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Post by Midnight on Feb 21, 2015 21:44:59 GMT
Midnight grinned evilly as their hands met and the deal was made. She leaned closer, looking the construction of a man right in his eyes. "Have a little faith, my puppet man... By the time I've concluded my business with you, you will be not only master of your own destiny, but a sculptor of a far more glorious future for everyone..." she hinted, then let go slowly to stand up straight.
"I think you know exactly why I didn't go to your Original directly. He's not 'here', is he? Someplace removed from the usual spectrum of my vision. It's a clever trick, but not one I haven't encountered before. If I can't find what I look for, it's pretty much a guarantee it's being hidden from me, hm?" she teased, then looked in a direction almost exactly where the point of her interest was being held. "But shadows are everywhere, aren't they? They can tell me where to begin looking and they can tell me what went in. The man, your other half... he wants exactly what you want and I want to see to it you both get what you desire..."
She purred and walked around behind the man once more, patting his shoulder as she did so. "So, I'm asking you to do BOTH. Come with me to see HIM... then go with me to see the OTHER HIM."
She chuckled and leaned on him slightly, eyeing the look on the man's face from the side. "Are you familiar with Gestalt Theory, puppet man?" she asked, then almost immediately disappeared from view only to reappear leaning on the doorway leading off the way they would have to go.
"Let's go see if the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts, hm?"
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Post by Baron Mordock on Feb 21, 2015 22:08:54 GMT
And so it begun, the usual posturing of youth. The Baron growled lightly, his eyes alight with practically instant fury. He took a step forward until he was chest-to-chest with the boy, looking down his nose at him with intent to assert some form of authority.
"Now you listen here, you ignorant yelping pup. I've been forced to be civil in the presence of your dread mistress but she is attending other MORE IMPORTANT matters than your welfare as of this moment and I can speak as freely as I now wish..." Mordock warned in a dark and dangerous tone that did not entirely sound like himself. Before he had played the part of the fearful, meek politician. Now, if he was to put this upstart in his place, he would have to show the superiority that had won him his position and title.
"You mistake me for some yewling coward that has no stomach for violence or death. You are wrong. You think I give a care for the fate of the Conjurer? Hardly. I was more than prepared to sacrifice the old fool the moment I dragged her from her bed and across the nations to that pitiful little hole you were hiding in. The entire Rainbow Tower can burn to the ground, and I would laugh amongst the flames, ready and more than able to add your amateur carcass amongst the kindling."
Mordock glared down at the man, lifting a hand to allow a slight arcing of electricity to pass between his fingers much like a miniature Jacob's ladder. "Do NOT trifle with me, boy. Though our magicks are different, I am far beyond your level, a master and a grand mage. I know secrets that would spin your head and melt your very essence to nothing. Just ask your associate over there. She has seen first hand a mere FRACTION of my power which I was all too happy to demonstrate knowing that I overshadow even that should I desire to do so, and with every condescending word that passes your young, inexperienced lips... I am ever the more tempted to make an example of you as well."
The Baron threw his hand to the side and send that splitting curve of lightning through the air, shattering and atomizing a pot nearby. All that was left behind of his good work was a singe mark and a curl of smoke.
"But by the Grace of your goddess do I tolerate your existence. Save ONLY my agreement with her, I have every reason to make an example of the arrogant little novice in front of me now. Mark me, upstart. If you do not bite your insolent little tongue and soon, I might be so inclined as to point out that at no point did the shadow you oh so love and admire made no promises to keep you protected and as I pointed out before... She's NOT here to save you NOW..."
With that, Mordock shoved his way past Jace and walked over to a portion of the wall that was unclaimed by clutter. As he passed by Saint Eleisia, he grumbled to her "You might save the boy's life if you could teach him even half the respect you've shown..." He found his place, and leaned there, arms crossed and a sour look on his face. Paranoia may be his personal demon, but COWARDICE was not. He knew how far he had come and he knew how far he was willing to go. The boy could either get on board with the program or get the hell out of his way for all he cared.
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Post by Lord Biru on Feb 22, 2015 16:44:48 GMT
"Lord Biru" wasn't entirely sure of the Goddess, but he knew Divinity when he saw it--if his memories were true, then the true Biru had seen his share more times than he'd like to count. The Simulacrum led the way, although it appeared Midnight knew exactly where She wanted to go, and the wards suddenly seemed redundant. If you couldn't hide something valuable, why waste the resources?
It took some traveling through the immense Imperial Fortress, but the two finally reached the epicenter the Goddess sought, completely neglecting a visit to the Imperial Wizard first, as her interests were serving the Simulacrum's own right now. The chamber opened in another circular room, only ten feet high and with a large hole in the floor. Stepping up to it, "Lord Biru" pointed to another room about a mile below, bathed in shadows.
"Many of the Imperial Wizards come to see the experimentation, and they do so from up here. When the portal opens the lower level is filled with radiation--this we have not determined why. If we proceed down there I can show you the entry point."
The man cast a quick Feather Fall and hopped down, floating slow and effortlessly to the much larger chamber below, under the light from the room above. He stood cast in the Goddess's shadow until she emerged alongside, and then stepped forward. Introducing the woman to an archway sculpted completely out of diamond, he indicated this would be their Gateway.
"From what I gather this was once a Fey Door that led to the Faerie Queen Adrianna's Court; it was a paradise for those lost in the wilderness, welcoming even the cruelest of creatures. When Lord Biru was finally captured, this was located nearby. It seemed the perfect tool to keep him contained, and our scientists find the Plane's properties useful in their tests. Shall we?"
He moved closer and in response a crackling sound emitted from the open center, lightning arcing up and down between the arch. Moments later a fall of liquid silver came raining down and covering the doorway completely, flowing as if set on the surface of a moving river. "Biru" touched his hand to the mirror-like surface and it split, revealing beyond a charred, blighted landscape, infused with today's technological advances. It was a paradise no more, but an industrial wasteland. The Simulacrum stepped inside and led the Goddess to her claim.
When they arrived at a stalwart black tower in the center of a tangled mess of bloody tendons, which seemed to tear from the very earth itself and support the structure, he gestured for Her to go first.
"He rests at the uppermost point in a seat of red gold, completely unaware of our presence...after you."
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Post by Midnight on Feb 25, 2015 5:29:20 GMT
When they entered the room, Midnight immediately moved the edge of the pit to grin down into it. The shadows there were the ones who had truly informed her of what was going on, as they were closest to the last known place on this plane which the hemomancer existed. She was quite eager to lay eyes on the mysterious portal they had whispered to her, wishing greatly to see if lived up to her image of what it must look like since she had not chosen to actually see through the eyes of her messengers at the time.
When the man leapt inside, she simply slid through the shadows to emerge on the ground floor at the same time he did. She looked upon the archway with some admiration as he began the ritual to allow them through. She listened to his explanation and chuckled slightly. SHE had only seen the place perhaps once in the past... through the eyes of another's shadow. After all, she could GO nowhere before, bound by her existence to merely watch. Now, she'd get to see it firsthand. It was exciting.
The quicksilver veil appeared and the false man stepped through. Midnight was just behind, eager to lay eyes upon the Faerie Queen's court. What she saw on the other side, however, was much better than she had anticipated. In fact, the moment she saw that the landscape was a rotten wreck of its once former glory, she let out an audible and very cruel laugh. She tilted her head back and enjoyed the imagery for a few seconds before glancing to the "man" at her side.
"I... LOVE it..." she told him with a wide, psychotic grin. She looked up at the tower before them, admiring the tendon wrappings and the lovely red-on-black aesthetic. It was very appropriate for the man they were there to see.
"Why don't we take the express elevator then, hm?" she chuckled when she took note of the size of the building. Without warning, she wrapped an arm about the Simulacrum's waist and pulled him into the shadows with her. Instantly, their world was wrapped in perfect ebony before peeling away to reveal their new location, just outside a set of large double doors that matched the exterior design of the castle in their odd, mineral-and-biological composition. Midnight did not wait for an invitation.
With a forward thrust of her hand, the doors flew open of their own accord and the woman strode into the room confidently, pulling the darkness along behind her like a dress train. No reason to go in without SOME backup just in case the man was not entirely thrilled about being dropped in on like this.
"Oh, Biru..." she called, walking right into the center of the room before stopping to place a hand on her hip. "Knock Knock."
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Post by Lord Biru on Feb 25, 2015 23:45:17 GMT
"I'm glad you like it," the Simulacrum barely said, before the Dark Maiden scooped him into her fold and crept into the darkness that was her form; the false Biru was taken aback at their method of travel, as even the true Biru hardly ever teleported. At least he had no memory of it, anyway.
Midnight wasted absolutely no time in her effort, shunning those imposing sealed doors like a servant who had displeased her, before sauntering in as if she owned the place. In time perhaps she would. The Simulacrum followed behind silently, allowing the Goddess to breathe it all in, to absorb the filth what made up ol' Adrianna's new palace. And, right where he'd indicated, sat the true Blood Magus. "Lord Biru" strode to Midnight's right side and motioned with a finger to the back of the sleeping man's throne, where long brass pipes connected to the back, trailing up the opposing wall and off to gods knew where.
The Simulacrum took slow steps forward up the dias until he could really touch the mold in which he was designed. He spun about with a twisted face, no emotion, just stale and confused.
"I told you we had no access to him, as he is neither dead nor living...they put him in stasis, and strapped him onto some machine that keeps him fresh. What do you suppose we do about this?"
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Post by Midnight on Feb 26, 2015 4:31:36 GMT
The woman grinned wickedly as she took a slow and measured pace up to the throne. She lifted a hand to trail her fingertips over the brass pipes that ran out and into the walls and ceiling. She let out an appreciative purr of delight, inspecting the details with a strange sense of satisfaction even as she twirled around to face the mummy of a man who lived only by the grace of the machines pumping his lifeblood and breathing for him. It was a mechanical wonder and a horrible reminder of mortality, a beautiful example of craftsmanship and cruelty all rolled into one.
"Amazing, isn't it?" she coo'ed, her eyes trailing over the details once more before allowing themselves to settle on the sleeping face of a man neither dead nor alive. "The infinite faculty of mortals to create new, more delicious ways to torment a man is astonishing! I must admit myself intrigued and in admiration of the creativity that goes into such horrors..." she said almost by way of congratulations as she knelt slightly to inspect the man's body, a hand trailing over it lightly to feel the emaciated limbs and nearly exposed ribs. He was a squishy corpse, to be sure, but still pretty damn good looking for a guy who had to be pushing... what? 200? 300? Midnight wasn't good with time.
She tapped lightly with her clawed fingertip against one of the comatose victim's own, curious if he even bled any more. She rubbed her fingers together absently as the Simulacrum inspected the mold by which he was made and lamented their inability to rouse the man. The dark goddess almost rolled her eyes as she stood up to her full height and held a hand before her.
"So little faith, puppet man..." she sighed, her claws stretching dangerously above the unaware corpse of a man's chest as she spoke to his likeness. "You know I am a goddess, right?" she asked, an eyebrow quirked as she glanced to the doubting Thomas in the room.
As her fingers flexed, the shadows in the room would begin to sway and undulate unnaturally. The shades around the man below her palm began to lift somewhat as if hypnotically drawn by her power the way a moth is drawn to flame. Her eyes began to glow in multiple different colors as she willed the darkness within the very soul of the man to rise. Chaotic energies flickered and licked across her form in the guise of different hues of unnatural lightning, crackling as they arched from her body against the brass tubing and various magical instruments keeping the man alive.
Upward she willed it, the soul of the living Lord Biru. She commanded it to her hand, demanding it show itself. It was a kind of magic that she only reserved for the TRULY exceptional, for the souls that she simply must add to her collection. Inside the broach on her shoulder, the wails of others could be heard joining the rising cacophony, as if in mourning for another who would soon join them.
"THIS is what we shall do about THAT!!" Midnight laughed over the madness, even as the shadows began to swim in a vortex about the room, creating a sense of vertigo if one was prone to such things.
"Arise, soul of Biru... you've been dormant for far too long, rotting in a shell that is of no more use to you..." she said as she continued to compel the man's soul upwards and outwards. "You know who I am and you cannot resist my call... especially knowing that I bring you a gift... one that I know you've been craving for a very long time... Both of you have..." she hinted, sparing another glance to the simulacrum.
All that was left was to see if the soul would respond to the call of the dread mistress of night or if she would have to employ... more extreme measures.
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Post by Lord Biru on Feb 26, 2015 20:32:03 GMT
It took some time but even the true Biru's body jerked in response to this deep magic, his eyelids twitching, his fingers fidgeting. Other than that, the man was as solid as a statue, unmoving to the point the Simulacrum wasn't even sure the man was alive any longer. Had the machines stopped functioning?
This fear was quickly abandoned when the body sat upright, and its head craned back, a light crawling up from the chest, through its throat and finally emerged from the man's mouth, leaving it ajar as it left the body and hovered over to Midnight's embracing form. The light was blood red, a swirling mass of ghostly moisture, a spiritual list the false Lord thought might be his soul. He was delighted when this presumption was correct.
The spirit made several noises, some of which sounded like wails of anguish--or was it stretching?--and grumbled sighs, before finally halting in place just before the Goddess's face. To her it spoke, only instead of a true voice the soul comminicated telepathically.
And to what do I owe the pleasure of this interruption? it asked, as if it had been caught in centuries worth of thought, a mental research only he was privy to. You've seen a ghost, or at least that's what your face is telling me...I can be of no help to you, although I commend you for being the first ever to see it past the limitations of that Stasis spell...they don't want to risk asking questions and dissecting me while I'm awake. What do you want?
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Post by Midnight on Feb 26, 2015 23:15:19 GMT
"Well met, Biru..." Midnight purred softly as she held the small torch of the man's essence within her very palm. The crimson light played across her features, revealing a pleased look on her face as she held him there. Despite her sharp, talon like claws, she held the energies within her grasp as delicately as a flower. She smiled and held the soul that it may be best seen by the Simulacrum nearby as she spoke to it softly and yet with power and authority only a goddess could possess.
"This isn't about what I want but what I can offer you..." she started, walking around the throne with the true Biru floating just above her fingertips. She went and stood beside the false Lord, though her eyes never left the ethereal glow. "Look at yourself... Once a great and powerful general, a force to be reckoned with. Now little more than a corpse, useless to anyone including yourself. I know what a man in your position wants more than anything, my friend, and I am prepared to give it to you... for a small fee of course..." she said with a light chuckle.
"I've a venture in the works and I require powerful figures to assist me as I reshape the world itself. I've already gathered two extremely powerful generals and you would be the ideal third. To achieve this, I am prepared to offer you the freedom the Imperial Wizardry has denied you for so long in their blind attempts to take from you what is yours to begin with... I make this offer to you BOTH..." she said, now addressing the image of Biru to her left. She pivoted slightly so that the soul was between them, casting them both in that eerie light.
"You, Lord Biru, would be free from these hellish bonds and in a fresh new body with which you can do your good work... and you, image, would be your own person at long last. Two halves of a whole united, made greater than the sum of their parts because together you will be even stronger than you ever imagined. My deer hemomancer, you would see your magicks pushed beyond the limits of your own imagination, guided by the cool head and unfeeling heart of the simulacrum before you. Puppet man, you would be freed from the hold the Imperial Wizardy has upon you, free to make your own decisions and craft your own path. You two will be both yet neither, a single being in complete balance with himself because all the elements of a well-rounded individual are here: the emotional, the physical, the logical, and the irrational. All this is yours... if you but agree to be a leader for my cause... and if all goes well..."
She chuckled, perhaps about to reveal TOO much too soon but still ready to entice them with a plan she'd spent aeons crafting. "If all goes well, you may perhaps lead these imperials yourself. I must admit, I'd much prefer to see you in charge than the being calling the shots now... but none of that can happen unless you both say yes to my magnanimous, one-time-only offer. What say you? What say you BOTH?" she asked, lifting the burning light in her hands aloft that she might look upon them both equally.
"Choose wisely, as I am not an entirely patient deity..."
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Post by Lord Biru on Feb 27, 2015 15:55:00 GMT
The blood-born spirit was silent for a long time, absorbing what the Goddess offered and only reminding them it paid attention by flickering every now and then. Lord Biru's essence sizzled at certain points, offering piqued interest here and there, although would have given wistful looks whenever it couldn't read her intentions. What was her end-game, anyway?
So you would release me from this husk of a form, fuse me with just a shadow of my former self. I sense a theme here, and can only assume, then, that you are Midnight. You have quite the sense of humor. Your request is simple, though. In my time I was an individual feared by even the High Wizards of Namorn. When the Imperials ambushed me, however, I wasn't prepared. They took her, they took everything. My mistake kept haunting me until I couldn't even defend myself any longer. I made a monster,
It glanced to the Simulacrum.
And now they wish to replicate that monstrosity. The abomination. Listen well, for I will only say this once, Goddess. You help me recover that which was lost, and I will be this "right hand" you are looking for. I must be whole to find her...but Adrianna must be restored. That will be my counter-offer.
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Post by Midnight on Feb 27, 2015 20:00:47 GMT
Midnight grinned slightly when the spirit in her hands identified her. That was good. It meant that he understood she had the power to do exactly as she said she could. Every flicker and sizzle was a telltale sign that she had his interests and a bargain was close at hand. When at last it placed its counter offer, Midnight had to fight the urge to laugh.
"Is that all?" she asked in a calm voice despite the cruel humor of it all. "Frankly speaking, whatever side projects you wish to indulge in is your business once you are a single, free entity, Lord Biru. Of course, I will render as much assistance as you desire in this endeavor if that is what it takes to strike a bargain today. But I am not the only one who must agree, am I?"
She turned her attention at long last to the simulacrum, eyes glowing even through the light cast upon her by the soul in her hands. She watched the half-man's actions carefully, knowing that he was a creature of logic removed from the burden of emotion. Once this merger happened, he would have his emotions and he would have all the memory and power of the original Biru, but he would still have that part of him to check-and-balance the newfound abilities. They would in essence be BOTH, and yet one, a better version of the man she just plucked the soul from. Holding the soul closer to the shell, she addressed it directly now.
"What do you say, Lord Simu?" she asked by way of a light joke to indicate who she was talking to. "Can you make this goal your own? Can you be as one with this man, such that you are inseparable from one another, if it means freedom from the shackles of the your masters? Once you take him into yourself, you will have such amazing power and because of your two different halves, you will have even greater control of yourself. One and the same you'll become, a singularity as unique as a newborn and as independent as an eagle. I know this is what you desire, Lord Simu, and it can be yours at long last. All that is left..."
Midnight stretched out her arms, as though handing the fire off to the man.
"...is to take it," she finished. It truly was as simple as that. Once the Simulacrum accepted this, the halves would instantly merge and become whole because they were of one mind and desire. That unity was the spark through which the unification could begin.
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Post by Lord Biru on Feb 28, 2015 14:32:03 GMT
Lord Biru's bleeding essence teetered above the hands of the Night Mother for several awkward, silent moments inspecting the Simulacrum, wondering at its motives, its physiology and the prospects of a merger of the two. Eventually it saw the benefit of Midnight's deal, a pass to continue research into restoring Adrianna to her original state. The spirit popped and sizzled in place, awaiting the fabrication to latch onto it.
"This will allow the two of us to pursue our own goals--as one individual, forever given the power of autonomy, while at the same time a mortal understanding of my own potential. This sounds like one of those moments far too good to be true, but as I stand here next to the Goddess of Chaos..."
The man reached out and cupped the blood-mist in both hands, instantly causing a chemical reaction. The spherical shape of Lord Biru's essence dispersed in a liquid explosion, falling over that familiar black coat's belted sleeves, seeping into the fabric and beneath the flesh. It raced up the body through his veins, and for a moment the whites in the Simulacrum's body filled with blood, but quickly filtered out as the pigment in his green irises melted and turned a rich amber. In less than a minute flawed features were cracking, pulling out of place and readjusting to the body, making a more striking resemblance to the True Hemomancer. At the same time, the now-lifeless body reclining on his death-chair slumped, thinning out and aged terribly.
The Simulacrum dropped to its knees as the two melded, and once it was over the man lifted his gaze to meet the grinning Goddess, not with a solemn frown, but a more prominent, determined smile.
"It is true now, that I am set free from the laws governing Creation, surpassing all pedestrian concepts of morality. And my power is at your disposal," he said with a dark, dramatic flair. "Blood is passion, rage...I shall stand before your army as the Merciless, and show them what it is to be War."
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Post by Midnight on Mar 1, 2015 6:05:09 GMT
Midnight watched with bated interest as the reaction took place. She'd always been curious what this would actually look like, considering it was downright heresy by her standards to simply let a soul to slip through her fingers. However, seeing as she never actually CLAIMED the soul of Lord Biru, this could be looked at as simply nurturing the flower into a beautiful blossom. And what a bloom Lord Biru would make! She leaned over, getting a good look at the twisted face of the simulacrum as the soul melded with its own, altering the body to better reflect what a combination of these two entities should be. Every once in a while, Midnight would adjust her stance, maybe move around to another angle for a better view. It truly was a spectacle to behold.
When the process had concluded, a new thing knelt before her. She allowed a satisfied smile to cross her lips as she watched the newly whole hemomancer tilt his head upward for the first time in this amalgamated form. He declared his loyalty and she was more than pleased. She even consented to lower a hand to the man that he might rise to his feet at long last. "That's precisely what I wanted to hear!" she laughed as she took one good look at him at full height. She even whistled appreciatively. "Nice..." she purred before pulling her hand back.
"You, my friend, are going to be a real lady killer..." she said by way of a small joke before stepping beside him. "But first, lets gather the others and have that meeting now, hm?" she said then slid her arm through his own to pull him back through the shadows like before. This time, however, she would pass right through the portal without stepping from the shadows as she had before. She would take her prize all the way through the veil and beyond to the room in which her soldiers waited...
"I hope you are all playing nice..." Midnight chuckled as she stepped from the darkness first, her form appearing as the darkness coalesced into a semi-visible shape then peeled back as her features came into view. To each person in the room she would look differently. She knew what Jace saw, but was eager to see through Eleisia's eyes what she perceived as the vision of the Dark One. Mordock... eh. She could live without it.
"I've brought a 'new' ally for our cause, my dears..." said the mother of night before the others could speak. She gestured behind her to the shadows that they would now reveal the full and complete Biru of her design. How he chose to make his entrance was up to him, as the goddess herself loved a little variety. She would, however, spoil it a little by laying the introduction.
"Lady and gentlemen, I give you the new and improved Lord Biru, the Blood Mage."
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Post by Saint Eleisia on Mar 1, 2015 20:21:00 GMT
The Lady of Plague felt a coming sense of dread before their arrival, and spun on her heels to face the oncoming direction. She dropped to one knee and rested an arm over the other, lowering her head to properly greet the Goddess in the flesh. Like his partner, Jace did the same, grunting as he brushed by the Baron and knelt at Eleisia's side.
When She manifested Eleisia beamed. In all her fantasies, the Mother of Night always came to her as Creation, a raven-haired beauty in all her warped nightmares. The Goddess to her was a pale, doll like individual, with glowing eyes that would melt viewers' faces completely. She had angular features and the perfect frame, and the Cleric wondered if her mind's eye fooled her.
"Mistress!" She said in unison with Jace, and then broke off to stand. "Welcome to the Material Plane." She tilted her head back to offer Mordock an admiring nod. He'd delivered Caria, and this impressed her. To Jace she smiled. "The both of you are fantastic in your powers...truly, Sorcerers are of a far superior race. Well done, gentlemen."
And then the Dark Maiden introduced a new member to their flock, his entrance nothing short of macabre; peeling from the Goddess's own shadowy form caked in blood, the man stepped out of her side, somehow having hopped inside while transporting through the shadow gate. A demonstration of Blood-Striding, no doubt. This forced Eleisia to quaver slightly.
"A-ah, Lord Biru...I thought you were dead."
It wasn't as sharp as the Simulacrum's earlier words, but it was all she could muster in response to just the sight of him.
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Post by Baron Mordock on Mar 1, 2015 23:50:23 GMT
Mordock, who had been leaning on the wall until only moments ago, found himself in utter shock. He had heard the Shadow's words before, but they were muffled slightly, beyond the veil of reality, speaking through the darkness. Now, it was pure and almost painful on his ears. There was nothing to filter the pure chaotic energy flowing from the Goddess now as she stepped into view and the two others immediately fell to a knee. Frankly speaking, he was too far in awe to move even a muscle at first.
While the others saw a beautiful woman, to his mind's perception the Goddess of Darkness appeared as a self-contained universe, a woman-shaped hole in reality through which could be seen stars and planets and other astral bodies. She wore a glistening gown formed of pure nebula, crackling with power at random intervals. Her eyes were two black holes, the darkest places to be seen anywhere, drawing light to them and crushing it utterly. When the other man stepped through, it was a strange sort of bubbling that happened in the contour of the woman's shape before he emerged. She would immediately retain her obviously female form while the hemomancer stood nearby.
What wonders the woman could conjure in less than an hour's time! The simulacrum was no longer and what stood before them now was undoubtedly a whole man. He held himself as such, had the air of someone who was independent of an outside influence. Mordock shook his head in disbelief. Had Midnight been able to succeed in just a few minutes what the entire Imperial Wizardry had failed for years to accomplish? It was very difficult to believe, but the evidence was right before him. Mordock did not recover his wits until after the two others had stood, at which point he quickly bowed low to the superior being in the room.
He did not stand until Eleisia addressed the blood mage. The Baron, recalling the compliment paid him only seconds ago, straightened with a bit of a smug smirk. That was right... HE had made this happen, brought them exactly the thing they needed to draw the Dark One into their world. He was closer to fulfilling his goals than he had ever been. He should be pleased... THEY should be pleased. Still, it was a wonder as to what exactly was the divine creature's plan...
Clearing his throat, Mordock spoke. "Welcome indeed, Night Mother..." he said, bowing once more politely. "Now that you are here and with... what I can only assume IS the one true Lord Biru... May I be so humble as to suggest we move to the meeting your servant and I have procured for you?" he asked in a polite, if not entirely submissive, sort of way.
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Post by Lord Biru on Mar 2, 2015 14:16:04 GMT
"This should prove interesting," Lord Biru said sarcastically, referring to the meeting with the Simulacrum's former master, inwardly trying to recover the ability to chuckle, to no avail. Nodding, he directed their gaze to the back door where the Simulacrum first greeted Eleisia and Mordock, and strode forward.
"The Master is deeper inside, and I don't presume he will be happy."
Regardless of the outcome, Lord Biru felt alive for the first time in centuries, having had his soul meld with something akin to an automaton. Again he mused silently of this, having left a slew of broken Judgemasters strewn about the Clocktower back in his time. And now he felt like they were more alike than he was human, and it was a strange sensation. Adrianna still haunted his mind, but he could keep focused, and that was what he'd always needed to perfect his craft.
While they walked he cocked his head to meet Eleisia's gaze.
"The very last time we met, you were choking on your own bile. I see I made a mistake then. If the Matron of Night sought to bring you back to the Material Plane, who am I to argue? I hear you embraced these powers. That is something."
Lord Biru hated small talk, but he also respected individual prowess. Having survived a mass plague--due only to the Goddess's whim--the man had to express how impressive a feat it was. He felt a vicious pull on his heart, seemingly from the Simulacrum's half. Violence raged in his mind, and there was a point the man imagined ripping out the Cleric's throat.
"We're almost to the Great Hall," he interrupted himself, and stopped at a set of double doors. "This elevator goes straight into the Master's Hall."
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