Burned Offerings

[HisLordship]

"I would take you for what you are: powerful and ambitious persons who are not worthy of anything less any the best. You are corporate developers, your goal is to harness the natural resource base within this realm, assimilate new technologies into your own production base, and give your shareholders the maximum returns. These treasures are not pirate booty, from as near as I can tell. Having taken a careful look at said map - I have only seen snippets of it as the coordinator has shown it about - I did not have time to make out more than a few words, of which the Psychotopian word for 'treasure' is visible. What intrigues me about it is that, given the sentence's word order and the syntax used around it, treasure is too trite a term. There is a note of reverence.... perhaps the word relic would be more appropriate. In any event, this map is of immense value. The items shown on it beyond such a definition. Certainly valuable to your endeavours."

[thatanos]

*appears out of no where*.

Wow do you now how hard it is to get into this place? Mr. Rawlings
I am a new suit how do you do?

[Till Doyle]

Till looks at the new comer, narrowing his eyes, "Vhat iz ze meaning of zis. Who has allowed you to enter zis hanger bay. Only authorised personel are allowed in any of ze hanger bays. Zis does not include you. Zis, iz alzo a private meeting."

Glaringly, "Insolence vill have you demoted! Now begone!"

Looking back at the owl, Till can see that it is not all that it should be, "A relic you say? Zen, I hope ve have researchers studying ze native tongue. Laur, contact ze language department."

[Laur Doyle]

*Laur sneers at the newcomer, sensing without trying that this one has powers too. But Till had had his words, and Laur again slightly nods*

Certainly Till

*She said, tapping the wristband to set up a communications line between her and the language department. She moved a little away from the group so her conversation would not disturb them. A voice of the head of the language department answers*

Head: Yes, Miss Wilkins?

Laur: You are studying the languages spoken and written by the inhabitants here, correct?

Head: Yes Miss Wilkins

Laur: And what about the natives? These... Psychotopians? Are you studying their language as well?

Head: Yes Miss Wilkins

Laur: Have you made any progress?

Head: Well... actually... we haven't

Laur: Why not?

Head: This Psychotopian, it is a strange language. Hard to crack. These people are not lying when they say they are insane

Laur: Perhaps I should rephrase my question. Are you ever going to make any progress at all? Or do I have to threaten to fire you and leave you on this freakshow of a place?

Head: No, no need for that Miss Wilkins. We'll keep studying, we'll crack it

Laur: Good. Make sure you send regular reports, so we can keep an eye on your progress

*Laur then cuts the communication off, walking back to her place by Tills side she reports*

They are working on a translation but making little progress. I suggest you make use of the Owl's knowledge of the language for now

[Till Doyle]

((Thantanos, it vould have been nice if you introduced yourself to zis thread in a traditional role play fashion, rather than just appearing in ze hangar bay. Perhaps, roleplaying your entry to an interview of zorts? A minor suggestion... No?

Ah vell, onvards ve go))

Till looks at Laur as she reports back to him, "Very vell. You vill prove useful afterall. Ve vill be keeping a close eye on you. Vhat have you to offer apart from knowing such langauges. And vhat vould you require in return?"

Pausing, he rubs one of his pockets, before placing it back onto his cane, "Novone ever offers zere services vithout vanting zomezing in return... No?" He stares at the bird inquisitively.

[HisLordship]

*the Owl notes a slight hesitation in Till, a certain uneasiness about his presence*
"Relic is the approximate translation. Psytchotopian is an unusual language, spoken best by those who are incomprehensibly insane. A better translation would be 'Precious hidden sweet sticky I should have but will not.' Sweet sticky being an item of considerable worth; I can only divine so much without further inspection."
*observes Laur's curious conversation with her wrist*
"This translation is within the powers of reason; I shall become no Heracles in completing its trials. Far less legible or coherent Psychotopian poetry has been made comprehensible by my quill in the past, and this shall follow in turn.”
*notes the frosty tone of Till as he inquires about the Bird’s other talents*
"Other skills I possess? Your spy-machines have no doubt noticed I am notoriously difficult to observe clearly. It would be much more seemly to say, though, I would be notorious if I allowed such a rumour to escape the confines of my brain and loose such secrecy upon the Earth’s face."
"Am I not all too difficult to detect without my explicit desire for such detection? From whence do I originate in this ramshackle rot-farm of a place? Which places do I haunt and which do I shun? On what do I dine, and with what frequency are such culinary arrangements made? Do I rest with the easily swayed flocks of fools and morons that feign loyalty to this half-formed phantasm of a world? Nay, Bubo est homo per se. I am of my own creation and my own definition. No slave morality pollutes my decision making. I exist for the sole purpose of extending my unnatural life. I am well suited for spying, am I not? The most excellent spy is one who is not noticed, neither heard nor seen, no? I can assure you that it is most difficult to notice the sound of one whose down-tipped wings stifle sound with soft murderousness, and whose form is obscured by the ashen shadows of dark plumage against darker foliage. I only exist when I wish to. I am rumor. It is a blessed condition, believe me. To be whispered about at street corners. To live in the other people's dreams...but not to have to be. Do you understand?"
*turns head upside down, twisting the neck with a hideous cracking sound*
"You desire more, I suspect. What else can such a peculiar entity offer? Many things I can give, for many things I have done. Have you ever seen that part of an eclipse in which the sun's rays sear away the retina? Have you e'er drunk such liquor whose potency curdled thy ichors to madness, yet you have still sung with the wisdom of scholars under stars clear and pure as morning dew? Have you ever, while bound in envenomed vines, courted an imp enamoured with a lust for mammon and riches, and bribed her greed by vomiting up a ruby the size of a skull? Hast thou sold thy soul to her master, like Faust of yore, yet free’d thyself from indentured servitude and everlasting suffering through a quick wit and a ready intuition? Dost ye know of ways to wear a mask for every hour of the night, every night of the year, and still to thy own self be true? Hast thou seen a man be torn limb from limb in a heathen sacrifice, yet watch him scrub his blood from the sacrificial chamber’s walls in the same hour? Dost thou know’st of being beaten and pierced with a bludgeon of wood, cremated upon it, then spat rude words to thine aggressor after? Hast thou ever eaten a seed in which the fate of a world rests? Through my varied nights of being, I have done these things, and I swear to all of them truth in its highest form. I cannot die through the conventional means; I cannot suffer the worst of wounds for more than memory allows. I know more things of heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, and have dined, conversed with, and spoken of greatness with them. I am no mere visage of falsehood and wheedling. I am a seeker. I desire knowledge. I desire ascent. I desire order in this filthy world and see within your institution the means through which this unweeded garden shall be purged of things rank and gross in nature. You, powerful as Poseidon’s wrathful wave, fervent as Jihad against the basest of natures, and unstoppable as Judgement Day, will see this place made as it should be.”
*sees Till pats his pockets*
*unwinds neck*
"I seek no monies – I have no use for coinage or other tender. I seek only my own betterment and protection. Shield me from the full scream of the engines of your conquest, keep me from being consumed for fuel and raw labour, grant me a single request and I will be your perpetual servant. If I am to explore this place, then you shall have all within your grasp by the next quarter. Your earnings from this conquest will ensure exponential growth in all markets. Does this not appeal to you? Have some sense, and grant me these things. We will not regret it.”

[Till Doyle]

During HisLordShips speach, Till raises an eyebrow as he listens intently. He looks at Laur at one point, hoping to see the reaction on her face to this.

Once he'd finished, Till leaves a pause for a moment, before replying, "You are vone vith ze vords no. Monologuing vill get you silenced, or even cost you an advantage.

Monologuing iz a dangerous zing to do. Much of vhat you say, does not explain vhat I ask, but merely poses more questions. You ask me to trust you, and yet, give me no reason, other zan your vord.

I have met others, offering zere vords, zere promises, zere villingness to vork. Vhen all iz said and done, zey are just vords. No...? Vords mean nothing, action does. Vhy do zink ve have come so far?"

He 'strolls' towards the limp, "And, vhat I am, or am not az ze case may be iz for myself and no other to know. None who you have spoken to vould know such zings.

I vas not offering you monies, I vas making sure I had somezing, vhich I do not at zis time. It iz of no importance."

Taking a pause, as he glances at the map, he turns to face the owl once again, "However, since you are ze idea of zomezing, and ideas formed do vhat zey are zupposed to do, are a zomevhat vorthvhile cause. In zis case, I accpet your assistance. But be warned, cross uz, and, it iz not our vrath zat you vill have to vorry about, but vhat happens to you after."

He walks upto Micheal, and, looking intently, "Have ve found any of ze relics yet?"

[Laur Doyle]

*Laur stands and listens to the birds speech, enthralled by it and now knowing why she couldn't quite get a clear feeling. At the point where Till looks at her, she looks at him. For one thing he'd said rang true in her lifetime. And this time she lets Till see what she is thinking. A slight frown and raise of the eyebrow, and a little surprise shows clearly*

*After this she stands, waits and observes as usual. Her mask back up*

[thatanos]

((sorry about that I am never to good at entering RPs sorry if I offended anyone).

Ok I will leave.

[Micheal_Rawlings]

"Actually," Micheal starts,"I wasn't able to check out any of the locations marked before I fell under attack. But they seemed more interested in me, so I doubt they know of this...yet. However, from that run in you had with that being that dares call himself a god, I'd imagine that it wouldn't be too long before they are informed."

Micheal then walks over to a nearby service table. He clears it off, then opens up the map, using a couple of wrenches to hold it open.

"Well, Birdman, Think you can give us a clearer description of what exactly this thing is saying?"

[HisLordship]

“Monologue may endanger poor Hamlet for too much rumination, but the players of the part are forever secure of the choreography of a Great Playwright. I respect your fears of inaction, although I feel that words are powerful things that shape ideas and are thus of great potence. Yet have not my actions shown themselves? I risked the emptiness of trans-planar voids to enter the portal our coordinator created so that I could arrive here to have this meeting. Areas of high quantum uncertainty are the only real sources of harm sustainable in this form. To endanger oneself to accomplish a cause shows some determination towards that cause, does it not?”

*Gaze follows till as he strolls*

”I would not dare pry into the vaults of your heart and mind, your trolls are yours alone and not something that I ought to intrude upon. Also, I appologise for being so presumptuous for assuming that you were questing for coinage. Forgive me for making so base an assumption.”

*bows head to Till’s acceptance*

“I will not break the words I have spoken here, and will hold true to them. Your warning has not been taken lightly.”

*with a swift whick of motion, rests onto the table beside Rawlings*

“Coordinator, I shall reveal to you the instructions of the map in a few minutes.”

[Till Doyle]

Till begins to beep, as he pats one of his pockets, he finds a pager of sorts, or possibly a timer. As he presses a few buttons, it stops. After reading it, he places it back into his pocket and address Micheal Rawlings and HisLordShip,

"I muzt make apologies, but I am required elsevhere. I zhall not bore you vith details, az it appears you have everzing under control, pleaze contact me if I am needed for anyzing of utmost importance."

He walks up to Laur, and not whispering, but speaking in a slightly lowered voice, "I vill be in my office. I vould like you to zee ze progress on Project Stop in ze labs. Check progress, and enzure zat ze researchers are earning zere money."

With that, he turns and leaves the office, heading out of the door, and into one of the lifts. Entering it, he presses the button for his floor, and ascends.

((To keep zis thread clear of clutter, I am posting in a new thread in Corporate Headquaters))

[Laur Doyle]

*Laur makes a slight nod to Till just before he leaves after he's spoken to her, she too addresses Michael Rawlings and the Owl*

I too must apologise and leave you, Mr Rawlings and Bird of Many Words. I must keep a check on our research. I have my wristband, should you wish to contact me

*Laur swiftly and respectfully turns on her heel and makes her way out of the hangar bay, through a door this time rather than the lift Till took. She walks a little way through the corridors and takes a lift down into the bowels of Corporate HQ*

[Micheal_Rawlings]

Micheal watched the other two exit the hanger, then turned his focus back to Owl.

"Whenever you're ready," Rawlings said to the bird.

[HisLordship]

"Forgive me, coordinator. These verb tenses are quite peculiar, given the syntax."
*looks closer*
*begins to read, slowly*
"Hidden I have five treasures among this Dojo. This map make I, two copies of its top this message contains. I fear the power of one holding all five instruments of war; this map I tore asunder, bisected, with one piece hidden and the other in my care. This piece you have unearthed. So sayeth the Sensei."
*looks up to Mr. Rawlings*
"It seems that Psychotopia's Illustrious Ruler was has taken great pains to prevent an individual from acquiring these treasures. Instruments of war, eh? Powerful weapons, no doubt."
*turns back to map to continue to read*
"These relics, left for the Warriors Worthiest to find:

Crystalline staff: The Frozen Ice-Wastes reflects this; whosoever wields this can freeze the river of time around one whom thou’rt against, rending for captivity in ease.

Dagger of Ruby: Command this Southern Relic’s blade and fire is your servant

Onyx Longsword: Sightless passage and movement through Shadow-Planes the Black Forest’s war-instrument grants

Emerald Bow: Sure-sighted marksmanship and the understanding of all greenery’s silent voice Evergreen Glade-treasure brings

Diamond of Dojo’s Heart: To hear thoughts, move mass, and see unhappened things this relic brings to thee.

These treasure relics are secured well as their value dictates; if thou’rt worthy then they are slaves ever-willing.”

*stops reading*
“The rest is a map showing general whereabouts for these items. I can write a translated version for you in little time.”
*a stoic face hides a gleeful inner countenance, to see what Mr. Rawlings response is*