World Tree MUSH

     Palamecia, the land of hope unbound. A world of mysteries, a world of prophecy, a world under threat of darkness. A world that waits for its hero, the one who will bring the light of hope to all...

Today, in this world, an encounter unlike any its inhabitants are used to will take place. It's a seemingly ordinary day, slightly overcast over the plains outside Cornelia, the grass and trees showing a slight hint of dullness to their green tint. Several roads spiderweb through this place, all leading to and from the great castle in the center wherein Princess Sarah resides.

It's peaceful, quiet, not a Fiend in sight, but several young men known as Blanks nevertheless patrol the area to make sure it stays that way. What will they find?

Embarrassingly, Krystal had gotten herself rather lost, despite the modern flight computer and extensive star charts built into her brand new ship. All that considered with all that it probably wasn't her fault, but still she felt embarrassed anyway. Fortunately, after wandering aimlessly through space for a bit, she found what looked like a warp gate, and passing through, brought her to the outer atmosphere of a planet, which was a bit of a surprise. It looked like a pretty nice planet from above, and her ship's computer told her the air was breathable, even if she hesitated to trust it after the navigation blunder. 

 Still, she was tired of traveling through space at this point and looked forward to getting out onto actual land for a while where she could stretch her legs a bit and maybe even find someone who could help her figure out where in Lylat she was, though she had a feeling Lylat was far from it, pardon the expression. Being unsure of the technology level of the life on this planet, she brought her ship in for a landing near a forest where it would be at least somewhat hidden. The ship itself was shaped like a pteranodon, and was armed. Finally Krystal exited the ship and moved out into the open where she could have a look around and try to get her bearings and head for any signs of civilization she spotted from the air.

     It isn't long before Krystal is approached by a small party of those young men, all dressed in rather light-looking armor that leaves most of their upper body bare, and each armed with a longsword at their hips.

"It was over this way, I tell you! Like some great predatory bird, it came swooping down! I think it landed in the forest!" one of them excitedly says to the others, who all have mixed responses.

"Sure ya did. A big metal dragon? I think you're seeing things, boy. I know you're starving for action, but-" says the oldest-looking of them, but he cuts himself off as he spies the blue-furred anthro vixen. "What the..."

Here was an interesting place. Ash mused as he hovered high overhead with his archwing. A furred lady, a gaggle of men approaching purposfully. 

"Operator are you absolutely sure about your weapon loadout?" Ordis asked not for the first time, as the cephelon's views of the bow made out of growths and meat was unslung from Ash's back.

"Ordis I don't like the Mutalist weapon either, but I'm good with a bow, and depending on loadout the mutalist cernos is a good crowd lockdown option that can still kill people if I want. Remember that poor kid I used the lenz on?"

Ordis's cracked glass icon shuddered for effect in Ash's HUD, "It is honestly surprising someone with no real deffenses to speak of iddn't outright get turned into CHUNKY SALSA," Beat as Ordis's voice normalized, "a corpse."

"Yes well I need less lethal options, and the Mutalist Cernos seems to be it."

He drifted downward towards the blue furred fox lady holding his bow ready, but without actually drawing an arrow. To observers the mutalist cernos wouldl ook like someone took a compound bow and tried to slap chunks of meat all over it and the arrowhead.... with said meat still wriggling, pulsing, and apparently somehow alive. "Hello down there!" His voice carried through the wonders of amplification, "Don't mindm e just drifting through." Ash would detatch from the archwing and land in a kneeled position as the flight system compacted and zoomed off presumeably towards the lander craft. "Figure Might's well join the party if you're the welcoming comittee." He would stand and address whoever as nearest, "Hi, His tone was convrosational as he offered his free hand, "I'm Ash, and you?"

Krystal's ears twitched as she picked up voices nearby. She closed her eyes and used her telepathy to pick up on what they were saying as the voices were too faint to make out. Drat, they had spotted her ship apparently, though the fact that they called it a 'metal dragon' meant she was dealing with a world with more primitive technology. She couldn't tell if they were going to be hostile or not, but it wouldn't be long before she would find out one way or another, as they were coming closer, and soon spotted her. 

 Even as the patrol heads toward her though her attention is drawn toward Ash and she blinks in a bit of a dumbfounded shock at the compound bow of meat that appeared to still be alive, was that really a weapon? It was certainly unlike anything she'd ever seen in the galaxy, that's for sure. He greeted her and the oncoming patrol kindly however, so she restrained herself from reaching for her power staff. Instead she calmly introduces herself to both Ash and the Blanks. "Hello, my name is Krystal. Appears I've gotten a bit lost as I don't think this planet is in the Lylat System, or any system my ship has star charts for."

     As the four men approach, they each draw their swords in turn, though more as a precautionary measure it seems. Once they're within speaking distance, the oldest one steps forward ahead of the others, grip tensing on the hilt of his blade as he regards both Krystal and the flying newcomer warily.

"You are not humans, nor are you moogles. Yet unlike Fiends, you speak and carry yourselves as civilized creatures. Are you some new spore of madness spawned from Chaos to spread despair in our land? Speak, beastwoman!"

The other three seem varying levels of apprehensive, with a particularly large fellow swaying from one foot to the other impatiently. It seems like they're itching for a fight, but won't start one until their leader gives the word... or if the two strangers take some rash action.

"Hm," Ash kept his bow lowered and held his free hand where the group could see. "Uh yea about that? We don't know eachother, but we're not from here. Her ship landed. I was in system and saw it." He paused, took a deep breath and cued up Ordi's cracked glass holographic preasence to show at his shoulder, "If it helps think of our ships like giant metal birds. We're from far away and we don't know anything about this chaos, fiends, or the local anything. Like i toldthe lady Hi, I'm Ash." He offered his free hand to the group's leader, "You I assume are the leader here? I come in peace."

As the blanks drew swords, she focused more of her attention on them. She was a little more tense now, having a weapon pointed at her, but decided still to not pull her own out, fearing it would only risk escalating the situation. She was also a little insulted at being called 'beastwoman' after she had just given her name, but she kept that to herself. "As he said, I come in peace. I'm simply lost and not sure where I am, and do indeed come from a far away place which is not even on this world. I know nothing of this chaos you speak of, and do not wish despair on anyone. I just want to figure out what is going on and how I can get back where I came from." She considered showing the blanks telepathic pictures of her home, and other worlds, but decided against it, knowing it might be a bit overwhelming for them if the aren't used to such powers.

     The leader Blank takes a step back, raising his sword between himself and Ash. "Stop where you are! You may act civilized, but your countenance and the weapon you bear speak volumes. You are no natural being, and no creature such as either of you has ever visited these shores. Your honeyed words will not sway me, so I give you but one chance! Leave, or we dye this grass red with your blood!"

"Bothering travelers because they don't look like you, hmm?" comes a feminine voice, as a woman with long, black hair and fancy-looking blue and white clothes seemingly appears from thin air behind the Blanks. Her steps, though light, clank slightly with the ornate steel armor covering her legs up to her thighs, and she traces the finger of her similarly-armored left arm along the jaw of the youngest-looking man, who shivers in some combination of fear and... something else. "How very Vox-like of you. How about we all just agree to leave each other alone and go our separate ways, hmm?"

"Witch! Heretic! I should have known, of course you would be involved with these strange creatures!" the leader shouts angrily, moving his sword to point to the newcomer, who saunters closer to Krystal and Ash.

"Now that's not very nice, is it? I /do/ have a name, you know." she says, glancing toward the two strangers. "It's Meia. They call me the Azure Witch around here, but... I guess that's not an unfair title."

Ash took a deep breath, and withi n the transferrence pod of his orbiter his eyes rolled. He saw these men were just doing their jobs, and from what little he'd seen buzzing around could understand what would cause the assumption that he was the same as whatever half these freaks here were. SO he shouldered his bow even as the Blanks drew sword.^t^tWhen Meia introduced herself Ash loosened the hilt on his katana and dropped to a defensive stance slowly before..

Pop. He's not where he was standing.

The leader of the band of blanks would feel a gentle slap at the back of his head before Ash would attempt to teleport back to where Krystal was. "If I wanted to I could have killed the whole lot of you. I don't want to fight, you're just doing your jobs, and I've seen a LOT of weird thigns rolling around here so I can get not getting the memo that I'm not with the freak brigade but please..." THere was a moment where Ash's wearyness at everything always ending in blood drenched his voice, "Don't."

Krystal backs up a bit as the blanks turn on Ash. She is considering her options when suddenly the Azure Witch shows up, and Krystal blinks in surprise, wondering how she missed her approach and inwardly cursing herself that she needs to pay attention more. She continues watching the others and trying predict if this was going to devolve into violence. Ash seemed to be trying to show that he could take them all out with ease if he wished, but was giving them the chance to walk away without being harmed. She really hoped they would take it. "Please, there is no need for any fighting, we're all civilized people here." She adds to what Ash has said, ever the diplomat.

     Meia walks right past the leader Blank at the same time Ash slaps the back of his head, never slowing down for a second until she's directly in front of Krystal. Smiling at the fox, she says, "I believe you said your name was Krystal, yes? I wish we'd met under better circumstances, but nevertheless, welcome to Palamecia. I like to call it Hell, myself."

The other Blanks, having run to their leader's side to check on him, all take up formation by his side now, their swords held ready for battle. After shaking his head and making sure he's not injured, the older man also takes up position, eyes full of fire. "You would make a fool of Princess Sarah's loyal soldiers? Chaos or no, you truly are a fiend! You will be taught a lesson in humility, all three of you, and then if you're still alive we'll see how you like the noose!"

With a sigh, Meia adds, "By the way, there's no point in talking to loyalists like them. They've been completely warped by Vox's silvery, nonexistent tongue." Summoning her enormous axe-like bladefan, she turns on the Blanks and takes up a defensive stance in front of Krystal, speaking over her shoulder. "The other guy looks like he can handle himself, but what about you? Can you fight?"

"Guy," Ash unholstered his bow and stood with Meia in front of Krystal. She seemed to be on bad terms with these people, but for the time being she was an ally. "I really do get your whole 'pride' thing demands something, but don't go dying for something so stupid." He fired an arrow at their leader's feet, the fleshy arrowhead compressing on impact releasing a dark green gas that would irritate the eyes and throat of anyone that breathed it in. "That won't be fatal if you don't stay in it too long, and its effects will wear off, but I really am doing everythign I can to wave you guysoff. Yoru world now has access, unrestricted, to other worlds. You can find and recruit help from other places, learn of new magicks." He drew on what little he recalled of invalice, "THere are places that would mae trade partners even if all you have to trade are monsters to murder." Honestly? He wouldn't mind slumming around here thinning the screaming masses he saw on first flyby. " I want you to go make a report to your leaders. Your world has changed." His voice was pleading. He wanted to not have to murder these people when SOMEONE needed to get the word out this place was now connected to others.

So much for diplomacy, though from what Meia explained just now, it was likely futile anyway. Krystal isn't sure what a noose is, so she uses her telepathy to probe a bit and is horrified to learn what they planned to do with the three of them if they survived the incoming battle. "How barbaric!" She cried in an indignant tone as she pulled out her power staff, which quickly grew to it's full size and she held it between her two paws while dropping into a melee combat stance. She gave Meia a nod eyes now focused on the blanks. "I was trying my best to avoid it, but yes, I can fight just fine." She replies before watching Ash yet again, try to give them a warning shot and give them the chance to leave without conflict.

     The cloud of gas stops the Blanks momentarily, all four of them stumbling and coughing their way out of it. "Augh! What foul fumes are these? Though you may poison our bodies, our spirits will still fight on in service to the Crown!" their leader declares, though most of it comes out in the middle of more coughing fits, rubbing at his painfully stinging eyes the whole time. After a few more moments of this, all four Blanks charge the group as one.

"Good," Meia says simply in response to Krystal's affirmation. "In Palamecia, the names of those who do not fight are forgotten. They simply fade away into the sands of time, as the wheel of the cycle of despair continues turning into eternity. Show them why you deserve to exist."

With a wave of her hand, the Azure Witch draws water from the ground beneath the Blanks, causing them to slip and stumble about even more. It seems they're /really/ having a bad day. Smirking a bit, Meia adds, "If they weren't Vox's puppets, I'd almost feel sorry for them."

"VOid, Profit, and whatever else... you lot are greener than Oberon's grass and dumber than the rocks Atlas summons." He again fired, thistime into the crowdof blanks rather than in front of them. "I'm trying to give you idiots a chance to walk away instead of rush at unknowns. Your people need to be warned." He fired again, increasing the gas's density. "You're just doing your jobs and i'm feelign very uncomfortable even though an average dya for me back home has my kill count in the thousands."

As Meia attacked with her magic, and Ash fired his strange bow weapon into the blanks, Krystal was careful to avoid taking any friendly fire as she moved in to take out any remaining stragglers, her body and her staff fluidly moving as one, she strikes powerfully while aiming to render them unconscious, not kill, unless they forced her to take their lives in the defense of herself and her two new allies by association. Once the brief battle was over, she put her staff away, letting it retract again as it attached to her back. She finally responded to Meia with a nod. "I wish it was better circumstances too, and I can see why you call it Hell if these guys are as pervasive as they seem to be. I wish I could take you to my world, but unfortunately that isn't possible..." She offers, and both Ash and Meia may note her done suddenly turning melancholy toward the end there.

Ash shouldered his bow and after giving the local lemmings a glance over he turned to Meia and Krystal, "OK yea so short version? There are portals you can walk through that take you from one world to another to another. THey kinda move about a bit, especially if someone tries fencing them off, but largely theyr'e stable so no worries on if you'll get ripped in half stepping into one."

He loked to Krystal and added, "I can have ordis send what information I have to your ship. I think there's equipment in the orbiter if you need fuel."

 Then he lookedto Meia, "I really wish they'd at least sent a runner off to send word. Agree or not with the locals they do deserve to have the chance at realizing this place nowopens up to a lot of other places andthey can either take advantage of it, or get rolled by it." He offered Meia an open hand, "I like the uh..." His head tilted as he loked at Meia's weapon, "Bladed staff? Apologies miss but I'm not familair with that sort of weapon." Either magic or muscle density approaching the inhuman allowed her to wield it,or possibly lighter than air materials. THe whole thign left ash confused.

     Meia, after tripping up the Blanks, just hangs back and watches the other two go to work, until all that's left is the youngest of the nameless warriors, unconscious but groaning in a muddy puddle. "Well, you won't do too badly around here, I don't think." she says, her weapon disappearing with a small flash of light. "Though you'll quickly find that there are thousands more like them in this land. All of them- at least, most of them- just as suicidally stupid."

As Ash offers his explanations and asks about her weapon, Meia raises an eyebrow and answers, "Arc Mirage. It's one-of-a-kind, made specially for me." And then, after processing the stuff about the portals, "I see. I could tell right off that neither of you were locals, but then, none of the Blanks are either, technically. Or myself."

A few more moments of thought, and she smiles again at the two. "So, if you can go to other worlds through these portals, would you mind taking me along? I'd quite like to visit some places where the natives haven't been ordered to kill me on sight. And don't worry about warning anyone, I'm /quite/ sure Vox saw everything that just happened here. Probably telling the rest of them that you two are my minions or something."

Krystal frowns as Meia confirms that there are many, many more of those blanks and that they are mostly the same disposition. "Well that's a shame, seemed like a nice looking place from the air. If that's the case, I guess I'd like to find somewhere else to stay while I figure things out, where I won't be attacked with the intent of being executed just for being here and who/what I am." She says to both Meia and Ash, then turns her gaze more toward Ash as the next thing she says is more directed at him. 

 "I appreciate the offer, and may take you up on it depending on how long I'm stuck here. For now though, I should be fine. Ship is brand new, and was fully fueled when I left Cornaria. It was a generous sort of gift from their military as thanks for my resolving an incident with a planet that was literally starting to break apart. It's custom designed for me even."

Ash grunted, "THat's the thing. I really would prefer a more diplomatic situation." He paced over to start propping the youngest of the blanks up so he was resting and breathign clearly before starting to arrange the others in a row, each holding their weapon lain across their chest. "I doubt it will mean much," He offered as exlaination, "But I want to make it clear to them that even if this was their doing, I don't want them treated like they're nothing." His gaze was on the lone survivor for a moment longer. "This is a patrolled path I assume, and this vox, if he is as you say, will send others."

He offered Meiaa a hand, "I'll show you to a portal I found groundside, but I really must get back to my ship in case ther'es anything skybound that could find my landing craft." He doubted it, but didn't want to take chances around magic. "I think invalice is close depending on which portals you take. AN exact map is... not something i've been able to figure out, and so far nobody has gotten communication to passsthrough portals, but there at least you will find other magic users anda world familiar enough you should be able to get by... without whatever baggage has had you branded outlaw here."

     Meia watches Ash as he fiddles with the bodies, her expression cold... except for a slight hint of pity that seems to show through for a moment. As quickly as it's gone though, it might just be the imagination. "Diplomacy is... difficult. Princess Sarah, in the castle you can see to the north of here, is the only person in this world I trust for even a moment. Her heart is pure, her kindness legendary. If you wish to speak to anyone, take any means necessary to speak to /her/, directly, and alone. She is as much a victim as any of us."

Turning to take Ash's hand, she allows him to lead her wherever he's taking her, continuing as they go. "Vox is not omnipresent nor omniscient, as much as he might like to think he is. However, he knows everything the Blanks do, and they are as numerous and everpresent as ants. Do not have pity on them, for they have sold their souls to his service."

Krystal listens to both Ash and Meia and nods at both Meia's explanation of the one person they can apparently trust here, and also Ash's mention of the other world he wants to show Meia. "I'd love to come with you, but I think I should get my ship out of here before this 'Vox' person sends an army out to try and attack it or something. I guess I'll meet you up by your orbiter and from there follow you wherever you think I should go from there. I will have to take you up on the offer of transferring information about the worlds around this system of portals." Krystal says before giving the pair a wave. "It was nice to meet you both, hopefully I see you both soon." She says before turning and heading back toward her ship.