World Tree MUSH

    Returning to Boulder Town was uneventful. Dropping off the supplies to Natasha is equally uneventful, though she does point out that Chief Oleg wants to see them, March and Dan Heng have already gone to meet with him. Seele knows where the meeting place is, probably because it's where they always go, so leads the way.

    Oleg's talking with Dan and March when the group arrives. March chirping, "Oh hey, they're finally back!"

    Stelle puffs up a bit. "Don't worry, I'm completely unscathed!" which earns a roll of the eyes from the pink-haired archer. "I wasn't worried about you. If you /must/ know. I was wondering if Bronya was okay." Dan interjects deadpan. "Oh please, you've barely sat still since they left."

    This earns a bashful giggle from the archer, but the reunion is interrupted by a clearing of the throat from the old guy with a scare over his left eye. "It's good to see everyone back together and safe. So, how about we get straight to brass tacks? About this 'Stellaron' and your predicament in the Overworld, these two have already gone over both with me." he says, gesturing to the two Nameless. "Last time I saw Cocolia, she was an impressive young woman. Rest assured that Wildfire won't go behind your back like that. Though your plan sounds like the ravings of a drunken miner, it's a path forwards. We've had precious few paths to anywhere for a long time down here, so it's something." He looks at Dan, March, then the group of returnees. "Anyway, we should set our sights on something more realistic. You want to know where the Stellaron is, we want to remove the restrictions on the Underworld. That leaves us with a single target. Boss Svarog. If we can't deal with him, we can't deal with anything."

    Talia follows along, after delivering the goods they're off to see Oleg. Dan and March are conveniently there. "Ah, good to see you both again. I was worried you were going to miss us." She teases Stelle's companions with a grin.

    Right to business. They gotta go find Svarog and 'settle things' with him. Whatever that means. It's hard to tell if 'dealing with him' is a violent or peaceful solution right now. He WAS seen with Clara before. Last time, they were still winded from fighting the big robot to deal with Svarog. Now, it's anybody's guess.

    Right then! Back to Boulder Town!
    "Man so like. I know who runs Boulder Town, but every time I hear the name I think of this super mega ridiculously ancient movie, where there's this little guy all 'Who run Barter Town?' And the singer lady is forced to be all grumpy and reply... 'Master Blaster run barter town', and I just can't get it out of my head." Rebecca says as she follows the others to the meeting point.
    "Oh yeah, I'm totally cool too, not a scratch on me. So like het 'sup Dan Heng, Mar-Mar-Sevenzies." She greets the pair.
    "So Svarog knows where the stellaron is? How long have we known that he's known?"

    Bi De opens his beak, then closes it as Rebecca asks his question. He elects for something else instead. "It is my understanding that he is at odds with you, but not necessarily bad himself. Perhaps we can negotiate, provided a more impulsive sort does not cause problems again." He fluffs his feathers. "We have been fighting a lot, and I am still at a disadvantage here."

    Jessica thinks hard. She is generally the impulsive one, so when that is said she pouts a little but she doesn't say anything to Bi De. Her tail sways, and after all of that, she points out, "Well... I'm mostly here because I can fight, but believe it or not I'd kind of prefer not to..."

    She shrugs then and takes a seat. "It might be a crazy plan but if you're against the wall, the crazy plans are the only ones that have a chance of working, right? Can anyone suggest a sane plan that has a chance of working?"

    March sticks her tongue out at Talia, winking one eye shut at the teasing, though she seems to be taking it well in stride. Becca gets much the same treatment.

    All the talk of smashing Svarog to bits, and talking him around earn a shrug from Oleg. "We should prepare for both approaches. It's often better to settle matters peacefully, but if the situation changes... we should be prepared to fight." His shoulders sag a little, "Wildfire's tried many times to negotiate. Without success. He has not intention of engaging with us. As it stands, our current strength would make it increadibly dangerous to attempt to force the issue... Svarog's robots aren't afraid of sacrificing themselves, and I don't want to risk the lives of the Underworlderes."

    "Your arrival, though, changes things. You're an 'External Variable' for Svarog, not part of his calculations... Maybe that'll be enough for him to at least hear you out. Things rarely run smoothly down here, though."

    Oleg the loogs to Bronya. "What about you, Miss Silvermane. You're not Do or Die with us, I'd like to hear your take on this."

    Bronya thinks a moment, then answers. "The Underworld is still part of Belobog. If Svarog constitutes a threat to the people, then of course I'll stand with you."

    "Well, time is wasting, I've arranged a guide to take you to the Robot Settlement. Don't worry about Wildfire, we'll be nearby, so if things go south we'll be there to support you."

    The group are escorted to the meeting point with the Guide by Seele.

    The Guide is Sampo.

    Rebecca shrugs.
    "I mean I'm fine with trying to talk to this guy but." But? "But I'm okay with forcing the issue, too." She says patting her DUFFEL BAG OF GUNS as she follows to go meet the guide.
    The guide is Sampo.
    "Oh. It's you."
    Becca gives the man a flat stare.
    "--Wait how do you know how to get to the robot place?"

    "It's better to give it a try than not! After all, the road not taken is um... not taken." Jessica's attempt at wisdom falls flat there, as she ends up just making a tautology and she sort of shuffles behind in embarrassment.

    Not much else she can do, except give a meek wave.

    "I'd rather we settle this peacefully, but at this rate I don't see that happening." Talia says. With Sampo present, Talia's already on her toes. She doesn't trust that man further than she can throw him. If push comes to shove, he'll probably just gas everyone again.

    "Wildfire know where Svarog's base /is/, but they've never actually been inside." replies Sampo with that smarmy affectation he always has. "Besides, it's not just orders from the Chief, I always look out for my friends." he adds, bowing flambouyantly, before gesturing to the road ahead. "This way friends~, just follow your old buddy Sampo Koski~."

    "You've been inside?" asks Seele incredulously. "Well, no, but I've felt around the outside, and picked up a bunch of clues. Trust me~." replies Sampo, wringing his hands together.

    "Clues for your shady dealings." deadpans Stelle, earning a pained look and an exaggerated gasp from the con-man. "That's not nice! Wildfire made a request, and I got on with the job!" he places a hand over his chest. "My legacy will prove that Sampo Koski was nothing but a willing and devoted servant of--" he's cut off as March pipes up. "Jeeze, we believe you, just show us the way already!"

    The trek is a bit more than to Rivet town, and there's clearly some kind of weather pattern in these caverns, as the floor is covered in snow, drifts piling up around windbreaks that protect rows upon rows of tents which surround camp fires to fight back the chill in the air. The area isn't a lifeless void like one may expect from a camp of robots, there's plenty of people around here, many in Vagrant garb, some wielding those makeshift spear-spade-pick devices they use... though many are just regular people, trying to survive.

    Rebecca narrows her eyes. The funny thing is she probably could throw Sampo pretty far with her Gorilla Arms.
    Nevertheless, she follows him to Rivet Town.
    "Uh."
    Oh boy vagrants.
    "These guys probably don't like me very much." She considers.
    Considering she offed that one guy that one time and all.
    "The road not taken is a poem." She does idly point out to Jess. Pause. "Fuck if I remember it though, I didn't pay shit for attention in school. Something about the less traveled one I guess."

    "I am unfamiliar with the poem," Bi De replies. "But the road not taken will be forever unknown. We can always fall back to violence, but once battle is joined, the door to negotiation will be as good as closed to us, I suspect is what she means." The chicken does seem to know what he's talking about!

    Nobody tell anyone he's only 3 years old.

    Talia could too, but honestly the stink would never wash off. He just radiates slime.

    Following to Rivet Town, Talia is on guard when the vagrants surround them. "I was hoping you'd have a cultured side secretly, Rebecca." she teases the solo with a wink.

    Jessica looks dubious, "Why do I always worry when people talk about that...? I don't really like going in without knowing anything," she pouts... and then trails off to ponder.

    "But I guess I do it all the time, huh?" She huffs, falling in next to Rebecca. Bi De clarifying things gets a quick nod from the catgirl. "Yes, that sounds right! I'm um, not really one to know that kind of thing."

    The group get a rundown of why the Vagrants are here, why it's actually safer here than elsewhere BECAUSE of the robots, not in spite of them. Svarog is ruthless, but doesn't attack unprovoked. These people are here, because their homes got overrun by monsters, just like Rivet Town.

    Walking through the camp, eyes follow but noone approaches, some draw weapons a bit closer to hand, but noone acts overtly hostile.

    There's a large steel gate, locked tight blocking the road across a snow-covered rock bridge, which has an even bigger gate leading into the main compound.

    March has this well in hand. She strides up to the gate, proudly puffs out her chest, and declares. "Open Sesame!!"

    The gate is unimpressed and unmoved by this.

    "Is that a secret code or something?" asks Bronya. "It's an imaginary password that /children/ like to use. I doubt it'll work here." replies Dan Heng, giving March the Deadpan Stare.

    "What about those clues of yours?" asks Stelle to Sampo.

    "Right... here's the quick and dirty. See those stoplights on legs? They're Svarog's scouts. They make sure the vagrants don't cause trouble, AND, they process Prospectors. Anyone who wants to get on Svarog's good side can go on expeditions for him to collect mechanical remnants that are broken down, repaired and repurposed. They're all given Certifications that open the gates." he responds. "I've never wanted to go on one of those suicide missions, so you'll need to ask the robots for details."

    There's three of those robots in various groups around the encampment. Probably best to split up.

    The first robot seems to be 'asleep'. Until it's approached. "Certification system, online. Please answer the following question. Who is the reigning champion of the Internal Combustion Engine Rap Tournament? Is it Dr. Dig. 88 Degrees Bedrock or Relic Gang?"

    The second robot seems to have an attitude. "Certification system online... why do I have to keep repeating this? Ugh, whatever. Riddle me this fleshbags: A microcrystaline unit should be connected to which component? Heat sink substrate, Operating brake module or Logic control hub?"

    The final robot seems to be having some issues. "Certification module inish-ish-ish-ish... module failure. Attempting system restorassssshhhhh...." it shuts down, then boots back up. "Restoration failure. EXTERNAL THREAT DETECTED. ENGAGING COMBAT MODULE!" looks like this one, you'll have to fight.

    "Nah nah, it's not about how the road less traveled is the one you'll never know." The solo says to Bi De, reaching DEEEEEEEEEEP and far back into her memories. "It was like uhhhhh..." There's a pause as Rebecca cheats a bit, her cybernetic eyes flickering as she wields several search engines like a cudgel and settles on the results she gets from an engine called 'Gubble'.

    " I shall be telling this with a sigh
    Somewhere ages and ages hence:
    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I---
    I took the one less traveled by,
    And that has made all the difference."

    Okay so she cheated but she does hold up a huge mechanical finger.
    "It's about how taking the road less travelled is supposed to be more satisfying, or something."
    The party comes to a gate.
    March says 'open sesame!'
    "Oh that's from uhhhhhh... One Thousand and One Nights." She points out mildly before the robots happen...
    Now see in passing, Rebecca had been listening to vagrants talking, while walking.
    "88 Degrees Bedrock."
    "Oh oh oh. Logic control hub!"
    "Uhhhhhhhh OH SHIT IT'S COMING RIGHT FOR US!"
    Rebecca pulls out her shotgun and opens fire on the third, broke-ass robot.

>> SUMMARY[Rebecca] >> Something something something samurai something something culture something BROKE ASS ROBOT GETS GOT.

    Talia is ignorant as to what Rebecca is doing with her cybernetics, but after a gubble assisted recitation of classical poetry, Talia promptly eats her words. "I misjudged you!" She says innocently. As Rebecca seems to handle the robots, Talia seems able to let down her guard just in time for the third robot to attack!

    "Blast it-" She draws her lightsaber and moves to take the robot's arms off!

    "Hmm," Bi De muses about the road question, mulling it over. "Certainly I can see why that would be so," he admits after a long period of consideration. "More to explore and find."

    But soon enough that's... not really a matter to concern himself with.

    The various questions and data are really befuddling him. "Hm, how would I know any of this? It seems like it would be something the natives would know. I should ask those nearby, to see what they know." He starts to strut toward some of the others, when Rebecca settles things for everyone.

    Battle begins, and the chicken sighs, slumping a little. "Well. At least it isn't a broken Temple Dog."

    Jessica, true to what she said, is actually trying to figure out a way in peacefully! She listens to the question posed by CERTY and, before Becca starts a fight, has already wandered off to some of the younger vagrants hanging about. She clears her throat and takes a deep breath, fighting down her meek nature to approach bravely.

    "Yo yo yo, whassup my homies? Who's the champ of rap in this place? There's a new challenger in town!"

>> SUMMARY[Jessica] >> Taking the Road less Traveled.

    Jessica goes to find the answer. One of the vagrants points to a picture. "You're try'n ta face off against the best rapbot in the Underworld, 88 Degrees Bedrock? Y'all got a deathwish or somethin'?!"

    Both Jessica and Becca get a mark on their hands for answering correctly. Talia's wrong answer is met by silence. The angry bot chirps. "Huh, that's right... guess some of you have a brain." Becca's certification mark gets a second part, and then the group make short work of the final broken robot. The impact of shotgun shells seems to knock something back into place, and before Talia bifucates the thing with her lightsaber, it adds the final marker to Becca's hand.

    "Well there we go~, that should be all the certifications we need~." that's Sampo, being his useful self.

    With the robot dealt with, Talia extinguishes her lightsaber and stows it. She has the feeling she did something stupid. "Well, problem solved I suppose?"

    Becca gets one- two- three stamps on her hand and pauses. She looks at her hand.
    "What is this a 20th century party???"
    A pause.
    "I wonder what these marks are for, huh."