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 Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:51 pm
"...It is a tale, told by an idiot...signifying nothing..." In the year 2049, the world of Heart destroyed itself – not through pollution, not through chemical or biological warfare, not even with nuclear rockets or plasma cannons. Plain and simple, the world of Heart destroyed itself through magic. Some called it the Cleansing, some the Renaissance, but most called it the Cataclysm. Only a seventh of the planet’s population survived, and over half of those that did were forever marked by the magic. It was indelibly stamped in their genetics, and ran through their blood like electric wire. Those that lived gathered together and formed a common language – that was the year that time began anew; year zero. Government -the Assembly- was established and magic was outlawed; the world began to rebuild itself.
One hundred and three years after the planet Heart rose from the ashes of its former decadence, an artifact was found on the shores of Noeman’s Land - a large landmass in the northwestern hemisphere of the planet, origin of the magical blast that wiped out the world. The artifact - acquired by the captain of the merchant ship Monsoon, run aground during a storm at sea – held the secrets to such technological advancements the young world could not begin to comprehend. The artifact was covered in strangely familiar markings; first mate Bason -oldest member of the crew- could decipher enough of the tablet to appreciate its importance, even if none aboard could not understand the finer, scientific concepts.
Immediately upon announcement of the discovery, the national government laid claim to the new treasure and set their scientists to work unlocking the secrets of the artifact. The discovery of the artifact brought about the new technological age, filled with miracles of science never before considered possible. The wonders presented by the artifact surpassed the scientific achievements even before the Cataclysm. Within two decades, the technological revolution changed the entire world; the artifact now rests in the most prestigious museum on Heart.
Now, in the year 271, one hundred and sixty-eight years after the discovery of the artifact, the world is ruled and controlled by science. The Magic users have all but disappeared; those that weren’t hunted to death faded from memory until the only reminder of the old magic is the Cataclysm. Magic will always exist, it is grafted into very the DNA of a new breed of creatures that walk the world. It manifests itself in different ways and times, yet it has not disappeared as the rest of the planet should like to believe.
A relatively new group that exists in spite of the Assembly’s efforts is the Tekhnomants, a very small faction that had combined science and magic with highly successful results. They were part of the Exiled that turned to the very practice that replaced magic: technology. With their magic and knowledge of science, they solved the ultimate mystery; for a price, they could bring the dead back to life. Practicing the ultimate of morally unsanctioned crafts, both in science and magic, the Tekhnomants combined cloning and necromancy – and for this, they are hunted by all.
Some want them dead, while others need their special talents; however the mysterious group is impossible to find. They are protected by the illegality of their actions, for no individual that benefits from their miracles would dare confess and brave the penalty for having used the Tekhnomants’ power. Mercenaries, bounty hunters, and assassins have been sent to track the Tekhnomants, and until this day those that have returned have returned empty-handed.
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Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2009 8:15 am
 The world is as we know it – the planet of Heart has one sun and one moon, with an orbit of approximately three hundred and sixty five days. What once was a single landmass was broken into several continents and countless islands within the first fifteen hundred years of the planet’s existence. The grass is green, and the sky is blue; the light of the sun paints the sky with oranges, reds, and violets as it falls below the horizon, and at night the stars twinkle like millions of hearts on fire. In the hundred and seventy years since the artifact was found, technology has advanced at an incredible rate and the world is united under the leadership of a council known as the Assembly. It is a world-wide government, originally led by visionaries that have steadily been replaced by bickering, power-hungry swine - sometimes things work out…and other times city-states are overcome by disaster; natural or otherwise. Not all are fearful; in fact, much of Heart’s population enjoys a peaceful prosperity. But there are those that fear their government, and despise the way it’s turned citizens into sheep…they quietly plot rebellion, and dream of independence. Strangely enough, even in this age of technology where magic is shunned for the miracles of science, Noeman’s Land has remained an island of perfect wilderness. Perhaps not so strange, considering that the landmass has never shown up on any scan conducted. Not satellite, geothermal, subterranean, or atmospheric. The scans show that something is indeed there, but any detail beyond that is completely incomprehensible. Therefore, the landmass is often avoided at all cost. The legal City-States of Heart are shown on the map below; these are the City-States that were created and united by the Assembly. While other City-States do exist in the Outskirts, they are not rich, technologically advanced, or even really acknowledged. The Assembly would either ignore them or attempt to remove the eyesore, if they knew the location. Most of all, these City-States are kept hidden, known only to those that live there. They are a secret, often guarded with the lives of the residents. 
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:40 pm
 You know, the basic stuff about following both Gaia's and the guild's rules...and a few guidelines for setting up your profiles.
1.
Follow the CO's rules and Gaia's TOS =). (painless, really)
2.
You have free rein in your character creation - so have fun there.
I'm really looking for each player to have a minimum of two characters; they don't have to be equal favorites, or of equal importance and impact, in fact you can kill them off during the first few pages if you want. You can also add another character if you wish, any time you want. All I ask is that the characters be distinctly seperate creations, but you guys are good at this =].
3.
Profiles should include:
Gaian Name(especially if you have more than one character):
Character Name:
Age, Gender, Location (<--Where the character is now, where you'll be in your first post or where the character has grown up):
Alignment (Assembly, Rebellion, or None - this can change):
Appearance ( Just the basics, like height, eye color, build, etc. You can post a pic if you /really/ want to):
Magic (Whether you have magic or not, and what type it is):
This should be the bare bones of the character...don't put too much into the profile. If this seems a little incomplete, it's because I really want you to put a lot of the usual info into the first post. Details involving appearance, abilities, background, etc, can be just as easily worked into the first few posts, and it also gives the player a chance to develop their character.
4.
Some things to remember:
Technology is highly advanced in certain areas of the planet...the City-States have the most advanced scientific concepts, and the Outskirts have the least.
However, that 'least' is pretty close to what we have today, but even then, the Hidden Cities will have the best of the technology while those on the farthest edges will have the less advanced.
So really, anything goes...be creative =)
And some things about the Tekhnomants (that I had previously forgotten to mention):
If you decide to play as a Tekhnomant, I will PM you their location, to be kept secret until the oppurtune moment.
Tekhnomants are neutral, they have yet to take sides/they are only on their side.
Tekhnomants have a few extra rules to work their magic by, simply because they combine science and magic.
Date of death is one; if a subject has died a long time ago, the spirit must be very strong and have a very strong desire to remain in the world of the living.
The soul does not have to be replaced in a body cloned from the one it previously inhabited, this just makes it a lot easier for the spirit to cope with having a body again - something familiar.
Finally: the magic necessary to capture a soul and replace it in a body is tremendous. The operation is usually undertaken by at least three Teknomants, six is better, and twelve is best. The drain on the individuals decreases as the number of participants increases.
=ll The Players ll=
All profiles of characters, living and dead, will be held here under a character list as soon as I see that they're posted - or if you prefer, PMed to me.
Gaian Name:
Gourou Bandai
Character Name:
Meriam Takamura (insists being called his last name)
Age, Gender, Location:
23, male, The outskirts
Alignment:
None for now
Appearance:
6'5", at least 200lbs. (scales are hard to come by), deeply tanned skin, an iron physique, and black hair styled and slicked back with care. Warm, brown eyes and a square jaw. Typically wears grey sweats or a running suit.
Magic:
The nature of his powers are hard to place, but the magic in his body often has a mind of it's own, in times of duress it can take over and move his body even while he's clearly unconcious. This power has also manifested in healing and kinetic energy- additionally, he's discovering that the more worn-out and damaged his body is the more damage he can deal with a strike. The nuances of his subtle powers combined make him a juggernaut in close quarters combat. His dream is to become a great fighter and move to the city states to achieve glory in the ring.
Status: Alive
Gaian Name:
Gourou Bandai
Character Name:
Akagi
Age, Gender, Location:
16, male, will decide later.
Alignment:
Tekhnomant
Appearance:
5'10'', thin, with clean grey hair draping over his forehead. Dresses in a fine but simple white suit.
Magic:
A host of psychic abilities, hailed as a prodigy. Even the assembly recognizes his worth and would sooner entice him to join them than kill him. It's rumored he has the mind of a famous genius that lived over a century ago, the tekhnomant that raised Akagi's young corpse died under mysterious circumstances. Akagi took on the man's identity and bodyguard. He has no clear motive, and has not yet resurrected another much to the chagrin of his colleagues. Whether it's a matter of not having the power or not wanting to use it is unknown. Fond of games of strategy and chance.
Status: Alive
gaian name:
Bristi
character name:
Irae Kormick
age, gender, location:
19, Female, The Outskirts - Hidden City Alleyon.
alignment:
Rebellion
appearance:
Approximately 5'7", average build leaning towards the athletic, sunstreaked medium brown hair, tan skin and green eyes.
magic:
Nature magic - what once might have been called geomancy or earth magic. Includes the ability to sense water, stir wind, manipulate rock, earth, and living plants. Her power increases with strong emotion, especially anger or joy; sadness or depression tends to decrease her power. Rage may increase her power, but it also tends to hurt her concentration.
Status:Alive
gaian name:
Bristi
character name:
Dustinne Cahryl
age, gender, location:
27, Male, Currently in City-State limits.
alignment:
Assembly
appearance:
5'11", about 175 pounds of pure, lean muscle. Pale bleached hair is thick and trimmed short, sideburns extend just beyond his ears but no other distinguishing facial hair. His skintone is medium with warmer shades associated with minor tanning. His eyes are an enhanced blue.
magic:
No magic.
Status: Alive
gaian name:
Bristi
character name:
Adelaide Oscott
age, gender, location:
13, Female, City-State Sinion
alignment:
None yet
appearance:
5'3", tall for her age and very slender. Narrow shoulders and hips, very child-like. Skin-tone is medium and eyes are large, round, and golden brown; her hair is straight soot black with thick colored streaks.
magic:
None
Status: Alive
gaian name:
Bristi
character name:
Zin Trevor
age, gender, location:
49, Male, Location Unknown
alignment:
None - Tekhnomant
appearance:
6'2", about 190 pounds of muscle and fat, leaning closer to fat than muscle. Salt and pepper hair cropped short, with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.
magic:
Besides his necromantic powers, Zin can also use the magic to manipulate general atmospheric nuances (with application in relation to both human emotion and actual climactic properties), a process he often does unconciously. His powers work best when he is calm; strong emotions like intense anger or sadness tend to wreck his focus.
Status: Alive
=ll APCs ll=
These characters may be used by anyone at any time. All I ask is that they keep in mind character trends. Characters likely to be seen in this section include: The Assembly or individual Council Members, Leaders in the Rebellion, possibly Elder Tekhnomants. Most profiles are not complete, but will be filled in as more information is posted about each character. name:
Cam'ron
age, gender, location:
23, Male, Outskirts - Hidden City Alleyon
alignment:
Rebellion
appearance:
Approximately 6', average to slightly muscular build. Prefers pants to shorts, has a crutch for his left leg which suffers nerve damage from the knee down. Pale skin, brown eyes, and dark, fairly straight hair. Wears glasses occasionally(for reading), mostly on top of his head.
magic:
No magic.
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Posted: Tue Jun 23, 2009 11:08 pm
Gaian Name: Gourou Bandai
Character Name: Meriam Takamura (insists being called his last name)
Age, Gender, Location: 23, male, The outskirts
Alignment: None for now
Appearance: 6'5", at least 200lbs. (scales are hard to come by), deeply tanned skin, an iron physique, and black hair styled and slicked back with care. Warm, brown eyes and a square jaw. Typically wears grey sweats or a running suit.
Magic: The nature of his powers are hard to place, but the magic in his body often has a mind of it's own, in times of duress it can take over and move his body even while he's clearly unconcious. This power has also manifested in healing and kinetic energy- additionally, he's discovering that the more worn-out and damaged his body is the more damage he can deal with a strike. The nuances of his subtle powers combined make him a juggernaut in close quarters combat. His dream is to become a great fighter and move to the city states to achieve glory in the ring.
Gaian Name: Gourou Bandai
Character Name: Akagi
Age, Gender, Location: 16, male, will decide later.
Alignment: Tekhnomat?
Appearance: 5'10'', thin, with clean grey hair draping over his forehead. Dresses in a fine but simple white suit.
Magic: A host of psychic abilities, hailed as a prodigy. Even the assembly recognizes his worth and would sooner entice him to join them than kill him. It's rumored he has the mind of a famous genius that lived over a century ago, the tekhnomat that raised Akagi's young corpse died under mysterious circumstances. Akagi took on the man's identity and bodyguard. He has no clear motive, and has not yet resurrected another much to the chagrin of his colleagues. Whether it's a matter of not having the power or not wanting to use it is unknown. Fond of games of strategy and chance.
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Posted: Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:04 pm
gaian name: Bristi
character name: Irae Kormick
age, gender, location: 21, Female, The Outskirts - Hidden City Alleyon.
alignment: Rebellion
appearance: Approximately 5'7", average build leaning towards the athletic, sunstreaked medium brown hair, tan skin and green eyes.
magic: Nature magic - what once might have been called geomancy or earth magic. Includes the ability to sense water, stir wind, manipulate rock, earth, and living plants. Her power increases with strong emotion, especially anger or joy; sadness or depression tends to decrease her power. Rage may increase her power, but it also tends to hurt her concentration.
gaian name: Bristi
character name: Dustinne Cahryl
age, gender, location: 27, Male, Currently in City-State limits.
alignment: Assembly
appearance: 5'11", about 175 pounds of pure, lean muscle. Pale bleached hair is thick and trimmed short, sideburns extend just beyond his ears but no other distinguishing facial hair. His skintone is medium with warmer shades associated with minor tanning. His eyes are an enhanced blue.
magic: No magic.
gaian name: Bristi
character name: Adelaide Oscott
age, gender, location: 13, Female, City-State Sinion
alignment: None yet
appearance: 5'3", tall for her age and very slender. Narrow shoulders and hips, very child-like. Skin-tone is medium and eyes are large, round, and golden brown; her hair is straight soot black with thick colored streaks.
magic: None
gaian name: Bristi
character name: Zin Trevor
age, gender, location: 49, Male, Location Unknown
alignment: None - Tekhnomant
appearance: 6'2", about 190 pounds of muscle and fat, leaning closer to fat than muscle. Salt and pepper hair cropped short, with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache.
magic: Besides his necromantic powers, Zin can also use the magic to manipulate general atmospheric nuances (with application in relation to both human emotion and actual climactic properties), a process he often does unconciously. His powers work best when he is calm; strong emotions like intense anger or sadness tend to wreck his focus.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:12 am
((Time to get this show on the road..many apologies for my ever-persistent lazi-ness. Yes it's long...so, so, so, so, so, sorry. If you can see well enough to post by the end of it, I'd suggest you threaten..something. Please, take comfort in the thought that I'm finishing at 3:11 in the morning...))
((Pronunciation: Ih-ray' Day-ahn' Kor'-mihk))
Irae Deyon Kormick -Irae to friends- dove into a back flip and landed in a crouch, tossing her head to get her hair out of her face. Slipping a binding off her wrist, she pulled the long waves back into a quick and loose ponytail and her fierce green eyes took in the scene.
Four Guards - the Assembly's obedient dogs - were advancing and slowly circling. They were very much predators; from the light footsteps as they circled to the shining teeth of their self-confident grins. They were armed, but they hadn't even pulled their lyzers -incapacitating stun guns- yet. Not only did they want her alive, they were confident she would be easy to handle. Mistake.
Irae launched into a cartwheel towards the left-most Guard that ended with a high, spinning round kick to his head; before he fell to the ground, she spun again and slammed through the next one with a backwards hammer fist to the sternum, following up with hefty punch betwixt his eyes as he was gasping for air. The last two had their lyzers drawn, and as they pulled their triggers, she dove backwards into a flip again. One of the bolts hit the already incapacitated Guard, the other flew through air where her torso was seconds before. She landed the flip - again in a crouch - and slammed her hands against the ground, sending a spike of earth flying up out of the ground by her shoulder. It was thick and tall enough to provide shelter - proven as it absorbed the next two lyzer shots. With their guns drawn, the Guards were very difficult to fight melee - in fact, it was near impossible to get close. It was time for something new.
Irae closed her eyes and breathed deep. She could hear the light footsteps against the dust as the guards slowly approached...she could feel a rivulet of sweat as it trickled down the middle of her back; she could smell the dust and the sand and she could feel the magic building inside of her. Her green eyes flashed open, and there was a deep rumbling from the earth itself as the ground began to shake. Irae stood and turned to face the Guards; they couldn't hardly stand straight, much less keep their lyzers trained on her. She raised her hands dramatically and the shaking increased in violence.
She broke into a run, and where her feet touched the ground was firm and solid. Two, three, steps and she launched into the air, bringing her fist crashing against the side of a Guard's head. He stumbled back dazed -until her knee crashed into his forehead- and then he fell to the ground.
"Don't move, you are under arrest by order of the Assembly."
Irae froze. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the ground still shaking, small pebbles dancing amid clouds of fine dust. She realized, of course, why a lyzer was pressing between her shoulder blades, and she mentally swore colorfully. He was clever - he had noticed just how far her circle of steady ground extended and had managed to get inside.
"You lose. Now raise your hands and surrender."
His voice was victoriously pompous; Irae noticed and rolled her eyes extravagantly. Slowly, she raised her hands and her muscles tensed.
She couldn't place him, not exactly -and what she was about to do needed to be fairly exact; the lyzer, on the other hand...
Irae suddenly sprawled, hitting the ground with her arms straight and directly under her shoulders, her legs splaying out behind her. The second her hands touched ground, a spire as thick as her leg shot up and struck the butt of the lyzer, knocking the Guard's hand wild. She sprung up and spun, grabbing ahold of the spire and launching both feet into the Guard's chest. He fell heavily and struck his head against the ground, not moving again.
Irae landed in a crouch at his feet and stood up, dusting her hands off on the soft leather shorts she wore, and looked up at the bright lights surrounding the large arena. She was dripping sweat and hot, and her breath was coming in ragged gasps, but her smile could've lit the arena itself.
"Time?" She called out, in between lungsful of air.
The lights went out and the Guards stood up and at attention - all but the one that had been hit by lyzer fire. The sun was falling towards the western horizon, and now that she could see the sky, Irae saw it painted with bright oranges and reds.
"Four minutes, thirty-four seconds." The man's voice, coming from behind her, paused a moment. " A minute and a half better than your last session."
Irae turned to face Cam'ron as he entered from the far side of the arena, close to the box where he directed the session. He was taller than she but he limped badly enough to need a crutch; his limp was from an injury sustained years before during a raid, an injury that had left his leg fairly paralyzed from the knee down. Irae kept grinning, highly pleased as she regarded each of the 'Guards', standing in the same places they had fallen. They were 'bots, salvaged -like the lyzers- from recyclers outside of City-State limits. They were used for training and programmed -by Cam'ron- to respond like a human; they were "knocked out" by the same blows that would render a human unconscious - they were also less than perfectly accurate when equipped with a weapon.
"Don't think I'm so pleased...poor Algie." He said, walking over to the fallen 'Guard' and crouching beside the body. His voice was slightly growly, though not particularly deep. "I'm going to have to wipe the mainframe and completely reprogram his processor to get rid of the scramble that lyzer bolt caused."
"Not my fault..." Irae retorted, having regained her breath"..your 'bots shot him."
Cam'ron looked back at her over his shoulder and growled under his breath, "I should reprogram them to anticipate movement -just for you. Just go a little easier on them, would you? That spike could've taken Gar's hand off.."
"But it didn't. Because..."
Irae took a couple steps and bent down, offering Cam'ron her hand.
He took it and finished her sentence as he stood up.
"You think you know what you're doing. You three grab Algie and return to the base." He directed the functional 'bots.
They walked back towards the fair entrance, while the 'bots lifted the disabled 'Algie' and followed.
"I know I know what I'm doing." Irae countered with attitude - although Cam'ron was technically her superior, both in rank within the Rebellion and in age, she'd known him for six years. She'd met him her first year during a training exercise, back when they still sparred against one another regularly; four years her elder, he beat her easily.
It was a year before his injury, and at the time she was still trying to get a handle on channeling magic, much less melee with anything more than flailing fists. He couldn't help her much with the magic, but his easygoing laughter helped her get over constant failures more than anything else could have. He was like a brother to her - and her best friend.
"Hah!" Cam'ron scoffed. " I'll believe it when I see it. Speaking of which, if Gar noticed how wide your safe zone is...anyone you fight will too, eventually."
"I know..." She groaned. "Sometimes it's smaller, today it was larger. I'm still not sure how to control it."
"That's what I thought...come back Saturday, we'll work on it."
"What, you don't have anything better to do your day off?"
Cam'ron shook his head. "Nah. 'Sides...you need the help."
Irae wrinkled her nose, "That bad, huh?"
He laughed and shook his head.
"Just get cleaned up; you had the training arena to yourself because there was a sparring match earlier - our fearless leader was hoping it would bring in outside talent for his recruitment 'wine and dine' tonight. He'll want you there."
They had gone through the gate, and Cam'ron turned to go back to his 'office'.
"Wine and dine, huh?" Irae called back as she continue to walk and grinned, knowing it never was.
"Nah.."He said, looking back over his shoulder. "More like...beer and sausages."
Irae met his eyes over her shoulder and laughed.
"Yeah...see you Saturday!"
She had a great laugh, Cam'ron reflected as he closed the door - like honeyed hand-bells ringing, and always like she meant it. And how it killed him.
* * * * * * * *
((Pronunciation: Duhs'-tin Cah-rihl')
Cahryl looked both ways before he crossed the street - that was just the way he was. He was a careful child - he'd never broken a bone in his youth, nor had he succumbed to disease once he learned what caused it - and he was careful once he moved to Carthwright. Carthwright was an astonishing change from where he'd lived and required ever-present vigilance to simply survive.
His real talents had developed here, and among the other City-States he had come to call 'home', and today he was one of the best. Not because of where he was born, nor because of magic -because he had none- but simply because of hard-work and natural-born talent. As he'd gown, he'd learned to look for things other than IACs (Individual Auto-Craft) and MACs (Mass Auto-Craft) - another of his special talents, he was excellent at spotting Outskirter, Mainland, and even Tekhnomant spies.
Cahryl was an Assembly mercenary; a very well-paid Assembly mercenary. He'd been a merc since he was 17, trained by the Assembly specialists under the cover of actual tutelage for five years - each year spent at a different university in the Central City-States. He'd passed every test, physically and mentally challenging, and had worked loyally for the rest of the time. And yet, he still had never been sent on either of the ultimate of missions: to track down the Tekhnomants or to find and kill the leader of the Rebellion.
There were stories of course, about mercs and hunters that set off to find the Tekhnomants secret base and never came back - to Cahryl, it was beginning to sound a little like Cibola, the ancient city of non-existent gold.
Cahryl stood for a moment in the drizzling rain before pressing his palm against the console beside the door. Inside, the door instroduced him and received permission to open.
He entered and his heavy dark jacket and hat was taken from him by a butler. A pretty little maidservant directed him to a sitting room and stoked the fire in the furnace. Cahryl had taken to wondering lately why Carthwright, city-state of his adolescence, had no controlled climate as the Central City-States did. It wasn't for lack of funds to do so - thanks to the nearby river, Carthwright was valuable for Heart's livestock and almost as wealthy as the coastal Triad. Personally, he felt that Councilman Braddle enjoyed the cold and rain. He'd often heard the old man himself remark on the comforting sound, scent, and warmth of a good wood fire.
Speaking of the devil, Councilman Braddle entered then -interrupting Cahryl's musings. He walked holding a cane, but it was simply for show - meant to give him a distinguished air.
Cahryl snorted derisively to himself. Perhaps, if the Councilman lost about fifty pounds...and twenty cycles.
"Greetings, Cahryl - Now that you're inside, remove that garbage from your head and we shall talk."
"Yes, sir."
Even Cahryl had to admit, it that the old man had a good, strong, often inspiring voice. He swiftly moved to obey, removing the dark wig from his close cut blond hair and pulling away the fake beard and mustache. He didn't wince physically, but the adhesive was good.
"Very good," Councilman Braddle's voice resonated in the room; the acoustics were designed for this very purpose.
"I summoned you here, Cahryl, for a single purpose. I believe the time has come to offer you the most difficult mission you could ever choose to accept."
If Cahryl was excited or impressed, it didn't show on his features. Nothing but cold, focused attention was hidden in the man's sky blue eyes.
"In the five years you've worked for the Assembly, you've managed to not only pay off your training debt, but also the cost of the operation on your eyes - is that correct Cahryl?"
His eyes - Cahryl allowed himself a smile - were augmented with robotic implants. With them, he could monitor any visual tells as easily as breathing; he could see up to two or three times as far as the average human; he could also see across various spectrums.
"That is correct, sir."
"Then it is beyond time that we have asked you to do this." Braddle mused aloud.
"The Assembly is growing desperate to locate and...terminate the Tekhnomants. However, as painful a thorn in our side the Tekhnomants have been...the rebels are growing in strength and numbers. The ragtag group of a few years ago has begun to mature - no longer do they whisper under their covers of a union proposal with the Tekhnomants...they have begun to bandy it about the rest of the Outskirters. They would destroy the world we have worked so hard to create...." Councilman Braddle paused a moment, to gather his thoughts and breath.
"It is the Assembly's wish that you be hired to track down the Tekhnomants; however, it is my suggestion that the task be completed in any manner necessary, by any route necessary. We have yet to see any man succeed in this task, so the price is yours to name."
Cahryl looked slowly around the richly furnished room before stating the request he'd decided since his first assigned mission, given to him in this very room. How fitting that his first and last mission be given to him by Councilman Braddle…in this room.
"My price is a seat on the Assembly."
* * * * * * * *
((Pronunciation: Ah'-deh-layd Oz'-coht or Dehl'-lah))
Della stared at the wall. There was a spot, to the right of the holoboard, just beside the teacher's shoulder that she was almost positive looked like her pet canary, Adam. It was part of the wall texturing, and shaded just so to give it the looks of a quirky, one-footed, yellow bird. Except for the anomaly in the wall texturing, Della was sure she would fall asleep - the histories were always boring/..unless they talked about magic - but the teachers rarely spoke of the magic and the Exiled. Except to say that they were terribly bad, horrible people.
Magic and people like the Exiled had destroyed most of the world, over two hundred and fifty years ago.
Della supposed they were bad, they did kill people...and if all Exiled were like them...
She often shuddered, thinking of threats she'd heard adults make before. Eat your vegetables, or the Exiled will come and steal you away; do your homework, or the Exiled will get you. She was a little old to believe in the threats the adults told the babies, but there was a kid at school...
Bopie -in the ninth grade- said that the Exiled kidnapped little kids to drain them of energy for their magic. Even in the fifth grade, Della had understood how the transformers work - changing energy of one form into another; in the eighth grade, she could practically map out how the transformation would take place.
Perhaps, when she was older, she could be one of the hunters Bopie talked about - and had claimed to have seen once. He told everyone about it - Della noticed long ago though that the story changed a little each time he told it. Neither of her parents believed in mercenaries or bounty hunters - they said the Assembly would never resort to something so crude and barbaric as using vigilantes; the Assembly had the Guards, and the Guards protected the Citizens. They didn't go running off chasing Exiled who wouldn't dare step one foot into the City-State anyway.
Della wasn't so sure. Besides which, she liked the sound of 'vigilante'.
She did know the difference between a bounty hunter and a mercenary though -- Bopie had been only too happy to enlighten her. Bounty hunters supposedly brought back their target alive, while mercenaries were specifically hired to kill. Killing was wrong, Della had decided, only sanctioned in self-defense - but she wouldn't have to kill if she was a bounty hunter. She would become famous -- she'd even find the legendary Tekhnomants - the worst, and most evil of the Exiled.
*SMACK*
The teacher's pointer smacked against the top of her desk, bringing Della out of her daydreams with a jump. Giggles immediately filled the room en masse.
"Ms. Oscott, I have asked you twice now, to name the Council member that established the university in Sinion." Her voice was sweet, but never varied much in pitch, trending to a very pretty, very sweet, drone. It was so easy to daydream...Della occasionally fell asleep - until her desk noticed and vibrated to wake her up again.
Della stammered, still in a state of shock that was very quickly descending into a state of intense embarrassment.
"Um..uh..uhh..Dr...um..ahh.Arielle Vigilant--I mean Viridan. Dr. Arielle Viridan; year 209." She finally spit out the answer, amidst another wave of titters.
It was the right answer, and the teacher accepted it with a sigh.
"Where is your mind, child?"
Della immediately replied, opening her eyes wide and looking terribly sad as she fumbled with the folds on her school uniform's skirt.
"I seem to have lost it...would you help me find it?"
The room erupted in laughter, only calmed once the teacher returned to the front of the room.
* * * * * * * *
((Pronunciation: Zihn' Treh'-ver))
Zin sat in the center of a concrete bench in the gardens of the Tekhnomant's complex, their home - secret from the world. He was contemplating the greatest mysteries of the universe and exercising his magic flow as he did so. He was concious of his personal bodyguard hovering a few feet behind Zin to the left, but it neither distracted nor bothered Zin. The old man smiled, gently enough that the wrinkles beside his eyes barely showed - if he knew the young man, the boy would be working to improve his own magical flow as well as his senses
The gardens were a naturally humid area, but as long as Zin sat among the gorgeous foliage, the air became less heavy. It was not a conscious effort on his part, he merely increased the flow of magic through his body and instinct naturally altered the atmosphere to improve comfort. His legs were crossed and his arms rested against his legs, palms facing up. There was nothing religious about his ritual, it was simply more comfortable. It was late in the morning, the sun would be high overhead soon - he would gather in the main hall for lunch then. Unless he was summoned to quell an argument before then.
The Tekhnomants were politically neutral; meaning, they were still refusing to take sides in the coming squabble between the Assembly and the Rebellion. On a majority of subjects however, the Tekhnomants were far from neutral. They were all scientists, and they were all highly powerful magic users - the results of disagreements were occasional quarrels; Zin was exceedingly happy that there weren't more.
The compound was well-stocked with provisions of every sort - those that lived here, secreted away from the rest of civilization would never need for anything; and if they were friendly, would never want either. Each fully fledged Tekhnomant had their own room with a separate adjoining room for their personal bodyguard. The apprentices, on the other hand, were paired in dormitories; there they remained until they had mastered the basics of the craft. During their time in the dorms, they were guarded by various of the apprentice bodyguards - by 'graduation' they were required to choose a permanent bodyguard - the one that would guard them until death..and occasionally beyond.
It was these mysteries that Zin contemplated - the mysteries of life and death, and how they, the Tekhnomants affected the cycle. The Assembly had labeled them monsters, demons...practitioners of not only the forbidden and darkest art of magic, but also of biology's most controversial science. Their arguments were hardly sound, claiming necromancy to be a crime against humanity, and cloning to be a crime against any god any persons chose. Zin believed he knew better.
If either was a crime against God, it would be the necromancy - stealing back what He had already taken; cloning was simply copying and rebuilding living tissue. But if God had allowed them the means to perform such miracles among man it would surely indicate that He had some plan for the Tekhnomants. By no means did that guarantee any Tekhnomant a place of choice in the afterlife...in fact, they could very well be a force for evil moving across Heart.
Such things Zin would contemplate until the sun reached its zenith, and burned bright in the clear blue sky.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 11:00 pm
"In the challenger's corner, barely passing the weight limit at 235 pounds, his style has earned him the nickname 'Deadman walking', the man who won't stay down- Meriam Takamura!" The lights were dizzying, a thousand suns beaming down on him in the ring; though the cheers and boos were mixed, the sheer volume of the noise left him in awe. As a hooded figure made his way towards the ring the spectators started to stamp their feet on the ground and cheer, "And making his way to the ring- Carthwright's golden boy, heralded by a thunder of applause is Daniel Mccormick!"
Takamura let his eyes scan over Daniel once he had taken off his robe, he looked tough but he didn't look the type who knew how to take blows to the face- a pretty boy who was swift on his feet no doubt. His uncle, who had been training him in the harsh outskirts for so long laid a hand on Meriam's shoulder "I'm 100% confident you're going to clobber this kid. But listen good, don't rely on that power this match, if a city-state dog sniffs out that you've got magic you and I are both going to the gallows.
Stay sharp, overwhelm him, don't let him set the rhythm."
Takamura nodded and knocked his gloves together, "I'm going to win for everyone back home, no way a pedigree can best a junkyard dog." The ref called for the seconds to move out of the ring, and the two contenders went close-quarters as he gave the overview of the rules. The pair touched up gloves and at the sound of the bell Daniel made a hop back, ready to dance circles around this no-name. But Takamura had taken a powerful stride forward and bullied him into the ropes.
Dull fear crossed Daniel's eyes as he looked up at Meriam, who was bringing down a hard right at his face. The crowd groaned in unison hearing the sheer impact of the punch. Daniel was vaulted from the ropes and stumbled, trying to find his footing. The audience wailed for their hero to move as Takamura went in for a body-blow, a heavy hook of a punch into the kid's solar plexus. Daniel coughed up his mouth guard and his legs gave way. The towel was thrown in before the first minute passed.
The audience was dumb-struck as the ref hoisted Takamura's right hand into the air and the bell sounded sharply. 'I'm going to make everyone recognize my power...And everyone in the outskirts will have the courage to seek their own recognition. No one's taking me down...'
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Akagi was found on one of the upper verandas of the Tekhnomant complex playing a game of chess as usual with his bodyguard Yasu. Yasu stood to greet the cloaked-figure who had entered "P-please forgive me, but Akagi has asked time and time again--"
"Not to be bothered. I know. But that simply won't do Yasu. We Tekhnomant's have both a gift and a mission, and though Akagi was granted rebirth he seems to think lightly of us."
Akagi sighed, and turned away to look out over the veranda at the expanding horizon. "I haven't given rebirth to another because I haven't seen anyone worth it. Even if Yasu died I wouldn't give him new life." Yasu looked at the floor with a grimace.
"Listen here, you petulant--" Akagi stood and made to leave, "Let's leave now Yasu, if a condition of my staying in this pen is obedience I'll have nothing of it."
"This has nothing to do with obedience! The Tekhnomants have a gift, and a great destiny to fulfill- for receiving our gift can't you see you have been intertwined with our destiny?"
Akagi looked back with eyes of never-ending darkness "What a disgusting thought. What would a dead man know of destiny? No, I tell you there is no such thing. A shared destiny? Nothing more than a pack of animals caught in a stampede, charging off a cliff. I'll have nothing to do with it."
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:32 am
The city of Alleyon was a well-kept secret. Because of it's hidden status, as well as its size, the city was a perfect home base for the Rebellion. It was a fully alive city, the bulk of it buried deep underground with a smattering of low buildings and huts topside.
Even in the unforgiving wilderness of the Outskirts, people lived - even the Assembly knew this. With grumbling, they accepted the realities of nomadic tribes and small towns; perhaps they even suspected the existence of a full-scale city, but they had yet to find it.
Irae glanced up at the sky and the few clouds that hung there, growing bluer as the sun fell below the purple horizon. With each step, Irae's boots raised tiny dust clouds and she wished that it would rain - they needed it desperately. She headed for Korey's Inn, not only one of the closest buildings to the training arena, but the heart of Sirios - the small town that rested above the hidden city and kept its secret.
Korey's Inn was two stories tall, and constructed of thick clay bricks that kept out the extreme temperatures of the Outskirts. Irae's long brown arm shoved against the heavy wood door and a rush of cool air washed over her body. She breathed deeply and her body unexpectedly shuddered with the exhaustion she hadn't yet felt -- she suddenly was dying of thirst, and her mouth felt gritty with the dust of the training arena.
"Hey Korey!" Irae called out across the room as the door closed behind her, " I. Need. A tall glass of cold water."
She laughed as she saw Korey Xerc point to a glass on the bar next to him.
"Was waitin' fer you...'eard th' trainin' went well." Korey replied as Irae crossed the concrete floor and took a seat at the bar. The inn held the usual patrons, and a few others Irae didn't recognize - probably travelers.
She picked up the glass and drank it half down, raising her eyebrow in question. Korey looked down at a small boy, barely tall enough for his eyes to peer out over the top of the bar counter.
" 'e was watchin' ya...'ow's Algie?" Korey asked, his lopsided grin mischievous.
"He's fine...give him a few days and he'll be good as new." Irae grinned in return as she replied and downed the other half of the glass of water.
"Is Leila in the back? I wanted to talk to her about shipping."
Leila was Korey's wife, and they often spoke about various shipments, but not tonight. In the back, well-hidden in a spare water closet was a shaft that led underground. There were several such shafts hidden around town..this one was just closest to Irae's underground home.
"Yeah..she's takin' invent'ry. Go on back."
Irae laid three copper pieces on the bar counter, payment for the water. She'd overpaid, but it was Korey's..if the Inn couldn't stay afloat, one of Alleyon's best covers would be lost. A good cover and a powerful ally - thanks to a couple high-tech implants done secretly in the City-States, Korey literally had photographic memory. He always knew which travelers to let through.
"Thanks, Korey...Gabe." She said with a tilt of her head at the small boy as she walked around the bar and through the door to the back. With a quick greeting to Leila, she ducked into one of the supplies closet where water was kept. Once the door close, Irae tilted one of the bottles forward, and a latched clicked in the dark. Part of the shelf swung in on a hinge and a glowing door appeared.
Irae stepped through the door and went down the corridor, stepping into the elevator at the end of the tunnel and choosing a floor. She punched the 2 button and grabbed a hold of the railing as the eleveator lurched downwards. Her stomach flipped as the elevator descended and Irae growled to herself; she could handle four 'bots armed with lyzers, but for some reason, elevators still gave her problems.
She shook her head and stepped off as the elevator came to a halt on her floor. It continued downward, to the fifth floor, likely to pick up somone headed for the City Center.
Cam'ron mentioned something about some live sparring fights taking place before Derek's recruitment speech this evening. Cam'ron had implied that the matches were over...but she was pretty sure they would carry on to the very edge.
She passed by a small group of young teenage kids, gathered around a radio.
"Did'ja hear? Takamura took him down with two hits. The City-State champ!"
" 'e said 'e was gonna win for ev'ryone back 'ome..'e really did it!"
There was a low whistle. "Not even a min'nit..."
The group of kids were in complete awe and Irae smiled a little. It did them good to have heroes..
"Yo, hey Irae!" One of the kids called out. Irae recognized him as a boy living in the apartment above hers...Jayden. She looked back over her shoulder.
"You think Takamura is gonna be here tonight?""
Irae's smile widened a little.
" I really don't know...maybe he will be. I heard the Cap'n's savin' him a spot in the arena if he does show. He might be tired though..after a fight in the City-States."
It was true...Derek was hoping Takamura would show. The fighter was one of those the event was aimed at recruiting.
The kids were quick to jump in at their new favorite's defense.
"No way!"
"He took McCormick down too easy.."
"Didn't even break a sweat!"
Irae smiled...heroes were a good thing indeed.
She moved on to her apartment to get cleaned up.
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 1:52 pm
Meriam's muscles were still tense, ready for a fight. That Daniel was easy pickings...But surely once he climbed the ranks he'd meet stronger fighters. His uncle came inside the dressing room accompanied by a man in an expensive suit.
"Quite a fight" the stranger says, smiling behind a pair of thick sunglasses. "Hardly" Takamura jibed- he stood and crossed the room to shake the man's hand, delicate and smooth- ivory white skin opposite to Meriam's hand-- a calloused leathery mitt with the scars and impacts of tens of thousands of punches.
"I hope you weren't planning on just heading back to the outskirts you know. In fact some of the upper brass has taken a shine to you." Meriam
noticed his uncle was looking nervous, apprehensive- like whatever deal he had to talk about he didn't want any part in it. "Follow me, won't you? I have some people I want you to meet. There's a very important man giving a big speech to lots of strong people, just like you. A lot of doors will open up if you'd meet with him."
Meriam's uncle looked at the floor. Takamura spoke slowly, "I'll...Yeah, I'll go. Just wait outside for a moment, I'll be right there." the man nodded and left the room. He faced his uncle, "We both knew this was going to happen eventually. This is a necessary step on my road to being a true champion for the outskirts. I'll never forget where I came from." he laid a hand on his mentor's shoulder.
His uncle nearly spat on the floor, "Idiot. I'm going to worry about you. Write to your sister when you can. And keep that magic under wraps like I said. We both know outsiders like us can't afford to be defiant, so jump through whatever hoops you have to. We'll have our day."
The two shook hands, "I'll see you again, in my corner like always. Goodbye." Takamura left the room, his face tensed as he headed onward to uncertainty. Without looking at the man in the suit he told him, "Lead on, if this guy is so important I won't keep him waiting."
As they walked people who spotted them waved and cheered for Takamura. Would the path he was leading down keep him in the spotlight as the people's hero? Or would he end up a puppet to some sinister malcontent...He tightened his grip, as long as it meant another fight he'd keep going forward. This is what he'd waited his whole life for. No sense getting cold feet.
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Yasu came to rest after dropping their supplies in front of Akagi, breathing heavily and wiping his brow. Akagi insisted on doing an hour of prep in ten minutes. Yasu didn't know much else other than not to disappoint Akagi. "I've prepared provisions for two months...How long will we be gone?" Akagi waved a hand dismissively, "Until this place stops reeking of expectations and messiah complexes. Or when it's a charred hole in the ground. That would be preferable."
Yasu bowed his head, "R-right..." The pair each shouldered a bag and started to leave, Akagi ignoring some ruckus that was going on behind him.
"Young master, may I ask where you were while I was procuring supplies?"
Akagi smiled knowingly, "I know why you ask that. It seems you can read me a bit better than you used to. That bore of a zealot insisted on talking to me again." lights were coming on inside the Tekhnomant complex, Yasu kept looking over his shoulder, fear evident on his face. "W-what did you say?"
"That if he was so desperate for the Tekhnomants to ressurect more people, he should volunteer himself. Then I killed him. I imagine they've found his body, it can't be hard to spot."
Yasu stopped in his tracks. Akagi looked behind "Oh, what is death to a Tekhnomant who knows eternal life? They face merely the trifle of cleaning a bloody room, once they've finished scraping him off the walls and ceiling they can just bring him back to life can't they? It's really no big deal."
Yasu started to walk again, slowly. He remembered that tone of voice before, from when Akagi was thirteen. Akagi had gotten bored of his new playground and wanted to leave. That's all he thought of it. From killing a man to winning a game he'd wear the same idle look of satisfaction.
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