Inside 63

[Rebonack]

Current Events: Sightings of dog-sized insectoids around the city stealing people's silver. The larcenous bugs do not appear to be violent.
A rash of kidnappings perpetrated by faeries have been reported.

The title is a misnomer, of course. No doubt the moniker of this place was settled on after a brief conversation that started with, 'Wouldn't it be funny if...?'. But now the name has stuck.

But what is this place, you ask?

Inside is everything within the City Walls. As opposed to Outside, which is everything without. This strange, whimsical city is the centre of a planar Nexus, a crossing point between all possible (and some impossible) worlds. One can find just about anything in this wondrous place, dreams that defy imagination and terrors that freeze the soul. People and whole places are regularly drawn into the Nexus, added to the chaotic melting pot of all realities.

The city is surrounded by defensive walls, with an artificially and accidentally created moat outside the walls, a moat that has been diverted into a river-channel for one many bodies of water flowing through Inside. A gap in the walls and a bridge allow for entrance into the city proper, the main gate opening up to welcome newcomers Inside.

Welcome, traveller, to the City of Inside. The only boundaries you find within are the bounds of your own imagination.


Rules

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Rules

1:Please Spoiler any Fanservice in this thread! It is accepted that there will of course be some, and that romance and curtains happen. However, please be courteous to others and spoiler any scene that goes on for a little while, and if it reaches the point, curtain. This is so you can stay within forum rules, as well as letting those uninterested in the scene, pass by. Thank you.

2:Godmodding is not permissible! As stated in the rules in the FFRP Central Thread,, godmodding is generally not allowed without permission. If you're shaky on what might be, and what might not be godmodding, please follow the above link.

3:The DOOM-Shield. Inside is currently equipped with a techno-magic shield that mitigates "global" effects to a survivable level. This is to prevent anyone from simply killing all the NPCs, or affecting the entire city. For example, a plot that envelops the entire city in subarctic temperatures, will find that the cold isn't as bad as it should be, and survivable.

4:Remnant. Please remember when doing any plots or large events, that even though it has it's own thread, Remnant - the Inside Police Force and Army - is located in Inside, and may respond to events, or may be asked to respond to them.

4:All Inside-Wide/Nexus-Wide plots need to be brought up in OOC first! We all want to have the entire city be cast into a frozen wasteland from time to time, but such things need to be brought up in OOC first, to allow players plenty of warning, and so people don't feel like anything is being forced upon them that they don't want to RP.

5:Inside is not Space! Anything involving massive spaceships, meteors, satellites, Lasers From Space, and the like, do not belong in this thread. Few PCs have the ability to fight off an orbital bombardment, so it is considered unfair to be able to call down such things inside Inside. It can be assumed that the Doom Shield prevents such things from occurring. The place for these sorts of things should be in Outside, or another thread all together.

Zones and Streets

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Zones:
In the Zone(s): The City of Inside is separated into three zones that represent the general threat level color coded for your convenience.

The Blue Zones are upper-class, well to do portions of Inside. You're pretty darn safe here.

The Grey Zones consists of the more traditionally urban parts of inside. Certainly no gated community, but it isn't immediately life threatening either.

The Red Zones represents the parts of the City that are degenerate, destitute, or downright dangerous. Sometimes all of the above. If you're poking around a Red Zone be ready to get jumped by Orks or ghouls or killer robots or something.

Streets:

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Hodgepodge Street? The City of Inside also has a number of Streets. The Streets aren't a street in the literal sense, but rather portions of the City with a particular theme. While one can find anything anywhere in the City there are none the less areas were certain settings predominate. The Riftline monorail public transit system allows for quick and easy access between the many Streets of Inside, as well as take your PCs to other popular locations within the Nexus. Best of all it's fast and free!

If you have an idea for a Street feel free to suggest it in the OOC thread.

Hodgepodge Street: The generically modern setting! Hodgepodge Street is perhaps the most plastic of the Streets, displaying a decent mix of all settings, though modern predominates. Generally speaking most locations without a Street name will be found here. The most commonly seen locations here are the Streets and the Slums. Occasionally The Rooftops if someone is feeling daring.

Steele Street: Need a Victorian location with all sorts of choking industrial pollution? Need an always-night urban landscape with superficial resemblance to 1800s London? Well Steel Street is by far the best place Inside to come down with Black Lung Disease! With spooky stinky fog, gross waterways, and the occasional murderer who may or may not be spring-heeled. Come for the fish and chips! Stay for the gritty atmosphere!

Arkham Street: Spanning 1920s-1930s style fantastic horror, Arkham Street is home of such spooky locations as Philip Memorial Library, the haunted Carter House, and Dunwich Park. Ah Arkham Street, where the clustering gambled roofs sway and sag above the attics where witches hid from the king's men in the dark olden days of Town. The Town is gone, but the witches are still here! And the monsters, and the cultists, and the regular folks just trying not to lose their minds.

Metropolis Square: It's Atom Age or Deco Punk or whatever you want to call it! 1930-50s era retro science fiction with ray guns and mad scientists and nuclear powered robots who just want to learn the meaning of love. This part of Inside is known for its slick hats, era cars, smooth jazz, a robotic workforce, and square-jawed heroes.

The Skyway: High up above the tops of the tallest skyscrapes one can find The Skyway! A high future urban cityscape of floating buildings of glass and chrome and steel and plastic. And a space port too, if you feel like leaving the planet for whatever reason. Think Jetsons with more foot paths. Riftline, of course, grants access to The Skyway to for those not blessed with flying cars.

[Burnt Chrome Street:] Need some cyberpunk action? You got some cyberpunk action! The gritty future of cyber-criminals clashing against government and corporate forces! With cyborgs and hackers and stuff! Grungy urban sprawl, a decaying job market, and an oppressed underclass mark this area of Inside. Burnt Chromes Street is the distopian counter-point to The Skyway's more optimistic vision of what the future holds.

Market Street: Market Street is the ye olde portion of Inside, complete with bards, fools, open market places, and the occasional damsel in distress. While products of any age can be found in the sprawling street booths everything is done ye olde style-e. If you need a chase scene to crash through a fruit-cart this is the place to do it.

Deadwood Street: The wild, wild west. Located on the edge of Inside this is the western part of the city. And that means any kind of western. From spegetti to steampunk to magical. Whether you need to hang around a saloon, have a duel a high noon, or go riding off into the sunset Deadwood Street is your best bet.

PokéStreet: By popular demand! This one should be obvious enough. PokéCenters and PokéMarts and PokéGyms and PokéParks and PokéNarwhals and everything else Poké-related! Great place to visit if you feel like watching some adorable animals beat the tar out of each other. Just watch out for the tall grass. You never know what might be lurking in there.

Carousel Court: So much pony. Carousel Court contains the majority of the City's pony population as well as a healthy helping of non-pony quadrupedal sapient races. Ranging from quaint thatched roof cottages to the towering mane offices of Roseluck Agrifirm to the opulent stables of the well-to-do Carousel Court has it all. The sweet tooth of ponies is absolutely legendary around Inside and if you're looking for a sugary treat, Carousel Court is the place to visit.

Locations

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The Red Zones (Player: Rebonack)

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Just because here are some nice quick descriptions of the various Red Zones that see some degree of use. Or at least the ones that I'll run NPCs in if I get prodded at or notice someone's PC poking around there. I don't control everything in these locations and other people are free to run things here, just keep the Lethality level in mind. Anyone exploring one of the Red Zones will find caches of magical or technological trinkets to make the danger worth their while. The higher the lethality rating the better the loot!

The Slums: (Lethality Level Low) Accessed from Hodgepodge Street. The Slums are a generally urban area of decay and disrepair. It's a pretty good place to run into muggers, thugs, vampires, random monsters, and other generically nasty things. People live in squalor here, but no one can really figure out WHY since the rest of the City is available for habitation and has fewer flesh eating mildew patches.

The Sewers: (Lethality Level Low) Accessed from anywhere Inside. The adventure Sewers are not to be confused with the gross functional sewers. Where the former are huge underground tunnels filled with relatively clean flowing water, ghouls, oozes, rats, and treasure, the latter are just filled with poo. Some portions of the Sewers are infested with far worse creatures, but thankfully those nasty things have been dormant for a long time. Or so they say...

The Mispelled Cemetary: (Lethality Level Variable) Accessed form Market Street. The Mispelled Cemetary is fully of the restless spirits of the unded who have been ripped from there eternal rest due to the endless propagation of spelling errors on the Internet. The unded in the cemetary proper are pretty week, but catacombs below the cemetary can be accessed through the various crypts on the surface. The deeper into the catacombs ones travels the nastier the unded get. Beware the Eternal Bone Horrers.

Midnight Park: (Lethality Level Moderate) This place enshrines a patch of forest so thick that light never reaches the ground. The smallest trees are wider than most people are tall, and the largest are truly awe-inspiring. The forest floor is a maze of twisting roots, fallen branches, and decaying leaves. There is never a breath of wind among the massive trunks, and the atmosphere is oppressive with fear and gloom.

Or...

At least it used to be oppressive with fear and gloom. Fear and gloom are still around, but they aren't nearly as bad.

Foot paths have been cleared through the forest and lanterns hung up that glow with cool silvery white light to keep the feral shadows at a distance from anyone who decides to walk in the cool of the shadows. Undead creatures that stray too close to the magical lanterns will find themselves illuminated by incandescent sunlight until they retreat back to a safe distance. Signs have been set up admonishing visitors to stay on the paths and warning of the unspeakable doom that will probably befall them if they don't.

Shadows prowl the darkness, their red eyes glinting in the gloom and the air filled with their hungry whispers, though they're loath to approach the paths. There's the occasional bodak or feral vampire spawn lurking around in the park as well, but they tend to keep well away from the paths since those areas are mostly commonly patrolled by the park's custodians.

The custodians, of course, being Team Nightmære. It isn't at all uncommon to find patrols of nightmære shadelings poking about, chatting with visitors, maintaining the trails, or installing new equipment around the park to make visits by the living more pleasant.

The Dungeons of Doom: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from the Sewers. The Dungeons of Doom consists of a seemingly endless descent of themed dungeon floors filled with generally silly monsters and puzzles. But don't let the silliness fool you, the place is plenty deadly if you get too careless. Remember to pay proper respects to giant marble busts of science fiction and fantasy authors that might block your path.

The Radiation Pit: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from Metropolis Square. The Radiation Pit is exactly what it sounds like. A blasted crater full of radiation and the sorts of things you would expect to arise in 50's era films about radiation. So mostly giant irradiated arthropods. The danger here, aside from the radiation mutants, is mostly from environmental hazards. Make sure to pack plenty of Rad-Away.

Bombed Out Zone: (Lethality Level Moderate) Accessed from Hodgepodge Street. A ruined urban landscape of burned out cars, shattered skyscrapers, and crumbling overpasses. It is the site of an ongoing three way battle between zombies, killer robots, and aliens. Getting caught between the factions is pretty dangerous, but scavenging the remains after a battle can yield some great loot.

Black Goat Woods: (Lethality Level High) Accessed from Arkham Street. Black Goat Woods is a park full of awful eldritch abominations. If you go in un-warded you will almost certainly die a horrible death if you're fortunate. With proper warding by the Elder Sign this Red Zone is just dangerous and maddening rather than a complete death trap. If you need to collect some tomes of forbidden lore or repulsive idols try snooping around here. Just remember that Cthulhu eats 2d6 investigators per round.

Everfree Park: (Lethality Level High) Accessed from Carousel Court. This is a wilderness within the heart of the City that hates you and wants you to die. The laws of physics and magic shift here chaotically and without warning. Powerful monsters roam the trees hunting for anyone foolish enough to stumble in. Everything that exists in this park, even the very air you're breathing, is a malevolent force that seeks your destruction. Enter at your own risk.

Azik's Enchantments(Player: Harnel, Grey Zone)

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Those in the area will hear a rumbling as the Nexus begins pulling in something larger than just a single person. Reality bends, and the shape of portal opens above a certain street corner. For a sickening moment, nothing happens, but then things start coming out of the portal - all of them are bricks, building up finally to a door and a roof, with tiny windows built in. There's even a large chimney sticking out of the center of this strange, conical building that begins puffing rainbow smoke almost immediately.

A creature steps out the front door, though many wouldn't consider it a creature - He is a warforged, a living golem. Covered in what appears to be adamantine plates, he looks up and down the street, his longcoat catching in the breeze. as it flutters, one can see a multitude of wands, schema, and scrolls all attached to several belts around his waist and upper legs. On his eyes he wears a pair of blue tinted shades, despite his lack of ears, and the metal orbs that serve as his eyes glow green behind these spectacles. He looks up and down the street. He doesn't seem to be particularly disturbed by the change in location, but he does take the time to call out, in a metallic voice:

"Azik's Enchantments is open for business! Come find a potion, a wand, a scroll to fit any need! We have spellbooks for beginners and experts! Weapons of all shapes and sizes, and armor unlike anything you've ever seen! Come find what you're looking for here!"

And then he heads back inside. So much work, so little time. Inside is as strange as outside, with magic trinkets lining the walls on shelves, but all behind the counter, to keep any stupid kid with the idea to steal something from doing so. You can find just about anything magical here, and that which you can't find, Azik the Warforged can make within a more than reasonable timeframe.

Emergency Bunkers

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Eight bunker-like structures in a ring-like arrangement at about the midpoint between the walls (or the docks) and the center of the city have been completed.

The interior of each is rather dull, rather befitting a bunker, but there are underground areas beneath the visible bunkers. These are similarly dull and military-styled, but they also act as hospitals.

These are mostly designed with emergencies such as shelling in mind, and are usually closed.

Emergency Clinics

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Like the bunkers the clinics are spread through-out the City and are equipped with technology akin to a modern emergency room. Since there's no magical healing available the speed of recovery is going to be noticeably lower than what is available at one of Inside's many temples. However their availability makes them absolutely vital in the application of life-saving care.

Erin's Emporium (Player: The Bushranger, Grey Zone)

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Construction Gnomes have been hard at work renovating a small store along one of the various merchantile roads. Well, it was small. Now it's bigger on the inside.

And filled with every sort of weaponry imaginable, from across the multiverse. From blaster carbines to P-90s, surface-to-air missiles to ballistas, zats to nunchucks, they're all here.

Is that a siege crossbow sitting in the corner?

Evolution Industries Headquarters + Factories (Player: Darkcomet, Blue Zone)

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The headquarters of the company known as Evolution Electronics and Power is a fairly standard-looking modern-day tower in appearance, not quite reaching the level of skyscraper.

The company owns a large factory nearby, used in production of its MACE units, and potentially other products, should it be desired.

The company also possesses a number of other factories around the city, used for production of weaponry and other military materiel.

Retail outlets for Evolution's products are scattered around the city.

Hastings and Sons Mortuary (player: Kid Kris, Grey Zone)

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Near one of the older parts of the city sits a large and somewhat dour building of brick and mortar, built in the traditional sense, with a metal plaque by the door that reads (predictably enough):

Hastings and Sons
MORTUARY
For the preparation of the dearly departed.

And indeed, should one go in one should find all the trappings of a conventional mortuary, including several large visitation rooms, run by this guy:

Though of course, usually without the zombie there.
In recent times however, the true business of the resident Mortician has branched into a more heretical bent, offering certain services to the living impaired (more commonly known as the foul Undead). These start at simple healings and flesh grafts (the flesh occasionally obtained 'legitimately', when a body comes in for cremation and the Mortician gives them an urn full of wood-ash, but usually corpses are obtained through donations from customers or good old fashioned grave-robbing). But services can also range into body part replacement and augmentation for the undead who wishes his creator had seen fight to give him a giant lobster claw or retractable venomous spines, or even full body/flesh reconstruction for the self-conscious lich (or lich in disguise, though making your new flesh look like someone else usually costs extra) or the zombie in his golden years. These customers usually come in through the back door, where there is a plaque listing the full list of services. Though of course some are brazen enough to come through the front door anyway.

((PM if you wish to interact with the Mortician, as Kid Kris may not always check the thread.))

MagMart (Player: Lord Magtok, Blue Zone)

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An absurd mash-up of K-Mart, Wall-Mart, Target, and every other vile retail chain, MagMart is staffed by an unswervingly loyal Magbots, lobotomized talking cats that are too brain-dead to know any better, several voodoo spirits, and a pickle jar that everyone insists is a sentient being that only communes with those who truly believe in it.

Here you can find everything from curtains to carpets, macaroni to monkeys on motorcycles, groceries to zombies. The staff is always happy to help (or else), and if you aren't entirely satisfied with your shopping experience, you can pay a small fee to watch the MagMart employee of your choosing get fired out the MagMart complimentary employee morale cannon.

Magnificus Theater (Player: ThePhantom, Red Zone)

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This large theater is an attempt to bring culture to the city of the Inside. Plays are regularly show here, and if desired other events can be held here.

The walls of the theater are colored with three shades of blue in a wave pattern. Inside the theater are a pair of grand staircases, with the railing colored gold, while the stone of the stairs is white. The stage itself is one of the largest in the Nexus, carefully designed for the greatest enjoyment.

Rules: Please, no violence. If you must have some violent action in a theater, pm me first.

MERC Office (Player: Morty, Grey Zone)

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The building that serves as MERC's de facto embassy in Inside is now open for business (though there is a separate MERC thread that serves as a meta location to post in). It's a large, newly constructed office building with a very no-nonsense look to it. Its purpose is to do business, not more and not less.

Once inside, the prospective licensed mercenaries will be confronted with a large hall lined with tables, behind which NPCs work at filing and cataloguing the people who arrive to receive their certificates. At least one actual MERC member is also usually on a shift in the building.

Sable Spire (Player: Darkcomet, Blue Zone)

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A great, black-colored tower now stands at the highest point of the Skyway. Appearing mostly similar to a modern-day skyscraper, albeit more futuristic, reinforced, and armored. Upon close examination, some parts of the tower appear to conceal compartments of some sort, likely something along the lines of concealed defensive turrets. the top portion of the tower is rather different in appearance.

It appears as a truly massive hatch, similar to what one might see over a missile silo under normal circumstances.

This hatch opens into the landing area of the aerial aircraft carrier Sanctuary, the main asset of the Altaran Irregulars. Said landing area is set to act as an elevator, capable of moving up to the top of the tower or moving back down to conceal whatever is landed (usually the aforementioned carrier) under the heavily armored hatch.

The Spire, constructed by Remnant in an alliance with the Altaran Irregulars, is now a major base for the the latter, who currently act alongside Remnant in protecting the city. Their troops largely use the same equipment as Remnant's, but use the old Imperial black-and-navy color scheme to distinguish themselves.

The The Temperance Teahouse (Grey Zone) Owned by Artemis

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In an old section of the city stands a wooden building of ancient construction. From inside comes the sound of good conversation and, occasionally, music being played. The scents of exotic teas, spices, and good foods drift out onto the street. along with the scents and sounds come an aura of peace and comfort. It's a nice place here, you could definitely stick around for a while, to escape the general madness of the city.

Two wings extend out from the main building. To the north (the right side as you face the tea house) is an extension of the main structure, still made of wood, the architecture is slightly different and more brightly colored, and also noticeably newer. The west side of the building is surrounded by a stone wall, enclosing a garden. The garden ends at a low stone building running the length of the west wall.

[Restaurant]

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Inside the restaurant is filled with tables and chairs, spread out across the dark hardwood floors. Thick wooden pillars support the second floor and the roof, their tops carved with geometric designs. At the north side of the restaurant is a long counter, surrounding an open kitchen. Steam and smoke drift up from the fires and the woks used for cooking. A shelf along the back wall is filled with dozens of tins, each containing a particular tea or herbal blend. Interspersed among them are tea kettles, each one used to brew a particular type of tea.

The center of the restaurant is open to the second floor. Stairs lead up to more seating on the second level, which looks down on the restaurant below over carved wooden balconies. The ceiling above the open space is painted with a mural of a golden dragon floating through the clouds and circling the sun.

Seats on the west side of the building go fast, as they offer the best view of the gardens. The south and east sides offer views of the bustling streets below. The north side of the second floor has no windows and sits above the kitchen, so it is often darker and smokier than the rest of the restaurant.

Menu

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Drinks

Herbal Tea
Green Tea
Black Tea
White Tea
Yellow Tea
Red Tea
Blue Tea - Mentally stimulating.
Purple Tea - Very relaxing and slightly hallucinogenic.
Iced Tea - Served sweet or unsweet, with or without lemon.
Sake - Available chilled, heated, or at room temperature.
Lychee Wine - A rich sweet drink with a deep golden color. Pairs well with seafood. Served cold.

Food

Dim Sum
Sushi
Stir Fry - Served over rice or noodles
Noodles
Soup
Rice Cakes

Sweets

Ice Cream - Vanilla, Green Tea, Red Bean, and Mango flavoured.
Dragon's Beard Candy - A spun sugar similar to cotton candy.
Moon Cake - A dense sweet cake around a salted egg yolk "moon".
Sun Cake - A crunchy pastry filled with a sugary cream.
Tempura Fried Bananas - Served over ice cream.

[North Wing]

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The north wing of the restaurant is of newer construction. It is more brightly painted and more heavily decorated than the main restaurant. Two doorways on each floor lead to a U shaped hallway that runs through the north wing. Sliding paper screens from the inner walls, so that they can be slid aside and make the spaces much larger. The lower floor holds private rooms that can be reserved for larger parties or special meetings. These rooms typically have a long low table surrounded by cushions. The second floor rooms have more flexible floor plans. Most have tables and chairs, often used to host card or board games. A few can be rented out for sleeping quarters, but patrons are reminded that the walls are, literally, paper thin. Disruptive behaviour will have you evicted without a refund.

[Garden]

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The west wing of the tea house is a large garden surrounded by stone wall. A circular gate leads directly from the garden to the streets, as well as doors leading into the restaurant. The garden itself is carefully kept, trees and bushes trained and cut into pleasing shapes. Stone lanterns and statues decorate the garden. Two pools filled with koi fish sit diagonally from one another, connected together by a stream filled with river rocks. The sound of trickling water fills the garden. A winding path leads through the garden and over a low stone bridge. On the far side of the bridge, the path passes through another circular gate guarded by two stone dragons on plinths. the pair stare down at any visitors, questioning their intentions in passing through their gate.

Beyond the Dragon Gate the path becomes perfectly straight. On either side are large black stones surrounded by carefully raked white sand. The path passes under a red Torii gate before encountering the low stone building at the far side of the garden. The building runs the full length of the west wall and is open to the garden. Large prayer wheels line the opening and are turned by the breeze or visiting people. The walls within the building are heavily decorated and covered in hanging scrolls. At the centre of the building is a shrine, covered in candles. Behind it is a mural depicting scenes of a warrior, a golden dragon, and the sun. Sitting on the shrine a wooden statue of a warrior, sitting in meditation, his sword set aside. The wood is lacquered and carefully inlaid with delicate patterns in gold. From the statue emanates a strong aura of peace, which spreads throughout the entire property.

NPCs

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Hideki - A large man with a red face and a long nose, he is most often found in the kitchen, cooking up tasty things.
Hanako - An older woman, her black hair streaked with grey. She is Hideki's wife and most often found behind the counter serving tea.
Sakura - A lovely young woman and the daughter of Hideki and Hanako. She acts as a waitress and sometimes plays music.

OOC: Please Read. Important information.

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The Teahouse and garden are protected by an aura of non-violence. Violent acts cannot be committed here. You cannot attack another patron or do anything that would cause them bodily harm. Anyone who attempts it will find it extremely hard to convince themselves to do it. If a particularly willful person overcomes this compulsion, something in the environment will intervene, as if by seemingly random chance, to protect their victim as if by divine intervention. Because that's exactly what it is.

Needle and Thread (Blue Zone, Player: Artemis97)

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On one side of a wide cobblestoned street is a small shop. The sign hanging over the door depicts a simple spool of thread, pierced by a needle. No words were included, as a courtesy to those who could not read, nor were they needed. It was clear from the merchandise displayed in the two large windows on either side of the door that this was a clothing boutique. The right side displayed the latest in women's fashions, dresses and skirts in unique designs, all detailed by hand with beading and embroidery. The left window showed men's clothing, from a beautifully tailored three piece suit, cut from expensive fabrics, to the very best in adventuring style, rugged and sturdy, clearly built to last.

Inside, racks and mannequins display more clothing, split down the middle between men's and women's fashions. The back wall held rolls of fabric, some plain, others with obviously magical properties. A large, three-sided mirror sits in the back corner, next to a small changing stall. On the other side is a small counter holding a cash register, behind that the door that led to a small workroom.

The Needle and Thread is a clothing shop specializing in custom tailoring and speciality designs. It is owned and operated by Lillith Rock, and the kindly fiendish woman can usually be found behind the counter, or working on orders in the back workroom.

Pontius' Custom Constructs (Player: Earl of Purple, Grey Zone)

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The caravan of 6 wagons (I never said 3! Well, I did, but still.) arrives at a warehouse, previously for sale. The gnomes lead the golems and other constructs inside, and get to work. The warehouse has an open yard at the main entrance, and several golems, like crude figures of worked stone or wood, stand in the yard. A gnome wearing an apron over smart-yet-practical artisan's clothes and puts a sign up.


Pontius's Custom Constructs
Golems of Any Material* at Unbelievably Low Prices!!!**
You Won't Find a Golem, Gargoyle, Guardian or Homonculus Cheaper!!***
Come Now and Buy 1 Get 1 Full Price!!!****



*Flesh has an additional charge. **Define 'low'. ***Except at our competitors. ****Terms and conditions apply.

Sanctuary Fortress of Zoemaytare (Player: Rebonack, Blue Zone)

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Like so many other prominent buildings in Town, or not so prominent buildings for that matter, this place seemed to pop up out of nowhere over night.

Buildings are like mushrooms in Town. Probably spread via spores, too.

Regardless, here it is. A rather sizeable campus marble hewn from the mountains some distance away. Carved and hauled here near the edge of the slums where they were no doubt assembled. Though... no one can quite place a finger on when this happened.

Though the buildings aren't of only cold hard stone, no. There are timbers as well. Not what one might expect, however. They seem almost organic. As though they had grown into place rather than being hewn.

Oddness aside, the temple is arranged in a rather interesting fashion. Several concentric wall and courtyards ending in a central temple.

The outer wall is lower than the rest, each tier of the temple built onto higher ground like a wedding cake. Each wall is topped with a roof supported on the inside by pillars, creating a sheltered walkway. The exact use of these porches depends on the section of the temple one happens to be in.

Anyone is allowed entry through the first wall and into the first court, the Court of Meeting. Beyond the second wall only worshippers of Zoemaytare are allowed admittance to the second court, the Court of the Blessed. Beyond the third wall only the priests are allowed, where they carry out holy rituals within the temple itself.

The Court of Meeting is dedicated to service of those the worshippers of Zoemaytare dwell among. Food is prepared for the hungry here and given out without expectation of recompense. Those without a place to lay their head are allowed to sleep within the porch. The grounds beyond the porch are devoted to a wondrous garden boasting vibrancy and spectacular color. This are is always comfortably warm and brimming with life. Wounds heal faster as the body is refreshed. Undead creatures will find that remaining here is decidedly uncomfortable.

The sky above the temple seems to be perpetually clear, filled with pleasant sunlight in the day and cloaked with gossamer stars at night. Benches are set up here and there, under trees with hanging branches and above fragrant shrubbery. A lively stream flows endlessly in a circuit about the Court, spilling into several larger pools and meandering up a small outcrop of stone before cascading back down the other side.

This section of the temple is tended by members of the faith. Not priests, though devote. They can be found tending the garden and serving warm food. When in service to the temple these devotees wear a white linen ephod bearing the symbol of a willow tree, ornately rendered in blue thread. They'll be more than happen to answer any questions. Priests tend to have stricter ceremonial garb, including a blue tunic and white robe in addition to the ephod.

Welcome, traveller. May you be more blessed when you leave than when you came.

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New information that isn't readily noticeable at first glance at the temple will be added here.

The temple grounds are protected by a dampening field that blocks unauthorized teleporation and dimensional shifting. The place is something of a fortress after all. Being able to pop in and out at will would defeat the purpose.

Zoemaytare isn't a god of (fill in the black) but rather the patron and protector of her people. As such, her domain, if she even has one, is over all that her people do. The people in question are collectively known as the Zoeos, and this particular temple is their first major venture into Town. At present their stated goal is to set up trade relations and aid the city. This is ministered through the temple on account of the Zoeos government being a theocracy.

It just so happens that there's a dungeon under the temple, though the entrance to it is well hidden.

NPCs thus far:

Potentate of the temple: the head priest and administrator. He has yet to be seen 'on screen' though he has been referred to.

Regent Zachius: And elderly human with a coppery complexion and deep-set wrinkles, the sort of face one expects of a person who has spent a great deal of time in the sun smiling. He's a kind old fellow who is in charge of the Court of Meeting.

Regent Stephen: A younger human who smells rather distinctly of wolf. He's in charge of the dungeons of the temple and seems to be a rather caring and compassionate fellow. It's his job to bring the cases of prisoners before the Potentate.

Regent Thadeus: One of the priests who aids in minor upkeep in the temple proper. He usually isn't seen outside the temple and since his position doesn't put him in much contact with the common folk he tends to be somewhat aloof and judgmental. Also happens to be an elf. Those snooty elves!

Bognus Thundershield: a lay dwarf that operates the temple's teleporter, primarily from Trog's. Though people can be 'ported in from elsewhere as well. While it isn't commonly known, this device can send people over rather long distances, though it's somewhat inaccurate when doing so. Bognus is a bit gruff, though generally good natured. He speaks with a thick Scottish Dwarven accent.

The Statue of Vyrn (Blue Zone)

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On a hill near Evergreen Gardens at an previously empty lot surrounded by spot lights now stands an over 300 feet tall (100 meters tall to be exact) mitharal statue of Emperor Vyrn. Whoever made it seems to have tried to come as close to his likeness as possible on a white mithral surface.
The emperor is dressed in his most most archetypical attire, one fist raised to the skies and another clutching a sword held against the ground. His face perfectly stoic as he overlooks Inside's harbor.
The statue is actually hollow and small groups of people are allowed to take the elevator up to be able to see the city from atop the statues head. Otherwise security is tight around the statue with a tall fence, guards and security cameras there to prevent people from defacing it.
At night the statue is still clearly visible thanks to the many spotlights illuminating it, still making it visible for anyone approaching the city, by day or night.

The Swordfish (Player: Ghar, Grey Zone)

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A new shop has opened up in Market Street. The building is a simple affair. A brick building with a massive chimney that constantly billows smoke. On the inside a massive forge dominates the far wall from the entrance. All manner of smithing equipment is carefully placed around the large room that dominates most of the building. Lining the two side walls are many tools for his craft, while lining the far wall are the products of that craft.

Swords, swords of all shapes and sizes. Some brutally efficient, simple weapons and others pieces of art that are no less functional. Each and every sword is obviously the work of a master.

And the master is always present. A great robot moves around the room, always working and experimenting with its remarkable talent. The machine is a hulking, bronze coloured humanoid. The robot has a number of slides and doors, implying there's more to it than is immediately apparent. Finally, at its head is a glass dome, filled with water. Dominating the container is a great carp, as big as a man. It gazes at it's work with eyes that know little more than hate. Hate and its new inspiration.

Word travels quickly of this bizarre master swordsmith. Though it is quite fearsome, the quality of its blades are unmatched.

St. Guinevere's Sanatorium for Lunatics and Object Seekers (Player: Anyone, Gray Zone)

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This insane asylum exists for people questing after Objects from the Holders Mythos. Anyone can run an Object quest, but please look at the community agreed guidelines first as it helps keep things consistent.

If you want to use the Sanatorium for other uses, feel free, but expect it to be a house of unspeakable horrors.

The Temple of Dalachrech (Player: Earl of Purple, Grey Zone)

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The first room entered is a foyer. On the walls are red drapes with silver, two-tailed scorpions embroidered on to them, and next to the door is an ornate font. The granite font stands about waist height, and is a plinth with a bowl of unholy water. Winding around the font are carved centipedes. A door away from this chamber leads to the main prayer hall. This room also has drapes with the two-tailed scorpion device on the walls, and a red velvet carpet flanked by wooden pews leads to an altar at the far end. The altar is covered with red velvet, with a gold statue and red candles placed upon it. The statue depicts a demon with a centipede's body, a scorpion's tail with spinnerets next to the sting, a stag beetle's head and the claws of a praying mantis.

Please PM Earl of Purple before entering this location.

Trollfinger, Ironpick & Greencheek, Mining & Engineering (Player: Morty, Blue Zone)

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A run-down building near Trog's Tavern was bought by three goblin entrepreneurs with a large crew and now houses their mining and engineering company. Everyone who needs something dug, built, repaired or blown up is welcome.

Warwick Works (player: happyturtle, Grey Zone)

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In the industrial area, a building is rented and has a new sign put out front.

W
Warwick Works

The building itself consists of a small office area in front and warehouses in back. There is no indication of what sort of business this is, but a certain cyborg with a satellite might recognize the logo and name.

Witch Which's Wish Shop (Grey, Player: Haruki-kun)

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Welcome. If you have stepped into this store, it is because you have a wish.

The store is big, ancient and beautiful. It has a large garden with colourful flowers, a pond with fish and running water, and chirping birds. This is the outside of the store. The inside, however, is, to put it simply, gloomy. There’s burning candles and incense everywhere. From the hall where you enter you are led off into a side room with a low table and cushions around it. A tall, masked and unnamed stranger brings tea and snacks to the guests. The Witch sits opposite and rarely ever moves.

RULES (OOC):

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This is a Wish shop. Your character will only enter this shop if he has a wish. Whether the wish is granted or not is a different issue.
Witch Which is in charge of the shop and will grant wishes to everyone who asks, regardless of intent or alignment, as long as the appropriate price is paid. Under certain conditions:

Condition one: Witch Which will not haggle. She couldn’t lower a price or overcharge even if she wanted to. A balance must be kept in order for the wish to be granted.

Condition two: When a Wish directly affects another player’s character in a way that would be considered godmodding, the other player must agree first.

Condition three: The Witch may not reject any wish unless the price is too high to be paid. Wishes to take a life or to destroy the world, for example, carry a price higher than anyone can pay. ANYONE.

Condition Four: The Witch will never engage in battle. Be glad. The Witch is the very definition of True Neutral.

Condition Five: The store is not hard to access; in fact, there’s a big sign outside and everything. However, the store’s grounds exist in a special separate dimension, protecting it from anything that could destroy it, up to and including plot.

Condition Six: Haruki-kun reserves the right to alter the conditions if he feels they’re causing problems such as godmodding or similar issues.

(Haruki-Kun wishes for a PM to be sent to him upon someone entering the shop so he knows about it.)

Inside's Defenses, Remnant, and The Council

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Defenses

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As stated above, the city of Inside is defended by the Walls, Moat and DOOM-Shield, but it is also defended by a more "mundane" force field that can be called upon in times of need, as well as a number of more conventional defensive capabilities, nearly all of which are manned and controlled by Remnant(Controlled for the most part by Wolfbane). These include things from Emergency Bunkers, Relief Stations, Anti-Aircraft Cannon, and the like.

Remnant

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As stated before, Remnant is Inside's police force, army, and main defensive body. It is made up of the remains of what was once the Acronymian Empire, and consists of hundreds of men, women, and machines, both soldier and civilian, sacrificing their daily lives and time to make sure the city of Inside is relatively safe for it's citizens. There are Remnant Outposts all throughout the city, with the main HQ in Blue Zone, and less Outposts in Red Zone. These can be reached fairly easily, and allow people to report crimes, turn in criminals, collect bounties, and even ask to be recruited. Remnant controls most of Inside's defenses, but also controls Rapid Response Units capable of stopping fires, providing emergency medical aide, and even disaster relief to clean up debris and fix buildings and roads damaged by the day to day events of Inside.

Squads of Remnants patrol the streets "every so often" and should anyone need one, can interact with them (Please check in OOC upon doing so, however).

As a note, Low-Level Remnants can be Godmodded! They can be assumed to fight the fires that pop up, but can also be asked to provide basic information. This also means that they can be bribed for less well-known information such as someone's name and rank, or to look the other way for a small crime, such as theft. Anything more, please post in OOC in case there is something that needs clarified. The Remnants can be godmodded to be killed on occasion, but if it happens too fast, too often, one of the Remnant players may step in and RP it out. Once again, please post in OOC if you plan on killing a Remnant NPC.

What is NOT Godmoddable:

-Getting Security Codes
-Accessing Secure Areas
-Killing off more than one or two NPCs at a time, or killing a Named Remnant NPC/PC
-Stealing Identities
-Destroying Remnant facilities

It is not impossible for these to happen, but with proper warning provided to a Remnant player, it can be RP'd out and attempted. However, it should be noted that only Low-Ranking Remnants can be Godmodded in this way.

[Cyber Punk]

The Cream Place- Icy What You Mean

"I meant try some of mine, not have a bowl of your own. Thank you, Nisha. Your smiles are pretty too, you shouldn't hide them." Natalie blushes when she's called beautiful; she's never been called that before, I think.

The Cream Place - Got my ice on you

Nisha blushes. "T-Thanks Talie. It's all thanks to you." She reaches across the table to place her hand on Natalie's, and starts to say something when the waitress returns with their ice cream bowls. "Enjoy!"

Nisha wastes no time in sampling the rum and raisins. "It's... nice!" She sounds surprised.

[Fenric]

[Carousel Court]

Beholder-Arlem negates magic in a wide swath around him.

Nick escapes mashing, but not so much the bears who were still around and are pounded into paste!

Red fails to indimidate the gummi bears, who may be gaining intelligence but aren't at all afraid of much

Hikari and her helper wreak utter havoc on the unsuspecting gummis who are facing the wrong way and have no hope of resisting! Another ten fall to their blades.

Now, the gummi bears start to look vaguely draconic.

Arlem has negated magic, so he gets three flat-out psionic blasts seeking to knock him down and break his mind.

Melina concentrates and blasts out Confusion, resulting in several gummi bears blasting each other!

Nick's attempt at escape brings a veritable swarm of Magic Missiles screaming his way: no less than twenty of the undodgeable projectiles twist through the air toward the armored griffin.

Red Velvet shook off the cold, and now is treated to a Lightning Bolt, Prismatic Spray, and Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting: the name on the front indicating that it is the dreadful open-ended 2nd edition one...

A gummi bear has jumped up onto Izanami's back and is trying to stuff its stubby arms into her ears. She resists frantically!

[Recaiden]

[Carousel Court]

Arlem is knocked down! And then he floats back up to his normal height.
Knocked down! Bops back up.
Knocked down! Bops back up.
Beholders may wobble, but they don't fall down.
A for effort, D for content. No finesse. It hurt a bit, but that's not how to mind-blast someone who can outthink any one of you.
Although if that magic is what it looks like, they're about to pass him in raw strength.

Then he shouts at these well-meaning combatants, voice warped through a mouthful of fangs.
"STOP KILLING THE BEARS! It's only encouraging them!"

His eyes twitch, and colorful beams go here and there.
You, gummi, go to sleep.
You, gummi, sloooooow.
You, on Izanami, kindly go flying off into the air.
You, watermelon-flavored one, you're my friend now. You don't want to hurt us, do you? Sit down and think about your life.

"Melina, use Moonbeam! That should weaken their magic."

[Rebonack]

[Carousel Court]

Wuh oh.

That's quite the fusillade of magical death.

Red slides away from the bolt, taking a glancing shot that vaporizes the frost from her coat and leaves her skin sizzling and raw. Ouch! She quickly builds a hemispherical sanguine shield in front of herself, the prismatic spray splashing against it and causing the barrier to go insane!

...

Of course, since the barrier is just telekinetically empowered blood thrumming with thaumaturgic power, it can't really go insane and thus... doesn't.

When the pulse of water-sapping magic blasts it, though, the blood wall crumbles away into a pile of rusty colored powder.

Red appears to be suitably annoyed by this.

"No killing? I suppose tying them up is kinky enough," the gloomicorn mutters, launching several spinning blood bolos toward the mob of bears. Hopefully if they're sufficiently grappled by the animated, steel-hard bonds they won't be able to focus on their magical or psionic attacks.

[FireFox]

Quiet Zone - Evil Death Temple Driftwood Spa



"Of course!" The clerk takes the cash from Diane and hands her her change, as well as a bundle similar to what he'd handed to Iamar earlier. "Changing rooms are down the hall to your right, and the private baths are further down. If you'd like any refreshments, you can find our snack bar in the smaller building next to this one."

Iamar had gone down the hall the clerk had mentioned earlier as soon as she was waved off.

[Driftwood Spa]

The young commando automatically takes the bundle, inspecting it thoroughly once she's out of the clerk's sight, and walks down the hall to the changing room. It makes sense, now that she's thinking about it. Only one or two watchers can follow the target in, undressing proves disarmament while precludes technological communication, and the sound of running water will make eavesdropping harder. Add a potion to the waters or even alchemical bath salts and her magic methods of communication and information gathering could be negated. This is it! The Mortal Coil Infiltrator is meeting her handler right here!

[Earl of Purple]

Ice Cream Place- Ice-uspect I am Nearly Out of Puns

"I'm glad you like it. That's why this is my favourite flavour." She eats hers quite slowly, trying to savour it as long as she can, and also avoid brain-freeze. She also thanked the waitress.

[Cyber Punk]

[The Cream Palace - For good raisin, I'm sure]

Nisha follows suit and savors her new favorite flavour slowly, though Natalie might notice that she sets aside any raisins she has, not eating any of them.

If asked why, she'll mumble something about disliking the taste of raisins. Luckily, there was more ice-cream than raisins in her first scoop.

"Want more raisins, Talie?" Nisha asks, smiling.

[Deathkeeper]

Carousel Court

Nick lets his mask fold up into his collar, and waits until most of the missiles have approached him to let out a powerful roar, unleashing a wave of repulsive force in all directions around him, hopefully knocking many of the missiles out of the sky.

[Earl of Purple]

The Cream Place- If We Continue Like This, We'll Have To Rum Away

Natalie does ask, and smiles at the answer. "You barely taste them in this ice cream, anyway. Well, you probably can in that mass there. Yes, please." Natalie pushes her bowl closer to Nisha's, and will help swap the raisins into her bowl.

[Cyber Punk]

[The Cream Place - Well, It's a good sundae to pun]

Something about the act of transferring raisins to Natalie's bowl fills Nisha with happy feelings, the sort she hasn't felt until recently. After the transfer, she smiles and thanks Natalie.

"You know, Talie... I'm glad I met you." She can't help but say. "You're the nicest person I've ever met that isn't my big sister in a long while." She reaches to touch fingers with her date.

[Ionbound]

Carousel Court

Hikari pants after the expenditure of such effort, then glares at the Eye Tyrant, shouting, "I don't have many options here!!" She closes her eyes, thinking, then says, "Lady Izanami...Please help us take down these gummi bears without making them stronger."

[Earl of Purple]

The Cream Place- Sundae is Always a Good Day to Pun

"I'm glad I met you, too, Nisha. Everyone should smile, and yours is so pretty." Natalie will hold hands with Nisha, eating her raisins and ice-cream.

[Cyber Punk]

The Cream Place - Dear Dairy, Today I Ate Ice Cream

Nisha blushes when called pretty, and mumbles her thanks. Still holding hands, she eats her ice cream without raisins in silence, unless Natalie says something first.

If she doesn't, then after a while, Nisha will speak up. "I noticed you l-like books. Which ones do you have?"

[Earl of Purple]

The Cream Place- If I Give You Enough Lolly, Can We Stop?

"I'm quite a fan of fantasy and science fiction. The Lord of the Rings is one of my favourites, by J.R.R. Tolkien, but recently I've gotten into some books set in Anglo-Saxon England by a guy called Bernard Cornwell. Those are more historical fiction than fantasy, though." They're also very good, as Mr. Cornwell is a historian and it shows, with well-researched historical facts in his fiction. He also wrote the Sharpe novels.

[Cyber Punk]

The Cream Place - :(

Nisha nods at some points when Natalie describes her likes. "It's been a long time since I saw someone read an actual book. It's mostly electronic books we have back in my homeworld." She says. "I like books about birds and manga comic books. Heard of manga?"

[Earl of Purple]

The Cream Place- Lolly = Slang for Money; Also, Short For Lollipop

"They're around my homeworld, but haven't made it big yet. There's something about the feel of a real book that tablet computers can't emulate. Isn't manga back to front? I've never read any, but that's what I've heard." I can't get my head around reading it back to front, so I've not read any manga. I read Western graphic novels, and I enjoy some anime, but I don't read manga.

[Cyber Punk]

The Cream Place - :D

"The book version is back-to-front and right-to-left, Talie. On the net, it's only read right-to-left." This is true in real life, too. Right-to-left reading online.

Nisha opens her palm, and it begins to glow. A floating holo screen appears, with a manga scene of two badass-looking small girls with big guns talking about something. "Also, we don't use tablets as much these days, we use trid holoscreens. Like this."

[Earl of Purple]

The Cream Place

"No internet on my world. That's one reason why electronic books haven't kicked off. High technology, high magic, no cross-continental travel or communication, and lots of wild areas between civilisation that are very dangerous and home to the reason why long-distance travel is so dangerous and rare. Dragons in the mountains, sphinx in the desert, griffons on the steppes and more deep-sea predators than you can shake a ship at. And without long-distance travel, there's no way to create the infrastructure needed for long-distance communication. America's nearly a myth, with only one in ten ships surviving the journey there and back, as is the entirety of Africa beyond a day's travel from the Mediterranean and the Nile, and there's lots of emptiness between European and Asian civilisations. I'd never even heard of Australia until I looked at a map of a world that at least had Europe right. There's no decent maps on my world, either, beyond a strictly local level, and most of those are inaccurate." It's a very odd world, but it's generally safe in the civilised areas; sea serpents haven't been seen in the Mediterranean for nearly two hundred years, and the only dragons left in England live in the Hebrides, and the Alpine breed is believed extinct. Though the Isle of Man, home to people for thousands of years, revealed itself to be a gigantic kraken when it awoke ten years ago and migrated to deeper water.

Natalie is fascinated by Nisha's holoscreen, as it's far beyond her homeworld's technology. And I've encountered web comics that, despite being written in English, were inspired by manga and read left-to-right.

[Devixer]

[Driftwood Spa]

The young commando automatically takes the bundle, inspecting it thoroughly once she's out of the clerk's sight, and walks down the hall to the changing room. It makes sense, now that she's thinking about it. Only one or two watchers can follow the target in, undressing proves disarmament while precludes technological communication, and the sound of running water will make eavesdropping harder. Add a potion to the waters or even alchemical bath salts and her magic methods of communication and information gathering could be negated. This is it! The Mortal Coil Infiltrator is meeting her handler right here!

The bundle doesn't include much - after all, Diane only paid for the basic package. There's a simple cloth robe to change into, a towel for drying off, and a key for one of the private baths, marked with a number.

The changing room is standard affair, with a few rows of lockers for visitors to store their personal belongings. They seem to have some sort of magic on them to increase their storage space, as Diane might notice when she sees Iamar. She had walked in wearing her full armor and her sword, and now both were gone and she was already putting on a robe of her own. The numerous and varied scars adorning her body probably didn't escape Diane's notice. Iamar is also carrying a small cloth bag with her.

[Fenric]

[Carousel Court]

Bears are zapped by Arlem's eye-beams! They are all quite effective, and Izanami is rescued from a really icky flavor of mind control.

Bears are gummed up by icky blood blobs! Magic is going to be rough since they can't move... but staying really still is good for concentration, so unless the blobs do something more interesting, the bear's psionic abilities will not be hindered one bit.

Nick's roar is very effective: Magic Missiles are annoying, but not very powerful individually and are well-countered by the force magic of his roar.

And then, Hikari prays...

Izanami stands bolt upright and speaks a terrible curse over the gummi bears

As you have chosen to embrace this life, now bound be you to it. No more shall you increase by the mere destruction of an instant: nay indeed, now let each loss be felt most keenly and be you diminished by your rampage!

The curse blasts out from the angry goddess, and the bears feel it at once: this was certainly not in Anak's original plans! Now having spread out is a distinct disadvantage, and the bears scramble to join up: slamming into each other and merging together as quickly as they possibly can. They all leave off attacking.

[Recaiden]

[Carousel Court]

"Now, we can kill them!"

Arlem stops holding back the more dangerous eyes. Drifting forward to get a better view of the panicking gummis, he adds the death ray, the disintegration blast, the petrification beam.
Optimally, he would probably try to pick off bears that were closest to another bear, but he's just looking at whatever he thinks he can hit.

[Rebonack]

[Carousel Court]

Red purses her lip at the curse.

She was about to ask if she's allowed to kill the gummies yet, but thankfully she gets an answer! "About time. Stay clear, lovelies, this next trick is to die for."

Her magic begins twisting around inside, coiling into a tight ball of pulsing crimson veins and jagged steel spikes. With a flick of her horn she tosses the grapefruit sized ball toward the middle of the area all the gelatin monstrosties are clustering.

And upon hitting the ground?

It explodes like a fragmentation grenade. Even at the distance they are, the rest of our heroes will be able to feel the concussive blast in their chest.

And it doesn't blow up like any normal fragmentation grenade, that would be boring. No, it explodes like a fragmentation grenade with razor-wire strung between the violently hurtle chunks of shrapnel.

Suffice to say, being anywhere near it probably wouldn't be very healthy for anyone.

[Deathkeeper]

Carousel Court

Nick looks all around the place. There are now energy beams of destruction flying everywhere, blasts of blood magic annihilating enemies left and right, deathknights doing deathknight things.
He sighs. A great, tired sigh, with a shake of his head.
"Why don't I ever meet anyone normal?" he says, and contributes a regular old fragmentation grenade to the pile of death.

[Ionbound]

Carousel Court

Hikari laughs, "Hah...Hahahaha! Yes! Thank your Lady Izanami!" She deeply inhales, then says, "Yo****sune, forgive me. I must use your technique." She then raises her sword and her persona materializes as she says, "Hassou Tobi." Then...She seems to waver. In the briefest of moments, most of the gummis will find a very angry death knight and/or spectral samurai behind them, impaling them, then moving on to the next. After another moment, she reappears where she was standing, looking exhausted. She salutes Izanami, saying, "Job done, m'lady..." then passes out.

[Fenric]

[Carousel Court]

Izanami blasts a path to her friend and companion, picking up Hikari even as she falls

Well done, my dearest friend. Rest now, and recover.

Arlem, Nick, and Red Velvet wreak utter havoc on the survivors: laying waste to a sizeable quantity. Still, the survivors gather up and merge together into a single individual who glares at the group. All except one, whom Melina has immobilized: and she waits.

Anak scowls darkly

Enough of this! It is time for you all to die!

Then he summons his darkest power: drawing the very living essence from the ground and turning it to ash in a circle that spreads out from him rapidly, soon devastating a ninety-foot wide radius with the dire stuff. A wind picks up and swirls the ash round and round, up into the air: a gasping, choking, life-draining storm.

Now PERISH!

And in a burst of dire energy, the storm expands outward: threatening not just Arlem, Nick, Melina, and well... not Red Velvet..., but the entire community!

[UncleWolf]

Loch and Key

"After this? We could always see the keep so you finally can meet my children. Sakura and Adir are also staying with us at the moment so you get a chance to see them as well." The sorceress suggests.

"I think I would like that." Jezebel says with a small smile before holding a hand in front of himself. "Though I should probably change back to my usual self before we get there. Unless you'd prefer I stay like this a little longer? I'm sure constantly switching isn't easy to keep track of."

[Cyber Punk]

The Cream Place

Nisha listens intently, eager to learn all she can about Natalie. "Wow, your world sounds weird, Talie." She says, wide-eyed. "I'd like to go visit sometime." She smiles.

"My world is..." The smile falls off her face and she stares at her ice-cream. "There's a saying I heard once: 'Any sufficiently-advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. That's true in my homewrold. High technology, no magic in the traditional sense. My void control, my sister's lightning? It's genetic. It means if we have any children, they'll have abilities, too. They call us neo-humans, largely because 'mutant' has become a slur."

This is supposed to be a date, Raven! She chastises herself and forces herself to look at Natalie as she continues speaking and eating ice-cream. "A series of events took place within the last few centuries that turned most of the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland. My home continent of The African Union wasn't as badly affected, as well as the European State and most of the Asian State. The remainder of us were able to rebuild, band together and develop technology far beyond what the world knew in the past, but we still can't penetrate the wall of rads that separates us from America. As such, it's become a place of legend, and no one is sure if it still exists. They probably do, and think they're the only ones left."

Wasteland 2, anybody?

She pauses to eat some more ice cream. "Monsters exist, but they're usually genetic mistakes... or at least, that's what big sister says."

[Recaiden]

[Carousel Court]

Okay Melina. Now.

As for the beholder, well, this isn't his favorite turn of events. His eyes are closed against the killing ash, and as it swirls outward, he falls to the ground, rolling away.

He does not bob back up to his proper levitating height.

[Shadowcaller]

"I think I would like that." Jezebel says with a small smile before holding a hand in front of himself. "Though I should probably change back to my usual self before we get there. Unless you'd prefer I stay like this a little longer? I'm sure constantly switching isn't easy to keep track of."

Loch and Key

"Perhaps it would be best if you look like your... usual self when you meet the children. They might get confused otherwise." Cessie replies, probably underestimating the fact that children usually have a easier time picking up new concepts than adults.
"Is that alright with you?"