Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Aug 10, 2015 3:13:44 GMT
"Bloody-" Caitlin cursed, and started to chase with the sword still in her hand. A blur flashed past them and next thing she knew Edel was on the ground, laying ontop of the flighty soldier. "perfect." She grinned, but it wasn't a happy expression. She walked briskly over, Rain squishing in her boots from spending too much time out of doors. she gave Edel a hand up, then reached down to seize the cadet by her collar.
"Checkmate trackstar. Games over," The Queen of Rogues dragged her to her feet and there was a fervor in Caitlin eyes that danced dangerously on the edge of disregard. "You're going to take me to the EIRAL prison cells, you're going to show me where former Commander Skye is being kept and you're going to do all of this without saying a fraking word." She leaned in more and more the longer she talked, till she was forehead to forehead with the soldier. "Point and Nod and nothing else, am I understood?" Caitlin's voice became a feral growl by the end of her last sentence. The tip of her sword was also pointed at the woman's mid-drift to accentuate how serious she was. They were taking a huge risk coming out here, and with the stakes this high there was no price Cait wouldn't pay to see it through.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Post by Lorraine Blackmoore on Aug 10, 2015 3:57:36 GMT
"I plan to leave before he comes back," she stated firmly and stood then made her way toward the door. "Get on your feet, commander. Or at least come closer. There is an attack on our brothers and sisters and I cannot possibly imagine why but if we can utilize it to escape amid the confusion then we must go now." The only problem she could for see was reaching the keyhole. Would she still be able to turn it? If not the key, she still had the pin in her hair but that was an unlikely chance it would work on such a high maintenance security cell. Kneeling before the door, she slipped her hand out into the emptiness then felt around trying to find the keyhole. Outside she could hear Felix pacing. "Shh, it's okay, Felix," she murmured softly to reassure the beast.
"What are you doing over there?" he grumbled as he got slowly to his feet. His first few steps were a bit wobbly but in a few moments he was leaning heavily against the wall next to the door. "There's no mechanism on this side, I've tried. You can scratch around all day, but the keyhole is on the other side." His many words sent him into a fit of coughing as the rasping became too much for him, and that made his head swim. He saw sparklers all around for a moment, but it soon passed.
"Wait, attack?" he said when he recovered. "No, no, no. They can't, he's waiting for that. It's why I'm still alive. It has to be a trap and she's walking right into it." Although he did feel somewhat elated that anyone would risk their very existence to save him from this hole, there was more fear than anything. He'd consigned himself to his fate, if only to know that Caitlin was safe. If that was her out there attacking the compound...oh god, please don't let her be killed.
Post by Danny Ravensdale on Aug 10, 2015 4:33:02 GMT
Danny looked back at Lasair when he tapped her shoulder before turning and continuing on. He could handle it. The group stumbled upon a hitch in their plans in the form of a blonde soldier girl. The girl bolted, a flash of someone passed by and secured her, and then Caitlin advanced on her once more. Looks like they had it covered. Danny drifted into view behind Caitlin's shoulder slowly and stared silently at the soldier. She gathered the magic needed for a necromancy cast and let the sickly purple light drape over her for a moment before releasing it without casting anything. Just in case the little rabbit wasn't sufficiently intimidated by the sword inches from skewering her.
Post by Lorraine Blackmoore on Aug 10, 2015 4:54:32 GMT
"Stop talking, you'll waste your energy when there is much more left for us to do tonight. I'm not looking on the inside. I know you can't see but I'm trying to see where I can reach on the outside through the hole... no luck. Felix," she spoke to the fox now as she pressed her whole body flat on the ground then offered him the parts of the key to which the Fox took into his muzzle. "Commander, she... are you speaking of Lady Caitlin Cockfoster?" Her fingers slipped over Felix's fur before she found his ears to scratch him. She wasn't sure what to make of the thought and so dismissed it while she tried to think of other potentials of escaping. With an exhale of air, she sat up and felt around the size of the hole. Since she was fairly thin perhaps she might have been able to fit through but upon feeling the outlines of the hole found that to be unlikely. "We're not getting out until someone comes and someone will come to likely check we're here during all of this. Stand back then and wait. We won't have a choice but to fight. Do not protest either otherwise we are both dead." Standing, she stood away from the door and drew both of her blades in preparation.
Vladov waited until his gun had thawed before heading back into the storm. Next time, shoot first, ask questions lady. Witches deserved nothing less. With his gun held at the ready he advanced back into the courtyard and scanned the horizon. Blast the dark. Blast the witches. drat them both to the foulest pits in whatever hell had spawned them. Nothing... Vladov quickly began looking for any other members of EIRAL to form up with. Going in alone would be suicide for anyone involved. There needed to be a coordinated effort. Especially against witches.
Skye considered the possibility of someone coming to "check on them" quite remote. If it was a rescue party out there, and they succeeded, they would be free. Otherwise Andronikos wouldn't allow anyone to return. He'd heard that much in the man's voice. He felt bad for Lorraine. She had the optimism he'd had when he'd first arrived here however long ago it was. She still hadn't told him. He could all but hear the disdain for his responses in her voice. It wasn't that he wanted to die, or was ready to die. It's just that he'd been here too long to do anything else other than accept whatever fate he was going to find himself in. If it was rescue, so be it. If it was starvation, so be it. There was no need for anything else.
However, when he heard unmistakable sounds of swords being drawn he couldn't help but be reminded of the surge of combat he'd once relished. It took most of his strength, but he pushed himself away from the wall and stood flatly for the first time in what must have been months. "If we're going down fighting, let me have one of those." he stated flatly.
Post by Lorraine Blackmoore on Aug 10, 2015 6:09:57 GMT
Lorraine hadn't expected the words to come from the other but when they did, they drew a smile over her features. Flipping the blade away from Skye and so the hilt was pointing toward him, she extended one of her treasured blades in the direction of the commander. "Careful when you reach out for it. Andronikos has to come back whether he likes it or not. I doubt the queen will simply let an attack on the base go without making sure you are accounted for. Whoever opens that door, whenever they open that door just be prepared, Commander." She wasn't sure what to expect. Would Andronikos even come back? Would anyone come back? She was still inside and would eventually need to be dealt with at least whether they branded her a traitor or not for simply speaking out. Outside of the cell Felix remained by the door pacing with the pieces of the key in his mouth. All they could do was wait. Lorraine was optimistic, she had to be.
Edith was where she was supposed to be. Danny had told her about this mission along with a few others, so there she was, waiting in the rain for the signal. And she was miserable. The feline anderwoman hated water, she had a deep fear of it, so while standing in the middle of a rainstorm was not her idea of a Sunday picnic, she knew it was important for her to be here to support the Brotherhood and her own guildleader. So she sucked it up and used her fear as a means to stay alert and aware. She could only fidget with her black eye mask so many times, it was getting heavy due to soaking up the rain now and irritating her. She looked about her, waiting for her fellow M.I. debriefs, she knew she was supposed to be on the opposite side of the base, so where were they?
With a heavy sigh, Edith shivered, she really hated water.
Light glinted off of blue lenses as a figure in a gas mask sidled up to Edith. Frost crept over the mask and a fog surrounded it like hot breath in the cold, but the cheerful body language didn't seem to match the eeriness of it all. Jak's shoulders were up and his hands in his pockets, swinging his leg and tipping his head to the side, letting out a foggy sigh. He loved the rain, and storms were all the better. His stomach was feeling a little jittery, but he tried not to pay attention to it. "So...." he coughed, his voice muffled under the mask, but still audible. "..er, hullo." He shuffled his feet. "Nice day today, yeh? The weather, I mean, not so much the circumstances." he chuckled, trying to break the ice (so to speak). "Name's Jak. Don't believe I've gotten the chance to get to know you yet." he held out his and, trying to make it more pleasant to just pass the time. He knew soon, things could turn quite unpleasant.
Last Edit: Aug 10, 2015 18:30:02 GMT by Jakobi Frost
Watch the rear, no sneak attacks. “Got it,” he said quietly as he fell into step behind Danny. His eyes were locked on the heels of the guild leader, paying no attention to what he could see around him, instead focusing on his hearing and the sounds that could be heard below the thundering rain, the siren, and their own footsteps. When the siren stopped he was relieved, even though it meant he had to squint a little more to keep his eyes on Danny.
A pair of footsteps, more specifically, running steps, could be heard approaching at an alarming rate. Reaching out with a hand, he tapped Danny on the shoulder, letting her know that something was coming as Lasair turned to face it in the darkness. Take them out; don’t let them follow us. Those were Danny’s orders. But he didn’t want to use magic if he didn’t have to. So instead he decided to use the darkness and flattened himself against the wall, waiting in silence until the footsteps got closer.
Just before they were going to pass in front of Lasair, he stuck his foot out, and when it collided with an ankle, he swung back. Whoever this was would land on their face, at which point he could bend down and knock them out. But he paused when a streak of blue caught his vision.
Oh. It was Ikuze.
“Sorry,” he grumbled with only a hint of sympathy, being careful to mask his voice and tone. He offered no help or hand to the girl laying on the ground, turning to catch up with Danny and Cait instead.
When she fell, she tumbled forward and prepared to set whoever it was on fire with a snap of her fingers... but then came a voice offering apologies. No doubt one of the masked men that MI had brought with them. She grumbled before nodding and moving to keep up with the group. When they caught up to the blonde soldier and secured her, the blue haired girl sighed and spoke, weaving her magic into her words. "You want to take us directly to the cells." Ikuze directed her magic towards the soldier, her mind very aware of the time window closing on them. Every second they wasted intimidating this soldier, was another second that the army was using to close in on them.
(Deceit II used to influence her thoughts and actions)
Post by Jovena Barbados on Aug 10, 2015 16:17:25 GMT
Jovena finally turned around the back corner of the building and was trying to decide if she should circle around it's third edge or run toward the building behind it. What were the Anders after? A faint glowing, unnatural light caught her attention and a small cluster of shadows stood out of place.
"You, There, Stop!" She advanced on them, gun raised, ready to fire, "Halt or I'll shoot," She warned. There was no safety on this gun, and her finger was already wrapped around the trigger. Her aim was on whoever caused the glowing light. She couldn't make out any more than that. She couldn't even see Gladys in the huddle because it was too dark. All she knew was that humans didn't eerily glow, and so these were definitely her intruders. The thought made her tense, and before she meant to, her finger squeezed the trigger.
Post by Danny Ravensdale on Aug 10, 2015 18:15:16 GMT
Danny vaguely heard a "You there!" and started to turn before she jerked and fell to the ground. What was that? What... why did it hurt? Danny looked down to where the pain was coming from and felt around. What was this? What happened? Blood? Why? Danny's fingers probed her shoulder curiously before finding a hole that burrowed clean in one side and out the other. What happened? There was a flash, there was a crack, and she fell. What was it... Danny looked back where the flash came from and saw a woman holding a rifle, the barrel still smoking. How long had this taken? It felt like forever... but... there was still smoke. Did she do it?
Danny lay back quietly as the pain washed over her. No. No. She can't rest now. She can't be taken out now. No... not now. What? Was she yelling? Screaming? But... it didn't feel like it. It sounded like her, but she didn't think she was making any noise. No. The gun... the gun was dangerous. The gun'd kill them all if she let it. The gunner needed to die.
Danny rolled onto her hands and knees and hissed out a series of baleful words that felt like oil being poured in the ears to listen to. The gunner shot her. The gunner needed to die...
From the ground near Jovena burst a single skeleton, it's limbs a twisted mess of cobbled together bone, and the eye sockets blazing red with an unnatural light. Behind her a small tear in the air was ripped open and an imp clawed its way into reality and flew with a horrid laugh at the woman's face. Pustules along the creatures body continually burst and reformed as its rotted skin sloughed off before growing back again. The creature lunged for the shooter's eyes while the skeleton attempted to rip the gun from her hands.
Danny staggered slowly to her feet and took a tottering step towards where he creations were working, her expression of pain and wrath hidden behind her mask.
Post by Gladys Hayden on Aug 10, 2015 18:21:17 GMT
She didn’t get very far before she was tackled to the ground. Tears immediately clouded her eyes, much like they would a child as she began panicking, worrying about what exactly might happen to her. “Please don’t kill me,” she begged, but the cry was so faint that it was mostly likely unheard by the others.
When she saw the glint of metal and recognized it as a sword, all color drained from her face as her heart rate accelerated. And when the other person did some sort of magic show, she pissed herself, unable to control her panic and the rising fear growing within her. She was going to die, she was certain of that. Her breaths started to come quick as her breathing turned into hyperventilating. Outnumbered by the very people she was told to oppose. They surely hated her simply for the grimy uniform she wore. When the magic hit her, it didn’t do much except worsen her panicked state. More tears came, her breathing was shallow, she couldn’t think straight, couldn’t think at all really save for the fact that she didn’t want to die. Not yet.
Her body couldn’t take the stress for a moment longer. She fainted, blacked out, whatever you will call it. Her body fell limp as her eyes rolled back. If she were going to die, she didn’t want to face it awake. She couldn’t.
“Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Do not bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.” ―William Faulkner
Post by Caitlin Cockfoster on Aug 10, 2015 18:34:12 GMT
Caitlin Screamed, the same moment the gun went off, but she wasn't screaming because of that - she hadn't even realized the other soldier was there. Caitlin screamed with anger and frustration because the blonds body went limp and the fistful of her collar tugged from the dead-weight and fell from Caits hands. "Wonderful, you all scared her to death now she's usele--" She didn't finish her sentence, Danny's screams cut her off and she turned around. Now, only now did Cait realize the ringing in her ears wasn't her aching head screeching against this clusterfrak.
"Danny..." Caitlin gasped, not that anyone could hear her over everything else.
The storm raged, the ground shook, Danny's voice dropped off as she raised the dead. Caitlin knew a bit of necromancy herself- having sought out the skill after watching one of Danny's earlier demonstrations, but her eyes still went wide at the sight. She almost felt sorry for the soldier. Almost. The soldier screamed, an earsplitting sound, loud and high pitched. The kind of echoing sound that sent fear straight to the marrow of your bones.
"Forget the hostage, Get Danny, we're not stopping. We press on." Her voice was non-negotiable as she pressed forward. She couldn't risk staying behind, she might be the only one in their group who'd ever seen the inside of the compound before. She had to press on. She had to find Skye.
She sat her glass down next to the decanter and leaned back. This was nice... like falling into a vat of marshmallow fluff. Calm, muffled, the rest of the world blocked out by the closed door to his cabin, and here they were safe inside. Safe from reality, safe from their own complicated lives. Safe from duty. Safe from context. Just. Safe. --Caitlin
Post by Edelweiss Fjäril on Aug 10, 2015 18:41:55 GMT
Danny was shot. And screaming. Having barely stood up again with a (literal) hand from Caitlin, that was still the first thought that crossed Edelweiss' mind then, before any other ideas regarding all the displays of magic around and their supposed guide fainting. The faint scent of gunpownder and blood, and the noise of a long shoot were hard to mistake. And now Danny was mumbling unmentionable words to the world, some sort of necrotic spell. The redhead turned around to stand in front of the MI Leader, her face almost as close to the mask as Caitlin's had been of Gladys'. "You're not tired, and there is no pain." [Deceit II, casted once.] That was all she could do for the blonde Ander, a fake sense of health to allow her to keep going and fighting for a while longer. Lasair would have to take care of his leader for anything that's needed further than that, because any actual nursing and removing the bullet would have to wait until they are with Skye and away from that place.
Then she turned back to see the passed out guard. In any other occasion the sight might have brought up some pity from her, but at the moment Edelweiss felt nothing of it. The situation was getting worse, and they had no time. Instead, all softness had faded from her tone and her voice sounded much like polished steel. "Wake up." She gave the blond human something between a cheek pat and a slap - neither soft enough nor hard enough to be called either. "3 seconds to wake up, or you turn from 'guide' into 'human shield'."
Magic available: Deceit I (used once) - remaining Rank I casts: 4 Speed II (used once) - remaining Rank II casts: 2 Deceit II (used once) - remaining Rank II casts: 2
Poisons I, Telekinesis I (not used) - remaining Rank I casts: 4 Deceit III (not used) - remaining Rank III casts: 3