[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[GM Marvel]

[OoC: Good point.]

The old woman says, "I will need a few minutes to collect some important things out of my hut, before we go.  I have some supplies if you want any.  Nothing fancy of course.  But I have some vegetable and fruit preserves and some baked goods that might be a nice change from rations.  Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have much to offer unless you need your socks darned."

Tomeal leans into Selina's shoulder and whispers, "As you know I just began learning the ways of the Paladin.  So I attempted to detect evil from the old woman and I sensed nothing.  Nor did I sense any evil from anyone else in the party.  I don't even detect evil in the area around us so it doesn't seem that the Torque is inherently evil, either."

[Selina Parcellus]

Selina leans back against Tomeal and nods, whispering back.  "Something can be not inherently Evil and still a horror.  Many beings throughout History have perpetrated terrible acts in the name of 'The Greater Good.'  The Torque may be such a case.  Stay close to me.  While it appears things have calmed somewhat, and we have met several helpful friends, I do not trust anything about this place and, truthfully, never have."  She then leans down to give the Dog a thorough scratch behind his ears.  It helped calm her before and still seems to work now.

[Crozar the Sunspot]

The old woman says, "I will need a few minutes to collect some important things out of my hut, before we go.  I have some supplies if you want any.  Nothing fancy of course.  But I have some vegetable and fruit preserves and some baked goods that might be a nice change from rations.  Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have much to offer unless you need your socks darned."

Crozar nods and says, "Can we help you prepare to leave in any way?  If not, we will just wait here for you.  I am not the most martial of the group, but I expect that our fighters will have some recommendations for you on where to be while the group is moving and what to do if we come across a threat.  If necessary, you may feel free to try to stay behind me.  I can provide decent cover and try to stay out of the thick of battle myself."

[GM Marvel]

Selina leans back against Tomeal and nods, whispering back.  "Something can be not inherently Evil and still a horror.  Many beings throughout History have perpetrated terrible acts in the name of 'The Greater Good.'  The Torque may be such a case.  Stay close to me.  While it appears things have calmed somewhat, and we have met several helpful friends, I do not trust anything about this place and, truthfully, never have."  She then leans down to give the Dog a thorough scratch behind his ears.  It helped calm her before and still seems to work now.

"That was kind of my point," Tomeal replies. "It's obviously terrifying but at the same time it's not evil.  And I expect as we move closer to the Sinking Ziggurat we'll find that whatever energy the old woman felt coming from the Ziggurat won't have a calming effect on Torque."

The old woman replies, "You can help if you wish.  I have nothing to hide."  She then enters her hut and begins searching for some food and whatever survived from when her hut was teleported to this spot, those so many years ago.

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Crozar will help the lady as best it can.

[Ningalu Baal'urki]

Ningalu will also assist, though as much out of curiousity about what she has in the hut as anything else.

[Selina Parcellus]

[[Just to give everyone fair warning, the holiday of Passover is about to begin. I will be in and out over the next week and may only post a few days during that time. I will return, though, after it ends.]]

[Crozar the Sunspot]

As Crozar is helping the old lady pack up her stuff, it will ask her, "I assume your tractor is a torque impact, or was it original a thaumaturgical construct that was then changed after you appeared here?  Additionally how much of your farm was moved with you?  The other people we have encountered here that were brought here in some way just brought themselves and the equipment they were carrying.  You are the first person we have met that brought their entire home with them."

[GM Marvel]

As Crozar is helping the old lady pack up her stuff, it will ask her, "I assume your tractor is a torque impact, or was it original a thaumaturgical construct that was then changed after you appeared here?  Additionally how much of your farm was moved with you?  The other people we have encountered here that were brought here in some way just brought themselves and the equipment they were carrying.  You are the first person we have met that brought their entire home with them."

The old woman leads Ning and Crozar into her old dilapidated hut.  Inside they find her residence appears to be quite lived in and there's a strong scent of something sweet boiling in a covered pot in the hearth.  "I'm sorry for the mess," she says with a chuckle. "I don't exactly entertain visitors very often, unless you count the Plough or Whiskers, over there."  She taps on an old bird cage that houses a rather large rat with piercings in it's ears.  It sniffs the air then continues sharpening its teeth on the wire bars.  "Whiskers is in a time out!  He got into some of my edible flowers I was making into a salad.  At least his droppings smell better!"  

"The plough came to life about a week after I arrived," She says to Crozar's question. "The Torque storm took about an acre and a half of my land.  Except for the damage around the perimeter, there was no real damage to the actual property.  It was like someone carefully scooped up my land and gently placed it in this mountain.  But I tell ya, the ride was anything but careful or gentle.  The storm spun me around so violently, my knickers were full by the time I landed.  My animals weren't to pleased, either!"

While she opens a cupboard and begins pulling some crude clay jars off the shelves to arrange them on a rickety old table, you both spot what you'd expect from an old woman's home.  There's lots of little Knick-knacks around the home with a couple of comfy chairs in front of a burning hearth with something boiling in a covered pot inside.  You believe that's where the sweet smell was coming from.  There's a bed in the corner with a little table beside it.  A wash tub leans against a wall and 3 buckets of water that was likely collected from the river.  She's finished arranging the pots and removes the lids so you can see various biscuits and cookies.  "I suppose these are the least perishable food I have right now.  I'll need to go down into the cold cellar to gather a few of my jams to go with them."  lifting up a rug, she exposes a door in the wooden floor.  With a groan she opens it and reveals a wooden staircase descending into the ground.  Cracking her back she grumbles, "I'll be right back."  She then hobbles down the stairs to retrieve her preserves.

[Stopping here for a moment to allow either of you to do or say something.]

[Crozar the Sunspot]

Out of curiosity, Crozar will glance at Ning and then lift the lid of the pot to see what sweet thing she is making.  The dietary habits of non-plants have always had a bit of disgusting fascination for the Cacaetae.