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

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

Omega's story

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"Save your breath, Mistress. Doubt they lingered long enough for us to catch them. It's the basics of Breaking and Entering. They must have been after something..." Omega said, ushering his "Owner" behind him as he began to walk into the crime-scene first.
"Several sets of tracks, this was a group effort. Bet they were watching the place for sometime. Mistress if you can think of anything of value that might reside here, now would be the time to share such knowledge..." He said before he pulled over a (somewhat damaged) chair to rest on.
Once he sat down, he rolled up his sleeves as he began to prepare this "Ritual" of his.
It was a fairly simple one, just "Packaging" his energy like a sandwich for lunch so he could consume it later.

Storing it would be a bit more challenging as he looked around for a suitable conduit to take in his power.
It was a lovely home, even with the evidence of a crime all around them, so that search didn't take too long.
Picking up a wince chalice that had been chipped from the break in, he fretted "Not the most suitable vessel for my power, but it will do..."
With something to focus his energy into, he could begin.
Placing it on the table before him, he gripped it firmly with both hands as his energy "Filled" the cup from the bottom, taking the form of a thick crimson wine with several skull-shaped rifts swirling around.
It's scent was just as hefty, a potent smell of blood, sweat and tears rising from it that would make Livia's eyes water.
"Alright Mistress, I'm filling this with a faction of my power. Keep this on your person, pour it onto the Old Food and it should be enough for me to regain control. Be sure to use it when you feel the Old Fool is about to make a royal mess of things again. Just do try and keep this hidden from him. The second he finds out about this, he'll just start begging like a common pauper for you not to use it. Oh, and don't mind it's appearance. It might seem imposing but that's just what the raw essence of combat looks like." He explained before making a very crude "Lid" for the chalice, namely from a broken piece of furniture he broke even further.

Omega seemed a bit more drained from the ritual but there was a notable look of relief on his face as he pushed the chalice into Livia's hands and said "I-...I don't recall ever being able to trust someone with this. Either they fear me or the Old Fool ensures it's not possible...I know I'm still the one who has wronged you but...Thank you, Mistress Livia. For giving me this chance..."
Now that matter had been dealt with, he turned his attention to more pressing matters.
"Right, I have some time life...So whom do you suspect for this crime, Mistress? My coin is on the guards. I bet Aurelius's coin is on them as well. They could have given themselves an excuse for entry, no need to explain their actions to any witnesses and they have the manpower to make this happen..."

Standing up with a slight sigh of exertion, he began to take a closer look around the crime-scene, hoping to use his extensive history of assassinations/intimidation/kidnapping to get a better idea of who was here and what they were looking for.

29% Energy Remaining: -5% Passive Burn, -20 Energy Storage.

Livia has been given a cup of Omega's energy Chalice of a King's Will. Use to instantly restore 20 energy to Omega or use on Rugal to spawn Omega.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

omega's story

​

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Omega stood up in the dead homestead and looked around. He could see some evidence of tampering in the room around him, but his ritual had disrupted the fragile sleep of the desecrated room. The dust that had been pooled into footprints by the intruders had taken into the air as silver motes in the firelight. Fingerprints on the furniture was disturbed, if not overlapped with his own when he had touched them.

He looked for physical left over clues, but could find none. In fact, so disturbed was the scene that he could not see where the footsteps were headed to. But what he knew was that there were many valuable looking things still remaining, and while many of the containers in the house were open, none were truly emptied. It was as if someone had quickly taken a glance at what was inside and then left it alone.

Livia took the cup in her hands and frowned, "You believe that the Aurelius family raided my late father's home?" She drummed her fingers on the lid of the chalice. "However, I do not believe that the Praetorian Guard would have the wherewithal to have been able to break into this home. My father was a shrewd man, Rugal, not only was this apartment unregistered, the lock here was crafted by the Ennian. To have broken such a device would have taken more prowess than a person would have, not even considering the taboo nature of defacing one of Ennian's own works."

She sat down on a small couch near the doorway. The orange light of the fires outside cast long shadows along the marble walls. "And for what reason would they be here. To steal my mother's knives? If the Aurelius had truly made there way to Etruria as Kleo had said, then I do not believe that they would have made such a scene at this place. It wouldn't have been to loot, since all of the valuables are still here."

Livia closed her eyes, "It has been a great many years since I have come to this place. I do not remember what contents it would contain. This home was used exclusively by my father as a safe house that he could retreat to in times of duress. With how much dust is here, I'd think that it had to be some months since the intruders were here." Livia growled in frustration. "If this was truly a raid conducted by Aurelius and his group, then we must confirm with the magistrate if one of his legions has moved into the area in the past year. If they acted without the approval of the Senate, then it could be enough grounds to declare hostilities between my province and his. But I only have access to one legion, of which my own leadership is being called into question... against the Aurelius family's seven legions... it would be impossible without using magic."

The gemstone in Livia's hair decorations grew dull in the shadows.

"Maybe we visit the Aurelius family mansion and see what they have to say about the actions of their oldest son."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

Omega's story

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"Hm...You know, where I hail, Mistress, I could not imagine anyone losing much sleep over a broken lock, no matter how ornate. Especially if it's between them and what they want. Taboos are for the tame and civilized, not so much for those who feel themselves above both. The Old Fool can tell you all about that..."

Omega stood nearby as Livia rattled on about her father, the Senate and other matters he had to pretend to care about.
He gazed over the city, a silent confidence around him as he could imagine statues of him flexing and tributes to his glory everywhere he went that would make even Nero envious. (Not a high bar considering the man's legendary ego but still.)
When the topic of Roman Legions came up, he was already doing the math on how many possible bodies he'd have to deal with afterwards, something he was sure to share with Livia.
"You know, my understanding of your Roman Legions is that it's about, what, 5 thousand men? So that would be about 35 thousand Aurelius Soldiers, give or take?...Me and the Old Fool? We've seen war on levels your people have yet to comprehend. Should the need arise, Your legion will find victory hand delivered, Mistress. Hell, even my weaker side can manage that. It's all about how you strike, not many hands strike with you..." He reassured her, wondering how many roman legions would be used to the tactics of modern terrorist and insurgent groups.
And how much easier it'd be when only one side had firearms but that wasn't here or now...yet.

"I'd look into the magistrate first, Mistress. Whatever move we make to, we'll want know where their forces are before we make it. If we're lucky, we might be able to convince him to reveal all 7. With that knowledge, I can quickly see to undermining their strength while bolstering our own numbers. Perhaps I might even be able to handle that loyalty issue you spoke as well when the time comes. For now, I'd see him first before we confront their eldest son." He then said, double checking both the time of day and how much time he had left.

"...I shall see to getting your father's property back in order, Mistress, unless your will demands my talents elsewhere..." He then said, deciding to put some of his remaining energy into endearing himself with his Mistress.
He set about going a quick repair and dust down of the residence, his bulk and size making him appear rather ill-fitting handling a half broken broom and picking up what their foes had pulled down.
Still, he labored on, using his "Vast Overwhelming Power" in mundane ways as he quickly pulled the house back into order faster then an entire team of servants could.

He never was one to clean up his own or anyone's mess but it was an action he could see himself benefiting from at some point and that all that mattered.
Doubt she'll let me in the Master Bedroom...Well, I mean, she cou-....Hmmm....No, she doesn't seem like the type to use slaves like that...Real shame that, she would have enjoyed herself...
...
...Really? Still not a peep out of you? Because if you are trying right now, I ain't hearing any threats, warnings, nothing really. Maybe that's another thing I'm better then you at...
...
...You know, I could get really used to this silence. Heh ~And no one dared...
~disturb the sound...
of silence~... He smirked to himself, knowing the "Old Fool" was listening somewhere, silently screaming at such thoughts.

24% Energy Remaining: -5% Passive Burn, -5% Professional Cleaning Servant

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

omega's story

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Omega finished cleaning Livius' safe house in little time, wiping away all traces of the intruder's presence. In contrast to the well decorated living room, the rest of the apartment was quite sparse. Simple ceramic pots lay overturned here and there and the wooden tables and drawers were rifled through. There were a good amount of empty scroll racks in the study room, directly adjacent to the living room and the kitchen, and a simple futon was laid against a bare wall. Some red blankets were still laying in an undisturbed heap at the end of the bed. Several empty oil lamps lay strewn across the floor covered in a thick layer of dust.

Now all of that detritus had been either moved outside or obliterated by Omega's ki energies, the home looked pristine, if slightly sterile. While he was cleaning up the debris from "Ennian's Lock" Omega noticed something. The metal radiated an energy not unlike what he had experienced during the Angel War. Yet, that seemed off. After all, Christianity had not yet even begun. It wasn't that the metal was enchanted, the material itself was light to the touch, airy, but strong. He could barely get the material to bend in his hand, but found that it grew softer in the presence of concentrated ki energy.

"Let us go see what the magistrate's office has to say about this then," Livia finally said.

With that she swept out into the streets in dramatic fashion, pushing pass some drunken patricians as she did.

---​

The magistrate's office was only several blocks away from Livius' safehouse, but so were many of the things at the foot of the Palatine hill. The hill was not as large as the others in Rome, yet it had to fit not only the many administrative and religious centers of the state into the small pieces of land left over after the wealthy senatorial families had claimed their estates, but also the public forum.

The magistrate was a small building crammed between the Temple of Venus and the courthouse, across the river Tiber from the Circus Maxima and it's horse tracks. Even at this time of night, there were still some people loitering near the marble steps engaging in quiet conversation as the moon drifted overhead.

Of the crowed of colorfully robed men and women, there was a grim looking man standing by the entrance to the magistrate. He was tall, thin, and robed from head to toe in a matte black. There was not a single thread of gold in his robes. His skin was pale and his fingers bone thin and painted with scars. By all means, he looked more dead than alive. Livia eyed the man with warily.

"Be careful of that one," Livia said as she began the ascent, "His name is Publius. He's one of the scribes here and older the Republic by some accounts. He's odd, but... probably means no harm."

When Livia and Omega passed he put a hand gently on Livia's head.

"Good to see you again," he said. His voice was stilted and raspy. Listening to him made Omega feel thirsty. "You have grown."

"It has been scarcely two months," Livia said under her breath. She was rigid. "I could not have grown much in that time."

"Not on the outside, no," the man said as he took several steps forward while gently guiding Livia into the magistrate, "but on the inside."

The magistrate interior was a cramped series of marble columns punctuated with small jars on tables filled with scrolls. The center of the building was an open space with four tables placed facing each other where a single man sat writing by firelight. Stacks of papers and tablets lay in neat piles from left to right. His face was scrunched down in effort at his current endeavor.

"Valerius," Publius whispered as he put a bony hand on the paper the man was writing on.

"Absolutely intolerable!" the man suddenly shouted as he sat up. He was shorter, Omega supposed, than the already short Roman people and quite rotund. Omega could see where the jewelry he wore had begun to wear into the fat on his neck and fingers. The man had a scraggly brown beard that melted into a scraggly brown mess of a head of hair. His robes were a complex layering of three different colored sheets. "It is unacceptable that so many of these forms are filled by illiterate masses because the Head of Household refuses to retain a scholar! The letters are copied haphazardly, reversed, and impossible to read. I cannot begin to fathom how we are supposed to determine the number of tax evaders by write-in alone!"

Publius smiled. "Livia is here to see you." Publius motioned toward Livia. "Look how she's grown."

"Grown!?" Valerius cried in surprise, "Have you lost your mind Publius? She looks the same as she did at Livius' vigil! You're losing your vision in your old age, I swear, I swear." Valerius let out two herumphs as he struggled to his feet. Then he walked around his table toward Livia with his arms outstretched.

"Oh, oh, oh, my poor girl. Have you been quite alright?" Valerius said as he hugged Livia tenderly around her shoulders.

Livia returned the gesture with less enthusiasm. "I have been surviving."

"Well, I am glad that you have been able to respond to my summons. It was not easy trying to track you down after you disappeared you know. You've inherited your father's elusiveness you have." He leaned back and cracked his back. "And who is this mighty German fellow you have with you?" Valerius said as he looked Omega once over, "Sticks out a bit like a sore thumb doesn't he?"

"His name is Rugal," Livia answered.

"Rugal!" Valerius said as we walked over to Omega. He hugged Omega warmly around his waist, for that was as high as the thickset man could reach. "Oh, I hope you have been taking care of Livia in Livius' stead. She is a handful at times, but I promise you that she is a fine woman in every regard."

"Patrue!" Livia said shrilly.

Publius put his hands on Livia's shoulders. "Quiet, child. This is a sacred space."

"Sorry..." Livia said softly, "Patrue, that is enough talking of such things. I am not here about your summons. I am here investigating the desecration of my father's home!"

Valerius turned around and looked at Livia. He wrinkled his mustache and his shoulders slumped. "I can't say I'm surprised." He walked back over to the other side of the desk and sat down. "You have inherited all of your father's resolve with none of his good humor. Truly, however, I ache for the passing of both Livius and Gaius in such short a time. Before you ask me the things you must ask me, and I know that the only reason you are here are for the things that you must ask, I must tell you that the Senate has summoned you to trial."

Livia balked, "To trial?"

"I am afraid so," Valerius answered, "Caesar and Aurelius has motioned for you to stand trial for patricide."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Sorry for the delay, hope your Halloween as was fun as mine!

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

Omega's story

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Omega Rugal Bernstein.

Legendary Weapons Merchant.

Slayer of Tomoya (Least if anyone asked him if he did).

The Mortal God in his own eyes.

...Professional Cleaning Servant.

Wasn't his finest moment but not like there would be any witnesses to speak of this by the time he was done in this world.
During his chores, he did pause a little as he noticed one of those "Magic Locks" Livia spoke of.
Huh....Angelic Metal, here?... He mused to himself, recalling the stores of the stuff his Cartel stole during the Angel War and re-purposed into advanced weapon systems both during and after the conflict. (Fun fact: France was the biggest market for such weapons!)
He decided to hang onto it, stuffing the remains of the lock into his pocket as he finished his labor.
When Livia finally decided to head off, he merely bowed before following suit and instinctively knocking the drunks out of their path, a mere shoulder check being enough to bring down one of them with the force of a gladiatorial body slam.
"Ahhh, the folly of liquor. Sometimes Mistress, I muse about attempting to restrict the sale of liquor in my own homeland. More trouble then it's worth. Wines would be safe, just tire of the riff raff downing whatever pig swill they bring from oversees before spewing their guts everywhere..."

His thoughts on Prohibition out of the way, he enjoyed his tour of the city for the most part.
It was nice to see Rome without the overweight tourists messing up the place, distracted too much from watching the overweight Roman elites waddle around as if their civilization would last forever.
As they passed the Circus Maxima, he smirked as he recalled fond memories of him using this exact spot for night-time meetings with local organised crime (Perhaps he might be able to again once this is all over).
Finally, once their walk lead them to the magistrate's office, he went about posturing as if he was Livia's personal guard (An accurate description if you asked him) whist she went about her business.
He was stoic for most of the meeting, barring a dismissive and annoyed looking eyeroll once Valerius attempted to hug him.
"Rest assured, there is no place in the world safer then in my care. Mistress-..."Traded well" for my employ." He smiling, his eyes wandering to his "Owner" slightly as admired how "Fine" she really was.

But the mood of the meeting quickly took a turn for the worse the second Valerius brought up trial, Omega's expression soured slightly before he stepped between Livia and the men before quickly saying "Hmmm...See, we could have a bit of a disagreement there. I understand what your Senate is and the importance of her summons but part of the reason I was employed was due to the actions of the Aurelius clan. One of their people have stolen something of great value from my Mistress, a gift from her mother no less. We already know one of their ranks is a lowly thief so I doubt such a trial would be fair and impartial, especially if Aurelius himself has Caeser's ear. Now, I myself could be judging them prematurely but I swore an oath to serve and protect the young Mistress until her property is rightfully returned. Therefore, I'm going to ask you politely to-...how can I put this...."
Omega cracked his neck slightly and flexed a little to let his mass and strength be fully appreciated, lest they think some mere guards would be enough to haul him and Livia away.
"How about we discuss other matters at this time? The Senate shall still be there in a few minutes and we traveled, oh such a great distance to be right here. If for no other reason then to review some of the facts before the Senate begins it's persecution of Mistress. Valerius...friend...

A slightly imposing smile appeared on Omega's face as he laid his hand on Valerius's shoulder, followed by him saying to the far smaller and rounder man "...Surely you can spare a few minutes for my Mistress. You've known her longer then I have, have you not? Please, I implore you. I'm sworn to her service by Roman law, not doing everything I can to protect her from those who would seek to harm her would be a crime in of itself, no?"
As he made his case, he also made other plans as Livia noticed her servant palming a small orange orb of Ki in his hand...Just in case...

14% Energy Remaining: -5% Passive Burn, -5% Prepared Attack

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Omega

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King and Country

omega's story

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Omega felt a small tap against his shoulder.

"Please refrain from such activities," Publius said softly. His black robes moved is soft waves around him.

"Publius!" Valerius said in shock as the tall skeleton of a man pulled Rugal away from him.

Livia hopped back, wary of the shadow-cloaked magister. "Rugal!"

Publius brought Rugal toward an empty space near the entrance of the magistrate, away from the scrolls and tablets near the center. Publius hit a lever as he moved and two chains fell loose causing the doors to the magistrate to close. The flames along the sconces flickered and dimmed.

At the end of the moment, Rugal found himself standing in the middle of the entrance hall. Publius stood between him and the entrance. Behind him, Valerius stood at center of the magistrate. Livia had moved toward the near wall, hidden beneath the fluttering banner of the Roman Republic.

Publius stood up and smiled kindly. His bony hands outstretched. "It is dangerous to use sorcery in the public eye. You will attract unwanted attention. Very unwanted attention. I trust even an outworlder like you understands."

"Publius, what are you talking about? What is this man, and how dare he threaten me!" Valerius screamed as he scrambled to get behind his desk.

"Don't do anything rash Rugal!" Livia screamed, "If someone dies, we won't be able to avoid the Invocation of Heaven here!"

"No one is dying," Publius said. "Nothing will begin the Invocation of Heaven tonight. I am agent to no family nor government, but I will not allow such unruly behavior in the city."

Livia took a step out from under the banner. "So what are your true colors, Publius?"

Publius looked to Livia, "I could ask you the same thing. Are you truly the daughter of Livius Lucretius? Does the highborn daughter of such an esteemed hero consort with such twisted and potent forms of witchcraft?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You have two amulets on you at this moment, one is a covenant stone binding this outworlder to your whims. The second, I dare say, is some sort of fluid essence captured in a sealed vessel."

Livia took a step back.

"And before you say 'how do you know these things!?'" Publius said softly, "Remember who I am. I am a Latin first, a Roman second. Do not confuse me with those Romans who have lost themselves in their wealth. This land is not the same as it used to be. This city has been bathed in the shadow of an outworlder of such incredible strength that it has altered the very course of our development. It is such that I cannot allow any further violence to take place in this city, since strife draws the attention of that most abhorrent entity." Publius put his hands back into his robes and he walked over to the lever to open the doors. "Ask Valerius what you must. I will not stop you. But do it with civility please. I do not need another outworlder strongarming their way into the city."

Valerius popped his head over his table and made a noise of protest, "Is this insufferable show of barbarism over? Is it safe to come out?"

"That depends," Publius answered, "on the master and her dog."

Livia bit her lip. "Rugal, I command you to stand down in all circumstances. Do not threaten anyone without my express permission. Do you understand?"

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Omega/Rugal

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King and Country

Omega's story

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"[sub]Oh for the love of-It's not even sorcery...[/sub]" Omega grumbled, about as pleased as one would imagine with this turn of events.
Even as Publius explained the rules of his city, he bore an expression more akin to a bored child being scolded as he waited for him to finish.
"Rugal, I command you to stand down in all circumstances. Do not threaten anyone without my express permission. Do you understand?"
"..."

After a brief sigh, he knelt down before Publius before offering an apology, something that frankly hurt more then anything else that had happened to Omega thus far.
"...I violated your customs out of fear. I've seen this story before: Powerful families perverting the course of justice to bring ruin to their enemies. For many I've traveled with, the courts have rarely been fair and impartial, especially when politics are involved. For all I know, you could have ordered our arrest were we stand. I...I've failed Mistress Livia once before, I don't intend to do so again. It's no excuse, but I feel you are due an explanation for my actions. I apologize for the disturbance I caused, I was only seeking to protect my Master."

Urg, the taste of those words felt like rotted sawdust and rancid soap but it was it clear he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
Standing slowly back up, he then added "So what now? They drag her before the Senate and they'll find some way to prove she's guilty. The Government and the State. In the lands I hail if they want to find you guilty, they'll always find something, real or invented. Of course, if you try to argue against their narrative, they brand you a liar and act outraged that you would slander their "Noble and Just Court". Oh, And Aurelius? I'm meant to just take it in faith that he isn't gleefully awaiting an excuse to imprison her? Or worse? Call me cynical but for the wealthy like him, Lawyers and Judges are just more expensive assassins. After all, you can slay who you want if you claim it's for the sake of Justice..."

He then made his way to the side of room, folding his arms and letting the others conduct their business as he silently fumed.
This place is seriously starting to piss me off. Sooner I find those daggers, sooner I can go "Ises of March" on these weaklings...He did mention another being from beyond this world, guess I already met that one. *Sigh* ...Leave it to the old fool to strand us in the one fucking realm where violence is outlawed and they actually mean it...
While the others conversed, he quickly did a check of his remaining energy reserves, frowning as he found himself with barely 10% left.
"Grrr....I must leave. I shall return. My time is short Mistress. The Old Fool will awaken soon..." He excused himself, figuring he had caused enough damage.

He then sought out a nice quiet corner of either the office or even an alleyway, just somewhere private enough for him to wait out his weaker side's return. (If they considered his previous antic's "Witchcraft", he wasn't even going to try to explain Ki's Transformation powers.)
Settling for a nearby public toilet, he ensured it was empty before be began to "let go".
"Alright, guess it's your turn now. Heh, can't wait to see how you fuck this one up...." He spoke to himself before taking a few deep breaths, closing his eyes as Omega soon began to fade an-

0% Energy Remaining: -5% passive burn, -4% Here, take the wheel.

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Right to Rule

[i]Rugal's story[/i]

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"-YOU FUCKING SON OF A BI-....."

Rugal awoke with a shock in the middle of the rest room, panting and frantic as the gravity of his failing became clear.
A force he spent most of his (reformed) career trying to contain had broken loose, for all he knew there could be an entire burning city of corpses out there!
His hands were shaking as he ran one though his sweaty blonde hair, trying to recollect what happened while he was "out".
"Okay-....okay....okay...Julia took off-...I lost control-....Then we-....went to Rome...Okay....You can do this..." He spat as he attempted to clean himself up and pretend he wasn't someone with some kind of split personality disorder.
As control sank back in, so did his memory of events, namely how the woman "He" "Volunteered" to serve was right about to be arrested for killing her father!
"Ah, shit!" He cursed before quickly doubling back to Livia.
Once he returned, they would notice a different man standing before them, one that seemed much more akin to a confused traveler then the imposing guard that used to stand there.
It was almost as noticable as the fact his hair was a completely different color.

"...So.....uhh-...About those charges they levy. What is their proof that Li-...Mistress Livia committed such a crime?"

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

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Right to Rule

rugal's story

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"That is something that we do not know," Publius replied. He moved slowly to the column nearest to him and leaned against it for support. "This is not a civilian-type lawsuit that you expect it to be. From what I remember of the events, Sextus Furius called for a motion of acceptance on the Lucretia household leadership. Sextus was very adamant about ceding the entirety of Livius' estate to you, as is the ancient right of primogeniture. Yet, Sergius Lucius denied the ability of a lowborn savage woman to take the household rights. They spoke at length on the nature of passing Livius' titles and lands to the closest living male relative, and so on. At some point in the shouting match, the senators began to take sides. They continued to bicker over if they would recognize your legitimacy until Marcus Tullius brought up the nature and circumstances of Livius' and Gaius' sudden demises."

Publius looked up at the high dome of the magistrate and frowned. "Livius was well liked. He was a socialite, humble, and generous. There was no family in Rome that wouldn't welcome him into their home with gracious hearts. That being said, this was before he took a wife from the Old World and sired two children of mixed blood."

"The matter would have been little more than tabloid news in most circumstances, but it soon came to light after Caesar's battle with Antony that his wife was no normal barbarian. Rumors of witchcraft destroyed Livius' reputation in Rome. Fears ran abound that the Lucretia hexed and cursed their way into power under the strong arm of the barbarian witch."

Livia screamed. She was red as a beet. "Don't call my mother a witch!"

Publius held up his hands, "I apologize. It is... far too easy of me to forget my manners in my old age." He cleared his throat. "Serra then was no older than you are now, I believe. And while she was no witch, but she was not a shaman either. Serra was a violent, hard-to-please, and proud. Everything that Livius was not. Allegations of witchcraft aside, I believe that her presence in Rome would have destroyed your family's reputation in other ways."

"I ramble. The point is, many in the Senate have old friendships with Livius. Marcus Tullius Cicero is one of those people. He believed that Serra is the cause of the deaths of your father and older brother. One thing led to another, and now they suspect that you orchestrated the entire ordeal. At that point Aurelius motioned to have you brought to court to determine the truth of Livius' passing."

"As such, the entire mess is under the predication of Livius' senatorial seat and a state-level case." Publius crossed his arms. "It is an incredibly difficult situation. I do not believe that there will be any degree of civility or proof. This is a Senatorial witch hunt, outworlder."

Livia screamed in frustration. "I don't have time for such stupid things! I have to figure out who broke into my father's house, beat up the entirety of the Aurelius Gens, and retrieve my mother's relics from the stupid little ***** Julia!"

"Livius' safe house was broken into?" Valerius asked, popping up from behind his wooden table. "How is that possible?"

"That's what we came here to ask! Did the Aurelius family station a Legion here in the past month?"

"No, the entirety of the Aurelius' legions have been occupied in the Rhineland campaign. The agents registered with us are their housekeepers. Marcus Aurelius himself has been in Thrace since Livius' wake. His sons have not returned from their stewardship in Antioch, and his wife has taken her servants on a tour of Carthage." Valerius shook his head, "But that hardly matters, there's no way to break that special lock he has on his door. No one can get into his house even if they could find it."

The gears in Livia's head started to turn slowly. Then her eyes widened. "Publius!"

"Yes, that is my name."

"You said there was another outworlder other than Rugal, right!?"

"I indeed did say something to that effect, yes." Publius smiled.

"What was that outworlder here for!?"

"Ah, she was here looking for your father. She was devastated when I told her that he had died not one month prior to her arrival." Publius shrugged, "She caused no end of troubles for me with the way she was dressed. The woman looked like she was a Monster, wielding a toothed scythe and a star-touched cloak. I had to make up some ridiculous excuse as to who this person was before people started to ask too many questions."

"So who was this outworlder?"

"Who knows," Publius started to walk toward the back of the magistrate office, "I'm losing my memory in my old age, Livia. Good luck, I wish you the best."

"Publius!" Livia cried out. But the man did not respond. He kept walking forward until he vanished behind a maze of marble columns. "Did she break into my father's home!? Publius answer me! Publius!" Livia groaned. "I don't think this day could get any worse."

Valerius cast a side-long glance at Rugal before walking over to hug Livia. Livia pushed him away.

"No, not now Patrue," Livia sighed, "I need help, not reassurance. This feels like a nightmare from which I cannot wake. It is terrible in so many ways."

"Come now Livia," Valerius said kindly, "all storms pass and all nights end. Though bad dreams may feel suffocating, they will always pass in time."

"If this is a dream, I wish someone would wake me up."

Valerius handed her a silken handkerchief. "There, there Livia. Why don't I close up the magistrate and take you down to the market for some sweets? I hear that there is a honeycomb-and-apple tart that has all the high ladies tearing out each other's throats for near the Pantheon."

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

[hr]

Spoiler

Phillip stayed silent as the group conversed keeping an eye on Nina as she wondered below, Mnemosyne feeling Phillip's presence briefly weigh down on her as she beat around the bush about Paris. "Miriam is also unclaimed, and you watched her do just that." Phillip retorted back to Crown, finding his prattle utterly unnecessary. "Unless you were suggesting Nina broke through?" He suggests, knowing full well that's not correct.

"If Nocturne is retrieving Nina, retrieving Reign would save Nina needing to waste time doing that. He is the station manager however, he is abourd?" Phillip said as he slowly scuttled across the hardwood heading in the direction Nina was going to keep an eye on her.

[hr]

"Erika, Teresa, Syl, Vil, Balance, Balance?, Venia." Nina read out the names as they appeared, pausing on Balance as the name seemed to stick out to her more than the rest. Back and forth she went, trying to make heads and tails of the mess set before her, and slowly that understanding revealed itself. It was a book of contradictions, like someone had tried making a story with a guide to patchwork quilt making, or perhaps somebodies.

It took Nina very little time to realize what this meant to her, and in response her hand started to tremble. "Don't fucking tell me..?" She cursed under her breath as she pulled the book closer to her chest, almost hugging it as she leaned her chin on its edge, bringing a hand up to keep her hat on her head. "Why her?!" Staying there for what seemed like ages for her, she'd eventually wipe her yes, looking at the floor. "I can't let her make that mistake. I can't!"

Eventually seeing the pulses of Miriam and Nemesis's footsteps, Nina made her way back to the duo. "Miriam! Please! Wait!" She called out to her, looking rather upset and trying to get the young one's attention. "I-I'm sorry! I was wrong to yell at you. But... Nemesis won't help you solve what's going on with you! What's going on in here!" Nina exclaimed producing the diary. "You know somethings happening, but you don't know what. You're scared, confused and you don't know where to turn, but... You can't just put your head in the sand and expect it to fix itself!" A pulse of azure rang out as Nina took another step towards them.

"No amount of running's going to change that, not even running to the bloody edge of the universe. Please Miriam, let me help you, and if not me, someone who's actually going to give a fucking damn about you! These books are your memories of times before and like hell should you be taking advice from someone who'd throw them on the ground haphazardly! You're better than that, and deserve better!" Nina glared at Nemesis, only to look back at the little one. "You wanted to stop all this nonsense too, that's why you came here, why you appeared when all that red stuff outside showed up? I want this to be fixed too, not just for me or you, but the people on this train and the people we left all the way back there on the mainland. I'm not asking you to help me, if we work together separately or me helping you I don't care. We just need this dealt with now, no more running, we face this head on." Nina pleaded with her stooping down to Miriam's level as her beaded hair clattered against the glassy floor. The pulses that sprang up from those beads hopefully carried along Nina words, appealing not to Miriam's humanity, but that sense of wanting to know why she was broken, to end this crumbling world they were still racing through, because deep down Nina's gut told her Miriam, all the Miriam's, had a colossal hand to play in this whole mess.

 

[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​

Practically immune to Johany's attacks, Hillary simply let go of her mace once the skeleton tried to reenact the jump stab from Wind Waker, reaching up to grab the sword once it'd attacked her, bending the blade almost effortlessly in her grip. Mr Bone's remains had throughly crumbled by this point, so with Hillary now freed hand she reached up to Johany's pelvis and grabbed hold. With one fluid motion she pulled the sword out of the skeleton's grip casting it aside like a toy and then readjusting her grip so now she held the skeleton by the pelvis and back ribs. Effectively neutered of any real means of attacking anyone, Hillary looked around and eventually settled on throwing him into one of the waste disposal bins.

There would likely be sparks and skeleton cries as Hillary shoved him in there, but once inside there wasn't much room to move, which meant little to no impact, which meant no electricity to worry about for the others. Sealing the lid, Hillary lifted the bin and walked over to the rest of them, checking to see if anyone else needed any help, but unlike David looking largely concerned about his image, Violet freaking out about trying not to die, and Jenny just being plain tired, Hillary just looked sad. "Hillary made sure to put that skeleton man in this box, and he's not zapping any more, is everyone else okay?" She called out over the gunfire.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

Rugal's story

​

[hr]

"*Sigh* Of course the Senate is marred with in-fighting and politics..." Rugal grumbled as he listened to Publius's ramblings.
Still, they had a lead: The woman with the toothed Scythe and the star touched cloak, Can't imagine she'd be hard to spot in a crowd.
When Valerius suggested getting "Sweets from the market", Rugal rolled his eyes before saying "My Mistress is about to tried for murder. I doubt satisfying some sugar cravings is going to help with that! No, our best bet is to find this woman."

Glancing around the office, he ran his hand though his hair from stress before stating "Publius, as I-...*I* said before, we can't have anyone reporting our presence in the city. Not if the Senate seeks Mistress Livia's arrest. If anyone asks about us, make sure you lose all memory of this encounter before you answer. And trust I shall know if you don't."
With that, he decided it was time to leave, taking Livia with him.
But much to her surprise, the second they were out of view of prying eyes, he pulled on her arm before dragging her into a back alley

Kneeling down to her level, he then grabbed her by the shoulders before barking "What did he ask of you? I know the man you spoke to before, I need to know what he's planning!"
Glancing around for any witnesses, he pressed his case by adding "That was no man you traveled with. He is little more then an unchecked ego with equally unchecked power. He cares neither for you or anyone else but himself and the second you have what he wants, he will break you and everyone you ever cared about for Sport! I've sparred with him several times, he's tried to kill my family and countless others."
Gazing directly into her eyes, he pleaded "I lost control of that-..."Side" of me a long time ago. Together, we ravaged an entire world with crime and misery. Lived in excess while dooming all those below us. Fanned the flames of war for profit. You have no idea how dangerous he truly is. Please..."
Moving his hands to the sides of her head, he kept staring right at her before frantically begging "I am begging you, I cannot let that happen again. Not here, not anywhere else. Please, tell me anything you can about what Omega is planning."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Nina

[hr]

Table for Two

nina's story

​

[hr]

"Reign is the assistant conductor, more or less and handles the train when Nivdeth is preoccupied with the engine itself. I think both of them are just as old as this train." Mnemosyne answered Philip. The trained shook as brilliant streaks of red crossed through the hostile void outside. "But what was this about that girl being Miriam? I mean, I get that she looks a bit like Miriam, but her colors were all wrong."

Faea bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. She pushed against her web with her hands to balance herself on her feet. "I am less concerned about the girl and more concerned about the fact that Crown just told us that this train is taking us outside of Anazorzia."

"That was just a bit of exaggeration. I don't actually believe we are leaving Anazorzia. It would be quite improbable to exist outside of the boundaries of our realm. People like Violet Amnesia are exceptions to the rule. I doubt there is anything outside of our universe in any case."

"Mnemosyne," Faea said humorlessly, "do you think you can describe what it feels like to planeswalk?"

"It's different for everyone... for example, when I make the jump I fade out of one world into another, like ink mixing in water. The transition is silent and peaceful. Others, like my subordinate's, are more adversarial. Terrible displays of discordant power. She jumps in violent flashes of red lightning, leaving huge tears and folds between the worlds that she transverses."

"Would you say that the scene out there mirrors those violent planeswalks?" Faea continued as she pointed to the scene outside.

"It might be, what are you trying to get at?"

Crown frowned. "Faea, are you implying what I think you are implying?"

"It's not entirely out of the question is it?" Faea retorted.

Mnemosyne looked confused. "Are you trying to say that Reign might be planeswalking the entire train?"

"I have a feeling that Reign might not be the planeswalker we're looking for."

---​

Nemesis kept on walking, her cloak fluttering in the glimmering cerulean dust that fell from high above. Pox looked at Nina hungrily and bristled. "I never made any promise to save this world nor help this girl. She clings to me because I pulled her out of the Wound earlier today." The clack of her heels echoed as she made her way through the shelves.

"What are you talking about?" White said, seemingly offended that Nina approached her so brashly. "I have no idea what is going on here. But even someone of my incredibly limited capacity has enough sense to understand that something bad is happening." Behind the small girl's air of aloof arrogance, her eyes were filled with fear and uncertainty.

"Truth be told, it would be best if you took White with you. She'll just get in the way of my work." Nemesis pulled another diary from a shelf and flipped through it. She idled one on page painted with pictures of some complex stone mechanisms inscribed with Latin writing. Then she ripped out the page and tossed the rest of the diary to the floor. The book bent across it's spine as it hit the crystalline ground.

White seized up as if she had just been struck, but relaxed soon thereafter. "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't been waiting for anything to blow over. I don't have the strength that the others do. In the end, my color is the weakest in creation, so I don't have the ability to do anything with my own powers."

"White isn't a weak color," Nemesis said as she began to head deeper into the library, "it's weaker at first glance than Black, Blue, Red, or Green, but White's strength is born from far more than just the power of a single individual. White build community, solidarity, and synergy. You are guided by a strong sense of right and wrong, but you are not the instrument of action by yourself. Work with this young woman, White, and you will find yourself much more capable than you believe." She pulled another book from the shelf. This one was a thick leather tome with tanned pages that looked more like skin than paper. She opened it.

"And this is where it was." Nemesis closed the book and picked up Pox in her right hand. She struck out with her scythe, ripping a red-lightning streak gash in the air in front of her. Darkness rippled outward from the wound and chaotic bolts roared out from within. Inside of the wound was another place. Dragons danced in the air high above twisted peaks and abyssal chasms. A chill wind flowed forth into the library from this place. "I have work to do, but I do not believe that this will be the last that we will meet." Nemesis tipped her hat to Nina and White as she stepped backwards into the rift. "I look forward to meeting you again under more favorable circumstances."

Once she was through the rift, she swung Pox a second time and the portal closed, leaving no evidence of Nemesis except for some lingering snowflakes that had drifted through when she crossed.

Nina's phone vibrated.

White leaned over and looked at Nina's phone. "Wait, that's Black! What is she doing harassing you like that? Play-area, are you playing some kind of game?" The little girl furrowed her brow. "That's not like Black. She usually never plays games. She's very rude, contrived, and thinks very highly of herself, but I've never heard of her trying to play a game..."

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

Livia looked at Rugal incredulously. "You sound like a raving lunatic." An owl landed on an unlit sconce nearby. It's round eyes mirrored the full moon drifting overhead. The stars above glimmered like torches in the night. "No, you are a lunatic. That is no longer up for debate. We're going to find Julia and retrieve the knives that she stole from me before she can deliver them to her father. Your alter-ego or whatever you call him promised to deliver them to me."

She turned away from Rugal, "And don't go acting like you're the only one who's done things you're not proud of. There are a lot of people here that would start wars for profit and politics." Her eyes softened into a wistful stare, "I'm a Roman. Conflict is in my blood. If I had to say, your 'alter ego' was going to take the knives from me once we retrieved from Julia. Those artifacts are items that tyrants covet. But I felt confident, given that he swore to Jove himself that he would be loyal to me." Livia produced the runestone that had been etched with lightning. "I would bet that he believed that if he satisfied his contract to the letter, he could do whatever he wanted immediately afterwards. But, I was capitalizing on the fact that he wasn't familiar enough with our gods to know that they honor the spirit of the bargain rather than the literal words. He would have been struck down by Jove the second that he turned on me for my mother's knives. His soul - and yours I suppose - would have been sent into the pit of Tartarus, never to again see the human world."

"In most cases I can take care of myself. I'm fourteen summers old already, after all." Livia tucked the runestone back into her tunic. She started to walk toward the street outside. Two ravens landed near the buildings at the outlet of the alleyway. "Listen, Rugal. If you want, I can free you from your promise. You don't have to stick around with me. I know you feel bad about what happened with Eurydice, but I do not begrudge you for such things. I believe that I can win my quarrel with Livia, and then deal with my trial."

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

"You sound like a raving lunatic."

"I sadly agree..."

As Livia discussed the terms of her arrangement with Omega, the less he liked the terms. That raging ego inside him was going to get them both banished to some horrible nightmare realm (again!).
As such, his mood merely soured more then she suggested that he ditch her.
"That would be a short term solution. I'm still stuck in this world and for as long as I am, he will use every means possible to subjugate this entire world, daggers or not. No, unless I'm able to find a way to return to my world, he will surely try to take control and-...."
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, the sheer insanity of his situation began to bear down on him, no doubt Livia thought he had lost his mind.
"...No, if I leave now, I will lose myself. Nor am I comfortable with leaving a 14 year old woman at the mercy of the Roman Legal System for a crime she didn't commit. I am truly sorry that you have to make due with my-...instability. But for now, It would seem you are stuck with me, Mistress. Livia" He attempted to joke to lighten the mood a little with his tone on "Mistress".

"Right, enough about my woes for now. The woman Publius spoke of. If we find her, we might be able to get some answers. He mentioned the marketplace. We should start there. I myself could really use something to settle my mind..." he then suggested, straightening his outfit slightly before they set off.
Once he was there, he would try to find something to calm his senses from one of the merchants, namely the alchemist's and healers.
All the while, he went about asking for the woman with the Star-touched cloak as well as making sure none of the guards attempted to make a move against Livia.
The sense of dread in the back of his mind urged him onward to try and find some means to halt his other side's attempts at control...

 

[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​

"Clear! Hostiles down! Get that door closed!" David barked as he finally took a moment to rest, staring at the moving and shaking bin the elite skeleton was stuffed inside.
It sparked and hissed a little but the rubber material on the inside made his attempts fruitless and frankly comical to watch.
"Huh....Clever. Good work Hilary. Couldn't have made that push without you. Violet, get this place sealed and secured. We stopped them from taking the weapons, just have to keep it that way." He ordered the Doctor, even as a sudden shift from the bin made him jump.
"AH!....Dammit, hope that stupid thing holds." He grumbled as he stepped over the remains of their enemies and locked down the Armoury.
Jenny was still pretty exhausted but she still took the time to thank Hillary for her efforts.

"You saved us all, Hillary. Thank you for that. Hopefully we can regroup and find out what the hell happened now." She panted as David began to limp towards one of the machine guns they were trying to steal, setting it up pointed at the main door.
"Well, we got the weapons and computer systems back. Say the next thing we'll want is to try and take back control of the personal quarters. If there's anyone still left on board, we should be able to find them there. Once that's over-....uhhhh..." He trailed off as he attempted to figure out what to do next.
"We'll want the bridge back. Perhaps if we take off, we will be able to get to help."
"Not a bad plan, just wondering how the hell we're going to fly this with all these undead roaming about. Now, please tell me I still left this here..."
David got up and made his way to a display cabinet full of missiles before pulling it away, silently thanking himself when he pulled out a cooler from a hidden spot on the wall.
"Here, chow down. Get your strength back. Day ain't out yet." He told the others, revealing it's contents to be full of snacks and drinks David had stashed for those long nights working on weapon mods.

 

[Zepherus14]

[hr]

Table for Two

Nina's story

​

[hr]

Spoiler

"Ack! That's cold!" Nina cried, her clothing doing little to protect her from the harsh elements that invaded their humble train car, much less her slender arms. "And maybe with some more clothing next time!" She added right as the portal closed, her body covered in goosebumps by the time Nemesis had made her leave. If that was intentional or some unfortunate coincidence Nina couldn't know for sure, but at least now she was alone with Miriam or was it White?

"You know... you eldritch are really hard to talk to... It's like I propose a topic to discuss, and then you guys up and meander into some other topic. It's almost a trope at this point." Nina let out a groan, rubbing her arms vigorously in some feint attempt to warm herself. The dismissal of her plea to Miriam's health had stamped out the storm that'd briefly taken her heart, let alone that brisk splash of air. "At least with Phillip I know it'll eventually circle back to cooking, one way or another it always does, but how the hell am I supposed to investigate this fucking murder for Nocturne if no one wants to give me a strai-"

[HEADING=3]

[color=black]~BZZT~[/color]

[/HEADING]

"What now!?" Nina looked down at her phone, absentmindedly reading only to have White look over her shoulder. "N-NO! Definitely not a ga- Wait hold on, you know who McDipshit is?! B-but, it's just a bunch of text messages, how can you know it's this Black? Black's one of the other Miriams that Phillip saw? The one with the pillars?" She exclaimed, startled that she saw the screen initially only to realize what White had said, she knew the person behind this game. It wasn't like Nina could use her to bypass Black's game, likely she wouldn't allow such a rule break, but at least Nina could know what she was up against before heading in.

[hr]

"Colours..?" Phillip nearly scoffed, a tad bit annoyed by her correcting him about her not being Miriam. "She appeared suddenly here did she not? It's unlike what anyone else has done thus far." Phillip muttered, his gaze shifting to focus on Mnemosyne again, finding her questions unnecessary.

The talk about the train being the target of the transition from this universe to the next got his attention though. Not because the contradiction of the original plan to see a universe die, not because of the potential problems of jumping through the space, not because of the impossibility of the whole thing; no he paid attention because jumping meant translocating where they were. Like adding a new ingredient to a cake, the flavour could be completely changed, changing what was needed to be done with the palette and harmony. If that Miriam with the tablets truly was locking him from the rest of his sleeping being, jumping away from this place might alter his ability to confront that woman. If he couldn't reclaim himself, that meant no cookbook, lost knowledge still within him but sealed away forever. "How long do we have then, if these red streaks are what you two think they are Mnemosyne?" He demanded, his tone having this eerie calm to it, but underneath there was a terrifying force behind it, at least it wasn't directed at any of them.

 

[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 watched the others work, holding onto the jostling can awkwardly as she waited for instructions on what to do next. Being praised by David made a small smile mold to her face as did Jenny's, and yet Jenny could feel the emotional turmoil still weighing on her. "Hillary was told to go and help anyone she could, and then she found you guys. I just wish she could have done it without having to throw them around so much..." Showing an odd sense of compassion for the dangerous skeleton people.

Eventually setting down the trashcan in a spot away from anything important, Hillary sat herself down right next to Jenny, her mood perking up a bit as she did so. Still when David showed the different snacks available, Hillary's reaction was a mixed bag. On the one hand, some of the snacks looked to be utter junkfood like chocolate bars and candy, but on the other hand she'd need to get the platinum out of her to enjoy anything. Even still, she knew she needed to get part of her contents out of her, and as such as she grabbed some of the food to offer to Jenny she started to cough out the things she'd swallowed.

It was a tricky task to get all of them out, but one by one Jenny could hear the rattling sound of a ring within Hillary's 'stomach' and eventually each of Violet's rings came up. Each was damaged in minor degrees, small chunks of platinum missing, the surfaces eroded away, Violet could still wear them but they were definitely in need of repair. This seemed to be a source of Hillary's anxiousness as she said. "Hillary tried to leave them alone as best she could, but it was really hard. I hope you can forgive her for not keeping them in better condition."

As she offered the rings back to Violet, she started coughing again and with some effort she'd eventually bring up what remained of the knee joint she'd originally swallowed, emphasis on remained. It appeared like swiss cheese, or maybe even a sponge with just how many massive holes were carved into it. The difference in damage between the rings and the joint was immediately noticeable and quite drastic, and if the rings had been given the same treatment, there likely wouldn't be any rings to return.

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Nina

[hr]

Table for Two

nina's story

​

[hr]

"Everything in Anazorzia has a Color of Creation. That is the fundamental aspect of what makes us Anazorzian." Faea said. "My color is blue which represents the mind, for example, and it is demonstrated through my abilities to collect information and decipher complex patterns. Anazorzians identify each other through the use of our colors in the same way a hound would use smell."

"Colors start off pure and strong at the beginning of each lineage and as bloodlines become diluted with human blood, the purity of our colors wane." Crown added. "My own color is black, which represents itself as a lust for power and control."

"And in very rare cases, the colors of two bloodlines can be mixed, as is the case of Cuelle, who harbors both the identities of Nocturne's blue and Talavee's green." Mnemosyne said. "I myself am blue-aspected, taken from my primal father. So it is strange to us that the girl that appeared would have such a drastically different color than what we expected to see on Miriam." Then Mnemosyne looked outside and answered Philip's second question, "I couldn't tell you how long before we break free of Anazorzia. It could be at any time."

Faea snapped. "Okay, that's all and good, but I think we have something more pressing I would like to address. I want to go see the train's engine. Can someone help me in getting there?"

---​

"Can't you tell?" White asked Nina. There was worry in her voice, "It's very apparent, given the strong color that it exudes. And yes... if by pillars you mean Black's stabilization slates. She oversees the void and makes sure that Anazorzia is protected from outside threats. In addition, her slates are integral in keeping Anazorzia in a stable state of being."

White saw the confusion on Nina's face and continued, "Anazorzia is built like a patchwork quilt. It's a thousand different realms stitched together to form a melting-pot of the cultures you have seen. Unfortunately, that means many of Anazorzia's realms are incompatible with each other on a fundamental level and subspace fissures are generated when differing laws of causality have to be reconciled. Black's slates seal subspace realms together, keeping the fissures at bay and all of the different worlds that make up Anazorzia part of a cohesive whole."

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

At the market place Rugal found, and Livia purchased, a set of lavender smelling remedies which calmed his nerves. Livia frowned as she drank from her flask the honeyed brew, "I thought you said that sweets at the market was going to be the last thing we needed."

The potion tasted like lemonade. It was tart and sweet, but had a herbal earthy aftertaste that lingered pleasantly in the nose.

"And what makes you so sure that this outworlder woman is still around?" Livia asked as another merchant shrugged at Rugal's questions. "Publius said that she was in Rome almost a month ago."

"Aye, I've seen the woman with the star-cloak." Came a voice to their side. It was an old man sitting in an alleyway. A small clay bowl lay near him. Several copper coins lay inside. "She was here some time ago. Had some huge package on her back and escorted by thirteen of the Praetorian guard. She had such an air around her that people were calling her a god of some sort."

"A god huh? Well, I suppose that was what Publius meant when he said that he concocted an excuse for her appearance."

"But that was about month ago, not that it'd matter. It'd be rather difficult to find someone under the protection of the Praetorian guard."

Livia shook her head, "If that woman was with the Praetorian guard, then she must have broken into my father's home before Publius caught up to her. That is, if we're even talking about the same person."

"How many women are there wearing clothes that look like they were woven by Arachnea herself?" The beggar laughed.

"If there is any city where that number could be more than one, it's Rome." Livia said flatly. "Come on Rugal, let's go somewhere else."

 

[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​

"Oh, Pffff, don't worry about it. I might like my high end fashion as much-... well actually quite more, then the average human but I enjoy not dying above all else. Seriously, don't worry about it." Violet warmly answered, even if he did shudder and retch slightly picking them back up.
Rather then try and put them back on, he glanced around for a small plastic bag to put them into so he could repair/dispose of them should he get out of this alive.
David meanwhile was starting to get more and more alert, that episode of his seeming to have passed as he went to each of the weapon lockers and pulled out everything he thought would be of use.
"Alright, I suddenly like our changes a lot better now..." he remarked as he pulled out a number of firearms and proceed to put as many of them on his person as possible.
Pistols in his belt, rifles hanging from his neck and shoulders, a sub-machine gun tucked around his lower back, the works.
After all, better to keep the weapons with the group then leave them for the skeletons.

"Okay, once everyone is ready, we'll start pushing for the bridge. Move and shoot, don't let them bog us down or we'll get surrounded. J-J, you good?" He asked as the Gardevoir had a Lemonade and recovered a little.
"Yeah, I'm fine. We should try and cut though the personal quarters on the way over. There might be some crew still around we could link back up with. I'll keep my senses open for them and ping them if I sense them." The Gardevoir remarked, right before David threw a flak jacket at her.
"Good plan, just tell them we aren't waiting up." He warned, prompting her to shake her head a little as she put the armor.
"Well, if you wish, we could split up-"
"Jenny, everyone knows this is the part of the movie where the people who do that DIE! To hell with that!"
"Alright, alright...Lets just enjoy the peace then...Here, Hillary, have some of this. You earned it."
Defusing her own idea, she then handed the Slime a can of "Hoenn Springs Lemonade", It was like 7up but far less soulless and bland.

 

[Diablo1099_v1legacy]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

"I thought you said that sweets at the market was going to be the last thing we needed."

"I did. This is a medical purchase. If you ever have the displeasure of gaining a "Companion" like mine, believe me, you'll understand." Rugal shot back as he used the remedy despite his personal distaste for medicine prepared scant feet away from merchants attempting to sell livestock.

With this head somewhat clearer, he resumed his search for the Star Cloaked woman, getting a rather useful lead from a nearby beggar.
"Either way, it sounds like the Praetorians might know who or where she is. Thank you for your time, wise one." He kindly thanked the beggar, leaving a few pieces of sliver in with the coppers.
Leaving the man behind, he kept close to his "Employer" as he mused "The Praetorian Guard....They would have a Castra Praetoria, correct? I know there was one outside the city. Least in the Rome of my world anyway. If you can bring me to it, I might be able to get more information on our target. Even if they refuse to speak, perhaps there might be a written record of the security detail that was sent to escort her left by one of their officers."

Ohhhh, breaking into a military base are we? You sly dog. Also, you really need to stop thinking that some combination of plants is going to silence me... His other-side taunted, clearly a bit giddy about the idea of the Old Fool attempting a convert ops mission.
Gritting his teeth slightly, he then added "Even if we don't find her or a path to her, we could find some of your father's property. If she was the one who broke into your father's home, they might have taken such belongings from her once she was in their care."

 

[BlackHarte]

Spoiler: Rugal

[hr]

Right to Rule

rugal's story

​

[hr]

"The Praetorian barracks?" Livia asked as they started to make their way up the river Tiber from the open forum. "I don't think that there's anything specifically the Praetorians call a barracks. They station themselves all over."

Livia sighed, "Even if we do go knocking at the Praetorian Legion's door, I doubt any of them are actually working at this hour."

The sky above them swirled with dark clouds. First it came in a few light droplets, but then it came hard. A downpour of rain drenched the city and sent Livia running for cover. The river roared with newfound strength, pushing hard against the concrete levees that lined the walkways near the river.

Livia wiped the water from her eyes as she leaned against the wall of a closed shop, hiding beneath the striped awning. The water had soaked through her linens, sticking the thin cloth against her skin. "Well, they definitely aren't going to be working now." The gemstone in her hair glowed and she summoned a small flame in her hands. The water flowed out from her clothes and down her legs. Then she banished the flame from her hands. She paused for a moment, looking out at the city and the dimming lights in the darkness. "But I suppose we have to do something. With every moment Julia gets closer to her goal."

---​

Livia lead Rugal through a series of winding roads where she could keep herself underneath a series of interwoven overhangs. Eventually after what felt like two to three miles of walking through twisting alleys and slippery staircases, they reached a open space at the other side of the palatine hill. It was a square building without much in the way of classical amenities. A large grassy courtyard made up most of it's interior. The windows lit dimly, it looked like there were only two or three people in the barracks.

"This is one of the military nodes that the soldiers use to get around the city. Don't let the outside fool you, most of the structure is underground, and it's linked by tunnels to many other barracks around Rome." Livia motioned at the building, "Well, don't let me keep you."