Avatar of The Grey Dust

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7 hrs ago
Current Uh guys, what if our virgin sacrifice to the gods wasn't entirely a virgin? Like what if they did some last minute stuff before the whole ritual sacrifice thing with someone?
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3 days ago
There they are officer! Thats the one you want, they no no touched me!
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5 days ago
Ezekiel 23:20
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6 days ago
Never trust a psychic who asks for the money upfront. 1) who's going to pay money to hear bad news? 2) shouldn't a psychic know who has money to pay them for their services?
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9 days ago
You like kissing tentacles don't you? You're a ghaik kisser.
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11:47 PM, August 2nd, 158 East 23rd Street, New York.

"Sweet Mary Mother of Jesus... Christ... God Protect Us All, there's a fucking psychopath on out there."

Graphic images were seen, countless bodies pulled out under white sheets, a tally of the ever rising number. One report was not enough, three sites attacked, but dozens of networks seemed to cover the story. First the train, and now this, what was the world coming to? Madness it seemed with the authorities baffled on who would do such heinous acts. What sick, twisted individual would butcher people like that? Mutilated bodies, shredded beyond recognition, disemboweled with dried blood oozed out from every remaining orifice identifiable as the remains of a mouth or ear whatever hole that ought to align with the anatomical approximation. There would be no witnesses to come testify, and no family members would be allowed to see the sorry state of the last memory of the dead who were adequately identified by dental records and surviving prints. And what ever could possess someone to leave the only solid piece of evidence behind with such terrible market branding? The game makers were quick to release a public statement, expressing concern and more so severing any affiliations the company had over these horrible acts of depravity. Yet the damage was done, it was over, and within 24 hours, the media was exploding with whatever the "DS Killer" topic was about. Of which certainly on some forums there would be some would be hoodlums who would claim to be the dark artist behind the chilling act, but certainly none could provide the evidence. Young kids who wanted to dabble in the gory glorious infamy, punks who wanted to prove their dangerous edge, even the occasional actual demented deviant who got off to this sort of stuff. What times to be alive, what times to die.

Whatever the case may be, whatever that demon girl decided to do, yes it had her signature of mindless maniacal mayhem to it, Rufus took little care. She wanted to make it into a farce, a competition of who could stir up the masses more, and for what? Let the child have her carnage and slaughter, there was something more tactical Rufus had in mind. Sitting down to his dusty dark pint with a side of whatever passes for potato skins around here, the Timekeeper looked within the regular limits of age for such a rowdy crowd. Somewhere in his late thirties or so, enough to pass without requiring to be carded, and certainly intimidating enough with his appearance to unnerve the bartender from thinking twice, let alone anyone else sober enough to stay away from the man with a scar across his eye. The two screens were blaring out the latest updates on the investigations that shook the city. A church, a club, and a diner, most of the public places were on high alert, with blue and brass swarming out looking for clues like teenage detectives and their stupid bloodhound. Sure the lass was messy, but she was keen enough on not leaving a trial of blood right back to base, hopefully. What Rufus did however was far less flamboyant and mysterious, sticking to his guns and what lifetimes of conflict prepared him for. On Third and Twenty Third, a stone's throw way from where he was this morning to collect some old personal effects he had left there as his time serving in the american forces during the great war.

He once was Captain Herb G. Wells, or "George" as the Americans tended to call him on the fact they never felt right pronouncing their damned H's. Correcting them became tedious enough, but the nickname stuck to the character's grave. Rufus certainly looked the part however back in the day, dressed in uniform with that wicked scar across his face. They wondered, but all those who knew the false story behind the mark were dead now, the respectable men he had worked with during the so-called 'War to end all Wars' would be rolling in their graves in knowing that a scant decade later the world would be once again at war. But that, as Rufus learned, was the nature of the human race, war was the one language that they all spoke, and one principle they all understood. It mattered not their family ties as King, Kaiser and Tsar fought. It mattered not nationalities: Serbian, Italian, french and Ottoman came to the fray. It mattered not vast distances: America, China and Siam came to partake as well dragged by the global pull of strategic alliances. It was the greatest ability of mankind to unite against a common foe, and that was what Rufus was placing his bets on. It was only matter of time before The Guild would be forced out to make a reveal, a public announcement of the existence of magic in the world and the danger the humans were in from rogue magi. Of course centuries ago humans burned witches and wizards alive for being ousted, and with a little luck and clever manipulation Rufus could aim the human fear and hatred directly at The Guild. Let all magi be suspect, let The Guild tremble at the wolf they have been protecting.

"Looks like it, what kind of sicko does that sorta stuff and sleeps at night?"

The discussion around the counter seemed to revolve around Cerce's murdering spree, sober and drunkards alike watching in horror as reporters scrambled picking up news of whatever investigation was leading underway, advisories about safe practices, looking out of suspicious characters, reporting to the local authorities and the numbers running across the screen. All the resources and time spent dissecting apart three random sites for the trinity of means, motive, and murderer. All the perfect distraction for Rufus to do his part in their dark orchestra, and to finish the job, a glass or two of Guinness. Watching the clock on the bottom of the screen as the time came closer and closer to the midnight hour. In and out, the old ways from the old days, a way to cause trouble, the Troubles. A random target, unknown and faceless, with not a single care who or what would be destroyed. Somewhere in the city, a bomb was rigged to explode tonight filled with ancient explosives from another era, if the car belonged to someone and would be driven, or if it would just stay there sitting in the lot or structure or street mattered not. A message needed to be sent, it would be small, almost meaningless compared to the recent crimes and usual problems the city had, but for Rufus it was a symbolic act to mark just the beginning. The beginning of the old spark returning in him as his tankard ran close to dry. And evidently as the seconds ticked away towards midnight... A new spark started within the vehicle.

"Aye, terrible little bastard I'm sure, Lass, give me a shot of Jameson to cap off the night." And all he needed now was a shot of cream. But Rufus already made himself a proper car bomb earlier this morning, and this was just the pièce d'occasion he would drink as the hour, minute, and second hand aligned themselves.

00:00:00
Boom.
Thomas Richard Harrison

Location: Floor 3, Tower of the Big Baddie.
Interacting with: Everyone within 5 foot radius of Thomas: (FA, FB, FDW, TZ, CLB & Keystone & Nor)


Thinking back, this probably was not one of the brightest ideas out Thomas had. Of course he had plenty of pretty bad ideas in the past, but most of the time the universe worked its way to keep him mostly safe, that or Master Wolfgang came in to clean up the mess. Such were the benefits of being a sorcerer's apprentice, however right now Thomas was on his own. Proving his worth not to the old master who he had thought would scry him and see his growth, but perhaps more to himself. Did he not take down a few enemies with his magics? Did he not demonstrate a good control of his spells? He was a decent spellslinger now, more than capable of making it mostly on his own to boldly go in with whatever gambit he had and hoped for the best. Although, maybe it was the slightly concerning bloodloss that made Thomas woozy, or perhaps the fact that he had reached his critical phase break, but Thomas seemed to be a bit paler than usual. His complexion drained of the light wheat into a more candle wax white, this probably wasn't the best indication of Thomas' immediate health at first glance, the color in the boy fading away rapidly as the fiercely feeding frenzied furry fiendish ferret drowned in a pool of blood it had to swallow or whatever it was doing to avoid being bloated by the latent space powers. The boy was losing consciousness fast, all it would take was about a liter of bloodloss more or less to make someone feel rather faint as Thomas was. His knees seemed to be shaking growing feeble as the struggle to remain useful to the team burned on.

"Flare..." Thomas weakly uttered. The command word was invoked. The prepared spell surged through at last, engulfing the pallid magician in a swathe of fire. A pyre burst out of his body, as if he spontaneously combusted into a burning wicker man. The flames danced their way around, solar spots as they erupted in their lashing tongues singing the praises of the sun. The light of the radiant sun itself cloaking Thomas in the fateful fire. His teammates had their warning, as much as Thomas could say despite the dreadful feeling of exsanguination. His shift to Moon Phase was also not helping his constitution loss as by the end of it he would lose another point of constitution which he desperately needed to stay afloat. If this spell didn't purge the weasel off then, Thomas was pretty much doomed wasn't he? Nevertheless he had committed to this terrible plan and how it was time he reaped the benefits.

With a pulse of an exploding nova, the harbinger of scorching death, a wave of fiery destruction emerged from the sorcerer-en-flambe. The dispersion of cosmic power a single blast of far-realm flames radiating through an expanding circle of forced inferno. Everything with a five foot radius of Thomas' location would find themselves facing the power of the sun, all the while Thomas felt the chill in the air grip him, shaking as his knees and teeth chattered. The soft gasps that escaped, his joints flexing in as his muscles tried to shiver for the warmth which left him. And even though the pallor of Moon Phase ought to disappear as Thomas moved on to Star Phase, still the bloodloss was far too much to compensate, and the cold and distant personality which dominate Thomas now was truly cold and growing distant...

Space Wizard Needs Food Badly.
Thomas Richard Harrison

Location: Floor 3, Tower of Clusterf-
Interacting with: Cyne, Keystone, Sana, Satilla, Mustela Dirus Infernii var. Nosferatu? (Fiendish Dire Weasel)


Well the villianous varmint decided to latch on to Thomas. Taking tooth to fang as it sank treacherous teeth into Thomas' bare thigh. Yes, Thomas was still in his undergarments from the waist down after all, and this was not a pleasant experience to have a ferret of that size chomp into you. A clear scream of discomfort and agony escaped Thomas in reply, strung with a choice amount of wizardly expletives like 'Wulfric's Earwax!' Yes, the boy was bleeding pretty poorly into the licking maw of the beast, about the size of him no doubt as the slippery little furry demon curled around his leg like a bad lover and sucked on. It was a rather vampiric move, draining Thomas of his magical bloodline as the venous gash oozed to the frustration of Thomas who decide it was better not to unleash the power of the sun as right now hie allies would find themselves caught in the solar flare. Even as a rather smelly bear offended Thomas' nostrils tried to knock the thing off, and managed not to rip Thomas' leg off on the process. A good attempt but not quite fast enough for a squirrely weasel. "Stay back! Brace yourself!" Thomas screamed out at bear and team, trying warn them of his plan through the pain of being leeched upon.

It mattered not though, Thomas was intent on executing his bold gambit, weasel or not, he had to get closer into the fray, away from his teammates to work his magic. "Argh, get off me you overgrown hellrat!" Wrestling with the wriggling weasel, Thomas managed to take his strides towards the center of the fray, a ringed clearing between the forest of monsters. Cyne, Keystone, and Nor better be ready, or else take heed of Thomas's warning. "Stay away Guys!" One last warning, given for the melee combatants to leave Thomas to his mad plan. This was a bad plan, the blood-loss was getting quite drastic, and Thomas wasn't feeling all the best, in fact he was feeling a bit woozy as he struggled to remain standing and face the horde of monsters in the eye...

If Thomas miraculously survived the onslaught, he could return each blow with burning vengeance.

"Time's Up." A fatherly voice announced, rich with the twinges of Irish in his English. The ringing of the timer at his desk silenced by a hand tapping the button. The classroom shuffled before the whiteboards, last minute answers changed past the final bell, the fate of those few remaining sealed as they approached the front desk. Those who took this long were either unprepared, doubters, or scared, the stragglers who took the entire two and a half hours allotted for the exam. It was a fair cop, neither too tricky nor to easy to breeze by, and yet there were always a few students who never stood by their own work. For those afraid to let go of their papers, slow in stride and shaking as their fingers were pried off each page and gingerly placed upon the desk with the other piles, they'd need to get over their irrational fears and grow a spine. Don't they know life is just a long series of tests? Waking up everyday is the challenge, and this wasn't even the hardest of the three exams they will take this year. Then there were the doubters, those who held themselves back as they frantically changed their answers at the desk, their brilliance restrained by some strange delusion that they are wrong when they are right. Honestly in a way they were worse than the stiff-fingered cowards, since doubting yourself is merely just fearing your own self, and not believing in yourself is almost as the last of the lot. The Unprepared, those who surely did not care to learn anything, and depended on the work of others to claim something that did not belong to them. These were the worst, societal parasites who did not belong within the ranks of the talented and gifted, no they did not deserve to be waiting in the same line with their smug grins concealing their cheating eyes.

"Remember, the next lecture in is two weeks, so go enjoy yourselves a break while you can." Just as one chapter ends, a new one begins. Such was the cyclic nature of life, stretching into eternity, for at the end of every era and age, something else must rise. It was the same with how the age of reason and science paved the way for the return to romantic mysticism and superstition. Perhaps it was for the idyllic nostalgia that society shifted from one to the next, never quite satisfied with the progress which urged them forward into the future, while their roots anchor to tether them in their deep past. It was this internal struggle that set the stage for how the world worked, each revolution merely a rebirth of one predominant phase before the next counterrevolution. And he knew of cycles, far beyond an ordinary professor of biology would. For a man who died seven times so far, Rufus looked remarkable well, only bearing the faint suggestion of a scar across his right eye, and a bit of a limp as his gloved left hand carried his cane about him as he stalked the rows during the exam. For a man who had lived nearly two centuries, he looked good considering he appeared somewhere in his 60's as his grey hair was slicked back neatly with the gaunt features of his wrinkling proctor's eyes. There was more to the professor than his students know, the rumors perhaps that he was part of a war or something worse. The scar was real, but the limp was fake.

"Except for you, Mr. Anderson. Stay here for a minute." An ungloved hand placed heavily upon the young man's shoulder. There was a jolt, a twitch, a cheater's nip. They both knew this would not end well, but alas the fingers gripped tighter to finger the dishonored. Still the boy tried to wrestle away, and deny his guilt, but alas it was written across his face and more so the exam. Singled out for his act, and forced down to sit upon the desk. The scowl of the professor, looking dead into his darting eyes, looking for an exit, any exit like the rat he was. But Rufus would not let the student scurry away, not while his unwitting prey failed his test. How was it possible that a senior citizen- "Tell me, Mr. Anderson... What good is an exam... If you're unable to learn anything from it?" This was surreal was it not? An experience to be felt and seen, but perhaps it was a trip, but it seemed by the minute the professor looked younger, his grey hair turning darker, the wrinkles flattening out to a fierce look. And all the while the cheater felt weaker, drained of his energy as though he had just ran across the campus. His vision became blurrier, the hard desk gave no support to his back, his hairline receded. Receded? Alas, looking down in horror to see the changes. It was impossible, how was it? The digital numbers on the timer had stopped, the blinking counters paused as if the batteries suddenly decided to malfunction. And yet here he was aging, rapidly as someone unrecognizable if it were not for the scar over his eye stared at him. "Goodbye, Mr. Anderson."

---

Lines. How he detested waiting in lines. Perhaps it was because a Time Keeper never waited, but rather be waited upon. As such there was a fundamental abhorrence towards standing around in queue, to people used to controlling the passage of time waiting was an insult. And waiting with these nonmagi? Certainly had he not recently engorged himself on three decades of life within the last week, Rufus may have been willing to act the angry old codger, yet in his current state, the man looked more like a yuppie dressed in his monkey suit. A few locks of hair escaping the orderly comb with an upper-class frown with each step closer among the uncouth masses. Older than his students, but certainly younger than the usual folk who came in and out to do banking business at this hour. Ahead of him a widow collecting her pension, ahead of her was a balding man looking for a loan, and at the kiosk was some fool no doubt withdrawing his riches for a transfer. It mattered not, Rufus would wait for now, because yesterday the dawn finally broke.

It was plastered all over the news, as such panic and pandemonium often did, milked of all the chaos and disturbance the ripples had. Even now in the lobby the networks tried to explain the facts, reviewing the data and grasp at the message of fear that seemed to dominate the news. It was how humans were kept in control after all, they were trained fear from a very young age, fear of abandonment and neglect was first, as a infant had no way to fend and feed itself at birth. Then once a child could act for itself, punishment and retribution was the next to fear, as its choices became weighed with trade offs of pleasure or pain. Then the mind evolved once more to consider the morality of its acts, the fictional concepts of good and evil conceived to justify the fear preceding. And finally, the maturity of fear into us and them, when the mind realizes the similarities and the dissimilarities, the great ability to compare and judge: the fear of the adversarial Other. It was psychologically ingrained, behaviors learned through growth and development, it was once fear of ruination that had once united the tribes and woe the war, now it is the morality of the Guild that kept the status quo of bitter peace, but soon it shall be the fear of the Dark Shadows that shall rise in persecution of the nonmagi.

The Boy finally did it. He first act of magical terrorism, brings back some memories of home. Such times they were, but surely the piping windbag had no idea what he just started. A series of events which would fall upon them all, it was finally time, and Rufus wondered if he should have gone with him. Timing was always the hard part, sure there was a few minutes in the interval window to have derailed the train, and should the boy hesitate or miscalculate, the old Time Keeper could always slow the passage of time to ease the skill required of timing the blow. But there was nothing Rufus could do to help the boy pick his timing. This was a choice the leader of the Dark Shadows had to make, the decision to stop suckling on his mother's breast and hiding in her shadow. It was time he stepped into the world a man and claim his stake in the world, now the world shall test him in reply to see what sort of man he was. Hopefully he would not be a disappointment as Mr. Anderson was, which is to say Rufus was a man of high expectations. A few dead, the nation searching for the enemy, and by now probably the ever-infuriating Guild. Ah, summoned to the kiosk, the call for next in line seemed far more polite than: Meet at base tomorrow night for full meeting. Don't be late or miss it if you value your life.

"Safety deposit please. MacFly. Martin MacFly. My papers." A curt nod at the teller behind the counter. A journey into the vault to retrieve an item just for this occasion. Tonight of all nights on a Wednesday evening, summoned to gather at the place to be to discuss where things go from here no doubt. And for this Rufus would need to come prepared for such an occasion, given the tenacity of their little society of sociopaths. A wise man would bring something to subdue them all with as two keys were inserted into the dusty metal box. A lifetime of treasures contained in a single bin? Perhaps not, but certainly for the persona of Martin MacFly, there was a wooden box waiting for him that filled most of the container. A treasured item no doubt, perhaps some ancient artifact or relic of great magical power that would suppress even the strongest of mages. No matter how powerful a man was, no one could stand against what legendary magic Rufus gingerly lifted box and all, held close to his chest. "Thank you, that'll be all for today."

A pity.
Thomas Richard Harrison

Location: Floor 3, Tower of... Wait where are we?
Interacting with: Satilla, Mustela Dirus Infernii (Fiendish Dire Weasel)


Remind Thomas not to let the Bear hug him. Or Keystone for that matter. Or the ex-ex-ex-Grey Render if it wasn't completely maimed by Keystone. All in all it seemed things were winding down, and yet that was what happened the last time before a new batch of enemies appeared. But even if they were withstanding the tide of rather oddly uneventually minions, Thomas swore he saw Nor stab himself. Twice. Maybe, he wasn't too sure since the dwarf was covered in armor, and moving like he wasn't. Either way it seemed the tin-man's second attempts to defend them worked stabbing the hairy ape with a good shank. Two and a half down, six more to go. That said, Thomas had only two spells left in his repertoire, one of which was already primed to go. His plan was dangerous, but desperation did that to a man. Or in his case a boy sorcerer. Regardless, tactical positioning was key in maximizing his spells to take out as many enemies as possible. . All that remained was getting Sana..."Go Satilla!" Cheering his crush on as she rushed in there to do medic things to the perhaps not quite dead yet now getting better Sana somewhat slumped over.

Now that everyone did their part, it was time for Thomas to do his. Call it idiotic, moronic, suicidal, and yes even stupid. If he could get to the pentacle on the floor, one that seemed to be inactive at the moment, the plan was to taunt the enemies to taking him on as possible, crowding around him far from his allies before he could unleash the power of the sun. But first there was a rather large polecat skittering his direction, and being a rather bit of a road block to Thomas' direct path. The fiendish dire Weasel did not seem to relent, giving Thomas no opening as he attempted to maneuver around the ferret, he even tried to manoeuvre around the thing but there was just no luck. Thomas was stopped in his tracks by...



"Out of my way you Stinking Sulfurous Polecat!" A prime choice of insult no doubt, with Thomas staring down the beady eyed mongrel. A spell at this range would hit everyone in the area within five feet. He'd have tough out whatever attacks would come. Whatever, Whenever, Wicked Wreaking Weasel would wanting woefully wound willingly within wizard's way.
@Father Hank

Any preference to character archetypes?

I have the penchant to play a flamboyant foppish Breton Imperial Courtesean / Illusionist.
Over the top and grandiose, but a pretty damn good mage who messes with your mind.
Thomas Richard Harrison

Location: The Monster Mash! Tower, 3rd floor.
Interacting with: Magic!


Now it was Thomas' turn to be out of it. His attack on the necromancer was successful, although perhaps only provided to anger the stranger more. Maybe it was the after-effect of the spell, or maybe Thomas needed glasses, but the boy swore there were more enemies now than before. More angry-looking furry things and scaly bothers. Oh and a creepy-crawly. If they were not fighting for their lives, Thomas would be impressed at the summoning abilities the dark lord had. There was perhaps an ounce of respect for the man's capacity to summon an endless array of minions. How much more though? Didn't all magic have an innate drawback? There was after all the universal law of reciprocal resource reconciliation which basically stated magic was not free, and there was a cost to using magic one that is usually equal in magnitude to the spell being cast. Summoning and controlling all these creatures for example... Unless... Was that a summoner's circle?

The glowing ward faded from around the figure and his pet centipede, the one closer to whatever we decided to call the man, and not the one near Thomas's left flank. And with the fading of the celestial light, Thomas' dizziness was shaken off to adequately access the new hell just raised. It wasn't a dream after all, but a nightmare. All things unleashed, fiendish fur and sinister scales, a new wave of enemies to be fought for a team that was already just threading the deep waters. To his left just behind his shoulder the sounds of a bear combating with a centipede, to his left, a threesome of Keystone and Sana and the rather Grey Gray Render. And by the looks of it, the gruesome Mr. Gray, was having his way, with the Greying lady. Not Good, They were in a tight squeeze, one more literal than the other, and Satilla didn't seem like she could get in to heal Sana who looked rather unwell. This of course left the Dwarf to be their sole bastion against... 1, 2, 3, 4... 5... 6... Enemies. Oh the odds were not in their favour, not at all.

Seeing how Satilla would be preoccupied, and the number of enemies far exceed the number of would-be heroes, with a hard swallow Thomas steeled himself. His usefulness in battle was going to be burned up rather quickly with the last of his two spells, but he wasn't going to let that necromancer best him without a fight. It was a matter of who's magic was mightier now. Raising his right hand just before him Thomas focused his arcane energy, concentrating on the feelings that surged within. Light, light turned into Warmth, warmth into Fire. Pure Cosmic Fire, all consuming fire that will purge everything and from the searing ashes arise the reborn. The sphere of the sun envisioned in his grasp, traced out before as a clockwise circle was pantomimed with his right hand. The Sunflare spell was set.
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