Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

0
followers
follow

Paragon

The night redeemed; ruthless and vengeful.

0 · 1,625 views · located in Wing City Gardens (South)

a character in “The Multiverse”, as played by Nemo

Description

[http/:milkywiki.gal.org/the-redemption-of-paragon]


The Redemption of Paragon


Image
-
'The Torment of Paragon' by
the acclaimed Renaissance artist, Gerroid Van Dyke.


'The Redemption of Paragon' is a folk poem and fairy-tale with roots in various intergalactic civilizations and cultures. Versions of the story have evolved from a myriad societies and races across in the Milky Way, often thousands of years before the development of interstellar transportation or space-faring technologies. Despite the fact that no one culture had any influence concerning the fairy-tale on another, the poem has remained generally the same between each society, often with only meager aberrations existing between accounts. Nations that have development on completely separate planets, lightyears apart, still have independently invented some form of the story at a time in their history. With no clear point of origin, the 'universal acclaim' of the fairy-tale remains an anomaly to many galactic researchers. To date, 'The Redemption of Paragon' is one of the most studied fables in history and remains a chief component in the Multiversial 'canon'.

Development and Discrepancies


Although specifics concerning the poem vary between cultures, the plot's foundation remains the same: a deity of daylight wages an ongoing war with a malevolent spirit of the night. A demon (or in some stories, a demi-god) of the darkness, disenchanted with the brutish, violent lifestyle of his peers, offers himself and his love to the deity of the day. Although unable to return his affections on account of his 'corruption', she appoints him as her champion, charging him with the task of rooting out darkness and evil at its source. The deity kisses her new paladin (or in some stories, weeps holy tears over him) and molds a mask of pure white over his face. The poem ends with the demon's redemption and his renaming as 'Paragon' or 'the Paragon'.

In Aschen culture, the poem took root during The Vorlix. First accounts of the story suggest it was invented by a Confederate mother trying to calm her children during one of the Molecay Military's frequent bombings over Confederate land. In the Aschen version, the 'deity of daylight' is the goddess Athena, "the spirit of the night" is merely called "the enemy" (likely a reference to the Molecay), and the demon-champion is a wandering demi-god, believed to be the bastard son of Hades and a witch.

In Scatteran culture, the first records of the poem are found in the Dark Ages. The story chronicles the tales of one of the "betrayers", the cosmic powers that forsook Scatter to join the Deep during the Great Rebellion. The poem follows one of Deep's soldiers (the demon-hero) and his sincere regret over forsaking Scatter and his brethren. Although he feels himself unworthy to face his former lord in his fallen state, the traitor vows to atone for his crimes, resolving to battle Deep's forces until "the blood of mine false comrades canvases the cancer of my sin." The soldier goes on to wage a bloody one-man campaign against the demon hordes. Unlike many retellings of the poem, the demon-hero is motivated not by love for a higher deity, but guilt over his past crimes. By the end of the story, the champion has not been redeemed. Rather, he spends the rest of his immortal life hopelessly seeking his own salvation.

In Terran culture, the poem is believed to have originated sometime in the 30th century BC in southern Gaul. The story survived by word-of-mouth for hundreds of years and was eventually adopted by the Romans in the 58th century BC during their conquest of Western Europe. It experienced a revitalization of interest during the Renaissance, prompting the creation of many famous pieces of art such as 'The Torment of Paragon' and 'Il Bacio Della Luna'. In the Terran version, the 'deity of daylight' is referred to as 'the goddess' or 'the maiden', whereas the 'spirit of the night' is referred only as 'the Dark'. In an extended version of the story, the goddess creates the moon with strands of her hair and puts it in the sky to guard Paragon in his time of need.

The myth has also taken root in several unexamined cultures, namely in the journals of the famed Milky Way archaeologist and explorer, doctor Baron Walscherz. In Entry IV: A Mysterious Unity, Walscherz anonymously examines several unnamed alien cultures from a distance, delineating their chief similarities and difference. Although they share several cultural and moral concurrences, their most shocking societal correlation was in their mythology, in which their legends and stories were practically identical. Their worship revolved around the belief that the moon was a goddess; the stars, her knights and warriors.

Image
The crescent moon, a symbol commonly
associated with the Paragon

In this rendition of the myth, the moon sends one of her star champions to a nearly barren planet, giving him the task of slaying the demon Chustra, a beautiful serpent-like woman who lived in the dark caverns of the earth, surfacing every moonless night to feed on the scarce green of the earth and the innocent souls of men. The champion hunts Chustra into the bowels of the world where she leads him into an elaborate underground labyrinth. As the champion wears himself out searching for her, the demoness seduces the weakened warrior, feeding on his light after their coupling and leaving him for dead. Dying and defeated, Chustra promises to end the champion's suffering if he only cry out for mercy. The warrior instead uses the last of his strength in a prayer of repentance towards the moon, advocating his sincere shame over his failure. Moved by his piety in the face of certain demise, the moon redeems her champion, resurrecting his shadowy corpse with a kiss and charging him with a new task: to defeat the ravenous monsters raging across across the universe, birthed as a result of his mating with Chustra. The poem ends with Paragon swearing to spend the rest of his immortal life hunting and killing his illegitimate children and his malicious mistress.


Image
-
The 'White Mask' of Paragon


The following is the most basic version of the poem in Terran English.


'Once upon a midnight dream
Tween’ shadow, shade and silk
Beneath the moon-sky’s stitchless seams
And all her star-spun ilk


There lived a maiden in the sun
With soft and sanguine eyes
And every dawn she’s born anew
And every dusk she dies

Her laughter blossoms fields and trees
Her kiss like grassborn rain
Her breath the gentle springtime breeze
Her touch the winter’s bane

And every man found happiness
Beneath her warm embrace
And with her light grew strong and right
The way of peace and grace

But just as gentle daylight bright
Must wane her glitt’ring spark
The maiden waged a hopeless fight
Against her foe: the Dark.

For the Dark was wretched, cold and cruel
And thrived in fear and pain
With murd’rous lust it sought its goal:
The dream of earth insane

And so a war waged tween’ the frays
Amidst the heavens bright
And the maiden’s ground was called the ‘day’
And the Dark’s was called the ‘night’'

So every morn she rose in rage
To stem the pressing tides
But come the dusk her valor fades
Her blood stains red the skies

This vicious cycle, night and day,
Went on for time unnamed
For light and Dark were matched in strength
Their power raw, untamed

And in the daylight, order reigned
Men laughed and sang their songs
But come the night they took their flight
From chaos and her spawns

For demons ruled the nighttime then
And scourged with pike and bone
With fear and shadow cloaked their filth
And Darkness was their home

And come the fall of blessed sun
They raved across the night
To torment, murder, steal, corrupt
And gainst’ all goodness fight

They had no fears come nightfall
Save the guardian stars in rack
For in those days there was no moon
The night was long and black

But among the vile demon hordes
There walked a lonely rogue
And though he clung to shadowy cloth
His gaze cross’ nightsky roamed


The stars reflected in his eyes
Their glit’ring tears enticed
And with heavy heart in humble hands
Made memory of his vice

“Maiden of the morning sun”
The weeping demon cried
“Though I be creature of the Dark
I wish thee as my bride”

“For since my wretched birth in black
Mid’ all my wicked peers
I’ve had no love for sin and death
No want of pain nor fear

“And though my kin beseech me
And make terror of your light
I dream and yearn beneath thee
Mid’ the pondr’ous stars abright

“And while the sunshine brands my flesh
I crave the glorious day
To live in peaceful virtue good
And love you as I may”

And then the maiden, soft and fair
Looked up from misty grave
She saw the prostrate demon weep
His spirit meek but brave

“Child of the hated Dark”
She cooed with words like rime
“Your cordial pentence’, true and fair
Redeems thee of thy crimes

"Vile be thy race and breed
Discordant be thy call
But in thy heart, an honest creed:
True love conquers all

“But though thy heart be set aflame
With righteous yearning dire
Your impious blood makes thee inane
To seek my light and fire

“So rather shall you here remain
Immersed in shadowy blight
And with my blessing on your blade
Bring justice to the night”

So said she, the goddess bright
And with lips like dew-licked lace
Softly brushed her radiance white
Into his hideous face


“A champion do I name thee
A bastion nightcloaked guard;
To hunt the children of Dark
Amid the twilight marred

“With fear and vengeance tend your dream:
To guard the glorious dawn
You perfect form of night redeemed,
I name thee, Paragon.”

So begins...

Paragon's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Casey Delancy Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Nemo
"Some call me Paragon," he said.

Reaching into his cloak slowly, the stranger would retrieve a small file-folder, briefly peeking the edge out of his cloak to show Casey it wasn't a weapon. He tossed over her desk swiftly. Inside, Delancy would find news articles, police reports and other media pieces, all concerned about the same general issue: dead Aschen in the streets of Terra.

"There have a been a series of racial purges throughout Wing City as of late," the Paragon began, "all targeted towards men and women of Aschen descent. Most of the murdered are registered citizens of Terra who have done nothing wrong other then live on this planet. People are literally being dragged from their homes and executed in the streets. Not since the end of the Imperial wars have the Aschen been so widely hunted and hated on Terra as they have now.

The Paragon's voice grew colder. Harder. "I would like to know why the police force's involvement with this affair seems to be... lacking."

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Casey Delancy Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Nemo
"You misunderstand me, Ms. Delancy," Paragon replied darkly. He turned slowly from her desk, moving to the massive window that made up most of her office's far wall. "I had no doubt that you and your officers are doing what you ought to in curbing these murders. Had I thought you to be at all corrupt or biased in your application of justice, I would not have come calmly into your office and begged for an entreaty." His head bowed slowly. He moved a shadowy hand up to the rimed glass. "I would have smashed through this window and fought until either I was dead or you were broken."

His head lifted. Depthless eyes looked out into the twinkling city below. "But while I am certain that your police force is doing everything it OUGHT to, I am not sure if it is doing everything it CAN." The mask turned to peer back at Casey. "CPF forces are entreating your government officials. The Aschen military is willing to step in and help curb these riots." His hand fell from the glass. "I know what the Invictus and the NPA will say to these Aschen forces looking to protect human lives. I must wonder, though... what will YOU say to them?"

The setting changes from Wing City Police Department to Terra

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Ryan Riley
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Nemo
The Paragon would, of course, be waiting in the darkest corner of the room. A somewhat dark aura followed him, emanating off his body like writhing licks of silent shadow. His cloak draped over his shoulders, masking body beneath a thick, black veil. Only his mask was visible, a glaring white contrast to his otherwise dark facade.

Paragon didn't say a word. He stood like a stoic statue in the center of the designated room, cold and motionless. Perhaps he was waiting for Riley to speak up. Or perhaps he was simply un-trusting of the entire situation. He was, after all, not here officially. In some senses, he was even a criminal. How was he to know that UCON wouldn't stab him in the back and arrest him here? He couldn't trust the Coalies yet. He couldn't trust anybody just yet.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Ryan Riley
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Ryan Riley came down into the room and took a breath. “So you’re the one making splashes in the water.” Riley’s voice didn’t travel much farther than the room in front of him as the Scatterran looked at another tiny shrine placed into the carved walls of the structure. “And you’re planning to go to the Cluster?”

Looking at the small wooden oracle for a moment he adjusted one of the tiny ornamental pieces on the model. “Cluster’s a pretty harsh place 
 Belkans only been back in Home for a few decades and there seems to be tourism already.” Letting his hands come back down to his side he laid his palms out as he turned around to the figure.

“The Coalition sending you in our direction means your plan’s as good as a suicide mission to them -- but they know, some things have to be done. This will not end how we anticipate it.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Ryan Riley
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Nemo
"I don't care in what manner it ends so long as we accomplish the desired result," Paragon replied, looking over the newcomer somberly, "I imagine we WILL be discovered. We just need to be discovered after we gather the necessary information." He drew forward, taking a few steps in Riley's directions.

"...I assume you are Mr. Riley?" he asked after a brief moment of silence, "I've heard quite a bit about you. Not all of it is good."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Ryan Riley
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Ryan Riley nodded promptly and stood over one of the knee high tables with literature and paperwork strewn over it. “It’s not a matter of being discovered, it’s a matter of surviving what happens even if we aren’t.” Riley said before drawing a hand through a pile of paper and retrieving a dusty old hard drive device.

“I’m Riley. There’ll be others coming with us but that’s after we 
 establish the context of this expedition.” He said, taking the device in his hand shortly and turning back from the table. “ The Hegemony is not only an empire dedicated to God’s greatest creation of man.”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Ryan Riley
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Nemo
"Hm," the Paragon seemed to grumble, if that was possible, "and what shall their purpose be in this assignment? I assume that they are not coming with us purely to see that our own agenda goes through smoothly?" His visage darkened. "Please understand, Mr. Riley, I am not about to act as a catalyst through which war and death may perpetuate itself. This is a reconnaissance mission, nothing else. I will not tolerate any direct strikes towards the Belkan Empire during this mission. Not for a moment."

He moved quietly about the room, seeming to inspect the walls before turning back to Riley. "The 'context' of this mission is simple. We are going to discover the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. What the truth reveals will determine whether or not justice must be distributed and order restored." His hood shook. "But that shall be of my concern, not yours."

The setting changes from Terra to Main Street

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Vegeshin Kanahashi Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Terran Space Navy Character Portrait: The Invictus
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

AHSC 'Nascent Echo'
Reverence I Planetary Assault Carrier


Commander Pendergast watcehd the readouts, massive blobs of writhing red masses showed up on the holographic representation of Main street. He stroked his chin and began to manipulate the hologram. "AI Redirect our position to that intersection up ahead. Let's clear a path for our soldiers."

He then turned to the hologram, and then to the weapons officer. "Online forward energy projectors."

The Lieutenant nodded and turned to report.

"Forward Energy projectors online!"


The Commander nodded. "Re-position one nine seven carom one one eight."

---

On the ground the Aschen soldiers continued to fight valiantly against the onslaught of the oncoming Zombie cyborgs. Most of the masses writhed in one coherent form.

"Cell out!" An Aschen soldier barked as he ejected a white hot micro-fusion cell from his disruptor rifle. Another soldier tossed him a fresh cell, which was subsequently locked and loaded into place, the Soldier returning to cover to lay waste to the oncoming masses.

Above, a deafening crack was heard, and the Reverence began to reposition itself, it's engines crying out.

The air was suddenly thick with the smell of ozone, the bottom forward portion of the ship opening up to reveal some kind of energy projector, which began to power up.


All the Aschen soldiers looked up. "Take Cover!" A Sergeant barked, and they ducked under their redoubts, as the Reverence above unleashed a deafening crack, and a lance of energy seared from the bottom of the craft, striking the ground and emitting a massive plume of plasma. The Energy pillar moved forward, vaporizing Zomborgs en-masse in a pillar of towering flame, this pillar of energy swept down the street several hundred meters, liquefying cars, zombies, and slightly damaging building facades, and windoes alike in a blinding light.

As quickly as it came, it was gone, leaving molten slag in it's wake, which quickly solidified into a shiny glass like material. The Pillar, and the subsequent liquefaction of the soil stopped just short of the Intersection, where a handful of Police were engaging Zombies.

With the street cleared, Aschen Soldiers called out to the Officer to make a run to their FOB, the street would still be hot, but safe to travel as it quickly cooled.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Vegeshin Kanahashi Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Terran Space Navy Character Portrait: The Invictus
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Zarhara
General Williams looked up as the sky went alight and the streets were almost turned to molten slag. "Bloody Hell they could have vaporized all of us!" He shouted as he renewed his step. Williams continued to make his way toward the NPA Command post. Then he turned to Zeban Sky as they walked two SEC Marines tailed behind them. "Zeban I want you to lead the SEC attack immediately. Those Zombies still seem to be swarming even after that light show, but more importantly we need to have a show of our own weaponry.

Zeban merely nodded and with a flash of light he was gone teleporting back to the SEC lines. When he was there he was no longer in human form but his demonic form. Though the SEC mostly relies on technology it is also well know for recruiting members with special "abilities." He turned to the armored soldiers and spoke telepathically. We are to advance Activate the Mechs and send them forward the rest of you are to hold the line. his voice was dark as it resonated in the soldiers minds.

After the orders were given tech officers inside a mobile relay trucks began to send activation signals. Mechs began to power up and about 20 marched forward. The front rank sprayed flame as they marched down the still cooling street picking off a few zombies. Zeban Watched with an amused smile on his demonic face.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: CinĂĄed Character Portrait: The Invictus Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Script
A flash of brilliant golden light illuminated the street a short distance down the slagged street, and for a brief moment the air warped around a clear stretch of road. The flood of light faded after a moment to reveal a small group of figures standing in the previously empty space. The jump from the Temple was slightly disorienting for those inexperienced with teleportation, but having used it for many years, Elante barely hesitated before stepping forwards to survey the situation. He frowned at their somewhat vulnerable position and the state of the road, glad for his relatively thick boots.

"We should spread out and do what we can to help anyone that needs it, focus on protecting civilians and people in trouble rather than on taking the offensive," he said, casting a glance back over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "If anyone wants to join me, I'm going on to the business district to find Aeryn."

"It looks like a dragon flew through here," Shelby exclaimed. The scorched and melted street was still giving off heat. "What could have done this much damage?" All around them were the charred and littered bits of molten slag from what remained of the cyborgs unfortunate enough to be caught in the Reverence's attack.

"Maybe that?" Tahlia asked as she pointed up at the Reverence looming overhead.

"Void take me, we need to get off these streets if they're firing down here," Shelby replied. "What are they thinking bringing a Reverence down into here?!"

"It's the damned Aschen, what do you expect?" Dryden growled.

"Burn me if I expect anything but insanity from anyone this side of home," Talren muttered, "I'm convinced if most people in this bloody world had half their wits about them we'd barely have to lift a finger."

"Is that a mob moving towards us?" Tahlia gaped. "What in the hell is going on out here?" she asked.

Talren threw up a hand in defeat, "I told you! Everyone's bloody mad!"

The echo of core, core, core rang out over even the sounds of battle until you could feel it reverberting right to your bones. In one direction the cyborgs were re-gathering en masse to start their own march back down Main Street, and in front of the approaching mob from the other direction were soldiers and a line of mechs setting the place alight as they went. The cyborgs had been pushed back but a sea more awaited to retake their place if the position wasn't re-claimed swiftly.

"Light. We'll be in a meat grinder if we're caught out here when these groups hit," Shelby told the others. "Go on Elante, we can handle ourselves here. Anria, CinĂĄed, Sahlie, Talren and Tahlia. Get to that blockade and find out who's in charge here and where they most need our assistance. Everyone else with me, we need to get clear of this area. Get to the outskirts of the combat zones and get as many people evacuated as possible before the fighting reaches them."

Elante nodded his head, "Good luck, watch each other's backs." he said, before in another flash of light, he was gone.

"You heard the woman!" Anria barked, voice booming heartily from beneath her helmet, "Move, and show any undead monstrosities that cross our path the business end of your blades!" The tall and broad-shouldered woman hefted her halberd and set off at a run.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: CinĂĄed Character Portrait: The Invictus Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Tiko
The sound of the wind whipping past Paragon's form was all the warning Maria needed. As Paragon closed on his target, Maria coiled and leaped for the nearest building, her claws digging into concrete as she looked back to the shattered asphalt where Paragon had struck the ground in her wake. Hot saliva dripped from her maw as she launched herself clear of the building and down at the strange cloaked figure that had attacked her.

Landing only paces from Paragon, Maria stalked forward with menacing intent. Every coil of her body, and the ripple of her muscle and sinew beneath flesh spoke of the feral grace and raw strength of a predator, while the glint of intelligence reflected in her eyes spoke of a cunning adversary.

A cyborg slammed into her side while she had her focus on Paragon, but she twisted to meet it, and her claws dug deep into its undead flesh before she flung it free to smash through the windows of a street side shop.

Wheeling back about to face Paragon once more, Maria didn't get the opportunity to make a move as the street lit up from the pillar of plasma that struck. It was incinerating abandoned vehicles and cyborgs caught up in its wake, and Maria and Paragon were right in its path. Having been caught out in the middle of the cyborg horde by her fall from the helicopter, it did have the fortunate result of landing her well clear of friendly allies that she might harm in her current state, but it also had the unfortunate result of leaving them in a position at very high risk of friendly fire.

In a moment of pure instinct, Maria joined the cyborg she had flung through the window as heat seared past scorching fur and flesh. Her form was smoldering as she landed crumpled in a heap of broken glass, and her body shuddered as the damage began to knit closed. As the wounds faded so too did her fur. The injuries the plasma had inflicted had taken a lot out of the werebeast and she was rapidly shedding her bestial form.

She roused to the sound of the pounding footsteps of Aschen soldiers running past the building, mechs, and citizens marching to the beat of Core. Core. Core. For the moment though, the street outside was largely clear of cyborgs save for those nearest to the blockade that had been outside of the blast zone.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: CinĂĄed Character Portrait: The Invictus Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

As the Aschen Sergeant barked his warning, Shannon Bennet barely had time to duck for cover as the pillar of plasma seared down to impact with the street. The heat gusted past her position and the stench of ozone filled the air.

"For frak's sake," she muttered as she surveyed the damage.

It had been a reckless gambit, but fortunately whoever was up there was spot on mark as the pillar struck the intersection up ahead. The street further down from the fighting had been swept clear of the worst of the cyborgs; though, dozens more remained that had been safely outside of the blast zone as they were engaged with those near the blockade, but the locals were making short work of them now that the incoming flood had been momentarily stemmed.

She checked the micro-fushion cell in her disruptor rifle before moving out into the street with the other Aschen soldiers and Terran military that were rushing down the street. The cyborgs wouldn't leave the area clear for long, and they had to secure the position if they intended to hold it. Cyborgs were felled by the dozens as the soldiers broke through the surviving zombies to reach the cleared street ahead.

One cyborg reached for Shannon's leg in passing - its lower extremities having been incinerated by the plasma beam - but Shannon quickly finished it off with a single shot.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: The National Police Agency Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: CinĂĄed Character Portrait: The Invictus Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Disdain
Back at the blocade the break in the cyborg flood had the fight for Main Street swaying in favor of those manning the barricades. In a roar of gunfire WCPD officers, NPA officers, and Invictus soldiers were cutting through the remaining cyborgs and laying down cover fire for the soldiers moving out into the street to retake it. Daniel Johnson, a man of thirty-two and a long standing member of the police force was among those holding the line. Popping a fresh magazine into his rifle, he sighted down it and fired off a few more shots that dropped another cyborg.

The bodies piling up in the street in front of the blocade were beyond count, and those still walking were rapidly thinning, but movement far in the distance betrayed the imminent arrival of the next wave if the soldiers didn't secure the street.

Snuffing out the still blazing corpse of a nearby cyborg tentatively with the heel of his boot, Benjamin Davis sighed, nudging the charred body away and wrinkling his nose. It was starting to smell badly of rotting flesh, the piles of bodies formed of already dead flesh swiftly deteriorating as the battle went on.

"Uhg," the long-haired mage grimaced, wringing his hands together and glancing at Daniel, who was adjacent to him in the line. "Did we miss a mass excavation of graveyards, recently? Where does anyone get this many bodies? This isn't what I signed up for."

"Damned if I know," Daniel shouted back over the gunfire. "But I'm sure they'll take your preference into account if they break through the blockades."

There was another crack of Daniel's rifle and another cyborg fell to join its brethren on the pavement.

"Do you think? They don't seem very considerate, to me." Ben replied, frowning and extending a hand outwards to catch an approaching cyborg in a burst of fire that knocked it to the ground where it was promptly finished off by one of the others on the barricade.

"Have you ever tried to give out parking tickets in this city?" Daniel yelled back. "Believe me, these things are far more reasonable."

Ben cracked a smile at that remark, "I suppose you're right. In no other city will you see something escalate from a speeding fine, to resisting arrest and several thousand dollars worth of property damage in the space of ten minutes. That was a fun one."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Talren Cathos
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

”Oh my
 How wonderfully intoxicating!” The rumble of a myriad of gunfire and explosions overwhelmed the beat of his heart. A lustful sensation drew to the very tips of his fingers. His shoulders wriggled in a giddy fashion, before he hugged his chest to contain the feelings within. Only his eyes could escape the illustrious orchestra of madness, and peer above into the ashy night sky.

”Denizens of Ásgarðr,” A manner of spite twisted the tongue, which voiced his commands. “Be wary.” It was the very epitome of an insult, and warning, to the otherworldly beings who claimed a higher throne.

“Proxies, I trust most of you have kept a surviving distance from the tactics of these aggressors?” The inquiry dispersed electronically to the canals of several ears. With the scope of an eagle, smiling eyes ogled the blazing ground in search of the enigmas.

In a general sense, the word ‘proxy’ refers to someone or something, which is a reliable substitute to act on another someone or something’s behalf. To act, one must be able to react; a reasonable number of the proxies, as they were defined, had escaped the confines of the destruction caused by the erratic soldiers. Meanwhile, everyone else wrestled with their grip on life, and the rebellion they so vigorously showed in the beginning.

Masked faces and hooded figures charged the streets with guns and bats in hand. They screamed as if it was their last moment to live. Soon blurred vision, and an infallible ringing from the explosions caused them to recognize the bodies of their comrades being blown across the street, and splattered onto the sidewalk. Some of the rioters cringed away, while others threatened any oncoming zomborgs with a spray of bullets. Several threw ‘Molotov cocktails’ at the hordes of zombies; the cocktails had been simple jars of gasoline with a flaming cloth at the end. The first to surrender his life to the cause was the speaker of the mob. His megaphone lay somewhere underneath the clashing scores of human and zomborg.

Countless bodies of the rioters had all but evaporated in the ignorant mayhem of missiles, gunfire, and supernatural fury of the so-called “protectors” of this city. One being, of whom stood amidst the grand scheme, had long realized an undeniable truth of humanity. He had taken part in this claim several times. What was it? What did all humans desire so much? It was something, in the purest sense of the word, ephemeral. This drive in every man, woman, and child; it builds kingdoms, it destroys nations, and it inspires every living human to create a new life.

“We all knew what this conflict would bring. Well
 maybe not all of us.”

Any one survivor’s eyes would reflect the Aschen Reverence, and bare a spiteful glare toward their fallible approach; after the ungodly blue column of light struck down on the masses of zomborgs a wicked ringing had invaded every conscious human’s ear. The scattered horde of civilians had been assisted by what they truly feared and hated: The Aschen. Out of the ‘Thousand Core’ riot, over two-thirds had perished in the uproar of battle. Hundreds more were injured, and on their way to being mauled. All former predictions of how these people were destined for death the moment they made their choice had, in fact, been proven right. Perhaps, the enemy of thine enemy is not thine friend?

“And, so I see they make their appearance. Oh, what did I say, Mammon? They’ve never known how to keep their noses clean.”

The proxies hid in the shadows of the buildings, and fought each encounter of rabid zomborg on their own, or simply ran away to another crevasse of Main Street; shops, bars, alleyways. Many retained their own unique prowess of how to deal with such things. Each one was subtle. Some were mutated animals or humanoids, others were shifters. Some were even the everyday prospect of an average human being. The variations of these proxies did not falter under any means of scrutiny.

”Tom-Bear, gather your team. It’s time to infiltrate the buildings. Secure the ground level, if you can, but I want a body to set up a fifty degree perimeter of c4 on the interior mid-level of each structure. Ping back, if you need any assistance.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Three figures traveled south of the blockade, while keeping their distance from the main fight. A large figure, who seemed more burly and fit to head the vanguard, had kept to its post of snuggling a half-mile away from the edge of combat. Two of the figures, men, lagged behind the larger leader of their pack. Vicious zomborgs, which lay ahead of the men, were left shredded by bullets. However, a few of the undead had limbs ripped off, or their bowels gutted. By first glance, it would appear their bodies were mauled by something with more animosity than themselves.

As the beam of light had literally paved the way, the small party came upon an alleyway, which led to the intersection. “Damn, man
” A hooded man panted restlessly, as he skid to a stop behind his bulky companion. Another masked man followed behind, and all but collapsed for a breath of air. They were both hunched over with palms on their knees, as their hearts vibrated in their chests. “God
 You’re faster than you look.”

“I’m a mutant, you dumbass.” A distinguishable male voice reverberated in the alleyway. Every articulated syllable uttered by the deep tone of this thing’s voice caused the men’s backs to arch with fear.

“Yeah, but you’re
 a pan-“ The hooded man had begun a stuttered reply.

“Shut up, and follow me inside. Damn sacks of meat and metal will fist pump your sorry ass holes, without me, so do as you’re told.” The enormous body huddled alongside the wall of the alley, and stepped out in the open corner of the intersection. A pair of round, black ears twitched at the roars of the zomborgs ahead of them. Then, with the vexation of a spotlight, the golden flash caused the figures to flinch away, and shade their eyes. A giant, black paw commanded the men to stay still. There they stood on the very edge of the alleyway, nearly fifteen yards away from the group.

Without a glance to the men, the fur ridden proxy directed his stubby claw for them to march toward the building across the street. “Don’t stop.” He growled in a low whisper; his upper lip curled to convey his certain authority over the humans. It would only be a couple minutes, before they reached the other side. With each step they took, their toes curled with tension. They were armed, but lugging explosive materials was one route for a good sweat. These individuals desired no interaction. As they crossed to a half-way point of the street within a minute, the large, ebony and ivory mass of a beast began to shuffle from the edge of the alleyway. He trotted along, as if he were as small and hairless as his subordinates, as if his feet carried no such tons of body weight.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Paragon Character Portrait: Talren Cathos
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

As Ki paused on top of a building, his ears twitched when he caught the sound of voices. "Two humans and a..." he frowned as he lifted his head slight and sniffed the air, his slit gold eyes widening when he smelt the musk of another feline. Moving with stealth long born, he moved towards the edge of the roof and looked down his eyes seeing through the darkness of the ally way a gaped for several seconds when he saw the large male.

(*)Holy shit!(*) he though even as a grin curved his lips. "Born or mutated?" he wondered as he moved closer, his eyes trailing over the figures below ears twitching and tail flicking behind him, but never once kept his attention just on those three, since he also saw the shambling zomborgs nearly 15 feet where the three were slowly making their way towards the other building.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

#, as written by Zarhara
As the small force of Mechs marched toward the cyborg a flash of flesh darted out from the shadows a dull grey light could be seen and a high pitched could be heard. The figure raced by a Mech and it fell and it repeated the process until only one remained. It easily dodged the heavy robots weapons. Then the figure raced through the barrier past the troops and down the street. It ran much faster than the average human but not with superhuman speed either.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Williams had been walking down the street by the SEC marines when he got reports of his Mechs being dropped. He was about to send a few marines forward when a skinny figure raced by. He caught the figures face in the light and immediately recognized X279.

"STOP HIM! SEIZE HIM!" He shouted to the armored Marines. About six of them raced after the figure their armor enhanced their speed and immediately caught up with him. X was close to the square now but suddenly he made a miscalculation and was backed into a corner at the front lines. Behind the lines Zombies approached while SEC marines leveled rifles to X's head.

Out of the Shadows Zeban sky appeared. "Don't kill him, Mr. Sullen wants him alive." He said in a dark voice to the marines before turning to the boy. "We have been hunting you for months and when our resolve began to falter you land right in our hands. Fates funny isn't it?" He stated laughing knowing the young man could not respond to his queries.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Sighing softly Ki leaped from the building down to the ground and moved towards the zomborgs, his eyes slit gold and his tail lashed behind him. He grinned when they saw him and moved towards him. Sliding to a sudden stop, he twisted slightly and lashed out with his tail, twin shlinks echoing as his scythes popped out and heads rolled as bodies fell with wet thunks. Those still standing soon lost their heads as well as his tail lashed back around before flicking and sending blood everywhere before sinking back into the ball on the end of his tail.

He looked back to where the three had been and hoped to met the feline some day but knew he didn't have time to wast as the soldier on his back twitched. "Lets get you some help." he said as he leaped forward and once again raced down the street, leaping burned cars, dead bodies and skirting around larger pockets of zomborgs. Sliding to a halt, Ki's head cocked his ears tuned towards a shout and shifted slightly before leaping in that direction. Only to skid to a halt when he saw several large armored suits and gulped as his tail lashed out to strike into the side of the building to keep him from slamming into one and froze where he stood, slit gold eyes locked on the mech's while his ears twitched and he shifted ever so slightly.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Before she knew it, she felt herself falling. The girl with the red hair was still looking at the sky, but from far up. She twisted her hips, allowing her whole body to turn around so she could face the street.

Her jaw dropped.

She was as high up as the sky scrapers. No! Far higher! But it was not as she had thought it was. There was death and war on Main Street. People pushing back terrible machines. Soldiers. Soldiers? Gunshots. She could hear them even in her fall. She spread her arms and frowned, slowing her momentum, if just barely. She concentrated on the scene before her.

Airheaded would be the proper word, huh? Iso grumbled to herself. She reached for the watch around her wrist, but paused when she felt skin. Her expression became panicked.

Shit! I left it on the counter!

As she swiftly approached the ground, she closed her eyes and flickered out of existence once more. When she flickered back into the world, she was in the middle of the commotion. She whirled around, looking towards the army of...of...

...zombies? Machine zombies?

Her heart raced. She wasn't prepared for this! Not right now! One approached her, and as she whirled around to run she was met with a man holding a gun. Time slowed for all but a second as she saw his finger press down on the trigger. She was gone long before the bullet left the barrel, one moment there, the next moment in a nearby alley, on a fire escape, falling onto her back in an uncoordinated tumble. She curled up, teeth gritting as the air was knocked out of her.

What was I thinking? She got up, pressing her back to the wall. Those blue eyes swept over the chaos of the street once more.

Oh, right. I wasn't.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

It might have been chaos on the the blood and bile soaked Main Street of Wing City; and of course all one could hear was the battle that was being waged on the long lane of pavement. Guns firing, people screaming, fires raging, and machines going haywire and don't even think about the smell of the area as the dead lined the ground.

This was most likely hell on earth from anyone point of view, but it was about to get worse with the arrival of ten very large and bright yellow troop transporters. Their giant fifty inch wheels coming to a screeching halt and the back doors flung open with a loud metal thud.

A few waves of people in bright yellow hazmat suits came rushing towards the battle. Guns in tow. And one of those hazmat suited maniacs climbing the top of one of the vehicles and pointing out towards the mob of zomborgs.

"Halt out, Bitches! We got Zombie Ass to kick the Center of Disease Control style!"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Jack M. Hatchet Character Portrait: SOLCOM Character Portrait: WCPD Agents Character Portrait: Maria Raghild Character Portrait: Zeban Sky Character Portrait: Paragon
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

On top of the rooftops nearby, several bandits had devised a plan to get the drop on the forces fighting below in the streets. Several of the bloodthirsty criminals occupied several buildings, each of them facing one another. Loading up crudely made crossbows, obviously made from whatever was handy at the time, the various men on the rooftops proceeded to create a small zipline system across the buildings, some of them directing up to the rooftops, others directing into various windows.

Chuckling a bit, one of the many bandits strapped several grenades to a zipline, shoving them on their way, the grenades becoming unattached to the zipline when it was above the center of the street, resulting in several grenades falling to the earth. Once the initial barrage of explosives were dropped, the bandits then strapped themselves to the zipline system, sliding building to building, taking potshots or lobbing grenades at the chaos below, all of them taunting and teasing. "NEVER SHOULDA COME HERE!" a voice with a southern accent might yell, or "I'm gonna blow you into GUM!" another might yell, obviously fearless in their attempts to salvage from the resulting carnage. They came to this planet to get rich, not wuss out, after all...