Scene #344: Ramar Unification Troubles

Owner	Pose
Aren Cordelaine	As the three arrive to the co-ordinates, they would find the source of the trouble. The place itself was not on the planet, but rather lead to an open clearing nearby a town on an unnamed planet. But a few things stood out more than anything else. Huddled in a corner, hugging his legs, an older man looked quite honestly terrified, and tended by some of the Union medical crew, whatever could be spared for a random civilian. But what he was staring at (much to the efforts otherwise of the staff) was the biggest issue. A large portal stood there, right on top of the ground, crackling violently, and surging with energy. The portal itself did not have the smooth surface, or the consistency of that created by a mage. Instead, it roiled and bubbled, almost like an angry sea, and the sudden bursts of energy did not really speak otherwise. "Oh, thank you! You're here..." The voice of the staff member speaks up, "Don't mind him, he'll be fine. Something through that place sure scared him witless though. Something about ghosts, he wasn't making much sense..."
Shir	"So is this some kind of gateway to the afterlife?" Shir looks at the portal curiously. It doesn't like something you would use to teleport but she's not the first person you would go to when it comes to magic. She's not too eager to dash inside without more more information. Maybe Elasaid or Deelel would be able to get give it a better look over.
Deelel	Deelel picked up the warning from the Union tactical net and wasn't sure what to think. Still she neededti pitch in more, she couldn't always be doing things in the Afterus internet after all. So here she is on foot with a cloak and otherwise wearing something akin cyberpunk clothing. She's got a light staff our and pause as she looks to Shir for a moment. "I do not know...we will have to take a look into this." OOC Deelel's outfit http://imgur.com/WJYqgtF
Aren Cordelaine	The tactical support staff shook his head. "No, this portal leads to that world we mentioned. We believe the inhabitants call it Ramar. They seem to be the swords and magic type folk." He responded, simply. "As I said, we're noticing a dimensional disturbance from that world, we think this portal is part of it. Despite its looks, its stable enough, but we haven't been able to scan what's through it yet, you're the first on the spot."
Shir	Shir smiles as she gets a better look at Deelel's clothing, "Like the outfit." She tries not to let it distract her too much. "I'm guessing we're going to have to take the headfirst approach if we can't scan it from the outside. Just hope I make it through with all my organs intact." Hopefully they wouldn't get telefragged or there was something nasty waiting for them on the other side.
Deelel	Deelel says "Lovely I'm going to stick out but well here we go then?" Deelel makes sure he cloak about her tightly and pulls the hood over her head before she nods to Shir. "Thank you. Shall we get going then?" She'll enter the portal now keeping her staff not reay to fight but to help with walking.
Aren Cordelaine	And... as they step through the portal, they would feel a sudden tug on their very being, as if they are going to be thrown at high speeds, but ... it doesn't happen, it feels like they seamlessly go from moving at high speeds to stopping suddenly without even a jolt. And they would find themselves in the middle of a forest. A dark forest, as it seems to be night, with their backs to the mountainside. The only light comes from the portal itself, and from the ... forcefield? Around the place. Indeed, they quickly notice that they're inside a circle of stones, with a few people inside it. Some are human, and others look like... large, furry wolven bipedal creatures. But one of them is at the forward. A blonde young man has his arms up, although he's sweating profusely, and obviously exhausted. And outside? Outside, there's what looks like people, both human and the wolven race. But there seems to be something wrong about them. Like they are feral.
Shir	"Well, green hair is apparently odd in some places." Shir still finds that a bit hard to believe as they make their way into the portal. She's used to teleporting so the high speeds don't really bother her, in fact she's glad to get there quickly. She notes the circle of stones around the two and the others before looking outside. "Are those werewolves?" That would be her first guess at least.
Deelel	Deelel takes a step into a brave new world and she starts to take in the forest she is not bothered by the dark, there's no sun in her home after all. She does take notice of there being people, some sort of alienb humanoid as he's got his hands up. She wonders for a moment she doesn't like the look of this. She radies the staff and looks to Shir. "It's about to hit the fan." She now calls out to get the groups attention she knows something is off but not just what. "So is this how you fight around here? All of you on one small group?
Aren Cordelaine	A commotion understandably erupts as the two strange women come out, and the blonde man looks behind him. "Are you here to help us? Please, we don't have much time!" The exhaustion is quite noticeable in his voice, probably related to the glow emanating from his hand and across the staff. "Nngh..." The rest of the people look at the two expectantly, obviously in fear at... well, whatever's outside. Those people certainly seem hostile.
Shir	Time to stop joking around and get down to business. Shir unsheathes her laser knives, so much for trying to subtle here. "Are they being controlled or something?" She doesn't want to stab any innocent people if she doesn't have. She's a thief not an assassin after all.
Aren Cordelaine	The blonde man looks behind him for a second, and gives her a sad look. "... Oh, you don't know, do you? Their souls have been sucked out by wraiths... They are nothing but husks now.." He says with a little sigh. "This is what happens after a while. Once they get to this state, they're too far gone!" He closes his eyes, breathing a little.
Deelel	Deelel say:says "We'll deal with it. Shir lets go!" Deelels' staff powers on with a hum and she pulls her weapon up making ready to strike and she then takes one moment longer and she's charging into the fight now swinging with the melee weapon.
Shir	"Dammit," Shir assumes that those ghosts were either the souls of people who had been removed or the wraiths themselves. Either way she doesn't really have a way to restore them back to normal, so she's sticking trying to fight them off with her knives. "I don't suppose they're afraid of fire?" That would certainly make things easier.
Aren Cordelaine	"You can go through, but I have to maintain the barrier, you won't be able to come back... It is strange but I sense an unusual power in you. Maybe you can face them..." Breathing heavily, obviously suffering to maintain the barrier, one of the wolfmen moved behind him, helping him keep the arms back up. As they walk out, they'd find ... they're as fierce as they look! Savage creatures, but the Elites would find it possible to handle them.
Shir	"One way huh, well getting back isn't the part I'm worried about." Shir rushes through the barrier, they should have a hard time keeping up with her speed if anything else. She's not that afraid though, she's dealt with much worse and she's got Deelel with her.
Deelel	Deelel says "That's the plan." Deelel move quickly and would be an mystery to those who rely on more feral abilities like sents. She has none of her only only that of the enviorment she's most recenly been in. She moives in using the staff's powered ends to strikle the creatures.
Aren Cordelaine	And as they exited, the feral creatures would pounce wildly. Scent was one thing, but they could still see Deelel, and they would leap in, weapons swinging, and claws and teeth as well in the case of the wolven people. Despite landing a few strikes, soon they would find themselves falling, one by one. And yet, a few of them find themselves moving back instead. And they stop, and drop onto the their knees, looking down and gasping for air as they clutched their throats... and then, they turned it back. And the two would see what the wraiths are like. Three of them come out of their throats, a horrific blue roiling mass of energy. And what a feast they had eaten, for a number of blue orbs floated in their mass. The souls could be clearly seen right through their Ethereal bodies. But there was no time to ponder this, as soon they were upon them, letting out screeches. "You will not interrupt our feast!"
Shir	"I'm going to have to cut your dinner short." Shir slashes at him with laser knives in hand. She also shoots a flaming beam from her hand just in case energy weapons don't get the job done.
Deelel	Deelel does not bleed either when struck she's hurt clearly however but it's strange ther'es almost crack that form which seem ot bleed a pale blue light. Still there's more coming she halts for a moment and she looks at the things or a moment before it speaks. "Dinner's cancered." Is all Deelel has to say to them before she moves in hoping Shir will cover her, and it looks like Shir is with fire, that will do!
Aren Cordelaine	The Wraiths rear up, looking a bit... surprised. Like they did not expect their attacks to hurt. The otherworldly screeches they let out definitely let known their displeasure at the situation. But then, they swoop forward, swirling around in their huge forms, and sweeping down, towards the two, taking swirling slashes with their deep claws. The slashes themselves hurt, and they burned with the Ethereal energies that they were made of.
Shir	Shir cringes in pain with that, she doesn't do so well against the supernatural. Dodging physical attacks was one thing, dodging the paranormal was another. "Ah!" Still it was going to take more then that to bring her down. The wind in the area starts to form into a vaccum. She figures that the wraiths might have trouble moving in that.
Deelel	Deelel says nothing as she keeps moving trying to strike but one of the slahses does catch her riping thorugh her outfit, and cutting her. She ends up with a jagged wound for her touble and one can see almost interlocking glowing cubes withing the wound. "Get glitched." She brings her staff around for anotehr combo of heavy blows with it's powered end.
Aren Cordelaine	The Wraiths begin to screech, as the constant attacks cause their ethereal bodies to begin to split up, and dissipate. As the Wraiths disappeared, the souls would drift away, fading away... Hopefully to eternal rest. It was soon after this that the barrier behind them began to waver, and then fade, as the blonde man feel to his knees, gasping for air. He was pale as a ghost, and sweating heavily. Holding up the barrier clearly drained him quite heavily.
Shir	Shir breathes a sigh of relief as the wraiths seemingly vanish. She notices the barrier vanish and the blond man fall over. She dashes over to him quickly hope he's just exhausted. It would suck to go through all this trouble to have no one surivive. "Are you still with us?" She's not a doctor, but she's able to provide minor medical aid if needed.
Aren Cordelaine	Looking up blearily, he gave an awkward smile to the green-haired girl. "I'm fine, miss..." He gasps as he rests on his staff, looking behind him. Already, the people have started breaking into a run towards the southwest... "They must be, ah. Going to Darvi. It's the nearest town, they should be safe for now, unless it happens again." He would trudge over to one of the stones of the circle, which was just high enough to serve as a stool for the blonde mage.
Shir	Shir hopes the wraiths don't return especially with the shape he's in. If they return she might have to go hunt down the sources. "So do you have any idea what's up with the ghosts? Like where they came from and everything? Oh yeah, my name's Shir."
Aren Cordelaine	He can barely pull his head up, as he's clutching to his staff AND holding the staff. "I have no idea... Or the portals. I didn't open it, and if the Shadows find out I'll be in so much trouble... Dimensional travel is supposed to be banned, because things like those wraiths tend to come out.." He mutters. "But I didn't open it, I swear." He looks up at her. "I'm Aren Cordelaine. An apprentice mage from Pianda." He responds, as if that should mean something. "Shir... ah? Is that from Chail?" She didn't look like she was from Chail. Again, he says this like it was meant to mean something for her.
Shir	"Wait, those things can travel through portals?" Shir sounds a bit concerned, it would be bad if they got into the Multiverse at large. "Most people wouldn't willingly open something like that." If out of common sense if nothing else. "Never heard of anywhere called Pianda, though it does sound kind of like Piata. Which is where I'm originally from." She's pretty sure this isn't a version of Algol. "I'm never heard of anywhere called Chail."
Aren Cordelaine	He looks a bit confused and shakes his head. "I never heard of a place like that. I'm really sorry. But, I don't know anyone who knows such magic. It's like it happened on its own, like the dimensional veil ripped itself open somehow." He gasps a little, even as he forces himself onto his feet, and digs into his pocket, and pulls out two small sachets of powder. He opens his, and offers the other to Shir. As he opens his, she can smell the pungent smell of herbs. The powder certainly stunk, whatever it was it could probably raise the dead. Even so, he would immediately begin rubbing it into his skin and against his neck, and the scratches and wounds he received.
Shir	Did the multiverse tear on it's own or did someone here cause it? That just leaves Shir asking further questions. Even though she's not a scientist she knows that could lead to further problems. It couldn't hurt to ask though. She takes the powder and cringes a bit but rubs it on herself. "Thanks, so I'm guessing the Shadows are the people who run things here?" At least that what it sounded like to her.
Aren Cordelaine	"Oh, you're definitely not from here!" He says, eyes going wide. "The Shadows are the Emperor's Mages! They call the shots on magic research." He rubs the back of his neck. The ban on teleportation magic got him in quite a lot of trouble, as it were. "Er. Magic that deals with teleportation is banned as the Ethereal Plane is too dangerous to travel through. And the creatures in it are -extremely- dangerous. The wraiths are some of the smaller creatures I hear... I never tested that theory." He finishes sheepishly.
Shir	"Nope, not from around here. So, someone tried to teleport and released a bunch of soul-ripping ghosts?" Shir's glad she she doesn't have to worry about that but using her own teleportation here might not be a good idea. "Well, if they call the shots it seems like they would have free reign on deciding what magic get used." It wasn't too hard to put two and two together.
Aren Cordelaine	"Well... Yes. They don't restrict much research." Far as he knows. "But astral travel is kind of a big deal..." He looks towards the southwest, towards where he stated the nearest town was. Well, it certainly was a big deal in his world. "...And they're kind of scary."
Shir	"Well, the Union will likely want to look into this more. Maybe they can figure out what's going on here. I mean I can fight the ghosts and stuff, but I'm not a scientist or anything." Shir figures it couldn't hurt for other people to look into it. "Trying to explain all of this isn't going to be fun."
Aren Cordelaine	"Who are the Union?" Aren blinks a little. "Are they the ones you work for? I mean, that's really kind of you all to help.." He responded, awkwardly. "I don't really know what just happened, either, but this forest has had mages practice the forbidden magic before, maybe it has something to do with what happened now. But I didn't see, or sense, any other mages this time. It just happened!"
Shir	"Yeah, I guess you could say that. And it's in everyone's best interested not to have soul-stealing ghosts on the loose." Shir cringes a bit as she mentions that. "Could someone have opened the portal on the other side and not gone through it?" That would explain things somewhat.
Aren Cordelaine	Aren just shook his head. "Not that I can tell. It opened inside the circle, and I don't think there were any mages with me there. I think I'd notice. I hope so!" He explained, giving a bit of a sheepish smile. "But, uh. Do you guys help a lot of people? I've never really heard of the Union before."
Shir	"Yeah, the Union helps out a lot of people. I'm guessing this place just unifed since it's pretty hard not to have heard of the Union otherwise." Shir figures that's likely the case.
Aren Cordelaine	Of course, Aren has no clue what that means... "Unified? I don't know what you're talking about..." He complains, looking sheepish.
Shir	"Basically, your world is now connected to a bunch of other ones." Shir figures that's about the best way to explain it. "Which is part of why the Union would be concerned about a bunch of soul-stealing ghosts on the loose."
Aren Cordelaine	And Aren gives Shir a look like she just grew another head. "Other worlds? That sounds insane... But you did come from a portal." A pause. "And your hair is green." He never was the best in subtlety.
Shir	"There's pamphlets that can explain it a whole lot better than I can. It's been six years since I unified and there's a lot even I don't understand. And what's so strange about having green hair?" Shir lifts a few strands to show her roots and that's her natural color.
Aren Cordelaine	"I don't know... It doesn't really happen in our world. Certainly not for humans. Some Tr`Kaa have some pretty nice green feathers though!" Of course, he did just compare her to bipedal bird-like creatures. "Sorry..."
Shir	"It's fine, I've been compared to much worse." Shir waves it off and laughs a bit. "So where you heading somewhere or something? There's not much around here."
Aren Cordelaine	"Uhm... Well, Darvi is the closest town, it's a couple of hours that way..." He looks over to the northwest. "Grandeur's that way, it's a much nicer city, but it will take us the rest of the night to get there." He explains, awkwardly. "That's if you want a warm bed. Tell me more about this other worlds stuff while we go?"
Shir	"A warm bed sounds nice, and it'll likely won't take me the rest of the night to get there. Though I suppose I should hold back so you can keep up, plus you know where we're going. That and I don't think teleporting us there would be the best idea. You still with us, Deelel?" She hasn't heard much out of the other woman.
Deelel	Deelel has finished up her thing she looks to Aren for a moment and she smirks for a bit for a moment. "I'm not even a being of flesh and my hair's blueish." She offers Aren her hand and says "Deelel and yes I'm still with you."
Aren Cordelaine	"Not even a being of flesh..?" He looked over at Deelel. "Oh! Uhm. I'm Aren." He would shake her hand. "Sorry about that. You were rather quiet. It looks like there's a lot that's changed here, I don't know what's really going on. Miss Shir told me you're from different worlds? That's amazing..." If it's true. A bit of disbelief still creeps in Aren's mind.
Shir	Shir will let Deelel explain that one, "Shir's fine. I'm not big on formalities. Yeah, that's an understatement. Don't worry you'll get used to it." She does her best to reassure him.
Aren Cordelaine	And Aren would be looking oddly at one of the small bags of herbal powder that he used and gave to Shir, then offers one to Deelel as well.
Deelel	Deelel grins for a moment. "I get that a lot and good to meet you." her hand feels warm at the very least a she shakes his hands. "This is true, he's not lying. At least some of the basics of your world has a lot in conmmon like people being made of meat. Everything was alien to me and then some." Shge accept the powder figuring it can't hurt to try it.
Aren Cordelaine	"... Wow, I bet." He says, scratching the back of his neck. "Either way, it's kind of overwhelming. Rather hard to believe that you're actually not from Ramar. I don't mean to insult you! It's just, this is just so much to take in.."
Shir	"Yeah, I guess it's quite a bit to take in." Shir figures that some people might find a bit strange, but she's pretty easy going herself. Well, not everyone in the Multiverse in made of meat."
Deelel	Deelel says "I understand it's a lot to take in. Don't fret about it. If you want to time to thing that's perfectly fine, if you have quetions and such we can give you the means to contact what'ds beyond your world if you like."
Aren Cordelaine	"Well.." He looked around in confusion. "Just wondering what brought you here. I mean, I never met you before, and... uh. I don't think you were ever on Ramar before at all. So why come here? Do you just help people who need it?" He asks curiously.
Shir	"There was a distress call over the radio for help that mentioned ghosts and dimensional problems." Shir explains to him. "That's what we're doing here.
Aren Cordelaine	Aren looked at Shir in obvious confusion, but didn't ask anything more. He figured he was bothering them by now...
Deelel	Deelel says "IT's perfectly understandable. We got a report of there was trouble going on about ghost issues so we came to check it out. To see just what was going on and ifg there was anything we could do to help. We get this a lot so don't worry about any questions you might have."
Aren Cordelaine	"It's... Nothing. You just saved me and everyone else in there, the least I can do is not to bother you with too many questions." He replies, head a bit lowered to the ground. "So, uh... Which way should we go?" he asked, mostly of Shir.
Shir	"I thought we were going to Grandeu?" Shir doesn't know where it's located. She's not from around here after all.
Aren Cordelaine	Aren nods. "Right, Grandeur.. It's a bit further northwest, but we should be able to get there before dawn, if you prefer.." He said, nodding.
Aren Cordelaine	And, unless there is any complaint, they would arrive at the city of Grandeur. Built upon the shores of the Lake of the same name, the city was a capital of the region, and yet it had none of the bustle and huge building style of many capitals. Indeed, the place seemed to be built with harmony with nature in mind. Inside the outer wall, the city resembled more a beautiful garden than a city, even as they would see rows and rows of houses. A large Temple loomed over the rest of the city, stained glass reflecting off the lights of dawn. However, Aren's attention went towards the shores of the lake, and a smaller large building - the Inn.