Harlock's Palace - The Endless Orbit of Solitude

[freearcadia]

Who: Lechter, Zenkichi, Stoat, Moon
What: Harlock's Palace Part one
When:
Content Warnings: Death, Dead Things, Death Wish/Passive Suicide stuff, Alcoholism and scars/grevious injuries may come up

When the teams enters the Pirate's heart, there is a moment of choking darkness, threatening to strangle the life out of people, but it soon ebbs and a wailing wind shatters the silence.

You find yourselves on a vast, dry rubble-strewn wasteland being battered by winds that alternated between needle-sharp, wet cold and dry, furnace-like blasts of heat. There's a sense despite how extremely unpleasant it is that it will not harm the group, but it is trying to discourage them from exploring too thoroughly within the heart.

Above the wasteland is a dark sky utterly devoid of celestial bodies, and of such a uniform blackness that it strains the eyes to stare too long, and would no doubt incite artists into feuds over it's unnatural hue.

The only thing that broke the stark black sky is a long, ash-gray ship with a skull upon it's bow, bristling with cannons that swivel and pivot, searching for something.

The wind changes again, the lilting sound of music coming from one direction, and the sound of creaking from another.

Comments

[totalmisplay]

But if we kill the Shadow, is it gonna affect the actual Harlock?

[freearcadia]

I'm not sure if you can kill him, but if he can be subdued...

You can probably get through the vents.

[He looks to Zenkichi, just quietly shaking his head - too big]

[lemiserable]

Talking to the shadow after fighting it might be our best bet. Uh, just don't get surprised if they suddenly disappear.

[Personal traumatic experience with his own daughter's shadow, you see. Also wow okay, thanks for that.]

So you're saying I need to find an alternative route?

[freearcadia]

You will need to run if he sees you.

[totalmisplay]

I can go to the vents, but where should I go from there? Is there a place I can pick up a weapon to subdue him?

[freearcadia]

[He hesitates]

Armaments is about a floor down - you'll need to get to the heart of the Arcadia.

[totalmisplay]

[How is it supposed to get a weapon it can manipulate properly on its own, though... Well, it can figure that out later. For now, it's gotta run away from any gunshots!]

Okay. Vents to a floor down it is.

[It will hop on the drone again to try and get into the vent!]

[freearcadia]

[The vent has grates, those could be popped off - it is a rather tight squeeze. There's an echo of a crash some distance away along with a low tremble.

It's rather maze-like, with many twisty passages all alike, but surely going where it's sloping down should get Stoat somewhere]

[totalmisplay]

[It will focus on where it's sloping down, and it also has a very good sense of direction, remembering what passages it's been down before, or which would lead back where it was. It will start peeking out of grates once it feels confident it's a floor down. The crash has it nervous.]

[freearcadia]

[Every so often, a grate in the floor of the vent would try to give out from under Stoat when there's sounds of footfalls coming. Eventually, he'd find himself above a room with some gun safes, large boxes with big flashy warning signs, and racks with rapier-like weapons similar to what he'd seen Harlock carrying around.

The footfalls are getting louder]

[totalmisplay]

[muttering:]

Who the hell...

[It probably hasn't been too cramped for Stoat itself, but its drone has found it more awkward to maneuver. Flashy warning signs sound like the safest bet for something big and flashy that it can use... It tries to drop out of a grate onto one of those boxes, hiding in it if possible. The drone stays in the vent, hidden away with the knife.]

[freearcadia]

[Big flashy signs does in fact equal big flashy things - Stoat wound find itself on a crate of flashbang grenades. From outside the storage room, there's still the sounds of someone moving, clearly searching, getting closer to the door]

[totalmisplay]

[These aren't lethal at all!! ...But easier to operate with the tools at its disposal than a gun or rapier would be, so it can't complain too much.

Except that the crate isn't open and Stoat won't be able to open it without causing a scene. That part still totally sucks.

Still, it knows the advantage it has being this tiny. It drops behind the crate, balancing on whatever's underneath it and letting the crate block it from view of the door.]

[freearcadia]

[it does look like a few crates has some chew marks and gaps likely left by vermin - probably looking for food and giving up as turns out gunpowder is not food. The door slides open with a low hiss.

If Stoat chances to look, he'd see what appears to be Harlock - thought there's some noticeable differences - the old scar looks like a fresh, bleeding wound, his visible eye glowing gold as he scans the room, searching]

[totalmisplay]

[It tries squirming into one of the holes in the crates.]

[freearcadia]

[these are some kind of grenade inside the crate. Harlock...? calls out]

I know you are in here somewhere - I did warn you to stay away or else you will forfeit your life.

[totalmisplay]

[Hmmmm. It hunches over one of the grenades, but for now, stays still and quiet, trying to see if Harlock can perceive it.]

Stoat vs ???: 10 vs 17, 5 vs 13

[freearcadia]

[There is silence that seem to stretch as far and as long as the universe.

The lid of the crate suddenly flung open - though the emergency lights didn't flood the darkness as much as one would think as a gloved hand reaches through the mess, and grips Stoat tightly, pulling it out none-too-gingerly.

Stoat would notice a deep, deep gash on the man's side that is closing with a dark flame]

If you all insist on following me to my grave, I suppose I will have little choice but to oblige.

[totalmisplay]

[It shrieks in a high-pitched voice, scrabbling and failing to pick up one of the grenades with it. It's time for plan B—panicking and sending its drone out from the vent with the knife, trying to stab the knife directly into the man's skull.]

Let go of me!!

Stoat vs ???: 15 vs 20

[freearcadia]

[As he seem to be studying Stoat, the drone drops down, hitting him with a glancing blow before it clatters to the ground]


...Was that supposed to do something?

[totalmisplay]

[The knife clatters out of reach onto the floor, but at least the drone is under Stoat's direct control, and gets back up again, hovering near the ceiling. It is on standby until another opportunity arises.

Plan C now. Panicking even more, and releasing the little control Stoat has over its own monster. Abruptly, in the man's grasp, it changes from a tiny stoat into a large and heavy elk.]

[freearcadia]

Wha-

[His eye widen as his grip is forced open as Stoat's form changes, half-stumbling backwards to get clear of the sudden elk as he moves to unsheath his weapon]

Right. Shapeshifter. It won't save you...

[totalmisplay]

[It changes in the next instant, to a tiny kingfisher, but at least it's free now. It flies up quickly, doing its best to get above the Shadow, hoping desperately that its next form will be something heavy again to let gravity do its work.]

[freearcadia]

[The pirate quickly draws and fires at the kingfisher, though it's actually difficult to hit a small flying object, the shot ricocheting off the ceiling and into a wall]

[totalmisplay]

[Unfortunately it becomes... a porcupine next. Could be worse, but isn't going to be the best either.

It is at least an entire porcupine falling down on the Shadow's head, prickly side first. So hopefully that at least annoys him.]