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Post by Licht on Aug 18, 2016 15:25:02 GMT -5
Inside the biodome of Indemni, the residents are safe from the storms that rage outside, though the clear walls offer them a view of the strange weather phenomena. The strangest one in recent memory was seen last night.
At some point after midnight, a glow lit up the clouds north of the city, and a burning object came piercing through them. A flaming star that the scientists among the residents quickly identified as a meteorite fell from the sky. The slight rumble of its impact was felt all the way to the city as the strange object landed somewhere in the salt flats of Beringer...
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 1:35:00 GMT -5
At some point later in that day, the local girl who often visits the city Sylica stops by, curiously with an unconscious man on her shoulder. One of the Selkie children meets her as she enters. "Hi miss! Is that another of the peoples you've captured?"
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 12:31:47 GMT -5
Sylica shakes her head and responds softly," no not this time young one. I found this poor man in the desert. Could you point me to the doctor, I don't exactly come here to sight see so I'm not too familiar where everything is."
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 13:19:38 GMT -5
The child looked panicked for a minute. "Um, um, um, but our best doctors Ziridel and Sieghl are out right now! There are the researchers but..." They are starting to draw a crowd of a few of the Selkies in the area. One of them suggests heat stroke and suggests placing the man in one of the pools of fresh water to cool him down.
Sylica realizes that helping this stranger will require someone with greater medical knowledge.
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 15:26:27 GMT -5
Sylica looked up at the mention of the word heatstroke,"I'm not certain, but its worth a try, do any of you have medical experience?" She asked while she walked over to one of the pools of water to set the man in. After setting him in she walked over to the Selkie child that greeted her,"I figure you should be rewarded for being so helpful huh? I did find something you may like the other day..." she said as she took her pack off and started rummaging through it, eventually bringing out a small metal board along with 10 metal tiles, five with X's and 5 with O's."Will this do as payment little one?"
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 16:13:16 GMT -5
As she is helping the man into the pool, she notices something strange. There is no wind inside the biodome, but the water in the pool begins to stir as if small waves were forming.
While she is giving the child the gift, and the Selkie child is hugging her in thanks, her investigation skills allow her to pick up one more detail. A whisper, barely heard. Another child speaking to their parent. "Mother, they need someone good with medicine, should we ask Vi-" The child is immediately shushed and pulled behind their parent.
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 16:31:22 GMT -5
After hearing this she goes up to the parent and child,"Vi? If there is someone who can help please tell me, I'd be willing to pay you for the tip. I promise that no one but me will know about this." She said concerned, still looking at the two. She notices the waves in the water and asks a nearby selkie about it."I know this is rather advanced stuff here, but why are there waves in the water even though there is no wind?"
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 16:49:56 GMT -5
From one of the Selkie nearby to the pool, the answer is much simpler. They explain that all the storms can sometimes cause tremors, something must have just disturbed the underground reservoir feeding into the pool. Though she admits that the behavior of the water is quite strange.
Getting an answer from the child or parent looks like it will be harder than she thought. The child is told to go back to their cottage and scampers off looking like they did something wrong. The parent looks frightened and stammers "No, I'm sorry, I can't...."
Several other Selkie walk away quickly, looking uncomfortable. The others look like they're not at all sure what to do.
Meanwhile, Sylica realizes that the man in the pool looks to be breathing harder now, like something is seriously wrong.
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 17:04:07 GMT -5
Sylica makes a note of the cottage's location and rushes over to the man, bringing him out of the water and examining him,"Damn it! What the hell is wrong with this guy!?" Saying frantically as she then looks over at the parent,"Listen I don't give a damn about what may happen, I can kill it before it kills anyone here whatever it is, but I NEED a doctor, NOW!" She yells as she continues checking for anything that may be wrong.
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 17:10:19 GMT -5
Sylica notices something bizarre as the man's eyelids flutter open while the body starts shaking. The eyes underneath seem to swirl with multiple changing shades of blue even though they are unfocused in his current state. Mayhaps he does have tech after all?
The parent has fled while other onlookers are pressing in, looking concerned and at a loss as to what to do.
"Why can't we get Vira?" asks a small voice beseechingly. The child who accepted the tic tac toe set is looking around at the adults, who stare with open mouths at the suggestion.
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 17:22:04 GMT -5
She notices this mans eyes and quickly thinks to herself,'strange...he doesn't have a core, but maybe he has some other tech in him, it would explain how he survived as long as he did.
She then looks at the child she gave the board to and runs up to her putting her hands on her shoulders,"little one, please take me to this Vira. I know its asking a lot but this man needs help, now." She looked at the child with pleading eyes."Please..." she says softly, her grip loosening on the child's shoulders.
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 17:30:25 GMT -5
The child's voice is drowned out by the loud objections of several of the Selkie, who seem to be in a panic over the situation. Finally a high, lilting voice breaks through the others.
"There is no need for that." A sudden shimmering causes what was once a tree near the pool of water to dissipate into nothingness.
Her skill at [nondetection] allows Sylica to realize this was someone hiding with an illusion or hologram or something.
A tall woman walks forward "I am Vira Viya."
As she stares at Sylica, she realizes there is something off about the woman. She's not human... and not one of the Selkie. Her eyes have a strange animal quality to them she can't place for a moment, and then it clicks. She looks like one of the Banshees, the twisted abominations that kill indiscriminately in the Wasteland!
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 17:43:22 GMT -5
Sylica stares at the banshee for a moment before drawing one of her revolvers,"If you can help save him, then you live, you hurt anyone here and your going to be eating a lot of lead." She said coldly as she sat next to the man, revolver still drawn,"Whats wrong with him, I can treat wounds but I have no idea whats wrong with him. He also doesn't appear to have a core but he has some type of tech in him to have survived as long as he did out there." She explained to the odd woman as she continued to examine the man.
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Post by Licht on Aug 19, 2016 17:54:09 GMT -5
The woman does not flinch at the weapon but smiles sadly as if she was expecting it. The Selkie however react angrily, and a few arm themselves with their crystals, ready to attack Sylica if she attacks.
"I am not what you think I am, but that does not matter. Kill me if you wish, it is better than whatever fate will befall me when you doubtless report to your superiors about me. I only ask that you do not involve these innocents that have sheltered me for so long." She makes a sweeping gesture towards the Selkie.
She kneels and begins examining the man in the cloak "I had already planned to help before you asked. I simply needed to make sure you would not attack me before I had the chance to help."
Vira begins to treat the man and as she removes the cloak pauses upon seeing a strange tattoo on his bare chest. "He seems to be in toxic shock. Despite what you say, he does not have something to help him survive the Wasteland."
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 19, 2016 19:38:00 GMT -5
She looks shocked at the selkie but then perks up and sighes at the revalation,"I think I get whats happening, sorry about that, but your kind have a very bad reputation. Never met one that didn't try to kill me." She chuckles at the last part and puts away the revolver.
"Honestly I could care less about what you are, if these people trust you, then so do I." She says with a toothy grin while patting the woman on the back.
Sylica then looks at the tattoo alongside Vira,"I know I saw a strange glow when his eyes opened briefly, honestly you know more about this than me. All I know is that I found him while following a trail leading away from a meteorite."
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 19, 2016 22:04:55 GMT -5
Sieghl shook shaggy, auburn hair out of his hood and pulled off his mask, gasping in the clean Indemni air. The pools and green, growing things did wonders for purifying the toxic atmosphere of the surrounding wastelands. He muttered to himself as he shook the dust from the storm off. "I found the crater, but there was nothing there. I was hoping for some kind of insight to what happened last night. It had to have been a falling star. It can't have just vanished though."
As he walked toward his quarters, he vaguely overheard a conversation between a few residents. However, the word "meteorite" caught his attention. There was a woman dressed as a vagabond speaking with... "Vira! I wasn't expecting you to be here today. What's going on?" Sieghl approached the two women talking and suddenly noticed the man half in one of the pools of water. "What's this about the meteorite?"
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Post by Licht on Aug 20, 2016 1:25:13 GMT -5
Vira smiled in welcome. "Sieghl! You may be just in time to help us out. We have a bit of a mystery."
Vira Viya arranged her floral skirts and sat cross legged in the grass. She placed the man's head in her lap allowing his body to rest in the pool. "I can try to assess what is wrong with my... talents." She hesitated to say the word magic around the woman she had just met.
She waved her hands over the man and sat them on the sides of his temples before closing her eyes.
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Sylica
Resident of the Realm
Posts: 22
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Post by Sylica on Aug 20, 2016 5:26:07 GMT -5
At the man's arrival she briefly looked up and waved,"hey there, you a friend of Vira's? Apparently everyone here except me was..." She said dejectedly looking towards the ground,"and here I thought everyone trusted their local friendly bounty hunter..." She looked over to the few selkies still watching with a sad look on her face.
Sylica tilted her head confused at the hesitation in her voice,"hey we're all pals here, I think, so if you wanna say something I won't tell a soul, it's the least I can do for threatening to murder you..." she said the last part sheepishly.
It was then she caught on to something Vira said earlier," I don't have superiors, those bastards in the citadel can kiss my sand covered ass for all I care. The only superiors I follow are the stars that guide me at night and the sun during the day. So if your worried about me reporting you for having some weird power, don't be, I could care less as long as you can help him and don't hurt these innocent people." She said proudly, pounding a fist against her cloaked chest.
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Post by Stonelark on Aug 20, 2016 20:08:15 GMT -5
Sieghl took in the interaction before him, quickly deducing the situation. Kneeling beside the man and Vira, he cast a wary eye at the woman who was in no way a resident of the biodome. "No offense is meant, ma'am, but you don't live here, so you can't possibly understand. I commend you for your, erm, enthusiasm, though." He was a bit uncomfortable at the woman's unusual friendliness.
He set his pack beside him and dug around for the standard issue med kit and scanner given to all researchers. He ran the scanner along the man's body and then sit it beside him. While the tech ran its diagnostic, he touched the man's forehead to check for fever, then pulled back his eyelids. "You said he was found near the crater of the meteorite? Could it be radiation?"
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Post by Licht on Aug 20, 2016 20:39:12 GMT -5
Sieghl's skill with [Geology] allows him to pick up something. The discarded cloak the traveler has beside him has traces of sediment. Highly unusual sediment at that. This probably merits a closer look. When Sieghl checks beneath the eyelids, he also notices the unusual phenomenon of the eyes underneath changing between various shades of blue.
Vira thanks Sylica for her kindness and thanks Sieghl for bringing out the medical equipment. "My healing is not doing much. He seems to have suffered massive amounts of exposure to the atmosphere here without protection, but I don't understand how. His body shows no signs of being out in the storms for long..."
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