Rifts Adventure IC

[D. Rex]

That would be correct.

 

[Sherwood]

With Daisy and Zephiron preparing to leave with Mara, what does Terra and Snowfall have planned to do? Right now, the were-jaguar tribe is being very hospitable to all of you, doing their best to answer any questions you may have for them using Jorge as an interpreter.

 

[Purr]

Snowfall asked Jorge and any other interested parties the following questions:

1. How could a multi-formed spirit like Snowfall gain a "were-form?"

2. While our team had their many useful methods of surviving underwater, Snowfall wanted originally to know how the Jaguar tribe went about such matters?

3. What were the methods the tribe used to defend themselves against the vampires?

4. What were the methods the vampires used to attack the tribe?

 

[Sherwood]

Snowfall asked Jorge and any other interested parties the following questions:

1. How could a multi-formed spirit like Snowfall gain a "were-form?"

2. While our team had their many useful methods of surviving underwater, Snowfall wanted originally to know how the Jaguar tribe went about such matters?

3. What were the methods the tribe used to defend themselves against the vampires?

4. What were the methods the vampires used to attack the tribe?

Peppering Jorge with questions as you eat, Snowfall watches as the were-jaguar relays some of the questions to an old crone of a woman, somewhere in age between fifty and two hundred, and she manages to cackle out answers to some of what you are asking.

First off, there is a powerful jungle spirit that the tribe pays homage to that helps to teach the youngsters the ways of survival in the rain forest. It is possible that they can appeal to this spirit, and it can grant you some insight to the abilities of shapeshifting that you already have.

In the past, some members of the tribe have been able to learn a handful of spells, one of which is Breathe Without Air. Using the spell, the past members have explored the caves that the river runs through, and have discovered the hidden layer of the Vampire Intelligence below the pyramid. At this time, however, there are only two among their numbers that know the ways of magic. But there is another that is out there, a friendly figure that will be discussed once Silanon has his character made up and I can introduce him/her.

First and foremost, the were tribe stays on the move. Staying in any one spot for long is a certain death sentence for them. Also, as magical creatures themselves, their claws and teeth do cause hit point damage to the fiends, along with doing Mega Damage to the demon cohorts of the vampires. The mages in the group also have mastered a handful of useful spells, including Globe of Daylight, which they use to great effect against the vampires to keep them at a distance while the werebeasts tear into the vamps with their claws and with water sprayers and buckets, forcing the undead to back off and heal before they are totally destroyed.

When the vampires themselves attack, it is with speed and ferocity, but no real planning or tactics. There are three kinds of vampires: the Wild, the Secondary and the Master. The were tribe has mostly dealt with the Wild vampires, and while they are tough as nails, they are not very smart. On the times that the attacks are supplemented by a Secondary vampire, the tactics that the vampires employ are nastier, but still not very planned out. The demons and other DBee monstrosities that serve the fiends are a different story. They are cruel and sadistic, and are much harder to kill or drive off.


D. Rex and Rykon

Maja leads the two of you through the jungle for several miles until you come to a low hill hidden away in the trees and undergrowth. After a bit of hunting, Maja is able to locate a very well concealed door that has been buried under years of vines and dirt. It turns out that the small hill is actually the vehicle bunker that you were told about.

She clears away some of the plant life, and eventually finds a keypad. Pressing in a code a small door that is just big enough to let Daisy in her armor fit through it to get to the interior of the bunker. Maja leads the way as ancient lights start to flicker on in power saving mode, providing a dim level of light for you to see by.

Inside, there are living quarters for fifty some-odd people, a small arms weapon locker, and several small vehicles and some mecha and powered suits.

There are six suits of what appear to be some kind of variant of the Glitter Boy suit that you have never seen before.

Spoiler: GB-7 Suit

Two suits of Triax Ulti-Max Powered Armor

Spoiler

Four Hunter Mobile Gun Assault Mecha

Spoiler

and two X-545 Super Hunters

Spoiler

Along with the powered suits and the mecha, there are a number of different hover vehicles, including jet bikes and hover cars and trucks.

 

[Psychie]

Terra will spend some time asking about the size of the underwater passage that leads to the heart of the vampire infestation. Depending on how large the passage is, she may be forced to leave behind her three Automations for the attack on the fiends. Its not like she is unable to be a formidable opponent without them, but having the three magical mecha would certainly help.

 

[Purr]

Snowfall wagged his tail excitedly at the wise crone's answers. As they ate, Snowfall offered rice wine, rice balls, and tofu from his own resources. Why just take when sharing was better?

Being himself an animal spirit, the little messenger loved the idea of learning from a spirit that was friendly to Jorge's tribe! "Please tell me how I can contribute to the spirit's needs? Perhaps this can be an exchange of wisdom from different cultures?"

As Terra looked into details about the underwater tunnel, Snowfall took an interest in this too. If it were not too deep, could not the automatons walk on the bottom?

There was talk of magic, but Snowfall was not a spellcaster. There was talk of mechanized rewards, but Snowfall was no pilot. His reward might come in the form of exchanged wisdom and the doing of a good act which would rid the world of much evil.

For Snowfall, that was enough.

 

[Sherwood]

Terra's question about the size of the underground river takes Jorge a little off guard. After all, he has never seen your Automations to know exactly why you ask that question. He replies, "The river is easily large enough to fit your one friend's suit of shiny armor." He is undoubtedly referring to Daisy's Glitter Boy suit. "How much larger do you need it to be?"

Given that the GB suit can fit, Baby and Junior can most likely make it through without a problem. Tiny is another matter. If it goes through the passage, it may require it to crawl on its hands and knees to get by, assuming that its shoulders aren't too wide to fit through the narrower parts of the underground river. But, if you do come across a narrow choke point and have enough time to do so, your Automations are strong enough to cut/claw away the rock to widen the path. The only concern then comes to the question of: How long can you stay underwater without breathing? Who else is going along, and are they stuck behind your Automations, running out of time?

Of course, you can always recast the Breathe Without Air spell, but that takes PPE that you may need inside the chamber for the fighting with the Vampire Intelligence and its minions.

 

[Rykon]

Zephiron takes a peek at what's inside but what enthusiasm he had for the cache seems to fade quickly, he looks over to Daisy and says. "All of this looks neat but I can't tell if any of this is of any use to you, much less the others."

 

[Psychie]

Terra stretches, her mind racing. "Jorge, I know that you are giving us all the information that you have about the underground river and the vampires, but I am wondering, when was the last time that someone actually traversed the river to see the layer of this Vampire Intelligence? I would like to have one of us make an attempt to sneak along to see first hand just how much room there is and how close to the water the Vampire Intelligence actually is." She looks over at Snowfall and says, "I have seen you take on a mist form before, and you sure can fly damn fast. Would you be willing to try slipping in with a video camera and record as much data as you can about our approach? I know that I am asking a lot of you, but of all of us, I think that you have the best chances of getting away. The next choice on the list would be Zephiron, with his shapeshifting and teleportation ability."

 

[Purr]

When Snowfall heard this, his little fox ears nearly popped off of his furry head. He instantly transformed to his handsome human form of 80 years garbed in brown and red silk robe. Crooked with age, he wagged a bent finger at her while stroking his long, fine beard. "You kidding?" he croaked. "Miss Terra, as a Kitsune Messenger of Grand Inari, I'll have you know I've delivered messages from one end of the Megaverse to the other! Sure, this particular job would be easier if I had the new form I have been dreaming of - you know, smaaaall, furrrrrrry, easier to hiiiiide, but wait! There's more! Snowfall 2.0 will come with opposable digits for video cameras and--"

Snowfall interrupted himself as a new thought leaped into his mind. Instantly, he straightened, his eyes bright! "I've got it, Miss Terra! Why use a fussy old video camera when I can use my Atlantean Crystal Rod instead?" He produced the item out of his highly-organized pack and displayed the Atlantean magical item with pride. "This thing'll beat a video camera any day! No having to worry about focus, sound levels, running out of recording time! Oh, and those darned stupid blinky red lights that keep telling you, 'low battery'!" He snarled and put his hands together as if throttling an imaginary video camera. "Shaddap, camera! I knoooow alreaaaady!!"

"So, Crystal rod? Oooh! Whaddya say? Whaddaya say?!" Now he was bouncing on the tips of his toes like a 10-year-old, but hey, he couldn't transform himself to someone looking that young so he stayed in his elderly form and with his face all filled with hope and delight, he looked even more childlike and ridiculous.

 

[Psychie]

Terra laughs out loud at the kitsune's antics. "Of course. I i didn't know you had a crystal wand, or I would have mentioned it before. I'll leave the details of exactly how you get in there, just do it safely and come back in one piece. I would not be able to forgive myself if something happened to you."

 

[Purr]

"Great, great!" He looked back and forth from Miss Terra to Jorge. "Uh, do I have time to speak to the spirit before I go? You guys know how adventures go - one moment, you've got a golden opportunity! The next moment, you're up to your armpits in oni, ninja, korobuku, kensai, tengu, and all sorts of--" Snowfall paused and looked at his audience as the thought struck him - perhaps this particular group didn't know about all that. You know, maybe.

"Spirit?" he peeped, folded his hands, and looked mildly embarrassed.

 

[Sherwood]

Jorge smiles, then talks quickly with the old crone, and then turns his attention back to Snowfall. "We can call for our spirit guide to come and join us. It might take a bit of time for her to arrive, but she will be here shortly."

True to his word, the crone begins some sort of ritual spell to summon the tribal spirit. Soon after, a hush falls over the jungle around you, and a very large jaguar,the size of a small horse, slowly begins to prowl its way out of the trees into the open, its eyes locked on both Terra and Snowfall.

 

[Psychie]

As the giant cat comes walking out of the trees, Terra holds quite still, not wanting to antagonize the new arrival. "Jorge, I presume that this is your spirit guide? I hope you told her that we are not intruders, but invited guests?"

 

[Purr]

"Miss Terra," Snowfall grinned at the sight of a fellow animal spirit, "you've got to learn to trust the shamans in your life! When the people and the spirit know one another, there are some things that don't have to be asked.

"Just play by Jorge's rules and treat the spirit for what it is - a holy and sacred friend of the tribe." Snowfall turned and bowed slowly and respectfully to the great Jaguar spirit. This was, after all, their territory. He also let Jorge do the talking. Every spiritual bunch had their lists of dos and don'ts. Even Snowfall's.

 

[Sherwood]

The members of the tribe of were-jaguars are all silent as the spirit figure enters the small village area, all bowing or kneeling in signs of respect to the spirit. Jorge gives Terra a smile. "She is our spirit guide, and yes, she is well aware that you are friends." He talks to the spirit figure for a moment, motioning to Snowfall. The giant cat slowly walks over to Snowfall, sniffing at him before sitting back on its haunches.

In a flash, the giant cat changes into a woman wearing a simple dress, appearing very much unremarkable and would be able to blend in with the rest of the tribe with no problem. In somewhat accented English, the woman says to Snowfall, "You already possess the ability you seek, but if you wish, I can help you to unlock this new form for you. It will be my way of saying 'thank you' for helping my children recover their ancestral home of the pyramid once more."

 

[Purr]

Snowfall tried to listen to every word they said, for Kitsune had an inhuman knack for languages and it had been some time since the Japanese messenger had used that talent to satisfaction.

In reply to the Were-Jaguar spirit, Snowfall calmly replied, not as a childlike adventurer, but as the age-old greatly traveled spirit that he was. "Power without guidance is merely unguided power - a stray lightning bolt in the sky without focus or purpose. I would be honored if you would supply me with the wisdom I lack in unlocking my own potential." Snowfall bowed, Japanese-style this time.

"As for helping your children, you have Miss Terra here to thank." Snowfall indicated the Atlantean with a pleased wave of his arm. "I am here at her behest and at her side at her family's request. Atlanteans and the Vampyr have long been mortal enemies. What we do beneifts both of of your peoples though she is the only Atlantean among our group. Whether they were aware of it or not, Clan Draco Animus and Jorge's Tribe are deeper allies than they may realize.'

"In addition to our assistance, if there is a way I may share my own healing and traveling talents to the benefit of you and your children, please present the way to me. I am at your disposal." Snowfall nodded to Terra and then to the mother of Jorge's Tribe. "I am also your willing student," he said in preparation to receive the knowledge she offered to him.

 

[Psychie]

Terra offers up a respectful bow of her own, saying, "I don't know how much I might be able to aid your people, but I am at your disposal for what I can do for you. I just hope that we can get through the passage underground and be able to take the fight to the Vampires when they least expect it."

 

[Sherwood]

The spirit-woman nods. "I thank you for your offer. I am Alvarin, and I have spent lifetimes running through the trees of this jungle before the Time of the Rifts, and the fact that you are here and willing to place yourselves in harms way to stop the vampires is a true credit to the Atlantean race and those of your friends. Now, as much as I wish to speak with you, I now have pressing business with you," she says the last looking at Snowfall. "We have some work ahead of us to free yourself from your own mental blocks that keep you from achieving your fullest potential. Come with me."

At this point, Alvarin smoothly shifts her form back to that of the giant jaguar, watching Snowfall for a moment before bounding off into the trees.


Quick bump for D. Rex Did you see the earlier post for Daisy?

 

[Purr]

Snowfall wastes no time in telling Terra, "Keep your communications crystal handy! I'll head out to scout right after I have followed Alvarin!" With a spryness that belied an 80-year-old fellow, Snowfall jumped forward into a double-somersault and vanished into a cloudy mist that quickly seemed to evaporate into thin air!

"Lead on, Alvarin!"

 

[Sherwood]

Another bump for D. Rex

 

[Sherwood]

Snowfall wastes no time in telling Terra, "Keep your communications crystal handy! I'll head out to scout right after I have followed Alvarin!" With a spryness that belied an 80-year-old fellow, Snowfall jumped forward into a double-somersault and vanished into a cloudy mist that quickly seemed to evaporate into thin air!

"Lead on, Alvarin!"

The jaguar spirit leads Snowfall through the jungle on a merry chase until she comes to a stop in a small clearing. Snowfall can immediately sense that this place is filled with what he would call positive Chi; a very uplifting feeling, telling him that this is a place of peace and goodness. Alvarin takes her human form once more, and motions for you to join her in the soft grass in the middle of the glen.

Sitting down, she looks at the fox-spirit in front of her, and she simply asks, "What is it that you wish, and why? What brings you to this place?"

 

[Sherwood]

Back at the weapons and vehicle bunker, Maja looks at the various mecha and powered suits with curiosity, but makes no move to interact with them. Her own powers would be severely hampered inside one of these metal creations, and so she has no real desire to learn how to use them.

She looks over at Daisy and says, "Tell me, warrior. Do any of these spark any interest in you?"

D. Rex

 

[D. Rex]

(Ill post today)

 

[Purr]

The jaguar spirit leads Snowfall through the jungle on a merry chase until she comes to a stop in a small clearing. Snowfall can immediately sense that this place is filled with what he would call positive Chi; a very uplifting feeling, telling him that this is a place of peace and goodness. Alvarin takes her human form once more, and motions for you to join her in the soft grass in the middle of the glen.

Sitting down, she looks at the fox-spirit in front of her, and she simply asks, "What is it that you wish, and why? What brings you to this place?"

Feeling the purity of the land around him, Snowfall did not immediately answer but instead transformed straight into fox-form and frolicked through the grass!

Spoiler

"Dixiedo fox runs away with my phone. Tries to bury it" courtesy of SaveAFox. Yes!

Sunlight and healthy places like this were meant to be enjoyed! After several moments of living in the moment, Snowfall replied, "Enlightenment! Liberation! And... a little change from the way things have been! The vampires have supplied an opportunity to do goodness. Your people have provided even more motivation for me, personally, to do battle against the vampires. So I desire a new form in which to experience the world and its adventures in! Besides, 'running water never grows stale!'"