Cerberus

[darthauthor]

Location: Mining Town.

On the ground, in a circle talking with his people:
Knight (Mystic Knight) One, “We came here to set Fives (a little girl from Choas Earth who came through a Rift) up with a place to stay while one of us stayed with her and provided for her. Same with the necromancers and the merc victims we freed from their vampire masters.
Now that I have a look at this place myself I don’t entirely trust the town, as it is, with Fives.
Our contract is for six months. Over half that is gone by. We haven’t quite worked out the travel time with our Mal and the other Dog Boys. Six months was figured based on what the Atlantean, Ictinus told me, because I figured he would be done within that time.
Instead the tune of the month was slaying vampires.
The equinox came and went and we saw the face of a Vampire Intelligence.
Now, thanks to that psi-stalker Lieutenant Black or Cyber Knight Black depending on who is around, we are down, one hover truck and got no money to show for it.
On the upside, our girl Fives. Then Octavia a wolfen from space galactic civilization, two necromancers who lost their tongues to a master vampire which was round one of his torture for summoning his wild vampires and allow us to destroy them. And five former human mind slaves.”
Turning his eyes toward Octavia who Fives is hugging tightly as though she’s afraid if she let go Octavia would disappear.
“IF you are going to leave and go your own way, this would be the place to do it. You should declare what it is that you intend to do so we can make a plan for our future that doesn’t obligate you to anything. Once you have figured that out just let us know or not. It is up to us to make plans for us.
Octavia, “I have an idea I’d like to discuss.”
Knight One, “Okay, let's hear it.”
Octavia, “Eventually, I want to get back to my family. Even if Ictinus (the Atlantean) accepts me as his friend that doesn’t mean I get to use any and all Atlantean stone pyramids to go anywhere I want. I figure if I follow him long enough he will eventually lead me to one or make one himself which is really probably the fastest I am going to get back home. One of the many challenges to overcome is one of coordinates and translating them into a stone pyramid Rifts creating system. The only other way, I can see, is to travel to some place he calls Lazlo. There they have an Atlantean stone pyramid and community that may grant me an audience and be sympathetic to my plight enough to help me return home. Getting there requires security and transportation. I trust, under the right sort of circumstances, you (knight One) can provide that. I’m going to want an introduction, which I hope to get from you (Ictinus the Atlantean Stone Mage).
Ictinus, “The Aerihman clan does not associate with the other clans.” The Atlantean looks around at all of the other present then says, “The other clans don’t feel the same way as mine on the matter of the Splugorth at Atlantis and doing whatever it takes to remove the slave traffic invaders from this beautiful Earth which is home to us all and our birthright.” His passion was almost palpable to the group and a little infectious. “But just because the Aerihman clan does not associate with the rest does not mean the others won’t help you. It means it could take longer for them to trust you. They help a lot of lost people return home again. If you are honest with them, earn their trust, help the community of Lazlo, it will only be a matter of time before your turn in line comes up. It will also be safer for you and Fives in Lazlo”
Octavia, “With such a brave and noble Atlantean warrior and his company of honorable and strong mystic knights no place could be safer. I know such honorable men won’t abandon a little girl and her mother wolf to a world they know nothing about with no means to survive or make their way to Lazlo.”
Mystic Knight One thought to himself, “GROAN!. We are a mercenary company not a traveling circus!”
Octavia, “I propose, we establish ourselves as the government of this town. I know a few things about politics and can get people to vote for me, with your support of course.”
Knight One, “Why?”
Octavia, “There is plenty of stone here. Number Four can transport it with that magic trick of his. We can use the stone to finish the stone pyramid.”
KO (Knight One), “We can do that now without anyone having to play mayor.
Octavia, “You don’t steal because it is beneath you. My way gets it legitimately. Besides, once the pyramid is finished your new town will need people. No one knows about it. No one will believe it or go all that way unless they are certain there is a palace for them. Aside from a homestead farm or two and some remote technology less villages there no one is out there. Room to farm, land to do it on and even water. Of course, the irrigation has to be worked out but you see what I’m talking about.”
KO, “There is stone out there.”
Octavia, “Yeah, if you don’t mind digging 50 feet down just to reach it. You want low hanging fruit and that is here. Besides, that only put stones in your pyramid, not people in your palace.”
KO, “What would people even do there?”
Octavia, “Farm the land or raise some livestock. Then there’s the electric power from your pyramid. More than they can in this town.”
KO, “You want us to make you mayor of this town, so Fives will be safe here. While we prove ourselves trustworthy, so if, and I do mean IF, Ictinus chooses to finish his stone pyramid, people in this mining town will trust us enough to move to the stone pyramid as their new town. What is in it for us?
Octavia, “Taxes.”
KO, “Taxes?”
Octavia, “Taxes are a sort of protection money racket.”
KO, “I know what taxes are. Just look around you, these people don’t use currency. It is all barter and trade. Are we seriously going to start collecting chicken eggs or chopped wood for tribute, I mean taxes?”
Octavia, “It's a process and it has to begin somewhere. It doesn’t matter when and where we start. What matters is how we finish.”
KO, “Whatever this game is, your game is, for you it finishes, with you back with your people on another planet. Where does that leave us? What does that leave us with? A town of people we charge for protection, I mean tax, so we can put a bunch of chickens in a coop. We are fighters, not farmers.”

Octavia, “You are a fighter. And a leader of men. And a caster of spells. And a psychic. And can read. You are a lot of things. And as you say, these people have no money. Your vehicles need parts you can’t get out here, especially without money. You can walk out of here but it means going back with less money than you started with. The pyramid is unfinished. All you have to show for it is experience and Fives.”
KO, “I like Fives. So what you're saying, leaving with Fives, doesn’t sound so bad, to me.”
Fives smiles.
Octavia turns to the Atlantean and says, “What do you want?”
Atlantean, “To kill vampires. Everyone in my family and clan to know about my successes. Other times, I sort of feel like finishing the pyramid, just to finish what I started and because it is closer to being done than it isn’t. I agreed to take the wounded to town where I believed they would be safe. Well, there are lots of people around but I don’t know how much safer it is. I don’t see a lot of defenses. No wall. No roads other than dirt. No school. A traveling cyber-doctor is the closest thing they have to a doctor and he is just passing through. He’s really only here because there are a bunch of people who lose their fingers, hands and arms in the mine and such. The only places that look like they are here to stay are the cemetery and a place of worship. And a bar, of course.”
KO softly gazes at the Atlantean taking his time before speaking.
Octavia, “If I might make a suggestion. I notice you left your golems behind.”
KO, “Golems?”
Octavia, “Those robots that look like dead people.”
KO, “We call them zombies here.”
Octavia, “If you marched them here. Their labor could transform this town. IF you wanted to you could even use them in the mine where no one will see them. If they lost a finger or limb it can be put back on, good to go back to work.“
KO, “I sort of forgot about those things. I don’t mind so much working the zombies as long as they are doing all the work. They don’t eat, need water or rest and best of all, they don’t complain. They don’t even need to sleep.”
Knight One’s eyes darted to the Atlantean then back to Octavia’s.
“And they would be aiding the community and preventing people from losing their limbs. Octavia, keep talking.”
“I suggest, Numbers Two and Four, get some horses for themselves and the necromancers. Ride back to the ley line. March the golems back here. Then, under the cover of night take them into the mines and work them in them during the day. Work them after midnight moving stone and supervised construction. Then before the sun comes up, march them back into the mine.”
KO, “So how does it go in the mine? What keeps anyone from coming and going from the mine? How does the pay work?”
Octavia, “I will work it out.” Looking at the Atlantean and Number Three, “While we wait for the labor force to get here, I’ll need you two to heal the sick and wounded.”
Number Three, “Without the ley line we won’t be able to help more than a handful of people before we have used up all our energy.”
Octavia, “Help the ones you can. It will make a huge difference.”
KO, “What will you be doing?”
Octavia, “Telling stories and teaching them how to read.”
KO, “They don't have any books. Even IF we had some to share, without more books to read you will have taught them a skill they can’t use. IF it is about politics they will like you better if they are learning something they want to learn. IF you want them to learn something they will use everyday you ought to teach them something they can and will use everyday.”
Octavia quietly stared into the air before saying, “The basis of life is eating. For most intelligent species, civilization begins with cooking. We separated ourselves from animals when we started cooking our food. Most of these people can already cook or have someone who will do it for them. Every civilization rests on the basics of survival. After water and food, shelter like clothes and housing are next. Clothes we can have brought in. Housing has to be built. Somewhere before, during or after that are medical skills. I can teach them Art but Art is the last thing they need to learn how to make for themselves as it can not exist without the luxury of time to develop the skills for it and to appreciate and preserve it. Of course, everyone could use a little inspiration every now and again. I'll have to make Art that inspires them."


Average Guy in Town
3rd Level
Alignment: Unprincipled

Attributes: I.Q.:10, M.E.:10, M.A.:10, P.S.:14, P.P.:10, P.E.:13, P.B.:10, Spd:14

S.D.C.: 67 Hit Points: 29

O.C.C. Skills:
Speaks American and Spanish at 90% efficiency.
Boats: Paddle Types: 70%, Climb 60%, Cook 55% (65% with game animals), Fish 60%, General Athletics, Horsemanship: General 53/33%, Land Navigation 56%, Teamster 45% (55% with horses), Swim 70%
W.P. Pistol
W.P. Rifle
W.P. Axe
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Basic: 4 attacks.
+ 1 on initiative, +2 to save vs horror factor.
+2 Pull Punch, +2 Roll with Punch, Fall or Impact. +2 Dodge, +2 Parry.
Kick attack; does 1D8 damage.

Related Skills: (6):
Fasting 56%, Gardening (farming): 54%, Identify Plants & Fruit 45%, Outdoorsmanship, Prowl 47%, Track & Trap Animals 35%/45%.
3rd level: Physical Labor

Secondary Skills: (4):
Carpentry 35%, General Repair & Maintenance 45%, Skin & Prepare Animal Hides 45%, Wilderness Survival 45%
3rd level: (2): Hunting, Mining 35%,

[darthauthor]

The knights agree that: 

• They don’t want to walk out of here with no money or precious materials to show for it.

• The stone pyramid should be finished unless there is a more profitable venture.

• No one is comfortable with Fives staying in the town the way it is. While taking her back to the ley line she was abducted from feels like it is too much too soon.

The matter is really all tied to whether or not the Atlantean will return to the ley line to finish his stone pyramid. 

• The Atlantean doesn’t NOT want to finish his stone pyramid; he just wants to kill vampires more. So he is distracted. Has ideas of somehow restoring the necromancers so that they can cast their summoning spell again or finding another necromancer to do the job.

• So he is coping with a sort of vampire slaying withdrawal. The decision to return to finish his pyramid gets a little easier each day but it doesn’t happen overnight.

• He is not so distracted that he would not stop to consider the feelings and safety of a little blond girl. Now that he is here, he feels the need to create conditions whereby the little girl known as Fives will both feel and be safe. He also believes she has bonded to Octavia and Knight One. Postponing return to the ley line will mean they will have more time together. 

• While the Atlantean hopes to find some way to continue vampire hunting. Having asked around town and met with the Cyber-Doc he knows there are no bio-systems, in inventory, to replace a human tongue. They are advised to go to the big city or order the part (sending money in advance) and have it shipped to the town (however long that takes, assuming it is not lost or stolen). The Cyber-Doc can return in a year or so with the parts if the Atlantean wants to pay in advance. 

Atlantean Aerihman Clan Culture:

Raised from birth on a kind of Nationalism only it is more like Atlantean-ism; only even more than that the Atlanteans of the Clan Aerihman are raised to put their clan and its members above ALL others including other Atlanteans and their clans.
Another aspect of the Aerihman Clan culture is a kind of socialism. Their economy relies on the sacrifice of the people for the great good of the Clan as determined by their leadership. Of course, clan members are allowed to put forth their ideas and argue for them or why they should allow for an exception due to special circumstances. For the vast majority, however, the direction to drive production and distribution is decided by the clan leaders. While consumption is regulated it is still partially left up to individuals.
Their culture is not, strictly speaking, a democracy.
The rights of individual Atlanteans, within the Aerihman Clan, are NOT more important than the safety, security, and success of the Clan. When there are exceptions it is due to exceptional individuals whose history of successes have garnered a status within the clan. They are given awards rather than punishment due to the ends they achieved rather than the means by which they achieved it. Even IF the clan member broke clan law, defied the orders of their clan elders, and whose actions resulted in the harm or even deaths of Atlanteans, so long as victory, for the clan, is achieved they are a sort of hero. Also, the clan members must surrender themselves to a council of clan elders for a special closed trial if military or, if civilian, a public trial by the Aerihman clan people's judgment. The peoples consensus determines if they will be executed, exiled, jailed, or may even may even be honored for making the supreme sacrifice of risking one standing in the Aerihman clan to save its members or defend its honor.
It does not come up very often but there are those occasions. For example, when an Aerihman clan member must choose between saving the lives of 10 Aerihman members or 10 Atlanteans from other clans. The obvious choice would have been to save your own people. For the Aerihman clan member, however, they may need to explain the circumstances and their judgment call: they gave their word of honor to the other Atlanteans, the 10 Aerihman who died were soldiers who knew they could die on the mission, the Atlanteans they saved are pregnant (so they really saved 20 Atlantean lives; the mothers and their children), the rescued tell their clans about the heroics of the Aerihman clan who spread the word even more of the courage, honor, and selflessness of the Aerihman Clan. So instead of being exiled from their clan they are honored for elevating its renown.

Note: ALL members of clan Aerihman have standing orders to report or kill vampires wherever and whenever they encounter them. The same with the Splorgurth and their minions with a special emphasis about the Sunaj.

[darthauthor]

Before the Atlantean party left the ley line they boosted everyone with the spell Sustain cast by the seventh level mystic knight so they don’t need to eat or drink for 10 days or so even though they may feel cravings for the pleasure eating gives them.

The first day 
The Atlantean: Molds and carries stone to lay a level foundation. Forms walls to the beginning of a wizard-like medieval stone tower. The energy for this is partly contributed by All of the knights, the necromancers, and the rest of those in the group. Then uses up his ISP on healing children and their mothers. 
Octavia trades a couple of vibro-knives for six lame horses that were going to be killed for meat and by-products. Then between the Atlantean and Three they medically make the horses well again. Casting the spells Sustain and superhuman endurance on the horses Number 2 & 4 leave with the Dog Boy wilderness scouts (they are good for making a map there and back) and the necromancers.  

Octavia goes around socializing with the town folk to gather information.

Knight One does the same at the bar.

Knight Three stays with Fives. He shows her how to take apart a radio, check it, and put it back together again. Then uses the radio to check in with Number Two. 
Two reports that they are doing fine. Even though they can see in the dark with the night-vision goggles the horses can’t so we have to stop until morning. Did some hunting. The necromancers are the greatest at skinning hides.
Number Four teleports some of the animal hides to Number Three 

Note: Their procedure is to check in every 12 hours. If they miss a check in they know there was a problem and have their last coordinates.

2nd Day
The necromancer group on its way to the ley line when the Dog Boys sense some supernatural presences. Informing the party through hand signals and telepathic exchange those in the party with the psionic power of sense Evil use it. Having the general direction of where the supernatural evil presences are geographically and number only a few (2-6). No one’s “Sixth Sense” is going off so the feeling is whatever baddies are out there don’t know the party is in the area.Knights Two and Four telepathically communicate that they will become invisible and check it out. The rest of the party should camouflage themselves and wait for a signal from them to come in fighting, stay hidden, or run.Prowling in the direction of the supernatural evil knights spy six humanoids.Large pair of ram's horns crown the forehead, muscular upper body covered in short black hair, with the lower body that of a goat.
Knight Two notices a couple of the beings are looking in his direction while he is studying them through the scope on his rifle. A Lesser Deevil he thinks to himself. Then telepathically communicates it to Four and the rest of the team. Also, they noticed me or something in my direction. Their kind can see the invisible so that spell on me isn’t working. Special vulnerabilities include wood and silver. Four and I are going to cast the spell Magic Net on them. IF we miss any and they charge me I will lead them to you as an ambush.
Three of the Deevils dodge the first Magic Net but only one dodges them both. They ALL become invisible.
Two’s rifle jams
Four Paralyzes the Deevil with Bio-Manipulation. 
Two telepathically calls for the Dog Boys (Mal and Codie) and Necromancers to come with their wooden stakes.Together they kill one Deevil using their silver survival knives and wooden stakes. A Rift appears above the Deevil and either a massive tentacles spring forth, grab the Deevil and pull it through the Rift. The Deevil does not struggle and it and the Rift are gone in an instant, as if they were never there. No remains left behind.
Then knight Two cast another Magic Net over the four struggling to burn through the one they are with a “Fiery Touch.” While they are “working” on their second one, the other two of them start talking.
Deevil 1: “I surrender!”
Deevil 2: “Let’s make a deal.”
Deevil 3 tries to burn through the magic net.
Deevil 4 is getting killed.

Deevil 1: “You're not giving me a fair chance. Where is your honor?” 
Deevil 2: “I can serve you. I will be your minion.”
Deevil 3: His spell is interrupted by Knight Two’s stabbing.
Deevil 4: Is getting finished off by Knight Four. Deevil’s body immediately bursts into flames coming out of its eyes, nose, mouth and all the wounds it took. He screams in agony. 

Knight Four tells Knight Two to wait.
Knight Four, “That Deevil surrendered and we take prisoners.”
Knight Two, “Dead enemies tell no tales, nor come back to haunt you. Know thy enemy and never underestimate him. We can’t trust them. If we let them go, they’ll stab us or somebody else in the back. Besides, they are Deevils. How would we even keep them as prisoners?”
Then resumes killing Deevil 3 with his silver knife and wooden stake.

Deevils 1 & 2: Plead, “Stop! Please. NO!”Knight Four looking around him, while checking the surroundings and looking for the Dog Boys and necromancers he speaks:
Knight Four, “While in the Magic Net they can’t attack us or defend themselves. They are helpless and we are killing them.”

Finishing Deevil 3, The abdomen of the Deevil glows bright with a blue-white light as a Rift forms from within its body. 15 seconds later, the Deevil is pulled inside out, and into this Rift, and vanishes. 
Knight Two says, “They aren’t dying. The only place you can kill them is their home dimension. We are just sending them back home.”

Deevil 2: “Lies! You're murdering helpless living beings.”
Knight Two begins his attack on Deevil 2.
Deevil 1: “You don’t know what it is like. You would do anything to get out of where we came from. We didn’t attack you. We were minding our own business when you attacked us.”

The Dog Boys and Necromancers arrive on the scene. They see the Deevil on fire disintegrate.
Then as Knight Two finishes off the Deevil he is killing, the Deevil's body turns to sand from head to toe over the course of 15 seconds. When the body is fully turned to sand, it falls to the ground and blows away or seeps into the earth. 

The necromancers run to look over where the Deevil was for remains and move excitedly.

Knight Four, “Only two left and two of us. How about we fight them one on one?”

Deevil 1: “You are a bold and brave warrior. Your name will be known across eternity for your courage and honor, not like number two over there. He doesn’t deserve your company. I will serve you master and learn how you like things. Shape shifting in a man who looks a little like knight four. Oh great and powerful master. Command me. You can always kill me later, master. I am your prisoner and at your mercy. Accept my surrender and service to you as the strongest and most honorable. I know you are not afraid. You don’t fear me like that coward Two who is jealous of you and how brave and strong you are.” 

Knights Two and Four look at each other.
Four says, “He’s trying to save his own skin.” 
Two, “And turn us against each other.”
Four, “But we are NOT cowards. This is too easy. There is no challenge or sport in shooting fish in a barrel or Deevils in a Magic Net.”     
Two, “You didn’t feel that way about the vampires.”
Four, “Those were vampires.”
Two, “Vampires, Deevils.” Knight Two moves his hands around in an exasperated way. “They are Evil supernatural beings who torment and murder people for their amusement. Besides, do you really believe that thing (pointing at the Deevil in a human guise) would give you a fair fight. You give it half a chance and he’ll run or try to kill you, if he can. It would slit both our throats while we sleep or con someone else into doing it.”
Knight Four staring at the Deevil, “I’ll give you a chance. Beat me in a fight and you can kill me. Everyone. LISTEN. IF the Deevil kills me let him go. I give my word of honor. IF he beats me in this duel, he will be let go alive and unharmed; free . . .”

Knight Four casts Armor of Ithan on himself and Fists of Fury, then dis-spells the Magic Net.
They battle for over a minute, trading blows, then knight Four knocks the Deevil out.

“Alright! Good show Number Four. You gave him a chance. You got your good fight. This kill is yours. Now, finish it.”
“I only knocked him out. Didn’t you say something about slitting our throats while we were asleep. That would be, like you said they are all like, beneath us.”

The necromancers are jumping up and down at something they collected.

The Dog Boys have the paralyzed Deevil surrounded and ready to stake. Experimenting, they hold a cross in front of him and see the demon's reflection in a mirror. The Dog Boy Codie pours water on him. 

Knight Two, “Don’t forget about that one over there.”
Knight Four looks at the Deevil he paralyzed. “I can extend the duration by adding more of my energy.”
“So what? Are you waiting for your opponent to attack you again?”
“I gave my word of honor that if he killed me I would set him free.”
“I assumed you wanted him to give you a good fight and to see his true colors. Expected you to kill him or be killed by him. Never imagined a total knockout. Now what? Wait until he heals? You know they regenerate in a few minutes.”

[darthauthor]

The Deevil awakens

Knight Two says, “Ready. Round 2. Fight!”

Knight Four and the Deevil box for a minute then Number Four knocks the Deevil out again.

Knight Two makes the sound, “Whoo (wü-ˈhü)! You are good at boxing. Still, we aren’t at a ley line. He’s going to heal himself faster than you are going to recharge yourself. I get the pride thing with you. Now, understand, unless you finish him, he’s going to get up again and again and again. I admit it is good for practice but after too many times it is dangerous and even kind of cruel.”
Knight Four, “Our Sixth Sense would warn us before he would attack us.”
Knight Two, “Why take that chance? It’s nature is to stir up chaos. Trusting it not to cause you trouble is like trusting an addict not to use when what their addicted to is around.”
Knight Four, “There are treatments for addiction.”
Knight Two, “For humans, who NEED to get over their addiction. Who chooses a program of treatment. This thing, it doesn’t have to get over its addiction and it doesn’t want to. It enjoys telling a really persuasive lie and setting mortals up to turn on each other and fall down. It’s like it is addicted to the Art of the Con. Its addiction won’t kill it. Like those videogame characters the City Rats played. Every time they die they respawn at the beginning of the game where they have to start over. Threw a tantrum. Didn't want to have to spend all that time over again grinding away to get back to where they died last time. Those things might as well be a video game character. You're the boss in the videogame he can’t beat so he’s trying to con you, hoping to keep you from killing it until it can stitch you up or get away. It will only play nice while you have a knife to its throat.”

The Deevil picks itself up again, looks at knight Four and says, “He’s a little closer to the bullseye than most. I’ll get bored, that’s what living forever does to you. I blink my eyes and the years fly by. You will all be dead or old and no fun, then dead. Come on, you’ve never had a chance to make fun of someone, teased them, bullied them because you're bored and you could. Told yourself you were toughening them up. If it wasn’t you it would be someone else. If it wasn’t so easy for people to lose their temper and get jealous it wouldn’t be fun. Mature people aren't’ any fun to tease. Won’t be fooled by lies they easily dispel with a little honest talking to each other. You're no fun either. I can’t fool you. I can’t turn you against each other. And I can’t beat you. The only thing new is trying ‘this.’ I’ve tried everything else. Now I can say I’ve tried everything. You could reward me for my honesty by killing me last. Lasting longer than the other, in this dimension is the only thing I can hold over others. Maybe we could even make a deal. I’ve made deals before, with Shifters. They bring us ‘here’ to do their bidding. I could do your bidding . . .

Knight Two, “Tell me, can we trust him?” Pointing at the paralyzed Deevil.
The Deevil says, “No.”
Knight Two beings stabbing the Deevil with his silver plated survival knife and motions for the Dog Boys to join him.
Knight Two, “I’m about to send this one home. How do you feel about that?”
Deevil, “He can’t stop you. I can’t stop you. Better him than me.“
Knight Two, “I have an idea. What if you sent him home?”
Deevil, “A test.” The Deevil’s human looking eyes pass back and forth between the two knights. “IF you,” look at knight Four, “command me to do it and give me your word of honor you won’t destroy me.”
Knight Two, “I’ll destroy him IF you don’t.”
“Twelve hours,” Knight Four says. “Unless you attack, cause trouble or flee.”
Knight Two, “Like that’s going to happen.”
Knight Four, “You live forever. Can’t you hold your temper for less than a day?”
Deevil, “Yes.” and holds out his hand for a weapon.
“Use your hands,” says knight two.

Punching the other already damaged Deevil, the Deevil's body becomes engulfed in flames. It burns for half a minute until it burns out.

“Now, conjure up some coal until you can’t anymore.”
The Deevil looks to knight Four who nods his head.

A pile of coal later.
“IS that ALL you’ve got?” asks knight Two.
The Deevil nods his head.
The Dog Boys nod their heads.
Knight Four nods his head too.

“Do you want to fight me?”
The Deevil nods his head.

Knight Two casts Armor of Ithan on himself and Fist of Fury
After a minute knight Two knocks the Deevil out.
The Deevil gets up after a moment.

Knight Two casts Armor of Ithan on the Dog Boy Mal and says, “Your turn.”

The fight is more evenly matched but Mal really cuts the Deevil up with his silver plated knife.

In a minute the Deevil begs knight Four for a rest so he can heal.

Watching him his body is completely healed in under two minutes.
Knight Four raises his hand to signal everyone to stop.
“This isn’t fun for you, is it?”
The Deevil turns his head down and stares at the ground.
“It is even painful. Isn’t it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“There is honor in discipline, not cruelty.”
Knight Two, “He respects strength and power and the willingness to use it. He’s seen that we can destroy him.”

Telepathically knight Two asks Four, “What’s your game here? He can’t change, at best he will fear us and be patient. He might even for a fleeting moment respect us, until we drop our guard. As things are, I’m glad you didn’t kill him. I was more curious than I thought and enjoyed testing myself against him. The fun is over. He doesn’t fear death. Our only control over him is his fear of pain and sending him back from where he came from. He will turn on us as fast as he did his partner. Listen to his thoughts yourself. It’s all a game to him. He’s planning to manipulate and use us to bring pain and suffering. Then set us up to take the fall. He is playing games with us and waiting to achieve the greatest level of retribution for his satisfaction.”

[darthauthor]

Riding their horses with Superhuman Endurance run non-stop.
The Deevil runs point where the party can shoot him.

Under the effects of a Compulsion spell leads their way to the ley line.

Upon arrival, the group digs up the zombies. The necromancers have had the zombies follow the mystic knights commands before.

They practice out their spell casting with the ley line fueling them. With great mental effort they are able to practice each of their spells they know saying the words in their head.
Note: Rifts Underseas, Page 63,
"Characters who cannot speak aloud can concentrate very deeply, saying the incantation in their mind, but can only cast one spell per melee round and it counts as three melee actions. The spoken word is really a means of focus and delivery, the magic energy is present in the spell caster no matter what the environment may be."

The Deevil is a little confused and feels a mixture of excitement and fear. Before he was outnumbered six to one. Now it is a platoon. With the necromancers demonstrating their power and the number of zombies he isn’t sure who he is working for.
These tough guys found us. Capture us all. Destroyed us. Were going to destroy me. I talked one of them out of it. Challenged me to a fight. Knocked me out twice. I barely touched him. Then his minions knocked me around. They know about my kind. They know what hurts me. Know spells that can control and destroy me. They never eat, sleep or get drunk. Never turn their back on me. See through all my attempts to turn them against each other and even me when I am invisible.
Yet I am still ‘here’ in this dimension. Why? Because I am useful. They enjoy challenging themselves and fighting. Those who bring my kind here are famous for battling with their will. These ones fight with their fists. Except for the others . . .
I could run. The dogs who walk on two legs can track me. They have my scent.
I could fight. They always keep their distance from me. And two of them with a weapon trained on me.
The human had me make a lot of coal to run me out of energy.
This ley line gives me unlimited power. As it does them. Now they have a bunch of walking corpses with wooden stakes.

The man called Four has me conjure more coal than I’d care to count but the ley line makes it easy.
He asks me questions while I am doing it. He compels me to tell him and his sidekick (from the Deevil’s point of view), Two, the truth.

• I was summoned here and stayed after the spell that brought me here ran out.

• I like Rifts Earth. The fewer Deevils the more room for him.

• I just don’t like being told what to do and I especially hate it when it's by a boring weakling.

• Deevil society is led by Lords and their subordinates. Deevil’s of Dyval, like him, are at the beck and call of their Lord’s middle men. There is no questioning of orders. It's obey or die. And here they cannot die but instead get another chance if destroyed.

The Deevil thinks:
These two are not weak. But it has been painful, at first. Now it's boring.

They take turns taking 2 hour naps in “Sheltering Force” tents. Four hours later. Four cast “Sustain” spells on the party.
They begin their march back to the mining town at the speed of the zombies. The slow speed, compared to the horses, leaves time for the Dog Boys to make notes for a map. The use of night vision goggles makes the journey easier. It is a surprise and disappointment to the Deevil who can see in the dark but with less range. They march all day and night.

Nearing the town the mystic knights radio knight One.
They give him their position and inform him of the company they keep.
The Deevil is 'Asked' to create some coal until he can't anymore. They gets looked out with See Aura and the Dog Boys senses to feel how much PPE he has left. Satisfied they have him metamorph into a human.

Knights One and Three show up. While the Atlantean and Octavia watch Fives.
Everyone sort of takes turns sparing with the Deevil.

The Deevil quickly picks up on the pecking order of who is in charge. Scratches his head wondering how he is still in this dimension by the curiousity and patience of knight number Four.
One on one any one of these characters can destory his vessel (body). He figures the only reason they are keeping him around is for their amusement.

Four tosses the Deevil his 2 liter canteen bottle and tells him to drink.
The water is refreshing.
"Got ANYTHING stronger!"
Knight Three performs a "Cleanse" spell on his fellow knights, Dog Boys, and necromancers.

Knight One says, "Don't tell the Atlantean that the necromaners figure out a way to cast spells even though their tongues are gone. He will want to start summoning vampires again. Then there will be no end to that. Lets finish what we started. At worst, the necromancers will have to wait a couple of months to get a bio-system tongue. What are they down to, 70 vampires to kill. I forgot. That is not even mentioning, the agony they went through being tortured. I don't see them being comfortable climbing back into that saddle anytime soon. For now, it is about putting the zombies to work in the mine where people who don't know about them won't see them. Make us all some coin."
Pausing to think about things.
"What do we do with the Deevil? IF we let him go, I expect people are going to die or at least suffer. It seems bad form to lead him on like this just to kill him, unless he has been trouble. Knights Two and Four shake their heads. Until we decide, he will be under three guards at all time, and one of them will be us (a mystic knight). Also, don't tell the Atlantean about him. I expect he will want to kill him."
Stopping to look the Deevil over, then look him over again with "See Aura." The Deevil's human guise was handsome and convincing.
"What do you want? I know its not working down in a mine."
"Everything I like and none of what i don"t."
"Do you get to take it with you back to Dvyil?"
"No."
"Your powers. Can't you move between dimensions all on your own? IF you want to you could leave in an instant. Go back to the dimension you came form, Dvyil."
"Yes."
"Then why haven't you?"
"Just because I have a way back to Dvyil It doesn't mean I want to or that I can come and go as I please anytime I want."
"So you would rather be here than back in Dvyil?"
"You've never been to hell, have you?"
"So one more day 'here' is better than one more day in Dvyil. Your just here for the ride . . . want it to last as long as it can."
Knight One thinks about his own life . . . leaving his House to go it on his own because he was never going to get a promotion. His leadership let him know, if he wanted to return he could, to his former position, or a lesser one . . .
"I understand. That still doesn't mean we can trust you. And your idea of fun often makes people suffer and death follows. Although, death comes for us all inevitably." Looking at the Deevil. "Well, almost all of us, at least in this dimension."

[darthauthor]

Lt / Lady Black:

After the mystic knights left the ley line took the hover truck to "Athena" and had her make the parts it needed and restored it to regular working condition. The trade was in lieu of an E-clip recharging from their last assignment "Holding the Line." Besides, "Athena" has a vested interest in keeping the supply runs going between her and the mining town.

The platoon is kind of flush with the spoils of war having reclaimed the equipment and weapons from the vampire camp.

Rotating guards from the "Circle of Travel" no one has come or gone. Explosives are rigged and there are always Dog Boys watching it ready to pull the trigger or detonate. The only other thing we can think of is to destory the circle.

The stone pyramid is not finished or at least it is not working.
There is no recharge port for their E-clips or electronics.
Lady Black does not know what to make of the situation.
The Atlantean up and left. No telling when or even IF he is going to return or finish the job. According to Wyatt he was obsessed with killing vampires.

The platoon needs food. Needs work too, work that can restore the Dog Boys sense of purpose.
Everyone is breathing a lot easier now that the vampires are dead or moved on. The mystic knights appeared to have moved on. No magic users around except for "Athena" and the Dog Boys think she is a psychic Operator.

A third to a half of the Dog Boys have seen either Sgt Wyatt or Lt Black use their psi-sword. Some out right know Wyatt is a cyber-knight and aren't telling the others. The rest are sort of in denial or refused to talk about it.

The supply runs between "Athena" and the mining town are usually uneventful but a nice change to see more human without magic or psionic powers.
A lot of the Dog Boys are wondering what the platoon is going to do next.
Lt Black explains that there will be another equinox in two and a half months.
She remembers the mining town has some trouble in its surrounding area.
Also, with some cyber-snatcher. She is curious too about the Dog Boy she left there with the newly installed cybernetics.

The questions being talked about are:
If they stay or move on?
To where would they move on?
Do they stay or come back for the next Equinox?
What do they do with their time between now and then?
Is it time they went back to the CS?
They don't feel good allowing themselves to be spell casted upon even if the spell was "Superhuman Endurance." They broke with CS regulations. Will the CS come for them to rescue them or kill them?
The dirty laundry is starting to pile up.
More than anything else, they need something to do.

Sgt Wyatt attempts to keep them busy with exercise and hiking while making fire breaks, Anything close to a monster or supernatural being withdraws from them.

[darthauthor]

Open question:

Leader / Follower

1. If you were the leader of the Dog Boy Platoon where would you lead them?
What would you want to do with them?


2. If you were the Dog Boy what would you want to do?
Where would you want your leader to take you?

[darthauthor]

The Order of the Cyber-Knights sees the Coalition States as a civilization of people conditioned to fear and indoctrinated to hate. Their military has defended their territory from demons and monsters who would otherwise destroy or enslave both humans and D-Bees.
If those same people could be shown generosity, kindness, and another means of protection without the propaganda or peer pressure or threats of what the CS would do to them for associating with undesirables (as deemed by the CS) perhaps they could change.

My understanding of the psychology of Lady Black and her apprentice cyber-knight Sir Wyatt are that the work the CS does to marshal humanity to defend itself is a good thing. It's good when they defend innocent humans from entities, evil spell casters, monsters, Splurgorth Slavers, supernatural predators, the Xitixic, and vampires. It's bad when they make second class citizens and slaves of D-Bees, Dog Boys, mutants, Psi-stalkers, and psychic humans.

They way they see it, the Dog Boys can do the same work without and get treated with respect.

They want the Dog Boys to come to see the second class citizens of the CS as not with the prejudices of the CS but as people who should NOT be judged by the label the CS gave them but by their motivations and deeds.
The village elders came to them for help. They feared a monster might come through a rift.
The Atlantean wanted to build a stone pyramid that would prevent storms and randoms Rifts. His deeds, if completed would be good for the local people.
He stopped to hunt vampires.
Vampires are feed off of people and make parasites like themselves. Make enough and they could bring over a vampire intelligence.
Even though the Atlantean used magic he used it for good.
The mystic knights were subservant to the Alantean. They used their magic to protect themselves, each other, the Atlantean and the Dog Boys. In the end, they used their magic, like "Athena" to repair their armor, equipment, and weapons as well as recharge their E-clips.

Magic is not evil. People who choose to use magic to enslave and harm the innocent are.

For now, Lt Black and Sgt Wyatt fly the hover truck back and forth between "Athena" and the mining town. Athena recharges the trucks batteries and fixes the broken in exchange for a cut. Then Lt Black has the Dog Boys drive the hover truck back to the mining town to repeat the process.
The results are that the towns people are keeping things that they would have otherwise had to repair at great expense, replace or live without. As far as their safety and comfort goes, the town's people are better for it.

[darthauthor]

Lady Black arrives in the mining town.

Dropping off another shipment of mended and repaired goods she notices the town is different.

There is a stone tower. The mystic knight known only by the alias “One” stands on top looking down upon her from above. On the periphery of her senses Lady Black can feel the supernatural.
Knight One’s voice booms down on Lady Black, “What are you doing here?”
Lady Black, “My business is my own.”
The two stared at each other.
“First the ley line, now this town. Are you following me?”
“You flatter yourself, mystic knight.” Pausing to stare at each other. “Now answer me. Why do I feel a supernatural presence in this town that was not here before?”
Knight One smirks and says, “As you said, my business is my own.”
Lady Black, “No. My business is my own. Yours is mine to meddle in whenever and however I choose.”
Knight One stared seriously at Lady Black. Then says, “Our last fight I held back. I won’t if you get in my way . . .”

Octavia (with Fives sitting on her shoulders) and the Atlantean join Lady Black.
The Atlantean in the ancient Greek language of his people, “Lady Black! Welcome. Impressive, isn’t it (motioning toward the tower). Allow me to show you around.”
The Atlantean leads Lady Black around the tower and into it. One seamless stone piece molded by the hands of the Stone Mage. There were no stairs so much as a slope that circled around the inside of the tower.

The ground floor is a medical clinic (Lady Black guesses because they don't have to take people up and down floors). Stone beds lined the walls with animal skins making the mattress and blankets. They were mostly children. Knight Three is attending to the patients. Lady Black could tell he was out of energy. He’s caring for the kids with his medical kit and skills.

There is no trace or scent of food. They must still be using magic.

Traveling to the top the second floor is a barracks. The five vampire victims were resting there talking with each other.
Passing the third floor, Lady Black came out on the top of the tower were she could see the town from above.
Sitting down to talk she could tell knight One was using the tongue spells to keep up. He quickly became aware that Lady Black and her Dog Boy crew are the ones taking things back and forth to the ley line. While she hears of the work that they have been doing in the town.
Octavia has been entertaining the people and calling it campaigning. She tells them stories of the wolfen people and galactic history. Is the official town scribe and artist. Part of her approach is to make a picture or drawing of everyone.
She is teaching the mystic knights some skills they are interested in learning: Basic Wilderness Survival, Math: Basic, W.P. knife and they take turns listening to her stories on history.

The town has news. Using their connections and the Spell Magic Pigeon an Earth Warlock is on their way. They are expected to help with the mine and refining the ore taken out of it.
The people live mostly in tents and wagons. With the stone tower taking shape people are seeing the town differently. Now there is a stone oven fueled by coal that the knights bring in from somewhere. Fewer people are working in the mine. Their jobs were taken so to speak. This hurt the jobs but the increased mining production created more. The people have not seen the new miners but believe them to be bots.
They complained for a while until new jobs were announced. Now they aren't losing fingers, being crushed in cave-ins, and have lungs full of dirt.
Instead they are hunting and gathering. Wood collection and land development. They even sell their energy to the stone mage.

The mystic knights along with their Dog Boy scouts are making maps of the town area and surrounding countryside. The Stone Mage is using these maps to recreate a larger and more beautiful version in stone in the town square. They even have a new sun-dial.

Knight One asks, "The hover truck. It needs battery recharging and parts. How are you keeping the hover truck running?"
Lady Black, "That's my business."
Octavia and the Atlantean look back and forth between the two.
Lady Black, "What's the story on the new miners?"
Knight One smirks and says, "That's my business."
Lady Black stares at him in frustration. Then says, "Why are you even bothering with all this? I thought you wanted to build a stone pyramid."
The Atlantean replies, "After the necromancers lost their tongues they couldn't summon wild vampires any longer. They and Fives had a hard time after being bitten. So we decided it would be safer for them to stay in this town. After we have set them up I will return to finish what I started."
Lady Black, "So, all of this is to make sure Fives is safe and comfortable."
Knight One, "Yes."
Lady Black, "What about that supernatural presence I felt when I came into town?"
Knight One, "I set up camp here first. This is my hunting grounds. We have got our own things going on here. IF there is some creature of magic here or passing through the capture and kill will go to the Atlantean. Stay out of my territory."
Lady Black, "You should know something about me. I hate being told what to do."
With that Lady Black got up and left the tower.

She asked around a bit but ultimately marched straight to the mine.
There she saw the mystic knights Dog Boys security and knight known by the alias Two.
Lady Black and Two stared each other down. He is ready to fight. More than that, he was bored and looked forward to it. They outnumber her. She could feel the energy inside him. She remembered that she didn't really beat him last time they fought; and he held back.
The Dog Boys drew the Northern Gun energy rifles and pointed them at Lady Black.
Knight Two signals the Dog Boys to stay their hand while he jumps in.

He starts the fist fight.
1st round they parry each others blows.
2nd round Knight Two damages her SDC.
3rd round Knight Two knocks Lady Black out.

Coming to on a bed in the stone tower clinic Lady Black has a splitting headache.

Knight One, the Atlantean, Octavia and knight Three are by her bedside.
Knight Three, "She's awake."

Lady Black / CS Lt Black (The Widow)

Real name: Emerais (means “Honor of the North”) of the Spider Tribe.

Level: 10th level Crusader Cyber-Knight; Master of CK Wyatt

Race: Psi-Stalker; Born of the Spider Tribe

Alignment: Scrupulous

I.Q.: 12
M.E.: 23
M.A.: 18 (intimidate 55%)
P.S.: 29
P.P.: 18
P.E.: 25
P.B.: 7
Spd: 30

Hit Points: 62
S.D.C.: 95
I.S.P.: 115

Height: Six feet, 2 inches. Weight: 186 lbs.

Special Psi-Stalker Abilities:
1. Sense Psychic and Magic Energy:
Sensitivity to psionic and magic powers being used is 1,500 feet.
When not being used 230 feet.
Sense ley lines or a nexus point from up to 19 miles.
Stalk/track a specific psychic scent. Base Skill: 65%
Sense psionic powers or magic are being used 98%
Recognize the scent again if encountered at some other time: 65%
When tracking a psychic scent, roll percentile dice every 1,000 feet (300 m) to see if the hunter is still on the trail. I.S.P. : None, automatic.

2. Recognize Psychic Scent:
90% and includes demons, vampires, and Entities.
80% to tracking by psychic scent when not using its abilities
98% if the supernatural being is expending psionic or magical energy.
Duration: Automatic and constant. I.S.P. : None, an automatic ability.
6. Nourishment: Needs only 50 PPE from mage, psychic, or supernatural.
7. Psionic Powers: Astral Projection (8; 50 minutes), Clairvoyance (4; 67%), Create Psi-Sword (0); Create Psi-Shield (15; 80 MD); Intuitive Combat (10; 5 minutes), Meditation (0), See the Invisible (4; 10 minutes), Sixth Sense (2), Telepathy (4; 20 minutes-500 ft 2 way communication),
8. Psionic Empathy with Animals.
9. Mega-Damage Combat. S.D.C. and hit points add together to become MD when fighting a supernatural opponent.
10. Cyber-Knight Zen Combat Level 10

Description: Has lots of scars and the traditional black spider tattoo of her people.

Personality: Lady Black is a psi-stalker first and a cyber-knight second. She is proud of her heritage, her tribe, and the Black Spider psi-stalkers as a whole. At her core is the drive to maintain the honor of her tribe. While her personal prejudice is against supernatural predators. To this end she spends some half her time fighting Xiticix. Somewhat foolishly she seeks duels with Xiticix super warriors. While her idea of a vacation is a mixed bag of sorts: Transporting Xiticix meat to surrounding villages and challenging herself with hunting vampires in Texas.

Note: Mega-Damage via Cyber-armor: None. Lady Black Widow declined the standard mechanical augmentation. She thinks that fighting with only external armor, like the people of her tribe, is fighting at the same level as her opponents and believes if her opponent is truly evil her psi-stalker nature will compensate as it turns her into a MD being. An added bonus is that she is able to pass for a standard Civilized Psi-Stalker in the CS. Something that would be difficult to explain with cyber-armor. This is a lesson her apprentice, Sir Wyatt, followed although his motivations had more to do with passing for Dog Boy and becoming a Cyber-Knight as quickly as he could.
Furthermore, Lady Black also limits herself in the use of techno-wizardry items. The exceptions she makes in this are in her battles against the Xiticix. She feels the fight is more fair if she gets to use the Xiticix own weapons (including TW blasters & rifles) against them.
When not pretending to be a CS Psi-Stalker she typically wears armor fashioned from Xiticix Warriors (60 MD). She also toys with the idea of killing supernatural monsters while in Xiticix armor and with Xiticix weapons as a way of getting people to notice them and the threat they are.

Cyber-Knight Combat Abilities: Zen Combat, Paired Weapons

Cyber-knight O.C.C. Skills:
Anthropology 90%
Body Building
Climbing 98%
Gymnastics: Backflip 93%
Horsemanship: Cyber-Knight 98/96%
Land Navigation 85%
Lore: Demon & Monster 95%,
Paramedic 95%
Swimming 98%

W.P.: Knife +9 to strike / +11 to parry / +13 to thrown
2nd level: W.P. Shield +11 to parry / +6 to strike
W.P. Sword +9 to strike /+12 (Psi-5d6 MD),
W.P. Energy Pistol +5
W.P. Energy Rifle +5

Hand to Hand: Attacks 9 (10 against the supernatural; 11 with paired)
+ 7 on initiative
+7 on Perception Rolls; +12 to ID demons
+4 to strike Hand to Hand; Critical Strike on 18+, +5 to pull punch
+8 to parry and dodge Hand to Hand
+2 to entangle Hand to Hand
+6 to disarm Hand to Hand
+7 to Roll with impact
+5 to save vs mind control and mind altering drugs
+11 to save vs Horror Factor.
+5 to save vs possession
+6 to save vs insanity
+9 to save vs magic.
+5 to save vs poison
Leap six feet (1.8 m) high or 10 feet (3 m) long +2 feet when running

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Two Physical skills:
Boxing & Prowl 80%,
Three Weapon Proficiencies:
W.P. Archery: 9 attacks, +8 to strike
W.P. Targeting: +7 to strike
W.P. Whip: +7 to strike, +9 disarm, and +5 entangle

Detect Ambush: 80%
Escape Artist: 80%
Tracking: 75%*
Field Armourer & Munitions 90% (Basic Mechanics: 75%)
Intelligence: 73%
Undercover Ops: 80% (pretend a CS Psi-Stalker)
Weapon Systems: 85%
• +5%* to sense and track the supernatural and Xiticix.

Level 3: Two O.C.C. Related skills towards Demon Slayer Adv Training
Demon Slayer Advanced Training
Paramedic: 95%
Lore: Demons and Monsters: 95%
Lore: Magic: 80%
Whittling:
98% to making weapons, stakes, spears, clubs from wood, bone, etc.
85% for sculptures and works of art.
Recognize Signs / Trademarks of the Demonic. Base Skill: 84%
Demon Hunter AT Bonuses: + 1 attack per melee facing a supernatural opponent.

Secondary:
Horsemanship: Exotic Animals 75%/65% (+15% to non-predaitors)
Pilot: Hovercycle: 97%
Pilot: Hovercraft (Ground): 95%
Radio: Basic: 90%
Read Sensory Equipment: 75%
Wilderness Survival: 85%.

5th Level Secondary:
Camouflage: 45%
Lore: Psychics & Psionics: 55%
Level 5:
W.P. Axe: +6 to strike / +10 to parry
W.P. Grappling Hook: +5 to strike / +3 to entangle
W.P. Spear: +6 to strike

Level 9:
Fencing
Outdoorsmanship

10th Level Secondary:
Athletics: General
Running

Equipment: Coalition "Dead Boy" armor, signal mirror, a couple sets of clothing, sleeping bag, backpack, pack for stowing equipment, utility-belt, canteen, sunglasses, gas mask.
CS Energy Rifle and pistol 7 E-Clips, a Vibro-Knife, a wooden cross, a wood and bone knife.

[darthauthor]

"I want a rematch. He only won because of a lucky punch!" said Lady Black.

Knight One, "It's a little late for that considering he already left with my hover truck."

Lady Black, "You got another one?"

Knight One, "I accepted you graciously returned my hover truck in working order."

Lady Black, "You stole my truck."

Knight One, "Any dispute you have about who owns the hover truck I agree to resolve by the judgment of the Atlantean." Handing the title of ownership for the hover truck to the Atlantean. "And if there is any question of payment or what is owed. I would refer to the absence of any signed contract between Lady Black and anyone in this outfit. Furthermore, not being a resident of the community, Lady Black is not included in our health care plan. I can write up her bill for medical services rendered. It would amount to one hover truck. I'm not including her attack on a guard stationed at the entrance to the mine. Coming and going from the mine now requires a permit for safety. Wouldn't want anyone drunk going down there or kids and teenagers playing hide and seek. Doesn't even cost any money. Pretty much just have to ask permission, be of age and not drunk, sick, or sleepy. Considering this is your first offense I'm going to recommend to the judge (motioning to the Atlantean) that you kicked out of town for a week or two."

Lady Black, "Wait. I didn't know anything about these new rules. Besides, I'm the town hero."

Knight One, "Your old news. The Atlantean is the town hero now. Everyone looks up to his tower and him for making it."

Lady Black, "I'm not letting you get away with this."

Knight One, "Is that a threat?" Turning his head to the Atlantean. "Your honor?"

Lady Black, "This isn't a courtroom. This isn't a trail. You can't just make up laws and decide fines and punishments however you want."

Knight One, "Your honor. I felt the same way about my hover truck when she took off with it and said it was her payment without my being asked or my agreeing to it."
The Atlantean looks at Lady Black as she gets off the table. Then began to ask her basic questions:
"Do you have a contract? Did you ask for the truck as payment before you rendered your services?"
After some discussion in Atlantean Greek language Lady Black accepts that she is not getting the truck back for the reasons she has put forth.
The Atlantean, "As for the good of the local community, the Atlantean will consider having a discussion about the matter with knight One. While inspecting the mine for funny business or some suspicion that something is going on down there that knight One doesn't want her to know about, the Atlantean will do the inspecting. Being a stone mage he is quite at home underground and is immune to many of the hazards that are naturally present. No exception is necessary for Lady Black to remain in violation of her sentence punishment of temporary exile. Her and her Dog Boys can leave town on foot with the payment they came to collect. IF they want they can carry their next load of goods in need of recharge or repair to whomever they want to keep secret who is repairing it for them."

After some more talking. Lady Black learns about Octavia campaigning to be the mayor. Seeing a way to take advantage of the opportunity Lady Black nominates herself for the position so the people can have someone else to vote for, not just Octavia by default. She then has a talk with the Atlantean. Lady Black claims that not to be allowed to be seen and heard by the people would be a crime against the freedom of the people to vote. Nothing in her punishment says that she can't run for political office.
The Atlantean describes that she is trying to make a loop-hole to come and go from the town and move about it as she pleases. Still, it is not his place to stop people from voting. Lady Black will be allowed to campaign in the town but not provoke the mystic knights. So any attempt to read their minds, follow them, spy on them or interfer with them would be breaking her word of honor. Likewise, if she saw them she should look away or go someplace else. Whenever you get around them it is too easy for a fight to break out between you. The mine, the stone tower, and the hover truck are off limits. She is not to come within 100 feet of them. She may not stay the night in the town but may by or sell her goods and services. Having faith in the Order of the Cyber-Knights and in the Code of Chivarly the Atlantean makes these changes. IF Lady Black should break the trust he has in her and those under her command he will not trust her again and will report her to her Order.
With that Lady Widow and her Dog Boys camp outside the town that night. She explains to her two Dog Boys that the mystic knights took back their hover truck. It seems they disagreed about who it should belong to and held a sort of trial that determined the knights claim was stronger than hers. She thinks that she can get them to give her and the Dog Boys a ride back to the Dog Boy camp. However, she believes that the knights are up to something, in the mine, and wants to find out what it is. She suspects but does not know it has something to do with a fleeting sense she got of a supernatural presence.
Then she explains that she is offically running for mayor of the mining town. She does not expect to get enough votes but she doesn't need to win it. Her real reason for doing it is to stay in town long enough to find out the goings on it. She trusts the Atlantean but not the knights. She could not, honorably, accuse or challenge the knights in front of the Atlantean without evidence. They have not done anything, that she knows of, that is illegal or dishonorable.

[darthauthor]

The day begins with Lady Black in town speaking with the people.

It seems that ore keeps coming out. No one has since the miners who mine. As far as anyone can tell they eat, sleep and work down there.
“Who knows? Maybe they come out at night, when we are asleep, and we don’t see them. Never seen a robot. Maybe it is one of them new fangled ones. Lots of new things are happening. Earth Warlock is on the way. Doc Three cured my headache, ache in my arm, fixed Jane’s coughing . . . The tan one uses his hands to do surgery. There isn’t an injured or sick child in the town who isn’t better for him. The Dog Lady is a great storyteller. Puts on a good show with the hologram thing. Biggest yarn I have ever seen and heard but a good story all the same. Town building a stone wall. A water tower. Who knows what’s next . . . ”

The hover truck arrives with 12 tons of coal.

After nosing around and asking questions it appears that knight Four took some convict labor to get the coal. It was never really clear if they were mining it or just moving it. Regardless, the convicts are still at the work site. Evidently, it is common, here, for those convicted of serious crimes, if they are not to be killed for them, to work for their food and clothes. So what used to pass for the law around here 'rented' them out for labor. With the mining jobs lost this seemed like an enviable offer.
Town is getting coal. It quickly gets passed around and the town's stone oven gets fired up.

The general understanding is that the next truck back will pick up the convicts and bring them back on the next run. Didn't want to bring them so they would have cargo room and safety considerations. Besides, if those convicts run for it they would probably be caught or dead in a day or two. What with the knights saying that they would bring them back alive or with proof of their death. The convicts knew that and knew the knights could kill them if they ran or attacked them. With the food, water, tools, and clothes covered by the knights it was hard to say no to the deal. Knight Two watching over them shouldn't be a problem.

Part of the day the people reclaim the wilderness. Cutting down trees and tilling the soil they prepare the ground.
Stones are carried to the stone mage who molds them into a ground floor kitchen next to his tower.
The children are practicing lessons in meditation and sharing their personal energy. The mystic knights use this to cast spells such as Cleanse. People are smelling better.

Some magic pigeons come and go. Lady Black presumes they are from the mystic knights.

The mystic knights make the hover truck ready.
They slicit cargo from the people. Knight Three is going to return to the ley line to mend and recharge items.
Seeing the opportunity Lady Black asks for a ride to her Dog Boy camp.
After some talk it is agreed.
Lady Black says good bye to the Atlantean after informing him she is heading back to her Dog Boy camp.
When the Atlantean asks what she will do next, she replies, "We shall see."
Lady Black knows she is giving the mystic knights a pass by leaving but she's not in any position to make demands. Besides, she expects the Atlantean to return to his stone pyramind some day.

During the ride back she asks knight Three, "What all the "Magic Pigeons" were all about?"
He replies, "Wasn't me. Wasn't there. Boss tells me what I need to know and I don't know anything about it. And as long as we are asking each other questions. What's with you running for mayor? And what's with the you and the CS? You really believe in all they are about?"
Lady Black, "It's complicated."

Dropping Lady Black off at the Dog Boys camp. The hover truck goes the few miles to the knights old ley line camp.

Lady Black catches Sir Wyatt / Sgt Wyatt up on what went on in the town.
She tells him to go find out what the knights are doing with the convicts at the ley line.

[darthauthor]

Nosing around the pyramid site at the ley line Sir Wyatt sees some convicts. Some are dead.

The hover truck is being loaded.

Wyatt asks, "What happened?"

Knights Two, Three and Four notice Wyatt.

Knight Two says, "We don't need your help. We have the situation in hand."
Wyatt senses the presence of a supernatural being but cannot pinpoint it due to the ley line.
Judging by the look of the dead convicts they were killed by the bare hands of mortal men. During his time as a lawman, sir Wyatt has seen a few bar fights and brawls. Their hands and faces show they had been fighting with their fists. Their necks look like they were strangled by human hands with only mortal strength. Best guess of the crime scene, these convicts killed each other.

Wyatt says, "We are not alone. I sense the presence of a supernatural evil being. Have a look around you for someone hiding with invisiblity. Check each other out for possession or a shapeshifter."
Knight Two, "We already have. You are the only one to show up who doesn't belong here. It hardly matters though, we were just about to leave."
They begin tossing the dead convicts on the back of the truck. Jump on board and take off suspiciously fast.
As they leave Wyatt's sense of a supernatural presence leaves the area as well.
He also notices they are not headed in the direction of the mining town.
They are headed in the direction of the magic circle of travel..

Wyatt's close proximity to the ley line interferes with his radio so he runs to the Dog Boy camp to tell Lady / Lt. Black. The Dog Boys at the Circle of Travel site can't get radio either. They typically run a mile and radio in every two hours.

Black and Wyatt run with the Dogs to the Circle of Travel.

When they get there they find:

Their explosives on the "Circle of Travel" have been disarmed.

The Dog Boys are subdued in a "Magic Net."
Lt Black and Sgt Wyatt can guess their energy weapons didn't do anything to the mystic knights.

The mystic knights have some more people among them. Judging by the clothes, one of them is an Earth Warlock.

"You are under arrest!" Shouts Lt Black.
Knight Two, "This is not one of the Coalition States. You have no authority out here. You didn't make this magic circle. It is not yours to forbid or charge a toll for using. Your little explosive stunt kept anyone from using it. So that's done now."
Knight Four, "You shouldn't challenge us on this. Your Dog Boys are alives. Everyone is alive. We have the ley line in our favor and your guns can't hurt us. We used this magic so the Earth Warlock can take the express to get here. You were in the village yesterday. You know they are expecting one and now she has arrived. This way we don't have to wait weeks."
Knight Two, "We will be the gatekeepers for this magic circle now."
Lt Black, "You can't just come here, do this, and go as you like."
Knight Two, "You did."
It fells like a bucket of cold water was throne on Lt Black. She stares at him.
Knight Two, "Never told us about 'this' or your explosive operation you were planning. If you won't tell us what you are planning, why should we tell you our plans?"
Lt Black, "The vampires came through that magic circle."
Knight Two, "Did you see them? That's the only way you can know for certain. I know those things can change into bats and fly away. And if some vampires should come out of that circle, the more of them we can destroy. We destroyed a lot of vampires. We are good at it. You never had any complaints about our killing vampires before." 
Knight Four, "You should REALLY let this one go."
Lady Black telepathically communicates with Wyatt:
"Vibro-Blades and handgrenades are all troops have against them. Unless we show the platoon EVERYTHING we can do."
Wyatt, "We can defend ourselves. The Dog Boys can't. The new arrivals, the Earth Warlock, don't deserve to be caught in the mix. They could get hurt. No one has killed anyone, so far. IF we attack now, and we win they will be dead, maimed or run off. We will be enemies from here on out. The Atlantean will want to know why. Winning the argument with the Atlantean seems to be the key to these mystic knights. Battle, even after we win, will likely get some bystandars and our own people hurt or dead."

Lt Black to the mystic knights, "I'm going back to the village with you."
Knight Two, "Why? You just got back here. And why should we take you? What is in it for us?"
Knight Four, "You can always hike back to town. And when you get there, the town will be better for what we are doing. Besides, the ride is a bit crowded as it is."
Lt Black, "Not with a couple of you staying behind to guard the magic circle."
Knight Two says, "That still doesn't get us anything for taking you back. We both know how this works out. The Atlantean. He will approve of the Earth Warlock. The Circle of Travel. By the time you get there. on foot, it will be old news. Besides, it will probably cool off that temper of yours."
Lt Black, "Yeah. I'm angry. Go on. Leave me here with the Circle of Travel that can be destroyed. I'm sure after a couple of days my temper will cool off . . ."

Knights Two and Three agree to stay behind with the living convicts.
Lady Black and Knight Four returning to the mining town with the dead convicts and cargo.
No one is really angry or displeased by the death of the convicts or the explanation of how they turned on each other. Of course, the mystic knight who was telling the story had a mind block up while he was telling it but that is that.
The under employed people hurry themselves with the unloading of the cargo. The Earth Warlock made good use of the ley line to create some clay, sand, and wood. The people are pleased to get some work. They get to work on the preparation of the wood.

A hispanic they call "The Craftsman" gets to work on the clay. He has the power of pyrokinesis and is quite good with his hands. An excellent blacksmith too. Also, he can cook.

The Craftsman

Born in Mexico, the Craftsman grew up in a small fishing village. He developed the uncanny pyrokinetic abilities of a Burster. Unfortunately, his powers did not damage vampires or demons immune to fire. So he focused on developing his skills that complimented his talents with fire and heat. Blacksmithing and cooking became the profession he is most known for doing without the need for a furnace or oven range.

When he returned to his village from a fishing trip his people were taken by slavers. No trace was left behind but the belief was that they were taken to Atlantis by the Horune Pirates.

Burster O.C.C.

1. Impervious to Fire and Heat: A psionic aura radiates around the Burster, making him and what he is wearing, completely impervious to fire and heat. Even Mega-Damage plasma, napalm, a dragon's fire breath, and magic fires do nothing. Unaffected by smoke. Vision is only slightly obscured, roughly half. This protective aura even helps protect against electricity (M.D. attacks inflict half damage, S.D.C. attacks just tingle).

This character never sweats and loves hot, spicy foods; can eat 'em without any adverse effect

2. Extinguish Fires: The Burster can instantly put out flames.

3. Flame Burst (Self): ISP. (4); 60 M.D.C. armor renews 3D6 per melee

4. Fire Bolt: Range: 300 feet. Counts as one melee action/attack.

Bonus to Strike: +4; line of sight.
Mini-bolt 2D6 S.D.C./Hit Points,
Med bolt 4D6 SDC,
Heavy bolt 6D6 S.D.C., or
Mega-Damage plasma bolt: 2D6 M.D.
Cost: Two I.S.P. for any S.D.C. blast, and four for an M.D. blast.

5. Fire Eruption: under 20 feet area the damage is 2D6 M.D; 20 foot (6 m) area is 4D6 M.D. and 40 feet (12.2 m) or bigger is 6D6 M.D. per melee round or whenever somebody tries to run through it. Max Size: 45 foot area

6. Sense Fire: Must concentrate for a moment (15 seconds). A moment later, he receives psychic impressions that indicate the approximate size, distance, general direction. He can also tell whether it is contained, spreading slowly, or raging out of control, as well as whether it
is a natural/accidental fire or an intentional/man-made or magical fire (arson), and how long it has been burning (minutes, hours, days). The psychic can also examine burnt objects or ashes and effectively "object read" them to get an impression of how long ago the fire last burned and whether it was natural or man-made. This affinity with fire also enables the Burster to recognize Fire Elementals and sense the presence of supernatural creatures of fire, including Fire Elementals of all kinds, fire-based demons.

7. Super Fuel Flame: The character can feed a fire with psychic energy, increasing its size by as little as twofold or as much as 10 times.
Range: 600 feet.
Area Effect: 120 foot area.
Damage: Increased proportional to the size of the fire; G.M. discretion.
I.S.P. Cost: 8.

8. Psionic Powers: Bio-Regenerate (self; 6), Meditation (0), Mind Block (4), Resist Thirst (6), See Aura (6), Telekinesis (varies)

Saving Throw Versus Psionic Attack: 10 or higher.

R.C.C. Bonuses:
+2 on initiative
+1 to strike
+1 on Perception Rolls
+3 to save vs Horror Factor

I.Q:11 M.E.:18 M.A.:11 P.S.:19 PP:14 P.E.:16 P.B.:9 Spd:16

SDC: 46
Hit Points: 37
I.S.P.: 148
P.P.E.: 7

Burster O.C.C. Skills:
Language: Spanish 98% & American 95%
Athletics (General), Land Navigation 66%, Math: Basic 90%
Boats: Paddle Types: 85%, Boats: Ships 80/75%
Streetwise: 50%
W.P. Blunt +3 to strike
W.P. Knife +2 to strike, +3 to parry, +3 to throw
W.P. Harpoon & Spear Gun:
Hand to Hand: Expert 6th level:
5 attacks per melee
+2 on initiative
+3 to strike
Critical Strike on an unmodified roll of 18+
+4 to parry & dodge

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Blacksmith: 75%, Commercial Fish: 65%, Cook: 70%,
Gymnastics (climb 25%, prowl 30%), Lore: Demons & Monsters 60%, Outdoorsmanship, Sewing 80%

Secondary Skills:
Boat Building: 60%, Carpentry: 50%, Garden (farming) 56%, Identify Plants & Fruits: 55%, Leather Working: 45%, Rope Works: 55%, Skin & Prepare Animal Hides 45%, Track/Trap Animals 35/45%, Whittling & Sculpting: 30%, Wilderness Survival: 60%

Items of Note: Fish Skin Armor (60 MD, gray and black; waterproof and without movement penalties, Gift from a Lemurian), cross around neck. one extra set of traveling clothes, a backpack with a survival kit, two water skins, preserved food for a week, wooden mallet, and some personal items. Cast iron pot, cooking knives and spices. Hammer for smithing. Can handle flame and burning metal with hands. Wooden stakes (6)

[darthauthor]

The town is bustling with activity.

The aroma of cooked food cascades through the air.

The Earth Warlock provides all the stone the stone mage needs to expand the tower he started with. A castle wall now connects the tower he started with to another tower he builds.

The Atlantean says, “With the Earth Warlock’s help I will have all the stone I need to finish the stone pyramid.”
Even though the Atlantean is a stone mage the Earth Warlock is not going to give him her services for free. The Atlantean’s problem is one of how much he can claim from the mine or some other resource.

Everyone is impressed by the Earth Warlock:
She has dug a hole for a root cellar.
She can refine the ore from the mine. The only reason the Warlock did it was for people to see that she could. Refining the ore saves a lot of transportation. The ore will be hauled to the ley line, use her magic to refine it, and leave the junk behind.

The presence of the Earth Warlock makes Octavia look good to the people. Public opinion favors her. Her stories continue to entertain the people and her teaching is winning them over.

The Atlantean continues to treat people with his healing psionics for free. However, people notice knight Three is not around. His healing magic is a mercy. Still, without miners in the mine people aren't losing their fingers anymore and they are not cough up dirt and dust.

The people are building houses with wood and stone. The seed the town visitors brought is being planted. There is talk that the Warlock's magic will make the crop yields great. Regardless, they have clay and sand to help.

Lady Black can't feel the supernatural presence any longer. Whatever it was, it is not here any longer. All that leaves is what is going on in the mine. A place she is still forbidden to go.

The townspeople are better off for whatever is going on. There is plenty of ore coming out of the mine and nobody's getting hurt.
The new Warlock claims to be from Lazlo by birth. She is well educated and used to building mills and electricity generators powered by the wind and water. Plus she is a veterinarian and a natural at Holistic medicine.
The Craftsman makes the most use of his power to handle fire and red hot metals. He misses fishing though and really wants to go.

Fives is feeling a lot better and is talking and playing games with the other kids. It seems as though the high spirits of the town rises the spirit Fives. She responds to their happiness with her own.

Knight One keeps sending Magic Pigeons. He tries to hid it but he has anxiety.

Out of energy, they load up the hover truck.
The Atlantean asks if Lady Black is staying or going. After some talk, the Atlantean is of the point of view that the mystic knights subdued her Dog Boy squad at the Circle of Travel. The Atlantean wants to see the Circle of Travel. He wants to go through it to see what is on the other side.

He is going.
The Earth Warlock is going.
Knight One is going with the Atlantean.
Lady Black decides to go along for the ride.
.

[darthauthor]

Location: The construction grounds of the stone pyramid.

The Earth Warlock provides the Atlantean with all the stone he needs to complete the pyramind. Placement is easy for the Warlock droping it right where the Atlantean needs it. He molds it together with his power.

The moment it comes together is momentous and beautiful. It brings a tear to the eye of the Atlantean. When the sun goes down the lights come on.

All at once the power of the ley line is denied to everyone.
Only the Earth Warlock and the Atlantean (while on the stone pyramid) can feed off the ley lines PPE.

The Atlantean, "No more ley line storms. No more random rifts."

Taking a tour of the Stone Pyramind it is an impressive sight to behold. The system inside of it can supply electical power by converting the PPE to electricity. The controls have to be reworked a bit to make them user friendly but the results are that the pyramid can operate in a variety of ways to recharge or supply electrical power to machines that run off of them.
The rest of the interior space is a bit empty of furnishings and multi-purpose.
The Atlantean explains that his design was a bit of an idea he had during his apprenticeship. A lot of his stone master teachers are kind of lazy in their designs and just want to keep making the same predictable one, over and over again. It is safe and reliable but not very flexible. They said he would understand things better when he was older.

The Atlantean begins immortalizing the Earth Warlock and himself in shaping stone into their likeness on the wall as its builders.

[darthauthor]

It is the next day.

The Atlantean working on a stone defense obelisk. It will effectively become a turret that will be operated from the stone pyramid.

The Dog Boy platoon finds Lt Black at the stone pyramid. They mention how they can’t feel their senses overwhelmed by the ley line anymore. They want to know what happened.

Lt Black explains that the Atlantean has finished his stone pyramid. It naturally followed it would work like a dam and hold the energy of the ley line at bay.
This is what the platoon, Cerberus, has been working for. Well, this, and slaying vampires.
The Dog Boys want to know, “What happens now?”

Lt Black explains that security for the stone pyramid has to be worked out. The Atlantean people consider it their responsibility to ensure these stone pyramids don't do harm. They are built with a number of safety features but still must be guarded. No one who would use the pyramid for evil can be allowed to control it. Demons and what not might try to destroy the pyramid to let the ley line run wild.
As it is, spell casters and psychics can no longer receive energy from the ley line and their powers are not magnified. Lt Black assures her Dog Boys that, according to the Coalition States, this is a good thing and they would approve of it. Just like they would be happy if we kept it from evil spell casters control.
Another thing, the stone pyramid can transfer electrical energy without wires. I heard some human thought of the idea a long time ago. Tesla or something. Anyway the pyramid can recharge our Eclips and electrically powered equipment. This is good for us!
The pyramid also supplies clean water, and outdoor and indoor lighting.
Radios will work now unless someone at the controls tries to jam them.

Knight One, "Protection of the stone pyramid is mine, for now." He looks at the Atlantean.
The Atlantean, "My people will send Tattoo Defenders. They will be here as soon as it is convenient. I sort of took the initiative to prove myself. Now that all the work is done I am responsible for keeping it from anyone the Aerihman Clan would not want, even if it means destroying it. Eventually the message sent by Magic Pigeons will lead my people to these coordinates. Even though it could be weeks or months, we will defend it until they arrive. As for Lady Black and the Dog Boys who follow her, by my decree, she and her followers will have the privilege of benefiting from the pyramid until my Clan leaders say otherwise."

Note: The only thing, known to be unique, about this location is the ley line. The power from it is now localized to the stone pyramid which is now, effectively an electical power plant and water supply. IF food can be produced or imported the ground zero of the stone pyramid has the makings of a town center.

[darthauthor]

Location: Circle of Travel located near the now stone pyramid contained ley line.

Cerberus Dog Boy Squad Theta.

Gathered around a fire the Cail feels out his Dog Boy squad.
Across from their camp the mystic knights Two and Three sit back to back exchanging talk. Three always has a radio piece in his ear. The rest of their camp consists of their five living convict labor who are unable to sleep.
The Dog Boys are restless. The ley line stopped putting out its energy overcoming the Boys senses. Their senses are clear and they like it. But it makes everything else stand out to them like the magical energy inside the mystic knights.
The radio message came in from Sergeant Wyatt that with the ley line contained they can now communicate easily over radio. He tells them the CS would approve of the control of the ley line. Ask them how they like it now that their senses are clear. The stone building is supposed to keep it that way and stop things like monsters coming out of Rifts when the next equinox comes along.

Says that negotiations are going on between Lt Black and the stone pyramid builder.
Guard duty rotations are still in place and they will fall back to the stone pyramid as they are moving camp to surround it. There is fresh water, lighting, and electrical power around the stone building.
Military fortifications are already in place; thanks to the knights.

The Dog Boys express that they are excited and nervous and hate sitting around. Unsure of the future and what they will do in it they ask their psi-stalker sergeant what is going to happen next. Will they ever return to the CS? IF they do, will they be heroes or deserters? Are they guilty of associating with magic and those who use it? It has been an adventure so far. The new tents we have are great. Weapons too. Killing vampires was good. Same with the other monsters. They hate sitting around with nothing to do but think. Thoughts take them to scary thoughts.

Cail shouts over at the mystic knights, "Hey! I heard that. IF you aren't the coward I think you are you back those words up with your fists."
The two knights look over at the psi-stalker sergeant.
Knight Two, "What is it with you psi-stalkers? Always spoiling for a fight."
Cail, "Fine then back down from me. One of my Boys will dance on my behalf."
Knight Two, "You know we are on duty. We can't neglect that."
Cail, "Excuses, excuse. Yeah. I know how it takes two of you to watch five men and this circle. And one is a healer."

More talking ensues that turns to shouting.

Three Dog Boys line up to spar with knight Three.
Dog Boy 1 trades some punches with knight Three. Round one is a draw. They honorably nod their head to one another.
Dog Boy 2 trades some punches with knight Three. Round is a draw. They nod to each other.
Dog Boy 3 trades some punches with knight Three. It too is another draw. Noding they look each other over and quickly look around them for anything they might have missed.

Then they feel it. Something magical is about to happen.

The circle of travel opens and some armored humaniods appear.

The Dog Boys and knights quickly surround the circle and the new people who have arrived.

Knight Two says, "Identify."
Flashing some hand signals knight Two salutes. Knight Three follows suit.
The Dog Boys look at their psi-stalker sergeant then back to the visitors' weapons ready.

"Stand down," shouts knight Two to the Dog Boys. Then facing the new arrivals knight Two says, "I will escort you."
"You both will," says the psi-stalker as he removes his executional like helmet. "The men I have brought will hold the circle."
Dog Boy 1 starts calling on their radio to sergeant Wyatt and report the arrival. And that strangely he can't sense them. But the message receives no recognition.
Knight Three, "I blocked that message. They are restless and acted on their training. Our ways are not known to them but they are otherwise loyal. They will continue to follow their last order to guard this location. While I stay behind to ensure it and that they make no warning of your arrival."

The psi-stalker, "No. I will ensure it. My men are more than enough to defend this. All of you are coming with me to the stone pyramid."
Cail (psi-stalker), "I don't take orders from you."
The new psi-stalker (The Executor), "You will or you will die."
Knight Two, "They are self employed mercs. They are with us but not one of us. We do business with them. Their deaths over this misunderstanding would be bad business. You can't punish a man for being loyal and obedient in his duties and following orders. Besides there are other guards coming to relieve them soon and if they fail to check in it could be mistaken for an attack."
The Executor, "We will wait until the proper signal needs to be given and then they will come with us back to the other knights."
Knight Two, "What are your orders?"
The Executor studies knight Two.
"IF it was Three (looking over at knight Three), you would have already killed him. That leaves One and Four."
The Executor, "Hand over your radios."
Knight Two, "IF we warn either of them your men will overhear it and you would know it. Then we would all be your new targets. Since we are not your targets, you know we are loyal to the Order. As long as we don't get in your way, you have no right to harass us. So be on your way and complete your mission. We have our own and the Dog Boys are in camp so they're not taking commands from you either. And if you have an issue with that then take me to the board."

The Executor, "You will guide me." They walk off to the stone pyramid.

Cail, "What was that?"
Knight Three, "Matters such as these are handled in house. You need not concern yourself with them. You only need to know that your people are not in any danger as long as they stay out of his way. With knight Two walking before him, no one will attack him out of a misunderstanding. When his business is done there will be one less of my people, one less of my party to worry about."
Cail, "We are supposed to radio in any changes."
Knight Three, "They will get the message the only way that they can. That is the only way that your people won't get hurt. Only a little surprised."

Back at the stone pyramid:

Knight Two walks before the Executor until they are inside the pyramid. They prowl briefly until they find knights One and Four in the central chamber with the Atlantean and Lady Black.
The Executor orders knight Two to keep people out.
Knights One and Four notice the Executor.
They look at each other then back at him then back at each other again before they say, in unison, "What did you do?"
Lady Black, "Who are you?" she asks the Executor.
He replies, "You are of the spider tribe. I have no issue with you. My business here is none of your concern. Or the Atlanteans. We will resolve this matter without you."
Lady Black, "Justice is my business. If anyone is going to administer it, here, I will."
Knight One, "As you have a clan, so do we. Our clan matters are your own, so too are yours. This matter is to be settled without the involvement of outsiders."
Lady Black stares at the psi-stalker before saying, "You're a psi-nullifier. The perfect killer against a mystic knight. You're here to kill one of them. Aren't you?"



CS Psi-Stalker Sergeant: 5th level
Standard Psi-Stalker Abilities:
Psionics: Intuitive Combat (10), Meditation (0), Object Read (6; 64%, Images: 56%/Present: 46%) Sixth Sense (2), Empathy (4), Telepathy (4), and See Invisible (4)

Name: Cail; Leader of Theta Squad
Alignment: Scrupulous

I.Q. 10, M.E. 15, M.A. 16, P.S. 17, P.P. 14, P.E. 20, P.B. 12, Spd.30; 3 dig.

Hit points: 43
S.D.C.: 66
I.S.P.: 90
P.P.E.: 7
6 or higher to save vs psionic attack!
+4 on Perception Rolls
+5 to save vs mind control and mind altering drugs
+3 to save vs possession
+6 to save vs Horror Factor.
+4 to save vs magic
O.C.C. Skills:
Language : Native Tongue (American) at 96% & Spanish 82%

Body Building, Climbing 70%/60%, Hovercraft 80%, Hovercycles 97%, Prowl 62%, Sensory Equipment 60%, Radio: Basic 75%, Running, Weapon Systems 70%
W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Energy Rifle
W.P. Knife
W.P. Sword
Hand to Hand: Expert 5th level: Ambidextrous, and Paired Weapons.
Number of attacks per melee round: 7
+5 to parry and dodge
+2 to strike Can leap six feet (1.8 m) high or 10 feet (3 m) long

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Boxing, Force March, Gymnastics, Leadership (military), Lore: Demons & Monsters: 50%, Military Etiquette: 70%

Secondary Skills:
Breed Dogs: 75%/55% (to lead Dog Boys), Camouflage: 40%, General Repair & Maintenance: 55%, Hunting, Land Navigation: 52%, Law (CS military): 55%, Lore: Magic: 55%, Optic Systems: 40%, Recognize Weapon Quality: 45%, Track & Trap Animals: 30%/40%, Wilderness Survival: 50%, Whittling & Sculpting: 30%

[darthauthor]

With the rise of Archduke Maceo Sigil, Ealdor of House Sigil to command the Order of the Mystic Knights a neew executioner was appointed.

"The Executor"

There is a special position within the Order of the Mystic Knight. The job comes with a title, “The Executor.” The purpose of the Executor is to eliminate Mystic Knights who have broken the Order's rules or betrayed its leadership (House Sigil). IF a mystic knight should become a threat to its members or House Sigil, they must be eliminated. If they are not others might imitate them or they might raise an army to turn against the Order.
The betrayel could involve any number of acts against the interest of its members or its leadership. For example, the murder of fellow members without permission or cause the Order can excuse. Stealing from the Order or one of its members. Sabotage of the Order or one of its members' missions. Betraying one of the current clients of the Order without permission from the Order then hiding it or such. Good business doesn’t just pay well it includes repeat business from the same client and the reputation of satisfied clients. Releasing a prisoner of the Order or purposely leaking intelligence held by the Order (this may be a breach of contract between the Mystic Knights and their customer).
Although, The Executor has a licence to kill any knight of the Mystic Order, death is not always the punishment. If the offender surrenders themselves to their Mystic Knight House and explains their mistake and makes up for it. Alternative punishments could include exile, repayment, prison time, demotion, or a high risk mission with a little choice of survival but whose reward would square the mystic knight’s debt with the Order. In this way the position of executor is a not merely an executioner but a sort of investigator and disciplinarian.
In theory, each House of the Order has its own disciplinarian of one sort or another to keep its knights in line.
However, the position of "The Executor" has juristician over all the knights of the Mystic Order. In theory, a knight of the Order accused or suspected of a crime against the Order or one of its members is entitled to a trial of sorts; either in their House or in the House of Sigil. This trial is witnessed by knights representing all the Houses (or at least the major ones) to ensure an investigation is honest and no fraud is being performed by a envious rival or usurper.

The current position is held by a Psi-Stalker who is trained as a Psi-Nullifier. This psi-stalker was sort of made to order in their training with their ghost-tribe.
The reasoning behind it all is that a Psi-Nullifier is the most immune to a mystic knight's powers and thus the most likely to be able to intimidate, surprise and assassinate those who otherwise are immune to a lot of attack forms.
The executioner has been expertly trained to fight and kill mystic knights. As such, they are well aware of their powers and immunities. So their training is in weapons that can get around their defenses and harm the mystic knights. Attacks that would be useless against a mystic knight are largely neglected. Instead, the methods of The Executor are the tools of an assassin who seeks to strike by surprise (Mind Bolt, poison-gas, etc.).

[darthauthor]

Location: The stone pyramid.

Present: The Atlantean, Lady Black, Knight One, Knight Two, Four and the Executor.

Knight One, "WE will go peacefully."
The Atlantean, "You are not going anywhere until your replacements are here."
The Executor stare coldly at the Atlantean. His eyes wander over him noticing every detail.
"You are of the Aerihman clan." He pauses thinking deeply. "The contract must be honored. More men will be sent for to take the place of these men."
The Atlantean, "These men . . . You only need one of them. The rest can stay until my people are here.
The Executor, "At least one of these two men, is not, one of our people."
The Atlantean, "You mean . . . You don't know who the wrong doer is?"
Knight One and Four look at each other then back at him then The Executor.
Lady Black, "Justice is not punish the wrong man for crime he didn't commit."
He replies, "You are well know amongst the tribes. You have killed many Xiticix. Defended and rescued many of our people. I have no quarrel with you."
Lady Black, "Yet. You'll have one, with me, if kill the wrong man."
The Executor, "I can't take you with us."
Lady Black, "Then we will have the trial here."
The Executor, "You can't do that."
"Why not? The Atlantean can be the judge. I'll defend and you can prosecute."
"I like that," says the Atlantean.
"And so do I," says knight Four.
Knight One asks, "What's your evidence?"
The Executor, "One or both of these men is an imposter."
Lady Black, "How do you know?"
"Someone who looked like number Four sent a Magic Pigeon. One and Four are the only two who can cast that spell. That pigeon went to someone no one loyal to us would send a magic pigeon to."
Knight One, "What's that got to do with me?"
The Executor, "You are a master of disguise. You could look like number Four if you wanted. You are also the leader. Maybe you are in on it."
Knight One, "Or maybe I missed it. Or it wasn't either of us. There is more than one thing that can change shape and look like other people. Like a Dyval . . ."
Knights One and Four look at each other, then at knight Three. They exchange knowing glances.
Lady Black, "What was that?"
Knight Four, "We encountered some dyvals and wiped them out but one got away. He could have impersonated me to get some sort of revenge or just make trouble."
The Executor, "That's convenient. Why didn't you report that?"
Knight One, "Getting rid of a few dvyals didn't seem important enough to include in a report. At least not until we are back and are mission logs are turned over."
The Executor, "Even if that is true it doesn't mean that either of you didn't do it."

[darthauthor]

Location: Stone Pyramid

Knight Four, writing a note privately with Lady Black watching.

Knight Four:
I know you are a Cyber-Knight.
I ask you now for help.
I am a mystic knight but I am not. I come from a different House. The House of the White Rose. I am a Knight of the White Rose. Once there was time some knight from the Order disagreed with the murder of some civilians. Those knights defended them instead of following orders to enslave or slaughter them. They took the people and safeguarded them until they got them somewhere safe. I am one of those knight’s apprentices.
My master told me the story of how their Order, The Knights of the Order of the White Rose came to be. A new Order of Mystic Knights who are dedicated to stopping the Order of Mystic Knights but not by evil means. They trained me in the ways of the Mystic Knights so as to defend the innocent and fight against the Order of the Mystic Knights.
My mission was to join with wandering knights in the hopes of gathering intelligence, sabotaging any evil acts they may attempt to perform, convince them to leave their Order, if possible, or join ours if they are agreeable.
Now I am suspected. I passed myself off as a wandering apprentice knight who had a falling out with his fledgling House. IF I am taken to the Order, one way or another, I will eventually be discovered. Then I will have to die fighting, escape, or kill myself to protect the secrets of my true House.
You are respected and trusted by BOTH the Atlantean (for being a Cyber-Knight and the apprentice of an Atlantean of the Aerihman Clan) and The Executor (for being a famous psi-stalker of the Spider Tribe). Also, for some reason the The Executor is very accommodating to the Aerihman Atlantean (The head of Order of the Mystic Knights, his boss, is a Aerihman Clan Atlantean. The Executor is afraid his boss will find out if he disrespected one of his clans-men). Find a way to keep The Executor from discovering me, killing me or taking me away. IF all else fails, I ask you to help me escape and disappear.

Lady Black announces, "Their trial will be conducted here. The Atlantean will be the judge."
The Executor, "This is not how it is supposed to work."
Knight One, "You have discretion during your investigation. It works if decide to work it that way."
The Executor, "The ways of our members are not for outsiders. If I do not come back with the suspects it must only be because they are dead, they escaped me, or I have proof they are guiltless. IF anyone is to be a judge it will be me."
The Atlantean, "Doesn't ALL really come down to what evidence you have."
The Executor, "Our ways are different."
The Atlantean, "Different how?"
The Executor, "They must answer questions while under the powers of spells made to reveal the truth of their loyalty."
Knight One, "I can do that."
The Executor, "No for yourself you can't."
Lady Black, "But IF he did, you would only need to take him away."
The Executor stands silently before he says, "They could be working together."
Lady Black, "IF you have the magic in mind I know, it won't matter. Number One, cast your spell. Words of Truth I believe it is."
Everyone stands there a little uneasy.
Knight One looks between The Executor and the Atlantean. The Atlantean nods his head.
Knight One cast his spell on Knight Four.
Lady Black, "Ask him if he has betrayed his Order." Knight One repeats Lady Black's question.
Knight Four, "No."
"Would you ever betray your Order or your House?"
"No."
"Did you send Magic Pigeon messages?"
"Yes."
"Were these messages to your House?"
"Yes."
"Were any of these messages a betrayal to your Order or your House?"
"No."
Lady Black, "I sense no deception, on his part."
The Atlantean, "Then he is not a traitor. That just lease Knight One."
Knight One, "I am not a traitor. I have no problem proving that. I will go with you willingly and pass whatever test you like."
The Executor looks disgruntled before he says, "Fine. Come with me."

Knight One puts Two in charge and leaves with The Executor to the Circle of Travel.

[darthauthor]

Location Stone Pyramid

Knight Two in Command.

"We will honor our contract. We will defend this pyramind until our replacements arrive or we are released." Knight Two said to everyone.
"I must ask (to the Atlantean). What are your expectations with regard to Lady Black and your stone pyramid?"
The Atlantean, "Her loyality to the Aerihman Clan. As an apprentice to one of my clans honored heroes, she is, by extention, an honorary member of our clan. She will be respected and allowed to come and go as when my clan can afford to share the pyramid and its benefits."
Knight Two, "And the Dog Boys?"
The Atlantean, "Are not the enemies of my clan but are guests so long as they do not break our laws and respect our customs."

The Atlantean begins making a stone barracks outside the pyramid.

Octavia and Fives run around the stone pyramid in enthusiasm! The want to touch everything and try it out. Octavia starts doodling art for the walls.

The convicts are moved into the barracks to test it out one of the barracks.
Theta Dog Boy Squard tests one the second one.
Octavia speaks of creating a building a prison colony, an insane asylum, senior retirement commune and long term medical center. All places people don't want to live near.

Questions of who would tend to them arrise.
Taxes can pay for unskilled labor to clean up after them. They will need separate housing
Farm land can be cultivated with the prison labor. Water from the pyramind can irrigate it

The necromancers continue to manage their platoon of zombies as they work in the mine of the mining time. Dozens of lives are spared the lose of a finger and even limb. When a zombies loses one they just put it back on. IF there is a collapse, the zombies don't breath air. They are just dug up by the others.
The Dog Boys of the Atlantean camp still guard the mine enterance and no one is allowed in.
The people miss the healing powers of the Atlantean and Knight Three.
No new supplies are brought in by hover truck.
The people wonder if Octavia, the teller of stories, and her people will return. Or if she was not coming back.

Cerberus Dog Boy Squads of 4: 1 psi-stalker, 3 Dog Boys
Θθ Theta Squad
Psi-Stalker: Front line sargeant
Heavy Weapons
Support Soldier (comms and medic)
Pointman/Scout



Heavy Weapons Expert
Pit Bull Dog Boy
Special Abilities: Sense psychic and magic energy (55%; 550 feet), Sense supernatural beings (70%), track by Smell (91%), identify by smell (62%), and keen hearing.

Psionics: Sense Evil (2), Sense Magic (3), Sixth Sense (2), Empathy (4),
Telepathy (4), and See Invisible (4)

Dog Boy R.C.C. 5th level

Name: Jax

Alignment: Scrupulous

Attributes: I.Q.: 10, M.E.: 14, M.A.: 10, P.S.: 28, P.P.: 19, P.E.: 31, P.B.: 10, Spd: 45

Hit Points: 46
S.D.C.: 104
P.P.E.: 10
I.S.P.: 89

Height: Five feet. Weight: 280 pounds.

Breed: Pit Bull.
Bite inflicts 2D6 S.D.C. damage from a nip
4D6 from a full strength bite,
-30% to track by smell; only a fair tracker.

Disposition: Loves to play games, especially those that are challenging and physical. Generally quiet; not a barker. Although stubborn at times, he is a fast learner.

O.C.C. Skills
Language : Native Tongue (American) at 88% & Spanish 60%
Climbing 70/60%, Running
Intelligence 55%
Land Navigation 62%, Wilderness Survival 60%,
Pilot: Hovercraft 80%
Radio: Basic 75%, Read Sensory Equipment 60%
W.P. Energy Pistol +2
W.P. Energy Rifle +2
W.P. Heavy Energy Weapons
W.P. Heavy Military Weapons
W.P. Rifle
W.P. Knife +2
Hand to Hand: *Commando - 5th level

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Forced March, Prowl 45%, W.P. Heavy Military Weapons, W.P. Heavy Energy Weapons

*Advanced Training Close Quarters Combat
Detect Ambush 55%, Swimming 70%, W.P. Quick Draw, W.P. Handgun.

Secondary Skills (6):
Body Building, General Athletics, Lore: Demons & Monsters: 45%, Lore: Magic 45%, Optic Systems 40%, W.P. Rifles

Attacks Per Melee: 5; Paired Weapons
+6 to initiative,
+4 strike hand to hand
+6 to strike Knife
+6 to parry and dodge
+4 to automatic dodge
+5 on Perception
+3 to disarm
+2 to save vs disease,
+2 to save vs possession, illusions
+8 to save vs magic
+1 to save vs psionic attack and all forms of mind control
10 to save vs psionic attack.
+2 to save vs Horror Factor.

Backward sweep kick can only be used against opponents coming up behind the character.
knockdown attack (same penalties as body flip) but cannot be parried (an opponent can try to dodge it but is -2 to do so).
Karate punch 2D4 damage
Karate kick 2D6.

Weapons
NG-P7 Northern Gun Particle Beam Rifle with telescopic sight and nightvision scope, 1d4x10 MD

C-18 Laser Pistol: Mega-Damage: 2D4, Range: 800 feet (244 m). Payload: 10 shots per standard E-Clip.

Equipment:
PDD pocket audio recorder, pocket laser distancer, flashlight, pocket mirror, cigarette lighter, 100 feet (30.5 m) of lightweight rope, 1d6 animal snares, infrared distancing binoculars, survival knife, Vibro-Claws, C- 18 laser pistol, four additional E-Clips for the weapon, plus knapsack, backpack, utility belt, air filter, gas mask, and 2 One Liter Canteens.



Dog Boy Squad Theta
Comms & Medic

Special Abilities: Sense psychic and magic energy (55%; 550 feet), Sense supernatural beings (70%), track by Smell (98%), identify by smell (76%), and keen hearing.

Psionics: *Psychic Diagnosis (4), See Aura (6), Sense Evil (2), Sense Magic (3), Sixth Sense (2), Empathy (4), Telepathy (4).

Dog Boy R.C.C. 5th level
Communications & Medic

Name: Max

Alignment: Scrupulous

I.Q.: 20, M.E.: 12, M.A.: 12, P.S.: 18, P.P.: 16, P.E.: 18, P.B.: 10, Spd: 31

Hit Points: 44
S.D.C.: 83
P.P.E.: 14
I.S.P.: 112

Height: Six feet, four inches (1.9 m). Weight: 230 pounds.

Breed: Boxer
Leap 15 feet (4.6 m) high or long after a short running start.
Heightened sense of smell with a unique focus on disease.
+ 10% to track by scent and recognize scent, plus can smell chemical changes in the body of humans and fellow canines (not D-Bees) to identify and locate cancer cells and malignant tumors, as well as the diseases of epilepsy, diabetes and brain damage (birth defects and physical trauma). Has the psionic ability to perform Psychic Diagnosis (4).

Disposition: Upbeat, playful, patient and protective. Great with children. Takes his jobs and guarding seriously and will meet threats fearlessly.

O.C.C. Skills
Language : Native Tongue (American) at 94% & Spanish 66%
*Climbing 86%/86%, Running
Intelligence 60%
Land Navigation 68%, Wilderness Survival 66%,
Pilot: Hovercraft 84%
Radio: Basic 81%, Read Sensory Equipment 66%
W.P. Energy Pistol +2
W.P. Energy Rifle +2
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Expert - 5th level

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Electronic Countermeasures 61%, Gymnastics, Lore: Demons & Monsters: 56%, Optic Systems: 61%, Prowl 56%,
*Rescue Advanced Training:
Detect Concealment: 56%, Excavation 81%, Firefighting 76%, Mining: 76% (digging of tunnels for the purpose of rescue), Paramedic 87%, Rope Works 76%

Secondary Skills:
Basic Electronics 56, Basic Mechanics: 56%, General Athletics, Jury-Rig: 56%, Lore: Magic 51%, Lore: Psychics & Psionics: 46%

Attacks Per Melee: 5
+2 on initiative roll
+4 strike hand to hand; 3d6 bite +2
+6 strike W.P. Knife
+2 strike W.P. Energy Rifle
+6 to parry and dodge
+5 on Perception
+4 to disarm
+2 to save vs magic
+2 to save vs poison
+4 to save vs disease
10 to save vs psionic attack

Weapons:
Vibro-Knife 1d6 MD
C-18 Laser Pistol: Mega-Damage: 2D4, Range: 800 feet (244 m). Payload: 10 shots per standard E-Clip.
IRMSS medical kit, First Aid Kit, language translator, utility belt, backpack, tinted goggles, night-vision goggles, gas mask, canteen, handcuffs, compass, disposable cigarette lighter, flashlight, hand radio, digital watch, 2 liter canteens




Theta Squad Dog Boy
Pointman/Scout

Special Abilities: Sense psychic and magic energy (55%; 550 feet), Sense supernatural beings (70%), track by Smell (98%), identify by smell (76%), and keen hearing.

Psionics: Sense Evil (2), Sense Magic (3), Sixth Sense (2), Empathy (4), Telepathy (4), and See the Invisible (6)

Dog Boy R.C.C. 4th level

Name: Axe

Alignment: Scrupulous

I.Q.: 19, M.E.: 14, M.A.: 12, P.S.: 20, P.P.: 11, P.E.: 28, P.B.: 9, Spd: 33

Hit Points: 44
S.D.C.: 72
P.P.E.: 14
I.S.P.: 84

Height: Five feet, 10 inches ( 1.78 m). Weight: 200 pounds.

Breed: Rottweiler
Mutation Abnormality: Exceptional sense of direction and balance; +20% to Land Navigation skill, + 10% to Wilderness Survival, +5% to Gymnastic skills and + 1 on Perception Rolls.

Disposition: Calm, incredibly confident, and courageous but not unduly aggressive. The aloof demeanor to outsiders. Is ordinarily playful.

O.C.C. Skills
Language : Native Tongue (American) at 88% & Spanish 60%
Climbing 70/60%, Running
Intelligence 50%
Land Navigation 78%, *Wilderness Survival 70%,
Pilot: Hovercraft 75%
Radio: Basic 70%, Read Sensory Equipment 55%
W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Energy Rifle
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Expert - 4th level

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Detect Ambush 50%, Detect Concealment 45%, Gymnastics, Prowl 47%, Sniper

*Survival Advanced Training:
Astronomy and Navigation 65%, Dowsing 60%, Fishing 75%, First Aid 70%, Identify Plants and Fruits 55%, Outdoorsmanship, Whittling 65% (for weapons, stakes, spears, snares, and tools for survival, -10% for others).

Secondary Skills:
General Athletics, Hunting, Lore: Demons & Monsters: 40%, Lore: Magic 40%, Optic Systems: 45%, Track & Trap Animals: 35%/45%

Attacks Per Melee: 5
+2 on initiative roll
+4 strike hand to hand; 3d6 bite +5 S.D.C.
+6 strike W.P. Knife
+2 strike W.P. Energy Rifle
+6 to parry and dodge
+6 on Perception
+4 to disarm
+7 to save vs magic
+7 to save vs poison
+9 to save vs disease
10 to save vs psionic attack

Weapons:
Vibro-Knife 1d6 MD
C-18 Laser Pistol: Mega-Damage: 2D4, Range: 800 feet (244 m). Payload: 10 shots per standard E-Clip.
First Aid Kit, NG Survival Kit, utility belt, backpack, tinted goggles, night vision goggles, gas mask, canteen, handcuffs, compass, disposable cigarette lighter, flashlight, hand radio, digital watch

[darthauthor]

Cail, “You heard the lieutenant. This is a Deevil hunt. Seek and destroy. We all know our sector. Keep to the 400 foot spacing between us. When you feel something on your radar, radio it in. Theta squad, move out.”

Expanding out, Theta squad took correction in their position from the stone pyramid base camp. Six other squads are searching out the area and expanding their search. All to find a shapeshifting Deevil that might have already left the area.

After three hours of searching no one's sense of supernatural beings goes off. The nearest farmers are examined and a lone Dog Boy is stationed with them for their protection.
Their only visitors were a coal salesman. Left in the direction of the mining town.
Theta squad being the nearest that direction, is tasked with hiking to the town. The hope is that they will come across this dyvil and if not that some other monster they can slay. Regardless they will be back at the mining town to check in with the people and how they are doing. And if the Dyvil has made it all the way there then Theta Dog Boy squad will find and destroy them.

Theta squad begins its continuous march to the mining town. Three hundred feet apart they hastily hike. Stopping every 10 minutes to radio check in and ensure their bearings so as not to run around in a circle, the pack of four moves swiftly; until one of them feels something.

The medic Max calls it in. One. 400 feet or so ahead of him. The squad converges on his position until they can all feel it.

The psi-stalker sergeant’s plan is to surround the target and come at them from four sides. Private Jax, being the fastest, will keep the bogie on his radar while out flanking him until he is out in front of him. When they get the signal they will stealthily converge on their target surrounding them. Unless attacked, hold fire, they are to all fire at once and overwhelm the target. Besides, they might be able to fly or teleport or something. Better to take them by surprise.

After they are in position, Sergeant Cail gives the signal and they prowl their way to the target.
They come upon a lone and ruggedly handsome human male. Their ability to sense the supernatural tells them otherwise.
They mentally hear sergeant Cail tell them to aim and fire on 10.
One misses. The man is surprised and hurt.
Cail’s rifle jams. The rest hit.
A blinding flash comes out of nowhere but only Axe is affected.
The others unload on the handsome man until he disappears in a smoke cloud.
The Dog Boys fire blind.
They can hear the humanoid run toward Axe.
Cail says, “Axe, he’s headed your way. Squad hold your fire and move in.”
Within feet of Axe the human and Axe disappear in a cloud of smoke. Everyone feels the magic from the spell that was cast.
The stench that follows stinks of Hades.
Cail shouts, “Axe, run! Everyone Stay out of the cloud.”
Jax, “I can see him.”
Cail, “Open fire on the cloud.”
They fire blind until they no longer feel the presence of the supernatural being.
The smoke clears and there is nothing. Gone.

Examining each other, no one was injured. They only lost Eclip energy.
Their target got away.
Max (the Boxer Medic) examines Axe. After a psychic diagnosis and examination of his aura he reports Axe is fit for duty.

Cail, “We catch our breath and keep moving until the sun goes down.”

Later that night around a camp fire.

After Action Review.

Cail, "What did we learn this day?"
Jax, "There are demons out here."
Axe, "They can cast spells too, Blinding Flash and Cloud of Smoke, in a bind."
Max, (medic) "Our tactics worked though. We surprised him. These things don't have any Sixth Sense or we would not have been able to. Only reason it survived is it can teleport or something. It can look like ordinary humans. We just didn't do enough damage before he could escape."
Cail, "That's enough for now. Jax is on the night watch. Axe, you are on breakfast tomorrow. Now let's get some sleep."

[darthauthor]

Continuing their hike Theta squad marches on.

Encountering another supernatural being the squad tries its tactics again. Only this time with Optic Systems goggles for vision protection. Their combined fire catches the demon by surprise and overwhelms the demon. He tries a blind flash. He tries a cloud of smoke.
For a moment it made him out of sight until he came out invisible and the Dog Boys could see him. The open fire from cover and concealment and it catches the Demon by suprise. He blindly casts fire in their direction until he loses his cool and blindly jumps in their direction. Rampaging he kicks Jax around until his comrades firepower turns him to ash with a smell of sulfur.

The squad is shaken up. Jax's armor is damaged.

The next day they find and fight a Death Demon and rescue the man who came through the Equinox. A human who claimed to be an officer in the CS military division of the Vanguard who was in the magic zone fighting the Federation of Magic. He is infected with something.

The next couple of days are brutal taking the infected man with them. His symptoms showing an obvious infection. Max, the medic, is certain he is infected with some kind of disease perhaps of magical origion.

Entering the mining town the Dog Boys head to the stone tower. They were told it has a clinic inside on the ground floor. Max has another go with the CS man but he finally accepts the reality that the man can't he helped with scientific medicine or psychic healing.

Talking with the Dog Boys in the town they feel the men in black (necromnacers) might be able to help, if they let them try. Finding them in town they have been getting a little rich form working in the mine.

A few hours later

The mystic knights hover truck arrives:
They people welcome back their heroes with enthusiasm.
Lady Black, the Atlantean, the Earth Warlock, knights Three & Four, and Octavia & Fives arrive.

Between the Atlantean and knight Three they can't help him. They turn their attention to the medical problems of the people of the mining town.
Octavia resumes here stories and teaching of the towns people.

Knight Four has a private talk with Lady Black. He says, "My House has a cure that could work on the man from Coaliion of the past, the Vanguard, but it is magical remedy. My people are not supposed to force medical treatment on anyone who refuses it. But IF we do nothing he will die. And he is in no shape to answer for himself. As the closest thing to CS leadership you must decide for him. A slow painful death or use magic?"
Lady Black, "Do it. Use it."
Knight Four gently pours a super healing potion into the mans mouth. His fever breaks.
As if he were waking up after a long sleep he ask for water and the way to the restroom.

Lt. Ezra.

The idea behind a CS officer who uses magic is to show the Dog Boys of Cerberus platoon that the CS was NOT always against magic. That the CS used magic long ago and it was successful. So, if the CS used it once and it was okay, is it so terrible if the Dog Boys do and it is for a "good" cause or saves their lives?

I imagined the thought leaders behind the Chi-Town Vanguard program.

The fear magic. The men and woman of The Manhattan Project feared what they were doing and what would come of it. They still did it anyway. Not having existing mages they are kind of stuck. They have to either hire a mage to teach their people spell casting, and they don't trust them. There is NO way they would make a deal with an Alien Intelligence. They might have video of mages casting spells but going through the motions won't get them all the way. Captured supernatural creatures can use magic naturally so it is not exactly casting. Feels like trying to learn how to fly by watch a bird do it.
Intead, I got the idea that this character would come into magic naturally as a mystic. They accepted it. Over the course of their discovery their get invocation spells along the lines of those watching them and the CS propoganda. He doesn't want to be evil. The CS fears he could be corrupted. So they withhold training in hand to hand combat and most weapon proficiencies. His spell list contains those that are believed to help the CS, at home and in the field, healing them, protecting them, revealing their enemies, etc. No offensive spells.
His education is aligned with Man's science. No training in vehicles (to keep him from running away).

Special Ability:

Pharma: Similar to a Techno-Wizard, this CS Mystic can subconsciously infuse pills of his own making with magical energy.
Any spell that affects an individual person can be infused into a pill that this mystic chemist prepares himself.
During the chemistry process (it is a ritual of sorts), Lt. Ezra invests the necessary P.P.E. to cast the spell into the pill he is working on (may prepare more than one enchanted pill at a time, but each one requires a separate investment of P.P.E.).
The magical energy remains invested in the pill, meaning that Lt Ezra cannot regenerate that P.P.E. until the pill is swallowed or expires.
Lt Ezra can only seal a spell he knows into a pill form.
Once the pill is swallowed, the magic is released, casting the spell on whomever takes it.
Lt Ezra will feel his energy is released but not know by whom, where they are, why, only when.
ALL of this is, so far, unique to Lt. Ezra. The scientists of Vanguard believed it was some result of his extensive education in all three chemistry skills along with Biology, Biology and First Aid. So if another mystic wants to do this they should, at the least, have these six skills also.

So far Lt Ezra is experienced in making pills that:
Breathe Without Air
Cure Minor Disorders (10)
Light Healing (6)
Negate Poison/Toxin (5).
Since they are all benign and medicinal most CS scientist were not afraid of Lt Ezra or his potential.

5th level Mystic:

Name: Lt. Ezra - Officer in the CS Vanguard around the time of the Bloody Campaign against the Federation of Magic.

Alignment: Principled

I.Q. 15
M.E. 10
M.A. 15
P.S. 9
P.P. 20
P.E. 15
P.B. 16
Spd.15

Hit points: 44
S.D.C.: 26
I.S.P.: 66
P.P.E.:110

+2 to save vs psionics, mind control and possession
+4 to save vs Horror Factor
+2 to save vs possession
+2 to save vs magic
+2 to Spell Strength
+3 on Perception
12 or higher to save vs psionic attack!

Psionic Powers of the Mystic:
Clairvoyance (4)
Commune with Spirits (6)
Exorcism (10)
Meditation (0)*,
Sixth Sense (2)
Suppress Fear (8).
(Banish evil spirits, alert the CS to its attackers, allay the fears of the CS, etc.)

Additional psychic abilities: CS thinking, during the war against the Federation of Magic, is to keep them from learning powers and skills that could be used against them (so no powers/skills of attack, defense, escape, fake his own death or control anyone's thoughts or feelings):

(3) from the Sensitive category (Quick learner and communicator):
Speed Reading (2)
Telepathy (4)
Total Recall (2)

(2) from the Healer category (Like a medical doctor. They want him to heal the troops.):
Psychic Diagnosis (4)
Psychic Surgery (14)

Super-Psionic Power @ 4th level (lookout):
Psychic Omni-Sight (15)

Magic Spells:
Armor of Ithan (10; cast on CS troops),
Astral Projection (10),
Breathe Without Air (5; sub for Tracheostomy),
Cleanse (6; clean out wounds and hygene in the field),
Climb (3; intended to be cast on others),
Cure Minor Disorders (10; negates simple curses that inflict Minor Disorders),
Energy Field (10); protection for CS troops),
Escape (8)
Globe of Daylight (2; to be useds against creatures of darkness),
Impervious to Fire (5)
Lifeblast (15)
Light Healing (6; heal CS troops),
Negate Poison/Toxin (5),
See Aura (6; diagnosis and id),
See the Invisible (4)
Sense Evil (2)
Sense Magic (4)
Swim as a Fish (6)
Turn Dead (6)

Language: Native Tongue American: 97%.
Language: Demongogian & Dragonese (to translate enemy speech), Techno-Can: 75%

Know Thy Enemy:
Lore: Magic: 55%
Lore: Demons & Monsters: 55%
Lore: Creatures of Magic: 55%
Lore: D-Bees: 55%

Loyalty Training:
Philosophy (CS ideology): 65%
Dance (Honor Guard / Parade Marching) 60%
Play Musical Instrument: Drummer Boy & Bugle: 60%

Survive in the Wild:
Land Navigation: 58%
Wilderness Survival: 60%

Hand to Hand Combat training was withheld to ensure that IF he turned against the CS he would be less capable of resisting.

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Trained to think along the lines of medical science.
The belief: "Man's Science is Good!"
Uses psionics "Speed Reading" and "Total Recall" to learn a lot from books.
Biology: 45%
Botany: 40%
Chemistry: 45%
Chemistry Analytical: 40%
Chemistry: Pharma: 45%
First Aid: 75%

Officer Advanced Training:
History: Pre-Rjfts 44%/38% (Man is Good and Great)
History: Post-Apocalyptic: 55%/50% (History of the Coalition)
Literacy (CS): American: 65%
Military Etiquette: 60%
Public Speaking: 50%
W.P. Handguns
W.P. Knife (used mostly medically like a Body Fixer)

Secondary Skills:
Identify Plants & Fruit 40%,
Math: Basic: 60%,
Math: Adv: 60%

[darthauthor]

Location: The mining town

Lt Ezra is in the stone tower ground floor medical clinic.

Lt Ezra, "What happened?"
Lady Black, "You were attacked by a Death Demon who infected you. We have just cured you."
Lt Ezra (a little awkward), "Thank you . . . but why?"
Lady Black and knight Four look at each other then back the Lt Ezra.
Lt Ezra, "You consort with spell casters and talking D-Bee dogs. I am 100% coalition."
Lt Ezra goes silent. Then speaks, "You are using me. I am your hostage or prisoner . . . the CS won't negotiate."

The discussion that follows elaborates on how Lt Ezra met Lt Black after he came out of a Rift during the Equniox. After she let him go he wandered the wilderness without a map surviving on what he could forage. With luck and persistance he stopped going around in circles and astrally projected until he found the mining town. He started his way to the town when he started being hunted by a demon. After his capture he got sick and thought he was done for. Things got blurry after that. He remembers something about the talking Dog men. They gave him water, tried to feed him, carried him for longer then he can remember. Woke up here. He's convinced he was cursed or something by the demon. The curse either ran its course or they used magic to break it.

What follows is a tour of the town and its people. Leaving the clinic he sees a stone floor courtyard and four stone towers with walls forming a castle. Outside the people are gathered around another talking dog tell the people stories and entertaining them with alien technology produced holograms corresponding to the story she's telling.
Others are in working with wood building what looks like housing.

Talking to people he asks a few questions. He has two choices:
A. Accept that he has been flung into the future and across the country
B. Believe it is all a fraud and they are trying to fool him.

He has no radio and even if he did he was not trained in how to use one. That way he couldn't leak information or give away his location.
He asks if he can see the talking Dogs who carried him.
Led to Theta squad he thanks them for rescuing him, giving him water, carrying him to safety.
Lt Ezra, "You have to understand. I'm not supposed to he here. I'm in trouble. I'm going to be in trouble. When the CS finds out I am here. They are going to punish me. Maybe even kill me. I didn't desert but that doesn't mean they don't see it that way. I have to find a way back. But I don't know how. It's too late for me to go back. Everyone must think I'm dead. That I died a deserter. I don't know what to do. Someone tell me what to do. I can't live like this. I can't owe my life to some D-Bees who saved me because they aren't the evil monsters I was raised to believe they are."
Lt Ezra breaks down crying . . .
The little girl, Fives, walks over to him and hugs him. "It's going to be okay. They are nice. You are safe with them. They will take care of you."
Lt Ezra cries some more. A few moments later he stares at Fives and says, "You have magic. Its evil."
A wave of stress rolls over Lady Black and the Dog Boys.
Fives says, "You have magic. Are you evil?"
"Dangerous. Magic is dangerous. It makes me dangerous. It means you could be dangerous."
Fives, "You aren't dangerous."
"Magic is dangerous."
"Then why do you use it?"
"Because. Because we were losing, losing battles, losing people. We needed to, we needed to do everything we could save lives and win the war. Good versus evil. And, all it takes, for evil to triumph, is for good men, to do nothing."
"So magic isn't evil, only bad people are."
Ezra breaks down again.

The Dog Boys carry Ezra back to the clinic.

Theta Squad
Max, "Sarge, you believe that guy? The CS trained men to use magic? To fight against the Federation of Magic?"
Cail, "We have the same power of empathy. You felt what he felt. You know he's telling the truth."
Max, "I don't want to think about this . . . it's too . . . complicated."
The Dog Boys go for a run and workout.

Knight Four (to Lady Black), "So what happens now?"

[darthauthor]

The Executor

Race: Psi-Stalker; Born of the Ghost Tribe

IQ 13, ME 24, MA 7, PS 26, PP 22, PE 28, PB 15, Spd 30

Hit Points: 68
S.D.C.: 92
I.S.P.: 215
P.P.E.: 43

Height: Six feet
Weight: 225 lbs.

Special Psi-Stalker Abilities:
1. Sense Psychic and Magic Energy:
Sensitivity to psionic and magic powers being used is 1,500 feet.
When not being used 230 feet.
Sense ley lines or a nexus point from up to 20 miles.
Stalk/track a specific psychic scent. Base Skill: 70%
Sense psionic powers or magic are being used 98%
Recognize the scent again if encountered at some other time: 70%
Sensitivity to a psychic or magic practitioner not using his powers is 250 feet (75 m).
Sensitivity to psionic and magic powers being used is 1,600 feet.
When tracking a psychic scent, roll percentile dice every 1,000 feet (300 m) to see if the hunter is still on the trail. I.S.P. : None, automatic.

2. Recognize Psychic Scent:
90% and includes demons, vampires, and Entities.
80% to tracking by psychic scent when not using its abilities
98% if the supernatural being is expending psionic or magical energy.
Duration: Automatic and constant. I.S.P. : None, an automatic ability.

Nourishment: Needs only 50 PPE from mage, psychic, or supernatural.

Psionic Empathy with Animals.

Mega-Damage Combat. S.D.C. and hit points add together to become MD when fighting a supernatural opponent.

Description: Always disguised or masked (also uses body doubles to conceal his whereabouts and coming and goings), few have seen “The Executor’s” real face (Lord Sigil and, a choice, few others). Sometimes a particularly honorable fight will move him to show his real face before his target dies. It is considered a high honor in his tribe.

Personality:
Although he is an executioner, he more often than not acts as an assassin. When officially in the public forum amongst the Houses of the Order he behaves like a quiet Darth Vader answering only to his Lord Sigil. Afterall, he basically has a license to kill anyone in the order as long as he can explain to his Lord why he did it. To oppose him is to defy the Archduke of the Order, a crime punishable by exile or death or what the Archduke decides. To attack him is treason, punishable by death. He is used to being untouchable (within the Order of the Mystic Knights).
Almost machine-like in his movements and bot-like in personality. The Executor is a professional. This is another layer in the disguise and masking of his personality. He has two indulgences he and his Archduke allows him. One is psi-stalkers, he refuses to kill another psi-stalker unless it is self-defense or the target is a real scumbag; so low he no longer considers him even a psi-stalker. His Lord Sigil identifies this as loyalty to his clan. The other has to do with one of his targets.
Privately, he has only suffered two great losses in his duels with mystic knights who he had been ordered to kill. He survived them. One he called a draw because the knight ultimately died. The other because he survived because of his opponent’s honor (one of the few to whom he showed his true face). Their duel incomplete, the honorable knight came to an unofficial understanding with The Executor. Once a year they would meet on their anniversary at the same spot or wherever they are on that day or a prearranged location and time to finish what they started. One on one, they have tested each other to the limits. Each time is a little bit different. Secretly, he believes he and his target, hold back because each doesn’t want it to end. No one understands why Lord Sigil is so patient and understanding about the matter. Some unspoken thing about it implies that only The Executor may kill him. The lone mystic knight is unofficially persona non grata who wanders. His exact offense is not known. He does not speak of it or is spoken of nor does he take any action against House Sigil or the Order of the Mystic Knights.

Psionic Powers:
Alter Aura (2), Commune with Spirits (6), Meditation (0), Mind Block (4), Mind Block AutoDefense, Psychic Omni-Sight (15; 50 minutes), Psychic Purification (8), See the Invisible (4), Sixth Sense (2),

Gained through level advancement:
Biomanipulation (10), Bio-regeneration (6), Deaden Pain (4), Deaden Senses (4), Ectoplasmic Disguise (12; 110 minutes; 96% imitate a specific person's identity.), Exorcism (10; expel 91%, sent home 84%), Impervious to Poison (4; 70% id poison), Mind Bolt (6 to 40), Psi-Sword (30), Psychic Body Field (30; 110 MD armor), Super-Telekinesis (varies), Suppress Fear (8), Telekinetic Force Field (30; 275 MD), Telekinetic Leap (8; 22 feet high, 33 feet long).
Regained at the unnatural rate of 4 per hour of activity, or 20 per hour of meditation or sleep.

Bonuses.
Impervious to the bite and mind control powers of vampires
impervious to the Mind Bleeder powers and all forms of possession
+3 to save vs mind control drugs and magic
+5 to save Horror Factor
+1 on initiative, +1 to dodge, + 1 to pull punch, and + 1 to roll

Skills:
Languages: American & Spanish 98%
Radio: Basic 98%
Lore: Demons & Monsters 90%, Lore: Magic 80% (Symbols: 70%/65%)

Boxing, Climbing 98%, Gymnastics (Backflip 90%), Running

Automobile 90%, Hovercraft: Ground 98%,

Prowl 85%, Tailing 85%

W.P. Blunt +8 to strike
W.P. Rifle +6 to strike
W.P. Targeting +7
Hand to Hand: Assassin (1*Used one O.C.C. Related skill)

R.C.C. Related Skills: (7*)
Detect Ambush 85%,
Demolitions 98%
Disguise 80%
Hand to Hand: Assassin*
Intelligence 77%
Tracking 80%
Use & Recognize Poison: 76% (success) / 66% (recognize item has been poisoned). Use and preparations of poison from plants, roots, mushrooms, animals and insect venom, and other deadly substances, as well as antidotes. Failure means a 30% chance of poisoning oneself.
Note: Only evil and anarchist alignments use poison.

4th level: (2): Deadball, Wrestling
8th level: (2): Fencing, Forced March

Secondary Skills: (4)
Camouflage: 70%
Wilderness Survival: 80%
W.P. Knife (targeting) +12 to strike, +17 thrown
Archery +14 to strike; 8 arrow attacks
4th level: (2)
W.P. Quickdraw, Lore: Psychics & Psionics: 60%
8th level: (2)
Athletics (General), Hunting

Hand to Hand: Assassin
Number of Attacks: 9 (w/ Boxing). Paired Weapons.
+2 Strike -> +8 if only Hand to Hand combat is used.
+7 Initiative.
Karate Punch; does 2D4 damage.
+4 damage (all physical attacks).
Karate Kick; does 2D6 damage.
+10 Strike with a thrown weapon.
+10 Parry, +11 Dodge, +2 Entangle.
Knockout/Stun on unmodified 17-20.
Leap Kick; does 3D8 damage (counts as 2 melee attacks).
+2 Strike with guns.
Back Flip. Back Flip Attack
Critical Strike on unmodified 19-20.

Equipment and Weapons:
Given his Anti-Magical Nature The Executor is a big fan of Naruni tech. After all, its out of this world. He is a preferred customer of the Naruni Enterprises.

NE-BA-55 Battle Armor
NE-07 Jet Pack for quick escapes
NE-09 Survival Pack
K-Hex Plastique Explosives (20 cubes) 1d6 time 10 MD per cube

[darthauthor]

Lt Ezra begins the day with "reveille" (a bugle call that signals the beginning of the duty day).

As the people line up for the ground floor clinic Lt Ezra only treats human patients with his psychic healing. He uses his chemistry skills to whip up some pain killers.
Uses his smells of "Cleanse," Cure Minor Disorders" and "Light Healing" to treat those he can. The real issue is the people don't have soap, antibiotics, or any other form of medicine. Some are have some knowledge of holistic medicine but is out of materials. Their "medicine" will take months to grow. Ezra's spells, like knight number Three, can work instantly and is limited only by P.P.E.
After he has exhausted himself he joins the social company of the vampire mind control victims. They talk about their experience with him.

The Atlantean stone mage is touching up the new additions. Having gone from stone tower to stone castle was more than he thought he would be doing but is enjoying it. The extra room are unassigned and no one quite knows what to do with them. The first being solidly dedicated towards healing is doing fine. Magic and psychic healing doesn't need a lot of over-night bed rest. The second is easily used for storage. Towers three and four are vacant but could easily be filled by people who don't want to sleep on the ground or in a tent.
There is talk of a water tower but it can not be made of pure stone as water will pass through it. While a stone pyramid would 'just' be a stone pyramid without electicity, lighting, or water so the Atlantean doesn't see a point.

With Octavia's popularity at its highest and the castle mostly finished the people vote her to be their town mayor. She spends the rest of the day story telling and teaching.

Knight Four speaks with Lady Black:
KF, "Eventually they are going to clear Knight One. We can expect him to come back or at least a message from him. I have survived this long and remained undetected by not being noticed. The Houses of the Order of the Mystic Knight have pictures and video of ALL their members. I won't be on those. There are a handful of members I could pass for but a close examination of them and me won't match. I can't answer the specifics of the file details. Also, those who know them won't know me. IF the Executor comes back it will be to take me away. I figure there is at least a fifty-fifty chance of that. I can't stick around to take that chance. I need to erase the pictures Three took of me and get out of here.
Lady Black, "Why did you let him take your picture?"
KF, "Standard security. With the photo those with Remote Viewing could find them if they were captured, or something. "
Lady Black, "Oh."
KF, "Can you powers do something about that?"
Lady Black, "Cyber-Knight powers don't exactly work that way. I can interfer with video being taken of me in the now. Video of you, taken a while ago, is not the same thing."
Knight Four, "Three and I are the only ones with psychic power of Remote Viewing but my picture alone is enough for any one with the power to find me."
Lady Black, "What if we ask him for it?"
KF, "Say, I know you are help me because you are a Cyber-Knight, and Cyber-Knight's are good. What I don't know is why do you believe me."
Lady Black, "I have heard of your kind before from the Cyber-Knight Order. It was a rumor but I was sure when you used that potion on Lt Ezra."
KF, "As for asking Knight Three, he would know something is up if I asked him. Why would he destroy the video? And what would happen to him IF he did? I don't have computer skills so I could only destroy his computer. I may have to run without it and hope they can't recognize the landscape until I am in Lazlo or something."
Lady Black, "I don't have computer skills. But I do know Three will notice you are gone. I don't know how long it will be but he will get a message to his order. IF we destroy the magic "Circle of Travel" It will so things down a lot. My Dog Boys are stationed at the circle and can destroy it."
KF, "Have you heard of the Wayfarer Initiative?"
Lady Black, "No."
KF, "It is an attempt by some spell casters based in the Magic Zone. They hope to travel around the world for exploration and trade. I don't know all there is to know about their plan but their methods are to create Circles of Travel near all the ley lines they can find. Their challenge is they have to physically travel to the places they want to create their circle of travel. Once they have made it they can use it to travel back to the Federation of Magic. I believe they circle at our ley line is the doing of one of their members."
Lady Black, "So."
KF, "Whoever destroys the circle will be the enemy of those spell casters."
Lady Black, "They can make another one."
KF, "Trade is good. Their initiative may make them a lot of credits but it will also help a lot of people. Like bringing the Earth Warlock here. The House I come from, at worst does not want to interfer with it and at best wants it to happen. I believe that some of their members my have associate with members of my House. They may be sympathetic to working with the House of the White Rose. My life is not more important than the honor of my House. I'm going to have to run."

[darthauthor]

Location: The Mining Town

The Day a Shifter comes to town.

Lady Black can feel him immediately. Him and the demon foot soldiers surrounding him.

Walking into town covered from head to toe in draping robes.
The demons surrounding the Shifter are Shedim, wingless demons with the head of a hawk,
the upper torso of a man, hands that are huge, bird-like claws, and the lower body and legs of a bird of prey, complete with two taloned feet.

Everyone in town sort of freezes. Those few who move do so in slow motion and either can't look at the demons or can't take their eyes off of them.

The party makes a straight line to the stone tower and enters.

Lady Black finds herself, hiding as best she can, on one side with them in between her and the Atlantean. She knows they are from Hades. Except for the Shifter. The obvious conclusion, the Shifter summoned them to be his foot soldiers.
One look at the Atlantean and she can tell he is out of energy. Doubt he has enough left to even summon his flaming sword. Same with Knight Three although he is not without other weapons he is not immune to magic and is not wearing any Mega Damage armor. Still he's packing.

Lady Black thinks to herself, I'd have killed one or two of them by now IF I didn't think they would kill the Atlantean if I start a fight. The mystic knight's Dog Boy security is still at the mine entrance. And last I saw Knight Four, he was talking about running. I can guess Octavia ran away and hid with Fives when the town's people froze. That leaves the Earth Warlock, Lt Ezra and the Necromancers as whereabouts unknown.
Activating her telepathy, Lady Black. "Atlantean, I'm behind them. I count five, including the one who summoned the demons. I can toss a smoke grenade inside and take out one now. When it happens, duck and run.
Overhearing his surface thoughts. "His demons are going to torture everyone in the room to death if I don't go with him quietly. Three is armed and even has a bomb on him but it will kill everyone but the demons. Wait until he takes us out of the patient room."

A Rift opens in the middle of the room. The view is of a world of twilight and fire. Lady Black feels the magic of the casters spell as he places the "Sustain" spell on the Atlantean. She can hear the thought of it in the Atlantean's mind. Preparing him for the dimension he will be taken to Lady Black surmises.
"Lt Black to Theta Squad. Demons have taken the castle. Kill."
With that Lady Black thrust two psi-blades through a Shedim. The fight is not long before two Sedim are dead and a third is hurting.
The Shifter hurls the Atlantean threw the Rift. One Shedim remains at his side.
His attention distracted the mystic knight known as Three, shoots the Shedim in the eye at point-blank range penetrating the silver bullet deep inside his head and quickly follows up with his silver plated survival knife straight into its other eye.
The Shifter and knight three begin a mad dash for the Rift. Three to intercept him. The Shifter to get through it.

Finding themselves on the other side, in Hades, the Shifter, knight Three, the Atlantean, Lady Black and Lt Ezra pick themselves up.

[darthauthor]

Location: Hades
Terrain: Desert
Time of day unknown.

Holding a psi-blade to the Shifters throat:
"Open a portal back or else!"
The Atlantean, "Why did you take me here?"
Knight Three is frisking him and tossing his possession away from him.
Lt Ezra looks all about him, apparently paranoid.

Naked with his hands bound he still managed to hold his tongue.

Knight Three, "He had to be certain he was taking the Atlantean. He took a real good look at his tattoos. Asked him if he is the Stone Master who built the place. I guess people have been talking about his work. So he took him because he's a Stone Master. What matters is our getting back. And he is going to do that for us. Or we will torture him, until he does. Or he's dead."

Lady Black thought to herself as she mentally recited The Code of Chivalry in her head. Avoid Torture. Exhibit self-control. Always maintain one's principles.

The Shifter, "I have faced far more intimidating prey then you and come out on top."
Knight Three, "I know how to keep you alive and cause you pain. Sooner or later you are going to open another Rift from where we came. Sooner or later you will want. You will come with us so we know there were no mistakes . . . (Studying him carefully). He's out of energy. Needs to rest and recharge. The problem is, once his energy is back up, his kind can take off, teleport back to Rifts Earth. Without us. I can put him to sleep. When he wakes up he will have his energy back . . . Unless you drain him. It won't get us back but it might change his mind and it will definitely change his attitude."
Duct taping his mouth, knight Three double checks the bonds he tied and puts rubber earplugs in the Shifter's ears and a sack over his head.

Knight Three, "Alright people, take inventory of what you've got. That's all we have to work with, for now. Our goal is to get us all back alive and unharmed. So let's hear some ideas."
Lt Ezra, "Its over. We are never getting out of hell."
The Atlantean, "Why did he take us here?"
Lady Black, "Snap out of it! WE are here now. Accept it. WE are getting out of here. Believe it. I'll keep taking his energy. It will give us time. Lt Ezra. Number Three. I'll need you guys to tell me when his energy is up before it is too late to bring him down.
Knight Three, "There are other spells he can cast."
Lady Black, "Not without his sight or the ability to speak."
Knight Three remembers how hard it was for the Necromancers to adjust to their tongues being cut out. "We know he wants the Atlantean here." Looking at the Atlantean. "Any idea why?"
The Atlantean, "The vampires?"
Lady Black, "They don't work together. In fact they hate each other and see each other as competition. Rivals of sorts. This isn't revenge for killing vampires."
The Atlantean, "I'm important enough that they had to take me alive. Wanted me unharmed. And brought me here."
Knight Three, "He had never seen you before. But he wanted to make sure you are a Stone Master. He recognized the tattoos on your arms. He was convinced so he took you. It must be because he needs a Stone Master, or at least an Atlantean."

They discuss things more.
When the Atlantean and knight Three were last at the ley line Four had cast the spell "Sustain" on them. There have no need for food or water for the next four days and only need 2 hours of sleep a day. Lady Black needs a few drops of water and meat but her P.P.E. is good and she'll have more from the Shifter. That leaves Lt Ezra.
Giving Ezra the water sack the Shifter had he drinks through the water supply. It is, after all, as hot as hell in this desert.
Three and the Atlantean say with a day's rest they should be recharged.
They should keep a low profile and camouflage up to blend in before someone tries to eat them, rob them or take them as slaves.
Searching the surrounding area and those who have it using wilderness survival they find some watermelon looking things and some vines. They are good for water.
Returning, the group has a look at the Shifter with "See Aura" and realizes he has a long time to go before he has enough energy.
Giving him water from the melon he accepts but not from the vine.
The party forces the vine water on him until he accepts it.
Not long after he is drunk.

[darthauthor]

Getting him drunker and talking knight Three surmises some questions until he passes out.
Lady Black confirms which of his answers are more consistent with his thoughts than others.

Going through the Shifters things:
1 TW Necromancers Death Mask
1 Amulet of "See the Invisible"
1 Amulet of "Turn the Undead"
1 Necklace of Bat Skulls
Hooded robes and dark clothing with a label "Made by The Magic Fabrics Studio."
Abilities unknown
Boots of Mystery: Leave no tracks but can only be worn by someone of his foot size or smaller.

Enchanted Bag (of holding-dimensional pocket of sorts but attuned to the Shift. Anyone else cannot access what's inside and it is just an empty sack):

Environmental Tent that suits 8 (He really only used it for himself. He likes the luxury and extra space all around him).
The party quickly makes this tent and everyone runs inside before they drop from heat exhaustion.

Going through the rest of the things:
1 Backpack: TW canteen, Magic Bandages, Protein Healing Salve, Tube of Extra Strong (12 P.P.E.) Nature Magic Honey, 12 Colored Eggs in a cartoon (1 egg = 1 day's meal), small bag with 12 cloves of garlic, small bag with 16 small bags of salt (2 ounces each), TW hygene kit, (1) small mirror with a gilded border, meditation crystal, (2) wooden stakes, (1) Skull with flaming eyes, Journal Book (written in code) with magic feathered pen. A fancy compass and Astronomy navigation kit.  
Javelin-like iron rod sharpened at one end measures three feet (0.9 m) long for easy carrying and is used to dispel certain magic illusions and monsters.
Magic Knife

Taking turns guarding the Shifter while another watches the perimeter time feels like it stretches on forever. They discuss the situation.

We are in the Desert of Taut.
It is in the heart of Hades.
For years, the Shifter has been looking for a Stone Master. Through the use of his associates in the acquisition and sale of contraband he heard rumors of a Stone Master away from the likes of Lazlo and its magical security forces. With only a small party of defenders, at a ley line or in a small mining town, if it were true, there would never be a better time to abduct them.
Seizing the rumor no matter how far fetched he sent a demon spy. Hearing of it being true. He arranged for his party of foot-solider demons to do a quick snatch and grab of the Atlantean. Plan was to wait until afternoon. That way he and his defenders would be tired out from spending their energy healing the wounded and sick. With half the special forces away from the town and only a handful of Dog Boys on the scene it seemed like the best time to grab the Stone Master. And it worked.
He just didn't count on Lady Black, the ease with which she dispatched his Shedim and getting so close.

The Stone Master is needed, in Hades, for two reasons.
There are two stone pyramids in Hades. Neither of them work well. A Stone Master who could fix them (even make them work a little better - less P.P.E. cost etc.) or build new ones would command any price from the Lords of Hell.
Of course, the Shifter has to make sure the Stone Master is actually up to the job or if he is pawning off a lame duck. Wouldn't want to anger the Lords with a bad trade or if he did then he would know to skip the dimension or seek the protection of one of the lords' rivals.
Without his abilities as a Shifter there is no way to Rift out without the aid of another or one of the Demon lords in the city.
In Hades, they are demons in the millions. To be human and NOT the known property of a demon means you will soon be killed or enslaved on sight. You can't wander around Hades, as a human, and not be noticed and challenged in some way; even by human slaves who have been broken in.

They stare off into the distance of the desert.
The sky is red with smoldering black and yellow clouds, with the occasional streak of orange and yellow lightning. Its seems to be perpetual twilight.
The air smells of sulfur. It is also very dry and feels like an uncomfortable weight on their chests. The heat is an oppressive 150 or so degrees Fahrenheit (65.5 C). Fortunately, the magical environmental tent is 70 degrees on the inside regardless of the conditions on the outside.

Talking, the party figures when they all tried to rescue the Atlantean they went through the Rift. The way it works is, the Shifter is supposed to ante up the energy for the trip ALL up front no matter who is going. The Shifter was probably planning on returning with the demons as his bodyguards. So he spent the energy for himself and five others.
Turned out to be knight Three, Lady Black, The Atlantean, and Lt Ezra instead.
Lady Black is sure one or more of the demons she fought will regenerate from the wounds she gave them. With luck Theta Squad will eliminate them before they hurt anyone or decide to teleport back here.

They have ALL they need to return except the Shifters trust. Everyone basically believes he is going to disappear as soon as he has his energy back. This guy is an Anarchist at best and Evil at worst. He has no plan that includes any of them alive but the Atlantean.
 
The party brain-storms ideas:
1. Fake the Atlantean's death? He would just take off and abandon them to them to die in the Desert of Taut.
2. Kill him? They are stuck in Hades.
3. Threaten to kill him? IF they don't go through with it, they will look weak. IF they do, see idea number 2.
4. Do nothing? The Shifter will teleport himself back to Rifts Earth or somewhere else either here or in the Megaverse.
5. Torture him? He will eventually agree to open a Rift. Then, when he has enough energy, see number 4.
6. Offer him a bribe or reward. Without the money or whatever he either won't believe us or could try to double dip and take it all.
7. Keep having Lady Black drain his energy. It's a stalemate.

At the moment, they can't think of any better ideas.

[darthauthor]

Location: Environmental Tent somewhere in the Desert of Taut.

Knight Three
Mission Log:
I sleep in Hades tonight.
I am having to make due without most of my tech.
Having jumped through the Rift created by a Shifter I succeeded in protecting the Atlantean and keeping him out of slavery.
The Shifter is tied up, gagged, asleep and drunk.
Talking with Lady Black, she will cut him to drain his energy.
This will keep him from regaining enough of his power to escape or attack us.
I inventoried his possessions and have found a treasure trove of magic amulets, necromancer items and such. I believe he got many of them from the city of Dweomer or such in the Federation of Magic.
Lady Black seems uninterested in magic items and treats them like cybernetic attachments. She wants to rely exclusively on her own abilities as a Psi-stalker and Cyber-Knight.
The Atlantean won’t touch or wear anything of the necromancer magical arts.
Lt Ezra is curious and an oddity, of sorts. He is always watching, although he seems more interested in taking notes of scientific interest. He appears to have no fear, but is overly cautious and suspicious except when practicing healing. He has yet to step into the power of his true potential. He probably thinks of himself a monster but goes on because his is the CS’s monster. IF what is said about him is true he is an anachronism and has yet to accept he has no place in the current CS regime. At least he will die loyal even if he is killed by his own people.
That leave me with almost all of the magical items.
Using my psychic powers on his possessions I have discovered things about him. He is a frequent visitor of Hades and trades in at least two of their cities. He is one of their licensed merchants. Also, has a demon lord patron. He did not formally tell his patron of this enterprise of his to spare himself a punishment IF he failed. But that doesn’t mean the demon lord does not know of it or at least suspects.
I have little doubt he has spies in his kingdom to report his comings and goings. No doubt that one of the Shedim Lady Black killed or let live was one of the lord’s spies or had a spy watching him from near or far. Assuming the worst, I should expect the demon lord or one of his subordinates is trying to find the Shifter and if not will begin to try after too much time has passed.
As for the Shifter himself, if we can’t make him take us back, I don’t see any reason to keep him alive, unless we promise we will. His demon patron might want revenge he won’t have it if find and id us. IF we let the Shifter go he might be vengeful and seek us out or hire bounty hunters or assassins. Regardless, he is not trustworthy. Dead enemies tell no tales, nor come back to haunt you, except in your dreams.
Inventorying my own weapons and equipment I realize I was not dressed or geared up for this trip and have only what was on me.
Items of Note:
Handgun with silver bullets, Combat Fatigues and boots, Digital Watch, Radio headset, Silver plated survival knife, Optics systems. Digital Video Recording camera, Multi-tool, electronic tracking device reader (set to the tracker in the Atlantean’s boot and another in Lt Ezra’s boot), wooden cross (around neck). Wooden stake. PDD pocket audio recorder, portable microscope, pocket laser distancer, pocket flashlight, a canteen and some personal items.

I have persuaded the Atlantean into wearing the Amulet of Seeing the invisible and also “Turn the Undead.”
While for myself I wear the necklace of batskulls which lets me see in the dark quite well. A useful ability in this land of darkness and twilight. I also fancy the Death Mask as well but mostly for its protection from diseases. The boots that leave no trail are not a fit but I hate to see them go to waste. Being such a small guy I have appealed to Lt Ezra to wear them. It is a shame my feet are to big for them. They are however, on loan, and I made clear that I will take them back when we are out of here.
The astronomy and navigation kit have shown me the way, between my psionic power of object reading and telemechanics I have determine the direction to one of the city’s. Now I have to convince someone with astral projection to see how far away it is and what its like on the way there and the city itself.

Lt Ezra:
Mission Log:

If I am to believe everything I am hearing and experiencing, I am in Hades.
Hades is a desert. Its sands are composed of ash, decaying organic matter, the dust of bones and well sand. The sky is a strange twilight. The air smells of sulfur and has a temperature around 65 Celsius. In the distance, through binoculars, I can see the wind, fire, rock, and old things, like bones of those who have died out here and what they died with becoming covered and uncovered by the shifting sand.
The landscape is mostly open, with rolling brown sand dunes and rough, rocky terrain. The occasional river of lava breaks up the terrain as well as a few Fire Geysers here and there. Dust Storms frequently roll across the desert, usually from west to east.
The area has an ecosystem. There is flora here. A blue, gourd-type fruit that holds in water very well. Each fruit holds around 3 to 4 liters of water. Next is a melon, about the size of a watermelon, but has the taste and texture of an apple. The third flora is a kind of yellow cactus that grows like a weed. Succulent, thick, leaf-like appendages that provide as much as half a liter of water and the leaves are edible, and taste good, like a mildly sweet, overripe peach. However, the fruit has an intoxicating effect. One the Lt Black and the one called Three used on the humanoid shifter.
I have collected as much of the flora as I can without trying to look like I am. I can only hope I will make it back to Chi-Town to deliver these discoveries.
I am inclined to pull rank on the Psi-Stalker. Being human, even though I am sanctioned to use magic in the interest of the CS, I out rank here. But what would I order her to do that she is not already. Besides, a lot of what I know is out of date. The CS psychic training program must have advanced leaps and bounds as the psi-stalker can create a psi-sword.
I don’t know what to make of the one called Three. He is a geek when it comes to tech but he moves too much like a CS grunt when it comes to fighting. He is a military man but not like the CS. His uniform is not CS. He does not respond to the signals I gave but they could be out of date by a few decades. He has knowledge of medicine and casts spells to heal others. Perhaps he comes from another kingdom of Man that has their own version of the Vanguard program. I saw his Aura. He is human. A human with psychic and magical powers and without cybernetics but 100% human all the same. He has lent me the boots of the Shifter claiming they will help me walk undetected. Something about how I am not trained in stealth and that these will make up for that but he expects them back as soon as we leave this dimension. He gives me an egg to eat and I am full after eating it. It must be magic. I only ate it after examining it for poison and such.
Afterwards he asked me for an inventory of my items to see what we had to work with. Also, he asked me what spells I knew that could be useful beyond healing. Though I am reluctant I shared what I knew.
The official enemy, at the moment, is the Shifter. He is human too but like the ones I saw fighting the CS during our war with the Federation. Bound, gagged, drunk and unconscious he is no threat, yet. Seeing Lt Black cut him it was obvious she drained him of his energy. Since he is our only way back, at the moment, it is a standoff with us having the superior position since we can kill him but he cannot kill us. The problem is, if we allow him the power to return us, he could also use that same power to escape while leaving us behind. It is a dilemma without a solution, for now. I can make the drugs necessary to put him to sleep but not to make him do as commanded.
As it is, I am using my own psychic powers to treat myself, suppressing my own fear of what has happened and what could happen next. I have volunteered my psychic surgical abilities to make it so the Shifter cannot speak. And explained that the procedure is reversible using my skills and abilities. My companions are considering it.
They regularly look at the tall handsome guy. My ability to See his Aura tells me he has magical powers. It is obvious he is also respected by the other two. I don’t know what to make of his power. I have seen him use psychic healing on the humans of the town. I have also seen him shape stone with his bare hands. And yet I sense nothing of the Supernatural or Evil in him, only his magical energy.
It is all a bit much especially since I am sensing it is getting close to that time when my own energies will increase in power.

The Atlantean:
Meditating.
I am in Hades. With me are a cyber-knight hero, a mystic knight mercenary, a coalition states officer from the past. I am here because I am valuable. I was overtaken by superior numbers of Shedim and a highly powerful Shifter.
I am here now. I am the architect of my life. I am the engineer of its construction. I use what I have around me and move it to the shape of my destiny, for the greater good of the Aerihman Clan and my place in it.
My Clans Tattoo defenders will come. When they arrive they will defend my stone pyramid. When they learn of my disappearance they will investigate. A tattoo voyager may discover the truth of the matter. They will re-open the Rift of the Shifter used to bring me here and find me here. Waiting here is the best option in the hopes of rescue. Coming out of meditation, The Atlantean, shares these insights.

Lady Black:
Meditating:
I have take his life energy but not his life. It was necessary but unsatisfying. I want to hunt. Not scratch a helpless prey. Still, if I didn’t this prey would have gotten away.
I am here now because some demons tried and succeeded in kidnapping one of the Aerihman clan. I have slain or wounded his abductors and taken this Shifter prisoner. He doesn’t seem very remarkable or unique except for that one brand on him. I don’t know its significance. Perhaps it is a mark the demons of Hades give their human cattle.
I am going to enjoy killing demons here.
What is most important is getting the Atlantean back to Earth before he gets injured or kidnapped again. Three agrees with me on this. Lt Ezra is still sorting things out for himself. I’d worry about him but Three is taking him under his wing. Feeding him and giving him a new pair of boots.
Throwing to amulets on the Atlantean for his protection.
All that remains is how long we can hold out here. Whenever the Atlantean security forces arrive they will eventuntually get around to looking for us. But that could take months. Sir Wyatt will continue to lead the Dog Boys but they have no means of getting to Hades or finding me in this dimension.
For now, I have little choice but to stay in the area and avoid detection.
Eventually, the others will run out of food.

After a sand storm blows through the day, or night, the party just about has to dig they way out.
Lady Black, takes the Shifters energy again. This makes the Shifter more bitter but also more talkative before Lady Black strikes. He wants to make a deal.
IF Lady Black had not sensed the presence of a demon they might have had words.
Spotting a pair of Demon Flies. Seeing them Lady Black tells knight Three to give her his mirror. He moves quickly to find it.

Dodging their electicial attacks she charges them only for them to rise vertically out of her reach.
Firing blasts from his eyes to the Demon Flies are wounded and fall back.

Lady Black, “They are still buzzing around but they have made themselves too small to see in this light. They have no radio but if they go to the city they might talk.”
Knight Three, “They haven’t seen the Shifter.”
Lady Black, “Regardless, we should relocate.”
Knight Three, “Agreed.”
Quickly packing up. Lt Ezra is convinced to change clothes with the Shifter. Ezra uses the Cleanse spell to clean himself and his new clothes.

Outside of the tent the dry heat hits like its an attack and knight Three has to stop to refill the TW canteen. Even Lady Black needs a sip.
Still Lady Black can feel the Demon Flies buzzing around. She is sure they are spying on them out of sight. Moving as quickly as they can muster Lady Black believes their pursuers have lost sight of them in a rocky patch of desert. Doing his best, the Stone Master shapes an underground alcove until it coves them as natural camouflage. Re-assembling the tent they have a reprieve from the heat. The lighting storm that follows makes the idea of a stone cover genius.

[darthauthor]

Lady Black, “I can feel those same Demon Flies out there. Waiting for use even with the lightning raining down.”
Knight Three, “I’ve got this.” Stripping off his electronics and other gear he prepares to go out. “Atlantean, make me an opening and close it behind me.”
He runs for it. The lightning is nothing to him but it is a bug zapper to the Demon Flies. He knows they regenerate. He knows they won’t be down for long. Between his the magically energy blasts of his hands then his magic net. As they made themselves smaller to try to fly between the net, he (knight Three) showed them their own reflection. They turn to salt.

He takes a few hits from the lightning but it does him no harm.

After the storm is over he knocks on the door for them. 
The outside is a torrent. Where once there was sand and stone now the ground formed partial tree branch formations of glass. 
“Fulgurites,” said the excited Lt Ezra. “Also known as petrified lightning. Lightning strikes the ground at temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees. The sand around the lightning strike fuses together, creating a fulgurite. It’s a hollow, glass-lined tube with a sandy outside.” 
Ezra hurriedly takes samples of the newly formed glass.

Lady Black scans the area and report no supernatural beings within her range of detection.

The Atlantean collects the now salt shaped Demon Flies. Like chess pieces they are fine of detail. “I want a set,” says the Atlantean.

They all gather around the Shifter. Taking a look at his aura it is again about that time to drain his energy.

With a knife to his throat but the gag still in place his hands are freed so that he can write only with paper and ink.
“Parley.”
Knight Three says, “We can’t trust you.”
“I can send you back.”
“You will take off as soon as you get up the energy.”
“Trade me for way home.”
“With whom would we trade you?”
“Demon Lords.”
“Then they would have us.”
“Merchant caravans.”
“You might have something there. As long as they aren’t demons, they might trade with us.”
The group talks. They like the idea of getting information. They want to find out how the merchants get in and out of Hades.
“Shek’Ra . . . city . . . Pyramid”
The Atlantean, “How do they have a pyramid?”
“Don’t know.”
“Why doesn’t it work right?”
“Don’t know.”
“IF it works, then why me?”
“100 slaves killed to use.”
The Atlantean, “It shouldn’t take that much . . . that’s horrible. We should destroy it. They’ll stop sacrificing lives if there is no stone pyramid.”
Knight Three, “That is NOT likely to succeed BUT is likely to get us all killed. Even IF we succeeded and IF we escaped they would send a horde of demons after us for revenge. We need to be invisible to get out of here. IF they captured you, they would never let you go. Torture you until you broke. Besides, we don’t know if anything he wrote is true. And IF it is, we don’t need to be the ones to destroy the pyramid. The Aerihman Clan are warriors. They have their own armies. IF they want to invade Hades to destroy a knock off stone pyramid that is their business. While they are at it they can kill ALL the demons because, with or without that pyramid they can find other ways to come and go like the Shifter here . . .” 

Lt Ezra, “I have studied the situation, thus far, we have two real options. IF we ALL want to leave here alive and before any of us become injured or captured:

The first, return to the place they Rifted into this dimension and wait for a rescue party. The only problem with that is supplies. Even with magic on our side we will have to compete with the weather and the wildlife. It might be safer than wandering around this desert with its occasional demons and fire and hot lava.

Or, we keep gathering information to find out the other ways there are to get in and out of Hades. This Shifter can’t be the only one to come here. He must have allies or competition. We find another Shifter to take us home or even just out of here.
We would have to work out who is reliable and the method of payment or trade. Maybe they could, even, just send a message for us. That requires finding a city and studying the ways of this world's people.
To escape slavery and death, we would have to lie and pretend we are something we are not.” Lt Ezra's voice trembled. “Demons have a word and symbol for slaves in their language. I have little doubt it would match something like the one on the Shifter. Although, his is a tattoo and we have no such artist among us. Perhaps, I could make a surgical imitation of it, on everyone but me.”

Lady Black and the Atlantean ruffle at his words.
Lady Black, “Why all of us and NOT you?”
Lt Ezra, “Can’t do surgery on myself now can I?”
The Atlantean, “I can work it out. I can do psi-surgery too.”
Knight Three, “In one of my psychic visions, I saw the Shifter getting his tattoo. It was sort of part of the deal so other demons knew not to mess with him or his lord would kill them. They must have a ranking system. Working for or being owned by a more powerful demon gets you more respect and privileges. Well, psychic magical healing can always take it off without scarring. I think of it as camouflage.”

[darthauthor]

Ezra's Pain meds go a long way.

Knight Three is the first to volunteer for the procedure.
"If we don't try we will never find out. Ezra has to start with someone to practice on. While we only have so much time and he energy. Besides I'm not as handsome as you all."

The operation is a success. The mark of the slave is, at best guess, 87% indistinguishable from that of the Shifters.
Knight Three, smiles and says, "I guess you could call this a prison tat. Never had one before but who can say they've been to Hades and back."
The mood lightens up a little.
Talking about it some more it is the general opinion that the Atlantean should put the mark on Lt Ezra. Feeling the crowd Ezra agrees to let the Atlantean try his hand at it.
Unfortantly, he botches the job.
"I'm sorry, I've never done this before.
Then fixes his mistake back to smooth flesh.
After some consoling he tries one more time and hits a home run. The mark is almost identical to the original but he is out of energy.
Knight Three, "Two down, two to go."

It has been a couple of days wandering in the desert.
Knight Three used his Energize spell to continue the “Sustain” spell on himself, the Atlantean, and the Shifter.
Typically they exhaust their PPE on the TW canteen to give water to Lt Ezra.
Part of the challenge is that some portions of the desert can look the same in every direction (especially in twilight lighting conditions) and the wind erases their tracks making “Land Navigation” or the recognition that they have been this way before almost impossible.
It has led to the party going in circles back to the lightning in the sand mark more than once.
Some parts of the desert is like a rolling sea, and the characters find they are constantly climbing up and down huge sand dunes that can be up to 120 feet (36.5 m) in height. Because of all the up and down climbing, speed is reduced by 25% and they fatigue three times more quickly.
Navigating in the Desert of Taut is fraught with error and discoveries. Anyone attempting to navigate via compass inevitably walks in circles or goes the wrong direction as the poles are reversed. North is south, and south is north. This also distorts east and west. Whatever direction they think they 're going it turns out to be the opposite until they figure it out.

They really can’t go very far distance wise considering how often they have to stop to let Ezra and Lady Black rest from the heat exhaustion. Typically they assemble the environmental tent and recover in its temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit.
The good and the bad of it is, there is no punishing sun overhead. Although Lt Ezra believes there must be one beyond the clouds that he assumes diffuses the light or acts like the aura borealis, nobody has seen a sunrise or sunset since getting here. It just gets brighter or darker out. The sky, when visible through the cloud cover, is an eerie crimson red. Sometimes the red sky is brighter red, orange or pink at the horizon line, but it is still twilight, like the last hour of sunlight as the sun dips low above the horizon line.
This twilight does not endure, and after about 12 hours, it fades to a dark purple twilight with a few streaks of pink, roughly what you'd expect on Earth a few minutes after the sun completely vanishes beneath the horizon. This is the equivalent of night. Which comes with at least a 30 degree temperature drop. So they decide to do most of their traveling at night.
There are no stars to speak of in either twilight sky, and no moon to help light the darkness either.
Knight Three can see just fine thanks to his necklace of Goblin Skulls and is most often the guard when the others are resting.

Coming to a river of lava at least 15 meters/yards wide. It is decided to walk the length of it for light and the sense that one of their sides will be defended against anyone who might come upon their camp.

A couple of brief sand storms come along so they take cover until it blows over.
Not long after, everyone with “Sixth Sense” has it go off. Scrambling they look in every direction only to see the sand vibrate.
The Atlantean say, "I can feel it under the ground, its coming this way. Run."
Then a 600 foot long, five plus ton worm appears.

Lt Ezra is terrified and freezes. As he is about to be swallowed whole by the emerging worm Lady Black grabs him and tosses him aside. All the while Knight Three fires his energy eye beams and fire from the skull with flaming eyes hitting the inside the giants mouth.
Using her two psi-swords she perfectly runs her way along the side dragging her swords she opens the massive creature up. Even the Atlantean uses his flaming sword and drags it along the side of the beast.
Twisting the worm dives to go once more under the sands.
Firing into its tail end the ginormous worm twitches to a stop with barely its tail above the ground.
Lady Black cuts it off.

[darthauthor]

After resting, Lt Ezra thanks Lt Black for saving him.
Then ask her to dissect the worm. Given her psionic sword can cut through almost everything except another psi-sword and such.
Sensing no danger and with everyone alive if not relaxed Lady Black accommodates Lt Ezra.
Cutting up the worm will ensure it is dead, in case it can regenerate or something. Cutting away piece by piece it is obvious the beast either can't regenerate or is dead. And dying here, in Hades, would make its death permanent.
Lt Ezra check off his mental notes about biological terms:
Bilaterally symmetrical, meaning that the two sides of their bodies are identical.
Hermaphrodite.
Streamlined body with no antennae, fins, arms, or legs.
No skeleton but lots of muscles.
Five pairs of hearts.

The Shifter makes an appeal.
"I know a spell. I can cook a piece of it. It will burn off the same energy the psi-stalker would take away from me. You can see it from looking at his Aura."
Knight Three, "Why? What's in it for you?"
The Shifter, "Even if this worm was not here I rather burned out from having my energy cut out of me. But while it is here its free food and an opportunity to cook and eat something we would never have a chance to before and won't without a lot of work."
Knight Three, "You can cook?"
The Shifter, "Travel is the chance to experience what you never have before. I'm a Shifter. I'm all about going to new places and I've never really been to anyplace unless I've gotten to taste the flavor of it. You can learn a lot about a people by the food they eat and how they prepare it. It also opens people up to you when you share a meal with them especially if you are the one feeding them."
It is clear to everyone, the Shifter is passionate about cooking.

The Shifter reveals some of his skills:
Anthropology: 75%, Brewing: 50%/55%, Cook (pro) 90%, Identify Plants & Fruit: 65%, Lore: Cooking: 45%, Preserve Food: 70%

Rules are the Shifter has to eat whatever he cooks.
After Shifter eats it, they will wait a good long time. Depending on what they see happen to the Shifter they will decide what they decide.

A couple of things come up now that they are focusing their attention on the Shifter and not what is going on around them.

Can't Shifters cast the "Sustain" Spell?
IF they can't why not make this one cast it on Lt Ezra?
What if this is a trick?
What if he eats a piece of the Giant Sand worm and it grants him super-powers? Teleports him?
What if he poisons us in a way we can't see? Will our Sixth Sense go off?
What's in the enchanted bag? Why does it look empty?
Let's make him empty it or whatever so we can get our hands on what's inside.
How do you even cook a Mega Damage strength worm meat? Wouldn't our teeth brake if we tried to bite down on it?
Has anyone thought to ask the Shifter to surrender his PPE to Knight Three or Lt Ezra to cast a spell? Like for a "Cleanse" spell to clean our dirty sweaty clothes.
OR at least let him burn it up refilling the TW canteen to make water.

Things are talked about after a good long look at the Shifter's PPE.

Then it occurs to Lt Ezra, "This dead worm is going to draw the attention of other wild-life. Everytime there is a kill the bottoms feeders get the smell of it and show up to clean up the corpse. Thousands of little critters, nature's housekeepers, devour the remains of what dies and recycle it back into the ecosystem, renewing life out here. Some of those "things" might be a danger to us. Also, this gaint worm might have parasites or something. Eating it is a risk we don't have to take; for now. Same with stay near the corpse. We should stick with the plan and find a city."

They move camp a few hundred feet and wait in their tent to see what comes out to eat the remains.
Then decide not to wait around. Lady Black orders the Shifter to cast the "Sustain" spell on the Lt or ELSE! IF it is anything else she will let Knight Three torture him slowly. Also, she believes any curse or whatever he casts will be removed with his death."
The party can now save its energy instead of using it up on the creation of water.
The heat and the terrian are now their only immediate and consistent challenge.

The Shifter makes a claim, "I can take us to a city. IF we don't follow my directions all of us will wander out here until we are discovered by demons or the wildlife kills us."

[darthauthor]

Location: The mining town

The surviving She-dim are attacked on sight by Theta Squad.
The mystic knight company's Dog Boys from the mine entrance join the attack against the demons. Even one of the two Necromancers joins the fight with their magic.
The demons are destroyed in an explosion of ash and fire.

After a thorough sweep of the stone towers, the town, the people, and the immediate region the Dog Boys take the over truck to the Stone Pyramid.

They report to Sgt Wyatt.

Demons killed.

MIA:
Lt Black
Lt Ezra
The Atlantean
Knight Three
Knight Four

Fives is okay along with her Space Wolfen Octavia.
The Earth Warlock is okay. She continues to refine ore. But without the Atlantean and his Stone Master ability there will be no quick and easy construction.

SIr Wyatt and Knight Two talk:

Knight Two, "My priority is the Atlantean."
Sir Wyatt, "Mine is Lady Black."
Knight Two, "All I have are the power armor pilots. The Atlantean made my priority the defense of this pyramid but I was expecting to defend it with my comrades. One of us needs to stay in command out here. The other needs to bring them back. Truth be told, your kind is better at tracking. And you being a Cyber-Knight makes you an even better choice for a rescue mission. Any day now Knight One is going to return but your Dog Boys aren't going to take orders from me or him. I imagine your boys would feel the same about the atlantean security forces; when they arrive. Without our Atlantean around to explain things, his people might tell us, ALL of us, to get out and stay out. Three was the only one with the video the Atlantean made. Also has all his greatest moments of slaying vampires and such. It is important to him. I'm the better choice to go on this mission. While when it comes to leading your Dog Boys, they trust and look to you."
Sir Wyatt, "I can be gone one day and return the next."
Knight Two, "Tomorrow is the lunar eclipse. There's a chance a Rift will open. IF not here, like the Atlantean said this pyramid will prevent, then at Athena's or the other one you Boys defended."
Sir Wyatt, "Then I'll have to send a Dog Boy Squad."
Knight Two, "What can another do that your Theta Squad can't?"
Sir Wyatt, "It's about knowing what to look for and how. Lady Black warned of the demons. She would have killed them. And if she didn't, then she should be dead or at least wounded. Not disappeared. She must have ran after the Atlantean. She would go after the Atlantean. Her master is Atlantean. The only thing is, if she is in pursuit of the Atlantean she would have left a message by radio or something. For some reason, she could not. I don't know why. I just know she would die fighting.
I was a town sheriff for a while. I have experience investigating crime scenes. There is always a trace of something left behind unless the criminal takes their time to wipe the scene even if they have to burn the house down."
Knight Two, "IF I have to choose between saving the Atlantean or this pyramid I choose the Atlantean. We can always build another pyramid. I'll wire the place to blow up and leave you the detonator. Ready your squad, I'm leaving after I have finished putting the explosives in place."

Before Knight Two leaves Sir Wyatt gives him and the squad going with him a briefing.
This is an investigation that may turn into a rescue mission. Knight Two is to be considered a human officer of an allied army. You will address him with the customs and courtesies befitting an officer. Your psi-stalker is your NCO and the only one whose orders you have to follow. That being said, stay out of Knight Two's way and he will stay out of yours. Follow him, as he and you essentially have the same mission. Share whatever information you discover with him. Remember he is invulnerable to most of your weapons. So let him take the initiative on fighting. When in doubt, shoot whomever he shoots. Find the Atlantean. He will lead you to Lt Black. When she is found, follow her lead. At worst, there are no clues to be found. At best you will find the trial that will lead you to our Lt. Dismissed.

They take the hover truck back to the mining town.

At the stone tower infirmary:

Knight Two locates some of Knight Three's equipment.
Using his skill in "Sensory Equipment" Knight Two tells the Dog Boy Squad that the tracker planted on the Atlantean is not within range. He double checks and tries his best to increase the range. Then changes tactics and scans for Knight Three. Nothing. Then Knight Four gets a ping. Knight Three hands the scanner over to the Dog Boys and says we need to find him. Before we go, let's look around. The Dog Boys find the remains of a silver bullet on the floor of the infirmary. Upstairs, the vampire trama mercs are questioned. They say they didn't see anything but the noises they remember hearing down stairs sounded like fighting and a gunshot. Lt Ezra went downstairs to find out what's what and never came back. He then uncovers the hidden video camera and rewinds it back at the beginning. Then fast forwards it until he comes across the footage of the Rift opening up and the Atlantean being tossed inside then Three and Lt Black jumping in while Lt Ezra sort of fell in. Not long after Theta Squad shows up and fights the She-dim demons.
Pulling out a picture of Knight Four from Knight Three's stash he hands it to the Dog Boys and says:
"We need to find him. If you have any psychic powers to help with that it could give us an advanced warning about what we are getting into. It is obvious that some spell caster opened a Rift here. He was after the Atlantean. Everyone else tried to rescue him. Your Lt Black is in another dimension. From the looks of the recording, my guess is that it is the home dimension of the demons who came here. Hades. Demons are from Hades. For now, there is nothing we can do for them. I have no means of going to Hades. I am going to go after Knight Four. He might be in pursuit of demons and or accomplices of the spell caster who opened the Rift. I don't know. You were volun-TOLD to go with me. This isn't your Lt. You can stay if you want to or help me out. Knight Four could be another victim who was abducted or cursed or possessed or something . . . "

[darthauthor]

The Dog Boys ran ahead.

They are faster.

Knight Four did not respond to radio.

If it was not for the tracking device they would have no chance of catching him.
He, or someone with him (following him), is practicing counter tracking.
His speed and course is more to avoid detection than make the best time.

Coming up on him at night, no one could detect any one else on their sensory instruments. Their Sixth Sense did not go off. All indications suggest that Knight Four is alone.
"He could be under the influence of magic or possessed." repeated Knight Two. "Use your senses. Do you feel anything or one who is supernatural or magic?"
The psi-stalker, whispering, "Knight Four is the only one I can feel. And a spell at work."
"I will turn invisible and sneak in. You look for traps and have a look at his aura. I will cover you. I can cast a force field on anyone who wants one."

They turn him down.

Prowling forward, spread out but within sight of each other they slowly advance.
Approaching a camouflaged "Sheltering Force" the Dog Boys search for traps.
Over the radio someone whispers the sense it is an ambush.
They all withdraw.
They search the perimeter around the camp.
Someone runs. The Dog Boys can hear and run after him.
One of the Dog Boys tackles him.

[darthauthor]

Knight Four uses his power of Bio-Manipulation to paralyze the Dog Boy.

Catching up to the knight, Four cast "Magic Net" over Knight Two and the psi-stalker.
Then parried the Dog Boys attack and paralyzed them.

A look of shock overcomes Knight Four's face.

"What's going on here? I don't understand. Lt Black. What happened to her?"

Knight Two, "Demons summoned by a Shifter. He cast some sort of spell on you or something."
Knight Four, "Demons? Shifter? What are you talking about?"
Knight Two, "They walked into town. The same day you left. Took the Atlantean through one of his Rifts. Lt Black, Three, and Lt Ezra went after him. We believe they are in the dimension the Demons are from."
Knight Four drops on his butt. Then releases the Dog Boys from his Bio-Manipulation and dis-spells his "Magic Net." He just stares off into the forest.

The psi-stalker, "What do we do now?"
Knight Two, "Four. You are logistics and transportation. I need you to find us a way to rescue the Atlantean, (looking around at the psi-stalker and Dog Boys), and Lt Black. You must get word to someone who can travel dimensions to Hades. They need to be able to take us or at least use the frequency of the tracking device to find the Atlantean on their own, and bring him to safety."

[darthauthor]

Location: Mining Town

After taking the hover truck back to the mining town, knights Two and the Dog Boy squad re-group.

Knight Four watches the video of the Atlantean, knight Three, and the Atlantean disappearing through the Rift to Hades.

Knight Four, "I knew none of this."
Pausing to think.
"All the major Houses have means of travel or connections to those who do. It is not a question of getting help with transportation but who will help us and what's in it for them. Since one of us is with the Atlantean we have not failed. Getting him back to our dimension is the issue. The question is who do I send a Magic Pigeon to and how do we pay them . . . IF we ask the Order they will see us as failures. IF we ask the Houses from which we came they might keep it in house but it will still be a black mark of sorts. IF we go independent, some might work on credit. One I can think of will do it but they will go it alone. They have a "Dimensional Teleport" Spell but that won't get the rest of them back. They will need a "Dimensional Portal" Spell. By scroll, that is going to be expensive. At least 150,000 credits per scroll not counting the energy cost. It is only one part of it. The one that comes to mind they would do me a favor but they don't have 150,000. They could go there and come back after they have their location and help them however they can."
Knight Two, "It is better to admit failure than allow him to die. We should ask our houses for help and pay for the services of a shifter. Although, we don't have to tell them why we need the shifter."
"They would have to know the way to Hades."
"Every Shifter knows the way to Hell."
"What's to keep them from talking afterwards?"
"After we return successfully, I want them to talk about us. Besides, a house Shifter would only cost us House rates. It's cheaper than a scroll. They just need the coordinates and time to get here. Not that much time if they can use the Circle of Travel. Send your Magic Pigeon. Let's start before we lose anymore time."

[darthauthor]

During the Lunar Eclipse:

The Ley Line at the stone pyramid experiences no Rift.

The ley Line the NPC Athena camps at experiences no difficulty she and her crew of Headhunters can't handle.

The Ley Line, the Dog Boy Company of Cerberus previously defended the ley line they defended before.

The six squads sent see:

A Transparent Rift.
This Rift is calm and clear enough that observers can easily see through it into another world.
The denizens of the other world, see through from the other side into our
world.

Duration: 5 minutes.

World Links: Alternate Version of Rifts Earth.

The Dog Boys witness a Rifts Earth battle.
The Forces of the CS fight alongside D-Bees and Magic Users as they BOTH fight in cooperation against Demons and Gargoyles in what will be known as the Minion War.

A gurgoyle wanders through and the Dog Boys open fire until it is dead and in pieces.

In the last minute, a CS Dog Boy dodging an attack, runs and jumps through the Rift before it closes.

Looking around the Boxer breed, Dog Boy asks, "What happened?"

The psi-stalker SGT asks, "Name, rank and serial number."
The Dog Boy Boxer replies rattling off his numbers. He identifies as #1210.
Young and inexperienced, 1210 is a recent generation of mass produced Dog Boys to fight against Demons in the Minion War.
The psi-stalker, Cail, introduces himself and explains that the six squads here are members of a platoon of Dog Boys who were abandoned by the CS.
"We started out to hike back to the CS territory but got a lost along the way. Part of the thing is, we stopped to help people we came across. They had problems with demons and monsters. Bandits were plundering their crops and homesteads. A local wilderness village hired us to defend them against any monsters that might come out of a ley line. We sort of kept on doing it. Monsters kept appearing, like vampires, and we would wipe them out."
It is explained to 1210 that the Lunar Eclipse opened a Rift and he jumped through it to avoid an attack. That Rift is closed and they have no way of opening it again to return him from where he came. In this dimension, they have not heard of the Minion War. The CS Chi-Town does not work with D-Bees or Magic Users. IF there is a common enemy it is the likes of Splugorth Slave, Xiticix and Vampires.

#1210 kind of goes into vapor lock and falls on his butt.
After some consoling, #1210 is ordered onto his feet.
Cail tells him, "You are now assigned to Theta Squad until further orders. We are moving out now."

The six squads of Dog Boys and their psi-stalker sargeants begin the long march back to the stone pyramid.

[darthauthor]

In the alternate dimension from which #1210 comes, the Minion War is worse. Human civilizations are on the brink of collapse. The CS is losing badly. Emperor Prosek and his son are dead.

In their desperation, the new CS leadership decides there is only one rule in war. Win at ANY cost. Their lives and all of the lives of the human race are worth more than the CS way of life. Ideas like the enemy of my enemy is my friend come to mind. The unthinkable will be tried in a desperate attempt to survive and destroy the invaders from alternate dimensions.

Dr. Bradford is turned to and is given the official sanction to do anything everything in his power before the human race is eradicated or enslaved. One of Bradford’s many subordinates sees it as an opportunity.

Amongst the new ideas are Dog Boys to fill non-combat positions but can still fight. The Dog Boys are, afterall, a slave race humans made to serve them. Besides, Dog Boys are cheaper to make and maintain than bots and they don’t depend upon nuclear material. Besides, trying to create some new genetically engineered life form to use as a weapon is fraught with trial and error. The Dog Boys already exist and are reliable. Why not use what you already have, even the failures and those who don’t meet the standard, and fill the needs of the troops in a support role.

With the shortages of food and materials the new batches of Dog Boys are grown and trained to harvest from the land the food to survive and war materials to fight. With this approach it is hoped the new program of Dog Boy support will be able to stay in the field indefinitely without backup or supply lines.

To this end, #1210 was made to cook and practice holistic medicine for his fellow Dog Boys. Likewise, #1210 and his fellow Dog Boys are taught to fight with inexpensive materials they can find and scrap together in the field to which Demons and Devils are vulnerable (Bone, wood, etc.).

After the battle, #1210 had to perform triage and decide whom he could help from those he doubted he could. Those that didn’t make it he had to put down and burn or bury the remains. Then scavenge the battlefield for anything of value to his Dog Boy company.
Since the last battle #1210 dodged and leapt into the Rift created during the lunar eclipse. Now he is on a Rifts Earth where things happened differently.

Dog Boy: 4th Level

Special Abilities:
Track by Smell (91%),
Identify by smell (62%),
Keen hearing & Vision

Psionics: Genetically Engineered:
Cannot Sense Magic or Psionic Powers!
Designed Psychic Powers are:
1. Electrokinesis Special: The psychic power is a breakthrough by one Dr Bradford’s research group. #1210- can recharge the batteries of electrical devices such as infrared goggles, radios, and even E-clips [60 I.S.P. to recharge 10 blast]. This remarkable achievement in genetic engineering and training frees up Dog Boy units so they can operate without an E-clip recharger in the field.
2. Boil Water. Another accidental discovery. This power only works to boil water and cannot be used to shoot or spray water as a surprise attack. Does exactly the part of the psionic superpower to increase the temperature of water, raising it to boiling level within one minute (four melees); nothing else. Trained to exclusively to quickly purify water.
3. Meditation (0). Automatic,
4. Speed Reading (2). Needed to train Dog Boys as quickly as possible to put them into the field, the latest generation has been taught to read and given the power to speed reading.
5. Total Recall (2). Needed to train as quickly as possible.
Note: These breakthroughs were through a unique set of circumstances. The Dr Bradford group is not in total genetic engineering control to give any or ALL psychic powers. Although there are rumors that the real genius behind the new line of Dog Boys came from the NGR (or the Gene-Splicers). "Don't ask. Its classified."

Alignment: Principled

I.Q.: 10, M.E.: 11, M.A.: 10, P.S.: 15, P.P.: 11, P.E.: 19, P.B.: 11, Spd: 24

Hit Points: 33
S.D.C.: 71
P.P.E.: 12
I.S.P.: 76

Ave Height: Six feet, four inches (1.9 m). Weight: 200 pounds.

Breed: Boxer
+4% to all track by smell,
+1 on Perception Rolls
Leap 15 feet (4.6 m) high or long after a short running start.

Disposition:
#1210 has had a tough run of things since he began. First, he was considered defective without sensitive powers, which made him ineligible for 95% of most Dog Boy roles. Only instead of having a chip on his shoulder it is just a feeling of inadequacy. As a consequence #1210 tries to lose himself in what he does best, cooking. Those moments of pride he has are in the look on the faces of the regular Dog Boy packs when he has a good meal for them and when he cures/treats their injuries.

Special CS Cookies Abilities:
1. Rank: Corporal.
2. Bonuses: Because they spend a great deal of time tracking
down and butchering monsters, mutants, and supernatural creatures, CS Cookies receive: +3 to save vs Horror Factor. +1 to save vs Magic.
3. Mass Cooking: As a CS Cookie #1210 does not suffer any penalties to cooking for groups as large as 100 people!
4. Defuse Magical Energy: As a CS Mess Officer, #1210, is very good at defusing the latent magical energy in supernatural food sources. +10%

4th Level CS Cookie

O.C.C. Skills:
Language: American 98%
Literacy: American: 65%
Basic Math: 80%

Biology: 60%, Cook (Pro) 80% (*90% to cook game animals), *Hunting,
Identify Plants and Fruits: 70%, Lore: Demons and Monsters: 55%,
Military Etiquette: 60%, Preserve Food: 70%, Radio: Basic: 60%,
W.P. Archery
W.P. Energy Rifle
W.P. Knife
Hand to Hand: Basic 4th level

O.C.C. Related Skills:
Field Armorer & Munitions Expert 65%, Fishing: 65%, Forced March, Holistic Medicine: 50%/40%, Outdoorsmanship, Prowl: 42%, Whittling: 50%.

2nd Level: Used for M.O.S. / Advanced Training
3rd Level: Used for M.O.S. / Advanced Training

Field Resource Specialist M.O.S.:

In this alternate dimension the CS was so short on everything, they had to send out Dog Boy platoons on foot. When possible, through the use of support personnel they are to acquire what they need from the wild. To this end, #1210 was trained to tame and care for animals, and “fabricate” them for their “resources.”
Animal Husbandry: 45%, Breaking and Taming Wild Horses: 25%, Herding Cattle: 40%, Horsemanship: General: 52%/32%, Lore: Cattle and Animals: 65%, Rope Works: 50%, Skin & Prepare Animal Hides: 50%, Track & Trap Animal: 40%/50%

Secondary:
Appraise Goods: 45%, Dowsing: 40%, Horsemanship: Exotic Animals: 45%/35%, Recycle: 45%, Salvage: 50%, Wilderness Survival: 50%
3rd level: Brewing: 35%/40%

Attacks Per Melee: 5
+2 on initiative roll
+1 to strike
+3 to parry and dodge
10 or higher to save vs psionic attack.
+5 on Perception
+2 to save vs psionic attack and all forms of mind control
+2 to save vs illusions
+2 to save vs possession and curses
+2 to disarm or pull punch
+4 to save vs disease.
+2 to save vs magic
+2 to save vs poison

Weapons
Various Knives
Squirt gun (holy water)
Laser Rifle: 2d6

Equipment:
Coalition 'Dog Boy' body armor,
walkie talkie, uniform, combat boots
Personal reserve of 4 bottles of Special Sauce.
Aluminum Mirror, 7 year Electroluminescent lantern, Bone knife, Naruni Energy Chef's Knife, Survival Knife, Vibro-knife, Wooden knife, Wooden cross
Backpack (Fishing gear, Holistic Medicine Kit, teapot, Wilk's Portable Laser Stove Mk 2, Mega Damage Frying Pan)
Utility belt (Eight 16 ounce canteens with impurity filters, salt, spices).






Knight Three Back Story:

Born and partially raised in the New German Republic, the man known as knight Three has been raised in a technologically advanced society. Developmentally he has been exposed to a culture who believes the German people are superior. Technology is the achievement of civilization (cooperation and reason) and has made it possible for the NGR and its people to survive the 200 years of darkness. Gargoyles are the enemy to be destroyed.
The exact details of how the House Isen of the Order of the Mystic Knights came to have Three in their company is not spoken of, only that he is one of them now.
His Master, in House Isen, considers Three to have potential in the long range plans of the Order. As such he will be a valuable social tool in gaining merc contracts and recruiting new members in Europe and the New German Republic. It is the hope that in the future, House Isen will have one of its chapters in the NGR. Such an association, it is hoped, will give House Isen access to NGR’s consumer and military technology, advanced education, intelligence in that part of the world, lucrative mercenary opportunities, and the chance to recruit the most useful D-Bees from NGR’s welfare camps.

At present Knight Three is in the company of Lady Black (psi-stalker Cyber-Knight), an Atlantean Stone Master, Lt Ezra (a CS Vanguard Mystic from the past) and their prisoner a Shifter. In the Hades dimension the party is lost in the Desert of Taut. Not trusting the Shifter who brought them here the continue to take his personal energy to ensure he does not escape and leave them here stranded.
They have an uneasy alliance in which they allow the Shifter to lead them to one of the cities in Hades.
Once they get there, who knows . . .

Knight Three
A wandering knight who teamed up with other wandering knights to start their own fledgling merc outfit.

Disposition: The most technical minded. Three likes studying things. As a child he would take things apart and put them back together. His powers developed along the lines of his facinations. If he had not chosen the Order he might have been a Techno-Wizard and a Medical Doctor. He finds he has little patience for his patients and resorts to magic to remedy what ail them. Considers magic to be a far superior method of medical treatment and reserves his medical skills when he is out of PPE.

I.Q.16
M.E.14
M.A.9
P.S.18
P.P.11
P.E.15
P.B.12
Spd.30

Hit Points: 28
S.D.C.: 40
I.S.P.: 61
P.P.E.: 100

W.P. Sword +5 to strike, +7 to parry
W.P. Knife +2 to strike. +3 to parry, +3 to throw
W.P. Shield +7 to parry, +3 to strike
W.P. Handgun: +3 to strike
W.P. Energy Rifle
Hand to Hand: Expert 6th level:
7 attack per melee round
+5 on initiative
+2 to strike
+3 to disarm
+4 to entangle
+5 to parry and dodge

6th Level Mystic Knight (Soon to become 7th level)

Language: (Native) Germain 98% & American 95%
Literate: German: 80% (Born in the NGR and adopted by House Isen),
Horsemanship: Knight & Exotic

Boxing, Running
Land Navigation: 66%
Lore: Magic 75%, Lore: Demons and Monsters 85%
Military: Find Contraband: 61%, Military Fortification 67%,
Espionage: Forgery 57%, Pick Locks: 57%
Rogue: Pick Pockets: 60%, Prowl 72%,

House of Isen Bonus (The Rifter #45):
Basic Mechanics*, *Field Armourer & Munitions* 82%, *General Repair & Maintenance 67%, *Paramedic 62%,

Retconned skills to make use of Advanced Training from the book Heroes of Humanity
Related Skills: (6)
Pilot: Hover Vehicles: 77%, Optic Systems: 62%, Radio: Basic: 77%, Sensory Systems: 62%, Surveillance: 62%, T.V. & Video: 67%

3rd Level:
Field Counter-Intelligence Advanced Training:
Taken mostly for the communication and technical skills as the character concept is that of a tech-support geek with a military / espionage lens.

Basic Electronics: 77%
Camouflage: 67%, Computer Operation: 67%, Cryptography: 62%,
Electronic Countermeasures: 67%, I.D. Undercover Agent: 72%, Interrogation: 67%,
Literacy: American: 67%, Research: 67%

Secondary Skills: (3):
Basic: Electronics: 77%
Jury-Rig 62%
Salvage: 62%

3rd Level: Sacrifice 5 skills for Advanced Training Skill package:
3rd level and 6th level O.C.C. Related skills:
Secondary Skills: (2) at 3rd level and 1 at 7th.
7th level: Secondary Skill (1):

Spells:
Armor of Ithan (10), Aura of Death (12),
Breathe Without Air (5; 15 min),

Cleanse (6), Cure Minor Disorder (10), Cure Illness (15),
Energize Spell (12+), Fists of Fury (10), Fortify Against Disease (15), Heal Wounds (10), Invisibility: Simple (6), Magic Shield (6), Manipulate Objects (2+), Mend the Broken (10+), Negate Poison (5), Power Weapon (35), Reduce Self (20; 15 minutes, uses to study and work on electronics up close and personal), See Aura (6), Tongues (12), Wall of Defense (55), Watchguard (10)

Psionics:
Clairvoyance (4), Imperivous to Poison (4; id poison 50%), Machine Ghost (10), Meditation (0)*, Mind Block (4), Object Reading (6), Remote Viewing (10), Resist Fatigue (4), See the Invisible (4), Sixth Sense (2), Speed Reading (2), Telemechanics (10), Telepathy (4), Total Recall (2)

Items of Note:
Handgun with silver bullets (4 left), Combat Fatigues and boots, Digital Watch, Radio headset, Silver plated survival knife, Optics systems. Digital Video Recording camera, Multi-tool, electronic tracking device reader (set to the tracker in the Atlantean’s boot and another in Lt Ezra’s boot), wooden cross (around neck). Wooden stake. PDD pocket audio recorder, portable microscope, pocket laser distancer, pocket flashlight, a canteen and some personal items.
Actively Using:
TW canteen (Water for PPE)
Necklace of Bat Skulls (necromancer magic item; provides nightvision)
Environmental tent (Does the Sheltering Force spell; room for 8 people)
Skull with Flaming Eyes (Necromancer magic item)

[darthauthor]

Location: The Desert of Taut

A quick use of the “Compass” spell creates a glowing arrow in the air one foot from the Shifter. It lasts for 15 seconds. Long enough for the Shifter to mark the direction with one of his compass-like devices. After the glowing arrow disappears the compass-like device continues to point its arrow in the direction.
The Shifter, “That’s the way.”
Knight Three, “To your trap for us?”
The Shifter, “No. But IF it is, I will be the first to die.”
After a few hours and a few fly spells they see it . . .

From the sky above they see it before and a little below them.
Pitched tents followed by shanty towns on the outside of concave walls. Behind the walls, a 100 mile area (160 km), the city proper is dominated at its center by a ziggurat that stands 350 feet (107 m) tall. It dominates the skyline.

They all feel it, a ley line nexus. It is at the ziggurat.

Landing in front of pitched tents farthest from the city walls, everyone catches their breath.
Knight Three, “Black and I will do security, Ezra your turn to put up the environmental tent.”

Approached by humans Lady Black and Knight Three do their best to signal with their body language “DON’T.”

Knight Three, “I feel they are about to do a shake-down or serve us a toll fee. My first time in Hades. We should press the Shifter for how it works here before we look like ‘easy marks’ and have to maim or kill someone, maybe the ‘wrong’ person.”
Lady Black stands guard outside the environmental tent.
After the usual ‘pleasantries’ the Shifter explains. He doesn’t dabble with the riff raff outside the city. He imagines the are a lot alike wherever there is poverty like Chi-Town Burbs. They will probably size you up to figure what they can get out of you and how they can get it. At best, they ‘might’ be good for information. Telling apart the lies and myths from the realities is the hard part but it will always begin or end with something they want and most likely be a con.
Knight Three presses him for information:
“Why are there humans in Hades? How did they get here?”
“Slavers brought them and sold or traded them to the Demon Lords or their lessors. The rest were born from those who came before them.”
“Human born in Hades. Never having done anything to deserve to be here. Only born. Born into slavery to Demon slave drivers.”
“That’s life, huh”
“What do they need slaves for?”
“All the work they don’t want to do. The rest for fun. Sell to others for whatever they want to use them for.”

Knight Three returns outside and tells it to Lady Black. Then give her a break to go inside the tent and have a talk with the Atlantean.

The Atlantean explains:
The ziggurat is a primitive version of the dimensional pyramids created by
Stone Masters. Best guess, an attempt that turned out successful but not great. He doubts it can control the weather or dimensional anomalies such as Ley Line Storms, and is pretty much limited to dimensional travel only.

The Shifter adds, “The ziggurat is also the Duke's residence, and it's his personal guards who defend it. And your safest way home. With my help.”
The Atlantean, “You brought me here to make it work like an Atlantean stone pyramid.”
“I told you that from the beginning.”
“Why should I? I am an Atlantean. We don’t help Demons. We destroy them.”
“Every time they use it, they murder people to power it. That is not the way an Atlantean pyramid works. Is it? You could save ALL those lives. Atlanteans save lives. Don’t they?”
The Atlantean is silent for a long time and walks outside the tent. Staring at the stone ziggurat then at the people living in tents outside the Demon city.
“I need time to think.”

After meditating, the Atlantean wants to talk to the people living in tents and shanties to collect information. He has studied anthropology and wants to understand things here.

Discussing things amongst each other they do an inventory of sorts about what they have to trade when it comes to goods and services:

• The TW Canteen can create water.
• Knight Three can repair things.
• Between the Atlantean, knight Three, and Lt Ezra they can treat some medical problems.
• Knight Three says they must have some gangs or such that rob people and/or run a ‘protection’ racket but taking them ‘out’ would only make room for their replacements. Still, they could take whatever the gang had on their dead bodies . . .

It occurs to them:
• The place has trade. Other Shifters or those with means of dimensional travel must come and go. IF we networked, negotiate our ride out of here.
• Why not just disguise the Atlantean. He looks human anyway. Pay for a ride out with the Ziggurat.
• They ask the Shifter why he didn’t just open his Rift right at the ziggurat or at least closer to the city?
He basically says that wouldn’t put in a great bargaining position since the Duke would have the Atlantean right in front of him. He could be taken and the Shifter would only get what the Duke felt like giving him. Besides, if the Atlantean wasn’t up to the job, the Demon might take it out on the Shifter for bringing him a dud.


The Shifter explains:
“Arrival is free. But to get out those who use the ziggurat must pay a fee. It varies greatly from one individual to the next. Most merchants make some kind of deal with the Duke. Usually a commission or flat fee, but sometimes a piece of the profits is expected. Others who can provide exotic goods or certain kinds of alcohol, or rare foods may only have to give the Duke a small percentage of their merchandise. Regardless, none of you are on their books as coming in. They will want to know how you got here. Even IF you fool or bribe them you will have to watch hundreds die to open a Rift so you can go home again. Can you, an Atlantean, whose people are known for their compassion and moral courage do that?”

[darthauthor]

Location: Outside the Demon city of Shek’Ra in Hades

Packing up, the party walks further into the tent and shantytown getting closer to Shek’Ra.

They quickly find out that the closer you are to the city walls of the city, the greater your status if not wealth. You are welcome if you are a paying customer with something to offer but NOT if you are broke or worthless. It is a lot like Chi-Town Burb in that the closer you are to Chi-Town the better your conditions and social status.

The people are mostly human and a few D-Bees. The fashion is tunics and a sort of Palladium fantasy world attire. Although 20 or 10 percent have something more exotic.

Fortunately, Lt Ezra speaks their language, Demogorgian. He says it was part of his education on enemies of the CS. He says that people are intimidated by Lt Black and Number Three but not the rest of us. They think we are new here but don't know if we are a good score or trouble.

As the space between tents gets smaller, bumping into others occurs. Knight Three quickly grabs and beats a pickpocket and binds their hands.

They quickly find a nearby tent that is basically a bar (the Sand Bar; it's a dive).
The dim lantern lit dive is dusty and dry. There are no chairs so everyone sits on the sand. No carpet. The tables are really stonesBartender quickly brushes aside others and clears a place for the five of them.
The Shifter speaks and says something.
Ezra translates it, “Water Bag or something like that.”
Knight Three slaps him and says, “Ask first!”
What follows is an explanation. The people here in the outskirts of the city are trade and barter. They are not allowed to have currency. Clean water is a currency all its own. I am trying to tell him to bring his empty water bag so I can fill it using magic. He will be rich for a day and you will get to ask the questions you want having no other means to pay for the information.

The bartender does his best to conceal his excitement as his largest water pouch is near full.
There are no glasses as exposed water quickly evaporates in the dry air.

Asking away the party of five listen as the bartender rattle off answers as he drinks his fill of the water until he can’t hold any more.

• Cities are typically run by either a Duke or a Prince, Greater Demons who have proven themselves to be more cunning or ambitious and ruthless than others of their kind.

• Each city serves some specific purpose. They are also centers of commerce with each drawing upon some resource that the demons use in their campaigns of evil and war.

• Demon cities are generally ruled with an iron fist. Each Duke or Prince in charge has his own selection of minions who answer directly to him.

• Each ruler makes his own laws, follows his own ambitions and pretty much has his own agenda. So long as it does not get in the way of the plans of any of the true Demon Lords, Dukes are free to do as they wish.

• Slaves are beaten and generally treated like trash on a daily basis. But it is believed life in Shera’Ka is a little better than the other Demon cities.

• Slaves in Hades are selfish or desperate beings who quickly learn that survival is all about losing your sense of compassion and hope, and sticking it to the other guy first, stealing, lying and doing whatever it takes.

• Mortals born here are either by privileged slaves of demons or farmed.

• Demons don’t want the trouble of managing their slaves so they typical put a mortal in charge of them

• All of demonkind considers itself better than any mortal and they delight in tormenting them. The lowliest of slaves can be beaten or killed outright with no repercussions to Greater Demons, for it is presumed the demon had his reason.

• A Lesser Demon may work or beat a slave to death without fear of punishment unless the slave was a favorite of a Greater Demon or Demon Lord. It varies from city to city, but that is usually the order of things in Hades.

• It is typical for Demons or their mortal subordinates to provide mortal slaves from the worlds they conquer or corrupt. IF the Demons take Rifts Earth they will most likely send humans here or do what they are doing here with them.

• The mortals of these conquered worlds who facilitate the slave trade typical serve their Demon masters out of fear and the desire for a “Pact” for a small portion of power.

• The technology level is medieval times era and such.

• Dead mortals are recycled for food, water and such.

• The culture is a bit like the Star Trek Mirror Universe where there, it is an empire instead of a federation. There is an order of sorts and results are expected by the Demons of their lesser demons and of them their mortals slaves beneath them. Though everyone enjoys bullying others they must not fail to produce what their master wants. IF a human slave driver returns to their lesser Demon and tells them all their master’s slaves are dead or so broken they cannot be worked without killing them they are likely to be tortured to death themselves. It is more about managing via fear.

• Shek'Ra Slave Population: 5 million slaves (3 million human; 2 million D-Bees; 500k Supernatural Beings)

• Dimensional Travelers: Average 250,000 travelers in the city . This includes the numerous caravans that come and go daily.

• Shek’Ra is Hades' only dimensional market. Slaves, exotic animals and trans-dimensional livestock (including people) are brought in and sold along with other goods. The market has its buyers for rare and unusual goods, including demon made magic weapons and items.

• Several merchants travel between Hades and Splynn, buying goods from each market and selling them in the other.

• Numerous trade caravans come and go on a daily basis, and a large section in the southern portion of town is reserved for them. Only a select few can actually bring in their goods beyond the walled city and set up shop. It all depends on who you know and how favored you are.

• Currency. Slaves are not permitted to own currency and killed if they find any. Most of the common trading markets in Hades, in the cities or between demons use the Mod which is transferable in Splynn at a rate of one hundred credits to one Mod, or trade goods for goods.

• The current Duke is called Diso - He is a Fire Jinn and greedy.

[darthauthor]

Location: The outskirts of the tent city / shanty town outside of the Demon city of Shek’Ra, in Hades.

The Atlantean and Lt Ezra are catching their breath and cooling off in the Shifter's environmental tent.
The Shifter is there while Lady Black and knight Three alternate standing guard outside.

They debate:
To fix the stone ziggurat or not.
The biggest objection raised by knight Three is that IF the Atlantean did ultimately fix the stone ziggurat, the Demon Duke, Disc, would never let him go. Knight Three expects they would try to enslave him to make him do more work or sell him as a slave to others. IF somehow the Atlantean were able to improve the stone ziggurat without revealing himself, those who operate it might not know it and keep on killing slaves.
While IF the stone ziggurat could be fixed such that it can open Rifts with the sacrifice of thousands of human slaves what would be the difference?
To those murdered, they would not be but that does not mean they wouldn't die 'here' because its Hades. In theory, the demand for slaves would be less which 'might' mean fewer slaves are 'taken' form other worlds. While those that are here could live longer lives.
Regardless, the ziggurat 'works' enough that the Demons can use it as it is. Fixing it is no different, results wise, when it comes to the coming and going. While the Demon who charges for its use will save on his operating costs (the lives of his slaves).
While the slaves live they may lose some importance in keeping them alive up to the day they were to be sacrificed for their P.P.E. to power the ziggurat.

No one seems to have an answer but knight Three makes the strongest argument to find a way back without risking themselves.
Lt Ezra asks, "What are the chances we could destroy the ziggurat?"
The Shifter claims he can negotiate a deal and Rift them back after he has his reward from the Duke. The Atlantean will have saved an unlimited number of lives that would have been sacrificed.

[darthauthor]

Location: The outskirts of the tent city / shanty town outside of the Demon city of Shek’Ra, in Hades.

The Atlantean, "What if I were human and not an Atlantean?"
The party looked at him.
"I look human. Humans can learn to be stone masters. What IF I impersonated a human stone master. What if I fixed the stone ziggurat?"
Knight Three, "Human or Atlantean, once they have you, they won't let you go. They have no honor. They only respect power and how good you are at killing."
The Shifter, "That's not true. The Duke is a business man. When he took over he opened up the market. Trade took off and he is making a profit. He respects profit."
Knight Three, "Why should we believe anything you tell us? You won't even tell us your name."
The Shifter, "It's a taboo. True names give you power over a demon. Don't know why. Some sort of curse I imagine. Regardless, no Demon will give you their true name."
The Atlantean, "What if it were a business deal? Slaves in exchange for fixing the ziggurat?"
Knight Three, "That still won't keep you from being their prisoner."
The Shifter, "I promise you, I will Rift you out, if it comes to that."
Knight Three, "We don't trust you. You could say anything to get what you want. We wouldn't be here if it was not for you. You didn't ask the Atlantean IF he wanted to go, you came into our town with some muscle and took him. You just weren't counting on us killing your foot soldiers and taking their places on the ride through the Rift you created. Now that we are here, we can find someone else who can create Rifts to take us back or pay the toll to leave by stone ziggurat. We don't need you. We don't trust you. We can kill you at any time. The only thing you are good for is a couple of spells and your magical energy we can siphon off. I have no doubt that if we ever let you get enough energy back you would disappear. Then tell your Duke buddy where to find us or go after us again with some more demon muscle."
The Shifter sat in silence as everyone took in what knight Three said.
Knight Three, "Does anyone really have a better idea than to raise money, or whatever, until we have enough to pay our way back home, ALL of us, alive and free?"
Everyone sat around in silence looking at each other.

Back at the tent bar the party asks the bartender about jobs and how the caravans work.
After filling up his water sack again and drinking his fill he spills .
There is always some work for those with the right psionics, skills, or spells.
Getting the right peoples attention and a good trade for your services is something else.
Everyone is out for themselves here.
There is always someone who needs water but they can't always pay for it. Might dies and even if they don't chances are good you will never get what they owe you out of them.
Taking a good look at knight Three and Lady Black the bartender says, "There's leg breaking work. Stealing. Protection . . ."
Lt Ezra says, "That's all for now." Then they leave.
The party notices they are being watched and followed.

[darthauthor]

Location: Hades. Shantytown.

Knight Three telepathically messages the party:

“Follow me, walk, don’t run, we are being followed so we are going out of town in a zigzag pattern. I want to draw them out. We want to avoid bystanders and witnesses. Could be beggars, enforcers, killers, spies or thiefs. Our Sixth Sense will go off before they attack, if they attack before we are outside the tent city.”
When they walk past the last tents, it is impossible for 12 who follow to conceal that they are following. The run to beg the party for help (in the Demogorian language).
Lt Ezra says, “They are beggars. Begging for water.”
They speak more.
Lt Ezra, “They are offering their services for anything. They say they have information that could save your life. Others claim they can show us around the shantytown. That one claims he can get you into the city.”
Knight Three, “If we give them anything, they will come back and in greater numbers. We can’t know that they know anything we don’t already know. One of them probably saw us in the bar and told the others we have water or can make it. Figured us for new arrivals and they don’t have anything to lose by begging or hustling. We should run the off.”
The Atlantean, “Wait. They could be good for something. Lookouts. Word of mouth. At the very least, they might be good for magic energy.”
Knight Three, “They are kind of used up. Probably as old as anyone is going to survive to be out here. Their, human, slave drivers probably keep them hungry and thirsty to more easily manage and punish them.”
The Atlantean, “Ezra, tell them, IF they help us, we will help them.”

After a brief explanation they hold out their empty water pouches to have them magically filled.

The last thing they hear is, “IF anything happens to us, the water stops.”

Later the Atlantean finds some stone, merges them and moves while looking like they are carrying them with supernatural strength. It begins to form a flat base and table.
The environmental tent is set up on it.
Talking:
The Atlantean, “Let’s start our own business. We can earn what we need.”
Lt Ezra, “What kind of business?”
The Atlantean, “I don’t know. Selling water. Maybe start our own caravan.”
Lady Black, “We would need something to trade.”
Lt Ezra, “What do you sell in Hell?”
The Atlantean, “Well, we are doing pretty good with water.”

In the hours that follow the party:

• The 6 th level mystic knight known as Three, because of his mystic knight abilities to redirect and steal ley line energy, is able to, if he meditates and concentrates, siphon a little bit of the nexus enery that is leaked from the imperfect stone ziggurat. Getting it and holding it however is an endeavor, he can't do it while engaged in combat or even casting a spell or psionics. It sort of amounts to getting more P.P.E. after meditating. Also, it is erratic so he does not get the same amount of extra P.P.E. every hour; more like an extra 1d4 every 1d6 time 10 minutes. GM can adjudicate to prevent this or have dry spells from which it cannot be absorbed. Likewise, a GM could afford the same opportunity to a Ley Line Walker or Ley Line Shifter (because they are ley line mages).

• A dust storm hits the city. The walls keep a lot of it out but not for those outside. The Atlantean surmises the stone ziggurat can’t influence the weather.

• They acquire a dirty, old, torn, and worn tent (practically useless except for materials) for water. Then knight Three uses his spell “Mend the Broken” to restore it.

• The beggars claim they have seen others with the Atlanteans tattoo on his wrist (Aerihman clan). The Mystic Knight is able to see the image in their minds via telepathy so their is evidence they are telling the truth but not all the tattoo images are of Aerihman Clan.

• They find the slave's human master and start negotiating for the used up slave's life. The offer is camouflaged by asking about buying them by the dozen. Taking the party as inexperienced slave buyers or fools for their interest in worn out shells of men who will be dead in a month they haggle over water and magical services until they agree.

• They shack them up in the new tent with a stone floor. No one knows what to do with them. They don’t know if they can trust them all or even anyone of them. The party is confident that they slaves won't rock the water cart over.

• The slaves have seen the tattoo on the Atlanteans wrist on a few others in and out of the city.

• The Atlantean confronts the Shifter who says it’s Hades. Demons are all over the multiverse. They must have taken Atlanteans wherever they found them. That and he can’t be the only one who thought of trying to find an Atlantean Stone Master. The Demons or other shifters must have tried to take Atlanteans and failed to find one with the skills so he assumes they must have made them slaves. That or they were "just" taken as slaves because they were "there" and that is what some Demons and mortals do.

• The Shifter proposes a trade. All the Atlantean in and around the city in exchange for fixing the ziggurat. He can make it a condition that the slaves have to be brought together. The Atlantean can mingle with them and hide amongst them while they all go through the motions of his magical stone abilities. The whole point of which is to conceal, from the Demons and their mortal servants, which of the Atlanteans has the powers of a Stone Master.

• This shakes the Atlantean up a LOT. He says, "I am an Aerihman Clansman first and an Atlantean second. IF one of them is of my clan I must do everything in my power to rescue them."

[darthauthor]

The Atlantean has the newly acquired slaves search the shantytown in groups with members of the party. Knight Three won't leave the Atlantean's side so they take four slaves and Lt Ezra as a translator.

Note: Knight Three could cast the tongues spell to understand and speak the Demogorian language but only for 20 minutes or so. Repeatedly casting the spell would burn up his P.P.E.

Knight Three, “We should play the part of shopping for slaves. We could even ask for Atlanteans. They might raise the price on us but it would save time and be less dangerous than wandering around the shantytown. Have some skill at finding contraband. If you follow my led I can save us some time. There's also the chance that this is a trap laid for us to walk into. The slave driver could be using these slaves we bought as bait to get us to where they want us to go."
The Atlantean gives in to Knight Three’s argument.
They have no luck the first day but they do see more of the shantytown.

• They discover the shantytown does have a form of law enforcement that operates more like a mob protection racket. The party cannot confirm their sanction to make arrests or punish but they wear leather armor uniforms. They could be a gang of guys with matching clothes who decided to intimidate people to make slaves afraid IF they get caught for murder or theft. They seem to take murder seriously though. Slaves can bully each other, that’s to be expected, but slaves killing other slaves is bad for their owners interests. Slaves are executed for minor offenses such as theft, and given that the killing of a slave is essentially theft (from the owner of the slave), the punishment is death. Although, the "execution" is typically painful and slow enough that suicide is preferable. Under rare circumstances the slave committing the crime might become the property of the Demon whose slave they killed. This sort of thing could happen to visitors to the city of Hades. IF a Demon's slave is killed in process of servicing a tourist or business person, typically they must pay for the loss of the property. IF they can't they must take the slaves place as the Demon's property.

• Dead bodies are brought to a sort of dead body processor who extracts the water. Then uses whatever is left or sells it for whatever it can be used for.

• The typical fashion is tunics but since the temperature is hot and there is little sunlight are shirtless. Also men and women normally shave their heads unless having hair is part of their slave duties.

• There are few, if any, Demons in the tent city shantytown. The vibe is that Demons think mortals are beneath them. They are feared as they are strong and enjoy tormenting mortals. The law offers no protection from Demons. The closest anything ‘might’ come to policing Demons the one over them disapproves the trouble they caused or another Demon is offended because they broke or destroyed their slave. This is like a child angry because another child broke or destroyed their toy.

• There are other tourists who come to this city who pay for the service of slaves. Going outside the walls of the city is a bit of a taboo adventure in terms of risk and rubbing elbows with the rabble.

[darthauthor]

Location: Hades. Shanty-town.

Asking around again, people in Hades can’t tell the difference between an Atlantean and a human. Those born in Hades have no knowledge of Atlanteans. While those taken as slaves and brought to Hades either don’t know of them, consider them the stuff of myth or have heard of them but whose description is not much different than a tall and handsome human with tattoos. IF they understand it was an Atlantean in their presence it is because of the magical power they were using to create a flaming sword or such. Tales of humanoid tattooed circus freaks who suddenly appeared on worlds with monsters and vampires that left as soon as they eliminated them are many and varied but before they left it was known, they are Atlanteans. So EVERY seven foot tall man or woman covered in tattoos shooting fire out of their eyes, lightning out their hands, and swinging a flaming sword is for sure an Atlantean. ANYBODY else, who looks human, and has tattoos, could be an Atlantean or maybe they are only human. Why don’t YOU ASK THEM?

The problem is that anybody, in Hades, would promise you ten of anything if they thought there was a one in a million chance they would get paid.

Knight Three, “If we start passing around a drawing of the Marks of Heritage they will start copying them to sell slaves to us at double the price. Ictinus (the Atlantean) IF an Atleantean were taken prisoner and made a slave, would they tell people around them and their slave masters they are Atlantean.”
The Atlantean (Ictinus), “No. To protect their clan’s secrets, and their pride, they would stay silent.”
Knight Three, “Then we are looking the wrong way. We need to stop asking for Atlantean slaves to buy. We need to look for slaves with tattoos or who speak the Ancient Greek Atlantean language. Maybe those who can read Atlantean.”
Lady Black, "Few know how to read and even fewer read ancient Greek."
Knight Three, “We could write on a scroll and hold it up in front of a line of slaves. Their eyes should tell us if they can read it. Have it say something like, ‘Fellow Atlantean, we come to rescue you.’ Or something like that.”
The Atlantean, “What if the Demons see the scroll or get a hold of it.”
Lady Black, “Demons magically understand all languages but they can’t read them. Besides, they aren’t inclined to read. But, let’s have the scroll read, ‘Paying for Atlanteans freedom,’ just in case.
Knight Three, “Our Atlantean will have to be present so they can see him and his tattoos. Otherwise, they might think it is a trick.” Knight Three groans, “We are going to have to look at a lot of slaves.”
The Atlantean, “If even one is from my clan it will be worth it. I will begin writing the scroll.”

Lt Ezra begins leveling up to 5th level.
He gains 4 Hit Points and 5 I.S.P. and 7 P.P.E. and the spells:

Resist Fire (3)
Which he uses generously on the group (himself or two others; duration 25 minutes) to relieve them of heat exhaustion, etc. (“heat has no ill effect”). He casts it mostly on Knight Three and Lady Black while they do guard duty.

Superhuman Endurance (12; two by touch)

Between the Atlantean, Knight Three, and Lt Ezra they perform a physical inspection of the 12 slaves.
Thanks to Psi-Diagnosis, Psi-Purify, Psychic Surgery, Heal Wound spell, Cleanse, Cure Minor Disorders, and Cure illness, and a gallon of water each, and a full day of rest they are looking 10 years younger and a lot better.

Four of them are slowly dying.

One from an exotic and alien disease he probably got from a foreigner.
The other three from a variety of problems (lung failure, liver failure, and cancer). Cancer they have to amputate. Best guess is a fifty-fifty it stops the spread. The psychic surgery is a miraculous success and the cancerous parts are removed without incident or negative consequence. The other two would require replacement parts (bio-systems or transplants; if they could get them). Until then, once a day psi-purify will manage the one with a bad liver. While "Breathe Without Air" works for the one with lung damage it only gives them 20 minutes of respite. They speculate that IF they took the patient out of Hades air to one without the sand and such he might recover without an operation.
In a surge of Boldness. The Atlantean says, "We will attack the enemy where it is. Tomorrow, I will operate. You will all him to breathe using your magic. When I isolate each of their lungs, you knight Three, will "Cleanse" them of the "unclean." After that I will restore them."

Knight Three gives everyone a spell boosting their immune system (Fortify Against Disease) and magically restores the slaves tunics (lift their spirits, besides, don't want them making the party look bad).

[darthauthor]

Location: Stone Pyramid on the ley line.

Those present:
Knight Two and Four
Sir Wyatt.
One of the Necromancers
The Earth Warlock
The Craftsman (Burner)
An Atlantean Nomad (Hy)

Knight Two, “One last brief. The Atlantean, Lady Black, Lt Ezra, and knight Three are in Hades. The Atlantean was kidnapped. The rest followed to rescue him. Our ride is here, (motioning his head to the Atlantean Nomid) is going to take me, and those who follow me, to Hades and back, after our people are found. What I need to know is who is coming with me and knight Four?
We already ruled out the Dog Boys because someone has to stay at the pyramid to guard it and they would probably drop from heat exhaustion because of their fur coats.
Each of you here were asked, individually, if you would help with your unique talents.
The Burner (the Craftsman) is immune to the high temps of Hades and he can attack with fire. He is going cause he wants to kill some demons and get some adventure.
The necromancer expects to find bones in the desert of Taut. That’s what is in it for him. While he is with us he will support us with spell casting. Given the time that has passed waiting for the Nomad to arrive he has made us some necromancer bone items, using the powers from this pyramid. We have snake head necklaces for protection and bat head necklaces for seeing in the dark.
For the Earth Warlock, she is here to save the Stone Master (the Atlantean). She is owed some wealth. We get him back, she gets her fortuen. She is expected to provide support.
We need people with high magic energy reserves so that, Hy (Atlantean Nomad) here can use his magic tattoos to open a gateway back here. The very reason we are at this pyramid is so he can tap into its energy and create the Rift we need to travel. We don’t expect to find that energy there so we need people who have it to come with us. Between ALL of us and ALL of them we should have enough power between us to make it back. We have all had the spell "Sustain" cast upon us. That should be good for a week. IF there is anyone who has had a change of mind or heart, you can step off now because you won’t get that chance where we are going.

With that, Hy (the Atlantean Nomad) uses the power of the stone pyramid and opens a Rift Portal.

The heat comes pouring out of the Rift. It is enough to make the Dog Boys in the room sweat.

One by one they walk through the Rift, into the twilight.

Immediately scanning the area the rescue party took cover. Then withdrew and created a fox hole of sorts with the help of the Earth Warlock. Setting up a "Sheltering Force" tent to get out from the heat they regroup. The Craftsmen stands watch.

Knight Two, "Well it is hotter than I thought it would be. It is clear we need brakes, except for the Burster. We check our sensory instruments for the Atlanteans signal. Then radio for knight Three. IF range is a problem we will have to go 10 miles in some direction and keep trying as long as we don't go in circles or get lost. The sands don't keep any tracks for long."
Hy says, "Use my thing." Handing the portable scanner to knight Two.
Examining it, knight Two sees the auto map feature.
Knight Two, "You are worth your weight in silver."
Hy smiles.
"Alight, we take a shelter break from the heat every hour. Expect to make 10 miles every three to six hours. Remember, with this spell on us, we only need two hours sleep."

The Atlantean, Hy

Last in his classes, and those are the ones he passed, Hy would be depressed IF he stopped doing things to keep himself busy.
Born of the Aurelous Atlantean Clan Hy comes from a culture of healing but he is not very smart. Some who liked him wanted to see this as bravery so they did. Socially he forgot most insults against him and is not by personality dominant or vengeful and although not highly regarded he is considered gifted in the ways of healing.
Growing up alongside the Aerihman Clan (under their protection) he aspired to be an Undead Slayer. Almost everyone in the Aerihman Clan gets to at least attempt the tests to be an Undead Slayer.
He washed out of the training academy. They didn’t consider him to be both smart and strong enough even though his heart is in the right place. That and his physical prowess is well above average. He is great at hitting his target.
Failing his academy, all he had to the tattoos he had to show for it made him a mortal of supernatural strength and endurance. Compared to the average Atlantean he was still weaker. He could just work longer.
Out of compassion and a little pity he was granted Dimensional travel tattoos to go out amongst the stars and dimensions to heal others. Nearly 200 years later he is not as accomplished as his peers but survived all of those who were with him at the academy. Also, he saved more lives then any one of the Undead Slayers, a fact appreciated by those whose injuries he treated and lives he saved.
While he considers he would have died many times over if it were not for the magic that has made him a mega-damage being and the tattoos he gained training at the slayer academy.

9th Level Aurelous Atlantean Nomad:

Race: True Atlantean

Alignment: Unprincipled (with an Honorable orientation)
Disposition: He is brave, compassionate, and loyal but it comes from a place of simple-mindedness and conformity to his people's culture. Lacking the aggression and competitiveness of Clan Aerihman, Hy, left feeling he is not enough.

I.Q. 10, M.E. 20, M.A. 13, P.S. 14, P.P. 23, P.E. 19, P.B. 17, Spd. 22
Supernatural P.S. and P.E. BUT since his strength is so low he can only carry 280 pounds and lift 560 lbs. Standard punch by strength alone 4d6 S.D.C.

On S.D.C. Worlds: Hit Points: 49; S.D.C.: 160

On Rifts Earth: M.D.C.: 209 (has 10 Atlantean Tattoos making him MD)
I.S.P.: 72
P.P.E.: 136

Language & Literacy: Atlantean (Ancient Greek), American, Dragonese/Elf,
Language: Two Galactic Trade Languages
Meditation: 96%

Atlantean Nomad O.O.C. Skills:
Anthropology: 90%, Basic Math: 98%, Lore: Atlantean Clans: 80%, Lore: Dimensions: 75%, Land Navigation: 85%, Lore: Demons & Monsters: 85%, Lore: Faeries & Creatures of Magic: 80%, Swimming: 95%, Wilderness Survival: 80%
W.P. Blunt: +10 to strike, +11 to parry, +8 to throw
W.P. Sword: +10 to strike, +10 to parry, +8 to throw
W.P. Energy Rifle: +4 to strike

*Background Nomad Paladin*(Dimensional Book 15)
W.P. Knife: +9 to strike, +11 to parry, +11 to throw
W.P. Shield: +13 to parry
W.P. Targeting: +9 to strike/throw
Hand to Hand: Expert: 9th level
Combat:
W.P. Paired Weapons and backhand strike (1d4 damage).
+2 to perception
+1 to initiative
+6 to strike
Number of Attacks: 6
+3 to disarm, and can perform a Karate Punch 2d4
+3 to pull punch and +2 to roll with punch, fall or impact.
+7 to parry
+8 to dodge.
Karate Kick: 2d6
Critical Strike on an unmodified roll of 18 or higher.

Atlantean Auralous Clan Bonus*(Dimensional Book 15 - Secrets of the Atlanteans):
Brewing: 85%/90%, Holistic Medicine: 70%/60%, Paramedic: *98%

O.C.C. Related Skills:
1. Bioware Mechanics: 70% (Being cosmopolitan, Hy is open minded about other beings need for cybernetics and the lack of bio-systems and different tastes)
2. Field Surgery: 48% (being an emergency paramedic he has saved beings)
3. Identify Plants & Fruit: 95% (food / medical resources when out)
4. Mechanical Engineer: 65% (to get Bioware Mechanics)
5. Xenology: 70% (to treat common Aliens and D-Bees)

Secondary Skills:
Computer Operation: 80%, Lore: Galactic/Alien: 70%, Lore: D-Bees: 70%
Radio: Basic: 80%, Sensory Instruments: 70%

W.P. Rope. Typically created using his Atlantean Tattoo: a lariat or lasso for combat, also to hook onto an object or limb for climbing, scaling walls, boarding vessels, and swinging across openings. As a weapon, it can encircle the shoulders, arms, waist or feet to snare, trip and otherwise pin and incapacitate an opponent. The lasso can also ensnare the neck and strangle opponents.
+12 to strike or for boarding, + 1 to entangle and + 4 to disarm.
Rope cannot be used to parry

3rd Level: Advanced Training Rescue Ops:
+6 on Perception Rolls to find the living
+6 to Perception Rolls to ascertain the severity of injuries
Climbing: 95% (98% rappel), Detect Concealment: 70%, Excavation: 95%,
Firefighting: 90%, Mining: 85% (digging rescue tunnels), Paramedic: 98%,
Rope Works: 90%

Major Psychic: Healing Category:
Bio-Regenerate (self) (6) (dimension and planet hopping to treat patients he is exposed to a lot of foreign bacteria and diseases. This power keeps him from getting sick and dying),
Deaden Pain (4), Healing Touch (6), Induce Sleep (4), Meditation (0), Psychic Diagnosis (4), Psychic Purification (8), Psychic Surgery (14), Stop Bleeding (4)

Magical Atlantean Tattoos: (10)
Two Marks of Heritage:
Flaming Sword: (2d6 MD; 135 Minutes)
Stake through Heart: (vampire protection)
One Flaming Weapon: Knife (1d6 MD; 135 Minutes)
One Flaming Shield (15 P.P.E. 4.5 Hours; +15 to parry; indestructible)
Eyes: Three (Supernatural Vision; 90 minutes)
Knight in Full Body Armor (315 MD; 4.5 Hours)
One Simple Weapon: Rope (2 P.P.E. cost; 4.5 Hours)
Two Dimensional Tattoos: Rift Portal (400 P.P.E. & P.E.)

**5th Level animal tattoo: Rescue Dog (good for therapy too) See Below
**The Dimension of Goroth of the Marciniszyn Clan. It was a tattoo master of this clan who gave Hy the animal tattoo of a large canine. The tattoo was a copy of Hy’s real life dog. Hy loved his dog, Faith (Shepard Lab mix) so much he wanted her to be with him all his whole life.
Dog's Name: Faith
Alignment: Scrupulous and love to track and hunt
Breed: Shepard
Spd. 43. Tireless
Hit Points: 48
S.D.C.: 55
Bite does 2D6+8 S.D.C. damage, slashing claws 1D4 damage,
+3 perception, +2 initiative, +5 to save vs Horror Factor
Number of attacks: 3.
+3 to strike, +1 parry, +6 to dodge.
Track by smell 85%,
Climbing: 35% (debris, rocks, & trees), Detect Concealment: 80%, Land Navigation: 90%, Prowl 50%, Swimming: 65%, Tailing: 80%, Tracking (people): 85%, night-vision 100 feet (30.5 m).

Hy's Wealth:
Hy has been charitable to many across the galaxy and dimensions in the 200+ years or so he has been doing work as a sort of humanitarian aid. Still he likes to collect different currencies and coins as well as a few odds and ends. He’s a people person and prefers to live with people.
He has an assortment of precious gems and one million in universal trade credits (electronic) on him.

Equipment:
Wears: Amulet (See the Invisible), Digital Watch, Silver Cross
Magic clothing: Field medic clothing (Impervious to fire, dirt-resistant, self-cleaning, self-repairing (minor tears and snags are instantly repaired), temperature-sensitive (cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter), glows in the dark, can change from one color to one other (costs 1 P.P.E. to activate).

Explorer's Cloak
Never gets dirty, sheds water, mud, and grime and keeps the wearer completely dry. Second, it keeps the wearer cool in warm weather and warm in cool weather. Even severe freezing or scorching sun has half the normal effects (no added benefit against M.D. heat or cold).
Third, the wearer resists all poisons and toxins ( +4 to save, and half damage, duration, and effect), including inhaled gases. Lastly, the cloak slows the wearer's descent if he falls (half damage). These benefits are always in effect and require no P.P.E. to activate.

Nordor's Boots
These sturdy leather boots are named after a legendary Atlantean nomad. They offer excellent traction and are incredibly durable (6 M.D.C. each in environments with high levels of magic).
More importantly, they double the wearer's Speed, double his jumping distance, and halve his fatigue while they are worn. The wearer also gains
a +2 bonus to dodge due to his enhanced mobility. These effects are always active as long as the boots are worn and require no P.P.E. to activate.

TW Explorer Light
Channeling 1 P.P.E. (or 2 I.S.P.) into the device will cause it to emit a flashlight or spotlight-like beam of light. The intensity can be adjusted from a 50 to 300 watt light bulb and it can be adjusted wide (10 feet/3 m maximum width) or focused (300 feet/91.4 m maximum distance) or anywhere in between. Alternatively, the user can channel 2 P.P.E. (or 4 I.S.P.) into the light to activate a 24 foot (7.3 m) radius Globe of Daylight that not only provides excellent all around visibility but will also keep vampires at bay. The flashlight lasts for 1 hour per each activation, while the Globe of Daylight will only last for 6 minutes per each activation.
P.P.E. Cost to Activate: 1 (or 2 I.S.P.) for light beam or 2 (4 I.S.P.) for Globe of Daylight.

Magic Surgical Mask made of Zircon: Continous "Breathe Without Air" effect.
The intent of the mask is to keep a doctor from breathing germs or bacteria on a patient or the other way around. Also, to be able to perform medical procedures in an alien environment native to the patient.

Magic Gloves of Cleaniness: Performs Cleanse Spell when put on and will cleanse the instruments, opertating table and patient before whatever surgery or medical procedure is performed. Can also purify food and waterl.

Atlantean Water Crystal: 10k credits; 8 P.P.E. = 1 gallon.
Atlantean Campfire Crystal: 4 P.P.E = 2 hour warmth and light without fire.
Atlantean Sheltering Crystal: 20 P.P.E. = 6 hours Sheltering Force Spell
Atlantean Communication Crystal
Atlantean Crystal Solar Battery (3)
Atlantean Crystal Powered Armband
Atlantean Crystal Head Band
Enchanted Backpack of holding (Ancient Magic Teapot, assortment of magic and tech remedies and medical treatments from across dimensions and planets. A sort of Batman utility belt to medical problems).
PSE-8000 Portable Scanner (medical)
Super-Advanced: Flashlight, Handheld computer, Radio:

Weapons:
Bone Knife
Crystal Knife
Crystal Laser Rifle: 2,000 feet range; 2d6+2 MD; 30 P.P.E. per melee round; 240 PPE stored.
Laser Scaple (like Wilks)
Silver Plated Knife
Vibro-knife
Wooden knife

[darthauthor]

Location: Hades. Outside of the Shanty-town surrounding the Demon market city of Shek’Ra.

He’s going to make it!

Lt Ezra could hardly believe it. I thought it wouldn’t work. Part of him still thinks it shouldn’t have worked. Isolating the patient's lungs with psychic surgery. Using the magic of “Cleanse”, psychic purification, and magical healing of each lung then putting everything in its place. Maybe it was a random spurt from the ley line nexus that stone ziggurat is on or maybe it’s because between Ictinus (the Atlantean) and knight Three they believed strongly enough and willed it to be but whatever happened it worked, for now. This guy's lungs are going to make it. That means he is going to make it.

That’s when the magic pigeon appeared with a message for knight Three:
“Four to Three. Applesauce. Home Run when bases are loaded. Other friendly teams may be on the field before us. Shared your number. Say goodbye if you leave with them.”

Knight Three, "That's knight Four. Applesauce is a code word so the message is from Four and he has not been made to send it. Home Run means they have a way to take us back to Earth with them and we are leaving when they get here. Other friendly teams, it means there are others looking for us, to rescue us. Sharing your number means they have my radio frequency and encryption code. Say goodbye if you leave with them means IF the other search and rescue team gets to them first, leave them a message telling them we are leaving before we leave so they know not to stay here looking for us."
Ictinus, "Why code it?"
"They don't know if we are prisoners and who else might hear the message. Demons can understand all languages so if they heard it they would know what we do."
Pausing.
Knight Three, "The number of people in the area is huge. They could arrive in any direction. We are like certain trees in a forest. They won't find us right away. Even when we are in radio range without a common landmark we can both see and wait for the other at finding each other is going to be a challenge. I don't have the magic pigeon spell to message them back. Besides, the desert is without a lot of reference points. IF we tried to go out there to find them we could get lost. Better to wait here."

Pausing again to think.

"It also means we don't need the Shifter once our people get here. What is to stop him from trying to kidnap you (the Atlantean) again?"
Lt Ezra, "How will we know who the other search and rescue teams are?"
Knight Three, "They won't look like the natives. Most likely they will be Atlantean."
Ictinus (The Atlantean), "We will NOT leave an Aerihman Clan member behind."
Knight Three, "You don't need to be the one who rescues them. The other rescue teams can attend to the matter."
Ictinus, "I DO NEED to be the one who rescues them. I am NOT going to be the one who is in need of being rescued. I need to be the one who does the rescuing."
The Shifter smiles. "How long would it take for you to fix the ziggurat?"
Ictinus, "I don't know. Won't know without touching the stones."
"What if I could get you into its control room? You know, the one where you can open rifts to other worlds? The area where they bring all the slaves, maybe Atlantean slaves, to be sacrificed. Could you fix it there?"

[darthauthor]

The Atlantean (Ictinus), “Here is what is going to happen. We continue the search for my clansmen. Next, the wall surrounding the city is made of stone. I am a stone master. I shape it according to my will. I will open the stone wall and enter the city and close it behind us. Once inside we will travel to the ziggurat. It too will open, for me. We will go inside. I will discover the flaws of the ziggurat. I will take control of it and then . . .”
Knight Three, “What will stop the hordes of Demons from surrounding and overwhelming us? The city must have security. One look at us and they will know we are not dressed for the place. Typically, areas of importance, the security knows each other at a glance. The Demons guarding in the ziggurat probably expect humans are not allowed inside it.”
Ictinus, “I am a Stone MASTER! Stone is my element. It moves for me. The stones of it will shield us and trap those who would keep me from my purpose.”
Knight Three, “That won’t free any Atlantean slaves, IF, they are here at all.”
The Atlantean, “We will ransom the pyramid for slaves. We will leave with the slaves.”
The Shifter, “Are you seriously going to make a run for the ziggurat and take off with a poultry handful of slaves? Leaving Disc with a better ziggurat. Well, Disc will be happy, if that’s the way things turn out. Of course, there is no telling if the slaves will be Atlantean. The Demons probably don’t know themselves what slaves are, what species. IF you demand Atlanteans from Disc, and there are any, he might use them as hostages. For the safety of you brother and sister Atlanteans, you best find them without making the Demons aware you value their lives above all others. Who knows what they will do IF they find out? They might go out of their way to kidnap Atlanteans.”
Knight Three, “There is no quick and easy way to tell an Atlantean apart from a healthy tall human.
Lady Black, “I can tell. Their energy levels are higher, it's because of their tattoos. ALL Altanteans have them. Ninety-nine out of one-hundred adults won’t have as high a one.”
Ictinus (the Atlantean), “We need to find a way to see a lot of slaves, like in a line.”
Lt Ezra, “Wait. The rescue party is on the way. We are in enemy territory. We should lay low and wait for them to come within radio range. Once we are talking, over the radio, we can arrange a time and place to meet, open a Rift and get out of here. Everyone gets out alive. Why risk discovery when a special forces team, with the proper equipment, intel, planning, training can come back and perform the mission with the greatest chance of success without injury?
Ictinus, “Because I am here now. Because between now and between now and then an Atlantean could suffer and die. But you have given me an idea. Any deal the Shifter could do someone else could too. What we need is someone to represent me and my services as a HUMAN stone master.”
The Shifter, “I’m your man.”
Ictinus, “Someone we can trust.”
Knight Three, “We can’t trust anyone here.”
Ictinus, “Someone who isn’t out for himself.”
The Shifter, “Everyone is out for themselves.”
Ictinus, “Someone we can kill if they betray us and they know it.”
Knight Three, “One of the returning trade caravans might have someone willing to help, if there is something in it for them. What would that be?
Ictinus, “Why not ask them and find out?”
Knight Three, “They would have to know that they have a Stone Master. It comes back to the problem of the Demon respecting a deal and letting you go.”
Ictinus, “Is there a business person whose power and word are so strong that neither can be broken? And IF they exist, how would we find them and gain an audience to petition them to represent us?”
Knight Three, “We will have to ask around. We can do it while we are looking for Atlantean slaves.”

Meanwhile, somewhere in the Desert of Taut:

Knight Two, Four, the Earth Warlock, Buster, Necromancer, and Hy (the Atlantean Nomad).

Making their way through the desert fighting when they have to and killing when it is necessary and expedient.

[darthauthor]

Location: Desert of Taut

The party stands guard over the Earth Warlock.
She diligently works on a vehicle while taking breaks in a sheltering force tent.

Knight Two, "Is this a good idea?"
Hy, "If she can get the land vehicle running it is. We will move something like ten times faster than I'd expect. Also, the necromancer needs something to carry his finds."
Knight Two, "How are you okay with keeping the company of a necromancer?"
Hy, "Travel the galaxy and dimensions and you'd be surprised at the company you travel with. Civilization is being civil regardless of how others' way of life may offend your sensibilities. I don't have to live their life nor they mine. We each live our own lives."
The Earth Warlock, "I've got it. Now it needs a charge, it's sort of either a Naruni Enterprises or a Tesla."
Knight Two, "What?"
Earth Warlock, "It's an electric dune buggy of sorts. Runs on electricity."
Knight Two, "What about fluids? oil, transmission, and breaks."
Warlock, "Doesn't use brake fluid, has a regenerative braking system. Also doesn't have a traditional transmission system, and therefore, does not require transmission fluid. Doesn't use motor oil either."
Knight Two, "That thing was buried in the sand for how long?"
Warlock, "Don't know but the beast was made for environments like this. Not like those skeletons we took out of it. Plus, I can magically mend and restore metal even with rust which isn't a problem seeing as their is no water out here. Now, if someone can recharge the batteries on it we can start her up and really get moving."
Knight Two, (a little embarrassed) "I don't know how to drive it."
Warlock, (with a huge smile on her face) "I do!"

Kicking sand the five of them took off in the buggy. They jump dunes in spectacular fashion. Knight Two and Four fire shots at distant pursuers until they are dead, fled, or out of sight. They dodge weaves and outrun worms of Taut. Jump some rivers of lava. Stop to pick up bones and tie them down. Do some donuts in the dunes before the warlock uses "Fools Gold" on the vehicle to bling her ride before they arrive at the outskirts of the Demon city of Shek’Ra.

Knight Two to knight Four, "For someone I have a hard time noticing (low M.A.), she makes her rides impossible to forget!"

[darthauthor]

Location: Hades, Tent-city / Shanty Town.

Knight Two, “So we want to find our people without drawing unwanted attention to them or us. How? First thoughts? Mine is Radio.”
Knight Four, “We can send another magic pigeon.”
Hy (Atlantean Healer), “My scanner shows there are millions of sentients humanoids in and around this city. Without laying eyes on them and I can't id an Atlantean.”
The necromancer is silent.
The Buster, “Send up a flair.”
The Earth Warlock, “Leave stone markers with writing on them.”

Knight Two, "We need to establish a rally point or at least some place around here they can find easily without much trouble from the natives. Also, we need to rest to get our energy levels back up. When next we see them I want to grab them and go."
A magic pigeon takes flight.
No response comes back over the radio.
Knight Two stops the Buster from shooting fire into the sky. "We don't know who will come looking to see what that is about. Besides, until we tell them to look for a bolt of fire they won't know it is a signal. We will leave the stone markers in common areas of the tent city shanty-town. In American, so there won't be any clues of an Atlantean."