>>572287
@Mech: [Query: List of acceptable pilot species and races]

>>572221
No, the mecha's worth more than his entire clan. We've only seen one other example of this sort of technology, and this mecha in particular is the only example of its class we have.

>>572197
Traditionally, what would be appropriate is a hostage exchange. Even if you've said the girl isn't a hostage, this meets all the criteria for an exchange. To keep the veneer of politeness on the politiking, you could ask him play host to your brother for a period of time. This would cement that you're serious about giving his clan the respect they're due, since you're entrusting a blood relative to his clan while you care for one of their own.

Your brother would have a chance to do some spy and diplomatic work, getting an idea of the size of the clan and communicating that information to you. He would also be able to answer questions about life as retainers to Rezan. I know he's not as sharp as you are, but he should be able to handle all that without much issue, right?

>>572416
I don't think we CAN take the mech with us right now. It's certainly not going to fit in the ship we took here, after all.

And I don't mean for us to GIVE it to him, just let him hold it as collateral for his sister.

>>572418
First, the Rezan are obviously capable of shipping many, many, tons of materiel and fighters. Worst comes to worst, we leave behind some stuff we can make more of, like artillery.

Second, you act like we don't have a resident scientist. We do. Mangalo is perfectly up to the task of solving how to bring it back, if it proves to be an issue.

Third, all this is only if we can't get it to come home under its own power once it has had time to fully repair itself.

No, I think you're just bad at logistics, fellow. We can't afford to leave this singular example of high technology from a forgotten future behind.

Baron 2014/05/04(Sun)14:14 No. 573125 ID: ee7d18
File 139923805945.jpg - (100.63KB , 800x600 , 113.jpg )

Him? A pilot in one of things? Out of the question. Such a destructive power shouldn't be allowed in the hands of anyone but a Rezan. Now sending my brother as a 'hostage'? That is much more agreeable.

"Iagn. My brother shall come with you. As a mutual exchange. A fair trade yes? My brother's strength in return for the care I'll give your sister."

"That dunnae work-"

"Sounds good to me."

"Aye, Kells two sounds fair. G'head take the Iigan fellow Kells one."

"But-"

"No "buts", come on let's go little Kells."

"Oh by the by, yer not really Kells are ye? I cannae call ye that all the time."

try to explain that the big blue people gave her drugs meant to confuse her. so no, you aren't kells. introduce yourself properly.

>>573125
It might be best to introduce yourself now.
I'd tell her you tried to explain who you are to her, but she was very heavily drugged and we didn't have the time to keep trying - we were behind enemy lines with wounded in dire need of help, after all.
Apologizing for the confusion might help. It's pretty clear you never intended to deceive her, but being polite doesn't hurt.

Baron 2014/05/06(Tue)19:58 No. 573440 ID: ee7d18
File 139943152187.jpg - (95.90KB , 800x600 , 114.jpg )

"No, you were drugged by those monsters back there. I only pretended to be Kellach to get you away from them. I apologize for any offense."

"Ah no. Ah jus' wanted to know yer real name."

"Of course. It is Venian."

"Well a pleasure Masturr Venian. I'm Gwendolyn. Now Venian ye did touch me in the wrong place back in that tower. Remind me when I wake to slug ya in the face fer that."

"Ah-"

She's unconscious again. I suppose the drug is still in her body. Long lasting. Primitive, inefficient but long lasting. I need to remember to procure some later.

She is a lot heavier than I expected.

Can you sling her over your shoulders? Usually the best way to carry someone who is unconscious. If not I would find someone to give you a hand.

>>573441
Yep; dragging someone around is both rude and far too much effort.

>>573440
I think the best solution is to make sure she has something covering her lower parts, then fireman-carry her to the medbay.
I wouldn't delegate it, either. You could stand to get looked over after having that spike rammed into your face, and seeing to her treatment personally is a show of respect.

Now that you have some time, what's your honest appraisal and opinion of her?

Baron 2014/05/11(Sun)19:26 No. 574053 ID: ee7d18
File 139986157908.jpg - (105.12KB , 800x600 , 115.jpg )

There are plenty of clothing scraps around after that mechanical giant slaughtered those things. I suppose I can wrap her in that.

Not sure what fireman carry means, so I guess I'll just haul her like a sack of grain. Wow that's heavy.

As for Gewndel-whatever her name was. She's impressive. I know the daoine were supposed to be some hardy people despite their size but what I was told was an understatement.

She's exactly what was said. Strong, dependable, and too drunk or stupid to know when they are beaten. Put our technology behind it and it was no surprise such a small clan was able to seize control of the northern isles. And I'm not sure if whatever they gave her was weak or if she was too strong for it but she is one impressive specimen of her race. If they weren't so backwards, Rezans might have even welcomed them into the Empire. Or at least Makag would. Rokof would never let anything without Rezan blood be equal to...Rezans

Baron 2014/05/11(Sun)19:29 No. 574054 ID: ee7d18
File 139986177014.jpg - (105.20KB , 800x600 , 116.jpg )

Where is everyone...and everything? There is a lot less furniture in these barracks than I remember. And why are these planks here with no one watching them?

People been looting non stop maybe?

they probably assume the hole is secure. and the stuff was probably taken by someone. call out?

>>574070
No, don't call out. Assume you're still in hostile territory for now. Something's not right here.

Baron 2014/05/18(Sun)14:40 No. 574942 ID: ee7d18
File 140044920080.jpg - (112.42KB , 800x576 , 117.jpg )

Yes I agree, this is wrong. Down the hallway there's what looks to be a barricade in the terrace. Some sort of fighting has happened while I was gone. Surrounded by an enemy I don't know with an unconscious woman I've barely met on my back. I think I can say I've never had a situation like this before.


To my right further down the terrace I can hear fighting, but there is something else I hear. Not sure. The sounds are similar to the sound that 'laser' gun made but less noisy.

To my left towards their temple I can hear a bell ringing and...gunfire?

to the left. take it slow and peek around corners.

Baron 2014/05/22(Thu)20:15 No. 575426 ID: ee7d18
File 140081492193.jpg - (84.91KB , 800x576 , 118.jpg )

Well to the left-MY left-there is the gunfire. I can't see too well but it looks like there are people barricaded in the temple. They are firing something. It sounds similar to a Rezan rifle but it sounds...off. Whatever they are, those weapons are being used against an array of creatures. Goblins, kobolds, nyx, I think I even see one of those blue female monster things among the bodies. The rabble outside seem barely organized and can't seem to reach the barricade. At the moment they are standing away as if baiting those inside to come out. I'm going to assume whatever weapons the defenders are using have a limited range before their accuracy starts to drop.

we'll try to get a better look
[swing 100 degrees counterclockwise)

Baron 2014/05/25(Sun)15:52 No. 575872 ID: ee7d18
File 140105832257.jpg - (127.76KB , 800x576 , 119.jpg )

What do you see? Is it safe?

damn, the windows are boarded up to the point we can't see who is using the guns.
let's try the other passage, too many unknowns over here.

There is a yellowish gun with a bayonet sticking out of the window and a goblin corpse on the ground.
If these weapons sound like the laser, they are probably the weapons dug up by the holy empire folks. From what I recall those guys were not trying to kill us the last time we saw them, but they might know who we are by now or simply shoot before recognizing us.

Baron 2014/06/08(Sun)15:20 No. 577785 ID: ee7d18
File 140226601528.jpg - (695.30KB , 800x600 , 120.jpg )

If they are part of the Holy or whatever I can still pass myself off as on of Mangalo's bodyguards or something. Just need to play the 'dumb barbarian' role.

"Wound! I have wound!"

"Who said-halt!"

"No shoot! No shoot! I have wound girl! She need help!"
"Is that a coiniminin?"

"That's coinin idiot. And no, she's too short. Must be daoine."

"How do we know he isn't part of that mob outside?"

"No. Not fight! Want help!"

"Hey it's one of those barbarians Dominore Mangalo had with him."

"Still...Dominore Mangalo! Is this foreigner with you?"

Dominore Mangalo?

Baron 2014/06/08(Sun)15:36 No. 577787 ID: ee7d18
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"What's the commotion about? Lord Venian?"

"Dominore?"

"This is good news! I had feared the worst when that attack on the barracks occurred. We had no time to see if you were alright!"

"Dominore Mangalo?"

"This man is with me, and is quite trustworthy. Lower your weapons! Lord Venian where are the other?"

"On there way, I came first because of a promise to tend to this woman. Now what's this about Dominore?"

"That's good, we'll need the extra muscle to help. Whatever that attack was, it must have been a signal of some sort for others to attack. Goblins, gorgons, taurs. It was like an alliance of some sort. I'm sorry but I didn't have much chance to learn of the situation. The Guardian is dealing with the worst of it, but its vow to leave the city unharmed means it will not attack those already inside the walls. We need to deal with them ourselves."

"You're avoiding the question. Why are these men calling you Dominore Mangalo?"

"Dear, I was hoping to tell you this under more savory circumstances...it's um...a title. My full title is actually Apparati Rationete Dominore diMangalo."

"And you have that title because?"

"Because that was my title before I came to Rezo. It stands for Lord of Logic and Apparati, a title given to all masters of the Holy Branch of Rationalism and Development. Lord Venian?"

"So is that why you are dressed like clown?"

haha, don't let the guys with the guns know yo are saying anything like that, seem to think of him as important. anyway, wanna tell him they dug up another guardian? and we are in control of it.. mostly. may also give us some extra leverage with the first one.

For a moment I wondered whether we can trust Mangalo when we didn't know such a major thing about him, but we have known him for a long time now, and since he hasn't backstabbed us now with all these soldiers of his I doubt knowing about a second less functional giant robot will tip the balance.
Anyway, make sure to get his men alerted so they don't attack the rest of your allies when they come up, then we can have and give some explanations.

>>577787
I'd say "We recovered a second mobile armor. It's non-autonomous and very temperamental.
I was willing to believe the guardian was recovered from some dead civilization or another, but I recognize the maker marks on this one. It's Rezan.

Mangalo, who is trying to murder time?"

Baron 2014/06/13(Fri)14:26 No. 578503 ID: ee7d18
File 140269481552.jpg - (257.41KB , 800x800 , 122.jpg )

"Well I admit these clothes are a tad on the flamboyant side but a clown? Master Ve-"

"Later Mangalo, I've learned a number of disturbing things and I need answers. But first I need an apothecary or whatever passes for a healer here to look at this girl. She was kidnapped and drugged down there and I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Oh well I can tell right now it's mostly exhaustion but if there is anything more serious I'm afraid you will have to wait. There is a long line of wounded and we have few that know enough to tend to them. But surely there is more than that if you were going to risk going through such hostile territory just to see me."

"We recovered a second mobile armor. It's non-autonomous and very temperamental.
I was willing to believe the guardian was recovered from some dead civilization or another, but I recognize the maker marks on this one. It's Rezan.

Mangalo, who is trying to murder time?"

"Well based on what your are saying...you are."

"What?"

Ask for him to explain himself in detail.

not US us. but us from the future. or past... or something.

>>578503
In our experience, time travel shenanigans means one of about three things:
1- something went horribly wrong, the time travel happened on accident and therefore the thing(s) sent back in time have little to no helpful information on/in them to prevent the disaster
2- everything is totally fine and the time travel still happened on accident, leading you to freak out over nothing
3- just as in 1, things went horribly wrong, except the time travel was planned and whatever was sent back and contains vital information to averting the disaster

I don't think this is a number two situation. Time will tell if this is a one or three.

There is also the scenario when someone goes back on time for non-disaster-related reasons like trying to conquer/exploit the/a past. An astoundingly irresponsible thing to do, but I wouldn't put it past future-us.

>>578541
Wasn't that the plot of that knock-off ghostbusters cartoon? An evil robot ghost trying to conquer time?

How does the evidence point to you? You had that dream where some eldrich horror claimed responsibility, but it may be trying to in the blame on you, or allies from the future may be sending resources back to you, or countless other possibilities.

Baron 2014/06/14(Sat)18:14 No. 578642 ID: ee7d18
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"Explain yourself. What do you mean by me?"

"Not just you specifically. You as in that bauble you carry. That jewel has a history lord Venian. Something in the world changes whenever it finds itself in the hands of the ambitious. The Holy Branch of Rationalism and Development have found many periods from different kingdoms where that bauble has appeared. It has been theorized that your jewel is the cause for such strange occurrences as the appearance of these giant walking machines."


"How does this jewel affect anything?"

"It affects everything lord Venian. The world, possibly even the cosmos themselves are altered by that thing. It affects our world and our memories, but not our history. These creatures that assault us. The Gorgons, minotaurs, niads and nyx. A thousand years ago you couldn't find a shred of evidence they existed yet two hundred years ago they suddenly appear and overwhelm the Caliphates in the south. And then there is the odd circumstances of your own history."

"You mean to tell me this thing just spontaneously created life on this world? That's insane."


"Not create. From what we've seen it moves things around. The stars are different but the formations are the same. The people that have suddenly 'appeared' have histories of lands that appear on no map."

Baron 2014/06/14(Sat)18:18 No. 578643 ID: ee7d18
File 140279511043.jpg - (356.13KB , 800x800 , 124.jpg )

So you can change the world itself? How do you...

"Oh I wish we were at the Master's Hall instead of trapped here. I'd at least have some physical evidence in my hands. Holy I hope I have all the details right. Anyway, the main reason for me going to Rezo in the first place was to investigate your people. Because our oldest records tell of a land to the west of us, populated by barbarians that warred with each other as often as they did their neighbors, us. Then at some point in 722 BD some cataclysmic event occurred and the entire landmass disappeared. Most considered it some act of Divine Intervention but as time went on some had lingering doubts as to what could destroy an entire landmass."

Baron 2014/06/14(Sat)18:19 No. 578644 ID: ee7d18
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"Lord Venian, that landmass was called Rezao."

Baron 2014/06/14(Sat)18:24 No. 578645 ID: ee7d18
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"Ah found it. This old parchment details a historian documenting the disappearance of Rezao. 'A great light as though Heaven itself took offense at the blighted peoples. As the light left us and vision return, we saw again to see naught but waves and water.' I must ask lord Venian, did you ever-"

"Mangalo. Where are we?"

"The Master's Hall of course. I apologize for keeping you up so long, I realize you are exhausted but this is important!"

"But the siege at the city gates."

"Holy, you must be tired. Surely you remember the glorious charge, the battles in the streets of the city as we pushed them outside the walls to the Guardian's mercy."

"Um. No."

>>578644
So we or something tied to us may have up and moved all of Rezao through time for... some reason. And apparently dropped Rezan futuretech into it, and while we're at it, warped space to bring races from other planets, universes, or dimensions (depending on the severity of things) to this planet.
Totally awesome and entirely terrifying. Also, if it's our fault, uh... our bad? Unless we did it to save the world, in which case, we really need to work on our memory skills.

>>578649
((dude shut up. using quotes s what got us INTO this mess in the first place!))

1.) Venian has been deported to an alternate dimension very similar to your own.
2.) Venian has blacked out/whited out the past half-hour of washing, dressing, talking, due to an effect on his mind by the bauble.

I notice that, if dimension hopping, we jumped to identical conversational moments where Mangalo said the phrase: "Lord Venian, that landmass was called Rezao."

>>578645
Yea... If we were in control we would remember it. This is clearly time shenanigans.

He DOES realize that our loyalty is to Gyoji, and we are helping you for her sake, right?

Baron 2014/06/20(Fri)15:54 No. 579689 ID: ee7d18
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"The voices don't seem to be aware. Are you sure this thing is capable of so much?"

"Not just sure lord. We know."

"You can say that as much as you want Mangalo. Where's the proof?"

It was Maestro Oali that first measured spikes in energy around the planet. And we gauged that to be some event where something changes. Though we aren't physically aware of the change, our records and history help us determine what has been affected. That was why I borrowed it from you when I first saw you with it. Using your Rezan technology I managed to create an artificial Oali spike. Venian that thing alters reality, I know it. How it decides what to alter is still a mystery. I was hoping the magitech of the Rezans would help me find a solution."

"Well don't expect to get an answer from this. The voices are just as mystified as you."

"Really? This opens a whole new line of inquiry! Lord Venian. Please allow me to speak with it again."

"You're bound to it already you can do that can't you?"

"I mean to hold it physically I wish to run another experiment."

Baron 2014/06/20(Fri)15:56 No. 579690 ID: ee7d18
File 140330499476.jpg - (170.80KB , 800x800 , 128.jpg )

"Not today Mangalo. There is a day long gap in my memory and I need to fill-"

"That's fer feelin' me up yesterday!"

"Milady! Restrain yourself!"

Wow, that little thing has a powerful swing.

Her sword swings literally bisected giant lizards with really tough bodies and skin that resisted your blades. Just be glad she didn't hit you hard enough to snap your neck.

apologize? try to explain you didn't do it on purpose.

>>579690
Hey, that just means she'll be a good wife/concubine/what-have-you. Obviously, you two are meant to be together, that's how these things work, you know.
You accidentally grope her in the middle of a big fight for both your lives, she punches you later afterward, then you settle down and have like ten babies.

Baron 2014/06/25(Wed)17:44 No. 581112 ID: ee7d18
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"Venian, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, juft need to waif for the fain to stof. Sorry miff. I did not fink you'd even remembah. You mistook me for yer brovva."


"I did that?"

"Lord Venian! What's important right now is that orb. You aren't grasping what I'm trying to tell you. That thing is the reason Rezo exists!"

Baron 2014/06/25(Wed)17:45 No. 581113 ID: ee7d18
File 140374355306.png - (5.81KB , 479x364 , end.png )

"Rezao is Rezo!"

Wait so at some point we moved a entire continent through time? Yay us?

Maybe this explains the stuff with the half breed detective we have been talking to on the side? Well regardless of what happened we don't remember doing it so we have probably not done it yet.

Meaning that we will do it soon for some reason. Hmm life could get interesting soon.

"Make sure you trust this guy because he knows just enough to be dangerous. Right now you and him are the only ones that know about this stuff and if he wanted to mess with history this would be the time to attempt it."

Of course trying to mess with history might be how all of this gets started. Who knows with time bullshit.