Exploring the Compass Rose, Eventide Crescendo

[nighthand]

After they had asked their questions, the princess watched them debate where to go. Soon enough it was decided; at the very least, they were on her side. She smiled.

”Now I shall give unto each of you a boon. You have come to my aid, and so I will come to yours.” She gestured, and a figure stepped forward from an alcove in the back of the room, unseen and unnoticed until just then. Shrouded in shadowy cloth, the figure moved to the princess’ side.

”To you, Kashi, I present this. The Grip of Darkness. It will allow you to harness my power outside of my domain, but be wary, for it’s power it limited.” She held aloft a black suede glove, and handed it to the cloaked figure. ”And to you, Bane, the Energy Draught. Use it when your spirits are low, and it will bring to back.” She handed a delicate-looking crystal vial, one that glowed the same color as the bugs and her eyes, to the cloaked figure. Then with another gesture, the shadow moved and handed each item to its respective owner with a sleeve-covered hand. It then retreated to its alcove and disappeared.

”Go now, then, and return once you have the Stone. This insect will show you the way.” A speck fell from the ceiling and pulsed brightly, hovering and flitting this way and that. Then, it disappeared, out the doorway. Clearly their interview was over.

Outside, Kirkus looked the pair over. “Well, she seemed to like you. Just don’t let her down. I’ll be here.” He strode off through the halls without another word.

The bug flitted around, but never strayed out of sight. The pair would find the trek outwards to be much faster and more direct than the trek inwards. Slowly, the ground returned, no longer the forest they had journeyed inside. The slow change in landscape reversed itself, and soon they found themselves standing within sight of the original entrance. The bug disappeared, its job done.

The entry plaza was the same as before, though there were no figures there to greet them. Save for one change… Now, there were extra paths to take. North and South, each a thin trail in the wilderness. To the north was a tiny board grown into a tree, marked with a blue circle in faded paint. To the south was a stone painted with a golden egg. Ahead of them, to the East, was the desert in the distance, the land lacking Darkness, Water, and Wood. The choice, it seemed, was theirs.

--------------ooc:
Pick a direction =D

Each item that was given to you only works for you. No trading.

The Grip of Darkness has three small obsidian stones in the wrist. To use it, you must equip it. A special skill appears in your buffs list, labeled “Grip of Darkness”. When used, it casts a buff on your party that temporarily allows the use of Darkness skills in an area otherwise barring them. Each time it’s used, one of the obsidian stones is consumed. Graphically, the glove emits a cloud of blackness around the user and his party, which sinks into the skin and fades away. While there are beads of obsidian still present, the item is a glove armor, level 0, with 0 stats and just the one skill. Light armor. No beads means it becomes an unequippable key item.

The Energy Draught is a vial of liquid that glows faintly blue-green. There looks to be enough for three sips. Functionally, it’s a consumable item of which you have three in your inventory. Each sip casts a spell on the drinker, with the combined effects of Ap Do, Ol Repth, and Rip Teyn. The Ap Do does not appear as a buff, and so cannot be debuffed.

Obviously, these items are only usable on this field. In fact, once you leave the field, if you still have them, they’re removed from your inventory. Or rather, the beads on the glove are and the liquid from the vial are. The blank skill-less glove and empty crystal vial you can keep as key items.

[Bane]

”Now I shall give unto each of you a boon. You have come to my aid, and so I will come to yours.” A figure donned in a cloak from head to toe, shadowy in both appearance and nature appeared on the scene with some form of grace, arriving at the princess’s side at her command. ”To you, Kashi, I present this. The Grip of Darkness. It will allow you to harness my power outside of my domain, but be wary, for it’s power it limited.” A black glove was passed to the cloaked man, and Kyora continued to talk. ”And to you, Bane, the Energy Draught. Use it when your spirits are low, and it will bring to back.” She handed a crystalline vial to the cloaked man, and that was it.

Descending the single stair that elevated the princess above them, the cloaked figure strode over to them. Bane rose from his sitting position with hands at his side, accepting the flask with a humble and gracious bow. Kashi had his item, and the princess gave them their orders to retrieve the stone. It was weird, because the insect she claimed that would show them away was just one of many glowing specs on the ceiling above them. It hovered in front of them before flying out the door, indicating that their audience with the princess was over.

Kirkus parted from them as well, commenting on how much they were liked before striding off on his own; it was obvious that he too, was longer a part of this party. The bug flittered about, guiding them through the halls of the palace, across the clearing in which it stood, and through the dense canopy, out to the platform that divided the realms in two. Bane had to shield his eyes from the light, suddenly his eyes faced with the fierce light of the sun. Luckily, their element statuses had been resent and there was no penalty or bonus to them anymore.

Bane stepped up onto the platform that was the plaza, looking around them at the four paths that diverged from the plaza. To the north, the mountains; to the east, the dessert; and to the south, the faint glimmer from the ocean. Thinking back to what Kyora had said, to the east resided her sister, and to the north and south respectively lived a warrior that could not be killed, and a witch who’s magic were so potent that none could stand before her. He raised a hand to his chin, folding his other arm over his chest while he contemplated.

”If we were to seek out either Baba Yaga, or Koschey, we may be able to ask them for help in this…but granted, we may not know if they even exist, or…rather…if they would help us. And either way, our task is to head into the dessert and get that orb, so…I currently am thinking we head to the mountains first; that way we have the cover to shield ourselves if something goes wrong. What do you think, Kashi?”

Bane wandered to the corner of the plaza that stood between the mountains and the desert, looking between the two and thinking about what they came against in Inra's kingdom. She was guarded by potent magics that prevented them from drawing their weapons, or making any offensive action. If, somehow, they could get what kept Koschey alive, they wouldn't need to fear the wyverns or whatever Kyora had, and if they got Baba Yaga's blessing, then they wouldn't need to fear that enchantment at all.

But even then, this was all on the assumption that they would be willing to help. It was at this point that Bane realised he was getting a little spacey, so he shook his head hurriedly to rid himself off his over-thinking state. There was a choice that needed to be made, and frankly, he would rather go to a warrior that couldn't be killed; women...tended to have a particular monthy cycle that when coupled with a unmatched skill with magic wasn't the best combination. Not only that, but considering that he, and Kashi were predominantly melee combat types, going un-prepared against a mage wouldn't be the most tactical idea.

Hrm...Warrrior...or mage...I think that...heading straight into Kyora's domain would be suicide, so...We need some kind of weapon, or protection to help us...

He looked over the sands of the desert, the lush grass behind them, the teal ocean to his left, and the range of mountains to his right. It was all so...real. For a game, there were people that lived here; the environment was so alive also. He wondered if a war was really a valid option considering that even while the lives of those in The World were nothing but data, where can the line be drawn between real life people and AIs? Not only that, but he recalled from the newspaper that the EC was involved somehow...Was he being recruited?

Then again, he had been through things like this before: reliastic field, AIs that were just way too real...It was bringing to mind a sense of deja vous. And again, there he was over-thinking things and becoming spacey. He felt bad for Kashi in that if he had responded he would have only really heard on a subconscious level, and even then, he'd need to do more thinking in order to figure out what the decision actually was.

This post has been edited by Bane on Oct 7 2009, 10:06 PM

[Magras]

A man (or was it a creature?) revealed itself with a wave of Kyora’s hand. The princess gave a short, formal explanation on what their gifts were before giving them to the servant. Listening intently, the boy was pleased to find out they had a vial of Pain-B-Gone, even if it could only heal one of the two three times. The other item, a glove that allowed Bane and Kashi to use skills pertaining to Kyora’s domain in her sister’s, was deep black, and looked mighty uncomfortable. Kashi watched Bane, ever the picture of perfection, as he accepted the vial with a bow, courtesy dripping from him. It couldn’t be helped - the boy hated the atmosphere here, and while he was glad to have the Heavy Blade take the helm with diplomacy, Kashi wanted to leave. He wasn’t amused when the glove came his way, either. I’m supposed to slip this bulky thing over a glove built into my character? Gee, that sounds like a great idea. Even so, there wasn’t much room for refusal, since it was from a princess and all. Kashi hesitantly reached out for the item, snatching it from this wraith that decided to skulk out from the middle of nowhere. I’d rather take my chances prying this thing out of the hands of a goliath than deal with you again later, hopefully I won’t have to do either.

He then turned his attention to the ceiling, following Kyora’s next command. A tiny little blip of a critter floated down from the ceiling, glowing (as did every other thing in this forsaken place). It was out the door before Kashi could even move. Bane, however, had better reflexes than his junior partner, and Kashi found himself scrambling behind them, free from that hell of manners. Kirkus met them on their way out, saying something or other before leaving. Kashi wasn’t listening - whatever it was wouldn’t be pertinent to the task at hand, or they would have actually needed to stop for more than a few seconds. As it was, a small nod to assuage concerns of being ignored (as if an NPC could have them), and they were on their way.

Having blazed a trail through the wood already, the return trip took much less time than the beginning exposition. Walking briskly to keep up with his guide and ally, the Blademaster had a couple of things to think on. The first was whether or not they would actually head to the mountains or sea to enlist the help of another source before entering Inra’s realm. Kashi wouldn’t object to it, as he had all the time in the world to play this game. As for which to go to first, well, that was a bit tougher. They could certainly use the magical assistance of Baba Yaga were she to offer, being a pair of melee fighters. Koschey’s deathlessness could also come in handy. Unless he wound up hiding his soul by giving it to Inra, of course. There would be a second issue concerning Baba Yaga. How would they cross the ocean? The boy had high doubts that a port would be waiting for them, or that a mystical boat was docked on a sandy beach, waiting to cart them off to her. Maybe some sort of land bridge…or a winged escort? He dismissed those as well, filing them away as the stuff of fairy tales.

Before he knew it, the boy was outside. Their insect guide had disappeared, leaving them to foot it back to the plaza on their own. Listening to Bane’s explanation on their options, the boy nodded in agreement. "I prefer the mountain route as well. The ocean might take longer to cross, and we have the quicker option of returning from the mountain if our search goes nowhere early." There wasn't anything else needed to be done. The mountain made more sense to visit first, since it would presumably take less time than crossing the sea. Plus, the boy didn't want to set foot on a ship until they'd exhausted all land-based options they had.[color=indigo]At least we’ll be able to hoof it back to the plaza if we know something’s gonna hit the fan up there, he thought.

This post has been edited by Magras on Oct 20 2009, 12:04 AM

[Bane]

"I prefer the mountain route as well. The ocean might take longer to cross, and we have the quicker option of returning from the mountain if our search goes nowhere early."

”That is very true…however; I think it’s more appropriate that now we’re without an escort, we can take…A shortcut if you would?” Upon asking his question, he withdrew from his pocket a medium-sized, blue flute made out of crystal. He held it up to his lips and played into it a simple and short melody consisting of 11 notes, and highly reminiscent of an old video game melody involving a horse, or so Bane recalled.

As the notes faded away into the air around the pair, Bane put the flute away and walked over to Kashi, nodding at him and looking at the ground; noticing one of the loose stones starting to skip on the ground slightly. Bane smirked; his ‘shortcut’ had arrived and was well on his way of making it onto the scene. With the sound of metal bumping against metal, and the heavy stomping of hooves, Bane’s Grunty, Azul, made it into the plaza from what appeared to be out of no where. The blue armoured pig came to a skidding halt on the cobblestone plaza, standing at Bane’s side.

”You called, Clang? What can I do for you, Clang?” The Grunty looked between the Heavy Blade and the Blademaster, watching the pair with it’s big blue eyes, the mail armour it wore clinking every now and again on the metal plate armour it predominantly wore. Bane walked beside Azul and hopped up on his back, onto the saddle and getting comfortable. He took the sword off his back and sheathed it on the attached sheath that Azul carried especially for spare weapons. Grabbing the reins, the Heavy Blade directed Azul to move next to Kashi, so that he could grab him roughly and get him seated behind him before he could raise complaint.

”We need a speedy way to get into the mountains, think you can provide?” Azul nodded and reared up on it’s hind legs, doing some kind of piggish whinny before getting on all fours, front slightly lowered. Bane chuckled, looking over his shoulder at Kashi before stating simply, “Hold on tight.” With that, Azul rocketed off from the plaza, heading north into the mountain ranges. The further north they headed, the terrain started to change also.

To the left, the forest changes ever so slightly, and Bane wondered if this was due to the direction of where the heaviest concentration of Ruem, Anid and Juka were in comparison to those of Vakz, Raio and Ganz. He glanced across at the desert, looking out into the sandy expanse in hopes of seeing the city in which they would undoubtedly need to raid. The road was getting more rocky, and that lead Bane to conclude that they were nearing the Mountains, if only the base.

Bane called back to Kashi as they rode, something springing to mind. ”Knowing how weird this world can be, and how much danger we’re getting put in; there’s every likelihood that we may try and get deceived by a mimic. If that happens, we’ll use a password…So…If I suspect you of being a doppelganger; I’ll ask you what your favourite fruit is. You’ll say banana. If the other person says anything else, then they are a fake, alright? Same goes for if you suspect me.” To be fair, Bane was beginning to suspect something of someone being undying. Not only that, but he had this unshakable feeling in the back of his mind that something was just not right about this whole situation; Koschey, Baba Yaga, and even the twin sisters.

The real question on his mind was if this would lead them to Koschey, and a positive means to an end, rather than danger.

[nighthand]

The pair made an ungainly duo, climbing through the mountains on the back of a Grunty, but they managed. Grunties were certainly large enough to hold two players, though they tended to prefer a single rider. Bane and Kashi were soon hopelessly lost amongst the cliffs and ravines that made up the mountain path. Behind them was only wilderness. In front of them the path stretched just beyond the next curve, but was faded and hard to see. The grunty, at least, seemed to know where it was going.

Soon the path set upon an incline, climbing higher and higher into the chill air. Steeper and steeper the path grew, yet somehow the grunty managed to continue climbing. Almost vertical, the path angled, until abruptly the trio clambered up onto a plateau, kicking debris and stones off the edge. It was long seconds before the sound reached them, and looking down would induce a dangerous amount of vertigo. The realism of a game like The World, even a slight fear of heights would produce dizziness of the highest order.

Upon the plateau was a squad of figures, looking like they had just broken down a camp and were planning to climb yet higher. The plateau was wide, easily wider than several football fields, and in the center was yet another mountain. If you could even call it a mountain. It was nearly vertical, a sheer column of stone unbroken by rockslides or weathering or age. It was pristine, and almost shone in the sun.

The first figures began to climb. Hand over hand, or claw over claw, as Bane and Kashi could see now. Their form was more eagle than man. Their skin was feathered such that it looked like a grayish cloak. Their jaws narrowed into beaks. The talons on their hands dug easily into the rock, letting them climb without rope or tool. Their camp seemed more to have been a preparation place, readying for battle. Each of then carried a sword and a spear, the latter hooked wickedly, almost like a sickle. They were on a mission, and none of the dozen looked back to see the pair of newcomers.

Suddenly two of the bird-beasts pointed at the sky and drew their spears, shrieking for their fellows. The few on the rock face dropped to the ground, landing in crouches with their swords drawn. A flurry of spells were cast, Aps of all sorts, the pair of Rigs, every buff in the book.

Looking up, Kashi and Bane could see a speck in the sky, slowly growing larger. This was what alarmed the monsters so much? A speck in the sky?

After what seemed like almost a minute, the speck resolved itself to be a figure, falling. Falling very, very fast. The bird-beasts scattered, clearing the landing place of the falling figure, but one tripped. It screamed in terror and rolled, holding its blade up to defend itself.

The figure slammed into the ground with a shockwave that kicked up dust in all directions, carried on a wind that nearly blew Kashi and Bane off the cliff, had the grunty not been braced between them and the cliff edge. The bird-beasts weathered the storm, all save the one the man had landed on. That one was a pulp, a smear across the stone, its sword skittering towards the edge and falling off.

The figure stood, easily nine feet tall, and pulled his massive sword from the ground. To any normal person it would have been a huge two-handed blade, difficult even for a heavyblade to wield properly due to its long length. To him, it was one-handed, and he swung it like a blademaster would a rapier. The blade of the sword was a foot wide with wavering edges, made out of a smoky blue glass. It trailed a blue afterimage when it swung. The hilt was obscured in the man’s hand, but looked to be made of cast black iron.

The man moved with startling precision. Two great steps and he had impaled another of the bird-men. He swung the sword and the body slid off, flying over the edge and off into space. Three of the birds charged in, their hooked spears reaching and tearing at the blackened leather armor the man wore. Two caught him over the shoulders and tore into his arms, the third wrapping around his neck. It seemed the birds would win at that moment, as all three yanked in different directions.

Each blade dug in an inch, then snapped, as though made of ice. The cuts carved into the man’s flesh healed over even as they watched. His sword trailed in a circle, and two of the birds were cleaved in half. The third had its sword out, and charged in bravely, but was caught in a heavy gauntleted hand. The man squeezed, and with a sickening pop, the bird twitched and fell limp. It, too, was discarded over the cliff’s edge.

One of the remaining birds had taken this moment to leap with its sword, delivering a heavy blow across the back of the man. The cut was long and deep, but the man didn’t even slow. He twisted and with a side-bladed blow, tossed that bird too off his cliff.

By now the remaining six had surrounded him. They had discarded their spears, rightly assuming they would just get in each other’s way with them. They moved as a unit, dancing in and out, slashing and cutting at the arms and legs and torso of the giant. He took the damage without paying it heed, and in a dance of power and grace, demolished the six. Only then did he turn his blue-skinned face towards the pair still standing by the grunty, his ice-dark eyes looking them over silently.

He turned away and sheathed his sword across his back, and began picking up the pieces of the birds, heaping them in his arms. Most of the chunks he tossed over the edge, but he saved the heads of the six he killed last. These he strung up with a coil of rope, forming a tight ball of gruesome bleeding heads. He whipped the cord around his head, building up speed and making a hideous whistling, while splattering blood everywhere except on him. Then he let it go, and it flew, and flew, and flew, until it disappeared across the horizon. Only then did he turn back to the pair.

"You do not have the look of the witch’s minions. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and not kill you immediately. Explain yourselves and what you are doing in my domain. I give you fair warning. If Baba Yaga sent you, you would do well to leap from this cliff immediately. It would be less deadly."

[Bane]

The clattering of Azul’s hoofs and the continuous clinking of his armour rubbing against itself was the ambience they had to work with as they ascended the mountain. Bane wasn’t ready to admit that he had no idea where they were, and if Kashi were to ask to head back now, neither Bane nor Azul could take him back. The ravines either side of them showed the brutal ruggedness of the terrain, wilderness at its finest blending behind them into a blur due to the speeds at which they are travelling.

Vertical distance continued to rise, and Bane was thankful that his character avatar was not in need of oxygen, or rather, a correct mix of air. With how high they were getting, it was not long before Azul was struggling, yet somehow managing, to continue the ascent. The higher they got, the more Bane wondered if falling from such a height would result in a death that the game would replicate. He needn’t think of that further though, as before long, they were atop a plateau, a column of unbroken and virgin stone that stretched to the heavens like some form of beacon unable to be scaled by mortals.

This was supported by the fact that whatever the creatures were in front of them, the eagle-like abominations were able to scale it with appendages that Bane no Kashi had. Bane dismounted from his Grunty and took a few steps forward before hearing a shriek. He figured that they had stepped onto enemy territory, and soon they would be outnumbered by a dozen of…whatever those things where. His hand went to his blade and drew it with a fluid motion, only to realise that they were, indeed, pointing up at the sky.

They dropped down to the ground, like they were before, and drew their weapons. Spears, swords, and what Bane could assume were their beaks and talons were all at their disposal. Bane watched the speck in the sky, wondering what it could be that frightened them so. Upon analysing further, they were expecting this, as if they were on the hunt for something, or someone. Considering that Koschey was said to live in these parts, for the briefest of moments, Bane considered that to be an option, but who would be that folly?

Either way, they leapt back as the speck became a figure and landed with a fairly heavy shockwave, the resulting wind and dust almost throwing Bane off the plateau with Kashi, but luckily Azul had his hooves firmly planted and braced against the sudden force. The man that came down was easily taller than any man in the real world. On top of this, due to his build, Bane’s own two-handed sword would be nothing more than a shortsword for this guy. Then the slaughter began.

One by one, each of the bird men were felled with precise, and brutal attacks. When the bird-men seemed like they were going to win, their weapons broke in his skin and resulted in them all being slain with a single, sweeping blow. All wounds he sustained healed over in a matter of seconds, making Bane lower his blade, realising just how impossible it would be to win this battle, if they were to go up against this guy. One was crushed to death by the man’s hand, and the other batted off the plateau with the man’s blade.

Oh, and then the remaining of the squadron, about 6 or so, surrounded the man. They danced in and out, attacking whenever they approached as if it was some form of sadistic game of hokey-pokey. Oh, but that didn’t stop this man, no. With as much skill and expertise with a blade he had demonstrated before, he dispatched of the remainders. That’s when he felt his soul being stared into. This blue skinned man had made eye contact with him, possibly Azul and Kashi as well, and whether it was the height, or just poor circulation, the only thing that Bane could think of was why his skin was blue.

Turning away from them, Bane watched as he sheathed his blade, doing the same and watching on his stupefied horror as he scavenged amongst the carnage for the heads of the slain. He hung all of them on a rope, forming a ball off bloody skulls before twirling it over his head and over the horizon. Bane watched until he could see it no more, the whistling it made ringing in his ears. It was only when the man spoke that he was snapped back to reality.

"You do not have the look of the witch’s minions. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and not kill you immediately. Explain yourselves and what you are doing in my domain. I give you fair warning. If Baba Yaga sent you, you would do well to leap from this cliff immediately. It would be less deadly."

”To clear things up concerning the witch, no. We have not even met with her; we only know of her existence thanks to Princess Kyora. As to why we are here…well…We have been sent on a mission by the princess to venture into Princess Inra’s domain to retrieve something under her care. As you may well imagine, your reputation for being immortal has been told to us and we have come to inquire. With us being aligned with one nation, venturing carelessly into Inra’s kingdom is suicidal.” Bane leant against Azul, lifting himself up onto Azul’s saddle to sit sidewards on it. ”We mean no harm, and are hardly hostile. That said, we don’t have much we can offer in return for anything you provide us…although, considering how well you seem to like Baba Yaga, I can assume that if you wanted us to rid yourself of her, well…We can only try I’m afraid.”

This was hardly a regal setting, but they were in danger. There was little need for formalities, but considering that this guy had enough strength and ability to dispatch of them with very little effort, well…They needed to be respectful, calm, and above all else, ready to run if things went sour.