World Tree MUSH

    When they said Venus was toxic, they weren't kidding.

    While the atmosphere is breathable, it's very humid, thick, and smells bad. On top of that, it's so thick that breathing for most is kind of uncomfortable... not to mention the smell and the frequently mildly-toxic gas plumes in the jungle. The only saving grace is that most Venusian insects don't seem to find humans all that appetizing. Even so, anyone that the combined colonial forces have hired to take care of this will have some filtering gasmasks provided, if they wish. It's early 20th century tech, though, so cumbersome and uncomfortable.

    As for the mission itself: anyone hired by the local colonial expedition will have the rundown. The natives, normally hostile and xenophobic, are trying to offload someone that they've found injured. Why they didn't kill this person is still unknown, but every attempt to meet them halfway has proven to break down negotiations quickly. A neutral force was agreed to meet one of the smaller villages of the natives in the end, though it's likely to be armed to the teeth and not include civilians.

    The colonials didn't seem to think highly of the natives either, so said they could be treated 'at your discretion.'

    Thus far the trek out has been a slog, literally. The jungle is almost part swamp, really. It's easier to go through that might be expected, and according to the provided maps, it's now not that far from the village in question. How people will approach is up in the air... for those that are hired.

    There is a Vine dumping people off nearby as well, apparently, which makes this a little more complicated...

    At least one person seems to have no problem breathing the thick, humid, sulfurous air of the planet. That person is a man in pristine white robes and carrying a staff in his hands. If anything, he seems to take a deep breath and hold it for a few moments, "My, my. To think that even in my life time, I will Gaian would get the chance to come to Venus. Any time I had gazed into the future, I had seen quite the opposite set of events as this." Even when enjoying himself, Merlin still says strange and cryptic things that make no sense. 

    Merlin is not here as a part of the mission itself. Rather, he is someone who wandered out of a vine and onto this planet for whim and his own desire to see another planet. Rather than trudge through a swamp, his footsteps seem to take him over the marshy water, each boot coming down on the surface of it as if it were solid ground underneath him.

    It's almost nostalgic, traipsing through the thick jungles here. Much like the Venus he remembers, except for the smell and the lingering toxicity levels. Thankfully as an Exo he doesn't have to worry about breathing...

    "...no Vex around here at least," Cayde murmurs seemingly to himself as he makes his way along. While he's part of the group that's been signed on for this retrieval mission, he's been prone to wandering ahead of the party, sometimes letting them go forward while he lingers behind, typical Hunter behavior for ever the restless Hunter.

The ability to walk on water is... not one of Kiyohime's skills, and unlike true Servants, she cannot dematerialize. She IS here as part of the request, but not for money. An unusual situation like this is exactly the sort of situation to arouse curiosity in her hunt for people who can help her world. That makes it something to at least investigate, even if she is hardly the most diplomatic of sorts. This might not be the most obvious of flaws though, as she's been very careful to remain clean and walk daintily around most problems. On the upside, the atmosphere doesn't actually bother her, though she does appear to need to breathe.

The horned woman wears a silken kimono that is out of place in this Western-themed world, but looks well enough on her. Otherwise unarmed, she has been more interested in finding the target than simple chatter... but watching her companions has been a thing that is obvious to all of them. "Vex, hmm? A problem of your world? I suggest we simply approach in the most straightfoward way possible."

At least, that's what she is going to do if nobody else has an idea.

    When you're a witch, plebian things like 'trudging through space-swamp water' are of minimal concern. See; of the expiditionary force, the lady in red doesn't quite take kindly to the slog involved in wandering the Venusian jungles. Seated side-saddle with legs crossed on a flying broom, Salome Highscribe is content to keep a lazy pace and a low altitude as she kicks one foot absently.
    "Sally." The black cat perched at the head of her broom looks cool as a cucumber through the course of the flight, but he certainly does not sound happy in the least. "You don't want to know the things I'm smelling right now." He complains, earning a light scritch between the ears.
    "Then I guess I won't ask." She replies in a lazy drawl as her broom putters along.
    Of course there's a tip of the wide brimmed hat as she sees no issue in keeping pace with Cayde, despite the Hunter's natural inclination to forge ahead and trailblaze. "Howdy, cowboy." Though Kiyohime asks the very question forming on the tip of her tongue first, prompting the witch in red to prop her elbow on her broom and outright laze on it while perusing one of the provided maps.

    Dante's no stranger to weird smells and unpleasant atmospheres. Donning a gasmask for the sake of safety, he's following with Cayde on this one, chopping down thick brush with his sword with deft disinterest. "No demons either. Kinda wish there were, never had to fight a plant demon before." He muses under his breath, as he gets a very big stump out of the way with a downward chop of Rebellion. The swamp's really ruining his shoes, and he's wishing he thought otherwise of going out to this.

    One of these days, he's gonna have to put his foot down with Enzo on taking jobs.

    No plant demons, though this place DOES have magic. Doesn't seem like it's all that common in the form of magical creatures, though. It's just kind of a messy swamp with weird eels, but nothing that a group like this can't just... handle. It's probably a more difficult trek for more normal sorts.

    Fortunately the instructions given were VERY clear, and besides there are some here with tracking abilities of a sort. Keeping the course was not hard, and when Kiyohime decides to just approach straight away... that's actually a good choice. Those with sharp senses might be able to feel the presence of the natives, who blend in mystically with the terrain but don't do so perfectly. And the village...

    The village is not exactly a clearing. A cluster of larger trees with paths cleared around them, the jungle canopy still covers it from the air. The trees have huts clustered upon them, but the engineering used is deceptively advanced. Not industrial, but they're very clever. They also have blowguns and spears, and as the group approaches the large, tentacled creatures ooze forward on slithery tails, with strange-looking spears that sport an odd reddish-bronze metal on them. Apparently they have metalworking of some fashion.

    One of the creatures clicks in a distorted English, which means it's understandable. "You are here for the outlander/foreigner/skyman yes?"

    "One of many," Cayde admits, glancing towards Kiyohime when he's wandered back closer to the path she's chosen to take. He has to wonder how comfortable it is to travel in such clothing but it seems like the woman's not bothered in the least, so props to her.

    "Hard to miss if they were around. War machines, hive mind tendencies. Fun stuff." Except not really. Fun, that is.

    "Ma'am."

    That's in response to Salome, in a way that just suggests that if Cayde still had the cowboy hat he'd filched back on that other world he would've tipped it with a thumb. "Interesting method of transportation." 

    He throws a glance over at Dante, his head tilting in a way that makes his smirk more evident. "Eh, maybe there's one somewhere. If not this world..." he shrugs. "Oop. Looks like we're here."

    As they come upon the edge of the village the Hunter Vanguard slows to a halt, looking around at the collective of natives that have come to...greet them. Yeah, we'll go with that.

    "Yep. Think that sounds about right," he says after working out the creature's sentence in his head.

Kiyohime nods to Cayde, "I see. My world has many offworld threats, so anything like that is of interest to me." She is keeping an eye on everyone, really, and the others simply... it's not that they are not of INTEREST but she hasn't determined their threat level yet.

"Be careful what you wish for," Kiyohime says to Dante, tsking, but her hands come together in thought as she and the others approach their goal! The native is given an appraising look before she answers.

"Yes," she agrees. "The skyman. Can you tell us what happened? We will transport him to safety." It occurs to her that maybe this group should have included an actual medic. Maybe the witch knows something useful.

    "Mebbe." Dante remarks. He gives Salome a cheeky grin and a nod. "'sup?" He heads for the village beside Cayde. Once they're addressed by locals, he nods with a shrug. "Sounds like our dude, yeah. You wouldn't happen to know where he is, would you? Might make this faster."

    Merlin is caught up in the questioning of what they are here for. He blinks a few times, "Oh. No, I have no interest in the skyman. That is their mission, I believe." The white-haired magus looks around a bit before smiling in a beaming fashion. 

    "I am simply a tourist. A wandering sightseer. Please, tell me about your culture and the history of your people! Does your world have an awakened Type yet, or is that not something this universe has? I assume you do not, since humanity has made it here without being killed."

    Ah the village, that's good. That's very good.
    Putting away the map in her possession, the witch in red uncrosses her legs one way. Only to cross them the other and shift in her seating on the broom. "Ah, yes! The sky man. That is exactly who we're after. Could you lead us to him?" Salome chirrups sweetly while scratching her cat under the chin.

    The spokes... thing... for the village lifts the spear, gesturing toward one of the larger huts. Dante and Salome's questions are answered first. "He lays injured there. He speaks poorly. Still injured. We can do little for him. I am the only that has learned the attacker words." Attacker... probably meant invader or colonist. The hostility in the air is eeasy to sense, but they are definitely more wary at the moment. The speaker continues, "Fire and pain. Loud noises. It crashed into the softness of fields. Worthy." The general tone is one of having been impressed and curious.

    Though, Merlin's questions get little thus far. "Outlanders not welcome. You may stay in peace to heal. Then leave." Wary, perhaps? "Our planet spirit is strong. Sleeps." They... understood the term 'Type' somehow?

    Yet a moment later loud squabbling erupts, and the speaker pauses before turning more abruptly. "Betrayal?!"

    Even when he(she?) says this, the source of the disturbance comes into view, revealed to be several leading a young girl with clockwork arms toward the camp. She holds her hands up with a smile. "Oh, one of you DOES speak English? That makes this easier. No, no, not a betrayal. I was hoping to beat them here. You should let them leave in peace. Just hand over the skyman to me, and no harm will come to any of you."

    She looks at the others. "I really am sorry, but I have business here."

    "Mmm. Still asleep, I see. That's good, that's good! That means your planet is not in danger. It hasn't needed to awaken to defend itself." Merlin says to the man speaking to him, nodding several times, "I would love to hear about your spirit! Have any of you ever spoken to it directly?" He inquires, leaning in as if undeterred. 

    "Oh me? I don't need to heal. And I'm not a healer to fix anyone else up. I told you already! I'm a tourist! Sightseer! Wanderer. I wanted to see Venus. Its Type is one of the strangest, and its destiny is even stranger." 

    Merlin looks over towards Justine, "Oh. I won't stop you! Go ahead if you can."

    The Exo Guardian casts a glance at Merlin, brow plate lifting at the response to the man from the local. If he'd meant to ask anything to sate his own curiosity, the chance is interrupted with the sudden commotion. At the creature's accusal Cayde raises his hands. "Whoa! Don't look at us, we just got here!" he assures.

    Something else gets his attention as he tilts his head, and then turns as they're joined by the cause of the disturbance. Blue optics blink and then narrow behind metal lids as he watches her approach, although he doesn't reach for a weapon. Yet. Oh, that's because it's already in hand somehow. He doesn't aim his hand cannon at her though, although it's just generally a bad decision to try sneaking up on a Hunter.

    "Business? What, you with the uh... people that sent us out here and miss the bus?"

Type? Kiyohime's eyes snap over toward Merlin, and then narrow. Counter Guardians aren't necessarily made aware of one another, but she can tell Merlin is /something/ similar to her. Enough to flag him as a possible ally but definitely formidable.

When Justine appears, Kiyohime doesn't reach for her weapon either. This DOES make things more complicated. On the one hand this isn't her world, so why should she care? Yet something is very suspicious here. "Ah, I believe they requested we fetch the man, which means this one is unplanned. I wonder what she'd do if we refused, though?"

    Justine - yes, that's her - shakes her head at Cayde, then frowns at the vague implication that she shouldn't do anything more. That's no good. "Refused?" Her fingers clench, showing some incredible animation in the clockwork prosthetics. Then... a little turn to look at the natives jabbing spears toward her. This makes her sigh.

    The spokesthing explains, "The outlanders attack us. Take the sky. We have agreed to leave them be if they do not intrude. Take and go." He doesn't actually care if Justine does it, perhaps, but he points out, "He is not outlander. He is of their clan. This was not agreed." Okay, maybe he DOES care if Justine does it, though he seems to have trouble distinguishing between male and female humans.

    Again, Justine sighs. "Look, I'm the one who made him fall, I'm going to finish the job. Now you can stand in my way and save the man I want to kill, or you can get in my way. If these tentacle-mouths want to stand in my way, I'll kill them too, but I don't WANT to. How about we make a deal? You go and get him, and then hand him over to me. You'll just hand him over to authorities who don't have a clue anyway, right?"

    While the others debate, the spokesthing slithers closer to Merlin. "I am speaker, not shaman. It is not my realm." Is that the right word? "If you wish to learn I will speak with our leaders. You are-" It stops and just tries to figure out if Merlin is human or not.

    Dante is observes the scene ahead of him. "Down boys, let's not do anything we'll regret later." He says, drawing one of his pistols as the group is assailed by villagers suddenly. He might not be looking to fire, but he WILL put people down if necessary...ugly as it is as an act. He eventually lowers Ebony, stuffing the black pistol back in its holster. "Feels like we're owed a bit of context, y'know?" He quips dryly.

    "...anyone else just as confused as I am now about who's who?" Cayde asks. Surely he can't be the only one!

    Again Justine gets his attention as she makes it quite clear her part in this. "Hoooold on. Okay, so you tried killing whoever we're picking up, botched the job, and..." He tips his gun one way, then the other as though mentally deliberating.

    "Yeah, but we were asked to bring this other guy or whoever back... -wait. No, no killing. These...people have been bothered enough, it seems, so let's try to work things out without civvy casualties."

    "I'm sorta like a shaman myself. Definitely not human, though." He smiles a bit as if to reassure the spokescreature as it slithers towards him. The Caster-class Servant bows a bit, "I'm an Oracle. A Wizard. An Advisor. You can simply call me Merlin." He hooks an arm under his stomach while holding his staff in the other, and then gently bows to the creature in front of him, "And I would greatly appreciate it if you spoke to your leaders for me."

Kiyohime is debating what to do, then nods to herself. "I will... fetch this person," she says, finally. "You have made him stable?" She asks that hopefully, while Justine seems ready to kill him. With a small smile she looks toward Justine, "I think we should discuss that..."

Merlin's reveal makes her narrow eyes at him, but she doesn't think talking about their shared history is a good idea right now. Unless stopped, she's going to move toward the hut indicated to hold the man. 

    Mismatched eyes show zero hint of surprise by Justine's arrival, as the witch in red gently tilts the brim of her hat down over her face, one foot lazily kicking while her broom hovers in place as she assesses.
    Merlin is talking to the spokesthing, and doesn't show any care for Justine's target.
    Dante and Cayde have drawn.
    'Discuss' Kiyohime says...
    Salome Highscribe gives her cat one last pat on the head before she hops off her broom.
    The witch lands with the clink of spurs as she begins to whistle to herself. Every step carries her closer to the the occult Hunter and Hunter Vanguard. The dusky skinned elven woman makes no attempt to hide her approach in the least, whistling a lazy tune to herself as she casually reaches into folds of her duster coat.
    The twirling spin she gives her guns as she draws them is just for added flaire as she levels a pair of gleaming pepperbox pistols for the two men, as casual as can be.
    "I'm afraid there just isn't much to discuss." The witch chirps, lips tugging into a sharp-toothed grin.
    "We'll be taking that sky man off your hands, tendrils, and varied appendages, ladies and gentlethings."
    "This is now, in fact, a stick up." The cat calls from his place atop the still-floating broomstick.

>> SUMMARY[Salome] >> Suddenly: a Mexican Standoff.

    Justine shrugs, while the various people discuss their options. The spokesthing does have time to answer a few matters first, though! This is getting out of hand, so trying to keep it calm is... important?

    "If you wish to speak to our shamans, I will speak to them," it is saying to Merlin. "I can make no promise they will wish to speak to you. Humanity has harmed us and our world." Yet they still helped this man... why?

    The being slithers to the side to make room for Kiyohime, but the sudden appearance of more weapons causes all to go on high alert. The spokesthing quickly chitters to all the others, who lift their weapons as if to attack... and then they do something wise. They all retreat, slithering into the undergrowth and leaving the battle between the humans. "This is not our fight."

    Kiyohime can actually go up if Salome isn't stopping her! Justine doesn't seem to mind at all! But the girl, when Salome draws weapons, remarks with a smile, "If you want an explanation instead of bullets, I'm happy to give one."

    One clockwork finger points to the hut. "Cam Augustus. Son of Daniel Augustus, a wanderer and adventurer responsible for murdering my father... and later, my mother. Cam has taken up his weapon and his role, and has no hesitation in repeating his father's brutal and needless killing. He only escaped by blowing up his weapon and falling off the sky city. Now..." She eyes Cayde, apparently taking some insult at the 'botched' comment.

    "I'm going to finish the job, and if you want to stop me you'll have to fight me. But I have nothing against any of you. Particularly you, Merlin. My mother would have loved to meet you... and I recognize you. The rest of you, I don't really care about. So what will it be? I'm feeling charity because you didn't involve the Venusians here. You're nicer to them than most people."

    Merlin nods seriously to the Spokessnake, "Thank you for your consideration." He bows his head a bit. 

    And then he turns a bit towards Justine, "Ah ha, you know me, young lady? Then you have me at a disadvantage. But thank you for not expressing that I should be some decrepit old man!" His mood seems to become a bit more light-hearted from where it was a moment ago when speaking to the leader for these creatures, "You have no cause to worry from me. Today, I simply wish to watch. There is no one here that the Kingmaker particularly desires to prod towards any given path! I will meddle not today." 

    "Besides, things are shaping up nicely already, are they not?" Merlin swipes his staff in the air and a table appears in front of him. A moment later, a chair follows it. He sits down and waves towards the space across from him so another can appear, "Come, come." He waves towards the Spokescreature, "Join me for some tea. I have picked up some from a region on Gaia known as Darjeeling. Their tea is wonderfully fit for a king. I do wish she were still around to share it with." 

    He waves once more and a teapot appears in front of him, already steaming as he pours himself a cup and waves towards Salome and Justine in particular, "Feel free to carry on. This has taken an interesting turn."

    "Curse you sudden but inevitable betrayal," Cayde mutters as Salome turns up guns at them, although he says it with a smirk. He'd always wanted to say that line, so sue him. 

    His eyes tick over towards Justine again as she at least grants them further explanation, his own weapon still held rather loosely directed, not particularly aimed at anyone but that can change at a moment's notice.

    "So, revenge," he says, nodding solemnly. He can understand that. How many times has he taken up his own gun to do the same?

    "I won't involve the locals just because they just happened to be here. You leave 'em out of your quarrel and you'll find none with me."

    Ebony and Ivory both leave their holsters just as suddenly as Salome shows up. "WHOA, slow down there babe. You -seriously- don't wanna do this." Dante says, "Job's a job, and we can't have someone take 'im off our hands without the client getting him." Hammers are cocked threateningly, and Dante nods to Cayde. "Please do that. Vengeance ain't no reason to take it out on ordinary folks. Now your target, I could give a toss."

Kiyohime moves with a swift and light step, her kimono fluttering as she moves to retrieve the man. She stops at the doorway. "My condition for this, young lady, is that you come to my aid once when my World is threatened... or that you direct me to the source of one of the threats from another world. If you do this, then I will not stop you from claiming our target."

She glances at the others. "A counter-offer can be made, if you would like." Dante seems to want this to be more on the up and up, and she can't fault that. But first he needs to be safe to move.

    The grip and aim of those twin pistols is steady and true. ... And the situation goes...
    Well it goes in a direction.
    Merlin seems more concerned with having tea.
    Cayde is more concerned with the locals, and Kiyohime lays down a condition.
    Dante is the only reason Salome still has her guns trained.
    "Sorry, slick, life's short and I like to move fast." She replies with another flash of a grin.
    "Well if we're all going to agree on something... Let's hurry this up. I do fancy a good cup of darjeeling."

    This was unexpected. The spokesthing hesitates, and tentacles writhe. Justine translates helpfully, "I think you've confused..." squint. "Him. This one is a him. Actually I don't see any females here unless I'm off. They might have been expecting more trouble."

    Well, no trouble here is there? Not yet. The Venusian settles in with Merlin, clumsily attempting social. Humans are very strange. Justine nods, "Bring him down for me. I won't do it in front of you if that's your problem." She grins to Dante, "Yeah, bring it on. You're three to two if a fight starts, it looks like. I mean... you have the advantage, right?"

    Kiyohime finds Cam, bandaged and injured but stable, in the room all right. His eyes are open, and he whispers shortly, "Lawson. Hero killer. Pirate daughter." It's obvious effort for him to speak, but moving him looks... reasonably safe, so long as he isn't manhandled. Kiyohime's Servant strength is probably enough for that.

    Justine also calls up, "Hey, that's a fine deal! Bargaining I can get behind!"

    Cayde hasn't put his hand cannon away, spinning the Ace of Spades in his hand even as Dante cocks his own pistols. "I'm all for a fight, but here I'd rather be fair, and if we can avoid it, spare these people a mess, I think that'll work out all the better."

    He gestures towards Justine with his gun, not threateningly, but more as with the extension of a hand. "I mean. We've heard your side of things. How 'bout we hear from him before subjecting him to a potential execution. Although he's managed to escape your first attempt. That's try one, and that's on you."

"I see." Kiyohime says, gathering up the man and gently leaping to the ground. She wasn't going to say more, but with Cayde asking questions she does feel obligated to say something. "He isn't speaking much," she points out. "The only words I could make out were 'Hero killer' and 'Pirate daughter,' so perhaps he's not too happy with her either."

    Dante shrugs a shoulder. "I don't really care, but if you start throwing villagers about then we're gonna have a problem over this. Same goes for your friend Calamity Jane over there." He says coldly, with none of the traditional mirth in his voice for once.

    "That's Salome." The witch corrects Dante matter of factly.
    Though Kiyohime bringing that new tidbit to light has the witch placing her thumb very calmly on the hammer of her gun, she doesn't open fire.
    "Sounds to me like he's delirious. It's probably for the better if she puts him out of his misery and we all just let her finish what she started."

    Justine frowns. "My parents took care of me in a world where nobody else would. I don't care what others say about them." She shrugs, then spreads her hands, before holding them out. "Deal. I will do something for you, and I can finish the job. This village isn't my problem and I don't kill for fun." She stops and thinks. "I don't kill people who don't bother me for fun."

    She grumbles, then says to everyone, "Lower your guns, you won't find me easy prey... and you've been very willing to hold back from shooting. Yes, my parents were pirates. And if they'd been killed by the NAVY instead of a bunch of vigilantes then things would be very different, wouldn't they?"

    "I've got nothing personal against pirates," Cayde says with another shrug. He also nods in agreement with Dante, flicking a brief glance towards Salome.

    "Good, so long as we got that much settled." That's said to Justine, the addendum noted. His fingers tap against the frame of his weapon's trigger before he finally sighs and slides the gun into his holster. "I ain't starting a firefight here. If this wraps things up for you an' him, so be it. You picked your path just as he picked his."

    "So angry mob, huh? Yeah fair enough. Screw those types." Dante says, holstering his pistols. "Family's family."

    A deal like that? Kiyohime will take it. She smiles, "Then he is all yours." Not very heroic of her, but people tend to forget she's basically amoral without someone like Shin to keep her pointed in the right direction. And with Shin not here... she makes the deal for someone NOT bleeding out in her arms to defend her world.

    It's a fair trade.

    Gently laying him down, Kiyohime pats Cam lightly and looks toward Justine. "You will have to carry him out, though."

    Guns go away!
    There's a beat of pause from the witch; waiting for the Ace, and Ebony and Ivory to return to their holsters, before Salome gives her twin pepperboxes a twirl on her fingers and returns them to the folds of her coat from whence they came.
    "Well! I am so glad we've managed to resolve this." She says, before curling her fingers to her lips.
    A sharp whistle calls her broom to float its way on over, so she can settle herself back on it like nothing happened in the least.

    "It was unexpectedly smooth, yes," Justine says. "I will remember this from all of you. I'm used to more trouble. Now then..." A little gesture, and several of the fallen branches and broken vines from the jungle nearby suddenly whip outward, lashing themselves together to make a rough 'table' that walks over to wriggle under Cam's unsconscious body. "We can do this somewhere that doesn't need to see such things. I'm sure I will be seeing you about."

    It's something of a bitter turn out, but Cayde sees the whole affair as something more in the gray than one side or the other. He may not really like how it's gone, but he's said his part and that's what he believes. You live by the gun, chances are you might die from it and all that truck.

    The Exo sighs, rolling his shoulders before glancing around at the others of their odd party. He looks to Dante. 

    "Join me for a drink?" He could sure use one anyway.

    "Yep." Dante has absolutely no intention of letting Cayde drink alone. Even if that doesn't seem possible for a robot, anyways.