PsyKick

Dragon Lords: Battle of Attrition

Interest Check, Intermediate to Advanced writing ability, and this is for an idea about 1v1 or 3v3 fight in the skies on dragons.

Setting: Battle of attrition between two opposing forces in the mountains that separate them. The two opposing forces are aided by what will be called, Dragon Lords (players). These Lords are the catalyst to swaying the battle in one direction or the other.

Objective: The Dragon Lord(s) elimination, or the attrition value reaches 0 for your side.

Two types of attacks: Dragon Lord(s) can turn toward the army of the opposing force to take a turn in reducing the amount of the forces number, or the Dragon Lord can engage in aerial combat with another Dragon Lord.

Turn-Based Feature: Once a Dragon Lord has initiated a combat move either toward the army or toward another Dragon Lord, the opposing Dragon Lord has an opportunity to defend or take the hit. If the hit is taken, the damaged Dragon or Dragon Lord now has a free decision to attack the opposing army or counter.

Attrition Feature: Each army begins with 2000 soldiers, I roll dice after all Dragon Lords have initiated attack and responded to the attack. Two six-sided dice are rolled, and they are rolled twice for each side.

6x6 = 36x10 = 360 lost per turn vs. 4x5 = 20x10 = 200 lost per turn

2000 vs 2000
2000 - 360 vs. 2000 - 200
1640 vs. 1800

(This works the same as if a Dragon Lord attacks the army, so depending on the battle and which way it is swaying, sacrificing your Dragon for a turn to take out troops could be an option.)

Define a Dragon Lord: These are skilled individuals who are typically going to be a part of a prestigious family who can afford the training and resources required for this investment. The individual will be trained in hand to hand, weapons, acrobatics, and how to bind to a dragon. There are exceptions to the rule (such is life), the character does not have to be prestigious but there must be an exceptional circumstance as to their ability and how they were able to bind with the single most powerful beast in this world.

Trial of Ancient Binding: The individual seeking to become a Dragon Lord must first, find a Dragon Heart. A Dragon Heart is a powerful stone in which the soul of the dragon sleeps in when not activated. Once a Dragon Heart is found, it must be activated by Will. The Dragon Heart will respond to the intent and purpose of the individual and thus activate by opening a portal between the Draconian plane and physical one. Once the portal is opened, the Dragon will begin the trials of binding by challenging the human and their abilities. If the Dragon does not end up killing the human, or the human somehow mounts the dragon, then the trial is completed. The Dragon becomes telepathically integrated into the human's psychic world and fills the Dragon Heart with their Soul for on-call summoning. The Dragon Heart can then be equipped into a weapon of the now, Dragon Lord, and the weapon will become an extension of the Dragon itself.

Ancient Dragons and Wild Dragons:

Ancient Dragons are those who pervade time, they are immortal but do go into a long slumber if defeated in the world their Hearts breathe in. Ancient Dragons are connected to the Dragon Hearts that remain as fossils throughout the land. Dragon Hearts are not common, but they are also not extremely rare. The rarity of seeing an Ancient Dragon exists because those who wish to call upon it, do not always meet the required Will be asking of by the Dragon and thus are a waste of time.

Wild Dragons are limited under the time constraint and cannot be tamed, unless an Ancient is present. The Ancient may call on Wild Dragons to organize under them if their power is seen as greater. Wild Dragons gather in families of 5-6, and then those families will have one Alpha that dictates their direction. If the Alpha is defeated by another Dragon, then all the families will adopt the new Alpha as their leader.

This is a quick overview of the idea for an arena battle in the mountains on dragons.

Dragon Lord Sheet:

Name:
Title: King, Queen, Prince, Princess, Baron, Baroness, Duke, Duchess, Knight of...,
Age: 21-45
Dragon Heart Weapon: This will be the Dragon Lord's weapon that they use in combat. There is only one DH weapon per Dragon Lord. The DH weapon must be a melee weapon.
Dragon Heart Ability:

(1) Power Ability - An example of a power ability would be to point the DH weapon in a direction with a spiral of fire weaving across itself to produce a projected stream of fire toward your adversary.

(2) Balanced Ability - An example would be to harden the steel of the blade itself to shatter a inferior weapon in conflict or to deal damage to another dragon by piercing it's armor with more effectiveness.

(3) Passive Ability - An example would be the DH provides enhanced stamina for the Lord.

Physical Abilities:

(1) Focus - What is the focus of their physical ability, is it to be agile, strong, flexible, etc.

(2) Use - If the focus is strength, how strong are they, and how have they used their strength in the past.

Mystic Abilities:

(1) Elemental Focus - The individual has learned through the esoteric circle of Dragon Taming will have an affinity to a particular Element, and will have learned ways to use their life source to conjure and manipulate that Element. Which element has your Dragon Lord chosen?

(2) Elemental Power - If your Dragon Lord's affinity to Earth is claimed, then your Dragon Lord may be able to draw thick vines from him or her and the environment around them and use them in combat. Note: When an elemental power is activated, it draws loads of energy to sustain, and must be an ability that locks the Dragon Lord's movement.

Dragon Name:

Dragon Power:

(1) Unique Power - The Dragon may use this power once in combat, it does not have to directly affect the 1v1, they could have the power to call in more Wild Dragons which can bolster the total number of attrition for your side, or vice versa, you could have a power that grants you the ability to target the army while simultaneously attacking or defending against another Dragon Lord.

Anyways this a quick write up for interests sake, I vomited all this out, help clean it up if you are interested in making this a cool concept to run with. Do not hesitate to ask questions as everything detailed here is up for debate!

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk

I respect your opinion and appreciate the follow up, I could counter your concerns, but this is your roleplay, and not my world. I saw your idea as a fictional setting to explore in with my own idea, gods crying over dead beasts that create a flood, I wasn't expecting much realism to be involved in that sort of pitch. People unite quickly in large ways for all sorts of reasons, I gave a reason for the nation to exist, but it doesn't sit well with what you want in your world and thats cool. I'll throw it away, I genuinely look forward to reading the content.

Thanks for the reply and my best!

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

@Dinh AaronMk

My apologies for my shitty clarity, I honestly just negated explaining the entire concept of Vicente Seventus Speritis because of time constraints, and I think doing so would clear up the concern. Its about to get real confusing, maybe not, wish me luck!

1) Vicente Seventus Speritis is not a man or woman and cannot die, because it is an idea created and sustained by the Luminary.

2) The one with the name Vicente Seventus Speritis is really just claiming - The Seventh Spirit is Victorious. This title is an "idea of the King of Gods." The Luminary are all Gods, playing the game of mortals. Their ideology has no changing leader, because every leader who rises in the circle of the original teachings are renamed as Vicente Seventus Speritis. It is not the man or woman who is seen as a leader, but the image and idea they embody.

3) Anyone who is a teacher of the Seventh Spirit will have Seventus Speritis attached as their middle and last name. Their first name is the one they were born with or given to them by the network of teachers who embody the core philosophy of Vicente Seventus Speritis. Example: "Balliste" Seventus Speritis

Vicente Seventus Speritis is not a lineage or single generation, it is the image of perfection and a claim that the Seventh Spirit is Victorious over all others. This is how Vicente Seventus Speritis emerged on an island after the Deluge, the individual embodies the image, the teachers acknowledge that individual (those who survived), and the individual then begins spreading word of their existence as Vicente Seventus Speritis. This idea immediately ignites the purpose and motivation of those in the surrounding land to gather behind the image once more and quickly start right where they left off.

Our Children of the Thassalocracy

Luminaria

Claim

History:

Before and After the Deluge

The Luminary are a breed of warriors who found their connection in the idea of a philosopher and now considered Oracle or King of the Gods in human form, Vicente Seventus Speritis, "Seventh Spirit is Victorious". No one can quite claim the exact time Vicente began injecting the ideas and teachings into the great people of the land now called the Luminary. The meaning of the Luminary are to remind the people that they are of artificial light, they are Gods playing the role of human beings in a material existence. Thus his teachings call upon the people to always remember they are in fact the Gods of All, because they have accepted the greatest challenge of them all; to exist within human events becoming Gods, instead of being Gods interfering with human events. Vicente holds the position that their game is much more superior than the game of those above them, and in this idea he sparked an entire people to unite as a single entity striving to become Gods under the banner, Luminaria.

Before the flood, Luminaria successfully had liberated three neighbors and enslaved an entire population of Southerners. They would use these slaves to begin reinforcing their infrastructure while still sustaining conquest outside the borders. Each Luminary is a warrior, but each also holds at least one other occupation when not fighting, and their warriors rotate service every 6 months. Before the Luminary could reach the height of their campaign objective, the beasts arrived, and the attention of the Luminary focused on the beasts as a way to display their superiority to spite the Gods above. The Luminary wanted to mock the Gods above so much at times, that they would decapitate the heads of the fallen beasts and stick them on pikes alongside the roads of their country. They would even practice community burnings as to send the dismembered parts of the beasts back to the stars from which they descended from as a celebration of power over the Gods who sent them.

The beast wars solidified the Luminaries position as a nation of Godlike ideals and boost their identity to unprecedented levels, until the rain fell. Unfortunately the infrastructure of Luminaria could only hold on for so long before it began to find itself under water, in a last ditch effort, although it struck a chord with the Luminary, they decided to submit defeat to the crying Gods and retreated to highlands to wait out the tantrum. Once the Gods ceased their childlike act, the Luminary created a new meaning out of the Deluge; a "bitch-fit" of the Gods they would claim, a testament to their inferiority. Vicente Seventus Speritis would rise on a major island in between two great land masses and begin right where Luminary left off, rebuilding once again the vision he had originally maintained before the deluge. It did not take long before Luminary found itself expanding out on all sides and to all other lands around them.

The Luminary maintain the philosophy that they were once Gods as those above, but because of their superior nature wished to play a more challenging game. To play the role of humans becoming Gods in the material realm built by them and the others above. It is in this idea their behavior can be clearly seen as movement to Power. They see other humans as simply expressions of all the other Gods, and are always given the option to bow to the Luminary as the Gods of All or to be tested by the trials of combat in order to maintain a worthy position in their mind of existing in the world.

Some important teachings of Vicente Seventus Speritis (More to come) - Philosopher and Oracle of the Luminary:

1) Kinship and Community

"The blood of our ancestors race through the veins of our brothers and sisters, let this be the bond we follow with our hearts, as the blood follows the veins to our heart, in this way we move our bodies as instruments for the purpose of becoming what we are not today, but to what we are becoming tomorrow...Gods of All."

2) Honesty

"We see with our eyes, hear with our ears, touch with our hands, taste with our tongues, and smell with our nose, but even we know each of these faculties can deceive us in any given moment...how unique the material world we live in is, how unique of a world we have built for ourselves. I say though, but what of breath? It is breath we find the bridge between who we really are and what we are pretending to be, let us not pretend to be and instead be the breath of our spirit, so all other senses will follow honestly."

3) Truth

"There is truth in all things, but not all things are true, it does not concern you or I what is full truth, but to live as true to you as one may know how in the times they live in, and remember, life is not knowing but experiencing, death is not experiencing but knowing, we are truly the Gods of All."

4) Justice

"The material world is fair, even, balanced, and as spirits playing the game of mortals we adhere to the natural laws or the rules of the game. We must show fairness, and balance to our kin as expressions of the Gods. Let us follow the mortal tale of our accuser and doer, let us walk with them, and let us discover together the response with which we can all agree is even to the action done to another."

5) Strength

"To reach the height of our becoming, we find strength in the relationships with each other, we each share the burden of social living, we each are a limb in which the entire body of our kind uses to progress. Strength is in our power to use one another to move forward and progress our kind as one single entity expressing itself among many, so I say to you, find your place, fulfill your role, and experience the strength of being the Gods of All."

6) Expressions of the Others - Slavery

"If another is to be defeated in combat and does not testify to their inferiority after, then they are to become the slaves of our Will. They are to remain as controlled expressions of their decided God, but work for ours. It is in this way we call upon their God to show itself to us and challenge our becoming, otherwise, we conclude their God is weak, and the expressions of weak Gods deserve no free will."

Fluffy Quotes:

"To fight a Luminary is like fighting an ocean tide lit up by the moon's dark night sky, the waves rise higher than the last casting more power behind the other as each one meets the rocky shore with great strength. We are the rocks sir, swept up, buried, and destroyed, but the restless waves ever dominating...oh how futile our efforts are, these are terrifying bastions of the Divine."

- A soldier left alive after the battle of Imes, speaking to the general of his country.

In the words of Balliste Seventus Speritis after the Deluge:

"In this world we do not play the role of one God or among the Gods, but we play as the Gods of All in the world among man. It is in this world we find ourselves greater than those who pretend to shine above us, for we admit it is more fulfilling to start below than above. It is an easy task to be above, it is a difficult one to be below. In this sense we are becoming, and not simply being. It is obvious from our point of view the Gods are weaker than us, look no further than the events of our past. The beasts march in our world sent from the Gods as a way to punish us, and we succeed in burying their imperfection. Then we find them crying over the weak beasts they sent onto us, and although the deluge presented great challenges, here we stand with the same purpose in mind...still becoming the Gods of All man."

Dulce et Decorum Est - A WWI Inspired NRP (dead for now)

January 5th, 1910
Hieros, Capitol of Luminaria
Oracle's Palace, Outside the Great Halls on the Balcony overlooking the Ydra River

A tall dark man stood on the balcony overlooking the seemingly translucent water below as small waves took their form close to the shores of Hieros. His loose dress cascaded over itself as it draped over one shoulder exposing his left breast and back. The man's hair lay long and straight reaching just between his traps, his neck bent back as his eyes were directed toward the sun but the lids shielding his pupils from the blinding rays. A deep inhalation as he slowly crossed his legs, lowering himself down onto a soft pillow in the middle of the balcony. The man made sure to erect his back to prevent any form of curvature that would create any discomfort. Posture was everything, his feet crossed in a "lotus" position, still his head cocked back to allow the sun's rays to transfer light through his eyes, awakening the senses. The warm embrace of the sun could be felt all across the exposed parts of his attire where the flesh was being kissed by its heat waves.

A breeze cut through the door way of the balcony rushing passed the man's ears, completely relaxed in his entirety, one more deep inhalation, pause, and exhale.

The sound of feet marched through the halls of what sounded to be behind the man's location. The sounds of these feet clicking against the stone floor as the vibrations bounced off the open halls of the palace. The man remained with his eyes closed in complete silence, his attention drawing on the wind, the sounds of birds, the crashing of waves, and...

"Oracle Naseri, we apologize for our interuption of your morning meditation, but we have come with considerably important news in regards to the Eastern powers." A young man knelt down on one knee behind Naseri with his hand extended to the floor while the other rested on his bent knee. Oracle Visent Naseri inhaled deeply once more as he listened to the young man make his claim to the news he brought with him, "proceed young one," the Oracle said.

The young man continued, "The Prince of Rotteburg is dead, he was said to have been assassinated in the Tsuljin Khanate, we've dispersed agents to confirm this claim, but from our understanding it is quite grounded information, and one being shared across the world." His tongue stopped, eyes gazing down on the floor as to keep himself in check within the Oracle's presence. It was not every day one interrupted the mindful practice of the Oracle's morning meditation.

Naseri dropped his head back to a level position and opened his eyes for the first time in the last half hour or so. His soul feeling rejuvinated, even though the news was unpleasant, "The beauty of the world is here for all to see, yet we busy ourselves complicating the beauty with our desires, is it not interwoven into our fate to settle as brother and sister? To continue the charade of shadow play, to pretend we are so different from the other? It seems so...at least in our gifted time of life." Naseri paused as his voice settled into a fade, "I wish to call upon The Psyche for ideas as to how we will respond to such an event, I am sure the world shifts as we speak in great movement as the waves grow and fall with haste before us, we are in an ocean of dominoes, and let it be that we find our fit into the great story ready to unfold before us." Naseri contemplated all of the powers across the globe, he knew of Rotteburg, their allies, and their enemies. A house of cards everyone built around them, now that the wind has blown harshly, the question of whether they fall or not remains.

The young man tried understanding all of what the Oracle said, but would need more than those moments to find the insight. He did however acknowledge the request of the Oracle Naseri and stood up clasping the palms of his hands. Bending at the waist to pay his respects of departure before turning his back on the Oracle who still remained seated in the direction of the Ydra river. The young man hastily walked out, which inevitably turned into a run once clear of the room. He was to gain the attention of the Psyche and report to them on the request of their Oracle.

January 6th, 1910
Hieros, Capitol of Luminaria
The Ground of Thoughts, a hidden location within the Palace grounds.

The summons of the Psyche meant the Oracle's most trusted advisors would come together for proper counsel in responding appropriately to the recent assassination of the Prince in a foreign land. The world powers would be shifting their positions and to prepare accordingly was of the upmost importance, especially as trade would become effected, movement restricted, with the world on edge everywhere as to who brings what to the table in regards to "War".

Oracle Naseri stood in the center of the circle as the moon lit night shined down on the grounds. Each advisor in their respective places ready to provide their opinions on the matter, "Good evening to the Mindful, I hope good will has walked with all of you since our last summit, as I am sure you are all aware, we are here for the discussion of Rottenburg's previous loss in life, who would like to begin?" Naseri already knew each man and woman apart of this council had been thinking what they wished to bring up and wanted to let the gates of opportunity in voicing these thoughts immediately.

"I rise, Jeniva, the sixth finger of Baal, advisor to the Oracle of Luminaria, and priestess to the Geradamas." Jeniva was a slender beauty of perfect proportions, her hair shorter than that of her Oracle's, but she was a Geradamas by blood and they're style remained quite unique when compared to any other Luminarian. Everyone knew when they were in the presence of pure Geradamas, even if Geradamas typically concealed themselves a majority of the time. Reasons were because of the natural life span a Geradamas had, nearly 300 years worth to be exact. This out numbered vastly that of the ordinary citizen, and because of this life span the Geradamas always had great influence in Luminaria, but tried their best not to make too much noise as to exploit their natural advantage in the political stage.

"You may rise Jeniva, speak freely in considering our movements from here." The Oracle acknowledged Jeniva with respect and nodded.

"I believe it is our duty to remain neutral, to watch over our kin, to observe the powers directly afflicted by such an act of cowardice. No more, no less, if we react as they may do, we may find ourselves in a disorienting mess of politics and hate." Jeniva paused, "Let us tip toe around the issue, stay outside the sphere and when it is right, let us dip the toes into the water of the night." Her poetic remark resonated with the audience as each one nodded in response to her stance, she knelt as to signal her last remark as the closing one.

Another member stood as she knelt, "I rise, Kiyar, the fourth finger of Garato, advisor to the Oracle of Luminaria, and master of the Northern Borders." Naseri turned to Kiyar to acknowledge Kiyar.

"I believe we should increase agent activity in the lands that hold the most power, or open our eyes and ears to the words that sing their names, if we are to seize the appropriate moment then we must be proactive in our ability to gather information. If we can open up our networks across borders and remain online with the movements of those powers, we can readily take advantage of both sides through offering our production capabilities among other trade opportunities and services that will be required if a war is to be declared." Kiyar paused, "I agree with Jeniva, remain outside the issue, but play on its opportunities." Kiyar knelt to close his addition to the conversation.

Naseri nodded in acknowledgement to the idea of Kiyar but was uncertain at how that may play out. If they were to touch the side of one nation over another would it automatically reel them into conflict with the other? As it always would, depend on the scale of war being unpacked among the sides. If it were a great scale, then every nation would be criticized for any movement within it or outside of it. There was virtually no way of staying out of complete conflict with one side over the other. Although Luminaria is positioned far from the stage, it’s neighbors may have their own agendas as to who’d they support. It would be interesting waters to navigate.

One more advisor stood up from her position, “I rise, Bella, the ninth finger of Khal, advisor to the Oracle of the Luminaria.” Before she continued, Naseri was already gazing into her eyes, her soul always full of life, a pair of blue iris’ that were difficult to disconnect from. She shifted her gaze away from him in respect which prompted him to do so as well as the trance had almost drew him completely in.

“We offer aid for those impacted by the war…we do not pick sides, we do not capitalize on the destruction, instead we support the people who will be caught in the crossfire. These people will be forced to look for new homes and a place worthy of security. I find it is fitting with our principles that we offer a safe haven for these people, whoever they may be.” Naseri looked back to Bella as she had already been looking at Naseri, the two smiled, and she placed her gaze back down to kneel once more.

Naseri announced, “Is there anyone else who wishes to speak?”

The group of advisors clenched their fists and with the meaty part of their hand stamped the ground three times to signal their readiness to be finished.

“Ok, thank you everyone for coming, as expected there is much to think on. I do not believe I will have any answer as to what we will do until the events continue unfolding. We are in no position to declare or side with anyone and we are far enough away for now to take our time in these matters. I will declare to our people and any of those who wish to listen that we do not condone the acts of the cowards. Otherwise, this concludes matters, each of you will be meeting with me separately as the days continue and I look forward to all of your counsel.” Naseri stretched his hands toward the sky and clapped them together bringing them down to heart center, the clapping sound echoed off the stone walls telling the others to rise.

Each advisor stood up to perform the same action as Naseri, bowing forward and exiting the Grounds.

Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn [Adv. Roleplay]

Collaboration Between Fallen and I.

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Let The Games Begin

Location: Todder’s Manor Room 13
Time: 9:30PM
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Vaega stretched out his arms from side to side exposing a wing span of 6’ roughly proportionate to his height from the feet up. He sat comfortably in a rosewood chair with a desk in front of him, a lamp to his right illuminating the table top which supported a journal and book. He wasn’t more than a day out of his awakening, and already back to work. If he were to ring back the Maestri society, rid himself of this demon, and continue his father’s legacy, there’d be no time to rest. In his mind technically, he’d been resting for too long as is, with Baal nipping into his psyche.

Room 13 in Todder Manor had underwent an immense transformation from when Vaega awoke, mainly in part due to his mother’s expectations of what her son’s residency experience should be like. Decor and items were brought to Vaega’s room on a fairly regular basis to outfit it with an atmosphere that best suited Vaega’s personality, and current state of mind. He needed items that grounded him, and promoted a certain state of direction such as study. This room would be his base of operations considering it was the most guarded location out of the Maestri society due to its activities.

No one typically wants to enter a mental facility designed like the Minotaur’s labyrinth. Vaega’s index finger slipped between two pages and pushed the present page over to the next. He used his other hand to write some notes as he scanned through its content and made mental notes of what would be important to take with him into the next book. He was currently exploring the material of his own father, his mother along with the decor and items, sent him documents and books to explore that his father wrote before passing. It was an odd experience to dive into the mind of a man he aspired to be, since now it was no longer an aspiration but a duty to become him, and surpass him.

“Knock knock!” Baal’s voice surged through the space behind Vaega’s eyes.

“What is it?” the irritated voice of Vaega said with discontent to the timing while trying to focus on the literature in front of him.

“I am beginning to become quite impatient, I give you time to get me my desire and you still doddle in a room, with a book, AND NO PROGRESS!” The last part of the comment boomed in Vaega’s head rattling whatever intentions of learning was left.

“Fuck! You can’t rush this, we made a deal, I intend to hold my end, but if you push me to a point where I can’t be of use to even myself, then we lock back up in a place that neither of us want to be again.” The logic and assertiveness in Vaega’s voice silenced Baal for a moment, the reasoning was sound, Baal knew just as much as Vaega did that it wasn’t his show to run. His impatience was burning but it didn’t create any other outcome than frustration between the two of them.

“Fine, but can we please -” Baal did not finish his sentence as both felt something different elevate in the energy of the room.

“Somethings here.” Baal said redirecting his attention and fading his presence back into Vaega.

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Let The Games Begin

Location: Todder’s Manor Room 13
Time: 10:00PM
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A child, thin and dressed in a 18th century fashion, stood outside the Todder Manor. His white skeleton suit was stained with darkened spots along his neck, chest and shoulders where water appeared to have engulfed his upper body. The skin held a sickly pale blue coloring even in the dim street lighting. Casually his ginger red head tilted upward to stare into a curtain covered window nearest Vaega’s room as if to see beyond the wall itself. He slowly closed his ringed eyes then opened them, appearing in the 13th room. Unfazed by his sudden trip, the boy reached into his pocket to pull forth a leather hacky-sack. Holding it out from him, his voice quietly asked a simple question.

“Do you want to want to play a game?” Water dribbled from his blackened lip with each word.

Vaega felt the presence emerge into his space and turned his gaze from the desk to the door, and there in the center of the room was a child in a skeleton suit. The child definitely appeared sinister in nature, but did not necessarily give off a threatening vibration. It almost seemed more curious than anything else.

While Vaega and Baal both processed the emergence of this thing it spoke and cracked the silence with a question, “Do you want to play a game?” and at that moment it simultaneously revealed a hacky-sack.

Vaega leaned back in his seat, he wasn’t feeling anxious, but he did feel an immediate interest in understanding the purpose behind this thing’s intention of coming here. Was it summoned by one of Vaega’s enemies within the Maestri community? Was it looking for Baal? Was it something all of its own volition?

“I don’t play games with strangers little one, let’s start with names, what’s yours?” Vaega said using his inside voice.

The child stared at Vaega a little longer then lowered his hand, resting it by his side. The hacks-sack still gripped in his cold, wet fingers. He inhaled, the water bubbling out and dribbled down his smiling face.

“Why are names important? My mama called me Charlie…”

Vaega really didn’t care for the name, but wished to open up some dialogue with “Charlie” as he now called himself.

“Charlie is it? And what brings you to me, Charlie?”

“You're…,” Charlie paused looking for the right word, “different. Not like the other humans. I was curious.”

“Your motive is curiosity?” Vaega now became curious because this thing was curious, and he had to chuckle a little inside from the paradox of it all, “What game did you have in mind?”

The child smiled. The atmosphere turned slightly colder and a heaviness weighed into the room’s air, his hand held the hacky-sack out once more.

“What fun is knowing it?” Amusement laced into the boy’s voice.

At this point Vaega knew the best thing to do was pull away from this thing’s appetite, but at the same time, Vaega survived a demonic possession from within, so maybe what this thing had to offer was another approach to the bigger picture that he was attempting to piece together.

“I can tell there isn’t any for you in sharing it, so...I’ll entertain you for the moment.” Vaega lifted himself from out of the chair and reached his hand out with his palm facing down. He pressed his hand on to the hacky-sack, and looked Charlie in the eyes. Vaega had a feeling the next part was not going to be an actual game of hacky-sack.

“It becomes warm when it is near something that will assist you in your search. This game is about finding those things or beings. It grows cold when I'm near and ready to assist you.”

The boy released the toy into Vaega’s grip before turning to leave. He paused just in front of the wall before turning and adding one last nugget of wisdom.

“I suggest exploring the world outside this room… your studies will only get you so far without the right tools.”

Vaega grasped the hacky-sack, as Charlie mentioned the words warm, it became warm, and as he mentioned the words cold, it became cold. The usefulness of a such an item seemed to be without a catch, but Vaega knew there was one somewhere, it would reveal itself at some point...but in the meantime he needed all the help he could get.

“Ok Charlie, let’s play.”

Charlie vanished as quickly as he had appeared, and it was back to the silence.

“Do you think he knows?” Baal whispered as he contemplated the little child’s intentions.

Vaega walked over to the chair and sat down slouching in the seat pocket, “I don’t know, but I don’t think so either.” Vaega let out a sigh.

*RING RING RING*

Vaega looked over to his bed where his phone had been laying for sometime, given to him by his mother for emergencies. He looked over as the glass surface reflected the name, “Cae”. Quickly Vaega got right back up and answered the phone, “Caelum?”

“Yes sir, I found the whereabouts of Desmond, I thought you might want to meet me at the North Safe House and attend the meeting he’s planning.” Caelum announced over the phone with a bit of enticement.

“Awesome, thank you Caelum, I will be there soon.” Vaega hung up the phone and walked over to the door of his room, turning the knob to reveal a hallway with a few Maestri guards standing in the middle.

“Roger, Caroline, and Dirk, can you please ready transportation to the North Safe House, and inform my mother of my leave, thank you.” The three nodded, Roger peeled off down the corridor to the elevator, Caroline pulled out her phone to inform Evelyn, and Dirk began approaching Vaega, “Are you sure it’s ok to leave?”

Vaega shook his head, “No, but it’ll never be ok, and that’s why we have to.” Dirk nodded, “After you sir.”

Dulce et Decorum Est - A WWI Inspired NRP (dead for now)

Luminaria

The Image of Eternity

Luminaria is an ELECTED MONARCHY; leader is not chosen by inheritance, instead the leader is voted on through a democratic process which takes into account all who are considered citizens of Luminaria. The candidates can be acknowledged by either governing a city or contributing a great deal to the interest of society.

Hierarchical Positions of Government

Oracle
Ruler or Leader of Luminaria, official term is 2 years with the ability to be elected as many times as they are seen in the public eye as a success.

The Psyche
Council of Advisors, official term is as long as the Oracle deems fit.

The Voice
Ambassadors, official term is undefined as they work for as long as they fulfill their role.

The Rings
City/Town Representatives, official term is 4 years or as long as they are considered successful in the eyes of their respective city or town.

The Fingers
City/Town Mayor, official term is 4 years or as long as they are considered successful in the eyes of their respective city or town. Fingers can be broken by the Oracle if he/she feels the role of this position is not being adequately served for the best interest of Luminaria's entirety.

Notes about Luminaria

• Standing Army: Luminaria maintains and trains a national standing army for the protection of it's borders, and provide foreign aid to improve foreign relations.
• City Milita: Luminaria allows for each City/Town to maintain and hold their own militia but under the independent expense of their citizens within that City/Town.
• Independent Research: Luminaria allows for each City/Town to direct a certain percentage of their funds and resources to a specific goal for new discoveries, so long as they are shared, with the acknowledgement and recognition belonging to that particular City/Town.
• Protectorate: Luminaria provides the option for a nation to draw under their protection, but the protected body must agree to the followed:
  
  • Agreed upon percentage of the protected body will offer their population to serve in the National Military.
  • Agreed upon percentage of the protected body will donate resources to support Luminaria in its efforts in protection and sustainability.
  • An embassy is built for a Voice to reside in and an agreement to sustain a transparent, open line of communication in regards to the security of Luminaria must be maintained.
  • The protected body must send a representative to Luminaria when summoned directly by the Oracle, or if a Conference is set to discuss and negotiate talks in regards to National movement.
  • A small monument at the expense of Luminaria must be constructed with the Principles of Luminaria engraved on it for observation purposes, as a reminder that the protected body is apart of Luminaria and not separate from.

Species within Luminaria

Geradamas

Male

Female

Luminaries

Type 1: Male

Type 1: Female

Type 2: Male

Type 2: Female

Javokians

Cultures within Luminaria

Brief Summary

Luminaria is a widely diverse nation with an outstanding history interweaving the fate of many strong and independent leaders who each have had their roles in the molding of a successful kingdom. The culture of Luminaria is strong in their beliefs as they are the byproduct of a race who has self-claimed the name, The Geradamas; perfect human.

The Geradamas believe themselves to be the children of the great skies wisdom and earthly creative. In their eyes the supreme power of the universe as their teachings follow; Creativity is the ultimate category that transcends and connects all other categories of Life. The Geradamas typically wear comfortable clothes in which their bodies can breathe in and feel free rather than restricted. Some cultures may find their taste benevolent while others may see it as provocative, but to the Geradamas they are themselves.

To see jewelry and accessories surrounding metals or stones accepted as symbology and believed to cause beneficial effects to the physiological and psychological health of the individual is not uncommon in Luminaria. "True" Luminaries believe they are spiritual beings who are in the process of becoming, by rising to the challenges presented in the material realm of existence. Their dialect and treatment of others will reflect this belief wholeheartedly, largely playing into other aspects of social and/or private conduct.

"True" Luminaries do not fear death because of this cornerstone belief that they are spirits first. Death is seen as another phase of Life's overall creative process in the evolution of becoming something greater to which is unknown at their current stage in the process. The principles regarding their beliefs can be found in the "Monad"; a book of stories, and principles named after the single unit in time. The Monad is indivisible in nature according to the Geradamas and works as a simple entity to reach a common goal directed by the many goals of the individuals.

Apart from the majority accepted Luminarian belief and culture there are Javokians. The Javokians are a more primitive and simpler bunch. They are said to be descended from the volcano and mountains up North. Their beginning starts from being formed by the very magma of the Earth's core. Their father figure is Daga; the breath of Fire and Stone. Javokians once a year pay tribute to Daga with ceremonies shared across their tribes. Javokians do not bow to Luminaria but cooperate and incorporate some of the principles that Luminaria had to share. These lessons have allowed the Javokians to prosper at a much more consistent and manageable pace than finding small quarrels between tribes turning into giant catastrophic moments of loss in life and progress. The Javokian's build out of stone and wood, and their accessories are no different. They act as the laborers of the nation, and are happy to do so.

Luminaries Gods

The Four Primes or Immortals: Creators of the Geradamas

Sapios : Wisdom, Power, Direction, Time
Ptah : Discipline, Craft, Obedience, Awareness
Devizen : Creativity, Chaos, Individuality, Death
Enos : Magic, Writing, Understanding, Space
Iliath : Beauty, Order, Cooperation, Life

History

The origins of Luminaria begin at the star of the Geradamas. Their particular moment of emergence came out of the plains now called Hieros where the Luminaria capitol is. The Hieros plains stretches far and is between the Ydra Rivers. The Ydra River is commonly known to have been the result of a Celestial Sword shunned down from the Heavens, crafted by Ptah; Goddess of Discipline and Craft. Ptah surrendered the sword over to her daughter, Devizen, who wished to make her mark upon the physical world as a protest to her Father's direction; Sapios. The name of the sword was "Twelve Aeons", and each Aeon represented a point in the "Wheel of Time", originally crafted by Ptah for her husband, Sapios to be given to Enos.

When the sword contacted the Earth it divided the rock in three parts which stretched to both oceans, and light in twelve directions beamed across Hieros, immediately transforming the harsh rocky terrain into a potential environment for Life to start. Devizen upset at the end result was confused as to how the sword created Life and not Chaos. Unknown to her, before she demanded the sword from Ptah, Iliath at the direction of her Father imbued it with qualities of Life and Beauty. Devizen would find out about this slight of hand and would head to the physical world to retrieve the sword of Twelve Aeons. Iliath and Enos would meet their sister at the sword and encourage her to stop her defilement of their father's demands. Devizen retaliated with force and the three engaged in combat on the plains of Hieros. During the battle Devizen, Iliath, and Enos would draw blood across the plains. Their blood without intent fused together seamlessly as both Beauty, Creativity, and Magic, worked their powers to create the first generation of Geradamas.

Devizen, Iliath, and Enos witnessing the birth of the first generation of Geradamas during the battle over their disagreement decided to put their differences aside. But, the peace only lasted so long before Devizen manipulated a group of Geradamas across the Hieros plains to wage war on the others. Once again the war between Gods continued, but this time the Geradamas were the weapons of choice. It was not until Sapios finally stepped in at the plight of Ptah to stop the three in their childish ways and ordered them all to heal the wounds created by their selfishness. The sword was to remain where it was, and the three were to return home after the mending of the Geradamas was completed.

The Geradamas would be empowered by Sapios with wisdom to their origins, encouraged to cooperate by Iliath and her beautiful perception toward Life, granted understanding and the ability to communicate effectively by Enos, and provided the abilities to create from Devizen. Ptah remained in her place beyond the stars to guide her grandchildren from a far with the disciplines of all four Powers.

Over time the Geradamas would grow as a plant does uninhibited by any barriers. A strong footing from East to West was inevitable and eventually their ambition carried North. It is here they first made contact with the Javokians who now remain under the protection of the Geradamas. As the Geradamas continued their growth, they absorbed many cultures, populations, and countries along the way that found it would be easier to cooperate rather than fight. The Geradamas did find themselves in some conflicts but typically came out superior to most of those who decided against them.

During Izar's reign the establishment of Luminaria occurred after a vision to unite all people under Geradamas rule came to him in a passing dream. The Geradamas had already allowed for the autonomy to remain with anyone who cooperated willingly, but the next step was to incorporate these autonomous nations under the rule of the Geradamas, into one defining kingdom; Luminaria.

Any group of people who did not agree to the Principles of Luminaria were dealt with accordingly and over the next 10 years of Izar's reign, he successfully integrated the cultures into one system now known as the "Monad" which through stories and lessons provides the framework of how a Luminaria thinks, acts, believes, and accepts their fit in society and the universe as a whole. After successfully attaining the new mark of Oracle under the new doctrines associatd with Luminaria's new governmental structure, he passed, but not before leaving behind a son and daughter. The son and daughter would carry on their father's work to free up movement, continue trust building within the network of city-states, and keep Luminaria's integrity, while maintaing it's ability to move as one, an elected monarchy was created.

Luminaria now stretches far beyond the reaches of what it thought was possible, and in the process has constructed a strong military presence, outstanding naval operation, well balanced economy, and has even pushed the limits of magic merging with tech.

Economy

The economy consists of city-states trading with one another while also providing a certain percentage of their resources to the overall efforts included under the Luminaria national government. Access to stones, metals, lumber, and various fabrics are not difficult. Merchants thrive in Luminaria's free trade arrangement, but must console each city on their scope of what is allowed as appropriate practice. The economy is well-balanced, trending to grow, with no signs of decline.

Technology

Luminaria is on the cusp of two worlds, born with magic, but understanding the necessity of advancing their technology. They maintain a balance of both of these worlds, which unfortunately means their resources are applied in a way that does set them as leaders in either of them. However, Luminaria finds their interest in finding ways to merge both technology and magic under one roof.

“LSD” Network

Luminarian Samaritan Defense Network

The Samaritans are the standing military defense force of the Luminaries. They are a diverse lot of soldiers, healers, mentors, trainers, advisors, strategists, etc. It is within this web of individuals that Luminaria is defended and its foreign relations are upheld and established. The Samaritans follow a chain of command through communication but not so much when it comes to orders. Samaritans have proven themselves time and time again that they are the top echelon of what Luminaria has to offer.

• Luminaria is not divided by branches, but by divisions, therefore Army, Navy, Airforce are all integrated into each division – North, South, East and West. All recruits will go through the same basic initiations and trainings, once assigned to a division they will be prescribed a role based on their talents. If a Luminaries Initiate shows great talent and aptitude in a certain area, they may be sent to the capitol or held in the capitol if that is where they are, and tested for further discipline.

Army: Luminaria is a diverse, yet well-structured fighting force that has had its fair share of battle experience. They are not promoters of war, but by no means cower behind the veil of pacifism. They believe that light must sometimes confront the powers of darkness with its own weapons, and must always be prepared to do so. The army is centralized and all of its recruits come to three of the major cities, the capitol (Hieros), Eastern city (Khal), and the Western city (Baal). When a recruit graduates he is then considered a Novice in the military and will be assigned to a post according to his talents.

Navy also considered, “The Luminaria Vanguard”: Luminaria understands the ocean is powerful, and in order to attain security for their people, the Luminaries must coexist with the ocean. This principle has rooted itself deeply into Luminaria, and so their Navy is top notch, always maintained, always ready.

• Luminaria has a very specialized land operating force called, “The Serpents”. This force is trained in sabotage, raids, and infiltration. These men and women are some of the most intelligent individuals Luminaria has to offer.

Air Force: Luminaria is not known for its pilots, but the ones they do have are passionate, psychotic, and courageous. They fly with drive and under the most extreme duress as the planes they use are not top of line, nor do they typically fly in groups. Usually pilots will perform solo reconnaissance missions over borders and may occasionally engage in combat zones as support, but this is not advised most often considering the fragility of the plane specifications.

Rolls:

Territory (13)
Tech (13)
Army (14)
Economy (14)
Production (17)
Navy (18)
Airforce (7)
Mobilization (9)
Magic (10)

Traits:

Universal Truth “Wholly Positive Trait”: Luminaries believe in their truth, and their truth resides in the Immortals who are believed to still watch over them this very day. Luminaries time and time again have been entrusted with the Geradamas secrets like one of their own, which has created a concrete bond between those who are considered original and those who were integrated later into the origin story.

It was once recorded in the town of Beus after it was captured by foreign powers, the Luminaries being held as prisoners and sentenced to burn at the stake, willingly jumped into the flames, unbounded, as they saw it was a test to their conviction. It was written by a young foreign soldier who observed the burning, “Those who do not fear death as the Luminaries have shown us, cannot be tamed by Life as we failed to show them.”

(Fearless, Convicted, and Resilient)

City States governed by One “Negative and Positive Trait”: Luminaria is an odd thing, each part independent of the other, but dependent upon the other for their cooperation. Although the allegiance of everyone is under the banner of Luminaria, cities and towns possess quite the voice during elections and decision making. This can both hinder and promote the health of the entire entity.

(Autonomy promotes happiness, but power struggles can emerge.)

Magi-Tech “Negative and Positive Trait: Since Luminaria is on the cusp of both worlds in tech and magic, they have begun integrating the two at the same time. This means there is room for great innovation, but unfortunately it is a realm that has yet been explored thoroughly. This means set-backs are more common than discoveries, but resources are still allocated in this direction as it is seen to be a valuable direction once the future arrives.

(Leaps in Technology and Magic can be achieved, innovations integrating both are possible, but resources may not always add up to the discovery and set-backs happen frequently.)

Foreign Relations:

Faenaria - Government (Friendly), Citizens (Friendly), Free Trade Agreement
Etresna - Government (Friendly), Citizens (Cautious), Free Trade Agreement
Sidarid - Government (Cautious), Citizens (Cautious), Free Trade Agreement

Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn [Adv. Roleplay]

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Part I: Hunter or Hunted?

Location: Outside Holly's Apartment
Time: 3:00AM
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Starring, Caelum Deziven

"The fucker found another one tonight..." Caelum said under his breath. He had been hunting a minor Wendigo for a few days now, and analyzing it's behavior, interactions, and movements. Tonight, was the night he'd "tag and bag" the little mystery delight, after all a Wendigo was big pay in his organization, officially it is called the Maestri Foundation, known for its non-for-profit characteristics. Unofficially, it is an organization of members who each herald powers of a lineage long lost to the books of history and time. Caelum is a member of the Maestri Foundation and quite a significant one, but not one the public would recognize. He is considered the eyes, ears, and hands of the organization with his official title as "Ambassador", unofficially it is "Champion". Caelum has dark skin, dreads, and an eye patch covering his left eye which he lost during an operation. He naturally stands at 6'3", weighing about 193lbs of primarily lean muscle, displaying more of an athletic build which can be attributed to his line of work. The eye patch he is equipped with is named the EI-5 and is in fact fused with the optic nerve after losing his biological eye.

Caelum perched himself on top of the roof of an adjacent building. He was squatted below his average height as to keep himself hidden by the back drop of the night sky. His enhanced eye (eye patch) flipped between night vision with its green overtone and infrared. The Wendigo gave off a low heat signature but its movements could still be seen as it moved throughout the building. Especially in comparison to the other more vivid heat signatures which outlined what could be assumed as humans. Caelum's eye followed closely, zooming in slightly as his fixation on its position was becoming easier and easier, this meant it was slowing down, approaching its next chosen prey. Caleum's plan was to let the "thing" feed, and as it left, to ambush it from above. Anything with mass after a good feeding meant it was bound to move a little slower as it digested new energy.

Caelum watched as it slithered throughout the maze of rooms and came up behind a much smaller figure, presumably a female based on the size and frame of what heat she was giving off. The Wendigo began its attack, and an entire battle ensued from a neighbor helping to a vampire killing Caelum's mark. It was quite a disappointment, but it was definitely the right decision to stay back and wait. If nothing more, it was a good show to be a spectator of. After the dust settled, the neighbor pulled the female to another spot and what came next was a huge reading of energy or light flowing from his body into her's. The range continued to increase before shutting down completely and his body fell over the females. Caelum's attention quickly shifted to the window where a figure stood without any reading whatsoever. It was as he thought, a vampire most likely, it provided no heat, stood like a human, yet moved like something other than. Caelum's eye shifted back into night vision and zoomed in to get a closer look of the vampire. Since this vampire took his prize, it seemed only fitting to transfer the hunt of the Wendigo onto the vampire instead.

"Hunter becomes the hunted..." Caleum said under his breath, now laying in a prone position. He quickly snapped pictures of his new target, and quietly slipped away into the night. Caelum would take refuge in one of the many Maestri strongholds throughout the city and its limits. It would be about 4 a.m. by the time his eyes shut and a gentle dream swept over his awareness.

6:40 a.m.

Ring ring ring

The sound of his cellphone chirped loudly and drew him right out of his slumber. His hand quickly snatched up his phone, pressed it tight to his ear and answered.

"Yes, ma'dam?" he said respectfully full well knowing the only person who had the privilege of calling him at these hours was Mrs. Evelyn Maestri herself.

"Caelum, I apologize for calling at such an inconvenient hour but you know I would not do so if it were not a matter of emergency, it is my son...he is awake, and needs our help if we are to cure him, I need you to meet me at my office at Todder Manor ASAP." Her tone of voice was firm but vulnerable, and the vulnerability was what threw Caelum a little off from what he was used to when speaking with Evelyn, but it was not unexpected under the circumstances.

Everyone in the Maestri Foundation knew of Vaega's "illness", and it was this particular knowledge that weakened the organization further after his father's death.

"I'll be right over, my dear." Caelum hung up the phone, and began getting dressed for his meeting with the Boss.

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Let The Games Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Room 13
Time: 7:30AM
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Vaega was now gaining functionality in all of his extremities, it was a rather quick process, but he figured it was due in part because he had two energies full of vitality, rather than only his. He could definitely sense more power streaming through his veins than before the coma, and he could feel it consistently rising as "real" time moved forward. The door opened up behind Vaega as he gazed out of a large arched window of Dr. Todder's office. Standing, he contemplated the objectives in his head for gaining sovereignty from Bael, his new co-pilot.

Caelum entered with grace as Evelyn and Dr. Todder both turned their head toward him to confirm his presence. He did not say a word as he walked further into the room, he was unsure of the atmosphere in the room and in order to not interrupt it the lips remained sealed.

Evelyn spoke softly, "Welcome Caelum, we appreciate your quick response as always. We have a bit of a situation, but I am going to let my son explain the details."

Caelum nodded and turned his head toward the boy of the hour who remained staring out into the rising sun, "It has been a long time Cael, I am going to be honest, I didn't know if I'd ever be standing in this reality ever again, and it's nice to feel the warmth of a sun so long forgotten. I hope you have been well and a success as always, what I am going to ask of you is not only confidential but if you choose to accept, and we fail, it will mean your entire story with the Maestri Foundation will be expelled." Vaega turned around and looked at Caelum in the eyes, "I have been gifted the opportunity to free myself of the state I was in, but to do so was to make a deal with the Devil, I now share a body with this Devil and to free myself, I must gather the Maestri Gate Keys." Vaega dipped his finger behind the neck of his shirt to pull out a necklace which contained a jewel. Vaega delicately took it off and walked over to Caelum, he reached for Caelum's hand and placed it on his palm. Vaega then continued, "This is a Gate Key, and I will need to track down the others who are in the Inner Circle of the Maestri, each has a Gate Key of their own, and they are all not willing to just give them up for my sake."

Caelum processed rather quickly what Vaega was suggesting, "So, you are asking me to hunt them down, and acquire the keys for you?"

Vaega gracefully took back his Gate Key and slid the necklace around his neck, nodded, and began walking back to the window, "Not you, us."

Evelyn chimed in, "We understand the order we are asking of you, and we do not expect you to agree to the work, but we do need an answer now as time is of the essence."

It was a lot no doubt to absorb and confirm in such a short amount of time, but Caelum was not loyal to just the organization, he was loyal to Vaega's father. A man in his own right who gave Caelum every opportunity to become who he is today. Better or for worse, it was a place he always knew his worth and it provided him a "family" in which he never had before. The power of belonging somewhere gripped hold more than ever in this room, and under the circumstances Vaega underwent, even if due to poor choices, it was the intent behind those poor decisions that resonated with Caelum most, "I accept, where do we start?"

Dr. Todder pulled a photo off the desk, "Mr. Desmond Issal, a procurer of artifacts for the organization, who deals directly with some of Grimlock's arms business. Recently, due to his decision to deny his obligation to Vaega's health, Grimlock business has ended and Desmond has been attempting to open up other lines of business. We need you to gather information of who he may be contacting, and then we will set up a meeting to provide him the certain items he is looking for."

Caelum had a few ideas of where to start in his head once Dr. Todder finished briefing, "Understood, I'll find out what I can."

Vaega turned around once more as he did before, "Caelum...thank you."

Caelum nodded in respect and exited the room.

Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn [Adv. Roleplay]

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Let The Game Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Dr. Jack Todder's Office
Time: 6:35AM
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"Welcome Evelyn, please have a seat." Dr. Todder extended his arm out with his palm facing up pointing toward the leather seat across his desk. An immaculate desk surrounded by a room full of books on shelves, no computer, and no other means of distractions. He was quite a scholar in his own right and had procured over 20+ years in the mental health field. His expertise was quite wide, dealing with all forms of neuroses and severe psychological disorders. However, what was he known for the most in the Maestri organization, other than an affiliate of the non-for-profit, he was a researcher in the field of demonic possession. When Maestri came across individuals who are under such possession, the task would be to sedate and transport the specimen to Todder Manor for research. The basement of Todder Manor or what is called Room 13, housed all forms of humans who were housing demonic essence. His expertise and facility was equipped to mitigate any further damage to Vaega, but Vaega was the first case where the subject possessed had no behavioral disturbances. It was one of the most boring, yet fascinating observations of Todder's career, and now he was here to see it through.

Evelyn proceeded to scoot the chair away from the desk and take a seat in front of Jack, "Can I see Vaega?"

Jack nodded and closed his eyes gently at the same time, "Of course, I wish to only brief you quickly and then we will head to where he is resting. Vaega displayed signs of movement at 5:30AM this morning, then he collapsed, which I presume was from exhaustion due to whatever mental state he has been locked in for the last 6 years. We extracted him from the room, bathed him, and brought him to the room we set up just for him when awoke. I have him on the top floor of the manor with three of my finest who are working on determining memory, motor function, and gathering whatever information they can to assure the boy is who he says he is. We are still uncertain if it is Vaega or the thing pretending to be Vaega, there are two of my most trusted Maestri operatives keeping watch on the actions of your son while we continue running tests. Please keep your distance, and when you speak with him, try to pull as many personal recollections as you can, so we may determine his current conscious state."

Evelyn shifted her body as she began to feel uncomfortable, it wasn't the seat itself, more the situation she was in. To see her son awake, but not yet able to embrace him because of doubts to whether it was him or not was going to be quite a difficult task. Every bit of her being wanted nothing more than to reunite with her child, especially as it was beginning to seem there would be no end to his suffering. She grit her teeth at the thought of her child being imprisoned and that "thing" slowly entangling its roots in his mind. She took a moment to collect herself, deep breath, and her eyes cast back up to meet Jack's. She nodded, "Understood, let's go see my son, shall we?"

Jack nodded and slid his chair back on the clear office mat, his feet planted into the ground and the arm rests gave support to his arms while picking himself up. He was dressed in casual slacks, button down, and blue tie. There were some pens in his left chest pocket, and smooth crisp glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. He pulled his index finger up to place the pad on the center of his frames and pushed to close the gap of his glasses and face. "We shall."

He walked over to the door and opened it, gesturing for Evelyn to leave so that she may follow him to the top floor.

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Let The Game Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Top Floor
Time: 6:50AM
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“Raise your right arm, good, now your left, good.” The doctor wrote down some quick notes on a pad of paper he held out before him. There were three of them, each putting Vaega through various tests. He wasn’t surprised, but a bit annoyed at the process. Even if it were for good reason, he knew they had their doubts of who was really occupying his body, and there wasn’t going to be much of any proof otherwise until he spoke with his mother. He needed to exchange with her the idea and proposition he offered Bael, she would be able to help him make the next best appropriate move in reaching his goal. It was a toss, but Vaega needed his mother to tell him where all the council members were, and how to reach them. He assumed they’d all be close by, considering the Maestri organization remained quite tight, but 6 years is a long time, and time means change.

The door to the room opened with high heels pounding the floor, it was her…
Evelyn caught her boy lying in bed with several healthcare professionals surrounding him, her boy had light in his eyes, she grasped for words but had none for this moment as both Vaega and her locked their gaze. Both flipped through memories, words of affirmation, and point to start conversation.
“Everyone, leave.” It took Evelyn no time at all to confirm in her heart, that who laid before her was in fact her baby boy. She knew he needed to say something, but couldn’t say anything he wanted to while these strangers were in the room.
“Evelyn, what did we discu-“
It was this time Evelyn cut off Jack, “Forget it, I want them to leave, if you feel better about staying, then you may, but the five of them.” Jack sighed for a moment and looked at all five to nod them off. They began packing up their notes, the operatives and the doctors, all began leaving one by one until further notice. The door shut behind them and Evelyn approached the bed, “My dear boy, you made it back home.” Evelyn reached his side holding out her hand to cup his, Vaega gripped hers in return and tears descended into salty trails down his cheek.
"It’s good to be home, mother.”
She nodded and placed herself on the edge of the bed with her legs over the side. Dr. Todder slowly followed behind her and picked up a seat in the room, placing it at the foot of Vaega’s bed, then sat down with his left leg crossed over his right knee.
“What happened Vaega?” Dr. Todder asked.
“A lot, where should I begin?” Vaega asked as his mind tried finding a place to start the story of where his poor decisions began.
“From the beginning love,” Evelyn smiled gently and took her other hand and covered the top of the one she already cupped from beneath.

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Let The Game Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Dr. Jack Todder’s Office
Time: 8:00AM
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“Do you know what this means!” Dr. Todder exclaimed as he wrapped his thoughts around the explanation Vaega had given the both of them.
Evelyn responded quickly, “It means we figure this out together.” She was not about to lose her son a second time, and she understood that the ways in which she was going to help him, would conflict with a lot of the status quo asserted not only on her side of the family, but the Maestri’s most of all. A small cup of coffee was brought to Evelyn’s lips as she pursed them around the edge to sip some of the black liquid gold from which her morning haze lifted instantaneously.

“So what now?” Dr. Todder questioned.

Evelyn placed the coffee down on the hardwood desk and pulled out her cellphone, sliding her hand to the right unlocked the phone to open up with her son’s image in the background. She placed her thumb on the home button until she was prompted by the computer for a command, “Call Caelum Deziven.”

Essence of the World: Flesh Reborn [Adv. Roleplay]

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Let The Game Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Dr. Jack Todder's Office
Time: 5:45AM
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Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

"Hi you've called Evelyn Grimlock with Grimlock & Holdings, please state your name, time you've called, and a brief description of your need. I promise to get back with you as soon as I am able, if this needs immediate attention, please call the office at ###-###-####. Thank you and have a great day."

Beep

"Evelyn, this is Jack, it is about Vaega, this is going to sound strange, but your son, he moved! Get over here right away, bye."

Click

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The Game

Location: Todder Manor, Room 13
Time: 5:30AM
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"Bael, have you ever wondered how I've stayed here for so long?" Vaega spoke softly as he gazed at the pond across from him. The paint chipped bench still occupying his seat, "Have you ever thought that I've reconciled with the fact that we are deadlocked? That we are to remain here for as long as we do not see eye to eye?"

Bael turned his eyes toward Vaega who sat at the other end, "He speaks! So you haven't lost your sanity quite yet? Ya' know, they always do, you've been a bit stubborn, but they always crack." A deep grin slid across the demon's face as his eyes widened at Vaega with promise. However, his curiosity did want to know what it was that kept Vaega together, maybe if Vaega was feeling vulnerable, this was the moment to seize in gathering information for his next psychological bout with him.

"But, before you crack, I will admit, I have thought about what has kept you going in this state, do you dare share?" Bael was on the edge of his seat, maybe Vaega was about to spill beans by completely volunteering knowledge that Bael might be able to use.

"It is this." Vaega held out his hand and in it materialized a necklace which wrapped around a stone, the stone emanated a glorious sandy white light and began to lift off from his hand. He then waved his hand over at Bael, instantaneously the necklace dematerialized from Vaega's hand, and materialized around the neck of Bael.

"It is the stone of my people, a keep of all the knowledge my people possess and has been added to over many generations. In it contains the power of my ancestors, knowledge of my ancestors, and the key to our solution. Until now, I thought of it has merely a trinket of good fortune, a beacon from which the foundation I hold together pulls its essence from. However, I now believe we can come to compromise, I have a proposal if you will, one I think we can both agree on." This was the first time Vaega came at Bael with his own proposal. In over 6 years, Bael has intimidated Vaega, chased him, and negotiated with him inside his own head, but today, Vaega knew if he had waited for another proposal, it would be back to the original antics. The moment of brief peace, gave Vaega the clarity to come to terms with a plan that was more of a hail mary than a surgical offensive strike.

"I am listening...little one." Bael hissed the last words out as if intrigued but annoyed, he scooped the stone in the palm of his hand to gain a better visual presentation. As he did so, the stone transformed into sand and slipped through the spaces of his fingers. A demon ward, trapped inside the head of a child, who is now trying to call the shots, he did not like it. But, 6 years, although time is quite an illusion in the demon realm, it was too long for Bael not to take this opportunity to move forward. He could not return to rule his realm if he remained in here, and it would not be possible to bring his armies to the world of the living, unless he found a way to take over Vaega or transfer to a more willing subject. If Vaega kept him here until death, who knew how much would change out there, and Bael did not want to continue sharing space with Vaega for any longer than he needed too. Why could he have not fallen into a much more easily persuaded subject?

"If memory serves me correctly, the stone has 8 other pieces, all of which belong to a select few within my family's organization. I believe that if I can unite the stones, I can gain access to the knowledge of my ancestors, and we can find a way to separate ourselves but provide you a means to remain within the realm of the living. You may then do what you set out to do in the first place." Vaega was not sure if the stones could do anything of what he suggested, but it was the start of a possible bluff to get things moving.

"Hmm, and what are your demands of me while you seek this solution to our lock?"

Vaega for the first time in long time turned his head in the direction of Bael, "I want complete conscious control over my body, and my mind, you give me that, and I will solve this for us. Otherwise, we will remain here and although I may die one day, before you. There will be a lot of change out there when that day comes. It is up to you, as I have again reconciled with my fate, but offer an alternative."

Bael locked eyes with Vaega, it had been quite a long time since a bit of fire burned in those once cold dead eyes of the child before him. Bael wasn't so much as stuck on the idea of "needing" to destroy Vaega, but he "needed" a body to remain in the realm of the living. How he obtained this goal was of no concern, and since all of his other methods of reform did not work, it seemed this would have to do.

"I will allow for such a play to happen, but my teeth do not retract from your thoughts, I merely turn down the grip and soften my position. Do not think for one moment that I will not be watching, speaking, and if I must, fight for control. This deal is for you, but place yourself in a position of vulnerability, and know I will seize it. Keep this in the back of your mind, let it fester, let it remind you while you move forward."

Vaega kept his attention on Bael, he dare not separate the locked gaze, and nodded.

Bael nodded back, and like smoke, began breaking apart and drifting upward into the air. Vaega turned back to the pond, he leaned back in his seat with arms extended on the back of the bench. His eyes slowly closing, allowing his mind to clear the way of an emerging moment, preparing himself for the rocket launcher to send him flying into oblivion and back into a moment in time where he resided in the physical world. His eyes opened, a barred window fixed in front of him, a few blinks and a shuffle in his seated position on the concrete floor. Vaega turned his head to the left, and then to the right. Cold walls on either side, an undisturbed bed, and I.V.s in his arm. Vaega was home, but his body felt weak, his mind strained in a fog, and for the first time in long time, he collapsed on the floor to rest.

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Let The Game Begin

Location: Todder Manor, Dr. Jack Todder's Office
Time: 6:30AM
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Evelyn burst through the doors, her high heels stabbing the floor with power in each step. Her body moved with intention and there was no one who would stand in her way. Her shoulder length dark hair, icy blue eyes, fair skin, and athletic build, had her setting a tone only a true artist in diplomacy could handle. Speeding by personnel with no regard to their existence, it was not that her personality was callous, but the reason for her being here, was an emergency. Her son, Vaega, for the first time, showed signs of life...it was now time to see whether or not it was her son who returned, or the thing that possessed him.

Evelyn came across a sign reading, "Dr. Todder's Office, Lead Clinical Psychologist." She reached her arm down and wrapped her hand around the brass ball handle. Turning it clockwise the door pushed open to a desk occupied by a receptionist, "Good morning Ms. Grimlock, may I help you?" Evelyn approached the desk, "I need to speak with -"

"Evelyn, come in!" Jack Todder's voice interrupted Evelyn from the room just beyond the receptionist's desk. He had been waiting for her arrival, both excited and nervous for the unfolding of events with Vaega.

Evelyn slipped past the desk and through the door into the room of Dr. Jack Todder, "Where is my boy?"