Flux

Phantom looked at the man for a while, his emotions hidden behind the mask. He hadn't expected the man to want to travel with him. He'd never really traveled with anybody before, until Meridian had come along. He wanted to search for her, to believe that she had returned to this world in some place. But this man had asked for his companionship, and he was not sure if that was a chance he wanted to deny. It would be different having a companion, and unfamiliar. But friends were what he sought, right? Phantom stood, walking over to pick up his sword, where it had fallen before. He sheathed it and turned back towards the man, his eyes ablaze once more. "...Okay."

This sounds really interesting and unique. You can count me in, with my shady mage.

True. Compare those to my original suggestion and you get quite the contrast... Sovngarde wouldn't be bad. It fits, but I guess it just isn't "exciting" (for lack of a better word) enough to me.

Oh that's fine. It's just in Zweiss's character to inquire. He honestly probably doesn't care either way. If she comes, fine, if not, fine. He's a complex personality inside, but I really like developing him.

Supernovae Zweiss gave a light chuckle as Cassidy disappeared. He turned back to Jude, the smile still evident on his face. "Let's head back now. There's nothing else for us to do here." ---------------------------------------- The trio of Zweiss, Jude, and Kiri had walked fro a long time before reaching their destination. They arrived at a stairwell leading down underneath the city. Zweiss began walking down, motioning for Jude to follow. "It's an abandoned area," Zweiss said offhandedly, explaining where they were. "There were plans years ago to build this place for who knows what. The project was canceled without any word of its purpose ever reaching the media -- a rare thing these days. Now it's been all but forgotten..." he trailed off the sentence as they reached the bottom of the stairs. A stone wall blocked their path, making entrance impossible. Zweiss smiled. "Of course, obstacles like this help deter anyone who might enter unknowingly. Apparently, the place was walled off when they canceled the project. We've simply made some... adjustments to the walls." Zweiss closed his eyes, and the familiar hum of his power could be heard once more. This time, it was targeted at the wall specifically. There was a slow grating as the rock was pushed downward, sinking into a slot in the ground. The path ahead was opened to them, a dark passage of twisting corridors. There were many paths visible in the short range of sight they had, making the place seem like a maze. Zweiss turned to Jude. "Of course, my power is not the only way to arrive here. There are many other entrances. You, for example, would not even need my assistance to get through there." He closed his eyes and activated his power once more, the wall raising back into place. "My power is rather versatile in that manner," he commented. "Gravity is not limited to downward movement. You simply change where the pull comes from." The place was pitch black now that the wall was sealed, but it didn't seem to deter Zweiss. He removed a flashlight from his coat, lighting the path ahead. "I don't really need this, but it's here for your benefit. Eventually, you too will know the way without assistance." He guided him down the twisting passages, turning at multiple intersections. One could only wonder what the original intent for this place had been, and why it had been canceled. Eventually, there path ended at a single metal door. Zweiss removed a key from his coat, opening the lock and pulling the door open. Instantly, they were blinded by the bright lights, having been in the dark for so long. The area beyond the doorway contrasted the "maze" greatly. It was very clean, well lit, and buzzed with activity. As Zweiss strode into the room, many people temporarily stopped what they were doing to give him a short bow of acknowledgement The walls were all stone, but the floor was a bright white tile. There were computers set up all over, with someone working at almost every one. Zweiss turned around to face Jude. "And here lie the headquarters of Utopia."

Well, if we're going for Two Steps, here are some: An "icy" theme: And something with a litter darker of a sound, but gets pretty "mythic" at the end in my opinion: or, one from the Nero track, and my personal favorite of all their tracks: I think this one fits Dragon fairly well, and probably rock too.

MasterWeavile898 Zweiss turned to Jude as Cassidy turned to walk away. He made eye contact with the man, wondering what his opinions on the situation were. He turned back to the retreating form of Cassidy. "What will you do now?" he called out to her. "Continue running from the authorities? It's only a matter of time before you're found out." He was curious as to this girl's plans. She had potential, but her will was unrefined. She was pushing at him, but giving up to early. She seemed to be waywardly making her way through the world, living at whim.

Well, from Anver's point of view, I agree there isn't much that's has been or will be shown in a positive light, mostly because he ended up with Alister. Perhaps it's not so much Utopia that has redeemable traits, but the man behind it... there will be more on that soon. As for what ends up happening with Anver, that mostly depends on his personality and where he happens to be as certain events take place. It's not completely up to me which way he goes, and I don't mind either result. As I said, there will be key events that may determine where he ultimately lands, and that will depend on which of those events he witnesses. Alister has goals of his own, and he's not a very redeemable person. He's pretty much exactly like Anver described Utopia: a power hungry bastard. So, it's quite understandable to me how Anver would perceive things right now.

This Jack Winston seems like a cool guy, and the art style is cool enough on its own. 9/10

Just popping in to say... even with fire magic and knowledge of blacksmithing, it wouldn't be that easy to change your blades shape to anything remotely useful in the midst of battle. Blacksmith's tools consist of more than just the forge, so likewise, shifting your blade to any other sort of type would require those tools and thus not be possible in battle. It's not really like you can shape molten metal with your hands, let alone have enough force behind them to flatten and shape it well... >.>

At least until the current missions are done, possibly until the end of the chapter. I can't really give you anything more definite than that, as it's all based around how frequently we're posting.

As of right now, I don't think I'll be accepting any new members into this RP. We're just about to get to the action, and introducing a new member at this point could throw things off a bit. There is a great chance that you'll be able to join afterwards, just not right at this time. The other RP will be accepting new members shortly, as the chapter is just about to finish. If you still want to join that one, you could soon. It'll probably undergo a short rework for a while after the chapter, for a few different reasons.

Just a bit confused by this part. Did you mean that like his last name? If so, it should be Darkwinter, not Spellblade... Otherwise I'm not really sure what you meant. It's not really a big deal, just something I noticed.

"You had said earlier that it would be nice to see Gillem again. What kind of person is he?" Rhea smiled and seemed to drift into memories as she spoke. "W-well... I think first and foremost in Gillem is his kindness. He is always there when you need him, and he can always seem to say the right thing to make you feel better. He's very understanding, and would never do anything that might be considered rude." She paused, thinking back to when they had traveled together. "If you were talking about how he fights, well... he's a warrior, and a good one at that. He makes sure that his shield protects not only himself, but those around him as well. Beyond that, he's tall and very handsome." She stopped again, realizing what she had said. "W-well, at least I think he is. You'll get a better idea of just what he's like when you meet him yourself." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The group had finally reached the Pillars of Cre, just as the sun reached the middle of the sky. The masses of stone stretched unbelievably high into the sky, so far that you couldn't see the tops when standing under them. As beautiful a sight as the Pillars were, something seemed...off... as they walked through the forest of stone. They came across a toppled pillar, a sight that was new to Nash's eyes. He would never have believed that such a structure could be toppled if he had not seen it for himself just now. The fallen pillar formed a wall in their path blocking their sight of what lay beyond, save for a section that had split in two, forming a small path they could walk through. Nash stepped through first, they group following a short distance behind. As he exited the other end of the fallen pillar, he stopped in his tracks, blocking the rest of the group from continuing. "What... in the blazes...?" he whispered, slowly walking forward and allowing the group to continue. He approached one of the Pillars, and as the group exited the path, they could see what caused his unease. There were two crumpled bodies leaning against the pillar in a sitting position. They appeared to be elves, with blood pooled around their limp forms. There were gaping holes in their stomachs, the insides cleaned out. There heads were leaning against each other, and their hands were clasped, as if they were simply two lovers falling asleep. A large trail of blood left their location, moving further into the Pillars. Nash dropped to a knee. "Could this be... the work of the creature I heard last night...?" he muttered. He stood up slowly, turning to face the rest of the group. He was visibly shaken, but his voice was firm. "The creature that did this likely lurks farther in," he said, motioning towards the blood trail. There were hints of large hoof-prints stamped in the blood. "I fear we have no choice but to continue. Pay what respects you will before we move forward. Whatever did this was clearly wounded in the effort. With any luck, we'll avoid it and reach the capital unscathed. Still, keep your guards up. Visibility is poor here..."

"So, Spellsword, what is you answer?" Nero turned to face the horde as he called out his reply. "I will accept your duel, Death Knight! And know that this time, it is I who will be the victor!" When he finished his response, he turned back to the group, particularly Marcus and Xavier. "...So you two believe in battling with "honor." May I ask why?" He was curious as to how people could find "honor" in trying to kill one another. A friendly duel was one thing, but this was a real battle, with their lives at stake. Would they really risk them over so foolish a thing as honor?

Phantom ran over to Mr. Taylor as Lara disappeared. The man appeared to have blacked out from the effects of this dimension, but he was still breathing. Phantom picked him up, opening a portal for the two of them to step through. He looked back at the place one last time before he stepped through. Meridian appeared to have disappeared just the same as Lara. And it was all his doing. His only... friend, and he had caused her to fade away. He stepped through the portal, arriving back at the real world. He set Mr. Taylor on the ground, kneeling at his side. He would wait here until the man woke up, then perhaps spend a while searching here for Meridian. He thought back to their conversation. "Trust... friend..." "Yes." She had smiled when she walked through. Why would she do so if it would mean her death? Then it hit him. It was the fault of his own words. He had asked her to trust him, and she had done so without question, because she had considered him... a friend. And in that trust, she had unknowingly been taken to her demise. He let his head fall into his hands. He was... sad. It was strange for him to feel this way. He hadn't felt like this in a long time. He began sobbing lightly, and the tears brought back the one memory he had -- the face of the girl, Lyra. She was somehow associated with such sadness. Seeing Lyra's face reminded him of Meridian, and the resemblance she bore to Lyra. He leaned back, the last of his tears rolling out from under the mask. He would wait until the man woke, then decide what he would do next.

10/10 for doing it yourself. Not bad at all.

Phantom fell through the portal, Lara alongside him. He hit the ground of the other dimension, rolling away from the succubus and looking around for the old man and Meridian. He no longer had his sword, leaving defenseless aside from his portals. He could feel the place pushing against his very being, as usual, and he knew Lara would be feeling it as well. Hopefully the others were nearby, as they would be experiencing a much greater rejection right now.

Nero began to speak, his voice taking on a colder, more calculating tone. "I would suggest an ambush upon the Death Knight." He looked at the members of the group. They were all more than capable of completing what he had planned. He continued. "The Death Knight is likely the strongest foe we'll encounter here. I can attest to that myself, having battled him and narrowly surviving, all thanks to Steele. It is well worth directing our attention towards such a foe. As you know, the Death Knight has offered me a personal rematch. I, for one, would like to use this opportunity to end him. Being an Illusionist, I do not intend to fight him "fairly." There are only two sides to battle: the victor, and the deceased. Honor means nothing at the end of the day." He waved his hand dismissively. "But this is all besides the point. I will approach the Death Knight alone, giving him the impression that I have come to accept his challenge. Once I have initiated conflict, I will slowly bring the battle towards the point where our strongest warriors will lie in wait. Then, we attack from all directions. With our combined might, I doubt he will be able to survive our onslaught." He stopped, allowing them to take in what he had said. After a while, he turned to Orpheaus and Brass. "The two of you would best know a place to set up such an ambush. You have been here longer than Odin or myself. Is there such a place around?"

I already told you I like it, so 10/10 for joining the club. Is Armin your favorite by the way?

Well Phantom's on his way there now, so you should be getting out soon... Also sorry Notus, kinda forgot I can post now... I'll get on that.

Ah, I see... that's actually a really good way to go about things. So... in your opinion, what is Nero really like? It'd be interesting to hear your thoughts on him as host.

I'm fine with that duo. I always liked those two. What about a theme song? I've seen a few of the other nations do this, and I feel it's especially right for us to do so considering that we have Ark... This was my original thought, back when we were Ancient Nation. Not sure if it still fits or not, but I like it.

"Hmmm, so I see you are still alive Spellblade....what was your name again? Eh, it doth not matter. I seeketh to challenge you to a duel if you are still alive. Though you may not believe it, I am a man of honor, and I believe we should finish what we started. I promise....no tricks" Nero stopped in his tracks upon hearing the words. This was the chance he had been waiting for. The chance to get his revenge and defeat the Death Knight. He did not care about the outcome of this battle. He originally hadn't even cared about surviving. But now... something had changed. He wanted to survive long enough to defeat the Death Knight, the one who had bested him, and beyond that to defeat the Gentleman. For the first time, he had a goal in life; a reason to live. He thought to the Death Knight's challenge. His rage was driving him to accept the challenge; telling him that he would defeat the Death Knight and get his revenge. But hadn't Nero always considered himself a man of logic? He hadn't believed in the gods before the incident with the Gentleman because he had had no proof or evidence that they existed. Similarly, his rational side told him that this was not a battle he could win on his own. He looked to the side, focusing his gaze on Orpheaus and the others. Surely they would have heard the Death Knight's message and known who it was directed at. They were probably having their own qualms about what his choice would be. He retreated back to his thoughts as he split apart a skeleton that had approached. Could he really trust in a team? A team that he had only known for so short a time? He had always chosen to be alone; to worry about himself and himself only. But again, his logical side told him that there was strength in numbers. Rather than recklessly rushing to the Death Knight, wouldn't the rational choice be to approach in a group? As he had said many times before, there is no honor in battle; only the victor, and the defeated. A group would have a better chance, simple as that. As much as he disliked the idea of group battle, he would need to survive here to ever have a chance at defeating the Gentleman. Even if that was the sole reason for his decision, it was good enough for him. A sly grin broke onto his face. But he wouldn't decline the challenge. He was an Illusionist: a trickster. And that was something that would never change. He would accept the Death Knight's challenge, but this time, it would be on his terms. It was time to turn the tide of battle, to strike at the Death Knight when he would least expect it. Nero jogged over to Orpheaus and the others. "Surely you heard what the Death Knight had to say. I do not intend to decline his challenge." he paused, the same sly grin coming over his face. "However, this will not be a challenge on his terms. I would ask that you listen to my proposition; a proposition that we would take the battle to the Death Knight, rather than laying ourselves at Death's door."