|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 14, 2008 4:35:09 GMT -5
"Fall back! Fall back!" screeched an Envoy, "He is here! HE IS HERE!!"
The Vessh'kul swarm was fighting FSA forces on a beast world located within FSA territory. Commander Morane who was in charge of defending the planet in the name of the FSA oversaw the battle from his command post behind FSA lines.
"Commander!" shouted a draken soldier as he walked into the command post.
Morane was a human who stood at least six feet tall. He hat short, white hair cut into a flat top. He was rubbing his scruffy beard with his right hand. His left eye was milky white, and had a scar going down the left side of his face.
Morane turned to the draken and nodded, "Continue, soldier," he said.
"The dragonair and draken legions have broken through the front lines of the Vessh'kul assualt! The swarm seems to be retreating!" said the draken soldier.
Morane hummed in interest, "Hmm... Why would they retreat? The Vessh'kul were winning..."
"Sir... Some of the drones were running around in delirium, I believe that the local hive's queen may be dead. Perhaps someone is helping us in this fight?" asked the soldier.
"Perhaps... Or perhaps there is something here that has frightened the swarm," said Morane, "They may be retreating to escape whatever it was that killed their queen..."
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 17, 2008 15:34:55 GMT -5
Jago stood on one of the tallest mountains out of sight of both FSA and Vessh'Kul sensors. Appearing to be 14-years-old with black, messy hair, wearing the robes of a Cyber Cleric with the color and symbol of the FSA on his cape, he had been drawn to this part of the planet after picking up a mysterious feed in which his faction and the Vessh'Kul have converged in a violent conflict.
By the time he arrived, he became aware of the tide in battle. He would've lost interest and left at this point, but upon hearing an Envoy screaming something about the presence of someone more devistating, he stuck around to see what was going to happen next, and if his assistance would be needed in this scuffle.
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 19, 2008 21:20:46 GMT -5
The FSA forces began to chase after the Vessh'kul swarms, hoping to find the main nest. They roared triumphantly as they fired wildly. They knew they had won.
The earth shook violently, causing many beings both within the FSA and the Vessh'kul swarm to stagger, trying to regain balance. A terrible, grinding, metallic roar boomed, causing many to fall to the ground, grasping the sides of their head in pain.
Within the command post, computers and machines were falling due to the intense shaking. People fell to the ground and screamed in pain as their ears bleed.
Morane growled as he pressed a button on the collar of his breastplate, causing a helmet to form around his head. The deafening roar, however, still caused him to wince in pain.
"What is that!?" he tried to shout at the top of his lungs. He stammered forward and slammed his hand on one of the consoles that has yet to fall to the ground. The blast shields of the command center lowered, revealing the battlefield of the conflict between the Vessh'kul and FSA. His eyes widened in terror, and his mouth fell open.
A metallic behemoth in the middle of the battlefield. Its armor was sleek and white. Crystals sprouted from the side of the behemoth's head and back. A long tail was coiled around one of the FSA mechs; squishing it as if it were a bug.
The behemoth opened its mouth and let out the terrible roar heard earlier, causing many more soldiers to fall over in pain and nausea from the beast's roar.
Morane growled as he looked to one of the still conscious soldiers, "Bring me the prisoner! I wanted that god damn bug in here five minutes ago!!"
The soldier nodded slowly as he stammered into another room. Seconds later, he came back out with a Vessh'kul envoy in stasis cuffs. The envoy looked battered and seemed to have lost all will to continue on with its life.
Moran grabbed the envoy by his robes and pulled him over to the window. He pressed the envoy against the window and yelled, "That thing! What the hell is the monster!? Is it one of your creations?"
The envoy laughed weakly, "... He he he... heh... No... That is not a spawn of... Our creation... Puny human, you see the only force... the Vessh'kul fears in this universe... The Hephaestus..."
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 19, 2008 21:39:27 GMT -5
Jago instinctively shuts off his hearing sensors a minute after the noise nearly blows his brains. Whatever this monster is seems to be a danger even to the Vessh'Kul themselves.
Too disoriented from the pain and confusion of where he should be going without being spotted, Jago resorts to capturing evidence for use with Cygaxia and other members of the FSA. He holds his hands out, causing a primitive-looking camera to appear in his hands as he points it at the behemoth and began sending pictures through Wi-Fi back to the main computer on Cygaxia, hoping to grab as much as he can before he's eventually spotted.
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 21, 2008 15:59:19 GMT -5
Jago could see a crystalline residue falling around the mechanical beast. The corpses of those who've fallen in battle started to twitch and throttle violently.
Morane watched in horror as the dead started to rise. Their eyes were a milky white and strange, blue crystals were growing from their backs. Wires and tubes began to stretch from the beast and connected themselves to the risen dead. As soon as the wires rooted themselves, the disconnected from the dead.
"What... The hell?..." muttered Morane.
The envoy let out a hoarse laugh, "What you see... Human... Is the reason why WE fear this creature... The Hephaestus can bring back those who've died under his control... Those undead we call... The Inmortals... An unholy blend of flesh and machine... Nightmarish creatures that know no pain... No fear... They only know that all must perish..."
The envoy's face twisted with hilarity has he burst out laughing. Morane grew frustrated and punched the envoy in the face. "DAMN YOU, BUG! Silence yourself before I rip your mandibles from your head!"
The Hephaestus tossed the mech to the side and looked around the battlefield. It seemed to be looking for something.
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 21, 2008 16:10:22 GMT -5
Jago grits his teeth as he hides behind a nearby pillar of rock to avoid the Hephaestus' viewpoint. Even though his implants protect him from being zombified and brainwashed, he isn't in the mood to spend a random amount of time recovering from fatal blows.
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 21, 2008 23:38:58 GMT -5
Jago could feel his chest tightening as a deep voice begins to speak to him.
"Human...." bellowed the voice, "I am... The Hephaestus..." The voice spoke slowly, and had a sinister tone to it.
A shadowy figure appeared before Jago. A red aura spiraled around the figure. It reached towards Jago, "You... Are... Not like these other.... Humans... I can feel... Power... Power is so easy... To corrupt..."
Crystals began to sprout around Jago, "I can... Give you power greater... Than any you can... Imagine... Attempting to... Disobey my will... Is to tread on the toes... Of a GOD."
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 22, 2008 0:22:30 GMT -5
Jago began to freak out as he disappears in a flash of light and reappears behind the figure.
"God, my ass," he growled, "If I wanted more power, I would've asked for it back home. I don't need some demented creature giving me something at the cost of my freedom!"
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 22, 2008 12:11:08 GMT -5
A hand shot out of the back of the black figure and grabbed Jago's neck.
"Freedom is a foolish concept lower life-forms created in order to keep sanity in check," said the being, "You are a dog of the humans and the Cygaxians. You have no freedom. What I am offering you is something far greater than freedom... Jago."
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 22, 2008 14:07:47 GMT -5
Jago frowns, not fazed by the fact this creature knows his name.
"So what if I'm their dog? At least one of them doesn't have a firm grip on my collar to jerk me around when I do something they don't like."
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 22, 2008 15:02:12 GMT -5
"Your stubbornness will be the end of you, human. If you will not join me, I will crush your loved ones," said the Hephaestus, "Your position in society with both the Cygaxians and humans will be most beneficial for my ambitions. You hace a choice: forfeit yourself to the darkness, or I shall come after you. I am a GOD."
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 22, 2008 15:13:47 GMT -5
Jago scoffs, half-choked by the Hephaestus' grip on his neck, "That the best you can do? I've seen Dark Elves do a lot worse than force slavery onto innocent bystanders. The only thing your empty threat serves is depriving me of my family life for a milennium, if not more."
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 22, 2008 15:48:04 GMT -5
The Hephaestus' grip tightened, "Insolent child, do you not understand who you so carelessly give lip to? I am the almighty Hephaestus, bane of all!"
|
|
|
Post by White-Jet on Aug 22, 2008 16:09:32 GMT -5
Jago's face squints from the pressure around his neck, "I only see a creature so powerful, he sees himself as a god and wants everyone else to treat him as such through extreme force. If increasing my freedom means having to bow before you and kiss your large toenails, then forget it. I'll stick with the freedom I already have."
He then disappears in a flash of light, reappearing several feet away from the Hephaestus.
|
|
|
Post by Gen Gravy on Aug 23, 2008 0:05:58 GMT -5
The Hephaestus walked towards Jago. Metal skin began to appear over his ghastly body. He was sleek, with a thin waist. He had ornate shoulder pads that reach behind him. Crystals grew on the sides of his face and back. He had taloned feet, and a long, coiling tail.
"You have sealed your fate, Jago," he said, "You are definitely far too weak to even COMPARE to your brother. He would see what I am offering him, HE would see that I am the ONLY one who can bring peace to this universe! I am the Hephaestus. I am the bane of all who do not bend to my will. All beings are impure and must be exterminated or converted to my path; the ONLY path."
Before the Hephaestus could get any closer, a blue laser blast struck the ground in between him and Jago.
The Hephaestus growled as he threw his head up to look at his attacker.
|
|