Jump to content
Jade Shadows: Share Bug Reports and Feedback Here! ×

[Archive] Of Ash And Fire - Original Thread


SirNerdsAlot5
 Share

Recommended Posts

Nobody is allowed to kill off other people's characters. Only the creator of that character may decide when that character dies, unless discussed with another writer.

totally agree with this...

 

but didn't stop me from thinking one of us making our character go batsh!t AWOL crazy and murdering us in our sleep :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the process of writing a new chapter for Dali, however, I would like to put forth 2 things first:

 

1. I am thinking of making a Valkyr character, I can already imagine the pain and torment she is subjected to, I'm just not sure if I'm making new characters too soon.

 

2. Got lucky and managed to get some codex scans on the Stalker, gives out cool diorama and the minimum needed to unlock everything about him, which is 20 scans.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since no progress has been made on the Ash and Shade interlopers I have a small interjection with Faust.

 

________

 

The bone-colored Nekros skulked down the hall looking rather tired as he made his way toward the Foundry. No sooner had Faust gotten to his bed than Grand-Master Crowley had awakened him with an errand. Mind you this was an important errand given it involved Crowley's main weapon but it was still one that Faust felt could wait until he'd gotten more sleep. Unfortunately for him the Grand-Master did not agree with his point of view. That and Crowley did hold one of the biggest threats over his head so it wasn't like Faust could refuse...not if he wanted to become a Grand-Master himself.

 

Entering the main room of the Foundry the Shroud-wearing Tenno took his time to look around. He wasn't particularly aware that there were defense systems in here that were currently down on purpose. Generally the Foundry was considered high-traffic so they had to get taken down to expedite the processes that kept weapons repaired, made, and maintained.

 

"Let's see...in the back, barely hidden, small elevator." Faust cringed as the sudden hum of Crowley's Djinn grew loud in his ear when it floated close. "God you're creepy." The Sentinel didn't respond, but at least it backed off by a foot's length. Again, Faust took his time in finding the elevator down to the 'secret' Foundry, having little trouble locating it as Crowley had been very specific to its location. The ride down wasn't very long, though the sight that greeted Faust was...unusual. According to his information there was no one besides the Foundry-Master and the Grand-Master of the Dead who knew about this place and yet there stood an Ash with a Shade conversing with Quinn about something.

 

Beeping angrily the Djinn zoomed up to the Shade, floating around it flashing its energy lights red making noises of agitation. "H-hey!" Faust called, making the Sentinel return to hovering over his shoulder. "I...uhm...Master Crowley asked me to retrieve the Hate he left...and..." Getting very silent stares from the Ash and Vauban, Faust raised his hands defensively and stepped back a bit. "I'll...come at a better time perhaps." Running back to the elevator Faust was determined to leave before he found himself under fire for being awkward again.

 

Several minutes of running later the exhausted Nekros was back in his room, collapsed on the floor. Hovering close, the Djinn seemed amused by the way it tilted its Coltek head. "The Master will not be pleased." It spoke in a cold, modulated voice that obviously came from a machine. Think GLaDOS but male and far more scary sounding...and not in the deep imposing voice kinda way. "You should return before he comes back...I want a crack at the Shade."

 

"What'd he do...owe you money?"

 

The Djinn paused, turning away from its temporary master. "Know-it-all Jellyfish..."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Dojo again saw death. Alex wasn't the friendliest of Tenno, yet one had to admire the sheer dedication - some might call it fanaticism - he had to the cause. That, and the man who managed to kill the Stalker one-armed after being ejected into the cold void of space deserved nothing less than absolute respect.

 

Tyranthius had thought long and hard about what he would do in the service. He hadn't known Alex long; hadn't really talked to him. But he did remember one thing Guilliermo had told him once. 

 

And so, when the time came for people to leave tokens in the empty casket, he stood up, produced a bag from somewhere, and opened it to reveal a battered, bloody, non-operational Shield Osprey. Reverently, he took his token up to the casket, placed it on top, and bowed. Most of the gathered Tenno had no idea what this meant, but when Tyranthius looked at Alex's friends, he saw them smiling; they remembered, and they remembered it fondly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And so, when the time came for people to leave tokens in the empty casket, he stood up, produced a bag from somewhere, and opened it to reveal a battered, bloody, non-operational Shield Osprey. Reverently, he took his token up to the casket, placed it on top, and bowed. Most of the gathered Tenno had no idea what this meant, but when Tyranthius looked at Alex's friends, he saw them smiling; they remembered, and they remembered it fondly.

 

I feel like I should recall what the Osprey is from because I believe the story is somewhere in here...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

also I'm having trouble thinking of how i want to develop my Nekros more as a character. I've established his complete hatred of Corpus (though not as i had originally planned) though I feel he needs a frame to interact with regularly and I was considering a Valkyr character. or would they be /too/ similar?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Author's Question: 

 

Are all our guys in the same dojo/clan? I was never quite clear on that. I never saw Team Hadrian as being in the same clan as you guys, but maybe we've rented out space in your dojo to save on space land-taxes. Do you know how much the Lotus charges in property tax to run your own dojo? Jeeez.

 

And anyway, just a short little thing to make you guys all feel better. I've drawn this out for long enough.

 

---

 

It felt like coming up for air after being underwater for a long time. 

 

Alex took a huge gulp of air as he surfaced from the depths of unconsciousness, blurred vision starting to become sharper and clearer as his eyes focused. He winced and covered his eyes from the light with his...left...arm?

 

His eyes widened into saucers and he jolted upwards, sitting up straight as he gawked at his left arm. 

 

It was there, it was intact! He wiggled his fingers and formed a fist. It worked! It was...a human arm! He wasn't a Cyborg or Big Boss or anything like that.

 

It...was...also pale. 

 

"Oh, **** - Did I die after all? Is this what having a ghost arm feels like?" He asked nobody in particular, except for any potential higher beings or deities that may be listening.

 

"You aren't dead. We just haven't found a way to tan people without giving them skin cancer yet." Came a feminine voice from no specific direction.

 

"God? You're a woman?"

 

"No, you don't send a deity to do a Lotus's job. I'm just that good."

 

"So this is..." Alex trailed off, gesturing around the room he was in.

 

"Welcome to High Command."

 

"High Command, does that mean my -- "

 

"Yes, they are stationed here. You will be reunited -- "

 

"How long have I been out?" Alex cut her off.

 

"Rude. But I figured you might want to know...you've been out for quite some time."

 

She took a pause for dramatic effect.

 

"It's been...nine years."

 

"WHAT!?"

 

"Just kidding. It's been a week."

 

"...YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOUR!? And secondly, that's not funny!"

 

"I've brought you to High Command for a reason," The AI continued, ignoring the previous exchange.

 

"I'm assuming so. What do you need me for? How did I survive that, even?"

 

"Your warframe activated Iron Skin at the last second by itself, without any direction from you, Operative Alexander. It absorbed the brunt of the explosion and all I had to do was send someone to retrieve you. Your life support system was almost out of power, but considering the stunt you pulled, I'm fairly sure there's no brain tissue to cause damage to."

 

"And my Warframe?"

 

"It's trashed. I'm sorry, it was mangled beyond repair - you were strangely unharmed though, minus the arm, of course."

 

"And my task? When will I be able to return to my clan?"

 

"That's the thing - As far as everybody knows, you're dead - and I'd like to keep it that way."

 

"...Ah-Buh?"

 

"I'm sorry, but you won't be permitted to return to your clan. I need you here, Tenno."

 

For once, Alex kept his mouth shut and let his obedient side win. If the Lotus needed him personally, it had to be serious, especially if she was willing to keep him from his Clan, in turn depriving them of one of their core elements - reducing their fighting effectiveness in the field.

 

"What do you need of me?"

 

"You will be joining a force that answers only to me. Black Ops, secret to even the Warlords of the largest clans. You people aren't supposed to exist - and who better than to join this group than Tenno already thought long dead?"

 

"Does this mean it's possible that El --"

 

"You saw her body."

 

"...I did, didn't I."

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"So...This position, does that mean --"

 

"It's exactly what it means," The Lotus intoned, and a panel on the wall opened on command, revealing a new warframe inside. It was a Rhino, like his previous one, except it was all black with lines of bright red running down the grooves, indents and contours of the warframe.

 

"Operative Coyote, Welcome to Alpha Team."

 

"...I'm not quite sure what to say. I really don't."

 

"You won't have to. Now put on some clothes and get out of here. Your parents are dying to see you again. They'll brief you."

 

From another room in this most secret of installations, a strange, almost alien-looking Warframe watched Alex leave the medical bay from a video screen, arms crossed in contemplation. The Valkyr, one of the female survivors of Corpus experimentation, sighed to herself as she watched the familiar figure leave.

 

"Are you sure you'll be okay with this, Operative Valkyrie?" The Lotus asked her, opening a private channel with the Tenno through her warframe's systems.

 

"He said it himself, didn't he? Even he recognizes the need for the harsh limitations this position imposes on him. What kind of hypocrite would I be if I couldn't do the same?"

 

"I will try my best to keep your assignments separate, but remember that you are in the same unit."

 

"Yes, Lotus."

 

"The fact that the Tenno, by and large, trust me implicitly troubles me. The fact that a fake set of vitals and your pre-recorded voice messages were enough to convince him, without question, that you were definitely dead means that either he isn't too bright or that I may need to consider some checks and balances to my power. And for the sake of his appointment to my personal task force, I sincerely hope it's the latter."

 

"...Yes, Lotus."

 

"You are dismissed from your duties. You are on indefinite R&R until I notify you of your next assignment. Understood?"

 

"Yes ma'am. Goodbye, Lotus."

 

"...Until next time...Eleanor."

 

---

 

Author's Exposition Time:

 

-Alex's parents aren't part of Alpha Team. They're not even combatants. He knew they were alive but because they were promoted to working directly under the Lotus, they're not permitted any contact with those not possessing the same security clearance. The Lotus's location must remain secret and it never remains the same for long. But he knew they were alive and well - he just wasn't allowed any contact with them due to the secrecy required of their position.

 

-Just because it's the same-looking warframe doesn't mean that it's Eleanor in there, Alex. There are potentially millions of Tenno using the same warframe - someone else is bound to use the same colour scheme.

 

-The Lotus is a lot more human than she lets on. Well, as human as an AI can be, anyway. She's a lot more casual with those who actually have her trust - like her own personal strike force.

 

-The chilled, relaxed Alex who drank beer and ate mac n' cheese with Guillermo is more the "true" Alex, as it were. The Gradivus Dilemma just literally drove him over the brink and over the edge into the crazy, homicidal, torturous Tenno who strangles people with their own intestines.

 

-There are things even the Lotus doesn't know about the warframes. Rumours of partially sentient Warframes capable of performing autonomous actions have been passed from clan to clan, dojo to dojo, but they have typically just been dismissed as ghost stories or old wive's tales.

Edited by CommanderCorgi
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just got back from the most epic T3 defense ever. It was me, in my Rhino, and two clan mates as Trinity and Frost. We had already failed several times, once when the Frost crashed on the LAST WAVE. ( Raaaaaage!) When we finally did it, none of us had any ammo left. We were fighting 50+ mobs with nothing but melee and our powers. I kept Stomping, Frost kept up the globe, and Trinity barely supplied us with enough energy to pull through. I even got the last Fang Prime blade I needed! All in all, that was one of the best games I've ever played. Might write a story about it sometime.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Author's Question: 

 

Are all our guys in the same dojo/clan? I was never quite clear on that. I never saw Team Hadrian as being in the same clan as you guys, but maybe we've rented out space in your dojo to save on space land-taxes. Do you know how much the Lotus charges in property tax to run your own dojo? Jeeez.

Something tells me collecting taxes from Tenno would be a bit difficult. I think Lotus' main income comes from getting the financial information from all those captured corpus...

 

Akinos is clan-less, because he has way too many secrets to keep. But then again, since the clan keeps so many secrets, he might fit right in.

---

 

Akinos was back at the entrance, admiring the statue of that Frost Prime, Ajkrumen, and trying to figure out his next move. On one hand, joining this clan was likely to be his best chance of getting the information he needed. On the other one, the last thing he needed was people watching him closely. A beep interrupted his pondering. His sentinel was back online.

 

Now now, i'd love to laugh at your failure, Shade communicated, but, we have important matters to attend, for once. That creep we ran into at the forge could prove a threat.

 

-Who are talking about?-Akinos asked-Quinn seemed pretty friendly, considering we intruded in his forge. And the Nekros is no threat, we met him earlier anyway.

 

Why am i not surprised? Shade complained. No, of course they are nothing. It's the Djinn that we must worry for. He's clever... not as much as myself, of course, but close enough as to worry me, for once.

 

-Oh right, i saw that thing acting up around you-Akinos said, with obvious sarcasm-So, what did you do to &!$$ him off?

 

I only was myself, but he took offence, apparently, Shade answered.

 

-Of course, you were an annoying smartypants AI-Akinos answered him-The only reason i haven't tossed you out myself is because if i did you'd have free reign to destroy the system. And i am kinda fond of you.

 

I also don't report all of what happens in our missions to Lotus, remember? Shade added. Regardless, the point is that this is going to have to get resolved. But first, you have to join this clan.

 

-Say what?-Akinos asked, surprised-How come i now "have to" join them? Isn't it you who wants to stay clear of the mess?

 

No worries, they'll keep secrets if it comes to it, Shade stated with certainty. Djinn loves to attract attention, no matter how fatal it may prove to be. There's no way he's remained hidden. The Death Cube's approach of Vaporizing troubles away it's stealthy in comparison.

 

-Now we're making puns with sentinel powers?-Akinos laughed at him.

 

"We" do as we please, Shade joked back. Now stop slothing around, peasant. Our majesty demands it!

 

-Do you really have to go medieval on me every time?-the Ash nagged him-You are losing your charm.

 

According to recent research of mine, to "go medieval" on someone involves a battle axe or a weapon of similar size, so by definition i can not, Shade responded, misplacing his sense of humour. I'll likely need a more powerful weapon soon enough, however, but a Scindo wouldn't be my first pick. Maybe a Sweeper? Surely it'd blow the fleshy bits out of that thing just fine...

 

-Not helping you do war to someone's Sentinel, period-Akinos interrupted- I think i'll join this clan though, at least until i have accomplished my goal, so you'll have your chance. Just don't get me involved. I won't move a finger if they toss you out an airlock.

 

You already tossed me out an airlock once, and i am just fine, Shade reminded him, and then he set up a marker in his map in his HUD. Now move, that's the place where they do the tests.

 

-Yeh, that was my bad-Akinos said as he started walking-But this time no one'll let you back in.

Edited by 065tdsa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, it's finally postable I think. However, it came out a lot longer and darker than I intended....

 

Oh well, sorry for the wait, I hope you enjoy it.

 

________________________________________

 

 

Acantha was in the Atrium in search of a mission when the announcement went out. She stared up at the gigantic screens that lined the room, eyes running across the scrolling text faster than it appeared, reading the information impatiently. The Lotus had sent out a call to all Tenno about a large-scale and urgent mission to stop the Zanuka project. In return for clearing out newly infested Corpus ships sent out by the Corpus CEO to confront Alad V, the Tenno as a whole would be given the infamous man’s location via the Lotus. Additionally, any Tenno who fought would be awarded with individual battle pay, which was the Corpus’s idea of an incentive to get individuals to fight for them.

 

She had heard about the Zanuka project, she wasn’t sure anyone hadn’t by this time. A particular high-ranking Corpus, Alad V, had been using captured Tenno for experiments and then selling the unused parts to the highest bidder. What interested her was the new information contained in the announcement. Confirmation of at least one Tenno held captive who might still be saved alive. Her name wasn’t released, just her warframe details; a kind of unfamiliar frame called Valkyr.

 

The young warrior grit her teeth, not wanting to waste time. She hated the idea of fighting alongside Corpus, but distasteful or not it was necessary. She would pitch in to save those who were targets and victims of the Zanuka project. She wouldn’t hide from her duties any longer. She needed no battle pay to be encouraged to join in this fight, although she would accept it. It was her duty to go to save her brethren’s lives, and as such, she would fight.

 

Having already prepped for going into a mission before going to the Atrium, Acantha sprinted for the ships leaving for the new missions immediately. Along the way she put in a request with the Lotus to be sent as an independent fighter to any squads needing members. Normally, she would have done as she had for the Gradivas Dilemma, which was to fight battles alone unless joined by circumstance briefly with other Tenno. However, she also knew she had to get out of her habit of fighting alone when she could be assisting others. Therefore, she made the decision to support other squads in this fight, even if it meant leaving her comfort zone in doing so.

 

____________________

 

 

Fighting alongside the Corpus was strange. She had to go against her instinct to shoot them on sight after so many missions in opposition to them. Fighting with so many unfamiliar warriors was also a new experience as her solo attitude hadn’t prepared her well for cooperative tactics. All of it put her off balance for her first few missions, as she had to adjust to things she’d never had to compensate for before, like some frames being significantly slower than her own. However, once she hit her stride and became more comfortable in the seethe of the battles, she also began to appreciate having allies at her side in a fight for the first time since she had awoken from cryosleep.

 

Moas, Corpus soldiers, and Shield Osprey, previously only noted as annoyances, provided crucial, if inconsistent, help in clearing the Infested. They boosted shields, acted as distractions by drawing enemy attention, knocked down swarms of Infested mid-charge, and provided cover-fire for the Tenno, even though they stood no chance against the enemy that was attempting to take over their craft on their own. She could sense that they were less than pleased to have to rely on the fickle help of her kind, but she could also feel the relief of the soldiers she saved as she fought with her squad-mates and destroyed everything in her path.

 

The fights became a blur, as once she finished the cleansing of one Corpus ship she immediately shipped out to help decontaminate another. Often times she didn’t even have the luxury of staying with the same squad for more than one or two missions at a time, as she joined those who were in the most need of help as directed by the Lotus and didn’t focus on any one group or individual. Squad mate’s names and faces became as indistinct in her mind as the individual battles themselves, with some instants remaining clear in her mind more than others.

 

She remembered seeing one Frost get overwhelmed as his Snow Globe faded, having been struck by an Ancient Disruptor and  sent sprawling, drained of all energy. Thoughtlessly, she had thrown herself into the fray, Molecular Priming the mob to slow it as her Orthos spun in her hands, rending Infested flesh until a white-hot explosion cleared the room. She also remembered her relief at finding she was in time and he was unharmed as she reached down to help him up.

 

That moment blended into another, with a different squad this time. In that instance, she had miss-stepped and, slipping in a pool of what passed as blood for the Infested, she fell to the floor. She had watched, seemingly in slow motion, as the Charger she had been about to impale on the blade of her pole-arm dove down at her while she was collapsed and helpless on the steel beneath her. Then staring in surprise as it took a full shotgun round in the face, and fell twitching next to her, with a hand offered down to pull her back to her feet.

 

Scores more twisted amalgamations of flesh met their end as time sped up, bleeding into more moments that stood out clearly among so many others that did not, with no logic as to why one was remembered and another forgotten.

 

A corpus, screaming as a Leaper tore him apart. Her gunfire downing it too late to save him.

 

A Skana blade, glimmering in the organic light and wielded by a squad-mate whose name she did not know, trailing ichor and blood as it sheathed and re-sheathed itself in flesh.

 

The incessant robotic warning cries of Moa as they charged, as heedlessly and with as little regard for their own existences as what they fought, at the enemy they were programmed to slaughter.

 

Gunfire singing as Infested threw themselves at the Tenno ceaselessly, and the equally ceaseless song of their ends at her and her companions’ hands.

 

The silent flight of her kunai and the resulting shrieks of pain from their targets as they met their mark.

 

The final loud silence of a craft finally cleared of the plague and the creatures which carried it; the only noises her pulse in her ears and the deafening sound of her own breathing. Waiting for the order to get to extraction to begin it all again...

 

 

 

 

She wasn’t sure when she stopped, but at some point she hit a wall within herself she couldn’t force herself past. She sat, panting, in a carrier ship nearby a Corpus vessel still crawling with Infested plague, doubled over with exhaustion. She wished, for the first time this Waking, that she wasn’t alone. She missed dearly those whom she fought with before the Long Sleep. Most of all, she missed her Daishō.

 

It was an old, archaic word that she and someone she had known long ago had adopted for themselves. If one of them was called for, by default, so was the other. They’d had known each other better than any others, and in a fight knew exactly what the other was doing, and how to best play off of their moves. They’d been inseparable, like a pair of matched blades, and so the term, which had referred to a matched pair of swords worn by samurai, had seemed to suit them.

 

While she’d always missed the people she’d lost, she hadn’t let herself dwell on it. She’d internalized all the pain and loneliness associated with them, and had focused almost obsessively on being good enough to someday fight next to them again were they ever found. That obsession had evolved into her feeling she had to improve before she would be good enough to fight next to anyone ever again. It had even bled into her fighting, leading to her to carelessness and sloppiness in battle as she lost her focus on her own importance and slipped into depression; something she was still working to fix.

 

Her thoughts trailed off as she aimlessly checked the console next to her to see her progress. Apparently she’d earned quite a pile of battle pay during her missions, although the credits meant little enough to her and weren’t due to pay out for some time. Sighing, she slumped back against the wall, her limbs heavy from exertion. She yearned to go find somewhere quiet, where her thoughts could settle and she could begin to release the stress built up in her body from the constant fighting. It was impossible to find such a place at the Station, aside from her cramped quarters. Those, however, were only truly good for sleep, and that kind of rest wasn’t that she wanted.

 

Her mind wandered back to a moment when she stood before a gilt coffin, making a promise in the silence and among the whispers of the mourners: “…although I can never be your equal, nor accomplish anything near to what you achieved, I will not stop fighting again. I will never let another battle in which I could protect another pass me by. I will become both shield and sword for my comrades, and for our cause.”

 

No, she couldn’t stop fighting this battle, not yet, but neither could she neglect the needs of her body. She would rest, for a short time, and then go out to fight again. She set her course to the Aequitas Dojo. Yes, she would rest, but she would also remind herself again of the promise she made and who she had made it to. It would give her strength for the battle ahead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds good. I look forward to reading it!

 

And to be honest, I'm glad you couldn't do whatever-it-was that was dark and horrible to your character. I rather like the Foundry Master as he is. However, he's your character, so you can write about him however you like and it will still be a good story regardless.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...