The Scarab

Forgive the long first post! Most posts will be shorter!

Located in the Outlands, some 1000 miles from the Spire, Rigus is a tough town. Every day, new conscripts and grizzled veterans alike are herded onto the battered war-barges and troopships in Rigus's filthy harbor that paddle slowly towards the eternal war in Acheron. Training drills and battle-songs in hundreds of languages can be heard echoing from the earliest hours of the morning, when new recruits are trained. At night, the revelry of drunken veterans who have survived for a brief respite away from the Blood War fills the air.

On the East side, in the Modron Quarter, metallic creatures and formian diplomats from Mechanus can be seen moving back and forth between their hivelike administration buildings, the Mechanus Consulate, and the steam-belching weapon factories that dominate the quarter. The stench of oil, coal, and burning metal is everywhere. Even the dismal streets are paved with the worn tombstones of some forgotten army.

It rains nearly every day in Rigus.

Nestled somewhere in here is the abandoned convent of the Battle Sisters of Jinna. Most of the Sisters are dead now, lost in the Blood War. A few survivors still live in the convent as security guards, but the old convent has now been converted into the Museum of Mortal Civilization and Achievement. The Barracks and Training Arena have become Exhibit halls. The walled Drilling Field has been converted into a garden where large exhibits are kept.

In the center of the convent complex lies the Chapel. Its stone facade still stands and the engraved motto of the Jinna, "Stand Together", is still plainly visible above the oaken doors. A smaller, newer sign outside reads "Exploration Society. No Public Exhibits". One of the battle-scarred armored warrior women stands at attention by the chapel door. She takes no notice of you. She has already been informed of your arrival.

Inside, dim light streams into the chapel through slate grey-and-blue stained glass windows. A lone githzerai in a tattered grey cloak is puzzling with the detached arm of an archaic looking bronze golem. The golem itself is in pieces in the center of the room, lying on it's back. The massive golem head is sitting dejectedly on a pillar. It's jaw works erraticly, but no sound comes out.

As you enter, the Githzerai looks up.

"Ah, you made it. Very good! Welcome to the Exploration Society! I am Ram-Tet".

The Githzerai drops the golem-arm unceremoniously and steps awkwardly over the dismantled parts to greet you.
 
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Hremelan stands about 3 feet in height and walks with a slow and casual gait. His black locks of curly hair give good example of what might happen when lightning strikes a briar patch - no rhyme nor reason to its condition, but there it is. He has a great smile on his face, as he usually does, and hefts a small pack on his back as he walks into the building, thumbs hooked in the straps. As he approaches, his deep blue eyes are prominent as well as his short stubby nose, giving his face a more child-like appearance. Between his teeth is a long pipe that is currently lit and a small stream of smoke is wafting about it.

His vest and pants are a deep grey in color and his tunic a royal blue. If asked, he will disclose that these are his family colors and gladly give you the history of how it came to be. He is thin and pale, but sturdy enough that he doesn't seem sickly. Occasionally a bird will poke his head out of the pack and peer around, seeming very skiddish and frightened. Careful watchers might notice that the pack makes a sudden jump when this happens, followed by a quick retraction of the bird's head and a bigger grin from the halfling.

"G'day govna!" Hremelan says to the githzerai in a thick cockney accent, removing the pipe from his teeth, "this sure is a nice place ye' 'ave 'ere. Name's 'remelan, friend's call me Ray." He looks past the githzerai to the golem, "Looks like yer friend's seen betta' days, eh?"
 

Casandra

Casandra walks up slowly to the githzerai. Water still cascades off her oiled blue cloak, & drops glisten off her shiny blond hair. She appears bulky due to her equipement & large sheild hung over her back. She looks around as she walks, hesitantly, as though she would like to spend days walking these halls, looking at the exhibits. She nods to the Gith at his greeting, & speaks simply "Casandra."
 

The githzerai grins (uncharacteristic for a githzerai) and kicks the golem arm onto a pile of mismatched spare parts.

"Welcome, Casandra. Welcome Hremelan.. er.. Ray. We're expecting others. You two are the first."

He motions to the pile of junk that used to be a bronze golem.

"Late 12th Alphatian Trash. Picked it up in an auction. Should have known it would go berserk. One of the girls had to put it down yesterday."

He wipes his oil-stained hands on his cloak and mutters "I've got half a mind to weld it together and leave it in the garden, but we have so many Alphatian pieces already."

He then extends his hand first to Casandra and then Hremelan before realizing how dirty his hands are.

"I don't suppose either of you are musically inclined, are you?"
Ram-Tet walks over to a wash-basin and starts scrubbing his hands.
 
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Hremelan gently squeezes his pipe between his teeth, staring at the golem and slowly shaking his head. "Naw," he says through clenched teeth, "I dun 'ave a musical bone in me body. Me family's ne'er been any good a' it."

He walks over towards the golem with a curious look on his face, puffing his pipe as he goes. "Strange," he mutters under his breath, "looks like a bi' o' crock me mum used to bake vi'les in."

He looks at Ram-tet with a large grin, "Ah think 'm gonna fancy this place."

He nods to Casandra, "Hullo love," he smiles cheerfully as he extends his tiny hand, "name's Hremelan, me friend's call me Ray. Where you be from?"
 

"Piddleflax!"

A muffled thump comes from behind part of the shattered golem. A moment later, a dwarf struggles into view, sucking his injured hand. "Sumthin' in ther bimme" he mumbles around his fingers. "Er. Bit me. Afternoon."

He pulls his greasy hand out and ambles over. "I'm Khulmbanos. I followed ye in, all stealthy-like." He grins, revealing more gaps and gold than teeth. "Who else we waiting for?" he asks the Githzerai.
 

Hremelan wonders how this dwarf knows the old sage in his village, old Pwiddlefax Hardbinder. The old lout never loved nothin more than his dusty old books...and a bit o' the leaf now and again...Hremelan smiles again the memory. Poor sod couldn't hold his own.

After greeting the human, he welcomes the fact that he need not thrust his hand so high and holds it out towards the dwarf. "Mornin', govna. Hremelan's me name, but friends just call me Ray. Nice t' make yer ac'aintence, lad. Go' a thing for ol' crockery, eh?" the halfling chuckles as he points to the golem with the mouthpiece of his pipe.
 

Ashan strides in to the room. He surveys the room, shaking his head at the golem parts. "Hey, bo. I'm the op, or should I say one of the ops, you've hired to retrieve a dingus. Forgive me for my poor manners, but what's the the lay and how're we to do it without getting the buttons involved?" He nods at the others in the room, cordially.

OOC: A Glossary, or What the Hell did Ashan Just Say? Obviously, some things, like "buttons" won't translate completely accurately. I'm using it to mean "authorities or guards" in a loose sense.
 

The sound of someone knocking rather too hard on the chapel door is followed by a large human. Standing in the doorway, he obscures most of the gray light from the portal.

Moving a little further into the room, you can make out his features. Scars cross his left arm, and an angry red line arcs above his right eyebrow.

"Morning, cutters! I'm Osric Lackland, priest of His Divine Mightiness, Kord. I'm here about the job." He looks around at the others in the room, before asking. "Which one of you is in charge?"
 

Casandra shakes all profered hands, regardless of associated filth. She regards everyone through somewhat narrowed eyes. Her only words with each introduction are "Casandra."
 

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