Pius Fidelus: Outer Plane

[pseudovere]

(Kinda ninja'd before I posted this... thats what I get for making sure that what I'm saying is up to date. This thing was about 4 times bigger, but Ripik and Falenra's arrival made the majority of it obsolete.)

The immediate area around her darkens to the level that it was before Krixal filled the room with light.

"Of course I can't do it if you try to stop me, but that requires you give me your full attention, which was what I wanted anyway. I was merely saying that I have the power to gather all of your attention by briefly becoming a nuisance when required. However, I realize that we are all stuck here together, so I wanted to make it clear that I didn't want to make a habit of it. Might I suggest that you might want to try the same."

Drawing her attention back to the table, she reads the new words.

"Falenra, I am offended. Only a very small minority of us tried to do anything to your room or go ahead without you. Referring to the rest of us in the same category is unfair.

[lilomar]

Krixal

(To Ardannis)
Oh, It's hard to tell time in this place, I've been here since there were only four or five of us, you can gauge how long that's been by how often new ones seem to arrive. My door is that one over there. (pointing toward #13) Although it's really just a doorway, the only thing keeping people out is the heat, which some of these strange folk seem not to appreciate. But if you want to enter, no one seems to be having a problem maintaining a personal aura of their preferred temperature.

Krixal resumes his position next to the table.

Well, well, well, if it isn't our friends with no bodies. Welcome back!
So far as governance goes, I agree with Forneus, there is no way for us to force our will on each other, if someone is dead set on going against the others, there is no way to stop them. However, that isn't to say that we can't all make reasonable suggestions as to the course of action to follow. Now, unless someone has a second door in their room leading out that they aren't telling us about, we don't seem to have any exits. I suggest we make ourselves comfortable until the others (indicating the still-black doorways) decide to join us. I would say that it won't be too much longer.

Krixal then arcs over next to the pond, makes a campfire and a chair and proceeds to warm-over Plamal's forgotten pig meat.

[Hoorex]

1.4 Kaba'al

The Darkness stirred. Within a single moment the embodiment of rage, massacre, and death awakened and with a strenuous moan, the vile pit of various extremities and bile reached into the air. The sentient sludge hesitated for a moment, as if it was curious and surprised that it had actually been capable of reaching, before continuing.

Hunger...

It began to ooze towards the small light within the darkness, and flooded into view. In the intense brightness beyond the walls of it's lair, the massive mound of decayed remnants shuddered. This was Kaba'al in full view. Limbs of various creatures exuded from his being, and he filled the chamber with the smell of both rotting and burning flesh.

[harmonictempest]

Ardannis

Oh, It's hard to tell time in this place
[...]
a personal aura of their preferred temperature.

Yes, hard indeed. I was speaking to our unseen acquaintances, though, who seem to have a longer history than the rest of us. Any answer, you two?

Immediately, though, his mind is drawn by the possibilities of humor inherent in speaking to one person while another thinks you are speaking to them, and any answer either of them make is sure to come as a surprise to him.

[Altairius]

Ikeklos, Turn 1.4
Ikeklos looked at Tirius after the immortal had already worked out the origin of the Table-Writers for itself. He had not answered the Other, as the last time he answered a direct question, another had melted part of his back.

It became fairly obvious to Ikeklos that it did not move with quite the... Alacrity of the Others. Part of this was that it considered all of their spurious action... distasteful, but it seemed, too, that it was naturally slower. But ideas stuck in its head. Very plainly, Iklekos repeated his question, word for word.
"Perhaps you are more focused now, Table-Writers. I feel Purpose. A need to do Something, the nature of which is nebulous. The Others have professed to have Purpose, an attraction to something, and it defines them. What, Table-Writers, is your Purpose?"



More and more, the Others grew in number. Ikeklos was... perturbed. The room was getting crowded. It had a definite idea of personal space, and did not want to be crowded from where it was.
An earlier idea floated around in Ikeklos' crystalline head. A chair.
Ikeklos moved into a crouch. From its back and legs, spikes of Ice erupted, thrusting into the ground. From its back, a brittle framework of ice formed an outline of the back of a chair. From these simple bones of ice, a pattern, like cobwebs, of frost grew around and between the frame, making crackling noises.
It takes a degree of time, but in the end, Ikeklos sat, or, more accurately, was part of a chair in front of the table, around which a small patch of permafrost spread.

[Dr Bwaa]

Tumine

Hmm, are we having a meeting? I could do with that, I'd like a little less of those two running around on fire, if you ask me.

Tumine concentrates on the water she feels so attached to, and its ability to change things over time. Tiny cracks grow in the floor beneath her (at her place near the table), which soon crumbles and becomes a large bowl full of water. She picks up a plant from nearby and carries it to the pond she's created. Placing the plant down at its center, which completely submerges the plant, Tumine concentrates on it, feeling its life energy, closes her eyes, and encourages it. She opens her eyes again, and watches it grow, and as she continues to concentrate, it becomes a tall, magnificent tree/vine thing, rising all the way to the ceiling. Coils of vines unfurl from it, forming something of an armchair, and from somewhere up at the top of it, water begins to fall. Tumine reaches a foot out, which is embraced by an uncurling vine, and ascends to her chair. She now sits by the table, with a gentle waterfall splashing down over her shoulders from high above, and back into the pond.

Why don't we all get acquainted, and perhaps decide what we are to do here? You'll forgive me for saying but all the bickering really isn't helping you, since you can't hurt each other, is it? Why not have a seat and we'll see what's going on?

She turns towards each door at the ends of the room in turn. Falerna? Ripik? Do you remember anything? Can you help us figure out what we're supposed to be doing here?

Spoiler

Show

This thread moves SO FAST.

[Wizzardman]

Fabacillus Bile, Turn 1

At first, there was nothing. Nothing but dirt.

Time passed. Somewhere beyond the dirt, others occurred. The dirt echoed with their movements, as they talked, and yelled, and dug past rubble, and threw things at each other. The echoes coagulated in the dirt, puddling and fermenting and awakening the natural potential of the dirt itself like some strange soup of potential power. And from the puddle formed "it"--a long, rounded shape, legless and eyeless. It wriggled in the darkness.

The surroundings were nice, but weren't quite right. The dirt-spawn felt a strange, unquestionable need to "fix" its birthplace. It began to dig.

Dig dig dig dig dig dig dig. Pretty good, it thought. The right shape. It didn't know for what, but it was the right shape. But not large enough. It left the remnants of the puddle as a small pool in the center of the shape, and continued to dig.

Dig dig dig dig dig dig BONK. Something was in the way. The something didn't feel like stone, and was too big to be a root. It dug around the something, and discovered the something was round, and hard, and oddly pushable. The dirt spawn thought it should be pushed, and thus did so.

Outside of the land of dirt, the void of door number 4 suddenly turned into a large oval of rock, and swung open to reveal a mass of crumbling black loam. A long, fat earthworm crawled out--at least eight feet in length, and eight inches long. It slammed its head against the floor of the central room, as if trying to dig through. When that failed, it paused, and waved its front end around the brightly lit room. As much as an earthworm can look confused, it did.

It wriggled its way further into the room, carefully avoiding any other occupants and objects, until it reached one of the crumbling former pillars. Then, it curled itself up like a snake, and waved the upper end of its body around in a circle, as if looking around the room.

[Don Beegles]

Kranolk: Turn 1
Kranolk is not sure what is going on in the room, but he is beginning to realize that they won't very well provide an easy meal. There seems to be some sort of argument about the room they are in. The main combatants seemed to be the dark woman, the smokey figure and the strangely weak looking spidery creature, with the others trying to find themselves out, much like Kranolk was. In order to better understand the situation he approaches the central table and begins to read, tracing his path with one long claw, coolly assessing the strange four-armed creature standing near him ((Tirus)). This one looks like something that he could eat. He smiles and licks his chops, savoring the aroma of the blood that lies just below that fur.

[Jerian_Rumple]

Ripik's words form slowly.

Hmm. What I remember...

Falenra's words form with the speed of lighting.

Unfair? UNFAIR?! Listen, you shadowy creep, do you have any idea what it's like to be trapped inside freaking furniture?! I think I'm allowed to make generaliz-

Falenra! Calm down and let me think. You can yell at them later. Now, what I was trying to say-

Great, you got the ball rolling, he'll never shut up now.

What I was trying to say was I had been giving our condition a lot of thought, and I had reached a few conclusions. One, she and I were, in essence, immortal. The fact that we had no tangible forms seemed to support this. Secondly, we could control this space that had us bound. Speaking of...

The room begins to shift and change, the vines receding, the roof patching. The dirt becomes a little less wild and more like a landscaping designer had had a field day.

There, in deference to our more nature-minded occupants, I left the soil and some of the plants. Now then, combining my thoughts with evidence gathered recently, I have a hypothesis. We are ideas. Physical manifestations of ideas. That's why we can change things, but can't be seriously hurt. Falenra and I are apparently some kind of ideas of home, me the paternal intelligence, she the maternal protectiveness.

No! Uh uh! There is -no- way I'm playing the mother for these ingrates. You're wrong there, smart one. I mean look at, er, listen to me!

Well, perhaps my assignments are wrong, but I think my theory is correct. This is some kind of meeting place for ideas. Concepts, maybe would be more accurate. We have concepts of ice, fire, growth, communication, just for examples.

It's not like you to forget what people ask us, Ripik. We never had doors. I don't know why you do. And, for the record, I'd approach Ripik's conclusion with a bit of skepticism. I think he's crazy.

Is there ANY time you will support me?

Heh, nope!

[Dr Bwaa]

Tumine Barok


Tumine thinks this over, catching some water from the waterfall and holding it in front of her. It begins to levitate, and play into intricate patterns in the air.
Mmmm. Your idea has merit, Ripik. Immortal, hmm? Fitting...

[pseudovere]

Sedha

Sedha settled down in the air, seeming to sit on top of some invisible surface. A glowing hand emerged from the darkness, and reached up to support her chin as she leaned forward. (Think Rodin's The Thinker.)

"Ideas made manifest? So what does that make us? A maelstrom of figments bound in some deity's..." Sedha paused and looked slowly around the other occupants of the room, "Clearly troubled mind?"

[Don Beegles]

Kranolk: Turn 1
Physical manifestation of ideas? Maternal instinct? Meeting place for ideas? None of what the table is saying makes any sense to Kranolk, and he is beginning to feel more and more confined in this area. There was nothing in the other room that felt infinite, and now in this room that is to small, the herd keeps growing. He can smell the hostility in the air, and his hair is beginning to stand on end. He pushes away from the table violently, and prowls to the training room. He looks around at the detritis littering the floor, then looks the nearest training dummy up and down. With little warning, he pounces, his teeth finding what would be the jugular easily enough. He bobs back, and darts in again, mauling with his claws, then kicking with powerful hind legs, weaving back and forth around it, looking for what openings would exist if it were an adversary. He keeps this up for some time, working out the confined feeling with the joy of combat, because as long as he is in the training room, he is alone.

[lilomar]

Krixal 1.5

Back at the table now, Krixal isn't one to spend much time in idle contemplation.

What do you mean you don't have doors? You, Ripik, are obviously linked to that room (pointing towards the library) and Falenra is obviously linked to that one. (pointing towards the training room) Why else would clearing the rubble from in front of them have the effect it did on you?

Also, If Father/Mother isn't the right duality for you what are you? Mind/Body? Past/Present? What are we for that matter? We've been here for what seems like forever, and we still aren't any closer to finding out what's going on than we were when we started! We need answers!

I feel like I have a purpose, something that I am meant to do, I know you guys feel that way too, I mean look at him. (pointing towards Ardannis) He's going crazy being cooped up like this, what kind of cruel fate is it that something so obviously meant to be wandering in wide open spaces has to spend the rest of eternity in a place this small?

There has to be more than this, how do we even know about things like pigs, or wide open spaces? Look at him, (indicating Fabacillus) he looks exactly like a giant earth-worm, doesn't he? But when did any of you ever see an earth worm to know that they aren't all that size? We have all of these words and concepts, but we don't remember ever experiencing any of them directly!

So I ask again, what is going on, table-demons? What is it that we are supposed to do? If you don't know, then we are going to have to find out ourselves.

Towards the end of his speach, Krixal seems to start to lose intrest, and at the end, calmed down after his outburst, he starts looking through the books in the library, searching for anything that may give him a clue as to what is happening, or who any of them are.

[Altairius]

Ikeklos

Ikeklos read the words. It heard the others speak. It then blinked. Twice. It made a slight crunching sound. Then, its mouth creaking open, Ikeklos spoke.
"The truth is far simpler than that, Shade-Bringer."

It offers nothing further, instead intent upon the words upon the table.

[Oculus]

(OOC I hope I didn't take someone else's door. I just didn't see all of them listed.)

Arasylon (Door 10)

Arasylon burst through the door of the tavern laughing heartily. He was more than a bit drunk, usually a sign that he was well rewarded for his music. Arasylon stood up, suddenly sober as he found himself not in the snowy street, but a strange oval room. He looked behind him and the tavern was still behind him, but it was empty. He closed the door carefully and surveyed his surroundings.

He was in an odd room filled with people, none of which were regulars at the tavern he played at. There was food and drink about though, and a table. Suddenly no longer feeling the need to be sober, Arasylon broke out in a wide grin and started playing a jaunty pub song on his fiddle. He didn't know how he gained the ability to become drunk and sober on command but he approved of it.

Spying a table in the center of the room he stumbled toward it, never missing a note in his song. He looked about for a chair and surprised himself when one appeared right where he wanted it. Arasylon sat and put his feet up on the table. When his song finished he finally realized that there was writing on the table and took several minutes to catch himself up. As he finished reading he sobered himself up again and took a look around.

"So, um, I'm Arasylon... I could go for an ale." When he turned back to the table a large mug was in front of him which he gladly took.

[Jerian_Rumple]

Ripik seems to get flustered at the new arrivals and barrage of questions.

Hold...Hold o- HOLD IT! What I wouldn't give for an actual voice right now.

Heh heh heh ooo! What was...oh! Hee hee! I'll be right back.

What? Oh, uh yes, whatever. Now. Give me just a moment, and we'll see what we can do. Firstly, greetings once again to all the newcomers. If I'm remembering correctly, which I always do, that leaves just one door unused. And believe me I can tell. Like Falenra said earlier, we're feeling stretched. Pulled, and I feel near the breaking point. But! No need to panic, I think I'll be fine. Now then. Shade-bringer, as Ikeklos so aptly called you, I do not think we are in a mind. We are not something's ideas. We are simply ideas. Abstract emotions and concepts coalesced and sentient. As many have pointed out, wanting and feeling a purpose we cannot achieve yet. Now, as for you Krixal, I will take your questions one at a time. I believe what my colleague was trying to point out is that while you all have portals that are blocked off, both from sight and our senses, Falenra's room as well as my own are open for all, even each other. I do not rightly know what duality to place on us. It seems our purpose was stripped from us when we became this place... but no matter! We are who we are, that is all I can tell you for certain. As for what the purpose is, well, I have an idea for the ideas, but I will have to work on it a bit...

Meanwhile, in the training room, writing appears on the ground nearby Kranolk...

Hello! Oh, you are fiesty aren't you? I'm glad someone here isn't afraid to sink their teeth into something. Yeah, that's it! Shred it, maim it, rip it to bits! Kill!

Inside Ripik's room, Krixal seems to have no luck. Each of the books, no matter how ornate, are empty pages.

[Thelonius]

Tek

Tek leaves his chair. He raises his hand and thick silver cables cover door #3. Tek then moves to the training room. He creates a veil of thin silvery lines at door’s entrance, hiding them from view.

He greets Kranlock: “Hello, I am Tek of communication Dominion. I was wondering if you would like to spar with me. Our bodies may be impervious to harm, but respected Falenra here could arbiter the efficency of our moves.”

(If offer is accepted, Tek extends 8 legs, four for balance, four for attack. The remaining four legs are extended, to replace broken ones. Tek balances attack and defence, attempting to redirect opponent’s attacks from vital parts of body and evade his defences. Tek often pierces the dummies with his spike legs and flings them at his opponent or places them to hamper his opponent's movement)

[chrono]

Forneus

Forneus has been calm this whole time. In fact after he asked his question he settled down, then sat down with his back against a wall and started fiddling with his bow. Some time passed and just as unexpectedly as he settled down, he jumped up again and addressed the table. Ripik, I have to say I'm disappointed. I was hoping for answers, but all you have to offer are more unfounded theories. I have heard yours so I will give you mine in turn.

We are not ideas. In fact, as previously stated we are in a mind and it's my mind. You are all figments of my imagination. Does it sound weird? It's not. I reconnected you to your rooms, discovered our immortality, deduced the permanence of some items as opposed to others. My efforts yield more effects than all others combined. The only difference seems to be Krixal who is also active, but his fire affinity only supports the theory that he's a facet of my own personality. I seem to have more useful items than anybody else. I seem to be the only one actually looking for answers and all your collective fears and doubts were predictably wrong just to me and Krixal. I seemed to subconsciously know what to do. You are all in my head.

His calm and even voice doesn't indicate whether he is serious or not. Forneus pauses for a moment, then turns toward Tumine and speaks again (although it's clear he's not addressing just him).

If you agree with my theory, you have but two options: take steps to end your own existence and get out of my head or take steps to be consumed back in me.

If you don't agree, please consider this. Your ideas are just as outrageous, but the difference is you have less evidence to support them except for your own fears and doubts. Which so far proved unfounded. Voicing them does not bring progress. The same goes to your objections - from now on I will take objections to my actions as open hostility and will respond in turn whenever I am able. It is but a show of incompetence to question somebody whose worth so far has proven to be vastly superior to your own.

[Emperor Demonking]

Plamal

Turn 1

As new immortals entered he put the image of them above their doors.

Plamal widened his pond and turned to his normal form. "Their are four flaws with your plan, I discovered this room, those doors and everything else. Two are discovered how we could alter this world. Three, I discovered how we could alter ourselves and it was I who discovered how some items can be changed as some cannot."

With thar Plamal walked over to see the table and then shouted at Tek. "Can I borrow your medal?"

[Tichrondrius]

Gandoran

Turn 1

Gandoran, Immortal of War, the big man himself stepped out from his room with a dreadful yawn. "You guys are talking way too much, you woke me up from my nap a while back." He said, scratching his belly, and then re-adjusting his sword on his back. He took a look around and watched the walls, then slowly walked around the room, taking a peek in both the training and book rooms.

Then he examined the wall closely. "If a better solution doesn't present itself.. I say we go right through the wall. Anyone care to stop me?"

[Thelonius]

Tek

Tek hesitates, and then reluctantly gives his Medal to Plamal. He then waits, intently observing Plamal’s actions.

[Emperor Demonking]

Plamal

Turn 1.7

"That's everyone isn't it?" Said Plamal as he put an image of the immortal above his door. "What's your name and what's your- mines Plants, animals and water."

Plamal takes the medal. "Thank you."
Plamal tries to see if it feels different and tries to see what it feels like to try and change it with his mind.

[chrono]

Forneus

Forneus smiles at Plamal like one does at a young child who has just said he could fly.
Oh come now, figment of my imagination - you're being argumentative again. You "discovered" this room just by walking in - this is so trivial that all sixteen of us already made that discovery on our own. The interesting question is why you would be conscious before the rest of us, and doesn't that make you guilty of something you're not sharing with us, but I don't suppose you have the answer. The same goes for altering your own shape - I did that instinctively so the discovery is too trivial to consider. As for the persistence of some items as opposed to others, I must say that it was my arrow that mattered - if you weren't there I would have shot at somebody else to the same effect. Thus the only "discovery" I can reasonably grant you is your second argument, though I made a fraction of that discovery moments after I opened my eyes.

As Gandoran speaks Forneus suddenly drops the conversation and walks toward him with a wide smile. Suddenly Forneus reaches out and flicks his finger at the sword, as if to test what noise it would make. Content regardless of the effect, Forneus addresses the newcomer:

I have no doubt that there are those who would object, though I doubt that there will be anybody to stop you. But answer me this, what happens if on the other side all you find is the emptiness of the universe?

[Emperor Demonking]

Plamal

Turn 1.7

"It doesn't matter how easy a discovery it was, it matters that I discovered it first or more importantly before you. Plus it wasn't all about your arrow it was me experimenting with your arrow." Said Plamal. "Fine with me destroy this wall."

Plamal then turns back to the medal and then gives it back. "Thank you."

[Tichrondrius]

Gandoran

Turn 1

It makes a noise like hitting against metal, even though the sword doesn't appear to be actually made of metal.

Gandoran then took the time to regard him, and cocked his head. "Forneus, right? You were one of the big talkers. But you seem to make a lot of sense- i'd smack your shoulder if you had one." He said, letting out a hearty laugh. "Well, except for your recent theories.." He mumbled.

"I'm Gandoran, and I seem to rule War and Slavery, and, for some reason, I know what they are. Pleasantries aside, theres a good chance that could happen- and an equally good chance it won't. Destruction seems to be the only thing this new world understands, as you demonstrated, and I love it. If it is only emptiness I find then I'll power through it till I find something else to wreck." And with that he hefted up his large sword and smacked it into the wall as hard as he could.

[chrono]

Forneus

Forneus turns toward Plamal and laughs out loud at his reply. Alright, I will not argue anymore. I will also not delve in the possibility that you being here first are somehow a part of this conspiracy. Instead I think I'm content with the fact that you're a figment of my imagination who always goes "nyah, I know you are but what am I" whenever engaged in a heated discussion.

(OOC: Forneus is humanoid so he does have a shoulder, although it appears smoky and it's not clear if it's solid). Forneus grins at Gandoran and waves his hand in dismissal.

Ahh, my theory. I'm only part serious of course, but I've been here a while and I've found no good way to deal with a flurry of baseless arguments. If you have any progress in that slavery department please let me know. As for the wall... you need some help? Maybe I can give you a push to help your running start?

[Emperor Demonking]

Plamal

Turn 1.7

Plamal shakes his head as he starts to go to his pond and creates a fencing next to the pond, infront of door seven but leaving a small way past to door seven.

Inside the fencing creates a yellow circle of flowers, then inside that circle a blue circle and in that a red circle and inside that a purple circle. As he does so he keep on eye on the wall breakers.

[El_Frenchie]

Ark

For the remainder of the turns, Ark has been sitting quietly and observing everyone preoccupied with the rooms and the incorporeal beings, flipping through the book he took from the library.

He materializes a feather and a small vial of scarlet ink and begins writing inside it:

My name is Ark. I seem to have knowledge of a few things.

'Speech... Understanding... Writing... My power... My life.'

We are 16 materialized beings.

2 incorporeal ones seem to be the souls of this place, its very walls.

We cannot fatally harm either of the 18 beings that compose this place.

Every being seems to have different powers: Fire, Cold, Shadows, War...

The 2 beings are each connected to 2 rooms: A library and a training room.

He stops writing, lifting his head up, adjusting his silk toga, his hand going through his blonde hair. His hand rests on the book once more.

The books in the library are empty. They don't appear to have ever had knowledge in them. On the contrary, I would assume knowledge is to be written in them from this point onwards. And maybe this soul that is connected to this library, this "Ripik" perhaps he can access what is written... so that our deeds are not forgotten.

Ark stops writing again, he closes the book after letting the ink dry. He looks up at Forneus.

"Would you call yourself mad, then, Forneus? If we are all a figment of your imagination, let me then ridicule your present attitude, for you are conversing with yourself."

Ark looks at the being and smiles, full of malice.

[Zweanslord]

And as Gandoran swung his sword and smacked it into the wall, the wall reacted pretty much as a thick wall would react. A large, deep crack was struck in the wall. However, the sword did not manage to go through the wall, instead it just created a large crack.

[Emperor Demonking]

Plamal

Turn 1

Plamal looks at Forneus and tries to change Forneus's appearence to that of a blue person. Though his main efforts were in trying to see how real Forneus felt and whether or not he could alter the appearence but that was only a minor part.