XianaEvermor

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[Undercity - Stoneworks Interior]

[A Chaotix14 / XianaEvermor Collaboration]

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ID fell into file behind them, sometimes lagging behind to look intently at something in the market. Occasionally she'd stop, and her eyes would track something out in the void that was probably just out of sight before trotting to catch up.

There was plenty of open space and small idyllic natural gardens along the hewn paths and it was all very [bright]. Swirling eddies of emotion and ideation, currents of color and glowing text. The glowing script carved into a large stone tingled against her fingertips as her hands glided across its surface idly. As she walked through the gardens, the plants leaned subtly towards her as though they were seeking the sun.

ID entered the café behind them without ordering, only holding up a hand and giving a subtle head shake. The effectiveness of the barrier wasn't anything to scoff at: even low Hazard Apexes were basically walking natural disasters. Seeing one ripped to shreds by the enchanted brambles was definitely something to take note of. She slid into a seat not quite directly across from them, unbuckling the sheathed weapon at her hip and placing it on the table in front of her so it didn't get tangled up in the chair.

Just as the sound of the sheathe hitting the slab of marble died down Zolya was the first to break the silence. "Let's start with what brought you here. After all it's not a regular occurrence for a living rumor to wander into this place, leaving such a precious stone in the hands of my pets. What do you need from us?"

Raudd, sitting next to his sister gave her a little jab before muttering. "Softer language sis, want not need." Zolya flustered for a moment before she went for the straw in her drink and took a big sip.

"Please excuse her, she's not that used to negotiations. But if you'd wish to tell us what kind of assistance you were looking for here, that way we can resolve the big-ticket items first."

"Appreciated, but unnecessary," replied ID, nodding her head towards Raudd. She turned her chair a little so she could cross her legs under the table. "A disturbance that occurred this morning drew me to the area. I came to investigate what caused it and the trail led me in this direction," she explained. No real point in lying: it wasn't her strong suit anyway.

"A disturbance from this morning you say? I'm assuming it's something of a magical nature? But if you could be a bit more specific that would be very helpful, today has been anything but uneventful so far." Raudd asked going through the day’s events in his mind taking another sip from the coffee. The things that came to mind didn't seem like they would attract the attention from someone who lived a low-profile life, at least not enough to step out of the shadows. Maybe something else had happened in the period of time they had been out of the area.

She tilted her head back and forth as though she were considering just how much to reveal to them. At the very least, she was definitely policing her words. "I'm... very sensitive to anything that disturbs the natural manascape," she admitted after a while. "Something hazed an area southwest of here, and the intensity of the emotional factor was storm-like. Disturbances like that typically lead to interesting people or artifacts, particularly crystals and...," she rolled her eyes a bit, fully aware of the stereotypes associated with her draconic theme. "I like shiny things," she concluded, a bit sheepishly.

"Oh! Oh... I hope the surroundings haven't been too overwhelming. But if that trail of haze led to here, unless it's been very recent, I doubt there'll be a trace left within this area. My pets could find the continuation of that trail for you, or if that person is still within the Stoneworks lead you right to them, however their view of the immaterial is limited to the Stoneworks area." She replied as a specific person came to mind to both her and her brother.

ID made a dismissive gesture.

Having had his face buried drinking down his coffee while his sister took the word Raudd took to prodding for information hoping with wouldn't lead where he thought it would. "Anything specific about the area that got hazed? A crack in the ground, burn marks, liquid splashes or something that could identify the caster?" "What? you're not gonna tell her about your collection of precious stones?" Zolya blurted out to her brother.

"Sigh They are semi-precious stones, also most of those are uncut and unpolished, so there's only a few that have a shine to them." Raudd retorted to his sister as she went in for another sip with a cheeky smile on her face.

ID suppressed a chuckle, but the corners of her mouth did twist into a smile at Zolya's ribbing. It was... disconcertingly disarming, given the scope of what ID estimated her abilities to be. She did rummage around in one of her pouches for a while before producing a strangely shaped rock which had been sheared to a near polished finish on one side. She slid it across the table towards them.

"Unfortunately my trace sample was lost in the most recent disturbance, but I did find this at the edge of a long scar in the earth. The area was also saturated with salt water. It looked like a... not insignificant confrontation took place," she explained in a neutral tone, now watching both the siblings and their reactions very carefully.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[Undercity - Forges Region, Near Iron Town]

[A Fate0013 / XianaEvermor collaboration]

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Having been thrown to the ground by the clever Hydra. Aegis had expected to be used as a chew toy only to instead hear the Apex roaring and screaming in pain. Getting back to his feet, he found Yue standing before the monster, and what a sight it was. Silver Fang all suited up in her new armor and Justice arcing in her hands menacingly.

Something about her Stance caused a part of his brain to click, old memories of hours spent in Final Odyssey rushing back. Holy shit. I'm not the only one that just tried to copy what I do in real life.

Righting himself and reapplying his spiked shell, He was struck with an idea. Really it had been a hot minute so there was a chance it wouldn't work, but still…

I wonder if she remembers the Guild’s old callouts?

Just then the charred skin on the Hydra's stumped neck began to bubble and roil. Dead cells sloughing off before an entire new head and neck regenerated out of the wound in a wet burst. Unlike its previous head, this one resembled some sort of hellish deformed leopard with too many eyes. The saliva that dripped from its hissing mouth burnt and melted the ground beneath the beast.

The situation had changed and it was about to turn bad real fast. The Cat's head began to real back while it's neck swelled. Alex could only assume it was going to spit up something . . . and if Fang was going to imitate Godspeed . . . Shit that's not good.

Thinking fast, Aegis charged forward almost on instinct. His fists slamming together in front of him as a large, heavily layered barrier quickly formed in front of him.
"Kasha! Bait and Switch!!"

"Wh-??" Yue flinched. Alex had just been on the ground, incapacitated... or so she thought. Her rear facing display showed Alex charging up behind her, and she reacted without thinking. Yue drew the Sword of Justice, slashing upwards and sending a bolt of lightning up into the air to blind the creature momentarily. In a blast of coarse metallic dust, Yue disappeared, just as Alex was about to barrel into her. Yue slid to a halt a few dozen meters to Alex's side.

As Silver Fang disappeared from the Hydra's sight, the beast was met with a glowing wall of force with a very pissed off brute behind it. The mutated cat head discharged a stream of acidic fluid from its mouth that splashed harmlessly against the hardlight. A flawless [Bait and Switch], which was then followed by what looked suspiciously like the Warden's [Battering Charge].

Aegis Slammed into the Hydra with the force of a Freight train, Knocking the beast back before catapulting himself away. He landed heavily not far from Yue's position. "So then, Fluffy here looks close enough to the Infinite labyrinth's boss on floor seven."

More blue light began to manifest and visually enlarge Aegis's silhouette. he was really riding in the hope that she would get the reference to that boss’ stupid adaptive mechanic if you hit anything but the main body.

"Floor seven... Th-the Lindwyrm??" She stammered, still wrestling with the fact that he was standing. Yue was pretty confident she'd seen him take a direct hit in the ribs from that spiked tail. Armor or no, that would have left her with some serious bruises if not fractured or broken bones, which is why she rushed over to intervene as soon as she saw him go down.

He slammed his fists in anticipation as the beast coiled itself back together and glared the two armored heroes down. "You take point and I follow your lead? I'll keep up long as you make your callouts."

"R-right uh," she paused, trying to quickly collect herself and adapt what were normally strategies for an 8 player encounter into a duo act. "Uh... uh, L-lockdown Launch to Elemental Discharge!"

L.L. was a solid one. If the enemy could be interacted with physically you would pin them down in the most disadvantageous way possible or send them into the air to be picked off. In F.O. That would require at least three well-coordinated players.

"Jeez, I'll see what I can do!" He crouched low and waited for her to move first.

Yue darted away several steps as one of the Hydra's heads focused on her, taking a breath. She drew the sword with a flourish to build up a charge as she ran, and as the torrent of spikes and acid a [Flash Step] instantly slid her into position on the creature's flank. She took a breath, sword in high guard as the charge rode the flow of [Crimson] and wreathed her body in lightning.

There was a short-lived flash of blue, as Alex catapulted himself off a temporary launchpad for extra forward momentum. The effect was like he had been fired from a cannon, gaining the same general effect of a [Gallant Charge] but lacking the pretty particle effects.

The Hydra's remaining head tried to snap down at him, only to be met with a solid ball of condensed force to crack its teeth against, like a glowing jawbreaker from hell. He skidded into the ground in a three-point landing just below the beast’s large frame, cocked back a gauntleted fist, and launched himself upwards at the Apex's chest.

Executing a mostly perfect [Rising Iron], Alex wasn't done just yet, and neither was the beast. With The Hydra seemingly not even winded and already trying to right itself. Thinking quickly, Alex threw his arms out and launched a dozen U shaped constructs that looped the creature’s necks, limbs, and length of its body to keep it from moving. He forced it violently onto its back, wincing as the constructs we're already breaking: they weren’t even close to being fortified enough in such a short amount of time, and only buying the two maybe a handful of seconds.

That's all the famous "Godspeed" would need. Alex bubbled himself as he hit the ground.

"Light Him Up!!"

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

"...Oh," ID muttered after a long moment of silence, seeming to physically relax for the first time since her arrival. With one last look towards the hole from which the frenzied creatures would likely emerge, she followed behind Raudd (at a respectable distance) through the inner circle. The scarlet scales adorning her body slowly dissolved, and her eyes relaxed back to their original burgundy, though her gaze was no less intense. Her eyes lingered on the runestone for a long time as she crossed the threshold, studying the patterns of mana flowing through and around it.

A static barrier strong enough to hold off an Apex was no small feat... literally, the scope of the barrier was enormous if it encircled the entire settlement. Mother would be interested in this. ID kept a hand on the hilt of her Firebrand. Even though fighting with a mage who commanded a territory as large as this one wasn't on her to-do list, she didn't relax her guard completely. They seemed like nice enough people, but retreating to discuss business over tea and cakes while literal monsters terrorized the lands just outside the door was just a little too surreal for her to trust. Someone with a more tenuous grasp of reality might question if this was real or not, but ID could read the writing on the stonework... its glow scraped uncomfortably bright against her traumatized [Dreamsight], causing her to squint a little.

ID fidgeted as she watched Zolya erect the barrier, feeling more and more like she'd just stepped into a spider's web.

Well then... looks like there's nowhere else to run.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

Enchanting work? ID raised an eyebrow, and once the dogs left her stance relaxed a little, but her hand did not come off the hilt of her Firebrand. The person on the other end of that earpiece conversation had a keen eye if they had already identified her as the one who crafted the Fire Crystal. Though... it could have also been their network of spies, she noted, flicking her eyes up towards the flock of summoned animals.

"Is that all?" she asked, with a note of incredulity. "Wait. Right..." she muttered into her mask, reminding herself that material enchanting wasn't such a casual chore, and for most people a Fire Crystal wasn't something you just gave away willy nilly. At least it had done its job of buying her some good will.

"I apologize for the damage: I was chased onto your land by that creature and then attacked. I'm willing to cooperate but, are you sure it's wise to be relaxing?" She asked, tilting her head curiously at Raudd, who was now engaged in scritches with one of the wolves. She had yet to release her [Fortification] or [Hardening] spells.

"Have you forgotten? Apex tend to travel with packs: we might only have a couple minutes to catch our breath, is this place so well prepared that we need not spread the word? The Hunt is beginning!"

The distant din of frenzied creatures began to waft up from the hole J-3 and the others had emerged from. ID could feel the subtle tremors in the ground underneath her feet of the swarms digging through the collapsed tunnels when everything else was still. She stood her ground for the time being, but otherwise made no other moves.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

"Oh Gods, oh... Safety with the Erlings, yesyesyes, finally sweet safety," muttered Rat as he attempted to scrabble farther away from the battle raging just behind him. Between gouts of flame and jets of water he crawled, making himself as small of a target as possible.

"Safe space... saaaaaaaaaaaaaaafe space yes. Stoneworks is a saaafe space if... Rat... Can... Just...," he stretched, reaching his spindly claws towards the last bit of Earth that would carry him over the ledge and out of danger. His fingers just barely made purchase on it when something scooped him up roughly.

"WHAT?!! NOOOOO WHYYYYY?!" his voice trailed off in the distance as he clutched desperately at the few blades of Stoneworks grass he was able to salvage.

ID's slitted amber eyes watched Raudd carefully without blinking, though she was very clearly aware of where each member of the pack of wolves was, as evidenced by the fact that her stance shifted slightly whenever one strayed too close. Her eyes narrowed very slightly at him as he spoke and she listened but she wasn't really hearing his words. Her breath came heavy, escaping from the mask and igniting in an occasional flicker of flame, though she did not appear to be winded. It felt like she was looking through him, and she was... her [Dreamsight] had mostly recovered, though she felt it burn in the back of her eyes subtly... what had her attention were the hungry wisps of [OBLIVION] escaping from his wounds.

"Shōkyo mahou??" Whispered ID, to herself mainly. Mother would be interested in that for sure. Her eyes flicked away from him between words to assess the flock overhead, and watch one of the corvids break off and follow the escapee. Good to know.

Three scenarios... she thought, as her attention turned back to Raudd, watching every muscle twitch as he spoke.

Best case: Exit combat without souring reputation with Stoneworks.
Second best: Combatant attacks after lowering guard. Exit combat intact (some collateral damage)
Worst case: Peace untenable. Survival at all costs. If I must, turn it all to glass.

There was the other signature that had passed briefly through her sphere of influence to be aware of as well. A long range combatant? If it was the magician who crafted the local Grand Enchantment the situation could turn sour for her really quickly. ID resisted the urge to turn her head to look farther into the Stoneworks. He was done talking... expecting a response, she guessed. Presumably "put your weapons down, or else." ID contemplated "Or Else" for a tangible second, rolling her shoulder slightly. She felt the melted fabric give way, exposing gleaming red scales running down her skin.

"Heel the dogs," she replied cautiously. "Please," she added after a moment: the combatant seemed to believe she was not in the position to be issuing demands. There was a possibility he was correct. She released the heat hesitantly, allowing the area to cool rapidly and crackle as glass hardened and splintered under her feet. Her stance did not change: she could still react if "peacefully" actually meant "you die," and her [Hardening] would hold the wolves at bay for a time. She could fortify it... but for the time being decided not to cast any spells, should that be seen as a hostile act.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

Eyes fluttered open to black.

Yue was washed along eddies of ideation, emotion, and color. Invisible figures slithered around her, brushing against the curtains of [Silver] surrounding her. Coils of [Crimson] drifted out lazily from her core, drinking in the [Silver]. She inhaled... but could not breathe. A pang of panic lanced through her, as she found she could not move. Was she dead? Tendrils of [Crimson] connected her loosely to... something in the distance. There was no up or down: direction had no meaning. She wrestled with her body to turn and look around, to blink, to breathe, anything. Wraiths behind the curtain writhed hungrily, groping and pawing at her. A spike of fear drove through her, only serving to incite further frenzy in the wraiths.

All at once everything went silent: a pulse of [Strength] turned the wraiths to what she assumed was dust. Something took her gently and turned her, sliding the massive luminous surface of the moon into view... except it was "wrong" in a way she couldn't describe. That is until it opened a massive, luminous yellow eye and stared down at her. The surface of the moon began to shift ponderously, lifting its gleaming silver-scaled head and stretching its wings to encompass the "sky." It breathed power and grace and all she could do was lock eyes with it... if she still had eyes. It reached down towards her, and with one single talon, gently pushed her back towards the [Emotion] and [Noise] she'd been drifting away from.

Not... Yet...

The force was unreal. The gentlest of grazes catapulted her away, throwing her thousands of miles in an instant. Motes of light streaked past dizzyingly and just as she felt solidity rushing up on her back...

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[Paradox - Forges Region - Ignis Citadel, Texas USA]

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Yue suddenly gasped for breath. Something was over her eyes, pressure on her shoulders and chest. Wisps of [Crimson] flared out of her skin and she grabbed reflexively, sitting up and lifting someone off the ground. An instant stretched into eternity, and in her hand was this fragile thing, tentatively held together like wet sand that would crumble if she just closed her fist. The cool cloth slid from her face and she locked eyes with the Citadel medtech that had been tending her, paralyzed by the intensity of her gaze, grasping desperately at her wrist.

Everything started to come back. The warm glow of [Creative Intent] emanating from the displays of weapons, armor, tools, and machinery spread throughout the room stabbed deep into her retinas like a bright light she could not block out. She exhaled slowly, gently lowering the medtech back to the ground, and feeling something rigid relax from the corners of her eyes and brow. She pressed her palms into her eyes and drew her knees up to her chest as Forgemaster energetically explained to her what was happening. Muted pain signals tingled throughout her body deep under her skin like something inside her was ripped clean out of her body and then shoved haphazardly back into place. His words drifted in and out of her consciousness while she shifted herself off of the table she'd been laid upon until something he said prickled down her spine like icy water.

"Wh-What?!" Yue turned towards Forgemaster sluggishly while massaging her temples.

"He's out there fighting a dangerous giant monster! BY HIMSELF! How many times do I gotta say it before it gets through that thick skull of yours?!"

Yue found a mix of emotions swirling in her chest, a few familiar: Anxiety, fear, excitement... a few that were too alien for her to identify. She found her eyes drawn towards the sword still embedded in Citadel floor.

"C-... Can I borrow that?" She asked, pointing at the sword. She heard Forgemaster suck in air for what she at first thought would be an indignant refusal. Who would want a priceless artifact swung recklessly at monsters in a pitch battle, after all?

"You mean you actually want to USE it?!" He exclaimed, with childlike glee. The whiplash sent a spike of numbed pain down her neck as her head snapped back towards him. The excited Tinker was already rustling waist deep in a crate full of heavy sounding metallic objects, and his sudden enthusiasm cracked the corners of her mouth into a smile.

"I mean... does it kill Kaiju?"

"Oh, enthusiastically so."

"Do we have time to make a minor modification?"

"What did you have in mind?" A sly smile spread across the Tinker's face as he drew a scabbard out of the crate.

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In the distance, a glint of silver atop one of the Black Citadel's spires tinged orange by the lavafall behind the Citadel superstructure dropped towards the earth. A plume of dust rose up, slowly fading into the faintly glowing mist of the distant Forges. The Hydra's discordant shriek echoed over the rocks as it brought down its talons heavily onto Aegis' barriers, sending a spiderweb of cracks throughout the hardlight. Before he could recover, the bone-spiked tail whipped around and caught him in the side, throwing him roughly into the dirt. It was over him in the blink of an eye, crocodilian heads darting down to clamp down on his torso.

As Aegis was preparing to shield himself with a barrier, there was a flash of silver between him and the beast. After a very tangible pause, a deafening clap of thunder and shockwave roughly buffeted him with coarse metallic dirt. The Hydra's center head had become a stump with arcs of lightning cauterizing the wound and raking down the creature's back, interrupting its attack and staggering it backwards several paces. The plume of dust that had appeared to his side at the end of three deep scars in the rock flickered electrically as a pair of red eyes gleamed menacingly. Fang flicked the sword of Justice, as though to clear the blood from the blade, sending electricity dancing over the rocks and snaking up the metallic surface of her Drachenmail as she slid the blade home into its scabbard with. Still glowing like smoldering embers, the runic script running throughout the seams of her armor sizzled lightly as they slowly faded. Yue lowered her stance, holding the scabbard behind her while she prepared to [Godspeed Slash] with the other.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

ID jockeyed the Templar to keep J-3 in her sights, eyes flicking back and forth between the two foes. It wouldn't do to sustain an injury due to carelessness... a new presence entered her sphere of influence... two... five thirteen. Fast. Too fast for her to react to being attacked from behind. ID planted her trailing leg, whispering [Hardening] through her skin. The heat surged fifty degrees in an instant, filling the air with wisps of white smoke and the acrid stench of burnt polymers as her heat-resistant clothing hit its limit. Something clamped down on her calf for only an instant. ID felt, more than heard teeth break, and the shriek of saliva vaporizing on her 1700 degree skin drowned out the yelp of a surprised animal. The assailant retreated, and the others seemed hesitant to close in, so she didn't retaliate.

The wolves set upon J-3 and the Templar, affording her an opportunity to make some space with the Templar. ID lunged, throwing her weight into her sword arm and shoving the Templar a few paces... just far enough to get caught up in some kind of energy weapon fire. She danced backwards out of the way of a charging stag, and though grass scorched and burst into flame wherever her feet landed, she was careful not to let the fires spread. She didn't want to see this place of beauty burn... not yet at least. ID's eyes flicked quickly between the combatants, in the chaos she had lost sight of the shapeshifter for an instant. Only an instant... though long enough for it to snatch up a wolf and... ID squinted, taking a few quick mental notes for later, strafing quickly a few steps. The fireball she'd primed shot from her fingertips, exploding violently against the beast that had been thrown at her.

The shockwave buffeted her cloak, and for a tangible moment the whole battlefield was silent as the blue-white flames hungrily sucked the air out of the arena. The ground lurched, a brilliant flash of light and heat, and the discordant crash of thunder shook the Stoneworks. ID threw up a hasty barrier of mana, but still managed to catch an eyeful. She blinked rapidly, suppressing her [Dreamsight] in time to see J-3 charging at her.

Vents in her mask clicked open. Crimson scales crawled up her skin, spreading over her brow and about her eyes, which burned amber as her pupils stretched into slits. ID stepped back, splintering the earth as she planted her foot and braced as J-3 closed in on her.

She took a breath.

J-3's exploding pustule was met with a massive lance of superheated gas, and the concussive burst was smothered by the flame's howling. The creature didn't press the attack, however, and made to flee with its thrall. It wasn't safe to pursue... ID would find another opportunity. Instead she sheathed her Firebrand and took a defensive posture, her amber eyes burning like embers as black smoke billowed from the corners of her mask's dragon mouth.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

A complication. ID's eyes had been tracking J-3 through the steam when she sensed something enter her sphere of influence: a swiftly moving blot of darkness cutting through the glow of the elevated [Sun] aspect she'd woven throughout the area. She crouched instinctively, and something metallic whooshed over her head, clattering against the ruin behind her. She regained her footing, skipping backwards with the practiced grace of a dancer as the daggers nipped at her toes. ID whispered [Fortification], weaving a strengthening lattice into her hands, down her arms and spine and into her legs. Her footfalls left sizzling prints of fire and melting rock as she maneuvered to keep J-3 and her new assailant in her vision. ID planted her feet, bracing to meet the other woman as she fell through the steam. She grasped the hilt of the machete at her hip, emblazoning the sheath with smoldering kanji. ID met Máire's eyes, and for that second that the Templar was falling towards her with sword overhead the world stood still.

At the very last moment before Máire could cleave her from shoulder to hip, ID's hand closed around the hilt of her machete and drew it to meet the Templar's attack. Rather than cold forged iron, a blade of brilliant white flames and scalding heat clashed against the Templar's zweihander, throwing an arc of flame along the path of the draw to intercept J-3's charge. The impact splintered the ground at ID's feet and showered the battlefield with sparks and embers.

Queen of Swords. ID's eyes narrowed very slightly. Mother had warned her about this one: Cruaidín Catutchenn was an overzealous extremist that could not be reasoned with. A report about Cruaidín trickled through the Menagerie news network just this morning concerning the Templar murdering a group of looters who'd broken into a cybernetics lab without so much a warning shot or a "stop, Templar." More concerning was that their missing subject appeared to be under the Templar's care.

ID's eyes flicked to check on J-3 as she held the Templar's advance, hesitant to make any further offensive moves: she wasn't supposed to clash with the Templar if it could be avoided, except in specific instances... though she didn't think she would be faulted for self defense. ID held the Templar in sword lock, maneuvering her to keep J-3 in her cone of vision and briefly wondering what the creature could have said to bamboozle her into its service.

She clicked a button in the palm of her free hand and was rewarded with a few droplets of liquid before the feed sputtered dry. She swiftly enwrapped the fluid in swirling mana and white flames, holding the fireball at her fingertips ready to deflect an attack from J-3. Her fuel reserves hadn't yet recovered from her fight with the Apex, so that small amount would have to do.

Rat landed in a graceless heap after quite a bit of noisy flailing, but slowly pulled himself to his feet.

"Ooooohhhh... fire bad, fire very very bad. Oooh my head, the mind magics!" Rat muttered as he staggered away from the battle towards the Stoneworks as quickly as he could manage while rubbing his temples.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

March 11th, 2045 - 14:19pm - Forges Region - Ignis Citidel, Texas, USA

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[A XianaEvermor / Fate0013 Collaboration]

Forgemaster was putting the finishing touches on Yue's Drachenmail, polishing out the embellishments on the helm, and wiring the delicate sensory equipment in its articulated ears. He ignored the DPS vs. Tank banter of the other two nerds in his chamber, concentrating on his work. It was a massive upgrade: battered and worn mundane armor replaced with a highly polished and embellished, nigh indestructible Tinker-Alloy of his own make. The flexibility of Steel combined with the hardness of Chromium, and the heat and corrosion resistance of Tantalum, all at a fraction of the mass of Tungsten and in the gleaming silver of the Templar's namesake.

The best part is that the Dragon theme embellishments and runic engravings would glow orange (but not deteriorate or deform) when heated by the adiabatic compression of Yue's acceleration to super-speed.

Form. Function. Fashion.

...Fabulous.

Based on the way Yue pawed and fawned all over it, it was safe to say she was a satisfied customer.

With her suit being nearly finished, Alex opted to leave Yue to fawn over the armor. He didn't really understand the need for the "ears" to be articulated but Forgemaster seemed compliant to add it in to the finishing touches. Even if he wasn't a tinker, Alex thought it seemed a touch impractical to add a motorized moving part on a brute's suit.

Then again, it wasn't his so why dwell on it? He returned his focus to his order Forgemaster had finished recently. The resistance suit was a full body harness with a wide assortment of springs, hydraulics, and other movement impairing mechanisms. Alex's physical abilities had gotten to the point that weight lifting and conventional forms of training on its own was giving him diminishing returns.

He was struck with the idea that he might even need something like a gravity chamber or under water rig later down the road. Enhanced density was annoying in its own ways.

Excitable. Inquisitive. Her wide, burgundy eyes practically twinkled with levity as she danced to-and-fro about the workbench, examining every detail, finding every hidden reference to Final Odyssey (and quoting the supporting lore verbosely). It was a far departure from the "Stoic Enforcer" the media made out Silver Fang to be, mused Alex. At least.... until something else caught her attention.

All of a sudden she was laser focused on something outside the chamber. Her gaze could have melted a hole through the Ferro-crystalline walls of the Citadel. It drew Forgemaster's gaze as well, but all he saw were the armor and weapon displays on the Southeast wall.

"Did either of you hear something?" She asked, stepping away from the workbench. Suddenly she braced, covering her face as if to shield her face from a bright flash. Something hit the citadel shortly after, a distant peal of thunder ripping through the chamber and filling their minds with discordant screaming and tumultuous whispers. The sheer pressure on his being forced him to a knee, and Yue crumpled lamely to the floor.

Yue's suddenly random comment drew his attention away from his thoughts and the ungodly bulky piece of equipment. Alex didn't get the chance to comment however when what felt like an entire hive of hornets began stabbing into his brain at once.

The suit dropped to the floor without a sound. Alex couldn't hear anything as he desperately grabbed his head, trying to make pain stop. He didn't even have the urge to scream as his body seized up in pain. Only able to register the constant hot Stabbing and deafening lack of noise.

When it finally stopped Alex jerked upright with a gasp of relief. Body covered in a cold sweat, he couldn't tell how long it had lasted. The only sign of whatever that was had happened to him was the dull ringing he could still hear in his head. Also, he had apparently collapsed on the floor from the pain. And maybe slammed against the floor a few too many times if the dents were any indication. Guess Forgemaster didn't make the floors all that indestructible. " Fucking hell what even was that?" Alex took a second to rub his eyes and temples to try and calm his nerves.

Forgemaster pulled Yue's limp body up onto one of the workbenches. He quickly checked her pulse and listened for breath.

"She's still breathing," he called out in Alex's direction. Her skin had a sickly, death-like pallor but she seemed to be otherwise unharmed. Several minutes went by, and there was quickly a bustle in the chamber as the facility medical team was summoned to assess. The subsiding tension was interrupted by the sound of of commotion from the corridor outside.

One of the facility technicians slid breathlessly through the door.

"Spit it oud, Kid, what's the matter?!"

[b]"APEX!! Hazard 5, closing fast from the Southeast!"[b] He shouted breathlessly from the door.

There wasn't so much a response from Alex as there was simple a held thumps up in Forgemaster's general direction as Alex stayed on the floor a moment longer. Unfortunately it didn't seem like the universe was gonna give anyone a moment of relief today. Even with hearing that Yue was ok.

when he heard the news from the technician there was a momentary sinking feeling in Alex's chest at the announcement of a Hazard 5 closing in. " You've got to be kidding me."

Hazard levels were a classification originally coined by researchers topside in regards to the level of danger an Apex creature posed. Each being a super powered and deadly organism, it was arguable why and how you could classify a level of threat from something that was a walking disaster. Dispite The absurdist it was actually quite simple. The more an Apex's body glowed and the brighter it was, the higher its Hazard level.

A soft light between areas of skin or scales along with glowing eyes and mouth? That's a Hazard level 1 or 2 at worst. The entire creatures body looks like every inch of it has neon bright bioluminescence? That's a 5 right there. The Glowing was a sign of the creatures biological energy output supercharging its cells and overclocking its biological systems if what little data there was on the things was to be believed.

down in the undercity though, it was a lot more simple an issue. The more it glows, The worse the danger.

Alex found his resolve and got up on shaky legs. "I'm going. I'll buy you guys as much time as you need to get in gear." He fumbled a bit with his bag before getting his armor out and began suiting up as fast as he could.

The Citadel lurched gently. Outside, the distant thrashing of the beast echoed over the open bridge leading to Forgemaster's chamber. Periodically it was pierced by discordant howling and a thunder-like rumble. The Citadel had become a hive of activity as people rushed to fighting positions and the sounds of weapons fire began to quickly filter in as the denizens attempted to discourage the beast from getting any closer.

"Drive it away from the castle if you can!"

Tightening the last of his suits straps, Alex turned on his helmet and practically slammed it on. " On it! Just make sure she's ok." He pivoted on his heel and charged out of the workshop at a breakneck speed. workers and technicians were able to get out of the armored brutes way easily enough since nobody really wanted to get trampled in the confusion.

One confused worked seemed to recognize him as he came close. ""Aegis? When did you-?!"

"No time! I need an exit now!"

After a dazed moment, Aegis was lead to an emergency hatch that lead out onto a rooftop of the castle. A quick survey of the facilities outer walls from his vantage point let him find what he was looking for, although the growing dust cloud that was moving fast towards the forge's walls wasn't all that difficult to spot. The tell-tale light the Apex's glow came through the cloud of debris. Damn thing was big, and didn't have any obvious tells to what it could do from here.

"This is a stupid idea and I'm gonna get an earful for doing this I just know it. With that, Alex made a glowing field under his feat catapulting himself into the air and rapidly accelerate to meet the monster.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

---

[March 11th, 2045 - 14:15pm - Paradox - Undercity Region, Texas, USA]

---

Heavy boots crunched the rocky soil of the Outskirts as she followed the delicate tendrils of silver stretching Northward at a methodical walk. She tilted her head to the side curiously as a crackle of static tickled her ear. A momentary distraction, though her pace was not altered.

"I've done as you asked, Iridium Dragon. Halcyon is in a tizzy over the potential Crusade, and tearing up all of Undercity to find the Templar... Causing lots of distracting problems for the Rogue Collective as well."

"Entangling the 'Collective should keep them too busy to interfere with your search for our missing Subject. I trust you will not require any further 'assistance' to complete your assignment?" Her eyes narrowed. She could hear him swallow his heart on the other end. The incompetence of some Agents never ceased to aggravate her.

"N-no, of course I can handle it from here..."

ID neglected to sign off, and instead just ended the call. No doubt she would end up having to clean up his mess.

A dome of swirling [Mana] came into ID's view as she crested a hill, following the silver trail. She paused to squint at it and let her eyes adjust. Beyond the dome she could barely make out an array of Cairn stones, and a massive drain around which traces of the [Crimson] swirled lazily, resisting the process of natural diffusion back into the land. Within the array was a small settlement no more than a few miles across containing a zone of tranquilly elevated [Mana] circulating throughout the surrounding Earth. It trickled up through the plants, and suffused the wildlife in the area, taking the Haze through the Drain, filtering and De-Aspecting on a scale many times larger than she could with her Drain Crystal. A powerful enchantment... no wonder she lost the trail.

ID's eyes were attracted to the spectral light of a particularly large flock of Ravens in the distance, and she squinted, confirming the signature of the [Fire Crystal] that she'd entrusted to Weasel within the settlement.

So this was the Stoneworks. It seemed more and more likely that her investigation of the disturbance of the Manascape, and the missing Subject were overlapping. No matter: she had a destination, and as long as she didn't draw attention to herself, it was highly likely she'd be left to her own devices. ID mused at the top of the hill for a long several minutes, running the silver thread idly through her fingers. She'd been watching the settlement for several minutes when something piqued her from behind: a chill wind from The Graves. ID turned to face the disturbance, shielding her eyes from the flash which heralded the emanation ripping through the Manascape.

A peal of thunder without sound, a shockwave ripping through the world like a bomb that passed through physical matter harmlessly but incinerated spectral forms in a storm of psychic screaming. It would blunt against the ambience of the Mind-Aspect in populated areas, and the Stonework's robust barrier would shield all but the most vulnerable inhabitants. ID, though...

She was stuck in the outskirts literal miles away from anything that might shield her, and she could already feel the intensity of the disturbance clawing at her [Dreamself]. Her signature would probably get blasted away on the Astral Wind though... ID hesitated for what felt like a long moment to her, though to anyone else it would have been but a moment. She pulled the Silver Thread back to her, cancelling the Tracing script and closed her fist around it. Even that small amount threatened to make her body burst, and as it coursed through her the shockwave slowed to a crawl.

ID used that moment of acceleration to pull the scant threads of mana in the Outskirts to form a barrier. She whispered words of [Fortification], pouring in her own mana and weaving a protective lattice just as the last mote of Silver evaporated. The Scream slammed into her roughshod shield, nearly knocking her off her feet, ripping at the part of her which existed within the Manascape and threatening to tear her out of her own body. ID endured the deafening cries, and just as she thought her barrier would be shattered and herself along with it the storm passed, leaving tumultuous whispers in its wake.

W̵̩͆h̶̼̐e̵̟̋r̸͙͆e̵̟̕i̷͙̒s̴̭̈ȋ̴̹t̵̉͜ẅ̸̠h̷͖̑ē̶͕r̷̠͘e̴͘͜i̴̥̚s̸̘͒ĭ̶͍t̵̛̰w̵̺̐h̵̘͘e̵̖͐r̸̪̔e̴͎̽i̴͋͜s̷͚̈i̶̫̕ṯ̵̕w̶̦͌ḧ̴͕́e̸͙̅r̶͖͘e̸̛̲i̴̦͑s̴̳͂i̶͝ͅt̵͙̆w̶̝̾ḥ̵̃e̸̟͋r̶̠̉ë̷̳́ǐ̵̮ş̶̿į̸̀ṱ̸̚ẉ̷̐h̸̢͂e̷͎̐r̷̛͉ê̶͎i̷̜̚s̵̤̆i̵̢̕t̸͙͑?̷̊͜

ID exhaled, turning in time to watch the storm buffet the Stoneworks bubble, and stretch off into the distance towards the Forges. Seems the entire crater would be subject to the Scream, though the areas closest to the Graves, and farthest from populated areas would endure the worst of it. On the bright side, the chaos of the disturbance might mask her arrival to the Stoneworks. ID mused, sliding herself carefully down the sheer hill towards her destination while sparing only a passing glance back towards The Graves. The Scream had originated from the direction of one of their Blacksites. She tamped down a wave of irritation as she made a mental note to check on the facility later: no doubt they'd be calling on her soon to clean up someone else's mess.

ID was lost in thought as she walked briskly towards the settlement, and with her ears and other [Senses] still ringing from the Scream she almost didn't notice the rubble getting disturbed behind her. She flinched as a creature of chitin and sinew clawed its way to the surface from the rubble nearby. Its huge fibrous wings blasted dust off the rubble as it launched itself at her.

A flash of light and heat; the creature's chittering was drowned out by the shriek of superheated light flash-boiling all the moisture from the air. ID patted out the embers on her gloves as the creature crumpled to the dirt at her feat smoldering. She gazed at it for a long moment before turning her back and returning to her journey. A minor inconvenience.

Or so she thought... the creature's flesh started to sizzle, stretch, and bubble behind her. Its shifting weight resonated through the stone at her feet, causing ID to slow her pace. The sound of dozens of chitinous legs scrabbling against the rocks as its rapidly growing flesh and sinew popped and crackled. She felt a large shape loom over her, and its radiant energy on her back as she slowed to a stop. ID exhaled slowly.

"Apex..."

---

[March 11th, 2045 - 14:17pm - Paradox - Outskirts - Stoneworks Region, Texas, USA]

---

"M-maybe... Rat can dig too?" Ask Rat, muffled as he was pressed into tight chambers of the partially collapsed tunnel. J-3's massive, sinuous claws scraped methodically at the dirt and rock. "No, Cat-Kitty? ... Okay...," Rat trailed off, seeming more and more uncomfortable with the oppressive silence. At least the cultists were busy with whatever monster was smashing its way through the lower levels.

"Sing a song then, Cat-Kitty? Everybody likes songs. Soothing soothing songs... Rat likes the classics, he does, yesyesyes," he informed, taking a deep breath.

"Baaaa-by... Sha-" Rat's voice was choked quiet by tendrils of inky sinew coiling around his neck. "Rat will be quiet now," he squeaked.

They endured the coarse scraping of J-3's claws in the silent darkness for what felt like a long while before the creature stiffened, its flesh bristling unsettlingly like the inky fur of a cat standing on end.

"Cat-Kitty?"

"Cease its mewling," they hissed. Ink swirled over their skin, and they sloshed through the narrow gap to their south, roughly depositing Rat in front of the Templar. J-3 reconstituted, but didn't truly become solid again as they grasped manically at the tenuous motes of [Mana] in the tunnels. Their flesh shifted in swirls of ink as [Something] slammed into them, distant thunder held shakily at the entrance of their tunnel as the psychic storm ripped through the tunnels unfettered by the laws of matter or physicality.

Whatever defenses J-3 had erected failed suddenly, and the thunder of a thousand screaming furies erupted into their burrow. Rat crumpled to the floor, and though it felt as though it lasted hours, it faded as suddenly as it had set upon them, leaving tumultuous whispers in their wake. Rat wasn't moving, at first it seemed he may be dead, though after the tinnitus began to dim he could be heard muttering: "Where is it? Where is it, Cat-Kitty?" over and over.

J-3 was deathly still for a long moment, and in the distance throughout the Labyrinth behind them the shrieks and cries of a legion of creatures driven to frenzy began to drift upwards towards them, slowly growing louder moment by moment. J-3 mirrored their shriek and surged past them, slashing and clawing at the rubble for ages until they burst through the surface and an oppressive wave of heat fell in through the gap. Their destination was in sight: the Cairn Stones marking the border of the Stoneworks not a hundred yards or so away.

Around the bend of the border, near the opposite side of the settlement the flash of fire and smoke roiled vigorously towards the Plate ceiling, and the nearby crackle of rapid explosions echoed loudly throughout the Outskirts. There was a lull in the turmoil, before a cloaked figure leapt high into the air... no, leap wasn't the right word: J-3 could see flares of tightly controlled [Sun-Quiet-Fire-Fury] quickly blinking in and out of existence as the figure used them as stepping stones to reach a lofty position before jumping and twisting, allowing her momentum to carry her backwards towards the settlement. She aimed, framing her target with her hands and then...

The air shrieked in protest as a wave of blistering heat washed over J-3, a streak of fire and light near as fast as a bullet lanced across the gap below her. Even from their relatively safe distance, the tectonic shift of the detonation was enough to throw J-3 to the ground, sending rubble and dust skipping down into their tunnel. There was a tangible pause before the clapping thunder of the explosion rolled over them as the figure splashed through the Stoneworks barrier. She landed roughly but found her balance quickly, thrusting the smoldering end of her cape behind her with one hand as the hot wind of the shockwave buffeted the Cairn Stones.

For a long minute she just stood and looked over the carnage she wrought, making sure her quarry would not get up a third time. She was still, though her breath came heavy, and the occasional wisp of gas would escape the mouth of the red dragon mask she wore before sparking and igniting in the heat. The mushroom cloud of fire and smoke began to billow over the crest... the final punctuation mark on the trail of molten glass and burning rock leading towards the Stoneworks from the Southwest. Illuminated by the flickering fire, ID's burgundy gaze slowly turned towards J-3.