GM says, "right then"

GM says, "so, as mentioned, a number of things have been going on"

[nobilis] Aisleen waves to Ellric at the screen

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "ok"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Ellric says 'Hi!'."

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "hee hee"

GM says, "most recently, there was a party at Locus Olympus, the chancel of Amanda, Drake (still missing), and Rike, which ended in another invasion attempt"

GM says, "at the party Alison brought up the issue of the strange television show to Amanda, since it seemed to impinge on her domain, but she nominally denied all knowledge"

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says, "Our chancel is now banned from attending any gatherings with other chancels because we seem to give off invasion vibes"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Ah, someone got Perry while I was trying to connect again? Thanks."

[nobilis] Chaz says, "And then there's Astara."

GM says, "I think the main threads left open, then, were interrogating the prisoners brought back in the blimp and possibly checking into the motorcycle shop"

GM says, "along with any other investigations you'd like, of course"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "what do we need at the motorcycle shop again?"

Gerry is going to take a back seat to get into the flow again.

[nobilis] GM says, "just to see what's up with the guy, since he apparently supplied the bikes. it is possible this is a dead-end"

[nobilis] Gerry asks, "so we still have no progress on the Davey attack?"

Aisleen says, "I will be interested in the motorcycle shop myself"

Aisleen says, "We may find something there that would help lead us to what Silver is up to"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "other than the fact that lots of money changed hands, i don't think so"

Chaz says, "I'll interrogate some prisoners."

Chaz skates over to the holding pen.

Chaz exclaims, "Hi!"

GM says, "The prisoners look up gloomily."

Chaz says, "So, we're pretty sure that when you guys die, you'll go back to where you came from."

Gerry accompanies Ais to the shop.

Chaz asks, "Should we kill one of you and track back your ghost, or do you want to just tell us?"

Aisleen says (to Gerry), "We will take the car Davey made for Stella last time."

Aisleen says (to gerry), "you drive :)"

Gerry hopes into the car.

GM says, "One of the men shakes his head. "It is too late for that -- our souls are already forfeit.""

GM says, "Meanwhile, Gerry and Aisleen are driving to the motorcycle shop."

Chaz asks, "Really?"

GM says, "No doubt they brought along silver's business card with them, since the senator's son who bought the motorcycles in the first place was told to show it to the guy at the counter"

Aisleen strolls casually in to the shop

GM says, "The man laughs, bitterly. "He said that it would be returned if we succeeded -- and so now here we are, to die and perish.""

Chaz asks, "Who's 'he'?"

Aisleen looks around the store curiously

GM says, "There's just the one man working there and no other customers -- dunno if that's because it's early afternoon on a weekday or just because business is slow in general"

Gerry follows suit, checking out the place in the mythic,

GM says, "The soldier shrugs his shoulders. "The Dark One, we called him -- but he could talk the legs off a octopus.""

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen laughs at the analogy

Chaz asks, "Dark One? Not Bright One or Silver One?"

Aisleen smiles at the man at the counter. "Hi, we are interested in some bikes."

GM says, ""Well, his face was always shadowed in the hood he wore. I don't know, he might have been silver below that.""

GM says (to Gerry), "it looks mostly normal, but -- hang on, somewhere in the counter you sense a faint magical presence"

GM says (to Gerry), "and, for that matter, the shopkeeper seems ever-so-slightly magical himself"

Chaz says, "Hmm."

Chaz says, "OK, let's start from the beginning."

[nobilis] Gerry says, "*In* nor *on* the counter>"

GM says, "The man at the counter looks up brightly. "Ah! Nice day, ma'am.""

[nobilis] GM says, "within"

Chaz asks, "Tell me where you were born. In a chancel?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Hmm. I guess I'm with Chaz."

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( show him the card, or chat with him a bit? )

GM says, ""It was all green and sunny -- I suppose it must have been a chancel.""

[nobilis] Aisleen asks (of alison), "line noise better?"

GM says, ""Did you have a particular model in mind? I suppose, er, that you're a novice rider.""

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Another possible follow-up is Arthur, Drake's servant who quit unexpectedly."

Gerry . o O (to Aisleen) ( Talk to him, I'll try to get around the counter. )

Alison . o O (to Chaz) ( I wonder if these guys know anything about how the 'scucians take souls out of bodies, or how to put them back together. )

[nobilis] Alison says (to Aisleen), "At the moment, but I've no idea if it's fixed or just a brief respite."

Chaz . o O (to alison) ( Uh, do you know about that? )

Chaz asks (of Man), "Then what happened?"

Gerry looks all around the shop, trying to get a glimpse behind the counter.

Aisleen asks (of man/at/counter), "I have been learning, yes. I was looking for something powerful, but maybe a little sporty looking?"

Alison . o O (to Chaz) ( Uh-uh. That's why I was wondering if we should ask him. )

Chaz . o O (to alison) ( You mean the soul-linking thing? )

GM says, ""Hmm, miss, perhaps you want one of our speedsters -- let me just go get the catalog.""

GM says (to Gerry), "it looks like it's a few closed cabinets and shelves -- and, aha, it looks like the thing in question is the middle magazine in a stack of several"

Alison . o O (to Chaz) ( I mean the soul not being in the body. If he's a body without a soul, maybe he knows something that could help us find bodies for Dew's and Squirrel's souls. Or maybe not. I dunno. )

GM says (to Chaz), ""Then the training." He shakes his head. "Over and over again, strike, jump, climb, strike.""

Chaz . o O (to alison) ( Ah, hmm. )

Chaz asks (of man), "Were there towers involved?"

GM says, "He flinches. "I remember towers.""

Aisleen says (to Gerry), "hey pass me a couple magazines while I wait for the guy to come back"

Chaz asks, "Where did you train? In the green land, the towers, or somewhere else?"

Gerry whispers conspiratorially to the salesman, "I'm sure it looks unusual, but it's my girlfriend who's done all of the research on these. Do you have any periodicals I could look through to bring myself up to speed?"

[nobilis] Gerry glares at Ais.

[nobilis] Aisleen beams beatifically

[nobilis] Gerry says, "Also, did the guy step out? If so, I'll just grab the magazine."

[nobilis] GM says, "he did step out"

[nobilis] Gerry says, "Obviously. To the catalog room."

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Hmm, I never did check out that magazine that guy gave me."

GM says (to Chaz), ""In the green land, after the-- the towers came. And then we thought our chance had finally come, to strike.""

Gerry realizes there is no one to whisper to and grabs some magazines and flips through.

Gerry hands a few to Aisleen.

GM says (to Gerry), "it does look, on first glance, like a normal catalog, although why it's stuck in with all the racing magazines is unclear"

Chaz says, "Go on."

Gerry takes a second glance.

Aisleen flips through the magazines, stopping to look over the Kawasaki ninjas

GM says, "The man shrugs. "But instead, blackness. When we woke, we were in a great room, lying on the floor, with the dark one standing before us, telling us our souls were gone.""

GM says (to Gerry), "well, in normal vision, normal. But in mythic vision, it's got some kind of magical overlay, clearly"

Alison asks (of Man), "You said the Dark One took your soul? How did he do that?"

Chaz asks, "Hey, Henderson! Does this guy have a soul? Or the rest of them, for that matter?"

GM says, "Henderson comes over and looks at them as the guy talks."

[nobilis] Gerry asks, "But the overlay doesn't have any obvious correlation?"

[nobilis] GM says, "hmm"

[nobilis] GM says, "ok, what it looks like is one of those stereogram things -- like it could make sense if you stared at it in the right way"

Gerry looks like Jerry Lewis for a moment as he tries to refocus the mythic and the catalog.

GM says (to Alison), ""I don't know exactly -- we were just waking as the ceremony was ending. I was brought awake by the pain, in time to hear the final chanting and see him slice the air with his shears.""

GM says, "(hrm, I guess this counts as a Puzzles thing)"

Alison asks, "What was the chanting?"

GM says (to Gerry), "looked at this way, it's a catalog for a whole different set of things -- sleek black bikes, dangerous leather gear, spiked boots, ultra-sleek lines"

[nobilis] Alison asks, for the benefit of Henderson.

[nobilis] Gerry says (to GM), "Probably. I don't know as much about what's going on here. If it's just a stereogram thing, then yeah, it'd be simple to decode."

GM says (to Gerry), "it doesn't work the same way on a nobilis, but you could see that a normal person looking at this might easily be sucked into wanting one of these bikes more than anything"

Raul has connected.

[nobilis] Gerry asks, "So the overlay doesn't actually describe different products, just the same products magically enhanced to be desirable?"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "hang on"

[nobilis] GM says, "well, the same kinds of products, but different brands and styles within the catalog"

GM says, ""They do seem to be soulless," Henderson says. "Which is strange, since -- well, besides the question of what happens to their souls, surely you can see it makes them weaker. Whoever tried this must have been desperate.""

Chaz says, "Well, that's encouraging."

GM says, "Meanwhile, the man is shaking his head trying to remember. "I don't think I remember the words -- they slip away now even though I heard them quite clearly then.""

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Is it?"

[nobilis] Duchess says, "i am lagging on aisleen"

[Crows-Nest] Raul asks, "what's been happening?"

[nobilis] Alison says (to Chaz), "Seems to me that it'll make them harder to track."

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says, "We're interrogating a prisoner, and visiting the bike shop."

[Crows-Nest] Alison says (to Raul), "We're interrogating one guy who seems to be soulless."

[Crows-Nest] Alison says (to Raul), "And Gerry and Aisleen found a magic catalog in the bike shop."

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "aha"

Gerry . o O (to Ais) ( I think that, when the man comes back, we should show him the card. )

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "I'm available for general RPing this afternoon"

GM says, "Meanwhile, the guy comes bustling back with the catalog for Aisleen."

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( Hey, you busy? )

GM says, ""Ah, checking out the magazines, eh?""

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "someone catch me up to what happened in the store"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "i see nothing"

Raul says (to Chaz), "<Not at all. I think I'm going to give up on cleaning this suit.>"

Alison . o O (to Chaz) ( I wonder if Aisleen's dream thing could help him remember the chant. )

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says, "#nob ..Alison I meant it's encouraging that the other guy's desperate."

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Ah, right."

Chaz . o O (to alison) ( Yeah, maybe. )

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( Do you guys have any information on a ritual that severs souls from a group of people, that involves chanting, and ends with cutting the air with shears? )

Alison . o O (to Edmund) ( Hi, it's me, Alison. Do you have time to answer a quick question? )

PerrySimm goes home.

[nobilis] Gerry | GM says (to Gerry), "looked at this way, it's a catalog for a whole different set of things -- sleek black bikes, dangerous leather gear, spiked boots, ultra-sleek lines"

[Crows-Nest] RogerCarbol says, "I'm available as an NPC for hire for about the next hour or 90 minutes."

PerrySimm arrives, looking for booty.

Raul says (to Chaz), "<Not off the top of my head, no. Let me see what I can find in our library.>"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Eep."

[nobilis] GM says, "arr, lost connection there for a sec"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Is Perry missing anything?"

[nobilis] Raul says (to GM), "which I'll start researching"

[nobilis] Alison says (to GM), "Want me to do Perry instead? I run him under screen, so my connection troubles shouldn't affect him."

[nobilis] GM says (to Alison), "sure, that'd be fine"

[nobilis] PerrySimm says, "Log on."

GM says (to Alison), "Edmund . o O ( What's up? )"

Aisleen asks (of ma/at/counter), "Yeah, just looking at these ninjas. What do you have for me?"

Alison . o O (to Edmund) ( Are there any chancels that you used to be able to get into that have kinda closed up recently? Like, in the last few months? )

[nobilis] Raul says (to GM), "(in case it came during your connection troubles: per Chaz's request, I'm doing research on 'a ritual that severs souls from a group of people, that involves chanting, and ends with cutting the air with shears')"

GM says (to Aisleen), ""Well, I found one of these two bikes -- good intro models, but with some zip to them -- you can see a price-comparison of them if you check out the specs here ....""

[nobilis] GM says, "right-o"

[nobilis] (from GM) Raul research research

Alison . o O (to Edmund) ( Or any nobles that you used to be able to talk to, who suddenly you couldn't any more, like Drake? )

[Crows-Nest] Raul exclaims, "hey, this is just like the last seven years!"

Chaz asks, "OK, do you remember where you were going to attack, when this opportunity to strike came?"

GM says (to Alison), "Edmund . o O ( I don't think so, but, I mean, I don't talk to all the nobilis all the time; some keep to themselves more than others, and everyone closes off their chancel some of the time. But aside from the two that seemed to have vanished, and their nobilis, and now Drake, nobody is unusually uncommunicative that I've heard. )"

[Crows-Nest] Alison exclaims, "Except now you have superboots, and can walk up tall bookshelves!"

Aisleen says (to man/counter), "Well, this guy I met at a club said you would be better able to give me recommendations"

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "Ooh, true."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "hee hee"

Aisleen says, "I don't really know my specs yet"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "The two being Astara and Winds, or being a different two?"

[nobilis] GM says, "(right)"

Aisleen pulls out Silver's card from her pocket.

GM says, ""Man at a club?" the counter guy looks polite but puzzled. "I don't think I remember any club-owners recommending me, but --""

Alison . o O (to Edmund) ( OK, thanks! )

GM says, "It's like a switch is flipped when he sees the card."

Aisleen says (to man/counter), "He said I should bring this card...<hesitantly>"

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "Probably an *evil* switch."

GM says, ""Ah," he says, smiling. "I see you're a discerning customer -- now, let me just find that catalog.""

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( look at the guy in mythic again? )

GM says, ""Oh, there it is, out already.""

GM says, "The man casually passes his hand over it once or twice as he picks it up and hands it to Aisleen."

GM says, ""Our special models are in the back there," he says."

Gerry looks at the man and book in mythic again.

[nobilis] Gerry says, "I was afk for a sec."

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Did the GM miss Chaz's question?)"

GM says (to Chaz), ""He didn't give us the name," the soldier says. "Just a layout of the outside and directions for where to go once inside. 'Strike for the temple,' he said, 'as you value your souls.'""

Alison asks, "So, he talked like you'd get your souls back somehow?"

GM says (to Gerry), "It looks like, hmm, like they lock together slightly. Or the man's aura has unlocked the catalog's. Since the catalog is now showing the pictures you had to force it to show before."

GM says, ""If we succeeded, he said they would be returned.""

GM says (to Raul), "meanwhile, you dig up some things on soul-cutting"

GM says (to Raul), "the scissors are of course a standard focus object for this kind of thing"

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( does the catalog itself look different? )

GM says (to Raul), "It's hard to do this sort of ceremony unless the people are vulnerable somehow previous -- normally the body's hold on the soul is fairly strong"

Alison asks, "Do you still, like, feel your soul? I mean, can you sense where it is?"

Gerry . o O (to Aisleen) ( No, this is the stuff I was looking at before. )

Aisleen flips through the catalog towards the back

GM says (to Aisleen), "ooh, nice bikes"

Chaz asks, "Well, what was the layout?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I wonder if we can somehow get him to help us track down the bad guy, if we can make him think we can help get his soul back."

Aisleen asks (of moc), "oh, these are real nice. do I place an order for one of these with you?"

Gerry says (to Counterman), "Let me ask you something. This 'Silver' guy, is he on the level? I mean, all of this stuff seems too good to be true."

Aisleen asks (of moc), "will they be delivered to my home?"

Raul relays what he's found to Chaz.

GM says, ""Absolutely, miss, you just -- on the level, sir? I assure you, no previous customer of ours has ever complained about being unsatisfied later.""

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Hee."

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( Hmm, thanks. )

GM says (to Aisleen), ""And yes, we do deliver. Did you wish to place an order?""

Raul says (to Chaz), "<You following up on the attack?>"

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( This guy seems to have lost his soul. You think you could find a path to it? )

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( Yeah, the attackers had souls cut off with that ritual. )

Aisleen asks (of moc), "You have repeat customers, then?"

Aisleen puts the card back in her pocket

Raul says (to Chaz), "<Strange. Are you at your chancel? If so, I'll stop by and see what I can do.>"

GM says, "Meanwhile, the soldier is roughly sketching out. "See, he said the gates were here, with a giant outside and inner guardhouses here and here from which reinforcements would come. He had these tanks for us, and the flitters. Then the interior was more lightly sketched-out -- the other attackers were going to strike for the temple first and us as backup once we breached the gates.""

Gerry says (to Counterman), "I mean...who is this guy? All I know is that my girlfriend met him at a club."

Chaz . o O (to raul) ( Yeah, sure, come on by. )

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( that sounds ... so ... wrong )

GM says (to Aisleen), ""We strive to make sure our customers are with us for a lifetime.""

Gerry . o O (to Aisleen) ( Hey, it's a cover story. )

Chaz asks (of Man), "OK. This is the same place you were going to strike when it all went black, and you woke up with your soul missing?"

GM says, ""Mister Silver is one of our oldest customers. He's always had an appreciation for fine lines, and in fact we rely on him to secure some of our special merchandise.""

[Crows-Nest] Alison asks (of Gerry), "Continued on page 26?"

Chaz . o O ( You know, I wonder where the tanks that got booted off the clouds ended up. )

Raul wanders into the chancel, takes some cotton candy, and looks for Chaz.

GM says (to Chaz), ""Well, that I don't know -- before the darkness we were just summoned out, away from the others, saying we had a special mission and had been chosen.""

Gerry says (to Counterman), "Huh. Well, she's the one who knows what she's looking for here, and from the look on her face I can tell you've got good stuff."

Chaz asks, "Do you know how long ago that was?"

GM says, ""But I don't remember anything after sitting down in the briefing room.""

GM says, "The man shrugs. "It feels like only a month weeks ago.""

GM says, "(er, -weeks)"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz asks, "A month of weeks?"

Aisleen asks (of moc), "oh? So he supplies you these beautiful bikes?"

[nobilis] Alison says (to GM), "And here I thought he was just really disoriented."

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( got a credit card? :) )

GM says (to Aisleen), ""Only for our exclusive models that can't be obtained elsewhere.""

Alison asks, "Do you remember how you and the tanks got from there to the place you attacked?"

Gerry . o O (to Aisleen) ( You can't drive. You don't have a credit card. How did you survive? )

[Crows-Nest] Alison asks (of Man), "Did you notice if you sorta jingled to the left or jingled to the right?"

Aisleen says (to moc), "I mean, these models look great. But I am afraid I am still unclear as to what makes these models so exclusive"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz exclaims, "Hee!"

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( i am 17. i have a learner's permit, but i didn't think you would want me to drive. and my father is filthy rich. i pay in cash )

Raul finds his way to Chaz. "ey."

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( except, if you are my 'boyfriend' it stands to reason you buy me this )

Chaz waves cheerily.

GM says, ""There was a tunnel outside the room we were in -- he explained it was unguarded and led to the outskirts of the chancel we sought.""

Alison asks, "If we brought you back, could you find the way back into the tunnel?"

GM says, ""When we emerged from the tunnel and looked back it was gone; but we figured we were already dead men and there was nothing to do but go on.""

Gerry thimbles something about Women's Lib.

Alison says, "Darn."

GM says, "I could try and show you where it opened from."

Alison exclaims, "OK!"

Alison . o O (to Raul) ( Hi! )

Gerry asks (of Counterman), "So, do you take Visa?"

Alison . o O (to Raul) ( If we show you someplace that there used to be a path but isn't anymore, do you think you'd be able to figure out where the path used to come from, maybe sorta kinda? )

Raul says (to Alison), "<Hola, kiddo.>"

[nobilis] Aisleen says (to GM), "I want my answer on what makes the bikes so special before the moc takes the credit card"

Raul says (to Alison), "<I can give it a try.>"

Gerry . o O (to Aisleen) ( I do hope you have an address we can send this to. Our chancel may seem suspicious. )

Alison asks (of Chaz), "Raul says he might maybe be able to figure something out if we let him see the place that this guy -- hey, did we remember to ask your name?"

GM says (to Aisleen), ""Believe me, miss, once you try one of these bikes you won't want any other -- if you like, I could deliver one and let you test-drive it for a few days before you decide to pay.""

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( i will send it home to Maine. Our housekeeper will keep it in the mansion's garage until i get home to pick it up )

Aisleen asks (of moc), "I would love that idea. would i have to leave a deposit or something?"

Raul murmurs (to Alison), "I can hear you, you know."

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( Uh, don't connect it to your home--the other chancel has been having trouble with people attacking loved ones. Say you'll pick it up. )

Aisleen . o O (to chaz) ( good point )

[nobilis] Alison says, "Oh, is Raul here? I thought he was back at the library."

GM says, ""For you, miss, I suppose we can waive the deposit. Just fill out this form.""

[nobilis] Raul says, "Heh. No, I came by to help out."

Aisleen says (to moc), "actually, if you can just tell me when, i will come by and pick it up. no need for you to deliver it"

Aisleen takes the form

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Also, the last part of my statement was to the prisoner.)"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "is it a normal form? (to GM and Gerry)"

GM says, "He pauses. "I'm afraid store policy is always to deliver, miss. Our delivery times are .. unpredictable.""

Gerry looks at the form in mythic because apparently Aisleen is incapable.

Chaz asks (of Raul), "Hmm--did your info on the ritual say where the souls went after being cut?"

[nobilis] GM says, "(yeah, it's a normal form, agreement to examine merchandise)"

GM says (to Raul), "into a container prepared, or just free"

GM says (to Raul), "depending on the ceremony"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Is the Man being quiet, or are we just on slo-mo for a moment?)"

Raul says (to Chaz), "into a container prpared, or just for free"

Raul says (to Chaz), "depending on the ceremony"

GM says (to Raul), "in the case of free souls they generally become ghosts for a bit and then wither away along with the body"

Raul says, "just *free*, sorry."

[Crows-Nest] Chaz exclaims, "He!"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says, "Er, hee."

Raul says, "If they're left free, they haunt about for a while, then fade."

[nobilis] GM says, "oh, whoops"

Raul says, "So we may be looking for a bunch of containers"

GM says, ""My name is Thenton," the soldier says."

Alison exclaims (at Man), "Hi Thenton!"

Aisleen . o O (to to_all) ( must deliver. now where can i deliver to that is not home, or where it can be traced to us? )

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "Do you remember if there were containers at the ceremony?"

Alison says (to CHaz), "...the place that Thenton says the tunnel came out."

Aisleen slowly fills out the form while thinking hard

Alison looks from Chaz to Thenton to Raul to Chaz. "Wanna try it?"

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( Have 'em deliver to that bar. )

Gerry . o O (to Ais) ( know anywhere else you can drop this thing? )

Chaz says, "Sure, let's go."

Raul says, "You bet"

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "You know where the tunnel started? Or just where it ended?"

Alison exclaims, "'K. Let's go!"

Alison runs to the nearest zeppelin, to get it warmed up.

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Do you need to be 16 to drive a zeppelin?"

GM says (to Chaz), ""Well, we couldn't get out of the place where the tunnel started -- it was a collection of a few underground .. warehouses, I guess. And a few bunker rooms. No windows. The only way out was the tunnel.""

[nobilis] Aisleen asks (of chaz), "refresh my memory. which bar?"

Chaz asks, "That's where you woke up after the ceremony?"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Also, these guys are going to have real problems if they try the kind of attacks they've been doing on Octavo. I don't think you can fit blimps and tanks and airplanes through library doors."

GM says, ""On the floor of one of the warehouses, yeah""

[Crows-Nest] Raul exclaims, "if they do, we'll rush at them shouting SHH!"

Chaz . o O (to Aisleen) ( Uh, the one we tracked that cyclist too. Sunset Tavern, that was it. )

Chaz says, "Okeedokee."

Alison floats the blimp over where Raul, Chaz, and Thenton are. Then drops a rope ladder to them.

Aisleen says (to moc), "i am currently in middle of moving and stuff, but if you can deliver to Sunset Tavern, I will be able to make sure my friend lets me know it arrived"

Chaz chuckles, picks up Thenton, flies up to the zepplin.

Aisleen finishes filling out the form. "Is that okay?"

Alison appears to be piloting the zeppelin more or less as if it were a videogame. Whether that's a good thing or not is up to personal opinion.

GM says, ""That will do nicely. Just fill out the delivery address there.""

Raul follows via the more pedestrian route: climbing the ladder.

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says (to Raul), "Besides, you're like the God of Pedestrians."

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "When he says 'climbing the ladder', he means 'walking up the rope, without hands'."

Aisleen enters the Sunset Tavern address

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "true. I'll probably die in a bad street-crossing accident."

Alison exclaims, "Let's go!"

[Crows-Nest] Raul says (to Alison), "yay"

Aisleen hands the address to moc

Alison pulls the big lever that makes it go fast.

Aisleen . o O (to gerry) ( shall we go? )

GM says, ""Thank you, miss. I'm sure you will find the bikes to be a new experience. We'll probably deliver in a few days.""

Gerry says, "Thanks a lot, we'll be waiting for them."

Raul says, "I"

Raul says, "didn't"

Raul says, "know"

Raul says, "blimps"

Raul says, "went"

Raul says, "this"

Raul says, "fast"

Aisleen follows Gerry out the door

Chaz grins.

GM says, "Well, even with the fast lever on they can't go *that* fast."

GM says, "But you cruise out"

Aisleen . o O (to chaz) ( just finished the motorcycle shop )

Raul says (to GM), "Yeah, but I thought blimps went, I dunno, at a fast crawl at best."

Aisleen . o O (to chaz) ( what are y'all up to )

Chaz . o O (to Aisleen,Gerry) ( Hey, we're heading to the underground warehouse where the troops came from. Wanna come? )

Gerry gets into the car and drives back.

[nobilis] Alison says, "Maybe later I'll see if some of the mages can soup it up a bit."

GM says, "Where are you going, exactly? The only thing the guy knows how to locate right now seems to be the tunnel exit in Olympus"

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( Meet us outside Chancel Olympus. )

Aisleen . o O (to chaz) ( did we have any other stuff pending that we needed to take a look at? )

[nobilis] Alison says, "Magic fast-maker-goers and all that."

Alison says, "Too bad Aisleen's not here."

Alison says, "I bet she could make it go *really* fast."

[nobilis] Raul says, "If you fill it with hydrogen, use titanium paint, and light the blimp's end, it should go pretty quick."

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( You could follow up on Arthur, Drake's servant who quit suddenly recently. )

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says (to alison), "Wind To Order TM"

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( But there may defenses here we need to overcome, and the more the merrier for that. )

Aisleen asks (of gerry), "chancel or go? which do you want to do?"

[nobilis] Gerry I'm getting pretty beat. I think I'm going to turn in, since I don't know as much about these other threads.

Aisleen . o O (to henderson) ( Oy Henderson! I need to assign a mage to the scrying pool. Have any heandy? )

Alison says, "Maybe Rike will want to go along and help us too."

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "fair enough"

Aisleen . o O (to chaz) ( give me a moment by the scrying pool and then i will join you )

Chaz says (to Alison), "You may be right."

Chaz . o O (to aisleen) ( Okeedokee. )

[nobilis] GM says, "alrighty. g'night."

[nobilis] Gerry says, "All right. It's good to be back, and I'll be better next time."

[nobilis] Gerry says, "wave"

[nobilis] Chaz exclaims (at Gerry), "Good night!"

[nobilis] Raul exclaims, "bye!"

Gerry has disconnected.

GM says, "Henderson . o O ( I'll send somebody over. )"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Wasn't there going to be a Tyoka this week?"

[nobilis] GM says, "(so how are you guys getting to locus olympus?)"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Us guys, or Aisleen?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah, he showed up and said "sigh, too busy to play again" and left"

Aisleen wanders over to the scrying pool and sits down

[nobilis] GM says, "well, both"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Follow Raul's directions?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I figured we could just fly there."

[nobilis] Aisleen says (to GM), "I can sense where they are, and allow the wind to lead me where they are"

[nobilis] Alison says, "By whatever path got us there last time."

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Last time we used an Edmund door."

[nobilis] Raul says, "I can point the way"

[nobilis] Alison says, "We did? Oh."

[nobilis] GM says, "but presumably with Raul along you -- right"

[nobilis] Alison says (to Raul), "There we go."

GM says, "You take the zeppelin upwards into the air, out of your chancel and into Earth, and then from there through a gateway in the clouds to Olympus"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks (of GM), "will I be able to scry for Arthur before I go to Olympus? Or would that be too many fragmentations and we should do it later?"

GM says, "Aisleen catching up along the way"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "guess the GM has spoken"

Alison hits the big INVISIBLE rune button.

[nobilis] GM says, "I think let's wait on that, since you'll presumably want to follow up on what you scry afterwards"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(No need to confuse the mortals on Earth)"

[Crows-Nest] GM exclaims, "you can't see it if it's invisible!"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Yay"

Aisleen . o O (to henderson) ( Please have a mage watch by the scrying pool to keep track of when my motorcycle is delivered to Sunset Tavern and notify me IMMEDIATELY! )

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Also: couldn't a non-mage handle the scrying just as easily?"

GM says (to Aisleen), "Henderson . o O ( I'll have someone keep track, miss. )"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "our normal inhabitants can do magical stuff?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Not that we probably have to worry about resource-managing the mages, I guess.)"

[nobilis] GM says, "(the scrying is a magical thing, so you have to be a mage or a nobilis. but yeah, the mages aren't really limited.)"

GM says, "You drift into olympus on the outskirts of the clouds"

GM says, "Some distance away you can see the walls of the main chancel"

Aisleen yawns sleepily and naps as the wind takes her to Olympus

GM says, "Between here and there are weird cloud-formations, with little cloud-animals scampering around on them"

[nobilis] Alison asks (of GM), "If we want an artifact that works for non-magic folks, do we just have to special order it ahead of time?"

GM says, "Not animals made of clouds, exactly, but ones adapting for living here -- white fluffy mice and large-footed rabbits and so on"

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "OK, where did you come out?"

Raul says, "Hey, cute."

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Like a wand of sleepification or something...)"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah, and some just can't be made to work for non-magical folks"

[nobilis] Alison nods.

GM says, "Thenton climbs out of the blimp and looks around."

Aisleen looks around for My Little Ponies

GM says, ""Er," he says, "I hadn't realized it was really all clouds all the way around -- but let's see.""

GM says, ""Ah, that spire, I remember.""

GM says, "He heads over in that direction."

Chaz follows closely.

Alison waves to the giant.

Raul follows along, feeling for the start of a cut-off path.

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Hey, did Thenton remember seeing containers at the ceremony?"

GM says, "(The giant, at this point, is far off, although you can still make it out from here)"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Would he have known they were containers?"

Aisleen flies merrily through clouds as she follows

[nobilis] Alison says, "We didn't even recognize the dewdrop and fuzzy toy instantly."

GM says, ""I don't know what they would look like," he says. "I seem to remember he had something in the hand that wasn't holding the shears. A necklace, maybe? But I don't know if that was just part of the ceremony.""

Alison also waves at the big floppy bunnies and such, possibly trailing at the end of the group.

Aisleen . o O (to alison) ( our carnival needs some animals )

Chaz . o O ( Great, Silver's wearing the souls around his neck. )

GM says, "Thenton gets his bearings from the spire and then heads off again, and eventually you tromp down into a cloud-valley and up to a smooth wall, which is apparently where the exit was"

Alison . o O (to Aisleen) ( Yeah! I wonder if we can get some cool ones. Like a griffin! Or something. )

GM says (to Raul), "and it seems like you can indeed feel faint traces"

Raul says, "Hum."

Raul asks, "Past this wall, right?"

Chaz asks (of Raul), "Can you open it?"

GM says, ""Er .." Thenton suddenly seems unsure."

Alison asks (of Thenton), "Was it a necklace like a string, or like a bunch of beads or pearls or things, or like a chain with links and stuff, or do you remember?"

GM says, ""I thought it was over here a bit more -- but maybe I'm confused.""

Aisleen flies up to the top of the wall

Raul asks (of Thenton), "I can feel something here. Does it look that different from when you came out?"

Aisleen looks around

GM says, "Thenton turns himself in the direction he would be if he were coming out of it."

Chaz studies the cloud terrain to see if it moves.

GM says, ""I thought it was more on this rough patch.""

Aisleen asks (of chaz), "can we dig under the clouds?"

Alison tries tasting a bit of cloud.

GM says, "mm, cloud"

Alison says, "Needs more pink."

[Crows-Nest] (from Aisleen) Alison says, "cotton candy, this is not"

Alison says, "Or blue. But pink tastes better."

[Crows-Nest] GM exclaims (at Alison), "you don't know where that cloud's been!"

[Crows-Nest] Raul exclaims, "Its water's been evaporated!"

GM says, "The cloud is somewhat yielding to the touch and rips if force is applied; so with the winds blowing across them, it ends up as a very slow erosion/reshaping rather like dunes on the beach"

[Crows-Nest] Alison exclaims, "Eeew!"

[Crows-Nest] Alison exclaims, "I know where water's been!"

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "You thought the terrain was rougher than it is here?"

[Crows-Nest] Alison shudders.

GM says, "taste-wise and consistency-wise it's more like foam rubber, I'm afraid"

GM says, ""No, I thought the patch led out from this rough patch here, a little distance on.""

Raul tries to get a handle on the trail end and verify the location against Thenton's descriptions.

Chaz back-calculates where the wall would have been given the current wind-drift.

Alison tries to see if she can make a cloud castle. Like a sand castle, but fluffier.

Aisleen asks (of chaz), "isn't that something i can ask the wind?"

GM says, "He gestures. "But if you feel the path here, then ..""

Chaz says (to Aisleen), "Sure."

Aisleen asks (of wind), "hey, where did this wall used to be, say, a few days ago?"

GM says, "It looks like this valley is mostly unchanged from yesterday, since it's out of the wind"

GM says, "(er, s/yesterday/a few days ago/)"

Raul says (to Thenton), "Let's check the rough patch as well."

GM says (to Raul), "on closer inspection, there are in fact traces there too, although you'd have to be an expert to pick them ou"

GM says, "t"

Alison asks, "So there were two places?"

Raul says, "Hum hum hum. There are traces here, too."

Raul says, "I'm intrigued."

Chaz asks, "And this is the more hidden one?"

Alison asks (of Thenton), "Did the other bunch of people come in from the same tunnel with you, or form a different place?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I don't remember if Thenton was with the gate group or the temple group."

GM says, ""We all came in together," Thenton says. "Then we split up once we'd arrived.""

Raul asks (of GM), "Can I feel to see if there once was a tunnel in this path?"

[nobilis] GM says, "(the gate group)"

GM says (to Raul), "it looks like in both cases -- but clearly it was a magical tunnel in both cases"

Alison digs a moat around the cloud castle.

GM says, "the difference is that on the rough patch the entrance was apparently collapsed, whereas on the smooth one it was just concealed"

GM says, "(to a mortal it's a moot point either way, of course)"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "So it's still there?"

Raul asks, "We have a collapsed entrance and a concealed one. Which would you like to investigate first?"

Alison asks, "Concealed?"

Alison looks around. "Is it under the clouds or something?"

[nobilis] GM says, "the concealed one is still there; the collapsed one would take some work but Raul is the power of paths and could presumably handle it"

Chaz asks (of Raul), "Can you tell which path was more travelled?"

Alison starts digging with her hands.

Chaz asks, "or by whom?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "We *could* split up, if we felt sufficiently crazy."

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( Hi -- this is Alison. We're going to try to dig up tunnels to find the people who did the attack thing. Wanna come with us? )

Raul says, "Who took the paths may be outside my domain. Which was most travelled, now..."

Raul squints, so everyone knows he's working.

Michel arrives, looking for booty.

GM says, "Rike . o O ( Oh, Alison! Hello! )"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "With a Greater Divination, he could just find out which one we're going to be taking, and tell us. THat'd save time."

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( Hi! )

[Crows-Nest] Chaz laughs.

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "'Hey, GM, which one should we take?' 'This one, for it will be more interesting.' 'Okay!'"

GM says, "Rike . o O ( Er, you're where? )"

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( Um. You know that sorta valley cloudy thingy with the wall a little ways sorta round that way from the spire on your chancel but in the outside part? )

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( We're right there. )

GM says (to Raul), "it looks like the collapsed one was the more-travelled"

GM says (to Raul), "the concealed one was used for a bit semi-recently but not before that (and, in fact, it's much newer than the collapsed one)"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I wonder if the concealed one is where Drake ended up."

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "for all intents and purposes, we should have asked Rike before coming here"

[nobilis] Alison says (to Aisleen), "Technically, yes."

Raul says, "Of *course* it's the hard one that was the oldest and most travelled."

GM says (to Alison), "Rike . o O ( Ah. You know, er, it's generally polite to *ask* before coming to other people's chancels .. but if you've found something on the attack I'd like to come along, although I don't know how much help I'll be if you leave the realm. )"

Chaz says (to Raul), "I wonder if that means the concealed one was used by the traitor nobilis."

[nobilis] Alison says (to Aisleen), "Furthermore, someone *other* than the natural embodiment of impulsiveness should have thought of it."

[nobilis] GM says, "hee hee"

[nobilis] Raul says (to Alison), "I'm sure it was just a passing fancy of yours to be polite."

Aisleen says, "i wonder if the concealed one may have been created AFTER thenton and the army was already in"

Aisleen asks, "not likely?"

Chaz asks (of Raul), "Can you tell where they go?"

Raul says (to Aisleen), "It wasn't very travelled. Rike may be able to open that one since it's in his chancel."

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( Oh. Yeah. Sorry about the not-asking-first thing. We were talking to the prisoner guy, and we just sorta got carried away. )

GM says, "Ah, and here comes Rike now, riding on a chariot pulled by a white cloud-horse"

Aisleen asks (of Raul), "can you tell if they are connected? part of the same tunnel?"

Raul says, "I'd have to work at finding where they went, or anything like that. Let's see what Rike's able to do with the entrance that's still there."

Aisleen says, "Then Rike can open the second one and meet us in.... (gets distracted and goes to admire the horse)"

GM says, "He hops off the chariot at the edge of the valley, pats the horse on the flank and points back at the main buildings. It heads off on its own."

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says, "this is my favorite session EVER. motorcycles and horses"

Alison waves big to Rike. "Hi hi!"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "hee hee"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(AFK a few.)"

GM says, "Rike climbs down the valley carefully, stumbling only slightly."

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "Great, Alison's following the horse, too."

GM says, ""Oh er .. so what did you find?""

GM says, "He looks at the flat patch of clouds as if expecting it to spontaneously turn into something."

Michel fills the null-field.

GM says, "(but perhaps he is just nervous after finding out what happened at the party with you guys)"

Raul says (to GM), "There are two paths here, one of which may have been used by the invading troops."

Chaz says (to Rike), "This is a newly-created tunnel that's been concealed."

Aisleen restrains the urge to command the wind to shape the clouds in to gothic sculptures

Raul says, "One of the path entrances is concealed. The other's been collapsed."

Chaz says (to Rike), "And over there is an older tunnel that the invasion force came in on."

[Crows-Nest] Raul says (to Aisleen), "Make it spell out DO NOT TRUST THEM THEY ARE LYING"

GM says, ""Oh, really? Hrm -- I can take a look.""

GM says, "Rike reaches out and lays his hands on the flat wall and then the rough one,closing his eyes and listening intently."

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says, "hee"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Oh, wait--they're next to each other?"

[nobilis] GM says, "(not close enough to reach without moving -- he's touching them one at a time)"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Gotcha."

[nobilis] GM says, "but like ten feet away)"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Back.)"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "BTW, did we handcuff our prisoners, back at Feriarum?"

GM says, ""I don't like the looks of that one," he says finally, pointing to the flat wall. "This one I think I recognize, though -- Drake had some tunnels built in at different parts of the chancel .. he didn't let us in on all the exits but I think this may have been one.""

[nobilis] Chaz says, "They're in the holding pen."

[nobilis] Alison says, "(I'm wondering if Thenton would be cuffed right now, or not.)"

GM says, ""I may be able to resurrect it; I think it still exists, it's just closed on this side.""

[nobilis] GM says, "I don't think he is, since he has needed his hands free to climb around on stuff"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Both his hands are submerged in a block of taffy."

[nobilis] GM says, "mm, taffy"

Chaz asks (of Rike), "What do you mean, "don't like the looks of"?"

GM says, ""Er .. so should I try?""

GM says, ""Oh. Well.""

[nobilis] Alison says, "Someone who's not easily distracted should be watc-- ooh, taffy."

GM says, ""It seems too, I dunno -- I can't feel out where it runs too, exactly, but it seems too new.""

[nobilis] GM says, "hee hee"

GM says, "(er, runs to)"

Chaz asks, "Does it feel like a trap?"

Chaz asks, "Or like a setup?"

Alison says, "Maybe it has something to do with what happened to Drake."

Raul says, "If you can open the one, I can open the other, if you're willing."

GM says, ""Well, perhaps I'm just having an attack of nerves. We *did* deal with those people at the temple -- I'm sure we can handle whatever's here!""

Chaz says, "Trust your instincts, Rike."

GM says, ""...Oh.""

GM says, ""Okay, I can try and fix up the collapsed one, then.""

GM says, ""Let me see here.""

Chaz asks (of Rike), "Can you tell when this new one was made? Like, post-invasion?"

Alison says, "Maybe if we go in the collapsed one, somebody should watch the other one."

Alison says, "In case soemthing tries to come out."

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says (to rike), "boo instincts. i wanted to follow why it was so 'new'"

GM says, ""Er .. I don't think it was post-invasion, but it feels like it's only a little newer than the time the other was collapsed.""

Alison says, "I wonder if it was opened up from this side, or from someoen coming in from the other side."

Chaz says, "Um."

Chaz asks, "Wait---does 'collapsed' mean one-way collapsing?"

Chaz asks, "So you can only come out, not go back in?"

GM says (to Chaz), ""These are both two-way, I think -- but this one was sealed off on this side. So it still exists, but nobody can go through until it's reopened.""

Chaz says, "I was assuming it was collapsed after the invasion force came through."

Chaz asks (of Rike), "But people can come out?"

GM says, ""Not this one""

Raul asks (of Rike), "Could you have the giant watch the concealed entrance?"

GM says, ""The concealed one, people can probably come out from""

GM says, "Rike looks nervous. "Er, I don't think Amanda would like that. I could get some of our soldiers here, though.""

Alison asks (of Rike), "And they can pray to you or Amanda or someone if something bad happens, right?"

[Crows-Nest] Aisleen says, "hmph. we know who wears the pants in this chancel"

Raul says, "As long as we could be contacted. I don't expect people to come through the concealed entrance, but better safe than under siege."

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "I'm confused--the new one was created after the old one was collapsed, but the invasion came through the old one, right?"

GM says, ""Ha ha, yes, that's very good," Rike says, nervously."

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Yeah. Either that, or she owns the giant :)"

Raul claps Rike on the shoulder. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

[nobilis] Alison says, "So it sounds like the new one was created mid-invasion."

[nobilis] GM says, "it's not clear which the invasion came through; Rike has said (and I think Raul backs him up) that the old one was collapsed shortly after the new one was built (and concealed"

GM says, ""Ah -- er, yes, I'm sure. It's just that party has me a bit nervous. Anyway, let me get those soldiers.""

[nobilis] Raul says, "I do, sure"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "What's Rike look like, anyway?"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Didn't Thenton think he came through the old one?"

GM says, "Rike closes his eyes and concentrates, and a short while later a squadron of twenty spartans comes out here"

[nobilis] GM says (to Chaz), "yes"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "And wasn't that the one more travelled?"

Alison waves to the spartans, too. Trying not to giggle about the men all being in skirts.

[nobilis] Raul says (to Chaz), "yeah"

[nobilis] GM says, "Rike is short and with glasses, and is currently wearing slacks and a buttoned shirt."

[nobilis] GM says, "he has a medal around his neck and another pinned to his shirt pocket"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Hmm. Not at all as I pictured him."

[nobilis] Alison says, "But I bet he likes to play Unreal Tournament."

[nobilis] Raul asks, "but in a skirt?"

GM says, "Rike turns to the spartans and says "So .. er .. you guys watch these clouds here and make sure nothing bad comes out. And, um, let me know if it does.""

[nobilis] Alison says (to Raul), "Well, I didn't assume Rike was a spartan."

GM says, "The spartan leader nods curtly and turns to the others. "Men, form up! Hup!""

GM says, "And the spartans alertly start staring at the wall"

Aisleen says (to rike), "i think we want to know if *anything* comes out"

Aisleen says (to rike), "bad or good"

GM says, "While some of them stay on guard looking in other directions."

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Are they speaking Greek, btw?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "not the brightest bunch of spartans are they"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "cool."

[nobilis] GM says, "archaic greek, yet"

[nobilis] Raul says, "it's all greek to me haw haw haw"

Alison says, "Even if it's us."

GM says, ""Er .. yeah, what she said," Rike adds."

Raul says, "Let's see what's behind that entrance"

GM says, ""Right.""

Chaz says, "I'll go with cloud #1, Bob."

GM says, "Rike walks over and stands before the rough patch."

Alison asks, "Should we try to take the zeppelin?"

Chaz says (to Alison), "I don't think it'll fit, kid."

GM says, "He kneels down as reaches out as if he's trying to pick up something heavy and then stands up with a jerk"

GM says, "And the clouds ripple and gape open"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz asks, "Hey, how'd Amanda get here?"

Chaz exclaims (at Rike), "Nicely done!"

GM says, "Rike is breathing heavily. "Uh .. thanks. Oof.""

Raul says, "First the bit with the flame, and now this. I'm impressed."

GM says, "He takes off and repolishes his glasses on a local patch of clouds."

Chaz smells the air in the newly-opened tunnel to see if he can detect tank and plane exhaust fumes.

GM says (to Chaz), "very faint, but there, aspect-3 boy"

GM says (to Raul), ""I, er, I've been trying to shape up a bit lately. Amanda tells me I've been slacking off and not making much of myself.""

GM says, "Also, inside the tunnel is a flight of stairs going down a short distance, and then it seems to extend into the darkness for a while"

Alison asks, "Is that the one that goes to the warehouse without doors, or the other one?"

GM says, "(although there are torches on the walls)"

Alison looks at Thenton.

GM says, "Thenton's nodding his head. "Yes, that looks right," he says. "I remember the torches and the stairs at the end.""

Aisleen takes a torch

Raul takes one as well.

Chaz asks, "How'd you get the tanks up the stairs?"

Alison runs down the stairs, torchlessly.

GM says, ""Not easily.""

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Hee"

GM says, ""You can see where they scraped the walls there, too.""

Chaz heads after Alison.

[nobilis] Alison asks, "How big is the tunnel?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(And how big were the planes?)"

Raul exclaims (at Alison), "ey, careful, not so fast!"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Planes were one-man dealies."

Alison exclaims (at Raul), "Aw, you can catch up! I bet!"

[nobilis] GM says, "it's just wide enough for the tanks to fit through, and maybe twenty feet high"

[nobilis] GM says, "the planes might have been a tight squeeze"

GM says (to Alison), "luckily there are more torches ahead so you're not running into the darkness"

Raul asks, "How'd the torches stay lit while the tunnel was closed, I wonder?"

GM says (to Alison), "you notice the walls are stone as is the floor"

Alison exclaims, "Magic!"

GM says (to Raul), "well, on closer inspection, they're not actually burning the wood"

Alison tries looking Mythically.

GM says, "in mythic they're little chairs in which fire spirits are sitting"

GM says, "reading the newspaper"

Alison exclaims (at Sprite), "Hi!"

Raul asks (of fire spirits), "Say, did you see who closed this tunnel?"

Alison asks (of Sprite), "What's in the news, Sparky?"

GM says, ""Eh which?" he looks up from his paper."

GM says, ""Oh, the usual -- arson down 10% this year .. the fire department says they'll catch whoever's responsible -- smokes over sparks 7-5 in three innings. game ended early again when the ball burned.""

GM says, ""Er -- no, I didn't see. Just heard a loud noise, but it's always opening and closing. I'm just here on a six-month stay and I think it's opened at least a half-dozen times.""

Alison picks up 'Sparky''s torch, and chats while skipping down the tunnel. "Any comics? I bet you read Lil' Ardor."

[nobilis] GM says, "yay"

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "How far is it to the warehouses? And what's at the exit?"

GM says, ""You bet, and Garflame. The one where he kicks the firedog into a bucket of water is my favorite!""

GM says (to Chaz), ""I don't think it's that far -- yes, there's the exit up ahead.""

GM says, "(Alison has almost reached the double doors)"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Does the tunnel go on past the exit?"

[nobilis] GM says, "no, it terminates there"

Raul goes to the end of the tunnel and feels around some more.

Alison asks (of Sparky), "So how do you keep the little papers from burning up?"

GM says, ""There's the hallway on the other side," Thenton says. "And, let me see -- I think two warehouse areas were there, and then the barracks, and then one more.""

Chaz asks (of Thenton), "Did you leave anyone behind when you left?"

Alison pulls on a door, although paying more attention to the torch.

GM says (to Alison), ""Asbestos fibers -- the very latest thing.""

GM says, "creeeeeak"

GM says (to Chaz), ""What would have been the point? All our souls were gone at that point.""

Chaz nods.

Aisleen is looking down on the ground, trying to see things other than our own footprints

Alison goes inside. "Neat. Hey, do you read matchbooks, too?"

Raul follows Alison inside, paying more attention to the room than the torch.

GM says (to Alison), ""Sure, I always check out the ingredients list so I know what I'm eatin'""

GM says (to Aisleen), "well, there's footprints -- yours coming in and then a bunch coming the other way"

GM says (to Aisleen), "and what must be tank treads"

Alison asks (of Alison), "Do they have to put the nu-- nu-tri-tio-nal information on those too?"

Penny arrives, looking for booty.

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Er, (of Sparky)"

GM says (to Aisleen), "and, -- oh, hrm"

[Crows-Nest] Penny says, "#belated, but I'll watch at least"

GM says (to Aisleen), "something greek in a crack inthe wall"

GM says, "er, green"

GM says (to Alison), ""sure -- you know, 100% phosphorus plus other natural flavorings and colorings""

GM says, ""Very high in vitamin F""

Raul keeps investigating the room.

Aisleen gets down and brings the torch closer to the crack

GM says, "meanwhile, the room on the other side, as promised, is a hallway"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "can i take it?"

GM says, "on the right side there's two doors, spaced far apart, which Thenton said were warehouses"

GM says (to Aisleen), "on closer inspection it's a little sprig of something"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "sprig=plant, right?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah"

Raul looks in at one warehouse, then the other.

Aisleen asks (of Rike), "hey Rike? Do you normally have plants growing out of walls in your chancel?"

Alison says (to Sparky), "My dad likes to eat hot stuff too. But spicy peppers and things make my mouth burn."

GM says, "and on the left, doors closer together that Thenton says are barracks, and then one more warehouse area at the end of the hall"

Alison keeps going down the hallway.

GM says (to Raul), "it looks like these two warehouses held the tanks and the planes"

GM says, "there are oil stains on the ground and some empty fuel containers and stuff"

Chaz listens for any echoes not created by our group.

Raul asks (of GM), "nothing out of place?"

GM says, "(quiet, thus far)"

Aisleen pulls the sprig out of the wall.

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Did Thenton say anything about what was in the far warehouse?"

GM says, ""Hunh," Rike says. "Let me see that.""

[nobilis] GM says, "that was where they woke up after the ritual"

Aisleen gives sprig to Rike

Aisleen examines the crack

GM says, ""Laurel," he says. "Hrm."

Alison wanders down to the far warehouse.

GM says, "other than that, just a crack"

Chaz asks (of Rike), "Is that the flower of any of your familia?"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Or any of ours?"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "If it could grow out of the solid rock, it must have been hardy laurel."

Aisleen asks (of Rike), "I am not up to date on my flowers. What does Laurel stand for?"

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Or, like, mine?"

[nobilis] Chaz checks.

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "i need to check your site to find out if its mine"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Not mine."

[nobilis] Alison says, "Not mine."

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Nope, not mine."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "(it's not growing htere, just bumped there)"

GM says, "Rike is still staring at it. "Yes, actually. Drake's.""

[Crows-Nest] Alison says (to GM), "Shh, I'm trying to make a bad pun here."

[Crows-Nest] Chaz exclaims, "Agh!"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "(oh oy)"

Raul asks, "Drake, eh?"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "not mine"

Chaz says, "Drake's tunnel, Drake's flower."

Alison, when she gets down to that end of the hall, tries opening the furthest warehouse door.

GM says, "(it's hard to tell what's out of place in the other warehouses without having seen them before -- there are target dummies set up in one of them as an impromptu shooting range, and some similar training facilities)"

GM says (to Alison), "creeeak"

GM says (to Alison), "it looks like nobody cleaned up after the ceremony"

Raul asks (of GM), "Is there anything else down here?"

Alison exclaims (at Sparky), "What a mess!"

Alison tip-toes in, trying not to disturb anything.

GM says (to Alison), "there are incense burners scattered around the rooms and some candles in tall holders"

Chaz thinks back to the end of the Stella duel, to Drake's face as he was announcing the winner. Did he look surprised at the invasion?

Alison turns the torch, to let Sparky have a view of the incense burners and candles.

GM says, "and then some runes sketched on the floor, in circles (probably) around where the people were lying"

GM says (to Chaz), "he looked surprised at something"

GM says, ""Woo woo!" says Sparky. "Check out the wicks on those candles -- I bet they go all the way down, if you know what I mean""

Chaz fixes the direction he was looking in his head, then calculates where he was looking.

GM says, "At the zeppelins"

Raul says, "Hum. Runes."

Alison is faintly puzzled, but nods as if she did indeed know what he meant.

Raul investigates the runes.

GM says, "Meanwhile, the other rooms look like they were occupied by people who didn't have much stuff, and then packed up and left, like a summer camp after it's been abandoned"

Chaz asks, "Hey, any souls around here?"

GM says (to Raul), "these seem to jive with your research from beforer"

Chaz asks, "Ghosts? Anyone?"

GM says, "(doesn't look like it)"

Raul asks, "Anyone see containers?"

Raul tries to find how the soul-less soldiers got here.

Aisleen asks, "another path you mean?"

GM says, "Looking at the runes, it looks like they were designed to channel the souls someplace after they were cut"

Alison says, "Can we write down the runes? Maybe Henderson can figure something out with them."

GM says, "And there's a dais against one wall that suggests a likely place"

Aisleen whips out pencil and paper

Chaz looks at the dais.

Alison sniffs the incense.

GM says (to Raul), "interestingly, this suggests they came in through the wall there"

GM says (to GM), "not of their own free will, but"

GM says, "er, ..Raul"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz asks, "'From the dais' as in 'to something that used to be on the dais'?"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "(er, channel)"

Raul goes to the wall there.

Raul knocks. "Hello?"

GM says, "The dais has various things on it -- some more runes, a podium on which are some candles, a small cooled pool of metal"

GM says (to Raul), "ah. hollow."

[Crows-Nest] Alison asks, "Who said 'from the dais'?"

Raul says, "Oho."

Raul turns all of his aspect-3 senses to finding any opening mechanism.

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says, "Me, looks like ;-)"

[Crows-Nest] Alison says, "Heh."

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "(something on the dais being a likely place to have sucked up the souls, I mean)"

[Crows-Nest] GM says, "(just because it appears to be a focus point of the ceremony)"

Alison asks, "Huh. What's in that pot?"

Alison wobbles it.

GM says (to Raul), "you poke around a bit, and eventually stumble onto a way to pry open the wall"

Chaz looks at the stuff on the dais in mythic, particularly the metal.

Raul pry pry pry.

GM says, "creeeak"

GM says (to Chaz), "the stuff has, well, the characteristic overtones of magical equipment"

GM says, "the pool has the faint outline of a pair of scissors associated with it"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Oh, right. Pool, not pot."

Chaz asks (of pool), "Hey, did you use to be shears?"

Aisleen asks (of wind), "what kind of conversations happened in this room?"

Alison says (to Sparky), "I bet whatever fire melted the metal must have been a big one."

GM says, ""Aie, the burning""

Raul looks behind the wall.

GM says, ""Once I sliced and cut the spirits -- now I lie melted.""

GM says (to Raul), "dark and narrow"

Chaz exclaims (at pool), "That's horrible!"

GM says (to Raul), "probably about the width you'd get if you stretched your arms out to either side"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz asks, "Who melted you?"

Chaz asks (of pool), "Who melted you?"

GM says (to Aisleen), ""Bad conversations," says the wind"

Raul leads with his torch into the dark and narrow.

Aisleen asks (of wind), "can you repeat the words that were said to me?"

GM says (to Aisleen), ""There was a man shouting words that burned the air -- and then later his voice was smooth but he told the other men things that made them unhappy""

[Crows-Nest] (from Raul) wind says, "Bad conversations."

GM says, ""I could feel the air cooling sadly around them""

GM says (to Chaz), ""The man who I'd helped cut just a short time ago tossed me aside -- and as I fell I melted""

GM says, ""He strode from the room and did not look back""

Chaz asks (of pool), "Do you know what happened to the spirits you cut?"

Alison leaves Chaz and Aisleen to follow Raul.

GM says (to Aisleen), ""The words burned their way through me -- I tried to hold them but could not""

Kori has connected.

GM says, ""I don't know -- it felt like the ends were drawn apart as soon as I sliced through them""

GM says, ""But I am just for the slicing, not to watch what is cut""

GM says, "Meanwhile, Raul and Alison head into the dark passage"

Alison asks (of Raul), "Where ya goin'?"

Raul says (to Raul), "I dunno. The soldiers seem to have been brought in this way."

Alison looks from Raul to Raul.

[nobilis] Chaz asks, "Is the metal precious, or just steel or some such?"

[nobilis] GM says, "silver"

Alison exclaims, "Oh. Huh. Let's see where it goes!"

[nobilis] Raul says, "I quite clearly said to Alison. You must've misheard."

[nobilis] Alison asks (of Chaz), "Does it remember the last time it was melted, before being made into shears?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "(Or was it wrought silver -- can you make wrought silver?)"

Chaz asks (of pool), "Who made you into shears in the first place?"

Alison goes down the passage.

GM says, "The passage continues for some distance and then slopes upwards."

Chaz picks up the metal and follow Raul & Alison as he continues the conversation.

Raul goes carefully, watching for dangerous stuff and trying to keep Alison from skipping ahead of him.

GM says, ""Er .. I remember being shaped, and then I was placed on soft cloth""

Chaz . o O (to all) ( You know, the last time we saw silver shears was in the duel with Cecily. )

Aisleen asks (of chaz), "do you remember who gave her the shears?"

Chaz says (to Aisleen), "She created them with a domain miracle."

GM says, ""I wanted to cut the cloth but could not.""

Chaz says (to pool), "How sad for you."

[nobilis] Alison says, "I wonder how well cotton candy burns..."

GM says, "And then the passage ends at a wooden wall"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I'm going to have to remember to give Sparky some when we get back home."

[Crows-Nest] Raul says, "made of wooden wood, I suspect"

Alison knocks on the wall. "Helloo?"

Chaz asks (of pool), "Were you used much before the soul-cutting?"

GM says, "(thin wood, apparently hollow)"

Raul looks for a way to open *this* wall.

Alison tries to push the wall.

GM says, ""No, this was to be my first time out -- I was carefully wrapped and placed in a box, and then when I emerged, all that was given to me was to cut and cut""

GM says, "This one opens more easily, and the wall pops out and Alison tumbles out"

GM says, "into a shed"

Alison says, "Whoops..."

Raul walks around Alison quickly, just in case of trouble.

Alison picks up herself, her dolly, and Sparky before looking around.

Aisleen asks (of chaz), "words that burns the air? is that a specific spell?"

GM says, "It looks like a gardener's shed"

Raul asks, "Shears from a shed?"

Raul asks, "Where's the door?"

GM says, "on the wall there"

Raul says, "Hey, so it is."

Raul opens the door.

Alison says (to Sparky), "I wonder why they'd bring Thenton down through a gardener's shed."

GM says, "It opens onto a small garden on the other side of a cottage"

Alison says, "Hey, maybe it's just a fake gardener's shed, that's really supposed to be a secret passage that no one knows about."

GM says, "despite it being october it's still a bit balmy out"

GM says, "looking back at the shed you see it's nestled against the hill on one side, making it easy for the passage to come out into it"

Raul says, "Like those crime-solving kids in the Alfred Hitchcock books."

Chaz says (to Aisleen), "Hmm. I guess so."

Alison looks out the door Mythically -- to figure out if they're on Earth, or in a chancel.

GM says, "It looks like you're back on Earth"

Raul says (to Rike), "<Hey, this passage comes out on Earth.>"

Raul checks out the cottage in mythic.

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "where is rike?"

Alison exclaims, "Huh. *Weird*!"

GM says, "Rike eventually emerges out of the passage too."

GM says, "He trips over the lawnmower on the way out"

GM says, "Picking himself up, he says "Why, so it does.""

Chaz asks (of Rike), "Were we in your chancel the whole time? Even the warehouse?"

Raul asks, "Do you recognize this place?"

Alison asks, "Wouldn't people get suspicious if someone tried to carrying lots of humans around on Earth?"

Alison asks, "And then brought them all into a gardening shed and they didn't come out again?"

GM says, "Rike squints at the stars."

Alison says, "So maybe the shed is near the exit from some other chancel sort of place."

GM says, ""I think, um ... I think we're someplace in the mediterranean.""

Alison asks (of Rike), "So, we're still near Olympus, then?"

Aisleen says (to chaz), "i am not seeing anything else here. i am going to follow the path down to where the others are"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Wait a minute."

[nobilis] Alison says, "Alison wouldn't know that."

[nobilis] Alison says, "Never mind."

Aisleen . o O (to raul) ( where you guys at? i am coming down the corridor )

GM says, ""I guess it makes sense for Drake to make a passage here.""

GM says, ""Since he likes greece and all.""

Alison asks (of GM), "And they make lots of fried food here?"

Raul says (to Aisleen), "<Some kind of garden shed, possibly in the Mediterranean.>"

GM says, ""I'm not sure exactly when we left the chancel -- I think the tunnel was an arm of the chancel that Drake created on his own.""

Alison asks (of Rike), "You mean they used Drake's own tunnel to bring in the tanks and the planes and things?"

Aisleen tiptoes down the corridor towards where others are

Alison asks (of Rike), "But why would Drake need to make secret warehouses and barracks and things?!?"

GM says, ""Like I said before -- I know Drake had some private exits from the chancel that he didn't tell us about. I guess this was one of them.""

GM says, ""I don't know why he would have had the warehouses there.""

GM says, "Rike scratches his head."

Alison asks, "Does that mean that Drake's a bad guy?"

GM says, "Rike looks horrified. "That's impossible!""

Raul asks the cottage (in mythic), "Do you belong to Drake? Or to someone else?"

GM says, ""Although - er.""

Aisleen says (to Rike), "didn't you say Drake is working on the Olympics? Which would mean he is someplace in Greece right now"

GM says, "The cottage looks around. "Eh? Wha? Whozza?""

Alison keeps looking at Rike, to hear what comes after the 'er'. Using the 'big, honest, you wouldn't lie to *these* eyes, would you?' eyes.

GM says, ""No, er, I'm a rental property. Draconis Enterprises, finest in the business.""

GM says, ""Let me see, who's registered in me right now. A-somebody. Arthur, I think.""

Raul says, "<Draconis Enterprises. Anyone familiar with them?>"

Raul asks (of cottage), "Do you remember a last name, by any chance?"

Aisleen asks (of Raul), "Draconis...Drake...?"

[nobilis] Alison says (to Raul), "Sounds like Drake to me."

Aisleen says, "Arthur! The missing servant!"

Alison asks (of Rike), "Although?"

GM says (to Aisleen), ""He might well be -- if he's still around here.""

GM says (to Aisleen), ""Oh! Hrm.""

[nobilis] Raul says, "I'm waiting to see what Rike says to that :)"

GM says (to Cottage), ""Is that Arthur Pendlebee?" Rike says. "Er .. yes, that sounds right," the cottage says. "I only heard it the once when he was checking in.""

[nobilis] Alison says, "That took a moment to parse."

[nobilis] GM asks (of Raul), "were you <>ing that to Rike, too?"

Raul asks (of cottage), "Did you ever see someone like <description of Drake>?"

[nobilis] GM asks, "or was that = Arthur?"

[nobilis] Raul says, "Yeah, sorry."

[nobilis] Raul says, "That was meant to be a general to-everyone broadcast"

GM says, ""I guess this might be Drake's place, then --""

[nobilis] (from Alison) Wendell . o O (to Raul) ( Huh? What? Who's this? )

GM says, ""I think that's the property manager," the cottage says. "I've seen him out here a few times, cleaning up or doing some gardening.""

Aisleen says (to Alison), "well, we have Drake supposedly in Greece to work on the Olympics - nice cover - but really doing stuff here on the sly...and arthur is his assistant? that's why he was getting yelled at in the pool"

[nobilis] Raul says, "hee hee"

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "chaz idling?"

GM says (to Alison), ""Anyway, er, it's true Drake wasn't been around much lately before he disappeared.""

Alison asks (of Aisleen), "But Chaz said that Drake and Arthur were arguing, didn't he?"

Aisleen asks (of alison), "maybe arthur screwed something up and was getting a scolding?"

GM says, ""I know he's been busy with the Olympics but I *guess* he could have been doing something else.""

Alison says, "It may be that Arthur was a bad guy, and not Drake, maybe. Or maybe both of them."

Alison puts her foot down. "I just don't know. But what I want to know is how they got Thenton in here?"

Raul says, "and where the souls went"

Alison goes out the door, instead of standing in a cramped little gardening shed with Rike, Chaz, Raul, and Aisleen all rammed in together.

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "i thought we were all outside the shed"

[nobilis] Raul says (to Alison), "I'm outside"

GM says, "Rike is still inside looking confused, but he comes out with Alison"

Alison walks around the shed a few times, looking for footprints.

Alison says (to Sparky), "It doesn't make sense, any of it..."

GM says (to Alison), "there are your footprints, of course, but then, since you're looking carefully, you see a line of deep-sunk footprints along the ground"

Alison says (to Sparky), "People don't just come out of nowhere and go into a gardening shed and nobody notices."

GM says, "They look rather weathered"

Alison points. "Aha! Look, they're footprints!"

GM says, "And lead back from there to the driveway, some distance away"

Raul goes to find a way into the cottage.

Aisleen looks around the area.

[nobilis] Aisleen asks, "are there neighbors around here?"

Alison follows the footprints.

Alison exclaims (at Sparky), "And then even after they bring all the people in, they have to get the souls out, too. Although maybe they could get the souls out by the other way, in Olympus, sinc-- hey!"

[nobilis] GM says, "this cottage is relatively out of the way"

Alison says (to All), "I wonder if they took the souls out the other way."

Alison says, "In Olympus."

[nobilis] GM says, "it's the sort of thing you'd get for a week vacation"

[nobilis] GM says, "so you can see neighbor's cottages and maybe if they were playing loud music you'd hear it faintly but that's about it"

[nobilis] Raul says, "A SOULLESS week vacation"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "nobilis mudmeet!"

Alison immediately turns back to what she was doing, and Sparky. "And then there's the tanks. You don't fit tanks into garden sheds! I'm almost sure of that. It's one of the things that I'm almost absolutely sure of. Except if they use magic. But why use magic to fit a tank in a garden shed?"

Raul says (to Alison), "They might have assembled the tanks inside the warehouse."

Aisleen asks, "can things be small, and then made larger?"

Alison says (to Raul), "Hmm. That's maybe true. That's a good idea."

GM says, "(the footprints peter out by the driveway, which is gravel, and anyway, presumably they stopped walking at that point)"

Aisleen asks, "like have a toy tank in the pocket, and then at the warehouse, make them lifesize?"

Alison says, "But then that just means lots and lots and lots of more trips to carry things out to the garden shed. Into the shed, that don't come out again..."

Raul goes into the cottage to investigate, picking the lock if necessary (and avoiding using trail-leaving miracles or anything).

Aisleen says (to alison), "well, no one would notice around here what you are doing - since people don't seem to live here year round"

GM says (to Raul), "click, there goes the back door"

Alison says (to Aisleen), "But they still have to come from someplace."

GM says, "It's one of these pseudo-rustic cottages"

Raul asks, "Any runes?"

Alison asks (of Aisleen), "Do they drop the tank parts by airplane? Truck them out here? Hide them in suitcases for a weekend in the country?"

Penny has disconnected.

Penny goes home.

GM says, "so it just has the bedroom, the bathroom, and a kitchen with a table that merges into a living room"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Do the footprints end at the driveway?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Do they look like they're aimed for the front door?"

[nobilis] GM says, "the driveway's gravel, so it doesn't really show, although there are some scuffmarks"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Or out to the street, or...?"

[nobilis] GM says, "no, they look like they went driveway -> shed"

[nobilis] Alison says, "I mean going backwards..."

[nobilis] GM says, "right, they don't seem to have come from the cottage"

[nobilis] Alison nods.

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Properly paved road and all?"

[nobilis] GM says, "gravel driveway that merges onto a paved road after a bit"

[nobilis] Raul says, "I'm doing a full search of the cottage, checking it out in mystic as well. Let me know if I run across anything unusual"

[nobilis] Raul says, "like a memo on Drake's letterhead saying I AM THE EVIL BAD TRAITOR"

[nobilis] GM says, "hee hee"

GM says, "Raul starts doing an aspect-3 search of the cottage"

Chaz walks the plank to adventure. Arr!

Chaz arrives, looking for booty.

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says, "Sorry--sara needed fone and accidentally picked up before I could say I was gone."

[nobilis] Alison says (to Chaz), "Ah, good. Without you, we were down to just two people from our chancel."

[nobilis] GM says, "hee hee"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Heh."

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "we are in greece"

[nobilis] Alison says, "On vacation."

[nobilis] Aisleen asks (of chaz), "have swimming trucks and suntan lotion handy?"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Last I knew we had emerged from a shed."

[nobilis] Chaz says (to Aisleen), "Always."

[nobilis] Alison says, "There are footprints from the driveway of a nearby vacation cottage leading to the shed."

GM says, "It looks like it's lived-in by some kind of casual vacationer"

[nobilis] Raul says, "We have a cottage in the Mediterranean that's leased by a rental company possibly owned by Drake"

GM says, "Presumably still there, since there's fresh food in the fridge and so on"

Aisleen asks (of wind), "hey, what was the last conversation played here?"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Leased to an Arthur who may be Arthur, right?"

[nobilis] Raul says, "a guy named Arthur was 'renting' the cottage. The cottage also reacted to a description of Drake saying 'he's the owner/caretaker'"

Alison goes in after Raul. "Anybody here?"

Raul says (to Alison), "There's food in the fridge and clothes in the closet, but no."

Alison asks, "What kind of clothes?"

Raul says, "speedo swim trunks"

Alison says, "Oh."

Alison . o O (to Rike) ( Do you know what Drake's swimming trunks looked like? )

GM says, ""Well ..." says the wind. "The guy here doesn't say much to other people -- although this morning he said 'ah, nice day' as he went out for his walk, and then later 'perhaps a movie' before he got into a car""

Aisleen says, "well, that explains what happened to the footprints"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Any clocks?"

Aisleen says, "he has a car"

GM says (to Alison), "Rike . o O ( Err ..)"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah, there's ye old rusticke grandfather clock in the hall, and one up in the living room too"

[Crows-Nest] Chaz says (to trunks), "Hey, what's the size of... er, never mind."

Alison asks (of Raul), "I don't think Rike knows what Drake's swimming trunks look like. Are there any other clothes?"

GM says, "Rike pokes his head into the cottage. "Did you want me to look at something?""

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Ah, good. Do they show the same time?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah"

[nobilis] GM says, "within a few minutes, anyway"

Chaz looks around in mythic.

Raul says (to Alison), "There's an easier way."

GM says (to Raul), "meanwhile, you dig up a few books with 'Arthur Pendlebee' written in them"

Alison says (to Rike), "I thought maybe you'd know if the stuff here's Drake's or somebody else's."

Raul says (to clothes in mystic), "Who wears you?"

[nobilis] Alison says, "What time would that be, then? :)"

[nobilis] GM says, "I'm thinking it's probably 7pm-ish"

[nobilis] GM says, "ie, twilight, so people don't notice you all trooping around and breaking into cottages"

[nobilis] (from Alison) GM says, "within a few minutes, anyway"

GM says, ""I am Arthur's pants!""

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "oh good. we have time then, since arthur is at the movies"

Chaz says, "The long lost Reader's Digest saga."

Alison says (to Rike), "Never mind! They're not Drake's."

Raul says, "Nice pants."

Alison asks, "So does that mean that Arthur is out there someplace without his pants?"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "Should we all hide, and then when he gets home, jump out and yell 'surprise'?"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "And then jump on him?"

GM says, "Rike pokes around idly through the stuff."

[Crows-Nest] Chaz asks, "Anything of note in mythic? Anything with the now-standard magical overlay?"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "(also, channel)"

[nobilis] GM says, "this cottage is almost distinctive for its ordinariness"

Alison checks the fridge and kitchen cabinets for snacks.

GM says (to Alison), "mm, grapes"

[nobilis] GM says, "you, being nobilis and many with high-aspect can tell that some of the things here are subtly out of place and probably not of earth manufacture"

[nobilis] GM says, "but even though are just normal bedsheets, plates, etc"

[nobilis] GM says, "er, even those"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "how much for today? I need to take my dad to the doctor, but i don't want to decrease our numbers"

Alison frowns. "Well. Not Fritos, but better than asparaguses."

[nobilis] Raul says, "Mmm, unearthly bedsheets"

Aisleen says (to alison), "we need to add some healthy food along with carnival food in your diet"

[nobilis] GM says, "I think maybe this'd be a good stopping point"

[nobilis] Alison asks, "So basically, when Arthur was fired from the chancel, he stole the towels?"

[nobilis] GM says, "and we will handle the jumping-out-at Arthur later"

[nobilis] GM says, "hee hee"

[nobilis] Raul says, "heh"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "ha"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Heh."

[nobilis] GM says, "(but not next week, because next week is Off)"

[nobilis] Chaz says, "Sounds good."

[nobilis] Alison says, "See everyone in two weeks, then."

[nobilis] Raul says, "I'll see you from HUNTSVILLE"

[nobilis] Alison says, "Also, yay, fun session."

[nobilis] GM asks (of Alison), "so do you need the first part of the log, or do you have it?"

[nobilis] GM says, "yeah, this was fun"

[nobilis] Aisleen says, "later all then"

Aisleen goes home.

[nobilis] Alison says (to GM), "I have a version of it, but it'd need to be edited, since it'd have stuff like my using MUD commands in it. If you have a clean first have, that'd be better."

[nobilis] Alison says, "First half, even."

Raul has disconnected.

[nobilis] GM says, "let me mail you what I have and you can pass it on to lpsmith"