Patchwork Universe

Karl Groever · Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 8:03 pm Post subject:

Karl had been caught somewhat off guard by this series of hurried exchanges. He noted the glowering look creeping across Smight's face, and decided the best option at the present moment was to brazen things out. He would have to have words with Larkin later.
'My name is Karl Groever,' he stated clearly 'and I am an archaeologist from the City of Constant, in the Sands of Zaritza. However, I agree with the Doctor. Something very odd is going on here.'

Smight, the Unbeliever · Posted: Thu Aug 05, 2004 8:06 pm Post subject:

"Ah," Smight seemed to have reached a conclusion. "You have also captured one of these dogs, Brainstorm. That was a good plan. Smight also thought of it. I captured this same thing," he looked at the Janitor, "and made him bring us here from the place of priests."

"But are you now saying that you are not Karl Groever," he turned to Karl with an ominious expression. He looked back at Brainstorm and added: "He said he was Karl Groever and that this man is Larkin Quickgrip and that he is wise and knows many things."

[ooc: Time Stamp bug. This post should come before Karl's.]

Dr Brainstorm · Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2004 9:44 pm Post subject:

Brainstorm shook Larkin's hand, seeming only a little distracted by the grime.

"Well," he said, "I guess we're all agreed that something strange has happened." With Smight around, it often seemed best to keep things simple.

"Mister Quickgrip, or is it Larkin? You said that you met Karl with Jones. Did he seem to know anything about this?"

Larkin Quickgrip · Strong Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 254 Location: The Slums

Larkin grinned and said "Larkin'll do, Doc." He hesistated for a second and then added "Doc'll do right?" and grinned. He glanced at Karl and said "Karl knows more bout what Jones said though so yer should ask him really."

Dr Brainstorm · Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2004 7:58 am Post subject:

"Doc'll do fine," Brainstorm replied with a slight grin of his own.

"This is Fermion," he said of the cat that was cautiously approaching Larkin, "And Sakura... Well, she's not exactly here right now, but if you hear any mysterious voices, that'll probably be her. Smight says I talk to myself."

He grinned a little towards Smight, but it wasn't terribly effective.

Larkin Quickgrip · Strong Joined: 21 Jan 2004 Posts: 254 Location: The Slums

Larkin grinned "I was wonderin bout that." he said with a touch of relief about himself. Glancing back at Karl and Smight and hten back to Brainstorm he said "So that's intreductions over, now what? Whats this place?"

Dr Brainstorm · Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2004 11:27 pm Post subject:

"Well, I'm told that this place is called the Map Room." Brainstorm stepped back off the map itself, carefully stepping over Fermion as he did so.

"That much seems fairly straightforward, although I'm rather curious about how this thing is put together. It wasn't here before - Or at least, it wasn't here when we, um, left."

Smight, the Unbeliever · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:07 am Post subject:

Smight had been studying the map, His brow was furrowed as he tried to decide if it was an abomination. But after all it contained no writing, only pictures. Pictures were allowable. The Red Fort employed a form of representational hieroglyphics to indicate the function of various rooms and objects.

"This is the Red Fort," Smight declared after a while. "Here, see. And the place of priests lies below it, here."
Walking over the map he came to a half standing above the patch that was marked 'heaven' and glared down at it balefully.

liason · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 11:41 am Post subject:

Back outside the map room, a small gathering was taking place under the Jeep.

I reckon we should salvage it, there's a good load of lovery parts here.

But that's such a waste. It's working ! I reckon we should relocate it fully intact.

You don't know how !

I can try at least...

A small collection of stone rods, cogs and levers clambered carefully up into the Jeep and began to examine its mechanisms. It quickly determined that more help would be needed to pilot the vehicle, so two other salvagers climbed up.

Then it began to investigate how to start the vehicle...

Snark Sinistre · Good Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 59 Location: Dark Towers

[ooc From Tower of Bable thread, to prevent further thread confusion it might be best if any further actions outside the map room were moved to that, or a new thread.]

Snark Sinistre strode past the vehicle without deigning to notice it in any detail, having parted from the troop of Smight's men (who also seemed not to have noticed anything amiss).

His entry into the map room proper came in a swirl of blue black robes and a crackle of elemental energy from his staff. He was evidently a wizard, bearded, robed and hatted in the traditional manner and his dark eyes burned with rage as he considered the group ahead.

"Brainstorm." His voice was low and threatening. "So you survived as well. What do you mean by plotting here with our allies and enemies both?" His gaze swept past Karl Groever towards the Janitor, touched lightly on Larkin and turned to Smight.

"Smight, there is something very strange happening. I suspected some of our former allies may now be in league with the abominations. Now I find Brainstorm here consulting with this person," he looked again towards the Janitor pointedly before turning back to Smight. "Does this not concern you, mighty Smight?"

Karl Groever · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:20 pm Post subject:

The wizard?
This was Karl's immediate thought as the newcomer strode into the Map Room. It seemed as if he and Larkin would not need to travel with Smight in order to reunite the mysterious 'Circle of Eight' - they were proving eminently capable of finding Smight and Karl first !
But the idea that the 'Circle' had some form of 'abominable' enemies struck yet another half - forgotten chord.
'Doctor,' Karl spoke to Brainstorm 'Jones, the publican, he said something about enemies working against...the other Karl Groever...wiping the slate clean...?'

Dr Brainstorm · Posted: Tue Aug 10, 2004 9:50 pm Post subject:

Fermion eyed Snark warily. Brainstorm just stood in silent dismay for a moment. As if things weren't difficult enough already...

"Ah, Snark. I see you survived as well."

He walked forward to stand beside Smight, then turned to face the wizard.

"Smight himself captured this one just a short while ago. I myself have been questioning him about what has happened, and what this new patch might be. I suggest that you think twice before accusing us of treachery."

Snark Sinistre · Good Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 59 Location: Dark Towers

"Aha ha aha," Snark seemed for a moment to be choking but it appeared he was merely trying to laugh through a throat closed tight with rage. "Smight knows I honour him for his bravery and power."

Blue light flickered around Snark for a second, describing a sphere of space around him before his hand clenched on his staff, drawing his aura back.

"You were questioning this creature?" he continued, looking at the Janitor who seemed oblivious to the conversation and was running one hand along the seem between to of the stone blocks that made up the walls. "No doubt at sword point..." He sneered and then remembered just in time that sarcasm never worked well around Smight. "That is..."

"Who are these people?" He turned his coal black gaze on Karl and Larkin who could see small blue lights flickering from inside those dark orbs.
"I tell you, I am Snark, a wizard of great puissance and long an ally of the mighty Unbeliever. But this man here," he sneered again at Brainstorm, "is my mortal enemy, for the travesty of his nature and the corruption of his practice. If he has lured you here with lies, beware! More so if he seem to have befriended you. I once made the error of alliance with him and have been served with what may have been years of imprisonment for my folly."

He looked once more at Smight and added:
"Smight surely understands that there must have been a traitor among us, else our plan would not have failed. Have you asked that one," a long bony finger stabbed in the direction of the Janitor, "who the traitor is, Brainstorm?"

Smight, the Unbeliever · Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:26 am Post subject:

Even Smight could take a hint if he was hit over the head with it often enough and Snark's last words had hit a lucky construction. The traitor is Brainstorm rolled ponderously through his thoughts. What Snark said made sense. The plan had failed. Everything was different. Both the wizard and the man who talked to himself had used the word 'treachery'.

But the man and the wizard hated each other. Smight could remember that all to well. He did not know how the knight had persuaded them to join the honourable cause, only that the priest had sent message after message and been long weeks in conference with them both.

"The wizard doesn't like this man," Smight explained, out loud, for the benefit of Karl Groever and Larkin. "The plan went wrong."

He paused. Looked from Brainstorm to Snark and turned to glare at the Janitor.

"Why did the plan go wrong?" he asked.

liason · Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2004 9:54 am Post subject:

Meanwhile, outside, the salvage mob were having trouble getting the Jeep started. The engine was rather more advanced than they were used to and they couldn't make sense of it. They tried to push the Jeep into motion, but the handbrake held it.

So, they did the only rational thing and started messing randomly with the electrical connections.