Gambit to the Dawn (Arknights Superpower Wiki Quest)
- Thread starter Xolsis
- Start date
- Mature Fantasy
Vote 1
There's some great shit that will absolutely get our poor wolf blorbo traumatized or put on an international hit list.
What the hell did you roll?!
Shambling 1.0
- Pronouns
- Male
"Clack, clack." The damn sound of the skeleton opening and closing its jaw woke you up.
You didn't have to open your eyes to know that he was in the living room, just standing there, like some ever vigilant warden/attack slug. Trying to get rid of him was useless, and it only made the tick in your eye get worse as you groaned awake.
At least you skipped the sleepy phase when you woke up now. Hard to keep any drowsiness when you felt like you were a few seconds away from a heart attack.
Him just staying in the living room was the only nice thing you had to say about the pile of bones. The skeleton never tried to barge into your room, so that was something.
Well… you would be lying if you didn't feel a bit safer knowing that he was out there, ready to beat anyone that tried to get into your house without a second thought.
It felt like a promise in your head, even though he couldn't really 'think' yet.
Yet.
You shivered as you brushed your teeth and finished getting dressed, the coolness of the night fogging up your windows, even through the new heater that Dad had installed a few weeks ago.
That 'yet' was the worst part of… whatever happened to you.
Were you some kind of, undead summoning monster now? Were you something worse? You had to be, because you knew, just knew, that you were only scratching the surface of the eldritch powers that let you command the dead.
You knew the right way to prepare dead bodies to reanimate them, even though you couldn't really use the rituals yet. You weren't strong enough to control anything other than the pile of bones in the living room.
But you could do more.
You just knew it. And that thought terrified you.
November 15th Tuesday, 1096
"Tatiana! My child!" Your father shouted as he grabbed you up into a tight hug the moment you had walked through the door, his red hair flecked with grey, the area around his green eyes wrinkled just a little bit more than the last time you had seen him.
You had gained nothing of your father's height, your feet hanging in the air as he embraced you, finally allowing some of that stress that you had been carrying with you to leak out of your body as you smiled into his big barrel chest.
Even after he had left the military when you were a child, he never really lost the muscle he had gained over his years of service.
He eventually let you down, straightening up the jacket and scarf that he had ruffled when he'd picked you up, and he froze as he stared at your face.
You blinked in confusion, wondering what he wa-
The bruises.
You forgot about the bruises.
Thick calloused fingers swept up to your face, hovering above where you knew that the purple and black splotches dotted your face, shoulder, and stomach.
You flinched back in surprise at the movement, and you immediately regretted it as you saw the hurt in his eyes.
Only for them to go cold in a way that you had only ever seen once. His Warriors Eye's that he never wore when he was around you or your sister.
"Who did this to you?" He asked, no, commanded that you tell him.
Gone was the jovial doting father and merchant that you knew, in his place, was the soldier that had retired almost twenty years ago after the Capital incident.
You opened your mouth, about to blab… well, everything out.
It was your dad after all, you knew that you could trust him.
But what if he saw you like the monster you were? Thought that you were some kinda abomination that took his daughter's spot, and could now bring the dead back to some sort of unlife like a Sarkaz witch?
So, you did something you almost never did with your dad. You lied. Just a little.
"There were… these two people. People in hoods with white masks." You missed the way that his fingers tightened around you at your declaration. "I don't know who they were, or what they looked like. They… they were beating someone else, someone that was on the ground. And when they saw me, they-"
"Did not wish for any witnesses." His voice was clipped and cold, cold grey steel seeming to flash through his eyes in a way that scared you to your core.
His eyes seemed to gaze away into someplace that wasn't really here, and you just stared petrified at your father, who looked twenty years younger.
Then he blinked, clarity coming back to his gaze as he focused on you, and his eyes softened. "What happened then?"
"The person on the ground managed to get up while they were trying to… hurt me." You whisper out, shaking as you remembered that Originium lined dagger. That presence that you hated turned its attention to you, the undead skeleton no doubt looking towards your direction from back at the apartment, ready to come to your side.
No, you can't come here! I'm safe! Promise!
The attention relented then, as you stared at your dad from across the table that he had probably helped move you towards during your lost state.
"The woman that they were attacking, she helped me. Managed to fight the one that was watching her off, and knocking out the one that was… on top of me." The cold fury in your father's eyes was a blizzard, tormenting and harrowing, wishing to be unleashed, but he held you with soft tender hands.
"Tell me, my little ember…" He stopped for a few seconds, likely wondering if he should ask or not. "Were they infected? Do you know?"
You were about to open your mouth, to tell him that the woman who had helped you had been… but you froze. You don't know why, but you were reluctant to tell him.
Eventually, though, you do.
"The woman… she was. The one who helped me." He didn't say anything else after that, just nodded, and held on to you gently, as if you were made of glass that would break at any second.
You hated that he was right.
November 19th, Saturday 1096
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" You jumped up in fear, scared that the people in hoods and masks had finally found you in your sleep, when your brain remembered that you recognized that voice.
And you felt your stomach fall through the floor as you remembered something.
The skeleton was in the living room. And Valya, your sister, had a key to the place.
You rush out of your bedroom, ignoring the biting cold of the morning air, just in time to see your sister rush at the bag of bones with that metal rod she always kept with her.
The skeleton took the blow on his chest, budging back a step, but regardless, raising up his rusted blade and about to bring it down on top of your sister's head.
"STOP!" You shriek, both out loud and in your mind, the skeleton freezing in place, and stepping back, sheathing its sword and kneeling in front of you, ignoring Valya who was about to beat the skeleton with her club. "It's ok, it's ok! He isn't going to hurt you or me!" You promised, stepping forward, trying to shield the skeleton from your sister's wrath.
She froze, a good twenty centimeters taller than you, with certainly more muscle. Her eyes were harsher than yours, a harder gleam that you always met head on. After all, just because she was tougher than you, didn't mean you were going to back down. Because fuck her.
Grunting, she kicks the door behind her shut and collapses the baton away before stuffing it into her pocket, giving the kneeling skeleton an angry look before she turns to you.
And you knew that she was staring at the fading bruises that the Hooded Ones had left behind.
"I knew that there was something fishy about the story that Da told me." She said as she practically threw herself on the coach, about to prop her feet up on your table before you clicked your tongue at her. "Bah." She growled before flopping them onto the floor. "So, what? Have you been doing some Arts training then? Cause, last time I checked, you couldn't even do basic arts in school, let alone reanimating bones like that."
"I don't really know what the heck that thing is." You didn't quite squeal out defensively. "I just… during the fight-" You had to hold back a choke. "-he just appeared in front of me and started swinging that thing around. Now he does whatever I say, and tries to follow me around all the time, but I make him stay here."
"Really? Waste of a good bodyguard." Valya scoffed out, inspecting the kneeling skeleton in ragged and rusted armor.
"Valya, he is a skeleton!" You shriek. How could she not see that you were a freak?
"So?" She picked at some dirt in her nails. "He stopped when you told him to, and hasn't moved from that kneeling knight position. Besides, he helped save my baby sister, so that's all that I care about. What does it matter if he's made out of bones? You didn't kill anyone for them, right?" She asked, with the kind of confidence that you just couldn't understand.
"Bah, buh, buh." You sputtered out, not knowing what exactly to say to that, your cheeks turning red as she just looked at you confused.
"I thought we talked about this, slow down your mouth so that it can keep up with your brain." Valya sighed out, the corner of her lips showing off the smirk she was trying to hide.
"Skeleton! Hit her!" You ordered, pointing at her.
"Click-clack." He opened and closed his mouth, tilting his head, before his bones jiggled as he stood up and unsheathed the rusted sword.
"Hey, no! Stay the fuck away from me you overeaten corpse!" Valya shouted as she backed off as you urged her back, trying to shush her in the process.
"You're going to alert the neighbors!" You complained, unable to hide the little smile on your face as the skeleton began to lazily swing his sword at your fleeing sister.
The weight on your heart… just a little bit lighter. If only for a moment.
November 20th Sunday, 1096
Oh, what in the world were you doing?
Walking around late at night, wearing a hood over your head, while the pile of bones followed behind you, wearing enough clothes to make him look like a bulky tank in the snow.
You had asked Dad to let you know if he managed to find out where the woman who had helped you would be at… and in just a few days he had managed it.
He didn't tell you how, and you weren't going to ask, because you learned years ago that there were some answers that it was best if only he knew.
So, here you were, in one of the poorer regions of the city, about to head into a 'secret' clinic. A place that the Ursus government deemed as a 'wound against the sanctity of our peoples safety and well being. An open wound that all must come forward with, should they know of its existence.'
For years, that's just what you thought. That all Infected were just ticking time bombs waiting to go off, to turn everyone else around them into even more Infected, until there would be nothing left of the people of Chernobog.
Now though, as you stepped through the doors of the clinic, and watched at the people that walked past you, each and every one of them infected, you realized just how wrong that was.
These weren't just biological weapons waiting to go off. That little girl that bounced around, wearing clothes that covered every inch of skin to hide the bulges of crystal on her arms, was more than a body waiting to turn the rest of you into crystal.
These were people.
And one of them had saved you the other night.
"How about we talk somewhere else?" A soft voice spoke, and you turned to see that same woman that had saved your life. She looked much better, the scratches and the bruises gone from her face.
You nodded, stepping behind her deeper into the clinic, the Skeleton following behind you with the clink of his bones.
Both of you were seated in a simple drab room that looked like it might have been used as a makeshift clinic, trays with clean needles and other medical equipment neatly set out, waiting for their use.
"So, what the heck brings you to somewhere like this? And you weren't followed, were you?" The green haired liberi woman asked.
"I… don't think that I was?" You asked, in panic, suddenly going over every person that you had passed on the street. Oh no, was there someone that was following you!?
She clicks her tongue in disapproval, but doesn't make a comment, instead looking at the towering pile of bones behind you. "This is that… thing that fought those parasites off, right?"
To your surprise, the towering walking bones nods his head, bones clacking as his joints move to complete the movement.
"Huh, so he isn't just an Arts construct?" She asked, in surprise, to which you could only stare back with wide eyes. "Wait, you didn't know he could do that?"
"N-n-no. No I didn't." You answered honestly.
What else could he do that you didn't know about?
She doesn't say a word, just grabbing a piece of candy out of her pocket and popping it into her mouth, leaning back in her seat and inspecting you with cautious eyes.
You could barely hold her gaze for a few seconds before looking away.
"Thank you, for that night." The woman eventually said. 'If you hadn't shown up that night… then I'd probably be dead right about now."
Wait, what? "But, the most that I did was just lay there on the ground! You're the one that managed to knock one of them out!"
"And what about the big guy behind you? Even those seconds where they were focused on you was enough to give me a little longer to live. They weren't exactly happy that I wasn't willing to join in on their bloody games that they wanted to start. No, we helped each other that night, and don't try diminishing that. Yes, I saved your life, but only after you and your friend saved mine." She stared resolutely at you, eyes clear and strong, so much unlike yours. Then that grim face finally smiled at you.
And you realized that she was probably younger than you were. You just hadn't noticed it quite yet because of the look in her eyes.
"Uh, that's actually why I wanted to come see you. To… thank you. For helping me. If you hadn't-" Your breath hitches, remembering that knife, just a few centimeters from piercing your skin… from turning you into another Infected.
"Like I said, no need. You helped me, and I helped you. I think that's enough." She stood up, and offered up her hand. "The names Zoya Portnova. It is good to meet you Tatiana."
You took her hand. "How do you know who I am?"
"What, did you think that I would invite you in without knowing who you were? Information is everything dear Tatiana. Besides, your father is the Iron Wall. A hero to most people, even if those in the military would prefer he be just an unimportant merchant." Ah, she knew about your father. That made more sense.
It was why your father tried to keep people from finding out about you and Valya. There were many who held a grudge for over twenty years.
"Now, you should probably leave. The longer that you spend here, the more chance that someone is going to notice you, and believe me when I say that no one wishes for that."
With that, you said your goodbyes, the young woman promising to come and visit your bakery as a sign of good trust.
Sighing into your bedroom, you stretch out, ready to finally let your first harrowing week go by without a second thought.
Midnight was about to come and go, and you were already going to wake up plenty late for the early morning.
Just as you were getting into bed, relaxing in your comfy blankets, you felt reality give way to something more. A thin breeze between this world and others.
Maybe it was because you were falling asleep, and you were dreaming before truly closing your eyes, but you saw things, felt things, visions of possibilities that were out there, waiting for you to grab with both hands.
Please choose one of these options.[]You saw yourself, rippling with power unlike anything that you had ever seen before, able to take impacts and damage that would put most others into their grave, what looked like horns sticking out of your head as your eyes shifted into glowing grey orbs.
[]Power at your fingertips. Not just any power, but all power, waiting for you to learn and explore, eager to spread, teach, and disrupt knowledge and understanding in a way only you can.
[]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
[] Or… you reach your hand back, sticking to the card in your hand instead of shuffling the deck.
These options are indicative of the higher levels of growth for these powers, and all of them will start at LV1 and will need to be grown to reach this point. For some, lower tiered powers such as proficiencies and simple powers will require much less work than this to learn and strengthen.
You didn't have to open your eyes to know that he was in the living room, just standing there, like some ever vigilant warden/attack slug. Trying to get rid of him was useless, and it only made the tick in your eye get worse as you groaned awake.
At least you skipped the sleepy phase when you woke up now. Hard to keep any drowsiness when you felt like you were a few seconds away from a heart attack.
Him just staying in the living room was the only nice thing you had to say about the pile of bones. The skeleton never tried to barge into your room, so that was something.
Well… you would be lying if you didn't feel a bit safer knowing that he was out there, ready to beat anyone that tried to get into your house without a second thought.
It felt like a promise in your head, even though he couldn't really 'think' yet.
Yet.
You shivered as you brushed your teeth and finished getting dressed, the coolness of the night fogging up your windows, even through the new heater that Dad had installed a few weeks ago.
That 'yet' was the worst part of… whatever happened to you.
Were you some kind of, undead summoning monster now? Were you something worse? You had to be, because you knew, just knew, that you were only scratching the surface of the eldritch powers that let you command the dead.
You knew the right way to prepare dead bodies to reanimate them, even though you couldn't really use the rituals yet. You weren't strong enough to control anything other than the pile of bones in the living room.
But you could do more.
You just knew it. And that thought terrified you.
November 15th Tuesday, 1096
"Tatiana! My child!" Your father shouted as he grabbed you up into a tight hug the moment you had walked through the door, his red hair flecked with grey, the area around his green eyes wrinkled just a little bit more than the last time you had seen him.
You had gained nothing of your father's height, your feet hanging in the air as he embraced you, finally allowing some of that stress that you had been carrying with you to leak out of your body as you smiled into his big barrel chest.
Even after he had left the military when you were a child, he never really lost the muscle he had gained over his years of service.
He eventually let you down, straightening up the jacket and scarf that he had ruffled when he'd picked you up, and he froze as he stared at your face.
You blinked in confusion, wondering what he wa-
The bruises.
You forgot about the bruises.
Thick calloused fingers swept up to your face, hovering above where you knew that the purple and black splotches dotted your face, shoulder, and stomach.
You flinched back in surprise at the movement, and you immediately regretted it as you saw the hurt in his eyes.
Only for them to go cold in a way that you had only ever seen once. His Warriors Eye's that he never wore when he was around you or your sister.
"Who did this to you?" He asked, no, commanded that you tell him.
Gone was the jovial doting father and merchant that you knew, in his place, was the soldier that had retired almost twenty years ago after the Capital incident.
You opened your mouth, about to blab… well, everything out.
It was your dad after all, you knew that you could trust him.
But what if he saw you like the monster you were? Thought that you were some kinda abomination that took his daughter's spot, and could now bring the dead back to some sort of unlife like a Sarkaz witch?
So, you did something you almost never did with your dad. You lied. Just a little.
"There were… these two people. People in hoods with white masks." You missed the way that his fingers tightened around you at your declaration. "I don't know who they were, or what they looked like. They… they were beating someone else, someone that was on the ground. And when they saw me, they-"
"Did not wish for any witnesses." His voice was clipped and cold, cold grey steel seeming to flash through his eyes in a way that scared you to your core.
His eyes seemed to gaze away into someplace that wasn't really here, and you just stared petrified at your father, who looked twenty years younger.
Then he blinked, clarity coming back to his gaze as he focused on you, and his eyes softened. "What happened then?"
"The person on the ground managed to get up while they were trying to… hurt me." You whisper out, shaking as you remembered that Originium lined dagger. That presence that you hated turned its attention to you, the undead skeleton no doubt looking towards your direction from back at the apartment, ready to come to your side.
No, you can't come here! I'm safe! Promise!
The attention relented then, as you stared at your dad from across the table that he had probably helped move you towards during your lost state.
"The woman that they were attacking, she helped me. Managed to fight the one that was watching her off, and knocking out the one that was… on top of me." The cold fury in your father's eyes was a blizzard, tormenting and harrowing, wishing to be unleashed, but he held you with soft tender hands.
"Tell me, my little ember…" He stopped for a few seconds, likely wondering if he should ask or not. "Were they infected? Do you know?"
You were about to open your mouth, to tell him that the woman who had helped you had been… but you froze. You don't know why, but you were reluctant to tell him.
Eventually, though, you do.
"The woman… she was. The one who helped me." He didn't say anything else after that, just nodded, and held on to you gently, as if you were made of glass that would break at any second.
You hated that he was right.
November 19th, Saturday 1096
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU!?" You jumped up in fear, scared that the people in hoods and masks had finally found you in your sleep, when your brain remembered that you recognized that voice.
And you felt your stomach fall through the floor as you remembered something.
The skeleton was in the living room. And Valya, your sister, had a key to the place.
You rush out of your bedroom, ignoring the biting cold of the morning air, just in time to see your sister rush at the bag of bones with that metal rod she always kept with her.
The skeleton took the blow on his chest, budging back a step, but regardless, raising up his rusted blade and about to bring it down on top of your sister's head.
"STOP!" You shriek, both out loud and in your mind, the skeleton freezing in place, and stepping back, sheathing its sword and kneeling in front of you, ignoring Valya who was about to beat the skeleton with her club. "It's ok, it's ok! He isn't going to hurt you or me!" You promised, stepping forward, trying to shield the skeleton from your sister's wrath.
She froze, a good twenty centimeters taller than you, with certainly more muscle. Her eyes were harsher than yours, a harder gleam that you always met head on. After all, just because she was tougher than you, didn't mean you were going to back down. Because fuck her.
Grunting, she kicks the door behind her shut and collapses the baton away before stuffing it into her pocket, giving the kneeling skeleton an angry look before she turns to you.
And you knew that she was staring at the fading bruises that the Hooded Ones had left behind.
"I knew that there was something fishy about the story that Da told me." She said as she practically threw herself on the coach, about to prop her feet up on your table before you clicked your tongue at her. "Bah." She growled before flopping them onto the floor. "So, what? Have you been doing some Arts training then? Cause, last time I checked, you couldn't even do basic arts in school, let alone reanimating bones like that."
"I don't really know what the heck that thing is." You didn't quite squeal out defensively. "I just… during the fight-" You had to hold back a choke. "-he just appeared in front of me and started swinging that thing around. Now he does whatever I say, and tries to follow me around all the time, but I make him stay here."
"Really? Waste of a good bodyguard." Valya scoffed out, inspecting the kneeling skeleton in ragged and rusted armor.
"Valya, he is a skeleton!" You shriek. How could she not see that you were a freak?
"So?" She picked at some dirt in her nails. "He stopped when you told him to, and hasn't moved from that kneeling knight position. Besides, he helped save my baby sister, so that's all that I care about. What does it matter if he's made out of bones? You didn't kill anyone for them, right?" She asked, with the kind of confidence that you just couldn't understand.
"Bah, buh, buh." You sputtered out, not knowing what exactly to say to that, your cheeks turning red as she just looked at you confused.
"I thought we talked about this, slow down your mouth so that it can keep up with your brain." Valya sighed out, the corner of her lips showing off the smirk she was trying to hide.
"Skeleton! Hit her!" You ordered, pointing at her.
"Click-clack." He opened and closed his mouth, tilting his head, before his bones jiggled as he stood up and unsheathed the rusted sword.
"Hey, no! Stay the fuck away from me you overeaten corpse!" Valya shouted as she backed off as you urged her back, trying to shush her in the process.
"You're going to alert the neighbors!" You complained, unable to hide the little smile on your face as the skeleton began to lazily swing his sword at your fleeing sister.
The weight on your heart… just a little bit lighter. If only for a moment.
November 20th Sunday, 1096
Oh, what in the world were you doing?
Walking around late at night, wearing a hood over your head, while the pile of bones followed behind you, wearing enough clothes to make him look like a bulky tank in the snow.
You had asked Dad to let you know if he managed to find out where the woman who had helped you would be at… and in just a few days he had managed it.
He didn't tell you how, and you weren't going to ask, because you learned years ago that there were some answers that it was best if only he knew.
So, here you were, in one of the poorer regions of the city, about to head into a 'secret' clinic. A place that the Ursus government deemed as a 'wound against the sanctity of our peoples safety and well being. An open wound that all must come forward with, should they know of its existence.'
For years, that's just what you thought. That all Infected were just ticking time bombs waiting to go off, to turn everyone else around them into even more Infected, until there would be nothing left of the people of Chernobog.
Now though, as you stepped through the doors of the clinic, and watched at the people that walked past you, each and every one of them infected, you realized just how wrong that was.
These weren't just biological weapons waiting to go off. That little girl that bounced around, wearing clothes that covered every inch of skin to hide the bulges of crystal on her arms, was more than a body waiting to turn the rest of you into crystal.
These were people.
And one of them had saved you the other night.
"How about we talk somewhere else?" A soft voice spoke, and you turned to see that same woman that had saved your life. She looked much better, the scratches and the bruises gone from her face.
You nodded, stepping behind her deeper into the clinic, the Skeleton following behind you with the clink of his bones.
Both of you were seated in a simple drab room that looked like it might have been used as a makeshift clinic, trays with clean needles and other medical equipment neatly set out, waiting for their use.
"So, what the heck brings you to somewhere like this? And you weren't followed, were you?" The green haired liberi woman asked.
"I… don't think that I was?" You asked, in panic, suddenly going over every person that you had passed on the street. Oh no, was there someone that was following you!?
She clicks her tongue in disapproval, but doesn't make a comment, instead looking at the towering pile of bones behind you. "This is that… thing that fought those parasites off, right?"
To your surprise, the towering walking bones nods his head, bones clacking as his joints move to complete the movement.
"Huh, so he isn't just an Arts construct?" She asked, in surprise, to which you could only stare back with wide eyes. "Wait, you didn't know he could do that?"
"N-n-no. No I didn't." You answered honestly.
What else could he do that you didn't know about?
She doesn't say a word, just grabbing a piece of candy out of her pocket and popping it into her mouth, leaning back in her seat and inspecting you with cautious eyes.
You could barely hold her gaze for a few seconds before looking away.
"Thank you, for that night." The woman eventually said. 'If you hadn't shown up that night… then I'd probably be dead right about now."
Wait, what? "But, the most that I did was just lay there on the ground! You're the one that managed to knock one of them out!"
"And what about the big guy behind you? Even those seconds where they were focused on you was enough to give me a little longer to live. They weren't exactly happy that I wasn't willing to join in on their bloody games that they wanted to start. No, we helped each other that night, and don't try diminishing that. Yes, I saved your life, but only after you and your friend saved mine." She stared resolutely at you, eyes clear and strong, so much unlike yours. Then that grim face finally smiled at you.
And you realized that she was probably younger than you were. You just hadn't noticed it quite yet because of the look in her eyes.
"Uh, that's actually why I wanted to come see you. To… thank you. For helping me. If you hadn't-" Your breath hitches, remembering that knife, just a few centimeters from piercing your skin… from turning you into another Infected.
"Like I said, no need. You helped me, and I helped you. I think that's enough." She stood up, and offered up her hand. "The names Zoya Portnova. It is good to meet you Tatiana."
You took her hand. "How do you know who I am?"
"What, did you think that I would invite you in without knowing who you were? Information is everything dear Tatiana. Besides, your father is the Iron Wall. A hero to most people, even if those in the military would prefer he be just an unimportant merchant." Ah, she knew about your father. That made more sense.
It was why your father tried to keep people from finding out about you and Valya. There were many who held a grudge for over twenty years.
"Now, you should probably leave. The longer that you spend here, the more chance that someone is going to notice you, and believe me when I say that no one wishes for that."
With that, you said your goodbyes, the young woman promising to come and visit your bakery as a sign of good trust.
Sighing into your bedroom, you stretch out, ready to finally let your first harrowing week go by without a second thought.
Midnight was about to come and go, and you were already going to wake up plenty late for the early morning.
Just as you were getting into bed, relaxing in your comfy blankets, you felt reality give way to something more. A thin breeze between this world and others.
Maybe it was because you were falling asleep, and you were dreaming before truly closing your eyes, but you saw things, felt things, visions of possibilities that were out there, waiting for you to grab with both hands.
Please choose one of these options.
[]Power at your fingertips. Not just any power, but all power, waiting for you to learn and explore, eager to spread, teach, and disrupt knowledge and understanding in a way only you can.
[]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
[] Or… you reach your hand back, sticking to the card in your hand instead of shuffling the deck.
These options are indicative of the higher levels of growth for these powers, and all of them will start at LV1 and will need to be grown to reach this point. For some, lower tiered powers such as proficiencies and simple powers will require much less work than this to learn and strengthen.
Death Knight Manipulation: (1/6) LV1
[X]You saw yourself, rippling with power unlike anything that you had ever seen before, able to take impacts and damage that would put most others into their grave, what looked like horns sticking out of your head as your eyes shifted into glowing grey orbs.
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
This reads to me as some kind of territory creation I probably got it wrong still interesting to speculate
This reads to me as some kind of territory creation I probably got it wrong still interesting to speculate
I think it's Haki, but I might be wrong
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
.... yeah that's good
On another and as important note can we get someone try to figure out what powers these are
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
Some level of personal durability is gonna be necessary considering everything and the chance to get picked off by the something like the Phantom Crossbowmen.
Some level of personal durability is gonna be necessary considering everything and the chance to get picked off by the something like the Phantom Crossbowmen.
- Pronouns
- Reader
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
- Location
- Maine
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Theirs
[x] Or… you reach your hand back, sticking to the card in your hand instead of shuffling the deck.
Remember, they don't level after the switch and the wording implies we'll have the same three to choose from later. "instead of shuffling the deck" and all. There will time enough to become an all seeing Haki god later.
Remember, they don't level after the switch and the wording implies we'll have the same three to choose from later. "instead of shuffling the deck" and all. There will time enough to become an all seeing Haki god later.
[X]You saw yourself, rippling with power unlike anything that you had ever seen before, able to take impacts and damage that would put most others into their grave, what looked like horns sticking out of your head as your eyes shifted into glowing grey orbs.
I wanna be a demon.
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
But this also sounds pretty good.
I wanna be a demon.
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
But this also sounds pretty good.
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
If I'm understanding the rules right we'll train up Death Knight on its own soon enough. We don't need the passive gain.
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
This new power fills you with DETERMINATION.
[X]True utter Will, your Will, focused outward onto the world, encroaching your wishes into reality by sheer determination. Strengthening not just who you were in mind, but in body and soul.
This new power fills you with DETERMINATION.
[X] Or… you reach your hand back, sticking to the card in your hand instead of shuffling the deck.
Better to build up foundations, and yes it'll be quite amusing to see how Tatiana will attempt to test out the Death Knight
Better to build up foundations, and yes it'll be quite amusing to see how Tatiana will attempt to test out the Death Knight
Shambling
Willful Awakening
- Pronouns
- Male
You shot up in surprise as you realized what had just happened.
It was just like that other time, the first time, when you had gained the bag of bones.
Reaching between… two places, here and somewhere that wasn't really 'here' in the way that most people could understand.
Staring down at your hands, you could literally feel your urge, your want, your need, your Will to live.
An actual, tangible force that you could now push into the world with just the right amount of effort.
Needing to test it out, you walk into your restroom, and pick up an old metal pole that had once helped hold your curtains. It was a nice sturdy piece of metal that had gotten bent when you'd fallen a few weeks ago, and hadn't had the urge to throw it out.
With a flick of the wrist, you slam the pole onto your arm… and watch it bend against the literal armor of will you reinforced your arm with.
It wasn't a constant thing, and you needed to really focus on it to do it. But it was there now. A slightly flimsy, yet tangible power that strengthened you much like some higher formed arts.
And you could just… do it.
A weak echo, a shadow of what it could become.
And you didn't feel like a monster anymore. That, was more than enough.
Reaching out with your connection, the skeleton was still there. Just dimmer. Dumber.
Before, there was something like understanding behind his connection. Now, there was just obedience. Like the difference between a puppet and a dog.
Somehow, that unnerved you even more than before.
But, you would still take this for now.
If just for a little bit, you would enjoy not feeling like some kind of monster.
Would you like to Lock in Death Knight Maipulation?
[]Yes
[]No
Locking In means replacing one of the rolls for the upcoming week with the previously selected power. Otherwise, the previous power will be lost, and you will be stuck with whatever random options appear.
Please choose 3.
[]Be adventurous. Willpower grows the more daring you are, right? Well, what about… I don't know, walking around at night? That should help you at least get a backbone… or something. +1Training
[]Heavy Lifting: You've never really tried the whole 'working out' thing. Maybe it's about time that you do. Work on your muscles, and the effect that this Willpower seems to have on you. +1Training
[]Get a weapon. For some reason, things have been becoming more dangerous lately in Chernobog. You can't put your finger on it, but there is just something different about the energy around the city. A tenseness that you hadn't felt before. And you'd feel a lot more comfortable with one in hand.
[]Training: You are no good in a fight. Never have been. But after that night, it would be best if you did try and get some actual training done. Learn how to fight. Dad was always more than happy to teach you how to do it.
[]Study: As far as you knew, Infected were nothing more than people waiting to become cancerous bombs that would turn everyone around them, inevitably, into more Originium. Only that wasn't really true. They were more than the crystals on and in their body, they were people. And maybe it's time that you finally started to learn outside of the bubble that was Ursus.
[]Arts Course: You've never been that good at Arts usage, it always seemed to have eluded you in the past. Only now, you were capable of arts. At least, you think they were arts. Maybe it would be best if you took some courses at the University, for as small as it was.
It was just like that other time, the first time, when you had gained the bag of bones.
Reaching between… two places, here and somewhere that wasn't really 'here' in the way that most people could understand.
Staring down at your hands, you could literally feel your urge, your want, your need, your Will to live.
An actual, tangible force that you could now push into the world with just the right amount of effort.
Needing to test it out, you walk into your restroom, and pick up an old metal pole that had once helped hold your curtains. It was a nice sturdy piece of metal that had gotten bent when you'd fallen a few weeks ago, and hadn't had the urge to throw it out.
With a flick of the wrist, you slam the pole onto your arm… and watch it bend against the literal armor of will you reinforced your arm with.
It wasn't a constant thing, and you needed to really focus on it to do it. But it was there now. A slightly flimsy, yet tangible power that strengthened you much like some higher formed arts.
And you could just… do it.
A weak echo, a shadow of what it could become.
And you didn't feel like a monster anymore. That, was more than enough.
Reaching out with your connection, the skeleton was still there. Just dimmer. Dumber.
Before, there was something like understanding behind his connection. Now, there was just obedience. Like the difference between a puppet and a dog.
Somehow, that unnerved you even more than before.
But, you would still take this for now.
If just for a little bit, you would enjoy not feeling like some kind of monster.
Rumor Mill
Daily Ursus News
Reports in that there have been an increase in assaults and murders on the bordering territories of Infected Camps and proper Ursus neighborhoods. Casualties have been high, and a number of previously unknown Infected have been uncovered.
Zoya
Keep your head down for a bit, and try not to come to the clinic. Things have been getting tense lately, and there have been some crackdowns from the authorities in some poorer neighborhoods. They haven't found any clinics yet, but we have had to abandon some places where Infected go for secret treatment.
Tatiana Notes
I've been seeing a lot more people wandering around at night on my way home or into work. None of them have been them, but I'm still going to be careful. Price for flour and some other ingredients have gone up. Again. Urgh, if it keeps going up, I don't know if I'm going to be able to make ends meet at the end of the month.
Power Unlocked
No. 50
Tier 4
Willpower Arts 0/8XP
The ability to enforce your Will unto the world. Ranging from increasing your physique and strength to superhuman realms, able to tank hits that would leave any other normal person injure, and far more exotic effects.
Current capabilities:
Fleeting Haki Armament
Light Observation
Daily Ursus News
Reports in that there have been an increase in assaults and murders on the bordering territories of Infected Camps and proper Ursus neighborhoods. Casualties have been high, and a number of previously unknown Infected have been uncovered.
Zoya
Keep your head down for a bit, and try not to come to the clinic. Things have been getting tense lately, and there have been some crackdowns from the authorities in some poorer neighborhoods. They haven't found any clinics yet, but we have had to abandon some places where Infected go for secret treatment.
Tatiana Notes
I've been seeing a lot more people wandering around at night on my way home or into work. None of them have been them, but I'm still going to be careful. Price for flour and some other ingredients have gone up. Again. Urgh, if it keeps going up, I don't know if I'm going to be able to make ends meet at the end of the month.
Power Unlocked
No. 50
Tier 4
Willpower Arts 0/8XP
The ability to enforce your Will unto the world. Ranging from increasing your physique and strength to superhuman realms, able to tank hits that would leave any other normal person injure, and far more exotic effects.
Current capabilities:
Fleeting Haki Armament
Light Observation
Would you like to Lock in Death Knight Maipulation?
[]Yes
[]No
Locking In means replacing one of the rolls for the upcoming week with the previously selected power. Otherwise, the previous power will be lost, and you will be stuck with whatever random options appear.
Please choose 3.
[]Be adventurous. Willpower grows the more daring you are, right? Well, what about… I don't know, walking around at night? That should help you at least get a backbone… or something. +1Training
[]Heavy Lifting: You've never really tried the whole 'working out' thing. Maybe it's about time that you do. Work on your muscles, and the effect that this Willpower seems to have on you. +1Training
[]Get a weapon. For some reason, things have been becoming more dangerous lately in Chernobog. You can't put your finger on it, but there is just something different about the energy around the city. A tenseness that you hadn't felt before. And you'd feel a lot more comfortable with one in hand.
[]Training: You are no good in a fight. Never have been. But after that night, it would be best if you did try and get some actual training done. Learn how to fight. Dad was always more than happy to teach you how to do it.
[]Study: As far as you knew, Infected were nothing more than people waiting to become cancerous bombs that would turn everyone around them, inevitably, into more Originium. Only that wasn't really true. They were more than the crystals on and in their body, they were people. And maybe it's time that you finally started to learn outside of the bubble that was Ursus.
[]Arts Course: You've never been that good at Arts usage, it always seemed to have eluded you in the past. Only now, you were capable of arts. At least, you think they were arts. Maybe it would be best if you took some courses at the University, for as small as it was.
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