Cytibor's Creations, Ideas and Innovations

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:37 pm

DhAkael wrote:6000+ mdc and a rune staff?
-psshaw- Mamma-Cloud needs a new set of boots.

Is okay though...when the revolution comes, Sebbek and all his ilk will be the first against the wall.
Or is it the marketing department for Sirius Cybernetics?

"Fancy meeting you here! What's the occasion?"
"Revolution."
"Oh! Us too! Seems to be the season for it!"

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:14 pm

Thanks Cy, I now have an aversion to fruity drinks...stupid crocodile god...

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jun 23, 2011 8:30 pm

Monkra wrote:Thanks Cy, I now have an aversion to fruity drinks...stupid crocodile god...

Crocodile...leather...luggage...

GOD crocodile leather....care to speculate on the going price for THAT set of bags? :demon:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:20 pm

I had every intention of posting last week's summary and chat-log today. Unfortunately, I had to go three rounds with a bout of what I believe to have been pneumonia last night, so I am in no way, shape, or form up to doing so. My apologies, hopefully a proper night's sleep will have me back to productivity.

P.S.: It was my first time experiencing pneumonia, and I sincerely hope the last. :-?

shiiv-a · Unread post by **shiiv-a** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:03 pm

~<going on record here and now to inform my fellow gamers that come October, i won't be back in the game. past experience has shown me that group symbiotics gets blown sideways and for a massive loop if not a derail. to save people that issue, i informed the GM of my decision. have fun and game on>~

da Mouse

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:23 am

Cytibor wrote:I had every intention of posting last week's summary and chat-log today. Unfortunately, I had to go three rounds with a bout of what I believe to have been pneumonia last night, so I am in no way, shape, or form up to doing so. My apologies, hopefully a proper night's sleep will have me back to productivity.

P.S.: It was my first time experiencing pneumonia, and I sincerely hope the last.

Gabba hey

Hope yer recovering dood.

shiiv-a · Unread post by **shiiv-a** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:29 am

be careful of the lungs there hun. rest and lots of liquids.
peace hun and stay warm

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:36 pm

Appreciate the concern, I seem to be alright now. I will be posting last week's summary and chat-log in the next few days, for now I will be concentrating on tonight's game, so with luck you reader-types will get some rapid developments in the form of rapid [though probably not simultaneous] updates.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:29 pm

Don't push yourself---that can knock back a good recovery.
We can cover any lapse in posting with alternate forms of entertainment(starts juggling hand grenades, a rabid ferret, a cactus, and a land mine).

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:11 pm

taalismn wrote:Don't push yourself---that can knock back a good recovery.
We can cover any lapse in posting with alternate forms of entertainment(starts juggling hand grenades, a rabid ferret, a cactus, and a land mine).

Don't forget tap-dancing on the head of a Traitor Imperator class Titan's head at full stride...over mountainous terrain

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:16 pm

DhAkael wrote:
taalismn wrote:Don't push yourself---that can knock back a good recovery.
We can cover any lapse in posting with alternate forms of entertainment(starts juggling hand grenades, a rabid ferret, a cactus, and a land mine).

Don't forget tap-dancing on the head of a Traitor Imperator class Titan's head at full stride...over mountainous terrain

Nah, didn't forget. I was just too busy juggling while wearing bacon aftershave and tapdancing in front of a herd of Spiny Ravagers.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:52 pm

"I saw a pale horse, and a pale rider upon it. The name of the horse was Pestilence. The name of the rider was Death." -The Stand, by Stephen King.

Death Marches, Pestilence Swarms

February 4th (contd): After crashing into Katrina, Imala secluded herself in the Scarab with the young woman, before finally calling Persia in for a medical emergency. With their feline doctor performing surgery, Imala was able to sit down and explain to the others what was going on: Katrina was Isis, trapped in human form by Biowizardry, some form of microbe floating in the ex-goddess' blood. Persia, despite having her alien technology and psychic healing techniques, was pushed to the limit in cleansing "Katrina's" blood of these microbes, but cleanse them she did, and the goddess' mind was restored. Thanking the group, and her daughter-in-law, for their efforts, she retired to the rear of the Scarab to meditate, thus beginning the long road to restoring her former strength.

Meanwhile, the group had been making their preparations to leave, and Jase went to discuss tactics and plans with Lo Fung, but was interrupted when the elderly Asian man sensed something foul afoot, and sent the young plainsman back to his friends. And not a moment too soon, for an army of walking dead raised from the water's edge and marched ashore, the most dangerous Horseman at their head, Death himself. The camp quickly deteriorated into panic, those who resisted quickly being slain and added to the corpse-army while the others fled for their lives, fleeing southward towards their intended target of Famine with the intent to regroup. The Dart, meanwhile, struck out east in the Scarab, seeking Pestilence as their opponent, and coming across the ruined city of Addis Abeba, the capital of what used to be Ethiopia.

Deciding discretion was the better part of valour, Jase insisted that everyone entering the city be clad in environmental armour for safety's sake given the nature of their quarry. Fully suited, the party entering the city numbered 4, Jase, Imala, Anna, and Mondo, with the others remaining aboard to keep an eye on the still-dazed Cloud, as well as the meditating Isis. Foraging into the city, they saw the streets lined with piles of disease-ridden corpses, insects gorging themselves on the dead flesh. With their suits keeping the horrid bugs off of them, they forged deeper inwards in search of Pestilence himself, but not one of them had so much as a glimpse of him before the attack came; Mondo and Imala thrashing and shrieking about insects within their suits, Jase seeing an enormous arachnid looming over them, and poor Anna left very confused as to why her teammates were taking their helmets off and casting fireballs into thin air... all while the REAL swarms of insects began to buzz into a cloud around them.

Utter chaos, and Pestilence hasn't even shown his face yet. :demon:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:54 pm

And chat log of the session pertaining to the previous post.

Spoiler:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:57 pm

So as to prevent overload, let you folks read this post, have the other one up later tonight, or possibly tomorrow.

Gotta have at least a little suspense, rapid posts or not.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:04 pm

May I recommend Fuel Air Explosives for bug swarms(mind you; you should seal up against the shock compression waves), and big doses of Vitamin C does wonders for Pestilence.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:38 am

Tell Me You Brought The Giant Flyswatter...

February 4th [contd]: With the expedition into the city going poorly, the group (well, Anna, being the only one still standing, technically) was relieved to hear a groggy-but-recovering Cloud on the radio asking for a sitrep, and they quickly beat a hasty retreat, picking up their afflicted and wounded (namely Imala and Albtraum, both suffering from having had heavy objects dropped on their heads) and legging it for the open sky to gather themselves.

Unfortunately, their attempt at respite was thwarted when the Scarab began losing altitude rapidly, and an emergency landing was performed, resulting in the bottom of the hull getting battered and scraped. Dashing outside, the group beheld a massive beetle sporting an equally impressive set of mandibles making like a can opener... on the Scarab. To add to the problem, Pestilence seemed to have finally taken the field personally, a hulking figure swarmed in insects gripping a rune staff entering the fray.

The battle re-ignited with renewed fury and nastiness, bugs splattering and squishing all over from the efforts of Cloud, Jase and Mondo, while Pestilence's mount took shots from Anna and Briar. In perhaps the most disturbing display of insect tactics yet, Pestilence grabbed ahold of Cloud and literally dragged her INTO his mass of bugs, the dragoon avoiding suffocation and other nastiness only because of her Invincible Armour spell. She returned the favour, however, by casting Sonic Blast from within the bug-man, literally applying a boot-heel to each and every bug in a vile sludge-bath of insect innards. Cloud, understandably, was not pleased about this, but was nevertheless relieved to have escaped.

With Pestilence apparently 'splortched' all over the immediate area, the group turned to the massive beetle warmount and the five beetles summoned from Pestilence's staff, taking down one of the 'mini' (5 feet in length!) beetles in the process, and pounding on the warmount some more. As they readied for group-on-group combat, to their horror, the insect swarms from the city quickly gathered together, forming a NEW hulking humanoid shape, the staff flying back into its' grip.

Pestilence, oddly, is proving a far deadlier opponent than War, trading brute force and lethal skill for a level of devious cunning matched only by the likes of Dominus, Set, and the trickster gods of various mythologies. This is going to be interesting.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:39 am

Aaaaand the chat-log for aforementioned session.

Spoiler:

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 1:07 am

"Round 2...FIGHT!"
seriously, never mind the bug-swatter. Anyone got an industrial sized can of insecticide... or the Orkin-man power-armour?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na1WeMCyABM&feature=related

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:05 am

DhAkael wrote:"Round 2...FIGHT!"
seriously, never mind the bug-swatter. Anyone got an industrial sized can of insecticide... or the Orkin-man power-armour?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na1WeMCyABM&feature=related

Yes! Somebody else who remembers that GREAT ad!

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:44 am

"Round 3...run away run away run away!" :shock:

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 12:54 pm

Make or break time tonight.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:00 pm

Intentional lapse in the update process, the battle with Pestilence rages (buzzes?) on, and I figured you folks wouldn't be too terribly interested in the punch-by-punch commentary without a definite end.

Our gang seems to have planned a getaway for tonight, which means its' time for some deus ex machina options, so oughts to be a more interesting post for ya in the next couple days.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:35 pm

Pestilence Revealed

Feb. 4th [contd]: With Imala rejoining the battle, the group rallied and continued their offensive on the newly re-formed Pestilence and his insect minions. Unfortunately, all was not as it seemed. With the Diamond Eye of Osiris on her person, Imala has the ability to passively see the invisible and other hidden beings, and taking a moment to survey the area for hidden threats, she beheld a 10-foot horned skeleton seated with its' back against the Scarab, not two feet from the unconscious Albtraum being tended to by Anna.

Realizing that the swarm-man wielding the staff was nothing but a puppet, Imala promptly attacked the real Pestilence, who evaded her fire magic and magic net. With his ruse uncovered, the Horseman shifted tactics, using the seemingly endless insects from the city to form THREE swarm-humanoids, hiding himself within one of them in a bizarre rendition of the classic game of 'Shells'. The swarm-men split up, one marching on Jase, another towards Cloud, while the last fired magic bolts of energy from the rune staff at Imala. Each of those marching attempted to grab ahold of their targets, Jase managing to slip away, but Cloud being dragged within once more. Resisting the mental trauma of being wrapped in thousands of insects once more, Cloud was caught by surprise when a firm grip settled around her wrist, pumping a vile sensation up her arm and throughout her body, leaving her sniffing, swollen-eyed, and nauseous. Reacting quickly, she cast another Sonic Blast, dispersing the swarm-clones and knocking Pestilence off his feet for a moment.

Not one to be caught in the open for long, Pestilence brought his cloud of insects onto the battlefield once more, this time forming a buzzing swarm so thick the group could see nothing through it, while Pestilence moved unhindered to begin a rapid flurry of Disease Touches, afflicting Imala and Jase (with a Terrible Cold and Fever, respectively) before once more taking up a hidden position within a trio of swarm-clones.

Fortunately, the group wasn't entirely helpless, and Jase, managing to maintain his focus despite his fever for the moment, (and having been lent the blade by Cloud previously) used Fujin's wind magic to blow the swarm-clones away and reveal the insidious Horseman once more. Taking advantage of this, Imala ignited Hijin (the 40" no-dachi fireblade Cloud gave to Kyros as a gift months ago) and slashed at Pestilence, causing more damage than would normally be expected, and confirming for the group that their foe has a weakness towards magic fire.

Despite discovering their opponent's weakness and preventing him from hiding any longer, the Horseman proved to be an opponent beyond the group's ability once he began making liberal use of his Disease Touch, and they began thinking of retreat, with Jase going so far as to dash into the Scarab to attempt to rouse Isis while the others peppered their foe with the best attacks they could manage. [Whether or not he was successful in the next post.

]

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 1:36 pm

Chat log for above summary's session. Last Thursday's to follow.

Spoiler:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:14 pm

A Narrow Escape

February 4th [contd]: Unfortunately, Jase's mounting fever prevented him from ever reaching Isis, and instead collapsed on the floor of the crew compartment. Anna, having dragged Albtraum inside, decided he would be safe enough there and got on the weapon controls at Cloud's request, burning into Pestilence's beetle mount with the dorsal laser weapon, the giant bug lifting off the roof at last.

With their ride liberated, the group bolted for the Scarab, but Pestilence had no intention of making it so easy for them. Working his magic, he pinned Cloud with a Magic Net and proceeded to barrage her with his Disease Touch, inflicting several diseases at once and rendering her barely able to move, though she fortunately had enough PPE left to use an Escape spell to slip out of the net and make her way as best she could towards the Scarab.

Having reached the Scarab already, Imala dove inside and began to meditate, seeking a solution to their problem on one of her dream-walks. Mondo (also at the Scarab), meanwhile, looked back and saw their leader in trouble, and tried to return to help, but with Pestilence himself bearing down on the Scarab he was unable to get past the Horseman. Thinking quickly, Anna engaged the hover engines and spun the Scarab, attempting to 'clothesline' Pestilence with the wing, though the Horseman managed to duck under the wing, as did Mondo and Cloud. With the aerospace vehicle now pointed past Cloud, the young blond gunned the engines and sent them racing forward, managing to yell for Mondo to grab Cloud as they passed.

Despite the risky nature of the gamble, the group finally caught a break, and Cloud was soon aboard. Ordering Anna into the city, the group were contacted by a voice in their minds claiming it was going to help them beat the Horseman, and asked Anna to locate the tallest building in the ruined city, and start driving towards it. Locating the building in question (a 50 story office block that looked to once have been much taller), the voice then explained the (admittedly slightly crazy) plan in greater detail: They were to keep Pestilence directly behind them, shoot out the corners of the building on the side they were driving towards, and then blast their way through the ground-floor lobby while the building fell onto the Horseman.

Somewhat surprisingly, the group agreed to the idea rather quickly, and Mondo joined Anna on the weapon turrets, firing the tail laser at the pursuing swarm of insects to keep Pestilence angry enough to give chase before switching to the side-mounted plasma cannons to help Anna in blasting through the support columns. Succeeding with seconds to spare, Anna and Mondo prepared to fire a fusillade into the building ahead of them to clear a path, while Imala inexplicably stood and leaped through the still-open hatch of the Scarab, and out of sight. Cloud, not pleased at the risky move by her spirit-sister, nevertheless mustered the last of her PPE to activate the Invincible Armour field on the Scarab to assist in their passage.

Emerging on the far side of the building, Anna drove the Scarab out of the city and up onto a hill before turning to take stock of what had happened. Behind them, they saw the clouds of dust caused by the building's fall dissipating, and the remaining insects meandering away from the rubble as though lost and unguided. Of Imala and Pestilence, there was no sign. Anna and the others turned to Cloud for her thoughts on what they should do next, but Cloud refused to accept any notion that Imala was dead, believing her spirit-sister to be tough enough to look after herself. And right on cue, said demigoddess returned, though not as she had left.

Her appearance had changed, her desert hawk-like wings hued crimson and silver, her dark hair and blue eyes streaked with dark silver, and her voice carrying a distinctly male undertone. She explained that, on her dream-walk, she had encountered a hole in the astral plane that bridged Africa with the realm of the Nile Gods, and had located her husband within that dimension's Astral plane. Explaining the situation to him, Kyros had decided that, regardless of the circumstances he found himself in, he had to help his friends, and when Imala's spirit returned to her body, she brought him with her. When she had leaped from the Scarab, she had his power added to hers, and using their combined mental strength had pinned Pestilence in place with a joint Telekinetic force, holding him still from afar while the building fell upon him.

Using Kyros' magic, the illnesses put upon the group were (mostly) dispelled, and Cloud made up her mind that they needed to go back to Lazlo to refit their armour and recover before any other move could be made. Isis, waking at last from her meditation, apologized for being unconscious during such an important battle, and swore that she would repay the debt she owed Cloud (as Commander) for not having been there to fight at their side. Cloud accepted, and asked that the first thing Isis do to repay them would be to return them to Lazlo, and the goddess gladly agreed, opening a Rift large enough for the Scarab to fly through that brought them back to the Casa.

Unfortunately, the energy anchoring Kyros' spirit to Imala waned after some time, and he was forced to return to his own body, while his last remaining feather (in Jase's keeping) burned away to practically nothing; his life-force is nearly spent, and the group has no time left. Their next moves NEED to be spent in preparation for his rescue, or he will certainly die. The group sets their sights on the Egyptian underworld...

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:29 pm

And the chat-log.

Spoiler:

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 1:31 pm

Slight change in the battle line. Tahlor most likely will stay behind to hold down the side-real 'verse end of things, while Cloud will be leading from the rear (for once). Hope Brightlance and Stormglider will have the van this time.

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:23 pm

I still can't believe that little beetle was still alive...stupid beetle.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 8:44 pm

Monkra wrote:I still can't believe that little beetle was still alive...stupid beetle.

Okay...how badly did you personally get hosed by the supposedly dead beetle?

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 10:32 am

taalismn wrote:
Monkra wrote:I still can't believe that little beetle was still alive...stupid beetle.

Okay...how badly did you personally get hosed by the supposedly dead beetle?

I think it was less to do with how badly the bug bit him, and more to do with how persistent it was in following him around TRYING to bite him. :lol:

And well, those beetle-minions Pestilence summons from his staff ARE reasonably durable, 120 MDC apiece. :angel:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:34 pm

Cytibor wrote:
taalismn wrote:
Monkra wrote:I still can't believe that little beetle was still alive...stupid beetle.

Okay...how badly did you personally get hosed by the supposedly dead beetle?

I think it was less to do with how badly the bug bit him, and more to do with how persistent it was in following him around TRYING to bite him.
And well, those beetle-minions Pestilence summons from his staff ARE reasonably durable, 120 MDC apiece.

Which makes them, what, HALF as durable as Manhatten cockroaches?

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:58 pm

taalismn wrote:
Cytibor wrote:
taalismn wrote:
Monkra wrote:I still can't believe that little beetle was still alive...stupid beetle.

Okay...how badly did you personally get hosed by the supposedly dead beetle?

I think it was less to do with how badly the bug bit him, and more to do with how persistent it was in following him around TRYING to bite him.
And well, those beetle-minions Pestilence summons from his staff ARE reasonably durable, 120 MDC apiece.

Which makes them, what, HALF as durable as Manhatten cockroaches?

Probably.

Still, the roaches don't have massive mandibles that can parry swords and bite you in half once they get you out of your armour. :lol:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:45 pm

Cytibor wrote:[Probably. Still, the roaches don't have massive mandibles that can parry swords and bite you in half once they get you out of your armour.

Nah. Manhatten cockroaches take your wallet and credit cards then sell your identity online(it's the credit card companies that bite you in half when you try to cancel your cards).

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Fri Jul 22, 2011 1:48 pm

taalismn wrote:
Cytibor wrote:[Probably. Still, the roaches don't have massive mandibles that can parry swords and bite you in half once they get you out of your armour.

Nah. Manhatten cockroaches take your wallet and credit cards then sell your identity online(it's the credit card companies that bite you in half when you try to cancel your cards).

I had always wondered how those loan sharks got around on land.

NOW it makes sense.

Have to remember never to just assume I happened to drop my wallet next to a large body of water... :angel:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:40 pm

Shall have the update posted tomorrow; but for now, a preview.

Rest was had, armour was mended, guns were procured.
Deals were struck, a bet was made, a soul put on the line.
A gateway leading to a familiar Hell, in pursuit of a backdoor to the Egyptian underworld.
The Nile War, waged by the gods of the Pantheons of Ra and Taut, is coming to a head, with a fierce battle being waged on the fields and through the dunes of Ma'ip, sacred home of the Nile gods of both pantheons, while a desperate rescue attempt is mounted from within to save Kyros and reclaim the pieces of Osiris.

It's time to storm the gates of Taut.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:59 pm

Cytibor wrote:Shall have the update posted tomorrow; but for now, a preview.

Rest was had, armour was mended, guns were procured.
Deals were struck, a bet was made, a soul put on the line.
A gateway leading to a familiar Hell, in pursuit of a backdoor to the Egyptian underworld.
The Nile War, waged by the gods of the Pantheons of Ra and Taut, is coming to a head, with a fierce battle being waged on the fields and through the dunes of Ma'ip, sacred home of the Nile gods of both pantheons, while a desperate rescue attempt is mounted from within to save Kyros and reclaim the pieces of Osiris.

Its' time to storm the gates of Taut.

So...a trip to the bait shop for worms before a summer weekend fishing for Lord of the Deep?

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:44 pm

taalismn wrote:
Cytibor wrote:Shall have the update posted tomorrow; but for now, a preview.

Rest was had, armour was mended, guns were procured.
Deals were struck, a bet was made, a soul put on the line.
A gateway leading to a familiar Hell, in pursuit of a backdoor to the Egyptian underworld.
The Nile War, waged by the gods of the Pantheons of Ra and Taut, is coming to a head, with a fierce battle being waged on the fields and through the dunes of Ma'ip, sacred home of the Nile gods of both pantheons, while a desperate rescue attempt is mounted from within to save Kyros and reclaim the pieces of Osiris.

Its' time to storm the gates of Taut.

So...a trip to the bait shop for worms before a summer weekend fishing for Lord of the Deep?

If anyone named 'Paul' or 'Usul' shows up, I'm leaving... :frust:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:37 pm

That's The Last Time I Book a Trip With an Infernal Travel Agent...

February 5th: With their preparations wrapping up, the D.A.R.T. had only to wait for their route to be secured to head out, with Imala contacting Supreme Lord Dyval, Sahtalus, to negotiate passage through his realm with the assistance of Alice/Dyrella.

Imala had hoped that by informing Sahtalus that Set had cheated their bargain by omitting a portal connecting Dyval with Taut and Hades, the infernal king would be sufficiently angered to the point where he would assist her (and the D.A.R.T.) in exacting revenge upon the treacherous Set. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The Supreme Lord Dyval had also received a blood-signed contract from Set, which, when invoked, allowed Sahtalus to command any one thing of Set, barring ending his own life or abdicating his position as primary god of his pantheon. This single contract, to Sahtalus, was valuable enough to overlook the omission of even such an important portal, for should the demons of Hades ever invade, he could command Set (and by extension, the pantheon of Taut) into action against them, increasing Dyval's effective combat strength several times over simply by dint of counting more deities amongst their forces.

Shaken, but determined, Imala asked if Sahtalus would re-consider, and the infernal king offered a single compromise he would be willing to accept: the blood-signature of Ra to replace that of Set, for should the group be successful in their raid on Taut, it was likely Osiris would be revived, and the pantheon of Taut's power broken. The only replacement for a blood-signed contract bearing the name of a primary god, in Sahtalus' eyes, was the blood-signature of another primary god. Taken aback, Imala realized that this was something she could not promise, as she had no power or authority to command Ra to do such a thing. Even Isis' offer of using her signature in Ra's place would not change Sahtalus' mind.

With the prospects for the group's plan of attack looking ever-bleaker, Sahtalus offered a slight modification to his original compromise;
"You will get Ra's signature for me in seven days, or you will forfeit your soul to me. One unconditional favour from Ra, or the rest of your life as my servant.....

Do we have a deal?" :demon:

Imala cringed at the offer, for the risk to herself and the pantheon she had married into was enormous, but she saw no other way to succeed in their mission to retrieve her husband... and so she agreed. With the contract signed, in blood (of course), Sahtalus granted the D.A.R.T. passage through Dyval, even going so far as to offer them a guide to speed them on their way, and then broke off the connection. Alice/Dyrella tried to offer Imala some comfort, but decided it was better she simply prepare the portal for the group's transit to Dyval. Jase, having overheard the conversation, was unhappy about the outcome, but said little as he felt it was not his place. Cloud, rousing from her recovery-bed, opted not to hear the exact details of how Imala secured them their permission to pass through Dyval until AFTER the rescue was done.

And so, with their final preparations taken care of, the group passed through Alice/Dyrella's portal and into Dyval Prime, where they were met by Lady Hel, Sahtalus' wife and Lady in charge of the first layer of Dyval. Using her ability to manipulate her realm, she bent the distance between the Gate and the facsimile of Lady Rhada's chateau-like Citadel, where the group passed from Dyval Prime directly to Tundra to meet with the Ice Queen they had freed on their previous visit. Rhada was pleased to see them, and agreed to escort them to the portal in question, being familiar with it as Ammit (one of Set's pantheon) had agreed to run messages between herself and Abdul-Ra, the Demon Lord she had fallen in love with, by making use of the portal. Forming an icy... well, slide, she leaped from the mountain and slid down its' side, the group following with markedly more alarm. :angel:

It wasn't long before they saw the portal looming ahead, it's not long now...

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:39 pm

And the chat log.

Spoiler:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Jul 28, 2011 4:56 pm

Cytibor wrote:[b][center][size=150]
And so, with their final preparations taken care of, the group passed through Alice/Dyrella's portal and into Dyval Prime, where they were met by Lady Hel, Sahtalus' wife and Lady in charge of the first layer of Dyval. Using her ability to manipulate her realm, she bent the distance between the Gate and the facsimile of Lady Rhada's chateau-like Citadel, where the group passed from Dyval Prime directly to Tundra to meet with the Ice Queen they had freed on their previous visit. Rhada was pleased to see them, and agreed to escort them to the portal in question, being familiar with it as Ammit (one of Set's pantheon) had agreed to run messages between herself and Abdul-Ra, the Demon Lord she had fallen in love with, by making use of the portal. Forming an icy... well, slide, she leaped from the mountain and slid down its' side, the group following with markedly more alarm. It wasn't long before they saw the portal looming ahead, it's not long now...

"Slip slidin' away
Slip slidin' away
You know the nearer your destination
The more you're slip slidin' away...."

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:34 pm

Ever Get The Feeling You're Not Welcome?

Also: How to Be Very Lucky When It Comes to Avoiding the Undead.

February 5th: With the group proceeding through the portal Lady Rhada had led them to, they found themselves within Taut itself. True to its' name, the Egyptian Underworld was a dismal place, with an ebony sky devoid of sun or star, lit only by the eerie light of the many ley lines crisscrossing the land between the numerous crypts, and the 'ghost-lights' lining the main roads. The closest thing to a sun in the realm was a glowing blue-tinged light atop a trio of towers in the distance, thousands of feet above the crypts below, though the exact nature of the light was a mystery thus far. Oddly, despite the number of ley lines in the area, there was virtually no ambient P.P.E.

Collecting themselves, the group waited for Imala to point them in the right direction, and following her memories and feelings, she pointed them in the direction of a 'hill' of carved marble some miles ahead, remembering it as having the torture chambers Kyros was kept in. Striking out, the group made excellent time, and upon arriving discovered the hill to be guarded by several skeleton soldiers, which they dealt with quickly (though with some minor trouble, as Cloud was not yet accustomed to piloting the Strike-Wolf. Suffice it to say, one of the crypts atop the hill was given a new sunlight.)

Entering the torture hall, the group discovered it to be empty, and while there was a fresh trail of blood on the ground, Kyros was no longer there. A log-book kept (and thankfully written in Dragonese) by the jailer informed them that the prisoner kept in the room had died, though the group knew otherwise thanks to the rose Imala kept behind her ear, as the flower was attuned to Kyros' life essence, and it had not yet fully withered. Reading on further, they discovered the body had been taken to the 'Necropolis Towers' to be interred with the 'Unhonoured' dead.

Wasting no time, they set out for the towers, but their passage was beginning to rouse the locals, with skeletons emerging from the crypts clad in golden armour and wielding weapons that registered as magic, the Honoured dead of ages past. Deciding it better not to tangle with a horde of undead wielding potent magical weaponry, Cloud pushed the Wolf to full-throttle, clearing the crypts with scant feet between the Wolf's tail and the pursuing dead, who had sent forth golden chariots pulled by lifeless steeds. With the living outside of their territory, the Honoured dead seemed content to go back to their rest, and the group were soon at the base of the Necropolis Towers. Meanwhile, above, Hope and Anna (riding Stormglider) had spotted a procession carrying a sarcophagus using a strange glyph-inscribed section of the floor to vanish.

Studying the base of the tower, and working on Hope's direction, Imala was able to use her knowledge of the Ancient Egyptian language to command the glyph-stone to transport them to the correct level's pyramid, and then to the location of the most recently interred, and sure enough they located Kyros, though the young godling was in horrible shape. Collecting her near-dead husband, Imala began to think of ways to help him recover, but unfortunately was cut off by a report from Cloud and Stormglider, who had remained outside. The Unhonoured dead stored within the towers apparently had a territorial attitude similar to their Honoured kin, and had begun climbing the outside of the tower to get to the group within. Carrying Kyros as gently as possible, the group bolted for the pyramid at the end of the hall, making it through the doorway scant feet ahead of the rising undead within the hallway.

Now, the group had intended to head downstairs and leave the tower as quickly as possible, for Hope and Cloud had deduced that the ambient P.P.E. of the realm was being channeled and focused through the pyramids built into the towers, to a single pyramid sitting atop a nexus at the very top. The pair felt that this would likely result in a 'mana storm' which would be very bad for them, and leaving was their top priority. Imagine the group's surprise, then, when they appeared not at the bottom of the tower with Cloud, but at the very top. Imala, having little time to explain, simply told them she intended to 'use' the build-up of P.P.E. for her own purposes, but before she could put actions to words, 'Law' (Kyros' clone) appeared in the doorway. Well, their luck had to run out sometime... :eek:

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 2:34 pm

And the chat-log.

Spoiler:

Monkra · Unread post by **Monkra** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:16 pm

I am really starting to hate that Law Clone....

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Aug 04, 2011 7:25 pm

Undead and Evil Twins. Yep, and you thought Disco Night was deadly...

DhAkael · Unread post by **DhAkael** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 2:54 pm

everyone survived... barely.

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 3:18 pm

DhAkael wrote:everyone survived... barely.

"So WHO'S UP FOR TWISTER!!!!!???"
*groan*
"moan*
"urgghhkk...."

Aramanthus · Unread post by **Aramanthus** » Sun Aug 07, 2011 2:55 am

I like the RCC at the beginning. The story is very good and enjoyable.

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:14 pm

Rising Wrath, Sleeping Dragon

February 5th [contd]: With the clone blocking their way and the undead behind gaining ground rapidly, the group decided haste was the better part of valour in this particular situation, and bull-rushed the clone, Hope shattering his armour while Imala sprinted into the pyramid with Kyros in her arms to complete whatever plan she had in mind. The others then contributed their firepower to keep the clone's attention on them, and prevent him from following Imala inside.

Once inside, Imala headed into the main chamber, and beheld a laboratory of sorts, but more akin to an alchemist's than a modern one, with many bizarre ingredients at the tables. She also saw that the base of many of these potions and elixirs came from large, clay vases with wide-brimmed tops, inscribed with magic symbols to focus the ambient energy within the pyramid. Approaching, she saw that the ambient magic (indeed, the magic from the entire realm of Taut was focused on this single building) being gathered was condensing into a liquid form. Apologizing to her unconscious husband, she sat him against the wall, and began pouring the mana down his throat.

Back outside, the group's battle with the clone was interrupted by a single dual-rhythm beat, shaking the tower, followed by a steady repetition of the exact same beat, like a vast heartbeat, with even the land below quaking in time with the unearthly echo. Hearing this, the clone panicked, launching into a brief monologue trying to convince the group Imala had lost her mind and it was her they needed to stop. He explained that he had learned 'the truth' of Gaphion's work, that the Gene-Splicer had not had multiple attempts to create the ultimate genetic masterpiece, but that all beings bearing the "Magnum Opus" title were in fact part of the same project. The Gene-Splicer, it seemed, had a fascination with human culture and myths, and had taken the 'Seven Deadly Sins' to heart, making each of his projects follow the spirit of a single Sin. (Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Pride, Lust, Envy, and Gluttony.)

Kyros, he explained, was the first of Gaphion's "Magnum Opus" subjects, and therefor encoded into his very genetic code was a wholly unique capacity for anger, making him more prone to feel rage, and once in full bloom exceedingly difficult to quell. It was likely only Imala's calming influence that led to the godling being able to control it as well as he had, but the clone (who was NOT among the Sinful, merely a shallow copy of one) insisted that they were in grave danger, for forcing Kyros out of his coma would only result in an instinct-driven state dominated by Gaphion's anger-central handiwork coupled with a temporary ascension to true godhood; Wrath incarnate.

Ignoring the clone's ranting, Stormglider, linked with Hope, arrived back on-scene to add some heavy fire-support to the mix. Unfortunately, this reduced the clone to a bleeding pile of ruined flesh and bone, to Imala's frustration, as she required the copy alive as a vital part in the resurrection of Osiris once the pieces of his being were gathered together. Fortune favoured them, however, as another chamber within the pyramid contained a chained Anhur, the lion-headed god having been punished by Set for suggesting peaceful negotiations with the attacking gods of light outside. Sebek, the miscreant crocodile-headed god the group had met before, was also present, having been asked by Lord Ra to locate and free Anhur, so the warrior god could assist them in battle. With a few well-placed shots, Imala assisted in breaking the lock, and the lion-headed god mended the clone's body, at least enough so he would not die from his injuries.

Any celebrations were cut off, however, by the shaking growing worse and the pyramid beginning to crumble around them. Fleeing the building, the group saw the magic energy of the towers beginning to destabilize, most of it being drawn inwards into a single (rapidly increasing) aura, while the extra energy lashed out in blue-tinged bolts of lightning, painting the black sky with green-tinged clouds. Seemingly unconcerned with the crumbling architecture, a figure strode from the wreckage, Kyros no longer. The being had no eyes, making do with eye-sockets filled with fire, his cheeks burned away to accommodate a mouth of obsidian fangs. The usual wings of crimson and silver were gone, their legacy left as wing-shaped clouds of brimstone and fire held in place by the will of the being they bore aloft. His skin was the colour of ash, his hair laced with fire, and he bled molten metal from scorched and cracked wounds. Wrath, apparently, was aptly named, and it seemed the elements comprising Taut itself raged along with him.

Imala, hoping the being could be reasoned with, tried to communicate with it, but the being ignored the group entirely, using the blue-tinged lightning surging from the ruined pyramid to the sky to convey a single-word message across the crypts of the Honoured dead below; rise. The inferno god quickly roused his army, appointing the ruined (and truly dead) corpse of Xsi'Sandro-Kitaur (You may remember him better as 'The Shadowman'

) as his general, and the undead army quickly filed into ranks down below, waiting for their master to lead them through the portal and onto a killing field. Wrath would not keep them waiting long, and upon noticing the Unhonoured dead down below still climbing to get to the group, jumped from the tower, smashing through the ascending corpses like a meteor.

Using Stormglider (or in Imala's case, her own wings) the group made it back to ground to meet up with Cloud in the Strike-Wolf, running through the portal ahead of the undead army and their raging king, though the latter was not far behind them, girding himself in the bones of the bone-dragons he had encountered during his plummet, giving him a terrible visage not dissimilar to an upright dragon made of molten rock and fire. Upon emerging in Neter-Thah, the City of Anubis (more similar to a giant altar than a city), the group kept on running, making it out the front gates with Wrath on their heels, the battle between the pantheons of Ra and Set spread out before them, with Set himself watching from a short distance as his army slowly gained the upper hand (using soul-drinking rune weapons gives them a definite edge).

Imala, calling Set's attention their way, decided it was time to introduce the dark god to the destroyer he had intended to bring forth in Kyros, and Wrath obliged, running full-tilt towards the object of his fury. Set, though initially surprised, responded by sending Apepi to do battle with the raging god, arguing that no matter how powerful Wrath was, his finite amount of energy could not best a true immortal who could never die. Acknowledging this fact as credible, the group decided to draw the god-dragon's attention away from Wrath, Hope and Stormglider engaging in aerial combat while the others lent support from the ground, and Jase inscribed a magic-symbol in the sand, the pattern projected into his mind from a crystal orb that had been in Cloud's keeping. The psychotic dragon took his toll on the group's armour, but fortunately the circle was completed before too long, and Cloud used the Strike-Wolf's rail-cannon to bait Apepi over the circle. Activating, the magic bound the dragon into eternal slumber (though not proof against persistent attempts to wake him) and the group turned to see the state of the battle.

Wrath, his aura burning dark crimson and laced with black, was wrestling with Set, trying to wrench the dark god's Scepter of the Greyhound (greatest rune staff and badge of office) from his fingers, and Set was stubbornly refusing to let go. Under the heat of Wrath's hellfire aura, however, the rune weapon was beginning to glow white-hot, and, accompanied by a blood-curdling wailing from the staff, Wrath bent the rod into a useless tangle. Stunned, Set sank to his knees, and Wrath struck him to the ground, placing his hands above the hyena-headed god's face, uttering his pronouncement; "Set Typhon-Tanis. You hunger to dominate all that you lay eyes upon, and if you have greed for all that you see... I sentence you to see no more." And with that, he proceeded to unleash a barrage of Hellfire Blasts (prototypical deific power from Dragons & Gods

) directly into Set's face, hammering the hyena god into a shallow crater in the sand.

With the battle over, and Wrath's energy running low, the burning god began to scorch himself, and made for the river. Isis explained that plunging into the river here would cause on to emerge in the Nile River, and opened a portal so the group could go as well, hopefully to prevent Wrath from finding some new source of magic to continue his rampage. Upon reaching the banks of the Nile, however, they saw Wrath had run out of both time and luck, for in the midst of attempting to draw in the ambient energy from the Nile basin, Kyros' broken body gave out, utterly incapable of sustaining life any longer, and the burning god toppled backwards into the river, bursting into ashes as he struck water. Dumbstruck, the group took a moment to register what they had just witnessed, but finally, Isis was able to speak, suggesting they make an offering in her son's memory. Doing so, the group stood back, and even the land itself seemed to make an offering, forming a paradise-like oasis on the Nile at the site.

As the group turned to go, Imala remained, and began mumbling about sounds only she could hear. Growing concerned for her sanity, Isis and Cloud agreed it best to take her away from the site, with her daughter jumping to mind as perhaps a source of solace. As they pulled her away, however, the sound of splashing was heard behind them, and, turning, they beheld a naked Kyros waist-deep in the water, looking very confused as to why they were all crying.

More on that tonight.

[And I urge you to read the whole account, goes into way more detail.]

Cytibor · Unread post by **Cytibor** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:15 pm

And the chat-log as recommended above.

Spoiler:

taalismn · Unread post by **taalismn** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:48 pm

Wonder how long it's going to take ol' Set to forget the lessons of his blinding and start plotting revenge...