OOC: This is the thread for posts out of character and in character by people watching or participating and my arena or if you are just dropping by. This thread is similar to Krede's Cafe, for those of you familiar with that thread. It's essentially a tavern within the arena where characters can meet up and discuss things and roleplay whatever they wish. The tavern is ran by an arcanaloth/winged elf hybrid, he appears similar to a black-furred werewolf in hybrid form with great black wings. :OOC
BIC: As you walk through the wooden doorway of the glowing almost black wooden building, you see a black winged werewolf appearing being dressed in leather armor and black silken robes adorned with a rapier around his waist. He barks, no pun intended, to unseen beings in the kitchen. He himself is cleaning glasses and flashes a smile at you as you enter. He speaks in a deep but kind voice, "Welcome to the Taverne Cycine, I am Cycine, the owner of this place. The arena is right next door if you wish to participate, there is a discount for the combatants on yer food and drink. Take a seat, order a drink, and enjoy the matches." He gestures towards a large window taking up almost all of the side wall and overlooking the arena below.
EDIT: Added the Back Room.
"Cycine, is it? I'll have one of your . . . second strongest."
I want to get drunk, not die. It'd be too embarrassing to be killed outside of battle.
"Make that the strongest thing an above average, but sub-divine human could handle."
My friend here has just won us the battle! I'm buying the drinks tonight!
Before long his oddly charismatic manner has won him several drinking friends, and he sits up at the bar chatting amiably with the hordes of demonic drinkers.
"Here ya go, its called an Ugly Mount, a drink from Carceri. For yer own good, chase it with that water there. That should hit the spot for ya." His planar cant accent and vocabulary is slowly starting to show.
OOC: As you drink this drink it goes down your throat in a firey trail from the cinnamon being seperated from the water. Chase it with the rest of the water in the glass to make sure you dont get burned, then use the other glass to make sure the fire's drowned good. :OOC
BIC: Cycine shakes his head and smiles at Gideon, "Aye now he knows how to party for sure." He then snaps his fingers and has a teifling bring some wine and a key to the man requesting them. Cycine shouts to the man, "Room 209 is all yers."
Bar keep I'll have one of your wines please if you have any.
"You! I thought I'd killed you, you demonic b*^@#!"
"Hey, everybody."
The dragon exits and flies away, as Septimus sits down on a corner table and pulls out a deck of cards. He puts the deck in the center of the table.
This could be interesting . . .
"Tell me, Wizard: what is the game?"
"I'll be having the best thing you got as far as drinks that is. Or I'll just take a Death Rides Goristroi."
She turns in her seat looking at the door as the tall man in the trench coat walks in, and watches him with a smile. She chugs the rest of her drink and sets her glass back on the bar.
BIC: A shirtless man wearing a brown leather trenchcoat and jeans and smoking a cigar walks into the bar, his black hair is messy and his face is bristly and its obvious he hasnt shaved in a week or two, his chest is hairy and ripped. He sees the red headed woman across the room and flashes a smile at her.
He stops behind a sullen looking elf drinking a mug of ale and lays a large hand on his shoulder and looks him dead in the eye as he reaches over and takes the elf's drink. He makes a disgusted face after drinking the beverage and spits it out then smashes the mug over the elf's head and walks towards the firey haired woman pushing another patron out of his way.
He speaks in a deep almost growling voice, "Hey babe when d'you get here?"
With a smile she takes Triggers Cigar and puts it out on the top of her hand with making only a slight, hardly noticeable, face at the pain.
"Darling, you know better then to smoke around me. You have seen what happens when I get the urge to play with fire and you smoking started that last time."
She gets another drink like the first and tells the bar keep to add them onto Aya's tab. She then closes her eyes in concentration and makes a small hand gesture then opens her eyes again.
"Sorry Trigger, had to let my big sis know I was here."
Zartha then looks in the direction of Arik. She gives him a stern look then her expression changes to a look of enjoyment.
Arik, Death is just a minor in convince for me. She then gives a small snicker. [i]Besides you have already bested me once lets not have another problem with it again. I think you should just set aside our problems. I will even show you my true form[/i]
Zartha then changes into an extraordinarily beautiful demonic female human. Her wings shake for a little bit then curl up behind her long wavy brown hair. She wears her black dragon armor. She blows a kiss in Arik’s direction. She then redirects her attention to Gideon.
Is your hospitality also extended to me or is it only for those that did not lose? Hmm...
Wow...she looks a lot better when she's not a 7-year old...I could really get to like this place.
Gideon returns to his drink, trying hard to keep his eyes off Zartha, but failing miserably.
OOC: This is interesting. I never knew Gideon had a thing for demon women...
Steropes waks to Gideons table and says:"Greatings and well met, gnome. I've heard that you are making mithrilr hand for your self. Is ot true?"
OOC: See, I myself often get confused about Gideon's race. Are you a Gnome or a Human?:OOC
BIC:"Do not try to charm me demoness. It can only end badly. Do what you will with the others, even Gideon, but leave me out of your games."
BIC:
Gideon (slightly drunk by now) looks up from his tankard to answer Steropes. His words are slightly slurred, but understandable.
Y-y-y-yes-sh my fr-friend, you are cor-r-r-rect. I feel that a lit-t-tle more forsh is needed here, and I don't wan ta have to live through losh-ing another arm. Do you h-ha-have any idea how painful that ish? Why d-do you ash-k?
That’s nice of you to say but that’s even nicer of you to think about me. Your making me blush.
Zartha then takes notice of the man talking to Gideon. She gives Steropes a small smile.
Hello there, are you friends with Gideon and may I ask your name good sir?
"What the hell, might as well."
Arik draws a card.
W-wha sor'ta g-g-go-gol-em are y-you w-w-worrrrking on? Caus-s-s I'm allll-wayssss r-rea-re-dy to...
With his face a picture of drunken bliss, Gideon slips slowly sideways off his stool, hitting the ground with a gentle thud. A few minutes later he wakes up, looking horribly hung-over, and pulls out a small syringe, which he plunges into his leg. After a short delay, he sits bolt upright, all traces of his hangover gone. Every action seems to be fast and jerky. When he next speaks, his voice is fast and barely in control.
Sorry-about-that-but-I-was-trying-to-keep-my-stimulant-addiction-under-control.
Artificer's-like-me-tend-to-work-through-nights-so-I-take-it-so-stay-awake-to-continue-my-experiments.
In-high-enough-concentrations-I-stay-awake-for-hours.
Unfortunately-I-think-its-addictive---I-need-it-at-regular-intervals-to-function-properly.
Drinking-helps-to-keep-the-cravings-under-control---but-I-stay-drunk-if-I-don't-have-it.
Normally-this-would-be-fatal---but-I-seem-to-have-a-high-tolerance-for-the-depressant/stimulant-shift.
Anyway-what-was-this-about...
Gideon shakes himself, and seems to recover his initial demeanor.
About a new golem?
OOC: Yeah, Gideon was originally a bit of an addict. He smokes and drinks, and he goes without sleep enough to have to rely on stimulants (mainly concentrated caffeine). His mind also thinks faster than his body moves, so he has developed special drugs simply to keep up with himself. Don't mind his bizzare habits. He's harmless (except to himself...When I played him, I tended to fail a lot of saves against drunkeness etc.)
"Uh-oh, not good. Do you have anything that can counter Slow?"
Overlord Dratis:
"Aaaah ha ha ha ha!! Zartha! There you are! Do you know how long it took me to find you? Wile you’ve been gone the castle has become a mess! With you gone who is going to clean or do the dishes? I leave you for one minute and you go off and play with your friends.
Now are you coming back or not?"
Zartha sudden turns back at the sound of the voice of the man that just entered because she as heard that voice before. She stands sudden on her feet and her wings spread out as an expression of anger appears on her face.
What are you doing here! I though I got away from you your stupidity. Also I am not your vassal. I left your service a while a go. You can make your own plots now. Plus even when I was there you castle was a mess.
“That was because you were a lousy vassal, besides your just being lazy. Even if you weren’t one can’t just stop being my vassal it is a life long commitment. Aaaahhhh ha ha ha ha!!!!!! Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
(Dratis then clenches his hand into a tight fist, bolts of energy crackle off his had with anticipation.)
BIC: Theres a bit of commotion from the crowd below, Anyone may look out the window to see whats going on outside in the arena by clicking the spoiler below.
Looking out the window
Sorcen: A tall man wearing a shredded and tattered blue button up shirt and similar shredded and tattered gray jeans walks in a determined manner into the arena. He wears a hockey mask over his half rotted face and weilds a battleworn machete with mutliple knicks in the blade and his entire body is covered in blood stains. Through the holes in his attire, it is evident that he is rotten all over and the smell of rotting flesh surrounds him.
He spies his opponent entering the arena as well and stares at him unerringly as he begins to advance upon the chainsaw wielding maniac. This is Jason Voorhees and he is awake and ready to spill some blood.
Fetus: A large hulking man wanders into the arena, slouching and holding a chainsaw. His face seems to be a mask of other people's faces sown together, he wears a black business suit complete with a tie and a blood-stained apron and cowboy boots. He holds in his hands a large custom built chainsaw covered in blood and various gore. He sees his rotted opponent and squeels like a pig and starts his chainsaw. Once the chainsaw is started, he charges Jason with another wild squeel of insane glee and the chainsaw held high. This is Drayton Sawyer Jr., AKA- Leatherface, he has mysteriously wandered far from his home in Texas and is out for blood and a new face as always.
Sorcen: Jason keeps his slow determined walk towards his charging opponent and readies his machete for a swing at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatheface sees the arm ready to strike him with a machete and aims for it with his wildly swinging chainsaw. The chainsaw bites flesh and sends rotted meat chunks flying, covering Drayton in rotted gore and cold blood.
Sorcen: Jason doesnt even blink as the chainsaw tears flesh off his arm, but leaves his arm attached and intact, and then bites deeply into his ribcage. He continues his swing at his assailant and misses due to the odd position of Leatherface attacking him. He reaches over with his other arm and grabs Leatherface by his shoulder and throws him to send him tumbling across the arena floor. Leatherface's chainsaw lands beside him and sputters but is still running.
Fetus: Leatherface squeels and scrambles to his feet grabbing his chainsaw on the way. He appears to be angry and swings his chainsaw wildly at the machete wielding psycho.
Sorcen: Jason walks quickly towards his opponent as he is gathering his footing. Jason swings his machete at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatherface manages to get his chainsaw up in time and the machete meets the quickly moving blade of the chainsaw. Sparks fly as the two large men try to overpower each other. Suddenly, Leatherface shifts his great weight and the moving blade of the chainsaw sends Jason's machete flying across the arena to stick into a wall with a resounding clang. Leatherface swings his chainsaw lightly at Jason.
Sorcen: Jason watches his blade disappear from his grasp and barely dodges the chainsaw coming at him. The rotted man turns back towards Leatherface and punches him in the chest with a glancing blow. With his opponent knocked back slightly, Jason walks adamantly to retrieve his wall residing blade.
Fetus: Leatherface recovers quickly from the blow and runs at Jason as he turns his back. Leatherface tries to stab Jason in the spine with the chainsaw but misses his mark and stabs through Jason's side flinging the stinking rotten flesh in all directions.
Sorcen: Jason turns and jerks the still running chainsaw out of Leatherface's hands. Jason grabs Leatherface by his shoulders and throws him, sending him crashing into a wall and breaking through it partially. Jason pulls the chainsaw out of the gaping hole in his back and proceeds to walk towards Leatherface after a moment of figuring out how to work the contraption.
Fetus: Incidentally, Leatherface landed beside a sledge hammer. He lifts the hammer and gets to his feet just in time to strike Jason in the side and smash him against the wall with an audible cracking of bones.
Sorcen: Jason seems unphased by this attack and cracks his bones back into place as he climbs out of the dent in the wall he was just smashed in to. He grips the chainsaw again and swings it at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatherface dodges the deadly swing of the chainsaw and uses the momentum of the dodge to swing the hammer around with great force. The swing hits Jason in the arm and sends him rolling across the ground some 20 feet away.
Sorcen: Again, Jason gets up unphased and snaps his bones back into place. He advances towards Leatherface in his infamous walk and swings teh chainsaw again. He manages to tear some of Leatherface's flesh off his leg with that attack.
Fetus: Leatherface squeels at the pain from the chainsaw biting into his leg and swings his hammer again at Jason's chest.
Sorcen: Jason catches the hammer with one hand and throws Leatherface through the wall and tumbling into the basement of the bar. Jason follows Leatherface in and grabs his machete on the way through. The two can be heard smashing glass and other various objects and the patrons of the bar get quite curious as to what is going on down there.
He spies his opponent entering the arena as well and stares at him unerringly as he begins to advance upon the chainsaw wielding maniac. This is Jason Voorhees and he is awake and ready to spill some blood.
Fetus: A large hulking man wanders into the arena, slouching and holding a chainsaw. His face seems to be a mask of other people's faces sown together, he wears a black business suit complete with a tie and a blood-stained apron and cowboy boots. He holds in his hands a large custom built chainsaw covered in blood and various gore. He sees his rotted opponent and squeels like a pig and starts his chainsaw. Once the chainsaw is started, he charges Jason with another wild squeel of insane glee and the chainsaw held high. This is Drayton Sawyer Jr., AKA- Leatherface, he has mysteriously wandered far from his home in Texas and is out for blood and a new face as always.
Sorcen: Jason keeps his slow determined walk towards his charging opponent and readies his machete for a swing at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatheface sees the arm ready to strike him with a machete and aims for it with his wildly swinging chainsaw. The chainsaw bites flesh and sends rotted meat chunks flying, covering Drayton in rotted gore and cold blood.
Sorcen: Jason doesnt even blink as the chainsaw tears flesh off his arm, but leaves his arm attached and intact, and then bites deeply into his ribcage. He continues his swing at his assailant and misses due to the odd position of Leatherface attacking him. He reaches over with his other arm and grabs Leatherface by his shoulder and throws him to send him tumbling across the arena floor. Leatherface's chainsaw lands beside him and sputters but is still running.
Fetus: Leatherface squeels and scrambles to his feet grabbing his chainsaw on the way. He appears to be angry and swings his chainsaw wildly at the machete wielding psycho.
Sorcen: Jason walks quickly towards his opponent as he is gathering his footing. Jason swings his machete at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatherface manages to get his chainsaw up in time and the machete meets the quickly moving blade of the chainsaw. Sparks fly as the two large men try to overpower each other. Suddenly, Leatherface shifts his great weight and the moving blade of the chainsaw sends Jason's machete flying across the arena to stick into a wall with a resounding clang. Leatherface swings his chainsaw lightly at Jason.
Sorcen: Jason watches his blade disappear from his grasp and barely dodges the chainsaw coming at him. The rotted man turns back towards Leatherface and punches him in the chest with a glancing blow. With his opponent knocked back slightly, Jason walks adamantly to retrieve his wall residing blade.
Fetus: Leatherface recovers quickly from the blow and runs at Jason as he turns his back. Leatherface tries to stab Jason in the spine with the chainsaw but misses his mark and stabs through Jason's side flinging the stinking rotten flesh in all directions.
Sorcen: Jason turns and jerks the still running chainsaw out of Leatherface's hands. Jason grabs Leatherface by his shoulders and throws him, sending him crashing into a wall and breaking through it partially. Jason pulls the chainsaw out of the gaping hole in his back and proceeds to walk towards Leatherface after a moment of figuring out how to work the contraption.
Fetus: Incidentally, Leatherface landed beside a sledge hammer. He lifts the hammer and gets to his feet just in time to strike Jason in the side and smash him against the wall with an audible cracking of bones.
Sorcen: Jason seems unphased by this attack and cracks his bones back into place as he climbs out of the dent in the wall he was just smashed in to. He grips the chainsaw again and swings it at Leatherface.
Fetus: Leatherface dodges the deadly swing of the chainsaw and uses the momentum of the dodge to swing the hammer around with great force. The swing hits Jason in the arm and sends him rolling across the ground some 20 feet away.
Sorcen: Again, Jason gets up unphased and snaps his bones back into place. He advances towards Leatherface in his infamous walk and swings teh chainsaw again. He manages to tear some of Leatherface's flesh off his leg with that attack.
Fetus: Leatherface squeels at the pain from the chainsaw biting into his leg and swings his hammer again at Jason's chest.
Sorcen: Jason catches the hammer with one hand and throws Leatherface through the wall and tumbling into the basement of the bar. Jason follows Leatherface in and grabs his machete on the way through. The two can be heard smashing glass and other various objects and the patrons of the bar get quite curious as to what is going on down there.
BIC: Dratis calm down there is no point to get in a fight. I was just using you the whole time I was in your service. Now just sit down and have a drink your ego is nothing to waste alcohol over.
Zartha then hears the crowd out side and looks out the window to see whats going on.
Well look at those to freak show out their. They are sure going to cause a mess down there. Hmm, well who cares. Bar keep I will have more wine.
Steropes, platinum isn't an optimum Golem material. It looks impressive, but when you figure in stress, temprature, damage, weight, energy, mass, speed, cost...
As he talks, he pushes his notebook over the bar.
I assume you understand. The drawbacks significantly outweigh the benefits. Now a blend of mithril and adamantine...fast, lightweight, strong...that could work.
BIC: A stench of rotted flesh rises from the basement and seems to be getting closer, suddenly the door to the basement flies apart and shatters to splinters. Jason was apparently thrown through said door and is getting back to his feet as Leatherface charges him with the chainsaw but Jason strikes teh charging opponent with the flat of his machete blade.
The two murderers seem to realize the many potential victims of the tavern and seem to have delighted expressions beneath their masks. Leatherface tears through a hapless elf drowning his sorrows away in some bub with his chainsaw, just as Jason is hacking away at a fiendish dwarf trying his best to fight back with his remaining arm and now stump of a leg.
Trigger looks at Jinx and steps in front of her preparing to protect her, even though he knows she can fight for herself, but the masked murderers stay occupied with their current prey for the moment.
Cycine looks uninterested at the masked figures smashing up his bar, "Bah I was gonna fix that door but I'll wait, else it'll jus get smashed again."
"Inselent fools! You there in the masks! Crawl back into the basment you came from or you will have an Overlord from the Abyss to deal with! " Obviously angered by the lack of attention he is getting, an aura of pure energy engulfs him and an insane smile crosses his face
"Aaaahhhhh ha ha ha ha!!!!! Zartha! no mater how many freinds you bring in you can never exape your fate!"
(Oviously he thinks these intuders are here to help Zartha in some way)
"Now your freids will suffer for their Isolence Zartha!"Dratis holds out his had, a swirling vortex of energy creates around his hand an enormus ball of energy wich he points at the intuders
"Disappear!" he yells as he sends the ball of energy hurrling in their general direction
Leatherface squeels like a pig as he swings his chainsaw madly at the overlord.
Jason merely walks with that detremined pace towards Dratis and readies his machete for a mighty swing.
"Parden me if i make this quick"
Dratis seeming to take only one step forward but with blinding speed apears behind Leatherface. With one fluid motion draws his sword from his heath and slashes apearing in front of him. He then sheaths his sword again and says."You faild" Sudenly you all reolize that it wasn't mearly one slash but somewere above twenty cuts all placed with remackable accuracy all in the most vital of areas.
Jason arrives within striking range at that same moment and his machete comes down on Dratis just as the chainsaw comes at the overlord too.
Jason's regeneration has taken effect and all of his previous wounds have healed up to their original rotted flesh state.
Well this looks like fun. Hey Dratis it’s been a while since we have done this. Lets bring back some old moves. Combination attack lets see which one. Lets go with Dragon Breaker
Zartha waits for Dratis to move in to position. When Dratis gets to his spot she moves her hands in a fast motion for casting then she releases to what seems to be a thousand of daggers. When the daggers hit there target then each dagger explodes into a raw eengery and force.
"WHAT?!?! The Shadow didn't work?! But the Shadow always works!!!!"
Noticing Zartha again"Oh ya"Dratis punches his fists together releasing mass amounts of energy. A large demonic symble apears on the floor around him. From the seven points of the pentagram 7 dragons made of pure energy rise. "Bite the dust!" yells Dratis as he points in the direction of the intuders at the same time the daggers rise up from Zartha
Jason continues to advance towards the overlord and the demoness and readies his machete to cut off a the closest limb he can get to.
Leatherface gets up and pours salt in his wounds with another squeel. The wounds stop bleeding and he readies his chainsaw to strike those people with the pretty faces that he could use for a new mask.
OOC: If anyone remembers what I said about this face-off (bad pun intended), you'll know who this is/based off of...
Leatherface squeels and flails wildly, still swinging his running chainsaw, trying to get the assailant off his back.
The figure gets up, and pulls back the hood of his overcoat to reveal a bald pallid white-grey face. The only other really distinctive features are a long scar down his chin, and a pair of hate-twisted eyes, as he gestures in challenge to Leatherface...
OOC: I realised Leatherface really is no match for a Nomak-esque character...but I couldn't think of a reason for a (Uber)vampire to fight what is effectively a walking corpse outside of self-defense.
BIC: Leatherface continues his swong at Nomak and tries, likely unsuccessfully, to overpower him.
Jinx drapes her arms over her protector's shoulders slightly hugging him, "You scared I'm gunna get hurt or something?" She smiles and watches the murderers fight. "I say we should double team em, I don't really feel like fighting maniacs."
She waits for Trigger to act and attack the closest freak, she already has a spell picked out for both of them. She sees him thinking and reads his mind to find out what spell to prepare first. Noting that it is Jason, she brings the spell to mind to make sure it's ready to use.
Trigger looks over his shoulder slightly at Jinx and smiles at her comment, "Yeh double teaming em sounds good ta me." Trigger tackles Jason before he can do any further harm and as Trigger's body collides with Jason's rotted body, Trigger grows three long claws and his body is covered in adamantine plating (combing the powers of Wolverine and Colossus). The two bodies collide and tumble across the floor ending with Trigger landing on his feet and holding Jason's body up in the air on his claws and rushing to the nearest wall to impale Jason against it. Jason is pinned to the wall and Trigger looks back at Jinx to she if she is ready to let loose her spell. Jason's machete clangs uselessly against the adamantine plating covering Trigger's body.
As Trigger attacks and pins Jason, Jinx closes her eyes and mentally chants a spell to relocate Jason. She then suddenly opens her eyes, after a few movements of her hands, and looks at Jason through black eyes as she speaks the word "Carceri" and claps. Jason vanishes for good, until he escapes or is released. "Hope he likes his inmate friends. I know I wont miss his smell." Jinx makes a face and readys for the next to leave, Leatherface.
After Jason is banished, Trigger runs towards Leatherface to tackle him but sees that Nomak (for lack of a better descriptor) has him held in place enough for Jinx to banish him as well.
Jinx looks at Trigger to make sure he's not in the range to be hit by anything, then closes her eyes and mentally chants again but her hands move differently. This time when she opens her eyes they are black once again but she says "Abyss" then claps. Now that both Jason and Leatherface have been sent to other places for awhile, the repairs on the tavern can begin as everyone goes back to what they were doing.
Trigger is that your name then. You have an interesting talent there, I am glad was able to see it. She then gives Trigger a slight smile and looks at Jinx. You make two make a good team. She then looks back to the Dratis. Oh yeah that’s right you are still here aren’t you. Shouldn’t you go home back to where ever that lame castle is of yours because I am not working for you, got it? Don’t you have some other vassals to boss around? I will not return to work until you full fill our agreement what you still have not done yet.
OOC:erehwesle ro ereh...gnikrow taht ees nac i esuac' ?suoireS
Heh heh heh...
"You finally get to kill your craving for one of those."
She smiles at him and takes her drink when they are given to the pair.
"I'm afraid I don't have anything to counter slow. What happens now?"
Gideon turns to Zartha, and pulls out his notepad again.
That was a brilliant move by you and the newcomer. Would you mind repeating it, slowly, so I can analyze it? I think the principle could come in useful for some of my experiments...wait a minute.
He spins around, putting on his salesman personality.
Counter for Slow? No problem. If you're interested, I have scrolls, Boots of Haste, curse breakers...you name it, I'll have it within a week or less, or no cost to you!
That’s nice of you to say that Gideon She then blows him a kiss but I really don’t want to do that move again for I don’t want to work with the loser guy again. I rather dislike doing that move but its powerful move that we perfected other many years. And beside why do you want to see that move again. Is there a reason for it hmm?
Zartha then moves over to Gideon again and sit next to him. She just sits there looking at Gideon in the eyes waiting for his response.
"Awww but Zartha how am I supposed to take out Asmodieous all by my self? I mean I know I’m strong but not quite that strong…
Dratis sits next to Zartha dropping solemnly into his chair. A little annoyed that some show offs took his kill he sits cross armed sulking for a bit.
“Fine you can play with you r little friends for now, but I’m going to stalk you were ever you go to keep an eye on you. Your still my Vassal after all, can’t have my vassals getting into trouble.
.Turns tward Gideon
"Oh yea and bub that move we just used is patented you'll have to pay me copyright fees to copy it"
"I'll pay you whatever it costs for the quickest thing you can give me."
Arik turns back to Septimus after watching the brawl.
"I'm afraid I don't have anything to counter slow. What happens now?"
The illusion Septimus left behind to manage the deck responds.
"Well, you get slowed for 8 rounds the next time you enter combat. For a small fee of 50 gold pieces I'll let my pet dragon deal non-lethal damage to you with his tail."
"Anyone up for a draw? Only 1000 gold pieces, satisfaction guaranteed!"
Jinx looks over to Steropes and smiles thanks, "I doubt I have any exotic spells you would be interested in. They come to me almost instinctively and then I kinda craft em to what I need, plus some of them are remakes of spells from books i have read."
She takes a swollow of her drink Trigger got her and sits contently, looking around.
You can't sell our move you only know how to do your half of the move besides without me you couldn't make moves like that. Also you made a deal with me that you would kill Asmodeus for me and in return I would work for you and do anything you want but now it’s been many years since then and still Asmodeus lives. He will pay for what he did to me.
Zartha then turns away from the man with anger in her tone for a second as she remembers the pain she suffered. She then turns to look at Airk as she heard the part about hitting him so the slow would wear off.
Hey Airk, I will hit you for free so you don't have to pay. HAHa:D
Zartha then turns back to looking at Gideon in the eyes but she now has a smile on her face.
Overlord Dratis:
"You there with the deck thing i will draw card"
Dratis tosses 100pp at him
Ha! Easy enough, Arik. Drink this right before going into battle. It will boost your speed and reflexes. In fact, it should last a few seconds longer than the sloweffect. And, as its a small favor, I'll only ask 10gp. I'm in a good mood.
Steropes, give me the plans for the golem, and I'll get to work for you. I have no price up front, but it won't be small. However, I'll take that metal strengthing spell as part of my payment...
Gideon rises from his seat, walking over to Dratis.
Pay a copyright fee? Not likely. No matter, I'll figure it out soon enough. And taking on Asmodeus? A long shot, don't you think? If you need assistance though...I've had my eye on that rod of his for some time...
As he turns back to his seat, he tosses some gold at Septimus, swipes a card from the table, looks at it, and throws it back to to the mage.
There. What's the Knave of Olidammara mean?
Finally, he returns to his seat, and, after spending a minute drinking quitely, faces Zartha and winks at her rakishly.
Still waiting for me? I thought so. I wanted to see that move for two reasons. Firstly, its a great example of combined summoning magic, and I could use such power for bringing large objects into battle. Secondly, I liked how it looked.
Anyway, I hear you need an arch-devil killed and you don't want a loser like that guy (he points over at Dratis) for a team-mate. Call me. Asmodeus's got something I want.
So you would like to help me take down the scum Asmodeus. Do you have anything in mind that would be able to take him down. Also if you are able to take him down I will work for you for the rest of my life. Anything you would want of me would be yours.
Zartha then gives him a warming smile wrapping her arms around the man
Overlord Dratis:
":headexplo Thats it! i'm ending this right now if you want him dead so bad lets all just go and kill him allready! I alone my not be able to take him out but with a entourage of say 4-6 we could esaly take him on no matter what form he takes this time!
Then this vassal dispute will be over once and for all! :evillaugh Aaaahhhh ha ha ha ha!!!!:evillaughOOC: Hey can some one turn a quest agenst Asmodious into a thread? I would but i don't know enuf about Asmodious to do it... Black End could you do it mabe? Gideon? Any one?
Take him down? I think we could. The hardest part would be getting to him and killing him without destroying the Ruby Rod, which I would very much like to have...let me see...we'd need a strong fighter, our combined magical power, a reliable dispelling device, not, I might add, a problem, and a way of keeping him dead...its difficult, but I think we could do it. We'd have to go the long way, though.
Oh, by the way, what makes you hate him so much?
He calls over to Dratis.
Find me a strong fighter who doesn't rely on magic and I'm with you...but, if I agree to help you, you forfeit your claim to Zartha's eternal obedience. I don't approve of servitude. She will walk free. Understood?
OOC: No easy teleporting into Hell for us. Asmodious will have that avenue blocked off for sure. I think we'd go the long way (and maybe, just maybe, fight through the other 8 lords on our way down, just for good measure. Can I hear a cheer for the new ruling triumvirate of Hell?)
Gideon feels some of his items disappear. A second later, a youth known as Knave of Olidammara appears holding it and then winks away.
"Gideon, you are entitled to a full refund. Please come and claim it when you have the time."
BIC: Zartha pulls Gideon in for an embracing hug. She then kisses him on the cheeks.
Oh, thank you Gideon for helping us in my quest. I shall tell you why I hate the one called Asmodious. I was once a great angel of beauty and intelligence. I was one of the first of my kind for there where not many angels at time of my creation. I fought against the force of evil in the name of good. There where many that hated our kind and wished that we were destroyed. One of these beings was Asmodious but he had a different idea. He captured a group of angels so that he may torture us and experiment on us for his mad ideas. After a very very long time there was a break in Asmodious power and I was able to escape but I was not fully free for my body was gone and all that remained was my soul. My soul was tainted by the dark powers of Asmodious. My mind had been scrambled and shattered. I no longer thought in the way of good. My soul was able to find a body that I could take of control so that I would have a body. That is the body you see know. What I remember after that is going back to the world of angels and them rejecting me for what I am now. I hate Asmodious for making what I am. I am now just a soul that has no true body and no longer able to do good for it pains me to do good. I have so many lost memories from him that my mind is wrapped beyond repair. I am today able to somewhat summon up my angel powers but I would not use them for they cause me so much pain that it reminds me of the torturing but in extreme situation i will use them.
You know, it should be possible to reverse the process. It would take me no little time, but I think I could...let me see...sanctify the wicked, true ressurection, freedom, miracle, wish...if you are willing to take a risk, I think I could accomplish it. You'd end up with your true self back, and maybe you powers as well.
Overlord Dratis:
"Hard to get to the 9th layer? Well for any ordinary group mabie but may i remide, or inform those of you who don't now me I'm an Overlord i controle three layers of the end less Abyss my amys are vast and powerfull
we can use them as a distration like last time right Zartha? We have done this all before it was killing the dude that is the hard part. That stuped fake was annying enuf. Wait
Servitude you know she gets paid right? That is way i was so mad! She has been slaking off on the clock!"For the mather of conquering 9th layer, I'm not interested, but I have apprentice who might be interested. Name is Damota of Bloodroad."
I really don't think it will work but i guess its still worth a try. You also must not speak too many other about the matter only those who are close to you, if Asmodious knows the location of where i am then he will send his servants to attack me. I am only lucky that i got away the first time. He did not know that my body was able to reform. When you are ready Gideon I would like know when this device thing is ready.
OOC: Kheal what you mean by that last part is dice less action right? Also Zartha and Dratis have their own armies. Zartha has large size organization of demon bent on destroying all devils everywhere. Just a note that Zartha has seen Asmodious before in his true form for he tortured her.
OOC: Yes, and no, it will be diceless, but unlike proper D&D where the heroes are meant to ultimately win, I will also be playing to win. Within reason, of course(No gaze of god triggering on entrance to Nessus then...). After all you are in effect planning on facing down one of the oldest/most powerful forms of evil in that multiverse.
And she's seen him... I'll just have to conjure up an image that even an angel can fear then...
Steropes, unless you apprentice is a fighter as well as a mage, he might be more hinderance than help. We have many powerful magics between the three of us already. But four minds are often better than three, so if he is trustworthy, and my companions allow it, he might be welcome.
And Zartha, your concern about spreading to much information is duly noted. Let me remedy that situation.
Gideon draws a small sphere from one of his spacious pockets, and slams it down on the table. A brilliant blue light spreads throughout the entire bar. Customers who had been listening, interested, to the trio's discussion of challenging Asmodeous look blank for a minute, then turn around and resume their normal business.
There. Anything we say of this matter will be erased from the minds of anyone but the three of us and Steropes. And if he reveals the information to anyone without our permission, woe betide him. I for one will pity his tormented soul. Whenever you are ready, I'm willing to begin our venture. It promises to be a quest heralded in song for centuries to come, even if we fail.
"Sorry there bud, but I don't let any spell effect me or Trigger unless it's a welcomed one or I'm in battle, which is rare."
With that she glances at Trigger and smiles, then drinks again.
Trigger perks up at the commotion over a fighter being needed to combat Asmodeus. He talks in a hushed tone to Jinx for a moment then he wanders over to the group of Steropes, Gideon, Dratis, and Zartha. He lights up a cigar as he walks and flips the sides of his trenchcoat back to show off his muscular form. He puffs the cogar a moment then takes it out of his mouth as he nears the group, "I overheard you guys needing a good warrior type to help out in the fight against Asmodeus. I can offer my services if there'll be good pay for it." Trigger pulls a chair over to him with his foot and then sits in it puffing on his cigar and awaiting his answer.
His soul is what you need? His soul sounds like it would taste so good. Zartha then reaches into her belt and pulls two veils. The veils seem to have a slight glow to them even through there seems to be nothing in them. She then opens them then and beings to breathe in its contents. The invisible substance in the veils gives off an aura that seems to be the essence of life that is in all creatures. Zartha then regains her normal charming state. Ah, now that feels better now. You reminded me that I have not eaten in some time now. Oh yeah, Sorry about that. With this body I can’t eat food I can only have drinks. I must eat souls to proved substance. I am ready anytime you are Gideon and Dratis. I will inform my organization about this for they would love to join in this. Steropes if your friend would like join us on our quest. Gideon we shall not fail. We must keep our weapons sharp and our minder sharper. Also Dratis I don’t think its going to be as easy as it was last time. He now knows to be prepared for such an attack on him.
Zartha looks over to Jinx and Trigger. She eyes them both studying them each.
It is hell my friend there is much to be gained. There are the wonderful items in hell, even ones created by Asmodeus like these bracers I wear. They were created by Asmodeus himself as a present to one of his followers but now I have my soul in them. Plus if we do good enough to take all the layers. Off course we would have to kill all the lords and devils there.
So, Zartha, do we raise our little band to five? He looks capable enough. No more than 5 though. I don't want to sacrifice all stealth. Weapons sharp will not be a problem. I can handle that. Minds...that could be more difficult. We'll have to hope our comrades have the mental abilities.
Now, if you'll kindly excuse me, I have things to prepare, and a restoration machine to build. When you are ready to depart, meet me at my laboratory. Gather everything and anything you might possibly need. I can make things on the way, but our progress will be slowed.
Dratis...those armies of yours...if I were to open Gates into hell, how much damage and chaos do you think they could inflict? Enough to distract the Lords long enough for us to at least get a jump on the weaker ones?
Steropes's copy makes a bow and says:"This is no longer my mather, but I'd like the parts of golem BEFORE you go. If you are interested about the scrol you know where to find me." Then Steropes makes his leave.
"My armies are vast and powerfull but I don't quite think they could take on the entire combind foces of hell. Even I know thats doughtfull... I though the plan was to make a distraction at Asmodeouse's place so we could get in and take him out? from there lets decide if we can take on the rest of Hell we don't want to get delutions of grangure here."
Dratis turns to Zartha
"We should leve as soon as possable. I'm sending a message too my generals now."
Dratis constentraits on one if his rings for a second
"Their mobolizing as we speak"
:evillaugh Haahhh ha ha ha ha :evillaugh
And I'll need some discription for the armies involved/compositions, because otherwise I don't know how long they can survive for...
And does Dratis does know about the eighth gate and it's significance, right? (That it is the only way into the ninth layer and all so unless they have the resources to practically buy hell it's unlikely an army will assault Nessus directly without the prior knowledge of the Lord of the Ninth himself by dint of the fact they came by his door...)
He shouts after the retreating Steropes.
Steropes, drop by my lab. Before I leave, you'll have your golems.
"Taking one layer might be doable but even atempting a second would drain my resorsces from my own relms so, that i would be risking invation from anoner Demon lord or even another Overlord then I'd been in deep poo
"Dratis that why I will give quick command to your army. You yourself know that I am a better commander. The memories of past battles help me know how to plan. I will have my organization help direct your armies so that they will be able to be more effective. She then walks over to Gideon and gives him a kiss on his cheek and says Gideon I am ready to move anytime you are. Also I would love to help you in your lab for I am very intellectual and have many connections.
OOC: Zartha’s army is a decent size group of assassins that where all personally trained at one point by Zartha herself. They are trained in the art of war, stealth and how to kill devils in the most effective way. They all have extreme hatred towards devil and know how to kill them fast and effectively. They are equipped with the weapons to destroy devils do.
Zartha know almost everything about hell (which I personally don’t know much about I know a lot about Asmodeus). She knows everything there is to know about Asmodeus because she remembers everything from when she was captured and to present time because she has “dreams of what Asmodeus is doing at the present.
Zartha, if you want to join me, I could use some assistance. We have a lot to prepare!
OOC: Khael, whenever you want to start a thread, please go ahead. I'd recommend saying up front not to post if you're not involved, and put a link to the OOC thread so people can join the tournament if they want.
The copy of Steropes has all ready sit back to his table and drinks his wine
That's almost the idea. We send in Dratis's army to distract them, and then strike, taking out as many of the lords as possible as we aim for the ninth layer. Asmodeous has wards against planar travel, or our journey would be much shorter, so this way is probably our most efficient.
"Gideon i have a job for you"
i am in possesion of one of theses objects they are called dragon balls if you collect all seven of these dragon balls the last of the most powerful race of dragon shall arise called shenron the dragon shall grant you one wish now what i need you for is craft a device to find the dragon balls if you help me i shall let you have the first wish i shall simply wait a year before getting my wish what do you say?
ooc it would be great if someone could DM it will be role playing still butwe need some on to make enemys and plot pweeze anyone can join in
"multiple people are searching for the dragon balls right now one is the R&R army aswell as a band of people known as the z fighters and some people orderd by a man called freiza and his brother cooler and his father king cold
OOC: Sorry if that seems nasty, just what Gideon would say. No hard feelings.
Anyway, for the other four participants (Zartha, Trigger, Dratis, and Damotha), Khael's thread is up. It's located Here.http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=10431704#post10431704
Damothan makes his leave.
ooc pweze dont take fun out of thisooc
OOC: He's not. In D&D terms the aim of DBZ IS totally pathetic. In it's place where it is in-effect a low-magic setting, the aim of getting a wish is a mighty one, but don't believe that means anything to a D&D-based character, epecailly at the type of power level level involved here.
And especially when you yourself use wish a lot in the tournament pratice games. .
"NO!!!"
He then walks over to Jinx and kisses her, knocking her off her feet and bending
her over backwards then he picks her back up and says, "I'm off to kick some ass,
I'll be back later." He then leaves the bar, kicking the door open on his way out.
Cycine just shakes his head and snaps his fingers for someone to clean up the cigar off the floor.
OOC: That pic that threw off the size of the thread is annoying just to let you know. :OOC
Jinx watches as Trigger stomps out his cigar out and shakes her head. As he walks to her he tells him, "You could have waited till you got outside to do that honey."
She squeaks in delight as Trigger kisses her and holds on tight around his neck.
"Ok, just don't get killed. I can heal most of the wounds you get, but I can't
heal the dead. Oh and here,if you need back-up let that feather touch your blood and it will disappear from you and appear in my lap where ever I am so I will know you need me."
She ties a scarlet red feather in Trigger's hair.
"Or you can always open a telepathic link with me and get me that way, I guess it depends on what kinda situation you have gotten yourself into."
She watches as Trigger leaves then turns back to the bar and orders another 8 Hells.
"Well, this looks like I've derived every bit of entertainment I could from it. Better save it for next time."
Septimus sits down at a table and yells to the bartender.
"I'll take anything that boosts stats permanently and some powdered unicorn horn!"
He then picks up a book and reads it while waiting for his order.
OOC: Suddenly I feel like a columbian coke dealer for some reason. :P :OOC
"Give up the charming smile bit there bud, it don't work on me."
She continues looking at him waiting to hear what he has to say about the spells.
"I'm think you have misunderstand what I'm trying to do whit smile. Just trying to get some discount, but any way:about the spells, what spells are you willing to sell exacly? Don't worry about the difficult of the spell, I can copy spell that are impossible to copy by normal people. If you don't care gold, I can teach you so of my creations, like Steropes slayer. What do you say?"
"Thanks, Stereopes!"
Septimus chugs the wine down. He then takes the unicorn horn and eats it to burn off the alcohol.
"May I rent a room? Preferably one in a faster timeline."
Septimus takes the key and goes into his room.
"As I have stated before Mister, I have no spells I can sell you. They naturally come to me as I need them, then I just shape them to what I need if it aint what I was looking for."
She drinks the rest of her drink and looks back at Steropes.
"The way it works, I would have to allow you to intrude into my mind and thoughts to get the spells which is what I will not allow."
"I am also holding another quest for anyone who cares,the last species of its kind a dragon unknown has been calculated by my cartogrepher/communications man paragus has located its layer it currently on its own plane and I require that It is slain fo my own reason the hoard that has been told to dwarf the hoard of any other dragon will be split among particapants though I get the dragons body"
"So, what else is going on?"
He then casts a spell that lets him hear all that's been said while he was gone.
"Well, I can't go with you, but I know someone who can. You want me to call him up for you?"
"When do we start?"
BIC: A huge, bloodstained and battle-weary Tarrasque rips open a gaping hole in the front of the bar. Slowly, it begins to sprout patches of white and black fur and shrink. Its wounds also begin to cover themselves with new fibers and skin. At the end of this, all that is before you is a normal looking panda.
This would've been a lot easier if I had just been taken...I didn't want to have to fight so many demons just to get here. Regardless...
The panda simply sits there, taking a quick survey around the room. After a quick sweep, he looks puzzled and asks:
I'm looking for a man named Gideon Gideonson. Have any of you seen him around? Oh, and barkeep, I'll have just a pot of hot water.
With the wave of his hand, a tea plant grows out of the floor. He takes some of the leaves and grinds them up to put in the water.
Gideon, I think you're losing your touch. If it was you and me down there, we would've been done by now...
Septimus resummons the illusion he puts in his place. The illusion whispers all it overheard to the panda.
OOC: I just realized that the cloaked figure's special ability may be too powerful. Is the equivalent of a small nuclear bomb impact okay for this quest?
Note the fact he's leaving currently... But small nuke is a tad overboard. A very much widened whirlwind of teeth would also have that effect, probably count about lvl 9 anyway, but wouldn't have been as dramatic...
OOC: I'm guessing you're referring to the nine hells quest right?
Note the fact he's leaving currently... But small nuke is a tad overboard. A very much widened whirlwind of teeth would also have that effect, probably count about lvl 9 anyway, but wouldn't have been as dramatic...
Actually, I meant the other quest, with the unique dragon and whatnot. And it's not really a nuke, that's just the destructive power comparison.
She speaks, her voice melodious and muisical, "This the arena bar in Hell, or should I get a re-fund on my plane-shift?"
She smiles winningly.
BIC: Cycine looks at the woman coming into the bar. "Aye lass you've arrived at the Taverne Cycine located conveniently within Sorcen's arena all within the lil ole plane called Baator."
She walks in a bit more and sets one leg on a chair, leaning her arms against it.
"Dragon? Slay? There's gotta be gold in this."
She walks up to the speaker.
"Syra Kravon, at your service. You need a dragon offed?"
bic Names turlus*shakes hands* me you and someone who works for septmusthe hoard will be divided
"So, what's the wyrm been up to? Pillagin', death, destruction and the like? You got a cutter or a basher with ya for support? I'm not exactly the meatiest person out there, you see."
Cycine smiles and materializes a sheet of parchment, "Here ya go, sign up on this and it'll be taken to Sorcen and he'll set a match up for you. What can I get ya to drink. ...Oh and I know someone who may be interested in this dragon quest." (AKA- an NPC since I'll be DMing it.)
He speaks a word and waits. Suddenly one of the humans in a chain collar with tattered clothes washing dishes, doubles over in pain and out of one of the still-bleeding whiplashes on his back comes an alien looking being with six arms and a beaked mouth, his skin is a white coloration and he wears blood red robes.
"I've been waiting forever to do this. Are the fights to the death, or do we bloody 'em up and turn 'em loose?"
She shifts a bit, and then you notice something.
This woman has NO SHADOW.
The spellweaver in red robes bows to Turlus, "My name is Makalonian, but please do call me Makal (pronounced Michael). My friend Cycine here tells me of a quest to slay some dragon, is this where I sign up for it." He pulls a small needle with one of his lower hands from a pocket of his robes.
"And what would that be for?"
The wary tone fades from Syra's voice, and she goes back to her normal, friendly self.
"Syra Kavon, at your service. I'm here to test my skills, and apparantly someone wants a dragon knifed repeatedly."
She extends her hand to shake, and once again you notice that the woman casts no shadow herself. Not even her clothes cast any sort of shadow, no matter how faint.
The cloaked figure turns in the direction of teh shadowless woman.
She materializes a knife and plays with it. She throws in down into the floor stabbing straight in then retrieves the knife and repeats the motion a few times. She watches as the bar floor heals itself and the cuts vanish. Then she returns to playing with it at the bar.
((HINT. HIIIIIIIIIIIIINT))
BIC: Makal shrugs, "Perhaps, I havent signed up for it but I may in the future." He turns to Cycine, "I'll have a bub of blood, put it on my tab."
Cycine passes him a mug of bubbling dark red liquid, "Yeh yeh I figured you'd ask sooner or later. When exactly do you plan to pay that tab."
Makal shrugs with his lowest arms and grabs the mug with his middle hands and passes it to his highest right arm, "Hopefully after this quest I'll have some extra money for you." He takes a drink of his mug.
Barkeep...I'm just gonna...sleep in this corner...I hope you don't mind...
After saying this, Revlis begins to snore loudly.
"Well, well, well."
She subtly moves her hand ((JUST her hand)), and Revlis's shadow leaps from him, standing upright.
((Just so you know, when your shadow starts moving about, you can FEEL it. It's like you plunged your whole body into the water in Stygia. It's COLD))
GRRRRRRAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!
That. Wasn't. Funny. I just got back from a fight where my body was torn to smithereens. I'd like to sleep. If you want to fight me, give me a few hours. I'm not as spry as I was back in the day.
She twitches a finger, and the shadow melds with Revlis, bringing the cold again. Yet, strangely, it also makes him feel better.
((Its the equivalent of a Heal spell. She can do it once per day, per person's shadow))
Revlis's shadow re-appears where it should be.
"Better?"
Syra looks up.
"I'm comin' to off your dragon, don't you worry. We got any bashers with us to round out our merry little trip?"
She shifts, twitching her pinky finger ((Gonna be REALLY hard to notice that))
Makal raises his hand, "I'm with you on the dragon quest but the lady does bring up a good point. We need a fighter type for this quest to succeed."
Makal nods his head slightly, "Well then, we have our basher. We'll meet in a room over near Gideon's Laboratory just outside the bar and around the corner."
OOC: I was thinking Turlus would be our fighter. I'll start the new thread momentarily, we'll likely have to wait for Septimus to get on tomorrow afternoon. Keep in mind that your characters are in two places at once, Kaizer and Gareth your's is about to be. Also Gareth you may start your match in the IC thread if you have an opponent. Last I checked your opponent was either Gideon or Tyrion.
EDIT: The clone is what I had in mind too Kaizer, cool.
Heres a link to the new thread: Kaizer's Dragon Quest
"Barkeep! Give me the biggest bottle of Scurrd you have! I need something really tough to make me forget my loss."
Her shadow cannot use her Shadowguard ability.
Her shadow is destroyed for 24 hours by exposure to extremly bright, magical light.
Her shadow is unable to think independant of Syra, and therefore any mental attack on it is an attack on her.
Her shadow may turn incorporeal at will.
Sound good?))
BIC: The spellweaver turns into pure blood and splashes on the floor, oddly enough there is no stain left on teh floor where he landed.
Cycine motions for a bone devil waiter to fill the cornugon's order.
((Which, of course, means that THIS was Syra's shadow. MUAHAHAHAHA))
"Well, you already know me."
"I am Darshg The Reaper, a former 13-time heavyweight champion in 5 different worlds, Including Danaroth, Aldronos, Abeir-Toril, Feroneus and Cormalgon. I already know who you are, Steropes of the Realms, for I have travelled throughout the planes of Multiverse."
The cornugon pours the hellish alcohol to his huge mug. He drinks most of it with one gulp.
"Ahh... It's so good to once again taste the most hideous alcoholic drink ever created. It's so very rare substance back in the worlds of the material plane, but here it's plentiful."
Wait the beer is free right?" 
Socks leaves a firey trail as the shear speed he moves burns a hole in the floor. "bar keep what can you give to a monk down on his luck?:D"Alright, who's the new basher? I swear, turn my back for one measly minute and all kinds of new people walk in."
She smiles her winning smile.
"Uhhh....hey buddy...you got some sake?"
He sits at his barstool, looking around and taking in his new surroundings.
to the person who can tell me what game that is from) Socks ears purk up at the word sake an Sock looks twards Revlis
"Well some one here understands whats good i'll take the best Sake you got... the hole jar, room temp perfliby." Socks sits Indian style on the barstool and takes a long dink form the jug of Sake. he then spins the barstool around. "Ok so if this is a bar why aren't we partying!
finaly taking notis of Syra "Basher? Who me?" Socks jumps up form his seat and gets a close look over of Syra. "Wait don't tell me your one of thoughs magic user types" as Socks gets close to you feal any magic in the area fade, your magic idems start to dull, and your any magic effects around you fade. Though an arua of peace and good also suround him witch is strang for some one in a hellish batle area.Cycine then looks down at his list of names and hollers out an announcement, "Sorcen has informed me that Socks is up for a match and should report to the arena."
OOC: I finally found it! I'm so retarded! I couldn't find the bar for the longest time, then I saw the link in Sorcen's sig...:OOC
Nobunaga takes a large swig of his sake and continues his observation of the area. He takes note of the sleeping panda in the corner.
"Somehow, that's actually the strangest thing I've seen here so far..."
Revlis finally awakens from his slumber, yawns, and stares directly at the iaijutsu master.
May I ask what you're looking at, swordsman?
Nobunaga's traditionally calm expression is temporarily broken before resuming to his normal face.
"Whoa...this is some great sake..."
He crashes down onto a seat, pulling a small gem from his belt. He then turns to the rest of the patrons, and says "'ello there everyone, I was told I should hop over here and introduce myself to the rest of the plane. The name's skraal weaselheart, knight and psion." He grins, "more importantly, I'm the guy who will be buying the lot of you free drinks... That ought to count for something on any plane!" He tosses the gem to the barkeep as payment and says "you go get this lot whatever drink they ask for, they look pretty tired, I bet they need it. Be sure that it's already been payed for.". He sits back and begins to gnaw on some unidentifiable meat and cheese. A frothing mug of ale materializes by his side.
((Gareth probably knows this guy already. To the rest of you, check out gareth's arena(roughly page 35 on) to see what he's like.))
BIC: Cycine catches the gem and closes one eye and looks it over, "Aye good, drinks on Skraal, order up." He snaps his fingers and more various devils come in to play the roles of waiters for the patrons. The devil waiters rush around filling out orders for everyone.
Cycine shouts back to Septimus, "Aye I've heard of it, coming right up fer ya."
"This is the second most delicious drink in the universe, you know. Only Fountain All Heal water tastes better, and it's not for people with low Will Saves."
Septimus drinks the Selena Soco, murmuring with pleasure.
"'Ello everyone, name's Killigan. Kyle Killigan, though ye might know me better as Jagger. Been carving a neat littl' path through arenas for a few years know, though' I might show up 'ere an' see wha' this one 'as to offer."
The man sits down.
"I'm already registered to fight, so's all I'm waitin' for is a brave lad to come up against. Figured I'd lounge about 'ere, get to know the lot of ya."
((Meet Kyle, knife-fighter extraordinaire.))
You did do a good job, however, I've had a lot more experience in the field, so to speak. I've seen things things that would make Asmodeus quake in fear, and fought things that have shaken the universe. I just have been out of action too long, is the thing.
And if I had wanted to kill you, I would've. Trust me. But it wasn't your time. The next time we fight, things will be different.
------------------
Back at his barstool, Nobunaga finishes what remains of his sake. He gets up, looks at the jug, and flinches. The tie on the white bag that he carries is suddenly undone, and the patrons close to him feel a slight rush of air eminating from Nobunaga. Suddenly, the top half of the jug slides off on a diagonal slope on the bottom half, and falls to the floor. Nobunaga grabs the falling piece, and places it back up on the bar counter.
"Is there something to do around here besides drink? I'm kinda bored."
Oh, really? And exactly what weapons would you have used? The way I see it, I can only be "killed" by good or chaotic weapons due to my devilish nature.
"We could 'ave a go at each other, if you like. I could use a good fight, been awhile. Took AGES to get 'ere without resortin' to magic, let me tell ya."
This is my blade. It was granted to me by a force more powerful than you can imagine so that I could fulfill my duty. I have found nothing that it could not stop.
After another moment, the blade disappates back into nothingness.
I didn't want to reveal all my tricks. And that sword is a last, last resort...
--------------------------
Nobunaga looks at the scruffy knife fighter. He begins to laugh to himself for a moment.
"Ha ha! What'd you do, walk? Man, that's funny. The name's Nobunaga, iaijutsu master of the Iron Heart, Diamond Mi-actually, I'm not one for titles."
Nobunaga sits back down on his stool. He sits motionless for a while, until he flinches his left hand. Another jug of sake is in his hand, along with two small cups.
"Join me in a drink until the fight?"
OOC: Okay, so it's you and me next. I'm glad Nobunaga isn't up against a spellcaster first.
"I'd join ya, sure, but I've no money at all, ya see. I've sworn off material possesions besides the clothes on me back and the knives on me waist. And yeah, I 'ad to walk 'ere. Ya can do it, it jus' takes forever."
"Special forging process, my kobold frien'. Can't be breakin' these unless ya happen to be a god o' strength. Would ya?"
"No..don't bother the fiends...remember your Sigil Prep days..."
Then, quite suddenly, he LEAPS from his seat, knives suddenly in hand, stabbing and slashing with both precision and strength.
"Die ya thrice-damned maggot-spawned illegitimate child of a drider prostitute! BACK TO THE PIT THAT SPAWNED YA!"
((Man, I've wanted to do that for awhile. He HATES fiends))
Cycine laughs at the man tearing up the little fiend, the mezzoloth looks to Cycine for help but the arcanaloth only shrugs, "The risks involved with this job were detailed in your contract youngin'."
OOC: I'll just have to advise you not to go too far with that, one or two killings is not really a problem because of their evil nature but if the society is disturbed then action will be taken to restrain the offender. :OOC
"Would you pleace stop that madness over there? I don't like fiend blood on my ropes. IF you must kill them, I succest something that is not so messy. Phantasmal killer whould work."
"And for daggers that can't be destroyed, they can be sented to heart of the material world, and I have a feeling there they whould stay..."
Anyone need a planet blown up?
[b]Blood. Now.[/b]
"Great, some cutter's goin' crazy on a mezzaloth. I came here to STOP fighting for now..."
"I was wondering if you would possess the knowledge of a certain legendary magic item that I am looking for. Say, have you heard of a monster called the RIPPER?"
"That should cool a few tempers."
The spirit of Caben Duur disappears in a swirling torrent of black smoke, reappearing next to the combatants. It bends down and touches the mezzoloth, and blood pools around the fallen fiend. Caben Duur gestures excitedly, and the blood flows up from the ground to be absorbed into his form. Weakened, the fiend crawls only a few paces before collasping from exhaustion and blood loss.
"Aye, uh, sorry 'bout tha'. Me temper go' the bes' o' me. Go' a problem with fiends, I do."
He wipes off his daggers, then re-sheaths them.
"Now, who in bloody 'ell is this, suckin' blood ou' o' dishones' folk?"
Now, who is this mortal who would greet one like me in such a careless manner?[/i]
((Yeah, and he's EXALTED
))[i]Watch your tongue, human, if you wish to keep it. And this is only temporary...soon I will have a new body.[/i]
Kyle sits back down and sips his drink.
"O' course, if'n ya insist on bein' offended, I s'pose an apology can be arranged. Don' see much use fer gettin' angry though."
But you intrigue me...your behavior is...unexpected.[/b]
Caben's shade appears next to Kyle, suddenly and unexpectedly.
[b]This place is full of unusual mortals...I have missed so much...mortals have changed over the centuries.[/b]
He takes another drink.
It would seem you are correct. I must observe you creatures more closely...
"Bit 'ard to learn from observation, but since you can't just up and become mortal, bes' option available to ye. By the way, ye considered ganking the mezzy's body over there? It ain't usin'."
He takes another sip.
"Morals are the kind of thing tha' has intangible benefits. As an intangible spirit, one would think tha' you are in a unique situation to understand them. Now don' be askin' me wha' these benefits are. They're different for everyone. Me morals, me convictions, are what make me strong."
I have spent to long imprisoned...I am thinking oddly.[/i]
Maybe you are right...I will speak to these...no...not now...
Caben Duur lunges foward, engulfing the human and ripping his blood forcefully out of his orifices. Blood flows in torrents, staining the ground.
Run and hide, human! You are angering my...s.....sto.....st......
[b]Stop. You are not wanted now. Leave.[/b]
Caben Duur withdraws, shrinking back from the table. He turns his blank face away from Kyle.
And I am.........sorry.
I will speak to these men.
((On a side note, is anyone having a problem with Kyle's speech?))
BIC:
Arborea? Pleasure? Joy? I know none of these. And you make them sound...like something to be desired. I will find out what you mean. I will leave this realm, until I have found the answers to the question you have awoken within me...
And it is.......words fail me........to know that I have a............
Caben Duur's voice drops to a whisper as his form evaporates and fades.
Friend?
And then he is gone.
"Ya know, as much good as it makes me feel to 'ave shifted the balance o' the multiverse in good's favor, ye'd think he'd ask for directions to Arborea before leavin'."
((Gideon, well done man. I can rest assured that roleplaying does, indeed, exist in a respectable form on the internet.))
As for directions...Caben Duur will find his way...he's just a little confused and not thinking straight...but he'll be back, eventually. Maybe a few days, maybe a week or two. I'll have to see how it goes.
"Aye, ya 'eard righ'. Jus' sign the little paper, and remember tha' the answer to 'Will ya donate yer body to the arena in the even' o' yer death' is always NO."
He takes a sip.
"Name's Kyle, Kyle Killigan. Ya may know me as Jagger if'n ya visit any o' the Materials often."
Nice to meet you Kyle my name is Milerodo Cadderly. Sorry I have not heard the name Jagger before but that’s probably because I have been in tournaments for my entire life. Its just one battle after another. He then gives Kyle a smile and He then signs the sheet and looks back at Kyle. What brings you to the tournament?
As he says this he then motions the bar tender for a drink. When bar tender begins to bring it over to him the air around the cup becomes stonger as the cup then fly over to Milerodo. He then begins to pull his feet in and sits cross legged air the air as the air below him pushes him up.
"I don't think that will be possible, my son. The largest palace in this plane is already owned, and not for sale. But if you would like residence, talk to Lord Sorcen. I'm sure you can reach some agreement.
Turning away from the Saiyan, Bartelemus hobbles over to the bar and sits down at the counter.
Greetings, Cycine. It has been...what?...10 years? I don't drink much anymore...which is a shame, for I miss our talks. Let me see...for old time's sake, I'll have a simple red wine."
He smiles his toothy grin and then turns to the saiyan, "Yep he's right, Sorcen owns the largest palace and the whole plane basically, hes the one to talk to on matters of real estate, although he'll likely refer you to someone else in the real estate department. Its alot to go through to get yer castle, unless of course ya have a few favors ya have owed or something similar."
Well, from what I have gathered, the RIPPER is supposedly a monster of mythical stature. They say that the most powerful adventurers have even killed their own allies to get to the location of the RIPPER. It is said that the monster is guarding the most powerful weapon ever created in the entire multiverse, capable to wipe out even the gods themselves. I intend to find it. All I need is knowledge of which plane is it located.
"Lord Milerodo, Socks is curently locked in combat in the arena he thought i should inform you since you decided to goin us here. Socks sends his usual greatings."
"Finally, I ge' 'o scrap 'roun' 'ere!"
He dashes out of the bar, knives in hand.
"Cycine, a summons from Lord Sorcen might come for me. If it does, would you be so kind as to inform me? I have decided to enter his tournament...yes, it's true. Yes, I know I'm to old. No need to tell me.
But it would be interesting if I still have my edge, would it not?"
"Ah, good, something fun."
He takes a last swig of his sake and calmly strides out of the bar, his white bag in hand.
"Hello, Great Father. What brings you to our cheery level of Hell?"
A look of 'Man, I'm a dumb ass' crosses her face.
"My apologies, Great Father. I'm Syra Kavon, Shadowmancer."
"Great Father? You must be mistaken. I am naught but a humble scribe. But it is good to meet you, Syra Kavon.
But I forget my manners. You asked me what brings me here.
Once, long, long ago, I was a normal scribe living in the village of Brackenwood, on the 45th material plane. In case you didn't know, we number them here. It's much more efficient for my record keeping purposes.
Anyway, one day I was exploring outside of town, looking for a sheep a friend had lost, when I stumbled into a strange, barren area. The sheep was there, so I walked in, but as I turned to leave the world spun around me and I lost consciousness.
When I awoke, I was in hell. I assume some planar transportation effect went awry, but I will never be sure. Luckily, I landed near Lord Sorcen's palace, and he is a kind soul in his own way. Before the devils had time to rip me apart, he had taken me in. And it so happened that he needed a scribe, for one such as he has little time for such menial tasks. Sometimes I think he overworks himself...
But there you have it. I have grown to like it here...Lord Sorcen is a good being, and I enjoy my work. I've learned that books contain a power not unlike magic, if written correctly...my work is uncovering it, and, of course, my scribing duties. But there was a time, long ago, when I was strong. The magic of the written word flowed through me, and the language of the universe was mine to command...I'd like to see if I still remember my skills.
Now, forgive my asking, but what brings you here? And are you by any chance related to Illiane Kavon?"
She sits down, resting her feet on an empty chair.
"Personally, I came here to see if I could find a challenge. The things on Sigil that are strong enough to face me are a bit TOO strong, if ya take my meaning. So I came here to find some equals, and maybe some training. Just recently had a match against one Caben Duur, Blood Magus."
She frowns slightly.
"Wait, you're here to fight? Surely, Great Father, if you are a scribe, you are not suited for battle? You should relax in your elder years, you've undoubtedly earned the rest."
((She's very mindful of her elders
))And Caben Duur?! That name I DO know. You are lucky to have survived! Someone like you shouldn't be fighting something like it!
As for me, I know I'm too old. I should not live in the past. But one last moment of glory before I go to the grave...one last chance to do something invigorating...one last chance to win glory for my lady Aya, and my lord Sorcen...well, I just cannot pass that up.
And I may be a scribe, but you cannot work for centuries amongst Lord Sorcen's tomes and volumes without learning something. I know the universal tongue, I can work magicks...I am not a helpless old man, and my skills are rusty, but my will is still strong. And with enough willpower, almost anything is possible."
"My apologies, Great Father. I should have figured you could waggle your fingers. As for Caben Duur, we couldn't harm each other. Caben is powerless against shadows, and likewise, the chill of darkness cannot touch him, wounds cannot slay him, and the void cannot consume him. We called it a draw. Would you care for a drink?"
And thank you very much, but I do have a drink. Would you like some? It's only red wine, but Cycine's wine is second to none that I know of. I wish I knew his recipe, but that's one of the few things he won't tell me..."
"As for being strong, I'd not go too far with that. Pride goeth before the fall. That said, most find it hard to combat the shadows. And there are many kinds..."
She trails off, an odd expression on her face.
"You seem troubled, child. Can you speak of the problem? I have found that it often helps the mind cope."
He hands her the glass and raises his own to her.
"Drink and enjoy. The best wine Hell has to offer."
"No, I should not trouble others with my own problems. Already, I've troubled you with my own issues, Great Father. My apologies."
She takes another sip.
"That IS good wine."
Despite her protests, you can see the shadows in the room wavering. Syra seems completely unaware of this. You get that particular feeling by the extremely large shadow looming up behind her, bristling with blades of darkness.
"Isn't it? I used to come down here several days a week...those were the da-...DON'T MOVE! AND CLOSE YOUR EYES!"
Bartelemus jumps up, knocks over his chair and his wine, and lands tangled on the floor. Ignoring the pain, he reaches out a hand and light streams from his open palm, engulfing the shadow in brilliant glow, which illuminates the entire bar, almost blinding several of the occupants.
"Gods...that hurt."
Syra Kavon keels over, and collapses on the floor.
((She's alive, but that hurt like all Hell, and she may not stay alive long.))
"What have I done?"
Placing his hands as if he were giving the breath of life, he speaks a few syllables in some foreign tongue, and a gentle white glow seeps from his spread fingers into Syra. Her burns lessen, but do not vanish completely. It appears that some of the burns cannot easily be healed. But the magic seems to work. The elf's eyelids flutter as she slowly regains consciousness, to see Bartelemus kneeling beside her, concern radiating in his wrinkled face. His voice is tearful and he has trouble speaking.
"I'm so sorry...I'm so, so sorry. I saw something about to strike you...will you be alright? Can you speak?"
"My...apologies, for...the inconvienience....Great....Father. I'm...I'm...a...bit...light-sensitive."
She closes her eyes again.
"It seems...my...'gift'...has caught up...to me."
She gives a weak, ironic chuckle.
"How...unfortunate."
"Does that help at all? Again, I am sorry I acted so hastily. I was sure I saw some...some THING behind you. A bristling monstrousity of darkness and blades...what was it?"
"Dear...ol'....Dad. Or...rather, my...memory...of him. As if...he could bother...to get rid of me...himself...when my fears...would kill me...for him."
Groaning, Syra forces herself to sit up, and raises one hand feebly. The shadows in the room wrap around her, leaving the room unnaturally shadowless, but visibly strengthening her. She gets up, weakly, and sits back down.
Wait...did you just say that was you FATHER? What IS he? And why would he kill you?"
She groans slightly and clutches her side.
"Old...wound. Dad...it's difficult to explain."
She raises another hand, and shadows streak through the door, coming, likely, out of the arena outside. You see her further strengthen.
"You get all kinds of people in Sigil. My mother encountered Dad while he was disguised. They met in a bar, and, it seemed, fell for each other. However, she knew something was wrong."
She stops to sip the wine.
"When Kilra discovered his true nature, she was horrified, but, like the finger-waggler she is, did what she could to gain something from it. She struck a deal with him for power. In exchange, he was to beget her with child, and that child would serve him."
"I wasn't too happy about the arrangement. I ran away through the shadows as soon as I could, after my mother sent me to get some milk. I was forty at the time, barely a child ((She's an elf, remember)). Dad's been hunting me ever since, and his ire is great."
She sips the wine again.
"Tell me, are you familiar with Konvinax, Lord of Shadows?"
"The name rings a faint bell, but I do not remember where I read it. Please enlighten me."
OOC: You know, we seem to own this thread. The last two pages have been almost only us...and, although an elf, Syra's still a child to Bartelemus...he's ancient.
Syra levels her most serious glare at the old man.
"He's the would-be ruler of the Plane of Shadow, but he's encountered stiff competition. Some time ago, he got it into is head that control of the Materials would aid his conquest in the Shadow. However, he soon discovered that he cannot manifest in a Material plane unless a solar eclipse is in effect. So, he made me. He's evil beyond mortal capability."
She looks around.
"Then again, that's nothing special in Hell."
Bartelemus suddenly looks thoughtful, remembering something from earlier in the conversation.
And you are afraid of him. Why, if I may be so bold as to ask?"
Her face regains that odd expression, and she stares off into space.
This I know to be true, for in the universal tongue, the one that created existance, light and darkness are the same word: A'tyazuit-aionimura. Remember that. Don't shroud you abilities and perception in a web of your own creation. Illuminate it, and you will triumph. Whether you use light or darkness for this is up to you, but do not rely only on one.
"My apologies, Great Father. The concept just seems so...ridiculous. If they were the same, I wouldn't burn in one, while have power over the other. Likewise, darkness cannot banish light of equal strength. Light always wins ties. I've seen true darkness, Great Father. My shadows have nothing on it, yet even the most feeble light seems stronger."
"I never said it was a simple concept, and I never said one wasn't stronger...i was merely telling you what I know. Light is stronger, but light is only for a time. When it fades, it leaves darkness. Darkness is eternal, light only feeting. And yet they are one. For when you manipulate shadows, and tear them away, do they not leave light behind them? Do you burn when you condense shadows into your creations? No. You can resist it. You are, in a way, controlling the light through your mastery of the shadow. The power that controls one controls the other. You just need to learn how."
"Great Father, I've seen light and darkness. In the world, in the mind..."
"In the soul."
Her shoulders slump, and her posture is one that speaks of long-standing despair.
"I can streatch for it, yearn for it, even look and see its workings. But the moment I touch the light, I get burned. I'm trapped in the shadows, and I can't escape. Ever."
Bartelemus stops abruptly, and stares morosely off into space. It is clear he is also thinking of something depressing.
Syra is silent for a long time, but you can hear her faintly muttering.
"Burned..always burned."
the only way to help his friend is to allow her to fill in the silence herself...
But he can't help reflecting on her last words..."My soul is what frightens me so....burned...always burned..."
They send cold chills running down his spine.
For they remind him of his daughter's fate.
"Hey Cycine dear, can I get another drink? But I'll give you a helping tip, after this one don't give me another or if you do, one that's not so strong. Else everyone in here will end up a crispy critter cause I tend to loose control over some of my powers if I get a lil tipsy."
She smiles a lil and looks a bit dazed from her past drinks and thinks to her self, "Man I gotta control my drinking when Trigger aint around to stop me. He's gunna have a fit when he sees me like this. I guess I can't undo what's done."
Jinx takes her drink and sips on it this time instead of chugging it.
He seems to be snapped back to reality when Jinx speaks, "Aye of course lass, I'll get ya a drink to sober ya up before Trigger gets back so's ya dont be gettin in any trouble." He winks as he says this and slides another 8hells to Jinx.
"Oh hey Cycine bud i need what ever you had up your sleeve to sober me up cause Trigger just summoned me to help them in Hell. I think he would be a lil bugged that I'm toast when he needs me."
She smiles at Cycine, "I'll keep your help in mind and repay you sometime when you yourself need help. Do you think you could hold my drink for when I get back?
"Thanks, well I'll be seeing ya later then."
Jinx stands from her stool and pops the top of the vial and drinks its contents quickly then pockets the vial its self for safe keeping. She then holds the feather and rubs it across the tatoo on the back of her neck. As she's doing this she takes a step forward and disapears leaving a small burnt mark on the floor.
Syra looks up blearily from across the room. You can smell the alchohol, even from where you stand.
"Barkee', 'nother wine pleeeeze."
Syra's been drinking for almost an hour straight, and she does not hold it well. The only reason (you guess) that she remains among the living is her inhenrant ability to stop living at any point. She sways dangerously.
"Cycine, I think she has had enough. If she asks for anything else, make it non-alcoholic, won't you? As a personal favor? I don't want to see her hurt again if I can prevent it.
Actually, maybe something to sober her up would be a good idea."
Syra pitches forward, and falls through her own shadow, hitting her face on the floor below. You can hear the hideous crunch of her nose breaking.
"Ow..."
She now sounds, strangely, sober, if a bit hung over.
"What did I say? Did I not say something like this would happen? You need to be more careful."
His spell does not, however, cure the hangover...
"My apologies, Great Father. I should have restrained myself. Now I'll be hung over for..."
She counts off on her fingers
"Wow, THAT MANY Icegrips. This is gonna take awhile. Again, I apologize for bringing my troubles to you. I appear to have distressed you somehow."
And I apologize for my depression. It's just that your...condition, reminds me of my...someone I once knew."
Syra reaches through a shadow and pulls out a small wooden rod.
"Oops, wrong infinite void."
She tosses it back, then reaches into a different shadow and pulls out a small book and a pencil.
"There we go."
"Yes...my daughter. I had one, once. Now I do not, although she still lives...if you can call it that.
Once, before my arrival here, I had a wonderful wife and daughter...we were happy...life was good. But, life never stays perfect forever.
In our town there was a man whose name I never knew. But he knew the influence I had amongst the elders, and tried to blackmail me...or so I thought. He kidnapped Elana, and demanded that I sway the council certain ways. I told them of the situation, and they relented, allowing many things to happen which should not have been allowed, one of which was the appearance of new churches within our village walls.
The church of Akanos was one of the first. Akanos was a demonic spirit, very similiar to your blood magus foe. How foolish we were to allow such a religion into our town...my blackmailer, I was told later, was a minion of this spirit, and the spirit had chosen my daughter for his vessel. The blackmail was simply to ensure Akanos's arrival close enough to his victim..."
His voice chokes up, and water wells in his eyes, but he holds his tears in, barely.
"We...arrived in time...not to stop the event, but to see...to see..."
He stops, wipes his eyes on his sleeve, and sits in silence for several minutes.
"To see a sight I will never forget as long as I live, even if I were to live forever. My daughter, sprawled naked on the floor...unspeakable things...I will not speak of it...the sacrifices, the blood...and then a black presence, charring her fair skin...her screams of pain...she fell over, and, Gods damn me for eternity, I hoped for her sake she was dead. But she stood up, her ruined body working perfectly. I could see in her eyes that she was still aware of everything that had been done, and everything she was to do. She was helpless."
Bartelemus's frail form shakes with rage...his eyes go wide and he loses all semblence to the kindly old man he is.
[b]"HELPLESS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? SHE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND WAS IN TORMENT!! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT DID TO ME TO HAVE TO SEE THAT? DO YOU THINK ANY FATHER WANTS TO ENDURE THAT PAIN?"[/b]
He collaspes on the counter, his head in this arms, sobbing gently.
"I thought I would set it right. I picked up one of the sacrifical knives from the altar, and, Gods have mercy on my soul, plunged it into her heart. I had to end her suffering.
But the look I recieved...shock, betrayal, pain, despair...all her's, directed at me. Akanos would not let her die...but it would let her suffer...
She, or it I should say, went wild. It killed wantonly, before we finally banished it and its vessel.
It killed my wife, and stole my daughter from me...and she was forced to kill her mother, her friends, and realize what she had become...torn apart...her poor soul..."
"Great Father, if it takes me searching through the infinite numbers of the endless voids, I'll find salvation for your daughter. Her soul will rest in its rightful place, and that spirit will go back to the Abyss where it belongs."
Softly, barely audible, she whispers, "Though I go with it."
"Now, Great Father, let's forget such dark things for a time. We've much better things to do than contemplate despair ((Irony is fun)). How about an elven tune?"
"Never have I met someone so kind to someone they barely know. The world needs more people like you, Syra Kavon.
And your advice is good. I should be able to better control my emotions...and a song would be delightful."
Syra steps onto the table. Clapping her hands to gain attention, she begins lightheartedly, in a growling tongue, and moves full swing into a wild tune full of odd barks and clicking noises. She dances with wild abandon on top of the table, narrowly missing cups and plates.
When she finishes, he applauds loudly.
"That was the best I have seen that song performed in ages! Wonderful! Your pronunciation of the "grwrr'thck" syllable could use a little help, but, considering the difficulty of the language, that was extraordinary. Even the bard of Olidammara didn't sing it better!"
"Gods, don't say that! Last time my family took his name in vain, the Laughing Rogue stole more than our fortune. Jeez. Besides, I'm not *that* good. I just learned from a good teacher. Now, while I WOULD search through several infinite voids for a solution, I have a more effecient tracker. SHADOWGUARD!"
Part of the darkness on Syra steps off, revealing a dark twin.
"My shadowguard will need a few drops of your blood to track your daughter. In the meantime, your records should help us find a weakness for this thing."
((Anyone smell a new quest thread?))
"I hope this suffices. But I fear she may have little blood left to shed...it seemed as if she would survive even if little more than bone...
My records have no mention of this entity beyond that which I have already told you...I know what it is, but not how it came to be, or what forces comprise it...it is an unknown foe, or I would have hunted the multiverse until I found it, and destroyed it for good.
It is so generous of you to help. And I hope that you, to, find the solution to your troubles before to much time has passed. Do not surrender to them on my behalf...keep fighting not only for me, but for yourself."
"SHADOWGUARD, SEEK!"
The shadow absorbs the bottle and streaks off.
"My shadowguard knows no pain, fear, fatigue, despair, or indeed, any emotion whatsoever. If anything can find your daughter and live to report back, it'll be her. Now, where are those records? As you might guess, I'm good at finding secrets."
Bartelemus stands up and beckons for Syra to follow him. He leaves a few pieces of gold on the counter, although he drinks for free. Then he walks out through the bar doors, heading for a large stone building near Sorcen's palace. It is the library, home to his ongoing project, The Chronicles of Sorcen's Baator
OOC: There...we can either assume that they are talking, or go to the chronicles thread if you wish to continue there...hopefully I'll have time over Thanksgiving to get it up and running...
Sorcen wont mind you taking yer time to get there and the clone-type spells seem to be pretty popular around here so ya can be in two places at once."
An imp flies in smoking a cigarette and dragging some dead rats for the gully dwarf. "Ya order some rats Stinky?"
Bring me some water. Ice-cold, if possible. I came just few moments ago. Right here in the corner. Oh, and something to my friend Rockfist who stands outside.
The imp watches with a smirk but has a look of slight surprise when the gully dwarf actually pulls out the staff, he glances down at the blade, "Thats a mighty fine staff ya's have there, that mean ya knows magics, right."
The imp takes his cigarette out his mouth and calls back to Cycine, "Hey, I'm on break boss." Cycine nods and the imp goes back to speaking with the dwarf, "How'd ya like to play a game, Gandy was it?" He materializes some dice in his hand.
Septimus gets up, mildly annoyed.
"There is the reason why he can't come in." He says to the confused waiter. He then turns to Cycine. "By the way, the name is Dralix. Yep, just Dralix, though some just call me 'potion-guy' since I love them potions. Thanks for the water, I need it because I'm photosynthetic."
"Hmm... a stupid wizard... is that even possible?" Dralix mumbles and seems confused by Gandy's words. He then drinks last of the water and stands up.
"Excuse me Cycine, but how much for the refreshments of me and my friend?"
BIC: The waiter comes back with a wooden bucket for the earth elemental and hands it to him. Cycine yells back over there the price for their beverages, a reasonable price of course.
That said, Dralix leaves.
"Barkeep! I need a tankard of Ruemathian Fire Whiskey! And an order of barbecued cockatrice wings. If you don't mind."
Enjoy your sustenance, human. Now...will you answer my question? Or must I delve into your mind?
You intrigue me, mortal. Few spurn my promises...for most would wade through oceans of blood for their innermost desires.
It has been to long since I've walked among the waking. What has mankind become?
"The biggest beef that you have and some strong ale! Quickly, I'm starving! I'm on a trip through the outer planes, so I am not staying for long."
He tosses a small bag with platinium on the counter.
OOC: This guy is not here to fight in the arena, but he may return later... :P
"Ah, finally some food... I was afraid that I would die of starvation... what a horrible way it is to go..."
He proceeds into eating and drinking.
IC: ah wow the fights that have been going on sure our interesting. But they are still.....
OOC: in mid sentence he teleports instantly away! as soon as he does a team of 3 competitors come in the bar. One is a man in dark evil full plate those that emit holy are just disgusted by how evil this man is. Its like a man straight from the center of hell. Another is a young lady dressed in a nice colorful robes. And in the middle is a young very short kid who on his way in was stepped on by the man in full plate. The kid stands up and seems to be unharmed but as he see's you all in the bar he says.
IC: Hello sirs and madams is this where I may compete for this tournament I have been hearing about for so long?
OOC: while the bard is speaking if anyone is looking behind them you also noctice a man that seemed to appear out of nowhere behind them. He is in a ripped up black cloak and has demon wings coming out of his back. You cannot see his face but you can see one glowing rep eye coming from the darkness within his cloak. If you detect his alignment you begin to be disgusted and feel if you were'nt in a public place this man should be slain without mercy.(he has that effect on people)
IC: Umm.....may I have a beer please?
That was a good warm-up match too bad the guy I had to fight had to die. I wonder if Socks has finished his match yet. Milerodo walks over to a table and then moves the chair out of the way so he can float instead of sitting.
Bar keep I have an order of two drinks. Make one not too strong for me and the other a strong drink and don't be slow about it my friend will soon be arriving here.
With that, Bartelemus walks into the bar. Behind him trail a few loose papers, and his eyes reflect some yet unwritten tale.
"Lucky for me Syra was there, wasn't it?"
"Thanks kindly freind!" "SAKE!!!! In a size fit for my apatie! Oh and a good kind too!"
As soon and as one of Cycine's waiters place the jug suted for a huge sized creature on the bar Socks pounces it in a cat like fation. Socks then starts to lap it up at an alarming rate
. He then propubly falls into it about half way throught the drink becuse of the jugs sheer size.(Being fit for a Huge creater.)Socks ears purk up after a second, they shift around checking the sounds in the room. Socks head turns around his eyes sparkle with joy and almost forgeting his drink. "
Milardo! Buddy! You heard of the turnament too?
You probubly still haven't given up using cheating Magic in your fights have you...:D But that doesn' mater your here! That means ... there is another chance to pound your face in...
This time I'm gunna win." Socks's eyes gravitate to the drink next to Milardo ":PYou gunna finish that?
" OOC: Socks is now Blue!!
IC: You dont need a beer now sit down!!
OOC: The man in full plate throws the young kid into a chair where all of his other campanions are sitting.
IC (Kid): ow that hurt......fine Ill just sit here and look at my nice shiny sheild
OOC: The younger Girl looks over and see's the man blow through the wall and the small air elemental mage, she walks over to them and says,
IC: "Have I seen you somewhere before, you seem familiar?"
Thank Io that damn voice left...
[i][color=purple]I did say your RACE, human. Your entire, thoughtless race.
And, for that matter, all the foolish mortals and immortals. They all forget, eventually.[/i][/color]
"Is someone insulting humans again? Why can't we all just agree that humans are the master race?"
And as for you, Voice, if you ain't gonna show, than I see no reason to listen to your mouthin'!!
"Cycine! What did you put in my drink! My head is beeing haunted by soom kind of drunken illusion!
Man this is too weird disimbodied vioces people thinking humans are the superior race
...:headexplo "I need a drink... " Socks swipes both Milardo's drink and the one he bought Socks, and poors them down his throte.
OOC: the kid jumps up with glee.
Septimus laughs, exposing his pearly teeth.
"Nah, I'm just kidding. That would be racism. I just wanted to show you what it was like."
OOC: Its in IC thread #2
"Not a ghost. This is a new spell I invented. It allows me to control different bodies with my conciousness. The trick is that there is only so much reality to go around in me, so the more copies I have, the less real each one is. Since one of me needs to fight right now, this copy and the copy in the potion shop have been set to minimum reality, without tangibility or magical powers."
He remembers the kid asking for a beer, "And would someone get that kid a beer." He whispers to lemure getting the beer for him, "Spike that beer with some liqour, hopefully it'll calm him some."
Socks this time uses the door and atempts to find the arena taking a drink with him:D
"Is someone insulting humans again? Why can't we all just agree that humans are the master race?"
((a question for the CharOps boards, I'm afraid.:P))
The patrons notice a grey robed figure in the corner of the arena area. It cannot have been there earlier, yet it feels as if it was always there, and always will be. There seems to be something within the robe, and swirling shadows and darkness inside hint that there may be, but the image presented is never the same, and sometimes, it it hard to tell if there truly is something in there at all. It glides over, and speaks in a dull, toneless voice. "we have come for he who is known as kyle killigan. Come to the arena.". The apparition gives no further explanation, but simply waits.
"Good bye!"
IC: hey your back! have a seat!
OOC: the man walks to his teamates and takes a seat. The man in dark full plate looks at him and says.
IC: Find anything useful at the shop?
(shadow)IC: no...it was a waste of my time, but I am glad I went.
Till next time my friend.
In the silence, a knock rings out. Once...twice...thrice...and the door explodes inwards in a cloud of splinters. Long wooden slivers, lethal as daggers, fly outwards into the crowded room, and patrons scream in pain as their bleeding bodies fall to the ground. Some do not move again...their blood stains the dirty floor a deep crimson as it drains from their dying bodies.
As the cries of the dying die away, the remaining patrons turn their attention to the shattered doorway. Framed against the hellish light is a tall, imposing figure, its tattered and bloodstained cloak flapping wildly...although there is no wind.
It strides foward, its face shrouded in its dark, bloodstained cloak. Ichor and pus drip from it as it walks, leaving a trail of bloody slime.
As it passes the newly dead, the corpses begin to glow with a gentle radiance. Small green vegatation sprouts from the bleeding dead, enveloping them in a living shroud. Buds grow, and flowers--pure white and flawless--open their beautiful petals.
They contrast starkly against the blood-soaked floor.
And still the figure moves on. It approaches Cycine slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. A wave of pure menace sweeps throughout the tavern, freezing the patrons in their seats with the force of the emotion. Cycine looks up, startled, and stops dead, held fast by the gaze of the hooded apparition before him.
The figure moves in a blur, its cloak flying wildly as it strikes. For a brief second, flesh, bone, and some dripping vegatation are visible, and the smell of rotting flesh fills the air. Then Cycine is lifted bodily off his feet and slammed into the nearest wall, which cracks under the force of the impact. A short, sharp scream is heard, and Cycine's face turns ashen white, and his eyes roll back into his head.
The stranger stands calmly, one arm outstretched...hand deep in Cycine's chest. Blood seeps out from around the wound, which appears to go straight through. The stranger squeezes, and Cycine's limp body spasms, and his breathing begins to fail.
A sickening, organic noise cuts through the still air, and bloodstained vines snake out of Cycine's orifices, crawling over him and pinning him harder against the wall. Thorns rake his flesh, opening large, gaping wounds. The figure leans close, and a deep, horrible whisper fills the tavern. It is a breathy, fluid-filled sound, as if the speaker's lungs were filled with water...or mucus...or blood...
Fetch us Kyle Killigan. Now.
Cycine slumps over as the figure withdraws its arm. Again, rotting and shattered bone and some thorny vines are visible, before the vast expanse of the cloak obscures them again.
The creature turns and walks towards the shattered doorway. Before reaching it, it pauses, and its voice is deeper, regretful, and thoughtful.
We have found life, and we have found passion. Life torments us, and passion is beyond our grasp...We were given a choice...we chose life, hoping to learn the rest...we were tricked...tricked by the gods...given life as a spirit...but that could not erase what we are.
Now I am half the destroyer, the ender of life...and half the renewer, the seed of new life...spring wells up within us, only to be crushed once more...torment.
And I have yet to find joy...
With that, the figure stalks out and vanishes into the hellish night.
Caben Duur has returned to Sorcen's Baator.
A rain of white petals falls throughout the tavern. And, in the silence, a gentle noise--like a spring shower--is heard. On the corpses of the dead, white flowers weep blood...
That's the best you wrote in quite a while, congrats))Revlis is shocked. Stunned. Appauled. And mortified. He simply looks at the destruction caused by the malevolent force. He sits and begins to pray for the souls of the newly deceased. Suddenly, something clicks. Something is familiar about this kind of death.
Caben Duur...you fiend! I don't care if I get removed from existence entirely...I'll take you with me!!
DO YOU HEAR ME, CABEN?! REVLIS NOGARD, THE PRIMEVAL NENTYARCH, IS GOING TO DEFEAT YOU!!
With that, Revlis begins tending to the wounded...
OOC: Another guy against Caben...well Revlis, the fight (if there is to be one) seems to be in IC thread 2.
The bar repairs itself at the same speed and all of the patrons are revived and break their vegetation cocoons at a wave of Cycine's hand, "Welcome back Caben, quite an entrance." He says this with a slight sneer.
As the tavern came into view, Nimbrixion said "It smells of death in there." Not long after Doran caught the foul odor as well and quickened his step. Stepping through the broken doorway he beheld the horrific scene laid bare before him. The stench was overpowering, and the area practically pulsated of foul magic. Unable to even take aonther step, Doran reached for his inner calm. Before he could react, however, the tavern recostructed iteself, and the bodies of the fallen were awakened. A smal wind round it way through the tavern, creating a faint smell like that of a fresh rain. "My own small contibution" he thought.
Spotting Revlis, Doran walks over to him and says: "You seem to be a noble soul, perhaps there is somewhere you can tell me exactly what just transpired here.
OOC: What is this IC 2 thread you speak of? I know only of the arena and this bar.
"Well, I guess I'll just wait here for my upcoming match."
He takes seat at his favorite table in the corner.
))"No, keep that thing away from me! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I will never do that again, I promise!! JUST KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!!! AAAH!!! IT BURNS!!! IT BURNS AND FREEZES AT THE SAME TIME!!!"
silhouette to be visible. He steps in now, his fur shimmering, and his tail swaying back and forth. Looking around at the other patrons before taking a seat on the nearest stool, then standing up and sitting back down again, frowning since he just sat on his tail, he says. "So, whose leg do I have to cut off to get a drink around here?"
Shiro leans back against the nearest solid surface and says, "You know skraal, recently I've noticed a lot of activity among kobolds on the prime material plane, especially the emergence of ones like you, strong, well trained and deadly combatants. This concerns me; why would the kobolds be putting forth more and more able combatants now, then earlier in history? Could it, perhaps be that they are responding to the pressures created by those roaming bands of muderers and theives known as adventurers, and the constant warring with gnomes? Either way, this would seem to portend things yet to come.
Shiro stands up, and begins pacing, his steps never making a sound. With both hands in his pant's pockets, he leans against the wall and continues, "It's bothersome, only because this new movement seems to go counter to long stretches of history, and that worries me, if only because of the ripe old age I expect to live. While the shorter lived races, the humans, the orcs, the goblins, the bugbears and even the kobolds all are born and die soon compared to how I age, I've realized something. Those shorter lived races hold the very reins of history in their hands. As those of us who don't age swiftly stay back and watch, they are mmoving the world as we speak. All in the effort to cram as much as they can into their short life span. Amazing, the wisdom and power they may attain in such a short time."
Shiro shakes his head and grins. "But of course, it is up to those of us who age slowly to keep an eye over those who hold destiny in their hands, and steer them towards the right ends, is it not? We, who may live for the span of civilizations must be there for them if only to learn from their oft made mistakes, and just as oft made successes. Yet, I cannot help but feel that leaving it to races so short lived is a course for trouble."
Shiro's smile widens as a faint glimmer of humor comes into his deep green eyes. "But of course, what fun would living a few thousand years be without a bit of trouble every now and then?"
Good, I see we're making some progress..
Y'see, there's two reasons why we got our current reputation: first, a race that is, frankly, pathetic in most forms of combat and looks monstrous is an easy target for a mob, I'm sure your looks didn't help you much in those torches-and-pitchforks situations, did they?
Well, the other reason is as simple as this: the good ones are, for the most part, not saints or anything, they're just on the better side of things, and stay out of the way minding their own business. Those that run around raidin' though... well, you can imagine who gets more publicity.
So there ya have it, the entire reason for the flak that kobolds get, from start to finish. In your case though, I don't blame ya. It...it's something I can relate to more than you'd like to know, but you've got to understand that you shouldn't condemn an entire race over it... Also, thanks for listening over killing me dralix." He smiles and orders a drink or two.
Shiro turns to lafali and says, "You know as well as I the dangers of shortcuts. What I find problematic is that they gain strength at rates far past ours, not gaining the wisdom and experience needed to use it with responability. I have seen an entire world ruined by a group of mages, all who have gained massive amounts of power due to their studies and own talent, but all of that wasn't tempered by experience. Hence, they came together to weave a spell designed to do only the best of things, make certain the weather was always fair, and the climate was always just right. Thier calculations and formulae were correct of course, and yet they failed to forsee the actions of a small man far across the world. Due to this unforseen event, that world quickly lost it's rain, and within the span of only three hundred years, it became a desert wasteland. Though at the time I was bound the theggeroni contract, I still tried to help, only to be turned back.... at sword point."
Shiro sighs and places an order for a glass of elyssian moontear wine.
"Shiro, I see you arrived here before I did. I had a slight delay due to some Wild Magic. I hope you've found Hell to your liking."
Shiro, having finally got his ordered drink begins sipping it, the pale straw color of the wine shining in the light. As he pulls the wine away from his face, one pale straw drop can be seen hanging from one of his wiskers, at least until it falls to the ground, only to turn into a little poof of mist.
"So gareth, what brings you here? I still am sore that you held back in our last match, but as we are friends, a full on match would be a waste of time and energy. So, how is my poor protoge doing with his training?"
Gareth sits down next to Shiro, and the air in the vicinity takes on an extremely colder tone, freezing the water vapor. It clinks to the ground as ice.
"As to Valor, my wife is taking care of him. If he thinks you were a harsh taskmaster, he has another thing coming."
He sighs.
"Don't think that I'm boasting, Shiro. I had to watch myself butcher worlds. Again and again, great champions opposed me, and Soulreaver has obliterated them all, beyond death, beyond return or mercy. I've had to listen to the screams of the dying, of children vainly seeking parents that would not ever return, of countless innocents, dying at my hands. I had to watch that, and I laughed. You have no idea how sorry I am for what I've done, but the point is that my power is unchanged."
"I'm here because Tyr demanded it of me. If I had my way, I'd bring an army and purge the place, but he's told me not to. So, I'm here, though I'd rather spend some time with Bris. She really would like to see me. Of course, she'd like to see me more if we could figure out how to consummate the marriage, but there doesn't seem to be a way so far."
rewinding...
Skraal laughs lightly at Shiro's comment. "Oh no, no offense taken. In case you were wondering, kobolds never were weak in the first place, only a lil flimsy on the physical side o' things. Now, you're pretty much right that the higher rate of training is something brought on by an entire race being looked at as something bordering on a cash crop.. and there seem to be more Kobolds these days that kinda slip out of the system. Now, good and evil aside, that's not exactly popular in any Kobold clan, so they have to learn how to keep themselves safe, both from the clan, and the consequences of having no one to take care of ya. Then there's a little bit of magic in my head too, the 'get it whether you like it or not' variety, born with it.
Heh, and as for physical strength, you think I have any? Well, you're half right, I am strong by Kobold standards, but nothing beyond that. Most of the time, well, I get by with magic and a few things that most consider less than fair, as I'm sure is the case with many Kobolds."
Shiro stands up from his seat, and stares gareth right in the face, ignoring the bits of frost forming on his wiskers he continues "I don't care one bit about your past, nor do I care about your mistakes. They may have made you who and what you are now, but they are unimportant to me. You can go on and on about how sorry you are for the killing you've done, the families you've obliterated, and the champions you've wiped from the universe, it doesn't make a bit of difference to me. You could still be your old self, and honestly... it wouldn't matter. You don't think that I haven't seen the effects of that blade do you? You forget gareth, and you forget your place in the scheme of things. I have borne witness to those much greater, and much worse than you, yet I haven't borne witness to those who have managed to become what you have, a champion of good. In this alone you suprise me. Keep this in mind gareth, I am no fool."
Shiro leans back, and twitches his nose, causing frosty crystals to fall from it. "Gareth, do you know why exactly your blade operates as it does?"
He flicks a frosted-over platinum piece to the barkeeper.
"A pair of Icegrips, please."
"Now, Shiro, I realize that you're angry. This isn't something you normally are. Well, in the short time I've known you, anyway. Are you sure Baator isn't affecting your Aspect?"
There is a noise, almost like a thunderclap, and a man stands in the middle of the tavern. His light brown hair is slicked back and well-kept, and his darker brown eyes look at each of you in turn. He wears finly made chain mail, with a longsword at his waist and a longbow in his hands. His back carries three quivers full of arrows. Two sacks hang at his waist from an ornate belt.
And you can see straight through him.
"Hello, mortals. I see that patheticness and stupidity are in great supply in Hell as well as Toril. This comforts me, somehow. I've come here to ensure, personally, that each and every one of you meets the Final Oblivion. But no need to rush; I like an audience for my killings."
He steps through a chair, and then sits.
"Barkeep, if you have anything the dead can drink, now would be the time to get it before you join their ranks."
((Meet Valoran Galastini. Those of you hurling detect alignment spells will never feel clean again; he's WAAAAAAY Evil. Shiro, this guy's pretty close to the Evil Primal. That's how EEEEEEEEVIIIIIIL he is.))
Upon the arrival of the blatantly evil evil evil man, shiro's fur completes the reddening process, until he is now a rather bright red color. he stops pacing now, and turns to the man smiling. "Ah, yet another example of why evil shall fail, a pleasure to meet you, as it will be a pleasure to end you. Of course, this is not the day for such things, as I have yet to finish something important."
Shiro holds up one hand, snaps a finger, and his previously mentioned jacket and pants turn to a bright green. Shiro now stands fully decked out, with his bright red fur and bright green clothes. "Well, this is hardly proper, it's far too warm in here... Hey gareth, mind providing a bit of snow?" Shiro pauses and his jaw seems to drop down to the floor, as his eyes gleam with tears, he manages to stutter out: "I,I,I, It's time already? Lord gareth, you are the only one here who attended my wedding, so I find it only suitable that be the one that hears-" Shiro is interrupted by what seems to be a being of sheer black, complete with horrid wings, claws of hellish red, and an unpleasant smell. It comes into existence beside him and speaks in a voice that drips with venom and cruelty. On its forehead, branded in hellish flames, the symbol of asmodeus. You, who would so disturb the balance, with the birth of-" The vassal of asmodeus stops speaking, and all that can be heard is what sounds like the click of a sword sliding all the way into its sheathe. As the creature falls to the ground in a uncountable number of pieces, shiro can be seen just leaving the drawing stance. Scratching one of his ears nonchalantly, apparently unmindful of the infernal in piece on the floor, shiro sighs and just says: "Well, perhaps I should just show you, I'll return shortly." Shiro vanishes now, leaving behind a small pile of snow...........................................................
Shiro reappears, with a broad smile that exposes his pearly white, razor sharp looking teeth. Cradled in his arms, wrapped in a small silver blanket is an infant fox child, her eyes not even open yet, and her shining white fur only a silken layer barely complete. She is surrounded by a slim veil of purest platinum, and sleeps serenely. "This... is my daughter. Her name is Yuki, named after the snow, whose white purity and beauty she has. Of course, it would do poorly for her to stay here to long, and her mother must miss her already." Shiro vanishes once more, and soon reappears without the child. "I was given a gift worth living this long, wouldn't you agree gareth?"
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Gareth smiles a warm smile, even as the room drops in temperature drastically. In mere moments, the warming spell has been annulled, and ice begins to form on every free surface.
"As to snow, I can't make it. Just ice. Weird, yes, but I'm not complaining. But, if your daughter ever wants to live up to her namesake, I'm always here to help."
He sighs.
"You know, I really wish I could have a child, but it's hard to figure out. Brisinaria has been very understanding and patient with me, something she doesn't do with just anyone, but still. And I don't even know if it's a good idea, me being half dead as it is. I can't even touch my own wife..."
He trails off, looking glum.
((Merry Christmas ya'll, check out this link: By Weird Al, Video by Some Dude))
"Fool, your gods are nothing here, let alone against me. Do you know who I am, mortal? Do you know whom you dare to threaten? You are standing before Valoran Galastini, the Butcher of the Sword Coast. I destroyed every settlement between Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter in my life. I leveled Neverwinter itself single-handedly. Who are you to defy me, worm?"
"I accept. I'm sure your death will be most satisfying, mortal, especially considering that it shall be your final death. For you, there will not be an afterlife. You will go straight to the Jailhouse of the Damned, with only my laughter to echo behind you as part of the life that once was."
He looks about, glancing at everyone and then settling back on Tyrion.
"And as to 'good', being in me, I've done good all my life, and my unlife. To live is to suffer; it is an inescapable fact. By sending the living to their final oblivion, I eliminate suffering. Can you say the same?"
"And as to 'good', being in me, I've done good all my life, and my unlife. To live is to suffer; it is an inescapable fact. By sending the living to their final oblivion, I eliminate suffering. Can you say the same?"
(ooc: oh gods above! correct me if i'm utterly wrong, but that ghost sounds a little too much like buddha. if he didnt have the naturally unholy aura about him, i wouldnt be sure what to think!)
Tyrion strides over next Valoran and pulls up a chair.
"The world needs no help in ending suffering. With time, all suffering ends. To try and help to end all suffering only creates more suffering, whether it is physical or mental. If you wish to elimante suffering, do not send you... recipient... to the grave. If you were concerned with a person, try to help him. Slaying him only creates suffering among his friends and family members, and as you insist on ending all suffering with death, you only make your "job" harder by slaying more and more. I know I cannot convince you with words. Simply being a ghost presents the fact that you will not believe me. But I will make you see."
OOC: Hmph. Being good isn't fun at all...:OOC
He smiles slyly.
"That's why I eliminate them too."
"Your solution of ending suffering is...disillusioned at best. I don't know where one would get such an idea...however causing suffering is not a way to end it. Someone of your power could do so much good..."
Teiresias has found his way into the tavern. He sits on the floor and begins to pray.
"This is getting more and more annoying. The longer I stay here without a foe..." Shiro trails off, allowing the words to linger in the air, as if they were a powerful enough threat to give even him pause to complete it.
"Valoran, I will say this much for you. Even if each and every mortal being were to die, suffering would not end, suffering is a facet of being, rather than merely a facet of life or unlife. To be, is to suffer in some sense or another. Your grand dream is as ultimately empty and futile as anything ever dreamed up by a drunkard in the depths of his alcoholic madness. It is as pointless as the tears of the unrepenant."
Shiro looks at valoran, and an aura of pure goodness, and not a little bit of positive energy begins streaming out of his fur. The light clashes with the native evilness of the entire plane of hell itself, and for sparce seconds, the light is dimmed, until victorious, it surges forth, causing shiro to shine as if he were an adamantine star, whose light brings all hope. In a voice that positively overflows with good will and a hope for the best, shiro speaks. "Valoran, you may be unable to understand this, and if so I can understand. The best way to end suffering is to make yourself beyond it, by elevating your mind and spirit through helping others, without pause for the cost to you, or the chance of rewards. Those who take the suffering of others, truely suffer the least."
Shiro's speech contains not an ounce of pity, only an everlasting amount of compassion and understanding.
(I don't know what's more disturbing, that I can write such sappy stuff, or that I can write such sappy stuff with absolute ease.)
"You...talk too much. People like our ghost friend here are not changed by word, but by deed. Show him what you mean, and he may learn."
"'s right, spot here more or less got it right. ((yes, that spot, in the "see spot run" kind of context)) 'course, drinking a whole lot also helps and I heartily recommend it, but it leaves a lot of suffering the next morning, generally 'round the head." He grins and focuses his attention on Valoran once more. "Say, all sanity issues aside, you still haven't answered my question, I'm happy to be alive, what's your answer to that? Similarly, you're a ghost, and that requires, among other things, a concrete purpose, plus genuinely wanting to stay alive. "
He faces Steropes again: "yeah, speaking from experience, this guy's only a danger to your privacy, but me? Honestly buddy, fight me in a bar? Well...that can only lead to..which term would you prefer, ending your suffering, ending my suffering so I can get back to drinking, or giving this place a new wallpaper?"
((that's all for now, from skraal: your expert on non-sappy down-to-earth stuff
))"Whether or not someone wants to live is irrelevant. To live is to suffer, despite any illusions they might hold. So, by ending their life and sending them to the final oblivion, I elimiate their suffering. Or, rather, I stop them from suffering in this multiverse. There is a place beyond, a place where even the most wretched soul on the edge of utter destruction, cannot go beyond. This is where they go, for it is impossible to truly destroy a soul."
"My hand is finaly healed and still there is no one who wishes to challange me?" Moon Wishper (thats his katana) starts to pulse, as though it wants to be let out of its sheath. "Yes I know, you want to see if there are more opponents like shiro. But till we find someone you will have to wait."
Lafali looks at eveone in the tarven, "I will accept any challange, ever if more then one of yall want to fight me."
((I know, bad idea to say I will accept more then 1 challanger but after reading all of these fight posts I just want to fight anyone.))
He then walks out into the hellish landscapeand head toward the arena.
Shiro reappears in the bar amidst a small puff of rose petals, which melt away as they hit the floor. "One more enemy down. A pity he was so misguided, at least until the end." Shiro shakes his head sadly. "He's better now though."
Shiro smiles to himself, and reaches out to grab a bottle of liquor. "Ah, this'll do just fine. Koratian mead. Hmm, koratia reminds me of one of my younger friends. A bit of a manipulative fellow he was, but he could dance quite well." Shiro grins with the memory, and shakes his head. "I wonder whatever happened to that man?"
Taking ahold of a crystal glass from the bar, shiro swiftly opens the bottle, and pours himself a full glass. Taking a sip, shiro leans back, relaxed. "Last I heard, he had to protect a duke. I hope it went well." Shiro sighs, and takes another drink.
"Sir...who are you?"
Shiro nods politely to the woman and stands. Bowing poiltely, and smiling, shiro says: "Hello miss. I am shiro kakita, of the crane clan. I have a much longer list of titles, but if you don't know of me, they probably won't be of much use to you. All you need to know is that I'm shiro, I'm a nice guy, I'm married, and that I have..." Shiro stops, smiling broads, and begins to root through his pockets. Soon, he pulls out a small piece of parchment, and holds it right up to the woman. It shows female baby hengeyokai. "See her? She's my daughter, and isn't she just the most adorable child you've ever seen? I mean just look at that face, those eyes, that tail, the little paws the-" Shiro will continue to go on talking unless he is interrupted.
"I've never seen this before. You have shadow, yes, everyone does, but it's so small, I cannot reach it. You are completely closed to me. How?"
Taking a look at his picture once more, shiro grins and says: "But enough of the gloom and doom, look at this little angel, she has my eyes. My tail too. Oh, and my fur. She's so cute isn't she I mean just observe how that little clow lick goes up her face and how-" Once more, unless shiro is somehow interrupted, he won't stop talking.
Shiro grins grimly, and begins loosening up his shoulders. "So as not to leave you in the dark so to speak, I'll show you my darkness, and let you see the depths a person can fall. Are you prepared to bask in the darkness of ketsueki-shimyaku?"
Shiro clenches both fists, and closes his eyes. Breathing outwards in one loud sigh, shiro opens his eyes suddenly. His deep green eyes replaced with a faint, feral red. His breathing speeds up just a bit, and he grins. It's not the normal, humorous or warm grin, rather this is just a feral grin, as one would see on a beast. "Tell me, can you see it yet, or shall I show you the utter depths of it?" Shiro asks. " I can see you will need a more in depth view, and now is as good a time as any."
Shiro breathes out again, and closes his eyes once more. Mere moments pass, and his fur can be seen slowly darkening, changing to a crimson black color, the same color of blood long since spilled. Soon, it is completly changed. (I'll assume she sees the darkness in a certain way, so I'll take a few liberties here.) Syra sees a raging malestrom of darkness in this man before her. Perhaps, valoran and sorcen have (Or in valoran's case had) A similar darkness to it. This darkness is big, ugly, and unpleasant. As syra watches, it seems to leap forwards at her from shiro's being, seeking to latch onto her mind.
Not waiting for much of an answer, he turns and walks back out the door. About half a minute after he leaves, a small, minute wind comes through the door and glides past Cycines ear and he hears "When I said anything, I didn't quite mean it. Im sure I can count of you to water down anything to a reasonable proportion, the bag contains sufficient funds for your trouble."
Syra waves her hand lazily, and Shiro snaps back to his normal self, the darkness locked away again.
"Syra Kavon, at your service. I have a talent with shadows, both literal and metaphorical. If you are who you say you are, maybe you can help me out. Goodness knows finger-wagglers aren't doing me any good."
Shaking his head, and lowering one hand to the sword on his hip, shiro grns and shrugs. "But of course, I can't become some boring old man either. What do you need done?"
"Ok, I'd better go. I don't want to be late of my match."
He walks out and leaps to the back of his huge earth elemental companion, which then rushes towards the arena.
"I need your help hunting down a being of power, a blood god. It is possesing the daughter of Bartlemaeus, and I will not sit by and let him suffer when I can act. However, I'm no fool; I know I need help. I saw your fight. If anyone can help me, you can."
Her face saddens visibly.
"According to Bartlemaeus, his daughter can feel, can experience, every moment of this agony. I must expell this god from her, and save her if I can. Or end her if I cannot."
"Really?" he says "Which one?"
"Well, actually there are two of them, one known as Kyle, and the other is Gideon. Word going around is that the one called Gideon just emerged from hell and he and Kyle a score to settle. How we fit into this, I really don't know, but if you don't hurry up we're going to late, come on." She pushes past him out the door, giving him just enough to time to shrug and follow.
Say...I got time for a quick pick-me-up before my next match? Give these guys a chance to get ready?
Great. Walking up through hell really takes it out of a man. Give me whatever you got.
Something strong. Very strong.
In each mind, soothing words come from Her voice, something different for each person or thing.
Syra, too, hears Her voice.
Dark Child, you are troubled. I sense none of Me within you. You carry much Hate, much Anger, and even, I sense, much Compassion. You yearn for Me. Let Me show Myself to you."
To Shiro, the voice is both familiar and welcome; that of his wife, Courage, though he knows it is not truly her.
You and I, Shiro, have always been linked. Love, Compassion, Joy, Anger, Hate, we are all intertwined in an endless waltz. I am gladdened that your love has found a home in your wife and daughter, but forget not your friends. Love need not be romantic. You have forgotten someone important to you. I shall bring him here.
Syra's face goes blank, and she sways in her seat. For more than a minute, she simply sits there, staring, until a single word is whispered fearfully.
"Beautiful."
And, linked across the planes, two Syras scream in utter agony as their skin sears away.
* * *
When Love finishes speaking to Shiro, a golden radiance envelops the chair near him. It fades after a moment or two, and sitting there is young Valor Killraven, looking very confused.
OOC
Feel free to make your own messages/reactions to Love. I do not plan on roleplaying Her on a permanent basis; I don't think anyone here is prepared to roleplay Love Incarnate. By the way, unless saved (please do), Syra is about to die a most terrible death
OOC
First, don't kill people automatically. That's rude. Second, I said she was about to die. I didn't say she was helpless
You see his eyes glow faintly before he closes them in concentration. Slowly, unbelievably, her skin start to regrow from the head down he maintains his connection. As her skin regrows, her injuries also heal, but only to a minor degree. The process is only halfway completed when Sevifor's head shrivels in intense concentration. You notice a small hole appear in his right cheekbone, to be replaced with, well, you aren't quite sure. Many things can you see, but nothing stays long enough for you to get a good glimpse of it. Sevifor next grits his teeth tightly as the healing growth reaches Syra's knees, but a new hole emerges in Sevifor's arm. Shaking slighty from the exertion, the process completes iteself and he withdraws his hand; a few moments more and the outbreak of chaos on his skin is replaced by flesh.
Sevifor stands up, swaying from side to side, but manages to flop down into his seat saying "That is all I can do for her, the rest she will have to deal with on her own." With a grim expression on his face he buries his face in his hands and adds "I'll have that drink now Cycine, if you please."
"You wouldn't happen to have any captured elves, would you? I could take a human, but I prefer elves. Especially live ones. I like it when they squirm."
He shivers in glee and bares his fangs.
"Elves are remarkably refreshing after draining baatezu and tanar'ri. Their blood is pure and uncorrupted, a delicious snack after hunting evil creatures."
He takes notice of Syra's drained form and sidles nearer.
"What have we here?" He whispers to no one in particular. "A poor, weakened creature? Delicious."
He begins to absorb Syra's pain. The only outward effect is that Siventarr seems to be growing happier and that Syra is not in such agonizing pain as before. This does not harm Syra; on the contrary, it lowers the amount of pain she is experiencing drasticly and intoxicates Siventarr.
OOC: For Siventarr, drinking in someone else's pain is like drinking a dozen six-packs.:OOC
Siventarr, however, gains more than he bargained for. As he starts draining her pain, the burns begin to close slightly. The elf's eyes snap open, her blue irises stark-white.
"Darkness," she whispers.
Faster than the eye can follow, she snaps her hand onto Siventarr's ankle, and the fallen Solar can feel the evil seeping away from his soul into Syra. As she continues to drain him, her wounds heal faster, until she releases him and stands. Her eyes fade back to blue, and she smiles cheerily.
"That was close. Thanks!"
OOC
Syra just drained a good portion of Siventarr's inner darkness to heal herself. We're talking 40-60% here. Incidentally, magic does nothing to light burns, at least not for her
Shiro smiles ruefully, then begins to chuckle. "I still remember when love decided to visit her touch upon a few devils. That was perhaps one of the most entertaining things I've ever seen; a bunch of baatezu looking at one another with love in their eyes, and feeling awful because they have to deal with feelings utterly alien to them. A shame love hasn't decided to do something like that recent-"
Shiro stops and grins. "Actually, I believe she decided to place her touch on a succubus recently, causing her to fall in love with a celestial. That was an interesting affair to watch. I hear they are doing well together."
Valor frowns. Here he was in a bar in hell. Why does stuff like this always happen to him? Devils, strong patrons, strange skinless regerating women things, and vampire looking fallen angels. Yeah, that's where he wants to be. "Hey teacher, why the...erm... why am I here? Last I recall, I was in the forest waiting for a certain brisinaria to stop hurling sticks that explode at me... but apparently I outwaited her and... then this lady over here." Valor jerks a finger towards the air and shakes his head. "Decided to bring me here... this place sucks! It's like a steady hammering in my mind. I've about had it here..." Valor says.
Shiro shrugs and shakes his head. "Yes... this place is unpleasant, and even more so due to the presence of the fallen. But of course, I'm not one to judge."
Syra punches Valor in the arm playfully, and lets out a hiss of pain and pulls her hand back. That hurt.
"Shades and phantoms, is everyone here some light-blessed angel? That smarts."
* * *
The door opens, and a young human boy walks in. He looks about seventeen, with ash-grey skin and glowing red eyes. His raven hair is combed only enough to preserve dignity, and his clothing seems to be plated in tiny metal sheets, each with their own arcane pattern. These patterns link together, forming more intricate patterns as one continues to look. He's holding a pair of metal objects, like bent wands. As he walks in, he sees all the patrons, and curses under his breath, raising whatever those objects are.
"I don't care what manner of demons ya'll are, I will cap your asses if you touch me. This has been a bad day, and I'm not in the mood to deal with your sh**. I need a place to sit while I figure out where the Hell I am."
He takes a seat, fiddling with a pocket watch.
OOC
Meet Tyler Vici, my new character to replace Kyle and Valoran, both of whom are horribly, horribly dead. The 'metal objects' are his Glocks.
I'd also like to note that Valor isn't just something limited to good people. Actually, of all the evil beings in the multiverse, the Baatezu would be the most connected to Valor's aspect. For that matter, just about every fighter here has a fair share of it; we don't back down.
I'd also like to note that Valor isn't just something limited to good people. Actually, of all the evil beings in the multiverse, the Baatezu would be the most connected to Valor's aspect. For that matter, just about every fighter here has a fair share of it; we don't back down.
"I just got removed from my time and my cosmos, thank you, and I don't need grimy demon mitts messing with my stuff. I think I'm justified in being a little bit touchy as it is, so unless you can tell me where I am, be quiet!"
He continues contemplating his watch, checking gears and wheels.
Septimus smiles.
"Oh, and to answer your question, this is Sorcen's Baator. It's actually a fairly nice place once you get used to it. Just try not to get into any fights outside the arena."
"Now THIS looks more interesting..."
Oh gods...why? He was human...humans don't just vanish! To the death, yes...we all try to dispatch our foes...but...Sorcen promised to resurrect the fallen...and as a human, he should have returned...
Why did it happen? And why HIM? WHY?! Oh gods...oh gods...
He sits down at the counter, staring blankly at the wall before him.
"That was mine. But if it helps you, then good." His eyes suddenly flare back to their original blood red color, and he snarls.
"Pathetic human. You let pain stop you in your tracks, paralyze you. Pain is nothing. Perhaps I could show you...?" He throws his head back and laughs the perfect evil overlord laugh, then strides back over to Cycine.
"Didn't I tell you I wanted an elf? Hurry, Cycine. You would not want me to convince you to move faster."
Since most of the other seats are full, Doran is left with little choice and eventually, with a sigh, settles into the stool next to Gideon's. Nimbrixion follows Doran to the stool next to his, and then realizes that it just isn't made to accomodate a dragon. Her features change, and soon she sits on the stool as an elven maiden.
"We'll have a good bottle of wine and two glasses please." Doran dares a glance at the man sitting next to him; as Cycine returns with his order Doran meets his eyes and says "And by the look of it, this one could use a drink as well." A few extra coins clink across the bar to join his existing payment.
As Cycine moves to take away the alcohol, Gideon lays a hand on his arm.
Leave the bottle please. I need it.
"Something on your mind?"
He places two mugs on the counter, the drink seems to consist of equal parts lantern oil, pure alcohol and alchemist's fire. "trust me, it gets the job done."
Finally he looks down at his arm, recoils in horror, and throws the weapon across the bar, where it shatters against the wall.
Just go away...go away...leave me to myself. Something I've gotten myself into...don't involve yourselves, it won't help. Just leave me be.
Gideon barely glances at the paper next to him as he turns back to his drink and his counter.
Gideon has been getting more and more restless as a veritable horde of people surround him. Finally he snaps. His head jerks upward, revealing red-rimmed eyes and the look of a madman. In his hands is a double-barreled crossbow, and he aims it at first one, then another member of the crowd, circling it around, his finger clenched to fire.
Finally he looks down at his arm, recoils in horror, and throws the weapon across the bar, where it shatters against the wall.
Just go away...go away...leave me to myself. Something I've gotten myself into...don't involve yourselves, it won't help. Just leave me be.
Gideon barely glances at the paper next to him as he turns back to his drink and his counter.
Glancing at the scroll, gideon sees it for what it is: a spell of resurrection, scribed in golden ink, along with a red glint which, his teachings as an artificer tell him, is the kobold's own blood, used to scribe the spell.
"If I didn't think it would help, I wouldn't waste my time, now would I?" He winces as a cut on his arm reopens, but tries not to show it. "The only thing that might go wrong now is...well, I hate to say it, but if he doesn't want to come back, he won't. Then again, if he's happy where he is, you've got no excuse to mope over him. An' if you were thinking of shooting me with that thing there, go ahead. It'll do you some good, and it... well, it won't do me any, but I'll live.. I think. Right now though, I need to leave, so if you're considering any quick shots, get it done while you can."
With that, he leaves his seat and walks to the direction that the hand pointed in.
Thanks.
With that, Gideon rises from his seat, and, wrapping his cloak about himself, shuffles off to the hovel of Tieresius to cast his spell.
Nothing else special happens, just a pair of people leaving.
Closing his eyes and drawing a breath, Sevifor stands immoble and silent. Slowly, the gold begins to change: from the dull gold to a deep crimson hue...like blood. His eyes are no longer peaceful, but filled with malice, greed, and a sadistic humor. He speak with a deep, gravely voice befitting a demon itself: "Soon, I shall do battle in this most unholy of arenas..." His lips part into a wicked smile and he heads a front-row seat in the spectators' corner.
Sitting down, his smile slowly begins to fade, and impatience creeps into his expression. Over a period of several minutes, his features take on a more serene feel and he no longer looks the villian that he was moments before.
Back at the sign-up list, those watching see Sevifor's name go from deep crimson to a dull gold...
"What have we here, a tournament? I think I'll join."
He looks around, as he has nothing to right with. He reaches out a clawed hand and snatches one of the imp waiters from the air. One of his long claws slices it's throat open. Siventarr dips one of his claws into the blood, and uses it as gruesome ink to write his name in Celestial on the sign-up sheet. Turning back to the imp, he tosses it down on the ground and pulps its face with a steel shod boot. Laughing manically, he dissappears in a puff of grey smoke.
"Hello, I had heard that there was a bar somewhere here. Wait what's that?"
The sage's eyes lock to the tournament participation sheet. He hears a few people mention the tournament.
"A tournament, huh? I have always wanted to win a championship of some kind. All right, I'll sign up into it."
He walks to the sheet and points his wooden staff to it. The staff glows purple for a moment, and then his name appears to the sheet:
Thelron the Knowledgeable
After it appears, he raises his staff without saying a word and disappears in another flash of blue light.
"Please... help... he is coming... coming to get me..."
But there is a sharper, more dangerous edge to her breathtaking beauty. Her dark eyes seem calm and peaceful, yet also seem to dart back and forth, taking in the entire scene at the tavern. Her stance, while graceful and unearthly, is that of a coiled spring, ready to leap into action at the slightest provocation. At her side rests a silver scimitar, embedded with sapphires and blue enamel, and she wears it with the air of one who knows how to use it. And as she glides forward, the ribbons surrounding her drift and sway about, and, for a fraction of a second, the glint of silver metal is visible among the swirling ribbons.
She looks slowly down at the injured devil, and her voice rings with the tones of a bell choir on a cold winter day...cool, bright, and sharp.
"What is amiss?"
Tyler whips his glocks to face the cornuguon and fires a pair of bullets, the ammunition surging with holy power. Satisfied, he puts them back in their holster.
"Who, in all nine layers of Hell, are you, milady?"
"Ah...someone who knows nobility when they see it. Or thinks they do. I am Lady Inaya Elrissa.
And you are? Aside from being a bit uncouth, of course..."
He frowns and shifts some gears on the pocket watch in his hand, muttering curses under his breath.
Lady Inaya looks thoughtfully at the boy.
"Daemon Magus? Was that correct? I have never heard of this before. Is it some type of ritual magic?"
He looks around, then back at the watch.
"You damn watch, you sent me to the Deeper Shadow! You sent me to the Shadow! WORTHLESS PIECE OF JUNK!"
He then remembers he was talking to someone and blushes embarassedly.
"Sorry about that. The third stems from the mind, tapping human potential for power. The last one is mine. Daemon Magic draws directly on the power of Lucifer to cast spells. I learned it through accident, before I learned the other three, and now I continue to use it because it's what I know best. I've made a career of turning it against its master, and the Knights know this. Which is why they haven't killed me."
"Lucifer? I have never heard tell of that before either...it sounds as if he is some fiendish prince..."
"I am the eighth daughter of Lord Baln Elrissa, an esteemed nobleman on my home plane. I was expected, like my sisters, to marry into some rich family...but I suppose I was simply to headstrong. I left home, and fled the kingdom to see the world for myself. And I didn't like what I saw."
She looks distant for a moment, but quickly recovers her composure.
"The ruling families had ruined the nations, and I decided to do what little good I could. Like all women in my country, I was trained in arms...but until most, I excelled. I have been told I dance in battle...
But enough of that. I found myself a blade..."
Inaya unsheaths her scimitar, and the air seems to glisten with frost.
"...and began to make a name for myself, freeing the oppressed. Cliche, I suppose...but I like to think I did some good. My skills improved as I fought, and eventually I was able to rid the land of the oppression. But I never wanted to rule.
I left then, and began to explore the world, and eventually the multiverse. I'm a roving...I suppose the word would be swashbuckler. I just always find myself having to fight men off...some, of course, are attracted to me...but most seems jealous, or upset that I'm filling their role."
She shrugs; a graceful gesture that sends ripples of fabric down her slim body.
"Life is what you make of it. I've enjoyed mine so far...and I intend to continue. Want a drink?"
His face grows more serious, and he looks at her as an equal, not as a child.
"I can see why men would be attracted to you, my lady. Never have I seen such beauty. But I'm not quite sure you understand how our mind works. Then again, I can claim ignorance of the fairer sex as well. We're alien to each other."
"You pathetic fool... you cannot kill me... but... He can... and will if He... came after me..."
Before anyone can react to the fiend's words, some invisible force pulls him up. Strengthless, the cornugon does not move when raised up. Instead, it screams in terror.
"No! NOOOO!!! I AM DARSHGAROTHOS THE REAPER!!! I WILL NOT BE DESTR..."
At this point the force cuts off the devil's hands. First the left one, then the right one. No-one can see anything but a strange blur of the creature that is destroying Darshg.
"AAAAAARRRGHHHH!!! NOOOO!!!"
Then a big hole appears to the devil's torso, the blur piercing it's way right through the chest. The cornugon watches it in horror.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!!! CRAAGH...!"
The fiend's scream is cut short when the invisible force cuts it's head off right by the throat and the rest of the body falls down to the floor. You can just hear a mysterious clicking sound as something picks the cornugon's head from the floor.
OOC: The Ripper has arrived to Sorcen's Baator!
"Well, if you're sure you won't join me...hope you don't mind my drinking."
"Wasted? My friend, I do not drink to lose my senses! No need to worry about me on that score!"
"HEY! ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET TO KARRNATH FROM HERE?! WE'RE KIND OF LATE FOR AN IMPORTANT BATTLE!"
"Karrnath? Sounds vaguely familiar...something in history, perhaps? I remember my tutor mentioning it once...there was a war..."
She shakes her head, sending waves of dark hair cascading down.
"I've lost it...can't remember a thing about it. Care to enlighten me? I know I've heard the name somewhere."
Inaya looks at the newcomer in confusion and awe.
"Where do you come from?"
C'MON! SOMEONE MUST KNOW HOW TO GET TO KARRNATH!!!"
BIC: As the invisible force picks Darshg's head from the ground, you hear again some mysterious clicks and obscure sentences of some unknown language. Then, the invisible creature becomes visible, and you see what it is. A damn near 8 feet tall insect-like humanoid creature with red and propably dark-seeing eyes, leaf-like camouflage-patterned exoskeleton and claws that you might expect to see on a praying mantis. In fact it looks a lot like a humanoid-shaped giant praying mantis. The creature is wearing a shirt of chainmail armor and some studded leather patches on its limbs and some pants made of some green, scaly hides. It carries a backpack with skulls and bones attached to it. It scans around and speaks in the common tongue with some clicking sounds.
"[click click] So now what? What is this plane, Hell? [click click] And is this a [click] tavern of some kind? I would sure like a drink, [click click] for being trapped for 500 years in a [click] krgrshing stasis field doesn't really [click click] suit me."
exuse me miss I belive I've ordered food and drink when will i be served?
"Lay off the drinking? Good sir, I only just began! And I remember clearly. Breland was one of the first nations...near the end of the second age. It lasted for several hundred years, until Cyre rose again, marking the beginning of the third age. I'm sure of it."
"Now....I may be a paladin...and I support good and light and all that other stuff...but if you're gonna be killin' horned devils while I'm around, you better have a damn good reason or so help me gods I'll see how much pressure that green lil' neck of yours can take before it snaps."
"Obviously there's some problem here. Something's not quite right...our worlds are to similiar not to be the same...
What year is it for you?"
"[Crrlick click] That was a dirty [Crrlick click] trick you pulled off, fool of a paladin. [Click] So, you want to know my motivation, huh? [Click click] Let me introduce myself to you, little hu-man. [Click] I am The Ripper, I am the supreme guardian of the sacred Ultimate Weapon, which is an artifact of great power. [Click click] Well, that devil that I just destroyed tried to steal the weapon, [Crrlick] and [Click] had it managed to get it's hands on it, it would have used it to destroy such [Click click] pathetic zealots such as yourself. [Click] As the artifact's guardian, I just couldn't let that happen. [Click click] It had to get past me, for as long as I live, no-one can hope to [Click click] collect the artifact. It always summons me to aid it if it [Click] feels itself threatened. As for your futile attempt to [Click click] hurt me..."
Before Vicgretor can do anything, The Ripper runs to the paladin, evades his self-defence attempts with a slash of claw to his sword arm, grapples him to a Full Nelson-hold and uses it's right claw to slash a small cut to the paladin's breastplate so easily that it makes it look like a tin-can.
"... Neverrrr [Click click] ever try that again, hu-man."
Then, with the insect-like giant throws Vicgretor right through the door of the tavern, asks the bartender a mug of beer and throws a bag with some gold pieces to the counter.
No person enters. On the other hand, a jet black breastplate, with two large gashes on the chest piece, flies in through the door and connects with the insect, making a dull CLANG as it slams into its target. Vicgretor rushes in shortly thereafter, now with armor only covering his legs, and drop kicks the bug. As he rises, the cuts on his body appear to be seeping some viscous liquid that isn't blood. They are also steaming, as if cauterizing themselves.
"You do what you gotta do, bug. I ain't gonna interfere anymore. But I see you harmin' any more horned devils, I'll make sure you go and regret it."
Vicgretor walks over, picks up his plate, and exits the bar.
"Now, I have a real fight to get ready for."
The tinkling of glass, the chatting of patrons, the door opening and closing continously, and the occasional scuffle: these are the sounds that fill the taverne cycine, one of precious few places of peace and rest in the hellish arena...until now.
It begins with a void, a black rift in existence opening in the tavern floor, sucking chairs and tables in. Then, a storm of ice and glass erupt forth from it, scything around in a cyclone, shredding all manners of furniture and patrons, leaving them shattered or bleeding on the ground. A mournful tune fills the air as a terrible figure rises from the rift, closing the thing behind it and leaving a strong smell of brimstone.
Its appearance is a cruel parody of Merithale, its face is twisted into a predatory snarl, its hands barbed, and a pair of skeletal glass wings protrude from its back. The whole is wreathed in black flames that do not burn, they give no heat, but an unnerving cold instead.((blackfire)). In its hand is a blade that is all too familiar to some, a blood-red rapier, which it points around the room.
Its cruel, commanding voice hisses through the room, seemingly stemming from more than one voice "We have survived, we hunger, and we shall not be denied, bring siveleth to us, NOW."
The insectoid then turns back to the tavern's counter
"[Click click] Now, give me that beer, will you."
And when he gets his beer, he sits down to enjoy it for a while, only leave his mug to the counter and become the transparent, blurry figure that he was when he entered the tavern. After a few seconds the blur disappears as it moves out of the tavern's door.
Trigger's unsheathed claws, three on each hand, begin receding back into his hand to store themselves in his forearms comfortably. He puts an arm on Jinx's shoulder and they begin walking to sit at the bar. Trigger sees Cycine behind the counter and speaks to him, "How ya been Cycine, I see yer place 'as gotten popular."
The Arcanaloth bartender fixes a shot of Baatorian whiskey for Trigger, "I been fine my friend. Aye me place has got quite a few more patrons, so many in fact that I haven't been able to personally serve anyone in awhile, let alone sit and talk for a moment. How was yer stay in that other Hell?"
"Yea, don't look like you gunna have any time to yourself anytime soon either. Your lil' bar here is rollin' in the business. I don't think that other hell is quiet as nice as Sorcen's. To many creepy crawlies floatin' around in the shadows."
"Ugh, horrible. Feels like a necromancer's mind-probe. It seems I've been called to battle. Fine then. I don't intend to die here. I'll see you shortly, milady."
Tyler draws his pistols and walks out of the bar grimly, serious as death.
OOC
I think I'm the only one that saw it. And now, for Jaden's entrance into the bar. Her alchoholic senses have led her here, through the planes.
He points to the door "Your door is coming off its hinges."
To the dead demon "Yours guests lie dead on the floor."
To the floor itself "Your floorboards are coming undone."
and finally to the swirling vortex "and murderous wackos go unheaded. I understand that this all goes back to normal soon, but really, its hard to enjoy a drink around here when..."
He winces as he gingerly removes a piece of glass from his shoulder.
"...your life is threatened every five minutes." He stands and wraps his cloak around himself. "But at least you serve a good drink."
He begins to head for the door, followed by his companion, when he stops to stare at the the stranger. "I don't know where Silvelith is, nor if i knew would I bring you to him. I don't appreciate being impaled outside of the arena. Good day to you."
He begins walking to the door just as Sevifor makes his way in, much battered, from the arena. Doran says to Nimbrixion "Oh look, here comes another one."
"Yes," she replies "you cant hold it against him though, he came through the front uneventfully."
"Bless his soul." The two walk out, one after the other.
"You know, perhaps it would be best to come back later... Although, I really do need a drink." Unwilling to cross the threshold, he leans against the wall and prepares to watch to rest of this melodrama play itself out.
"You know Cycine," he hallers from across the room "You should really get some insurance on this place, you'd make a fortune."
"Yes, this is Sorcen's Baator. And you do smell alcohol. Would you care to join me?"
"I'd be glad. I'm Jaden Blackblade, formerly Jaden Lorebreaker, formerly Jaden Tosasdian, formerly Jaden Ghoulslayer, formerly Jaden Kralis."
She sits in a stool, her armor making the unfortunate wood creak.
"I'm part of an arena on another plane, but Gareth asked me to drop by here and, erm, take out my anger issues. I get tetchy if I don't fight every now and then."
"Now...what would you like? Cycine has an extremely good selection here, most of it excellent...oh. I'm sorry. I completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lady Inaya Elrissa."
OOC: Sorry if I dont reply to everything but I just skim through this place more or less. It pretty much runs itself so theres no real need for my constant supervision.
OOC
I know, just commenting on the chaotic state of the bar
She pauses, deep in thought over something. Coming to some kind of decision, she extends her hand to shake.
"Nice to meet you, Lady Inaya. Of the many surnames I've given you, I've yet to give you my current one. Jaden Vlarion, at your service. Proud wife to Jezzin Vlarion. As to a drink, I typically drink things strong enough to actually raise the dead, so if this 'Cycine' has anything stronger, I won't say no. A few thousand years of alchohol tolerance has dulled my palate somewhat."
"This is...well I'm actually not sure what it is or where it came from. Have a shot of it, trust me thats all you'll need for now. That stuff knocked me out cold for a day and I'm no lightweight when it comes to drinking, I just dont drink as often as some folks. I'm sure you can handle it though lass."
He pops the cork on the bottle and a horrible stench fills the air and singes the nosehairs of those in its immediate vacinity. He pours the pitch black liquid into a shot glass and a sort of acrid purple steam arises from the liquid's movement into the shotglass. The glass cracks in a few places but surprisingly stays intact for the moment.
"If ya like it then I'll see if Dralix can take it to his potion shop and figure out the ingrediants and then we'll think of a name fer it and I'll start making it as a regular drink aroudn here. I'll 'ave to get some stronger glasses though."
"Strong stuff," she wheezes, but only slightly, "if it can affect me at all. Tell me, have you heard of a tavern called The Roasted Wyrm, on a Prime called Dreavarr?"
"Watch. And, uh, plug your nose."
Jaden opens the small flask, and a hellish scream rips from it. The fumes are a sulphurous yellow, and as they leak out into the bar, patrons fall to the ground, grabbing their throats. Any paint once in the area has now crumbled to fine powder.
"The fumes are enough to intoxicate a normal person for eight days. The Roasted Wyrm made this recipie to sell to me, and gave me leave to hand it out to other bars I visit. Interested?"
"Aye ya have my attention. How much will it be costing me to sell that here, I can have it as a contest like the Kandarian Steakhouse with their overly large steak and if ya can eat the whole thing then ya get it fer free."
The door slams open, and Tyler is in the threshold. His shoulders are hunched, and his left arm hangs limply at his side while his right holds half the door open. The metal plates of his outfit, where his arcane designs are, are filled with blood. A ragged wound resembling a claw mark shows the source of this hemoblobin as the teen staggers in slowly.
"God, that hurt...that hurt so very much. There a doctor in the house?"
He takes a seat near Inaya, his blood dripping from his arm, but not his outfit.
"If you have juice, now would be a good time. I may not be allowed to drink alchohol yet, but I still need something before I keel over."
He extends his hand with a smile.
"Pure, undiluted fury."
She looks at cycine and smiles. "Think I could get some of that black stuff there bud? I aint had a good strong drink in a while and after being stuck in that other hell I think I kinda need it."
Cycine pours a glass of the black stuff for Jinx and materializes that flask Jaden gave him and pours Trigger a half shot of it and is sure to cover his nose to keep himself sober, "Here ya are lass and lad. Be careful with that Dreavarr alcohol Trigger..."
No sooner had he spoke his warning then Trigger had chugged his drink down and was wobbling on his stool. Cycine chuckled at this, "Weebles wobbles but he wont fall down, oh nevermind there he goes." Trigger falls off his stool and crashes to the floor with a thud.
"He never listens to any form of a warning unless I'm showin' a bit of my temper when I tell him one. I'm lovin' the weeble wobble thing there Cycine. Guess it's my turn to see if I can make a fool of myself. Oh and Cycine if I smack down like my lovely dearest here, please transport us to a room." She looks around herself. "If yer behind me better be ready to catch me." (don't really worry about catching her)
With that, she grins evilly and chugs the shot in one swallow knowing she shouldn't have. She makes a little face and shakes her head then looks around amazed like it's a completely new room. She sways some then blacks out and face plants onto the bar then slowly slides off her stool, ending in a sitting position in the floor leaned against the bar.
He motions for one of the erinyes that was having a drink at a table near the back to come and heal Tyler's wounds and sends him a glass of dark blue Yadalra juice.
OOC: Sorry I forgot all about Tyler. I also just made up the Yadalra fruit, native to the outlands and has no special properties, just tastes pretty good and has some vitamins.
The color returns to Tyler's face as he promptly buries it in his glass. When there is no longer drink inside, he casts about for some other thing to hide behind, then reaches into his backpack and pulls out a slim, rectangular object, resembling a square between half a foot and a whole foot on all sides. He flips up the top, then stoops down until you can no longer see his face. However, you hear a semi-metallic clacking; he's doing something with it.
"What is this thing?"
Tyler leaps up in surprise and his chair tips back until he crashes onto the floor. He only manages to tilt his chin into his chest so that he doesn't hit his head, but lies there, dazed, for a second or two before he realizes who scared him.
"H...hi, milady. Erm..what'd you ask again? Uh, I mean, erm.."
He trails off, the color on his face a deep, cherry red. You get the distinct impression that this is either the most awkward situation he's ever been in, or he hasn't seen a real woman. Or both.
"Come on Tyler. Get up...I'm not that intimidating, am I?"
"Uh, sorry, milady, I..uh, well..erm, I panicked. What did you want to know? Er..well.."
He casts about his mind for a more polite way to ask his question, but the most he can do is continue stuttering.
OOC
If anyone's wondering about the personality shift, when Tyler came here his mind was running off pure adrenalin. Now that that's worn off, his 'normal' personality is showing again. And he just got hit by a crush.
"I merely inquired as to the functionality of that device. I've never seen such a thing, and I suppose I just have an inately curious personality. Care to explain it?"
Get ahold of yourself!
He turns the laptop so that Inaya can see the screen.
"Alright. This is a computer, specifically, this one is a laptop. You know how there are different kinds of swords? Same deal here. Computers are used to store information more easily than in a book. Watch."
He moves the cursor to a file titled "Spellbook" and taps the touchpad twice, opening up a complex Word file.
"In terms of books, this file alone could take up four or five thousand pages. And it's all here, stored easily."
"...It's like glass...glass with pictures behind it...its a magical library in a box, isn't it?"
He opens up Internet Explorer and goes through a series of codes, bringing him to a screen full of various numbers.
"This code is what makes the computer run. It's called software; it tells it what to do. By changing the software, within certain limits, you can make it do things it wasn't made to do. If I get this right, I think I can access more information across time itself."
His fingers fly across the keyboard, sending up a storm of clacking as the code shifts and changes faster than the eye can follow.
"Ah. Right. Of course..."
"um...what?"
The code continues to fly by, and Tyler types furiously for five minutes straight, his face still and expressionless as he concentrates.
I'm hacking time and space...and the government said that I was a degenerate with no skill, what do they know?
A final string is typed in, and Tyler hits the Enter key grandly. The code scrolls upwards and then Internet Explorer is brought up again. There, flashing, is a webpage with pictures of guitars.
"Invocari."
The magic gathers around Tyler's hand, and he reaches through the laptop, seizing the picture of a black axe guitar with a skull pattern. He pulls back, and the guitar is drawn through after his arm.
"Much better. I normally fight with one of these, and once this baby gets enchanted, I'll be back in my swing."
"You play music? That's a skill I like to see in a man...will you give us a tune?"
"I'm just a dabbler, not really any good, but if you want me to play, I can come up with something. But I'm not any good."
He waves his hand over the guitar and mumbles something. A crackle of lightning streaks from his hand and then into the electric parts of the guitar, powering it.
Satisfied with the tuning, Tyler stands up and moves away from the table so that he has more room to work with. He takes in a deep breath, exhales slowly, and begins the first few chords of the song. Though it begins slowly, it quickly picks up, the tempo's speed matching his firey spirit. One verse slides into another as he continues playing, oblivious to the world around him. From the expression on his face, eyes closed, he is pouring his soul into the song.
After ten minutes of playing, he slows, and then stops. Finally aware of the fact that there is, indeed, a universe around him, he looks up and makes eye contact with Inaya.
"How was it?"
OOC
While I can't decide how anyone's character likes it, let me tell you this; despite any self-confidence problems to the contrary, Tyler is a master musician. Also, it's an electric axe guitar, so you can imagine the sound.
"Its like no music I've ever heard before..."
OOC
Right now Tyler reminds me very much of Kash, my CE Drow Heavy Metal Bard/Sublime Chord (who did indeed fight with an electric guitar...and did his own special effects...with Meteor Swarm :D)
Tyler adjusts the tuning again, and casts a spell. A phantasmal drummer and singer form behind him. He taps his steel-toed boot on the floor, and while he doesn't actually say anything, you can easily call up the words, "And a-one, and a-two, and a-one-two-three-four!"
Tyler picks up the guitar chords as the phantasmal drummer and singer begin their roles.
OOC
Heaven's a Lie is the song he is playing.
Incidentally, Tyler has no skill as a bard. He's just very good at the guitar. However, when he finishes with it, the guitar he's holding will let him fight back up to full strength.
Incidentally, Tyler has no skill as a bard. He's just very good at the guitar. However, when he finishes with it, the guitar he's holding will let him fight back up to full strength.
Near the middle of the song, she draws her blade and stares into its reflecting surface, apparently deep in thought. Finally, when Tyler strikes the last reverberating chord, she looks up.
"A much darker melody, my friend. Much darker indeed. But you play it well."
"Your music is powerful, Tyler. It is life and death...it is the personification of the dance of the blades that I know so well. I may well have found an accompanist...when battle is joined, will you stand with me?"
"Sure, if you want. My last fight didn't go over so well, but I think I can remedy that. Do you have a knife on you? Mine fell into Dys."
He places the guitar at the table where he and Inaya are sitting and sits down with it. He murmurs a few arcane phrases and the skull pattern dissapates, leaving a black axe.
"Have I got a knife? Don't make me laugh...I've got at least seven of these hidden away. One less won't make that large a difference."
"Thank you. Dolorius."
The knife shimmers faintly, then takes on a light red glow. Tyler carefully sets it down, and then, with even more care, removes the strings from the axe, setting them aside. Through a small enchantment of his, they remains more or less ramrod straight. Picking up the knife, he begins carving a complex, interweaving pattern into the axe head, a polygon formed of innumerable lines and forming innumerable other shapes on its interior. As he continues adding lines, the shape becomes more fascinating; it's as if eternity is sealed inside the design.
Finally, he sets the knife down, his work completed.
"Six-hundred and sixteen sides. Over double that many diagonals. Infinite number of other shapes inside of it. Now, there's only one thing left; the binding."
He takes the knife in his right hand and holds his left, palm-down, over the center of the design. He begins speaking, and though none here have heard the dark tongue he uses, all understand the words.
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, magic to magic, and blood to blood. Seals of hope and seals of doom, seals of time and seals of rhyme, magic be woven, reality undone."
He cuts across his palm, and blood falls onto the design, filling the lines. The axe flashes, and the lines, once steely silver, are now dark red. Instantaeneously, Tyler's wounds heal.
"And he's back. How's it going?"
Well indeed, master.
"Inaya, meet the Axe of Despair. Despair, this is Inaya."
A pleasure, my lady.
"Well, uh...um...*ahem*
A pleasure to be sure......I'm sorry, I mean no offense, but to what am I speaking, exactly?"
Damn straight.
"Hey! You ingrateful son of a lute, where would you be if I hadn't bought you from Mike's Pawn Shop?"
Well said.
"Anyway, he's my signature weapon. If I have him with me, I never fight without him."
Besides...you wield it. And from what I've heard about your last fight, you did pretty well without it. With it...I can hardly wait to see."
Tyler reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hand-sized, rectangular object. A pair of cords trail from it, ending in buds that could fit in the ear.
"This is an Ipod. It can store music and play it back with these ear buds. I was using it as a focus for my sound-based spells, but with the Axe back, I don't need it. C'mere, I'll show you how it works."
Tyler gently inserts the ear buds, then turns the Ipod on. It beeps softly.
"Get used to these beepings. It does that whenever you tell it to do something. Alright, you're at what's called a menu. This is where you can tell it to do different things. In this case, you want a playlist, or a list of songs."
He shows her how to scroll using the Ipod touch pad.
"Now, this has a few playlists, each one named after the moods the songs inspire. Where I come from, music has branched into a lot of different genres. Like books, but shorter. Most songs here would be either rock or punk. Rock is like that first song I played for you; full of energy and zeal. It's not typically very reverent, and tends to contain vulgarity or cursing."
He scrolls through the menu, highlighting a few that contain all or mostly rock.
"Punk tends to be a bit darker. It's like the second song I played for you; brooding and melancholy. Punk typically deals with the evils of humanity and our own damnation. In my time, it's very popular; the youth is disillusioned with humanity and the world in general."
He shows her how to go through menus, then puts on a playlist labled "Jammin'".
"I listen to these simply because I like 'em. You can use this touchpad to increase or decrease the volume; just move your finger to the right for loud and left for soft. If you want to know how to make your own playlist, I can show you that too."
Soon, with Tyler's assistance, she masters the basics of the device, and she spends some time happily exploring the vast collection of music stored within, although she stays mainly within the realm of the rock music. As it plays, she taps the hilt of her weapon in time to the music, as if eager to draw it.
"So this is common where you come from? A wonder like this? Everything my home has is merely a single symphony, or less...and nothing has this...pulse behind it."
She stands up, pushing her chair back.
"May I take this with me momentarily? This music makes me want to..."
A high-pitched whine fills the tavern as her blade slides out of the scabbard.
"...go wild, so to speak."
"Keep it. Even if I didn't have Despair with me, I could always construct a new one. I've been taking those apart and putting them together since I was ten. Incidentally, we have the kind of music your world has too. We call it 'classical'. Very few write new pieces after that style any more though; more money in these ones. Just remember to keep it in your pocket; having it in your hand while fighting or swinging can be very bad. It's fragile."
He strums a few notes on his now-sentient guitar, and they have a different feel to them. They sound the same, but now they exude power.
"Let me undo the damage I did outside first."
He plays a few notes, and, again, his tempo increases as he slides into a song he's practiced frequently. This is definitely a good example of the rock he had been talking about; the song has a necromantic theme and deals heavily with the dead. As the last note dies away, he opens the door, and you see the earth outside reconstructing itself. The last few bits slide into place, and it's as if nothing ever happened.
"There you go."
"Thank you ever so much!"
She turns towards the door, scimitar in hand.
"I'll be right back...I don't want to injure anyone. I just have to burn some energy..."
"Oh! Save my seat for me, won't you?"
With that, she glides out the door, her eyes bright and energetic, her silver blade already dancing circles about her body.
What's troubling you?
"Nothing, nothing."
You always sigh when something's troubling you.
"Oh shut up, I do not. Actually, I don't think I've felt better in my life."
What about during your brief afterlife?
"Oh, don't EVEN start with that."
"[Crrlickclickclick] Is that... what I think it is? Is that a... [Crrlick] computer? [Click click] The Great Predator be praised, me and my [Click] brothers' search is at an end!"
In a sound of electric surge The Ripper emerges from his blurry optic camouflage. The insect-like humanoid sets his red eyes towards those of Tyler.
"[Crrlick click] Can you use it to [Click click] get access into other computers?"
Tyler gets up swiftly, knocking over the chair and drawing his loaded glocks. His breathing is heavy, and the look in his eyes clearly says he is running off adrenalin.
"What manner of demon are you?"
"I'll take one of your stronger drinks, whatever works, just keep me away from that new drink you aquired, last thing I need right now is more malice."
He sighs
"Something is definately wrong here, two other contestants have died...permanently...since I've arrived here, and im responsable for the most recent. I have some strange premonition of more trouble to come; the wind tells me only half the truth I fear."
He drums his fingers gently on the counter as he waits patiently for Cycine to finish his drink as he casts a dispassionate eye towards Tyler and the Ripper.
"[Crrlick click] Oh, I am dreadfully sorry that I startled you like that. [Clickclickclick] And no I am not a demon. [Click] I am known as The Ripper and I am a [Click click] shaswai hunter. [Crrlick] If you haven't heard of us, we are [Clickclickclick] an ancient race of predators, but fortune [Click] has not been on our side for six thousand years. [Click click] You see, humans in our world almost wiped us out [Crrlick click] with their powerful weapons technology, but eventually they [Crrlick] destroyed themselves too. [Click click] However, my race is still in danger of extinction, [Clickclickclick] for my people live separately in different worlds [Click] all across the great multiverse. [Click click] About five hundred years ago me and my two brothers, [Crrlick] The Trapper and The Stalker swore an oath to seek a way to restore our species [Click click] to our former glory. [Crrlick click] We tried to find the three most greatest artifacts [Clickclickclick] in the known world: The Ultimate Weapon, The Monumental Shield and The Omega Armor. [Click] Instead, we were trapped by the artifacts, and I had to spend half a millenia [Crrlick] in a statis field. [Click click] However, by following that... cornugon... "Darshg the Reaper", I managed to [Crrlick click] escape and can now fulfill my oath. [Clickclickclick] We need technology, and I see that you possess a computer, [Crrlick] so I ask you: Can this computer be used to gain access to [Click] other computers?"
Tyler pauses, then smacks himself in the forehead.
"What the hell am I saying? I just hacked the space-time continum, I'll find your computers for you. But not right now; I'm busy."
With that, he sits back down to watch Inaya's graceful dance yet again.
"Ah. Much better. Thank you for your patience...I just get a little restless sometimes."
As she turns to face Tyler, she catches sight of the Ripper, and suddenly springs up again, her hand on her scimitar's hilt.
"Tyler...what in the hells is that thing?"
He searches in vain for something to describe the awe Inaya inspires in him.
"Like..like God. That's the only thing that I can say, and even then, it doesn't do you justice.
Inaya's calm exterior breaks fractionally, and a faint blush creeps across her cheeks...a barely perceptable tint, but there none the less.
"...oh...by the way...
...Thanks. I'm glad you liked it."
"Well, milady, take a seat, and I can show you a few more things on this computer of mine. I've gotten acess to the Internet...through time. Needless to say, there may be some connection issues, but on the whole, we should be good."
"So, master of the glowing box...what do you have to show me this time?"
"This is a virtual realm. It's called a website. See, every website has its own purpose and things that it does. Youtube is for motion pictures. Watch."
He clicks one of his songs, and it pulls up onto the screen. He hits a button to let it download first, and then plays it. When it finishes, he smiles.
"That's an example of japanese music."
The Ripper takes his backpack and digs up a small blackboard and a chalk and writes something that looks like "Dghr'unl bsar'ngan".
"[Clickclickclick] I know it looks weird, but on shaswai [Click click] it means 'Mainframe connector'. [Crrlick] With that, you can instantly use the [Click] mainframe of our ancestral home's computer network. [Crrlickclickclick] Of course, you'll still need a password, which only I and [Click click] few other shaswai know."
"Hmm. I appear to be called to fight. Again. Well, let's see what I've got. Inaya, milady, care to join me?"
Tyler offers his hand to help Inaya up and they walk out of the bar.
OOC
I realize I do not control Gideon's character. However, we're both in the same battle, and I wanted to convey the gentlemen thing. If Gideon doesn't like it, I'll change it.
"[Click click] It seems that I must wait. [Clickclickclick] Barkeep, a pint of your [Click] best mead please!"
So what is this place any way?
He gestures to the window and the arena below
"We are just across from the infamous 'Sorcens Arena' in which several demons demigods and mortals enjoy watching competitors fight to the death. I would bet that if Sorcen stopped reviving his victims, he'd have to expand the seating in his colosseum to make room for all the spectators."
He looks at the bottom of his now empty glass
"Blast! Why does this stuff always dissapear so quickly? I feel sober already."
He motions to Cycine for a refill.
"My attitude towards that unholy of places may be cold now, but give it a couple of hours and I'll be down there laughing my head off as my next victim bleeds to death before me. I suppose I'm the epitome of 'You wont like him when hes angry.'"
Looking over at his listener
"Oh, sorry, all you did was ask a simple question and here I am spilling my troubles to you; I'm not even trying to be cheerful anymore."
Straightening, he forces himself out of his self-inflicted depression and extends his hand to Torien.
"My name's Sevifor, I'm just back from my first battle here, to whom do I have the honor of speaking?"
"Cycine! Bartlemaeus needs your help, and anyone else's, now more than ever. I've found his daughter. It's long, it's complicated, and it's about to be bloody quick. We need some muscle, and any brave soul willing to brave utter obliteration for the sake of another."
I know Bartelemus will understand and I wish you good luck on yer quest. Oh and free drinks for a year to anyone taking this quest to save my old friend's daughter."
He thinks for a moment and whispers to an imp beside him, who promptly disappears and reappears a few moments later whispering back to the barkeep who then nods. "Someone will be along shortly that may be able to help."
Syra sits down, burying her head in her hands. It was a lot to take in. Her father, blood gods, Bartlemaeus's daughter. All the things she'd been running from all these years were coming back, and she was stepping willingly into their embrace.
She considered for a moment abandoning the quest, of fleeing like she had so many times before.
"No. Not this time. This time, I fight. This time, I stand beside my friend."
Unaware that she spoke out loud, Syra continues staring at the counter.
He smiles and pulls himself out of his seat.
"Wouldn't miss this for the world; hmm still should probably be careful, I suppose I do owe Sorcen at least one more match for his tourney."
Two gleaming daggers emerge in his hands and he twirls them around as he walks over to Syra.
Cycine bows back, "Aye yes LeVeldrin, Bartelemus is in need of warriors for a quest to get his daughter back, Syra'll fill you in on the details. Oh and I beleive Doran wouldn't mind being here for this." He pulls the coin from its resting place and uses it to summon in Doran.
OOC: I'll leave the details for that up to Ank.
"'Ello. Finger-waggler? No, it doesn't matter. My name is Syra Kavon. I'm helping Bartlemaeus get his daughter back. And, well, it ain't pretty. She's being possesed by a blood god, and to round it off, this god has formed a pact with Konvinax, Lord of Shadows, would-be ruler of the Plane of Shadow. And he's close. I don't think we'll make it back."
"Alive, anyway."
Rather than say it all over again, Syra waves her hand and imparts the information directly to Doran, along with an inadvertant and overwhelming wave of desperation, fear, hoplessness, and sorrow.
At this point Sevifor quips in "Too bad that Tyler kid is in the arena, he could be of use for something like this..."
"Well, I'll do my best in his stead I guess," Doran says "but I'm not too happy about these survival rates that we're predicting. Nimbrixion, I am afraid this is where we part ways. I'll not allow your soul to torn two ways from hell by a demon-lord."
She opens her mouth wide to protest, but before she can, a thin ray of magic hits her square in the chest. Her mouth continues to hang open a moment in a very human-like expression of surprise as she stares at the spot where she was hit before slowly closing it. Turning away, she says "So be it...I'll be waiting for you." Although hidden well, an undertone of sadness and slight dissapointment are present in her words.
"I'll come back, one way or another" He manages a small smile in vain, for she is still looking the other way "I'm ready to leave, but if you don't mind I'll be working some magic while you finish recruiting."
ooc
In case anyone is wondering, that spell was dimensional anchor, and hes currently in the process of forming an contingency wish spell that will work to let his soul free should he die...not sure how effective its going to be.
"[Crrlick click] I'll come with you, Syra Kavon, for there is [Click] no quest like this that The Ripper [Crrlick] would turn down. [Clickclickclick] I have little else to do right now [Click click] and I'd like some action. [Crrlick] I am an excellent fighter, a very good tracker, [Click] a magic adept and I can turn invisible [Click click] any time I want. [Crrclickclickclick] I am at your service."
The nearly 8 feet tall green insectoid bows for a moment to the shadowmancer then continues.
"[Crrlick] So, should I expect a challenge? [Clickclickclick] How powerful are these things that we are going to be up against?"
Syra can't help it; mocking laughter erupts from her. When it dies down, she looks apologetic, and she looks the Ripper straight in the multi-faceted eye.
"Darkness incarnate and a god. On their home turf where they're exponentially more powerful."
Torien's the name, I've also been called many other names but prefer Torien thank you, And no I don't mind you woe, forgive me for saying but it only brings me joy to hear of the suffering of others.
"I see, how interesting then. Yes count me in for this quest then, I enjoy accompanying Sorcen on his Theothanatos campaigns and find it quite enjoyable to fight such beings, especially with Lord Sorcen." He seems nostalgic for a moment and smiles, "Poor St. Cuthbert."
OOC:
Theothanatos is Sorcen's campaign against the gods, translated it means 'death of the gods' and is just that, Sorcen intends to eventually kill all the gods except for those few that are unerringly loyal to him, such as Aya. In my campaign world St. Cuthbert was the first god that fell vitim to Theothanatos and was overwhelmed by Sorcen's invasion and was killed quite easily. I had LeVeldrin accompany him and led much of Sorcen's army and also Sorcen's 'adopted son' Stahl was there.
The people of the bar see that she wears a low cut sleeveless black thin leather shirt and tight fitting black thin leather pants with no shoes. Closer inspection of her feet would show you her toes were webbed. Her hair is long, wavy and black with random little do-dads tied into it. Her piercing eyes are black with small hints of silver streaks through them. She carries a silver metal and blue gemmed trident in her hand and a long silver bladed dagger in it's sheath around her waist.
Syra stops, looking puzzled. Then the full extent of what she just said hits her, and she giggles. The smal laugh is like an emotional release, and soon turns into hysterical laughter as the Shadowmancer clutches the bar stool for support.
OOC
I have added Neme to my character list in the roster thread and being sort of mean is in her personality.
"I'm sorry..haha..I'm sorry, really. You wouldn't understand, but I needed that. Eerm, anyway, who are ya? I'm Syra Kavon, Shadowmancer."
The sandman notices the woman looking at him and smiles at her, "Ah so you do remember me water child." He sends the images into her mind of their past together, (which we are still working on, its complicated).
She sees memories of her child hood. LeVeldrin is playing with her as a toddler and then it is showing her when he was teaching her a few little spells when she got a few years older. Neme is stunned for a few seconds in disbelief of who is standing in front of her. "They told me stories of you while I was growing up but I never believed them. I guess they really are true and the older kids were right."
OOC
Who said that The Ripper's eyes are multi-faceted? Though red, his eyes are quite humanoidish, thank you - unlike those on a Thri-Kreen. I have tried to get some pictures here, but conditions have not been favorable for me.
She looks the Ripper straight in the multi-faceted eye.
Who said that The Ripper's eyes are multi-faceted? Though red, his eyes are quite humanoidish, thank you - unlike those on a Thri-Kreen. I have tried to get some pictures here, but conditions have not been favorable for me.
I'll be waiting my friend, I'll be waiting.
"I'll be back. Gotta get Bartlemaeus."
She slips into the shadows, heading for the aged sage.
I raised you for awhile and had hoped that I could stay until you were an adult but Sorcen contacted me one day and needed me back to prepare for the invasion. I faked my death in one of the battles and protected you from his armies when he invaded your area of your plane. After that I thought you would be better off knowing I was dead but it was fate that we meet here I suppose."
She looks at LeVeldrin with a slightly sad look but quickly clears it away and clears her mind of the thoughts of her mother. Neme places her hands on the table allowing a small puddle of water to form. She then moves her hands around like in weird patterns around the water forming it into something that resembles a rose. She blows across it gently and freezes it.
"If this is your natural form, then it would explain why I have a few different powers then the other kids did. And why I was always a little more powerful then they were even though we were the same age."
Oh and you have that ability to turn yourself into pure water but you've spontaneously used that one before havent you, saved your life too, its quite useful. Anyway I can teach you to use these powers and maybe you have more, who knows you may have even inherited the planeswalker spark."
He thinks of her other remark on her mother and seems saddened once again, he projects a thought to her in a cheery tone,
Perhaps we can find your mother or at least find out what happened to her when we get back from helping these people.
"We're assembled and ready. Let's go."
She finishes perfecting the ice rose and walks to Cycine, "This is for your generosity and hospitality Cycine, it has been very nice here. Thank you." She hands him the rose the returns to LeVeldrin and Syra. "I'm ready when everyone else is."
LeVeldrin stands with his daughter, "I'm ready as well for this quest to save your daughter Bartelemus. I'm sure you remember me, though we've only met a few times."
Srya waves her hand, and the shadows in the room coalesce into a portal.
"To Sigil, then."
OOC
I'm off to make the quest thread!
OOC
It's up
Gareth's Thread
Find it here http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=11489246&posted=1#post11489246
P.S. Next person to post gets the evil # :D
P.S. Next person to post gets the evil # :D
OOC
You know that number was a mistranslation, right? The Mark of the Beast is 616
Neme follows the other participants threw the portal into Sigal, making sure that she pulls LeVeldrin in behind her.
"WHERE ARE THEY?! I SWEAR, IF NO ONE TELLS ME, I WILL BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND. THEN I'LL FREEZE THE ASHES, AND BURN IT WITH ACID!!"
Rays jolt from Harmond like a pulsating star, each bolt tearing into some of the low-life demons that are drinking there. The more experienced or powerful guests either absorb the blasts or are simply unaffected. Suddenly, a foot to the back of the head ends Harmond's barrage, as the elf falls to the floor, completely knocked out. Behind him is Svent, looking more than a little angry.
"I was just here, trying to enjoy some food and drink, and then you come in and shoot up the place? What the hell is your problem?!"
Svent lifts Harmond up, places his head in his armpit while holding Harmond's arms, and a makes a simple motion. A loud CRACK can be heard, and Svent ddrops him to the floor, his arm joints now out of sockets.
"Boy, that'll be a fun surprise when he wakes up..."
Can't say I've seen anything like this happen before. I mean, there are the occasional barfights, but no one's damn stupid enough to come in and shoot up the place."
A mental message flashes in Svent's mind as he looks at the strange newcomer.
"Hey, you wouldn't be...Ascember, would you? If you are, you and me gotta a fight comin' up in the arena."
"Barkeep," she says in her quiet, low voice, "How often do matches occur?"
"Water. Blessed water. Not blood."
He shakes his head and drinks the water. The blood that was on him when he came back from the Jailhouse is gone. His robes are a pure white and untorn. His silver hair is held back by a leather headband, and small white beads clink at the end of the leather strips. His beard has been cut, and now is only a silver goatee. His eyes, silver and gold, are serene as ever as he surveys the bar. But any patron who looks him in the eyes sees how Tyrion has changed. Madness lurks within that gaze, madness from te eJailhouse of the Damned.
Valoran Galastini, the Butcher of the Sword Coast, is displaying kindness.
"Old friend, it's alright. You're home. You're going to be okay."
Tyrion pauses panting, and the mad light fades from his eyes.
"I'm sorry. You are undeserving of such an outburst, dear friend. After all we have been through. But I still see things. Terrors. I feel something gone within me. But I dont' know what."
He takes out a pipe carved from black ivory to form a dragon head. Stuffing some herbs into it, he lights it with a flick of magic and takes a deep draw. He breathes out smoke, and the smoke swirls into the form of a terrible beast.
"There! It's him! Oh, Valoran, it's him!"
Tyrion fires a dozen tendrils of fire at the smoky form, which dissolves as the rays pierce through it and splash onto the wall. Scorch marks pattern the wall just above Cycine's head.
He nudges the water a bit closer to Tyrion.
"You've had ten thousand years with nothing to drink but the blood of your enemies. I think you've earned a glass of water, Tyrion."
"Water. It's so smooth and silky compared to blood. You are a good friend, Valoran."
He pats Valoran's arm and cocks his head.
"Sounds like a battle awaits me. Care to come along?"
His eyes twinkle with a bit of their old vigor.
Valoran chuckles slightly, and reaches into his quiver. Pulsing in his hand is the arrow Compassion, summoned all those years ago by Tyrion.
"She no longer wounds me, Tyrion. I believe she is yours now. The others of the Seven will be revealed in time. Sin was mighty, but you have shown me another way. I'm glad to know you, old monk. Glad indeed."
"The pleasure is mine, Valoran. A gift like this is an honor. Let's go show those people out there some teamwork!"
"My god, that was hilarious. We have got to visit Arborea again sometime later. C'mon Inaya, drinks are on me, such as that is."
He sets his guitar in an empty seat near the back of the room, heading to Cycine.
"Another one of those fruit juices. Actually, just get two. I still don't know what milady likes in her liquor."
"Fruit juice it is, Cycine...just add a shot of something for me, will you? Doesn't really matter much...actually, no. I tell a lie. If you have any of that stuff...can't remember the name...that they serve in the Elisian Fields, stick that in.
Ah, what a trip!"
She then turns back to her weaponry, and, picking up the rifle, proceeds to fumble it dramatically. Bullets spill out of it and roll onto the floor, and Inaya gets up and walks over to Tyler. Standing next to him, she hangs her head in a sheepish fashion.
"Uh...Ty? You're going to have to show me that loading thing again..."
Shy at first, but he starts to get use to the place. Not the best of people to go around and talk much. Tries to order some tea and bread.
"Haven't seen you around before. You come while we were out?"
"We've been here before, but we decided to take a little break, explore the multiverse, spend a little alone time, take in the sights...but, you know...after a while you just want to be back in the thick of the action. So here we are again."
Inaya turns and flashes a dazzling smile at Tyler before turning back.
"Other than that...I hear there's a magic school, but I've never been there. Honestly, I haven't been here much at all. I passed through, met a great guy, had an amazing battle with him at my side, and then went on a whirlwind tour of the multiverse. So if you find anything interesting, let us know, will you?"
However, when you examine the creature closer you quickly notice from it's several wounds, stiched-looking flesh and several metallic implements all over the creature's body that it isn't actually a humanoid at all. From it's looks you are able to deduce that it is actually a golem of flesh. Besides the ragged trousers and a metallic shoulder pad you notice that it is wearing a strange-looking orange-colored cloak.
The golem looks confused, but mainly frightened, and it quickly backs off towards the wall and speaks.
"W... wha... what be this place? This no be Master Khumar dungeon, me know! Why me here? Please please please, no kill Grugol!"
"Greetings," says Zoqies. "My name is Zoqies. May I ask what is yours?" Extends a hand.
"C'mon, I'll get those bullets up from off the ground once my hands are empty. It's not too hard once you get it down. The bad bit is firing those damned things. Why you had to pick an automatic eludes me..."
He sets the drinks down at their table, sitting down and propping his feet up next on his guitar's chair.
"Still good, Despair?"
Yes sir.
"Thank the lord for repeated soul bindings. Alrighty, Ferrous Invocari"
Tyler's hand glows a light blue, and the bullets on the floor rattle and wobble until they rise slowly in the air towards his hand. He smiles with accomplishment.
"Finally made a spell to call my own. I call it 'Magneto'. I don't think anyone here'll get the joke though."
He sets the rounds on the table, examines the gun, and laughs slightly.
"Found your problem."
He takes a magazine out of his bag, and then dumps a few more on the table.
"We've done and mixed up our ammo. Your gun loads like..."
He pops the magazine into Inaya's assault rifle.
"That. These other bullets are for that six-shooter I'm buildin'."
"Me master name me Grugol. Me be master Khumar servant. Master Khumar say me different. Master say me no normal flesh golum because me can make magic nat... trula... Yeh! Natrulally! Other flesh golums just smash stoopid people comming to steal master treasure and moan like idiot. Not Grugol. Grugol make magic! Grugol not too smart to understand why Grugol be here when Grugol was in master dungeon before. Bright white light and then Grugol in weird place with people that Grugol not know."
The flesh golem's expression then shifts back to fear.
"Oh, master Khumar very angry when see Grugol gone! Master Khumar no want make more Grugol! Say Grugol be "prototyp" of much more good magic-making flesh golum! Master Khumar use big magic and kill more sor... sorcece... sorcer... natrulally magic-making people. Me want to be warluck, no sorc... sorce... ummm... me think me got it... sorcecer... or wasit sorcerel...?"
Lift your head up, It only gets worse as you do better.
Slowly lifting his head from the bar he holds up his hand with an extended index finger indicating that he would like for Cycine to come and take his order.
"That would do it."
Setting the weapon down, she turns her chair to face Tyler and picks up her drink.
"Well, here's to being back, although we must do that again sometime. We missed that Las Vegas place you told me about. Just one thing...can we agree never to take the shortcut through the Far Realms ever again?"
He then over hears the speak of this "Las Vegas" place. He wonders, for a moment. At the mean time, he goes back to playing his Lute.
He hears the sound of the lute playing and smiles. He looks over at the player and calls out in a friendly tone, "Hey man, get with the times! Want me to show ya something a bit more..alive?"
Draining her glass, she stands up, a smile playing across her face.
"Tyler? You were going to play us something?"
The air in the middle of the Taverne shimmers and forms into a spectral drummer and another guitarist. Tyler takes his place in front of them, tapping his steel-soled boot on the floor. Once. Twice.
His tune begins like all his music; suddenly. It's a heavy, powerful tune, and he sings it with passion.
Zoqies then takes a few moments to tone his lute, trying to get it at a perfect tone. With a small surprise, he plays the song "Move Along." Guesses this might be a bit better then a bard's concert.
I need food.
Slumping over limp as a wet noodle krono passes out at the bar.
He glares his eyes at the stranger for a moment, "You look sleepy. Anything werid happen?" asked Zoqies.
"Hey what this place be? Is magic-makers here? Grugol like if magic-makers here, Grugol want bekum great warluck magic-maker!"
looking at Krono, Torien explains Kronos situatuion for him.
" It appears that the poor fellow has expended vast ammounts of psionic energy, making it nessisary to for him rest by any means nessesary."
"Sorry! My bad! Just trying to open it."
Sitting down at the bar, he snaps his fingers and several coins fall from the air, bouncing off the counter in front of him.
"Ah...to be 21 at last..."
"Barkeep! I'll have a martini. And for the Bond touch, make it shaken, not stirred."
Leaning back in his chair, he looks around the bar, flashing smiles every which way.
"Nice place. Though you might want to clean the bloodstains off that wall over there..."
He smiles warmly to the room at large :"So, what exactly is going on here?" the elf says amiably.
"Sorry everyone! Sorry, really!"
He rounds on Coin, opening his mouth to say something really scathing, and then shuts it, a look of surprised recognition on his face.
"Charlie? Two-Faced Charlie? The hell are you and your two-headed quarter doing here?"
"Great. Of all the people I could run into in Hell, it had to be you."
"And genius boy? The name's Coin. Call me Coin, of shut your face."
He tosses one of his coins over to Tyler, and it bounces off the mage's head.
"Just like it always was, smartass. One heads, one tails. You saw two heads? That's what I like to call skill. But you probably don't know much about it."
"You have no clue what skill is, you slacker. You never worked a day of your life, always gambling something. I, on the other hand, spent my life trying to help others. I bled, and I even died. You want to lecture me on skill, whelp? You wanna play this game with me?"
He slings the guitar back over his back, and Coin remembers something from high school; the reason people didn't screw with Tyler Vici was because he was scary. And things haven't changed much; he still looks very much like a demon cultist, and it's likely that the metal on him isn't just for ornamentation.
"And what's with the ridiculous name? Coin? You too good for the name your mother gave you?"
OOC
Don't forget you've got Inaya in here :D
As he does more of his coin tricks, on of the coins bounce on his head and roll onto the wooden floor, landing on who knows what. Making countless shrugs, he hides his face in a book.
"And you're also a clueless idiot."
Here Inaya rises, her hand on her sword hilt, and Coin's eyes go wide as he waves her back down.
[b]"Hey hey hey...calm down, girl. I wasn't flipping out on you...don't you go nuts on me. Just pointing out to an old...friend a few mistakes."
"Anyway...never worked a day in my life? Come on man...you blind? Sure, I wasn't the genius you were...didn't spend my life with my nose in the textbook...but you know what? I had a blast! Didn't graduate at 13, like some did...not naming any names, of course...but hey, life's short. Live it up."[/b]
Coin turns to snag his drink of Cycine's tray as the barkeep walks by. As he drinks it, he mutters darkly into his glass.
[b]"Where's my luck gone now? In hell with Tyler Vici? God f*ckin' damn it.[/b]
Inaya turns to Tyler.
"Tyler, who is this man? What's his problem?"
He sits down next to Inaya, taking a drink from his glass as he half-glares at Coin.
"Didn't gamble anything. I just tried to get back home for a visit, actually. Suprisingly, my spell worked...only I ended up here instead. So by 'worked,' I mean it didn't turn me to stone, bake a cake, or blow up the planet. Which sometimes happens..."
OOC
He'd also know that was WAAAAAAAAAAAY below the belt. When Tyler wasn't doing his classes (always, since he finished the curriculum in about a week), he was reading his bible, praying, or otherwise being engaged in something holy. Calling him a satanist is...beyond the limits of what should and should not be done. I'll let ya edit if you want; I did forget to mention it earlier
"Nothing much. Just some key notes I like to write down every now and then about my life. More like a journel, I guess."
Trying not to make himself look stupid, he quickly says,
"So, seen any phenomenons in your life-time?" Zoqies then writes down more notes, the maroon colored ink spilling onto the floor.
"Well, I guess my life isn't the greatest of great. Bloodshed, death, scearming, isn't that what a phenomenon could be?" Zoqies questions for a moment.
"I probably don't know what I'm talking about." says with a side of anger.
Tyler yells incredulously, every fiber of his being dismayed at what he has just heard.
"You can't CONTROL your magic? You HAVE magic? What are you, stupid? Magic isn't some toy you can screw around with and have fun! It needs to be controlled, or you could kill everyone around you!"
Endeca bursts into the bar, even without the doors there. Something about the way she swaggers in and smiles just says 'burst' to your perceptions, and she waves merrily at everyone, sparkling green eyes looking everyone over like she's known them all her life.
"Heya! Spellweaver's in town, folks, like up and see the show! You would NEVER beleive the crap that happens to me, hell, I don't. You know, I could use something to eat, lez see..."
She rifles through her pockets, finally pulling up a chicken wing. She frowns prettily at it, and snaps her fingers, a look of inspiration on her face.
"I know!"
She says something and waves her hand, and the thing sprouts tentacles, wrapping around her.
"Damn it, that always happens with chicken!"
She grabs a small hammer off her belt and beats the resulting monstrosity to death, taking a quick bite. She talks with her mouth full.
"Sho, 'ow is ev'ybo'y?"
[b]"Hey, haven't killed myself yet, have I? And yeah...I have magic. Apparently a lot. Tons. Heaps of the stuff...and fat lot of good it does me, to, I might add. Half the time I have no f*cking clue what I'm gonna do."[/b]
Looking up, he catches sight of Endeca and the chicken thing.
[b]"Lady, what the hell is that thing?[/b]
"The hell does it look like? It's a fried chicken wing with octopus tentacles. Want some? It's good?"
Tyler groans and turns his gaze back toward Inaya.
"Those two are going to kill us all. On accident. And with smiles too, probably. A Chaos Mage and a party boy with no sense of responsibility or self-discipline..."
"Gods, I hope not. I didn't come back here just to be turned into a rose garden and then vaporized."
Meanwhile, Coin eyes the newcomer before answering, trying to decide what he makes of her. Finally he turns, gets up, and walks over to her.
"Sure. Why not? Octopus tentacles beats most of the stuff I whip up.
"So, who're you? Remind me of Bris, all...actually, nah, you don't remind be of Bris at all. 'Mind me of Gareth when he's gotta go to somethin' all official, ya know? All dressed up and noble. Less ice, though. Who're you? I'm Endeca. Endeca Spellweaver, Chaos Magus, that damned elf, what the hell is she doing, people call me all kinds of things, like you wouldn't believe. But I sp'ose I earned all my nicknames, what with all the stuff that happens to me on accident, the chicken stuff, and summoning dracoliches, and I accidentally created Eberron in the past and..."
She speaks a mile a second, her breath seemingly endless as she goes on and on. If any words are to be had, it'll be in edgewise.
OOC
Wow. You did have to much caffiene. :D
"Yay! Thanks, I was gettin' tired of all that standing, all this junk I carry, but I like it all so much, you know? I'm attached to it, and there's cool stories behind all of it, like this is the fifth time I've eaten this chicken wing, the bones keep regenerating the meat somehow, and these flasks are all kinds of stuff, make 'em myself, an' this little hammer is for mining alexandrite, a gnome gave it to me, and this is my spellbook, I keep all kinds of stuff in it, like spells and drawings of monsters and leaves and I think there's a necromancer's soul in there somewhere and my boots are enchanted to keep me warm, and this leather glove can hold stuff, I've got a crossbow in there, and..."
She pauses for breath. You aren't quite sure where she learned to talk this fast, let alone eat and breathe at the same time as she takes a quick bite of the chicken wing. She swallows quickly and holds it out to Tyler and Inaya.
"Want some?"
"No thank you. I had a little run-in with an ill-tempered Kraken while Tyler and I were on our little trip, and its to recent for me to trust anything with tentacles."
A mischevious smile playes across her lips, and she looks briefly at Tyler before turning back.
"However...I think Tyler would like a taste."
Tyler slides his chair back in a panic, away from the tentacled chicken wing. He ends up going too far and falls over with a crash, the chair he's sitting on broken.
"Ow.."
Endeca giggles and keeps eating, pausing every now and then to show some piece of junk or another. Something about the casual way she says, "Bag of holding with a Sphere of Annihilation in it" is more than a little disturbing.
Inaya reaches down and pulls Tyler up before grabbing him another chair. At the mention of the sphere, she looks up, startled, and slowly pushes her chair a little farther away.
Coin, however, looks on in interest from his stool at the bar. Getting up, he walks over to Endeca, Inaya, and Tyler's table and stands next to Endeca. Turning to her, he speaks.
[b]"Hey babe. Mind if I join the party?"[/b]
ooc
He's gotten over Tyler being there...Coin is back to his old self :D
"Sure! More the merrier, and you know, life ain't worth livin' if you ain't havin' some fun. So, you're Coin, huh? Some of the Sigil teachers told me about ya, said that I'd just missed ya when they invited me to do some lectures on Chaos Magic. I wonder why they didn't invite me back, it was only half the campus that turned into cheese, and it's not like it was my fault that the students ate it, and they were all mad, an' I don't know why. Paladins chasing me and stuff, you'd think I'd summoned some kind of demon prince or something. Which I did, but it was an accident, I swear!"
OOC
I'M STILL RUNNING THE CAFFINE RUSH! THAT SMALL CAN OF MONSTER IS STILL GOING! Plus, Endeca's just like this
OOC
Have to leave for fencing...I'll continue when I get back. Sorry bout that :D
And incidently...what did they say about me? Not glowing references, I'd imagine. The watermelon thing wasn't really in my favor.
But in all fairness, I was only trying to air out my dorm. Their response was completely over the top."[/b]
Coin points at a distant chair and snaps his fingers.
[b]"Here boy!"[/b]
And the chair dissolves into an odd, greenish sludge, which crawls along the floor, leaving a trail of acid. As it nears Coin, it begins to solidify, until a paisley beanbag chair rests before him. Coin looks down at it with some suprise, then flops down on it and rests his feet on the table, trying to look as if he planned that. When it becomes apparent that no one believes him, he confesses.
[b]"Okay...so it was supposed to animate and walk over. It worked at least, didn't it?[/b]
Endeca can't contain her laughter as the words leave her lips, and she doubles over hysterically. The memory of all those students running like all Hell was after them was too much; there are even tears at the corners of her eyes as her laugh continues.
"Iiiiiiiiiiii aaaaaaaaaam Snuuuuuuuuuuuuugleeeeeeessssss."
[b]"My fine little...uh...walking brain? You really must stop holding your vowels out like that. Or talk slower. I completely missed what you just said...er...thought?"[/b]
He looks up at Endeca from his reclined position.
"This thing yours?"
"Yeah, that's Snuggles. Best brain in the multiverse, ain't ya?"
She rubs him where the brain meets the neck, and he gives a contented chirruping sound.
"He's my familiar, you know. Saved him from a lich's dungeon, half dead of starvation. He'd been living off goblin brains."
"Course, I dropped a rain of jellied slugs on them instead of a fireball and barely made it home alive, but it would have worked. Those things have no brains to speak of."[/b]
Endeca goes to take another bite of her chicken wing, only to realize it's gone. Shrugging, she begins gnawing the bone like a dog, mumbling contentedly.
[b]"Here. You seem to have a passion for this stuff. I'll probably accidently manifest it some day anyway..."[/b]
He smiles grimly.
[b]Hopefully before I destroy myself...or the universe."[/b]
Endeca turns, with a smile on her face, to the dusty man sitting across the table from Coin, right on the other side of Inaya from Tyler.
"Chaos! Why're you here?"
"You know me. On a whim."
Chaos smiles, then looks at Coin.
"So, you're the hefty chunk of change that I invested my power in. Nice to meet ya."
"No, no, I got this. Lez see, lez see...I know!"
Tyler tries to stop her, but he's a split second too late as she snaps her fingers and covers Coin in green jell-o.
"How the hell did you do that? That stuff won't be invented for six thousand years!"
"Dude, I created Eberron on ACCIDENT. I think I'm entitled to some messing with the space-time continum."
"What is this stuff?"
"Hey!"
"Be quiet, Chaos Mage. You know it could happen."
"So..."
[b]"Gods above...what just happened?"[/b]
Reaching out to lever himself up, his hand brushes the melting jell-o.
"What is this? Looks like jell-o."
Coin raises his fingers to his mouth, and tastes the substance tentatively.
[b]"It is jell-o, isn't it? What's this doing here?"[/b]
Endeca smiles happily, like a little girl with a new toy.
"Well Coin, this is Chaos. The Chaos. Like, Chaos incarnate. He's one of the Four Greater Aspects. An' he said..he said...erm..."
"I said that you were the one I've picked out to be my personal champion. Fun times, huh? Order picked someone out already, and I had to in order to keep the Balance, and then Good and Evil had to poke their noses in it, and now all the Primals are picking out mortal champions. The multiverse is about to go up in a besotted mess of duels between rival champions. Oh, Endeca."
"What? Tell me, tell me!"
"Joy picked you. Congratulations."
Endeca's delighted squeal shatters some of the glass in the bar as she hops up and down and then hugs Chaos. She then proceeds to run out the bar at top speed, only to run back in eight seconds later and hug Chaos again before sitting down.
"Aww..."
[b]"Hell yes! Awesome! I though for a minute there I'd be saddled with some great cosmic destiny. Seen enough of those to know I don't want 'em."[/b]
He tips back his glass, only to have a single drop trickle out.
[b]"Hey! Barkeep! Another Martini!"[/b]
[b]"Small matter my @ss! 20 versus 327, and you weren't going to mention this champion thing to me? Sh*t man..."
"That's gonna be really close. To close for comfort."
"Oh, and barkeep? Yeah...another one. And a rag."[/b]
"Yea - hey!"
"Well, you guys are welcome to try, but don't expect much. I've never been one to sit down and study. There's no fun to it. But I'll give it a try...so long as nothing more interesting pops up."
"Sure, why not?"
"Holy sh*t...Inaya....don't screw with her. Please."
Tyler gets another pair of fruit juices, sliding one to Inaya over the table and sipping his.
"Man..Chaos, Chaos Mages, Coin...this whole place is gonna go up in unreality."
"Still...we survived the Far Realms, didn't we? How much worse can it get?"
"...don't answer that."
((Oh, dirty reference. Pwnt.))
ooc
Ew. I'm not even going to go there...
OOC
I thought not.
Sitting himself down, he pulls out a deck of Dragon Ante cards and starts to play by himself, drinking a clear glass of water.
He walks over to the bar and takes a seat and speaks so that all can hear him, "Where is Neme? And barkeep, get me some hot water." He pulls a vial from his robes and waits for his water to arrive before pouring some of the foul smelling black powder into the glass of water. He stirs it thoroughly while awaiting someone to answer him.
Jaden walks back into the tavern, the floor smoking slightly under her boots, still red-hot from the fire attack she took in the training room. She takes a seat with a heavy crash, giving the newcomer the same glare she sized up everyone with.
"Who, in these wondrous hells, are you?"
She props her boots up on her table, the wood blackening as her armor continues to cool.
"An' there'll be a lot of people for you to go through before you get to Neme, and that's before you get to the ones with a personal stake in things. I'm only defending her as a matter of honor and duty. What happens when you find someone who actually likes the girl?"
The burned footprints throughout the bar heal themselves over and return to normal. Cycine, who has been watching the newcomer warily, now speaks up, "If yer thinking bout fighting ya better take it outside me bar, LeMondis."
"Whether or not it's stronger is irrelavent. The sword I took is nothing less than Edgebreaker. No other weapon can meet it and draw back intact. I'm sure you've heard of it."
OOC
OOC: The annihilation ability; spheres of, swords, and armors; sends whatever it touches into the shadow dimension, which is alot different from the plane of shadow. The shadow dimension is essentially a parallel dimension of the normal realm, everything in the real world is as a shadow to a being in the shadow dimension. It works about the same as the way a sphere of annihilation makes someone disappear except this is where I've spcified that they end up.
While waitting, Kauli flips a coin in the air, always catching it on his hand, landing heads every time.
"Good day, sir. Looking for a game?" he says, withdrawing a gold monacle from within his navy coat and holding it up to his eye.
"My I ask this person his name?"
Holding his cards near his chest, Kauli waits for an answer.
"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting today?" he adds.
"Kauli Lyric sir." He looks at his cards once more and places six silver peices into the pot of the game. The coin's singing into the middle of the table, he says,
"Sorry, I have never heard of you. My life was...sealed away for some time.."
"What, you saw me in the arena in Saurio? If you have, you might of heard about what happen?"
After dealing out the second cards, both Kauli and Sash have three cards in their hands. Placing three more silver pieces into the pile, Kauli tries to hold back his emotions about that day.
OCC
You know how to play Dragon Ante, right? I want to make sure.
You know how to play Dragon Ante, right? I want to make sure.
OOC
Uh, no. Sash would know, I was just assuming it'd be a role-played game.
Finally, with a smile on his face, Kauli plays two black dragons one 5 while the other is 7. Placing a Tiamat card, 13 points, down with it, he calls "Color Flight" with a total of 25 points.
OCC
It is more of a poker/noncollectable card game. It is based on D&D, seeing some taverns play them. Really fun
OOC
Sorry, but it looks like I'll have to go, too.
"Grugol want find magic place. Is there magic place here, mister Cycine? Grugol need find magic place if Grugol want learn magic-making, and that Grugol want. Where magic-people be?"
Silently sipping his drink Torien walks over to the table with the card game and pulls up a chair to watch.
He then tends to the goblin that just walked in, "I dunno me friend, I just got a few new drinks that might tickle ya. We have one that'll knock ya out with but a sniff and the other'll knock ya out with a glassful, what'll ya have? Of course we have things less dangerous if ya like."
Show
It's been a while, so here's what I'm responding to:
"I'm curious, Inaya, what's your world like? I know I've been talking your ear off about mine, so return the favor. I'm dying of curiosity."
"Alright, I'll try to decide...but that's an impossible question."
Inaya looks thoughtfully off into the distance for a long time before responding wistfully.
"What I miss most...probably my walks through the old parkways in the early spring...the cold morning winds, the fresh air...the birds...the blossoming flowers...the sunlight off the crystals around me causing rainbows to dance about the gardens...the gentle heat from the lava far below......"
She looks off again, distant and far away.
"Didn't have many friends. Never did. I was always the odd one out...not obsessed with the latest fashions like the other ladies of court...I always had more in common with the lower classes despite my fancy up-bringing...and I was never allowed to go near them. I couldn't take the upper class...simply couldn't tolerate their attitudes...and I needed an escape. And no-one else dared to walk in those gardens. For hundreds of years they had been sealed up, left to run wild, supposedly to unstable and to near the magma..."
"But it was my retreat...my haven from the world...everyone had one once, didn't they? A little place to simply be alone and think..."
"Since I left, I've never found a similiar place. It's been one thing after another...which is the way I want it. But sometimes..."
She breaks off for a long time, silent and nostalgic.
"Anyway...that's what I miss most. Everything else my world has can be found in some form somewhere in the multiverse...but that...that was special. There is probably the same garden somewhere...but that one...that one was mine."
Tyler stands, offering a hand to Inaya.
"If you're willing to go, milady."
"Of course. You've intrigued me."
"And you're to charming to resist. What else can I do?"
OOC
After this, I'm making a new thread. It'll double as the location for the new event. And a few other events. Actually, once I'm done with it, people can feel free to plan events there so they don't clutter the bar.
"whew."
You weren't joking, this really is strong. Not what I was looking for, certainly, but most defineateatly gooood"
His last few words are slurred and he rocks feebly from side to side. It's apparent that he is an inexperienced drinker.
"We 'ave go-ta chaynge this...I layke the driank, but aye cant even tawk strait.
He manages to find a bar stool near Krono and collapses into it.
"Don't surpose ya sell sobberin' drianks do ye?"
"Yeah...Kaylee's....a personality. The scary bit is, she's smarter than I am. By a lot."
OOC: If only those sobbering drinks were real.
"Whoa! That was crazy...first time I've ever teleported that way. WILD!"
Coin drops his gaze to see what he's landed on, and jumps back, pulling Inaya up.
[b]"SH*T! Oh...crap...'scuse my language, ma'am."
"My bad! Sorry 'bout that...I don't aim to well."[/b]
"Yes. I've noticed."
"Hey, calm down. Just sayin' I'm sorry. No need to get testy."
"Anyway...Tyler, you wanted me?"
"Hell yes I'm coming!"
"...wait...this isn't some sort of cruel joke is it? Cause I remember you setting something like this up with Amber Taris in the ninth grade..."
"God that was embarassing...but this is for real, right? *Come-on-come-on-come-on-come-on*"
OOC
DAMN!! FREAKIN' PARENTS ASKING ME TO GET OFF JUST WHEN INTERESTING STUFF IS GOING ON!!! CURSES!!! #$%^&*(!@#$!!!!!...damn. I'll try to be on as much as possible...but its gonna be a pain until later tonight...damn.
Tyler smiles broadly.
"Now we just have to wait. So, Inaya, what'd you think of my old friend? I'm sure it was a bit...erm, awkward."
"Exellent, this will do nicely. I can see why your establishment garners so many patrons. You'll forgive me, I hope, when I say that it is tempting to remove a couple. Still, you brew a fine drink, and I'll abide by your rules."
"You know, if you're so high and mighty, why not take a shot of Cycine's new stuff? The Wyrm Special. Actually, I think I'll take a pint of that, if you would."
Jaden slides over some coins to the barkeep.
"Or are you too afraid of drink that will literally raise the dead? Or fumes that can short out your sense of smell for ever and a day?"
OOC
Jaden ain't joking...strongest drink in the multiverse...
"Sorry Lass, can't have my nose nullified, much too valuable to be a-wasting on something so foolish as a drinking contest. Tell you what, you bring the noseplugs, I'll buy the drinks Ms., well, I'd call you cocky, but I assume you have a more fitting name?"
Jaden grins cockily, but her eyes are still sizing up this newcomer. Goblins weren't to be underestimated, especailly because of their reputation for stupidity and cowardice. It made the exceptions that much tougher. She brushes a lock of bone-white hair from her eyes.
OOC: Aya and Sorcen have arrived and Sorcen is looking up the special part asked of him.
It's never really bothered me much where I come from. I've picked up pieces here and there, but never tried to put them together, there's far more important things to be doing. Lets see...I seem to recall people screeming out to their various gods as I killed them: Pelor, Heirnous, the works. I once passed by a considerable large town, but didn't end up staying long. It would seem that the wizards in red robes don't like my kind much. I later learned that this was a place known as "Thay"
His eyes lower back down to stare at the woman across from him.
Well, you've got your answer, now what, praytell, is your name?
ooc
What is the polite way to say "Core?" I was thinking either ebberon or faerun, but they have different pantheons im not familiar with.
OOC
Then we await only his readiness and Gideon to be here for it. I sent Gideon a PM.
OOC
The Core book takes place in the realm of Greyhawk. The world's name is Oerth. However, THAY is from Faerun.
ooc
Thanks for that, I was basing the "thay" out of the DMG's red wizard of thay prestige class, but that obviously backfired.
He seems oddly detached for someone in his positon, that is Jaden bragging about killing several of his "kinsfolk."
"Well, I can gaurentee you that I'll be far more of a threat than this Gulgop was."
He takes another swig of his drink, leaving just a small bit left at the bottom
"It's strange, I find you oddly agreeable for a human. Say, perhaps you could help me. I'm new here, and im wondering just how these matches work. Obviously, there must be some rules of conduct or this place would fall apart. Have you been in any battles before?"
You catch a cold glimmer in his eyes.
"Ty, I think you're losing your memory. I'm getting a bit worried about you...first you want to do all this plane hopping, now you're being forgetful. We met him earlier, don't you remember? He set the doors on fire and caused a chair to melt..."
"Maybe it was just me, but you two didn't seem that friendly then. Either you're going mad, or I'm missing something here."
"Please say its the latter..."
"Kaylee, Inaya, I mean Kaylee."
"No. Inaya. Not Kaylee."
"Ty, are you honestly okay? Do I need to call a cleric over?"
He conjures a small, yet somehow still evil-looking, towel and wipes himself off.
"Oh...gods, I'm so sorry...I must be the one going mad...I completely misunderstood you."
"Anyway...Kaylee seemed nice enough. I didn't get to talk to her as long as I would have liked, but she came off as enjoyable company."
"And she was quite fond of you...maybe a little to fond, but that still wins her points in my book."
He sits down, propping his feet up on an empty chair.
"By the way, those cans Kaylee summoned are opened with a little tab. Stabbing them, as you found, is generally a bad plan."
He trails off, remembering, blissfully, the electric thrill of a Monster.
Show
Oh god...that brings up memories of your hyperness...somehow it carried across god knows how many state boundaries, even through the internet...:P
He turns his gaze to Coin, who is still excited.
"So, Coin, you gonna clean up for your big meeting? I hear she's a celebrity 'round Earth now, you might wanna look nice. You know, impress her."
Coin beings to mutters to himself, and, in succession, his hair turns pink, gravity in the bar reverses, he manages to switch his left leg with his left arm, all liquid in the building animates and walks out the door, and his shoes turn into dolphins.
Finally, after the chaos has died down, he gets the spell to work. His gleaming suit is back, and his once-again golden hair is styled perfectly. He winks at Tyler, brushing an imaginary fleck of dirt off his sleeve.
"And that's how we get it done!"
"Well, sort of, anyway."
Tyler looks over at Inaya, seemingly tempted to say something, but decides against it.
"I need to use the restroom. Be back shortly."
He walks out of the bar, towards the privvies.
Diligo est maioribus quam Deus vel Vir.
"I figured I had to look respectable for the family. What do you think?"
Inaya peers down at her own attire with some alarm: her dress is bloodstained and tattered, covered with the dust from the duo's recent trips through the multiverse.
"Suppose I'd better freshen up a bit to...that little fray in Acheron didn't do anything to help this dress."
She gets up delicately.
"Be right back."
"Oh! One question...how formal should this be?"
Tyler smiles sincerely.
((With Sorcen back, this will start soon))
as he looked out on his forces in his dimsion form his castle he knew they were over 1 million undead strong he would love see socern ge by this.....
Crystal jewlry glints in the dim tavern light, and diamond earrings sparkle and shine as Inaya sits down next to Tyler, while moans of envy are faintly audible.
"Alright Ty. Does this work?"
"Yeah......"
A shimmering portal opens up in the middle of the bar, and Kaylee's voice rings through it, excited.
"C'mon you lazy bastards, get a move on! You're whole family is waiting around! And for anyone who'd thinking about going through without an invite, don't! I'll slam you into the Far Realms faster than you can say, 'Theinsfsdahxyrtrebnjgsughjgyrtyrn'."
"Well Tyler...shall we?"
OOC
Alrighty, to the other thread! Sorcen, Aya, I'm sure you two can follow. This has been carefully planned, I'm so excited to bring it to fruition at last!
"I daresay it has been a good while since I've meet a challenge."
He stands from his stool and drains the rest of him mug to the dregs. Reaching into his cloak, he withdraws a few platinum coins and sets them on the table next to his glass.
"I'll be back for that answer shortly, sorry to talk and run, but I've got a hunger only solved by battle."
He begins a slow run towards the window of the tavern Cycine, his form becoming more transparant with each step. He walks through a very surprised waitress on the way, and as his ghostly form hits the window, he dissapears.
One grinning brown haired woman, laughing at the words of her companions, with a blond haired man grinning cruelty, another taller woman with black dreadlocks and a sour face, an immense hulking man-thing wrapped in swathes of bandages, a much smaller figure of indeterminate gender due to the black gown/robe it wears, a brown-haired young man who seems almost to dart all about the others, and the seventh, who wears a hood and is the only one of the seven to bear any apparent weapon, as it carries a sheathed sword.
On entrance the brown haired woman calls out: "Oy 'keeper, seven... whatever this place sells.", as the dreadlocked one asks "whats the strongest thing you've got?"
"Why do you want to know that Rhia, its not as if you can get drunk." "Never stopped me yet", the end to this exchange sending the brown haired woman into peals of laughter...
Jaden deftly tosses a hip flask to the woman, eying her and her band with the same look she gives everyone.
"The Wyrm Special. I don't care what you've drank before, this is stronger. See the lack of paint on the walls? This drink. That group of passed out devils? Sniffed the fumes. Woe betide you if you actually drink the stuff."
Hey, I wonder... Where are the other two anyway? They said they'd meet us here."
"Probably off making out somewhere, be like them."
"Rafters."
All of them fall silent, six looking up to the rafters , while the one nmaed 'Rhea' drops into a seat, as the number of growths wax and wane over her...
"You know...You could have not ruined the surprise, Drextor," calls a woman's voice from above...
Jaden's tone is polite and casual as she now sizes up the woman in the rafters.
"So, where're ya'll from? Oerth?"
The smallest one, in the robe at this point pipes up, from its voice leaving little doubt it's owner is a young girl"Whats it to ya?"
" What my f(r)iends mean to say, is we can't say."
"Yeah, our boss said not to.", by this time the growths have (mostly) gone down...
"The word 'boss' does come under saying you know..."
"And? Whats the worse?"
"Explodin'?"
Being broken down into your component atoms?"
"Ooooh, me I know, being forced to be a concubine for Jubilex!"
She wins hands down. And so in theory you lose, Rhia... And we can't say on the bulges either, miss, but they aren't a problem.
She props her feet up on her table again. Her shortswords lean slightly out of the sheaths, showing a few of their glyphs that read "Pain" on the left and "Suffering" on the right.
"That, and I can't rightly go through all my names until I find the one you know me by. That would take a while."
"Yes, clever Smiler, 'don't talk' he says and goes telling the ***** this stuff."
Yeah, well you can't keep your trap shut for even five ****** minutes, Buck..."
"Dats right ddarrling"
"Call me that one more time and i'll rip your..."Dahlia? Shut. Up.
"Ya want I should come up there and rip yours..oh right you ain't got any, what a ******* shame"
"See, now you're wearing on my famously thin patience. My questions have been relatively simple, and friendly, and even inoffensive. If you can't stop arguing for five seconds to give me a straight answer, someone's going to lose a rib cage, and then someone else is going to be stabbed with it."
The anger in her surges forward in her mind, but Jaden fights it down. Champion of Rage or not, she had a code to uphold over her own temper.
Most of the others have by now creased up laughing at Smiler's response...
Oy, what does it say on taking the ******'s head?"
"Lessee now," at this 'Buck' pulls a length of parchment out of his shirt and unrolls it,"Hhmmm, hmmm...ah...Yup, we're just not to say nuthin, head-takin's open, but only if they get into it."
"Sweet", at this a blonde haired young woman leaps down from the rafters, grinning, "If we do fight her, aren't numbers cheating?" "Only if no-one else survives to tell, yep-yep..."
"Look, cool it, all of you, including you." (The last being directed at Jaden)
OOC
((Um...Detect Evil come up with anything?))
OOC
Jaden's head explodes... Or more likely: Evil, and lots of it. As if the words 'head-takin's open','aren't numbers cheating?" "Only if no-one else survives to tell' etc. didn't show it... even those terms wouldn't come up simply off a chaotic axis...well the second set maybe...
Later, no one would be able to agree how they knew to dive out of the way. Some patrons would mention the coiling tenseness, like a predator about to spring. Others would say it was the low snarl that issued from her lips, or the look of malice in her eyes. But most would claim that it was the psychic release of pure, undiluted fury, found only in herself and the Primal known as Anger, that caused them to jump out of the way as she slammed into Smiler, crashing through the wall and out into the air over the practice field.
"Eh."
"Let them have their fun. But i'm still gonna watch."
"And I'll be up here if anyone needs me."
"Right thats it, you're coming down even if I have to drag you." At this the blonde girl leaps up into the rafters...
"Think they'll be back down?"
"Not anytime soon."
"Gods, this day just keeps gettin' better and better, don't it? Now I need to find whatever bastard did THAT to me...By the Traveler, do I miss Breland..."
When out of nowhere, a mass of skeletal hands and arms burst forth, breaking the tavern bar and grabbing onto Harmond, slowly pinning him to the ground. Harmond begins to glow a bright red color, the arms shatter, and Harmond takes to the air, making sure not to touch the ground.
"Aw DAMNIT!!!!! Now I have to deal with--"
A horrible, terrible whiny echoes through the entire bar, and then the door of the bar bursts open, being kicked by skeletal horse, being ridden by a rider in armor that appears to be made of...bone.
"That is right, Harmond Gullsby. Your crimes against Karrnath can not go unpunished. And I am here to make sure that you get what you deserve."
"More impressive looking folk than you have tried...bring it on, Halden."
The two charge each other, Harmond in the air, and the man now identified as Halden on...undead horseback. When the two meet, a bright flash occurs, and Harmond is gone...
Damn you, Harmond Gulsby...don't think you can get away that easily...I will find you, no matter where you are on this wretched plane."
Halden gets down off his mount, upon which the beast collapses and goes into the earth. Halden calming walks over to the bar.
"Bartender...your strongest ale...it's been a rough day..."
"Yeah, pipe it, Bucky."
"That's it, runt!!" as the bigger man goes for the smaller one who darts out of his path laughing.
"I can see why she thought to bring out the scales. It'll be a cold day in the Plane of Fire before any of you kill Jaden Blackblade."
She walks over to Jaden's table, picking up the bone blocks and the scales. She places them in her backpack nonchalantly.
"But let's not start off out relationship badly. I've known plenty of evil people who make good enough friends. Still had to sucker-punch them, but they don't mind as much when you're friends with them. I'm Brisinaria. You can call me Bris if you don't want to say that whole name."
"I'm Rhia."
"I'm Carlos, and the tinnnny bundle of joy is Dahlia.""Hmph."
"You've met Smiler, and the hooded guy is Drextor and somewhere above us, probably, are Selena, and Rellis."
"But one thing... why would we want to kill her? Thats n...""Shut up."
Bris sits down, propping her leather boots up onto the table as she takes a sip from a hip flask.
"Plus, she's got, like, eighty healing spells at any given time. So, what'd you do to p*ss her off?"
"Who is this woman that you speak of, miss? She sounds...powerful. I would like to meet her sometime, if you could arrange such a meeting.
And while you're at it, what is your name, milady?"
"Right there. She'll be along shortly. Meself, I'm Brisinaria. Brisinaria Ragefang. You can say I'm here as Jaden's handler. Who'd you be?"
Bris takes a sip of something rather dubious-smelling, but nothing on the drink Jaden had brought.
"Oh, and please don't call me a lady. You insult the lady population by doing so. I'm just a b*tch with some manners, in more than one sense of the word."
As for smiting evil, the very thought of that notion takes me back so long...to thoughts I haven't even pondered for...well, long enough. Do you...mind if I take a seat?"
Bris slides a chair out for Halden with her foot.
"I'm 'fraid I'm not familiar with the name you gave me. Lost love? Ancient city? Fallen nation? Oooh, wait, wait, I know! Dead king, right? Gotta be one of those, with that melancholy tone."
Her voice is flippant, but only through force of habit. Her expression is one of concerned interest, not mockery.
"Do not worry, milady. I had no intention of touching you. I, too, have a rather strange habit when it comes to touching. Although, mine extends to touching people, not them touching me.
Regardless, no, I was only recently given the assignment to find that bastard Harmond. I recieved the order from Kaius himself, so he's all alive and well. That is to say, he's well. And alive. Yeah... Alive and well. It's just been a long war, you know? I've seen and done many things that most people would find horrible beyond most words.
May I ask what your story is, Miss Brisinaria?"
"Too stubborn to die, to spiteful to become undead. Not that people haven't been trying, mind, but that's that. My husband sent me here to get a handle on Jaden before she actually killed someone outside of a match. As an Arenamaster, it would be very, very bad for Gareth's professional reputation if Jaden breached common courtesy like that."
And many people who you would never think would become undead sometimes rise again, regardless of what you may have wanted for them..."
Halden's voice trails off, and his mind wanders back to the war...
Halden's Flashback. You don't need to read it if you don't want to
"Sir, please, you know it would be for the best. I'm not going to make it for--"
"No! I refuse! That is not the way a Karrnathi warrior falls!"
"Sir...we've been out of food for days...the way I'm heading, it's going to be one less mouth to feed. This way, at least the other men would get some food in their stomaches...and you can just animate me again."
"It...just seems so wrong...you've been my best friend for years, Jorsan...I just can't..."
"Halden. You can't tell me YOU'RE not hungry. I can't lift my sword. Please. Just let me...go..."
Halden unsheathed his blade and brings it down on--
"No! I refuse! That is not the way a Karrnathi warrior falls!"
"Sir...we've been out of food for days...the way I'm heading, it's going to be one less mouth to feed. This way, at least the other men would get some food in their stomaches...and you can just animate me again."
"It...just seems so wrong...you've been my best friend for years, Jorsan...I just can't..."
"Halden. You can't tell me YOU'RE not hungry. I can't lift my sword. Please. Just let me...go..."
Halden unsheathed his blade and brings it down on--
"I saw the brutal oafish way she fights with a blade."
"You're right about them being damn annoying spells though."
"I think Sel blew her toy scales up or somethnig, that probably pee'd her, yep"
She turns her head back to Halden.
"Now, don't judge based on the name I give you. My husband is Lord Gareth the Cold."
OOC
Lord Gareth the Cold, Scourge of a Dozen Worlds, the icy hand of the Lich King, Death Knight, he's got a lot of very evil titles. It's only recently that he became good, and he's still got some highly evil street cred.
OOC
This looks like fun! What do I need to do to get started? I read the sticky thread at the top, but I'm still not certain. How do I schedule a match? Also, I want to create a melee cleric (obviously); something like a level 16 gestalt cleric/fighter-dwarven defender. Is this sheerest folly, or are there appropriate opponents for a mighty but still mortal and non-epic character?
OOC
Well, you need to post your character in the main thread, and then in the Character Roster up top.
And stats mean nothing here. NOTHING. You wanna know how much stats mean? Walk up to someone, scream, "OOGLYBOOGLYBEE!". Means about as much as that.
And stats mean nothing here. NOTHING. You wanna know how much stats mean? Walk up to someone, scream, "OOGLYBOOGLYBEE!". Means about as much as that.
OOC
First do what Gareth said. Then you ask for one on the main thread. After that... This is statless, so your level meeans nothing, its all in the writing. As I said twice before here, A small malnourished elf-child could be judged victorious over the mighiest dragon in the land.
Basically you role play everything in the match, then the three judges will each cast a vote by PM to decide the winner, Or you can prearrange it with your opponent if they, and you, want. This prearrangement is also a good way to get a character out of the way for usage, as only three active characters are allowed at any one time, I believe was the rule. Says the guy with nine characters in the bar (But i do have good reason and can put rank over... not that they're normal characters anyway).
Basically you role play everything in the match, then the three judges will each cast a vote by PM to decide the winner, Or you can prearrange it with your opponent if they, and you, want. This prearrangement is also a good way to get a character out of the way for usage, as only three active characters are allowed at any one time, I believe was the rule. Says the guy with nine characters in the bar (But i do have good reason and can put rank over... not that they're normal characters anyway).
OOC
Yeppers. Now, I do believe Bris dropped The Name in front of evil people. They SHOULD have heard of him...
"You've heard of him?"
"Who?"
"Yes, he's famous for being enslaved to a lich, but turning to the side of good."
"So, he's a hack."
"And clearly has a thing for beastiality if my nose and ears tells right."
"He is meant to have merit as warrior, and wields a powerful blade.
"Powerful enough?"
"Not even close."
Almidst the conversation the blonde girl drops back down, "Its no good, Sel won't come down, no matter what I do." "Did you try burning do"Orders." Crap."
Bris's pin flashes, and Gareth is standing in the middle of the bar. His smile is genuinely friendly as his ever-present ice begins to freeze the floor around him. Soulreaver jitters slightly in its sheath, though it knows it has no chance of getting away from its master.
"Bris, what have you been telling people? Remember what happened last time?"
"Yeah, that was a blast..."
Gareth sighs melodramatically, the smile still on his face.
"You're impossible. Jaden taken care of? Oh, wait, that's her out the...hole. We're good, then. Who would you......somewhat less than fine, folks be?"
"So this would be the ice man? He gives me chills..ow.""Lousy jester-wannabe."
"Look, will one of you come help drag Sel down?"
Gareth reaches one hand up, and tendrils of icy mist wrap around Sel's ankles. They solidify, and Gareth heaves with the one arm, dragging her down by sheer strength.
"And I did ask Bris. I just figured it was polite to ask you again. I see I was mistaken. Now, someone here said I was a hack. That's just rude, and ignorant."
Jaden bursts into the Taverne through the front door, then stops when she sees Gareth. Frustrated, she slumps into a corner, drinking from her hip flask.
"I see you've met Jaden. Is Endeca around?"
"No clue."
As Gareth's grip on the unseen Selena hold, the only thing willnig gives way: The section of roof... As the dust clears, a shadowy shape can be seen disappearing back up with a startled yelp. "Not again."
With the completion of that horrible pun, a band of ice locks down the jaw of the speaker who continues calling Gareth a hack. Upon feeling it, the unfortunate finds that it isn't ordinary; rather, it's Blue Ice, a metallic ice that is often used to forge weapons.
"So, what brings you to Hell? The afterlife? Or the Arena?"
Bris is thinking carefully over an earlier comment, until she looks up with a sudden understanding.
"Wait just a damn minute, how'd you know I was a Worg?"
"We've got a job here""And you're still not suppose to tell anyone.""He asked.""Would you leap of a cliff if someone asked?""Didn't you?""That's not the point, and it was special circumstances."
"But, but... she's not normally like this, and she should be down here with me."
"Shaddup."
"And you can't fool this nose for stuffs like that."
Brisinaria begins sniffing slightly, letting the magical auras in the room enter her nose. She immediately discounts her own items, and those of Gareth and Jaden, instead focusing on the scents of the newcomer's belongings and their own magical selves.
"You guys aren't exactly normal yourself. That's quite the collection of magic you have there...and there's other things to you. You're caught halfway between humanity and something else..something magical. And you're all drenched in blood. Mind explaining yourselves before Gareth and I start on the 'Righteous Wrath' bit?"
Kurthix
Name: Kurthix
Race: Dragonwrought (black) Kobold
Looks: A 3 foot tall kobold with blackish scales, he wheres a black cloak and light, black clothing, both made of alchemically strengthened monsterous spider silk. He wears sundark goggles and has a pair of powerful wings.
Equipment: Sundark goggles, a light crossbow with assorted bolts, a light pick, a specialized metal multiwand (my little secret ;)).
Mount: Vethiloex: Horrid weasle with a saddlebag filled with general use items
Familiar: Enix: Psudodragon
History: A spellcasting prodigy, Kurthix requested a self-induced from his All-watcher to hone his skills. His request was granted and he went out travelling, becoming an acomplished sorcerer and dragonheart mage. He started to help a powerful group of kobold merchants that reside in an underground camp near Gareth's Arena. He still sends most of his arena winnings to his tribe and will respond to its call. He has had problems with palidens, but has tried to send such attackers back to their church alive (with a lighter coin pouch).
Name: Kurthix
Race: Dragonwrought (black) Kobold
Looks: A 3 foot tall kobold with blackish scales, he wheres a black cloak and light, black clothing, both made of alchemically strengthened monsterous spider silk. He wears sundark goggles and has a pair of powerful wings.
Equipment: Sundark goggles, a light crossbow with assorted bolts, a light pick, a specialized metal multiwand (my little secret ;)).
Mount: Vethiloex: Horrid weasle with a saddlebag filled with general use items
Familiar: Enix: Psudodragon
History: A spellcasting prodigy, Kurthix requested a self-induced from his All-watcher to hone his skills. His request was granted and he went out travelling, becoming an acomplished sorcerer and dragonheart mage. He started to help a powerful group of kobold merchants that reside in an underground camp near Gareth's Arena. He still sends most of his arena winnings to his tribe and will respond to its call. He has had problems with palidens, but has tried to send such attackers back to their church alive (with a lighter coin pouch).
"So, you are Lord Gareth, I presume? Pleasure to meet your aquaitence, sir."
"Yes, I'm Gareth. Let me adress this first."
He turns to the kobold, his voice deadly serious.
"I will never sell my Arena outright. Ever. That would put too many Gladiators out of homes and jobs, not to mention their families. However.."
He smiles a sly, trader's grin.
"I can let you rent it out. Run it for me, as it were, and split the profits 50/50. What say you?"
OOC
He's referring to the fact Jaden got him twice in the legs, and did actually.... him with her sword. But he got better. Still left a lot of blood...
What you thought i meant something different about his bandages being covered in the scent of blood?
What you thought i meant something different about his bandages being covered in the scent of blood?
*gasp* "I didn't miss much did I?"
"Kovaliastraz, what have I told you? Silver dragons aren't evil, that's just propaganda."
"My apologies. Old habits, Master. Forgive me, little one. I am Kovaliastraz, the divine son of Kilikirastravomax, Wyrm of the Wastes."
A pleasure to meet your aquantiance I'm sure. I am Nimbrixion, but as of yet I cannot, sadly, tell you either my mother nor my fathers name. Interesting, there are a couple other dragons down here, but none are quite so cordial as I would prefer, and they always seem to be in a rush. In fact you're the first I've had time to talk to.
She glances quickly back to the action in the arena below, satisfied that she's not missing much she swivels her head back around to meet Kovalistraz's icy gaze.
I must say, between the two of you, you make this place comfortably cool. What business brought you here in the first place?
She crosses her paws and settles in a more comfortable talking position.
"Kov, did I ever tell you how much of a suck-up you are?"
Kovaliastraz chuckles, whispy tendrils of frost exiting his nose.
"Constantly, Gareth, constantly."
Here she steals another glance out of the corner of her eye to the battle below. She then looks up at Gareth himself.
I've heard a lot about you sitting here in Tavern, just how much of these wild tales are factual?
"That depends. What tales have you heard?"
Kovaliastraz wraps his tail around Gareth without looking back, and the Death Knight visibly calms down. The dragon looks back at Nimbrixion.
"It is a very touchy subject. Gareth does not like thinking about the past. Instead, let us live in the present, and hope for the future. Agreed?"
Agreed.
She look down at her claws and mutters
I am sorry to have around you so, I meant no offense. I'd offer to buy you both something, but my walking horde has dissapeared into the distance with Doran.
Face them both again she take a more lively tune
Anyway, how active are you both in this arena? Any fantasic battles?
"I am curious, little one, how old are you? I may seem young because of my size, but, in fact, it is merely a gland problem. If you are willing, I could show you a thing or two. I would be glad to help you. After all, it sounds as though you, too, have one you wish to protect."
Her face curles slightly into one of disgust
Something that I'm not used to.
Cupping his hands about his mouth, he shouts out to the bar.
"Hey! I'm looking for someone named Gareth. Or someone named Bris. Or both. Anyone see them?"
Endeca walks in, or, rather, bursts in, full of energy and zeal as always. She flashes a pretty smile to the group in robes, then sits down next to Gareth and Brisinaria.
Sighing heavily, Jaden gets up and sits down with the other three. Gareth and Bris beam smiles at her while Endeca giggles slightly.
"I'm Gareth. What do ya need?"
"And if it's private-like, mind you, Gar doesn't keep secrets from his Crew. Or his wife, me."
"Damn straight."
"It's like this. You're related or something to Tyler Vici, right? Thought so. Anyway, he's gettin' married tomorrow, and thought you should probably know about it."
"So, basically, I'm here as errand boy. I'm s'posed to tell you that you're all invited to the party. It's happening in a little place called the Nexus, if you've heard of it. If not, I can probably get you there somehow."
"Sound good?"
"I think he means that Infernalist."
Gareth and Jaden let out an identical, "WHAT?!"
"Calm down, Gareth. I'm sure he'll explain, right kid?"
"He damn well better!"
[b]"Um...what exactly am I s'posed to be explaining? It seemed pretty straightforward to me. He knows you, he invites you, you show up. What's the problem?"
"Ooh, ooh!"
Endeca waves her hand in the air like an excited schoolgirl. Brisinaria sighs and motions at her.
"I know! He doesn't know us either, but somebody else knows that you two are connected to him somehow and forgot to tell Coin!"
"Who the hell is Coin?"
"He is!"
"The Infernalist?"
"No, him!"
Endeca appears to have forgotten how to point in her excitement, so the other three just let out exasperated sighs.
"Alright, so how am I related to this guy?"
"Stop watching us. You don't want to make me angry."
"Do you have any idea how cliched that line is?" "Or how ineffective." "Makes me want to find out why.""See?"
That *^$&£$% line has to be one of the most overused..."
"Overused, yes. Accurate, yes. Give me a reason for your prying eyes or cease and desist. Or do you want to test me?"
Right as Smiler's mug comes down, smashing it (and the foot). *whimper*
"And no, we don't wan tto test you y-""Silence!"
Kovaliastraz slinks out of the hole in the Taverne, heading to the training field.
"Sorry 'bout that. So...that all you need to know?"
"Whiskey, lots of whisky, and make it fast. Time can only heal so many wounds, but if you hurry, Mercy willing Alcohol will obliterate this one before it starts to close."
Giovanni leaps up out of his chair in his corner as soon as the ball of flame leaves Siventarr's hand. By the time the ball lands under Sevifor's stool, he has already fired a frosty ray of sparkling blue energy. It strikes the ball, and with a pulse of blue light freezes it solid. The ball stops burning, and with a small crack splits open and releases a cloud of boiling steam underneath Sevifor. Giovanni sits back down as the boiling steam curls around Sevifor's bottom.
He next adresses the patrons around him.
I swear to you that the next person to make a joke involving me or farts, or who even snickers, is getting a mouthful of my knuckle sandwhich.
He cracks his knuckles, forming some first of course, before turning back to his unlikely savior.
"I thank you for your help, that could have ended rather...badly.
He accepts his drink from Cycine, and passing his hand over the mug, it covers the top with a thick layer of wax locking in the whisky. Sevifor's eyes glow a second, and the air inside th mug shimmers as it flows into an alternate dimension, parallel to the current plane of existance, but where each second is 1,000 years gone past. His voice going shaky again as the memory of the attempted bombing dies, he again addresses Giovani.
"Well, suppose I'd better introduce myself before I pass out. Name's Sevifor, just had myself one deadly battle down there with a malicious vampire named Siventarr."
He uncaps his drink and chugs the whole thing with one massive swallow. Passing his hand aross his face to test for reflexes, he turns to Cycine.
"More, please, and make it stronger. What was that new stuff ya just got in? Give me some of that."
He looks back to the raptorian wizard.
"So, do you have a name I need to hear before passing out?"
He drinks some of his beer, then waves a hand and magically scoots a chair out for Sevifor to sit in.
"Sit, before you pass out and hurt yourself. Are you injured? I will tend to your wounds, if you will let me."
He sits in the offered seat, allowing his stool's former patron to clambor nervously back onto it.
"There's not too many specifics you can work on, I'm a little different from your average patient. Just zap me with what you've got and it'll find the injury."
He looks very stressed as he reaches for his new drink, famed the most powerful in the multiverse, from friendly Cycine. Sevifor quickly caps the liquid so that it does not offend his new guest. Well, no need for fancy tricks this time, this stuff ought to the trick all by its lonesome.
He shudders involuntarily as flashbacks of the battle return to him, most chillingly the haunting scar that the unholy energy left on him. He feels simultaneously turned and rebuked, two charecterists that, much like hiself, should not be possible in the save being.
"Rather sorry to leave you like this, but I really need this right now. Don't go anywhere though, alcohol has an unusual habit of leaving me very quickly."
Focusing one last time, he sets aside a tiny portion of his mind, set to warn if Siventarr, and only Siventarr, comes within the Tavern.
"Thank you for your cordial aid Giovani, but insanity calls. Bottoms up!"
He uncaps his drink, and throws the entire mug straight into his mouth, crunching it into pieces. As the first drop touches his tongue, Sevifor passes out, but the rest of the liquid, or most of it anyway, for some trickles down his chin, manages to go down his throat.
"Sure thing, let's go!"
"Endeca we-"
"Would love to go!"
Gareth and Jaden both give Brisinaria a quizzical look, but the woman simply shrugs and smiles, emerald eyes twinkling. Endeca jumps up and down with joy and excitement before sqeezing Coin in a tight hug.
"I love weddings! When can we go, when can we go?"
"Yeah. It's through that. Pretty easy, huh?"
OOC
You are aware that there is still the portal Coin went through? And that he hasn't strictly told them where? And that Kaylee said to fetch them, not tell them? :P
OOC
Damn...that's what I get for being so haphazard lately. I'll fix that right away :D
"You...guys go on...in. Find...a girl named...Kaylee. She's in charge, and will...tell you what to do for the time being. I'd...join you, but I've got another guy to find."
"See you again...soon."
"That will help, but..."
Giovanni takes a closer look at Sevifor, realizes he is unconcious, and shrugs. He leans back in his chair and continues to scan the room for potential threats.
"Sevifor, Sorcen has summoned you for a battle. Wake up."
Seeing that his had no effect, Giovanni gives a small smile. His right hand crackles with electricity as he gives Sevifor a full-armed slap.
"THAT should wake him up..."
Giovanni chuckles as tingling electricity shocks and zaps Sevifor.
OOC
The electricity doens't deal damage. Just a wake up call. ;)
He jumps out of the chair rather comically and turns around repeatedly, a knife clutched tightly in his hand. His wanding eyes eventually linger on Giovani, and his mouth opens in a large "ohhhhh" shape. He nods his head, as if in understanding, and sits back down.
"Don't scare me like that! I swear, if my heart were material, I should have died of shock, literally. Now, why was I asleep in the first place?"
His eyes grow wider and the memories of...a couple minutes ago flood into his mind.
"Oh, right. I was..."
He lifts a hand and smacks himself on the cheek.
Ow!
"Not going to go there. Putting that memory into the 'do not touch' section."
He takes a moment to recompose himself, and come to grips, at least somewhat with himself...and the pounding hangover. Fortunately, it will fade shortly. Really on of the few good parts about having an amorphous shape.
"Now then, why did you wake me unnecesarily abruptly?"
A wind seemingly from nowhere stirs Giovanni's cloak and whirls around Sevifor before fading away.
"Ooook-ay, thats pretty weird for waht you get round here.""Remind me, what do we count as then?""Bar Fittings *%£$@^."
"Take a seat folks, and we'll talk this over."
Gideon sits down, his hand staying near the handle of his crossbow. Inaya sits beside him, obviously on edge.
"Well? Let's get this over with!"
For the first time since coming here, Tyler speaks, his voice angry and defensive. Enlongated canines flash as he speaks. Kaylee puts her hand on his shoulder, and he calms down slightly.
"It's alright Ty. They're mortals, you can't expect them to know. Not after all the propaganda. How can you expect them to know that other sentient beings might have thoughts, and feelings, and maybe even a right to exist?"
"This is pointless. Humans never learn."
"Endeca, I am SO SICK OF YOUR CRAP! Look at yourself! You ARE human, you pink-haired lightning rod! Quit acting so high and f***ing mighty. A couple magic tricks won't impress anyone anymore, 'Deca."
Growling, Endeca stalks off, slamming the bar door behind her.
"Good riddance."
Almost automatically, Tyler's hand finds Kaylee's on the table, and their fingers lace.
"Have you ever stopped to think that some people can't be blamed for what they are? Or that they made a choice for a good reason? Do you know how much pain and anguish people like you cause? How many lives you snuff out without mercy or remorse? Have you ever stopped to think that maybe we hate you as much as you hate us because you're just as inhuman in our view?"
"Ty, calm down. It's natural for them not to understand. But Tyler's telling the truth. He and I have never killed a mortal during feeding. At worst, they feel a bit light headed from having lost a pint of blood. They feel no pain, and, in fact, the Kiss is pleasureable. We have no quarrel with you."
"Though we might start if you keep giving us sh*t."
"Ty, what have I told you? You have to give peace a chance, even with an enemy. We have enough of those as it is. The Daughters are still after us, and it's only a matter of time before they contract the Tremere to find us."
"I know. I'm sorry, you two. I'm a bit...edgy, right now."
"So here's the question...do we trust them? Or will they stab us in the backs like the last group?"
"No clue Gid. Tyrion? Got any ideas?"
"Umm...Mr. Killigan, where are we?"
"Hell, lass, Hell."
"You're...joking, right?"
"Afraid not. No worries though, you can leave any time."
OOC
So I have no experience with the alternate vampire world these guys are from, so excuse me if I step on anyone's toes.
"Yeah, but vampires look fine up until the point when they don't, if you get my drift."
"So one for killing them now, one unsure...I say we wait and see then. We're here with them, and if they run, I can find them again as easily as I did last time."
"Guess that works. Worst case scenarios, we kill them later. Fair enough."
"Kaylee Laythe. I'm interested, Inaya, in how you know my fiancee?"
Tyler blanches, turning even paler than he already is.
"Umm...funny story, that."
Kaylee laughs and hugs him close.
"It's alright. You're stuck with me now, an' I know that better than anyone."
"Actually, I may have some light to shed on the subject. See, I've already met all of you. Gideon here killed me, actually. Tyrion is down there in that arena, fighting someone with his partner. And Kaylee, Tyler, and Inaya are in a nexus between the worlds, where Inaya and Tyler are getting married shortly. Small reality, ain't it?"
"You sods do realise strength isn't weight, right?""And they call me a boozer."
"Doesn't anyone ever learn? Never give a freak with a sword anything that could possibly be taken as a challenge."*s***** Since that $&^£@ with the swords adn Drextor both fit that I'm kinda wondered, when will we see them
"Happyplacehappyplacehappyplace" on the floor here?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Buck, never ever ever &^%$£*@ speak of such a %£$&%& thing again.""How appropriate a choice of words."
"No, Gideon, I think he's right. Cause if Tyler and I are off getting married somewhere, we've breached reality. Anything could be happening out there."
"So basically we're stranded in another reality, with NO F*CKING CLUE AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON?"
Inaya looks over at Kyle.
"Seems that way."
"...Great. Just what I needed."
"Hey, hey, I don't know much more'n that. Gideon here's an artificer in this world. Tinkers with magical items and things. I wasn't fast enough to beat him, or, rather, he found a way to make my speed meaningless. I don't know what's up with Tyler and Inaya, but if you'll turn your attention to the shimmering portal in the middle of the bar, you can find them on the other side of that. Normally, ya gotta be invited to the wedding to use it, but since you ARE them, I don't think you'll have an issue."
"But, how the hell did I not wind up with Kaylee? We were made for each other, I know that! She's...perfect for me."
"Hell if I know, I was just told this by Kaylee as I was passin' through. She's with some guy called Coin right now. And Gideon is off on my world, taking care of some unfinished business. Now I feel bad about sending him, but I didn't think I was honestly going to beat Death. Imagine my surprise when I do."
"Who the bloody hell are you?"
"Kyle Killigan, the Jagger. Fastest two legs this side of any reality."
"Uh huh. And you use knives?"
"Yep. Smaller, faster, and I'm able to own those and the clothes on my back. Other than that, this is what you get."
"O-kay then. Erm...you guys want to go investigate this? 'Cause this guy is starting to weird me out."
"Amen to that."
"You think you've got problems? Come and see me when you've spend at least a few hundred-thousand years in limbo. Then you can attest to about a minute of what my life's like."
He starts to walk a little unsteadily towards the door, but doesn't quite make it. He falls face first into the floor and makes a pretty clear indent as his face bashes through the floorboards. The Tavern repairs itself instantly...right around his head. He tries to pull himself up, but finds himself stuck.
OH *(%*&* WHO'S LEG WAS THAT! I swear, when I get outta here, someone's gonna pay.
He sounds angry enough to kill, which would make the tally at about 7 furious men and women. A few seconds later, his head oozes up from beneath the cracks of the floor and reforms itself.
Allright, who did it!?
"That's nice Gideon. Shut up."
"Well, if you're checking those guys out, I'm coming with. I want to get to the bottom of this."
Kyle claps Gideon on the shoulder, and suddenly an image rushes into his mind. Kyle's death, from the Jagger's point of view, plays in his mind as Kyle walks out of the bar.
((This will be the Vamp Kaylee's color to prevent confusion))
Oblivious, Kaylee steps through the portal, hand in hand with Tyler.
No harm done, no harm done, no harm done.
And
"Ignore the freaks, ignore the freaks."
He continues to mutter to himself as he walks out the door.
"Since i'm sitting on the £&^$%&*% things, yes."
"Out of interest, is anyone else wanting to go crash a party?""Itsa wedding.""Even betta'."
OOC
They can try it, but allow me to use a Matrix quote, "Down here, I'm God." If you ain't on the list...:evillaugh
"Damn...poor guy."
"Well? Coming?"
"S'pose so."
"Good."
Inaya grabs Gideon's arm, and the two walk through the portal together.
ooc
You have no idea how much that quote makes me laugh. And not for 'I can do anything Bwahahhahha' reasons, but ones I haven't let on, but are fairly integral to those nine. Well, seven at the moment.
"Oh come on! It was just gonna be one spell! Just oooone! You guys are no fun!"
The Chaos Magus gets up, brushing her haphazard outfit off.
"Humph. Those guys need to learn how to take a chance."
OOC
Have I ever shown you guys Endeca's picture?
Show
I've seen it. On...uh...I don't remember which thread.
Through the shattered remnants of the door, Kyle steps back inside.
"Typical. Leave for five minutes to see if your dedication to Sune is still intact - it is, by the way - and someone blows up the door. Ain't that grand."
"Nice to see you up and about again, Kyle Killigan! You gave me a run for my money, I must say. But I got it done, in the end."
"And yeah...the door was me. I was feelin'...especially dramatic, today."
"I'm so sorry to have stuck you with my business, but I didn't think I was going to win that bet. I made a bet with Death that I could outrun him. Imagine my surprise when I win. How have things been with you?"
"After that? Wandered a bit, just for fun, and dropped by La'Faile in the Faerie kingdom for a party. Fey really know to have a festival, let me tell you!"
"..."
He leans back thoughtfully.
"Hmmm...I wonder if I know anything I don't?"
"Gideon? But you... Wasn't he?... Wait..."
He scratches his beard, and just then the OTHER Tyrion steps from the arena to the bar through a doorway of light.
They stare at each other for a moment.
And simultaneously, say:
"This can't be happening."
"What the hell is going on in this place? How do you know me?"
Kyle tips an imaginary hat to both Tyrions before drawing his knife, flipping the blade absently in the air.
"So...I know you, do I? Which one do I...or rather, the other I, know? Do I know I know you? Do I know about me...or, does the other I know about I...er...me?"
"Gods this is confusing. And I haven't even met myself yet."
He stalks off toward the bar.
"I need another drink."
"Of course you know me! I've watched your battles, and you mine many a time! I look forward to a match with you, Gideon Gideonson."
At the same time, the alternative Tyrion says,
"What do you mean, 'Do I know you?'! We've been hunting those damn vampires for weeks, Gideon! But, meeting myself is strange... Wait Gid, I need a drink too."
He strides after Gideon, throwing a confused look at the other Tyrion, who gazes even more bewildered back.
OOC
This could get really confusing really fast :D
"Okay...which one are you? The one who knows me, or the one who knows the other...nevermind. The vampire one, or the origina...er...the one I...that is, this I, knows?"
OOC
You're telling ME? And this is without the other Gideon, who should be joining the party sometime this weekend...
Tyrion grimaces, then says,
"Well. I'm the one that came with the other Gideon who came with me and Inaya to hunt Endeca and her band of vampires. From the normal world."
The original Tyrion orders a glass of fine wine, then sits down next to his double.
"So, what is it like in your world, brother?"
The alternate Tyrion sighs.
"We're not brothers. I don't know what we are, but we're definitly NOT brothers."
Tyrion furrows his brow.
"Then what does that make us?"
Tyrion sips his beer.
"Doubles, I guess."
"Indeed."
They sit in silence for a moment, drinking quietly.
"Well, the world isn't so good, double. The demons came, and smashed our army. All my friends are dead. That... thing... eviscerated us. I convened the Dragon Council. Politics held them up, until the Hellfire wymrs started appearing. Boy, did that wake them up."
He drinks some more beer, licking his lips clean of foam.
"The Hellfire wyrms were the real force behind the demons. They play with balors like puppets. I slew one, and his elite guard, but that only drew their attention. I've been on the run ever since. It's not easy to beat ten-to-one odds when you're facing Hellfire and chromatic dragons."
His eyes grow hard.
"Then the undead came. They had been biding their time, waiting for the right moment. They smashed through us from the rear. Half the world is under demonic control, and the other half is dominated by undead. I marshaled the dragons after the heads of the Dragon Council were assassinated. We fled deep under the sea. It was the only place we could think of that offered at least a little safety. Using the dragon's magic, I helped craft a city on the ocean floor, in a deep trench. Nothing lives down there, so we should be safe for a while. Until we can figure out how to take back the world."
Taking out his journal, he writes notes to himself....
OOC
Alright, I'll say it: I saw 999 posts in the thread, and thought it would be cool to have #1000... but the forums recognize a '0th' post... so I really ended up with #1001 :P
And Buck reenters. "What have you done?""I think you or anyone else will find that I haven't done anything. Or if I did its not provable."
"That's exactley opposite of what happened in my world.
The demons came, and we met them with stout hearts and sharp steel. The celestials came to our aid, and with their help we turned the demons back. We slashed through the demons, fought their foul monstrous creature, and penetrated their home base. What we found we did not expect. Their lord was a powerful vampire, stronger than our entire group of heroes. He blasted us with spells, cut us with his swords, and slew Tammary. The day seemed dark indeed until the vampire got arrogant."
Tyrion smiles grimly, recalling the day.
"I struck his face so hard his head exploded. I used Dawnlight to pierce his foul heart, then Vaeren burned his body with arcane fire. We left that unholy place, and Vaeren cast a mighty spell to destroy it forever. It was a glorius day, the demons retreating as the celestials chased them down."
He drinks his wine.
"We were unprepared for the undead. But we gathered the Nine together. Those powerful old men cast a spell that boggles my mind. The magic was so strong I could feel it on my skin as I stood several hundred feet away. The sight of that spell will never leave me. Suffice to say, the undead will never return."
"I do not desire a drink." he growls in response to the keeper's question. "How would you be interested in obtaining some... non-alcoholic liquids for me? I hear you have quite the stock and supply network, and I can of course pay. Handsomely."
Orshallen folds his arms as he awaits Cycine's reply. Hopefully the legendary mercenary nature of the 'loths had descended to this half-breed.
"Oh, you again... Yes, I do. What I'm after is a few rare ingredients. Normally I would obtain them myself, but I expect I will be busy."
Or at any rate if you know anything aboot four leeged grunting things in white en red armour. They tend to point sharp things first, then ask questions, if its any help. Or maybe those shouts were the questions, I couldnae understand a word of 'em.
What do you people use for currency 'boot here anyway, 'cos ah could use a drink after that ****h tried to give me the heave-ho from tha wedding."
As he waits for the respond from Cycine, he removes his hat to run one hand though his long hair, pulling it back, revealing two crystalline hornlets as he look aboo... about.
When she finally speaks, the voice is musical, hypnotic, and full of something good, something great, that nonetheless has a dark edge to it. Those that hear the sound feel as if they know what it is, what that feeling is, but can't quite place or name it - it is familiar, even to the devils, but eludes their grasp.
"A feywine would be nice, if you stock it."
As one, the male devils scramble to fufill the woman's order, and a small crystal goblet eventually finds itself to her table. With a small smile that reveals perfect teeth, she thanks the devil in question and takes a sip.
"Mayhap...Mayhaps that fair lassy be need'n some company.
This, of course, would be completely false. A quick look around would find that almost all eyes are turned in her direction. Still, that doesn't stop the "goblin" from sliding clumsily off his stool and swaggering over to her seat.
His dark robe is in wrinkles, as if from a stiff disuse. The way that he's taken his grooming lately (you can even see a small speck of blood on his collar), you'd guess that he smells terrible. Still, its impossible to know for sure, because whatever he fancies is so overpowering that it clogs the nose and covers the scent.
"Well...how'sit goin'? You be need'n some companie?"
He hiccups promptly thereafter.
"Thank you for the kind offer, Master...?"
She extends her hand, then draws back sharply, hissing slightly. Slowly, she extends it again, then places it on Kytt's shoulder. The barghest feels two things happen at once - Laven is feeling him, his feelings and beliefs and experiences. At the same time, the mysterious feeling that her hypnotic voice resonates with is flowing into him, not directed at any one thing, but rather flowing through him and making him feel it for the entire world around him, gently shoving aside hate and anger, misery and joy, all other feelings as it tenderly asserts itself.
"My my..."
"No ****, Sherlock."
One Tyrion (no one is sure anymore) gets up and drains his mug of beer. He looks back at Gideon and his double.
"Wish me luck."
He strides over to Laven, almost swaggering, but not quite. The other Tyrion shakes his head.
"Lust," he says to Gideon, "will always lead you down the wrong path."
Tyrion walks over to Laven.
"Greetings... preistess? Or are you an emissary? Ah, but where are my manners? I am Tyrion Silverscale."
Kyyt responds in a dreamy, far-off voice, half in pain, and half something else.
"Name's Kyyt mil'ady"
He collapse into a chair by the table before some imp can steal it from him. He is unable to do quite anything about the hand on his shoulder, and makes no move to bat it away. This new lady may be afraid to touch him, but it certainly is not a two-way street.
"Yesh. Goo' luck to ya, an..."
He falls against the counter, catching himself on a barstool and knocking his tankard over.
"Ah...wha da Hell."
With that, he smiles, pats Tyrion on the shoulder so hard that the man staggers, and staggers over to follow the other Tyrion.
"Hey! Hey ya! Wai' for me!"
And on the hand that touched the goblin, furious dark red veins claw their way up Laven's arm, disappearing under her armor.
Her face pained, Laven looks at all the new people at her table. Sadly, most of them appear drunk, but with the devils still scrambling over her wine, she didn't exactly have much choice.
"My," she says, her hypnotic voice somewhat broken by the edge of restrained suffering to it, "but aren't I popular today. I'm flattered. Take a seat, please."
Gideon staggers over and sits down on Laven's chair, pushing he slightly to one side until the two share the seat.
"Ello. Oo're ya? Ma nam's-s G-G-Gi-Gideon."
He wraps an arm about her and smiles unsteadily.
"Ah tink I'm a wee bit drun'"
"You can call me Laven. It's a pleasure to meet you and yes, you're drunk. But it happens to the best of us."
The woman flashes him a small smile before her feywine finally makes it to the table and the devils notice the others around her. With a small sigh, she draws an arrow from her quiver and pricks them one after another in rapid succession. Dazed, they walk out of the bar, searching without knowing why for specific people. The arrow goes back into the quiver and she takes a sip of her wine.
"A mug of earthbound ale this way"
He then walked To "Laven's" table.
"hello everyone, I am Dramuk, from the world Soulforge."
He pause for a short time as he look for a chair
"It seems we have run out of chairs"
He take forth his grendleskin bag and pull out a small piece of wood. He then concentrate for a second or so, and the piece grows into a wooden chair.
OOC
Yes, blame lords and ladies, the fact I just remembered this guy was still here, and my own mind...
"I am sorry, but I've just had a very long journey, and I'm afraid dancing with anyone is out of the question. But please, take a seat. So many nice people here - and to think, I'd heard this place was a den of evil. Take a seat, all of you, and I'll deal a few hands of Five Dragon Ante for fun, if you care to play. No profit needed."
Gideon sways a bit, and calls for another few mugs of something in his slurred speech. Whatever he said isn't distinguishable, but Cycine brings a mug over, and it seems to satisfy the artificer.
"Lesh get da cards on da tab'l."
Says Kyyt drunkenly
"I dun got no idea how ter be gamblin'."
He was about to follow with a typical "Why bother when you can just take the money?" but finds, oddly, that he doesn't feel the malicious.
"Well 'en, ya best be teachin' me, It'sa worth a shot a guess."
Being almost finished with his drink he waves his glass stupidly in the air for a refill.
Dramuk put his hand into his back, and draw forth a set of playing cards, with the motive of three metallic dragons on the back, forth from his bag. In the meanwhile his ale has been brought, he turn bottoms up and raise the mug to signal that he need a refill.
With a splat, the Svent-thing seems to explode, the air about it filling with gore, as standing it its place stands a dome headed mechanical thing.
"Ouch, telefrag...
Sorry everyone, little, uh, miscalculation there on my part. Anyone know who it was?"
As the construct, grasps its dome head and pulls it off, revealing the greasy, grubby, badly shavened face of a man, who looks about him, before looking down and wincing, "Chunked, what a way to go.""Least it should be guaranteed painless.""Point," is his response to the crackily voice that spoke up from within the machine suit.
"Sorry, everyone, but you wouldn't happen to know sorta, where we are? Preferably with co-ordinates relative to other branches of reality, but I'll settle for a rough run-down of the pla- Hello...," as he catches sight of Laven, "Hiya, whats a-""Follow though with that and if she doesn't kill you I will." Blinking he backs away slowly from Laven and the table"Uh, sorry about that, ohhh crappit..." as looking about he seems to realise how many of the beings about are not just inhuman, but things come out from under the bed...
"Hello," she says in her hypnotic, alluring voice, speaking like you would to a spooked animal, "my name is Laven. You've arrived, unfortunately, in hell. But sit down, have a drink, and join the game. There's no rush."
"Come on...letsh get thhiss g-game shtarted-d!"
As Gideon's drunken babble carries over the tavern, the door opens and brilliant, multi-colored light spills into the dim room. A dashing figure, garbed in a gold-trimmed captain's coat, stands in the doorway, tossing his long white hair over his shoulder. He steps spryly up to the counter and calls out to Cycine in a cheerful tenor, throwing down a few gold coins as he does so.
"Red Wine, sirrah. And leave the bottle!"
welcome, join our game. I know that most of us look a little unusual to a human, but you'll get used to it.
Sorry about that folks, she's a... little cranky," he explains as he draws up a chair, sitting down, "So, what is this game, and is he alright?"
"Waitaminute, HELL?! What do you mean Hell?! This isn't Hell!" "Oh boy..." at the crackily outburst, a section of the suit opens up, to release a small figure, clearly mechanical in nature, but otherwise a perfect , thoguh winged version of a human woman, which bears a half-panicked, half-outraged look, as it leaps to the table and marches up to Laven. "I don't what you think, I don't care how freaky some of these things look, or how mad some of them are, this is NOT HELL!"
"Are you taking bets on that? Care to wager your soul, perhaps?"
"This is hell, I'm afraid. Baator. But no worries - if you really don't like it here, I'm sure we can shift you to a more hospitable plane. Celestia, maybe, or you could take a whirl around Toril. There's no need to panic."
"Pahnic? Oo's gonna pahnic? Wha'? Heh. You sai' Toririril"
With that, he slides off the table and lands unconscious on the floor with a quiet thud.
"Calm down, calm down," as he reaches over to grab the little figure, he pets her carefully, before leaning over "Little bit of advice, never go binge drinking and watch 'Event Horizon' in the same period, unless you are that depressed. Especially if you do have access to that kind of gear. Long story short, I brought her spirit"where are they, where are they?[i] back, so she's... a little edgy on the H-word as you can see, I think its something to do with whatever happened there, and... ooh, crap. Now I know what wrong.[/i]
Thank you for shutting him up Laven.
Then he turn at the small winged creature.
there is not just one hell, but serveral different ones. And each multiverse has its own hell, and each hell has serveral layers. And for the event horizon, the doctor says "a dimension of evil and chaos" which would be the abyss rather than hell... But many people mistake those two for each other.
Also... I didn't use the evil dimension, I used the waiting room and the E.H.'s theory. Bit less chance of pulling out a horned demonic monster, as opposed to a girlfriend, if you get my meaning."
After about a minute Gideon crawls out from under the table, looking flushed but sober.
"Heh. Sorry about that, everyone. Fell unconscious, didn't I?"
When the assembled patrons nod their assent, Gideon continues.
"Thought so. The injector wouldn't have kicked in otherwise..."
"So...what'd I miss?"
"Kyle Killigan?" she asks in a low whisper, as though hesitant to believe.
From the table she is leaning on, Kyle looks at her quizically.
"Aye?"
Without another word, Kaylee throws her arms around her younger brother, now eight years her senior, in a tight hug.
"Fast work, mate. You've been down here for what...a few hours? And you've already got women hanging all over you. What's your secret?"
As the young magus holds her newfound sibling tight, she whispers, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again, tears of joy and regret flowing freely down her cheeks. At Gideon's table, Laven smiles knowingly and shuffles the deck of cards.
"Lass...what are you sorry about?"
Coin takes a few deep breaths to steady himself, and launches into his explaination.
[font=comic sans MS]"Alright. Apparently you're her younger brother, who she gave to a demon in exchange for getting someone to love her. You were then traded to a Mrs. Killigan in exchange for half of her soul. Since then, Kaylee's come to her senses, and together we went to Hell to try to get you back, only to find out you were here. So here we are, and apparently you're her baby brother...although I'm prepared to swear you're older than she is."
"You got that, or do I have to run through it again?"[/font]
As the youth finishes, Gideon walks up and slaps him cheerfully on the back.
"Wonderful story there. Absolutely wonderful. You should be on stage, you know that?"
"Gods...the things people here come up with...you're all insane. Completely insane."
"Her name is Kaylee, Mr. Killigan, and she loves you very much."
Laven speaks matter-of-factly as the deck is shuffled with a professional zing, not even bothering to look over.
"It'll take her a bit to come to her senses. She's dealing with a lot of powerful emotions right now."
"Gah?"
He raises a finger somewhat shakily and points from Kyle to Kaylee and back again.
"Wha?"
Finally he sits down heavily on an empty chair and promptly falls over backwards, landing on the ground laughing fit to burst.
Coin looks curiously at the man's antics and glances over to Kyle.
[font=comic sans MS]"Is he always like this? I've met another him, but that one wasn't quite so...unhinged."[/font]
And if it can walk though a barrage of missiles, survive a small mountain dropping on it, get attacked by a school of sharks, be rolled over with tree trunks, and walk though a fortified fortress unscathed, I'd class it as indestructible.
Heh, you even talk as though there are guys who think their gods, and can prove it around. Though, even this thing I may believe that one."
"Who, me?"
"But if you think you guys can take him, he should be here soon, Arnie always turns up where-ever we've been sooner or later. Only reason I haven't blown that up up yet is cause he was here first."
His face drops, as he slowly processes what just happened, before turning to look at the 'horned' Gabrial, and turning back, "Did he just respond before I mentioned him, or am I just going crazier?"
****
"Wait, I know yew! You tried to blow ma head, wait, wait, nay, It was the wedding, the little ***** who tried to pull some fancy-pants trick on me.
And if you think your family life is weird, I technically had over a hundred families, some of whom I married into at the same time, though they were worlds apart, wait, you still tried ta kick me oot," as he talks Gabrial advances on Kaylee (and therefore by default, Kyle and Coin), before narrowing his eyes at Kyle, An no trying to cut me throat out, I'm wise to that trick o' yours."
ooc
Like you wouldn't be slightly annoyed at finding someone who tried to forcably kick you out of somewhere, while now on level ground... well, leveller ground anyway.
The girl finally lets go of her brother, putting her hands on his shoulder both for support and in a gesture of affection.
"Kyle, I'm so sorry...is there anything I can do to make this up to you? Anything...no, probably not..."
Kyle sighs, then turns his head to get a good look at his newfound sibling.
"Assuming that this isn't, as Gideon so obviously expects, completely insane, you've made up for it already. You've found me, and told me. We all make mistakes. I'll forgive you yours. After all, I turned out alright."
Kaylee looks like she's about to argue, but Kyle says one quote that silences her into contemplation.
"In order to recieve forgiveness from others, we must forgive ourselves first."
Before you ask how I know, the alternative is I've got my own personal legion hunting me, all with a FF-nancy boy fixation."
****
"Second, huh? Slow ain'tcha? But I guess this ain't no ******* contest.
And I didn't actually crash the party so much as I was passing though from A to B and found C. And C had a wedding gonig on, and no-one ever invites me to those, probably 'cos the people I get really close to tend to get et' when ever I settle long enough to make friends.
Point is, I was passing though. Oh, and if the lanky fella turns up, suddenly, you've been warned I may not be present in any way you guys can detect. 'Least 'til I find out iffen he wants my first-skin."
[font=comic sans MS]"Thank you! Finally someone other than me tells her that..."[/font]
Coin drops his voice to an almost inaudible level, apparently talking to himself.
"Maybe she'll actually listen to you..."
Kaylee opens a portal and goes to step through before remembering that she can't stand straight. It doesn't even look like Kyle moves - he simply appears to catch her.
"I'm comin' with ya. And Gideon's double is over there, if I remember right. Hey Gid, you coming?"
"Sure. Can't pass up the opportunity to meet myself, can I?"
Sorry, but the only choice really is between putting our problems on you people, or leaving as soon as Arnie hits, and I'm not going to rack up anymore on the indirect bodycount for nothing.
OOC
This makes sense if you've followed Gareth's little slave thing on the main thread...
"*sniff*Here he goes again."
I just don't trust this place enough not to use it as an escape route."
"i see that someone has gone to break their bonds. I think I'd have done the same if I was a slave, at least i would have if i had been able to back when i sat in that mage cage back in soulforge.
Dramuk then turn at his sppech partners.
"if its Arnie you expect to have to run from soon, I don't think you need to be so hastily. From what you told me, he's about in my power class, and serveral of the people in here are the same."
An echonig voice rings out though the taverne, even as the barriades come down, as the shaven man winces at the sound, "He's here? Crud..." as he rummages about before drawing out an archiac looking short staff, coated in buttons levels, and oddly shaped lumps, one of which he presses... as nothing happens, "The hell? He's never stopped this thing from working before...
You know that thing you guys said about possibly being his equal apiece? If you're willing, it looks like this might be the chance to find out..."
"I've got a real conveinent way to end this. Excuse me a moment."
She walks past the other patrons, nocking a bright pink arrow and stepping out of the now-unbarricaded door. You catch a view of what look like escaped prisoners - or slaves - as the woman walks out.
"What ho, sirrahs! What have we here?"
Dramuk keeps his voice neutral, and emotionally void.
Nor am I indestructible, a fact I know all too well in the aftermath of the great war, but I am. And those I seek, those who hide, have broken the ways of what is right, for none but creation may bring the fallen out of light, and what was broken must be restored." As his small speech end, 'Arnie' continues the chase, flinging out one hand as the gap in the wall erupts the material about the space fracturing and flying outwards widening the hole.
I am the agent of what is right, to do what is right no matter what the cost, no matter who must suffer, no matter what stain it may leave upon me.
All things come to an end, that is the way of things, some try to avoid their ends, taking the forms of shadow-things upon the world, but they do not understand, they will still end.
And yet that end is not the finish for all is a cycle, the fallen go on still in their place, and so for a mortal to pull a soul out of the natural cycle, no matter what their feelings, no matter how they died, no matter who it was, cannot be allowed.
In many ways I envy those lesser than I, who may choose not to take such responsibility to take the side of good.
So you say it is not fair. What do you know of fairness? Did you watch those about you fall? Did you take up arms against them in war, not out of hate, but of duty?
Did you turn away from saving your own love, knowing to do so would disrupt existance? WOULD YOU SLAY A DEMON-CHILD KNOWING HOW IN FULL DETAIL TO REFUSE, WOULD BRING ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD?!
Cling to your morals of good and evil, if you think them so useful, but I know my duty, and only pray I am not too late."
[color=SeaGreen]"if you think that you are the only one who has suffered you are gravely mistaken. I wathced my whole race die, everyone I loved or cared for slayn. Worse yet, I caused it, I banished Artak and his undead legions, knowing that without their aid we would loose the war. But had I not banished him he would have taken over the Mbwun in the end, and thrown my whole world into darkness.
Now tell me what makes it so important that these ones die, tell me how they pose a threath to this entire world, or the one they come from. Tell me why it is needed to be set right when she is returned from death, when demonic forces pulled her there and that was not to be set right. Justify it or
And why must it be stopped? Where one foot treads many others will follow. Have you any idea what will happen when unhoused souls build up in the world, and there is no 'magic' to return them?
The will of creation returns such spirits housed in flesh, be it unmade or not, and the power to return them, but when this is not the case as in my homerealm, they will build up in number until they act as a beacon.
There are many worlds, many forms of reality, some similar, others not. And like everything this is opposed. There are some forces, who seek to sink words into nothing. Some do this for rage, others because they feel there is no hope, but they all do the same: They seek to draw forth the ending, some do so by ritual and magic others do so by existing, but their aims are akin: to draw out their weapon to remove the world.
The beacon those spirits will form will draw out this weapon in the same way, and once made cannot be stopped.
And if not stopped now, before the beacon comes to bear, it will brings not the end of the world, but the end of existance, this is what I will prevent, by any means needed.
You will no doubt say, how can such a thing be judged now? Because of mortal nature. It may even be that one unhoused soul run rampant though the worlds has allowed for such beacons to be lit.
And it would take creation to stop my duty," smiling grimly, 'Arnie' slowly fades away, while a riot of explsions can be heard outside of the hole.
"I'm looking for a man. Has anyone seen him?"
If the beacons come to exist is shall gladly unweave them.
And for creation it self, I come close. I can create and destroy by a mere moment of concentration."
"And we've seen a lot of men, which one are ya looking for, since we've had small ones, tall ones, big winged ones who rip off walls, armoured ones, eh, yew get the idea."
He takes out what looks very much like a wanted poster. On it is a man with black hair, dark blue eyes, and a hat. (Those who've seen my pirate character would recognize him. I doubt anyone here has, though.)
I, I did what I had to do, I love her, and she was taken too soon-"Who are you to decide too soon? You rip a soul out of its now-rightful place, would condemn your entire universe to destruction for your want, not need, and now, when we stand face to face finally, when there is no where to run, nowhere to hide, you declare that it is not fair?
Know this now, that now there is only one thing left for you, and that is the judgement of the all of creation...
At the last word, Arnie strikes with one hand, wings obsuring all beneath their dark canopy, save for the onrush of dust and air, 'til as he straightens, all that can be seen are, at his feet, the armour and machine the two had arrived in.
"Judgement."
*****
"Naw, never clapped peepers on that guy before. Sorry. Wanted for sommat is he?"
"the lives I ended through my actions was followed by my grief and sorrow, but it was a necessary sacrafice in order to prevent my world, and later countless ones to come, from suffering a fate worse than destruction."
And no, you never could stop them from being returned, once we came to this site with its high power levels, there was no other outcome possible, that did not involve a monster like none before," before he turns to leave, starting his walk out of the taverne...
Dramuk's wrath is growing stronger by every word. He closes his eyes and concentrates, sending the manipulating fingers of his mind out to unweave, and thus unmake, the part of reality that was called Arnie by those now dead.
And if nothing was certain, where does your choice stem from?
I however know what is certain, and I would fear it. You should too."
The dwarf swings his battle-harden scaled fists at LeMondis. For some reason the man makes no move to dodge or block, instead he only watches as the dwarf screams in terror as his fist collides with LeMondis. The man is not phased by the wallshattering punch though, the dwarf on the other hand fades into the inky blackness of the shadows and disappears. LeMondis is left in his original position, the only difference is that he know holds a small bag of coins in the palm of one of his hands, apparently lifted from the ill-fated dwarf before he was banished from this realm.
LeMondis tucks this bag of coins away into one of his pockets beneath the armor and orders another drink. He whispers something under his breath, "I'm still waiting for you Neme and he wont be the last one to go if you dont hurry."
BIC: A tall muscular man slowly and cautiously walks into the tavern. As he enters, he looks around and then after a quick glance over his shoulder he finally enters through the doorway. He makes his way to a dark corner table and sits himself, only then does he realize that he has taken a seat at an occupied table. He is at the table with LeMondis.
LeMondis doesnt seem to notice or just doesnt care. The silvery skinned man is wearing a loose night blue robe that is unwrapped to show his upper body. He is bald and his body is perfectly semetrical and very muscular. Despite his body seeming to be able to take care of himself, he is cautious and paranoid. He sees that the table's occupant doesnt take note of him and decides to speak up. His voice is timid but deep and he speaks between glances over his shoulder, "Hello there... you not gonna mind me.... sitting here... are you?"
LeMondis glances over at him and speaks his reply, "Bah I suppose you can. Fair warning though, dont touch me." The binder then shouts out for an amnizu waiter to get him another refill.
EDIT: This character's personality is based off of me and Aya's pet rat. Hes real shifty and cautious but hes a good warrior already, I've taught him to wield toothpick swords and to kill moths and any other little bug I throw in with him.
The timid man eyes the new man carefully but quickly glances around behind him. The observant can see that he fidgets with something in a pocket of his robes.
BIC: After tying his Ibex up outside in the stables behind the Inn area of the Taverne Cycine, and feeding and watering his steed, Batil Ghasbi walks through the door of the tavern. The urge to turn and look upon him is too great for many of the patrons and they turn and stare as he ambles confidently through the mass of tables and patrons. He comes to the bar and bows to Cycine before taking a seat, "Good day barrrkeep, I'll have a glass of peyote juice and water."
Cycine, having been taking a short break from serving the people of the bar, smiles and winks and begins mixing the drink. "Thar ya are sir, Cactus Water."
OOC: His accentis intentionally rolling the r's and his voice is based alot off of Antonio Banderas' character in the 13th Warrior.
Coin rises from his seat, drink in hand, and strides quickly over to the newcomer.
[font=comic sans MS]"You from Earth, then? Or, to use official Sigil Planar terminology, Material Plane 8912j45r Gamma?"[/font]
He takes a small sip of his drink, "Forgive me I am quite parched. Ah yes where arrre my manners." He bows again, more deeply this time, "I am Batil Ghasbi. As to the Peyote, it grows on a few worlds that I am aware of, including my homeworld. i enjoy its taste and its effects and it reminds me of home."
"Ah well...hope springs eternal and all that."
"What brings you to Hell?"
"No offense meant, of course."[/font]
[font=comic sans MS]'Sure. Nothing else to do at the moment. My name's Coin."[/font]
Coin pulls two coins from his pocket and flips them into the air. One lands quickly, showing a face unrecognized by Batil, but the other hangs in the air, spinning slowly...and seems to have more faces than its two sides would allow.
After a few seconds it falls slowly, landing on a face covered with unknown runes. Coin picks it up, glances at it curiously, and turns to Batil.
[font=comic sans me]"That's a lager, if you will. Nothing fancy. As to the match..."[/font]
He glances quickly at the other coin before scooping it back up again.
[font=comic sans MS]"That's a yes. I was hoping it would be."[/font]
"Thats interesting that you flip coins and rely on chance my friend. It is no doubt why they call you Coin, correct? Yes though, it is quite good that we are able to do battle, luck was on our side that time." Batil sips from his drink and takes a quick glance at it, Almost finished, he thinks to himself.
Bartholemew watches the exchange with interest especially watching the strange coin with interest. He fiddles with the strange device in his lap the multi-colored lights dancing busily as the coin flips in the air. Yes, very interesting. he mutters to himself Please allow me to introduce myself as well. I am Bartholemew. .He offers a semi-transparent opaque hand.
As Cycine brings a lager to coin he politely requests another mug of whatever it is he drinks.
LeMondis looks at Bart's hand, "Forgive me if I dont shake, cant trust people these days. Nonetheless, hello Bartholemew I am LeMondis." He bows his head at the man before him. He brings his gaze to that multi-colored box, "So you're copying our item's abilities are you?" He says this in a low tone so only the people at this table can hear.
OOC: Thats about the most respectable greeting LeMondis can give I think.
With this plethora of onomatopoeia, the door of the multi-plane famous Taverne Cycine opens. The first thing that enters is a strange, metal leg, teeming with cogs and gears and wires. Each step is a small quake as the full weight of the device is brought down. Attached to the leg is a rather eccentric looking man; his hair unwashed and oily, his face abounding with deep scars, and his coat filled to the drim with gauges and wrenches and hammers. His one eye is a deep, deep blue, and in his other socket, a strange, dead-black crystal resides. On his back is a pack, and a strange looking metal tube attached to a wooden stock and a revolving chamber...something similar to an old rifle, but much more handmade.
"Hey barkeep! I need some alcohol, oil, and water. The first one's for me; the other two are for my two friends here."
[font=comic sans MS]"Thanks for picking up the tab there. Anyway, I don't mean to be abrupt, but I've got things to do and places to be. If you want to have a little throw-down, better sooner than later. You finished?"[/font]
Throwing his trenchcoat over himself, he shoves on his hat and walks over to the newcomer.
"Well, well. Nice little bit o' machinery there, friend. You build it yourself?"
Gideon thrusts out a hand, letting his illusion fall as he does so. Bronze and gold gears whirl and spin, and delicate spindles turn as his metallic fingers flex.
"Name's Gideon. Gideon Gideonson."
"How...how is that running? There's no engine, no reactor, no...nothing. How?"
"Simple. Touch o' magic, bit o' proper set-up, and presto! Instant, total control and a full range of motion. No feeling though. Even I can't get that."
"Magic? Fused directly to muscle? That's impossible. Magic is almost dead, and fusing anything to flesh would be impossible. It doesn't make sense."
"Some might say that...and yet, here I am. Why doubt your own eyes?"
As if to prove his point, Gideon reaches down to his belt pouch, draws out a packet of cigarettes, and plucks one out, spinning it between his golden fingers. With his other hand he withdraws a slender wand, and, with a burst of flame, he lights the cigarette. Raising it to his mouth, he inhales deeply, blowing a gentle cloud of smoke into the air.
"Not one bit."
"Magic sure is great, isn't it?"
The man leans back in his stool. His right arm releases a small puff of steam before he begins talking again.
"Only a few folk have magic where I come from. And it ain't men. I haven't ever seen it for myself, but I've heard stories."
Gideon flicks his hand a bit, and a small model of a chair appears in his palm. Throwing it into the air, he taps it lightly, then sits down on the chair that appears on the floor.
"Really it's not that special...just useful."
"Hahaha...see, that's something I can't do...but I don't think I'd ever get tired of that if I could."
Gideon pauses, reflectively.
"Hell, know what? I still don't get tired of it. Never thought about that before."
"Not that there's much use for that. But you name it, and I can build it."
Gideon waves Cycine over.
"Cycine! Get me a whiskey, will you? Thanks."
He turns back to his new conversation partner.
"Say...you never introduced yourself, did you? Got a name?"
Now, you say you can level an entire city? How?"
"Not a comprehensive list by any means, but those methods should all prove sufficient."
OOC: Arena IV? And then I suppose just replace you as a judge with somebody else, Aya or Revlis I think or maybe someone else because both of those have some bias to myself and you respectively.
The vaati at the table watches this conversation with interest and has calmed down so that he doesnt feel the need to look over his shoulder so much. When he hears of the armor's power, he perks up and twitches and whispers to himself, "That is indeed nice armor, cant wait to see the sword. Wait...demons!!?" He looks around again.
Stark naked.
Three bags of holding float gently behind her and the girl - sorry, woman, now that you have definitively better looks - makes absolutely no attempt to preserve her modesty. She instead takes a seat, tired but clean - you aren't really concerned as to how she cleaned herself up after that fight - and sets her bags down.
"Can I get a feywine please?"
OOC
Prestidigitation = insta bath!
Cycine stares at her for a moment then resumes pouring a drink for one of the patrons. He then pours Endeca's feywine for her and brings it to her. "Not that theres a dress code or anything, darlin' but why be you naked?"
The vaati stops and stares for a moment but is indecisive and thinks it best to avert his eyes. LeMondis glances over and then does a double take and raises his eyebrow, "If I were not above mortal pleasures..."
[font=comic sans MS]"Hey, Endeca? Ever hear a story about some Emperor's New Cloths? If not, you should look into it. It'll prove invaluable to you in your current state."[/font]
With that he departs for the battlefield, chuckling to himself."
"Had my first fight in this Arena and my opponent disintegrated my clothing. 'Course, he was trying to disintegrate me, so I can't complain. 'Sides, after I accidentally teleported in the buff to the foot of Heironious, I think I can stand a few stares."
The elf takes a sip of her Feywine and shudders violently, letting out an energetic whoop. She merely shudders as she takes another sip, the weariness starting to leave her.
"And, my good....extraplanar sentient, I'm not entirely mortal. I'm the avatar of Joy! Nice to meetcha, by the way, nice armor."
LeMondis smiles, "Thank you, I like this armor. An avatar of joy, must mean you have a good amount of power then doesnt it."
Casually, the elf woman props her boots up on the table, legs crossed as she leans back to relax. Snuggles crawls blearily onto the table and flops down to sleep.
"And yeah, I got power to spare. I mean, I had some before, too, but now it's, like, bubbling out. Feels great, actually, like nothing in the world could ever go wrong. I just make all my friends sigh 'cause I never bother controlling any of it. What's your story?"
"Hey, ya mind getting me some whiskey, water, and some oil?"
He then leans in very close and whispers:
"And that nude chick...get her another round of whatever she's having. On me."
"Alright friend...I'd agree with you, but do you know who that is? BAD idea there. I told me about her just a minute ago. Imagine chaotic, unitentional and good-natured DEATH. That's what she is. Accidently, to."
"Your funeral."
"Oh, you're no fun! You gotta enjoy life, you know? I can't tell you how many times people have said those two words to me. But I'm still kickin', so the joke's on them."
LeMondis hides a smile, "Ah yes power is good isnt it. My story, I was a farmboy with a bit of magical talent. Became an apprentice for a wizard, left him after a few years, studied while travelling and adventuring, found out the dark of things and began my career as a binder. Discovered how to bind people to me to get more power, at first only demons were bound and that one celestial that chose to bind with me to give me his power. After that I gave in to the temptations of power and have been collecting as much as I can ever since. Then I discovered the plans of this mad wizard who knew how to make this armor and sword so I contracted him to make them for me."
He stops to catch his breath after that quick spiel. "Anyway, I am LeMondis and I await Neme so that we may finish our business from before."
He grins.
"I may even take notes, just to see if I can replicate the effects."
"Oh, crap, I'm sorry!" she exclaims with concern and utter innocence, banishing the glass with an embarassed blush. Face red, she turns back to LeMondis, rocking back on her chair until only two legs are touching the floor.
"Huh. You sound totally evil. Oh well, I've hung out with worse. I think that guy over there wants to talk with me, nice speakin' with ya."
She lets the chair sit back down and turns it to face Axl, taking a sip of the wine he sent her.
"Thanks for the wine. Your neck okay?"
"Nothin' personal, miss. It's just that you're a mite unpredictable, and I'm fond o' my limbs."
OOC
She didn't approach - she turned her chair.
"I was just kidding about the oil...but the fact that you have it makes me want to recommend this place to an entire guild where I come from. Thank ye kindly."
He then turns to face Endeca.
"Eh, I've had worse, really. Ever get caught in an exploding piece of mvoing armor that had your entire right half trapped inside it? THAT'S painful."
He begins to laugh as he pours the water into compartments on his limbs. Steam begins rising just a tad from each opening, and the limbs shudder harmless at the new fuel. He begins oiling joints and gears, and then pours the whiskey into a small opening on his forearm.
"Sorry ya had to see that. I need to keep these things well tuned."
OOC
Well, THAT was an easy fix :D
"You'll never see anything well from over there. The intricate gears and such have much more personality up close."
"This close enough?" she says teasingly.
OOC
Dude...hot nude female elf...you'd ignore you too.
"Axl...um...uh......please don't doom us all."
OOC
Revlis...Gareth never actually said she was hot. :D
OOC
If I had one mechanical arm and leg, and scars covering my face and one eye missing, I'd probably just go for what I could get. Plus, it's an elf. You generally make that assumption.
OOC
Which means he has formed that opinion on his own from 'Deca's picture :P
And Gid, when will you learn to log back into things?
And in case anyone is wondering, yes, Endeca is "inncocent", just not innocent in That Way. And quite frankly, standing naked in the middle of a public area (if you aren't embarassed about it) makes one think along certain lines.
And Gid, when will you learn to log back into things?
And in case anyone is wondering, yes, Endeca is "inncocent", just not innocent in That Way. And quite frankly, standing naked in the middle of a public area (if you aren't embarassed about it) makes one think along certain lines.
Anyway, the limbs' are pretty simple. Each one has its own steam engine, which is what provides for its locomotion. Electronic impulses from my brain travel down to the anchors, which tell what parts to move where.
But enough about me...what's your line of work?"
And yeah, I'm kinda havin' fun. Is there anyone who makes sure you have fun?"
"If you are here to ensure that everyone has fun, you have much work left"
Endeca squeezed Axl's flesh-and-blood leg suggestively before dropping her voice so low that even with her in his ear, he had trouble hearing it.
"How about we grab a room and see how much fun we can be together?"
"Before you said that you were to make sure everyone here had some fun, which was the quest of which I was speaking, and that is far from done"
With that, Axl reaches into his pocket and throws a strange plastic card on the bar. He then hoists Endeca up, putting his cool metal arm right on her back, and putting his real arm under her knees.
"Thanks barkeep. Just charge it, if ya don't mind."
As he exits the bar with Endeca in tow, he looks back at the armored figured.
"Give me a couple hours...I've kind of got my hands full at the moment...but you and I can have some fun in the arena. I'm warnin' you, though, it'll probably be more fun for me than it will be for you.
Oh, and Gideon, when I get back later...I have a few schematics that I want you to look over. A few things that magic could help with. If ya wouldn't mind."
OOC
I'm compltely serious. Would you like to be Axl's debut opponent?
I'm in no particular hurry about my job, and I need to have some fun too. 'Sides, I've got a whole cosmos to instill some fun in, I think I've got a large time frame.
((That means yes...))
"Good...I'm looking forward to it...don't disappoint..."
He then makes his way out of the bar, enjoying his new company, and returns to his normal voice.
"C'mon...let's blow this place."
He then walks to Laven and Jayla.
"Greetings, I take it you are fellow combatants, my name is Ziel.
He seems to be untouched by Lavens special air and incredible beauty.
((This guy is filled with love, love for his children, the warforged.))
OOC
So...Gideon, a fairly outgoing ladies man to begin with, has just had the avatar of Joy tell him to go out and have a good time, followed immediately by the avatar of Love walking into the bar. Hmm. Interesting :D
"Sorry for 'restricting' you with the coat...but it's to the point where I just don't want you to catch cold."
"I trust that you will speak up when it is time for our battle"
"Yes, I remember you. I must say, you're rather amusing when drunk. It's nice to meet you sober. My friend here is Jayla, she's a bit shy."
"It's okay, this thing's comfy anyway. All warm and stuff. It's a good thing I'm short though, or this'd never cover me. C'mon, let's get a seat."
And with a smile on her face, the pink-haired elf leads Axl to a table and sits down, calling over to Cycine for an Icegrip.
OOC
Icegrip = Arctic Elf Feywine
"I guess a fine elf woman like yourself doesn't often drink whiskey, does she? Cause you're free to have some."
Axl notices something that Endeca does not - pink heart, like a tattoo, forms on the back of her hand, taking up most of the space there. The elf doesn't even seem to notice.
Ziel adresses Laven, apperently something about her has caught his interest.
"I do not recall you telling your name, and it would be much easier to speak with or refer to you if I know your name"
OOC
It's not...okay, it IS a physical alteration, sort of. Those with strong feelings of love get one of those from her - it's Love's Blessing. It will protect them if they fight in the defense of someone or something that they love dearly.
Axl takes another swig from his thumb, and then looks down at Endeca's hand.
"Hey...watcha got there?"
OOC
Yeah, he's tasted gunpowder before...what about it?
"My name is Ziel, I am father of the warforged in my world, and my love for my children goes before anything else in my life, as you surely noticed. I am also the most powerful meldshaper of my world, and the first to practise the art, some of the abilities i hold from that art allowed me to see that you probably knew of my feelings for my children"
This is about the longest "speech" Ziel has ever given.
Endeca looks at the back of her hand and immediately becomes indignant.
"Oh c'mon, that's not funny. It wasn't funny when Jaden had my ass tattooed while I was sleeping either, who did it? Own up to it, somebody, I don't like tats."
"I'm terribly sorry, miss, but I can't help it. I could no more stop that from happening than you could stop yourself from using magic. It happens when someone filled with love is around me."
"Well, that's weird. I don't really love a lot of people."
"To the contrary, miss. I can sense your love - you love everything and everyone unconditionally. It's pure, innocent, and in most cases, foolish, but you love even your enemies."
"Freaky. Where's that Icegrip?"
Axl scratches his head, and looks down at either of his hands, noting that neither of them have a heart on them. Upon seeing this, he simply begins to laugh at himself.
Laven can sense that Gideon's heart is an desolate, soulless place, full of the fumes of tobacco and and the smell of strong alcohol. This is a man who has nothing other than his mind and the belief that he should not kill for any reason, although it is clear that this ideal has been forcibly stamped out many times.
Gideon is, contrary to his outgoing appearance, a very lonely, depressed man.
"I went through some kind of portal to get away from home, and it took me here."
Laven claps Gideon on the shoulder with a friendly smile, and like what happened with Kyyt earlier, a surge of emotion floods through the artificer. She only maintains contact for a few seconds, but it is more than enough time to flood Gideon's heart with the feeling that she imparts.
"I'm sticking with her until she learns the ropes, you know? It's hard, coming from a multiverse with no magic, though she has some other things to make up for it."
OOC
Pay very close attention - Gideon has been filled with RAW love. Whether or not it is romantic love is up to you - it can manifest as ANY kind of love. It all depends on the kind of person Gideon is. The feeling will last for about 24 hours until the artificial love fade, leaving behind any REAL love he may have developed during that time.
"I'll be right back. Gotta go talk with m'friend over there for a sec."
He unveils a large sheet of paper that seems to be coming from his arm--like a child's magician, although it's obvious that there's a roll of paper in his arm. He detaches his middle finger, and a small point pops out. He begins scrawling all over the sheet, folds it into a paper airplane, and throws it at Gideon. It reads:
Heard a couple of guys are lookin' for a brawl. Wanted to know if you're interested. We'll talk later; I can see your busy. Work that magic, buddy!
--Axl, the guy over there.
Axl then sits back down next to Endeca, and looks at the heart on her hand, then back up at her.
"So...what do folk around here do to pass the time? Aside from fight?"
Endeca continues cheerily at a mile a minute, detailing all the wild things she's seen here - including the several incidents with Coin.
Axl think to himself for a moment, then resumes speaking.
"Who do you normally hang out with? That Coin guy and his buddies? You'll have to introduce me to some folk. I only know you and Gideon over there. And that big walking armor there..."
"Uh...'scuse me a second, ladies."
Standing up, he shakes himself, turns away, and unsteadily pulls a flask out from within his coat. He then takes a long pull, corks it on the second try, and conceals it again. As he goes to sit down again, Axl's airplane hits him. Grateful for the distraction, he unfolds it, then gives Axl the thumbs up, signifying his acceptance.
Finally he sits back down and turns to Laven.
"What the HELL was that? Why'd you go and do that?"
His metal hand slams down on the table, tearing out a large chunk.
"WHY?"
As if on cue, Gareth, Brisinaria, and Jaden appear from the portal in the middle of the bar - the one that leads to the Nexus - with a smile on every face but Jaden's. The floor begins freezing again.
"There they are! Jaden, Gary, Bris, take a seat, I wanna introduce you to my new friend."
"Endeca...why are you wearing a trenchcoat?"
"Because I'm nekkid."
Brisinaria puts a hand on Jaden's shoulder as the paladin clenches her teeth and growls. The three of them take a seat - Gareth's chair immediately begins to freeze.
"That one's my pal Gareth," the elf says as she gestures to the death knight, "Then that's Brisinaria, with all the dynamite, and Jaden's the one in armor. She's the one who got that dragon on my ass. Together, we're Gareth's Crew. Guys, this is Axl."
"You slept with him, didn't you?"
"Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe."
"......You are a complete harlot."
"Yep."
Laven's simple statement is followed by a tense silence, wherein the archer begins to polish her bow. When she speaks again, it is gentle and understanding.
"I can help you cope with it, but I will not undo what I have done. No one should be without love, not even fiends. Will you accept my help?"
"**** off. Just **** off."
With that, Gideon turns around and storms off to a table in the far corner. There he collapses, lying against the wall with his hat pulled down over his face.
OOC
I actually didn't think he'd do that...
"Pleased to meet you all...Endeca dear, excuse me for a moment."
Axl rushes over to Gideon, who is collapsed in the corner.
"C'mon Gideon...striking out isn't that bad," he says with a fake half-smile.
"Uhh...what's wrong...?"
"Anger won't help you. If you talk about it, you can work through it. It doesn't have to be with me, but you are going to need some help. You aren't used to this."
"Go. Away. Now."
His hand shoots out, catching Axl in the stomach with some sort of piston driven force. The other man is flung across the room, where he crashes into the far wall.
Gideon then turns to Laven, his rage still not calm.
"Damn right anger ain't gonna help! But you know what? It's better than drinking. Now was I not clear enough the first time? **** OFF!"
LeMondis shifts uncomfortably as Laven enters the bar. He cleanches up and utter hate emanates from him. (Is there an avatar for hate yet? Normally I wouldnt care to get involved with the unfamiliar territory but hes a pretty hateful person and I'm considering the possibility.)
The as of yet unnamed vaati emits no strong feelings of love and is a bit more timid now because of LeMondis' uncomfortability.
A random fiendish gnome sits in the corner drinking heavily and staying by himself and quiet, does however emit a strong love but also a strong sorrow.
"Wooo...nothing starts off a day *pant*...like a piston to the stomach...*pant*...how long have *pant* you all...been aquainted?"
"He wanted to help you, no one should be attacked for trying to help."
His voice is completly calm when he speaks, showing even less emotion than when he spoke to Axl about the battle. To those who know him this is a clear sign that hes getting angry.
Dramuk, who had been sitting in a corner since Arnie left, overcome with grief and despair from his dark memories, leave hastily to get his hands on some of the other Soulforgians to deal with Ziels fury, should Gideon manage to awaken it fully. A situation in which Dramuk would not like to take Gideons place.
"Why don't we all calm down, huh?"
"You'll only hurt yourself like this, Gideon. Let me help. Just don't touch me any further, or it will intensify."
"Not that you can't handle yourself...but I'll do what I can to help, need be."
A small, barely noticeable, barded wire heart forms itself on the back of Axl's mechanical arm.
"Can none of you imbeciles take a hint? Was I to subtle? Not forceful enough? JUST LEAVE!"
"Geez, kill the mood why don't ya?"
"Do not think that you rid yourself of your loneliness this way."
((I have figured out how the Heart looks, its a heartshaped area of a slightly bluish color on the black metal that compose his body))
OOC: Nevermind I've reclaimed the title of avatar of hate, sorry Gid.
EDIT: Just a bit more description there.
"You mad, lady?! Don't you know one of the most fundamental laws of the universe? Don't make an angry engineer more upset!"
"Aww, don't worry about Bris, she can take care of herself. 'Sides, she's an engineer too."
Endeca pushes herself up on her toes to give Axl a quick kiss.
"You were so heroic, putting yourself in front of me like that. I never had a knight before."
She hugs Axl and snuggles closer, a smile on her face and eyes closed happily.
"Gideon will understand eventually, won't he?"
OOC
The veins aren't something in the normal purview of things. She has to literally sap someone's love to get rid of them. Now, if she TOUCHED Ziel, that would work.
"I do hope that he get things back together, I could see that he is with a big emotional void inside, his soul were closely transformed into necrocarnum."
"Well...I'm not really a knight...I just...didn't want you to get hurt...Gideon's probably dangerous, I mean...I...*sigh* You're welcome."
The barded wire heart on Axl's arm seems to grow just a tad.
"Still...I'm worried about Gideon...sure hope he's okay...somethin' seemed real wrong with him..."
"He's confused. He hasn't been able to feel some things before and Laven kinda gave it to him all at once. He's goin' to someone who can help, though. You're warm."
"Good day, Cycine. These are some ingredients my master needs for his remdies, if you don't--"
Vicgretor is cut off when the two symbols on his arms-Pride and Glory-begin glowing brightly for all to see. As he looks around, he notices all in the bar. Shocked and awed, he can barely speak.
"Hate? Joy? Love? What're you all doing here?!"
He begins to drop low into a fighting stance, not knowing anything else to do.
"Yeah...I'm a little warm, I guess. Somethin' must be wrong with the machines..."
OOC
You only get to be ONE Primal's Avatar, my friend. Why don't you people ask me these things? And Hate left the room - we have Wrath, Joy, and Love.
OOC
Sorry Gareth--took some liberties that I should've checked first. Way I figured, Vicgretor's past would make him the ideal candidate for Pride, and his possible future for Glory. But whatever.
Brisinaria has a calming hand on Gareth's shoulder. However, no one has thought to restrain Wrath - Jaden's leaping tackle happens with incredible speed for someone in full plate. The loud crash of the plate rings against the wood as the woman's weight pins her victim to the ground.
"Insult Gareth, and you insult me, got it?"
"Oh, there goes Jaden again. Don't worry though, I like warm. It's comfy."
Endeca's eyes open, and she sees the heart on the back of Axl's hand. In shock, she takes a step back and stares at it, letting go of the mechanical man.
"My quarrel is not with you, woman. It is between me and that monster over there. Now, you are in my way. Get out of it."
________________________________________________
Axl watches with a bit of worry as Endeca steps back. Puzzled, he scratches his head.
"Endeca...what's the matter?"
"I think that you've just called my best friend a monster."
She doesn't seem to move until the shorstwords are within striking distance - it's as if the blades merely leapt out of their sheaths and into her attacking hands.
Endeca can only stare in shock and minor horror for a moment or two before she points at his hand.
"Please...please tell me that's not for me."
Vicgretor is simply focused on defense. He has no intention of harming Jaden, and only seems to either block or dodge her attacks. He does not show any malice or signs of discontent. After a few attacks, it all becomes a rythmic, clockwork series of moves and ducks.
Axl looks up and down his arm, and back up at Endeca. He honestly does not see the heart, it would seem.
"What on earth are you talking about? What shouldn't be for you? Are you tryin' to mess with me?"
The bar falls completely silent, and all eyes lock onto the phantom as it steps slowly toward the Avatars' table.
"Well, well. What's this? Having a get-together, are we? Did all of you conveniently forget forget to invite Donovan Crane?"
He then makes his way to Laven. "Lass if you dont mind can you suppress your aura when ol' whats his name is in here. I know enough about ya beings then ya'd think I do." He winks and pats her on the back gently.
"And I already told you, you insult Gareth and you insult me. I don't take insults, whelp."
The shortswords snap down to be blocked by Vicegretor, and the raging paladin does something that people somehow never seem to expect, despite the fact that she does it often - tackles him through the bar wall to land on their respective asses to either side of Teresias's tent with the loud clang of metal and Jaden groaning.
OOC
To the hovel!
"No...what I want to know is...what did I do?!"
"You shouldn't touch me," she says quietly, "It doesn't usually end well, when fiends love. But I'll surpress my Aura for him."
Moments after the imp left, LeMondis walks back in determined that he will not be run off this time. He seems to have some trouble repressing his aura when he spies the avatar of love over at her table. He stomps over to his original table and seats himself, glaring daggers at Laven the whole time, but surprisingly his aura stays under wraps.
"Nothing's absolute," she says quietly, "Not even when it's a part of you. I have hate. Anger has some joy, and I've seen joy be angry...nothing can survive without a bit of its opposite. So, who does Hate love?"
OOC
Dude...Gideon was hurled out of a PORTAL. In the CENTER OF THE BAR....
OOC
Yeah, I know. Had to be changed, sorry
OOC
No, that was for LeMondis
the sound is now coming form all windows and chains is coming is weil a voice sas yello to all of you. my name is Toto Soulrender. have some of you seen my brother? he sjut be her now.
"Hello Cycine, I'm back. Soryy for being a little late bro, I ran into the apprentice of Sarathos, the mage we killed remember, and he wasn't pleased to meet me."
((this one is void of love, even copassion, with one exception, he love his brother to an extreme extend.))
OOC
Nim...clean up the spelling, man.
OOC
Hey, I haven't flown off the handle at him yet. Worry once I start trying to restrain myself.
Okay...I apparently do know where to begin."
"Yeah, it seems like it. You couldn't see the heart because you didn't know, I think. That's the simplest way, anyway. As to the other two....I couldn't. I tried, I really wanted to, but I just couldn't. So I had a friend help me. He...transferred, some of my love, from the rest of the world to you. Get it?"
Did that...transferring thing hurt?"
And I told you, I don't want you to catch a cold. And don't worry, I took all the dangerous weapons and chemicals out of it beforehand...but for the life of me, I can't remember where I put them...now I need to make more..."
Endeca leaned over to put her head on Axl's shoulder.
"You know, you're comfy too."
Axl gives a small smile, and holds Endeca close.
Laven sits back down at her own table in a kind of fugue, her melancholy seeming to affect the patrons around her - not through her own power, but because the devils are simply too empathetic towards something that beautiful.
"Nothing's absolute," she says quietly, "Not even when it's a part of you. I have hate. Anger has some joy, and I've seen joy be angry...nothing can survive without a bit of its opposite. So, who does Hate love?"
LeMondis sneers at this question posed to him. "Ha, Hate love. Never, unlike you other abominations to the chosen of the Primals, I am pure in my feelings. I do not love, I hate. I propose the question back to you, you are impure and thusly weaker than I. So Love, Who do you hate?"
"I hate myself."
She takes a sip of a drink offered to her by a nearby devil and continues staring at the table.
"I wonder what it's like, being so sure of yourself. Can you tell me?"
He pauses to chuckle to himself just as his drink is brought to him. He takes a sip of the disgusting grog and smiles.
He seems more serious and solemn now, "I am sure of myself but it is no love, I care not for this body." He swishes his drink and smirks, "Else I wouldnt drink this stuff. This mind, I do not love, for it is weak and burdened by the damned souls that inhabit it. As I said, I am pure, I am only sure of myself because of these rigors I put myself through."
OOC: It may be the case that he loves himself but he will deny it to the ends of the universe. Only her and Love itself (and of course me because I made his character) knows whether he loves himself or not, they can sense it of course.
She takes another sip.
"Likewise, despite my hate for myself, I still live, because I love too much. I can't...bring myself to do the deed, not while I still have people to save from you. But one day...one day I'll finish it."
"You are right though, We will finish our business once and for all one day. Join with Neme when she returns if you like. If anythign it will make it fair."
Catching on, Brisinaria joins in, "It's like he's not grateful for the fine drink and excellent service you provide."
"Yeah!" a half-way drunk Endeca says, "This stuff is great, even if it is terrible."
"I think," Laven says with a hint of a smile, "That is a violation of the Code of the Taverne, good in any bar on any plane, wouldn't you say?"
Cycine deftly catches the coin pouch and pockets it, "Aye the man be right, I do love me money and the man has been a good customer. He paid just to sit there and rent the chair to wait."
"An' one las' glass o' whatever this is, I can feel my liver taking the hit and it's GREAT!"
OOC
No, she was implying that LeMondis bought Cycine's pride. And the other thing was a reference to the fact that every time Laven orders a drink, the male devils scramble over each other to get it.
BIC: Cycine just smiles and pats his ever-swelling bag of various types of money, "This be me pride and joy lass. But your concern is apreciated."
He pours the two drinks and walks them over to the girls personally, "Here ye are, a feywine with no scrambling patrons and a Baatorian Grog just fer ya Lady Endeca. Enjoy." He thinks of patting them on their backs but remembers Laven's warning from before and thinks better of the act.
I am not used to being ignored by my fellows...do not force me to become violent.
"Excellent. And I have seen much of your work of late...I must congratulate you on that little fray at the court of Hung Chou Kai. Wonderfully accomplished. I only had to kill one man to bring the entire palace into a deadly feud."
The table begins to repair itself and reform underneath of Donovan.
"Anyway I'm never sure if its good to see you, but I hate the thought of not having Evil in the 'verses. At any rate you're here just in time to join Love and I in our conversation."
OOC: I think I'll be heading to bed now. Oh and a question for Gareth when she gets on tomorrow, who is Snuggles? I looked in the roster but Endeca wasnt there and I havent read all of the tavern unfortunately.
"Oh, it's NEVER good to see me."
With that, he spins around to face Laven.
"You. You've been busy lately, but the outcome never passes on to me...what's going on?"
"C'mon darling, let's get you lying down and asleep...it's been a rough day."
"Excuse me one moment."
As Axl passes, Donovan spins around faster than the eye can follow, a glint of steel in his hand. A second later he returns to the table, leaving Axl gasping for breath, a foot long blade shoved into his stomach.
Donovan sits back down as if nothing had happened.
"Anyway...you were about to explain something?"
"Heh...an engineer's instincts are never wrong..."
Leaving a trail of bloody footprints, Axl is out the door.
"Mr. Donovan Crane...how are you this evening, old friend?"
"Teiresias, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?"
"Easy Jaden, that guy's stronger than you. I'd back off."
Gareth's hand rests uneasily on Soulreaver as both he and Brisinaria have a hand on Jaden's shoulder.
"So...why is this guy radiating enough evil to make me want to pass out?"
"He is Evil."
He grins.
"As to what brings me here...well, I noticed a large concentration of us around here, and figured I'd tag along and see what I could get up to."
"True...the more of us around, the more seem to come. I don't suppose there's any way I could get you to leave, is there?"
"She's got a point. There's a lot more of us than there are of you, and big four or not, I'm fairly certain Sorcen could kick the living hell out of you."
"Not to mention this whole thing with the Arena being readily available. If you absolutely must kill someone, sign up for a match."
"Of course," Gareth says evenly, "Sorcen also has a merry little war going on against the Abyss."
"Not that you're allowed to show favorites. You know, you say that my work never seems to benefit you. Tell you what - I'll strike you a little deal. Unlike Hate, I can touch you. For a day, we infuse each other with our Aspects and see what happens. Of course, all you'd get is me, while infusing you would affect every fiend and evil creature ever to exist, but it's only Love. How bad can it be?"
And Donovan, I just wish you wouldn't stab people for no reason...expecially that one...I think I may have a place for him..."
Donovan sits back, apparently deep in though. Finally his knives streak around, burying themselves once more in the table.
"You got youself a deal, miss!"
As Jaden walks over, Laven places one hand on her, and a bright pink surge erases the veins on her hands. Jaden staggers back slightly.
"Don't talk to your husband for awhile. You love will come back in about a day. Now..."
She holds one hand across the table for Donovan.
"It's going to be intense. You have to hold on until I let go."
Donovan reaches across the table and grasps Laven's hand.
OOC
Gareth...give the effect, as I think you have one planned, but don't forget that I have one to write out as well 
The effect is immediate - devils look at each other in whole new ways, as if seeing each other for the very first time. An eryines embraces a nearby patron, tears in her eyes, and sweeping throughout the Arena, Hell, and all of the Lower Planes, a wave of love and compassion overtakes the denizens.
"They're still evil," Laven pants, "But now they're evil for each other, not themselves. I think you get what I mean. They'll lie, cheat, steal, murder, torture, but they won't do it for themselves anymore. For others. Always for others."
OOC
That contact should last about a week.
Donovan extends a single finger, lightly brushing Laven's hand. Immediately the bar darkens, and a lurid red flash explodes from the point of contact. A ghostly pair of demonic wings forms from the fading light, and they flap their way upward, vanishing into the darkness.
When Donovan breaks away, Laven's hand is cut through with red burn marks, and a single spot of writhing darkness shows exactly where Donovan touched her. The smell alone is revolting beyond belief.
"This should be interesting...love for selfish reasons, love as revenge on others, false love, treachery...broken hearts and hatred will abound after this days work. Congratulations, Laven. And LeMondis? Have a ball!"
"Excuse me...I must be going..."
The old man leaves in an unexplainable hurry.
His eyes suddenly dart to one of the cornugons that smiles for the first time since its rebirth as a devil. His smile spreads across his face as he feels the love warm his soul. LeMondis smiles too and wataches, the devil spies his reflection in a glass he carries. The being staring back at him is a hideous toothy beast, the smile is moreso hideous, a fanged grin with gums stained with blood and bile. The devil immediately begins to hate himself for his appearance, how can one love the beings that granted him life if they cursed him with such a hideous appearance. He throw the glass to the ground, unfortunately this brings him more pain and thusly more hate. Cycine hollers over, in a surprisingly calm tone, "Hey clean that up."
The cornugon gets onto his knees and mutters to himself while cleaning the broken glass from the floor.
LeMondis looks on, "Ah yes it has begun. This will make Chaos happy if anything."
The writhing spot of darkness pulses and recedes, as though Laven is actively fighting it.
"Gods above, it's so...cruel. I need to..."
The Champion of Love closes her eyes to focus, and the spot of darkness gradually shifts and folds until it forms a black heart on her hand, covering the cuts that Donovan left. The woman opens her eyes, and the orbs have turned a dark violet.
"Much better."
A portal opens up at Laven's idle gesture, and the woman smiles.
"Let's try Earth..so easy to toy with, when it has no magic."
The woman steps through, and the portal snaps shut.
"That's THAT taken care of...now to get to work. LeMondis, I assure you you'll have an open field in a few short days."
OOC
I find is somewhat odd that Donovan is utterly unaffected here...
"Ah good, good I cant wait for your plan to reach fruition."
OOC
Donovan isn't completely unaffected, but Evil as a whole is stronger than simple love, and it's taking a while to work. Notice how he's decided to kill Coin "for the sake of all of us," and how he's going slightly out of his way to set things up for LeMondis. It's not big yet, but it's working on him.
OOC: Sorry if I get that wrong, I assumed it was Jaden speaking and that she is Wrath. I may have gotten mixed up though so I can edit if needbe.
Oh and Gid, what was the part about Evil destroying Coin, did I miss something.
OOC
Yep, she's Wrath.
LeMondis turns to Gareth at his threats, "Go ahead and strike me with your pitiful sword, ice-man. Right in the chest, a free shot, call it a gift." He spreads his arms and laughs.
OOC: Keep in mind the sword will be annihilated if it hits that armor. I cant seem to find Gareth's character write-up in the Roster, just like Endeca's is missing.
Anyway what's the deal with Gareth's sword then, that way I know whether Cycine should break this up before they get out of hand and blow up the bar with the resounding effects of the energies colliding.
OOC
Gareth's sword is more or less the Unstoppable Force, so unless that armor's the Immovable Object, I'm fairly certain LeMondis would be screwed. Thankfully, Gareth is quite finished with attacking people for "free"
"We are drawn together like moths to the flame, my lords. Although I would ask what brings YOU here, if that would not be to bold."
"I have heard no such thing, my lord, but if I do, I will alert you instantly. You have my word."
As to why... I'm here to destroy the multiverse so it will never fall to good, the ultimate sacrifice.
Well, I thought I should come up with something better than the more obvious 'breed up hordes' stiche.
I'm here mostly to watch the fireworks old boy, get enough champions together and things always go bang. Most enjoyable, especially here, law central. I figure you need maybe one, two more."
BIC: LeMondis raises his glass and nods to Gareth and Brisinaria. "Compassion and Courage eh. I never had much use for either one I'm afraid."
As Chaos appears he rolls his eyes but quickly regains face, "Ah hello Chaos. We were jus talking about you. And Evil himself here as well."
Chaos sighs.
"You know, Evil, Good was saying the same damned thing about you earlier. The two of you really need to lay off this whole 'destroy the multiverse' thing and just let things slide. You sound as bad as friggin' Order."
(Because voidstone, the stuff spheres of annihilation are made of are holes to outside of reality, by the DMG. Which means the void.)
IC:
Introductions, heh, times used to be we wouldn't bother by this point. Ironic really given the setting.
It was a joke. Apparently I'm suppose to be infested with Love, or somesuch. Personally if I were every female present would have the seed for some form of destroyer or similar by now. So there went that theory.
Blow up world is just a little more... impressive to say."
OOC: Aye, thats what I was thinking too Khael. But then with his sword being able to go through anything then I imagine it would still throw LeMondis across teh room at least, and possibly dent the armor which would do some weird stuff I imagine.
Chaos vanishes in a puff of spider-kittens that skitter away.
"The lord high stuffbucket itself is coming too? And when did you care about being objective..."
OOC
Chaos is LOONG gone. As to the armor, I think I'll just carefully ignore the subject :D
BIC: "Bah back already Love." LeMondis comments as she steps from her portal. "Misery breeds hate, you've done my work for me."
The woman takes her seat next to Jayla again. The gray-cloaked psychic has not moved at all, still shrouded in her hood and staring at the table. However, those with power in the room can feel her reluctant touch on her mind - it has been present this whole time, but she has now made them aware of it.
Someone explain it to him. I've got a few notes to give this woman and only a short time for them to get used," mutters Evil as he pulls out a notebook and starts writing.
OOC: Thought I doubt she'd be able to read it, - as you might expect its going to be written in the dark speech.
He turns to Jayla and watches her closely. "Jayla was it, what troubles you girl?"
"Jayla here has the misfortune not to be a native to the place. She's not familiar with our magic."
"Because magic doesn't exist. I'll figure it out soon enough. Until I do, leave me in peace."
OOC: In soviet Russia...
To prove her point, the girl raises her hand and several glasses float gently to her, setting themselves down on the table.
"It isn't sorcery, and when I figure out how these...things, are tapping into the Force, I'll be able to counter it."
Laven's movement is a pink blur, and an arrow shaft seems to appear from Jayla's shoulder, bright pink feltching quivering. The psychic cries out and clutches the shaft before freezing, unable to take her hand off of it.
"Let's see what she makes of that. If you'll excuse me, I believe I'll take a trip over to Eberron and see if I can't start a war."
Laven vanishes through another portal, leaving the Force-User with her eyes wide in horror, still clutching the arrow shaft.
"Few rounds? Nah, someone just kill her and explain it to the spirit. That oughta catch her attention."
All at once, the psychic contact intensifies, riding on a surge of emotion, unable to be controlled by the psyker who is generating it. And apparantly, she cannot stop the backlash either, because she clutches her temples and grits her teeth in pain as the unfiltered thoughts and feelings of those around her flood her mind.
"Someone needs to die? Can do, boss. If it'll help you--"
He stops suddenly.
"What am I saying? If it'll help you...hah!"
With that, he draws a blade and moves fractionally closer to Jayla.
OOC: Well, tradition demands someone hit the person going crackers...
As for the attack, it's a strange mixure of temp. acceleration and temp. regression. So technically he's striking before he thought of it.
IC:
"You, challenge my power, Falling in love are we? Hah!"
"Thank you for that," she says, her voice trembling. Her hand rests on the handle of her whip.
"How when you're not trying to be the champion of Chaos, or stupidity. Or petty small mindedness.
So the answer is, when you're doing evil. And I really do think crushing some scrap of a girl's little ideas of the world is really quite a nasty thing to do, correct?
But you didn't.
She did. What does this tell you?"
"Um..I woke 'im up. Hey Evil, can you do me a favor and send Peace my way? He's p*ssed."
"You're right, my lord. It is unacceptable."
"Happy now?"
This time, the sounds of screams and dying reverberate through the room as Laven portals back in with a smile on her face.
"Troy my pristine, silken ass, that's the greatest war Love has ever started. So, Jayla, how are you feeling?"
The psyker's response caught Laven off-guard - lightning streaked from her fingertips to physically lift and hurl the Champion of Love into a table across the bar.
"That answer your question?"
"B*tch. That hurt."
Laven picks herself up, brushes her armor off, and walks back to the table she has been sharing with Donovan.
"I'm going to assume the guy in the suit is your patron. I'm rather curious, who, or what, does Evil love?"
OOC
If it's his Aspect that he loves, he can just say that, but she was more interested if he loves something besides Evil - every Primal has a bit of every other Primal, right? Evil has a little Good, Good has a little Evil, yada yada. She wants to know if he loves something beyond himself.
This is Evil after all.
OOC
No, let's just leave this at he loves nothing beyond his own Aspect, since Corruption is a part of that. And we'll stop OOC now. Back to RP people, back to RP.
Moving slowly, Altello Vain takes a seat with a smile on his face. Even as you watch, a deep red heart forms on the back of his right hand, and he looks straight at Donovan.
"Could you be a dear and surpress that aura of yours? It's most uncomfortable."
OOC
Told you Good didn't have to be a zealout :D
And yep, Evil's turned on the Satan style-seduction act. If Laven does go the way of the lesser Primal, if no one else does, I do intend to stop it before well... you all know.
IC:
With a honeyed purr, Evil looks Laven in the eyes, fixing her with his gaze, as he speaks, "What do I love? Why, everything that can feel my caress, there is nothing in the world like what I feel, nothing, and I feel the whole of worlds, like sand between my fingers, come, i'll even let you see..."
"Who the hell are you?"
"You can call me Altello. I've been called upon for a higher duty, and sent here to perform it. You?"
"Love," Laven spat, like a curse.
"I see."
Donovan gestures behind him.
"It's the big boss! And if he so much as moves a finger, I'll take you down in an instant. So don't try anything you might regret."
"And Love? You want to take him up on that...visions of wonder beyond compare...
His voice fades away, and, for a tiny second, the expression of second thoughts crosses Donovan Crane's brow. Soon, however, it is gone.
Altello bows to Evil before sitting back down.
Laven smiles, a twitch at the corner of her mouth as Evil looks into her now-violet eyes.
She only holds still for a moment.
Pink-shafted arrows are thrust into Evil with blinding speed, entering his torso without so much as ripping his suit. One, two, four, eight of the shafts pierce him and unleash their sweet venom into him as the Champion of Love grabs the sides of his face.
She only holds on for a moment, crying out and staggering back with blackness pulsing in her hands. With much effort, she forces it into the black heart on the back of her right hand.
"That...wasn't...the best...plan."
"No. No it wasn't. NEVER attack him again, or you won't live to see the next sunrise."
"Now, really, that was not necessary," Altello says as he stands up, "She could no more hurt your master than I could, or you could."
"Shut up, Altello."
The figure is floating slowly through the air, making absolutely no sound, not even for his long ruined robe touching the floor.
Six similar figure follow him, three on each side. They wear the same kind of robe, their robe being the the only thing visible on them. They too floats in the air, noiseless.
The bigger one spot a large table next to the only wall which doesn't gives a view on the arena. They sit down on the chairs and doesn't move nor talk. They radiate an evil and negative aura, especially around the taller one, where the woods around him began to slowly rot and the light being absorbed.
His table-mate, the vaati, senses the evil around him with timidity. When the robed men walk in, he loses it. He pulls a rod from his pocket and holds it up. For those of you that know this item, it is the Rod of 7 Parts. "....That's it...Nobody move." He points the rod at anyone radiating a chaotic and/or evil aura, including LeMondis. He backs towards the door slowly, glancing over his shoulder every few steps. "None of you can have the rod, I have to protect it and all of you are evil, if not demons." He moves to sit down at another empty table.
OOC: Yay, for a character not engaged in... the latest clash of Good vs Evil...
Upon raising his arm, the vaati feels that he have some difficulty holding the rod.
A small mouvement up with his hand makes the rod flying up very quickly, passing through the wooden roof, creating a hole in it. The peoples outside the taverne can see the rod going away quickly, to almost disapear through the sky.
These 'anti-evil' wanna-be are irritating. At least this one won't have his toy for some time now.
Telepathically, the robed figure communicate with Cycine.
Your strongest drink. Seven of them.
Cycine communicates back with the taller robed man, Well sir, we have lots of strong drinks. I doubt ye be wanting me strongest. Knocks most of em out with but a wiff of it. Now my special brew may be a bit more to yer liking, strong but not too incapacitating.
OOC: For the effects and other details of the drinks I'm talking about, check pages 19 and 20 of this thread.
They all moves their head at the same time, at the same speed, slowly, in the direction of Cycine. Although their faces can't be seen, they gives the whole same message, to gives them what they want.
Pretty much all kind of drinks have no effects on all of them, they want something hard to have a good feeling.
Otherwise, they ignore the vaati, he could go away for all they cares.
She grasps his hand comfortingly. the arena draws all types.
ooc:how big is this place? How high is the ceiling and door? I have a giant sized character and I was wondering if he could fit.
"Hello, young man. Is this your first tie to this place?"
BIC: The vaati turns from the seven figures and winks, "The name is Ramitix, I shall return when i get the rod, hopefully no demon's have gotten it, thanks to your help." With this he exits the tavern with quick movements reminiscient of a swashbuckler. (My rat swings on a curtain to get to his girlfriend's cage so I gave this guy swashbuckling abilities.)
Cycine smiles and looks back at the seven figures request, Alrighty then, good luck. He pours them seven glasses of a thick dark liquid. The drink stinks and black smoke rises from each glass, he makes it a point to keep his strong canine nose away from the glasses and their fumes. He loads the drinks onto a tray and carries them over to the robed figures personally. As he does so, he motions for the imp waiter to get the chained man and his consort their drinks. The imp does so quickly and delivers them to the duo.
Cycine sets the drinks down at the seven's table, "Enjoy."
Meanwhile LeMondis watches the vaati leave, "Well that was pointless."
Upon receiving the drinks, all seven cloaked figures takes a shot of the drinks simultaneously and then put back the half loaded glasses on the table strongly.
The six smaller figure's head move, if their face would be visible, others could see their faces changing at the strength of the drink. Although the taller one doesn't even move upon swalowing the liquid. Instead, he take an other shot of the drink. This stuff's good.
They then slowly drink the stuff, watching at the small crowd in the bar.
"I'm afraid I cannot allow you to do that. I'm very sorry. However, I do not believe that Love belongs to you. Love is too caring, too selfless, to be truly Evil on its own. Evil can result from it, but Love in itself is more Good than Evil. I am sorry, but I believe that you have tainted her somehow, and will reverse it unless a sufficient explanation is provided."
Out of the rooms in the back of the tavern, from the steps walks a muscular and shirtless man, he wears jeans and cowboy boots. His chest is bare and hairy but he wears a brown trenchcoat. His hair is messy but seems it was never neat. His face is covered in stubbles and he seems to have just woken up. He scratches his stomach and makes his way to the far end of the bar where Jinx has taken a seat.
Cycine spies the two and begins to pour a glass of whiskey for each of them, "Hey Trigger, Jinx. How'd ya sleep."
The man, now recognized or identified ,as the case may be, as Trigger, answers the winged arcanaloth as he puts his arm around his wife, his voice is gruff and deep, even moreso since he just woke up. "Just fine Cycine, had a dream bout a meeting of the Lords of the Nine though, probably real knowing Sorcen's ways."
"You'll do nothing of the sort. She and I have made a little deal, and we're going to see it through. Understand?"
OOC
No, Altello's rather young, actually, maybe 20-something. Just very breakable.
"Fine. But watch your back, Albino. I've got my eyes on you."
At the same instant, one of them fall loudly on the table, the five smaller ones then start to laugh loudly.
They are pretty much drunk, in addition they added, giving some kind of halucination.
They talk louder, almost shouting at each others in a weird language that seems to be a mix of draconic and infernal. The aura around them get deeper and stronger. The table rot, changing its color and the light stop around them, changing a bit of the atmosphere around.
all the chains are now going to the spot beside Nerethos and take form as a chain golem
Toto give Nerethos a big hug and all most make him disappear in to his chained body
Did you kill Sarathos one more time
"Thank ya for the hug bro. And no I didn't kill Sarathos once more, I think he's dead for good. It was his old apprentice I ran into. It could be fun to fight Sarathos again though. Remember he was the one who gave us the idea right? Oh it was fun to play with his chain golems."
The albino radiates an aura - not his Primal aura - of pure "nice". His tone is genuinely polite and apologetic, as if he truly regrets dissapointing his greatest enemy.
"Could you people do me a favor and not bicker? I think I've had enough of that recently."
"I am sorry madam."
the chain golem go`s to the bar and ask
can i have som golden rom?
"Well, fetch me a mug of strongheart stout and a bottle of demon bile. Its time for me to get mixing."
"Faerie wine, my good...fiend..type...person. Please - vintage sixty-three, if you've got it."
OOC
Faerie Wine, Vintage Sixty-Three, was once used to kill Lolth. I'm not kidding. Read Descent into the Depths of the Earth.
The vocie of the golem sounds like he hugre for getting drunk of to drink and eat somethink again
He brings it back out to the faerie and pours her a small glass of it. "Her ya go lass, good stuff that is."
"Thank you, sir. I don't suppose I could get the honor of your name?"
The tiny fey takes another sip before looking over her miniature shoulder.
"So, um, what's up with all these people? The magic coming off of them seems a bit wierd for my tastes."
ooc:Nope, no Evil going vicious and killing him directly, It'd either be ordering Donovan to do it or something only slightly less subtle.
"I will not hand her over until she regains conciousness and is capable of choosing on her own. I'm sorry for refusing you in your own realm, but I am honor-bound to this."
Luckily for Altello - or unluckily for herself - Laven chose that exact moment to open her eyes and groan slightly, sitting back up. The albino stepped back to give her a clear view of Evil through the curtain of light.
"You may negotiate with her now."
"F*** you, Evil."
OOC: Okay... did that just break what she and Donovan did? Or something... well less final.
OOC
That just purged Love of Evil's taint, yeah, but Donovan will need to have the same kind of contact with Hate to purge himself of the Love in his system.
The faerie takes a seat on the edge of her glass, tiny feet gently kicking the outside of the shotglass as she looks at Ender.
"Huh. You seem almost fey, good sir. Have you had dealings with the Seelie in the past?"
"I would imagine that the ones I'm acquainted with would be something like cousins of yours, but yes, I learned a good deal of my art from faeries I called. I suppose some of their magic changed my appearance a little. A thought seems to strike him: You may be familiar with one of them. Have you ever met a Samuel Thistledown?"
Selva smiles warmly at Ender and takes another sip through her straw.
"I'm Selva, personal representitive of the Seelie Court. Who'd you be?"
She takes another sip and continues smiling warmly.
"A lot of people think the Fey are either ditzy airheads or mad tricksters, when in truth we're so much more. The subtle webs of our politics would confuse even a Drow, and they sometimes go for milennia. It's a fun little game, politics."
The tiny fey finishes her drink and hops down from the glass to land on the counter, fanning her wings and streatching.
Upon finishing his spiel, he waves his hand a door appears in the far back of the room. A sign on the door says these words in dark red cursive lettering. 'The Back Room'
A Disclaimer is at the bottom in fine print: Ye who enters does so at ye own risk, if ye are not prepared for such mature themes as torture, killing and nudity then turn ye back now... and grab a ice cold drink at Cycine's Taverne, route 666 left from the arena.
With a groan, Jayla holds her head gently and stands up, wobbling unsteadily to a chair and slumping down, far away from the other patrons. Her pupils are ragged around the edges and her eyes are so pink, they're almost white as she stares into the wall.
The winged woman, named Esmalda smooths her outfit which appears to be made of dark purple entwined leaves. The outfit is skin tight with a plunging neckline and a skirt so short the bottom of her cheeks peek out when she walks. I thought you preferred to leave something to the imagination love.
Selva takes off and flits up to the door, then realizes that she'll never open it on her own. With a tiny, irritated pout, she mutters a couple of words and the door opens magically for her to flit through.
Sometimes you are so male. Esmalda comments.
Hey, that gives me an idea. Saran grins. I should see if the arena will let us install a mage cam and hook it up to a crystal ball in the bar. Then we could watch matches while we drink.
ooc:a medieval sports bar in hell.
((Yup, hunger has arrived.))
BIC: Cycine laughs at the joke, "Funny, but naw we'll let em have their privacy, as it were. And actually we have a viewing window to the arena, but you're welcome to use your mage cams and everything, Sorcen wont mind it."
Esmalda stands and stretches her outfit changing as she does. It becomes a sexy ballroom gown with a long slit up one leg. The top was now sleeveless and open in the back. The entwined leaves became red as blood. I wish we had some music. I really feel like tempting some poor mortal into a dance. She looks around for a mortal.
One of Saran's chains snakes out and slides up the inside of her thigh. She bats it away with a wing and shoots him a glare of displeasure.
Valoran Galastini, the Butcher of the Sword Coast, steps into the bar for the first time since his return to the flesh. His hair is still pulled into a dignified ponytail, and his clothing is still smart and kept well clean, but there is something changed about the former ghost - a lack of hatred. The aura of seething hate for all life is gone from Valoran, but the aura of malice is not.
The warmage offers his hand to the Eryines, "Would you care to dance, milady?"
As Valoran takes Esmalda's hand, a phantasmal orchestra begins playing from everywhere and nowhere, a slow, haunting tune edged with sorrow. With the air of the gentleman and the skill of an experienced dancer, Valoran begins to lead Esmalda in a waltz.
"I must express my curiosity - of all the places in Hell you could be, why this arena? Surely a lady of your culture has no taste for blood sport."
OOC
Try using Sblocks for out of character stuff
"Yes I am sure, this seems just right. What happen to be your name I wonder?"
Saran holds his glass up in a toast. He looks at one of the dwarves. They are very good aren't they? The dwarf doesn't answer quick enough so a blade on a chain snakes out and slits the unwitting dwarf's throat. Another chain pushes him through a d-door before a drop of blood can hit the tavern floor. His two companions turn to see him missing with a look of confusion plainly written on their faces.
Saran looks to another of the dwarves near him. What do you think? She is a wonderful dancer right? The dwarf turns and looks. "Yes, stunning. Where is Geoff?""I don't think I've ever met a lady quite like you," the warmage says into her ear, so low only she can hear it, "And I think I'm quite taken with you."
"Then you are indeed the lady of my dreams," he whispers into her ear before kissing the eryine's neck and continuing the dance.
Saran finishes his drink and stands. All the dwarves he had been talking to are mysteriously gone.
A wonderful dance. 
Where are your friends? she asks him.
Saran shrugs You entertain yourself your way and I entertain myself my way. His cold yellow eyes seem more intense. He lays coins down for both his, Esmalda's and the missing dwarves drinks plus a nice tip.
And what shall you do to entertain yourself now? she says placing a hand on his shoulder.
A chain traces her back softly. Oh I believe I will think of something. He puts an arm around her shoulder. farewell Cycine.
Esmalda blows a kiss to Valoran as they walk out. A vile night and bad dreams to you master Valoran. If I'm in them I know they will be bad. She laughs and they exit the door.
"A most elegant lady. A shame it didn't work out. Tell me, Master Cycine, what is that door labeled 'back room' for?"
"YEEAARR, this is good dtuff you know.
He then grap the bottle once more and turn bottoms up.
"Yo barkeep, Cycine was it?, you got anything you'll recommend?
Suffice to say, Jack get quite some stares from the other patrons.
"It seems our battle against those two robotic guys are beginning soon, better head off."
Then he turn around and walks towards the door. Without turning his head, he says.
"You coming along bro?"
Original Post, cuz it was cool and I dont want confusion :P
OOC: Hunger or not, this stuff'll put you out, trust me its designed that way. If you dont mind I'll do this little bit to show you the strength of this stuff. Your character is back to his original position more or less and with the advice of how to drink the stuff safely. If you want me to I can edit this though.
BIC: Cycine smiles as he sees the man down about half the bottle and sees the movement of his eyes. The arcanaloth reaches out just in time and catches the bottle as the man falls to the ground with a thud, "Told ya it was strong stuff mate."
Cycine opens a small vial and pours the clear, blue tinted liquid into Jack's mouth, "Here ya are lad, this should wake ya up." The man lays still for a moment but quickly regains himself and begins to stir from his drunken state of unconsciousness. "Some advice, drink it a bit slower next time, since ya seem like ya can handle it pretty well." The barkep says as he helps the man to his feet.
BIC: Cycine smiles as he sees the man down about half the bottle and sees the movement of his eyes. The arcanaloth reaches out just in time and catches the bottle as the man falls to the ground with a thud, "Told ya it was strong stuff mate."
Cycine opens a small vial and pours the clear, blue tinted liquid into Jack's mouth, "Here ya are lad, this should wake ya up." The man lays still for a moment but quickly regains himself and begins to stir from his drunken state of unconsciousness. "Some advice, drink it a bit slower next time, since ya seem like ya can handle it pretty well." The barkep says as he helps the man to his feet.
yes I`m coming now bro
"Notice the distinct lack of incorporeality, friend? I'm back in the flesh, after my battle with Tyrion. A few thousand years in the Jailhouse, suffering torments that make this place look like the paradise that it is, and I get my body back for escaping. Not quite sure if it was worth it, really, but I'm here now."
OOC: "Well its good to see you in whatever state you may be in. Come now, what can I get a reborn man to drink?" Cycine says to Valoran cheerfully. (I'm playing this like it was before the Cycine talking to Dragor although that may change here, then just blame it on Cycine's short attention span. :P)
Jack lift up the bottle and look at it for a moment.
"That looks interesting"
He then drink down half the bottle.
"Tastes way better than the other stuff, thats for sure."
Valoran's eyes dull, gaining the haunted look of someone pushed too far to survive, too far to bear, but his smile doesn't fade as he continues to look at Cycine out of the corner of his eye, back resting against the counter.
"Glad ya like it, so yer not human then. Ya look pretty human to me and I've seen many amighty creature fall to this drink here." Cycine says to Jack.
Valoran takes a drink, and the look of pure ecstacy on his face - like a dying man given life - speaks for itself. He finishes the glass with almost unseemly haste, not even pausing to breathe, before setting it down, panting.
"Sweet wine, oh how I've missed you," he says breathily, eyes glazed over.
"I'm a rogue cybrid, escaped from the core's control. A battle cybrid to be specific. An engineered lifeform, made to be as badass in combat as at all possible, while still looking human."
Then her turn at Jaden.
"Hi there Jaden, Jack's the name. I am afraid the core never gave me a last name though.
Jack then finish the bottle with Cycine's special brew.
"Well, I gotta go now, I have a battle to fight now, and we can't keep the crowd waiting. They surely hunger for some entertainment"
Order us some drinks to Seven.
Huh, The big thing pauses thinking Oh, go to bar get drink. It giggles stupidly.
The drinks, stupid.
Oh, Uh, barkeep. Me needs. He counts out four fingers. this many flagons of dwarf ale and a keg of he looks thoughtful. ummm
tell him we want derro ale stupid. Regular dwarf ale makes me sick.
shut up or I'll bash you. Seven eyes glow more intensely. You no call me stupid, or I will squish you.He looks at Cycine. Me want something make me head stop hurting from stupid derro running mouth.
"The Jailhouse of the Damned," he monotones, "The last stop on the brink of Oblivion, the final resting place of all souls. A realm of horror and butchery the likes of which -"
The warmage isn't able to hold it any longer - he bursts into hysterical tears, scrabbling at his face. Almost unintelligably, he mutters again and again, "I can still feel them, they're here, they're all over me!"
Hew dummy why don't you let us out of here?
No. Seven reaches back and flicks the houdah makes it reverberate with sound. He he. Now you got headache. He looks around who me talk to? Me want to fight.
"Don't even start," she mutters at Gareth before letting her head hit the table and snoring gently, fast asleep.
"Good girl," Brisinaria says gently, patting Jaden on the back and putting a cloak over her, "You did good."
Chunks of metal pop into existence onto his table, and the kobold molds his mindblade into the form of a white-hot hammer. Silently, he begins to hammer away laboriously at the metal, slowly turning it into the form of armour, a suit of full plate identical to the one worn by Jaden Vlarion.
Looking at gareth and brisinaria, he sighs and speaks to them in a matter-of-fact tone. "Look, it's the least I can do after I trashed her gear. If I get it right, than it's one less punch to add to the list. If I mess up, than I'm 6 feet under. Overall," he muses, grinning "It's a great life, innit?"
Shortly after, a nearby chair combusts from the kobold's curses as he hammers himself on his thumb.
"Yes dear. Kobolds are different from the ones back at home."
"Hmm. Weird. Anyway, don't worry about it. I've got a surprise for her anyway, once she wakes up. She's needed to replace that old scrap metal for years now. I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought though."
"her? Appreciate the thought? Come on now, I thought you two were supposed to know her!"
Leaving his chair for a moment, Skraal moves to shake gareth and brisanaria's hands in turn.
"Name's Skraal weaselheart, pleased to meet anyone who's moved on from lizard jokes."
Brisinaria shakes Skraal's hand, but Gareth points at the ice thickening on the table and spreading over the floor to indicate that shaking his is a Bad Plan.
"Brisinaria Shadestalker, and me husband Gareth. We've known Jaden for a very long time. She's a good girl at heart, she's just got some problems she's working through. She really tries hard, Mr. Weaselheart, but it's really hard for her."
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get back to work. 'sides, it's freezin' over here, and I think I know why."
Gareth sputters, spraying half-frozen bits of his drink over the table, and begins whistling innocently as his wife gives him That Glare.
Skraal begins to hammer away at the armour again, which looks almost completed.
"Than may she have mercy on the lot of us, we'll need it."
With a flourish, he completes the last hammer-stroke on the armour, completing it in under half an hour.
"And that, ladies and gents," he beams " is what a lil bit of head magic can do for a hard job."
he places the suit of full plate on Jaden's table along with a folded note, taking care not to make too much noise.
"...so, would you two care to tell me how you managed to put the entire thing in her bag without her noticing, and how she can lift a bag containing something that she can't lift by itself?"
"...nevermind, I wouldn't get it anyway."
"She's a good girl, just a bit strange. There's nothing technically wrong with the way she acts, even if I dissaprove -"
"Oh shut up, you weren't complaining when she made a move on you. It's a good thing I punched her out or I mighta killed the both of you."
Gareth gives the distince impression that, if at all possible, he would blush as he buries his face in his drink.
ic: well, wile i wait for a fight i might as well have a drink
He sits down next to Lunoc.
"I officially hate people who forget about their matches... annoying. I'm itching to fight, so would you like to have a practise battle in the training room. Nerethos is the name by the way, Nerethos Soulrender"
"i doubt you know what your getting yourself into but i never refuse a challenge, ever."
having said that lunoc gets up and moves for the training room
With those words Nerethos follow him.
lunoc jumps up from his seat snarling
It's accept stupid a bored voice from the houdah says.
Yeah, um, me accept you challenge. He He. And me smash you good, too.
ooc: this is my first match so I'm not sure where we go from here or how we do this.
"...yeah, I suppose it just happens to every kid her age, eh?"
Looking at the death knight for a moment, Skraal shakes his head in disbelief.
"Sheesh, some paladin, huh? And they say having scales is reason enough to be killed. You paladins are an odd bunch, you know that?"
ic: " you stand challenged wile i cant kill you outside of the arena ill still teach you a lesson in the training room"
storms off to training room
"im in a giveing mood drinks are on me"
The kobold mutters to himself "not that it would be a loss, but what the hell."
gareth
LG, the non-compliment is your cue for gareth to notice
gareth
Oi, someone left their bait!:P
"Besides..."The Kobold smiles wickedly "I can take care of any idiot that pulls the lizard stunt on me. The last one? Well, I didn't see it, but I he had a real bad accident. Got run over by a cart, good thing there was a Kobold there to patch him up."
The rogue blushed and hugged Gareth for a split second, drawing back with blue skin.
"Aww, Gareth, that's so sweet."
"Gareth, honestly, you've gotta find some way to deal with that cold, you got that? Now, I bet I could fix somethin' up, but I doubt it would stick, and I'm about to fall asleep here if I don't get a coat soon."
With the definite impression that she's done this before, Brisinaria's tone becomes very comforting, "We'll think of something, Gareth. Don't worry about it."
"youve got to be kidding me! cant even touch his own mate! thats hilarious, but totally pathetic. id buy you two some drinks but theyd freeze!"
lunoc gets up but is still laughing
By this time, the box has melted completely, and the flame, now a spectacular green-gold, is steadily burning through the table, though it does not spread. Steam, bubbles and tar-like smoke rise from the cup as Skraal grasps the flame once more and places it in the drink, stirring it in with a spoon that soon vanishes with a hiss. When he finishes, he passes the cup to the death knight, the liquid in it now clearly burning, though it does not diminish.
"The fire is to sort you out, and the drink... well, the drink helps too, but that's mostly so it doesn't hurt. Not as much, anyway. Now, drink up, and don't say I didn't warn ya."
"By the way..." Glaring at Lunoc, he raises a hand, and a bolt of purple lightning streaks out from the nearest candle, burning a small hole into his arm. "You're getting on my nerves, quit it."
"so the little girl and and her snowman have a protector; a puny 3 foot tall magician. you want to make me stop? no one tells me what to do, but you can try. look at this situation, a rabbit standing between two dogs and a wolf"
lunoc is talking extremely calmly
"maybe ill only kill the male, ill keep the female"
lunoc grins and crescent shaped blades of energy appear in his hands before disappearing
With a dubious glance, and then a shrug, Gareth downs the cup of flame, waiting for what will happen.
OOC
Go ahead and godmod him Cog, I don't know what's gonna happen.
OOC
Yay, thanks! Don't say I didn't warn you, though!:D
The look on Brisinaria's face, however, is one of pure and utter joy. She steps up quickly and hugs her husband closely, kissing the ex-death knight with unrestrained passion. Surprised and not sure what to do, Gareth nonetheless figures out how to kiss her back.
"Put that on hold," Brisinaria says breathlessly, "I'm spending some time with the man I love."
With that, the werewolf woman pulls Gareth out of the bar.
OOC
Besides, the opportunity to pour some of the stuff on Jaden to wake her up is too good to pass on:D
lunoc wipes some tears away then settles back to his drinks
OOC
Lunoc? Spelling and grammar, friend.
OOC
The magic Ender worked was to calm the mind, but I believe it's up to you wheter or not it works.
"Oh, and in case you didn't notice..." Skraal taps the new suit of full plate with his index finger "your new armour, although those two said they had something better ready."
"You know, it's not often I'm thankful for something, but whenever I am, I find myself having to explain it. Maybe it's because it's so rare that people can't process it. Thank you for fixing my armor, now what the hell is this puppy's beef?"
"youll have to me much faster than that if you even want to touch me, i could have killed you when you where an inch from the ground, but i wanted to see if the stories where true. ive heard about you and.. if thats the best you have than i can see the stories where exagerated"
a voice whispers so jaden only can hear
"such anger, rage, admirable qualitys. oh, and attack me again and ill kill you, your not that cute"
OOC
Can someone explain what's going on here, as I'd like to join in? Preferable in the main thread.
lunoc dosent turn araund
"we will finish this later, jaden "
with that lunoc sits back down and downs a bottle of strange liquid.
1 he should be
2 hes better than everyone
i don't think these things of course
Although that is a fairly regular occurance, you should know this: Jaden by backstory has defeated some homebrew war goddess in battle. Therefore if you seek to be annoying to her, be better in a fight than a goddess... Or just really inventive - Like Skraal.
OOC
mwahahaha:D ...hey, atleast he warned Jaden, nevermind he surrendered in the end.
"You aren't so impressive, little dog," she said calmly as she buckled on her greaves, "Compared to a village brat with a stick. You couldn't take me if you tried. I've killed bears bigger than you with my bare hands."
OOC
That means precisely nothing - the point of the demonstration was that she had a weapon in hand, was ready for him, and was utterly unconcerned with it.
The kobold walks up to Ender, and raises a scaled hand, placing it against the magician's forehead. Soft, white energy suffuses the hand, gathering at the palm and fingertips, sinking into Ender. Slowly, bones begin to crackle and mend, wounds close, and blood flows back into veins as his wounds are made whole, once more.
"Now, what can I get you to drink? I bet you need it after that, and if you don't, well..." Skraal grins wickedly "I can fix that, can't I?"
Ender offers a hand to the kobold "Ender Chant, at your service,"
The kobold grasps Ender's hand in a surprisingly strong handshake for a kobold.
"Skraal's the name, Skraal weaselheart. Pleased t' meet ya... for now."
Skraal laughs, and calls out to cycine.
"Oi, cycine! Veret's musings for Ender here, whatever that is."
Turning to Ender again, he speaks in an explanatory tone.
"No idea what you're talkin' bout there, but Cycine here's got pretty much anything that comes in a bottle, I bet he can mix it."
Skraal removes a tin cup and a flask from his backpack, shortly before grabbing a bottle of gin off the counter. Pouring a moderate amount of gin into the cup, he opens the flask, and pours some of what seems to be alchemist's fire in, downing the mix in one swig.
He gratefully accepts a small glass of indigo liquid, which smells strongly of spices and alcohol, and drinks it slowly, sip by sip. He can't help but raise an eyebrow at the concoction Skraal downs "I'd almost ask for some of that myself, if it didn't smell like burnt wood."
Skraal raises an eyebrow in surprise, and then nods.
"Magic, y'say? Well, come on, show me your party tricks, no need to wait."
"Never been much of a dancer, myself. Now, flying, I can do that..any sights you recommend?"
"Had your fill? I probably shouldn't leave the bar here, you know."
OOC
Is it allowed to move the Taverne? I'm sorry if that's a breach of Freedom of Destiny, or anything. If I'm not on early enough tomorrow, please assume Ender has put everything to rights.
"i cant believe what you did back there ender, another second and the siphon bridge would have killed both of us, the last time the siphon bridge was let loose it destroyed a plane! ill pay for any damages to where ever you gated the energy off to. your drinks are on me!"
lunoc grins showing his teth
"lunoc poisonclaws, at your service"
he says with a bow
"and you are?"
"you!"
"yes its me"
the figure vanishes. a moment later he appears, grabs lunoc by the throat and pushes him against the wall. two blades fall from his hands
"i couldn't kill you before and i cant now. get out of my sight"
the figure drops lunoc on the ground. lunoc crawls to the door and leaves, whimpering
"i apologize for any damage my son caused... i simply cant kill him. i need exactly 100 beers. exactly"
the figure gives cyine a bag of coins and sits down with a sigh.
the figure offers
"my son apparently only learned combat from me, i thought i could teach him kindness and mercy. i was wrong"
a tear falls from under the spirits hood
"as a father and master i failed. my weakness has caused so much pain... i just couldn't... couldn't do it"
the spirit is talking to himself now. he suddenly looks up
server! where are my drinks!
several imps struggle with the load but finally bring the spirits order to him. he downs 5 in seconds, then slows down.
my name is miǎn gǒu. i know lunoc well. he will have business with saran to conduct"
he places his unfinished beers in a bag witch he caries over his shoulder he exits.
From the shadows of the tiny figure's robes oozes a faint black smog... and presently, he looks over yo Cycine, his eyes gleaming from underneath his hood malevolently.
"Ale and bread, if you please..." comes a voice that seems composed of a symphony of rustling dead leaves...
Selva vs Ender-----------\winner
-------------------------winner/winner
Saran vs Coin----/
-----------------------------------_______ vs Ziel
Mian Gou vs Kyyt-----\
-------------------------winner/ winner
Skraal vs Tyrion--------/winner
(Heres the link to watch the matches.)
"We are unopposed..." Vogogmor seemed to display none of the surprise written in the gleam in Vice's eyes. As he spoke in a much kinder strain of infernal, he waved a casual (if large and intimidating) hand to an empty chair... and then wormed his maw to gaze at the thri-kreen with a thoughtful crown of eyes.
Vice however, stands in his chair, folding his arms against the table, and watching the Thri-Kreen with a dagger-like gaze... "I haven't had the opportunity to practice your speech often, Thri-Kreen," While Vice's voice is ever reminiscent of dead and rustling leaf-beds, the clicks and whistles are a keen imitation of the mantis' own tongue, though a mild stumble makes the difference clear. The next words come in the usual Baatorian, "however we are pleased to make your aquaintance. My over-sized associate is Vogogmor," Vice waves a dagger-fingered hand, black and cracked as bark, at the pensive Noglytun, "And I... well, I am his much smaller shadow."
"You give me too much credit, but it is all to the good, I suppose," At Killikuuk's question of activity though, Vice's eyes flash, and he raises a hand to his pointed chin, stroking a non-existant beard in thought.. "We're not ones to know. We have only just arrived... quite literally. With any luck, we'll get our bearings soon enough and be able to tell you the next time we meet."
Vogogmor grins, as much as his mouth will allow at least, thousands of tiny teeth coming together in a cobblework of serration. "This isn't the Baator we were looking for," he gurgled darkly
Vogogmor folds his arms, pondering his words. Vice though, measures Killikuuk with a calculating gaze. "Exactly what kind of entertainment are you looking for that you can't bargain for? This is Baator, after all..."
ooc: i think that killikuuk may be having a little bit of a mid-century crisis.
ooc: Technomagi's Abyss, in contrast to Sorcen's Baator? :ooc
Vogogmor folds his arms, pondering his words. Vice though, measures Killikuuk with a calculating gaze. "Exactly what kind of entertainment are you looking for that you can't bargain for? This is Baator, after all..."
"We were leaving a plane doomed to be overpowered by... unattractive rulership. We intended to broker a deal with Sogovle for asylum in Baator... or atleast, the Baator 'he' ruled. We carry the kind of currency that devils appreciate..." ...Vice interjects at that point... "The kind that exempts him from the Blood War, atleast. Now that we're 'here' though, instead of there, we might be able to return to the Abyss without being punished for our previous... offenses."
ooc: Right, because Succubi in swim gear sound like hell... literally-ish... in a good way... you know... blegh :ooc
lunoc says to the thri-kreen as he renters . it is obvious he is terrified of his former master,and his pride is severely wounded
killikuuk has no trouble seeing the man hiding in the shadow. He can 'see' with his antennae much that beings with only eyes simply miss. yes, yes, bloody Kyton moved onto my asteroid. I thought about moving but I hate packing. Still the longer he lives in my neighborhood the more I think moving is a good idea. Killikuuk looks up at lunoc. No, whelp. Your old master has gone off to challenge Saran I believe. It has ben a good match so far. He gestures out the viewing window where the brown and yellow chess board dominates the arena floor. Explosions and flashes appear periodically.
bartender I need another drink and give one to my new friends here He indicates vice, vogogmor, lunoc and the strange man hiding in the shadows just to let him know that he knows that he is over there. If you have never seen a drunken Thri-Kreen friends you are in for a rare treat.
Vice and Vogogmor turn to look at Lunoc with mutual expressions of disgust... and at a flash of power from the Arena, Vice winces, though it has no reason to effect him... here. He grabs another loaf of bread from the plate on the table, and breaks it in half, stuffing it through the slits of his mouth easily, swallowing it whole without any sign of strain.
However he still keeps his baleful gaze on Lunoc, his eye slits almost glowing a bright white of severe displeasure. Vogogmor is more bemused than anyything else.
"How... disappointing... that devils let their victims run free," The great demon gurgled. Vogogmor reached out a massive clawwed hand, grabbing at lunoc and, if lunoc can't struggle away, bringing him slove, and opening his maw wide, dangling the man there and inspecting him with his dozens of eyes, looking at him from all angles while he hovers over his thousands of serrated teeth...
As for the man at the bar... Vice's power over the shadows enables him to simply 'feel' the man... like a swollen tumor. >:|
ooc: For Vogogmor is fat and arrogant :O :ooc
a spear of force flies into the brute as soon as lunoc thinks he is close enough. he disappears from his grasp, he reapears several yards away
"never insult me!! i serve NO ONE!!! mian gou is no devil, but i am, i was born here i fought my way out of slavery, i am lunoc poisonclaws, perhaps ill show you how i got that name!
ooc: you might want to read lunocs character roster post because i think you might be confused
Vogogmor looks down at the rent where the spear had pierced his rolls of fat. The face of a mighty red dragon, imprinted there as one of Vogogmor's finest victims, is mangled rather mightily, but for some reason not much else is done. A few droplets of bile drip from the wound (comically made right through the 'dragon's' eye).
Slow to comprehend as always, Vogogmor looks up at the devil dumbly for a moment, and scratches at the wound without seeming to feel any pain. Vice watches Vogogmor coldly.
"Truly, friend... you must not be so brash in a plane that despises you so completely. the Main Gou's attentions would not bode well for you."
"Yes, yes..." Vogogmor returns to his contemplative state while Vice looks over at lunoc with an annoyed scowl. "You should probably leave him alone. He is slow to anger, but he'll cause far more trouble than he's worth in a place like this, and I'm obliged to protect him..." Vice nods to lunoc shortly, as respectable a gesture as he can manage without taxing himself. "I am Vice, and my spoiled and bloated companion is Vogogmor."
He shrugs.
"It seems there are more fat lazy devils watching us fight than actual fighters. That would be assured though..."
He grins, even though he is not an infernal his teeth are all serrated as a shark's, you''ll see exactly what he is later.
lunoc sits down
"mian gou will probably end up killing half of us anyway. so, what exactly are you and your friend? respectively."
ooc: lunoc and mian gou are blood enemies, mian could easily destroy lunoc, but he cant bring himself to kill his adopted son. and damwulfs aren't involved in war they are kept in mines and laboratory's so they hate basically everyone but there "pack" and have good reason to. lunoc is disciplined, so he doesn't attack everyone around him, he actually had a demon as a mate... once.
Vogogmor's scent should've been obvious to Lunoc, considering the Blood War ties that all demons and devils share. Vice, sensing Lunoc's own race with ease, is surprised that the devil hadn't pounced on Vogogmor with all of the ferocity that the age old blood war would demand. In any case, after answering Lunoc's question, Vice finishes off the last of his bread in silence... his attention elsewhere...
...and then his eyes open wide as opals, and the shadows within the tavern flicker dangerously, black as nothingness itself... and Vice lets out a gasp of pain...
"Your Kyton friend is quite... rude." Vice stares at Kilikuuk with his opal white eyes, a silent scream of rage or fear written on his face.
He then looks to Vice and sighs The Kyton is not my friend. He is more like an annoying neighbor that I can tolerate, barely. But yes, he is arrogant and rude as devils tend to be. They always seem to think that their idea of order should dominate the whole universe.
He winces looking out the window at the arena as a particularly bright flash that seems to catch the whole arena on fire and kills a bunch of spectators. He loves to kill. Look at him smiling. He is disgusting.
He speaks in a voice that matches his young appearence, "I hear this is where the party is. Bartender, hit me with some Abyssal Blue Wine. And how about some music, any bards in this place?" He directs this question to the entire bar.
oocMy character isnt sure because he has amnesia and ill he has to go on is a journal.since this is my first wild mage any help with wild magic would be appreciated.
bic:Hello im looking for someone to teach me about wild magic.Since you been around here longer then me I would like to know if you could find someone."
ooc:sorry but I have to go.
ooc:take it easy
"It was nice meeting you, Thri-kreen... I trust we shall speak again soon..." As he approaches Kilikuuk, all of the shadows within Cyrine suddenly darken ominously... and the child-sized Vice walks into the Thri-kreen's own shadow... evaporating, his presense lost as the shadows of Cyrine return to normal.
Vogogmor simply sits, contemplative as always... ands grabs a scampering imp,stuffing it into his maw and munching on it without a second thought.
ooc; A demon devouring a devil... for the more Blood War enclined individuals out there, this is a good time to start an impromptu conflict of some nature. :ooc
He flashes a charming and evil smile as Killikuuk speaks to him, "Now your speaking my language." The demon prince quickly chugs his drink and hands it to the conrugon waiter for a refill. "Now lets get the entertainment on with!"
He snaps his fingers twice then waves a hand at the far wall of the tavern. The wall shimmers and turns into a red curtain. The curtain splits and slowly pulls to the sides to reveal a darkened stage. Red lights shine dimly from above to reveal a band on small band of demons scattered on the stage. Only the sillouettes of these demons are visible yet and the red light obscures any attempts to make out their features. The four-armed skinny creature on the drums begins to move, creating a steady beat that flows ghost-like across the tavern. An magical guitar fires to life (same as an electric but it runs with a permenant lightning bolt spell) sending chills across the room in a slow wave as the tall, boney creature in front moves his arm downwards to strum his instrument.
The curvacious woman standing in the front and middle of the group moves her hips back and forth with the steady beat of the drums. Soon a bass guitar picks up and begins to fall into rythem with the guitar that has just fallen into rhythem with the steady drums. The woman's hips move more steadily and a spotlight shines upon the floor directly beneath her feet, the light slowly gets larger and shines up her leg to seductively show her bare legs. Her perfect butt shakes with the music as the light comes further up. She wears a black leather short dress cut to reveal her back and her tiny bat wings. Her hair hangs loosely on her back and moves slowly with her hips. The light soon illuminates her companions as well. An arrow demon on drums, a shadow demon on guitar and a vrock with the bass, a succubus serves as the seductive singer. Three more succubus appear in a puff of black smoke as Grazzt claps his hands three times and they appear on the left side of the atage to serve as backup singers. The rhythem of the music picks up and the lead singer turns around quickly as the beat picks up. She is even more beautiful from the front and her voice is four times as beautiful as she. She begins to sing a smooth and upbeat tune. (I cant really list the words due to making this up as I go along so just go on what I have here.)
Grazzt claps and laughs at the sight of the imp being eaten.
You the demon. Killikuuk says to Grazzt giving him a thumbs up. He laughs and polishes off another mug.
He thanks Dramuk for the info.
When vogomor eats the imp he laughs. To bad Saran wasn't here to see that. He's a real war veteran. he shrugs.
Danka thinks nothing of the monster eating the smaller monster, he having not be born in the plains is nether devil or demon, and is clueless of the blood war. With the things he has already seen,to him this could a menu item for alll he knows.
Through his forge-work he speaks, flecks of molten steel sputtering onto the table "(in Infernal tongue)I do not partake of giant-folk, but Kilikuuk has a point... Drow are such crafty things..." He must have a nose somewhere in those rolls of fat... and apparently a very sensitive one.
I really must make a trip to the Abyss. Killikuuk says again watchin what the Noglyt is doing with almost as much interest as he gives the Succubus. The succubus wins though she is just to hard to resist. It would seem like the Abyss has come to Batoor though. I half expect an army of Devils to show up and end the fun.
as sensitive as vogogmor and vice's noses seem to be they may smell a hint of a celestial odor about Killikuuk in addition to his batoorian ties.
ooc:Technomage by the way hes not really chaotic evil hereally neutral good but he has a epicspell cast on him that allows him to temporariy change alingment.
Danka's eyes glaze over for a moment,but snap out it a second later. master Killikuuk i have never sparred with a monk of your level when you have time, and if my master would allow it. i would be honored to have a match with you. first blood of course.
ooc: The cast off metal might hit someone. :ooc
Danka is probably in a lot of pain, but showing it in this place is a bad idea.
"well, i guess working for Razeil does have a perk or two"
Danka moves one hand to the clasp about his neck,closes the eye he has left, when he opens it his wound is healed, and a smile returns to his face.
Then to Darius he says. I run a small monastery. I teach people to master their minds and their bodies.
"mantis man isn't the only master here you know. if your looking for a challenge i am in the training room"
Danka has no psionic ability but knows from lessons with Raziel, that a psionic can still hear if Danka thinks hard enough. "Master wolf, i Thank you not to kick your way into my head ever again, I'll fight you, but you will wait until I've had a round with Master Killikuuk.Danka looks up ever so slightly wincing form the telepathic intrusion "I will meet you in the training room tomorrow morning I'm partied out" Danka walks slowly out of the bar and a few yards away, a sudden flash of blue light and he is gone.
for lonuc
Show
ooc: i definity would like to have a match i was waiting until you finished. so i'll meet you there.
IC: Grazzt chugs his new drink and jumps from his seat to incite a party. The Taverne Cycine is literally thumping with the music and dancing. Even the uptight devils (well some of them and hopefully Sorcen wont mind me taking control of the NPCs) get up and join in the dancing. The demonic music resounds throughout the tavern.
Grazzt shouts over the roar of the music and the crowd, "I imagine the Baatorian police will be showing up soon wont they."
Greetings, Lord Grazzt.
" i hope they come! i'd love to rend some baators!"
lunoc cracks his knuckles and joins the party, looking for an enreis or sucubis
"Uh, I'm going to need..." he does a quick count "thirteen ginger ales and one vial of human blood."
The kids chatter excitedly as they settle down to watch the fight.
I'll have selzer water please.he places two gold, with gears stamped on them, on the couter top.
"hello, may i sit down"
he walks over and bows.
he notices she has her mind blocked.
"your a smart one, what species are you? if you don't mind me asking of course."
"thank you, so how did you find yourself training under kilikulic?"
lunoc is acting verry politely
A cloaked man sits in the corner that the policeman heads towards. The mans eyes glow a dull green and his scaly skin is red. Small horns protrude from his forehead and hints of leather and chainmail can be seen under his cloak. He has a few devils around him drinking and laughing with them. One of them, a cornugon, spies the officer heading towards him and nudges the cloaked man with an elbow. The cloaked man speaks in a young yet gruff voice, "G'day officer. What news do ya have?"
The Officer motions to the being following him, "I have someone I'd like you to meet..."
OOC
Shall I introduce myself, or will you?
"i just thought i felt... nevermind. so have you had any arena matches?" when he talks, lunoc stares into wisps eyes. he seems curious
[color=purple][size=3]Galadred Larethian, god of evocation and destructive magic. I was told you could give me direction to a certain cult?[/color][/size]
Note
Galadred may be the youngest god ever. He was once an elf, who reach physical maturity at age 25. Normally they are not considered mentally ready to adventure until 110, but Galadred ran away. He became a lich about 4 years later, then a demilich at age 35, and ascended to divinity at the age of 39. As an elf.
Doschzjer looks at the man warily and smiles at him as he bows and begins to leave. The captain seems to hear something and whispers to one of his soldiers around him. The green cornugon nods at his captains words and slowly walks off after the bone devil.
Captain Doschzjer then motions for Galadred to take a seat at his table, "Please sit sir Galadred. So you're looking for the cult of Tiamat?"
"We have word that the cult of Tiamat has infiltrated and taken over the kingdom of Dalasir. Our plan is to capture the cult members and detain them for questioning and free the kingdom from her influence. Your help is welcome and will be rewarded with as many of these cultists as you like. A god on our side would be invaluable to the success of our mission."
The bone devil gets to the doorway and immediately turns and walks back in, slamming shut the door behind him. He looks at the cornugon with a look of confusion but manages to get his messege out in a tone louder than he had planned, "Tiamat... she..she's on a rampage in the streets!"
The green cornugon, a tall muscular breed, tosses the shaken bone devil aside with a grunted messege of his own, "Move aside little one."
As the large cornugon peers out the tavern door, his face gets paler. He stares in awe for a moment before turning back to the patrons and more importantly to his captain. "Captain... you may want to look at this!"
Gel-man follows silently slipping and squirming past to put the eye of Raziel at the proper level to view the happing.
Sorcen's true devil form arrives on the scene. A large dark red humanoid with large horns protruding from his forehead and extending upwards towards the sky. His body ripples with muscles as he changes from his silvery human form. A look of anger and seriousness appears on his face as he spies his mother. He clears the distance from his throne to the taverne with amazing speed. He hovers just above the ground outside the Taverne Cycine. His eyes glow with a brilliant red light as he stares at the dragon on her rampage.
Sorcen's eyes widen momentarily but he soon loses interest in Tiamat and begins to look all around warily. His voice booms forth and echoes across the streets outside the tavern. "The dragon is an illusion. Its Valander's enchanted cloak."
He speaks again and this time his voice is almost deafeningly deep, rocking the buildings to their very foundations,
"Valander, where are you?"
OOC: Does anybody have true-seeing that is looking out at the Tiamat?
lunoc shivers
"i just thought i felt... nevermind. so have you had any arena matches?" when he talks, lunoc stares into wisps eyes. he seems curious
"No, I'm not some epic power. she chuckles. I'm smart enough to not go getting slaughtered in the arena.
ooc: Whisp is technically blind so she is immune to visual effect illusions. She has blindsight which functions as well as trueseeing.
Valander put his cloak on Spot, an alcoholic nezumi (rat-folk). Spot accepted this job with the payment of quite a few of bottles of stolen alcohol, stolen namely from the Taverne Cycine. Must be something big planned though, Valander loves that cloak and does not part with it easily. So for those that see beyond the illusion, you see a dirty and stumbling gray rat-folk with matted fur, kicking over various trashcans and chasing people while yelling rawr. :OOC
meanwile a girl, that looks like a teifling with wings is standing outside. she was trying to get to the tavern. some of the people at the tavern might hear a faint
damit!
bic: in a flash th gel-man is replace by Raziel in his human guise though now he has two solid black eye with diamond iris. and he walks out the door confidently with no fear, having already tasted the illusion from this power sees the rat man stumbling
around
Enoch sees the dragon still but because there is no dragon-fear he is reassured and stands up at the fact that Raziel is walking out unafraid.
and reaches out with his mind to search for the drow that brought it to his doorstep to begin with.
Enoch launches himself into the air and scans the area. visually
"Nice attempt at a royals life and your tipsy distraction won't hold up for long." As she speaks she charges from behind Valander and throws him through a pillar and into the arena floor in front of the Throne hall. Her red halo and black feathered wings appear as she glides down to challenge him.
Sorcen's eyes shine with a rage. He pounds upon the barrier, creating a resounding thunder throughout the arena and its surrounding area with each impact.
Valander springs forth to meet Aya in mid air. His dagger is still drawn and is raised to strike the queen of hell.
OOC: We're gonna be going to bed now. Feel free to jump in and help if you like. We'll finish this up tomorrow morning. G'night all.
Nim make the earht grap Valander. and teleport to the shuriken hit the wall
Raziel walks over to the area were Lord Sorcen is pounding on the shield do you think the field extends down though the earth?
Sorcen stops his pounding and draws his right fist back to gather energy. The fist glows with blue energy as he replies to Raziel in a quiet tone. "Yes friend, I did this shield to keep the figths inside the arena. They are quite powerful and his magic seems to have infected it. I think this dispell chain will work."
As soon as his words leave his mouth, his glowing blue fist strikes the shield with a resounding thunderclap. The blue energy travels through the shield and into the shuriken. The shuriken explodes in a puff of smoke and small bits of sharpnel, too small to harm Nim though.
[color=purple][size=3]I suppose it's my civil duty or whatever do help here.[/color][/size]
Lazily stretching out his hand, he projects a thin bolt of violet fire. It strikes the shield with a noise like a gong, resounding around the entire plane (it's even faintly audible in Dys). The field quivers for a moment, shaking like jelly, before fading to nothing.
[color=purple][size=3]Divine blast is so heavy-handed. I'd prefer something else, but an apocalypse would destroy Baator. Well, I've done my part. Call if you need anything, Lord Sorcen.[/color][/size]
OOC: Oops didnt realize we had to leave so early. Aya and I are leaving to go ride horses and such. Be back in a few hours or so. Now that we got past the shield part then this figth should get a little more all involving, remember the Freedom of Destiny rules with Valander, no auto hits. Be back in awhile.
Raziel walks through the collapsed field and takes in the spectical and makes ready a miryid of spell should they become needed .
"See, kids? That's why you should never come near divine beings without proper adult supervision."
[color=purple][size=3]Hey, not fair! I'm a divine being, and I'm not even an adult yet. But if that's the way we can play now...[/color][/size]
His body dissolves, leaving only a skull crackling with violet lightning. You see a spectral lavender hand point at Valander, and a torrent of power echoing with soul-numbing energy crashes down upon the drow, lowering the arena floor by about a yard.
OOC
Generally Killslay is a death effect with AoE damage as a rider effect, but no way will it kill Valander; Septimus' spell protects the rest of the fighters.
he hurls himself at valander
He grins and speaks a strange low word. His body inverts all its colors and his shadow slowly fades away. Sorcen raises a hand and hurls a bolt of lightning at the assassin. The bold strikes where its target used to be just as he disappears completely. Tiamat's gigantic shadow appears momentarily but quickly fades, leaving all who saw it unsure they even saw it.
Sorcen lands in the arena beside Aya and shifts back to his silvery human form. He checks his queen for injuries before turning to the arenagoers that jumped to his aid. "Friends, I thank you for your help. To answer that questions that no doubt swim in your minds, Valander has fled to the Shadow Dimension with Tiamat. His goal today was to gather information more than to assassinate Aya. Again I thank you."
He bows as he finishes his words.
OOC: The Shadow Dimension is a parallel plane, it appears as the shadows of everything of the other planes and all the colors are inverted. Sorcen has gone there before and it seemed as though he was a low-level adventurer compared to what creatures he faced there. Tiamat went there to hide from Sorcen and hass been working for millenia to build enough power to come back and take over all the worlds at once.
Enoch returns the lighting elemental to his ring and begins to walk back to the tavern.
Raziel walks up the Enoch and pats him on the back, suddenly without warning blue energy crackles all over them both and they vanish.
Esmalda glides to a landing letting Lord Sorcen finish his speach. I can find him. she says. I say we track him to Tiamot and string her up along side him on a rope for each one of her vile necks. She is hot with battle lust and ready for a fight.
i agree! i can have a legion of devils here in an instant, if you wish. but i would gladly accompany the enreis
OOC: In other words, one day I'll run a campaign on here to the Shadow Dimension. Should be interesting too, my last campaign to there ended with Sorcen and his 'son' Stahl escaping carely and through very complicated means of transport while leaving behind the god of technology and a party of adventurers that had already been stranded there since the last campaign two years ago (game time).
of course lord sorcen. esmalda, ill be in touch
meanwile lunoc is scared s***less at the bar as he watches xalax leave.
"im going to have to keep a low profile for a wile. if he sees me he will rip me apart"
She nods to the pit fiend.
ooc:basically if Valander tries to remove the construct it move by burrowing further otherwise it will sit indefinetly until she it is called upon. It is small enough that it does about as much damage as a needle injection. All she has to do is cast an locate object spell or some other augery and she can find the construct thus finding Valander as well wherever he hides. The construct can even keep non-detection from hiding him.
Whisp is pretty nervous in the bar as well. She is just a mortal after all. She decides to drink heavily to calm her nerves.
"i like you, you seem nice. well you've seen my creator, i must not seem half bad. the last time i saw him, he slautered my companions right in front of me. later he sent an assassin that killed someone very special to me. "
Sorcen and Aya then begin to head to the throne, followed by Enoch presumably, and preceded by an illusionary avatar of Sorcen seated at the throne.
"What's going on, Mr. Magistos?" asked one of the children.
"I'm pretty sure someone just messed with time and is now trying complicate the effort to fix reality. And, of course, someone is going to interfere back."
The children and Septimus Magistos watch the further events.
"Ooh. Nick looks handsome as an adult." one of them, namely a girl with swirling pink hair dressed in bright primary colors. Then her hair changed to pure white.
"Hey! Get in line! I loved Nick before it was cool!"
" i...i dont even know what to say about that"
never respects me...*hic* i can handle this cai he says *hic* your not needed cai he says...
it looks very odd to see what looks like an oversized will-o-wisp levitating a glass of alcohol and pouring it into its front.
Septimus Magistos feels a call of sorts.
"Uh, stay here for a minute and don't break anything while I'm gone, all right? I think I have some loose ends to tie up."
With that, he leaves in the direction of the school.
"Now that was something else." Michael says, picking himself up off the floor and straightening his four wings.
"Now this surely isn't the most usual place."
everyone, have *hic* drink on me... is, drink, is good! hehehe!
The man flicks his cigarette to the floor and stomps it out. He clears his throat and sits down on the table, holding his guitar as if about to play something. He plucks a string and adjusts some knobs on one end of his instrument. His fingers then hold the string still before they leap into position for his song. The mysterious man's voice leaps to sound as though it is four voices at once as he begins to sing
"Here we are, born to be kings, " His fingers strum the guitar as his music begins on the word princes.
"We're the princes of the universe
Here we belong, Fighting to survive in a world with the darkest powers"
He pauses his singing to play a back and forth yet fading tune on his guitar for a moment before resuming his song.
"And here we are, we're the princes of the universe
Here we belong, fighting for survival
We've come to be the rulers of your world"
He plays his fading tune once again before singing.
"I am immortal, I have inside me blood of kings
I have no rival, no man can be my equal
Take me to the future of your world "
His fingers fly across his guitar strings, the noise is strange and seems as though coming from an electronic flock of birds.
"Born to be kings, Princes of the universe
Fighting and free, got your world in my hand
I'm here for your love and I'll make my stand
We were born to be princes of the universe
No man could understand, my power is in my own hands
Oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh
Prophecy talks about them, people say they'll save our day
They're men that will go far, fly the moon and reach for the stars
With my sword and head held high
Got to pass the test the first time - yeah
I know that people talk about them I hear it every day
But I can take you to them in a need of time"
The man leaps up from his seat and stands on top of the table now, his fingers blur across his instrument's strings as he plays a fast rift that seems to strain the guitar's structural integrity. During the climax of this guitar solo, he begins to say the following words.
"Yeah, Yeah, Alright, Watch this man fly
Bring on the wars"
As he says the first words he begins to levitate on the table and his guitar seems as though it emits its own light. When he reaches the word wars, his voice has dropped to an amazingly deep rumble that shakes the taverne. He finishes his rift before calming it down and lowering himself back to standing on the table. He sings once more to finish his song.
"Here we are, Born to be kings, We're the princes of the universe
Here we belong...
Born to be kings, Princes of the universe, fighting and free
Got the world in my hands
I'm here for your love, and I'll make my stand
We were born to be princes of the universe "
As the song ends, the word universe echoes throughout the tavern at least six times before slowly fading away. The man's guitar and voice have seemed to end abruptly despite the echo. The man has ended his song standing on the tabletop and with his head once again lowered and hidden beneath his hat. He stands still until the echoes have subsided before he climbs slowly down from the table and takes a seat at the same table. He sets his guitar beside him in its own chair and waits.
your so... you make me wanna rlugh!
ooc: there can be only one!! :ooc
"An interesting tune, I must say. I myself have particular love for such music, might I ask where your inspiration for the lyrics came from?"
(OOC. cool character by the way)
The man pauses and a smile, although more of a smirk, as an erinyes waittress brings him a beer and sets it on his table with a wink from her seductive eyes. The man takes a sip and clears his throat and turns back to the gnoll, "I came here hoping to recruit the greatest of warriors for their help in seeking the princes. The people of my homeland are great warriors and worship Lord Sorcen, we train our youth to become great warriors in hopes of competing in the arena one day. I seem to be babbling on, what is your name gnoll?"
"This sound like an interesting challenge. I am up for the task"
The man takes another sip of his beer and nods, "I am Dricondis, and yes you sir are indeed worthy enough to join me if you'd like. I thank you for the help." He extends his hand to the gnoll to shake it.
The gnoll stares suspiciously at the hand for a few seconds, then extends his own. "it will be a pleasure to travel with you, Dricondis."
Dricondis turns back to them on his way out the door, "Order a drink and charge it to my tab if you like." Having said this he turns and walks to the door, he seems to almost glide on the hard floor.
"know each other... very well then, I am Ziel king of the warforged in Soulforge. My powers goes down the line of controlling soulstuff and I pack a considerable melee punch as well"
sorry about that... i uh drink sometimes, but i would gladly help on your quest.
He turns to the rest of the group, "Are we all ready to go then." He pulls his guitar from his back and awaits his que to play his instrument and cast his spell.
"I am ready"
i'm ready as well
"Oh, Nick! You're back!"
Nick, embarrassed, finally manages to break the hug.
"Uh, Gem? Remember the little talk we had about moderation? And personal space?" His complaint is immediately interrupted as she catches him back into a hug.
He proclails "Hello! I am valor chmpion of the human lands of Valrosso. Bar Kepp give everyone one of youre strongest Beers on me NOW"
"Well, we won." Nick said with some satisfaction in his voice.
"Ooh, really? That's great!" Gem said. A new round of congratulations followed.
"We should celebrate." someone remarked in the back row.
"Here?" Nick asked.
"No. We need a bigger party. We need cake. We need ice cream. We need balloons and confetti and fireworks and a stage and a colossal mob with thousands of people." Gem chimed in again.
"Well...maybe we could go to the school Master Septimus opened up around here." Nick answered hesitantly.
"Great. It's a date."
"Not a date."
"Date."
"Not a date."
"Date."
The crowd of children and the cloud of spheres exited the Taverne with the argument still going on.
A large well muscled red skinned man walks into the arena. He is about nine feet tall and gigantic ram's horns adorn his head. He wears only a loancloth lined in gold and with a special golden symbol on the front and a golden ring on his finger. He strides confidently into the arena and walks until he reaches the center. He lifts his head and looks around the arena before turning to an intrigued Sorcen standing at his balcony overlooking the arena. The crowd boos at this interruption of their fights and throw their trash, although the trash merely lands harmlessly against the barrier and is swept up by constantly working lesser devils. The red man and Sorcen meet eyes and Sorcen holds a hand up for silence. The red man speaks, a deep yet harmonious tune.
"I am Faashtha, a bounty hunter of sorts, on behalf of the powers of the 'verse. I have been commisioned to shut down this arena, you are all under arrest please lay down your arms and line up in an orderly fashion so that I may commence my arrest procedure."
Sorcen smiles and holds back a laugh as he lowers his hand and allows the laughter of all his audience to flow into the arena and let the bount hunter hear his folly. Sorcen replies, "I am sorry but I must resist arrest and I'm quite sure that there are many more here that sympathize with my decision."
The faashtha smiles and spreads his arms and clenches his fist, in which a large greatsword appears in each hand with a flash of flame. "I knew you'd say that. Prepare for dea..."
Sorcen cuts him off with his voice echoing a command throughout the arena, "Someone destroy him."
At this command from the Lord of Baator, waves of devils appear and step forward, ready to take on this foe. One devil steps forth though and waves the others back. This devil is an unique one, he is of medium size with almost black skin and a two large horns rising from his forehead. He wears a police uniform and is decorated with many medals. He waves his hands for the other hordes of devils to stop their assault and form uniform lines to be ready for an organized attack. He then charges the faashtha with a grin on his face and draws a rapier and a dagger as he charges.
The faashtha steps aside and parries a dagger thrust with his left greatsword. He then turns too quickly for his bulky body and cleaves the devil captain in twain wth his right blade. The devil falls forward spewing blood from both halves of his mouth. Both halves of the devil twitch and bleed upon the arena floor. Sorcen smiles as the faashtha turns back to face the devils surrounding him. The devils wait for the signal of one of their other captains that step forward. An elderly devil steps forth and raises his longsword, he slowly lowers it to point at the bounty hunter and then flicks the tip of his blade slightly, signalling a sqaudron of devils to attack.
The following events are pure massacre as the small squadron of devils are utterly destroyed by this lone faashtha. More devils amass and ready themselves for another wave of attack but Sorcen's sudden utterance stops them as a word of the infernal language reverberates throughout the arena. The new devils stop in their tracks at their lord's command.
Sorcen waits a moment before speaking. "Very good Faashtha. Now who else would like to try their hand at defeating this bounty hunter trying to unjustly shut down my fine establishment here?"
Sorcen directs this next question to the bounty hunter, "Faashtha, who hired you so that I may know who has broken our treaty and forced my hand against the celestial planes? Whose head shall I pin all the following death upon?"
The Faashtha only grins and readies his swords to taste yet more blood.
OOC: To participate go to IC1 or IC2 and fight him.
BIC: Paraclesius looks outside and cleans his glass and speaks
Cycine calmly cleans a glass and looks out his window. "Tis good the angels got the boot from our beloved Pit. Wonder what got into em to attack so recklessly." He glances around, "Mighty quiet around here, are all of ya's alright in here?"
LeMondis sits in his corner and nods to Cycine, "Of course, theres so much hate to feed off of out there, now I remember why I like this place."
a female solar, proud and angry looking checks her weapons and stands restlessly; she remembers. but how little they knew of what happened... cai knew, and he had never been more terrified.
the solar walks to cai
where are they? you said lord sorcen was sending help?
a young pit fiend laughs
"help?! we need no help! who could beat us?"
OOC:
OOC: This character is based off of the theory proposed in Jet Li's movie The One. The theory is that if you kill your parallel selves off from each of the other universes then you become stronger with each one and once you kill them all you become pretty much invincible.
Albert 'Smoke' Evataar- Male, NE, Nezumi(rat-folk), ranger/assassin/monk. Body count is up to 115, there are only 116 parallel universe selves of him. His powers of strength, speed, healing, endurance, and intelligence are extremely enhance from killing the last 115 of his PUV's. Once he kills his 116th PUV, he hopes he will gain invincibility and nearly godlike attributes.
Albert 'Smoke' Evataar- Male, NE, Nezumi(rat-folk), ranger/assassin/monk. Body count is up to 115, there are only 116 parallel universe selves of him. His powers of strength, speed, healing, endurance, and intelligence are extremely enhance from killing the last 115 of his PUV's. Once he kills his 116th PUV, he hopes he will gain invincibility and nearly godlike attributes.
"Martini. Tree ta one, limon. Stirred."
His voice is low and gutteral, and his accent almost Jamaican, although he would look quite out of place in such an environment.
As the man waits for his drink he reaches into his suit jacket and withdraws a deck of strange cards, which he fans out before him and stares at intently.
The sarcastic, drawling voice comes from the door, and she steps into the Taverne with the air of someone who doesn't just own the world around her, she owns it and doesn't even want it. Every spare surface on her glows electronically, from the iPods that decorate her jean-jacket to the laptop monitors on her back and PDAs on her pants. Her long blonde hair is braided with fiber optic wire that glows coolly in various colors, more cables and hair-thin threads spanning her body, forming another layer on top of her clothing. A USB cable is jacked into her neck, with more connecting the back of her wrists to a small, unidentifiable device on her left breast. She can't be any older than seventeen.
"So this was the place Dad always talked about. Talk about low-tech. How do you get your fire, two sticks and a lot of prayer? Savages."
[b][color=Gray]"Ho-ho, vary funny. I have no heard dat one before. Ya are a funny one, no?"[/color][/b]
He stands up, towering above the girl.
"Well I is no findin' ya funny, okay? And ya do no want ta be enemies wit' me."
She steps around the man, shoving him with her shoulder before taking a seat, propping punk-style combat boots up on the table as if to say, Just try it.
"What's the big deal with this place anyway? You've got nothin' but a bunch of devils and some gladiators with less lives than a WoW cat-asser."
At the girls remark about fire, LeMondis pipes up from his spot over in the corner. "We do fire quite easily 'round here, by the looks of it the only way you can do it is by a short circuit."
OOC: Apologies for LeMondis' rudeness, tis his personality you know.
She looks up at Cycine, "Toss me a BFC, wouldja? Khaos, if you can."
And the big deal is, we can get ****** here without someone yelling at us from inside. So go out, or put u... I phased that wrong didn't I?"
OOC: This brought to you by reasons the guy for whom no recognised language is a first language, should answer questions.
Cycine begins making the new requested drink and sends it over, albeit having to think for a moment on which drink the BFC is. "There ya are miss." He says as he sends the drink over to her.
When the strange girl receives her drink, Mr. Thompson flips the card over, revealing the image on the reverse side. It is of a blonde girl sitting at a bar counter, her face pale and sickly, blood slowly oozing from her eyes, nose, ears and mouth. A pair of combat boots and assorted electronics are strewn across the floor around her, as if knocked aside in a convulsion of some sort.
The gaunt man smiles and places a long finger on the card, which promptly vanishes. At exactly that moment, the strange girl's face begins to pale, and a thin red trickle begins to ooze out of the corner of her mouth.
Mr. Thompson sips his martini in a dignified manner, speaking to the empty air in front of him as he does so.
"I do no take jokes, girl. Ya will eitha' apologize ta me or ya can die...I do no really care eitha' way.
The blood stops, hanging in midair, and one slender hand takes hold of the globe at the end of it, pulling it outward slowly, until it's evident that it isn't blood anymore, but metallic wire. A yard comes from her mouth before it stops, and she looks at Thompson with a smile.
"Very nice, David Copperfield, very nice. My turn."
The wire is flicked into Thompson's martini, where it briefly glows white-hot, allowing for one more smartass remark.
"Bada-bing, bada-boom."
Then the chemical reaction has hit, and the air around the voodoo man is fire.
[color=Gray]"Girl, da ya know wit' whom ya meddle? Am no yar parlor trick showmon...Ah am de right hand o' Baron Samedi, an' ya no be wantin' ta mess wit' me."[/color]
He holds out his right hand, and the skin darkens to ash and crumbles away, revealing decaying muscle and bone beneath.
[color=Gray]"Da hand o' da Baron. Now...Ah want ya ta get me anodder drink, seein' as how ya are responsible fer me current drinkless state. Do ya understand?"[/color]
In response to his request for another drink, she tosses her still-unopened BFC, one liter of Monster in a can, at Mr. Thompson, obviously intending for him to catch it.
"Watch out, that's got a kick to it that ain't liquor."
cai shouts as he floats tothe middle of the bar. he suddenly speaks very seriously and his voice deepens
now lets get one thing strait here, our opponent defeated xalax in one blow, he is what the stars fear to shed light on, the thought of him makes fiends cry out like children into the night. now if you feel up to it i shall conjure the portal.
cai hopes his words can hide his own fear. cai says quietly
but if you choose to stay here, well i don't have a chance. and he will come back, my worlds asemodus will send the creature back, and well you can gess what he will do.
LeMondis snickers at his table as the girl and the jamaican go at it. "Gods I love this place." He says with a laugh.
Smoke nods to Cai, "Agreed. Whenever you're ready to depart is fine with me." He says impatiently.
OOC:
OOC: I'm liking the jamaican accent Gid, I'd have done it with another character I had but I couldnt quite figure out how to type it out, so good job.
And sorry for Smoke's impatience, hes just itching to kill his other self in that universe.
And sorry for my delayed replies, the computer is loading slow and this site itself is going slow too so its like doubly slow.
And sorry for Smoke's impatience, hes just itching to kill his other self in that universe.
And sorry for my delayed replies, the computer is loading slow and this site itself is going slow too so its like doubly slow.
[color=Gray]"Tanks."[/color]
He takes a pull on the bottle, and his grin widens, as do his eyes.
"Got a nice liddle flavor dere. But dis does no 'ave nothin' on da stuff dat da Baron serves, girl. Dis is but a liddle nip-up compared ta dat."
He wipes what lips he has on his musty sleeve before continuing.
"An' ah do no know o' dis ting ya be talkin' 'bout, but 'ere's what ah do know. Da Baron be da lord o' death an' da dead, so meybe ya be right. Vampires ah don't tink 'ave much ta do wit' 'im, so dat part's out, but da rest...jest might be 'im behind it."
OOC
Glad you like it, Sorcen. :D I've always loved typing out accents.
a gate opens up in the air about 6 feet in diameter revealing a very similar landscape as outside. cai and his companions enter
Through the connection, the girl and Mr. Thompson both get the feeling of impending doom.
"Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaah - for the record, I'm not controlling whatever's about to happen."
The air between them pops!, unleashing a tide of bright pink butterflies that swarm the Taverne, blinding everyone.
"This is why I hate magic...."
[color=gray]"Wot da hell?"[/color]
His hair is a dark, coppery color, and his eyes a sharp silver. He shrugs off his wool coat, under which he wears a crisp white shirt, navy waistcoat and green sash loosely tied about his waist.
He moves to the bar, the elegant features of his face drawing the eye of many patrons, and in his wake is the woody smell of resin.
"Is there anything for me to eat? I can't pay but to play for my supper, and I'm starving." With a flourish, he pulls a violin and bow from thin air and smiles at Cycine.
He places an unusually long order for one so thin - meat pies, spiced cakes, fruit, and several other foods.
When the imp flits away to retrieve the order, Eli begins to play. A low, sinuous melody filled with minor chords and a strong, waltz-like meter. Slowly, other instruments begin to accompany the youth. Finger-cymbals ring delicately, hollow sounding tom-toms roll out a beat, and reedy woodwinds drone chords to compliment the violin.
The magician plays his violin with great ease, moving the bow lightly and with elegant flourishes as he brings it up and down across the strings. Many demons, as though compelled by the music, begin to dance.
As the melody ends, many of the patrons stare blankly at Eli until he flicks his hands, and the violin dissapears.
"It's nothing," she spits, sparks singing the table where she sits, "Nothing at all."
Seeing that his food is not coming any faster, Eli walks over to the technopunk, undeterred by her remark.
"So?"
"It records music," she explains, gentle for once, "And plays it back."
But what clearly catches his attention is the idea of recording "When you say 'plays it back', you mean someone made that music before, and you're just playing it again?"
She pulls out more things from inexplicable places, until finally a laptop, a microphone, and a mouse have been set up on the table. She shakes the mouse to dispel her screensaver, which cannot be described due to its, ahem, distinctly explicit nature, and then double-clicks an icon.
"Example, I can record something you play. Go ahead, give it a go."
"So it's not an instrument that you play, is it?"
Mr. Thompson turns to face the musician, his deathly grin spread across his face.
[color=gray]"Did ya ever hear a song name o' Voodoo Child?"[/color]
"Ah am no dead, girl. Ah am as alive as ya are. An' as such, ah'm takin' ma leave o' dis place an' gettin' some shut-eye before ma first battle. 'Ave fun with all ya liddle tricks, girl."
With that, he walks off towards the door, only to be shouldered aside by a young man in a black designer suit. Mr. Thompson flicks his hands, revealing a deck of cards up one sleeve, but, before he can do anything, the youth brings up a hand, one finger pointed at the emaciated figure.
"Don't try it, Gramps."
Mr. Thompson looks into the young man's eyes, and then, suprisingly, backs down. Pulling his hat down over his eyes he strides out of the tavern.
The newcomer, meanwhile, strides confidently up to the bar.
"Champagne. Best in the house. And you better not be checking ID."
He leans on the bar as he says the last sentence, his voice carrying a thinly veiled threat.
"Now that sounds like a guy who knows what he wants. What brings you to Hell, handsome?"
[b]"Might ask you the same question, hmmm? But since you ask, I'm here for the fun, the fame, and the females."[/b]
He grins widely.
[b]"Actually, I got sick of yachting in the Caribbean, and thought a vacation in Hell would be a nice little break. I've got family here.[/b]
He pauses as his drink arrives, picks up the glass, and takes a tentative sip.
[b]"Yourself?"[/b]
Evidently flirting runs in the blood, because the girl has the perfect tone and posture for it, almost a mirror image of her mother.
"Must be an interesting family that lives in Hell. Care to shed some light on it?"
"It's not immediate family, but every now and then I owe Aunt Izkaila a visit. She and my mother were quite close, but since Aunt Izzy was promoted to Lady of the Fifth she hasn't had much time to drop by."
"That, and it was awfully hard to explain to the neighbors why the pool was steaming. Aunt Izzy and swimming pools don't exactly mix."
Subconciously, she's fingering some wires on her chest, twisting them together or pulling them apart, and she jumps in surprise when a spark hits and turns her fiber-optics bright, electric blue. But she recovers quickly, smiling wryly, "My bad. I forget what happens when you cross wires every now and then."
He takes another sip of his champagne before continuing.
"But now you have me at an advantage. You know my name, and I don't know yours. I humbly beseech you to remedy the situation forthwith."
OOC
I'm outtie, see ya'll tomorrow!
Vilaria Anstron-Laythe
Heir Apparant to the Megaverse
"You're not the only one who gets to throw around titles, handsome."
"Heir Apparant to the Megaverse? Impressive. Care to explain?"
There's a pen in her hand now, drawing a fractal curve on the back of the card, the lines incredibly tiny but still distinct.
"Put enough groups together and you have a community. By now, saving any sort of stability in the system is utterly impossible. Everything is going to shift and flow on a daily basis, if not hourly, but the system is incredibly complex. And here's where we hit a snag - the system can keep becoming more complex, but when it can't lose stability, it takes stability from neighboring systems, creating a fragile codependance. And it's still a relatively small system - nothing bigger than a single society."
The curve is obviously messed up, mathematically speaking - reflecting perfectly everything she's saying. Her hand continues its quick motions, finally finishing up and showing him a curve that is already in rapid collapse.
"This is a theoretical projection of what a planetary system would be like by itself, at the first moment it came into being. As you can see, it's impossible to maintain for long. So how do planets, let alone planes, universes, and multiverses hold themselves together? The sentient factor. We can change our own systems, put limits on them, guide their growth this way or that rather than branching out in all directions like the mathematics does. So mortals, outsiders, gods, overdeities, and other beings with incredibly perspective watch over the smaller systems and keep everything running smoothly. But they form another system in and of themselves that's too complex to handle itself. So there needs to be another system. Enter the Megaverse."
She's been drawing a different curve on another piece of paper, leaving some small wonder as to where she is getting this ex miscellania from.
"The Megaverse isn't so much a system as it is a series of connections that fill in the gaps in other systems. That odd feeling that your friend is getting jumped? Megaverse connection. Psionics use the Megaverse to get things done in the Microverse. But in order for anything to happen, there has to be an interface, something to pass everything through. That's the Nexus. My mother owns and runs it."
She slides the paper to Devin, revealing a perfect system that takes up most of the paper.
"In theory, everything should balance like that. It doesn't work in practice, but Mom keeps everything spinning."
"Huh. That's a complex theory you've just spelled out...but it has some serious ramifications. I wonder if this can be exploited? It sounds like you should be able to alter other systems by the proper placement of objects or events in a neighboring system...possibly even erase a system altogether, or overload it until it spirals out of control."
"There's also the problem that, unless I miss my mark, eventually a single interface will no longer suffice, as that interface itself is a system and will fluctuate, resulting in the possibility that, for even a fraction of a second, it will cease to carry out its intended function, with obviously disastrous results."
"Exactly. Every system has a flaw, and this is the best system we've got at the moment. Incidentally, what you're describing is war, or an apocalypse, or even a utopia - the system can collapse in many ways, usually into a more simple system. Parts fall off all the time, and other parts replace it. Other sections are condensed, like compressing a hard drive. The fringes always expand though, never retract - the Microverse gets bigger all the time, and so does the Megaverse."
She leans back against the bar, tapping her headphones to listen to something more closely. She nods once, then turns her head back to Devin.
"The Nexus has stopped functioning before. Usually, we just cut out one world or two in order to save a few others. The Time of Troubles on Toril? Yeah, the gods wish they could claim credit for that one. Don't get me started on what happened to friggin' Krynn..."
"So a backup interface is out of the question? It would seem like the best solution to the problem, even if it wasn't fully..."
He stops abruptly.
"Hm. I wonder if somewhere there's a...Supersystem, I suppose...that causes the whole thing, interface and all, to flow smoothly. If so, any tampering with the system in order to obtain a more stable environment might cause more trouble than it solves..."
Devin pauses again, this time to tap the counter.
"A drink for my friend here, Barkeep. Bring out something you'd serve a personal friend. Something good."
"You do drink, I assume?"
She's perfectly at ease now, sparing a glance for her computer before returning the gaze to Devin.
"Hard to believe I came here for nothin' more intellectual than a nice fight and a fun time, huh?"
"Here you go...I think he pulled the best they've got. Careful though...it seems strong."
"Anyway, you said something about fighting. I know some people come to bars looking for a fight, but you don't quite seem the type."
"Yeah, but who said anything about fighting in the bar? The Taverne here is part of an arena - gladiator deal. I've got some issues with the whole concept of magical power, so I'm here to back up tech's part of the deal. You'd be amazed how much stuff you can conceal on a girl when she has access to tesseracts."
Devin sets down his empty glass and raps the counter for Cycine to refill it.
"Incidentally, what do you have against magic? It happens to be rather important to my very existence, so I'm curious as to why it bothers you."
Devin shrugs rather dejectedly, then sits back down, picking up the new glass of champagne.
"I'll leave you to it, then."
She sticks her tongue out at him and takes another sip of her drink.
Devin takes a long swig of his champagne.
"You can just avoid people like me, damn you..."
"I can't..."
"Lucky? No, just got a delayed sentence, hon. I can't avoid anything. One of these days, I'm gonna have to deal with everyone, all the time."
She reaches hesitantly to touch his cheek.
"Besides, why would I want to avoid someone like you? Intelligent, confident, handsome, and obviously powerful. If I was gonna avoid you, Devin, I woulda peaced out the moment I felt the magic. Remember, when you're feeling down, that the girl with infinite choice in the Megaverse wanted to talk to you."
BIC: A man sips a drink just behind Devin and Vilaria. He has greasy, shoulder length black hair with red highlights, dresses in a tight red scaly trench coat, matching red scaly pants and boots and wears no shirt underneath his trench coat. He sips a strange golden liquid from a mechanical glass. His facial expression seems set in stone upon very close inspection it seems as though its made of a strange amalgam of gemstones and metal. Other then his face and most of his neck, he seems to be an average sized human male of about 25 years of age. He takes another sip from his glass as he is studied.
Suddenly something strange strikes anyone who sees him. The man was not there mere moments ago, he seems to have appeared silently somehow. He speaks, an elegant yet grating voice emanates from him as he moves his mechanical mouth. "Mr. Myers, how nice to see you again." His ruby, literally, eyes glimmer with an eerie light as he directs his words towards Devin.
His next comment seems to be directed to Vilaria, but its hard to tell for sure with his mechanical facial features. "Your highness, if I may, the best method is a delicate blending of both technology and the art of magic."
EDIT: Sorry I think I'm a bit delayed on this one. I had to go do a few things before I could finish it.
"Powerful? HA! That, my friend, is the problem. Magic should be a choice...there are so many things I could have done, but no!"
He slams his glass down, and the spun crystal shatters on the counter.
"I get stuck with it. In a world that fails to accept it. Yes, it's part of me. But why the HELLS can't it just stay HIDDEN? How is someone supposed to lead a normal life when half of them runs wild and uncontrolled?"
He looks up, his eyes red, his voice almost a whisper.
"What are you supposed to when your subconscious does things by itself? When you wake up with blood on your hands, and it isn't yours..."
"I don't know. I've never had the misfortune of having anyone to hurt with my magic. But I think there's someone here you can talk to about acceptance."
"God damn it," Tyler's voice snaps as he walks in, Seraphina in his arms and Inaya trailing behind him, "That was annoying."
"Speak of the devil's advocate."
"And I have to live with it. There's something lurking there that frightens even my mother, and I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!"
"Alright kid, don't move and I'll check her."
Tyler sets his child down, checking for Vilaria's pulse. He nods, satisfied, and turns to Devin.
"Chaos magic, probably her own. Care to explain what that was about?"
He picks his head up and a hint of joy seems to show in his voice, evil joy but joy nonetheless. "Things should be picking up soon though."
"No, I don't think I would, even if I knew."
It's clear that something is wrong with the youth...his body is shivering as if containing something terrible, and his eyes are clouded with red, to the point where he must be almost blind.
Earthling, huh? Welcome to the club, kid. Tyler Emertius Vici, Holy Inquisitor of the Vatican, Daemon Magus. Got something you wanna talk about?
And the prayer continues.
"I'm afraid of what I am. I don't want it...never have. It frightens me beyond anything else I can imagine. I...I do things I don't remember...kill things..."
"Nothing helps. I've seen therapists...until they vanish, or worse...tried exorcisms...even shot myself...nothing works. IT WON'T EVEN LET ME DIE!"
"I...I...pretend it's not there...try to live a normal life...and it works. It really does...until, suddenly, it doesn't. I don't know what to--
GET OUT OF MY MIND![/b]
Pain blossoms in the Daemon Magus's body, and the connection is lost.
In her small crater, Vilaria stirs, eyes fluttering open.
"Ugh..."
"Ty? What happened?
Devin, meanwhile, is in serious trouble. The prayer seems to be physically constricting him, and he is paying the price for his struggles. Some untold power is threatening to burst out, and, although the prayer holds it down, it soon becomes apparent that the force is wearing down the restraints.
Vilaria's eyes open fully and she sees the whole scene. She leaps for Tyler, only to be swatted aside. Seraphina is there, wings spread wide.
Not now. Father is busy.
You cannot hold me back forever. There will be a reckoning, and you will be the first to die.
Then it is gone, and Devin slumps over, hitting the floor with a resounding crash.
"Great going, demon boy, you hurt him!"
Tyler glares back at her, and the girl is cowed.
"I may have just saved him, for now. There's taint in there, strong taint. Something went wrong with a fiend/human pairing with that kid. Take him to the Nexus to be contained, I'll be along shortly."
Vilaria's words to Tyler cannot be printed here, but by the time she's done with them, Inaya is holding her husband back from butchering the young woman.
As Tyler does so, still simmering with anger, Inaya picks up Devin and then turns to Seraphina.
"If either one of them tries anything like that again, incapacitate them, won't you? That's a good girl."
And with that she is gone.
Vilaria steps through the portal, and Tyler flops down into a chair, massaging his temples. Seraphina sits on his lap, quiet and introspective.
Coin's voice dies away, leaving the entire plane of Baator ringing.
"Fata morani invocari ethani chakta rilabara rilabara..."
A bright portal bursts into the center of the room, and Tyler Vici steps through it, chanting without stopping and shoving devils out of his way as he strides firmly to the door.
After the Daemon Magus comes Vilaria, and she looks Cycine straight in the eye.
"I need every drop of chemicals in Hell and beyond, and I need them now."
The mysterious man in red sips his drink and watches everyone rush about. "Told ya it'd get interesting soon."
LeMondis sits back in his chair and laughs. "I have a feeling this is gonna be fun."
~
Just as the doors to the taverne are being shut, a dog-like human barges in holding a glowing green energy sword. He dives in through the doors just before they're shut and sheaths his blade witht he push of a button. "So how about a drink barkeep." He says with a smile to Cycine.
i need a drink before i go
he pulls back his hood, and notices core
well well, a jedi, your not that common in most worlds anymore. i am master mian gou.
the old man offers to shake hands
Cycine calmly pours the drinks for the Core and Mian Gou, even as he yells the orders around.
This stuff usually comes with flashing lights, explosions and everything if they fail."
It is LeMondis who first speaks up in impatience. "Cycine, I dont think that lil apocalypse is gonna happen. Sorcen probably diverted it or something, damn devil spoiling my fun."
Cycine shrugs and shouts orders to keep things secured but to unlock the doors and keep the place open to all. "Aye your probably right, 'sides I cant keep it closed any longer anyway, I'm losing too much money here waiting on this supposed apocalypse."
The mysterious man in red laughs and says quietly, "Right on schedule, be patient."
Core sips his drink and watches out the large window of the bar overlooking the arena. He seems saddened to have left the battle.
OOC: Sorry Gid and Jess, I cant have the bar closed down for too long, Cycine is a bit too greedy to keep it closed for long. I'm just reopening it so others can join in without any confusion.
BIC: The man in red perks up and seems interested in something far off. "Hmm, now thats unexpected." He mumbles as he suddenly blinks out of existence.
BIC: The mysterious red man is back in his seat as quickly as he left, drinking from his mechanical glass and waiting.
A deep voice rings through the minds of everyone in the arena area.
The megaversal cataclysmic disaster has been diverted by our Lord Sorcen and the other mighty beings of the arena. Details are still pending at the moment... This has been a special news update from Baatorian Nightly News at 11... These messeges brought to you telepathically in part by Mind-Out, the psionically charged headache relief cream.
LeMondis slams a fist on the table. "Told ya, the damn devil diverted the apocalypse."
Cycine ignores the avatar of hate's remarks as he inspects the glass he has been cleaning. The bartender sets the glass in its overhanging holding and picks up another glass and begins cleaning it.
The bothan jedi, Core, raises his glass to this news. "A toast, to yet another close call, a day yet again saved, by whichever powers you wish to credit, personally I thank the Force in its magnificient benevolence."
Cycine nods his approval to Core. LeMondis throws a certain finger into the air in the jedi's general direction. Many of the patrons of the bar raise their glasses and thank their various deities and other powers. Many praises to Sorcen are heard.
OOC: Sorry for the praise to Sorcen bit. Sorcen appears to have diverted it by his actions and, its Baator so theres an overabundance of propaganda and misinformation, especially the kind that makes Sorcen look like a hero.
"Yea, all hail Sorcen for saving our rear ends... or something."
His tone is half-heartedly and somewhat mockingly towards those who had praised the lord of hell. He's not impressed by the diversion, and he certainly didn't need anyone to save him. If things started turning too bed he'd just jump ship and find another multiverse to be on. He was traveling freely through the planckrum after all.
Then he turned at Cycine
"Han me a bottle of whatever you'd like to get rid of.... ehr make it two"
Though now seeming more relaxed, her grip on the wand is so tight that her knuckles are white. Her light blue eyes search the room as if looking for something, but she doesn’t seem to find it. Her shoulders slump and she places her chin on her left fist, looking around with apparent carelessness. Can anyone in here tell me where the hell that Witch sent me?
LeMondis, the man dressed in pure black armor and a long cape sitting at a table in the corner with shoulder length dark-red hair, answers her next question. [b]"Well missy, you said it yourself, your in Hell, Baator, the lawful plane of the underworlds, Sorcen's arena to be more specific." [/b]
He pauses for a moment as he leans forward to look Elmira over. "You seem just so full of fear and, most deliciously, hate. May I ask what fills you with such emotions." A grin spreads across his face as his aura of evil grows with these words.
Melissa Nathans walks into the bar, and the entire place shifts. The torches become lightbulbs, and every single obvious bit of magic warps and blurs into something else - something technological. Those inherantly magical beings in the room start to feel highly uncomfortable, as though something is twisting them on a fundamental level.
"Give me somethin' wit' alchohol and somethin' what goes boom if I torch it, barkeep," the Technomancer says as she sits down, her towering array of equipment wobbling on her back, "an' make it snappy."
She takes a sip of her drink and grins, leaning back.
OOC
She really has no clue - to her, magic isn't real, and her Paradox Aura operates without her even knowing. The magic still works - it's just warped and twisted around to work technologically. The power of one's own Paradigm is strong ^_^
A young man walks up beside Melissa, a slight smile on his angled face. His dark hoodie bears the legend "Penso / Sono", and several worn pieces of paper poke out of his satchel.
"Where I come from, magic is a way of life."
OoC
Hey, if there's someone who doesn't believe in magic, well... couldn't resist ;)
Melissa takes a hearty swig and grins, her face looking absolutely stunning in the soft flourescant light of the new bulbs. Something whirrs and explodes in her backpack, sending smoke to the cieling.
"Ahh yeah, this hits the spot."
"Sorry to say it prettylass, but that goes for those who claims magic to not exist down here."
Then he opens one of the bottles and downs half of the content at once.
"I learned that the hard way. Without magic you don't get far, not even when being the pinnacle of technological advancement for one's own time, which is frankly a hell of a lot more advanced that those little lightbulbs you made outta the lights in this place. On the topic of aura's..."
Then Jack makes a metaspherical connection to Cycine's mind, allowing them to communicate undisturbed and without eavesdroppers.
"I could get you a lot more profit with my primal aura friend. Hunger and thirst are two sides of one coin, and people wouldn't even feel it if they got a bit thirstier in here, especially not if it happened gradually... as long as we keep discrete"
"I'll let that slide, miss."
His eyes wander along Melissa's face as he absent-mindedly curls the smoke pouring from her backpack into fleeting figures and animals.
magic, is simply another fassit for one to proses and afect situational data (complex technobable)
he says more simply
disregarding any natural force is foolish.
jason, passing by sees mellisa. he stops for a moment untill he realizes he is staring, them makes his way to a secluded corner and lights a cigarette.
"Magic is nothing so simple as a just another "facet". It's a culture."
As she speaks, the telepathic connection between Cycine and his guest becomes fuzzy - the words distort, though they are still hearable. Finally, teh two of them feel a small, discrete weight on their chests, from an electronic device, and the connection is firm again. Melissa doesn't notice a thing.
OOC
The aura will continue to warp magic into technology while Melissa is in the room. It won't affect the function, just the method of operation.
"Then what do you make of this?"
Jack says before disappearing and returning 3 feet further backwards, holding a wide selection of Cycine's bottles in his hands. The time between the disappearing and the returning was less than a faction of a second, but enough for people to register that he vanished completely and then returned. Then he put the bottles on the counter
"Cycine, I think these belongs to you."
Melissa takes another sip and looks over to the young man in the hoodie.
"So what's your story?"
He holds out a hand, introducing himself. "Arc Shahmet. Diviner."
"You have better technology than I expected indeed, although hours to set up a simple thing like teleportation is... awfully crude and unadvanced. How about time twisting and time travel? is that something you do in your neck of the woods?"
Melissa takes one last swig of her now-empty mug and shakes Arc's hand.
"Melissa Nathans, Black Powder Master. Back home they call me the Spiderpsycho. Or, at least, my enemies do. I ain't too bad once ya get to know me."
He grins wickedly "Hunting Ifrits. Contrary to your quaint beliefs, Miss Nathans, there are a few spirits I need to bag on behalf of my employer. Though I doubt you'd believe me if I told you I was working for a djinn."
Melissa eyes the young man and smiles.
"Wanna see where I get my name out on the floor?"
OoC
Which is true - after tonight, I probably won't be around to post 'till April. So I don't wanna commit to a match and leave you hanging.
"Wait now beauty, loosen up and screw control, it's far funnier"
"PARTY!"
He yells, then all of a sudden magic streams forth from his body, putting up party lighting, decorations and all of that all over the tavern. Then he conjures a scene, also decorated. The decorations are multi-colored and seems to be arranged in asymmetrical, patternless ways, but with a unique beauty to them.
Then he leaps into the air and a pair of draconic wings unfurl from his back, making him glide all the way to the scene.
There he begins summoning a band.
In the meanwhile Jack chuckles
"That magic non-believer should have seen him doing stuff, that'd be a tough one to just dismiss."
whats going on? are you alright?
he snatches the drink away from her and puts it on another table
BIC: Cycine smiles and nods at Melissa, "To each her own then."
The bartender gets Jack's mental messege and grins a wolfish grin at him. Hmm, I believe we can work something out here friend.
Cycine turns back to Elmira, "Actually I havent given ya a drink yet. Who gave this lass a drink, especially one shes allergic to." A nearly inaudible laugh is heard around the room.
LeMondis only laughs as the disbeliever of magic argues. "Its a shame that argument didnt get a bit more heated." He turns to the spellscale, "A party? Oh joy." More than a hint of sarcasm can be detected in his voice.
The mysterious man in red looks over the gathered people arguing over magic. "The girl's beliefs manifest themselves in a form of magic, a paradox aura indeed. Really though, her beliefs are not very farfetched, magic can be explained and replicated by technology, its just harder to do. In my travels I have seen the most complex of spells duplicated with mechanical ease by complex technologies."
Elmira looks around her to check that she is not within six feet of another person before closing her eyes and breathing deeply. Above her head a purple cloud forms and bursts into dozens of squirrel sized creatures that look like they are half bat, half cat. "Charits, they are really quite friendly." Elmira comments as she looks at the creations of her drunk magic. "Just feed them, they'll eat anything." As if to emphasize her words there is a yell and a squeal from further up the bar and a blue colored Charit flies past them, tumbling through the air.
"Just give me a minute." Elmria closes her eyes again and mumbles some words under her breath. A glassy, deep purple haze of magic forms around her. "That should contain it until whatever was in that drink leaves my blood. It's just that there is more magic making me up than there is human, so drugs or drink tend to affect my magic before the effect my humanity."
this will take the substance away.
his voice deepens and gets louder
hagh min al ya te mah, taghll a joll ma a gagh!
all the drink dissipates from Elmria.
"In about two years, this little thing will be about the size of a wolf-hound, and another five years after that, big enough to ride. The thing about Charits, they are fanatically loyal to the person who feeds them from infancy." She smiles at the little creature and offers it another bit of sweetmeat. "But only so long as you keep feeding it and don't mistreat it. If you do, they tend to turn on you."
jason nods and walks to the bar, looking at the revolver.
cyine, this yours? it just appeared here
jason stares at it, thinking, with his head at an angle
He is interrupted by the man in red. "It is Erebus, a powerful magic revolver. It belongs to no one yet, anyone may pick it up and use it but I know which of you it will be."
Cycine shrugs, "Well I was gonna sell it but whatever, just somebody get it off me bar."
jason turns to the man
what would you say if i were to take it?
The man in red nods to Jason as he picks up the gun, he then turns back to his drink.
As Jason lifts the surprisingly lightweight gun, he feels a surge of energy and a feeling that he could overcome any obstacle. With this is a sense of chaos in the revolver but nothing inherently evil about the weapon. Each chamber of the revolver named Erebus is loaded with an ordinary seeming bullet.
OOC: Congrats, Jason has been gifted with Erebus, a magical chaotic aligned revolver. When you use it I may post certain varying effects for the gun. It wont be anything too bad but chaos effects can go either good or bad sometimes.
sir, you are creating an aura that is adversely afecting the patrons here. if you cant deactivate it, i sugest you leave
“You know, the rest of them will fly off before too long if no one claims them. I suggest, if you want one, pick it now, because I only have so much meat in my pocket, and I can only do so much of one kind of summoning a day to feed them.” She announces generally to the bar. “Oh,” she looks over at the barkeep. “I would suggest guarding your stores until they clear out, if you have food, they very well might find it and start raiding it, and then look to you to feed them for the rest of their lives.” All the while, Elmira keeps her wand tightly clenched in her right fist.
Core, the bothan jedi (another dog-like race), watches the charits with amusement. He smiles warmly and walks near the blue one, extending his hand to pet it. "If you like, I can take one off your hands for you, I assure you it will be taken care of with me."
Elmira mumbles a few words under her breath and a cushion appears on the table in front of her. She places the green one from her lap on it and shoes the little black and white one next to its sibling. “Here, you’ll want this.” She hands Core a small bottle of oil. “Their skin will crack while they are growing if not regularly oiled. I have three back home; I hope my children remember to take care of them.” Elmira smiles pensively and falls silent, her eyes, normally light blue, start to change to a pale violet as she thinks.
Elmira would probably be quite unable to block off the aura, though she might very well be able to resist it's effects by using will not to do as her urges nudge her to. The reason for her likely inability to resist it is that this is no random capability... it's the aura of a primal champion. In case you're in doubt ask Jessica to fill you in.))
Jack eyes Jason with disinterest
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut with the accusations. In any case Cycine here decides who has to leave."
he says in a completely emotionless way
Then he eyes the charits and says equally emotionless
"I like cats actually." He pics one up and hold it out from his face in half an arm's distance, uncaring of what it might do to him due to him not feeding it in advance. "They just you know..." Then he suddenly swallows it whole, expanding his mouth as needed "taste so good."
Sintarr seems to wake up for a moment and stop the conjuring of the band, which seems to be quite powerful individuals if the time he needs to do it is a good way to check on it.
He turns around and looks at the charits, then snaps his finger, causing 6 of them to fly towards him without hitting anything in the process. Then they land on the scene around him and he takes out a few chunks of rock from a pocket. Then he points at it with a rod and says "virk"
Which causes a lot of fist sized butterflies ot emerge from the rod and fly around in the tavern.
Next try causes the wand to spray high value gemstones, which the devils around quickly tries to get their hands on, while third try turns the rock into nicely cooked meat which he feeds to the charits.
jason's eyes widen as jack eats the animal
why would you do that? for what reason?
Jack eyes Jason again and shrugs
"It was tasty, I was hungry... I am hungry anyways."
He then eyes the half-full bottle which contains he didn't know the nature of, rose it to the lips, shrugged again, then swallowed all of it, bottle included.
LeMondis has been watching Jack since he came into the tavern. His usual grumpy facial expression is now somewhat happy as Jack eats the charit. Jason seems angry and this only feeds LeMondis more. LeMondis seems on the verge of laughing at the feud between Jack and Jason.
Cycine watches Jason and Jack and positions himself out of immediate view from Jason.
you truely are a monster. feeding habits aside i ask you once more, lower your aura.
“Well, I certainly won’t refuse payment if you insist, but I didn’t even mean to conjure them.” She smiles at Core. Laying a gentle hand on her own two.
Elmira jumps to her feet and glares at the thing that just ate one of her favorite pets, let alone an infantile one, trusting and unafraid. She raises her wand and levels it at the thing with Ice-cold eyes. “Ashct masroy!” She shouts in her own tongue. “I would not recommend doing that again.” Her voice was deep and reverberating, as if two people were speaking at once. With her mind she throws the words at him, lashing out in anger. Purple lighting begins to play over her skin and hair again, and the crystal in the wand begins to glow with purple fire. “You would kill something looking to you as a friend and provider for entertainment?!”
She brandishes the wand in wide circle over her head and brings it down in a whipping motion to point directly at the thing. Purple light flies out of the wand, pushing everything out of its way and overturning a few tables on its way to the creature. As the magic flies towards the creature, every unattached Charit in the room abandons their chasing of the butterflies to fly at him, screeching in anger, Elmira’s anger becoming their own. With sharp teeth and claws they attack him, darting in and flying away just as quickly. after a few moments they abandon their attack and find purches on the rafters and tables. Glaring angrily with green and gold eyes at the thing that ate one of their siblings.
BIC: "Oh I see. I believe I have just the thing..." He reaches into his pockets and finds a small black metal disk. It is about the size of a nickel. He hands the device to Elmira.
"Here you may have this. It has multiple purposes. Through deductive reasoning I have concluded that you may have some amount of telepathic ability. This disk will enhance and focus those powers and if you focus on a mental image of me it will allow you to summon me if you were to need my help with anything. It can also store spells or the psionic equivalent of them and be remotely activated through psionics. It may have other powers but I'm unsure of them."
The jedi then steps back as Elmira shows her anger towards Jack.
LeMondis leans forward and watches with definte interest as the hate flows through the room.
OOC:@Ice_eyes: Usually if you have any questions as to the appearence or personality of any character you see then you can just check the Character Roster. You may also want to post your character(s) there as well.
LeMondis watches Aya for a moment before turning back to the very entertaining argument.
Allif, I know you can use my eyes to see, you saw what he did. It wasn’t even afraid of him. Elmira answered back hotly. Her eyes move to and fro, looking at empty air as she argues with him, the play of emotion across her open face visible to all who looked on.
I know, but that is the way of life. Does the sparrow hatchling fear the Starling that will kill it to lay its own eggs? No, but it will die anyway. Do not hate something because of what it is. Hate what it does, but do not hate it. Hate is the path that will lead you into darkness. Elmira seems to calm, her shoulders relaxed as she lowered her wand. Still glaring at Jack, she resumes her seat and takes a deep breath to calm her ever-quick temper.
“My apologies.” She says to Core as she sooths her own two startled Charits, “please, continue what you were saying.”
Core smiles warmly to Elmira. "Yes... just telling you of the abilities of this disk I give you in payment for such a wonderful pet." He feeds the blue charit some of his rations from a pocket on his belt and pets his new friend as it eats.
"Your friend is very beautiful," she says simply while wiping her face. "What world is he on?"
There is a very proper tone in her voice, like a girl who has been raised to speak in a prim manner. A vagule English accent traces its way through her words as she continues, not waiting for an answer.
"Shadiaii - your language is very beautiful. I shall endeavour not to butcher it when I attempt to learn it. You will enjoy it here, with a temper so fiery. Almost like Father."
Elmria turns as she feels a mind brush over, and through her own, bypassing all of her sheilds as if they were not there at all. She can feel the mind as it follows her link to Allif all the way back to her homeworld. It is a young mind, open and friendly. As Elmira watches, a young girl with pointed ears and the wings of a white bird sits up at a nearby table.
"Your friend is very beautiful." The little girl says in a controlled, formal voice. As the girl continues to speak, Elmira gets the distinct impression that she should have concentrated more on developing her telepathy than her empathy in the four centuries she has lived.
"Who are you?" Elmria asks as she gently pushed her mind out towards the girl. Looking in, she sees a multitude of different sections, like honeycombs in a beehive. Some are open and inviting, while others are locked away with a will so strong, Elmira shudders at the thought of putting her own against it. Little one, please, Allif is my secret, do not share him with others. She locks eyes with the little girl, not trying to be dominating or overbearing - just trying to understand her.
"If you like, I can teach you the pronounciation of the language. It is as old as time itself on our world, and it is the language spoken by Mother." Elmira continues to sift through Seraphina's mind gently, carefully looking at the fluctuating emotions before drawing herself out. She didn't want to startle the girl. Child, if you can see so easily into my mind, you can see who my Mother is and how I was born, that too, is my secret, please, do not tell them. Elmira requests kindly.
Why were you in my mind? Seraphina inquires as tendrils of will wrap around Elmira's thoughts, seeking to prevent hostile action. What were you doing there?
"I'd like that," the angelic girl says out loud, smiling. A Charit flits over to her shoulder and coos contentedly. Elmira - and others - can feel that it thinks it has been fed, and soon enough, Seraphina produces some bread for it from her pocket, "I shall be sure to inquire of you if I am having troubles."
Seraphina's probing continues, more cold and methodical than it would first seem from talking to her. The girl systemically walks through the fortress that is Elmira's mind, seeking answers from thought and memory and carefully absorbing the memories she finds therein.
I won't hurt you, the psychic says to the mage. I am just doing as Father directed.
She was a young child, riding her first horse.
She was standing, hand-in-hand with Detherin, repeating her vows of love.
I never meant to intrude, I was just curious about you, I meant no harm. Elmira states calmly, knowing that the child is sifting through her memories, and knowing there was not much she could do about it.
She stood in the courtyard, watching her children play.
What are you looking for, if I may ask? Elmira asks politely.
It was dark, Elmira was standing in a collapsing Mage-Sphere with her enemy lying at her feet before her, his blood pooling at her feet in the tearing magic that made the thread of this small mage-spun world. A part of her mind shrieked at her as she reveled in the feeling of knowing that she had bested her enemy, that she, Elmira Tailman, was the more powerful mage.
"NO!" Elmira shouts the word with both her mind and her mouth, fearing the memory and what it might unleash. Drawing all the power and support from Allif that she can handle she throws a wall of pure mental energy mingled with magic and hurls the girl-child out of her mind in a moment of blind panic.
Never go near that memory! She all but shouts at her. [i]It is dangerous to us both.[/i]
Father was quite firm. He told me to find out why anyone intrudes on my mind. Hold still.
This time, the memory Seraphina wants comes to the fore, called as if by siren song - and Elmira's own need to get it over with. Satisfied, the tendrils of will let go of Elmira's thoughts.
You have my apologies, but Father asked. My name is Seraphina Ignatia Elrissa-Vici. I am most pleased to meet you.
She felt the child withdraw from her mind and did not follow her. -You have my apologies, but Father asked. My name is Seraphina Ignatia Elrissa-Vici. I am most pleased to meet you.- Elmira inclined her head to the child.
In future young one, if you attempt to enter her mind without permission, you will have me to deal with. Invading ones deeper thoughts without permission is very, very rude. Elmira was only looking at your surface thoughts, skimming over them to get to know you a little. Learn to tell the difference between a friendly brush and an intrusion. Allif’s voice was firm, with a note of command in it that Elmira had not heard from him in a long while. Also, his voice was louder, much mroe close to her. Either prolonged speaking had giving him a clearer path to her mind, or Allif had moves physically closer to Elmria.
I can see your mind as easily as you can see mine filly, and I know that you do not know the difference. I suggest you learn it, and trying to dive into my mind to find it won’t work, I will not hand you the answers, and I will not allow you to dive into hers again unless Elmira wishes to let you. Allif said firmly to the child, much in the way a teacher might speak to a disobedient student. Elmira felt a wall go up around her mind, she could move in and out of it if she wished, but it was made of Allif’s magic, which was as much a part of her as her own. Allif, are you sure about this, at this distance that will strain you terribly. Elmira asked him, worried for his safety.
I am fine Mymi, this child needs to learn, and I am closer to you than you think. He answered her cryptically. Elmira pushed against his mind lightly, trying to see what he was talking about. He didn’t want her to see. Elmira was the dominant one in their relationship, and no matter how powerful Allif might be, Elmira would be able to force her way into his mind. But she saw no need to, as Allif had so recently said, it was rude in the extreme to do so.
I am pleased to meet you Seraphina. I would like to be friends. Elmira says to the girl. May I ask, I know you can see and hear thoughts as easily as you breathe, but have you ever given any attention to emotions? Sometimes they can be much more helpful then thoughts in understanding why someone does the things they do.
“It seems to me that fighting that forcefully over whether or not magic exists is very foolish. Everyone has the right to their beliefs.” Elmira shakes her head as she watches the combatants. The technology fascinated her, and she wanted to learn more about it.
I wouldn’t advice going to near that one Mymi. She is nice enough from what I can tell, if a little short-minded. However, she unknowingly warps the magic around her into something technological. If you go near her, she will change you, so keep your distance. Allif advises Elmira as he looks through her eyes. She loved the feeling of his magic in her mind, like a part of her was being cleansed and refreshed.
I shall keep that in mind. Elmira responds to Allif. Do you know anything about her Seraphina? Elmira stopped for a moment, listening as the girls surface thoughts just kind of tumble off her. No it is pronounced El-a-dor-el, not Ele-doral.
Towards the charits he reacted differently, with speed beyond what a human could ever hope to attain, but without using his metaspheric powers, he killed every single one that attacked him, slamming them apart with his bare fists ((I presume they are not much more resilient than dragon wyrmlings)). All except one that is, for the last one he held in his hand, firmly preventing it's eventual escape. Then he extended claws on two fingers of the free hand and started cutting it up, examining it's biological systems and death processes with both sight, diverse biological sensors, and his metaspheric telepathy probing the death process of it's mind. When done he consumed that corpse too, but left the remaining charits laying mutilated on the floor.
Then he looked dispassionately at Jason
"Your question has been registered, processed, and answered with a no"
The Charits attack an empty table that the magic was deflected towards and are now angry at the table, leaving nothing within Jacks reach to disect.
BIC: Cycine raises an eyebrow to Jack as the devastation occurs in the tavern. He nods at the telepathic apology but watches Jack. His voice suddenly booms deeply over the noise, yet it still emanates a calm tone. "Calm yourselves. This place demands an amount of peace. If you wish for violence, have a match in the arena." His voice returns to normal as he continues. "It would be an interesting match, the two of you."
LeMondis boos Cycine's intervention. "Come on barkeep, let em fight. You know as well as I that this place repairs itself as fast as you can smash it up." He lets outa small laugh and winks to Jack.
Core smiles to Elmira as he pets the charit. "I'm new here myself but as I understand it, this is a sort of neutral zone in hell, or baator as they call it. Really though the entire hell has become alot different then it used to be. I like the changes but I still sense much evil here, although its not quite an outgoing evil and since it is not a spreading evil then I am content to let it be as it is." He begins to think but snaps back to his conversation. "Forgive me, I seem to have gone on a rant."
Core notices her comment about the combatants out the wall spanning viewing window. "Oh, yes I agree it is silly to fight over beliefs that can be let alone to stand as they are but I can see that beliefs are worth fighting for, but only if no other way is possible." Core calmly moves a hand to his lightsaber as Jack begins his defense. The jedi is ready in case Jack attacks.
"Hey Sera," Tyler says with a big smile as he hugs his daughter. "I'm sorry your mother and I had to leave you hanging like that - we had to help Kaylee."
Tyler jingles a little bit as he glances over at Elmira, and a wave of daemonaic energy brushes her - not even intentional, she can tell, but more like a stench that he cannot get rid of. He ruffles his black hair nervously and his ash-gray skin pales a little bit - he's sensed the power coming from her.
"Mind if I talk to you in a quiet corner?" the Daemon Magus inquires. "It won't take but a minute."
As the man nears Elmira nearly swoons at the energy he is emanating. Allif. Elmira calls in concern.
He won’t hurt you Mymi, and he won’t open that place. I have sealed it well. Allif replies to her. Elmira looks at the man for a moment as he talks to Seraphina. Re-assured, Elmira pushed her thoughts out and skims over his mind.
She knows he is Tyler Vici and that he knows she is there. He is Seraphina’s father and that Seraphina has told him Elmira can speak. "Mind if I talk to you in a quiet corner?" the Daemon Magus inquires. "It won't take but a minute." Elmira nods her head as she watched the man and the child.
“Most certainly, I had wished to speak with you anyway. Excuse me please.” Elmira smiles at Core and moves towards the man and the little girl. “I understand why, but your daughter seems to have a certain lack of manners and training that a Telepath of her skill level desperately needs.” Elmira replied formally. “I would like to know more of her, and perhaps your permission to teach her.” Elmira asks the man as she leads him to a secluded corner of the bar. Elmira seated herself formally and indicated for Tyler to do the same.
“First off, your daughter seems much, much too used to just taking what she wants to know, she will never learn discipline that way, and secondly, if she panics the moment she can not see easily in to my mind anymore, she has become much too reliant on her telepathy. I have experience in this field. Much more than anyone else I know, and I would be willing to teach your daughter how to use her other senses as well as teach her to develop her telepathy and empathy into conscious, controlled use.” Elmira folds her hands in her lap and looks, business-like, at the man before her.
He was surprised that she did not assume he was evil, glowing red eyes being uncommon and usually a sign of evil intent. “Oh please, I can see you mean me no harm.” Elmira chides him. She can feel a tug at the back of her mind and swallows, hoping that Allif could keep as firm a hold on the locked part of her mind as he claimed he could.
“As I was saying.” Elmira says after she shakes her head slightly. “The first thing I would teach your daughter, if you should allow it, is how to learn. She is much too used to being able to pull anything she wants to know right out of the minds of those around her. She has forgotten, if she ever learned in the first place, that she has other senses and other skills at her disposal.”
A quiet, telepathic voice issues from the guitar on Tyler's back - Hello.
"Firstly, and I'm not too incredibly offended, but telling other people what to do with their kids in the middle of Sorcen's? Bad, bad, bad plan. I don't blow people up, but I garuntee you, say, Aya might."
Tyler sighs heavily and a small flame appears on the tips of his left fingers, which he idly toys with, shaping it into fantastic patterns and geometric sigils.
"I don't think you quite understand who - or what - Seraphina really is. You're seeing a spoiled little girl, and that's not it. No, be still and let me keep speaking. Seraphina was thinking before she was even born. She was talking to her mother in the womb, and then me. She would play with us by taking over the bodies of small animals. She is more, much more, than the human you're seeing."
The flames form into the shape of a fly, zooming in on the eyes.
"When an insect sees something, it sees through thousands of eyes at once. To Seraphina, this is entirely natural. We had to teach her for years not to speak in terms of 'we'. It took longer to make her understand that Inaya - her mother - and I were seperate people. She doesn't get individuality. To her, you're all her. You're all Seraphina. When you locked her out, it was like turning off part of her mind, like striking her blind and deaf and dumb all at once. She doesn't even realize she takes things from people - in her head, it's all her memories. It's all part of her."
The fire snuffs out, and Tyler rubs his temples.
"I expected to have troubles being a parent, but with God as my witness I didn't expect to be siring a little psychic goddess. No...not goddess - she'll never be that limited. A force of nature. It's hard to explain - I could show you, with a spell, if you like."
“What I am offering, is a way to teach Seraphina that she is an individual.” Elmira said. “I am not trying to tell you how to raise your child, or even trying to say that you did a bad job. What I am saying is that there are things she needs to learn that I do not think anyone without a similar level of telepathic power can teach her.” Elmira looked at Tyler with an understanding smile. “What I would to would require me to open my mind completely to her, and she would have to do the same to me eventually. She need not do that yet, but eventually she will have to if I am to teach her.” Elmria swallows, and continues. "I know you have taught your daughter what to look for in someones mind. I will not deny that there are dangers in my mind that her power might unlock. I will have to trust her to leave them alone. I can see from what little I brushed of her mind that she knows how to leave those dangerous places alone. I am hoping that my trust in her will help her to trust me." Elmria takes looks directly into Tylers eyes, allowing him to see that she was willing to open herself to danger to help his child. "I am sure she told you about the memory, and me throwing her from my mind."
Mymi, I think I will have to be physically present for this, she will panic and you need my strength. Allif interjected on her thought. Elmira could tell by the way his words seemed to echo slightly to her that he had broadcast the thought to everyone around her, allowing them to hear his voice as well.
“Allif, what—” Elmira started, but she reeled back in her chair as her mind lurched and she felt Allif vanish from her mind for a brief second. There was a flash of blue-white light in the empty space next to Elmira and she could smell trees and flowers and cool mountain air. Allif stood next to her, his gleaming coat seeming to glow with an inner light and his Silver eyes warm with his love for her.
Hello child. I must apologize for scaring you. Allif used the strange ability he had to allow his mental voice to carry in the same manner a physical voice did. The unicorn stood next to Elmira, his horn was made from the same crystal that Elmira’s wand core was made from, only his was a pure, crystal blue. His hooves, mane, and tail were all coated in the same crystal.
“Tyler, this is Allif.” Elmira searched through the room, trying to find what they would call Allif’s relationship to her. “He is my familiar, and my closest friend.” Elmira laid a hand affectionately on his gleaming neck. “He is the one who will be helping me should you agree to let me teach Seraphina. The first thing I would do would be to teach Seraphina who Seraphina is and who Seraphina isn’t. After that, I would teach her how to learn without relying on her telepathy, and once she is comfortable with that, I will teach her more fine control over her telepathy and how to use the empathy I can feel she has. It is there, but she has never used it.” Elmira explained.
“I am not asking for any payment, she needs this and the first responsibility of any adult, parent or not, is to fulfill the needs of the children around us.” Elmira finished. Throughout the whole conversation Elmira was berating Allif for not warning her, and chiding him for just flashing in like that. He actually managed to look a little ashamed of himself.
(munch, this is a challenge)
Jack got hit straight on in the chest by the blast and sent flying. He managed to realign himself in the air though, land with his feet against the wall, jump back and land on his feet just about where he was earlier. Then he gives Jason a dispassionate look for a brief moment. Then he steps closer to Jason and points at his eye.
"You didn't like that much I take it."
Then a tiny wire, far too small to be seen by the human eye, far too small to be seen at all actually since it was thinner than the wavelength of light. The wire drilled forth to reach the nerve system of Jason without doing any damage. It linked Jason with Jack's mind though, allowing Jack to send pictures of the... interrogations... that Jack had done directly into Jason's mind, leaving no doubt that Jack had done it... and enjoyed it.
(about a foot away, stomach level)
meanwile jason stabs at jacks ribs with a long, thin daggar
Before she takes another step though, bright pink flowers spout from her mouth and from the healing wound. As fast as the flowers spring forth though, they are sucked back into the devil with an air crushing pop. The pleasure devil implodes suddenly and a gaping hole forms for a matter of seconds before imploding upon itself.
OOC: This next part only happens if Lunoc and Munchlord are fine with it, otherwise disregard it. I just thought it would help transition the battle out to the arena and help Cycine keep the peace in the bar.
BIC: Cycine shakes his head and waves a hand at Jack and Jason as they fight. The two find themselves in the arena, the same distance away that they were and in mid action.
camid- jo
(this attempts to stop the implotion, to what degree ill leave to you)
As she approaches Tyler's table she performs a graceful spin, grabbing a chair from the neighboring table as she does so. It's Vrock occupant gives a surprised shriek as he falls unceremoniously to the ground, but by then the newcomer has fully spun around and, in one fluid action, is sitting down at Tyler's side.
"Somehow I knew I'd find you here. Predictable even in your unpredictability, aren't you?"
She leans forward, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Anything I missed?"
"So..yeah, what Seraphina said," Tyler says sheepishly. "Inaya, this is Elmira. Elmira, this is Inaya, my wife. Elmira here is a psychic - she wants to teach Seraphina. First, though..."
Tyler looks at his daughter, still holding her mother tightly, and says gently, "Sera, think you could focus on Elmira here? She wants to see how you see."
Seraphina nods, and Elmira feels her begin to probe the edge of her wall.
“I see the problem.” Elmira comments al little breathlessly. “I can correct it, but it will be scary for Seraphina at first.” Elmira looks at Allif. “Do you mind not being so conspicuous Allif; you are drawing a lot of looks.” She suggests to the unicorn.
Yes Mymi. The unicorn replies in a meek voice audible to anyone within normal hearing distance. There is a shimmer of bluish white light and a young man with pale skin and blond hair sits before them in blue mages robes. In his forehead, just above the arch of his brow, a blue crystal just barely protrudes from the skin in a semi-circle. “Better?” He asks Elmira. There is an air of mischief around him and a twinkle in his silver eyes.
Elmira looks up at the woman who seated herself next to Tyler. "Well met Inaya. You have a truly unique daughter.” Elmira smiles at Seraphina. “I may be one a few people who can teacher her, but it will—” Elmira stops as Allif intrudes himself.
“It may not take much time here though. There are places that you can go where you can take all the time you need there, and here only a few minutes will pass.” He cuts across Elmira and looks over at her, an impish smile on his face. Elmira cuffs him lightly on the back of the head for cutting her off.
“Manners Allif.” She chides. She returns to Seraphina’s parents. “As Allif just pointed out, that is a possible solution, but I will leave that up to you, as you are her parents.”
The dagger stabs in less than an inch before it is stopped by something blocking where there should be no rib on a human being. Then he disappears to the arena
((Arena 4 on the new site is open, you post first ;)))
Sintarr takes care of the singing, while a spellweaver stands upright with no less than 3 guitars.
The drums are taken care of by a giant squid which seems both intelligent and able to breath air.
A steel colossus with a bas build into himself plays said instrument.
An ethereal filcher plays the keyboard.
They start off with what Sintarr considers a decent joke in the current context: Number of the Beast
In the meanwhile, Sikrannor quietly enters the Tavern and waves his hand for a drink.
On his way he tucks his tentacles a bit, much like a human would a beard.
As he sits down he says
"Allow me first of all to apologize for probing your mind briefly just before, it is an old habit from a time where my life was a bit tougher. I thought this would be where I'd fit best in since you were the one here with the highest amount of good intentions."
The thing about fitting with good intentions would seem quite odd in an ilithid, but the brilliant white feather wings might have something to do with it, and in case you had been paying attention to the assault from some other dimension's hell, then everything would be that much more clear.
“Well met Sikrannor, no offense taken, I quite understand. Skimming the surface thoughts is not a crime, it is a way to get to know someone.” Elmira says while she is waiting for Inaya to respond to her offer. “I am Elmira and this is Allif.” She indicated the youth in blue robes next to her. “Forgive me if I seem a little distracted, it is just that I am waiting for young Seraphina’s Mother to answer me. I understand her hesitation, this is quite a large decision.” Elmira smiles at the newcomer and looks over a Seraphina with another smile.
Elmira calls a Charit down from the rafters and hands the copper creature to Sikrannor. “Would you like a pet?” She pulls some sweetmeats and dried fruits out of her pocket and presses them into his hand before placing the little creature on his lap. “If not, I’ll just keep him, but they do make such wonderful companions.”
"Seems like I still smell a bit like Aborea, that tends to make animals friendly. But I think that'd be a sticking scent for all eternity anyway."
Then he turns to Seraphina and her mother as well as Elmira
"May I offer what assistance I can in helping to develop and train your psychic abilities? My own have grown quite considerable through the ages."
Allif, what do you think? He seems to mean only good. Could he handle her mind? Elmira asks Allif in a slightly worried tone.
He can help us, I would welcome his help. there is something much mroe to him than meets the eye, but I cannot yet tell what it is, just that he is more than he appears to be. His mind is strong, maybe not strong enough to contain Seraphina's mind, but strong enough to teach her. Elmria looks over at The Illithid. "Your help would be welcome. I am not foolish enough to believe I know all there is about the mind, perhaps we could learn from each other as well?"
"Thank you very much then miss, I shall keep that in mind. May I ask if they have any special or supernatural attributes?"
"Got any coffee?" he asks mildly. "Preferably not from anyone's military, mind."
“Not usually, they are intelligent, and sometimes if their feeder is empathic they may form a small empathic bond, but when they are about seven they can be trained as mounts, and they reach their prime around ten. They will live for nearly forty years.” Elmira looks over as the door to the Bar opens and hurries to her feet as a teenage boy covered in blood comes into the room.
“Excuse me please.” she says to Seraphina’s parents and Sikrannor. She hurries over to the boy and looks him over. She skims over his mind and can tell that other than a few bruises, the boy is unharmed. “What in the name of the Mother happened to you?” She asks in a concerned voice as she makes a swishing motion with her wand and the blood and gore seem to vanish.
“Mymi, stop fussing.” Allif says to Elmira with a wink that only she could see as he walks calmly over. “Go back and talk to Seraphina’s parents. I don’t think he wants to be mothered.” Allif gives Elmira a gentle shove towards the table she just left. Your busy right now, I'll take care of this. He adds silently.
“hi I’m Allif.” the youth smiles in a friendly way and holds out his hand to the boy. “Mind if I sit, I am kinda curious as to why you just walked in covered in blood.” Allif sits down and flips a piece of his har out of his face. "Sorry about her, she has to mother every child that comes into her reach. She's just like that. Though I shouldn't complian. I'd probably be dead by now if not for her." Allif flips his hair out of his face agian.
"I should be able to forge a permanent psionic bond with it's mind I guess. Do they speak any languages?"
Then a lizard creature about the size of a small dog, with green and brown patterns on the scales runs through the door just before it closes after the blood soaked child entered. It runs up the wall as if it was floor, until it is just above the table beside Sikrannor and the others upon which the charit that is now Sikrannor's is standing. Then it drops down from the ceiling, turning in midair to land on the legs and start off licking the charit in a friendly way.
Sikrannor lights up in some kind of strange smile, a smile has to be strange when your mouth is surrounded by tentacles after all, and ilithid faces were not made to smile
"Ah there you are Brat, say hello to our new friend here."
Then he gestures at the charit with one of the tentacles and the lizard creature opens it's mouth and says, without moving neither lips nor tongue
"Hello"
Some of the blood is absorbed abnormally fast into the floorboards themselves.
Allif, what are you doing? Let me in. Elmira demands of the youth.
Nothing much right now Mymi, though, I would not advise looking outside. Allif replies to Elmira calmly.
“So, how did someone so young make it that high in a military setting?” Allif asks curiously. “Could I get some wine please? Mymi might not be able to drink, but I enjoy a good glass of wine every now and again.” He inquires politely of the barkeep.
"thank you for the advise. My other pet here is a veez, they have a limited amount of psionic power and they are capable of limited speech as well. They have simpler minds than humans, but more advanced than ordinary animals, and they certainly have got a forceful personality."
“The Burrowers would love this little creature. They have a hard time keeping pets around, they are a little absent-minded and they have no hands with which to offer food. Something that could remind them when it is hungry and would respond to a friendly thought or word instead of a friendly touch would be perfect for them. I know Sssith always wanted a pet.” Elmira looks around. "In fact, if I can figure out a way to do it, I might just bring him here.”
Elmira looks around again. “The Burrowers are a race of gentle Scholars. They are immortal learners. They’re whole existence is devoted to learning and teaching. I have watched them when they are roused enough to fight though, never, ever, make one of them mad enough to fight.” Elmira smiles in a sad sort of way. “Though, you have to make a very concerted effort to make on of them mad enough to fight. They wouldn’t fight when the thought the world was being destroyed, but they would fight when they thought that every library and place of learning was going to be destroyed in a world that was going to stick around.” Elmira laughs. “I guess you just have to hit them where it hurts them the most.”
"That sound like the mindset of the order of the all seeing eye from my homeworld. The thought of a world without sophisticated learning is worse to them than the thought of no world at all.
Sikrannor seems to calm down a bit
"Thanks for the advise on the Burrowers though. I'd say the same about Ziel, one of the other combatants here. He can fight easily without being angry, but earning his wrath is a certain path to destruction. Even when calm he is the most powerful creature that ever existed in my home world, and the more angry he gets the more powerful he gets... his power grows somewhat akin to exponentially with his anger. But he's hard to anger too. Threathen to eradicate his people though and you're dead before you draw your next breath... no before you drew your previous one actually."
Sikrannor tells this in complete seriousness, leaving no doubt that he is certain of that.
"About the veez, one of my friends' veez' eggs hatched a week ago, so maybe something could be arranged. They eat a bit of everything you feed them, but keep them from too sugary or fat food, or they will get a bad stomach."
The veez adds in
"bad stomach nasty"
As she walks her tight leather trenchcoat flows back and forth to reveal her tighter leather outfit beneath as well as the shine of a well polished gun strapped to her hip. It is impossible to tell the type of gun yet though. She makes her way to the bar and takes a seat at a barstool. She flashes a smile to Cycine. "May I ask of you a drink sir? A whiskey on the rocks if you have it."
Elmira thinks over Sikrannor’s words for a few moments. “Sounds like someone I would not want to mess with, but, then again, I have no desire to destroy anything.” Elmira glances over at Seraphina and her family, wondering how long they are going to keep talking over this decision.
It wasn’t really all that difficult a choice to make, the girl needed a teacher and Elmira was the only real option available right now. She was the only one with enough power at her disposal to clamp a shield around Seraphina’s mind that the child could not punch through. Without Allif, Elmira doubted that she would be able to, but she could what-if herself to death, Allif was her familiar, and he was not going anywhere.
“I would like that, but first I must figure out a way to talk to Sssith and see if he wants to come. I won’t drag him here unwillingly.” Elmira pets the veez. “Sweetmeats don’t have sugar, they are jerked meat that has been cured with a maple solution, they have a slightly sweet flavor, but are actually very good for you.” Elmira explains. Her skin, hair and eyes darken back to normal as her grip on her wand tightens again. “Thank you for the advice.” She smiles as Sikrannor.
"They will usually be able to smell adn taste if the food would give them a bad stomach, and if so they simply spit it out again. I think it was nature's way of making sure they didn't eat anything poisonous back in the days where they were wild. There are no wild veez left anymore though, but that's because the creatures have deliberately sought out the company of psionically gifted individuals."
Then Sikrannor turns serious again
"Yes, enraging Ziel would be a bad idea. Even Munchlord and Artak fear him, but they'd never admit that. Dragor doesn't though, but he cannot feel fear at all. He has not felt it since they day where his parents died....
On topic of Seraphina, I think if we worked together we could make that barrier too. I don't know if you feel it or not, but she's emitting psionic energy constantly, and people who does that are either very untrained, or doing it on purpose which takes a lot of control, and since you are asking to teach her I have to assume that it is not the latter. Thus I have a good idea about the extend of her power."
"What do you have here that's nonalcoholic, easy to check for poison, and goes well with distilled essence of integration?"
The kid takes a sip of his coffee and grins in bliss.
"Damn, but that's good. Anyway, I was literally born on the front lines. Mom tried to give me a chance at a normal life, but I wasn't havin' none o' that. So, here I am, a little killer just relaxing and waiting for his chance to finish what he started."
“That seems a shame. To have your innocence taken so young, but, it doesn’t seem to bother you much. Does it?” Allif sneaks a look over at Elmira. “Don’t let Mymi fool you with her mother-hen-ing and distaste of blood, she’s killed plenty in her time, and she’s good at it too, she just doesn’t care for it. She tries to pretend it never happened.” Allif leaned back in his chair and sighed over his wine. It was very good. “My thanks” he says to Cycine with a nod.
Allif, I heard that, stop spreading tales about me. I never tried to deny that I killed them. I just don’t volunteer the information and YOU shouldn’t either. Elmira says sharply into his mind. Allif acknowledges that he heard her without actually saying anything and returns to the young man in front of him. “So I’ve heard your, you probably want mine don’t you?” He asks, not sounding at all resentful of the opportunity to tell his tale.
Francis produces a grinding stone and his newly-aquired sword and begins to work patiently at the blade.
He hands the bottle to the man with a grin. "Whats your name friend?"
Cycine yells to LeMondis's back. "I'm adding that bottle to yer tab ya know LeMondis." LeMondis replies with a certain obscene gesture involving the finger of the median of the hand.
OOC
Ignore this, please - ninja'd
He smiles for a moment, "So what of yourself, what path do you travel?"
“Weeelll.” He starts his eyes starting to glow slightly. “I can’t really remember where I was born, but I was about three when Mymi found me and took me in. In that time, she was only fourteen, and we were both orphans and both street-rats. Her friend Detherin and her were thieves. They must have been good at what they did, because I never wanted for food or clothing or a place to stay. It wasn’t until I was a lot older that I learn Mymi was actually about thirty and had just made herself look younger.
“Well, as I got older, I started having strange dreams and feelings. The dreams weren’t mine, and the feeling REALLY weren’t mine. I was about eleven at this time. That’s when Mymi and Detherin decided to train me as a thief. I was smaller than them, and could get through the little windows in the attic or cellar that people always forgot to lock. Well, life was eventful then, let me tell you. But one day, we were about at the market shopping for food, and three mages in the white robes of the Mage School came up on Mymi and told her that she was coming with them.
“Mymi pushes me behind her and pulls out that wand she carry’s and says “I ain’t goin; nowhere’s with you creeps!” I didn’t even know she had the wand, and apparently, neither did they. I heard a word in my mind, and then Mymi threw a bright light at them and we ran for it. One of the mages cast a spell at her and she fell down. She yelled for me to catch, and threw the wand at me. Her hair and eyes turn white and she collapsed. Well, I was only eleven, so I ran.
“It was then that a man named Jadinail came to me and asked me what had happened and why I had Elmira’s wand. He told me he was her mother’s uncle and that we needed to get her away from the mages. Well what was I to do?” Allif takes a drink of his wine and continues. “He looks at my strangely, like I was some kind o’ weird animal.” Without realizing it Allif falls back into the thieves’ cant he was raised with. “Well, I went along wit’ the plan he comes up with, but while’ we’re out there tryin’ to rais a rucus that them mages will fall for. I feel a sharp pain in my side and Mymi comes runnen’ up to us, blood pooren’ outa her side.” Allif looks over at Elmira. “Show ‘im yer scar Mymi.” Allif insists
“Allif, here is neither the time nor the place, just finish your story.” Elmira tells him firmly.
“Come on, show.” Allif insists. Elmira sighs and stands and pulls off her outer robe. She undoes the neck of her tunic and pulls it over her head and raises her left arm to shoulder height. It is apparent why she raises her arm no farther when you looked at her side. Running down the whole length of her side is a large angry-looking scar that had healed poorly and pulled the skin on her side tightly. “Happy?” Elmira asks, completely unaware that her bare chest might offend someone. She puts her shirt back on and sits down. “Now finish your story Allif, without my help.” Elmira returns to her conversation with Sikrannor
“Anyway, her uncle just picks her up, grabs my arm, and we get pulled into a kinda place full of light and color, and when we come out, we are standing next to a small farm. Jadinail takes her inside and pulls a huge chuck of glass out of her side. She was a while in healing.
“We spent a few years there, it was just after the war when Mymi had to prove to everyone that just because she was a bastard child doesn’t mean she can’t take her mothers throne, when I started changing. At that time Kiyama, my mate, found me and explained to me that, like Mymi, I was not born, I was created. The Mother Goddess had made me for two reasons. I was to be Mymi’s support and companion, what you would call a familiar, and I was to be Kiyama’s mate. Well, who was I to argue with The Mother. So, we’ve been running around saving our world form this disaster and that disaster, it was during a fight with the last real troublemaker in Shadiaii that Mymi got tossed in here. I just followed her.” Allif finishes abruptly and drains his wine. “I could go into a lot more detail, but I don’t think you want to sit here for the next twenty years listening to my life’s tale.
A drink appears in front of him. He slowly sips it.
"You know, this is an amazingly stable world you have. I've been here for a little while, and I've only seen minimal bending, if you know what I mean." he remarks to anyone who cares to listen.
He pauses for a moment. "I just stay because of the fights and the general atmosphere of the place though."
~
The mysterious man in red appears beside Nick, sipping from his strange mechanical glass. "Yes It is an interesting place isnt it."
Nick finishes his drink.
"Oh. Sorry. I didn't mean to dump all that on you. I just tend to go into monologues if left unchecked."
He thinks this over, although his metallic and gemstone face does not show much emotion. "I mean no offense by calling you heavy, tis merely a metaphor."
hey friend, you wouldent happen to have anything that could, i dont know, get a man outta some irons would ya?
i hapened to find these on my way here, i hope that it will be enough, if not, i could always "find" some more
~
The man in red's face shows his disappointment. "Yes that close call was looking to turn out a bit better. Actually I know how it should have turned out but something changed the timeline. True though, there is much work to be done in the multiverses. It is nice to know there is someone else that does the same sort of work, although I think our methods and reasons differ greatly."
thanks, now i think ill find me some company
he wanders the taverne for a bit, then takes a seat next to an enrieys at a table
Sikrannor says, with some concern for Elmira in his voice, although more about the future hamper that it might cause than the wounds of the past, since while the scar was poorly healed it didn't seam to be an actual threat either.
Sikrannor, while noticing the bare chest, didn't seem to take much note of it, just a brief and completely casual look before his eyes returned to her scar and then to her face.
Internally he was just as much calm about it, although a part of his mind was amused by how effectively the transformation into an ilithid creature had removed that kind of genderly urges from him.
Someone else had taken notice and more care though, for Sintarr took off from the stage, leaving the band to play on on its own, and landed beside the table where Elmira and Sikrannor were sitting.
"I believe we got a wrong head start on each other miss."
The wildmage says, then he makes a brief twisting of his right hand conjuring a glass with a fresh green liquid in it.
"Allow me to offer you a drink..."
In the middle of the spellscale's artistic pause, Sikrannor cut in and finished his sentence
"specially made for you, which means no alcohol or other stimulative substances beyond sugar."
Sintarr gives Sikrannor an obviously fake glare and an equally obviously fake annoyed tone was in his voice when he said
"You just keep finishing my sentences and ruining the effect."
To which Sikrannor teasingly reply
"Yes, you'd just end up boring people to death with all your artistic pauses if I didn't."
Obviously these two consider eachother friends, and the seem to date way back.
BIC: "Sometimes, mainly the people just appear at the arena gates really. Whats his name over there is the only one who keeps poofing around like that. Its a bit irritating and redundant in my opinion, like hes flaunting his powers." LeMondis says, raising his voice ont he last part to make sure the man in red can hear.
~
The man in red ignores him though, or perhaps he was lost in thought.
“I believe you are right, Allow me to apologize for being so rude to you earlier. You meant no harm.” Elmira smiles in a friendly way at the man, keeping one eye always on Seraphina.
"Allow me to offer you a drink..."—he hands Elmira a cup of green liquid, which Elmira takes hesitantly. Sikrannor cuts over Sintarr’s pausing phrases and finishes the line.
"Specially made for you, which means no alcohol or other simulative substances beyond sugar." He says.
“Oh, well in that case.” Elmira smile and takes a sip of the liquid. She sighs contentedly and takes another drink. It tasted like sweetened strawberries. “My thanks. I have not had anything that tasted like this in many years. Shadiaii does not have very many trade routs, so those few that we have are usually reserved for necessities, not wants.
“I am Elmira, and you are?” She inquires politely of Sikrannor’s friend.
"Then let me in return apologize for bringing up an inapropriate comment when you were in a suboptimal condition."
His smile widens a little as he sees that she liked the drink, then he proceeds to speak again
"My name is Sintarr, and I am the owner of a well reputed bar company with main base in Sigil, the city of doors. If you were to ever venture there I'm quite certain we could take care of any desires you might have."
At that point Sikrannor throwed an eye at Sintarr and thinks to himself
"There he goes again."
But he decides not to drop a comment. In the meanwhile Sintarr speaks on.
"Actually, you can have this." He takes out a ring from his belt pouch. "It is a gate ring that remembers your last position when you use it. Activate it to be transported instantaneously to the entrance of my bar, and next time you activate it you return to the place you were when you activated it the first time. It is actiaved by mental command when you wear it."
In the meanwhile Sikrannor establishes a telepatic contact to Elmira, for private conversation.
"I am myself an accomplished healer, capable of resurrection a man from the dust left behind by a disintegrate spell, so maybe I should take a look at it sometime. The reason I use telepathy to continue the conversation is because if Sintarr finds out that we may be doing something that involves skin-to-skin contact on any other part of you than your hands, then he'll got nuts with envy... not that he isn't nuts as it is."
The man in red shakes his head at the man's comments. He says lowly. "I know what you are trying to do HateFeeder. It wont work on me."
Elmira listens to Sikrannor’s message and blinks. Where I come from, it is all but impossible to raise the dead. I am the only person who has ever managed to do that. Can you really heal my side? There is hope and longing in Elmira’s voice. To have the full use of her arm back, and to not have to feel that scar every time she moves ,and every time the whether changed, well, it was more than she had ever hoped for.
"You don't have many powerful divine spellcasters in your home world I take it then. In places like Sigil and the temples on Mount Celestia, raising the dead when the corpse is mostly undamaged is border lining trivial business, and in Ysgard the plane ressurects people by itself."
At the same time Sintarr replied, after a short brake to find out exactly what to say
"Well, business is going quite good at the moment... It isn't really that much of a sum to me, so... let's call it a gift shall we?"
Sikrannor rubs his forehead slightly then comments through the mindlink
"He forgot to tell you that he's among the richest people in all of our common home multiverse. There are no-one who knows exactly how much gold he stores... actually I don't think he even knows himself."
I am the only person capable of traveling through purgatory without getting trapped in it. And I am the only one with enough magic to bind the soul of the person to me; otherwise they would break free of my grip and get lost in the realms of smoke and shadow. The dead want to stay dead, and you always pay a price for bringing them back in my realms. My price was heavy, but worth it. Elmira’s blocks off a part of her mind, making sure that certain memories and places are well hidden.
It is well hidden Mymi, you know I keep that part of your mind locked, even from you. You are safe. With Sikrannor’s current contact with Elmira’s mind, he hears this conversation.
“Thank you Sintarr. It is a kingly gift.” Elmira complements Sintarr. No need to let him know that she now knew that he was just as wealthy as she was.
Sikrannor telepathed, leaving out the blocked part on purpose. If she had memories that she wanted to keep for herself then that was her business, but if she needed help he was there and ready, after all he was able to heal more than physically. He was a second too late to block this off from getting transferred in a non-conversationy way... almost like a person speaking to himself.
At the same time Sintarr gestured in a "that's nothing" kind of way.
"Nah, nothing too big. I've gotten a couple of them laying around at home."
Sikrannor couldn't resist commenting on that
"You mean a couple hundreds don't you?"
At the same time he mentally sent a wording to Sintarr, making sure not to show that part to Elmira
"No need to thank me."
Suffice to say it was exactly that kind of comment Sintarr had hoped that Sikrannor would drop.
He pauses and watches for Gerhard's reaction.
Nick smiles dreamily.
"Not that I have anything definite in mind for this particular place. It's pretty far from my usual haunts, it may take a few centuries for me to even get here. Still, nothing wrong with laying the groundwork. Especially considering how unpredictable this place is. The work of decades may collapse in a single afternoon. But that's life for you, huh?"
He pauses to think. "Anyway this is where my lord, Hate, is categorized. He is the primal force of hate, his very aura causes all around him to feel hate. The primals are basically immortal and more powerful then most gods, somewhat. The primals live off of the ideal and as long as the ideal lives then the primal will live, and theoretically even after the ideal has been forgotten, the primal can still exist."
~
"Yes I agree, charging an army in to solve one's problems is very wasteful and generally stupid. Some of Sorcen's tactics seem to pay off though, he uses individuals more then a devil should but that is his strength." He pauses now, thinking of how to word the next part without giving too much away.
"I was born gifted with most of my power. I did use that power to gain further power though and sought a certain type of magic to further that power. I have dealt with death and rebirth already and that experience helped me to change my ways. I am much more cautious now and seek only to watch events and help them along when I see my chance. As with you, I too rarely need to get involved to have things go in my favor."
"Yes this place is a bit more chaotic then the rest of Baator. But as with Sorcen, chaos is his strength in a lawful plane, as paradoxical as that may seem. I have already laid my groundwork as well, this temporal change though may have altered my plans though."
OOC: Methinks me smells a quest coming on.
With another grin Gerhard says "But enough about these rifts and what not tell me more about the Arena over next door I stumbled in there and got stabed afew times so I high tailed it out of there."
With those words Nick simply vanishes without a trace.
~
LeMondis nods and finishes the last bit of his drink, he stares at the empty bottom of the glass as he talks. "The arena is where competitors from all races, all universes, all dimensions even, battle it out. Sorcen seems to care not for the reasons and he gets alot of business here. As do I, with people fighting all the time around here theres alot of hate to feed on."
Sintarr replies. The idea he had come to seems to amuse him slightly, although that can be heard only in his telepatic voice, there is no sign of it in his face.
In the meanwhile the six charits that Sintarr claimed has found their owner, and insists on playing with him. Seeing that Elmira is occupied in thought with something else and deciding that this conversation should be what is necessary for now, he starts playing with the small creatures. He does this by a combination of all of his limbs, including wings, and small illusions that oftentimes takes on effects not quite what you would expect. All in all it's a highly amusing sight.
nervously she opens it and peers inside, waiting, near trembling, for the pack leader of this territory to pin her and demand to know what she was doing here. She carefully sniffs the air, a confusing array of smells overwhelm her before four small figures zoom at her, squealing in delight. The four unattached Charits zoom around her head, inviting her to come share their rafters and licking the little remaining blood from her kill off her face. Mashith, glad of some invitation of friendship, jumps into the air with her powerful legs and grips the rafters in her front claws.
She pulls herself up and settled onto the beam, her feet tucked under her and her tail swinging lazily down behind her. she scans the room, smelling the air and trying to find the man that the Pack leader of the Nexus had spoken of. the Charits settled themselves around her comfortably as she looked, knowing their distant cousin as kin.
“Ho there Nolisian!” The sound of the name of her race causes Mashith to look over to a table where a man, a –thing- which smelled of danger, two women, and a girl sat. “What brings you so far from home?” A woman with black hair and purple robes asks. Mashith ruffles her wings to move the Charits that had settled themselves on her and jumps over to the rafter over their head, swinging on it for a moment before catching her balances and clambering up onto it. below her she could smell a feint odor of trees and damp earth.
“Might you be a man called Tyler, who hales to the Pack Leader of the Nexus?” there was something dangerous in his scent, something that smelled of death and burnt things. Mashith’s pupils widened and her fangs dropped in automatic reaction to the scent of danger below her. She cursed her young age, if she were an adult ,she would have been able to control that, just as she would have been able to stand upright and greet humans on their own terms, but she would not be able to do that for another fifty years or so. So she was just going to have to deal with it.
“Ho there Nolisian!” She calls out to the young one. “What brings you so far from home?” She asks, hoping maybe the Nolisians had found - and delt with - the upstart young mage who had hurled her through the dimension. The kit jumps from beam to beam until she is directly overhead of them, but, instead of addressing Elmira, she looks over at Tyler and speaks to him. Elmira notices the healthy brown gleam of the Nolisian’s hide, she had just fed. Elmira sighed in relief, knowing that the dropped fangs were a reaction of fear, not hunger.
“Do not be afraid of her, the fangs are because she is afraid. She is young, and her people are distantly related to Charits.” Elmira notes that she probably didn’t need to say that, considering that the Nolisian looked like a slightly more humanized Charit, only bigger. Be careful of her though. Elmira adds telepathically. She may be friendly to us because she is young, but more than one Nolisian has been known to hunt human when no other prey is available. Elmira cast the thought out to those at the table. Speak to her with authority, she is young and lost and looking for a pack. Elmira pulled these thoughts out of the Nolisians mind.
Sikrannor on the other hand took up and attempts a friendly smile, and although the smile doesn't look anywhere near a smile thanks to the tentacles, the intention of the facial expressing does carry across somehow.
"Greetings young one and welcome. In case you are wondering you have ended up in hell, but things could be worse, for you are certainly not among the damned souls here."
Elmira listens with interest to the conversation. perhaps the poor creature had been thrown here from a ripple effect of the battle that had taken place in Shadiaii. there was no telling what that kind of magic could do when in the hands of someone who didn’t know how to control it. Allif... Elmira leaves the thought hanging, knowing he would pick up on her thoughts.
No Mymi, as you said, she is looking for a pack, if I greet her now, she will immediately glue herself to me as a pack member. I will leave her be until she glues herself to someone else.
Elmira sighs regretfully, but knows that his words are true. The last thing either of them needed right now was to start raising a Nolisian kit until she reached her maturity in seventy years. be careful Sikrannor. Elmira cautions him. don’t give her any indication that you want her to join your ‘pack’ unless you want to spend the next seventy or so years teaching a Nolisian kit how to be a good pack member.
"Friends can be found here, for even among the ones who are not damned, there are good souls, like me. Wether I belong to a pack or not is... depending on your definition of pack. I do not travel with anyone permanently, aside from Brat here and my newly gained, but yet unnamed, charit kit. But I do have friends that I don't stick together with every day of my life, like Sintarr over there playing with the six other charits. Together we and some others for group of soulforgians working for the betterment of society and the major good. We also are part of a group called the soulforgians as a whole whom you could see as a pack. So you could call me and my two pets a small pack that is part of a bigger one making up my friends, which are again a part of a huge pack making up the soulforgians."
Sikrannor said in a friendly tone and with a smile at the young creature.
Elmira looks over at Sikrannor. The Pack Leader who leads the hunt on the dark moon is the queen of the Nolisian people. They live in family groups in the manner of a wolf pack, and hunt in those groups as well. All the packs live in the Nolisian Caves in the mountain range near Romathka. Each section of the caves is devoted to the larger, less joined pack, and the whole of the Nolisian nation bows to the queen as the ultimate Pack Leader.
"I'm afraid you got me a slight bit wrong. Neither the grouping of soulforgians that work for the greater good, nor the soulforgians as a whole has a single pack leader. Me and my allies are working on concensus concepts. We discuss things and decide what course of action to take when our common workings are needed. The soulforgians as a whole has no leader either, and internal strife is common. The different packs and individuals make deals, trade, favors and the like to move the group. The only time we would fight alongside each other would be if we were all threatened, and even then I doubt that internal politics could be avoided... if they could the situation would be dire indeed."
"Thank you for the information."
The four unmatched Charits chirp encouragingly as Mashith lowers herself from the ceiling to drop gently onto the floor. Mashith walks on her four legs—her head held low, her tail just barely dragging the ground, and her wings tucked tightly to her back—up to Sikrannor and rubs her ruff against his side, taking his scent onto her. She is about the size of a large lion right now. She waits, tense, ready to jump back into the rafters, for a sign of acceptance or rejection.
"You will get away from my daughter," Tyler says very calmly, "and away from my charge. I will not tolerate a Mind Flayer in the thoughts of those I love and those I am responsible for. Do you understand?"
Tyler turns his gaze to Mashith, much more friendly.
"I'm Tyler, aye, but my full name is Tyler Emeritus Vici. Kaylee is a friend of mine, but I've got my own pack, as it were - call themselves the Inquisition. I'm here as their representative to Baator, since we owe Sorcen some favors and the like. This is Despair."
Tyler's guitar murmurs a telepathic greeting sleepily.
"If Kaylee told you to seek me out, that means it's my job to help take care of you. I'd be more than happy to, actually - God only knows I've had stranger things. First thing's first - this pleasant-seeming, tentacled fellow is what is commonly called a Mind Flayer, or Illithid. His kind eat brains. This is not slander - they do it to survive. I don't care how celestial he looks, I'd rather that he stay at least ten feet away from me, my daughter, my wife, and you. Secondly, this weapon in my hand is called a Glock. It fires steel out of itself very, very fast, so if he tries anything, his own brain will be on the walls. I hope this can remain very, very civil."
Elmira jumps to her feet and waves her wand in a complicated motion that no one can see. The darkness vanishes. “Nolisian come down here at once!” She shouts to the rafters, her voice echoing surreally, as if two or three people were speaking at once. “Stop this!” She commands, her eyes glowing with a feint light as magic begins to ripple over her skin. “I can understand your fear Tyler Vici, but do understand that I am a highly accomplished telepath. This thing, whatever his race may be, means none of us any harm at all. His intent from the beginning has been good.” Mashith jumps down from the rafter and hides behind Elmira. “Think not that I am your pack leader kit, I have much to worry about in my own pack, just know that until you find a pack I will let no harm come to you.” Elmira says firmly to the Nolisian.
“Now, gentlemen, we can solve this civilly, without weapons, or I can solve this the hard way for both of you.”
"You can come down," he grumbles sullenly.
Elmira, we have decided to go with you. We are intelligent enough to know that this will be good for us. We must be taught.
OOC
2,000th POST!
Elmira holds her hand out to Mashith to indicate that she is not to be disturbed. Allif, get over here now. She commands her familiar and closest friend. “Seraphina, the first thing I am going to do will scare you. It will show you who Seraphina is, and who Seraphina isn’t. You have to trust me, I will never hurt you.” Elmira opens her mind completely and totally to the girl, even the parts of her mind kept locked from herself are open to the four year old child. Now Allif. Elmira and Allif join their minds and powers and clamp a shield around Seraphina’s mind.
“This is my mind.” Elmira drew a thin shield around her mind, not even blocking thought, just coloring her own thoughts with a purple tone. “This is your mind.” Elmira focuses her thought on Seraphina’s mind. Even if the child were near death and comatose, these thoughts would still blaze through her worst nightmares, showing her the difference between her own mind and another persons. “You are one person, strong, unique, and worthy. I am one person, strong, unique, and worthy. Learn to live with only yourself Seraphina, for once we leave this tavern, it will be many years before any mind besides mine of Allif’s touches yours.”
A very loud creackle of magical energy with an immense intensity enough to worry even the most powerful of the arena combatants greatly were heard from Sintarr's position where the chaos mage had risen to his feet and pure magical chaos were swirling around him in amounts that surpassed what even the most cocentrated parts of Limbo could accomplish.
With a voice that clearly showed his immense but still restrained wrath with the full weight of his godlike charisma the spellscale spoke to Tyler
"If you as much as attempt to harm him then I will make sure there will not even be any soul left of you to pass into the afterlife."
Sikrannor sighed and looked rather sorry about how this was developing, but he realized that trying to communicate with Tyler about Sintarr would be a bad idea. Instead he simply said
"I can assure you that I mean neither you nor your daughter any harm, actually I am far more inclined to the opposite. Under any circumstances I will stay away from your daughter if you do not want me to try helping her control her poewrs."
At the same time Sikrannor telepathed to Elmira
"What Sintarr says is sadly true, and I am afraid it will be unhealthy to be near him or Tyler if Tyler attacks me."
Then he communicated with the nolisian kit
"Tyler was both wrong and right. I am not completely ilithid, but only halfpart. The process of becoming an ilithid is complicated, so for simplicity I will just say that my celestial nature were too much for the ilithidic influence to overcome. It is unfortunately true too that ilithids eat brains to survive, but on that I am the exception. The reason is a sacred oath I swore more than a millinia ago when I was still not ilithidic. The oath was to abstain from material possession aside from my clothes. This oath yields many benefits, one of which is that I need no food. I can also assure you that I will do anything within my power to save you should the rage that Sintarr feel right now cause open conflict."
"I'd love to see you try it," Tyler says very quietly. "Give me an excuse and I'll level this bar around you. Go on, jump for me. I'm really not feeling tolerant right now."
In her own mind, Seraphina screams. Elmira can see the girl lash out against the shields in a blind panic - but another part of her mind throws up even stronger defenses, seperating her mind from everyone else's. Elmira and Sikrannor can hear the frantic cry of her conscious mind over and over, screamed in a blind panic.
"No! Weareweareweareweareweareweareweareweare..."
The psychic cry becomes weaker, and then fades, and Seraphina slumps onto her table, snoring gently and quietly.
For the first time in her life, she is well and truly asleep.
Mashith pads over to Sintarr and stops outside of the whirling mass of energy. “Please, do not be angry, anger only leads to hurt.” Mashith turns her back on Sintarr and walks over to Tyler. She stands on back legs and places her hands on Tyler’s shoulders. With one arm she removes the face veil and squints in the bright light, her pupils little more than slits. “Please, do not hurt him.” She pleads. “No more fighting. All my life my people fought for the Great Queen, peace finally came and I thought the fighting was done. There are better reasons to fight then misunderstanding, please, please don’t fight.” Mashith whines deep in her throat. She had lost half of her pack, including brothers and sisters, to the fighting on her home world. She did not know these people well, but they had accepted her, she did not want to watch them fight.
Elmira picks up the little girl and rocks her gently. Allif places a hand on her shoulder and helps her to stand by just that touch. In his other hand Elmira’s wand rests. Elmira looks like a specter of her former self, her hair and skin are both bleach white, and her eyes are glacial blue with pink pupils. Allif’s skin was also pale, the blue crystal embedded in his forehead blazed with magical energy as he and Elmira maintained the shield around Seraphina’s mind.
“You chose a good time to begin fighting. A time when my magic and my mind are so concentrated on one who needs it that I can offer no solution to you.” Her voice was deep and reverberating. “I choose no sides here except the side of this little girl.” Elmira hugged the child to her, all the while she repeated her litany into Seraphina’s sleeping mind. Showing the child the parts of her mind that were only her own.
Sintarr's voice were twisted by wrath, and so was the energies, reality was twising itself in impossible ways around him, and although the chorona of energy around Sintarr was becomeing smaller, and denser, the area where the chaotic magic had effect were increasing. Arcs of lightning had begun to spew from the chorona and to inanimate objects around Sintarr, creating a large amount of devestation just around him.
Sikrannor reacted swiftly on that. He knew that Sintarr was restraining himself greatly to avoid causing more damage right now, and as such he decided that it would be his responsability to make sure that the charits that were still near him got moved to a safe distance.
Tyler's words about not being tolerant struck as a fist in the groin though, and Sikrannor could not spot himself from giving Tyler a highly angered glare, but he restrained himself for the sake of the Mashith. That took all of his concentration though, making the surface thoughts and emotions clearly felt to Elmira and Mashith, and his reasons for acting as he did as well. But he had a very hard time with intolerance. Hard enough that he couldn't ask Sintarr to back down... he knew it would be of no use anyway.
The intolerance had it's effect on Sintarr too
"And the very moment you act offensive to one of my associates just because they are "weird", I will reduce every single possession of yours to molecular dust! Gods I hate intolerant maggots!"
Elmira waits, Seraphina still nesteld in her arms, to see what Tyler will do. Sintarr, please, stop this. I know you do not know me very well, but I had nearly had him calmed down before you jumped in. i know Sikrannor is your friend, but right now you are doing neither him, yourself, nor Mashith any good with this. Please, calm youself. Elmira 'paths to the Chaos mage.
"You wanna run that behind me again, you joker? I'll have you know that I've seen more friends killed by necromancers, drow, illithids, duergar, and what-have-you than you likely ever had in your life, so I'll thank you to shut your trap and getting back to that mockery you dare to call magic. I'm entitled to a bit of paranoia, got it?"
Sintarr was boiling with wrath now, close to explosion. The chaos chorona was a boiling madness of energy so dense now that its mass was causing a slight, but feelable gravitational effect on things near it. Suddenly an arc of energy leaps from the chorona and hits a chair which is instantly turned into a large swarm of fist sized mosquitos. He didn't even bother to answer Tyler, devoting all of his will to contain his rage. Normally he wouldn't have put bonds upon himself, but when Sikrannor didn't attack then Sikrannor didn't want to fight here and now, and many things could be said about Sintarr, but he was loyal to his friends.
In the meantime someone had entered the tavern. A black thri-kreen in robes with a medalion around the neck. Loex let his gaze run across the clientel, but stops as he spots a little girl. Seemingly she would be perfect for his purposes and experiments, and as there was seemingly a fight going to break out he would probably be able to snatch her away in the chaos.
Sikrannor picked up upon this quite strong thought that was happening behind him, and suddenly he turned around and flew forth towards Loex with an outstretched hand, feathers flying behind him and chairs and tables getting knocked over. He hit Loex with the outstretched hand slamming into Loex' throat and dragging him along to slam him into the wall, causing quite some damage to the wall.
"If you as much as touch the girl, the days of your petty little cult are numbered and few, insect."
Sikrannor's voice was twisted by wrath and hate, and the last word was spat out as if it tasted very bad.
Loex seemed surprised at first, but quickly his expression changed and a faint shimmer of blackness appeared around him.
"Your power is no match for that of a god, my followers and diciples will outlast your petty crusades."
A powerful voice, like from two creatures, spoke from Loex.
Then he struck with one of his arms at the belly of Sikrannor, sending the celestial ilithid flying out into the air.
Once steadied, Sikrannor stretched both hands out in front of him and spoke in a language incomprehensible to most of the baatorians.
"Ved de syv sletter, og frihedens fagre enge, ved de mange der lever med troen på håbet. Jeg betvinger dig ondskabens håndlanger, vig bort yngel af mørket, vig bort."
Despite the energies involved were invisible, everyone felt the struggle between good and evil, between tyranny and freedom stand up there between the god and the celestial. The celestial won at last, driving out the divine prescense from the taverne. The thri-kreen followed quickly, fully aware that he had been beaten.
Sikrannor returned to the table at a slow pace, seemingly having a hard time walking by himself. He dropped onto the chair like a thrown bag of grain with a worn look on the face. He winked at Tyler and said
"If you were going to kill me *cough* for being close to your daughter, then now *cough* would be a good ti..."
His sentence was cut short by a violent coughing, and when he lovered his hand from his mouth again, a brief sighting of reddish purple blood was seen in his palm before he closed his fist.
Sintarr had looked with big, surprised eyes at Sikrannor's actions, his anger blown away instantaneously by this new event, for this was the best way to abolish his anger, make him think of something else. This also meant that the chorona had dispersed without causing any damage, it had simply disappeared into nothingness the same way it had appeared.
Try and pry the girl from my grip worm. I am the daughter of a Godddess greater than you could ever hope to be, try your will against mine. She sends the mental challenge to the man. She watches in mild surprise as Sikrannor deals with the miscreant. It seems they have some sort of history.
When he sits and addresses Tyler, coughing blood into his hand, Elmira drops her shield and takes several steps forward, but stops, looking at Tyler. He did not want Seraphina near the Illithid, and she would respect his wishes for his daughter, but Sikrannor was hurt.
Is there anything Allif or I can do for you? Elmira offers at the same time as she speaks. “Are you all right?”
Mashith Jumps own from the rafters and approaches Sikrannor. She stands I front of him, a weary predator and extends her wings halfway, her eyes hard. “It is dishonorable to attack him while he is hurt and weary. If you are going to battle for territory, wait until he is rested.” Mashith says in a—I am trying to be assertive but have no idea how, or if I can get away with it— tone. The Charits that she called away return to their masters as Mashith look uncertainly at Tyler.
He smugly sips his drink, seemingly unaware of the hostile eyes looking at the bold little kobold. Although he is less than three feet tall, he seems to give off an aura of power. On his back is a sword with a scaled handle.
((To anyone who is familiar with him, this is Svenic of the Grey Guild.))
"If you are looking for goods related to the vile in any way, try out the black caravan down at the square to the south of here. The owner of the thing just left."
Storm smiles at Squall and pats him on the back after putting his gun away.Calm down brother not everyone within the relms are like us. Just be patient some what and just take in these places.
"Your daughter would be Mashith correct? I believe she's hunting alongside Chaos, so she should be safe. I believe they are back before long."
She walks back into Taverne, leaving the door open. “She has given you her name, that speaks either that you are trustworthy, or that she is very young.” Given an adult to compare Mashith too, anyone looking on can see that Mashith is indeed juvenile. Shethila’s features are harder and more seasoned then Mashith’s softer, rounder face and limbs.
Mashith, having sated her need to hunt and her thirst, drops the tiger and steps away from it. “The hunt was a good one.” she says in a throbbing voice, her eyes wide with excitement. “There is much for you should you desire to eat, When you have eaten your fill...” Mashith stops as a deep, though distant roar echoes through the air. “Mother,” she breaths. “I must go, I am sorry, Please, when you have finished, bring the animal back so that I may make Mother proud with my hunting.” Mashith hurries the words out before leaping into the air and rowing her wings for height.
Mashith speeds back to Taverne, not bothering to wipe the blood off of her skin before landing clumsily and running full out into Taverne. “Mother!” She cries before diving at the huge Nolisian. Shethila wraps her powerful arms around the young Nolisian and the height difference is very noticeable. Mashith barely tops six feet, and Shethila is nearly three feet taller than her daughter.
Assured that her daughter is safe, Shethila seems to crumple with tiredness. She jumps into the rafters and settles out on a thick beam. Mashith follows her and settles on a beam next to her, still looking down at Taverne.
"At times the eyes of the child sees what an adult doesn't. I am one to trust as long as you have no vile aims, but saying so myself doesn't make me any more trustworthy, and I am well aware that my appearance speaks against me. Something else might though."
With those words Sikrannor changes form into a tall humanoid man with brilliant white feathered wings on the back. His body is muscular and his features are handsome. Everything about his appearance whispers trustworthy, in fact to such a degree that he looks suspiciously trustworthy, but even as you think it you realize that you wouldn't have seen it if he hadn't just changed into this form
"I can be in this form as much as I wish, but I deliberately choose the other, as a sign of honesty unless I have powerful motivations to be dishonest."
Then he changes back.
Assured that her child is safe for the moment, she is able to relax from her vantage point, but she fights off sleep with all her strength, not knowing if her child will remain safe among so many strangers in such a strange place.
Jack says to LeMondis, taking care not to let Jason hear his words.
He takes a sip of his drink before speaking again. "Its odd how our domains coincide so often. Take him for instance, he hungered for the power and hates it now that he has it."
“Yes, anyone who is there at the time of the Challenge may witness it, though there is no specific day for the Challenge to be issued.” Mashith tells Storm as she settled herself comfortably. When the Challenge is issued, the fighters have half a day to make their preparations before the fight begins. the fight normally lasts for quite a while, and is held in the main gathering hall so that all of the cave may be present to watch if they wish it to be so.” Mashith explains.
“I am used to being bored, much of my life is spent watching and learning from those more experienced than I, so that I may be the best I can be and lead my own pack in the best possible manner when I have come of age to Mate.”
Storm concentrates and his whole body becomes water. He moves around showing her that he can do everything he once did in his solid form and reforms back.''My father the one who created my worlds took me and my brothers and fused us with the elements giving us the gifts to manipulate all elements. I have taught many people to use them in my lifetime. But the element must choose them before I am able to teach them.''
do not waste pleasantry on me hunger, what do you want?
jack can feel the presence, searching for weakness
jason looks at lemondis and chuckles
great power? me? i am not nearly as powerful as other beings here, your probably trying to trick me. still, if the creature inside me is going to be released, may as well be away from inosents. besides, i haven't been to another world for awhile.
He glances to Jack, sending a mental messege. We're set over here.
He turns back to Jason and begins to stand up. "Thank you for your help. I'll contact you again when we are ready to leave."
Squall stands up also feeling his brother's need to fight. ''Which one brother and Ill aid you in crushing them...I will have to burn some time since our little leader or whatever you wish to call him is still talking to people....For moons sake hes slow.''
He turns to stare at Tyler his eyes stare at him for awhile and then he stands. "So Mashith what do you choose?"
"I guess, I didnt know he could do that but I can do that to eh. I guess we will have to get used to it. You ready bud?"Squall laughs.
Felix Chant has changed. A goal, a clear goal, is before him, and his eyes glint with hope.
When he looks, he sees Seraphina, half-turned towards him and looking at someone else across the bar. The angelic goth is smiling, a pretty smile that tugs on strings the young magician didn't know he had. There's a feeling of warmth looking at her, and a blush rises in his face.
Sera turns towards him as though noticing him for the first time.
You have beautiful eyes she says in his mind, her mental voice like velvet. I'm flattered that you'd use them to look at me.
Nothing happens, and he turns back to Shirin to plan for the trip to Sigil -- the easiest thing to do is just ignore her. He's lost blood to his own spells, felt magic strike his mind like a bell and listened to it ring.
For the first time, a girl has looked at him. And for the first time, his stomach turned over.
Have I met you before?
She laughs lightly in Felix's mind, a laugh that sounds like glass breaking gently, both bell-like and cutting. She's not laughing at him, he knows - just finding something amusing.
Why turn that handsome face of yours? I was enjoying the view.
I've only one thing to dream about. And, I'm sorry to say that it's not you.
The girl sidles up behind Felix and encircles him in a gentle hug. Her wings wrap around the two of them, cutting them off from the rest of the bar.
"If you can't have me while you sleep, why not while you wake?" she whispers in his ear. Her real voice is even more alluring than the mental image. "I know what you're going to go do. I want to help. The Gentry don't play fair..."
Felix doesn't see her smile, but he feels her lip curl into one against his ear before she kisses his cheek.
"I can even the odds."
"Goals change, people change. I can't accept your help though. There's nothing for you at the end of this path, nothing I can see."
The magician is clearly torn between staying in the bar, just letting events slide around him. Just staying there with Seraphina...it's much easier to let opportunity slide by than to sieze it...
But there is something else that drives him. And it's clear that he'll forge ahead with or without Seraphina.
She kisses his ear gently - her lips are warm and soft.
"And after that? Maybe I want you, Felix. Or maybe not. But that's what the journey is about, isn't it? Finding what we all want."
"Yes, it is. We'll see. Now we need to find a way to Sigil."
there is a voice from behind felix, which only he can hear.
i wondered when we would meet. i am here to assist you. it seems you require allies in this endeavor.
(anyone viewing the being behind him: it seems like a normal, middle aged human male. if felix turns around he sees a vaguely humanoid, partially transparent...thing.)
"You 'wondered when we would meet'? I don't believe I know you."
light grows inside the creature, illuminating it.
helping you is a tactical decision. your success in this will inadvertently provide me with an advantage over another of my kind. hopefully.
OOC
Lunoc, you may want to invest in Microsoft Word or a spellcheck.
)OOC:
OOC: Join the club, I'm broke as a joke, a really bad joke that doesnt half make sense. If I remember correctly though you can click the little ABC thing with a check mark, its tiny but its in the upper right corner of the box when you click reply. Anyway that'll download something akin to a spellcheck on your computer. Just throwing it out there in case you want to use that. Dont feel pressured to or anything, you spell most stuff right and anything you misspell is easily interpretted. Sorry I got to rambling.
the being slowly fades away
ill see you there.
Allif runs over to her and catches her before she collapses, convulsing as if gripped by a seizure. “Mira!” he shouts, holding her to the floor to keep her from injuring herself. a dark, shimmering fire seems to seep out of her body, swirling around his pale form. a tendril of it seems to rise from her and lunges right at Allif’s chest. Allif gasps and the dark magic seems to spill out of his mouth as he tries desperately to breath. Allif tears himself away from Elmira and tries to purge himself of the magic, but it seeps into his blood and bones.
“I. Will. Not. Be. That!” Allif shouts as his form begins to shimmer. after a moment the white unicorn is stand once again in the bar, only his form it splotched by area’s of gray and black. his horn begins to glow with a white fire and everyone with any kind of magic feels at if he or she is being drained of energy. a white fire encases Allif and Elmira, driving the blackness out.
Seraphina can feel Allif sucking her power out of her like a siphon, to purge this from his own body, he has to have her magic, and she knows this. the fire pushes the blackness off of Allif, and it seems, Elmira as well. With a primal, animal scream he rears, throwing hi head and tossing the blackness to an empty place in the bar, where it seems to settle.
Elmira screams once and sits up, her eyes wide. anyone looking at her sees, not the black hair beauty they knew, but a white-skinned, white hair woman that looks as if all color was bleached from her.
“Allif, no!” she screams as she looks at the blackness across the room, but it is too late. the magic slides itself into a solid shape, a mirror image of the pale, ghostly looking apparitions across the room. Elmira Dives for her wand, as her hands grip it, color returns to her skin and her hair blackens once again. she points the wand at her naked counterpart, who is just as bleached at Elmira had been before her hands touched the wand.
“This is why I would not let you purge it from me while you had the ability, I knew that this would happen, you are dealing with wild magic Allif, not natural magic, not tamed magic, pure and wild magic!” Elmira shouts at him. with a slow, deliberate motion, her counterpart picks up an ebony wand with a blue-black crystal and smiles cruelly, placing her hand on a skeletal, leathery looking version of Allif himself.
“I shall see you again, we are one, and one we shall be, but not today.” She flings herself onto the unicorn next to her and seems to vanish into the shadows, leaving behind a feint echo of malicious laughter. with a low moan Elmira collapses onto the floor just as Allif seems to fall in on himself.
We'll get you help, Sera says fiercely, and destroy that thing.
She sings softly, and Sera, Elmira, and Felix fade out, heading to Sigil.
***
"Well, Mashith and I should probably get going sometime soon. Places to go, people to smite, corrupt governments to bring to their knees and all that jazz. The two of you really should stay here, though - I can't guard three people at once. You'd be in the way."
OOC
I shall have the quest thread up later!
“I need no protection, and I can care for my own child. If you wish, I may prove it to you in a test of strengths.” Shethila says almost indignantly. “In fact, it may be best to get this out of the way now, to see who will lead our temporary pack, to avoid confusion and future fights.” Shethila nods her head decisively, “yes, I have seen where it is you conduct battles, this will not be to the death, but I am sure by the time you wield you will see that I am more then capable of defending myself and my kit.”
"As you wish, milady. See you below."
Tyler leaps out of the oft-shattered window, shattering it again, and to the dirt of the Arena.
Shethila opens her eyes groggily and tries to say something to her daughter before passing out again. The potion needs time to work for her, her blood is thicker, and her bones denser, it will take time.
A darkness fills Taverne, not the kind of darkness that oppresses, but the kind that seems calm and comforting. Two shadowed figures appear on either side of Mashith. One is purest white, an the other darkest black. the white one places a hand on Mashith and the kit falls to her knees, tears in her eyes.
“Calm yourself favored Kit, your mother is healing.” a deep voice speaks, it sounds feminine and soothing. “Chaos, I am surprised to find her you here, but you will do as you please.” Mashithilalimia addresses the primal. The goddess of the Nolisians, and Mashith’s namesake looks at Tyler. “Protect this kit, the life she has to save is important to you, and she is even more important to us. If you let her fall, we will be most displeased.” the goddess of the Nolisian peoples lays her hand on Tyler.
“You fought bravely and well, you are worthy to guard her, and I task you with this now, and until I come to claim her from you.” Mashithilalimia says in a deep, calm voice. Tyler can hear a command in that voice though, and the promise of dire things to come if that command is not obeyed. Tyler can feel a cold, biting magic flow through his blood and bone from the hand on his forehead. “Be healed and be marked as the guardian of the favored one.” The darkness vanishes and Tyler is fully healed, though slightly disoriented. his forehead still feels cold however.
Sitting upon his forehead as an ancient rune, known to all Nolisian peoples, marking him as a favored and chosen of the gods, a guardian, and the mark can also be seen, though barely, on Mashith’s forehead, marking her as the favored to be guarded.
Brightwing doesn’t wait to see what the thing does before sitting down by Ser’rian and looking sternly at him. “I don’t care what you do, but you have no right to go around hurting and nearly killing things that have done you no harm.” She says firmly.
It crashes to the floor, completely encased in ice. Ser'rian never got up.
"Those beings are embodiments of law twisted to serve evil. They are born without souls and without compassion, and literally nothing can change them."
Ser'rian keeps eating calmly.
"I mean, seriously, did you miss the part where this is Hell?"
Ser'rian continues eating, but a chair of solid ice without a back - so, in essence, a stool - forms next to him at the table.
"Now, what exactly did you mean back there?"
Wow, Ser'rian thinks besides his forcedly passive face, she's beautiful. Her eyes are like crystal glaciers.
Hell, Dad was right. All the cool girls go to Hell.
Must...not..do..it...anyway...just...to..see..interesting..parts..of...anatomy...
"I came here to have a blast, really - Dad reccomended the place to me. I'm here to fight. I dunno what's important about that..."
Ser'rian smiles a smile that's a lot warmer than his skin, and forms a block of ice on the table for Brightwing.
"The fighting is all in good fun. It just happens to involve dying."
"You know your dad well then?" there seems to be a note of sadness in her voic when she says this, but it is hard to tell around the aura of "HAPPY" that seems to move around her.
On impulse, Ser'rian hugs his new friend. The hug is maintained much longer than was originally intended, because the young man is blushing and trying very hard to stop before he lets Brightwing see his face again.
Finally, though, he gets himself under control and breaks the embrace.
"What about you? What're your parents like?"
"Do you like music?"
The song picks up, still dark but more of a dancing tune, but he doesn't play the whole thing through. Instead he dissapates the instrument and grins.
"Yes, yes I do."
"But music is more then that." she struggles as sh tries to find the words. "Music is, it's..." she sighs. "Music is who we are, I don't know how to explain it. Music can calm a baby, or inflame the menfolk into brawls, it can warm the heart, or make it freeze with dread, and all without a single trace of magic in it. Music is music." She sighs, still not thinking that she was able to explain it properly.
Ser'rian smiles.
"The one thing that can be said about humanity is that it escapes definition, which might be why we're some of the meanest cusses around."
"My magic is all inherant, myself. I got the ice from Dad and the fangs from Mom. Learned how to use a sword from Dad and Mom taught me some of my dirtier tricks with it. Fun times."
She watches Ser'rain as he talks, the way he moves and the subtle play of the cold over his skin and smiles to herself. She notices the vividness of his eyes and smiles. they were so light, so pure and clear. She stands and stretches, making sure that her body stretches in just the right manner so that he had a clear view. As she walked around the table, looking around the bar, she lets the tips of her feathers brush across the skin on the back of his neck.
"Captain, she's coming closer! What do we do?"
The Bridge was in scrambles. The Captain was shouting incomprehensible orders as Brightwing came closer. The eyes were blinking too much and nervousness was heating the interior to almost zero degrees - insidiously hot.
"She's right next to us, Captain! We're going to make contact!"
"Say something!" the Captain finally shouted. A message was hurredly typed in.
Then Brightwing touched Ser'rian, and it all got scrambled.
"I-it makes you the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."
"What the hell was that!" the Captain shouted, red-faced and embarassed. Nervousness indicators notified the crew that Ser'rian's face was red.
"Th-the message got scrambled, sir!"
"We're in for it now," the Captain sighed. "Brace for mental impact."
"I've never seen anyone like you either. You look like the Grand Hunter." she says quietly. "Though, am I the pray you seek?" she asks throatily as she lifts her hand to touch his cheek.
Brightwing takes a deep breath and turns her head away. "I am sorry, I forget that your ways are not my ways. I shall try to remember myself." she says in a slightly trembling voice.
"It's okay. Take a seat, relax a bit - I'll teach you how to play some chess, eh?"
"Excuse me barkeep, who would happen to have a bit of whale blubber behind the bar would you? I'm worried some of these bindings are starting to rust."
After several minutes, however, Albrecht notices that the barkeep, who he would soon learn is known as Cycine to the tavern's patrons, is working at a rapid pace in order to serve all of the clients that have gathered in the bar. Albrecht packs up his things and begins to leave, leaving several pieces of platinum on the counter despite receiving no service.
"How much for a beer, is there any age limits here and if they are 18 or above, how much extra for believing that I'm old enough?
Also am I allowed to smoke, burn and fix in here?"
Zack says in a matter-of-fact like tone to Cycine, but he turns around before waiting for an answer, then he yells.
"Would there be a Brightwing or a Ser'rian here somewhere?"
Ser'rian grabs his new friend and touches the icy chessboard he had created - Brightwing had won the game, surprisingly - and the two of them sink into it suddenly.
Some say you can tell a lot about a man by the way he moves. This one wove his way through the tables, deftly dodging spilled ale and sleeping patrons. His hand dipped down and scooped up the tankard of a distracted barfly, downing its contents before setting it back down again next to another who drifted in and out of dreams.
The man swung up to a stool next to the bar. He grinned and spoke up, his voice deep and gravelly. "What's a man to do to be gettin drink an women round these parts, eh?"
Then he turns back to the stranger
"So what kinda fella are you anyway?"
While waiting for an answer he pulls out a paper bag from his backpack and takes out a long, cylinderical brown thing looking like some sort of herb wrapped in paper. With the other hand he flips out a lighter from a pocket and lights the cylinder on fire before he starts smoking it.
"Call me the fun lover. I do what I like, how I like most times. Try not to spoil much else fun. Names Eron Grant. Got one yourself, or should I call you polly?" He said, a lopsided grin on his face.
"I guess you wonder where you have ended up, so I guess I should say it, welcome to hell Eron. It's not as bad as you think though, you sure as hell ain't dead, you must've stepped through a portal or something. Anyway this is the arena city, all here because of Sorcen's arena, Sorcen is the ruler of hell by the way. He started this arena some years ago where people fight, gladiatorial except magic is quite the common thing here around. Being a combatant earns you free drinks and stay here and makes life a lot easier... Can you see those shining globes over there?" Zack points "They show what's going on in the different fighting grounds right now."
He took another sip, setting the thing down at last. "Thought was going down the somewhat straight and questionably narrow fore now." He said with a grin. "Hell. Huh."
"Hopefully there won't be a war starting in here...a little quiet will do my research a deal of good."
With that, he frantically begins scratching archaic formulas and equations, blotting out ones that seem somehow incorrect.
"Nope, I'm neither dead nor old, unless you'd consider 17 years of age old and I've come on my own accord, but baator, and the echoing thing yeah that's right. Ain't supposed to be hot everywhere, there are nine layers, some are hot a few a frigid, this is pleasant, but there aren't that many damned souls here so. Anyway, what's your speciality?"
But I of course meant the heart when I said the old ticker. Seen young lads die like old men, sick with plague. Me? I look forward to dying with a woman by my side. Or four. I'm not picky."
He reached back and tapped the bow that rested next to his quiver. "I'm a damn fine shot. Particularly good against the twinkle finger folk. They have a hard time castin their spells when they's pinned to their ankles. They don't look none graceful then."
Zack takes a sip of his beer before continuing
"'bout the plague part I'd be an exception, cause I'm immune to all known forms of disease, and people don't die from disease too often in my homeland anyways... unless they don't have money for medical treatment ofcourse.
An archer, well ya better be one hell of an archer if you're thinking of entering the arena, cause people there are quite formidable. I myself play music, the funny part is that it causes magic effects" Zack grins widely before adding another comment
"About dying with a woman by your side I guess that could've been arranged if you had contacted me earlier, see Linda used to be a vampire, but after deciding to hunt me she became dust. I guess she's a punished petitioner now."
Huh, so you never get sick, eh?" Eron said, grinning. "So, whassat like? No sickdays means you got precious few excuses to miss out on work. No fun there, I say."
"Pardon me, sir, but I couldn't help overhearing you mention that you're immune to disease. How exactly does that work for you? Is it magic? Was the ritual simple? Can anyone do it?"
He sits patiently, book open, like a student waiting to take class notes.
"Oh no," Eron said. He immediately reached over and grabbed three more beers. "A twinkle fingers."
The man considered for a time, then reached over and grabbed two more beers. He set these before Albrecht. "Heylo stranger. Got a two drink minimum fore we start talkin an all. Sure my friend would be happy to tell you everythin, once we get some spirits buzzing in our guts." Eron said, grinning. Oh how he hoped the guy took it. There was nothing funnier than a drunk mage.
"Erm...Alright...well, I do need some answers..."
Albrecht begins to drink the first one slowly, getting used to the taste, and savoring it like one would a fine wine. After acquainting himself to the flavor, he downs it quickly. He picks up the second one, and chugs it in a matter of moments, besting even the stoutest of dwarven drinkers in speed and cleanliness, not spilling a drop anywhere. Albrecht makes a quiet burp under his breath, and continues on.
"Thank you, that was actually quite refreshing. I don't often get a chance to sample bier of such flavor. It seemed to have the body a wheat bier, wouldn't you say? Strong, but more subtle in flavor. Most biers I have come to taste generally have a lot harsher taste, as I have found that most dwarven brewers tend to go for alcohol content and sacrifice flavor. Not all of them do that, of course, but generally speaking. However, that had a perfect combination of flavor, body, and texture. Truly fantastic. Whoever made that put a lot of time into it."
Albrecht pauses for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I have a tendency to go off when it comes to bier. And I realize I've been overly rude and not introduced myself. My name is Albrecht Graf von Schlieffen."
Got to say, though, you sure have a lot of names. Your parents couldn't decide on one?"
"Well, they did, I suppose. Albrecht is my given name, and von Schlieffen is my familial name. 'Graf' simply indicates lordhood, or, more accurately, countship.
I must say, Herr Grant, that you are one of the most unique fellows I think I have ever met. And I've been to Menzoberranzan. Twice."
He lifts a stein to Eron and takes a large drink.
So, what bouts do you do? You dead, gone to Hell and the like, or you like this guy, joyridin your way into the nice and daggery place? Wait, wait." He held up his hands, forming a large U with his fingers and placing the man squarly in the middle of this display, looking through it. He framed the man's face. "Let me guess it first, eh? You came here lookin for answers to your boundless questions? You got that old itch that says 'Teach me, teach me!' Am I right? I'm right, right?"
"Not quite dead yet. I've come close a few times, but I've managed to find a way out each time. I'm actually here to find someone, though I don't truly know who that person is. I suppose 'boundless questions' does somewhat sum up the purpose of my journey, but there is a little more to it than that.
What about you, Herr Grant? What brings you to this part of the cosmos?"
What ya lookin for in this here creepy crawly? Mayhap I can help. I'm damn near poor currently, and if you got the coin, I got the eye."
Albrecht pulls out his grimoire and flips through numerous pages until he is about halfway through the book's contents. On the pages before him are impossibly complex formulas and equations, written in myriads of languages. Mounted on one page is a scrap of papyrus, with numerous hieroglyphics inked on.
"It took a great while for us to translate it, but it tells a story of how in this particular pantheon, a god named Osiris was killed by his mortal enemy Set. However, Osiris' wife, Isis, found a way to bring Osiris back to life. We figured that it would be possible to bring Mystra, my goddess, back to life as well. However, the story on this page doesn't go into detail on how Isis accomplished this. So, my companions and I parted ways. They continued their fight against the tyrants that rule back home, and I took off to discover the process of...well, resurrecting a dead god. As of yet, my research has proved fruitless...so I've come up with an alternate method: If Mystra cannot be brought back to life, then I must find a way to reverse time to prevent her from being killed in the first place. After years of touring what libraries and universities still stood in my home, I found a man who told me of this place, where the strongest and the wisest beings from across the multiverse gather. So, I left my home and came here."
Albrecht thinks to himself and reflects on what he just said.
"I know that seems fairly far fetched, but I fear for my world's future should it continue on its current path."
He scratched his hand across his stubble, frowning. "So, what you really need is a way to get this Goddess back while nipping the plague in the butt. You give a cure, the tyrants lose a lot of that power they hold. That's why you're asking Zack here for his non-sickyness.
So what makes a God, anyways? I mean, what ya got to do to put a broken one back together?"
I believe that the plague would reverse itself should Mystra be brought back. I was merely asking this young man to see if there could be a temporary fix until Mystra's return. The best lead I believe I have is this."
Again, he turns to his grimoire and goes through many more pages until he finds a page towards the back. On it is one word, written in a extremely simple-looking language.
"Overdeity. That's all this says. Apparently, there are gods that exist beyond the realms of gods; the true creators of the multiverse and everything in it. They embody everything and nothing at the same time. If they are the keepers of dead gods' souls, then...I don't know if resurrection is possible."
"Disease imunity was granted by my dad along with a long list of other stuff, see he's quite the powerful one, a Nash'geral, a secret keeper... And he's immortal. But he's also missing, that's the reason I'm here actually. I struck a deal with a shady figure who has some leads for me. I join up here and fight for some time, then he tells me what he knows.
Dad could probably bring that goddess o' yours back too, but the question is if he will do it, see he has had a few bad experiences with gods...
Also mage guy, you should try one of these here." Zack packs out another herb-smoke for Albrect "Expands the mind along with a long list of other things, supposedly good for learning or inventing new spells, don't use 'em too often though or they'll hurt your brain instead of helpin' it.
Wait a second what was your name again? Albrecht right? we were supposed to have fought a 2v2 match as teammates, but the other team left the vicinity... oh yeah and you sound like a german.
"I didn't listen too closely in german class, but I think it's german for mister.
Oh and about the work thing I've never had a work.
And about Linda going waste, it was either that or be killed by her, but since vampirism made her evil, she can redeem and get to another final destination... it'll take some time though... Maybe then I can go see her again."
A slightly longing look can be seen on his face for a brief moment.
i heard you talking, i have dealt with many plagues, if i could perform some experiments then i could undoubtedly find a solution. i am doctor knells.
oh drinking, well never to soon to start another bad habit. i just stopped smoking.
he seems unsure in the way he talks.
oh this thing? its called Erebus. its a powerful magic weapon. its based off a real weapon, ive seen them before. without using magic, they fire small pointed pieces of metal at unbelievable speed. this ones magic. lots of chaos in it, never know whats gonna happen to something i shoot. i try not to use it casualy
Elmira and Allif appear in the Taverne, and there is the fleeting mental impression of a kiss on the cheek for the both of them before Sera's mind is gone.
So, anyone know a good way to get coin round these parts?"
he fires at the chair. the bullet goes strait through the chair and hits the floor. the floor sprouts cables and wires. the chair bursts into sawdust
[OoC: Huh, I somehow missed that. Thanks, this should fix it up.]
Albrecht pulls his carbine from his back, and displays it with some pride.
"This is Amsel. It's saved my hide quite a few times. Especially because I'm not an overly good shot with a bow.
But yours, Doktor....uh...Doktor Knells...runs on magic, you say? An interesting concept, actually. I've been known to channel magic through this, but it still needs burning powder to fire a bullet."
He whistles and makes his way out of the bar, walking steadily away from its interior. Once outside, he turned his single eye to the sky and chuckled. "Hell, huh? Whodathunk?"
He adjusted his load, settling it comfortably on his shoulders, and kept walking. Thin strips of darkness radiated from his figure out here, pulling shadows about him and obscuring his form. He wasn't without his tricks.
"wait just a minute now, im good at findin those things."
the man holds up his palms. he has several money pouches in them.
"im good at...findin that. an as for interesting things, that all depends on what interests you"
"It failed. I knew I shouldn't have sent an amateur. So close, though. Ah, well, nothing left for me here. No more plans anytime soon, and I still haven't figured out how to get drunk."
The Indigo Sea leaves the arena.
He walked for a short distance, very proud of himself and all too happy with his good catch. The shadows began to curl around him, just as before, and he tossed the little bag of gold into the air, caught it, then tossed it again. He never caught it again. No, Eron showed a tendency for ill-fortune, tripping over a rock and falling headlong into a pool of what appeared to be water caught between two small arcs of stone twined about each other. This second gate swallowed Eron, and the small pouch of money he had just acquired fell to the ground.
he grabs the man's shoulder before he leaves
"i think you need this more than me"
he gives back a good deal of the mans mundane gear.
he sees what happens. he laughs, louder and louder. before turnig, he trows another pouch into the water portal
Zack says just after while emptying his 8th bottle of beer.
"Greetings, fellow sentient beings. I wish you all good fortune in whatever endeavors are most important to you."
He sits down. The mood seems to get better, more relaxed and happy, though no one notices any influence directly on them. Those who are paying attention notice that their drinks are slowly becoming non-alcoholic.
The outside walls of the Taverne experience a sudden departure of a host of screaming spirits.
jason knells walks over to the man
Anyway, I left because I couldn't really do anything as a king. Don't get me wrong, I would have made a great king. But Everafter doesn't need a great king. Everyone is already perfectly happy forever and there is really nothing anyone could do to improve on that. So I crossed the barrier to try to do some good out here. I inherited my father's magical aptitude, my mother's courage, and I got so thoroughly seeped in goodness that now I radiate it. I'm here because I heard people fought a lot, so I thought I could help. And no, it's not at all harmful. Quite the opposite, actually. All evil is slowly being weakened and driven out. Slower in people than in things."
Prince Charles flashes Jason a smile.
"Oh, and sorry about the drink thing. Part of my job description is banishing spirits. And, well, I guess whatever forces run the universe love bad puns. Either that or alcohol is naturally evil."
He takes a look around and spy's a seat, before anyone can blink he disappears and reappears at said seat. He waits patiently for the barkeep to figure out where he went before asking him, "I've heard this place has any kind of drink, if that is true then could I get a Dragon leaf green tea?
The barkeep puts in the order and sure enough hands Shisunen a cup of Dragon leaf green tea a few minutes later. Well I'll be damned, you actually have it. Thank you very much.
He then proceeds to drink his tea quietly.
"Hey man, what the bloody hell is that you're drinkin'? Sure you don't want some vodka.... in it maybe?"
Without waiting for an answer he tosses a bottle with a clear liquid in it to Shisunen.
He then warped across the room to the man, and places the bottle upon his table, he then addressed him further. "As for my drink, it is simply green tea made from a rare leaf that resembles a dragon's scale, therefore dragon leaf green tea.
He then warped back to his seat and continued drinking his tea.
Then without warning Shisunen disappeared from the bar.
With that he turns around and surveys the room with yellow eyes like living lightning.
"I am broken, defective. I was to be deconstructed, returned to the Source. That was Primus's will, and Primus's will is.. absolute, undeniable?"
The last sentence sounds.. odd, at best. A poorly veiled question, and yet the voice itself sounds as though it is pleading, likely to hear a certain answer. All this, however, seems to be purely subconcious - at any rate, none of it seems intentional, and it is impossible to tell what answer Cube wishes to hear.
The confused construct hears the voice of Ziel in his mind.
"But the whim of yet another master that enslaves the creatures he creates and destroy them should they show any sign of possibly getting out of control, giving no regard to individual life. That would be the answer that you seek, cold hearted the truth can be, but that makes it no less true."
There is a brief blur of movement - the clockwork man is still ignoring the gensai rather pointedly - and the man is slightly behind Cube, leaning over him and whispering to him; it seems private, not conspiratorial.
"Primus rules where Primus rules, but Primus does not rule here. Here, you rule yourself, and no man or woman, mortal or immortal, god or blasphemer may gainsay that if you stand for yourself."
The ticking man sits back down and passes an offhand comment at the raging gensai, "Names are nothing things, wrapped around a soul to differentiate it from what it is not. To believe in a name is to pretend, and gods are the biggest pretenders of them all. They have all of their power, and it is for absolutely naught if not a single mortal can utter their name. It is sad, really, to be shackled to the word that describes you, to be so utterly beholden to what you are that what you are not falls by the wayside."
The man looks right at the gensai, and one could almost swear he was smiling under his scarf.
"Silly half-thing with its impotent rage. It doesn't even know how rediculous it looks."
hey red, calm down before you get hurt
"As to Primus... Hah! If he's so great, why doesn't he come get you himself, huh? Because cannon fodder like those two won't cut it, if he wants to steal my subject."
"What thing draws close to us? And how soon will the fire works begin?" Revelation now smiled at the thought of a true death...It had been far to long and he wished for something truly amazing.
"I have traveled to many worlds and I have seen them all perish and die. What makes this one destruction so interesting?"
your...
jason holds his head and mutters a spell wile standing up.
you are causing this hatred...who are you?
"Come now, dont you recognize me? I'm LeMondis, Champion of Hate. You'll have to excuse my aura, it tends to get a bit out of hand without my... medicine." He waves a hand and focuses, the imp and drow come to their senses and cease their fight.
Why am I talking to an elephant?
...Yeah, he's a bit drunk.
He glances back at Nemecyst. "Not a problem. So you have a liking for the drink do ya? I too enjoy the effects of alcohol, disinhibitor and all that."
LeMondis gestures to a table nearby. "Lets have a seat, shall we?" As he takes a seat of his own, he seems to be careful how his armor touches things. As he sits, a flash of his sword is revealed and it seems as though the sword consists of only a hilt made of a dark metal.
~
Cycine comes from the back room with something closed in his fist. He hands it to LeMondis over his shoulder and whispers something into his ear. LeMondis slips the bartender some form of paper currency. Cycine makes his way back to the bar, motioning for a waiter to bring a drink of strange bubbling black whiskey to the table for LeMondis.
LeMondis looks at Jason as he drinks his vial of medicine, chasing it down with the bubbly black whiskey. He downs the drink and smiles at Jason. "Lighten up Jason. With your unique powers over the body and that gun of yours, you're more powerful then you give yourself credit for, well more versatile at least."
He clutches the handle of his mug tightly as pain wracks his body, the medicine obviously kicking in. Screams as soft as whispers seem to escape from his mind itself, creeping slowly across the entirety of the taverne.
He pauses and swirls the last few black suds of his drink. His voice gets low as he tries not to let anyone outside of the table hear his story.
"This medicine is called Physiatia, a drug of sorts, hence all the secrecy with my purchase. In my more mortal days I was just starting my training as a warlock, as was family tradition. Long story short, I ended up finding an unorthadox path to achieve more power, I bound some outsiders in my body and take this 'medicine' to keep their minds dullwitted. The Physiatia only affects outsiders and essentially makes them as intelligent as a gelatinous cube."
"As for how I became the champion for Hate, he just sort of saw my power and needed a new champion and chose me, I'm sure my lovely personality helped his decision as well. I've actually tried to kill him, both before and after I recieved his blessing. We're quite the enemies, but thats the paradox that helps us feed."
He pauses while that sinks in then adds. "And for the record, I have no idea whats actually in the medicine. As long as it keeps doing its job."
OOC: Oh and I'm definitely going to make an appearance in the Vamps vs Weres thread of yours, Raven Lord. As a werewolf, naturally. It may be tomorrow before I get my post up though.
"To be honest, I thought the mention of my past would instill a bit of rage in you... actually I never got your name."
He turns back to Nemecyst. "Interesting name for an elemental. I've heard the name before but its generally reserved for zombie lords or ancient evils of the underworlds."
They wanted to be like me.
I'm not even sure how I got here, this isnt my world's hell.
LeMondis seems to space out just as the question rolls off his tongue. Its as if he is hearing a far off noise.
"That's how I got here! Tried to teleport using a new version of the spell I made, and lo and behold.... it exploded. Again."
He slides the drink over to Nemecyst. As soon as the elemental's hand touches the mug, it ignites and burns brilliantly for a few moments before calming to a steady flame.
"Those sound awesome! What would happen if you took those three.... and mixed 'em all together?"
"Whoa! That's good! It pops all the way down! I almost expected an explosion when they mixed, but instead it just became delicious!" He picks up the mug and takes a long drink, and then exhales smoke out his nose with a huge smile.
without getting up he throws a lightning bolt out the open doorway
He has strange markings on his face, you can't tell if he has anymore due to his long robes.
The man holds up his hand and the lightning dances around it.
"I believe someone dropped something. Would you like it returned?" His eyes are much different then the normal leshay and they are a dark crimson red with a glazed look about them. They drift from each person in the room.
(If anyone knows anything about Effigies they can tell this man appears to be something simular to that. Its something new just trying it out.)
The woman cockes her head sideways, an emotionless look on her face. "I accept."
She turns back to the man who issued the greetings. "I am Eyq Cex Trama, find me after my match and we will continue our interrupted conversation."
With this said she turns abruptly and walks to the arena, glancing only briefly at her opponent, her eyes seeming to scan him as she does so. As she exits the door, the chrome flash of her submachine gun is visible.
I'm just gonna go watch that......" And proceeds to run out the door to the arena.
would you like me to get you some clothes? not that I mind you the way you are...
damm, said that outloud.
(this is him thinking)
The android woman entertains the thought of using her mind-hacking to hear the devil's thoughts. The organics usually deem listening in like that as rude though.
well, its kinda true...
OOC: The shops just outside of the taverne have clothing and other goods. Also this works as a good stopping point for her until I get back next weekend.
he takes a drink
there are a lot of reasons. I broke his crossbow, called his advisor a floating voleyball before spiking him over a wall, blew up his chariot, and most recently broke up with his daughter.
he takes a large drink
but all those things directly threatened my life! I had no choice.
he sighs a little
everyone has. it's all the talk of something coming to destroy this place. Its the questions about where lord sorcen went.
he stands up and points out the window.
it's that damm thing legion!
he shakes his head a little.
sorry to go off like that.
"You may want to take a look at this. Sorcen is fighting someone. I am unacquinted to the ways of this place. Are planar unbalances the norm around here?"
zodiac has a crazed look on his face.
I dont know what to do...
jason knells stands up and speaks with more command and force than is usual for him
well if there is truth to what is being said I sugest you all stop drinking and start preparing!
~
LeMondis takes another sip of his drink and watches Jason. "I've been through a few apocalypses in my time. The best thing to do is drink and wait for whatever it is to blow over. And it helps that I dont exactly have a caring personality."
~
The man in red eyes the android. He turns his gaze out the window.
~
Several patrons of the bar rally behind Jason, mostly the dwarves and humans, but also a few of the outsiders. The elves seem to panic more then anything, so in tune with the worlds as they are.
tremmors shake the city as another reality wound is created below the ground, displacing some of the stone.
I'm sorry.
zodiac seems to calm down
I need to contact anyone who can stand with us.
X looks to Jason and the small crowd with him. "Looks like he has started your work, do you have any else in mind?"
The man in red has meanwhile vanished.
OOC: Where did we leave Smoke and Lunoc?
oorthin is probably causing trouble in the lower planes. )
He wears no shirt only black pants and sandals. His arms,chest and waist are covered in thick black sashes and the symbols which are on his gem like scales are also adorning the sashes.
He walks toward the bar his voice booming loudly.
"Largest glass of water you have." He takes a seat and looks around one more time.
"I hear you have something big going down pretty soon. Anyone know anything about it?"
Jack then turns to Chaos "I think their plan is to fight it together, but if you want I can just slaughter you here and now and we can have that over with."
(That answer your little question? Or do I need to actually explain my posts a little more for you?)
OOC
OOC: Uh oh, your character sounds mischievous enough without a faerie dragon running with her. I think we'll be fine as long as a kender doesnt join our group, the multiverse may collapse from a headache.
OOC
Cliche's stick around for a reason
Ahhh, it would be fun making the multiverse have a headache. :p
Ahhh, it would be fun making the multiverse have a headache. :p
~
The excited faerie dragon follows Swallow out the door, darting quickly through the door for fear of it closing on her.
OOC
OOC: I wasnt sure if you had wanted to end it there or if you wanted to play out that part in the marketplace. Since the markets are just outside, I dont see a problem with roleplaying them here.
Where the portal takes us though would have to a new thread. I havent been reading into anybody else's stuff lately so I'm not too sure what thread to show up in. Actually this'll give me an excuse to join over at plothook and we can pop up over there if thats fine.
Where the portal takes us though would have to a new thread. I havent been reading into anybody else's stuff lately so I'm not too sure what thread to show up in. Actually this'll give me an excuse to join over at plothook and we can pop up over there if thats fine.
"Hey!" She screams at the dwarf. "Thief! Conniving Talismonger! You sold me Faulty goods!" She bellows at him, ruffling her wings in an irritated manner as she waves the slightly sparkling compass in front of her.
OOC
Sounds good to me. I have to talk to the site owner about re-naming the forum though, and possably giving us a coupole of sub-forums if she'll grant me that.
OOC
OOC: I dont want to be any trouble. I just read through some of the threads over there after I registered. It looks like you guys were working more with Tyler Vici's world and timeline. I thought it was set more like the Nexus but integrated with your world.
A subforum would be cool. We could always work around our characters going to that world though, even having them shift to humans while they were in that plane if needbe.
A subforum would be cool. We could always work around our characters going to that world though, even having them shift to humans while they were in that plane if needbe.
OOC
We were, but I am going to talk to the site owner and have something like The Nexus or something like that. I know it is mostly Tyler's world at the moment, but that is just because we set it up in a hurry and have not had the time to change things around lately.
IC: The man looks around at the people beginning to stare at them. "I really dont even remember you, are you sure it came from me."
Moments later, a flame-haired young woman in a demon-hide leather jacket walks into the bar with a cocky smile on her face. She flips Cycine an ancient Spanish dubloon and called out, "Bourbon, my four-armed barkeep!"
She sits down at the bar and takes a drag on a foul-smelling cigarette - amazingly, the cherry doesn't budge from the tip of the coffin nail - and blows out a series of concentric smoke rings. She beams a cocky smile at the patrons.
"So, Hell, huh? Pretty nice joint. Back at home we've just got the Underworld, and that's a gyp, lemme tell ya."
BIC: Cycine catches the coin, slamming a bourban onto the table shortly after sliding the coin off the bar. "Good taste. Where do ya hail from without a hell?"
OOC
Huh, I thought they did. My entire image of Cycine this whole time has been based on him having four arms >.>
OOC
OOC: No problem. Heres the description of him from the first post of this thread. I always liked the race and or some reason I made him have wings and explained it in a rediculous way but meh.
The tavern is ran by an arcanaloth/winged elf hybrid, he appears similar to a black-furred werewolf in hybrid form with great black wings. :OOC
OOC
She casts her spells by singing. She's just tryong to confuse him a little, make him recognize either her, or the peice.
"I'll tell you what then, even if it isnt mine I'll still give you a deal. I can give some store credit or some sort of services rendered for that defective thing. Sound good?"
"I have just the place." He begins to chant and wave his hand in arcane gestures. A swirl of energies begins to trail the movements of his hand, soon opening a small hole in the fabric of the multiverse. The mage finishes his spell when the hole is large enough for a person to fit.
The man stares at the dragon as she passes but only sighs when both the dragon and the angry woman are gone from sight and the portal has closed behind them.
OOC
See you in Plothook! ^_^
OOC
I look forward to it. :D
The slender fingers, of which there are too many, all end in wicked claws and a long vine with thorns at the end extends where a tail would. A large pair of black bat wings covered in the dark bark are pressed tightly against the sickly purple leaves that cover the back, neck and top of the head of the creature.
Behind it follows another creature that has to bend low a squeeze a lot to enter through the door. The creature is covered in purpleish blue scales that look like a crossover between a snake, a fish and a dragon. The head is clearly serpentine with long fangs that drip poison and a split tongue. A long finned spine runs down the back of the creature and another spine runs down each of the four heavily musceled arms. Each upper arm is easily as thick as the torso of a man.
The two right arms holds a large glaive with a head in each end, while the upper left arm hefts a massive stone shield the size of a table. The shield is covered in green runes that glow slightly. The last of the hands of this mighty creature is free. He carries no armor and indeed, the scales would likely be as good protectino as any plate. A belt around the waist holds a long and slender blade with a handle made from bone. Below the waist are no legs but instead a long and powerful serpentine tail. The creature has no eyes but instead two orbs of flickering flame switching constantly between yellow, orange, purple and green reside within the sockets.
The two takes place by a table near the bar and the treant-creature speaks with a slow rumbeling voice as if it came from the ground itself and not the throat of the creature "Some clean water, barkeep."
The serpentine creature speaks next with a hissing voice
"I sshall have ssome bloodkelp whisskey."
"Keep them coming. Fast."
The Serpentine man likewise downed his drink in seconds, if in a more conventional way. He didn't as for more just yet though as he scanned over the inn with his eyes in a catious manner, as if he had been used to constant vigilance for years or as if he felt that he was in hostile territory... perhaps even both.
~
A large humanoid devil eyes the duo from his table. He has scaly red skin and small stubby horns, his eyes are sharp and piercing. He wears leather armor with splotches of chainmail beneath, covered by a cloak and two hook swords strapped to his back in an obviously strategic way. He appears to be a guard or officer of some kind and is surrounded by other devils wearing similar uniforms.
He stares at the duo with some amount of recognition but continues to laugh and drink with his fellows.
In the meanwhile, the serpent, Shalkathas by name, although even fewer would know that than those who knew the name of Dai, had noticed the devil with the hook swords. He turned back to Dai and made a series of hand signals with such speed that it was blurred and almost impossible to see what he did. Dai seemed to understand it perfectly though and made a single brief gesture with his free hand. Shalkathas then turned to the eyeing devil once again and gestures for him to come closer.
~
The devil made a slight nod to Shalkathas, while laughing to his friends. He feigned a drunken stumble as he stood up and pointed to his crouch, which made the whole group burst into laughter.
He made his way over to the serpent man and his plant-like companion. The devil walked beside them and looked to the snakeman. The devil's fingers made a gesture that associated him with the Blood War, guessing that the duo would recognize the ancient warrior's sign.
His eyes are sharp and show that his drunken state is only a ploy. "I am Doshzjer, a Blood War veteran. I think I recognize you two from the battles."
"You might very well. I and my men have spent the last three years on the front lines."
Realizing how oddd he must look he tries to make himself look casual proping his almost six foot 230 pound frame against the door. "I'll have a scotch and a pint if yah don't mind barkeep."
A scuffling sound ensues and footsteps can be heard on the roof. Soon, a bug-like being can be seen dangling just outside the large window, the window opens and the humanoid squeezes through to land in the middle of the room.
Rising to a height of almost seven feet, the praying mantis like humanoid looks around with his compound eyes and scratches his torso absent-minded with one of four arms while surveying the patrons.
Looking around, sounds seem to come to everyone in the room, though the only sounds are a weird clicking from what appear to be mandibles.
*Sorry sirs, for the intrusion.*
*Allow me to introduce myself, I am Katal. Barkeep, may I have a stiff drink and some water. I am very thirsty.*
Looking around, Katal makes his way over and sits next to the treant. He nods to them and his mandibles make the most grotesque attempt at a smile.
Katal looks to the barkeeper.
*Hi, what is your name? This is a fine establishment you have here. Though the men at the door are a very unpleasant bunch. I am afraid I may have gotten some blood on your front step. Not to worry, not my blood.*
Katal issues a long series of grasshopper scratch-like laughs and indicates his kukris attached to his forearms.
*Ah, yes. I forget. Gold*
Scrambling again to the window, the patrons see Katal make his way up the side of the building and more shuffling can be heard on the roof.
Katal returns, again through the window, and presents a very dirty and slightly bloodied bag of gold at the bar.
*A round for everyone!*
The bartender arcanaloth quickly snatches up the gold coins as they appear on the bar. He seems to not even notice the blood on the bag of coins Katal hands him. "Coins is coins, dont matter where they come from. As far as I'm concerned ya cut yerself shaving."
*Yes, I do need to be more careful getting rid of pesky whiskers. Tshk, tshk, tshk.This city is so interesting. Now, if only I could find someone to really give me and adventure.*
Katal turns to Max.
*My friend, you are truly an interesting character. Tell me more of your story, and I'll make it worth your while.*
Katal throws down another gold coin and indicates Max.
As Katal waits to hear more from this strange man, he takes in the rest of the patrons, nodding to the flame-haired woman and giving the devil a wide berth. He slowly sips his drink (though slurping would be a better description as it were) making his way back over to the window.
*These arena fights are so interesting. I would love to test my strength against one of this cities fine inhabitants.*
*...as long as they are not all as these dogs in the street with no courtesy for a stranger and traveler...*
Looking to Max:
*Ah, but I digress. Tell me friend, how did you find yourself on the wrong side of those ruffians?*
"So," he says to the bar at large "I had a dream about a bar in Hell - a regular pub just...there. I've never had a dream that didn't come true, so I told my friend a few magic words and asked him to use them on me." He grins even wider as he takes a seat at the bar. "Cycine, right? My name's Elijah." He holds out a hand.
"I've heard of this place and the fact its sort of a haven where no fightting occurs so I've decided to take a break and catch my breath before I make my last desprate charge for the other side."
"You were likely coming in as I was retiring then." The devil says. "After the war I took a job as an officer here. I'm sure you two could be hired if you'd want." He gives the them a skeptical look at his next question. "You guys were on the right side of the war werent you?"
"Ass I ssee it, there iss no right sside in a war, but ssiding with demonss is alwayss the wrong sside."
Shaolkathas had been a quiet observe until now, but let off his oppinion on the matter now. Then he returned to observing.
"I believe that answers your question. We serve as long time employed mercenaries under Lord Sorcen. We are not looking for a job here though, we are here on an actual business trip but we have a bit of down time while awaiting to get an audiance with aforementioned employer.... As to coming in, we were more coming out. We emerged from a demon force during a battle as we were simply looking for somewhere to rest that wasn't crawling with demons. If you were in deep in abyssal territory you may have seen us before our formal joining in Sorcen's forces, we spent almost ten years wandering the abyss before meeting some of Sorcen's forces."
"I must admit a bit of curiosity though, what are your thoughts on the Blood War?"
The drink swirls of its own accord and actually produces a slight breeze from its surface. The beer is a bit rough but the whiskey tastes and soothes similar to eating fresh snow. A slight tangy kick is produced as an after effect by the seeds.
~
The devil nods to the snakeman. "Acceptable point." He pauses to listen to the treant. "I'm afraid my opinion may be a bit biased but I think the devils have the right in this war. The universe needs laws, even if laws are made to be broken they still need to be made. The universe wouldnt last in a state of chaos like the demons want."
He pauses and adds. "I think I had seen you on the boat crossing the Styx just outside of the Abyss. My platoon had been deployed deep into enemy territory to assassinate a minor demon lord and we had just returned to our boat. I think our boats passed and I saw you two there, its not often you see beings that look like you guys."
"Though I cant be certain, I came into contact with the water in an ambush not too far after that. I've had help recovering most of my memories but you know how old war memories go."
"I agree with you on that the universe wouldn't last long if the demons have their way....
As to the Styx... We only crossed twice and it was probably the first of those times then. I'm afraid I didn't notice you though but I suspect that you didn't exactly tried to get noticed. Furthermore my attention was to the water, one Styx dragon surprise per trip is quite enough after all."
He downs the last remnants of his drink and waves for a refill before turning back to the treefolk and his serpentine partner. He leans in closer to them and nearly whispers. "So what are you guys doing these days. I know Sorcen has put less effort into the Blood War then his predecessor but theres talk of a major attack being planned and personally I want to see some action again."
"Something will happen soon, but that was not supposed to be rumored about. You seem to me to be true to your words, but I cannot tell much detail to anyone yet.... unless you are willing to be put under a magical seal that will ensure a grave punishment should your break it."
He looks over at the naga. "My words are true, I do recognize you two from a Styx crossing, though I had to make some of the details up to better match our stories." He bows his head. "Honestly, I am a retired special forces commander. I am staying in the medium ranks of the police force to keep suspicion and spies away. Also I never suffered the memory loss from the Styx."
He lifts his gaze back to Dai. "I believe you can be trusted with this information but it does come with the same threat as yours. Speak a word that compromises my cover and the reprecusions will be deadly. Forgive my lies and threats though." His face fading back to a smile as he salutes the duo.
Sorry, I was caught up in the conversations going on around us. These humanoids are very bad at keeping their thoughts to themselves.
I enjoy hearing your story, friend. I would love to have adventures such as these. Though I doubt I would ever be so hasty as to sell my soul.
What do you mean when you say "the other side". What other side do you seek?
Katal looks knowingly at the devil officer then turns his attention back to Max.
Would you be interested in a friendly battle to test ourselves. You really cannot learn the mettle of a man without fighting him.
Katal caresses his kukris and sizes up the various denizens seated around him.
"You must we well versed in lying to keep your falsehoods hidden from me... That or you are very talented...
You need not be so frightful of spies right now though, I have shielded this table from any listeners at all, magical or otherwise. I doubt even Sorcen himself could eavesdrop on us now."
Dai makes some gestures and humms in what few would know to be the native langauge of the Ancients, as he finishes a mark appear briefly on the borw of each of the three participants, then it wanishes again.
"Telling anyone who issn't ssuppossed to know will make being Yenoghu'ss chewtoy sseem a good idea compared to the punisshment now."
Shalkathas says, then returns to quiet vigilance.
"The things in motion are not a big attack in the standard fashion.... This will need a bit of explaination... A trans-multiversal demon organization known as The Burning Legion has made a small precnese in the abyss recently. Since they lost some of their leaders not too long ago it's reasonable to expect that they will attempt to recruit new leaders among the demons here. They might also be looking for allies, and they are still an incredibly powerful force, meaning that the blood war will be lost if they get a strong foothold and turn their attention here for conquest. My agents have discovered trails of a spy ring in hell that they run. We need to get those spies out of here before we move for a very simple reason, the leader of the Legion, Kil'Jaeden, is a former spymaster and as resourceful and deceptive as the most shrewd devil politician. Spies are inavoidable, but a fully operational and unhampered ring in the hands of Kil'Jaeden is a worse threat than the entire army of Orcus. The things in motion all focus on getting the Legion back out and hopefully prevent any recruitations, but first and foremost we need to shatter that ring... You said before that you missed some action, and you are in the law enforcement here, a prime position actually. Now that you know a few things, would you have anything against joining the effort?"
"Now that I have your attention.... I want you all to-"
A heavy book flies through the door and hits her
in the head causing her to drop her crossbow, knock her hat off, and fall down. When she hits the ground, the scarf is completely pulled from her face, revealing a face that contrasts with the rugged clothing. Her face is oft and smooth, with slightly rounded features, except for the sharp nose. Only her eyes are hard, a cold blue, and her skin is a medium tanned brown from hours in the sun..
"OUCH!! Marien! I'm gonna kill you!!"
A second figure runs in, a second girl, looking almost like the direct opposite to the first girl. She is lithe and soft looking, wearing a simple purple robe that appears to have fouled up her legs while running. Her face is nearly identical, though she is much paler, with flushed cheeks, and a flustered slightly panicky look in her hazel eyes. Her nose is also more gently contoured. She looks at everyone in the inn, obviously severely embarassed and uncomfortable.
"Sorry about that! She can tend to be a little rash!" "Shut up Marien or I'll-" The talking girl swiftly hits with her foot, causing the other girl to growl in anger. Marien, the talking girl, merely gives a nervous laugh and picks up the massive book, which begins to shrink to the size of a diary.
"My names Marien, and that..." pointing at the fuming girl who had just risen to feet and was dusting her hat off "Is my sister, Maggie" Maggie mumbles something about "revenge" and "never cuts loose" and proceeds over to the bar. Both appear to be about 28, and in fantastic shape. Marien sighs and takes the seat next to her, flipping through the strange book. She stops on a page, mumbles a small enchantment making the book glow blue as the door reassembles itself into it's frame.
~
The tavern begins to heal its wounds from Maggie's attacks.
OOC: Tiresias and Bone Yard, heres the link to the IC thread where you can have your match.
OOC
OOC: Hope thats fine, if not then I can change it or we can work around it or whatever.
Dai then reaches into the leafy parts on his back and pulls out what looks like it is a sleeping, ghostly orb of faint green light with an even more ghostly head inside.
ooc
No prob. I had made notes on only 2 of the spies: the ring leader and his second in command
She blushed a bright red as a curl of brown hair fall into her face. Mustering a bit of courage, she brushed the hair out of her brown eyes and timidly addressed the barkeep. "Umm... Hi. Err... Excuse me," she stammered.
"I..."
She gulped.
"I was wondering if you knew where I could find someone named Dricondis," She finally blurted. Carn bit her lip and then continued.
"I have a parcel waiting for him. I wanted to make sure he got it, but I don't know where to find him. May I leave this with you?"
Carn motioned to the parcel she was carrying. In any case, she was all nerves, she was going to leave it with the barkeep anyway. New places-- especially ones as busy as this one-- frightened her. Without waiting for an answer, carn set the parcel atop the bar, gave a quick thanks and sprinted out the door to head for home.
The forum software starts to get cranky when a thread goes over a thousand posts.
So, please wrap up this thread and start a new one. I'll be closing this thread tomorrow afternoon.
Thank you.