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originally posted in:The Roleplay League
11/4/2015 10:23:38 PM
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[b]quasis mimics her movements, making sure that she didn't make too much noise as she walked[/b]
English
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The ruins grow darker, and the tunnels begin to stink of moss that's gone too long without fresh water, or even the bare minimum sun it requires. At one point, just to see, Seraphim summons her Ghost to illuminate the structure around them. The beam casts everything in a harsh light, causing long shadows to crawl away from the Exo. Perhaps it's a fitting metaphor. Seraphim-6 comes to a halt as the hallway turns into a bridged chasm. Lichen hangs from each side of the stone-metal bridge. "Precarious," the Exo's Ghost comments, twisting to look down. It snaps back up at a sound. It sounds like rushing water, growing to a crescendo. Darkness gathers, and a chill fog sweeps through the area, coating the bridge. Massive spheres of rippling ebon begin to form. The noise grows into a scream and then the spheres burst! Flickering, twitching creatures, dangerous shadows of their former selves form and twist to peer at the small fireteam. "Taken!" Seraphim warns, dropping to a knee behind a jagged uprising on the right side of the bridge, just as incoming fire rips through their position.
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[b]quasis gets behind cover, her slap rifle transforming into a line rifle, which she uses to take out any long distance fighters like vandels or hobgoblins[/b]
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Seraphim takes aim at a charging creature that used to be a shield-bearer for the Cabal. She squeezes the trigger of her Cacytus mechanically. One. Two. Both strike the glowing center of the creature's face. It shudders and lurches backwards, it's unnatural toughness preserving it. Then the second round comes crashing in, and the monstrous Cabal is sucked in upon itself in a whirlwind of ill-colored light. More spheres blossom and give birth to their hateful children of Oryx. Taken Vex, fresh or perhaps merely yet to be slain by the free queen, open fire on Seraphim. The Exo ducks as hissing void energy scorches her cover. Plucking a grenade from her belt, she lobs it in an arc at their position. There's almost a pregnant pause before a [i]boom[/i] of thunder roars, and lightning blossoms from thin air to shred the offensive Taken.
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While gunshots and energy discharge sounded in the distance, Sigma was close to deciphering the purpose of the Vex pattern he had been observing. "Hmm... What if I..." Using his own Arc energy as a catalyst, he delivered pulses to key points in the pattern. After the 9th pulse, the pattern began to glow brighter and seemed to expand. Within seconds, it had expanded into a map of the local Vex ruins! Sigma briefly wondered why the Vex would need a map, before coming to the conclusion that the disconnected free Vex may have used it at one point early on. "Clever," he said, with a tone that only hinted at the admiration he held. He had heard Seraphim-6 speaking with the group of free Vex earlier, but he had heard of these free Vex before, in scattered texts and , more recently, a treaty with the Last City. He knew little else about them, however, but he figured they could be useful allies. Anyway, back to business. He examined this map and noticed some oddities. There were differently colored points on the map indicating a few things. Blue dots seemed to correspond to Vex portals, red dots denote hostile Vex, Fallen or Taken, and green dots represent allies. The green dots on this map were somewhere off in the Vex ruins, seemingly in trouble as the red dots began to close in on them. "I guess that's what the gunshots are about," he concluded, deciding to go and help. Suddenly, one of the blue dots nearest to these allies began to glow brighter than before. "Maybe if I touch it?" he pondered, but as his palm came into contact with it, he was teleported instantaneously to the portal in question. This meant that he was in the middle of a battleground. "Well, how convenient."
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The flicker-flash of teleportation catches Seraphim-6's attention. She twists, aiming her scout rifle at the figure that emerges from the light. It's Sigma. "Non-hostile," she identifies him. "Seek cover." It seems like sound advice. Mechanically, she turns back toward the battle. She aims and fires, putting rounds through charging, blackened bodies. Her clip runs dry, right as what used to be a psion rounds her cover. She releases the Cacytus, letting the sling it's on carry it to the left side of her body. Without a pause she reaches for the weapon to her right. It's a fusion rifle. Her finger finds the trigger and pulls it even as she brings it up to aim. Lightning flickers along the barrel as it begins to charge. The enslaved psion disappears in a dazzling flash as blazing bolts of Arc energy tear through it. Even as it dies, something worse enters the fray. The fog shrieks again, and more blackness fills the area around the bridge. When it bursts apart, a Taken hydra looms above its fellows. It's massive, and it booms out a war cry in corrupted machine code. It sounds like a fog horn, and it's more felt than heard. "New plan," Seraphim-6 calls above the din of battle. "Disregard stealth tactics. Engage and obliterate enemy taken with extreme prejudice."
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Edited by cry_w: 11/6/2015 9:03:10 PMSigma, not prone to disputing sound advice, hides behind a large piece of the Vex architecture, a column of machinery and ontological computing power. Within seconds, the imposing form of a Taken Minotaur had taken the field, a blighted monstrosity that writhed with dark energies. Luckily he had just the tool for the job, courtesy of Rasputin. "It seems that something more is required for such a creature," he said, as he readied his Sleeper Simulant for a beam straight into the core of the deformed Minotaur. "Luckily, I have just the thing." He aimed. He fired. It would have killed it. Unfortunately, there was no charge left in the weapon after days of fighting and traveling. It was dead, and, he did not move, so was he. "Well, this is unpleasant," he stated, before moving back into cover just as a powerful bolt of solar energy slammed into the ground where he had been standing. [i]Time for plan B[/i], he thought, pulling out his Lyudmila and readying an Arc charge in his other hand.
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Eye-searing bolts of void energy pummel the Exo's cover, and she hunkers down behind it. Glowing pits scar the Vex hybrid of stone and metal. Many Guardians would probably swear at this point, or at least look perturbed. Seraphim-6 simply reloads her scout rifle. She waits, her attitude as cold and distant as the metal she's made from. Her optics register the incoming solar bolts from the Minotaur. Leaning out to take a shot is the result of a risky but acceptable equation. Barely shifting, the muzzle of her weapon emerges behind cover. She squeezes the trigger of her weapon rapidly. The weapon bucks, but the Exo's programming allows her to compensate and reset her aim each time. The Minotaur's shield flickers and flashes, casting aside Seraphim-6's rounds and reducing them to heat-boiled slag. The incredible impact of the rifle, however, brings a cost to stopping the bullets. With a sudden crash, the Taken Minotaur's shields fail. "Reloading," she calls to her allies. "Target suggestions: Minotaur and Hydra."
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The Minotaurs shields are down! Sigma leans out from behind covers and takes aim at the creature. 1, 2, 3, 4 rounds, straight to core of the blight. The core bursts in a shower of tainted particulate, before imploding in on itself along with the rest of its body. "Minotaur down!" he yells to his comrades, before going back behind cover to decide his next move. His rifle is powerful, but it doesn't have the punch to take down a Taken Hydra with that kind of power. His Hitchhiker could kill it, but the time it would take and the range of effectiveness eliminates this as an option. His Simulant is out of power, so that can be excluded. He does have his Arc charge though... A plan forms, but a new complication appears that he had not considered. The Hydra is shielded. Unlike normal Hydra models, however, the shield is projected by corrupted oracles in the room, and their power makes the shield impenetrable. He can not hit them all, and the Hydra would kill him if he tried to target them this blatantly out in the open. If he were alone, he would be dead. However, Sigma is not alone. He signals to Seraphim and the free Vex to attack the oracles. He knew that Seraphim could outrun a Hydra's gaze, and he's sure that the free Vex has some tricks up her sleeve. Now all he needed to do was wait for the moment to strike...
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The Exo nods once and swings around her cover. She sets her wrist against the side of it, steadying her aim as she begins to fire. Her muzzle flashes, bright plumes of flame roiling forth. Bullets slam into her targets, leaving holes in twitching, shadowy forms. They ripple, then fall in upon themselves. When the last one goes down, Seraphim looks to Sigma. "Go!" she shouts.
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As the last of the distorted oracles is destroyed, Sigma sprints out of cover towards the Hydra. Without the oracles, it is rendered helpless, with its only actions being the convulsions of prey trying to escape from a trap. He runs forward, all while building up Arc energy for that perfect moment. He leaps from his high perch, and, with the Hydra beneath him and the Arc energies reaching their pinnacle, he calls to the storm. His mind is clear, his Light flows throughout his body, and he can feel the force of the lightning that he guides. All he needs to do now is give it form, direction, and purpose. He needs a jagged spear, flowing through him towards the ground in a cacophony of Light and electricity and the remains of his enemies. With this intent, the lightning heeded his call, and it came down through him, striking directly into the heart of the blighted Vex. The results were instantaneous and devastating; the Arc energy had overload the malformed machine, causing it to explode and disintegrate within the span of a few seconds. The monstrosity was gone, and the other Taken left once this thing was killed. While he didn't feel that that the Taken had left completely, Sigma felt it necessary to take a moment of reprieve to reload, restock, and rest. He would handle the remains if spotted anyway.
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Seraphim rises from her spot in cover and walks forward to stand beside Sigma. She pulls a magazine from her belt and reloads her weapon. Her optics scan the remains of the Hydra, taking in the heat-glow of its savaged wreck. "Enemy combatants nullified. Human signal still requires discover." The Exo pauses and looks toward her fellow Warlock. "You arrived by Vex technology. How?"
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"It was some sort of map," he said, "it had indicators showing hostiles, allies, and portals. It seems that it sensed my intent and connected to a portal nearby." [i]Beware. Taken. Continue. Now.[/i] projected his Ghost, with an urgency uncharacteristic of it. "We should probably get moving. I sense a dark presence west of here. The distress signal is in the same direction, so I don't feel like things will be getting easier anytime soon." He moved ahead, signaling her to follow. He wasn't sure why his Ghost was panicking like this, but it must be for a good reason.
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Seraphim nods her head, following the Guardian, her weapon held low. "West," she repeats his words. "You can sense what I cannot. Have you discovered anything else about the signal?"
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"It's... quiet," he said, trying to focus on the presence he felt. "It is like there is an absence of being, a stain upon our world. No sound dares to disturb it, because they are afraid." His focus wavered, and in that moment he thought of his condition. When did he start sensing the darkness? Has his Light waned? [i]No matter[/i], he thought, [i]nothing can stop me now. I'm too close.[/i] Once he had regained his focus, he told Seraphim, "Be cautious; I have no idea what cruel amalgamation of darkness lies ahead."
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Seraphim watches the Warlock as he speaks, and even after he finishes, her helmeted head does not waver. Does she suspect something, or is she simply processing the new data? "The bridge leads west," she finally concludes, with no hint one way or the other. "New information suggests preparations are necessary to encounter an enemy of greater magnitude." The Exo lets her scout rifle's sling take its weight while she unlimbers the massive Objection from her back in a rattle of chains. She checks the feed and then racks a round into place. "Preparations complete," she announces, before looking back at Sigma. "With an upgraded sensor suite, logic states that you should lead the way."
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Edited by cry_w: 11/10/2015 6:16:15 AMSigma signals for her to follow, and he continues on through the Vex ruins. The recent rain shower has left a wet sheen upon the ancient geometric structures, thereby reflecting the light from the walls to create an eerie atmosphere. As they got closer, Sigma could feel a presence, a blight of a different kind that seemed to pull at his mind and his Light. He did not waver, but in the back of his mind, he knew that it would only get worse. [i]No time. Got to find the source of the signal.[/i] he thought, trying to stay focused. After several minutes of navigating the complex Vex architecture, the group made it to the source of the distress beacon. However, there was nothing left but the beacon itself; no humans or otherwise were in sight. With the dark presence now at its apex, Sigma finally realized what had happened: this was a trap, just bait to lure in unsuspecting Guardians under the guise of human scavengers. Unfortunately, the source of the Taken decided to show itself: it was a shade of Crota! A mindless facsimile of the original, it is controlled by Oryx in the same way that he controls his own shades. As soon as it appeared, it began to charge the duo, sword drawn in anger. "Get to cover!" yelled Sigma, as he leaped towards a higher alcove to stay off the ground.
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Seraphim leaps as well, her form flickering as she blinks through reality. She lands atop a column, crouched. There's barely any respite, however. The entire column jerks and then begins topple as the blade of the massive Taken cleaves through it. The Exo takes a running leap and then vanishes again to appear on another portion of Vex architecture. Crouched behind cover, her programming wisely suggests that she hide. It's not the worst idea. The Warlock activates her comm systems and reaches out toward her fellow Guardian. "Suggested tactics: keep the Taken between us. One provides a distraction while the other inflicts damage. Reverse rolls when necessary. Admission: this frame was not present for the assassination of Crota. Further advice on how to proceed required."
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"Crota was... predictable," said Sigma through his Ghost, "he moves and attacks in specific patterns. This Taken facsimile does not have all of the power of the original, but it likely has powers that are yet unknown to us. Anything done from here on out should be done with the utmost caution," he pauses, taking a moment to dodge away as the shade of Crota swings its blade his way. "Try taking down its shields. That should bring it to its knees. However, a sword of Hive origin will be needed to damage it, if my memory is correct." Despite his familiarity with Crota and his behavior, he had a foreboding feeling that this creature would not behave as expected. However, they should continue like this until further action can be taken.
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The Warlock quickly looks about the area. She sees no other Hive, or even other Taken. "Analysis concluded that only one such weapon is present upon the battlefield. Conclusion: one Guardian disables his shields while the other charges and takes the blade from him when/if he takes a knee. State preference for combat role." It's a daring plan, and far from safe. There are no certainties, and that suggests that the estimates Seraphim's programming are coming up with are dire indeed. In short, it's a damn desperate idea, but the Exo doesn't even flinch at the suggested chances of success.
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"I'll take the sword," says Sigma, "and you use your heaviest ordinance on it, and don't stop until it kneels." He gets into position, narrowly dodging blasts of dark energies. "We go on my cue." "3..." "2..." "1..." "GO!"
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As Sigma reaches the end of his countdown, Seraphim whirls around her cover, lobbing a grenade at the abomination. There's a sudden [i]crack![/i] and the air blazes with lightning around the Taken clone of Crota. Before the last bolt falls, she squeezes the trigger of her massive machine gun. A whirlwind of bullets smashes down upon the creature. It's shield flashes and flares, then bursts! As the monster collapses to one knee, the Exo shouts at her partner, "Take him!"
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Sigma rushes toward the crumpled form of this simulacrum, all the while feeling those nagging doubts grow stronger. Once he is close ,he reaches for the cursed blade... ...Only to have it driven through his body. The facsimile was only pretending to be stunned, in order to perform an ambush. Sigma would have cried for help, but his internal systems had been mostly destroyed. He could no longer fight, and the creature seized the opportunity. It lifted the limp Exo's body off of its blade, before raising the barely living body to the sky. The sound was like that of the world folding in on itself, and out of this fold manifested a strange orb of Taken energy. This orb sent out a tendril, which the proceeded to coil around the dying warlock. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared along with Sigma, leaving nothing but splatters of coolant to signify that he had been there a moment before. Sigma-3 had been taken.
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Seraphim slowly lowers her Objection and then leaps down from her perch. Summoning her Ghost, she instructs it to scan the area for any signs as to where they could have gone...
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You are Sigma-3, a machine of Light, a warlock on a journey for answers that lie within the darkest corners of his mind. You have been taken. Lay down your weapons. Abandon your Light. Your journey is over now. What secrets do you hold? What forbidden knowledge hides within your mind that would motivate so greatly? You must know as much as you can, and more. Take this knife, it is shaped like [truth]. Take it up, and take your new shape.
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[spoiler]I feel like this is a great place to close this particular adventure and set up a new one down the line.[/spoiler]
