarify what the hell is actually going on. Red_massa, good idea on the after New Years thing -- maybe some people will return then, or we can gather more.

If anyone cares to post once more while I work out how this is going to work, please do feel free to do so!

Edit: Ok, got something up. I assumed the three people who've responded in the past week are the only ones left -- if someone else is still around, you can either assume something similar has happened to you or I can write you in.

Since you three are in possession of the green lantern, you're all green team now. You know, in case we end up separating into teams again. ;)

Ragtag: Steampunk treasure hunting.

Maybe she should. I've noticed that she tries to take charge quite a bit, which is odd for a slave. Or maybe she's got a lot of pent-up bossiness. I blame you, Northern, for giving her all these delusions of power. ;D

If any other character wants to kick Simnia around, I invite and encourage you to do so. Maybe there are some apricots left....

Also, Northern, love where this is going! Treasure ho!

Ragtag: Steampunk treasure hunting.

While Maithien spoke, Simnia grew quieter. Her rigid shoulders hunched, and her screwed eyes softened. And then, he apologized. A human apologized to a dwarf! She stared up at him in sad wonder. For a moment she looked over at Arturos -- the odd one that had appeared out of the ship with a supportive word -- and at Aria and Katewyn, who had been through quite a lot without so much as a reason why, until now. The dwarf was glad she had forced the captain's confession, for all their benefit, but she still felt a little ashamed of her roaring.

The dwarf huffed a sigh and laid her fists on her wide hips. The look she gave Maithien was motherly and somewhat disappointed. "My point, dear captain, is the fact that if you want our help you'll have to tell us what we're helping with, instead of ordering us about without reason like we're blind and deaf. Thank you for that clarification. It still troubles me that you'd set off in a ship without a proper engineer, though." She soured just a little -- but she stepped away and turned toward the rest of the crew idling on the deck, and assumed the captain's voice had been too quiet for all of them to hear. The dwarf decided to take it upon herself, once again, to make an announcement:

"We're gonna be bodyguards for the captain, as he goes off into the city to make a deal for an old artifact that'll lead us to the spot of a long-buried treasure. This thing is a thing any bandit would kill for, so polish yer weapons and stoke yer guns. If anybody's got an extra weapon, I wouldn't mind it, myself. We may well get ambushed, and I won't be runnin'." She grinned up at Maithien, gave him a solid wink, and gestured to Arturos and Katewyn and Aria to follow (as soon as they'd prepared themselves, of course) as she marched off the ship and to the unfamiliar dock of Braelv.

As soon as she'd set foot on the dock, her confidence paled. What if they were ambushed? Was it really better to die a free dwarf than to live as a slave, after all? She glanced back up the gangway, and decided it was her first duty to protect the captain and her fellow treasure hunters -- though chances were it was they who would end up protecting her.

Lantern

Damiann, it has been tremendous working with you -- definitely I will keep you posted. I think a mass slaughter is in order: heroic and badass.

Templar and Messa, great to see you! I think you're both a little stuck waiting for other players to post, but of course I am very willing to drop you into new territory together and therefore do a bigger shift in scenery. Same goes for you, Zealous! At this point, I am very, very open to suggestions. What would be amazing beyond belief? Any particular part of the rp you're most interested in? Any special powers or status or sect you want for your character? Favorite magical animals? Wanna be a pirate or a kith? Does anything really suck that you wish would go away right now?

I'm also slightly contemplating a reboot. I've learned a lot from you guys and from my numerous mistakes, and I think I can continue to do much better with this modding thing. But, it would be smart to wait until after the holidays, I think.

Lantern

Kituo said The wolf whined and so did he.

Oh to hell with it.

Either way...I guess I'm going to die.

Closing his eyes, Kituo dove for the lantern.

The lantern was soon in Kituo's possession, clinking and rattling as he withdrew it from the metal platform. The glass had been chipped, but it was in fair condition, if old and a bit mossy. It was clear now that there was no flame inside the artifact: it was an egg, secured within the lantern casing, that was glowing a bright green from within. A rune was carved into the rigid shell, and it shone brighter than the rest.

The platform underneath Kituo's feet had begun to hum; it vibrated and clicked, as if something mechanical below was struggling to lift it.

Now that the lantern was closer to the ground, the reach of its light was not at all as far as it once had been. The darkness encroached all around; the silhouettes of the trees began to shift, and something skittered in the darkness just beyond Kituo's sight. There was a distinct multitude of something watching him from the shadows, but nothing made its appearance.

The great wolf stared down at him with eyes that seemed to glow yellow in the night. It panted quietly, and its ears pricked in curiosity. It sat down in the grass at the edge of the platform and whined again, watching Kituo, and made no movement that suggested it would attack at all. In fact it lowered its head, blinking and snuffling at him, not at all bothered by the light of the lantern.

Lantern

Woohoo! Good to see you, Zealous! It's seeming like a ghost town recently.

Is anyone else around? Roll call!

Lantern

Aww noooo drewccapp! What'll we do without our fearless princess? I don't know if I have the heart to kill her off -- maybe just a gentle disappearance. Unless you have a preference. ;)

Thanks for the awesome posts! Good luck in your new adventures!

Ragtag: Steampunk treasure hunting.

Ahahaha, sorry! xD And also sorry about the sudden outburst, but this dwarf wouldn't have it. Feel free to threaten slavery or plank-walking if she doesn't hush. ;)

Lantern

Simon said " Um hello there, can you tell me your name and what happened here since my friend here ~shoots a backwards glance at Yurei~ says that this is her house"

Yurei scrabbled her foot on the porch, and only waited a few seconds before she boldly pushed Simon out of the way. "You're too nice, boy!" she griped. "You don't play nice with the intruders! What if he's a kith? He could have your eyeballs out," she snapped her gnarled fingers in Simon's face, "like that!" She smacked him behind the head and stomped her way into the room.

She shuffled up to the edge of the table, and she stopped, her lined face going pale. She sniffed the air, and she listened. "The blood-rat . . ." she whispered in horror. "No, no, no, no!" In a flurry she rounded the table, knocked over a few pans and a half-eaten sandwich, set the jellyfish swinging from the ceiling, and she grabbed the cage with both hands. "Squeaky! Squeaky!" She rounded in a fury and smacked the table. "What happened? WHAT DID YOU DO." She kicked under the table, upsetting the lantern with a clatter. "That rat is the catalyst of every protection spell in a three-mile radius! We're about to be eaten! Get out so I can slaughter you properly before the trees do it for me!"

Outside, there was a sharp CRACK of stone breaking. Bats screeched. Something was moving under the floor. Something else was scrabbling on the roof. Yurei had picked up a frying pan and menaced Arin with it, with an expression of fearless animosity.

Lantern

Hokay, people! I'mma just start posting all over the place starting SOON.

IDEA! Would it help if I wrote out a synopsis of what's actually going on, and the types of things you might expect to be able to do? I could even write out a sort of guidebook. Originally the plan was to reveal the plot and your role in it as the story progresses, but if not-knowing is causing frustration and confusion I can lay out what's happening so you can direct your character to notice certain important things.

Edit: posted for blue, maybe to give Thundercat something more substantial to respond to. I know both players in Green team are working on finals and things, so will hang out a teeny bit longer.