Patchwork Universe

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

The zeppelin thundered in from the east, as if pursued by the four winds. It had crossed most of the way across the patch along the south border before it was fully brought under control. It stood at station, high in the air.

Von Damme took to the observation platform, and took in the view. The goggles enhancing his vision, he was able to see the gateway into the volcano in the distance. This was interesting. In Von Damme's experience, the most interesting people made their lairs in volcanos. Still, the air smelled of brimstone, and the ambient temperature suggested that the volcano might not be entirely dormant. And although the balloons were no longer filled with hydrogen, that prospect was enough to make an airship captain very cautious. Checking his map, von Damme noted that one more patch east would fill in the blank in his map, at which point he'd be in a position to return to the zoo easily. The zeppelin headed east.

[OOC: East to Vselug Forest]
[ETA GM NOTE: The Zeppelin is currently still in the Wizards Warren and should not leave until the patch owner has posted a response. Wizards Warren has a patch stat of Average and Empire City is paradigm crushed at an effective rating of Abysmal. Any ooc questions about this ruling should be emailed or PMed to the GMs. Time In.

Loresan Knotreaver · Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 7:48 pm Post subject:

[OOC: since you didn't respond to my message...]

As the splendid airship drifts magnificently despite the complicated air currents caused by the volcanic heat, something appears to go wrong.

All across the airship, but concentrated on its silvery balloon, small bubbles of colour begin to appear.

To von Damme it appears for a moment as though the airship has been caught in sudden, unexpected turbulence. Then he sees the bubbles turn into streams of colour, from his balloon, from the ropes, even from his hair.

Then his attention is rather suddenly diverted by a hissing sound and a sensation of burning. An acrid smoke comes from his clothes as they start to sear into his body.

So it is only the outside observers that see the shuddering airship begin to slowly descend.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Tearing his burning clothes off, Von Damme took stock of the situation, wincing in pain at his seared flesh.

The place was awash with an odd energy phenomenon. It was burning the fabric - the ropes, the upholstry, his clothes - the helium cells?

Von Damme smashed the sizzling pilot's chair aside. If something in the air here was attacking cloth, then it would be degrading the rubberised cotton of the zeppelin's gasbags. Yes, already, pressure was dropping. He opened the valve on the helium tanks; hopefully they could restore pressure and thus buoyancy, long enough to get him out of this place.

He engaged the engines on full, and headed for the south wall of the patch as quickly as possible.

[OOC (from Gareth): It's Von Damme, not Kirby who's here. And I've had no messages from you.
By my reckoning, I'm near the south edge of the patch, since I didn't progress far into Orkney.]

[GM OOC NOTE: I've tidied this thread up a bit since it was getting rather confused. I believe Sarah's message was sent by PM. I hope you two are now in communication but if not I can supply each with the other's email addy.]

Loresan Knotreaver · Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2004 3:11 pm Post subject:

The airship wallowed in the air like a harpooned whale, but the altimeter showed that her rate of descent had been greatly slowed. The crisis did not seem to be over, however - even as the forward end of the airship neared the patch boundary, the air temperature suddenly dropped. Before the damaged ship opened up a dark hole in the air, framed in blue and red, from which salty water began to gush, as if a hole had been poked in the bottom of a mighty sea.

Around the ship, the other phenomena continued.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Von Damme wheeled the airship around, desperate to avoid this new assault. Desperately, he scanned the ground around him, attempting to spot the source of the attacks, while still powering the airship towards the border.

Loresan Knotreaver · Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2004 4:24 pm Post subject:

The airship wobbled slightly as Von Damme spun the wheel, but miraculously remained aloft.

Below he could see the lower slopes of the volcano, in places built up with fantastic architecture, in others terraced for cultivation. People looked up from their daily tasks in amazement at the mighty battle going on above, then ran to avoid the waterfall as it splashed onto the terraces and drained away.

From one of the tunnel entrances into the volcano's interior a man emerged and began to organise a group of people into pulling a heavy rope into reluctant knots. A little further down, two people stood together by another entrance. Again there seemed no sign of any enemy.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

Von Damme, at a loss to find a target, continued his attempt to escape. He felt sure that those residing within the mountain were responsible, but his vengence would have to wait. Almost as an afterthought, considering that almost anyone in view could be responsible for what was clearly a magical assault, he traversed the recoilless cannon about, and began pounding shells at the mountain. Perhaps, at least, the concentration of whoever was responsible could be broken. Those visible would certainly have to make for cover if they valued their lives.

[OOC: If you're in the patch, and above ground, you're probably in danger. Von Damme will concentrate his fire on the people with the big rope, and then upon the two people further away, once the first group has been scattered or killed. He's not devoting much of his attention to the assault, and the attack is somewhat automated. But as with all artillery, you'll get hurt evenutually if you don't get out of the way.]

Loresan Knotreaver · Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2004 7:24 pm Post subject:

Karol fumbled a thread of silk into the simple knot of a healing spell around his upper arm, which a stone fragment had laid open. The worse injured were being dragged inside, their spell left half-done, the portal still pouring strange-tasting sea water onto the mountain, to flow across the fertile fields below and render them barren.

"It's some form of attack," he told the postgraduate who crouched beside him, waiting for orders. "We need to strike it from the sky."

"But how? I've never seen such a thing."

Karol smiled fiercely. "I've never yet seen the thing that's resistant to lightning, have you?"

The postgrad went pale, but ran into the tunnel in search of the single thread of copper wire that was needed for a spell this simple - and this dangerous.

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

[OOC: Can I just point out that this airship has been going at 60mph across a 3 mile wide patch for quite some time now? The gas bags might be compromised, but as far as I can tell, nothing's happened to the engines. Unless something's actively preventing me, I ought to be gone by now.]

Kao Sheng · Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 10:14 am Post subject:

[GM OOC: The airship has been stated to be 'nearing the patch boundary', but it's not out yet - After turning in the air it clearly can't be doing 60mph, and only a few seconds have passed since that point. However, if the Wizards' Warren doesn't deal with the situation quickly it will begin to leave the patch.

Time in.]

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

It seemed to Von Damme that the majority of the action here was centred around that one cavemouth. Everyone was taking cover in it, at least.

Once the majority of people had taken cover in the cave, and once Von Damme had successfully avoided the unlikely deluge falling from the sky, it occurred to Von Damme that much of his problem, then, could be taken care of by collapsing that cave.

Now that the balloon was steadier, and on course for the mist wall looming up ahead, Von Damme took very careful aim, and began to hammer shell upon shell into the mountain just above the cave, bringing rubble and debris down to close the mouth of the cave. With one eye on the mist wall, and one eye on the gunsight, ready to fire upon any who appeared, he opened up the throttle, and powered forward, full speed toward the mist wall.

Kao Sheng · Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2004 10:14 pm Post subject:

[GM OOC Followup: Okay, it's been four days now. The airship will start to leave the patch. The Wizards' Warren gets one more chance to act...]

Dr James Kirby · Good Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 214 Location: Empire City

[OOC: Well, I guess my last edit stands then. Give me a shout when I'm clear, or required to shoot at anything.]

Yaroslav · Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2004 12:04 am Post subject:

OOC: Yaroslav joins from "To the west lies" thread

An explosion rocked the cave. If it had been aimed a little better he would surely have been dead. Instead, the force of the blast picked him up and threw him several metres away from the cave.

Yaroslav did not need another prompting. He was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time. As soon as he recovered from the shock of the blast he jumped up on his feet and ran north, trying to put the bulk of the mountain between himself and the air ship. Several more explosions rocked the ground making him lose his balance, but he did not even look back and just kept on going.

OOC: I will post a few more times in this thread just in case the patch is still interested in me;) After that (about 5 days if everything in RL goes according to plan) I'll be back in my own patch