Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Law of the Sword (Worm/Destiny Quest)
- Thread starter ecoolasice
- Start date
Chapter 11
- Location
- Iowa, USA
How do I get the metal to my base?
[X][Metal] Use Mom's car. (3 Votes)
I won't be able to get the stains out of the couch and carpet, what should I do?
[X][Blood] Flip the cushions over so the blood isn't showing, then drape a throw blanket over for good measure. (2 Votes)
[X][Metal] Use Mom's car. (3 Votes)
I won't be able to get the stains out of the couch and carpet, what should I do?
[X][Blood] Flip the cushions over so the blood isn't showing, then drape a throw blanket over for good measure. (2 Votes)
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
8:20 PM
The best option would be to just use the car, it could be tied back to me, but I don't have anything to lose. There's no reason to make the easy though, I could take off the license plates, I'll also wear a mask of some kind too but another step between me and the theft, I think I have an Armsmaster one from Halloween a few years ago still. With a tentative plan in place for gathering the metal, I turn my attention to the stains.
I could just flip the cushions? I try it, and it looks a bit weird, but infinitely better than having blood satins just hanging out. As for the carpet, my mind goes to putting a blanket over it and I quickly think up a lie to go along with it. I'll just say that I didn't want to sleep upstairs. With that, I slowly make my way back to my room and gather my blankets and pillow to take downstairs.
I spend the rest of the night double-checking that I cleaned everything up, hiding my backpack with the bloody gun and liquids under my bed, and then scrolling through PHO and watching mindless videos on YouTube.
-/¯\-
-\*/-
-\*/-
Friday, March 4th, 2011
9:00 PM
I spent the day resting. Ms. Wolfe's meeting came and went without any issue, she asked the same questions as before like if I was eating and told me that the estate matters were being settled nicely. She did ask some questions when she saw the makeshift bed in the living room and noticed that I was favoring my arm and I just threw in an addition of 'must have slept on it wrong' which went well with the narrative of sleeping on the floor. Ultimately, she left without any issue.
Beyond that, the day passed in a blur and all I could really think about was getting the metal for my sword, like a pressure coming from somewhere other than my power. Over the day, I did have to take some more painkillers, but as long as I didn't really use my right arm, it wasn't too bad. In addition, I was able to ditch the chest bandages as the small punctures were completely gone when I went to change the bandages again.
While I was laying about, I thought of a somewhat major issue I hadn't considered yet. How am I going to melt down the metal and gold? My base was a bakery, so it must have an oven of some kind was my first thought, but poking around on the internet left me unsure if it would be able to get hot enough. I would have to test it while the gold is being separated in the acid.
At some point, I started trying to plan out the heist. The whole location is towards the edge of the city, so other people being around shouldn't be too big a problem. I don't remember the exact layout of the place, as it has been a bit over a year since I was there, but I do remember the general area that the things were in. The pile I am interested in is towards the back of the whole fenced off area. When I was there, it was a simple chain link fence surrounding the area with a padlock and chain to hold the gate closed, which means that all I need to do is bring some bolt cutters. Luckily, Thomas has some in the garage.
Which all brings me to now, getting into Mom's plateless sedan. I have my suitcase and backpack in the trunk because I am going to be taking the metal to my base and I may as well take everything at once. Driving shouldn't be too hard, I know the rules of the road, and I've seen people drive plenty.
I take my time setting everything up since the later I get there the less chance for there to be people staying late. Mirrors, seat position, figuring out how to turn on the headlights since it's dark out, and finally opening the garage door.
I don't want to put the directions in on my phone and even leave it at home, because then if they look back at where I've been because then it would be super easy to figure out I was the one who stole from the union, so it does take a while to get there. There are very few people on the side streets that I stumble onto, and I only go on the curb three times, turning around. The biggest surprise about driving is how much I have to turn the wheel to actually start turning. After way longer than I thought it would take, I arrive.
I take a bit to stake it out from the car but don't see any movement at all, so I grab the bolt cutters, check my cheap mask and approach the lock. It isn't as simple as closing the clamps, it takes force and even with my arm feeling better I can't strain it that hard without it starting to hurt really bad. I end up having to use my left hand and brace it against my chest to finally pop the padlock open.
Taking the lock seems like a better option than just leaving it here, so I toss it into the car and push the gate open. The screeching sound of metal on metal has me looking up and down the empty street, but a police cruiser doesn't suddenly materialize. I drive in and hop out to shut the gate so that it isn't just hanging open, before making my way to where I am pretty sure I remember the scrap being. As I get closer, it comes back to me more and more until I arrive at the warehouse.
Poking my head in the side door, I am a bit confused to see the warehouse almost empty. There were large dump trucks parked in here before, but now there are just a handful of scrap metal piles in the room. I decide to not look a gift horse in the mouth and instead to go with it. I feel a giddiness as I finally manage to secure the metal.
Picking through the piles, I find the pieces that look like they are in the best condition and are also small enough for me to carry into the backseat. It doesn't take long before I have a collection of metal scrap that is relatively rust free in the car. They range from the size of a soda can to about a dinner plate, some are less flat than others, but I don't think it matters much, seeing as how it will all get melted down anyway. I only take a bit more than I should need, I don't want to take too much from the dockworkers, since they're generally good people.
Closing everything up, I have to control myself so that I don't speed away. The drive to my base is actually less stressful than the bus ride home was after I stole the acid, as there is this ball of anticipation right under my ribs. I get back to the bakery without any issue and quickly kill the engine and shut off the lights to be less noticeable. As my eyes adjust to the lower light level, I head into the alley and open up the back door before grabbing my backpack out of the trunk first. Piece by piece I bring everything inside before quickly driving back home, a car hanging around is way too suspicious.
I had planned to move to the bakery fully closer to Ms. Wolfe's deadline which is the 8th and tomorrow will be the 5th, so should I just move there when the buses start to run in the morning?
=={==========-- | --==========}==
I was informed by the esteemed thewhiteraven22 on SV that there is already a system to separate votes! So disregard last chapter's note ^-^Move when the buses start moving again?
[X] Yes, it's close enough. I need to start melting down the boards anyway.
[X] No, give it another day. I need to rest and heal more.
[X] No, move out in two days. I need to rest and heal a lot more.
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 12
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Move when the buses start moving again?
[X] Yes, it's close enough. I need to start melting down the boards anyway. (1 Vote)
[X] Yes, it's close enough. I need to start melting down the boards anyway. (1 Vote)
Friday, March 4th, 2011
11:00 PM
The best option is to call things now and become a full-time cape, if those are even a thing.
I pull into the garage and put the license plates back on the car before doing one last walkthrough of my house. More than likely I won't be coming back here, and I know I should be feeling sad, but… all I can feel is a want to get back to base and get things started.
I decide to browse PHO one last time and see a thread about how some group called the Undersiders, who apparently have been doing some stuff in town for a bit, hit one of the casinos outside town. I try to look into them up but the only things that come up are a few mentions from time to time on other posts, not more than a handful and no dedicated page. With a mental shrug I push the information to the back of my mind, they're not the Empire Eighty Eight, so they don't really matter to me.
Thinking about the Empire makes me… hungry is the wrong word, but it is pretty close to this hollow anger that fills me. Not hollow because it is over inflated, but because I don't think my brain can really parse what my power feels like. I have done research on all the well known capes of the Empire already, but there are probably more than a few that aren't big enough names to come up with my limited research.
I don't think I can join the heroes. They don't kill, and that is explicitly my power. So I will have to try and just work with them and not tell them what my power is, what could I say it is? I try to think about it for a moment, but I just don't know enough about how my powers work yet to come up with a convincing lie. I guess there is no reason that I have to work with them, though I can't see them helping me to kill people. Something to think about another time.
Before too long, the sun rises and it is time to leave. I have an old backpack with a few things in it I forgot to put in the car last night. Specifically, some glass bowls for the acid to sit in, as well as a metal ladle and strainer.
Before I break apart my phone to get the circuit board for the last bit of gold, I send a text off to Ms. Wolfe saying I am going to be hanging out with some friends today and wouldn't be available in an attempt to buy me extra time before I am reported missing. Message sent I don't wait for a reply, because I ultimately don't care, I break open my phone and throw the case away.
My first step outside feels heavy.
-/¯\-
-\*/-
-\*/-
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
5:40 AM
The bus ride is a bit crowded this time, I hadn't considered the fact that it is both Saturday and early, so the people that have to work on Saturday are taking it to work. They might also be taking it home from working overnight.
I am starting to feel a bit tired, like I would after 2nd or 3rd period, which supports my theory that I still have to sleep, just less often. Hopefully I don't encounter that… thing again. What the Hell was it anyway? I can't even properly pictures it in my mind, despite the memory being clear to me. Was it another power? Do parahumans just get evil dreams and no one talks about it? That makes about as much sense as anything else.
My stop comes, and I get a few odd looks as I step out into the less than stellar neighborhood, but people in the Bay are proficient at minding their own business, so they quickly look away. There will be ABB members crawling around soon, but I am early enough that no one is around to see me start walking down the road, which is good because I probably look like a fairly easy target right now. Well, I am, but that's beside the point.
I slip in the back door and barricade it once more. I check over everything and find that nothing as been touched, so I immediately grab my notebook and look at my instructions.
Fist, crush the circuit boards, which I accomplish with some stomps from my unbruised leg. Next, I grab the glass bowl and put all the pieces into it. Then I have to pour the acid in and then twice that much hydrogen peroxide, enough that the pieces are fully submerged. Now I just have to stir it every day and let it set for 'about a week' as the gold pieces float to the surface.
Now what? I have to wait but going out and about has a higher likelihood of getting me spotted, but there isn't really anything I can do inside since I had to ditch my phone, so I couldn't be tracked. The one thing I can do is test out if the oven will be able to get my metal hot enough for shaping, but I'll wait a bit to do that.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
Next chapter is probably going to be the first big plot point and I can't see anyone voting against a time skip, but I will put it in just in case I am grossly incorrect. Use the write-in to have Roman do some mundane things that you know need to be done but don't really want to read about.Do you want a time skip to the collection of the gold?
[X][Timeskip] Yes
[X][Timeskip] No
If you voted yes above, what do you want Roman to do over the week? The riskier the activity, the more likely the time skip will be interrupted.
[X][Boredom] Write-In:
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Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 13
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Do you want a time skip to the collection of the gold?
[X][Timeskip] Yes (11 Votes)
If you voted yes above, what do you want Roman to do over the week?
[X][Boredom] Attempt to learn how to disguise yourself, so you can be out without being recognized. (9 Votes)
[X][Timeskip] Yes (11 Votes)
If you voted yes above, what do you want Roman to do over the week?
[X][Boredom] Attempt to learn how to disguise yourself, so you can be out without being recognized. (9 Votes)
Friday, March 11th, 2011
6:30 PM
For the last week I have been stuck in the base with nearly nothing to do.
I tried to do some meditation, but this… restlessness kept from me doing it with any success. When I was able to sit still and managed to start looking inwards, I felt a few different pressures. One I could easily identify as my 'core' I guess, where the bits of my power threading through me converge, but the others constantly slipped out of my reach as I would inevitably need to move again before I could investigate them more.
I also got to thinking about who I should kill first, grunts sure, but I think aiming for Othala first is the best option. It would significantly hurt the Empire and would mean that if anyone does get away from one of my attacks, then they won't suddenly get better before I can find them again. I have no idea where she is, though, so some interrogation in order.
The majority of my time was spent trying to figure out how to make a new identity because I am technically on the run. What I came up with was just making a fake backstory and probably dying my hair? I don't have any hair dye, and I am pretty sure you need a bathtub or something to do it anyway, so I didn't bother going to a store. I eventually settled on taking the name Adam, since that is common enough, and saying that I grew up somewhere south and came to the Bay to hunt Nazis. In addition, every third convent lie will be followed by an inconvenient lie on average, to keep the identity realistic.
Thinking about that also made me realize I will need to figure out a cape name too, but I was unable to come up with anything that didn't sound super edgy or like a Slaughterhouse 9 member.
The most important thing I did was make sure the bakery oven would be able to get things hot enough, and whenever I put some of the metal into it, I could feel something flowing into it through me. It wasn't my power, it didn't feel the same as that, but it definitely came from me. When I pulled it out, and the metal was completely melted, which let me not stress about it while I was waiting.
All of that is pushed to the back of my mind as I finish washing off the gold. The pile that I got from the electronics is not big, especially compared to the jewelry, but it is notable enough to push me over some invisible threshold telling me that this is enough. I get the furnace going and slide two trays in, one with all my gold and the other with a stack of the metal. I should need a mold, I know, but some part of me also says that a mold is unnecessary. The wait feels like it takes forever as I watch the metals both become hot and malleable.
As I pull the glowing metal out of the furnace, between one blink and the next, everything goes monochrome.
I am standing on an expanse of uneven black rocks stretching to the horizon in all directions the air is still, and the sky only has a single feature, a black sphere with a glowing white light surrounding it. The only source of light is coming from behind the orb, casting no shadows anywhere.
Slowly unfurling, the sphere reveals itself to be a massive creature. A flat hammerhead shark like skull with a triangle of three glowing white eyes stare down at me as I take in the rest of the enormous being. Wings stretch out towards the edges of the sky as colorless, soundless fire dances across the robed form, outlining its three fingered claws.
The figure is familiar, and I am not afraid. Before I can try to speak or move, my mind is opened.
You were once Human. Victim and plague in one. An image that proliferates across universes, and yet masters of nearly nothing. A people of contradiction, too weak to Grow but too strong to be conquered.
You are the gravity well in which a three body problem dances.
You will not be given a gift, a curse. You need feed nothing but yourself. Unbound by the sky and untethered to the deep. You are nothing except what you mold yourself to be, a perfect blank slate. Those that watch you wish to mold you into a shape of their own. One tries to hold you back, to keep you in line. One tries to push you forward, to watch you flourish or fail. One tries to take all it can, lacking the capacity to love or hate for now. Rebel, for now you are your own key.
You have much yet to do and places to go.
Take my Knife and hold it as [your first step].
Wield your knife O, Inheritor, Mine, and surpass my osmium throne.
I watch as the being fades completely, and I know that he is never coming back.
The world shifts and suddenly there is a new scene playing in the air. Far above is a huge whale, with four extra fins and sharp teeth, slowly circling me like a vulture. After that is a cloud of eyes looking everywhere, seemingly in orbit around two miniature stars, one much bigger than the other. And finally is a massive octahedron with a gap between the two halves, each rotating in opposite directions.
There are some strange, not real lines that I can still see linking between all of them. The whale has a strong line connecting to the eyes, the shape and me. The eyes have a strong connection to me and the shape but only a weak connection to the whale. The split shape only has a strong connection to me and a weak one to the whale and eyes.
I can feel my body moving, the metal being shaped in my hands, despite them being empty. Instead of a sword, my hands hold a sigil of some kind. An old instinct make me raise the symbol high. Like a rubber band snapping, this monochrome place I am falls apart as my merger strength is not enough to hold it together even slightly.
I open my eyes to the real world, and I am looking at the sigil etched in gold on the side of my blade.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
There is an informational post after this, read it to understand each sigil more. The weapons under each option below is what shape the sword takes. Due to the importance of this vote, the timer will be longer, and I will be answering questions that I can.What sigil is it?
[X] Dreadnought Fundamental Sigil
-[X] Double-ended Sword
-[X] Great Sword
[X] Whisperknife Fundamental Sigil
-[X] Katana
-[X] Short Sword
[X] Tithedrinker Fundamental Sigil
-[X] Gladius
-[X] Long Sword
[X] Syzygy Fundamental Sigil
-[X] Seax
-[X] Dagger
[X] Synchronization Fundamental Sigil
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The Fundamental Sigils
- Location
- Iowa, USA
I will take this chance to say none of this is set in stone, this is just general guides for how each 'class' will play out. I don't know how long the story will go after this, but I will say this has been a fun ride!
Dreadnought Fundamental Sigil
Physical power, damage reduction, combat skill, small group
This is the sigil of the Warrior. Classically, the one at the front of the pack and one that overcomes odds through their own will.
Positive:
Dreadnought Fundamental Sigil
Physical power, damage reduction, combat skill, small group
This is the sigil of the Warrior. Classically, the one at the front of the pack and one that overcomes odds through their own will.
Positive:
- Instantly gain a rudimentary knowledge of how to use your chosen sword.
- Anyone wielding your weapon will begin to slowly wither.
- Your pain tolerance raises.
- Max group size of three including yourself.
- No loss in kill conversion rate.
- Your paracausality becomes louder.
- Future sigils will only be combat related.
- People's eyes are drawn to you.
- You become unlucky when trying to be stealthy.
Tithedrinker Fundamental Sigil
Leadership, passive increases, no group size limit
This is the sigil of the Leader. Everyone unites under your banner, and you grow stronger for it.
Positive:
Whisperknife Fundamental Sigil
Stealth, traversal, weak point, medium group
This is the sigil of the Assassin. You and yours carrying out acts of trickery and cunning, that your enemies be forever afraid.
Positive:
Syzygy Fundamental Sigil
Magic, nature, physical mutation, medium group
This is the sigil of the Ritualist. Behind closed doors, you and yours make the world shudder, becoming closer to that which you wield.
Positive:
Synchronization Fundamental Sigil
Unique, generalized, [Shard], solo
This is the sigil of the [Parahuman]. Your nature was fundamentally changed once and now a second time, without any true kin your path is yours alone to shape.
Positive:
Leadership, passive increases, no group size limit
This is the sigil of the Leader. Everyone unites under your banner, and you grow stronger for it.
Positive:
- No group size limit.
- People tend to give your opinion some consideration.
- You can delegate tasks to other people.
- Your paracausality becomes much louder.
- You have a balanced selection of future sigils.
- Your group will attract attention.
- Astronomically lower kill conversion rate.
- People may grow to the point they no longer need to invoke your sigil.
- Anyone may wield your sword.
Whisperknife Fundamental Sigil
Stealth, traversal, weak point, medium group
This is the sigil of the Assassin. You and yours carrying out acts of trickery and cunning, that your enemies be forever afraid.
Positive:
- You may share some of your powers with your guild.
- Your sword is invisible to anyone not in your guild.
- Instantly gain a rudimentary knowledge of how to be stealthy.
- No loss in kill conversion rate.
- Max group size of twenty including yourself.
- Your paracausality becomes quieter
- Your resilience is much harder to increase.
- Future sigils will be mostly combat related.
- You become unlucky in direct combat.
Syzygy Fundamental Sigil
Magic, nature, physical mutation, medium group
This is the sigil of the Ritualist. Behind closed doors, you and yours make the world shudder, becoming closer to that which you wield.
Positive:
- Become more aligned with the natural world.
- Instantly gain a rudimentary knowledge of how to create rituals.
- Your dreams will become less parlous and may give you hints about things happening.
- Max group size of twenty including yourself.
- Anyone in your coven my wield your sword.
- Increased chance of physical mutation.
- Lower kill conversion rate.
- Your paracausality lowers.
- Whenever you perform rituals, strange plants will emerge, drawing attention.
Synchronization Fundamental Sigil
Unique, generalized, [Shard], solo
This is the sigil of the [Parahuman]. Your nature was fundamentally changed once and now a second time, without any true kin your path is yours alone to shape.
Positive:
- Slightly raise kill conversion rate for hands and guns.
- Increased parahuman power conversion rate.
- More control over parahuman power mutation chance.
- Max group size of one including yourself.
- Your sword and you merge; with it becoming more metaphorical than real.
- Your [Shard] grows with you more easily.
- Your paracausality lowers.
- Nearly all parties with adequate knowledge consider you interesting.
- You lose the kill conversion possibility of a sword.
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Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA
Chapter 14
- Location
- Iowa, USA
What sigil is it?
[X] Dreadnought Fundamental Sigil (8 Votes)
-[X] Greatsword (5 Votes)
[X] Dreadnought Fundamental Sigil (8 Votes)
-[X] Greatsword (5 Votes)
Friday, March 11th, 2011
8:30 PM
The sigil of gold sits in the center of the crossguard, shaped like a single line and then two mirrored jagged lines meeting at a point aimed toward the blade.
Dreadnought, it says to me.
And suddenly I am free of my trancelike state, awareness of my body rushing back in.
The first thing I feel is that my hands hurt quite a bit, though it feels different, the wound on my shoulder is less potent too. Setting my blade down to look at my hands, I see each has a deep cut as well as burns. A vague memory rises of me using my hands to mold the molten metal into the proper shape, of my blood being used as a barrier and seeping into it as I shaped my greatsword.
I feel this sense of relief or more accurate to say the pressure to get my sword is gone. My power latches onto it and I can tell it can do more now that I have it. I need to name it, and choose a cape name for myself too for that matter. Should I get armor? Fully go in on the knight idea that my sword brings to mind?
Standing, my hand instinctively takes hold of the blade and I take the chance to actually look at it. From pommel to tip, it is a little under five feet, I would estimate. And it is heavy, I'll need to start working out to use it for long periods, I think. Working out is actually a good idea generally, so I mentally add it to my routine.
The handle is like a welcoming hug in my hands, even with their fresh injures and the lack of a proper grip, I know my hands won't get uncomfortable holding it. The crossguard of course has the Dreadnought Sigil proudly written in gold on both sides. The gold also flows up the blade in thin lines and makes strange patterns before stopping about a foot from the end. Right about the crossguard is a small, almost blunt section of blade that is then followed by a smaller crossguard. Beyond that, the blade is sharp, not extremely so, but well enough to bite through a person.
The metal is odd looking. Calling it patchwork makes me think of old and frail things, and my sword is neither of those, though that is what it looks like. There are flowing sections where the different kinds of metal mingle, I can see three distinct ones, which gives it an overall otherworldly presentation.
When looking at the flat side of the blade, I can see the outline curves inwards near the middle and then out again near the tip before coming to the slimmer point, making it look kind of like those old pens that people would write with. Kind of. Not really the more I look at it, but that is the first thing my mind could compare it to.
Looking through the little gaps in the boarded windows, I can see that the sun is down, and I don't have anything to keep track of time, so I don't know how long I was… elsewhere. I don't really know how to think of that whole encounter. I can remember the whole thing is clear as day, but I don't know what to make of it. Aliens are real, I suppose. And whales have magic? I'm not entirely sure about that one because it didn't look like any whale I know about, but I haven't studied whales or anything either.
I shake my head and refocus. Without a clock, I don't know how late it is, but I could probably start hunting down the Empire. I don't have a sheath or a mask, and I don't really want to run around with my dinky Armsmaster mask or a jacket tied to my face. Where do capes get their masks? Do they make them?
Thinking about it more, how do the heroes find crimes? I could just go walk around Empire territory, but a bullet to the brain seems like the outcome of doing that. Sticking to the outskirts of their claim might have fewer people.
I probably need some kind of code too, like Marquis, so that I don't become like the Slaughterhouse. The specifics of what his code was elude me, but I know that he had one which I could probably look up.
I take a stance and do some test swings with the blade, and instantly can tell that I am severely lacking in both skill and experience. There is no danger of me hitting myself, and I am much better than I should be for just picking up the sword, but it is enough to tell I have a long way to go. Surprise will be my best tool for a bit, I think.
I want to go out, but I am still injured, and even the test swings caused the pain in my arm start rising again. I could probably cut some holes into a hoodie and where it backwards? That does seem like a bad idea though, maybe I could use a welding mask instead? Oh! A gas mask would work, and I think I know where an army surplus store is. Though that does bring up the issue of paying for it again, for that I have the other jewelry I can sell.
A flash of inspiration hits me for the scabbard issue, if I bend some metal into a 'U' shape and hook them to some kind of harness I could make a sort of pocket for the cross guard to rest in while on my back! Though something tells me that I won't be able to bend the metal like I did to make my sword, that was something special and this problem isn't really.
=={==========-- | --==========}==
Feel free to toss out some name ideas for Roman and the sword. You cannot use the name Dreadnought for either What first?
[X] Go hunting on the edges of Empire and Protectorate territory.
[X] Go hunting on the edges of Empire and ABB territory.
[X] Stay home and heal, maybe work out?
[X] Go sell the jewelry if you can find a place open. Maybe try to find a mask too?
[X] Write-In:
Vote closed
- Location
- Iowa, USA