[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Sorry for the delay.  Thanks to a mistake by my work, my weekend was a partial disaster.     But I digress.]

You yell to the old woman.  She's so focused on shooing away the birds that in her surprise she nearly collapses to the ground.

"Oh my word," she exclaims!  "I think I soiled me knickers!  Who the hell are you?  How'd you get here?"

The birds fly into the huge bushes on the outskirts of the farm.

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar bows to the old woman and upon straightening says, "My apologies madam.  I did not mean to surprise you.  Most people see me coming regardless of what they are doing.  My companions and I have been exploring and stumbled upon the magnificent cavern.  Have you lived here long?"

[GM Marvel]

"What year is it?" She says while moaning to get to her feet. "Oh, my.  These damn old bones.  My knots, have knots," she chuckles while slowly rubbing her neck and shoulders. 

[Assuming the year is given] 

She pauses a good long time and then in a tone where she can scarcely believe it herself, she says quietly, "It... it must be almost 40 years.  Has it really been that long?"  The old woman wipes the tears from her eyes with her dirty apron.  She takes a few moments to try to deal with how much time has passed, then says, "Who in their right minds would want to explore the Torque.  Even on the edges of the Stain, where we are, it can be terribly dangerous.  If it weren't for the sinking ziggurat, my body and thoughts would have drifted away to join the Torque chaos ages ago."

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar provides the year when asked. [[OOC: How many years ago was the Stain recognized?  40 years would put her having been here like right after the Stain appeared, right?  Is the shining ziggurat something Crozar would know from Bas-lag religions?]]

[Selina Parcellus]

If the conversation is held in Ragamoll, Selina will listen as best as she can, but not participate because her Ragamoll is (in her own mind) dreadful.

If the conversation is in Common, however, Selina will tilt her head in thought and take part in it.  "We are very much strangers to this place.  My companions and I came from another plane altogether, met this dwarf, who travels with us for the same reason, then met Crozar here after disposing of some, *ahem*, wolves that had been harassing him.  We were told that the same energy that brought us to this plane could potentially be found here.  We thought perhaps it could send us back."  And if this 'ziggurat' was so strong as to ward off the Torque, perhaps it can.

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Simon will be translating for anyone who has difficulty understanding or speaking Ragamoll.  Selina, have you put 1 skill point into Ragmoll yet?  If you have then you can understand and speak it.  Ragamoll is close enough to common where you can understand about half of the conversation.  That's why it only requires 1 skill point instead of 2pts.]

[OoC2: Crozar, she called it the Sinking Ziggurat, not the Shining Ziggurat.  ]

[OoC3: When Crozar and Simon were talking about The Torque (Cacotopic Stain) you would have likely learned this particular Torque area was formed about 500 years ago.  There are two other Stains, one of which is 1000 years old!  ]

"I don't know exactly why the Ziggurat is able to counter the worst of the chaotic effects of the Stain, or who built it.  I've only seen it a few times, myself.  But you can literally feel the energy radiating from the structure before ever laying eyes on it."

When Selina mentions being from another plane her eyes widen further.  "From another plane?  Is it possible the Stain is reaching out into the chaos to draw other worlds here?  My home was caught in a Torque storm and before I knew it my entire farm was deposited in this cave.  I'm not even sure where I am but it's obvious I'm on the outskirts of the stain."  Suddenly there's a noise from behind the hut.  It sounds like the grinding of metal on metal.  Something large and rusty leaps out from behinding the hut.  All of you recognize it as a triple bladed plow.  All the blades rise up menacingly when suddenly a loud thud from a sturdy broom seems to knock some sense into it.  

"Bad!  Bad, Cul!  Bad!" the old woman scolds.  "These are friendly visitors not those other beasties.  Now you apologize!"  The animated plow shrinks away from the scolding blows.  Then it seems to kneel slightly apologetically.  The woman rolls her eyes and smiles.  "Don't you hate it when your farm equipment gets protective?"

[Crozar the Sunspot]

"That is why I have been investigating Torque effects.  I am an Elementarii and believe that the Torque may be reaching the level of Elemental expressions that we see from other planes, including projecting itself into other planes directly," Crozar says trying not to recoil from the thought of what that plow could do to his pulpy skin and wood-like bones.  "Where is the Sinking Ziggurat from here?  We haven't come across anything like that in our explorations."

[[OOC: Did she respond to Selina in Common, or like she understood common and responded in Ragamoll, or is assumed that Crozar or Ning translated for her?  I don't have any objection to translating, just getting a scope on how high on the unusual scale this old lady is.  She is already rating pretty high.]]

[GM Marvel]

[OoC:  Simon has been Translating. ]

The old woman points in the general direction Simon had pointed to when describing the direction the strange energy reading were coming from.

[Crozar the Sunspot]

"Thank you," Crozar says with a smile, "This is indeed a wonderous cavern.  Do you know anything of the great wooden giant?  It seemed quite friendly to us."

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

"You have made this your home for 40 years, but if you wish to accompany us to perhaps find your way out, would you like to?"