IC: The Sun Never Sets, IC thread for The Sun Never Sets Options

[Tecumseh]

It's a long night. Ellesar and Stogie keep watch in the physical realm, protecting Smohalla's body while he monitors the astral world. It's cold, it's dark, and there's an awful lot of forest for mercenaries, animals, and cannibalistic wendigos to hide in. Smohalla and his watchers are limited to a kilometer, a tight constraint for an eagle whose natural habitat runs the length of the sky.

Nobody's getting enough sleep, not even Stogie. Jake might nod off now and again but Stogie's alertness keeps him from fully resting. This new reality of "constant vigilance" is exhausting. Will you get used to it in time, or it simply the price you pay to be a part of the Sisters and their plan for the world? There's too much wilderness for three men to monitor effectively, even with their canine and astral helpers. The forest is good for hiding, but that advantage has switched sides. Whoever was piloting that drone knows where you are but the reverse is not true. He, or she, could be anywhere along that ridge just a klick to the north, or that peak that butts up against the lake to the south, or maybe they're on their couch somewhere in their underwear, watching trids and eating crisps and brushing the crumbs off their belly. Smohalla would see them if they were close, wouldn't he? Or would the brightness of the astral forest mask the approach of a party as certainly as thick treetops do? Smohalla is sharp eyed, but would you bet your life on his eyesight? Or have you already? Such are the thoughts that come to men protecting outlaws at night in the woods in November.

Five freezing hours pass before Smohalla is forced to return to his body. There are no signs of anyone else during that time. The drone lies in the river where it crashed, and you're jealous of the rest it's receiving. Surviving is challenging enough without short sleep rations.

[pbangarth]

"Welcome back, chum." Stogie stretches for the dozenth time, and rubs bleary eyes. "Haven't been this sleepy in a long, long time.

"The Sisters are off somewhere Jake and I couldn't track. Just disappeared into thin air. No sign on the astral either. If we are going to stay here, we're going to have to figure out how to contact them when the drek hits the fan.

"I don't fancy this waiting for that to happen. This night was miserable."

[AtroposReborn]

Having grown tired of staying still hours ago, Ellesar had taken to pacing the campsite. Though young and vigilant his mind wandered and his senses dulled. The lack of sleep and frigid temperatures wore on his body and he longed for rest. A shame he couldn't find it.

"The nights here are miserable enough without added paranoia. This lack of sleep will cost us. Perhaps the sisters will have some insight when and if they return."

[Tecumseh]

Smohalla's body lurches with a pulse, like a man hit by a defibrillator. After being perfectly still for so long - no rolling over, no adjusting like a man asleep would - the spasm is alarming. His frail form jumps again, this time with his nose carving into a beak suddenly and feathers popping out of his skin, but then the body is still and the eagle's features return to a human's.

Jake looks alarmed. Stogie looks at Smohalla on the astral. He sees the form of an eagle circling around the body tightly, trying to merge again with his terrestrial host. The body won't take his astral self. Smohalla's astral image looks understandably concerned. He's been projecting for hours, and it's common knowledge that magicians away from their bodies for too long do not survive. But how long exactly? And how does the mana of the place affect the matter?

A ghostly version of Smohalla's eagle form wavers into the physical world. He can still manifest himself, at least. He opens his beak and... caws. Communication might be difficult.

The sky begins to lighten ever-so-slightly in the east. With luck the sun and the Sisters will rise soon.

[pbangarth]

Stogie jerks alert. "Hey, Ellesar. Smohalla just tried to return to his body from the astral, and failed. That manifestation is him from the astral, trying to talk to us. If he doesn't get back into his body soon, he will die. I'll try to communicate with him in the astral."

Stogie projects his perception into the astral. He knows there are no 'words' there, but he tries his best to get the emotional sense and message across to Smohalla. Buddy. What is wrong? Is this place keeping you separate from your body? Do we have to get the two parts of you out of this area of power? That's a long way off.

Wait! Follow me!

He returns to the material world. "Ellesar! Help me carry Smohalla's body." He kicks Jake into action. "Follow the Sisters, Jake. Go back to the Sisters." He know the way, but Jake can help him remember the quickest path. He continues with Ellesar, "There's that place where the Sisters just disappeared. Maybe that's an easier place to pass between the worlds. Let's see if Smohalla can get back together there."

[Tecumseh]

Stogie watches Smohalla on the astral. The eagle demonstrates his situation again, bouncing off his mortal form ineffectually. His surprise and anxiety are evident in his aura. If he has any theory as to why this is happening, he cannot communicate it.

Stogie grabs Smohalla's shoulders while Ellesar takes his feet. The frail body is not difficult to lift, although it sags in the middle. The men stagger behind Jake, following him to the site where the Sisters' scent vanished without a trace. Jake lets off a ferocious barrage of barking, his raise-the-alarm bark to alert the Sisters, should they be within earshot.

The men set Smohalla's body down. His astral form attempt to rejoin it but fails yet again. Stogie looks around. There is nothing appreciably different about this area, nor is does his new metamagic indicate that there's rift between worlds here.

After five minutes, the forest begins to shimmer in front of you. The Sisters emerge out of nowhere, not in the sense of being teleported but more like they were always there but the lens of the world was out of focus. They slowly come into view, looking tired and rumpled. Hester and Selene rub their eyes and look irritable. Ellie, in her nightgown and a fuzzy pink robe to ward away the early-morning chill, openly yawns and looks bleary-eyed. Stogie notices a powerful spirit evaporating away with the first rays of morning light. The world seems to shift and sharpen as it departs, taking its Concealment with it.

"What's all the fuss?" Ellie asks, looking at Jake with a mixture of headache and concern. It's clear that his barking has stirred them. In response, Jake indicates the inert form of Smohalla. Stogie explains the situation as best he understands it, while the eagle form manifests on the physical plane.

Ellie nods. "This is not unheard of," she says. "Hopefully it will pass in time and he will be able to rejoin his body as usual. Luckily, the mana here sustains us far longer on the astral than other places. I daresay a powerful shaman like Smohalla could last the entire day here. But, certainly, keep his body within the confines of the campsite or he will certainly perish. If we are patient, the problem may resolve itself."

[pbangarth]

"OK, well we can keep his body safe for now. But I'm afraid we may be getting company. A downed drone that probably saw our fire is likely to have given notice someone is here. Not too many options for who that someone is. If they're looking for you, Sisters, they will check it out. And daylight is here.

"Let's put Smohalla's body where it is out of sight and safe. Then let's have some breakfast. Who knows when the next meal might come."

Stogie sets to figuring how best to use Jake ... and keep him alive.

[pbangarth]

Jake senses Stogie's concern. 'Whuf!' I stay close. Protect the flock.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar sits at his usual spot around the campfire, releasing an audible sigh in the descent. "This whole situation is exhausting. We have to do something, but for once in my life I'm at a loss for ideas."

[Tecumseh]

Ellie goes about preparing breakfast. Her manner is calm but Stogie is perceptive enough to notice her preoccupation about Smohalla's condition. She heats a pan, throws some sausages in it, and starts to work on some coffee, but there's none of her usual conversation or engaging banter. Perhaps she's tired from being woken up early by a barking border collie, or perhaps her mind is racing regarding Smohalla's situation.

Hester and Selene head off into the forest in the direction of the downed drone. They're gone for a while. Ellie sets out the sausages and coffee for the men. She does some quick flapjacks in the pan grease, making sure everyone is appropriately carbed up for the day. She eats very little herself, just a bite out of a couple sausages before offering the remainder to Jake. Jake has no objections and wolfs down everything Ellie offers him.

Hester and Selene reemerge from the forest with looks of steely determination. Ellie looks up. In return, Hester and Selene flash a series of hand signs. Smohalla knows some sign language and evidently his view from the astral is clear enough to figure out what the women are communicating. Ellie gives off a low murmur. Smohalla's manifestation zips to the north for an instant before zipping back almost immediately. It flies around Stogie, Jake, and Ellesar in figure-eights.

"It seems that your expectations were well founded, Stogie," Ellie says as she stands, brushing a few crumbs off the front of her robe. "It appears that we may have some guests joining us. They're currently at the drone, but it seems logical that they'll be here shortly, don't you think?" She hums lowly to herself as she moves away from the camp. "I'm off to get dressed. Can't have them see me this! Make sure Hester and Selene get something to eat."

Hester and Selene walk back to the campfire, the looks on their faces expressing something between excitement and adrenaline. Stogie mans the cast-iron pan for long enough to produce enough sausages to feed the ork and the troll. They exchange glances with each other before firing off sinister smiles. Ellie may not enjoy this much but they do.

[pbangarth]

Stogie doles out the hearty meals to the two Sisters. "Here you go ladies. Strength and endurance for the warriors."

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar watches the two sitting Sisters as he eats. He wonders how safe they will be once the women become blood-lusted.

[Tecumseh]

The women eat greedily, their appetites spurred by the approaching engagement. They wolf down their food, their tusks scissoring shut audibly, ripping the sausages into chunks. Each downs a cup of coffee, either as a palate cleanser or as a stimulant. The troll burps and the ork wipes the grease off her mouth. They stand and turn to leave just as Ellie reenters the clearing properly dressed. Hester and Selene walk out of camp with long strides with Ellie having the chase to keep up. It's the first time you've seen her walking behind the other two.

Stogie and Ellesar move to follow. Jake whimpers, running back to check on Smohalla's defenseless form. In response, an air spirit appears. Smohalla may not be able to rejoin his body but he can still summon from the astral. The air spirit materializes in the shape of an eagle and perches about Smohalla's still form. It watches over him, cawing to encourage the men to go.

Stogie and Ellesar have to race to follow the women. Hester and Selene plow through the underbrush aggressively, their long legs pulling them along faster than the shorter metahumans can easily follow. Stogie can feel the mana of the place changing as they get further from the camp, as it returns to its wild state. Within half a kilometer there is an invisible boundary that Stogie can feel. It's the place where the powerful spirits Smohalla summoned near the camp could not pass. It feels less like the Sisters and more like the forest primeval. Stogie will not have the same mana to command here, nor will the Sisters. They will be magicians still, but they have been drawn out of their lair. Hester and Selene seem to feel that a swift response - and the element of surprise - is more important than casting in their aspected domain.

Once outside of the aspected domain, the Sisters do their summoning without breaking stride. A fire spirit, water spirit, and air spirit appear next to them. The air spirit spins around the group, the men included, circling in an accelerating tornado. Suddenly the power kicks in; Stogie and Ellesar are reminded of chasing Toothy with Smohalla's air spirit boosting them. The effect is the same. Walking becomes effortless running, and the forest practically bends itself to get out of the way.

Soon you are at the river. The mountain walls are steep and forested on each side. Hester and Selene break off without a word, the ork going left and the troll going right. Ellie stuttersteps back and forth, unsure of which to follow, before settling on the right with the troll. They begin to head straight uphill, which seems impossible but the magic makes it easy. They climb the steep valley faces with little effort, gaining elevation to better survey the scene and provide sight-lines for their magic.

After getting into position, you look down at the river. It is shallow and the crashed drone is readily visible. Three men stand around it, one examining it closely while the other two observe. Glancing around, Ellesar sees a couple other guys watching the perimeter. They're all men, and they look military-esque. They wear camo and carry large assault rifles. One of the men observing the work on the drone stands with his hands on his hips and an irritated expression. Ellesar, with his fancy googles, and Stogie, with his fancy adept powers, can both see that it's Gunny.

Stogie can feel the mana building. The women look to be ready to strike.

[pbangarth]

Stogie smirks at the revelation. "Gunny, huh? Alright, then."

[Tecumseh]

Stogie pauses, shakes his head, and starts over. Something was wrong at first - he was looking but he wasn't seeing. Maybe Gunny's presence threw him off, or maybe it was the thought of how a simple shepherd found himself as fire support for a team of witches who are about to ambush a paramilitary group. After refocusing his attention on the matter at hand, he inhales deeply and lets his Talent push through the world. He feels his eyes press forward a bit as they reach through the branches and the needles and the foggy mists to see just about everything.

Gunny's standing in the middle of the river chomping on a cigar. He's clenching his teeth and there's a vein in his neck that's throbbing. He's pissed, which is pretty normal.

There's a man standing with Gunny who looks like the second-in-command. They're observing a tech working to fix the downed drone. The tech points out the rifle hole in the drone's fuselage to Gunny. It's clear to them that the drone was intentionally shot down.

There are two guys watching the perimeter. Actually, scratch that, there are five. Stogie can't even see three of them. One of them is in a tree, surveying the scene. Stogie can hear him and how his rustling is out-of-sequence with the wind gusts rustling the trees. Another one is just a blotch of camouflage, but Stogie can see his rhythmic breathing. It's either a man or a living tree. Out here that's actually feasible, but under the present circumstances it's probably a man. The fifth and final man? He's upwind and Stogie can smell him. The man put on some bug repellent and, right now, that's all Stogie needs to go on.

All the visible men are carrying assault rifles, good for long distances. Correction, Gunny only has a sidearm and a mean expression. That makes eight of them and five of you, plus the women's spirits, plus Jake. Decent odds for an ambush, but these guys aren't street punks looking for a quick payday. They're scanning the trees, keeping watch for whatever goes bump in the forest. A werewolf? A carnivorous troll? A cabal of homicidal women? Out here, anything is possible.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar remains at his current distance, hiding behind a nearby tree. His stride is graceful and calculated, a flowing motion to keep from creating significant angles in his figure. He keeps his goggles on and his rifle ready for any sudden action. Getting caught off guard by any unknown forces would be catastrophic. The advantage may be their own but he learned long ago not to trust the fickle winds of change.

"There has to be a better way," he whispers almost inaudibly to himself, "There are too many people here that don't need to die."

[pbangarth]

Clearing his head and his Sight, stogie starts at the revelation.

What the hell have we here?

Having followed Ellie and the troll, as much for his own protection as theirs, he is glad that he can communicate with two of the three, anyway.

He hand signals Jake 'down' and whispers, "Ssst. Ellie. There are more of them down there, well hidden. Over there, in that tree," he points, "I hear someone hiding up in it. And over there, that bush is moving like it's breathing. Upwind is someone wearing insect repellant, but I can't see that one. Do you have any way of letting the other two on the other hill know this? I'll keep sensing to see if there are more, or if the ones we already know about move. I'll pay special attention upwind."

Jake, let me know if something comes from behind. Be quiet, but let me know.

Stogie has his enfield ready, and draws mana into himself, heightening his reflexes and smoothing his movements.

[Tecumseh]

The ork glances at Ellesar with a vaguely distrustful expression. Ellesar and the ork are being quiet enough that Ellesar's comment, even under his breath, doesn't go unheard. The ork shifts slightly, the look on her face suggests that she's wondering if Ellesar has the nerve for this sort of thing.

Ellie, trying to remain quiet, puts her fists on her hips and gives Stogie an impressed look that says, Why, you've been holding out on us! The troll sits against a tree for a moment and drops into the astral plane. Stogie flips his vision quickly enough to see the troll circle the area quickly.

At Ellesar's position, a shiny version of the troll manifests itself in the physical plane. The ork looks at her and the two exchange some sign language. Ellesar knows enough from his military days to recognize that they're relaying enemy positions. Pulling his goggles over his eyes, Ellesar uses their magnification and their thermographic vision to identify the target in the trees that Stogie couldn't see but could infer from the man's shuffling.

The image of the troll dissipates as the troll returns to the astral and then to her body. Stogie sees her wake up and nod to Ellie. The troll looks more concerned than before she left; she flashes some additional hand signs.

"Looks like you were right, Stogie," Ellie says in a whisper, patting Stogie on the shoulder in approval. "They also have a mage with them, who has a spirit. The man who is upwind." She looks down to Jake and gives him a small reassuring smile.

"Do you want to signal Ellesar?" she asks, pointing at Stogie's commlink. "His hunting rifle will be valuable to us if they have magical defenses. And would you like to get closer yourself? The Enfield doesn't have an extended killing range. Or perhaps you'd like to visit Mr. Insect Repellent in person?" she asks with a sly smile.

[pbangarth]

Stogie smiles at Ellie's suggestion. "The forest will force shorter ranges for both me and Repellent Man, so the shotgun will be just fine." He switches on the commlink, and apprises Ellesar of the situation in case the 'MagicNet'© message was unclear. He continues, "Ellesar, the one upwind is a mage, and he has a spirit floating around. You might want to keep an eye out for a spirit to shoot down. I'm going to hunt the mage."

He heads towards the smell and signals Jake through their Attunement, Away to Me, Boy. Jake rushes to the right and ahead. Take Time! Take Time! Jake slows and moves forward in a crouch. They move together as they have a hundred times in the forest, Jake staying 30 or 40 meters off of Stogie, slightly ahead, allowing Stogie to use momentary sense links to check for the prey's scent and sound in a triangulation. The hunt is on.

Stogie smiles once more, remembering the first time the two of them used this mental link in a sheep trial, not a single whistle or verbal command, yet the sheep were driven through the course and into the corral like clockwork.

He ensures the Enfield is in semi-automatic mode. Gotta get me some recoil comp on this thing when we get back.

[AtroposReborn]

Ellesar gives the ork a brief smile before replying to Stogie. "Roger that, I'll let you take the initiative once you get close. If I fire now it may hinder your advancement. If you get a chance send me a ping before you alert them." With that he turns back towards the targets, surveying the area between himself and them. "And don't you worry about me," he calls out just loud enough for the ork to hear, "I've seen my fair share of action."

He slowly brings the rifle up to its usual resting spot at his cheek and peers down the sites to double check a clear shot at the men. One mistake could mean fatal results and he had no reason to trust the skills of the sister behind him.

[Tecumseh]

Stogie and Jake prowl through the forest on the hunt. Stogie's senses are so on right now that he has no great difficulty in nosing out the mage. Jake picks him up too and they converge on his position.

About 50 meters out Stogie can see the back of the man through the trees. He is turned away, watching the river scene intently. Stogie flips to the astral and sees that the man is jamming the mana in front of him, counterspelling Gunny and the repair team in the river. Nice of him to do so, but he should have grabbed a man to watch his own back because right now it's exposed.

Closing in, Jake's eagerness gets the better of him. He steps on some loose rocks which skitter down the hillside, clacking against other rocks. The mage whips his head to the side, breaking the counterspelling. Stogie, with his perception jacked up to 11, catches a peek of an earbud in the man's ear, no doubt improving his range of audio perception. A curious look crosses his face as he stares at a border collie in the middle of the forest. Jake freezes, knowing that he's busted. Stogie, on the other hand, is far away enough from Jake that he is still in the clear.

[pbangarth]

Shit. That fries the eggs. Ain't lettin' Jake take the hit for me on this one.

Stogie draws the mana to him to help his aim, hoping the cover of all the life in the forest and his attention on Jake keep the mage from noticing. Surprise, wiz boy! Stogie lines the red dot on the center of the visible mass and squeezes off his shot.

[Tecumseh]

Stogie's aim is true. The slug wanders a a few centimeters over the long distance, so instead of center-punching the man's chest it slams into the back of his rib cage. His armored vest saves him from a killing blow but Stogie can see the burst of red mist that means the armor didn't stop the shot either. From the looks of it, Stogie nailed him just to the right of his heart, likely collapsing his lung. The man arches his back in pain and shock before falling forward face-first into the dirt.

[AtroposReborn]

The elf stares down the long scope of his rifle with an intense gaze upon the first of his targets. His red dot lingers on the man's left calf, a slight waver generated by his stance behind the tree. If his record was of any merit it had been quite a while since he last hit someone in their femoral artery. That pesky artery, always a thorn in... well, someone else's side. These men are only here for the money. If we can just make them see that it's not worth it maybe they will leave Gunny. He's the real problem here

The loud, familiar sound of gunfire signals his release. The leg still in his view he takes the shot, squeezing the trigger and hoping for the best.

[Tecumseh]

The sound of Stogie's shot draws the immediate attention of men standing in the river shallow river. The rigger hops to side to use the drone as cover from whoever is shooting a shotgun. Gunny's right hand man dives face prone face first behind one of the larger rocks. It's probably safer there, but the icy river water rushing into his camo suit probably sucks. Gunny swivels his head imperiously, not deigning to cover. His eyes stare into the forest with a sour expression for whoever is so annoying to interrupt the repairs in progress. "Report!" he barks into the air.

Instead he's met with another scream from behind him. The shot from Ellesar's rifle is suppressed so it doesn't make a loud whip-crack when it is fired. It does, however, elicit an extremely painful reaction from the man who just had his leg shot out from underneath him. The bullet grinds through the man's calf and, in all likelihood, through the tibia on the other side. The man cries and falls, grasping at his mangled leg muscle while tumbling down the hillside.

Jake looks this way and that. Recognizing that the man that Stogie just shot is no longer a threat, he dives for cover under a nearby log. His eyes and nose emerge on the other side, keeping watch for assailants and other surprises.