Otto's Multiversal Mayhem

[arcanus]

Analysis revealed no harmful gasses or components, other than interspatial particles which were rapidly diluting into the atmosphere.

The conflict on Gothica had grown to somewhat of a stalemate, after the dragon attack things had settled to strained normality.
So Stradts decision to track and contact Otto, was somewhat puzzling.

***
Artemis Pitts watched the strange goings on upon the front lawn with some degree of consternation, the Masters Valet Samuel Brocklesbury had advised him that his companions were trusted individuals of vital importance to the Masters concerns.

That said he did wonder what the somewhat rude one was doing on the front lawn, in the flower beds no less.

After a length of time he returned to the house, encountering Pitts on the way in and cautioned him to ‘Not go near the flower beds’, Pitts was somewhat at a loss, although the warning had been stern.

A sign of resignation spurred him back into his Duties, that was until after an hour he noticed him stalk back out to the flower beds, pull something from the ground and once again return to the house.

Artemis Pitts shook his head, this really was highly improper behaviour and very difficult for a man of stalwart character to ignore, with that he hurried off to ensure that none of the servants were distracted by these events.

***
Otto stood the now cooled pod upon his current desk, shaking soil from his hands.

His touch activated its circuitry and arcane light flashed in a pattern, the unit restacked itself into a pyramid like shape and linked with his headware.

<Message for Von Weirdigan, Otto>
<Reason One>
<Completing previous request from creator>
<Request – Notification of Skitter completion>
<Detail – Zorin Industries have confirmed completion of unit one to
Your specifics, test one complete of dispatching and return of Scout Unit>
<Appendum – Best Wishes your friend Zorin>
<Reason two>
<14 day location of Creator>
(Requestor – Amdea Von Weirdigan>
<Detail – Just checking you are safe and well>
<End>

[arcanus]

“Here will do” shouted Von Weirdigan, having just caught sight of his intended destination.
It was more of a guess based on triangulating Raz’s beacon with a map of London, but it was less than precise, he’d hoped that some of his Mana had carried with Raz’s ritual allowing him to identify it.
He abruptly paid the Hanson driver before turning back to the twilight settling over cobbled streets, curiously this World used a heleograph type of system ahead of radio, even now news was streaming across the city to public speakers in gentleman's clubs and public houses that the fighting from within St Giles Rookery had spilled out onto Piccadilly Circus, with a wild west style shootout occurring along Oxford Street.

He shook his head and twitched, his nerves were on fire from the mana pulse something had gone amiss with his ritual broadcasting, the arcane matrix had collapsed and now his neural pathways were ablaze.

The trips across the swashbuckling world and his studies here had not been without some success, he was beginning to interpret the energies originating between Worlds into real space, coordinates were now becoming clear.

Casting around he allowed a moment for his headache to recede and his mental pursuance to realign, as it did he spied something that may be a lead.

A little lighter in step he avoided the carriages hurrying to and fro and jogged across the road, he spotted a coalescence of arcane energies circulating around a wrought iron arch, which led into the garden of a large brownstone townhouse.

<I think I've found something> he thought spoke
~Hang on we’re not far away~ replied the songster

Otto took up a position against the lamp post adjacent but out of sight of the arch, progress at last. He frowned as his spectral sight relayed motes of red light collecting up and down his arms and torso, his face now contorted in anger he looked up to see streams of red energy feeding into the arch way.
<Shit> he mentally swore
~Otto what’s wrong~ sang Raz, he received no reply

Otto strained his vision a similar lattice of power had enfolded around him to that which he’d constructed in the Church, to his senses this washed the Cotswold stone walls of the perimeter an eerie blue.
His surroundings blurred, he strained against a tension that now grew between him and the archway, trying to pull him in, he was struggling, a cold realisation dawned upon Otto, the misfire from earlier had filled him with the very energy now fueling the archway.

***
Those residents of North London out for an evening stroll, happened upon a curious occurrence. A heavy set man lent against a lamppost suddenly leapt across the pavement and into the garden of a townhouse.
Should it have occurred to any of the strollers to see whether the man was alright, they would have discovered that he had seemed to have vanished into thin air.

[arcanus]

London
A sensation similar to breathing all of the air from his lungs and then taking a fresh breath calmed Otto Von Weirdigan, as the rogue mana was purged from his structure.
His arrival had shattered the cobbles beneath his mithrilium frame, bleary he looked around, the streets looked the same, however the sky was dark, the gas lamps all dark.

As he started to get his bearings he spied rubble upon the road, broken glass within the windows of the houses and fire damage.

Strolling cautiously up the road he also observed that there were no signs of life, he realised that the skyline was illuminated orange by flames.
His cranialware flared, strange communication crossed his pathways.

‘What the hell is that’ he thought, a creaking noise drew his attention and caution, quickly ducking into a nearby doorway, he saw a huge silhouette pass across the rooftops.
Infravision flicked on revealing a wide crab like shell, elevated on top of three 100 foot tall legs, extending from the front of the shell flicked a series of tentacles, several of which carried a camera like device.

The entire walker was made from a dull silvery metal, he could see heat emanating from the camera, his vision showed thermal beams sweeping the ground and buildings before it.

‘Bugger’ mentally hissed Otto Von Weirdigan

[arcanus]

North London
<WOT THE FACK IS ALL THAT NATTERING> roared a belligerent Sting from within the recesses of Otto’s headware
<Stop shouted you nob> snarled Otto mentally, however the walker stopped, the flattened shell or cabin slowly rotating, looming ominously above the rooftops.

His thermo picked up traces of rising heat playing along the cobbles, which began to shine with temperature <YOU NOISY TWAT> Otto mentally barked, for a rare change Sting remained silent.

The wooden sills of the houses began to smolder and blacken
‘200 C not hot enough to set fire, but hot enough to be uncomfortable’ he thought

[Otto]

They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on earth
But instead it just kept on raining
A veil of tears for the virgin's birth
I remember one Christmas morning
A winters light and a distant choir
And the peal of a bell and that Christmas tree smell
And their eyes full of tinsel and fire

They sold me a dream of Christmas
They sold me a silent night
And they told me a fairy story
'till I believed in the Israelite
And I believed in Father Christmas
And I looked at the sky with excited eyes
'till I woke with a yawn in the first light of dawn
And I saw him and through his disguise

I wish you a hopeful Christmas
I wish you a brave new year
All anguish pain and sadness
Leave your heart and let your road be clear
They said there'll be snow at Christmas
They said there'll be peace on earth
Hallelujah Noel, be it heaven or hell
The Christmas you get you deserve

Emerson, Lake and Palmer 1977

'I'm pretty sure that this isn't a vengeful bell ringers club representative' thought Otto grimly as he gazed with curiosity and amazement in the machine that towered above him.

Self preservation kicked in his headware HUD, detected the ambient heat around him rose rapidly to dangerous levels, probably from the strange camera like device the machine carried.

Scanning rapidy around, he attempts to find a safe spot to hole up and plan his next move.

Spot of 9

Also, I'm interested to know what Sting was talking about when he mentioned 'Nattering'? First,mask his etheric signature and location and scan the ether for any strange communications.

Computer Use of 11

[arcanus]

“Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic,
regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.”
― H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds

'I'm pretty sure that this isn't a vengeful bell ringers club representative' thought Otto grimly as he gazed with curiosity and amazement in the machine that towered above him.

Self preservation kicked in, as his headware HUD detected the ambient heat around him rising rapidly to dangerous levels, probably from the strange camera like device the machine carried.

Scanning rapidly around, he attempts to find a safe spot to hole up and plan his next move.

Spot of 9

The safest area of cover would be one of the houses your sheltering in the doorway of!

Also, I'm interested to know what Sting was talking about when he mentioned 'Nattering'? First,mask his etheric signature and location and scan the ether for any strange communications.

(Substituted the Computer for an Electronic Operations - Communications roll)
Your fairly sure he's referring to the strange gibberish being transmitted on the airwaves at the moment.

Otto starts as the adjacent wooden window sill pops, as the air within it explosively expands under the invisible heat from the camera like device, the walkers cabin is now moving from side to side sweeping the device up and down the street.

[Otto]

With a blur of speed Otto attempts to dash in the opposite direction to where the walking machine is 'looking' and concentrating it's heat camera.

Swift Strider of 10

He stays close to the buildings along the street as he runs to a house or shop that is not bearing the brunt of this strange weaponry, when he see's a safer house he will either dive through a window or barge the door down. Whatever is quicker!

He will also attempt to lock onto the machine with his etheric range finder, using it as a signal locator.

Etheric Range Finder: of 4 (crit!)

With his headband of Mental Awareness he will lock onto the 'gibberish', but will enter some shielding so he cannot be tracked or attacked through it.

Electronics Operation Comms: Another crit of 4!

Have I a map of the city in my headware memory?

[arcanus]

With a blur of speed Otto attempts to dash in the opposite direction to where the walking machine is 'looking' and concentrating it's heat camera..

Speeding up the street Otto accelerates towards a grocery shop, smashing into its sturdy door which gives way as Otto's weight collides with it.
His digital senses pick up a high pitched hissing preceding the combustion of air, wood, glass and brick, the invisible beam seeming to escalate in temperature by several thousand degrees instantly.

Vaulting over the counter, Otto is able to get is bearings and interrogate the data streaming into his headware from the Etheric stratum.
His Etheric Range Finger easily acquires the Tripod, his analysis identifying the occupants method of communication as encrypted microwave radio, a simple process of shielding himself from their transmissions.

You have a version of a map of Victorian London in your headware.

[arcanus]

As Otto interprets the data his now established Etheric net is disturbed, further mechanical forms closing on his location.

[Otto]

Otto, with a shivering twinge of fear and realisation, attempts to shut down his etheric link as he dashes through to the back room of the shop, scattering food and sundries in his haste to find an exit.

Electronics Comms of 7

As the link hopefully begins to break, he swiftly assesses the distance on the other forms moving in on his position.

Electronics Comms of 12

As a parting shot, hoping to disorientate them, he attempts to send an etheric 'scream' prior to shut down which may buy him some time.

Computer Hacking, Programming 15

'If Raz can do it, surely I can!' he thinks in desperation as he looks around for a route of escape.