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Rifts Adventure IC

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Lore
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In contrast, I'm pretty sure I know what this is - is it cheating when Sherwood mentioned them in a conversation before? Lore is at 60, let's see...
 
Snowfall, Terra and Eron all recognize the strange being in front of them as one of the Dirari, better known as an Ecto-Man. These strange spheroids are DBees with tremendous mental powers at their disposal, and using that mental ability, they are able to generate ectoplasmic bodies and limbs to be able to manipulate physical objects around them.

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There is not much known about the Ecto-Men, from the dimension they come from to how they manage to eat and drink, not to mention the hows of their reproductive process. What is generally known about these beings is that they possess a very strong SDC 'body' to the point of being able to survive a low damage MDC blast. It will hurt them bad, but they might just survive something like a energy pistol shot and be able to tell the tale. As far as their attitude and usual professions, these master psionics gravitate to the criminal underworld, ending up on the wrong side of the law more often than not. Being troublemakers and rule breakers is the usual MO of the Ecto-Men.
 
An Ecto-Man, of all possible species; good thing they lectured him about these, back then, it only took a decade to finally bump into one. Possible underworld connections? Check. Weird body? Check. Resilience? Well, they aren't here for that, right? Nothing's worse for business than the untimely death of the salesman... especially given the security measures that one could already notice on the way in... the polite thing is probably to not stare too much, so the Crazy's eyes rest on the glass of milk in his hand with the unshakeable focus of someone trying to not do the natural thing.

"Good to meet you, Mr. Moloch, good to meet you indeed. Might need an Everfull Flask, just heard you sell those. Preferably with milk - for the cookies. One never knows. Will need a few other things, too, but we'll get to those, soon. First names, though, right? Names are always first, I believe. Eron's mine, by birth, so to speak."

He turns away from the glass, towards Emma, using the opportunity to sneak a peek at their host. Discreetly, of course, as well as he can manage...

"To come back to the cookie order real quick, I'd take a small box, just a dozen or so. There's only so much space between swords and grenades, but the mind needs a treat once in a while, too. Might come back for more, later, who knows, who knows; always hard to stay alive, on missions like these, but I'll try. We'll see, the cookies might even make the difference... probably not, but I've seen less likely things. He died, you know - Salnesh, that is. One moment he was babbling, and shortly after - gone. Not that you've heard of him, hopefully not. Changed too many lives, and not in a good way. Unlives too, if that's even a word. Bunch of vampires, all gone for good..."A short interruption as he recalls the moments; then his eyes refocus on Emma. "So: A box of cookies, for the inevitable moments of doubt. Or for the victory celebrations, whatever comes first. Think that'd do it, in regards to pastries - leaves tech and magic, but that's less pleasant."

It seems like that's all the Crazy has to share for now - indeed, his focus returns to the cookie in his hand, giving the diplomats the chance to save the day if he messed up. He probably did, but oh well - not his thing, though he tries. He left courtesy, and books, and formalities behind to stop him and his kind, before even knowing his name. An other quick peek, Ecto-Man and all... one has to confirm what little books ever taught him, right?
 
Emma shares a smile with Eron and nods. "Of course you can have a box of cookies! No need to fret; I have a goodly supply ready right now to give you. I'll make sure to wrap them up so they don't get stale while you are out on the road." She then turns to Moloch and says, "Sir, if there is nothing else, I will go and box up some of my chocolate chip cookies for this young man."

The blue/white orb seems to nod, then says, "Yes, my dear. That will make for a fine treat while on the road." The dwarf gives another shining smile before leaving, her high heels clacking on the tile floor as she goes. Moloch then turns his attention to the group and says, "Well now. Lets get on with some business!"

The floating orb lowers itself to be 'sitting' on one of the empty spots on the couch and continues, "I have been told by my friend Brazamal that you are going on a secret mission for him, some sort of sneak and peek thing, and you are looking for items to be able to make that happen. From the sounds of it, you are going to be facing off against some serious firepower, much more than you can handle with a frontal assault, and will need to be able to make this happen in a very quiet way. Lucky for you, I have some things in my inventory that might just help you out with this."

Moloch pulls out a pipe and a pouch of tobacco from inside his robes and takes a moment to pack the pipe bowl and light it up, inhaling the smoke - somehow. "Being as how we are in the heart of the Magic Zone in this fine city, I can offer up some top of the line magic items to help make your stealth run a bit easier to arrange. But, if you are looking for a more technological set of items, I have plenty of wares that you may be interested in. What is your preference?"
 
Terra eyes the Ecto-Man with curiosity, having never encountered one of this race before. They have a general reputation as being miscreants, but somehow this Moloch has gotten in good with Lord Brazamal, so that says something. Turning her thoughts back to the question at hand, she says, "Well, we are planning on getting into a secured Coalition facility, so anything that we can do to shield ourselves from the sensing noses of the Dog Boys would be good. Also, any magic or technology that you have that can make us able to slip into and out of this place without setting off every alarm. What do you have available for that?"
 
Moloch listens, then nods. "Ah, yes. In that case, I have a few goodies that might be of interest to you. Since you are going into a Coalition facility, I would suggest a few items that might come in handy."

"First, there are some talismans that will dull the 'psychic smell' that we men (and women) of magic have that the Dog Boys can sense. What would normally be detectable hundreds of feet away, such as a powerful mage or a dragon, these little gems will reduce that sense range to just a score of feet, so long as the being does not engage in any active magic or psychic powers while wearing the talismans. Doing that will void the protection of the talisman, and the magic smell will be detectable from a long distance away."

Moloch continues with, "Since you are trying to keep yourselves hidden, I would suggest using more technology-based stealth systems. There is a camouflage cloak that is battery powered, and can basically duplicate the effects of a Chameleon spell. If you walk slowly or are standing still, you are nearly invisible. Walking or running faster raises up the odds that someone will spot you. The power cell runs for sixty minutes of continual cloaking effect, and the battery can be quickly replaced with another quickly."

"That is just a taste of what I have. Does anything I have suggested sound of interest to you?"
 
Terra raises an eyebrow at the description of the two items. "Those certainly sound promising. But before we make any purchase, I'd like to see them in action. Can a demonstration be arranged?"
 
Snowfall glances up to Miss Terra and he examines the group then back to Moloch. "I agree; a demonstration would be useful. How are much are each of these items, if you please?"
 
Moloch claps his hands together. "A demonstration! A capitol idea. Outstanding! I love doing business with professionals. You would not believe the numbers of people that come and buy something from me, sight unseen, and just trust that it will work correctly as promised. Not that I would ever sell anything that is not of top quality, of course!" He rises, then motions for you to follow him. He walks to one of the doors and it silently opens for him, revealing a elevator. "Please, come with me. I have everything you seek down in my warehouse."

Once everyone is inside, the doors close and the elevator car starts down. "As for price, these are hardly cheap trinkets. But for Brazamal, I will give you my 'friends and family' discount. I will be able to part with the Psychic Dampeners for a cost of 100,000 each, and believe me, that is a bargain. For the Camo Cloaks, they are easier to acquire, and will only cost you 80,000 each."

The elevator stops, and Moloch steps out into a hall lit up by fluorescent lights, making it pretty well lit. The hall leads off to a set of double doors and a few side corridors. The Ecto-Man heads towards the double doors, saying, "Now! For the demonstration! Come!"

Everyone, please give me a Perception Roll, and a Detect Concealment roll if you have that particular skill.

Purr Purr Psychie Psychie Rykon Rykon Silanon Silanon
 
Terra keeps her eyes open as they walk, looking about for any neat items that might catch her fancy.

Total of 19
 
Zephiron scans the surroundings slowly, on the lookout for hidden gems or surprises. After all, Moloch was still a stranger to the hatchling.

13 total.
 
As you walk through the hallway and into the room beyond the double doors, Terra hears a faint girlish giggle coming from just to your left, but you don't see the source of the laughter, just a faint heat shimmer that is probably from one of the floor mounted heating vents.

Snowfall also sees the faint shimmer and hears the giggle, but there is still nothing there to be the source.

Zephiron catches a faint whiff of a familiar perfume that you recognize as the dwarf woman, but the confusing thing is that it is a fresh scent, and has not dissipated over time from her absence. She is nowhere in sight, though. And is that a hint of cookie you smell?

Moloch lets out a sigh. "Emma, if you wish to remain hidden, it does not help things when you make such noises like that."

From the air off to the one side, you hear her voice saying, "I am sorry, sir, but I rarely get to be a part of your demonstrations and could not help myself." From seemingly nowhere, a short cloaked figure appears, and as the figure flips back the hood, you see Emma standing there with a wide smile on her face and a plastic container in her hand. With a flourish, she says, "Ta dah! And now, for my next trick!" Another giggle escapes the dwarf woman as she hands Eron the container full of cookies.

Moloch motions towards her with a wave of his hand. "As you can see for yourselves, the camo cloak is very effective, but does not stop everything. Scent, sound and touch are all unaffected, so you need to make sure you don't have on such lovely perfume like my dear Emma is wearing, and any noises you make will also not be blocked. Also, you still take up space, so any accidental brush up against you will be felt. Standing still is best, since any motion makes it harder for the active camo systems to keep up with. The faster you move, the more visible you become until such time as the camo cloak is practically useless."

Emma walks over to the group and shows the material of the now deactivated cloak off to you. She says, "The material is quite durable, and will resist minor damage from scrapes and tears. It is, unfortunately, not a Mega Damage material, so it can be ripped up or cut with a knife. The best use of this cloak is to be silent and still for a moment while the people you are trying to hide from go walking past you without noticing your presence."

The Ecto-Man then says, "The cloak does have a few small slits in it, just big enough for a human to slip a hand or weapon through, making it possible for you reach out and grab something, or to stick a weapon through to perform a surprise attack on someone without damaging your cloak. As I said, this is a technological device, so there is no trace of magic to it. Impressive, no? A handy invention, well worth the price."
 
"Impressive, indeed - both. Cookies, and cloak." The Crazy nods, and accepts Emma's box with as much care as he can muster. And bows his thanks, because that's what people do, right? Maybe? Who knows. He doesn't. "My thanks, milady, these'll be good." And so will the cloaks, potentially. How long has he dealt with Salnesh's trickeries? It's about time to turn the tables, so to speak. Sneakily. If they even have tables, in the Coalition states. From what he heard, they mostly have guns, canned food, and enough hatred for the rest of the world. No cookies, maybe. Certainly no dwarven family recipes if they can help it. Well, it's their loss. Not that they'd care too much. They will care about their lost superweapon in a bit, or that's the plan. It's at least the reason why the group's here, after all.

"Those cloaks - could be useful, certainly. But it should be all of us, or none, or someone's going to miss out on the fun. And that ain't good, we want the Coalition to miss out instead, or so I've heard." A shrug. "I'd take one, maybe, if the others do. Better than carrying gems, certainly. How's it working with stains, and such? Nothing more suspicious than a walking blot of spilled milk, I reckon." He carefully reaches out to touch the fabric, feel it between highly sensitive fingertips. "Are there different colors? Maybe an invisible green?" He cocks his head slightly, to get another perspective; then tilts it to the other side, just in case things look any different. "Or blue, like the sea? He would have hated that. Salnesh. Which would already make it a good thing in my book."

"Would it work well with, say, a Glitter Boy suit? Or would it get caught every moment or two? Not too stealthy, to unravel oneself every other minute..." Eron suddenly wrinkles the air, looks around, then slowly turns towards Moloch. "There was more, you said. These talismans. Against the Dog Boys, and the like. Got a bit of magic behind these" - his hand points out the metallic studs that make him what he is - "but I guess it's of more concern for some others." The dragon and kitsune mostly catch his attention, though only for so long. "If there's a way to see the amulets in action... you probably don't have an unbiased dog boy at hand, do you? Can scent a lot, myself, but no magic sadly. See the invisible instead, so that's alright..." His train of thought comes to a sudden halt, he eyes Emma, and cloak, suspiciously. "Until right now, that is, saw nothing just now." He scratches his head, clearly caught off-guard. "Maybe... if you could turn it on one more time, that'd be most helpful, I believe. Just now I thought: I didn't see a thing. But really - I should have seen the whole thing, right? Guess I thought about cookies, and such... which makes me twice as bad of a choice for this demonstration, I reckon. I have the cookies safe and secure, though, so that's something, and I wrote the letter tonight."

"Which reminds me, Snowfall - I'll need your help, perhaps. Not now, but later, preferably before my untimely demise. That'd be easiest, without necromancy and such. Never liked necromancers, myself; he, Salnesh, worked with one, before. I mean, you saw the vamps, but there was one with a fancy hat, back then. Do you sell fancy hats, Moloch? The useful kind? Not that it's important, I meant to get the swords enchanted first... you do those kind of things right? One never knows what they need to cut through next... not Salnesh, that's for certain, as far as we know... so, Snowfall, it's a thing to do, but it's your kind of thing, I reckon, so maybe that'd be alright. Later, though, that, can't miss much more, or they'll throw me out for not paying attention..."
 
Snowfall claps at the Ectoman and dwarf's cloak presentation. "Astounding! Very clever! Heck yeah! Sign me up for one, please!" The short celestial messenger turns to his draconic ally and their team leader. "Rykon! Miss Terra! Get a load of these cloaks!"

The little Kitsune looks up to Eron, his pointy ears perking up to the heroic Crazy's spoken thoughts and request. "Later it is then! Just be sure to remind me - we fox-spirits can be a scatter-brained sort!"
 
"Would it work well with, say, a Glitter Boy suit? Or would it get caught every moment or two? Not too stealthy, to unravel oneself every other minute..." Eron suddenly wrinkles the air, looks around, then slowly turns towards Moloch. "There was more, you said. These talismans. Against the Dog Boys, and the like. Got a bit of magic behind these" - his hand points out the metallic studs that make him what he is - "but I guess it's of more concern for some others." The dragon and kitsune mostly catch his attention, though only for so long. "If there's a way to see the amulets in action... you probably don't have an unbiased dog boy at hand, do you? Can scent a lot, myself, but no magic sadly. See the invisible instead, so that's alright..." His train of thought comes to a sudden halt, he eyes Emma, and cloak, suspiciously. "Until right now, that is, saw nothing just now." He scratches his head, clearly caught off-guard. "Maybe... if you could turn it on one more time, that'd be most helpful, I believe. Just now I thought: I didn't see a thing. But really - I should have seen the whole thing, right? Guess I thought about cookies, and such... which makes me twice as bad of a choice for this demonstration, I reckon. I have the cookies safe and secure, though, so that's something, and I wrote the letter tonight."
Moloch turns to Eron and says, "A Glitter Boy? Hmmm. I've never tried to conceal something like that. While there are a few larger cloaks to be able to conceal larger beings, the Glitter Boy has many sharp points sticking out that could conceivably snag on and tear the thing, making it useless. Also, with the sheer bulk of the GB suit, walking silently is impossible, so the wearer of the cloak would only be able to be concealed if you stood completely still: any walking would be heard."

"Now, the talismans that cover up the psychic 'scent' of being magical in nature work well, but unless you have a Dog Boy or Psi Stalker on hand that you trust to give an honest opinion, you will just have to trust in my reputation that I will not sell faulty goods, or attempt to misguide my customers as to how well a item works. Doing that in my line of work is a sure way to burn any repeat business away."

"So, exactly how many of the camo cloaks and magic detection blockers are you looking for?"
 
Terra thinks for a moment, then says, "Eight of each, with the camouflage cloaks being large enough for a human. That should be good to equip all of us. How soon can you make the equipment available to us?"
 
Moloch does some quick mental calculations and replies to the Atlantian, "I can have eight of each available to you within the hour of the arrival of your payment in full."
 
"Miss Terra? Do we maybe want to talk gems?" Snowfall looks to the cloak and eyes light up a little as he asks in reference to the piles of wonderful glittering goodness Lord Brazamal had presented Terra's Terminators with earlier.
 
Moloch rubs his ectoplasmic hands together at Snowfall's mention of gems. "Gems, you say? I have many different kinds, but I suspect you are looking for something more than a pretty bauble. What are you interested in?"
 
"Interested in getting rid of them, mostly. Got a bunch, but they're no good in a fight. Pretty much anything would be more useful; like the cloaks, and blockers, and... stuff, in general. Stuff that's as valuable, but lighter, at the very least. Don't want to be slowed down by baubles, pretty or not. Unless I have it all wrong, of course. Happens, sometimes, that's just how it is." He looks over to Snowfall for confirmation. "Could use enchantments for my swords, baubly or not. Heard blades will be useful where we go, or I wouldn't be invited; so making them better would be good. Can pay, of course, with some of the gems. Think that'd be fine, unless they're needed elsewhere..." Another look around, asking for confirmation. It'd be awkward, to not be able to pay. People don't like that, generally speaking. Especially people with doors like these.
 
Rykon Rykon The multi-tailed furry messenger looks up at Zephiron. "Well, dragons like gems, both here and in the East! Before we start trading any, I heartily recommend our royal dragon person here have his pick of his share of gems. He's the one building a hoard after all, right? Then we can see about the values of the remaining gems and jewels to trade for Moloch's gear here." Snowfall looks about to see how everyone else seems to feel about, Zephiron especially.
 
Terra says, "I am thinking that Eron is referring to the power crystals that can enhance the damage of a melee weapon. I have several, but do not recall the name. Do you have anything like that?"
 
"That does sound very much like what I had in mind." The Crazy nods vigorously in response - then turns towards Zeph, Snowfall and the previous question. "And if there's a hoard to be built, the gems are a good start. Though having a lair would be a better first step, I'd reckon. In either case - first choice is yours, Zephiron. What's left should suffice to cover the bill."

He ponders for another moment, then tilts his head, eyeing Terra again. "There are some who followed us - followed you. Shifters - the worst kind, but still shifters, not just cats. Their kind fought their part of the battle, I've heard. So while we're here, discussing the treasure - perhaps some of it should go towards those younglings as well. I reckon they came with what they had; but what they had might not be enough. Think there were eight, counted them, and all. Gotta know how many cats lurk in the shadows. It wouldn't be right to let their numbers dwindle if there's the option to help them out." He shrugs. "They knew to keep their distance already. Perhaps in time, they'll also learn to leave their mark in the world. Maybe even in darker places than we'll ever visit. It might be cat piss on a holy tree - that wouldn't be good. But it also might be the mark of those who fight well, for good causes; and the world needs those, whether from cat, human or squirrel." He eyes their host. "Got anything for aspiring shapeshifters, used to the mundane weaponry of old? Nothing too expensive or fancy - the best will be in the right place, at the right time." Eron reaches for his pouch, as if to make sure it's still there. Though he'd know if it weren't. "But something to point them in the right direction. If that's something that sounds right to more than just me."
 
Terra says, "I am thinking that Eron is referring to the power crystals that can enhance the damage of a melee weapon. I have several, but do not recall the name. Do you have anything like that?"
Moloch turns to Terra and says, "Ah, those kind of crystals. Yes, there are some in my inventory. How many are you looking for?"

The cheapest crystal will cost 500,000 and add an additional 3d6 MD damage to a weapon.
Next level up will be 1,500,000 and that will boost your damage by 6d6 MD.
The highest level will be 5,000,000 and increase your damage by 1d4x10 +10 MD.
"That does sound very much like what I had in mind." The Crazy nods vigorously in response - then turns towards Zeph, Snowfall and the previous question. "And if there's a hoard to be built, the gems are a good start. Though having a lair would be a better first step, I'd reckon. In either case - first choice is yours, Zephiron. What's left should suffice to cover the bill."

He ponders for another moment, then tilts his head, eyeing Terra again. "There are some who followed us - followed you. Shifters - the worst kind, but still shifters, not just cats. Their kind fought their part of the battle, I've heard. So while we're here, discussing the treasure - perhaps some of it should go towards those younglings as well. I reckon they came with what they had; but what they had might not be enough. Think there were eight, counted them, and all. Gotta know how many cats lurk in the shadows. It wouldn't be right to let their numbers dwindle if there's the option to help them out." He shrugs. "They knew to keep their distance already. Perhaps in time, they'll also learn to leave their mark in the world. Maybe even in darker places than we'll ever visit. It might be cat piss on a holy tree - that wouldn't be good. But it also might be the mark of those who fight well, for good causes; and the world needs those, whether from cat, human or squirrel." He eyes their host. "Got anything for aspiring shapeshifters, used to the mundane weaponry of old? Nothing too expensive or fancy - the best will be in the right place, at the right time." Eron reaches for his pouch, as if to make sure it's still there. Though he'd know if it weren't. "But something to point them in the right direction. If that's something that sounds right to more than just me."
Now turning to Eron, Moloch replies, "I have many things in my inventory that might be of interest to a shapeshifter. They can come to see me to begin to discuss what might be useful."
 

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