[Nexus] Outside XXVII

[C'nor]

[Flats]

Talnissa looks mildly confused.

"Why would you have a master?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
It is in my nature. I am a construct and I am to take the commands of a master.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"What sort of construct? And is there a reason that you can't define yourself as your master?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
I believe "golem" is an accurate term.
As for the second question, it is written in my directives that I cannot be my own master.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"So what would happen if your current master ordered you to become your own master?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
I would respond that I cannot do such a thing. There are certain directives that override a master's will.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"Alright. What level of free will do you have if your master doesn't give you any orders?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
I usually will wait for more orders.

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele

Spoiler

"Humans live for maybe eighty years. But in that time, they'll have many children. Some have as many as eight or nine, but the average is five or six. They make up for their stupidity with sheer weight of numbers." Elezibethele's making up the numbers, but she sounds confident in them.

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle

Spoiler

When the curtain rises, Azurelle's asleep, one arm draped over Toy. She seems to be quite deeply asleep, but she might be feigning it.

[The Alexandrian]

[Hermitage of Dalachrech - Elezibethele]

Spoiler

Truth is seldom necessary if the acting accompanying the lie is even half-decent.

But wow those numbers are big. Stunningly so, I declare!

"That's a scary thought. Is there a reason they haven't overrun the world yet? Have they only recently come into being?"

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle]

Spoiler

What motive would there be for Azurelle depriving herself of sleep? And were she awake, would not her time be better allocated to tormenting her slaves even more.

Toy considers attempting to strangle Azurelle to death. No. Azurelle would easily overpower her. She is weak while Azurelle is extremely strong, having conditioned her body for combat for the majority of her life, purportedly. Too bad Toy can't reach any of the weapons mounted on Azurelle's chamber walls. That might do the trick...but she'd need the key...

But with Azurelle holding Toy while she sleeps, that's not going to happen...

-------
[Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival]

Innocent? Percival? Are we speaking of the same demonazi?
I was merely suggesting that he might threaten to let go of her if she continued to refuse to open her eyes.

Eericka will open her eyes, as she is sure that Percival is resolute and will not bring an end to all of this if she doesn't comply with all of his requests in a timely manner.

She is basically powerless up here; she is out of her element. In addition, she doesn't trust Percy much, if at all. He might drop her at a whim.

Eventually, those pessimistic thoughts subside. Eericka, remarkably, begins to genuinely enjoy the ride! This is evidenced by her intense giggling and her thrilled smile as the pair "rain" on the dew.

I sense a bond developing between Eericka and Percival, though that bond may well be entirely one-sided!

[Earl of Purple]

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele

Spoiler

"Humans enjoy killing each other more than I enjoy killing humans. And I really enjoy killing humans. And they've only been civilised for a few thousand years." Given that elves (my elves, anyway) live for five hundred or so years, that's not very long at all.

Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle

Spoiler

There's also the fact of where the key is. Azurelle put it on a bedside cabinet on her side of the bed. In order for Toy to reach it, she'd have to clamber over Azurelle, and it might be just out of reach even so.

Azurelle continues to sleep.

[Eruantion]

Originally Posted by Murkus

Molodai eats beside her new companion and, seeing him lie down, tries to go and do the same. On top of his head. Still covered in blood. I imagine that will get sticky. "You can eat a lot."

The dragon snorts, a puff of smoke escaping his nostrils. "That I can, small one. By the way, I have not even asked your name. I am Brythaern."

[ThirdEmperor]

Riv's Hamlet- Inside the Rusty Wheel

"Rain? No, it's a bit late in the year for that, don't you think? Bout the start of the snowy season, actually." The barkeep mutters, laconically plodding over to the fireplace and giving the coals a poke. Not using a fire-poker, mind you, just kicking at the dwindling fire with his boot. Which oddly enough, doesn't end up with him getting a burnt foot. "As for news, betcha you saw the gate when you wandered in, right? Bet you're wondering bout that. Well, couple days ago, two strangers attacked. Killed the guards, tore down the doors, kidnapped Jollain. Bastards." He continues, tossing a leg of lamb and slice of bread onto the cooking rack above the fire. "Bit surprising that we'd have so many visitors recently, really. Not many people come by nowadays. I'm sure you've figured out why."

Riv's Hamlet- Outside the Gates

By the time Javert completes a half circle around the wall to the western side, the sun has indeed completed it's descent, falling beyond the horizon as the moon rises to replace it. As the last rays of sunlight fade away, so does the light coming from the town, pinpoints of illumination flickering out as candles and lanterns are extinguished. In contrast the forest seems to come alive, the undergrowth rustling with activity and the trees echoing with birdsong. It probably wouldn't be wise to stick around, considering the sadly accurate rumors about the strange beasts that prowl this neck of the woods.

The ruined portion of town that Javert now surveys is just that- ruins. Scorched, partially collapsed houses that no-one ever thought to demolish, either out of apathy or respect for the dead. More importantly, there doesn't appear to be anyone living amongst the rubble, which means no witnesses should Javert try to scale the walls. Of course, there's still the issue of the razor wire that's been wound around the edges of the palisade and of the guards patrolling it, one of which is due to pass by any minute. Really, it's a shame that the wall was built after the explosion which destroyed half the town, otherwise it would be far easier to sneak in.

[Wolfbane]

Outside Riv's Hamlet

Javert goes deeper into the brush before unlocking his case. Inside is a set of inky-black armor and several other pieces of equipment. The armor is pulled on quickly, and his image blurs slightly, as if melding into the shadows, making him hard to focus on, masks his body temperature, and renders him impossible to see in the UV spectrum. He straps on a pair of sabers onto his back as he whispers prayers behind his mask. He kneels down, bowing his head as he honors his deity. "I long for death, not because I seek peace, but because I seek the War Eternal." He quotes before standing up and drawing the tarnished silver rapier at his side.

Ah, so you have need of me again, "Master"?

I will always have need for you, Pride.

The daemonblade simply chuckles in response and Javert activates a sound dampener around himself, muffling noises, and almost switches his mask for a black Comedy one. He stops himself with a smirk. No, he wasn't going to tarnish his reputation by hiding the mask from those he was going to kill.

As he waits for the guards to come in sight, he coats Pride with a tarry substance. Poison? I thought you were going to give them quick deaths.

It is quick. But I want them to scream in agony at the slightest cut.

Hmph. Not so subtle today, are we? Not that I care of course. If you die, I'll just get someone more worthy than you to wield me.

Javert ignores the Daemon's comment and upon seeing the guard, darts towards the wall with supernatural speed and agility, staying low to the ground and looking little more than a blurred shadow. When he reaches the wall, he leaps. As he's in the air, he spins, cutting Pride through the air at the Pizza Clones' necks in a single smooth motion. Regardless of whether or not the attack is successful, he should be over the wall and on the other side without touching the razor wire, and runs gracefully towards the more populated parts of town.

The white Comedy mask, while hard to see without much light, is the only unblurred part of the assailant and grins mockingly the entire time.

[Murkus]

Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival

But that would be a waste of a perfectly good slave! And a potential soul for Hell's service. Besides, Percival isn't actually a demon. Merely a human soul that went to one layer of the Abyss. This means that on one hand, while he is a selfish and manipulative creature, he is also capable of feeling empathy as well as some measure of compassion.

Of course, before one begins to actually like Percival as a character, you have to remember the whole 'Nazi' thing.

Percy says nothing as they turn into a brief, stomach-turning corkscrew. The demonazi's wings snap back out violently, flapping in the wind, and he dips back below the clouds again. Hopefully Eericka won't panic again upon seeing how high in the air they are.

Forest

Molodai crawls around to look Brythaern in the eye from above. She grins sharply. "I'm Molodai."

[The Alexandrian]

[Riv's Hamlet - Inside of the Rusty Wheel]

Blaine notes the kicking of the coals. He figures that the man is particularly resistant to heat due to either the miracle of prosthetics or the intervention of magic. Useful intel, but by no means essential.

The assassins sent in by MURDER to eliminate Riv actually tried to force their way through the gates? Wow. Warsh shakes his head from left to right incredulously. That was the path that only a complete and utter imbecile would take. Draw attention. Put everyone on alert. This is a protectorate of a very well-armed and outfitted operation boasting military prowess and cutting edge science, for Pete's sake!

"Got a bank in the city limits? I'll bet they were trying to rob it. Sound like a bunch of scumbags to me, nothing better to do with their time than pester you good folk!"

"And that is quite odd... What do you reckon is the cause for the lot of 'em venturing into these parts? Any strange cults 'round here?"

Blame Cthulhu and his followers for everything and anything. They're always responsible...somehow.

-------
[Hermitage of Dalechrech - Percival]

Hey! People have an infinite capacity for change. Without that quality, mankind as a whole would be doomed.

Eericka shouts in pleasant surprise as the pair dip below the clouds. The careening, twisting, and turning has shot an adrenaline spike down her spine. It is exhilarating. Gods, Eericka loves this feeling. Euphoria. It is very, very addictive.

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech- Elezibethele]

Spoiler

"I guess humans really are inferior..."

Mine states. He doesn't doubt that Azurelle likes to kill humans. If her earlier actions set the precedent for her future ones, she would kill people without a second thought. Mine doesn't approve of that. He has sympathy for creatures that are not the same as himself.

"Maybe they're so useless because their society is so young? We weren't exactly elegant when we first emerged, presumably."

Mine honestly wouldn't know. He is simply extrapolating at this point.

-------
[Hermitage of Dalachrech- Azurelle]

Spoiler

That settles it. There is no conceivable way that Toy could get her hands on that key without disturbing her torturer. Best bide her time and sleep now. She is going to need to be well-rested if she wants to maintain some semblance of sanity for an period of time in this hell.

Toy too falls asleep, though it takes her a considerable amount of time to do so. Her sleep is light and disturbed. She is obviously uneasy about sleeping anywhere near the one who did all of those things to her. She is expecting for Azurelle to harm her very badly with each passing moment.

[Beans]

Originally Posted by C'nor

[Flats]

"Alright. What level of free will do you have if your master doesn't give you any orders?"

Originally Posted by Beans

[Flats]
I usually will wait for more orders.

We were here, methinks.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

Indeed we were.

"What if you're ordered to do whatever you want?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
I would try to learn new things then.
But I do not think I like being told to do whatever I want all that much.
I prefer to have direction.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"What sorts of new things are you interested in learning?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
I do not really have a preference about what kind of new things.

[C'nor]

[Flats]

"Then I might be able to help with that, if you're interested..."

((But, sadly, hopefully-short deadtime for me now.))

[Beans]

[Flats]
She nods.
Yes, please.

[bladescape]

Originally Posted by Murkus

Molodai tries to rip out a chunk of his throat just like the last poor sap, simply swerving the spear aside before he can use it.

As her head reaches towards the throat(That was what she did last time, right?) the swordsman standing close tenses, bringing the sword upwards, attempting to stab through the spearman's back and into Molodai.

Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

Skirmish

(And you think Gregorovich would know the difference in the heat of battle? In fact, I don't even think he was ever told who he's fighting here... for all he knows they're Vulcans.)

By the time the other elves have breached the wall, the fire has spread to Gregorovich's fist. The same fist he covered in peat to stop the bleeding. We all know how this song and dance goes.

As the fire leaps to his skin he flings the tree away from him without a thought towards the fleeing crowd of soldiers, not caring if he hits Feyclaw or EtherAin, just wanting it away from him. In the same movement, he brings his flaming palm about and attempts to smother it by clasping it around the Swordsman's head and squeezing. Fingers that could crack a coconut as easily as a man could smush a grape will close tight.

Mind you, it probably won't smother the flames, but crushing someone's skull always makes him feel better about himself.

Actually, it occurs to me that he's probably put himself in a very precarious spot here. He's without weapons, on fire, and only has one good hand, which unfortunately is occupied with trying to crush the cranium of an elvish swordsman.

If anyone wanted a shot at his heart, there really will never be a better time.

One short scream, and then a horrific crunching sound as the Elf's head slowly crumples inwards. Or perhaps fastly does that. Either way.

However, whilst he's doing this, standing quite open on the battlements without even a tree to worry about, the archers on the ramp below will attempt to make use the opening.

If nothing intervenes, it's likely that the head, heart, and any other spots deemed vital will be hit by the small contingent down the ramp.

[ThirdEmperor]

Riv's Hamlet- Rusty Wheel

"Nah, no cults round here, no bank either. It's a simple town, though it's had it's share a misfortune as of late. Just people trying to live quietly. Suppose they could be after the fella up in the mountains, but I wouldn't have any idea why, other than that a man with an army is bound ta attract trouble." Drawing up a pint of ale, the barkeep sets it down on a table along with a plate and fork. "But you shouldn't worry bout it, Mr... Mr... What did you say your name was again?"

Outside Riv's Hamlet

It's difficult to ascertain whether the guard spots Javert in the brief window if time before it's painful death, as the helmet obscures it's eyes, but if it does see him than it doesn't even have time to react, being the slow, uncoordinated creature that pizza clones are. The rapier finds the one unarmored spot on the guard's body, the break between it's helmet and the rest of it's combat armor, slicing into both jugulars and filling the clone's rapidly diminishing bloodstream with venom.

The artificial creature falls to the ground, managing to get halfway through a guttural choking noise that might have been a scream had it's windpipe not been laid open, while Javert lands on the other side of the wall in a jump that would earn him ten out of ten from any fair judge. As for "the more populated parts", populated is rather subjective term in this case. Hamlet has no nightlife to speak of, most nearly everyone goes to bed with the sun, but up ahead there's a drunk taking a bathroom break against a wall and an old, entirely human watchman shooting a venomous glare at said drunkard. Even when the new guards arrived, the old watchmen kept their jobs, mainly because there was only one and nobody could bare to fire the poor old fool.

[Slii Arhem]

Skirmish

Arrows? He stands before them with fire in his blood and War on his lips and they dare mock him with such gentle fare? He shall show them how Men make war.

Or rather he would, if not for the arrow lodged in his eye.

The ones peppering his chest are easily ignored. Likewise for those that nicked his throat and opened weeping gashes on his brow before deflecting off his skull.

But the last one... Jakob raises his barely functioning, smouldering hand to shaft dangling loosely from his eye socket. Now is no time for a last stand. He is past that. Beyond it all. The battle is lost on this front due to his hubris. There is only one thing left to do.

From all around the battlefield, the lingering souls of those already slain in this battle should be inexorably drawn to the swaying behemoth, formed into chain links that drape themselves over his shoulders and arms. With his dying act he'll deny all the soldiers of this battle their final rest.

"HAIL to the Gods of War!"

Jakob throws himself from the battlements, landing facedown in a heap on the ground below. The arrows in him drive up through, most of them snapping under his weight.

And for now Jakob Gregorovich Fiske lies dead. Between now and what is going on Inside he has been resurrected, but this form begins to disolve and rejoin continuity.

((He'd taken too much damage to continue at this point Bladescape, so I decided to cut him down gracefully while I still had the chance.))

[The Alexandrian]

[Riv's Hamlet - Inside of the Rusty Wheel]

"Last name's Warsh, but everyone just calls me Pete."

Because that's his first name and... Did Warsh seriously just inform this strange barkeep that he has known for only a few minutes of his birth name? His real birth name? No aliases? Just the plain and simple truth?

Warsh's ruse is even more intricate and underhanded than I initially was led to believe!

"If you don't mind me askin', is there some sort of illness spreading throughout town? The answer won't affect how long I'll stay here, as this place is clean and warm and I have faith in my immune system, mind you. 'S just that a couple of the people I've seen out and about look a little different, y'know? Just a tad sick, I'd guess."

Switching topics away from Riv to counter any suspicions about the stranger in town, are you, Warsh? Slick.

[Wolfbane]

Hamlet - Western Side

Even if the daemonblade had hit armor, it would have more then likely sliced right through as it is sharper than most mortal blades, and wielded by someone who has been enhanced physically. Of course, that would have only been if Javert had missed his mark.

Just a few minutes to start, tops. Javert thinks to himself as he rushes through the charred ruins. Will have to set things up quickly.

The inky spot notices the watchman and moves to sneak around behind the person, keeping his head down somewhat to make it harder to see the mask, and still moving at a brisk speed in near-complete silence. The opportunity was perfect and one that he wasn't going to pass up.

The Watchman should find Pride suddenly thrust through his heart from behind, and the drunk should see the Comedy mask watching him over the man's shoulder. If the attack is successful, Javert will turn off the silencing field and move closer to the drunk after throwing the body aside. "Scream for me." He commands before trying to disembowel the drunk. The poison is a powerful neurotoxin. Painful, but not instantly lethal.

[C'nor]

Originally Posted by Beans

[Flats]
She nods.
Yes, please.

[Flats]

"In that case, would you be interested in learning how to create bodies like mine?"

[Beans]

[Flats]
She nods.
That would be very interesting.