The post is up and the event has reached it's climax. Whatever comes of it will be seen in time but at the moment I leave you all with the universal chime: A massive deep chiming sound which resonates throughout the minds of all deities. The palace awaits.
I've tagged everyone I believe may still be involved. If I didn't tag you and you're still involved do let me know. If I did tag you and you are no longer participating please also let me know. It's been a week or two and my memory is well and far divided.
Dusk was settling on the evening horizon. The great tree's branches blotted out the reddening light of the sun as clouds tangled through the long forks in the branches like wisps of cotton through one's fingers. Those who were trapped below the strange canopy of the many trees could see little of the sky and those who remained above saw nary a sign of the ground. One thing everyone could see however was that the twin strands which danced around one another were tightening ever faster.
The spiral hardened into what almost appeared to be a single column of twisting light, deep earthy green energy intertwined with the pale white glow of divine power. The two twisted tighter and tighter like they were two snakes attempting to strangle the other, this rotation perpetuating in an ever constantly accelerating pace. As the lines of distinction which separated the two forces started to blur however there was what appeared to be a visual snap, two separate forces now joined as one in a single beam shining bright into the sky. Faster than a candle snuffed out by a waterfall the light suddenly stopped, both ends of the force retracting back to it's center at the speed of light.
Deep, deeper still a small hair no larger than one plucked from a human woman's head softly swayed upon the air as it fell, the pale white essence tinged with a faint green glow. The Divine Cord of Plants had been born, still yet without shape as it descended down the shaft within the middle of the great tree. The spire which had long ago been swallowed up into the body of the tree itself had turned grey, the black colour which previously sustained it having retreated back to the core where it once again covered the hole which once was as though it never appeared. The core was whole once more. Perfect, smooth, spherical to an absolute degree.
_ All the dragons which had yet to flee where rooted within this hybrid of a forest and a jungle, their bodies now equal parts dragon and tree in their own right. They still commanded their own bodies but they were more plant than beast by now. The humans who were taken up by the trees found themselves bonded to the wood, alive and merged with these great wooden bodies. Their minds were joined, their thoughts heard by all who's roots were joined with theirs. Many voices from many minds spoken across an inaudible network of living bonds. The loudest and most numerous of these voices were those merged with the great tree itself. Given stability and purpose by their wisest voice, The wise woman Udrassa, They ushered a tone and feeling of order and calm to all those who still found turmoil in the loss of their humanity. The tree brought peace where once chaos prevailed and so the many voices deliberated across their shared mind as to what to make of this.
Hayim could sense the abatement of pain as the fighting settled, the light now gone as was the aura. Even the aftermath of Ragnageddon's contribution came to rest with the passage of time, the many seeds bringing this strange new pepper into the world. The forest was a hectic mashup of divine forces which collided with the power of plants, all those who participated having brought strange new flora into existence through this great strife.
While changed the land could rest for now.
Meanwhile in the depths of North Crown
Old, dried scraps were all that remained of her former flesh. She sat with her knees to the floor, hunched over the last of the remains as she chewed the last vestiges of her divine power from the old chips of skull which once was her head. This change was baffling, frightening even. Things which never mattered before brought her discomfort and shame, deeply human concerns. She was the embodiment of fear from the mortal world both of primal fears which all fauna held and of the more complex fears invented by human imagination. Her fear of the light was an element baked into her very being simply by the nature of what she was: Darkness incarnate. She feared her sibling and hated them much like a beast would. But now... It was a web of concerns that occupied her mind. The types of concerns she'd of never considered before.
One thing for certain was that she knew she was alone. This may have brought her sadness before but now she felt a certain fear towards the maddening silence such isolation brought. Were it not for her ties to the shadows and night sky she'd fear she was no longer real. It was certain, she needed to change.
Before that could happen though a deep chime rang out. It rang not through the dark cavern halls but through the halls of her mind. The ringing of the chime carried for some time, resonations lingering as slowly it faded. The chime did not come alone however. The sound which pierced her mind carried with it a deep exhaustion. She felt tired and weary. It was like she was a mortal who had spent several days walking though her feet did not hurt. It was simply exhaustion of a purely mental origin.
She was not alone in this feeling. All throughout Tabrasa every deity, every being in possession of a Divine Cord could hear this chime. It rang through their minds, as did the exhaustion which followed. It was not unstoppable, the exhaustion could be resisted with some will.
At least this time perhaps.
As for Oao herself she felt great concern. Should she succumb she'd be easy prey for whatever might come for her. Scared of this thought she retreated down into the heart of the caves, surrounded on all sides by an enormous labyrinth of caverns caked in her dark webbing. The very same ichorous plaster which served to keep all prying eyes, divine or otherwise, from seeing into her domain she used to start crafting a strange shell on the floor. She could only hope she'd have enough time to finish before the chime overtook her consciousness.
Meanwhile back in the strange forest
A large strange pod had grown from the forest floor. It looked like a pea pod but what laid inside looked nothing like peas. It was strange and lumpy like a humanoid form trapped within.
Within this pod was the girl who Hayim forsook. She slept in dreamless stasis, her time to hatch forth approaching in the hours to come. What had become of her though was yet to be known.
While I've been fairly busy as of the last couple of weeks (And quite sick for the most of it) for the most part I've been waiting to see if Kalas has come on so I could get in contact. It would seem, however, that they haven't been on for eight days.
As such I shall progress the current scene in exclusion of their character's presence. To all those who are still on board I'll be initiating countdown to the event within the same post.
To everyone claiming this project is dead I do not intend to let it die until I am the last person posting. All who are still with me can expect this update by tonight in my time zone.
Edit: One quick note; For everyone who's been writing up collab posts You'll have until the final countdown post to get your posts in before the next event initiates at which point everyone still active will be involved. To those waiting on joining this rp I'll see to getting your characters introduced shortly into this event.
"I agree. Noriko and I grew up in a small mountain town, there's no atmosphere quite like that. I've noticed city life produces so many more shades... larger, stronger ones..."
The silence between them was palpable for that brief pause that came as she spoke of shades. She understood well what she spoke of as she was all too familiar with shades. Some might say that her and shades went hand in hand given the numbers and sizes she's had to handle in her past.
"Sorry if this conversation is getting depressing."
Sophia shook her head. "No need to apologize. I understand."
"At least there are more of us around here to keep the doom and gloom at bay! And yeah, places like this sure help."
She turned her attention to her sister Noriko for a moment but it returned to Fuyuko as she looked out across the forest to the city beyond, a look which spoke of a certain melancholy she could recognize. It drew her to wonder what it is that occupied her thoughts so, this lingering undertone of despair in her eyes.
"How are you finding Tokyo?" She asked Sophia.
"It is a fine city. Despite it's ultra modern veneer it's surprisingly humble once you leave the tourist trap circuit." Having said that she looked out in the direction where she had saw the battle take place, her eyes drawn past the forest towards the more suburban sectors.
"While I've seen little of shades as of yet it seems conflict is already stirring." She looked down, appearing to be deep in thought as she considered the events she's witnessed thus far.
"I fear such conflicts will only intensify with the progression of time." @LuckyBlackCat
Bad news everyone. As requested by Paul I must be leaving the rp. It was fun roleplaying with you all. A shame Thessir couldn't spend more time with your characters than he did.
Best of luck and I look forward to seeing you in other roleplays.
@PaulHaynek - That certain detail has been seen to.
I will note that there is more to Gang's background than what is seen. Some of it was discussed in the prior rp as Lumiere may recall but the story never proceeded to the point where I could elaborate more. Since Kazzok's identity is largely shrouded in mystery I left whatever reason he might have had in obscurity.
Name: Gangraena. Age: No one knows. Pronouns: She/her/it. Race: Reanimated. Personality:
She is a friendly and optimistic war machine of a being.
Between the process of dying only to return again and her time spent beneath the waves she's definitely become what some would describe as "Odd". She almost never lets grim or depressing matters lower her spirits. Rare are the times that she isn't smiling and even then she is quick to snap back to her chipper self. The only thing that could really bring her down is boredom, something she's well acquainted with from her time at the bottom of the ocean.
Despite generally meaning well and generally being quite high in spirits there are times where her training as a paladin along with her history of combat definitely show. For her violence is always a ready solution and though she never holds too much hatred in her heart she'll quickly smash those who get in her way. She has never been the sharpest tool in the shed either and the reanimation followed with her time below certainly didn't help speed her wits up any.
Appearance:
She stands at an even six foot tall and weighs a solid one hundred and ninety pounds though most wouldn't be able to tell since she looks like she weighs half that. Most would assume a warrior such as herself would have sizable muscles but her body looks soft and feminine, at least the parts that remain. Given the fact she's animated with dark magic muscles are hardly necessary since biologically speaking she has no right to be moving at all, let alone with such strength.
Her skin is a blue tinged grey like that of a drowned corpse. Her body might be a bit less bloated than the average floater but she looks no less drowned. Her hair is a murky dark green, not unlike kelp. Her hair is straight albeit messy more often than not and cut just above her neckline. Her face while bearing some slender femininity is a bit rounder, a softer jawline with cheeks that are more full with a lower cheekbone that accentuates the eyes which... Well, require some explanation.
The sockets which once housed eyes are empty now. More than that the eyelids themselves are missing as well, leaving the eye sockets open up to the edges of the skull, leaving only the eyebrows. Inside the hollow apertures her eyes once occupied is a deep darkness, an abyss so black staring deeply into them can leave one's grip on sanity loosened. As though swimming in the shores of the fathomless darkness which appears to stretch on for eternity are two spheres of winding light in an unearthly yellow hue, one mote for each socket.
For attire she's clad in fighting garments. She wears a pair of brown animal hide pants and dons a tan hide tunic which comes down to her hips. Her tunic is tied with an off-white sash. Having seen much combat her clothes have a number of cuts and blood stains, most of the blood not being her own. Ordinarily she would be clad in a heavy assortment of armor but that's been taken from her after her recent post-post-mortem imprisonment.
Abilities/Powers:
She's been reanimated by a dark power that calls her physical form home. As such there's a number of changes to her, some simply being facets of being undead and others brought upon her by the dark one's power.
Firstly as a member of the undead she no longer holds the needs of the living. She does not need to eat, sleep, drink or even breath. Diseases and poisons sit idle in her flesh for her blood had ran still long ago. She no longer experiences fatigue and can exert herself endlessly without fail. While she no longer feels pain nor the comforts of warmth she still holds a dim sense of touch.
She has no eyes of the tangible variety but she can see perfectly fine, not only in the light but also in the darkness no matter how tenebrous it may be. This comes at the cost of being able to see in color, leaving her only able to see in shades of grey. She no longer holds any sense of taste or smell either.
In addition to the traits of her undead are the dark gifts bestowed upon her. She holds a strength far greater than any mundane man or beast. The entirety of her body is connected by this strange power so that even if an arm, a leg or even her head is removed she can control them no less than when they were still attached to her. Not only does this dark essence keep her flesh from rotting like some mere cadaver but it also protects her from the harsh tolls of the water. What else this power she's given entails is known only by the one who gave it to her.
Though sometimes a boon undeath carries a number of drawbacks as well. The most notable drawback is that as she is no longer alive her flesh does not knit together over time like the living do. While she may not decay every wound she receives never recovers. Her only means of maintaining structural stability is to patch together the skin with thread and, in more severe cases, to nail metal braces to the bone.
Equipment:
- Her weapon, A large ship anchor which has been covered with more than few centuries worth of rust, wielded by the loop it's tied by. It's attached to a chain which is wrapped several times around her left arm which is her dominant arm. Despite the endless years of rust the old makeshift weapon's thickness had ensured it's survival so far. It may be pocked and riddled with old barnacle shells but it still holds up to both the rigors of travel and the trials of combat. The chain attached to it's ring is a recent addition, the original one having broken apart deep below the waves quite a while ago. (Removed)
- Her armor. A collection of borrowed pieces from foes she has slain. Some parts are even segments of armor that have been strapped or crudely nailed onto preexisting articles. She tends to show preference towards heavier, more protective gear. (Removed)
Inventory: An old fishing rod. (Removed)
Origin:
Hers was a violent land. A land where sword and sorcery reigned supreme. Throughout the ages kingdoms rose and fell. One noteworthy group was The Order of The Divine Concord, humans who served the wishes of angels in exchange for their divine gifts. Those who were trained to fight for the order, by the order, were known as "Paladins". Throughout the years the order changed, growing and shrinking with the whims of fate but they clang ever tight to their sacred duty to serve the Divine Concord.
In this medieval stage of their world war was ever constant and life was never easy for those who called this world home. Peasants toiled, merchants traveled to sell their wares, knights fought almost constantly and priests were required to uphold the mandates of their divine benefactors. Not even kings had life easy for they still needed to earn the respect of their knights and the loyalty of the nobility.
Needless to say these lands were never short on strife.
At least there was always hope...
Backstory:
Her name was not always Gangraena. What it was has been forgotten for a very long time.
Her memory of her past is foggy, incomplete in parts. She remembered training. She recalled how to fight. She recalled the paladins, the holy order, the order her family belonged to. Their lessons, their tenets were lost to her. All that remained was that she loved her family. Her father was a proud paladin. He had taken it upon himself to personally train her over her other sisters. Her brothers all trained under the order itself but she trained under him.
Those were happy days. It had all come to a dead halt with the storm. She was on a ship, that much she remembers. There was a storm. Her trip had a purpose. She was to fight something, somewhere. What else there was to it escapes her.
It mattered little after it all went dark.
When she awoke she felt different from before. She hadn't noticed her lack of breathing nor the rest of her changes for that matter but she did notice she was in an unfamiliar place, underwater no less. She didn't know how to swim but even if she did it wouldn't have mattered. Her dominant arm was tied to her boat's anchor by it's very chains, weighing her down so she may walk instead. It was large but it was no effort to lift for her. Without paying it much mind she simply rested it on her shoulder like any old axe.
She had found herself in a temple of some sort, long sunken below the waves. The only evidence as to what was worshiped in these halls was shattered long ago, by who she did not know. What history these halls held was lost to her, lost beneath the waves where the world did it's best to forget it.
All she knew was that she was different now. She was never a sharp one but the reanimation process had effected her mind, damaging it to an extent in the process. Things that were once certain seemed hazy now. Faces, dates, goals and other such things were now harder to grasp. Her memory was fractured, partly on purpose and partly as a result of the flaws that occurred in her psyche.
Thanks to her special eyes she could see quite fine despite the fact she was in a pitch black temple so far below the ocean's surface that light no longer reached the trenches it sat within. She explored around until eventually she happened upon the exit. It was time to return to the world she knew... Or at least she would. Eventually.
_ From then on she simply walked about the ocean floor. She had no direction to follow so she'd simply walk until she ran into something and then try to walk around that. This continued for thousands upon thousands of years. Though long as such a trek might be it could of been shorter but she had a terrible sense of direction and often wound up walking in circles for countless years at a time. Sometimes she would fall into pits that could swallow mountains and occasionally she'd run into mountains that make those of the surface world seem pitifully small by comparison. Being a realm vastly larger than the surface land it's features often dwarfed those that appeared above
After such an unfathomably long time spent wandering the vast sea floor she eventually came upon a shore. Trudging up this deep sea creature of undeath continued along the sandy coast until she found a quaint little fishing village. At first the locals were terrified of her but after a while they came to accept that she meant no harm. She spent a fair amount of time among them, slowly learning their language and how to fish. Over the course of many generations she eventually got the hang of both.
Such was life until a humble mercenary company came through one day. They were a respectable bunch of warriors who needed a place to stay and restock their supplies. When they saw how strong Gangraena was they were thoroughly impressed. They offered her a place in their company if she wanted to fight alongside them. She accepted the offer and went along with them the day after. Since then she's fought many battles, now wielding her anchor as a tool of death rather than just an old keepsake. Over the years they'd lose men both to battle and to sickness. Eventually after a few bad bouts of combat the company was all but wiped out. It was just her and the captain who had suffered severe wounds towards the end of their last contract. He decided if he did survive his injuries he was just going to retire on what funds they had left. Unfortunately survival just wasn't in his cards this time.
Since fighting was what she knew best she decided to just keep up what she'd been doing so far. She traveled the land now a lone mercenary, killing for coin if only to afford repairs on her armor. In time however she soon found the days were growing shorter, even in the summers. The night started to claim the day and while she had no issues about it everyone else was in a panic. The Order of The Divine Concord served as a beacon, everyone flocking to their churches. They gained almost complete control of the kingdom in the wake of these apocalyptic times.
_ She began to see undead wandering the land as she traveled. They left her well enough alone so she did the same since they weren't much for conversation. The paladins didn't leave her quite as well alone however. Fight after fight she found herself attacked by unfamiliar paladins of an order now foreign to her. Their divine magic and arms were not enough to prevail over her superior strength and skill in combat. She felled all who sought to slay her, all the while confused as to why so many people with the same heraldry wanted her dead.
Before long she found herself constantly getting stuck in the middle of battlefields, caught in battles between the armies of man against legions of shambling dead. She was often times getting attacked by the side of the living on account of her being rather undead herself. Before she knew it she had unknowingly become the spearhead that would pierce the ranks of mankind and lead the undead into the heart of the kingdom, one victory at a time.
Not really aware of the fact that the people believed her to be the commander of the undead on account of her being the most intelligent and noteworthy of the undead hordes she continued well ahead of the army that was marching on the grand chapel. She didn't really see herself as apart of any force so she figured she'd traipse into town and maybe see about scoring another job for some more coin. What she wasn't aware of was that the high priest of the chapel had assembled a team of heroes chosen by the angels of the Divine Concord to go forth and slay her in an attempt to cripple the forces of darkness in their advance.
Upon her arrival the village was empty save these divinely appointed individuals. They proclaimed that she needed to die for the good of all mankind and thus they fought. It was a bloody battle and she had killed four of their team of eight, maiming another two before they finally overcame her. They had to hack off her head and all her limbs before they able to subdue her for good. Despite all their efforts however it seemed she would not die no matter how great their divine rites were.
Ultimately they were forced to drag her remained back to town. The chapel sealed her dismembered body away in a big ornate sarcophagus engraved with holy wards to trap her within. This sarcophagus was then locked deep within their reliquary, the safest vault they had left which they kept their holiest artifacts within. It was their hope that the presence of said artifacts would keep the forces of darkness from reaching her current prison.
_ It was no use. Though they no longer lost any more men to the cruel edge of her anchor they had experienced losses too great as it stood. Half of the great heroes of their order were slain by her and of the four that remained she had crippled two of them so badly they were of no use in battle. Worse yet the sun had ceased to rise and the undead seemed to rise endlessly, swarming the chapel which served as the last great bastion for humanity. No matter how many battles the paladins won the undead always returned in greater numbers with each passing of the moon. Little did they know the ancient temple had risen from the sea. The darkness it contained was pouring out freely across the land and sea now. Their world was being consumed, it was only a matter of time.
In the wake of their final battle the paladins and their heroes fought harder than ever before. Their darkest hour was punctuated with the greatest of their determination. No matter how hopeless the odds they cleaved into the hordes whilst unleashing bolts of destructive light upon the shambling cadavers. All in vain, their efforts wasted as one by one they fell only to join the forces they once fought. The heroes which remained lent all of their great power to aid in this last fight but they were too few and too late to stop the forces of darkness.
The ending was written well before this battle had even begun, they had only just begun to realize it as their forces were crumbling all around. In losing half of their team in taking down the undead general the heroes no longer had the means of fighting through to the heart of the darkness. The two of them could not have taken the fight back to them, not without the other six.
Once the last of the paladins fell humanity quivered in fear behind their walls. It was barely even a speed bump as the undead simply piled onto each other forming hills large enough for the rest to walk on over the walls upon. Once inside the final throes of mankind were far from quiet. As expected none were spared.
_ She did not know any of this however. Having been sealed in the box for humanity's final hours she only remembers waking up in a dungeon cell with her limbs reattached somehow.
Now she stands before her door eager to get back out there and have more fun.
@Kalas - Just throwing a mention out to let you know once you've got a response up I'll conclude this current event and kick off the following one shortly.
_ I understand everyone's up to their own things but we gotta keep at least posting more than once a week now. I'll do my part as soon as is reasonable.
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