[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

[OoC: I'm going to move this forward a little.  I'm going to assume that everyone complies with the officer's orders.  If you don't, feel free to post that you do something different.]

While [I assume] each of you slowly step out of the Smithy with your hands up, a handful of militia with various mechanical augmentations to mostly their arms but a few also to their legs and eyes, scurry out from behind cover from across the street with crossbows and firearms pointing in your direction.  Within moments you're surrounded and roughly handled while metal shackles are attached to your wrists and attached behind your backs.  The only exception is Kee, who is screamed at by several officers to get down on the ground.  When [if] he complies, an officer jumps on his back and shackles both his hands behind his back, then his feet together and then both his hand and feet are shackled together again in what resembles a hog-tying technique.  The officers ignore any request for charges except to repeat, "The Magistrate handles charges of High-Terrorism."

The officers motion to something above the Smithy.  A few moments later the rhythmic droning quickens as a dark shadow slowly creeps over the street.  Peering past the awning that covers the porch you spot a large airship that appears to have a large oval balloon attached to help it keep aloft.  Ropes and ladders are suddenly hurled over the edges of the craft and drop to the ground.  You are then individually attached to mechanical attachments at the end of these ropes that secure around your wrists and waist.  Suddenly your hoisted into the air and pulled toward the airship.  Before you're dragged on deck, each of you have a bag secured over your heads.  You're then dragged over the railing and secured with the other party members somewhere in the hold.  

[OoC2: I'm giving any of you a chance to respond or post an action before I continue.  Feel free to post your action or actions anywhere during my description of events.]

Ningalu does not come out of the smithy so easily. He hides as deep into the barrel of metal scraps as he can get his little body and remains as still and silent as possible, barely daring to breathe.

[Hide +17, Move silent +19]

[OoC for the sake of story flow I am assuming they find him anyway lol]

When dragged out of the smithy after being caught and thrown into a sack, hissing, kicking, fighting like a cornered rat. [OoC with Strength 8 LOL.. should I also assume that he cast Obscuring Mist during the frackas??] .. a small whimper is heard froom the sack at the mention of the words Hight-Terrorism.

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina's eyes widen at the harsh treatment and the bandying about of false accusations, but they widen even further at Betimi's outburst.  She is only barely restraining herself at this point and is sorely wishing for a free hand with which to unleash her new sword.

"Enough!  We give these...peoples no further chances at incriminating us further with their false accusations.  We will all be silent and still. Truth is on our side."  She then levels a withering glare at the one that is "only following orders," as if to say 'your time will come.'

[Nacesh]

Nacesh whispers to Selina before the bags fall,
"I wonder what's the definition of 'terrorism' on this land. Maybe we scared some badgers by stomping too loudly along the street."
then he falls silent as Selina proposed. Words, as it seems, would not help in this situation.

OOC - I can imagine something like Chris ate them badgers and maybe they were considered citizens. A massacre in their eyes, indeed.

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: there has only been 4 posts since last I posted on Oct 17th.  Have we lost Kee and Gilley? ]

[Kee]

Betimi cannot help burt speak her mind at the allegations of High-Terrorism [i](Thanks Naberius)[/i]... but she does not physically resist
"HIGH-TERRORISM??.. but we only just arrived in your city yester-eve, and we have done nothing but visit a tavern and an alchemist, with no violence of any sort. We were just visiting this fine smith.." She trails off seeing the extra harsh treatment of Kee, and begins to realize what must be going on. "You think us compatriots of this little man? We only just met him when he visited the smithy we were already dealing with. We do not know him."

Kee silently let they to bind him, because he has no chance of overcoming. He tries to save his "new friends" life:
- Yes. We just met a few minutes ago.

[GM Marvel]

[Reminder:  With bags over your heads you mostly only have your hearing to rely upon.]

After around 15 minutes all of you hear the low drone of the propellers slow down to a stop.  Multiple heavy footsteps approach the room you're being held in and then the sound of several locks and bars being removed from the door.  You hear several guards enter the room who roughly drag each or you to your feet(or carry Kee who is hog tied).  They attach you to each other with chains and then begin pushing you in the direction they wish you to go.  When a strong breeze blows against you you assume your being led out of the airship.  The ground benieth your feet sounds like metal and while walking Tomeal, Selina and Nacesh bump into some kind of railing when they stumble slightly off course.  After maybe 50' the wind disappears and with the slam of a door the sound the rumbling engines is cut in half.  You all are then led a little further and around a couple of corners until you're told to halt and wait.  A few moments later you feel yourself being lifted, then coming to a stop.  Now the sound around you changes.  Many tapping noises can be heard as you're led through another area and then told to stop.  Another door is closed and the tapping noises are cut in half.  Suddenly you're blinded as your hoods are pulled off your heads.

"Take a seat!"  One of the guards grunts.

After squinting a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the bright light, you all find yourselves in a large grandly decorated office.   

[See below in attached files]

After you all take or seat (or decide to stand) the guards move away but keep their weapons readied in case anyone attempts any escapes.  The binding that hogtie Kee are removed around his feet so he may also take a seat.  About 10 minutes later you all hear footsteps approaching from above.  Looking up at one of the railings that surround the outside of the room some 15' above the floor, you see an aged man holding a wine glass in one hand and a black cane in the other.  He has thinning shoulder length stark white hair and a short beard with mustache.  He wears a long black suit jacket with silver buttons equally spaced down each lapel and peaking out from beneath a black vest with sliver embroidery on the right side.  His skin is pale white except for a vertical sword-like tatoo that runs a few inches above and below his left eye.

"Ladies... Gentlemen... welcome," the man states in a deep gravelly voice.  "You have caused quite the stir with the authorities with your sudden arrival to my great city."  He pauses a moment to take a sip from his wine glass.  "Normally I would forgo formalities and just start doling out ReMakings as punishment but in your unique circumstances I will make an exception. My name is Magistrate Ilhelm.  I am the Law in the New Crobuzon.  What exactly are you doing in my city?"   Before one of you answer he holds up his hand and adds, "Be very careful how you answer.  New Crobuzon has serious punishments for outworlders."

[Selina Parcellus]

[Incoming Post...]

[GM Marvel]

[Grrrrrr for some reason the office pic changed.  I will update it again later.]

[Edit:  I updated the post.  for some reason every time I copied the address the picture kept coming up as that barn thingy.  So I had to save the pictures, resize then attach directly to the post.    ]

[Betimi]

[Reminder:  With bags over your heads you mostly only have your hearing to rely upon.]

[OoC did they cover /obscure/remove Betimi's jewelry on her left wrist/hand? if no then she will have some internal dialogue.]

[OoC symvbiont traits: Darkvision 60', Telepathy,  Int:5, Wis: 12]

It seems we have been endangered by our newest companion. I know.. i know..  new companions are continually bringing more danger.. but we cannot survive what is coming alone.. we must have allies...  I cannot see.. tell me where we are? are we up high? On one of their floating boats? or on top of their unnatural mountains?

After around 15 minutes all of you hear the low drone of the propellers slow down to a stop.  Multiple heavy footsteps approach the room you're being held in and then the sound of several locks and bars being removed from the door.  You hear several guards enter the room who roughly drag each or you to your feet(or carry Kee who is hog tied).  They attach you to each other with chains and then begin pushing you in the direction they wish you to go.  When a strong breeze blows against you you assume your being led out of the airship.  The ground benieth your feet sounds like metal and while walking Tomeal, Selina and Nacesh bump into some kind of railing when they stumble slightly off course.  After maybe 50' the wind disappears and with the slam of a door the sound the rumbling engines is cut in half.  You all are then led a little further and around a couple of corners until you're told to halt and wait.  A few moments later you feel yourself being lifted, then coming to a stop.  Now the sound around you changes.  Many tapping noises can be heard as you're led through another area and then told to stop.  Another door is closed and the tapping noises are cut in half.  Suddenly you're blinded as your hoods are pulled off your heads.

"Take a seat!"  One of the guards grunts.

After squinting a few moments for your eyes to adjust to the bright light, you all find yourselves in a large grandly decorated office.   

After you all take or seat (or decide to stand) the guards move away but keep their weapons readied in case anyone attempts any escapes.  The binding that hogtie Kee are removed around his feet so he may also take a seat.  About 10 minutes later you all hear footsteps approaching from above.  Looking up at one of the railings that surround the outside of the room some 15' above the floor, you see an aged man holding a wine glass in one hand and a black cane in the other.  He has thinning shoulder length stark white hair and a short beard with mustache.  He wears a long black suit jacket with silver buttons equally spaced down each lapel and peaking out from beneath a black vest with sliver embroidery on the right side.  His skin is pale white except for a vertical sword-like tatoo that runs a few inches above and below his left eye.

"Ladies... Gentlemen... welcome," the man states in a deep gravelly voice.  "You have caused quite the stir with the authorities with your sudden arrival to my great city."  He pauses a moment to take a sip from his wine glass.  "Normally I would forgo formalities and just start doling out ReMakings as punishment but in your unique circumstances I will make an exception. My name is Magistrate Ilhelm.  I am the Law in the New Crobuzon.  What exactly are you doing in my city?"   Before one of you answer he holds up his hand and adds, "Be very careful how you answer.  New Crobuzon has serious punishments for outworlders."

[OoC  **sob**  why me,  an invitation to speak.. with Naberius in the drivers seat...]

Frog-Betimi looks up at the imperious looking human.
"Be not alarmed, I am casting aside an illusion."

With that the frog-form melts away, revealing Betimi's natural form, with her pure white alabaster, smooth skin, long white hair, and large completely black alien eyes.

"Better? The guise was not meant to cause any affront. It was just meant to keep us from having disruption on our shopping excursion."
she continues
"We have no designs to cause disruption in your city. In truth our only goal is to get home safely, we arrived here by accident just last night. All we have done so far is seek food and shelter with one of your residents, who graciously accommodated us as we had something he wanted to trade, a trophy that had value to value for study."

"After our rest we have simply ventured into your city to seek resupply, to which purpose we visited the smithy where your agents found us."

"Your agents ire seems to have been focussed on this small man that we encountered at the smithy. He entered just minutes before your agents arrived. We had never seen or had any dealings with him before. We do not know him."

[Selina Parcellus]

((*sigh* nevermind, I guess the speaking part was already taken.))