DiscoDude: ---BEGIN SESSION---
DiscoDude: Session logging commenced
Ryusui|GM: So, a quick recap!
Ryusui|GM: You're at a marketplace in another strange piece of the Glittering City, Glissandria, a patchwork mashup of bits and pieces taken from various worlds!
Ryusui|GM: So far you've managed to travel twice using ornate crystals found at the far end of various challenges...
Ryusui|GM: This time, the crystal is nowhere to be seen, but signs suggest it is somewhere between a massive haul of loot being sold off - one piece at a time - by attractive fennec-lady auctioneer here!
Ryusui|GM: And the pile of treasure is being carefully watched over by a hulking rhino guard, making a snatch-and-grab a questionable proposition!
Ryusui|GM: "1,500 from the handsome stranger!" the auctioneer calls out, pointing at Coma. "Do I hear 1,600?" "1,750!"
comes the response.
Coma: (I mean, it’s not even necessarily being sold, and even if it is, we just have to touch it.)
Coma: “2,000.”
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: While idling, an in-hindsight-obvious question pops into Dr. Grey's mind. Looking up, she asks, "I'm curious how you two're able to communicate with us."
Coma: (Asking the operators, I assume?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Yeah.))
Ryusui|GM: "2,000! Do I hear 2,200?" "2,500!"
Ryusui|GM: "Do you want the long answer or the short one?" the second, snarkier voice - Audrey, the first one called her? - says.
Coma: “3,000.”
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "I think I've got time for the long answer." Dr. Grey replies.
Coma: (Let me know if/when I actually have to start rolling for these.)
Ryusui|GM: "...it's a phenomenon called 'thread entanglement,'" the first voice says, after a pause. "You could say we are currently...bound together by a thematic link. It's the reason we were able to pull you in to begin with." "Yeah, but beggars, choosers and all that. If we had options we'd have picked people with more...synergy? Firepower?" "Audrey, don't be gauche."
Ryusui|GM: "The bottom line is," the first voice finishes, "you could think of yourselves as...our avatars, to an extent. Our thoughts are linked to each other and to the rest of you, because, in a strange metatemporal sense, we are - at present - all...the same?" "It sounds creepier than it is and we promise that when this is over there'll be no more freaky entanglement shenanigans," the second voice says. "I mean, until the next time we need to call on you, if that happens."
Ryusui|GM: Coma "That's 3,000! Going once, going twice!" No one else bids. "Sold!" The auctioneer approaches you for your payment, with the rhino at her side, holding your prize.
Coma: “Here you go~!” Coma has the amount ready by the time they reach him.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "And what are these 'thematic links'? How to they entangle our metaphorical threads? I assume this is what allows for the telepathic exchange."
Ryusui|GM: For the record, ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾ and Lazarus: while this transaction is going on, there are no eyes on the loot pile.
Coma: “Ah-!” He fumbles and drops a coin on the ground when he’s close to finishing the counting.
Lazarus: Lazarus tries to take a peak and find a crystal similar to the ones they've touched.
Ryusui|GM: "Adventurers. Explorers. People of a certain...spirit." The first voice says, with almost a shrug. "I've researched it for years and I still don't fully understand how it works.
Ryusui|GM: Lazarus, you'll need to work quickly to search as much of the pile as you can before the transaction is complete!
Lazarus: (( Quick roll then? :o ))
Ryusui|GM: (sure!)
Lazarus: !f 2
DiscoDude: Lazarus rolled 4dF+2 for 1 [4dF = [+][-][-][ ]]
Lazarus: (( Mmm... ))
Ryusui|GM: "It happens!" the auctioneer giggles, bending over and helping you with the count.
Ryusui|GM: (You can attempt to surreptitiously drag the count out if you like, Coma!)
Coma: (I’m gonna do that.)
Ryusui|GM: (gimme a roll for it!)
Coma: (Do I need to roll?)
Ryusui|GM: (Also, you'll need to beat +2 to win outright, Lazarus, so you'll need to either add something, accept a fail, or succeed at a cost!)
Coma: (Alright, this is probably SNEAKY...)
Coma: !f 1 (SNEAKY)
DiscoDude: Coma rolled 4dF+1 for -2 [4dF = [ ][-][-][-]]
Lazarus: (( I was wondering if I could create my free aspect and then use a Fate Point to add a +2 to it ))
Coma: (F.)
Ryusui|GM: (oh damn, you wanna try something to fix that?)
Coma: (What did I need to beat?)
Ryusui|GM: (+1)
Ryusui|GM: (also Lazarus you can do that, but remember the free aspect needs to be something relevant!)
Lazarus: (( yeee ))
Lazarus: (( was thinking Sticky Fingers since he kinda did some thievery stuff ))
Ryusui|GM: (sounds good to me)
Lazarus: (( I'm gonna use a Fate Point on Sticky Fingers for a +2 aha ))
Coma: (Nah, I’ll let it fail.)
The lost coin gets snatched up immediately by a member of the crowd. Coma doesn’t bother trying to drop another as he just fishes out a new coin.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "I can relate." Dr. Grey affirms. "However, I'm sure as the more experience member of this than I, you can at least provide a definition of terms for the .... less rigorous phrasing."
Ryusui|GM: Under a piece of ornate silken tapestry, you find it - the crystal orb. No one seems the wiser, though you have fractions of a second to do whatever it is you intend to do with it, Lazarus!
Lazarus: Lazarus quickly tries to hurl the crystal up into the air and hold it up there with his wind until he could get a hold of his companions.
Coma: (Careful not to touch it of course.)
Lazarus: (( Wind powers, no need to touch heh ))
Lazarus: (( Should I roll another Quick here then? ))
Ryusui|GM: Not even trying to be subtle here?
Lazarus: (( My Sneak is a +0, of course not XD ))
Ryusui|GM: It's not even a question whether you can lift the crystal. The problem is, your antics are quite the spectacle!
Ryusui|GM: "Right, now! Next we have..." The auctioneer is interrupted by one of the surrounding customers pointing and gasping in surprise at the crystal being held aloft.
"Oh my, what's this?"
Ryusui|GM: (are you still standing near the loot, Laz?)
Lazarus: ( He's probably near it but not next to it anymore, he did have less than a second to really do anything about where he's at XD ))
Ryusui|GM: (a reminder, BTW, that anything in this
text mode is stuff only Coma can see/hear XD)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Aerokinesis for the win!))
Ryusui|GM: (gonna do her a quick roll)
Ryusui|GM: !f
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 4dF for -1 [4dF = [-][-][ ][+]]
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: Hearing the commotion, Dr. Grey looks for Coma and Lazarus to quickly gather up and get the orb.
Coma: Coma straps the twin blades to his back and starts moving toward the others.
Ryusui|GM: "The Sacred Orb of Klinzot is flying! That's not supposed to happen!" The auctioneer laughs nervously. "But it makes a good choice for our next item up for bids! Let's start with 15,000 shuplap! Do I hear 15,000 shuplap?"
Ryusui|GM: The crystal is in plain sight now, but it sounds a lot like what she's asking is on the high end of what's in your sack.
Coma: “15,000.” Coma suspects the floating is Mr. Laz’s doing, but he bids anyway; he doubts these “shuplap” coins will be worth anything outside this area besides.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((How close are Coma and Laz?))
Lazarus: Lazarus squints nervously as he looks around for his team, "Grey? I need you to come over to me." He says, waving his arms some to get some attention. All while he keeps the crystal afloat.
Ryusui|GM: (You're all still very much in the same zone, but it will take some effort for you all to approach the crystal without attracting unwanted attention - or avoiding the consequences of said attention!)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: Dr. Grey begins rushing towards Lazarus, hoping to grab Coma and drag them along.
Coma: (I mean, we can just group up, hold hands, and Laz can shoot the gem into his hand.)
Ryusui|GM: "15,000! Do I hear 16,000?" ` "Okay, 16,000 from the
`! Do I hear 17,000?"
Coma: (Blank text?)
Coma: “17,000.” Coma holds out his hand to the doctor.
Ryusui|GM: Coma. Someone just put down a bit for the crystal. But whatever you heard, it didn't sound like a bid. It didn't sound like anything. Nor did the auctioneer's identification of whatever they were.
Ryusui|GM: "17,000! Do I hear-" !
"20,000! Wow! The bidding is getting heated for this one!"
Lazarus: Lazarus sees Grey as he hurriedly walks over to them, now trying to find Coma and come towards them. "This is gonna suck..."
Coma: “20,500.”
(Will I have to roll to beat this thing?)
Ryusui|GM: (you can try to roll to beat the thing!)
Ryusui|GM: You are, all three, close enough to join hands. Laz just needs to put the crystal in someone's reach.
Coma: (Getting worked up at bidding (and possibly even bidding more than he has) will likely use... let’s try FLASHY.)
Coma: !f 2 (FLASHY)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((I'd like to try and move this along, but I'm hesitant of "god modding". Let me know if this passes muster.))
Amanda manages to grab Coma by the arm and leaps for the crystal orb. "Laz! Grab on!"
DiscoDude: Coma rolled 4dF+2 for 3 [4dF = [-][+][ ][+]]
Ryusui|GM: !f 3
DiscoDude: Ryusui|GM rolled 4dF+3 for 4 [4dF = [+][+][ ][-]]
Coma: (Hey, at least let me resolve my thing first, RG.)
Ryusui|GM: !!!!!
Coma: (I boost with the capital.)
Ryusui|GM: Whatever it is, it's not cowed by your attempt. "30,000!" the auctioneer says, clearly surprised and excited. "Going once, going twice..."
Ryusui|GM: (this is your cue!)
Coma: “30,000! And these swords!”
Ryusui|GM: A hush falls over the crowd. All three of you can suddenly feel murderous anger close by. Then...the presence fades.
Ryusui|GM: "...sold, to the handsome stranger," the auctioneer says, taken aback by your aplomb. She's never seen someone bid like that before, even here in this market.
Lazarus: (( RG, I don't think your post landed, btw ))
Ryusui|GM: (hang on XD)
Ryusui|GM: "The crystal is yours...hey! What do you think you're doing?"
Ryusui|GM: You've won the auction, Coma, but Dr. Grey and Laz are hip-deep in their escape attempt! The strange alien grabs you by the hand, and touches the crystal orb...
Ryusui|GM: (any quick reactions/responses before we move on? XD)
Lazarus: Laz facepalms to himself before trying to quickly grab onto Coma and Grey.
Coma: “What are you-!” Coma is cut off as Doctor Grey touches the stone.
Ryusui|GM: Red, then black again. The last thing you hear from the marketplace is a confused cry from the auctioneer - something akin to a befuddled "please come again!"
Ryusui|GM: You all emerge in darkness.
Ryusui|GM: Metal floor underneath you.
Coma: (Oh, Coma is going to have words with the weird creature.)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: As Dr. Grey's vision returns, she releases her grip from Coma.
Coma: “... I had that handled, you...”
Lazarus: Lazarus gets up and looks around, "Grey...What the actual f! I had it under control!"
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: Dr. Grey looks around to get her barrings. "I saw an opportunity and thought I couldn't afford to wait any longer." she says with a shrug.
Ryusui|GM: There's nothing to see. It's pitch-black. Every step you take clangs on metal floors.
Lazarus: "We had soo much time!" Lazarus stomps the ground, letting out a loud bang on the metal floor.
Coma: “T-there was an opportunity, yes, but this urgency you claimed was completely imaginary. Twice over...”
Coma: “Not only had I won the auction fairly, Mr. Laz also had complete control of the orb’s position. I’ll say it again; twice over!”
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: Amanda sighs; "Guess all this is going to my head."
Lazarus: Lazarus audibly agrees with some grunts, "Well, whatever, now we need the lights...you got a flashlight in your briefcase?"
Coma: “I can check, yes...”
Coma: (Do I even need to roll?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "I can use my phone." Dr. Grey coldly states as she produces her smart phone and turns on it's flashlight."
Ryusui|GM: You don't need to roll, Coma. Just describe your light source.
Ryusui|GM: Likewise, Dr. Grey, your smartphone light shines on...pipes. A massive wall of pipes leading up from the floor, to...wherever. There are catwalks above as well, and elevators, perhaps?
Coma: He withdraws a simple flashlight and clicks it on.
Ryusui|GM: Offhand, you all appear to be in the belly of some manner of truly colossal machine of unknown purpose.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "If we're the same person, Audrey, why aren't we seeing through each other's eyes?"
Lazarus: Lazarus looks around, "Well, uh, I guess we're going to just explore this dark place and find a way out, huh?"
Coma: “Up seems to be the only way to go.”
Ryusui|GM: "Transfer of thought as sound data is easier than transfer of visual information," the first voice says. "Yeah, you try seeing with three different pairs of eyes mounted on three different heads," Audrey says. "We ain't a friggin' cerberus here."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Ah. So our identicallity is something that has to be actively established." Dr. Grey says while continuing to look around the room for a lift or passage or....something. "I'd still like some defining of terms: like 'thematic link', and why the metaphor of threads is used."
Lazarus: Lazarus floats off from the ground to take a look, although he doesn't have a light source besides his compact which provides minimal light from the screen. "I'll take a look around, see if I can't find the crystal..."
Ryusui|GM: "Time's like fabric. Fabric is made out of threads. Easy." Audrey says, an audible smirk in her voice. "Metatemporality," the first voice says, a bit irritated at having been preempted, "is the study of the continuities that create timelines - the 'ingredients' of 'stories,' if you will. Threads are the elements from which, well, worlds are created. You're threads; we're threads; we are made up of threads in turn." A pause. "Is this making any sense to you?"
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Good (+3) use of your skills. Let us know if there's another way up."
Coma: “Will any of this be on a test later, or would I be better off not worrying about all these terms?”
Ryusui|GM: "Your friend asked," Audrey says.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Sounds like you're manipulating quantum strings. Bringing back hard evidence to support string theory would be revolutionary!"
Ryusui|GM: Lazarus: three walls are more-or-less bare metal; they're made up of plates welded and riveted haphazardly together, but there's nothing obvious of interest to them. The pipes, on the other hand, form a maze stretching up, up, up, crisscrossing, intersecting, branching. There is very likely something significant here, but it's hard to tell what without a better understanding of what the pipes are supposed to do.
Ryusui|GM: (brb)
Lazarus: Lazarus raises a brow at the pipes and floats over to one, hovering his hand above the surface to make sure it wasn't radiating heat before even thinking about touching or knocking on it.
Ryusui|GM: Lazarus, the pipe is cold and hollow.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "How do you manage to observe and interact with these strings/threads. Replicating your work would do wonders for progressing my research." Dr. Grey asks as she start walking the perimeter of the room.
Ryusui|GM: You see mostly the same thing Lazarus does. The area has a roughly rectangular footprint; the wall with the pipes is longer than the ones perpendicular. Three walls are metal plates, riveted or welded together, with no obvious unusual characteristics; the pipes, on the other hand, form a maze stretching up and out of sight.
Ryusui|GM: "Technology," Audrey says. "It...requires some very highly specialized equipment, yes," the second voice says. "In all honesty, much of what we do have is a black box. Others figured it out before we got our hands on it, and we ended up...sort of inheriting it from them."
Lazarus: He folds his arms some before trying to interact with the air residing in the pipe, trying to make a whistling sound within to possibly get a grasp on where these things lead too.
Ryusui|GM: Up, or down?
Ryusui|GM: Like, are you trying to make the air travel upwards, towards wherever, or down to the ground floor-ish?
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Well, if transmitting information is problematic then asking for samples of your equipment would seem out of the question; however, you managed to pull us out of our respective homeworlds, so the reverse is still plausible."
Coma: Coma shines his light up at where the elevator(?) bits were.
Ryusui|GM: "If you can pull this off, we might talk about that, Dr. Grey."
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Sounds sound."
((Does she find anything from her once-around the outer edge?))
Lazarus: (( Oh, up upwards, Ryu ))
Ryusui|GM: Lazarus: Somewhere high above is a sound like a pipe organ note. It's loud enough to rattle the pipes, all the way to ground level.
Lazarus: "Dear lord! Alright this must be a giant musical machine..." He floats down to his team, "Are there any levers around here? I think we're supposed to get all these pipes singing...or something like that, I think."
Ryusui|GM: Coma: There are catwalks further up, at seemingly random intervals. There are elevator lifts linking them up, although the nearest lift is on the next floor up. There are elevator mechanisms on the ground floor, however, directly below that lift.
Ryusui|GM: ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾ The walls reveal nothing, but there is the machinery for the elevator on the next floor up (as Coma noticed), and a few turnable valves on the pipes.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((By mechanism, you mean a control panel or recall button?))
Coma: “I think it’s prudent that we don’t stay on the ground floor, at the very least. If you lift us up to at least the first catwalk, Mr. Laz, we can probably take it from there.”
Ryusui|GM: (I mean cogs and gears and chain-driven mechanisms. Hypothetically, you could call down the elevator from down here, if you could figure out how to force the mechanism to operate.)
Lazarus: Lazarus shrugs some and looks at the mechanisms, "I mean, couldn't we try and call down the lifts here first? We could break something if we don't do this right..." He says, shrugging some.
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: "Agreed; you go up first, then get the rest of us the lift."
Coma: (I legit misread and thought there was zilch in terms of elevators before the first catwalk.)
Lazarus: Lazarus shrugs some as he floats up to the first catwalk and waits, "I guess y'all will figure out how to call the elevator down then." He says, waving a hand with his compact showing off some light to show him doing that.
Coma: “Well, I won’t claim to be proficient in unfamiliar contraptions... doctor. I imagine that would be your preview. I’ll see about whether these swords are worth the imaginary currency I bought them with in the meantime.”
Coma: (New scene, new aspects?)
Ryusui|GM: (yes)
Ryusui|GM: (obvs your cash does you no good here XD)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Sorry; I'm having trouble trouble parsing that last sentence.))
Ryusui|GM: Lazarus, the elevator has an obvious lever for making it move. There is a small window above the lever that has a sign currently displayed: "OFF," in white letters on red background.
Lazarus: (( Laz just has his compact, a mobile phone of sorts, illuminating him to show off that he is indeed waving at you and Coma ))
Lazarus: The wolf scratches the back of his head as he throws the lever, "Why would this be on the second level and not the first...?" He says to himself as he waits for something to happen now.
Ryusui|GM: Nothing happens. The "off" likely indicates the disposition of the elevator mechanism as a whole.
Ryusui|GM: (Coma, ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾, Lazarus, everything ok?)
Lazarus: (( yup, I was...kinda spacing out a bit tbh, kinda strange nobody else posted something... ))
Coma: (I don’t really feel like Coma has much to do in this challenge, which is fine.)
Lazarus: Lazarus looks down at the other two, "Alright, uh, try and fiddle with some stuff down there!"
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((A combination of being distracted, at a loss for what to do next, and still recovering from not sleeping the night before last.))
Ryusui|GM: (well we can take a pause here, if we want)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Sure.))
Coma: (I’d like to know what the new aspects are, though.)
Lazarus: (( There are elevator mechanisms on the ground floor, however, directly below that lift. ))
Coma: (Including whether these swords are worth a damn. XD)
Ryusui|GM: The swords are antique and have likely not been maintained in decades, if not centuries. They are still terrifyingly sharp. One can only imagine their destructive potential in the hands of someone skilled with swordplay, after being properly restored by a master artisan.
Ryusui|GM: You have a certifiable pair of [Legendary Ancient Swords], however they might avail you in this particular situation.
Coma: (I’ll treat these as a “reward” aspect unless I really need to use them, I suppose.)
Lazarus: Lazarus continues to fiddle with levers and pulleys, completely dumbfounded by all the bits and pieces here. "Kinda wish we had a map or something. Hey voices, we're in some...metal pipe-y place. Where are we?"
Coma: (Some new situation aspects would be nice, too.)
Ryusui|GM: "An engine of some sorts, perhaps? Honestly could be anything." "Babe, they're not looking for a 'could be anything.' They're asking for something specific." "Well. Metal pipes suggests steam or water, perhaps? Are there any mechanisms nearby which might be powered by them?"
Coma: (Knowing those is kinda like having the “obviously interactable highlights” on.)
Ryusui|GM: [Elevator Mechanisms]
[Endless Pipe Maze]
[Mysterious Valves]
Coma: “Perhaps Mr. Laz should experiment further with the pipes?”
Ryusui|GM: (you can't "get onto" the lift; the lift is one floor up, and the mechanism seems to be presently unpowered)
Coma: (Right, d’oy...)
Coma: (I might be a little tired.)
Ryusui|GM: (same XD)
Coma: (The helpful suggestion still stands, though.)
Coma: (Well, I was content to have Coma just direct the others for this one, but if everyone else is unresponsive, maybe we should just pause it here?)
Ryusui|GM: (i'm cool with that; Lazarus, ;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Yeah.))
Lazarus: (( Yea... ))
Lazarus: (( I don't want to be the only one trying to figure this out ^^;; ))
Ryusui|GM: (Last lines, then?)
;}"÷™+╎®^★█¬ˇ¾: ((Not really.))
Lazarus: "Well, it uses air? Makes an organ note?" He responds to the voices, "This a musical machine?"
Ryusui|GM: "It might just be an effect of the acoustics of air in the pipes." "Or it could be a music machine, yeah."
Ryusui|GM: (you good?)
Lazarus: (( yup! ))
Ryusui|GM: (Coma, you good?)
Ryusui|GM: (Coma?)
Coma: (I’m good. I’m here!)
Ryusui|GM: Then let us...
Ryusui|GM: !end