RPG: A World, Dead

[Opinionated]

Color Code:
Yellow: Cormic
Green: Loenard
Red: Saulon
Orange: Richese


The day was cool, which was a blessing. In a field outside of a small town on the Plane of Kolob, there was a large mass of people. Workers, fighters, airship pilots, all were busy with the preparations. In the center of the formation were six airships, all with their gasbags deflated and tied down. Three were Roc 550 gunship/transports. These were the largest, with long gondolas made a thick hull and many gunports. Two were Goshawk 90 lights, small, sleek, and fast. And the other... well, it was just an odd duck. The gondola looked old, some of the gunports looked handcarved in, the gasbag had been patched several times in the past, and there was an owner-built boom that could be swiveled to hang over the side-rolling cargo door.

It was out of this odd duck that Cormic "Airman" Hauges stepped out, slipping a small metal flask into his jacket as he did so. After surveying the scene for a moment, he found something to complain about. "Who the 'ell taught you how to batten down an airship, ye gasbrained coot!" he yelled at some helpless worker as he stormed over. "Why don't ye just cut the ropes with a knife, it'd be faster then looping 'em through the gondola!" he continued as he untied the rope fastening down the gasbag and then retied it, looping through several hoops on the top of the gondola. "Now go and do this for all the rest and stop wastin' a good rope."

Meanwhile, Loenard hurried up to Saulon and Richese, who were standing over a large crate. Saulon slammed a prybar into the crease between the top and sides of the crate, and popped the top off, revealing more than a few firearms.

"Ehum, yes, just the men I wanted to see!" Loenard said as he watched Saulon do a check on the quality of one of the guns. "I was wondering on just how necessary I am on this expedition. I mean, surely there are others who can do what I do just as well, I mean I don't have a monopoly on-"

"Nonsense, my good man!" Richese bellowed, "Would you rather some untalented nobody robbed you of the greatest achievement of your lifetime?" The merchant clapped a arm wrapped in fine clothes and a hand tipped in fine rings against the Planesmaster's back. "Don't worry, man, I'm sure the fine folk I've hired will keep you away from the actual risk, right, Saulon?"

"Yeah," the grizzled old mercenary said as he pulled the hammer back and pulled the trigger of an unloaded gun. "Well, these'll do." he said as he set the gun back in the crate and dropped the lid back on. "Shouldn't be too long before we'll need your profession, Loe." he said, using the nickname he'd given to Loenard and resting his sheathed spear on his shoulder.

[Chuck the Ninja]

Cou's color, Everyone else's color

"State your reason for being here!!!" Cou looked up at the large guard. he was amred with a rifle. A sword on his back and it seemed that he also had a few throwing knife around his chest. Could didint want to start a fight so he quikcly stated his reason. "Im here to see mister Leonard." The guard reached into a hole in the wall,and pulled out a phone or talking device of some kind. He speaking into it and then asked him his name. Cou told him and then watched as he spoke into the device again. He must have been trying to see if Mister Leonard was waiting on him. If not Cou knew that they would try and kill him.

[KuroTan]

Tobias gazed at the imposing bulk of the airship fleet. He knew good craftsmanship when he saw it and he immediately recognized the value of all six. Looking around, he took note of where everything was going and calculated that it would still be a a few hours before this whole expedition finally gets into gear. He decided to look around for the man who, supposedly, was going to hire them.

"Come" he said to the girl beside him. "Help me look for a man called Richese Blanch."

[Nespa]

Blanch just looked at the ships and shook her head a bit "what a hunks of junk"she muttered. Personaly she could care lesss for this mission but she would follow tobias to the underworld if she had to. She looked at tobias and nodded at his words ignoring the bustling people around her though she eyed many with suspicion. Everone now and then she heard someone say did that guy actualy bring his son along, she snorted not caring that people did not realise she was actualy a girl. Though she moved closer to tobias.

[Luzifer]

Andras was sitting on a barrel not more than 15 feet from where the airships were. He was leaning back against the wall, arms crossed. He was starving. He had been eating much since the war ended who knows how long ago. Work wasn't what it was when times were peaceful, hell, he'd barely manage to get enough money to get out of Damerung and come here. A displeased scowl marred an otherwise handsome, though pale, face of a young man who should be in his prime but seemed to be in a perpetual nadir.

But he looked capable for that. His heavy Shredder was sticking its hilt up over his head and his sword breaker was peaking out from both sides of his skinny waist, a waist which spoke of lean times. He just wanted to get paid so that he could have a meal for a change, but before that he would have to deal with a bunch of idiots for hours on end. He was already feeling sick.

[Hiryonin]

Fi walked over the terrain looking at the ships, "Oh well, it was suspected that they had this many." She took a large bite out an apple and went to the little building, there she sad on the ground with her back against the wall. She looked at all the people who clearly came for the same job as she did. After a little while she went up again and suddenly noticing a guy next to her with a very large shredding type of weapon. she walked up to him: "You here for the money to?" she asked him walking closer and getting a new apple from her bag.

[Luzifer]

Andras' eye panned to the side to see who was talking to him and saw some strange looking woman. But what caught his eye, though he was careful not to let it show, was that she had food. Of course, fate had decided to kick him while he was down with a little taunting. Well, he was used to it. Still best to answer the woman and maybe she'd take that apple and go away, "...Yeah...why else would I be going to whatever hellhole this place is?"

[Hiryonin]

"I dont know" Fi said with a smile, "site seeing?" Fi positioned her next to the guy with her back to the wall and while swallowing another bite of her apple she continiued: "So, we're going to work to gether then, let me introduce myself. My name is Fiana but pls call me Fi" She let the apple switch from hand and hold her hand out for the guy to shake.

"Lets hope I can make some friends around here cous I still have a funny fealing about all this. And together you stand stronger then alone" she tought.

[Luzifer]

Andras looked askance at her, "Tch... together?...you imply too much... we may be working simultaneously and to similar ends, but we are not working together." He sneered a little, what a bunch of crap. He was a mercenary! Though sometimes mercenaries congregated into bands so that they could bend their employers more forcefully he had never wanted to be one of those. Those mercenaries died young. They gathered together and were hired by some place that needed the soldiers. After they won they could force the city to pay them more or simply conquer it. And that normally brought a whirlwind of repercussions. The kind of repercussions that got people killed. No... that wasn't Andras' style. He existed for the sole purpose of continuing to exist and all his actions were to that end; he traveled alone and merely supplemented forces so that he would never be perceived as a threat. If people didn't think you were a threat they rarely bothered to kill you... and if they did they didn't use the force needed to accomplish the task. It was all very logical and mathematical. A offshoot of his education. "If thats all you have then you might want to go talk to someone else... I'm here for the pay, not the social scene."

[FullMetalAlchemist997]

Madiya sat by herself far away from the other mercenaries. When the gaurd came by he kept staring at her expecting her to jump up and run towards the ships to make friends. Madiya didn't feel like correcting his impression, he'd fifure it out soon enough. Besides, she wasn't getting up until there were a few minutes before take-off or arrival whatever you called Inter-plane travel, Madiya had no interest in it at all.

She gently moved her great bow so that it sat within easy reach of her fingers. THe intircate plant pattern on the heavy wood was a stark reminder of the fact that she wouldn't see many plants, if any on the Dead Plane. Madiya had always been around green and fruitful things the thought of leaving that almost made her cringe.

[Hiryonin]

Fi shook her head, this was expected with this much people together there would always be people who where no wear near trying to work together. She pulled her hand back and smiled at the seem to be rude guy. "Sorry that you think that way" she said. "But keep in mind that if you keep up this additude you'll wont only end up alone hungry and hated. you'll die that way to." She threw the half eaten apple on the ground turned her back at the guy and walked away. "What a sad person. I hope he turns around a little for the end of his life." Fi slowly walked to one of the ships to let her proffesional eye check him.

[Luzifer]

Andras spat, "No... it was the other attitude that made me alone, hungry, and hated. I don't make the same mistake twice." Idiots. Sinful, lustful, idiots. What a complete and utter waste of time it was to try and preach truth unto ears forged of cold iron. These pearls of his were not meant to be tossed before swine, no, he would save them and barter them away for a meal and a bed. For living was all that mattered. He didn't care how miserable his life was, as long as it continued.

[Opinionated]

OOC: Hollow Ichigo, I've already PMed you.

IC:
"HEY! GET YOUR LONE-WOLFIN', FARMLESS CLODDROPS OVER HERE!" Saulon bellowed to the mercenaries who, apparently being of the disposition that knowing who was watching your back was a bad thing, had planted themselves away from the main body. Though he didn't know their names, this statement was directed to Andra, Fi, and Madiya.

"Now, now, Saulon," Richese said with a kind tone in his words "We need them at least uncomplaining, considering how long it might take to get this job finished."

"It shouldn't." Loenard said, his voice returning to it's usual charming, really not at all offensive swell of pride, "I have absolute confidence in the translation key I wrote. Really, the only thing that could delay this job is a lack of sucess from our mercenary companions..." He trailed off, perhaps trying to preemptively shift the possible blame of failure onto Saulon, but he continued, "Though I'm quite sure that we have nothing but the finest in our service, right?"

Saulon paused for a moment, and then said, "Yeah, the finest that we could draw in for a merchandise retreival mission." He walked off into the space between the airships, and found Cormic leaning against his own. The two exchanged a nod of greeting, but Saulon continued to the center.

Richese bid Loenard off to coordinate with the other Planesmasters here to move a relatively large amount of material while he followed in Saulon's wake, finding a sturdy crate there. Dressed in fine robes, he might've looked ridculous were it not for the smiling, yet deadly serious look on his face as he waited for the hired hands to gather around.

[Luzifer]

Andras spat on the ground and slid gently off of the barrel he was sitting on and walked to person calling, damn well bloody time. The sooner this started the sooner he could get paid and the sooner he could solve the problem of the hole in his stomach.

He sauntered over to person who was calling him and then stood in a calmly, his entire body bending in a willowly sinuous fashion, like a coiled serpent at peace, not ready to strike but nevertheless not to be trifled with. His eyes hovered dully, not looking at anything in particular but staring through it. He would really be rather pleased when this started. Maybe something would happen that would make things interesting. He chastised himself the thought, he existed for the sole purpose of maintaining his own life, wishing risk upon himself, no matter how enjoyable it may be, would lead to a breach of his oath and he would rather suffer torture than betray those to whom he had sworn.

[KuroTan]

Tobias was slightly miffed that he didn't find the guy before he called out. However, he was careful not to show it. It wouldn't do to show any sign of weakness here, specially since everyone else looked tough.

Putting up a bold front, he walked towards the speaker. He tugged his companion by the arm to let her know they were going.

[Hiryonin]

Fi looked up from the Airship to the person who clearly had shouted to her. She gave a last appreciating look at the Air ship and hurried to the group of people. She stayed a little at the back ground but listened carefully about the things said. "So we are starting soon then" she tought and wanted to grap another apple, but with her hand halfway inside her bag she stoped. "This is no time for eating, this is the time for consentration."

[Nespa]

Blach letted herself be dragged along ignoring her enveronment for a moment to see where they were giong. she pulled her face blank as tjey aproached a group of people.

[FullMetalAlchemist997]

Madiya rose slowly. She stared quietly at the man who had called for a moment then walked over, her whole posture was protesting. That was only for the fact she had just realized how much plants had been a part of her daily life. She had grabbed her bow but didn't bother to put it back where it belonged, she didn't really care what anyone thought about her right now. Currently she was running through all the different plants she had seen or read about, in her mind. Silently she bid adeui to them. The little Bluebells the bright tigerlilies the romantic roses....even the Black-eyed Susans, there was a chance however slight that on this new Plane there would be grass, Madiya wasn't sure she hadn't read all the bulletin just skimmed it. She'd gotten the most important stuff, or so her eldest brother had told her.

The guard that had passed earlier was looking smug. Madiya wanted to wipe it off his face, but she didn't give in to the temptation after all she was here to be a mercenary not to chat it up and make friends. If she'd wanted friends she wouldn't have chosen to go to the Dead Plane.

She leaned on her big wooden bow for lack of anything to do, it was the perfect size for this not like the ittle wimpy half-size bows this was almost as tall as her and made of thick wood, it was there. An idle finger gently traced the small vines and blooming flowers upon her bow. Madiya never went anywhere without it, her mother had made it for her out of a dead tree from her garden, so it bore special signifigance, maybe especially on a day like today. Her blue eyes drifted lazily closed for a few minutes before opening again and staring at the ground, there was absolutely nothing for her to do but continue what she was doing at the moment. Her traveling companions held no interest at the moment. Madiya's finger caught for a moment on the biggest flower blooming, she had never been quite sure what this one was, her mother had modeled the others off of Cannas and Tulips and such from her garden...save for this one Madiya had never seen one like anywhere on the Inik grounds, it was a challenge a mystery flower.

[Opinionated]

OOC:
New character:
Beecher: Blue

BIC:
"Thank you for your presence!" Richese began, "I'm sure some of you wonder why so much equipment has been assembled for merchandise retreival. Well, this is an extended retreival. The Plane this merchandise is on is barren, and we don't know what exactly it is between us and that merchandise. I can't say I evny you, only that I wish you good luck." And with that the merchant stepped off the crate and began to walk away from the cluster of ships and crates.

The Planesmasters hired for this transport took their places, forming a ring around the cluster. Almost simultaneously, they closed their eyes and entered a deep trance. Slowly, it seemed the area was filling with static, the air felt thick with potential energy. Then that energy was released.

"I hate this part." Cormic muttered to himself.

There was a rolling rumble, like thunder coming off a mountain, before the noise truly hit. They were now in travel. Ghost tendrils of blue flickered through and around the men and equipment, tossed around by the winds of the unseen ether, whipping like rags in a hurricane.

Then, for a moment, all the people in the area truly felt their weight, like one feels the weight of clothes or armor when first putting it on. Then, another rolling crack. And the sky was now grey.

They were in a plaza of empty buildings, dark windows staring out like eyes haunted by some loss, calling, "Where did they go?" Above them, grey clouds and a trickle of sunlight. Beneath them, grey cobblestone. It seemed the color of this Plane had fled with most of it's life.

A man with a mop of dark red hair and a rifle resting on his shoulder approached the group now. As he got close, he looked them over, then smiled a hard smile, the smile that's almost being forced. "Name's Beecher." he said in a rough voice, "Welcome to your new home."

[Luzifer]

"And Welcome to Hell, right? Well, save your sin words for nobles, I'm sure the hedonists would love to hear" Andras sneered, he didn't have the patience for waste full dramatisms like 'welcomings'. He wish he had a clearer idea of what he would be doing then 'go to point A, get item B, then go to base C' it was straight forward but it definitely left a lot to the imagination. From experience the less clear a picture he was give the worse it turned out to be, the commander who knew what he was fighting was fighting weaklings, the commander who didn't was fighting numbers beyond counting.

[KuroTan]

Tobias was slightly taken aback at the barrenness of the plane, but he was careful not to show it. Looking around, he immediately assessed the safety of their position and the position of any escape routes, if an escape would be deemed necessary. He clutched his sling a little tighter as a burly looking stranger approach their group. From the way he acted he seemed like he was expecting the group but that didn't make Tobias relax his guard. Any slip ups could be fatal, specially if you were on a different plane.

[Nespa]

Blanche slipped on her brass knuckles as she scanned the are, it seemed mostly dead. It remined her alot of a plane the smugglers used to hide there loot or smugglewear that was stil to hot to be sold. She shuddert "this place is evil" she had a bad feeling about this mission and did not like it.

[Hiryonin]

Fi looked her eyes out. This plain was strange, almost dead. she saw the man with the red hair coming closer and starting a greeting. After the sneering remark from the guy Fi met earlier she went over to the man and said: "Ignore him he was born insolent and will die insolent. My name is Fi, please to meet you" she ended and put out her hand for a shake.

[Opinionated]

Beecher didn't miss a beat as he replied, "Sorry, kid. This place is too nice to be hell, the nobles didn't take the invitation, and we're fresh out of hedonists," and his smile widened a crack. When Fi approached him, he looked at her hand for a brief moment before shaking. He then pointed to a building to the right of the group. "Over there's the barracks, women on the left, men on the right. But, there's nothing enforcing that." He pointed to a street leading from one of the corners, "There's another courtyard we're using as an airship pad and armory over there," now he pointed to a single story building oppisite the barracks, "And there's the chow building. You can't miss meals, chef's got a damn huge gong.” And finally, he motioned towards a structure next to the chow building, “We call that the map room, it’s got all the books and maps we’ve found, it’s pretty much the brain of this whole operation.”

Saulon tried to hide a grin as he listened to Andras and Beecher. Giving a small sigh, he walked in front of the group. “Beech,” He said, nodding to the other man, before turning to the rest of them. “Alright, anyone wants to get their personal stuffs put away now, you know where to go,” he said, motioning to the barracks. “Everyone else, grab a crate and put it where it’s supposed to go.”

A few of the mercenaries from the advance teams came up and started sorting crates by their contents(food or equipment) and carrying them off. Cormic climbed into his airship and started inflating the gasbag, other pilots doing the same. Some of the new arrivals started carting their possessions to the barracks, also to nab the choice spots.

Loenard gulped a little before walking off to the map room to see what needed to be done about applying his translation key to what they had already.

[Luzifer]

"I'm sure you'd find a noble in this charming place...though its seems they've already drain this place dry so maybe they moved on the fresher larders and fatter peasants." He snapped back with a forked tongue as he continued walking away. He was going to find some nice isolated place. To the Deep Dark with these people and their infernal Barrack... he was too poor to afford a bed so sleeping on rocks was just another day in the life for him, he didn't want to soften up like these prissy little insects.

He climbed up on a large rock, well away from any of the other buildings while not lying to distant from the camp proper... he wasn't stupid after all... survival was his first concern. It was a difficult rock to climb and his height again to high to jump up, with nice crumbling sides to send pebbles and shard of rock skittering if someone tried to sneak up on him. He liked it... it was too small for more that three people to lay on side by side and even then it would be cheek to cheek. That way he wouldn't have to share it with anyone but his sword.

[Nespa]

Blanch let out a low snort at fi's social action, social skills were not really high on her priority list. She remaided sided by tobias as she watched the other carrying crates and other stuf. she placed her brass knuckles back in her pcokets and looked qeustionly at tobias.

[FullMetalAlchemist997]

Madiya didn't have mant personal things, in fact she had her bow and that was the only meaningful thing to her. She slung her bow easily across her back although mentally she felt like curling up in a little ball and dying. There was nothing here, nothing whatsoever. Her gardener's soul shuddered as she willingly picked up crates. "Not even a measly blue bonnet" She muttered. Although she had known it was a dead plane she had expected something pointing towards plants, plants were everywhere in her experience even a few hardened ones grew on the volcanic plane (Madiya had not bothered to learn its name it held no interest for a Krinner).

After two crates Madiya quit. She thought nothing of the stares she was given. Then she walked to the barracks, only because it was better than lounging around lazily outside. She settled on one of the beds on the "Women" side. Madiya realized about then that she knew nothing of her traveling partners, yet. Any native Krinner by now probably would have made friends with them. The gardeners of that plane were not only noted for their beautiful flowers but their naturally sunny dispositions, seemed that Madiya was passed up on more than just a green thumb.

[KuroTan]

Tobias readjusted the rifle he had slung across his back. Looks like there was no need for worry, the man seemed trustworthy enough. With his attention away from the man called Beech, he started to take in more of the surroundings. Aside from the group, it seemed as if there was no life on that plane.

Allowing a brief shudder to pass through him, he made his way to the barracks. Stopping in front of the door that lead to the male's side, he gave Blanch a questioning look.

"You know you're not supposed to follow me in here right?"

[Hiryonin]

Fi did as she was told and started to put her things away in the left building. She looked around to her companions. "Maybe im a little out of place with these people's" she tought. She picked a bunk and threw her bag under it, Her sword she kept with her. After that she walked back outside seeing people all doing there own thing, "We need to work together on this people" she tought again "Or we all end up dead" She shaked her head and walked to a box with food inside, lifted it up and walked to the storage room.

[Nespa]

Blanch raised a brow "they probely think i am a guy anyway"she dryly stated. She knew she was not suppost to be in de male barracks but she did not know any of the females or even how to behave around them.The few females she had been around had been prostitues and she doubded the girls in the female barrack acted like them. Pushing her hands in her pockets she trotted past tobias into the barracks.

ooc: i wont be on until monday since i have a con this weekend.

[Opinionated]

It was more of a hop than anything to get the new airships onto the other courtyard. Just enough gas to bouy it up, and to let it out fast enough to land where needed. Cormic didn't envy the pilots in those Roc 550 behemoths. Those little Goshawks had it easier. And as for Cormic, he knew his ship like he knew his wife. His late wife...

Thoughts of her brought him a sip from his flask. Best not to think of her. She'd gone on to a better place, she'd died peacefully and naturally... there wasn't anything to feel slighted for. He just missed her.

---

"Mother's Milk?" Saulon asked Beecher as they walked into the chow building. There wasn't any actual food, but there was Mother's Milk.

"Yep. Like liquid bread, plus booze." Beecher said, smiling. The one thing they had too much of, the staple of the cheap laborer's diet. "Keep a man together, and takes the edge off."

"Amen," Saulon said, smiling, as he took a sip. His expression soured, though, as he took a seat. "Hey Beech. I heard that the team you sent out met something... bizarre. Unnatural. Nearly didn't make it back. That true?"

"Don't know, buddy. The pilot was the only one that made it back. We don't if he killed 'em, or if he was telling the truth. Haven't sent out another party since." Beecher said somberly. "You told them out there about that?"

"Nope. If it's all just a pack of lies, I'd rather not freak 'em out. Thought the bogeyman died out back when we stopped being scared of the dark." Saulon said, taking another sip of Mother's Milk.

[FullMetalAlchemist997]

Madiya stretched out on the bunk. Her bow lay on the ground beside her, she couldn't think of anything to do. Besides there was very little heavy lifting on Krin. The heaviest thing she had to carry was a twenty pound bag of transplant soil. And that wasn't saying much. Life revolved around gardens and gardening back on Krin, few Krinners ever got the urge to leave. She sighed might as well forget all about Krin. She wasn't going back anytime soon.

After a few moments of idleness Madiya could take no more. She wandered from the barracks. It's too open...She thought snappishly. The pure barrenness was withering. She closed her eyes for a moment. "I can't take it" She muttered. There was nothing not even color. "If I'm going to spend a lot of time here I'd better get used to it" She said to herself. Not that it helped. Not that anything could help this late in the game.

[Luzifer]

Andras sat down in a crosslegged stance and watch the pathetic little worms scurrying about with what ever fleshy desires motivate there worthless limbs to move. He was hungry but he had seen a few people going to eat and he would rather go hungry a while longer than put up with maggots while he ate...they would make him retch up whatever food he managed to shove down his gullet. He sighed and looked out across the dull landscape... he did ever so love the dull gray of this place. It was so calm and peaceful... only the deadest of winds dared to stir and even then it had little to push. No leaves to make that annoying little brushing sound only the slight deathly exhale of a world forever breathing its final breath. He let the rasping numb his mind and release him from this world of flesh and weakness to a higher world... a world of the mind and of logic... a world of forms and neus... a world that the unenlightened would never see nor touch nor grasp... it was his... and his alone.

[KuroTan]

Tobias shrugged. Whatever she felt like doing, it was up to her. Setting his luggage beside one bunk, he started to unpack. It seemed like they'd be here for a long time. Might as well make the dreary place a little more like home.

After he finished unpacking, he decided to go out to see if they needed help. He left Blanche in the barracks, she could take care of herself.