Whoami

XCOM: The Black Winter

I'm fine with that. The idea is that the squad has bonded long ago. So they would have had to have joined a few years prior to the beginning of the RP.

XCOM: The Black Winter

So there's two people interested in the Scout. Whoever doesn't end up getting the role can feel free to choose a different class. :D

XCOM: The Black Winter

The platoon would have been about 6 xcom squads, so roughly 36 operatives.

And yeah the characters should be somewhere in their thirties. I'll address more on that when I do the character reviews later. I'll mark down your interest for scout.

XCOM: The Black Winter

Bump!

Tear the World Down

[Mood Music]

Chapter 5
Ill Omens

Armandus slept. Snow had built up over his body, enough to obscure his blue robes. The insulation provided by the snow kept him warm in the otherwise chilling air. He would have slept soundly, if not for the sounds of approaching footsteps crunching in the snow. He flinched, and opened his eyes slowly. The light of the sun bouncing off the snow made him squint and slowly adjust to his surroundings. "The weather turned... Gallin, check on Shion, and be ready to move..."

There was no response. Armand rubbed his eyes and sat up, "Gallin?"

He looked to his right, and saw nobody. He then brought his eyes left, spotting only tracks in the snow. He took that moment to actually look around then, "Something isn't right..."

Armand was in a mountain range, and the sun was low in the sky. When he looked up, he saw red and blue aurora streaking and twisting in near blackened sky. Despite the lack of clouds, snow fells and was whisked away by mountain gales. He looked back to area around him, spotting iced over ruined with a large statue in the middle. The statue was clearly devoted to some lost deity. "I fell asleep in the woods near the Spyre... How did I-" he cut himself off.

Standing at the base of the statue was a figure obscured by a black cloak. The cloak whipped in the mountain winds,revealing the lithe figure of a woman. Armand squinted a bit and tried to sharpen his focus on the woman. He couldn't identify her. He tried calling out to her, but every time his voice was raised, a gale of wind would whistle through the mountain pass and drown out his voice. He pulled his blue robes tight to his body, and only then realized that he wasn't even cold in the slightest bit. He pulled himself from the five inches of snow that had fallen on top of him, and began stepping toward the cloaked woman. He continued to call out, and every time the wind would overbear his voice. He was only able to approach.

The woman in black simply stood at the base of the statue. She appeared either oblivious or uncaring of Armand's approach. He made it to the base of the ruin, and began climbing the dozen steps leading to the top of the stone platform. He was standing behind the cloaked woman now. The wind seemed to completely die down. The snowfall came directly downward from the aurora overhead. "Hello?" Armand said in the silence.

The woman remained still. But something fell at her feet. He looked down, and saw an orb. "I've seen that before..." The orb was colorless and cracked all over. Armand took another step forward, "Gwynne?"

At the mention of that name, the orb turned to a crystalline dust, and floated upward toward the cloaked figure. The woman finally spoke, or cried out more like. "Ah! It's too much! Stop it stop it stop it!" She clutched her face.

Armand moved closer to reach out and help the woman. But he was rooted. He looked down at his feet, and saw crystals growing from the platform and trapping him in place. The woman kept on crying out, "Make it end! The pain! I can't take it!"

Armand tried to free himself from the crystals, but found no success. He looked back to the cloaked woman, "Stay calm! I can help! Just tell me your name! Gwynne! Are you Gwynne!"

Armand couldn't see much from behind her, but from the movement of her arms and cries of agony, it was clear to him that the woman was clawing at her own face. "Yes! No! No no no! Not for long! Make it stop, please!"

The winds returned with a roar that came from above. He recognized the feeling, and realized that the gales weren't any normal winds. They were aetherwinds, powerful gusts of aetherwinds. Armand looked upward and saw the aurora beginning to spiral downward. It wasn't an aurora... They were leylines. All of them. They snaked down from the heavens, making their way toward the cloaked woman. The aetherwinds were powerful enough to blow the cloak off of the woman's body and carry it down the mountainside. Armand could see her now. Her hair shimmered like the crystals that grew around them. The crystalline filaments of hair whipped around in the wind like any natural hair would. The woman keeled forward in pain, a hand reaching out to the statue. Armand could see that her hand was entirely made of crystal as well, and it slowly crept up her arm toward her shoulder. "Make it end! No more! Make it end, Topesh!" the woman cried out.

The statue vibrated, and began to animate itself. The stone eyes began glowing. One glowed a vibrant blue, while the other was a hellish red. It turned its stone gaze down to the woman and grinned. "Why stop here? This is what all our years of work has led up to... You, Gwynne Lancet, will be the prize that was so cruelly ripped from my grasp."

Armand stared in awe of the moving statue. The name had stunned him. Topesh, one of the Legionnaires that nearly brought ruin to the world. Is this who Gwynne has fallen in league with? Armand called out again amid her pained cries. "I can stop the pain, Gwynne! Just tell me what I must do!"

The woman began turning her head to look over her shoulder. One eye, along with half of the woman's face, was crystallized while the other was still very much human. The crystal continued slowly overtaking her body. A tear slid down Gwynne's cheek, it too was crystal in a liquid state. Armand and Gwynne locked eyes with one another, "Save me..."

The statue let out a rumbling laugh that displaced the fresh snow from the mountain's many edges. "Why would anybody want to save YOU? The Apostate. The killer of men, women, and children. The chosen that brought the world to her feet. All because I commanded it! The only means of salvation for you is death!"

Armand figured Topesh must have not been able to see him like Gwynne could. More crystal spread over Gwynne's body, but she was still able to move normally. She said it again, "Save me..."

Armand stopped trying to fight against the crystal, and nodded to Gwynne. She raised a crystalline hand in his direction and let loose a blast of aetherwinds. The force of the gust took the wind out of Armand, and sent him flying backward. The crystals around Armand's feet shattered from the force. He expected to hit the ground, but found himself being tossed off the side of a cliff. Just like during his apprenticeship at the Spyre, the aetherwinds carried him in a slow fall. He watched the crystals growing from the platform grew higher and higher still. Gwynne watched Armandus slow fall away as the crystals finally covered her completely. The leylines reaching from the sky corkscrewed around each other and made contact with Gwynne. The statue kept laughing, every breath let out from the stone figure caused a ripple in the aetherwinds around Armand.

Armand fell beyond the edge of the cliff, and he could no longer see what was happening with Gwynne and the animated statue. In that instant, the aetherwinds ended, and Armand began to free fall. He sucked in a deep breath, and then woke up.

---

[Mood Music]

Armand gasped as he woke. The fallen sensation in his sleep had surprised him awake, and caused him to sit straight up. He looked around in alarm, finding himself in the woods with the Spyre off in the distance. The skies were clouded over, and a light dribble of rain pattered on his face. He stared deeply into those gray clouds, thinking on what he had just seen in his dream. "What was that..." he muttered quietly.

"And the sorcerer superior finally wakes. I hope with the amount of rest you got, that you can pull Shion's stretcher for the rest of the journey." Gallin said as he cooked some rabbit meat over a fire.

Armand blinked and rubbed his eyes, "Rest isn't exactly the word I'd use to explain what I got... Is Shion awake?"

Gallin gestured over to the crippled battle mage and shook his head. "No. I had to induce a torpor. The pain from her injuries was keeping her up, and exhaustion is one thing she doesn't need right now."

Armand got to his feet and studies Shion's injuries. "Good work, Gallin. We should get moving right after we eat. I fear we'll lose Shion soon if we don't get her to an apothecary..."

Gallin nodded, "Agreed. The apostate will pay for th-" A snapping of twigs and brush in the woods cut him off. The two magi turned to face the noise. Gallin drew his sword and called out. "Who's there?"

A man stepped out of the bushes. He was wearing imperial leathers and a dark green cloak. His bow was slung over his chest and back. "Easy, easy."

Armand and Gallin let their guard down. "A imperial scout? I'm surprised we even heard you coming at all."

The scout cleared his throat awkwardly, "Yeah well... This isn't exactly the terrain I grew up in... Say, you're magi aren't you? Of the imperial court?"

The two magi looked at one another. Gallin shrugged. Armand turned his gaze back to the scout, "We are. I am sorcerer superior Armandus Treyathal. This man here is battle mage Gallin Cote."

The scout bowed his head, "F- forgive the intrusion, my lord! I was sent in advance of my regiment. I was told to investigate people making camp out here in these woods. I thought perhaps you were bandits, or worse."

Gallin raised a brow at that, "What makes camp that is worse than bandits? And why does it warrant and imperial regiment?"

The scout swallowed nervously. "I'm afraid I can't say any more beyond that, sir." The scout said to Gallin.

Armand spoke this time, "Tell us, scout." His voice was commanding. Armand knew when to throw his rank around.

"O- of course! Forgive me, my lord! My regiment is being sent to investigate Silverwick based on reports of cultists gathering in the ruins." Armand and Gallin looked to one another upon hearing that. "Our orders are to track them down, and capture them. We have orders to kill if they resist."

Gallin took a deep breath and moved over to lift Shion's stretcher. He let out a long sigh, predicting what Armand was about to say. "Best get a move on then, Armandus. I'm sure the men would appreciate the presence of a court sorcerer to deal with these cultists. I should be able to finish the journey to the Spyre on my own from here."

Armand smiled and nodded to Gallin. Despite their difference in age, Armand and Gallin had a strong comradery between them. He looked back to the scout, "I wish to join your regiment on this expedition. Take me to your commander, scout."

---

[Mood Music]

Chapter 6
The First of Many Battles

Gwynne laid on a patch of damp grass with her head propped up on her pack. She stared up at the early morning sky, deep in thought. Bags were under her eyes. She was clearly quite tired. "Restless, I see." Topesh said within her head.

Gwynne yawned and rubbed an eye, "I couldn't sleep."

"Oh~? They say that one can't sleep when they are awake in someone else's dream. Perhaps there is a secret admirer somewhere in this camp." Topesh chuckled lightly, clearly enjoying his little tease.

Gwynne rolled her eyes and sat up, "Then I'd rather they hurry and wake up so I can get some rest..."

Topesh chuckled some more, "And sleep away this lovely day? I wouldn't allow it. Not when we have work to do with the rest of the chosen."

Gwynne let out a long sigh. "I should go wake the others then..." she said as she stood up.

There was a slight rumbling sound. Gwynne didn't hear it at first, but the neighing of a horse in the distance allowed Gwynne a second chance to hear. "Another chosen is arriving?" she asked Topesh.

"No... Not unless this chosen is being pulled on a grand chariot and moving at charging speeds..." The rumbling got louder.

Before Gwynne could react, an arrow flew out from the tree line. It barely missed his. The air in its wake causing some of her white hair to blow along its path. Gwynne quickly dove behind a fallen log and called out to the rest of the chosen. Most were still sleeping. "Everybody! Wake up! We're under attack!"

Gwynne waved her hand, causing her force orb to slip out from her pack and float right next to her. Another arrow whistled overheard, then another. Gwynne wasn't stupid enough to poke her head over the log. "Topesh. Where are they?" She asked as she floated the orb just over the log. An arrow bullseyed the orb and simply exploded into wooden splinters.

"I count ten of them in the tree line. One is a damn fine shot. That one is standing next to the large cedar on the right." Topesh said, chuckling some more.

Gwynne nodded and quickly jumped to her feet. She outstretched her arm and fired a bolt of aetheric lightning at the man Topesh had pointed out. The lightning arced toward him faster than he could react. He tensed and went limp, the electricity serving well to overload his muscles and nervous system. The other footmen in the tree line stopped, surprised by what they had just witnessed. Gwynne used that moment to seize the initiative, and run at the treeline. One footman nocked an arrow and drew back his bow. Topesh alerted Gwynne, "Furthest left! Dodge now!"

She quickly dove forward into a well executed combat roll, and continued her sprint to the treeline. The arrow whistled past her and stuck into another tree. She responded to the footman with a firebolt. She didn't have time to aim the bolt, and it missed just slightly. The ball of flame exploded on a tree and spread to the surrounding bushes. Despite not hitting the footman, his cloak was caught in the flame, and it served to distract him. Directly ahead of Gwynne, footmen dropped their bows and drew swords to meet her in melee. They carried light wooden shields. Four footmen smacked their shields together, forming a small shield wall. Gwynne sent her hand forward, causing the force orb to whip ahead of her with immense speed. The orb hit the shields with enough force to ripple the air around it and cause the bushes and trees to sway. The two footmen in the middle were sent prone, while the other two on the sides staggered from the force. With the shield wall broken, Gwynne jumped into the melee.

She was able to get the first strike off, beginning the brawl with a sweeping kick at one of the staggering footman's feet. He fell to the ground, and was met with the force orb slamming into his face. The footman was killed instantly. Any blood on the orb vaporized away immediately. The other standing footman raised his sword arm, and swung down at her. She quickly weaved left, outside of his attack arc, and grabbed his wrist. Gwynne used her other arm, and forced it at his elbow, snapping his arm the one way it wasn't meant to bend. He let out a shriek of pain. Gwynne's blend of martial arts and sorcery was already paying off. She rolled the footman over her shoulder, and tossed him into a tree. Then with a spinning kick, hit him sidelong on the cheek. There was an audible popping sound as his jaw dislocated from his skull. He twisted and fell to the ground, knocked unconscious by her powerful kick.

Gwynne turned to face two other footmen that had formed the shieldwall. They were on their feet now, but were too nervous to attack after she had so easily dispatched two trained men without a weapon. They watched warily as the orb returned to Gwynne, and began orbiting around her. The soldiers would have been less afraid to attack her if she also didn't wield such potent magic as well. The rest of the footmen dared not to shoot at her, for fear of hitting their own men in the melee. With their line broken, they all swapped their bows for swords, axes, and spears, and began to encircle Gwynne.

XCOM: The Black Winter

The gameplay system I'm toying around with doesn't involve chances to hit. For the player characters, hits are guaranteed. It's more of a matter of restricting the amount a character can do per turn so as to limit killing sprees and give all characters a chance to contribute. It would also apply limits to how much a character can carry. Additionally, damage and HP would exist so enemies actually pose more of a threat than just being red shirts.

XCOM: The Black Winter

I appreciate the interest thus far! I've looked over both character sheets and I'm liking what I'm seeing. I'm going to wait another day or two so more sheets can come in, then I'll start accepting sheets in. If your character is beaten out by another character, feel free to remake it to fit another role! In the meantime, I'll mark down your interest on the roles to nudge other players into other roles.

XCOM: The Black Winter

OOC Here


[Click image for mood music]

XCOM

The Black Winter

Earth is lost... The aliens reigned fire on us with a fury that we simply could not match. In mere weeks, our first and last lines of defense were shattered. Our once great cities were destroyed, replaced by foul mockeries rife with lies and deceit... Worse yet, is that our own people have turned against us. We are XCOM, once viewed as the protectors of mankind; but now seen as a terrorist scourge... Our forces are broken, disconnected, and isolated. We have been since the fall ten years ago...

Despite this, we push on. Everyone in XCOM believes that one day we will rise again, but until that time, we hide in the shadows. We work independently in small squads, helping those who reject the elders, and fighting those who embrace them. Once, there was a whole platoon of us... But now we are only half a dozen... There was a time we viewed one another as strangers from far away lands. Not anymore. In the fires of war and the desperation of survival, we have become one. We aren't merely comrades or the best of friends. We are a family. Each and every one of us has lost something in this war that motivates us.

This is the story of the abandoned... The story of Falcon team.

The Premise

Hello! Welcome to my interest check for XCOM: The Black Winter! I have been wanting a gritty sci-fi military RP lately, and figured why not set it in the XCOM universe ten years before the events of XCOM 2? So here we are! This RP is meant to be a rather intimate story of six surviving XCOM operatives. The team, as well as the rest of the platoon, was deployed to defend a listening post in northern Canada during the days of the invasion. When HQ fell, the platoon was cut off in the remote region, and left to fend for itself. Ten years has passed since then, and the platoon has dwindled down to six operatives, the player characters.

The team has traveled across North America in the ten years since, and have all become known and wanted by the newly installed Advent government. Each member of the squad will have a specific role to fill, and nobody can do something entirely on their own without their squad mates watching their backs. Winter is just around the corner, ice and frost forms in the morning, and you can see your breath in the air. Survival is difficult, but each member of the team is a hardened soldier after ten years of fighting a covert war. Any takers?

The squad roles are as follows...

Assault - Fast and furious. The assault operative is generally the one to both start and end fights. This operative likes it up close and personal. The assault operative generally works in tandem with the scout operative. They prefer shotguns and blades, but aren't limited to them.

Scout - Silent and deadly. The scout operative is the eyes and ears of the squad. Where the assault kicks open doors and clears rooms, the scout spies and infiltrates with precision and stealth. Because of the scout operative's forward position, they are usually fighting side by side with the assault operative when the going gets tough. They prefer submachine guns and knives, though they are proficient with most small arms.

Medic - Calm and reliable. The medic operative has the tightest bonds with the rest of the squad. They have patched every other operative up on more than one occasion. The medic is the glue that holds the squad together, and is often the moral compass for the other operatives. They are by no means a push over in combat either. Carbines and pistols are their preferred weapons for their light weight. Due to the medic operative's support role, they are often in the back line with the tech operative.

Tech - Smart and creative. The tech operative is the electronics expert of the squad. If there's an electronically locked door that needs opening, or an Advent MEC that needs shutting down, the tech is on it. The tech operative is also responsible for monitoring Advent movements and feeding intel to the rest of Falcon team. It is thanks to the tech that the squad has been able to pick and choose their next targets, and execute their missions with such precision. The tech operative is often equipped with a machine pistol when carrying their equipment around, or an assault rifle for when they need to join the fight. Being in the back line means that the tech operative is often fighting alongside the medic.

Sniper - Patient and precise. The sniper operative is capable of deciding the outcome of a firefight before it even happens. Their attention to detail has saved Falcon team from more booby-traps than the rest of the team would like to admit. Using information relayed from both the scout and the tech operatives, the sniper can find their mark with ease and take the shot that's needed to turn the tide of a battle. Their sniper rifle's heavy weight means that in a close up engagement, they're quite outmatched. Luckily, the sniper's trusty sidearm usually saves the day. But beyond that, the sniper's partner, the rifleman, sticks close to their side, and watches their back. The rifleman and sniper are rather versatile, and can take up the other's role if the situation calls for it.

Rifleman - Watchful and adaptive. The rifleman is the sniper operative's partner. They clear rooms and escort the sniper into position, and watch the sniper's flank should somebody come to pick a fight. The combination of a marksman rifle and a machine pistol work well to engage at most distances. Their marksmanship is bested only by the sniper's, and should the sniper be unable to take the shot, the rifleman wont hesitate to take over.

Gunner - Strong and unforgiving. The gunner operative is the one who will saturate an area with bullets to keep an enemy pinned. Their light machine guns are relentless. The withering hail of bullets is often enough to shred through even the thickest of armors. Their reinforced armor plating helps to protect the gunner and maintain their position even when under fire. The gunner operative is the backbone of the squad. Without them, Falcon team would be easily overrun. One could almost class the gunner operative as a heavy infantry, fighting alongside the equally heavily armored grenadier.

Grenadier - Destructive and feared. If something needs to be blown up, the grenadier is the one for the job. An expert with explosives, the grenadier is Falcon team's anti-tank solution. They are adorned in blast padding, and armed with a heavy assault rifle. The grenadier operative is often seen with either a grenade launcher, or a rocket launcher. They equip themselves for the mission at hand, and usually fulfills the role of hunting down the biggest threat on the battlefield and utterly destroying it. When Falcon team comes across a bomb that needs defusing, it's the grenadier that accepts the task. Their heavy armor finds them fighting alongside the gunner as an immovable, and unstoppable force.

Psionic - Gifted and clairvoyant. Falcon team's ace in the hole. The psi operative is the squad's shield against the more ethereal threats the elders send their way. The psionic fights on a whole other level from the rest of the squad, able to bend reality to his will and wield it against Falcon team's enemies. Light armor is not a concern for the psionic, as they can form psionic shields and cover for both themselves and their squad. They fight with assault rifles against those who go unaffected by the psionic's power. The mental link between the psionic and the rest of the squad means that everybody has a deep connection with them. The presence of the psionic is sometimes considered by the other members of Falcon team to be therapeutic.

There can be only one of each of these roles. So pick wisely and form Falcon team with the other roles in mind. There are nine roles, and only six slots, which means there will be weakness in the squad that we all must figure out how to overcome. THIS IS NOT FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. I will be reviewing your character sheets, and picking the ones I feel will benefit the story best. The empty roles will be left open in case I decide to include more players in the future to join Falcon team. I am going to be playing one of the roles as well, so that leave five other players able to join.

NO LONGER ACCEPTING

Assault - OPEN
Scout - David Washington
Medic - Fiona West
Tech - Carlotta Missotti
Sniper - Jimbo Muldoon
Rifleman - Lukas Travers
Gunner - OPEN
Grenadier - OPEN
Psionic - Sara Lancaster

Character Sheet Template

[CHARACTER IMAGE HERE]

[CHARACTER NAME HERE]

Age
##

Gender
Male/Female

Country of Origin
United States, Canada, Britain, Russia, etc.

Squad Role
Assault, Scout, Medic, Tech, Sniper, Rifleman, Gunner, Grenadier, Psionic

Personality Profile
The way your character behaves and interacts with others. Likes, dislikes, and quirks go here as well. Note that Falcon team have been together for ten years now. They treat one another like family.

Background Profile
Your character's history before and during XCOM before joining Falcon team. Important information leading up to platoon being deployed to the listening post. The rest is known history between all characters.

Inventory
Stuff like weapons, gadgets, and armor goes here. For this RP, we are using real world weapons.

Squad Relations
This section isn't expected to be filled out right away. When a character is accepted into the RP, begin working and collaborating with the other accepted players to establish the relationship between the characters. This could also be personal opinions.

Other
Any miscellaneous goes here. This is not required, and can be filled with whatever flavorful things you want. It could be a spot for theme songs, additional images, etc.

As a final note, I am currently working on a rule system for this RP. However, I know that some people like to RP purely on freeform alone, so if you express your interest, please also let me know if you'd rather play this with a gameplay system in place, or just as pure freeform RP. We will put it to a vote.

Tear the World Down

[Mood Music]

Chapter 4
The Vortex

The inside of the ruined church was even colder than the surrounding area. The presence of the dark leyline had dropped temperatures so much that small puddles of water in the recesses of the old floor had completely frozen over. Ice crystals floated in the air, all drifting toward a door near the back of the building. Gwynne had seen this enough to know where to go. Convergence points often acted as a singularity, pulling in particles of dust and other light objects toward it. The closer one got to a convergence point, the stronger winds would get, all leading directly to it. They were close now, close enough to see the dark aetheric energy even without Gwynne's gifted eyes. The strings of red whirled around the main room of the church, licking and passing through the delapidated wooden pews where old Silverwick's most faithful would gather every week.

Gwynne studied the room, looking up toward the ceiling in case any predatory creatures of the night had made this place their nest. There were signs of creatures living here, large ones too. She could see egg sacks clustered in the darkest recesses of the roof, hanging from thick white threads of silk. A giant spider most likely. Where it was, Gwynne couldn't tell. It was likely that the convergence point had scared it off. The more she looked around, the more Gwynne could see that the place was certainly lived in by this large arachnid. Fresh marks in the unsettled dirt told her that it recently moved across the floor. In other places, Gwynne could old human skeletons wrapped in webs. There were fresher corpses as well, emptied of their innards. The cold air did well to supress the dank smell of rotting corpses, but it was still present enough to make the young apostate crunch her nose.

It was quiet in the church, but Gwynne remained on her guard as she stepped further into the ruin. As the orb floated alongside her, the crimson strings of aetheric energy floated closer to it, brushing along it and sticking temporarily before snapping away as if taste testing the crystal. "It seems that an aethercrystal has already formed at the convergence, the energy here seems reluctant to connect with the orb."

Gwynne nodded, "We'll need to reach the convergence before it closes then."

There was a snapping sound, then a loud crash as the freezing bite of the room froze over some spider silk holding a skeleton to the roof, and snapped it. The skeleton exploded in every direction, crashing in pews and fallen portions of the church's stone walls. The loud noise made Gwynne jump in surprise and stop her motion. Before Gwynne had a chance to relax from the shocking sound, she heard a voice behind her.

"This is the aether... isn't it..."

Gwynne jumped again, and turned to face Adi with a brilliant fireball in her hand. She immediately stopped herself from incinerating the other woman. It seemed as though the strings of aetheric energy still had Adi's attention though, rather than the momentary threat of Gwynne's fire. “Forgive me I- ... I had to see this for myself. It’s ... It’s beautiful."

Gwynne lowered her hands and looked back at the dark aetheric energy, "You shouldn't have followed me. Convergence points are dangerous..."

The orb floated over to Adi, the red light coming from it pulsing slowly, "Nonsense, apostate. The more the merrier. Adrianna, do you wish to witness the key to our victory?"

The orb seemed to intensify the energy that permeated the structure, attracting it even. Even the air around her looked distorted; trails of something she couldn't name rippling from her fingers as she moved them slowly about. Her gaze fixated on the phenomenon more than Gwynne or the orb or the horrors of the dilapidated church. "I just-" the pulsating orb preempted her, "I had to see ..."

The orb's motion towards her grew the disturbance that captivated her, so much so that what Topesh said completely went past her. Perhaps it was for the better, as she would not have taken kindly to such an informal address from a strange glowing ball. The oddity appeared to crackle around her fingertips, magnetizing to her from some unknown source. She shut her eyes and held a hand out perfectly still. Perhaps she could sense it the same as Gwynne had. She had only ever read tidbits about the craft of channeling aetheric energy many years ago. She cleared her mind and tried to focus on the space around her ... and felt nothing, for this was not the aether she read about in years past. Frustrated, her hand clenched into a fist and she turned her gaze back to Gwynne. A sudden tingling jolt rippled up her arm as she did so. "You know what this is; you feel it stronger than I do. I've- I need- ..." she didn't know quite what to ask, or even how to ask it, "I've never felt anything like this before. I thought I knew what power was ... but this, this is real, tangible. Its .... intoxicating."

If Kassandra had a form with which to do so, she would have grinned ear to ear. Perhaps she knew what would happen if Adi were led to a source of dark aether. Perhaps this entire encounter was preordained. But more believably, she merely gave a suggestion and the results had just become as perfect as she could have hoped for. The girl barely had a taste of true power and already craved it unbearably.

Topesh chuckled from the orb, "Ahh~ and this is the perfect time to be intrigued by the aetheric arts, Adi. You are tangling with dark aether, the power that all seek but few ever acquire."

Gwynne watched Adi, curious to see if the girl could innately conjure power from the aetheric energy. In theory, anybody could, but such manipulations often required years of training, even with aetheric energy of such high concentration. "You could be taught how to wield this energy, but not now. Our time is limited. If the aethercrystal is fully formed, then the leyline will be much harder to acquire." She pointed to the door where all of the ice crystals were being drawn to, "Over there. The convergence is drawing everything in that direction."

Gwynne began moving again, keeping that fireball conjured to fight back against the freezing cold. When she got to the door, she felt a gust of wind behind her, her hair whipping past her face. The door and corridor beyond were acting as a wind tunnel, making whistling noises. The corridor turned and spiralled downward, leading first into a cellar, then through a dug out hole in the wall. More tangles of webs covered the room. "Seems this spider's nest goes deeper. Stay on your guard," she said to Adi, "While I believe the denizens of this ruin have left in a hurry, it's possible they could still be here."

Gwynne expected the hole in the wall to lead to a dug out nest in dirt, typical of any burrowing spider. But much to her surprise, the collapsed brick wall was simply a front, hiding a large catacomb. Slots in the walls were filled with stone coffins and skeletal remains of figures laid to rest. More tendrils of red energy wrapped around the bones, seemingly interested in the death. The orb floated ahead, lighting the way for the two chosen. Being closer to the convergence, the air grew even colder. It felt like winter in the tunnels of the dead, and Gwynne wished she had brought her furs with her had she known ahead of time. Her breath condensed at her mouth while she moved deeper. The fire in Gwynne's hand had gotten more intense now. "Stay close, Adrianna. At this rate, the temperature around the convergence will be lethal."

Staying on guard would have been easier with literally any of her weapons. She had brought nothing. No blades, no armor. Why should she have needed it? There had been no call for bringing arms to this location, not when the only thing there was a peaceful acquaintance. Even just two of her knives would have been better than bare hand fighting, particularly against some vile creature. "It ... doesn't feel cold?"

She hadn't even noticed a temperature shift. She had no awareness the power flowing through the church was responsible for battling away the cold. Had she known she likely would have assumed Kassandra's doing, yet the guiding soul stayed dormant. "I would be of more use if I had a weapon ... but alas, I bought nothing with me."

Gwynne blinked when she heard Adi's response to the temperature. "Is that so?" Surely the ice could be seen.

The orb floated further into the catacombs, not stopping while Topesh spoke, "It is possible the dark aetheric energy is effecting the two of you in different ways. Or perhaps our tag-along has some, yet to be discovered, resistance to magic. That would be quite the surprise."

Gwynne watched the orb as she pondered on the possiblity. Despite the temperature and aetheric tendrils feeling aorund the place, the catacombs were otherwise devoid of activity. All around, Gwynne could see signs of the arachnid inhabitant that stalked the tunnels. It was likely that if it was still there in the tunnels, it would have alreayd been alerted to their invasive presence. Perhaps the creature was stalking them, waiting to spring its trap, or perhaps Gwynne's suspicions of it being run off was true. She preferred the latter, especially since her companion was unarmed.

They rounded a corner, and were stopped by a large, thick wall of webbing. The cold air has frozen the wall of silk, ice crystals gleaming from the red light given off by the orb. "Wonderful."

Topesh growled, "We do not have time to try and find another way around. I offer a simple solution to break through this wall."

"Go on." Gwynne said as she looked at the orb.

"With such an abundance of dark aetheric energy, we could use the orb collect the energy and cause a detonatio-" he was cut off.

"Or we could not set off an explosion inside a confined space," Adi protested, "Frozen things are brittle. We should be able to just smash it."

The two could hear Topesh's groan of disapproval. The power of the aether was making Topesh more reckless and wild. Gwynne had seen this before around other convergence points, but never enough to want to cause an explosion underground. Topesh responded with an irritated voice, "Have it your way. An aetheric detonation would be a great test of our new power..."

Gwynne shrugged and raised a hand, "No need for tests. We both know how potent dark aether can be."

The fire blazing in her hand intensified. Gwynne began drawing power from the force orb, focusing the energy into the flame. A steady red stream o dark aetheric energy flowed from the crystal and travelled along Gwynne's arm. It fed into the flame, causing it to burn brighter to the point of turning blue. Drawing the power from the orb caused the crystal to glow dimmer. Even if Topesh didn't like losing his pool of energy, it was all for the greater good of the cause, so he didn't complain. "Stand back, Adrianne." she warned.

Gwynne took a deep breath and punched her hand forward, sending the fire toward the frozen wall of silk. The flame roared as it smashed and bloomed outward against the wall. The flame streamed from Gwynne's hand, more red energy snaking from the orb and over her body to sustain the gout of blue flame. The heat was intense, enough to burn the palm of the apostate's casting hand. Surrounding frost on the walls and floor melted into water, which then turned to steam. After sustaining the flame for only a handful of seconds, the wall of silk and ice was completely destroyed. Gwynne cut off the flow of energy, and stood there to look over her work. The cuff of her sleeve was burnt off, leaving the edges frayed and blackened. The palm of her hand smoked, the skin fried. She'd have to treat that later.

The orb gave off little to no light. Gwynne had practically drained it of its energy pool to create such an intense flame. It would refill over time. Having been connected to other leylines, the orb would be full in a matter of hours. The more lines connected, the faster it would refill. For now, the aetherwinds given off by the orb were weak. Casting would be more difficult unless Gwynne siphoned power from her stored aetheric trinkets. Gwynne looked back to Adi, "That is the power of dark aether. Be careful if you dabble in it."

Beyond the wall, a prominent red glow could be seen. Light given off from the dark leyline coursed down the tunnel and lit the way. They wouldn't need the light of the orb anymore. The convergence point was around the corner.

Caution wasn't something Adi had in mind. The kind of power Gwynne could summon to her fingertips was awe-inspiring. She knew great men feared what it was truly capable of. This was no trivial magic trick that lay before her. This was raw, untamed power ... something truly special. She wanted this. No, she needed this ... or so she told herself. This was the key to everything she ever wanted. Her martial prowess alone was far from enough to win back that which was robbed from her, but a prowess in sorcery was a skill to be feared and respected.

She could see the glow of something else around the corner. "What exactly is this we've found? It feels ... alive."

It didn't pulse in the same way as the orb. This pulsed more rythmically, almost like a heartbeat. It seemed like Gwynne couldn't sense it in that way, that only Adrianna felt that. Did it really manifest differently to every person? Adi didn't know. Her tudors only ever spoke of the dark aether in reverent tones, and terrified whispers.

Gwynne looked over her shoulder as she stepped closer to the pulsing red light, "A leyline of dark aether. A concentration of aetherwinds flowing to this point. By connecting this leyline to my orb, I'll have access to the power this leyline provides; and by extension, the Chosen will too. The soldiers marching to Silverwick to confront us won't stand a chance if we succeed here."

"For the past century the rulers of the Imperium have dwelled ... no, obscessed even, over this very prophecy." Adi almost chided the great and powerful spirit, "If you think they are not ready for you, for us ... then you will be in for a brutal awakening when they catch up to us."(saw an opportunity, siezed it)

Gwynne shrugged and rounded the corner, laying her crimson eyes on the convergence.

[Mood Music]

As she turned the corner, Gwynne could feel the air getting sucked toward the convergence violent. Her hair whipped about in her face, while the loose parts of her clothes blew around as well. The convergence was giving off a brilliant that brilliant red light. All around the room, temperatures varied wildly. Some sections of the room were frozen completely solid, while others steamed as heat evaporated the dank air. The aetheric anomaly before them caused the temperatures to change intermittently, and without warning. In an instant, the steam would cool, condense on the floors and walls, then freeze as though it had been deep into a winter. The aetheric energy was playing hell with the room. Below the strange red singularity, a crystal was forming, taking all of the material the convergence was sucking in and merging it all together. As the crystal grew, the convergence distorted and became more and more oblong, reaching out to connect to the infant crystal.

Gwynne glanced over to Adi, "Maintain your footing around the convergence. A mistep could lead to your demise."

"Tell me something I haven't heard before."

"Maintain your footing." Said every trainer she'd ever had, but in her lessons no one would ever seriously hurt her. She felt this was similar in a way, though assuming a raging energy source would show her restraint was far less rational than assuming the same of her fighting instructors. Still, some base instinct in her said that she would be fine, that it wouldn't hurt her. 'Have you led me here?' She thought about Kassandra and her influences, but the Legionnaire she harbored around her neck remained silent as she had been since the departure of Aktorr.

It was as though the convergence itself was ignoring her as she stepped closer to it. The roiling ball of energy crackled in the air, threatening to lash out at any moment. The crystal structure, black as obsidian and harboring a similar crackling energy inched forth just as Adi inched towards it. The convergence itself retreated away as she put forth a hand, shrinking down to the size of the hand approaching it, but it wasn't the object of Adrianna's fixation. She knelt down towards the crystal forming against the stone.

The energy it threw off had begun to feel ... tangible. It wasn't some abstract construct anymore that her mind couldn't comprehend. This was something real, something she could touch and bend. It grew warmer as she reached out towards it. The tantalizing tingle of its raw power began to spread past her fingers along the length of her arm. Topesh's ambition could wait this time; this event was for her to embrace. She shrieked slightly as she touched her fingers against the crystal. For an instant it was burning hot against her skin, but it behaved almost as if trying not to hurt her as the warm, energizing sensation of its power washed over her whole body.

Gwynne was on the other side of the convergence, having trusted Adi to remain still while she prepared to connect the leyline to the orb. The force orb orbited slowly around the convergence, it's very presence causing the vortex to pull away from the crystal and draw more towards it. When the orb came into eyeshot of Adi, Gwynne immediately heard Topesh's voice, "What does she think she is doing? She is too close to the convergence! The fool will be killed when we destroy the crystal!"

Gwynne quickly moved around the vortex to see Adi reaching out and touching the aethercrystal. "Adrianna! Move away! It's dangerous!"

The force orb began to orbit faster around the convergence now, having been caught in its influence. It was only a matter of time before the orb would enter the convergence, and cause a surge of aetheric energy to rush out from the crystal below. "Get her away, apostate! Losing a chosen here and now would be cataclysmic loss for the cause. You only have seconds!"

Gwynne called out to Adi again, not even sure if the other woman could hear her through the reverie. Gwynne grit her teeth and looked back at the force orb. It was moving around the convergence faster now, nothing was going to stop its orbits. The closer it got to the horizon of the vortex, the more the surface of it rippled and bent out of shape. She ran forward, kicking out and sliding on her legs next to Adi. The convergence was practically over top of them. Gwynne grabbed Adi by the shoulder and forearm, tugging her hand away from the doomed crystal. "Come to your senses, chosen!"

Her senses had never felt more strongly about anything. She was staying, seeing this through to the end. And then Gwynne ripped her hand from the crystal. "No!" she yelled as she wrenched her arm free from the other woman's grasp, "It won't hurt us!"

She was convinced of as much even as the lightning blasted chunks out of the stone walls, hammering them with damage more than enough to obliterate someone in an instant.

The force orb started glowing brighter and brighter. The red light coming from it was practically white now, and it was beginning to graze the surface of the convergence. Red aetheric energy shot out from both the orb and the convergence when they made contact. The skeletal remains lining the catacomb walls exploded violently when they came into contact with the surging energy. One aetheric bolt just barely missed Adi and left a small crater in the stone floor. The covergence twisted and distorted more. Gwynne knew there was maybe only twenty seconds left before the crystal would surge back and explode. She wrapped an arm Adi's waist and began dragging her out from below the convergence.

Topesh's laughter could be heard as the aetheric energy bent and began feeding into the force orb instead of the new aethercrystal. It was a drunken laughter, he was enjoying this regardless of what was happening below.Another bolt of aetheric energy arced out from the convergence, traveling in a long line across the floor. The stone cracked in the energy's path. Gwynne rolled away from Adi, pushing the other chosen in the opposite direction to make room for the bolt to arc over the floor. She looked back to the convergence, seeing that the force orb was completely inside of it now. "Do it, Topesh!"

The instant Gwynne let go of her she kicked herself off the ground, leaping for the crystal with an open hand. She just barely felt her fingers graze it before the impact hit her.

The force orb suddenly ripped out from the bottom of the convergence, slamming into the aethercrystal with enough force to rock the floor and shatter the crystal into hundreds of pieces. The aetheric energy stored within the aethercrystal detonated outward in a powerful nova, tossing Gwynne and Adi back against the stone catacomb wall. Bones and rocks tumbled over them. Gwynne kept on watching as the force orb glowed brilliantly. The convergence funnelled down and connected to the orb, then started to pour into it. The orb shook but ultimately kept its place where the crystal used to be. In an instant, the convergence was gone, and the room's temperatures began to level out again. All that remained was the force orb sitting in the remains of a black crystal. The room was eerily silent, save for the low vibrating noise of the force orb.

"You .... you destroyed it ..." came a smaller, confused voice as the girl got her feet back under her. Shards of rock, bone, and the crystal fell off her clothes as she moved. She had needed that, the whole group had needed that. If she could learn as much as she had simply by being in its presence, what it could do for all of them was unimaginable ... and now it was gone.

"Topesh?" Gwynne called out as she stood up and shook the dirt off of herself, "Is it done? Did we connect the leyline?"

"Aye... If only you could feel what I feel, apostate. It is... incredible."

Gwynne rose her hand and willed the orb to her. It lifted from the ruined floor and floated over the apostate. She let it rest in her hand, and immediately felt the energy within the force orb. She sucked in a sharp breath, "Adrianna... Lay your hand on the orb and feel the aether."

Adi had already felt it. She felt the surging energy within the crystal and saw the limitless power it unlocked, and the talking ball had taken that away for himself. Kassandra had said he was a selfish one. She still felt it, this time in her own veins. Residual energy from the blast had settled itself in both of them no doubt, but Adi had dove towards its center and was hit far harder. It would fade over time if she let it be, or potentially much faster if she used it.

She sighted the glowing vessel out of the corner of her eye as she slowly pushed herself towards vertical. The subtle burn of the energy in her veins flowed towards her free hand out of Gwynne's sight. The aether knew what she wanted ... or perhaps she was being led to want what it wanted. The temptation was strong, but she resisted it for now. Instead she ignored Gwynne and started walking back through the catacombs.

Gwynne watched as Adi wandered off back into the catacombs. She let the orb float back to her side and started making her way out as well. "A rift might have been made between us and Adrianna. I suggest you remain on your guard around her, apostate."

Gwynne rolled her eyes, "You may be right, but... The chosen are all supposed to work together. I'd much rather clear the air with diplomacy, rather than constantly mistrust her."

Topesh chuckled at that comment, "Then the chosen are doomed to fail even sooner than the legionnaires did. We rarely got along."

Gwynne wanted to comment, but decided to just remain silent. The chosen weren't the legionnaires of old, and she believed that she could make allies out of the others. She called ahead to Adi, "We'd best hurry back to camp before the others come looking." Gwynne would wait until Adi calmed down before trying to set things straight with her. But the time would come when she would inevitably have to explain the dire consequences of dabbling in aetheric energy.

Tear the World Down

Posted! Seems Topesh has an agenda. ;)