Sigil: T.C.o.D - [Walk-In][Modern Fantasy: Cycle 32][O/A]

[SIash Ex]

[!]Sigil :: K'nyan[!]
Depths…
[]~O~[]

He resisted the urge to cut Elianna off early; to demand an explanation for the nonsense she had spoken. Surely, the sorceress spoke in some strange...purely symbolic...way. There was no such city on any continent, and only one world...Unless the legends held some measure of truth.

And yet, she had spoken of many worlds...and of portals?

"You are mistaken, Elianna...There is no such City of Doors on Celvion, and that is where we are. There is nothing beyond the skies of this world...save for the Gods' Realm. I saw the massive arch overhead, girding the heavens...A new construct of this 'guild' you speak of, perhaps?"

Even as they walked, Slash turned to regard her more closely; his mind hard at work behind those shimmering, green eyes. The histories of Celvion spoke of two unexplainable events; the disappearance of Attlunis. and the appearance of the Humans. It was a stretch to assume even the most basic connection to her words, given that he barely knew this woman.

And yet, with flashes of the vision...or sights...he witnessed before arriving here still fresh within his mind, the Wanderer could not deny a growing tightness in his chest; a sense that, if what she said was true, then he was more than just lost.

Scalar Warfare

count_zantara

Tres Ecstuffuan

[Li the Fox]

˄Sigil – Mage's Guild (Ground Zero) – Alone ˄
˂Disguised as an officer... Searching the ruins...˃

While Hitomi had sped off with the librarian, Li had begun scouring the ruined guild under the guise of a UWP officer. It proved of little use. There wasn't very much information to be had among the men and women. They seemed to mostly be keeping the civilians out while clearing any survivors out of the rubble. There were very few people actually attempting to excavate the remains. Things were littered here and there, but nothing seemingly important. It seemed as if experts had come and removed all the important things, and left the rest to be disposed of however one saw fit. Either that or there was someplace else they had been keeping things.

Searching would have been far more simple had he been able to proceed as he liked, but this was unfamiliar territory for him. Sigil that was. Saying it was different would be a bit of an understatement. The City of Doors seemed to operate on a scale far different than any other place he had been. Thus it was wise to tread lightly, less he find himself in a predicament. And speaking of treading.

He had almost missed it. Would have, had he not been looking down at his feet as he was in thought. Glancing at the rubble surrounding him, he noticed papers and scraps of wood littered about. Odd charred rectangles littered the ground from small fires, and he realized he was in the remains of a library. It brought his mind back to the librarian, and he kicked a cindered book in front of him reflexively. The clump sailed across the room under the force and an arc of wind followed behind it, disturbing the dirt and rubble in it's path.

The area was clouded for a moment, the air filled with ashes and sand or perhaps the remains of the dead. Li's eyes were sharp though, and something beneath the particles he had moved caught the light. Something shiny. And to a fox and a thief, shiny was always good.

Upon notice of this object the air around him shifted. Rather than the particles lingering in the air as a ephemeral cloud, they hung about, hiding the area from view. As the kitsune moved, the dirt and tiny particles of debris, swirled out of his way until he was standing over the glimmering object he had revealed.

Bending down to examine it, he was surprised. It was nothing more than a book. A corner of a book to be more precise, sticking out of the ground, unscathed by whatever had befallen it's home. If it weren't for the shimmering capped corner, a piece of silver was his guess, he wouldn't have paid it much notice. But he had a keen eye and a penchant for luck, so he took head.

Leaning down towards the book, he pursed his lips in an 'O' and blew down on it. A gust, much stronger than what should possibly be produced by his lungs, accosted the area around the book, until everything was cleared from around it leaving a perfectly cleaned and unmaimed object. It was beautiful. Old and leather bound, classically, but the corners were all capped with some sort of metal. A strange object was emblazoned on the front, a symbol that looked similar to a feather, but not quite. Lastly, but not the least strange, there was a clasp around it. Some sort of lock. Interested, the man picked it up. Curious as to what to do with it, and if he should scour the area for something more.

Hitomi Ishida

Tres Ecstuffuan

Count_Zantara

[Zeonis Mieriba]

The young prince lay immobile still, the damage still taking a hefty toll on his fragmented mind. The room grew colder in response to his condition. An eerie presence still emanated from the breach in the back wall. It felt alien, yet oddly familiar to Zeonis’ aura. A low feral snarl echoed forth from the breach, sending fear and discord throughout his domain.

‘Leave this place at once! This is not your playground, this is my mind!' a voiced roared inside her head. The voice was Zeonis’, only distorted and far more volatile than what the young prince could muster. ‘Leave this place and never return. You've done more than enough damage!’

A surge of psychic energy would burst forth from the breach in the wall as the voice grew more in it’s protest. The cracks in the wall begin to widen and spread out to the furthest reaches of the room as the energy threatened to burst forth and overflow and crash into the both of them.

Red The Ambiva

uoer9h0x:3="Red The Ambivalent]

Tres Ecstuffuan

Deus Ex Aizen

YummyBiscuits

[Lian Feaorne]

arrow Sigil Streets

Of course peace didn't last at the clinic. The longer it was quiet and positively eventful, the more Lian knew something was going to happen. It was a confirmed trend. Anything good that happened often was met with something terrible and horrific...and it would be now that it would happen. Lian had taken a small group out to scavenge the area. With the events of the Mage Guild, it left a wide area open for rummaging. It wasn't uncommon for many people who survived independently raided areas that had been abandoned due to a chaotic event. Lian took only magic using teenagers with her since they would most likely knew what she was talking about in what they were looking for. The children got very distracted sometimes if they found something that singularly caught their attention. Lian couldn't have that in such a dangerous area.

"Spread out. We're looking for canned foods, cloth and clothing...if you find any baby and infant supplies, bring those back as well. We'll meet at the old Bearded Falcon store at the edge. If you're caught, abandon what you find. I don't want any casualties."Lian ordered. Some of the teens rolled their eyes but she knew it was because of her appearance. She sighed, picking up her pillowcase and heading out into the area. Each of their members had a small device to communicate with that hooked around their ears. If there was distress, they could call on the communicators she had made but she hoped that she wouldn't have to hear anything bad. Lian was careful to pick only what she could carry, aiming to find more cloth and clothing for the children for bandages, blankets and more protective clothing.

Then the worst happened.

"Help! There's guys here! They've killed Luther!"One of the teens cried. They always traveled in pairs for safety but Lian felt her heart jump into her stomach.

She reached up to hear ear, talking loudly into the device. "Don't just stick around, run!"Lian shouted, heading out into the street. She ran, looking around and listening for the screams. When she got nearly a block away from her original spot, she saw one of the other teenagers running out of an alley between two buildings before their body flailed and hit the ground. Lian could see the glimmer of a hilt of a knife in their back. A sense of dread drowned her senses and she could see a group of men walk out of the alley, kicking the body and pulling the knife out.

"That was no fun at all...Boss ain't going to be happy if we can't find enough to fill the bracket."One of them said, cleaning the knife they had heard. She stood there, transfixed to the spot and she could feel bile in her throat. Lian hated their cruelty...and couldn't understand why they would pick such young targets. When she was spotted, they could hear them laugh but her legs didn't want to move and all she could see in front of her eyes was red. She reached behind her to a knife that had been picked off from a shop, drawing it into her tiny hands and listened to them as they talked, walking closer and closer.

"Well look at this...We've got a regular little warrior on our hands..."One mocked.

"Careful, she might poke you with her little toothpick she's sporting."Another jibed.

"Let's see what she's got. Come on kid, show me what you can do!"The one who had killed the teenager in the alley approached her. He shoved her with his foot, making her go backwards but it was enough to cause her to become furious. Her nostrils flared and she wrapped her small arm around the man who shoved her and thrust the knife into his leg. He howled, jerking back his leg and she pulled back. The knife in her hand and the hand itself were covered in his blood. Lian looked wildly around at the others, listening them laughing at their unfortunate groupie who was on the ground holding his leg. She was quickly surrounded, swiping at them and made every threat to end their life as she got closer to stabbing them in areas she knew would bleed the most on the inner thigh or their stomach. Every time she would get close enough, she'd get shoved in a new direction but kept her footing.

"She's like a little monkey, ha ha! Oh, this should be good. Let's grab her and see how far she gets in the arena."The leader laughed and Lian felt a huge shock on her shoulder, making her small body convulse and her communication device fry out. She hit the ground, dropping her knife with a loud metallic clatter.

[Scalar Warfare]

Sigil, City of Doors - Guildhall Ward - Below the Ruins of the Mages' Guild

Underground - The Pit

The Sound of Silence...

--------------------------------------------------

"Oh... heavens no. You are not in your 'Celvion' any longer, of that I am certain." A sudden realization dawned on the woman, as she mulled his response in more detail: this man knew nothing of the world outside his own, so much as to not be aware of the very existence of such a thing!

"Truly... you do not know of worlds beyond Celvion? That arch overhead... is also Sigil. The city is a great ring, one great continuous sprawl of urban landscape, self-contained and floating in the Aether. And clearly..." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "...hiding many secrets that were better left undiscovered. You can feel it, yes? The aura of dread? I'm afraid I can show or explain little else while... we blunder about in the crypts of a planar metropolis."

Her hand slid up to rest on the man's shoulder lightly, steadying herself, before continuing on. The stairs were getting narrower, and more treacherous with each step in the pitch gloom.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aetheric Essence
100

Active Spells:
None

Tres Ecstuffuan

Slash Zinrai

count_zantara

[Hitomi Ishida]

In transit via limousine:

With Thomas Bravot.

While Hitomi had briefly mentioned what she was seeking in Sigil, and what she might need assistance from Thomas Bravot for, she had intentionally been vague. What it was that she was seeking was rare indeed. A place commonly misinterpreted by others. At least by name and description. When Thomas mentioned a correlation to this place with four others, she doubted it was one of them. Though it could still have been possible. She was already quite aware that he was resourceful. Caution hadn’t always been her friend, but she was far from careless.

“This place I have been before Mr. Bravot. A very long time ago. The way to return though has been lost for ages. It’s only until recent that I learned that this was one of the only possible places it could exist. I won’t be detoured.”

As the finely dressed librarian exited the vehicle she followed suit, looking up at the building before them. The library was a place she would have greatly liked to visit, but it would have to be put off until another time. There were still thinks that needed to be done, and Thomas thus far seemed incline to help. The mention of a knowledgeable party back at the ruins was of good news and would thus far suffice to set her on her way and possibly her next course.

“I don’t require anything else at this time. I think you have provided me with enough help, and I thank you.” While they stood there, Kali dove down from the sky towards them. Hitomi held her arm out and the Phegan alighted there bringing a gust in her wake. The young woman’s body was undisturbed the rough scales and talons, nor the weight of the creature.

“I only ask that you inform me when you’ve made inventory of the contents of the guild if you wouldn’t at all mind.What I’m actually looking for is a book Master Librarian. You'll know it when you see it.” She smirked, thinking the situation ironic, before turning to walk back in the direction they came. “Until next time!” The woman called over her shoulder as she headed off, platinum locks shining in the glow of the city.

Li the Fox

Tres Ecstuffuan

count_zantara

[Red the Ambivalent]

Behind these crimson eyes.....⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘⋘

яє∂

| | Location: | |

|Near Illmater's Hope, Alleyway|

The fact that she had been able to coil her slender digits around this young man's mind enough to invade, squeeze through his own DreamScape visions, and mentally stand at the center of his whole being was a feat that she hadn't thought possible. As the woman stood, staring into complete darkness that was the fabric of his undoing she couldn't help but finally feel how much she could really accomplish with her own mind. Even with the magnitude of Hell that this place had already put her through, she felt that things might finally start looking up.

Red didn't know this lad, she had no idea what he did for a living, what his personality was like, or anything of the sort. It was just an opportunity for her to feel needed, like she was worth something for the first time in so long. The recent events hadn't helped the situation, she had been degraded by a God and defiled by a Snake Charmer, her whole being cut down to nothing in a matter of three days or less.

But now she was needed.

Someone actually needed her help, Red could do something good and feel useful.

So as she stood staring at the crack that seemed to be the source of the issues plaguing him, Red took in a deep breath and exhaled a long sigh. Shifting her weight, she almost flinched as the voice boomed through her thoughts. She hadn't heard him speak until now. Although she knew this was Zeonis speaking, his voice was filled with malice. She sat silent for a moment, wondering why he thought she was the one doing the damage.

'I'm not here to do any harm, I'm here to try and help you..'

Her voice carried out to every corner in this room, since she was already mentally in here then when she spoke telepathically the words were almost tangible, the sincerity and pride clearly evident in her voice. The crack in front of her was trying to spread, before her very eyes this poor lad was falling deeper into Zero Memory Lane. Grinding her pearly whites together, Red took an aggressive step forward and raised both of her hands to the crack. Gently with her fingers splayed, the woman touched the wall, almost sinking her hands into the cracks with the placement.

It was now or never, whatever it was that was causing him to lash out at her was probably not done and that meant he would make it even more difficult to try and help. Red's crimson hues slowly closed, her head of blonde locks tilting forward slightly as she began to pour all of the effort she could give into mending his mind.

Her slender hands started to glow a vibrant red, the air around her started to cackle and pop. The glow of her hands started to spread, slowly sinking into the cracks as a sort of temporary filler that would allow Zeonis to heal properly on his own. All she was able to do was project her own mental abilities into him, creating a seal that would fill in what was missing until he was able to heal on his own. This process only took a few minutes, as the glow of her psionic essence slithered it's way into the last corner, filling the last crack, Red let her hands drop to her side and took a rather unbalanced step backwards.

This would allow Zeonis to wake up, at least at his own leasure. Thankfully Red wasn't worried about whether or not she had used too much of her ability, or rather gave him too much of her ability. She was strong, and in due time what she had gave him would evaporate as he healed and return to her. Taking another glance around, the woman would watch as a few of the screens that were his memories mend together, the temporary fix she had given him allowing his brain to function more properly to find and remember some of what had been lost before.

So long as he didn't retaliate against her at this point, Red would pull herself out of his mind and return to reality, still kneeling on the ground in front of him. She wasn't sure if he would awake right away, but she'd wait until he did.

Zeonis Mieriba

Quote:

Quote:

⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙⋙There are secrets you may never know.....

[Trenchant Cogency]

Mana’s efforts were not in vain. The small physical and spiritual healing was certainly not enough to undo the extreme amounts of damage sustained. However, that small amount of effort, that relatively tiny restoration of function, was enough to all him to heal himself. Like atomic critical mass, Fasumbra’s body had recovered enough of its power to begin fueling its own repair efforts. But there was no fixing what had been done to his mana circuits. Like nerve damage, once they were damaged they would never be exactly the same even with an eternity of healing. Fasumbra’s unconscious mind was quite well aware of what its damages were, and thanks to Mana’s healing it had recuperated enough to being trying to piece everything back together. With his mana circuits so heavily damaged however, there was only one way to gather and control the magical energy. A method which Fasumbra had little experience with, but a good deal of knowledge about.

Blood.

The weeping blisters across Fasumbra’s body became entryways, drawing in the ambient mana in the air around them. Though the catboy’s summoning magic was weakened by the lifeless circumstances surrounding them, the magical energy itself still remained at a reasonable concentration. Though Mana was right in that this place was beyond saving; it was The Hive after all. It was hell long before Ursan had twisted it and the undead reveled. But, the author digresses.

Mana, that great spiritual energy, flowed into Fasumbra’s body like water through a broken dam. The process would have been slow and agonizingly inefficient but for one thing: Fasumbra’s Yggdrasil Syndrome. The half-elf’s blood was exponentially higher in its mana saturation than most mere mortals, and also conducted the energy excellently. Normally this merely meant that he had significantly higher reserves of internal mana than most, and had a greater degree of control as well, but with his mana circuits all but destroyed it meant his blood was nearly as good a replacement. Caution was required however; bearing oneself so directly to the mana saturating the universe was like trying to draw merely a candle’s heat from the blazing sun. If he took in too much, the damage would be catastrophic… to both himself and anyone nearby.

But Fasumbra was no mere meddler in the arts of magic. Decades of study, practice, and application of myriad fields of magic had left him if not a powerful mage then at least a brilliant one. Even unconscious, his body and mind together knew how much it would take to heal his wounds. The physical ones, at least; his mana circuits would only be mended by time, and perhaps some work from a highly trained specialist. If Mana watched the child’s body over the next hour, he would note that the wounds his efforts hadn’t healed before were slowly receeding. By the time the hour had passed, his wounds were all but entirely gone. But his scars remained. Not the newer ones, though Mana wouldn’t know the difference considering he hadn’t known Fasumbra as he truly was. Instead what remained were the old scars on his face and neck, the leathery burns that were the handiwork of one Edward Queensborough. Something in Fasumbra’s brain clicked, a message passing to the sleeping mind that his body was finally functional once again, and that the pain was gone. A pale eyelid and a brown-burned one opened slowly in tandem, the Langardo eyes finally seeing the world once again.

But to him, he was not Fasumbra Langardo. As mentioned before, that segment of his being had been pulled out with Corvus, into the being of Raven Kanzaki. The only thing remaining of his past life were his scars and spiritual injuries, and a name only recently used in reference to this slight form; Bael Kierdi. Bael sat up slowly, turning his head about to take in his surroundings. Beyond its disheveled appearance, he also finally noticed Mana lurking nearby. Golden eyebrows arched in a combination of interest and surprise before he spoke, his soft soprano filling the otherwise graveyard-silent living space.

“Ah. Hello. I’m afraid I am unaware of the specifics of the current situation. Would you mind telling me who you are, and where I am? Everything seems a bit… fuzzy.” Despite having ‘Fasumbra’ taken away from him, Bael still carried his aristocratic tone and oddly lilting accent. Bael ran a hand through his shining blond hair and rubbed his head, as though trying to massage out the confusion he was feeling.

Doubtless he was about to become a great deal more confused when Mana started talking.

Mana the Hack Cat

[Pandumb]

Sivak

(( I forgot what tavern/pub we were in. >< I can't remember if it was named at any point or not but I might as well assume its the Nine Swords if you don't mind. I just wanted to mark the location. ))

arrow The Nine Swords Pub

Tenkai quirked an eyebrow as Sivak tried to make sense of his words. It was satisfying for him to see a mind at work, to see the wheels turning knowing that he had a hand in sparking that thought. Her conclusions seemed a little...grim, to say the least, but at least he had gotten her thinking.

"What I'm saying is that you should not be burdened by your past," he added. "Attachment is the root of worldly suffering, and if you are fettered to your past, how can you truly have a future?"

Hopefully this would shed more light on what Tenkai was trying to explain to her. Living in the now while creating a better future without attaching oneself to neither past, present nor future. It was a mindset that a number of people valued, though for some it was more of an excuse to let go and carelessly thrust themselves through life. Sometimes literally, in fact. In that sense, it was more of a selective attachment where people were driven by their desires to keep themselves out of the past rather than doing away with desire altogether. Of course, Tenkai had learned that people like that had done away with the drawn-out adages that monks like him were so fond of and were content with the short and simple "yolo".

However, if there was anyone who needed to listen to Tenkai's advice, it was Tenkai himself. The moment Sivak mentioned the Mage's Guild, his mood took a dark turn. Up until now Tenkai had been quite an amiable presence, but the more Sivak spoke about the unfortunate fate of the Mage's guild, the faster the monk's mirthful countenance would bleed away. He did not appear to be angered, especially not at Sivak. He had become solemn and grim, eyes downcast as the scars left by his despair began to throb with a dull ache.

If Sivak didn't notice this, she would surely notice the giant panda bleating sadly at the sight of his melancholic master.

"I was there," he said sharply. "I was there when it happened. It had nothing to do with 'thugs with spells'." He turned his head up, looking at Sivak with a gaze so very different from what she had seen of him earlier that it might as well have been a different pair of eyes.

Tenkai was there. He had seen the death and destruction that had befallen the guild. He had felt the dark presence that had tried to impose its will on the guild, and how it would have done the same to all of Sigil if they hadn't stopped it. He remembered all of those who had given their lives to protect not just the guild, but also their home, the city and all of the worlds that would've been affected by its destruction. The Mage's Guild lost a lot more than "face" that day, and Tenkai had seen it all personally.

Thankfully, Tenkai managed to purge himself of his regret just as he had on that day. Pain like that never really went away. Just because someone doesn't live in the past doesn't mean that the past never happened. It always comes back in some shape or form, just as every form of evil Tenkai ever encountered always found a way of coming back. It was the fact that he chose not to live in the past that allowed him to move forward and continue fighting.

"Forgive me," he said with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I did not mean to be so curt."

"Anyways, I think that if you're looking for a way to get yourself started in the city, you should first find yourself some form of lodging. There are some municipal housing projects sponsored by some of Sigils factions and companies, but if you're looking for something simple, there are always more old-fashioned types who will spare a room as payment for work. You can't walk too far without tripping over an inn in a city like this. If you don't have the money to stay there, you could always apply for a job. Or maybe an apprenticeship under someone in the Market Ward if you're looking for something specific? You said you were involved in 'research'. What kind of research?"

[Lian Feaorne]

arrow The Meat Market Bracket--Underneath Sigil

When she woke up, she could only make out speckles of light that moved around. The sounds of clinking metal on the floor sounded like broken glass and a low hum of muttering was cut off by the sounds of echoing sobs. Lian pushed herself up but found that she had very little space to move...wherever she was. She rubbed her eyes, smearing a greasy residue over her face and grimacing. Her neck burned. She looked up to the lights, the glow getting brighter as she sat upright and saw that the smaller lights had been gaps between many legs and arms between bars. There was a torch lighting up the doorway and all around, there were a variety of peoples of Sigil crammed into a small space. Lian's browed furrowed. "Where am I?"She asked and a grizzled old dwarf who had been sitting next to her grunted.

"You're underground...Just on level with the sewers I bet. Welcome to the Meat Market Arena prison..."He said, Lian's eyes going wide.

"Meat Market? What does that have to do with everyon...Oh my Gods...Oh Lady...You don't mean we're..."Lian started and she felt nauseas.

"That's right...We're the cattle up for market. Rather, we're going to be fighting for our lives."The Dwarf explained.

"Fighting...So we're not going to be just...taken to the slaughter house and packaged?"Lian said as she settled herself against the wall. Wall space seemed to be scarce but somehow, she had been thrown into a pocket or dragged. There were women...children...men young and old of every race she could see around the small prison. From the sounds echoing, it wasn't the only cell.

The dwarf moved his thick fingers, patting the top of her head and sighing. It was like he already knew what her fate was going to be. Lian drew up her legs, frowning. "Aye, kid...but the losers are the ones that get taken to the slaughter house. It's a fight to the death. The longer you survive, the higher your price goes up. From what I've heard, the fact that you live longer makes the meat better. Better quality. A stringy kid like you? Wouldn't last too long."The dwarf said, Lian glaring at him and he seemed to laugh a little..but who could laugh in this situation? This was a nightmare. She knew of practices consuming the flesh of people in other regions of Gaia...but Sigil? That was reserved to those who fed on blood and the undead. She couldn't imagine who was buying the meat...but desperate people sunk that low. The food situation in Sigil must have been worse than she imagined...even if she could find it with the orphaned children, people who couldn't were out of luck...this 'Meat Market' black market must have catered to them. Noble as it could have sounded, it was disgusting. No doubt if people found out they were eating their neighbor or grandma, they'd be sick too.

"You'd be surprised...I've survived some tough situations already. They caught me running around looking for food with my group. They killed my friends...but I stabbed one in the leg."Lian sighed, rubbing her neck. The dwarf smacked her hand away.

"Don't rub it too much. Infection will kill ya just as fast as the fights. Looks like you're on the high end of the elimination fights."He pointed out, poking her forehead.

"What?"She asked, rubbing her forehead.

"Each of us has a number. High enders are last to fight. Low enders go to fight. I don't know how many of us there are...but everyone fights each other one by one until they fill the bracket."The dwarf explained. Lian peered through the dark, looking at his number. He had a low number, somewhere in the fifties.

"You've been in the fights already, haven't you?"Lian realized.

"Aye...I'm not proud of it either. It's not a fight, it's a brawl to the death. Poor lad I fought...must have only been a few years older than you. There's no glory in this. There's no fun or respect..."The Dwarf shook his head and Lian lowered her head. Her stomach flipped upside down. She felt sick...but just the same she felt anger that went down to the marrow of her being. Lian narrowed her gaze, looking over to the bars...then her gaze around the room. The numbers were mingled together. She couldn't tell what range she was in and she knew the dwarf wasn't going to tell her. That just built up the anxiety. The numbers went up into the three hundreds from what she could see already but there was no organization to it. Who would she fight? Would she even survive to make it into the bracket?

Lian shook her head. The scattered numbers were done on purpose...to make people nervous. To make people desperate. It was a common scare tactic. "How do they know when they have enough people?"Lian questioned.

"Nosy kid...I heard rumors. They're not stopping until they reached four hundred. They break down the fights down to two hundred...Then one hundred. The final fifty are broken down into the bracket...As far as I know for now, the survivor of the last bracket they did fought the bracket winner...They get to live so long as they keep fighting and raise their price up...I don't know who they are. They've been keeping their identity on the down low...What's it to you kid? You've been asking way more questions than the rest of these sad sacks..."The Dwarf inquired.

"Let's just say...Appearances are deceiving...but I'm going to get to the bottom of this...and break this bracket."Lian muttered and silence fell across the cell.

[SpiritArcanis]

Jace Arcanis

Aether Charges Gained: 1

Jace sighed, the disaster that had been his time spent in sigil had grown far to large. It was time to leave permanently. He raised a hand and focused on his power, the hand closed into a tight fist in front of him raised with his elbow at a ninety degree angle, and his shoulder extended level. Purple light, laced with black began to gather pulsing in the subtle ebb and flow of aetheric magic. The pulse vaguely resembled the birth of a sun, spiraling inward first, before pulsing out expanding slowly. The power was palpable, the waves of light emanating from his hand interacting with the stone substance of sigil. It set the tone for resonance, as the energy began to seep into all of the surrounding materials.

“Open a path into the beyond. Open the gate to the god’s road. I open the gate, I walk the path.”

The energy began to expand and contract, giving off more and more waves of light. The pulses, aligning to match the cadence of his voice. The tempo and tone, began to emanate just as much magic as the aether gathering to his will. He stopped his step and turned to face the pulsing aura of light he had left in his wake. Extending his hand forward he opened it to reveal a pulsing sphere of aetheric energy.

“My will is the key. My magic grants me the right. With my will, with my power, I bid the gate to open.”

The light anchored, its spherical purple form floating an inch above shoulder height pulsing in time with the light now being given off by the stone of buildings and road. Jace withdrew his hand, closed it into a fist, leaving only two fingers, his index finger, and his middle finger extended. With an explosive gesture he shoved those fingers into the sphere of light. The sphere exploded, the eruption flooding down the street creating the appearance of strands of purple light connected to his fingers expanding back to all the surfaces infected with the light of the spell.

He yanked back on his hand, but he didnt pull the light back, he vanished. Yanked into the web that is the greater path of the warrens. In his place he left a slight wrinkle in the visible world that would fade briefly over the next five minutes, and a semi permanent feel of dimensional magic, distinct, even from that which pervades the outlands.

[SpiritArcanis]

Khazrin Talon, Aetheric Swordsman

When one door closes...

Aether Charges Gained: 1

Khzarin, groaned as he applied a salve of herbs, mixed with a cure light wounds potion to the welts he had gained from today’ s exorcises. As always, Thay proved itself to be a dreary country. Nearly always, the sky appeared to be storm cloud gray, the waters, a similar shade, and the colors of the land muted by the drab nature of the atmosphere. Though he bore no connection with the red wizards, all magic users in thay were required to bear a sign of their talent. Khazrin was shaved bald, his black hear shaved off every morning before it could begin to regrow visibly. He wore the blood red tattoo of the magus, which was a long looping pattern covering the dominant side of his body, in this case his right. Blended into the tattoo were a number of adjustments describing the man who had trained him and the skills which he possessed.

Currently under the tutelage of the husband and wife partners the blade master Alyssandra Varic, and the retired Red Wizard Uzak Varic, Khazrin was one of the only students in the world learning to actively blend the red wizards style of magic, with the blade play, of the red wizards house guards. Wielding his masters red and black single edged long blade. A vicious slightly curved weapon with harsh tearing serrations.

He was too walk the road for an hour in the direction of the capital city, by the orders of Uzak, he was then to sprint home constantly channeling magic for the whole distance to build his battle stamina. This was the beginning of the second leg of his journey. He took of sprinting, gathering aether to the blade in its sheathe across his hips. His magic was naturally tinted with red and black, so it crackled around the edges of his vision growing with each step that he took.

As his blade reached capacity he focused next on his foot falls. Restraining the energy so that he did not unleash it into the earth with each step. As the power grew he felt the resonance the power growing through out his body. Ahead of him he saw a strange sight. The air shattered cracking through with purple energy. As a reflex he slammed his next foot fall with his right foot down anchoring it. His left foot carried one more step and his left hand found the sheathe of his sword at his left hip. His right hand found the hilt and he drew it straight out Slashing in a broad arc and releasing a perpetual stream of power.

The slash of red aether slammed into the cracking in the air in front of him. Purple light flashed, and poured down the connecting stream of red power. When it reached his blade it slammed into his arm and yanked on his body. He screamed once in surprise as the country side of thay vanished and he blacked out. He didnt come too, and instead was left laying in the middle of one of Sigil’s side streets.

...another door opens.

[count_zantara]

Hitomi Ishida

Li the Fox

Tres Ecstuffuan

The Great Absolute

Slash Zinari

count_zantara

Thomas Bravot

The Bravot Library with Hitomi Ishida and Norman Hollow

Turning on his left heel to stare at the lady Hitomi as the foursome of guards stepped off their respective footholds on the vehicle and began to encircle the Librarian, Bravot listened to her words and gave a tiny shrug.

”Everything exists here, Lady Hitomi. Here or the other seven locations that are exactly like Sigil scattered across the multiverse.

And you never know when a wrong mistep might just find you elsewhere and elsewhen.

Or even nowhere and nowhen.

It pays to watch your step.”

Subtle words leading to subtle threats. He was almost sure that no matter who 'won' control over the Mage Guild, he was going to be in a place where hed have to smash it all over again. These Mages were getting more and more uppity as the days passed. Watching the Dragonette land on her arm, the Librarian tipped his bowler cap with his good hand as she turned away, watching.

”La vie est Drole, Mon Cheri."

He whispered wistfully to no one in practicular, somewhat lost in thought. Taking a deep intake of air, Bravot let out the sigh and shook his silvery blond locks before heading for the front door to his private three story abode.

”Anton, I want that female we picked up from the battlefield to be placed in the Oubliette. Class IV security. I want it locked down magically, psionically, spiritually and every other thing I can't think of at the moment. I'll be to see her after this meeting with Mister Hollow.

Stopping in the hallway to take a offered lit cigarette from one of his underbulters, Bravot removed his hat and placed it on the drawing table. Staring up the stairs to his library room, he breathed in deeply and muttered under his breath.

"Lets get this over with. I want a pot of coffee delievered in ten minutes.

And with that, he headed up the stairs slowly, using the silver-headed cane in his left hand and the railing in his right to help him on his way. Soon after, he walked through the opening door to the room of his Library, his sapphire eyes taking in the room and Mister Norman Hollow.

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

The Forgotten District of K'nyan

_______The air in the long stairway was unbearably still, as if it had not been tasted or disturbed for untold eons. It only added to the disturbing sense of claustrophobia as they descended down as if the room they fell into had been at some height within some grand tower. On the way down the stairwell they would find similar doors at each 'level', evoking the sense that perhaps they were in some sort of ancient urban habitation, like an apartment complex. Though this was not to suggest any sense of modernity. The stairs themselves were crafted of stone, as if from a single impossibly tall block of stone and the doors were made with that strange metal with its odd vibrant texture. If either of them pushed against them, they would find no purchase as if they were locked from the other side. No hand hold could be found to pull the doors open either, which would seem quite peculiar to them both. The stairwell was tight forcing both to stoop in their stride, as if it were made for beings that were quite a bit shorter than either of them, especially the tall heel wearing sorceress.

_______Eventually after a long nauseating descent they would find what must have been a bottom. A breeze pushed the stale cave like air up through a doorless opening that sat at the stairwells bottom. If the pair exited through the opening, the sorceress's light would make for an eerily singular light source in what must have been a cave structure of stupendous magnitude. Though there was no light beyond which the sorceress could evoke, they could gather that the structures that towered hauntingly over them were gigantic and that the subterranean space that housed them must have been disturbingly titanic. Despite the vast openness of the deep cavern, there was a palpable quiet that complimented the ancient air that oddly enough gently washed over them in a constant breeze, not unlike the world above. This breeze failed to invigorate and freshen the air, that would rub dryly against their flesh.

_______Ellianna's light produced terrible shadows that sat upon the infinite darkness that surrounded them, who's size was not as disturbing as their outline. The shadows were half hidden behind the magnificent buildings that surrounded them and perhaps this was a blessing, as some of the angles formed in silhouette should have been impossible. They would be given the hazy suggestion of rows of massive conical towers from which grew polygonal husk that branched out from it like a giant tree. These odd outlines would fill them both with curious intrigue and a primal sense of dread. They would find themselves upon a cyclopean street of sorts, marked by smooth stone blocks. Its streets were massive and followed the uneven cave terrain rather than smoothing it as if it were meant to be transverse by something other than men. It was not apparent immediately which way they ought to go.

______They would both detect a sound—a flopping; a padding; a dull, retreating, sputtering, sound which heralded beyond question a being with implements as structurally similar to the kiss of a pseudopodian sucker, the fall of a heavy hoof and the scratch of sharp talons—something that evoked wholly different images than that of the relatively still shadows that lurched above them, yet equally remote from any sort of life as life is understood on the prime material’s wholesome surface. This sound would come from just outside of their light range to the north.

Scalar Warfare

Slash Zinrai

[Tres Ecstuffuan]

count_zantara

Count_Zantara

The Great Absolute

”Slash Zinrai”

Tres Ecstuffuan

Scalar Warfare

Arbitrary Fate

SpiritArcanis

Hitomi Ishida

Li the Fox

((Shrinking down some Quote Towers))

Tonro the Bronze

A Dragon Enraged

Doyle would find that Oz's back was now in a almost perfect line between him and Tonro as a trio of the Cerebral Bore silver rounds slammed into Oz's upper chest and throat within the few inches of space between Tonros back and Oz's bent up body, the trio-spine orbs digging into the false-flesh of Oz before exploding into 6.5 ounces of IMX-101.

What would happen next???

Ground Zero - The Mages Guild

______The construct would not only be thrown back away from Tonro at the impact of the Cerebral bore and his inability to get a decent hold over the bronze dragon but he would explode into a fine glassy powder that shimmered in the air about the babbling cultist, as they continued in their path. Oz had absorbed the blast but in doing so, he seemed all but destroyed. Even as Doyle turned cackling and half stuttering curses, still throwing the mighty fist of time; the Byakhee wisely attempted to carry him away from Tonro to his west.

______Rather than be carried off into Sigil's constant breeze, the emerald powder clung twinkling in the air like a dense green gas cloud. Tonro, if he was perceptive of such things would be well aware that Oz was still here. His physical form temporarily broken, but the presence that was the pseudo-psionic astral daemon entity OZ was still very much there.

"il-ileket...il-ileket!"

_____The sorrowful words echoed ambient through the cloud of gas with a high glass like pitch. Their meaning was unknown but the word seemed to be Aklo in origin. It was the sound of an impossibly old tongue, one that stretched back eons before the coming of dragonkind. Despite the esoteric nature of the phrase, it was quiet clearly an omen or a warning based on its tone. It seemed that even Oz lamented at what it was about to unleash.

_______Like metal powder coaxed with magnetism in vacuum, the microscopic crystal shards that made up the green cloud snapped into fluid motion. What was a formless shape became something like an Amoeba but otherwise impossible an utterly different from anything else in this or any other world. It was a roiling mass of glass like shards, constantly shifting and morphing internally and externally. Polygonal shapes of immense geometric complexity, formed, collapsed, and reformed to produce locomotion and the growth of temporary limbs at times as simple as tentacles or mouth's and as complex as arms or legs. It was, in places completely solid but in others absolutely gaseous, changing shape at will. The form was around 20 feet in diameter.

______This was Oz's true form. The thing with a thousand arms, a thousand mouths and a thousand eyes. It made its way towards Tonro, shouting the words "il-ileket...il-ileket!", threatening to overrun and envelop Tonro in its protoplasmic mass.