Lugubrious

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I had to go back around 15 pages to find this again... This spam going to town.

@Sho Minazuki

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Spells in the Dark (18+ For dark and suggestive themes)

@Lugubrious

@ADParis

we SEE You. Come Join the Hunt! Could use two hunters still!

@Aerandir

Sorry no. Didn't meant to get your hopes up.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

-=-=The Core=-=-

The nebulous form of Panoptos wafted over toward the newest speaker, a construct just as machine as he was man. Moreso than any of his progeny, the emerald-eyed Watcher nursed an interest in the human practice of prosthesis. What began as a restorative act to replace limbs lost in tragic happenstance became a way to surpass human limitations, and to bind to human beings themselves their ingenious creations, as had the Makers of old. ”So be it. Hold still, halfman.” He traced the emblem of the Charred Council onto the cyborg’s forehead as he uttered his question. ”At least you have a spot of humility, eh?” Cackling softly, he drew back and then replied. ”There is strength in unity, and in a cause to believe in. That enough for you?” The nine eyes of Panoptos aligned in a circle, with which he scanned the rest of the group, who so far remained silent but for the willful mutterings of Kosara.

She, in fact, piped up next. There was always something to be said for exuberance—and that something tended to never please the exuberant. ”Patience, little one. Being one of us means you oppose who we tell you to oppose. Get feisty and you might find yourself on a leash.” Quickly he branded her head, teasing her snow-white hair out of the way with a long, gnarled claw. Panoptos flitted to Midori next. Her manner and mode of speech were pathetic for a human, let alone a demon, but the Watcher knew from experience that sometimes big loads came in small packages. In response to her acceptance he wordlessly floated over and inscribed the ignited insignia upon her head, ending with a final extra tap in the center.

While this happened, Silas the Sage pronounced his allegiance, and after finishing with Midori Panoptos flew over at a leisurely pace to officiate it. He completed the brand, and only afterward told him, ”Very noble of you, enlightened one. I hope you keep your word no matter what we tell you to kill. Heheheh…”

The instant Gene opened his mouth, Panoptos began to move. His brazen and flagrant denial echoed across the burning wastes even as the Watcher’s shadowy form leaned on his shoulder. Rather than saying anything or attacking, however, he seemed to relax, as if anticipating a show. On queue the accusatory head thundered,

”You are incorrect, Châmêsh! You will be paid for what you’ve done in full! By the time you’ve paid back every penny, your suffering will be so complete that you never will have existed. We will allow you to live long enough to see the destruction of your siblings first, now that you have exposed the treachery of your kind. Begone!”

”So long, smart guy. Have a good life.” In a flash, Panoptos drew a claw around Gene’s throat. Not a single drop of blood spilled out, however, and not a single cell of flesh was cut; instead, a horizontal line of fire lay across his neck. For all his bravado, Gene had not escaped his branding. Then darkness enveloped him, and he stood in the very spot from which he had vanished.

With the Effigy gone, business proceeded. First to break the silence that ensued Gene’s dishonorable discharge was Lily, transformed into a being of flame by some power within. Panoptos kept his distance from her, knowing that her demand warranted reply from the universe’s ultimate authority. Sure enough, the first head, the one apt to question anything and everything, replied.

”Is your life not reward enough? Barring that, do you not wish your life to be more than the emptiness of exile? Is your driving directive not the act of using humans for your personal enjoyment? The survival of humanity is our gift to you, demoness. Would you take it lightly and demand more? What would satiate? Panoptos, will you inform them so that they may become grateful?”

Obliging, Panoptos crossed his arms. ”Very rude to make such demands. For some, like yours truly, service to the Council is more than enough. A purpose in life isn’t something to shake a stick at. Listen up, lovelies,” he addressed everyone, before pointing at the citadel in the distance. ”First off, there’s that. Who doesn’t wanna live in a castle? As long as you remain in our favor, it and all its faculties are yours, as well as our services.” Few, of course, would know the nature of the Watcher species as a slave race, created specifically by the Council for that purpose. ”Next, access to the Core’s World Tree, to access whatever realms you need. And one other thing. We don’t want our agents dying like flies after we go through all this trouble to bring you here. Your brands harbor a fragment of the Council’s power: a great rage that burns within you. If you’re in trouble, reach inside, yank it out, and presto! A more powerful form. If you have one already, demons, you’ll find it enhanced. I think that’s more than fair.”

At that moment, Souta finished his ruminations. Since his childhood he knew that the nature of Gilgamesh, and particularly the Reclaimers, never quite sat right with him. As many young people did, he had wondered for a long time what was truly right, and how he could bring such a rightfulness into being. In his wildest imagination, however, he never imagined a situation quite like these. Beneath the glare of the Charred Council he felt like an insect staring up at a giant, the easiest thing in the world to be crushed underfoot and forgotten utterly the next instant. The idea of service to this unknown entity struck him as utterly alien, and yet, something inside him told him that these tree monoliths truly represented the best chance of humanity’s survival—not, as he’d always been told, Gilgamesh. Souta knew that humans were flawed, particularly in their warmaking. The adjudication of right and wrong, if anywhere, properly lay with a higher authority. ”I..ahem!” He almost choked on his own saliva out of nervousness. ”I think it’s fair. I wanna pledge myself to this, uh, the Charred Council. Please.” He flinched at Panoptos’ touch. ”Oh, brave soldier. We’re so pleased to have you on board.” At that, Souta’s fear turned to anger. No matter what the Council accomplished, he decided, he would despise the Watchers forever. He placed his palm against the brand on his forehead, and felt only the slightest warmth. The fire had already died away to near-invisibility.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

<Snipped quote by Dawnscroll>

*Lifprasil eats the cup* yay

@poog the pig

Hey, you found the guy in my Avatar.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Whichever one of you wrote for the Northern English Watcher has my undying admiration.

Phoenix Wing (A Fairy Tail RP-Always Open, Open)

@Lugubrious Mention test. Do you see this? If not, mentions are bugged. Again.

@Zarkun

That worked, and your other one worked, but I'm not responding yet.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I call being Moe!

Edit: Though here's a question. Of the people brought there, is there anyone that would actually consider turning down the offer? And why?

@ProPro

I figure Snider might, and maybe Fenn considering a possible desire to fight in the endwar, but I don't know about anyone else, and the players of those characters would know better than I.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Only a short time passed before the first two of the new arrivals to the conflagrant realm of the Charred Council made their choice. In the wake of the resounding, bone-rattling rumble that was the Council's voice, there came a heavy and expectant silence. More burdensome than this quiet, however, lay the truth accepted by Akoni and Wrath prior to their pronouncement of acceptance: that to save the world, and every human upon it, agency with the Charred Council will be the best bet. After the courteous elder and the Nephilim of Heaven made their replies, the third great head spoke up, its voice calm, level, and reasonable compared to those of its fellows, though no less powerful.

"A wise decision, warriors. You need not kneel before us, knowing that the oath has been writ on your hearts. Panoptos. Christen them."

From his elevation the nine-eyed, ambiguous Watcher swooped down. Compared to the rest, he appeared to be the most eminent and the most powerful, and his ever-shifting emerald gaze held no warmth. Upon arrival, he reached down and dipped his finger into lava, and with the scalding digit traced a simple design across the foreheads of Wrath and Akoni, one after another. For a moment it seared abominably, but afterward the blaze nearly disappeared. Now the brand merely glowed warmly, like the embrace of a tiny electric blanket. "Guess I owe you a welcome," he murmured, his voice gravelly and grating, as he floating between them. "Did you not hear, halfbreed? The Horsemen, by law, cannot set foot on earth before the destruction of the Seventh Seal. If all goes to plan, you won't ever meet them. You really don't want to, either. Not very friendly to Nephilim, I hear." He paused to examine Akoni, who appeared to be in some sort of pain. "Hey now, we want you standing a sporting chance. Hold still" A green light emanated from Panoptos' claws, wreathing Akoni's body and restoring it to a state not just recovered but rested. "There's a perk you can look forward to. First time's free." The First Watcher chortled under his breath. "Now stand aside, you two. We have plenty more oaths to take." Again that smothering silence took hold.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

How does the Council assign Watchers to people who aren't contracted with them? If they can do that, why don't they just give Watchers to the super strong guys who are in charge of the armies and have them fix it? Why don't they just give a Watcher to Sevrin and tell him to stop making the apocalypse happen?
Why are they asking our group to help at all when they have the four horsemen to fix things? Or barring those guys, they can just give a Watcher to Nero, who's more than proved himself as capable after DMC4.

What's our group's incentive to fix things, beyond 'several of you failed once and it's all your fault because of it'? Several of us weren't even there; therefore it couldn't be our fault. Furthermore, how can you motivate players or characters without loot? Keep in mind half the players are mercenaries of some kind.

Isn't there a more fluid and natural way to give your players than literally telling them "Do what we say or die"?

@IncredibleBee

I'm glad I have a friend looking out for me.

The Watchers cannot be technically bound to a being that is not contracted, and they cannot close their eyes and think "I'm going to appear wherever X is" and then do so. In the case of all these characters, the were sent to find them, manually found them as they left the Eidolic Cairn in various ways. Sevrin, Gomory, and the rest who left by other means obviously can't be tracked in this manner. The Watchers cannot enter Heaven or Hell, and so cannot even come close to influencing the beings there.

The Horsemen can only be summoned to Earth after the breaking of the seventh seal, as is stated. Nero is not a player character, he's an NPC, and you're the crux of the story, not the NPCs.

The Charred Council, aside from promising loot in the form of 'reward' as is clearly stated, is working on the ideals and desires of the characters. You'll notice, no doubt, that no 100% Heaven or 100% Hell characters are in the Core, nor even any standard Gilgamesh members. If the characters want humanity and Earth to continue existing as they are, they'll fight for the Council because they provide the best and most unbiased platform to do so. Are some of the characters unabashed materialists who flick a genocide switch if it meant a bag of coppers? Maybe, and they'll be catered to, but the real catering is being done to the people who want humanity and Earth to remain intact.

For instance, Souta is going to agree because he likes humanity living, thank you very much, and he hasn't always agreed with Gilgamesh's ideas about accomplishing that. Lily might sign on because her life would be boring without humans to mess with, Fenn might sign on for the chance for a battle of his lifetime by fighting against multiple factions at once and participating in the biggest fighters therein, and so forth.

Of course the Council would utter such a pronouncement, particularly the head specifically noted to have an accusatory and demanding personality. A character who refuses the offer will not be killed on the spot, but instead whisked back to earth with a brand to remind them of their treason. If the agents of the Council meet with that character again in the future, there might be a fight.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

-=-=Totaled Ambulence=-=-

For a moment the silence hung in the air, thick and problematic. The Watcher stared at Snider, its feelings difficult to discern until it could hold them in no longer. ”Pffffffffffffff,” it exhumed, bowed over slightly in mirth for a moment. When it straightened up, however, its voice held a contempt so casual that one could only assume that in its estimation Snider soundly failed to outvalue urinal mildew. ”Well, aren’tcha a feculent, rebellious little snotwad? And the mout on ya!...ya just my type.” Its nasal drawl contained a pronounced lilt, giving it the impression of being English. “For making my day I’ll give ya a little advice. Get over bein’ a puffed-up li’l bitch before ya meet the Council. I could kill ya iffen I decide I don’t like the smell of your shriveled old sack, but the Council can wipe ya right out of existence, not that ya have anyone but me to miss ya, Roughdick. So take it from me: shut up and take the chance to do something significant wit ya life.”

The Watcher crossed its arms, sneering invisibly, and said. [color=cyan]”Oh, and cooperation isn’t optional.” It disappeared into a smear of darkness, and with it the world receded, spiraling Snider through an infinite void.

-=-=The Core=-=-

Even before they saw the fire, they felt the heat. Every single individual accosted by the Watchers felt the searing heat crash against them the instant before their sight returned to them, allowing them to see the awesome spectacle that lay before them. Around them lay a colossal, seemingly infinite realm of stone and lava, stretching endlessly into the distance. Torrents of the molten stone poured from above, and colossal pillars and stalactites could be seen easily, hinting at some sort of ceiling far above. None, however, could tell where such a ceiling lay, but all the same only a fool might imagine that above them lay a starless black sky.

All of them lay, in various levels of dignity, on a great stone circle. In short order, those without natural resistance to heat no doubt discovered a mobile white magic rune beneath their feet that followed them wherever they went, and without which the radiating heat from such extreme proximity to the lava would reduce them to cinders in seconds. Thought this place fit the stereotypical description of Hell as a vast molten cave, few could deny that this place did not feel disturbing or malignant. Instead, this fiery, dangerous realm gave off an aura of power, and the authority that dwelt therein.

Two features stood out. In one direction, across a bridge of ornate stone, lay a grand and ominous citadel. Opposite them, arranged among the lava, stood three enormous stone heads like monoliths. Their eyes blazed with a fire still more intense than all that surrounded them. As the arrivals looked around, their escorts abandoned them, with or without saying snide farewells, to float towards these enormous heads and take up positions around them. The chaperone of Wrath and Akoni said nothing while leaving, and after assuming his position, moved no more. Souta and KYL’s bringer, the condescending female, winked half of her eyes before taking her leave. Meanwhile, Kosara found herself dumped speedily and callously by the easily-frustrated male Watcher, who muttered to himself angrily as he flew. The particularly vain and irksome female watcher who accosted Mary, Fenn, and Lily made sure they knew how lucky they were before departing. Snider’s especially foulmouthed companion reminded him try looking more intelligent and presentable than diarrhea, and Midori’s escort bid her a prolonged goodbye.

When every Watcher hovered in place, another one, previously unseen, became apparent. Close inspection revealed this Watcher to be of an entirely different sort, larger and older, with nine emerald eyes that moved constantly across its face. This one said nothing, and waited.

"The law is clear. When the Seven Seals are broken, four Horsemen shall ride forth to punish the wicked, be they Sons of Man, Lords of Heaven, or the Dregs of Hell..."

A colossal voice, guttural and primordial, echoed through the chamber. It had issued from the center head.

”Yet five Seals remain. Heaven, Hell, and humanity all move to war, threatening the Balance, and breaking the great truce. It is unacceptable. The Balance must be maintained. That is why you are here.”

The second head spoke then, its tone accusatory and demanding.

”Most of you were present for the Second Seal’s destruction. Your failure is outrageous. Yet it has put into motion a chain of events that you may yet fix. You have been chosen because you are outcasts. None of you are exemplars of the faction to which you belong, if any at all. We give you not an offer, but a choice: agency or annihilation. Serve the Charred Council, the balance, and the three realities, and be rewarded. Yet the cowardly defiler might choose to betray this cause. Know that if you turn your backs on the Charred Council, you will be released from this place, but sooner or later you will pay. Step forth, outcasts, and be branded as agents or adversaries.”