Famine, Part 1

TeslaTornado There is another *thud* outside the motor pool
[13:41] TeslaTornado And then Ade, rapier and Jager musket in hand, strolls into the room.
[13:42] Balthazaar There's a tall, thin man in a suit. He looks worried. "Agent Okonjo. Good, you will be most useful."
[13:42] GraemeCracker Lloyd appears from under a jeep, looking mighty greasy. "Who needs what now?"
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[13:43] Nemi Lisabet walks in from central, hair plastered wetly to her. Red coat this time.
[13:43] Balthazaar "Agent Hutt, come here please." The man speaks with an English accent
[13:43] TeslaTornado "Finally, someone who appreciates my skills." Ade looks to Lis. "Madame Tande. It would seem your company is simply inescapable today."
[13:43] Balthazaar "Tande, good." He smiles
[13:43] TeslaTornado "Agent Southey would be quite envious."
[13:44] Nemi "Maybe. I haven't seen him since the incident yesterday. Not sure how he feels about me now."
[13:44] Nemi She shrugs, nods to the besuited fellow.
[13:44] GraemeCracker He gets on his feet, cleaning himself off and doing as the nice English fellow says
[13:45] TesKin Maccabee hobbles into Motorpool, clamping a large straw hat on his shiney dome.
[13:47] TeslaTornado "Mm." Ade straightens the lapels of his long jacket, then goes back to tapping the head of his walking stick, as he habitually does.
[13:47] =-= Prior is now known as Priorzzzz
[13:48] Nemi Lis thrusts her hands into her coat pockets and looks expectingly toward the suited gentleman.
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[13:49] Balthazaar "Maccabee. Perfect." The man smiles and rubs his hands. "So! Lady and gentlemen, we've had a request for aid in Tanzania. There are reports of entire communities disappearing. The Massai in the area have agreed to aid us in this endeavor."
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[13:50] Balthazaar "Maccabee. Perfect." The man smiles and rubs his hands. "So! Lady and gentlemen, we've had a request for aid in Tanzania. There are reports of entire communities disappearing. The Massai in the area have agreed to aid us in this endeavor."
[13:50] TesKin|Phone Maccabee frowns. "Tanzania?"
[13:50] TeslaTornado Ade blinks. "… Tanzania. As in, Africa."
[13:50] Nemi "Ah. I'll blend in perfectly."
[13:51] TeslaTornado "Is that why you said I would be 'most useful'?" He scowls, pouting. "I am offended."
[13:51] TesKin|Phone "Oh shut up, you're still getting paid."
[13:52] TeslaTornado "Sir, I'm getting paid anyhow."
[13:52] GraemeCracker "Aw, we'll be fine. Ain't there white folk in Africa?"
[13:52] TeslaTornado "Revenue doesn't soothe my wounded integrity."
[13:53] Balthazaar "Settle, Okonjo. You are there to protect Her (His?) majesties British colonies in the area."
[13:54] Priorzzzz (His)
[13:54] TesKin|Phone "No."
[13:54] TeslaTornado "No."
[13:54] TeslaTornado "… Maybe."
[13:54] TesKin|Phone "I spent a majority of my life getting shit on by those bastards."
[13:55] TeslaTornado Ade purses his lips. "Do you have any reports on what might be causing the disappearances?"
[13:56] Nemi "Well. At least we're the least conspicuous sort of persons for this sort of thing." She glances sidelong at the towering Adewale.
[13:56] TeslaTornado All 6'4" of him.
[13:56] TesKin|Phone Maccabee'll fit right in!
[13:56] Balthazaar "Reports clain it is some kind of beast. It's apparently involved in some kind of famine or something too."
[13:57] Nemi "Hm. Any other details?"
[13:58] Balthazaar "It may or may not have four legs. Now if you wouldn't terribly mind boarding the plane?"
[13:58] TeslaTornado 4df+4 (ACAD) Ade consults his mental map of local legends for Tanzania as he walks toward the plane.
[13:58] Glacon TeslaTornado: (ACAD) Ade consults his mental map of local legends for Tanzania as he walks toward the plane.: 5 (4df+4=0, -, +, +)
[13:59] GraemeCracker Lloyd nods, wandering towards the plane. "Hope we see a lion."
[13:59] Nemi Lis sighs long-sufferingly. "Once again, first cast into the abyss." She'll head on off to the plane.
[13:59] TesKin|Phone Mac walks to the plane.
[14:00] TeslaTornado "Would you have it any other way?" Ade says lightly as he boards the plane.
[14:00] Balthazaar The piolt announces. "This is your pilot speaking, flight will be approximately 12 hours, blankets and pillows will be provided under your seats."
[14:00] Balthazaar The doors close, and the engines whirr
[14:01] TesKin|Phone Maccabee does what any old man would do and naps.
[14:01] TeslaTornado Ade sleeps.
[14:01] Nemi "No, I suppose we're most well suited." Lis appears to sleep.
[14:01] TeslaTornado Or does something akin to sleeping. His breathing becomes shallow and his eyes roll back but they don't close, per se, and he relaxes visibly.
[14:02] GraemeCracker Lloyd stays awake for a while, but inevitably passes out. Flights are tiring.
[14:03] Balthazaar Eventually, you come down to land in a rural airport. There's an agent waiting, along with a tall man in the traditional red garb of the Massai
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[14:03] Balthazaar The first things you'll notice is that it is extremely hot. There's not a single shred of greenery anywhere
[14:04] TesKin "One thing I did not miss about Africa."
[14:04] Nemi Lis' eyes flutter open on landing and she steps on out. Despite her heavy red wool coat she seems entirely unbothered by the heat. Not even a bead of sweat.
[14:04] Nemi ".. pleasant landscape, this."
[14:05] TeslaTornado Ade also seems relatively nonplussed by the heat, despite his dark suit and hat. "Positively bucolic."
[14:05] GraemeCracker "The heat or the robe?" Lloyd wraps his coat around his waist and rolls his sleeves to alleviate the heat a bit
[14:05] Nemi She'll approach the agent and Maasai!
[14:06] TesKin Maccabee follows after Lis, still not knowing anyones name.
[14:06] Balthazaar As you step out, the pair steps forward to greet you. The agent looks like she's melting, and the Masai looks tired and hungry, with most of his bones visible. He holds a spear. "Psi-7?" The woman asks
[14:07] Nemi Well that's awfully silly. She'd at least have introduced herself at some point during the plane flight. "Reporting."
[14:07] GraemeCracker "Yes'm."
[14:07] TeslaTornado Ade walks right on past the agent and up to the Maasai. He bows his head, almost kneeling a little. "Supai."
[14:08] Nemi Lis looks perfectly fine, really. She watches Ade, and then her gaze follows the curvature of the ribs of the warrior. It's never good when you can make that sort of thing out so clearly.
[14:10] Balthazaar "Oh, good." We have a short treck to our field office, if you'll follow us."
[14:10] Balthazaar The man returns the gesture. "Olee."
[14:10] Nemi "Lead on. Agent Tande here."
[14:10] TesKin Maccabee follows suit behind Ade, bowing as much as his old body can.
[14:10] Balthazaar Lis, when you look, the woman looks not much better.
[14:11] TeslaTornado "Ipa." Ade smiles to the Maasai, and follows the female agent.
[14:11] Nemi That's … concerning. "Apologies for being blunt, but you both look like hell."
[14:11] Balthazaar The pair starts off to the left. You can see a few tents over there!
[14:12] Balthazaar The woman looks worried. "It's this blasted famine… We're getting rations flown in, and we're working with the Maasai to hunt what we can."
[14:12] TesKin Mac adjusts the gunbelt on his waist. "Food is rare here Miss Tande."
[14:13] TeslaTornado "Living in this part of the world is difficult. Systems of oppression and purposeful neglect will do that to a culture." Ade walks on.
[14:13] Nemi "And apparently more than it used to be, agent. I'll wait and ask sitrep until we're at camp."
[14:14] Balthazaar "Not this rare." The Maasai replies
[14:14] TesKin Maccabee nods.
[14:14] TesKin "Do you have any idea what is causing it?"
[14:14] GraemeCracker Lloyd wipes his brow, peering at the ground. "…Soil must be real hard to make fertile here."
[14:17] Balthazaar It's dry and cracked!
[14:18] TeslaTornado Ade idly kicks at the dirt.
[14:18] Balthazaar "The black rider is responsible. He comes and takes the life from the land, and makes our cattle die. It effects all things here."
[14:19] Nemi Lis' composure in the heat and oppressive sun, with her heavy coat, is .. really quite something. Not a bead of sweat, not even an acknowledgement of the dry air. "Tell me of this black rider."
[14:19] TeslaTornado 4df+4 (ACAD) Ade does some mental acrobatics, digging in his reserves for this "Black Rider" as well.
[14:19] Glacon TeslaTornado: (ACAD) Ade does some mental acrobatics, digging in his reserves for this "Black Rider" as well.: 6 (4df+4=+, -, +, +)
[14:19] Balthazaar You arrive at the tents, which has Maasai, Foundation and local government working together. Pouring over maps, organizing rations, etc.
[14:20] Balthazaar "You will speak with the Laibon of the rider. I have not seen it."
[14:20] Nemi Seeing people actually cooperating brings a wan smile to her lips. "Very well."
[14:21] Balthazaar Ade, there's a few myths about a black rider, but none are local to anywhere near this area
[14:21] TesKin Mac hobbles over next to Ade. "It is strange being here again, isn't it?"
[14:23] TeslaTornado "Why does everyone assume," Ade says, frowning slightly, "That just because I have a dark complexion, I came from Africa."
[14:24] TeslaTornado He looms, otherwise silently and steadily, next to Lis.
[14:24] TeslaTornado Also, it's significant to anyone glancing his way that even in this direct, Hellish sun, Ade casts no shadow.
[14:24] Nemi "Technically, if you go back far enough, we all come from Africa."
[14:25] Balthazaar The maasai points to a dead tree, where there is an older man in a red robe, a mantle made of a crocodile skull and zebra skin on his head and shoulders. He's sitting down
[14:25] TeslaTornado Ade looks to Lis, giving her an odd sort of smile.
[14:25] TeslaTornado Then he makes his way toward the indicated man.
[14:26] TesKin Mac follows after Mac.
[14:26] Nemi Her shiny eyes flicker toward Ade's distinct lack of shadow. "Some company excepted." And she'll follow on after to the red-robed elder.
[14:26] TesKin Mac follows after Ade*
[14:28] Balthazaar The man opens his eyes. "Layeni. I am Laibon of this place. You are here to bring life back to this land."
[14:28] Balthazaar He looks positively /skeletal/
[14:29] TeslaTornado "Supai." Ade bows his head respectfully, lacing his hands over the head of his walking stick
[14:29] GraemeCracker Lloyd tries his best to be polite, but he can't help but make a comparison between the Laibon and the skull adorning his mantle. "We'll be doin' our best, sir."
[14:29] Nemi "In whatever way we may." She gives Ade a sidelong glance, then apes his gesture.
[14:29] TesKin Mac follows suit, offering some of his rations.
[14:29] Balthazaar The laibon nods, not needig to be polite.
[14:30] Balthazaar "Then you will need to stop the black rider."
[14:30] Nemi "Tell us of this black rider."
[14:30] TeslaTornado "Naturally. I wasn't planning to come here to dig ditches."
[14:31] GraemeCracker "Ditches might actually help…"
[14:32] GraemeCracker "Redirect some of the water, git a system goin…"
[14:35] Nemi Lisabet withholds comment.
[14:35] Balthazaar "There is no water." He looks to Lis. "It rides a great beast, and brings death where it goes. Larger than an elephant, and shining like the sun."
[14:36] Nemi "Where does it come from? Where does it go?"
[14:36] TeslaTornado "Mm." Ade taps his staff's handle in pensive thought. "Whe - ah."
[14:36] TeslaTornado "Yes. That."
[14:37] Balthazaar "It heads east to west. Come, see the tracks."
[14:38] TeslaTornado Ade nods, making as if to follow him.
[14:38] Nemi Lisabet nods and follows where directed. She is back to being somber, otherwise strangely serene in the desolation.
[14:39] TesKin Maccabee hobbles along to the designated destination.
[14:39] Balthazaar The man gives Lis a strange look, before leading them off!
[14:40] Nemi She's not surprised. She's the only one here not sweating, not shrinking in the heat. Of /course/ that's strange.
[14:40] GraemeCracker Lloyd adjusts his hat, trying to block out the sun as he tails along. "How long's this rider been causin' trouble for?"
[14:41] Balthazaar "Three weeks."
[14:42] TeslaTornado Ade walks in silence.
[14:42] Balthazaar He leads them some ways to a dry riverbed "I will go no further than this. Bad spirits lay in the black riders wake."
[14:42] Balthazaar There's are indeed tracks in the dry riverbed!
[14:43] Nemi Lis nods. "Thank you." Tracks lead somewhere. Time to start walking.
[14:43] TesKin Maccabee bows to the Labion. "Thank you."
[14:44] Balthazaar They're huge tracks, the sort f thing you'd expect from an elephant… But shaped like a horses prints
[14:44] Balthazaar The laibon nods and sprinkles white powder in the air, before heading back
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[14:45] TesKin "Well, onwards."
[14:45] TeslaTornado Harris descends toward the tracks.
[14:45] GraemeCracker "We'll be back with your rider soon!" Lloyd waves behind him as he turns his attention to the tracks.
[14:45] Nemi Harris has learly learned teleportation!
[14:46] >| TesKin|Phone (~moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|89tahCdnA#moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|89tahCdnA) has joined #homeimprovement
[14:47] Balthazaar Academics to study the tracks
[14:47] TeslaTornado Ade descends to them, rather.
[14:47] Balthazaar No roll needed to follow them though
[14:47] TeslaTornado 4df+4 (ACAD) Ade is a very good academics guy
[14:47] Glacon TeslaTornado: (ACAD) Ade is a very good academics guy: 4 (4df+4=-, +, +, -)
[14:48] GraemeCracker 4df+1 this some funky kinda elephant
[14:48] Glacon GraemeCracker: this some funky kinda elephant: 1 (4df+1=0, 0, +, -)
[14:48] Nemi 4df+2 lis has great horse knowledge. if she had a book or something…
[14:48] Glacon Nemi: lis has great horse knowledge. if she had a book or something…: 0 (4df+2=-, 0, -, 0)
[14:48] Nemi Horses! Truly a mystery.
[14:49] Balthazaar Ade, these look like horse hoofprints. That coupled with the description of a black rider and the famine is… Bad
[14:49] TeslaTornado "… Well. I sincerely hope that for once my intellect is wrong."
[14:49] Balthazaar It also puts the horse at being about 20 ft tall
[14:49] Nemi "Oh? Thinking one of the Four Horsemen is having a stroll?"
[14:49] TesKin "Black rider…"
[14:49] TeslaTornado "But… Well." Ade rests his chin against his staff. "Yes."
[14:50] TeslaTornado "On his twenty-foot horse."
[14:50] TeslaTornado "Approximately."
[14:50] Nemi "Bit early for them, don't you think?" Lisabet Tande. Mistress of understatement.
[14:50] TesKin "I do not think we can stop this thing."
[14:50] TeslaTornado "The geopolitical climate is rather unstable…"
[14:50] Nemi "At the least we can investigate. I'd rather not just turn tail and run."
[14:51] TesKin "Yes, let us go and look around then."
[14:51] TeslaTornado "Oh, I have every plan of pursuing and attempting to capture this thing." Ade suddenly looks resolved. "I've a great deal more to do with this world and I'm not about to have the rug pulled from beneath me by some glorified pony."
[14:52] Nemi Lis gives Ade another sidelong glance. Her brows rise but she doesn't say anything.
[14:52] Balthazaar The tracks lead west, towards some big rocks!
[14:53] TeslaTornado Yeah, big rocks! As good as anything else.
[14:53] TesKin Maccabee bitches the whole way.
[14:53] TeslaTornado However, logically, the tracks would also lead to wherever this big guy came from originally…
[14:54] TesKin "They could have at least given us horses.
[14:54] TesKin "*
[14:54] Balthazaar Perc
[14:54] Nemi Lisabet proceeds along thatway! To the rocks! She's wary and watchful, even if a twenty-foot horse is hard to miss. "I was planning on that once we figure out where it /goes/."
[14:54] Nemi 4df+8 wary and keen!
[14:54] Glacon Nemi: wary and keen!: 7 (4df+8=0, +, -, -)
[14:54] GraemeCracker Lloyd stares out at the plains, stretching tiredly. "You figure they even have horses? Mighta had to eat 'em by now…"
[14:54] TesKin 4df+5 Old man eyes
[14:54] Glacon TesKin: Old man eyes: 3 (4df+5=0, -, -, 0)
[14:55] TeslaTornado 4df+4 Bored and old
[14:55] Glacon TeslaTornado: Bored and old: 4 (4df+4=-, +, 0, 0)
[14:55] GraemeCracker 4df+4 "Speakin' of horses, you'd think we'd see 'im a mile away with these plains…"
[14:55] Glacon GraemeCracker: "Speakin' of horses, you'd think we'd see 'im a mile away with these plains…": 2 (4df+4=-, +, -, -)
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[14:57] Balthazaar Lis, you're the only one who sees it
[14:57] Balthazaar http://www.corbisimages.com/images/Corbis-42-24544646.jpg?size=67&uid=d6904a7f-f4f1-4645-9384-84045b219ed1
[14:57] Balthazaar About 40 ft away, to the left
[14:57] Nemi "Contact. Lion, in the grasses, there."
[14:58] Nemi "Expect it to be staring and to attack."
[14:59] Balthazaar It seems to be making no effort to be stealthy, and as it steps out of the grass, you can see she's all skin and bone, as well as being quite surprised to see people here
[14:59] Nemi [ starving, too
[14:59] TeslaTornado "Of course." Ade sighs and continues limping along.
[14:59] Nemi "Wait. I don't think it's got the strength." Lis keeps her eyes on the lioness as they keep ambling on.
[15:00] TeslaTornado "I would hope not."
[15:00] Balthazaar She has a mouse by the tail, and growls a little, backing off
[15:00] GraemeCracker Lloyd gasps in excitement, his expression quickly darkening at the sight of the creature. "Oh…Shoot, poor thing ain't gonna make it out here."
[15:01] Nemi "Nothing will if we can't figure this out."
[15:01] TesKin "Circle of life Mister. Circle of life."
[15:01] TesKin Maccabee hobbles onwards. "Hopefully we can stop this Rider."
[15:01] TeslaTornado "If this is indeed Famine," Ade says, "And I am inclined to believe it is, then we are going to need a much larger team."
[15:02] Balthazaar There sure are a lot of bones about here
[15:02] Nemi "Let's not make judgments until we know what we're dealing with." She steps over a femur.
[15:02] Balthazaar The tracks veer off to the right! towards what looks to be a village
[15:02] GraemeCracker "Oh, I know all 'bout the circle. Still don't make it any less dissatisfying." He looks down to his gun, frowning.
[15:03] GraemeCracker "…You figure we got the stuff to put that big feller down?"
[15:03] Nemi Lis turns to follow the tracks on toward the distant village! "Speculation isn't helpful, agent."
[15:03] TeslaTornado Ade soldiers on under the midday sun, almost completely uneffected.
[15:03] Balthazaar Vultures are circling the village, and there are locusts here and there
[15:04] Nemi Lisabet wanders onward, completely unaffected by the weather. "Waiting for death.."
[15:04] Balthazaar It's at least 45C
[15:05] Balthazaar As you get closer, you can see a cow standing in a pen, and the silhouettes of people too
[15:05] Nemi Maasai were known for their cattleherding. Only one, though. Somewhat concerning. Still, not much to do but press on.
[15:06] TeslaTornado Ade keeps on walking, the metal ornamenting his rapier sheath and binding the barrel of the Jager musket to his back glinting in the sun.
[15:06] TeslaTornado He presses on.
[15:06] Balthazaar As you approach, you may notice that the cow is basically leather stretched over a rotting skeleton, with flies having eaten the sockets
[15:06] TesKin Mac follows on after them, sweeping bones out of his way with the end of his cane.
[15:07] Nemi Standing dead? Or still moving in some grotesque fashion? .. And the silhouettes..
[15:07] Balthazaar Standing dead
[15:07] Balthazaar A vulture lands on it though, which makes it fall over with a puff of dust
[15:08] TesKin "Lovely."
[15:08] Balthazaar The sillhouettes are in much the same shape as the cow
[15:08] Nemi "Standing dead. That.. That does not usually happen. Especially in this weather."
[15:08] TeslaTornado Ade takes a cigar from the case in his inner pocket and lights it. "… Unpleasant."
[15:08] TeslaTornado "Not unexpected, but unpleasant."
[15:09] Balthazaar Some are standing like they're looking curiously at you as you come in, others are posed as if they were running away when they died, others are cowering
[15:09] Nemi Lis sounds more bemused than frightened. "It's like they starved to death as soon as our rider passed by."
[15:10] Balthazaar Even the /vultures/ looks kinny
[15:10] TeslaTornado "Almost as if the very essence of Famine itself passed this way."
[15:10] TeslaTornado Ade sounds almost impressed.
[15:10] TesKin "Mmm."
[15:11] Nemi "Well. I'd daresay we know enough to know that just /approaching/ it is not wise. Still, where is it /going/?"
[15:11] GraemeCracker "Might be just that. Damn Revelations weren't playing about."
[15:11] Balthazaar It looks to be meandering over towards the big rocks
[15:12] Nemi And still on to the big ol' rocks!
[15:12] Balthazaar Would be a good spot to set up an ambush, if one was so inclined
[15:12] Balthazaar Perception
[15:12] Nemi 4df+8 eyeballs
[15:12] Glacon Nemi: eyeballs: 7 (4df+8=+, -, 0, -)
[15:12] GraemeCracker 4df+4
[15:12] Glacon GraemeCracker: 4 (4df+4=0, -, +, 0)
[15:12] TeslaTornado 4df+4 (PERC) But what would we be ambushing
[15:12] Glacon TeslaTornado: (PERC) But what would we be ambushing: 4 (4df+4=0, 0, -, +)
[15:12] Nemi Or perhaps we are the ambushed!
[15:13] TesKin 4df+5
[15:13] Glacon TesKin: 4 (4df+5=-, 0, -, +)
[15:13] Balthazaar You all hear a yipping sound from being a door with a strange sigil drawn on it
[15:14] Nemi Lis pauses in her venturing and turns toward the DOOR. First, a quick examination of the sigil, then a wary approach.
[15:15] Nemi Walking through a forest of the standing withered dead. She is very well composed about this.
[15:15] Balthazaar Outside the door, there's a corpse that looks like one of the missionaries that travels the area
[15:15] Balthazaar Inside there's definitely a whining sound and a gentle sobbing sound
[15:16] TesKin "That does not sound good."
[15:16] Nemi The missionary. Frozen as if knocking? Or..? "Possible survivor. Be careful."
[15:17] GraemeCracker "Yes'm" Lloyd raises his rifle, aimed at the door.
[15:18] TeslaTornado Is the interior shadowed?
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[15:18] Balthazaar As if he just closed the door. There's red on one of his fingers
[15:18] Balthazaar It is shadowed!
[15:18] TeslaTornado 4df+3 (HWWIS) Ade gets behind the clawed up cow and phases inside.
[15:18] Glacon TeslaTornado: (HWWIS) Ade gets behind the clawed up cow and phases inside.: 5 (4df+3=0, +, 0, +)
[15:19] Nemi Lis inhales, for all the use it is. She looks closely at the sigil, now.
[15:20] Balthazaar It's a very strange design, and quite primal. Like something much older than Christian mythology
[15:20] Balthazaar Almost like a cave drawing
[15:21] Balthazaar Ade, inside, you see a young man sobbing. He's unbelievably skinny, as is the dog beside him
[15:21] Nemi She squints and tries to memorize it. Red.. Red like in blood? Perhaps that warded the effects of the famine. That would explain the survivor.
[15:21] Balthazaar Over on the bed is a small child, who was not so lucky as the man
[15:22] Balthazaar Red lik blood!
[15:22] TeslaTornado Ade steps out of the shadows and the dark, rifling through his pockets, looking for the remains of his lu - ah, there it is. A piece of cured ham wrapped in a napkin.
[15:22] TeslaTornado He steps forward out of the shadows, a shadow on shadow itself. "Supai."
[15:23] Balthazaar The man looks over his shoulder brokenly. "Supai…"
[15:23] Balthazaar His voice is little more than a croak
[15:23] Nemi Lis turns, now, to examine the dead missionary. "Where did you learn that, I wonder."
[15:24] Balthazaar Lis, perc
[15:24] TeslaTornado Ade kneels, offering the ham piece to the guy.
[15:24] TeslaTornado "I don't have any water."
[15:24] Balthazaar The guy takes it, and gives it to the dog
[15:24] Nemi 4df+7
[15:24] Glacon Nemi: 6 (4df+7=0, -, +, -)
[15:24] Balthazaar Who omnoms it
[15:24] Nemi [ er oops, +1 to that ]
[15:25] Balthazaar "Ward… On door… Slow it."
[15:25] TeslaTornado Ade shakes his head.
[15:25] TeslaTornado "The Black Rider?"
[15:25] Balthazaar Lis, there's a nasty book in his inside pocket. It looks to be made of skin
[15:26] TesKin Maccabee watches from behind Lis, waiting for something to happen.
[15:26] Nemi "Ah. Occult." She carefully moves to retrieve the book, ideally without making the corpse fall all to dust and pieces.
[15:26] Balthazaar The pages look to be skin also. It's marked to a page with an annotation in english.
[15:27] Balthazaar The man nods
[15:27] Nemi Lis is faintly glad that she has gloves! She'll flip to the indicated page. Somehow she knows this is /important/.
[15:27] TeslaTornado "Mm." Ade looks at the hut, the heat outside and the ruts the Rider wore through the center of town, considering his plan.
[15:28] TeslaTornado "How much do you know about the ward on the door? Are there others like it?"
[15:28] Balthazaar "Holy man… Knows…"
[15:28] Balthazaar "You have a gun…"
[15:29] TeslaTornado "I have two."
[15:29] =-= snorlison is now known as snorl|zzz
[15:29] Balthazaar "Kill me… Send me to be with my boy…"
[15:29] TeslaTornado It doesn't take much temptation for Ade to do that. He was thinking somewhere along that tack anyhow.
[15:30] TeslaTornado There is a metallic zipping noise as he ejects the derringer from its sleeve holster, and then the twin *KRAK* of the barrels as he discharges them into the man's head at point-blank range.
[15:30] Nemi Lis doesn't even jump at the gunshot. She's studying a book made of skin and had overheard what she did through the thin walls of the hut.
[15:31] Balthazaar There's no blood
[15:31] Balthazaar But the man flumps to the ground. The dog niffs at the man, then scratches at the door to be let out
[15:31] Balthazaar Lis, the page has the same sigil, and an annotation
[15:32] TeslaTornado Ade whistles sharply at the dog.
[15:32] TeslaTornado "Here."
[15:32] Nemi What's it say?
[15:32] TeslaTornado ("O'DOYLE RULES")
[15:32] Nemi [ rude
[15:32] Balthazaar It reads "Ritual of the hunger. Reduces the victim to a state of ungodly hunger and thirst. Must be done in blood. See reversal page 1,294."
[15:32] Balthazaar Puppy happily goes to Ade
[15:33] Nemi ".. ah. The occult. Old occult, too." She'll contentedly flip to the indicated page.
[15:33] TeslaTornado Ade calmly kneels and removes his rapier from its sheath, and cuts a strip of flesh away from the man's torso.
[15:33] TeslaTornado He offers it to the dog.
[15:34] Balthazaar The annotations outlines a concoction that must be drunk, naked in a field of heather
[15:34] Balthazaar Puppy eats the meat!
[15:34] Balthazaar She looks like a domseticated African wild dog
[15:35] GraemeCracker "Jesus, man…"
[15:35] TeslaTornado Ade continues placidly cutting away chunks of the dead man's flesh, feeding them to the dog.
[15:35] Balthazaar http://museumvictoria.com.au/pages/12744/imagegallery/wild-africanwilddog-large.jpg
[15:35] Balthazaar She seems to enjoy it
[15:36] TeslaTornado He hums the Gotterdammerung to himself as he does it.
[15:36] Nemi ".. this is /so/ not my department. Let's hope they have a cryptolinguist or a sorcerer back at camp. Still- it's a find." She gives the dead missionary a /look/. "And I think, for our good, we /not/ follow the rider any further."
[15:36] Balthazaar The concoction includes your own blood, graveyard dirt, tears of a child, hemlock, milk, and quicksilver
[15:37] Balthazaar You can see a cloud of locusts all around and over the big rocks
[15:37] TesKin "I don't think we need to anymore."
[15:37] TesKin Maccabee points to the locust.
[15:38] GraemeCracker "…You don't suppose that's him, do ya?"
[15:38] Nemi Lisabet turns to peer thataways. ".. I see. If it starts heading our way… Well. I have no idea. Running sounds good."
[15:39] Balthazaar They seems to be staying put
[15:39] TeslaTornado Ade cleans away the last of the palatable flesh from the corpse (how Ade knows what parts of a human are the most palatable is anyone's guess) and stands, lifting the puppy up in one of his hands and cradling it gently.
[15:39] Balthazaar She tries to lick him, tail wagging a million miles an hour
[15:39] TeslaTornado He reattaches the pistol to its gambler's rig, slides it back beneath the sleeve of his jacket, and stands.
[15:39] |< Soulless has left irc.synirc.net (Ping timeout: 183 seconds)
[15:39] Nemi "So. Famine is on the loose and missionaries are into ancient ritual sorcery. This is actually vaguely new to me."
[15:40] Balthazaar (Achievement unlocked: Introduce something kinda new to Lis)
[15:40] TesKin Mac nods. "We can always ask around the camp if need be."
[15:41] TeslaTornado Ade pops the door of the shack open, one hand wrapped around his stick, the other cradling a dog.
[15:41] Nemi "I think that's a /very good/ idea. It's clear that approaching Famine without some kind of protection is a terrible idea." To punctuate her point she prods the withered missionary man.
[15:41] TeslaTornado There is a butchered corpse half-obscured by his torso.
[15:41] Balthazaar The withered missionary collapses
[15:42] Balthazaar The puppy looks really happy
[15:42] TeslaTornado "… That was hardly necessary. Some respect for the dead, please, madame Tande."
[15:43] Nemi Lis doesn't comment on the butchered body other than mild bemusement at the lack of blood. She just gives Ade a wry look. "I'd say we aught to head back. We are /not/ prepared. But this.." She gestures to the spooky meat book. ".. Might have something."
[15:43] TeslaTornado "Yes, the man in the hut mentioned that the good father would have what we needed."
[15:44] TesKin "Onwards and upwards then?"
[15:44] GraemeCracker "I ain't gonna argue with that."
[15:44] Nemi "Right. I'd rather not have you all turn into mummies while I get to watch." She'll turn and start walking.
[15:45] TesKin Maccabee follows after Lis. "We all die eventually."
[15:45] Nemi "Some have the luxury."
[15:45] TeslaTornado "Mm." Ade gives the puppy a gentle rub on the top of the head and follows Lis.
[15:45] TesKin "I'd just like to think that being withered in Africa isn't high up on our lists."
[15:46] TeslaTornado "You never know."
[15:47] Balthazaar The puppy seems to like it
[15:48] Nemi Lis just lets out a bitter laugh. "Well. We have learned some valuable information here." Onwards back to camp. "One, this is /not/ something we want to approach directly. Two, ancient sorcery seems to help delay it. And three, puppies are adorable."
[15:49] TesKin "Puppies are never not adoreable. But the first two are a good start."
[15:49] TeslaTornado "Dogs are the ideal pet, really. Unfalteringly loyal and unquestioning."
[15:50] Nemi "They take too much attention for me. Still."
[15:51] Balthazaar By now, you'll all be feeling hungry and thirsty
[15:51] Nemi Lis.. prrrrobably doesn't. You know, being a metal-and-meat suit piloted by sapient electrically-sensitive ooze.
[15:52] GraemeCracker Lloyd takes a sip of water (assuming they brought that sort of thing), watching some of it suck into the cracked earth below. "Oughta bring in some cows or somepin next time we're here."
[15:52] TeslaTornado Ade probably does, but he isn't really perturbed by that. Dinner was a few hours ago now.
[15:52] GraemeCracker "Considerin' they're all getting dried up and all."
[15:53] Nemi "Right. If we can arrange some sort of sustained supply system while we work on this it'd at least keep the locals alive."
[15:53] TesKin "What we need to do is stop this Black Rider."
[15:53] TesKin "But I agree, yes. I think that would be a good start."
[15:53] Nemi Lis taps her finger against the Creepy Book. "Right."
[15:54] TeslaTornado "I can come to some sort of arrangement immediately, if there is a phone at the camp."
[15:55] Nemi "That would buy them time. Let's make it happen." Aaaand she continues on the way back to camp!
[15:55] GraemeCracker "They oughta have somethin'. Doubt our people here are providing information through word of mouth."
[15:57] >| TesKin|Phone (~moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|89tahCdnA#moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|89tahCdnA) has joined #homeimprovement
[15:57] Balthazaar The camp is still there, with phones and stuff
[15:57] Balthazaar On the way back you see the lioness feed the mouse to a very scrawny cub
[15:57] TesKin|Phone (Sorry about that! Computer died again)
[15:58] TesKin|Phone Mac drops some of his food for the lioness.
[15:58] TeslaTornado Ade watches that gesture and scratches the puppy's ears.
[15:58] TeslaTornado He then goes to a phone and places a call to one of his associates.
[15:58] Balthazaar The puppy is happy
[15:58] Nemi Lis will try to find their contact agent lady! And.. somehow a little part of Lis is touched by the lioness' care for her cub. The whole situation concerns her- least of all for all the death nearby, but also for the ramifications of it spreading.
[15:58] Balthazaar The lioness glomps the food
[15:59] Balthazaar The lady is there!
[15:59] Balthazaar She's sitting with the Maasai man, chatting
[15:59] TeslaTornado "Hector, hello. Yes, I need to make a transaction with you."
[15:59] |< TesKin has left irc.synirc.net (Ping timeout)
[15:59] TeslaTornado "Cattle. Several dozen head. Shipped to Tanzania. Yes, Tanzania. No, I am not an idiot."
[15:59] TeslaTornado "Yes I have a reason."
[16:00] GraemeCracker Lloyds in a corner, chatting with someone about farms.
[16:00] TesKin|Phone Maccabee finds a chair and sits, lighting his long pipe.
[16:00] Nemi "Found a village. All persons were… looked as if they had starved to death very suddenly, still standing and curious. Found one survivor, now deceased, behind a door with this glyph on it-" She opens up the creepy book to the annotated ritual page. "Going near the Rider alone is enough to kill you where you stand. But this might have something that can protect someone."
[16:00] Nemi "Do we have a cryptolinguist or occultist here at camp?" She whispers in to the agent.
[16:00] >| TesKin (~moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|ooregdiD#moc.rr.ser.ynts.42A2DA46-CRInys|ooregdiD) has joined #homeimprovement
[16:00] Balthazaar "We do, yes…"
[16:01] Nemi "Then they will want to take a look at this. It's a little outside my field of expertise, but it might be a tool we can use against this thing."
[16:01] TeslaTornado Ade has a lively argument with his associate over cattle prices and shipping costs.
[16:02] TesKin Maccabee smokes his pipe.
[16:02] Balthazaar She nods and calls over an elderly man with glasses. "Oh my… This will take some time…"
[16:04] Nemi "That's fine. My associate here is arranging for some relief to be shipped in. You all look as if you need it. Me, I'm planning on going through recent events and seeing if I can correlate anything."
[16:04] Balthazaar "I'll get back to you." He nods
[16:04] Balthazaar And that's part 1 of the run

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