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Post by onidrill on Feb 23, 2017 2:34:45 GMT
"Enough with the baying ." Freya sighed, and as she spoke, she pulled a wing from over her eyed and braced herself and slowly began to rise. "They're children, and you're making my headache worse besides."
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Nov 23, 2023 19:11:09 GMT
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Post by lichlord on Feb 23, 2017 5:30:21 GMT
ES turns to Frank as he speaks first.
"I am unsure what you mean by 'technology' but I am sure it isn't magic, and the Masked Man has been seen by my brothers building those things to control the stone men. And build his own minions to oppress us. But yes we are not the only ones enslaved. And if you wish to find him, he and the bulk of his servants are at the beginning of the path he had us cut."
He seems to nod as if knowing that you were portaled here was his assumption.
"I had figured you were amoung the strange beings brought here against your will. So many beasts not native to this island show up seemingly confused and talking in strange tongues. Like yours. I do not know why or how, that is a question the Masked Man wished to answer as well. He at first began trying to recruit all of us to attack the strange beings set to guard the mountain so he could confront what was inside, where the light goes. But we refused, so he enslaved us instead, knowing that my young brothers could be controlled easier at a simple task."
He turns to Freya, and looks very confused.
"'How'? I do not understand. We have always spoken our language. And if 'we' are beasts, then what does that make you? As for those that attacked you, there are many that can speak and do not. They are loners and savages, hoping to just eat anything they come across."
As Midna gets frustrated, the younger one she was talking to runs behind it's older brother.
"Keep your anger in check. We do not know anything but this island. Those who were brought here like you are the only way we know there is an outside world!"
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Sept 22, 2017 12:32:10 GMT
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Post by magnyrdelorn on Feb 23, 2017 6:22:22 GMT
"Sounds like this Masked Man is well fortified, as well as fairly knowledgeable. He's clearly a foreigner. Ember-Shell, do you know of similar work camps like this one? Perhaps we can liberate a few more camps, and storm his base with an army of his former slaves." Frank looks like he's pondering something. "When you call him a Masked 'Man,' what does he look like, exactly? Did he refer to himself as a human?" Frank briefly describes the human form.
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Post by lichlord on Feb 23, 2017 8:32:46 GMT
"The only camps you may find are along this line of forest we've cut already. Some will come quickly to replace us when word arrives this group has not come back. And I do not know what a 'human' is but he himself is some sort of magic creature... or a nightmare. He is a floating black shape with large red eyes and long arms. Below him he carries a mask below him he insists is his face, although it doesn't match the one on his form."
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Sept 22, 2017 12:32:10 GMT
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Post by magnyrdelorn on Feb 23, 2017 12:47:57 GMT
Frank nods, seemingly contented on the subject of the masked man for now. "Well, your description of his form is decidedly not human, but he could have very well been a human before being brought here. Seems the only prudent course of action is to pay this person a visit, picking up anyone we encounter along the way in our entourage. For the time being though, I believe my companion here needs time to recuperate."
"What do you know of the mountain? What strange creatures were guarding it? What was the light? Did your kind refuse to help him siege the mountain for another reason beyond merely resisting him?"
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Post by lichlord on Feb 23, 2017 17:45:58 GMT
"I know nothing of the light nor the mountain other than something important must be there or else those guardians would not be there at the base. The most ferocious of which is a huge one that grabs and devours anyone it comes across. And the more sent there the more of these guardians appear. A group of my brothers early in my life before the Masked Man had tried to go to the mountain to satisfy their curiosity. The survivor told us what dangers there were."
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Post by ThRevanchist on Feb 23, 2017 18:27:40 GMT
Tickled by the idea of fighting a deadly enemy, and only minimally concerned about how useless this tiny body had been at literally everything, Hura speaks up again, "Hya-ha! A Guardian that eats anything in its path? You want to go two-for-two, Frank? Those spiders from before were no match for your mighty maw, why should that big thing be any different? Meh, might be just as well to round up a few more friends, first, though. We're hardly a swarm without numbers, after all..."
For his part, Hura couldn't make heads or tails of the description. It didn't act (or sound) like a Sura... although if it was, now would have been the best time to eat it... Anyways, the 'masked man' was a human as far as Hura was concerned.
One other thing had piqued his interest, though. "Hey, those stone men, if he found them, does that mean he's only got so many? I may not be a tactician, but even I know better than to blow up limited troops... But if he has his own minions, too, I guess he can get away with it. Say, what do the ones he builds look like?"
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Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
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Post by Bowyer on Feb 24, 2017 3:23:00 GMT
Midna bristles as the elder calls her out. Who was he to say how she should act? Her face twists as though she were about to argue the point but her expression grows disinterested. They didn't know anything about this island anyway. Or at least as it pertained to her home. She doesn't deign to answer him with a response.
Gaurdians? Mysterious light? Definitely something important there. But Frank and Hura wanted to try and persuade this Masked Man to help. Or accrue an army on the way. "Didn't you want to find a way off this island? Spending time chasing after this Masked Man sounds like time wasted. The best hope for getting out of here is finding whatever is in that mountain." She shrugs. "But I suppose I could help, you probably wouldn't get far on your own."
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Post by lichlord on Feb 24, 2017 3:47:54 GMT
"He does have some more of the stone men, but only so many, and one of the bigger ones is now destroyed. As for the ones he's building, they are thin-limbed spindly wood men."
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Sept 22, 2017 12:32:10 GMT
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Post by magnyrdelorn on Feb 24, 2017 12:56:33 GMT
"Well, Midna, as our new friend here was saying, Double M here tried the same thing, and failed. I'd very much so like to know WHY he failed, so that when we try, we prove more successful. If in the process we liberate the island from the yoke of oppressive rule, well, that's just icing."
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Post by lichlord on Feb 24, 2017 18:35:46 GMT
"He gathered up a large force of those willing to fight, but as I said, the more forces you bring, the more guardians show up. I don't know how badly his first attempt went but he came back angry and with very little of his remaining forces he had taken."
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Post by onidrill on Feb 24, 2017 19:48:36 GMT
"So an army's no good." Freya closed her eyes briefly, than shot Frank a curious glance. "Do you have experience leading one where you come from? Maybe it's more than instinct guiding those new jaws of yours." Able to at least move about on her own, she tried beating her wings twice and hissed at the effort, before continuing.
"Instead of soldiers, we can at least seek out information, and weaken this Masked fool's grip on the island before rushing off to parts unknown without a clue as to what we're truly dealing with. Some poor soul press ganged into his service is bound to know something. Rumors, folklore... I assume the Masked Man also has medicine and food he supplies his enforcers with?"
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Post by Harbringer of Insanity on Feb 24, 2017 22:54:33 GMT
Chell hadn't really been contributing to the conversation at all (not that she has much choice in the matter) and had instead been doing some simple excercises ( Look up to the ceiling. Look down at the floor. She snorts in amusement), trying to get the soreness out of her limbs and further getting used to her new body. She seemed to become better and better at controlling her new, short, fluffy - yet surprisingly strong - limbs the longer she was jumping around, and it became easier and easier to move around in her litle rabbit body as time went on. As such, she hadn't really been paying any attention to what the others were talking about, instead spending her time moving around the trees, jumping from branch to branch, slowly making her way up to the top of the trees. Once there, she spends a good few moments just... taking it all in, truly enjoying the sight of unkempt nature after her time in the sterile (and/or dilapitated) environments of Aperture Science. However, it doesn't take too long before she starts analyzing the area, deeply ingrained instincts kicking into gear as she carefully categorizes the lay of the land, how the trees are formed and the hills are laid out, how she could get around easily. In general, how things were located and how she could use the environment to her benefit. Spending 1 AP to activate Chronicler to make a Record of Island Forest Taking an Extended Action to place Island Forest in Travel Archive
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Post by lichlord on Feb 25, 2017 5:38:43 GMT
"I have seen them use some healing plants on some of his loyal fighters, yes."
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Post by Bowyer on Feb 26, 2017 4:34:09 GMT
Midna was clearly outvoted. If the others were dead set on freeing some slaves, she would have to go with them. Figuring out how to get back was would be easier if she had others to help. She shrugs, "I doubt this masked man knows anything. But I suppose we might get lucky and get him to tell us something about the guardians." She tries to point a finger at the three of them but all she has is a stub, "I still think it's a waste of time" Still, she is prepared to head out and see who this masked man might be.
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Post by magnyrdelorn on Feb 26, 2017 5:13:13 GMT
"As a matter of fact, I do. I am the leader of the most powerful military in the world where I come from." Frank answers Freya's question tactfully, without adding an extra pretentious tone to his voice.
Turning to Midna, he says "I think it is the most prudent course of action. There are a few things we know at this point. Whatever is on that mountain has the power to bring people in from all manner of dimensions. My understanding is that several of you aren't even human. The 'Masked Man' tried to fight the guardians of the mountain and was repelled, quite soundly if we heard right. So, if we can't defeat him, we're clearly no match for what resides on the mountain. He might have valuable first hand information we can persuade him to relinquish. Trust me, I am as eager as you to get back to my life."
"Right now, however, Freya is way too injured to travel. Ember-Shell, do you happen to have any medicine she can take to ease her recuperation?"
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Post by lichlord on Feb 27, 2017 9:06:04 GMT
"I'm afraid we've done all we can. If your Freya were to rest, and you all for that matter, you'll find that healing comes easier."(They've applied healing poultices to you all, so fancy bandages )
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Post by Bowyer on Feb 28, 2017 2:48:01 GMT
Midna is a little skeptical about Frank's claim to being a military leader. He seemed a bit too level headed for something that brutal.
Midna doesn't deign to respond to Frank's accusation of her not being human, at least not verbally. A knowing wink will have to suffice for the curious crocodile. As for the suggestion that they rest. Well she wasn't feeling too amazing herself still. A bit of a rest ought to bring her back to tiptop shape. "I suppose a rest wouldn't be out of the question. If we're going to be headed to overthrow a 'Mad Man' for no reason, we might as well be healthy."
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Post by lichlord on Feb 28, 2017 6:54:26 GMT
Protected by the Durants keeping watch, all of you get a chance for some rest. They insist you take as long as you need.
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Post by magnyrdelorn on Mar 1, 2017 1:29:52 GMT
The loose group of companions settled, and Frank saw this as a decent enough time to get some shuteye. With that, he found a tree to lie against, and with a bit of wriggling, found a comfortable spot to sleep.
When he awoke, after some time had passed, he looked once more for Ember-Shell once more. "It seems we'll be leaving soon for this masked man. Would you and your people help us liberate the island? Also, do you know of any camps along the way we can recruit more to our cause, before we strike?"
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