[Nexus] The Darkness

[GrandDM]

What is the Darkness?
The Darkness is the realm of shadow. All shadows are connected, and that connection is the Darkness. Thus, all shadows are doors to the Darkness. You just have to know how to open them. A good metaphor is a coin - life is heads, death is tails, and the Darkness is the edge of the coin, linked to both but part of neither.

Who lives there?
Shadow is the only being that inhabits the Darkness. When alone (which is nearly all the time) he allows his form to dissipate, and mingles freely with the shadow-stuff that makes up the quasi-plane, but when he has guests he tends to create a semblance of a room, so that they don't have to look at the infinity of blackness surrounding them.

Why would I want to go there?
The Darkness is a sanctuary - almost no-one knows how to get there, and of those who do, only a tiny amount have the skill to open a shadow-door. Most access attempts are blocked by Shadow, but he will occasionally invite someone in.

In the Darkness, you can't die, ageing ceases and you heal at an astounding rate. Distance is distorted, so you can cover long journeys in the space of a few minutes. In addition, a weapon forged using the shadow-stuff of the Darkness will have magical properties far exceeding anything on the living planes.

How do I get there?
Due to the nature of the Darkness, the only real way to know of its existence is to be told of it by Shadow, or by someone who already knows. If you want to open a shadow-door, you will probably have to find a great mage or scholar, and even then Shadow might choose to block the door. If he does let you through, that can be even worse than blocking you, as leaving the Darkness is infinitely more difficult than entering it - so much so that only Shadow has the knowledge of how to do so, and he often leaves intruders to wander the infinite void for several weeks, months or years as a punishment.

If you are invited, it's a very different story. Shadow will occasionally take an interest in the living world, and sometimes invites a person to the Darkness. He will give them a clue or two, and if they succeed he will welcome them to his realm and (as mentioned above) will create a semblance of a room for them. If they fail to enter, however, they will never see him again.

[Recaiden]

Anchor steps in, and settles in an armchair. It's good to have objects that are relatively solid. She only stays there for a few moments though, before she goes to look at the images shaped onto the walls. Waits a bit for Shadow to return.

[GrandDM]

Shadow steps back through the wall (this is out of sync with other threads, but that's OK because the Darkness' time doesn't run with the real world's). He walks across and sits in a second chair.

So. How did you end up... ghostly? If you'll forgive me asking.

He thinks for a second. Oh, I should mention, I've invited a... counterpart... of mine here too. That's why there's a third chair. (More accurately, I will invite the counterpart, but again, I can do this because of the out-of-sync time)

He sits for a second more. You seem interested in the pictures. They're some of my favourite views. That one - he points to a scene of a beautiful city, spires of towering crystal sparkling in the sun - is the most advanced city in all the universes. I went there once, and I brought back... this.

He holds out a hand. Sitting in it is a ring, set into which is a shard of the crystal that the city in the picture is composed of.

This is what they call a Ghost Ring. It allows any wearer to shift between incorporeal and corporeal, physical and ghostly, at will, without any effort. It also has a few other functions... but they are unique to the wearer. When you put it on, it will bond to you. Consider it a gift. I have no use for it.

[Recaiden]

((The Nexus's time doesn't work like other worlds' either. Like the scene in Trog's that takes place both before and after Marty's deal with Calublufiok. :smallconfused:))

"It's an odd story. I haven't actually died." Anchor smiles. "Oh, another guest is fine with me."

"A long time ago, all of my ancestors were fully alive like anyone. But one branch, they were enslaved by a group of ancient ghostly beings, and brought into the realm of spirits. Over time they lost their connection to the real world. Even when they broke free centuries later, they couldn't get it back; they were part of the land of the dead."

"These are only distant ancestors. Most of my family tree is fully human."
Anchor looks a bit confused thinking through the next part. She's pretty sure that her mother has no family, and just Was.
"But I was taken by them when I was very young, and brought to the spirit world. It changed me. By the time mom and dad got me back, I belonged there, and not down here."

Anchor nods, and turns to look where Shadow does. "I've always loved how cities look. Reminds you just how much people can accomplish." Then her eyes fall to the ring, and she listens closely.
"Really? You understand how much that would mean? Oh, but I bet you can already do that yourself, right? I-wow. Thank you, thank you!" She tries to be calm, but this is more exciting by far than when she 'found' her sunglasses (the first thing she encountered that ghosts could touch), and she eagerly reaches to take the ring and put it on.

[GrandDM]

...her eyes fall to the ring, and she listens closely.
"Really? You understand how much that would mean? Oh, but I bet you can already do that yourself, right? I-wow. Thank you, thank you!" She tries to be calm, but this is more exciting by far than when she 'found' her sunglasses (the first thing she encountered that ghosts could touch), and she eagerly reaches to take the ring and put it on.

As the ring settles on her finger, the shard of crystal begins to glow green. It throbs gently, sending out little pulses of light. The throbbing increases slowly, until the ring seems to be vibrating constantly. Suddenly, a tremendous wave of power sweeps through Anchor's body, very probably knocking her over. The ring quietens.

"Well, the ring has attuned itself to you. Its main power is now yours to use, and the secondaries will manifest over time. I can't tell you what they'll be, because each Ring has unique powers depending on it and its owner."

((You have permission to choose the powers for the Ghost Ring, but it shouldn't have more than three medium-strength powers. Stronger powers cost more, weaker powers less, so you could have one strong and one medium, two weak and two medium, one overwhelming and so on.))

[Recaiden]

Anchor settles the ring onto her left hand, ring finger, and watches. Her hand begins to fade in and out of solidity with the pulses of the ring, then her arm, then more and more of her, until finally, with the last wave of power it encompasses all of her. Anchor finds herself very quickly on the floor of the 'room', looking around confusedly, and getting back to her feet. Being solid at the time, it doesn't go smoothly. But with a couple of tries, she manages it.

"Thank you."

Looking down at the ring, she changes her state a few times, before settling as a solid being, and trying to get used to it.

"Everything's so heavy and fast..." She is incredibly clumsy being solid.

((Understood. I think the secondary powers will have to do with her time-scale differences and the transformation abilities she learned earlier.
You know, you don't need to have bare links in your signature, and since we can't copy/paste the full things, the below might work better..))


My Nexus character, Shadow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15115525&postcount=827)

Shadow's Backstory (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15132544&postcount=259) and home plane, the Darkness (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=15121861#post15121861)

My other Nexus character, Rage (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15131334&postcount=831)

[GrandDM]

"Everything's so heavy and fast..." She is incredibly clumsy being solid.



"Don't worry. You get used to it. I was always falling over the first time I left the Darkness, and let me tell you it's much more embarrassing when people believe you're a god... but that's irrelevant. Anyway, it's much easier to get used to it if you remain solid as much as possible."

Shadow gets up and walks over to one of the walls. He looks at it for a moment, then turns away, shaking his head. If you examine the point he was looking at, you'll notice a picture of a man in beautiful robes, preaching to a crowd. On his chest is a pendant made of some strange ebony metal, shaped like a stylized archway or door. Around the man's head is a strange halo, of darkness instead of light.

[Recaiden]

Anchor nods (ends up cracking her chin against her collar and dropping her sunglasses, scramble to pick them back up).
"Yes, I'm sure it is. I hope it's soon that I get used to it."

When she arranges to stand up again, she goes over to look where Shadow had been. "Who is he?" The aura of darkness around him looks really neat, although the pendant (very detailed, this image) is a little creepy. And imagine being able to command so much attention!

[GrandDM]

"Who is he?"

"You mean was, not is. He crumbled to dust billions upon billions of years ago. You remember I mentioned that people believed I was a god? Well, he was High Priest. I didn't think I should tell them that I wasn't a god - although I might have had the power of one, I was not, and knowing it would have broken them and endangered me to their wrath - so I went along with it. I gave him that amulet; it contained a small portion of my essence. He was able to use it to help him cast great spells, and occasionally summon me up. He was the greatest speaker I've ever seen... there was a war, and he went right up to the front line and converted half of the enemy. Of course, the gods got wind of this, and do you know what they did? They wiped them out. No-one left. And then they locked me away in the Darkness. Sealed it up. So I went back to watching... and I watched them most of all. I learnt all about them, and one day I broke their pathetic seals and taught them a lesson they never forgot... I forgave them.

I went round to each of them and told them personally that I held no grudge. And do you know what? It broke them. They were so warlike, they couldn't comprehend the idea that someone wouldn't want revenge. They were so shocked that they forgot to intervene in the world of mortals, and the mortals lost their faith. And when a god has no followers, he is no longer a god. They shrivelled up and died, and I was left alone. I watched the world of mortals, and I watched until they too died, and everything was dead and cold.

So I left. I summoned up all my powers and opened a hole in the fabric of reality. It shattered me... made me what I am now. What sits before you is but the tiniest fraction of my whole essence... most of it is still in that dead universe, locked away, but two other pieces came through. I am the intellect and wisdom, which is why I can think, but the other two are inert. Good and Evil - the shade in the desert granting relief, and the shadow hiding an assassin, to name but two examples. I believe that one fragment entered the necklace worn by the High Priest - I remember seeing it fly past me as I fell into this world. As to the other, I do not know what happened to it, but if I could find both I might be able to reunite myself... I would be whole again... and speaking of that, I do believe I've located a part! I must go; I am sorry. I will return soon.

Shadow waves a hand and opens a portal, which he dives through. It closes after him.

[Recaiden]

"The gods of your realm were very focused things, then? How sad. In my experience they are much more...human than that. They can learn. But those were a separate type of being, and monsters beside." Anchor decides not to mention that she is the child of a god.

"I wouldn't be so quick to change, even if it was a part of yourself, it might not be any more. But if you are sure, good luck in retrieving it."

Anchor takes the time to look over the pictures. It's good practice at moving around.

[GrandDM]

Shadow appears from one of the walls. He hurries past the chairs, opening a hole in the opposite wall from the one he entered, hurrying out of it. He is carrying a large sword, which he casts out into the infinite void of the Darkness.

"Success! I am halfway. I should warn you not to go looking for that blade; it contains the evil of me, and will corrupt he who touches it.

After sealing the hole, he sits back in one of the armchairs, relaxing for a moment, before standing up again.

"It seems that I will have no peace yet. My other guest has declined to come, and so I must go instead to her. I will open you a portal back to the inn; I fear I will be some time."

Shadow waves a hand, opening a portal back to the Dancing Fox, before disappearing again.

[Recaiden]

"He, like yourself? I think someone will find it, whichever way."

Anchor turns away from the pictures, and walks back through the portal, looking down at the ring on a splayed hand. Shadow is a very strange person. Always trying to order everything a certain way.

"Good luck with your unappearing 'guest'. But I will see you in later days."

[GrandDM]

"He, like yourself? I think someone will find it, whichever way."

Anchor turns away from the pictures, and walks back through the portal, looking down at the ring on a splayed hand. Shadow is a very strange person. Always trying to order everything a certain way.

"Good luck with your unappearing 'guest'. But I will see you in later days."

"Not just me, though I am especially susceptible to the effect. Anyone. And I think I will see you sooner than you might expect, although it may be longer for me than you..."

((Of course Shadow is strange - he's torn between two worlds, mortal and immortal; he's been alone for uncountable numbers of years, and he cannot abandon the other parts of his essence, but he doesn't know if he wants to recombine with them either. He's confused, unsure and trapped between humanity and his own nature. As to ordering things a certain way, I hadn't noticed that. He's simply trying to do the best he can while avoiding harm to other people.))