In-Game Thread

[Doom Crow]

Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

You were born into the world without sin, a blank slate on which limitless combinations of experiences and ideas could be imprinted upon, leading to a multitude of destinies that could have been yours. Free will has been the boon and bane of all sentient beings' existence, leaving open the choice to do good while always tempting one with that which leads to evil. Throughout your life, the choices you made and the events that impacted and molded you ultimately led you down a path that ended with you staring into the abyss that is evil.

Upon your death, you felt the darkness overtake you and pull you to a hell for which you could not describe, only know with certainty that you were surely damned for all eternity for your crimes and sins. For decades you suffered, tormented and butchered like dogs at the hands of demons and devils hungry for the taste of the damned. You came face to heel with the one fiend who laid claim to your very soul, the one you know now as Lord Apoxalon. He sought to break you in the pits of his domain, letting his minions do with you as they wished until finally he called upon you by name.

Your demonic overmaster has saw fit to bring you back to the world of the living to do his bidding. He desires more souls to add to his collection, and so he has given orders for you to be brought back into Pariatas so that you may have a hand in the corruption of the living so that they may meet Lord Apoxalon in the afterlife as you once did. He also wishes to establish a foothold in Pariatas, which you will also have a hand in creating for him.

Your immediate superior is a Succubus by the name of Nashira. She is a picture of beauty, her slender and full form tantalizing to the eye. Her attitude towards you however does not match her physical qualities, as she is hostile, bitter and curt when she deals with subordinates. She stands before you with a devious smile after Lord Apoxalon takes his leave, her taloned hands resting upon her hips as she looks you over in disgust. Get up, trash and follow me! We are going to send you into a meatsuit, so prepare yourself. You won't enjoy the ride. She snickers as she finishes her sentence, turning and proceeding down a long hallway. You get up and follow her, not wanting to end up back in the pits that you can see below you through the grated floor. The screams of those unlucky enough to not be chosen spur you on, and soon you find yourself in a circular chamber with Nashira standing in its center beside what looks like a shimmering curtain of shadow.

Have the preparations been completed? Nashira barks at the shadow, and after a few moments you can seen opaque images fluctuating inside the shadow. Sound begins to emanate from it in a distorted, echoing tone. Yes, Seductress, we are ready and waiting for your command to proceed. A scowl forms on Nashira's face, her frustration apparent as she howls. Then get to it, idiots! Why would I ask if you were ready if I didn't want you to begin! Get them into their meatsuits already!! She demoness turns her head to look you square in the eye, smirking slightly before addressing you. I'll catch you on the flip-side. Enjoy the ride. Her laughter reverberates in the chamber after she steps into the black curtain and is gone, sending an ominous chill down your spine.

Gazing into the blackness, the sound of voices chanting fills the chamber, rising in volume until it becomes almost deafening, overwhelming your senses. Soon you begin to feel strange, as if some force was touching you at first, and then it pierces you like a harpoon and all you can do is scream. Your entire being is ripped away in a moment, as if you were forced out of existence and then thrust into a sea of dark fire eating away at your core, trying to prevent you from leaving. The pain is not physical, you're not even sure what it is except for pure anguish, and the moment feels like an eternity in and of itself. There is respite from this hell though, and it comes as you suddenly emerge from the black sea and open your eyes hearing one word: Rise...

[Fuzzy alchemist]

Lucifer in the body of Purnam Kadra is the first to rise not wanting to do anything to give his masters second thoughts about this gift they had given him. Mustering the will and energy is hard after the painful journey here, but he does his best not to show it. He was wearing an outfit made from strips of fine diaphanous cloth strung between metal rings at the joints of the body. His entire body was covered but still visible through the cloth except for the groin which was covered in embroidery for decency. His feet were covered by scrimshaw clogs depicting mermaids and sailors enjoying the affections of one another. He quickly begins playing with his hands loving the novelty of it. It was the first time in his entire existence he had had bones nevermind fingers. A wide smile spreads across his face as he thinks, "Such a lovely body. Magnificent bone structure, silky skin, I could definitely get used to this." He resisted the urge to explore its wonders further while his master's watch dog was here lest they feel that his enjoyment of the body might distract him from his task. He looked at the other people there imagining what kind of undead they would be best used to make and how well they would serve their function. It was an old habit that died hard.

[traesin]

I open my eyes and look around. I see the sky and the trees. I'm alive! I quickly get to my knees and notice that I'm wearing the outfit of a Hunter. I take a moment to enjoy the feel of the wind on my face, then stand up and look at my fellow souls. Seeing a man also on his feet. I nod towards as to say "hello".

[Fuzzy alchemist]

Lucifer looks towards the woman who nodded to him and beings to move towards her but quickly stops and simply returns her nod. He wanted to hug her, it had been so long since he had gotten to embrace anyone and never with arms, but he needed to seem professional to keep his position. He tries to force the smile off his face and focus on their job here but his mind keeps wandering to what he wanted to do first with his new body and other subjects that were distracting from the mission, whatever it might be. It also made it impossible for him to keep the smile off his face for any appreciable amount of time, but did prevent him from becoming too giddy with joy.

[Thrush]

Mondis leaps off the ground and instinctively searches for the best place of shadow to hide himself. He stops once he catches a glimpse of the body he inhabits. Realizing the people next to him whom he does not recognize may be the others who accompanied him on that awful ride to this place. Only then does he feel wind go over his body. He drops to his knees and begins sobbing at the beauty of an existence he has long forgotten.

[Doom Crow]

You find yourself waking into this existence in a large cave, surrounded by men and women you do not know. There is a natural opening in the ceiling going up to the surface, revealing the stars of the night sky to you and allowing the wind to funnel down to you. Flickering torchlight illuminates the room, and soon after you gain your bearings you come to understand what has happened to bring you here. Buckets of blood have been spilt upon the floor painting intricate circular designs along the perimeter of the room. Each of you lays upon a crude stone altar, draped in ebony linens with blood markings drawn on your face and body, though the blood is not your own. Five acolytes kneel in positions located around you amidst the blood patterns on the floor, catching their breath after having completed a long and arduous ritual. At your feet lie piles of ash, presumably the remnants of spent spell components used for the ritual.

Nashira is there as well, standing at the mouth of the entrance to the room. She appears just as when you last saw her, as beautiful and devious as ever. She holds a metal tray upon which rest five finely crafted rings made of what looks to be silver. Each ring has a different design, but they all have a single red gemstone faceted into it with a tiny marking etched into the stone. It's about time you woke up. I hate to be kept waiting you know. She strides towards you and hands each of you a specific ring. You will wear your ring at all times. It will provide you with knowledge of the person who once inhabited your body. Keep it safe, we wouldn't want your guest to get out. A sinister chuckle bubbles up from her as she smacks Nicodemos with the tray. Get up already!! This isn't a hotel I'm running!

[Fuzzy alchemist]

Lucifer resists the urge to get cheeky and wink at Nashira as she hands him the ring. Not only was she likely far beyond his league, being a succubus and what not, but she could also destroy him in more ways than he cared to imagine being visited upon him. He could indulge himself as much as he wanted later. For now he had to make sure he did not damage his chances of being allowed to stay. Once he had built up a good track history again he could do things like that but for now he needed to be on his best behavior. He finally manages to wipe the smile off his face and look like he might actually be serious now that Nahsira was addressing them. She was their boss and making sure she had no reason to send him back was very important right now.

[Arkhemedes]

Nicodemos rises up with a scowl on his face directed at Nashira. But upon seeing her gaze turn towards him again, he quickly remembers his place, and bows his head in subservience, not wishing to anger her any more now that he can once again feel the earth beneath his feet. Only a while longer and perhaps we can be rid of her for a time.

He looks down to examine his body and thinks to himself, I wonder who the poor fool was whose body I was given. Then he slips the ring on his finger and is assaulted by a flood of memories and a wealth of knowledge. Moments later, after taking in much of what the ring has given him, he thinks to himself, Hmm...perhaps this body will prove to be of some use after all. I just hope I can say the same about those I was brought here with. Lets hope they gave me some people I can actually use and not a bunch of weaklings who can't tell their asses from holes in the ground.

[Azar]

Volker gets up, he is a bit dizzy at first but that passes. He looks up to see the people who Apoxalon has sent to do his bidding. After a few moments he looks at his hands and stares at them, he cracks his knuckles and then his neck. He grabs the ring and puts it on, he gains all the knowledge of this body, he doesn't flinch at all. Then Volker starts to speak and says "Ok lets get this over, what do you want me to do." in a calm voice.

[Doom Crow]

After the rings have been distributed, Nashira slaps the tray into the chest of a weary acolyte, startling him from his post ritual daze. She turns to face the lot of you after Volker's words leave his mouth, placing her hands on her curvacious hips. You are here for one reason, to serve Lord Apoxalon. He has graciously given his Lieutenants command of this operation, which we intend to have carried out flawlessly, and we'll make good use of you to do it. Currently we are in a cave about fifteen miles from the city of Droxundus, which will be our new home for the time being. Droxundus is part of the Khedesh Commonwealth, an oligarchy on the continent of Kelant. This city is rife with souls just waiting to be led down the path to our Lord. Now, before we leave this place I want you to understand what it is that brought you here and what you were sent to do.

You are dead, and though you inhabit a body that has been brought back to life, you are still a soul of a dead person. This does not mean you are undead, for that is not the case, these bodies are living and breathing. Normally when one brings back the dead, the spell grips the soul of the person who belongs to the dead body. We skirted this issue, since your bodies are long gone and we need you as corporeal beings to do what is required of you. So we performed a ritual that has bound the soul of whom these bodies belogn to into the gemstone you are wearing in your ring, which is why you can draw upon knowledge in order to successfully pose as this person while you sow the seeds of dischord and strife. Think of your rings as your anchor in this world. If it were to ever be destroyed, you would be ripped from this place back to the Ebonlands, where you would surely be sent back to the pits for your gross failure. If this body were to die, however, you would still remain here on Pariatas but as a spirit, a ghost, until we could put you back into it. If you really needed to you could possess someone else, but that's a whole other game of cards that you're not ready for.

Nashira beckons you to follow her from the ritual chamber down a passageway that opens into a smaller room where a long table sits covered with food and drink. Eat and drink as you like, but listen carefully as you do. Lord Apoxalon has allowed you to come here out of his generosity. He could very well have had his lesser minions do this work, but he feels you all have some kind of...potential for greater things. If you please our Lord, he may reward you. I dare say he may even make you a demon if you show enough initative. Should you fail him, however, you will know the torment you were until recently receiving again but this time there will be no second chance. We are here as wolves amongst sheep. Our job is to lead others to a start a path that will lead them to Lord Apoxalon when they pass into the afterlife. We are not in the business of killing our 'clients'. To kill them as they are now would spare them from becoming part of our Lord's collection, which is opposite from our goal. Trust me, that doesn't mean we won't get to kill anyone. There are other methods of giving souls to Lord Apoxalon, but they are more complicated and messier, and most times not a permanent way of delivery. Corruption and manipulation lead to the individual making a choice to commit evil habitually, and that is what we want. We will drive some to madness, lead others to lust and sinful decadence, trick them into betraying their friends and loved ones and so on and so forth. Do you get the idea? We will be pushers, nudgers, because you can't drag someone to hell, you have to get them to want to go down that path. Of course they'll regret it once we've got them, but mortals are mostly concerned with the here and now rather than the there and after. How you accomplish these goals are entirely up to you, and that's part of our Lord's test. He wants to see how creative you can be, how truly evil your soul really is. If you can stomach condemming souls to eternal damnation then you may be worthy of joining our ranks as a demon, a real corruptor of souls. Consider yourselves lucky, you were picked from amongst a great number of souls in Lord Apoxalon's collection to do this. If you all prove worthy, then you all will ascend, there's not a limited number of slots like last time, although I think that was a lot more fun. You still have to show that you've got the chops though, so don't think this is a free ride. As you'll come to learn in you haven't already, there is no such thing as 'free'. Now eat up, you'll need your strength for the journey to Droxundus.

[Fuzzy alchemist]

Lucifer does his best to pay attention and learn everything he can from her. First and foremost was the fact that due to him still being a dead soul they could likely drag him back to the ebonlands whenever they wanted. He assumed this would be true but it was good to have it confirmed. He listened to her speak of how they might be rewarded and had to try hard to avoid laughing. The likelihood of them actually rewarding them was infinitesimal. He had done exactly what she was talking about before and was never offered the option she was saying might be given if they did the same thing now. Or maybe that was why he was getting this chance. Maybe they were hoping for even better results this time. As he sits down at the table he puts on the ring taking in the flood of memories. As he gets flashes of them he thinks to himself, "Oh yes. I think we will get along swimmingly." He helps himself to the food calling upon the memories from the ring to remind himself of how to do it correctly so that when he got to the city he would be able to avoid any obvious gap in manners. She had answered the questions he would have asked so he felt no need to speak just yet. The less he spoke the less likely it was that he would say something stupid. This was not to say he was not thinking. Plans of how best to go about putting the city in a position that it would be more susceptible to corruption and how best to reap in those soul rushed through his mind. He was also thinking of what weaknesses the system and his various plans had so that he could patch them up or exploit them depending on what best served his needs.

[Arkhemedes]

Nicodemos does as he is told without hesitation for he is eager to begin his work and get on with the business he has been brought here to do. This should, at the very least, prove interesting. After all this time, I am looking forward to once again letting others know the taste of my boot heel. I wounder who here among us does not have the stomach for such things. I suppose we shall soon find out.

As Nicodemos eats, he gazes about the room and begins to assess the possible strengths and weaknesses of his fellow accomplices. It appears that a few of them are fairly physically fit while others are not. Still...looks can be deceiving. I must remember, that these jackals are not in their original bodies. Perhaps they each have some worth to them that will be of benefit to our purpose. Why else would they have been chosen?

[traesin]

I take the ring and put it on. The flood of memories overwelms me. A small cry escapes. Even now I'm still tormented! How could she kill them! I put on a bitter smile. I follow Nashira and listen to her threats and hollow promises and take a seat at the table. As I start to eat I look around at my new compainions. Oh how we few will corupt the unwarry.

[Thrush]

Mondis quietly takes the ring and puts it on his finger and then continues to eat. He wonders if Arae has more plans for him, or if Arae's plans and Apoxalon's somehow are the same.

[Azar]

Volker starts to eat, and barely hears what Nashira says, all thats running through his head now is anger, he's is use to taking direct orders, not vague ones, but he'll figure it out as he goes. He see's the other people and looks at Nicodemos the most, he seems to have more strength than the other ones, but looks can be deceiving, after all, these aren't there real bodies. He looks at his new body, this one seems to be the strongest one.