[Nexus] Inside 40

[Shadowcaller]

The Church of Stolen Things

"Fire!" Hekta repeats excitingly and claps her hands as the flames start to rise from the pile Elias made.

She just stands there a moment, the fire being reflected in her red eyes.

Then she turns to Elias, "Come, let's go and watch it outside."

[Slii Arhem]

The Chur- Oh God Why Fire!

Well, I guess Michalson is in for quite a show then. The two kids were quite right when they described the building as "About to fall apart" And from the papers the fire will quickly spread along the warped wood flooring towards the pews. Unless put out it will soon turn into quite the hearty blaze, and the people inside may have to vacate or it will quickly surround them.

It will only get worse if it reaches the walls, as the oil in the lamps may heat to its flash point and burst the thin glass it's contained in, adding to the merry blaze.

It's almost as if whoever designed this building Wanted it to burn.

As the smell of smoke reaches the back room behind the podium, Saint Fredrick stirs from his standing position. His body doesn't actually require anything as mundane as air, but every so often he happens to take a deep breath out of reflex. It usually relaxes him.

Not this time.

This time the scent of fresh ash and a sensation of heat against the sensitive lining of his nostrils is all he can feel, and he moves as quickly as he can to move aside the bar and get his key into the lock.

He'll probably be another few posts at it, but anyone with sensitive ears might be able to hear his struggles over the crackling of the flames.

[happyturtle]

The Church of Fire

Elias will stand and watch the flames, letting it feed the monster within. This is a good fire. This will keep the monster quiet for some time.

Reluctantly, he is roused by Hekta's words, and nods. He'd rather stay inside and watch, but it's spreading too fast. He heads for the exit, always keeping the flames in view.

His ears aren't particularly sensitive though.

[Morty]

[The Highly Flammable Church]

Michalson stares into the fire. Hm. Looks like the undead thing is trapped in a burning building. Great. Now to catch it as it flees the fiery trap... unless it burns to a crisp, saving him some work. The half-elf waits.

[Shadowcaller]

[Soon-to-be ruin of church]

Hekta's hearing is less superior then her seeing but she can still hear something within the church. It doesn't seem to concern her particularly much however, if there had been someone inside the church they missed she didn't want to concern Elias about it.

Nope, she goes to exit the building through the doors.

[Slii Arhem]

The Charge of the Flaming Church

As the thieving demon and the disturbed pyromaniac exit, Fredrick has finally had enough time to unjam the doors. He walks into the main room calmly, none of the distress he's feeling evident on his face.

His church is lost, he can see that, there is nothing he can do.

As he steps around the podium, his hand reaches down and comes back up with a censer. On his way between the pews, he takes hold of one of the few pages not completely consumed by flames and dips it into the censer's top hole, igniting the incense within.

And should no one confront him on his way out, he'll make it to the door of the church and simply stand in the archway.

"Have you come to plead?" He stands shadowed by the flickering flames at his back, and casts his question out into the darkness. Someone is out there, he can feel it, and he shall judge whether they are responsible for this heinous crime.

The scent of the incense is calming, opening, and makes people more likely to speak their mind and say the truth. But it is non-magical, the aroma alone is what fuels its effects.

[happyturtle]

The Church of the Flaming Church

Elias 's.

"I didn't know you were there! We thought it was empty!"

[Morty]

[The Charge of the Flaming Church]

Now's Michalson's time to strike. From his hiding place, he shadow-steps right behind the priest, using the shadows caused by the conflagration. If he manages to get close, he'll try to grab Frederick and channel the power of Lady Death, attempting to put him to rest... which in normal terms is killing him.

[Shadowcaller]

The Flaming Charge of the Churched Maniac

Hekta just stares in shock at the undead saint before she grabs Elias hand to turn them both invisible so they can escape the burning church.

[Slii Arhem]

The Church with No Name... Because it's on Fire.

Fredrick somehow senses Michalson's ill intent before he is touched, and sidesteps the first attack. As a side effect, he completely disregards the two arsonists and most likely lets them get away.

"If you have not come to plead, then why are you here?" his face is stoic but his posture is giving way to anger. Any possible fear for his life, confusion at his fate, or sadness at the fate of his congregation is turned to fueling his rage.

He shall treat this man as if he were a penitent come before his bench, and lay down brimstone at his feet and thorns upon his brow should he take one step further.

[Morty]

[The Church, the Church is on Fire]

I'm here to send you where you belong. Sorry, thought it was obvious, Michalson states as he flicks his wrists and causes a ring of black throrns emerge from the nearby shadows and surround him.

[happyturtle]

We didn't start the fire!

Elias is happy to turn and flee! Flee! Until he trips and falls, badly spraining an ankle. Ow!

[Reinholdt]

Spoiler

Show

I wish those wasps the best of luck.

With the Carniform dead, What opts to try to grab Isaac's arm. Oh Jegus, no. What, please...don't. I'm begging you, don't do this. You don't want to do this, What.


...Gods forgive me, I couldn't stop him. I couldn't talk him out of it.


Needless to say, Isaac is in serious trouble if What gets a hold of him. Isaac is going to be hefted right off the ground. Isaac is going to be pointed at Anya, as a strange buzzing goes about in What's head. Isaac is going to be reeled back, yanked a step or two away, and then thrown into the air. Isaac is going to be hammered with Mjolnir, hit from below with an underhand swing, and fired like a human torpedo right at Anya.

[Corner of Cirrus and Arkham]

Summoned, two of the three demon wasps will immediately attempt to burst out of the pumpkin and then angrily try to mutilate it with lance-like stingers. The third will try to burrow through the pumpkin-flesh down and into What's body underneath his suit. If he has one.

Isaac is grabbed! Oh no, he's going to get thrown! And he has no more tricks up his sleeve!

Except one! The two invisible imps finally get back from their scouting of the area, which took a suspiciously long time. They are reluctant to fight, but their standing orders involve protecting the magician so they must. Grizkrilf, a small disgusting mockery of a dragon, becomes visible and breaths a gout of hellfire at What. The small puff of green fire can burn the soul as well as all normal fire does, though I have no clue if the gourd-head has a soul to singe. The second imp, Gvirlir, appears looking like a six inch tall ugly green human with nubby wings and horns. It attempts to grab the arm What is using to pick up Isaac and hold him back with its small amount of strength.

If neither of these things stops What, Isaac will have that thing happen to him and go flying toward Anya with a lot of broken bones.


The sign bashes into the skeletal shark's face! Of course, the sign just falls apart when it hits all of the jagged teeth. Completely unfazed, the undead fish continues to charge after Anya, though it won't be able to catch her if she is fleeing at full speed.

[Corner of Cirrus and Arkham]

Anya is still fleeing the dead fish, going for a wide loop around. She doesn't really have any room to predict a flying Issac torpedo though. So while she doesn't get caught by the shark, she does get caught by the summoner in a full out slam, causing the both of them to go tumbling through the street. Issac might hear the shattering of glass when he hits and she doesn't really feel all that heavy.

While entangled with her foe, she can definitely sense the Object's presence now and makes a wild grab for one of the Objects Issac picked up off of Xifra. It's not a particularly well performed ninja assassin grab due to being dazed. Definitely just a wild grab.

[Shadowcaller]

[Through the Wheel of Fire]

Ops, Hekta loses her grip around Elias which should turn him visible once again.

"Come ooon... try to get up." She urges her friend, trying to stay a safe distance from the fight, unsure what to really do.

[happyturtle]

Come on baby, light my fire!

"I will. Just go!" Elias says. This isn't altruistic. He believes he can get himself out of trouble easier if it's just him. He struggles to his feet and limps painfully and slowly away from the fire.

[Slii Arhem]

I Fell Into a Burning Ring of Fire

"My will is stronger than your hate. I have too much left to do to simply fade away once more."

With a wave of his hand Fredrick's coruscating aura of light springs into being. From the edge of the glow a small wisp tears itself away and flies at Michalson's thorny darkness. Should it connect with him, he may feel a bitter cold seep into his limbs, possibly slowing him for the time being.

The saint also gets a taste of the two fleeing children's auras. One of the more distasteful abilities he possesses as an undead is that of sensing life, and although he seldom has cause to use it this time he takes advantage of it so that he can track them down at a later date.

Assuming he survives that is.

[Morty]

[I Don't Want to Set The World on Fire]

One of the thorns of Michalson's shield springs forward, connecting with the ball of light. It's disintegrated, but so is the ball.
The only thing left for you to do is rot, deader.
He mutters a spell, waving his right hand, which is missing its ring finger. Black thorns erupt around Frederick, seeking to wrap themselves around him.

[The Alexandrian]

[Red Zone - IoDAF]

Well, as soon as Trium manages to enter the vents, she might hear the telltale noise of a door being breached. Power-suited soldiers storm into the room through the wall of fire, completely undamaged by it if it burns with the same vigor as a mundane conflagration. Two of them open fire on the zombies with laser rifles while one of the shotgun security guards begins to pump the vent full of metal pellets! Be careful there, Trium!

And yes. Trium's attempt to catch Spec and drag her into the vents was successful, though it's clear that Spec doesn't like this plan one little bit.

[Shadowcaller]

[Through the Fire and Flames]

Hekta frowns but Elias but does what he says and runs away but will wait for him once she thinks the ghost person can't see her anymore.

[Lady Serpentine]

[Red Zone - IoDAF]

Once they're in the ducts, Trium lets Spec go, and... Moves so that her body blocks the vent? How odd.

Or maybe not, considering that most of the pellets are hanging harmlessly in the air, all of their kinetic energy, including that produced by their attempts to fall to the ground, being absorbed by the wards, and those that aren't are simply being absorbed by her augmentations.

The flame wall is indeed normal fire. Which Trium should probably fix at some point. But she wasn't expecting power suits.

The zombies are struck by lasers, and two of them are immediately killed. The third loses an arm, while the last one takes relatively minor injuries. These two begin to charge the newcomers.

[Slii Arhem]

Fire in the Disco, Fire in the... Taco Bell Church

"I have been burned on the altar of other's judgement before, but for this task I judge you unworthy. You have pled your case, and the verdict shall be banishment." The thorns are ignored as they press into his pale flesh, somehow not breaking the skin quite yet.

Even as he stands still, the walls of the church begin to rumble, and the paving stones clatter about on the road leading up to the church.

"I have been here a very long time, seen sickness of the soul so rampant and foul that it shall never be incised. The spirit of this building agrees with me, and now, in its death throws, it cries out for more than Justice can provide. It cries for Vengeance, and it shall have it."

Michalson may find the cobblestones under his feet trying to trip him up as two paving tiles attempt to fling themselves from the church roof at his head.

And completely coincidentally, another tile falls off the other side of the roof as the building crumbles, sliding down and picking up speed until it clatters to the ground within feet of Elias.

[Morty]

[Keep the Fire Burning]

Alright, the building itself fighting for the berk is a bit more than Michalson bargained for. He's tripped, which causes the tiles to miss his head narrowly. He scrambles to his feet, hastily forms a portal out of nearby shadows and attempts to teleport away.

[Reinholdt]

[Bast's Animal Shelter - Morning after Halloween]

Neme Hat Reinholdt is splayed on the couch, wolf mask on. He doesn't particularly have much ELSE on, sadly, beyond his boxers.

He seems to also have recently picked up some orange body paint splayed across his chest, spelling out "Bast Rules, Anubis Drools."

On top of all that, literally, there is a beer cap located on top of his normal hat. Although instead of beer, it has small milk cartons on the side, like one would see in a school cafeteria. Of course, straws come down the side of Reinholdt's face.

Must have been a real party last night.
Zzzzz...

[happyturtle]

Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire!

The roof tile falls to the ground near Elias, and he hears the words of the spectre.

Retribution. Erasmus always told him it would come for him if he didn't behave, and here it is. His punishment for all his crimes. For Mother.

He continues to limp away, putting more weight on his hurt foot than he should to pick up speed. He won't give up. His survival instinct is too strong.

[Shadowcaller]

[Set Fire to the Rain]

As the building starts to rumble Hekta turns around to look what's going on, if only to see if she need to help Elias.

She watches him go closer, once again unsure if she should go to help or run for safety. The whole building seemed to be chasing him.

[Slii Arhem]

Le Tombeau de la Fureur et des Flames

Fredrick does nothing to prevent his opponent from escaping and, presumably, taking his shadows with him. Even if the thorns do not release him, the Saint will attempt to burst free with a wearying flash of light.

Assuming his success, he'll begin to make his way over to Elias, likely overtaking him because of his long strides and lack of injury.

If he catches up to the boy, he'll swing the censer around in a circular arc, casting a Divination that will attempt to give him an idea of the boy's past crimes. If Hekta is close enough to Elias, she may be caught in it too.

"Why." the word, more demand than question, echos in the near empty street, puncuated by the roof of the church finally giving way, collapsing inwards and leaving the walls standing shakily. The tower pitches over into the street, bell letting out a massive ringing "CLONG!" as it strikes the paving stones.

[Zefir]

[Corner of Cirrus and Arkham]

Zefir's spidermine got unnoticed and since Isaac and Anyu are away there remain two other targets. Pumkin man and the dog owner. Since it is quiet obviously that the dog owner has no Object Zefir goes for the other guy.

The spider mine starts to run for him and tries to grap him somewhere, obviously the feet.

[Gullara]

[Bast's Animal Shelter - Morning after Halloween]

Neme Hat Reinholdt is splayed on the couch, wolf mask on. He doesn't particularly have much ELSE on, sadly, beyond his boxers.

He seems to also have recently picked up some orange body paint splayed across his chest, spelling out "Bast Rules, Anubis Drools."

On top of all that, literally, there is a beer cap located on top of his normal hat. Although instead of beer, it has small milk cartons on the side, like one would see in a school cafeteria. Of course, straws come down the side of Reinholdt's face.

Must have been a real party last night.
Zzzzz...

Arel wakes up and sets about getting ready for the day. She exits her room, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't slept well, tossing and turning all night.

She frowns, almost a scowl really, when she sees Rein. Well she certainly doesn't want to talk to him right now. The fallen seraph hmphs and goes to leave, not bothering to be quite about it. Unless Rein wakes up and does somehting, the door slams behind her as she heads to Mallside.

[happyturtle]

I fell into a burning ring of fire

(spoilered for length)

Spoiler

Show

Frederick will see that Elias is a sociopath, unmoved by the distress of his fellow humans, but able to mask his feelings and behave normally. Most of the time.

He was born to a dust addict and whore, the sixth of nine children. Mother went into violent rages when she couldn't get dust, beating the children and taking anything from them that they might have stolen or begged to sell for more dust. There was barely enough food, with the older siblings doing their best to care for the younger. Erasmus, one of Elias's older brothers, had the strongest sense of duty, and pretty much instilled it in the others with force of will. Without knowing why it mattered, Elias learned to care for the younger children as soon as he was able to. Far younger than he should have had to.

He was always fascinated with death. He loved to spend time with the dead bodies that were found on the streets, after he had stolen everything he could from them. He enjoyed torturing insects and small animals, often by setting them on fire. If other children tried to bully him or his siblings, he was usually able to frighten them away simply by being creepy and scary enough.

When he was seven, he killed his mother.

Not directly. He was always somewhat small for his age, and he couldn't have overpowered her. He had no access to a weapon that he could have used to hurt her, or poison that would damage her worse than the dust was already doing. But he found a way to do it indirectly. She came home one early morning, high on dust, and happy, when Elias was the oldest one there. Eventually, as she started coming down off of it, she passed out and got sick. Elias knew, because they'd all done it countless times before, that he needed to turn her onto her side.

This time, he didn't. He sat with her, watching her eyes, as she slowly suffocated. He saw when the struggling to breathe stopped. And he kept watching, until her body started to cool.

Then he picked up the baby and told the two younger children to come with him. He took them all to a temple, where they were taken in and cared for. After a few weeks, Elias left them behind and went to look for an apprenticeship. He was now clean and fed, his bruises healed, and he had seen enough of the manners of upper class people (as he thought of them) to know that he never wanted to return to the streets again. So when he was offered the chance to work for Master Dahl as a baker's apprentice, he did everything in his power to make sure Dahl would never have reason to want him gone. He is hardworking and polite, and never complains about any task he's asked to do.

But sometimes, the monster inside him still wants to torture and kill. Sometimes he fantasizes about doing murder. And sometimes his older brother catches him setting fires or vivisecting small animals, and threatens him to make him behave himself.

Fear is one of the emotions that works perfectly for Elias.

"Why."

"Because she made everything worse!" Elias blurts out. "Because I wanted to! Because she deserved it!"

[VampireRot]

[Corner of Cirrus and Arkham]

Anya is still fleeing the dead fish, going for a wide loop around. She doesn't really have any room to predict a flying Issac torpedo though. So while she doesn't get caught by the shark, she does get caught by the summoner in a full out slam, causing the both of them to go tumbling through the street. Issac might hear the shattering of glass when he hits and she doesn't really feel all that heavy.

While entangled with her foe, she can definitely sense the Object's presence now and makes a wild grab for one of the Objects Issac picked up off of Xifra. It's not a particularly well performed ninja assassin grab due to being dazed. Definitely just a wild grab.

[Corner of Cirrus and Arkham]

Isaac put each Object in a different pocket! Of course, the thing about the magician's pockets is that he fills them with things. Tons of things. Anya's grab gets her the flower petal Bloom, but also a fistful of foul-smelling incense and numerous small but hard bones of unknown origin. The magician groans in pain and doesn't move much, but his cold green and blue eyes fix Anya with a hateful glare.

"The Selachimorph will devour you now even if you kill me. Surrender or die."

Indeed, the huge undead shark is speeding toward them. It won't bite with its master grappling with its prey, but it will start to circle in the air above them. Ready to dart in and chomp down on Anya if it needs to.


The two imps leave What alone once Isaac has been whacked away. They fly off to help their master, but again aren't very fast about it. This time they are both fully visible and ugly, as well.