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

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

[i]rugal's story[/i]

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The Familiar sank into the earth, whipping and thrashing as it did. From the heart of the great beast thrummed with sound. It turned toward Rugal and it's head split open to reveal a terrifyingly human face hidden among the mass of glossy flesh.

You too will be devoured by her light.

And then the beast exploded, leaving behind a small black gem where it had been. The world dissolved back into the field of wheat that they had been standing in. The rotting stalks had vanished, turned to ash when the Familiar and it's world died.

Livia collapsed onto the ground and her outfit changed back into her normal tunica. She sighed, relieved and looked up into the starry night sky. Julia landed nearby and changed back as well. Her civilian outfit was a golden dress pinned with no less than four silver eagles.

"It only dropped one grief seed?" Julia said, disappointed. She walked over and picked up the small black gem. It was encased in a silver cage, sealed by two pointed poles.

"With how strong it was, I would have assumed that it had at least four or five souls inside of it." Kyuubey said. He had reappeared some distance away from the group, sitting on top of some rubble.

Julia made a noise and shook her head, "What gives? This was hardly worth having both magical girls here."

"We killed it though. It won't hurt anyone else." Livia said. She lay with her arm over her eyes, panting. The wounds she had suffered had already healed, but the exhaustion seemed to remain. The gem she wore on her broach looked dull.

"That's fine and all, but the point of killing these things is to collect grief seeds, not save people," Julia replied."If I wanted to just save people, I wouldn't have become a magical girl, I'd stay with Third or Second and do whatever it is that they do in the temples."

"Then go hunt the Witch that spawned that monster. If it's familiar was that powerful, then she herself must have quite the grief seed."

Julia rolled her eyes, "Yeah. Let me just convince my dad to loan me his legion. God fucking knows where that idiot man is now. Probably somewhere in Germany looking for the keys to his box."

"You can have the grief seed then, I'm still pretty good on my magic stores."

Julia paused and looked at Livia's gem, then back at her own. She frowned, "I'm not going to refuse that offer, but you don't look exactly like you're in great shape." Then she turned around and pointed at Rugal, "And what's the deal with this guy? He can just shoot sun spears out of his god-forsaken hands. I've never heard of a deity like that."

"Rugal is a member of your species," Kyuubey answered, "he comes from a different timeline and as such possesses traits that would otherwise be impossible in this world."

"Eh? Is that so?" Julia turned around, "Well don't be a stranger Livia, introduce us. After all, any friend of yours is a friend of mine, right?"

"I don't actually know him that well, you can fuck him for all I care." Livia sat up. "It's so late and I have the be in Rome tomorrow. I hate how difficult my life is."

"Such is the fate of those with immense karmic destinies." Kyuubey swung its tail to the other end. "To live and die as magical girls, all for the sake of their one wish."

"Ah, enough with that Kyuubey, just let me have a quiet after-fight nap for once."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]Rugal's story[/i]

[hr]

Upon the creature's death, Rugal soon found himself back in the "Real" world with barely a scratch on him despite the battle he was just in.
"And that's how we do it where I come from..." He lightly bragged before picking up his jacket off Livia and putting it back on while she and Julia conversed.
He seemed a bit puzzled by the whole "Grief Seed" thing, glancing at it a few times as the two girls discussed what to do with it.
When the topic turned to him, he was rather put off by Livia's attitude, chiming in "Nice way to talk about the man who's saved your skin twice now..."
...is that a thing Julia is known for? Might want to get in on that-
With an audible grunt, he rubbed the side of his head in pain before finally introducing himself.

"The path of the heroic is not often paved with gold. If that's all you're after, you're in the wrong line of work. As for my "Deal", My name is Rugal Bernstein of the Rising Dawn. And it's not "Sun Spears", it's Ki Energy my body generates and I then harness into my attacks and techniques. It's somewhat like your own magic energy, but based off my own power rather then mana or what-have-you." He quickly explained, giving another demonstration of his abilities as he fired up his Slashing Aura.
"And before you get any ideas, I'm a family man with someone waiting for me back home. And being honest? I prefer her better..."
NONON-Gah! Freaking Cockblock...

Gritting his teeth slightly, the eldest of the group then asked "Now, sorry to pry but you mentioned your father looking for "The keys to his box". I'm searching for a man who fits that description in Rome. My understanding is that the power contained in Livia's blades are the key and he was quoted as saying he believed the contents of that box would cure his sick daughter. On top of that, he too was a member of the Aurelius Family. So if you ask me: I think we have much to discuss you and I, Julia..."
Crossing his arms as he leaned against the wheat-field fence, he added "Is your father the man I seek? I'm travelling to Rome to find him as I believe that he might hold the key to returning me to my homeland. Considering my role in slaying the beast and stopping the both of you from ending up like damsels in a terrible erotica, an answer seems like the least you can do..."
Ohhhhhh, come on, you're really going for the passive aggressive approach? You saw them back there, you could just pry the answers out of them with 1 arm tied behind your back and both legs broken! Look at this smug *****...Wonder how long it'll take for her to realize what path truly pays out the most...
Despite his efforts to hide it, there were some growing visual signs that there was something up with him as he nursed his head again...

 

[Zepherus14]

The Rising Dawn: Armoury [https://orig00.deviantart.net/1cc6/f/2012/168/d/1/contact___armory_by_shimmering_sword-d53uu2p.jpg]
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

Perhaps David was still so hopped up on pain killers his mind was playing tricks on him, overcompensating for what was really happening in reality. The only real heavy impact was the very first one, to which Hillary would actually recoil at how easily she smashed through them. What proceeded after would best be described as the fastest disarming raid to have ever existed, as Hillary was literally ripping any implement the skeletons had on their person like taking candy from a baby.

Any warrior of merit would be utterly humiliated to have their arms of war removed, to have it bitten through, spat out, and tossed aside was a disgrace, but to be picked up and hurled down the hallway was completely demoralizing. This is the situation the skeletons faced, an unstoppable juggernaut that wouldn't put them out of their misery. Only to prolong their suffering as the group continued."GO AWAY!" Hillary exclaimed with a booming voice, taking in air long enough to get out that simple command as well as swallow the bits of platinum she'd picked up from Violet.

---

"Eek!" Hillary exclaimed as the fancy electric arrows darted towards her, quickly ducking back around wall. "Oh great, they got here first...Hillary, try and draw their fire. I'll aim for golden boy over there." Mr. West would instruct her, while Hillary nodded furiously, the little hamster in her mind working overtime today.

What was she supposed to do, how're you suppose to distract thingies that just wanted to big meanies!? If she just walked in there the big scary sparky one would shoot her with its fancy arrows. David wouldn't be able to tell where Hillary was looking, mirror like eyes after all, but neither would the skeleton that was attempting to sneak up on the group from around the corner from where they'd came. Wielding a large warhammer, it would attempt to bring it down on Jenny and Violet, only for Hillary to reach out and grab it. Before the skeleton could realize he should probably let go, Hillary pulled the skeleton up and over the group as she reformed her voice box again. "Hillary told you to go away, but now I got an idea! You will help Hillary!" She said as she strolled into the armoury room.

Try as the skeleton might, it wouldn't be able to break out of Hillary's grasp as she held him up by its forearms. "Waaaah, you will listen to Hillary and stop trying to hurt the nice people of the ship here! Wooooooo~" Hillary shouted, waving the skeletons arms around like a puppet. If the skeleton struggled, Hillary would more than likely break an arm unintentionally, which would cause her to yelp and throw the arm away.

 

[Zepherus14]

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Table for Two

Nina's story

​

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Spoiler

It all happened so fast; the crash to her chest, the agonizing near waxing of her front, and the fall into the suffocating oblivion. Finding herself on the new crystalline floor, Nina coughed and wheezed as she lay there, clutching her aching chest. Her eyes watered as her breasts or lack there of, practically screaming at her. She'd had the misfortune to try a bikini wax once before, she was a bit drunk at the time, and that was probably her one saving grace. She wasn't even a ginger, how did it manage to hurt that much!?

Nina'd plant a hand down on the crystalline floor beneath them, watching as the light pulsed away from her touch. This was different than before, where was she now? That smug posh accent gave her something to focus on, and what that little twerp had to say definitely got Nina's attention. 'I'm going to kill that girl, I'm going to do it!' Nina thought as she watched her scamper off. 'She called me FLAT!'

She'd slowly try to get to her feet, using the bookshelves as a crutch, looking around to try and get her bearings. Best as she could tell Phillip wasn't there, the transition too fast for her to notice when exactly she'd lost him. This had happened before, when they'd first tried to enter the kitchen, but where she found herself now was utterly new. Her best guess was something to do with Ensay, but she couldn't still be on the train, this was way too big!

The fact remained, she needed to catch that little harlot and by god she was gonna do it! Her focus was largely set on Mini Miriam, but as she began to chase after her she'd notice the discarded books. She wouldn't have the time to stop to look at them however, not now, if Miriam got away she might be stuck here. "STOP RIGHT THERE YOU LITTLE TWERP!!" She would exclaim, grabbing hold of Miriam's shoulder.

"You- gasp are going- huff to tell me- wheeze what I want to know!" She demanded, glaring daggers into that pint sized terror. "Where did you bring me, why is there multiple of you running around the train, what the hell is going on?! There's weird red stuff outside the train, you randomly appeared and apparently know what's going on, and wanted to go find someone?"

Bzzzzt!

"What now?" She groaned, using her free hand to look at her phone briefly to see she was out of service, which was weird since... she shouldn't have any service anyways. Her service provider was back on her Earth after all, several iterations away from where she was now. As she waited for Miriam's reply, and pondered what the no service meant in the big picture, she'd also notice one more of the many books scattered across the floor. She hadn't examined any of them in her haste, but the brain was an interesting organ, able to pick up on patterns that you might not personally realize at a first glance. She may not have realized it yet, but some of those pictures were appearing a lot more familiar than she first thought.

[hr]

Phillip meanwhile was rather stunned by this turn of events, one moment he was on Nina's shoulders and the next he was on the floor with no Nina. More shocking was that there was an entire floor underneath them and that he hadn't noticed this little tidbit until just now!? But Nina was down there, and although she didn't move for the first few moments, she was eventually up and moving. She'd managed to survive this void that even Phillip didn't dare cross. "This is normal here?" He commented, sounding an odd mix of perturbed and uninterested. "How many more layers are there in this train? Is it just these two or more?"

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

[i]rugal's story[/i]

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"Oh no. What have you done." Kyuubey said. "This is bad Rugal, this is really bad."

Before Rugal could even process the words that Kyuubey had said, there was a blinding flash of light. He couldn't see anything, but he smelled blood in the air. Julia had transformed again and taken off as fast as she could. Livia was on the ground, grasping at a spear of ice sticking out of her exposed midriff. Blood ran in thick streams down her skin and pooled on the ground. Her hands were bleeding, cut by the crystalline spikes on the spear.

"That whore!" Livia screamed, blood streaming out of her mouth. Her brow was contorted in rage. "That traitorous cocksleeve, fuck, damn, shit!" Livia sat up with exertion, her muscles twisted and lurched, breaking the spear free from the earth. Then she pulled it out of her. Blood gushed from the wound in thick strands, pooling on the floor below as she stood up. The gem in her hair glowed brightly as her belly stitched itself back together.

Kyuubey landed in front of Livia. "At the very least she did not intend to kill you."

"Not kill me my ass!" Livia roared, staggered, and then collapsed to a knee. "That spear was bigger than a scorpion missile!"

"Ribbed to cause pain, big to slow you down, but not aimed to kill you." Kyuubey replied. "Nonetheless, I believe that this is an unfortunate situation. It looks like that she has made off with your knives Livia."

"Kyuubey, you're my friend, but you infuriate me sometimes."

"You are the one that is acting irrationally, Livia. Now would be the time to try and minimize the damage that this could cause." Kyuubey turned around and sat down. It started at Rugal with unblinking eyes, "It is amazing that you would make such brazen mention of such a thing. Do you really have such unwavering faith in the goodness of humanity?"

Spoiler: Nina

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Table for Two

nina's story

​

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A black crescent gently fell between Miriam and Nina. A big yellow eye looked at her curiously from the base of a massive scythe head. "I would prefer it if you didn't harass my small friend." From beneath the large brim of a straw hat laced with small golden bells came the deep resonating female voice. The woman turned away from a book to face Nina. Underneath the hat and hidden away by a black cloak was an unbelievably handsome woman. She had thin slanted brown eyes and a gently sloped nose, high cheeks and a strong jawline. Although she was only a few inches taller than Nina, her presence felt huge. The scythe growled.

"Nemesis!" Miriam cried.

"Yes, I'm Nemesis." the woman named Nemesis answered. She smiled, "What do you need White?"

"The world is breaking apart and this crazy lady is chasing me!" The Miriam-called-White continued, tears welling up in her overlarge eyes.

"That is quite the problem you're having," Nemesis answered.

"Help me Nemesis!" White screamed as tears flowed down her face in rivers.

"Help me Nemesis..." Nemesis said with disinterest as she flipped through another book and tossed it to the floor.

"Help me Nemesis pleaaaase-se-eeee-seeeeee!" White had devolved into a sobbing and screaming mess at this point. It was hard to believe that the little girl had at any point been a mysterious and refined waif.

Nemesis pulled her scythe back and touched Miriam on the head. The two women vanished in a burst liquid light and then reappeared two feet away. "There," Nemesis said, "she's not touching you now, all better?"

"NEME-NEME-NEMESISSSSSSSSSSSSS!" White cried as she clung onto the larger woman.

"What is it now?"

"THE WORLD IS BREAKING APART."

"Yes, generally worlds do that when they die."

"NEMESSSSIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSS!" White continued to bawl.

Nemesis resigned herself to a good-natured smiled before picking up White and gently rocking her side to side until she grew quiet. "Is this how the most important person in the universe behaves?"

"No..." White said, regaining some of her composure. Her cheeks were puffy and red from crying, but she tried her best to look put together. "Quite. It's only appropriate for me to always appear infallible."

"Good girl." Nemesis turned to Nina and put her hands on her hips. Her cloak spilled open and underneath she was wearing a familiar insignia. "And I imagine that you have a very good reason to be here young lady. Let me introduce myself. My name is Nemesis and I'm in the middle of a rather personal matter." Her scythe glared at Nina. "Ah, and this is Pox. He's a living weapon. He barks but doesn't ever bite."

Pox's blade bristled with a row of obsidian teeth. Nemesis took a quick look over the books in the shelf next to Nina and then kept going, the clack of her heels sending an ominous echo throughout the crystal chamber.

"Wait! Wait for me. And you still haven't done anything about the red tears!" White said as she hurried after Nemesis.

[hr]

"It's the first floor and then the hidden layer, that should be it." Faea said exasperated. "But like you, we're learning a lot of new things today."

"No," Crown coughed as he sat up. His long gaunt face was flushed red with fever, but he forced himself to face the two conversing eldritch. "We don't know how many there are." He coughed. A goblin handed him a cup of water and the demon drank greedily from the glass. "This train... the Path of Destiny is different from the rest of the fleet. She's old, older than most of the bloodlines of the families here."

"You're kidding me. You're not trying to say..."

Crown smirked, "This is the Inter-dimensional Phantom Train after all! What else could take us pass the end of the Universe!?" Then he fell into a coughing fit. "Sorry... force of habit. The point is, rumors say that this train is as old as the Primals. The floor plan has long since been lost to time. I doubt there's anyone who actually knows the full layout of this thing."

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

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Spoiler

Nemesis' teleport was largely unnecessary, partly because of its incredibly short displacement, but more because Nina would have let go long before that. The sudden appearance of a sentient scythe that was just as large as she was, was more than enough to reconsider her advances, let alone the woman holding said scythe. She hadn't been looking hard, but as she'd chased after Miriam, or White as she was now called, she hadn't noticed any extra pulses to show Nemesis was present.

But as Nina watched the scene play out, it largely felt like a slap to the face. This had been the third or fouth time at this point of her asking what the hell was going on, and largely getting nothing in reply. Like the people unknowingly above her, most had given her little information without having to pull teeth in the process. Even now, with White blubbering like an idiot that the world was unraveling, she couldn't be bothered to answer any questions.

As Nina would watch the two walk off, she'd pause for a moment, considering that if she was actually outside of her service connection within whomever McDipshit was, this might be the only moment she'd be able to tell anyone about her situation. At the same time, if either of these two were McDipshit and this was all a trick, she'd be messing up the possible only chance she had to fix this. This place was important, not just because of its contents, but because it had the same blue dust the Matron had on her body. She'd been here recently, if not moved through here after being murdered. Likewise Nemesis seemed to be the one making a mess in here, for whatever reason that was.

She would eventually reach out to grab the book Nemesis had thrown away, looking it over to see what was in it, and then if nothing of interest showed up, she would close it properly and put it back into the bookshelf where it looked like it'd been removed from.

[hr]

Phillip's tentacles slowly churned as Crown said his piece. "Miriam and her others would likely be our best chance, as would Ensay may know, although the cost is much too steep for Nina to accept. Who else among you would be capable of making the journey through the tear? There is one that has been keeping me from my recipe book." He asked, clearly unimpressed that this information was only now appearing. Perhaps the odd sections he'd crossed to and frow from the kitchen were also layers of the train. The problem of everyone here being heavily exhausted from the Matron's death was acknowledged by Phillip, but largely ignored.

 

[Silence]

Spoiler: Anjali

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Reason to Rise
Anjali's Story​

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Anjali stood there, slightly overwhelmed by the chaos that ensued in short order. She thought about how to react, standing perfectly still, before she decided on honesty. "Ssorry, but I was just on my way to get one. I had to rescue this woman before though, she would have died otherwise."

She shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry about this mess ? it won't happen again. Thanks for the help, umm, Garrote." She gave him a small undead smile. "I'm Anjali of the Rising Dawn, and this is my puppet, Astarte." She pointed at her snake. "Now that we have saved this woman, can I please continue on my way to the guild?"

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Server Farm
Mio​

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"Hey!" Mio said, nonchalantly sniffing the robot that just woke up and spoke to her from her own actions. "It's good that you are taking care of the safety of this ship now. Construct, do you accept me as your new captain?
Also, should you know where the old useless captain is, could you tell me where?" She placed her hand on its shoulder.

"The situation has grown quite dire and I would hate it if anything would happen to this beautiful airship and its treasures. I can take the responsibility the old captain couldn't, as I have enough experience to serve a crew several times over! Anyways, why don't you answer me?" She gave Viscus a broad smile, and winked with her one eye.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]Rugal's story[/i]

[hr]

Ohhhh man...Part of me really wishes I had some popcorn for that...

"!?!?!?"
By the time Rugal realized what had happened, Julia was already gone with the blades in tow.
Even when the flash first happened, he dashed toward to grab at something, an arm, a leg, but ended catching nothing as vision returned to him, leaving him grasping at air.
"...No." He grumbled under his breath, not out of despair but rather sheer anger.
That barely of-age brat would pull such a stunt? After he basically handed him victory on a sliver platter? No...That wasn't something you do to Rugal Goddamn Bernstein.
His mind raced considering all the possible outcomes he just spurred into life, most likely Julia was heading to her father right now and would use those blades on that box. And remove possibly his only path home.

Rugal's hope of seeing his family again, taken away by a stupid. Arrogant. Unskilled, unworthy, unlikable *****.
Who the fuck did she think she was? She hadn't even enough experience with her power to be his damn servant, nevermind an enemy.
That she would so willingly throw her life away like that? How stupid did she have to be!?
His rage wasn't at his own mistakes, no, not this time as much as he tried to convince himself otherwise.
He was doing the right thing, he could have grabbed that whore's head and smashed it against the stone under his feet over and over until she begged for the release of death. But no, he just HAD to give her a chance!
Grabbing his head in pain, his migraine reached new heights as his anger took over.
Awww, what's the matter? Get outplayed by a child again? I thought you were wise? I thought you were full of wisdom and shit? No...You had to hold back and look what happened. Ah well...I'm sure Teri won't mind losing another father-
His fists clenched hard enough to turn rock to dust as Kyuubey went on about "unwavering faith in the goodness of humanity".

"....Heh.....hehahaahah-AHAHAH-AHAHAHAHA! [https://youtu.be/zyHBuqHiIpM?t=31s]" He began to laugh somewhat uncontrollably before he began to gather energy from the surrounding area, a unsettling grin upon his face as he did.
No-...NONONONONO-
A shockwave coming from from his form drowned out his laughter, blinding most of the nearby area with a plume of stone and dirt.
When it settled, there was something-...off about Rugal. Everything from the way he carried himself to the energy he gave off seemed completely different.
The most notable was a change in hair color, his vibrant wheat-blonde hair turning into a pure sliver.
"...Beep! Hi, You have reached the automated messaging service of Rugal Bernstein. Please leave a message after the crunch."
Said crunch could be heard when he brought his heel down right on top of Kyuubey's skull, bringing it down with enough force to splatter blood as far as where Livia laid.
"...huh...guess I was right."

"He was doing that because he enjoyed it..."

Spoiler: Here comes a new Challenger!

Because of how different the two personas are, Omega!Rugal could be considered his own character.
He is the personification of all of Rugal's old arrogance in relation to his skill and power. As such, he is far more willing to use styles and techniques the "Good" Rugal wouldn't for reasons like "It uses too much energy" or "It will hurt too many bystanders".
His regard for human life is-...well, he doesn't have any and will gleefully either kill or throw the lives away of anyone but himself in order to achieve his goals. There is a major downside to this form however as it would drain his energy reserves far more quickly then his normal state, so he needs to keep "Topped up" otherwise his control will falter and he'll return to normal. (Think a mana bar constantly depleting while he's in this form).
As such, it's possible to "Starve" him long enough but unlike his normal state, he doesn't mind "Borrowing" energy from others to keep himself going.

Power Remaining: 3 posts.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Nina

[hr]

Table for Two

nina's story

​

[hr]

Erika was fighting with Teresa again today. The more that they bicker the more they start to seem like real sisters. I'm jealous. Not only are they both beautiful, but they're powerful too. I can't even muster the strength to conjure even a small familiar. I spent some time talking to Syl too... but I can't remember what we talked about. As each day fades into the next, I keep feeling like I'm losing more of myself. My memory has gotten spotty, yet at the same time I've started to recognize a lot of things I shouldn't recognize.

Teresa showed me something that she took from Erika's world the other day. It was a sword, beautiful and ornate. The blade made of gold so pure and so vibrant that it looked like solid sunlight. Yet, to some part of me it felt familiar. As if I had seen it somewhere before.

It's name was Murakumo, Teresa had said. The untempered form of a more dangerous tool.

Kusanagi, the God-slaying sword. I had answered without thinking. Teresa was surprised, but so was I. Why would I know such a thing?

A picture of an eastern sword was included. The blade was made of solid gold and the hilt was decorated with a brilliant crimson colored braid.

The next page had a picture of a city in a valley flooded with trees. A giant stone structure was being carved into the side of a cliff face. A clock bore the image of a sword-in-moon.

I visited Vil today. She was in the middle of orchestrating her grand rebuilding. What was it that she was rebuilding though? It looks more like she's tearing apart the land with her magic. She assured me however that it would be an incredibly beautiful place once she was finished.

A home for anyone without a home. A journey for anyone without a purpose.

Those are some big abstract words... I don't think I fully understood what she meant by it. But I have to try my best to be like Vil! She's so strong and beautiful. I wanted to know why she was so strong and competent, but all she told me was that I needed to find my "raison d'etre" or something like that.

I didn't know what that means, so I had to ask Balance about it. Apparently it means "reason to be" in French, which is a tongue from the Origin World.

Raison d'etre. I like how it sounds, it feels like silk... I wonder if there are more things like that from this... France.

France is so cool! The food here is amazing! I've never been so excited to see a place in my life! There are buildings and people and more words that feel like silk. The skies are blue, they're filled with clouds and the land is rolling and green. I can see for miles in each direction!

There's the big black tower made of iron right in the middle of everything and it's so commanding! It reminds me of... it reminds me of... what does it remind me of?

Below is a picture of Miriam and a white-haired girl standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. The white-haired girl is smiling sadly. The picture is signed in golden ink. "Get well soon. Love, Venia."

The next pages are filled with pictures of a ruined and abandoned Paris. At the end of the book is a note scribbled in blue ink.

I don't remember any of this...

[hr]

Crown sighed, "Would that any of us had the gift to traverse that space. That space is deadly even to the strongest of Eldritch. Only Primals are allowed to pierce through that boundary. For as long as I can remember, it's been sealed away by some incomprehensible force."

"I think Reign might be able to." Faea said softly.

"Reign? Him of all people?" Crown said, baffled. "Why would you suspect Reign of having the strength to pierce that space? He's a bastard that hasn't been claimed by any bloodline!"

"I overheard him talking to someone in the kitchen one day... about wanting to go see some place far and away. He called it... 'Paris.' Do you know what such a place would be Mnemosyne?"

Mnemosyne was pensive. Then she answered slowly, "It's a city... on another plane. While it's extremely unlikely that the bloodlines of Anazorzia could spawn a first-generation Planeswalker... it's not impossible. We would have to see if Reign was at all affected by the Matron's passing."

Spoiler: Anjali

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Reason to Rise

anjali's story

​

[hr]

"Truly?" Ranweiss said as he approached. Garrote was a large man, but Ranweiss' slender and tall figure was somehow even more imposing. "While it is true that there are no shortage of strange people moving in and out of Ionei, it is very seldom that someone with equipment this advanced is somehow unaffiliated."

"It is not so unthinkable, Elf. The world is vast and many places have yet to be explored! Clearly our intrepid friend comes from some place far away." Garrote put a hand on Anjali's back. His palm covered nearly half of Anjali's shoulderwidth. "I think we should reward such earnest behavior. Allow me to take her to the Guild while you do whatever it is that you do."

"Investigate?"

"Yes! That is a word that suits you and your people. It's long, complicated, and means far too many things."

Ranweiss scoffed.

Garrote retrieved his obelisk and hoisted it over his shoulder. "Well, I'll be leaving you to your work then Ranweiss."

"So be it. Do not kill any more people on your way back to the Guild." Ranweiss chided.

---​

The Guild hall was so stupidly large that it didn't even seem that big anymore. It just seemed like another city. Beneath the arches and domes carved into the rock face was an extension of the city of Ionei. But there were more people here, stronger people. They were mostly in groups of four or five. By their clothing it was easy to tell that there were all sorts of different types of warriors and sorcerers among the groups.

Garrote brought her to what looked like an administrative building. A long line of would-be adventurers were lined up outside the offices. Some cast strange looks at Anjali, both for her famous companion and the presence of Astarte by her side. Most however, were busy chatting with their parties.

Garrote scooched past the line and put Anjali in front of a mild-mannered receptionist.

"Master Kallenhreis!" she said, surprised.

"A special request from me. See to it that this woman's registration is done without trouble."

"Yes, without delay."

The woman produced several pieces of paper and laid them out before Anjali. They were drafted in a runic script that she could neither read nor recognize, but the woman placed a pen before her and began to read out what each box was. It was a slew of jargon that didn't really apply to her. "Family, homeland, political affiliation, other active guild memberships, delving teams, provisional adventuring records, field experience."

"Just the form for the Silver-class delving license please."

Vil was standing behind Garrote with Freya still riding on his shoulders. He bowed deeply to let Freya off. The young woman had changed out of her leather and cotton work clothes into something that was more warm-weather inclined. Layers of thin sheer fabric fell over her body from a circular clasp around her neck. Beneath the veil she wore a fabric top that crossed her her breast and then tied onto a short silk half-pantaloons.

"We... we're ha sponsas..." Freya said meekly. She produced the sheet that Core had signed before they left Dulce. "As'a part'a tha United Engineerin' Corps a Dulce, we officially sponsa this girl for ha c- cl- class license."

"That accent." Garrote said as he turned to look at Freya. He beamed, "You're from Terenith! It's a long way from the Southshard Basin little girl!"

"I'm not little! I'm twenty four yeahs old."

"More like twenty four years young!" Garrote laughed raucously at his own joke.

The receptionist laughed nervously and produced a much smaller form. "This is the Silver-Class Delving application combat waiver. Just sign on the dotted line and head to Circus B at two in the afternoon."

Garrote poked Freya's cheek. "You remind me of my niece. I haven't seen her in years!"

Freya grabbed his finger with her hand and pushed it away. She cleared her throat and spoke slowly, trying hard to shake the long vowels in her words, "I would appreciate it if you didn't touch me without permission." Vil leaned in, placing his own hand on Garrote's.

"A Soul Tinker are you? That would explain the girl's serpent. It's fine work you've done on her equipment." He leaned in. "But adventuring is a lot more than just the quality of your gear." Then Garrote hoisted his Obelisk over his shoulder and sauntered off deeper into the Guild superstructure.

Freya and Vil approached Anjali. "I hope that there was not anything that troubled you on your journey here?"

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]rugal's story[/i]

[hr]

[Bad End Flag]

The moon hung high over them in the night sky. Stars glimmered in the far off reaches of the darkness and the owls called to each other. Livia was in shock staring at the broken remains of her long-standing friend. "Kyuubey!" she screamed. Livia looked up at Omega and backed up in fear. "A witch. You've been cursed by the witch..."

Her gem glimmered and the armor reappeared over her body.

"This day can't get any worse."

"Why are you mad when all of this is the direct results of your own thoughtless actions, Rugal? Well, in the end I guess I don't care either way. This will be interesting to watch no matter the outcome."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Server Farm
Mio​

[hr]

[...]

If a expressionless face could emote, Viscus would be glaring right at Mio even harder then he usually does.

[The acting captain, User: Rugal Bernstein would have to approve and sign off before you can be designated captain. Forging User Signature now...Processing...]

Before she could even asked what happened, a nearby contract began to print out from one of the nearby terminals.
The contract pertaining to becoming Captain of The Rising Dawn was a massive tomb of legal jargon and technical terms that were unlikely to have existed back in Mio's world.
Thankfully, rather then force her to read all the terms and conditions, Viscus was kind enough to instead give her a "Sign here" page before adding

[In order for this provisional contract to be legally binding, I must recite the remaining 234235 pages of the contract to you-]

Viscus then began to speak so quickly that Mio couldn't make sense of it, right before finishing with

[-Recital complete. User: Mio has been legally cleared to become captain. All captain protocols unlocked. Request my presence at any of the terminals on the ship and I will assist. Now, return to your mission of securing the vessel while it's still intact. I will keep this room secure.]

He then got back to his vigil, keeping his sights trained at the door into the Server farm while the computer began to run both auto-repair on the ship as well as scanning for King Leoric's current location.

Meanwhile, on the security screens...

The Rising Dawn: Armoury [https://orig00.deviantart.net/1cc6/f/2012/168/d/1/contact___armory_by_shimmering_sword-d53uu2p.jpg]
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

"...Oh you're joking..." David groaned when Hiliary tried to reason with the undead skeletons.
It did work for a moment, least in the sense that they stopped what they were doing as they tried to figure out what SHE was supposed to be doing.
{HEY! PUT ME DOWN YOU HORRIBLE DEMON!} He pleaded, shaking and trying to break from her grasp while his friends reacted accordingly.
{SEE! SEE! I TOLD YOU THEY HAD TRAINED DEMON LAPDOGS!}
{IT HAS KENNETH! JUST HOLD ON FRIEND! WE'LL GET YOU OUT OF THI-}
Johanys (That was the name of "Golden Boy") didn't really care too much as Hillary found her hostage suddenly pelted with arrow bolts in the face before fading into dust in her arms.

{OH MY GOD! HE KILLED KENNY!}
{YOU BASTARD!...Wait, aren't we already dead?}
{WELL-...Yeah...but THAT REALLY HURTS! SO IT'S STILL A JERK MOVE!}

The golden one merely motioned to the others to attack again, least before David nailed him in the skull with his magnum.
Rather then the skull exploding boom he was hoping for, the bullet merely made Johanys stumble a bit, the Former Royal Archer holding his head in pain.
With a roar of anger, a sudden surge of electricity arced from his body, running along the floors, the walls and anyone unlucky enough to be in their way.
His forces retreated to cover, as did David as he muttered "Okay...That's a new one."
Violet was actually helpful as he said "I-I-I-I know this. It's an old demonic enchantment Kazuya tried to have me put on APCs. Every time that one is struck, he'll release a powerful current in all directions. The harder the impact, the greater the reaction."
"Oh great...Alright, how do we beat it then?"
"Oh, that's not the hard part. The reason that project went nowhere was because it didn't increase the durability of any person or object enchanted and caused a massive around of frien-"
"That's not what I asked, Doc!"
"Beat him like you would anyone else! Just be careful, the closer to the subject's destruction, the more intense the reaction! HILLARY! HE'LL LIGHT UP EVERY TIME YOU HIT HIM SO WATCH OUT!" Violet warned before Johanys began to take aim at her again, static flowing off his body while his men started to open fire again, not wanting to end up like poor old Kenny...

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]Rugal's story[/i]

[hr]

"Cursed? Hardly! No, I have just been given the freedom I have been denied for so many years. And apologies for your friend. He'll be back the second you give him a chance to. He's rather persistent like that. It is a neat little trick of his, one I might have to inquire about, but onto more pressing matters..."

Omega stood before Livia before giving an arrogant flex and a pose, .
"Allow me to Reintroduce myself. I am known as Rugal Bernstein's "Omega Form". Fighters like us, we strive to find the limits of our mortal forms. Then shatter the holy fucking shit out of them! OH YEAH!!" He explained, quickly doing a few kicks and strikes with enough force, the air itself seemed to reel as fleeting but potent drafts of wind rocked the area with every motion.
"Heh! Everything you know and love about the old model, turned up to 11. I'm faster, stronger and can handle far more Ki energy then that old fool ever could. Oh god, feel that air! That Wind! The stars! Those damn stars, they shine upon us, Livia! Ohhh, I never thought I'd see them again! That my fate would be to languish in the body of a aging man. No longer! LOOK OUT WORLD! THE OMEGA HAS RETURNED BABY! WOOOOOOOOOO!" He laughed as he enjoyed his new found freedom, looking far happier to waltz around a wheat-field then anyone would normally.
He was almost child-like in his glee before he turned his attention back to the magic girl.

"Now that is out of the way, I believe we have a mutual problem. See, as you noticed, my weaker side's big dumb mouth and his inability to keep it shut has cost us a great deal of misfortune. Julia has taken your property and possibly my only way to my homeland. But turn that frown upside down my friend, for I am in control now and believe me, Julia will soon be on her knees before you, begging for you to accept her handwritten apology for her actions today. I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand your fear. "Hey, the crazy old man I've been travelling with just underwent a massive change and he kicked a kitty." But I still recall the warnings your mother made, the visions I witnessed, hell, the battle we just won. I AM Rugal Bernstein, I'm just a bit more..."Me" then him."

Despite everything, Omega kept smiling as he glanced over at Livia in her armored form, waving his hand dismissively.
"Oh put it away, I'm not here to fight you. I'm here to fight for you. You see, Rugal's mission still stands, I don't want to be trapped in this world and away from my family anymore then we does. The only thing that's changed is my power. It's far beyond what it used to be. And you saw how he fought that monster, did you not? All the while, that was him holding back. He was pulling his punches. Refusing to let his true power shine out of some misplaced notion that revealing it would see him shunned. The only difference between us is that unlike him, I don't believe such power is something to be ashamed of, not when used constructively."
Realizing that this might be a hard sell, he snapped his fingers before saying "Tell you what, how about instead of me yammering away, you give me a chance to prove myself to you. Julia is most likely in Rome right now, isn't she? With what belongs to you, your mother. Stolen like a mere loaf of bread. And all because my weaker self let her do it. If you give me this chance-actually, hold on, let's make this official-"

He then got on one knee before Livia, clearing his throat and bowing before her as if she were royalty: "Livia Lucretius Lamia, Executor Prima Etruira. Though both my actions and inaction, you have been wronged. I swear upon my honor, my power, my flesh that until this wrong has been righted, I pledge to you my power, my body and skill as one of your honorable servus. Consider this my sacramentum de jure in accordance with the laws of your people, to serve as an extension of your will and wishes until the harm my weakness has done to you has been righted. I shall honor any request my mind and body can withstand so long as I witness the wrong I've inflicted upon you righted. And lest you believe my actions to be a mere gesture, one of someone...how did you put it, "Cursed by a Witch"? I urge you to look upon me and tell me, where do you find the mark of a man cursed?"

There was no trace of "Foreign" magic upon him, nothing about his form that indicated that any of this was some kind of hex or not of his free will. His power was far greater then at any point in their journey before and his words were genuine: Until those blades were once again hers, Omega would heed any request made of him outside of suicide.
And he was hoping he would take up his offer, there was only so much longer he could maintain control...

Power Remaining: 95% (-5% from passive burn)[footnote]Reworking that "Running out of energy" concept so it's more based off what he does rather then how many posts he's in. Rule of thumb, the more he does in a post, the more energy he loses I.E. He'll lose between 20-40% from the remaining travel to Rome alone.[/footnote]

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i]Rugal's story[/i]

[hr]

[Good End Flag(?)]

Livia looked at Omega warily, keeping a hand on her hip and another in front of her. "You speak of ill omens, but I cannot reject your offer. Your actions have always been selfish and rash, ill-advised and lacking in proper decorum. Yet, now you speak well and properly, as if having been held to the position of an orator." Livia turned toward the falling moon. Even now, the chill of Julia's magic lingered in the night air.

"I accept your offer," Livia finally said.

Lightning crackled above in an otherwise clear sky and the brilliant azure bolt tore through the heavens and struck a stone that rested between the two warriors. The stone glowed and radiated energy from a brilliant blue rune that had been shocked into its surface.

"And the gods send an omen of your sincerity," Livia said as she picked up the small stone. "A contract upheld by the king of kings himself."

"Do not be mistaken, I do not forgive you for the murder of my dear companion, but I have no choice if I am to recover what is rightfully mine." Livia took off at a sprint toward Rome. Arcs of light burst forth from her feet as she pushed herself, gem glowing brightly as if danced in her bouncing locks.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Omega Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

[i][s]Rugal's story[/s] [color=red]"It's my story now, bee-atch!"[/color][/i]

[hr]

"Murder?...Oh, don't worry about him. He's pretty good at shrugging off the icy grip of death. I've not known him for long but I do expect him to be waiting for us in Rome." Omega said as he stood up, watching as Livia both accepted his "Contract" as well as dart off into the distance, giving him some time to gloat.
...wow...I didn't think she'd be that stupid. I mean, I knew you were but I thought she had a head on her shoulders. All it took was some big words and a smile...
...
Nothing insightful to add? Alright, you can just watch. Hey, maybe Julia will still take us up for that offer to fuck? I mean, once I break her arms and legs, like she'll be much state to say no...
...
...Really? Usually comments like that get you fired up...alright fine, Sulk if you want. You're the reason this is happening after all. No one to blame but yourself. Now then...

While Livia might be able to sprint all the way to Rome, Omega had a better idea as all of a sudden, Livia saw a blur dart past her before the man himself stood next to a signpost along her path.
He was travelling fast enough to not only beat her there but to also do so without barely being seen.
"Good form, I must say. But I think we'd want to be going a bit faster then that. Luckily, I can provide that for you. May I?" He remarked before offering her his hand.
In a cheeky manner, he then decided to suddenly pick her up bridal style before adding "I call this one the "Vanishing Rush" [https://youtu.be/ouX7-Ud92rw?t=8s][footnote]Video Link. Notice how he manages to move fast enough to not be visible to the human eye.[/footnote]. Now, hold still and try to keep the contents of your stomach inside it."
With little more warning, Livia saw the world around her blur for a moment as Omega used that technique several dozen times, it was almost akin to teleporting as every instant she seemed to be in a new location.
Omega was never a humble type so he gleefully leap and dived between movements, landing on walls and signposts like the Ninjutsu practitioners he turned into "Works of Art" over the years.
It must have been some fright to any travelers along the path, walking along minding their own business when a massive German man suddenly appeared holding a fair maiden in his arms before "popping" out of reality again.

Sure, it would use a lot of energy but this was about getting Livia's trust and besides, not like there would be a shortage of people to "Recharge" with once they finally got to Rome.

Power Remaining: 60% (-5% from passive burn, -30% from Vanishing Rush Spam.)

 

[Zepherus14]

The Rising Dawn: Armoury [https://orig00.deviantart.net/1cc6/f/2012/168/d/1/contact___armory_by_shimmering_sword-d53uu2p.jpg]
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

Hillary held her unnecessary breath as she waited for the group of skeletons to accept their surrender and apologize for their misdeeds. "Ya, you tell your friends Mister Bones." Hillary encouraged her boney friend as he chattered to his compatriots. "Maybe tell them they can put their- LOOK OUT!" Hillary exclaimed as the volley rocketed towards her and Mr Bones, turning around to try and block as much as she could from the helpless skeleton.

Most of the arrows peppered Hillary's back, but Johany's arrows still found purchase and crush Kenny's skull into dust. "Aaah! Mr Bones!" Hillary exclaimed as her skeleton started to crumble in her hands. She wouldn't have long as David's gun made her jump followed by the skeleton screaming, figuratively of course! Preoccupied with her fallen acquaintance, Hillary wouldn't have enough time to get up much less escape the oncoming blast of electricity. "Aaah!" Hillary yelled in shock and surprise, cowering as the encroaching sparks charged her way.

As Hillary took the impact, she stood there for a short time more, stunned as she electricity passed through her. Or perhaps it was confusion, as she looked down at herself, then over at the electricity that continued on. Unlike everyone else, Hillary seemed unfazed by the current, and considering her material it wouldn't be hard to see why. Platinum is in the same group of metals as copper, perfect for transferring electrons and with Hillary's size, doing so without melting her at the same time.

So as Violet shouted to Hillary to explain the terror that was that energy surge, she just glared at that mean ol' nasty skeleton that'd hurt Mr Bones. [https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/367284741130682378/492518763799773220/gRm3m.png] "Hillary's not gonna let you hurt anyone else! You're going on a time out, and... and... she's gonna take that plinky thing away!" She proclaimed, clearly not used to battle banter. She would start to approach the crowd of skeletons, holding onto the mace's striking implement in one hand while cradling Mr. Bone's crumbling remains with the other. She used the mace to block some of the arrows that came towards her, oddly pretty accurate at this!

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Omega

[hr]

King and Country

[i]omega's story[/i]

[hr]

The journey to Rome was rendered quick by way of Omega's abilities. The mountains and valleys bowed to his speed. Yet when they arrived, Rome was not the city that either Omega or Rugal had remembered learning about in the textbooks. Where there ought to have been a city built around five hills, a series of palaces surrounded by a sprawling metropolis of stone apartment buildings, fortified walls, and open plazas, was instead a citadel.

Towers of marble lined a white-brick wall that ran as high as the hills that the city was built on. The sprawling capital had swallowed the Tiber river in a veil of stone and mortar. Statues of the Gods stood tall on the parapets and colossal bridges carried both aqueducts and carriages from wall to wall. The rest of this world had some similarities to the ancient world of Rugal and Omega's Earth... but this city, this Rome, was absolutely out of place.

The Senate Building on the Palatine Hill stood high above the city center, it's grand arches and proud columns consumed the skyline.

"You can stop now!" Livia said suddenly. She struggled free of Omega's hold and dropped onto the floor. Looked uneasy, almost sick. "Most people aren't going to be okay with travelling that quickly..."

She stood up and straightened out her dress. "I don't think Julia's in the city yet. I don't feel her soul gem. She must be taking a more round-about route to try and throw us off. For now, I think it would be good enough if we searched for the Aurelius man with the box. If we find him, we are going to find Julia for sure."

She jumped and hopped over the sloped wall of the city and gracefully eluded the two guards that were lazily milling around on the wall.

Omega followed. But as soon as he crossed the boundary of the wall into the city, he felt something he had not felt in a long time.

It was a crushing sensation, a sudden onset of utter dread. It was a feeling of real danger, not the banal type of danger that the heroes of the Rising Dawn often found themselves in, but a definite, logical, commandeering, and malevolent presence that permeated the city.

An aura of magic... no, ki... no... It was similar and different to too many things at the same time. It was a chaotic multitude, a cacophony of united wills. As if a countless myriad of souls had all been aligned together toward a single, destructive, goal.

This thing would kill. It would kill without warning, without fanfare. It would kill without gloating or hatred. It would kill because something was in between it and it's goal. It was familiar. So very familiar. There was this same insidious scent on the Rising Dawn for the past five years.

The danger was real. One wrong move, and it might as well be game over.

"Rugal, are you okay?" Livia said as she tugged on his coat lapel. "It looked like you were spacing out of a little bit."

They were in one of the larger back roads in a residential district. Dim firelight flickered in the shuttered windows of the apartments and low fires burned in ash-filled sconces along the street. Some distance away a young guard was making his nightly rounds.

They were on the south side of Rome and he could feel the flowing of the Tiber some distance away. From what he could remember, the important people would always be either in the Palatine Hill, the Forum, or the Grand Circus, but that was back in normal sane-person Rome. He wasn't entirely sure that everything still applied the same way here. There was some chance that starting the search in the Aurelius-owned district to the North East would be good, but there was a good amount of distance to cover to reach that area. Or maybe Julius Caesar would be receptive to the child of his one-time body guard. His residence was not so far away from the Palatine, a modest estate at the base of the hill where he could make easy trips to the Senate building each morning. Or perhaps it was more prudent to visit the Jovian Temple and hope that the priests there were more welcoming that that of his heavenly children.

 

[Silence]

Spoiler: Anjali

[hr]

Reason to Rise
Anjali's Story​

[hr]

"Umm ..." Anjali stared, slightly confused about what had just transpired, and why Freya was talking in such a different accent. "No ... " she answered. "Well, not personally ... There was a woman who got attacked by a madman, and I stopped him from killing her. And then this guy showed up and boasted all kinds of things while bringing me here. And I'm still confused, I don't know what this badge is for ..."

She looked at Freya. "You look pretty in that. I think it fits you. ... But why were you talking in such a weird accent? And why were you so meek towards this guy? I thought you would get mad again. What are you playing ... ? Where should we go now?"

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Server Farm
Mio​

[hr]

"Sweet." Mio said shortly. "Now, my first order, first mate, is that you announce that I am the new captain. And that I will head to the canteen to welcome the crew! I will also keelhaul anyone who does not agree with me being captain. Off I go!" She gave a small wave to Viscus, then picked up her things and left the room.

Mio headed straight to the canteen, though occasionally she stopped and asked a terminal for the right direction. If she came across any skeletons, she walked past them, asking them if they were part of the crew. If they said yes, she offered them drinks at the canteen, if not, she demanded they leave the ship at once. However, she did not start a fight, instead making continuing her way.

There, she kicked open the door, and gestured towards the room before doing a bow. Loudly, she spoke: "I have rightly taken over this ship! I am your new captain! You can decide to follow me, and dispose of these skeletons, at least the hostile ones, or you can leave! This is a crisis situation, there are no third options! Get to work!"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Omega

[hr]

King and Country

[i]Omega's story[/i]

[hr]

"Ah, but we are not mot people, are we Mistress? Don't worry, your senses get used to the speed, least once you break them in." Omega playfully said as he rubbed her back slightly, just in case she did need to throw up.
Thankfully that was not the case and soon they were both inside the city's limits an-

...Whoa-....okay...Who's there? What the hell is that?...Hello?! He yammered somewhat cravenly in his mind once he sensed the-...the-..."thing" that was protecting(?) the city.
It felt familiar, he could even feel bits and pieces of past rivals in the air.
Tomoya, Kazuya, Tiberius, never in all his days did he feel anything loom over him like now.
It was one of the most enraging things Omega had ever dealt with, finally being in control only to find that there was another jackass standing between him and what would soon be his-

"Rugal, are you okay?" Livia said as she tugged on his coat lapel. "It looked like you were spacing out of a little bit."

But that was one of Omega's greatest powers, even above all his strength and might: Adapting to the situation.
"Y-yeah, just fine...I'm fine..." He clearly lied as he leaned against a nearby wall and took a few deep breaths, seeming to be much more exhausted now then he was even a few minutes ago.
His hair began to turn back to normal, least before he grit his teeth, straining to keep control before the wheat blonde was once more made sliver.
Once his episode was over, he turned back to Livia before attempting to give a reassuring smile, stating "Ah, I am so sorry about that. My-...Time might be more limited then I realize. You see, my body is in a higher state of being then most mortals but I can only maintain it for so long. The Ki energy inside me, it burns out far faster in exchange for my power. Once it's all gone, I'll become that Old Fool once more. Fear not, I don't plan to break my word, just-...."

He put his back against the wall before catching his breath a little, mournfully saying "...I do wish I could end this inane balancing act. Allow me to live my life and the Old Fool to waste his. I have about-..."
Omega raised his hand before igniting a smaller plume of Ki from his hand, finishing his statement by adding "About half of my energy stores left. Provided I don't exert myself too much Mistress, I can make it last a number of hours but at some point, I will run out and the Old Fool will be in control. Thankfully, I might be able to help you with that second part. My flame dims but it can be reignited whenever you wish. I would need some time to prepare the ritual needed to revive my strength however. Do we have any lodgings or safe havens in the city, Mistress? It's not exactly something that can be done in public..."

Energy Remaining: 54% (-5% from passive burn, -1% from his "Episode"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

[hr]

The Rising Dawn: Canteen
Mio​

[hr]

Despite the state of crisis, the ship was still pretty peaceful.
Leoric's mad minions were still around every corner, sure but Mio didn't have too many issues getting to the canteen.
Once she got there, that's when the trouble began.
Rather then the rest of the ship's crew, she was greeted with more Skeletons, this time sparing in a turf war with the Imp culinary staff.
This would have been a dangerous conflict...if anyone involved knew even a single thing about fighting.

I mean, sure they were taking turns to throw pots and knives at each other but their aim wasn't amazing (And they always scrambled to pick up "Ammo" after each volley).
They barely even noticed Mio as she walked towards the bar, too busy fighting for the passage to the kitchen and "Mount Condiments".
Even Viscus's announcement over the intercoms did little to halt the intense battle.

*Bing Bong* [Attention all crew: There has been a change in command. User: Mio is now the acting captain of the Rising Dawn. Effective right now, You report to her. She is currently in the Canteen area to provide drinks to the crew and to quote "Keelhaul" anyone who might have a problem with her new position...]

The dull tone in Viscus's voice managed to get the message across the entire ship: Mio was the new captain.
And because she had asked for her position to be relayed to the crew (Least that's how her request was worded), Everyone on board knew.
Including-

"Captain..." A raspy dead voice barked as a sickly green glow filled the room, followed by the specter of Leoric emerging from the floor nearby.
He towered over her in his wraith form, eyeless sockets glaring down at her as his minions quickly dropped what they were doing and bowed near him.
"I heard you achieved a promotion. Congratulations. My forces control this flying vessel. They think I've lost my mind but I know what's REALLY going on here. The question is: What do you know? And do I need to "Keelhaul" you to find out. You have an audience with the Skeleton King. Make the most of it..." He threatened, right before his spectral form suddenly became very real while his minions backed him up I.E. Attempted to look as threatening as possible.

...One of them did seem to want a glass of Milk if she was serving any.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

The Rising Dawn: Armoury [https://orig00.deviantart.net/1cc6/f/2012/168/d/1/contact___armory_by_shimmering_sword-d53uu2p.jpg]
Hillary the Slime | David West | Jenny | Violet​

It's well known that Skeletons aren't really able to emote too well, they were skeletons with no skin or facial organs to emote with.
That being said, Hillary could have sworn that she saw Johanys show a large amount of fear once he realized his King-given enchantment didn't seem to matter to her, along with most of his crew.
{RUN FOR YOUR UNDEATH!}
{EVERYTHING IS JUST BOUNCING OFF HER!}
Johanys did try and stand his ground, leaping off the table he was standing on before charging back at Hillary with a rusted sword, locking blades with her Mace.

"Alright, Rush them! Don't let up!" David shouted as he followed Hillary into the room guns blazing, trying his best to make this operation seem legit if for no other reason then to help him forget he was basically charging into battle right after getting out of the Medical Wing.
Violet was a little more reluctant, seeing how he didn't have a weapon but thankfully once he was inside the armory that was less of a problem.
"Come on, come on, come on-AHA!" He fretted before finally picking up a rather large Light-Machine Gun.
I mean, sure, the black steel finish and the green ammo mag totally clashed with his outfit but hey, so long as it worked.
"SUPPRESSING FIREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" He then shouted before popping out of cover and managing to hit everything he aimed at. Least if he was aiming. Which he wasn't. Honestly? He was just shooting in their general direction and hoping for the best.

Jenny was the last to get in but at least she was able to make the most of it, groaning with exertion before using her Psychic powers to disable several of the remaining skeletons.
In some cases, she literally tore their heads and limbs apart, least before she realized that wasn't really stopping them.
"D-damn. You need to crush their bones! I think that's the only way to stop them!"
"Wait-You think or you know?" David cut in between his fire, prompting Jenny to suddenly lift one up before slowly grinding it into dust in full view of everyone in the room, especially David.
"...Noted! Thanks for the intel!...Love you!" The Irishman nervously remarked, quickly getting the hint while the Gardevoir went back to cover, still rather drained from the amount of energy she was using.

Back with Johanys, he was a bit more adept at fighting then Hillary was for sure.
The static discharges his enchantment put out were starting to intensify slightly, keeping the others from assisting Hillary too much in her little scrap.
Parrying her attacks, he attempted to strike at her midsection but his sword didn't seem to do much against her Platinum body.
Roaring in anger, he then leapt up before attempting to drive his sword right down into her forehead, causing a rather amusing situation where Johanys stood on her shoulders trying to pull the blade back out again, kicking her face for good measure.
{WHY! WON'T! YOU! JUST! DIE!?} He barked at her right as she felt him break a few of his own toes trying to kick her nose.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Anjali

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Reason to Rise

[i]anjali's story[/i]

[hr]

"I'm not acting meek," Freya said under her breath as she turned around. Her transparent dress fluttered from the motion. "It's just really embarrassing wearing something this revealing. And... it's hard to focus on my words when all I can think about is the leering gaze of menfolk."

Vil chuckled and put an arm around Freya. "The people from Terenith have a very peculiar accent. To many in the North, it is not considered very sophisticated. Freya spent no small amount of time learning to lose the speech pattern of her birth city."

"It's not that it takes effort, but when my mind is all spinning and my mouth moves faster than I can think it's really hard not to accidentally fall back to old habits."

"I am however glad to here that Master Garrote has taken a liking to your acts of heroism. It will be a very useful asset to have when your examination begins." Vil pointed to the document that Anjali was holding. "An adventurer's license is a card that details everything from a person's name to their class to the company that belong to. The rank determines how deep they can go into an Roil zone. Bronze is the lowest rank and Grand Master is the highest. You can find a rank for nearly every metal between iron and mythril between them. Silver class adventurers are allowed to pass judgement on emergency situations even in non-Roil zones. So in essence, what you are doing is akin to applying for a military officership."

Freya nodded, "But mostly for our purposes, it is necessary for us to have proper diving clearance before we venture into the Roil. As the level of danger in the Roil increases, the higher the necessary ranking is for an adventurer to gain official access to the zone. Without the proper level of clearance, there won't be any rescue parties or tracking parties deployed to keep tabs on any persons that venture into the zone. But most importantly, whatever artifacts they may recover will be considered property of the government instead of property of the adventurer."

"It is a measure designed to prevent headstrong youngsters from marching to their dooms in search of fame and fortune." Vil finished. "Now that the matter is sufficiently clear, would you like to go get some food before it becomes time for you to undertake your examination? I have heard that there are restaurants that cater to all sorts of people on the upper floors. I am sure that we can find an establishment that will serve live game to your tastes."

Flashes of blue light in the distance signaled the return of several investigations unit squadrons. They appeared out of the black monoliths that littered the inside of the Guild Hall like information stands. The white-coated unit had several groups of civilians with them, one of which included the woman that Anjali had saved some time before.

Astarte turned around and glared at a man passing behind them. Chimes rang gently from his white cloak as he walked. It was difficult to make out his face, but for some reason he stood out even among the crowds of peculiar looking people.

"Once you get a silver-class license we will be able to make for Noltell, where it is rumored that the Deep Braves have made their forward operating base. From there it will be a matter of finding their leader and asking for help locating Nightshade. Then we will be able to send you home to your Rising Dawn."

"And with any luck we will be able to find where Leland stashed Controller before the old man kicked the bucket."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Omega

[hr]

King and Country

omega's story

​

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"I have an apartment at the foot of the palatine," Livia said quietly, "follow me and don't make a scene. We should be able to arrive shortly."

Livia started to make her way down the winding streets of this alternate Rome. Omega could hear the rushing waters of the Tiber river as they traveled down corridors of stone carved deep into the foothills of the land and down paths worn smooth by decades of foot traffic. The guards were not too involved in their patrols as they milled around in armor of polished bronze.

It took some time but they reached the building shortly after they crossed the gold-laden bridge of ages.

Livia's apartment building was one unit of a four-unit structure built near a secluded grove. The district was well lit by tall and bright sconces. The guards here wore red linens instead of white. The golden letters of S.P.Q.R. was embossed on as many surfaces as they could fit it on.

As they approached the marble-and-brick building, Livia stopped and stiffened. The sconces near the door held no light. The lock on the door was twisted apart. The metal was blackened and scarred, as if threshed upon a molten loom. There were several sets of dirt-tracked footprints on the marble floor.

Livia was visibly furious, her voice shuddered with rage, "Who dares desecrate my father's home." Her hands moved to her hips but slipped against the empty sheathes. She growled and stalked forward.

Omega couldn't sense anything in the apartment building. The area was cold, long vacated by any intruders. There was nothing here that felt dangerous.

Then something sent a chill down his spine. The flow of ki in the earth had suddenly shifted, sending a small shock through his body. The sky crackled and settled and he could hear some people murmuring about the weather as they walked pass Omega at the front of the apartment. The ominous presence that had followed him insufferably since they arrived in Rome lightened, as if whatever happened had attracted it's attention.