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Post by Doodlebug on Aug 26, 2017 23:54:38 GMT -5
Hera Gregg
"Nice to meet you," Hera glanced around a bit before looking at Morgiana once more. "Er... don't suppose you know how this whole contract thing is supposed to happen, do you?"
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Post by Zen on Aug 26, 2017 23:57:17 GMT -5
Morgiana
"I do know that, back in the first few sanctum wars, a summoning didn't have the contract included, and there was a certain incantation to tie the knot with a master and servant after the ritual. It involves creating a physical link between the hearts of both parties for mana to flow through, as well as that old incantation... 'Of two hearts, one circuit-- of two souls, one purpose'. Maybe we could try that?"
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Post by Doodlebug on Aug 27, 2017 0:07:55 GMT -5
Hera Gregg
"Alright..." Hera hesitantly placed a hand over Morgiana's heart as the servant did the same to her. Together they recited the incantation. "Of two hearts, one circuit-- of two souls, one purpose." As soon as Hera finished speaking, she felt the distantly familiar burden of supporting a servant. She winced, Hiram... With a shake of her head, Hera walked over to a nearby rack and picked out an over sized red flannel shirt. "How about this?"
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Post by Zen on Aug 27, 2017 0:09:46 GMT -5
Morgiana
"Perfect!" She said with a thumbs-up.
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Post by MS on Aug 27, 2017 0:44:39 GMT -5
Sybil L.
Sybil woke up and found herself, surprisingly enough, quite comfortable. Remembering the circumstances before she fell unconscious, she quickly sat up and looked around. If she hadn’t known any better, she would’ve thought she was in the grand suite of a 5-star hotel. Confused as to why she was in the presense of such luxury, she looked to the door and saw the scarlet cloak hanging from the hook. She scowled after realizing what it meant. Oh, so that’s what game they’re trying to play here. They’re trying to win me over. Or at least lure me into some false sense of security. As if. Sybil waved her right hand, testing a minor light spell. In an instant her palm emitted a soft glow. Magic works. Let’s see if there’s anything actually keeping me here. She moved off of the bed to the center of the room and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she was met with the sight of the intricate seal of magic that was on the face of the door. Pulsing lines branched out from the seal and traveled along the walls of the bedroom. Sybil recognized the spell; it was similar to the ones used on the various churches of the Holy Order. Those were used to keep most mages from simply teleporting or using some other method to bypass the walls with magic. However, the spell she was faced with was designed to keep her from transporting herself out.
But, those spells applied to a mage’s body. Sybil walked back to her bed and lay down on the sheets. After getting herself into a comfortable enough position, she closed her eyes once more and started muttering a spell. There was a prickling sensation throughout her body, and then it went numb. She opened her eyes and turned her head back. There, she saw her body resting on the bed, meaning she was successful in separating her body and spirit. For now at least. She floated to one of the walls and tested whether her hand would go through. Surely enough, her suspicions were proven correct. There weren’t any spells stopping immaterial objects from going through. Well, I have an hour at most. Let’s see what this place has to offer.
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Post by Sierra on Aug 28, 2017 0:04:17 GMT -5
Anne Kenrin
A lot had changed since the victory of the Clubs. For starters, Anne had much greater control over her magic, choosing to focus mostly on fire, and she had expanded her abilities and stamina. Surprisingly, she found it harder to learn in an environment where there was a significantly lower chance of death, but she managed.
In addition to her normal school work, she occasionally did a few minor jobs for the Mage's Association in America, but they weren't of much significance, just simple requests.
News of what had happened in London spread through the academy like wildfire. Pretty much everyone was talking about the weird star, the new cult's appearance, and the rumors that heroic spirits were back despite the fact that the previous Sanctum war should have put a stop to that. Anne had been asked a few questions, as it had become known that she was a former master, but people soon realized that she wasn't saying much.
A few hours earlier, she had received an urgent message from Cody on one of the mental communications they had put up during the previous war which warned her as well as a few others about Dante with gave some extra details of the events not seen in the news. In short, the fight that had started in the previous war was not close to done.
As the last class finished, Anne hurried out of the academy and into Boston. Already, she could feel a change in the surrounding area, there were definitely heroic spirits near her location. She decided to take a walk outside.
As she walked around the city, Anne could feel a general increase of mana in the area, but nothing too concerning, yet. She'd have to keep an eye out till things settled down, but she highly doubted that would happen before she was dragged into the issue. She stopped at a nearby store to buy a quick snack. Right after she had paid and walked out of the store, she received a message from a contact in the Mage's Association, "We need you to go to Fall River right now, there's a major issue - seems related to the heroic spirits we've been seeing recently. We need a clear visual on the situation.
Panicking, she ran to where she stayed and got in her car before driving at a speed definitely above the limit towards Fall River, which she had entered in her GPS earlier. Somehow, she wasn't stopped (however, she got a few honks from other cars nearby), and she exited the freeway into the city. She looked around and only saw destruction everywhere as she drove to her destination. She stopped the car in front of a female who looked intensely angry.
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Post by Zen on Aug 29, 2017 0:12:06 GMT -5
Kirin
He was frozen. The lord of the Freeshooters stood just opposite of him, with a thin mustache and a receding hairline. His eyes were old and sincere, just barely containing within his frail body the immense cruelty of an Arcdemon.
"You...?" One of Kirin's eyes twitched. Once he accepted it as fact, he took aim with his wand.
"Won't do you any good, son," Zamiel said, unfazed. He had apparently decided on the accent of an Italian mobster. "Do you think someone as old as I am would give a second thought to earthly magic? Where exactly do you think your power comes from in the first place...?" Kirin didn't respond, but the heaviness in his breathing served as an outlet for the hatred he had accumulated over the years since their last encounter. "...Listen. I could kill you right here without letting a drop slip from this glass and take shots with Max for the rest of the night, but that wouldn't do us any good. And besides, aren't there other affairs that you have to tend to down here, in the land of the living?"
Once again, his wand fell to his side and he accepted defeat. Kirin slowly took a seat two spaces down from Max, catching his glass as it slid down the bar.
"Don't think I lured you down here without a good reason, Kirin. This is the most important drink you'll ever have in your life, for better or worse. This bar is mine, a place I've had running for centuries under different names, places and themes. It's here for those who've hit a tough spot and are willing to make a deal."
"I'm not an idiot. None of your 'clients' ever ended up with what they wanted. Only an eternity of damnation, deserving or otherwise."
"That's how it's always been, at least... When the common man discovered that he could erase another man from existence with the flip of a single switch-- without laying a finger on him-- there of course was a market to be found there. Before that, killing completely cleanly was an art known only to mages. Humanity's greatest. But when gunpowder descended upon the mortal world, out went the floodgates. Remorse was a distant memory. And much of conflict became a question of 'who could take aim and flip the switch first'. Would you be surprised at how many people came to me to rig the game? With life and death bottle-necked into such a trivial deciding factor, it's a marvel I don't control the entire world."
"Would I be the insane one here to ask... why? What point there is to toying with human souls? Even the innocent ones?"
"You must be referring to damnation. And no, first of all-- there's no such thing as 'the innocent ones'. Innocence is an abstract concept, and we've never seen it before, and we will never see it for as long as there are devils in paradise. See, Kirin..." Zamiel leaned over and rested his arms on the bar, directly in front of Kirin. His tone was morbidly casual, as if he were lecturing a child: "...Sin, in essence, is suffering. And suffering is more important to this world than you could possibly comprehend. Suffering is what causes everything to happen, one way or another."
"Why her...?" Kirin whispered.
"I'll be blunt with you," he responded with a sigh. "For three very good reasons, son. To make Riza suffer. To make you suffer. And... insurance." Zamiel shrugged.
"Insurance?"
"Riza, that little commoner girl... the screams and wails that come out of her cell keep me warm at night. The nights you spend obsessing over her keep me entertained. But somewhere between those two is a very advantageous position..."
The glass, none of which was yet depleted, shook in his hand. "Spill it, already, you bastard."
"What happened this morning affected me, too, Kirin. Believe it or not, after all this time, I'm actually dying. When that Dante opened up Sanctum, he took my Freeshooters with him. All ninety nine of them. Those souls are my property, and I don't just keep them around for the hell of it. I've got nothing to feed on, and everyone will be tagging along with servants from now on. No new souls for me. Let's see, it's... um..." He abruptly stopped to check his wristwatch. "...Two fifteen AM? She's well underway, now. Riza, I mean-- I've decided to increase her torture tenfold tonight, to compensate for the loss, but at this point she's just too weak to milk. I just don't have enough cattle. But don't you get all smiles yet. If I die, she's trapped down there forever, and I'm sure that my less 'sexually reserved' neighbors would just love to claim her in my stead. Her and your father Isa, of course, but he's just no fun. But I'm not giving up hope. Because I've got something you still want, and you can get me exactly what I need."
Kirin inhaled, determined to keep his anger in reserve for the time being. "...I'm listening."
"I've come up with a deal that will satisfy everyone, here. Souls for souls, as always-- but this time, you don't even have to give up your own. Not that you'd be able to feed me much, anyway. You, my little friend, will go back out there and track down my lost cattle. I want every single one of those Freeshooters slaughtered. Don't worry, I'll be shadowing you, ready to claim my prize as soon as each one hits the floor. They'll be fighting tooth and nail for their freedom, but I'm not sending you out unarmed. As it happens, Max here's come back to the bar on his own terms. You'll forge a contract with him, become his master, and the two of you will kill the rest of his brothers and sisters. If, and that is a big if, you somehow manage to accomplish this... reclaiming all ninety nine of them... then, I'll let her go. Riza will be brought back into the world of the living, free of my grasp forever, and this whole ordeal will be behind the both of us. Pretty generous deal, if you ask me."
"Kill the other Freeshooters, and you let her go..."
"Sound good to you, Lad?" Max asked, his cup already empty again.
"And what about you, Archer?"
"I've acquainted myself with the other Freeshooters. We'll be robbing them of their only chance of freedom, yeah... but that's on me, not on you. And this is the only way I can make it up to the poor girl. Zamiel can go ahead and torch me when this is all over, I don't care. Just as long as you take care of the girl once we're finished. After these two years, what little Riza needs is a hug and someone who actually cares about her."
"...Then you've got yourself a deal, Arcdemon."
Zamiel smiled from ear to ear. "I'll be looking forward to our partnership, though I doubt you'll survive your first few encounters. And no, I won't accept your offering your own soul in exchange for Riza's. You're nowhere near worth it."
"I'm not for sale. I'm getting married in a few months."
"Wonderful news indeed."
For her, Kirin. We'll make it worth it.
For her.
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Post by Zen on Aug 29, 2017 1:26:06 GMT -5
Another minor character on par with Jeb Yurrick in terms of plot protection. Basically a side-villain, but with a twist-- it's a Jamesgames character. Name: Keiji Oshiro Alias: 'Professor Pronto' Appearance: A tall Japanese man in his early forties, with black hair straight like electricity. Doesn't often show his face. Occupation: After his exile from the Mage's Association, he is now a freelance alchemist and a magus scientist whose ambitions remain a mystery. His current client has shown a peculiar interest with magic that can be accessed by those who normally are strangers to magic... Age: 42 Skills: He is a deceptively powerful mage who specializes in chemical manipulation. He can alter the properties of some surfaces and fight with deadly potions. Weaknesses: No morals and extreme hubris. Backstory: Years ago, Keiji Oshiro-- younger brother of Isa Oshiro and uncle of the current family head, Kirin-- was banished from the Mage's Association for his inhumane experiments on captured non-magus children and wild animals. Viewed as a monster undeserving of the Oshiro crest, he was cast out of every major social circle and just barely evaded execution. With only his unmotivated younger brother Zentaro and his personal assistant Hiroto to rely on, he continued his research in secret. Sometimes, when he sleeps, he has visions of a parallel world in which he is a master of the Sanctum War. Dubiously, he met Alexis Conzette in one of these dreams without ever meeting her in real life, and he's also had visions of Zain Krauss, David Schindler and a woman bearing the Mahagany crest, despite the last surviving member of House Mahagany being a teenage boy named Henri. He is convinced that the world he sees at night is real, although perhaps not on the same plane of existence as his own... Current Goals: Unveil the truth behind the conflict he has since dubbed "The Parallel War" and discover a way to access it in his waking form. He believes that this world could grant him access to a Parallel Sanctum Key, forever changing the face of magecraft as we know it. i.imgur.com/QZOUKas.png Basically this, but not stupid.
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Post by Doodlebug on Aug 29, 2017 20:23:01 GMT -5
Kael Sebastian
Kael stared at the phone in his hand, constantly scrolling through some social media or news feed. He was bored to say the least. Curious that he, the good looking charmer, should be alone and bored on a late night, but the young man found no interest in interacting with others. Actually, no, that's not necessarily true. He found no happiness or pleasure in conversing with others, but sometimes conversation could be a source of entertainment.
This is all irrelevant to Kael's current predicament, though. For at that moment he was simply waiting on a phone call. Not really an important one, but at the same time it couldn't be called a casual one either. It was a call from his father to discuss training and, of course, politics. Kael continued to scroll through his phone reading the incredibly uninteresting complaints of spoiled rich kids who have nothing better to do with their lives and about cats who could play the piano.
Kael was startled from his monotonous task by the vibrating buzz of his phone against his palm. "Good evening, Father."
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Post by Zen on Aug 29, 2017 20:58:10 GMT -5
??
There was a sigh on the other end, laden with stress. The compressed voice responded, "...Hey."
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Post by Doodlebug on Sept 1, 2017 19:00:03 GMT -5
Kael Sebastian
"You wanted to talk about something important I believe?"
Lizzie Borden
Anne stepped out of her car at took one glance at the chaos surrounding her before stepping right back in. She pulled out her phone to double check whether this really was the correct destination. Fall River, Massachusetts, Anne read the message her handler had sent her with concern. She quickly sent off a quick text in conformation. "arrived at scene. servant suspected to be berserker." She then quickly sent a picture of the unimaginable destruction visible through her windshield.
...mana. Lizzie trudged through the streets, hatchet swinging at her side. There was a car. Perfectly spotless. No dents, chips, or scratch on its surface. She couldn't explain it, but just the sight of it surrounded by wrecked buildings and flaming cars made her... angry.
At this point in time Anne received a hastily typed, horribly misspelled, all caps series of messages from her Magus Association handler. "ANNE GIT OT O THER DO NOT ENGAE GE T THE FLIP FLOOP OUTA THEIR"
A sickening crunch coming from the front of her vehicle made Anne glad that her auto insurance was covered by Cody and not her.
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Post by Sierra on Sept 2, 2017 1:18:46 GMT -5
Anne Kenrin
The real issue, however, would definitely not be auto insurance as a seemingly angry berserker stood in front of her, who had just destroyed the car's engine.
She sent a quick message back, "Not happening, my only way to leave has been destroyed." and put her phone back in her pocket as she left the car. Despite her concerns about the formatting of the message she had received, she didn't have the time to deal with that just yet.
This is a terrible idea, she thought, remembering what happened when she had been sent to fetch the first catalyst in the previous war. Berserkers like destruction, they're almost obsessive about it. They enjoy fear, so don't show it.
"Nice flames you've got here." She said to the servant, nodding towards the cars that were on fire around them and dodging a chunk of the rubble thrown in her direction by the angry female. "You want something, tell me what it is." Anne demanded, "and stop this pointless rampage."
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Post by Doodlebug on Sept 2, 2017 22:15:51 GMT -5
Lizzie Borden
A woman stepped out of the previously spotless car in a very calm manner. Not disturbed, nor distraught. She didn't run screaming; she didn't cower in fear. This... this woman... She had some nerve!
Lizzie threw a piece of one of the buildings she had destroyed at the rude woman, hoping for a reaction. She got none.
"You want something, tell me what it is." the woman stated calmly, "and stop this pointless rampage."
Lizzie was dumbfounded. The woman was very stupid to make such demands. She was raising her hatchet to attack the stupid woman when suddenly it dissolved from her hands. She began to totter back and forth. She looked at her hand as it began to disappear. She sank to the ground, the realization of what was happening pushing her down. Lizzie gave the mysterious woman a mournful smile as her sanity began to return. "Sorry... it happened again, didn't it?" She glanced at her surroundings, "I... I just wanted a friend. Someone to trust me... life without all the rumors. I thought my second chance at life would give me that."
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Post by Sierra on Sept 3, 2017 0:48:30 GMT -5
Anne Kenrin
She watched in fascination as the woman's hatchet disintegrated and she staggered back and forth. Anne remained silent for a moment before she realized what she was trying to offer.
"Second chance at life? Interesting thought, but I have no intention of making a contract with a berserker of all heroic spirits. I've only seen insanity from them and their masters. You shouldn't even be here in the first place," she heartlessly responded, but then noticed that something had changed in the female's expression, she seemed like an entirely different person.
Something is different here. Most berserkers maintain some level of insanity even when not in battle, but it does feel wrong to just let someone die like this, even given the circumstances.
Anne sighed, "Unless -unless you're willing to agree to certain terms before forming the contract, which will give you your second chance, in which you may be able to help the world."
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Post by Zen on Sept 4, 2017 21:28:12 GMT -5
??
"...Kael, unless you've been hiding under a rock all day, I'm sure you've heard the news of all that's happened here in London. Which is why it's very important that your training is on schedule. Am I safe to assume that it is?"
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