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The Risen Goddess (Updated 3.10.08)
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<blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 1085" data-attributes="member: 41"><p><strong>5-- As above, so below: the <em>Marrow Down</em>.</strong></p><p></p><p>The better part of a day passes while Indy and Thelbar debate possible ways to get off the plane. Tempers grow heated, then frayed. Taran cycles through a manic phase, followed by despondency that leads to black implications of how bad his next foe will have it.</p><p></p><p>Thelbar occupies himself by learning about the laws of physics in this place. He is able to stand comfortably on all sides of the Prime pocket, simply by stepping over the edge, and onto the alternate surface. He determines that 'down' is relative here, relating to one's belief, rather than a physical constant. He ties rope around himself and attempts the following experiment. By believing that 'up' is 'down', Thelbar is able to fall away from the Prime pocket. By reversing his mental orientation, he can fall back towards his friends. Although it is crude and clumsy, Indy points out that should their situation grow desperate enough, they could 'fall' through the Plane looking for help. Thelbar points out that he thinks they already are.</p><p></p><p>Objects have neither a 'down' or an 'up', traveling through the void at a constant speed, along whatever path they were launched. In fact, this Prime pocket is surely rocketing through the void, its trajectory swayed by the mental 'down' of the beings sitting upon it. If there is a 'terminal velocity' here, Thelbar reasons, it would be determined only by an individual object's weight, not any constraint imposed by the atmosphere. </p><p></p><p>Late in the afternoon of the second day (at least as they remember time-- there is no sun or moon here, just an even expanse of unchanging light), the group has resigned itself to its helpless state. Even Indy has grown sullen and quiet, and stopped pestering Thelbar to let him examine the book. Kyreel is flinging chunks of dirt and clay into the void when she spots a speck off in the distance. The speck grows larger at a leisurely rate. The entire group is soon staring 'up' at the spot, arguing amongst themselves about what it is.</p><p></p><p>Hours later, the argument is settled. The thing is close enough that there can be no doubt about the object's nature; it is a ship. A sailing vessel, by the looks of it, complete with masts and sails. The heroes are at first overjoyed, thinking themselves rescued, then subdued when Taran points out that the ship may not be friendly.</p><p></p><p>The fact that he seems to relish the prospect of fighting an entire ship full of people does not diminish the validity of his observation. The group readies themselves for whatever may come, and settles in to wait.</p><p></p><p>Hours pass, and Kyreel, Rex and Indy strike up a tense game of 'hidden stone', an orcish gambling pastime the duo have come to love. As they play, they keep an eye on the ship. Thelbar manages to coach Taran at believing in a different down, and between the two of them, they rotate the Prime pocket until they can watch the approaching ship without straining their necks.</p><p></p><p>The ship sails closer, and is soon near enough that the party can make out individuals standing at its rails, watching them. A loud bellowing floats toward them, and they make out a crude and heavily accented phrase in common: "On the rock, there! Prepare to be boarded!" Weapons are swiftly readied, and shortly thereafter, a pair of large humanoids leap from the ship and sail through the void toward the Prime pocket.</p><p></p><p>The two aggressors are half orcs, armed with orcish double axes, and Indy is barely able to observe how strange it is that sailors would be wearing plate mail armor before battle is joined. Thelbar hides himself around one 'corner' of the Prime pocket, and opens the hostilities with a <em>magic missile.</em> Taran and Kyreel attack one of the half orcs, while Indy fences with the second. Rex darts about, covering his friends with his crossbow and firing into the melee. The fighting is intense, but it soon becomes apparent that the half orcs intend to subdue and capture the group rather than kill them. They are extremely skilled fighters, and use their double weapons to swiftly disarm Taran, sending Black Lisa twirling end over end into the void. </p><p></p><p>Sartre is dispatched to fetch the blade, and Taran draws his backup weapon, badly wounding one of the half orcs. In a matter of seconds, the battle has turned against the boarders, and both of them fling themselves from the rock, and 'fall' back towards their ship, which is sailing in leisurely circles around the Prime pocket.</p><p></p><p>"Well done, well done!" A voice calls from the prow. The heroes look up to see that they are hailed by a female orc, dressed to the nines in garish and loose fitting clothing. She wears a prominent medallion depicting a series of arrows radiating outward from a central point, a universal symbol for Chaos.</p><p></p><p>"Listen, you're not off the reefs, yet," she shouts. "You can be stubborn, and starve to death here on your rock, or you can join us. My name is Ragna, and this is my ship. The <em>Marrow Down</em> needs good fighters like yourself. Join me, and I can promise you a fine life of high piracy, along with an equal share of any salvage gold we might win for ourselves. Scorn me, and I will send my Raiders," she gestures toward the horde of small, gray humanoids crowding on deck "to kill you all. What say you?"</p><p></p><p>The party converses for a moment, but realizes that the cards are all in Ragna's hand, and they have no choice to agree. Indy, for his part, is beside himself with excitement. He exclaims that he has always wanted to be a pirate, and could we join them? Oh, please! Taran shrugs, pointing out that killing dungeon inhabitants for treasure isn't that much different than killing sailors for treasure, despite Kyreel's protests to the contrary. Thelbar, in the end, casts the final vote, pointing out that at least with Ragna, they will be less likely to starve.</p><p></p><p>And thus the group joins Ragna's Raiders, sailing through the void of Elemental Air, as the <em>Marrow Down</em>'s new ship-to-ship combat specialists.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(contact), post: 1085, member: 41"] [b]5-- As above, so below: the [i]Marrow Down[/i].[/b] The better part of a day passes while Indy and Thelbar debate possible ways to get off the plane. Tempers grow heated, then frayed. Taran cycles through a manic phase, followed by despondency that leads to black implications of how bad his next foe will have it. Thelbar occupies himself by learning about the laws of physics in this place. He is able to stand comfortably on all sides of the Prime pocket, simply by stepping over the edge, and onto the alternate surface. He determines that 'down' is relative here, relating to one's belief, rather than a physical constant. He ties rope around himself and attempts the following experiment. By believing that 'up' is 'down', Thelbar is able to fall away from the Prime pocket. By reversing his mental orientation, he can fall back towards his friends. Although it is crude and clumsy, Indy points out that should their situation grow desperate enough, they could 'fall' through the Plane looking for help. Thelbar points out that he thinks they already are. Objects have neither a 'down' or an 'up', traveling through the void at a constant speed, along whatever path they were launched. In fact, this Prime pocket is surely rocketing through the void, its trajectory swayed by the mental 'down' of the beings sitting upon it. If there is a 'terminal velocity' here, Thelbar reasons, it would be determined only by an individual object's weight, not any constraint imposed by the atmosphere. Late in the afternoon of the second day (at least as they remember time-- there is no sun or moon here, just an even expanse of unchanging light), the group has resigned itself to its helpless state. Even Indy has grown sullen and quiet, and stopped pestering Thelbar to let him examine the book. Kyreel is flinging chunks of dirt and clay into the void when she spots a speck off in the distance. The speck grows larger at a leisurely rate. The entire group is soon staring 'up' at the spot, arguing amongst themselves about what it is. Hours later, the argument is settled. The thing is close enough that there can be no doubt about the object's nature; it is a ship. A sailing vessel, by the looks of it, complete with masts and sails. The heroes are at first overjoyed, thinking themselves rescued, then subdued when Taran points out that the ship may not be friendly. The fact that he seems to relish the prospect of fighting an entire ship full of people does not diminish the validity of his observation. The group readies themselves for whatever may come, and settles in to wait. Hours pass, and Kyreel, Rex and Indy strike up a tense game of 'hidden stone', an orcish gambling pastime the duo have come to love. As they play, they keep an eye on the ship. Thelbar manages to coach Taran at believing in a different down, and between the two of them, they rotate the Prime pocket until they can watch the approaching ship without straining their necks. The ship sails closer, and is soon near enough that the party can make out individuals standing at its rails, watching them. A loud bellowing floats toward them, and they make out a crude and heavily accented phrase in common: "On the rock, there! Prepare to be boarded!" Weapons are swiftly readied, and shortly thereafter, a pair of large humanoids leap from the ship and sail through the void toward the Prime pocket. The two aggressors are half orcs, armed with orcish double axes, and Indy is barely able to observe how strange it is that sailors would be wearing plate mail armor before battle is joined. Thelbar hides himself around one 'corner' of the Prime pocket, and opens the hostilities with a [i]magic missile.[/i] Taran and Kyreel attack one of the half orcs, while Indy fences with the second. Rex darts about, covering his friends with his crossbow and firing into the melee. The fighting is intense, but it soon becomes apparent that the half orcs intend to subdue and capture the group rather than kill them. They are extremely skilled fighters, and use their double weapons to swiftly disarm Taran, sending Black Lisa twirling end over end into the void. Sartre is dispatched to fetch the blade, and Taran draws his backup weapon, badly wounding one of the half orcs. In a matter of seconds, the battle has turned against the boarders, and both of them fling themselves from the rock, and 'fall' back towards their ship, which is sailing in leisurely circles around the Prime pocket. "Well done, well done!" A voice calls from the prow. The heroes look up to see that they are hailed by a female orc, dressed to the nines in garish and loose fitting clothing. She wears a prominent medallion depicting a series of arrows radiating outward from a central point, a universal symbol for Chaos. "Listen, you're not off the reefs, yet," she shouts. "You can be stubborn, and starve to death here on your rock, or you can join us. My name is Ragna, and this is my ship. The [i]Marrow Down[/i] needs good fighters like yourself. Join me, and I can promise you a fine life of high piracy, along with an equal share of any salvage gold we might win for ourselves. Scorn me, and I will send my Raiders," she gestures toward the horde of small, gray humanoids crowding on deck "to kill you all. What say you?" The party converses for a moment, but realizes that the cards are all in Ragna's hand, and they have no choice to agree. Indy, for his part, is beside himself with excitement. He exclaims that he has always wanted to be a pirate, and could we join them? Oh, please! Taran shrugs, pointing out that killing dungeon inhabitants for treasure isn't that much different than killing sailors for treasure, despite Kyreel's protests to the contrary. Thelbar, in the end, casts the final vote, pointing out that at least with Ragna, they will be less likely to starve. And thus the group joins Ragna's Raiders, sailing through the void of Elemental Air, as the [i]Marrow Down[/i]'s new ship-to-ship combat specialists. [/QUOTE]
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