Encounterlogs
Nikolais Odd Encounter Sr Korina 240717
In a bustling Engineering Workshop amid the Goblin Market, Nikolai's focus on his technical work takes an unexpected turn with the disruption caused by armored guards searching for a supernatural fugitive. Amidst the chaos, a mysterious snowy rabbit catches his eye, hopping nervously in the shadows. Nikolai, preferring to work without distractions, decides to capture the creature only for it to astonishingly transform into a dove in his grasp. This sudden revelation indicates he's dealing with more than just an ordinary animal - it's a shapeshifter. Despite his initial annoyance, Nikolai's quick thinking allows him to recapture the creature after it attempts a daring escape, revealing its true human form; an androgynous individual overwhelmed with various bags of dubious contents, suggesting involvement in illicit activities.
The situation escalates when the workshop is abruptly entered by a furious guard captain, demanding information on someone fitting the description of the covert shapeshifter. Faced with a moral dilemma, Nikolaid ecides to align with his principle of maintaining a distraction-free workspace rather than any solidarity with the caught fugitive. He hands over the unconscious shape-shifter to the authorities, who eagerly haul them away, leaving Nikolai to his devices. However, peace is short-lived as the workshop soon becomes a scene of continuous disturbances, ranging from kobold brawls to invisible magical birds and a metal-eating hog, suggesting Nikolai might indeed need to seek a better lab. As for the shapeshifter, rumors circulate about their fate and illicit dealings with the Golden Shadow cult, marking an ignominous end to their escapades, never to be seen in those parts again.
(Nikolai's odd encounter(SRKorina):SRKorina)
[Tue Jul 16 2024]
In the Engineering Workshop
The sound from outside washes into this large chamber where it's met with
the banging of metal and the whining of high powered machinery. The
interior of the chamber is lined with benches, cabinets, forges, anvils and
presses as enterprising individuals claim or fight over whatever they need
to complete their next project. Power cords crisscross the floor in every
direction posing a constant tripping hazard to anyone not looking where
they're going. Several stalls near the entrance vie to sell supplies to new
arrivals while a pit in the corner contains what's left of those whose work
turned overly combustible.
It is night, about 74F(23C) degrees, There is a waxing gibbous moon.
(Your target and their allies are charged with tracking down a supernatural criminal on the run from the factions, what they do with them then is up to the players to decide.
)
The clang of hammers and whir of gears form a constant, chaotic symphony around Nikolai, the sharp scent of soldering iron, burning flux and the oily tang of grease filling the air, mingling with the occasional puff of acrid smoke. The walls are a patchwork of hanging blueprints and makeshift shelves crammed with jars of bolts, screws, and mysterious liquids. Overhead, the tangle of pipes and cables creates a canopy of industrial madness, some hissing with steam, others dripping with unknown substances of dubious origin. A nearby forge emits a fierce, radiant heat, its glow casting flickering shadows that dance across the cluttered floor. The frenetic energy of the workshop is infectious, the other occupants of the workshop vying to produce the latest technological invention, and the clang of hammer against anvil is rhythmic, a beat that rings out in rhythm like the heartbeat of the workshop.
Through the doorway, the heart of the Goblin Market can be spied from here, the bustling activity never-ending even at this time of the morning. The air is alive with the hum of conversation and laughter and the occasional burst of magic, floating in here like a faraway dream. Hawkers and vendors lifting their voices to be heard over the din carry in here, advertising books, weapons, trinkets, and everything in between. A strange scent wafts its way in here as well, a mix of meaty and sweet mingling with herbs and aromatics, until it threatens to leave one dazed with all that it has to offer. Not many wander into these parts, though - engineering is an art, after all, and certainly not for the faint of heart.
There's a clamor all of a sudden then, a lifting of violent voices unlike what Nikolai's gotten used to during his work, a pattering of footsteps loud enough that it sounds like a whole crowd running at once - definitely not the usual noises of the market. He can hear someone yelling at someone else - or more than one person, likely - to 'keep looking, it can't have gone far!', and there's a half dozen armored guards running by outside, looking here and there in search of something. One of the guards peeks into the engineering workshop too, looking around at the people within with a discerning gaze, likely doesn't find whoever he's looking for, then is on his way after shutting the door, thankfully muting all the noise from outside.
Nikolai's free to return to his work now.
... right up until he spies in the corner of his eye a snowy little rabbit hopping along the far wall, trying to remain in the shadows and make as little noise as possible. It's twitchy, the little nose sniffing at the air while it hop-hop-hops along, beady little eyes peering around warily, likely in search of a better place to hide.
Gently tap-tap-tapping away at an interior panel of his suit's armoured lining, Nikolai peers up at that loose-fitted valve dripping Unknown Liquids with a measure of distrust. This place was a shithole. He'd much preferred the labs Coretech had provided him before he'd been transferred in to Haven. He eyes the rabbit, next. Who the fuck maintained this place? These standards were garbage. Even if he isn't one to volunteer his services - he really isn't - he sighs and moves over to the thing before it can jump around and get in the way of his work. It'd just piss him off and distract him if he left it unattended.
"Come here, shithead," he grumbles, and makes a grab for the rabbit.
Shithead, as it would turn out, does not wish to go there. Who would have thought it. The bunny's fight-or-flight response meter seems to be a little broken though, because after the surprisingly deft, single hop in an attempt to get away from Nikolai, it's scooped up into the big Russian's arms, and immediately freezes. Not a single muscle twitches, the rabbit frozen as though in sheer terror, its blood red eyes unblinkingly staring out at the world, the floor that's suddenly so far away now that it's this high up-
And then, with a sudden movement, there's a ripple of transformation that starts coursing through the rabbit's body, the soft white fur beginning to smooth out and flatten, becoming fine and delicate feathers. The ears shorten and taper, morphing into sleek, curved wings and the floofy tail shifting into long tail feathers. The rabbit's snout contracts into a small, rounded beak, the twitching whiskers fading away, and those newly-formed wings of a pure white dove flap once, twice, nimble feet clutching at Nikolai's hand for a split second before it attempts to make a run- well, to make a /fly/ for it, trying to go up into the farthest corners of the room, probably behind the Valve That Drips Unknown Liquids unless the man can catch it in time - again.
Oh. That's not a rabbit, it's a shapeshifter. Nikolai lets out a sigh, then tosses his suit up at the bird to net the damn thing back to the ground. Without a current running through it, it acts more like a loose fabric than rigid armour, and if there's anything Nikolai specialises in, stopping other things from moving around him is probably the primary qualifier. Once the damn thing falls back down to the ground, he gives it a good stomp under his armour. That should just about knock out anything that size; let's see who we really have here.
Oof owie ouch. That's going to hurt. The dove goes down like a... well, a bird that's been netted in the sky, bullseye. All the bola-throwing at his partner in Friendly Duels really seems to have improved Nikolai's aim, to be sure. It takes a few seconds, but sure enough, the figure under the 'blanket' of his armor shifts back to human form once they've been unconscious for a few seconds longer. They're androgynous, with long-ish brown hair, eyes closed in their sleepytime, and fair skin, and seem to be carrying plenty, /plenty/ of bags upon their person. The sort of bags that seem filled to the brim with dubious substances. Nikolai is plenty familiar with that.
And then, some more shouting in the Market right outside, close to the door if the noise is filtering in this much again. Soon after, the door is slammed open by a furious guard captain, who looks like he needs to visit the doctor for his blood pressure, considering the throbbing vein at his forehead. "HEY, YOU," he bellows at the nearest person - that's Nikolai. Most of the others are too engrossed in their own thing to have paid attention to whatever had been going on here. "HAVE YOU SEEN SOMEONE SUSPICIOUS COME IN HERE?" That may just be his regular volume. Can Nikolai feel the camaraderie blossoming already? "BROWN HAIR. SHORT." If he glances down at the unconscious figure, he /can/ probably figure out that they're not quite the most vertically-blessed. Still, they're hidden behind the workbench and a fuckton of clutter, so the guard probably can't see them unless he comes in and takes a proper look around. He's just staring expectantly at Nikolai from the doorway, half an eye on the bustling of the Market outside in impatience, and given the sweat already upon his person with the heavy armor in the middle of summer and all, he likely doesn't want to spend too much time in a sweltering engineering station anyway.
It's up to Nikolai now - it's not that hard to figure out that they probably stole stuff. A lot of stuff. Surely being associated with this person instead of handing them over to the guards now would lead to trouble later, right?
Now, Nikolai might not be a great supporter of guardsmen, or any form of law enforcement really - hashtag ACAB - but he was even /more/ against people fucking around in his lab while he's trying to fucking WORK, god damnit. He pulls his suit off the androgyne and lays it back on the workbench, then hooks his foot in the crook of the fallen figure's armpit and hoiks them along the ground to tumble in a bunch of limbs (and potentially spilled pouches) across the floor.
"All yours," he grumbles. He goes back to work.
The guard looks like it's Christmas come early, and he bellows at an eardrum-shatteringly loud volume for some other guards nearby, who all march in to lug the figure off after divesting them of their loot they probably worked hard stealing. "THANK YOU," the guard tells Nikolai before they all march off to places unknown to deal with the poor, poor figure, leaving him, finally, alone in peace.
Or, at least, until the kobold fistfight in thirty minutes that ends up spilling into the workshop.
And the escaped magical bird with invisibility powers from a vendor an hour after that, who ends up flying in here and invisibly trying to scratch out people's eyes.
And the fleshforming-experiment hog that finds its way down here not long after that to eat metal because of some dumbass fleshforming alchemist who made it only able to sustain itself by eating steel...
Maybe Nikolai needs to ask his employers for a better lab, after all.
If he keeps an ear out for gossip, he'll find out that the shapeshifter had been employed as a re-supplier of grenades and such for the societies, and had secretly been smuggling some off to the side for some-or-the-other cult. Probably the Golden Shadow, those bastards. Once they had been found out, they had panicked and grabbed everything they could and made a run for it, and had come this way to hide instead of leaving a scent trail for their pursuers, in hopes of settling down quietly until the initial rush was over. Not the brightest, but they did their best.
Their fate is unknown, but they're certainly not going to be heard from or seen ever again around these parts.
The situation escalates when the workshop is abruptly entered by a furious guard captain, demanding information on someone fitting the description of the covert shapeshifter. Faced with a moral dilemma, Nikolaid ecides to align with his principle of maintaining a distraction-free workspace rather than any solidarity with the caught fugitive. He hands over the unconscious shape-shifter to the authorities, who eagerly haul them away, leaving Nikolai to his devices. However, peace is short-lived as the workshop soon becomes a scene of continuous disturbances, ranging from kobold brawls to invisible magical birds and a metal-eating hog, suggesting Nikolai might indeed need to seek a better lab. As for the shapeshifter, rumors circulate about their fate and illicit dealings with the Golden Shadow cult, marking an ignominous end to their escapades, never to be seen in those parts again.
(Nikolai's odd encounter(SRKorina):SRKorina)
[Tue Jul 16 2024]
In the Engineering Workshop
The sound from outside washes into this large chamber where it's met with
the banging of metal and the whining of high powered machinery. The
interior of the chamber is lined with benches, cabinets, forges, anvils and
presses as enterprising individuals claim or fight over whatever they need
to complete their next project. Power cords crisscross the floor in every
direction posing a constant tripping hazard to anyone not looking where
they're going. Several stalls near the entrance vie to sell supplies to new
arrivals while a pit in the corner contains what's left of those whose work
turned overly combustible.
It is night, about 74F(23C) degrees, There is a waxing gibbous moon.
(Your target and their allies are charged with tracking down a supernatural criminal on the run from the factions, what they do with them then is up to the players to decide.
)
The clang of hammers and whir of gears form a constant, chaotic symphony around Nikolai, the sharp scent of soldering iron, burning flux and the oily tang of grease filling the air, mingling with the occasional puff of acrid smoke. The walls are a patchwork of hanging blueprints and makeshift shelves crammed with jars of bolts, screws, and mysterious liquids. Overhead, the tangle of pipes and cables creates a canopy of industrial madness, some hissing with steam, others dripping with unknown substances of dubious origin. A nearby forge emits a fierce, radiant heat, its glow casting flickering shadows that dance across the cluttered floor. The frenetic energy of the workshop is infectious, the other occupants of the workshop vying to produce the latest technological invention, and the clang of hammer against anvil is rhythmic, a beat that rings out in rhythm like the heartbeat of the workshop.
Through the doorway, the heart of the Goblin Market can be spied from here, the bustling activity never-ending even at this time of the morning. The air is alive with the hum of conversation and laughter and the occasional burst of magic, floating in here like a faraway dream. Hawkers and vendors lifting their voices to be heard over the din carry in here, advertising books, weapons, trinkets, and everything in between. A strange scent wafts its way in here as well, a mix of meaty and sweet mingling with herbs and aromatics, until it threatens to leave one dazed with all that it has to offer. Not many wander into these parts, though - engineering is an art, after all, and certainly not for the faint of heart.
There's a clamor all of a sudden then, a lifting of violent voices unlike what Nikolai's gotten used to during his work, a pattering of footsteps loud enough that it sounds like a whole crowd running at once - definitely not the usual noises of the market. He can hear someone yelling at someone else - or more than one person, likely - to 'keep looking, it can't have gone far!', and there's a half dozen armored guards running by outside, looking here and there in search of something. One of the guards peeks into the engineering workshop too, looking around at the people within with a discerning gaze, likely doesn't find whoever he's looking for, then is on his way after shutting the door, thankfully muting all the noise from outside.
Nikolai's free to return to his work now.
... right up until he spies in the corner of his eye a snowy little rabbit hopping along the far wall, trying to remain in the shadows and make as little noise as possible. It's twitchy, the little nose sniffing at the air while it hop-hop-hops along, beady little eyes peering around warily, likely in search of a better place to hide.
Gently tap-tap-tapping away at an interior panel of his suit's armoured lining, Nikolai peers up at that loose-fitted valve dripping Unknown Liquids with a measure of distrust. This place was a shithole. He'd much preferred the labs Coretech had provided him before he'd been transferred in to Haven. He eyes the rabbit, next. Who the fuck maintained this place? These standards were garbage. Even if he isn't one to volunteer his services - he really isn't - he sighs and moves over to the thing before it can jump around and get in the way of his work. It'd just piss him off and distract him if he left it unattended.
"Come here, shithead," he grumbles, and makes a grab for the rabbit.
Shithead, as it would turn out, does not wish to go there. Who would have thought it. The bunny's fight-or-flight response meter seems to be a little broken though, because after the surprisingly deft, single hop in an attempt to get away from Nikolai, it's scooped up into the big Russian's arms, and immediately freezes. Not a single muscle twitches, the rabbit frozen as though in sheer terror, its blood red eyes unblinkingly staring out at the world, the floor that's suddenly so far away now that it's this high up-
And then, with a sudden movement, there's a ripple of transformation that starts coursing through the rabbit's body, the soft white fur beginning to smooth out and flatten, becoming fine and delicate feathers. The ears shorten and taper, morphing into sleek, curved wings and the floofy tail shifting into long tail feathers. The rabbit's snout contracts into a small, rounded beak, the twitching whiskers fading away, and those newly-formed wings of a pure white dove flap once, twice, nimble feet clutching at Nikolai's hand for a split second before it attempts to make a run- well, to make a /fly/ for it, trying to go up into the farthest corners of the room, probably behind the Valve That Drips Unknown Liquids unless the man can catch it in time - again.
Oh. That's not a rabbit, it's a shapeshifter. Nikolai lets out a sigh, then tosses his suit up at the bird to net the damn thing back to the ground. Without a current running through it, it acts more like a loose fabric than rigid armour, and if there's anything Nikolai specialises in, stopping other things from moving around him is probably the primary qualifier. Once the damn thing falls back down to the ground, he gives it a good stomp under his armour. That should just about knock out anything that size; let's see who we really have here.
Oof owie ouch. That's going to hurt. The dove goes down like a... well, a bird that's been netted in the sky, bullseye. All the bola-throwing at his partner in Friendly Duels really seems to have improved Nikolai's aim, to be sure. It takes a few seconds, but sure enough, the figure under the 'blanket' of his armor shifts back to human form once they've been unconscious for a few seconds longer. They're androgynous, with long-ish brown hair, eyes closed in their sleepytime, and fair skin, and seem to be carrying plenty, /plenty/ of bags upon their person. The sort of bags that seem filled to the brim with dubious substances. Nikolai is plenty familiar with that.
And then, some more shouting in the Market right outside, close to the door if the noise is filtering in this much again. Soon after, the door is slammed open by a furious guard captain, who looks like he needs to visit the doctor for his blood pressure, considering the throbbing vein at his forehead. "HEY, YOU," he bellows at the nearest person - that's Nikolai. Most of the others are too engrossed in their own thing to have paid attention to whatever had been going on here. "HAVE YOU SEEN SOMEONE SUSPICIOUS COME IN HERE?" That may just be his regular volume. Can Nikolai feel the camaraderie blossoming already? "BROWN HAIR. SHORT." If he glances down at the unconscious figure, he /can/ probably figure out that they're not quite the most vertically-blessed. Still, they're hidden behind the workbench and a fuckton of clutter, so the guard probably can't see them unless he comes in and takes a proper look around. He's just staring expectantly at Nikolai from the doorway, half an eye on the bustling of the Market outside in impatience, and given the sweat already upon his person with the heavy armor in the middle of summer and all, he likely doesn't want to spend too much time in a sweltering engineering station anyway.
It's up to Nikolai now - it's not that hard to figure out that they probably stole stuff. A lot of stuff. Surely being associated with this person instead of handing them over to the guards now would lead to trouble later, right?
Now, Nikolai might not be a great supporter of guardsmen, or any form of law enforcement really - hashtag ACAB - but he was even /more/ against people fucking around in his lab while he's trying to fucking WORK, god damnit. He pulls his suit off the androgyne and lays it back on the workbench, then hooks his foot in the crook of the fallen figure's armpit and hoiks them along the ground to tumble in a bunch of limbs (and potentially spilled pouches) across the floor.
"All yours," he grumbles. He goes back to work.
The guard looks like it's Christmas come early, and he bellows at an eardrum-shatteringly loud volume for some other guards nearby, who all march in to lug the figure off after divesting them of their loot they probably worked hard stealing. "THANK YOU," the guard tells Nikolai before they all march off to places unknown to deal with the poor, poor figure, leaving him, finally, alone in peace.
Or, at least, until the kobold fistfight in thirty minutes that ends up spilling into the workshop.
And the escaped magical bird with invisibility powers from a vendor an hour after that, who ends up flying in here and invisibly trying to scratch out people's eyes.
And the fleshforming-experiment hog that finds its way down here not long after that to eat metal because of some dumbass fleshforming alchemist who made it only able to sustain itself by eating steel...
Maybe Nikolai needs to ask his employers for a better lab, after all.
If he keeps an ear out for gossip, he'll find out that the shapeshifter had been employed as a re-supplier of grenades and such for the societies, and had secretly been smuggling some off to the side for some-or-the-other cult. Probably the Golden Shadow, those bastards. Once they had been found out, they had panicked and grabbed everything they could and made a run for it, and had come this way to hide instead of leaving a scent trail for their pursuers, in hopes of settling down quietly until the initial rush was over. Not the brightest, but they did their best.
Their fate is unknown, but they're certainly not going to be heard from or seen ever again around these parts.