{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 23 } { Dusk : Realm of Darkness : Pharos Lighthouse}
Dusk awoke with a short gasp. Her eyes glanced over at Ultimecia then at her hand that still laid upon the crystal. She slowly slid her hand off of the stone as she met the eyes of the sorceress.
"I think..." she paused, with her eyes trailing down to her hand with on of the newly obtained knives appeared, "I wonder... the girl slowly turned away from the stone, as if lost in her own thoughts.
Her eyes narrowed as the knife charged with lightning in her hand.
"A demonstration..." Dusk said, then without another warning, threw the knife at one of the pillars, in the vicinity of Kuja. Where it sparked in the darkness.
A smile played across her lips as she turned towards the sorceress once more, "That and so much more than I could of hoped..."
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 5:05 pm
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 24 } { ? ? ? ; Ultimecia ; Kuja : Realm of Darkness ~ Ridorana Cataract : Pharos Lighthouse }
Kuja didn't move, nor did he seem fazed in any way by her actions, simply looking at his nails.
"Good. Now, what will you do?" Ultimecia asked, raising an eyebrow.
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 25 } { Dusk : Realm of Darkness : Pharos Lighthouse}
"I promise to serve the dark," Dusk said her expression unchanged, "It has done so much for me already. It is my turn."
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 6:26 pm
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 26 } { ? ? ? ; Ultimecia ; Kuja : Realm of Darkness ~ Ridorana Cataract : Pharos Lighthouse }
"Well of course, my dear," she said, turning to stroll toward the large balcony, though she did not stray far toward it. "But how? What ideas do you have that you feel are worthy of the gifts you have just been bestowed?"
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 27 } { Dusk : Realm of Darkness : Pharos Lighthouse}
Dusk raised an eyebrow at the sorceress' question.
"What is that suppose to mean?" the girl asked with a small bit of anger rising in her voice, "Have I not already shown I am loyal to the cause? In case it hasn't been noted, I will say it again. I have absolutely no ties to the dim-rods that oppose the greatness that is in the dark. I have suffered by the hands of people like them. Now it is my turn. Now, i will make them suffer ten times what I have."
With a heavy breath, Dusk closed her eyes as if to calm herself. Then continued, "Look, before I am aware how weak I was. However, this power only fuels my desire to cause suffering to your enemies."
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 7:15 pm
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 28 } { Ultimecia ; Kuja : Realm of Darkness ~ Ridorana Cataract : Pharos Lighthouse }
The sorceress looked back at the girl with a taut look, her eyes scrunched together in what can only be described as confusion.
"This one was never particularly... shrewd," Kuja said from his spot, shaking his head while holding it with his hand.
"She's asking what you're planning to do, little bird," he said, snickering as he hovered from his spot to approach her, giving her an amused wave. "Obviously you're loyal. If you weren't, you would be dead, and our show would have gone on without you."
"I don't think I could have been much clearer," the sorceress asked, shaking her head in mild disappointment as she turned back toward the open night skies. "You have great power. What will you do with it? What is the next step? 'Suffering' is so general, so overarching. What is your next immediate goal?"
{ ATE : Dawn of Dark : 29 } { Dusk : Realm of Darkness : Pharos Lighthouse}
Dusk let out a shaky sigh as she shook her head.
"I am sorry. I am afraid I hadn't even thought that far ahead. All I had planned is to see you for information and possibly serve. Now that I got what I came for, I am uncertain where to start...."
Jeimuzu Kuro rolled 2 20-sided dice:
16, 1Total: 17 (2-40)
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:32 pm
{ATE: The Broker ~ Case of the Fanatic: 22} {The Shadow Lord : Realm of Darkness : Xarcabard ~Castle Zvahl ~ Large Room}
There was little the Shadow Lord could do as the four Brokers closed in all at once. Without a clue as to which one could possibly be blocked if any of them he prepared for the worst. Pain coursed through him as the blade struck, the Light Elemental damage burned as if trying to purge the darkness that gave him strength. However, he did note that only one of the blades actually made contact, though the damage dealt was quite a bit. He gritted his teeth and growled in pain, though he would not allow himself to yell out. It was clear now that his opponent wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
In response to the sudden grave threat to the Shadow Lord’s life, dark energy began to suffuse him from all sides and all layers. Though the connection to the Darkness was being suppressed, he could feel something cracking through, the essence of fury, rage incarnate. He could feel power returning steadily, and in that moment, the curse upon his magic shattered outward in a great pulse of malevolence. The pulse destroyed the three imposers and knocked the real one back into a wall. It was now clear to him how the clones worked and he quickly attempted to take advantage of the sitaution.
With a smirk he “Dashed” forward thrusting his blade forward in an attempt to hit his opponent while they were hopefully stunned against the wall. At the same time, he charged a dark spell into his hand, which he launched at the Broker. If the Drain spell hit, it would steal some of their health from them and heal The Shadow Lord.
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Fanatic : 23 } { The Broker : Realm of Darkness : Xarcabard ~ Castle Zvahl ~ Large Room }
They'd barely had a moment to revel in the strike before they hesitated, sensing a change--and that was all it took, a moment of hesitation, as the eruption threw them backward, dispelling the refracted copies and momentarily stunning them. Catching themselves on their feet, they found the Shadow Lord's blade swiftly piercing their shoulder, and though there was a momentary grunt of pain, they were able deflect away the Drain with a quick arm parry.
Even with the blade in their chest, they gave a sneering laugh, reaching with one arm toward their opponent's body, still so close; if they even made so much as a moment of contact, the Shadow Lord would find his mind wracked with pain due to an outright attack on his memories.
"All that power, and you still need coddling by your puppeteer," they taunted, and after the barest of moments, their eyes glimmered a radiant violet under the hood--just as an explosion of raw, physical energy erupted between the two of them with enough force to knock the Shadow Lord back if he hadn't recoiled already.
Afterward, the Broker simply became intangible, rushing off to the side regardless if their attacks worked or not.
Damage done: 11 Total: 14
First roll: Memory Assault = [d20] + 12 vs PAC to make contact. Total = 23
Second+Third roll: If MA successful, status roll vs SL's Will. ([d20] + 16). Both must equal or pass Will.
First Total = 26 Second Total = 29
On failure, mental pain that goes away. On success, Memory Scramble, mind and thoughts fray trying to fix the scrambled chains of memory.
Fourth roll: Contained Rupture. [d20] +9 vs MAC for damage and knockback. Total = 18
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:55 pm
{ ATE : Project PHOENIX : The Midquel } { Adam : Castle That Never Was : Labs }
"Wow, you were serious about replicating Louis?"
"Of course I was serious. You know that, you're me," Adam responded with a dismissive wave as the fluids in the biopod began to drain out.
"I was, yes, but time moves a lot faster when you're basically energy," the little droid responded, glancing between the two men as if uncertainty could be seen through its singular eye. "And you've got no safeguards?"
"What? There are plenty, you can see them--"
"I meant for after he wakes up and you go all stupid and give him power."
"Well, sure, there's the... well, I guess they don't really prohibit anything..."
"Yeah, I think you kind of blanked on that aspect with Ezra," the robot responded, its eye-sphere moving in a circle. "Sure, you can enforce a single command after the fact. Maybe take a little inspiration from Exalted?"
Adam turned to give a quizzical look, only for the epiphany to wash over him. "Ooooh, that's a good idea," he said, reaching into his pocket space for the familiar bottle.
[ ATE <> A Change of Symphony ] [ Nicholas <> Station of Awakening ]
His heart was wavering, they had said.
That was the answer Nicholas had gotten after he was no longer able to summon his heartbound weapon. The Guardian of Light had recommended he sit down, meditate, and figure out why his weapon was no longer accessible. The entity almost seemed concerned with the problem yet amused at their answer. Nicholas was going to argue, but accepted the futility and made his way to somewhere quiet.
Alone in his room, he sat, waiting for the answer to come to him.
And he waited.
The longer Nicholas sat, the more agitated he became. Why was nothing happening? Was he broken? Was there something he was doing wrong? Or could it be...
He was never meant to be here? He was an enigma, an unwanted piece, an unplanned pawn in a game where he was destined to have faded into the Darkness with the rest of humanity. The bard hung his head and let out a sigh of defeat, then flopped backwards onto his bed.
'Introspection is hard.'
Except, rather than the cushion's support, the only thing he felt as he leant backward... was gravity's pull, down into an endless chasm--a dark abyss that seemed infinite, punctuated only by the soft light below that grew closer and closer as he fell.
Nicholas continued his descent, falling back and refusing to look below him as he descended ever closer towards the light. He held a neutral expression, almost as if he was bored or just unsurprised that he would begin his descent into his heart. Right as he reached the end, his body, as if automatically, readjusted until he stood upon a rather familiar platform of soft light. He noted, however, this one was much more complete then the last time he had stepped foot here, and lacked the dark sections that had cracked it one before.
"Well, I'm here. Now what?"
"Ever the cynic."
The hollow voice was familiar; the accompanying voice, a similar androgynous speaker, was also familiar. The first was his summon; the second, the strange entity he'd spoken to the night he'd first freed himself of Chaos.
"Even still, you deflect to avoid the possibility of disappointment," they spoke, and slowly hovering from the side came the billowing 'form' of Phantom. "Yet your very presence here indicates some spark of curious desire, no? Why not allow it to breathe?"
"Says my ever mysterious summon with two voices. This isn't your normal self, unless you've decided that impersonating the Guardian of Light for some reason. So I'll just assume it's you, Guardian. A pleasure to have you in my humble heart once again." Nicholas bowed, offering a dramatic flourish to complete the ensemble. His tone was teasing, yet there was a genuine kindness to it as well.
"And I can't help but be wary of disappointment. I'm expected to succeed no matter the odds, I'm afraid. The burdens of an advanced youth and all that."
"Not the Guardian, though one of their shards," they corrected, the billowing arms of their cloak coming together as if to slide either hand into the other sleeve, like a monk. "Specifically your shard. And I can assure you that while such disappointing experiences may have shaped your scars, you can permit yourself to be free and comfortable at least with yourself, and hopefully one day also me."
"So you ask, now what?" they began. "To which I respond: now what?"
Ooh, that was an annoyance.
Answering his question with the same question. The bard is looking for guidance, dammit, not this little sarcastic game. Well, fine. It was up to Nicholas to find his answers through annoying self-introspection.
"We both know why I'm here, Shard... You need an actual name, at some point. Anyway, I guess I'm here to figure out why I can't summon my weapon anymore."
"A solid line of questioning," they responded, one voice monotone, the other calmly assuring. "As with all problems, start with the basics. What is your weapon? Not as in, what is its form and function, but what is it, in the abstract existential sense?"
"As in, its purpose? I mean, it's a weapon. I would assume regardless of what it is, it's designed to hurt people. In an abstract, existential sense? Not... sure, honestly. It's an extension of myself, I guess. A weapon to fight boredom, a tool of entertainment, something that I can use after the war with the Darkness is complete."
Nicholas frowned, arms crossed over his chest. He had a feeling that, although it might be the right start, it wasn't quite the answer he needed.
"Hmm," the voices intoned, contemplating. "Think back. What did you hear as you approached the pedestal?"
"Easier said than done. I'm kind of terrible when it comes to remembering things, especially in the middle of a battle. Give me a sec; I'll think about it..." Nicholas sat down on the station floor, staring off towards the opposite end of the station. What were the words that he had heard during the battle with Chaos?
He remained quiet for what felt like an eternity before quietly whispering, "Your will, given form, will give you... strength? Power? Something like that. So my will literally forces a heartbound weapon into creation. That doesn't quite help me. I can sit here and think of hundreds of weapons yet still be no closer to finding the one specific one that I am meant to wield."
"Why is that?"
"Because by 'will' it did not mean 'decision'. By 'will' it meant your drive. Your persistence. In short... your heart," they explained. "The weapon is quite literally a manifestation of your heart's essence, in the same sense that your abilities are derived from your heart's power. You can no longer summon the weapon because, as they have said, your heart is wavering--it is no longer sure, no longer certain of its will."
"One might say it is being indecisive," the two-toned voice spoke. In the monotone, it may have sounded judgmental. In the other, like amused teasing.
Nicholas blinked, looking at the hooded specter with an entirely flat expression as the 'realization' dawned on him. "Of course. Everything makes so much sense now. I have no weapon because I have no drive. No goal." He seemed genuinely grateful, giving his summon a smile before immediately frowning.
"No s**t my heart is wavering." He sighed, pulling his hands over his face. "I mean, I've been on a seven day Darkness bender, complete with attempted murder, assault, actual murder, and who knows what else. I'm not a hero, Shard. I'm just some lucky a*****e who got a chance to escape the fall of the world in exchange for my soul and morals."
He looked to the summon with a dejected look on his face. "How am I supposed to help them if I cannot even help myself?"
The atmosphere seemed to shift in response to Nicholas' words, a spectral chill just touching the air.
"Luck?" they said; the not-Phantom sounded... upset? "You think it was some roll of the dice that pulled you from darkness? I did not stumble upon some random human. I chose you, Nicholas."
The Phantom turned away slowly and began to hover around Nicholas, toward the station's edge. "Heroes are not simply born 'heroes'. Not even Hercules; he was born divine, not heroic. Heroism is a choice. Doing the right thing is a choice. Embracing the light and doing what you can to keep it burning... that is a choice, Nicholas. Such a decision carries much weight... such is why you were asked if you could accept the burden."
They stopped at the edge, staring out into the endlessness.
"I chose you because I felt something in you. Felt that, if you were offered not simply the chance but the ability, you could rise to the occasion," they spoke, turning to face him. "Because that's how a hero is defined. They are not born. They fall... and then they rise."
The bard stared at the ghostly summon for a long moment, then asked in a monotone and British accented voice,
"Why do we fall, Master Bruce?"
Nicholas quietly rose to his feet and looked around. There was no pedestal with a weapon on it, but he was going to find one, dammit. He quietly made his way through the station, walking to the edge farthest away from him. If he kept walking until he crossed over the side of the station, the bard would keep walking.
He had faith in what the world would have in store for him would be worth something writing about. That faith was soon rewarded; not two meters into his walk, he saw a rapid coalescence of light gather to form a pedestal, and once again new weapons formed above it with a flash. More steps, and the voice once more returned:
Your will, given form, will grant you strength... can you wield it?
His gaze showed no hesitation, his steps never slowed his approach as he neared the pedestal and reached out for the wand. The shaft of the wand was obsidian in color, and barely measured a foot in length. Atop the shaft sat a crystal about six inches in length, off-white in color. The crystal was hexagonal in shape, but elongated to look similar to a spear point. The bard held the weapon, admiring the shape and weight. He flung it out to the side, revealing the shaft was telescopic in nature, extending out to the length of a proper cane.
The bard grinned madly, and began cackling as he twirled the cane around a few times before returning it to wand length.
The power of the bard. Shrewd versatility. A wand to conduct the tides of battle.
Can you bear this burden?
"Can I bear this burden? Does a bard sing in a tavern?" Nicholas cackled, then looked around when no response came. He sighed, rolling his eyes.
"...Yes. The answer is yes."
"Good." He could hear their airy voices speak in unison behind him, but he could not turn; in fact, he suddenly felt light-headed, dreary, as if he were about to fall asleep. And yet, as he slumped backward, he found himself rising--rising into some radiance he could not define besides waking up. "Now rise, Nicholas, and raise others with your kind heart."
And then all was gone.
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:25 pm
{ ATE : Project PHOENIX ~ Renewal : 16 } { ??? : The World That Never Was : Skyscraper Ruin #3289-b17.5 }
"Ezra, Daj, and... Adam," he gave a small smirk, "You know, the fitting symbolism of your new name isn't lost to me. I like it. But before I go and make an a** of myself, any particular reason behind your new moniker or did you just flip open a baby name book and choose the first one that popped out to you?"
{ ATE : Project PHOENIX ~ Renewal : 17 } { Day 8 : Mid-Afternoon } { Adam ; Daj : The World That Never Was : Skyscraper Ruin #3289-b17.5 }
"Your guess is probably right on the money," he said, shrugging sheepishly. "First into geist-hole, first to wake, first to rebel, first to be remade, et cetera. Lot of firsts. Also, I kind of wanted an ordinary name. Previous choices were... notoriously pompous."
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:43 am
{ ATE : The Broker ~ Case of the Researcher, Part II : 2 } { Day 9 } { Kai: Realm of Darkness ~ Xarcabard : Obsidian Study }
Sequestered in her little home of tomes and materials Kai was found gazing at a chart chronicling her plans for the future fashioned ‘creations’. As part of the deal for all these resources, she was to craft these for the use of the current “shadow Lord” of the castle. A fair trade- after all she wanted to understand a better way to control the Nameless for the future. That said- she needed to turn her thoughts inward… there was the first impression she got from Kuro, something was – off. Then of course.. the pursuit of her study of the heart. Surely she could devise a way to construct one herself right? As the artist was mulling all these things on her mental checklist and more-Kai thought she was beyond anyone’s reach for now. With all her ‘insidious protections in place’ surely nothing beyond her patron of resources would be foolish enough to wander into her lair- She was wrong. Whilst the artist might have flinched a little- the passive impression upon from the entity’s presence allowed her to keep her visage of calm. Things fell into place as the sense of familiarity and the impressions left behind of their previous conversation felt validation within this moment. “Slow… but only because there are a multitude of directions they must go…”
The more the guardian described it, the more certain things flashed back into her mind’s eye, pushing forth to the fore front of her memory. An infectious toxin? Twisting, blocking. “My memories have been tampered with…-” that was a serious thing, if they’ve learned anything from this world, this universe, memories informed so much about a person. Messing with them created massive repercussions. Once more, - this type of power felt familiar? From before she arrived- .. “…the fight…?” Kyla breathed, hand flying to her mouth when she realized she’d said that out loud!
