"Do not trifle with dragons, for you are small and crunchy and taste good with ketchup." -unknown
Traveling to Luna Space port, Fey contacts Llana to investigate what happened to the souls from the sun. Noun emerges from his room with a foot tall animated sculpture of a man with a carved wooden face and metallic limbs named Pronoun whose purpose is to be Noun’s friend and act as Noun’s translator. Laiden calls ahead for an antimatter recharge.
Perseverance lands at an UNF space port, where a team of mystics immediately begin weaving a web of mystic energy around the ship so that it can be ported. Noun etches some of these patterns on the ship using <some unknown tool> - this was going to be one of his tools, but the hardness of the ship is really 40, not 10. Admiral Rossner comes aboard to recharge the antimatter chamber and for a briefing.
Laiden watching this recharging process sees Rossner use an unfamiliar form of creation magic of modest intensity. It is obvious that Rossner has done this many times in the past.
At the briefing, Rossner informs the group that the UN has come up with some ways to counteract the gravitational distortions they witnessed at the rogue planet. The UNF Reliant has been attempting to use this to land on the planet, but the planet has some sort of defense which throws ships back out. The hope is that Perseverance’s abilities may allow it to land.
The mission is to determine the disposition of the planet and arrange a meeting between the UNF and its leadership. Rossner will be traveling along and then transfer to the Reliant to observe.
Noun, through Pronoun wants to know more about how the planet moves, but Rossner has no insight to offer. Laiden wants to know about any communications with planet, but there has been no response from it and there are no indications of any type of communications. Dr Peters requests some protective gear and is told there is no time to fetch it. Malcolm finds that there is no new information on the arch, gets William Moss’ classified files. The matter of the woman (dragon) in NY has been handed over to another task force. Rossner is fairly tightlipped about this.
The web around the ship is complete after half an hour and the Admiral transports Perseverance to Lupus’ UNF space port.
General Kangi Ti is the 10 ft tall soulmech with chain guns for arms that runs this planet. Ridge recalls that he was built around the same time as she was, although he went a different route. The General has given his permission for this mission, but it otherwise engaged in what is alluded to as war preparations against the rogue planet. The trip to meet up with the Reliance near the rogue planet will take four hours.
On the way to Dragon World
Serra suggests a few alterations to Ridge’s plan for landing on the rogue planet, making liberal use of yellow and red flags denoting her suggestions. Noun attempts to show Trenton his destiny by cutting into his arms, installing wires, and spraying LCD on his other arm.
Laiden and Ridge significantly modify Serra and Perseverance. The Miller2 Algorithm is moved from Serra to Ridge, some of her LORE safety measures are bypassed, Laiden and Ridge are given direct control of the ship, Serra no longer can control the droids, and who knows what else?
Laiden casually mentions planting a tree on the sun to Rossner, but then backpedals downplaying what he knows and how important it was. Rossner senses Laiden’s intent he stops trying to get more information leaving with, “I suppose it isn’t directly my business, so I guess I’ll stop bothering you.”
Laiden has Serra warn Ridge what had just occurred. Rossner learns from Ridge about the planting of the tree on the sun to retrieve Mercury’s lost souls at the caretaker’s request. Ridge purposely leaves the details about Luna.
Noun bloodily cuts off his fingernails and paints the mess hall table with his blood, until he can’t stand the pain. Fey and Trenton decide not to watch and leave. Dr Peters wrestles Noun down to heal him. Noun leaves and locks himself in his room.
Fey and Trenton meet up with Ridge and Laiden as they are near finishing their “repairs”. Fey learns they are running an experiment on the LORE chip.
Attempts to land
Arriving at the Dragon World, the Reliant is moving towards the planet, Rossner imforms her crew this is their last attempt. The Reliant gets close to the atmosphere when a massive build up of force too vast to comprehend throws Reliant away from the planet.
The Dragon World is eight times as large as Earth (volume), twice Earth’s gravitation, and has human breathable air. Ridge spends three hours preparing her plan to land. Malcolm and Dr Peters study the various cities and behaviors of its denizens.
They have multiple languages used in different areas. Some areas have more violence than otheres, and there is correlation of certain colors being more aggressive. Their technology level is pre – Roman, but has made good use of magic. There are “livestock” type creatures that the dragons hunt. Three major cities are discernable, where one is clearly the capital, and another is the most peaceful. Red dragons with multi-color arm bands seem to be the police force.
Ridge’s calculations indicate cloaking would only help if they it hides them from the force trying to affect them. The phasing might bypass the defenses shown thus far. It is decided to try phasing as our second attempt.
Wearing spacesuits (expect for Ridge and Laiden), Perseverance approaches the planet attempting to land at the most peaceful city, which is populated mostly by shiny Dragons. Dr Peters prepares medications to help with gravity fatigue if needed.
At the planet’s threshold mystic forces builds up, and the ship is thrown as Ridge can’t quite calculate the gravitational eddies quickly enough. Malcolm sensed some presence just prior to Perseverance being tossed.
With phasing Perseverance passed through the massive mystic buildup. Dr Peters senses a presence, which he describes as “not happy”. Malcolm telepathically greets the entity, who seems annoyed responds, “LEAVE THIS PLACE”. Malcolm shares this telepathically with everyone, but when he contacts Noun’s mind, Malcolm reels in pain by the flood of bizarre imagery.
Malcolm reassures the presence that they mean no harm and are looking to combat the void. The presence says our motives are irrelevant, that the beast can not be destroyed, and that outsiders are not welcome. It goes on to say, “We do not directly involve ourselves in affairs of others. We will defend ourselves against all those who involve themselves with us.”
We learn that the dragon on Earth is Rekari Deriken, who is no longer “one of them”. This entity can not meet with the “mother land”, as returning there will draw out the beast. It says the beast craves the flesh of Dragons first.
The group works together to convey how some of us survived the beast, through Andrew Peters’ first hand experience being telepathically sent and describing what everyone knows about what happened. It stops and thinks for a noticeable moment, and tells us, “This news will interest the council. Remove your protection and I will transport you to them.”
Council of Wyrms
Perseverance is teleported above the capital palace, where it lands. Two red dragons march out to interrogate the group, eventually tenuously accepted and told to wait.
Some time later, a much larger silver dragon appears, bringing us to the council which has convened. A massive room has a semi circle of huge pedestals each a different color. The center one is colossus (4 times the other), rainbow striped, and empty. Left of the center are metallic colored dargons and to the right are chromatic colored dragons. The gold and red dragons are the leaders of their respective sides.
The gold dragon rumbles, “The council has convened and will hear your testimony”. One by one they introduce themselves in a ritualistic manner. Each says, “<name> receives you”.
Mushussu (male green) Fafnir (male blue) Smaug (male black) Tiamat (female red) Nidhung (male white) Jormunan (male brass) Jawzahr (male bronze) Ryu (male copper) Shen-Lung (male gold) Tien-Lung (male silver). Glaurung leads the council, taking on the title of Io.
The multicolor center pedestal shimmers, a dragon made of light beams appears, “Io receives you”. There is significant surprise from the other dragons.
Andrew conveys what he felt and knows about his experience with the void. Tiamat distastefully dismisses this and wants to know what caused the event. Noun presents his gate, its “poetry”, focus points, topology, webs of force, and how they survived.
Ryu responds, “What is this nonsense? It makes no sense.”
Smog mocking, “Maybe you’re just too dumb to follow it.” Ryu retorts back that Smog doesn’t understand it either.
Io interjects with, “I see”, all fall silent “This information is very useful. Thank you.”
Jawzahr admits the attack on Percepi was their fault because the Beast followed them there, but they will now avoid terrans and their territory.
The wyrms are told the caretaker believes the beast can be defeated. The council dismisses this as incorrect and closes the discussion. Pronoun speaks up, “Says I don’t want to ruffle any feathers, but I think you’re all wrong. Obviously the void can be resisted as I’m here now.” Io states his purpose is to protect this planet and the destruction of Earth is not their concern.
Ridge asks whether dragons were taken from Earth. Io can hardly remember so long ago. The beast came to paradise and they had to run, but that is now antiquated. Glaurung is now their home, so Earth is on its own. Io is bittersweet, still caring, but not enough to help.
Pronoun asks if Io would like to remember, but would need at least a week. Io uninterested adjourns the counsel and leaves. Shen Lung tells us we are extremely fortunate to be graced by Io’s presence, not having appeared in many millennia. Tiamat adds that Io’s decisions are final and that his decision is clear, it is now time for the group to leave and never return. The council concludes with another ritualistic ending.
Jormunan, Jawzahr, Shen Lung, and Tiamat remain afterwards. Tiamat is impatient that the outsiers are still here, but the others convince her that their presence can be tolerated a little longer. Jawzahr believes one day the dragons will meet again and will work together.
The dragons see technology as an eccentric hobby since magic is vastly superior. Laiden and Andrew brag about technology and how it can be better than magic as a number of the group gets nervous that Perseverance will be confiscated or possibly destroyed.
Ridge disappointedly learns that the moving faster than light is through the will of Glaurung using displacement magic.
Andrew talks about curing diseases and tries to give Jawzahr a hypospray, but Tiamat incinerates it and are promptly told to leave. The group leaves the planet and docks with Reliant.
Undead Symposium (:evil:)
Ridge turns over transcripts to Admiral Rossner. He doesn’t believe Glaurung is a threat as long as the dragons follow their word.
Noun hears the fear and hatred of the void screaming his name. Everyone else feels the void’s signatures mix of pain, hatred, and fear for a moment and then subside. Looking out the window, the Glauring is gone. It only took the void 14 hours before to appear and it is hypothesized that in the future it would take less time. Perseverance heads to Lupis to make sure it is still okay.
There is interest in questioning the Rekari Deriken, but it has to wait until Rossner can speak with his associates to see where things are at. Malcolm meets with Claire Jansen, informing her on what happened, and then securing her as an ally against the void.
On Lupis everything is fine. Fey receives an email, "Things are a little hectic now, something crashed on Mars causing havoc, Cain got loose and made his way there, he’s devouring all the undead in his path and if he can’t be stopped he is moving onto us. Some of us have already been targeted and had made us his ilk. I haven’t had time to look into the souls.
Options for next session: Go to Mars : Foreign body mashing onto Mars on news, nothing else Talk to the care taker Track down William Moss