Patchwork Universe

Karl Groever · Posted: Sat Jun 12, 2004 10:16 pm Post subject:

'Not quite,' Karl replied, a grim half smile upon his lips. 'The story is complicated,' he continued 'and a little painful for me to recall, so you will forgive me, Larkin, if I merely offer you the basic details. In addition, some of it is not easily told.'

'In essence,' Karl went on 'Myself and an associate of mine were in the desert. We were looking for whatever we might find. At a certain point, we were waylaid by the local tribespeople, some of whom knocked me unconscious. My associate got away, back to the City, I hope.'

'By the time I awoke, I had no idea where in the desert I had been taken. I had no idea what the locals were planning to do with me; I feared that, perhaps, they might be intending to offer me as sacrifice, or involve me further in some such alien rite. To my astonishment, they did not. Instead, I was freed, and left to wander by them in the desert. This appeared to be intentional on their part. Eventually, I was caught in a sandstorm. I knew only that I had to come through it, stagger back home to the City with my incredible story. I had no clear idea for how long I wandered. I thought I was hallucinating, as I seemed to hear myriad voices echoing and re - echoing in my head as I stumbled onward. Only recently have I begun to think...perhaps I was even then traversing the boundary between my own world space and that adjoining, and the voices that I were hearing...why, they would have been emanating from other worlds near to that cusp, somehow.'

'There were two matters of particular note to me in this strangest set of events. Firstly, that a man from the City - I have no idea who he was - seemed to be leading the desert dwellers. He it was who freed me and sent me further into the sands with...what I may best call cryptic advice...and, then again, I had also picked up an item earlier in my journey, which had caught my attention and seemed somehow remarkable.'

'This you can see for yourself, if you want to, but mind, it's hot.' And without further ado, Karl reached into his shoulder bag and tossed a small, green metallic object onto the table in front of Larkin.

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin scooped up the object and stifled a mild gasp of shock. The stone was actually quite hot! Looking up at the now infinately more interesting man he asked "What is this?"

Karl Groever · Posted: Mon Jun 14, 2004 8:04 pm Post subject:

'You'd probably appreciate the way I came by it,' Karl replied, a little elliptically. 'It's a piece of neck armour that I took from a tomb I found within one of the Marble Domes in the desert. But as to why it's hot when it should be centuries cold, who the person was who it belonged to (for I don't believe those Domes were built by City folk, nor by Desert dwellers)...whether it's worth nothing, or everything,' and here he looked more meaningfully in Larkin's direction 'well, your guess is as good as mine own.'

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkim simply looked slightly bewildered and then handed the metallic object back. Turning round he noticed the amount of people who had entered and said "Its gettin crowded in here. How long do yer think Janes gonna be? I'd rather get the job finished today. Yarrow said we only had so long." He was talking quite quickly to slightly mask his confusion over the neck armour.

Karl Groever · Posted: Tue Jun 15, 2004 6:57 pm Post subject:

'I see' said Karl. 'A day is it? I agree, Larkin. Setting off soon would be a good idea. Although we must assume that time will pass in each of the worlds we pass through at a different rate, must we not? Here, well, here is much like the City, I think, but the jungle that I came through...that was as if whole eons might pass in minutes.'
Karl glanced around the bar, as he picked up the gorget and redeposited it in his shoulder bag. Getting to his feet and stretching his arms, he commented 'Busy is certainly correct. This place is like something out of the works of Gruner. As if a cross - section of City history had been thrown together: Imperials, Renascene, Industrial Radicals...and others with costumes and identities less comparable yet, I shouldn't wonder.'
'Has it ever struck you,' he asked Larkin, suddenly feeling a chill of uncertainity pass through him as he did so, 'that this whole scenario feels something like a dream?'

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:34 am Post subject:

The red-head archeologist, still carrying her ever-present shoulder bag, walked over to the window seat.

"I hope I'm not interrupting Mr Quickgrip." She said. "I just wanted to ask how you got on when you left the Museum?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin nodded at Karl and was about to answer when the pair was approached by the doctor.

Larkin turned to the doctor with a slight tinge of surprise. "Oh alright, doc, didn't see yer come in. Nah of course yer not." Pushing himself back in his seat slightly he scratched the back of his neck and said "I got on quite well, actually. I met this Yarrow woman who claimed ter be the creater of this place and am currently on a short job for her." He added a short grin as if to say this kind of thing happened to him all the time.

Looking up he said "How bout you? Hows life as a ghost?"

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 11:22 am Post subject:

"Alcohol free." Dr Jewel replied ruefully, acutely aware of the current drawbacks to her status.

She spared his companion a worried glance but realised that, even if he did have issues with ghosts, it was too late to try and soften the surprise.

"Do you think this Yarrow person is the creator?" She changed the subject quickly. "If so, do you know where we could find her? We came here to see if anyone could tell us about how things work and why we're here and... well, I'm sure you can guess the sorts of things we want to know."

She paused for a moment.

"What's the job?"

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:06 pm Post subject:

As Larkin spoke to Jewel, the innkeeper approached the group and spoke quietly to Karl.

"I wonder, sir, if I might have a private word with you? The saloon bar is empty at the moment. Perhaps if you have the leisure, we might talk there?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

Larkin didn't really have the time to answer any of the doctors questions before he was approached by the landlord. Nodding at Karl he said "Karl here knows about the job, dont yer?" before he turned to Jones and said "Uhhh yeah sure."

Larkin stood up out of his seat and said "If yer'll excuse me for a second." He then stepped out of the window seat and headed over to the saloon bar.

(ooc Larkin has entered the thread "Saloon Bar: A brief chat")

Dr Jewel · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 4:48 pm Post subject:

Dr Jewel was very confused.

She turned to the innkeeper and Karl Groever.

"I thought," she began, "that you wanted to speak to..."

She looked at Karl and then shrugged.

"Perhaps I had better return to Dr Odom at the bar." She said. "My apologies, gentlemen, for interrupting your conversation."

She smiled at both, then left.

[OOC : Back to the bar]

Larkin Quickgrip · Good Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 137 Location: The Slums

(ooc Whooooooooooooops, sorry, very much my bad, sorry, sorry, sorry. I failed to read the post proporly, sorry, sorry, sorry. Did I mention sorry?)

Karl Groever · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 5:12 pm Post subject:

Karl was confused for a moment. This red - headed woman, whom Larkin seemed to know, polite and pretty enough, surely, was claiming to be a ghost? Hard to credit, perhaps, but then wasn't near everything about this strange new world into which he had wandered. Keeping an open mind would no doubt be necessary if he wished to continue to uncover the meaning of his current situation. And then, there was this insistent talk of gods - of the type that only the Desert dwellers and the City folks of his grandsire's days would have credited...
But his train of thought derailed abruptly, as the innkeeper hoved into view beside him, and asked for his attention. He stood a few moments, nodded a curt good bye to the red - head, and then headed in Jones's wake, towards the saloon bar.

[OOC: Karl will now take up the Saloon Bar Thread: A Brief Chat]

Jones · Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2004 7:35 pm Post subject:

ooc note: this thread now ended, all participants have moved to other threads in the bar