[Nexus] Riverside VI

[Shadowcaller]

[Club Pulse]

"Just laying around in some store, checked it again but..." Irena shrugs. "Nothing. Why are you asking anyway?"

[Gullara]

[Club Pulse]

Nadia blinks. She hadn't really thought why she was thinking it. "I don't know, just thinking. It's just sort of weird that a sword like that would be in some shop."

[Shadowcaller]

[Club Pulse]

"Ah... sorry." Irena replies, suddenly sounding slightly nervous, taking a deep sip from her drink. "...you aren't angry with me right? For Chasity?"

[Gullara]

[Club Pulse]

"What? No, I'm not angry at all. If you don't want to talk to her, you don't ahve to. It's just, well, you could be better at talking to people." Nadia hopes she doesn't offend Irena with this.

[UncleWolf]

[???]

The man goes down hard. It's hard to say whether he's still alive or not. The woman is hysterical. Tears stream freely down her face and she's babbling. "There's no map, there's no map. Please don't kill me. Please."

???

"Then zho me!" He shouts before grabbing at her shoulder to hold her in front of him as he tries to push her towards the door leading out of the room.

[Gullara]

[???]

The woman keeps crying, but she will guide him. Every room is as featureless and white as every other room Cutter has seen in the facility. It's not long that they pass the room with the window to Cutter's cell. Fredrick was here at least.

He might find the shortage of guards odd, but he won't have long to worry about it. "Th-through here." The woman points toward one of two doors out of the current room they are in.

[UncleWolf]

[???]

The woman keeps crying, but she will guide him. Every room is as featureless and white as every other room Cutter has seen in the facility. It's not long that they pass the room with the window to Cutter's cell. Fredrick was here at least.

He might find the shortage of guards odd, but he won't have long to worry about it. "Th-through here." The woman points toward one of two doors out of the current room they are in.

???

"Go." Cutter hisses as he pushes her away. "Maybe you can zave hyur friend if hyu hurry." He says before kicking in the door that supposedly leads to Fredericks, doubtful that he's still in there.

[Gullara]

[???]

The woman runs off without saying anything else. She's just glad she isn't being used as a bullet shield.

Speaking of bullets, on the other side of the door is a corridor that takes a sharp left. Standing just before it is a man with a pistol. He hesitates, eyes wide. It doesn't take him overly long to shout something and fire two bullets at Cutter, however.

[Shadowcaller]

[Club Pulse]

"How?" Irena replies, "I'm not a nice person Nadia, you know that. Talking to people is not my... expertise." She takes yet another sip from her glass, draining it.

[Gullara]

[Club Pulse]

Nadia shrugs. "Practice makes perfect? Anyway, I'm not going to try and make you do something you don't want to do. Just think about it."

[Shadowcaller]

[Club Pulse]

"Alright..." Irena mumbles, looking away. "Not that I have many to talk with, except you." She pauses a moment, "I was planning... well, some sort of... social thing... for the homeless I mean."

[Gullara]

[Club Pulse]

"Oh? Well, there's an idea." Nadia seems a bit interested at the very least. "Have any more specific ideas for it?"

[Earl of Purple]

Temple of Dalachrech

"Ah. Well, that's understandable, I suppose, then," Naethalee says, frowning at the story, as she steps over to check the drawers curiously.

One of the drawers is filled with socks, another with various bits of jewellery, mainly rings. None of it looks magical, or at least not blatantly magical. It's mainly silver, but there's some gold. Few of the stones are truly valuable, but some are. "Anything you like?" Especially notable are a plain copper ring, a silver bracelet set with chips of onyx and lapis lazuli and a plain gold locket on a chain of the same material.

[Neon Knight]

[Eastside - Hospital Site]

Cierra finishes her notes on the boiler room and what they found there.

((Just sort of bumping this one. Who are we waiting on? Also, Murkus, I don't think you ever said if Cierra could copy down the symbol Teq put on Cierra and Edward's hand, and the words he spoke while doing so.))

[UncleWolf]

[???]

The woman runs off without saying anything else. She's just glad she isn't being used as a bullet shield.

Speaking of bullets, on the other side of the door is a corridor that takes a sharp left. Standing just before it is a man with a pistol. He hesitates, eyes wide. It doesn't take him overly long to shout something and fire two bullets at Cutter, however.

???

Even as Cutter absorbs the visual information, he lunges forward with inhuman speed, possibly cutting the man off midshout as he tries to shove a clawed hand through the man's chest.

Even if the man gets off the two bullets, if there's nothing special about them, they'll simply punch through Cutter. Yes, it hurts, but its fast enough that it won't do any real damage as nothing but his brain is truly vital at the moment.

[Gullara]

[???]

It's safe to say that the man is swiftly dispatched. Perhaps after getting a single shot off. If Cutter looks down the intersecting corridor he will see yet another door. Through a small window he can see that it's not another featureless, white room beyond, however.

Back the way he came, Cutter will here the sound of people shouting, fear obvious in their voices. Someone backs though the door Cutter had just came from, and at least one other person can be heard coming after him.

[Shadowcaller]

[Club Pulse]

"Not really." Irena admits. "I'm not even sure which people to invite, I don't really know anyone."

[???]

There is a sloshing sound coming from around the corner as a black transparent liquid starts to spray in all directions causing the walls to melt a bit. Cutter can see a swarm of spider-like hooks grabbing one of the running people before dragging her in. There is a cut off scream before the liquid turns very red.

[Murkus]

Eastside - Hospital Site

"I don't understand the logic." Teq says, completely out of the blue. His reasoning becomes more clear momentarily. "Even drug-addicts would stay away from dead people. Why are they all here? Undisturbed?" The 'half-orc' starts back toward the stairs.

[Neon Knight]

[Eastside - Hospital Site]

"That's true." Cierra puts away her notebook. "Even if you needed shelter, wouldn't you pick someplace that you didn't have to share with a corpse? Or wouldn't you at least move the bodies, or cover them up? There's something more to this."

[Gullara]

[Eastside - Hospital Site]

Estella just nods in response. She's more focused on glancing back and forth, keeping her eyes and ears open for any sign of what her magic is detecting. Of coure, she knows it's perfectly possible that there will be no sign of it.

[Club Pulse]

Nadia shakes her head. "I don't know. I might not be the best person to ask. I'm sure you'll figure it out, and I'll help the best I can." She gives Irena an encouraging smile.

[Shadowcaller]

[Eastside - Hospital Site]

"It does seem rather odd that these bodies could have been here for so long without anyone noticing them, seems like a elephant graveyard does it not? You go there once your about to die, joining the bones of your ancestors... there are religions like that though I don't know if any of these homeless people were all that religious." Edward observes as you ascend back to the ground floor. "So where to now? Still going to look through the nursery?" The doctor seems somewhat nervous.

It's slightly darker outside and the rain just got heavier, turning the ground outside to mud.

While Estella still won't see anything out of the ordinary she can smell something, smoke.

[Club Pulse]

Irena nods slowly, "Yeah... but maybe you can invite some of your friends too?"

[Gullara]

[Club Pulse]

"Yeah, I could do that for sure." Nadia says. "There's at least a few people I can invite."

[AmberVael]

[Riverside- The River of Shadows]

The being known as Genesis twists her form, spinning a thousand ways across the small, confining world she had built. Unsatisfactory, far too limited. She might travel elsewhere in shapes, but it calcified her, filling her heart with stagnation and hopelessness.

She required more, far more than this. But nothing was moving- that dreaded evil crept into even the heart of her tower, the monster laughing with a voice like drying plaster as it sought to claim even her throne. Now was not the time to sit idly by. Once more must she exert her force on the world, but this time, she would not act alone; it was time for her court to prove its worth.

Shadows build in and around the tower, the sound of a rushing river heralding their arrival. Thin tendrils spread outward, trickling down a vast mountain as they seek out their tributaries, the hearts of the River Court.

Come. Says the voice of Genesis to her followers. All who would seek to change this land, to make the land fertile with the soul of the river, come to me. All who would glorify their names and the titles bestowed on them, return to the source of the river.

The river of shadows spills out wildly, seeking those it had brushed before, and those who had never heard it before but might heed its call. Coiling shadows spill through the homes of the desperate, the lives of the yearning, beautiful eyes peering from the depths of the shadow river, red lips speaking the words of Genesis. Come, all who would seek the blessing of the river, all who would see their lives change and blossom, all who would find power and meaning greater than themselves. The Court of the River has a place for you, and name you may make for yourself.

Black ribbons twist through the glass of Wellspring Tower and flow through the pools at its base. The presence and demand of Genesis saturates her realm, gathering above in a dark sky scattered with her green light. The river paths, blue cobbled that lead from her gates, darken and shine as the black river flows beneath them, subtly drawing all who set foot on it to the center where the tower stretches up to the sky. The shadows fill her realm with her dissatisfaction and the purpose that hardened within her, water turning to frozen ice.

Come all you who feel the land rotting beneath you! We will swell the streets with the voice of our discontent- our crusade will peel away this dead skin and make a world anew in our image. All souls who are weary and abused, set aside your burdens and come to the river, and let the water's flow wash away your restraints- take up the life you wish to live! The words of Genesis race through Riverside, the dam that blocked them broken, her thin shadows pouring out all through the city, echoing their words into the hearts of all people there and beyond, streaming out through the gates and into the fields.

The River Court hears your cries, the Queen of Rings knows the desires in your hearts. All those downtrodden, take heart- all those repentant, you may be redeemed, all those ambitious, come find power. Yet you that are sinful, quake in fear, for the eye of judgment is upon you.

The Queen of Rings smiles to herself and settles within the outpouring of shadows as she waits.

[Shadowcaller]

[Eastside - Light's Heart]

The citadel rises up like something taken from a sci-fi movie. The walls are golden colored, untainted by age and dirt. Like something that was just build just recently.
Five towers have been built into the wall, standing no less then 40 feet tall, looking like they have been cut out from the same stone.

Above the towers rises the citadel itself, completely square in form and made of the same golden stone it have numerous arrow slits carved out at the upper floors.

Leading around it's form is a wooden staircase going from the top of the citadel to the courtyard below.The only visible entrance is the massive gate made of obsidian colored wood which stands wide open, inviting anyone inside.

An armored tailed woman just about to enter the gate hears Genesis call. She pauses in her walk and turns around, going towards Wellspring tower.

[Morty]

[Wellspring Tower]

Genesis' call is answered - four people are marching up to the tower.
One of them is a meek-looking brunette in an archaic, gray dress.

The other person is an aging, muscular, fierce-looking man in a military jacket.

Those two appear to be leading the other two, who seem to be their bodyguards. One of them is a short, stocky, red-haired woman in a studded leather jacket you might see on a member of a biker gang. The other one is a tall, muscular young man with short black hair and a tatoo on his right biceps.

[UncleWolf]

[???]

It's safe to say that the man is swiftly dispatched. Perhaps after getting a single shot off. If Cutter looks down the intersecting corridor he will see yet another door. Through a small window he can see that it's not another featureless, white room beyond, however.

Back the way he came, Cutter will here the sound of people shouting, fear obvious in their voices. Someone backs though the door Cutter had just came from, and at least one other person can be heard coming after him.

[???]

There is a sloshing sound coming from around the corner as a black transparent liquid starts to spray in all directions causing the walls to melt a bit. Cutter can see a swarm of spider-like hooks grabbing one of the running people before dragging her in. There is a cut off scream before the liquid turns very red.

???

Assuming that the corridor is the one ahead of him, and the man is coming from the one behind, Cutter seals the door shut ahead of him before trying to pull the man into the room. "Am I the only Horror here?!?" He demands to know. If he wasn't, then there was a much bigger problem than just his outbreak...

[Neon Knight]

[Wellspring Tower --> River]

Takara hears the call of The River of Shadows, and realizes the time has come to finally be of use to the court. She has tested and tried them sorely, and has had only a few petty baubles to offer in return. Takara needed to have something better, and what better to offer than territory, and proof that she was doing her best to fulfill Genesis's problems, was working to complete the goals of the court?

And so Takara walks to the river, and disappears within in a flash of silver. She stalks up and down the waterway, swimming in many silver forms, taking new shapes as it pleases her. When crimes or ill deeds occur near the river, the perpetrators may find themselves assaulted from the water by eerie, pale white beasts with no hunger for human flesh, only a desire to punish the wicked. Takara hopes to spread rumors and belief of a silver devil in the water, judging and dooming the wicked that would dare to transgress near the River.

But that is not Takara's true goal this night. No, Takara is in search of something that she can seize for the court.

((Interaction wanted! I'm looking for someone to RP the other side of a conflict in which Takara gains some territory for the court, which she does by gaining rulership of it either directly or metaphysically, according to Vael. I would like to add some territory to the court, but Vael would prefer if it was actually done out and not just cutscene'd. So I'm looking for someone to help me with this little venture.))

[Lady Serpentine]

[Skies of Riverside]

Three people are are flying toward Wellspring Tower, from the direction of Inside.

One is a winged naga, with a corona of shadows around himself. Another, a clawed vampire, with dark red angel-like wings, wearing an ash-grey long-sleeved t-shirt, and black jeans. The last is Karyana, who looks like my avatar.


((Neon Knight, how exactly would one go about interacting with Takara to let her acquire territory? What would trigger her to try?))

[The Bushranger]

ToD

One of the drawers is filled with socks, another with various bits of jewellery, mainly rings. None of it looks magical, or at least not blatantly magical. It's mainly silver, but there's some gold. Few of the stones are truly valuable, but some are. "Anything you like?" Especially notable are a plain copper ring, a silver bracelet set with chips of onyx and lapis lazuli and a plain gold locket on a chain of the same material.

Naethalee reaches for the bracelet.
"This," the half-drowess says softly. "It's beautiful."

[Earl of Purple]

Temple of Dalachrech

Defelent smiles, and moves to take it and put it on Naethalee's wrist. "You can keep it, if you want. It's nothing special; no associated magic." The bracelet really is nonmagical, and despite its beauty is perfectly normal. It is, however, of extremely good quality and suitable for enchantment.