The City of Durem - A GM Thread ♦ WALK-IN/OPEN

[Pandumb]

arrow The Broken Whistle Tavern

((Just to note, this is Alvis' home, not Thaerdin's. Thaerdin has never set foot on Nordheim, but he does know about what became of it.

I also kindof missed a chance to give you colors to work off of for Cypher's color vision thingy. ._. I couldn't really think of something fitting. Besides, you already came up with them.))

Eternal Dirge

" This eight-pointed star thing, Chaos. Why's it mutate people like that? Or were they always like that?"

themightyjello

"But there's no question about whether this city has defenders. Gaians are the most stubborn, headstrong, disorganized, and self-motivated people you will ever come across, and they will not suffer to see anyone try to 'conquer' them. I give you my word on that."

Maximos

"Why do you keep referring to it like that?" He said, after a large gulp of whatever was in his cup. He had requested whatever their strongest and best was. This certainly qualified. Max shook his head after his sentence and made a few very wide blinks as he felt the drink burn its way down his throat. After composing himself he continued, shedding light on his vague question. "You make it sound like this Chaos is a living thing. Not just this Conqueror individual. And how has it scarred Durem?"

The three men were full of questions, and the old warrior did not wish to disappoint them. Faulkner would have spoken up himself, but it seemed as if everyone else had the bases covered. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was bombard anyone with questions, as he had already done plenty of bombarding for one night.

"'Chaos' is neither living nor dead," said Thaerdin, "It is a force of unspeakable malevolence born from the darkest recesses of the man's heart. All of the hatred, desire, ambition and despair possessed by mortals and immortals alike have shaped the raw energies of the Aether and coalesced into the terrible entities that Alvis refers to as the 'gods' of Chaos. Chaos is the embodiment of these negative emotions, born from our own hearts and minds. It is through this strong, intrinsic connection that Chaos draws its strength and fuels its unimaginable corruption."

Thaerdin turned his head to the windows near the door, as if he was looking out at the rest of the city. "I could feel its influence the moment I set foot in this city," he continued. "It is subtle, not nearly as vast as other lands consumed by its corruption, but it is still there. The followers and pawns of Chaos have been active here for some time."

Anson seemed to be the only one presently aware of this truth to an extent. If he had been following Damnatus, he would know well that the sorcerer had been working his machinations within Durem for a time, among other places. Even though the sorcerer was as much an enemy to Chaos as any of them would be, he wielded the same sorcery that spread its taint in an attempt to turn the powers of Chaos against itself. While that made the sorcerer one of the most powerful opponents of Chaos on Gaia due to his deep understanding, it also made him just as dangerous to the innocent. It all worked out so perfectly for Chaos that one couldn't help but wonder if it was simply just another facet of a much grander scheme.



Thaerdin had not noticed Anson's mumbling of the name "Damnatus", though Father Faulkner was close enough to see that the paladin was muttering something. Unfortunately, he couldn't make much sense of anything that was going on, so all he really managed to glean from it was that the paladin had something on his mind. His eyes narrowed slightly, the edge of his mouth stretching out to the side as he contemplated the action, without forgetting to take the occasional sip of his scotch. Boy had he been waiting for that scotch.

Maximos

"How's fairs your chin?" He took a sip of his drink. "I feel I should apologize, your relaxing drink has become something of a chaotic evening, hasnt it?"

"I'll live," said Gordon, rubbing his chin now that Maximos had reminded him of it. "Don't apologize, kid. It was my fault."

Uberwulf X

"Eh..." He glanced at Maximos more because he was the closest person to Laz, and shrugged. as Anson explained rather thoroughly. "Yeah, there's supposed to be. Lots of small organizations claim to be army-types, but it's usually people like us that jump in and keep order... lone people who happen to know each other from chance and circumstance, and another fight in the past. One big vigilante showdown. Euuuuuugh, it sounds like I'm volunteering us for this."

Lazenca grumbled quietly, wondering what Shouyin might think of all of this.

"I have a close friend who has... power, I guess, and connections with business in the city... she runs The Blazestar Empire. If all you're looking for is to get the word out, some research and whatever, I could put in a call. I know she mentioned wanting a new research project... this'll keep her busy."

Lazenca finally placed down the bowl, after tilting it in the air and shaking it to get some resistant drops of gravy. "But she's not prepared to take on armies of Chaos. And I can attest for myself and Maximos' gusto-- no disrespect to the rest of you-- but if it really warps and razes lands and causes mutations, then I'm not sure we are either. How are we supposed to actually prepare people and ourselves for this?"

Aside from Anson's fervent words about the hardiness of Gaians and their willingness to fight for their home, Lazenca was one of the few who could make mention of an actual standing army that could defend Durem. The factions that laid claim to many of Durem's aspects could indeed come together to defend their city, and the mentioning of an "empire" that could lend their aid as well seemed to fill both Thaerdin and Alvis' eyes with a faint glimmer of hope. Yet, it seemed as if Lazenca wasn't entirely hopeful given the nature of the foe they warned about.

"The dark powers they command are formidable, but based on what I have seen, I have faith that you are as well," said Thaerdin. "And yet the mortals loyal to Chaos were once strong men just like yourselves, men that gave in to their darker proclivities and chose power over strength. To face an enemy such as Chaos is to face yourselves, to face the darkness that lurks within your hearts. If you are to prepare yourselves, you must steel your souls against your rage, your lust. Do not be led astray by ambition or give in to despair. That is the lesson that must be learned of the fall of Alvis' homeland."

Maximos

"Assuming all of this is true, Gordon." Another small sip of the sharp clear liquid. "And it likely is, how do you feel the Major Arcana will react to such a threat?"

Father Faulkner had been listening intently in spite of the fact that he appeared far more interested in his drink than the story. Now that he was given the prompt to speak, his present company would see that he wasn't so lost in his liquor after all.

"I'm not sure," said Gordon, "I'm in enough hot water as it is for our first mission here, and it was hard enough convincing the Cardinal to allow us to stay as it is. There's no way I'd be able to convince them to send the Templars in to aid the city, let alone any more Major Arcana than the four they already sent, myself included. Not when we're only going by hearsay, at least."

The truth was that Major Arcana was not a division of the Vatican's power like the Arcanum that Gordon and his men came from, or the Knights Templar, their current chamber militant. Major Arcana was a Vatican-wide group comprised of their "best of the best", from priests and knights to heads of divisions within the Vatican itself. Each of them bore a code-name pertaining to one of the Major Arcana cards of the Tarot, with Father Faulkner being known as the Heirophant. Fathers Irving, Anderson and Estrada were also members of Major Arcana, which were why they were far more capable in combat than Nivens or Quigley. Even if they could get every single member together, the group had been shattered by betrayal from within, which had dealt a serious blow to the Vatican's power. They were stretched thin enough as it is.

"I'll have to admit, I'm aware of this power that Gandalf the Grey over here's been talking about," he continued, his irreverence merely in jest, "Back where I come from we've gotten reports of similar sightings among cults using some kind of eight-pointed star. At first we thought it was some sort of a**-backwards Buddhism, but we know that's not the case anymore."

Father Faulkner set down his drink so that he could turn to Maximos and address him more clearly. "In fact, the last time I saw your friend Tenkai was after he had a pretty bad run-in with this 'Chaos' crap. That's why I asked if you knew him in the first place. Wasn't even sure if he made it until you told me."

Maximos would not remember that Tenkai had been afflicted with a deeply corrupting Warp-spawned disease because the monk had never told him, mostly because he never had the chance. Only a few people had seen him in the time he suffered from the disease, with Raien DeCuir being one of them. Somehow he managed to survive, but the how was still not certain. Still, Thaerdin could only find this to be a sign that the rest of Gaia truly was strong enough to defend their home.

Samantha~Munin~

The wolf man and the elf did have a point though, this strange form of chaos was obviously dangerous, and it sounded like something a few of her old enemies would have revelled in. "We need more information... err I mean you need a reconnaissance team, small but well equipped to deal with the danger, and to obtain as much information as possible to arm the warriors with!"

Thaerdin smiled at Samantha's words and laughed light-heartedly. "Well met, little raven," he said, oddly referring to Samantha in a way few people would have known to do, especially not when he was a complete stranger. "Knowledge and wisdom have always been the allies of the greatest of heroes."

For some reason, Thaerdin's mirth did not last for long. There appeared to be a pang of discomfort on his face, too subtle to be alarming but enough to seem strange to his present company. It did not look like the old man was ill, but it would feel as if something was not right about him. Something that only Thaerdin seemed to pick up on.

"Forgive me, my friends, but my time grows short," he said. "There is something I must do. For now, I must leave thee with the good knowledge that my friend here is in good hands. Perhaps he may yet remember more of what happened to his land for the sake of your city."

"Hwait, kinsman," said Alvis, who seemed almost certain Thaerdin was of his kin in spite of the fact that Thaerdin had never been to Nordheim. "Must you leaf so soon? I can remember more, I'm sure that I can!"

"Fret not, good Alvis," said the old warrior. "I shall return to you all at the turn of the tide as soon as possible."

Thaerdin did not leave immediately, knowing that his company would at least have something to say about all they have learned before he departed. It would not be fair to leave them with their questions lingering.

Kanashimi Kurai

[Eternal Dirge]

Maximos

themightyjello

Kanashimi Kurai

Samantha~Munin~

Uberwulf X

Tenkai Matsumoto

arrow The Broken Whistle Tavern

That was heartbreaking, Ninja wasn't a race?! Cypher thought it was, just that the peoples of that race had been able to change their forms about as they pleased, like those of his species. His face clearly showed his disappointment even as Thaerdin answered their questions to the best of his abilities. It didn't seemed likely that Chaos had any stronger a hold in these lands than any other pantheon did, atleast not to the elf, and his look of sadness was replaced by a frown as his vision again abruptly switched. While this particular sight was influenced by his own idea of how a gods mark was left on the world, it mostly manifested as a riot of colors in clouds that drifted and surged in a way oddly reminiscent of the warp though he didn't know it. Here the gods power drifted through the air and gathered strongly around the peoples that they depended upon. Around Maximos a dark cloud drifted, Faulkner and Anson two subtly differing shades of yellowish white that he had no interest in deciphering.

Turning his gaze to the others in the party, he got a riot of colors and even patterns from some as multiple gods stood on equal levels in those individuals hearts. Samantha was such a thing and idly the grey skinned elf wondered if he gave off any emanations at all. Disregarding those currently involved he searched for the traces of chaos taint, eyes narrowing on his face as he looked beyond the Tavern itself. Finally he caught them, spikes of blue and yellow swirls that pulsed in a way that made him uncomfortable, neon pink and purple that seemed to float like a fog in the morning and brought to mind things best left to the bedroom or a sadists dungeon. There a red cloud sparked and flashed like a thunderstorm in different tones of red, and finally a sickly green and black that flowed about sluggishly. Compared to the other colors they were faint and disappeared often in the clouds of other gods and the wash of magic as a whole.

" Huh....He's right."

Cypher wasn't speaking to anyone in particular again, leaning back against the bar and returning his sight to normal before grabbing some of the non-meat food that had been set out for them. He wondered what everyone else was going to do. He had no connection to this place, and despite Thaerdin and Alvis's dire predictions Gaia was a world designed to defend itself. Power flowed like water here for anyone to pick up in a way it simply didn't in other worlds apparently and not even a fraction of it utilized the power of the warp. It seemed just as easy to let it be and leave those who could to defend this place but something kept him thinking. Kept him sitting there.

Thaerdins comment about them being formidable didn't seem to be nearly enough. From the sounds of things he was asking them to be single person armies each and that was abit much to ask of anyone. At best they were a scouting or skirmish group, wrecking s**t on a small scale, but not capable of facing any true force head on. Cypher idly kicked at his bag on the floor and chewed while he thought and watched the reactions of the other people gathered. Maybe one of them had a better idea.

[themightyjello]

Tenkai Matsumoto

Eternal Dirge

Maximos

themightyjello

Kanashimi Kurai

Samantha~Munin~

Uberwulf X

arrow The Broken Whistle Tavern

Lazenca's mention of calling in 'a friend' to handle the situation caused Anson to shrink back slightly against the bar and fold his arms tighter against his chest; diverting his attention from folding thoughts over and over again about the nature of Chaos to another topic entirely. It was probably true that if he were to contact Mr. Black there would be resources to draw upon to help -- but that was something that the boy was loathe to do. That man was not from Durem... he wasn't even a Gaian. Anson was certain he would lend aid if asked but the young paladin could not go so far as to ask a foreigner to defend their homeland. Gaian problems would be solved by Gaian hands.

But what was it that they were even supposed to do in this situation...? At this point it was likely that none of them really doubted Alvis' story, but the warning of a vague threat hanging over their head with neither an army nor a heavy influence within sight was...

You can't fight an enemy that you can't find. Isolated incidents of cultist activities within the city were few and far between even generously counted, and the only thing that they knew about this 'Conquerer' was that he ruled a land half a world away; and this hardly seemed like an appropriate moment for someone to shout "roadtrip" and pile the menagerie of this crew into a sailing ship bound for the north.

The small girl who spoke up at last was a surprising inclusion to the discussion but he couldn't rightly say that she was wrong. At this point they knew that an enemy existed but not what or where, and certainly not what they were capable of. What they lacked was not only information but also a direction.

Right now they were simply trying to fight global warming by telling people it was going to happen and that bad s**t would result. Not a particularly effective strategy.

Anson stepped forward as Thaerdin began to shift like he was readying to leave. "I think it would help most if we had any idea what to fight. Should we be trying to rout out cultists to stop Chaos from spreading, throwing a carnival in Von Helson Square to raise morale because apparently this stuff feeds on bad juju like the slime from Ghostbusters 2, or are we just going to ride to Nordheim on the back of a rainbow unicorn of happiness and strike down the Conquerer with the power of love and friendship?"

Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, the boy's sarcastic commentary ended with a bit of a smile.

"Let me know if it's the last one. I think I know a guy with a unicorn... Plus I've always wanted to introduce myself as 'Warrior of Love'."

[Maximos]

Eternal Dirge

themightyjello

Kanashimi Kurai

Samantha~Munin~

Uberwulf X

Tenkai Matsumoto

arrow The Broken Whistle Tavern

Tenkai Matsumoto

"'Chaos' is neither living nor dead," said Thaerdin, "It is a force of unspeakable malevolence born from the darkest recesses of the man's heart. All of the hatred, desire, ambition and despair possessed by mortals and immortals alike have shaped the raw energies of the Aether and coalesced into the terrible entities that Alvis refers to as the 'gods' of Chaos. Chaos is the embodiment of these negative emotions, born from our own hearts and minds. It is through this strong, intrinsic connection that Chaos draws its strength and fuels its unimaginable corruption."

This explanation honed Maximos' face into an unhappy one. Not a theatrical frown but a flat expression with persed lips that spoke of distinct displeasure. This was not just shaping up to be a battle, this was shaping up to be a difficult and drawn out battle. These gods personified negative human emotions, and yet war and conflict in and of itself is born of these emotions. You couldnt exactly fight without violent intentions, no matter how good those intentions might be. The act of adding more people to the fracas would probably just serve as more kindling to the flame unless they recruited an army of machines or perhaps perfectly enlightened monks.

Uberwulf X

"Eh..." He glanced at Maximos more because he was the closest person to Laz, and shrugged. as Anson explained rather thoroughly. "Yeah, there's supposed to be. Lots of small organizations claim to be army-types, but it's usually people like us that jump in and keep order... lone people who happen to know each other from chance and circumstance, and another fight in the past. One big vigilante showdown. Euuuuuugh, it sounds like I'm volunteering us for this."

Lazenca grumbled quietly, wondering what Shouyin might think of all of this.

"I have a close friend who has... power, I guess, and connections with business in the city... she runs The Blazestar Empire. If all you're looking for is to get the word out, some research and whatever, I could put in a call. I know she mentioned wanting a new research project... this'll keep her busy."

Lazenca finally placed down the bowl, after tilting it in the air and shaking it to get some resistant drops of gravy. "But she's not prepared to take on armies of Chaos. And I can attest for myself and Maximos' gusto-- no disrespect to the rest of you-- but if it really warps and razes lands and causes mutations, then I'm not sure we are either. How are we supposed to actually prepare people and ourselves for this?"

Max shared a shrug with the werewolf, and then to his surprise, Maximos found that Lazenca shared his sentiments on the subject. Obviously Max had no connection to the Blazestar Empire, but as for the rest the wolf spoke exactly what was on his mind. This was followed through albeit more sarcastically by Anson. To face ones selves? Well the best opposite to war, was pacifism. That wasnt what Thaerdin was suggesting. So then what? It was only then that Maximos really took a look at the man advising them. Thaerdin spoke of seeing and sensing things city wide. He had, it appeared, given no explanation for where he had come from previous to finding Alvis, and he was referring to people as...mortals. And that was not something that any mortal does.

Max however put his investigations aside and let the faint white light of his right eye fade as Gordon began to speak. He listened to the old man, and from what he had seen earlier during his meeting with the cardinal Max certainly understood that before Gordon could make a single move he required a large amount of legislation and permission. This in turn lead to hesitation and could mean defeat. In light of this Max rephrased his question.

"Gordon, I know your not the sort of man to sit on your laurels, and yet to a degree your hands are tied. Tell me. What can I do to help? What would we need in order to convince the Vatican of the danger sufficiently enough for them to at least allow your current men to operate against this?" Max said, and yet just seconds after saying it to the priest the little girl beside him spoke up. Her advice was...surprisingly sound. Although appearing young, she spoke with an unexpected air of experience about her not just book knowledge. And that intrigued Max. The liquid courage in her hand must have given her the strength to speak up to the crowd and -

Tenkai Matsumoto

Thaerdin smiled at Samantha's words and laughed light-heartedly. "Well met, little raven," he said, oddly referring to Samantha in a way few people would have known to do, especially not when he was a complete stranger. "Knowledge and wisdom have always been the allies of the greatest of heroes."

- Max's face went blank as his eyes fell sharply on the teenager holding the potent alcoholic beverage. That was it. He could see it now. It was in the curve of her cheeks. That nose. She didnt dress anywhere near as provocative as her mother and he features had yet to bloom to that state but the likely was unmistakable now. Before she, or anyone else could speak another word his hand immediately snapped out in a blur of black and grabbed the cut in her hands. He did not take it from her, he just held it in place. And then poured more from his cup into hers to replace whatever she had drank. This young girl was speaking up, a thing he had only occasionally seen her mother do. By all means he meant to foster this good habit.

"I agree whole heartedly with this young woman's suggestion." Max said, releasing her cup after it was refilled. He continued, looking around the room as he did. "More information could serve to relieve any lingering doubts. It could tell us how exactly to prepare and what exactly to expect. The evidence we gather could help us garner more forces to Durem's side as well."

"I for one," Max gestured to himself, "am somewhat adept at stealth operations."

A pale hand moved toward Mr. Miranda. "Lazenca can shapeshift, dodging immediate suspicions."

A gesture toward Anson. "You appear able to blend into a crowd."

Another gesture toward the gray skinned elf. "Elves are, by nature, good at reconnaissance."

He moved to Gordon. "I'm sure you have at least one infiltration operative with you. Anderson, perhaps?"

And then finally back to Samantha. "And you. Well this is most definitely your idea. And you seem to have experience on the subject." Max paused, there was likely to be some questions concerning her age and appearance which he immediately dismissed with a wave of his hand and by saying. "And this is Gaia, we should all know better than to judge by appearances. So..."

His hand came back to land flat on the top of Samantha's head. There was a smile on Max's face. But it was not sarcastic or mocking. He was being friendly, but he was also being quite serious. He trusted her mother more than almost anyone else on Gaia. Why not do this? "...I vote you, to organize and lead this mission. What do you say?"

Something in the look on Maximos' face, maybe the glint of his teeth when he grinned or the sheen of his eyes in the room said that while this was worded as a question. It was not. It was not a threat. But he was likely to outright ignore any response that was not an emphatic yes.

And before he could say it, Max blindly gestured toward Faulkner and answered what he assumed would be his doubts before they were voiced by simply saying, "Trust me."

[Taki Morivan]

arrow Downtown Durem, The Blazestar Empire HQ

Taki snickered a bit, as she knew full well that if D' didn't have to adhere to any rules of formality outside of the building, she was quite unlikely to ever do so. In that respect really, the two were birds of a feather, as it were, since Taki absolutely loathed being formal anywhere she wasn't absolutely required to do so. Though sometimes, unfortunately, this habit had also gotten her into significant trouble, hence why she would prefer to bring along someone who could remain level-headed regardless of the situation. She needed a "cooling temperament", if you will, to balance her tendency to be hot-headed when the stress peaked.

And then D' wanted to turn down going along with Taki. "But D', darling, you know we'd work better together than I could with either of those boys. Now don't get me wrong, they're lovely co-workers. But, generally speaking, I've not worked as closely with Goryu, and the last time I took Seung on assignment with me...he spent a bit too much time staring, and not enough doing his job, if you catch my meaning. Don't get me wrong, the boy's got some looks to him, but I'm a woman of principles, and that means work first, personal affairs later." Now, that wasn't entirely true...Taki had, on occasion, bypassed that little rule to get what she wanted, but never in the corporate-bound space of legal business assignments.

Turning back to the conversation at hand, Taki leaned forward, lowering her voice ever so slightly to make the point as clear as possible, "I'm really not going to budge on the issue, my dear. Simply put, I know you'll be better suited for this than anyone else I could have come with me right off the cuff. I know Blazestar is still your baby, for the most part, but I'll carry you if I need to, just so long as I can have your magical expertise on hand. Most especially so, I want you there to help me out if things get ugly." While it was true, Taki could have a silver tongue when she wanted it, not everyone was so easily susceptible to it, and that's what she was mostly worried about.

Leaning back into her chair, Taki crossed one leg over the other, and clasped her hands behind her head, giving one more friendly little knowing smirk, "So, do we have a deal, Miss Aire?"

Unchecked Twitch

[Pandumb]

Meanwhile...

arrow Durem Countryside

By now the news of the strange anomaly that left the broken Castle LeBlanc shrouded in a veil of impregnable fog had already reached circulation. In spite of the efforts of investigative teams and analysts, there was absolutely nothing they could do to determine the status of the LeBlanc family or their estate. Rumors would likely spread that the upstart vampire family was trying to hide some sort of plot to take control of the city by force, a vain attempt undoubtedly motivated by hubris. Many of the wealthier and prominent noble houses of Durem's hierarchy would not be so troubled as to think that the LeBlancs, having been forced to slink away into the shadows of the countryside, would ever become more of a threat than a group of hedonists engaged in depraved debauchery. A number of noble families were already guilty of their own sins against the people of Durem, so why would LeBlanc's deeds be of any importance?

None of them would be prepared for the terror that was brewing within the recesses of that impassible fog...

arrow Through the fog - The Ruins of Castle LeBlanc

In spite of being ostracized from Durem's nobility, the caslte of the LeBlanc family had stood the test of time, having survived raids and sieges for many centuries. Even in the wake of the Harbinger's arrival, the castle still stood, albeit as a shadow of its past glory. The veil of reality had been torn asunder at the castle's very foot, sundering the earth and shattering the battlements of the age-old fortress. Blackened spires of earth pierced through every wall, every tower, providing support to the broken castle like a corpse pinned to a stake. Now it was nothing more than a twisted mockery of what it had once been. That great, dark castle, once a monument to the children of the night, was now a testament to the power of Chaos.

Ragnvald the Conqueror, Chaos Lord of the Harbingers and Overlord of the wastes of Nordheim, strode through the broken halls of his newly-conquered prize as a giant among men. He was a massive tower of black iron, the ground trembling with every step he took. The shadow he cast darkened the already shadowy halls of the castle, halls that were mostly without windows to begin with. It was something that Ragnvald had noticed, an undeniable fact about vampires he could not help but scoff at. They cowered in fear from the sun, hiding themselves in the shadows of their walls and living like kings of their land.

Ragnvald did notneed to hide from the sun. He had conquered the sun, driving it away from Nordheim and casting the land into shadow. Once the same had come to pass in this land, Ragnvald would make sure the slaves constructed plenty of windows for him to gaze upon the destruction he would bring upon the world in the name of the Dark Gods.

Yes, of course. The slaves. The LeBlanc family was quite despotic, having accumulated a large quantity of mortal thralls they had spirited away from various lands, perhaps even from the city of Durem itself. Others were probably spoils of war or tributes from villages and towns under the LeBlanc's control. Others still were no doubt gifts from allied families. In the end, their origin mattered little to Ragnvald. They were his slaves now, and soon they would come to sorely miss their tyrannical master.

Ragnvald looked around him as both the slaves and his own warriors set about repurposing the destroyed castle into their master's new citadel. The northmen of Nordheim were hardy by nature and more than adequate for labor, and the blessings of Chaos had only made them stronger in damnation. Still, there had only been so many of them when they first came to this land, and many more still needed to be brought in from Nordheim as soon as Fjolnir made the necessary preparations. The masses of LeBlanc's slaves had become quite useful in that regard, and his warriors took great pleasure in...encouraging their cooperation.

Among all of the Harbingers, however, there was one who doubtlessly took the greatest of pleasures in putting the slaves to good use, and he was heading for Ragnvald at that very moment. Walking down an adjacent hallway from the dungeon was a tall, lithe figure, clad in armor that was molded to the perfection of his body. His long white hair, as pale as his porcelain skin, trailed behind him as he walked. He was adorned in a fashion that would have put the LeBlanc nobles to shame, his mantle draped with a long purple cloak and luxurious furs worthy of a king. This was Siddgeir the Slavemaster, Chaos Lord of Slaanesh and one of the five generals directly under Ragnvald's command.

Siddgeir seemed pleased, his carefully-painted smile stretched into a contented grin as he dragged a single slave he had drawn out of the dungeon, collared to a chain that he held in his armored grasp. He was followed by a retinue of Siddgeir's own men, a number of them dressed in twisted black leather and bearing the hermaphroditic mutations that the Prince of Pleasure had gifted them with. His personal guard was among them, clad in similar form-fitting plate that only emphasized their grotesquely alluring physiques.

Whether Siddgeir was pleased to see Ragnvald or simply pleased with how many slaves they had managed to take with the razing of a single castle was not important to Ragnvald. The Conqueror simply thought Siddgeir had better hope whatever he had to say was worth his time. He was a valuable general, but his undying devotion solely to Slaanesh was something that Ragnvald found pitiful. To him, the Ruinous Powers were a pantheon, the true source of power in the world. Siddgeir's single-minded dedication to hedonism had limited him to only a fraction of the power Ragnvald wielded. Yet, this was not to say Siddgeir was weak, having slaughtered LeBlanc's warriors just as easily as the other Lords. Siddgeir remained useful, just as all of his forces ought to be. He would do well to remain useful.

Stopping just before Ragnvald, Siddgeir yanked the chain with a single hand, nearly breaking the slave's neck as he hauled him to the Lord's front and on the floor at Ragnvald's feet. He was a human slave, not particularly gaunt but certainly pale from being shut in the darkness of LeBlanc's dungeons for so long. He must have been a slave for quite some time, having been conditioned to the degree that he no longer cried for help or screamed in terror in spite of the look of dread on his face. The only sounds he uttered were that of pain as Siddgeir thew him to the floor and pinned him to the ground with one of his high-heeled armored boots.

"My lord," said Siddgeir in a smooth, lilting tone, "These vampires have left us a magnificent wealth of slaves. Curiously enough, they seem to be rather well fed for slaves. No doubt they were meant to be used as cattle to sate their hunger. It's left the dungeons rife with filth, but I cannot help but admire the level of decadence that comes with their gluttony.

Siddgeir cooed as he took sadistic pleasure in grinding his heel into the slave's spine. "I even have reason to believe they had started breeding their slaves. Ah, such delicious deviance! I am pleased that so many of them managed to survive your wrath. Please, allow me to break them properly so that we may put them to---"

"Siddgeir, you milk-drinking cur!"

A bellow of rage echoed from the opposite direction as another lord stormed his way down the hall. Another giant of a man, much taller than Siddgeir and just two heads shorter than Ragnvald himself, clad in armor of blood red and brass and a helm with horns stylized in the shape of his patron's sigil. A great bear pelt hung from his shoulders, with one of his pauldrons replaced by a giant skull that most likely belonged to the very same beast. The chains crapped around his waist and gauntlets rattled with each movement of his arms, his massive, inhuman biceps left exposed as a display of his might.

This was Gunjar Blodslaag, Chaos Lord of the Blood God, Khorne.

Even with the darkness of his helm hiding his face, the hatred seething off of his body made it very clear that he had nothing but contempt for the hedonistic Siddgeir. The massive warrior marched over to Ragnvald and the slave-driving despot, staring at the latter with menacing rage.

"These miserable corpses did more than just breed these pitiful whelps to be fed upon," said Gunjar, his words meant as much for Ragnvald's information as they were to counter Siddgeir's claim. "There is an arena within the depths of the dungeon where their cowardly master sat in comfort as he pit them to the death. These slaves have been bred for combat! For war! They are mine by right!"

"Gunjar," said Siddgeir, his lilting voice sullied with contempt. He lazily waved his hand at him dismissively. "Our lord has no time to waste with your foolish little games. Go back to the troughs with your fellow swine."

"I grow tired of your loathsome tongue," growled Gunjar, his fists tightening noisily as if his hands were made of leather. "I would do well to tear it from your throat!"

"Oh my," Siddgeir taunted with his seductive tone that he knew would only enrage Gunjar further, "You sound like you would really enjoy that. Am I tempting you?"

"Your skull is forfeit, coward!" Gunjar roared, reaching for one of his axes.

"Is it, now?" replied Siddgeir, reaching for the menacingly barbed sword at his hip.

"SILENCE."

The two quarreling Lords stopped dead in their tracks as Ragnvald spoke, his commanding voice reverberating through the shattered halls of the castle. Even the other warriors and slaves halted their labor for a moment as Ragnvald's echoing voice shook the foundations of their souls. It would not last long, however, as the fear of disappointing their lord motivated them to compose themselves and return to work. The slaves needed a little more encouraging than that to shake off their fear, and the warriors driving them were more than happy to provide encouragement.

"You will each have your fill of the slaves as I see fit, as will the other Lords," he continued. "But I will not suffer your childish bickering. Do well to remember this, or I'll see to it that you join the slaves in their torment."

There were few things in this world or others that could cow another Chaos Lord into obedience, and another, more powerful Chaos Lord was one of them. Both Siddgeir and Gunjar had started out as leaders of their own respective warbands that roamed Nordheim before Ragnvald led a campaign to unite them all into a single, unstoppable force. He had defeated both lords in combat after decimating their warbands and taking them into the fold, making them generals in his vast army. Yet for these two lords, their reasons for showing obedience to Ragnvald were not entirely similar.

Siddgeir was far too proud to bow before anyone but the Prince of Pleasure Himself, but in his defeat he had been struck with awe by Ragnvald's conquering glory. He who had been the dominator of so many had found himself dominated, utterly defeated by a superior champion. The feeling of being overtaken in such a manner was, for him, among the most ravishing of pleasures, one that he did well to share with the many supplicants he himself had subjugated. It was in this majesty of domination that Siddgeir felt the kiss of His Darkling Prince upon the Conqueror's soul, and it was then that he knew Ragnvald was among His most favored of champions. Siddgeir could do nothing less than serve him.

Gunjar, on the other hand, respected one thing and one thing only, and that was strength in battle. For any true follower of Khorne, martial prowess was the only thing worth respecting, for that was how the blood kept flowing. Ragnvald had defeated him in single combat, where Gunjar had felt the Conqueror's might first-hand. Only a champion favored by the Blood God could have possessed such strength to defeat Gunjar so soundly. Rather than claiming his skull in Khorne's name, Ragnvald had given Gunjar the option to serve him so that they would both continue to spill blood as a tribute to the Blood God's glory. Gunjar accepted, for he cared not for Ragnvald's devotion to the other three Ruinous Powers. He had seen and felt Khorne's favor upon the Conqueror, and in serving him Gunjar had continued to take skulls for the Skull Throne.

"Yes, my lord," said Siddgeir, bowing his head as his voice quivered lightly from the after-effects of feeling Ragnvald's voice quake through him rapturously.

Gunjar said nothing, giving a clear nod of acknowledgement of Ragnvald's order. There were no words that needed to be said.

The two lords went their respective ways as Ragnvald passed through them, heading down the hallway towards the castle's throne room. The fact that the LeBlanc family had a throne room to begin with was something that seemed to amuse Ragnvald. They lived like kings in spite of ruling over nothing more than the handful of land that their castle was built upon and a few small towns they controlled through politics and secrecy. They were not like the mortal kings and jarls that prominently displayed their banners and sigils of authority over all that they controlled. As pathetic as they were, they did not have to hide in the shadows. To Ragnvald, the LeBlanc's audacity was as laughable as a rat naming himself king of his warren.

As Ragnvald entered the throne room, two others joined him at his side. To his right was Ulfgeir, his champion and herald, a chosen of Chaos that had been part of Ragnvald's warband since before he had conquered the other four lords. Although his rank was more or less the same as the other Lords in that he took command directly from Ragnvald himself, Ulfgeir's lack of polarity towards any one Chaos God made him Ragnvald's most valuable general in terms of extending his command. He was as brutal a tactician as he was a warrior, and perhaps one of the few under Ragnvald's command that was truly loyal to him without needing to fear him or be awed by his power. Although Ulfgeir still had plenty of reason to fear Ragnvald's might, his loyalty was motivated by their mutual dedication to Chaos Undivided. To him, Ragnvald was the greatest champion of Chaos in Nordheim, perhaps even the entire world. If not, he would soon be, at least. In serving Ragnvald, Ulfgeir served the will of the Dark Gods, and they would conquer this world in their name.

To Ragnvald's left was Fjolnir, a shriveled, hunched-over wretch of a man if you could even call him that. He was Ragnvald's vizier, a sorcerer of Chaos who had proven to be a valuable asset to Ragnvald during his campaign of unification in Nordheim. While not as powerful as the four Lords or Ulfgeir, Fjolnir's knowledge of the Warp and its secrets was second only to Ragnvald's Sorcerer Lord, Magnus. Fjolnir's sorcery had made it possible for the Harbingers to pass through the Warp from Nordheim to the Gaia mainland, rendering the greatest obstacle to Ragnvald's conquest all but trivial. Although Fjolnir seemed to be as loyal to Ragnvald as any other under his command, he was far from being a "trusted" advisor. Fjolnir was a follower of Tzeentch, the Changer of Ways, and Ragnvald knew well that those who were blindly devoted solely to the Liar God were usually nothing more than unwitting pawns who were eventually driven mad by the "gifts" they received. Fjolnir was an example of this fact with the number of mutations that wracked his form, leaving his face as nothing more than a mass of writhing tentacles that hung from the recesses of his hood. Such was the price sorcerers paid for guilelessly bargaining with Tzeentch for power and receiving far more than what they were worthy of. To this end, Ragnvald only trusted Fjolnir as much as the ease it took to obliterate him.

"Your report, Ulfgeir."

"Construction has been underway for the past few days, my lord," said Ulfgeir. "The slaves we acquired have expedited our efforts far more than expected. They should last a few days until they give in to their frailty and die. By then, we should have brought in more of our forces and additional slaves from Nordheim. Hjorvarth asks that we leave the dead to him so that he may...repurpose them."

"Good," replied Ragnvald contentedly. "Tell him he may do as he pleases."

No doubt Hjorvarth and his apothecaries were already merrily going about their business devising new ways of spreading the contagion that the Lord of Decay had blessed them with. Ragnvald had not met a foe staunch enough to weather the unrelenting tide of despair that came in the wake of that particular Chaos Lord. Hjorvarth would make sure that his enemies' hope withered away like rotten fruit before he finally crushed them.

"Fjolnir. I know that you and Magnus have been busy in the depths of the castle. What have you found?"

Fjolnir let out a sound that was presumably some sort of chuckle, distorted by the tentacles on his face writhing together as his breath escaped him. "Many interesting discoveries, Lord Ragnvald," he said. "The vampire lords that ruled over this castle possess many ancient texts and valuable magical artifacts. Our sorcerers are currently attempting to decipher their enchantments so that we may make use of their magics."

"And what of Magnus?"

"Ahhh yes...Lord Magnus is currently preoccupied with quite a peculiar find. It seems that the destruction of the castle has unearthed this particular family's elders, buried deep beneath the castle in torpor. A few were roused prematurely from their rest, but their lack of blood has left them far too weak to pose a significant threat. Magnus is currently gleaning whatever arcane secrets they possess. I am sure that creatures as ancient and they should prove to possess valuable knowledge..." Fjolnir cackled with glee at the thought with an unpleasant noise that caused Ulfgeir to sneer at him.

Ragnvald would have trusted Magnus even less than Fjolnir had the latter's deceitful tongue made him far more wary. Magnus' motives were almost as unknowable as the intricate designs of his god, but the Sorcerer Lord's efficiency had rendered such unknown factors meaningless to Ragnvald. Magnus was the only one out of the four Lords that volunteered his aid to Ragnvald without needing to be bested in combat. While this pretense seemed to be as dubious as any other follower of Tzeentch, Ragnvald understood that the will of the Changer of Ways was unknowable. Even he had a part to play in Tzeentch's grand design, and perhaps Magnus recognized the importance of Ragnvald's place in the tapestry of fate.

Ragnvald finally came upon the throne at the end of the room, shattered by a large, black stalagmite of warped earth that erupted in the wake of his daemon sword's power. The workers had already fashioned the jagged stone into the shape of a throne suitable for their lord to sit upon. From here, Ragnvald would be able to convene with his generals and direct his campaign as any true conqueror would.

"How long until the Warp portal is constructed?" asked Ragnvald as he approached his throne.

"It should not take longer than a few hours, my lord," replied Ulfgeir, "But we are lacking in the materials needed for our sorcerers to secure a pathway between this location and Nordheim"

A lone raven flew in through one of the shattered walls and perched itself atop Fjolnir's staff, its nine blue eyes blinking individually at random intervals. It let out a shrill, mutated caw which Fjolnir somehow managed to understand.

"My pet has been watching the large Warp-touched city that allowed us to locate the mainland, my lord," said Fjolnir. "We have found numerous locations that may provide us with suitable materials and reagents to construct the portal and complete the proper rituals."

"Then it shall be done," said Ragnvald as he took his seat upon his throne. "Have the Lords assemble and prepare their warriors. We shall take what we need, and plunge the city into despair in the process."

A bold move after only just arriving on the Gaian mainland, but it would serve Ragnvald's purposes well enough. Ragnvald had already seen through the eyes of Fjolnir's raven before, and the city would not be prepared for what he had in store for them. He would drink deep from their despair, and it would only serve to strengthen him and his forces. Soon, there would be far more than simply the destroyed family of Marius LeBlanc that would come to know of the power that the Dark Gods had granted them.

Eternal Dirge

Maximos

themightyjello

Kanashimi Kurai

Samantha~Munin~

Uberwulf X

MagnusXL

Ryugi Kazamaru

Sins of an Angel

Damnatus

((Just a bit of behind-the-scenes flavor to give context to the next scene once it's ready. Trying to work the Chaos writing muscles out.))

[Uberwulf X]

Tenkai Matsumoto

"The dark powers they command are formidable, but based on what I have seen, I have faith that you are as well."

"Based on what, Heaven or Hell?" The question came with the slightest of brow raises-- sure, it was a public event and it made sense that a scouter could be watching the tournament on the television or in person, but Lazenca never got past third place. Save the one where his arm was torn to ribbons, his longest and his hardest battles had both been off-camera. Battles within, fighting your self... were he a more openly joyous person, Lazenca would've chosen that moment to laugh boisterously and point to his skull, and make light of his constant battle with demons and his splintered mind and all that which he'd been going though for all of his life. Instead, he scratched under his chin.

In the end, the skepticism was just an attempt to really make sure this was all legit, that the party wasn't being set up to be great and powerful sacrifices to this Chaos. Honestly, he read little in the body language to say that they were lying, and apparently neither did anyone else; the shared glance between he and Maximos would've been an opportunity for the man to have given one of those doubtful looks, but none existed. And so.

Tenkai Matsumoto

For some reason, Thaerdin's mirth did not last for long... something that only Thaerdin seemed to pick up on.

False, but Lazenca said nothing as Maximos began speaking, giving a rundown of all their talents which could be used in a recon mission. Laz wasn't so sure about an elf being naturally good at stealth, but then again he didn't personally know any elves so there was that. Laz's mental shrug matched the time Maximos finished speaking, suggesting that Samantha lead their party, and he opened his mouth in... question.

Maximos

"Trust me."

Loud sigh. "We have another child with us," Lazenca reminded them. "Or, you have another child with you, one you didn't include in your list. Unless she's secretly a 300-year old angel immune to mutations, then she's going to need to be protected. Or just not come."

Maximos

Eternal Dirge

themightyjello

Kanashimi Kurai

Samantha~Munin~

Uberwulf X

Tenkai Matsumoto

[Samantha~Munin~]

]

Tenkai Matsumoto

Eternal Dirge

themightyjello

Maximos

Uberwulf X

Samantha~Munin~

Kanashimi Kurai

Thaerdin was apparently very knowledgeable, and he was handing out information like it was candy!

The girl pulled her phone out of her pocket again, and tapped an app to activate it, recording and streaming the conversation to her personal database on RI’s cloud drive, squinting to concentrate on the tiny keyboard as she made notes of the names she had caught so far… the keyboard hadn’t seemed that small earlier, perhaps it was the bad light in the mead hall?

She took another sip of whatever the hell was in her cup, making a face at the taste, but noticing that it did lessen with every burning bit of alcohol that she let slide down her throat.. or perhaps her tongue was simply going numb? None of that really mattered though, what did matter was making sure that all of this information was recorded so that it could later be sorted through and properly added to the saga if the information was deemed to be pertinent to the quest.

Anson had a good point about them not really having a starting point yet, but then he started on about unicorns and warriors of love? The media had missed the fact that the young man was a smart a**. In that aspect he reminded her of her mother...

Tenkai Matsumoto

Thaerdin smiled at Samantha's words and laughed light-heartedly. "Well met, little raven," he said, oddly referring to Samantha in a way few people would have known to do, especially not when he was a complete stranger. "Knowledge and wisdom have always been the allies of the greatest of heroes."

“Vær forsiktig med hva du sier Langt Seer.. Glemmer jeg ikke.”Samantha muttered under her breath, hopefull that not too many of the other occupants of the bar would put together what Thaerdin had said to her.

She was raising her cup towards her lips again as a hand, much larger than her own, wrapped around it, startling her out of her musing as her eyes snapped onto the man holding her cup, wondering if this was the moment where people started yelling ‘where are your parents?’.

Startled violet eyes met mismatched black and white, and she knew the jig was up… not only did Maximos know who she was, there was a twinkle to his eyes that said she was going to really regret having let him figure it out… so it was with real confusion that she felt him pull the cup towards him, not letting go of her hand, and then watch him pour more of the vile, yet tingly warm, liquid into her cup.

That was.. unexpected, to say the least!

Maximos

"I agree whole heartedly with this young woman's suggestion." Max said, releasing her cup after it was refilled.

Okay, now things were getting strange, sure her suggestion seemed like common sense to her, but the girl had rarely seen that trait practised by the people she had interacted with… it was a tad strange to see one of her suggestions actually taken to heart.

Sam took the opportunity of the return of her cup, and Maximos’s apparent shift of interest away from her, to take a large mouthful of the liquor.

Maximos

And then finally back to Samantha. "And you. Well this is most definitely your idea. And you seem to have experience on the subject."

Well that recommendation would make it a lot easier for her to tag along… it was enough to make her smile as the tingling from the liquor spread a bit further through her as she took yet another swig from the cup… it was almost empty now, that was fast.. she would have to figure out how to get a refill without being rude.

Maximos

His hand came back to land flat on the top of Samantha's head. There was a smile on Max's face. But it was not sarcastic or mocking. He was being friendly, but he was also being quite serious. He trusted her mother more than almost anyone else on Gaia. Why not do this? "...I vote you, to organize and lead this mission. What do you say?"

It took a second to sink in.. even with his heavy hand on the top of her head she was still having a bit of trouble focusing, but then she choked and accidentally spat her mouth full of liquor all over him as the shock hit her, coughing and trying to regain her breath Sam could say nothing in response… what the hell was he thinking?

[Garam Nijashi Hikuro]

The past …

Blood flew off his left fist as a man spun around his head smacking the ground. A scream followed by a shattering glass rang out in Seths ears. The nicely finished floors was now painted with a man who didn’t seem to know his place. Touching things that didn’t belong to him. A thief was one thing that Seth didn’t care to entertain. The bartender had now stumbled back looking at Seth or so he thought. He peered over at the fellow

“He tried to take my keys …. Did you not see him ? “

But as he focused on the man behind the counter he realized in the glass wall behind the man about 3 other guys stood behind him scattered in various distances from his current seat at the bar. Seth took one look at the guys and quickly looked down at his drink pretending it never happened.

OHSHITOHSHITOHSHIT !!!....

Is all that ran through his head. He didn’t realize it until now but it was most likely a bad idea to punch the thief. Seth didn’t think more low life’s would pop up out the darkness and begin to give him troubles. He heard whispers mixed with the grumbling of the man trying to pick his teeth up off the floor. The purple eyed beast could hear two men helping him up and the whispers got louder. The furthest one got up from his spot and began to make his way over to Seth. Which then at this point the bartender ran to the far end of the bar and grabbed his trusty shotgun

“Do you all of you guys have a shot gun. Like is it a mandatory thi- …” Seth had began to ramble at the guy in pure nervousness. The bartender had a look of confusion on his face as his eyes shot back and forth from the man approaching Seth from behind and Seth himself. He was trembling something fierce and then the stench hit his nostrils.

Urine …

“ - the bathroom is over there geezer. You need a depends ? “ Seth sneered . the old man frowned at the purple beast. His sudden accident embarrassed him but he was more concerned about his little bar.

“Cmon guys take it outside !” the man yelled cocking the shotgun back preparing to fire. A loud crunching of glass beneath the mans feet rang into his attentive ears

3 to 4ft behind me…

The man shifted his weight

170-190lbs….

The man reached over and placed a hand on seths right shoulder.

6’0-6’2 …

“Hey stranger I think you took something of my buddy over there “ The man said. The aroma with this one wasn’t too pleasant. He reeked of alcohol and cigarettes by estimation by his smell the purple beast knew he was here ‘marinating’ all night. Seth took a final drink out of his glass. The pressed lips against the glass was only prolonged by his current situation the few seconds felt like an hour.

“Hey Im warning you guys !! Get outta here with th – “ Such intimidating words was cut short. A swift clicking of a button followed by the feeling of someone blowing wind on the back part of your neck. A loud bang cleared the air. Ladies began to scream and the commotion started within the bar. It was a zoo in here now as the patrons ran to the door leaving as if a shootout was about to begin. His purple orbs looked past his glass and now looked over at the old man standing there his grip slowly loosening on the shotgun. His eyes panned up to the mans head. A gapping hold where a left eye once was. Blood and humans chunks all over the glass wall behind the bar. Seth was surprised that the body was still functional after such a fatal shot. But not for long as the old man gurgled and slumped over to the ground. The shotgun clanking to the floor along with the mans body.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL ******** ! …

The purple eyes widened. Its been sometime since he has seen a death but none that gruesome. That was something he didn’t think he would ever see. The grip on his shoulder tightened as if the man was leaning on him. A long sigh escaped his murderous lips as he swirled his gun and tucked it back into its holster

“So where were we ? “ He joked. The three remaining men in the bar began to chuckle rather loudly. Iron filled the air the smell was rather distinctive to pretty much anyone who was around bleeding or dead people. The left closed fist sat on the bar clenched as it was trying to squeeze blood from a stone.

“That wasn’t needed … “ A smile crept across his dark skinned face. The terror he was about to become was erupting to the surface as the seconds passed. The men began to laugh louder in response to seths remark

“We do whatever the fu- “

Seth kicked the chair out from under him pivoting on his right foot that now planted so firmly on the ground. He turned to his right his right arm turned pushing the mans away from his should to disconnect the grasp he had on him. The left hand following up to push him towards the bar that he now pivoted away from. As his swung around the man lost his balance jerking forward and tried to pull back but the gears was already set in motion for the man to die. The purple beast now twisted his arm and now controlling where he was going. The other assailants drew their weapons and pointed them towards seth who now had this man in an arm lock.

“Let him go Mother ******** !! “

“Yea man let him go !! “

They started to yell. His purple eyes franticly looking at each of them. A feint yell of pain and a small pop signaled his wrist was cracking and close to breaking.

“Shouldn’t have killed the old fart ! “ Seth said in a rather relaxed manner. For this current situation he knew the only way to get out of this alive was to use this murder as leverage. The purple orbs looked over at the door then over at the guys still yelling to let their friend.

“ The bike isn’t even yours … cmon man didn’t you really need to start this s**t ? “ he yelled back at them trying to keep them agitated and focused on his voice not his slowly but steady shuffle over to the door. The man he held firmly grunted and yelled out in pain as his arm twisted and crackled in every which way. But then again he didn’t need him alive.

With a swift swing he pulled the man forward then jerked him backwards his body smashing into the bar. A wandering left hand grasped the back of the mans head and slammed it into the bars counter edge. The crunching and loud thud mixed together with a spray of blood across the counter. The right arm held the man steady as his crys and shouts of pain rang out in the air. He pulled the man back from the bar as blood poured from his face. Seth held him up right then twisted the man around. His right hand yanked on the mans right wrist shoving it up the middle of his back and his left arm tightened around the mans neck.

“LET HIM GO OR ILL KILL YOU MAN !!! “

They all kept yelling. Now even screaming at the sight of their friend barely holding on in seths arms. He grinned showing some teeth cause he knew he got the response he wanted from his little ‘stunt’ but it was time to end this. One of the men was so bold to fire off a shot past Seth it shatter a alcohol bottle sitting on the wall behind the bar counter. Seth kicked out the mans right leg and he stumbled trying to regain his footing. In this time he proceeded to let up on the arm around his neck. The man falling down with his arm still being pressed upward against his back only caused the arm to completely shatter. Seth reached with his free arm removing the mans gun from his holster and he let go of his other arm. In one fluid motion the man fell to the floor and his partners looked from their fallen friend to the purple eyed beast who tortured him.

Perhaps it wasn’t a good idea to let him go ….

They opened fire. Perhaps it was foreseen that they would take such a route to ensure his demise. But he didn’t expect it so soon. Seth was hoping for a peaceful solution to this problem after such a violent beginning. Nothing was set in stone he guessed. Seth leaped over the bar counter and took cover behind it.

“A glock really … I hate these things “ He muttered to himself as the bottles shattered off the wall and bullets sunk into the bar he took cover behind. The bar turned into a shootout zone and for a moment he wondered where were the police. The bartender was dead on the floor down at the end of the bar. The contents of his head splattered and chunked on the wall and floor. Seth closed his eyes for a second

Ok you got this….

Squeeze don’t pump…

Breath and shoot…

The shells clanked against the floor for a bit then they stopped and Seth knew this was his chance. His eyes opened and he poked up from behind the bar. It would had be the perfect time to let some birds go in the background. Preferably doves in classic john woo esqe fashion. But Seth wasn’t chow yun fat and john woo wasn’t here. He lined up shots and fired off a shot. One bullet caught a man in the shoulder then the chest. He jerked back and caught a third to the head. The other two moved to the nearest table. Seth fired off shots and caught one in their leg. A table was slipped and they took cover blindly laying down fire. Seth crouched back down. They now fired faster and he knew he could wait this out or blitz them seeing as he didn’t have much firepower left

4 or 5 ? …

Seth knew he had to make a break for it. He peaked up every so often to see if they had moved but they didn’t. Moving to the end of the bar he knew he had a small window to leap over to a near by table to get better positioning. Crouching slowly he took a few steps back then began to run forward. Leaning downward he pushed out jumping to a table about 10ft away from the remaining assailants.

“He ******** moved !! cmon shoot em up !! “

[******** ! …

He flung the table over just in time to catch the bullets that not slammed against the table it was rather thick for a bar table. Well maybe he spoke too soon. A bullet penetrated the table hitting Seth in his back. “ Son of a b***h !! “ Seth wasn’t human but it still hurt like hell when he got shot. The pain alone caused him to lose focus for a minute. His grip got loose and he clutched his side in pain. “I cant believe it !! “ A pause in the shooting came and Seth knew this was his time to end it. He stood up as fast as he could and began shooting with one hand. It wasn’t accurate but it laid suppressing fire as he moved closer to the table. A clicking could be heard and a cocking of the chambers was followed by them peaking their heads out. Which Seth saw an opportunity

Got cha …

Blood splattered onto the face of his friends as his little peak came with a high price. The whole front face of the man now had a rather large hole in it. The final assailant shook with fear because he knew he was left. He froze for a second but it was only thing that was needed to close the gap between Seth and this man.

“Just tell me why. You tried taking my keys bro. That’s not cool at all !!! “ Seth pleaded with the man

“You took my keys you p***k !! “ the man yelled back while looking up at the gun now pointed in his face. It didn’t click with Seth but his confused face was only reassured as his free hand gave himself the good ole pat down. He searched and searched but quickly found said keys all this was started over. Without realizing he pulled they keys out in front of him.

“You see these are m- “ His purple orbs looked over at the pair of keys and they sure wasn’t here. In fact he didn’t know how he got here and now that he thought about it Seth swiped the keys off the man as he ordered a drink. When he reached over to grab his keys back he punched him square in the face starting this chain of events. The look of disbelief on his face could only be matched by the fact he got innocent people killed.

Innocent….

Who gives a ******** right….

Wait how did I get here ?....

“You know what I think I don’t give a ******** !” He squeezed the trigger and the man winced but nothing happened.

CLICK ! CLICK! CLICKCLICK LCIK !!!

Nothing seemed to work and then it dawned on him perhaps he had less bullets left than he originally thought. Seeing this as his chance for the upper hand he used his remaining strength to tackle Seth. The surprise attack knocked the gun out of seths dangerous hands and forced him into a situation he was all too familiar with. Being the more experienced fighter seth sprawled out locking his arms around the man’s neck and haulting his advances. His legs locked as eh pushed back towards the man. Grunting ensued as the man tried to topple this 6ft man. But he was going nowhere. But the web was already spun and the man was too far to see into it. Pushing back with his weight he now had the man in a standing position in which to tussle but maining the hold around his neck. He transitioned into a clinch. A few well placed knees kept the man in place and tired him out as he attempted to fight back. In one quick movement he lifted his left knee to his chest then flicked his right hip up. His right leg flying up and laying across the mans neck completing the flying armbar. The man held on but he was going down fast. Seth applied pressure and the man fell over crashing against the wooden floor. A snap could be heard as he pulled back on the man’s arm from the armbar position. The purple beast knew it was broken but he wanted the man to feel his terror to know his anguish. He pulled back and the rip of tendon and muscles could be felt and the man cried out in pain. Seth let him go and the man rolled over grabbing his arm whimpering in pain. A look of accomplishment showed on seths face as he rose to his feet, purple orbs stared around the room and marveled at his handy work. He knelt over picking up the assailant’s gun. He looked towards the door of the bark and saw a brief glimmer of the morning sun.

“ Too early for this s**t “ He said as his didn’t need to see where he was aiming to shoot the man who squirmed around on the floor. The gun found its way up to the side of seths face and it for the moment served as something to scratch the side of his head. “What the ******** man… Why am I even here right now “ he complained. Making his way over to the bar he grabbed his glass surprisingly enough it wasn’t destroyed in the shoot out. Melted ice was left in the well crafted drinking glass. It prompted a quick toss over the shoulder in which it shattered against the floor. Fetching the keys out of his pocket once again he walked over to the door The deed was done and he was about o blow in the wind until he heard someone moving around.

Trigger finger McGee is alive eh ?! ….

He crawled at the base of the bar counter trying to reach up to grab its edge. The man made it about halfway before falling down again. He wasn’t going to make it far with two broken arms. His purple eyes looked over at the man and he raised to gun to put down the scourge. He pulled the trigger

Click ! Click !! clikclicklcikclicklcik !!

“You cant be seriously ******** with me… Im outta here !!” he protested . Throwing the gun at the mans limp body he turned back around and pushed open the double doors that led to outside. The lighting peaking out from the horizon revealed the stains of blood on his leather jacket and jeans.

I hate bars ....

Seth was young man of 24 years of age. He stood exactly 6 feet talk sun kissed skin was a stark comparison to his bright violet eyes. his straight dark black hair now pressed against his head from the sweat excreted from that recent fire fight. The sun began to rise and a hand moved up to his face to guard his purple orbs. One could now see the markings going across both his eyes and the scars across his face. Even for the scars he was a very handsome young man. He retained his youth through his many years of danger in this realm.

The air was thick with the smell of familiarity. His home was it like it use to be ? No it was new but a past he tried to leave in the rearview. A jingling of keys ended with their insert into the ignition. The first try at a turnover sufficed as the engine purred to a gentle hum. Wheels spun , the screeching noise echoed into the distance as the bike spun around then began to peel off . It spun around once then zoomed off leaving a cloud of toxins in its purring wake. The front wheel lifting off the ground in purely stylistic fashion. Surrounding patrons on the streets looked some more startled than ever. Such a quiet monster growled as if it was on the hunt.

Perhaps for a brighter horizon ……

No….

Nothing could bring her back….

The wheel collided with the pavement the metal frame sparking at the bottom as the suspension did its job bouncing its frame back to its normal height.

“Why am I here ? “

I gotta find out…

Seth sped off into the distance towards City of Durem

[Pump Action Phoenix]

arrow Outskirts, Durem City --- On Edge

"Mhhh." Lokas affirmed he'd heard her with a grunt. That meant she was exactly who he thought she was, wanted for being a terrorist. That word had a number of different meanings. Some men would call him a terrorist, for he certainly inspired terror in those who got lined up in his sights. He drained his own cup of water and then turned to address the emergency first-aid kit hung on the wall. Standard issue, in case of workplace accidents. Or in case Lokas had been wounded in the prior firefight. A little forethought prevented a lot of calamity. The soldier undid its bindings and pulled it from the wall, striding with it behind his captive. "I'm not going to hurt you." He declared bluntly, kneeling down to set the kit on the floor and crack it open. "I'm going to bandage your wounds. Stop the bleeding. Then I'm going to ask you some questions and you are not going to lie to me." The tone of voice was absolute. He was giving her orders the same as he'd given to any of the soldiers who had been under his command. "Because, if you do. I'm going to lock you into a noisy, dark hole where you'll sit until I'm positive you've sweated out every last little lie."

Lokas tugged the straps of her little dress down past her shoulders and pulled it down to her midsection. Low enough to unveil her wounds. Modesty wasn't a word in the warrior's vocabulary. "Do you understand?" First came the antiseptic. Rubbing alcohol, applied to some gauze and then used to clean her wounds. The liquid would cleanse her wounds with painful fire. But it was a necessity, what with the open scars and the sewer trek. Had to be sure she wasn't on her way to a lethal infection. Then came the bandages. A new brand that had anti-clotting agents worked into the bandage to stymie blood loss quickly. The bandages went on her back and the medical tape holding them in place wrapped around her chest. It wasn't pretty, and she might need to see a proper doctor after this. But it would keep her alive long enough for her to answer her captor's inquiry.

Deus Ex Aizen

[Unchecked Twitch]

arrow Downtown Durem, The Blazestar Empire HQ

Twitch knew Taki could sweet-talk her way out of, and into, a lot of issues. That was why the wolfpire's leaning forward and accentuating her point was met with the feline's flattened expression. Her eyes and mouth were set to lines, telling clearly that she wasn't buying into what Taki was peddling.

That didn't mean she wouldn't buy it. Besides, Twitch actually wanted the product, as it were.

"Fi~ne," she acquiesced. "I'm sure you're 'not budging' because you want a new lab to do things in... and you know I can fund it... but in the end, The Warp is something I've been really interested in. I don't like the bad stories I'm hearing, but everything comes with adverse affects. Stick your hand in fire and get burned, stand in liquid nitrogen and get frozen, you know? Something with the moniker of 'The Warp' has got to have... well, chaotic side effects. Warping things, and whatnot."

She leaned to her right side, looking through Taki... even if it looked like she was staring blankly her company's bust. "Ethics are a big thing, even in a land like this... since this is a friendly company, I need to make sure that the research into this isn't going to hurt anybody. And to know that, I need to learn about it. Considering the fact that I've been registered in Tel'Rune in every standard form of magical healing, you're right... if something happens, I can keep you, or anybody else, stable."

She blinked, her gaze focusing on Taki's eyes. "Your body, at least. So since I can't stop you from going mental if the rumors are true... if this gets to dangerous, we're scrapping the idea. I'd say something like 'you have to listen or else' but you're your own woman. But if I say we're done and you decide to stick around, then I'll have to liquidate everything related to this, rather than letting you find something else to do."

There was a slight shift in her form... a settling of her shoulders and neck that indicated that this was her version of leaning forward and lowering her voice.

"This is the issue I'm not budging on. So, Ms. Morivan, you tell me if we have a deal."

Taki Morivan

[Deus Ex Aizen]

gaia_gaiagold Chinatown

Lokas Samandar

"I understand."
Raven exhaled these words, the lids of her eyes falling shut as she leaned forward. I don't want to lie to you anyway...This was a thought she kept to herself. He was a man like any other, one that Raven knew better than to resist. There was a blunt, to-the-point nature that she could appreciate of him, the Scorpion. In her mind, that is what she had decided to call him. He was very much like the creature, poised and ready to strike when the time was necessary, delivering a sting potent enough to kill. Raven had been held captive before, her survival instincts reminding her to relax around him. His cresting waves of emotions only served to goad her into believing she was doing the right thing. Had he been Bravot, she would have fought him to till her last dying breath. She could sense affirmation, a sense of truth. Slumping forward, Raven could feel the sting of his work, yet only her shoulder blades tensed. He would see where the flesh split and slowly began to re-knit itself.

"Be careful near my hands, I don't have my gloves...I'd heal myself, but it doesn't work that way for me..."
Of course Raven was referring to her ability as an Empath, her ability to heal, even. Her lips were moving, a shaken voice speaking--rambling, even--yet her mind was scattered and nebular. She could not heal herself without inducing a high fever that could leave her dead or dying. That was a truth she wanted him to know. Perhaps it would help the Scorpion to realize that even someone with profound abilities has limits and dangers. Power came with a price--often the well-being, sanity and happiness of the wielder.

Raven shifted as best she could to accommodate his dressing of her wounds. It was well enough for her situation, enough that her body could get through for now. If a blood infection occurred, it was a possibility that Raven would meet her end later than sooner. The Fallen Engineer wasn't present to aid her this time. She would die slowly from infection, or die slowly from her body's rampant fever destroying her from the inside out. The Scorpion made good on this word: he didn't hurt her--no pain she couldn't endure; Whatever pain would come of their meeting would be one she brought upon herself.

[Dante Decker]

arrow GPD-Durem Precinct Headquarters, Downtown Durem-

Dante stood there practiced still, sword up and ready as the situation began to diffuse itself. The unknown assailant slid the end of the cane back over the blade and Dante waited till he heard it click back into place before he dropped his pose. His arms together in the front he stood there, the picture of calm while the man made his escape. He intentionally ignored the Bounty-Hunters grumbling behind him, though he did share a similar internal monologue, although one a bit closer to proper English.

Dante stood his ground at the intersection of the hallway where he was attacked and let Ebris stomp past him in an obvious tiff. He waited there watching the hallway he eyes watching the chaos of the hostage situation and the mans disappearance, before finally losing interest and turning to follow the bounty hunter. With a a few steps and the echoing clip clop of the cane he closed to the man as he retrieved his items. Dante tried not to laugh but up until the Ordinatus he could have sworn the pocket lint was the most potent item in this mans arsenal.

There was precious little said between the two men considering the circumstances and Dante followed the man outside observing their silent vigil. Little more than a canes' distance behind the man but no more. When Ebris spoke Dante just sort of shrugged and pulled out a set of car keys, pressing a large red button that was followed by a sharp electronic chirp and the sound of high performance engine starting. A black 1969 Firebird roaring to life along the curb but a dozen steps from the side entrance. The remote start was a bit of a paranoid precaution but this wasn’t his first car he'd owned, and he had lost enough vehicles to some miscreants disrespect for classic cars in the past.

Dante motioned to the car and after taking a slow scan of the street to see who was watching or perhaps just to make sure oncoming traffic wasn’t going to flatten him. He walked in front of the car and opened up the drivers side door. Unlocking the passenger side door he moved the passenger seat back as far as it would go without hitting the large black box that occupied the space where the back seat should have been.

Keeping his eyes forward Dante waited till the man took his seat and closed the door, taking a deep breath before speaking.

“Rust can be removed, swords reforged, and even pitiable old fools like you can still be useful.” He finally responded to the mans earlier statement. “Do you really think I would waste my time if I did not think you capable of the task?” he asked rhetorically.

His tone was cold and it would be obvious to anyone that he was nonplussed though it was unclear if the situation they had just endured had caused it or if the reason he'd bailed out Ebris was the cause. Either way it was clear Dante was not going to waste time on niceties like inflating the older mans ego.

“You have five days to recover the following item.” Dante pulled and small photo of a very specific revolver out of his jacket pocket and handed it to him. “Pay is 50,000.00 a day plus expenses with a 100,000.00 bonus for delivery each day before the deadline. Failure to deliver...”

Dante turned toward the man in the tight confines of the car making his dark green eyes look as if black spheres were staring through the man. Dante was not one to make threats, it was usually more effective to simply cut the person off from supplies or move on with his own plans, but more than Dante’s blood was on the line here, and his face showed it. The term Deathly Serious was an understatement, his face a blank stoic stare, restrained but violent intent held just behind his eyes.

“Is inexcusable...”

[Hugin the Raven]

arrow Downtown Durem - Raven Industries Tower

Evan white, clad in a navy blue shirt and black slacks, shoes shined to a polish, sat in the top floor of his tower, a holographic display floating just above his desk. A metal lace interface glove covered his right hand, enabling him to shift and move parts of the blueprint just before him. It was quite impressive what R&D came up with, and he was often the first to try their ideas.

A small smile crept along his face as he put the final pieces into place, snapped the fingers of his right hand, and the whole thing came together like a big jigsaw puzzle.

It was one of his more radical ideas, to be sure. But it was possible, given enough manpower.

A buzz from his right pocket interrupted his musings, and he lifted his phone only to frown at the message he saw there.

Quote:

Unauthorized ping on our networks.

Evan disabled the display and moved toward his computer. It wasn't long before he brought up the security footage. Pink hair, similar eyes. Bit taller than he'd last seen her, but her it was.

Samantha.

And now, there was an unauthorized access warning on his database servers.

He lifted his phone and replied to the text.

Quote:

Trace the origin point. Find out what they're doing. Give me the phone number too.

She had a lot of explaining to do.

He got another buzz on his phone and peered at the next message, which only told him to check his computer. He looked up at the screen and found an audio log waiting for him. Whatever it was, the fact that they'd sent it straight to him before analyzing it, meant it was important enough to hear personally.

After a few moments of listening, his eyes narrowed.

"What in the hell," he muttered, "have you gotten yourself into?"

She walks through the gates of Helheim without heed of her own safety.

Evan grimaced. It was reckless, stupid, and unplanned.

Do we pull her out?

A pause, then...

No. We follow her in.

Evan did not respond to the text, only waited. Before long, another buzz, and he took a look. It was her phone number, and with a nod, he saved it to his contacts.

Then, he sent her a surprise.

[Hugin the Raven]

Samantha~Munin~

It took a second to sink in.. even with his heavy hand on the top of her head she was still having a bit of trouble focusing, but then she choked and accidentally spat her mouth full of liquor all over him as the shock hit her, coughing and trying to regain her breath Sam could say nothing in response…

Perhaps that was a good thing, as her phone buzzed just then. A number she'd never seen before appeared, along with a message.

Quote:

If you'd simply asked, I would have said yes.

Seconds later, another message.

Quote:

Who else is there?