Maglar

Crystallis

On the Back of the Manta Ray

@shadowsaint007

"So, first scan the source of the ability, then put the battery on a metal object, and touch it? Can I use the sword, or does it have to be a different metal object?" She shakes her head. "Sounds a bit complex to me..."

@shadowsaint007

Asra blipped and fluttered in Sarah's peripheral vision, happy to be a part of a conversation. "Every new configuration requires a new metal vessel, so the sword is configured to channel your Biogenic energy into lightning and it cannot be restructred to channel anything else. For a demonstration what I'm talking about let's take a look at those canisters you brought. Now, take the pressure tapping mechanism that's on the container rack and allow the battery to attach to the bottom, it has a powerful electro-magnet built into the battery so now that it's charged it should stick easily to any conductive metal. I'm sorry if you don't understand all of that, I know this is all very new to you. Please trust me, there was much knowledge built into your mind while you were being formed and with a little practice you should be able to understand basic math, science, and physics...."

Sarah did as she was instructed, "There you go, now that you've attached the battery to the wand hold it close to the canister and I will scan the materials within."

>.....analysis complete

"The canister contains Imaginarium, a chemical compound that is gaseous at room temperature and similar in composition to Dimethyltryptamine, a neuro-hallucinogenic hormone released by the brain shortly before death. Now, give me a second, I haven't done this in a while..." Over the next few moments the rod in Sarah's hand jerked and vibrated and made electrical cutting noises.

>.......configuration complete

"There," Asra's voice returned, "now if you channel your energy through this wand it'll spray a gas that will cause any humanoid creature to hallucinate. I don't know if it works on animals or if different species of humanoids experience different effects. You'll have to experiment." Her musical voiced flittered happily inside of Sarah's head. "As you use the implements, you don't have to keep the battery on there to use it, it'll only double the strength of the implement, your body will grow neurons in the same configuration as the element so in time you'll be able to use the power of the implement without the aid of the device."

"So, Asra, can I ask you something?" she continues. "What exactly are you? You're the first entity I met since my hibernation, and yet you have answers I'm trying to find. I'm beginning to understand the duty of the Oracles thanks to Master Thunderfists' documents, but if the Ancients made you to help the Oracles, why weren't they better prepared for... well, all this?"

@shadowsaint007

"That's a very good question, and I'll try to answer as best as I can. I am something called an 'Artificial Intelligence,'" her voice sounded sad saying it, "I'm a computer who is alive and thinking. In the time before the Apocalypse I was designed to link the Oracles, though they were called something else then, and allow them to communicate with each other and with the Harbinger. I was also attached to Satellites, which are machines in space that can see everything in the world, and the World Net, which is like an electronic library of humanoid intelligence. And I was created to scan and manufacture implements for you to use after you awoke. You see, the Oracles were made to Rule. You were created to be perfect in every way, and more powerful than any being alive; Dr. Logan said he designed you to hold the 'Scepter and the Switch.'"

"When Harbinger malfunctioned and began to attack the world the scientists changed my programming. I was put offline so I don't know what happened, but when I came back online it was over, there was nothing left. My program was saved in the pods and eventually I ran out of power and went into stasis myself. When you woke up, it gave me enough power to come back online, but only for a short time. So far I've communicated with yourself, a boy in Leaf village who I lost contact with, a child who burned to death in a fire, and another named Stephanie, though my contact with her was very brief and I don't know what happened."

Asra's voice became very somber, "We are in very unsure times now, there's much I don't know. The world has changed and adapted, and now Harbinger has awoken again. I don't know what's going to happen, but I know we have to stop Harbinger before it destroys everything in the world... again."

Crystallis

Jabberwocky's Hideout

@Shadow Dragon

As Ruby's hand crashed through Annabelle's chest she let out a guttural scream! Then her body began to molt and form into paste as it melted and fell to the ground. After a moment Annabelle's body was nothing but a heap of greyish burnt clay. Ruby pulled her hand back and realized that she was clutching a Gemstone of some sort, if she could see she would notice that it was red and faceted.

"AAAHAHAHHHAAA!!" Came a high, whinnying laugh echoing through the cavern, "Your fun!" Annabelle said, "I like you! Did you know, they call me the Puppet master?" Another harlequin clothed woman stepped from behind a rock, it looked exactly like the one that Ruby had just destroyed, "We could help each other you know, you and me, a couple of young, hot ladies lookin for trouble? Whaddya think?" She smiled and raised her hands in an open gesture.

*******

Tinkertown

The storm had blown in suddenly and without warning. In the intense thunder and lightening Jabberwocky had snuck up on the town in the mountains and was not in their streets. Minoc could see him from his humble apartment.

"Who killed the Harpy?" Jabber screamed form the street, his dagger toothed maw frothing.

"Maybe he'll leave if we tell him?" said Jimmy, one of Minoc's assistants, hopefully.

Minoc gave himself a moment to consider, "No," he finally said, "no I don't think he will that one. Jabberwocky has always been blood thirsty, we're going to have to give him a fight. Tell me, where are the people?" He turned to Jimmy.

Jimmy frowned, "in the house just across the way there. Jabberwocky is between us."

"Oh, dear," said Minoc. He stood up shakily but attempted to look strong, "Well then, let us get to the fight, shall we?" As he turned to look he saw that the others were already armed and ready to go.

They made their ways to their locations, Minoc to the front door and the others along flanking positions. Minoc looked Jabberwocky in the eye and yelled over the storm, "The Harpy met the fate of all those who give violence to the world, a violent death!" and one his word 6 crossbow went off and hurled their payload towards Jabberwocky's scales.

Crystallis

On the Manta's Back

@shadowsaint007

The Manta Ray flew for the entirety of the day, crossing a desert of ocean that stretched as far as Sarah could see in every direction. They didn't seem to need sleep, food, or rest; they just flew and flew and flew, aiming for their destination like an arrow fired from a long bow. As the sun waned gently into the horizon and Sarah and Pip were nestled comfortably in their saddle a flicker of light blinked into existence in Sarah's periphery, and a small, musical voice began to chime.

"Sarah... Sarah it is me, Asra! I'm so happy to get to talk to you again!" The holographic fairy's voice sounded like its usual, peppy self, but it also contained a trace of strange melancholy. "Umm... how are you?" the fairy asked.

"It's understandable that you'd be wondering why I'm here. Well, I've been present ever since you attached the battery to your thunder sword. You see, the swords are part of a circuit that is formed with your body and together you work as a dynamo for charging the receiver that is built into your brain, which is where the transistor exists that communicates with where I live. Once other Oracles wake up you'll be able to talk to each other through me, and I have other functions as well." The fairy seemed distracted and hesitant.

"I.. I'm sorry about Master Kensu. I know you only just met him but you've already been through so much together; he was a great man. I would've come to you sooner but it didn't seem the right time." She was quiet for a moment, the soft sound of the cold wind blowing filled the silence.

"You should name your sword, It's completely yours now you know? You can call it Thunder Fang or Bolt or, or anything else you can think of, because it's yours you see, and no one else's, and when you own something you can make it into anything you want, isn't that right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry for the strange conversation, I'm... I'm unsure of myself. I haven't felt any other Oracles except for the one in Leaf, and he's dead. It seems like as soon as you wake up you head straight into some dangerous situation and... and how did things get this way? No one could have known that things would be so scary when you, we, woke up."

"Now that you've attached the battery to the sword I'm allowed to access the energy stored in the battery to manifest. That's how the battery's work, they contain charge. Kensu found that he could charge the battery with lightning from Pip and then release that lightning when he needed it, though he really wasn't able to channel his own energy to create lightning himself, no."

Asra seemed to be rambling and it was unclear as to why, but she continued, "I have two very important things I need to tell you, the first is about yourself. The swords exist to help you easily channel your energy into the manifestation of their elemental force, like lightning; however, you don't need the swords. You are capable, through focus and practice, to learn abilities from the materials, animals, and people around you. What you have to develop is a sense of analyzation, which, now that I can pull energy from the battery, I can help you with. Hold the pommel of the sword, where the battery is located, close to something and call on me to scan the element, animal, or person you want to learn from, and I will create a biogenecular diagram. Then, after I have the scan, attach the battery to any metal apparatus, this can be a rod, sword, spear, or other item of your choosing, but it needs to be metal. I can create a circuit channel which, when you push your biogenic energy through it, will form that energy into the desired effect. Pay close attention to how the energy feels as it its effects manifest, because with time and practice you'll be able to channel that energy intuitively without the aid of the apparatus. If you tried, you should already feel the ability to shoot a small spark from your body because of your work with the Lightning Fang, or Electric Talon, or whatever you want to call it." Asra's voice was smiling.

"The Second important thing I need to tell you is that the Castle of Solace is being sieged by a great and powerful monster known as the Bandersnatch. It's not safe to land there, you'll have to be careful. I don't know if the Manta Ray's can fly high enough to avoid him, he's very fast and dangerous, you might all do better to find another way in. If you land north of the Castle there is a river that you can follow to the northern gates. Bandersnatch is focused on the south gates, and so you might be able to slip by him."
"The Third thing I need to tell you, which is silly because I told you that there were only two," she giggled, "is that you can now access me in your peripheral display and ask me questions directly. I have access to a certain database of information and I will provide you with any help I can."

"It is nice to talk to someone again, if you want to talk I am here, but you may need to sleep. You will be in sight of the Castle by the morning."

NaNoWriMo 2020

So what format do you like to do your writing on? Do you open up a Google Doc or do you like Microsoft word?

Pyrod. (Pyro is the orange in flames.)

Stormifer has accepted to judge the match, check the arena chat in Discord

cancelled

Twas a good idea, maybe another time

Crystallis

Castle of Solace

@Ponn

*BOOM!*

*BOOM!!*

*BOOM!!!*

The cavern shook with the bangs of Bandersnatch's annoying assault. Tornel sighed, bristling his long mustaches. It was the King's idea to send out that knight and give him the Sword of Fire, though it didn't give him much of an advantage. Tornel should've known that it would end up in Bandersnatch's hands, but even he had not been able to get the sword to work so well! How was he supposed to know that the Bandersnatch would be able to use it like this! The monster was casually blasting away at the castle walls, and there was nothing anyone in the King's army could do about it.

Tornel walked down the steps unhurriedly, he had no great desire to see this "Oracle." He received the telepathic message from Minoc that the young girl he had guarded his entire life had miraculously woken up, taken down some troop of beasts, and was now heading towards the castle to, "save us all!" as he put it. A Wizard should have no place for such silly superstitions.

The Oracles were just statues made of some special material of the Ancients and placed inside those bubble cases so that they looked realistic. They were created to serve as decoration, nothing more, a job they'd been doing perfectly well for dozen's of years without complaint.

Minoc said the pod the girl was in had mysteriously disappeared as well, how convenient. This made it clear to Tornel that Draygon was using one of his shape changing monstrosities to pretend to be the Oracles so he could infiltrate the Brotherhood and pervert the world even moreso than it already was. That monster would like nothing more than to be worshiped by the very peasants he also murders.

He stopped on the step he was on, if they didn't do something soon about Draygon's monsters there wouldn't be a Brotherhood anymore anyways, not to mention a people to protect. Knights and soldiers were great against each other and okay against the legions of hellish creatures at Draygon's disposal, but it was the Wizards who held the real power. But now Tornel worried that their power was under threat, that the Wizards were vulnerable. He had been trying to reach Kensu for over two days now, and there was no response, absolutely nothing. He could only imagine that something terrible had happened, but it would take time for word to reach him using the physical methods.

This child, this Thing from Tinkertown was sure to be part of some plot to destroy the Castle of Solace. Tornel wouldn't let it do from the inside what Bandersnatch was trying to do from the outside, oh no, he would protect the kingdom, but he must move carefully. Minoc said she had great power and was not unfamiliar with how to use it, he said she was dangerous, the old wizard scoffed. Well, we'll see about that! Tornel the mighty does not cower before young girls with strange toys! She would bow before the power of his fire, or she would burn, it was as simple as that. And maybe, just maybe, he could steal whatever this power was that she seemed to possess and use to help the Kingdom, that would be the most pragmatic thing to do of course.

The train pulled up to the platform at the bottom of the cave. Tornel was alone with his torch to greet her. It wouldn't do to kill the girl here, he would need to wait until he could get her alone with some of his men for back up. If she was truly as powerful as Minoc said then she would not be easy to defeat in a straight fight, he'd have to fight dirty, just like Draygon did. Oh, curse that Tinkering wizard for sending one of Draygon's lackeys into their secret underground passageway! If he didn't tighten up on his security then he was going to get them all killed!

The door slid open with a *swish,* it was time...

SYNOPSIS

Stephanie, you've made it to the Castle before anyone else, congratulations! But there's a catch, Tornel thinks you're one the evil lieutenants like Jabberwocky pretending to be an Oracle.

As you play this section play Tornel as polite and welcoming, he's very accommodating but if he tries to get you into rooms alone with himself and a bunch of his men, you shouldn't fall for it. Tornel is a show boat, and arrogant, his "magic" is really built around basic chemistry, he understands little of Biogenic energy and how it works. Ultimately, though, he is not your enemy, he just doesn't know that yet.

Good luck in the Castle, stay safe!

Ƈιту σƒ Ƈℓσυ∂ѕ (canceled)

@Sonnenschein

Sorry to hear that Sonnenshchien, I love your style and imagination and was looking forward to writing a story with you. I really hope we get to play together one day.

Crystallis

Leaving Kensu's Island

@shadowsaint007

The following morning Steven rapped upon the door of Kensu's fishing hut, immediately Pip started barking. Over the night the people of the island prepared Master Kensu's body, and this morning they had begun work on his funeral pyre. They'd be finished by the evening, and would begin their 7 days of mourning, as was taught to them by the Masters.

Steven didn't know how many of the great Wizards there were in the world, and now that their Thunder Master was gone the world was just that much less... safe. He shook his head, what would his family do? They couldn't abandon the island, this has been their home for multiple generations. Steven looked hopefully at the door in front of him, it would be all up to her now; her and her kind. The Oracles are the link between the unstable present and the power of the past. It was within their power alone to destroy the evil monsters who have taken over this world. If they so desired they could make this world a place for peaceful people to grow and build their families. It was all up to them, and Steven would preach the Faith of the Oracles to everyone whom he could.

"Oh, I'm glad to see you're awake," Steven said reverentially as the door opened and he saw Sarah. "We've prepared transport for you miss, err... madam, uh, m'lady." He stumbled over his words as he bowed slightly, the way he thoughts knights of the kingdom might. "Please, come this way." He blushed as he led her to where the Manta Rays were waiting.

Manta Rays

"The flying Mantas are our friends," Steven said to the bewildered Oracle, "Master Kensu was the first to communicate with them, he gave them fish," he smiled warmly, "ever since they've stopped here every time they're close by for more." He chuckled, "they said they will take you and Pip and all your belongings to the Castle."

"I'm sorry, I haven't told you about the castle," Steven stopped and looking down took her hands in his. He then looked intently into her eyes, "Master Kensu was the only one here who knew anything about you, your kind that is. He was part of a great Brotherhood of Wizards who work to protect the world from the evils of, well, evils like the ones you have already seen." He looked down apologetically, "I'm sorry that you woke to such a world as this one, I... I hope you find us acceptable, to help, I mean. We are... simple, but we are noble, at least we think we are, we try to be." Steven looked back up at her, "the only other of the Brotherhood that any of us know is Master Tornel, the Fire Wizard. He chooses to be the public representative of the Brotherhood while the others all remain hidden. He lives at the Castle of Solace, a beautiful castle across the great sea and far from the reach of Draygon and his monsters."

"The Mantas will take you there, to meet Tornel where you can... well.. and go about your holy work." Steven smiled weakly but zealously, he dropped her hands and turned, "come on, you need to meet them!" He hurried to the beach.

****

Along the beach were a row of six, giant Manta Rays. Attached to the Manta's back were large leather saddlebags filled with a variety of fruits, clothes, and gifts from the islanders. It looked like the island people weren't just sending Sarah but were sending a whole shipment of goods to the Castle. "We've packed some special items for you, Oracle.. er, Sarah. Clothes and food of course, we want to make sure you never lack what you need when you are at the castle, but we also included the canisters Master Kensu brought from the Spider's Den. I, don't know what they're for but I'm sure you'll find use for them, it seemed important to the Master that you have them."

Steven turned to her, "Our people owe a debt of gratitude to you that we can never repay," Steven spoke gleefully, "you are welcome here, forever and always, as a member of our Island and our family. Come to us whenever you are in need, and I hope you are successful on your quest. I'm sorry to say it but, I think this is.... goodbye."

[hider-SYNOPSIS] It's time to say goodbye to the island, and hello to Castle Solace and the next step in your destiny! Hop on the Flying Manta Rays and make your way across the ocean to the sparkling castle. Safe travels! [/hider]