Asshole Magus Convention 2016

[The Out Of World]

The Bristol Exhibition and Convention Center! One of the greater landmarks of the city of Bristol, England, it stands out as the single largest convention center in the nation. This facility is composed of three massive buildings, each divided into a number of sub-sections and separate rooms that renders its layout comparable to a museum. Many notable events are hosted here at the Bristol Exhibition and Convention Center on an annual basis. Literature exposés, special exhibitions of groundbreaking new technologies and even the occasional get-together for fans of science fiction, all such fun times are held within these proud walls.

But the convention that brings our interest to this place is none other than the 2016 Bristol Antiquity Convention, a massive gathering of people all united by the common interest of heritage and human history. Countless antiques and aged memorabilia line the stalls during this event like street vendors handing out greasy fried delicacies at a parade on a hot Summer day.

While the Bristol Antiquity Convention may not be more than a topic of passing interest for most men and women of the modern age, it's true value is a closely kept secret known only to those who dabble in the dark underbelly, beneath the surface of the rational and sane. For you see, in the mysterious and sinister Moonlit World, the ancient and historic carry a whole different level of importance. The accumulated weight of Mystery held by olden artifacts, the power of aged materials for arcane rituals, the long-lost secrets of the divine... these factors draw Magi of all stripes from the nearby city of London, home of the Clock Tower and the Magus Association writ large, to the Bristol Exhibition and Convention Center like jackals to a fresh carcass.

On this day of the year, many dark figures have come to this event, each in search of something to fulfill their own unique ambitions…

...and every single one of them is an utter bastard.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

@Wizard_Marshall as Aaliyah Eltnam Sachmis

@Nanimani as Astrid Blanche

@Nathaniel Wolff as Joseph Janpeigo

@Silvan Eldar as Melanie Almery

@God and the Snake as Kintoki Tohsaka

@Bondo as Berenike Edelfelt

@TehChron as Aaron Gentles

@Mortifer as the Aaron Gentles Is A Jerk Alliance

and

@The Out Of World as your humble playwright and Master of Ceremonies​

 

[TehChron]

"So."

The man awoke, eyes blinking in the darkness. He struggled to see, but unfortunately, was unable to. He struggled to ask where he was, but some force kept his jaw sealed tight. He only muttered a few unmanly groaning sounds, in spite of his best efforts.

"It's my...understanding...that you are appointed to be a part of the security forces for the 2016 Bristol Antiquity Collection, is that correct?" The voice continued, the sound of it gravelly.

Was this guy for real? He was seriously being kidnapped over a two-bit antique roadshows knockoff?! The identified bobbed his head up and down, frustration and panic beginning to set in.

"Excellent, excellent." The voice replied, a wooden chuckle accompanying the sound, "You are already aware of the security measures in place for the event, is that correct?"

The man nodded again. Was this nutter serious? Was he truly going to all this trouble to rob a bloody antique convention?!

"Good, good, good." The kidnapper answered, "That's very good to hear. I assume that you've been briefed on those who are restricted from entering the grounds?"

The man nodded again.

"In which case..." The air in front of the kidnapped rippled, "Do you recognize this man?" And in that moment, a torch went off, illuminating a face so brown and craggy as if to be roughly hewn from tree bark. Blond curls growing from the top like some kind of golden moss, and a set of far too white teeth, reflecting the light of the torch back in the man's face.

Instinctively, he reared back in an attempt to distance himself from the freak...Wait, didnt he know that face?!

"So." Aaron Gentles replied, cradling his chin with a gloved hand, "You do know me. Unfortunate." The elder magus and former Enforcer shrugged, "That just means Ill be forced to get creative this year."

Creative? The humble security guard thought to himself, What the hell is that maniac planning?!

By the light of the torch, Gentles walked over to a table outside of the man's vision, and in that moment the guard felt himself caught in the grip of a strange fear. The guy's a nutter through and through! he thought to himself, as the sound of a generator kickstarting to life.

"So, my friend!" Too white teeth glimmered in the dark as he stood hauntingly, "I'm in need to pick up a few things from the convention, and you are going to help me!"

His arms crossed, and a pair of jumper cables came into view, sparks jumping between the exposed metal on their clamps. "Let's begin, shall we?"

 

[Mortifer]

"Are you sure this is the place?" Asked Guinevere, following the obscenely large man who was leading the way.

"Of course." Jove replied. "My family used to have a workshop here for stuff they didn't want the Clocktower to find."

"And now it's owned by a bunch of non-Magi?" Isaac asked.

"The Clocktower didn't know about it, and the city noticed that the house had been abandoned, so they sold it."

"Looks rather plain." Nalini complained. "I thought you said you lived in a mansion!"

"I never said I lived here." Jove replied. The Indian woman grumbled under her breath.

"What about the people who live here now?" Leysritt asked. "What are we going with them?"

"I'd always wanted maids." Nalini replied.

"I don't see how that relates to my question." Leyritt noted.

Nalini frowned, and Isaac took over.

"We'll hypnotize them." The boy replied. "What for, doesn't matter. Maybe we'll make them ignore us, or maybe we'll make them help us hunt down GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

"Keep it down!" Guinevere hissed. "People will hear, and I don't know about you, but I don't want that bastard knowing people were shouting his name around here!"

"Don't worry." Isaac replied. "I stalked him for a while a few months back, I'm pretty sure that he thinks my cry is some sort of exotic bird at this point."

"Are you two done?" Asked Jove. "Because if so, I need you to split up so we can cover all escape routes."

"This is what we'll do." Isaac demanded. "Jove, as the intimidating one, will break down the door. I will be near the back door to prevent escape, and Leysritt will watch the window to prevent an escape. Guinevere, you'll follow Jove and brainwash everyone, while Nalini-"

He trailed off as he looked around.

"...Where did Nalini go?" He asked, before jumping up. "Could it be? Has Gentles gotten her already? That bastard!"

There was a flash of fire from inside the house they were camped around, and Jove pointed.

"Or she could have rushed in ahead of that."

"Why are you all so incompetent?" Leysritt asked. Everyone ignored her.

A man started running out the front door, and Jove extended his arm in front of the man's face. He fell backwards, and Jove picked him up by his collar to pull him back inside.

A moment passed, before Nalini walked outside again.

"I have done the thing!" She declared, as two small children behind her stood still, terrified but immobile. "They will now do everything you ask! Possibly because they think we're crocodile people who will eat them otherwise, but details!"

Jove wandered inside, and everyone followed him to the fireplace.

"Isaac, brainwash the sleepy man." He ordered. Isaac rolled his eyes and passed the unconscious person to Guinevere, who struggled under the wait for a second before collapsing.

"Where is this secret base you told us about?" Asked Leysritt.

"Right here." Jove said. "Just need to get some of my prints on the right brick back here..."

He reached over the fire, not putting it out and allowing his Reinforcement to do the work, and fumbled around for a moment.

"While we're waiting for him to figure that out." Nalini suggested. "Is there any food? I haven't eaten in, like, days."

"We had tea and scones five minutes ago." Guinevere replied from under the unconscious man. "Also, help?"

"I mean real food!" Nalini snapped back. "Not any of this cheap English crap! Bah, some people have no taste..."

"Isaac, what are you doing?" Leysritt asked.

"Anti-Gentles defences!" He called back. "If either of these small children see the wooden-face asshole anywhere, they'll get close to him, then scream about stranger danger and run away. Should make it hard for him to go out in public and all."

"And you, Jove?" The homunculus replied.

The man was silent, and then stood up.

"Jove?"

The man looked back. "It might be possible that the place I was thinking of is actually on the other side of town."

 

[The Fourth Monado]

As the sun hung over the center, Joseph Janpiago (sometimes called Jogo by his friends, to his immense irritation) walked along, browsing the booths while humming.

Today, he'd picked up a lead. A certain Dead Apostle was supposed to be here-in this very center! Admittedly, he wasn't sure he could beat her in a one-on-one fight at the moment, so he'd decided to look for tools until it showed up.

His tools inside his backpack shifted excitedly. He'd managed to explain away the fact he'd been carrying a shitton of ball bearings as part of a display, and Whitey as well. He'd had to leave the Colt at home, though.

But hey! He might find a sword here! He'd always wanted a sword; swords are cool. He might even be able to test it out on the Dead Apostle!

His heart light and his backpack heavy, Jogo walked on, eyes peeled for interesting weapons.

 

[TehChron]

Just past the entrance to the convention center stood a woman.

A woman of utterly breathtaking, totally human, beauty. A fine, natural figure, curly blonde hair, and blue eyes which seemed to make her vivacious expressions all the more alive. There she stood, smiling kindly as people entered the convention center, handing out printed cards that would identify first day attendees as qualifying for a "special event" at the end of the convention.

Everyone only got one, so make sure to hold on to it!

When asked what exactly the event was, the woman simply winked conspiratorially and said but one thing:

"It's. A. Secret~!"

 

[Khawy]

A tall, large muscular figure in what appeared to be some sort of suit, bulging muscles being held back by the fine fabric. The blonde manly figure made their way across the halls, eyes scanning the various artifacts of utmost historical importance. Stopping by the diverse stalls every now and then to check out their wares, but they made no move to buy any of the historical relics.

In fact, they had no interest in the relics at all. The other Magi can go ahead and empty their funds on those artifacts, to fuel their God knows what rituals. Like some silly grand ritual to create an all-powerful wish granting device that would almost certainly spelled doom to the rest of the world being held in some backwater like Japan.

What a silly place.

The manly, suited figure had other plans in mind. Namely, a moving, breathing waste of precious space and air jackass with an ego too large to humanly cram into his head. Of course, being a Magus and all, said waste of space had the capacity for such egotism.

Brushing a stray blonde hair away from their face, the masculine, suited magus observed the busied hall with piercing blue eyes. No sign of a hedonistic monk yet. The figure moved on, becoming one with the crowd again.

From what they have had heard, the jackass should be here by now. Tohsaka was known to look for place to show off his skills, and with the convention center infested with lowlife magi scums, he wouldn't missed out on the chance to stir up the already boiling pot.

The unattractive Edelfelt heiress, Clock Tower's Enforcer Berenike Edelfelt prowl the halls of Bristol Exhibition and Convention Center, looking for her nemesis - Kintoki Tohsaka, to strangle the human-shaped gorilla and maybe give him a punch or two in the gut.

Nothing here truly mattered to her, only the prospect of shoving Kintoki's shit in one more time motivated her to come to this dreadful hive of magi scum and villainy in the first place.

 

[Nanimani]

In a cafe inside the convention center, near the center, Astrid smiled as she took a sip of tea. Overall, today was pretty good so far. The tea at this place was excellent, for British swill. And to pay for it, she had a job! One with genuinely competent coworkers! With this, she may not have to do jack shit to get paid, and it'll be easy even if she does!

...

Sure, and she'll be buying that bridge now. Really, the Clock Tower committed a tenth of their Enforcers to this and they thought they could go say 'Oh, it wont be a problem, you'll handle it easily'? If three Enforcers could handle this easily, they'd just send one instead, like the cheapskates they are. So, in the end, she just had to look natural as she braced for the incoming clusterfuck.

She sighed, taking a deep breath before sipping her tea once again. Shame the place wouldn't let her smoke inside. She'd definitely try her best to keep this from turning out like it apparently had last year, but if an Ancestor or something like that showed up, she was gone. Hopefully, it wouldn't be that extreme, though.

 

[Wizard_Marshall]

"Are you sure this is the place?" Asked Guinevere, following the obscenely large man who was leading the way.

"Of course." Jove replied. "My family used to have a workshop here for stuff they didn't want the Clocktower to find."

"And now it's owned by a bunch of non-Magi?" Isaac asked.

"The Clocktower didn't know about it, and the city noticed that the house had been abandoned, so they sold it."

"Looks rather plain." Nalini complained. "I thought you said you lived in a mansion!"

"I never said I lived here." Jove replied. The Indian woman grumbled under her breath.

"What about the people who live here now?" Leysritt asked. "What are we going with them?"

"I'd always wanted maids." Nalini replied.

"I don't see how that relates to my question." Leyritt noted.

Nalini frowned, and Isaac took over.

"We'll hypnotize them." The boy replied. "What for, doesn't matter. Maybe we'll make them ignore us, or maybe we'll make them help us hunt down GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENTLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

"Keep it down!" Guinevere hissed. "People will hear, and I don't know about you, but I don't want that bastard knowing people were shouting his name around here!"

"Don't worry." Isaac replied. "I stalked him for a while a few months back, I'm pretty sure that he thinks my cry is some sort of exotic bird at this point."

"Are you two done?" Asked Jove. "Because if so, I need you to split up so we can cover all escape routes."

"This is what we'll do." Isaac demanded. "Jove, as the intimidating one, will break down the door. I will be near the back door to prevent escape, and Leysritt will watch the window to prevent an escape. Guinevere, you'll follow Jove and brainwash everyone, while Nalini-"

He trailed off as he looked around.

"...Where did Nalini go?" He asked, before jumping up. "Could it be? Has Gentles gotten her already? That bastard!"

There was a flash of fire from inside the house they were camped around, and Jove pointed.

"Or she could have rushed in ahead of that."

"Why are you all so incompetent?" Leysritt asked. Everyone ignored her.

A man started running out the front door, and Jove extended his arm in front of the man's face. He fell backwards, and Jove picked him up by his collar to pull him back inside.

A moment passed, before Nalini walked outside again.

"I have done the thing!" She declared, as two small children behind her stood still, terrified but immobile. "They will now do everything you ask! Possibly because they think we're crocodile people who will eat them otherwise, but details!"

Jove wandered inside, and everyone followed him to the fireplace.

"Isaac, brainwash the sleepy man." He ordered. Isaac rolled his eyes and passed the unconscious person to Guinevere, who struggled under the wait for a second before collapsing.

"Where is this secret base you told us about?" Asked Leysritt.

"Right here." Jove said. "Just need to get some of my prints on the right brick back here..."

He reached over the fire, not putting it out and allowing his Reinforcement to do the work, and fumbled around for a moment.

"While we're waiting for him to figure that out." Nalini suggested. "Is there any food? I haven't eaten in, like, days."

"We had tea and scones five minutes ago." Guinevere replied from under the unconscious man. "Also, help?"

"I mean real food!" Nalini snapped back. "Not any of this cheap English crap! Bah, some people have no taste..."

"Isaac, what are you doing?" Leysritt asked.

"Anti-Gentles defences!" He called back. "If either of these small children see the wooden-face asshole anywhere, they'll get close to him, then scream about stranger danger and run away. Should make it hard for him to go out in public and all."

"And you, Jove?" The homunculus replied.

The man was silent, and then stood up.

"Jove?"

The man looked back. "It might be possible that the place I was thinking of is actually on the other side of town."

Click to shrink...

"Hey, boss lady," called the driver from the front of her limo. He was wearing a rumpled suit and a Badgers sports cap. After a decade of education, Cassim still couldn't let go of his habits ingrained from his petty criminal life. With the libido of a rabbit on viagra, he'd also gotten himself into more than one troubling situation. If it weren't for his good investigation work, she probably would've passed the troublesome young man off to one of her colleagues. "We're pulling up on your mansion."

Aaliyah's amber orbs glanced out her window. Sunlight trailed down her long silver locks and chocolate skin. She was wearing a tailored black suit, comfortable but form fitting, with a white vest underneath. Although she looked to be in her early twenties, she wore a weathered aura around her like an old war veteran.

It'd been awhile since she'd seen the Pennyworths. Good people and excellent help. She'd hired the husband and wife servants to look after one of her estates while she was away. Finding good help was so hard in the modern era, so she snatched them up whenever she could.

When the vehicle came to a stop, she stepped out and looked at the broken front door and several people who weren't the Pennyworths gathered around the entrance. The father Sebastian was on the ground, unconscious and bleeding from his head, and she recognized the telltale signs of hypnosis in his adorable children's eyes who looked more like porcelain dolls now. She didn't ask where his wife Martha was. Aaliyah was beyond furious at this point.

"Oh shit guys, you dun goofed," Sebastian said from the drivers side with a cheshire grin, looking like he was trying to withhold his laughter and failing. He reached for his flask to enjoy the show, inadvertently revealing the SIG-Sauer in his holster.

They were far away from the neighbors. One of the perks of an upscale neighborhood is not having to wave high to anyone for half a mile. That also meant no one would hear screams unless Aaliyah got creative, but just to be on the safe side, she setup a bounded field for secrecy.

"Go to sleep," Aaliyah said in a gentle tone to the children, who slowly kneeled and placed their heads on their arms as if they were taking a nap in the living room.

For the burglars, she had no words. The silent atmosphere was smothered with her killing intent, and then suddenly everything was alive. The sky was blacked out by a swarm of flying creatures. The ground and shrubbery shifted to reveal nightmarish creatures the size of kittens. Thousands of inhuman eyes gazed upon the invaders, but their hunger was incomparable to the maniacal grin on Aaliyah's face.

Without a word, the swarm descended. These fools would feel the wrath of the magus dubbed Pestilence by the Vatican.

 

[The Out Of World]

As the sun hung over the center, Joseph Janpiago (sometimes called Jogo by his friends, to his immense irritation) walked along, browsing the booths while humming.

Today, he'd picked up a lead. A certain Dead Apostle was supposed to be here-in this very center! Admittedly, he wasn't sure he could beat her in a one-on-one fight at the moment, so he'd decided to look for tools until it showed up.

His tools inside his backpack shifted excitedly. He'd managed to explain away the fact he'd been carrying a shitton of ball bearings as part of a display, and Whitey as well. He'd had to leave the Colt at home, though.

But hey! He might find a sword here! He'd always wanted a sword; swords are cool. He might even be able to test it out on the Dead Apostle!

His heart light and his backpack heavy, Jogo walked on, eyes peeled for interesting weapons.

Click to shrink...

And like a sign from God, Joseph's prayers for instruments of murder were answered while he wandered along an aimless path. His youthful, naive eyes caught the distinctive glimmer of metal from afar, which drew him in like a siren's song or perhaps the glow of a bug zapper. What he beheld was a booth of plain, dull colors that bristled to the gills with an assortment of sharp objects of all shapes: pointy, curved, studded, hat-shaped, the works. The owner of the stand was a slightly overweight man of vague Middle Eastern descent with a common case of male pattern baldness accentuated by a dome polished to a mirror shine. The rest of his skin, however, looked like the end result of what would happen if someone wiped a Big Mac on a rhino's ass.

"You looking for something kid? I've got good stock here; customers line up for Khalid's merchandise every year!" The man greeted the prospective walking source of income with a warm smile.

 

[The Fourth Monado]

And like a sign from God, Joseph's prayers for instruments of murder were answered while he wandered along an aimless path. His youthful, naive eyes caught the distinctive glimmer of metal from afar, which drew him in like a siren's song or perhaps the glow of a bug zapper. What he beheld was a booth of plain, dull colors that bristled to the gills with an assortment of sharp objects of all shapes: pointy, curved, studded, hat-shaped, the works. The owner of the stand was a slightly overweight man of vague Middle Eastern descent with a common case of male pattern baldness accentuated by a dome polished to a mirror shine. The rest of his skin, however, looked like the end result of what would happen if someone wiped a Big Mac on a rhino's ass.

"You looking for something kid? I've got good stock here; customers line up for Khalid's merchandise every year!" The man greeted the prospective walking source of income with a warm smile.

Click to shrink...

"I might be, I might be," Jogo replied, a smile on his face.

His hand slowly drifted from hilt to hilt, sometimes picking up one and hefting it. One couldn't just pick up a random weapon, after all; one has to find one that resonates with your soul and becomes an extension of your arm. Hopefully, he'd find one like that here.

 

[The Out Of World]

"I might be, I might be," Jogo replied, a smile on his face.

His hand slowly drifted from hilt to hilt, sometimes picking up one and hefting it. One couldn't just pick up a random weapon, after all; one has to find one that resonates with your soul and becomes an extension of your arm. Hopefully, he'd find one like that here.

Click to shrink...

"Ah, you are one of those 'special' shoppers." Khalid snaps his fingers as a sudden revelation strikes him. "Do not worry, this merchant is discrete at providing fine goods at a small surcharge." He smiles and withdraws a trunk from a hidden compartment in his stall and places it on a desk for examination. It was an old wooden thing with countless small, weathered characters from some foreign language engraved into the surface with unusual locks made of green metal. "Khalid has wares, if you have coin."

 

[The Fourth Monado]

"Ah, you are one of those 'special' shoppers." Khalid snaps his fingers as a sudden revelation strikes him. "Do not worry, this merchant is discrete at providing fine goods at a small surcharge." He smiles and withdraws a trunk from a hidden compartment in his stall and places it on a desk for examination. It was an old wooden thing with countless small, weathered characters from some foreign language engraved into the surface with unusual locks made of green metal. "Khalid has wares, if you have coin."

Click to shrink...

"Oh, trust me, when it comes to weapons, money isn't an issue," Jogo assured the vendor, as he looked at the box. It was even true; If it wasn't something weapon, magic or video-game related, he didn't spend money on it. He prided himself on his frugal lifestyle.

"So, do I have to show you money, or...?"

 

[Mortifer]

They were far away from the neighbors. One of the perks of an upscale neighborhood is not having to wave high to anyone for half a mile. That also meant no one would hear screams unless Aaliyah got creative.

"Go to sleep," Aaliyah said in a gentle tone to the children, who slowly kneeled and placed their heads on their arms as if they were taking a nap in the living room.

For the burglars, she had no words. The silent atmosphere was smothered with her killing intent, and then suddenly everything was alive. The sky was blacked out by a swarm of flying creatures. The ground and shrubbery shifted to reveal nightmarish creatures the size of kittens. Thousands of inhuman eyes gazed upon the invaders, but their hunger was incomparable to the maniacal grin on Aaliyah's face.

Without a word, the swarm descended. These fools would feel the wrath of the magus dubbed Pestilence by the Vatican.

Click to shrink...

"You idiot, Jove!" Shouted Nalini. "We came all this way- I had to walk! Walk! My legs have never been so sore!"

"Um, guys-" Leysritt began, but Guinevere cut him off.

"We don't have time to wander around town!" She screamed. "We're on a time limit with Gentles, and the longer we waste trying to find your families old Mystic Codes, the less time we'll have! And now you say you don't know!"

"This seems really importa-"

"I haven't been here in years!" Jove snapped back. "I was the boy's age last time I was here, and I doubt you remember where you were eleven years ago!"

"Don't call me boy!" Isaac growled back.

Leysritt sighed. "Bazzett, why are you wearing such a revealing and scandalous swimsui-"

"WHERE?" Demanded Isaac, turning around to face Leysritt.

"Behind the flood of flying monsters that will be upon us once we finish this sentence." The homunculus replied.

A moment passed.

"Oh? I mistimed i-"

And then the swarm descended. There was much screaming, and much shouting. Nalini immediately created a giant flaming phoenix and manipulated the flames around here to protect herself, and Isaac booted up his Mystic Eyes to try and take some of the flames for himself.

Jove's body sparked, before he started punching at the air, an electrified fist tearing through the beasts that came at him, while Leysritt pulled out the halberd that she totally had the entire time and started cutting them out of the air.

Guinevere, not having any combat abilities, immediately fled the room, with the other four seeking their own escape routes. Unfortunately, Guinevere chose poorly, and ended up running into another woman in the building.

Looking up and cursing her sight, Guinevere gulped. Well, time to help that the old necklace she was wearing still worked.

"D-don't come any closer!" She called, before thinking twice. The magic in the Lady of the Lake's necklace just made one more likable, not gave outright mind control, so she should leverage that. "I-I mean... Hello, it's nice to meet you, I see the monsters are keeping their distance from you, are they yours? They're very nice monsters, you must be an amazing Magus, please don't let them eat me I taste horrible."

 

[TehChron]

"Ah, you are one of those 'special' shoppers." Khalid snaps his fingers as a sudden revelation strikes him. "Do not worry, this merchant is discrete at providing fine goods at a small surcharge." He smiles and withdraws a trunk from a hidden compartment in his stall and places it on a desk for examination. It was an old wooden thing with countless small, weathered characters from some foreign language engraved into the surface with unusual locks made of green metal. "Khalid has wares, if you have coin."

Click to shrink...

The blonde woman at the entrance suddenly sniffed noticeably, but the change in demeanor swiftly came back under control

She could wait

 

[The Out Of World]

"Oh, trust me, when it comes to weapons, money isn't an issue," Jogo assured the vendor, as he looked at the box. It was even true; If it wasn't something weapon, magic or video-game related, he didn't spend money on it. He prided himself on his frugal lifestyle.

"So, do I have to show you money, or...?"

Click to shrink...

"First you take a look, then I tell you the price. You cannot beat Khalid's deals, not in any of those silly stores in London!" The man procured a rusted old key from placed better left unimagined and unlocked the trunk, which he then flipped open to reveal a glimmering trove of treasure to feast one's eyes upon. Rolls of aged parchment, bronze coins, small jade figurines, strange cubes of unidentifiable metal, obsidian arrowheads, dolls made of cloth and straw with oddly painted faces, a matching set of shrunken heads, a brace of antique pistols, a small case full of assorted gems inscribed with occult seals and more than a few tools of war that had seen better days. The most peculiar among them was what appeared to be a steel medieval mace with odd, half-melted metallic protrusions attached to the grip. At a glance, they almost looked like armor-covered fingers.

 

[The Fourth Monado]

"First you take a look, then I tell you the price. You cannot beat Khalid's deals, not in any of those silly stores in London!" The man procured a rusted old key from placed better left unimagined and unlocked the trunk, which he then flipped open to reveal a glimmering trove of treasure to feast one's eyes upon. Rolls of aged parchment, bronze coins, small jade figurines, strange cubes of unidentifiable metal, obsidian arrowheads, dolls made of cloth and straw with oddly painted faces, a matching set of shrunken heads, a brace of antique pistols, a small case full of assorted gems inscribed with occult seals and more than a few tools of war that had seen better days. The most peculiar among them was what appeared to be a steel medieval mace with odd, half-melted metallic protrusions attached to the grip. At a glance, they almost looked like armor-covered fingers.

Click to shrink...

"What a peculier weapon," Jogo mused as he saw the mace. "I kinda like it."

It obviously had some sort of magecraft worked into it. Powerful magecraft too. His... well, we'll call it his "steel sense" for now... could detect such things. At the moment, however, he could only tell said magecraft existed, not what it did.

He gestured at the weapon. "How much?"

 

[Silvan Eldar]

Melanie Almery was not having a good day.

When the Dead Apostle heard that the Bristol Antiquity Convention would be presenting a relic she'd spent thirty years looking for in one of its exhibits, she'd been overjoyed. Everything else she needed for the ritual had been ready for a good two decades, and while the rest of her research hadn't exactly been stalled, it was a bit hard to really get into it with that little failure lurking in the back of her head. So when she heard the little talon was going to be so close she set off that very moment.

In retrospect, she probably could've procured a vessel and sailed straight to Britain instead of trekking all the way across Scandinavia before doing the exact same thing. If she'd done that she'd have arrived weeks earlier and would've been able to actually set up a little food depot for herself. Instead, she'd just have to settle for subsisting off homeless bums and rodents, regardless of how bitter their blood always was.


Then again, it wasn't like she'd be staying on this accursed island for that long. Either she'd grab the relic and leave, flee without it...or she'd die.

Either way, she would only have to deal with the local restrictions on her eating habits for a few more days at most.


So with that mildly pleasant thought running through her head, the dark haired woman continued on her stroll through the inner portions of the convention center.

She may have wanted to find the witch's talon as soon as possible, but she wasn't idiotic enough to walk into a sunlit room in a complex full of magi. Even if she couldn't find the dealer she was looking for, having a good grasp of the building's layout would be worth it should she run into someone who'd want her head.

 

[Wizard_Marshall]

And then the swarm descended. There was much screaming, and much shouting. Nalini immediately created a giant flaming phoenix and manipulated the flames around here to protect herself, and Isaac booted up his Mystic Eyes to try and take some of the flames for himself.

Jove's body sparked, before she started punching at the air, an electrified fist tearing through the beasts that came at him, while Leysritt pulled out the halberd that she totally had the entire time and started cutting them out of the air.

Guinevere, not having any combat abilities, immediately fled the room, with the other four seeking their own escape routes. Unfortunately, Guinevere chose poorly, and ended up running into another woman in the building.

Looking up and cursing her sight, Guinevere gulped. Well, time to help that the old necklace she was wearing still worked.

Click to shrink...

The flames were effective at stopping her familiars, temporarily. From the ashes new creatures spawned, more resilient. Even as corpses they seemed to be strangling the barriers of fire like the angry grip of a giant, trapping them in an oxygen-less cocoon. If there were any gaps, they pushed through. Chitinous teeth snapping like dinnerware.

The electrified fist and mighty halberd tore through her larger familiars like bean bags. These methods were even less effective than the flames. As long as they weren't totally crippled, her familiars pulled themselves up like zombies reaching for the ambrosia of human flesh. The insects crawling into their clothes were barely slowed.

The little charm didn't even give her goosebumps. She stared the girl holding the necklace right in the eyes. If the charm was comparable to a subtle perfume meant to warp Aaliyah's feelings, the Muslim magus' killing intent was like bathing one's body in a thousand rusted knives.

"D-don't come any closer!" She called, before thinking twice. The magic in the Lady of the Lake's necklace just made one more likable, not gave outright mind control, so she should leverage that. "I-I mean... Hello, it's nice to meet you, I see the monsters are keeping their distance from you, are they yours? They're very nice monsters, you must be an amazing Magus, please don't let them eat me I taste horrible."

Click to shrink...

"You're in my house. You've harmed people under my care. You all deserve a dog's death!" Her words started out calm, but they grew more feverish with each word and her grin more shark-like. Aaliyah wove stronger bounded fields around the area. It looked like she wouldn't be able to stop herself from getting creative with these people.

Pzzt, boss lady. Cassim said over her earpiece. Make sure to keep one or two alive. You wanna know who they're connected to.

His words pierced through Aaliyah's haze of madness like a revelation from the devil. That was true. If there were more people involved, they deserved their dues as well. Besides, death was too good for these intruders. She wouldn't let them die until they suffered a thousand deaths and begged her for release! Humans didn't need their limbs and eyes to live did they?

 

[TehChron]

"First you take a look, then I tell you the price. You cannot beat Khalid's deals, not in any of those silly stores in London!" The man procured a rusted old key from placed better left unimagined and unlocked the trunk, which he then flipped open to reveal a glimmering trove of treasure to feast one's eyes upon. Rolls of aged parchment, bronze coins, small jade figurines, strange cubes of unidentifiable metal, obsidian arrowheads, dolls made of cloth and straw with oddly painted faces, a matching set of shrunken heads, a brace of antique pistols, a small case full of assorted gems inscribed with occult seals and more than a few tools of war that had seen better days. The most peculiar among them was what appeared to be a steel medieval mace with odd, half-melted metallic protrusions attached to the grip. At a glance, they almost looked like armor-covered fingers.

Click to shrink...

The woman stumbled suddenly, a line of blood pouring down her nose

A kindly, rich looking gentleman moved to assist her, but she waved him off while dabbing her nostril

"Oh it's just one of those things, you know how it gets at parties sometimes." She assured him with a saucy wink, "It'll pass"

The man nodded in understanding, for he too had been to many parties hosted by wealthy capitalists

 

[The Out Of World]

"What a peculier weapon," Jogo mused as he saw the mace. "I kinda like it."

It obviously had some sort of magecraft worked into it. Powerful magecraft too. His... well, we'll call it his "steel sense" for now... could detect such things. At the moment, however, he could only tell said magecraft existed, not what it did.

He gestured at the weapon. "How much?"

Click to shrink...

"Ah yes, you have good eyes for merchandise. That is a mace found by a friend of Khalid, said it was a weapon held in a treasury in China during the Yuan Dynasty, back in the days when the Khans ran things. Khalid thinks his friend was hitting the hookah pipe a bit too much; most Eastern maces have spherical heads while the shitty-awful flanges on this one are obvious signs of European craft. Melty fingers on handle also detract from collector's value, so I sell it to you for, eh...four thousand pounds." The man shrugged.

 

[The Fourth Monado]

"Ah yes, you have good eyes for merchandise. That is a mace found by a friend of Khalid, said it was a weapon held in a treasury in China during the Yuan Dynasty, back in the days when the Khans ran things. Khalid thinks his friend was hitting the hookah pipe a bit too much; Eastern maces have spherical heads, while the flanges on this one are obvious signs of European craft. Melty fingers on handle also detract from collector's value, so I sell it to you for, eh...four thousand pounds." The man shrugged.

Click to shrink...

"Righty then!" Jogo exclaimed as he pulled out his wallet from his backpack, and removed the required amount of money and handed it over. He the proceeded to zip the bag open wider, and prepared to place the mace inside.

"Pleasure doing business with you!"

 

[Mortifer]

"You're in my house. You've harmed people under my care. You all deserve a dog's death!" Her words started out calm, but they grew more feverish with each word and her grin more shark-like. Aaliyah wove stronger bounded fields around the area. It looked like she wouldn't be able to stop herself from getting creative with these people.

Click to shrink...

"I-It's not my fault!" Guinevere moaned. "That idiot Jove said he had hide-out in the city but forgot where it was! He's the one you want! I... MARS HELP!"

At the mention of their code-name, Leysritt turned to the source of the voice and charged through, cutting apart all in her wake. The things reforming around her were of no concern, as she burst to where Guinevere was.

Seeing the scary Magus in front of the potion-maker, Leysritt made use of her immense charisma.

"Hello." The homunculus said. "Do you know who these monsters belong to? We might be able to get them to go away if we punch their maker a little bit."


Meanwhile, Jove had finished bursting out the front window, and looking around, he saw a car in the driveway. A sparkle in his eye, the man continued on his way, making use of some wood magic to make the grass behind him grow to hold the beasts still.


Finally, in the distance, Isaac and Nalini were killing things with fire.

"Nalini!" Called the junior Enforcer. "Enough of the fashion show, burn the house down!"

Nalini frowned. "But that's not stylish at a-"

"DO IT!"

"I CAN'T!" Nalini screamed back. "Look around, do you see the adoring crowd! The critics ready to sing you praises! How am I meant to-"

An idea came to Isaac, who pointed in the direction of Guinevere's scream. "I heard there's a music critic over there, you better get started on your introduction!"

Nalini's eyes sparkled. "A critic? Here? Move aside, peon, it's time for me to hit the big leagues!"

Humming something beneath her breath, Nalini allowed the fire around her to form a pyrotechnics display, tha just so happened to start burning the house around her down. Using his Eyes to direct the flame away from him, Isaac followed.

This was Gentles fault somehow, he decided. He didn't know how Gentles pulled it off, but somehow, he had done this.

 

[God and the Snake]

He'd found it.

Finally.

Its lacquered wood was itself exquisite: Said to be carved from a branch of Yggdrasil, stolen during the waning days of the Age of God, it had Nordic runes carved into it, old enough to draw even the Sea of Estray's eyes upon. The iron bane wrapped around it was no less hallowed, said to have been forged from the shards of a meteorite that shattered over the Baltic Sea in 1563.

But neither of those truly mattered to the red clad man whose eyes were pressed against the glass separating him from his treasure. What mattered was the smell. Rich. Heavy. Impossibly divine.

If he held his breath and cowed the crowd around him to silence with a glare, he could even hear the faintest whisper as the contents within the wood shifted just so.

It had been a long road for the barrel to this convention center: It had been born in the palace of Ivan IV - Ivan the Terrible. Carefully crafted by his court wizards and blessed by his most pious priests, it had been meant to be presented his son, Ivan Ivanovich, on his birthday in 1582. But four months before the promised day, Ivan's father Ivan beat Ivan to death with his sceptor, and said birthday never came.

From there, the trophy before him vanished from history and into legend.

The next report claimed that the Knights of Malta had recovered it from the hold of a Barbary privateer sponsored by the Ottomans some twenty eight years later, where they sold it to Henry the IV of France, eight days before his assassination. His wife, Marie de' Medici, stricken with grief, had it cast into the Seine when it arrived in Paris.

It disappeared then for nearly two centuries, before a crew of scavengers claimed to have pulled it from the bay of Boston on December 17, 1773. Within three days, a team from the Clocktower, recognizing its runes, stole it and sent it back across the sea to London. There, it bounced between the departments for nearly a century, before it was stolen and sold by an undergraduate to cover his gambling debts. Eventually, bouncing between black market dealers and antiquity collectors across Europe for another fifty years, it was bought by the German Thule Society in 1931. Some rumors claimed the bulk of their understanding about the runic language came from the marks upon its surface, but Kintoki doubted that.

Eventually, it returned to Russia by way of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. But before Stalin could even claim its contents, World War 2 began in earnest and the Nazis invaded his homeland, and he died well before he could recall its existence.

Most of this came from rumors he'd cobbled together over the last three years, but he could confirm that it had been claimed by a Dead Apostle Ancestor in 1959 and hidden away in her castle in the Russian interior. After all, its supposed presence there had been one of the reasons he'd joined the Association's operation against the fiend.

He'd meant to claim it then, but an Enforcer had marked it as his loot and sold it to a professor back at the Clocktower before he had the chance.

But none of that mattered.

Because said professor had put it up for sale at this convention.

And, after its centuries long journey, it had finally found its way to the man who'd appreciate it the most, and he wouldn't let it escape him again.

Because Kintoki Tohsaka stood before the oldest, most infamous cask of wine to ever grace the face of The World, and he intended for it be in his stomach before the midnight bell tolled.

Regardless of who or what got in his way.

 

[The Out Of World]

"Righty then!" Jogo exclaimed as he pulled out his wallet from his backpack, and removed the required amount of money and handed it over. He the proceeded to zip the bag open wider, and prepared to place the mace inside.

"Pleasure doing business with you!"

Click to shrink...

"Yes, yes, very good." Khalid nodded as he exchanged the shitty mace for sweet dosh. Joseph could've sworn he mumbled something about 'stupid tourist Americans' under his breath, but that was probably just his ears playing tricks on him.

 

[Wizard_Marshall]

"I-It's not my fault!" Guinevere moaned. "That idiot Jove said he had hide-out in the city but forgot where it was! He's the one you want! I... MARS HELP!"

At the mention of their code-name, Leysritt turned to the source of the voice and charged through, cutting apart all in her wake. The things reforming around her were of no concern, as she burst to where Guinevere was.

Seeing the scary Magus in front of the potion-maker, Leysritt made use of her immense charisma.

"Hello." The homunculus said. "Do you know who these monsters belong to? We might be able to get them to go away if we punch their maker a little bit."

Click to shrink...

"Surrender and you'll live." It wasn't a threat, merely a fact. Aaliyah still wanted to kill them, but it wasn't an immediate priority.

Finally, in the distance, Isaac and Nalini were killing things with fire.

"Nalini!" Called the junior Enforcer. "Enough of the fashion show, burn the house down!"

Nalini frowned. "But that's not stylish at a-"

"DO IT!"

"I CAN'T!" Nalini screamed back. "Look around, do you see the adoring crowd! The critics ready to sing you praises! How am I meant to-"

An idea came to Isaac, who pointed in the direction of Guinevere's scream. "I heard there's a music critic over there, you better get started on your introduction!"

Nalini's eyes sparkled. "A critic? Here? Move aside, peon, it's time for me to hit the big leagues!"

Humming something beneath her breath, Nalini allowed the fire around her to form a pyrotechnics display, tha just so happened to start burning the house around her down. Using his Eyes to direct the flame away from him, Isaac followed.

This was Gentles fault somehow, he decided. He didn't know how Gentles pulled it off, but somehow, he had done this.

Click to shrink...

They were burning down her house. Aaliyah didn't think she could get angrier; she was wrong. Her smile became more blissful and predatory like a praying mantis before she consumed her mate. Ah, these fools must really want to suffer her wrath. Once she had them in her Workshop, she'd take her pound of flesh, literally.

Despite fighting five different people, it didn't seem as if she was troubled keeping track of them. As one, her insectile swarm crawled into the orifices of any enemy who wasn't hermetically sealed. Creepy critters crawled down throats, ears, and unmentionable places. Once they were in position, they bit down on flesh, flooding their victims with drugs, including tranquilizers.

The one called Isaac seemed to be decently covered, so she was unable to sink her fangs into him. That was part of why Aaliyah was stomping towards him like a Terminator.

As for the large, burly man...

Meanwhile, Jove had finished bursting out the front window, and looking around, he saw a car in the driveway. A sparkle in his eye, the man continued on his way, making use of some wood magic to make the grass behind him grow to hold the beasts still.

Click to shrink...

Cassim was busy looking after the Pennyworths after Aaliyah's swarm had skirted them to safety. Good news was the Pennyworths looked like they would live. Bad news was someone was stealing Cassim's wheels. He considered it his baby; there was no way he was letting someone else drive it. The boss lady might've forked over most (all) of the cash, but he'd put untold hours into the limo, modding it out. He was like a father raising his precious child. He even named her.

"Hey!" Cassim shouted as he pulled his SIG from his vest and started unloading his magazine at the runner. "Get the fuck away from Jessica, asshole!"

Fuck fuck fuck! He was too far away.