Dolor Aeternum

I will be waiting until early Tuesday for posts on either side. If I see nothing I will progress the story. I thank everyone for being patient all around.

I have no qualms with the above option that Hollow has provided though Luz will not like that Joker let him go. She will still be too weak to pursue.

Gotta natural 10 our way to victory....

“Person in need of assistance. Shifting to Medic Protocol” The hovering device analyzed its predicament and noticed that the child was being consoled by someone else so decided to efficiently hover away. Gormaric was the first person that it encountered so it began hovering around the man, expelling a regenerative mist that worked to recover whatever wounds it could detect. In the process it felt a pang of concussive energy from somewhere that seemed to damage it physically. (+1HP to Gormaric, -1HP to Celene) “Initiating Protection Protocol” A metallic protrusion emerged from the body of the machine, extending high above. Energy released from a circular top along the extended apparatus, quickly creating a protective dome with the intent of defending against any incoming attack for those who managed to get in its shelter. (Area Defense for first dibs)

Area Defense

Celene heal attempt #2

Celene heal attempt #1

Ilyana could only narrow her eyes when she noticed the shift in how Elizabeth was appearing. It wasn’t the consciousness within a shell of metal that perturbed her or the fact that she was left to dwell in silence after revealing Obtenebra. What bothered the Redeemer the most right now was the thought of having to live like this conscience before her. Did she even consider herself female any more? Has she transcended the notions of having to behave like a Terran? She was sure those who could appreciate what was before her from a scientific perspective might have gone further down the line of questioning but Ilyana could only sink into empathy and feel sorry for this ‘Liz’, wondering if she had chosen this upon herself or if this was forced upon her. Then her thoughts shifted to herself as she wondered truly if she had really accepted Obtenebra willingly or if she had been manipulated by the powerful being that had freed her from her bondage. Ilyana looked visibly saddened and deep in contemplation which made enduring the silence easier but did nothing to lift up her spirits then. Ilyana found herself coming close to Liz’s form, a bold hand not realizing it was moving along the apparatus that she had connected herself too, swirling black eyes piercing through as she was clearly distracted by her own thoughts then though they looked fixated upon the vulnerable creature before her. It was true that Ilyana could have taken this change to usurp even more power for herself within this company. She could have decimated whatever this technological marvel was but such selfish ideas never even surfaced. Elizabeth Patton was needed in this world. She somehow knew this deep down in her core and she had a distinct feeling the intelligent mind could in fact help her and Lady Glasmann ensure their survival upon the looming threat of the Enrele. Obtenebra rippled along her body as it felt the sense that it was being watched, its usual paranoia snapping Ilyana out of her brief daze and causing her to look around. She could feel the goosebumps along her skin and she did not enjoy the sensation but given she was used to powering through such negative feelings, Ilyana simply took it in stride once again, deciding to start speaking after a good amount of silence had gone by. “Perhaps I should have waited until you had situated yourself before peppering you with my request. You are still there aren’t you Liz? Please tell me you didn’t just bring me here to have me watch you take a nap.” There was just a tinge of nervousness present within Ilyana though it manifest itself much more visibly due to Obtenebra’s inability to maintain the guise of clothing Ilyana had wanted it to. The Redeemer was on alert but hopeful that she didn’t come here for some fruitless affair.

Never played Fortnite or PUBG and never ever will.

Something about this method of communication felt familiar to the amorphous being, glimpses of a time where conforming to the language of his surroundings never entered his mind. The vivid imagery Lun’silth slid into his labyrinthine mind drove forward with the purity of emotions that had just been unearthed, leaving Agony frozen in place and overwhelmed by a past that only served to wound him now. The sting of betrayal pierced through the intangible portions of his being and caused a wail that echoed through the forest around them. Obtenebra was just as affected, tortured by the same emotions that had begun to suffocate its companion. It too remembered. It too suffered and yearned for retribution. The ooze whipped around violently, not wanting to endure the power of what it felt until it resigned itself and pooled along the floor. It could not prevent Lun’silth’s onslaught of truth and it knew Agony could not either for it was the stark reality of what was that they could not ignore. They were here because others had discarded them. People they thought were family had cast them down to this realm simply because they did not agree with him or his companion. This was why the desire for power and survival had been ingrained in every single action. They must live to see beings such as those within those images removed from their lofty perches and placed beneath the boots of the oppressed. Power was what would help them achieve that. Power is relative. Absolute power.. unattainable/does not exist. ‘Enough’ is relative. But I... teacher... return/re-teach what was yours... and more. Lun’silth’s attempt to teach Agony and Obtenebra a valuable lesson regarding what they sought sunk in just as Agony began to sense hordes of creatures around them. Every mile within the Broken Plains became known to him through the eyes of those creatures who called Yh’mi home. Sparks of sentience and emotion could be felt throughout the land. He could feel the peace that he had forced upon the Saevion once again and see the Saevion spawn looking calmly at their mother. He could see the chitten frantically exploring the many dark caverns throughout the plains in search of sustenance. Agony’s vision switched to a large gutterfiend surveying its surroundings as it’s heavy steps lead it forward. No manner of creature within the Broken Plains was beyond this sight he had been granted yet that vision became dulled and the caveat was presented. Lun’silth desired devotion much like Lirrey the Eternal Star did. Whatever this ‘Eater of Stars’ was that they feared required that they amass beings as assets to their cause but Agony was wary. What if they too intended to discard him as all others did? What if they simply sought to consume him for the power that dwelled within him? This was what he had feared concerning Lunara and Agony was not oblivious to the possible hypocrisy of accepting what he had just been offered. Obtenebra was just as wary though it had already begun its own preparations to ensure that it and its companion would survive no matter what. Whatever Lun’silth was, Agony could sense it was also tied to Lirrey as well. The trepidation he had felt for Lunara before had begun to slowly creep in but Agony ultimately snuffed it in favor of a new perspective. If she is bound to suffer from her bond, I will share her suffering and help her overcome it. Lun’silth would sense Agony’s acceptance. Dedication would be offered should Lun’silth be true to the offer that had been presented. Something within Agony knew that should it come to it, he would defy existence itself to make sure he would survive to finish what he strived to accomplish.

Alright, last call for both @Sanonymous and @Anon for the respective threads. I have been rather lax given I am also busy with stuff too but we should definitely keep things going so let me know your status but if not we will be moving on to next cycle of posts somehow by Monday at the latest.

Ilyana was done drinking for the night, still as lucid as ever despite consuming the entirety of the bottle she had purchased. Boredom while Gabriela and Rodan executed their transaction made the occasional sip act as a reprieve from the nagging feeling she was getting that she was not using her time efficiently. Ever since her meeting with Caeceila she had a sense of urgency and purpose behind her actions that was unlike before despite the fact she had already been working hard to establish herself. The idea that she was doing all of this only to end up losing it all if the Enrele threat was not taken care of was simply unacceptable which was the only reason she had even stomached waiting for Gabriela to finish. If the woman, regardless of her status as human or vampyre, was capable of giving them an edge against their threat then this trip would prove fruitful. The fumbling approach that Gabriela could not hide from the Redeemer made the woman arch a brow but logic made her odd movements seem plausible. The Mutator must have been successful which only left this woman who now stood before her somewhat disoriented that much more vulnerable. One would think that she should rest long enough to gain her bearings but this urgency that dripped out of her words along with yet another ask to wait for her while she tended to other business proved enough to force Ilyana to sigh audibly in disappointment. “Fine, just don’t go getting into any trouble before you come back to me” Ilyana wanted to tag along but decided against it, deciphering that Gabriela didn’t really want to be followed and already feeling burned from her forceful approach earlier. She’d play this one safe. With Gabriela slowly leaving, she noticed Rodan coming soon after to address her. She found his attempt to apologize concerning any potential rudeness unnecessary and she had no qualms expressing that as she nearly cut him off until he mentioned her Savior which softened her features into a smile. She then heeded the warning offered and provided a much calmer response than what she had been about to provide before. “Volatile women are not foreign to me I assure you. I will try to redeem some of the damage she has caused our family somehow.” Ilyana shook Rodan’s hand cautiously but firmly before she replied again. “Likewise. Be safe” In truth she didn’t hold any sort of good or bad opinion about Rodan. Family was family and he deserved to be treated cordially regardless of what she knew now to be true concerning what had been done to Gabriela and others. If it was all to support her family then she could not possibly object…now at least. Waving Rodan away, she would follow the Mutator out and wait for Gabriela’s return outside of the Tarantula. She had had enough of its dark lustful atmosphere anyway. Passing the gargoyle bouncer with a small wink she stood in plain view and scanned around for the petite Gabriela after the hour had passed, hoping the woman kept her word. [Exit Ilyana]

Up to you how your agent will respond. I just responded how my character would in this scenario given her supremely stubborn way of dealing with threats to someone she really cares about and to his attempts at manipulating her. 6 could attempt to make a getaway but not sure how Joker will take that. We could end up rolling for it in terms of whether he escapes but not sure how he would unless he was prepared to swim his way away or he somehow escapes on to the Ancient One...or it could be implied he has some sort of analog way of escaping given magitech will act wonky where they are due to La'Ruta. We have options I am willing to explore. Not trying to be too stubborn about things so I am sure we can work something out.

Liz’s scoff was only met with even more determination as Ilyana was unwilling to compromise on her request given the stakes at hand. She had expected Liz to protest or use some sort of excuse to attempt to finagle her way out of it but was surprised by the sudden pivot into agreement. The fact that she was willing to set aside her previous hesitation and comply only managed to earn her favor now as they made their way into this room that Ilyana understood could only be accessed by Elizabeth herself. Ilyana was not oblivious to the concessions that were being offered and found it rare enough to appreciate…at least this time. "It is necessary that you understand that I am doing this by request as a business courtesy, more or less, as a show of what Ventrix Technologies can offer the world." Ilyana simply nodded and waited for Elizabeth to continue only to be surprised at the synthetic frame that the woman revealed underneath her lab coat. Such technology was not unheard of but Ilyana had never witnessed it firsthand. The way that tissue intertwined with metal along her frame was wonderful and Ilyana found herself ogling out of sheer curiousity. Some may have given themselves to disgust here but she was thankful for her upbringing in Hell’s Gate and for the technological wonders her city had allowed her to witness. She continued to analyze everything and how it moved or connected with Elizabeth’s frame. “My my…I didn’t know things would get this intimate. This satisfies me in a way I never thought it would Elizabeth.” The sight of Elizabeth was jolting for sure but Ilyana in stride decided to reveal something about herself that few could ever discern much less deserved to witness. Obtenebra rippled into view and then receded into Ilyana’s skin, covering solely her breasts and just enough of her hips to maintain some modicum of modesty. She slowly moved around to allow Elizabeth to use whatever methods of scanning she desired to prove she wasn’t compromised though the existence of the amorphous ooze within her was something she felt had to be explained. “My companion is tied to every portion of my body. He…or…she…or it was a gift from a very dear friend of mine meant to protect me from the dangers around me.” Obtenebra slowly began to come back and reform into a now loose flowing dress around Ilyana that offered her the chance to move with a bit more agility. “One of these dangers is the root cause of my personal visit today. While I admit that I also came here to gauge how well our partnership can develop, urgency leads me to act on whatever capital I already have with you. Now that I am sure you are at least not compromised physically, I feel I can trust you with this request. I need your bright mind to engineer a method to identify the Enrele that have been plaguing the cities of our nation. They are a threat that must be managed and I cannot trust the Terran government to tackle it alone.” Ilyana moved into a position where she could see Elizabeth’s face which had been elevated. The Redeemer felt she needed to address this matter now before she could even begin thinking about what other business matters she needed to discuss with this peculiar woman before her.

Xavier stepped into view with remnants of earth trickling off of his bulk. He had taken some time to collect himself after bouldering through all of that earth from before and giving his companions time to capitalize on it. His head darted around and realized that the fight was now over which proved bittersweet to him as he wanted to be the one to deliver the killing blow to their leader. Noticing the new accessory Rodan had and the remnants of the bodies around him, however, he simply snorted and then started to dust himself off a bit. When Lunara spoke up and suggested they grab the drone that Mori had tuned, Xavier moved swiftly to grab the large device and prop it up on his shoulder with one hand, letting some metallic debri trickle off obliviously as he walks his way toward the large doors Lunara started to open. Agony Agony meanwhile, sensed Mori come near, the arc of electricity reaching a portion of Obtenebra but there was no visible lurch or response given. The following action by the technomancer, however, caused Obtenebra to whip violently as it sensed the buildup of potent energy and feared the potential harm it could do. Agony realized who the target was, however, so Obtenebra calmed down as the large stream of energy shot out toward the behemoth in the distance. So much power coming from such a small body forced Agony to respect it as he slid out of the way. That energy collided with the beast just as the airship began to give way and move. The large vessel started to free itself, vines ripping away and rock crumbling from the movement. The blanket of fog ceased to exist now and the large crackling sound that came after Mori’s flaunting of her new toy signaled the revelation that the visions of Teleria were false but the large beast in the distance was not. Runic chains bound a creature in the distance who was starting to free itself thanks to the movement of the ship. The airship jerked suddenly as some of those chains failed to break loose. The other group that were now in view thanks to Lunara would be able to see the large moss-covered ship slowly starting to come to life and the fact that it was tethered to a large creature itching to be freed from its captivity. They would also suddenly see Agony moving along those chains, Obtenebra expanding into very large scythes and heading straight for the creature. “Free this vessel…” The voice was directed at both Mori and Cerebri then, Agony sensing Lunara nearby but not acknowledging them as his focus now brought him toward engaging the creature ahead. Just as he came just a few feet in front of the creature, Agony would leap upward, spinning viciously which forced the scythes to start carving into the metal below him. Though reinforced by whatever runes were left on their hard structure, Obtenebra’s ability to carve into such magical constructs began to chip away at their stability. Soon the chains would break but whether that was the wisest choice in order to attain what they had come here for was still very much in the air.