A River In Egypt, Part One

HollyhockGod: So, would you like to begin story number three tonight?

HollyhockGod: I have it all ready.

ViktorWalters: Sure!

Razzen: I'm game.

TheAntiPiro: Why not.

Edith: Okay

Razzen: Though now I'm wishing I hadn't taken so long to clean the kitchen. :P

HollyhockGod: It's a pity I used the sandbox title last time, since this one will have much more sand.

Edith: How come?

TheAntiPiro: I'm wondering if I should bust open my tequila yet or not.

HollyhockGod: Alan, I think it's time you explained to your Siblings exactly what you had to promise Ancagallon.

Razzen: Because I'd have been here sooner, or was that question not for me?

HollyhockGod: So, yes, you'll need the tequila.

HollyhockGod: I think she means, why sand?

TheAntiPiro: I meant tequila IRL.

TheAntiPiro: Got a nice big bottle waiting.

HollyhockGod: I did, too.

HollyhockGod: But explain first.

ViktorWalters: Viktor must scurry! Flee!

Edith: Eh?

HollyhockGod: Because he's going to be savaged by a dragon.

Alan: Well it hasn't taken too much effort for Alan to puzzle out who killed what on their most excellent adventures.

Razzen: afk for a sec

Alan: So when is this taking place? Like later that same 'day' or further along?

HollyhockGod: Probably later that day.

HollyhockGod: You're on a time limit.

Alan: Alan is considering being 'absent' when Ancagallon shows up.

Alan: Leaving everyone else to deal with it.

Edith: In that case I'm still fretting over if I got the answer wrong.

ViktorWalters: Whimper?

ViktorWalters: Viktor is blissfully unaware of his upcoming doom.

ViktorWalters: Huzzah.

TheAntiPiro: Oh shit yes, they're gonna be showing Astroboy on cartoon nights.

* TheAntiPiro ass lasers BFP.

HollyhockGod: Carry on with the explanation/grilling please.

Alan: Where's Viktor at this time?

Edith: "I think I answered right, because everything I touch turns to duct tape and gum."

HollyhockGod: The answer to Raemiel's question?

Razzen: back

HollyhockGod: You'll probably need to confront him in his lair somewhere, with all the others, but there's not much point in blaming him.

HollyhockGod: When the Ymera says "Bring me the heart of Mt. St. Helens!", you can't blame him for doing it.

Alan: (Tsk tsk, when will you learn blaming is so second rate?)

ViktorWalters: Viktor headed back to his lair in Bleak House. He assumes if anyone has anything interesting they've discovered, it'll come to him eventually.

Laurelynne: Did you understand the point of our Lord's question, Edith?

ViktorWalters: Immortality makes waiting not that big of a deal.

Alan: Alan will probably grab a cup of coffee and make his way to Bleak House then.

Alan: He's also glad that the newly aquired statue won't be in the Halls of Fate staring at him each time he passes by.

ViktorWalters: Viktor is en route, actually, it's not like he's dashing there.

HollyhockGod: Or we could just jump through this and get to the point.

HollyhockGod: I need you guys in Egypt before the sun rises so stuff can start happening.

Alan: Getting to the point is fine. I'm sure Alan will run into Viktor on the way there then.

HollyhockGod: The point is: Alan promised Ancagallon the treasure from the undiscovered tomb of the pharaoh Kas-en-ephet.

Alan: Not that Alan is pinning the blame on anyone in particular.

Alan: Infact he'll just happily mention this and say he was just on his way to go uncover it.

Laurelynne: If it's undiscovered, how do you know there's any treasure?

HollyhockGod: Only that Ancagallon seems to think it exists, and really wants it.

Alan: I'm pretty sure I was going to write it into the loom and basically create it.

HollyhockGod: Also, it could be known from records of some kind that such a pharoah existed, and that he was presumably buried.

Alan: Something to that effect.

HollyhockGod: I don't know that that would satisfy Greed.

Alan: Or create the instance of its discovery.

HollyhockGod: He seems to want something specific.

HollyhockGod: You could start with some divinations for that.

Laurelynne: The treasure should be something metaphorical, like the meaning of life.

HollyhockGod: 'FRIENDS are the meaning of life!"

Alan: Divining what a Power wants?

HollyhockGod: No, where the treasure is… what the hell was that?

TheAntiPiro: What the hell was what?

Razzen: Something happen?

HollyhockGod: Idiot sister tripped over the dishwasher in the dark.

HollyhockGod: No damage.

Alan: Probably going to take a major divination to specifically locate the tomb of Kas-en-ephet huh.

Alan: And I'm glad the dishwasher is ok.

HollyhockGod: You can certainly try that. It should at least tell you something.

HollyhockGod: It's a tough old dishwasher.

Razzen: You mean his sister?

TheAntiPiro: Who cares about his sister?

Razzen: You did say the dishwasher.

HollyhockGod: No, she's a waitress.

Razzen: Oh right, you're the dishwasher, I forgot.

HollyhockGod: Okay, you spend one DMP, and command Fortune to tell you the location of the tomb.

Alan: That I do.

HollyhockGod: It can't do it. There's some kind of miraculous interference.

HollyhockGod: But!

HollyhockGod: Fortune does tell you something useful: that the tomb has a good chance of being uncovered in the next five days.

HollyhockGod: Depending on what you do, the place could be discovered and the seals breached.

Alan: I wonder if Viktor is up for a trip.

HollyhockGod: That's about all you can find out at this time, though.

Alan: As a matter of fact I should probably go ask him.

ViktorWalters: Indeed. Just pray to him and he'll get out of Bleak House to meet you wherever, I guess?

ViktorWalters: or walk there. The mortals tend to be in the way in their own way.

HollyhockGod: You may as well drag everybody along.

Alan: Why bother?

HollyhockGod: If you have to walk through the desert, why shouldn't they?

Alan: Because they don't want to see where I bury Vi- erm.

Alan: Nevermind.

HollyhockGod: Also you may run out of food and need to eat Edith.

ViktorWalters: Edith seems too scrawny.

Alan: I wonder if I can hire chancel folk to dig up stuff again.

Alan: They seem good at it.

ViktorWalters: I'd go for Panzeh's character.

Razzen: Lucky for Laurelynne she's not edible.

Edith: Can't we eat her anchors?

ViktorWalters: He seems to be the emergency food supply.

Razzen: Oh, well there is that.

Edith: Everybody wins!

HollyhockGod: Fortune didn't seem to indicate that you would be digging up the tomb yourself.

Alan: I actually planned for Viktor to convince an archaelogy group that all other possible sites except ours would be boring to go look at…

HollyhockGod: Rather, that it would happen due to someone else depending on how things go.

HollyhockGod: Except that you don't know where the site is

ViktorWalters: a mixture of lucky boredom?

Alan: Indeed I don't.

HollyhockGod: So you may as well visit Egypt and let the divination lead you where it will.

ViktorWalters: Make everything boring and with a dose of luck the only un-boring site it the one we're looking for?

Alan: It seems overly rude to ask the others to come along though, given they just got back from trips of their own.

Razzen: Have we been informed yet of any of this?

ViktorWalters: Viktor has yet to be. Perhaps we should just get to that.

* Rand has joined #forum-nobilis.

Rand: That was strange.

Rand: Sudden disconnect.

* HollyhockGod has signed off IRC (Nick collision from services.).

Razzen: I can empathize.

* Rand is now known as HollyhockGod.

ViktorWalters: Ayn?

* Mode change "+o HollyhockGod" for channel #forum-nobilis by ChanServ.

Razzen: Hahaha

HollyhockGod: No, Rand. Which is my name.

HollyhockGod: What were we saying?

Alan: Ok, so Alan is going to run into Viktor right?

Razzen: Just getting everyone squared away on this whole Ancagallon and Egypt business.

HollyhockGod: Let's just run into everybody.

ViktorWalters: That works

ViktorWalters: a 4 way collision

Alan: Indeed.

ViktorWalters: So we collide?

Alan: So then, can I get a quick guage of whether the others look disgruntled, neutral, irrationally exhuberant?

HollyhockGod: Have you told them about the dragon yet?

* Edith raises hand for disgruntled

Alan: Of course not.

HollyhockGod: Let's pretend that you did.

* ViktorWalters raises his hand for neutral.

ViktorWalters: wait, Dragon-wise?

Laurelynne: I'm a ghost, I always look disgruntled.

Alan: I'll just mention how he claimed we sleighted him in some way.

Alan: So he desires this tomb to placate him.

ViktorWalters: what level of aspect miracle does it take to realize what I did?

Laurelynne: "And you agreed to it?"

Alan: "Of course. I didn't feel like fighting with him at the time."

Laurelynne: "Discretion aside, I'm sure you know how Greed operates."

Alan: No mention of the screw-job he recieved from his 'deal' with Greed. "Yes I do, which is why I'll need you all to lend me a hand in this."

ViktorWalters: "Ah, there's where we differ. Only just recently did I meet a mighty ferocious dragon, and fighting with it was simple enough. Boring, really."

Alan: Alan clears his throat a little, then spits aside. Perhaps someone's dog will come clean it up.

Laurelynne: "fitting, since it was only a mortal."

ViktorWalters: "It was a bugger to wrench out its heart, though. Anyway, what is this task you were talking about, Alan?"

ViktorWalters: "How could we help you in finding a tomb?"

Alan: "Well, that's where I'm not too sure." Alan is starting to warm up to the idea of leaving Viktor to deal with Ancagallon in a few days. "It mostly has to do with just following my nose through Egypt."

Alan: "I'm fairly certain our combined talents could easily find this tomb. What we do from that point forward I will know when we get there."

Alan: In other words, Alan hasn't got a clue, and is getting into debt about as fast as his home nation.

Laurelynne: "I think this is a mistake, not only because of the nature of Greed but because he has no place to complain against Lord Raemiel."

ViktorWalters: "Indeed. It would be a concession of weakness and obeisance to just acquiesce with Ancagallon's obviously unreasonable demands. We must consider our reputation, among other things."

Edith: "And even if his grief was valid, going out of his way to demand a pharaonic tomb is a bit extreme."

Alan: "I absolutely agree this is somewhat absurd, but he did disclose to me the nature of the wrong committed unto him. Whether directly or indirectly, someone that can be associated with us apparently destroyed one of his rather irreplaceable servants and ruined a highly important place of worship to him."

Laurelynne: "Hmm, when you put it in terms of grief, I can understand his demand to a degree."

Alan: "He did not inform me of what it was specifically… so perhaps he is lying to me after all about the whole affair."

HollyhockGod: Do you actually have a reason to be pointlessly cagey?

Laurelynne: "His sorrow does not belong to me, so I cannot tell if it is true."

* ViktorWalters begins to start his gears turning. Those with good eyes will perhaps seem him blanch.

* Edith takes a beat

Edith: "I'll get my coat."

ViktorWalters: (Roleplaying, man, Roleplaying)

Alan: (Of course I do. This helps shift the blame for this turn of events to Viktor and mitigates my role in all of it, allowing him to have to pick up the tab.)

HollyhockGod: So, what do each of you think you ought to do to solve this problem?

Laurelynne: "Nevertheless, this might provide occasion for us to make him feel sorrow, if we handle it right."

Alan: "Excellent, excellent." Alan seems rather pleased overall.

ViktorWalters: "A…actually, I think Ancagallon was of the more discerning sort. Perhaps we should appease him as Alan arranged. You know, to be good neighbours and all that."

Laurelynne: "We'll give him all that he wants and more, more than he could have bargained for."

Laurelynne: "Egyptian treasures and tombs always have curses, do they not?"

ViktorWalters: "What do we lose to help a Power in need in stressful times like this? It always goes to the greater good, yes?"

Alan: "Nothing at all. And my dear Laurelynne, I would imagine many a sorrowful soul still remain from the building of such a tomb…"

Laurelynne: "We should hope as much."

ViktorWalters: (Hey, Alan, why don't you kiss me? I like to be kissed before I'm screwed)

ViktorWalters: (royally or otherwise)

Alan: (It's but a test! Will Alan sell you out? Should you come clean? Will Alan be content to not tell the truth and simply placate Ancagallon? The drama!)

HollyhockGod: (I don't see how anyone can blame you for following orders.)

Laurelynne: Can I attempt to divine particular sorrow/grief associated with this tomb?

ViktorWalters: "Well, shall I get to the task of arranging our travel to Egypt then? I'll go find a map or something in the Chancel library that might be of aid."

HollyhockGod: Yes. There's a powerful grief and sense of loss associated with the title Kas-en-ephet, but exactly what has been obscured.

HollyhockGod: It's like the details don't exist anymore.

Laurelynne: -1 SMP then. And that is rather odd. Another Akenaten maybe?

Alan: "That would save me some time, thank you."

Edith: New story, new preservation, 1 RMP

Laurelynne: Oh, and before we head out I'd better return Dr. Lucy to her home.

HollyhockGod: All right, she can probably find her own way out.

ViktorWalters: Viktor will go to the chancel to do just what he said, should no one have anything further to say to him.

Alan: Is Laurelynne going to share that she can't divine specifics?

HollyhockGod: No doubt she's had to wander home on her own before.

Laurelynne: Maybe.

Laurelynne: I think I shall wear Kevin Logan for today's journey.

ViktorWalters: chancel library*

Laurelynne: "There seems to be a powerful but undefined sense of grief and loss surrounding Kas-en-ephet, but the details have been stripped away."

HollyhockGod: So, what preparations will you make to visit Egypt?

HollyhockGod: Keep in mind you have a relatively short window of opportunity.

Laurelynne: As long as Rite of Holy Fire is still active I'm set, just need to jump into my next Anchor and teleport from there to wherever we want to meet in Egypt.

Laurelynne: (And it should be, it lasts for like six months.)

ViktorWalters: a quick stash of relevant maps I suppose, if it takes way too long to find anything about the tomb. The problem with finding out boring stuff is it takes so long.

HollyhockGod: They'll probably take the water route.

HollyhockGod: To some Egyptian city. Luxor, I think.

Laurelynne: Fortunate that Karnak is on the Nile River then.

Edith: We probably have the spending power right now to get what we need in Egypt as we need it

Alan: Alan will appropriate some simplistic desert travel clothes in the form of robes, with the gears in his head grinding.

Alan: Edith: I would hope so.

HollyhockGod: True. I should mention that in this world Egypt is still under the control of the West, in the form of the UN.

HollyhockGod: Lots of tombs remain undiscovered, and the country is being slowly pillaged away into nothingness.

HollyhockGod: It's about like it was in our world around 1900.

Razzen: The good ol' days.

OShuva: I'm going to feel awful about this, aren't I?

OShuva: Looting really goes against the grain.

Alan: Alan has also hit upon the realization that Greed might simply have not wanted to deal with whatever is in the tomb as this point, and is trying to decide what to do.

Razzen: I think it's an obligation, Shuva.

OShuva: Oh well.

Edith: I'm okay with looting.

HollyhockGod: So, off through the waterways and into the Nile?

Alan: Make it so, Gungadin!

ViktorWalters: Make it… aw, damn

Alan: Haha.

Edith: After craming appropriate things in the bag, yeah.

Laurelynne: What was my least-favorite former IRA thug up to when I jumped into his head, anyway?

HollyhockGod: He's trying to teach himself the guitar.

HollyhockGod: To your finely-trained ears, a cacophony.

Laurelynne: Of that I am certain.

Laurelynne: I discard the worthless instrument and drag him off through the looking-glass to Egypt.

Edith: Wish I could do that.

HollyhockGod: So, you all enter the boat (pity is isn't a dahabeeyah) and take the waterway that leads into the Nile.

HollyhockGod: Probably simpler to go all at once from the Chancel than to look for a clean mirror in Luxor.

Laurelynne: Always ruining my fun with your logic.

Alan: You're one to talk.

HollyhockGod: In any case, it's a quick trip through the Chancel portals, which clang shut behind you as Galatea begins to keep track of them.

ViktorWalters: (How long will this session take, or when do we plan to stop?)

HollyhockGod: I'm going to quit quite soon.

HollyhockGod: As you step off the boat in Luxor, you realize that you were wise to come when you did.

HollyhockGod: Storms are forming along the Nile, and to the north you can see clouds over the Mediterranean.

HollyhockGod: If you had a satellite view, you'd be able to see Egypt being surrounded by a perfect circle of hurricane-force storms.

HollyhockGod: And with that, I'll close for the night.

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