Reincarnation wars.

[DoctorFaust]

"Yes, I'm sure," Daniel drawls. "But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check the apparatus up there again. Not that I don't trust you or anything, but the powers have displayed an unsettling ability to be exactly where we don't want them to be at just the right time."

Again, he braces momentarily, and then hurdles up into the air, landing lightly on the platform.

[ArlEammon]

"Well, whatever the Hell we're doing, I want to do it so we can get this shin-dig over with. I'm tired of just standing around, throwing up, and walking through a surrealist's drug induced night visions."

[D20ragon]

"Yes. . . let me think a second." Jake thought for a moment, digging it out of his memory. He then relates her appearance to the rest of them (Just posting it this way because I don't think I got a description of her the last time I saw her in the searching spell).

The Pain you saw is hard to describe, and even thinking of the image of her sends a sudden migraine lancing through your skull.
She appeared as a withered crone, tears pouring from a single eye, blood from the other empty socket, knives, screws and implements of torture grafted and impaled on every inch of her body.
Her naked skin was almost blue with countless tatoos, hateful and cruel letters written on every inch of her: lovers last words, death threats, more suicide notes then you'd care to count.
Yet despite all this, her toothless mouth was cheerful, a frothing mug of beer in one hand, prancing about on ruined feet.


"Well, we were up there just a few seconds ago, and it seemed deserted. Besides, we're in a colloseum: I think the idea is to have a crowd to witness the execution. Does that sound right, Revel?" He pauses for a moment, in thought. "You know, we need a better way to address you. To specify whether we mean you, or the part of Revel that intends to kill Pain. Is there a name you would prefer?"

22 is fine,
Revel says, demurely.
It's my perceived age. That's how I tell myself apart, at least. The others don't know I do that.


"Maybe some of them actually bother to ear clothing?" Jake quipped.

Oh yes. The older ones wear the most brilliant gowns. They don't go for all the debauchery and such.


"Well, each clearly has differing opinions. Each may be but an aspect of an overall personality, but that's individual enough for me. Besides, when each has separate agency, it makes talking about them easier on the vernacular. I mean, just look at me now!" He gestures towards Revel. "Talking about Revel as if she isn't here, because I have no way to address her in particular. I must seem rather rude."

Just a little, she replies, pinching her fingers together.


"So, this Revel here," Travis gestures to her. "You're separate and have different motivations from the Revel trying to kill Pain?"

Yes, I suppose so. I don't really see what all the fuss is about: I don't like pain myself. Who does? But I've never even met her, and it seems wrong to hate someone you don't know, don't you think?
And I don't like Hate, either. He's petty.


"Yes, I'm sure," Daniel drawls. "But if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check the apparatus up there again. Not that I don't trust you or anything, but the powers have displayed an unsettling ability to be exactly where we don't want them to be at just the right time."

Again, he braces momentarily, and then hurdles up into the air, landing lightly on the platform.

Nothing has changed, save a few more people have been seated in the coliseum. A scattering of then cheer at your mighty leap, then go back to fornicating, drinking, and eating popcorn.
A few of the machines eyes swivel at you, interestedly, but deem you no threat.


"Well, whatever the Hell we're doing, I want to do it so we can get this shin-dig over with. I'm tired of just standing around, throwing up, and walking through a surrealist's drug induced night visions."

No, I don't do drugs. That's more of 9's forte. It's unsettling seeing a child that high.
She shudders, and sticks her tongue out in disgust.

[Sen isSaqqara]

"Alright, that makes sense. I suppose any given Power must embody multiple different conflicting definitions of themselves. I wonder why you chose age to split yourself by? I know plenty of people of the same age with very different ideas of revel. Perhaps it has something to do with mental age... Regardless! It is good to be able to call you by name, 22. Now I suppose we should probably get to work. Care to tell us how all this mess came about?" Rob summons a small standing table for their drinks. Gesturing to it with his wine glass, he asks 22: "Will this do? I'm trying to stay with the party atmosphere. Or might perhaps a beer-pong table be more appropriate?"

[DoctorFaust]

Seeing nothing new on the platform, Daniel kicks a scrap of wood over the edge, watching it fall to the ground far below. "Well, piss," he says to himself. He takes a few quick hops around the perimeter of the platform and then leaps off, landing besides Rob and Travis with enough force to crack the ground.

"You ever get her to give you a name?" he asks. "Classy table, by the way."

[D20ragon]

"Alright, that makes sense. I suppose any given Power must embody multiple different conflicting definitions of themselves. I wonder why you chose age to split yourself by? I know plenty of people of the same age with very different ideas of revel. Perhaps it has something to do with mental age... Regardless! It is good to be able to call you by name, 22. Now I suppose we should probably get to work. Care to tell us how all this mess came about?" Rob summons a small standing table for their drinks. Gesturing to it with his wine glass, he asks 22: "Will this do? I'm trying to stay with the party atmosphere. Or might perhaps a beer-pong table be more appropriate?"

Wine pong, then?
Revel asks, a table covered with tiny shot sized wine glasses full of some dark liquid fading into view.
She looks up as Daniel lands.
See anything up there?


Seeing nothing new on the platform, Daniel kicks a scrap of wood over the edge, watching it fall to the ground far below. "Well, piss," he says to himself. He takes a few quick hops around the perimeter of the platform and then leaps off, landing besides Rob and Travis with enough force to crack the ground.

"You ever get her to give you a name?" he asks. "Classy table, by the way."

22, pleased to make your acquaintance.

She shrugs at the comment about the table.
I know, right? Wine pong. Care for a round?

[DoctorFaust]

"Pleased to meet you as well. I'm Daniel, in case you didn't know, and I really hope I don't end up killing you, 22. And no, nothing new was up there. All this damn waiting around is really starting to piss me off." He throws himself into a seated position, using the force to keep him suspended in midair. "22, do you know when the Revel that wants to kill Pain will make her appearance?"

Death, I might have asked you this already, and I'm sorry if I have, but can you sense impending deaths?

[D20ragon]

"Pleased to meet you as well. I'm Daniel, in case you didn't know, and I really hope I don't end up killing you, 22. And no, nothing new was up there. All this damn waiting around is really starting to piss me off." He throws himself into a seated position, using the force to keep him suspended in midair. "22, do you know when the Revel that wants to kill Pain will make her appearance?"

Death, I might have asked you this already, and I'm sorry if I have, but can you sense impending deaths?

I look forward to a continued life as well, thanks.
And no, I'm not certain. Last I heard Pain was having the time of her life in some reality bordering this one. You know. For security. The nasty adventures can't mess with the plan if they're off in another reality, can they? That's just a rumor, though likely a true one.
Can any of you dimension hop?

A bit. Maybe, I don't know. Are you all right? I'm getting worried, and Lollipop's shrinking a bit.

[ArlEammon]

I look forward to a continued life as well, thanks.
And no, I'm not certain. Last I heard Pain was having the time of her life in some reality bordering this one. You know. For security. The nasty adventures can't mess with the plan if they're off in another reality, can they? That's just a rumor, though likely a true one.
Can any of you dimension hop?

A bit. Maybe, I don't know. Are you all right? I'm getting worried, and Lollipop's shrinking a bit.

"Hey I can. . . I know I can do that for certain. Maybe I can escape Satan in this dimension if we can find Pain."

[DoctorFaust]

"Wait, what? Satan's coming after you? Scheisse. Was that why I had the vision of the blood all over you? And I can't hop dimensions, so I might have to serve as a rear guard in this reality."

No, no, I'm fine. It's just that one of the Powers is set to be killed by Revel, and I was hoping you might be able to help us find her. I'll try to be back as soon as I can, help see whats going on with the Lollipop.

[ArlEammon]

"Alright. . . well, I'll use my Orochi based power and try to plane shift us all there. I'm not sure if I can do this but Orochi himself could teleport entire armies of people, large armies, of his soldiers to other dimensions, so I'm going to try and get the team together and find her."

Orochi breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally, I get to do something."

Without a word, Orochi slammed the hard earth beneath him on the cobble stone streets, leaving a small crater in the ground. The group was transported at the precise location of Lady Pain.

[D20ragon]

Or would have been, had not a various number of undesirable circumstances happened that very moment.

Somewhere, halfway across the Omniverse, a perfect replica of someone we had quite forgot about whispers "Now" to the aforementioned personage.
A great deal closer to our heroes, a different voice said the same thing to Revel numbers 7, 13, 28 and 30-40.
Three of them nodded, and gently encouraged the drunken Pain into the reality that the protagonists had just left.
Specifically, they encouraged Pain into a armchair which sat in the middle of an extremely chaotic arena.
In the shadows, several people waited eagerly.
And Time marched steadily forward to the moment of her own inevitable demise.

Of course, none of the heroes knew this.
All they knew is that whether they liked it or not, they had felt a weight that began in their head and slammed down into their feet with the weight of several tons.
The ground beneath them cracked, and they looked around, taking in the wonderful vista of... Exactly where they were before?
The same multicolored party goers spun around them, the same fireworks blossomed from the beams and struts that crisscrosses the tent.
The same smell of popcorn and ecstasy and sweat and blood coats your skin like greasy lotion.
The same people shove past you, steal a dance step, cop a feel.

[DoctorFaust]

Daniel sways where he stands, gradually shaking off the feeling of enormous pressure bearing down on him. "Goddamn. Like, seriously goddamn. Jacob, what the hell did you just do? We didn't go anywhere!" A blush blossoms across his face, and he reaches out to quickly slap away a hand groping him. "You said you were going to take us to the dimension that Pain is in, and I don't see her anywhere."

[3SecondCultist]

Alexander takes a breath. On its own, it is hardly significant. The lungs absorb oxygen, in order to pump blood from the heart to the rest of the human body. Most people do it tens of thousands of times per day without even keeping track. And what's more, after all of this power he no longer needs to breathe. But the design of the thing keeps him grounded in himself. Whatever he is, whatever he has become, he will always remember humanity. Even so, part of his mind is elsewhere, as he hears the stirrings of familiar voices from very far away. They are a song, written across time.

"Now."

The Power suddenly surges through him, as he recognizes Knowledge for the first time. A clone of himself, down to the last fiber of hair and stitch of clothing. As soon as he sees it, he knows that it will match his shapeshifting powers, and contains at least as much insight into the workings of the universe as he does. He is also acutely aware of Slaughter and Betrayal at his back. Will Knowledge make clones of them as well? Or are the Powers distinct? And how will they interact? Betrayal said that he was at odds with Knowledge. But if there is a Power than can answer all of his questions, this is it. And so Alexander focuses his attention on the figure of himself.

"Knowledge." It is a pronouncement, a statement of fact. "I have a proposition for you."

[ArlEammon]

"Orochi says that we may have actually gone somewhere, this is planar shifting, but we didn't have to have changed location as far as our surroundings indicate. In other words, it could be like that old TV show Sliders, where you could go to multiple Earths, where it's the same planet but a different dimension. Orochi has done this before, so I trust him."

[Sen isSaqqara]

Rob continues to sip his drink, splitting off a few shadows to deal with the gropers. He tries to maintain the very picture of a contented, somewhat amused party-goer. In his mind, though, he's rather busy.

Gods thrice damned, that's annoying. Still, nothing I can't deal with. Nothing we can't deal with. Lain?
Yes?
Can we still make contact with the shadows in the Colosseum where we left?
No matter where you are, we're all connected. A slight smile spreads across her usually passive face.
Ha! Alright, then. Let's swap the main room over to that one, then.
There is a slight shift, and the screens in Rob's mind-room switch over to showing the Colosseum arena, complete now with Pain in a chair.
Looks like we've got work to do! Eva, what'd'ya think?
Hmn. Shield Pain, then move the chair over here in case something we can't block is pointed at it. Then an illusion to make it seem as though it's still there, and to cover up its presence here.
Sounds good. Time is of the essence! Harry, you're on point here with Eva. You've got the faster magic, so take over if the body's in danger. Once it's secure, Eva will take over with the artillery. Elodin, you're coming with me. We're going to go for a little trip to Pain's mind.
Sounds good. I'm right behind you.
I think I can do that. I don't have any of my focuses, though.
Eva's got a tone of raw magical power. See if you can put that to use to make up for it. With that, Rob takes his leave, stepping through a door hovering in midair with Elodin following close behind.

In the shadows of an arena doorway, Rob begins weaving the three spells, his voice Eva's and his eyes violet.

Back in the void of his outer mindspace, Rob pokes around, looking for a door to Pain's mind.
Alright, we'll be looking for an mental avatar like War and Greed have been using. Pain looked a bit drunk, but I'll see what I can do about recruitment. You're going to use Harry's Sight to look at Pain. A less than desirable task, I know, but if you can gain complete understanding of what Pain is, then maybe you can Name it if we mess up and the execution goes through. Try using the Mind of Stone, perhaps you can separate the mind that observes Pain in full from the one that operates your avatar and your consciousness.
You want me to... you want me to look on the true form of Pain itself, and try to understand it? Elodin sighs, shakes his head, and takes a deep breath. Fine. Just give me a second... He shuts his eyes, and focuses. His form shudders as he splits off his mind into two. A new avatar splits briefly off from him, but then merges back. He opens his eyes again. Alright, I think I'm ready.
Good. Here it is. Rob grasps the handle of a door, bracing himself. Pain! We're coming in. We're here to help, if it's any consolation. He turns the handle, and opens the door.

[DoctorFaust]

"Alright. But if we're going to have to search for her, I'm going to be almost useless. Luck'll only take me so far, and though my senses are damn good, I can't actually sense anyone, not with Revan chained." Daniel tries to push forward through the crowd, but after a few seconds of struggling against the flow, gives up with a sigh of exasperation.

"Oh, to hell with it," he growls. "Just send me back to our reality. I'll take my amulet off, and hopefully you should be able to get into my head enough to monitor the situation."

[D20ragon]

Alexander takes a breath. On its own, it is hardly significant. The lungs absorb oxygen, in order to pump blood from the heart to the rest of the human body. Most people do it tens of thousands of times per day without even keeping track. And what's more, after all of this power he no longer needs to breathe. But the design of the thing keeps him grounded in himself. Whatever he is, whatever he has become, he will always remember humanity. Even so, part of his mind is elsewhere, as he hears the stirrings of familiar voices from very far away. They are a song, written across time.

"Now."

The Power suddenly surges through him, as he recognizes Knowledge for the first time. A clone of himself, down to the last fiber of hair and stitch of clothing. As soon as he sees it, he knows that it will match his shapeshifting powers, and contains at least as much insight into the workings of the universe as he does. He is also acutely aware of Slaughter and Betrayal at his back. Will Knowledge make clones of them as well? Or are the Powers distinct? And how will they interact? Betrayal said that he was at odds with Knowledge. But if there is a Power than can answer all of his questions, this is it. And so Alexander focuses his attention on the figure of himself.

"Knowledge." It is a pronouncement, a statement of fact. "I have a proposition for you."

"I know."
The words are simple, but seeing your own lips form them is unsettling beyond measure.
Knowledge steps forward, your feet crushing the ground beneath them.
"I'm pleased you've made my aquaintance."


Rob continues to sip his drink, splitting off a few shadows to deal with the gropers. He tries to maintain the very picture of a contented, somewhat amused party-goer. In his mind, though, he's rather busy.

Gods thrice damned, that's annoying. Still, nothing I can't deal with. Nothing we can't deal with. Lain?
Yes?
Can we still make contact with the shadows in the Colosseum where we left?
No matter where you are, we're all connected. A slight smile spreads across her usually passive face.
Ha! Alright, then. Let's swap the main room over to that one, then.
There is a slight shift, and the screens in Rob's mind-room switch over to showing the Colosseum arena, complete now with Pain in a chair.
Looks like we've got work to do! Eva, what'd'ya think?
Hmn. Shield Pain, then move the chair over here in case something we can't block is pointed at it. Then an illusion to make it seem as though it's still there, and to cover up its presence here.
Sounds good. Time is of the essence! Harry, you're on point here with Eva. You've got the faster magic, so take over if the body's in danger. Once it's secure, Eva will take over with the artillery. Elodin, you're coming with me. We're going to go for a little trip to Pain's mind.
Sounds good. I'm right behind you.
I think I can do that. I don't have any of my focuses, though.
Eva's got a tone of raw magical power. See if you can put that to use to make up for it. With that, Rob takes his leave, stepping through a door hovering in midair with Elodin following close behind.

In the shadows of an arena doorway, Rob begins weaving the three spells, his voice Eva's and his eyes violet.

Back in the void of his outer mindspace, Rob pokes around, looking for a door to Pain's mind.
Alright, we'll be looking for an mental avatar like War and Greed have been using. Pain looked a bit drunk, but I'll see what I can do about recruitment. You're going to use Harry's Sight to look at Pain. A less than desirable task, I know, but if you can gain complete understanding of what Pain is, then maybe you can Name it if we mess up and the execution goes through. Try using the Mind of Stone, perhaps you can separate the mind that observes Pain in full from the one that operates your avatar and your consciousness.
You want me to... you want me to look on the true form of Pain itself, and try to understand it? Elodin sighs, shakes his head, and takes a deep breath. Fine. Just give me a second... He shuts his eyes, and focuses. His form shudders as he splits off his mind into two. A new avatar splits briefly off from him, but then merges back. He opens his eyes again. Alright, I think I'm ready.
Good. Here it is. Rob grasps the handle of a door, bracing himself. Pain! We're coming in. We're here to help, if it's any consolation. He turns the handle, and opens the door.

You're not sure you want to. That's the first sensation. The anticipation is horrible, worse then any imagined pain.
Shaking, your hand rests on the doorknob. Your knees grow weak.
Really, this is a bad idea.
A very bad one. Now your stomach sinks like a ball of lead to somewhere in your shoes.
You really shouldn't do this...

[ArlEammon]

"Uh, am I going in there alone, looking for Pain? You might not have much use for a luck charm but I do." Jake stated succinctly. "We must not let ourselves be overcome with fear."

[DoctorFaust]

"It's not a luck charm. It's anti-magic. And yeah, yeah, I know. Fear is the mind-killer, I shall not fear, little death, blah blah blah. But like I said, if Pain isn't in our immediate area, I'm not going to be the best for finding her, since I'm limited to mundane senses, however good they might be. You, I'm pretty sure, are not."

[ArlEammon]

"Well whatever you decide. . . I guess. Are you sure you want to go back? I just want to do whatever I'm supposed to do and just get it over with."

[DoctorFaust]

"Yes, I'm sure. If Rob ever comes round from his trance, or whatever he's doing when he gets that faraway look on his face, tell him that I left my mind open a little, and that he has my permission to enter my mind to check on the situation." Daniel reaches up and scratches his head. "Least I think he has the power to view peoples minds across dimensions. If anyone of us was that powerful, my money would be on him, you, or James."

[ArlEammon]

"Well um. . . ahem. . . I guess that I'll do just that. I feel strange just waiting here though. . .' Oh well, Jake thought. He decided he didn't want to argue. "I don't want to argue, let's just go".

[DoctorFaust]

"Alright, cool. But you don't have to come back with me if you don't want to, you know. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

[ArlEammon]

"Alright. . . " Jake attempted to send him back. "Orochi says he is having trouble focusing on just one target. . . "

[DoctorFaust]

"Uh, alright then, I guess you aren't quite as powerful as I thought you were. Could you not just take all of us back, and then you and Rob back again?"

[ArlEammon]

"Uh, I can try. . . I don't know if I could pull off another such spell if I sent us both back though. It's your call, but I"d need to rest if I brought us both back."

[DoctorFaust]

"Uh, okay. I mean, if Pain isn't here, I guess you probably won't need to come back..."

[Sen isSaqqara]

Well that's a new thought. Rob detaches a partition of his mind, and sends it off to find whoever put such thoughts in his head. He's fairly sure it couldn't be him: not only has he been through enough pain to be dulled to the prospects of it, but he actually somewhat enjoys it. Such fear, such weakness, is not part of him. Feh... Bad idea, my a**.

[3SecondCultist]

"The pleasure is mine, believe me." Alexander smiles openly, with no agenda behind his gaze. There is no point trying to keep secrets from Knowledge. It already knows his plan. What comes next is simply a courtesy.

"I am currently on a quest of discovery. Namely, I am trying to uncover why it is that the Powers have become sentient as they have. I need to know. Slaughter has given me a patchwork account of what he remembers. I would ask you do grant me the same boon, and to help me find other Powers that can complete the tale. I believe that the very foundations of the omniverse are at risk, and that only through coming to understand how everything ties together will I be able to do anything about it. Despite what you may already know of me, of my character and the atrocities that I have committed, I enjoy living too much to simply let everything slide into oblivion." As he speaks, Alexander feels an idea begin to crystallize within him. It is a simple notion, and yet he cannot shake it from his mind.

If he can't fix everything, oblivion sounds like a perfectly fine alternative.