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The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Sat Jan 10, 2009 5:54 pm
by Lord Canti
THE AWAKENING>>>>>

(The Gott Statue hung quietly in the air of the dungeon, held aloft by forces unseen and unaccounted for. There was no real answer to this oddity beyond the fact that it was one of the game's more interesting nuances, an outdated myth regarding the so-called elemental gods of The World. There were no true gods here. Only edifices. And the release of the treasure waiting before the statue, ready to reward the weary traveler with the spoils of war, would end this illusion. It was all part of the game. Nothing special beyond simple mechanics rendered in code. Yes, the code... The genome of The World. Complex enough to take lives across the breach between mind and machine, as it had stranded a group of players whose only real desire beyond the defeat of the Elites...was to come home. Unfortunately, the power that put them there was the only one that could bring them back, and outsiders did not have access to that power. Still, there were...some things that could be done.)

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(The room was silent, save for the sound of medical instruments beeping, human breathing, and keyboard typing. They kept it dim, supposedly for 'his sake', though they didn't know a thing about him or what he needed, in reality. He was a corpse to them, a dead body that breathed and still required nourishment, but possessed no functions as a living being. There was a game once that had a name for this condition, except that Apathy Syndrome required the subject to be conscious at times. Damon was not. She kept watch over him and he had never so much as flinched during his game-induced coma. A victim of The World, only she knew the full story. Under the pretense of doing a medical study, she was investigating the phenomenon. At first, it was just to tail the rash of disappearances by following a group of explorers into a hacked realm using...subtle methods. Now, however, the mission had changed. She'd been in contact with the young man whose coma she was overseeing. It was a hard and trying process, but it helped that he didn't have any next of kin to require permission from to go to the limits that she had. Still, what she was about to do now was a bit beyond what even her employers had in mind. The reason behind it, though, was twofold. First, it was to help out the young man in the coma, and second...a challenge had been raised.)

"Now, we'll see who's powerless, Marionette."


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(They say you can't truly appreciate The World except from the inside. Well, some people have work to do in the real world and must remain so, thus they send envoys on their behalf for not being able to interfere directly. The area of the Gott Statue, deep in the cold dark cave-like dungeon, suddenly flickered, as did the treature chest nearby. It was suddenly in a different position, facing backwards, sideways, and then upside-down. The chest itself began to warp and distort with implanted code before finally resolving itself, and then everything went quiet. The deed was done, and now there was only to wait for the nearest sucker to open Pandora's Box...which didn't take long. The room soon had a new arrival, a Wavemaster - called Mackie - in a green tunic. He stepped into the room, looking around carefully before breathing a sigh of relief.)

Mackie: Phew! And they thought I couldn't go it alone. 'Wavemasters are for support, dude.' Hah! I may not be a high in levels, but I know where my head is. It's an equal-opportunity World, boys, and I don't see anything stopping this magus from taking his share.

(Flipping his staff in hand, he did the traditional chest-tap to make the reward pop forth. Then, it would be time to hit the topside area and Mac Anu to report his success! Mackie waited for the chest to respond, and found...it wasn't opening. There was a sound in the background, sort of like a loading noise. Ack... Not lag at a time like this! The Wavemaster stood impatiently, sighing in annoyance. Finally, a message came up on his screen.)

Acquired: Bogie!


Mackie: Eh? Bogie? What's tha- AAAAGH!!!

(At that moment, the treasure chest EXPLODED with considerable force as a creature forged in hell burst from the box and pounced on the Wavemaster! The player found himself pinned by a large monstrous hound, that had to be almost as big as a human being! It was a demon dog of some kind with thick horns on its head and freakish pupil-less white eyes. Mackie was in a panic. Was this some kind of in-game boss character? A secret quest-beast? What was it?! Well, the Wavemaster really didn't have time to find out. While nervously going for a spell to cast, the devil hound swiftly ripped him a new one with its powerful jaws. Too bad about Wavemasters. They have distance-killing power, but their actual defense is such that you NEED to kill a beast at fifty paces, or else your health is in half in no time flat. And Mackie's was already down from a previous fight. He was grayed and put to death by the Baskerville beast. It looked around for other targets for a moment, and only raised its somewhat drooping ears when a sound was heard from behind. The Gott Statue had fallen, and then disintegrated into a tornado of dust and gravel. From there, a vague fox-like visage appeared before it.)

"Well then, you know what to do...Shadow. Go find your master."

Shadow: Yes... The master awaits.

(A dark voice emanated from its throat - Like Orsen Welles as Unicron - without moving its mouth. But there was no human here, only Zuul...or a creature similar. A terror dog, hellhound, or otherwise equivalent beast... The only real thing to set it apart from other monsters - aside from the fact that it fit no category known to CC Corp - was a simple leather collar with steel studs embedded in it, and a simple brass tag. The tag had the name "Shadow" inscribed on one side, and the sign of a fox on the other. In two worlds, Reyome smirked as the dog ran off through the dungeon and into its new life in The World. He would be the eyes and ears, arms and legs, and whatever else that she was not allowed to put into this game herself. Rules were meant to be broken, sometimes. These Elites had to be stopped, and those who were their victims needed help. This was her commitment to the cause. The impression of the fox's presence disappeared with the whirlwind, and the canine was left to its own devices.)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(There had been little to hunt in the deep recesses of the dungeon on the way out. The Wavemaster had done a decent job of carving a path through the caverns. The hound used his scent to retrace the path through the area. No human in this World had the gift of in-game senses, but a creature of the game certainly would. Grunties were a prime example. The monster dog prowled along until it reached out of the cave into a more open area filled with ice. From here, the canine senses detected - and confirmed via the map - the presence of very many things to kill. You can't tell from his face, but Shadow was now grinning, as the placid ice world music of the field was replaced by a more amusing tune...)

Shadow: Time to feast...

(The evil hound cast Ap Do upon itself and ran in the direction of the nearest prey, apparently empowered by a few in-game spells. Over an icy hill it bounded effortlessly, trouncing the nearest low-level monster without missing a beat. There were others in proximatey. That was when the beast let loose such a horrid sound... A reverberating howl, hauntingly mournful and viciously steeped in terror-inducing vigor. it was the call of a creature whose voice sends chills down to the base of the spine, resting there to cripple movement or otherwise terrify. One of the game monsters froze instantly, caught in paralysis as the Bogie struck down the other one in a pounce of teeth and claws, leaving the motionless one to be gnawed at with patience. Shadow was empowered with spells of speed, paralysis, and darkness. He would provide backup for the master, once he found him. The Bogie would home in on his brainwaves wherever he went, and follow. A little surprise for a certain Twin Blade...)

OOC: I'm gonna be writing about this, off and on, probably until the actual side-quest. Got tired of keeping the idea on the sidelines. Besides, this is fun.

Re: The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 7:29 am
by Lord Canti
SHADOW-RUN>>>>>

(So then... This was The World. The hound looked it over, once it had gotten enough of the hunter/killer instinct out of its system. Couldn't be helped, really. This was a demon dog built without expectations and assumptions regarding The World in general. Effectively, he was a stranger in a strange land, an outcast or an islander returned to society, having forgotten - or rather, never learned - the traits and tasks that follow an orderly society. All that he knew was what basics were built in by the Creator, and that somewhere, out there, the Master awaits... The mind of a pet creature is not one that understands its place in The World, but rather understands that it must follow its master, because HE is the one who leads and understands. Therefore, this simple frozen tundra game field...required exploration to be understood. Shadow turned and scratched a piece of stone with his claws, making a mark. Without the master, he had no map, but he suspected...)

Shadow: Begin the test.

(Suddenly, the demon dog bolted, howling menacingly as the wind whipped in its face. Its progress in the particular direction continued for some time, right up until it had probably gone through the whole length of the place several times. Noting the scratch mark that it had made previously, Shadow concluded that the field was an infinite loop. That was when the Bogie noticed...the options menu. Yes, it had been built with certain player features. As in...it could access status windows and all that. Since there wasn't much that it could do NOW - lacking money and items and such - the perusing of the list finally came down to one thing.)

Shadow: Gate Out...?

(It sounded right, so he tried it. Immediately, teleportation rings encircled the dog demon and Shadow found himself standing...in Mac Anu, right by the Chaos Gate.)

Shadow: I see... This is a strange World indeed.

(Wandering around the aqua capital found the hellhound this... He understood that The World was interconnected not directly, but by portal, and that finding the master was going to be more difficult this way. For instance, there was a definite trace of his dark scent. He had come here many times, and some of that scent depicted that it was under urgent conditions. He hadn't been here lately, though, and the trail went out from the Chaos Gate, all over and around town, and right back to the same spot. There was no way to track him like this. Only the most sensitive of Shadow's senses, more ethereal than all, told him that the master was simply...elsewhere. However, before he could go off in pursuit of him again, a new scent assaulted the Bogie's nose. It was the master's, only stronger! Okay, so he ran and leapt to the nearest person with that scent and-)

"Aaagh!!"

(-it wasn't it, naturally. It was someone who had been in contact with him. The devil dog stood upon the agile and wolfish player known as Rabid. The player was stuck on his belly because the dog had pounced and pinned him, with a nearly-all-white Wavemaster standing nearby. The other player, having the kanji symbol for "Doubt" on his forehead, was known as Toshiro. They had met Canti before, even been partied with him. Now, Toshiro watched this new turn of events with interest.)

Rabid: God, what is it?

Toshiro: You've been toppled by a hellhound. Did you hear of any events today?

Rabid: No, I didn't! Now, get it off of me!

Toshiro: Patience, patience...

(Toshiro was now attempting to prod the beast off with his Relief Lance - which made for an ironic pun, considering the need for relief - but the monster would not be budged, as it proceeded to sniff Rabid from head to toe for signs of the master.)

Shadow: Master not. Continuing search.

(And then, it proceeded to pounce Toshiro!)

Toshiro: Naugh- OOF!! Oh, not me too!

(Yup, same deal. Only this time...people began to notice. Several groups of players saw Toshiro prone now and Rabid picking himself up, and they were talking amongst themselves...wondering if it was an event monster. The white-clad Long Arm took the initiative, and proceeded to speak out...)

Toshiro: Yes, it's an event monster! I hear it's worth alot of experience, but I don't think I can take it! Assistance?

(Several volunteers suddenly got Shadow's attention, followed by EVERYONE ELSE as they proceeded to chase the special monster roaming the town. It led...to a chase scene. People crossing bridges and leaping down steps, all of them trying to catch up with the beastie, who had cast Ap Do on himself. Eventually, people lost track of where they were going in the back, and at least one person got trampled. Finally, there was a decided drop in chasers as Shadow leapt to the river, on and off a boat, and watched a number of them faulter badly, plummeting into the drink as they capsized the boat. Finally, in an alley, a party of adventurers seemed to have him cornered.)

Blademaster: I'll get him.

(The Blademaster went into the dark alley, screamed, and was thrown out, character dead. Remember, this is Mac Anu. Mostly low-level players! Suddenly, there was a most haunting and terrifying howl, reverberating throughout the alley. And the Twin Blade of the group froze in place! Something impeded his motions, as the dog-beast leapt upon the other Blademaster and proceeded to bite and claw him up, followed by a round of the same for the paralyzed character. Afterward, Shadow headed out into the open again, and let off a growl at the other low-levels. They kept their distance, mostly. On the way back to the Chaos Gate, he heard movement and dropped an Ani Don spell on a character trying to sneak him.)

Heavy Axeman: Dah!!

(From there, the demon dog reached the Chaos Gate and accessed another location. No one was exactly sure which, but this began to start some pretty weird fucking rumors.)

Re: The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 12:50 am
by Lord Canti
FUGITIVE FROM LONESTAR>>>>>

"So, hey. Did ya hear about the rumble in Mac Anu?"

"No, what happened? I was studying for a test."

"Some guy was throwing a party and their pet cougar got loose."

"Don't you mean Grunty?"

"I don't think so. It was a bit umm...feral."

"Oh..."

(This is The World. Things happen in The World that are abnormal to the regular outside way of life. For instance, in no place on Earth could you find a perpetually night-driven city with airships flying through the sky amidst a thousand different colors. No, not on Earth. You could replicate some of the conditions, but even then you wouldn't come close to that of Carmina Gadelica, Cultural City of The World. At this time, there weren't so many people on this server, but the two in which we focus on at this time were about to become an important detail to the story. The shorter one was a Caucasian male wearing a designer blue-black Wavemaster robe alone with a green floppy hat, name of Magi-Meister. The other was of a taller sort, a Heavy Blade called Shokune, who had taken the shape of a black-and-red oni samurai. He looked like a monster, but was neither that nor even Japanese. He simply liked myth...and haiku.)

Shokune: Grisly beast of hell,
Tearing through the block party,
Ghostbusters reference.

Magi-Meister: Ah, you noticed.

Shokune: I know you watch alot of old movies, but this isn't really funny. You're saying a monster was in town, and it wasn't an event.

Magi-Meister: Some guys thought it was an event, but they were mistaken.

Shokune: This doesn't worry you, then?

Magi-Meister: Even if it's a little spooky, it's still just a game, you know.

(The two of them were off to the item section of town to pick up some much-needed supplies for their various quests. These two were a team, you see. Friends who did everything together and all that. Judging by the way they spoke, it was fair to say that they were at the high school level. Now, as they approached one of the item merchants, the two of them noticed the curious absense of the NPC. The Wavemaster slammed his fist on the counter and shouted.)

Magi-Meister: Hey, what is this? Damn computer bugs... I need a freakin' merchant here!

(Suddenly, a large paw - like that of a canine's - slapped down on his hand hard, claws jutting out. Magi-Meister looked down at this with surprise, and then focused on what his friend was also looking at. There was a monster staring him in the face, a beast of hell with a feral glint in its eye. He shuddered and tried to back away, but found himself stuck because of the paw. And then, the monster spoke thusly...)

Shadow: There is no merchant, only Zuul.

(From there, the hulking canine form leapt out from its spot hidden behind the counter, pouncing the Wavemaster and shooting past the Heavy Blade before he could react. Magi-Meister found his HP bar down, as a result. But...why did that happen...in a town? For several minutes, neither of them could figure it out. And when they spoke to a band of Cobalt Knights, they reasoned that the beast must've been hiding in the booth while mauling the merchant. Of course, since merchants had no hit points, they were nothing more than tackle dummies in the line of duty.)

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My name is Apollo, and I am not a god. If I were, you wouldn't find me sporting the colors of a Cobalt Knight. No, not at all... Mine is that of a themed character, a Blademaster with a divine sword of justice, charged by the CC Corp to moderate The World. Likewise, I work with two others who chose my line of reasoning, that of Ares and Artemis. In Greek myth, Artemis was Apollo's sister, a huntress who favored the bow. The player is an Archer, but I have no relation to her. Neither to Ares, for that matter, who is a Heavy Axeman of fair skill. Our group is codenamed the Triple-A, as per our standards...and the beginning letter in our names. We wanted to be the A-Team, but that would just cause confusion. Besides, I have no cigars.

(The following is a true story, or as true as The World can be. The names were not changed, because there was no need. Seriously, they're handles. Not a breach of privacy in any way. The Triple-A was a group of three that found that they liked to work together and it stuck. They had ranged attacks, brute force, and style. The only thing was...they still looked like Cobalt Knights, but it's what's on the inside that counts, right? In any case, they had a job to do, one in which each member found it necessaary to self-narrate, losing themselves in the part.)

Artemis: There had been rumors of a wild hellhound running loose in Mac Anu, and then on to other servers. We were called to handle it. Not for any particular reason, mind you. It was simply our turn. We're not recognized as any sort of specialists yet. Just people that do the job, which is okay by me. I am an Archer. I set my sights on a target and stay on 'till it's been hit. This particular badass had a headstart, but luckily we caught wind of the attack in Gadelica. A Wavemaster had been trounced and there was at least one witness to the affair. Perfect.

(Yes, Shokune and Magi-Meister had reported their accounts to these three, shortly after placing out an admin call. To be honest, they'd been rather surprised to simply find Cobalt Knights coming their way, but the trio had explained that the Admins were far too busy to take on a trivial matter such as this, which could be easily dealt with by The World's finest. Little did the two ordinary players know that this was a ruse to keep them from nosing around in business that did not concern them...)

Ares: I'd known that the Admins were a little short-staffed at the moment from day one. I was there during the incident in Mac Anu, the strange battle between staffer, hacker, and player with monsters lined in between. Outside, though. I hadn't gone in because I was delayed. And when I saw the damage done...I'm glad I was. Since that time, however, I've been itching to cut whoever did that right in half. Oh, it fits the character alright. This is war, and I will take on any battle I see as necessary, straight to its gory conclusion.

(But this sudden rash of incidents were bothering him, as well as the other members of the team. The fact is, there had been a number of weird things going on, and this damn Baskerville Hound was like the latest succession of them. It was a monster hanging out in towns, or pursuing something in the fields, all while attacking players at random and damaging them like a special event was going on. This couldn't be allowed to continue. People would lose faith in the system. They had to act.)

Apollo: The only problem is...where do we start? Finding one tiny rogue in this system isn't easy.

Ares: Covering the servers isn't so much a hassle, but all those three-word fields... That's like finding a needle in a needle-stack.

Artemis: You mean haystack.

Ares: No, I really don't.

(Hiding a monster in an infinite space was bad enough. Hiding that same monster among hordes of other monsters was insane. They stood in Carmina Gadelica without a prayer. At least...right up until the damn beast walked right by them! Shadow moved along without a flinch or any impatience in motion. He simply did not know that he was among law enforcement...yet. Of course, that wouldn't last for long. The three guardsmen gaped at this and then drew their weapons.)

Artemis: I just need a clear shot...

(She aimed for a headshot - BOOM! - but the bobbing around he was doing while walking caused the blow to merely glance...across the left horn. The white eyes of the dog-beast glared back at the shooter menacingly, teeth suddenly bared.)

Artemis: Oops.

(A sudden lunge and she was toppled, part of her HP gone as the other two struck next. NOW, the canine recognized that these were more than your average players. The three knights were a viable threat, and one that had already pissed him off. Artemis went to nock another arrow, but the arms froze along with the rest of her body as she was paralyzed. Apollo and Ares immediately split up, the Axeman guarding the Chaos Gate and the Blademaster giving chase. Because the demon was so versatile, he only did small damage to it. However, in his efforts to run it through, he was forcing the dog back to the Gate and into a pincer attack. Ares waited patiently, and then swung down the mighty axe, perfecty timing! The axe...halted before the swing could be completed. It was stopped dead by a mouth full of teeth as the monster caught it in his jaws.)

Ares: No way. You did not...

(His sentence was never finished. The devil dog pulled and flipped him into the face of his chaser, that of Apollo, then made for the Chaos Gate. Right before being in range, though, Shadow let out a yelp of pain as an arrow was shot into his side at an angle. He looked back to find Artemis unfrozen. However, not being a foolish creature, the dog let off a growl of irritation, and left the server.)

Apollo: That...was not what I expected to happen.

Artemis: Come on. That arrow had a temporary tracer on it. He's gone to Dun Loireag.

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(Later, an intensive search for the hound was conducted, but the arrow's effect had worn off and they didn't find him. It was a moment of great aggravation for the three of them, as they had been so close and the monster had slipped through their fingers. You couldn't blame them, though, because they still thought too much in terms of the game's ordinary physics. It did not occur to them to look over buildings. For if they had, they would've found the demon dog lying upon an item shop, sleeping.)

Re: The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:07 am
by Lord Canti
THE SIXTH WORLD SCUTTLEBUTT>>>>>

(While there is no reliable info from a player's perspective on the mysterious events of The World, it is a fact that sudden occurrances tend to spark discussion on the net, outside of the playing field and in the realm of text. If there is any place other than the official channels to get news, it is here. The following is a relevent thread on the subject of the monster hound attacks throughout The World...)
SUBJECT: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Alright, there's been alot of on-and-off talk of this murderous hell-hound in The World. It's getting to be a serious issue by now, so I'd like to consolidate it to one thread and figure this thing out. Post everything you know or have heard about it, and whatever else you deem useful. (And I mean USEFUL here, people.)

I'll start by stating the obvious: There's no word from CC Corp about this bastard of a dog being part of an event. If it's theirs, they're not owning up to it. And, as far as I know, it PKs without hesitation or mercy, as you would expect of a monster.

Okay, show me what you've got.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ripster


What kind of a monster is it? You say 'dog', but like... Hell Doberman? Sled Dogs? I mean, what IS this thing?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ganesha


The beast is not of the normal venue. You can tell, since it's not described as one. If it were a Hell Doberman, for instance, someone would say that it's on fire.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Well, it's not, so you can scratch that. Sorry about that, folks. My bad. Our culprit is sort of a medium-sized beastie, around the same mass as a human being. It's got horns, teeth, claws, and it's FAST. Now, on with the discussion.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Noh-Cannadu


Yeah, that's the one alright. Saw him tackle a guy in Mac Anu before things when nuts. Speakin' of nuts, you're not gonna believe me, but...the two guys it jumped? Totally got out alive.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Paladin


Surely, you jest. That dog's a killer! I heard quite clearly that not one soul came away unscathed. As it was with my party, three rooms away from the Gott Statue when BAM! Bowled over by a ton of ugly while my friends are paralyzed!
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


What happened?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Paladin


Would you believe I gulped down potions like water and button-mashed?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Yes.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ripster


Yes.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ganesha


Absolutely.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Paladin


It ran off when it felt its HP getting low. We couldn't pursue. It had Ap Do and I was in no shape or mood to follow.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Toshiro


I see I'm not too late. Greetings to all. I would like to report what I know on the beast. I had been, er, one of the people tackled by it earlier, and have begun to observe its movements from a...discreet distance. In this, I noted two things. First, it is a voracious fighter, attacking players and monsters alike. And second...it has a collar, which means it belongs to someone.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Hmmm, well that IS interesting to note, but even other dog-monsters have collars.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Toshiro


Understood, though at a closer inspection, I'm certain to have seen some writing. I wasn't in the best of positions to read it, though...
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Paladin


I can confirm a collar, at least. Thought I saw a symbol, though. Not writing.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Noh-Cannadu


Which makes it certain this dog is custom. So, out with it. Is this CC Corp or hacker-fodder?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Lacking any information from CC Corp, I say hacker...and they don't want to admit to it. I've seen the Knights around, and they're pissed about SOMETHING.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Darkside


Well now, this is fun. A topic I have real interest in. The maker of this dog is very creative to come up with THAT. Have any of you read Sherlock Holmes?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Noh-Cannadu


Oh crap... That howl! The hound! The Baskerville Hound!
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Darkside


Yes, exactly, though I know one or two other references.
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ganesha


Hey, you know... It COULD be something I heard about in this RPG called Shadowrun. Wasn't there a dog that could paralyze people...?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Ripster


Hey, how long is the writer gonna keep putting in these jokes anyway?
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Noh-Cannadu


Agh! He's breaking the Fourth Wall! OUST HIM!! OUST HIM!!
SUBJECT: RE: Hell-Hound Attacks.
BY: Hans


Can we stay on topic, please? Now, let's hear from someone else...
(And so on. The discussion continued for hours, though any revelation made was purely through speculation, with the exception of three people. First, Toshiro, who had seen the beast up close and heard it speak. He did not mention the talking part, because he wished to remain credible. Second, Darkside, who was apparently well-read and probably knew the Shadowrun reference without the curious debacle about the so-called Fourth Wall. As for the third one aware of things, she knew a great deal about the hound, but did not post even once, since she was checking up on her creation, rather than engaging in idle chit-chat. Why hadn't Shadow found him yet? Or his secondary target? You'd think one of them would show at some point...)

Re: The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:26 pm
by Lord Canti
CRITTER DEPARTURE>>>>>

(Inside a sparsely-lit room...)

"You're probably wondering why I called you here."

"Pffft, heh heh heh heh..."

"Who was that suppose to be?"

"Sean Connery, I think."

"You're funny, man."

"Well, I don't think it sounded a bit like him.

Shadow: Indeed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One hour ago...

(A fair number of Cobalt Knights stood by the Chaos Gate of Fort Ouph. They were faced by three other slightly-stronger players with the same outer design, fellow Knights. Their names: Artemis, Apollo, and Ares. With this complement of varied warriors along for the ride, they had fifteen in total to cover this area. And why not? The place was big enough. So now, they had to organize this rabble.)

Apollo: Sorry to call some of you in on short notice, but we have a monster harassing players within the safety of the servers. It is causing glitches in their save files and general damage to the towns themselves. Now, we have located it here and secured the only way out. Six of you will remain here to guard it while the rest party with us three to chase down the beast.

Wavemaster: Why can't the Admins handle this?

Ares: Mind your own business.

Artemis: You've all received information regarding it. Do not show any mercy. It is a dangerous creature. You will, of course, allow players to pass and go about their business. Now, let's move!

(And so, it began... The wild creature hunt inside a fortress on top of some cliffs that lead to nowhere. However, as it turned out, they weren't the only ones looking. Artemis' team found the monster dog first, and gave it chase. He fled down one way and up another, smacking right into the man on Ares' right in passing. Heading for the Chaos Gate, a number of spells blocked him from approaching, and thus he went in a different direction. This server town had only so many ways to go. However, as Apollo's group approached Shadow, there was a thunderclap and all three in his team were boweled over by some lightning-quick thing that preceded the dog stepping all over them. The chase continued, and Artemis' group found themselves ensnared by creeper vines.)

Artemis: Someone is working against us...

(And not two seconds later, a massive blizzard befell the entire town, cranking down visibilty to almost nothing all over the place. Nearby a shop, a Shadow stopped, and heard a female voice speaking to him.)

"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe."

Shadow: Identify?

"I'm a friend."

(Shadow decided to trust the unknown player, but only for certain reasons. First, she did not smell like the Cobalt Knights. Second, she appeared to be causing this real-time weather hack. And third, underneath everything else...there was the Master's scent...)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now...

(He sat in the middle of the room, which was one of those private areas they leased out in Mac Anu. It was just an ordinary-looking room with bits of furnature. The players were the ones that stood out. One was a short-ish lizard-man - Rakkatat - with a plant motif going on, a Twin Blade. The next was some sort of white-haired blind fox-man - Michelo - with the power of lightning, a Heavy Blade with a katana. The last was a catgirl warrior - Kalina - with long brown hair tied off at the end, a Blademaster. All three of them had had some minor contact with Canti before, which they explained to the demon dog in order to gain his trust.)

Michelo: So, what's up with the guy, anyway?

Shadow: I do not know. My mission is to search the ends of The World for him until he is located.

Kalina: And you've been to all the servers?

Shadow: Correct. There is no further sign of him. I do not know where he has gone.

Michelo: Then, how do you know he's still alive?

Shadow: I know...

(He had information from outside of The World, of course. There was still a pulse, so he still existed somewhere. The question was...where? This led to a severe hampering of the mission, and it was more than doubled by the actions of the Cobalt Knights.)

Rakkatat: Yeah, them Knights are real a-holes. You can't sneeze without them finding out. Heh, but don't worry, Shadow. We'll be alright, 'cause we're cheating.

Shadow: Why do you wish to help the Master?

Kalina: Well, we'd done 'im a bad turn before, and I already made it up to him for it, but still...we know about his problem, and it's not right because we heard about the Elites on the rumor mill. We just want him to sort himself out alright.

Michelo: Yeah, he's an alright guy. We'd hate to see him fall between the cracks forever.

Rakkatat: Besides, he'll stick it to the Elites like we wanna, so helping you is helping ourselves, kinda'.

(The monster dog would've said something, just then, but his head jerked up and he began to look around all of a sudden.)

Kalina: Is something wrong?

Shadow: Not wrong... I am receiving a fresh trace, but not from anywhere I am aware of. Please take me to the Chaos Gate.

(They did so, but carefully, putting up a heavy fog program so as to keep unwanted eyes from looking. Once reaching the spot, Shadow began to sniff around and discovered something different now, something important...)

Shadow: There is an unknown location hidden among the other servers. I can detect it by way of the Master's signature.

Rakkatat: Cool! We'll come with you!

Shadow: Impossible. I cannot transport others like a player could. I must go alone.

Kalina: I see... Well, be careful, Shadow. Oh, and...

(She leaned down to speak quietly in the dog's ear, then let him go on his way. Shadow disappeared seconds later, leaving the three of them relatively alone in the fog.)

Rakkatat: So, what'd you tell him, Kalina?

Kalina: Nothing much. Just telling Canti not to forget us. And that I want to see 'im again sometime.

Michelo: Man, I can't believe hearing from Toshiro again would lead straight back to Mr. Winged Bad Temper.

Kalina: I think it's cute that he has a loyal hound running about.

Rakkatat: Yeah, and- Hey, it's the cops. Act natural!

(They did so by standing very still and speaking offline messages at random, including "Grilnick, grilnick!". As Kalina waited for the Knights to pass them by in the fog, she wondered about Canti, though. He wasn't a programmer or a hacker, so where exactly did this strange Baskerville Hound come from? 'Tis a mystery, Holmes. Perhaps, one day, she would learn the answer.)

OOC: That's the end of the story. From there, Shadow enters the main threads.

Re: The Master's Shadow.

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 4:57 pm
by Nighthand
Shadow -> +1 [Lv. 1]Elemental Breath, +1 [Lv.1]Enfeeble Speed