Shinny

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

<Snipped quote by BrokenPromise>

I'm either going to skip Spider or leave the thread. This was supposed to be a Christmas Battle Royal and it's about to be an Easter Party.

@Alucroas

I have discussed the issue, and we have elected to skip their turn for this round. This means that it is now your turn.

Flensing The Infinite — Shinny & Anshin

NEVER THE MAIN PREY

The black assassin bug lay furled, awaiting its prey. While it was not easy to ‘hide’ in a place that lacked space and thus physical laws, the bubble that held the construct was enough to act as both a hiding spot and the trap itself. A sphere of reality within unreality, barely two meters in diameter, yet offered an easy bridge between realities that were the true size of universes.

I WILL KILL YOU OR DIE TRYING
NEVER UTTERED, ONLY BELLOWED

The construct with the acronym IWKYODT remained folded, his ‘life’ shut down in all aspects save for his supernatural senses. He did not need to move, his 5 meter form contorted to remain within the minute sphere he had situated himself within. He did not need to breathe, nor speak, nor indeed act until the moment was right. Such it was, all he needed to do was wait. All four eyes closed as the prongs of his flat head listened only for the twanging of universal fabric, for the tearing of a portal for any would-be intruder attempting an invasion.

There.

It had been a large-scale operation, even by his standards. No less than twenty-thousand Cultivators had been called to perform their duty, running disruption to present the facade of a planned invasive movement. Five of the twelve A'Krülni had moved to perform tasks relevant to this, and even Krü strode forth from his ichor, pressing himself into another’s territory so boldly to attract the attention of those would-be rulers of all things. The implication of his presence was enough, that Neo-Babylon and its subsequent connections to all things would no longer be stable, no longer be safe. It was irresistible.

The tear came from well beyond the Cultivators territory, but its path had meandered through to connect universes exactly as it had been predicted. The tiny universal bubble started to unravel thanks to the colossal dimensional hole being forged, which placed IWKYODT exactly within its means. Perfect.

His body did not come online, not just yet. The tunnel had been made, but he still needed to wait until the quarry had entered his sights. Eyes flickered, minimal energy expended so he could scan his environments and watch for its approach.

A dragon.

A would be megagod dragon, named The Eternal. Eight forms contained within one, its Empire declared Infinite. Crimson scaled containing unimaginable power and unfathomable arrogance. Yet still within its proclaims of perfection, the creature brought with it an entourage. Other minor deities, its brood, as well as a fleet of mechanical creations built to house its humanoid subjects.

They never even saw him coming.

---

”Alright, listen up!” A six legged, faceless crystal barked, his skintight armour proudly displaying the emblem of hooks in an X with a whale beneath them, the sigil of the 10th flenser’s fleet. ”Today is the big day! I’m sure y’all’ve read your briefing and know what’s at stake here, but I will reiterate for anybody blackout drunk last night: We are jumping into external territory to capture a fresh 1A. The odds are high that we’ll be entering a hot zone, hence the Breaker compatriots joining us.” Amongst the crowd of suited-up butchers was a small entourage of unique individuals in equally unique outfits, headed by one lanky stickbug-like IWKYODT. Suited faces regarded him, the six-limbed abyssal construct of gangly form and mysterious make. Many were glad that their masks hid their nerves. ”If there was one time in your careers to knuckle down and get the job done, that day would be today. We’ll have time for drinks back home when we’ve proved we’re the best at what we do. And what is it we do?”

Flense gods!

Not every Cultivator is a professor of war. For every assassin, soldier, and scout, there were ten times as many jobs required just to keep the whole operation running. Healers, mechanics, cooks. Everybody had their place to keep the heart pumping, and the humble flenser was chiefly concerned with clean-up duty. A god’s value did not stop when they were dead, for every single part of the divine could be harvested for a myriad of purposes. Scales and talons for armour and weapons, blood for the infinite ichor, even their appendix could be harvested and used to brew up new metaphysical bioweapons. It was the flenser’s job to bring them back, and with how dangerous gods were when they were dead, their role was far from safe.

A great white octopus ship floated within the void of space, its tendrils curled around to envelop its quarry. The dragon’s corpse lay within a massive hangar formed by the tendrils, flensers crawling over it like white ants among the dead. Each one was wearing white arcane armour, their featureless suits built to endure the environmental chaos that a dead god could unleash. Fortunate, given how the body was radiating enough heat to melt steel like rubber. Hooks made from talons punctured into the beast’s wings, the air hissing as meta-chains lifted them high to suspend the dragon above.

“Unit one is ready to start delving,” one voice spoke. They were one of two resting on the dragon’s ribcage, hands making the final adjustments of a white mechanical limpet that attached to the scales. When they rose up, one hand reached to grab great big hose, the tip of which had its own mechanical clamp. <Cutting in 3, 2, 1.> Hisss. The limpet sliced through the scales and bone of the dead god, revealing a boiling magma within. Without any hesitation, the flenser walked towards the hole, sinking into it and dragging the hose with them. A moment later they were joined by a second, wielding a heavy harpoon made from a great tooth. <Happy hunting.>

---

All of this, and more, was observed by IWKYODT, the one who had made all of this possible. It was easier to observe him, now that he was actually in an observable location. Although taking in his features was never easy, for indeed he was built of a material which absorbed all light that landed upon it, rendering him looking two dimensional as the eyes could not judge what was near and what was far. The only place where this was not the case was within his four eyes, two forward and two sideways. Each eye had a potent purple lens with no apparent pupils, held within a darker sclera. His side-eyes scanned their environment, while the front two stared at the dragon he had felled a moment ago.

Nobody was willing to ask why his gaze was so intense. Not that it mattered, for it was a secret he would not tell. This was not the only war he would wage this night.

Flensing The Infinite — Shinny & Anshin

I put this in the wrong fucking tab

Celestial Duel — Shinny Vs Anshin

SO LONG

Thus was the heart of the cards. Every component of a deck should work together, so no matter the order they are drawn the deck shall still function; but the right card in the right card can turn a near-loss into an instant victory. Lombardi's presence bent the very spacetime of the arena, creating a brief glimpse of the duel and the victory thereof. The energy erupted from Lombardi's hand, boiling the planet and cause its dusty surface to scar black from the subsequent eruptions. Paltry theatrics before the kilonova obliterated this system.

Krü burning magenta eyes looked up, his long neck twisting to raise his eyes so the rigid apparatus could observe Beramode turn away. "Going so soon? Whatever is so important to you to make you turn away?" His body heaved, the second and third pair of legs working together to raise his body off of the ground so he no longer sat upon the fabric of fate. A flick of his finger made his played cards and tokens return, deck folding upon itself to disappear to some unknown place. Another gesture caused the scintillating tapestry to furl back and up, rolling the magnificent cloth up to be held by one of Krü's middle limbs. "No matter. This was a fun little distraction," he said. His eyes narrowed, his M shaped mandibles bending in a way that was almost paradoxical. The expression was ever brief, his mouth and eyes returning to their neutral stance as he brought a hand up once again. A rip formed behind him, and without looking Krü drifted back and through the tear. His presence long gone, this world left to bask in the ruination of the great beings who had battled here.

AND THANKS FOR ALL THE

Krü's presence is rarely lauded. Indeed, even amongst his loyal Cultivators, his presence is regarded with lowered heads and busied schedules. His hooves stood upon a white platform, part of the great inter-universal structure's central system. Roots of the great tree.

Looking down upon Krü was a great sphere. A kaleidoscopic array of eyes within eyes within eyes within eyes, larger than universes. He Who Knows, the first and greatest of the A'Krülni. Its haunting voice pierced through none save Krü, their connection instant as an endless stream of data was processed by the great intelligence.

THE OUTCOME WAS [ENTIRELY] WITHIN [ACCEPTED] PARAMETERS (OUR [PLANS] PROGRESS AS THEY ALWAYS DO)

"And the dragon?"

UNDONE ([IWKYODT] HAS NEVER MISSED A MARK OF THIS IMPORTANCE) <OUR [FLENSERS] HAVE GONE TO PICK UP THE [CARCASS]>

"Good, good. Return to your work."

With the connection severe, Krü stood forth towards the edge of the great platform. Below him worked one of the most glorious yet thankless of jobs: The slaughterers. Their platforms were once white, but stained a variety of colours thanks to the lifeblood that dripped down through grating. Bodies of dissidents and opponents were dragged like livestock, kicking and screaming and cursing until the moment their heads were slammed against the floor and their throats cut. Gurgling corpses were thrown into the pool below, the culmination of countless lives and souls and gods sacrificed to feed into this all-powerful ocean of life energy dubbed Infinitus. A oil-black ocean of essence that subtly glowed with the rainbow myriad of life that was blended into it.

It was into this ocean that Krü descended, floating downwards until his head was submerged and he sank down into the core. Limbs crossed against his thorax and abdomen, Krü closed his eyes and let his soul drift from his body once more, devouring the power to slake his insatiable thirst and letting his consciousness expand so he might move the pieces of his eternal war once more.

FLESH

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

@Ponn
@BrokenPromise
@Divorarel
@Forge
@Pickled Piper
@Alucroas

Post has been made! I'm going to allow people to join on this round as well, the time limit being until the last person makes their post. I have made the order explicit on post #0 so if you could follow that I would greatly appreciate it. If there's any trouble with this then I might switch to a different method but we'll play it by ear.

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

LIGHTNING BOOMS OVERHEAD

Octolys' fighter was one of the first to 'fly' through the air, but it would not be the last. A preliminary scouting venture exposed one thing above all others — Other toys were waking up. There was a veritable smörgåsbord of creations breaking from their confinements, a brand war whose lawsuit potential was immense. Worse still, the moment toys were freed from their confinements and were in proximity to one another? That, dear reader, was when the violence began. Fists and swords and toy guns clashed as an orgy of violence erupted within the toy store.

"ROIGHT, WAT'S ALL DIS DEN?" A voice called out. There was motion in the corner of Octoly's eye, and turning would reveal an army of little green men. No, not little green men. Little green Orks. Busted free from a glass cabinet, a prize-winning painted army of green Orks had broken free and started a ruckus without any delay. Behind the legion of boyz and nobs and trukks was a larger ork, grey and red and clad in metal. "LOOKS LIKE WE GOT OURSELVES INTO A ROIGHT SICHAYSHUN." "Wot?" "SHADDAP, I'Z TALKIN!" The warboss grabbed a very tiny green goblin-looking grot, throwing him off of the shelf and into the abyss below — wherein he exploded into a pile of plastic. "NUFFIN ELSE TO IT DEN, LADS, IT'S TIME TO GET CHOPPIN. WAAAAAGH!" And thus the army of green creatures charted towards Thyerg'Octolys and let out their telltale cry.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

The middle itself was just as much a mess as the other places, albeit without anywhere near as many small toys ready to set upon the others like ants. Instead there were a few medium sized fighters, and an opportunity to escape should Octolys deem it necessary. For those who never awoke acted as a wall and a refuge, with something shining beneath all of them...

---

Kurosame could see it first, the moment she made the crack within the window. What had been a normal-looking rainfall picked up velocity, which was both a bane and a boon. She could get even more water than anticipated, but the violent whipping of rain caused the crack to grow. Just a bit, but it was growing. But that would be less important than what Kurosame saw as she 'flew' towards the middle isle.

She would get an ample view of the violence, being able to also see the orks charging Octolys and his fighter making a similar journey. The view disappeared when she landed upon the middle isle, instead replaced with an outwards view of different levels of violence from those whom awoke. The lines of toys in the middle provided some level of refuge, albeit the longer she stayed, the more she heard a peculiar sound.

_{There's a snake in my boot...} Crunch. _{You're my favourite deputy...} Crunch. Boxed shaking as something came up from down below. Its mass significant enough to shake the whole middle isle. And a glowing, gentle shine coming from beneath.

---

"Hah!" A voice replied to Veronica's boast. Another toy, another misfit. A doll made from cloth and stuffing rose up, a teddy-bear with an arm and an eye missing. Stuffing poked out from there his arm had been torn off, mouldy and marred from misuse. The bear still stood, however — and indeed did he tower over Veronica's wooden frame. A peace logo was stitched near where his arm had been torn off, the rest of his body covered in a tie dye of colours. A large 'TY' was tagged to his ears, evidence of where he came from. A beanie baby peace bear.

So much for being peaceful.

"You and everybody else in this competition have been thinking that. Charge headlong into battle, give the master of this competition the entertainment he craves. Play your part in this dance." The bear spoke with a weary and whispery voice, yet still it held that gravelly texture of authority. "What are you waiting for? Go on, kill me." The bear raised his arm and held his head high, standing in open defiance. "At least I will die on my own terms."

At least, that was the case until Ryuko descended upon the scene, causing the bear to turn to look at her. "Another slave."

---

The two remaining Jerrys looked at each other for a good two seconds, before a single nod came from their bulging heads. "Alright, alright! Cool it with the whole explodin'." Pause, the second Jerry looked around before a wing came up and he spoke in a hushed tone towards Nudara. "Listen real close-like, yeah? Ya best bet is prolly to take out the biggest of 'em first. Now, I's got a hunch that whatever's causin' a ruckus in the electronic department is gonna be up there in the 'biggest threat' competition. Ya feel me?" The goose turned around to point in the direction where the alarms klaxon blared.

---

The roar from Alucroas could be heard over the alarm he had triggered, and most toys rightfully scattered when presented with such an opponent. But not every toy. For on the floor near Alucroas was a toy of similar size, plastic and metal assembled into the shape of a blocky electronic Tyrannosaurus Rex. Its flat head stared at the intruder, feet crushing the glass beneath as it moved closer and closer...

"ME GRIMLOCK! KING! Grimlock boomed, before ushering in a roar of challenge. Whether or not Alucroas replied, the transforming tyrannosaur pushed his feet into a charge, ready to clash heads and bring those sharp metal teeth into his opponents body!

---

THE MASS WRITHES

A compounded conglomeration of various toys, melted into something that belonged in The Thing, rose from the very bottom of the middle isle. A multitude of asymmetrical limbs grabbed onto everything that it could reach. Shelves were grabbed, the bulk hoisted higher with each groaning motion. Any toys that were too slow — or foolhardy — to move out of the way of the mass were grabbed and dragged within, plastic bubbling and gurgling as they were added to the increasing multitude of tormented toys amalgamated. But that was not the worst part.

The worst part was that attached to this bulk was a melted figure, constructed from plastic joints connected together like how a LEGO house was built brick by brick. On the melted figure's face was a brown mask, the source of the light whose power still remained. Power that allowed this amalgamation to move at all.

KANOHI KAMA REVEALED

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

I'm giving this an extra week because the hospital has picked up - again.

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

@Shinny Just for clarification, does this mean that everyone with an accepted character can post?

Related to that, were you going to randomize our start positions, or are you letting us start wherever?

@BrokenPromise

Everybody with an accepted character gets to post, some people did basic gists here but didn't manage to put the sheets there and to stop it from being too small I'll let them post too. I wanted to make it so just people with accepted sheets can post, but otherwise this would be over way too quick because there's only three ;;

Also, I will let people choose their starts within reason (No spawncamping artifacts!)

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

It's as if you were trapped in a dream.

For some of you, the tale of The Toymaster may have been one of mutual understanding and dealership; for others, the tale begins with coercion and force. But whatever the circumstances, the ultimate truth is that all of you awaken in a toyshop. The sensation almost feels natural, as if you're somehow still able to breathe and smell and sense the world around you. But looking at your hands reveals that they were as artifical as the rest of you, trapped within a clear plastic container with flashy and gaudy branding atop it.

You are a toy.

The toy shop you have woken in is remarkably clean and modern. Artifical lights shine bright from a roof much more akin to a warehouse or a megastore than a quaint workshop, closer to a 'Toy's 'r' Us' type store. The store is completely empty of people, the hustle and bustle of customers instead replaced with the writhing and awakening of others, much like yourself. The vast majority of them are new, just like yourself. Awakening from the isles and shelves and erupting from their packaging as they try and figure out what is going on and how to survive. In the shadows, older secrets work.

The calendar on the till's operating system reads late December, but even though it is mid-winter, there is no snow to be found. Instead beyond the glass doors to the outside world a torrential downpour thunders, water blown near-horizontal thanks to howling winds strong enough to make trees buckle. A residual boom of crackling thunder looms overhead.

You must fight to survive.

How and why the thought entered your head is difficult to ascertain, but you know for certain that every toy that has awakened is now your enemy. Whether or not they could ally with you, you realise that only one toy can survive, and only one toy can be victorious. Even if this thought somehow never enters your head, the visual demonstration of two Action Men throwing blows at each other and throwing each other off of the shelves onto the floor is enough of a visual demonstration of the struggle.

And thus, The Battle Toyale Begins.

Battle Toyale — Christmas Rumble!

Round: 2
Number of artefacts revealed: 1: Kanohi Kama
Turn order:
@Ponn
@BrokenPromise
@Divorarel
@Forge
@Pickled Piper
@Alucroas