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Lord Canti
Exalted Player
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: In da' plains of hell, natch.

The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Lord Canti » Fri Feb 17, 2012 7:18 am

First Leg - Going to the Store...


(So, after having dealt with where they were going first [Xenobia's Tower], and also the...small problem with Shadow [Namely, his issue with the snow leopard.], the dark Twin Blade set out for the Yamiyo Bazaar in order to fill in some of his shopping list that he had compiled along the way. He was Level 47 now, rather tough in his own right. He needed proper equipment to follow that, as well as more items to support his abilities and comrades with. This turned out to work out well for him when you consider the fact that in this bazaar...you could find everything, including some things you never wanted. You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant, 'cept for Alice. However, he had not yet found the proper weapon... Ah, there were some okay things, but...huh???)

Canti: What in god's name...or anyone's name...is that?

(Normal guy, normal walk, going to the store. Wait, no it isn't! There's nothing normal about it! It's some kind of wonky mannequin guy wobbling around like he's made of rubber with quirky music! Unable to keep his eyes off of the thing, Canti followed until he saw it smack into a wall and fall over. Was this a player or just something weird that somebody made? Only in Yamiyo... Though, it's rather unfortunate that he chose to pay attention to this thing. The attacker from above pulled out a glove arcing with electricity and pounded him into the pavement before he realized there was a shadow looming overhead. The attacker then landed and his friend from the nearby alley appeared. They're both in assassin gear with hoods...like in that game...but all in black.)

"Are you sure they wanted him?"

"There's no accounting for taste. Let's just get 'im there before he unfreezes."


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

(He awoke in a chair, sitting at the end of a long table, in a room that was only dimly lit. The room wasn't large, but Canti had this feeling that there were a number of eyes upon him, and it didn't help that he was both unsure of where he was...and that some of the other chairs were occupied. The Twin Blade's black eyes darted to them, to around the room, to behind, and back to them. They, the people sitting at the table, were apparently waiting for him to speak first. There were three of them. On the left of the table's head was a... Let's assume it's a man, for now. He was clad in a dark robe with a horned skull-helmet and appeared to have been stabbed in the back with an Evil Dead-type sacrificial dagger, whose point was poking out of his chest without apparently hurting him that much. This was obviously a character edit for effect. Across from him in the chair to the right of the head was a strange figure, also skull-helmeted, yet somehow familiar. He was currently looking over a black blade. And occupying the actual head of the table...? Well, it was a pale and bald figure with red eyes - no pupils - and a dark, creepy-looking attire that...made Canti think of Nosferatu. Come to think of it, yeah... The Twin Blade was clearly being accosted by Max Shreck, though who can say why? Well, there was only one way to resolve this.)

Canti: I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here...

(The man in the robe laughed, maniacally. 'Max' turned to him.)

"Enough already, George."

"That's 'Deathblade Mysterios' to you."

"Oh, of course. We can't get over that one, can we?"


(The third one slammed his sword down onto the table.)

"Timing, please. We still have a guest."

Canti: Hey, don't rush on MY account.

"No, he's right, of course. 'All in effort to the Black Skull', our voice of reason. Still, you took the words right out of my mouth, Lord Canti."

Canti: Oh ho... Someone's been reading my game stats... Just Canti. I only put the 'lord' stuff in 'cause someone took the name.

(The vampire shrugged, looking for all the world like a venomous cutthroat and not anyone he'd ever trust. Was this by design for intimidation or was there something actually wrong with this guy? Well, he'd find out soon enough.)

"As you will. In any case, permit me to intreduce myself and my comrades. It is a fact, that our voice of reason here really is known as the Black Skull. And across from him is, well, unfortunately Deathblade Mysterios."

"What's wrong with it? I think it has style."

"Uhhh, no. Suffice to say, I am Neros, and you are amidst our guild, the Umbra Ex Scorpio, many who strike from the darkness towards our own ends."


Canti: Nevermind the formalities. How'd you put me out?

(In answer, Neros pulled out a metal glove, glistening with electricity.)

"For those easy takedowns without a messy death, we have this special Stun Gauntlet. Now then...to business."

Canti: Business? I don't see what sort of thing you could have in mind for a guy like me.

(The vampire's eyes narrowed and he dropped the gauntlet on the table, pressing his fingertips together as he looked over at him intently.)

"We have been watching you, my fine tenebrous Twin Blade... You think just because it's a big place and you're a small fish that nobody notices, but you have been either crazy or bold or stupidly out of place enough to catch some eyes. You were causing trouble in Stitcher and Lightning, weren't you? Something about a metal-blooded Fist Fighter, my own class. Then, there was lately the fight in Ani Sector- Don't bother getting up. We're not a bunch of snitches, you impulsive player you..."

(Canti had hit a brief panic when he heard Neros call him out on a few things he's done in Yamiyo. Somebody noticed or somebody talked, and it led down to these guys hearing about thing, though not knowing exactly why... That may be the reason for this. This could be a lynching for trying to bother the Darkness Elite. If THAT was the case...he could be a dead man and the Freedom Fighters exposed...except that wasn't what they were here for...)

Canti: Then...what IS this about?

"Do you know where you are?"

Canti: Tell me I'm not in Stitcher.

"You're not in Stitcher. You're in...how shall I put this? You're in Mercenaries, but situated in an area that isn't a ruddy camp."

(He already had out his map be the time Deathblade finished, making the Wavemaster - for that was his class - jaw-drop as Canti looked it up. Yeah...they got the sector right, but he was now just a little confused.)

Canti: There aren't buildings like whatever I'm in there. This place has tents, not mansions.

(His surroundings DID sseem to indicate this. The Skull spoke up now.)

"Use your head. Do you believe the little tents are the same on the inside as out? You can connect to it whatever you like. It is the way of things in Yamiyo, especially..."

Canti: Fine, whatever. Just what is this, then? You're not out for revenge and you're not thrill-killing. What is it, then? You've been watching me for a reason. So, what is it?

"Oh, that's an easy one. You see, Canti of the Darkness Flame...we want you to join our illustrous group of ultimate badasses."
Last edited by Lord Canti on Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I'll have a doozy of a sig later, I swear. It'll reflect ".hack//CODE" an' everything.

Hey look! A profile! It's got items and stats and things! Cool! If it isn't fully up to date, it will be, so don't worry 'bout it.

Lord Canti
Exalted Player
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: In da' plains of hell, natch.

Re: The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Lord Canti » Tue Mar 06, 2012 8:52 pm

Second Leg - The Evil League of Evil.


(He couldn't believe this. The whole thing had to be a joke, or a trick, because it couldn't have been for real. In the middle of this illegal server ruled by the hacker Elites, where danger loomed around every corner as someone out there had a knife with his name on it, this deadly corner of The World in which he was lethally entangled for being in a coma...now had the audacity to have people watching the moves he makes in order to scout him? This was absurd, but...as he thought about it, Canti began to look at it more from their perspective. From their point of view, he wasn't the Enemy of the State. He was a guy whom they had seen kicking ass and taking names, and nothing he'd done lately in Yamiyo can be described as an insurrection...errr...whoopsy. The Twin Blade had paled a bit just then, because he remembered the battle of Rugu/Raikiri VS Garaa, and these guys seemed a bit...Ani, to him. He decided to test them under the guise of being interested. Who knows? There might be something useful to gain from them.)

Canti: Well...I didn't expect to hear that. How much do you know about me, anyway?

"Concerning that, we're hoping you'll fill in some gaps, but... Ah, come forth, acolyte."

(There came from the darkness of the walls a figure who had seemingly not been there before. And let's make this clear... The walls were in shadow, but it's not as though he couldn't see the stonework there. The person that had come out into the open had been effectively invisible until the moment he - or she? - stepped into the light...and then Canti swore he saw something like Garaa's reaper for a second before that too faded away. Neros, seeing his confusion, imparted a brief explanation.)

"The order long ago procured a funny little hack that achieves silence and invisibility in the shadows...and prevents the discovery of identity in the light."

Canti: I see.

(The acolyte was dressed as a hooded assassin in black, much like the ones that had abducted Canti in the first place. He hadn't actually seen them, of course, but now he could hazard a guess that these were the ones who grabbed him, and that they were also his watchers. Neros bid the figure to speak, and a male voice spoke up...as a servant to a master would.)

"He was seen with others when the player-creature was being observed outside of Gan Sector. The tenacity of those players was well-noted as the beast was gradually stripped of power and then defeated himself and another."

(They'd seen him since he and the gang had battled Tritoch, though it seemed as if they were not interested in the others. Nobody really knew the identity of the Freedom Fighters in Yamiyo...or not many. To this group, it appeared that they were inconsequential. Let's just hope it stayed that way. He and Demorian probably got quite a bit of notoriety as the two of them were responsible for the final blow. The acolyte continued with his bar-hopping and wanderings in search of Suraisu, leading to...)

"...a fast chase through Stitcher, in which a Twin Blade with black wings was seen riding a hellhound while pursued by..."

Canti: I really need to learn how to keep a low profile...

(They were just glossing over the observed details. Chances are, they had either greater documentation or had heard a number of whispers regarding him with the right questions and money passed around. They had quite a bit of information on hand, and Canti felt himself stiffen as the acolyte reached the part about...)

"...Ani-Sector, where a number of our own were regrettably PKed without anyone realizing-"

"That is enough. Our point has been made."

(The skull-knight had put up a hand to silence him and gesture his return to the shadows. Canti watched him become a frigging wraith again and then vanish into the darkness. There could've been two dozen people in this room and he wouldn't have even noticed. He felt tense. They had quite alot of data on him, just without the key fact of what he was to the Elites. They knew only that he had somehow pissed off Garaa. However, because they were clearly a secretive group that relied on being largely unknown, he had them over a barrel as well. Two barrels, when you think about it. They'd seen him fight. They knew he was hell with black wings and a pair of knives. Now, the Twin Blade sat back in his chair and put his legs up on the table, relaxing. He imagined that - by the way he was looking at him - that Deathblade was arching his eyebrow at this. Neros snickered slightly...but it wouldn't last as the black-eyed fellow smiled.)

Canti: So, you guys have been watching me and you took me off of the streets like nothing, right? Then, I have a question... Did you happen to pick up my dog as well?

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

(In the Mercanaries District, there were long battlefields with basecamps and tents, very few buildings or large structures, though you must expect at least a few. For were there not lords of the land with castles in such settings? Well, nevermind that for now. Let's focus on the acolytes. They were, of course, dressed as hooded assassins. The lower-level members appeared to be issued this look as sort of a uniform, while such higher-level types like Deathblade Mysterios could looks as weird as they liked. These two, a Long Arm and a Twin Blade, were standing outside of a tent, observing the wanderings and battles of random mercs as...the sound of sniffing became audible. It was subtle at first, but gradually became more noticable as...a large evil-looking hound with a collar on approached, its fanged face close to the ground as it appeared to be tracking something. The two of them looked at each other. The thing was making a beeline for the tent. The Long Arm brought down its spear in front of the beast as soon as it was near enough.)

"Stop!"

"This place if off-limits, you, so if you understand us, you'll be going the other way. Now."


(Shadow poked his head up.)

Shadow: This is where they took the master?

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

(Inside, the atmosphere had changed a little. They were no longer in control, and felt it. Neros felt a certain irritation nagging at him, as though this were a mistake. He was in charge of the Merc District base, head of recruitment, and this Twin Blade may have been a bad choice. He hadskill and power, but perhaps he was a little too seasoned and savvy to be converted. He had just asked about his dog - the hellhound - and they were forced to admit that this pet of his had not even been seen at the time. It was about time that Neros closed this deal before their potential member here started getting ideas above his station.)

"Now then, listen to me, Canti. Because we don't entertain this kind of offer to just anyone. You have the right kind of darkness we like. You know the shadows and you don't fear to tread into the light. Someone like you could obtain a ranking position right off, to be a leader of these well-trained men and women of our organization, undermining and manipulating the The World as a whole towards our designs. Whatever it is your machinations are, you would have the power to make them succeed! What do you say, Twin Blade?"

(He appeared to think it over for a moment.)

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

"How was I to know it was so high-level?"

(This apparent monster or whatever had come before them, saying something about its master, and then when they tried to stop it...the beast went wild! It wasn't really damaged by their attacks that much, and it returned the favor by tearing chunks out of them. The two guards now stood as ghosts over their grayed-out bodies...which Shadow had taken to like a shark attack after one simple casting of Ap Do. He must've had 20 levels on these two. They didn't stand a chance... And then, as the Bogie wandered into the tent, finding himself in the receiving hall of a gothic-type mansion, there was the distant sound of an explosion in the place.)

Shadow: Ah, there he is...

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

(The table had exploded upon him resting his hands there after removing his feet and returning to an upright position. The reason for this was a series of rapid short-blasts of dark fire through said table, sending degraded splinters everywhere and his three hosts out of their respective seats. Black Skull and Deathblade were simply thrown from their chairs. Neros had been hit by a dark fireball and was thrown into the wall behind him, next to an exit door nearby. Canti stood up and stretched, feeling somewhat relaxed.)

Canti: I'm going to have to say no, guys. You see, I've found out that I make a terrible leader and really...my friends and I are a bit out of your league.

"I knew it. Someone like you could never be subtle enough to fit in a place like this. You're nothing but a showy, arrogant-"

Canti: Oh, shut up... You think I'd actually join a group of ninjas who abduct and coerce their new applicants? And you're all so unprofessional... Here I stand with all of my stuff intact, and you didn't even go looking for my damn dog, who's at MY level and can trace me without fail. So now, I'm not only going to disappoint you. I'm going to downright humiliate you by kicking your sorry collective asses!
I'll have a doozy of a sig later, I swear. It'll reflect ".hack//CODE" an' everything.

Hey look! A profile! It's got items and stats and things! Cool! If it isn't fully up to date, it will be, so don't worry 'bout it.

Lord Canti
Exalted Player
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: In da' plains of hell, natch.

Re: The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Lord Canti » Mon Mar 12, 2012 9:24 am

Third Leg - The Dead That Walk.


(Well, he'd made this thrilling announcement about knocking them all into next week, but it was going to be a bit of a task, really. That was mostly a shot at their confidence to make them worry. On the other hand, he might indeed be able to take them all on. This was the inner sanctum of a badass group of fighters, but he was one himself, and very capable. He waited for one of them to try something, now that the gauntlet had been thrown in this way. And ya know what? Someone did. Neros lunged at him with the intent of using some Fist Fighter techniques on him, but unfortunately diving across the room in front of your enemy while he was prepared for a fight...was never a good opening move. Canti seemed to backflip in place and kick up into the vampire's stomach, sending him straight up into the ceiling and then holding his knives up and slashing as he came down! Neros fell aside after the attack and his body extinguished.)

Canti: What the...? Gone already?

(POOF! Black Skull threw a smoke bomb and now the Twin Blade could see nothing but that. However, amidst the smog, he heard footsteps leaving the room and then nothing further. Remembering how the acolyte had been silent while under the influence of that ability, the Twin Blade jumped up and heard the many clanks of sharpened hardware below. Curious... The hack did not mask their attack sounds? Perhaps it was the limit the creator left to prevent himself from being easily PKed by his buyers. Canti didn't care, as his own personal hack was working overtime to keep himself out of harm's way. Only just so, in this case. Low ceiling. The swords and axes of many now-visible wraith-like beings knicked him as he flattened himself up there as much as possible, but there were Long Arms that he just had to plain avoid.)

Canti: Okay, while I have a moment- Oh shit! -let's see here now. What can I- Dodgedodgedodge! -do against these silent-but-deadlies?

(There were all manner of spells he could launch, but it occurred to him that the only reason Neros went flying before was because of the amount of force put into his table-destroying feat, which was why he was surprised to see the guy's character die so easily. Surely, a gang of dark assassins were strong against the dark, right? Dark flame leapt from his hands and he found...mixed results. Some yes, some no, and some intermediate in reaction. Oh, but they were clever, weren't they? Uniform minions, all with different weapons and styles and elemental defenses... You never knew which way they were coming from. Which...brings to mind how the ceiling area suddenly exploded with a myriad of different spells to fling him down. The ones that did much to him...were enough to cause him to down a couple of Health Drinks. They all had offensive spells...but consider the source. Axemen, Long Arms, Heavy Blades, and Blademasters... Not exactly high on the offensive spell list when you're at a lower level. He would know, being apparently the only Twin Blade in the room, now at one corner with them all moving in as silent as whispers...)

Canti: It's really too bad, though. You guys missed my latest power waking up...'till now!

(The Dark Twin Blade swept his arm out and a number of blade spikes shot from his body out at the oncoming wraiths. Did they have a chance to dodge it? Sure. But all of them? Hell no! There were two many of them trying to gang up on him for that to be possible. Canti spun himself and just let loose with his Demon Spikes, firing into a crowd before kicking a spike up into the face of an oncoming Axeman. They'd dropped their stealth in favor of more swift actions and stepped out of the way of the Axeman as he dropped, dead. Taking a quick head-count, the black-eyed teen noticed...yup, that's almost two dozen bad guys he'd just gone and pissed off. Some of them were pulling out health items, and some of them actually made it to healing before the spikes flung at them finished 'em off. These were all the equivalent of his dagger strikes, plus the random chance of an extra tick of Poison or Curse. Suffice to say, he was draining them a bit, one way or the other, even if they didn't die. As several swords came his way, Canti focused a shot and detonated it into the first guy, point-blank range, causing an explosion that knocked ALL of his immediate attackers back, killing most of them...while the Twin Blade extracted himself from the wall. Even he wasn't completely immune.)

Canti: Yeesh, where the hell is my dog when I need 'im? Shadow, are you on the premises?

Shadow: Just recently. Keep making explosions and I will find you.

(That was...not quite the response he expected. But...if the guy wanted explosions, who was he to deny him? The Twin Blade surround himself in a condensed black-and-fiery aura and flew at the remainder of his opposition in the room, a bit harder to hit since there was less than a dozen left by now. You understand that, yes, he was outnumbered, but they were not quite as strong as he expected. There was some damage, but the blastwave he shot out from himself made for a good finisher. He was now alone in a room with a number of bodies, and finally he noticed that there was another door out of here, a double-door which was NOT the direction his remaining hosts went. Decisions, decisions... Go and meet Shadow halfway? Or proceed further inside and give that Deathblade guy an extra-helping of stabbing to go with the blade in his chest already? The answer was clear... Canti went for the smaller door that led further in, and at the other end of a fairly-large and dungeonesque room...was indeed Deathblade Mysterios, plus four more acolytes. He had in his hands a Wavemaster staff with a strange gray orb set as its headpiece and the acolytes were all Twin Blades. Ah, at last the Twin Blades... His wings swept forwards and then opened forth again to deliver a payload of launching spikes at them, but unfortunately the main strength of said class was its quickness. Thus, they evaded, and furthermore Canti gaped and then dropped a Speed Charm to remain ahead of them as he dove to one side of the and pointed his hands to-)

*Poot!*

Canti: Oh right. Outta' juice.

(Okay, so then after revitalizing himself and unfortunately getting stabbed himself a couple times, he threw dark fire across their ranks and the Twin Blades combusted fairly quickly. They dropped dead. Canti looked at them for a moment. Just how low a level were they, anyway?)

Canti: You just can't get good help these days, can you?

"Don't be ridiculous. This is a training ground for our group. What better place than in Mercenaries, home of blood and battle? Still, they may serve a purpose..."

Canti: If uhhh...the purpose is keeping me from kicking butt, I don't think they're gonna make it.

"So tell me, did the bodies in the other room fade away as expected?"

(He was about to give a reply when he heard...stumbling, staggering. Glancing behind himself, the black eyes of the Twin Blade picked out...a very unpleasant sight: ZOMBIES!! Dead acolytes with claws for fingers, and sharp teeth with faces that look like the skin, eyes, and nose just exploded out from them!)

*SPLAT!*

(Yeah, like that! Wait... Yes, it appears that the Twin Blade acolytes were going through the same process, unsteadily getting up and groaning at him. They ambled towards him as the others rushed at him from the next room. Recovering SP, he flung daggers at the creatures-made-from-players and downed a few...and then saw them twitching, which meant they they would be up in a moment. He took flight and began to strafe run at them with knife-slashes, but these vicious animals were relentless!)

"This will be the end for you, Twin Blade! You can't keep them dead, you see... You can't even kill me! Once you're finished, I'll harvest your character's power while I hold the body here and keep it bound forever!"

Canti: Can't kill you, eh? Lemme see that!

(SLICE! The winged Twin Blade was in his face and slashing at him before he could react. And then when he did, it was mistakenly OrVak Rom, doing...very little damage. He forgot! Another swift flying cut as he avoided zombies and Deathblade was now irritated. The Wavemaster had the upper hand, yes, but the fact that the Twin Blade was belittling and making a mockery of his necromantic power was just so aggravating! He raised the staff high and struck Canti out of the sky with MeRai Kruz! He was on the ground now. Deathblade Mysterios and his thralls approached and...interesting. There was something on the inner part of his arm that had been different before. Ten red dots?)

Canti: Damn, it's about time. I thought I'd never get to try this out.

"What-"

(The sentence never finished. A spell was launched from his right arm and the Twin Blade slid back as PhaVak Rom centered itself on the Wavemaster and his undead minions, and engulfing them in flames and killing him. The guy had to have been around Canti's level, at least. But as a Wavemaster, he was also squishy. However, as the Twin Blade approached...Deathblade's character-face splatted open like the others and rose as a zombie! The others were starting to wake up again!)

"I told you! No one defeats Deathblade Mysteri-"

(And...that was about the time Canti yanked the sacrificial blade out of the man's back. He and his zombie brethren collapsed immediately, completely silent, and began to gray out, the dagger included. Honestly, how 'mysterios' can his power BE if the secret of his power is hinted in the name? Without the dagger, they were all properly dead. Now, where the hell was Black Skull, anyway? There uhhh...didn't seem to be another door out of here.)
I'll have a doozy of a sig later, I swear. It'll reflect ".hack//CODE" an' everything.

Hey look! A profile! It's got items and stats and things! Cool! If it isn't fully up to date, it will be, so don't worry 'bout it.

Lord Canti
Exalted Player
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: In da' plains of hell, natch.

Re: The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Lord Canti » Fri Mar 16, 2012 9:51 am

Fourth Leg - Fight Club, Anyone?


Canti: Well, this is a fine mess.

(You're probably wondering how it got like this, with the winged Twin Blade face-down on the floor and the Black Skull man a precious few seconds from stabbing him viciously with a sword. Well, sit yourself down, and the tale will unfold...)

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

Canti: Bob...

...what?

Canti: Oh, hi there, Rey.

(He had been searching high and low throughout the room for some kind of wayto progress, like a secret door or a loose tile. You know...a tricky hidden passage deally. He'd already searched for traps before and...stumbled into a pit, briefly. Aye, it was a hero's quest, but at least there weren't monsters. Right now, Canti should've been feeling pretty guilty for all the PKing he'd just done, but somehow it didn't even bother him. Maybe it was because PKing wasn't even really killing...and this Freedom Fighter business had called on him to definitely kill. For some reason, the rules of The World were just so tiny and insignificant when pushed up against the consequences of his greater actions. He'd caused quite a stir and the local ninja gang had taken a notice. Unless he was mistaken, murder hadn't been on his list of crimes yet, either. Not personally. No, it was just that he and Raikiri had gone solo and he had fallen thanks to his efforts. THAT bothered him, because apparently the Rai Elite had been working on a coup, and so was Klive...and he'd helped disable Klive. But in all of his random thinking, his mind went to the mention of some Bob person, which had confused Reyome out of her silence.)

Hi there. What's this about a Bob now?

Canti: Oh, he was the one that first told me about The World.

And...why did you mention him?

Canti: Ah, I wanted to blame someone for my current predicament. It's as good an idea as any, since I can't find the damn door leading further in.

One moment... Damon, that room IS a dead end.

Canti: But they couldn't have gone out the other way!

Did you try looking in the room they disappeared from?

(The next sound you hear now is that of a facepalm from out boy, Canti, and a grumble as he searched the previous room to discover...a trap door! It was fairly-well hidden, but the previous battle made it a little more noticeable. The Twin Blade descended down the ladder and headed down a long tunnel until he found...a fricking mausoleum. We're talking dark and gothic to the extreme. It only needed blood on the alter and a few designs out of the Doom catalog to fit in. No sooner had he landed than a swift knife-like spike nearly caught him in the face! If he hadn't ducked...)

"Are you aware of all the added effects a weapon can have?"

(Two more spikes from the shadows of the place. The place was dark enough and he was black enough in costume to confuse the eyes. Canti slid left to avoid them. Was he able to use a power like his Demon Spikes?)

"Did you know there was a rare status in the game called 'Death' which can put you in critical status with one hit?"

(Oh no... He did NOT just mean to imply... Just then, he stepped out of the shadows, slowly walking towards the Twin Blade. The sword was not brandished, but he looked very dangerous.)

"These are the halls of the untrained, waiting to become the knives and swords of a great power in the dark. We are the evil that cannot be contained, and this evil is silent, never seen or heard until we strike."

(Though the mausoleum was huge, Canti suddenly felt himself claustrophobic around this player. He was not an overbearing magus with designs above his station and an ego the size of Texas. He was a die-hard master, a psychological attacker who could very clearly back it up physically. A flick of the right wrist and three more of those spike-daggers were in his hands. They were like the large version of ninja needles, which were quick and deadly. These were silver, and...)

"Rank hath its privilege, and as I am the trainer of those who have swelled our numbers...I was given free reign over a useful tool to keep them disciplined. They're very simple, little one-use daggers that fade away after use. A cheap trick of a hack like any spell scroll or common Yamiyo item. In this case, however, proper editors within the group wired in the Dearth status, rendering the insolent and unwanted helpless before me."

(Canti's eyes went wide at the thought. Even if they didn't mess with an added effect's percentage of activation, there was a good possibility of him being dead if two of these hit!)

"Now...you had best leave this place, or I will cut you down and remove everything of value. Our stores have grown quite large with the bounty of dead characters and especially boastful intruders."

(He threw another one of the daggers then, and the knife of the Twin Blade went up and knocked it away! The Twin Blade smirked.)

Canti: Bountiful stores, you say? Very interesting... You know, you guys interrupted my shopping. I would take that rather personally. So, I'll make you a deal. You lead me to your great secret and go away, and your grand scheme just leaves me the hell alone from now on, and you don't get your ass handed to you.

"Heh heh heh heh... Such pitiful arrogance..."

(And, that's the bell! Five silver daggers came at him at once! However...the loud succession of metal against metal as they clashed against the BLACK spikes from Canti's body actually put an expression of surprise on Black Skull's face. Looks like he hadn't been watching the battle with Deathblade at all. These spikes were essentially long-range physical attacks with a bit of extra effect attached, capable of deflecting weapons as well as the real thing. Hell, his practice had paid off! A couple of them actually glanced the Blademaster before he could dodge it. The dark Twin Blade swept forward in flight, swift from the still-active Speed Charm and the speed that he COULD fly, striking dagger-blow after dagger-blow, forcing the player to take arms instead of playing with disposable daggers. The fourth attack of Terror Cyclone and after was parried by a raised sword, and now the two were fighting each other on a level that couldn't be too far apart. The skull-masked man gritted his teeth as they fought. And during it, Canti's Speed Charm effect ran out. Heh, not like he needed it for this. He stabbed downward with his daggers from overhead and...hit floor!)

Canti: Say what?

(Ap Do... He was suddenly moving very VERY fast! And he was grinning... When did he cast? Where was the effect? Why wasn't there an indicator? Black Skull became the target of some dark fireballs, and he was swiftly avoiding them ALL...with only the dark fire wave making him pull back long enough for Canti to use Rig Saem. He was going to need it. The Blademaster's free hand flung silver daggers at the Twin Blade, forcing him to dodge. Well...he didn't HAVE TO, but it sure beat using the Demon Spikes when that could be launched rapidly at his opponent! Unfortunately, he seemed to know how to patently avoid it now, and suddenly the man was in our boy's face, mere inches away.)

"Revolver..."


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

(You can imagine what happened from there. Black Skull did not give Canti the time he needed to pull out something useful, like a Speed Charm or a Health Drink, or whatnot. He was all about being a proper menace to one's livelyhood. The silver daggers were just a distraction from the real threat: Himself. During his retaliation against the Twin Blade, the Blademaster had to fight through the effects of Rig Saem, and so he allowed himself a little gloat to pass the time. He said that while he knew their levels were identical, his items and tactics were better, especially the Skull Mask, increasing his stats and putting him in a state of perpetual Ap Do. The most damage that Canti had managed to inflict from here on out were SP-costly black fire explosions that drained his SP during a time where reaching for a simple potion was being made next to impossible by this guy. So, was eventually knocked to the ground with Black Skull over him, ready to finish the job with his sword.)

Canti: Like I was saying... This is a real fine mess.

"Ah...flashback humor. Farewell."

(The sword came down, Canti made to roll out of the way, and...found that he was quick enough to do so! What the hell?! He barrel-rolled all the way over to the wall and stood up, about as confused as his opponent was now!)

Canti: What in the holy hell was that?!

"Arf, I say."

(He looked over waaay back at the trapdoor area to find Shadow dropping down. And then, there was Rey's voice again.)

Honestly, does nobody ever thick about searching the OTHER room?

Canti: Geez, I'm sorry. Anyway, you programmed him...

Shadow: I can't help it if the trail led me to the back room first.

Yeah, guilty as hell on that one.

Canti: That's what I thought. Now then-

"Excuse me, but have you been on a cellphone this whole time?!"

Canti: Not as such. You see, Mr. Death Knight, you've been outclassed on the spooky territory. You're a prime player, but I...am just a ghost in the machine, a demon gone wild and wreaking havoc on the populous... And he is my hellhound, remember?

"I can still finish you off."

Canti: Without your gimmicks?

(There was the telltale sound of a de-buff being cast, and suddenly Black Skull's great speed was being countered by Dek Do! The Blademaster was shocked! He didn't even know this could happen! Was his helmet only good for perpetuating the speed-up effect, not preventing its disablement even temporarily? What a cheap item! And now, before he could blink, Canti was in his face...by mere inches!)

Canti: Revolver...

"Wait, how do-"

(There were rapid clanking sounds as the Twin Blade's flight power and Ap Do buff allowed him to spin ultra-fast in mid-air with his blades held out. It may as well have been a buzzsaw for all we care, as it rapped against Black Skull's helmet and knocked him back while Canti staved off dizziness. Shadow came at the dark warrior at full speed as well, having casted before he even got here, jumping him and biting at him viciously until the Blademaster's sword knocked him off. And here, as he stood, there were a number of fly-by-slices as this evil blur swept from wall to wall before grabbing his leg and flinging his character into the ceiling and allowing him to hit the ground hard...before the dark Twin Blade landed on top of him and practically cut his head off with his knives. Black Skull's body grayed out and he was gone.)

Canti: Well...that was scary.

Is that all you have to say? You could have died.

Canti: I wasn't that close to death, and I was going to hit him with The Tower and then a flurry of my new little daggers.

Uh-huh... And tell me, because these are normal players and not people playing with a deadly virus...that would mean they can come back, right? As in soon?

Canti: Oh...yeah.

Furthermore, they COULD always call in reinforcements, because it sounded like you've been fighting rookies and trainers.

Canti: Oh shit... So then, they could be storming the place even now and I can't even-

No, you're fine for now.

Canti: Huh? Why?

Well, I had Shadow lock the door.

Canti: Great! I need to find this guy some doggie treats!

Shadow: Only if they're shaped like little planets...

(Canti just stared at the Bogie, then. Why did that sound so fricking ominous...?)
I'll have a doozy of a sig later, I swear. It'll reflect ".hack//CODE" an' everything.

Hey look! A profile! It's got items and stats and things! Cool! If it isn't fully up to date, it will be, so don't worry 'bout it.

Lord Canti
Exalted Player
Posts: 300
Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 3:58 pm
Location: In da' plains of hell, natch.

Re: The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Lord Canti » Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:28 am

Fifth Leg - You And What Army? Oh...That One.


(It'd taken them a while to find it, because during the time they had been looking for secret passages and hidden trapdoors in this dark mausoleum...neither of them had expected this organization to have such a cliche-seeming flair for the dramatics. As in what? As in the old coffin with the false bottom trick. But once the thing had been found, Canti began to cheer up. Black Skull had mentioned before something about a store of equipment taken from slain characters somehow. Assuming he wasn't bluffing, there would be a large cache of things that they could just haul away and sell, or keep all the fine bits to themselves. Either way, it would be-)

Canti: Heh heh heh...whoa.

(Let us take you into the POV of the Twin Blade for a moment. He dropped through the coffin, feet first. He stepped aside so that the overwhelming canine didn't land on him. But as these things occurred, he looked ahead...at the overwhelming deathtrap hallyway before him. Let's see what we've got here... Spikes, spears, axes, giant stone hammers, fire, buzzsaws, arrows, grinders, and...a giant foot. Someone's been on a Monty Python kick. All of these things were operating in a series, though. They were all a perilous path to prance through at your own risk. Obviously, whoever went down this corridor had to have...rhythm.)

Canti: Fortunately, I have plenty of that to spare, but uhh...you wanna test the waters first?

Shadow: You think I'll be fine?

Canti: I think Resurrects will work on you.

Shadow: That does not inspire confidence...

Canti: Well, I don't have much. So, let's screw up some of our own with some tunes.

(Didn't we say he had rhythm? Canti reached out and put his hand on the appearing track selector, and put on something highly-appropriate to the situation. Ap Do and a Speed Charm were activated in unison, and the two of them dashed off into the hallway of doom! Here, the reaction of a split second was king, and while Canti and Shadow did get nicked several times by the traps, they were quickly adapting, as they went between spears and right past big hammers. The Twin Blade went right through fire with no effect and Shadow breathed Dark Breath at incoming arrows to halt their progress. He caught up with his master during a bit of a fight with the giant foot, trying to knock it out of the way. The incoming buzzsaws tore it apart and they had to dive out of the way as several stone mashers also tried to clobber them. Canti ended up kicking Shadow ahead while he got re-asserted into the pattern he'd seen, but he was only just ahead of alot of spears at this point. The Bogie leapt over grinders and took a flamethrower to the face before the winged Twin Blade flew through, grabbing him on the way as they pounded through the double doors at the end and shut them behind, leaving several knives, spearheads, and an axe to punch partway through in an almost comical manner.)

Canti: This reminds me of another little quest...

Shadow: Did it become progressively worse by the moment?

Canti: Yeah it did, actually.

Shadow: So, like right now, then?

Canti: Hmmm? Oh, I dunno...

(He looked out towards the room of black stone and crevices of lava, a stinking volcanic pit no doubt used as Neros' layer. It had to be his inner-sanctum, since he'd been in charge. Heh, what a shame he wasn't around to stop them now. Much like Dun Loireag, this was a high cliff-face area with bridges one one section to another, though this had a high ceiling and appeared to have devilish spires of stone in places. There appeared to be an area further on that led to a throne as well. There was also a small chest beside it. Small chest? Well...these were only programs, after all. Small did not have to automatically mean it contained little. Before proceeding any further, though, Canti pulled out a few Health Drinks and a couple of Mage's Souls, placing some of them before Shadow while looking the place over.)

Canti: Come on, gotta recover from that mess.

(The hallway of traps and hazards had indeed taken a toll on their health. Canti even got a dot on his tattoo from the fire. He started to drink up, with Shadow having a hard time opening the bottles. No thumbs, you see. YOU try it, sometime, all while not standing up straight and needing your hands for balance purposes.)

Shadow: Do you...anticipate trouble?

Canti: In this place, after all that mess? I'm worried it'll explode.

Shadow: Or maybe there are monsters? This is a hacker server.

Canti: Or that, sure. Still worried about anyone who's on the outside...

(There was a series of loud crunching sounds coming from the devil dog now. Canti looked down and flinched as he saw Shadow eating the potions, bottle and all! Finishing off his own recovery, he chanced to ask...)

Canti: Uhhh, what does that taste like?

Shadow: Glass.

Canti: Just glass?

Shadow: And NyQuil.

Canti: Glass...and NyQuil.

Shadow: Yes.

(Okay, either he was doing that on purpose or Reyome was looking for new and creative ways to make this dog seem creepy. Either way, the Twin Blade just shook and moved on. This place was...hellishly ominous, and gave off the atmosphere of dark foreboding. It would've been more effective, though, had its master been around. Moving from section to section, Canti had this sensation in mind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, even though he had expected it to have done so already. However, about halfway to the throne, Canti heard movement behind them and Shadow barked. He turned and, with a surprised look on his face, knocked someone off of the bridge he'd been on with a swift motion.)

Canti: What the hell?!

(It was Neros! Wait, no it wasn't...was it? The player fell into the lava, his character expiring instantly. Ah yes, so the lava wasn't just there for show. Goody... The Twin Blade looked ahead again and found that...the vampire was seated in his throne and waving at him!)

Canti: I KNEW IT!! I don't know how I knew it, but I am the champion and king of 'knowing it'! How are you even doing that?

"Well, I suppose I could just lie and say my character's immortal, able to resurrect at will, but there's no reason to conceal the truth. Would the knowledge somehow make a difference in Yamiyo? It's very simple. The order buys hacked and customized items from time to time, as many do in Mercanaries. Deathblade's little toy prevents the removal of dead characters or monsters in an area and resurrects them as his pawns. In fact, it keeps his character from dying too while it's...on his person. Black Skull's, I believe you're familiar with. Those daggers are easy to make and his mask was an item to increase his speed and performance. And then, there's me and my itty bitty ring..."

(He raised his hand so that Canti could see - from that distance - the ring on his hand with an evil eye on it.)

"It copies the player pointed at as an NPC doppelganger. You thought I dashed right at you back there, huh? No such thing."

(He pointed the ring at himself and two doubles of Neros flew out of him, each indistinguishable from the original.)

"Of course, they all have their limitations. Deathblade has to be in an area full of the dead to get ANY benefit, and Black Skull's items were finite and limited to a few measily hack jobs. As for me, these copies are only half my level and it chews up alot of SP...but fair Yamiyo saw fit to create a solution to that problem. In my time of need, I became rather fond of the High Priestess..."

(He held up a card. No, quite a few cards, all of them the same. He had saved up quite a number of the Yamiyo tarot card that prevents SP loss, meaning that he could just spawn...an army! Kind of like now, actually. About twenty-something guys just like Neros popped out of him, a small army of Fist Fighters. Canti tensed as the vampiric player sat back in his throne to watch...and the numerous doppelgangers pressed forward in a battle charge!)

"You kids have fun now!"

Shadow: We're in trouble now, aren't we?

Canti: We came in here in trouble. Now, it just gets fun. Maestro...

(Flipping his options to something at random, he pulled out his blades in preparation to attack and...flew right over their heads. Yeah right, like he'd really just play this game their way when he had only one life and they had...almost thirty in total. Besides, it was much more fun to pull a fast one. Canti pointed his hands and Shadow focused on the area in which he indicated. Here, their Overdrive activated. The nature of Catastrophe was that the surroundings, the forces, and indeed the air of The World implode on a target...and then explodes. 'Surroundings' would include others who were not outside of its influence. Thus, the copy in the middle was crushed into by others, and then an explosion of force knocked them all out, sending a good bunch of them falling to their deaths while the middle one was just plain dead. Some remained intact, though.)

Canti: They're all yours, Shadow.

(The Bogie took to attacking the remaining copies while Canti turned to the master of the place. But as he did so, a sharp pain entered his body and he was knocked right out of the sky by a swift force, landing at the end of the nearest bridge. Somehow, Neros had tackled him, and was now pointing these wicked-looking blades at him! He was momentarily pinned down by the vampire's weight, but that wouldn't last. Seems he wanted a personal touch in this.)

Canti: Wait, you can fly?

Necros: No, jump good!

(Neros made to stab him in the face and fell forwards from his quarry suddenly lurching him off with the power OF his flight. Canti flipped to his feet and leapt forwards to strike with Terror Cyclone, but was intercepted by a clone who punched at him even as it died in the process. Neros jumped right up onto a spire and dropped down copies of himself, one of whom dropped down to deck the Twin Blade in the process. He struck out wildly at the surrounding vampiric warriors, but then failed to see the original come down at him and take a slash at his back from above before kicking him - and one of his doubled - over the edge. This...was actually a pointless move, as Canti flew up to glare at him.)

Canti: Seriously?

Neros: Oh, you're no fun anymore...

(There came a long string of Neros clones out of him, shot out like a cannon blast with Canti forced to stab the first one and push just so the force wasn't so overwhelming. As it stands, he was still pushed back a great deal...until gravity took over and a a load of minions started falling into the pit. He focused a good amount of energy now and fired a condensed gunshot of darkness at Neros, which he blocked with a couple of bodies, but...the attack fly right through them and knocked him back into a spire! Swooping towards him, the two pointed daggers and began slashing and blocking each other...right up until Canti realized that he didn't have to. Several spikes came out of his body that Neros' blades were not prepared for while facing against the Twin Blade this close. Neros started to take damage. And then, when the vampire launched some clones to knock his adversary away - towards the throne - there was an impact from behind as Shadow rammed him, then spewed Dark Breath while he was still recovering, and then fell over again as the explosion came from the darkness flame blast Canti used to get rid of the clones.)

Canti: This is getting old, really fast. You might have my level, but you're nowhere near as good. So, unless you've got something more clever than a trick like that...

"Oh, you're bluffing. You're not that strong, or else we'd have eliminated you."

Canti: Heh, sorry, but here in Yamiyo, the right items can make me go nuclear, and I have a good set. You have these copies, but do you have the kinds of abilities I'm knocking around?

(The vampire began to laugh.)

"I will in a moment."

(What. No, seriously. What did he just say? The color drained out of Canti's face as Neros pointed the ring at him. Suddenly, several forms flew out of the Twin Blade's body. Even Shadow was surprised to find ten of the same master suddenly appear. Oh yes, the ring DID work that way. He could make minions from his enemies too! However, during this moment, two things happened. One, the ring sparked unnaturally and refused to function any further. Two, the flying Twin Blade doppelgangers all looked at Neros with his more demonic visage, and they were grinning...)

Canti: This may be a good time to tell you that my data is exceptionally corrupt. The last time I used something to create and simulate violent NPC monsters - a hacker tool - the thing began to corrupt itself because of my character. And it looks like the same happens to other hacker tools as well.

"Ah...well...that is...ummm..."

(One of them roared and attacked straight away, forcing the Fist Fighter to defend himself, but instead of managing to defeat the thing...enough hits made it divide into TWO of the Twin Blade! They both suddenly grabbed Neros by the arms and a third one knocked the blades out of the man's hands. A kick TO that third and HE divided. Others were just starting to do that on their own, which left a problem... Realizing the scope of the situation, Neros ran...even though there would be no hiding place. Taking advantage of the moment, Canti himself went over and picked up the discarded weapon. Apparently, the vampire couldn't copy it...and no wonder! These things were rare as hell!)

Canti: Vampire Blades, eh? Very nice...

Shadow: Errr...master? We have a problem.

Canti: Now what?

(Shadow was indicating the fact that after having run, looking for an escapse from a group of restless demonic killing machines...he'd jumped off of a cliff and let himself die out normally. That was when they all started looking at Canti himself, and that there was dark energy running along their bodies as if unstable forces were welling up.)

Canti: Oh shit...

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

(They had managed to force their way in with a higher-ranking passcode and stormed the base like an army of wraiths, all intent upon getting at the Twin Blade that made a mockery of things down here. They came to the mausoleum, which Black Skull and Deathblade Mysterios were all-too-eager to direct them to. But as the group assembled there to undo the secret passage, the coffin flew open and out came...one flying Canti with Shadow under one arm and a couple of daggers on the other arm!)

Canti: Uhh, hi guys! Bye guys!

(He flew off in a hurry...and was immediately followed by a slew of unstable demonic clones that all began to explode once they were in the room! Back up on the surface at Mercenaries, there would be the sight of something very fast leaving a tent ant NOT looking back! Not until he was back at the Bizarre, at least. Canti sat down with the Bogie and caught his breath. Then, he saw... Well, it was a regular dude and a regular walk, a caricature of humanity with weirdly dancing limbs that exploded soon after.)

Canti: That was for getting me into this mess!

Fin'
I'll have a doozy of a sig later, I swear. It'll reflect ".hack//CODE" an' everything.

Hey look! A profile! It's got items and stats and things! Cool! If it isn't fully up to date, it will be, so don't worry 'bout it.

User avatar
Nighthand
Master of Games
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:23 pm
Class: Bladesmage
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Re: The Shadow of the Scorpion...

Post by Nighthand » Mon Jun 11, 2012 3:23 am

Canti: +1 Vampire Blades, +1200 EXP, and Key Item: Elaborate Signature

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