The Tennessee Shad says, "Right. You all were just about to descend the
stairs."

Juri asks, "OOC:  Hadn't those capable gone scouting the quick way, by
swimming in aquatic form?"

The Tennessee Shad says, "That's a form of descent. :)"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Yuppers... while those of us who happen to
be new at this Gill-Thing are staying on the stairs at the moment."

Juri says, "Ahh so.  Down the stairs, then."

==========================
==========================

The stairs shake and shudder as you descend them. You get the impression
that there are either massive earth tremors or serious destruction going
on up ahead.

Corrine of Amber mutters.  "Dammit.... dammmit dammit dammmit not
AGAIN....." She starts moving as fast as she can through the water
downwards, though trying to keep with Juri here...

Juri hurries, sword and crossbow drawn, looking grim.

At the foot of the stairs, you can see that much of the city has been
destroyed. There's a big black shape near the palace.

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "And that Big Black Shape would be Mistah
Squid?"
The Tennessee Shad says, "You assume so."

Corrine of Amber looks to try and see where Roderick, Trucido, and Gideon
got off to, while looking for a way closer that won't get herself and Juri
splattered. 

Juri seems to be engaged in a Trump convo.

Corrine of Amber waits by Juri, then, guarding her back.

Corrine of Amber tries to gauge the amount of Trump Energy in the big
black shape, to see if it's been 'charged up' again.

Admittedly, this is at some distance, so it may very well fail, but hey.

Mike pages, "It's not very charged atm, you think. The Logrus is in full
swing." to you.
You page, "So Trumping into it may be risky, but safer than it was before
(ie, not LIKELY to cause Corrine's brain to pop like a squashed grape.
About the state it was when she and Juri and Roderick escaped....)" to
Mike.
Mike pages, "Yup." to you.

"Gideon is going to try and put the squid on ice," Juri says.  "When he's
done that, we'll try and get aboard.  Be ready with that spoon, it looks
as though the Order-charged coffee plan may not be feasible."

Corrine of Amber bites her lip, and nods.  "Its Trump Energies are low,
for what it's worth... Trumping In should be safer now."

Ice suddenly forms around the squid and much of the palace.

Juri asks, "Could you open the gate to the coffee shadow within the squid,
possibly with Gideon's help?"

Mike pages, "You doubt it." to you.

Corrine of Amber shakes her head.  "I seriously doubt it, unfortuantely.
Where's Gideon now?"

Juri says, "Near the squid, I assume."

You page, "Given Corrine's tactical knowledge, would it be best to board
now, or to wait until Gideon/etc give the all-clear?" to Akemi.
Akemi pages, "Probably you want the All-clear." to you.

Corrine of Amber nods.  "We'll have to wait until he gives the All-Clear,
I assume..." She worries her lip again.

Juri is in a Trump contact again.

Corrine of Amber waits for Juri to finish or address her again.

With an explosion of black energy, the ice block explodes. Frozen shrapnel
flies everywhere. The squid flails at the palace.

Corrine of Amber exclaims, "SHIT!"

Juri boggles and hurries down the stairs.  "Corrine, get Roderick and
Trucido back with us.  I'm going to try and make contact with the Rebmans
to get us an assault force."

Corrine of Amber eyeballs for cover-areas for the two of them as they
hurry further.  She nods.  "Find us a place for Cover, and I will!"

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Once decent cover is found, time to Trump
the Roderick-Man and the Trucido-Dude...."

Trucido is untrumpable, but Roderick returns.

Corrine of Amber pulls Roderick through.  "Got Roderick... couldn't get
Trucido, though."  She frowns.

Juri nods.  "He's got some sort of mental barrier.  If he's smart, he'll
come back to us right about now, since he'll know we all need to go in
together to attack."

Juri says, "OOC:  Looking for Rebmans."

Corrine of Amber nods.  "Right." She looks at Roderick.  "Able to find out
anything?  Other than the Squid's doing the downtown stomp on Rebma now?"

Corrine of Amber manages a slightly smile.

The Tennessee Shad says, "You see lots of screaming, fleeing Rebmans who
are doing a good impersonation of Japanese extras in a Godzilla movie."

Juri asks, "OOC:  Anyone who looks vaguely in charge?  Guard squads?"

A icy ball starts to materialize in the squid's maw, but is suddenly
obliterated by a burst of Primal Chaos.

The Tennessee Shad says, "Not in sight."

Corrine of Amber says, "...Gleek."

Juri asks, "OOC:  Okay.  And no sign of Trucido?"
Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "Did we get given a trump of Llwwella?"
Gideon . o O ( OOC: I hate that squid. :P )

Large potions of the palace are getting trashed.

The Tennessee Shad says, "Juri: No. Corrine: No."

Roderick says, "I found out that Rebma is in chaos and we shouldn't count
on any Rebman help."

Juri curses.  "All right.  Corrine... can I wield the spoon?"

Corrine of Amber sighs.  "Damn.  Up to us, then."

Roderick asks, "Isn't it always?"

Roderick says, "The Rebmans have tended to rely too much on the sea
protecting them."

Corrine of Amber raises an eyebrow, and then nods, handing it to Juri.
"Keep a good hold on it, will you?  I wouldn't mind poking Annadil with it
when I get back home...."

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "(Yess, Annadil would pop my brain as soon as
I got within 12 feet of him, but hey, a gal can -Dream-....)"

Juri says, "Understood.  Get us aboard."

Corrine of Amber nods, and takes hands.  "Want the Hallway first, then try
for the bridges?"

Juri takes the spoon in one hand and her blade in the other.

Roderick says, "Hallway."

Juri nods.  "Hallway."

You page, "Tactically, the Hallway would be better?" to Akemi.

Corrine of Amber nods, and Trumps our trio to the Hallway where earlier
Juri lay bleeding... hopefully not getting brainfried in the process.

You trump into a hallway.

Corrine of Amber looks around, cautiously, and also checks to see if
Hummingbird is still around.

Juri looks at the spoon speculatively.

Juri waves it absently.  "Spoon of Power... help us to defeat this evil
Logrus squid."

The spoon is still a spoon.

Juri pulls Gideon through a Trump contact.

Roderick laughs faintly.

Corrine of Amber asks, "Welcome to Fido, Gideon... no sign of Trucido?"

Corrine of Amber says, "I suppose we could try and scoop out its
amber-city-sized brain, or something..."

Gideon says, "No Trucido seen. But he can take care of himself."

Juri nods.  "That was my thought."

Gideon looks around. "Want to go for the brain?"

"Yes."  Juri holds the spoon as martially as one can hold a wooden spoon.

Corrine of Amber says, "No doubt we'll encounter the MacFinndos along the
way, if the control centers aren't already based there." She sighs, and
then nods.  "Right.  Let's move.  -Where-, I don't know, but..."

Roderick says, "Sounds like a good idea.  "

Gideon shrugs, "Can one assume it is the main control unit that interprets
bridge data?"

You page, "What did Rose/Ishamel/etc say on how they gave the Squid
commands, etc?" to Akemi.

Juri nods uncertainly, trying to remember what she saw of the squid's
internal plans on the maps she saw on the computer.

You page, "What did Rose/Ishamel/etc say on how they gave the Squid
commands, etc?" to Mike.

Akemi pages, "They invaded its brain using their Mad Psyche Skillz and
dominated it, then rewrote its brain to obey them." to you.

You all recall the main command center as being near the head of the
squid.

Corrine of Amber mmms.  "From what I recall from what Rose and Ishmael
said, they invaded the squid's brain with their massive Psychic skills,
dominated it, and then rewrote its brain to obey them.  No doubt Findy and
the rest ended up having to do the same...."

Juri asks, "OOC:  Aaaaannnndd.... how far is that?"

Corrine of Amber says, "Even with all the extra stuff they added."

"I'm not interested in dominating it.  Just lobotomizing it."  Juri makes
a threatening gesture with the spoon.

Corrine of Amber says, "True."

Juri pauses.  "I have just remembered that squids do not have brains.
Their neural network extends through their whole body."

Corrine of Amber asks, "Even Logrus Squids?"

Juri seems to hesitate for a moment, and then sticks the Spoon into the
wall.  "Let's find out."

You page, "This a Good Idea/Bad Idea on Juri's part? *wry look* Any
warning sensations?  Don't wanna -die- here...." to Akemi and Mike.

Nothing happens.

You page, "... that answers that..." to Akemi and Mike.

Juri says, "Well.  That was anticlimactic."

Roderick says, "It's not a normal squid, though."

Corrine of Amber says, "This is true as well."

Juri begins trying to dig into the wall with the spoon, muttering.

Juri asks, "And didn't Rose _say_ that the squid had a brain the size of
Amber City?"

Corrine of Amber nods.

Juri sighs.  "To the brain, then.  Lolly la.  This all relies, of course,
on the chancy hope that the Spoon is what we think it is."

Gideon murmurs absently, "That's probably metaphorical ... it's got a big
mind. But it's all around us."

Juri shakes the Spoon.  "Work, damn you!"

Juri begins smacking the walls with it.  "Come on!  Abracadabra!"

Roderick says, "Try saying the Chaos Negation power word as you strike."

Juri does so.

Gideon asks, "Juri ... the inside here is a shadow of its own?"

Juri says, "I believe so."

Corrine of Amber says, "Hm... if it's a power word-powered Spoon, saying
the Squid's name as well might help."

Juri's spooning continues to yield no results.

Corrine of Amber says, "Shaped out of a shadow, powered by the Logrus,
yup."

Gideon asks, "Can you try to change the shadow properties to shut down its
brain?"

Juri says, "I can try.  Since it wasn't made of a Shadow originating in
our universe... but..."

You page, "Would having Gideon (with his stronger mind) perhaps have a
better effect with the Spoon?  Just a thought that occured...." to Akemi
and Mike.

Juri says, "And we're in Amber anyway.  My Pattern is no good here."

Gideon says, "Try, at least."

Mike pages, "Could be." to you and Akemi.

Juri sighs and puts the spoon away.  "Let's just go kill some Finndos.
Unless anyone can think of some way to make this spoon work we haven't
tried?"

Corrine of Amber considers.  "Hm... After Juri tries that... Gideon.  How
strong are you in the arts of the mind?  Perhaps you could boost the
effect?"

Corrine of Amber says, "With the Spoon, that is."

Roderick says, "Well, I could try using my Pattern, since it is from my
universe."

Juri mutters something about there having to be some effect for it to get
boosted.

Juri glances to Roderick.  "Try that.  Better than nothing."

Roderick begins pacing in a circle, his brow furrowed.

Juri takes the spoon out again and _stares_ at it, intently.  "I don't
even know if this thing is the key, or a red herring."

================================
================================

The Tennessee Shad says, "Sorry, folks, but I gotta bail here. Falling
asleep in my seat."

Juri says, "Night, Mike."

Roderick says, "Waah."

The Tennessee Shad says, "Mebbe tomorrow."

Mike has disconnected.

Ishmael falls asleep.

>> Mike wanders off, muttering something about how Cain is for Charlie and
Delta is for Cain.

Corrine of Amber OOCly says, "No probs.  I'm good for starting 'early' if
others are tomorrow, with a bail at 10/11 EST"

Gideon says, "Should work ..."

Juri says, "OOC:  I really, really hate this squid."

Corrine of Amber OOCly nods, shuts off the logger, and heads upwards again
to watch more of the TAMD chronicles.