SylphKnight
Oct 2, 2006, 03:27 PM
(First of all, before I give you the usual rundown of Guild flattery and propaganda, I want to apologize for this late and multimedia-unassisted offer towards all potential players of Phantasy Star Universe. I had hoped to finish the guild's PSU webpage long before the announcement, but due to factors regarding guild branching and real-life, I was unable to make such a large immediate contribution. These things will be finished in time. Until then, I hope that our community, coordination, and our skillful and heavy fiction environment will provide you much satisfaction should you choose to look into our group and what it has to offer.
(Our guild, Vagrant Knights, has been running for over two and a half years. We began our activities in Monster Hunter and have recently decided to stem our activities into two upcoming games this fall: eXteel (a free NcSoft action mecha arcade shooter) and Phantasy Star Universe (which you are all eagerly awaiting!) The Vagrant Knights have been working on a massive history for their fiction in Monster Hunter and continue to do so. However, we feel it proper to expand our criteria into other games and genres and would like to grant you the opportunity to join us!
(As Fironial, the newly-assigned commander of our Phantasy Star Universe branch, stated in an earlier thread (see http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=117359&forum=20&start=60), our community is a roleplaying group with a unique trend of expectations. Most argue that it is impossible to roleplay in a game such as Monster Hunter. Those same people said it was impossible to operate a coordinated online guild inside that game as well. They were proven horribly wrong. The key to our success has always been our strong forum network and ongoing fiction, and a persistant interest in roleplaying towards our customized fictional universes.
(Phantasy Star Universe will be a bold step for us; in the past, we've always had complete control over our stories (and could oft ignore or overwrite in-game story details due to the severe lack of such). Phantasy Star Universe is a fleshed-out world, but we've still managed to work our way into the cracks and find a good story to establish an excellent plot. We provide constant updates with new storyline every week or so on top of our cooperative play and high-standard roleplaying ettiquite.
(Still interested? Excellent! Please inquire the following tale, as it will lead to greater and darker things for the unborn organization that is to be the Vagrant Knights of the Gurhal Star System...)
Part 1, Cast into Darkness
How long? Days, weeks? Space consumes all feeling of time, Kazrion thought to himself as their shuttle finally came within sight of the mysterious wreckage that recently began to emanate a mysterious signal several days ago.
Kazrion recounted that although it wasn’t typical of the Guardians to meddle in such a trivial matter, they were the first to discover the signal and the first to isolate its origin: the signal was not dissimilar to those released by various Relics. While hardly a matter for the Guardians to trifle with, the signal continued to grow stronger over the duration of a few hours and indicated it would soon be within the vicinity of the Guardian Colony. There was a high risk factor in waiting for the AMF to act when the wreckage may host a threat to the colony. Therefore, the Guardians formed a group of their brightest engineers accompanied by a small dispatch of Hunters to make light of the situation before a crisis occurred.
And so here he was, a young Human engineer of no consequence nearing graduation at the Guardian Academy whisked away to probe a piece of debris that could well house evidence of Relics. He wasn’t afraid to fight, but he was afraid of the military. His father was a general and hardly one for his own son to trifle with, let alone strangers in darker and less concerned corners of the military file and rank. If they showed up with the Guardians still onboard, things could turn nasty in a single instant. Guardians were trained to be prepared for ‘anything’— but this was not considered on that list of possibilities.
“Hideous.” He thought aloud, making out the shape of the ruined structure. It was pitchest black, mirroring the dark of space. Its contorted mass was wrapped upon itself with a series of large steely tubes, possibly feeding tubes that connected its auxiliary power cells to the main thrusters; which since had been severed and strewn about until they became a clinging net hugging the surface of the hall. It was a monstrous heap of refuse.
“Sure isn’t a pretty sight.” The bulky Newman seated across from him assured. Kazrion turned to face him out of simple reaction and noted an outstretched hand in welcome, “The name’s Delg.”
“Kazrion.” The youthful engineer replied, brushing the wetted hair from his eyes, taking the offer and granting a solid shake with his hand. He switched his concerns back towards the ship; “So, they said it was a Relic signal that came from this thing?”
“Seems that way,” Delg replied, slicking his hair, “It’s not like the higher-ups to starve their Hunters of information, so I’d wager that’s about the truth.” He looked on as the shuttle worked its way across the surface of the gigantic ruin, coming within meters of the surface. The window offered a close, high-speed look at the battered surface of this mechanical monster. “Not even the Planetary Spirit knows what the hell this thing was.”
Kazrion braced himself as the ship pulled harshly away and darted from the proximity of the gigantic ruin. He could feel the heat of a photon burst emanate from the exterior into the very innards of the passenger bay moments before the emergency lights blared in unison with the alarm. He could do nothing but grind his teeth in silent frustration founded in fear and helplessness equaled as a woman’s voice announced over the loudspeaker: “We’re being attacked by the Station’s automatic defense system. Everyone, please remain calm and ensure your safety belts are properly secured. We will be performing evasive maneuvers— Aah!”
Her voice chimed with the sudden rotation of the shuttle as it dived in a second near-miss with a Photon Burst. Kazrion could scarcely make out the voices of the pilots in the background noise over the speaker as the woman tried desperately to finish; “We’re going to punch through the hull! Everyone, brace yourselves!”
Another flash of heat filled the room as Kazrion’s eyes widened. He asked aloud in disbelief, “WHAT?!”
“Oh I love this part.” Delg said, only half-meaningful.
The starscape outside the window became a blur as the momentum of the shuttle threw itself at Kazrion, multiplying the G-Forces several times over and locking him in his seat! He could feel the burn of Photons narrowly missing the hull of the ship as it lanced towards the surface of the berserk space station!
The crash was defining as the ship’s Photon Barrier skidded along the surface of the thick hull! If the heat emanating from the Photon Bursts hadn’t knocked the wind out of Kazrion before, then this exhaustive burning certainly did the trick! Blood rushed to his head with the belt holding him firmly to the back of his seat as the ship grinded to a dead halt. He leaned and rested his weary brow upon the headrest of the adjacent seat, thankful to be alive. The whole ordeal happened in a matter of a few seconds, but in that time Kazrion felt his life flash before him and pondered; What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Delg’s hand clapped Kazrion’s shoulder and roused him, “You alright, buddy?”
“Yeah…” Kazrion uttered in reply, thankful his stomach had fared better than his spinning head. Even the Gravity Balancers could not deviate the amount of force the shuttle had gone through, and Kazrion’s joints felt every bit of what sunk through. He unlatched his seatbelt and hobbled to his feet, still dazed as the nearby door flew open and revealed the decadence of the abandoned station’s innards. Outside his window, he could still make out the hole left by the shuttle, and the stars poking forth from the sightless mass of outer space.
“They’re using the Photon Barrier to contain the oxygen.” Kazrion observed, “And the Station’s Artificial Gravity is still in operation…” He then overheard the woman’s voice over the loudspeaker explain, “We’ve confirmed that the station still has breathable air in many sectors. Deploy immediately and secure the perimeter!”
Delg leapt out of the craft beside several other Guardians and immediately armed himself with a Saber. Kazrion shuffled behind with a group of other, less-alert Guardians, possibly engineers or students like him who weren’t as accustomed to this kind of surprise. He felt lost and unclear even though his part hadn’t even begun yet, and his feet hardly hit the surface when the next sets of instructions were sent over the communicator...
*******
A glittering light twinkled from the mass of tubes and wires which crucified an unseen body, broken and twisted but still a shimmering star amongst so much refuse. Soft hands unconsciously clasped desperately to the shuffle of wires that bound them, fearful of the very ground.
From the quiet depths ahead, loud jolt hammered as powerful hands worked to wrench through the doorway. A beaming light poured inside and illuminated the figure tied to the endless mess of tubes as a group of Guardians seized through the forced entry with only half the door pried open.
Delg whistled as he stepped into the room, nodding at no one particularly as he observed the complex mesh of computers strewn about in a jumble of shards and clutter.
Kazrion came from behind him and quickly analyzed their dated appearance. “These things are OLD.” He exaggerated, and by no means off, “They haven’t used systems like these for… wow, ever.” His eyes traveled the floor until they locked upon a beautiful, nimble figure trapped in a web of tangles, tubes, and wires. The lustrous frame of the female machine leaned uncomfortably forward from the makeshift bonds, with only the upper portion of her waist visible. Despite the ruins of her surroundings, her body looked splendorous, untouched by the ages. Her own apparent physical damage explained her silence as Kazrion called out, “Hey?! HEY?!”
The other Guardians met his gaze as he raced forward and analyzed the motionless female Cast.
“This is Group C,” began one of the Guardians as Delg approached Kazrion with concern, “We’ve found a body. It’s a Cast-model, unknown type…”
“Incredible.” Delg spoke, leaning forward to get a better look at the Cast’s hidden face, “Everyone and everything else is nothing but ashes and scrap, yet she’s almost entirely intact…” He pulled back slightly when he realized the face was very plain and unhumanized, certainly not what he expected. The lustrous armor body was accompanied by a face locked as stone, a featureless façade with dimmed pearly eyes.
“It’s a very, very early model! A piece of history!” Kazrion expressed, his heart beating with excitement as he hooked a few plugs into her neck and began running diagnostics, “But she’s so advanced! A Refined-Photon Infusion Model! I didn’t think they were ever legal!”
“Refined Photons!?” Delg asked, “You mean she’s powered by Elemental Photon Energy?” He rubbed the bristles on his lean chin, “Is that… possible?”
“Some forms, yes.” Kazrion said, continuing to read the layout with eerie excitement, “Others are theorized, but the reasoning is that Refined Photons require an extremely high level of processing to manage since they behave and move more rapidly than regular Photons. Any Cast making use of Refined Photons is too dangerous a weapon-class because the specs that can be powered by Refined Photons far exceed military restrictions. Couple that with a potentially dangerous level of adaptability and intelligence, and the theory is they’d learn faster than they’d develop their moral traits, and rebel with one hell of a superiority complex under most circumstances.” He turned to Delg, “After all, Morals aren’t something you can program.”
“So keep’em lightweight and they don’t kick your rear tomorrow, is that it?” Delg asked with a chuckle as Kazrion returned to his work, “Elemental Photons are used everyday, in our weapons and armor, but I guess any use beyond that is too dangerous eh?”
“That’s the case,” Kazrion said, getting to his feet as he barely contained his excitement, “She’s one of the first modern prototypes! I can hardly believe it… But her makeup is sooo… alien.” He thought about his choice of words carefully and nodded as he brushed his doubts aside a moment and added, “She’s in bad shape, but I think we can fix her. Or, at least transplant her memory.”
“Yo! We got a survivor here!” Delg shouted over his shoulder, just as the station lights snapped alive. “Oh, good.” He cracked, “Looks like the others got to the control center easily enough.”
He spoke only too soon. An explosion rocked the entire station, and Kazrion stumbled to his knees as the body of the female Cast crumpled to the floor next to him in a clatter. The lights shattered and sprinkled the Guardians with shards of glass. They hardly got the time to cover their eyes before panic began to settle in.
“What the HELL IS GOING ON?!” Delg shouted over his communicator, not even waiting for the Group Leader to relay. Static screamed in his ears and he ripped the device away in recoil, “What the…?”
“Something’s very wrong.” Another Guardian spoke assuredly, just before the screams of their comrades echoed through the recesses of the massive station. The death cry left even the most seasoned veteran quaking in spirit. The Group Leader, a grisly Beast, quickly swept his hand and ordered the shaken Guardians back to their senses, “Calm down. We can’t afford to stay under these circumstances. Everyone, prepare to retreat towards the shuttle and stay together.” He turned to Kazrion and the nameless Cast that lay dead in his hands, “Delg, take the Cast and stay between us. Maris, Kazrion…” He nodded as Kazrion armed himself with a Photon Pistol, “Cover the rear.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Delg said, heftily lifting the small, and strangely light, Cast from the floor and over his shoulder.
They proceeded out of the entryway and cautiously proceeded down the darkened hallway with their mysterious load in tow. The strange sounds that chimed through the hallways alerted them of what awaited in the neighboring darkness.
“Do you think it’s SEED?” Maris whispered, reaching for anyone within earshot.
“I would think so,” The Group Leader replied, “Their timing couldn’t be worse for the wear. Just when we deactivated the Station’s Automated Defense Grid…”
A repugnant, slippery noise from straight ahead brought them to a very sudden stop, and before the Group Leader could brandish his weapon he found his head clasped by a huge, muscular hand at the end of a long, slimy tentacle mass! The hand had torn straight through his Photon Barrier and proceeded to crush his skull as Maris quickly took aim and shot the tentacle. Group Leader’s dead body hit the floor in a mess of blood. Kazrion paid little heed; the horrors of something behind had caught him off guard. A series of glowing lights and photon blades erupted out of nowhere and threatened to remove the burden on his shoulders. He slipped, to his fortune, and the swipe missed him by a hair. He was already firing away before his back struck the ground. The first SEED creature recoiled and swatted blindly at the searing-hot bursts that tore through its chitin armor.
“We’ve been set up!” Delg cried, almost tossing the Cast he had been carrying to the ground as he drew a Photon Dagger, “These things are smarter than I thought!”
“Who gives a damn how smart they are!” Maris replied, riled in horror at the bizarre creature slithering towards her as a fireworks show of Photon charges failed to impede its progress, “Let’s just get out of here!”
Kazrion had been slowly crawling back from a large cluster of SEED creatures that suddenly leaped from the shadows, drawing a much larger weapon from his stash this time. He quickly mounted the Photon Cannon on his shoulders and fired a super-heated wave of energy that made the dark passageway bright as day for a mere instant as the nearest creatures were incinerated. As he slowly inched his way back as the weapon cooled, he bumped into something and turned to face it on reaction. It was the Cast, now furrowed about the chilly metallic floor along with him after Delg had leapt into the fray. But something strange was happening; Photon Lines drew themselves along the surface of her body to the beat of a pulse, Her armor began to glow ever slightly as Kazrion suddenly overheard Delg’s agonizing cries. He looked up and saw Delg being held aloft with a huge, clawed hand tearing through his stomach. At his feet, Maris’ bloodied body soiled the floor crimson. The two Guardians had met their fate, and Delg’s widened eyes realized it. He reached out to Kazrion, as if trying to scream “Run Away!”, but lacking the ability to speak as his eyes rolled into his head. The monster had finished toying with its prey and slung Delg’s limp body dismissively towards the wall.
“Th… the Photon Barriers didn’t work?!” Kazrion shrieked, desperately trying to levy his gun for a desperate shot in the dark. The weapon wasn’t charging quickly enough, and he could only look on in horror as the same hand that had taken his new friend now reached out to rip the beating heart from his chest.
CRUNCH!!!
A hand shot up and snatched the arm, holding it tightly with an impossibly strong grip! The tendons of the wiggly thing snapped beneath the strain, and Kazrion’s savior rose from the ground in a vengeful moan. Hot-white eyes burned alive in the ancient Cast as she yanked the Tentacle and forced the creature to which it belonged to tumble forward. She threw her fist into its cranium and put an end to its onslaught.
Kazrion gazed in puzzlement as the monster’s body hit the floor with a thud. He roused only at the sound of shuffling from behind. He reactively turned and fired his cannon, destroying a couple of SEED monsters that were in mid-leap, aiming to take the Cast out with a single stroke of their photon-tipped appendages. Kazrion then found himself yanked to his feet as the Cast stepped up beside him, unspeaking but instinctively aware of the scenario. It seemed the two had formed an uneasy alliance in the madness of this scene. Kazrion tossed his cannon aside and snatched his Pistol and a Photon Saber as he struck a bounding dog-like monster that arced from his left. The Cast had dived and snatched up Delg’s Photon Dagger and proceeded towards another group of SEED creatures. She twirled about, lancing through them with the grace of a dancer.
Having disposed of the monster at hand, Kazrion fired two shots blindly with his Photon Pistol and then snatched his Cannon up again, blasting down the corridor. The lit environs revealed a horrifying sight; the walls were being covered by a fleshy substance that worked its way towards them both as they fought a successful stand against the SEED. Creatures almost pilled from top to bottom through its messy surface.
“Oh no…” Kazrion uttered, terrified of the sheer futility in it all. A pair of strong, cold hands clasped him from behind.
“Stay with me.” A strong, quiet voice spoke to him. He didn’t have a choice; a sudden flash of light had begun to envelope the hallway ahead, dissolving the SEED and the environs with deadly efficiency. The explosion wrote one explanation into his brain: Someone from the outside had taken the liberty to cremate the ship and its contents! Kazrion could almost already feel the skin peel away from his bones as the light drew closer with blinding speed while he felt the clasp of the Cast draw tightly around him. The light grew brighter and hotter, transforming a single instant into a lifetime of terror. He closed his eyes and waited for the end of this nightmare…
What fate awaits the last two survivors aboard the accursed vessel, and what mysteries lie within the ancient Cast that was reactivated? Our story begins in the distant horizons of Moatoob, where an elderly Beast watches the sunset through furrowed brows that have held their weight by the centuries...
Will you become a part of this tale?
The fates conspire to resurrect an ancient resistance, and the horror of SEED is only just beginning to overtake the citizens of Gurhal. Prepare thyselves, for another epic saga in the distant star-filled sky awaits.
(Our features include or will soon include the following:
--Strong Roleplaying Environment
--Member-Hosted Events
--Ongoing, Member-influenced Fiction and Expanding Database
--Active Member forum-community and in-game Committment, so you won't have to play alone!
--Easy-going community with positive reinforcement
--And, we hope, you!
(Please only consider this offer if you are a roleplayer or interested in learning more about the art of roleplaying. If you are interesed in learning more about our guild, please contact Zweihander at [email protected] or visit our forums located at http://z6.invisionfree.com/Vagrant_Knights/index.php?c=6. We look forward to meeting you and enjoying adventures together in the world of Gurhal! We'll see you on October 24th! Steady Valor!! -Zweihander)
http://www.shatteredlegacy.com/psu/Arys.jpg -Sylph Knight, Guardian Hunter
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SylphKnight on 2006-10-02 13:40 ]</font>
(Our guild, Vagrant Knights, has been running for over two and a half years. We began our activities in Monster Hunter and have recently decided to stem our activities into two upcoming games this fall: eXteel (a free NcSoft action mecha arcade shooter) and Phantasy Star Universe (which you are all eagerly awaiting!) The Vagrant Knights have been working on a massive history for their fiction in Monster Hunter and continue to do so. However, we feel it proper to expand our criteria into other games and genres and would like to grant you the opportunity to join us!
(As Fironial, the newly-assigned commander of our Phantasy Star Universe branch, stated in an earlier thread (see http://www.pso-world.com/viewtopic.php?mode=viewtopic&topic=117359&forum=20&start=60), our community is a roleplaying group with a unique trend of expectations. Most argue that it is impossible to roleplay in a game such as Monster Hunter. Those same people said it was impossible to operate a coordinated online guild inside that game as well. They were proven horribly wrong. The key to our success has always been our strong forum network and ongoing fiction, and a persistant interest in roleplaying towards our customized fictional universes.
(Phantasy Star Universe will be a bold step for us; in the past, we've always had complete control over our stories (and could oft ignore or overwrite in-game story details due to the severe lack of such). Phantasy Star Universe is a fleshed-out world, but we've still managed to work our way into the cracks and find a good story to establish an excellent plot. We provide constant updates with new storyline every week or so on top of our cooperative play and high-standard roleplaying ettiquite.
(Still interested? Excellent! Please inquire the following tale, as it will lead to greater and darker things for the unborn organization that is to be the Vagrant Knights of the Gurhal Star System...)
Part 1, Cast into Darkness
How long? Days, weeks? Space consumes all feeling of time, Kazrion thought to himself as their shuttle finally came within sight of the mysterious wreckage that recently began to emanate a mysterious signal several days ago.
Kazrion recounted that although it wasn’t typical of the Guardians to meddle in such a trivial matter, they were the first to discover the signal and the first to isolate its origin: the signal was not dissimilar to those released by various Relics. While hardly a matter for the Guardians to trifle with, the signal continued to grow stronger over the duration of a few hours and indicated it would soon be within the vicinity of the Guardian Colony. There was a high risk factor in waiting for the AMF to act when the wreckage may host a threat to the colony. Therefore, the Guardians formed a group of their brightest engineers accompanied by a small dispatch of Hunters to make light of the situation before a crisis occurred.
And so here he was, a young Human engineer of no consequence nearing graduation at the Guardian Academy whisked away to probe a piece of debris that could well house evidence of Relics. He wasn’t afraid to fight, but he was afraid of the military. His father was a general and hardly one for his own son to trifle with, let alone strangers in darker and less concerned corners of the military file and rank. If they showed up with the Guardians still onboard, things could turn nasty in a single instant. Guardians were trained to be prepared for ‘anything’— but this was not considered on that list of possibilities.
“Hideous.” He thought aloud, making out the shape of the ruined structure. It was pitchest black, mirroring the dark of space. Its contorted mass was wrapped upon itself with a series of large steely tubes, possibly feeding tubes that connected its auxiliary power cells to the main thrusters; which since had been severed and strewn about until they became a clinging net hugging the surface of the hall. It was a monstrous heap of refuse.
“Sure isn’t a pretty sight.” The bulky Newman seated across from him assured. Kazrion turned to face him out of simple reaction and noted an outstretched hand in welcome, “The name’s Delg.”
“Kazrion.” The youthful engineer replied, brushing the wetted hair from his eyes, taking the offer and granting a solid shake with his hand. He switched his concerns back towards the ship; “So, they said it was a Relic signal that came from this thing?”
“Seems that way,” Delg replied, slicking his hair, “It’s not like the higher-ups to starve their Hunters of information, so I’d wager that’s about the truth.” He looked on as the shuttle worked its way across the surface of the gigantic ruin, coming within meters of the surface. The window offered a close, high-speed look at the battered surface of this mechanical monster. “Not even the Planetary Spirit knows what the hell this thing was.”
Kazrion braced himself as the ship pulled harshly away and darted from the proximity of the gigantic ruin. He could feel the heat of a photon burst emanate from the exterior into the very innards of the passenger bay moments before the emergency lights blared in unison with the alarm. He could do nothing but grind his teeth in silent frustration founded in fear and helplessness equaled as a woman’s voice announced over the loudspeaker: “We’re being attacked by the Station’s automatic defense system. Everyone, please remain calm and ensure your safety belts are properly secured. We will be performing evasive maneuvers— Aah!”
Her voice chimed with the sudden rotation of the shuttle as it dived in a second near-miss with a Photon Burst. Kazrion could scarcely make out the voices of the pilots in the background noise over the speaker as the woman tried desperately to finish; “We’re going to punch through the hull! Everyone, brace yourselves!”
Another flash of heat filled the room as Kazrion’s eyes widened. He asked aloud in disbelief, “WHAT?!”
“Oh I love this part.” Delg said, only half-meaningful.
The starscape outside the window became a blur as the momentum of the shuttle threw itself at Kazrion, multiplying the G-Forces several times over and locking him in his seat! He could feel the burn of Photons narrowly missing the hull of the ship as it lanced towards the surface of the berserk space station!
The crash was defining as the ship’s Photon Barrier skidded along the surface of the thick hull! If the heat emanating from the Photon Bursts hadn’t knocked the wind out of Kazrion before, then this exhaustive burning certainly did the trick! Blood rushed to his head with the belt holding him firmly to the back of his seat as the ship grinded to a dead halt. He leaned and rested his weary brow upon the headrest of the adjacent seat, thankful to be alive. The whole ordeal happened in a matter of a few seconds, but in that time Kazrion felt his life flash before him and pondered; What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Delg’s hand clapped Kazrion’s shoulder and roused him, “You alright, buddy?”
“Yeah…” Kazrion uttered in reply, thankful his stomach had fared better than his spinning head. Even the Gravity Balancers could not deviate the amount of force the shuttle had gone through, and Kazrion’s joints felt every bit of what sunk through. He unlatched his seatbelt and hobbled to his feet, still dazed as the nearby door flew open and revealed the decadence of the abandoned station’s innards. Outside his window, he could still make out the hole left by the shuttle, and the stars poking forth from the sightless mass of outer space.
“They’re using the Photon Barrier to contain the oxygen.” Kazrion observed, “And the Station’s Artificial Gravity is still in operation…” He then overheard the woman’s voice over the loudspeaker explain, “We’ve confirmed that the station still has breathable air in many sectors. Deploy immediately and secure the perimeter!”
Delg leapt out of the craft beside several other Guardians and immediately armed himself with a Saber. Kazrion shuffled behind with a group of other, less-alert Guardians, possibly engineers or students like him who weren’t as accustomed to this kind of surprise. He felt lost and unclear even though his part hadn’t even begun yet, and his feet hardly hit the surface when the next sets of instructions were sent over the communicator...
*******
A glittering light twinkled from the mass of tubes and wires which crucified an unseen body, broken and twisted but still a shimmering star amongst so much refuse. Soft hands unconsciously clasped desperately to the shuffle of wires that bound them, fearful of the very ground.
From the quiet depths ahead, loud jolt hammered as powerful hands worked to wrench through the doorway. A beaming light poured inside and illuminated the figure tied to the endless mess of tubes as a group of Guardians seized through the forced entry with only half the door pried open.
Delg whistled as he stepped into the room, nodding at no one particularly as he observed the complex mesh of computers strewn about in a jumble of shards and clutter.
Kazrion came from behind him and quickly analyzed their dated appearance. “These things are OLD.” He exaggerated, and by no means off, “They haven’t used systems like these for… wow, ever.” His eyes traveled the floor until they locked upon a beautiful, nimble figure trapped in a web of tangles, tubes, and wires. The lustrous frame of the female machine leaned uncomfortably forward from the makeshift bonds, with only the upper portion of her waist visible. Despite the ruins of her surroundings, her body looked splendorous, untouched by the ages. Her own apparent physical damage explained her silence as Kazrion called out, “Hey?! HEY?!”
The other Guardians met his gaze as he raced forward and analyzed the motionless female Cast.
“This is Group C,” began one of the Guardians as Delg approached Kazrion with concern, “We’ve found a body. It’s a Cast-model, unknown type…”
“Incredible.” Delg spoke, leaning forward to get a better look at the Cast’s hidden face, “Everyone and everything else is nothing but ashes and scrap, yet she’s almost entirely intact…” He pulled back slightly when he realized the face was very plain and unhumanized, certainly not what he expected. The lustrous armor body was accompanied by a face locked as stone, a featureless façade with dimmed pearly eyes.
“It’s a very, very early model! A piece of history!” Kazrion expressed, his heart beating with excitement as he hooked a few plugs into her neck and began running diagnostics, “But she’s so advanced! A Refined-Photon Infusion Model! I didn’t think they were ever legal!”
“Refined Photons!?” Delg asked, “You mean she’s powered by Elemental Photon Energy?” He rubbed the bristles on his lean chin, “Is that… possible?”
“Some forms, yes.” Kazrion said, continuing to read the layout with eerie excitement, “Others are theorized, but the reasoning is that Refined Photons require an extremely high level of processing to manage since they behave and move more rapidly than regular Photons. Any Cast making use of Refined Photons is too dangerous a weapon-class because the specs that can be powered by Refined Photons far exceed military restrictions. Couple that with a potentially dangerous level of adaptability and intelligence, and the theory is they’d learn faster than they’d develop their moral traits, and rebel with one hell of a superiority complex under most circumstances.” He turned to Delg, “After all, Morals aren’t something you can program.”
“So keep’em lightweight and they don’t kick your rear tomorrow, is that it?” Delg asked with a chuckle as Kazrion returned to his work, “Elemental Photons are used everyday, in our weapons and armor, but I guess any use beyond that is too dangerous eh?”
“That’s the case,” Kazrion said, getting to his feet as he barely contained his excitement, “She’s one of the first modern prototypes! I can hardly believe it… But her makeup is sooo… alien.” He thought about his choice of words carefully and nodded as he brushed his doubts aside a moment and added, “She’s in bad shape, but I think we can fix her. Or, at least transplant her memory.”
“Yo! We got a survivor here!” Delg shouted over his shoulder, just as the station lights snapped alive. “Oh, good.” He cracked, “Looks like the others got to the control center easily enough.”
He spoke only too soon. An explosion rocked the entire station, and Kazrion stumbled to his knees as the body of the female Cast crumpled to the floor next to him in a clatter. The lights shattered and sprinkled the Guardians with shards of glass. They hardly got the time to cover their eyes before panic began to settle in.
“What the HELL IS GOING ON?!” Delg shouted over his communicator, not even waiting for the Group Leader to relay. Static screamed in his ears and he ripped the device away in recoil, “What the…?”
“Something’s very wrong.” Another Guardian spoke assuredly, just before the screams of their comrades echoed through the recesses of the massive station. The death cry left even the most seasoned veteran quaking in spirit. The Group Leader, a grisly Beast, quickly swept his hand and ordered the shaken Guardians back to their senses, “Calm down. We can’t afford to stay under these circumstances. Everyone, prepare to retreat towards the shuttle and stay together.” He turned to Kazrion and the nameless Cast that lay dead in his hands, “Delg, take the Cast and stay between us. Maris, Kazrion…” He nodded as Kazrion armed himself with a Photon Pistol, “Cover the rear.”
“Alright, let’s go.” Delg said, heftily lifting the small, and strangely light, Cast from the floor and over his shoulder.
They proceeded out of the entryway and cautiously proceeded down the darkened hallway with their mysterious load in tow. The strange sounds that chimed through the hallways alerted them of what awaited in the neighboring darkness.
“Do you think it’s SEED?” Maris whispered, reaching for anyone within earshot.
“I would think so,” The Group Leader replied, “Their timing couldn’t be worse for the wear. Just when we deactivated the Station’s Automated Defense Grid…”
A repugnant, slippery noise from straight ahead brought them to a very sudden stop, and before the Group Leader could brandish his weapon he found his head clasped by a huge, muscular hand at the end of a long, slimy tentacle mass! The hand had torn straight through his Photon Barrier and proceeded to crush his skull as Maris quickly took aim and shot the tentacle. Group Leader’s dead body hit the floor in a mess of blood. Kazrion paid little heed; the horrors of something behind had caught him off guard. A series of glowing lights and photon blades erupted out of nowhere and threatened to remove the burden on his shoulders. He slipped, to his fortune, and the swipe missed him by a hair. He was already firing away before his back struck the ground. The first SEED creature recoiled and swatted blindly at the searing-hot bursts that tore through its chitin armor.
“We’ve been set up!” Delg cried, almost tossing the Cast he had been carrying to the ground as he drew a Photon Dagger, “These things are smarter than I thought!”
“Who gives a damn how smart they are!” Maris replied, riled in horror at the bizarre creature slithering towards her as a fireworks show of Photon charges failed to impede its progress, “Let’s just get out of here!”
Kazrion had been slowly crawling back from a large cluster of SEED creatures that suddenly leaped from the shadows, drawing a much larger weapon from his stash this time. He quickly mounted the Photon Cannon on his shoulders and fired a super-heated wave of energy that made the dark passageway bright as day for a mere instant as the nearest creatures were incinerated. As he slowly inched his way back as the weapon cooled, he bumped into something and turned to face it on reaction. It was the Cast, now furrowed about the chilly metallic floor along with him after Delg had leapt into the fray. But something strange was happening; Photon Lines drew themselves along the surface of her body to the beat of a pulse, Her armor began to glow ever slightly as Kazrion suddenly overheard Delg’s agonizing cries. He looked up and saw Delg being held aloft with a huge, clawed hand tearing through his stomach. At his feet, Maris’ bloodied body soiled the floor crimson. The two Guardians had met their fate, and Delg’s widened eyes realized it. He reached out to Kazrion, as if trying to scream “Run Away!”, but lacking the ability to speak as his eyes rolled into his head. The monster had finished toying with its prey and slung Delg’s limp body dismissively towards the wall.
“Th… the Photon Barriers didn’t work?!” Kazrion shrieked, desperately trying to levy his gun for a desperate shot in the dark. The weapon wasn’t charging quickly enough, and he could only look on in horror as the same hand that had taken his new friend now reached out to rip the beating heart from his chest.
CRUNCH!!!
A hand shot up and snatched the arm, holding it tightly with an impossibly strong grip! The tendons of the wiggly thing snapped beneath the strain, and Kazrion’s savior rose from the ground in a vengeful moan. Hot-white eyes burned alive in the ancient Cast as she yanked the Tentacle and forced the creature to which it belonged to tumble forward. She threw her fist into its cranium and put an end to its onslaught.
Kazrion gazed in puzzlement as the monster’s body hit the floor with a thud. He roused only at the sound of shuffling from behind. He reactively turned and fired his cannon, destroying a couple of SEED monsters that were in mid-leap, aiming to take the Cast out with a single stroke of their photon-tipped appendages. Kazrion then found himself yanked to his feet as the Cast stepped up beside him, unspeaking but instinctively aware of the scenario. It seemed the two had formed an uneasy alliance in the madness of this scene. Kazrion tossed his cannon aside and snatched his Pistol and a Photon Saber as he struck a bounding dog-like monster that arced from his left. The Cast had dived and snatched up Delg’s Photon Dagger and proceeded towards another group of SEED creatures. She twirled about, lancing through them with the grace of a dancer.
Having disposed of the monster at hand, Kazrion fired two shots blindly with his Photon Pistol and then snatched his Cannon up again, blasting down the corridor. The lit environs revealed a horrifying sight; the walls were being covered by a fleshy substance that worked its way towards them both as they fought a successful stand against the SEED. Creatures almost pilled from top to bottom through its messy surface.
“Oh no…” Kazrion uttered, terrified of the sheer futility in it all. A pair of strong, cold hands clasped him from behind.
“Stay with me.” A strong, quiet voice spoke to him. He didn’t have a choice; a sudden flash of light had begun to envelope the hallway ahead, dissolving the SEED and the environs with deadly efficiency. The explosion wrote one explanation into his brain: Someone from the outside had taken the liberty to cremate the ship and its contents! Kazrion could almost already feel the skin peel away from his bones as the light drew closer with blinding speed while he felt the clasp of the Cast draw tightly around him. The light grew brighter and hotter, transforming a single instant into a lifetime of terror. He closed his eyes and waited for the end of this nightmare…
What fate awaits the last two survivors aboard the accursed vessel, and what mysteries lie within the ancient Cast that was reactivated? Our story begins in the distant horizons of Moatoob, where an elderly Beast watches the sunset through furrowed brows that have held their weight by the centuries...
Will you become a part of this tale?
The fates conspire to resurrect an ancient resistance, and the horror of SEED is only just beginning to overtake the citizens of Gurhal. Prepare thyselves, for another epic saga in the distant star-filled sky awaits.
(Our features include or will soon include the following:
--Strong Roleplaying Environment
--Member-Hosted Events
--Ongoing, Member-influenced Fiction and Expanding Database
--Active Member forum-community and in-game Committment, so you won't have to play alone!
--Easy-going community with positive reinforcement
--And, we hope, you!
(Please only consider this offer if you are a roleplayer or interested in learning more about the art of roleplaying. If you are interesed in learning more about our guild, please contact Zweihander at [email protected] or visit our forums located at http://z6.invisionfree.com/Vagrant_Knights/index.php?c=6. We look forward to meeting you and enjoying adventures together in the world of Gurhal! We'll see you on October 24th! Steady Valor!! -Zweihander)
http://www.shatteredlegacy.com/psu/Arys.jpg -Sylph Knight, Guardian Hunter
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: SylphKnight on 2006-10-02 13:40 ]</font>