The Muck Pond

[Fleegle]

(For AoM and Tek)

The heavy, metallic double doors squeaked as they swung open, the hinges in desperate need of oil. The doors and walls of this place did not look to be in disrepair otherwise, though it felt like nobody had walked these halls in several millenia.
The doors opened into a large circular area, the same blue marble walls and slick dark floor tiles as the rest of this building. The dome was opaque, save for the very appex, which let in a comfortable amount of light. The interior of the dome felt quite cold in comparison to the two rooms they had been in previously.
In the center of the main domed room, a giant crystal statue rose up toward the skylight. It glittered in the available light. The figure looked to be female, and it held a great sword, also in crystal. It had no discernible face, and had an active pose, as if in mid-stride, the sword swung low at her hip. The tip of the sword was low enough that if Tek stood on top of Ao they would just be able to reach it. The pedestal she stood on was a shallow glass disc, the surface of it shiny enough to clearly reflect the image of the statue.
One side of the dome opened into a large rectangular room, with a giant sliding door that seemed to lead outside. The floor in the rectangular room was made of grey concrete. Parked on top of it was a dominating vehicle of some sort, made of a shiny grey metal. It had two wide tracks and towered about 9 feet high. There was a large rectangular hatch at the back, where the vehicle was tallest. From this angle they could just make out a smaller oval hatch near the front, just over the track wheels. There were a few very small oval windows along the side, and a large canopy window at the very front, the bulge of which they could just make out.
The rooms contained nothing else of interest. They heard a quiet but high-pitched noise not unlike that of a tuning fork, but they couldn't quite place its source. It seemed to fill the room, a steady noise that didn't fluctuate at all in volume or pitch.

(For 3shy)

Erake reached the glittering object. She could see now that it was a necklace of some sort, composed of a series of pyramid-shaped aqua-marine stones. It hung around a false neck made of wood and fabric. At the center of the necklace was a spherical golden mesh, completely hollow on the inside.

[Debsy]

Erake stepped closer, and once she was able to make out the glittering object she creased her brows, looking at it. Realizing it was a necklace, she grinned. Looking around, she made sure she saw no one before she reached a hand out and picked up the necklace. She slipped it around her neck and then realized the gold mesh that was in the middle. She leaned down a little to examine it.

[Razorlance]

Tek stood at the doorway, taking in the size of the dome room with his forward most limb until his focus stopped on the statue. "Impressive, and what a strange material". He lumbers over to the statue to get a better look at the material. What is that noise? he thought as he examined the statue, then looks up it's full length. "You don't suppose this might be Xunis, or at least made in her honour?"

[Pie]

*He stands still and sais* I'm s-s-sorry for waking you... I just wanted to talk...*He then clears his voys and shuffles a little* It's about the pink ones.... I think... I think you should stop the plage. If anything, you should have made it so that they can understand our language.. and that we can understand theirs. Their only problem is not knowing.... So unstead of punishing them for that, you should show them wat is right.....
*He then stands there, waiting for his answer*

[AoM]

"The latter if anything," Ao says in response to Tek's musing about the statue. "If this were Xunis, she would have noticed the symbol on my chest and the token in my hand and would have said something or tried to kill me... or both."

Ao looks around the room trying to look for movement. He didn't like the sound. "An alarm perhaps?" he thought out loud. Then his eyes took in the vehicle.

"That looks promising..." He plods over to have a closer look at it.

[Razorlance]

"Agreed" Tek replied to Ao's first statement. "So you hear it too" he replied to Ao's second. He noticed Ao ploding towards the other exit and the vehicle outside. "I will just look over this statue for a bit then I will join you." Now he thought anything interesting here? He looked all around the base for anything unusual then he had a sudden urge to touch the very large foot of the statue, as he did he also tried gripping it with his 'fingers' to see if they could get a hold.

[Nalaris]

Deimos lifts one eyelid slowly, sees the moonlight, gets up and attempts to remember his sorroundings...to the west there should be some god of...something that loved to party. A good way to wake up. Deimos hopes he's not forgetting anything and trudges to the west, glancing around at his sorroundings hoping for some kind of landmark.

[swymir]

Omura wakes to the sounds of Deimos stirring in the bed of flowers. She watches as Deimos gets up not noticing the Groff that she had placed on his body. As Deimos walks off to the west Omura scurries up and intentionally puts the Groff in one of her pouches. She then follows behind Deimos as she once again pays attention to how the big bug moves around.

[Nalaris]

Deimos glances around...he can hear movement, and it doesn't seem right...he feels like he's being watched...

But he figures it's just a combination of some nocturnal animal and his paranoia. He continues west, moving cautiously.

[Fleegle]

(For 3shy)

As Erake closed the clasp on the necklace, a yellow ball of misty light formed in the center of the mesh globe. It partially illuminated the rest of the room, which seemed to be a kind of gallery for trinkets, many of them seemingly worthless.
The ball of light was mesmerizing. It seemed to capture all of Erake's attention. With all of her will she could break out of it.

(For Pie)

"I see. You think the God of Justice is being unjust! The nerve, to come here to my temple and question the actions of a god! I can't make them understand our language, they are the ones who turned away from the gods and forgot the language. The only way they can be brought back to the path is through their own repentence. You have to be able to see the big picture, mortal. The plague may be the only thing that can help restore their faith. Can't you see that? No, of course not. All you see is the short term. And for your information, the worst of the plague is over. Many of the village have died, and they have made the connection. No more will die. So you see, your little quest for justice is not only foolish and ill-conceived, but perfectly needless! Go now! You foul up my temple with your insolence!"
Ilosep stared down Ithicus, his eyes almost glowing with anger.

(For AoM and Tek)

Tek could just barely grip onto the slippery statue. The pose of the statue allowed many opportunities for scaling it, though one would have to be very careful.
Ao took in the sight of the vehicle, circling it to get a good look. Peeking through the canopy, he could make out a couple levers and a large red button. The controls for the vehicle did not look terribly complicated. The entry hatch on the side looked to be large enough to accomodate Ao's girth. A small handle was inset into the hatch. There did not appear to be a lock of any sort.

(For Nalaris and Swymir)

Deimos and the discreetly-following Omura were greeted with raucous noises as they advanced further down the path. Deimos arrived in the clearing, where he could see a short pig-man dancing with some pale, skinny, fleshy creatures draped in scant clothing. The pig-man's "dancing" looked awkward and slightly obscene. A cup in his hand sloshed about, splashing a deep-red liquid upon the earthen ground. "Oy!" he shouted as he slapped one of the girls on the behind, following this with laughter. The pig-man failed to notice the giant bug entering his clearing.

"Well hello there," a voice mindspoke to Deimos. He looked down to the source of the voice, which was a small ant sitting on a leaf, which was in turn on a stump. "I'm Briker, fellow creature of the Muck. And that over there, the man that looks like a pig, he's actually a god. Bassus is his name, he's the Lesser God of the Forest. Beware of the stuff he's drinking, it's quite powerful." Briker chuckled at this last point.

Briker had not seen Omura, who was still carefully concealed some distance from the entrance to the clearing.

[Nalaris]

Deimos approaches the ant, deciding that he need not pay mind to Bassus. He's plenty wrapped up in drink and song. "If there is a lesser...might there be a greater? If so, where is he? Or she? Or whatever gender the greater, if the greater exists, happens to be?"

[Debsy]

Erake stared at the ball of light. It was beautiful. Like nothing she'd ever seen before. She couldn't figure out what it was from, but she knew she didn't want it to go away. She reached a hand out and tried to touch it.

[Razorlance]

Tek had a last look around the dome, mainly higher up before decided that scaling the statue wasn't worth the risk and if it was in Xunis' name she might not take kindly to it being climbed. He lumbered outside to have a look at the vehicle before mindpeaking to Ao. "So what do you think this is?"

[swymir]

Omura looked over at the festival that seemed to be taking place. She then diverted her attention to Deimos. Omura stood back puzzled as to what Deimos was doing with such crude people and was furthermore puzzled as to why he was talking to a stump. Despite her curiosity Omura sat back examining the area she had hidden herself in.

[Pie]

*Hee meets Ilosept's with his oun* Of course, I will leav. But not before i say this. Your actions may have brought them back to the gods, but at what cost? Your plagu has killed many people. Maby a mothers doughter, or son, A childes father or mother, a wifes husband, and a husbands wife, of wich most shurly have done nothing rong but not be tought about you gods. And what good does it do us to have them believ in gods? Gifts to us of the muck and the gods, givin out of fear for their lives? After this, they will fear you and us of the muck, fear that will surly cous them, If anything, to hate the gods for your plagu. Hate, that shurly will be supresed with fear, but it will still be there, burning within them. Your actions may hav been better for the Long run, by installing fear, not love, not admiring respect, not ANYTHING ELS inside of them, only fear. *He takes a quick breath and continues* Your actions may hav been justfull for the long run, but they are un-loving and un-merciful actions. But how could I have expected Love or Mercy frome a god of justic.*He turnes to leav but quickly turns back and sais* Oh, and there is a small lizerd girl outside that has lost her mommy. I wonder if you could posably find it in your hart to help her?