E|\|7er Th3 W0rl|) &hr0*gH t|-|3 Yamiyo 5e|2\/%R.

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Nighthand
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Mon Apr 27, 2015 11:22 am

Those unfamiliar with Sekai's abilities would be confused at the emergence of someone new to the fray. Xenobia may not have seen them in action before, be she didn't need to in order to take action herself. Not that she did anything overt; merely another vine from the tangle in the floor rose up to snatch the ankle of the "newcomer", firmly binding her by the same rules as the rest. In this case, though she did not share a life total and damage like the pets, she did share the action opportunity.

Next up: Maoh

PARTY STATUS

Nighthand: HP 100%
Nall: HP 100%: Vinebound
Sheena: HP 80%
Demorian: HP 100%
Canti and Shadow: HP 100%
Talal: HP 100%
Takua and Vesica: HP 100%
Sekai: HP 100%
-- December: HP 100%
Maoh: HP 100%
Baron and Higure: HP 100%

Willowman: HP Unknown

Status Stasis Applied

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Bane
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Bane » Thu Apr 30, 2015 3:57 am

Maoh's turn came around again and given the recent Flashmail, he hadn't actively thought about this as a traditional RPG boss with multiple forms. As much as the Willow Man had shifted his appearance and abilities as the battle had raged on, he figured that his attention was drawn more to the fact that he was now a cat instead of tackling this like a game. Granted, video game logic seemed to vary greatly on the game, circumstance, and sometimes just to spite the players playing the game rather than having any solid reasoning behind it's process.

For his turn, Maoh was going to just give the boss another swipe across the face with his claws. Nothing overly extravagant as his SP both needed to recharge and be held in reserve on the chance they would need some emergency healing.
Maoh l Lvl. %h l EXP: ????/1000 l HP: ???/??? l SP: ???/???
GP: 31,541

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Nighthand
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Thu Apr 30, 2015 11:20 am

The battle had raged on for quite some time, and several members of the party were quite wisely using this relative lull in the fight to recharge. The question was, how necessary would it be?

Next up: Canti and Shadow

PARTY STATUS

Nighthand: HP 100%
Nall: HP 100%: Vinebound
Sheena: HP 80%
Demorian: HP 100%
Canti and Shadow: HP 100%
Talal: HP 100%
Takua and Vesica: HP 100%
Sekai: HP 100%
-- December: HP 100%
Maoh: HP 100%
Baron and Higure: HP 100%

Willowman: HP Unknown

Status Stasis Applied

Lord Canti
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Lord Canti » Sun May 03, 2015 6:25 pm

(There really wasn't much of anything to Canti's next moves. Because he wanted to restore a little naturally, because they'd done so much, and because he was actually stuck for a good idea at the present moment...he and Shadow attacked simultaneously. Canti attempted to spin and buzzsaw through the Willowman as before Shadow tackled and mauled at him. Really not much to it. Just doing his part for king and country duty and humanity for pony for their efforts.)
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.

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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Wed May 06, 2015 7:35 pm

The Willowman was clearly showing the damage of this prolonged fight, and the lack of buffs was perhaps hurting him more than hurting the party. The inevitable end of the fight was coming fast, as soon as they destroyed the final crystal and passed any final challenge the broken boss had for them. Then it would be time to deal directly with Xenobia, whether they could get her on their side, or would be forced to fight her to remove her from their path.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that.

Next up: Talal

PARTY STATUS

Nighthand: HP 100%
Nall: HP 100%: Vinebound
Sheena: HP 80%
Demorian: HP 100%
Canti and Shadow: HP 100%
Talal: HP 100%
Takua and Vesica: HP 100%
Sekai: HP 100%
-- December: HP 100%
Maoh: HP 100%
Baron and Higure: HP 100%

Willowman: HP Unknown

Status Stasis Applied

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Talal
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Talal » Thu May 07, 2015 7:44 pm

With each subsequent turn of one of the group, the Twin Blade's stomach filled with butterflies. The unknown order and whether or not she would get another turn before the Willowman attacked again playing heavily on her mind. The sound in the room becoming quieter for her companions as she drew it into a ball of sorts near her. Enhanced hearing thanks in part to Takua's gift kept note of the changes in the humming of the final crystal. Each attack seemed to change the pattern until finally after Canti and Shadow's attack the humming was notibly different.

The vines loosened once more. A deep breath taken in calming the rampid butterflies. A combination of a smirk and an evil grin crossed the dark haired woman's face. Not something typically seen from Talal. The humming resembled that of an engine sputtering or choking itself out. A tall tell sign for a driver they should pull over. For Talal, it was a sign that she should attack and so she did just that. As before, she continued to gather the last tidbits of sound using up the entirety of her turn, releasing the burst of waves centered upon the invisible location of the spitting crystal at the very end. Her graceful yet explosive arm movements reminant of a dancer at the climax of their performance.

Arms remained outstretched directing the tailend of the wave even as the vines regained their hold upon her form.
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Walk beside me that we may be as one.
***************************************
Talal
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Level 39 (0/1000 EXP) Twin Blade

Weapons/Armor: Mukuro (Swirling Dark, Dark Dance), Ice Hunter Cap (Repth), Wristbands (Juk Rom), Fishing Gloves (Rue Kruz), Wyrm Hide (Gan Don), Snow Panther (Ap Vorv)

Wish List: Scrolls, Tarot Cards, and Armor higher than level 30.

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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Mon May 11, 2015 9:39 pm

Talal's sonic powers were proving to be the MVP of the battle, and with one final push, she shunted her accumulated sound into the final crystal. It was already slowing, stuttering, finding it hard to maintain the illusion of invisibility under the assault the Willowman had taken. Her sonic blast shattered the crystal, and with it, the vines keeping Nall bound withered. The Willowman flinched, an impressive feat while still bound by Xenobia's turn-based combat system.

Next up: Nall

Completely coincidentally, the time had come for Nall's next turn, and it was fortuitous that the final crystal shattered to free him for it. He drew his sword and walked calmly up to stand beside the Willowman, his back to the party, facing Xenobia. He stretched his blade out and placed it to the Willowman's throat.

"I believe the challenge has been bested." He stared levelly at Xenobia, stoic on her throne.

A long, tense moment passed, an the vine began to tighten around Nall's ankle. He resisted, barely moving, in a battle of wills between the hacker queen's bodily control and his own power stemming from a veritable pile of Twilight items. Finally, she broke, and smiled.

"There's the stubbornness I remember from you." She stood, and her throne receded into the ground. With it, the vines holding everyone in place were withdrawn, leaving them free to their own devices. Nall sheathed his sword, and stepped back as she walked to the Willowman's side.

She placed a hand on her minion, her construct, or whatever role he filled. Over the span of half a minute, the worst of his wounds knit together and healed. Then the three rings of teleportation in The World descended, and he was gone.

"Very well." Xenobia said. "You all came to my tower for a reason. Make your case."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Boss fight complete! I know it took forever, but at least it was innovative, and we didn't have many missed rounds. Thanks, everyone.

Grades!

Talal: +6,000 exp, +Ankokushiki, +10 Noble Wine, +50,000 GP
Baron: +4,000 exp, +Blood Suit, +5 Thunderbolt, +3 Summon Thunder, +1 Thundercall
Canti: +5,000 exp, +Kurenai, +Geist Ring, +Firelore
Maoh: +6,800 exp, +Broken Gauntlet, +40,000 GP
Sekai: +3,900 exp, +Landslide Rider, +3 Greencall, +10,000 GP
Takua: +4,800 exp, +Negation Wand, +10 Emperor's Soul

I'm not keeping track of Nighthand's stuff anymore, he's too much of a GM character, particularly soon.

Additionally, it's probably as good a time as any for some upgrades. If you want hack upgrades, we can talk about it. If you'd prefer to ask for a boon from Xenobia, that may possibly be arranged as well. Assuming she doesn't get pissed off at us.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming up next: A fireside chat with Xenobia!

You all are here with a purpose. In case you don't remember, we're here to try to recruit her for the coup. Remember that we have Klive on our side, while the opposing side has Garaa, Royce, and the Master. Melzas and Xenobia are fence-sitting.

It's up to us to make our case, to try to sway her to our side. If we can't convince her to join the coup, we'll have no choice but to fight her and defeat her, to acquire her Twilight item. The Master's Crown is far too powerful to be left in the hands of the enemy, and the Treeweaver, while not essential to the Twilight dynamic, is an unknown entity.

Either outcome is possible! If you guys screw up negotiations, you can and will have to fight Xenobia, here and now. Choose your words and actions carefully.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I liked the idea of short posts with short deadlines. It worked out well individually, but the fact that some people had to wait months for others to post first is part of what made this take so long. So from here on out, I'm going to try to move things forward with GM posts every 14 days, give or take. Given my freelancing schedule, Wednesdays are likely targets for GM posts.

I want each of you to post as often as you want. You can come to me to script, or you can post short posts and I'll respond. You don't need to work out 10-page monstrosities like we had going before with scripting; posts of length similar to the fight posts are perfectly fine if they do all you want them to.

So, with that said:

Next up: Everyone

Lord Canti
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Lord Canti » Mon May 18, 2015 6:22 pm

(At last, the final stroke was taken up. The 'No, we don't want to talk about it in case Xenobia decides to nix it' sonic power of Talal had born fruit, and by that we mean shattered the last capture crystal. From there, Nall drew his sword and ended the battle with one show of force and resistance to the vines. The turn-based vines were retracted and the Juk Elite restored her minion to the fullness of his strength before letting him go off unto his duties. Canti, in the meantime, felt kind of weird in the aftermath. He really hated being held in place like that, and it was only his frequent turns that kept him from really losing his patience. Apparently, he wasn't the only one, because the next thing you know, he's diving to grab Shadow by the collar so that the Bogie can't lunge at Xenobia.)

Canti: Not now. We came here to see what side of this business she's really on.

Shadow: I hate captivity.

Canti: Who doesn't?

(It was a fair point, though as Canti let him go, there was a sudden smallish POW! of shadow energy on umm...Shadow. He briefly yelped in surprise and growled at the Twin Blade, who was as confused as Shadow was annoyed at what happened. He looked at his own hands, wondering what the hell that was. He had felt the power of the Darkness Flame on his fingertips, reacting to the touch when he was trying to get Shadow to stop.)

Canti: Sorry, Shadow. I think the virus just mutated.

Shadow: Then, be careful with it.

(He was poking things now, snapping his fingers a few times, even making one of his knives pop right out of his hands with a small explosion, followed by his catching it. He felt these were positive reactions, that something good had happened, but he needed to work with it more.)

"Very well. You all came to my tower for a reason. Make your case."

(Well, after a bit of recovery and making Shadow heel instead of leaping at anyone, as was his instinct at the moment, the winged Twin Blade stepped forward and opened up with, first, a question.)

Canti: Before we begin, is anyone capable of eaves-dropping on us? Melzas, the other Elites, the woman downstairs - anyone?

(Hey, there were some pretty powerful people around, or at least resourceful. No doubts, anything could happen. However, it was Xenobia's opinion that the towers were secure from each other and any sort of prying senses. The little paranoid in Canti was skeptical, but he shrugged it off. Best they could expect was for her to at least feel it was safe enough.)

Canti: I've had a weird thought in the back of my head ever since we came in here. We've been talking to Klive, and from what he and his right-hand-man say, there's a certain uneasiness around, enough to make people want to supplant the Master, given the right people on our side. However, what we don't know is where you and Melzas stand on this. No moves to take one side or the other. Except...a funny thought. You're responsible for a fair few of us being here. You put me in a coma, you sent a number of others right in. As a result, a whole bunch of us have been running around, causing trouble. I've been wondering if it was an oversight or if you actually let it happen to see what would happen.

"A funny thought, isn't it? How many times have I unwittingly augmented Nall's little rebellion? How many of my own agents have been killed by people I brought into the fold?"

(You don't have to remind him. He was still a little bitter over the bloke that started this mess in the first place, a definite sacrifice if ever there was one. Xenobia then gave off a smile that gave off a 'Good luck trying to figure that one out' feeling to Canti.)

"I'm afraid I have no answer for you on that count."

Canti: That's always been part of the problem, figuring you. You're a manipulator. It's hard to know what to trust or what to suspect. The one thing I DO know is that people like that do what they do for what they want. They lean towards whoever can give it to them, just like everybody else. So, as Morden asked from the Shadows, "What do you want?".

"You call me a manipulator. What does any manipulator want? Power. Control. Everything I have, reigning from atop my tower. What more could a lady desire?"

(Canti's mind is reeling to that bit in the Lord of the Rings movie where Galadriel was talking about herself in possession of the One Ring, only this time it isn't a demonstration. The Twin Blade spoke flatly.)

Canti: Oh, I see. And you can't have the top parking space because it's occupied. I should've guessed. What about the other Elites? Not the crazy zealots, the other ones. You gonna try lording over them too? You can't get what you want without help, and if you do, you'd probably have to share the status.

(She hefts the gnarled, blackened wooden spear she's been holding since we all walked in, and looks more at it than him.)

"Can't I? One of your own group created this, and it's the most powerful artifact created in The World since its inception and the creation of the Twilight items. It's not unlike them, after a fashion. It makes me the only Elite with two such items. Well..."

(She looked over at Nall after that, though, and then said, "Nearly.".)

Canti: But you can't, can you? You don't have enough power. More power than one Elite at a time, maybe, but they know you. So does the Master, I'm guessing. You haven't made a big grab for power because you don't know the outcome, that you'll win. That's why you've on the sidelines. So, the question is...how badly do you want to win, Xenobia? Because if we don't win, you're stuck.

"It's true enough that you're one of the first groups to make it this far. Nall has been more successful this time around, and he's even gotten some of his old team back together."

(She quirked an eyebrow at Canti now.)

"Then again, by your own theory, I could always just manipulate more players into coming this far if you fail. Why stick my neck out?"

(The Twin Blade crossed his arms.)

Canti: How long can you afford to wait? The big man might put it together, maybe not even wait for proof. Maybe you don't have enough time for another group to become a threat. If you think we're a worthy gambit, you should take it instead of banking on another that might not arrive.

(The guy didn't get to being called The Master by being an idiot. He had to suspect at least as much as Canti did with simple paranoia, if not more. He wouldn't trust Xenobia anymore than the others would, given that they know her ways as much as the Freedom Fighters. How much would YOU trust her, even if she were technically on your side? Even if they DID align with her, there would still be a case of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Xenobia laughed now.)

"You're fooling yourself if you believe for a second that the Master has missed any movement you've ever made. Has Nall truly left you all so ill-informed? Perhaps you should be talking to him, rather than me."

(Canti raised an eyebrow at this, turning to Nall and the other higher ranks in the group for a moment.)

Canti: Uhh, guys? Didn't we get rid of stuff in our code to trace us with?

(The general concensus from our experts panel was "Yes", so the Elite's mirth was most confounding. He turned back to the woman in question, deciding to let HER field that one.)

Canti: What, is he the 'Master of Observation'? Neo from the Matrix? The Master Control Program? What?

"He's the closest thing to a God this game has. Twilight is omnipresent; what would you attribute to the one who has more control over it than even the Elites?"

Canti: John De Lancie as Q, perhaps So, what else can 'Mr. Wonderful' do?

(If the Master turned out to actually be very Lancie-like, Canti was gonna scream.)

"I don't know. He's quite secretive these days. But that's neither here nor there; you have significant roadblocks between you and he."

Canti: Not if we have some significant people on our side. Make no mistake, Xenobia. Alot of us don't like you for personally comatosing us, but this ain't about 'like' right now. We're still going. What about you?

"I suppose that remains to be seen. You've made your case; anyone else?"

(And that was it for the Twin Blade. Canti tagged out so that someobody else could talk to this person. He had a new power to explore.)
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.

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Nighthand
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Sat Jun 20, 2015 11:35 pm

(This post comes late for various reasons, partially an attempt to wait on people and partially my own lack of free time to think about it. Anyone still looking to talk to Xenobia can script with me or post their approach and do it live. I'll be moving on from this discussion relatively soon, with or without more interactions with the Elite, so get them in if you want to.)

Seeing no one else immediately approach Xenobia, Nighthand worked hard to decide what to say to her. He could be a good little boy and toe the party line by attempting to convince her to join their cause, but... that just wasn't at the top of his mind.

"Don't do it." Silverblade's voice echoed through his head.
"I'm gonna do it."
"You think you can take her if she takes it the wrong way?"
"I think we all can if it comes down to it. I also think it won't. She recognizes me, she has to. I've -- we've -- suffered long enough. She's going to fix us or she's going to die."

The conversation was entirely internal, entirely silent, so when Nighthand broke ranks and walked past Canti to the lounging Elite, he drew eyes.

He drew even more eyes when he drew his sword and leveled it at the Elite on her throne. It was still as stone, and Nighthand's scarred eye was open and glaring. For a moment, he was silent.

"You recognize me?"

"Of course. I recognize all of you."

"Then you know what you did to me."

Xenobia studied him over his blade, looking him over with a little more than the basic contempt she had for everyone else. She still had her amused smile, though, and that only made Nighthand angrier.

"I see. Quite a little trick, isn't it? My, how your evolution has grown around it."

"A trick? Maybe, but you don't know how much frustration it has caused. Undo it."

"Undo it? Why?"

"Take your pick. To be technical, you owe all of us a boon for climbing your tower. This is mine."

"And if I refuse, on the grounds that you and your group have been an enemy of mine for a very long time?"

"Then I kill you where you sit and I do my best to level this goddamn tower to spite you on the way out."

Xenobia burst out laughing. "You have the arrogance, I'll give you that. You actually think you could pull it off."

In an instant, Xenobia went from her calm sitting pose to a lunge, her wretched spear driven into Nighthand's gut. He grunted, but his sword arm didn't waver. Slowly, he brought it back in preparation to bring it down on her head. Before he could, though, a greenish light suffused Nighthand's body and she pulled the spear from him, leaving no wound.

"There. Your powers have been fixed." She glanced up at his still-raised sword. "Do you still want to do that, or are you satisfied?"

Nighthand lowered his sword, though those who knew him would see the reluctance. He said nothing more, but when he turned his back on the Elite and walked back to the group, he did it with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

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Locke
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Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Locke » Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:34 am

Make our case? I know the only case that I want to make is one where I end her... Dark words from a dark mind, but Baron had every right to hate. Xenobia, the woman standing before him, was the one who had trapped him within The World, what seemed like so long ago. Yet how long had it truly been? Weeks, maybe? Days seemed to blend together in a reality that was not your own, when your life was given to the struggle to return to normalcy. Minutes and hours seemed pointless without a way to track them. However long it had been though, the memories had never faded, and Baron remembered the very moment at which he had "died", and been reborn as a Twilight victim in The World. His body, comatose in the real world, now lay in a hospital bed, cared for by a system of IVs. The body he wanted to get back to was suffering so, and all because of this woman.

Patience, Baron. We need an ally if we're going to deal with the others. You hate her, but now is not the time to act on that. If we cannot stop the other Elites, or the Master himself, then what good will killing her do? They'll drag more people into Twilight, and nothing will change! We have to deal with the core problem, and then we can deal with petty issues like revenge!

Patience? You're telling me to be patient with the woman who trapped me here? Anger rose beneath the surface, a sharp, bitter anger that had been nurtured since he had awoken in The World. Depression had masked it, sorrow and sadness concealed it, and later, hope and determination were thrown up as a facade to blind the world to that anger. But now it was revealed, a razor-sharp edge of rage, more like a shard of shattered glass than any blade. Fragile, yet its edges still cut and drew blood, infected Baron's mind with nothing but his desire for revenge. That desire was deep, and now it was being let loose. Higure, sensing that blatantly unveiled fury, suddenly materialized nearby, as if there were some way to stop Baron from acting upon his anger. The Twin Blade could not be allowed to ruin the fragile chance at an alliance that they had!

"A boon?" He softly echoed Nighthand's words. A gift, from this woman? How painfully ironic. To be given something from the very person who had trapped him here. "I don't want anything-"

"-anything but the finest of rarities!" Higure cut in, trying to stem what was coming. He knew it was futile, but the wolf also had no time to warn the others without warning Xenobia. Baron had to be stopped before acting rashly, but without access to Flashmails unless Baron sent them, he couldn't do much. "Baron here, is a collector; perhaps you have a valuable item to provide to him, something unique that only you could-"

"Be quiet, Higure." Baron's tone made the wolf pause, and it was now obvious to anyone in the room what was about to happen. The tension had grown thicker, and the Twin Blade strode forward. He didn't care what the consequences of his actions were, didn't care about the aftermath. He just wanted results, and one in particular: He wanted Xenobia dead. His blades through her eyes would be ideal, a cruel mockery of the way she had "killed" those present; he still remembered that day too well. Remembered fighting Xenobia in the middle of a field. Remembered her powers binding them, her thorns driving through their bodies and eyes. He remembered the hopelessness, the pain, and then, upon awakening, the despair and anger that grew together, intertwining like some twisted plant. That plant bore its fruit today, and it was revenge.

"I doubt I need to tell you what I'm thinking." The statement was directed at Xenobia, but it applied to his party too. Talal and Takua would probably understand it best, having been converted when he was. Sekai had been there too, and though she had already been a victim of Twilight, she had watched her comrades fall. "I ask no boon. I want nothing from you... nothing you will willingly give, anyway. The only thing I want, more than anything..."

"...Is to kill you."


The words hung between them for a moment, the weight of their implications settling on the party. Baron was going to ruin their attempts at diplomacy in his anger, ruin any hope of an alliance because of his desire for revenge. Selfish, and self-centered, yet couldn't the others understand his frustration and pain? Couldn't the others feel what he felt? They had all been trapped here by the Elites, the Master, all of them! And yet they wanted to team up, to work together? Baron had said that he had understood the meaning of this alliance, working their enemies against one another, but did he really? Or had he just been pushing himself forward to this very moment so that he could kill the very woman who had been the cause of his own imprisonment? Whatever it was that had fueled the Twin Blade's steps, and brought him to this moment, it was now laid bare in his desire to end things personally. There was no stopping Baron at this point, short of killing him permanently. The action had been taken.

"GiGan Zot!" Even as the others had their moment to act, to try and stop him, it was too late. Earthen pillars, each as sharp as the blades Baron carried in each hand, shot straight for Xenobia, her face in particular. He was going to show her the exact pain he had felt all that time ago as he skewered her on the twin points.

The battle lines had been drawn, and there was no turning back now.


(OOC: Sorry about the long delay, it's been busy on my end. And sorry for spurring things to action so early in the posting order, but I was hoping you all would post first to make this even more reactive!)
Character Information
Baron | Level 47 Twin Blade [100/1000 EXP] | 891 HP / 265 SP
Weapon: Fishskin
Armor: Emperor's Crown/Bone Armor/Thunder Gloves/Ninja Anklet
Accessories/Books: Ethereal Angel Wings, Silver Grunty
Skills: Thunder Coil, Gale of Swords
Spells: Merrows, GiRai Don, BiVak Rom, GiGan Zot, Rai Don, Ani Don, Duk Lei
GP: 750 (As of 8/2/15)
Wishlist: Nny Scales, Lucky Shoes, Saint Cross, Greave Sticker, Pet EX-Levels/Spheres(!)

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Takua
Ikkitousen
Posts: 115
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:19 am
Class: Wavemaster
Location: Walking the line of madness

Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Takua » Mon Jul 06, 2015 4:46 am

It was...interesting, standing before the woman who was responsible for his comatose status. On one level, he felt the irritation. Here she was, sitting on her throne, as close to being a Queen or a God as this game could want. Sure, two of them had apparently died to this exact group and one more besides, but she was as close to a Goddess as you could get...or not, as she spoke to Canti. So a Queen, with a God above them all. Lovely. But the anger he had expected to feel...it didn't exist. He couldn't hate this woman for what she'd done. That hate belonged to some pitiable minions of theirs, and he knew it. No matter how much this woman was responsible for, he hadn't seen any of it. Didn't know what she could do, apart from how she had so cruelly taken control of them and then taken them into the game.

He looked, and he saw an arrogant Queen. Prideful. Powerful. Impressive to say the least. Able to wipe them out at a moment's notice, perhaps. She was, by the admission of others in the group, even more powerful than most of the other Elites. Perhaps she really was a tyrant...certainly, she enjoyed the power. But he hadn't seen it, so the anger that could have exploded from him...couldn't move.

Instead, he just fought with what he wanted to say.

What could he say?

They had to offer her something, convince her that their path was the best. Canti's approach was interesting, he'd give the man that. But equally as obvious was that he didn't have an answer that would satisfy Xenobia. Nighthand's exchange was interesting, but it was just as obvious that he didn't have an answer.

Takua frowned...and as he watched, an idea came to him. Maybe...maybe that was the way in. The dwindling numbers of Elites, this rebellion...what if there were no more Elites replaced after this? If the Heirs never came into their place of power? “I-”

But then Baron spoke, and Takua's head turned in mounting suspicion even as his mouth snapped shut. Beside him, Vesica snarled and crouched low, preparing herself for the pounce.

He wouldn't.

This was what they'd warned themselves about though, but the Wavemaster hadn't thought it'd be this obvious. There couldn't be a person in the room unable to see what the man was aiming for. He had to be hallucinating. Had to be. There was certainly enough of that going around. But he kept going on. And on.

His staff changed with a single, smooth motion. Moonstruck, one of the ones he rarely used but often found useful. This was when he desperately wished for one of those hacked items from the Yamiyo Bazaar, but he hadn't bought that Tarot card. Now he regretted it.

As Baron spoke his intent, Takua looked straight over at Sekai and their eyes met.

...well, he looked over with his eyes closed, Vesica looked over at Sekai, and Sekai looked at Takua's closed eyes.

Close enough, right?

In that terrible gap between intent and spell, the Wavemaster was already speaking, one hand reaching out toward the Twin Blade, the other grasping the staff.

“Miu Lei.”

Charm could prevent Baron from taking any more actions if it landed. There was a chance that it wouldn't though. Takua would prefer not to kill a party member if he could incapacitate instead, especially if the idiot was dumb enough to leave the party. But he wasn't about to let this fucking kid destroy everything they'd worked for up this tower. The chance, the chance, to get a powerful ally. No, no, he had been just about to speak, and now...

The next words weren't spells, but he needed that time to change his staff. If Miu Lei didn't land, better to switch than to try again. Cygnus Rod slammed into his palm even as he snarled, “You stupid FUCKING IDIOT!”

The end of the Rue based staff slammed onto the floor of the tower a moment later, and Takua looked to see if the Charm had landed. If it hadn't...

...well, if it hadn't, there was nothing like a storm of PhaRue Rom to level the little boy who was unable to understand both that his spell would do nothing but tickle her if it landed, and that his lust for revenge was nothing more than the tantrum of a child.

And that that was coming from Takua meant Baron was really far off.

Beside him, Vesica was powering up an Overdrive of her own. If she had to, that too would join the fight.

Once this was over, if Xenobia even cared to keep talking with them, Baron would be paying the piper for this.
Takua - Lvl 57 Wavemaster
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Wishlist: Levels, Stun Rod, Hag's Wand, Wand of Truth, Ex-Level, Ex-Spheres, and Myth: Demiurge, FL Fukuoka

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Sekai
Ikkitousen
Posts: 123
Joined: Tue Apr 10, 2007 11:04 pm
Class: Archer
Location: Liminality

Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Sekai » Sun Jul 12, 2015 1:44 pm

She had been caught, fighting within herself, to decide what it was she wanted to say, how she wished to plead their case and hopefully gain her as an ally rather than have to kill another person who had joined the game to... to accomplish something that they couldn't outside of it. Had almost been ready to ask Xenobia about herself and her reason for starting into The World, what she wanted to accomplish, what she wished to do herself.

And then Baron....

Kira and the newcomer raged within the Archer's soul, December and Sekai both automatically on edge as the Twin Blade's body language and tone of voice shifted.

A fury similar to that of the events taking place within the Juka Cathedral swept through the snowy haired girl stuck within a game that had become so much more. He had promised. Promised her and the rest of them that he wouldn't do this-- that he wasn't going to cause any problems for the rest of the party as a whole. And with a glance at Takua, the silent communication between two old friends was done and a decision made.

December, astonished by the sudden turn of events, barely registered the blur of a green and gold clad form, the cloak around her shoulders whipping past along with the long train of the Archer's gown as brown leather boots thumped against the ground in as long of strides as her five foot frame could muster and threw herself in front of the woman sitting upon the throne to block the spell from connecting with her own body.

It hurt. It always hurt.

But even as the jagged spires pierced her body, even as the wounds themselves wept, the girl's eyes didn't turn away from Baron's face. Her shoulders heaved as if she had just done a marathon in a very short amount of time and her young face twisted into a glare of fury and pain as she took a precious moment to recollect herself and fight away the pain to do what she needed to do.

Gods, she hoped Xenobia wouldn't punish them all for his foolish actions.

Takua called him a name.

Her rage grew at the word's lack of proper strength to describe the Twin Blade himself.

"Traitor."

Her voice, usually so soft and meek, was whip like in its ability to cut the air. "You are no ally of mine, you... you oathbreaker!"

A bow flashed into existence within her hands, arrow notched and string pulled back to her ear, side of her thumb resting against the curve of her jaw in preparation. Blue light shimmered and the air about her chilled drastically, spikes of ice growing larger, larger still upon the shaft and head of the arrow as the hum of power grew in intensity.

The wounds he'd inflicted upon her hurt, yes.

But the betrayal hurt worse.

It always did.

"Icy Arrow of Mist."

And fired upon someone she had considered a friend and ally.
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Name: Sekai
Level: 54
EXP: 0000/1000
Class: Archer
Clan: Army of Darkness
HP: 835
SP: 347

Currently Equipped:

Einherjar: Kira, December, Zorya

Head: Bat Earrings (Ola Repth 40, Rip Maen 40)
Body: Saint Cross (Rue Zot 10, RaJuk Zot 30)
Arm: Protect Ring (Ap Vorma 15, MeJuk Kruz 20)
Leg: Ninja Anklet (BiVak Rom 20, GiGan Zot 30)
Add-Ons: Forestlore, Wood Magic (permanently raised Wood Offense/Defense by +3 total)

Wishlist: Levels, Summon: Wood, Archer Weapons, Light Armor

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Nighthand
Master of Games
Posts: 1265
Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2003 9:23 pm
Class: Bladesmage
Location: ...Tracking...please wait...

Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Nighthand » Mon Jul 13, 2015 3:16 am

Quick OOC post to tally things up. Baron's spell is blocked by Sekai's body, Takua's charm misses, so he drops PhaRue Rom at about the same time Sekai's arrow is loosed, and all together it does a pretty good job of making Baron into a ghost. So far, Nall/Sheena/Demorian/Nighthand haven't reacted to help or hinder; content to let you all sort it out for the time being. That may change once a couple more posts are up.

Xenobia is still just chilling on her throne, unharmed and a little amused.

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Talal
Ikkitousen
Posts: 123
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:50 am
Class: Twinblade

Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Talal » Mon Jul 13, 2015 5:58 am

Talal could do nothing but watch. She had completely drained her energy levels on her last attack. Even if she had wanted to protect Baron from any of the ensuing onslaught from Takua or Sekai, the twin blade would not have succeeded except to include herself in the line of fire which would have done nothing for their cause. Everyone's acts could be dissected and cross-referenced to a point where each of them had good solid reason for what they did. But that wasn't really the problem now was it. The problem was they were no longer a cohesive unit, each acting individually and some recklessly. How does this prove to Xenobia that the Freedom Fighters should be trusted enough to get the job done should she choose them as allies? The answer is....it doesn't. It shows the exact opposite. That we are all still very traumatized in our own way because of what she or another elite did that trapped us all here.

The Twin Blade sighed but somehow managing to hold a stern glare at Takua for his secondary action towards Baron. She had been okay with the charm spell. It was decent and humane but to follow it with such a destructive spell is like taking too ends of the spectrum and thinking they would average each other out. Talal took her turn and walked toward Xenobia looking up at Sekai's impaled form and the sheer rage and anger that glitted in her eyes even after the arrow was released. This was not the once wise woman she thought she knew but that was a discussion for another time, if at all.

As much as she wanted to join Baron in his warranted yet brief battle of revenge, Talal was torn. Torn between the need to stick to her commitment to the Freedom Fighters and try to win over Xenobia as an ally so they could all possibly go home, or join Baron in his revenge because part of her didn't care if she went home since there was nothing left for her there. There was one thing that might change her mind on that but this was not the time to broach that subject either.

The purple and lavender clad woman stood there, giving each of her comrades a glance and then finally back to the woman relaxing upon the throne. "It is unfortunate, in my humble opinion, that people exist for the pure pleasure of achieving control and power. Things you have already achieved here in this place." Her hands motioned to the room but it implied the rest of the The World as well. "There is one thing that can be said about all people who crave these two things....what they have is never enough. Xenobia has made no attempt to deny any of this in her conversation with Canti, but has also not answered the question. What more does she want? I think her unwillingness to answer the question, or rather her clever way of avoiding it, answers it completely. She wants it all, lock stock and barrel. Somewhere along the journey she found a means to help her achieve her goal knowing it wasn't something she could do completely on her own as powerful as she may be. That means was to bring strong willed players like ourselves into her fold. Make us believe she was the enemy so that our anger and hatred would fuel our rage and courage alike to fight the good fight and become strong."

Finally the woman paused, knowing she was starting to get wordy again for no reason in particular other than it tended to happen. Something she couldn't always control. An understanding nod given to each of her friends including Baron's ghosted form. "Xenobia has inadvertently already given us her answer. She needs us as her ally to achieve her own goals. It was always her plan. Thing may have gotten a little muddled up along the way but what better action plan than to have a rogue group of players killing off her competition?" At this Talal turned back to the high ranking woman that for all intents and purposes, she should be cowering in front of. "The short version of our terms are simple. We will give this our best effort or die trying. If successful, we want released from The World along with all of the other players sitting in comas around the world. You can have what you've always wanted...control and power over this world. All of the finer details of how this will be achieved and possible individual requests can be discussed later." Dark brown eyes squared up with Xenobia. "The only real question left to ask is...do you accept?"
Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Walk beside me that we may be as one.
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Talal
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Level 39 (0/1000 EXP) Twin Blade

Weapons/Armor: Mukuro (Swirling Dark, Dark Dance), Ice Hunter Cap (Repth), Wristbands (Juk Rom), Fishing Gloves (Rue Kruz), Wyrm Hide (Gan Don), Snow Panther (Ap Vorv)

Wish List: Scrolls, Tarot Cards, and Armor higher than level 30.

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Bane
Elevated Player
Posts: 30
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2012 4:26 pm
Class: Fist Fighter
Location: Australia

Re: The Journey’s Next Step: Yamiyo In Chaos

Post by Bane » Thu Jul 23, 2015 2:29 am

Silence.

One of the crystals shattered, the last crystal, and then it was over. One of the more powerful guys, Nall, walked right on up to the Willowman and poised a sword at its throat. Maoh watched, breathing heavy in anticipation for what was to come. Had they really won? The thing wasn’t dead yet, but didn’t seem to show any signs of being able to continue fighting. Nall made comment to Xenobia and there was more silence. Maoh’s breathing was heavy from the adrenaline of coming out of a fight, and the world was slowly sinking in now that there wasn’t a thing to fight as a distraction.

He blinked, quivering as he looked down at where his hands once were. Paws; fuzzy, clawed, non-human. Maoh squeaked, quivering as he couldn’t pull his eyes off his new body. It felt foreign, and as he flexed the individual digits on his ‘hands’ he shook his head slowly in disbelief. Xenobia had moved closer, Nall had moved back, and the Willowman was gone the next time Maoh had looked up. There was a lull in the conversation and Canti piped up. They discussed motives, or something; Maoh was only half paying attention given his own existential-crisis of being a cat and being too drawn to that spear she was holding to really care what Canti and Xenobia were really talking about. The conversation ended and Canti went back to the group. Next it was Nighthand, who got stabbed right quick with the spear and then wandered back perfectly fine.

Then the guy that arrived late had spoken up. He was at odds with himself, speaking as two people before promptly charging a spell and unleashing it at Xenobia. Maoh’s eyes widened in confusion and shock as the next series of events unfolded before his eyes. Takua had used a spell of his own on Baron, the werewolf guy, and then yelled at him for being an idiot. Then Sekai spoke up and fired a shot at Baron as well. Presumably he’d be ghosted, but his attention was then turned to Talal who had spoken up after the fireworks display. She made her point, cutting the discussion to the crux of what the party had apparently come here to do. She gave her terms and awaited Xenobia’s reply.

Maoh had nothing to say, and instead just shifted his weight uncomfortably looking between his companions. If they were getting boons, maybe he could not be a cat anymore? A pang of pain streaked through his head, causing him to wince in pain. He tried to think back and found that anything before being in here, in this place, fighting the Willowman had become fuzzy. He vaguely remembered waking up in The World, and the events leading to him being trapped here. He remembered wandering around the tower, getting some treasure, but little else. He did remember hearing that short-term amnesia could be a coping mechanism for trauma. Maybe his boon could be something to help him get out of The World? A weapon, maybe? A trinket that would do amazing things, perhaps? He’d wait for Xenobia’s response to Talal before imposing more questions upon her.
Maoh l Lvl. %h l EXP: ????/1000 l HP: ???/??? l SP: ???/???
GP: 31,541

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