((Once, a man - a child - wandered upon minecraftforums. He joined roleplay after roleplay, but never truly felt happy with his skills. He grew in his writing skills, he made friends, but then he disappeared. High school started. Time dashed by. And then, inspiration hit him.
It was time to return.
My apologies for the intro, and for my absence. I wish to apply to this as one of my first RPs of this high school life of mine. Obviously, I want to know if I can apply. But I have a question.
How hard would it be for me to create an acceptable Fallen Angel?
"Alright, this is the first stop." Daniel said. Brom got up from his resting position and entered the town. There werent as many people as Brom expected, but it still had a few people running shops and such. The ones that left probably were paranoid about Sinbad turned to ice. Brom couldnt blame them. An entire town turned to ice on a whim was a very intimidating feat. But Brom had made a promise and intended to keep it.
"Meet back here in an hour, ok?" Daniel told Brom, who nodded in reply. Brom looked around the town for any indication of Tobias being or having been there, as well as using a magic sonar to locate high amounts of magic. He sensed one, but he knew it wasnt powerful enough to be Tobias. Nevertheless, it was a unique magic, and Brom headed in its direction. Flying, of course.
He found it was a powerful man, closing up a shop of artifacts. One caught his eye. A pendant, with a black jewel engraved in the center. Brom could tell this pendant had some significance, as did most of the artifacts, but this one was different. Brom didnt know how to describe it. "Excuse me?" He said to the man. "What is the price of this pendant?" The man turned around.
He seemed to be an everyday normal man, but Brom knew better. This person was powerful enough to challenge Fallen Angels. He smirked, and took a good look at Brom. "That wand you have in your bag." Brom immediately denied the man. But then he wondered how he knew it was there. Perhaps this man knew a certain spell to find certain artifacts like that pendant. It wouldnt be to much of a stretch...
Brom took another look at the pendant. It captivated him. There was something about it... He almost needed that pendant. "...Is there anything i can do? Perhaps you'd like this staff instead?" Brom then gasped- he spoke too fast. He needed his staff to cast spells, and he wasnt skilled enough to use Zicka's wand. The man seemed to know this as soon as Brom gasped. He laughed a small bit.
"If you help me finish packing, and give me the staff, then you can have it." Brom considered this. He was very much tempted to take the offer. The pendant was alluring, almost speaking to him, telling him to wear it. "Well?" The man asked. Brom then reluctantly began helping the man pack his artifacts. It was around thirty minutes later that Brom handed over his staff in exchange for the pendant.
Brom put it on- and was underwhelmed. There seemed to be no extraordinary properties of the pendant, at least yet, and now Brom had no way to defend himself. An enormous wave of guilt and embarrassment came over him. The man mustve seen this, because he told Brom, "Dont worry. You'll know what it can do when you need it." Brom then returned to Daniel.
"Where's your staff?" He asked. Brom shook his head a little. "Can you still defend us?" Brom shrugged in reply. "Sorry, but if you cant help then you cant come." Brom took a deep breath and began walking north. He needed to take a break from journeying, and time to figure out the pendant. He decided upon the place where Zicka used to teach him magic. Once Brom had exited the town, he began flying.
((I did not intend this post to be so long.... wow. Also, the pendant will have use. Later.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
The negotiator, Cronwell, chatted away on his phone for a while, frequently switching to a different language. It was quite an efficient way to throw off anybody attempting to listen in,such as myself. When he hung up, the agent looked at me with a grin. "That was a buddy of mine calling in to say that the documents you requested will be waiting for you in a secure warehouse in New Central." He explained. New Central was probably the name for the project of restoring the formerly glorious city to it's previous state. It didn't help that I had obliterated a bit less than half of it, but I wasn't on any official records regarding that entire occasion, so I was in the clear.
Suddenly, a single blink turned into being trapped behind my eyelids. No matter how much I pried, they wouldn't lift. You have forced me to choose between my pride and my people. A voice in the back of my head said, definitely that of my mother. You should never force your parent into such a corner. I was the one who supported you on your trip to Aer. Wasn't it odd that no major Gods intercepted your course or meddled in your scheme? Who do you think convinced A'thery to be still? I had chosen you as my Champion and you were given my full protection. Her words stung with every syllable. I didn't even think about what would happen if Dimitri or one of the other Gods who didn't really like me had decided to stand between me and my plans to kill Titaint. I will give you my eyes, but do not disappoint me again. Figure out who your enemy is: you've met him before. When I could see again, the world was completely different. Instead of just sight, I could see the energy flowing through the air, the fiery spirit that lived within Cronwell, everything Arcane. A little bit of willpower reverted my transformed eyes back to normal. The power that I was supposed to own so long ago but now residing in my body was purely exhilarating. Cronwell saw my excitement and gave a light smile.
"Congratulations, your gods have not forsaken you." I complimented. "Now, shall we begin this game?"
Whelp, that was unexpected. It seems Lupe has grown quite a bit since our last skirmish. Not to say he wasn't injured, but seriously!? It took me almost three minutes to re-attach my lower half, and a good thirty seconds after that were spent repairing the hole he had pierced through my liver.
I limped over to a bench that had survived our battle. Leaping a few feet, I vaulted over the enormous pile of debris separating me and my seat. I had battered Lupe through a building. I'll have to have a lengthy discussion with the local architects if their handiwork can't persevere through some simple pseudo-divine combat. I mean, don't they have standards?
I don't know how long I sat there. Minutes dissolved away as I laid there, panting heavily as I recovered my magic reserves. I haven't been that over-exerted since- well, I guess since the last time I fought my sibling. But even so, we were both fresh to our power, not to mention it was before our sealing. Now the power has increased exponentially, yet neither of us has killed and absorbed the other yet.
Finally, I leaned forward onto my feet. I still wasn't at my max, but I could run. Starting at a light pace, I quickly accelerated to a sprint as I headed towards Sinbad. As we had battled, the distinct voice of a maniac informed us that Sinbad had been frozen. The concept seemed preposterous, but if it was true, it spelled trouble for us all.
[Iris]
A smile graced my face. It wasn't forced, but might have come off a bit TOO motherly as I prepared today's lecture. When I wasn't commanding my reagent, I was teaching the most prestigious class, for the most advanced degree, at the most prestigious school. Most of the members of my reagent are my former students. That being said, I'm fairly certain most of my current students will be enlisting as well. Either way, this was where people leaped from Magus to members of the Arcanus. Even if they didn't join my reagent, they'd still be hailed as some of the most powerful user's of magic in the Country. All because of one degree.
It was only offered at one school. And this school only accepted you if you if you were the best of the best of the best of, you guessed it, the best. For example, one student was the top grade in the top class of seven classes, at a heavily competitive school. You had to be at least half a decade past your age group to even join THAT school, and to even think he managed to reach the top in just two years, then maintain it for another two years is a feat in itself.
If you didn't know, the school is called Sovren University. And the degree is known as an EMD, or Enlightened Mind Doctorate. It requires a Archmage's Degree in Thaumaturgy, Metallurgy, Alchemy, and Magical Theory. It also requires a few Master's on the side to cover Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, and Thermodynamics.
So yeah, if you didn't get it, I'm basically teaching the smartest kids in the country. Yeah, I'm awesome. I would continue stroking my own ego while narrating to nobody in particular, but it appears class has begun. The bell reverberated around the class, signaling the students to get in their seats.
"Sit straight, class. You are the pinnacle of education. Now, today we will be discussing the biological and historical aspects of ancient civilization. Today we will be extending past my time, into the distant past that blurs civilization and the vagabond lives of the ancient hunter-gatherers."
"Now, who can identify were we left off?" A tall blonde student's hand shot in the air. His oddly shaped ears twinged in anticipation, and I signaled him to respond. "We left off with the establishment of the boundaries dividing the Eldar, Dragons, Fae, and Giants." I complimented his memory before continuing. "That's correct. Now, let's delve in. Before the formation of actual nation's, the four races fought for dominance on the island-country."
"Now, let's go beyond that. The Eldar and Fae had divided from a common ancestor only about three millennia prior. This split was caused by Radioactive Fallout causing a substantial divergence between the original gene pool, leading to two distinct races. Fossil evidence indicates that this wasn't the first time such a mutation has occurred. It's believed about seven millennia before the Great Schism, a massive magical surge had caused a degeneracy of some kind, leading to the development of the Giants. From multiple millennia prior to this aberration, to the Great Schism, that this common ancestor would coexist with the Dragons in a domestic, yet equal relationship that had allowed both races' to coexist for quite a while."
"However, that won't be the primary topic of this lecture. The notes I gave you last week would have told you our discussion will be concerning the much older civilization that formerly inhabited the land known as Caelum. Before we continue on this heavily interesting discussion, I figure I'll tie the knot for you. The ancient common ancestor of the Giants, Fae, and Eldar, had been created by what appears to be incredibly servere exposure of magic. A nation of humans formerly tyrannized by dragons became their equals, and a peace treaty was signed the following decade. Now then, the wonders of the ancient Utopia of Caelum."
((I'm ending it there. I probably need Ninja's go-ahead to continue with the idea I had. It doesn't effect the story but, because it occurred in Caelum, I figure it might be case-sensitive. And if I get your permission, expect some major science. I've been creating a lot of fictional biology recently... *maniacal laughter*. Stay tuned!))
The frozen grass crunched underlying feet as I made my way in and around the city. Watching as the only physical reminder of these citizens' existences melt away was overwhelming. How strong was this 'Andromeda' person? She said to be a member of a group of six, so were there five other people just as strong as she was? I wasn't excited to find out. Tobias wouldn't help us, not without something to gain from this all. His only two goals were likely, and this is coming from the person who can most easily think as he does, healing his arm and regaining his former strength, perhaps even obtaining immortality again.
"Rani!" I shouted, spotting the man that had helped fight against Tobias. I was told that he, back before I had come to the surface, directly challenged Tobias and managed to survive the Oblivion Pane with his organ-thing intact. He looked a bit more muscular, so perhaps not everyone was spending their time by sitting in a church for a month. "Any idea how this all could have happened?"
[Tobias]
"So, what's the plan? Move to a command center? Organize the troops?" Cronwell asked. He had taken a break a few minutes ago to confirm with his superiors that I had accepted the request to help this sorry country. Every door a normal made would ever want to go through had been opened for me, yet my mother's words rang in my ears. How could I possibly know the Emperor of Caelum? Had he been walking on the street and had stopped to say hello? Did he ever join me on one of my artifact expeditions? No, that couldn't be possible. There really was only one option: The Emperor of Caelum was a god that descended. Who back in Aer was strong enough to rule that country and flip Eternia up on its head? I could, probably. Someone at my strength or stronger...
"Get me a flight to Caelum. I'm going to solve this diplomatically."
I lay on the bed in my humble abode. Light shone through the one small window, illuminating enough of the apartment that I didn't need to turn on any lights to operate within the space. I had spent this past month in a relatively minuscule town in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice place to cool my head after Titaint died and my anger was no longer necessary. However, I had recently gotten word of what happened in Sinbad, and it's probably safe to say I was getting angry again.
Then I got a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Garret von Brandt?"
"..."
"I'm calling on behalf of Ivan Rykov. The gang is getting back together. Coordinates are being sent to your phone now."
That was all I needed to hear. Without another word, I hung up the call and checked the coordinates. I viewed the coordinates on a map, and was surprised to find that Sinbad itself was the location of the meeting. I hurriedly grabbed the few things I needed to travel, scribbled a note to the landlord, and went outside. As soon as I exited the building, however, I was confronted by a man in armor.
"Alright, so that was a bit vague. We won't be discussing an ancient utopia in Caelum, but rather an ancient utopia that inhabited my homeland before my ancestors' arrived. They were immigrants from Caelum, but the difference is that these immigrants weren't altered by radiation or magic. No, they simply branched from the Homo Homo Sapiens into a separate genus. Can anybody tell me what this genus is named?"
Again, a hand shot into the air. Ah, one of my favorites. "Yes, Miss Brandy?" "They were the Homo Ferus Genesis. They branched from humanity upwards to four million years ago, but only colonized together due to the human's constant attempts to exterminate them. So, around fifty thousand years ago, they all proceeded to migrate to your former homeland." "Very good, Miss Brady. And what did they find? Go ahead, Sanchez." "They discovered the existence of two other species', the Homo Pisces Sirenes, and the Homo Arthropoda Dilexi."
"Excellent. These mutations of humankind were almost certainly afflicted by a very rapid mutation, though we can't even imagine what kind of stimuli could produce such radical results. Especially considering the recent discovery of the fossil remains of a Siren over sixteen million years' ago. Alright, so these Sirens' had developed their own country already, having a massive colony surrounding the island-nation. The insect-people had inhabited the mainland, the land divided between their two breed's, the Unseelie and the Seelie. Surprisingly though, the integration of the new species' was quick and uneventful."
"Can somebody tell me what separates Homo Ferus Genesis from it's relatives?" Surprisingly, only one hand raised. "Yes, Mister Evans?" "We- well, um, mostly it was the way they cast magic. Instead of relying on an Arcolia alone, they also had what we now called the Puteus Concis. It was located along the Hypothalamus, and allowed them to start gathering energy from their metabolism as well. With just an Arcolia, humans' gained power by the organ gradually gathering and absorbing residual energy from the Aer. However, with the addition of the Puteus, the population of apt magus increased substantially."
I was quite impressed. It seems Mr. Evans' is crawling out of his shell. "Very good, that's correct. The Sirens, Seelie, and Unseelie integrated the proto-human's into their society, and they prospered. Such was their development that their science had actually superseded our own. However, a different affliction altered the newcomers, and new breeds started popping up everywhere. It also affected the Sirens' and Seelie Courts, and the society boomed with new abilities. The Proto-human's, we'll just call them Magi, had three derivative breeds. Their were the Daemons, Angelos, and the Diabolus. Now, who can tell me what made the Daemon's special?"
Nobody raised their hand. I shrugged. It was tough material, after all. "Oh well. The Daemon's had evolved further to accommodate their magical ability. Their defining trait was the decently sized horn on their head. Their skull has the Corneus Summa jutting out, almost directly upward. Around this horn of bone is the Corneus Unus, a shell of keratin and protein. This "sheath" carries pigment cells, and so the horn takes the same shade as the skin, despite not being covered in it. Inside this horn of bone is the Corneus Nerve. This connects to the Hippocampus and the Magnus Gland, and runs along the Thaumic Lobe. The Magnus Gland translates synaptic messages into the blueprint for a spell. So, it allows them to cast spells with more practiced ease. The Thaumic Lobe only builds from there. The Thaumic Lobe is a small cortex located in front of the Frontal Lobe. Inside is the Cerebellum Minoris, which acts as a "muscle memory" for spells cast constantly. The rest of the Thaumic Lobe just reinforces the Magnus Gland's purpose, designed specifically to process intent into magic blueprints. The Cerebellum Minoris grows as it memorizes more spell designs, causing the Thaumic Lobe to bloat. This can warp the Frontal Lobe at sufficient sizes. So yes, in the Daemon species, there was a correlation between magical proficiency and madness."
I checked my watch. Class ended in three minutes. I sighed audibly, before continuing. "I'll be handing out notes. I expect you to study extensively for tomorrow. You'll be doing an essay on this. Oh, and class?" I paused for a second, soaking up their curiosity. "On Wednesday we'll be dissecting some preserved remains." Excited murmurs reverberated throughout the room, and the bell rang. Students filed out, and in a minute my room was empty. I felt a buzz in my pocket. Someone was calling me. "Hello?"
"Is this the Brigadier General?"
My voice slipped into a monotone. "Maybe. Who's asking?"
"There's a meeting for all the military higher-ups to attend. Something about a god and some way to beat Caelum. Either way, it's in three day's time. Head to Sinbad. That is all."
BEEP.
He hung up. Well, I should start packing.
((P-P-PAGECLAIM!!! This is my first one. So yeah. I'll go into more detail on the other races soon, I just didn't want to overload your brains. Also, sorry for no bolded or italicized lettering. My phone is acting up.))
Arrangements were, as per usual for Cronwell, fixed very swiftly. While I'd have preferred a plane because they are easier to walk around in, the helicopter they sent would suffice. Of course, this wasn't some standard helicopter that any military squadron could be carried on. This was the D4 Westnook, an aircraft designed to take tank shells, magic missiles, and meteors alike, all while providing a comfortable environment to its passengers. Due to a fairly advanced gyroscopic stability advancement, the helicopter could tilt at any degree just shy of doing barrel rolls without spilling a glass of water. It wasn't designed for stealth, but the sleek black exterior wasn't taking anything away from that factor. There was plenty of room to freely stand and make plans, but at the same time, it was rather quick for such a bulky bird. The interior was none too shabby either. Leather benches permitted guests to sit in comfort while possibly planning strategies to take over countries, which is what I might end up doing in here. There weren't many lights, probably to make it more difficult to see through the windows. Refreshments were likely held in a small compartment, a mini fridge.
"My, my, what an incredible piece of technology." I complimented, stepping onto the helicopter and studying it thoroughly. With my new vision, I could directly see the small infusion core which was pumping a magical shield throughout the chassis. This helicopter was likely designed to carry political figures, diplomats, or pretty much anybody of importance. "Here are my orders: send a truck to Sinbad. If my sonar hasn't gotten dull over this past month, there should be several people waiting there. I want them all to be treated as VIPs, as they are likely going to be on the front page of the newspaper. Oh, and make sure the truck is fireproof.
Cronwell nodded, accepting my orders since I was in complete control over the military, which he was likely working for in some way. "Fireproof truck, Sinbad, VIPs. I'll make sure one's over there right away."
"Good. Before we leave, I feel like I'm being watched." I added, getting off the shiny new aircraft. I put my arms up, not in any sort of way to show I'm surrendering, but rather to challenge anyone nearby. Instead of saying my name or asking any questions, I simply released my aura. It was smaller, much more so than what it used to be. Unless someone else was suppressing their magical evidence of existence for the past month, I was still atop the leaderboard in the sense of quantity of energy. "The name is Tobias. If you want me, come out now. I've got a country to visit."
Brom had been flying for a short while in the mountains when he saw a helicopter. Helicopters had rarely, if ever, come up to the mountains in his memory. It appeared to be heading to a relatively small town. Brom was intrigued, and changed course to follow, though didnt come too close. He didnt want to give the people piloting it a reason to attack.
The helicopter landed near a cave not too far from the town. Brom cloaked his aura and hid behind a pile of rocks. Two people emerged from the cave. One seemed to be a very official-looking government agent, and the other had lost an arm. And there was something about his eyes. Brom couldnt tell. Then, the man who lost an arm called out and raised his arm. He said his name was Tobias.
Brom was dumbstruck. Tobias, the lightning god? Hiding in some cave? Without his right arm? He released his aura, and it seemed much weaker than it should have been for a god. But a lot could happen in a month, so who knows? Brom's surprise made him forget he was trying to cloak his aura, meaning anyone with moderate magic proficiency could tell he was there.
Brom climbed over the rocks, raising his hands as well. "H-..Hi.." He stuttered. "A-are you really Tobias? The lightning god?" Brom slowly approached as he spoke. Brom was close to his goal, so close to fulfilling his promise. He felt anxious as well as ecstatic, which led to an overall nervous joy. He was shaking slightly, but it wasnt because of the cold. He felt like he might throw up. But somehow, he held it back. He didnt know what to think as he awaited a reply.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
This couldn't have come at a worse time. I was just getting to the best part! Well, I suppose they'll learn either way. "Mrs. Brandy?" "Yes, Iris?" "Don't talk to me like I'm a fool. And don't use my first name. I'm only allowing you to wear this vessel because those kids need a substitute while I'm away. Now Io, what's your name." "Io. I mean, I'm Mrs. Brandy." "Alright, that'll have to do. You'll be explaining the physiology of the Angelos and Diabolus. I'm sure you encountered some in your childhood. Don't reveal your identity, don't drive any to insanity, and I swear to A'thery if ONE of my students is found dead I'll-" "I got it. Should I disclose that the rapid mutations were because of my egg's presence below the country? "... No. And don't lie. It wasn't your presence, it was your parents. And the Makers. Don't tell them about that either."
Waving, I signaled him to leave. That arrogant lizard doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Well, he's the best I got. And he's the only one that's actually met an Angelos or Diabolus. I'm not even sure if he remembers. Either way, this isn't a very good situation. Stop it, Iris. You have work to do. I didn't bother whipping out my phone. It didn't take much for me to identify the mind of my associate. 'Hello, Capricorn?' 'Yes, Iris?' 'Could you create a spatial warp for me real quick? You only need to sustain it for about thirty seconds. 'No problem. Gimme a minute.' 'Alright. How close are you to Sinbad?' 'Thirty Miles.' 'That is sufficient.'
The silence pervaded, and I got to work creating a spatial warp to connect to his. My left hand glowed briefly and several intricate runes pulsed along my arm, weaving towards my shoulder. An orb of energy pooled into my hand. It could only be described as infinite transparency, and I avoided looking at it. This was a condensed foci of Aer. How does this help in what amounts to teleporting? Well, Aer is a unique substance sitting at the half-way mark between this energy plane and a higher one. Hence the god's enormous power. It doesn't obey all the laws of space, so if I feed it enough magic it can temporarily become a higher-plane of energy. It can then connect to the fourth dimension. From there, I just identify a gap in the fabric of reality near Sinbad, identify its coordinates, and step through. And I did.
Waiting for me was Capricorn. He nodded curtly, before turning around. The frosty wind bit against his sides, and he shivered as his horn parted the wind, defending me from the frigid gales. "You know, I've started teaching my students about your kind." He looked at me, taken aback. "Did you tell them about the Makers?" I scowled. "Of course not. I'm no fool." He dipped his chin apologetically. "Your car is out front. And Iris?" "Yes, dear?" "Do you want me to tell anybody about this?" "No. Ophiuchus would lose his crap if he found out you were helping me. I'm sure Leo still has a bone to pick with me. Just keep this to yourself, alright?" "Yes, ma'am. Your car's out front." I nodded. Exiting the apartment, I found a suave limousine parked outside. Opening the door, I looked to the driver. "Head to Sinbad. Make it snappy, alright?" And with that, we were off.
The ice cracked three times as Bloodhound, Vise, and I jumped out of the helicopter. I looked around. The freeze looked bad enough from above, but being able to touch it really drove home just what exactly happened here. Still, I intended to do everything in my power to prevent something like this from happening again.
"Bloodhound, Vise, sample," I commanded. My two robots quickly set to work. Using their saw tails, they carved a few sections out of the ice to be analyzed by Jackal back at the lab. The key here was determining what exactly caused the ice. If it was really magic despite Caelum's total ineptitude for the art, then I might be able to enough about the spell ahead of time that I could counter it in the future. If it wasn't real magic, then we could begin work on a countermeasure other than just my mind.
The warwolves and I loaded the samples into the special containters on the helicopter and sent the chopper back. The next step was locating the others to determine the best immediate course of action. My dogs covering my flanks, I began walking in a winter wonderland.
[Garrett]
I pulled myself out of the landing puddle I had made within Sinbad. The devastation was horrible, don't get me wrong, but I was rather preoccupied since I was pretty severely injured. I needed to find the others not to preserve this country, but rather to preserve both their lives and my own. The man I had just battled was extremely dangerous, even to a Fallen Angel.
And based on what I saw, it's likely that not even the mighty Tobes would stand a chance.
If the we were to continue existing, I needed to find the others, warn them, and work with them. Nobody attacks a Fallen Angel out of the blue. There had to be a reason. I didn't know what this man's reason was, what his goals were, or his full list of targets. What I did know is that there was an extreme danger present to any and all of us.
With significant effort, I hauled myself up and began limping towards the rendezvous point. As I forged on, I pondered what they would think when I got there. My decision to assist Tobes in his battle against Titaint had left several relationships damaged, most notable with Rani, Rogan, and perhaps most importantly, my half-sister Demi. I could only hope that they'd be willing to associate with me once more as I arrived at the location marked by the coordinates.
I managed to catch a brief glimpse of Rani and my half-sister. I tried to call to them, but my voice failed as my strength left me and I collapsed in the frosty streets.
"The lady on the radio said that she was from Caelum, but to think they've got mages strong enough to freeze over an entire city?" I commented, looking around. Anybody with the power to not only freeze a city, but also convert all solid or liquid matter into ice had to be on the upper end of the power spectrum. The woman's power should have terrified me, but 8 wasn't scared at all, really. Tobias could have turned all of Central City to ash with little effort if he tried, although that was a month ago, back before I changed the fate of this country. Back then, I was already having conflicting feelings about being sent to kill my friend, but now I was even more confused. Was it worth it to throw away power that was superior to my own at least one hundred fold?
A dark streak ran across the sky and slammed itself into the city, liquifying it's landing zone. Unless I was mistaken, this could only be my half-brother, Garrett. He had chosen to stick by Tobias back then, so it was impossible to know in advance if I could trust him. All I could do was try. Garrett hadn't landed too far away, so I broke into a jog and investigated. "Need a hand, Lil Bro?" I teased, extending my hand.
Wow. I knew the city had been frozen, but this? This was beyond impressive. This required the capability to create a city-wide transmutation circle that could revert everything into water and freeze it simultaneously. The potential energy must be enormous! If we even tried to reverse the process, it would've become a gigantic bomb!
Oh, my phone is ringing. "Head to the rendezvous point. You'll be meeting with multiple associates of the God helping us win this war. If you couldn't tell, the militant meeting was a fib." "I figured as much. Where is the rendezvous point?" "Your driver should know. By the way, my superiors want to know who exactly was the person you had us deliver your driver to." "Tell them it's an old friend of mine." "Who can create a special rift? Ugh, your a weird one. They will be discussing this with you later. I hung up.
The car slowed to a halt. He opened the door for me, and I smiled appreciatively. "You can leave, I'll have no troubles getting home." He nodded, and I turned towards these so-called "associates". I heard him drive off, and approached the closest of them. A tiny pulse of magic illuminated several runes around my eyes. My blood magic activated Aura Sight, and I gasped. She was extremely powerful, not to mention a deity. Her aura flared around like a lit match, except this match happened to reach hundreds of feet in the air like a blazing meteor.
"Hello, Miss. I have been assigned by the military to assist the God in winning this war. I am Brigadier General Iris, pleased to meet you. I assume you are one of his associates, given your *cough* status. Please direct me as you please, I am yours to command." I blushed a little. "With all these formalities out of the way, let me translate that into a legible statement. I was sent here to help you and your gang break stuff, living or not."
((Wouldve done this sooner, but you all know how hectic school can make your schedule.))
"Yes, i am Tobias." He replied to the man who appeared from the rocks. "But who are you?" Tobias then lowered his arms as he examined Brom's aura. It had a lot of potential, and it seemed to be somewhat similar to Zicka's in augmentation. This meant that the man was a necromancer. But there was something about the pendant he wore. It was... unique, and had a power of some sort. But the closer he examined, the more clueless he was of its true nature.
"My name's Brom." He responded. Brom then lowered his arms, and walked towards the lightning god. He sighed and smiled. "Ive finally found you... Oh, r-right," Brom said, rummaging through his bag. He got out Zicka's wand and presented it to Tobias. "I made a promise to Zicka. He told me he wanted you to have this." He then held it out for Tobias to grab.
As he took it, Tobias asked, "What for? Wouldnt he need it? Speaking of him, where is he?"
Brom sighed again and lowered his head. His heart felt heavy again, with guilt. "Zicka... Zicka died fighting Alice." A sudden silence surrounded them for a moment. "I managed to talk with him before he passed on, and he made me promise i got this to you."
"Oh... Thank you." Tobias could tell this was a sensitive subject for Brom, so he decided not to press. Yet. "Say, why dont you come to Sinbad? You'll have to go on your own, as we'll be discussing sensitive material, but maybe you can help us fight Caelum."
Brom nodded. "Sure. I'll meet you there." Brom felt better after completing his promise, and had worried before about a purpose aftwerward, as the Tainted were gone, but one presented itself. Brom was going to help Tobias and company fight off Caelum.
((feel free to point out any inconsistencies with Tobias' character or nitpicks overall, Ninja.))
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Puella Magi Madoka Magicka is an awesome, feel-good, cutesy anime. You should watch it!
((This seems to be the appropriate moment to drag all of my other characters' over to the group.))
[Vlad]
Wow. Equally mortifying and entrancing. It was as if the beauty of life and existence had been captured on a three-dimensional photograph and suspended in time. Until it melted, at least. Either way, this was definitely worth the trip. As I passed by, I noticer there was an off-putting area nearby. As I got closer, I noticed the ice take on a violet hue.
That's when I saw it. A vast patch of malignant purple frost encompassed the surrounding hundred meters or so. Unlike the rest of the city, which captured the essence of life and fulfillment, this spot truly reminded me of death. A war zone caught forever in the cogs of time. And in the center, a vast monolith of deep indigo pierced the heavens. It was at least twenty feet tall.
I approached with some caution. Who knows what this could do to me. It is quite obviously of Tainted origin, but the mists of mystery still cloud my thoughts. I had gotten close to the pillar, and immediately recognized the shape of a living thing inside. Unlike everything else, it hadn't been transmuted into ice. It looked like the girl from the Tournament.
Everything clicked. Tainted are naturally resistant to magic, and considering she is an extremely powerful one she probably survived the spell! Not one to waste time, I reared my fist back and sent it tearing through the monument. I tore straight through, and happened to cause the structure to collapse in my direction.
In a burst of speed, I released the girl from her chrysalis and escaped the ground-zero. The moment she was free from her tomb, she lashed out reflexively. I didn't really expect her to be conscious, and found myself well outside the irradiated area. Before my eyes, I watched the color drain from the frost and into her, the formerly mutated surroundings now indiscernible from the rest of Sinbad.
I was slightly annoyed when she turned to glare at me, considering how I, you know, just rescued her from a slow death. However, this mild indignation was ignored once she started speaking. Or tried to, at least. The only thing that came out was gasps and wheezes. After a few seconds, she finally tried again.
[Alice]
"You're a monster. I'm nothing now. I have nothing to be. So why, I ask! Why did you free me from my solitude? Why did you free me from death!? There is nothing greater than death, for those of doused hearts. It is the truest freedom. The release of all burdens, of all constriction, of all thought. It is quite. It is peaceful. AND YOU TOOK IT AWAY!!!"
I felt a brief wave of anger try and lash out, and I lazily swung my arm in his direction. Nothing matters, why would this. I sighed, before glancing around. There it was. Moving swiftly, I snatched up a shard of ice and tried to finish the job. I smiled blissfully, but something impeded the passage of my soul. Opening my eyes, I saw him gripping my arm.
I yanked back, but he didn't stop. He looked me in the eyes, with more pity and sympathy than I had ever had the displeasure to witness, and I tried to scream. How despicable! How infallibly idiotic! He thinks he understands, does he? That now I have no home, and no purpose. That I had to watch all of my brothers and sisters fade into oblivion. And that one day, I knew the same would happen to me.
[Vlad]
This girl isn't in her right mind. If she's conscious much longer, she might try to off herself again. Only one option, then. Swinging my arm forward, I elbowed her in the nose. She gasped for air, and I punched her in the side of the head. She reeled off-balance and I tripped her. She landed in a pile of snow, and a quick sleep spell assured she was truly unconscious.
Picking her up bridal-style, I started walking. Where, I don't know. Anywhere's better than this spot. My footsteps echoed against the frosty floors of Sinbad, and a grimace slowly tore through my exterior. What could've caused such a fall from grace? What could've led to such a self-destructive nature?
I hadn't really known him very well, neither here nor in Aer. He had been injured severely and I had used experimental magic to bring his Arcoli into functioning order. I believe his fight was against someone named Alice, which was also the name of his killer. How much time had he bought me? It was definitely my fault that he died, no questions asked. If only I had not rushed off to fight Titaint and spent more time cleaning up my pursuers, he might not have died. Where someone might form a grudge against the murderer of their friend, I couldn't muster any negative feelings for this "Alice" person. They were doing their duty and Zicka got in the way of that. I killed him, yet he likely spent his last seconds on his death bed thinking of how to help me. I could feel a third weight burden my shoulders, as he was the third person who had indirectly died because of me.
The wand he gave me wasn't just a simple catalyst for magical action. This was his will. It is said that, in impossible scenarios, miracles happen, but how could it be possible for Zicka to know that I can know completely understand magic just by looking at it? His death wasn't in vain. This tiny rod contains the sum of his experiences. Just by delivering me this wand, I could understand the fundamentals of death magic and a few more advanced concepts, such as his Mock Tainted. Could he have known the results of his actions? No, that'd be weird. I looked at the wand with a grin. Zicka wasn't dead as long as I carried him with me. He would be alive in me. The Disciple of Death had given me his torch to bear. Regardless, I pushed away all emotions for the time being and got into the helicopter.
"Cronwell, change of plans. Let's head to New Central." I told the agent, who passed the message along to the pilot. New Central was a project to restore the ruins of the once glorious city to a more prestigious state. That was where Cronwell's headquarters were located, so I'd want to head there first. I didn't mention to anybody that I was the one who blasted almost forty five percent of the city into smithereens. I didn't want to go to Sinbad. I was monitoring the whole country with a sonar technique when that disaster had occurred, yet I felt nothing when it happened. Either the caster changed the city in less than a second or she gave off no magic energy, even when doing something on the verge of impossible for a mortal to do. Going there would have no positive effect for me. The aircraft revved to life, then began moving south, toward the center of this country.
"So, what aren't you telling us about Caelum? I know you didn't give me everything back then." Cronwell prodded, sitting across from me.
"Caelum's Emperor is foreign. He's from Eternia, to be specific. If my theories are remotely correct..." I trailed off, looking out the window. "His Jury of Six is an issue. Any one of them is strong enough to easily defeat even Demetria, a daughter of Dimitri. Two of them will always be within fifty feet of the Emperor, so there can only be a maximum of four Jurors here at a time. I'd guess there are that many here right now." I explained. "They work in pairs in a complimentary style. Andromeda, who we are quite familiar with, is one of the more documented members, which isn't saying much. She can both create ice from nothing as well as convert other things into ice, including human flesh."
((Once, a man - a child - wandered upon minecraftforums. He joined roleplay after roleplay, but never truly felt happy with his skills. He grew in his writing skills, he made friends, but then he disappeared. High school started. Time dashed by. And then, inspiration hit him.
It was time to return.
My apologies for the intro, and for my absence. I wish to apply to this as one of my first RPs of this high school life of mine. Obviously, I want to know if I can apply. But I have a question.
How hard would it be for me to create an acceptable Fallen Angel?
i really hope you say it is hard.))
(( Do as much or as little as you think is appropriate. Glad to have you back. ))
"Alright, this is the first stop." Daniel said. Brom got up from his resting position and entered the town. There werent as many people as Brom expected, but it still had a few people running shops and such. The ones that left probably were paranoid about Sinbad turned to ice. Brom couldnt blame them. An entire town turned to ice on a whim was a very intimidating feat. But Brom had made a promise and intended to keep it.
"Meet back here in an hour, ok?" Daniel told Brom, who nodded in reply. Brom looked around the town for any indication of Tobias being or having been there, as well as using a magic sonar to locate high amounts of magic. He sensed one, but he knew it wasnt powerful enough to be Tobias. Nevertheless, it was a unique magic, and Brom headed in its direction. Flying, of course.
He found it was a powerful man, closing up a shop of artifacts. One caught his eye. A pendant, with a black jewel engraved in the center. Brom could tell this pendant had some significance, as did most of the artifacts, but this one was different. Brom didnt know how to describe it. "Excuse me?" He said to the man. "What is the price of this pendant?" The man turned around.
He seemed to be an everyday normal man, but Brom knew better. This person was powerful enough to challenge Fallen Angels. He smirked, and took a good look at Brom. "That wand you have in your bag." Brom immediately denied the man. But then he wondered how he knew it was there. Perhaps this man knew a certain spell to find certain artifacts like that pendant. It wouldnt be to much of a stretch...
Brom took another look at the pendant. It captivated him. There was something about it... He almost needed that pendant. "...Is there anything i can do? Perhaps you'd like this staff instead?" Brom then gasped- he spoke too fast. He needed his staff to cast spells, and he wasnt skilled enough to use Zicka's wand. The man seemed to know this as soon as Brom gasped. He laughed a small bit.
"If you help me finish packing, and give me the staff, then you can have it." Brom considered this. He was very much tempted to take the offer. The pendant was alluring, almost speaking to him, telling him to wear it. "Well?" The man asked. Brom then reluctantly began helping the man pack his artifacts. It was around thirty minutes later that Brom handed over his staff in exchange for the pendant.
Brom put it on- and was underwhelmed. There seemed to be no extraordinary properties of the pendant, at least yet, and now Brom had no way to defend himself. An enormous wave of guilt and embarrassment came over him. The man mustve seen this, because he told Brom, "Dont worry. You'll know what it can do when you need it." Brom then returned to Daniel.
"Where's your staff?" He asked. Brom shook his head a little. "Can you still defend us?" Brom shrugged in reply. "Sorry, but if you cant help then you cant come." Brom took a deep breath and began walking north. He needed to take a break from journeying, and time to figure out the pendant. He decided upon the place where Zicka used to teach him magic. Once Brom had exited the town, he began flying.
((I did not intend this post to be so long.... wow. Also, the pendant will have use. Later.))
[Tobias]
The negotiator, Cronwell, chatted away on his phone for a while, frequently switching to a different language. It was quite an efficient way to throw off anybody attempting to listen in,such as myself. When he hung up, the agent looked at me with a grin. "That was a buddy of mine calling in to say that the documents you requested will be waiting for you in a secure warehouse in New Central." He explained. New Central was probably the name for the project of restoring the formerly glorious city to it's previous state. It didn't help that I had obliterated a bit less than half of it, but I wasn't on any official records regarding that entire occasion, so I was in the clear.
Suddenly, a single blink turned into being trapped behind my eyelids. No matter how much I pried, they wouldn't lift. You have forced me to choose between my pride and my people. A voice in the back of my head said, definitely that of my mother. You should never force your parent into such a corner. I was the one who supported you on your trip to Aer. Wasn't it odd that no major Gods intercepted your course or meddled in your scheme? Who do you think convinced A'thery to be still? I had chosen you as my Champion and you were given my full protection. Her words stung with every syllable. I didn't even think about what would happen if Dimitri or one of the other Gods who didn't really like me had decided to stand between me and my plans to kill Titaint. I will give you my eyes, but do not disappoint me again. Figure out who your enemy is: you've met him before. When I could see again, the world was completely different. Instead of just sight, I could see the energy flowing through the air, the fiery spirit that lived within Cronwell, everything Arcane. A little bit of willpower reverted my transformed eyes back to normal. The power that I was supposed to own so long ago but now residing in my body was purely exhilarating. Cronwell saw my excitement and gave a light smile.
"Congratulations, your gods have not forsaken you." I complimented. "Now, shall we begin this game?"
[Vlad]
Whelp, that was unexpected. It seems Lupe has grown quite a bit since our last skirmish. Not to say he wasn't injured, but seriously!? It took me almost three minutes to re-attach my lower half, and a good thirty seconds after that were spent repairing the hole he had pierced through my liver.
I limped over to a bench that had survived our battle. Leaping a few feet, I vaulted over the enormous pile of debris separating me and my seat. I had battered Lupe through a building. I'll have to have a lengthy discussion with the local architects if their handiwork can't persevere through some simple pseudo-divine combat. I mean, don't they have standards?
I don't know how long I sat there. Minutes dissolved away as I laid there, panting heavily as I recovered my magic reserves. I haven't been that over-exerted since- well, I guess since the last time I fought my sibling. But even so, we were both fresh to our power, not to mention it was before our sealing. Now the power has increased exponentially, yet neither of us has killed and absorbed the other yet.
Finally, I leaned forward onto my feet. I still wasn't at my max, but I could run. Starting at a light pace, I quickly accelerated to a sprint as I headed towards Sinbad. As we had battled, the distinct voice of a maniac informed us that Sinbad had been frozen. The concept seemed preposterous, but if it was true, it spelled trouble for us all.
[Iris]
A smile graced my face. It wasn't forced, but might have come off a bit TOO motherly as I prepared today's lecture. When I wasn't commanding my reagent, I was teaching the most prestigious class, for the most advanced degree, at the most prestigious school. Most of the members of my reagent are my former students. That being said, I'm fairly certain most of my current students will be enlisting as well. Either way, this was where people leaped from Magus to members of the Arcanus. Even if they didn't join my reagent, they'd still be hailed as some of the most powerful user's of magic in the Country. All because of one degree.
It was only offered at one school. And this school only accepted you if you if you were the best of the best of the best of, you guessed it, the best. For example, one student was the top grade in the top class of seven classes, at a heavily competitive school. You had to be at least half a decade past your age group to even join THAT school, and to even think he managed to reach the top in just two years, then maintain it for another two years is a feat in itself.
If you didn't know, the school is called Sovren University. And the degree is known as an EMD, or Enlightened Mind Doctorate. It requires a Archmage's Degree in Thaumaturgy, Metallurgy, Alchemy, and Magical Theory. It also requires a few Master's on the side to cover Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, and Thermodynamics.
So yeah, if you didn't get it, I'm basically teaching the smartest kids in the country. Yeah, I'm awesome. I would continue stroking my own ego while narrating to nobody in particular, but it appears class has begun. The bell reverberated around the class, signaling the students to get in their seats.
"Sit straight, class. You are the pinnacle of education. Now, today we will be discussing the biological and historical aspects of ancient civilization. Today we will be extending past my time, into the distant past that blurs civilization and the vagabond lives of the ancient hunter-gatherers."
"Now, who can identify were we left off?" A tall blonde student's hand shot in the air. His oddly shaped ears twinged in anticipation, and I signaled him to respond. "We left off with the establishment of the boundaries dividing the Eldar, Dragons, Fae, and Giants." I complimented his memory before continuing. "That's correct. Now, let's delve in. Before the formation of actual nation's, the four races fought for dominance on the island-country."
"Now, let's go beyond that. The Eldar and Fae had divided from a common ancestor only about three millennia prior. This split was caused by Radioactive Fallout causing a substantial divergence between the original gene pool, leading to two distinct races. Fossil evidence indicates that this wasn't the first time such a mutation has occurred. It's believed about seven millennia before the Great Schism, a massive magical surge had caused a degeneracy of some kind, leading to the development of the Giants. From multiple millennia prior to this aberration, to the Great Schism, that this common ancestor would coexist with the Dragons in a domestic, yet equal relationship that had allowed both races' to coexist for quite a while."
"However, that won't be the primary topic of this lecture. The notes I gave you last week would have told you our discussion will be concerning the much older civilization that formerly inhabited the land known as Caelum. Before we continue on this heavily interesting discussion, I figure I'll tie the knot for you. The ancient common ancestor of the Giants, Fae, and Eldar, had been created by what appears to be incredibly servere exposure of magic. A nation of humans formerly tyrannized by dragons became their equals, and a peace treaty was signed the following decade. Now then, the wonders of the ancient Utopia of Caelum."
((I'm ending it there. I probably need Ninja's go-ahead to continue with the idea I had. It doesn't effect the story but, because it occurred in Caelum, I figure it might be case-sensitive. And if I get your permission, expect some major science. I've been creating a lot of fictional biology recently... *maniacal laughter*. Stay tuned!))
[Demi]
The frozen grass crunched underlying feet as I made my way in and around the city. Watching as the only physical reminder of these citizens' existences melt away was overwhelming. How strong was this 'Andromeda' person? She said to be a member of a group of six, so were there five other people just as strong as she was? I wasn't excited to find out. Tobias wouldn't help us, not without something to gain from this all. His only two goals were likely, and this is coming from the person who can most easily think as he does, healing his arm and regaining his former strength, perhaps even obtaining immortality again.
"Rani!" I shouted, spotting the man that had helped fight against Tobias. I was told that he, back before I had come to the surface, directly challenged Tobias and managed to survive the Oblivion Pane with his organ-thing intact. He looked a bit more muscular, so perhaps not everyone was spending their time by sitting in a church for a month. "Any idea how this all could have happened?"
[Tobias]
"So, what's the plan? Move to a command center? Organize the troops?" Cronwell asked. He had taken a break a few minutes ago to confirm with his superiors that I had accepted the request to help this sorry country. Every door a normal made would ever want to go through had been opened for me, yet my mother's words rang in my ears. How could I possibly know the Emperor of Caelum? Had he been walking on the street and had stopped to say hello? Did he ever join me on one of my artifact expeditions? No, that couldn't be possible. There really was only one option: The Emperor of Caelum was a god that descended. Who back in Aer was strong enough to rule that country and flip Eternia up on its head? I could, probably. Someone at my strength or stronger...
"Get me a flight to Caelum. I'm going to solve this diplomatically."
[Garrett]
I lay on the bed in my humble abode. Light shone through the one small window, illuminating enough of the apartment that I didn't need to turn on any lights to operate within the space. I had spent this past month in a relatively minuscule town in the middle of nowhere. It was a nice place to cool my head after Titaint died and my anger was no longer necessary. However, I had recently gotten word of what happened in Sinbad, and it's probably safe to say I was getting angry again.
Then I got a phone call.
"Hello?"
"Garret von Brandt?"
"..."
"I'm calling on behalf of Ivan Rykov. The gang is getting back together. Coordinates are being sent to your phone now."
That was all I needed to hear. Without another word, I hung up the call and checked the coordinates. I viewed the coordinates on a map, and was surprised to find that Sinbad itself was the location of the meeting. I hurriedly grabbed the few things I needed to travel, scribbled a note to the landlord, and went outside. As soon as I exited the building, however, I was confronted by a man in armor.
And it all went downhill from there.
There's no kill like overkill.
[Iris]
"Alright, so that was a bit vague. We won't be discussing an ancient utopia in Caelum, but rather an ancient utopia that inhabited my homeland before my ancestors' arrived. They were immigrants from Caelum, but the difference is that these immigrants weren't altered by radiation or magic. No, they simply branched from the Homo Homo Sapiens into a separate genus. Can anybody tell me what this genus is named?"
Again, a hand shot into the air. Ah, one of my favorites. "Yes, Miss Brandy?" "They were the Homo Ferus Genesis. They branched from humanity upwards to four million years ago, but only colonized together due to the human's constant attempts to exterminate them. So, around fifty thousand years ago, they all proceeded to migrate to your former homeland." "Very good, Miss Brady. And what did they find? Go ahead, Sanchez." "They discovered the existence of two other species', the Homo Pisces Sirenes, and the Homo Arthropoda Dilexi."
"Excellent. These mutations of humankind were almost certainly afflicted by a very rapid mutation, though we can't even imagine what kind of stimuli could produce such radical results. Especially considering the recent discovery of the fossil remains of a Siren over sixteen million years' ago. Alright, so these Sirens' had developed their own country already, having a massive colony surrounding the island-nation. The insect-people had inhabited the mainland, the land divided between their two breed's, the Unseelie and the Seelie. Surprisingly though, the integration of the new species' was quick and uneventful."
"Can somebody tell me what separates Homo Ferus Genesis from it's relatives?" Surprisingly, only one hand raised. "Yes, Mister Evans?" "We- well, um, mostly it was the way they cast magic. Instead of relying on an Arcolia alone, they also had what we now called the Puteus Concis. It was located along the Hypothalamus, and allowed them to start gathering energy from their metabolism as well. With just an Arcolia, humans' gained power by the organ gradually gathering and absorbing residual energy from the Aer. However, with the addition of the Puteus, the population of apt magus increased substantially."
I was quite impressed. It seems Mr. Evans' is crawling out of his shell. "Very good, that's correct. The Sirens, Seelie, and Unseelie integrated the proto-human's into their society, and they prospered. Such was their development that their science had actually superseded our own. However, a different affliction altered the newcomers, and new breeds started popping up everywhere. It also affected the Sirens' and Seelie Courts, and the society boomed with new abilities. The Proto-human's, we'll just call them Magi, had three derivative breeds. Their were the Daemons, Angelos, and the Diabolus. Now, who can tell me what made the Daemon's special?"
Nobody raised their hand. I shrugged. It was tough material, after all. "Oh well. The Daemon's had evolved further to accommodate their magical ability. Their defining trait was the decently sized horn on their head. Their skull has the Corneus Summa jutting out, almost directly upward. Around this horn of bone is the Corneus Unus, a shell of keratin and protein. This "sheath" carries pigment cells, and so the horn takes the same shade as the skin, despite not being covered in it. Inside this horn of bone is the Corneus Nerve. This connects to the Hippocampus and the Magnus Gland, and runs along the Thaumic Lobe. The Magnus Gland translates synaptic messages into the blueprint for a spell. So, it allows them to cast spells with more practiced ease. The Thaumic Lobe only builds from there. The Thaumic Lobe is a small cortex located in front of the Frontal Lobe. Inside is the Cerebellum Minoris, which acts as a "muscle memory" for spells cast constantly. The rest of the Thaumic Lobe just reinforces the Magnus Gland's purpose, designed specifically to process intent into magic blueprints. The Cerebellum Minoris grows as it memorizes more spell designs, causing the Thaumic Lobe to bloat. This can warp the Frontal Lobe at sufficient sizes. So yes, in the Daemon species, there was a correlation between magical proficiency and madness."
I checked my watch. Class ended in three minutes. I sighed audibly, before continuing. "I'll be handing out notes. I expect you to study extensively for tomorrow. You'll be doing an essay on this. Oh, and class?" I paused for a second, soaking up their curiosity. "On Wednesday we'll be dissecting some preserved remains." Excited murmurs reverberated throughout the room, and the bell rang. Students filed out, and in a minute my room was empty. I felt a buzz in my pocket. Someone was calling me. "Hello?"
"Is this the Brigadier General?"
My voice slipped into a monotone. "Maybe. Who's asking?"
"There's a meeting for all the military higher-ups to attend. Something about a god and some way to beat Caelum. Either way, it's in three day's time. Head to Sinbad. That is all."
BEEP.
He hung up. Well, I should start packing.
((P-P-PAGECLAIM!!! This is my first one. So yeah. I'll go into more detail on the other races soon, I just didn't want to overload your brains. Also, sorry for no bolded or italicized lettering. My phone is acting up.))
[Tobias]
Arrangements were, as per usual for Cronwell, fixed very swiftly. While I'd have preferred a plane because they are easier to walk around in, the helicopter they sent would suffice. Of course, this wasn't some standard helicopter that any military squadron could be carried on. This was the D4 Westnook, an aircraft designed to take tank shells, magic missiles, and meteors alike, all while providing a comfortable environment to its passengers. Due to a fairly advanced gyroscopic stability advancement, the helicopter could tilt at any degree just shy of doing barrel rolls without spilling a glass of water. It wasn't designed for stealth, but the sleek black exterior wasn't taking anything away from that factor. There was plenty of room to freely stand and make plans, but at the same time, it was rather quick for such a bulky bird. The interior was none too shabby either. Leather benches permitted guests to sit in comfort while possibly planning strategies to take over countries, which is what I might end up doing in here. There weren't many lights, probably to make it more difficult to see through the windows. Refreshments were likely held in a small compartment, a mini fridge.
"My, my, what an incredible piece of technology." I complimented, stepping onto the helicopter and studying it thoroughly. With my new vision, I could directly see the small infusion core which was pumping a magical shield throughout the chassis. This helicopter was likely designed to carry political figures, diplomats, or pretty much anybody of importance. "Here are my orders: send a truck to Sinbad. If my sonar hasn't gotten dull over this past month, there should be several people waiting there. I want them all to be treated as VIPs, as they are likely going to be on the front page of the newspaper. Oh, and make sure the truck is fireproof.
Cronwell nodded, accepting my orders since I was in complete control over the military, which he was likely working for in some way. "Fireproof truck, Sinbad, VIPs. I'll make sure one's over there right away."
"Good. Before we leave, I feel like I'm being watched." I added, getting off the shiny new aircraft. I put my arms up, not in any sort of way to show I'm surrendering, but rather to challenge anyone nearby. Instead of saying my name or asking any questions, I simply released my aura. It was smaller, much more so than what it used to be. Unless someone else was suppressing their magical evidence of existence for the past month, I was still atop the leaderboard in the sense of quantity of energy. "The name is Tobias. If you want me, come out now. I've got a country to visit."
Brom had been flying for a short while in the mountains when he saw a helicopter. Helicopters had rarely, if ever, come up to the mountains in his memory. It appeared to be heading to a relatively small town. Brom was intrigued, and changed course to follow, though didnt come too close. He didnt want to give the people piloting it a reason to attack.
The helicopter landed near a cave not too far from the town. Brom cloaked his aura and hid behind a pile of rocks. Two people emerged from the cave. One seemed to be a very official-looking government agent, and the other had lost an arm. And there was something about his eyes. Brom couldnt tell. Then, the man who lost an arm called out and raised his arm. He said his name was Tobias.
Brom was dumbstruck. Tobias, the lightning god? Hiding in some cave? Without his right arm? He released his aura, and it seemed much weaker than it should have been for a god. But a lot could happen in a month, so who knows? Brom's surprise made him forget he was trying to cloak his aura, meaning anyone with moderate magic proficiency could tell he was there.
Brom climbed over the rocks, raising his hands as well. "H-..Hi.." He stuttered. "A-are you really Tobias? The lightning god?" Brom slowly approached as he spoke. Brom was close to his goal, so close to fulfilling his promise. He felt anxious as well as ecstatic, which led to an overall nervous joy. He was shaking slightly, but it wasnt because of the cold. He felt like he might throw up. But somehow, he held it back. He didnt know what to think as he awaited a reply.
((For those who care, I'm reading to catch up, hence why I haven't posted an app yet.))
((Sure, Erip. Take your time.))
[Iris]
This couldn't have come at a worse time. I was just getting to the best part! Well, I suppose they'll learn either way. "Mrs. Brandy?" "Yes, Iris?" "Don't talk to me like I'm a fool. And don't use my first name. I'm only allowing you to wear this vessel because those kids need a substitute while I'm away. Now Io, what's your name." "Io. I mean, I'm Mrs. Brandy." "Alright, that'll have to do. You'll be explaining the physiology of the Angelos and Diabolus. I'm sure you encountered some in your childhood. Don't reveal your identity, don't drive any to insanity, and I swear to A'thery if ONE of my students is found dead I'll-" "I got it. Should I disclose that the rapid mutations were because of my egg's presence below the country? "... No. And don't lie. It wasn't your presence, it was your parents. And the Makers. Don't tell them about that either."
Waving, I signaled him to leave. That arrogant lizard doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Well, he's the best I got. And he's the only one that's actually met an Angelos or Diabolus. I'm not even sure if he remembers. Either way, this isn't a very good situation. Stop it, Iris. You have work to do. I didn't bother whipping out my phone. It didn't take much for me to identify the mind of my associate. 'Hello, Capricorn?' 'Yes, Iris?' 'Could you create a spatial warp for me real quick? You only need to sustain it for about thirty seconds. 'No problem. Gimme a minute.' 'Alright. How close are you to Sinbad?' 'Thirty Miles.' 'That is sufficient.'
The silence pervaded, and I got to work creating a spatial warp to connect to his. My left hand glowed briefly and several intricate runes pulsed along my arm, weaving towards my shoulder. An orb of energy pooled into my hand. It could only be described as infinite transparency, and I avoided looking at it. This was a condensed foci of Aer. How does this help in what amounts to teleporting? Well, Aer is a unique substance sitting at the half-way mark between this energy plane and a higher one. Hence the god's enormous power. It doesn't obey all the laws of space, so if I feed it enough magic it can temporarily become a higher-plane of energy. It can then connect to the fourth dimension. From there, I just identify a gap in the fabric of reality near Sinbad, identify its coordinates, and step through. And I did.
Waiting for me was Capricorn. He nodded curtly, before turning around. The frosty wind bit against his sides, and he shivered as his horn parted the wind, defending me from the frigid gales. "You know, I've started teaching my students about your kind." He looked at me, taken aback. "Did you tell them about the Makers?" I scowled. "Of course not. I'm no fool." He dipped his chin apologetically. "Your car is out front. And Iris?" "Yes, dear?" "Do you want me to tell anybody about this?" "No. Ophiuchus would lose his crap if he found out you were helping me. I'm sure Leo still has a bone to pick with me. Just keep this to yourself, alright?" "Yes, ma'am. Your car's out front." I nodded. Exiting the apartment, I found a suave limousine parked outside. Opening the door, I looked to the driver. "Head to Sinbad. Make it snappy, alright?" And with that, we were off.
[Ivan]
The ice cracked three times as Bloodhound, Vise, and I jumped out of the helicopter. I looked around. The freeze looked bad enough from above, but being able to touch it really drove home just what exactly happened here. Still, I intended to do everything in my power to prevent something like this from happening again.
"Bloodhound, Vise, sample," I commanded. My two robots quickly set to work. Using their saw tails, they carved a few sections out of the ice to be analyzed by Jackal back at the lab. The key here was determining what exactly caused the ice. If it was really magic despite Caelum's total ineptitude for the art, then I might be able to enough about the spell ahead of time that I could counter it in the future. If it wasn't real magic, then we could begin work on a countermeasure other than just my mind.
The warwolves and I loaded the samples into the special containters on the helicopter and sent the chopper back. The next step was locating the others to determine the best immediate course of action. My dogs covering my flanks, I began walking in a winter wonderland.
[Garrett]
I pulled myself out of the landing puddle I had made within Sinbad. The devastation was horrible, don't get me wrong, but I was rather preoccupied since I was pretty severely injured. I needed to find the others not to preserve this country, but rather to preserve both their lives and my own. The man I had just battled was extremely dangerous, even to a Fallen Angel.
And based on what I saw, it's likely that not even the mighty Tobes would stand a chance.
If the we were to continue existing, I needed to find the others, warn them, and work with them. Nobody attacks a Fallen Angel out of the blue. There had to be a reason. I didn't know what this man's reason was, what his goals were, or his full list of targets. What I did know is that there was an extreme danger present to any and all of us.
With significant effort, I hauled myself up and began limping towards the rendezvous point. As I forged on, I pondered what they would think when I got there. My decision to assist Tobes in his battle against Titaint had left several relationships damaged, most notable with Rani, Rogan, and perhaps most importantly, my half-sister Demi. I could only hope that they'd be willing to associate with me once more as I arrived at the location marked by the coordinates.
I managed to catch a brief glimpse of Rani and my half-sister. I tried to call to them, but my voice failed as my strength left me and I collapsed in the frosty streets.
There's no kill like overkill.
[Demi]
"The lady on the radio said that she was from Caelum, but to think they've got mages strong enough to freeze over an entire city?" I commented, looking around. Anybody with the power to not only freeze a city, but also convert all solid or liquid matter into ice had to be on the upper end of the power spectrum. The woman's power should have terrified me, but 8 wasn't scared at all, really. Tobias could have turned all of Central City to ash with little effort if he tried, although that was a month ago, back before I changed the fate of this country. Back then, I was already having conflicting feelings about being sent to kill my friend, but now I was even more confused. Was it worth it to throw away power that was superior to my own at least one hundred fold?
A dark streak ran across the sky and slammed itself into the city, liquifying it's landing zone. Unless I was mistaken, this could only be my half-brother, Garrett. He had chosen to stick by Tobias back then, so it was impossible to know in advance if I could trust him. All I could do was try. Garrett hadn't landed too far away, so I broke into a jog and investigated. "Need a hand, Lil Bro?" I teased, extending my hand.
[Iris]
Wow. I knew the city had been frozen, but this? This was beyond impressive. This required the capability to create a city-wide transmutation circle that could revert everything into water and freeze it simultaneously. The potential energy must be enormous! If we even tried to reverse the process, it would've become a gigantic bomb!
Oh, my phone is ringing. "Head to the rendezvous point. You'll be meeting with multiple associates of the God helping us win this war. If you couldn't tell, the militant meeting was a fib." "I figured as much. Where is the rendezvous point?" "Your driver should know. By the way, my superiors want to know who exactly was the person you had us deliver your driver to." "Tell them it's an old friend of mine." "Who can create a special rift? Ugh, your a weird one. They will be discussing this with you later. I hung up.
The car slowed to a halt. He opened the door for me, and I smiled appreciatively. "You can leave, I'll have no troubles getting home." He nodded, and I turned towards these so-called "associates". I heard him drive off, and approached the closest of them. A tiny pulse of magic illuminated several runes around my eyes. My blood magic activated Aura Sight, and I gasped. She was extremely powerful, not to mention a deity. Her aura flared around like a lit match, except this match happened to reach hundreds of feet in the air like a blazing meteor.
"Hello, Miss. I have been assigned by the military to assist the God in winning this war. I am Brigadier General Iris, pleased to meet you. I assume you are one of his associates, given your *cough* status. Please direct me as you please, I am yours to command." I blushed a little. "With all these formalities out of the way, let me translate that into a legible statement. I was sent here to help you and your gang break stuff, living or not."
*cough* *cough*
(( Will respond to Iris once Garrett replies. Tobias and Brom's discussion is going to be written by Scarf. Please don't needlessly post. ))
((Wouldve done this sooner, but you all know how hectic school can make your schedule.))
"Yes, i am Tobias." He replied to the man who appeared from the rocks. "But who are you?" Tobias then lowered his arms as he examined Brom's aura. It had a lot of potential, and it seemed to be somewhat similar to Zicka's in augmentation. This meant that the man was a necromancer. But there was something about the pendant he wore. It was... unique, and had a power of some sort. But the closer he examined, the more clueless he was of its true nature.
"My name's Brom." He responded. Brom then lowered his arms, and walked towards the lightning god. He sighed and smiled. "Ive finally found you... Oh, r-right," Brom said, rummaging through his bag. He got out Zicka's wand and presented it to Tobias. "I made a promise to Zicka. He told me he wanted you to have this." He then held it out for Tobias to grab.
As he took it, Tobias asked, "What for? Wouldnt he need it? Speaking of him, where is he?"
Brom sighed again and lowered his head. His heart felt heavy again, with guilt. "Zicka... Zicka died fighting Alice." A sudden silence surrounded them for a moment. "I managed to talk with him before he passed on, and he made me promise i got this to you."
"Oh... Thank you." Tobias could tell this was a sensitive subject for Brom, so he decided not to press. Yet. "Say, why dont you come to Sinbad? You'll have to go on your own, as we'll be discussing sensitive material, but maybe you can help us fight Caelum."
Brom nodded. "Sure. I'll meet you there." Brom felt better after completing his promise, and had worried before about a purpose aftwerward, as the Tainted were gone, but one presented itself. Brom was going to help Tobias and company fight off Caelum.
((feel free to point out any inconsistencies with Tobias' character or nitpicks overall, Ninja.))
((This seems to be the appropriate moment to drag all of my other characters' over to the group.))
[Vlad]
Wow. Equally mortifying and entrancing. It was as if the beauty of life and existence had been captured on a three-dimensional photograph and suspended in time. Until it melted, at least. Either way, this was definitely worth the trip. As I passed by, I noticer there was an off-putting area nearby. As I got closer, I noticed the ice take on a violet hue.
That's when I saw it. A vast patch of malignant purple frost encompassed the surrounding hundred meters or so. Unlike the rest of the city, which captured the essence of life and fulfillment, this spot truly reminded me of death. A war zone caught forever in the cogs of time. And in the center, a vast monolith of deep indigo pierced the heavens. It was at least twenty feet tall.
I approached with some caution. Who knows what this could do to me. It is quite obviously of Tainted origin, but the mists of mystery still cloud my thoughts. I had gotten close to the pillar, and immediately recognized the shape of a living thing inside. Unlike everything else, it hadn't been transmuted into ice. It looked like the girl from the Tournament.
Everything clicked. Tainted are naturally resistant to magic, and considering she is an extremely powerful one she probably survived the spell! Not one to waste time, I reared my fist back and sent it tearing through the monument. I tore straight through, and happened to cause the structure to collapse in my direction.
In a burst of speed, I released the girl from her chrysalis and escaped the ground-zero. The moment she was free from her tomb, she lashed out reflexively. I didn't really expect her to be conscious, and found myself well outside the irradiated area. Before my eyes, I watched the color drain from the frost and into her, the formerly mutated surroundings now indiscernible from the rest of Sinbad.
I was slightly annoyed when she turned to glare at me, considering how I, you know, just rescued her from a slow death. However, this mild indignation was ignored once she started speaking. Or tried to, at least. The only thing that came out was gasps and wheezes. After a few seconds, she finally tried again.
[Alice]
"You're a monster. I'm nothing now. I have nothing to be. So why, I ask! Why did you free me from my solitude? Why did you free me from death!? There is nothing greater than death, for those of doused hearts. It is the truest freedom. The release of all burdens, of all constriction, of all thought. It is quite. It is peaceful. AND YOU TOOK IT AWAY!!!"
I felt a brief wave of anger try and lash out, and I lazily swung my arm in his direction. Nothing matters, why would this. I sighed, before glancing around. There it was. Moving swiftly, I snatched up a shard of ice and tried to finish the job. I smiled blissfully, but something impeded the passage of my soul. Opening my eyes, I saw him gripping my arm.
I yanked back, but he didn't stop. He looked me in the eyes, with more pity and sympathy than I had ever had the displeasure to witness, and I tried to scream. How despicable! How infallibly idiotic! He thinks he understands, does he? That now I have no home, and no purpose. That I had to watch all of my brothers and sisters fade into oblivion. And that one day, I knew the same would happen to me.
[Vlad]
This girl isn't in her right mind. If she's conscious much longer, she might try to off herself again. Only one option, then. Swinging my arm forward, I elbowed her in the nose. She gasped for air, and I punched her in the side of the head. She reeled off-balance and I tripped her. She landed in a pile of snow, and a quick sleep spell assured she was truly unconscious.
Picking her up bridal-style, I started walking. Where, I don't know. Anywhere's better than this spot. My footsteps echoed against the frosty floors of Sinbad, and a grimace slowly tore through my exterior. What could've caused such a fall from grace? What could've led to such a self-destructive nature?
(( It works perfectly, Scarf. ))
[Tobias]
Zicka died. Because of me.
I hadn't really known him very well, neither here nor in Aer. He had been injured severely and I had used experimental magic to bring his Arcoli into functioning order. I believe his fight was against someone named Alice, which was also the name of his killer. How much time had he bought me? It was definitely my fault that he died, no questions asked. If only I had not rushed off to fight Titaint and spent more time cleaning up my pursuers, he might not have died. Where someone might form a grudge against the murderer of their friend, I couldn't muster any negative feelings for this "Alice" person. They were doing their duty and Zicka got in the way of that. I killed him, yet he likely spent his last seconds on his death bed thinking of how to help me. I could feel a third weight burden my shoulders, as he was the third person who had indirectly died because of me.
The wand he gave me wasn't just a simple catalyst for magical action. This was his will. It is said that, in impossible scenarios, miracles happen, but how could it be possible for Zicka to know that I can know completely understand magic just by looking at it? His death wasn't in vain. This tiny rod contains the sum of his experiences. Just by delivering me this wand, I could understand the fundamentals of death magic and a few more advanced concepts, such as his Mock Tainted. Could he have known the results of his actions? No, that'd be weird. I looked at the wand with a grin. Zicka wasn't dead as long as I carried him with me. He would be alive in me. The Disciple of Death had given me his torch to bear. Regardless, I pushed away all emotions for the time being and got into the helicopter.
"Cronwell, change of plans. Let's head to New Central." I told the agent, who passed the message along to the pilot. New Central was a project to restore the ruins of the once glorious city to a more prestigious state. That was where Cronwell's headquarters were located, so I'd want to head there first. I didn't mention to anybody that I was the one who blasted almost forty five percent of the city into smithereens. I didn't want to go to Sinbad. I was monitoring the whole country with a sonar technique when that disaster had occurred, yet I felt nothing when it happened. Either the caster changed the city in less than a second or she gave off no magic energy, even when doing something on the verge of impossible for a mortal to do. Going there would have no positive effect for me. The aircraft revved to life, then began moving south, toward the center of this country.
"So, what aren't you telling us about Caelum? I know you didn't give me everything back then." Cronwell prodded, sitting across from me.
"Caelum's Emperor is foreign. He's from Eternia, to be specific. If my theories are remotely correct..." I trailed off, looking out the window. "His Jury of Six is an issue. Any one of them is strong enough to easily defeat even Demetria, a daughter of Dimitri. Two of them will always be within fifty feet of the Emperor, so there can only be a maximum of four Jurors here at a time. I'd guess there are that many here right now." I explained. "They work in pairs in a complimentary style. Andromeda, who we are quite familiar with, is one of the more documented members, which isn't saying much. She can both create ice from nothing as well as convert other things into ice, including human flesh."