Moveslikejagger

It might be worthwhile in extending the montage for a day. We need to fix the ship. Sell/buy cargo. Rest/ heal. Decide where we are going next.

Atus hung his head in apparent shame, staring at the words he scorched into the deck as if they appeared by magic, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Dajel just dropped me." he said in a quiet voice looking up at his companions, "I didn't have any control over where I landed. She did drop me on the ship at least and not into the green sea or onto an unsuspecting citizen. So at least I only damaged the Argos a little. I mean, she could have thrown me at the Spire, like an cannonball, so it was actually quite kind of her when you think about it. It's just a little damage. I can fix it, won't take long, I promise." He looked back down at the words and drawing and gave a huge smile, "I did get a clue concerning the Bloom and she gave me a chart,"'he tapped the side of his head, "In here. Does anyone recognize the burned tallshank that looks like a cyclone? Also, I am feeling ... " Atus raised his palms to his waist and with barely an audible sound of his heart spinning, a thick band of lightning arced between them for a moment and he grins. "re-energized." If no one responds and they all head belowdecks, Atus will start fixing the damage.

Got it. I felt doing the conversation in song allowed more freedom and creativity in your response. The reason Atus immediately scorched the words into the boards... because I do wonder who was at the top of the tower. The guard mentioned 'supplicants'. Which I interpret as Atus not being the only Tempest who wanted to commune with Dajel. So it makes me wonder, did the other supplicants see Atus get picked up by the storm? Did they see/hear/feel/sense in some way what happened? Will they come looking? Do they feel cheated, curious etc? Just trying to enable the emerging plot hooks as much as I can.

Atus sat up, 'Ow' tracing an idle tendril of smoke that rose from his body until the tendril became lost in the driving rain. He could hear several raindrops sizzle at they hit his metal skin, and he knew he probably reeked of ozone and seared metal. He rolled to his knees, "Ow', and then took his finger and scorched into the unbroken boards the full message given to him by Dajel. Beside it he sketched the image seared into him, the burned and cyclonic shaped tallshank, with the thunderstorm nearby raining books and scrolls. He muttered to himself all the while, punctuated with an occasional groan, completely focused on his task at hand and ignoring everything and everyone around him. After a few minutes of busy scorching, Dajel's words and vision were writ large, taking up a lot of space on the deck. Dajel's Answer "The spark, a tempest, it thinks it be, The past and future it hopes to see, If the spark, a storm like me, Then past and future shall be thee. First for roots that stretch below; The thunder's gale an undertoe, The whirlwind snared by deadly foe, To free would strike Bloom a blow. Then for stars that burn and sear, One that fell, then lost to years. From its passage come your fears, Born, the beast, from pain and tears." With that done, Atus sat back on his heels and rubbed his chin, with a sound like hardened metal scratching at hardened metal before giving a joyful laugh. Two clues from Dajel, one about the Bloom and one about my past. The second stanza, that's the clue about the Bloom. Atus touched the drawing he'd made. A physical location? He felt that was right, which meant the third stanza was about him. He tried to make sense of it and failed to immediately appreciate its nuance, but his gaze lingered on the last line. The beast? That sounds ... prophetic. Am I meant to be the beast? It was at this moment that he seemed to become more aware of his surroundings, his eyes resting on the damage he'd caused to the ship. "Ah rust it!" he said in apparent frustration and began turning towards the ship workshop for materials to repair the damage. It was then he spotted Park and a Gau he didn't recognize. "Sorry. I damaged the ship. I'll just...."

:p

"Oh rhyming spark of future storm, The shattered sky has not been born. Your origin you say you seek; Pray choose one, your soul too weak. That which birthed you, with lightning true; Or that which looms; the Tyrant's Bloom. Past or future, there is only one; Which answer would you see be done?" Atus' mind and body sang with the words of the storm clasping him to her heart. The words washed over him and through him. He could feel the concern, but the limiting reply gave him pause. To receive an answer about his past would be wonderful, but would it be selfish to pursue his own ends at the cost of information about the Bloom, which would help his crew? Then there was the worrying line about a soul too weak. Atus wondered, if the storm thought him too weak, how could he be ready to face the Bloom and guardian for the answers he sought? He raised his voice again in song to convey his answer. I am the link between past and future, I am the present. Temper me. With no past, no chart to navigate the future, Temper me. If too weak to receive both, then, Temper me. Help me fight for my dreams Temper me. Heat my steel with your fire, Temper me. If I pass, a boon I ask, answers true. He knew he risked a lot in his response, but if felt like the only way he might get answers about his past and maybe help with the search for the Bloom as well..

I'll get a post up tonight. Work is kicking my ass.

Oh I thought you fixed it. When I first looked at your last post it was cut off just after the Park section. When I looked at it six hours later it was all there.

As the storm lifted him high into the air, Atus felt a surging elation, bubbling inside him like effevescent fizz. He could not help but express his joy, laughing, as the storm drew him upwards into its heart. With the push and pull of electromagnetics, not an unfamiliar experience when playing with storms, he noticed the more deliberate nature of this storm and listened intently, his whole body like a tuning fork. When the words of the storm became clear to him he laughed again with pure joy, his mind racing with the best way to respond. He raised his voice, his thoughts, the entirety of himself tuned to the electromagnetic tuning fork of his metal body and sent out a powerful message in the form of a song. Stormchild born of lightning, unique and alone, why does the heart of a storm feel like home? Bloom Seeker, Monster Grim Reaper, looking for answers and sign, want to know, how to follow, a trail lost in time? Answes elude me, dreaming of family, one I've never known, lost and alone. Little raincloud you call me, endearing and sweet, to your heart you hold me, cradled next to your beat. Are you part of the answer I seek? Atus waited, feeling extremely vulnerable and hoping for some kind of answer but willing to receive anything in return.

I think there has been an issue in your last post Mork.

"Thank you." Atus said simply to the guard as they let him pass the gate. When he reached the platform he knew he was high enough, but higher was always better. To feel the shifting ions up close. There was nothing quite like it. When he went inside, the confusing room with its pile of corpses and sleeping guard held no interest. He could feel the storm approaching. He wanted past the trap door and was about to wake the sleeping guard when he felt the storm shift in a most peculiar way. A peal of loud thunder, strong enough that he could feel the vibration in the floor beneath his feet, made his heart spin faster, audible, and he realized that he was out of time. The platform would have to do. The crackling electricity around him reached a new level when the guard spoke to him. Atus shook his head at the question. "It is a bad idea to come outside. It could be deadly for you." he said and left by the way he entered. He drank in the view of the fast approaching storm in admiration. Such darkness, evoking a sense of anger and his heart span faster again. Unknown to him, above him in the sky and largely invisible against the backdrop of an overcast sky, a massive rose coloured sprite winked into existance for a heartbeat. He felt the irresistable need to commune with the storm and his heart spun faster again as he raised his hands and answered her thunder with lightning shooting into the sky, accompanied by a crack of thunder. "That should get her attention." OOC ; I am going to burn a whisper to commune with Dajel.

I have the questions... * The platform - Does Atus think he is high enough to interact with the storm from this height? * The Mothryn - Does he/she look like another guard or something else? * The lever - Can he use his rattle skill to quickly ascertain the purpose?

Atus dimly acknowledged the presence of Tolliver and Tharr, but only realized they had peeled off from his path when he found himself walking alone. Before it really registered with him he stood in front og the chatty Gau with her Pre-V rifle amd torrent of confusing words. Supplicant. Perhaps other Tempests are treading the same path. Atus thought to himself as one word registered. He felt like too much information was coming at him from too many directions. The storm spoke to him in loud tones. He could feel her power already stretching out across the heavens. The interplay of ions. The glorious charging and tumultuous movement of air and shifting power. "Dajel... " Atus said. the name escaping him like whispered steam from a boiler. Atus shook his head, the words of the Gau slowly penetrating what passed for his conscious mind. With difficulty Atus focused his glowing eyes on the Gau. "Dajel comes. An hour at most. I must be higher to commune properly. If I stay here... If Dajel speaks to me... You will be in danger. Lighning all around... So good." Atus looked at the clouds again and the approaching storm. Sparks were thrown off his shoulders and down to the ground, as if he wore a cape of trailing sparks, that glinted off his metallic skin and made his form sparkle. The smell pf ozone around him became stronger. "Trophy?" Atus pointed to the Argos. "Not enough time to get to the Argos and back before Dajel comes. I am Atus Zolev. Tempest." Atus waved his hands and sparks formed shapes in the air around him. The outline of Cuda with its toothy maw. The spark picture changed and showed a tiny Biff shooting into the air above the Cuda to recreate the moment of its death. "I killed the Cuda that hunted the Firefly and consumed half their crew. I channelled the stormrail and my bolts arced inside the beast and I felt the touch of its spirit venom. It tried to consume my soul. Yet with the help of my friends we prevailed." Atus ended the sparkshow and brought forth the sample of Cuda spirit venom he carried and showed it to the Gau. "A sample of the Cuda venom as proof of my claim. Ask any of the crew of the Firefly to verify. Or wait until after Dajel passes and I will take you to the Argos. You can taste the flesh, and see the remains in our cargo hold. You may test my strength if you feel the need. Or claim anything but the venom to ease my passage. " Atus showed the Gau everything on his person, the chart, small music box, scratch and salvage. "Please, she lands soon." OOC: Atus hopes to convince the Gau to let him pass.

When Atus stepped upon the dock, the sights and sounds of Deathblossom quarter held no interest for him. The beautiful clouds called him more powerfully than the Manticore's siren song. Sparks curled around his shoulders like the hands of a lover, wishing to drag him away, yet the thought of his crewmates and their needs came to him and he felt an explanation was needed. "Tharr, Tolliver, Park. I... I need the storm that approaches. I... " Atus' voice is a curious mixture of longing and shame. "We came to help Tolliver and find our path forward, but the storm. It calls to me. I can feel the approach. I.. I must seek the heart of the storm and listen. It has been too long since I felt a storms embrace. I wiĺl find you when it is over." Atus seems as jittery as a drug addict needing a fix. With those words he raises his glowing eyes to the storm cloud heavens and begins to move away, heading in the general direction of the Spire. He smells like ozone, and his spinning heart can faintly be heard, as electricity randomly appears across his body. The electricity is joined by muttering. Words like "more altitude", "South by Southwest,". "She approaches heavy-laden with power." Most of his attention seems elsewhere from the here and now. Only tangitallly connected to reality. Enough that he will avoid any obstacles that won't get out of his way, like buildings or plants. OOC: Atus is taking an explore action. He will commune with the storm, climbing the Spire as far as possible.

You didn't mention the approaching thunderclouds/ storm. I imagine a giant Spire would attract a lot of lightning as it stirs the clouds and act like a massive earthing rod. Purely from a character perspective, Atus would probably want to get as high up the mountain as he can to see/ interact with the storm. i guess I think a good lightning storm is like a day spa for Atus, making him feel refreshed and centered. I am hoping he can get struck by lightning, dancing with the storm. Crunch wise I am not sure what this would achieve. If there was time in this montage... he would take a small sample of the spirit venom and try to commune with the storm... a spirit journey using lightning as a medium. Just a thought.

Boa Pascoa Amigos! -> Happy Easter friends. I am currently staying with Family, (where Easter is a big thing) and preparing my kidneys and stomach for the relentless assault about to happen. On my train trip yesterday I posted for Atus using my phone, but it is not showing. Possible user error. I will try and do it again, but it is Easter. Kidney and stomach bashing. It might not happen.

Sorry for the confusion. I thought your previous comment indicated you wanted to "steer away" from Anglers Spire.

As in skip Anglers Spire and the montage completely and head to our next destination? I don't think we are all in agreement in where to go next. Inkspell or Sarkosa. I think we should stop here to get a better feeling of our next destination. But if you want to go around... state it in character and we can hash it out.

Atus felt consumed by a low energy funk for days. The encounter with the Manticore Bloom seemed to have impacted him as much as Tharr or Tolliver, but on an emotional level. He felt unable to concentrate, not even enough to be able to manufacture some gas masks for the crew. He sketched a few designs, but none of the designs stood out as worthy of his skill. He didn't even take measurements from the crew in case he settled on a design later. In this strange emotional state he checked the magnetic engines, gave Biff an exacting inspection, stalked the decks, muttering about the sunshine. Finally at dawn he saw sign. Dark thunderclouds in their path and his mood lifted. Angler's Spire came into view and Atus looked eagerly at the strange construction. When the hulking Ektus leaped aboard ship. a reflexive arc of lightning twisted around his fist before Atus seemed to relax and the man gave his information. Atus seemed to ponder his words for a moment, listening to what Park had to say as well. "I'd rather not be labelled in such a way. These local conflicts have no relevance to us. We are merely passing through on our way to Inkspill or Sarkosa. We need to use our time here to determine our next destination. Showing off a kill feels like a way to judge or evaluate us. I say we show the Bug Butchers that mandible to gain entry to the city and then spread out to find what we need. Just passing through, no need to get involved. I for one am relishing the incoming storm, as will others of my kind. Oh and you." Atus turns to the Ektus who'd jumped aboard ship, lightning curling around the Tempests' closed fist in emphasis. "This is the Argos. You jump aboard again without invitation and I'll show you to a railing before your feet touch the boards."

So Atus cannot stay at helm, so he's going to his workshop to be creative. Not sure what to roll. He is going to try and create some gas masks. I though about an actual oxygen supply tank, but thinking a really efficient filter type mask would be easier. Atus will swing by all the rest of the crew to take measurements, muttering to himself all the while.

As the grove does the creepy fanatic chanting, Atus redoubles his efforts to drown out the sound, slamming his metallic feet down like hammers upon the deck and yelling his countersong at full volume. He even punctuates his verses with additional thunder and lightning. The amount of vicious bile in his reply is palpable. Perhaps it is the thought of being hunted, or the danger to his friends, but he does not hold back on his verbal counterattack. When finally the chanting and red foliage disappears he relaxes his volotomotive interface and takes stock of the situation. As he becomes aware of Tolliver's condition he hangs his head in apparent shame. "Forgive me Tolliver, I should have been more aware of the danger. Is there anything I can do to help?" Atus appears genuinely distraught and looks back towards where the red fields were hidden behind them, the meaning of the chanting running through his mind. "Such foulness. Such slavery of minds and bodies, just to become food. Nature is cruel sometimes. Yet I find myself agitated by this. I would dearly like to destroy this infestation upon the green sea. " OOC Just curious. Was there a spectral element to the chanting? I imagine that feeding on corpses might create ghosts. I think Atus would feel that if the Manticore Bloom is making ghosts and slaving them herself, he would see this as particularly heinous. To the extent that he would make it his personal mission to utterly destroy the Manticore and give peace to her victims.

Sorry for my lack of response. Going to be a bit slow. Life is super crazy at the moment. Will try and get a post up tomorrow.

Writing the song was fun. I know this might be the three glasses of wine talking, but the idea of battle rapping against a siren Manticore bloom seems so epic right now. I'm easily amused. I hope , , and are amused too and willing to play along with my insanity. Would you all care to continue the battle rapping madness? If we RP this out and skirt the Manticore field (with Manti keeping pace with the Argos), would that keep us on track schedule?

Singing? That means intelligence. Atus took a second and really examined the situation as a foreboding sensation and row of sparks crept up his spine. Tolliver stood transfixed and Atus realized he'd never responded to his question about whether or not to go through or around. Tharr's keen senses urged the Mothryn to immediately flee. Park's hungry nature, demanded the Ardent taste the carnivorous red flowers. Now this singing was the final clue. The Argos and all aboard the ship were being lured into a trap so something could feast on them. As the realization of imminent danger struck, pure instinct overtook him. Atus' spinning heart revved into a higher pitch, disappearing from audible range almost instantly. A cloud of sparks, curling in upon each other formed a halo of danger around his upper body. A heartbeat later his raised fist shot a wide bolt of lightning into the nearest patch of red flowers, the thunderclap drowning out the faint singing and roaring a challenge in return like a leviathan. Not waiting for a response to his attack, Atus started the engines and kicked the Argos into evasive action, curling the ship in a tight circle away from the nearest patch of flowers and thorny vines. "Tharr. Tie Tolliver to something and get on the lightning rail. Anything comes near us, burn it." Atus then began to sing loudly, stomping his feet in time to the words, hoping he could nullify the intended effect of the distance voice. "The crackle of your flowers Burning in my power Is music to my ears You trying to bite me Stupid, can't you see I will break you into tears" OOC & Actions Actions - Atus fires off a lightning bolt into the nearest patch, starts the engines and takes evasive action. Atus will continue to madly spit verse like he's battle rapping for his life. He's thinking that with his non-organic body and no sense of smell, the auditory lure of the Manticore is the only thing that might work on him. Manticore's Rebuke The crackle of your flowers Burning in my power Is music to my ears You trying to bite me Stupid, can't you see I will break you into tears Don't think this is a boast I'll burn you into compost Just forget 'bout this boat So take my lightning rays And take my tonsil glaze As I spit down your throat Else keep your mouth busy and shut your lips strictly All around my attitude If you looking for a fight I'll step up and smite And you'll be the one chewed.

Atus stood at the helm listening to his crewmates as sparks danced merrily across his shoulders. He looked introspective, as much as you could tell with his rigid metal face and softly glowing eyes. "Tharr. It occurs to me that perhaps we might consider looking at this plant as a resource. I witnessed the effect your arrows had with the spidersilk on the Cuda and how effective they were. You mentioned that within the grove is all manner of slain creatures, even a ship and crew. It would be a terrible weapon of course, but I cannot help imagining that should we encounter those cannibal pirates you are always talking about, a few arrows, cannonballs or maybe even grenades that could deploy this beast of a plant might come in handy. " Atus looks down at his own metal body. "There is nothing organic in my body. I don't think I would be in danger of becoming a host, for the plant has nothing to feed upon."