Jade says, "Zion?"

Codec scrunches his face into a scowl. [god this could be bad...] "But it speaks of ebbing forth. Was Zion in existance before the Matrix?" Codec replies.


OOC: Thanks for the info.

Screed nods, "Well, I'm not up on all the history, but I believe Zion was the last bastion of human society fighting the machines before they won...so much.  As for 'ebbing forth', I don't know. It is a mixture of words that is kind of confusing.  Ebb means to recede or to possibly decline whereas forth used in this instance seems to be creation, growth."

The brainiac is just getting started.  "Now, with literature, and by the way I hate 'literature'," he says with the two finger apostrophes, "They often use words to give feelings instead of their meanings.  Sooo, ebb could be used to show the slow flow of the machines creation and growth to it's present day situation including the matrix which has to be the 'it' in this line.

Anyone smell cookies?  I could really go for some right now."  He looks to see if there is a reaction from Pythia from Jade's quip.

Pythia says, "I'm afraid Zion is the incorrect answer."  She seems genuinely sad.

Then you see a fleshy arm reach up from the pit as a...a creature that looks nothing less than zombie-like begins to crawl out of the pit.  Its face is distorted and expressionless.  As it rises up, you take an instinctive and repulsive step back.

And then you think that it doesn't really look so much like a zombie as a patchwork human, deformed in some grotesque way that even Dr. Frankenstein could not have imagined.

It does not seem friendly.

...45...44...43...
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:58, Thu 08 Nov 2007.

"What about your 'mind'?" Cistron inquires, "..It fits that criteria."

"Our minds cannot fit as they are imprisoned within the Matrix itself. The Matrix is a prison for the both the mind and body." Codec proclaims as he takes a step back from the pit nervously checking his buckler and glancing his holster with his hand...

"I guess you could say the soul, but that seems like an off guess. Maybe God or Fate? Those seem off too. Why would a machine have knowledge of concepts that abstract and illogical."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:59, Fri 09 Nov 2007.

Jade is visibly frightened by the creature.  She lifts her M-16 and, at the slightest hint of aggression, fires at it.

Jade fires at the zombie-like monstrosity.  She hits the sluggish thing with several bullets from the M-16.  Then, with sudden ferocity and speed, it rushes toward her.  It is unclear how much her bullets have actually harmed the creature.

It sends its dirty claw-like hand out, hitting her across the face and creating three long gashes there from the claws.  (2 dmg)

Jade empties her M-16 into the thing, and prepares to reload.  "Some help would be nice," she says to the others as she is backing away from the creature.

Screed raises his eyebrows and says, "Sure, try giving another answer to see if it goes away."  Thinking even more help would probably be appreciated, he pulls his blaster and fires off a threeshot at the zombie.

Jade fires off her M-16, which riddles the thing's body with holes.  Screed also hits one out of three shots before it has a chance to reach Jade.  Its body slumps to the ground, and it begins to disintegrate into ash and a liquid goo right before your eyes.

Codec backs a little farther from the pit, "What about your Imagination? Is that correct?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Fri 16 Nov 2007.

Screed pipes in, "She's got to say it, not us.  We each will get our own.  It's writting on the inside lid of the game box."  He shakes his head and chuckles possibly trying to relieve his own stress as he checks his pistol out to make sure it's okay.

Jade takes a few seconds to think, realizing that her time is running out.  Then she says, "I think I've got it!  Is it a programmer?  Like a computer programmer?"

Screed swings back to where the zombie came out and pulls out his laser pistol also aiming both of them and waiting.

Pythia smiles.  "That is correct, Jade.  A programmer created us and the rules we must abide by, yet a programmer is not bound by our rules but by the rules of nature created by the ultimate programmer."

She turns to Screed.  "I sense much fear in you, especially of what may happen to you in the Matrix where things are not always in control.  But what do you fear most of all?  For you, perhaps a slightly more difficult riddle, but fear not, for only an incorrect guess can hurt you.

"Every man this domain will rule,
And in this demesne remains quite cool,
Though kicking and screaming for postponement,
He struggles to avoid enthronement.
But once there, never moving, never yearning,
His throne nevermore spurning,
He rules quite contented,
In this kingdom he is presented."

She smiles again.  "You have one minute to answer if you are to receive the reward this quest brings you for."

60...59...58...

Screed looks at the feminine form as she wonders at his fear to which he chuckles aloud, "Oh, sorry, I'm not scared, just bored and maybe a little worried that this whole situation, including the matrix is the product of an insane mind."

He raises his eyebrows in mock disbelief and sighs as she moves into the riddle to which he says immediately, "Well, I'm guessing the throne is not a toilet.  Let's see..." he adds as his mind drifts off for a moment.

"Unfortunately," she says, "your goal is to determine what the riddle is...not what it is not."

57...56...55...

"Well 'demesne' could be an old term for land or domain...It speaks of a domain that rules over everyone too, but doesn't want the throne. Do you guys think it could be the Merovingians?"

OOC: Remember that every "real day" is 15 seconds for thinking about solving the riddle.  The riddle was posted on Friday...  Because it was the weekend, I'll only take a total of 15 seconds for the weekend.

You are pondering and discussing the riddle while Pythia waits patiently.
43...42...41...
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:16, Mon 19 Nov 2007.

Screed comments, "A coffin?  Death?."  He pauses as he looks at the others, "Maybe, I'll try the others after."

OOC:Whoops, sorry, forgot about the day per 15 seconds...

Pythia smiles.  "Very good.  A coffin it is."

She then turns to Codec.  "And now let us test your mettle and your mind with this riddle:

"Between the pyramid of Egypt and the New York skyline,
A medieval circus you will find.
Kitty-cornered to a lion, can you ever spot,
The glowing walls of this place, but not in Camelot,
With castle and dragon and rooms far and wide,
The answer is the city where Excalibur lies."

Screed pumps his arm in victory as he hisses, "Yesss!"  He ponders Codec's riddle having a few ideas but is worried about throwing out things and taking over.  One can tell because he starts talking but stops immediately a couple of times.  He finally waits.

Codec listens to the question...[*sigh*]. [it's where excalibur lies...excalibur, exaclibur...umm crap what did they teach me back in school when I was in the Matrix?!?] He furls up his hair in frustration trying to remember.

[not Shangri-La{too oriental}, not Atlantis {no dragons}, not Uru{what was that anyways}, not Madagascar{uru?}, not NJ{exotic, but no castles...}, not...Not what? Avalon? or is it Tir Na nOg?]

"Is the answer Avalon? If not is it Tir Na nOg?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Mon 19 Nov 2007.

She shakes her head.  "The answer is not Avalon, I'm afraid."

One of those inhuman yet human creatures pulls itself from the pit.

"Also," she says, "I'm afraid the answer is not Tir Na nOg either."

Yet another of the creatures extracts itself from the pit.  They are both lumbering toward Codec.

45...44...43...