[Archive] Of Ash And Fire - Original Thread

[khimera]

You'll find out. Once he finishes proving himself he will be granted his memory back. For reference, he felt he could not bear all the sorrows of those lost during the collapse which is why he locked himself away. WHERE he did this I will not say, but it's very important~

 

Edit: Surprised no one has noted on the absurdly broken power of Lunasos yet.

Edited October 6, 2013 by khimera

[Zombie_Sprinklez]

Sorry if this is a little off-topic, but I invited you to the clan Khimera. You can accept it when you want.

[khimera]

Nah, this thread is everywhere anyway. I'll get back on and accept to start the key ^_^ Thanks for the invite!

[Ajkrumen]

You're right. LUNASOS OP PLS NERF KHI.

[khimera]

You're right. LUNASOS OP PLS NERF KHI.

 

XD My answer?

 

 

Lunasos is an extremely powerful Artifact from before the Collapse. Its power cannot be used lightly and it is actually highly draining on the wielder to access such abilities. Even if Crowley wanted to use it he'd need to obtain PERMISSION first from the Lotus herself.

[Ajkrumen]

I love. That gif. Maybe before any Prime was constructed the Artifacts were the beginning. Even higher levels of Orokin tech. Maybe one for each specific frame?

[khimera]

Interesting thought...it makes sense actually.

 

The purpose of Lunasos is to access the powers of the deceased that 'walk' alongside the Grand Master of the Dead. This is a title that is earned and Crowley rightfully possesses it. To be able to bear the memories and feelings of dozens of powerful Tenno warriors in your body isn't something most Tenno would be able to stand without going completely insane. To have the mental fortitude to keep your own identity in the turmoil of such a psychic storm, if you will, is nothing short of amazing. Lunasos also wouldn't be able to be lifted except by someone worthy or who has the potential to be worthy, similar to Excalibur in Arthurian legend. (Lunasos won't get a lot of explanation in the backstory so it's safe to put it here) The crescent-moon scythe design is also unique, as there is no other scythe in the game or lore that matches it so far. Thus, it is an artifact.

 

By the way, did you enjoy the decapitation stake mechanism? -grins- I thought that up while walking to work~

 

For example for another artifact we could have something for Ember. Rather than a melee weapon it could be what LOOKS like a pair of knuckle-dusters that when worn release a pair of rings each that hover over the wrist and just below the elbow. When held up the dusters take the innate power of flame and mold out dual arm-cannons that are made of molten magma. Sound good?

[Ajkrumen]

Yes. Yes it does. Each frame having its own designed Artifact that gave them their fabled powers. maybe before they could permanently store them in mods?

[khimera]

Another good point. Similarly, the armor Hayden Tenno wore could be considered an artifact of sorts (likely no longer existent at this point as it was probably a good prototype for the warframes themselves but you get the point)

 

This is also why the raw power instilled in such artifacts is so much greater than mods. Mods are small, slotted things meant to be efficient and interchangeable whereas not only are artifacts un-moddable they have but a single power at their disposal that is based on the power of the warframe holding them.

 

If I recall the Ember around here is named Zel? If, for example, we did write up the fan-lore for the Magma-Dusters and she got a hold of them the volatility of her power would render them useless until she gained enough control. The overwhelming fire she possesses is a qualifying factor and a disqualifying factor in this case, as to be able to focus the power of flame into the form of solidified magma would require precise control seemingly lacking in most Ember playstyles.

[Ajkrumen]

Yeah, Zel is very unstable when it comes to controlling her powers. She blew up an entire ship and the half of another.

[khimera]

However, if she hadn't just let loose Sundrus would've had his way. ^_^ Also, the letting loose thing makes me think of the girl from Hellboy slightly...uhm...gosh what's her name...

[Ajkrumen]

Iunno. Never saw it.

[khimera]

Anyway, I think I'll leave the finding and creating of artifacts mainly to other people under these guidelines:

 

1. The artifact MUST have a special name applied to it. Difficult as this is in Warframe enough, try and come up with something yourself rather than referencing mythology and folktales for names.

 

2. The artifact will be for a specific type of frame and have limitations to its use. A semi-sentience is allowed, since it is clear with Lunasos that the ability to determine if a Tenno is worthy or not is at least in part up to the weapon. An example limitation would be the need for great mental fortitude in order to even qualify to wield Lunasos.

 

3. An artifact has one power. This power can compound into different kinds of uses or this power can produce multiple 'effects' based on how the power is invoked. Again, with Lunasos its effects are based on the souls of past Tenno being carried alongside the Nekros wielding it.

 

Too restricted?

[Ajkrumen]

Not at all! I'll try and brainstorm a Frost artifact later on. :)

[frostycmc]

I think I have one for Excalibur. The Focus Band. ( Yes I play Pokemon, why do you ask?)

 

When worn, this simple looking headband massively increases the speed and reflexes of the Excalibur using it, to the levels of Grey Fox in MGS, such as blocking even fully automatic fire. Like Excalibur itself, it depends as much on the skill of the wielder as it does on any fancy room clearing explosions. However, if one does not have the mental fortitude to use it, they will find themselves slowly going insane as their perceptions begin to shift from being massively sped up all the time, like living in fast forward, to slowed down, like the Flash's nightmare in that Justice League cartoon. ( Not sure if anyone here has seen that episode.) Eventually these symptoms would become permanent, even without the Band.

 

What do you guys think?

[Tyranthius]

They were all transfixed by the shining vision before them. In its left hand, it held light. It glowed to such blinding intensity, then the figure pointed in their direction. The spell broke.

 

"Scatter!"

 

They all dodged aside as the bolt of light rent the air where they had stood. It passed with such great force that it nearly sent them to their knees. No one had yet thought to draw their weapons. The figure spoke, seemingly directly into their minds. It was not a language that Tyranthius understood, but from the brief headache he felt from the words, he could guess their meaning. The figure's hand glowed once more. They broke and ran in different directions. There was no thought given to combat.

 

Tyranthius ran as fast his Warframe could take, thankful for his recent acquisition of sprinting modules. He thought he knew what he had just seen, but for the life of him he could not call it to mind. His surroundings were dark; the golden figure seemed to draw all light to it. He checked the hallways again. The doors were still inactive. He cursed and turned to look for others, but something on the wall had caught his attention. He looked closer, and saw a carving. He had passed it earlier and gave no thought to it. But now, it was glowing with bright light. it appeared to be an ornate depiction of a Warframe. This was not uncommon in a Tower. But upon closer inspection, it was not a Warframe Tyranthius recognized. No, it had a reptilian head, scales, and wings. Oh, damn.

 

Tyranthius suddenly recalled a certain book he had once read on Orokin history; actually, it was a holo-module. In a somewhat irrititating prose, the book detailed the Orokin Era, what little is known of the Collapse, but the passages now burning in Tyranthius' mind was those on the Guardians. It was said that the Orokins, in an attempt to seal away their Towers from trespass, created the Guardians: Autonomous Warframes of incalculable power, each tasked with the protection of a Tower. Each Tower has a Guardian, or so the book claimed. Each one bore a name, and their powers had been described in detail .This was widely disbelieved, as Towers were trespassed into all the time, and no one had ever seen any hint of a Guardian. An author's fancy, nothing more.

 

Despite this, Tyranthius had enjoyed the book; perhaps it drew his attention away from the pressures of reality. He could recall several of the Guardians' names and descriptions, and he recalled one passage in particular.

 

"Nidhöggr, the Lord of Light. Purveyor of Shadow.

 

From below the Dragon, darkness goes;

Force consigned to slumber long.

Laying waste to all with light;

A show of rage in Tower hidden.

With bright wings the Dragon sleeps

Until foes trespass into the deeps.

 

His mind attempted to reject all this. The Guardians couldn't exist. If they did, they would have woken long before. Yet he thought, and there was no other explanation. 

 

His ruminations were interrupted by a yell. "Son of a *@##$ overgrown lizard! Die!", then, "Hey, if anybody could come help me, that'd be real great!"

 

So it had found Meno. Tyranthius was paralyzed with fear. He should help, he really should. But what could you do against a Guardian? He ran frantically, trying to locate doors that he knew would be closed. Secret passages. Buttons. Anything but going back. He heard another voice.

 

"Hisser, Ty, we could really use some help here!"

 

Calladus must have joined the fray. He ran to where he thought he heard the voices and saw: Calladus and Alyssa were fighting the Guardian, who was using the giant sword. They seemed to be doing fine. But where was Meno? The two fought as they had never before, but the Guardian was beyond skill. It parried sword and Fang with its bare hands, its giant sword, even its wings. At the moment Tyranthius would have joined the fight, the Guardian swept Alyssa back with a casual flick of the sword, then stepped under Calladus' guard, stabbing him in the chest.

 

No. No. Impossible. Cal' never loses a sword fight. Apparently the Guardian did not know this, and as Tyranthius watched, it calmly stepped on the EXCALIBUR and drew back the sword, bisecting the Tenno. Then, the Guardian turned towards Tyranthius. It opened its palm, filling it with light. At this distance and the speed of plasma, the attack would not miss. The Guardian pointed the palm at Tyranthius, and suddenly reared back as though in pain. It seemed that there was a shaft of silver light protruding from its hand. Another flew, and Tyranthius understood. Alyssa was firing Paris bolts directly into the Guardian's palms. 

 

It roared, again in the unintelligible language, and ripped out the bolts. Crystalline scales on his palms were cracked and broken, and they had grown dim. In contrast, some light had seemed to return to the Tower. From the corner of his vision, Tyranthius saw a fast-moving figure; it was Alyssa, her SARYN visibly damaged, her helmet cracked open, yet she sprinted at speeds that would have shamed LOKIs. She leaped and grappled the Guardian from behind, holding on to its neck while stabbing in several times. Then, she looked Tyranthius in the eye with her gaze of clear gray, and said "Win." 

 

And with that, poison exploded from multiple launchers on her Warframe. She and the Guardian were engulfed in a toxic-green haze of gas and a whole scintilla of poisonous substances. Tyranthius activated his helmet filters. Helmet.

 

"Alyssa!" he screamed as he ran into the toxic haze. She was helmet-less. Helmet-less and wading in the most toxic substance known to Tenno manufacturers. He saw the Guardian flinging her limp form away as though she were a rag-doll. No...

 

Cold rage suffused his heart, fueled in no small part by self-loathing at his recent cowardice. He drew his Ethers. The Guardian roared, but it was obviously hurt. Its wings were feeble in their movements, the armor cracked and soaked through with poison, its hands no longer able to summon light. Even its glow seemed to be dimmer. He charged, fighting as he never had; evading the giant sword and performing swift and impressive counter-attacks. The Guardian was still incredibly strong, but it had slowed down considerably. Its movements were wilder, almost as though the construct were angry. Tyranthius dodged the one-handed swings again and again, but just as he was to strike, an unexpected fist came and struck him full in the chest.

 

His vision blurred, the imposed analgesia of the Warframe not completely managing to keep out the sensations flooding through his body. He felt his life ebbing away. He saw events flash in his mind. Disjointed words, images, and memories coming together in his thoughts.

 

"...we could really use some help here!"

                                         "...overgrown lizard! Die!"

       "...the Lord of Light. Purveyor of Sh-"

                                                                                    "Mind the gap."

                                                                                                             "Are you okay?"

                                                                                                                                       'For the sake of the potatoes you so enjoy, wake up!'

                                                                                                                             "I've wanted to say this for a long time..."

                                                                                                                                                                                       "Win."

 

Win.

Win.

"I must WIN!"

 

"Low Warframe integrity. Pre-set activation conditions detected. Initializing Gleipnir program."

 

Slowly, Tyranthius stood, his vision tinged with red. He gripped his Ethers; there was nothing else. No enemy, no Tyranthius. Only the blades. He attacked at a speed so great, he seemed an ASH in Bladestorm. He struck with reckless abandon, yet did so at such a speed that it made no difference. He struck, and struck, yet the Guardian still stood. Cracked, limping, and raging, but living still. His rage reached greater depth.

 

"Initializing Storm of Ragnarök."

 

Hard-light Decoys exploded into existence at lightning speed, each holding hard-light Ethers. But these were no ordinary harmless diversions. The first dashed and struck at the Guardian, then another, then another. The Guardian managed to destroy several, but when they died, they discharged a potent shock wave, and more kept taking their place. From afar, it looked like a cumbersome beast repeatedly attacked by a shifting, precise fleet of stilettos. The Guardian's armor kept taking damage, the LOKIs kept attacking, until:

 

*CRACK*

 

The sound of breaking, more specifically, the sound of something not meant to break, breaking. A roar, shards of bio-metal exploding outward. Tyranthius stood, the Guardian knelt. It was in a truly pitiful state; broken, leaking, no longer glowing quite so brightly. Its chest was laid open, revealing the intricacies of autonomous Warframes. In the center of the chest area sat an Orokin Reactor. Tyranthius put his hand on the reactor and pulled for all he was worth.

 

"Megingjörd configuration active."

 

With a screech that was almost a plea for mercy, the Reactor resisted. Golden energy erupted from the junction where it was inserted into the Guardian. With a crack like a gunshot, it gave way, releasing a wave of energy. The Guardian's glow flickered, and was gone. Tyranthius moved, though how he was still doing so, he wasn't quite sure. His displays read an integrity of 0.0067%, which meant a stiff breeze might kill him. He looked around and found what he was looking for. A lump of bio-metal that disconcertingly smelled like charred meat; all that was left of Menoetius. Brash, angry, constantly ravenous Menoetius.

 

And over there, bisected in a parody of the honorable death he deserved, was Calladus. The Indomitable. He had never lost a fight when it came to blades. To be snuffed out so quickly.

 

And finally, in a corner, the broken remains of a SARYN, with the Tenno inside still whole. Her face, exposed in the crack her helmet had sustained, was unrecognizable. Her Miasma had come at great cost. Tyranthius knelt beside her and felt her pulse. Gone.It was most likely better that way. He looked into her face one last time. Her eyes were still open, somehow undamaged by the Miasma. Gray, with the left divided in the center by a single drop of blood.

 

He stood, and walked. He made it two paces, then checked his display. It read integrity 0. He fell.

 

*****

 

The Tenno had seen the battle. He had seen for his own eyes. The object of his mission. The funereal figure strode toward the broken LOKI. He appeared wraith-like and hooded, his visage a mask of death. He was a NEKROS, the first to wake. Not even the Grand Master of the Dead, Bearer of the Lunar Scythe, had stirred from his cryo-sleep if the reports were to be believed. He was purged from his pod in secret, ahead of schedule. He was told that his name was Harahel, and that he needed to find out what happened to the Guardians.

 

He had searched and searched. Sometimes he had seen: Guardians long-broken, some with Reactors missing somehow, some that couldn't be woken, but never one in full operational condition. Until today. He had watched the LOKI rip out the Reactor, extinguish a legend, a priceless relic of the Orokin age. Removal of a Reactor from a functional Warframe shouldn't even be possible. He had seen what had befallen the others; a Guardian was truly a powerful force, but sadly, their masters were long gone, and so was any knowledge on controlling them. He activated a function of his Warframe; one that would later be termed, "Desecrate". He didn't agree with this. Cremation wasn't so unpleasant, and there were certainly worse send-offs. He noticed that The LOKI still lay on the floor. That meant...

 

He checked the pulse and vitals. Not breathing, but barely alive. He injected the Tenno with Nanocytes, then performed other basic healing functions. He knew some, but he was no practiced healer. Yet when he had done all he could, the Tenno would not breathe. Aware that he could be looking at one of the last witnesses to a Guardian, he took a calculated risk. He took the Reactor taken from the Guardian, and inserted it into the LOKI. 

 

It jerked and bucked as energy suffused its systems, jump-starting the nervous systems of its wielder. Deep breath, held very long, then normal breathing. There. He would live. Finally, he took out a flask from his Gear Pack. This flask contained a mixture common to the old NEKROS; a mixture that would submerge memories, but not erase them. He poured it into the Tenno's mouth. Let him have peace, at least temporarily. He wondered if he should move the Tenno, but decided that the Tower had nothing more that could offer any harm.

 

He approached the Guardian, Nidhöggr, once the Lord of Light. He activated a function derived from his abilities, collecting what would be called, "soul-data". Having deemed all satisfactory, he walked away, ashamed to leave such a relic behind. But he was patient. There will be more.

[Darayas]

Loving the stories, everyone :) really excited to see how we can develop all this open-for-interpretation lore about the Orokin and the days before the Collapse! 

[Ajkrumen]

That was great, Ty! A nano-ghost of a freakin' Guardian is pretty intimidating. 

 

 

Also, I think I'll put the Frost Artifact in a story before I reveal what it is outright. c:

[Zombie_Sprinklez]

Had ideas racing through my head , and this is what I came up with. 

 

Just a little backstory of my Vauban character Ranger before he gets implemented.

 

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So help me Lotus, the second I am deployed on a Corpus vessel, that is where the merchant cult shall die!

 

There was something the merchant cult wanted, something within the precious city Ranger vowed to protect. He needed to be there as the city itself contained documents extremely valuable for the Tenno, but why the Corpus? Ever since he was deployed to find the Artifacts hidden deep within the city, Coprus spies had been intruding in, searching for something as well. They never really brought on a big onslaught, or army to attack anything, so the Tenno never interfered. Ranger knew that the merchant cult was planning something, but the Lotus had restricted him from any interference unless lives were at stake. The merchants were not nearly developed enough to cause havoc in such a place guarded by Elite Tenno warriors anyway.

 

As the artifact search continued, Ranger picked up an unknown signal on his radar that seemed to have breached the premises of the city. Armed and ready, Ranger went to find out just what this "unknown breach" was. A sick feeling churned in his stomach as he realized just what the threat was; an Orokin Battle vessel. Powerful and capable enough of destroying the entire city if need be. As the Orokin ship continued its path toward the city, it had become clear just what those greedy merchants were after: HIM. 

 

It had been known for a while that the Corpus had been after the Tenno in search of technology and power, but the artifact search had eluded this from Ranger's mind. And now,it seemed that they had made a deal with the Orokin so that they would destroy everything standing in their way of getting what they wanted.

 

"This is not the end... I vowed to protect this place with my life, and I will not allow them to take me and raid it for the secrets it holds." Dozens of Corpus and Orokin soldiers had already been deployed as Ranger stood before them. He was known for his expertise and mastery of the Vauban Warframe, and it would take a lot more than dozens to bring him down. Ranger knew this, but he still had to plan carefully as there was an entire ship full of soldiers at the enemy's disposal. 

 

Without hesitation, Ranger drew his Gram and charged at the army that lay ahead. As they desperately fired shots, Ranger slid and swung his blade in a spinning fashion, taking out many soldiers from the get go. To finish off the remaining enemies, Ranger activated a Bastille, trapping all those unfortunate to be standing near him. Seeing his trap was successful, Ranger pulled out his Kunai to finish off the enemies stuck in the Bastille. As he did this, more soldiers had been deployed. 

 

Ranger tried as best he could to finish them all off, and just when he thought he had won, something let out a loud, piercing roar. He turned, to see what kind of creature could make such a noise. Before he could even think, a giant monster-like arm whipped Ranger off his feet. As he slid across the ground, he got a better look of what he was up against. It was some sort of amalgamation that stood at least ten feet high. Despite the size and power of the creature, Ranger was not ready to give up.

 

He noticed that his suit had reached maximum energy, so he was ready to execute the final move. He jumped, and threw his ultimate power; the Vortex. As the creature was sucked in, Ranger wasted little time. He pulled out several Tesla's and threw them all out at once. The creature shuddered and spasmed as the Vortex and Tesla grenades did their work, but this was not going to be enough. Ranger pulled out his trusty Hek shotgun, got to an ideal distance, and began blasting away.

 

As Ranger blasted shells into the creature, it let out roars that got weaker and quieter every time it let one out. Ranger blasted all his ammo into the creature, and it was silent. When the Vortex cleared, the creature fell flat on the ground and wasn't getting back up. The Orokin ship began to retreat, and Ranger thought "I've done it!" Just as he was thinking this however, he noticed something blinking on the body of the creature. Ranger approached it, and he noticed that there was a triggered explosive device on what appeared to be the creature's torso. 

 

There wasn't much time before it detonated, so Ranger needed to act quickly. He struggled with defusing the bomb, as Orokin tech was extremely complicated, and this was something he had not seen before. With about ten seconds remaining until detonation, Ranger decided if he was going to die, he would die trying. The timer slowly counted down: 

 

10...9...8

 

"Come on!" Ranger thought, "There gotta be a way to do this!" 

 

7...6...5

 

As the timer reached 5, a hissing sound came from the back of his Vauban Warframe. His cryopod had been activated, and he was not the one to do it. As the cryopod quickly enclosed Ranger inside it, the thrusters were activated. Ranger began shooting off into space, and all he could do was merely watch as the city exploded to nothingness as he drifted into cryosleep.

 

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Well, there it is! It's probably nowhere near as good as what you guys can pull off, but I did put a lot of thought into it. I hope you all like it!

[Ajkrumen]

Interesting... a cryopod built into the Warframes. That's pretty freakin' cool!

[Zombie_Sprinklez]

Interesting... a cryopod built into the Warframes. That's pretty freakin' cool!

:3 Thanks! Did you like the story?

Edited October 6, 2013 by Zombie_Sprinklez

[Ajkrumen]

Yeah! It was great! Kinda sucks that the town blew up though. :(

[Zombie_Sprinklez]

Yeah! It was great! Kinda sucks that the town blew up though. :(

Yeah, I thought that it would give a good ending to his sort of dark past.

[khimera]

I think a line in one of my most recent chapters of Gold, Crimson, Azure fits the situation of Ranger's story here perfectly: "It seemed many precious things were lost in the wake of the collapse."

 

At various stages I can see the Collapse being this event that spanned years, if not decades of time. The idea that a warframe's cryopod could be built into it is ingenious though. Anyway, the Tenno had lost a great deal and even now they are still rebuilding themselves. If you look at various fanfictions and our own self-made lore not only are the Tenno still struggling to increase their numbers and resources but they are trying to reclaim lost relics and ruins.

 

The idea of Guardians is an interesting one, and it lends credence to the parasitic probes of the tower being only one stage of its defenses. On another note: Harahel knows Crowley has the scythe so Harahel is pretty dang old or very well-informed.

 

On the note of the Focus Band Relic: Cool, and it makes sense. Excalibur doesn't have fancy powers like the other Warframes so heightened senses and reflexes are one of the best ways for it to improve. I can see it looking much like a circlet until it is placed on the head when it conforms to the shape of the currently-worn helmet. 

 

I like the idea that not all the relics are obvious in function or design or could be camouflaged to be less conspicuous if that is indeed a possibility for such an object (Magma Dusters and Focus Band would probably not possess this function for example). I'm considering a mantle of sorts for the Volt Relic, though I don't think my Volt has the qualifications to use it.

[Zombie_Sprinklez]

Thanks for the feedback Khimera! I'm glad you liked it! ^_^