Gravestones and Smokestacks RP thread

[Nigel Wetherby]

Aven caught sight of a looming figure who smelt of axle grease and iron.   He knew the smell well, and recalled his days at university, learning about metals of all forms. He approached the metallically-armed man and cleared his throat.
"Bongiorno!" He said in an attempt at an Italian accent which actually seemed a bit poor. "<Do you know where i might find the head preist? I wish to talk to him about these 'sea angels' they celebrate here.>"

The man looked at him with a look of confusion.

"Oh, very sorry. My Italian is a bit rusty, do you speak english, sir? My name is Aven Eisenhartz, very nice to meet you."
He gave a gentleman's bow.

[Lothar Erfinder]

"The pleasure is mine, sir." Replied Otto. Whoever this man was, he wasn't a local, judging by his mangled Italian. Otto offered his hand with a small bow, and was somewhat surprised when the other man shook it. "The priest, if I understood your question, was in his office not twenty minutes ago. I could introduce you, if you like. The locals are not unfriendly, but perhaps I can get you what you need somewhat quicker; I only just helped the priest with his bells, and he's somewhat favourably inclined to me at the moment."

He gestured up the steps at the Carved wooden doors. "Shall we?"

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Thank you good sir!" Aven said gratefully. He opened the heavy oak doors with some effort, and within was a meager chapel, it seemed all the funding had been spent on the doors of the church. Aven could not help but feel like the door and entrance were odd things to pour funding into. Aven could see a massive bolt propped up against the door.
An old man held in his hands, a grail made from a strange, white metal decorated with tendrils that looked as if they were made from glass.
incense burned, filling the air with spice as wooden carved sea angels looked down at them from rafters, smiling fondly.

"Excuse me, Padre?" Aven raised his hand, but the preist seemed to ignore him. "Sir?" The old preist sipped deeply from the goblet. Aven craned his neck to observe the contents.
Within the ornate goblet was a glass of spiced mead.

"Do forgive my rudeness." The preist chuckled, wiping froth from his withered lips. "But I was partaking in a bit of festivities myself. Care for a sip?" He offered Aven the goblet, he shook his head.

"Very well, to each their own path then. How Might i help you, my son? You are not from around here, I know this much, I have shown every man, woman and child here the blessings of the sea, and I have never once held you to the waves."

Aven tried to ignore the oddly worded statement. "Sir, we observed that shrine you had by the sea, and I was wondering just what it symbolized."

The preist smiled knowingly. "Ahhhh, you do not celebrate the day of angels outside fo you? How silly of me. Well you see, many, many many many years ago, when Sparta and Athens barked like dogs,  a woman gathered up all the children deemed to sick, lame, or deformed to be spartan children and crossed the sea with her husband,
"Now the woman was kind, but foolish. So she and  her husband found a small, fertile land, and built their home, unaware of the terrors that slept there. You see, before she landed upon the island, heathens worshipped a dark god of the sea and all which died upon it.  The woman and her children all prayed silently, asking poseidon for protection from all of the seas cruelty."

"The mention of the cruel seas angered the old god, who rose from his depths, and snatched up the woman's husband, snapping his body in twain like a sheet of cloth between shears. As his body fell into the sea, the woman prayed and prayed. and where the blood of her love hit the black waves, the sea turned clear and blue. And from that clearness arose the first sea angels. They rose up upon waves and struck at the old god, forcing it to the bottom of the sea."

"It is because of this, that we, the great great grandchildren of those grecian children pay tribute to those who saved us and our island from being poisoned by the old god's cruelty."

[Lothar Erfinder]

     Otto stood a little back as his companion talked to the priest. The church was brighter than when he'd been in last, with more candles on ledges and stuffed into candelabras, and the extra light threw some of the artwork into  greater relief. A piece over the doorway caught his eye in particular, a tableau that at first glance seemed nothing more than waves in the foreground with the town rising from the shore behind. But as he looked closer, he could make out strange shapes in the water, things that looked like the fish you found in your nets sometimes, if you'd been fishing in deep water; fish you didn't want in your boat but didn't want to touch to throw back in the sea. And on the shore, a shimmering figure, slim and pale.

"I think I've found your sea angel," he said over his shoulder to the other man. "And something unpleasant besides."

[Stella Gaslight]

Phobos was forever curious about everything and every one.  She had been hatched deep in the woods far from humans unlike Demos who was raised by a city dweller.  When she first saw people she was very scared but interested and watched from a distance.  When she saw Aven she followed fluttering from perch to perch then in to the church.  When she saw the creature in the wood work she let out a small worried caw.  She did not like the look of that thing at all.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Aven ran to otto's side, examining both symbols and strainign to observe the strange, horrid beast which stood opposite to the angelic creature.
"That's strange, the statue in the shrine looked far more..." he made a series of odd motions with his hands, attempting to grasp a word even his expansive vocabulary could not seem to locate.
He finally settled on "crustacean."
When the preist eyed him he pointed out that the statue seemed to have pincers of sorts. Though the preist seemed hardly convinced.

"Perhaps you simply saw a lobster, they like to crawl into the shrines sometimes..."

"I do not think it was so-"
The preist literally pushed Aven towards the exit, yelling a stream of unpleasentries in italian that Aven himself did not know, nor did he want to know.

[Lothar Erfinder]

As he and Aven were bustled out of the chapel, Otto snagged one of the many candles, snuffing it in his brass hand. A holy object might prove useful in this strange place.

Standing on the steps once more, he turned to the other man and tried to put into words something that had bothered him.

"The priest... he wasn't like that earlier. He was a proper gentleman, clergy as it ought to be. But your questions seemed to...upset him greatly. Perhaps it was something more, shall we say, festive, than mead he was drinking? When we came in? He seemed hardly rational toward the end. What is wrong with this place?"

[Stella Gaslight]

Phobos was cautious but Aven had proven himself to be a good protector for Nina despite Demos' misgivings.  She flew as close as she dared to them trying to heard them to the cafe where Nina was on her her second rather potent coffee. She kept herself out of reach even with her closeness. Phobos was still vastly scared of human touch that was not from her mistress.  Nina saw them coming, her eyes were wide open ans her foot seemed to be tapping to the beat of the band.  She looked far more lively than when they had disembarked the ship.   When they came closer she waved at them and smiled in a rather effervescent manner downing the rest of the rich brown drink in the small china cup.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"He did seem rather cagey, but it's obvious they revere these sea angel creatures." He looked at their effigies, which seemed carved all over the place. Mosaics in the pavement showed the image of iridescent swimming creatures battling a shapeless figure.
"The sea angels are obviously their deistic figures."

Aven walked into the center of the black shape. "And this, this is something they fear. It reminds me of a romanian villaige i once visited who's villaigers greatly feared the mentioning of a species of wolf. It was later that I discovered it was that they feared a militia of goretouched who were threatening the villaige. maybe there's more to this than godesses and demons..."

[Lothar Erfinder]

     "I don't know much about sea angels or formless horrors from the deep, but I know how to fill a militiaman with lead. If there are people terrorizing these villagers, we should do something. But we ought probably find out more first, and I'd be more comfortable if I had my slug-thrower with me. In fact, would you mind if we popped into the hotel just over there, behind that sidewalk cafe? I have it in a steamer trunk I've rented, and fetching it won't take a minute. All I'm carrying now is a wrench, and I'd rather not get that close to something that has extra limbs grafted on."

     As they headed across the square, Otto spotted what looked like a pair of blackbirds perched on the parasol above one of the tables, and they seemed to be watching he and his companion approach.
Odd, that. he thought. But then everything about this damn place is odd

     "You seem knowledgeable about these things." He said abruptly to Aven. "If blackguards and brigands aren't the source of this trouble, will a slug do the job? I understand artistic licence and all that, but some of those things in the mosaics looked distinctly unpleasant."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Well, I've read of small, sparse reports  of  creatures like this, though there were only three accounts, one in damascus in which a beast described as a large worm devoured a warring pair of catholic and muslum soldiers, a second which may just be a legend, was told by south american natives in peru in the area of Nazca, which was told to Vasco de Gama in his search for El Dorado. And the third, well, is this one."
He pointed to the shapeless creature's stone portrait which sat beneath his feet.

"All reports claimed blades and arrows did nothing. Possibly because of a thick hyde. But with a high enough calibur weapon, we might be able to damage it. But what truely interests me, is how the Clionae Sapiens, er, Sea angel in lamens terms, was able to hold off whatever this beast was if the legends are true anyways." He followed Otto, staying aside the large, bionic man.

"As for knowledge, you ARE talking to Aven Eisenhartz, master of the school of Adaptus alchemia, and monster hunter."
He twirled his canister gun with dramatic flair. "It is no slug thrower, but it can hurl a sphere of concentrated white sulfure at a hundred meters!"

[Lothar Erfinder]

     "Well wait 'till you see my slug thrower. Give the pneumatics enough of a crank and it will shoot to a hundred and fifty or so. Only accurate at about one-twenty five, normally, but I have a steady hand." Here he gestured with his prosthesis. "And a good sized lead slug will blow a good sized hole in a man. Sulfur, though..." He added dubiously. "I'd hate to see you misfire with something like that. I've seen the burns that stuff causes."

     Otto found himself eager to have his creation back in his hands. This village was worrying him, and he didn't like being without firepower. A hefty wrench would only get you so far.

     "A thought occurs. We are but two men. Whether militia or beast is the cause of this trouble, can you and I stand against it alone?"

[Nigel Wetherby]

"Alone? Oh sir, here you are mistaken. In my posse I have with me a goretouched and former royal gaurd, one mister Kemp, who is  rather proficient in guns and controlling his inhuman *ahem* Disposition."
He pointed to the ironclad ship the Nebudchanezzer which bobbed on the sea, its crew locked in drunken combat.
"And THAT find example of a seafaring craft is our own. We are heading south to French African territory. However, I beleive we may have stumbled across something terribly important here."

He adjusted his glasses, taking note of the setting sun and the odd sensation in his chest.
"As for mister kemp Himself, he is currently doing research of a different flavor. Now, I beleive you and I must make ready. If what I beleive is true, is in fact true, we may want to prepare ourselves, a long night is ahead of us. Of this, I am sure."

[Stella Gaslight]

Nina was relaxed and enjoying herself but now as she became more aware of the little vignettes playing themselves out amongst the festivities. There was a tension here that all the merrymaking could not cover.  People seemed to be split between a kindly looking old man with a sash marking him as an important elder and a swarthy young man that seemed to have people swarming around him like bees.  The young man was hansom but there was something in his eyes that made her uneasy.  He was up to no good, she was sure but her Italian was beyond rusty and she could not understand the snatches of conversation that drifted by her.   Nina sighed she would have to go find Aven, something was wrong here and she knew it was just waiting to boil over.  She wished she had her old hunting rifle it's weight on her back would be a comfort now.

[Lothar Erfinder]

"Very well, Herr Reinhart, let us prepare. My weapon is but a few paces from here. Let me fetch it, and then we may discuss the coming night. You seem to know what to expect, so I shall defer to you."

     With that, Otto trotted off to the hotel to retrieve his gun, leaving Aven on the sidewalk. Inside, it was a matter of moments to retrieve his slug thrower from his rented chest and settle his tab with the proprietor. From the chest he also took his satchel, containing the small tools necessary to maintain his arms, both anatomic and ballistic, his small stock of spare parts, his supply of lead slugs and their mold, and his fat cigars. His Grandfather had loved them though they had cost him his lungs, and so Otto smoked them now and again in his memory.

     Returning to the street, he couldn't immediately place his companion, and glanced about puzzled for a moment, before spotting him near a potted tree, observing the passersby. Walking towards him with his slug thrower over his shoulder, Otto whistled a jaunty tune, to dispel his slight unease. there was something...sinister, just under the surface here, he thought. He thought about the candle in his pocket, taken from the chapel, and wondered why he'd done it. Had there been a reason at the time?
now he wasn't sure.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"I suppose we will need to rendevous with miss Nina, she is an occult specialist of sorts. Just be warned, those with Aviophobia might want to avoid her seeing eye birds."
Aven let the words sink in, he enjoyed the look of confusion on Otto's face.
"Yes, I do mean birds."

He approached the coffee shop, where a cheeful young woman offered them roses for tuppence, and a sallow looking girl accompanied by a pair of shiny black crows sat and sipped some black, frothy coffee. A pair of crispy biscotti with almond rested on the white, circular plate.

"This, Is Nina, our resident specialist in occult bibliography and former librarian for the Institute of Geneva."
He pointed to the dark haired young woman as a rather large crow nibbled on the biscotti and attemtped to sip at some coffee. Its violent flapping signifying that it did not appreciate the hot drink.

[Lothar Erfinder]

"Delighted to make your acquaintance, dear lady." Said Otto. He glanced at the birds. "And these would be Hugin and Munin, would they?" "Phobos and Deimos," was the reply.

"The sons of Ares? Why then dear lady, you must surely be Aphrodite herself." He sat down across from the woman and looked at Aven. "Occult specialist indeed, Herr Reinhart. Ah! But I am remiss. Allow me to introduce myself; Otto Eisenrad, at your service."

     With the formalities dispensed with, Otto turned his attention to Aven, awaiting the forthcoming explanation while absentmindedly polishing his thumb.

[Stella Gaslight]

Nina blushed at the compliment and gave Deimos a drink of water to cool his mouth.  "Pleased to meet you Otto.  I think you and Aven arrived at just the right time.  There is something going on in this town.  Half the town is with this cocksure young man and the other with the elder.  I have not felt tension like that in years.  I saw no less than five instants of near fist fights.  It was only the ladies of the village that stopped the festival from becoming a war.  Everyone is nervous and kept casting glances at the church as if they expected some answer from the stone work.  What have you found?  My view of these events is missing too many parts to make a picture of."

[Nigel Wetherby]

"A clue has been beneath our feet the entire time, miss Nina." Aven said, feeling a twinge of jelousy at the charming man and his warrior's swagger which denoted that more than a few small towns sang his praises.

"If we note that the shapeless creature is on the eastern side of the town, and the Angels are on the west. Miss Nina," He wiped his glasses as Phobos landed on his shoulder and began inexplicably biting his hair.
"Have you noticed their feuds located to a particular region or area? perhaps your birds can give us a better picture on what is happening while you tell us."

He turned to phobos. "Excuse me, there is a cracker in it for you if you give the mosaic of the street a birds eye view."
Phobos cawed in compliance and soared into the air.

[Stella Gaslight]

Phobos spiraled higher and higher he ground below her shrunk becoming part of a patchwork of sea and sky.  She looked down at the town and her mistress far below.  The strange tiles of the plaza glinted below.  Nina saw something fuzzy, vague a strange almost pattern in the tiles and streets of the town.  Nina signaled for her to fly lower hoping for more clarity.  Nina let out a gasp and drew frantically on the back of the menu.  "This city is a picture, a mosaic all lied out in a pattern.  The pattern looks almost set up like a calling circle or perhaps something for transmutation but it is wrong.  The angles don't line up it is flawed but there is a power there Phobos can feel power and heat radiating up and gathering around the church.  Here both of you take a look trying to figure this out is giving me such a headache."  She spread the paper on the table and sighed as Phobos came back down and settled on the table.  Phobos hopped over to Aven looking very expectant.

[Nigel Wetherby]

"A calling circle? Those are usually inscribed with runes. I have studied some runology, perhaps I can decode it then. Miss Nina, come with me, I'm sure your more literary background could assist us in our endeavors."

He handed the metalically armed soldier several small globes encased in clay jars and strung along a waxed black ribbon.
"You will need to investigate the churtch further, I leave this task to you, because you are the most physically able of those available. Should something go wrong, close your eyes and hurl one of these. They will make a blinding flash, so be sure to sheild your eyes."

[Lothar Erfinder]

     Otto accepted the globes and carefully stowed them in his satchel, nodded to the others, and set out for the church. As he approached, he noticed something odd about the belfry, but couldn't tell what. He'd been up there not too long before, for the repairs, and from the outside he could tell that something wasn't right.

     It wasn't until he was nearly on the steps that he realized what had bothered him. There was an extra bell. I looked like it was made of iron, which was rare for a church-bell, and seemed remarkably rusted, almost as though it had been on the bottom of the sea.

     Just then, it began to toll, and the sound was muffled, as though it was traveling through water rather than air. Otto could almost see seaweed fluttering in the air, out of the corners of his eyes, but when he looked it was gone. The aquatic carvings on the walls and door appeared to writhe.

     Something was going on, and he had a sinking feeling its cause was in the church.

[Stella Gaslight]

The bells toll made Nina wince and her crows caw.  Something about it set her teeth on edge.   Phobos saw waves of deep other worldly chill radiating from the bell tower and Demos saw a power there that made him nervous and protective.  It reverberated down the streets growing more powerful until it was almost suffocating.  Nina could feel herself vibrating with caffeine and sound, heart pounding with the heavy pulse of the bell.  "We must stop that bell.  I don't know what is is doing but it can't be good."  Phobos shot up like a bolt trying to escape the sound but instead she saw the priest lying on the floor and the young man from earlier standing over him candlestick in one hand bell rope in another.  "There is a young man in there that has overcome the priest.  We must hurry! He is up to no good I am sure of that."

[Vancouver Air Privateer]

Meanwhile, Kemp had followed Clio. He had left his shirt and shoes at the shrine, the most distinctive land mark. He then waded out into the water, Clio easily leading him, gliding with ease and beckoning him. He started to paddle out to him - though still in human form, he was not a half-bad swimmer at all. He let Clio lead him out near the cliffs. Then, she splashed under the water. Sighing, he removed his sliver band, looping it on his pants, which he also undid a few clips on, letting it stretch. He dove down, slowly feeling the awkward human thrashing and breath holding turn into streamlined swimming. His eyes also let him see much more clearly here. The water was quite clear here anyways. Looking around, he thought, off in the distance, far from what was the shore, he saw a ... darkness, unnatural. He couldn't be sure. He followed Clio's bright form as she ducked playfully into a hole in the cliff face in front of them, a large and strangely smooth one. Also, there was a blue light source coming from somewhere along the edges of this tunnel. He moved his less lithe frame in after her, navigating through until the tunnel ended. His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw before him.

[Nigel Wetherby]

Aven knew Nina was right, somehow those birds were doing something for her, he would like to study it a bit later, but now was the time for action. He slid the small, ornate gas mask around his face, adjusting it as he loaded a gas capsule into his capsule-gun.
"Now, fair warning miss Nina, once I shoot this, close your eyes and hold your breath."
As they fast approached the church, the young man who stood over the preist heard something whisper in the back of his head.

"Yes, sir." He whispered to the voice, pulling the bell rope even harder. The sky darkened, and the seas began to kick up.

What Kemp saw was a phenominal thing, a massivew, smooth black shape. Its body seemed miles long, and crusted with coral and barnacles. Long rods of white metal dug into the shape, anchoring it to the rocks. Kemp could hear a fain whispering in the back of his head.
Child of the sea, my sweet, sweet little child...
The voice was hauntingly femenine, and sounded like the crashing of waves and the sinking of ships.
The bell's toll began to rattle the waters, more and more Sea Angels emerged from the surrounding rocks, looking around with nervousness at the noise, which to them was all too familiar. The largest of them rushed to the metal poles and began to push down upon them, trying to drive the metal stakes deeper.

Sweet child of mine. Kill my wardens. Free your sea-mother.