The Center of Time

[Shayuri]

(OOC - Okay, so I rolled a 3. My dice luck with Echo has been so uniformly bad, I am at my wit's end. BUT. BUT! Echo is specialized in Numenera, which brings the difficulty to 2, yes? And if I burn Intellect Effort, that brings it to 1. And difficulty 1 requires a roll of, if I'm not totally mistaken...3. Or is it 6? Basically, if Effort will bring the required roll to 3, then I will spend it. If not, then I will simply accept my failure with some semblance of dignity, and let someone who can actually roll decently well do what I honestly tried to make Echo well suited to do. )

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4355170/

 

[iamrpgdm]

Antor sees that Echo is struggling a bit, perhaps a bit worried on what actions the abhumans will take so tries his best to help her focus and follows along with her on trying to decipher the numenera. (1d20=16 Numenera trained)

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Echo, you and Antor put your heads together, quickly combining what you know with the symbols on the map, and select a certain pattern of symbols on the panel. It changes color, another chime splitting the air, and Echo, your fingers very briefly merge with the panel, silver flowing into blue and green. There's an intense feeling of being watched, and then another, softer chime.

The abhuman you were talking to opens its mouth, peculiar tones spilling out. But this time the panel flashes, and a voice overlays the tones in clear Truth.

"Level Five access granted, Keyholder. Is it time? Is it beginning? A full unit is being assembled."


OOC - Your dice luck nevertheless Shayuri, between your specialization and Effort, a 3 does pass! dragonwolf, Antor's assistance will count as an awesome asset.

 

[Shayuri]

Echo gives Anton a grateful nod, as her struggles to comprehend this alien symbology have vexed her from the start. With his help with the symbols, she can piece together the grammar with effort and...voila!

But by the ancients, what now?

"Confirm your mission parameters," she instructs the abhuman, who now seemed to be speaking for something much greater. "What is the unit being assembled to do?"

(OOC - Sorry for the moaning there...I'm in Minneapolis, and my capacity to deal maturely with complications seems to have been eaten up almost entirely by the weather yesterday. )

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"The Keyholder has arrived. The cycle is ready to begin. The unit will travel with the Keyholder to establish the route for the cycle. We seek the end of the cycle, the place where what should meet sky meets earth, where time eats itself.



OOC - We were pretty bad last night too. Damn cold on the factory floor! *brrr*

 

[Shayuri]

...and end to the cycle. That had an ominous ring to it.

"Confirm; what is the nature of the cycle, and how will you end it, once you arrive at the place time eats itself?"

The significance was not lost on Echo. The visions from the map. The tale of the city lost in time. It was all connected somehow. The answers were crawling in the air all around her, and it felt as if she could reach out and touch them.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"The cycle is to grow, to travel, and to go to the place where time ends, and there we will end. Then begin again. We flow like blood through the body, living, going, ending, living again. We will refresh where we flow."

 

[Shayuri]

She could walk away from this, Echo realized distantly, over the sound of rushing water in her ears. She could say it wasn't time yet. That they should keep waiting. Or even try to convince them that the mission had been canceled, though she intuited that idea had many dangers.

There was still time to stop this. But she couldn't.

Her pale blue eyes shifted from the abhumans to the humans. Her expression was apologetic.

"If you don't want to be part of it, you should go," she said softly. "I'm going to say yes."

 

[Tashtego]

"Fascinating," Seregal said, quickly moving to Echo's side. His eyes dance with excitement. "Does this mean they will obey us now? Could they tell us more about this map and where we're supposed to go?"

 

[fireinthedust]

Duncan listens intently to the conversation. His grip is secure on his blade, and his tactical mind whirs selecting the best attack "paths" based on the postential movements of each of the abhumans.

"Don't try to end this. That 'earth meets sky' bit sounds a lot like the vision of the mountain, the one we're trying to get to. The image came from the map, and you're using it to link to them. Maybe they can transport us there. Can you see if we can get them there without slaughtering every living thing along the way?"

ooc: sorry about the delay. work trouble plus I'm in Toronto slowed me down. I'm unsure what Duncan can contribute other than commentary, though I think he'd have some understanding of Numenera due to, well, being one(!), so I'm going to assume he can at least follow along in stops and starts while the Jacks and Nanos theorize even if Duncan can't himself manipulate machines nearly as well as they can.