In a fair-fight between spearmen and a shield-less swordsman, the advantage would go to the spearmen. Good thing this was no fair-fight.
With sword still in sheath, Pantea sprinted down the hill, trying to avoid burning an energy burst this early in the fight. Locking eyes with one of the Bex, Pantea heard its cry to the other Bex still remaining on their feet after Taal’s thorns disorganized their formation. The three Bex mirrored their parties own formation, and as the distance between both groups continued to shrink, Pan drew out Caliburn, gripping the hilt in both hands, and raising the blade above her right shoulder.
A poor lunge from the center Bex initiated their new skirmish, as the spear passed Pantea to her left. Seeing an opportune moment, Pan dropped her left hand from Caliburn, grabbed the middle of the spear with her now empty hand, and swung down her sword at the Bex. One hit, however, would not finish the Bex, and as the Bex pulled to get the spear back, the Bex’ formation broke, creating a circle around Pan. Hopefully her party could keep the Bex off her long enough for her to slaughter this little puppy.
Plague spearheaded the entrance into the castle, impatient to begin the quest. In preparation for the attack, Mahvan summoned one of her demon wolves, Freki.
Taking it as a cue, he crouched on the ground and allowed the shadows to reveal his true form. Gone was the strange man with crimson eyes - a massive crimson beast as big as an oversized horse stood in his place. The collar around his neck had grown to fit his new form.
"Your orders then?"
He turned to Plague, then to Mahvan, then to Freki, wagging his tail. In truth, he thought the plan of attack was quite idiotic, but he held his tongue. It wasn't his place to speak out after all. And surprises were fun, weren't they?
You scale the outer wall, and drop ont to the courtyard. it wasn’t a very difficult climb, the wall being rather old and dilapidated had rather comfortable number of footholds and dead vines. The courtyard itself is a rundown affair, fallen into heavy disrepair. The bushes and such were all rather dead, as were the few trees that littered the place. Luckily most of the filth was covered by a heavy layer of snow.
However what is the most interesting is the assorted spread of bones spread across the snow. They seemed to be recent and quite human, it seemed that there had been other parties that had come this way to explore the castle. Perhaps earlier takers of the very same quest?
As your gaze passes over the castle you, you spot some movement in your periphery, as if the snow itself was moving. However you disregard it as a minor glitch in the system. As you go closer you notice that their are in fact to doors, one yellow and one green.
However before you can reach the doors, you see the snow swell up around you. The swell splits into four slightly smaller mounds, as it spreads out. They are moving towards you at an alarming speed. For a second you notice a shiny segmented carapace peeking out of the snow, and you know what they are, Ichtheoplasts…
Spoiler
DR,I-am-X,CapP
You head straight through the front doors, only to find a largely anti chamber to be waiting for you, the inside is as decrepit as the outside of the castle. The ceiling heavy with cobwebs, the furniture broken, the finery tarnished or missing. The curtains were moldy moth eaten affairs, the glass foggy with age.
A layer of dust covered the smoothed stone floor. The room was however lit by several lanterns, burning with an eery greenish blue flame. As you make your way into the adjoining room, which seems to be extremely spacious ballroom, however even this is devoid of life.Except of course of the figure standing quietly and unnaturally still in the center of the ball room.
In front of him was a large sword, a claymore standing upright, its tip embedded in the stone floor. They heard a wild, almost insane laughter echo through the hall, coming from everywhere but from nowhere at all. As if at the same time the figure started sway, slowly, as if in a trance. You are not sure whether the thing in front of you is hostile or not, do you just ignore it and try to sneak past or attack it?
Spoiler
OOC:
Spoiler
Dr > energy exhausted
Ruins Of Telar
Missy, Slice, Dark, Rob
The battle unfolded quickly as Teysa ran southwards, almost dodging the Yubex at the party’s rear. She was able to get past the beast with, though she did managed to get raked by the creature's claws. The Yubex gave chase roaring in frustration as its prey slipped past….
Only to blasted back by a fireball from the sky, although blasted into the air, its hide protected it from major injury. That however was short lived as Marcellus intercepted the Yubex, eviscerating the creature with his blades. It tried to rake him with its claws however, its angle of attack was too oblique and merely bounced of the Wrymborn’s natural armor. However that was not the end of its woes as it was unceremoniously thrown into the air, screeching in rage as it sailed a good distance through the air….
On the other side of the battle, the remaining two Yubex’s closed in on Bullet. The creatures went for a two pronged attack, one charging straight at the mark, to keep her concentration. The other sneaking in from the back and catching her unawares. Unfortunately for Bullet the Yubexs’ plan worked rather well, one of the Yubex’s came in from the front, drawing fire from Bullet, thanks to its instinct and speed it was able to keep out of harms way. The second Yubex, took the opportunity to come in from the back and slam Bullet to the ground, pinning her against the snow.
Luckily for Bullet, Burninator used this opportunity to catch the Yubex unawares, slamming a mallet of pure fire on the creature. The Yubex was blasted away, however it was able to right itself, and fell on its feet next to its partner. Without a moment to tarry, the two Yubex’s charged towards the two yet again, only this time at full throttle. Escape was clearly not an option….
OOC:
Spoiler
Missy: Damage Low, Energy Exahuasted
Dark: Damage Moderate(60% health)
Yubex 1 -> Damage Moderate(~50% Health)
Yubex 2-> Damage None
Yubex3-> Damage Low
Sangre, Britza, Morv
The Fade bolt hit the Frost giant straight in the chest, blasting the behemoth a couple of steps back. The blow was quite effective, managing to crack the beasts body somewhat; however it wasn’t able to quite stop the beast, and was unable to penetrate deep enough. The beast was quick to recover, quickly gaining its wits, the cracks on its body had already begun to close up
The Frost Giant, roared in fury began to rush towards them plowing through the snow, as if it were merely air. As it neared the small group it roared once more, only this time its eyes glowed a deep blue. The area started to rumble, as spikes of ice began to erupt from the ground. The group only had a few moments to react before the were crushed by the giant or poked full of holes by the spikes.
OOC:
Spoiler
Frost Giant -> Damage Moderate(~60%)
Knights Charge
The Bexs’ howled in anticipation when they spotted their new prey. They kept their formation as they made their way towards the group of humans, keeping a steady but fast pace. They had enough discipline to control their bestial natures and keep the diamond.
The group of humans had similar plans for them, as they charged towards them in a loose triangle, the warrior at the point far outpaced his comrades and reached the squadron far before his comrades. However the earth rumbled and heaved before they clashed. Large spikes of earth blasted out of the ground, decimating the rear of the squad. Two of the bex were hit squarely, and blasted back a few meters. However the Bex at the left edge of the diamond was fast enough to dodge the spike of earth entirely, using the spike as pillar to leap off the ground and intercepted the wisp that Taal had just shot with his shield. Then aligning himself midair, the bex plunged past Taal, catching the mage on the side with his spear.
Pantea had already dove straight into the group Bex by then, having grabbed the spear of the Bex at point. Unfortunately the Bex was quick to react and slammed into Pantea with sheild extended, parrying both her sword and dislodging her from the Bex’s spear. Pantea struck by the heavy blow was pushed back a short distance. By the Bex’s spear brothers had closed in, and tried to finish the warrior with pincer attack involving a quick double jab. Pantea as agile as she was managed to evade the first three strikes with ease however was blindsided by the fourth. Luckily for her, Itano’s earlier enchantment had fortified her skin with the element of earth, preventing the spearhead from penetrating. Unfortunately the power of the attack flung her out of position, leaving the two mages in a tough spot. Any moment the Bex, would close in on the two mages…
Spoiler
Orc - Low Damage(72% health), Energy(54%)
Pantea - Low Damage(77% Health)
Itano - Energy Depleted
Bex at rear
Bex 1 - High Damage(33% health)
Bex 2 - Critical( ~0)
ExplorationJoker | Reaver
After you register your self, you are lead down to the waiting lounge. The waiting lounge is essentially a large red tent, inside which is strewn with a few chairs and tables. Like you there are many competitors some players some NPC’s. The NPC’s were easy to spot, all of them being knights, and with all of them trying to show off one way or another.
These knights really can get silly sometimes, you spot one knight wreathed in golden armor sitting in the corner of the tent, he seems to be different from the rest. But on closer inspection you realize the fellows just fallen asleep with a tankard of ale in his hand. In the center of the tent was a rather large crystal ball, within it you can see the arena, albeit slightly distorted by the shape of its medium.
Some time later a small furry creature flew into the room, making its way towards the center…
“Hellooooo! Contestents!” It said with a child like voice.
“I am Krion,a spirit appointed to the House of Judgement by the ten. And I am veeeery pleased to meet you fellows. I will be your host for the duration of the contestent.”
“Before we begin, Let me explain the only rule, If your health falls under the one third mark you loose!... Now with that out of the way let me call out the first contestants! Come on out Reaver and Leldurin”
Spoiler
You follow the creature back out of the tent and onto to the arena, a simple affair of raised earth, roped off from the audience with a few wooden pegs set in a square. The announcers made the usual show, introducing the contestants and giving them completely fake and embellished manner. After which it is finally time to battle, as you and Leldurin face of agianst one another, Krios counts down to one. On one Ledurin dashes towards you his rapier pointed at you, but not extended…
With a snicker and a devilish grin to match, she went through the doors. "Isn't that obvious?" Still grinning, "We have some 'fun', of course." Looking around, the inside was just as decrepit as the outside of the castle, if not more. There was broken furniture everywhere, Which was quite hideous I might add, along with mold as far as the eye can see and the usual cobwebs. Well, what would you expect from an abandoned castle?"To think they'd actually want this dump." Not like it matters to them, they're here for their own amusement.
With a shrug, she continued looking through the room which was lit by several lanterns, burning with an eery greenish blue flame. So there is one nice touch about the place after all, I guess. The three of them soon made their way to an extremely spacious room, and that seemed like an understatement. There was nothing there, a room devoid of life. Pity.....except..... moving closer before her grin grew wider, the figure that stood quietly and strangely still in the center of the room. "Ah..." Plague said in mock surprise, putting a hand on her cheek, closing her eyes, she tilted her head. "Looks like we were given our very own welcoming party." she said with a eery smile.
In front of this being was quite the large sword, a claymore, its tip embedded into the stone floor. Quite fitting for such a tall and dark figure like it. It was then that they heard an almost fanatical laugh echoing throughout the hall yet it didn't seem to come from any place in particular. While at the same time, the figure begin swaying, as if in a trance or something. "Looks like we have someone who would like to play with us. I'm not so rude as to turn down such a challenge." Still smiling, she pulls out her Katana and places it on her shoulders before pointing it at the figure. "Well, whatever it's actual intentions are, it really doesn't matter. He's ours now."
Taking a deep breath, she began walking towards the figure, motioning to the others, making her intentions clear. Narrowing her eyes, her slow walk broke into a charge. Feinting to the right, she went left, aiming for the figures left arm, she made a diagonal slash, starting from the gut and following through to the left arm.
While we fade away from the bustling market where our benevolent giant resides, we spend what seems to be endless hours winding through the unfamiliar cobblestone streets. Slithering through the labyrinth of darkened streets and narrow passages until in this expansive city, we reach a place where the light rarely touches. There, beneath a fickle and flickering lamp, sitting upon her throne that marks her the queen of the underworld with a cunning and seductive smile is none other than I-Am-X. Calmly observing us with a yellowed iris beset upon harrowing black, her fanged grin only grows wider as her fingertip guides the rod that stirs a tall, thin glass of suspicious looking Red Wine. Here in the Dark, we exist temporarily in her Kingdom. A place where the unsavory sorts can find sanctuary, a black market, and often the tools of death, subtlety, and subterfuge.
Sliding her sultry fingertip upon the spine of a book, the tome seems almost alive as it shudders and props open to a blank, but weathered page. Dipping a sharpened fountain pen in ink, she takes her mark upon the leathery parchment after a sip of her Bloodied delicacy. Not a moment later for us, the innocent-minded folks living upon the streets above, she describes to us her next devilish machination.
The reason Shino and Nadeshiko went along well was because they thought similarly. As Plague spotted the hooded figure inside the broken down ballroom, Mahvan knew what they'll decide. Unsheathing his katana he began walking up to the swaying figure as maniacal laughter echoed through the hall. Like ambient background score, it seemed to put Mahvan in the mood. Dashing from the side, she attacked the hooded figure from his back. The reason that the pair was lethal was because of their inherent synchronization. Like a pair of panthers, they had their different style but gelled well.
As Plague went for the classic mid-range attack, Mahvan hit at its ankles while Freki leaped from her back to charge straight for his head. The opponent maybe strong but without a fight strength can't be tested.
Through the vast entity that is the Internet, we now find ourselves in an unfamiliar place. A place of new faces, new personalities, and new adventurers alike. This place is the new home of our motley crew, and it is called Batoto. Here, as we meander through bustling streets and cobblestone draped markets, we find the first new person we will meet this day. Diabolical Rhapsody. What is so curious and is immediately the most noticeable thing about this shy soul is his height. Towering over eight feet high and sporting a two-handed mace that weighs more than some men, one would expect this scraggly bearded giant to be a savage barbarian. Yet those who dare try to scratch the surface a touch soon find a kind soul who so earnestly aims to please. Accompanying the vodka that he drinks and sings softly to is a pen quill made of the finest eagle's feather. His tools of imagination and creation, the studious giant fervently writes his passages for us all to see.
Corvus nearly cried when he saw the castle interiors. It all looked so romantic - the dirt, the broken furniture, the cobwebs - he would have given his left nut to build a guillotine exhibit in a place like this, IRL. But that would never happen, would it? He'd never even visited a real castle in the flesh.
"Hm, I suppose that's why Codex exists. Making the impossble possible."
When he finally tore his eyes away from the gothic surroundings, he noticed the forboding figure right smack in the middle of the ballroom. Eerie laughter echoed all throughout the area, putting Corvus on alert.
"I wonder wh-"
Before Corvus could give his thoughts a voice, Plague had already sprung to action, swinging his Katana and aiming for the massive figure's left arm. Mahvan and her familiar Freki followed suit, her hitting the ankes and the wolf ready to tear the figure's head apart.
"H-hey, don't leave me out!"
Corvus leapt to action, aiming his massive jaws for a bite at the target's right side, in an attempt to use his weight to stun it. Just before his jaws closed, he angled his body to prepare for a counter-attack, ready to use his body to block Plague from the target's massive sword.
He typed in the chatbox.
Careful, master!
Edited by Captain Paper S., 14 September 2014 - 09:08 AM.
As he sat in his seat, Doktrine thought to himself,”This character is helluvalot shorter than I thought, I mean I’m so defensively weak compared to the other players and from my earlier experiences, I’d be wise to choose missions that don’t involve alot of fighting.”
He began to look through the quests and came across the one titled ‘An exchange of goods’ and when he finshed reading the description, he whispered under his breath,”Perfect.” And right in time the train halted and the doors opened to the inter-dimensional station of steel city, leaving Doktrine baffled at the coincidence.
He walks to the bus stop which the quest specified and waits for a few minutes and evenually sees the silhouette of a black limousine coming at him at great speed. It halted with perfect precision leaving Doktrine facing the door, the chauffeur stepped out with perfect grace and opened the door for him, revealing a pretty woman, she said patting on the seat,”Please take a seat, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long……”
Edited by KillaZilla, 14 September 2014 - 03:35 PM.
Things are looking not so good for the team. While the opening strike from Taal's bloody thorn was successful in breaking the enemy formation into two, the follow up was not quite as successful. Some of the Bex managed to escape unscathed, and Panthea's bloodthirsty charge has sent her rather far away from the two Magi behind her. In short, nobody was defending the spellcasters at the rear line, and that is not good.
Trying to mend this situation, Fay positions herself behind one of the Bex that is going straight for Taal, and executed her sure-kill move: Assassinate. It is the one most damaging physical skill in her repertoire, and by experience, was enough to deliver swift death to basically anything below the level of mini bosses. This, she reckons, should be enough to finish off a Bex from full health, and would turn the tides of the skirmish to her party's advantage.
As such, she purposefully lunged at the unfortunate Bex; the tip of her blade aimed straight at a weak spot right under the Bex's unarmored armpit, angled so that it would pierce straight into its heart with little hindrance; and executed her skill with an extreme prejudice.. And missed.
"... Huh?" remarked the Assassin as she blankly blink her eyes in disbelief. Her dagger missed its intended target by exactly 2.731 cm (she totally didn't make that number up on the spot), doing nothing but harmlessly giving the unsuspecting Bex a slight mane trimming.
"Holy Terra, I completely forgot that Fay's arm is considerably shorter than mine!" Dion cussed inwardly as she realized her silly mistake. She knew making a small-framed character in a very realistic VRMMO is bound to have a few troubles, but the temptation of making a cute, cuddly character is simply too alluring to resist.
"Oh well.. Change of plans," she told herself as she tried to calm herself down from the shock of wasting a brilliant opportunity like that.
With her surprise attack thwarted, Fay readies herself for the Bex's counterattacks. She focuses herself on reading the Bexes' movements and planned to evade and parry as many attacks as possible while still looking for a chance or two to launch a counterattack of her own. If anything, her priority is now to buy the Magi as much time as possible while staying alive. Taal's nuke and Itano's buff should be able to mend the situation right up.. Probably. After all, that is the beauty of teamplay right there: knowing that your team would work together with you to mend the situation, even when you screw things up beyond belief.
The wound at her side stung annoyingly in her draconic state, in truth it wasn't much of a bother, but as her wings drank the air and lofted Teysa higher into the sky, she took a moment to draw in the current scenario. Bullet seemed to be the Yubexes' main target, and she could understand why. In comparison to two literal DRAGONS, the Flamecaster and Scientist may seem to be easy pickings. Even though she was sure that at least in some way, the we're not. Played properly, she knew all too well the potency of underused classes in the right hands, as Marcellus had shown on more than one occasion.
That being said, she was not about to let these two monsters openly charge her partymates without some kind of punishment.
Across the field, the two charged their respective target, and from behind and above, Teysa would descend upon them like a scaled bird of prey. With a rush of wind and violent force, a few hundred pounds of dragon collided into the back of one as razor sharp talons dug into its spine. Pinning it onto the ground, the Dragon unleashed a ferocious roar that could shake the foundation of any soul as a split second later, she spun about to bring her tail to slam into the midriff of the other creature. This attack was two pronged in purpose - first it would allow her talons to twist about on the spine of the Yubex she had pinned; second, it would hopefully disorient the creature she struck with her tail, buying the scientist time to deliver the necessary killing blow.
Spatters of blood would soon decorate the purity of the snow that surrounded them, and she was determined that it be the blood of hers or her enemies. Not her allies.
Now at last we come full circle, back to the hand whose graceful motions first began these tales. Our travels have taken us through town and tower, past glade and garden, through the mists of time and to all manner of locale, but we come to their end in the modern era. Specifically, we come to a loft apartment overlooking the Champs d'Elysees in Paris, France, wherein resides Trouble herself. Some would call her temptress, others know her as charming minx, but nobody dares deny that the lady is possessed of great beauty. As she sits at her writing desk with a fine tipped pen and ink well at hand, a city breeze enters through the nearby open window. The wind causes her raven-colored hair to stir briefly in it before resuming its cascades down to her shoulders, where it briefly touches the angled straps of the midnight blue dress that adorns her well-defined form. With a gentle sip from the thin-mouthed glass of champagne that accompanies her forays onto the pages, she turns her brilliant emerald eyes back to the swirling words she has already put into place. Before she continues on, she checks over her work to ensure that no detail is left unknown, no letter out of its place. For in her passages, as in the mystic runes with which she channels the primordial forces of the world, each stroke is vital and no variance is tolerated. Content with what she has written, the sorceress lays down her writing instrument and makes her way to the balcony. With a breath of the evening air and a wave of her hand, the only decision that remains is what spells she shall weave this night.
Bullet’s lightning shots rang out across the snowy plains, adjusting power output and firing rate as the Yubex charged but clearly, these things were a lot faster than they appeared, her mastery not at a high enough level to reliably hit the creature while it was paying attention to her. Shame that, it wasn’t as if she had a good way to blindside it, much like the other one did to her. Well now she knew what kind of equips they would best be suited for making; these things had to have some monstrous agility compared to her – again, it wasn’t as if she neglected her mastery. The damage was a bother but 33% health down meant a sizable Overdrive charge. She could work with this.
Teysa’s intervention made things even better; a big bad dragon was a massive attention grabbed and if they all focused on the bigger threat, she had the shot now to return the blindside favour; what’s good for one is good for the other and all, especially when it involved getting your agi bonus negated via sneak attack. Her cannon hummed with power, the green, code like symbols pouring over her and rewriting her weapon to suit her current needs. Something to combat their speed, higher numbers, and avoid friendly fire. She had just the thing.
“Careful Burninator, things are going to get a bit charged.”
Bullet aimed at the most distracted looking Yubex, her cannon unleashing not a bolt of plasma, but a long stream of lightning, the bolt curving in dead on target, almost arcing through the air to chase down it’s target, helped along by Bullet being able to simply swing her gun like a whip to redirect now, the stream of lightning not fading away and doubling as a lightsaber whip of badassery. Conveniently, this also let her target the other Yubex in the same swing, though it didn’t matter much; the chaining function that she installed meant that the beam would keep rebounding until it caught both creatures in its grasp, and a constant attack would sooner or later trigger the effects of the lightning affinity….
Spoiler
Bullet
HP: Apparently actually 66%
Energy: lollikeI'mevergoingtousethis
Overdrive: 0 -> 33% -> 3%
Overdrive: Plasma Cannon
Type: Gun/Energy
Level: 6 + 3
Damage [2]
Thunder Attribute [2]
Range [2]
Chaining [1] (Will chain to hit one other extra targets)
Homing [1] (will curve to chase target)
Continuous Fire [1] (lightning lazer beam)
Spoiler
Me by Mischief
Lazily slumbering by day, and wreaking havoc at night is none other than the Demoness that goes by the name Darkoda. Trickster and troublemaker alike, she is that which goes bump in the night. Toys in the shadows and plays on your fears to her advantage. Though usually her mischief is harmless, she is not a poltergeist you wish to enrage or gain disfavor from. With a brilliant smile and cat-like pupils set upon crimson irises, the pale silver of her hair just might be the only thing that might give away her location whenever she is setting up her next prank or ploy. Slumbering within the "haunted" grounds beneath the castle, her fitful dreams are ones of great splendor, wonder, and imagination. Dreams of the places she wishes she could go, if she weren't bound to the confines of the castle. A place where she was chained to by the words of the last Emperor, a descendant of her mother, Amaterasu herself. So reviled by this punishment, she became the trickster we all know and love today. Often during the night, the scratching that haunts Hime's dreams are that of Darkoda's claws, inscribing for us her hopes upon the castle wall.
As Teysa came soaring in for a landing, she and their two new compatriots began to tangle with the two Yubeks that hadn't tried to chase the little dragoness. From the looks of things, the resident mad scientist had underestimated the agility of the things and had taken a somewhat nasty hit. Still, with the other dragon about to provide a frontline, it wasn't likely to be much of a problem, at least not for a little bit.
"GRAWR!!!"
The third Yubek that was apparently angry, on the other hand, still needed dealing with. As it heaved itself off the ground to resume the fight, it would find Marcellus standing directly between it and the rest of his party, perfectly able to go a second round. He twirled his saber in a series of moulinets, almost taunting the beast, before squaring off once again.
"Well, come on little doggie. Are you gonna bark all day, or are you gonna bite?"
As soon as the Yubek began to make its move, Marcellus rushed forward to meet it. His off hand was kept free and balled into a fist so he could use it to block whatever attack came his way, and once the Yubek had thrown itself into its offense he'd use the opening to cut it open again. And if it didn't attack, well... he imagined someone somewhere might be interested in trying a Yubek shish kabab...
Edited by Slice, 21 September 2014 - 09:55 PM.
Myself, as told by a Hawk;
Spoiler
For our next friend, we travel to a world within a world where the mists grow thick.
Pale blades of tall grass blow wistfully in the moonlight upon the sacred clearing where our next member resides. It is but a whisper of the wind, or the ripple upon the stillness of a pond that gives away the movement of our old friend, SliceandDice. Subtlety and Combat are his preferences, choosing to strike from the shadows when his aversary least expects it. Using swords, daggers, poisons and Shakespearean prose as his weapons of choice. Donning a hood that hides the golden color of his eyes, a dark scar upon his cheek tells tales of conflicts past, of triumphs and tribulations. With a scowl over a stubbled chin, he goes about his devout work feverishly, insuring that no impurities stray to which they don't belong. Taking from those who have far too much, and giving to those who have far too little, the overwatch he now is to the scoundrels of society has become a feared whisper among those corrupt. With their last sight being a flash of metal that lays their windpipe open to the nighttime sky. He goes about his work for us by dabbling the tip of a fountain pen in fine ink and a sip of Rum, fervently guiding his instrument across the paper in haphazard yet concise lines, he spins for us the visions he sees. ~By Trouble
The Blade of Energy busts forth , leaving a trail of ozone behind it, the acrid smell of raw energy. It struck the mass with a great flash of light, charring a portion of its gooey flesh. FOr second the enormous blob halted to a stop, quivering like jelly. However you notice that the blackened portion of the creature was quickly disappearing.
The damn thing could heal itself. You take notice of the fact and decide its time to scoot and make way back from whence you came. Guided by Phil you make it deeper into the sewer system, the robots still as excitable as ever, and still as utterly oblivious to their near demise as they had been moments ago.
Though it takes a while you enter the target part of the sewer. With the power gone the area had taken on a starkly more grungy look to them. It had clearly fallen into stark disrepair, no power meant none of the maintenance droids wanted to go anywhere near there.
As you walk on within the rather large tunnel, you find several glowing eyes coming towards you. As the come closer it seems to be a group of rat people , about four of them. By the looks of the rather large guns on their hands it doesn't look like you can outrun them.
"Shit." Taal had nothing to say about the situation other than that one expletive. The situation had turned out quite horrendously, with Itano and Taal being surrounded by Bex, Fay missing her assassinate, and Pantea in a poor position to help.
Thinking quickly, Taal grit his teeth and the earth quaked underneath him. Two thorns exploded outwards towards the Bex at his front, and Taal ran along the top of one of the thorns as he manipulated a wisp into a twisting path that would eventually lead it to fall down upon another of the Bex to his front. Upon reaching the top of the thorn, Taal threw himself out of the encirclement. As soon as his feet left the ground, Taal called another wisp to him, guiding it to orbit his body.
The group managed to get away from the slime. The huge monster was not a smart challenge. Another time perhaps, when he did not have to protect the repair-bots. The team headed closer and closer to their destination. The drones doing their jobs with minor monsters here and there but nothing to get worked up about. The extra EXP always helped.
Finally, they reached the area where the problem existed. That part of the sewers looked exactly like you would imagine; dark, smelly, and felt nasty to be around. It was so bad, the repair bots did not want to enter. Still, everyone pressed onwards to the goal.
Traveling even deeper, Edge noticed a bunch of eyes headed their direction. They were glowing and did not look like they wanted to shared some tea. The bots moved back as the beasts began showing themselves. They were rat-samurai-military-bots that were out to get them. Their guns showed that running away was not an option but that was ok. This was not a giant slime monster that could regenerate its limbs.
They stood ready to fight and Edge was ready to go. Readying his sword, he sent his signature Slash Wave attack towards them. The horizontal wave was large enough to hit all four bots at once. From there he readied a second attack, waiting for the reaction to the move. "Let's Dance"
Spoiler
Within the middle of the great city, within the loft of a tall tower, we come to one of the younger souls of our little corner, Kiddeadpool. Or as so many know him to be as KDP. Brash, impulsive, and brazen, the normally mild-mannered denizens of the corner quickly came to know him as a person who wasn't afraid at all to get into the face of others. Yet he did not do this simply for the sake of intimidation, but rather he does so in the defiance of what he believes is right. Reckless in some points, and reserved in others, I can imagine that he sits quite comfortably in the corner of his home to write. Accompanied by the tall back of a stiff, but comfortable chair draped in intricate wooden ingrains and blackened leather, some could say that he looks akin to a diabolical supervillain when he writes. With a debonair smirk, he writes his descriptive passages with a distinguishable confidence. His writing tool of choice is that of a paintbrush draped in black upon papyrus or canvas. To which every single letter is written with the same kind of passion one would find when wielding a sword.
Words from Mischeif/Trouble/Fiesty-Pants/The Hawk's Eye
Dew sat in his little office cubicle, staring listlessly at the many holo screens that inundated his workspace that lit gloomy atmosphere with their characteristic blue tinged light. He counted exactly five hours, twenty five minutes, four seconds and, so milliseconds until he could get back home and start on that raid. Information for the raid had been expensive, as had been the preparation. However if his guild could pull it off, the payoff would be tremendous, and perhaps even enter the big leagues.
Thats all he wanted really, to elevate his guild, the Gordian Knot into a pro guild. It would allow him to finally quit this dratted job of his, money wouldn’t be an issue. He sighed and decided to take a small break. Switching on the news, there was a big debate over 696, some new virus that was spotted in the wilderness of the internet. Of Course rumors had clearly blown the damn thing out of proportion, since it was impossible for code to exhibit ‘magical’ effects. Hence it was definitely impossible for code to cause someone to disappear..
He snorted derisively at their far fetched claims and shut down the display. He decided that it was time for a small break, and the best way to enjoy a break was of course inside the game. He took out the Simulator from his backpack, it was a simple black orb, with a thin cord wrapped around it. Unwinding the cord he plugged it into a small port behind his ear. Instantly the device whirred into life and within a few seconds he had already warped into the game.
He spawned on the top of a large hill, all around him he could see similar hills as far as the eye could see. All of them were covered by the same blue green grass. To his east was a large forest, whose edge glimmered with the raw magic exuded by the trees within. Dew was of course smiling broadly, the game always made him do that. He stood for a few moments to let the ambiance soak in.
In fact he would have continued to do the same, if it wasnt for the searing flash that suddenly cut past his cheek. He turned around as fast as his bulky armor would let him, his rather humongous shield at the ready. It was of course a manticore, red and bristling with spines. Its emerald feline eyes regarding him with some measure of intelligence.
However, it was then that he felt something was wrong, he could feel liquid drip down the side of his cheek, and that searing feeling wasn’t stopping. It took him a few minutes to realize what was happening. He was bleeding. He was also feeling pain. Both supposedly totatly impossible in the game. He then began to feel something that he hadn’t felt in that in the game, ever.Fear. Something was very wrong.
He spoke aloud “System Command, Log Out”, however nothing happened. The usual pillar of golden light that erupted from the heavens never appeared…….
It had been a week of horror, a week of despair. The last of the survivors were cooped up in the tower that had served as the home of the guild Gordian Knot. It served as the command center for the last territory held by the Players. In better days times the Hopes Gambit had been called the Junction Bazaar, but now it had lost much of its sheen none of the neon lights glowed and all the vendors had disappeared.
Right after the Incident, the Shadow had erupted from the innards of the labyrinth. Relm by relm it made its way towards Junction City, turning each it another flavor of the Helmrealm. The Players might have been able to fend it off, if not for its most horrible price. Those killed by the forces of the shadow, did not return, instead they became corrupted, immensely powerful beasts, yet retaining their intelligence sans their humanity. The Players had begun calling them the Revenant.
Their every loss made the Shadow stronger, and so now after days of intense war the Players stand upon their last stretch of uncorrupted land…..
OOC:
Tell me what happened during these seven days, and how you finally ended up in the Hopes Gambit. Use this time to form up ties with each other, I want everyone to be at least acquainted with everyone...
Things had been going crazy. For one, game pain was real pain. And Robin couldn't log out. It was almost a shame. Almost. The fact was that Robin had always wished he could live in a video game world. They were always so much more interesting than real life, and Codex Regius had the best one yet. In game worlds you slayed dragons, or rode dragons, or fought armies and saved the world. In real life you got chased by loan sharks, couldn't afford food and had people planning to tear down your house for a shopping center. The only real problem with being in the game was that people seemed to be dying for real. People on his friends list had been dropping like flies. It was tragic, his admirers were becoming fewer and fewer.
After promptly putting a few bullets in the back of a newbies head Reaver had managed to learn that you did, in fact, respawn if you died at the hands of other players. That was valuable information to have. Worst case scenario he figured he might even be able to get himself killed by a player in order to teleport to a spawn point, and away from the encroaching darkness. He valued the information so much that he gifted the young player, by way of an apology, a trophy that he'd found in his inventory. Apparently he'd won some duelling contest or something? No matter. The newbie had believed it was valuable though, and went away happy. Most likely he didn't realize why Reaver had shot him, he probably wouldn't have been so happy if he had known.
As the darkness had come closer and closer Reaver had decided it was time to make a tactical retreat. He'd fled the Valiantrelm in as dignified a manner as possible, which, sadly, wasn't all that possible. He'd ran away at full speed through the icy mountain passes. At one point he did pull off a standing-up slide all the way down a rather steep, and dangerously high, mountain slope though. So he figured that more than made up for the rest of the display.
Eventually he'd encountered other travellers. Travellers that, on any other day, he would have robbed blind, because they had a very fancy vehicle. It would have been like winning the jackpot. But, instead of attempting a robbery, he had chosen to talk his way into hitching a ride with them. Eventually, after sweet talking a few more groups into letting him come with them, he had found his way to Hopes Gambit. A place that was seeming more and more like the only safe place left as time went on. All he could do now was practice his shooting and wait for the incoming storm. He'd been putting on a few shooting displays around Hopes Gambit in an effort to pass the time and make a few friends. He had met a lot of interesting characters and some of the mactually seemed competent too. Hopefully they'd be able to help him survive when the time comes.
Inventory Health Potion Highwayman's Hammer [Extended Edition] ~ Blacksmiths have their hammers. The highwaymen have their own version. Of course, it's more of a pistol. But whatever. Bullets fired from the extended edition explode once they pierce their target.
Type: Gun Level: 10 Attributes:
Penetration: 6 Aftershock: 4
Sithrelm Silken Scarf ~ A top-quality thin white scarf from the mystical Sithrelms. Crafted by top celebrity Fae fashionista DAVE, all in capital letters, and enchanted with the Fae magics. The wearer will gain Fae-like reflexes and awareness to danger. He named the scarf Felicity. Rumour has it that the scarf has a sister out there somewhere, Reaver is determined to one day find it.
Somehow, somehow the team had managed to accomplish the impossible. Despite the sloppy teamwork at the start, and a few fatal errors Fay made during the course of the fight, the team emerged victorious. The evil Ice Knight Helzor lay dead under fay's little feet, his body slowly disintegrating into bits of information returning to the very world. The quest was complete, and the team was somehow still intact.
After a short celebration, the team returned to the city and reported back to Cassandra. Having finished dividing the loots and rewards, they disbanded and wen their separate ways. For Fay, the tension was enough for the day, and it would be the time for her to log out. To her surprise, however, she was denied the ability to log out from the game. She tried the voice command, the hand gesture, and even the holographic control panel; none of them worked.
She.. No. They were stuck.
Lv. 22
| Location: Geltwez
\\Birth of a Reaper
It had been two days since Fay was trapped inside the game. Teamed with Itano, she had ventured into the wild to learn more about the situation at hand. There seemed to be a few changes in the system since the incident happened. And none of them seemed to be a good one. For a starter, wounds are now a pretty serious thing. Receiving an attack no longer stops at ticklish sensation on the afflicted area; it causes real pain, and when the damage is heavy enough, real damage to the body. The conjecture the two arrived at was pretty grim: death is a pretty real thing in the game now.
Thankfully, that conclusion was wrong. A few unfortunate people who died on the hands (or should we say claws?) of the mobs around the town seemed to be reviving just fine in the cathedral. Of course, the sensation of dying scarred them quite a bit; but that was beside the point. Death is not permanent, and that is a very good news, given the situation they were in at that moment. At least they were not in some sort of sick death game that only appears in Light Novels and whatnot.
Or so they thought.Just a few hours later, the pair received quite the peculiar news. Some people went to a raid and went missing. For some reason, their names were greyed off in their friends' friend list; meaning that they have been logged out from the game. Have they managed to find a way to log out from the game safely? Could there be a log out portal somewhere near their quest ground?
The answer they were given, were quite literally a thing of nightmare. The people that went missing suddenly appeared at the city gates, and something was terribly wrong with them. Their bodies were deformed beyond recognition, and they seemed to have lost the ability to recognize their former friends. Without hesitation, they raised their arms against the people who were waiting for their return. The normal players, confused and disoriented, were late to retaliate. Some of them fell to their former friends in just seconds. And those that do, quickly turned into another beast, and started hunting the living even more.
Some of the more adept ones quickly formed strike forces to contain the beasts' invasion, but with so many people dying and turning into more monsters, it did not take long for them to get eliminated. As a result, whatever remaining players fell into despair and scurried all over the town in panic. Some barricaded themselves within inns and guild buildings; some decided to bet their chances at running away from the town. The town, as a whole, was plunged into a complete and utter Dystopia.
People with a level head on their neck, people like Itano, had taken to themselves the task of organizing evacuations to minimize the loss. For Fay, however, this was not a path she could choose; she was neither charismatic nor convincing enough to rally people under her, and was generally unsuitable for a leading role. Outpowered and outnumbered by the beasts, and unfit to help with evacuation, there was only one thing left for her to do.
Using speed and stealth as her weapon, she scoured the city for survivors. She was intent on saving them, no matter how detestable the method is. And thus, for the ones that can no longer escape the beasts, she delivered the comfort of a swift death. One by one, she assassinated players who were unfortunate enough not to escape the beasts on time.
By the time she was finished, her black aura, the stigma she received as a sinner who killed other players, were thick enough to make her look like the shadow herself. And that day, a rumor of a grim reaper with shining red-blue eyes began to spread.
Lv. 30
| Location: Junction City, Hopes Gambit
\\ The Final Stand
It had been another five days since the fall of Geltwez. News from around the relms had shown that the shadows, as the game's lore call it, had expanded its reach to incredible extent. If the informants were correct, about the only habitable land for the surviving players, is this; the Junction City, the last uncorrupted land. In this land, people from various relms gathered in a final stand against the shadow.
Amongst them, walked a small-framed lady in an Oni Mask. Her whole person was covered in a black kimono, as if she were attending a funeral. These, along with the unfriendly vibe she exuded, had made people want to avoid her the best they could. Which is a good thing for her, considering that she was indeed the infamous mass murderer: the Grim Reaper of Geltwez.
A few turns to secluded alleyways later, Fay reached her destination: the rendezvous point with her estranged brother who had now gained a fame as a resistance group leader.
"It's been a while, brother. You seemed to have grown a lot while I am gone," she greeted her brother as she removed her mask, revealing the unique eye color underneath. "How are things going at your end? Found a way to counter the shadows yet?"
OOC Info:
Spoiler
I took deliberations with what happened during the seven days in Geltwez. In case you are wondering, this post is sanctioned by Jod, so please don't chew my ass out for making a very self-centered event like this >.<
A few things to note:
Thanks to her wanted status, Fay is currently under a disguise. People who are not in her friend list would not be able to get her name, so they won't know she's the infamous mass murderer.
The oni mask hides her black aura, but also suppresses her stat when equipped.
Fay's current appearance (the long hair is a wig):
Spoiler
Current Stats:
Spoiler
Level: 30 Race: Human
Class/Role: Assassin - Burst DPS
Abilities:
Craft of Death [4] - Increases the effectiveness of the Assassin's class-specific skills. Also reduces side effects from skills.
Flash Step [7] - A sudden, tremendous burst of speed. May cause disorientation upon usage, slowing reaction time until the user recovers.
Assassinate [9] - Deals massive damage when attacking enemies undetected.
Presence Concealment [7] - Allows the Assassin to move undetected once a certain amount of time is passed without initiating an attack, or after moving out of enemy’s sight.
Perfect Breathing [2] - Increases stamina and stamina regeneration. Also reduces the stamina needed to execute skills.
Sharpness [9] - Increases weapon damage and accuracy. Also allows the Assassin to dexterously use either hands.
Natural Agility [7] - Increased movement speed and reflex.
Inventory:
Rhaplanca EX [ Lv. 10 | Damage: 5 | Penetration: 2 | Accuracy: 3 ] - Rhaplanca that has been upgraded to have longer reach.
Red Drape [ Lv. 10 | Constitution: 5 | Natural Agility: 5 ] - Deep red overcoat that somehow makes the wearer faster.
Oni Mask [ Lv. ? | Aura Suppression | Stats Suppression ] - A mask Fay retrieved from the dead body of a rather high-leveled player.
Ever since she joined Codex Relius, Jeanne was competitive player, rather too much for her own good, she would always find players to challenge, but there was something "missing", while in this game she could be anyone she wanted, the thing is that it didn't feel real, no matter if she was shot in the head, she would always come back afterwards unscaled, It felt 'unreal' in her perspective, It reduced the overall 'fun'. Even though CR was supposed to be a virtual world, this was Jeanne's escape as Victorie from the chains of falseness and appearances. Her own mad reasoning was the product of her resentment of her Real life, and 'Victorie" was the answer to it.
Until that day happened.
For some reason, Victorie couldn't log off and return to the real world, and there were rumors of players disappearing as well. So she made a bet with a player on her friends's list. It was more or less a duel, the loser would be killed so they would confirm the rumors by themselves. This player was a marksman just as Victorie so she took this as a fun challenge. But unlike her previous fights, she felt something different as she was shot in her left arm, a sensation not even a spoiled girl like her Real Life counterpart felt, it was Pain. Unlike the ticklish sensation she felt before, this was one, that didn't exactly hindered her, but rather, raised her enthusiasm.
Something she never felt before, something that raised her adrenaline, something that made her realize fear of death...something that made her enjoy this game even more!.
Even though she was wounded, she severely crippled the other player, his face of regret, after realizing there was something wrong with the game, and experiencing a giant amount of pain, begged for mercy. Victoire stood before him, and with a grin revealing her pointed teeth, said the following
"*pant* You lose...you die"
She shot him without mercy, and checked her Friends list, his name was crossed grey. She waited for him to reappear, as soon as he did, he was frozen, dying now wasn't as handy as before, at least he didn't disappear. Something odd was indeed happening with the game, she couldn't return either, she was trapped in this virtual world...or rather that is what everyone would think
"Hahaha..."
I am...I am...
"I am...Free!"..."Free, Free, Hahaha I am Free!" she laughed in front of the dead player's corpse for a couple of minutes, realizing she was separated from the Real world completely, not caring or bothering by the dark aura that was slighty surging from her body as she killed a player for the first time.
Deformed bodies were appearing in towns, they belonged to the missing players, but instead of acting normally, they attacked players who were alive, those who fell against them turned as well, almost like a disease, targetting the weaker cells and then spreading. No matter how many Victorie shot, they kept appearing. The first days she was, alongside other players, trying to fight them back, but as their number kept reducing, and theirs increasing, Victorie had to retreat, while moving by herself wasn't a problem, she had limits, if she continued to move by herself, she would find herself surrounded and killed, their numbers was increasing that hastily after all. She heard rumours of the surviving players to be grouping in Hopes Gambit, but who would travel with her that foolishly? She still had that darkish aura around her, while it was fading, it was still able to be noticed. So instead of asking, she threatened a ride of travelers. While in the normal circumstances she would be threated as a fool, in a game where a bullet to the head would be real, they were scared to take their chances, so they allowed her to be hidden on the ride while they reached the common destination.
Once she made it out to Hopes Gambit, her aura completely vanished, allowing her to enter without suspicion. Once inside she wandered the place, and sat near a small plaza.
*click*
"Hehehe"
*click*
She was there, checking the conditions of her guns and reloading them. Patiently waiting for anything to happen. Or anyone to address her.
*click*
Edited by Insane Soul, 27 October 2014 - 03:12 PM.
It was a grand comedy of getting knocked around, far too many yeti like monsters, dodging traps and overall breaking an army while opening up with a large amount of combined fire but in the end, they managed to succeed and Bullet had gotten her hands on a massive haul of drops. She’d already burned through some to get her brand new bodysuit and up her gun’s badass quotient but when she gained a few levels she had plans for the rest of these lovely treasure. So many plans.
And of course because her luck was that grand, this was the time that work reared its ugly head in the worst possible way; an error stopping logouts? Joy. And where were the troubleshooters to fix this mess or send out an announcement? She brought up the support page to send a report and a stray stone from the ruins fell on her head, smarting a bit.
..wait……..
-
Revelations and Relocations
Okay, so far she knew that no one could log out, and for some reason that she didn’t want to dwell on because she didn’t like where her thoughts were headed, people could feel actual pain. That wasn’t supposed to be possible, there were a multitude of safeguards, both in the game itself and in the virtual hardware to prevent that from being possible, but so it was, she could believe that a sufficiently skilled hacker might manage to theoretically pull that off and prevent them from removing the virtual devices.
But there were some things that even that explanation didn’t cover. It was one thing to allow pain when a device that uplinked to your brain was involved, it even explained her ability to feel other sensations by the same means, but it was another to be able to bleed, bruise, to see a fully anatomically correct body beneath the armour. She knew that the game was meant to be realistic, but unlike most people here, she knew damn well that it was never coded to be quite that realistic. Literally, the coding didn’t exist for it to be that realistic. It was truly impossible.
Unless, unless…. And she was back to the train of thought that she did not like at all.
She’d also learned about the new rules in effect. The game operated mostly as before; death was more of an annoyance – although the sensation of dying couldn’t be pleasant to most. Hell, when some panicky clown went and stabbed her, she got to feel first hand just how much it sucked to get stabbed in the heart.
Not a pleasant feeling at all. If she didn’t want to get back to a city in the first place, she was quite sure that she’d have devoted far too much time to killing that particular person a few times. She needed information, and where better than Stellarelm?
-
Things quickly went from bad to worse. The shadow, that bit of the game there for the story had decided to become an actual threat. And as a few players learned the hard way, when that thing killed you, you didn’t come back right. All of this she gleaned from the panicking players in the city, while she was occupying herself with some fast planning. However this happened, whether hacker or an event she couldn’t ever explain, this was happening now and as a part of the team who made this game, she had responsibility to at least try to fix it. She could worry about the aftereffects later.
Stellarelm was her brainchild, her playground, and she found this to be the kind of situation worth abusing the hell out of that knowledge for. A few short quests, and one long ongoing one later, she’d managed to turn the city -at least as far as the npc's went - into a fortress, the mechanical defences able to at least try to fend off the shadows with no risk of anyone’s lives. It was actually working too; sure by themselves they weren't exactly the best but between the city’s guards, the capable guilds about, the rest of players getting their acts together and working as a unit, and everyone getting themselves one teleporting device to the safety of the city square, they were making actual headway. She could tell that this wouldn’t last forever though; not when the guards were destroyed a bit faster than they could be built, not when the drops and materials she needed to keep up with the demand of new armours, weapons, consumables were running out. The latter was especially concerning; she had no illusions that the bulk of the effort was on the players fighting and when they ran out of items to keep it up, sooner or later......
There were reasons that she disliked being considered one of the important people at times; It was far too heavy, the weight of expectation of her shoulders, even when she managed to find the few other scientists within the city, she was the only one who had the sheer levels to make the best stuff; the others helped but in the end, she was the last stop. Really, she didn't know how the rest of them handled that kind of pressure so well, but then having a guild filled with high levels acting as the main offense was a hell of a morale boost. Heh, under better circumstances she’d be giddy at how much attention her class was getting now, seeing the players getting mobbed for help and support but this wasn’t a simple game anymore, and the genuine desperation added a bitter taste to everything.
…And now she was itching for a cup of coffee. Bloody hell.
-
Things had gotten thoroughly desperate now. The shadow was surely gaining ground and she was basically running on empty. More than a few times she’d had to resort to using energy she really didn't have to throw someone back into the city before a shadow got them. The Firewall guild was getting beaten back and players were getting picked off one by one, each one sending a bit of pain through her - she'd run out of means to make more of those warp chips without some more drops, even as the bursts of energy in her Overdrive let her keep things running just a bit longer. She had a plan though; she knew full well that Stellarelm couldn’t hold out for much longer, but at the least she could ensure that they didn’t have a terminator style situation when the place got overrun.
It was simple but hopefully effective; a system lock on everything set to trigger after one last action, one with the combined skill of every capable person left and a limit break on her end. She couldn’t know whether or not any shadowed player had the skills needed to break an encryption that high ranked; she had no idea if becoming part of that thing meant that they still gained levels, but best case scenario, the only way any bit of tech here was becoming usable was with the access code. Worst case, it would at least stall them for a bit. As the timer started to countdown, she flipped one last switch, sending a broadcast to the city while she was at it - and she thanked the player who let her borrow his loudspeaker once again. Channelwide broadcasts were a handy thing; more than enough people sent out warnings about the shadows and where was safe, along with news of shadows and player movement (so many player killers, but knowing about what happened if the shadows got you, death by player was likely an attempt to save lives. She’d done it enough herself) so she knew where to send everyone now.
[Attention all, Stellarelm is about to fall. With this the only safe haven left is Junction City. Prepare for a city warp.]
Her last bit of work; a limit break to throw the entire city population across in a mass warp. It sounded reasonable enough. Holding back a yawn (but when was the last time she slept?) she activated the familiar skill and the world shifted.
-
Not sleeping might not have been the best idea, as necessary as it was. The others all moved out to try to find friends and whatever else met their fancy, which let her collapse against a wall. She had no real need to move right now; she at least was sure that the players she’d met before in her ruins expedition were fine with them in her friend’s list and as bad as it was, the others were just more lost souls in a growing tragedy. She could be a bit selfish at least until she recovered.
Lazily slumbering by day, and wreaking havoc at night is none other than the Demoness that goes by the name Darkoda. Trickster and troublemaker alike, she is that which goes bump in the night. Toys in the shadows and plays on your fears to her advantage. Though usually her mischief is harmless, she is not a poltergeist you wish to enrage or gain disfavor from. With a brilliant smile and cat-like pupils set upon crimson irises, the pale silver of her hair just might be the only thing that might give away her location whenever she is setting up her next prank or ploy. Slumbering within the "haunted" grounds beneath the castle, her fitful dreams are ones of great splendor, wonder, and imagination. Dreams of the places she wishes she could go, if she weren't bound to the confines of the castle. A place where she was chained to by the words of the last Emperor, a descendant of her mother, Amaterasu herself. So reviled by this punishment, she became the trickster we all know and love today. Often during the night, the scratching that haunts Hime's dreams are that of Darkoda's claws, inscribing for us her hopes upon the castle wall.
Needless to say, this most certainly had not been her favorite week.
Being one of those who could take flight to the air, she had been on a continual bombardment of the shadows that had been gaining ground on Stellarealm. From on high, she continued to rain absolutely hellish destruction to buy those who could not defend themselves to the point of exhaustion. Working side by side with Bullet, the wee dragoness had been continuing onward to the point of exhaustion. Many a time she had been forced to not only drive back the shadows with her flames, but at the same time she was forced to pluck terrified and hopelessly outnumbered players back from the maw of destruction and corruption.
Not only this, but she had been keeping an eye on her favorites list, doing her best to insure that none she had worked closely alongside with would perish to such hopelessly cruel programming. Doing whatever she could, even in spite of the pain, was all that mattered.
So the moment that Bullet sent out the warning for a mass evacuation telephone from Stellarealm, the Dragoness whispered back sharply in kind: "There are some that are still outside the portal's range! I have to retrieve them!" Swooping just out of the mass teleport's range herself, Teysa dove in on a group of adventurers who were far worse for wear. Over the horrific sounds that the Shadows created, the roar of a dragon drowned them out entirely as hellfire rained in from above. Landing hard, one abomination that had gotten too close to the overwhelmed number was plucked up and promptly torn apart by her teeth as her tail swept about and drove them back.
Buying precious moments, her words hastily reached the others in a simple, but stressed command.
"ON MY BACK, NOW! ALL OF YOU. AND THAT INCLUDES YOU, MARCELLUS."
His stubbornness would only be matched by her own as a claw then plucked him up and placed him on her back. With a single flap of her great wings, hurricane-force winds drove the abominations back and bought her enough time to take off. Leaving the screeching horrors enviously calling for her blood from the ground the cold not escape, her gaze looked over her shoulder to the gathered masses. At least in this moment, she could manage a slight sense of morbid humor.
"Ksssshhhh. Welcome aboard uh......Teysa Airlines on our service to Junction City. Our flight travel time will be approximately...uh....six hours from the war front to our last sanctuary. Our cruising altitude will....uh....approximately be twenty....uh....thousand feet and for your own safety...uh....grasp tightly onto a scale; snatching people out of midair is tricky and if we prevent that, all...uh....you have to look forward to is a pleasant flight. Thank you for your uh....business and partaking in uh.....Teysa the Fantabulous Airlines!"
A few morbid chuckles at her mild attempt at humor aside, she stole a glance at that pesky Wyrmborn rival of hers to insure he was allright.
Six agonizing hours later, Teysa dove towards Junction city and left the quiet and cold beauty of the skies to land hard in front of Bullet. Collapsing herself from the exhaustion of such a long flight into her humanoid form, she crumpled against the wall to look up at the engineer with little more than weariness in her eyes.
"Sorry about being late....but can I take a breather? Carrying fifteen people is a pain."
Edited by Feisty-Pants, 29 October 2014 - 03:19 PM.
Me, according to a Hero:
Spoiler
Now at last we come full circle, back to the hand whose graceful motions first began these tales. Our travels have taken us through town and tower, past glade and garden, through the mists of time and to all manner of locale, but we come to their end in the modern era. Specifically, we come to a loft apartment overlooking the Champs d'Elysees in Paris, France, wherein resides Trouble herself. Some would call her temptress, others know her as charming minx, but nobody dares deny that the lady is possessed of great beauty. As she sits at her writing desk with a fine tipped pen and ink well at hand, a city breeze enters through the nearby open window. The wind causes her raven-colored hair to stir briefly in it before resuming its cascades down to her shoulders, where it briefly touches the angled straps of the midnight blue dress that adorns her well-defined form. With a gentle sip from the thin-mouthed glass of champagne that accompanies her forays onto the pages, she turns her brilliant emerald eyes back to the swirling words she has already put into place. Before she continues on, she checks over her work to ensure that no detail is left unknown, no letter out of its place. For in her passages, as in the mystic runes with which she channels the primordial forces of the world, each stroke is vital and no variance is tolerated. Content with what she has written, the sorceress lays down her writing instrument and makes her way to the balcony. With a breath of the evening air and a wave of her hand, the only decision that remains is what spells she shall weave this night.
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