Rtron

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Althalus

Despite his turned back on Mar, Althalus wasn't completely trusting her. Not in the state she was in. He was ready to move if he heard anything that even vaguely sounded like a tail or a scythe coming at him. At her question, he paused mid-step, beginning to load the crossbow. For a moment he didn't respond, clearly struggling with the answer. Finally he slowly turned around, facing her. Rather than anger there was a sadness, past failures coming back to haunt him. He spoke softly, still loading the crossbow. "Wrong question. If that remnant of a child up there , that creature festering in madness, was Lyn I wouldn't view it as a murder. I wouldn't view it as a killing to save myself or everyone else. I'd view it as a mercy killing. Because that," He gestured upwards with his crossbow, "would not be Lyn. That would be a Naga who had just been shot through the heart. Nothing more than a shell for death and madness. Could I do it easily? No. Would I try every other possible reasonable avenue first? Yes. But those are the wrong questions. The real question is could I live with myself afterwards?"

Althalus paused, crossbow finally loaded and ready to fire again. "No. I would go to Djarkel and Eania rulers, and see which paid more for killing the opposing ruler. Then-"

"Let yourself be killed..." Mar finished for him.

Althalus nodded, before shaking his head. "But fine. You get your chance to talk to the little bastard. However, if he does anything that looks vaguely like going insane and trying to kill you, I'm putting a bolt through his chest."

"Your original intention was to kill me, have Uicle bring me back to life, and kill me again, wasn't it?" Mar stated bluntly as her eyes softened, slightly. Inwardly, she was grateful for this chance and small window to try.

Althalus smirked. "That's only if you do something as stupid as not going through the damn door. Though...this is up there." Sighing, he gestured up the stairs. "Well, lets go. I may have agreed to not kill him on sight, but Grey hasn't."

"Right, we're wasting time..." Mar noted while she moved toward the upper levels, a difficult challenge with a tail rather then legs, and with as much speed as she could mustered.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Althalus

He expected her to do something like that. That's why he had jumped so far out of the way of her tail, closer to the door.Althalus had expected her to wrap her tail around him and throw him in, or something like that. What he didn't expect, was for her to grab him and throw him in. Leaving her defenseless. In a heartbeat, he was back on his feet, only to be knocked down again by her scythe hilt into his ribs. The wind was knocked out of him, thus preventing him from immediately replying to Mar's hiss, or helping Leith blockade the door. Their guide, on the other hand, left Coco in a reasonably safe corner and helped, carefully ignoring the argument he could see coming. When Althalus regained his breath, he decided to answer Leith's question first. Tightly controlled anger colored his words as he picked himself up, briefly glancing around before turning his gaze on Leith. "If it was any other mageblood than Obligatio, I'd say yes. A flood would stop flooding if the mage causing it was knocked out. Same thing if a mage caused an earthquake, or an inferno. But not Necromancers.. They give life to things and then orders. And those things only stop being alive when the Necromancer decides they can, or the Necromancer is dead. So yes, the only way to stop this is to kill him. Unless," He added sarcastically, "he can be convinced to kindly stop trying to have all his 'subjects' kill us. Somehow I think it'll be easier just to kill the little bastard. And the only way Grey won't be able to handle him is if there's a small army of weapons or corpses in there with him. Because once Grey finds him, all he has to do is kill him. Speaking of that, where's my crossbow?"

The casual way Althalus spoke about the killing of a child clearly made their guide uncomfortable,as he wordlessly handed the assassin his crossbow. "And as for you." Althalus whirled on Mar, taking a few short steps towards her. If she had been his height, they would have been nose to nose. As it was, he had to crane his head up to look at her. "If you ever do something that stupid to me again I will kill you, have Uicle resurrect you, and then kill you again! You could have died!" A small part of him, that wasn't focusing on the stupidity of his child's mother, noticed that the both of them were covered in gore and the Gods only knew what else, from their brief stand against the horde. The horde that was currently pounding against Leith and the guide's barricade. With no care for their own health, judging from the sounds of tearing and snapping outside.

The 'King'

If the Necromancer noticed the door being kicked open he didn't make any sign. He was too busy shaking his head violently back and forth, his arms randomly throwing out in vague warding gestures. The purple light seemed to be coming from his very veins, outlined underneath his skin and pulsing in time with his heartbeat. In the brief moment he paused, his eyes could be clearly seen as bright purple lights. His screaming was still largely unintelligible, but some statements could be made out. "No father, I am the man of this household now! Don't you dare speak to me like that mother! Shut up Becky, this was for the greater good! THEY PROMISED ME YOUR DEATHS WOULD NOT BE IN VAIN! THEY LIED! LIED, LIED, LIED! But I'll find them! And I'll make them pay! ALL OF THEM. They will all pay in blood!" Unbeknownst to the child, his silver ring flew off his finger when he violently gestured with his hand. As luck would have it, it found a crack in the floorboards, straight down to the living room where Leith was standing. If anyone noticed the quick silver blur, they would have noticed that it changed course in the air. Rather than falling to the ground next to Coco, it landed neatly in Leith's pocket.

The Necromancer finally opened his eyes and noticed Grey. "You again! Where are your friends? Torn apart by my servants?" He giggled madly. "Such a shame. You barely start your invasion and already most of your force is decimated. Just like that Yarosmerian invasion force! They claimed to be ambassadors, but I saw through their sneaky trick! They ran into the forest to their lying friends, but I took three of their number as payment! And I'll take you too! And make you walk into the forest to send a message to the liars! War is coming." He giggled again. "But I'm a fair King." He opened his arms wide, as if receiving a hug. "I'll let you have the first blow. Do your worst, for as soon as you fail, I shall do mine." He smiled as widely as possible, showing that all his teeth were stained red.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

So, what I'm getting from all this,

Is that you should all kneel before Zod.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Freeshooter92 said
Well, I'd laugh.

Lucius Cypher said
As would I, since I CHOPPED OFF THEIR KNEES!

That escalated quickly.

The Aesteria Chronicles (Fantasy Adventure, Steampunk Elements)

Soon. We're waiting on a few CSes before we decide and then set up the OOC.

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Freeshooter92 said
Nope. Not kneeling before Zod.

Very well then.

What if I told you, the Salamanders have knelt before me? :D

Blood Act I~ Ghosts of the Past

Alright, though you may want to post it in the lore dump thread with a much bigger picture, or it all written out so we all know what it says, without trekking to google.

The Aesteria Chronicles (Fantasy Adventure, Steampunk Elements)

Former probably, current, eh maybe. The Guild might not want the trouble an Air pirate living in their building might cause. My CS: Appearance: [hider=Face] [img=http://static1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130923064702/borderlands/images/1/17/BL2-Axton-Head-Grizzled_Veteran.png][/hider] Typically, Eli wears light steamplate armor (strong enough to block a low caliber bullet or two, and a blade between the ribs, but light enough to allow him movement), underneath a leather duster. Both the armor and duster look worse for wear, the armor only cleaned enough to look functional and the duster never really cleaned unless it reeks badly. He wears black gloves. They are clearly well made and are the nicest thing he owns, obviously well kept and cared for. An emblem used to be on the palms of both, but had been ripped out and the resulting hole obviously repaired. One can see the marks where this had been done. He wears metal shod boots, with steel toes, as was favored by the Varisie Empire’s soldiers once upon a time. Like everything except himself, his weapons, and his gloves, they are unkempt. The most unclean of his gear, they are caked with mud and filth and who knows what else. Name: Eli Rondell. Age: 33 Guild Band: N/A. Eli prefers to work alone. Backstory: Power comes at a cost. Eli knows that better than most. Before he even came to the Western City-States, Eli was born into the Varisie Empire to a mother and father who had both served in the army. There wasn’t really any choice in the matter of his career. He was going to follow in their footsteps, and he was going to serve the Empire to the best of his ability. It was not only his duty, but also his destiny. His parents trained him as much as they could before he joined, wanting to have him as spend as little time as possible learning and as much time as possible serving. When it was revealed he had a talent for subduing spirits( by the time the officers found out he had several simple spirits in pacts with him, albeit the pacts were shaky and the spirits were just waiting for the perfect opportunity to kill him), he was immediately put in their training program for Summoners and put into the registered list of summoners the Church of Aer demands every nation possesses. After a few years of learning how to word his pacts, how to work in unison with spirits, and how to better wield magic, Eli was sent into the Aest Wetlands with his squad of summoners(9 people in total, counting Eli). They had only one order. Get a Gargantuan spirit for the Empire. If they came across any other spirit, it was up to them what to do. That was how Eli got Eredan, and soon after, Shreckt. It was an experience he’ll never forget. Magical artifacts that would have been sold for thousands of coins in the Empire were traded for things that everyone in the Empire could gather. What was rare and powerful to the Varisie was common enough to the people of the Aest Wetlands. Spirits were seen daily, though few were interested in entering a pact. Eventually Eli and his squad found a local who claimed to know the location of a Gargantuan spirit. In return for some of the magical artifacts they had and some help along his farm, the local lead them to the cave where the Gargantuan resided. However, he flatly refused to go into the cave, claiming that all who went in died. Undeterred, Eli and his companions entered the cave. Ragnarok was waiting for them. He attacked without warning and without mercy. Luckily for them, they all had humanoid and simple spirits with them, and were able to avoid being killed in the battle, though all were injured in some way. By the time the battle ended and Ragnarok was subdued and ready to make a pact with, everyone but Eli paused to catch their breath. Eli didn’t. Eli was thinking about what was to come next. The Gargantuan would demand a blood pact, and his other companions weren’t strong enough to make the necessary decisions. Before they could react, he summoned Eredan and Shreckt and killed them. By their spilt blood he made his pact with Ragnarok(using the same one he used with the other spirits). Every year he would give 8 humans to Ragnarok. The spirit agreed, and Eli set out to leave the Wetlands. Due to Ragnarok’s constant needling, however, what he had done finally got to and broke Eli. He had killed his friends, murdered them in cold blood, all for power. He killed them for Ragnaroks unrelenting voice in his head, constantly stirring his guilt. Suicide was a tempting option, as he headed steadily for home. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was a soldier and he would die in a battle. But he wouldn’t return to the Empire. They would hang him for his crime, and probably take and use Ragnarok for even worse things. No. He’d join this ‘Adventurer’s Guild’ he had heard so much about. Maybe he could find a death in battle there. That was 5 years ago. Or at least, it will be soon. Eli still hasn’t died, though he’s gained a reputation in the Guild for taking the most dangerous jobs they could find. As of late, he’s gone into Varisie land repeatedly. So, when the children came bursting in through the doors, more than a few people looked at him, and none were surprised when he joined. Skills and Abilities: Life time soldier: For Eli, becoming a soldier wasn’t a choice. It was his fate. He’s been fighting as long as he can remember. As a result, he has become fairly good at the art of killing. Be it with gun, blade, or whatever happens to be at hand. Varisie Summoner: The Varisie train their summoners well, and Eli was one of them. He’s skilled at subduing spirits, and using them in combat. Equipment: -A steam rifle powerful enough to go through light armor, but only denting anything higher. Has 4 clip magazines. -Armor stated in appearance -Two steam revolvers, located in each boot -A simple short sword. Spirits: (Note: Eli has used the simple spirits on pretty much every mission he’s been on. Everyone knows he has them. The humanoids are much rarer, but a few people know he has them. No one knows of Ragnarok’s existence.) Simple [hider=Lumin] [img=http://community.riftgame.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Spirit_Fire_Greater_01.jpg] Pact details: In return for a constantly filled pipe, Lumin agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured he wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in his power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: 700. Lumin has been around long enough to learn the value of a good smoke, as he constantly informs Eli. Skills and abilities: Lumin can throw a fireball, or hold it for a while. He has given this ability to Eli.[/hider] [hider=Zaz] [img=http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/268/b/c/raijuu_2_by_lightning_spirit-d4aw17a.jpg] Pact details: In return for a constantly electrically charged trinket, Zaz agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured he wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in his power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: Unknown. Eli was never able to get a number from the pictures shown. Skills and abilities: Zaz can throw a lighting bolt or hold it for a while. She has given this ability to Eli.[/hider] [hider=Kal] [img=http://www.savlenstudios.com/products/61/images/344/hawksbill_sea_turtle_art__12333.1405448250.1280.1280.jpg?c=2] Pact Details: In return for a shiny rock Kal agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured he wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in his power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: Unknown. Eli could never get a number from the pictures Kal shows. Skills and abilities: Kal can create shields for a brief amount of time, of varying sizes. Just long enough to block an attack or two, if he pushes it. He granted this ability to Eli as well. [/hider] [hider=Saruk] [img= http://www.natureinmetal.com/bmz_cache/3/3936ce8702d2e568a27025629b96fd73.image.200x301.JPG] Pact Details: In return for an ever changing puzzle box, Saruk agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured he wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in his power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: 400. Being an unusually intelligent simple spirit, Saruk was able to tell Eli his age. Skills and abilities: Saruk can increase the sharpness or piercing power of any single weapon or bullet. He gave Eli this power. [/hider] Humanoid [hider=Atra] [img=http://www.wallpaperup.com/uploads/wallpapers/2013/01/08/28309/a8366539c8ad7fc5829ca22df3e1f4c7.jpg] Pact details: Atra’s pact is rather…unique. Atra was picked up after Eli gained Ragnarok. She made him an offer. She would agree to all of his terms(as with all other spirits), and grant him powers, in return for being able to feed off of his fear, guilt, and despair. Eli agreed. Age: 1000. Atra has been feeding off of the despair of humanity for quite a while. Skills and abilities: Atra can manipulate the very emotions she feeds off of, the emotions physically manifesting as the tentacles on her body (these tentacles can be made into armor, weapons, etc. Their properties changing on how much of them there are and what they’re being used for) She exudes an aura of despair, weakening the will of any and all around her(except for Eli, because she feeds on his despair). She gave Eli the ability to manipulate his guilt and desire for death(in the same way she does) [/hider] [hider=Eredan] [img=http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/079/1/f/wind_warrior_by_razwit-d5yqnfc.jpg] Pact details: In return for a box that could unleash hurricane force winds, Eredan agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured he wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in his power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: 700 Skills and abilities: Eredan has the ability to solidify air, primarily using it to create blades of wind to slash opponents(with his sword) or compressed balls of air for concussive attacks(with his mace). Eredan gave this ability to Eli.[/hider] [hider=Shreckt] [img=http://www.flash-screen.com/free-wallpaper/uploads/201207/icos/fantasy-warrior-girl-facebook-timeline-cover-photo-06.jpg] Pact Details: In return for a scroll that opens to a new story of her ‘homeland’ each time it’s opened, Shreckt agreed to a complicated pact that basically assured she wouldn’t do anything to harm or kill Eli or his allies, and do everything in her power to ensure they weren’t killed or injured. Age: 500. Skills and abilities: Shreckt can manipulate her own blood, and blood that is outside a person’s body. She granted Eli the ability to manipulate his own blood. [/hider] Gargantuan [hider=Ragnarok] [img=http://th01.deviantart.net/fs34/PRE/f/2008/308/b/f/Anima__Earth_Elemental_boss_by_Wen_M.jpg] Pact details can be read in Eli’s backstory. Age: Unknown. He claims to have been alive before mankind learned how to dominate spirits. Skills and abilities: Ragnarok is a powerful earth Gargantuan, capable of both finesse earth magic and brute force destruction. He can manipulate his own form to suit the situation, in addition to any and all earth or things from the earth (metals, gems, etc) around him. Except for the items of earth tampered with by humans (I.E He won't be able to crush people in their armor, or break swords/guns, or stop bullets.) To Eli he grants this same power(except for the ‘manipulate his own form’ bit, and with the same limitation)[/hider] Misc. Details: -Eli has a soft spot for children. -While the rest of his equipment looks like a mess, just kept barely clean enough to function, his gloves and weapons are almost religiously taken care of.

The Aesteria Chronicles (Fantasy Adventure, Steampunk Elements)

One character per.

The Aesteria Chronicles (Fantasy Adventure, Steampunk Elements)

I have arrived to claim my place both as player and as Co-GM!

*Bursts into Thread*