(Daedalus)

IC: Von Worten

My reaction was one of puzzlement. I did not and do not equate pranksters with monsters.

"I am unsure if 'monstrosities' is the best word," I said, rocking on my feet. I ignored the adorable, fluffy creature lumbering past behind this being before me. "I do not doubt that such beings' sense of humor is ill-conceived, but I do not believe it fair or accurate to go so far as to apply to them the qualities of a monster. Regardless, the matter is irrelevant. I have offered my name; may I know yours?"

As soon as the question left my lips, I felt a vague presence. By vague, I do not mean in the sense that it was indeterminate and flitting, but rather in the sense that it was there without being there. I was closely familiar with the concept, of course, as, begin a Toa of Psionics, I have often extended my mind in such a way. This mind, however, was unique in that it felt expansive. It was powerful. I knew then that the mind touching my consciousness was the Queen. Who else could have expressed such great power? Even more curiously, I was distinctly aware that only I, and those bearing my element, would be able to feel her presence.

Before I answered what I could only assume was a call, I imagined myself standing fully within the multi-colored forest. The grass swept around my feet, its color shifting from green to blue to orange and then to red. The great trees around me did the same. I stood tall in this place, the only place where I do not weep uncontrollably, and, aloud in my mind but silent to the physical world, I said, To whom do I speak? What do you desire? What do you seek?

Of course, I couldn't devote all of my attention to this fascinating occurrence. I was still talking to this unnamed being, and I still awaited his answer to my question.

OOC: The italicized bit is Von Worten responding to the Queen.

OOC: I'm going to assume that Daedalus and Zel'Sai are essentially following the Host from a distance.

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

It took some time to ascend the stairs, and Daedalus remained silent the whole time. He would have preferred more conversation--he wasn't talkative, exactly, but despite his being a De-Toa, he wasn't all that fond of silence--but he didn't want to push Zel'Sai into dialogue.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Daedalus saw the Host a short distance away. He had just clapped his hands and appeared to be calling for attention.

Daedalus gestured in that direction and said, "Let's see what's going on."

He moved closer to the group.

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

Zel'Sai's hesitance was noticeable, but Daedalus didn't fault her for it. He hadn't expected her to fully trust him from the outset. They'd just met. Why should she trust him?

"Good. That's great. It'll be nice knowing I'm not alone in this." He looked around, noticing that most of the others had disappeared. "Hmm. What do you say we try to figure out where everybody is? I've noticed a lot of people heading for those stairs."

Daedalus started for the stairs, hoping Zel'Sai would follow.

IC: Von Worten

It did not take long for the obvious to dawn on me: a person sitting against wall with a book clasped tightly to her chest, with tears streaming down her face, would no doubt appear to passersby as being emotionally distressed and, to use an informal phrase, out of sorts. I had already decided that it would be beneficial for me to relax change my position.

However, before I was able to do so, a being appeared in my line of sight. Now, I must stress here how grateful I was that I had been able to, even if only within the past minute or two, regain some modicum of control over my mental faculties, because the being who appeared in front of me was of the most adorable nature. It is one I have seen many times within my mind (thanks, in large part, to vivid descriptions in one of my favorite tales from my book). Though I doubt I have the creative skill to describe this creature to you, I will do my best, if only so you can understand my initial impulse and the willpower required to restrain it.

What I saw in front of me was roughly as tall as I am when standing--that is to say, standard Toa height (I have never been particularly adept at judging measurements, so I leave it to you, dear reader, to obtain a rough understanding of what I mean). It was, in a sense of the word, burly, but what prevented it from appearing frightening was its thick, soft coat of white fur. The very sight of it brought a curious sense of comfort to my bones. The face of this creature (though I must say that that word tends to conjure images of animals and beings of a more horrible or pitiful nature) was strangely flat, but two large, round eyes rested under heavy lids. The creature's mouth was wide and bore thick lips that appeared in a perpetual smile. The word most apt to describe this creature is adorable, so I'm sure you can understand why my initial impulse was to leap from my sitting position and wrap my arms around this furry bundle of joy and comfort.

However, as I previously stated, I had regained enough control of my mind to know that what I was seeing was not actually in front of me, but was, as is wont to happen, projected from my mind onto something else that was standing in front of me. Thus, I had to exercise a brief amount of mental control to push aside the image of the adorable creature so that I would be able to see the being in front of me.

And that being, I am afraid to say, was most certainly not adorable. He was a gallimaufry of diverse parts, wantonly (it would seem) slapped together to form a roughly cohesive bipedal unit that, I assumed, held some semblance of sapience. I had never seen the likes of it before, and I doubt I will ever again. (As a side note, I must confess to slight feelings of pride, seeing that, despite my surprise, I did not react with any startled jump or yelp of revulsion.) Regardless, it appeared to have extended a claw toward me in what I could only assume was an attempt to shake my hand.

I withdrew one hand from my book long enough to vainly swipe at the stream of tears coming from my eyes. At the same time, I rose to my feet and said, "Please do not take offense at my refusal to take hold of your hand, for shaking it or any other purpose. I have had the misfortune of shaking hands with several different Vo-Toa, all of which thought it humorous to exert their powers during the physical contact. I'm afraid my hands are rather sensitive, and I have decided to refrain from the ubiquitous greeting in order to protect myself from harm." I paused briefly. "I am Von Worten."

OOC: I lied.

OOC: This was a blast to write, but don't worry. I promise I won't do this very often. Loquacity, even if it is in character, should have its limits. Also, copying and pasting things from Word tends to create weird font issues that I can't seem to fix, so I apologize for that.

IC: Von Worten Undtränen

I think that, at this present time, it would be beneficial for those present to hear a story. No, not a story. A tale. There is, after all, a difference, what with a tale being to a story what a romance is to a novel. At least, that is how I’ve always heard it recorded (synesthesia!), particularly in my book here.

Anyway, this tale shall, for brevity’s sake, be reduced to its most basic form insomuch as I am able to keep my ruminations laconic, which, I confess, is difficult. But I digress.

I am a Toa of Psionics. My powers are not what they should be, in large part due to my mind. As the seat of my powers, it must remain strong. Due to circumstances I have difficulty recalling, it has not. Thus, a strange interplay has occurred between and within my mind and my abilities. I am as strong as my imagination will let me be, but my powers prevent my imagination from being as strong as it could be.

Why is this? Again, I am unable to recall. However, I am utterly convinced that this strange, interdimensional, interuniversal teleportation, whether done through means natural or unnatural (though being teleportation, it is by its very nature unnatural, and thus the need to distinguish natural teleportation from unnatural teleportation is both unnecessary and nonsensical), has exacerbated my condition, such as it is. While I personally find no reason to fear this amplification, I realize that, for your sake, that is, the reader’s sake, it should be made known what processes my mind engages in. This, hopefully, will provide some baseline for understanding on the reader’s part.

Which, of course, brings me to the present (that is, the present in which you are reading, for, this recollection being in the past tense, it is obvious these events have already occurred for me, or, at the very least, I believe them to have occurred, which, again, is a point of possible contention).

I was withdrawn from my physical habitation via the aforementioned teleportation (again, brevity prevents my retreading that ground, even if I yearn to do so) and placed in a facility in which I was expected to, for reason unknown, engage in a violent tournament. I came only with those things on my person, one of those being, thankfully, Of Tales Long and Short, for Reading and Cogitation: A Book of Stories, a volume I would be unable, perhaps literally, to live without.

I suffered through the unpleasant encounter with the self-titled Queen (for in my observation, nothing would particularly indicate that she held such a title, or even deserved it, being, as it seemed, for her own sense of self-importance), and then remained seated a few minutes after she expressed the necessity of our departure from the arena lest we lose a life. I confess that my delay was due in large part to disorientation. I am typically capable of separating the world in my mind (which, as you read my story, you will hopefully glimpse) from the world around me, but my sudden removal from my own home and universe left me temporarily unable to differentiate the two.

When they finally merged, as it were, I was able to rise and exit the arena. My suddenly being surrounded by many beings I did not know raised in me a peculiar and unfamiliar shyness, which drove me to a spot against a wall with no other beings in the immediate vicinity. I sank to a seat, holding my book tightly against my chest, and let my gaze drift past some of the trees that had (inexplicably, perhaps, to you) appeared in the area. I was not adverse to interaction, but I preferred that someone would come to me. I did not fancy entering large groups at the moment.

OOC: Von Worten is open for interaction.

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

Daedalus couldn't tell if she was unaccustomed to extended conversation or simply quiet (or both), but he let the silence extend for a few moments. He watched the large group as the Host led them up some stairs.

Turning his attention back to Zel'Sai, he asked, "Did you have any plans for an alliance? They weren't really necessary in the tournament I was in, but I imagine an alliance would prove beneficial this time around. What do you think?"

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

"That makes us tools. And I hear you. I may not be entirely fond of my position where I'm from, but... well, it's home. A close approximation anyway. It's familiar. This..."

He let the last word trail off, because for some reason, he was briefly afraid that this place would become familiar.

 

IC: Zel'Sai

"I'm Zel'Sai... Nice to meet you." She replied, briefly wondering just how 'different' he meant. If it was getting serious this time around, something was probably up. And she had been dragged into the middle of it. "So... this has happened before. I understand the system they described... but why are these people doing this, and who are they?" She questioned. She had to get the information while she could. After all, she was not about to approach one of the huge beings that seemed to "rule" this place.

 

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

"I like that name. And it's nice to meet you, too." He lifted his head up and scratched underneath his chin. "As for your questions... I'm afraid I don't know the answer to either. Last time I was here, they were even less personable. I didn't know any of them had names or titles or whatever you want to call them. They may have said, but I guess I didn't pay attention."

He shrugged. "Maybe they do it for kicks. Maybe they're pawns in a bigger scheme. I don't know. I certainly want to find out, though."

IC: Zel'Sai

Someone had actually started talking to her. "Ah... yes. Does that mean you've been here before?" She was still unnerved, though this Toa didn't seem out of the ordinary except for his odd weapon.

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

Daedalus noted the Ga-Toa's slight surprise but didn't comment on it.

"In a manner of speaking." He turned and scanned the halls. "I have vague recollections of being teleported to some weird tournament thing, though it was structured quite a bit differently and it certainly didn't feel so... serious." He slid his gaze back to her and offered a kind smile. "I'm Daedalus, by the way."

IC: Daedalus Drachoren

Well.

He was back. He couldn't say he was angry, but he was annoyed. He'd been here before. He'd gotten cake. That was fun.

But it wasn't the same. That was obvious. Things were different, more... serious. The stakes were higher. This wasn't a matter of wanton destruction. It was a matter of survival. And figuring out what the deal was with the Queen (Curse that stupid mind assault) and the Host (He's annoying) and that other person that was mentioned that he couldn't remember his/her name.

All he cared about for the moment was leaving the arena before he lost a life (that was new). He skirted a large gathering of different things (Talking Rahkshi? Huh.) and noticed a Ga-Toa distancing herself from all the other shenanigans. Daedalus approached her.

"First time in the tournament?" he asked, coming up behind her.

OOC: That's Zel'Sai, Urchin.

Speaking of that Swhip, I once had a toa named Daedalus with a similar weapon.

 

Three swhips = illuminati?

Daedalus and the Illuminati? Either someone has been playing Deus Ex, or there are far more coincidences in this topic than I am comfortable with.

Back (slightly) on topic... I feel like every time I come on BZPower, someone has posted here or the IC thread. SO MUCH ACTIVITY.

 

Power/Weapon 1: A whipsword. This sword is composed of several sections linked together. When a button is pressed on the weapon’s hilt, the sections can separate. A flexible, metal cord holds the pieces together, allowing the weapon to be used as a notched whip. A press of the button tightens the cord and snaps the sections back together.

 

wait a sec o_o

 

Are you...?

 

I'm Burnmad, are you the guy from Kal's RPG?

 

*Snaps fingers*

 

I would say yes and see how long I could carry on the deception, but seeing as I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, I wouldn't be able to maintain said deception very long.

In other words: no, unless there is an alternate me.

Name: Daedalus Drachoren

Species: De-Toa

Power/Weapon 1: A whipsword. This sword is composed of several sections linked together. When a button is pressed on the weapon’s hilt, the sections can separate. A flexible, metal cord holds the pieces together, allowing the weapon to be used as a notched whip. A press of the button tightens the cord and snaps the sections back together.

Power/Weapon 2: Sonics. Daedalus has standard Toa control of the element of Sonics.

Power/Weapon 3: Kanohi Zatth.

Appearance: In appearance, Daedalus is, well, average. He is of average Toa height, he is of average Toa build, and he bears the standard colors of a De-Toa: lots and lots of gray. His only notable features are his turquoise eyes and heartlight.

Bio: Daedalus was just an average Toa on Metru Nui for many years. He wasn’t fond of his position as a Toa—he much preferred his boring and uneventful life as a Matoran—and he especially disliked the burden of protection thrown upon him. His being called to previous Bionifight tournaments was a mixed blessing for him. On the one hand, he was temporarily freed of his burden, but on the other, he was forced to fight when he didn’t really want to. He was moderately successful, but was eventually thrown back to his life as a Toa. He went back to his previous life, begrudgingly protecting the Matoran under his care. Now, he’s been re-summoned. Talk about annoying.

Personality/Other: Daedalus is generally laid back, and though he dislikes things being pushed on him, he has learned to accept them. He figures it’s better to get it over with or figure out how to get out than spend all his time brooding. He’s easygoing and accepting, and he tries not to take things too seriously. He finds it easier to go through life with a sense of humor. Also, he has a tendency to shout incoherently when using his sonic powers.

Name: Von Worten Undtränen (Also refers to herself as Loquacious Weeper)

Species: Ce-Toa

Power/Weapon 1: Psionics. Without extended concentration, Von Worten cannot directly manipulate someone’s mind. The closest she can get is making herself look different, but anyone with decent willpower can see through these illusions fairly easily. For fighting purposes, she primarily uses her powers for telekinesis.

Power/Weapon 2: Kanohi Crast.

Power/Weapon 3: A book entitled Of Tales Long and Short, for Reading and Cogitation: A Book of Stories. This is neither a power nor a weapon, nor can it be used as such. It is Von Worten’s prized possession. Many of her illusions are inspired by this thick and heavy book.

Ultimate Weapon: The Mind Tome. The Queen's description: "[The Mind Tome] will provide you with resistance towards Psionics, which is always helpful for a Psionics-user such as yourself. It will also allow you to instantly give the ten combatants nearest to you an intense migraine once per round."

Appearance: Worten is of average height for a Toa. Her mask, shoulders, forearms, and thighs are gold, while the rest of her body is blue. Her eyes are dark blue. She wears a black, hooded cloak that clasps around her neck. Her most significant feature, however, is the constant stream of tears leaking from her eyes.

Bio: Worten doesn’t remember much about her past, and what she does remember is so tangled up with tales from her book that she doesn’t speak much about it. She was an excellent fighter for many years, but slow, mental deterioration (for reasons unknown) has taken its toll. She is constantly weeping. She can still hold her own, but the teleportation to this new place has worsened her state. She understands what is going on enough to function, but her mind is constantly weaving in and out of a fantasy world. Whatever physical weapons she might once have wielded have long been lost, and she must rely on her mask and elemental powers.

Personality/Other: Loquacious by nature, she has a propensity for wordiness. While this is typically confined to the world in her mind, more often than not it leaks into her speech. She appears both aloof and incessantly mournful. She is somewhat timid and usually only attacks when she is attacked. Despite her flights of fancy, she is surprisingly self-aware, as evidenced by her two most commonly used names, as well as the many others she might use to refer to herself.

Good grief. It hasn't even been 24 hours since this was posted, and there are already three pages in the discussion topic.

Anyway, I'm working on a profile, but quick question: would a whipsword (a sword made up of several small segments that can separate from each other and are attached to each other by a cord (think Ivy's weapon from the Soul Calibur series)) take up two weapon/equipment slots?

Edit: Another question: would I be able to have a character who's been in Bionifight before? I've been thinking of using my character from Bionifight Ultimate.

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I look back at the captain just in time to see him move his hand over the wall. A doorway appears. He hasn't spoken and he has given no indication as to why he is letting us inside.

I light my cigarette, the closest thing I have to a tick. I look at the captain, then at the doorway, then back at the captain. Oblitus waves me and Olis forward.

"Go 'ead fuhst intuh a location a gov'men' man is e'er so eaguh to let us intuh?" I ask wanly. "Why nah?"

I step past the captain without looking at him and slip through the thin doorway.

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I don't react to Oblitus' sudden movement. I don't think he's clearly visible to most, but I'm more out in the open. If I react, I might draw unwanted attention.

I take another bored survey of the area around me, trying to see if anyone has noticed what is going on.

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

My eyes take in the temple in my brief sweep. There are no obvious entrances. I'm sure the guards are a clue of some kind, at first glance, there doesn't appear to be any pattern to their placement. Secret entrances, perhaps? That's the only thing that comes to mind. If that is the case, however, they can't all be guarding an entrance. There are too many of them. Besides, I'm sure most could make the connection I made, so having more guards than entrances would make it harder for someone to figure out which guard was just for show and which was actually guarding something.

As I scan the building, my eyes begin to drift down and up. Above the guards and at their feet. This is when I notice the marks on the ground. I don't focus on them--I don't want the guards to notice my interest in them--and I turn my attention back to the captain. He appears to be standing near one, and I see Oblitus' eyes inconspicuously take it in. He makes the same connection I did, and he appears to be trying to lure the captain away.

I play along, making a show of running my arm across my forehead and squinting at the sun. I abstain from the overly dramatic, but goodness, it sure is hot out here, isn't it? I sure wouldn't mind a spot of shade.

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I have to admit, this Oblitus isn't half-bad at this stuff. He's playing the forgetful errand boy, keeping the captain's attention focused on him. I maintain my I'm-with-him-but-there's-no-need-to-pay-attention-to-me stance. I keep my cigarette in hand, letting my gaze drift across the temple. To most eyes, I'm just a guy who desperately wants to smoke but is too conscientious of his surroundings and his "betters" to do so. Hopefully, that will prevent anyone from noticing that I'm looking for a way inside.

That's how I was with Skyrim.

Happens to the best of us.

This is actually why I quit playing video games.

Skyrim. Dear Lord, that game. Hundreds of hours in a couple months at the most.

But on topic... it's surprisingly difficult to write Ingrayv as knowing what the heck he's doing when I'm absolutely clueless. So if I keep pushing stuff off on Oblitus... well, now you know why.

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I take a few moments to scan the area, taking in Oblitus' first question about what we are supposed to do now. I know getting in the temple isn't going to be easy. It's surprisingly difficult to find an entrance, and the guards are ever-watchful. My eyes fall on the Skakdi at the same moment Oblitus asks about him.

If we play our cards right, he might be our ticket in. The obvious might not work two times in a row, but as I said earlier, it would be stupid not to try.

I pinch the lit end of my cigarette to extinguish it. "He's prolly our bes' bet, fo' shue." I slide my eyes over to Oblitus. "Jus' 'membuh you's da 'food boy.' You'd bes' ask 'im wha' he wan's, jus' expec' som' self-impohtan' anger."

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I lumber past the guard and pull up behind Oblitus.

"Sometimes the most obvious solutions prove to be the best ones."

"Ain' da' da tru'," I say, speaking in the same low tones as Oblitus. The accent is back. "Bu' da' was jus' step one." I point toward the temple proper. "We gots ano'er tuh go."

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I can hardly believe this appears to be working, but I know better than to question it. I figure my filthy visage will lend some credibility to my being the hard labor type. I pull my cigarette out of my mouth and glance down at it, my face blank as always.

Normally, I speak oddly to keep people off balance and attentive. When you have to really listen to understand what someone is saying, you tend to pick up more. It's also a good way to get people to underestimate you. People tend to relate poor speech to stupidity. It's ridiculous, but it's usually easier that way. In this case, however, my odd speech would probably attract more attention than we needed. Best keep it simple. Ditch the accent, improve the grammar.

"He don't have the best sense of direction," I say. "He'd be lost without us."

IC: Einefus Ingrayv (Vingt - Mangaia Office Complex)

I tag along behind Oblitus, moving slowly and disinterestedly. I have a new cigarette between my lips, and I puff on it while I think about how we are going to get in. Oblitus is currently opting for the simple, direct approach, which is unlikely to work. However, it's one of those things that is so obvious that it just might work, and it would be stupid not to try.

"Dis is cuhtainly gon' be inneressin'," I say under my breath.

I stand a short distance from Oblitus and wait.

I love how Ultimo is the only one who isn't utterly pushing out Ghidora, lol.

Pushing him out? I'm not pushing him out. I was just curious as to how a bomb shelter could be converted to an Exosuit. Since Tiragath has no problems with it*, I personally see no reason to question it further.

*I'm not questioning Tiragath's judgment here, so please don't misunderstand me. I just felt that it was an issue that needed addressing. If Tiragath doesn't see it as an issue, then neither do I.

Yep, and from my understanding, they are generally thick and/or (at least partially) underground.

And I hope that whole "If a bar is in his vicinity, he'll usually bring it to the ground" bit is supposed to be humorous, because I'm not sure any of the cities' military/law enforcement would appreciate someone trying to raze a bar simply because he hates alcohol. Also... how is a bomb shelter repurposed as an Exosuit?

In other news... on the off chance that someone noticed (or cares), I apologize for my brief absence. The last few days have been ridiculously busy, and in the brief moments when I have free time, I don't feel like making a post. I'll try to get one done later today or tomorrow.