Blizz

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

---

Shirik was likely one of the wisest living creatures on Kanth-Aremek. They lived a longer life than most Iriads did, witnessed and survived the day when the most impenetrable forest in the known world was burnt to ash, and because the very first person to discover Heat magic, as well as master it to its fullest potential. Shirik had wandered to virtually every corner of the planet in the last millennia, spoke every language and could tell an unquantifiable number of stories about the history of the places they have been.

And yet, right now, they were unequivocally flabbergasted by what they were witnessing. Kareet and this weird, fleshy thing were getting along somehow, bonding over... Numbers? "Hmm." The burning Iriad watched them for several moments up until the mention of aluminum. That was indeed a rare material, but how much of it was here? "This is her field, not mine." They said flatly, with a voice like a person who had smoked for 30 years. Shirik did, however, pay attention as they both "communicated" back and forth with numbers. Eventually, they got curious, and waved their hand in the air. Suddenly, flames danced around their fingers in the shapes of the numerical symbols that the foreigners wrote on the wall. II, I, and so on, were all floating around as Shirik used the same trick to make a grid, and noted what was what with letters from the S'Toric alphabet. To Kareet, or perhaps the Castigator, these were notes of some kind, that Shirik could interact with to help them grasp what was happening. To the humans, though, this may have been utterly terrifying, confusing, neither, or both.

Shirik hadn't considered introducing themselves, but Kareet and "Vigdis" were occupied somehow by trading curious little items. They looked at the Castigator and said, "Do you think this creature is alone?"

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

---

By the time Shirik had cleared away enough of the fire, they could see that Kareet went into a hole. That was unwise, but she was smart enough to handle herself. Shirik was starting to feel a little lightheaded, so they descended down to the hole where a contingent of soldiers began to form. Shirik touched the ground with a smattering of sparks that gave way to smoke as they reached for their staff that someone left in the dirt. The guards told them to make no sudden movements, but Shirik was too old to be listening to foot soldiers who gave orders. They wiped the dirt off their staff, and all the soot from their cloak, ignoring the soldier boy for several seconds before leaning on the staff more than usual. Flying was something best left to force mages, and Shirik was no such mage. Their hood was down, and the soldiers could see that Shirik had skin like bark, the same way an Iriad would. Except most Iriads didn't have flames lapping out from under their bark and where their eyes would be.

"I am Shirik of the Myriad. This is my companion, J'eon. We are here to investigate this object with a Seeker from Arcaeda, and I must go and ensure that she hasn't gotten herself killed. J'eon, if you'll excuse me." Perhaps the soldiers wanted to order the two mages to stay put, but if they did, Shirik promptly denied them that chance as they turned and trekked inwards, using their natural flaming body as a light source to see the way forward. Countless metal shapes, both twisted and shaped to impossible levels of skill gave way to what could've been a hall of some sort, where Shirik inevitably found Kareet and another soldier surrounded by spheres.

"I assume those are you soldiers outside. Kareet, have you lost your head? We know nothing of this construction, other than that it is damaged, and your first instinct is to run right into-" They stopped talking the moment they saw some weird, pink, vaguely person-shaped creature holding some sort of object. There were living things in this crash. It looked like a S'Tor, only shorter and with less scales on its skin.

"Who is this...?" They asked with a substantially less harsh tone.

Mean Streets of Steel City

@Omega Man discord.gg/kwjFU2NAK6

Mean Streets of Steel City

@Omega Man bruh I told you to tag me when you were alive again...

@Mistress Dizzy

Oh shit its Dizzy

HI DIZZY

Avengers Academy: X of Swords ⚔️

Leah Jordan

---

Location: Swords > Gym
Skills: Punching things and throwing rocks
First Day Fit

---

---

Swords were cool and all, but at the end of the day, there was no greater weapon than a person's own two fists. Leah preferred to just beat her opponents senseless than use fancy swords or magic hammers. Andy seemed to like punching people too, so the two of them were on their way to the gym for a boxing match. Leah went off to change, and when she came back, she was in a black tank top and sweatpants rather than a large winter jacket. To call Leah shredded would be an understatement. The girl had a superhuman amount of muscle to spare. Her arms looked firm enough to be hiding solid rock under her skin. And given her powers... She probably was. She also had boxing gloves on.

And to make sure Andy didn't disintegrate her hands completely upon getting a swing on Leah, she managed to tie that sandpaper she called hair into something shorter. It was the messiest bun anyone had ever put their hair up unto, and no one could easily tell that it was actually three loose buns because of just how much hair she had, but Leah's hair wouldn't put Andy's skin and flesh in harm's way anymore. Normally, Leah liked to let her hair grow as long as possible because proved useful in a fight given the way it ate up whatever touched it. But right now, she wasn't Jotunn, she was just Leah, so there was no need to delete someone's hand from the universe.

"I mostly just do MMA, but I'm cool with whatever you feel like. I'm ready whenever you are."

Mean Streets of Steel City

Professor Ironside

"With nothing but my hands, I tore Mark IV armored tanks in half during the Battle of Cambrai. You are not a threat to me."

Name: Arthur Warren

Alias: Professor Ironside

Age: 41

Power/Skills

• Indestructible arms
• Enhanced strength
• Hand-to-hand combat specialist

Equipment

• Bulletproof vest, capable of protecting against most handgun calibers. Hidden under his suit
• Metal helmet styled after an old welding mask. Made of solid steel.

Personality: Brave, Soft-Spoken, Thoughtful, Intense, Caring

Brief Bio: Arthur Warren's story begins with the first World War. He was just another soldier in the ranks of the Allies, deployed to the front in Germany. The Central Powers had gotten their hands on a superweapon of some kind, and used it to beat back the opposition with explosive force. Arthur was injured during an attack, and no one believed he could be saved. Medics took his dying body away and brought it to a medical facility where a scientist used the opportunity to test something on someone who would not be missed. Arthur's entire right arm and most of his left arm were completely blown away, along with a great deal of muscle and flesh across his rib cage, so doctor Winston Gareth replaced his arms with prosthetics. They were constructed with solid titanium, and contained machinery that no other living soul could understand. Whatever indescribable miracle the doctor intended to perform worked, and despite the still alarming wounds, Arthur would live.

Arthur woke up with arms made of vaguely iridescent metal, that felt as real as flesh and bone. He did not have the opportunity to thank his savior, however, as the defensive line had been broken. The building was assaulted, and everyone inside evacuated. Doctor Gareth did not survive. After he made a full recovery, Arthur returned to the fight with special orders from his commanding officer, and a new uniform made of steel. The enemy forces witnessed their tanks be torn apart by a man wearing metal armor, ripping their cannons away and using them like sledgehammers to crush the vehicles. The day had been won thanks to their newfound superweapon known as Arthur Warren. After the war ended, Arthur decided he had seen enough of the military, and went on to attend university to eventually receive a PhD in world history. By day, he is a high school professor. By night, he is a superhero that protects the city of steel with fists of unbreakable titanium.

Notes: Arthur made contact with doctor Gareth's family after the war, and visits them overseas each summer. He visits the man's grave regularly.

Mean Streets of Steel City

You already know what the fuck 'boutta happen

Life in Gloomminster

---

Why did this city have to be so damn big?

Kyrus was a wizard in his own right. He held incredible power that some wizards vaguely understood in some areas, and yet there were others he couldn't even cast a cantrip in. Right now, he wished he could fly or summon some kind of spectral steed. He knew where he had to go, but in hindsight, Kyrus really shouldn't have overestimated his ability to get to places on foot in a timely manner. Even with a arcane-powered mechanical arm, carrying all of the stuff he owned was started to get somewhat heavy.

"Bookstore... Bookstore... Book- There it is. Finally." He muttered to himself as he finally spotted the damn place after walking for an hour. His directions were coming from a geometric pattern made of teal light, which floated in his mechanical hand. An arrow in the middle acted like a compass leading him to where he'd be staying. The door chimey-bell thing all bookstores probably had rang as a 6"2' tiefling walked in. Kyrus saw what looked like an entire parade rolling through the place. A harpy over there, a pair of... constructs? that-a-way, and a handful of other people. By the looks of things, he got their last.

"It's busy in here, isn't it?" He said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

Avengers Academy: X of Swords ⚔️

”Yeah, I do. Name’s Leah, by the way.” Andy’s stance was familiar to Leah. It was kind of like what she typically went for in a scrap, only less grounded. Leah wasn't big on swords typically, she often preferred to just beat the shit out of her enemies with her hands.

”Ready when you a-“ Leah was successfully clipped on the arm, but her initial reaction to Andy’s poor footwork was to swing on her. Leah whirled the large sword over her head and brought it back down diagonally over Andy’s left shoulder.

”Nice to meet you. Maybe we can box sometime.” Leah hit Andy in the shoulder. It didn’t hurt, but Andy was a little surprised about being hit. She normally doged things easily. Maybe it was that Zari was currently yelling about the rules of engagement that had distracted her. As much as Andy wanted to pay attention to Zari’s fight, or even go over and punch the dark-haired girl, Andy pulled her attention back to Leah. Andy swung the sword again, she had tried to find an opening, but her sword crossed with Leah’s instead.

With the attack blocked by Leah’s sword, she took a step closer towards Andy and pushed her weapon away with her own. If she could keep Andy on the backpedal, this would be easier. With a quick follow up, she took a second step forward and lunged with a thrusting motion, aimed at Andy’s chest.

Andy took the step back and as the sword came toward her chest she side stepped. She reflexively blocked the attack with her arm. Andy blinked. Good thing these weren’t real swords. Andy shifted her stance, taking back the offensive. As she swings the sword and Leah goes to dodge it Andy’s sword sweeps through Leah’s hair and falls apart. Andy stares at the hilt left in her hand confused.

Leah, on the other hand, looks as if she isn’t surprised. ”Well. I guess I win.” Leah walked over and put her sword away before running her hands through her hair. Chunks of foam fell out like pieces of garbage from a raccoon's hands.

”So… Wanna go and box or something?”

”Guess you do.” Andy looked up at Leah, and a smile spread on her face. ”I’d love to. What type do you know? I lived in a gym for a few years. So I know Boxing, MMA and Kickboxing.” Her voice carries a bit of sadness when mentioning the gym, but otherwise she seems pleased about the idea of getting to box.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

---

"There is no need for that." Shirik said, in response to Kareet's suggestion. Shirik raised their hands and closed them into fists. The firelight from their body grew dim, until the only trace of its presence was thin trails of smoke. Shirik then closed their cloak and threw their hood overhead. "My presence is often intimidating to strangers. I have ways of reducing it." As the group traveled closer to the crash site, Shirik could smell the familiar scent of smoke, but something was different about it. It was more than just foliage burning, something else was ablaze. Something more... Acrid. "I feel that we are walking into something most alarming."

In the time it took them to arrive, Shirik shared their story with the glen J'eon. As a fellow heat mage, they found him easy to get along with. Upon their arrival to the hilly region, it was dark. Kanth-Aremek's moon overhead, one could scarcely see any signs of a star fallen to the ground. Still, that terrible burning stench was growing stronger as they neared. "We're close, and this air almost feels sickening." They said to the group. "There might still be fires burning. I'm going ahead to see if it's safe to move forward. I shouldn't be long." An odd statement, given Shirik was referring to climbing hills, but they had tricks for this.

Shirik stepped to the side and tossed their staff to Kareet. "Don't bother studying it. It's mundane." They then formed a set of inanely elaborate symbols with their hands, as the air around Shirik started to distort. The others would feel heat begin to radiate outwards as sparks danced under Shirik's feet. The sparks were visible, because they were no longer touching the ground. Heat had a tendency to rise, and thus, Shirik was floating. "I'll meet you after I'm done." With that, they drifted higher, into the air like a faint star, over the hills and up the mountainside. There were indeed faint traces of fire smoldering along the place, but there was no explanation for what Shirik's eyes were seeing.

They floated forward, and saw it. The wreck of the Jotunheim. A veritable castle, the likes of which they had never seen before. Shirik was left dumbfounded in the air. "What in the name of... Kareet is going to love this." They stopped and hesitated, wondering if they should even approach. Still, they needed to secure a pathway for Kareet and J'eon, so they pressed on cautiously. Shirik floated skyward, over the vast wreckage, looking for fires. There wasn't much, but the air felt dry, meaning flashovers were possible from smoke alone. Shirik drifted over the very center of the metal behemoth, and extended their hands outwards.

Wisps of smoldering flame began to stretch from the Jotunheim's exterior, and reached skyward. Though they were not finding more fuel, they were being absorbed. Scraps of fire and heat were pulled upwards in a way that seemed otherworldly to onlookers, as it all slowly convened on Shirik's location. The air gradually felt cooler by the minute. However, this place was huge, and this would require concentration. It was more than enough time that someone inside the wreckage could peer outwards and witness the strange effect. Once Kareet and J'eon made their way far enough up the mountain, they could see this. It was a far cry from the covert approach Shirik suggested, but it was what Shirik's skills afforded.