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00 - Her potential has been limited by her free will- 00

I don't care.
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I don't care.
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Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am


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Author Topic: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)  (Read 258748 times)

19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4845 on: August 09, 2020, 07:49:28 am »

--
« Last Edit: August 09, 2020, 05:49:17 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4846 on: August 09, 2020, 06:01:15 pm »

((Sleep deprivation is a helluva drug.))


Thank you.

[17][8 vs. 4+3] "Lacey," You begin, "Have you ever wondered or doubted about the Council? Why should a God need one? You can confide in me." You lace your words with your aura, pressing them into Lacey's mind with a twist of Willpower, inducing the compulsion for truth.

"Yes. I have had my doubts about the Council." She admits, concerned. "Why would a Good need to listen to mere mortals?"

"I am still young with my Divinity." You blithely assure. "The Guidance of Mortals is valuable to me."

"Ah." Lacey nods nervously. "I'm...I'm sorry for my doubts, Mother Pheonix."

"But, please remember, Emma is my mouthpiece. I trust her completely."  Lacey certainly believes your lie, but you catch Emma's glance. "Could you assist me with the first rites?"

"Yes, Mother Pheonix." The zealot bows her head, breathing out a sigh. "I can conduct their first rites and acceptance into the Holyland. Please listen intently...?" She turns to the twins, prompting.

"Ethan [A2911+AB]."

"Finn [A2912+B]."

Weird names.

Lacey begins to direct them earnestly and quickly. She gives orders on their choreography with the air of a patient mother. The twins, after a glance to you, begin listening in earnest. Their demeanor shifts as they straighten from lazy slouches and take on an aggressive stiffness of which you approve

[17+1] You take a deep breath, in and out to steady your nerves. You stiffen your back, clear your face of emotion, and square your shoulders. You unleash your wings and strengthen the reaction, making them stand proud and tall. Then, the three fall in line behind you, and the brightness of your wings force their eyes to the ground. The armor moves to flank them, unbowed. With one last deep sigh, you step out on to the stage.

[11, 11, 6+1] You force your Willpower into your voice, and sparks fly as the sound booms through the auditorium. Not quite as loud, as you would hope, but all of the hundreds of thousands gathered here. Those in front look a little pale, but even those of weak constitution still sit upright, stiffening at your words.

"What does it mean to be redeemed? " You begin lifting the volume of your voice.

"Gaze upon these figures, these two believers that stand before you not with animosity, not as malicious spirits, demons clad in the armor of hatred, but as mere men with hopes and dreams who, through my grace, are no different than the faithful gathered here today." You pause after this to scan the crowd with a sweep of your eyes. At random, you fixate on an individual, before your gaze finds another.

"They were not always thus. In the distant past, these were soldiers of the Baron of Steel, inhuman demons that sought the demise of all we held dear. As we all know, the strength of these demons was so great that they were only stopped at significant cost through the desperate struggles of our Crusaders, believers bearing the weapons of righteousness." You explain, clearly, earning you nods of approval from some of the Scholars

"I have reached into the souls of our hated enemies, reached deep into their beings, and I have given them the gift of faith. I have transformed them, transformed the very essence of their souls from living evil into base humanity, and in so doing I have offered them the greatest gift we have to give, the gift of redemption."

[12]The projection of light is difficult, and Lacey would not be able to reach them if you lifted them. Instead, you create a halo of light and fire, igniting it suddenly. The brothers twitch, but then still as the fire dwindles to a rising light.

"In our holy mercy, in our sacred kindness, who are we to deny them this gift? Our ancient enemies have become our strongest allies, as we should never turn away those that wish to atone for their sins, even ones such as these who truly have so very much to atone for. Alongside our brave Crusaders, they will purge this world of the Plague and bring us justice for the loss of our Holy SEED."

Their glowing halos brighten suddenly as Lacey daubs their foreheads with black oil. The armors, kneel as well as Lacey steps forward to daub oil on their 'helmets.' They rise only to bow to you as their armors raise cutter blades of red fire -- in triumph.

"This is the meaning of redemption! This is what it means to save a soul! Witness today the final step in their holy transformation and rejoice, for in Phoenix and in SEED even the most wicked can find hope and love. No one and nothing is beyond redemption! Hail Pheonix! Hail SEED!"

[-] You do not even give the crowd time to react, turning away imperiously and striding off the stage.

[15+1][15+1][14+1] You can hear them cheer your name in return. You make sure you are backstage before you let a wry smile find your face. You extinguish your wings as you walk, and once again feel the uncomfortable burning sensation in your shoulders as you hide them away. An itch that is only relieved when you free them again.

Emma claps slowly, gently, "You're getting more comfortable with that."

"Thank you." You plainly state, giving her a weak smile.

"You want to talk to me about Probabilities, correct?" She gestures towards the door.



The garden is free of blood, cleaned in your absence. One of the significantly reinforced shutters is open on the side of the room. It lets you gaze over a valley as the plants drink in the waning sunlight. Pinpricks of stars dot the horizon. A fresh blanket of snow lies on the bottom of the valley, over a half-frozen stream. Stunted plants, withered by the cold, hang over its shiny surface.

"The Ancestors tell me I have some gift with Probabilities that even they lack. Perhaps they are trying to build my confidence, but your approach tells me that they may be telling me the truth. So, what answers can I give?"
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ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4847 on: August 09, 2020, 07:20:49 pm »

((I nominated the game for the Hall of Legends.))

"Is the manipulation of probabilities something that you can consciously control?"
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4848 on: August 09, 2020, 07:33:13 pm »

((Thanks! I still need to complete it!))



"Sometimes. Moments of clarity." Emma shrugs, then her lips quirk, "Let me explain?"

You dip a nod.

"Right now, I'm discussing the new form of government you want with Hoganson. Right now, I'm playing with Moore in this garden with you while speaking of futures. Right now, I'm walking at your side into the Outlander [Khagnate's] Palace. A hazy dream that shifts and turns -- clouded by motes of dust too small to see. Those are futures that are assured-- of this moment. Those are the futures that will occur. Details are blurry, but they come into focus in time as futures solidify and data is proven."
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ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4849 on: August 09, 2020, 07:43:40 pm »

"Are you able to reach further and explore cause and effect in hypothetical futures?  Can you, for example, assume that an event will occur and see what the ramifications will be?"
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4850 on: August 09, 2020, 08:09:01 pm »

"It branches. Only certain specific events...but even then. The flight of a hydrogen atom follows a certain path. The flow of a river. The twisting of the cosmos. The flow of a person's life is much more difficult. If I know someone's personality, or can guess at it, the probabilities start to narrow. I can project them more clearly. But, its more like realizing what paths they may take and guessing at it from there...each path is different, but you can group them together."
« Last Edit: August 09, 2020, 08:22:31 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4851 on: August 09, 2020, 08:38:21 pm »

"Can manipulating probabilities be useful in combat?  If so, can you show me?"
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Superdorf

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4852 on: August 09, 2020, 08:51:20 pm »

(('Eyyy, Hall of Legends! I was gonna wait 'til we were well and truly done here, but this works too :)) ))

Tell her of the words you had with "Ashley"-- of the dabblings you've made already, in the wielding of trajectories.
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Falling angel met the rising ape, and the sound it made was

klonk
tormenting the player is important
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4853 on: August 09, 2020, 09:48:10 pm »

I think this mechanic should be balanced enough...it might be edited in the future...


Emma listens intently, quietly. With a rub of her face, she gives the nod. "That isn't quite...enough. You already have some instinctual ability, obviously, in combat, but you don't have full control over it." She leans into her radio and speaks quietly and quickly. With that done, she leans back, "I called in William."



"Emma." William coldly states.

"William. This is business." Emma clarifies, crossing her arms.

"Mmmh. Fine, fine. What's up?"

"We're going to spar."

"Alright." William shrugs, producing a rubber sword for both of them.

[15+2 vs. 7] William strikes at Emma while she's shifting into her stance. The blow makes the rubber creak, and Emma grits her teeth, but she settles into her stance and blocks another blow before it lands.

[19+2 vs. 11] Emma winces, almost dropping her sparring sword as William whaps her knuckles hard enough to leave a red bruise. Emma, however, grits her teeth, focusing on William.

[11+2 vs. 19] Almost experimentally, she blocks the next savage blow, and William dances back to look at her. Then, he charges in again.

...

[16] Emma's nose begins to drip blood, and her eyes gaze over.

...

[18 vs. 8] You see it, Emma glances down at where the sword is actually going to be as William feints.

[11+2 vs. 19] Her sparring sword catches in mid-air, and she blocks the blow. William blinks, confused, but continues to press in on his little sister. She blocks the next few feints the same, the rubber blades creaking against one another.

[20] Emma doesn't even look away from William's face--and she isn't also isn't looking at him. More like looking through him.

[11+2 vs. 17] The battle turns as she strikes harder and harder, finding the weak spots that William leaves undefended. William winces, as the sparring blade hits his tender stomach. Emma stabs forward, pushing him back as she takes steps forward, suddenly putting her more experienced and older brother on the defensive.

[17 vs. 1] Emma's eyes flick to one side, but William doesn't notice. You might not either if you weren't trying to learn from her...

[1+2 vs. 6] ... with a sudden twist of her abdomen, and a step forward, the rubber sparring blade slams into William's face, and he hits the ground with a grunt. Emma stares down at him, eyes cloudy -- then stumbles back to drop to the bench. The blood still trickles from her nose, from her eyes. She wipes at it with a sleeve, explaining, "I had to force the calculations there."

"I...I think I want to try something with you. Alone." Emma states, glancing over at William, who rises with a grunt and gives a roll of his eyes.

"Fuckin' immature, you lot are," William grumbles, brushing at his bloody nose. "I went easy on you!"

"No, you didn't! You broke two of my fingers, and I'm going to have bruises for days!" Emma complains as she suddenly stands to shoo him out, "Get out of here!"

William leaves the two of you alone.



"I want you to try something for me. Think of the flowers at the Academy. The fields. Or maybe that copse of trees where we used to sneak out to."

With a raised brow, you do as she bids. Emma's willpower creeps out, gently coaxing at yours. Energy pulses along with it--

[20/18] Suddenly, you're looking at yourself -- no, Emma is looking at you looking at her in an old memory. You feel ill suddenly, as the love you once shared blooms hot and fresh in your chest. Emma breathes out a heavy sigh from beside you, a deep, ragged breath of pain -- of loss?

[16] No, of pain. Blood is dripping from her face as she wraps her arms over her face and hunches in on herself. Every breath is a ragged, heavy sigh of pure exertion and stress. I don't...I don't think I know how to do--, But the future spreads itself out for you. William is pacing outside, eventually he will get bored and gather Eric under pretenses for a sparring session with all of us-- no, not all of us--Emma, I will be too weak to do anything but wat-- Emma twitches. ...she watches you on a screen as the world explodes around you, and not a trace of you remains--defiant to the end--

[20] Whatever it was, the connection shatters, leaving Emma curled in on herself on the verge of unconsciousness. Blood drips from her face, staining her uniform and leaving her pale. Her breathing is shallow, and her breath catches as she speaks in a whisper. "I...I-- did I do okay? Pheobe? I'm trying. I'm trying. It all comes back to that. To death. To pain. On-one of the Ancestors taught me a poem...he called it a 'Rendevous with Death'...i think about it when I think of you and [gods] I don't want to think about any of this or anything."

Emma breaks down as you sit, paralyzed and shocked. Her tears mix with the blood of her bursting capillaries. With a quick exhale, she murmurs, "I'm fine. I'm sorry."
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4854 on: August 09, 2020, 10:06:46 pm »

[5] You feel...odd. Disconnected. Emotions are fleeting. A small fire starts on the ground in front of you, and it flickers out. Parts of your skin blacken and streak with red. Glancing down at your only hand, you notice steam, or maybe Dust. You think you blur for a moment.

[16] You shut your eyes, gripping the bench even if you cannot feel it within your hand. You listen for sounds. For Emma's breathing. For your own. At one point, you've stopped breathing, so you remedy that. You center yourself. Even if feeling doesn't return, Emma shifts closer quietly.
 


Spoiler: Status (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Inventory (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Powers and Skills (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Wealth (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Contracts (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Ties (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Map (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Holdings (click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 10, 2020, 07:04:51 am by 19_EgarAlnis »
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ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4855 on: August 09, 2020, 10:20:14 pm »

Gently hug Emma.  "It's going to be okay.  This is not your burden to bear."

Should we discuss plans to stop Magnus?
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Superdorf

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4856 on: August 09, 2020, 10:26:02 pm »

God knows 'twere better to be deep
Pillowed in silk and scented down,
Where Love throbs out in blissful sleep,
Pulse nigh to pulse, and breath to breath,
Where hushed awakenings are dear--

--breathe, godling. Breathe--
--fo-00rgive us

---

<Mnemonic query: cohesion. What don't we know about it? How best to recover it?>
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Falling angel met the rising ape, and the sound it made was

klonk
tormenting the player is important
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King Zultan

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4857 on: August 10, 2020, 06:29:08 am »

Knowing what all powers Magnus has will be helpful in killing him, do we have a way to find out all of what he is capable of?
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The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
Quote from: Leodanny
Can I have the sword when you’re done?

19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4858 on: August 10, 2020, 06:57:31 am »

Spoiler: Cohesion of The Parts (click to show/hide)



You'll have to tell me it sometime.

"It is. A life for a life." Emma looks a little awkward when you hug her, but doesn't protest. "I dream about it a lot. How I nearly died."

"That...that happens. That's a recurring nightmare of mine -- how I nearly died before I Ascended...or maybe how Alphira nearly did." You twist water from the air, wetting your capelet to wipe away her dried blood. Emma weakly grumbles, but let's you.

"I always wondered about that." She murmurs, awkwardly. Eventually, she straightens. Retrieving a ration bar from her coat, she eats in silence. "William and Eric are here."

The door swings open; William, Eric and Cephie all enter the garden.

"Damn William, that's a lot of blood." Cephie whistles, her eyes fixed on Emma.

"I didn't do that." William shrugs. "She actually won."

"It was [Arithmetic] strain." Emma volunteers with a mumble, uncomfortable.

Cephie nods, while Eric just looks lost.

"I thought you said the council wanted to discuss strategy?" He questions.

"Yeah, I consider us Pheobe's secondary council. The regular Council is the third." William explains, not clarifying anything for Eric. "We're going to be sparring. Working as a team."
« Last Edit: August 10, 2020, 07:03:42 am by 19_EgarAlnis »
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ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act III: Sol's Reign
« Reply #4859 on: August 10, 2020, 03:30:26 pm »

"Exactly.  If we pool our strength, we can become stronger than any one of us would become alone."
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