apathy

Glasslands: A Griot's Tale (Earth-F67X Chronicle)

Ayanda Nyerere - Leader and founder of NYUNDO, Ayanda is an extension of the land. She is its living memory and champion. After liberating Marange, much of her effort has gone into expanding their reach and help as many as they can across the continent.

Assad "The Lion" Moghadani - Commander of NYUNDO's military operations, Assad is a shrewd tactician that has overseen the training of hundreds in his 20+ years of membership.

Kengue Njuguna - NYUNDO's youngest active member, he is the reason for the organization's speedy response-time. Can bridge locations together via imperceptible portals.

Khethiwe Hlela - A former soldier and comrade of Ayanda, Khethiwe has found fulfillment away from the battlefield and helps the newly arrived to transition into their new surroundings. Associates frequently with Makemba.

Mshale Onyango - A powerful telekine, he was the first official member of NYUNDO and Ayanda's former bodyguard. Molded by the violence that was necessary to survive the early years of the Diaspora, he has withdrawn from the vibrancy of Marange. He seldom speaks to others, only confiding in Ayanda and Mwedzi, his lover.

Najwa "The Lioness" Moghadani - Once rescued as a child during a raid on a Xanathan Research Division lab, she is the most prominent operative in the newest generation of NYUNDO.

Eumelio "Nuberu" Loureiro - An exile from Mt. Diaba, Nuberu has been sent by Ayanda to assess the Glasslands and report any discoveries.

Takunda & Tatonga Gwinyai - Jovial and brave to a fault, the Gwinyai twins were soldiers during the earliest incarnations of NYUNDO. Tatonga fell in combat during the establishment of a forward operating base further up the Eastern coast. Takunda now oversees the logistics of Marange's daily operations.

Step Up, Get Knocked Out

Najwa

The Lioness aka Najwa Moghadani
Age: 26
Height: 187cm
Weight: 84kg

History

Born in Xanathan-controlled South Africa during the second decade of their tyranny, Najwa spent most of her childhood under observation. She underwent endless experimentation due to her specific mutation; granted a highly adaptive genome, she was an ideal candidate for fringe research.

The trajectory of her life changed during her eighth and final year in captivity. The geneticists were giddy at their latest creation, dubbed XRD-70. They gushed at their genius, twisted grins floating around her restrained form. She would validate their lifetimes of collective effort.

The pain was ineffable. Najwa writhed in agony against her shackles as her genetic code was rewritten. It was at the moment when she could no longer register what happened as pain, but a very scouring of her being, that she lost consciousness.

When she awoke, it was to smoke and the blaring of an emergency broadcast. She was lifted up and carried through formerly austere hallways now littered with debris and the crumpled bodies of guards and technicians. This was her first encounter with those who would become her family.

A decade later, Najwa has moved beyond the horrors of her upbringing to become one of NYUNDO's ablest operatives. She fights to prevent any further atrocities against her people. She fights to free the land from Xanathan. She fights because it is right.

Talents

- Proficient tactician and strategist, having spent the last 10 years engaging hostile forces. As the adoptive daughter of Asad Moghadani, she continues on a legacy of brilliant commanders.

- Masterful in hand-to-hand and armed combat, Najwa prefers to stay close to her opponents and this is reflected in her martial pastiche. She makes full use of her enhanced strength and speed to explosive effect.

- An expert military operative, Najwa is well-versed in most disciplines but specializes in intelligence gathering, marksmanship, unconventional warfare and long-term survival skills.

Powers

- Adaptive Genome: Born with a perfect and highly adaptive genetic code, Najwa has yet to realize the full potential of this ability. In conjunction with the XRD-70 serum, her secondary mutations manifested.

- Enhanced Strength & Durability: Najwa is able to consistently lift and sustain weights in excess of 1,000 lbs with minimal effort. This strength also extends to her legs, enabling her to leap 30 ft in a single bound or 15 ft into the air without a running start. Najwa's musculature and skeletal system are resilient enough to withstand nearby explosions or heavy concussive blows with minor discomfort.

- Enhanced Speed & Agility: Najwa is capable of maintaining a constant speed of 40 mph and can exert herself to sprint at speeds approaching 80 mph. Her agility is of such a magnitude that she can perfectly coordinate her body with superior balance, dexterity and flexibility and perform incredible acrobatic feats.

- Enhanced Reflexes & Senses: By combining her preternatural reaction time and increased mental processing, Najwa is capable of avoiding gunfire from multiple shooters simultaneously by intuitively mapping their trajectory. Her senses are so keen that she can hear approaching vehicles from miles away, sense the body heat from huddled masses through walls and see the heat trails of bullets.

- Enhanced Stamina & Healing: Najwa's body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-inducing chemicals in her muscles, granting her exceptional endurance and lung-capacity. She can exert herself at maximum capacity for over an hour before showing signs of slowing. Her immune system was naturally highly resilient, but with the introduction of XRD-70, her white cells are efficient enough to fight off any microbe, pathogen or foreign body. She is immune to all infections and diseases, as well as being unaffected by toxins or drugs. Broken bones and internal wounds mend in days while superficial lacerations are treated in minutes.

- Enhanced Mental Processing: Najwa's mental performance has been increased to such a degree that she has near-limitless information storage and excels at pattern-recognition. She processes and internalizes information at an amazing rate, granting her an accelerated learning aptitude. A byproduct of this is the ability to withstand the brunt of psychic warfare.

Equipment

- While resembling a standard issue Tropical Combat Uniform, Najwa's fatigues are woven from the fibers of a plant that only grows deep within Marange, cultivated through Ayanda's geomancy and imbued with her protection. The fabric is comparable to Type III armor, stopping most rifle calibers and is highly insulated and flame-resistant. Her gloves and boots are crafted from the same material.

- Forged from a composite of minerals created by Ayanda during the course of her lifetime organizing the peoples of the Free Territories, Najwa's weapon of choice is a broad machete, nearly three feet in length and a foot across. Aside from being durable enough to handle Najwa's strength, the material acts as a telekill alloy, severely hindering psionic ability when charged and activated. The knuckles on her gloves are also fortified with this material.

- Najwa's war-belt is equipped with hunting knife, reconnaissance tools, limited first-aid, spare magazines and holster for her service pistol, an USP .45

- Carried somewhere on her person is a crystalline obelisk that acts as a communicator and beacon in times of need, keeping her in touch with NYUNDO.

Step Up, Get Knocked Out

"A few minutes longer and I am not so sure escape would have been possible. You were foolish to risk being captured, habibi." The old man sat, absent-mindedly picking at a cuticle of his wooden prosthesis. A heavy sigh and soft chuckle before he continued. "But here you are, and hundreds owe you their lives. You couldn't make me prouder."

Back turned to him, Najwa washed away the blood and ash of the previous 6 hours. The remains of the Xanathan uniform she'd expropriated earlier lay in a huddled mass by her father and commander's feet. Having completed her report, she stepped away from the alcove artfully hewn into solid rock and entered an adjoining chamber of her quarters.

She returned moments later, now comfortable in her fatigues and ready for further admonishing when her environment subtly shifted. Upon retrospect, she could never determine what exactly occurred. Najwa found herself in a dimly lit hall. Gone were the scents of Kethiwe's cooking. The sounds of tired and grateful villagers adjusting to the sudden upheaval of their lives once more.

Fingertips brushed against the cragged surface of a massive stone tablet, depicting a seated figure draped in many robes. Something... a fire perhaps? A cold gust of air sailed the corridor's length and on it danced the heady perfume of incense and mucidity. There... breathing?

Apprehensive at the alien nature of her arrival and surroundings, Najwa drew her pistol and readied it. Like her namesake, the Lioness silently approached the source of what she was almost certain was breathing, passing through several chambers before reaching the wide arch that gave way to an expansive hall. The mountains that broke through the thick haze beyond narrow carvings in the stone were unlike any she had seen across her homeland.

A few steps further and she was met with the locus of her unease. He... It- had its back to her and sat in the center of a pool of sand, neatly surrounded by the dregs of seeds and... what smelled like sap? The Gwinyai brothers told tales of mtyholi, devils of the jungle, that drew power from terrible places. This thing, that seemed to be both living and dead, must be one of them.

Najwa stood nearly ten yards away, weapon up and pointed at the center of its back. Finger on the trigger and alert for the slightest provocation, she called out in Xhosa.

"Did you bring me here? What is this place?"

The Meatspin

while replete with jargon and no out right attacks having launched, plenty has happened to make the environment deadly.

The Meatspin

we're more of the notion that it's the writing, and not the ability per se, that dictates success.

The Meatspin

while none of the faultverse has been destroyed out right, its interior galactic bodies were wiped out by ENDER's increase of the gravitational constant. couple that with the large quasar group that struck the white hole, the faultverse is a very hostile environment right now.

your character isn't in the faultverse proper? if so they're bound to face the barrier put up in the last post.

The Meatspin

is your character capable of decoding messages along the em spectrum? if so i'll create a broadcast for you as well.

The Meatspin

the first round of posts are done with circ, so no.

The Meatspin

this is the collected encrypted messages broadcast by the white hole.

Gex vopkfw fnfpgv gedvx npge doxs xjxv
Ps qwddmpxm gdkkxsg gd ixxm drkvxwcxv
Fhpm Hfxsfm ednw di spgkx'v vdst
Fsm vrwoerkdrv bfsgdv.

Gex Mdcx jpxwmxm qrg dsx edwwdn zrpww
Gex efowxvv Qdfk, epv gxtrhxsg
Gkfsvhrgxm, fgkfhxsgdrv iwdnv
Qxgnxxs, tfgexkxm ro qj hdgwxj qxfvgv.

Gd vzrfhdrv Pmxf gefg sxcxk vwxxov,
Wxvg fg gex ifpsgxvg nepvoxk di gex sfhx
Qkpst rods f qkpteg fsm twdkpdrv mddh
Rsrggxkfqwx.

Sdn gex qdsxv di gexvx Phhfbrwfgx
Kxblv sd Wdkm qrg gex Bkdns'v Gedks.
Gfbpg kxvgv pgv vowxsmdrk gefg
Sd efwwdnxm vlxps di ifgx vefww nfkm

Guts

dr kpx saikzvz, szvxkmkev hmuvbgzo
fp bae ujvrt lafyw fn miez
xyzhuyc xym ulgjhzmw gsoij wy hwvzvv
iako xym lefovzml if hc dqgd.

tmmeo tbgpx kpx czvrxm lo krmwbey
tmmeo tbgpx kpx twmvfz'l nablk
jkifb eswnt lci sthov jj diwnwnw
szbny vffcm tzz wtmgt ga jiqzhl.

d wvm rom rekkaifb aymke a recs
mhjjyxp fogipzb cakhmem yiwgh
cqltwi gcwledt ej q madf
eswnt koeia tnv wizvzs djwk

xtsl amvtws ga tfxiiwn, flzgifb
fiqzhl
drkw moozvj wy bdvgbmgev wsem,
yodgsn ux, bsnxrzw ox vykcg.

i vvrtm mhw yeekx ox asftl
afy tiir ygp jzvw mw heu.
nhr aa cfc eaq ceell uhjr kpx rgjx
pwn'ld frfe fe, odxywnt agplabof,
vru nbnv hi xcbllt sw bae lmykp.

Circ

Ngbc gur Gbjre bs Synzr, gur zntvpvna ynzragrq.
Sbe funzr unq orra oebhtug gb gur naprfgbef.

Gjvfgrq va rvtug sbyqf, fcrpgeny oenvq
snfgraf gb ornhgrbhf plcerff.

Ortha gur Lryybj-Snprq, jubfr pner vf zvfg naq enva.
Neenlrq va tbyqra jngref, n frecrag nffhntr.

Fgeratgura gurz sbe jbeqf bs jne,
sbhe aboyrf barf orne jvgarff.

Anshin

Hqbv wve ipvg wn Fvsqslm, iidfd ijxk
Sadt si snhz. Vxwn ag xks waspg hhqsixdoz
Iiu krmul nwnpmig. Kexm grbsueiusd, xprj
Fermifhep isz reeuvxqtupr zcuxe eufihf.

Xkis qoxusaft e Jcd ag Adf,
Adsszg tuqthr iz Mmjvt.
Fiyqred msrgep bx vvawfr ponq;
jkqcrmogh wn yjkkh.

Ttf fownp Eexuhffv, ezaol mq vemsx dbd
Epyo. Cn ebrg-dlmjrv, jaeu eqr bmsvhb
Lmcsug laok wc lqbzh ved cyurez.

Ievhez pr wvy Wjwpst, rssp
Petjrg bizf prqke pj Dsttfv.
Lfoz-ceqsd ybklqimo,
Frinp cc wve qnfhf

Alucroas

Wjmiz ja xjixzdo, ocz Jiz Rcj Xvhz Admno
zhzmbzy amjh ocz Bmzvo Kjjg,
Omvdgdib jkvg-ngdhz.
Fvgzdyjnxjkdx mzzyn nrvt di ocz vaozmhvoc,
Wztjiy ocz mzvxc ja Odhz.

Wvnvgo kdggvmn vgjib ocz wvoogz-czdbcon,
Vhdy ocz hjji'n nojgzi idbco.
Di kpmkgzy rzvgyn viy hdgft ajvh,
Ajmxzy amjh Cvggjrzy yjhdidji viy gzao oj mjvh
Rzzkn ocz Hvit-Qdnvbzy Jiz.

Ja Ncdzgy wzio
Ja Jvoc nkjfzi
Ymvbbzy wt Bjgyzi Xmjri, wzajmz vgg gvdy oj wzvm.
Mzio rdoc Nkzvm
Wmjfzi wt Nrjmy
Cz bmdkkzy ocz bmjpiy viy bmvnkzy ajm vdm.

Bjyn ja wmjfzi wzvnon, gzao rdoc rviyzmdib Rdgg
Hvyiznn vgg zixjhkvnndib, vgg wzmzao ja Ocmdgg.

Lysander

The Meatspin

A multiverse apart...

Zlalmaw Zfani
032.18510
88 AU from Terr-S35Y

Crowned around this world sits the Ishkgi ring, a colossal construct used to transfer the planet to an unfamiliar orbit. It acts as an anchor in the K'isti; one of millions used to travel the breadth of the Zlalmaw Gizati, the Eternal Empire.

It is filthy with parasites, stellar worms grown swollen as they leach off of the ring's energy. If ignored, they could eventually misalign the K'isti and cause untold chaos as voyagers find themselves ejected billions of years from their destination, or hurtling into the heart of a star as they fell from the bleed of superluminal travel.

A slurry of translucent protoplasma is exuded from vents along the ring's broad expanse. It propels itself through gravitational flux and undulates towards the nearest stellar worm. It envelops the organic mass, undergoing rapid cellular mutation as it begins the process of harvesting all energies and returning them to the K'isti. Similar slurries are ejected elsewhere to never complete their task; their hindrance nothing more than a bubble. A very particular bubble.

The bubble, an oscillating glome birthed from entropy, ascends and with its entry catalyzed the conversion of existence to a true vacuum. Geometries distort as the Greisman-Zatsepin-Kuzmin limit is ruptured with the sudden introduction of dark energy and an unknown force. Reality is violently rent through total protonic reversal then suffused into a grander magnitude of chaos.

10,000,000 AB
The Aggregate of No Dimension

Alone, in perfect self-contentment, exists the Absolute. Perpetuity manifest, the Absolute basks in its lack of imagination. Impeded by egoism, the Absolute was incapable of conceiving of anything other than itself and this reflected in its dominion; an infinitesimally small yet impossibly lustrous bead. It soliloquized in onanistic praise with bursts of low, monotonous tinkling.

"It is fathomless ecstasy! It occupies all, and all is it! One yet all, all yet one! Such splendor!"

Its luster faded as it was submerged into matterless void where billowing masses pulsed from one vague shape to another. It plummeted past effulgent spirals of quintessence and bled into something beyond existence. Neatly condensed, the Absolute is consumed.

7.7.2002
Mt. Takao, Japan Earth-B21X

"Ojii-san! I'm hungry!"

Beads of sweat roll down the gleaming pate of Seijuro Taniguchi as he plods along his scurrying grandson, hand in hand. The boy waves a toy katana as menacingly as he can, giggling with delight. He enjoys hiking with his grandfather; it meant picnics with all the sweets he could eat.

They stop at a series of benches and take a much-needed break. Seijuro dabs at his forehead with a handkerchief and basks in a cool breeze. His grandson runs happily into a field of soft grass, singing with each swing of his mighty blade.

"Delicious sweets! For you and me!"

Seijuro looks through the basket he'd brought and removes a small bundle wrapped in cloth. He opens it and pops a morsel into his mouth. Setting the bundle aside, he produces a watermelon and goes about cutting it.

"Keichii," the old man calls out having lost sight of the boy. There is no reply. "I've got
your favorite candied persimmons." He grows anxious at the continued silence and rises with an aged groan. Reaching the clearing, he rushes with a yell as he sees the thrashing form of his grandson.

"Help! Someone help!" the old man pleads as he swaddles the tiny frame in his arms, flecks of spit soaking into cotton. Seijuro clings to the child as clenched eyes burst open and in them was reflected..

Local Void
Universe-F67X

Engulfed in a field of its own spacetime, the beam had bored through countless AUs at transluminal speeds. Aberrant energies roiled, having dispersed none along its trajectory towards the core of a naked Kerr black hole. Spacetime is cast aside as it tunnels through the singularity, down a multiversal fault and into an adjacent universe along the nexus, B21X.

?

Alone, adrift in the wake of protonic decay is a crown, awash in crimson. Beyond time, the corpses of Titans sit like jewels set in morbid tapestry. Gods old and new had fallen in the 10^100 years since the crown-bearer's awakening. Might and cunning had failed them and with their passing, boredom grew. It reflected on its birth pangs. Having undergone complete subatomic breakdown, what had been Keichii Taniguchi struggled to bind its consciousness to a singular vessel. By way of energies it had yet to come across in its timeless travels, Keichii had been seeded into the subconscious of a multiversal cluster. Trapped within quantum uncertainty. The more of himself he perceived, the greater his capacity to experience and contain grew. Humans often numb to chronic pain but no respite was to be had at the hands of multiversal expansion.

Its omnipresent attention was suddenly aroused at the sensation of something at the edge of its dread awareness. The fluctuation and dilation of Time across infinity was but a stream to play in. It pierced the ken of Its being and perceived an object of its endless desire. Now surging with an azure brilliance, the crown-bearer stirred and with its motions a white hole was birthed into the Faultverse. Electromagnetic waves cascaded forth in a staccato of octaves, towards blight and brilliance.