The Escapist Avatar Adventure: An Open RP (Now Re-Opened!)

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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Rugal looked for trouble, but he could not find any. The streets of Ostia were bustling with people, but there was a strict order to their movements. In each alley he spotted the iconic plume of Roman garrison members with their bronze armor and short swords. From slaves to statesmen, each person walked with urgency and direction, stopping only to exchange brief-but-warm greetings with passing associates and friends.

The city was utterly boring. From his observations, it was a port for Rome. Most of the traffic went directly from the docks up the road and out to the East on carts pulled by oxen or donkeys. The people here were merchants and administrators who spent their time striking trade deals and recording transactions on ledgers. Pleasure existed in restaurants that served bread and wine, and brothels that served women and bread and wine.

Eventually as Rugal passed by a temple on his angry walking, someone tugged on his sleeve. He turned to find himself looking down at a small man. He was young with tan skin and curly dark brown hair. His eyes were a mix of metallic blue and green, and in the orange lamplight, they shone as if crafted of silver.

"Traveler, is something wrong?" the man said as he tucked his hand back into his robes. He looked to be a priest, and from the caduceus stitched on his robe, he was a priest of Mercury. "If something weighs your mind, I invite you into the temple to find some solace in meditation and wine."

Spoiler: B.C.

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Child in Chains

bonnie's story

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Syl looked at B.C. in confusion. "You want to... leave Shuwa?" Syl collected the syrup that B.C. had smeared on her cheek on her fingers and licked it until her hand was clean. She licked her lips, swallowing quickly before she decided to speak again. "Far be it from me to stop you, but it just seemed odd to me. Most people spend their life trying to get on Shuwa is the thing."

Syl collected her chains and wrapped them around her neck like some sort of brutalist necklace. She pointed back toward where the Dahmahwa were still rampaging. "I suppose that if you want to just leave, you can follow the pirate vessel until it touches down to rescue those poor idiots." She turned toward the direction of the sun, whose rays filtering through the canopy covered the two women in dappled light. "If that is your wish then I will part with you here. I plan to journey to the core of Shuwa and claim whatever treasures this terrible planet hides in it's mysterious depths."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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His search was going about as well as he feared it would ("Come on. This many merchants and no one is trying to rob them?!") when the priest got this attention.
Pausing for a moment as he examined the temple, he gave an answer stating: "...I doubt that I'll find much solace this night, but it won't be from a lack of trying. Very well, lead the way."
A short walk later and he was inside, deciding to break the ice with some talk on religion (As well as trying to find out if his understanding of Roman gods was still valid in this strange world).
"Hm...Seems like a fitting place for a temple to Mercury. God of Merchants, financial gain, commerce, eloquence poetry, communication , travelers, luck, trickery and thieves, least that's my understanding of him. Do correct me if I am wrong..." He spoke, hoping to come off more as a earnest traveler then the wounded man he felt like.
It was then that another interpretation of Mercury came to mind: "He was also said to guide souls to the underworld. One of the people from my-...my "homeland" even bore his name as she did the same, albeit her methods of giving guidance were a lot more..."

He trailed off as perhaps a place of worship wouldn't be the best place to discuss the antics of the Priestess Rory Mercury, adding "Again, this is my understanding of Mercury and I'm quickly learning my understanding of this land is...shaky at best..."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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The priest smiled, "Yes, yes." Despite his young age his demeanor was kindly and old-nature, "Mercury is very much a god of many means, of which you missed only one, which is the god of art and invention." The inside on the temple was marble decorated with careful flourishes of gold trim. Several small idols stood center of altars lit by lamplight. There was a bronze sconce at the center of the room in which a low flame burned among the embers. "But you make your foreignness quite apparent with your presumption of our worship, traveler. Mercury is not a god of merchants and travelers, but the God who merchants and travelers worship. It is similar to the idea of Holy Trinity. The three pieces of God are not individual Gods, but aspects of a divinity of which the people of your era worship."

He picked up an olive cane and tapped it twice on the polished stone floor. The sound echoed through the temple, filling the space with the warm voice of wood. "Gods are everywhere at once. They are in the air we breathe, the stone below us, and the blowing of the winds. From the flow of water to the turn of the sun, their influence is what keeps this world alive. The gods are not separate from us just as we are not separate from them. But they are not us, through their blood runs blessed ichor, born of the heavenly ambrosia. Of this we know when Venus tore her arm on the spear of Achilles."

"And there are more gods than just the Canonical Twelve. There are the gods of rivers and plains, of mountains and shores, and the countless nameless spirits which inhabit the far reaches of Gaea's realm. In this way our world is different from yours. Religion is not an after thought here, it is a part of life. And under the blessing of this unity, we find our society at peace."

The priest put his hand on Rugal's and turned it over. Several small coins dropped into his palm. Five silver coins and two gold coins. "Here is a gift for a traveler who is very far from home." He put both hands over Rugal's and bent his fingers over the coins. "And don't you dare refuse it. This is a gift from God and a sign of my Xenos."

The priest then shuffled Rugal back toward the door, all the while talking in hushed tones, "I am sure that if you behave and learn to think critically, going home to see your family will be an easy task for someone as experienced as yourself. Roma is a gentile realm where nuance over force is rewarded. You have this terrible bull-headed tendency to just do whatever you think is the most spectacular course of action. Bury that instinct and instead seek deliberate action and you should do well going forward."

The priest finally took his hands off of Rugal when they were at the steps leading down from the entrance of the temple down to the street. He stood there, eyes gleaming in the firelight and hands gently holding that well worn staff. "If you want some of my advice, there is a very nice storefront someways down near the docks that sells glis[footnote]A species of dormouse found in Rome. It is considered a delicacy and is eaten roasted with a side of honey.[/footnote]. You should be able to get enough for five with a silver coin."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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...My Era?...

While the priest was making good points about being more level headed in his actions, ironically that speech made the part where he seemed to know about the fact he wasn't from this region...or timeline.
"...That is a good bit of advice, one I'll confess I haven't heeded much in my life but now that I have received your charity, I have to ask: You going to tell me how you, a priest for a god I never worshiped, in a town I've never visited before and whom I've yet to even give my name to, knows not only that I'm from another reality altogether but also seems to know about my goddamn family?"
Rather then heading back onto the street, Rugal instead stepped ahead before softly closing the door and turning back to the priest.
"This is a conversation I find myself learning a lot from. Shall we continue it?"

Walking back into the heart of the temple, he continued his line of questioning by adding "And if you know my family then I might ask do you know that they are in danger? That our last meeting involved the aftermath of a large explosion in time and space. That I don't know if they are alive, dead or somewhere else entirely like I am. I understand that your message was one of restraint. To ensure that my actions are deliberate and well considered. While I mightn't have followed that lesson before, I like to think of myself as a good student. Perhaps this is a dead end, that you know about as much about what's going on as I do, in which case I apologize. But know I have zero intention of leaving this temple until you tell me Every. Single. Detail. about what you know about me and my family."

Striding back to the priest, his expression was a more stern one as he adjusted his gloves slightly, making sure he would see him do so.
"And then I want you to tell me how you got this information, whom you got it from, whom they got it from and where I can find them. If you know anything about who I am and who I was in my homeland, then you should know better then to lie to me..."

 

[Zepherus14]

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Table for Two

Nina's story

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Spoiler

Phillip paused as the area around him changed in a blink of his nonexistent eye. The quiet sound of his rubbery skin slowly rolling over itself as he peered at the various slates of floating stone and eventually the new version of Miriam [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/327145717124825088/419968717519192084/EdgeLord_Miriam_appears.png]. Her lust for pain would have put off many, but Phillip was disturbed by something else entirely. That feeling within him of that missing space, like waking in the middle of the night with a numb limb, it seemed to wain as Phillip glanced up at that particular slab Miriam stood upon. That brief feeling of the boxes still stored within him, his cooking equipment, Nina's real hat, he knew it was all in there, but wasn't until now that'd felt any difference in that emptiness he'd experienced before arriving here.

And just as soon as he noticed, a singular tendril reaching out touch the offending tablet, he was back in the train car. Whatever that was just now, clearly it was important for whatever was currently going on here, but Phillip didn't have time to mull on that now, Nina had wandered off somewhere and that'd been a royal pain in Phillip's side.

---

'Who even is this Matron?' The thought crossed Nina's mind as she saw Mnemonyse put down her weapons. She'd only heard it mentioned a few times before, but this was definitely a clearly showing she wasn't up to speed.

"Strangers or not, Phillip wouldn't be wrong and Mnemonyse here wasn't playing around either. That stuff is dangerous, I'm sure of it. And even if we haven't known each other for long at all, that doesn't change the fact I couldn't live with myself if you all ate essentially cyanide. Especially you Talavie, you've been nothing but pleasant to Phillip and I. You got a wonderful husband, at least one kid." She said motioning to Cuelle. "That's why I..." Nina began to continue until Crown mentioned all of the patrons in their dining car had eaten the Stardust. "E-Everyone?"

Crown may very well have found Nina was running a fever, Nina's own insanity wouldn't be able to help offset any danger here. She genuinely believed that they'd eaten something seriously harmful, life threatening even. "I'm absolutely serious! This isn't some kind of joke! Why else would we have been scrambling to get here?!" Nina pushed Crown's hand away, taking a step back. "Didn't we tell you two not to eat any of that? I get you don't need to listen to me, but even Phillip? He might not have these same colours as everyone else does, but he knows his food! How could you forget that?" Nina protested.

"They might not remember that, that's what Han Anhkhem does after all." Phillip said as he slid into the room, looking like he'd catapulted himself into the room from the dining car. "PHILLIP!" Nina exclaimed, apparently the last one to pick up on Phillip's presence from beyond the car's walls as she ran over to him, stooping down and scooping him up into her chest. "You're okay!!"

The hug was short lived, Phillip would rather effortlessly spring out of Nina's clutches with a wet popping sound. "No time for that, don't care about you getting lost, or Miriam probably not adding the stardust to the palette cleanser, or even you two not listening." Phillip stated from atop Nina's shoulder, pointing a tentacle to Talavie and Crown. "There's a stone slab in a space outside this train that is keeping me from my cookbook. I want it back." Nina could feel Phillip's grip tighten as she considered what he's said, his trip hadn't been a waste clearly, and the mention of stone slabs made Nina think of the stone maze that had tried to swallow her.

"Wait slow down, I believe you but we need to think about this. Did you find a cure for the stardust?""There isn't one, not that Miriam or I know of.""Darn... And you don't know any way to reverse it Mnemonyse, maybe something on Shuwa? Maybe some of that... Ankhem um... Hessai? Is that something we could use?" Nina rubbed her forehead trying to think. There'd been so much that'd been shoved into her noggin she had a hard time remembering it all. "Or who is the Matron? She's been mentioned several time, and she's clearly important but I don't think she's been explained yet. Do you?" She tentatively asked Phillip, who shook a voiceless 'no'.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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"Father in heaven," the priest said. He turned back toward Rugal and let got of his staff so that it stood balanced on the floor next to him. The flames in the sconces continued their slow burn."You are as bull-headed as my brother-in-law, I swear." The young man walked up to Rugal and put his hands over Rugal's hands and clapped them gently. Rugal's arms went slack, a sudden numbness having over taken his hands and arms.

"I am just a simple priest, I do not know what you seek and no amount of threats you make will do you any good," her sat down on a couch that lay to the right of the temple hall. "Force, force, and more force. That is all you know. You think that you're a leader of men, but when it comes down to it you feign amiability and resort to intimidation, violence, or threats." He closed his eyes and shook his head. His brown hair fell in dancing curls around his face. When he resumed talking, he brushed his bangs out of his eyes. In the firelight they shimmered as if silver-by-moonlight, "In the same breath you use to say that you have taken my lesson to heart, you threaten me for information, and more than that you back it up with a show of physical force. Small wonder that you are so ill-fit. Not only do your colors not match ours, but your mind itself seems to exist in a different continuum altogether."

"If you seek omens for things to come, then find an seer of Apollo and bid to him plentiful sacrifice and donations," the priest smiled, "otherwise I have given you all that I can. Remember what I have told you mere moments before, Roma is a gentile realm. We solve problems through nuance, decorum, and our words. Almost never do we resort to violence, for that is the way of the barbarians."

The priest stood up and walked back over to his staff. He put a hand on it and Rugal regained the feelings in his arms. "Mr. Rugal Bernstein, you must decide whether you are a character, or if you are a person." He opened the door and motioned out toward the bustling city.

The moon had settled in the sky near the horizon. It's massive alabaster body seemed to look straight at Rugal from between the columns next to the temple door.

Spoiler: Nina

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Table for Two

Nina's story

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Crown grinned. He was clearly happy that he had the chance once again to explain something. "The Matron, you see my foreign friends, is the one that has given all of us life, an entity whose influence spans the entire universe, of which we all-"

"Oh shut up you noisy chatterbox," Cuelle said dismissively as one of her ribbons slapped Crown in the face. He stumbled on his feet, taken aback by the sudden violent action. Cuelle sent him a killing glare through her blindfold. "The Matron is the first progenitor. She gave life to all of the lineages which we each reside. Nothing more, nothing less. The fact that some people idolize her as some sort of living god is their prerogative."

Talavie giggled and wrapped her arms around Cuelle, "That's no good Cuelle, you can't go around being rude to strangers!"

"I've seen into him. He does not deserve the satisfaction of speaking," Cuelle replied.

"I dare say that was quite insolent!" Crown retorted as he got back up. He adjusted his hat and sunglasses.

Talavie cast an amused look over at Nina, "She takes after her father. She's so diligent!"

"With an irresponsible mother like you, I must be." Cuelle shot back.

"I couldn't wish for a better daughter," Talavie said as she leaned into Cuelle, resting her chin on the top of the teenage girl's head. "Isn't she just adorably precocious?"

Faea frowned, "As much as I enjoy pointless banter, I am concerned about this... Stardust that you mentioned." She summoned a web into her hands with a flick of her fingers and spiders started to crawl out on the silken threads she held in her hand. "You speak of it like an immortal-killing substance. Do you have reason to believe that this is a terrorist attack?"

Nocturne chimed at this development.

"'A move by a human organization?' he says," Cuelle translated.

"I doubt it. While my lines in the kitchen are cut, I did not hear anything that implicated foul play at such a basic level." Faea turned around and looked at Mnemosyne. "Would you like to elaborate why Nina here turned to you so quickly for advice about this Han Anhkhem?"

"What me?" Mnemosyne put her hands up in denial, "No! No! It was probably just a gut reaction, since I'm a avatar of lost memories and all that, you know?"

"It also has been bothering me that you carry around human firearms with you. You know that they can't kill anybody on this train, so why do you have them with you?"

Mnemosyne went white and she vocalized her thought process with a noise that reminded Nina of a fish drowning on land.

Faea continued, "Moreover, your clothing is a weave of a material that's not native to Anazorzia isn't it?"

"Ahh......" Mnemosyne answered eloquently. It looked as if the poor woman had turned into a statue.

"Are you truly a daughter of Primal Knowledge?" Faea sauntered up to Mnemosyne, she lowered her lips to Mnemosyne's bare neck, "If you are, you won't mind if I take a little drink right? Just to make sure you're really who you say you are."

"WHILE I REASSERT THAT YES, I AM THE DAUGHTER OF PRIMAL KNOWLEDGE, I WOULD REALLY PREFER THAT YOU DID NOT GET ALL SUCCUBUS-Y WITH ME RIGHT NOW IN THIS HIGH TENSION SITUATION." Mnemosyne answered calmly and collectedly.

Nocturne chimed.

"'I believe she is who she says she is,' he says" Cuelle said.

"Very well then," Faea stood back up. "That still leaves us in quite the situation. We have what our foreign guests claim to be an attempted mass-poisoning with a chemical agent that was only recognized by our foreign friends and a girl wearing foreign clothing. Just how tangled is this web of ours?"

"Han Anhkhem is non-fatal to humans. But otherwise its effects are irreversible."

"No joke?" Talavie said. She played with the ribbon keeping Cuelle's dress in place with her hands. "What's this stuff do and where is it from, 'cause I swear I've had it before."

Mnemosyne bit her lip, "A world called Shuwa, it grows in the light of a star that is foreign to Anazorzia."

"So you admit to being a foreigner!" Faea interrupted.

"No!" Mnemosyne snapped back, "I'm a realmwalker if you don't mind! Anazorzia is my home too damn it!"

"If you're a realmwalker then did you bring this stuff to Anazorzia!?"

"I don't believe Mnemosyne is our culprit," Crown said.

"And what makes you so sure of that!?"

"Because of that!" Cuelle screamed.

The train car was suddenly plunged into absolute pitch darkness.

Nina found herself alone in this empty world. The only reassurance of Philip's presence was the gentle weight of his tentacles on her bare skin. This was just like when she fell into the maze earlier, the world was devoid of feeling and emotion. There was no cold nor hot, wet or dry, light and color, and sound. This time there wasn't even the confusing reassurance of a memory to color the world around her.

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When the world came back, there were only grim faces to greet Nina. Everyone was sitting in sullen silence. The universe outside was dark. There were no stars, no galaxies, not even the flickering after-images of black holes. Were they already at the end of the universe? Were they in absolute nothingness?

Nocturne was gone and Faea looked shocked beyond belief. Mnemosyne held her knees to her chest. Even Talavie was in silent shock as she cradled Cuelle in her bosom. Nina eyes couldn't see it, but Philip definitely could. Like an aurora of blood, the words echoed through the minds of every horror in the train.

The Matron is dead. She had been murdered.

 

[bluerocker]

Inuart took an involuntary step backwards as he was assailed by the sights of his...dream? Vision? Premonition? Whatever it was - a strange series of images danced in his field of view, be they of his minds eye or they actually set before him in a manner akin to a hologram. He tried his hardest to piece together what exactly it was, and comprehended best as a 'story' - a strange story, akin to the myths of his old world. A story of sacrifices, war, and of a god who watched all while in the depths of a mountain; a mountain resting in the land Inuart sought to journey towards as his only frame of reference.

This woman who traveled with him - was she the same as the one in the story? Or was the woman in his dream perhaps a predecessor of Alesha's, one who bore the duties long before she ever did. It was chillingly reminiscent of the Goddesses of his old world - maidens who body and spirit were considered the property of the gods; to be untouched in exchange for keeping the world in balance. The gods. They claimed to own everything, didn't they?

Just what was he dealing with here? Was he pitting himself unwittingly with a god? Or perhaps his companion was even more powerful than he initially realized, as a priestess of something he couldn't comprehe-

"If only I had the strength..."

No, not that again! He already fell for that trap last time - he had the strength now, earned it even!

He...he did...right?

-----​

The memory came to Inuart as if it were only yesterday. It was earlier into his tenure in the world he would come to call his new home, when himself and his companions were all staying at the esteemed Maximilian's estate. He and Albert were mopping up the remnants of one of Cortex's experiments, and in an effort to make the work more enjoyable, the duo had taken to swapping stories. Inuart talked of his homeland before the war; tales of his father, how he was taught to sing, his romance before it turned to rot. Albert, on the other hand, focused on stories of his time working under Bernstein in the A.I.M. This one in particular, had been regarding one of Bernstein's old nemesis, an Angel that called itself "Tomoya"...

"...And as much as he would like to give himself credit, it was my solution that enabled him to paralyze him long enough to extract the Arch Angel's power." He had reached for a cup of coffee he had set aside, and sipped the drink casually, as if he wasn't talking about subduing what amounted to a Demi-god.

Inuart had stopped in his tracks, his eyes practically bugging out of his head. He remembered the Angels during his time working under the AIM as well, especially how terrifying most humans considered them. His head tilted in disbelief, in a manner that better resembled a confused dog as he asked, "You developed a serum that enables you to subdue those things? By the gods!"

"Funny, isn't it? A being infused with the very power of-...at least one of the Gods of this realm. And I brought him low with simple chemistry..."

"Hold on... No magic, no curses, no psionics... Just chemistry?!" A small smile quirked at the corners of his mouth as he murmured in admiration, "Brilliant as always, Albert."

"While I wasn't proud of myself for working with him, I have to say..." He paused, before his expression shifted to one that was slightly more sheepish, "It did feel pretty 'badass'. That's the thing about gods and demi-gods. It's better to think of them less as being some almighty being and more-...being on another 'Level' so. Imagine me fighting, say...a snake. Who do you think would win?"

Inuart stopped to ponder the question, before he thought aloud, "Well, what kind of snake? I read in yours and Cortex's books that there are many kinds. Snakes that bite with poison, and snakes longer than we are tall, who constrict and break bones."

"Any kind. Think about it, I am larger, faster, stronger and smarter then any venomous snake. I'd basically be a god to one of them, wouldn't you think so?"

"But, a snake doesn't think like a man. It would think you a very large animal, such as one that was trying to eat it."

"Exactly. It doesn't care who I am or what I can do. It doesn't cower nor does it try to build shrines in my honor or start some stupid religious conflict among it's kin. And even with my power and wisdom, all the snake needs to do is strike where I least expect. Coiling around my neck to break it, maybe injecting venom into my heart or head, my healing factor won't save me from that. Some snake god I'd be then." He simply shrugged before finishing off his coffee, "Nothing is more dangerous to a god then a non-believer. Something Tomoya learned the hard way..."

Inuart snapped out of his reverie, suddenly feeling more at ease about this whole situation than he had upon arrival to this city. Yes, that's right. Gods can be bound. Gods can be subdued with the tools of Mankind. Gods can die. Inuart was no plaything of the gods - no longer. He had shirked them upon entering his new homeland, his acknowledgement of them filled with contempt and spite where desperation once was. The gods could not, would not help him. Why should he love them, when they were cold and uncaring? Furthermore, why would they deserve his fear?

Back to the plan - make nice with the priestess. Smile like he would at any autograph signing, act like nothing was wrong. But he would wait - oh he would wait...
He turned back to his companion with a genial expression, offering his arm again as he spoke, "My apologies, I fear that I was a little overwhelmed by the sights and possibilities. Now, since the fears of taboo are dealt with...."

He stepped forward with purpose, making his way to the community fountain, and looked around amongst the adventurers to see with who was the most well traveled, someone weathered and worn - armor that was dull and chipped instead of shiny and new. Upon seeing someone that closely met that description, Inuart asked plainly and politely, "Pardon my intrusion. My companion and I are seeking our way to the temple city of Crosis. Unfortunately, I'm not terribly familiar with the layout of this area. Could you possibly point us in the right direction?"

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Inuart

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Lost to Love
Inuart's Story​

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"You've got a hankering to see the Daughters of Crosis?" the adventurer laughed. He was a middle-aged man with windblown black hair and a scruffy beard speckled with white patches. He clasped his hands together and shook them twice gently. "I jest, I jest." He looked over Inuart and then looked over Alesha. Then he cleared his throat. "If you're just trying to get to Crosis I would recommend that you take the East road through the Farren hinterlands and then turn North once you reach Crow's Roost. But that journey is difficult, there aren't a lot of resting spots down that path, and the terrain is not suitable for womenfolk." The adventurer cleared his throat, "not that I'm disrespecting the ability of one of them Daughters of Crosis, but it is a difficult landscape to cross not only barefoot, but bearing such a heavy... burden on her shoulders. It's just practical is all."

He sat up and pointed Westward. "If you go West into Crior then the road itself is easier. The route there follows the Ieva upstream so the game and forage is not only plentiful, but the earth there is soft and accommodating."

"Oh, that sounds sublime!" Alesha said as she took Inuart's arm again. She lay her head on his shoulder.

Inuart's intuition told him that there was a catch.

"There's a catch though."

Of course there was.

"Crior is most likely going to take your woman away from you. The theocracy has very strict rules about men and women travelling together, and even stricter when it concerns a woman as special as the one on your arm."

"Don't you forget it. I'm special beyond belief!" Alesha chimed in using a sing-song voice. She seemed to be enjoying herself somewhat at least.

The adventurer cleared his throat again and then, looking mortified, excused himself, "I wasn't meaning no disrespect, just, my age is getting to me. Too many trips into the White Barrens has left me coughin' and the like. I ain't no young man anymore and I'm havin' a hard time y'know... ah... my body just isn't what it used to be." He kept his eyes on Inuart, but he couldn't help but flicker his gaze toward Alesha on his arm.

Alesha was smiling as she always had been. It was actually starting to get unnerving since Inuart couldn't see her eyes underneath that leather blindfold. He could feel the soft warmth of her hands wrapped around his forearm though. While there was no tension in her touch, there was something else that was unsettling.

"If you need a map," he said suddenly as he reached into his knapsack, "you can take one of mine. I have some old leftovers from my last expedition up North." He produced a folded parchment. The colors were brilliant, the surface was a beautiful illustrated map made from fresh ink on white paper weave. He handed it to Inuart, "This was one of my son's. He won't be needing it anymore, so I hope you'll get some use from it. We had taken the East road up toward the Valley of the Pilgrims... was looking for... don't know what we were looking for to be completely honest." There was a brief pause in the man's speech. There was a mist in his eyes and he took some time to look away and blink them dry. "We were just looking for a miracle."

"Wonderful," Alesha said. "Isn't this just great, Inuart? Things are really going our way!"

"My name is Elluar Finnegan," the adventurer said suddenly, "my son was Roren Finnegan. I'm wishing you luck on your journey, young man... Inuart."

"Oh, we won't need luck," Alesha answered, "Inuart is a hero after all." Then she turned to Inuart, "Where to next then, hero?"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Extremely sorry for the delay

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

Rugal's story

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[hr]

"!?!?!?"
It went without staying that the lack of feeling in his arms was alarming, this priest had managed to best him so easily?! What did he use?! Hokuto Shinken? Dim Mak? Or was it just magic?
"W-what did you do?!....Grrrrrr..." Rugal grumbled as he attempted to move either of his arms, finding himself having little ability to do so despite an almost comic display of them waving limply from his movements
While he had the use of his legs, any fight would be a short lived one if he didn't find a way past that (And that would be also assuming he couldn't do the same to his legs!).
It wasn't often he was humiliated humbled like this and as much as that would normally silence a man, it had mixed results in the aging King of Fighter's mind.
...Way of barbarians? Says the man who stands between a man and his family. Who the FUCK does he think he-......*sigh* Clearly someone on another level...damn gods... He silently thought as he was once again reminded just how worthless strength seemed to be here.
He said nothing as he was escorted out of the temple, rubbing his arms as feeling returned to them.

"...Seer of Apollo...Fine, we'll play it your way..." He spat, not really enjoying the constant dressing down he had received once again.
It was a rather infuriating thing for him to feel "Powerless", even when surrounded by corrupt world leaders and heartless criminals, he always had his strength to fall back on.
Without that and the high stakes of his "Quest" of sorts, anger was quickly starting to return to him.
Pacing back though the crowds, he decided if nothing else, he'd take the priest's suggestion for some "glis" but what he'd do after that would be a harder question to answer.
No doubt Livia would know where about to find such a seer but considering his failure at protecting her people, that meeting mightn't go as well as he would hope.
One somewhat unsatisfying meal later ("I've eaten insects with more meat...and less bones..."), he once more found himself going back to the rest inn Livia and the others were at, bracing himself for a "Warm" welcome by the survivors...

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

When Rugal returned to Livia's room he found the three remaining handmaidens tending to a supper preparation. They had laid out several small plates of fruits, breads, and cheeses. There was a single plate that was empty. Kleo, now the oldest after Eurydice passed, shook her head as she addressed the two younger handmaidens. "Didn't you tell me that getting glis here would be a sure thing?"

Ortha sighed. She was sitting on the floor, feet and hands raw from carrying a heavy load through the night. Several baskets of goods were stacked neatly next to her. There was also a large pot of salt sitting in a decorated vessel bound by ropes. "By the time I got the the supplier at the docks, they were sold out."

"Well, there's nothing to be done about it. It's been illegal for about a generation now," Phili chimed in as she finished setting up Livia's bed. "It's bound to be difficult to get given that it's not exactly easy to sell under the nose of the guards."

Ortha pouted.

"Well we're not in a good place to be pointing fingers at each other. I'll go out and get some pheasant or venison for supper." Kleo stood up, dusted herself off and turned to leave. "Even though we've lost big sister Eury, we can't let it get to us. She knew better than any of us what it means to serve. We must make her proud as she watches us from Elysium."

In her haste she bumped into Rugal. Kleo cleared her throat, startled, but adamant in her composure, "Oh. Strength be to you, honored guest." Then she slipped by him and hurried out.

Phili and Ortha waved weakly at Rugal. Though they weren't enthused by him, they offered him no lack of their previous respect. They bowed slightly. Ortha then said, "Honored guest. Would you like to take some bread and wine before bed?"

"Before Mistress Livia gets back?" Phili hissed.

"This is polite in Rome," Ortha answered with a swift kick to Phili's shins, "we're not in Britannia anymore."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

...of course he saw this coming. Deities, always with the vague messages... Rugal remarked when the conversation turned to glis, realizing the priest's intention behind such a suggestion (And making him glad he only tried eating one).
It was still a bit disheartening to hear about "Eury" like this but if nothing else, he could assist them with supper.
"No need for the formalities. I'm neither worth honor or to be called your guest. That being said, I believe these might be what you are looking for..." He said before presenting the bag holding the cooked mice in it to Phili.
"Help yourselves to these. I tried one myself but it's taste disagrees with me. I'll stick to larger game..." He added before slowly walking though the room, noticing the absence of Livia.
"...Hm...I had hoped to speak with the Mistress but if nothing else, a drink might help pass the time until her return..."

This felt awkward, least with the given context of their journey here but hopefully some liquor would help ease his troubled mind a little as he offered to pour some glasses for the servants.
"I was hoping to ask her about the Seer of Apollo. Apparently such a person has information that could be invaluable for returning me home. Do any of you know of such a person?" Rugal started to pry, seeing if they knew anything about what that priest was on about.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

Phili took the bag graciously and bowed deeply, "Um.... Thank you!" She blushed, flustered by the sudden turning of fortunes. She took out the roasted meats and gingerly laid them out on the plats next to the fruits. She filled a small silver vessel with honey and put it next to the glis.

Ortha brought a small cup of wine to Rugal. It was sweet and acidic, raw to a degree that wasn't all that common in the modern vintages he was used to. It was a little rough around the edges but enjoyable none the less. "I'm sorry, Mistress Livia had left for the Temple of Minerva. She should be back soon." She set the wine jug some ways away and refused to take a cup for herself. They sat at the floor near the couch that they had set up supper around.

"I was hoping to ask her about the Seer of Apollo. Apparently such a person has information that could be invaluable for returning me home. Do any of you know of such a person?" Rugal asked.

Phili furrowed her brow, "Apollo? I'm sorry. I'm not as educated as Eury or Kleo. I don't know who Apollo is. Do you Ortha?"

Ortha shook her head sadly, "I'm not sure either."

"Apollo is the sun god," Livia said as she ducked into the room from the terrace.

"Mistress!" Phili bowed.

"Roast dormouse," Livia said quietly as she walked over to the couch and sat down. "Eurydice's idea right?"

Ortha nodded solemnly.

"That girl was sentimental to a fault," Livia said. She tore a piece from the carcass and took a small bite of the brown flesh. "The last time I was here, my father purchased this for me. It was the last meal I shared with him. Two years is a pretty short time. Tastes the same. I guess some things don't change. Where's Kleo?"

"Gone to fetch more meat, mistress," Ortha answered.

Livia nodded and then turned to Rugal, "You are desperate if you're looking for a priestess of Apollo. The sun is strong, yes, but also dangerous. I would wager that a servant of Mercury, or Mercury himself put that thought into your head." There was a pause as she plucked some figs from the plate and ate them. "Of course, the strongest of Apollo's maidens is the girl at Delphi, in faraway Greece, the second resides in Siwah as a servant of Ammon, in sun-scorched Egypt. To hear them would cost you a hundred heads of cattle or silver in the same worth. Seek Apollo at your own peril, for unlike Bacchus he is not so whimsical as to entertain unworthy mortals."

"What did Minerva say?" Phili finally said, breaking her uncomfortable silence.

"About what?" Livia asked.

"About, y'know..." Phili turned to look at Rugal. "Our journey."

"Accidents happen. It is the fault of neither the fool nor the master. If we lay our friend to rest with her memory in our heart, she will do well in Elysium regardless of the nature of her death. As for those who you would hold responsible, forgive both them and yourself. Such were the words of the Owl." Livia shrugged. "Live happily because it would be a shame not to do so otherwise. Like the words of a grandmother."

"That's a lot of words I don't really understand," Phili responded, dismayed.

"We make for Pompeii tomorrow like we would have otherwise. There I will take our guest to the forum and maybe he can find someone to help him find a disciple of Bacchus."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

"...I was thinking it wasn't going to be that simple......" Rugal sighed as Livia explained the service fee of Apollo's servants, something that he could afford in his own time but not here.
The guess about Mercury seemed a bit too good to be a guess but he decided against questioning it, rather focusing on his task.
"Hm, religion...always with money grubbing..." He muttered under his breath as he had some more wine, thinking about how exactly one could get such a sum.
Robbery was the easy option, but knowing this world, that would be more complicated than he'd like, nevermind the moral reasons against it.
Gazing out the window, he kept silent when the topic turned to Minerva, knowing they were talking about what happened to Eurydice.
When the conversation then changed to their travel plans, he spoke up asking "Very well. Pompeii is closer then Greece or Egypt. That being said, I do hope that this follower of Bacchus will finally reveal the secret of my presence here..."

Taking another sip of his wine, he moved from the window before deciding to have some bread, still standing rather then sitting.
"...Just one thing...This "Minerva"...what did she say about the raiders? Should they be forgiven as well?..."
It was a bold question but one he felt needed to be asked, for as much as this realm might pride itself on peace and diplomacy, he knew better then to rely on such measures alone in order to prevent evil.

After all, they did little to slow his rise to power back in his youth...

 

[Silence]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

[hr]

This was a lot of new information, and Anjali's head was spinning. She had never heard these words before, as this was a new world altogether. For a moment she thought that it might resemble her old home more closely, but thinking about it, it seemed more like a distant future than traveling to the past.

She knew she was not a vampire, no part of this Crimson Congregation, but she knew why she had to keep her head down, still. Maybe, eating what she ate, she was closer to the vampires than to the other people of this world. That is, if any of the fallen civilization were still around. This was a place ravaged after some powerful magic had gotten loose, a magic ... no, she did not know if it was the same kind of magic she could use. Or if the magic of the soul essence even was the same as the one of the Crimson Congregation.

Puppeteers were interesting, and Freya apparently was one of them ... it kept Anjali thinking. She knew she could control spirits, but would she not be able to be a puppeteer herself? One that could do it more directly. She did not know why she had those thoughts, stealing others freedom was not really something she wanted to do. She stopped and turned, as Freya finally came back. Trying a not intimidating smile, she greeted her.

"I ... like I said before, it might be good if I got back there again. I don't know how people are, and they might be more in trouble than this world is. The big catastrophe happened here already, didn't it?

I was thinking, could this Nightshade artifact bring me back? Or maybe find this artifact called Echo, to find this other one? I'm ... I'm not sure how you want to handle this. Or me. There's ... I'm getting hungry as well, and I don't know how accomodating you are to ... uh ... undead."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

"It is without ambiguity that we are to forgive the bandits," Livia answered without so much as a second thought. A cool breeze blew through the room from the coast side windows. The air was thick with the smell of brine as much as it carried the sweet smell of meats and baking bread. Livia undid her hair so that the long red strands cascaded down her shoulders and back like strands of blood-stained silk.

Kleo broke the silence by coming back through the door holding a pot in both hands. Her face was flushed with the effort of bringing such a heavy load along with her. She cleared her throat, "Ah, Mistress. I had not known that you had already returned. I would have hurried faster if I had known." Kleo put the pot down in front of the couches and undid the rope knot at it's top. "I had the fortune of running into Lord Gaius Valerius Catullus and he gifted me with some of the food he was carrying in his own entourage. We have some beef braised in spices from the Persians, quite good, he claims." She uncorked the pot and a sudden bouquet of earthy flavors exploded into the room. There was cumin and allspice, cinnamon and saffron, traces of myrrh and frankincense, cloves and pepper. The beef was stewed with some sort of vegetable in a thick almost curry-like sauce dashed with colorful peppers of yellow and red and green. Moreover it had a sweet scent to it that was different than the smell of honey. It was cleaner, crisper, and more intense.

"Sugar!" Phili said, bolting up from her seat. "This is a marinade made with sugar!"

Livia was surprised, "You said Catullus gave this to us?"

"Yes!" Kleo replied in the same tone of disbelief. "Apparently it was a gift from his brother in Troy, but there was so much that he couldn't take it all back to Rome with him!"

"While I don't buy that explanation for a second, his whimsical generosity is not unknown," Livia clapped her hands, "Well, as long as we have it, we should all partake in to this gifted feast."

[hr]

After dinner, Livia sent Ortha, Kleo, and Phili to bed and asked Rugal to join her on the terrace. Outside the air had become somewhat cold, but the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The moon was now high in the sky, it's blood red visage casting an ominous air across the city of Ostia. The sconces had begun to burn low as the late hours ebbed into the first ticks of the morning. There were sharp whistles from the docks as fishing boats began to leave port, headed toward the sea with nets set on catching the schools of fish lured into a feeding frenzy by the umbral moon.

Kyuubey sat on the railing, his tail waved back and forth like a metronome. His eyes glimmered in the same red as the moon above. Livia put her hands gently on its face, rubbing its fur coat affectionately. There was a period of silence when the wind lulled. All that Rugal could hear was Livia's soft breath. Her chest rose and fell in simple rhythm, her silhouette captured by the light of the moon. Livia tucked her hair behind her ears before she turned to Rugal, "Why do you do the things you do?"

Kyuubey stretched its legs and padded over to where Rugal was standing.

"What drives you, Rugal, to act the way you do?" Livia turned toward the sky. The drifting clouds were like running silver under the light of the moon. "Is it love? Is it want, desire, anger or hatred? And of what? For what? The more that I look at you, the more I see a fragmented mirror, pieces of silver reflecting a confused man inside that massive body of yours. You are not of my people, foreign, yes, but strange in a way that is different from the other travelers from worlds abroad."

Livia's eyes glimmered silver-blue in the light of the night. Silent wings brought two beautiful horned owls to perch on the terrace rail. Their yellow eyes shone like spotlights in the darkness.

"I was asked to see into your future, and your past, but I found nothing. It is like peering into an abyss, nothing makes sense. I cannot tell who you are, what you want, and for what you live for. It is as if you are not truly a person." The words that left Livia's mouth were of a different timbre than the playful tone that Rugal remembered. It was then that the stars in the sky moved, no, the stars were never in the sky. The shadow behind Livia finally became clear as the clouds covered the rays of moonlight.

A pale maiden in armor stood where Livia had been standing. She had long black hair tied into a neat knot at the nape of her neck. She wore lipstick of the same color as the sea and had the eyes that reflected the full moon. Her robes beneath her golden plates were of a shadowy weave, knit as if holding the image of the stars in the sky. She leaned against the rail as more owls landed near her. "It is because of this that I believe Bacchus would know best what to do with you. You are not whole, Rugal Bernstein. Your soul is stitched together haphazardly, your sense of self is weak. So I must ask before I allow my friend to go with you to Pompeii, who do you think you are?"

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

[hr]

[[Good End Flag]]​

"I ... like I said before, it might be good if I got back there again. I don't know how people are, and they might be more in trouble than this world is. The big catastrophe happened here already, didn't it?"

There was a glint of recognition in Vil's eye. It was a fleeting, but sudden presence of another consciousness in that metal husk of his. Anjali had the strange feeling that the old automaton was... pleased at her words.

Freya ran her hand through her short green hair and thought about it for a little bit. "Well, I mean... I don't see any reason to hate an undead that doesn't hate me. That being said, it shouldn't be too much of a problem if you don't go eating any living people."

"Indeed," Vil interjected, "we can procure some fresh meats once we leave Dulce. For now, we have some blood packs we use for lacrima infusion, if you would like to take a drink to sate some of that undead hunger of yours." He pointed at the pack of blood that he had given Anjali before they started talking about the goings on of Amaranth.

"Leave Dulce?" Freya asked, suddenly aware of what Vil was actually saying. "You don't mean that..."

"I do. I think we should help Anjali return to her Rising Dawn."

"What about the term projects we still have to do! Or the rent for this workshop?" Freya asked angrily.

Vil put a hand on Freya's chest, "For what reason do we do these things? Why are we here in Dulce, renting this space from the guild? Why do we build equipment for our adventurers, and for what reason do you entertain Cor's deluded ideas that he has any chance of marrying you?"

Freya stumbled with her words looking for a response.

"All of this is to recover Controller, your father's legacy is it not?" Vil smiled, "Our goal was never to make a living as a support team. We were always biding our time, gather funds, gathering experience, maps, supplies, to venture out into a delve of our own. In our everyday routine, we might have lost sight of our actual goal."

"I mean... yeah... that was the plan, yes." Freya answered.

"Then our friend Anjali is a blessing in disguise. We could not join a delve because we have always lacked an adventurer. If Anjali can pass the combat trials, she can be our adventurer for our delving team. And with her as our front, we can hire other adventurers to join our party. Then we can make the journey to the Deep Braves forward operating base, find Echo, find Controller, and for Anjali, find Nightshade."

Freya looked overwhelmed, "I... you're right. We can do that now... but." She swallowed. "Anajli, do you think you're strong enough to pass the adventurer's guild's combat trials?"

 

[Silence]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

[hr]

"Controller is your fathers?" Anjali asked. "Maybe ... maybe, if we travel, you can tell me more about it?" She got up again, after being seated for so long, and looked into Freya's eyes. "I want to be of service to you as well, and help you with your own task. You both are nicer to me than I expected people to be.

Though ... what are those trials? I guess I can fight, and ..." She thought for a second, then nodded. "I feel powerful here, I think I can fight and pass those trials, whatever they are. Though I do not know what these trials entail. Keep in mind ... I think my power and my being undead are related. If you are not allowed to use this ... magic, or what it is, then I might have more troubles. I feel like I could endure anything, but it could take a long time ..."

She wondered. What had changed about herself? In her life, she never had been a fighter. She could cook quite well, and people liked her being nice and polite, but this ... did she have to release control to the thing inside her? Not that she had any choice if it wanted to. She was but a vessel. Still ... why fight? What reason was there for these trials?

Anjali shook her head, stopping to think before her thoughts went only in circles, again. Then, she smiled. "Tell me what I need to do for these trials. And ... what I can wear in combat as to not seem like such a child of the night."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

Oh great...he's here too... Rugal thought as he saw that strange creature once more.
"You seem to turn up a lot around this realm for a mere cat..." He muttered to Kyuubey as he leaned against the wall, quietly listening to Livia's questions.
"...It's almost as if I'm not from this world or something like that..." He snarked slightly upon watching her display, least before "Livia" seemed to transform into someone else.
Now THAT was eye catching and arose both feelings of awe and a bit of ire in Rugal, as if to say "Oh come on, YOU'RE a god too?!"
...You seek me to tell the truth, yet you are content to hide behind lies when it suits you?...fucking gods...

Still, he walked over before gazing out to the sea himself, looking somewhat unimpressed by "Livia's" display.
"...I'm not a good person. From an early age, Violence is all I knew. My homeland was East Germany under Soviet Rule, a land fractured by war and who's people were split between the victors. Never knew my father, never knew my mother, knew squalor rather well however. I begged, I pleaded, but who cares about a starving child? My first warm meal came from the death of another person. I had managed to slash his throat with a rusted pocket-knife I had fished from a drainage pipe. Took his gold, went to a local "Fast food" shop, even ordered one of those "Milk Shakes" I saw all the other children having. With age it got easier. My strength increased, my mind developed and my prey was plenty...then I met him."

"A holy man of sorts in a blue robe. I saw him walking the markets while looking for my next target, sometime after I had became a man. He seemed disgusted by what he saw but what really caught my eye was when he managed to shoo away a lowly beggar. By handing him a actual solid bar of Platinum, not even Gold, Platinum. Still don't know why, could have been out of spite for all I know. Either way, I had my next target. I followed him for the next few weeks, invested what little I had in a firearm just be sure. Cornered him like so many others, told him to hand over one of those Platinum bars...I was going to finally make something of myself...In all my years, I have yet to be so brutally and utterly bested in battle since that day. He wasn't human, something I found out the hard way. Angel, Demon, I never did find out. All I remember was his words, mocking, jeering, even as he tore my eye clean from my skull. He could have killed me that day, but he told me that "Why would I do that? You aren't worthy of death nor life. That's how little you are to me now..."..."

His fists clenched slightly as he rattled off that quote before he continued.

"...That day changed me. I wasn't much of a good person before that but...I felt this haze of sorts over me. All that mattered to me was getting stronger, besting my rivals and becoming someone "Worthy of Death and Life". I left my home, I traveled. For most of my adult life, I searched the earth for those who would teach me the ways of battle. Such was my drive and anger, I would find myself walking into a training ground on a Monday morning and leaving a graveyard before the sun had even set. But that wasn't enough for me either. During my travels, I expanded my crimes. Mugging became Robbery. Robbery became Extortion. Extortion became Corruption. Corruption became...Acceptance. My name had traveled so far that even those sworn to protect the innocent from me would rather submit then attempt to stop me. The stronger I became, the more control I had over them. Law enforcement, Armies, entire nations attempted to stop me. They all came short, most of them deciding it was better to be on the winning side of history then the right one. A few scant years ago, I had more gold to my name than this entire empire. I was igniting conflicts between nations and peoples, giving them both the tools and reasoning's to murder each other, not even for power, glory or gold, just mere amusement. And I was getting stronger each passing day, to the point in which a contest between a mortal and a god no longer seemed so impossible. I wasn't at the top forever though. My throne was unseated more then once yet every single time, no matter what they might do, no matter how hard they pray to be rid of me, even as my body died, was destroyed or turned into some-...God awful Monster [https://orig00.deviantart.net/9359/f/2012/026/1/8/my_little_rugal_bernstein_by_drkrizalid-d4nprrr.png], I would always find a way to return to my rightful place as "The King of Fighters"..."

"...Then another day changed me. The day I met her. A warrior unlike me. A holy Paladin, Protector of the innocent, fighter of evil, one who was wise beyond her years and twice as graceful. Chance caused our first meeting as she saved me from peril during one of my periods away from my throne. Doubt she would have if she knew who I really was. Once I returned to my throne and my followers, her memory haunted me day in and day out. I had a new target but...why her?...I could snap my fingers and summon literal kings to rest my feet upon, surely finding a wife couldn't be much harder. But-...No. No it had to her. Then fate brought us together. In a ironic twist, I lead many of those who tried to stop me in battle against one of my greatest rivals, her included. I thought nothing of them at first, mere pawns I would use to defeat my enemy and establish my total rule over mankind. Short version, the forces of good won. And I won. My opposition was weakened, conflict filled the world, my wealth and sycophants were beyond number. But-...I couldn't return to my throne."

"In the ravages of war, I found love. A family, 2 young girls and a wonderful wife. A home. Companions. A collection of fools who look at me and claim to see anything of worth, even as I gloated and raved to them about my intense power and attempts on their lives... I tried to take this power of mine and use it for something good. Something constructive. To try and become a person I merely wasn't. Sometimes I succeed...Sometimes I failed...No, I failed a lot...but they were with me all the way, be it to stay my hand or even to strike me down when old habits returned then help me back to my feet...I felt like I had worth. Their ideals, values, their love, it's the only part of me that's worth anything anymore. Without them, I'm just an lost angry pretentious old man playing at running the world, vying for revenge against a world that he feels deserves to be his..."

Finally turning to face the maiden, he finished off his little speech by saying "That's who I am. I'm a murderer. A mortal God of war. An monument to mankind's arrogance and ego. I am all these things and worse. My soul will never find redemption nor is that even my objective. All I want is to use my power and whatever life I have left to repay my family for the kindness I never deserved and hopefully create a world or them where someone like me can...never exist or come to power again..."

"I'm a bad person who knows only how to do bad things trying to do good...Does that answer your question?"

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

[hr]

Spoiler

It had all happened so fast, the accusations flying at lightning speed, Nina tried to interupt this malstrum, but her voice was lost in the back and forth. After the third attempt, Nina let out a sigh. Hopefully they'd work it out themselves and not immediately kill each other, the least she could do now was try to get some information else where. "So this stone slab thing? Where's that?" She asked her companion quietly. "Not sure, the fourth Miriam was there and it was not on this train. Something about the kitchen is abnormal." He spoke softly in her ear. "The fourth Miriam? There's more than one?" She asked"In different places but there clearly are, perhaps more but each were unique." "So, she wasn't the one using the stardust right?" Phillip slowly shifted his mass again. "No, she did. Just not for the palette cleanser. She used it to create-"

[HEADING=2]"Because of that!"[/HEADING]​

Thrown into the darkness, Nina half expected another memory to be thrust into her head, but it never came. In the uncertain darkness, Nina called out in a panic. "P-Phillip! I can't see- I can't hear anything!? What's-" Despite her being unable to hear him, she could imagine the gentle "Shhh." come from her companion as he pressed a tentacle to her lips. There was something oddly comforting about this, and as Phillip helped to press Nina's hat into her chest, a memory of her own took liberty to overtake the darkness.

Spoiler: Down Memory Lane

To fix a music link [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkOK8tdEsFY]
It was back at her old school, getting shockingly close to two decades ago. She'd been scared back then too, or so she'd been told.
"I don't wanna go!!"
People don't often have memories that early on.
"But Nina dear, you've been looking forward to school all summer?"
"Yes, all your friends will be there. Emily and Nicholas too?"
But that's the trick with memories, the stories others tell can weave into one's own.
"BUT I DON'T WANNA! I just wanna stay home with you!"
Stories that others tell, experiences they had experienced, memories of memories from people long passed.
"Now now, there's no need to make such a fuss. It's scary to do new things, that's true but if we didn't, how would we know how good flapjacks are, huh? So tell you what, you keep this 'ere cap of mine, and when you're done I'll be sure to pick you up straight away. Then you, Nana and I can enjoy some of her homemade flapjacks, and maybe you could tell us all the great stories from your first day? Whadda ya say kiddo?"
All of those could just go away over some stupid spice?

When the world around her returned to her, but it could very well have been another realm entirely with how different it was. Nina quickly regained her surroundings, not just for her own benefit, but to understand why everyone looked so grief stricken. As if he understood Nina wouldn't be able to witness the message herself, he felt it right to cut the silence for her. "The Matron is dead. She had been murdered. That's what it says there." He stated, pointing a tendril towards the window.

Nina bit her lip, how could so much have gone wrong so quickly. This was far bigger than her by a long shot, but they'd made one mistake this day, they'd made her mad. "Get me a knife Phillip, I need my hand free." She said as she purposefully threw her hat on. "Listen, everyone? I won't say I know what you're going through, the Matron was beyond special, that much is clear. But... right now, there's someone on this train that's trying to erase you all!" Nina started to call out to the broken patrons, tugging aggressively on the glove on her right hand. "It's quite possible that the same person took the Matron too. We can't let them get away with this, forgetting yourself is horrible enough, but forgetting others like that?" Giving Mnemonyse a knowing glare now that she realized just how bad this stuff really was. "It's unforgivable."

The silk glove lifted off her hand like stubborn duct tape, resisting as well as it could, but silk was never meant to be stretched that aggressively. Nina let out a pained yelp as it finally came free, using the knife Phillip snatched to help cut the extra fickle patches, but her hands were red from the harsh pulling. "Nocturne probably already left to try and figure out what's going on as Head of Security, but he'll need help. He's just one person. Please believe me that we must bring closure to this, not just for the Matron's sake, but all of you as well. All of you, have something to bring to this that could help us all. Faea knows everything going on in the train, Crown knows the lineage of the guests here, Talavie, you probably know what happened to the Matron right? Your dominion is death after all?" Nina asked, somewhat unconfident about that last part, but thought it was reasonable. "And Mnemonyse knows Shuwa the best out of all of us." She said as she wiped a tear from her eye, those gloves really hurt to remove!

"As you all know, I don't have any powers, no domain or prestige, but at least I can be someone to help drive you all fix this. There's other universes out at your borders, who cares if that Stardust is irreversible now, that doesn't mean it's impossible! We could stop it or even slow it down to a point that it's practically stopped. So please, I'm begging to help me help you! We'll catch these monsters, stop the poisoning and then give the Matron a proper sending off that she deserves, who's with me?" Nina pleaded, furiously typing on her phone now that her hands were uncocooned, able to use the touch screen again. The hamster in her mind was going full tilt now, she never was the one to like being cornered. "Ms. Lockstar was using Stardust to make an entirely new spice that was harmless compared to the original, Nina is correct there is a way." Nina didn't even look up at this, only nodding all the while still pounding out more text before looking up and pointing to Phillip. "And that's what I'm talking about. We can't give up yet, I've got a plan!"

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

[hr]

"Well, Dulce is a city for the odds and ends of society gather. An undead should be not too far of a stretch." Freya smiled meekly as she patted Anjali on the shoulders. The coldness of Anjali's skin made Freya shudder. She tilted her head and gave a nervous laugh, "Still not used to you... being dead quite just yet." Freya cleared her throat. "But the combat trial is usually just a sparring match with a Master-class adventurer. If you can impress them, they will offer you a delving license."

"Yes, and Anjali brings up a good point. She needs to be made as to fit into this world. A necromantic would not be so welcomed in the outside world, no matter how polite." Vil waved his hand toward the workshop. "We have the pieces here to craft you whatever equipment you would like. Though, if you would like, I could take you under my own wing."

Spoiler: Combat Class: Puppeteer

A Puppeteer is a medium range control-type sorcerer that uses a puppet medium as their primary combat tool.

The Puppet of a puppeteer is a weapon made in the guise of a living creature. It is imbued with soul essence and manipulated by the puppeteer, much like how a traditional sorcerer would handle their familiars. However, unlike traditional sorcerers, puppeteers place pieces of their own souls in their puppets. Damage suffered from a puppet can backlash to the puppeteer and is capable of causing severe damage.

Puppeteers of the Crimson Congregation were able to infuse the soul of living beings into their puppets, creating an autonomous weapon known as a "Living Doll." The creation of Living Dolls has been outlawed in every civilized nation, and the techniques for doing so have been lost to time.

Puppeteers are regarded by some as vestiges of a distasteful past, despite their necessary functions as Soul Tinkers. Public sentiment is mixed toward a Puppeteer.

"Otherwise, just tell me what you would like and I'll whip up what I can with the resources we have lying around."

Vil held up his hand. "No, you go collect the necessary paperwork for Anjali. I will forge her equipment myself."

Freya nodded and hurried out with a renewed vigor. Vil rose up to his full height and put his hand on his mask, drumming his long fingers over the smooth surface. He chuckled, "I haven't seen Freya so excited in such a long time. We are very fortunate to have found you. Now tell me, what would you like me to make for you?"

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]rugal's Story[/i]

[hr]

Minerva looked at Rugal with apathetic eyes. In one swift motion she produced a short sword out of the wisps of silver smoke trailing out of her robes and tossed it to Rugal. Then she spoke so plainly that even Rugal felt the jarring transition from Minerva the god speaking to Minerva the person speaking, "If what you said is true, then kill yourself so that our world and yours both will be rid of such an abhorrent person."

An owl screeched as it and Kyuubey came to a series of quick blows over a spot on the railing.

"Minerva," Kyuubey interjected. He placed both his paws on top of the defeated owl's head. "I do think you are being far too harsh. The man is trying his best, though his rhetoric is weak, I do believe his emotions are true."

"You overstep your authority, White One," Minerva answered. She held out her hand and a spear materialized and ran through Kyuubey, launching him off of the balcony and into the streets below. A new Kyuubey ran up the side of the terrace and took the old one's place on the owl's head. His red eyes gleamed, overtaking the silver of the moon above.

"That is highly improbable. It is interesting that even an entity of your nature is subordinate to the emotions that make the human race so special," he scratched his ears, "eventually I would like to examine what causes creates your waveform function, Minerva. It is most peculiar. Perhaps you are a Witch that has lost her memories? But I do not remember creating you, nor would that explain your male family members. Familiars gone awry perhaps?"

A second spear tore Kyuubey's head off of it's body. A third of the white creatures appeared. "I-"

He was cut off by a rain of spears that completely eviscerated him as he appeared on the terrace. A mist of his pink innards settled in a thin layer on Rugal. A fourth appeared, padding down from the roof of the hotel. "You should know that no matter how many of me you kill, there are still more of us."

"You are even more of a monster than this pitiful man you seek to protect."

"That's cruel Minerva."

"I have yet to be convinced that you and your kind are capable of emotions."

"We are, but it is considered a mental illness," Kyuubey tilted his head and added a Kyu~ at the end of his sentence. A spear sent the body flying toward the stars.

"What is it that you want, White One?"

"Let Rugal Bernstein live. If for no other reason than to satiate my own curiosity."

Minerva banished her spears in a flourish of her arms and set her grim eyes on Kyuubey. "Fine. But I will take a sacrifice from you."

"If that is the nature of the contract," he tilted his head "will a hundred white bulls do? Or would you prefer the burning of cassia in your name, or the victor of the next Olympics be yours?"

"I will have Athens restored," Minerva sneered.

Kyuubey's ears glowed with light, "It will be so."

Minerva vanished in a plume of silver smoke. Livia slumped to the ground, eyes barely open. She muttered something from under her breath before she fell asleep, exhausted from serving as the vessel of a god.

Kyuubey sat down and addressed Rugal, "I have done some research and this girl Livia is probably the key for you to leave this world. I have a hypothesis that if you simply kill Livia, the ripples in causality might be significant enough for you to return home."

Spoiler: Nina

[hr]

Table for Two

[i]nina's story[/i]

[hr]

The atmosphere in the train car was grim as Nina made her announcement. The psychological weight of losing the Matron was devastating to the eldritch. Mnemosyne, however, seemed to be effected less than most. She was still able to stand, albeit weakly, and move forward by using the tables to support herself as she inched toward the front of the train.

Ironically, Nina found herself to be one of the most able, if not the most able, people on the train. Her mundane nature and resistance to natural eldritch nature made her completely immune to the aura that had settled like a smothering blanket over the citizens of Anazorzia.

"Nina," Mnemosyne forced through her teeth as she opened the door to the next car, "I appreciate your enthusiasm... but this sort of behavior is a little inappropriate for the circumstances."

The screen on Nina's phone blinked to life as it received a text message.

Hey, hey, flatstuff. I hope you had fun in this little wonderland.
So sad though, all things have to come to an end at some time...
But hey, it's the end of their universe, doesn't mean it has to be
the end of yours. I'll tell you what, if you can figure out who on
this train killed the Matron and why, I'll give you a special reward <3.

Here are the rules:

1. You may only guess once.
2. You may not leave this train.
3. You may not use any precognitive abilities.
4. You may not kill anyone on the train.
5. You may not tell anyone about this game.
6. You may not ask anyone to help you with this game.
7. You may ask others questions about the circumstances of the murder.
8. You lose if the train reaches the end of the universe.
9. You lose if any of these rules are broken.

Let me give you some hints:

1. There is only one killer.
2. The killer is on the train.
3. The killer is mortal.
4. I'm not the killer.

Oh huh, all of the people on the train are mortal now since they've
all got Stardust poisoning now huh? I guess number 3 is kind of a
crapshoot now. Soz.

Anyway, once you think you know who it is, text me their true name
and their motive for killing.

GL HF!

"Come on Nina. Help me over, I have to see the crime scene..." Mnemosyne held out a hand to Nina, beckoning her for help.

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

[hr]

Spoiler: INVESTIGATION START!

Nina looked over the crowd, honestly expecting at least some sort of a reaction. She wasn't expecting everyone to get up and go, but for Mnemonyse to be the only one to get up was pretty disappointing. "I appreciate your enthusiasm... but this sort of behavior is a little inappropriate for the circumstances." She frankly looked drunk to Nina, since Nina herself couldn't feel the oppressive influence.

"Well no shit." Nina murmured back, eyeing the rest of the people slummed there. "Their, your great great grandmother just got murdered in cold blood! I tried to put it as softly as possible, but come on, I'm not an idiot. I thought it was a long shot." Nina whispered, sounding a little annoyed that she felt like she was being spoken down to. "You sure you're feeling alright, you don't look so-"

BZZZZT~ BZZZZT~

Nina looked down at her phone, honestly surprised she was getting a message at all, let alone service. She was on the edge of a universe completely outside of any realm that had any business having telecom towers. "Come on Nina. Help me over, I have to see the crime scene..." Mnemonyse called out to her, drawing her away from the blinking message. "Right, right... Just let me check this one thing... my plans gone kinda sideways since, everyone's mourning." Nina explained, that feeling of empathy washing over her as she saw the faces of those there in the car. "Phillip, could you help her for now, I'll be right there." "Do I have to?" Phillip replied back, his contempt for Mnemonyse pretty out in the open, Nina just giving him this look of 'Pretty please? It'd mean a lot to me~'. "Fiiiine, but I won't like it..."

And with that, Phillip would hop off Nina's shoulder, engorging to his full size as he brought himself over to Mnemonyse and picked her up unceremoniously to then plop her down on a chair. He'd then pull her through the hallway fairly effortlessly as he anchored himself from place to place, and rather quickly pull her through the door.

Nina'd follow along from a distance, flipping open the message with a sense of dread. She'd seen enough movies to know this was either spam or something really fucked up, and soon she'd fine it to be the latter. 'That FUCKING SON OF A *****!' She looked around, trying to figure out if anyone was looking at her, getting some picks out of this. 'What does that even mean precognitive abilities, if I can't get any help from anyone then obviously I don't have abilities to use? Fucking really though... She's just lucky I was already going to figure out who the hell this killer was anyways. And how am I supposed to know their real names if everyone here's got a million yard stare going on... FUCKING *****!' She thought to herself, frankly just as much if not more pissed off at whoever this little shit was than the killer. With a few more punctual taps of her phone, she saved this new number as 'McDipshit' and pulled up some music to play quietly in the background. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6aiyKjvIA] If Mnemonyse asked, Nina'd just say it was reflection music or something from her world. She needed to get into the mood for some Truth Bullet Sleuthing after all.

Nina'd then catch back up, get Mnemonyse off the chair with an arm over her shoulder, being mindful to watch their hair. "How do you know this is the right way Mnemonyse?" She asked.