Lucius Cypher

Frozen Darkness

As Cat approached the hoarder, she would be able to make out some of his more notably features. namely, his strange eye. It bulged out of his head like a swollen wound, and was much too large for a human eye. It was so large that his eye lid was unable to close around it, giving him a constant, unnerving glare. He had a scraggly beard and missing teeth as well, though that wasn't nearly as unusual considering the eating habits of most tunnel denizens. His twisted smile was more concerning, though given the lisp he spoke with it may just be a physical impairment along with his strange eye. "Aye, yes! Have many things I do seeds of death for you. Lets see lets see what fine things we can trade, what deals can be made, yes!" As Cat showed him the .308 bullets, he seemed intrigued. They were quite large calibers, so he took out a box containing a mix mash of bullets. Unfortunately, most of them seemed to be small caliber, meant for pistols and handguns instead of rifles. A double-edge sword because the hoarder seemed very interested in getting the larger bullets, and managed to scrounge up 18 .223 rounds, suitable for your rifle.

"Have other things too you'll like. Maybe food or clothes or a pipe! Yes yes, I see that bat you have there. I'll trade it for a this bag, that's fair!" The hoarder eyed the baseball bat as he reached into his junk pile to produce a dirty paper bag. Inside of it was a bunch of black rocks, which Cat could identify as charcoal, at least 5 pounds worth. "This is a good deal you see. These rocks will save you from the deep freeze. Relic of the human past and built to last!" Aside from that, he also had quite a stash of nutrient bricks. Most of them were crumpled up so chances are Cat would have to trade them by a vague handful, but with careful rationing there was enough nutrient bricks to last a month between herself and Donny. The rest of the hoarder's items seemed to be dirty clothing and literal trash. It was a good thing the bags they were contained in didn't have any tears, or he might've just invited a plague to this little camp.

Blades of the Blood Coast

"Ah what a sharp tongue. Now if only your wit were to match, we'd certainly have something to work with. Alas, the best we can hope for is sunnier weather and some fortune." Reyvadin quipped as he was in the process of pruning a second, longer staff. For himself naturally, as this one was of better quality than his first. He had just finished shaving off the bark when the sound of a man's scream echoed through the woods. "Sounds like an opportunity to me." Reyvadin says as he continued to carve away at the staff. Oh sure, he was afraid. Everyone here was practical a walking meal for whatever beast was out there. But having a sound mind and focusing on the task at hand helped him steel his nerves. It wasn't completely unlike some of the battles he had faced in his early years as a knight. Back then he was so cocky as to travel with a small band of warriors instead of a proper army, and paid the price when his men got ambushed by wild beasts and wily bandits. Reyvadin was blessed to have survived, and matured from those experiences.

As Faeril and Reddek went off to follow the trail, Reyvadin followed slowly after, behind the tall Skayleigh who had also fashioned himself a staff. Which was fine for Reyvadin, man was so huge Reyvadin would need to forge a pike to make him a suitable walking staff. Speaking of which, it wasn't too difficult for Reyvadin to add one more addition to his better walking staff: a sharpen point. Using a stronger staff that was about shoulder height for Reyvadin, he effectively carved out a crude spear to defend himself with. It lack heft of course, and being made of untreated timber the spear wasn't the most sturdy. But better than just swinging a branch around, hoping to bludgeon enemies away. At least with a spear Reyvadin can more reliable deal with a potential threat considering his skill with such weapons. And who knows what enemies they'll face before them.

As the trackers found a clue of the recent victim, Reyvadin listened to their words and tried to get an idea of what might've happened. He was no genius, but using his mind and imagination worked wonders when trying to both survive and outmaneuver one's enemies. Reddek mentioned smelling smoke, and when Reyvadin took a whiff he picked it up as well. Twas no mere campfire but something bigger. Either a bonfire meant for a much larger group or possibly a burnt down hut. Reyvadin was familiar with both scents. The others had a bit of a debate as to whether to follow the beaten path and possibly find monsters and men, or try foraging through the forests to avoid trouble. Reyvadin voiced his thoughts.

"If there's a beast on the prowl, it'll be in it's element if we walked through the forest. At least on the backroads we'll have room to maneuver if it should come out of the bush and try to attack us. Not to mention if this smoke is from a camp, there may be supplies there we can secure. And if there are others we could try to talk to them... Though chances are anyone out here is just as criminal as we are so they could try to rob us. In which case I would recommend we attack them first. If I had to guess, assuming the fire comes from a bonfire, could be a group of brigands or hunters and one of their own made the mistake of breaking off from the group. Made himself wonderful prey for a beast."

Blades of the Blood Coast

Rodger dodger, I'll have a post up by the weekend. It's been a busy week but I keep thinking I got time.

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

Tis what happens when you get quoted verbatim.

Infactorium: A New 4Xpansion (Overlord RP) [DISCONTINUED]

It was not long before a Cyber Skeleton, a different one from the one he sent, returned to Tungsten with Io. The weapon of his Master, his creator, AlphaQ. For a moment the giant hesitated. He has never touched her belongings without her permission ever since she had left. She gave him and the Cyber Skeletons specific orders, and never returned. Her mission was surely important that... That she couldn't be here. All that was left was memories of her.

"Hesitation doesn't suit you."

Tungsten snapped out of his trace as he looked to the axe as it spoke to his mind. He picked up Io, slinging the axe onto his back where one of his magnetic plates ensured she was secured to his body despite lacking a sheath or strap. He turned and began to leave, following Faetalis and Levia out.

"Of course. I am glad to see you are well."

"Creator AlphaQ made sure that even in the face of total global annihilation, I would be safe. I am more interested in knowing how you had survived the calamity."

"So you know. I... Cannot say. We were simply doing our duty when this cataclysm occurred. Creator Faetalis has given us orders and we have been following them since."

There was no response from Io, so Tungsten assumed that she had no more questions about the matter. After all she was fairly intelligent and would know that Tungsten has no answers himself. As curious as they both were about their circumstance they wouldn't be able to find out much just by chatting to one another, not to mention Tungsten had a job to do. He'll debrief Io later once he returns to the Big Scrap Alley. The two joined Faetalis and Levia, silently following her out of the guild and towards the forest. It was uneventful aside from the deer, which Tungsten had picked up upon and identified it as not a threat. Though Faetalis didn't realize this and nearly blasted it, making Tungsten make a mental note to remember that not everyone shares his level of perception.

Shortly after Faetalis asked Tungsten to have a Cyber Skeleton message Gamma about her tasks. Had Tungsten been alone, he would've had to awkwardly explain how he would be unable to do so, considering he didn't bring any Cyber Skeletons with him and they were all back at the guild. But fortunately he had the foresight to bring Io along. "Of course Creator Faetalis. The message has already been delivered." On his back Io had heard Faetalis' message and relayed it back to the nearest Cyber Skeleton relative to Gamma's location. He would immediately drop what he was doing and would head to the hive to ensure Gamma received the message.

Soon after Faetalis left to continue her scouting, and thus it was time for Tungsten and Levia to begin their operation. Though Tungsten had passively been scanning the area since he got out here, he took out Io and flourished his weapon. Focusing his sensors on the area around him, expanding it further than usual, he was able to get a geographical layout of the area. It was a good location for a fortress, and perhaps once the guild is fully operational what would have been a cursed would become a boon as their Guild becomes an impenetrable bastion against those who would seek to harm them. But for that to happen there was much work to be done.

"Overseer Levia. Follow me over here. This area is most efficient at reaching us, and thus it needs to be destroyed. I recommend that you cause a landslide over there, so that the resulting destruction will make the path hazardous."

---

Meanwhile, a Cyber Skeleton received orders from Io. He would make a beeline straight towards Gammaton, making his presence known with his footsteps as he knelt down to deliver his message. "Orders from Creator Faetalis for Overseer Gammaton." Sticking his hand out the Cyber Skeleton produced a hologram of Faetalis giving her order as Tungsten and Io heard it. Afterwards the Cyber Skeleton would remain in case Gammatron had any further orders for it, or until she dismisses or leaves him behind.

“Tungsten, can you pass a massage on to Gamma with a Cyber Skeleton? I need her to, once she and Mae are done, if she choose to go, start having her colony dig an elevator shaft to the bottom of the mountain, and tunnrl door outwards from the centermost point of Infactorium. However, I need the entries to be made discreetly; a door for us to know, and no other. Another thing, have Mae and Gamma both understand, the humans aren't to be physically harm by them, but if any should harm themselves and be left for death, they thusly spoils of war. They deserve something in return for being used in such a vile way by my hand. That's all.”

Blades of the Blood Coast

And a post. Let's get this ball rolling!

Blades of the Blood Coast

The rain here tasted different.

It had been 57 days since Valdym's treachery. Reyvadin wondered when he'd finally stop keeping track of the days, but so far he hasn't. If anything ever since he had fled from his homelands, keeping track of the days has been what helped Reyvadin from giving into his despair, becoming some drunkard or a corpse in the middle of nowhere. Reyvadin needed to keep all of his wits about himself less his dark desires or worse, Valdym's men, would eventually find him. With the help of the Ransom Broker Reyvadin had made many deals with in the past, he was able to secure a quick passage to the south, knowing that he would soon be released once they reached their destination. It wasn't great: If Reyvadin had detected the treachery faster, if he was able to be at his family's side when Valdym put them to the sword, maybe then Reyvadin could've mustered up the forces to retake his family's city and defend their honor. But alas, he was too late to do any of that. Now the best he can do is outrun the lies, to get somewhere where the Vaegir name isn't known and thus unaffected by the slander Valdym had already convinced everyone else of.

Despite his noble birth Reyvadin never found much discomfort during the long and silent ride. When he was a squire he was taught how to handle the rigors of imprisonment: unlike the common soldiers who could expect, at best, a merciful death should they be defeated, Reyvadin was of noble birth and thus he would likely be captured for ransom. He would then need to be conditioned to handle life in a dungeon or in shackles like a common criminal. Granted this part of Reyvadin training he never liked very much, but he does not regret learning it, especially now. He knew the conditions would be poor, the food would be worse, and unlike the stories any attempts to chat up or snark at the guards was more likely going to end with Reyvadin missing fingers and breaking bones than making friends, so he kept himself quiet and didn't struggle during his journey.

To ensure his wrist weren't rubbed raw from the manacles Reyvadin made sure to hold his hands to his chest, so that the manacles wouldn't rest against only one spot on his arms. When fed, he resisted the urge to simply eat his food all at once and made sure to portion them out carefully. Eating too quickly would result in an equally quick need to relieve one self and Reyvadin could count the amount of piss breaks they took with one hand. Though Reyvadin did have the misfortune of sitting next to Fenks when he finally succumbed to the plague. Pretty much everyone knew he was infected, and Reyvadin feared for his health since he was forced to be the one closest to the corpse. But once he did kick the bucket Reyvadin wasted no time to take advantage of the opportunity. Before they were forced out or anyone noticed Fenks was even dead, Reyvadin stole the deadman's belt. Little more than a knotted length of cloth, but Reyvadin knew they were just going to toss the man's corpse off to the side and Reyvadin needed every bit he could get. With the belt Reyvadin wrapped it around his wrists as best as he could to cushion them from the manacles and give himself a bit of relief.

And so Reyvadin stood there, rain fresh on his face. It tasted like dirt and rocks, unlike the rain from his homeland which tasted like ice and snow. It left him feeling both sticky and wet, chilly yet at the same time distressingly warm. This entire trip could be summed up in a single word: Discomforting. But it was over now. Two of the prisoners freed themselves and introduced themselves, so Reyvadin figured he would be the third to do so. Undoing his shackles, the Banian human tighten the cloth around his wrists to give them more support and latched the manacles to his waists. Reyvadin definitely knew how he could use these. "Reyvadin. I'm guessing the rest of you have earned the ire of your local baron or lord as well?" He said with a casual smirk. He could sense the tension was still here among the group, and the last thing Reyvadin wanted was for everyone to start killing each other.

That being said, should violence happen Reyvadin already knew how to be prepared. When the rain had cleared up and some of the mist rolled away, he had spotted a nice sturdy looking branch, which the young man picked up and began to prune of stems. While it'll likely serve as a decent cudgel for combat Reyvadin's intentions with this staff is far more utilitarian: they're going to be doing a lot of walking and thus he's going to need a walking stick. It was somewhat hefty, perhaps three or four pounds, and roughly and inch in diameter, though one end thinned out to be somewhat smaller. It went up to Reyvadin stomach in height, almost the size of a short spear. Indeed, given to a proper smith and he could likely turn this humble length of wood into a weapon of war within the hour. And Reyvadin certainly had war on the mind right now.

"Anyone else need a staff? Looks like there's a few decent branches over here. If we're going to be walking much further we'll be needing them."

Frozen Darkness

As the duo walked to the camp and as Cat asked Donny about her mutation, the young man responds quickly. "Well we all have our secrets. And besides that it's... Let me put it this way. You know the Valklin. Not going to pretend we were anything more than raiders... But none of us were super mutated. So all that stuff they did... They did with normal human brains. They weren't driven to frenzy because of rads or stuff like that. They weren't born crazy because their mom or dad drank the green juice. But I'm nothing like them." They way Donny said this seemed more like he was trying to convince himself, rather than you. He just sighed and waved his hand. "Anyways point is that even if you're a mutant you seem lucid and haven't fucked with me yet. So I have no reason to judge you. Besides if I did have a problem with it I wouldn't be heading to Underhaven, knowing fully well they have mutants there anyways."

Reaching the camp, it was crowded. Just about everyone was huddled around the single barrel fire, though the two could see some people resting in the tents. Two figures stood out: one was an olderman wearing a red cross patch on his shoulder and another seemed like some sort of horder. He had one of the metal shacks to himself, which barely had enough space for him as the rest of it was filled from floor to ceiling with bags of junk and bits. Donny motioned towards him. "I'm guessing he might have some stuff to trade. Let's find a place to sit down first and then we can trade scrap for supplies." Once over at the crates, Donny would help Cat set up camp. They didn't have much, but Donny was able to cobble together a makeshift wall and roof by opening one of the crates and using the lid to give the two some privacy. It wasn't sturdy by any means, and Donny wasn't going to waste nails securing what's basically a temporary set up, but he did reuse the nails in the crate to keep the structure from falling over on itself. It would be a cramp space, but Donny and Cat could reasonably share the area.

Donny sat down and began to take inventory of his loot. A broken rifle with seven .308 caliber bullets, two pocket knives, a handful of springs from pens, and five coins. He also brought out the tool box that had a box of nails, a roll of duct tape, two hammers, a pipe wrench, a set of screwdrivers, screws, bolts, and washers. He had a baseball bat, a flashlight (with dead batteries), extra underclothes, a towel, two Pre-Cata MREs, and finally two lengths of rebar. He looked up to Cat as he laid out his items. "This is what I got. With time and a few more mats, I might be able to repair this rifle. Honestly it looks kinda shit, but even a shitty rifle is good for bartering. Otherwise take the bullets, I bet you can get a good deal trading those. You can also take these knives to trade, as well as the bat, clothes, and the MRE's. I'll bet the weapons will be traded pretty easily, those folk out there don't look very well armed. The women would probably trade for the clothes too. And I bet anyone will want the MRE's, assuming you don't wanna keep them for yourself. If you have anything else worthwhile to trade, I'm sure you can strike a deal with someone out there."

Getting himself comfortable Donny took out another set of tools from his bag, setting it on the ground in front of him as he looked over the broken rifle. "I'll stay here and fix up this gun. Honestly it doesn't look too bad, and I can probably proxy some parts with what I got here. Who knows, might be able to turn it into something we could actually use once we head back into the metro." Donny left Cat the items he wasn't going to need so she could go barter while he stayed behind to watch over the camping spot. Most of the other folk were milling about, cooking a bit of food or chatting. Most of them were eating nutrient bricks but some had some sort of root vegetable they were cooking in the fire. The horder was doing business with a couple of men, trading some canned goods for a handful of bullets. Seemed like someone here had ammo to trade at least.

Blades of the Blood Coast

Ah, in that case fair enough, Reyvadin wouldn't waste time bothering with that if he knew he was going to be set free. I'll have a post up at some point this weekend. We're back to a full work week now, hurrah....

Blades of the Blood Coast

@POOHEAD189 I’d figured since he got his slapped on, Reyvadin has been slowly and subtly weakening his manacles in the event he needed to escape, not knowing if he would be freed. Stuff like rubbing the links against the wood to muffle the sound of the links getting rubbed together, using his legs to help torque the joints more than what he could with just his hands, and depending how long we’ve been traveling Reyvadin may even have tried to intentionally rust his manacles.

But if none of that is possible, I guess I’ll just have him take the key.