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Thu Nov 27, 2014 7:35 am
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Omni says...





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Spoiler! :
This is my personal take on the story (or lack of, depending on your viewpoint) in the videogame "Destiny." Please enjoy!


Air. Breath. Breaths. Breathe, breathing, exhale. No,no, take it slow. Too fast and you'll extinguish. Just focus on my voice. You are not just a husk, no you are more than that. You have a name, a past, and I'm here to give you a present and a future. Just... just calm yourself and breathe.

Gotcha.


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I am a Ghost, a spark of the Traveler's might. And you've been dead a long time. Your memories, thoughts, emotions, everything, are trapped in the Traveler, but that's for a later time. Before you know yourself, you must know your enemy.

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The Traveler Comes (The Golden Age): During the twenty-first century, a planetoid appeared in the solar system, granting mysterious changes to each other the planets in its reach. It terra-formed the worlds it touched, turning unreachable and dangerous lands into luscious gardens and amazing landscapes. At last it came across the Humans, and in a wonderful display of power, the Traveler transformed the race forever. Lifespans that reached three hundred years and more, scientific advances never seen before, technology only thought to be in fiction. But, all good things come with a price, and this price was the Darkness.

The Collapse and the Dark Age: And the Darkness came with a fury. The Humans fought for their solar system, and for a long time, they were holding fast. But the Darkness proved to be almost endless, and slowly the Humans lost planet after planet. As the foes reached the inner planets, the Traveler retreated to Earth and fell into a deep slumber, reserving its strength for only the most important things. The Humans fell into an endangered spot, eventually reaching their last stronghold, their last City. Other species of Light rose from the ashes of the solar system, but their future is dim.

Now: Now, we are few, but we are determined. Our future is in our hands, but we must win. It will be a large war, and it certainly isn't near over, but it's time for us to finish this, either in victory after victory or in death.

Wherever we are in the galaxy, we receive a message from Amanda Holiday, the shipwright of the Tower. She has a request of us. Something's not right in the urgency of her tone.

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Beings of Light


After the coming of the Traveler the Humans were ushered into a Golden Age, with miraculous advances in science and technology, living three times longer than before. However, the Darkness closed in and drove the Humans into near extinction. Billions of people, into mere thousands. During the time after the Collapse, dubbed the Dark Ages, other beings of Light sparked to life.

Humans: Headstrong, tough, and stern? Check. Stubborn, reckless, and cocky? Yeah, pretty much. Humans have managed to fend off the Darkness throughout thick and thin, and, even near extinction, they still fight. Taking a no-nonsense attitude, the Humans are a Flicker of Light in the sea of Darkness, but they will not stop fighting until the cold grasp of death grabs them.

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Awoken: Said to be born from the loins of the Collapse, deep in the Reef, the Awoken keep the balance of Light and Darkness from tipping, they precariously teeter on the edge of either side. With bright, luminescent eyes and pale skin, these people fight alone and are independent. There are rumors that the Awoken control a Fallen nobility House, called the House of Wolves.

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Exo: Built in a genius combination between the brightest Humans in the Golden Age and the Traveler, the Exos are so complicated that the Ghosts can't comprehend the inner workings of them. Pure in Light and in hatred, these Exos are unyeilding and tireless. Some Awoken have called them the "Anti-Vex."

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The Traveler's Children: During the Golden Age, the Traveler had a large array of races to fight the Darkness. However, as the Traveler became dormant, the power fueling its children left them and they fell, on by one, with only the Ghosts remaining. The Ghosts are vast in their knowledge, but restricted in power by the Traveler's life. They can help other beings of Light by reviving their bodies and inputing their souls back into them. However, each time that happens, the Traveler can only support that for so long.

Beings of the Darkness


During the Collapse, a force surrounded the Traveler and a long war almost completely destroyed the beings of Light. Now, the Darkness has retreated to their corners of the galaxy, ready to crush the Light completely.

Fallen: The Fallen are the remnants of a vast nobility and power that spread throughout the galaxy. For reasons unknown to us, the Fallen's structure collapsed and they became a barbaric species, battling others and themselves for land and other resources. They came across the Traveler towards the end of the Collapse and burned whole cities to the ground just to claim the land as their own. There are four known tribes that occupy known space: The House of Devils, House of Kings, House of Exile, and House of Winter. It is not known the relationship between the Fallen and the other tribes completely, but they are seen battling the Vex and Hive every time they are near each other.

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Hive: The Hive is an ancient race that dwells underneath the blanket of the Darkness, following its veil as it corrupted so many worlds. They carve deep into the planets, not caring the damage they do in the process. Their relationship with the other races of the Darkness is unknown, but they seem extremely hostile to all in their path. They were a large threat during the Collapse, submerging miles of land in their caverns.

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Cabal: The Cabal is a highly militaristic and organized race that occupy Mars very tightly. With amazing technology and brute force both in their technology and in their infantry, they prefer to keep to their own rather than act offensively. During the Collapse, the Cabal fought the Humans at the edge of the solar system, demolishing them swiftly and completely. Relationships with the other species of Darkness are unknown, as they keep to themselves, but they have met with fierce aggression as the Vex invaded Mars in defense of a holy item.

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Vex: The Vex is the darkest of the foes fighting the Light. They are a robotic, one-minded race that is seemingly unending. Able to teleport star systems in a split second. They are the first ones to face the Traveler in the beginning, for reasons mysterious to every other species, Darkness or Light. There are rumors that this is only the beginning of a much larger invasion.

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At the center of the City lies the Factions and their leaders who govern over the City, called the Consensus. After a series of conflicts called the Faction Wars during the Dark Age, the Consensus was created as a compromise for the Factions to rule the City equally, with the Speaker acting as a head to their council.

The Speaker: As an Advisor to the Guardians and head of the Consensus, the Speaker is an ancient scholar of the Traveler and heads the survival of the City. However, his past is unknown and his ambitions are a mystery.

Factions of the Consensus


Future War Cult: "The fiercest contest lies ahead. This is irrefutable."

Known for their superior military performance and isolation, they believe that the fight with the Darkness is not going to end anytime soon, and we cannot escape it, so they prepare for it the best they can. They are led by a group called the Inner Circle.

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Dead Orbit: "Humanity has been caged. We will break the bars."

Dead Orbit believes that the Earth is beyond help and the Traveler can do nothing for them, so humanity has to abandon the City and reach for the stars before a major assault hits the City. They despise their presence in the Tower, and views it as them going against their own beliefs, but stays for the Guardians that follow their beliefs.

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New Monarchy: "Our choice is simple: Find our strength, or face extinction."

Famous among the City for their Golden Age ideals and high list of rules, the New Monarchy follow strict guidelines to create a beautiful government under a single head to fight the Darkness. They believe that Humanity will not survive without a strong leader that cannot be broken.

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For a Guardian of the City, there are three Classes to specialize in. These classes determine how you fight, how you use Light, and how Light affects you. Choose wisely, for you cannot switch.

Warlock: Known by the Titans as "warrior-scholars," the Warlocks were the first to tap into the potential of the Traveler, and it affected them more than the other classes. They now teeter precariously between godhood and madness. Their battle strategies are unpredictable, and that's what makes them so dangerous. They are distinguished by a band on their left arm, usually with fire or other bright things on it.

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Hunter: Through rough manipulation of Light, the Hunters learned how to survive the Darkness through discreet tactics and frightening one-on-one combat. It's dangerous enough to see a Hunter, but even more if you don't see them. They are consider the "most down-to-earth of the Guardians," but they'll deny that. They would rather fight with stealth than with blunt force tactics. They stand out from the trademark cloak and hood.

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Titan: Through their power of Light, the Titans are strong and have great endurance. They face a challenge head-on, seemingly an unstoppable force that even the mightiest foes of the Darkness have been hard-pressed to take down. They are brutal and on the front lines in their fighting. The Titans stand out with a belt and cloth hanging on their right side.

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Character Template:


Spoiler! :
Code: Select all
[b]Age: [/b]

[b]Gender: [/b]

[b]Race: [/b]

[b]Class: [/b]

[b]Armor: (Explanation soon)[/b]

[b]Weapon of Choice: (Explanation soon)[/b]

[b]Appearance (Without armor):[/b]

[b]Personality: [/b]

[b]History (Would be unknown to your character):[/b]

[b]Other: [/b]


Character Slots:

1. Omniclysm - Renya Laruinld - Exo Female Hunter
2. shinethroughthedark - Akuji Shakur - Human Male Hunter
3. PenandSword - Margarete Fertig - Exo Female Titan
4. Craz - Raedwulf - Awoken Male Titan
5. CowLogic - Roberto Solo - Human Male Hunter
6. ddman18 - Mattias Andus Ledwin - Human Male Warlock
7. Flite - Kazumi - Awoken Female Warlock
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Fri Dec 12, 2014 4:21 am
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Omni says...



Renya Laruinld - Mars


Renya...

Follow my voice, Renya....


My name is not Renya, little light.

Who are you, then?

If I told you, I would have to kill you.

Renya, I have searched for you for decades. I am certain you are that same person. You've been dead a long time, and I'm here to help you. Follow my lead.

I cannot be alive, for I am dead, in body and in soul. It is useless to help me.

You know much, Renya, but I know more. You are dead, in body and in soul, but I can bring you back, even if only most of you. Your race needs you.

That's it. Take in your new body. It is you, but it is whole. Breath. Feel.


"Live."

I awoke to a hard, heavy feeling in my chest. My body was metal, like it was before, but it felt like it was unfinished. "This is not my body." I flexed my fingers, feeling their metallic chime against each other.

"I can't do as much as I was hoping. As we reach the Traveler, I will be able to restore you to your full power, but for now, I'm afraid that's as good as you're going to get." A Ghost floated by me and fixed a loose bolt on my knee joint, firing a high-impact beam to persuade it in its preferred direction. Moving to me worriedly, he blinked his blue eye, "We have worse problems right now."

As if on cue, a deep growl shook the cavern I was in, knocking me out of observing my new body. I stood, taking in my surroundings. I was in a cave of some sorts, the only light illuminating the place was the Ghost and my own glow from my eyes. It had the markings of being untouched for centuries.

"Glad to see something of your memory survived, at least your emotions, personality, analytical skills, rudimentary things like that." He looked around. "Oh, oh, we need to leave, now." He whirled in a complete 360, his eye looking around crazily.

"Lead the way, little light."

"Don't call me that." He retorted, but started to the right.

~~~~~~

it was a long walk to the entrance of the cave, which looked like a Cabal door, long abandoned. The Ghost whispered, "took me about two weeks, but I finally got that door open. Of course, I happened to trip an age-old security alarm upon opening it, so expect Cabal to be tracking us. I've laid down a net that will obscure us, but not for long. We need to find a ship and get back to Earth." Another growl sounded rattled the canyon beyond, echoing into the cave behind us.

"Sounds like a Centurion. Do not want to stumble into that guy. There's an old Guardian outpost nearby, I'll post it on your HUD." In an afterthought, "your armor's not going to have all of its functions, but the basics are all there."

Sure enough, the coordinates popped up in my field of view, and a scan marked the environment as Mars. "Ghost, you promised me my full life and body, yet you do not fulfill that promise. You have given me false hope, or what hope is for me. Why do that?"

"We needed you. Humanity, the Traveler, Light itself. You are a stubborn Exo, Renya, which made you famous in the past, but now it makes you hard to deal with. Even in death, it was hard to get you back."

"You tried before?" I questioned him as we snuck past a large black building, careful not to touch the walls of it.

"Oh yes, dozens of times, but never in that cave. It was hard to find your body, but I did, and that allowed me to have greater success in persuading you. Even then, it took a long time, far too long." He turned to look at me, "they destroyed the ship I was planning to bring you back in, so we'll have to find some other mode of transportation."

"I.. apologize, Ghost. In the state I was, I could not-"

"No, I understand, death is a hard thing to comprehend. Even though you felt alive, you had no control over your soul."

"May I ask, why are we on Mars?"

"Well, you died here. Most likely sometime during the Collapse." He looked at my blank expression, "you aren't going to remember your past. If the Traveler was at its full power, yes, but right now it is hibernating, trying to reserve its power to defending Earth." He looked away, "the Traveler is dying, Renya. And you might be able to save it. It's our last hope."

"What do you mean?" I grabbed a small, white weed-like plant, examining it. "The wildlife here is destroyed, what happened?"

"The Ghosts have been reactivated by the Traveler to seek out forgotten remnants of the Golden Age and the Collapse, including noble Guardians." He looked at the plant in my hand while we were walking next to a large canyon. "There's been an invasion of Mars. As you may have noticed, the Cabal have occupied Mars ever since the Collapse, but they found something, something that have irritated the Vex, causing them to invade Mars. It's been a warzone for months now."

Overhead, a deafening roar buffeted my eardrums. Ghost looked up as a Cabal battle cruiser soared overhead, a floating fortress destined to destroy anything in its path. "That's not good." Ghost muttered. One for subtlety, he is. A smaller ship separated itself from the fortress and landed in a plain near us. "We need to move, now!"

But it was too late. A flash of red hit Ghost and he disappeared. I looked to the ship to see three large, heavily armored Cabal moving towards me. I ran towards them and felt something in my wrist vibrate, emitting a hum. I opened my palm and a rod flew out, its end featuring a pure black crystal. A name popped into my head. Yao.

The rod seemed to come to life in response, and a short scythe-like blade formed on the end. I grasped the handle of the blade and ran towards the Cabal.

The first one roared tribal-like and met my charge with its shoulder, knocking me off balance. I stabbed its weapon arm and it let out a screech, dropping the gun. A sickly white liquid poured out of the wound, some of it staining the blade. I picked up the gun quickly and climbed on the back of the Cabal soldier, stabbing its shoulder-blade for leverage. Pulling myself up, I kicked the soldier's helmet off and shot the second Cabal soldier in the head. It dawned on me that the weapon I was holding wasn't a Cabal weapon, but an old Guardian hand cannon from the days before the Collapse. It felt familiar, but not mine.

The soldier I was standing on grabbed my leg and threw me off of it. Narrowly avoiding a large leg from landing on my chest, I fired three rounds into the soldier's chest. There was one left, a soldier large than the other two. It threw down its weapon, a small auto rifle that looked miniscule in its hands, and charged at me. I acknowledged its challenge and tossed the out-dated hand cannon to the side. Holding Yao loosely to my side, I grabbed the soldier's arm and hoisted myself over it, switching positions with it. The Cabal turned and swiped a fist, almost knocking me out with one hit. I hit the ground, dazed, but managed to dodge another fist from the brute.

Suddenly, I lurched up and tried to throw my blade at the soldier, but it was missing. Looking around, I didn't see it anywhere. The Cabal soldier noticed my apprehension, and snarled lightly.

This body has suited me well, the time I had it. I thought, scanning out the possible outcomes in my head. They were all grim.

Time slowed, and suddenly I saw flashes of my past, right before my death. It was oddly silent, even though there was a lot going on. It was blurry, the parts I saw. But it was enough.

Something burned in me, a fire that willed me to live, to be better than last time. The burning got even more fierce, and I opened my eyes, which I didn't realize were closed. The Cabal soldier, a Centurion I suddenly remembered, was all but stopped, time was that slow. I felt the fire in me, fighting for me to live. I stood, a slow act, for my body was still sore and in larger disrepair than before the fight, and stared into the Centurion's helmet, where I knew its eyes to be. "The Light is more Pure than the Darkness, and it has deemed you to be as tainted as the blot you funnel energy from." Yao was suddenly back in my hand, and in one quick motion, I beheaded the Cabal captain, its blood sprouting from the cavity and coating its body in a shiny. sickly white glow.

The burn had left, and with it my energy. I felt hollow, like something had possessed me and left after its job was done.

"It kept you alive. The Light." The Ghost has uncloaked itself in front of me, a burn on the right side of it. "You are special, indeed. The Traveler is weak in its state right now, but it saved you from certain death." He nodded, his eye wobbling slightly.

"Then it is a debt that I owe to the Traveler. Let's find us a ship, little light."

"That's not my name."
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Fri Dec 12, 2014 9:15 pm
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CowLogic says...



Roberto Soto - Moon


A smile creaked across my face. It was a stretch; I was still sore as hell. But it was still gratifying. In whatever past life I had, I had smiled a lot. It was necessary today, too, I acknowledged, looking at the beautiful girl tending bar a few feet away. Dark-skinned too. Praise God for that, He knows that these moon women are much too pale.

"Mars, huh? And what did you do on mars?"

"Same thing I do now," she replied, pouring me another glass, while making eye-contact. "Pour drinks for scummy earthlings like you." She winked, making it obvious her statement was in rebellious satire of the Martian prejudices.

Still smiling, I spread my arms. "What can I say? Born in the scum, you never really wash it all off."

She put a dirty, calloused hand on her supple hip. "Scum, huh? Where are you from on Earth?"

"South America," I replied immediately. "In the western mountains. My father and mother were the leaders of our village." Complete BS. If I could remember where I was from, that's where I would be right now. "It was beautiful there, but nothing like those glass cities in Tehland, Mars. How did you happen to leave that kind of richness to come fraternize with us 'scummy earthlings.'"

She went a little dark. "Parents killed. Cabal everywhere. I couldn't stay. Everything was just getting to dark. Darker than this craphole of a moon, even." Oh great. Her libido is definitely dead now. "Listen, there are other customers I have to help." She proceeded to busy herself with the only other guy seated at the bar, a dust-coated sixty-something man with a wild beard who had probably been here all day everyday for decades.

Not all of the moon was a craphole, but this place definitely was. A hole-in-the-wall in a crater refugee slum. Safer than Earth, but not by much.

At least it was "safe." Less than two miles away in any direction, the Hive were buzzing in their caves below, and the Fallen were getting jarra and shoving each other around with electro-spears above.

Earth. That's all I knew about my homeland. A pretty general area, to be rank. Anyways, as of now, I need to lay low, get my bearings, find some type of job that involves well-oiled wits and well-oiled hair. Find a woman, such as this one. I had absolutely no desire to go

to the City

Excuse me?

The City, Soto. You were saying how you needed to go there.

Soto? Is that me? I was looking around, trying to determine the origin of this internal voice, but realized that internal it was. Now I was getting up. To take a piss no doubt. But I was leaving a tip, a crumpled, dirty galactic. Going out the door. Where was I headed?

I strode down the street, hands deep in the pockets of my filthy co-op militia surplus parka, possessed by some relaxed, yet reserved spirit, who seems to have controls over my body that match only my own.

It feels natural, don't it, Soto. Keep on then.

Alright, alright, I get it, me. I'm headed somewhere. I passed by rows upon rows of shipping containers lining the wall of the crater, made into a shanty town, with grubby Earth kids running around and the occasional shocked former Martian soldier who'd seen too many stray body parts muttering and stepping with a limp as he shuffled past.

Without warning, I suddenly turned into a hastily constructed shack and down a shaft of stairs. The world grew dark around me, but I stepped as if I was driven by an illumination. That is, there was a bit of hope. I could sense it.

But it was surrounded by an omen. Of darkness.
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Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:00 am
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Ciblio says...



Akuji Shakur


Emptiness. Black. Who are you?

"I'm finally here, do you hear me?"

The silence of the godforsaken room slips through the cracks, trying desperately to escape from the torture.

"Just open your eyes, you're good now. Listen to me."

There is no life here anymore. Everything we knew, everything we know, everything we will know is all dead. Right?

"Huh? Where am I? Where are you? Who are you?"

Quiet. Where'd the voices go?

"Go slow, I've found you. Just follow me, I'll help you."

There were never any to start with.

"No, who ARE you?"

A quiet hum sounded from one side of the dark room.

"Oh, I see it. Your bodies ready. Feel it, use it, live with it. But be careful."

Who was that? Another voice? What voice?

"I'm just here to help, Akuji. Calm down."

His chest began rising up and down at a quick pace, and he took in a deep breath. Akuji's eyes snapped open, and the familiar feeling of pumping blood through his now working body. Crust crumbled from his eyelids, and his lips tore apart, bringing a bit of blood from the separated skin. His hand twitched, though he felt a restriction. Cold metal, was it?

"Ah, there we go. Take it slow, Hije." The voice soothed quietly.

Akuji took a few minutes to sit all the way up, cringing every few seconds from his bones being moved. He was sore everywhere, though he didn't know why. He used one of his hands to wipe at his eyes and lip, staring at his arm as he did so.

"I am a Ghost, a spark of the Traveler's might. And you've been dead a long time. Your memories, thoughts, emotions, everything, are trapped in the Traveler, but that's for a later time. Before you know yourself, you must know your enemy." The ghost began.

Akuji only stared ahead, not sure if he should speak.

"You died sometime during the Collapse. It took me quite a bit of time to find you, but I've done it, and it's time to get to work. Concentrate on your energy, you should have a lot of it. We need to get out of here before the Vex arrive and cause trouble." He spoke, grimacing when saying the name 'Vex'.

Akuji was silent for a few more seconds, before murmuring, "...Vex?"

There was a low, dry chuckle, then, "So you know how to talk. Good. I thought I was going to have to talk to myself on the way back to Earth."

"We're not on Earth?" He thought to himself, a frown forming on his face.

As if reading his mind, the Ghost spoke up again, "We're on Saturn. There's no telling how you got here during the Collapse."

Everything was silent again, and the Ghost made a weird clicking noise with his mouth, then proceeded, "The Vex are the darkest of the foes fighting the Light. They are a robotic, one-minded race that is seemingly unending. They're able to teleport star systems in a split second. They are the first ones to face the Traveler in the beginning, for reasons mysterious to every other species, Darkness or Light. They're not everywhere in the Galaxy, but they're spread out among it, and it just so happens that there's a fair amount of them here. We need to go to the ship I secured for our travels."

Akuji made a strangled noise, but nodded. He didn't remember anything that had happened. He didn't remember the Collapse, he didn't remember the Vex, and he didn't remember dying. But, here he was, staring at a ghost, about to head back to his home planet. Right? Earth was his home planet, wasn't it? Who knows anymore...? The Traveler? Who is the Traveler? So many questions, too much pride. Akuji looked to the side, and shook his thoughts away.

"Alright, do you feel strong enough to get up? You've been unconscious for a few decades, so it might be a little hard to walk at first, but you'll get used to it again."

Akuji began to get up, and as he did so, the sound of screeching metal sounded from outside of wherever they were.

The ghost let out an aggravated groan, "Come on, we need to leave quickly. We'll probably run into one or two. They'll delay us, but we'll make it. Let's go."

As the ghost lit the way out, Akuji slid his hand down his side, though as he did so a light scraping feeling pushed against his skin. He pulled his hand up, and he was met with a sheathed blade under the sleeve of his armor, and a piece of cloth tucked in there.

He arched a brow, and touched the clothe. As he touched it, a warm rush of comfort filled him, and he pushed his bottom lip out in confusion.

"Ey, Akuji? Looks like there's a bit more than I thought." The ghost suddenly blurted out.

Akuji peered from around the large rock-type-thing, and sighed internally. There were several. They wouldn't make it past the evil robots.

"We could try and find another way out. There's no way we can use this exit." The ghost said after a minute.

With that, Akuji turned, and began to search for another exit.
Last edited by Ciblio on Tue Dec 16, 2014 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Craz says...



|Raedwulf|


Dead man naked they shall be one

With the man in the wind and the west moon;

When their bones are picked clean and the clean bones gone,

They shall have stars at elbow and foot;

Though they go mad they shall be sane,

Though they sink through the sea they shall rise again;

Though lovers be lost love shall not;

And death shall have no


"Dominion."

A long, slow breath. The parting of cracked and bloody lips. The exhale stirring the white powder on his face, and the particles lifting and twirling over his mouth, glinting indifferently in the low light. Air hissed quietly against his teeth. Then, the breath slowly faded away until the dust began to settle again.

He abruptly sat up.

"Whoa, whoa, easy Guardian."

He did not look up. He sat, hunched over, mulling over the pain in his body. He slowly began to move his shoulders in a circular motion, then his jaw, then his fingers. His bones cracked. The discomfort grew as his cells received their first taste of blood in years. His mind was strangely blank, accepting the pings of distress over his body with a vague interest. Finally, he opened his eyes and fixed them upon the little hovering robot at his side, who blinked its eye at him.

"You call me a guardian," he said, forming his vowels slowly and carefully, "but I do not know what I am to guard and why."

He looked upon the droid, waiting for an explanation.

"No, no, not that kind of guardian." The little robot said with a twinge of exasperation, glancing into the shadows. "You are a Guardian. The Guardian."

"The... Guardian." Raedwulf repeated.

"Yes. And I am a Ghost. I revived you, and now we have to go."

"Revived... I was... dead, you say?" He said, staring inquiringly at the 'Ghost'.

"Yes, yes, now we have to go. I'll explain more later. Like, go now." The Ghost twisted and sped off into the gloom, but returned moments later when Raedwulf did not follow.

"Why do I not remember anything?" He asked the droid once it had returned.

"You've been dead a long time. It is normal for Guardians to lose their memories. Now come on." It urged, turning to speed off again but swiveling back around when Raedwulf did not move.

"But what is this Guardian you speak of? Tell me now." He said forcefully, lifting his head for the first time and glaring.

The Ghost's movements became more frantic, and it made a hissing noise as if sighing. "I'll tell you when we get on the ship."

"Tell me now, and then I'll get on this ship."

It made another noise, as if frustrated. "A Guardian is a defender of the Traveler and a being of Light. Right now, you are needed in the last city, and we have to go before we both die."

"Wait wait wait," Raedwulf said. "And who is this Traveler?"

"We have to go!"

"Fine, fine. I will follow you to this ship."

Raedwulf heaved himself forward, propping onto his knee so he can stand. He left leg wobbled precariously until he forcefully stomped into the pallid ground, sending up a cloud of white dust. He rolled his shoulders again, and glanced at the Ghost as it hovered insistently at the mouth of a burrowing tunnel. He slowly walked after it, following its faint illuminating blue light.

The tunnel curved upwards and crisscrossed many other tunnels leading in many different ways. Light slowly leaked through the further they went, until finally they emerged from the inside of a jagged grey hill. The Ghost glanced a wary eye from side to side, less frenzied than before but still on edge. Raedwulf studied his surroundings with the same dulled curiosity, the rough white landscape sending apparitions of recognition through his head.

"What is this place, Ghost?"

"The Moon." It replied, still distracted.

"The Moon..." Raedwulf echoed.

"It probably looks a bit different from when you were here and still, well, alive. The Fallen weren't as strong this close to Earth then." The Ghost said.

Raedwulf turned in a circle, arcing his head back to look upon the hill they had exited. The Ghost continued forward, stopped when it realized he wasn't following, and then ushered him out of the small crater. Parked off of the lip was a contraption of metal, a roughly welded machine made out of parts suited better for other uses. Its color varied from rust to rust that was once painted red. Raedwulf eyed it cautiously.

"Is this the ship that you speak of, Ghost?" He asked.

The Ghost busied itself around the front of the ship, twisting and turning in its odd way and sending sparks of blue into a mess of wires hanging outside of a small panel. Raedwulf wandered closer, peering into the knot of wires.

"Yes, but... It looks like it only has enough juice to get us to the nearest town. It nearly short-circuited on the way over here. Come on, get inside." The Ghost said.

He eyed the ship once again, but jumped onto its wing and popped the latch open to the pilot seat. His motions were sure from an unknown hours of practice. He slid inside and the Ghost followed him, continuing to shoot its light into the control panel. The latch slid closed and a rush of noise came from the ship's engine, sputtering alive for another taste of the sky. Slowly, the ship righted itself from its uneven landing, hovering just above the ground. Then with a lurch it took off.

"See," Raedwulf said. "There was no need to rush. You are just a suspicious little robot. Now, tell me about this 'Traveler.'"

Below them, dark shadows stirred and detached from the rocks, their beady eyes watching as the ship disappeared into the black sky.
"we'll fasten it with some safety pins and tape and a dream, and you're good to go, honey."





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Dreamery says...



Mattias Andus Ledwin - Earth

“What’s this…? Oh? Just who I’ve been searching for… Come on… wake up… We’ve got to get you out of here. Just have to… do that… and… there!”

He’d awoken in a sea of pure black, unable to move, sense, or, moreover, use any portion of his body that would have otherwise been considered useful. He had no sensation of anything, but he existed nonetheless. It was a strange state, to say the least, and he could not comprehend it. Perhaps this is what happened after death.

Or, after revival.

Gradually, sensation filled his body: first his heart, then his mind, and soon it consumed him, all the way to his very extremities--his fingertips began to feel, again. Blood rushed to his head, and he went to grab his forehead in a vain attempt of relief, but he was stiff. It felt as though a heavy weight sat upon him as his other senses returned. Hearing flooded to his ears, and yet he still heard nothing, apart from the breath of the wind. It sounded as though it was suffocating another strange sound of… hydraulics?

Following his hearing, his sense of touch. His fingers were underground, seeming to be driven into a soft, moist substance. It was soil. He hadn’t felt such a texture in… how long has it been…? Aside from this, he could feel that he was laying down with a frigid surface sitting atop him, whatever it was.

The taste of iron returned to his lips as the corresponding sense returned to his tongue. Was this blood? It had to be. But, strangely, it felt as though it had dried long ago. When he redeemed his smell, it seemed that the air carried a similar smell as the blood: one of archaic metal.

His sight had come to him, as well, though gradually. At first, he’d remained in the darkness that he’d felt when he awoke from his rest. Then, he saw a faint light of some sort in the distant. This illumination began to spread, and he opened his eyes. Above him, a gray sheet of metal consumed by rust. Sunlight flooded into his temporary den, and blinded him momentarily. He averted his gaze to the obstruction that lied atop him.

The ability to use his body returned to him at last. In awe of this, he’d shifted his fingers about in the soil, amazed to be able to experience such a sensation again. This state of awe was merely tentative, as fear soon racked his body. Why was he able to experience this again? He instinctively pushed the sheet of metal away, and sat up abruptly. He was on a road of some sort, he was sure, in a spot where the asphalt had crumbled away. Surrounding him were the carcasses of cars long abandoned.

He lifted his hands to eye level, and stared at them. They were rough and calloused, with cuts along his palms. The dirt had stained them with black patches. He bent his fingers inward, as if gripping something, and then slowly returned them to their original positions.

His head was pounding, and his mind seemingly straining itself to remember something… An epiphany had suddenly struck him. He did not know who he was, where he was, or even why he was. Tears began to fill his eyes. He was given another chance to live, it seemed, but he did not know anything regarding himself. No relatives or pleasant memories came to mind, or even enemies and suppressed thoughts. His mind was a clean slate, and he was bothered by this. He remained there for a time, lost in this realization--lost in his existence.

He was distracted by a creaking sound nearby, that died for a few seconds, but returned soon afterward. Looking upwards, he saw a large, green sign with white text, shifting from its unstable position. Then, with a powerful gust of wind, it fell. In a panic, he rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the object that would have likely sent him back to whatever realm he’d just come. He tumbled onto the ground, and when he stood, he was greeted by a machine of some sort, with a fluorescent blue eye.

“Hello, Mattias,” it spoke.

He was unsure of what to do, frozen by fear. What was this?

“You’ve been dead for quite a while.”

He screamed, as if to attract someone in the vast loneliness that he currently faced.

And, as if by instinct, his legs began to move, one striding in front of the other at any given point of this action. His feet pounded against the ground. His heart rate increased, in conjunction with his breathing. He could feel the wind rushing past him as he moved against it. He pushed against this force and continued.

He ran.





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Pan says...



The Dark Side of the Moon| Mete

Mete jumped up and gasped, panic flooding her body. It felt as if she had just had a hypnagogic jerk, and looked around. Her mind was fuzzy, anything she could have possibly known about herself was gone.
Margarete.
Was that her name?
Margarete, get up.
She stood, shakily. The voice resounded throughout her.
Margarete, we need to go now.
"Go where?"
The ship. We need to hurry, Margarete, they'll find us.
Mete was confused, but she stumbled toward the light, only to find that the hovering light was a Ghost. "Ghost, where are we going? No, that isn't the right question. Where is this ship taking us?"
We're going-
The Ghost's sentence was drowned out by barbaric yelling. Mete instinctively reached for her gun and pointed it at the creature. It's pale body was twisted at it drew a heavily clawed hand back. She had killed it without thinking, and felt that the feeling of victory when it's body crumpled down wasn't entirely alien. It gave her a sense of deja vu, and created an aching pit in her stomach.
There are more coming, hurry.
Mete ran after the Ghost. It stopped at a ship. "Where are we going? I'm tired of asking." She glowered at it, though she knew she couldn't intimidate the small light.
Home.
I AM THE PAN.
BEWARE MY KITCHEN UTENSIL-Y GLORY!
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Omni says...



Renya Laruinld


We stood in the middle of a ruined skyscraper that still held up tons of dust and sand and other debris from caving in the entrance to the Buried City. The Cabal were keeping patrols all throughout the City, and certain areas were severely damaged.

"The Vex have been here," The Ghost chimed shakily after he inspected a piece of rubble near the entrance. "This is not good, we have to hurry."

I stepped over a broken chair and pushed aside a piece of flickering cable. Clambering up a support beam, I grasped another cable and heaved myself up. "We can use that to our advantage if we perfect the timing."

"What do you mean? This will just turn from bad to worse."

I sat down slowly, letting my legs rest. "Distractions, Ghost, are the best opportunities. They often rarely come in times like this." I pulled out Yao. "First off, I need a weapon, a good one at that."

~~~~

The Buried City was a stronghold in the colony of Mars, the biggest in the planet, known for its extreme and intensive Golden Age research on mining and ecosystem fractures. Their research was lost, and the little recovered suggested dark and in depth research over more destructive things. The Cabal now hold the Buried City, Freehold.

"Freehold." I whispered, crouching along a small makeshift walkway between a two buildings, one crashed into the side of the other. The Ghost was creating a light for me to see my way through.

"Freehold, the Buried City." He shook his head slightly. "This was one of the best cities in the solar system. Shame the Cabal have taken it over."

"Freehold. I remembered the name." I looked down to see a Cabal tank roar past, along with two squadrons of Legionnaires marching behind it. "I keep remembering parts, tiny bits of my memory. Inconsequential things that make no difference to me whether or not I know them."

"Your memory is a complicated thing, much like your soul. It's a process that only the Traveler can do, but some of it, rarely all of it, will come back, because that's what it's designed to do." His head quivered, "the weapon cache is close. Either that or a large battalion of Cabal."

I squeezed through the walkway and fell a floor down into a dark room. Yao shivered in my hand, acting as if I could (and should) run through and kill every Cabal on this miserable planet. I grunted softly. The Ghost dropped a little softer than I, shining his light into the room.

It was a musty office room that looked like it hasn't seen anything in it for a long time. "Right next door is the weapons cache. It looks to be a room a similar size to this one. I'm not seeing anything on the scanners. You're free to go."

Stashing Yao (much to its dismay) I found a door that was still partially able to work. Shoving it open, I entered the Cabal's stash of weapons, most of them looking to be Golden Age experiments. "Ghost, find one that works. I'll look for something I can lure the Vex with." He nodded and disappeared. So his cloaking mechanism still works. I'll keep that in mind for later. There was still a large gash in the side of him. It looked painful, but maybe the Ghost didn't feel pain.

Do I feel pain? Pulling out Yao, the blade of the scythe paled from a night black to a ghostly gray. Closing my eyes, I did a quick slash on my arm.

Nothing.

A small hint of panic flashed through me. Opening my eyes, I looked down at my arm. Nothing changed on it. There was no cut, no gash, nothing on it. I sliced my arm again, and the blade went harmlessly through my arm.

Yao, you sneaky devil. I put it back into its pocket and searched the room. There were a lot of artifacts, all human-made and all quite possibly in disrepair.

Then I found it. It was a teleportation device that was all but destroyed. But, on the inside was flash emitter that interested me more.

"Renya." I looked up. The Ghost was struggling to keep up a hand cannon that looked halfway destroyed, but still in extremely pristine condition on the other parts. "Will this work? The label said: Hawkmoon."

I could feel Yao pulsing in its pocket. I smiled, not caring about the dull pain in the back of my head. "Let's do this."
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Apricity says...



Kazumi



Whiteness.


Darkness.


Fire.


Water.



Me?


Who am I?



I lay, suspended in a sea of white. Floating, with no physical body but just 'me'. Me as an entity, but I need to return somewhere. Somewhere. Someone? A place? Place where I'm needed. I can't go, not yet. Not yet. I fought the light, fought the pulsating waves that tugged against my body.


Come.


Come with.


Come with me.


Listen .....


Stay..stay with me.



The voice of another intruded into the sea of white, a persistent frequency that slowly but surely brought me back to land. Solid ground, and I crashed into reality with a painful pop. The first thing that struck me was the heavy weight that surrounded my body, my arms, my legs, my chest. What the hell were those things? The second was the way the air felt against my skin, which meant whatever those things were weren't covering up my body completely. The air rubbed against my skin like sandpaper, then it was the hoarseness in my throat. A thirst that crawled itself up my windpipe, and shredded my muscles along with it.
Can I even move?

As my fingers twitched in answer, I slowly cracked open my eyelids and took in my surroundings. It was dark, not a cozy darkness but one that promised to hide treacherous things. But there was another presence in this place with me, someone else that was hovering nearby. And frankly, that annoyed the complete crap out of me.

"W..who is it?" I cringed at the sound of my own voice, hoarse and raw instead of coming out as a demanding yell it was more like a question uttered by a weakling.

"You've finally awoken." A voice sighed in relief and I craned my head to find the source of the sound, only realizing that wasn't a good idea when my neck muscles cramped up painfully. "I'm here, Guardian. Ease yourself."

Suddenly, an droid appeared in front of me, small as it peered up at me anxiously. "Are you awake, guardian?"

"Yes, I'm awake, you idiot." I snapped, couldn't he see that my eyes were open.

The droid made a sound of surprise, before nodding his head.

"I'm a guardian? Of what? Who am I? Where is this? Why am I here? Who are you?" I fired out the questions, my voice still raw and hoarse and my throat protesting loudly with the dosage of questions being fired. The droid looked taken back, before nodding again.

"Perhaps you might recover...sooner then the others." The droid mused to itself quietly, before acknowledging the annoyed glance I shoot him with.

"I am a Ghost, a spark of the Traveler's might. And you've been dead a long time. Your memories, thoughts, emotions, everything, are trapped in the Traveler, but that's for a later time. Before you know yourself, you must know your enemy."

"The enemy?" I questioned, pulling myself up into a sitting position. "Ok, before that. I was dead?"

"Yes, I revived you. You will have no memories of your past, or your identity. But that is normal, do not panic. In time, you will regain them." The Ghost reassured me.

Just then, a terrible roar shook the cave or whatever it was we were in, the walls trembled and debris filed from above showering us with red particles. The Ghost's eyes widened, "They're here. We have to go, now now. Move!"

I stood up, "Where am I? Where are we going?"

The cave shook again in answer, louder this time accompanied by the whirring of blades and the muffled shouts of what seemed like soldiers.

"You're on Mars, the Cabal occupy this planet and it seems that have already detected our presence. We need to move fast to the stronghold, I have no time to explain now. I will explain on the way, right now, our priority is to get to the ship." The Ghost's word slurred together, already he was moving swiftly in the darkness and I had no choice but to follow. I couldn't see in the darkness, and the heavy clunk that was my armour slowed me down terribly. Yet in whatever life I had before this one, I must have wore armour before for my body did not resist against it. For now, I will comply but he promised me answers, and I will get them one way or the other.

To become whole again.

To become me again.
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'And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.' ― Friedrich Nietzsche

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Omni says...



Renya Laruinld - Mars


With Hawkmoon in one hand and Yao in the other, I slammed out of the room to the barren layout, deep in the Buried City. Almost immediately after we got outside, a Cabal alarm started.

The sky suddenly turned dark and I saw a tank round the corner. But, it wasn't facing us, it was facing the opposite direction.

"The Vex have already come! We need to hurry if we're going to make it to the destination." My Ghost chimed.

"Always the obvious, Ghost." He turned to me with something along the lines of a growl.

The building to the right of us exploded as two low-flying ships dropped out of slipspace. Cabal dreadnoughts.

I dropped to the ground as rubble sprayed all over me. Yao turned pitch black suddenly and a high scream echoed across the deserted city.

The ships dropped multiple carriers throughout the city. A high-pitched drone matched Yao's scream and the tank exploded in a spark of red.

I scrambled up and ran across the street and ran into the side of an empty building. Two Vex units teleported next to us and turned to me in perfect synchronization. With their large red eyes and slender, cord-like bodies, they looked like something out of nightmares.

They screeched and grabbed me, one on each arm. I suddenly lost all control on my arms and my weapons dropped to the floor harmlessly.

I struggled, but they did not seem to notice. Their eyes were not focused on something to my left. I turned to see a battalion of Cabal soldiers, with a huge one leading them. He growled, shaking the very ground with his voice.

Renya, focus on the Light inside of you.

How did you get inside my head?

You and I are connected ever since I revived you. We are both children of the Light


I closed my eyes and retreated deep into the corners of my mind, focusing on nothing but my Ghost.

He was but a minuscule speck of the power that the Light offers. It was endless, like a looking at a horizon. So much to possess, to absorb.

Then I found it. A Light that engulfed me so completely, it was as if it was made just for me.

You are a Hunter, a predator of the Light. Where there is thought to be no Light, you are there, lurking in the shadows. Fight for me, Guardian.

my eyes opened suddenly. I was on the ground, apparently abandoned by the Vex. Hawkmoon was nowhere to be found, but Yao was back in its pocket. I rose, looking around. I was an audience to a struggle between the Cabal and Vex. It was like a light show of red and purple, destroying buildings, carving out flesh and metal and rock alike.

The Traveler has given you an opportunity, Renya. Take it! I heard the Ghost's voice in my mind hurriedly.

I channeled the newfound Light coursing through my system. Everything around me blurred, like it was all in a tunnel. Not of importance.

I turned my attention to something beyond the fight. A Cabal Carrier. Ghost, meet me there. That's our ticket to Earth. Warn the City they'll be receiving us shortly.

~~~~

Standing outside the Guardian outpost, I pulled out Yao and formed an energy grenade in my hand, tossing it into the station. At once an alarm went off. The grenade went off and the outpost blazed in a nice, fiery distraction.

Two Cabal soldiers marched up to meet me. I gripped Yao tighter.

Pushing myself off the ground, I propelled myself into the two Legionnaires, grabbing one and twisting to shove Yao into the chest of the other.

One down.

Ripping off the mask, I threw it aside and wrenched Yao out of the falling body of the other Cabal. The Cabal made to grab me, but I launched off of its body and landed on the ground with a soft thud. I closed my eyes, channeling the Light inside of me. The familiar sensation flowed through me and I turned invisible, everything else blurring around me but the Cabal soldier.

I AM PREDATOR.

you are prey

I circled the Cabal soldier, not daring to make a sound. It sniffed the air and made a wild grab to the right of me. A smile crept along my face.

I AM LIGHT

you are nothing

I pounced and Yao found its target swiftly.

~~~~

I sped silently across the small plateau created by a building and Cabal destruction. My prize was there. Our ticket home was there.

My Ghost appeared next to me as I was approaching the ship. "You have it easy, all the Cabal that occupied this left to fight the onslaught of Vex invading the City." He looked at me as I was walking. "You've changed. I can feel the Light in you. Untrained and child-like, but its there."

"I feel changed. Something touched me back there-" I slammed opened the door to the ship. "Or someone, I don't know."

"What you felt was the Traveler. It spoke to you. Which either means that its getting stronger, or desperate." My Ghost spoke in his matter-of-fact voice.

"Or both."

"Or both." He agreed. "Wait a minute."

"What?" I turned around and he ran into me. "What's going on, Ghost?"

"I'm getting a communication from the Tower. Closed channel, hard to latch onto."

"Are you sure it's for us-"

"Yes! Now, just, get us off this planet and don't distract me." I shook my head, but obeyed him and set down in the captain's seat of the ship. "I've got it."

"Guardian. I don't know you yet, and you certainly don't know me, but I need your help. Name's Amanda, I'm the shipwright at the Tower. Find me, and we'll talk."

I powered up the ship and an array of the Solar System appeared in front of me, with colors and mysterious symbols surrounding and covering almost everything there was to cover. "So, to the Tower?"

He turned to me. "No. To The City."

~~~~

I awoke to the sound of the Ghost angrily arguing with someone.

"Calm down, Trumpet. We're friendly."

"Trumpet? My name is Truppet. I told you that! Who is flying your ship?"

"I am flying the ship, as I have said multiple times!"

"Why would a Ghost fly a ship to Earth?"

"Because I have a Guardian with me. Do you really want to shoot down one of the protectors from the Golden-"

"Calm down, Ghost." I sat up, pushing him aside from the comms unit. "I am Renya Laruinld, a Guardian of the Traveler. We are not here to harm you, we are here to help."

"...Hanger B has been opened, but don't be surprised if there are armed guards waiting for you."

"As is expected. Thank you, Tower."

"You may dock. And, if I may, welcome home, Guardian."

Welcome home.
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Edna began to feel like one who awakens gradually out of a dream, a delicious, grotesque, impossible dream, to feel again the realities pressing into her soul.
— Kate Chopin, The Awakening