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From Mortal to Divinity (SI/CYOA Jumpchain)

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DC Universe Character Sheet
  • Informational
    • Name: Ambrosius Malphas

    Gender: Male

    Age: ~2000 (Looks 27)

    Height: 5'11

    Hair Color: White

    Eye Color: Crimson Red

    Build: Medium

    Body Type: Athlete

    Stats (Without Enhancements)

    Strength: EX

    Endurance: EX

    Agility: EX

    Magical Resistance:

    Age of Gods Magic: B+

    Modern Magic: Complete immunity

    Origin: Runes

    Elemental Affinity: Divine Letters

    Sorcery Trait: Rune God

    Metavore: Retain physically fit body no matter how much or what you eat as long as it's enough to keep from becoming malnourished

    Cosmic Warehouse:

    Belt O' Tools: Batman graciously seems to have loaned you a belt containing the tools that he'll be using for this adventure. This includes stuff like remotely applied explosives gel capable of bringing down walls (though never seems to kill when blown up near someone's feet), to a cryptographic sequencer able to track signals, hack terminals, and listen to live radio broadcasts. ...How did he know you'd be needing this stuff?

    Animal Suit: A high tech set of body armor themed after an animal of your choice (DCAMU Damian Wayne Robin suit). The head piece contains advanced electronics equipment that scans the environment for information and clues relevant to the situation. It can pick up anything from gaseous alcohol molecules that'll lead you to a crooked guard, to traces of tobacco on the ground to lead you to a hostage. You may also import a set of armor you already own to gain these qualities.

    Bat Wing: Hmm, seems like you've picked up one of Batman's spare vehicles. The Batwing is a supersonic aircraft faster than many jet fighters, possess advanced stealth systems that make it invisible to radar, and can be operated remotely, or operate autonomously.

    Bat Cave: A series of platforms and bridges situated within a small cave. Contains a computer with immense analytical abilities, a landing platform for any aerial vehicles you have, and some workshops for working on gadgets and gizmos. After the jump this can either be attached to the warehouse, or will appear somewhere nearby.

    Assistant VI: Top of the line assistant model Virtual Intelligence. Can be stored in an omni-tool and keep track of large amounts of data.

    Weapon Locker: Cache of mid to high grade weapons of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.

    Armor Locker: Cache of mid to high grade armor of all types. Enough to outfit a battlelion.

    Conflict Minerals: Massive stash of various rare elements.

    Fine Clothes: A very fine and ornate set of clothing. The equivalent of the finest you'd expect to get in your starting region.

    Land Deed: A deed to an area of land close by in your chosen region. It will be accepted by all authorities as rightfully yours. This updates each jump but is generally not a particularly large plot of land elsewhere.

    Dragonglass Cache: A black cloak with a few obsidian dagger, arrowheads, and spearheads.

    Poison: A woman's weapon to be sure, but it can't be beaten for efficiency or for matters of subterfuge.You have a replenishing chest of poisons from around the known world. From vials of the Tears of Lys to Sweetsleep to crystals of the Stranger. There is bound to be one that suits your purpose.

    Valyrian Steel Spear: An excellent weapon of your choice made from Valyrian steel. Light and exceptionally sharp. Serves as a symbol of status. Gives an impression of great strength and brings dread to your enemies. (It looks like Gungnir from Thor 2011 movie)

    Companions:

    Custos - Black panther (can import for free)

    Azula (must always import. In exchange can import for free)

    Scathach (must always import. In exchange can import for free)

    Morgan Le Fay (must always import. In exchange can import for free)

    Mordred Pendragon (must always import. In exchange can import for free)


    DC Universe

    https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1408477495304.pdf

    1000 cp to spend

    Age: 27

    Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.

    Powers:

    Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.

    Psionic (-400 cp): You are able to read surface thoughts and emotions of creatures. You are also able to perform mild telekinesis of up to 300 lbs. Even mentally nudging someone to do something. Trained creatures or those who have a strong will can resist your powers. With long years of meditation and training you can improve your powers

    Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.

    Items:

    Small Fortune (-150 cp): You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.

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

    Name: Azula

    Gender: Female

    Age: Unknown (Looks 27)

    Height: 5'10

    Hair Color: Black

    Eye Color: Gold

    Stats (Without Enhancements)

    Strength: B

    Endurance: A

    Agility: A

    Magical Resistance:

    Age of Gods Magic: A

    Modern Magic: Complete immunity

    Origin: ?

    Elemental Affinity: Average One


    DC Universe

    https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1408477495304.pdf

    1000 cp to spend

    Age: 27

    Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.

    Powers:

    Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.

    Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.

    Items:

    Javelin (-400 cp): : A ship capable of traveling underwater and into deep space. Has enough room to seat 6 comfortably. Lightly armored, armed with advanced laser weapons, and equipped with a wormhole generator.

    Lair (-100 cp): You possess a secret lair. It has a computer similar to the BatComputer, a vehicle pad, and multiple secret entrances to use to your liking.

    Small Fortune (-100 cp from Azula, -50 cp from Ambrosius) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.

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

    Name: Scathhach

    Gender: Female

    Age: Unknown (Looks 27)

    Height: 5'9

    Hair Color: Purple

    Eye Color: Crimson Red

    Stats (Without Enhancements)

    Strength: A

    Endurance: EX

    Agility: EX

    Magical Resistance:

    Age of Gods Magic: A

    Modern Magic: Complete immunity

    Origin: ?

    Elemental Affinity: Average One


    DC Universe

    https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1408477495304.pdf

    1000 cp to spend

    Age: 27

    Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.

    Powers:

    Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.

    Deep Breath (-200 cp): You can breathe in water, the pressures of the ocean no longer bother you, an exceptional swimmer, and able to communicate underwater clearly.

    Items:

    Arsenal (-50 cp): – You have an arsenal of mundane weapons such as swords or throwing stars.

    Lair (-100 cp): You possess a secret lair. It has a computer similar to the BatComputer, a vehicle pad, and multiple secret entrances to use to your liking.

    Small Fortune (-150 cp) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.

    Motherbox (-300 cp): A small highly advanced living computer from New Genesis. Capable of scanning and copying sources of information such as books, computers, and even the internet allowing for later viewing of the information. If the user is severely injured it can offer short term medical care to prevent death. It is extremely loyal to you.

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

    Name: Morgan Le Fay

    Gender: Female

    Age: ~1500 (Looks 27)

    Height: 5'9

    Hair Color: Blond

    Eye Color: Green

    Stats (Without Enhancements)

    Strength: B

    Endurance: B

    Agility: A

    Magical Resistance:

    Age of Gods Magic: A

    Modern Magic: Complete immunity

    Origin: ?

    Elemental Affinity: Average One


    DC Universe

    https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1408477495304.pdf

    1000 cp to spend

    Age: 27

    Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.

    Powers:

    Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.

    Psionic (-400 cp): You are able to read surface thoughts and emotions of creatures. You are also able to perform mild telekinesis of up to 300 lbs. Even mentally nudging someone to do something. Trained creatures or those who have a strong will can resist your powers. With long years of meditation and training you can improve your powers.

    Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.

    Items:

    Small Fortune (-150 cp) : You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well.

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

    Name: Mordred Pendragon

    Gender: Female

    Age: Biologically 7 (Looks 14)

    Height: 5'0

    Hair Color: Blond

    Eye Color: Green

    Stats (Without Enhancements)

    Strength: A

    Endurance: A

    Agility: A

    Magical Resistance: B

    Origin: ?

    Elemental Affinity: ?


    DC Universe

    https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1408477495304.pdf

    1000 cp to spend

    Age: 12

    Drop in: You start off in the middle of your starting city. No one knows you or what you can do.

    Powers:

    Regeneration (-200 cp): You heal very quickly and are difficult to truly kill. Even limbs and certain organs can be regenerated. Most wounds will heal in seconds with more grievous injuries taking a few minutes. Organs and limbs take up to a couple of hours to regrow.

    Deep Breath (-200 cp): You can breathe in water, the pressures of the ocean no longer bother you, an exceptional swimmer, and able to communicate underwater clearly.

    Mental Resistance (-200 cp): Maybe you have a strong sense of self, maybe you have magical protections, or maybe you're really good at picturing a brick wall. Whatever it is, you have proven to be capable of defending against the strongest of mental assaults and intrusions.

    Skills:

    Master Detective (-100 cp): You can't always be at a place at the right time to stop a crime. You are exceptionally skilled at finding clues, and piecing them together.

    Master Planner (-150 cp): You have a way of putting some of the best plans together. You can look at problems and quickly put together a plan to deal with it in the best manner possible. That doesn't mean you have the resources to pull it off though.

    Items:

    Small Fortune (-150 cp): You have $10,000,000 in the bank. You also gain a decent sized home and even a butler to maintain it. You have the contacts to get a nice paying job. You can choose to have the secret identity benefits as well
     
    Last edited:
  • Informational
    • I think it would be better if you didn't add the character sheet to the regular thread marks, its kinda redundant.
     
    I feel robbed I was hyped UPDATE then world said nope bitch just character sheet and I was left sad
     
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    Arrival in Bludhaven
  • Threadmarks
    • Bludhaven, New Jersey

    2002

    The first thing that my attention is brought to, upon our materialization, is the stench. The alleyway that we currently find ourselves in is dark, however with my enhanced senses I can easily see as if it were daytime. Unfortunately, this serves as a double edged sword as the alley also smells heavily of sewage, feces, and even drugs.

    "Ewww." whines Mordred as she pinches her nose. "This place is disgusting."

    "Indeed." agrees Azula as she wrinkles her nose in disgust. "Our location of arrival must be the slums."

    "Please." says Morgan with a roll of her eyes. "The whole city is a slum. Afterall, this is Bludhaven, and according to Ambrosius' information, the city is what Gotham would be like without the Waynes."

    Having said her piece, Morgan places a barrier around us that stops the smell from reaching us.

    "Now that we are no longer suffering from the smell,-" comments Scathach. "-I believe that it is best to plan our next steps."

    "Our first priority should be to create identities for ourselves." I answer.

    "How?" asks Mordred with a frown.

    "With the Motherbox of course." answers Scathach as she reaches into one of five duffel bags that was transported into this universe alongside us.

    Each duffel bag can carry an infinite amount of items as long as they fit through the entrance. As such, they contain 10 million dollars along with any other item that was bought with cp and can fit through the entrance. It was a gift from ROB. As for the bigger items, such as the javelin, they are in my warehouse.

    Grabbing the Motherbox, Scathach removes it from her duffel bag as she straightens herself back up. As stated by its name, the Motherbox is in fact a box slightly bigger than a smartphone. Unlike a smartphone however, the Motherbox is not a screen, but instead what seems to be smooth circuits that travel along its surface.

    "Motherbox, connect to this planet's system of interconnected computer networks." orders Scathach.

    In response to her command, the circuits on the Motherbox light up as it beeps in reply.

    "How do you know what it's saying?" asks Mordred with curious wonder on her face.

    "I simply do." replies Scathach with a smile. "Besides, it is not an it. Rather it is a sentient computer."

    With a few more beeps, the Motherbox seems to deliver good news to Scathach as her smile turns into a smirk.

    "Motherbox is connected to the internet." informs Scathach. "She is also able to access any system that is connected to the internet regardless of its protection."

    "Perfect." I answer. "Before we can have our identities forged, it is best if we obtain information for this universe."

    "Motherbox, what are the most impactful events of the past ten years." asks Scathach.

    Similar to before, Motherbox answers with a series of beeps that I do not comprehend. Surprisingly, it does not take Motherbox longer than a few seconds before it once again beeps back at Scathach.

    "Well, this certainly has been an uneventful past few years." comments Scathach. "Nothing of importance happened until 1998 when rumors of a 'Superman' and, a magician of sort, fighting crime and saving lives began circulating in the media."

    "What do we know of the magician?" I ask as I cross my arms and think.

    "I believe that it is Zatara. According to the media, he wears a suit, and seems to perform his feats of magic by speaking backwards." replies Scathach.

    "Superman and Zatara are active." I comment as I rub my chin in thought. "Are there any others?"

    "Yes." replies Scathach. "Gotham seems to have a Bat problem as of 1999, Central city received a speedy protector, and Wonder Woman has restarted her career last year after her hiatus in 1946, with a rookie Green Arrow and Aquaman joining in."

    "Have any of them collaborated with one another?" asks Azula

    "No, they seem to strictly operate within their self-designated cities." answers Scathach.

    "Very well, what can you tell us about Bludhaven?" asks Morgan.

    "Certainly nothing good." replies Scathach. "Bludhaven was a former whaling town until the inhabitants decided to transform it into a manufacturing and shipping center. Ever since then, the town has had a generally poor socio-economic populace."

    "Corruption must be rampant then." comments Morgan.

    "What do you mean?" asks Mordred with a frown.

    "Considering its location,-" says Azula as she begins to explain. "-Bludhaven should be teeming with business. Even if they failed as manufacturers, its shipping business should easily overshadow Gotham's thereby providing them with ample business to help with its economy."

    "So the people who run this city are corrupt and are taking advantage of their power?" questions Morgan.

    "Yes." I reply. "And considering the state of this alley, I would not be surprised if this city also has to deal with gangs that deal in drugs and human trafficking."

    "So what are we waiting for? Let's start taking those guys down." says Mordred as she punches her right fist into her left palm. "We can even do it as superheroes like Superman and Wonder Woman."

    "No." Morgan, Azula, and I say simultaneously, causing Mordred to frown.

    Moments like these always manage to make me question whether or not it was right for her to be raised as she was. We knew that she would most likely die prematurely due to her heritage as a homunculus. As such we raised her with one purpose in mind, the completion of her dream of becoming the greatest Knight of Camelot. Her education consisted mainly of martial arts and warfare, as such she is as naive as any child when it comes to subjects such as these.

    "I refuse to prance around in brightly colored spandex beating up petty thugs." comments Azula, bringing me out of my thoughts.

    "Things are not that simple." instructs Morgan. "As stated by Azula, beating up criminals will not solve the problem."

    "So what? We just let them do whatever they want?" replies Mordred with a frown. "As a Knight, I cannot allow that."

    "What makes you think that we will not deal with them?" I ask her with a smirk.

    "But, didn't you guys say no?" asks a puzzled Mordred.

    "They did." answers Scathach as she gently places a hand on Mordred's shoulder. "However, it is not because they wish to ignore the problem. Rather it is because your method would prove ineffective. This problem must be solved from both within and without the system."

    "It would also be unwise to draw attention to ourselves this early." I say in addition.

    "To solve this problem, we will have to tackle it on multiple fronts." says Azula as a smirk grows on her face.

    "Indeed, I believe that we must each choose a way to help based on our skills." says Scathach. "I will be working on the business front of things to see if it is possible to turn this city into the booming shipping industry it should be."

    "I will infiltrate the criminal elements of this city." claims Morgan. "Crime cannot be completely snuffed out, however it can be controlled. It would be best to remove components such as drugs and human trafficking."

    "Then that leaves me to deal with the government." states Azula a smirk on her face and a glint in her eyes. "How lovely."

    "What about father and I?" asks Mordred as she crosses her arms.

    "I have my own goal that I will be pursuing." I inform her with a shake of my head. "As for you? Well that is up to your mother whether you will be participating or not."

    "What?!" exclaims Mordred. "Why? You know that she's become overprotective now. Why would you let her decide?"

    "I am not overprotective." answers Morgan. "You are simply too brash and refuse to think things through before acting."

    Knowing that her mother is correct, Mordred turns to me for help, prompting Morgan to follow suit with a glare. Had this been a few centuries ago, I may have sided with Mordred. Unfortunately for her, not only is Morgan correct, but her magical abilities have reached the point of being effective even with my magical resistance. As such I decide to simply step back rather than angering a super powerful witch mother who happens to be one of my loves. Besides, I happen to agree with Morgan on this subject.

    Seeing my reaction, Mordred pouts and crosses her arms while Morgan simply gives me an appreciative nod for not challenging her.

    "Will you be staying until the completion of our identities, or will you be leaving now?" asks Scathach.

    "I will be leaving now." I answer. "I wish to at least attempt to complete my objective as soon as possible. That way if I fail then I will not have wasted too much time."

    "When will you be back?" asks Morded as she tightly hugs me.

    "I will be back in one year at the latest." I reply as I gently pat her head.

    "You better." answers Mordred as she lets go of me.

    With her no longer hugging me, I say my goodbye to Azula, Scathach, and Morgan before making my way out of the alley.

    Sensing the Atlantic off to the East, I make my way there undetectable to the city's occupants. Throughout my walk I cannot help but notice the horrible state of the city. Between the broken roads and buildings, homeless men and women, and the gangs loitering around, Bludhaven truly is in a worse condition than its sister city, Gotham.

    Arriving at the docks, I attempt to enjoy the ocean's breeze, only for me to wrinkle my nose in disgust at the water's pollution. With a sneer of revulsion, I dive into the water while making sure to keep myself dry before propelling myself down and forward. Once far enough from the city, I speed up and quickly break the sound barrier.

    Before I can get far however, I feel my control over the water wrest from me and used to immobilize me.

    "What an interesting demigod you are." booms a masculine voice around me. "I can feel your connection to me, yet I do not recall siring you."

    As the voice finishes speaking, the water in front of me rearranges itself to create a male form. Once the form stabilizes, I am easily able to make out the man as Poseidon himself. Standing at around eight feet tall, Poseidon has white hair, a neatly trimmed white beard, a deep tan, and sea-green eyes. While his lower body is that of a mermaid with green scales, his upper body is naked, showcasing his strong and defined muscles, and his hands hold a golden trident.

    "Tell me demigod,-" he says as he approaches me. "-how did you come to exist? I would very much remember having a progeny such as you. Especially one as powerful as you. You are practically leaking divine power to those who are looking."

    Even without attempting, I know that resisting would be futile. I am in Poseidon's domain where even Zeus himself would find it difficult to resist. As such I decide to simply answer him and deal with the ramification of my answer later.

    "This is not my universe, and my father is Neptune." I answer through gritted teeth.

    "Interesting. Truly interesting" comments Poseidon as he circles me like a predator surveying its prey. "That must make you a child of my avatar Neptune. Yes, that makes sense. It would explain why I do not remember. Not all of us can remember or know what our avatars have been up to like Zeus."

    As Poseidon continues to ramble on, I cannot help but notice how he spitefully mentions Zeus. It seems that they are currently not on good terms with one another. Hopefully their poor relationship will serve to make him 'forget' mentioning my existence to Zeus.

    "Well, you have my permission to leave. You no longer interest me." comments Poseidon as he relinquishes his control over the Atlantic to allow me to move. "A word of warning however, refrain from drawing Zeus' attention. Olympus is no longer in harmony, and Zeus has grown paranoid."

    Having said his piece, Poseidon's water avatar falls apart as his presence leaves the sea to most likely return to the dimension from which Olympus is located.

    Once his presence is completely gone, I cannot help but curse excessively in latin. It seems that the gods here are closer to their pre new 52 selves, making them far too dangerous for me to face without suffering some form of consequence.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I kinda know nothing coming into this, and I love it.

    I do however wonder what his goal is since the league most definitely has not been formed, and most villains of actual power are not around making trouble yet.

    Also haven't noticed any grammar or punctuation mistakes while reading through, so good job to you for that.
     
    Infinity Island
  • Threadmarks
    • Somewhere in the Indian Ocean

    2002

    Infinity Island, headquarters of the League of Assassins. As I exit the water and walk onto the beach, I cannot help but observe the fact that finding it has turned out to be far easier than I anticipated. Then again, I certainly cheated by utilising the powers granted to me from my divine heritage.

    Once on the beach, I remove my rune suit and replace it with pants made of regular cloth before storing my rune suit in the storage space tattooed on my stomach. Having taken care of that, I move onto the next step, sealing all of my supernatural abilities to leave me in peak human condition.

    Invented to serve as a training tool, the runic array is designed to be able to seal either one supernatural ability or all, even suppressing my divinity. Its purpose is to simulate the loss of one, or all, paranormal attributes. As such, should I ever truly lose one or all of my magical abilities in battle, I will not be caught flat footed. It can also serve to seal an enemy's powers.

    Barely taking me a second to inscribe on my skin and to activate, the array makes use of all the knowledge I have learned from Japanese sealing magecraft.

    Once the seal is activated, I immediately feel my loss of connection to the sea, the earth, and even storms. I can no longer feel my magic circuits, nor is any of my bending abilities available to me. I have effectively been turned into a human being, albeit one at peak physical capability.

    With that done, I no longer tarry and make my way towards the jungle connected to the beach. Stepping past the initial trees, I can already countless eyes fall upon my person and heavily scrutinise me. Remembering how the League operated back in the Arkham Universe, I know that it is highly likely that, before I even make it one mile into the jungle, I will be set upon by assassins from all sides.

    As I pass the first half of the mile, I begin to subtly regulate my breathing and shift my casual walk into an alert one. This is a skill that Bruce taught me for when I am being stalked by a potential assassin. Done correctly, it will help the body instantly shift from relaxed to battle ready with your opponent none the wiser. As far as I know, only two people have ever managed to see through the ruse, Lady Shiva herself and her daughter, Cassandra Cain. Even then, it was due to their ability to read a person's body language as if they possessed the sharingan.

    Reaching three quarters of the mile, I immediately feel a shift in the atmosphere as danger makes its presence known. My first indication of the incoming attack is the rustle of the leaves over my head. Without bothering to stop my walk, I casually step to the right as the assassin perched over my head falls and impales the location from which I would have been had I not sidestepped. Not giving the assassin time to retrieve their sword from the ground, I kick him to the back of the head and knock him out.



    The second assassin makes herself known by accidentally snapping a branch as she lunges towards me from the right, sword poised and pointed towards my skull. For a fodder member of the League, her execution is almost exceptional. From the top of my head, only about seventy non powered humans can survive this assault, and of those seventy only half would come out unscathed. Tilting my head backwards, I evade the stab and proceed to let her fly by me before grabbing her unconscious comrade's sword. As she tucks and rolls into her landing, I throw the sword where I calculate she will come to stop. However, it seems that she is far more skilled than anticipated as she forces herself into a premature stop before turning around and deflecting the flying sword away from her.

    Without saying a word, the assassin launches herself at me as I hear more approaching. Dodging her first slash step into her guard and kick her in the solar plexus, knocking the breath from her lungs. Soon enough the kick is followed by an elbow to the back of the head that knocks her out. Just in time for the remaining assassins to decide that hiding in the shadows is futile with their paltry skill level. Before fully turning my attention to them, I pick up the female assassin's sword and give it a few practice swings.

    As predicted earlier, I find myself surrounded from all sides by about a dozen assassins all garbed in full black and grey combat gear. Surveying each side, I am easily able to tell that while these assassins have been bloodied, that they are in no way, shape or form the best of the League. It is in their stance. There is a quiet confidence there, yet that confidence is clouded by a layer of doubt.

    Taking the initiative, I launch myself at the ones facing my front. Not expecting me to react in such a way, the assassin barely manages to move his sword in an attempt to block and fall for my feint. Not wasting the chance, I hit the side of his head with the flat side of the sword, knocking him unconscious.

    As his body falls to the ground, I am forced to dodge a sword slash towards my throat. In retaliation I knee him in the solar plexus before also slapping him with the flat side of the blade. While I was preoccupied with these two, the assassins at my back stepped forward with the instigator stabbing towards my spine. Bringing my own weapon up, I knock his blade aside before kicking him to head, sending his body to the ground in an unconscious heap.

    Seeing their compatriot knocked out does nothing to deter the rest and as a group they attack. Dodging a slash towards my chest, I step back to evade another stab while at the same time bringing my sword up to block a third strike. With my superior speed I deflect the blocked sword and take the opening to knock the wielder out with a punch to the face. During the time it took me to do so however, an assassin attempted to remove my head from my shoulders. I duck under the swing and launch into a roll that places me behind the assailant.

    "That's enough!" commands a masculine voice before I am able to retaliate.




    Turning to face the owner of the voice, I see a man with an imposing physique. He is large, muscular, and has large fists. He is bald, has bulging eyes, and wears an earring in his left ear. The man is easily recognizable as Ubu, Ra's al Ghul's most loyal servant. Even more loyal than his daughters. Ubu wears a practical utility suit, consisting of a green shirt, gray cargo pants, sturdy boots, and a utility belt with plenty of pouches. He also wears heavy bands around his wrists.

    "You have proven your martial prowess intruder." comments Ubu as he approaches me. "As such, the master has deemed it fit to permit you an audience. Come"

    Without seeing whether I am following him or not, Ubu walks past me towards the center of the island.

    Dropping the sword in my hand, I follow Ubu towards his master's location. The journey is spent in complete silence as we traverse through the jungle with ease. Eventually we exit the jungle and come upon a mountain with a castle built at its peak. Due to how it is built within the mountain, differentiating between the mountain itself and the castle is extremely difficult. Not bothering to see whether I managed to keep up with him, Ubu begins to scale the mountain with me following close behind.

    Three minutes later, we arrive on a plateau upon which a hidden doorway opens. Traversing through the door, I find myself in a barely lit corridor which we travel for approximately two minutes before encountering our first turn. From there we make a series of turns which I make sure to keep track of just in case.

    After our fifteenth turn in total, we arrive at a wooden doorway guarded by two assassins. Judging by their stance alone I am able to identify them as far more skilled than their counterparts in the jungle. It would not surprise me if these two are members of the League's elites.

    With synchronized nods, the assassins allow Ubu to open the door and make his way inside. Following him, I enter a study well lit by a hanging chandelier. Surprisingly the room is not lavishly decorated and contains the bare minimum to make a functional study. Both the left and right walls are covered by shelves full of books. Up front is a desk large enough to sit three people comfortably with Ra's al Ghul himself sitting behind it.

    Ra's al Ghul is a tall and daunting man with green eyes. He has black hair with gray streaks on the sides along with a long black mustache, and wild black eyebrows.

    He dresses in a regal manner, with the majority of his clothes covered by a high-collared green cloak with large gold buttons. Underneath it, he wears a black vest with gold hems, a white undershirt, and a golden sash. He wears black pants and knee-high black boots.

    Behind Ra's right shoulder stands someone I did not expect to meet as of yet, his daughter, Talia al Ghul.

    Talia is a woman with an Arabian heritage. She has high cheekbones, a sharp nose, green eyes like her father, and long brown hair. She wears pants and a top of a light fabric, exposing her midriff, shoulders and sternum. She also wears golden earrings and a beaded belt. Hidden behind her lower back, and mostly attached to her belt, is a dagger whose hilt I am barely able to make out.

    "Thank you Ubu." says Ra's as the servant makes his way next to Talia to stand. "Now tell me, intruder, who are you and why should I not have your head removed from where it rests on your shoulders."

    "My name is Ambrosius Malphas." I answer him. "And as for you removing my head from its shoulders, you are certainly welcomed to try."

    "Ubu." commands Ra's with narrowed eyes.

    Obeying his master's command, Ubu launches himself at me with a fist swinging towards my head. Bringing an arm up, I redirect Ubu's punch with a palm and follow through with a punch to the throat. Recovering quickly, Ubu blocks with his forearm only to slightly wince from the pain of the impact. Before he can fully recover, I attempt to sweep his legs out from under him only for him to jump over my leg. Borrowing one of Zuko's favorite moves, I turn the leg sweep into a helicopter kick that connects painfully to Ubu's waist while he is still in the air. Using the kick's momentum, I launch myself into the air and throw a roundhouse kick at my opponent's temple. Ubu manages to reorient his forearm to block and once again winces in pain from the impact. As gravity takes hold and I begin to fall, I kick my opponent in the solar plexus with my remaining leg, knocking the breath from his lungs, and as he hunches over in pain, I bring my elbow to the back of his head and knock him out.

    "Impressive." comments Ra's as he stands up from his desk. "You have proven yourself to be worthy of keeping alive. Now, how did you find this island? This location cannot be found on any map and is invisible to any form of satellite imaging."

    "While that may be true,-" I answer him with a stoic face. "-nothing protects it from mysticism."

    "Magic." comments Ra's al Ghul with a slight sneer. "I very much miss the days when it was accessible to a select few."

    "You assume that I am not part of this select few." I answer.

    "Are you?" he asks with a raised eyebrow.

    "Perhaps." I answer with a shrug. "Perhaps not."

    Hearing my answer, Ra's stares into my eyes as if searching for something. After a few seconds he simply nods with a slight smile.

    "You impress me Mr. Malphas." says Ra's. "Certainly not an easy feat to accomplish. Especially not in the limited amount of time in which we have known one another. Tell me do you prefer your Roman heritage, or perhaps you favor your Greek heritage."

    His question catches me off guard for a second before I fully process what he is asking me. Having done so I cannot help but chuckle at having such information found out this quickly.

    "You certainly impress me Mr. al Ghul. My heritage is not something that I expected to be found out this quickly." I say to him. "To answer your question, I am in fact partial to my Roman heritage as I do not possess a Greek one. How ever did you know?"

    "Your fighting style. There is a hint of pankration there. However, while you made use of that style, your mannerism screamed Roman. From the way you analysed the field, to how you identified the weakest link." he answers as he makes his way around the table to stand in front of me. "You attempted to hide it, which for the most part you were successful."

    "Pankration is a lost art, and as for my mannerism, any warrior worth their skill would have done the same." I reply with a raised eyebrow.

    "Very true, however-" says Ra's with an almost unnoticeable smile. "I have lived for at least six hundred years and possess scrolls from every era of mankind. As for your mannerism, well let us say that throughout my centuries of living I have encountered quite a few interesting things and leave it at that."

    No matter how much I analyse him, I cannot seem to tell whether he is lying or not, and this very much unnerves me.

    "Now Mr. Malphas,-" says Ra's as he brings me out of my thoughts. "-to what do I owe the pleasure of your unannounced visit?"

    "I have a goal." I tell him. "There is a certain state of mind that I wish to accomplish, yet seems to elude me."

    "Mushin." comments Ra's al Ghul as his eyes slightly widen. "You believe that I know how to achieve mushin?"

    "Of course not." I answer. "However, this place can be said to be a sanctuary for martial arts and warriors alike. If I am to achieve this state of mind, then here would be the best place to try."

    "And why should I help you when you have nothing to offer me?" asks Ra's.

    "Should I succeed, then you would know what method is most likely to be a success. It would allow you to train your personal warrior to also achieve Mushin." I reply.

    "Very well." answers Ra's al Ghul before he turns towards his daughter. "Talia, escort our guest to a room."

    With a nod to her father Talia makes her way out of the room as I follow behind her with a triumphant smirk on my face.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • For those like me who didn't know what Mushin was, here's a Wikipedia snippet:

    Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat or everyday life. There is an absence of discursive thought and judgment, so the person is totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. At this point, a person relies not on what they think should be the next move, but what is their trained natural reaction (or instinct) or what is felt intuitively. It is not a state of relaxed, near-sleepfulness, however. The mind could be said to be working at a very high speed, but with no intention, plan or direction.

    Some masters believe that mushin is the state where a person finally understands the uselessness of techniques and becomes truly free to move. In fact, those people will no longer even consider themselves as "fighters" but merely living beings moving through space.
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    Sounds like something Malphas would want, and it should mesh well with Eye of the Mind and Clairvoyance. Is allowing the League of Assassins to learn from his efforts the best idea, though? I know he's lawful neutral, and the League is very practical sometimes, but their agenda is a bit nutty and their methods often distasteful even before you remember that they're a bunch of villainous assassins.

    Edit: I just checked to confirm, but Malphas doesn't have any 1-up's. Is chilling with the League of Asaassins without that safety net a good idea? I mean, sure, he can probably release his seals with but a thought, but that doesn't mean much if you're poisoned in your sleep or such.
     
    Last edited:
    Relyt118 said:
    For those like me who didn't know what Mushin was, here's a Wikipedia snippet:



    Sounds like something Malphas would want, and it should mesh well with Eye of the Mind and Clairvoyance. Is allowing the League of Assassins to learn from his efforts the best idea, though? I know he's lawful neutral, and the League is very practical sometimes, but their agenda is a bit nutty and their methods often distasteful even before you remember that they're a bunch of villainous assassins.

    Edit: I just checked to confirm, but Malphas doesn't have any 1-up's. Is chilling with the League of Asaassins without that safety net a good idea? I mean, sure, he can probably release his seals with but a thought, but that doesn't mean much if you're poisoned in your sleep or such.
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    it's debatable if they can learn as they are either followers or maniacs, it's entirely possible that the Lazarus pit has made it impossible for ras or Italia to learn it as it does cause madness
     
    Mushin
  • Threadmarks
    • Infinity Island, Indian Ocean

    2002

    The next day, garbed in a simple tank top and shorts, I make my way out of the spartan room and head towards the courtyard for my morning exercise. It does not take me long to make my way through the poorly lit corridors to the courtyard that Talia had shown me when she guided me to my room.

    The courtyard is big enough to contain hundreds of members of the League that are currently partaking in their morning exercises. As I make my way towards an isolated part of the courtyard, I notice many members paying close attention to my actions. Evidently word of my actions has spread amongst the footsoldiers. After all, who has ever heard of a complete stranger infiltrating the main headquarters of the League of Assassins, beating many of its members, receiving an audience with the master, and being welcomed into said headquarters all in a matter of hours. The question now is whether they study me out of caution, curiosity, or malice.

    Arriving at my designated location, an unoccupied section of the courtyard near the weapon racks, I begin with simple stretches before moving on to simple bodyweight exercises for warm up. While a regular push up will no longer increase my strength, it still serves the purpose of getting flowing. Once I feel that I have sufficiently warmed up, I begin to shadow spar using strictly what little airbending form I have picked up from watching and sparring Aang. It takes me a few seconds, but eventually I get a flow going. After one minute, I begin to mix it with firebending forms. Once another minute passes by I mix in earthbending forms. The cycle continues until I am making use of all bending forms. As I begin to truly build a flow, I see Ra's al Ghul approach me in my peripheral vision. Accompanying him are two other people that I have yet to identify.

    "That is interesting." comments Ra's as he comes to a stop near me. "You have taken Tai Chi Chuan, Hung Ga kung fu, Northern Shaolin kung fu, Baguazhang, heavily modified them, and made use of them in a harmonic fashion."

    Finishing my current combination, I take a deep breath before turning to him.

    "It is nothing special." I answer him with a small smile on my lips. "I am sure that the elite of your League can easily do the same."

    "Of course." he answers dryly before turning towards his companions. "Allow me to introduce you to your aids, for lack of a better term. Sensei and Lady Shiva."

    Lady Shiva, the most dangerous martial artist in this universe, is a tall yet slender woman standing at five feet eight inches and appears to be rather young. She has a pale complexion, short raven colored hair, black lipstick and brown eyes. She wears a long sleeve red shirt that has a diamond shaped breast window, dark grey pants, and black combat boots.

    While Lady Shiva is a youthful woman, Sensei is the opposite. Standing at five feet six inches, he is an old, light-skinned man with white hair and one dark right brown eye while his left is a blank milky white. He is completely bald on the top of his head, and the rest of his hair extends near his shoulders. His white mustache extends to his cheeks and under his chin. He has a large scar across his chest, and a smaller scar extending from his forehead to just under his left milky eye. For clothing he wears a simple red gi with gold accents.

    While he may not be as dangerous as Shiva, this old man is still one of the most lethal martial artists in this universe. None know what his origin is other than the fact that he is biologically related to Ra's al Ghul in some way. However, the most speculated answer is that he is Ra's father.

    "A pleasure." I say to the two with a simple nod while the two go about scrutinising me.

    "I will leave you three to it." says Ra's as he turns and leaves with Talia following like a good little duckling.

    "Do you have a preferred style of combat?" asks Lady Shiva as she makes her way to a weapon rack to the side.

    I follow her movements with my eyes while preparing myself for the upcoming struggle. How typical of her. The first thing she does after meeting a martial artist is test their prowess.

    While I am confident in my skills as a martial artist, I have never faced any one of her caliber before. While Bruce was an excellent teacher, Shiva has faced him countless times and has never lost.

    "A sword?" she asks jokingly while pointing towards a katana. "No?" she rhetorically asks again. "Or perhaps a kusarigama?" she questions as she points towards the chained scythe.

    "Please." I say with an eye roll. "You and I both know that my weapon of choice is the spear."

    "So you do know." comments Shiva as she grabs a spear with a wooden shaft from the rack and tosses it to me.

    "That you can read one's body language to the point of knowing them intimately?" I answer as I catch the spear and twirl it in my hand. "I suspected that the rumours were true, and you simply confirmed them with your jesting questions."

    "It seems that you may be interesting after all." she answers as she grabs a chinese Dao before making her way to face me.

    The weapon is a one-handed, single-edged Chinese sword that is primarily used for slashing and chopping. They are very reminiscent of Zuko's swords from his tenure as the blue spirit.

    "That is good." she says as she sets herself into a fighting stance. "I would hate to kill you out of boredom."

    With my heart racing, I ready myself in a fighting stance and prepare to not hold back. From what I know of her, Shiva is very much capable and willing to kill someone who has failed to meet her expectations. And while my seal will release itself without a thought should I truly be in mortal danger, I have no intention of the League learning of my true capabilities this early.

    As if given an unheard and unseen signal, Shiva and I launch ourselves at each other. Not bothering to hold back, I make full use of my unnamed style of spearmanship which incorporates the styles I have gleaned from every spear I have laid my eyes on.

    As Shiva comes into range of my spear I stab straight towards her chest. She easily parries the blow only for her to have to dodge backwards as I twirl the spear in my hand and send its shaft towards her knee. Recovering quickly she steps into the opening that my twirl created only for me to kick her in the stomach sending her skidding backwards.

    "I cannot read you." she comments with a weird expression that is between a frown and a smile.

    Of course she cannot. I am not using any one style, rather it is an amalgamation of every spearmanship style I have learned by reading the weapons that Gilgamesh threw at me. From Achilles, to Cu, and even Li Shuwen's form of spearmanship that eventually became the Bajiquan. Not only have I learned them, but I have also blended them into one style that allows me to quickly switch from one move to the other. When she reads my body language, she is reading thousands of possible combinations with each one having the possibility of killing her.

    Not bothering to answer her, I take the initiative and launch myself at her. As we clash once again I can feel that this time things are different. She no longer tries to read my body language and instead opts to react rather than act, showing me that even without her ability to effectively read my body language, she is still very much a lethal warrior. Even with the knowledge that she can kill me in this fight, somehow it almost feels as if I am enjoying the battle.

    With one hand I sweep my spear towards her legs in an attempt to knock her down, however she vaults over the spear with a front flip that sends her foot hurtling towards my chest. Not bothering to immediately retrieve my weapon, I redirect her foot away from me while stepping into her personal space, only to have to tuck and roll under her sword slash.

    "The most lethal assassin indeed." I comment to her as I stand up. "Even without your ability to read me, you are still very much a hazard to my health. What a violent woman you are."

    "Please." she answers with nearly imperceptible sarcasm in her voice. "I despise violence."

    Having said our piece, we once again return to our fatal dance. This time there is no denying it, I am enjoying myself. It feels good to be able to do battle and enjoy it with no stakes to worry about. Evidently I am not the only one enjoying the fight as Shiva herself is smiling like a loon.

    As Shiva steps in close to me with a downward slash, she makes the range of my spear a burden. As such I block with the shaft, cutting it in half. While the block did not stop the attack, it certainly gave me time to sidestep it and step into her personal space to place the blade of my spear to her throat.

    "I do believe that the victory is mine." I comment with a smirk on my lips.

    "Well done." she answers. "Truly you are a worthy adversary."

    Says the woman who is somehow more dangerous in hand-to-hand combat than she is with weapons. Still, considering who she is and her unpredictable temperament, I will quietly take the compliment.

    "Now that you are finished,-" speaks Sensei for the first time. "-perhaps we can focus on our objective."

    "But Sensei,-" answers Shiva. "You know I could not help myself. I had to test him. I just had to."

    "Regardless, our presence here serves a purpose." he says as he approaches us. "It would best that we attend to it."

    "Indeed. Someone wishes to achieve Mushin." comments Shiva as she stares at me as if I possess multiple heads.

    "I presume that there is a reason why Ra's al Ghul has chosen you two to aid me?" I ask as I ignore Shiva's incredulous stare.

    "Of course." answers Sensei. "There are many processes theorized to help achieve Mushin, however none have been documented to succeed. Shiva and I represent two of those many processes based on our specialties."

    Considering that Mushin is achieved when a person's mind is free from thoughts of anger, fear, or ego during combat, allowing the person to be totally free to act and react towards an opponent without hesitation and without disturbance from such thoughts. Then I can infer that Sensei represents achieving Mushin through meditation while Shiva represents achieving Mushin through constant battles. Essentially achieving it through meditation and synchronising the body, soul and will, or by forcing it through life and death battles similar to how Goku achieved Ultra Instinct.

    "Very well." I answer puzzledly as sensei slowly retreats away from me. "When do we begin?"

    "Now!?" exclaims Shiva as she launches herself at me, this time with no weapon in her hand.

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


    Infinity Island, Indian Ocean

    2002, Around six months after Ambrosius' Arrival

    "Tell me Ambrosius,-" says Ra's as he moves one of his rooks to take one of my knights on the chess board. "Why have you decided to seek a path to Mushin? It is not a requirement for one to be considered an accomplished warrior, nor is it easily achieved. Many spend their lifetimes pursuing it, yet I can count the amount of successes throughout my lifetime on one hand."

    We are currently in his study, sometime well after midnight, playing our usual game of chess with a timer by the side. Should no one win within the designated time, then it will be considered a draw. So far I take the lead with 95 wins to his 85 with a single draw.

    "Truthfully,-" I answer as I move a pawn forward. "-there is no reason other than wanting to better myself. As you have noticed, I am an accomplished warrior with few equals. I simply believe that Mushin is the next logical step in my journey."

    "Logical indeed." he answers as he carefully studies the board. "However, is it such an important endeavor that you had to seek out the League? Were you not afraid that I would have you slayed in your sleep?"

    Having said so, he moves the same rook to take one of my pawns that was dangerously close to promoting, only to lose it to my own rook and placing his King in check.

    "You are a pragmatic man Ra's. Every action you take serves to benefit you. Killing me when I offer you the possibility of knowing how to achieve Mushin would not benefit you in any way. Especially since you lose nothing" I answer as he moves his King.

    Besides, when one is raised by the Viper himself, one tends to inherit his habit of ingesting poison and venom to become immune. A dash of the Tears of Lys here, or a sprinkle of basilisk venom there will eventually help build a certain amount of immunity. I have been doing that for centuries with poison and venom from the Game of Thrones universe, the Percy Jackson universe, and even from the Nasuverse. The poisons from those universes are worse than anything the League can muster.

    "Perhaps. However, do you not fear what I would do with that knowledge?" he asks as I make my rook retreat.

    "Knowledge, in this situation, is not enough." I reply as I move my previous pawn forward. "We all know what is required to achieve Mushin. The body, soul, and will must act as one. Yet, like you stated earlier, those who have succeeded can be counted on a single hand."

    "Indeed." he answers as he takes my pawn with his remaining rook.

    We continue to play in silence with no one ever truly taking the upper hand.

    "Have you thought about my proposal?" he asks as he takes my remaining rook with his King.

    "I have no interest in becoming your heir." I answer him as I move my remaining Knight away from his King. "While I certainly understand your sentiment towards humanity's reckless destruction of nature, I cannot abide by your methods. Should I take leadership, I will change the methods, which will no doubt clash with many of your supporter's beliefs."

    And I also do not want your daughter, I think to myself.

    "Fair enough." answers Ra's just as the timer rings, bringing the game to an end.

    "A second draw." comments Ra's as Ubu steps out the shadows to clean up the boards.

    "Will you be retiring for the night?" asks Ra's as I stand up.

    "I will. Have a pleasant night." I answer him as I turn around and leave.
     
  • Threadmarks
    • I don't think Ras would let it slide so easily, he pestered batman for years to become his heir, and whilst he may understand Ambrosius motives better than he ever could with batman he would also keep insisting at best and try to... "extract an heir" off of him like Damien

    beware to never mention the words "Richard dragon" in front of shiva or you'll die
     
    prussiangrandier said:
    I don't think Ras would let it slide so easily, he pestered batman for years to become his heir, and whilst he may understand Ambrosius motives better than he ever could with batman he would also keep insisting at best and try to... "extract an heir" off of him like Damien

    beware to never mention the words "Richard dragon" in front of shiva or you'll die
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    Ra's certainly isn't letting it go this easily. He's just being a "gracious" host. He most certainly has a plan to coerce the MC to say yes. Also, my MC is brave not suicidal
     
    Honestly I can see Ra's not being that pushy with him he's a smart man and knows that mc just isn't interested
     
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