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 They say you can't judge a book by its cover but by its characters and its ending. This isn’t that kind of story. You see, there was this apocalypse on a far flung world orbiting a red dying star and- In any case it didn’t happen and the day was saved? Right? WRONG. The world is never truly safe nor is it really “over” when its over. Every end is a beginning and every beginning is the beginning of the end. Etcetera. This story starts a bit after the end and before the next real beginning. Don’t worry though, it will get there. Plenty of stuff to see and do, but I’m getting ahead of the story here. The Story begins in the TOWER. Pater’s tower. 1000 Years after this apocalypse: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?action=showpost&postid=439640211 Maybe a tad more. In any case, Pater has another group of apprentices among many he has trained. Some apprentices came after or before others, the fluidity of time also makes things slightly muddled. Essentially Pater has called all of you for an unknown purpose. You all arrive in your own way:  A_Bug_That_Thinks - Jacob [Initiate Mage of Ancient Blood Rites] Base Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 100 AY. Homeland: The Tower-lands Jacob walked out of his 900 year apprenticeship to the devil-book and into the hall of Pater. A man in dark robes motioned to him, to follow. A momentary glimpse showed Jacob that the man's eyes and mouth were sewn shut. Crude tattoos like those of the book were scattered on his skin. Slave marks of a demonic thrall. Several busy hallways eventually lead you through a door, which as you enter disappears behind you with a loud boom. The man gone as if he had never been...  Tempus - The Sentinel [Medieval Arrow+Batman] Base Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 573 AY. Homeland: Balenstrand. Caleb training proceeded apace, his experience with death or her minions not forgotten. Many tried to match even one of his skills but soon. He proved too able at many tasks. It wasn't long before Warden Jana found him. She passed for what amounted to the law in Pater's tower. If asked she never told about which test she failed to keep her there in the tower. She took to life there easy enough. She had eyes only for Caleb, his strong notions of what was just and right only making him more desirable. She came to him with sad eyes this day. She bore a message. "It's time." Everyone knew what that meant. She followed you to the gleaming golden portal and clasped your arm. Then she nodded and turned away. Leaving you with your thoughts as you: fall 6 feet to the floor an echoing boom as the portal dumps you into a room with no exit and...  TastyLemonDrops - Gwendolyn [Golem with a Base Race: Golem Year Apprenticed: 667 AY Homeland: Shunt Point The alien construct hit Gwendolyn with the force of a mountain. It's three brothers and sisters came at her with edged and blunt weaponry. Dismantling the first, she advanced on the others. Fanning out the alien machines tried to come at her from all sides, but she was faster. More connected in her movements. The end of the session saw the constructs defeated. Gwendolyn sighed internally. Combat complete. Her trainer clapped enthusiastically. "Bravo!" This time it was Gregor. "It ez time to go for ze final test." He points to the corridor from whence he came. Gwendolyn walked through and entered the room. A wall suddenly behind her as she hears a loud boom...  HiKaizer - Kan [Avatar of the Great Dragon] Bace Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 682 AY Homeland: Wu Xan Kan entered the garden for his meditations. A part of his training regimen for nearly three years. Only this time there was a letter waiting for him. It only said "Come -P". Pater. The three assassins leapt from the bushes. Swords spinning furiously in an ancient style. "We shall go and test again! Pater will choose us this time while you remain here forever!" They screamed as they attacked. The combat was over before it really began. Kan removed their head wrappings. The Wu brothers. Failures in many ways, they were known rogues in the ways of Pater's tower. While it was frowned upon to dispatch other apprentices, it wasn't unknown and justified in self defense. Couldn't have happened to better candidates. A hidden passage opened, leading Kan to a room with no exit. He didn't even flinch as it slammed closed behind him with a loud boom...  Valhawk - Davos [Hypnotic Puppetmaster] Base Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 739 AY Homeland: Keliad Davos and his three 'hands' made their way through the crowded bazaar where he ran the streets. The toughs walking ahead of him made it easy to get where he was going. The biggest walking in the lead was considered the "leader" by many. If only they knew the truth. Davos took over only days after his arrival. A mental message greeted him this morn, startling him but reassuring him. It had come from Pater. It said, "There's a party and you're invited to attend. Bring friends." The last test or tests perhaps? Turning into am alleyway Davos and his crew suddenly found themselves somewhere else. The loud sound of a boom shook his teeth...  Druggeddwarf - Lucien [Living Rosetta Stone] Base Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 948 AY. Homeland: New Renton Lucien was brokering a deal that would earn him some comfort here at the tower. For a while at least. While everyone spoke some basic common, many other species did not. This is where Lucien shone. Alliances between factions, messages decoded into readable script, nothing was immune to his charms. Andlusians and Crixian nobles sat at his table. The feud had been ongoing for centuries in the tower? or was it last year? So hard to keep up. He was a peace broker here. As the final deal was struck the Crixian patriarch slapped Lucien on the back. “Now you breed with my daughter!” This was greeted by many yells of approval by the Crixian contingent. They were half-camel and half man. Lucien blanched but recovered quickly. Before he could speak the Andlusians who were half-man and half ram bleated protest. “He shall breed with our women!” The talks broke down from there, as mortal combat ensued Lucien crawled under a nearby table to safety and into someplace rather quiet. Except for the loud boom of course…  AnAnonymousIdiot - Xozo [Cryptomancer] Base Race: Adojurugani Year Apprenticed: 984 AY Homeland: Adojurugan Xozo studied the sphere. It sat there. Today was a difficult day. Secrets unlearned. Power unearned. Quiet. Peaceful. He yawned. Pater visited him once a week. He didn’t say anything. Only watched. Xozo did nothing with the sphere on those days. After Pater left he worked furiously at the sphere. Almost as if the old man was goading him on. Pater only would smile before he’d fade away. That creepy old man smile. A smile of secrets. Xozo had found another maze inside of Pater’s tower. He’d solved it in record time. Simple things like that didn’t bother him much any more. He found hordes of dead apprentices and other...things there. Mazes had their secrets of course. One day he’d ask Pater where the tower actually was in the multiverse. Or where all the door went. The sphere of Ojijiki twitched a tiny spark of knowledge and power entered Xozo’s mind. Where it took him to was: Sitting on the floor of a large room. The booms were annoying though…  TheNabster - Pablo [Mathemagician] Base Race: Human Year Apprenticed: 998 AY Homeland: Arabardy Pablo finished the argument with a grand flourish. Jord was a mere popinjay compared Pablo himself in the area of mathemagic. Scientist? What was that? Jord would be a mere novice if he could grasp the final equations and let loose the ideas of separation of matter and energy states, why he even- He was stopped by the firm hand of Barl, Savant of the Order of The Knowing God. “Pablo, your falsehoods anger the Knowing God and I am here to stop your false knowledge.” Barl was more thug than scholar, a popular tool of the cult who only existed to further their own knowledge and keep people ignorant. Pablo bowed. The old antediluvian stuff often infested the area with chittering things not of this world but was good in a pinch when one needed to slide between two areas. Pablo tipped his cap and merely wasn’t there. The screams left in his wake gave him a small pause but were put out of his mind by the headache he got from the loud sound where he had arrived. Boom? Is that all?  Posting Convention CHARACTERNAME - LOCATION IC Text you do and flavor. Brass tacks, nuts and bolts, what you are actually doing. No flowery text. OOC text Irc channel is on synirc, channel is #ohgod .If you want to send me msgs via the forums I do have PMs. All of you - Pater’s Tower  You all end up in the same featureless room(together). The walls are made of brick or stone. There are no windows or doors but air and light are in abundance. You all arrive instantly at the same time. You all arrive in a different way. Who are these people? This is your chance to enter with a splash. Flavor time. No points assigned yet, this is the intro. React to each other, talk, take a look around. People will get a look into who you are here. No fake TG first impressions crap just meet and greet, then make your own reactions to who you meet and how they act. I am Communist fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 06:08
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Davos - Pater's Tower Davos and his thralls simply appear in the room. It takes a moment for Davos to reorient himself. Once he does, he realizes that he's not alone, there are others here fellow apprentices of Pater. Luckily his thralls are apprentices as well, if not particularly wise ones considering how easy it was for him to place them under his control. As he assesses the situation, he decides that for the moment, he will continue the charade that the largest of his thralls in is charge. He remains quiet, and subtly signals to the chief of his 'hands' to take up his place in this now familiar deciept. Davos is staying in the metaphorical shadows for the moment, letting it seem like the big leader looking thrall is the one who was summoned by Pater, and he's just along for the ride.
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Jan 14, 2015 07:27
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Dave - Pater's Tower Dave is an rear end in a top hat. I accidentally edited this post out I am Communist fucked around with this message at 02:44 on Jan 15, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 07:32
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Pablo - Pater's Tower Pablo groaned, using relative abstract physics to displace himself was a discomfort to quickly pull up mentally at the best of times, something similar to the manner of one having issue trying to ballroom dance under the green fairy, with similar results. Namely wakeing up with a splitting headache, in somewhere you don't recognise, with compete strangers and some one is yelling at you. At least he wasn't in a lake this time. He looked around through a stupor, the loud lug carried his weight like he owned the place and he had cronies around him, typical, he considered it best to ignore him for now no sense trading one brute's ire for another, and another jump would make him lose his luncheon meal. There were others as well; some savages, some manner of beast, a misplaced garden ornament, a well equipped rogue and what appeared to be another gentlemen of noble birth. He could not quite tell from where though, historical fashion was not his forte and that outfit was ancient by a good few years. He surpressed a smirk, he will ask about his origins and questionable fashion sense later. "Hmm, what manner of test will this be today?" he muttered under his breath Cutting jibes aside, Pablo is going to try composing himself accordingly, he is of noble birth after all and post teleportation stupor is very unbecoming of a noble. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 08:30 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 08:16
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower Please note, that the family name comes first as per Chinese tradition. His first name is Deishu Kan Deishu, incarnation of the Great Dragon Reborn was not intimidated by Dave, although he did not know his name. In his partial avatar form he was and looked just as strong as the thug and his movements were smoother and more careful unlike the thuggish oaf who he could have had on his back in under ten seconds, all done with his eyes closed. He had already crippled three assassins though, and while they would live they would not threaten anyone again. Deishu's sense of justice had ensured that he had made sure of that at least. It would not do to fight further for now...or until he was told to. He assumed a meditative sitting position, his thick tail curled slightly around his waist and waited. Patience had not come easily to Kan Deishu, and he felt now was a good opportunity to demonstrate it despite his inner eagerness and impatience. Outwardly he radiated calm tranquillity, but those adept in reading the emotions of others by the body, their expressions (or their minds) would be able to discern he was not as calm as he appeared. "No light, yet we can see. No windows, yet the air is fresh. The smallest and simplest magics are always the most intriguing." He said observing the room, choosing to ignore Dave for now. He had seen the others, glancing around. One or two he had seen before. The others he had not.
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Jan 14, 2015 11:12
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Gwendolyn - Pater's Tower Gwendolyn had turned around at the sound of the boom, and hurled herself into a roll off to the side, expecting an explosive shockwave. The sudden displacement was reminiscent of D-Day at Shunt Point, startling her enough that when her shoulder hit the floor during the roll, she had made a rather loud 'boom' herself; the floor near the impact had shattered slightly. She'd been drilled to react quickly, but in this particular situation found herself looking quite silly in front of her peers. She remained still, having completed her roll and still crouched and on one knee. She scanned the room for an instructor, Pater, or an objective. Gregor had been quite clear that this was the final test, and the only things she saw in the room were other humans and humanoids, ones she might have seen around but had paid no attention to; she was no longer human after all, and things would have just been plain awkward for her. She listened to Dave's posturing and slowly stood straight, with all the deliberation that a piece of enchanted stone could. She glanced around again for signs of objectives; still, only her peers. Quite deadpan, Gwendolyn declared, "Well then, shall we commence with the combat exercise?" Gwendolyn believes the final test to be a beatdown of epic proportions. Somebody set her straight!
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Jan 14, 2015 12:45
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Xozo - Pater’s Tower His face took on a scowl - or as close to one as his face could make - as he took in his new surroundings; his right arm checking his pockets to make sure his Sphere was on his person and safely concealed in his sack. The reality occurred that there were many humans with non-humans being a clear minority, and that it may be problematic for him if not dangerous. A low muted snort escaped his mouth at the noise, but not loud enough to hear. An idea entered in Xozo’s head that perhaps through these strangers would he learn of this greater magic Pater spoke of. The frown twitched upwards into a neutral smile - again as close to one he could make. There was no need or want to aggravate the others. That courtesy did not appear to be followed by at least one person, acting far too boisterous in contrast to the others. The mention of a ‘test’ from this human caught his attention, and he wondered what exactly he knew. On one hand, he would not have just said utter nonsense without reason; he would have to be some kind of nincompoop if that were true. But if he was brought forth for this test, what exactly was it? Escape the room they had all found themselves in? Pondering this secret was put on hold, as one more person spoke up with intent to fight; an oddly colored human that stood out more than the others to him. Xozo moved to this strange human. “Be at peace, I do not think that is our ‘test’ here.” the Cryptomancer rasped out. His left arm was raised in a soothing gesture. Once more the mention of a test was thrown in the air. “My name is Xozo. If I could ask why do you think there is a test taking place here?” He asked. Going in this fully blind, and hoping this stone-human can settle down and explain herself... AnAnonymousIdiot fucked around with this message at 00:16 on Jan 15, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 20:30
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The Sentinel - Pater's Tower Caleb bid the Warden adieu, a longing look and unspoken words being the only thing that passed between them as he slipped through the portal. Then, suddenly, falling. He righted himself quickly, landing on his feet and springing back up in a ready stance, only to find that the only other people in the room were his fellow apprentices. He sizes them all up, observing the one called Xozo attempting to console the golem. "Combat test would be too easy. There's something here alright, just likely beyond anything we can see at present," he adds, offering a respectful nod to the draconic man offering cryptic wisdom. He casually sizes up the room, eyes running over every surface and trying to find some imperfection, some clue as to the true purpose of the room and its test. "Now if I were going to make a test out of a completely featureless room," he muses, "what would it be?" "I'm sure we can sort that out between the lot of us, though. I'm Caleb, the Sentinel. I recognize your faces a bit, but I haven't got your names. Care for a round of introductions before we get this whole thing figured out?" Tempus Rimeblood fucked around with this message at 23:17 on Jan 14, 2015 |
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Jan 14, 2015 23:12
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower "The test is not combat. I would be victorious." There wasn't any swagger or bravado when Deishu said this, he merely stated it as a fact and the complete impersonal confidence that one had when discussing facts. "Three others tried to kill me for a chance to take the test again." He continued, and the dragon-man looked completely unharmed. "So it is not a test given only to us. Beyond this I know nothing more." "I am the Great Dragon, protector of Wu Xan and reborn as Kan Deishu." Deishu finished, responding to Caleb's introduction. He remained seated on the floor and mostly immobile, although the end of his tailed twitched slightly.
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Jan 15, 2015 00:50
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Pablo - Pater's Tower "Perhaps a test of wits? If so..." He cut himself off from finishing that, and cleared his throat. "I am Pablo de la Arrancha, Scholar, Gentleman, Mathemagician... Former Noble. You may refer to me as 'Pablo' if it suits you, or 'Sir'." TheNabster fucked around with this message at 01:05 on Jan 15, 2015 |
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Jan 15, 2015 01:02
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Jacob - Nondescript Room - Pater's Tower Jacob stood in the corner, quiet. Humans like him (most of them). More than six, less than ten, a few looked dangerous, most looked healthy. A statue, looked dangerous. A monster. For a while, everyone just kind of milled about. The monster started to grimace and contort. Jacob tensed for an attack, or for it to suddenly explode, but it doesn't. Everyone else just sort of ignores it . Another man swaggers up. Loud voice, wide gestures, rounded words. Sounded dumb. He started to ignore them. There! Three talking in low voices. Two look dangerous, and the other walks with a hauteur of one born into privilege. He walks over, past the swaggerts who seemed to know each other, and past the monster and statue. The monster may prove of some use, but the other had no blood. 'Hello. sirs. Caleb, Kan, and Pablo was it? I'm Jacob, son of Joshua of the Tribe of Nimrod. I assume, like you that we're in this together. We should group, pool resources, and work together. I think we should by trying to get out of here,' he says as he puts his ear to the wall and starts to knock. 'After we get to know each other, of course.' Jacob introduces himself to the others as best he can. He also knocks on the wall, to see if he could gain any information on it.
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Jan 15, 2015 01:34
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Gwendolyn - Pater's Tower It was rather difficult to discern what she was looking at thanks to the lack of irises or pupils, but for the moment Gwendolyn faced Xozo. "I was told as much that this was the final test just before my arrival here. That you were not is quite curious. I shall refrain from combat for now, since it seems to be the consensus." Gwendolyn moved little, still 'looking' at Xozo with no small amount of curiosity. She listened intently to the others, keeping an eye out for sudden movement. She knew nothing of the others' professions and homelands, and had no doubt that they knew nothing of hers. "If we are introducing ourselves, I was Captain Gwendolyn Tenney. I see no reason to change that now. You may call me 'Sir' as well, as I was quite used to it." Best to keep things simple while she gathered intelligence. She paused for a moment before adding, "No, I suppose not. Call me Gwen."
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Jan 15, 2015 01:48
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Dave - Pater's Tower "Speak for yourself lizard man!" Dave blustered at Deishu. "Come on guys we'll dig our way out." Dave and his boys start kicking and punching the walls. One of them produces a knife and as he starts tapping stones disappears into the wall in front of him. "Hel-" Jimmy was gone. His words cut off as if they had never been. Dave shrieked in a very unmanly fashion, backing into Davos. "Jimmy no0o0o0o!"
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Jan 15, 2015 02:43
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The Sentinel - Pater's Tower "Gwendolyn. Pretty name, that. I must say it's a pleasure to meet all of you--" he says, as he's cut off by one of the aggressive meatheads disappearing and the other shrieking like a moron. "Bloody hell. Away from the walls, lady and gents, we don't know what we're up against!" He takes up a position central to the room, near the meditating Kan. "Right. We've got a disappearing bloke, some kind of magic or traps in the walls, and one of us has lost his head. Anyone got a conjecture for what could be goin' on here yet?" He continues to muse on the subject, eyes alert but hands idly fidgeting with his bandolier of alchemical vials. If anything were to happen, he'd surely have a way to keep it away from the people in the room. He hoped. Apologies if dropping into a dialect doesn't fit well, I'm not British but trying to play someone who would likely be voiced by Jason Statham on a particularly raspy day. 
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Jan 15, 2015 02:56
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Davos - Pater's Tower Davos grimaced as he was knocked backward, such a waste of a thrall, though it was possible he might yet live. This was the downside of his deception, when left to make decisions for themselves they, as most people, were utterly incompetent. His charade had outlasted its usefulness, this was clearly a problem that would require brains, and not brawn. "Silence!" He icily commanded the still moaning lead Hand as he pushed the bigger man off of him. Turning to the others he take a more concilatory tone, "Do we know he was harmed? It's possible that it might be a method of escape."
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Jan 15, 2015 03:02
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower Deishu considered what had happened, and their situation for a moment. "You are all making a lot of assumptions. Assumptions that Pater will harm us. Assumptions that we should, or need to leave. I was simply instructed to come. Did any of you receive more instruction or information than this? So far the only danger that I have seen is that from each other." He managed to remain calm for now because he did not feel in danger, and because others had made it out unharmed if only to try and harm him. Deishu was hot under the collar, arrogant and prone to solving problems with his fists if he could but he was not stupid. He continued to sit mostly serene, except for the odd twitch of his tail as time continued.
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Jan 15, 2015 04:38
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Jacob - Seemingly Booby-Trapped Room - Pater's Tower 'Let me tell you buddy, Pater ain't got no problem hurting us' Jacob spoke while on his rear end, where he had fallen flat after cartwheeling backwards. The disappearing swaggert had caught him off guard, though by rights it shouldn't have. He spoke to Deishu, but looked only at Davos, unsettled. A word, and the largest swaggert was silenced by the smallest. He couldn't tell if it was the silence of the cowed, or of the automaton. Regardless, it put him in mind of the thrall he'd seen, and his mind flashed to hominid Kutu priests and blood-slaves they could make. He would be watching Davos. Still, first things first' He thought as he stood and began to rustle through his pockets. He was looking for a button, or a small rock, or basically anything he won't miss. If/When he finds it, he walks up close by the Sentinel. It looked like he had a lot of little things to throw. They might serve better than slaves. "Just disappearing like that, it might not be a trap. It might be a way out. I wonder, did the wall react to him, or to his touch?" He takes his small object, and he throws it at the spot on the wall where the swaggert was before he disappeared. ---------------------------------- Jacob keep antagonizing the wall, to see what he can learn
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Jan 15, 2015 07:59
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Gwendolyn - Pater's Tower Gwendolyn was slow to react to the ruckus involving Jimmy, as she was still focused on Xozo. She eventually turned to face everyone else and plodded over to her initial landing zone, her footsteps a cacaphony of stone on stone. Stealth was once her forte, but that time was long gone. "In a room with no entrance or exit, it is safe to assume the exit is either hidden or a teleportation mechanism. I have all the time in the world to wait, but I assume you all require sustenance. Death is a way out, of sorts. Wait if you must, but inaction is also an assumption." She cocked her head and added, "It's also unlikely, but there may be multiple points of interest in this room." Following Jacob's lead, Gwendolyn starts collecting pieces of rubble from the impact point of her entrance, casually flicking smaller pieces above them and tossing larger ones at the walls around them. Throwing things at the walls, as well as the ceiling and inspecting the results. Her loop ends at the point where Jimmy disappeared.
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Jan 15, 2015 08:44
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Xozo - Pater’s Tower The Cryptomancer was relieved that the human - Gwendolyn - calmed down. What she had mentioned aloud raised further questions. He knew absolutely nothing about this test that Pater had summoned everyone here to fulfill, and yet Gwendolyn did. While the others who have introduced themselves have not quite said it outright, they had admitted to knowing this test as well. Some of them have even voiced out the idea he had, and for that the Cryptomancer was grateful. Then there was that one human - Jacob - who dodged the question entirely; could be as much in the dark as Xozo was and waited to see what worth his knowledge had. That is until the human gave one interesting comment before trying to emulate what the previous human did. The people who were speaking up had directed the topic to the nature of that test before the… occurrence with one of the walls. It was unusual to see a man vanish with affecting a few stones. Incident aside, people resumed their introductions and conversation on Pater’s test. He could feel the cold and rough surface of the Puzzle Sphere underneath his fingertips. The temptation to cut through the mystery was there, and it appeared that the people were starting to have contentions over what the test even was. Perhaps Jacob was on to something, and this was indeed a test to escape the room. Yet something about that answer seemed too… simple. It seemed too obvious, which made Xozo dismiss the idea now that a solution had been presented. There was random chance, and then there was bait. Which made tapping into the Sphere all the more tempting with this clear path that Jacob was following, and Gwendolyn to a lesser extent. Of course that meant exposing people to his source of power... With a sigh, the Cryptomancer planted himself to the cold hard ground, and took out his Puzzle Sphere. His hand already manipulating it to the starting position the Adojurugani familiarized himself with. Asking about the nature of the test or how the human managed to leave the room would be a mistake; Pater knew of the Sphere and what it could do. He could feel the clicking beneath his grasp with each movement he made against it, and his eyes darted between the other humans and his Sphere. A better matter to focus on was the nature of the room they were all in - how it was built, how it could summon people to it, and what special purpose it had beyond the test. “I’m not sure if they could all be answered, but my head is full of questions.” Xozo croaked aloud. His stay had given him plenty of time to familiarize himself with the methods he knew unlocked the first secret. That kind of memory left his mind free to contemplate - and vocalize - other things. “What if that human leaving the room is part of the test? As if Pater picked him to spirit away to elicit a reaction from us? Another matter that confounds me is what his relations were with the rest of you... I wonder if he is basing our 'test' on how he'd think we would react as individuals. Does he expect us to act as we usually do, or to go against his expectations?” Turning to the Sphere of Ojijiki for insight on the room the party is in, and hoping nobody tries anything crazy... Also, Xozo is letting his mouth run loose for a bit.
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Jan 15, 2015 11:26
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Dave - Pater's Tower Dave and the other hands instantly went still and shut up. The effect was immediate. Subserviently they stood, as if waiting for unstructions. All Rock throwers - Pater's Tower As you throw rocks you see them disappearing where Jimmy last was located. As Gwen throws a rather good sized rock a dull thud is heard. A small pool of blood appears around the area. Xozo - Pater’s Tower The sphere trembles in his grasp as he twists and moves it. The secret didn't want to give itself up easily but it submitted to his ministrations easily enough. Xozo Only: The wall is an illusion, there is a one way wall of force behind it, blocking most sound and physical entry back into the room you are in. Davos - Pater’s Tower You can usually tell when someone crudely shakes off your influence, like when they're conscious mind is asleep. Jimmy is either asleep right now, is under someone else's control, or dead.
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Jan 15, 2015 14:52
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The Sentinel - Pater's Tower A thump, and a pool of blood. "Right. Walls don't normally bleed. Least not where I'm from. Looks like we may actually have something here." He closes in on the pool of blood, kneeling over it with a practiced eye. He was only an alchemist before he became the Sentinel, after all, but alchemy and materials had their uses. The first thing he does is prod the blood with one of his throwing knives, checking its consistency and coloration to try to verify its age and source. He suspected it wouldn't do much, but it never hurt to try to confirm his hunches before making a move. "Well. I suppose that's that then. Think I've got it from here, lads. Now...let's see what we can see." He stands, with a subtle "hmph," and whips a pouch from his belt, flinging a mixture of flour and a particular starching powder at the location the rock struck. Such pouches had often proven useful in his quest, detecting the locations of invisible assailants and magically hidden caches. He hoped it would pay in dividends for this test.
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Jan 15, 2015 16:28
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Davos - Pater's Tower Davos grimaced again. If the thrall hadn't been harmed before, then he was certainly was now. "Perhaps we can stop throwing rocks before you kill the man. It seems clear to me that the so called wall is porous, so if any of you are skilled in the healer's arts now might be a good time to say so."
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Jan 15, 2015 16:41
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Gwendolyn - Pater's Tower Gwendolyn watched the pool of blood slowly expand out toward them and glanced at Davos. "That's... Unfortunate. I've been trained as a combat medic, so I'm heading through to see what I can do." Finding the point where Jimmy disappeared and slowly advancing in, shuffling her feet so she doesn't accidentally break anything else by stepping on something.
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Jan 15, 2015 19:36
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Xozo - Pater’s Tower A small smile inched on his face as he deposited his Puzzle Sphere back into the sack, which quickly vanished as he saw Gwendolyn attempting to leave the room. There was also the odd pool of blood, but that seemed tertiary to him. He moved to where she was standing and placed his left hand on her right shoulder. “Gwen please wait! You may not be able to come back here if you choose to go through.” Xozo hissed out, his eyes looking right at her, glowing slightly. “There is also the question as to whether or not there is any path to follow beyond. If that human is still awake then this may be a dead end.” His gaze tilted to the spot on the wall Gwendolyn was situated at for a moment before turning his gaze to the rest of the humans. He had better get the information out to them before it leaves his mind. “Excuse me, there’s a false wall here that will not let us come back the way we came if we pass through normally. Would you help anchor us here in case the wall pulls any of us in?” Xozo will keep a grip on Gwendolyn in case she disappears, and try to convince the others to form a human chain or something.
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Jan 15, 2015 21:56
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Pablo - Pater's Tower "An acceptable suggestion" >Pablo has joined the Human Chain party!
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Jan 15, 2015 22:09
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower The dragon-man was unsurprised by Jacob's comments that Pater could hurt them, he was a teacher and had many dangerous students physically competent. Perhaps Jacob had been a disrespectful or troublesome student? "As I said, the greatest danger so far has been each other." Deishu said, electing not to voice the other thoughts for now. Then he rose from he seating position in a single swift movement and moved over to the wall in the blink of an eye. To likely everyone's incredulity he then attacked the illusion with one hand, attempting to twist the flow of magic around the three points of his fingers and to break it. He had trained against magic users in the tower, and people had told him that you could not punch magic or block magic. They simply had not been skilled enough, and possible the incarnation of the Great Dragon. Deishu is going to try and use his mystic kungfu to break the illusion.
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Jan 15, 2015 23:24
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The Apprentices - Pater's Tower Many things happen at the same time. Sort of. Deishu's speed places him well ahead of the flying bag of flour the sentinel threw. As Deishu dispells the illusion too late he sees that it was linked inextricably to the one way field and dimensional space behind it. A scream issues from where the portal once was, then cuts off completely. The space suddenly hurtling somewhere else, possibly somewhere safer. Gwen hits the wall at the same time as the bag of flour. The room (and all of you) is completely covered in a cloud of flour and starch. The Sentinel: The blood is human and type B, you know he ate alot of greasy foods and fats as his blood had a kind of milky quality to it. You also know his parents used to beat him, most likely because he was lazy and in low income families children were beaten for not being productive in his home province. The Sentinel knew that Jimmy was lazy because he had a slow thyroid and undiagnosed diabetes. Batmaaaaaan! Suddenly the room is filled with a titanic sigh. "Ugggggghhhhh" The walls disapear and suddenly you're all in a room with Pater himself.   The room is a large banquet hall. Pater himself is seated at the far end of the hall. "Come on now. Sit. Can't have you all making asses of yourselves, now can I?" His face that was so serious suddenly seems to change as he smiles. "That wasn't your test. I mean, it turned into one but honestly I was getting the room ready and all you had to do was wait. I was sending Karl to come get you." A frogman hops into the room. It burped its name. "K A R LLLLLLLLL." Pater grimmaced then continued speaking. "Yes. We know Karl. Bring my guests refreshments." The Frog glares at Pater and did as he was told. "Now, where were we? Oh yes the contracting. I need an addition made to this room here. Which one of you is the Foreman?" Pater looks at you all mildly.
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Jan 16, 2015 00:40
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower Kan Deishu felt somewhat satisfied that he had been right and that they had not needed to panic, but this was substantially tempered by him being mollified about taking action too quickly. Also, the scream was somewhat concerning and he sincerely hoped the man was not injured or worse by the sudden severing of the various magic. Why did wizards make everything needlessly complicated? He did not know or understand what Pater was talking about and so he remained quiet.
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Jan 16, 2015 00:54
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Pablo - Pater's Tower Pablo stood silent for a few moments, holding rather awkwardly on to Xozo. The fact that the 'test' was no more then a waiting room and not some cunning trick was very... Well he wouldn't say embarrassing but it was something he should have keyed into sooner. Being covered in flour and starch did not help. Eventually he took a step back from the not-human and dusted down his evening finery to quickly make himself look like a presentable gentlemen and not a flummoxed buffoon. "Of course, I suspected this was the case the whole time, I merely saw the need to prove my own hypothesis first." He said, lying as convincingly as he could to save face. TheNabster fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 00:57
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Lucien - Pater's Tower "Ahem..." From behind the gathering crowd, a fairly young man, decently dressed, twirling his fingers in a larged feathered hat that he wore. He slowly walked past the others to the front, with a 'hello, pardon me, oh hi, nice to meet you, good day, man you're big', until he was closer to the tables and Pater himself. "I am not sure about this whole taking charge thing, but since you're clearly offering food, and the last time I checked foremen back home get the best pies, I think I'm the one you're looking for. Again. I think my boss called you Pater?"
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Jan 16, 2015 01:43
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Davos - Pater's Tower Davos was baffled by Pater's question as much as the others. When Lucien stepped into the answer the question, Davos decided to let the man talk, see what the wizard's reaction will be.
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Jan 16, 2015 02:05
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Pater - The Banquet Hall, Pater's Tower "Are." "You." "The." "Dimensional." "Contractors?" Pater looks confused for a moment. The long silence makes you almost uncomfortable. Karl returns with a cart laden with foods of all kinds from everywhere and nowhere, a magical decanter you are all familiar with at high end establishments and high-end wizards for hire carry that can dispense any liquid (including mayonnaise and urine) to drink. "Oh, Karl. About these apprentices here. Yes. I seem to have forgotten something else." Pater looks at each of you. "Well, come one. Time to eat. Your final test begins after your leave this very room. Some of you will make it, some not. I plan on showing you your potential you know..." "You can each ask me only one question. About ANYTHING. If I have the knowledge I will answer you. This is a one time offer." Pater drinks out of a wine glass. (Those astute enough to notice will notice he's drinking poison.) Ok, one question. You may or may not like the answer but he will answer. This can be about ANYTHING. Not just the test.
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Jan 16, 2015 02:27
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Jacob - Banquet Hall - Pater's Tower His heart perks up. Answers.... Aagghh, but what were answers without Trust? What is the point of the Tower? How are all these different universe connected? Why is he looking for apprentices? What really happened the day Yig fell? The more important the question, the less likely he could be sure of an answer. He was tempted just to ask about the poison drinking, but he wasn't feeling so rash. He snorts. "You're gonna have to give me a few minutes to think" He grabs a confection with snow white frosting, and takes a seat (pulling up a chair next to him with a gesture to Gwendolyn). The first sweet bite vents a great sigh out of him. His first food in 900 years, and it was from Pater's own table. ---------------- Jacob eats, and tries to think of a question.
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Jan 16, 2015 04:26
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Kan Deishu - Pater's Tower The avatar of the Great Dragon Reborn thought upon this for a few moments, and then asked; "Is it allowed for me, as the, Great Dragon to have a girlfriend?"
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Jan 16, 2015 04:53
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The Sentinel - The Banquet Hall, Pater's Tower Caleb takes a seat, brushing flour and starch off of his gear before lowering his mask and pushing his hood back to reveal his face. His meal is light - nothing heavy to sit in his gut and make him full and lethargic for the test to come. "I'm no leader. Not even really a team member before this, but there's a first time for everything, I suppose," he says, digging into a sandwich, meat from sone kind of game pig he'd never heard of and a very nice cheese - a treat he'd discovered through having many a lunch with the Warden. As he did so, though, he noticed Pater's choice in beverage - the way the light seemed to be absorbed by it, its viscosity, the faint hint of almonds and the acrid tang of burning metal. It was a poison, and no doubt a powerful one at that. Caleb's brow twitched, as though to furrow, before he caught himself and maintained an impassive mask of calm. The pointed glance, though, could potentially show his awareness to Pater, or anyone else who could directly see his gaze. He sipped at his own drink - cold-brewed tea, no sugar. An odd choice in drinks, especially for a noble, but Caleb found that dipping too deeply into sugary drinks and spirits dulled the senses and caused unnecessary tiredness. Both qualities that he had no interest in. Even so, he continued to eat and drink, keeping eyes on his fellow apprentices to see who would question Pater first. The sandwich had disappeared from his plate, and his drink had been refilled. The dragon's question almost elicited a response out of him, but he stayed silent. It wouldn't do to forget his place. Tempus Rimeblood fucked around with this message at 05:04 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 05:01
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Gwendolyn - The Banquet Hall, Pater's Tower It was rather fortuitous (or not) that Gwendolyn was nearly all white. The flour didn't stand out much on her, but also made getting all of it off quite difficult. She dusted most of it off and resigned herself to being slightly floury. Everybody was so quick to forget what had happened to that poor fellow she probably accidentally killed. She wondered if she should ask about him, but decided otherwise. They would likely never meet again, even if he was alive. The golem looked at the banquet and felt a pang of regret. It certainly looked tasty, but when was the last time she had any food or water at all? Her last meal had been stale rations, and now she didn't need to eat at all. The decanter might have seen some use in cleaning herself off, but well, such behavior in a dining room would have even made the old Gwendolyn blush. The current one had no desire to make her savior question her behavior. "Thank you sir, but I'll remain standing. I don't know if the chairs could handle my weight. As for my question... I've wondered about this, but it never occurred to me to ask you until now: Do you know if my people still live, or was my final mission in vain?"
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Jan 16, 2015 07:20
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Davos - Pater's Tower Davos found a place at one of the tables. One of the thralls pulled out his chair for him, and Dave poured him a fine wine from the magical decanter. Taking a sip from the glass, he looks to Pater. As the first thrall places a napkin upon his lap and Dave prepares him a plate from the assortment available, he asks, "Where do I find my champion, the servant more perfect for me than any other man alive or dead?"
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Jan 16, 2015 07:43
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Pablo - Pater's Tower A question? A few years ago this would have been the one thing he could ask for from Pater. 'What happened to my home?', 'What happened to my country?' But he wasn't quite thinking when he blurted out, "Anything, like 'What is the answer to life, the universe and everything?'" TheNabster fucked around with this message at 11:56 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 11:54
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Jacob - Banquet Hall - Pater's Tower Questions questions, so many questions. He's half-way through his cakelet. The white frosting turned out to be only a shell. Inside, the cake was filled with pockets of pudding in a pandemonium of yellows, reds, and oranges. The small deception worked its way into his mind, flavoring his thoughts. He had an idea. Actually, he had a couple ideas. What's something both want? Answer: a strong apprentice. He stands up, and walks over to the decanteur. He's thirsty. Thirsty for water, thirsty for knowledge. He twiddles with the knobs. Water, room temperature. From a hidden spring somewhere. He drinks down his cup. He fiddles with the knobs again. Blood, When it's decanted, he scrambles the knobs and grabs a small flaky croissant on an equally small plate on the way back to his seat. "I have a question! What exactly Is a fate-stone, and what is their lore?" Isn't that what Pater himself used to slay the Prophet Yig? Jacob could see himself holding a stone. It shone out a deep red light, and it gave him the power to slay Pater and undo his works. //////////////////////////////////////////// Stealth Action: The Ferra people were mostly taiga hunters. Their shamans had certain blood rituals that they used to stretch and extend their senses. Jacob drinks some of the blood to establish the connection, and when the others (and hopefully Pater) are distracted with their own Q&A he tries to stealthily bring the small plate into his lap and inscribe on it the glyph of the Right Ear. When it's dry, he'll put the pastry back on, and return to the decanteur. There, he'll slip the small plate underneath it, where it'll hopefully go unnoticed at least until after the dimensional contractors have left. He wants to know what Pater's adding to his Tower. Among so many apprentices, he doesn't think he'll go completely undetected. So, while he's inscribing the glyph of the Right Ear on the plate, he's also trying to draw the glyph of the Left Ear on the underside of his chair. If anybody notices anything, hopefully they'll think the small plate was the whole of it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jacob asks a question, and tries to stealthily do a small blood ritual to overhear Pater's instructions to the dimensional contractors A_Bug_That_Thinks fucked around with this message at 20:34 on Jan 16, 2015 |
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Jan 16, 2015 18:15
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The Sentinel - The Banquet Hall, Pater's Tower Caleb waits. So many questions on his mind, none leaving his lips. "When will I see them again?" "What wrongs am I to right?" "Why us, of all people?" Instead, he settles on a more grounded, less personal question. "What is to become of those of us who pass your test?"
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Jan 17, 2015 05:21
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