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 Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 6:56 pm
The Clock Tower╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════-∮-══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
The old clock tower stands in the center of Phoxuria, abandoned and decrepit. It was once well maintained and beautiful, but now stands in relative ruin. Seen as an unnecessary drain on city resources, all funding to its repair and maintenance was cut short abruptly. This left several structures built to make the repair of it easier and possible still attached to the building, giving it a never finished look. The roof has given way in one of the towers attached to the building, the stone is chipped and cracked in many areas, and the main clock no longer moves. Being perpetually stuck at a certain moment in time, as if time itself ceased to function for it. The only truly functioning part of it was the light that lit the clock of the tower, which periodically turned on and off seemingly at random. Many ignore the once grand building, and fear for when it may collapse. The ruins of this building have already claimed many lives of those foolish enough to enter it, and no one has been to the top of the tower in years. Those who have tried are usually the victims that deter others from entering.
╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════════-∯-══════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════-∯-═════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
What many don't know is that the clock tower is very much inhabited. Littered with perilous traps on the floors ascending to the very top, as well as the crumbling architecture, no one has reached the top to find out about its current inhabitant or what has been changed. What was once a room dedicated to the maintenance of the clock of the tower itself was now converted to a hidden base for an assassin. Various tools and equipment lay in neat piles of the room, with traps and other gear laying on a table to be finish at later dates. There is a bed tucked away in a corner of the first floor, while there is a basin to hold water and bathe if need be. Shelves and tables are scattered about the first and second floor of this room in the clock tower, each lined with various materials that may be needed for any job he may have.
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 7:45 pm
 
✘ The Assassin
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Ghost went about in his base of operations, an old and decrepit clock tower. It had long since been rendered non functional, and stood as a dying ruin amidst the town. It had been the ideal place for him to settle in for now and plan out his operations, his marks, and store anything he may need. It was also the last place anyone would expect to find anyone else in, let alone an assassin. The place was a veritable death trap before he had entered it, and he had only made it deadlier in his stay here. The bottom floor was full of rubble and debris, but was of no concern to him. Nor were the other levels as one would steadily climb up the crumbling inside of the clock tower and take alternate paths up, with old stairways having long since broken and fallen away. He was not residing in the base of the clock tower but rather near the very top of it, right behind the large clock itself. There had been an entire floor and area it seemed that would've allowed one to work on the clock and maintain it... or in his case, gave him an area to move into and make his own. While that in and of itself would pose a decent deterrent for many others from trying to ascend the tower Ghost had taken a few more precautions to ensure he was not disturbed while here, or even when he was away. Littered across the base floor and even on the treacherous paths that could be used to ascend were a variety of traps. Each trap was designed to trigger in a way that made it seem like it was the building itself was the cause rather than anything else. And the traps were no mere deterrents. If a person was not careful enough, or quick enough, they would find themselves a victim to the traps and left as an example. A reminder of the dangers of the old decaying clock tower that many dutifully avoided. It would not stop everyone, but it kept the majority at bay. Any others who somehow slipped through would have Ghost himself to contend with.
On this particular day Ghost had no true outings planned nor any reconnaissance that was necessary for the time being. He was awaiting an opportunity for his current marks, but until he was given or acquired more information on it he had nothing to act on. He was well stocked for the moment, and none of his alarms had been triggered so he did not have any intruders currently. All that was left was to determine how to spend his free day. "Inside is as good as out on a day such as this." He said quietly to himself as he saw the flash of lightning from one of the windows of the clock tower. It was raining rather heavily which was ideal cover for him should he desire to go out, but also mean there were not many suitable forms of entertainment for him to pursue then. It was a better day just to stay in by his standards. Which still left the question to him of how he should spend what remained of this dark and dreary day. 'It is a shame none of my marks are prime for seeking.' He thought to himself with slight disappointment. On a day like this it was very unlikely they would be outdoors, and he was still working on a way to be able to enter their abodes. It was a shame too, as the rain would've provided perfect cover to finish the job. 'Just as well, I am still woefully lacking in the information I need.' He thought to himself. He was no mere mercenary hired to kill thoughtlessly; he was an assassin, and had pride in his work. Killing was an art and required forethought, planning, and an almost surgical precision. When a mercenary killed, it was messy and required the loss of many lives. When an assassin killed, only one was lost... and the death would often go unnoticed for some time. That was not to say one should never prepare for surprises and multiple confrontations, but it was something to try and avoid if possible. An unaware target posed much less of a threat or issue than an aware one after all.
With that in mind, the matter of how to spend this day still lingered in his thoughts. Company was out of the question given his acquaintances at the present moment. There were a few contacts, one being Akuryo, but he did not desire their company. Those were not individuals you trusted with the location of your lair, nor ones you desired to spend leisure time with. They were for work and what was it; pure and simple. Further with Mr. Bekwood there was the chance he would be attacked out of boredom. While employed for the same person as Ghost, the man was of variable loyalty in Ghost's mind. Should he ever find himself bored Ghost had little illusion he would not do something to entertain himself, that something very likely being a confrontation of some kind. While he had no doubt either he could take the man, he was still needed for business. He was a blunt tool to balance the sharp one that Ghost was. One would be used for brute force, the other precision. He understood why they were both serving the same people, and why it was necessary to work with him. He didn't know how long they would have a use for the other man, but he hoped the association did not last long. He did not trust him. Which also brought thoughts of a few other contacts he was informed to try and acquire. Both were people that were hard to find, but had quite a reputation in certain circles. Circles he was well acquainted with. Though the chances of meeting them was also not a possibility currently with the weather, as he had to seek them out and engage them. While they may be out and about, they would be hard to find and even harder to convince in current circumstances. 'Another possibility discarded. At this rate I shall only have my mind as entertainment.' He thought while releasing a sigh. It was what occurred with this line of work. Long periods where nothing much happened, then all of a sudden there was too much to deal with if one was not fully prepared. "Hmm... It has been a while since I last tested myself." He softly said aloud as he looked about the room. There was certainly plenty of space to work with.
✘ Post count: 8
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Out Of Chances:
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Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 5:27 pm
✘ The Assassin
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Ghost went about his lair in preparation for his training exercise. A ruined building, while dangerous, provided many options in order to customize and design such a thing. And variety was exactly what he was looking forward to testing. In an ideal world, the mark never saw or even suspected their death when their time came. Even more ideally would be that even then they'd be left clueless. 'But we do not dwell in an ideal world.' He silently thought as he worked on in silence. The world was led by the corrupt, ones who would try to bend it for their own personal gain and see it led blindly. Sentient creatures were not inherently corrupt; those who ruled them often were. It was part of the reason why he enjoyed his job; to put an end to those creatures that spread their sickness on to the next generation. The other reason was simply the art of the kill, the thrill of stalking ones prey, and the beauty in death. He was born for his profession, bred for it. Made for it. It was his calling. 'And so far, the majority of my marks have filled my specifications.' He thought to himself. There were a few unfortunate innocents in his mind, the majority that he had killed were corrupt and deserved a quick death before their poison could spread.
As Ghost was thinking all this, he was working intently on his training exercise. Placing targets in various areas and leaving himself with different pieces of equipment nearby. A dagger here, crossbow there, shield in that end, and swords on the second floor. Each seemed to be set with precision and care to each spot. Each one mapped in his mind to be set perfectly for the situations he was plotting. Each would only just be enough to deal with what he had planned, and not the slightest bit more. Part of the profession was to deal with limited equipment, to know how to use it to its full potential. To use it until it was no longer useful. There would be times where he would not have any weapons either, and would need to rely on his own body to accomplish his goals. All had to be honed, to be prepared for anything that may come next. And all would be accounted for as he set up the course. He put simple targets around, old bottle, cardboard cut outs, dummies and anything he felt could prove a suitable target. Anything that could resemble, or be made to, an actual target. Some were attached to the rafters of the building and made to hang mid air at varying distances and lengths. Others were grouped together in various positions and stances, almost made to resemble people at ease together. Other targets were left completely alone, some entirely in the open and others with varying objects and furniture surrounding them. The distances between targets, or groups thereof, would vary as well with multiple paths that could be taken. The flexibility and uncertainty of which to take at times on the actual job.
✘ Post count: 9
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Out Of Chances:
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Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2019 5:45 pm
✘ The Assassin
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And so the time to perform had arrived. Ghost waited a few hours after setting up his training course, to test to see how well his mind would recall it. It would be later in the evening yet there would still be light out, for now. A time before the fear of the dark would take hold of people, when the light of day gave them the confidence nothing would sneak up on them without their awareness. The time of day many learned was the time to be most fearful of... but far too late. While he would go after his marks at different times, night being his favored, this one brought its own thrills. It was usually a transition period for people; going home from work, rotating guard, etc. The point was that it was a time of change and mild disorder. A disorder that could bring a lot of benefits to an assassin. Ghost silently crept along the main floor of his abode in the clock tower, the target one of his dummies that seemed to almost be waiting for something as it overlooked the edge. Reminiscent of a noble taking a casual stroll along his castle walls, completely unaware that the guard behind him may not be a guard. Ghost heard the scream reflected in the dummy as they met a similar fate; pushed over the edge to their demise. Though if anyone else were to see the 'body' and inspected it thoroughly enough, they may notice the tiny hole where a dagger had gone through. 'But the fall from such a height... everyone only thought it a mere accident.' He thought with a smile. The portly man that had been his mark that day had lost more than a few pounds.
Silent as a mouse, he would quickly move away from the scene of the crime by jumping off the ledge and grabbing onto a stray rope. This one having nothing attached to it. He would begin to ascend the rope, one hand over the other in a slow and deliberate manner. Memories of him scaling the vines of an old building came to mind. The owner of it thought it looked nice, which Ghost very much agreed with. It was also particularly convenient. No real guard was placed to watch that wall, and it was almost like being given the keys to the place. He would ascend to one of the small broken section of this wall and find a dagger there. Picking it up, he would look into the interior of the tower and spot his next target. A person nearby the bed, perhaps about to read or do some other thing in the privacy of their own home. Silently and swiftly the knife flew and embedded itself in the dummy's head as it would slouch over. Ghost would smile as the man with the vine to his open window met a similar fate.
Looking for his next target, he spotted a group spread around a table that had a pair of swords on it. Whether for gambling, evening meal, or just for a chat it was about to get an interruption. Ghost would grab onto a nearby rope, pull it back as he stepped as far back as he could, then took a jump with it in hand. He would find himself descending quite a bit before the rope began to raise him to his targets; letting go at the last moment as he landed upon the table. Quickly reacting, his foot would kick up one of the swords as he buried it in the chest of one guard. He would then quickly drop off the side of the table while grabbing the other sword and bringing it into an upward slash for the other dummy to knock it down, the slice going for his neck. The next guard beside the one he just 'killed' he would kick away in order to plunge this sword into the last seated guard 'chest'. Not sparing a moment he would be upon the guard he kicked away by jumping on him and knocking him to the floor, hands quickly going on his neck. He held it long enough till he would have suffocated before letting go. His breathing had gone a bit faster to compensate for how much he just did, a small smile on his face. His heartbeat was racing in excitement. He loved it when the odds were 'against' him; they always had the most surprised looks on their faces.
Ghost would move to slowly ascend the steps to the 'second floor' of his abode, eyes looking around. There were no obvious marks at this point. However, his vision soon focused on the lines of rope from the ceiling that had small bottle and other objects attached. And a familiar crossbow laying on a nearby table. Silently picking it up, he would aim for the first target and take his time for it. The first shot would be one when he had concealment, and would not have to worry about speed. He aimed till the count of five, held his breath, and fired. It made a small sound before the the sound of the bottle shattering drowned it out. Quickly he would load, aim, and fire; now going for much faster shots in the case of multiple enemies going for him. He would miss a few as he fired, not having perfect aim, but in general each time it was shot a target was hit; the sound of glass braking, of metal being hit, of the bolt settling into a piece of wood could only be heard in the upper levels of this clock tower. The mental image of the time he had to hold off someone's personal guard with his crossbow until he could make an escape came to his mind. He kept firing until each and every target was at the bottom of the tower or had a bolt through it. Placing his hand on his hip and crossbow onto the table, he would smile softly. 'I need to compensate better but... all in all a good session.' He silently judged himself. He would need to do better in the future, but this was good for this session.
✘ Post count: 10
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Out Of Chances:
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Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:54 pm
✘ The Assassin
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Training now complete, Ghost would take the time to carefully clean up and hide the evidence of his training. He would salvage what he could of the "targets" and the bolts he used, and whatever was not able to be reused was placed into a large black bag to be later disposed. He did not need anyone getting more curious than many already were of the clock tower. He was not in the mood for killing currently, nor were they anyone he had an obligation to rid from the world. So he needed to make sure he would cover his tracks in the interim. 'And if I ever have guests I want this place to be presentable.' He thought to himself with a slight chuckle. It took him a little bit of time to do so, as it did involve ascending and descending the tower, but he did finish it without notice or real fear of it taking his entire evening. Satisfied that his task was done, he would look over his small area. He had already crafted all the gear he would need for now, doing more would be wasting resources, so he did not need to spend the rest of his time at his work bench. It was also too early for him to head to bed, he was a bit of a night owl in that regards. So that left him with just time to spend as he pleased... shrugging, he would walk over to one of the small openings in the wall on the top level of the clock tower and just look out of it. He could see the moon and the starry night sky, the few people out so late and scurrying the streets, and the city below him outlined in a slight glow from streetlights. It was an enjoyable sight to be so high and get a look across the entire city. Smiling softly to himself, he would rest against the wall and just let his eyes wander to take in everything. The night sky in particular held his interest, though it did occasionally travel to the city below. Outlying paths and routes he could take, updating his own mental map of the city, showing the cruelty and empathy of human nature. Both held his interest, if for different reasons.
✘ Post count: 11
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Out Of Chances:
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Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 2:23 pm
New day, after events of Assassination and Ryth's emporium. During the first wave of Atlas.
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Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2021 3:13 pm
 tab ◞ SEMBLANCE❜ The Assassin
tab ◞ Studied Target❜ 0/5
tab ◞ POST COUNT❜ 103
Ghost has gone off with a small shopping list, having some time to himself before the next phase of plans were to commence. Through his missions and fights here, he had found some of his gear wanting and that was not going to stand. He needed to keep to the cutting edge in order to complete his goal and survive. While his trip to Ryth's emporium a while ago had been fruitful, he had spent much of the time just theorizing how to go about this with a few failed experiments. He just needed some more time and material before he could pull off what he wanted. He already had the material for smoke bombs, he just needed to work out the kinks in the design. His other main goal was to improve his vambrace. A crossbow, while a good weapon, was large and slow to fire. He often could only get a shot or two off before he needed to cast it aside for speed and maneuverability. Much as he liked it, it was inconvenient as it currently was for assassinations. As such, he needed a small design. Once that he could perhaps attach to his vambrace; and potentially expand on that as well. With those thoughts in mind, he would peruse the shops of Phoxuria looking for adequate material.
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It would be late in the eve when Ghost returned to his clock tower, a couple bags of supplies in hand as he set them out on his workbench. On the way up, he had made sure to check his traps and ensure none had been triggered or disarmed. It never hurt to be paranoid. After setting down his new acquisitions, Ghost would bring the necessary models and equipment. He had three goals for the eve, or the week if it took that long, and he was eager to get a head start on it. His first goal was to improve his smoke bombs. They proved invaluable, but they did not have much in the way of staying power. As such, he tinkered with the smoke mechanism and the way it was implemented. As it stood, it more functioned to unleash a sudden burst of smoke. He needed the mechanism to have a more steady, and larger, supply of smoke when it was set off. The cover of smoke was perfect for escape or attack, especially when he was often outnumbered. If he could get it to last longer and increase its range, it would greatly aid him on acquiring his marks. 'Now, how to go about this...' he wondered to himself as he popped open one of his own and began tinkering with the mechanism.
The next piece of gear he wanted to modify was his newly acquired aura blade that was a mere pommel when un-activated. Useful to slip in and out, along with stashing it on his person, but he wanted to improve on it. He had heard of devices that were keyed to someone's aura, so they were only activated by that person. And that they could be activated at a distance. If he were ever caught by someone competent, he doubted they would be dumb enough to leave anything on him besides his clothes. However, he also doubted many would realize what the pommel actually was; especially if its activation was keyed just to him. If he could manage a remote aura connection...it could prove even more advantageous for him should he be disarmed. Aura though was something he was less familiar with...He had consulted Zaffre and his resources so he had some notes at least. 'Lets open it here and see what we can do...' he thought to himself silently as he searched for the aura conduit.
The final piece of gear he intended to modify was his vambrace. His goal with it was relatively simple; he wanted to attach a collapsible hand-crossbow to it. Having one there would make it infinitely more concealable, and further it would make it so he would always have it on his person unless he lost an arm. It would need to be on the top of his vambrace, given the positioning of the other components, and he would likely need to reload it by hand. He was unsure if it would work well on the sides of it, though it also posed another issue; how would he fit it with the grapple line occupying the same spot? 'The side would make it more awkward to fire from. Ideally, it would be at the top for the easiest reload and aim. But that would mean moving the grapple line...' he thought to himself. 'Or...' he thought as a smile came to his lips. Currently, he only had one vambrace. However, if he were to find the material and replicate it...he could perhaps have one vambrace with grapple line and the other with the collapsible hand-crossbow. It would allow him to keep mobility without penalty to accuracy, and vice versa. It would also mean both his hands would typically be armed even if he lost his other gear. It was a thought, but as to how feasible it was remained to be seen. Taking out the schematics for his original, he would get to work on either modifying his current one or perhaps creating a new version to split the qualities.
Out Of Chances: Time to work on new gear
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