Lunar: A Story Forgotten 2
Session 15 Log
Session Start: Apr 13 21:52:30
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Cast of Characters:
Dragonmaster Lou as Gamemaster, Selene, Shop Bunny, Caretaker, Elaine,
                    Young Ares, Young Eris, Shuttle Pilot, Homeboys, Hos
DNW as Kodah
Lucca as Samantha
Nadia Hemady as Yuuwaku
Nicole Peters as Varemi
Rune Lai as Jan (Dragonmaster Lou as ~Jan)
Scott Kroush as Galen
Seath as Marcus 
Storen as Chrissy, Dante
Tim Peters as Ambush 6000
============================================================================

===GAME ON!===

--You are still in the lighthouse...  Just after finding out about Ares's father's tragic death...--
Selene: "I guess this newspaper explains what happened to his father..."
Galen: "Hmm.."
Yuuwaku: "Has anyone been upstairs?"
Samantha: "No, but I'll go look."
Kodah: "Not yet."
Galen: "Good idea... but I'll go with you."

--There are two stairwells on this floor.  One climbs up the lighthouse, the
  other heads to another living area.--

* Samantha heads upstairs, a hand on the hilt of her sword.
* Varemi looks over people's shoulders at what they are looking at.
* Galen follows Samantha.
Yuuwaku: "Let's all go together."
* Kodah trails behind Sam.
Varemi: "Yes."
* Marcus follows.
* Yuuwaku heads after Galen and Samantha.
* Varemi follows Samantha.

--There are four well-preserved rooms on this floor.  One's a bathroom, the
  other three are bedrooms.--

* Chrissy tromps after the bunch, the hunt for clues continuing.
* Yuuwaku eyes the bathroom.
Samantha: "How about each of us takes a certain room?"
* Kodah investigates one of the bedrooms.
Yuuwaku: "I hope they have indoor plumbing."
* Galen pops his head into one of the bedrooms.
* Samantha picks one of the bedrooms.

--The bathroom is clean, but doesn't appear to have been used for years... and
  yes, they have indoor plumbing.--

* Marcus looks in one of the bedrooms.
* Yuuwaku pokes around, keeping an eye on everyone.

--Kodah peers into what appears to be a guest bedroom.  Marcus and Galen peered 
  into what was apparently Hera's bedroom.  Samantha is apparently peering into 
  the bedroom of young Ares.--

* Varemi goes in a room.
* Samantha searches very carefully at the walls, drawers, and anything else in
  Ares' old bedroom that may give her clues.
* Kodah pokes around, looking for anything of interest or use.

--Hera's bedroom is very tastefully and neatly decorated.  Some of her clothes
  still hang in the closet.--

* Varemi wanders in the... shiniest room.  Hey, she's only five.  Leave her
  alone.
* Galen goes into Hera's room, and searches around for any sort of clues.

--There is nothing unusual about Ares's bedroom -- it's fairly typical for a
  12-year-old's room, right down to the stuffed bear on the bed.--

* Yuuwaku notices the clothes in Hera's closet... thinks about something...
  snickers.
* Ambush 6000 remains in the foyer and attempts to be ambient.
Samantha: "... Boys that age have stuffed bears?  Hum. "

--The bathroom is the shiniest room.--

Samantha: "... That's why he's so evil!  He's attached to a stuffed bear!..."
  *chuckles* "Right.  Sure."
* Varemi stares at the sink.
Marcus: "Well, there's not much in here."
* Chrissy takes a gander at Ares's pad.  "Maybe Ares is just mad he lost his
  teddy." ^_-
Varemi: "...."
Varemi: "......"
* Varemi turns on the faucet.
Samantha: "Yeah, you think?" ^_- "Wish it was that simple..."
* Yuuwaku walks out of Hera's room and into Ares'... notices the teddy bear...
Galen: "Marcus..."

--The bear appears to be just a decoration, as if his mother got it to adorn
  his room, and it's just there to appease her.--

Yuuwaku: "Do you think he'd notice if..." ¬_¬

--It doesn't appear to have ever been handled.--

Marcus: "What?"
* Yuuwaku picks up the bear and looks around.
Samantha: "Nothing too interesting here...  I'm gonna go up the other stairwell."
Galen: "I'm going to attune to the spirit plane for a minute to better examine
  this room.  There may be more to this place than meets the eye."

--There are also your standard posters of swordsmen, etc., on the walls.  The
  kinds of heroes your average 12-year-old would have on this world.--

Yuuwaku: "Kawaisou." ;_;
Galen: "Keep an eye out in case something happens.."
* Varemi almost jumps back a second... pokes at the water.  Turns it off.
* Chrissy shrugs a bit to Samantha.  "... Doesn't seem like he touched it any...
  such a shame..."
* Chrissy looks at some of the posters.
* Yuuwaku cuddles the bear.
Marcus: "Whatever . . ."
Yuuwaku: "It's so unloved."
* Samantha nods, and heads downstairs, then heads up the other stairwell to the 
  actual lighthouse.
* Yuuwaku walks out of Ares' room and into the bathroom.
Yuuwaku: "Hey Varemi, look what I found!" :D
* Varemi mms.
* Galen closes his eyes and attunes his spirit to the astral plane to get a
  better examination of the room, and the lighthouse in general.
* Kodah suddenly yelps in surprise!
* Varemi looks over her shoulder.

--The room doesn't appear unusual on the astral plane.--

Varemi: "Animal."
Yuuwaku: "It's a teddy bear Varemi." ^_^
* Galen opens his eyes.  "Nothing out of the ordinary, that I can find."
Varemi: "What happens if you put the animal in the water?"
Yuuwaku: "Do you want to find out?" ^_^
Varemi: "... I don't know..."
Varemi: "Does something good happen?"
* Selene wanders into the bathroom.
Selene: "Umm, what are you doing with that bear?"
Yuuwaku: "I don't think so." ^_^;;
Varemi: "... It wants to swim."
Yuuwaku: "It's so cute." ;_;
Selene: "Swim?"
* Samantha heads back upstairs to the group.
Varemi: "... I was lying."
* Varemi walks out of the bathroom.
Samantha: "The actual lighthouse has nothing interesting in it." :/
* Chrissy backs out of the room, turning her head.  "Er... hey Kodah?  You yell 
  or somethin'?"
* Varemi looks around.  "Kodah made a noise.  Is he making any more?"
Selene: "Yuu, you may want to put that bear where you found it..."
Marcus: "So all we have here is a look into Ares' past?  Great."
Galen: "Actually, Sam... that's not entirely true."
Yuuwaku: "I guess..." :\
* Kodah points at a spider dangling from a thread from the ceiling in front of
  his face, "I found a spider."
* Yuuwaku wanders over to where Kodah is.
Yuuwaku: "Hey Kodah!  Look what I found!" :D
Samantha: "Oh?"
* Selene follows Yuuwaku.
* Yuuwaku holds up the teddy bear.
Kodah: "Hm?"
Kodah: "Its a bear."
* Chrissy looks at the spider dangling.  "... It's just a little spider." ^^;
Yuuwaku: "It's Ares'!" ^_^
* Selene sweatdrops.
Kodah: "Oh?  Do you think he wants you touching it?"
Galen: "This look into Ares' past gives us some clues as to what may have
  happened to turn him into what he is now."
* Yuuwaku hugs the teddy bear.
Varemi: "... The bear?"
Yuuwaku: "Teddy bears are meant to be hugged."
* Marcus wonders if he should just crush the spider but decides it isn't worth
  it.
* Varemi looks oddly at Galen.
Samantha: "... I know, Galen.  I'm just saying the lighthouse doesn't tell me
  anything more." :p "The actual LIGHTHOUSE.  Not his HOUSE."
* Samantha shakes her head and sighs. ^^;
Yuuwaku: "I think that Ares would be happier if he kept his teddy bear with
  him."
Kodah: "Maybe."
Yuuwaku: "But I guess Eris might make fun of him." ;\
Selene: "Well, he's not going to be able to keep it with him if it's with you,
  now will he?"
Varemi: "That would be unkind of her."
Marcus: "Well, aside from the 'tragic' past, maybe Ares is just power hungry."
Chrissy: "So this is it, then?  Hmm... well it's better than nothing..."
Yuuwaku: "I'm not gonna keep it Selene." ^^
Kodah: "Maybe he just wants to keep his bear safe."
Yuuwaku: "It would miss Ares!"
Galen: "Well, who's really to say, Marcus."
Galen: "But one thing has me thinking..."
Varemi: "... There must me something else.  Something other than this
  lighthouse..."
* Selene sighs with relief.
* Kodah exits the guest room, not finding anything of note outside of spiders.
Yuuwaku: "I wish I could have brought my stuffed animal with me." :(
* Yuuwaku goes back to put the teddy bear exactly as he found it.
Varemi: "Why was this town partially destroyed again?"
Varemi: "I think I must have forgotten."
Galen: "with Ares posing as a Dragonmaster... could he actually have the
  potential for Dragonmaster?  If so, then I think Eris may want to watch her
  back."
Selene: . o O (Good...  The last thing we need is for Ares to be extra upset
  because one of us stole his bear...)
Yuuwaku: "We don't know yet."
Kodah: "Someone must have thought that part of this town was bad."
Yuuwaku: "Why would Eris want to watch her back?"
Yuuwaku: "I think it was an accident Kodah."
Galen: "Because she is a cloned Demonmaster..."
Chrissy: "Well, we have a hunch it might be due to some revenge for them
  persecuting his mom, but... too many things don't add up quite."
Galen: "Remember what we learned about reforging the Sword of Zophar?"
* Samantha blinks as Galen confuses her yet again.
Kodah: "Uh... no?"
Yuuwaku: "Ah, well, he knows about that."
Yuuwaku: "He didn't know she was trying to become a Demonmaster again"
Galen: "Reforging that sword requires items belonging to three Demonmasters."
Yuuwaku: "So maybe *Ares* should be the one watching his back."
Varemi: "..."
Galen: "And in known history, there have been two."
Yuuwaku: "Just cause you don't know about it, doesn't mean it didn't happen."
* Marcus smirks and sarcastically says, "Maybe they need a stuffed animal of a
  former Demonmaster."
* Selene shivers a little bit.
Yuuwaku: "That would be highly amusing."
Yuuwaku: "I bet Kane had a teddy bear." ;)
Samantha: "... Bad but amusing."
Yuuwaku: "And Gabe *definitely* had twelve."
Kodah: "If there's only been two Demonmasters in recorded history, then where
  did the third one end up?"
Varemi: "But does any of this have to do with..." *looks around* "It's useful
  to figure out his motivations.  We don't want him to surprise us."
Galen: "If Ares has the potential for Dragonmaster, then it's possible that
  after finding anything belonging to Kane and Gabe, all he would need to do
  would be to get rid of Eris, and he'd have the third."
Yuuwaku: "Yeah. We should head back."
Chrissy: "Yeah, we should stay here much longer.  I don't think there's much
  else to see." :/
Marcus: "Then let's go."
Samantha: "Yeah, let's book." ^^;
Varemi: "He can use illusions.  Can't he?  The more we know... but... does
  any... any of this matter?  Spouting off useless... stuff..." *trails off*
* Galen nods.
* Varemi starts to walk out.
* Marcus heads downstairs.
* Selene lemmings.
* Samantha starts to head out.
* ~Jan follows.
* Kodah lemmings.
* Galen follows the others.
* Yuuwaku lets everyone go first.
* Ambush 6000 rustles next to Yuuwaku.
* Yuuwaku ruffles the Ambush's not-leaves.
Varemi: "... Why did he leave..."
Chrissy: "Much as I love a good museum..." *walks out, making sure to take
  another look or two at the pictures*
Kodah: "So... what now?"
Galen: "We see if we can get a look at the Ayokawa temple... of course."
Selene: "Maybe the temple caretaker is back?"
Kodah: "Oh yeah, that."
* Yuuwaku nods to Selene.
Yuuwaku: "Well, if we want to check out the temple, we'd have to talk to her."
  ^_^
Yuuwaku: "And she's the only one who's still alive who survived whatever
  happened."
Yuuwaku: "She might be able to give us a clue as to what occurred."
Varemi: "I think that should help."
* Galen nods...
Galen: "Right now, all we can do is speculate."
Kodah: "Speculating hurts after a while."
* Selene starts walking back towards town.
Galen: "Well, you know what they say about assuming.  It makes an ass of you
  and me." ^_^
Samantha: . o O ( More like it makes an ass of you... but hey... ^^ )
Samantha: . o O ( ... And that was a horrible pun.  Must beat him up later. )
* Yuuwaku walks along, looking troubled and obviously deep in thought.
* Marcus stares at Samantha for second and starts laughing.

--After an uneventful walk, you arrive back on the outskirts of town.
  Fortunately, no more Baka Bats or Golem Pitchers appeared...--
  
* Samantha blinks, and looks at Marcus, "... What?"
Marcus: "Nothing."
* Samantha blinks once more. ^^;
* Kodah plods along.
Galen: "I wonder where this caretaker lives."
Yuuwaku: "Can we stop by the item store?"
Yuuwaku: "She lives next to the tavern."
Kodah: "I don't see why not."
Yuuwaku: "I'd like to buy a couple more herbs..."
Yuuwaku: "I'm probably more useful to this group as a healer than a fighter."

--There is a Goddess Statue as you re-enter town...--

Galen: "I doubt that, Yuu."
Yuuwaku: "Especially as the only one with true healing magic is Varemi and
  she's probably the strongest person we have... except for maybe Galen."
* Samantha touches the statue as she passes.
Galen: "Varemi and I both have healing spells, Yuu... so does Selene."

	Everyone's HP/MP/Status restored.

Yuuwaku: "But you and Varemi would do better attacking or strengthening the
  party with your magic."
Yuuwaku: "Just comparing the damage you can do."
Yuuwaku: "Compared to me, I mean."
* Ambush 6000 stops for a minute to affectionately rustle against the statue,
  then continues onward.
Galen: "Yuu, with Mystic Vigor, I can cast multiple spells... do don't worry
  about it, okay?"
Yuuwaku: "Tactics are important."
Kodah: "There's no harm in being prepared, so let's just hit the item shop
  quick-like"

--The item shop is open, and someone appears to be home at the caretaker's
  house next to the tavern.--

* Yuuwaku heads quickly towards the item shop.
Yuuwaku: "Sumimasen!  Shop Bunny-san!"
* Yuuwaku enters and looks around for a Shop Bunny.
Shop Bunny: *bounce* "Hello!  How may I help you?" :)
Yuuwaku: "What do you have?" ^_^
Galen: "Not much I can't do with my magic... so I'll meet you at the
  caretaker's house."

*** Raculi Item Store ***
Angel Tears - 1A: Resurrects the dead [4000 S]
Can o' Whup Ass - 1A: Atk+25 for duration of battle [1500 S]
Dragonfly Wing - AA: Warps out of dungeon [120 S]
Healing Nut - 1A: Restores 255 HP [1200 S]
Herb - 1A: Recovers 50 HP [150 S]
Holy Flute - AA: Restores 255 HP [10000 S]
Holy Water - 1A: Cures all status ailments [400 S]
Purity Herb - 1A: Cures Poison [50 S]
Red Bull Energy Drink - 1A: Cures Sleep, Confuse, Gives you wings [150 S]
Star Light - 1A: Restores 35 MP [1000 S]
Sunflower Seeds - 1A: Cures Stone [150 S]
Vitality Vial - 1A: Restores statistics [400 S]

Yuuwaku: "Could I have three herbs please." ^_^
* Ambush 6000 softly plays a song from a rather bad lounge singer while Yuuwaku 
  and the others contemplate their purchase.
Shop Bunny: *bounce* "Sure, coming right up!"
* Samantha waits her turn.
* Kodah checks out the items store too.
Yuuwaku: "Galen-san seems to forget that he was knocked unconscious in the
  middle of last battle." :|
Ambush 6000: *playback* Lounge Singer: "Magic -- oh, that weapon cat
  Na-ash....."

	Yuuwaku purchases 3 Herbs.

Kodah: "Can I have two Purity Herbs please?"
Shop Bunny: *bounce* "Sure!"
Kodah: "Thank you."
Samantha: "Can I have one Herb, one Dragonfly Wing, and one Star Light?" :)
* Kodah moves aside once he has his things.

	Kodah purchases 2 Purity Herbs.

* Yuuwaku goes over to Varemi.
Yuuwaku: "We should go fighting by ourselves one time so we can make money to
  buy dolls and stuff..."
Shop Bunny: "Coming right up..."
Varemi: "Hmm..."
Yuuwaku: "And maybe a book so you can learn to read."
Varemi: "I don't need to read."
Yuuwaku: "It's fun to read." ^_^
* Kodah stands by while people shop.
* Yuuwaku eyes Kodah.
Yuuwaku: "Maybe Kodah would help us."

	Samantha purchases 1 Herb, 1 Dragonfly Wing, and 1 Star Light.

Shop Bunny: "Anything else?" *bounce*
* Samantha has this sudden urge to hold them triumphantly over her head, but
  refrains.
Shop Bunny: . o O (I hope I won't be late for my Tecmo model audition...)
Selene: "Are we all set?"
Samantha: "I'm ready."
Kodah: "All set here."
Selene: "Off to the caretaker's house?"
Kodah: "Sure."
* Ambush 6000 cuts off the sound as the lounge singer (mercifully) finishes.
Marcus: "Let's go."
* Selene heads off for the house.
* Kodah follows along quietly.
* Samantha follows the others.

--The caretaker's house is modest, but neat on the outside.--

* Yuuwaku bounds along after Sam like a puppy.
* Chrissy whistles a bit. "Hmm, pretty well kept."
* Selene looks to see if someone's going to knock on the door...
* Galen meets the party at the caretaker's house...
* Yuuwaku knocks happily.

--A 30 year-old or so woman answers the door.--

Caretaker: "Hello.  May I help you?"
Yuuwaku: "Hi." ^_^
Yuuwaku: "Are you the caretaker of the Ayokawa Temple?"
Caretaker: "Why, yes I am."
* Samantha keeps quiet for now, since the others are much better at speaking
  then she is. :)
Caretaker: "Is something wrong with the temple?"
Yuuwaku: "Oh no!"
Yuuwaku: "But we heard about it and would like to see it." :D
* Caretaker whews with relief.
* Kodah stands quietly at the back of the group next to Sam and Varemi.
Yuuwaku: "We're a tour group." ^_^
Caretaker: "Hmm...  Well, it's being restored right now, so it's a bit of a
  mess...  Why do you want to see it?"
Yuuwaku: "We're actually looking for information on Ares and this town."
Yuuwaku: "We visited the lighthouse nearby and apparently he used to live
  here... but there was some accident."
* Caretaker steps back, as if she's startled by the name...
Caretaker: "You... visited... the lighthouse!?"
Yuuwaku: "And then... are you alright?" ^^;
* Marcus mutters, "Subtlety, Yuuwaku, subtlety."
Samantha: "... Is this... a  bad thing?  We're not gonna be chased out of the
  town with pitchforks, are we?" O_o
Caretaker: "I'm... okay...  Just... bad memories..."
Kodah: "..?"
Caretaker: "No, no...  Sorry...  I just had a flashback there..."
Yuuwaku: "Bad memories?"
Yuuwaku: "Maybe you should sit down..."
Caretaker: "Yes, maybe I should.  All of you, please come in..."
Chrissy: "Oh... right... you were here for that tragedy that happened some time 
  ago..."
Yuuwaku: "Don't even talk to me about subtlety Marcus."
Samantha: "Thank you." :)
* Yuuwaku smiles and bows to the caretaker.
* Samantha heads inside.
* Caretaker nods as she leads everyone to her living room and takes a seat on
  the couch.
Yuuwaku: "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves?  It's only polite.."
* Kodah goes inside and decides to stand rather than sit.
* Caretaker nods.
Yuuwaku: "My name is Yuuwaku..."
* Yuuwaku looks to Samantha.
Samantha: "I'm Samantha Reed." :)
Selene: "I'm Selene."
Galen: "Galen Lightsbane."
~Jan: "You can call me Jan."
* Kodah waves, "Kodah."
* Chrissy finds somewhere to sit down, raising a hand.  "Chrissy here..."
Marcus: "Marcus."
* Ambush 6000 causes a little box to appear over its head, which reads: "Ambush 
  6000, Serial Number PCEL-6253-0072-916244-8210967".
* Yuuwaku sits down across from the caretaker.
Caretaker: "Pleased to meet you, even the quiet one over there...  I'm Elaine."
* Kodah notices that Varemi hasn't said anything, and points at her, "This is
  Varemi."
* Elaine nods.
Elaine: "So what in the Goddess's name were you doing at the lighthouse?"
* Ambush 6000 makes the box disappear, satisfied that it has been properly
  identified.
Galen: "Trying to find out all we can about Ares."
Yuuwaku: "Looking for information on Ares."
Yuuwaku: "Did you know him?"
Elaine: "Do you have a death wish or something?  I mean, this is _Ares_ you're
  talking about."
Yuuwaku: "Why do you say that?"
Elaine: "I knew him...  We went to school together, although we didn't hang out 
  together..."
Chrissy: "Ah, he's not so bad once you get to know him." *slightly sarcastic*
  "There's a few reasons actually." ;)
Elaine: "Let's just say that Ares is quite... capable in combat."
Yuuwaku: "What was he like?"
Yuuwaku: "As a Dragonmaster, I wouldn't be surprised." ^_^;
Elaine: "Nice enough kid, as best as I can remember.  Had quite a few friends
  his age."
* Varemi blinks, notices Kodah introduced her.
Galen: .oO(as a fake, that is.)
Elaine: "Whatever Ares is, he's no Dragonmaster.  He's never stepped foot
  inside the Red Dragon cave."
Yuuwaku: "So you know..."
Yuuwaku: "There was an accident in this town several years ago."
Elaine: "The only human-accessible entrance to the cave is in the Ayokawa
  Temple.  If anyone entered that cave, I would know about it..."
* Samantha hms.
* Chrissy nods to Elaine.  "I kinda figured as much..."
Elaine: "I remember the accident..."
* Galen looks over at Sam, then to the rest of the party.
Yuuwaku: "Please tell us about it.  It's important..."
Yuuwaku: "I'm sorry to ask you this..."
Chrissy: "You okay talking about it?"
Samantha: "Can you tell us about it?  The details so far have been very vague."
Galen: "What all happened, leading up to that incident?"
* Kodah listens quietly, putting his sunglasses into this pocket.
Elaine: "It was sixteen years ago...  Raculi was in the midst of our worst
  drought in ages, and a tsunami caused by an underwater earthquake heavily
  damaged our port...  The town was in bad shape and many residents wondered if 
  the Goddess had forsaken us..."
Samantha: . o O ( Tsunami to the port...  I wonder... )
Elaine: "The townsfolk were clamoring for the mayor to do something, and he was 
  fearful of losing the upcoming elections..."
Galen: "He needed a scapegoat, didn't he?"
Elaine: "The priest who was in charge of the Ayokawa Temple at the time was an
  old friend of the mayor, and the two worked together to try to find that
  scapegoat..."
Kodah: "... That's stupid."
Galen: "So, that scapegoat was Ares' mother, Hera."
Elaine: "Corrupt politicians are stupid, but they do turn up..."
Yuuwaku: "It seems humanity does many stupid things when faced with a crisis."
* Chrissy makes a face.  "Ick... was THAT the reason?"
* Samantha shakes her head.
Yuuwaku: "But go on, Elaine."
Elaine: "Yes...  While digging through town records, they found out that Hera's 
  family had changed its name to 'Phelios' from 'Pharos' before moving into
  Raculi..."
Elaine: "They had the perfect scapegoats now -- the mayor and the high priest
  said the Goddess has forsaken them because they harbored relatives of her
  ancient enemies..."
Elaine: "They managed to whip the townsfolk into a mob frenzy, and Hera and
  Ares were soon arrested.  Their sentence was public execution..."
* Galen shakes his head.  "Another witch hunt."
Samantha: "Agh...  Ares too?"
Elaine: "Hera was the first executed, and they made poor Ares watch the whole
  thing..."
* Elaine nods...
Elaine: "I had never seen anyone cry like I saw Ares cry after his mother was
  killed..."
Galen: "This has happened too often in human history.."
* Chrissy sighs.  "No wonder he's got a chip on his shoulder... the poor kid."
Kodah: "..."
Elaine: "And then...  just as they were going to execute Ares..."
Chrissy: "What happened then, though? people said something about an explosion."

===ANIME CUT SCENE!===

--You see the the town center, Hera's dead body already having been removed.
  Ares is chained to a wall for his execution...--
--Suddenly, magical explosions begin to rock the town, killing and wounding
  many of the townsfolk and destroying many of the buildings...--

* Young Ares closes his eyes, awaiting the inevitable.

--A silhouette appears approaching the crowd from the distance.  The silhouette 
  appears to resemble a twelve-year-old girl in form...--
--As the silhouette comes into view, it appears to be a younger version of
  Eris...--

* Young Eris approaches Ares...
Young Ares: "Please don't hurt me...  Please..."
Young Eris: "Hurt you?  I just saved your life!  Why the hell do you think I'd
  hurt you?"
Young Ares: "But... but... those people..."
Young Eris: "Look, I just gave them what they deserved.  An entire lynch mob
  trying to kill a kid chained to a wall?  I'm sorry, but that's just not
  right..."
Young Ares: "Thank... thank you... It's just that... my mother..."
Young Eris: "I'm sorry..."
* Young Eris hugs Ares, then uses her small double-bladed weapon to cut the
  chains holding him against the wall.
Young Eris: "I never knew my mother...  Or my big sister, for that matter...  I 
  guess I'm an orphan of sorts..."
Young Ares: "My mother was all I had..."
* Young Ares still has a few tears streaming down his cheeks, but he seems to
  be regaining his composure, best he can.
Young Eris: "Well, you're welcome to join me, if you'd like.  We orphans should 
  stick together."
Young Ares: "But... where are you going?"
Young Eris: "I don't know...  I'm just trying to find a place in this world...  
  I mean, I'm not like most people here..."
Young Ares: "What do you mean, 'not like most people.'?"
Young Eris: "It's a long story...  I'll tell you after we get out of here,
  okay?  Hey...  I don't think I've introduced myself.  My name's Eris."
Young Ares: "My name is Ares."
Young Eris: "Ares...  I'm sorry I had to meet you like this..."
Young Ares: "...."
Young Ares: "....."
Young Eris: "However, I am glad I did meet you..."
* Young Ares nods, still shaking, as he walks off with Eris, his hand in hers,
  stepping around the bodies littering what's left of the town center...

===END CUT SCENE===

Elaine: "... and that's what happened.  I was lucky I was caught under some
  debris in the early part of the attack that shielded me from the rest..."
Galen: "So Eris saved him from the lynch mob."
* Elaine nods.
Kodah: "..."
Yuuwaku: "Somehow, I am not surprised."
Samantha: "So who's leading who..."
Yuuwaku: "Though in all truth, I did not expect this to fit together so well."
* Yuuwaku nods to Samantha.
Marcus: "Seems like the town got what it deserved."
Yuuwaku: "Ares didn't know about Eris' plans to become a Demonmaster.  She
  might be using him."
Galen: "They must have a strong bond, then... unless that's all one of Ares'
  illusions too."
Elaine: "I can't say...  Given how they met, those two probably have a very...
  unique relationship."
Yuuwaku: "Or they might be using each other."
* Samantha shakes her head.
Samantha: "It's sad."
Elaine: "I don't think Ares had mastered his illusion magic until long after
  they met.  I never saw him use it when he was a child."
Yuuwaku: "I'd be mildly surprised if she simply forgave him for being a Pharos, 
  though stranger things have happened."
Galen: "Or vice versa, Yuu.  Ares may be the one with aspirations to
  Demonmaster."
Elaine: "Or they could be working together."
Galen: "She may not know of his real family name."
Yuuwaku: "It's possible. "
Yuuwaku: "Then let's see what happens if we mention it to her next time we see
  her."
Galen: "they changed it before moving to Raculi... so Eris may not know that
  he's a Pharos."
Elaine: "I think she may know...  I saw them bury Ares's mother's body, and I
  assume he had to explain what happened to her when they did that."
Yuuwaku: "You don't have any idea what Ares and Eris might be seeking to do?"
* Chrissy ponders this tale...
Elaine: "If I had to guess, I'd suspect it would have something to do with the
  Church...  His mother was executed in the name of the Goddess..."
Marcus: "Power and/or revenge are the usual motivations."
Galen: "Vengeance on the Goddess."
* Samantha sighs.
Chrissy: "You got that right... it would explain a lot."
Galen: "He's posing as a Dragonmaster... and the Goddess has 'mysteriously'
  disappeared..."
Yuuwaku: "Taking control of the Goddess because he blames her for killing his
  mother?"
Samantha: "That's pretty simplistic.  I'd blame the government first.  But
  that's just me... if it happened to me, I mean."
Yuuwaku: "What an idiot.."
Galen: "And Ares' 'Church' is controlling the world in a style that hasn't been 
  seen since the Dark Pharoah... and Nazi Germany."
Yuuwaku: "But I guess our own party has its fair share of members who blame the 
  Goddess for random things."
Elaine: "Remember, the Church and the government worked hand-in-hand...  and
  now he's made the Church and government one under him."
Yuuwaku: "I don't know..."
Yuuwaku: "Has Ares actually done anything bad?"
Elaine: "I don't know..."
Kodah: "..."
Yuuwaku: "I mean other than not showing up at every single instance of
  injustice to thwart evil."
Galen: "Well, Penthesillia,and Enyo are bad eggs, that much is certain."
Yuuwaku: "Oh, and stupidly hiring Zissel."
Marcus: "Then there are the basic sadists."
Yuuwaku: "Come to think of it, he might just be a bad judge of character." ;)
* Chrissy grumbles to herself. "I can understand he wants to make his
  oppressors dance to his tune now, but really, he's got a little out of
  control I think."
Galen: "Actually, Yuu.  He hired Radoria..but Radoria was in the process of
  reviving Zissel.  Raven finished Radoria's work."
Yuuwaku: "Oh, right."
Yuuwaku: "How has he gotten a little out of control?"
Galen: "This whole regime of his is not all that good, Yuu."
Galen: "They hold a tight reign on everything in life.  The people have no
  freedom."
Chrissy: "Yuuwaku, last I read dictators were a bad thing, eh? ^^; Besides, he's really twisting the meanings of the dragons to boot."
Yuuwaku: "Okay, excuse me while I play devil's advocate..."
Yuuwaku: "But putting historical precedent aside, has he actually done anything 
  bad?"
Elaine: "His forces did kill countless soldiers when he conquered the world in
  the name of the Church..."
Samantha: "Yeah, for starters, he tried to hurt Varemi."
Galen: "Aside from allowing Radoria and Raven to revive Zissel?"
Yuuwaku: "We don't know that he tried to hurt her."
Samantha: "Okay, kidnap her."
Yuuwaku: "He was trying to keep her away from the Neo-Pharosians."
Samantha: "Which is bad enough."
Chrissy: "Yeah, Yuuwaku.  Ares didn't get where he was by picking daisies in a
  meadow." ^^ "He's done his share."
Varemi: "Mmph."
Selene: "What about his hunting me down?  I've been on the run from him as far
  back as I can remember..."
* Yuuwaku nods to Selene.
Chrissy: "And right...  Selene's yet another victim of all this junk he's
  planning."
Galen: "But that still bugs me.  Sure, Selene's someone with some very special
  talents... but why chase after her for this long."
* Selene clenches her fist...
Yuuwaku: "Probably because she presents some kind of obstacle to his ultimate
  goal."
Kodah: "..."
Yuuwaku: "She may be innocent, but I doubt he cares about that."
Selene: "But...  I can't...  I mean...  What can I do?  I'm not that special..."
Marcus: "Or she's a tool he needs."
Yuuwaku: "An intelligent person will kill the opposition before it becomes a
  threat."
Selene: "A... tool?"
* Yuuwaku nods to Marcus.
Yuuwaku: "Like Kodah."
Yuuwaku: "Or Varemi."
Yuuwaku: "Although with Varemi, I believe there might be more personal reasons."
Samantha: "Bleh.  The thought of using people makes me sick."
Yuuwaku: "The Dragons are using us."
Galen: "Let's face it.  Ares has a very powerful sorceress on his side.  A
  blood thirsty knight and ninja, and a priestess who must have forgotten her
  vows."
* Chrissy rubs the side of her head.  "He's sure fond of usin' people..."
Samantha: "... True.  Gah."
Yuuwaku: "Technically the dragons are being used by the goddess as well."
Selene: "Yuuwaku, do you think they're *still* using us?  Or just asking us for 
  help?"
Marcus: "Everybody uses others  at least once in their lives..."
Yuuwaku: "Ares was asking Kodah for help..."
Chrissy: "Hey... er... Elaine?"
Yuuwaku: "He didn't force him."
Yuuwaku: "So how is that different?"
* Selene nods.
Elaine: "Yes?'"
Chrissy: "You said your temple guarded the way to the Red Dragon cave, right?"
* Elaine nods.
* Chrissy looks around.  "Think we should try paying a visit?  Maybe big red
  knows something more about all this."
Yuuwaku: "And a Dragonmaster works in service of the Goddess..."
Yuuwaku: "In other words, he or she is the ultimate tool of the Goddess.  They
  must dedicate their life to her."
Galen: "Chrissy, I doubt we're strong enough to pass the Red Dragon's trial."
Elaine: "If you want to risk the monsters...  I'm not even sure if he's home."
Yuuwaku: "Sometimes at the risk of life and love..."
* Chrissy sweatdrops.  "Hey, I was just checking and all..." ^^;
Galen: "But, we can check in Meribia."
* Galen whispers to Chrissy, "Remember he owns that tavern in Meribia."
Yuuwaku: "Shall I add Meribia to the list?"
Galen: "Not just yet..."
Yuuwaku: "We should probably wait until we're ready to head into the Red
  Dragon's Cave before we visit the Ayokawa Temple..."
Galen: "I do think we should check out Rashana."
Chrissy: "Oh right!  Silly me.  That place has a damn good hero."
* Chrissy grins.
Yuuwaku: "I know Galen.  I have it marked down."
Yuuwaku: "Do you have any idea where Eris and Ares might have gone after
  leaving here, Elaine?"
* Chrissy exhales.  "I can't say I'm a little curious about that ore rumor..."
Elaine: "Perhaps back to the Goddess Tower?  I heard that's where they live
  these days."
Galen: "In the Goddess tower?"
Yuuwaku: "Is it now?"
Yuuwaku: "How very interesting."
Galen: "Then Lucia quite possibly has vacated the tower... but for what reason?"
Galen: "Oh, by the nine hells, this is starting to become a major headache."
Yuuwaku: "It's possible she was confined there."
Yuuwaku: "No one ever said saving the world would be easy." ;)
Yuuwaku: "I doubt we're going to getting anywhere near the Goddess Tower
  anytime soon."
Yuuwaku: "So what's up next?  Meribia, Azado or Horam?"
Selene: "Or Rashana?"
Galen: "I'd say Rashana."
Yuuwaku: "Is that on Lunar?"
Galen: "Azado is still a major port for the Church's navy."
Galen: "Yes, Yuu."
Yuuwaku: "Ah!" ^_^
Galen: "It's on the other side of the Salyan Desert."
* Ambush 6000 flips on a map from the atlas that it ate, listing Azado and
  Rashana on it.
Chrissy: "We can make it there fine.  I really want to check it out."
* Yuuwaku nods.
Yuuwaku: "So is it agreed?"
Samantha: "Yeah... sounds good."
* Galen nods.
Elaine: "You can catch a boat for Dalton at the port.  From there you should be 
  able to talk to Larpa and then Rashana."
Yuuwaku: "Ah thank you Elaine." ^_^
Galen: "Let's get going..."
* Yuuwaku stands and bows again.
Elaine: "You're welcome..."
Yuuwaku: "I am sure we will meet again soon."
* Ambush 6000 displays a moving red line as Elaine describes the trip.
* Elaine nods.  "Anytime you want to visit the Red Dragon cave, I'll be here."
* Chrissy looks at the Ambush route tracer.  "Looks good to me."
Samantha: "Thank you, Miss Elaine." :)
* Ambush 6000 causes the map to dissolve.
* Kodah heads outside, quietly putting his sunglasses back on.
* Samantha heads back outside as well.
Galen: "Okay... do we take a boat... or the shuttle?"
Yuuwaku: "The shuttle would probably be quickest, if we can."
Marcus: "It doesn't matter to me."
* Selene lemmings.
Galen: "However, it may be good experience for us to take the longer route..."
Galen: "By way of Dalton."
Yuuwaku: "But do we have the time?"
* Chrissy turns around.  "Looks like we owe you, Elaine... see ya round."
Selene: "We'd also have to stop by Larpa on the way, probably."
Kodah: "Probably not."
* Elaine waves.
* Chrissy heads outside. ^^
Yuuwaku: "Although, I suppose it doesn't matter either way."
Yuuwaku: "And I would like to kill something."
Chrissy: "You think it's safe to sneak through Dalton?  I mean, maybe we could
  spy on those Church goons a little.  Naval moments could be dangerous
  though."
Yuuwaku: "If we stand to gain more information, we should probably take the
  longer route..."
Galen: "Let's just take the shuttle to Illusion Woods... walk the rest of the
  way?"
Galen: "Illusion Woods is just outside of Dalton."
* Chrissy rubs the back of her head.  "I don't think they've got our faces on
  the back of milk cartons anymore... well, I hope.  Heheh."
Yuuwaku: "If they saw us as threats, they would have killed us, I'm sure."
Galen: "If we go to Illusion Woods, we can bypass Dalton and head for Larpa."
Galen: "And if we stay away from the tavern in Larpa, we can avoid any trouble
  there."
Selene: "Either that, or maybe they have another reason to keep us alive..."
Chrissy: "I think I agree with galen here.  I don't want to risk sailing into a 
  naval port so lightly... but we should investigate the area, too."
Kodah: "..."
Yuuwaku: "Then we take the shuttle outside the Illusion Woods or whatever?"
Galen: "The shuttle can land outside of Illusion woods, then we can walk to
  Larpa."
Galen: "Or go into Dalton..which I wouldn't suggest.  You can bet that Ares'
  navy has a ship stationed there."
Chrissy: "Hey, why not?  I hear that place is a real head trip." ^_-
Selene: "I've heard bad, bad things about Larpa...  Like that it's one big red
  light district."
Galen: "If we avoid the taverns, we can avoid any trouble.  At least that's
  what I've heard in my travels."
Yuuwaku: "But taverns are the best places to get information."
* Yuuwaku turns to Samantha.
Selene: "Unfortunately, taverns are also one of the better places to hear
  rumors."
Marcus: "The answer to Larpa is simple, make them fear us."
Yuuwaku: "What's your decision."
Yuuwaku: "If you're afraid of the tavern, you don't have to enter."
Galen: "Marcus, I am not going to go casting spells of destruction in the
  middle of a town."
Yuuwaku: "That would be foolish. It'd be the quickest way to get the Church on
  our tails."
Marcus: "Um, did I say that?  No."
* Galen thinks for a moment...
Yuuwaku: "Now let's go."
* Yuuwaku starts off in the direction of the shuttle.
Galen: "Maybe we can have the shuttle meet us outside of Larpa... after we get
  to Illusion Woods."
* Samantha follows Yuu.
* Galen follows the rest of the party.
* Kodah follows the group quietly.  Wow, big change.
Chrissy: "Less arguing, more flying!" *follows along*
Yuuwaku: "If you don't want to enter Larpa, that's fine, but I would like to
  quickly check it out."
Galen: "Well, let me put it this way.  I discovered my Crimson magic on the
  road between Larpa and Dalton."
Galen: "Because of a bandit gang."
Yuuwaku: "I doubt a bandit gang would present much of a problem for us..."
Yuuwaku: "And if they're highway robbers, they might have a lot of money."
Yuuwaku: "Excuse my arrogance..."
Galen: "Well, it was a bit of trouble for a lone magician, Yuu."
Yuuwaku: "I would imagine."
Yuuwaku: "But you're not alone anymore, ne?" ^_^
Yuuwaku: "Besides, laconia isn't cheap."
* Yuuwaku continues walking...
Marcus: . o O(What, you couldn't take them all out, heh.)

--Not far outside of town, you meet up with th shuttle.--

Shuttle Pilot: "Hello again!"
* Chrissy waves.  "Yo!"
* Galen boards the shuttle.  "Look, can you land outside of Illusion Woods?"
* Kodah once again keeps Varemi not too far off, in case there's the appearance 
  of some shiny thing.
Shuttle Pilot: "Not a problem...  Why are you going there?  Planning to party
  in Larpa?  Heh."

--The seat belt on the shuttle has a shiny buckle...--

Galen: "Actually, I think we'd rather avoid that trouble... however... there
  may be some information to gather in Dalton."
Shuttle Pilot: "Fair enough...  All aboard then!"
* Ambush 6000 shuffles over and waits to be picked up.
* Yuuwaku boards the ship quietly and sits down
* Selene struggles a bit, but picks up the Ambush and brings it inside the
  shuttle.
* Chrissy nods, looking satisfied.
* Samantha heads inside.
Chrissy: "You got our leafy mascot in hand Selene?"
* Selene nods. :)
* Ambush 6000 blips.
Shuttle Pilot: "Everyone aboard?"
* Kodah takes a seat and straps himself in.
* Varemi braces herself.
* Chrissy hops inside, patting the pilot's shoulder.  "Hey... if we do party in 
  Larpa, remind me to buy ya a beer."  She promptly straps in. ^^

--Once everyone is safely aboard, the shuttle takes off and flies to the
  east.--

Shuttle Pilot: "Make sure you guys are buckled in, we're hitting a bit of
  turbulence over Dalton."
Samantha: "Okay!"
* Samantha buckles herself in.
* Yuuwaku buckles himself in, looks over to Varemi.
* Kodah checks his own straps.
Yuuwaku: "I remember when I didn't understand how to buckle one of these..."
Shuttle Pilot: "By the way, if you look out the window, you should see a large
  freighter leaving Dalton.  That thing's probably full of laconian alloy."
Kodah: "..?"
Yuuwaku: "Let's take it over and have Chrissy make us all weapons out of
  Laconia." ;\
Shuttle Pilot: "If I only could have a cut of all the Laconia that ships
  through Dalton..."
* Yuuwaku hugs himself and mutters things darkly in Japanese.
Shuttle Pilot: "You need special tools to make weapons out of Laconia..."
Yuuwaku: "I know.  I was making a joke."
Yuuwaku: "Well, I didn't know."
* Shuttle Pilot smiles and chuckles a bit.
Yuuwaku: "But I was still making a joke." ^^
* Chrissy leans over.  "Ehh... hmm."
Shuttle Pilot: "Okay, we should be touching down near the Illusion Woods..."
Yuuwaku: "We should talk to 'Tianna' about that."
* Chrissy thinks really hard.  You can almost hear those heavy gears grinding.

--After a few more minutes, the shuttle makes a perfect landing with Dalton
  just barely in sight...--
--You can also see a large tower not too far off...--

* Kodah unstraps himself and prepares to disembark.
Yuuwaku: "So we're going to Dalton first?"
* Selene shrugs.
* Varemi fiddles with the seat belt, getting the hang of things.
* Selene looks off towards the tower.
Varemi: "... I did it."
* Yuuwaku smiles at Varemi.
* Yuuwaku puts a hand on Selene's shoulder.
Yuuwaku: "What are you thinking?"
* Varemi gets up, smiles back at Yuuwaku. ... It's a scary smile.
Selene: "Nothing, really...  Just wondering a bit about the tower... and maybe
  a little homesick too...  We're not too far from my home town of Takkar."
Yuuwaku: "Perhaps we should go visit...  I'd like to see where you're from."
  ^_^
Yuuwaku: "But maybe when we're not on such a tight schedule..." :\
Selene: "I haven't been there in so long...  I've been on the run most of my
  life..."
Yuuwaku: "How long did you live there?"
Selene: "I was practically raised by Teal since I was very young...  I barely
  remember what my parents look like..."
Yuuwaku: "Did something happen to your parents... maybe you told us this?"
Yuuwaku: "But my memory isn't so good." ^_^;
* Selene shakes her head.
* Chrissy nods.  "Yeah...  I'm sure glad Teal found you."
Yuuwaku: "On second thought, it might be worth our while to check out Takkar."
Selene: "All I remember is them telling me I should go off with Teal for my
  safety, and they hoped they'll see me again one day."
Yuuwaku: "You are important.  That much has been proven.  We may be able to
  find a clue or two there."
Selene: "But WHY am I important...  I mean...  What's so special about me..."
  *sighs*
Yuuwaku: "And I wish Teal had been more forthcoming with her information."
* Kodah squints his eyes at the tower in the distance.
Yuuwaku: "That's something we may want to figure out."
Chrissy: "Well Selene, I guess it's just another mystery we've gotta solve on
  this trip, huh?"
Yuuwaku: "It may help us to figure out what Ares is planning."
* Yuuwaku takes out his pad and writes Takkar on it.
Yuuwaku: "Alright."
Selene: "I've been trying to figure it out for a long time...  Teal said that
  she thinks I may have some connection to the goddess, but even she doesn't
  know exactly what..."
Yuuwaku: "I suspected as much."
* Chrissy cracks her knuckles, and looks around at the forest and a fleeting
  moment at the tower.  "So, where to first?  If you're homesick we can always
  take a little detour first."
Yuuwaku: "Takkar, Larpa, or Dalton?"
Selene: "Yeah, but the Illusion Woods isn't exactly the friendliest place on
  the map..."
Yuuwaku: "I propose we stop by Dalton on the way back."
Yuuwaku: "Good.  Maybe we'll get to kill something."
Yuuwaku: "How do we get to Takkar?"
Selene: "It's on the other side of the Illusion Woods."
Yuuwaku: "Any idea what we'd be facing in those woods?"
Kodah: "..."
Selene: "I've heard all sorts of unholy beasties live in it...  Supposedly
  they've inhabited the area ever since the Star Dragon left the tower, or at
  least that's what the Takkar legends say."
Samantha: "Lovely."
* Varemi looks over and Kodah, then back at Yuu.
Chrissy: "I've heard it's like a maze or something, too."
Yuuwaku: "I wonder when it left the tower..."
* Varemi looks over at Samantha.
Samantha: "Hm?"
Selene: "I heard it had something to do with Kane's return..."
* Samantha looks at Varemi.
Varemi: "You said 'Lovely.'"
Samantha: "I didn't mean it literally.  I was being sarcastic." :)
Varemi: "I thought so."
Varemi: "It just surprised me."
* Samantha nods, and smiles.
* Varemi shrugs.
Samantha: "Hey, I can fight monsters, but that doesn't mean I always like
  looking for trouble."
* Varemi nods.
Yuuwaku: "I think we may be able to benefit more from going to Takkar."
Yuuwaku: "Any objections?"
Chrissy: "Hey Selene, is Takkar a big trading town or something?"
Varemi: "I want to go."
Varemi: "Maybe we'll meet someone in the woods, too."
Selene: "Not really...  It's a pretty average town...  It used to be a popular
  place for travelers to rest, though."
Yuuwaku: "That seems to happen to us a lot."
Yuuwaku: "Detour to Takkar, then back down to Larpa, Rashana and over to
  Dalton."
Chrissy: "Maybe we could find out some more interesting rumors floating
  'round."
Yuuwaku: "Ambush..."
* Ambush 6000 makes a series of beeping noises.
Yuuwaku: "Any information on these woods?"
Varemi: "... I'm almost scared of what it knows."
* Varemi looks down at the bush warily.
* Ambush 6000 displays a panorama of the woods, which surprisingly look rather
  untouched.
* Chrissy grins. "Well, I'm not scared of some freaky monsters.  So long as we
  hit all the hot spots..."
Yuuwaku: "Alright..."
Yuuwaku: "Hopefully the bush will be able to lead us through if we get into
  trouble..."
Yuuwaku: "Unless anyone else has experience traveling these woods?"
Selene: "Everything I was told said to stay out..."
Selene: "No offense, but I'm not a big fan of hiking through the woods, Yuu."
Chrissy: "If anyone would know the rout through it'd be Selene, but... well...
  that answers that.  Is there any better way?"
Selene: "I mean, I'll go if everyone else goes, but..."
Ambush 6000: *playback* Voiceover: "Preliminary reports from loggers include
  sightings of visual anomalies.  These sightings have been dismissed, and
  PharosCorp Amusements has designated this an official tourist attraction.
  Cost: 500 S, with quote: 'scarring for life guaranteed,' unquote."
Kodah: "... Swell"
Selene: "Oh yeah...  It's almost impossible to navigate them unless you know
  someone with the right kind of charm or spell to let you find the paths."
Yuuwaku: "Then we'll go later."
Yuuwaku: "Or we'll go to Takkar by shuttle."
* Selene nods.
Yuuwaku: "Come on, let's go to Larpa."
* Selene follows Yuu.
* ~Jan lemmings.
Ambush 6000: *playback* Voiceover: "Attempts to provide accurate geological
  representations of this area have proven unsuccessful, thwarting even
  PharosCorp Cartography's finest GPS systems."
* Samantha lemmings as well. ^^
* Ambush 6000 notices everyone leaving, fades out the image, and trundles along 
  so as not to be left out.
* Chrissy sighs at the bush's recounting.  "That must be one helluva charm."
* Yuuwaku walks, eyes staring ahead into the distance.
* Kodah follows along, cleaning his sunglasses on his suit.
* Chrissy shrugs and follows along with the group towards the drier areas.

--After a fairly healthy walk, you can see the outskirts of Larpa before you.--
--The tower that loomed overhead slowly fades from view...--

* Ambush 6000 puffs out a brief but powerful gust of air from inside it, which
  cleans out most of the sand it accumulated on the walk.
Marcus: "Well, here's Larpa.  Shall we enter the town?"

--Finally, you arrive at Larpa, and it appears just as sleazy as Selene warned. 
  The whole town appears to be made up of bars, casinos, strip clubs, and
  brothels.  Defiantly not a place to spend your family vacation...--

Kodah: "... Nice place.  Not."
* Yuuwaku nods.
* Chrissy squints a little in the hazy air, fanning herself idly.  "... Well,
  damn, I've seen all these things... but never all in one place."
Yuuwaku: "I doubt we'll get much information here, but we should see if they
  have any shops."
Kodah: "I'm not sure if we want what they're selling."
Samantha: "... Hmm.  Remind me to keep my hand on my wallet."
Varemi: "..."
* Varemi looks at some women as they walk.

--There are no real shops you can recognize, not even a Ramus's, but there are
  several people selling things out the backs of trucks.--

Varemi: "Maybe I can get some armor here..."
* Varemi points at a woman.  "She's kind of dressed like me."
Kodah: "Maybe.  But calling it armor might be over kind."
* Selene facefaults.

--A guy walks down the street wearing very flamboyant clothes and a hat with a
  feather in it.--

Chrissy: "Much as I hate the questionable sources, I bet you could get great
  deals here on illegal Church stuff..."
Marcus: "On illegal anything."

--Two guys appear to be selling a large dish-shaped object from the back of
  their truck...--

* Yuuwaku blinks.
* Ambush 6000 stays close to Yuuwaku.

--The dish says, "Property of UASA."--"

Kodah: "What is that supposed to be?"
* Chrissy glances at the dish as she passes, wondering if it looks familiar at
  all.
* Yuuwaku picks up the Ambush.
* Ambush 6000 rustles in a somewhat more agitated fashion than normal.

--Another person is selling all sorts of strange plants from his vehicle.--

Kodah: "Maybe we should just move on."
* Chrissy snickers, and approaches.  "Hey boys... that's a nice dish ya got
  there..."
Yuuwaku: "I don't know if we'll be able to trust any information we gain
  here... and it'll probably cost us but..."

--There are quite a few taverns and bars here as well.--

Homeboy 1: "You damn skippy!  You can get any television transmission you want
  with this thing."
Homeboy 2: "Not only that, but you can also talk to the astronauts!"
* Samantha rolls her eyes, "Uh huh..." ^^
Varemi: "..."
Homeboy 1: "If you're not interested in this, we got car stereos here.  We got
  car alarms."
* Varemi idly wanders off.
Homeboy 2: "And if you act now, we can probably get you the car!"
Yuuwaku: "We want information, not car parts."
* Kodah follows after Varemi, determined to keep an eye on her.
Homeboy 1: "Hmm...  Information isn't my specialty...  I do have a cousin who's 
  involved with 'pharmaceutical distribution' if you're interested?"
Chrissy: *looks a little closer* "Receiver looks a little busted... but maybe
  with some work it could do a little more than even that."
* Varemi walks up to a woman wearing what she feels to be a very appropriate
  outfit for a woman to be wearing, tight red pleather.
Yuuwaku: "We want to know about the Church, actually."
Yuuwaku: "Know anyone who might have some dirt on them?"
Ho 1: "What do you want?"
Homeboy 2: "Hmm...  You could talk to the Godfather."
Yuuwaku: "The Godfather?  Where might I find this individual?"
Homeboy 2: "He runs the largest ho house in town.  You can't miss it."
* Chrissy throws up her hands.  "Maybe another time mac, I'm kinda travelin'
  light. Looks real hot though."
Varemi: "I wanted to ask you where you got your outfit."
Varemi: "It's very nice."
Marcus: "Forget this Yuuwaku.  Let's just go."
Ho 1: "Er, thank you.  My pimp gave it to me."
Yuuwaku: "Any place around here where a boy could find another boy to have a
  good time with?" ;)
Varemi: "I should like to meet this 'pimp.'"
Yuuwaku: "No I'm joking. Don't bother answering."
* Kodah grabs Varemi and drags her off,"Oh no you don't."
Varemi: "... Hmm?"
Ho 1: "He's the Godfather.  See that large building with the neon lights of a
  woman opening and closer her legs...  That's his place."
Yuuwaku: "Anyway..."
Varemi: "But... pimp."
Kodah: "Pimps are bad Varemi.  Even I know that."
Yuuwaku: "Alright, let's see if this guy is worth anything..."
Samantha: "... Oh goddess..." ^^;
Yuuwaku: "Where's everyone else?"
* Chrissy sweatdrops.  "Yuuwaku... do you /really/ wanna go into a place like
  that for information?"
Varemi: "Well, I guess so."
Varemi: "But I don't think the average pimp could do much to me."
Kodah: "I'm sure there's someplace around here we can find you a new outfit if
  you really want one."
Marcus: "Trust me, there's no information to be had here."
Varemi: "I guess."
* Yuuwaku frowns.
* Kodah looks at Varemi for a moment.
Kodah: "Can I ask you something?"
* Varemi looks over to Kodah.  "Sure, go ahead."
Yuuwaku: "You can wait here.  This won't take me long."
* Yuuwaku hands the bush to Chrissy.
Kodah: "Ever since I met you, you've gravitated towards a certain style of
  clothing that, pardon my rudeness, seems to be based on the concept of
  'bulletproof nudity.'"
Yuuwaku: "Someone's likely to lift that if they get a chance."
Kodah: "Why is that?"
Yuuwaku: "So keep your hands on it."
* Chrissy takes the figurative reins.  "Ohh yeah.  Don't worry."
* Selene does NOT want to stay here for long.
Yuuwaku: "If you're not comfortable here, wait outside of town."
Varemi: "... I'm used to it."
Kodah: "... Oh."
Kodah: "Okay."
Yuuwaku: "Like I said, unless I suddenly find a magical well spring of
  information, this shouldn't take too long."
* Samantha tries to keep as quiet and small as possible, looking very similar
  to Selene.
Varemi: "Maybe.  I can move in it best, and I feel I guess the most like
  myself."
Chrissy: "Heh, just don't get distracted by the goods..." :p
Kodah: "Can't argue with that I guess."
Yuuwaku: "I'm sure the goods won't distract me, Chrissy."
Kodah: "C'mon.  Let's go find the others."
* Varemi nods and follows Kodah.
* Kodah tries to lead Varemi back to the group.
* Yuuwaku heads towards the Godfather's establishment of many slutty hoes.
Kodah: "Now where did they go?"
* Chrissy is waiting around with the Ambush, not too far from Kodah, watching
  Yuuwaku enter the Godfather's pad and grumbling at the lewd neon sign.

===SESSION END===