thewizardguy

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Snarfulblast@supertinyking@Stephanie Dola@Angel of Light
Fighting and talking, politics occurred around this area that were of no concern to him. The Colonel had been his reference, a link to his homeworld, a representation of the law he served. Those who broke the law were sinners, heretics turned against the ultimate good represented by the God Emperor. Whilst they might think themselves to be moving of their own volition, those who turned against the God Emperor were mere puppets to the Dark Gods, who so violently opposed the order He embodied. Those who had fallen to heresy were enemies of life itself, and the only cure was death.

Of course, all that fell to naught in the face of the sin performed next to him. The abomination raised the dead, perverting nature beyond it's original purpose. Such was an act of twisted and dark power, forbidden for good reason. With this act of heresy the being revealed it's true nature, a mere pawn of darkness, an agent of evil. The Paladin reprised himself for having considered fighting by the creature's side, as the air around him became visibly hotter. Sigils on his armour glowed up, as the sky became darker.

"An abomination dares stand before the Instrument of the God Emperor. You will be purged from this life, to return to your dark masters." White flames played across the Terminator's armour, as he reached deep inside for power. When he raised his left hand, tongues of flame seemed to lick the ground around him. The undead turned, fear penetrating their fallen souls, as they realized the form of the magic that was to come. A power derived from absolute order, absolute purity. A pillar of white glowing flame twisted around Valentus, and as he splayed his fingers the full fury of the Apocalypse was unleashed on the foolish undead. "I am the Hammer, Instrument of His WILL!" Those were the last words holding back the wave of purging fire.

A blast of flame emerged, swallowing everything in the general direction he pointed. The zombies, as well as those agents they had defeated, were consumed by divine fire. Rex found himself struck by the force of a small nuclear missile, his body torn and burned as his mind and soul were torn to shreds. His very being was bathed in an inferno of pure order, a cataclysmic attack. Nothing was left untouched, as an area the size of a football field was completely engulfed. It was as if the sun had stepped down from the Heavens to have coffee on Earth.

When the flames cleared, it was as if the entire area had been cleansed of impurity. Those risen from the dead had been annihilated, not even their ashes remaining. Rex lay in the centre of the area, mere luck and stubbornness allowing him to cling to life. Those clone soldiers caught in the blast were similarly annihilated, and yet the soldiers of the Dominion appeared unharmed. They stared at their arms and legs, surprised by their continued non-vaporised-ness. The only exception would be those among them of inhuman origin, clones, or those who harboured heretical thoughts. All those things that would be considered 'impure' by the standards of the Space Marines had been purged, the only thing to survive was Rex.

The Terminator Paladin noticeably sagged within his armour, spending a moment to catch his breath. Apocalypse was the greatest spell used by the Paladins, and one was not supposed to cast it on their own. By doing so he had risked his mind and body. However, the risk had been a necessary one. He would display the power of the God Emperor to the heathens, and give them a single chance at redemption. A single window for the Emperor's Mercy to save them. He turned to the Clone forces, taking a step forward with hammer raised. Lucien found himself the target of perhaps unwanted attention. "I am the instrument of the God Emperor of Mankind. My actions are his will made manifest, and the absolute justice of the universe. You choose to face the tools of the government, to rebel against those that protect this world. Lay down your weapons and submit to the Emperor's will, or feel His wrath."

The Terminator was tired, of course. But he would keep fighting. He'd never stopped for the last 50 years. And if he were to meet his death at the hands of these heretics, he would die atop a mountain of corpses.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Wraithblade6@Snarfulblast
Kiyoki smiled as Blarg landed in front of him, the Murloc pulling out one of the spines that portruded from his skin to be used as a sort of improvised dagger. The amphibian shot forward with surprising speed, and for a moment it seemed like the blade would find it's way into the mage's neck. However, a blast of force knocked Blarg back, as if an expanding bubble of force had picked him up and thrown him back. A piece of paper with strange symbols on it briefly materialized, before disintegrating. A paper ward, guarding it's user's life. It would be impossible to estimate how many such protective wards Kiyoki possessed, nor whether all of them would be so friendly as to deposit the attacker unharmed. Like fighting an almost literal bag of tricks.

Kiyoki tucked the fetish back into his kimono once he saw the forcefield envelope the dragon. The swarm of shikigami retreated, flying into the windows and doors of the palace to once more return to wherever they were normally stored. It would be pointless to expend so many tiny contracts for a mere momentary distraction, as Eclipse seemed capable of completely warding off the tiny attacks. But the Shikigami were far from the only method of attack Kiyoki possessed, as he smugly observed the situation.

"Now, I must question whether it was one of you gathered here who unleashed the Serpent. You see, the enchantment on that blade was powerful enough that even I could not break it. Only one the blade considered worthy might remove it, and yet you somehow destroyed it completely. It was a rather surprising turn of events, to be sure." His voice was magically altered, transported wherever he wished it to go. Albert and Eclipse heard him as if he were standing in front of them, instead of far below on the palace grounds. "Of course, for the moment it doesn't really matter. Someone within your group unleashd the beast, and you thought you would abuse the opportunity for revenge, did you not? It was an impulsive action, and a foolish one at that."

Kioki gestures at the wall surrounding the city of Aegis with one hand, smiling. Faintly, movement could be seen atop the wall, like a swarm of shadows slowly shifting place. "Of course, I have no intention of killing you, as of yet. You will form most useful tools in stopping the Serpent, whom I'm afraid to say might break through even our defences. And after, I believe I will add you to my collection. I have very few specimens from other worlds, and I would be quite interested in seeing how you got here." While both Albert and Blarg might be confused as to how calmly he spoke, Eclipse had already realized what he had done to ensure their cooperation. On the walls outside the city he could see hundreds of people, thousands, holding hands in a chain. They were praying, convinced that their presence would ensure the victory of the warriors below. Entire families stood there, in between Yamato no Orochi and the palace where the Emperor resided. And it was clear to anyone watching that Yamato would not stop to save a few thousand lives. All this Kiyoko seemed to have orchestrated in advance, anticipating their return and their use. "Now, I'm sure you heroes have a job to do, no? Don't worry, my allies are too busy fighting the serpent to give you much notice, and not stupid enough to attack you while you're assisting. Mostly. Have fun!"

With a little smile and a wave Kiyoki continued walking, heading towards where the giant hydra was beginning to reach land. He could be stabbed or shot with relative ease, but then again, without him the people on the walls might be slaughtered. And with his many wards in place, who knew how effective even a sneak attack would be? It was a setup that could not be escaped, as their morality would force them to obey his will and protect that which they had come to destroy.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Snarfulblast@supertinyking@Stephanie Dola@Angel of Light

A large undead-looking being seemed to step out of thin air, as if sent there by personal teleporter. And yet this being seemed twisted, an abomination of flesh and power. Valentus growled inside his helmet, as his entire being rejected the presence of this creature as an ally. Had the need not been great, he would have slain the beast right then. But the one further thing he could sense was that this creature, as abominable as it was, was not directly linked to the powers of Chaos. "Slay the ones who wish to capture the Colonel. After this, I will ensure Judgement falls upon you." He was already fairly certain of the sentence. Natural or not, such an abomination could not be allowed to live. Mankind was created in the Emperor's image, and that image they must retain.

On the positive side, it seemed that the witch girl would fight by their side. She erected some form of arcane shield, before retreating. If she were planning on fleeing the field of battle, Valentus would have little methods of tracking her. However, he would have to set aside such concerns for a moment, focusing on ensuring the continued survival of those he had decided to protect.

A hail of armour-piercing bullets hit him from the side, the heavy calibre rounds seeming to bend around him and hit the ground at his feet. The deflection field projected by the Iron Halo was the physical representation of the Emperor's protection, and His hand was the one that turned aside the weaponsfire. These bullets didn't have nearly enough punch to make their way through the force field, let alone his armour. But the mere fact that they were being fired with such accuracy posed a potential threat. If whomever was using this weapon got access to a more high-powered weapon, they might be able to deal some damage. He estimated their position based on the direction the shots had come from, and discovered the gunner to be a woman on a rooftop surprisingly far away. He raised his weapon and fired a volley of rounds towards the strange figure, hoping to deal enough damage to incapacitate them.

The immense bolter rounds flew around White Rabbit's head. Whilst the Bolter was not an incredibly precise weapon, especially at long range, a couple of the rounds did make contact with her void shields. Instead of being turned aside, White Rabbit's forcefield seemed to attempt to block the kinetic energy the attack represented, but after a single volley the shield was completely destroyed. Each round had a depleted uranium core and an adamantium tip for maximum weight and punching power. In addition to the explosive charge present in each round, this presented a storm of nearly unstoppable death. Even the perhaps more sophisticated technology used in the Void Shields was forced to buckle under the strain, and White Rabbit would not be able to withstand another volley without getting directly hit. The way these rounds tore through the buildings and walls around her also indicated that taking cover would not be an option.

However, she had certainly performed her job admirably as a distraction, and she had forced Valentus to divert his attention from the crashing transport. At close range the volley she had tanked would almost undoubtedly have been lethal, as each of the rounds would have struck true. As such by absorbing the firepower she managed to ensure a safe landing for Solaire. Unfortunately, the Daemonhammer meant that the Terminator would not be any less dangerous in melee than he was at range, in fact he would be far more deadly a foe.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Snarfulblast@supertinyking@Wraithblade6

Both Kaito and Saito were facing the full wrath of Yamato no Orochi head-on. Tornadoes swooped down from above like fists, punches with the force of a cruise missile smashing into the immense heads, pushing them backwards, attempting to drill into them. Buffeting gales did little to the immense beast, and even the concentrated power of a tornado seemed to do little to truly harm it. And yet the buffeting blows were interspersed with beams of lightning, arcs of plasma that tore apart the creature's scales and cooked it's flesh. Immense beams struck down, accompanying the ball lightning that was Kaito. And yet they were like the bites of some insect to Yamato no Orochi, like using a needle to try and slay a lion. Regardless of the outcome, this would be a long fight.

However, as King landed on the Palace Wall, he had forgotten to take account of a third member. Yamato no Orochi had not yet reached the land, and the Herald had simply been waiting. Even as he landed on a rooftop, the Herald shot towards him. It's fingers tore into the walls of the palace, rapidly propelling him upwards towards the roof. He appeared over the edge as a blur of movements, lithe and graceful as a snake, and yet with not a single movement wasted. It was a sight equally terrifying and beautiful, martial knowledge taken to the absolute, the strength of body and mind represented by the perfect warrior.

The Herald stood facing King, and yet made no move to attack. For a moment, an odd peace of sorts developed, as both of the combatants looked one another over. King had his weapon by his side, and the Herald had not even drawn his katana. He stood completely still, not even seeming to breathe in that second of silence. Then, slowly, he raised one hand. He held up three fingers, waiting a moment to ensure that King had understood the signal. Then he stood still, as if waiting. Giving King the first attack, allowing him to run away, or perhaps simply waiting for the right moment to pounce.

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Meanwhile, a completely different scene played out. Even as Albert circled the great palace at the centre of Aegis, a storm of tiny white paper figures slammed into him. A swarm of paper planes, imbued with minor spirit. Their edges were magically enhanced to be a sharp as blades, and the effect was very much like being in a drying machine with a knife collection. Cuts appeared across his body, even as Eclipse attempted to ward off the assault. And yet Eclipse could sense the true origin of the attack. These tiny paper creatures were merely golems, created to function as a weapon from afar.

Kiyoki stood outside the gates of the palace, having completed his preparations. The rain bent around him, a strange child hovering above his head and averting the water. A minor spirit of rain, bound to serve as a magical umbrella. Kiyoki smiled, knowing he had been seen, and displaying his confidence even as he guided the swarm of paper blades with his left hand. He held what appeared to be a charm or fetish of some kind, a focal point for his control over the Shikigami. If he was not stopped in some way, the blades would tear both Albert and those who rode him to bloody shreds.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Stephanie Dola@supertinyking
"Good, your reserves sound up to par." This world could fend for itself. This must, at least in part, be how it was able to survive outside the boundaries of the Empire of Man. However, even a billion men wouldn't stop the armies of chaos, if they were to take route. It was important that the leaders of this world were informed of the threat of Chaos, and took the necessary precautions. "Take action immediately, I expect to-"

Ironically, it was about then that they were attacked. A mysterious woman appeared, with the intention to mock the group. However, Valentus' skills had been trained in almost a thousand years of constant warfare. The moment she appeared his gun swung around, and it was only due to her rapid movement that she was able to avoid turning into a red mist. Round after round was fired from the gun, each tearing through walls of steel and stone as if they were mere butter. The explosive charge ripped large holes in the ships as the Terminator aimed for the elimination of the target with no care for anything around her, each bullet placed with expert aim.

An enemy ship appeared above and opened fire on the transports. Those within were rapidly killed. However the ship's weaponry was never aimed at the terminator, nor the forces on the ground. Clearly this meant they wanted to take a living prisoner, although Valentus wasn't sure whether it was the Colonel or the girl it was after. There was no time to discuss loyalties, no time to think things through. This was the time for action. He stood in front of the Colonel, shielding him, and fired his Storm Bolter at the ship above, tearing it's engines apart with uncanny precision.

"Witch girl! Here's your chance to prove your worth. Fight by my side, and you will be judged an ally. Flee or turn against us, and you will be destroyed." With those simple words, he prepared to face any threat that might emerge from the ship, even as it began crashing down from the sky. In addition to the strange magical woman any number of enemies might appear. And he was prepared to take them all to Hell personally.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@DoctorGenesis
Well, there are two large-scale stories occurring. The first is the Siege of the Dragon Emperor's Capital, in Tsubasa. The second is the conversation being held between Valantus, Lina and the Colonel in Tor-6. These are the only two realms with a plot, as it were, as in each of these realms events are taking place with long-term ramifications.

You could introduce Danger Duck to Tor-6, where he would be faced with an oppressive regime lead by The One, the invasion of Line Inverse and Paladin Valentus, and the champion of Nightmares, James.

Alternatively he could move to Tsubasa. There all his technological gadgets would become magical. He could then be introduced either to the small group currently in the Western country-side, or the larger group laying siege to Aegis.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Stephanie Dola
The woman shot into a ramble about not knowing what a psyker was, and seemed to imply that she was not of this world. For a moment Valentus was confused, for he had surely felt her power, but then he realized that they probably did not know the term. She referred to her abilities as Magic, a term banned in the Empire, but Valentus realized this was not a confession but rather an innocent statement. It was clear that she was ignorant of the ways of the God Emperor, and was throwing the word about as if it were not inherently foul. After hundreds of years of searching for the guilty, this girl perplexed him. She acted with confidence despite being faced with an Astartes, an Angel of Death. She spoke of facing the powers of the Law as if she were entitled to defend herself. Was she a heretic, a criminal, or a fool? No such person could ever have lived within the Imperium of Man and lived.

However, the most shocking part of all was when she claimed to have killed a Dark God. The very concept was a foolish dream, their existence an immutable fact of reality. The Ordo Malleus had been striving to face the Dark Gods for thousands of years, and yet had constantly been faced with their immutable, immortal nature. There was no way to kill the Dark Gods, nor to even face them in their own realm. All that preserved the worlds of man was the barrier that prevented them from fully manifesting in the material world, and the guidance of the God Emperor that still battled them from the Golden Throne. Her mention of shards went right over Valentus' head as he contemplated how one could so nonchalantly state to have done something impossible, and yet he could sense no lies from her.

Perhaps, he thought, she had referred merely to a Daemon of some sort. The Daemon Princes or Greater Daemon had often allowed themselves to be worshipped by mortals, attempting to draw them into the influence of Chaos. And her mention of four Gods seemed to fit in with this idea, as all the Princes but those who served Khorne could lead a cult, as the Daemon of Khorne knew nothing outside of the slaughter. The idea that she might stand up to a Greater Daemon, or even a Daemon Prince, however, was simply ridiculous. Only the very greatest among the ranks of the Imperium were able to face the horrors of a Greater Daemon alone, and none were able to face a Daemon Prince.

However, among the waves of confusion did come some information of use. She did not claim allegiance to these beings she believed to be the Dark Gods, and whilst she certainly possessed the vanity and self-centered greed of a servant of Chaos, she seemed to be telling the truth when she spoke of where her loyalties lay. Briefly the idea passed by that she could be a Primarch, one of the lost children of the Emperor himself, granted the power to face even the most deadly of foes. However it wasn't possible. All the Primarchs had been found, and there were no female primarchs to his knowledge.

Her ignorance came to the forefront when she displayed it to him. She knew nothing, and yet for once he could not hold her accountable. Were the circumstances normal he would have killed her without a word, simply for having gathered power while in the presence of a member of the Inquisition. But the Emperor knew Grace and Mercy, and those who are ignorant must be taught. For now she would be forgiven for her heretical ways, and only if she refused the mercy of the Emperor would she be eliminated.

"A psyker is one who wields the power to connect to the warp, to draw on the primal powers of creation and thought. Those who can manifest their will in reality by drawing power from this realm, without falling to the madness of the Chaos Gods who dwell in that place. I believe you to be a Psyker, and yet you are unaware of the term. Only those Psykers who lose their minds to the madness of the Warp are heretics, those that leave the grace of the God Emperor of Mankind and turn to the corruption of Chaos." He explained it clearly, but briskly. It seemed common knowledge to him, every child in the Empire grew up fearing the Chaos Gods. But those of this world had been fortunate enough never to feel it's touch, and as such were given the blessing of ignorance. But all blessings come to an end. "The Chaos I speak of comes from the Warp, it is the power of the Dark Gods. These beings are the unholy creation of the sin of mankind, their weakness, their hatred, their petty greed manifest into beings of immense power and immense evil. They cannot manifest in this world, but they tempt the weak of mind with promises of power, or release, of knowledge. Their cults invite the Daemon, arcane servants of the Dark Gods, who would rage and pillage across entire worlds, leaving nothing but plagued wastelands in their wake."

He would remain silent, for the moment, of the Traitor Legions. Those of the Astartes who had betrayed their Father, and joined the service of the Dark Gods. It was important, for now, that they knew to trust him. He would form their link to the Emperor, and these children would be lead back into the fold. Even if the powers of Chaos could not reach here, or had not yet found this world, no doubt the xenos races would not be so kind. It was but a matter of time before a Tyranid Hive Fleet or an Orc Waagh raged through this Sector, destroying all life that was not granted the protection of the Space Marines.

he turned to the Colonel. "Tell me, Commisar. What is the state of this world's defences, and how many men do you have at your command. I will need to ensure that this world is prepared for whatever may come before I speak to your leaders. While this world has remained for now, my coming might herald the coming of those that oppose me, and the Emperor I serve. The Emperor has sent me to protect this world from whatever cataclysm might be coming, and I intend to ensure that not a single soul falls to Xenos or Heretic."

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Angel of Light
Your character is accepted, BTW, if I was being too subtle.

Also, need help getting an intro post?

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@DoctorGenesis
Of course, everyone is welcome.

Hell's Coffee Lounge: You're gonna have a bad time....

@Stephanie Dola@supertinyking
"You have done your duty, commissar." The sight of the man being shot didn't surprise him. Such things were common in the Imperial Guard, where disobedience or cowardice were met only with death. More importantly it seemed this realm had somehow remained untainted by Chaos, and had refrained from using the heretical powers of the Dark Gods. It seemed odd that the Dark Gods would not have touched this world, as they were present everywhere in the galaxy. Could it be that this world was protected by something? That the God Emperor's grace had guarded it's lost child, that it might one day return to the flock? Truly, it was a miracle. This was beginning to be a day of miracles, a blessed day.

There was a surge of energy. Rapidly the Paladin turned, energy surging through his power armour as his anti-magic wards flared to life. The girl behind him, the one he had originally dismissed as unimportant, had channelled powerful energies. And yet seemed not to have released them, instead acting as if she had never intended to cast a spell. Had she been intending a pre-emptive strike? No, more likely she had reacted to the gun aimed by the guardsman. So then this woman was on the wrong side of this world's militia?

Standard procedure was to kill heretical psykers immediately. However one had little chance to register with the Emperor when one did not know of His grace. As such mercy must clearly be extended. However, if this woman had broken the laws and drawn on the power of the Dark Gods, she was a threat to this entire world. Even a single Heretic could bring doom to a host planet, a single crack for the armies of Hell to crawl through. And if these people were truly untouched by Chaos, they would have no idea how to deal with the Daemon. There would be no defence, and another bastion of mankind would be lost to the darkness. The only reason he did not render judgement immediately was the fact that he had not felt the power of the Warp, although such things could be masked.

"You are a psyker. And yet your power feels... off." The figure stepped forward, energy surging through the anti-magic shields on his armour. "Tell me, what form of power do the psykers of this world channel? And if you would dare wield magic against the servants of the law, what form of mage are you?" The Paladin felt power surge through the Daemonhammer, as he prepared for what might turn into a conflict with a dangerous opponent. "Tell me, heretic. Is your calling to the Dark Gods?"