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Post by Draco on Jan 27, 2010 3:20:05 GMT -5
<<Tabloid Town>>
Underdeep!Draco was easily making his way to the center of town. He didn't have to worry about turning to stone. It's only been a few minutes, but he was nearing the center of town. Hopping up a wall and onto the roof of a building he looks around. Determined to find Strife. He catches sight of a silhouette that fades away as fast as he could blink.
He hops across a couple more roof tops before stopping all together.
"Teh. It would be stupid to keep chasing him like this."
He looks over at the fleet ships and tornadoes for a moment or two, then looks around again.
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Post by Kiddo on Jan 27, 2010 7:53:34 GMT -5
Ninja Dojo
Kiddo stopped in her run only long enough to chase a rabbit. She won the hunt and after eating half of it, resumed her run. She HAD to reach the ninja dojo. It was easy to get in. Sure, the secret passageways were there and all, but Kiddo found that being able to leap like a cat and cling to the walls and roofs with her claws was much more exciting. It also gave her a clear view of what she had now dubbed in her mind as 'the gray'. The stuff was still spreading, consuming everything it touched. Or perhaps consuming was the wrong word. She lashed her tail. It was so hard to tell what it was... if it was from the Underdeep it might not be real. It might be transient. It could be transient - nightmares didn't last forever, did they? She bared her teeth. Enough speculation.
She slipped into what was her old room, her footsteps stirring up dust and debris left from her prolonged absence and the giant hole in the roof. Sitting on a stand was her straight-blade katana, however, and she took this in hand. It was recognizable. There was a pheonix etched into the blade itself. In a HQ of ninjas she wanted something to identify herself by, lest she get hit in the back with an arrow.
And that led her thoughts unwillingly to the mage. She didn't have much experience with magic... and that... it had turned her into a monster. The human restraint had been gone and only the pain had brought it back. The mage could rot. She wouldn't go back until daylight, when she had the advantage. Until then, she had some reading to do.
The records room had grown slightly since she'd last seen it, and was much fuller too. She skipped the records of the various missions the ninjas had run and went straight for a shelf in the corner, pulling a handful of heavy scrolls out. The finding and the sealing of the Underdeep. Out of one of these scrolls slipped a map. Kiddo unrolled it and after some thought, stood and held it up next to a modern map of the land.
It had grown. The land had grown significantly. There, the original gate, the one far too large to leave unsealed, sat beneath what was now labeled Tabloid Town, the heart of this world. Branching out from that were newer settlements. Kiddo narrowed her eyes. The gate had appeared in the underground layers of their largest settlement. But now there were multiple large settlements... and by the looks of it, the largest of those new ones had to be... Brassport.
She lay the scrolls on a table where they would be easily seen. She hadn't designed the seal for the gate and aside from lending her phoenix fire, really didn't know how it all worked. Hopefully someone else would.
One last thing. She slipped out, leaving the door open, and into the courtyard. A gong hung there. She took the hammer and struck it as hard as she could, three times, so that the noise echoed down the rocky hillsides and reverberated from stone to stone so that no one could pinpoint the source of the noise. But the ninjas would know. Then she slid to the ground. Death, rebirth, all that running... it had finally caught up with her. And before the gong ceased ringing Kiddo was sound asleep at its base, her katana half-unsheathed to show the phoenix on the blade.
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Post by Celestial on Jan 27, 2010 17:40:43 GMT -5
((Tabloid Town))
Celestial was wrong in her visions. The Underdeep was not yet inside the ships, only on the outside of both the damaged ship and the fleet of ships. There were no convenient cracks for it to sneak through and the environment inside was isolated from the outside. It would just have to make a way in.
More bits of the Underdeep landed on the damaged ship from Celestial's tornado. The wind whipped the parts into hooks and knives, turning it hard as stone. They dug into the hull, trying to create even the tiniest hole through which the thing could flow in and take over from the inside.
It took all of the Underdeep's effort to create even the tiniest crack at the weak point: the window edges. Taking the chance, it flowed in and dripped from the ceiling like crude oil. It accumulated on floor and while other parts of it struggled with the fleet of ships, the Underdeep on this ship went for the nearest technician, gripping him and filling his mind with nightmares.
((Same Ship))
The Author suddenly became away of Plot happening right on the ship she was on. Turning on the screen, she coughed to attract attention.
"I think you better let me drive now. There's something here which is going to increase air crashes unless you act quickly."
((Mage Manor))
Celestial was aware of them coming. Or rather, the Underdeep inhabiting her mind was. It broke the connection and let the parts of it on the ships act on their own. They would break through, no problem.
As for itself, the Underdeep used Celestial's thick hair for cover and slithered down her neck and hid as usual in her robes just before the mage leapt on her. She cried out suddenly as she was thrown to the ground. A man from Brassport was also there with his sword. Celestial looked up at both of them, her eyes terrified like a wild animal's.
"What are you doing?!" she cried out, tyring to get away from them both.
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Post by Huntress on Jan 27, 2010 20:52:27 GMT -5
((Spacefleet HQ))
It'd been a short flight. Much too short, actually, for someone who could really use some sleep. As it was, Hunty had handed her weapons away, played the diplomacy card, gotten a free cup of coffee as a result and was now standing by a large window near the customs, sipping that coffee, rattling her nails on the glass and watching the planet above her. From the moon, it looked like black marble. The ooze didn't seem to be moving fast, but there were so many entrances that the planet was still being covered rapidly.
"Know what I don't like?" Bloody Mary asked. He was still hanging on her shoulder, seeing how meepits didn't generally fall under weapons, a gross oversight in policies Hunty had never felt like pointing out.
"That you had to go through yet another space-flight, something that always makes you sick, that custom workers have no respect for meepits and that we're now stuck in airless void filled with thousands of borderline panicky people and entirely dependent on machinery?"
"That too, yes, thank you for reminding," the meepit said wryly. "But also the fact that we're in way over our heads. You keep talking about having to fix this, but I think I have news for you: it's too big. Too powerful. We have no business in this. All we can plausibly do now is sit here and wait until someone else finds a way to zap the Underdeep back to normal."
Hunty had shut one eye and fitted the looming NTWF between her thumb and index finger. She was still looking thoughtful.
"Give me a big enough lever and a place to rest it on and I can move the world," she said.
"Yeah, it's always the technicals that end up hindering the great big plans, isn't it?" the meepit said grimly.
The captain smiled. It wasn't a particularly nice smile. "Yes, but being in a place like this, I'd say we have a good head start." She turned to look at her crew. "Alright, gentlemen, I'm going to need a whole lot of eyes and ears in as many places as possible. Try not to get in any kind of trouble I won't be able to talk you out of, listen to what people are saying, make connections, I know you're good at that. We want to get to the bottom of all this and find out what's been happening worldwide and right now this place is like a harbor tavern times thousand. And you know what they say, one night in a tavern can give you more than one year of newspapers."
"One year of newspapers certainly won't get you drunk," Bloody Mary said. "What about you?"
"I'll do the same," Hunty said with grim determination. "And see if I can track Merpo down while I'm at it."
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Post by Nasuella on Jan 27, 2010 22:26:19 GMT -5
By the end of this post: two dragons travelling to Mage Manor, and a familiar clearing.
Somewhere in another dimension, a villain smiled.
--
Kwoiffei's clearing OF DOOM
It had been hours since the shapeshifter left the clearing. All that remained were dozens of corpses, and each of a person who had taken their own life after learning the truth about the fate of the world: It would be destroyed. Magic would be useless, Spacefleet could do nothing, and not even the Underdeep would remain. The legions were all-powerful.
Those unfortunates hadn't thought of what might happen to their souls.
One by one, in the order that they had died, the corpses began to rise.
--
The creek OF DOOM
(It's okay, Ikkin. We had to get that little "fix Sev" thing over and done with somehow.)
Kovaran's mouth fell open. Sev had confirmed that he was indeed a firebird... only to return from the dead, something which firebirds could not do. For a moment he forgot that the flash of heat had burned him and his clothes; even then, looking at him carefully would show that the burns seemed to be fading (even in the clothes).
The appearance of another bird - this one completely black in colour - had alarmed him further. He'd dropped the ashes of Sev and begun climbing back up into the forest before realising what was happening. So, forgive him if he seemed a bit confused.
The lizard's mind snapped back into the present time. Sev had flown towards him, telling him to grab on. I'll take you to Mage Manor, he said. He looked down at the growing blackness and dark bird, then back at the bright and colourful firebir-- Sev, who had now flown over to him, claws out.
There wasn't much time.
But how would Sev get him to safety? He was just a small bird, and Kovaran was large and heavy, not counting the massive sword he carried on his back. No bird he knew would be strong enough to carry someone like him.
If Sev wasn't a firebird, then perhaps reviving himself was not the only thing he could do that firebirds could not.
Should Kovaran trust him?
After hesitating for a moment, the big lizard reached out and gently grabbed the phoenix.
--
Tabloid Town OF DOOM
The staff of The River Tigris had gotten the notice to evacuate. So, after packing their belongings and tightly locking the building to make sure that no-one could get inside, they headed over to where the ships were.
Well, most of them. Along the way, D-Man (who had few possessions to his name) had been approached by what he first thought was a mounted watchmen. Turning around to look, he saw, to his surprise, that it was just a horse.
A horse that could speak, and whose name was Cop-Out.
Cop-Out told D-Man that the latter was needed at Mage Manor for... some reason. But he couldn't be there too long; Cop-Out's sister, Lazy Writer, had mentioned that the Manor wasn't very safe, and that D-Man would be needed elsewhere, anyway.
The dragon found this unnerving. Nonetheless, after some convincing, he reluctantly agreed to go to Mage Manor.
As Cop-Out galloped out of Tabloid Town, somehow sailing over the ooze as if it weren't there, D-Man reached into his backpack and pulled out his newest belonging: a green scarf. He wrapped it around his neck, all while unanswered questions were dancing in his mind.
Why Mage Manor? Why was he needed there? Cop-Out and Lazy Writer clearly knew things that he didn't; what were they?
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Post by Zylaa on Jan 28, 2010 13:46:05 GMT -5
((Spacefleet)) "Alright, gentlemen, I'm going to need a whole lot of eyes and ears in as many places as possible. Try not to get in any kind of trouble I won't be able to talk you out of, listen to what people are saying, make connections, I know you're good at that. We want to get to the bottom of all this and find out what's been happening worldwide and right now this place is like a harbor tavern times thousand. And you know what they say, one night in a tavern can give you more than one year of newspapers."
"Cap'n, it seems fairly obvious what's happening worldwide. The planet's turning into high-grade stone thanks to their crazy ex-commander and the Underdeep gone wild," Zylaa said. Normally she wouldn't be so snappish, but... well, to say that it had been a long day would be the understatement of the century. "Sorry cap'n, but seems to me like the only people who know why the Underdeep is possessing people would be the ones possessed, and Merpo, and they're not about to talk. But I'll be happy to find myself a drink, in the interest of research."
Zylaa didn't even bother to ask the weasels. Ever since they'd arrived, they were staring at the walls, delicate instruments, stars, etc. with rapt fascination. They weren't even playing any instruments, although a few had played "Thus Spake Zarathustra" as Spacefleet came into view.
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Post by Strife on Jan 29, 2010 0:34:36 GMT -5
((Tabloid Town - Spacefleet Evacuation Area))
With Spacefleet's evacuation procedures fully underway, Haggoth had finally made his way to the surface with the rest of the combat-trained subcommanders.
Standing just outside his dropship with a triple-barreled shotgun, the hog man observed the surrounding area of Tabloid Town. It was getting darker by the minute, with buildings in the distance transforming into dark stone as if a massive shadow was crawling over them, one by one.
He was even more surprised, though, when he saw a group of massive rock spires emerge from above the building tops near the center of town.
((Tabloid Town - City Hall))
Strife stood in front of the gates of the city hall - the heart of Tabloid Town. Every building in the surrounding area was now petrified, and he deemed this a perfect place to build a base of operations.
With the same look of concentration on his face as when he first crafted his sword, he made the ground beneath the city hall rise upwards, along with a series of sharper rock spires circling around it. He would take over the city hall directly, but first, he wanted to elevate it so that anyone on the continent, no matter how far away, would see his new creation - a true testament to the strength and power the Underdeep had rewarded him with.
In a single instant, I have given you what you have always wished for... What you have bled for since the beginning. Continue to service me, and I will ensure that you keep it.
The words of the Underdeep echoed through his head as his new tower slowly rose towards infinity. There was no telling when he would make it stop rising, and it simply kept growing taller and taller, pushing the city hall closer to the clouds above.
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Post by Draco on Jan 29, 2010 0:56:30 GMT -5
<<Sky Over Brassport>>
The ship was now flying over a petrified part of the city. It slowly floated over the silent city casting it's shadow on it, which only made it look colder then it was before.
Lina sat in her chair and calls for someone to come closer to her. "Search the ship, see if anyone has seen Mr. Maxwell's ship today. That could give us a lead on where to go."
The man nods his head and walks out.
The city remained quiet for the time Lina waited for a response to her search for boss. The crew on the bridge stare at the city. Every now and then they could see people frozen in time while they tried to run, and other times they see people on the roof tops who once tried to wave for help.
The minutes went by slowly, but soon enough the man came walking back onto the bridge. "We found three people who might be of help. One recognized the airship, and commented that it flew in the direction of the main gates. The second saw Maxwell fly out of the shop in the same direction. The third says she saw a strange bike leave the shop, also in the same direction."
Lina sighs, "The third one must have seen that strange man I let go up into Mr. Maxwell's shop. Either way, they all go to the same direction. Pilot us to the main gate and onward." Sighing again, "I wish Lady Sarinon was here to command... Or someone more experienced, this is tiring."
<<Between Tabloid Town and Mage Manor>>
The Phantom Merc continues to drive down the country side. Every now and then it is forced to change course a little to avoid the petrifying ooze. After a short while the outline of Mage Manor began to be seen.
"So, if anyone wants off, now is the time to say so. Otherwise I pass it. I'm interested in these mages, but that will have to wait."
<<Tabloid Town>> Draco continued to leap from building top to building top until he reaches the center of town. That is when he see's the rock spires, and Strife, his target. A smirk spreads across his smile as he rushes towards pillar and up it. He runs full speed up the wall, using his inner power to keep himself planted to the wall as if it was the ground. After a short amount of time, and a lot of climbing, he reaches the top. He gives one last burst of power and rockets above the ridge and over Strife. It appears as if he is about to attack Strife, but instead lands and kneels at his feet with his head lowered.
"Commander Strife. I am here to serve you."
He raises his head to look up at Strife.
"But I do warn you, if I ever see you in a weakened stage. I will not hesitate to strike you down."
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Post by Huntress on Jan 29, 2010 19:00:41 GMT -5
((Fleet HQ))
"Cap'n, it seems fairly obvious what's happening worldwide. The planet's turning into high-grade stone thanks to their crazy ex-commander and the Underdeep gone wild. Sorry cap'n, but seems to me like the only people who know why the Underdeep is possessing people would be the ones possessed, and Merpo, and they're not about to talk. But I'll be happy to find myself a drink, in the interest of research."
Hunty focused on her cup of coffee with all the curious thoughtfulness of someone weighing all the pros and cons of finding out what'd happen if the contents of the cup were to be poured over a weasel-girl. She settled for another sip.
"Yes, thank you for that recap," she said, her voice heavy with lack of sleep. "Since you're on this, are you by any chance able to tell me why this started in the first place? The Underdeep was showing signs of expansion and increased hostility two days before we reached Tabloid Town, if you remember. Something's been causing it, and we have to know what started it all if we're to find a way to end it all." She took another sip. "'Course, I don't know what we're looking for. If I did, this'd be easy. But if there's any place in this world where answers can be found, it's here. And I know that you guys are good at sniffing things out. Don't fail me today. Oh, and shore leave rules apply. As in, if you're unable to walk straight by the time I need you present again, you'll be introduced to the Weewoo's keel from below, and I daresay it's made of stone by now."
"Um, miss, does that apply to us as well?" a voice asked. Hunty turned her head. It was Rane's rather small-ish and also rather unhappy-looking crew.
"Come again?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, the Cap'n just went off on his own and said that while he's gone, we should listen to what you say cos you know what you're doing," said a guy that Hunty vaguely remembered as Rane's boatswain. She bit her lip.
"Wish I did," she said grimly. "Why'd he run off like that all of a sudden?"
***
Rane was striding down a hallway that looked like any other Fleet hallway and was filled to the brim with people. With his red hat and coat, he stood out, but he presumed that everyone was currently far too preoccupied with other problems. He could barely see where he was going, partly because he was busy arguing and partly because he didn't know where he was headed.
Are you sure we should be doing this? he thought.
Interesting way of posing a question, TMC said, scanning the nearby areas and cursing at the huge number of people that got in the way of his senses. If you mean whether their rules allow you to do this, probably not. If you mean whether it should get done, well, you do want to get rid of me, dontcha?
Well, you've been sortof useful...
Yes, but you've been forcing yourself not to think of your wife for nearly half a year now because you're afraid that I might catch a thought I shouldn't catch. Not that I'd really care, TMC added with just a hint of contempt.
Rane froze on spot. Kienne! I don't even know if she's all right!
Assume that she is, TMC said cheerfully. You don't know for sure so it's just as good as assuming that she isn't, but will make you feel better. Now move it, it's not far.
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Post by The Horsemen on Jan 29, 2010 20:53:10 GMT -5
It was a beach house. A light yellow beach house. It sat there in the middle of the grim, dull, shadow-filled world of the Underdeep, grey coils occasionally curling up to lick the staircase and the walls. It was probably the only speck of color within thousands of miles. "See, I work in the Underdeep like half of the time," Famine explained, prancing up the stairs. "It's like, mostly hunger, right, and operates on human fears, and it's totally the size of the whole planet, so a pretty big gig. So I figured, hey, might as well get comfy while I'm down here- no, bad boy! Bad!" Her horse turned his head away from the railing of the balcony he'd attempted to chew on. Famine glared at him. "Alright, so come on in," she said cheerily. "Margaritas, anyone? We totally have to toast Pestilence's return to duty." The house looked a lot more roomy on the inside - the Horsemen tended to have difficulties getting dimensions to match inside and outside closed spaces - and was filled with light. Azure blue sky and a shimmering ocean showed from all windows, all of which were open, letting in a soft summer breeze. "Really, don't mind me," Pestilence said dismissively. He was, as of now, an official Horseman of the Apocalypse, which meant that he'd handed in the contract, was kindly suggested to change his appearance into something a little more pestilence-worthy, to which he'd kindly suggested the suggester to shove it where the sun don't shine, given him tuberculosis on top of that, and was now still wearing his grubby tavern-apron. The other Horsemen didn't care, because they knew well what was under the surface. "Where do you keep your workspace?" Famine pointed at a coffee table. It consisted of a large glass plate that was resting on an equally large ball in silver framing. White coils and dark blue ripples moved gently across the surface of the ball. It was a perfect replica of the planet NTWF. The Horsemen stared. "You're using it as a table?" War asked. "Well, it looks totally lovely in the interior," said Famine, flicking her fingers. The planet model rose up through the framing and the glass plate, remaining hovering above the table. "Didn't really have anyplace else to put it, it would've like clashed something horrible. So, this is it. This," she touched the surface of the sphere and a layer faded away, revealing an uneven mass of grey and black underneath, "is the Underdeep." All four of them bowed closer to have a scrutinizing look at the writhing grey world beneath them. It was a 1:1 realtime replica - the fact that there might be something wrong with applying something like that on a ball with a diameter of two feet doesn't really cross the mind of a Horseman - so everything was clear as day. But at the same time still very confusing. ((Because some scenes just have to be illustrated.)) "So it's thicker at parts and thinner at other parts and constantly in motion," said War, poking the Underdeep. "But that's what it always does. Something's been just causing it to swell up. Like beer. You can get it to froth and spill over the edge when you're not careful but that doesn't mean that you'll get any more beer that way." IT'S BEEN STIRRED UP, Death said, poking a bony finger into the Underdeep as well. "It's usually totally hard to do," said Famine, eyeing the planet critically, "but I think this's been done by many things at the same time. But what? And like, why now?" "Biggest concentration is here," Pestilence said, pointing at Tabloid Town, "and breaking out, but the openings are, lemme see, yeah, here." The planet got covered by tiny yellow dots. THE HUMAN-UNDERDEEP LAYER. Death would've raised an eyebrow if he'd had any. MY MODEL DOESN'T EVEN HAVE THAT. "Got it upgraded cos of the job," Famine grunted. "Hella expensive. Anyway, look at here and here. And here." They looked and saw Merpo's generator. And Strife. And Ikkin. And Celestial. CHAIN REACTION, said Death, in just the kind of doom-spelling voice that was necessary for the occasion. IT WAS STARTED BY THIS SCIENTIST, AND BEFORE IT COULD STRAIGHTEN ITSELF OUT AGAIN, THE SCALES WERE TIPPED FURTHER. War had focused on another spot near the Tabloid Town area. His eyes had narrowed into slits. "Look here," he said sharply. "There are even more factors." They looked, and looked some more. There were multiple dimensions at work here. Dimensions that hadn't even existed on the planet before. "Now look here," Pestilence said all of a sudden, touching the sphere again. The human layer showed up. The widening Underdeep was covering all but a few patches here and there. And as for mankind... There was silence. IT'S THE APOCALYPSE, Death finally said, seeing that nobody else was saying anything. "See, it always sounds best when you say it," War said happily. "Guess we'd better ride out."
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Post by Strife on Jan 30, 2010 3:31:15 GMT -5
((Tabloid Town))
The enormous rock spire where the City Hall rested had finally come to a stop. It was tall enough to dip into the cloudy sky, making the top of the spire very foggy and difficult for normal eyes to see.
Just as Strife released his psionic grip on the spire, letting it come to rest in the clouds, a shadowey figure emerged from the distance. He dashed over and stopped directly in front of the Underdeep-possessed ex-Commander, and for a moment, he prepared to attack. Suddenly and surprisingly, the figure, which he now recognized as Draco, dropped to his knees and lowered his head in submission.
"Commander Strife. I am here to serve you," he said. He then raised his head, looking at Strife directly in the eyes. "But I do warn you, if I ever see you in a weakened stage. I will not hesitate to strike you down."
Strife paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
He is speaking truthfully. He has become my newest extension.
Strife lifted his sword in front of him, planted its tip into the rocky soil, and placed his hands casually on the hilt.
"I sense that the Underdeep has given you strength. In that case, I will not hesitate to do the same in return." He smirked rather unpleasantly. "If your newfound intentions are pure, then follow me."
Strife pulled his sword out of the ground, rested it on his shoulder, and began marching towards the entrance of the city hall in the center of his stone tower.
((Draco, i'm going to assume that your character follows Strife. If for some reason he doesn't, though, I can save the remainder of my post for when he does. xD))
((City Hall at the Top of the World))
The spacious entryway of Tabloid Town's city wall was filled with the echoes of Strife's heavy footsteps. Every surface, every piece of furniture, and every person inside had been transformed into glistening black rock. The people in the building appeared as though they was suspended in time forever, capturing the frightening detail of their single greatest moment of panic, like an army of screaming statues.
Strife's distorted figure reflected off the various surfaces as he continued towards the center of the lobby area, using his psionic energy to push aside anyone who was frozen in his path. While he did so, he began speaking to Draco.
"I have seen the face of things to come," he began, his voice echoing infinitely into the deep abyss of the shadowey stone walls. "A great cleansing is about to begin. The chaotic civilization that exists today will be eradicated... and when the ooze fades and the dust settles, this planet will be born anew."
Strife stopped at the center of a large staircase. He turned around.
"Of course, I am sure that the Underdeep has already explained this to you... so I will proceed with your assignment - Your test of unflinching loyality to the cleansing."
He lifted his free hand, the palm facing the ground. A glob of ooze seeped out of the staircase underneath him and hovered just below his hand. It split itself in two, and each piece of the floating goo began to form into a distinct shape. The first piece formed a shape that strongly resembled Mage Manor and its surrounding landscape, while the second piece formed the NTWF's primary moon, where Spacefleet HQ was located.
"As of now, these are the only two locations unaffected by the cleansing. Every soul on the continent will be fleeing to them. While they are similar in many aspects, they are also quite different from one another. It is the differences that will eventually drive them apart."
Strife clenched his fist, causing the goo models to splatter like water balloons.
"Go to Mage Manor. Let them believe that the Underdeep does not possess you, and convince them that Spacefleet is the source of their problems. Given my past relationship with Spacefleet, and their current declaration of martial law, it should not be difficult. In the meantime, I will convince Spacefleet that the Mages were responsible for my original release from the Underdeep and my current uprising."
He paused for a moment. "It is my hope that these two groups will destroy themselves... because if they don't, what I do to them will be far worse than anything they could ever imagine."
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Post by Ian Wolf-Park on Jan 30, 2010 17:36:28 GMT -5
Mage Manor "What are you doing?!" the dragon mage cried out.
Lupehunter grabbed her by her collar and held her close to his face. He hated being rough on people, but sometimes he felt it was necessary.
"You know, you were dragged into the Underdeep, but somehow, you come out of there looking perfectly normal, which really makes me suspicious because surely you must have been affected by it in some way," he growled. "If what you said about you being free from the Underdeep's wrath is true, then you wouldn't mind helping us figure out where the source of this ooze is coming from."
He then released her, but not before secretly placing a spell on the dragon mage which allowed him to track her movements.
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Post by Celestial on Jan 30, 2010 18:12:46 GMT -5
((Mage Manor))
Celestial was held up by Lupehunter, something she personally didn't like. In truth, if she wanted to she could have easily gotten out of his grasp. But for now, she needed to cultivate the image of the helpless victim.
"You know, you were dragged into the Underdeep, but somehow, you come out of there looking perfectly normal, which really makes me suspicious because surely you must have been affected by it in some way, if what you said about you being free from the Underdeep's wrath is true, then you wouldn't mind helping us figure out where the source of this ooze is coming from." he said to her and put her down. Celestial smiled weakly, smoothing her robes out.
"While it was true I was posessed by it, it jumped ship as soon as it found somebody better: the man who is now generating the ooze. I think he's trying to start a war," she said. "However, I can help you. If you allow me to, that is,"
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Post by Rider on Jan 30, 2010 18:38:25 GMT -5
[glow=red,2,300]Queen Kienne's Castle[/glow]
"Your majesty!" Kite burst into the queen's bedchambers, nearly knocking over a precariously-balanced dress-dummy with a half-made gown on it.
The queen shot him a look that could tear holes in walls. The dummy cowered in shame. "You are to knock before entering my chambers, Kite."
Kite kept his voice low and urgent. "Your Majesty, we have a situation."
"Yes, I've been watching it from the window for a long time now."
Kite shook his head, wondering how his queen could be so calm in these circumstances. "Your Majesty, we need to evacuate. The Spacefleet is waiting outside to take people up to their Moon-base."
"Then get as many of my people as possible on that shuttle," Kienne said.
"Your Majesty, you must accompany them."
"I will not leave until I see white sails on that horizon."
Cautiously, Kite approached his queen. He wondered for a moment whether it was proper to sit on his queen's bed. "Your Majesty, your people need you."
"They will have the leaders of the Spacefleet. And moreover, they will have you."
Did Kienne just appoint him king? Regent at least. Only years of stoicism as an assassin kept Kite from freaking out. This was what he had wanted all along, wasn't it? To become king?
... Only if Kienne could be his queen. He would not rule unless it was by the side of this magnificent woman.
Screw the rules. Kite sat on the bed and took his queen's hand. Time to use the one card he was unwilling to use. "Milady.... Kienne... think of the child. Please."
Kite was begging. Inside, the baby kicked.
"I'm coming."
The shuttle took off and from the window, Kienne watched as her gray, proud castle was enveloped in a foul blackness. Her cheeks shone with silent tears.
[glow=red,2,300]Spacefleet[/glow]
Kienne felt lost in this maze. She felt lost in general. Directionless. Friendless. Set adrift. The way she had felt when her first husband died.
Rane... he probably hadn't made it. Kienne knew that Kite was already considering her a widow again. The way he looked at her sometimes... Kienne trusted her head assassin with her life, but he was keeping a secret from her. Not a state secret, but a personal secret. The sort that could do more damage than anything.
A flash of red out of the corner of her eye.
As if on instinct, Kienne followed it. It bobbed and weaved through the crowd like a fish in a school. Kienne pushed and shoved and did all sorts of unqueenly things to try to catch up.
Her hand closed around his coat. "Rane!"
[glow=red,2,300]Also Spacefleet[/glow]
Search for info. Rider could do that. She already had a source. while it wasn't Rider's usual method of gathering intel, it seemed the best lead at the moment. Despite the fact that it didn't involve alcohol. Lexandr's book.
She flipped to a random page again. "The Relationship Between The Underdeep and People."
"The longer the Underdeep is exposed to the wild complexities of the emotions of sentient beings, the more it changes. It feeds off of fear, but also studies it. As the years go by, it becomes more and more intelligent. While my own observations have concluded that it will never form a consciousness of its own, others in my field have said that it is possible. It would take a cataclysmic event, such as a storm that kills hundreds or a rift in worlds that's the size of a large city."
Rider paused a moment. What had Gil said? That he wasn't from around here... The extra Underdeep entrances opening could be seen as a storm as well. They had certainly caused enough fear.
"As the Underdeep becomes more intelligent, it begins to take on more human characteristics. It feels pain. It understands the nuances in our fears. No longer does it just spew out monsters and vermin, but it shows an understanding of more subtle fears, like abandonment and betrayal."
... That sounded familiar too...
"My colleagues theorize that as it understands humans more, it becomes more human. This may mean that someday it may show human weaknesses as well as human strengths. It may even take a human form, or some arbitrary form that humans assign to it."
Was he referring to the fact that the Underdeep possessed Cele, Rikku and Strife? That didn't sound right. He was referring to something more complex than that. Perhaps it was like the Horsemen. They looked the way they looked because humans had made them that way. How else could a skeleton talk?
... The Horsemen can be defeated. Rider had seen it happen.
She bolted back to the captain's side. "Hunty, Hunty, you need to tell Fraze. The reason the Underdeep... please understand what I mean when I say... it;s becoming human!"
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Post by Draco on Jan 30, 2010 21:30:54 GMT -5
<<You've heard of Trump Tower? Well here's STRIFE TOWER>>
Draco stands, poking a statue with a kunai, listening to Strife talk. He turns his attention to Strife when the models splatter.
"Mages VS the Fleet? That could be interesting. Hiding the fact I'm not working for you shouldn't be to hard," he taps his sunglasses, "However I am wondering something. One of the men with me, Gil Maxwell, he mentioned he was from a place called Brassport. From what I can understand, they have air technology, and know how to use it. Do you have anything planned for them?"
He stares at the splatters for a few moments thinking. "Also, is there a way I can get to Mage Manor quickly? Even running at my best with my added power will take a while. If only Gil was here to create a vehic..." A twisted smile spreads across his face, "Perhaps I can hijack one of those Fleet ships on the docks."
<<Phantom Merc>>
The shape of Mage Manor begins to be see from the rocketing vehicle.
"This is the last call. If anyone wants out here, I'll stop."
As they draw closer to the manor no one says anything, Gil is about to drive swerve to keep their distance a little, their remaining ninja taps his shoulder.
"Sir, you may want to look at this." The nameless ninja points at the sky.
"What is it?" Gil turns his head to follow the pointed finger.
In the sky, some of the clouds above Mage Manor began to split. A large dark silhouette began to float over the home of the mages.
Gil shakes his head, "We're stopping at Mage Manor." He swerves the 'PM' in the direction of the manor. "Either someone hijacked the ship, which I'm hoping, or this is plan 'In Case I (Gil Maxwell) Am Missing, People Are Screaming In Panic, And You Need To Escape And Possibly Save People Plan.' Which I'm really hoping it isn't."
<<Nameless Ship>>
The ship hasn't been flying for a long time, but the speed of the ship in the air made things move fast. The large weaponless battleship passes through some clouds, revealing a large building under them.
"It would see we have found some signs of life."
Lina nods her head. "Anything about Mr. Maxwell being around or been here?"
The man who reported to her shakes his head. "No, nothing yet. Wait. I think I see something."
A small moving object moves in the direction of Mage Manor, with a white sheet on top of it.
<<The Ground - Phantom Merc>>
Gil continues to drive towards the purple building, staring at the sky as he does so. The ninja co-pilot missing. He instead is on the roof, holding onto a sheet.
"This is still safer then being with master Draco..."
Soon the vehicle is close enough to the manor, and Gil bangs the ceiling of the ride. He hits the breaks, swerving to the side a little, stopping in front of the manor.
The ninja on top managing to keep himself from falling, sits down.
<<The Nameless Ship>>
Lina stares down at the moving white object.
"I think that is him. Slow down and bring the ship to a stop. Also lower us enough for the lifts to reach the ground. We are not stepping foot on the ground if we can help it."
The people on the bridge nod their heads and begin to do the orders.
Soon enough, the large battleship size airship hovers just a short distance from Mage Manor.971
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