TEoD (IC) - The Begining of Days

[un_known]

Zulfiqar Malachi Only


You are adrift in a sea of beings much like you. They twist and turn curling about themselves, and floating with endless possibilities. They devour and absorb; they devolve and shatter; they are reborn.
You hear a voice whispering softly down to them from the skies above and below and to the skies that are about you; for this is a sea adrift in the sky that is alien and unknown. No stars are familiar no constellations are intelligible. Stars that are green and magenta, yellow and cyan, pink and mauve, brown and black; such is a cosmos you have never known.
The voice whispers to all but soon you find that within yourself it whispers to you only.
“Awaken.”


Zulfiqar bolts up in his bed. The single word echoing, outside the world is still dark. You knock on your door and the guards lead you to the Astrologers office. It seems he wishes speak with you, there is something you can do for him.


All Characters
Called or summoned, hired or enslaved all the employees of the Arcane University or more importantly the Arcane Observatory of Ashfall know that when the Astrologer beckons all must answer. You have been called to his private sanctum, in the middle of the night for some unknown reason. As guards escort you through the halls you all are gathered into one group. In ten minutes you shall arrive in the Astrologers room, and yet you know no one.

[The Antigamer]

un_known
Zulqifar is hardly phased by the dream, though he knows he will remember every detail of it. He saw stranger, and more terrible, things on a daily basis. He chuckled to himself as he opened the door, at his turn of phrase. Sometimes he forgot he was blind in this form. He could feel the guards stares, and their hesitation at his arrival. They thought his chuckles a sign of madness. That made him laugh all the harder.
"Off we go gentlemen, the Astrologer calls."

Walking down the hallway laughing is a man of slight build, with a black blindfold covering his eyes. He seems to have no trouble keeping his bearing, but you notice he moves erratically, one foot sometimes faster or slower than the other, arms swinging haphazardly. Occasionally, he whips his head to stare in one direction, almost like a bird, though the cloth is obviously to thick and opaque to see through. His black hair is short and messy, as if it's cut simply to keep it off his forehead.

[un_known]

Zulfiqar Only
Though it may have been a dream more mundane than those Zulfiqar was use to it was very different. He had heard the same voice speaking to the multitudes in almost every single dream but never once had it picked him out and spoken to him.

[monkman]

Kiltre walks down the halls next to a guard,Saying no words and only looking at every single place trying to remember it.He needs all the information If,IF, He would ever have to escape for he has learned of what this worlds does with those of taint.He keeps his cloak over his bad blue head,Making sure that no one is able to see his face unless he wants to be seen.Those who say his face see Glowing Blood Shot red eyes which had no pupil.

[Tacitus]

Jacob Riker

The sound of the old heel-toe-heel-toe of fine leather boots contrasts sharply with the plodding of the armored legs of the guard escorting the next in line. Wide awake and immaculately dressed in a gray suit accented with violet piping the man seems the utmost gentleman and scholar until one's eyes fall upon the few out of place items arrayed about his body. The massive greatsword is perhaps the first and only thing anyone will notice upon him. The blade is masterfully crafted but the steel seems to subtly shift as it tries to reach out to those around. The fuller is not a singular groove but a track etched into the blade and filled with alternate eldritch materials and given extreme weight were it not powered by some arcane force that makes the heft almost perfect for the magitech scion. Almost imperceptible at first, the violet piping on his suit actually seems to convey mystical energies, and despite looking quite snappy almost assuredly could turn away the strongest blows. At the end of each arm rests a pair of cuff links that almost glow in the relative darkness of the University at midnight. And, by gods, he's actually got a monocle half stuffed in a pocket on his breast.

He glances to the others and for a moment his own eyes glimmer with violet light that fades as quickly as it had come. As yet he's nothing to say, not at least until they've been brought before the Astrologer or one of the others deigns to address the gearfreak directly.

[The Antigamer]

The blindfolded man, though he has given no notification of knowing others are near him, stops laughing, and frowns while he walks.

"The voice," he says to the air in a low, quiet speech that feels strangely foreign. "The voice has called in the sea adrift, but not in the mind before. Wheels turn, pages turn, minds turn, it's the shade's turn to play."

[Ankhman]

Alazya gathered her belongins and marched down the corridor to the summons. She was curious about the reason behind and couldn't think of any probable reason. Just in case she'd activated her passive invocations.
Her cloak covered that she's clad in full battle gear, only her backpack and traveling stuff remained in her room. The only visible items were her longbow and her quiver over her cloak.
Reaching the meeting, she remained silent in the background and took in the other participants, trying to sort them into categories.

[un_known]

The guards soon gather you all into a large oval room at the base of a spiralling staircase. You know it well, as it was the place you were offered the choice to serve here. Atop the staircase would also be the greatest feat of the University, the Serinox Tower; which is a tower that hovers above the complex; freely floating between the Arcane Observatory and this point. Only two entrances to the tower existed and each were teleportation circles that could only be activated at certain times, now was one such time.

The guards motion for you to enter and you all obey, grudgingly or of your own accord. Though you do not like it you are forced to fall into two lines shoulder to shoulder. Alazya finds herself standing beside Zulfiqar with nowhere to go but up, as does Jacob find himself next to the tall cloaked man, Kiltre. Almost as soon as you enter the staircase the guards begin to hang back, soon they are out of sight. But the sound of stone closing in behind you tells you there is no escape.

OOC

Anyone who hasn’t posted, you are with the group just silent, you can talk whenever you want to.
Anyone who is here should talk and walk. I want you guys to establish your personalities and get to know each other, sort-of...

[The Antigamer]

His hands twitching, Zulfiqar continues to mutter to himself as they walk.
"The pieces are placed...is the Astrologer the bishop, or a player? ...his eyes are the sun and the moon...fire of darkness...is the chalice come?"

[Ankhman]

Alazya shifts uncomfortably beside the muttering blindfolded man and watches him sceptical now and again from the corner of her eyes. To his muttering she says nothing as it makes no sense to her.
Better say nothing as to make a fool out of myself .. i have to know more about those before everything else she thinks and remains silent.
Nevertheless she starts walking forwards, but activates her fell flight after some seconds .. it gives a slight feeling of security. She just floats a few inches above the ground but does not increase her speed. As they approach the circles she takes a quick look back to the crunshing sound of stone.

[Ankhman]

While looking for the noise, Alazya shot a furtive look at the other two. Strange fellows indeed, but the world was no bowl of cherries.
"So .. eh .. does anyone of you know, what's this all about .. especially at this nighttime?"

[The Antigamer]

Zulfiqar's head turns sideways in two directions at once, so as he turns to look at Alazya, his head tilts to almost ninety degrees. She knows he can't see her, but somehow that doesn't help. He opens his mouth...

"Alazya Azaron," he intones.
"Child of the church, the Luminous Circle was all, is all, and will be none. Tainted-battler, light-wielder, the knowledge bringer. O solver of puzzles, your curiosity will get the better of you."

[Ankhman]

Slightly taken aback by this strange answer, Alazya quickly recovers and looks now directly into the face of the man to her left and replies with a cocked eyebrow ..
"Sorry, i didn't catch thy name as it seems that I have introduced myself already. And we'll see about that "get the better of me" in time."
And with a slight bow she continuies: "So do thee know a bit more about all that? I was hired to do a job here, but still no hints towards some lightshedding info."

[The Antigamer]

An almost-smile quirks at the corner of Zulfiqar's mouth.
"You were not hired, you were placed. We are all pieces, though some strive to be players. In time is what I meant for your curiousity; you shall be the cat, but the hole holds not a mouse, only bigger holes."
He straightens his head, blindfolded face still pointed at the woman. Their steps on the stairs sound somehow muffled, and the torches lighting their path throw more shadows than they should, especially about the man.
"I am Zulfiqar the madman. And we are the instigators of days."
His face turns back to look where they are going...if such a verb can be used.

[Ankhman]

Still more hovering then walking, Alazya looks back to where they're going. Frowning, she talks to noone directly, but it's obvious that they're meant for Zulfiqar.
"Seeing as our other pieces are still quiet comfortable with the situation, then i'll ask thee. What are we supposed to play, which moves to do and who's the player?"
Her eyes are flashing in a warm light for a moment and she's looking around her, scanning surroundings and the other people more

to un_known

activating the invocation "See the Unseen" (darkvision 60 ft and "See Invisibility")
and doing a spot-check
[roll0]

[un_known]

Cinematic Cutscene!

Cutscene Music: The Lesser of Two Evils (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfU147-WSx0)


Cutscene One: The Meaning of Betrayal


The hallway was dark and covered in grime. He’d been here many times before covering multiple business propositions from the darker side of humanity. He’d recently smuggled in eighteen tainted ones into the town sewer, they were gathering for something is what he had gleaned and it couldn’t be good. But that didn’t matter they paid him well. Not well enough that he hadn’t tipped off the guards about this little place but still well enough that the guards wouldn’t attack it until he was far gone.

Two bleak cloaked guards stood at the great wooden door at the end of the hallway and they didn’t move as he approached. Malchen pushed the door open to see a blazing hearth at the other end, this was very unusual. A large cushioned chair sat facing it and he could briefly make out the look of the old man who had paid him on numerous occasions for his ‘jobs’.

“So good of you to join me this early in the morning Malchen,” the old man crooned as a seedy looking weasel faced criminal entered the darkly lit room.

“Anything for you my lord,” the slippery criminal replied.

“So good of you to say that,” the old man said with a cough, “but we both know that a lie.”

“I don’t know what you mean?”

“Yes you do Malchen,” the old man said standing upright from his chair and turning around.

The old man’s pale skin was white as chalk and long scars ran down his cheeks. His hair was white like snow and yet his eyes burned with ambition and malice. Malchen had need seen the man’s face before and was quite taken aback by him.

“I have done nothing at all,” Malchen covered as his mind raced. How could they have known he’d sold them out to the guards?

“Melissa, come here darling. I want you to show this one what it means to cross me,” the old man coughed again as he sat down near the fire.

Malchen turned just in time to see Melissa walking towards him seductively. She paused for a second as she began to walk about him her hand trailing along his chest. She stopped in front of him and kissed slightly. Malchen was in heaven it seemed and then he saw it in her eyes. And screamed as the back of his head exploded; a tentacle driven straight through his skull and that tentacle was her tongue.

Malchen’s body slumped to the ground. As Melissa walked away but she stopped when the old man spoke, “Tell the captain of the guards that if he so much as moves his family will die. And nothing he can do with stop it. And if you deem it needed you can also tell him that this sort of a gift because we at least will keep them alive, though a rather shaded gift that is.”

The old man chuckled to himself and looked in to the flame....




OOC:
I will randomly do cutscenes from time to time this one is to teach you guys what is happening. You as your characters do not know what has transpired but usually it will be in conjunction with future events concering your characters.

[The Antigamer]

There's a definite smile on Zulfiqar's face now. He shakes his head.
"You hear, but you do not listen. You listen, but you do not see. We pieces travel to one who would be a player. Others plan our moves. The only true players I have known are the Father, and the Voice. The Light could be a player, but is never present. The world is darkness is flames is ashes is dust."
He begins trailing off in mumbles, smile gone.
"is dirt is bone is marrow is red is blood. Pieces and pieces. Where are the pieces?!? They fit, somehow, the Voice knows, oh, it knows, it knows me now, knows I know, know too much."

[un_known]

Strange whispers fill the hallway as the group continues up the stairs.

“kush kusenu su mo chatasa sikju nadse asku jnifra sikla mjerdunsi...”

They scratch at the back of your mind as they seem to reach down into your soul.

Anti Only

To you the whispers sound very different.
“One man dies to break the blood,
he would reprise and bring a flood.
But he knew not what would unfold;
find the truth if you are bold.
Come to me when you are done
And then –" the rhyming happy voice cracks into a thousand facets of sound screaming unintelligibly

[Tacitus]

Jacob

The magitech scion chuckles to himself as Alazya glances back with eyes glowing and for the briefest moment his eyes meet hers. The radiance of her eyes is reflected in his own and in that instant it is clear that his eyes are under a very similar effect. However, whatever the source of her power his own is quite different, derived from eldritch science and his own unknown inner power. Nothing about him is invisible by any means, at least at the moment, but with a more involved study of his gear she would surely pick out a good many articles that reproduce common magical effects.

At the whispers that filter down among them the scion narrows his eyes and glances around as best he can. His blade flickers with a magical charge with an odd similarity to sparks dancing from his fingertips.

Ankhman:
As I'm assuming you've got Warlock bits, you can probably notice that he's also got some version of Fell Flight and See the Unseen active, and several other objects he carries duplicate magical effects in the same manner. Fluffed as magitech creations but mechanically they are similar to invocations. Shield, Energy Abjuration (Fire 20), Revealing Sight (See Invis/Ethereal), Mage's Flight, Combat Transformation (+2Str/Dex/Con)

[The Antigamer]

Zulfiqar cries out, falls to his knees, and clutches his hair with his hands. He seems to flicker in and out of view vanishing and re-appearing from shadows. As the whispers die away, he stands, solid once more, and resumes walking as if nothing had happened.

[Ankhman]

Alarmed, Alazya stares at the kneeling man before her, unsure what to do with this situation.
Gripping her heavy mace under her cloak, she watches him rising again and acting as if nothing has happened. Drifting a bit behind, she approaches the man in magitech armor and musters him.
"Alazya Azaron, pleased to meet. Can thee shed a little light on this situation?"

[Tacitus]

Jacob

In the cramped passage the man has to slow to let Kiltre walk onwards in order to not trample over Alazya as she tries to move back and walk beside him. He takes a sidelong glance at her before his eyes set back upon the corridor ahead, and Zulfiqar. He chuckles, "You ask me for insight when we have such a prophet among us? The blindfold is a bit much, in my opinion, but his madness rings true, I'd say. Riker, my name that is, or Jacob if you prefer. I'd once considered an addendum of Gentleman Adventurer, but that time is long since past."

[Ankhman]

Alazya shots a questioning look at him. :smallconfused:
"Thee can understand the deeper meaning of his speech? Sure, there seems to be some depth in it, but right now .. no idea."