Fin watched, helpless, as the light drained from Qepp's eyes and shoulder crystal. Simultaneously, the crystal that Jason held flickered and faded, leaving only a small glow from deep within it. Fin screamed as Pharaoh knelt down in front of Qepp's body and plucked the now solid key from it. With a devilish grin, Pharaoh looked up at Fin to see him still screaming, writhing within the grasp of Pharaoh's shadow copies. The moment Pharaoh's fingers touched the key, an unbearable pain wracked Fin's body, not unlike the pain he felt when Pharaoh left his mark the first time. The shadows holding him captive let out a low hiss and back away from him.Fin fell to the ground, pressing his hands to his left eye in pain.
Suddenly, the screaming stopped. Fin's head contorted upward and his scarf fell from around him, revealing jagged teeth within his mouth, which spanned almost the entire width of his head. His hands dropped to his sides and he stood motionless, head arced toward the sky, as the mark on his eye pulsated, glowing a deep red.
A blackness began crawling across his figure, starting at his eye and working it's way outward across his body, engulfing his clothing and backpack alike. His walker legs twisted into a slick, black goop, forming tentacles that protruded from his back. Finally, the blackness took the last part of his boots and his head fell back to a normal position as he rose, aided by his tentacles. At full height, a jagged grin formed on his face, and where his intact goggle lens once was, a red eye opened and fixed on Pharaoh.
"Mission accomplished... Master."
Pharaoh was taken aback by this transformation, but quickly grew to like it. Mirroring the grin on Fin's face, Pharaoh replied.
"Accomplished indeed. But not by you. Consider this a failure on your part. And as such, I have more work for you. Come, boy."
Pharaoh took a step back, key in hand, and a portal opened behind him. Turning toward it, he stepped into it and was engulfed by darkness. Fin took one look at Qepp and Watchdog before entering the portal behind him, and as the portal closed, each of Pharaoh's shadow clones vanished, releasing Watchdog.
Moments later, Henry stormed onto the scene.
"THE KEY. I KNOW IT'S HERE, DOG. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH IT??"
==
Jason and Palenque watched as this unknown man commanded his shadow army to restrain the boy and dog who seemed to be companions with Qepp. Having just witnessed the crystal in his hand flicker out, Jason feared for Qepp, and his sense of justice overcame him.
He began to turn to head for the door to assist his alien friend when Palenque began to shout.
"Key! Jason, it's the key!"
Jason stopped and stared as the wizard knelt down to pick up the key that floated just above Qepp's body, and a look of anger formed on his face as he realized that Qepp may have just died because this man savagely confiscated what he helped him acquire. He ran for the door, ready to do whatever it took to bring the man to justice and avenge Qepp, but as he reached for the door, his hand began to burn. Recoiling from the pain, he held his hand, trying not to make the rune too obvious, but only seconds after the pain began, he lost control of his body. His eyes, once again, rolled back into his head as he reached for his pen and grabbed his journal. He began to scribble furiously on the pages, but by this point the group was too distracted by the notion of a key only yards away to care.
Queenie ran to the window to ascertain that Palenque's words were true. Henry, however, was much more brash. He ran to the door and slammed it open, rushing toward the action. Only seconds after Queenie reached the window, she watched as Pharaoh entered a portal with the key, followed by a being she felt was strangely familiar, though she couldn't quite put her finger on who it would be. Her interest waning with the departure of the key, she turned to Jason, who was still intently writing in his journal. She walked across the room to watch the words he wrote.
I see a Righteous Swordsman called Panties.
The Righteous Swordsman continues on his journey toward Porton.
I see a Lecherous Gladiator called Animak.
I see a Symbiotic Host called Will.
I see a Cursed Operative called The Sneak.
I see a Lumbering Construct called Trainwreck.
Having been thrown into his own memories, the Lecherous Gladiator, still only a boy, is forced into a ring to face a vicious tiger for the amusement of those willing to pay. He attempts to run, only to be attacked by the tiger. In response, and possibly against his will, he begins to transform into an amalgamation of human and beast. During the transformation, his sights become set on the animal, which he quickly massacres before writhing around the ring, still in the midst of the transformation. He is stopped only when the device around his neck, put there by his captors, shocks him into unconsciousness.
Some time later, the Gladiator is rudely awakened by his brother, also taken hostage. Their reunion is short, however, due to the prison guard entering to relocate the Gladiator, leaving his brother behind.
Time passes and the Gladiator continues to defeat every opponent placed before him in the ring. His brother, however, takes advantage of his situation and manipulates his way into a place of power within the slave pits.
The Symbiotic Host, the Cursed Operative, and the Lumbering Construct watch helplessly as the memories of the Gladiator unfold.
I see a Transforming Aesthetician called Angie.
I see a Benevolent Gambler called Enternum.
I see a Dextrous Fighter called Xzi.
I see a Young Opportunist called Kita.
The Young Opportunist makes her presence known in the form of an attack directed at the Dextrous Fighter, who counters the blow. The group stands ready to fight the Opportunist, but halts at her request. She informs them that she simply wishes to demonstrate her power. The Benevolent Gambler steps forward to accept her challenge and conjures a blade from one of his playing cards. The battle begins immediately and is fierce, though short. Having the upper hand with weapons, the Opportunist disarms the Gambler in a display of expertise. The groups allows her to join and decides to rest until sunrise.
I see a Noble Partisan called Alexandy.
I see a Crass Assassin called Perry.
The Crass Assassin parts ways with the Noble Partisan, taking the Key with him. The Partisan, now unaccompanied, boards a passing wagon on it's way South. The wagon travels for some time and finally stops in Ruralon. It's driver has taken the Partisan under temporary employ as payment for what would otherwise be a free ride.
After completing the task, the Partisan rejoins the caravan and sets forth toward Middleton. Upon arriving, he begins his trek to Sandan by foot.
I see a Mad Gunman called Henry.
I see a Broken Witch called Queenie.
I see a Stark Warrior called Ralkar.
I see a Prudent Writer called Jason.
I see an Intuitive Engineer called Palenque.
I see a Foreign Savant called Bjorklund.
After witnessing the Broken Witch demand the Foreign Savant's services, the room falls silent. This silence is eagerly broken by the Mad Gunman, who offers a speech in an attempt to motivate his comrades. Seeing a potential advantage, the Prudent Writer jumps at the opportunity to progress, and asks the Savant once more for his assistance. The Savant quickly has a ship made and is about to inform them, when a sound is heard from within the satchel belonging to the Writer. The sound comes from the crystal given to them by the Subjugated Alien. Curious, the Intuitive Engineer looks out the nearest window, only to witness a battle occurring between several beings and the Alien.
I see a Zealous Adventurer called Phineas.
I see a Subjugated Alien called Qepp.
I see a Canine Timepiece called Watchdog.
I see a Manipulative Tyrant called Pharaoh.
Realizing the ultimatum given to him by the Manipulative Tyrant, the Zealous Adventurer formulates a plan. Acting furious over the fact that the Subjugated Alien hadn't informed him of his possession of a key, the Adventurer began his rant about the situation. He slowly makes his way toward the Alien, acting as belligerent as possible, before sinking an arachnoid leg into the foot of the Tyrant. The Alien is dropped and caught by the Adventurer, who quickly retreats to the Canine Timepiece. The group, sans Tyrant, is teleported back to the present.
I have located them at the spot from which they left, though it has taken me a moment to do so. By this time, the Tyrant has returned and is confronting them once more. He has summoned duplicates of himself from the shadows around him, and is now, against all Oodles, being threatened by the Alien, who seems to have taken a moment to locate the gem that formerly resided in his shoulder, now in the possession of the Intuitive Engineer.
The Tyrant is predictably angered by the Alien's hostility and responds in kind. Restraining the Adventurer and the Timepiece, the Tyrant's shadow's mercilessly beat the Alien, who is too weakened to defend himself. With a final kick to the head, the Alien falls unconscious, leaving the key vulnerable.
I see a Maniacal Conjurer called Zeion.
I see a Heinous Harlequin called Buddy.
I see an Enlightened Elementalist called Rennega.
Arriving in Mangaton, the group temporarily parts ways, agreeing to reconvene. The Enlightened Elementist, in her search for a place in which to rest, enters an inn and approaches the counter. Upon asking for refuge, she is harshly rejected, and told to vacate. On her way toward the exit, her body is overcome by pain, followed by a drastic change in her behavior.
Elsewhere in Mangaton, the Maniacal Conjurer senses a nearby magical imbalance. Bringing the Heinous Harlequin with him, the Conjurer rushes toward the source of the power. The pair arrive at the inn just in time to witness the changed Elementalist warping the figure of the man who had so hatefully turned her away. The Conjurer, seeing the drastic change in the recently hospitable Elementalist, attacks, and the spirit that had overcome her fades.
After explaining to the Harlequin that her body is inhabited by an evil spirit, she departs to a more accommodating inn.
Some time passes and the Conjurer locates the Elementalist in her new lodging. The Conjurer reveals himself to be one of a race of imps, cursed with a demon soul which grants him great magical potential at the cost of constitution. He offers his assistance to the Elementalist, assuring her that he can train her to master the spirit within her. The Elementalist excitedly agrees.
Training begins. The Conjurer summons a dummy, which he instructs the Elementalist to attempt to destroy. She begins her assault, but is confounded by the dummy's speed. The fight continues, and the the Elementalist is ultimately bested the by the dummy. The Conjurer congratulates her regardless, informing her that she had lasted longer against the drone than any others who had faced it.
The Conjurer, ready to administer the next test, brings forth a small crystal, claiming it to be a pocket dimension. After a brief discussion, the Conjurer opens the portal held within the crystal. The Elementalist reluctantly enters the portal and immediately her vision goes black. Moments later, she lands softly on a tropical island floating amongst others like itself, tethered together by chains. The beauty is quickly erased by the Conjurer who is capable of manipulating the landscape within the dimension.
The Conjurer, in an effort to free the Elementalist of her now revealed claustrophobia, begins to shrink the pocket dimension.
The Harlequin, still roaming Mangaton, comes across a suspicious building and enters it. Inside, he finds a man in a booth who is wearing a peculiar hat. The hat informs the Harlequin that he is required to purchase a ticket in order to enter. After some convincing, the Harlequin agrees and a door appears, through which the Harlequin travels. Some time later, he emerges with a sack full of unknown items, and returns to the inn.
I see an Exiled Anthropomorph called Dominion Rod.
I see a Naive Vulpine called Peter.
The Exiled Anthropomorph and the Naive Vulpine have returned to the glowing tree originally discovered by by the Vulpine. The duo begins to discuss possible methods of traversing the tree's trunk, but are stopped short when the glowing becomes much more sinister.
I see a Tribal Missionary called Freed.
I see a Mysterious Stranger called Ray.
The Tribal Missionary seems to be having trouble holding his drink.
I see a Regular Dude called Paul.
I see an Thespian Bivalve called Clampert.
It seems as though both the Regular Dude and the Thespian Bivalve have ceased progress entirely. Perhaps the cloud sanctum has impeded my vision. Further investigation is beyond my power. I will continue to watch for any changes.
I see an Adamant Meddler called Kemlli.
I see a Stalwart Guardian called Gruff.
The Adamant Meddler seems to require more time to put her plan into action. The Stalwart Guardian remains stalwart.
I see a Being of Darkness called Raze.
I see a Being of Lightning called Ruin.
The Being of Darkness appears in the fog near the Being of Lightning, only to find that she has already begun searching for proof of the demise of the Being of Water and has clearly been unsuccessful. In a fit of Rage, the Being of Lightning accidentally collides with the Being of Darkness, knocking him out, but luckily bringing the discovery of the location she had been seeking.
After violently awakening the Being of Darkness, the two begin searching for remnants of the Being of Water and are ultimately successful. They pause for a moment before leaving to report their findings.
I see a Jaded Creator called Entemo'at.
I see a Dutiful Drone called P3R0.
I see a Being of Earth called Rend.
The Jaded Creator pilots an alien vessel from the remains of a dying planet, aided by the enslaved the enslaved being called Barmakog, a beast born of the malice in the heart of the Creator. This vessel seems to be fueled by an energy siphon connected to what remains of the Creator's past love. Accompanying the Creator is what appears to be the reincarnation of a former Goddess.
The vessel comes to rest above Forwart after locating the energy given off by the Keys. Immediately, the vessel's hull is torn asunder by the creature called Barmakog, who has stolen the ship's power source and set out to unleash his anger upon any in his path.
Below, the Dutiful Drone is sent to locate it's master's son, who I believe to be the Prudent Writer, but is sidetracked by the enormous ship of the Creator floating above the city. In an attempt to be of service, the Drone flies toward the vessel and, upon landing, offers it's assistance to the Creator. The Creator, seeing potential to take advantage of whatever abilities the Drone might hold, accepted it's offer, and, after explaining the situation, asked the Drone to lead him to the one known as Barmakog. In order to more quickly achieve this, the Creator summons a dark chariot, which he quickly boards, accompanied by the Drone and the former Goddess. Along with the chariot, the Creator conjures a scythe, which seems somehow connected to the chariot. Perhaps through some form of fucking magnets.
Setting forth, the groups progress is impeded by a number of thick vines spreading throughout the city, adorning each of which is the mangled corpse of a female human. Using the scythe and numerous medical tools, the Creator and the Drone easily dispatch the tendrils, which had been summoned forth by the one called Barmakog.
Nearby, the beast Barmakog roams the street, wreaking havoc on all in it's path, until it is confronted by the Being of Earth, who does not take kindly to the fact that this Barmakog had simply walked past him. The Being of Earth attacks the one called Barmakog, and a battle begins. Blows are exchanged until Barmakog finally downs the Being of Earth. The Being of Earth responds by demonstrating his ability to manipulate the ground around him. The Being of Earth appears powerful, but the beast Barmakog is not easily bested.
Desperate to overpower the Being of Earth's power, the beast Barmakog reaches to a capsule he had held concealed, holding within it the remains of the Creator's former love. The capsule emanated a power so intense, the Being of Earth had to shield himself in order to bear it.
Having razed a path, the Creator confronts the beast Barmakog, but is interrupted by the former Goddess, who sees potential for change within the one called Barmakog. The momentary peace is shattered when the capsule held by Barmakog explodes, sending forth the Creator's past love, who soars into the city of Forwart.
My sight is clouded.
I see nothing of the ones called Anita, George and Charlotte, Ciel, Greylin, The Great Forest Elder, or Sparrow.
Four Keys have been collected.
The Righteous Swordsman, Intuitive Engineer, Subjugated Alien, and Prudent Writer recovered the Key from Windmon's Windmill.
The Noble Partisan and the Crass Assassin recovered the Key from the Mangaton Tower.
The Transforming Aesthetician, Benevolent Gambler, and Dextrous Fighter recovered the Key from the Middleton Cave.
A Key remains in the possession of the Great Forest Elder.
The Key in Forwart's Power Plant was revealed to be fraudulent.
))
]
BRAINBLAST! What if each key had a special power? I was thinking the key in Forwarts could have the ability to revive people, and give back the bodies of those who are now only ghosts. I have several plans on how this could affect character goals.)
