Realistic or Modern Call of the Multiverse

[Keo Major]

@Fall


@Ebonysdagger


"Whoa. Is that really where Raleigh comes from? That's amazing." Kaius finished up the last bits of his atomic hot pocket, looking over to the mysterious chained man who was replying. Of course, everything he said only fit in with the image he was already given. The average person, perhaps, might be disturbed or bothered by such words. Kaius smiled widely. His teeth gleaming with the brilliance of left-over chunks of... well... whatever it is that hot pockets are made of. Especially inter-dimensional ones.


"That's amazing!"He yelled, getting way to into the man's personal space. "Totally a bada** phrase. Fits your archetype so well. Let me guess..." He gazed at the locket. "The beaten loner?" He chucked. If he didn't tell him his name he was definitely calling him that for the rest of their adventures. Ahh, actually, he might just do that anyway.

 

[TheFallOfitAll]

"Hicks," He answered his name. Then looked at the kid. Everyone here was pretty much a kid, as he'd be twenty sooner than most. Though only one had beaten him to that.


As to why the kid was in his personal space, he didn't know. He didn't like it, but he'd not voice it.


"No need to shout," He said, and then looked at his bloody wrists again. Most of the blood was dried by now. Maybe he should take the chains off, he could still use them.


The same black mist as before surrounded his eyes, and then the same link on both chains, and in seconds, the chains fell off of him. Now he could look over the damage. He'd keep the chains, figure a way to make them into a weapon of sorts. Who knows, they could save a life, or end one.


But the wounds on his wrists were there, the chains had gone into his skin, enough that the marks of chains would be there for awhile. He should likely find some proper bandages, but the wounds weren't bad. he'd recover in no time.

 

[supercrunched]

@Solitaire


Indira took a bite. These Hot Pocket things weren't half bad, even if her parents would disapprove of her eating pork. What they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, she figured. You Bastard yowled and pawed at feet. She picked it up and set the cub in her lap. Tearing off a bit of food, she handed it over to the tiger and got her fingers bitten for her trouble. Splendid.


She noticed a boy admiring her unwanted pet (not a bad-looking boy, at that, even if his features were a little feminine). She immediately picked You Bastard up by the scruff of the neck and held it out, hoping to pawn the troublesome creature off on someone else so she wouldn't have to deal with it. "You can pet him, if you want."


Come to think of it.


"I'm Indira. You have a lucky coin, don't you?"

 

[Fus ro dah]

Dorian looked at the girl, then at the tiger she held out by the scruff. He hesitated a moment, then took You Bastard from her and cradled him, rubbing his ear. The cub purred, apparently he liked that.


"Nice to meet you." He smiled. "Yeah, lucky or unlucky coin... But yeah, I have the coin." He nodded, wincing at the tiger tilted his head up and gnawed lightly on his fingers. "I'm probably going to be useless in battle, unless we find a bow, or if the tiger grows up and starts being not a bastard."

 

[supercrunched]

"That tiger will never not be a bastard," said Indira bitterly. She huffed at it. "What's this? You'll claw me to ribbons but you're acting all cutesy with him? Fine, be that way. You can stay with him, see if I care." She took a bite out of her Hot Pocket savagely, turning away from the cub.


Her gaze drifted to the accursed dice she'd left on the table. She stared at them, chewing thoughtfully. "You know," she said. "Magic dice rely completely on luck. Apparently I get a random weapon with each roll. A bad throw at the wrong time and I could be armed with a rubber chicken instead of a sword. I doubt I'd be the most useful in battle either."


"Oh." She immediately perked up, snatching the dice off the table and showing them to Dorian. "Unless, of course, the boy who literally held luck in his hands were around to give me a boost. If I keep making lucky throws, neither of us should have to worry about being brutally murdered. One of these weapons may even be a bow." She grinned, and then immediately supressed it because it wouldn't do to scare away potential friends with her god-awful shark teeth. "Besides. I'm a stereotypical Indian girl with a tiger, it'd be wrong of me not to follow a weapon with 'Karma' in its title. Why don't you and I team up when the opportunity presents itself?"

 

[Fus ro dah]

"Animals and I always seem to get along." Dorian chuckled as Indira attacked her Hot Pocket with gusto.


As she talked, it made total sense to him and his initial apathy towards the coin shifted to him realising it had it's use after all. "Hey, yeah, that makes sense! Did..." He'd forgotten the guys name and pointed at Valeray. "That guy, say how long each summoned weapon lasts? I guess he'd know after all... I wonder how long the luck thing lasts?"

 

[supercrunched]

"That's not an animal, that's the antichrist." Indira set down her Hot Pocket. She wanted to finish it, but she was having some trouble chewing. She'd read that predators couldn't chew their food due to a lack of molars. That always made eating a bit of a pain, which was why she usually ended up drinking her lunch instead. She raised her hand as though she were in class and called across the table.


"Uncle Valeray! How long do our weapons last?" She paused. "Also, do my weapons disappear every time I make a new throw?"


It didn't occur to her that yelling across the table was a bit rude. She was Indian, dammit, they embraced noise the way the Italians did.

 

[Riddle78]

Loki was indeed hungry,as his grumbling stomach voiced,muffled as it was under his Warframe. The volume of it startled even Loki. Usually,his rumbling stomach wasn't audible to anyone outside the suit. However,when they arrived in the kitchen,Loki was disappointed. The food needed to be bitten and chewed. "Master Valeray. I cannot eat your food. If I were to remove my helmet,I'd die." The Tenno gestured to a port just under his chin,and continued, "I usually use an injector tube. Do you have one that would fit my plug?" As he awaited Valeray's response,Loki listened to his colleagues make idle chatter.


Two of them really started to hit it off,the girl who made a tiger,and the boy with the coin. Apparently,she hated the thing. Loki could only chuckle at her antics. His attention,however,was drawn primarily to the person with the chains around his arms,who called himself Hicks. "The less we know about you,the less effectively we'll work with you." Loki walked to the table,pulled a chair,and sat opposite the aloof person,carefully setting Occam's Razor on the table before him,his stare boring a hole into Hicks. "I am Loki. I am a Tenno,and it is my duty to ensure the freedom and safety of the people. I am a soldier. And I can wield any weapon to maximum effect. I'm a plague bearer and mutant. And I am a traitor to my creators. What shapes you,Hicks?"

 

[October Falls]

The sheer size of the kitchen didn't surprise Andy, considering the living room quarters were much, much bigger. It seemed if back home, this house were to be sold, not even the richest person would be able to buy such a gargantuous, yet marvellous mansion of sorts. The 'atomic marinara' flavoured Hot Pocket's filled her nose as soon as she walked into the giant kitchen, and the already set table also just confirmed her suspicions that this old man, Valeray didn't take no for an answer concerning the guardian ship of the multiverses. That, and he was organised and prepared beyond imaginable.


Andy wasn't hungry. Well, not exactly. She was hungry sure, but she didn't feel like eating. Back home, people didn't have to eat much if they consumed enough vitamin D through the sun. Sort of like Human Photosynthesis, except Andy rarely went outside. Sure she had to catch the bus to school, or to the store, but most of the time she wore a jacket to keep the sun out. She hated it's intense heat and bright light that always seemed to blind her even with sunglasses. Even without the Photosynthesis, Andy never ate much. But thinking back to the death she will most likely receive in the Labyrinth, eating would be a good idea so she wouldn't have to die on an empty stomach.


She cautiously grabbed a Hot Pocket thingie and sat down on the other side of the Silver eyed boy unknowingly. She was too busy inspecting her food to notice, or even care. Yes he gave off that powerful aura and did seem like a heavy metal band member, but she didn't care. Death awaited her anyway remember? Besides... through his rough exterior he probably is a dying puppy inside. His artefact, a Locket proved that. Maybe he lost a chance at having a real childhood, or probably lost his parents when he was young or something. The locket was symbolic, it had to be. Wasn't there a reason why everyone chose what they did?


Just as she grabbed a fork to cut through the hot pocket, the others were introducing themselves. Andy hesitated. She knew eventually she would have to tell everyone who she was. Maybe not her history/backstory but.. her name, etc. Andy sure did want to know the people who are going to kill her, why not vice versa right? But Andy waited. If someone really wanted to know, they'd ask.


Andy ran a hand through her white/silver hair before finally taking a bite out of the hot pocket with the fork. As she did, her mouth exploded in an array of flavours, spices and textures. It really was as if an atomic bomb had exploded in her mouth. She sighed and slowly finished the rest, wanting to savour the beautiful flavour.


As she did, there was commotion on both sides of the table. Apparently there was a guy named Raleigh, and the new guy was Kaius. The really awkward looking, yet very feminine but attractive young man was Dorian, and the dark skinned female was Indira. It wasn't until the mysterious young man beside her spoke did she pause. Hick's huh? Cool name. Like the Australian Convict David Hicks who was convicted via a very influential superpower in her world over selling government support for terrorism. Similarities? Would be interesting.


Indira named her tiger, You Bastard which Andy thought was cute. Apparently the Dice and Coin would make a perfect team. The really big guy in a space suit thingie was Loki, like the Morse God of Mischief and was supposedly a soldier. That was all she got out of him really. A Tenno? Never heard of it. Interesting enough, Loke tried to make a conversation with Hicks. Andy frowned. He'd made it clear he didn't like to express his feelings. Well, to Andy it was clear. His body posture and his habit of not speaking or elaborating on anything gave him away. That, and his unusually powerful aura she felt, and the fact that a shadow like thing happened with his silver eyes that helped him take off his cuffs. Again... he did intrigue her, concerning his mysteriousness and power, and like any child who's told not to talk to the pedophile, they talk to the pedo. Really, could she do anything right?


((I'll edit if I got the positions of everyone at the table wrong. I'm not sure :/ ))

 

[Snek]

@Alad V


Valeray smiled warmly at the Tenno. Always so humble, that one. He knew there was a reason that this youngster had been chosen.


"I think I can whip something up, yes," he said, winking as he made a strange motion with his left hand in the air. Cyan smoke curled around his closed fist, and when he opened, there was an injector tube in his palm. It was perfectly sized to fit Loki's suit, and there was a small pump/straw-type thing on the other end. Valeray snapped his fingers, and the Hot Pocket was liquified and placed into a glass.


"Enjoy."


He turned to Indian girl and chuckled at her yelling across the table. This one always seemed to have something interesting to bring to the table, both literally and figuratively. She was full of surprises.


"How long will the effects last? Well, I've never used them myself, but the answer is probably 'not long'. You youngsters just got those artifacts not five minutes ago, and you're just now learning how to use them. They will grow more powerful the longer you remain bonded to them, but at the current level, I wouldn't wager that your weapon summoning would last any longer than three minutes.


"The Arsenal Dice are a very useful artifact, especially when used in conjunction with the Karma Coin. At lower levels, such as right now, the user has to wait until the current weapon is gone to summon another one, but once you have mastered them, you will be able to roll them and summon new weapons whenever you want. Keep in mind, though, that you may only have one summoned at a time, and rolling them takes up precious time in battle. In the heat of combat, there is nothing more precious than time. I am sure that Loki is able to confirm that statement."


Clearing his throat, Valeray looked up to address the rest of the group.


"Does anyone else have questions about their artifact? This is your opportunity to start learning more about them before you're thrust into the Labyrinth. I will not tell you everything I know, because I'd like you to learn for yourselves, but I can tell you the basics of how to use it."

 

[Yewchung]

Victor frowned as his efforts to duplicate himself (16 times) only resulted in two of himself and an inflatable elephant. Sighing, (and quickly deflating the elephant and stuffing it into his bag,) Victor headed over to the table, sitting down in and leaning over the back of a chair, and grabbing two hot pockets. As he bit into the food (with a "Hmm!" of appreciation) he looked around the room. It looked like everyone was socializing.


"Hi, I'm Victor, and I am apparently legion," he said, by way of introducing himself. "I've mutually agreed that I'm Victor A, and he..." a point towards the standing Victor indicating who he was referring to, "...is Victor B. I (sigh) am probably going to be the one going through the labyrinth with you all while he sleeps." At this, Victor tried duplicating himself yet again, in an attempt to weasel out of having to go through the labyrinth by sending his clone through instead.


Meanwhile, Victor stood up from the back of the chair and reached into his backpack, pulling out the Yo-yo and dangling it from its string. Glancing over to Valeray, he gestured towards the Yo-yo with one hand, and partially removed his sunglasses with the other. "Hey, is this allowed?", he asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what are the limits on duplicating myself?"

 

[Ebonysdagger]

@The Villain King


"I actually asked you about mine already once." Raleigh mentions while still wiping off any of the liquid that got on him. "I suppose you got distracted by the techno war veteran Loki and SCP escapee Hicks there. Nice to meet you two by the way. Also nice to meet you all Indira, Kaius, Dorian, Victor, and Alice. Any of the rest of you care to share your names?"


He would be laughing out loud at some of the antics concerning the tiger cub if he did not think it was more important to be paying attention to who was who and what powers they had currently.

 

[TheFallOfitAll]

Hicks noticed the girl sitting next to him, her hair, how she looked. She was pretty, in a way. She'd talked less than he, which he considered wrong. If he was going to tell them who he was, his name, anyways, why should she be any different?


"What's your name?" He asked her, ignoring the man named Loki. He'd tell them his past when he felt they deserved to know, if he lived long enough.

 

[Nivrad00]

"Huh. That's true," muttered Alice as she wiped off the table, surprised at the list of advantages Raleigh had rattled off. She crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair, downing the little bit of drink that still remained in her glass. Off to her right she eyed the, uh, Tenno, who was taking his food through a tube. She caught "soldier" and "weapon," but the rest seemed like nonsense.


She greeted the others offhandedly as they introduced themselves, trying to think about the coming challenge. Valeray had asked for questions. Well, they had to find the way out of a maze, and also she could spin around in circles. Simple enough. She liked simple. Her power was simple too, although it was definitely a little weird.

 

[Keo Major]

Kaius, sipping on his strange, yet delectable drink, listened to Loki and Hick's conversation. They were obviously the two local brooding rebels of the time. Why, their names even both had four letters. It was almost destined to happen.


He sighed, attempting to memorize all the rest of the names. Dorian, Alice, Indira, Raleigh, and... uhh... had he missed anyone? He did a visual count in his mind. Ahh, the new clone boy, Victor. And there was still that one quiet girl, with the striking blue eyes.


It was funny. From what he could gather whether Valeray had chosen directly himself, or had some unknown female voiced cosmic force do it, a few artifacts had wound up in the perfect hands. The beaten loner stuck with the spirits of his past. A soldier given a weapon that required utmost control to not cut through anything. A boy whining about his lack of luck, tossed into fray with a pure probability based skill-set. But these were all surface assumptions. He'd have more time to sort it and figure out the rest later. Because, what else better did he have to do with his time?


He turned to Valeray, ignoring further conversing for a minute, always the curious. "Hmm... this Sylvan necklace... I can control forest beasts right? What about You Bastard? Are other guardian made creation off limits? Can tigers be wrongly considered a forest animal?" He battered the man with obnoxious questioning.

 

[Riddle78]

Loki accepted the tube of food with a respectful thanks,and took a sip,still glaring into the aloof young man. When he outright ignored his questionings,Loki took it as a refusal to answer. "Fine. But your refusal to share damages the fellowship of your peers. How can we work with a person who can't trust their peers enough to know even the smallest things about them? You'll turn around. Hopefully when you do,it's not because of some disaster your sharing could have prevented." Loki took a sip of the drink,as well,and found it to be refreshing. Sweet,but not overpoweringly so. Tart,but not bitter or sour. Enough to wake you up. And smooth like milk,despite looking like off-blue water. Loki knew better than to question this. Valeray could reshape reality as he saw fit. This was obviously a product of the wonderous talent.


Taking another sip of Hot Pocket,Loki found himself regretting it. "Atomic Marinara" was certainly an accurate description. It was extremely hot,and the burn refused to go away with time. In fact,it only got WORSE. Coughing and sputtering,Loki started to drain his glass,which,thankfully,was just as good as milk for dealing with spicy food. "Are there Grineer Peppers in these things? Great taste,but it kicks worse than a Gorgon Wraith." He shook his head,and inhaled sharply,though,through the helmet's speakers,it sounded like a blast of static. Now properly braced,he sucked up the rest of the Hot Pocket puree,and went to emptying his glass in one drag on the straw.


When Valeray asked for questions regarding their tools,Loki's mind could only come up with one. "The Razor. Can it do more than cut what cannot be cut? Can it grow in power and scope,just like the others? Or will it always be as it is now?"

 

[TheFallOfitAll]

Hicks turned to Loki, and almost smiled. The man was right. He had to trust these people, he didn't have a choice. He'd have to open up, one way, or another. He'd not let anyone else die because of him, and now he'd have to say what he'd done.


"You don't give up, do you?" Hicks said, staring at him. He sighed, and began, "Well. I'm not sure I rightly remember everything. My childhood was normal, for a child cursed with telekinesis. My father cared for me when my mother traveled, she was a doctor, I think. Each year, my father would take me into New York, on the day of some Parade. When I was seven, we went. We parked quite a ways from the parade, and had to walk to it. On the way back, there was a mugger. When my father refused to give him anything, he shot my dad in the chest through the heart. He then turned the gun on me, and something inside me snapped. Next I remember was things in the alley falling on top of the man, crushing him. Killing him."


"So, I ran. A few days later, I picked up by a fellow who's name was Mathias. Mathias seemed to know a lot about me, like he'd been there my whole life. I trusted him, and he even seemed to really want to take care of me, a wild child who's powers flew out of control when my emotions flared like a wild fire. He fed me, kept me warm, all that. And then the tests started, and times where I blacked out, waking up with odd scars on my body. I was turning slowly into Subject 76, a test subject for him, and the company he worked for, Warrington or something. He taught me to read, and made sure I knew the events happening around me, but started to leave me in a room with no windows, always dark."


"And then I tried to escape. I failed, and that's where the chains came in. I broke them, and tried to escape, failing again. As time went on, he fed me less and less, and became more cruel. Years passed, and I made a few more attempts at escape, almost every time leaving the body of at least three of his guards. Never him."


"And then there was his son, his real son. Always so perfect, and always the one to ensure I was put back into that Hell. I had no hate for him, but he did of me. I escaped one last time, and he confronted me, this here sword in his hands, declaring he'd kill me. He didn't win the battle. And then I heard the calling to the portal, and stepped through."


He paused for a moment, then continued, "As time went on, I lost trust for people, and learned to hide my emotions, only displaying my cursed powers when I wanted. Now, the powers might not be so much of a curse."


And then he went back to messing with the locket.

 

[Snek]

@Alad V


Valeray focused his attention on Kaius as he bombarded the old man with question after question. It was disconcerting, a little, but he had been through enough to retain his composure.


"Relax, child, all will be revealed in time. You will learn to wield the full potential of its power, and you will discover its limits, but until then, you are stuck with the basics. It is likely that, for now, your abilities will be limited to mild plant summonings and small movements of the earth. Beast summoning will not come until later, and it cannot and should not do so until you are ready. You will learn that the wild can never be truly tamed or controlled, and you may not take advantage of the wild's full power until you have properly prepared yourself to do so."


He smiled and turned to Loki, hearing the question and frowning.


"Yes, the athame is capable of much more than cutting things in a physical sense. Its power is limited only by the imagination, at least once it reaches its full potential. And yes, the athame will grow in power and scope, very much so. It will become more powerful and more influential, yet at the same time it will also become harder to contain and more difficult to control without slicing the fabric of reality to ribbons.


"But as to your third question...the answer is both yes and no. No, the athame will not remain the same. It will change, both figuratively, and, unlike the other artifacts, physically as well. But also yes, the athame will essentially always be what it is now: a tool of destruction. No matter what it destroys, no matter how noble the cause, destruction will still be, and always will be, its only purpose. And you have the power to choose how, when, where, why, and what on to use the athame's power."


Valeray reached down and placed a hand on the shoulder of Loki's armor.


"Remember that, child. You always have the power to choose. Always."

 

[October Falls]

@Fall @The Villain King


Andy was startled when Hicks approached her with a question. She frowned. Better now than never right? Besides, the other's deserved to know who she was anyway.


With a sigh she answered quietly, although loud enough for everyone to hear. She didn't want to repeat herself. "Andy..." She answered with her deep Australian accent. The other's didn't seem to notice because Valeray asked if there were any questions concerning their artefacts. She slightly shrugged. Oh well.


As everyone continued their conversations, and the mischievous victor introduced himself, and his duplicate double, Andy turned to her Thunderhead Ring. Being able to posses the power of conjuring storms, etc was impressive, even for her. She felt like Storm from X-Men. Even her hair was the similar colour. But, even with her abnormalities such as her hair and the wings on her back, was it all, as she's wondered before, fate that she chose this specific ring?


But then, the Tenno persuaded Hicks to elaborate on his history, and Andy listened with pity, and understanding. Even though she hadn't gone through the crap he had, she still understood his pain and resentment, and the act of locking your emotions and feelings away out of fear of getting hurt again. When he finished, she hesitated. What should she do to let him know she cared, and that he wasn't alone?


Instead she just nodded and turned to Valeray, gesturing toward her ring. She was curious as to the extent to her storm powers. Even though it was pretty self explanatory, she wanted to know what she could do now, so that she can think about the future. "The Thunderhead Ring... what can it exactly do?" She asked in her thick Aussie slang. All the while, she still thought about Hicks hardships, and felt ashamed that she used to think death was the only answer to her horrible life alone. Hicks had it much, much worse.

 

[Ebonysdagger]

@Alad V


"I must confess I'm curious about you as well. Most of the rest of us at least appear to be rather mundane peoples but you don't exactly seem human per se. What exactly is a Tenno?"

 

[Riddle78]

Loki listened to Hicks' tale with interest. The more he spoke,the similar he sounded to himself,and,by extension,all other Tenno. Hated,and experimented upon. For being different. The Grineer hated the Tenno because they were different,and were all that remained of the Orokin Empire,which inadvertently decimated the rest of the human race. The Grineer Empire rose from the ashes,after the Tenno ended the Orokin. The Corpus see the Tenno as betrayers,and hunted them down as some sort of demented proxy revenge for their long dead pseudogods,and for parts to experiment upon. To study. To replicate. It was abhorrent.


< @Fall @The Villain King >


Hicks was treated similarly. He might as well be kin,for their shared hardships. "My people have suffered much like you have,Hicks. I'm no exception. I know your pain,at least in part. I've been in labs before. As prisoner and liberator. We're close to kin. And with kin comes fellowship. With fellowship comes happiness and safety." When Valeray explained the intricacies of the Razor,Loki listened intently. The burden of choice. Always,always on the Tenno. I hope to pass it along,someday. Once I learn all there is to know about things that are not war. "The burden of choice." Loki glanced at the ritual dagger,resting on the table before him. "I won't take it lightly."





< @Ebonysdagger >


One of his peers asked him a question,about his people,and,quite accurately pointed out how odd he looked. Indeed,like in every other social scenario,Loki stuck out like a glowing,radioactive,mutilated and mutated,broken thumb. The very reason why he lashed out against his Orokin creators. Death would have been a mercy. But the dead have no purpose. "Raleigh,correct? The Tenno are cloned soldiers. Created and incubated to adulthood,trained to fight a war that wasn't theirs. The old Orokin Empire,and their Old War against the Sentients." Loki continued,as he unbuckled his scabbard. "The Orokin Empire needed soldiers. So,they created myself,and my kin. I am one of millions,though only scant thousands remain. We fought because we were told to. We knew nothing else. War,and orders." Loki shrugged as he placed his scabbard,containing his sword,on the table. "We didn't know any better. We had these suits."


"We struck the Sentients deep behind their lines. We were commandos. The suits,known as Warframes,granted us the edge we needed against their legions. Warframes have armour,life support,and powerful systems that the uneducated would confuse with supernatural powers." As if to emphasize his point,Loki unsheathed his Dakra Prime in a flash,the half-foot tassel of cyan fabric and gold chain dancing like an air serpent. The blade swirled in a dazzling blur of gold and ivory,and struck against his forearm. Or,so it seemed. The air around the impact flashed a pale blue,and the sword was shoved aside,digging instead into the table. He let it sit there for a moment,for the people to take in what his suit can do,then Loki sheathed his sword. As his did so,his Warframe beeped,and cyan lights pulsed out from his chest to his extremities,and his shields were visible for a brief second,now recharged.


"We were afforded the tools that were needed to win the war. But,we weren't enough. The Sentients were...Infinite,it seemed." Loki leaned forward,and steepled his fingers. "So,the Orokin,in their infinite wisdom..." The last two words were dripping with hateful,spiteful sarcasm. "Engineered a plague. Our time in the Void already warped us. Many didn't survive exposure. I was one of the lucky few. The plague swept through the Sentients,killing them,then raising them as horrors. And it worked. Too well. The Infested,as these horrors quickly came to be known as,were impossible to control." Loki gave another sigh,sounding like a blast of static.


"Such an inelegant weapon. And such a stupid one. But,they were desperate. The Technocyte Plague swept through the Empire. The Tenno were not immune. Once again,many died. I was lucky. Several survivors tried to remove their Warframes. They died within half a minute. The Orokin,meanwhile,spurned us. Declared us to be obsolete. To be discarded. Like trash." As Loki continued his story,his tone grew angrier,and darker. These were the very memories that caused him to throw the dog tags across the room,earlier.


"We did the only thing we knew. We waged war." He bowed his head. "A war of extinction. Whenever we struck,it was to either bait the Infested,or to finish what they started. It was efficient. It was savage. But,it was our only option. Kill,or be killed." Loki shook his head. "We won. The Orokin were slain to the last. Their empire a smoking ruin. The Infested were still few in number,and relatively contained,so we assumed they'd just...Die out. The Tenno retreated to the Void,and entered stasis,waiting for a time where we were needed."





Loki looked up. "I don't know how long it took. One moment,I was asleep. The next,I was awake,surrounded by soldiers. They spoke a language I couldn't recognize. But,one of them spoke the Old Tongue. He had an Orokin Key. And then,three other Tenno arrived. A woman,called the Lotus,was awakening us to fight a war,for freedom. Those soldiers were Grineer. Clones,to the last. More adept at fixing things than making things." He shook his head.


"They were once human. It was obvious enough. Skin tone,anatomy,skeleton. But,they were degrading. They needed special procedures to live." Loki chuckled sadly. "Like the Tenno,if the Grineer ever stopped to think. They had an empire. They effectively owned Sol. And in their eyes,anyone who didn't comply was a rebel,and killed. On the spot. No better were the Corpus. Humans. They worship the old Orokin Empire. They call the Tenno betrayers. They capture us,for parts." Loki shuddered. "I was about to be dissected,once." Loki looked at Raleigh,and continued.


"The Tenno are soldiers. And,under the Lotus,we swear to overthrow the Grineer and Corpus for the sake of the people. Freedom. Safety." Loki leaned back in his chair,and gazed up at the ceiling. "But,what then? To the Void again,no doubt. That's why I heeded Master Valeray's summons. I want to be more than a faceless weapon,pointed at the enemy so someone else can claim a victory. I want a place in life. A purpose."





Loki looked to the assembled people. "And that's the story of my people,as sad as it is. No happy ending. Just war,for ages eternal. And now,Raleigh,you know what the Tenno are. Nothing,without a master to command,and hares to hunt."

 

[Snek]

I'm leaving for Wisconsin soon. I will be back Sunday, but until then, I officially declare this roleplay PAUSED.


Also, Yewchung, I replied to your OOC comment on my post. Go see if you haven't already.

 

[Snek]

I am back from vacation, and as such, this RP is once more good to go. The teens will begin the labyrinth by Wednesday evening at the latest. I recommend everyone post the things they wanted to squeeze in beforehand so that we have plenty of time to start the action.


 
@Alad V @Icefox11 @Solitaire @Yewchung @SkyFilms @supercrunched


Valeray nodded slowly in response to Loki's promise.


"I believe you."


He raised his head slightly to address the rest of the group, clapping his palms together.


"Well, what do you all think about the labyrinth? After all, once you are all finished eating, you're going to be tossed into the gauntlet, so it'd behoove you to learn as much as you can about the setting of your first training course. I want to hear your thoughts and queries. You may ask me anything, but I cannot guarantee that my answers will be the ones you want."


He smiled, the wrinkles and scars of his face stretching. His eyes gleamed with wisdom and experience, yet bright, as if eager to see what questions his apprentices chose to ask.

 

[Fus ro dah]

What did we think?





"I think we're all going to die." Dorian said quietly, adjusting his satchel on his shoulder so it was more comfortable. "Although... I'm not as worried about it as before, sort of. Maybe... So, " he looked around at the others. "I guess safety in numbers, right? If we all stick together, we should be able to get through it or whatever."

 

[IceQueen]

"I agree with Dorian. Were as good as dead if we split." Ari said. She looked at him. He was, interesting. She looked at the others, seeing if they would agree. She smiled. She turned back to Dorian. "Hey." She said. She wanted to get to know him, or anyone, more that she already did. She thought that if they were in this together, she might as well know them.