Day 1[9]
You only kept tabs on the Hydrogen Aspects. There were six, besides your own; the Lines of Rigel, Sirius, Eridani, Cygni, Tau and Procyon. They were beneath Sol during the various wars of the Reclaimation, and in charge of maintaining aerial superiority over critical battlefields. The last you've heard of them, they all held essential positions within the Navy and Empyreal Government. You vaguely remember that Procyon was the Pontifex of the Merciful God.
As for Sadil -- there were hundreds of Silicon Aspects -- they were usually battlefield engineers alongside the Ironmongers. You never kept track.
Sparring"Three on one sounds like fair odds." You state, proudly. "You three against me."
Emma and Cephie exchange glances -- mutual distrust, while William is, as ever, eager to test himself. They comply. Emma and Cephie build their wings, while William pulls away from his shirt.
"Do you always have to do that?" Emma asks, with an exasperated sigh.
"Yes! Clothes are expensive these days." William explains sagely, "And a quarter of the Council's cloth rations go to Little-Miss-Everything-I-Touch-Burns over there."
"Point."
You awkwardly remove the Outlander silks and gently set them in the back of the Hovercraft, so chided by kindred both living and dead. Your shield follows.
With that business done, you unfurl your wings, feeling the ache of keeping them restrained fade as they bloom brightly into the night. You stretch and stiffen the math, feeling great comfort in the now-familiar problems.
You rise while the others huddle together to whisper to each other.
...
[11, 14][17, 11][19]
Spears twist themselves from the ground while a shield of carbon wraps itself around the three, hiding them from your sight. Willpowers twist within.
[11+1]
You bring forth a corona of fire, twisting it with your grasp. Your lips quirk --
[5 vs. 20+3]
The carbon shifts and a spear launches at you at high velocity. The blunt edge strikes your chest square in the center, winding you. You avoid another -- only to be struck by one that hurls into the exact spot you dodged into.
[17] You take a deep breath and try to see the probabilities of attack. The futures are blurry, clouded by a haze, but it does help you dodge one of the carbon spears.
[11 vs. 3+2]
You dodge out of the way of a flurry of spears, diving to striking at the dome. Your corona of fire burns away chunks, but more carbon reinforces it -- you've weakened it, however.
[||.]
[9 vs. 2+2][11, 15]
You manage to keep away from the suppressive fire of carbon by dint of observation and probability, and you dive once again. The carbon shifts to protect itself -- but you do not burn it. Instead, you Sunder the earth below it, ripping it apart. You hear yelps from within--
The structure shifts and weakens again.
[|..]
[15]
Having distracted those within, you pause. With another twist of your Willpower, you copy Eric and William. You reinforce muscle and feel your body stiffen. Your skin tightens around your bulging muscle--
[7+1 vs. 3+3]
You slam your fist hard into the structure. You feel the shockwave travel up your arm. You feel your bones vibrate and muscle strain -- but you succeed. The carbon shell breaks apart despite Cephie's attempt to reinforce it.
[4 vs. 6] [19, 10]
William and Emma get the drop on you -- a roaring fireball formed from both of their twisting wills strikes you in the face and sends you sprawling back. The shell rips apart --
[7 vs. 20][13]
The carbon flows into a tight net, slamming you into the ground. It tightens as it digs in and around, wrapping itself around your arm and legs. The cocoon tightens, and you hear bones creak. You gasp in pain --
William takes advantage of your incapacitated state. He launches himself out from the trio --
[1] Your fire harmlessly washes over him as his muscles bulge with reinforcement.
[3-5 vs. 8]
His fist slams hard into your face, enough to dislocate your jaw and send your consciousness fleeing.
Anger rises within, but you tamp it down -- they sense it, but William keeps you pinned.
"Clever. You baited me." You praise, after a sigh. "You built a trap for me -- Was it Emma's idea? Or Cephie's?"
"Mine, actually," William states, proudly, grinning as he keeps a booted foot on your chest. "I've fought by your side many times -- you're always too straightforward."
You nod, and the carbon falls away. William grins down at you, boot still planted on your chest.
[14] You twist a piece of silicon out of the ground, striking him in the chest and sending him sprawling. He laughs heartily, rubbing at his bruised chest while you shake your head. Emma extends a hand to help you up, looking awkwardly apologetic.
Cephie's Training"Hey Cephie -- can you take the form of animals? Or an inanimate object?" You question, as the four of you rest from your former sparring. Cephie nods.
"The flaw with inanimate objects is that I still need to breathe—similar body-weight and size are my limits. Compacting myself down does awful things to my organs and metabolism. Conservation of Mass, and all that. "
"As for animals..."
[17][13][10]
Her bones shift and crack, and you watch with horrified curiosity as she falls to all fours. Her clothes change with her form -- and standing before you is a Barker of pure black, with gleaming red eyes. It is a little thin, but the shape is the same. It grins with wickedly sharp teeth.
[11][12][20]
Once again, horrifyingly, her forms shifts, as she straightens. She rises into a very tree-like form. Her skin is the color of bark and leaves sprout forward. She retains her eyes, her face, and the rough shape of her body. You reach out, touching her flesh -- and it even feels like bark.
"This is about the best I can do without -- well, killing myself."
"Well, practice that, I suppose? Could you alter your organ--"
"I am not doing that." Cephie interrupts. "One mistake, one distraction, and I'm bleeding to death."
"Fair point. Apologies."
[16, 11, 19]
Cephie returns to her standard form, slumping down into the dirt -- exhausted. She grins at you.
William's TrainingWilliam sighs, keeping a fire lit in the palm of his hand. You stand beside him, doing the same. He's having trouble keeping track of the math --
It flickers and dies.
"See -- I told you I'm no good at this, Phebe."
"That's exactly why you need to practice."
You leave him to it as he kindles another. Blood drips from his nose, and he wipes at it unconsciously.
Emma's TrainingLearning to extend your Willpower and utilize it entirely wasn't something you trained to do -- it came naturally to you as you fought. Emma doesn't have that luxury, so instead, she sits patiently, pushing at the edges of her capacity with her Willpower, stretching and straining it.
You do the same, but a considerable distance away. Her will extends roughly a [meter] or two from her body. Your's, especially while you feel so odd, reaches a good thirty to thirty-five. However, it is currently inconsistent -- barely under your control. It withdraws and returns without you commanding it to, and it's difficult for you to command it otherwise.
Can Willpower even be commanded? Or is it purely a natural impulse? You muse on this while you stretch and strain.
The others do not have your endurance. They rest by a fire with the Pilot while you stand far away in the wastes. Dawn rises on the flat plains of the Outlands, and you push yourself further down the path of your 'divinity.'
[10][18][20][3]
You bring a controlled fusion reaction to life within your hands. A bright purple light flows over you as you feed the incredible fires of creation. Molten beryllium drops to the ground as slag, and helium drifts free -- you try to contain the gamma radiation --
Your skin begins to blister and burn, and you feel ill.
You cut the reaction, trying not to vomit.
[16][8]
Next, you unleash hell.
The explosion is almost instantaneous. Energy flies away, turning the ground around you into glass as it scorches with the heat of hyperactive fusing hydrogen. The force almost knocks you back.
[17][18]
You force the gamma radiation and thermal energy away from you for as long as you maintain the blast, but it is exhausting. Light blooms out across the wastes as you light a star for all to see--
--and you lose control. The runaway reaction grows in pressure and heat as you try desperately to force hydrogen away from it--
--in the end, you manage to break it down, and the fire fades, leaving you exhausted and burned.
The camp beckons, but you deny the siren call of sleep.
Two more. Two more. [13][10]
You draw a blade of silicon from the ground, and, concentrating on the atomic edges, you pull and push until it blurs. You drag it into the ground, and it cuts away quite efficiently.
[14][8]
You summon forth the Slayer's blade, feeling the fire within your hand. You feed it the silicon, and it devours it hungrily.
You aim -- and the molten metal shoots out, spraying burning hot slag across the wasteland as an Inferno Shotgun would.
With that, you can no longer resist temptation. You get back to camp and collapse into a hammock in the back of the Craft, ignoring your Kindred's questions.
[12] You do not dream.
You are Pheobe Gainer and Pheonix
Local Time: [1200] 1/7/2011
Personal Time: 8 months
Empyreal Time: NO NETWORK CONNECTION.
You are missing your left arm.
Laterally, across your chest, is an ugly scar.
You are suffering from radiation poisoning: your skin is blistered and raw.
Your hair is a darker neon blue, speckled with gold, black and reds.
Cohesion: 40%
You are hungry.
Nano-feasts: 0
Torso:A fitted grey shirt with long, tight sleeves.
Across Chest: Hardlight Emitter Shield (10/10)
[hidden]
[hidden]
On Waist: A blue, silk sash
On Shoulder: A red, silk capelet
On Legs: A pair of grey semi-formal, military-style pants.
On Feet: Woolen socks(hidden)
On Feet, Over [socks]: A pair of gray spacer boots[charred]
Max Willpower Linear Distance: [35 meters]
Max Willpower Diameter: [35 meters]
Sustained Powers: 2/5 (Bird of Sol's Reign:Permanant, Sol's Glamor: Permanant)
Overload: Trained
Bird of Sol's Reign: Great
Light of Sol: Novice
Conquerer's Aura: Initiated
-Voice of the Queen: Initiated
Inferno : Great
- Slayer's Blade : Initiated
-- Slayer's Shotgun : Initiated
- Controlled Fusion Reaction : Initiated
- Uncontrolled Fusion Reaction : Initiated
Healing Factor: Qualified
- endurance Boost: Amateur.
-Strength Boost: Initiated.
Energy Manipulation: General Novice.
- Energy Manipulation: Lightning Novice.
Matter Manipulation: Silicon:: Experienced
-Silicon Sunder: Amateur
Skill: Charisma: Apprentice
Skill: Attrition Warfare: Apprentice
Skill: Marksmanship: Proficient Cephie Lavoisier's Verbal Oath One owed Favor: Ashley 'Ashes' SolContract with the Retributionist's Valhol' Pirates, AKA the Twelve Clans of Old Skarin Grandmother(adopted): Mother Nicole Gainer
--Contactable in Person
--High Influence with Scholars, Crusaders, the Thornton Family
Ruled Nation: Pheonix's Holy Fortress-State
A dominant power on McCreary's Planet, despite its new foundation. Currently pursuing a policy of aggressive reclamation.
-Ruled by a council, headed by yourself.
-Theocratic Dictatorship
-The citizens revere you as their new God.
Organization: The Children of SEED
Nine individuals, with the minds of automata and the bodies of men and women. Their very presence grates on your nerves.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
Organization: The Thornton Family
--Contactable through Emma, radio.
--High Influence within Steelworks 9 Region
--Subservient to you
Organization: Thornton Warmachines
A complement of hulking Thornton soldiers turned into cybernetically augmented heavy-duty infantry. Equipped with fusion reactor based las-gun assault rifles, Inferno Shotguns, super thick armor, and technicians standing by. They are also equipped with inter and intra-squad radio communicators.
--Lead by William Thornton
Organization: The Crew of Retributionist's Valhol, the Twelve Clans of Old Skarin
A motley collection of nearly three hundred pirates, who have crashlanded in the Outlands some thousand years ago. They are a representative populist enterprise.
--Lead by Captain Murdach Valhol.
--Contactable by Empyreal Communication Relay Network
Servant, Friend?: Cephie Laviosier.
An Ascended under contract to you for the next twelve years. She manipulates carbon and carbon-based structures.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
Mercenary: Murdach Valhol
Captain of the Retributionist's Valhol.
--Contactable by Empyreal Communication Relay Network
Ally, Subservient: William Thornton
Leader of the Thornton Family of Businessmen.
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
--High influence within the Thornton Mercenaries
--High influence within The Thornton Family
--Feared within Steelworks 9 Region
Personal Scientist, Ally: Silas Thornton
--High influence within The Thornton Family
Consort, Annoying Oracle: Emma Thornton
--Contactable in person, or by radio.
--High influence within The Thornton Family
Pet, Threat: Mitch, the Barker
A bristly furred, stubby faced hellion of a canine that will possibly mutate in the future. His fur is a rusty red, mixed with brownish gray. His eyes are starting to be tinged with bright, electric blue.
-10/50 Obedience
-?/50 Affection
-5/50 Respect
Pheonix's Fortress-State (McCreary's Planet)
Theocractic Dictactorship
Capital: Fortress City of Stormmont
Population: 4*10^6
Military: One (1) Corps of Active Duty Hover Craft Deployed Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Hardened){Stationed in Stormmont, Fortified}
Three (3) Corps of Active Duty Defense Militias (Baseline, Mark .5){Stationed in SEED Holy Land, Fortified}
One (1) Corps of Active Duty Hover Craft Deployed Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Hardened){Stationed in SEED Holy Land, Fortified}
One (1) Corps Reserve Crusaders (Baseline, Mark 1, Underequipped){Stationed in Stormmont, Fortified}
One (1) Company of Thornton Warmachines (Baseline, Mark ~1, Hardened Veterans){Currently Fighting in Steelworks Number Nine}
Commodities of Note: Nutrient Bar Rations [Food Stuffs] (equilibrium), Hydrogen Fuel Supplies (deficit), Medical Supplies (equilibrium), Consumer Goods (deficit), Electronics (deficit), Steel (equilibrium), Bioplastics (deficit), Chemicals (surplus), Luxury goods (low deficit), Alchoholic Beverages (surplus), Slug Weapons (deficit), Beetle Products (glut)
Quality of life: Food, clean water, lighting, sanitation, universal literacy, universal healthcare, universal higher education, lack of culture, lack of luxury, religious restrictions, and lack of universal rights
Population Morale: Medium
Government Legitimacy: Moderate.
Economy: Non-existant, survival focus
Territories: SEED Holy Land
Ethnic Groups of Note: Thornton Family Group (Unified, Loyal, Criminal), Hoganson Family Group (Unified, Remnants), Sandsper Family, (Unified, Criminal, ? ? ?), Twenty Minor Families(Unified, Criminal), Western Outlanders (Remnants, ? ? ?), Eastern Outlanders (Twenty Clans, ? ? ?)