((Did I ever join this game?))
I have your character in my notes, so yes.
I've got a weird sense of deja vu.
((That's quite helpful, thank you.))
Campaign, Ike!
Throw my knife at the wizard while retreating. If he does fire off a spell, try to use the pursuing soldiers as cover.
You didn't really answer my question though. Are you heading towards a particular direction or should I choose one at random?
((I'd prefer toward the general's estate if possible, whichever direction that is.))
You throw your knife at the mage. He looks at you with a hint of dread, ready to dodge. But he doesn't have to, for your aim is way off. The knife goes towards a soldier instead, who easily swats it away with his shield. The mage immediately makes a motion with his hands and the energy gathered between them, obviously seeking a quick retaliation.
The mage gasps and falls to his knees. The energy between his hands turns into a dark blob, a darkness that explodes instead of flying towards you. The chunks fly into his face and stick to it and his body like thick viscous tar. The soldiers closest to him freeze for a second. Then one of them shouts "Black magic! Get clear!". The rest comply, running away and getting some distance between themselves and the mage. All except one, who remains frozen in place and raises his sword.
The mage screams for a second before his mouth is covered by the expanding black substance. He convulses and thrashes for a few moments before he spins around and throws himself to the soldier that stayed behind, trying to hit him with his arms. The soldier is quicker, using his sword to counter-strike at the mage's arms, but it is completely ineffective. The mage's arms barely slow down, taking the soldier's sword with them as they continue their strike. The soldier manages to raise his shield to block the strike, but it's still strong enough to send him tumbling back.
"Get out of there! What are you doing?!" one of the others warns him.
But before the soldier can move, the jumps on him. The soldier tries to push the mage away with his shield, but that only results in the soldier getting trapped under it as the mage falls on it. The mage thrashes and pummels the soldier's shield and helmet like mad, looking more like he's having a seizure than actually attacking. The strikes are strong enough to bend the metal and paint the dirt with the dead soldier's blood and brain matter.
"Damn. That ungodly abomination..." one of the soldiers comments.
"Wait! It's
eating him?" another adds with the same level of disgust.
Yes, 'the abomination' as they called it (which is now less of a human and more of a human-shaped blob of tar) has put it face close to the soldier's neck, from which crunching sounds start emanating. The surface of the tar shudders slightly and becomes more solid. And then the crunching sounds spread to the body of the abomination. A more well defined shape starts appearing on its back, a new set of limbs with sharp edges.
The soldiers gather closer to each other, form a defensive line and point their swords at it defensively, but maintain their distance from it.
Those events seem to either scare or at least distract the soldiers chasing you for you to get a good distance between you and them. You keep running towards the tower. You also see Alan, who has recently made his way out of the tower and has started getting closer to you. You'll meet up with him next turn. Do you and Xan have any plan about what you're gonna do next?
"General Linus? Sir? I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't want anything like this to happen. I.. I don't know why Ike and Nik did that. Honestly, I'm hoping they know something I don't, and that there was a good reason for their actions, but... I really don't know. I'm sorry. Please don't hate me sir."
Theri was about to add to the idea, but as she heard the General's footsteps leave the vicinity, she directed her words onto his wife instead.
"If he's disappointed in himself for trusting us, no matter how much you are disgusted by me and my friend: We are honored to be kept safe by your husband's trust. Thank you also, for having the decency to treat us like people, despite any prejudice in mind. Your family has a good heart, I've seen it in your child's eyes. He'll grow up well and good.
"And I am very sorry for the inconveniences we've caused."
Follow the tri-tailed friend-buddy! 
Also ensure the wounded around me are kept safe, and whisper a 'stay safe, follow your parents, be good' to the young boy (if it's an OK-to-whisper-under-the-mother's-watch moment)
You speak to the woman. She doesn't respond to you. When you finish speaking, she looks away and says nothing, although she doesn't look as tense anymore.
You approach the boy and whisper your goodbye. She does not interfere.
The boy looks at you curiously for several seconds. Then he hugs you. "Bye." he says with his childish voice.
When given the map, I'm fine with using the tunnel.
The general returns a few moment later holding the same leather-covered metal cylinder that held the map he showed you earlier, the top holding some stone decorations. He quickly goes down the stairs, hands it to you and continues moving with his quick pace. You go through a tunnel and then keep moving until you reach a dead end. The general pauses, retrieves a small tuning-fork-like object made of metal and stone from one of his pockets. He closes his eyes and takes a second to slow his breathing. He strikes the wall with the object and it resonates, producing a note.
"Faaal..." the general utters the syllable, his tone matching the tone produced by the tuning fork.
"Ei fal em eoro." he continues, singing the words.
The wall resonates with the words, vibrating like water before melting away to reveal a dark tunnel.
"Get in."
"Keep going straight until you reach the staircase. Then take the second left and then right again. You'll find another door." he says while your group enters the tunnel.
"Close the door on the other side. I don't want any creatures to get in. Leave the key there."His instructions finished, he strikes the key against what's left of the wall. The key produces a different tone and he sings a different set of words.
"Saaald... Ai sald em vounthoi."The moment he finishes, he tosses the key to you. Then the wall closes and you are left in darkness.
<Oh, a dark tunnel. That's a classic. Watch out for bats, giant rats and giant cave spiders.> Roger warns Irine through their link.
<This is an old fortress, so skeletal soldiers are also possible. But everyone knows those guys are softer than tissue paper.>
<Heh. I mean, skeletons? Really? Who thought that would be a good idea? 'Oh, I'll just get a pile of bones barely held together by magic to defend me. I'm sure nothing will be able to defeat them.' Ha!>
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Topic: Special People: Mechanical Syndrome (Read 1150920 times)