[Archive] Of Ash And Fire - Original Thread

[Tyranthius]

Wait, what's happening?

[Ajkrumen]

I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the impending event.

[khimera]

I was just putting up my warframes' particular choices for the even and who I will likely play with for each side. -shrugs- That and the training range thing was something to get us back into putting up amusing stories.

[Tyranthius]

I don't know, man. I'm still in recovery after Finals. Note: Imagine a Venn Diagram. One of those circles say, "Scope of Exam". Another, smaller circle inside that says, "What I studied". Then, a third circle says, "What came up". This circle is approximately three kilometers from the first circle. I have not been able to come up with any ideas for anything after that one.

 

Also, what's the event?

[khimera]

The event is that the Grineer and Corpus are going at each other's necks for real this time. No ships to hide behind, all out faction war. As keepers of the balance Tenno may (not must) choose a side that they feel should win, or could choose alternating sides each mission if they wanna do that or whatever. Point is: You get to fight alongside either faction as allies, gaining their troops as backup.

[SOUP.CAN]

WHAT? when were we told (or not) about this?

[QuinnsWing]

we were told about it.....there is a youtube video out there

[khimera]

Latest livestream, and the latest announcements are Alad V and Sargus Ruk making comments about the upcoming war.

[Tyranthius]

"I still say we should side with the Corpus!" growled an emphatic Khimera. They had all met in council to discuss which of their enemies they would reluctantly help. Unfortunately, it seemed everyone's opinions differed, and the meeting degenerated into speeches on why this particular side should be taken. All the ranking Tenno were present. Nova-Quinn and Loki had been voted to be excluded, because no one wanted a repeat of the bonsai cherry tree incident.

 

"Alright. Why should we side with the Corpus, again?"

 

"Because they're the lesser evil! Because they're not rabid dogs who'd kill you as soon as help you. And, damn it, because I've always wanted my own Osprey, and the Grineer aren't likely to give me any of those."

 

Tyranthius sat forward, apparently now taking interest in the conversation. "Putting aside the one about the Ospreys, how sure are you that the Corpus are the lesser evil?" Tyranthius asked; his first words in the meeting. He had grown quiet lately, and when asked why, he simply replied, "I went drinking with Crowley".

 

Crowley answered for Khimera. 'What he means is that, as allies, the Corpus are more viable. They are our enemies, but experience has proven that they are decent enough to you if it's in their best interest to be so. In contrast the Grineer are , as he put it, "rabid dogs"; brutal and mindlessly cruel. They will kill you for the sheer hell of it. To be brief, we side with the Corpus because, even though they might stab you in the back later on, you at least know where your back is.'

 

"And they don't seem so bad, compared to the Grineer", someone else added.

 

Tyranthius transfixed that Tenno with a stare. "I can agree that the Corpus are better allies, but did you just imply that they are any less morally reprehensible than the Grineer? Let me tell you something. I have seen the inside of a Grineer torture cell. I can show you images of rescue targets that we were too late to save. Lips, noses, ears, and nails missing. Physically tormented for the sake of enjoyment until they're no longer human. Warframes, with Tenno still in them, ripped apart and given to ranking officers to adapt as they choose."

 

Tyranthius stood up now, and started pacing.

 

"But, I also know what the Corpus do in their cells. I cannot definitively prove this, but I have good reason to believe that the Corpus are doing some very nasty things to captured Tenno. Rumors of brainwashing, indoctrination, experimentation, and full-scale weaponization. And all I have to show for it, is this."

 

He took out a holo-projector and set it on the table. At once, a huge hologram was projected into the air; a high-definition rendering of what appeared to be a canine robot. There were sounds of disappointment from the gathered Tenno. 

 

"So they have a new proxy model. What about it?"

 

"That is no proxy. There is living flesh underneath that armor. And speaking of that armor, look at it. Really look at it, and while you do, recall to mind what VOLTs and NYXs look like."

 

There were looks of confusion, then concentration, then sudden horrified realization. "You mean-"

 

"That's right. If I am correct, the lesser evil you would assist takes Tenno, our comrades and friends, and turns them into that. Now, you might support them even after hearing this, but if at any time you begin to trust them, remember what I showed you."

 

And with that, Tyranthius walked out.

 

*****

 

A NEKROS stood in the corner, black in coloration. Its energy glowed venom-green. He was hiding, for there was no way to blend in with the meeting. Apart from the obvious exception of Crowley, who was apparently the Grand Master of the Dead, and a few others, no one else was in their Warframe. The price of tradition. He had sometimes found it inconvenient, but he never regretted it, before or after the Collapse.

 

He watched Tyranthius walk out the doors. That Tenno's mind was certainly something, if he wasn't under any of his disorders. After what he's seen at so young an age, I'm surprised he recovered at all. It also helped that Crowley gave him a bottle of Mnemosyne, effectively restoring the memories that had been blanketed by the Lethe. Harahel had come here after finding that the LOKI all those years ago was still alive. He came here to observe, as he always had. He had sent the image to the young man, and was not disappointed by what he saw. He is worthy, I suppose.

 

 

 

Clarification on Harahel's age: He's not that old. Though he is first-gen, he served as a NEKROS for total of three years before the Long Sleep. During this time, the Collapse was well underway and all organizations were highly disconnected. He served without even knowing who his order's Grand Master was, though he heard enough stories to know of the Lunar Scythe.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Tyranthius

[Ajkrumen]

Incoming Transmission

 

A Frost Prime appeared on the Corpus screens.

 

"Hello, Alad. You harbor no secrets against us. You may like to think that you are the major faction in this war, but countless lost scouts and our discovery of Phobos despite your best efforts have disproved that. If you think that you hold any influence over us, you are wrong. While we may be keepers of the balance, we will wipe you out with the Grineer if need be. You have done unmentionable things to our brothers and sisters, as have the Grineer. You may know who I am. I am the agent of death for many of your high-ranking officials and prototypes. I am ancient.  I will not stand for this, nor will my fellow Tenno."

 

End of Transmission

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to let them know that we know. ;D

[Tyranthius]

P.S. Your collar looks like a toilet seat.

[Ajkrumen]

Lol. Maybe if Loki ever does a transmission. xD

[Kalenath]

Just wanted to let them know that we know. ;D

 

So now they know that we know that they know that we know.

 

But what do we know?

 

Meh, I'm just gonna go kill stuff.

[Ajkrumen]

This is true. But we DO know that the cryopods are near Sedna. That the two factions will go to war against each other, foolishly forgetting about us. And we do know of a corpus project in the works.

[khimera]

Uhm...Bonsai Cherry Tree incident? My curiosity has been piqued yet again by your aptly named accidents involving Nova-Quinn and Loki. It's also very smart not to let her vote on anything of consequence. I noticed the dog thing looks a lot like a hybrid mix of Nyx and Volt warframes on a canine creature...I still want one as a pet. Don't get me wrong, Corpus are sick, twisted bastards but they're more likely to give me nice things...then again I'd love to have a Roller pet too. Dangit now I wanna see what the Grineer'll give us rather than the corpus...Yuikami may yet have an ally...hmmm...

Anyway, to make up for my lack of chapter updates on GCA I shall post here!

 

____

 

Khimera took the time to look over the hologram, inspecting the canine creature. There was no denying it looked like a Volt and a Nyx had been skillfully melded together into a canid proxy-form. He could not deny the Corpus were sick cenobites of the highest caliber, but he would rather put his faith in the cunning, logical Corpus than the Grineer. He knew he would be unable to convince Nova-Quinn to follow with himself and Crowley but the wasp-colored Volt had no worries. Whichever side won, the Tenno won as well. There was no hiding from balance, and either side winning meant an imbalance.

 

Of the Tenno gathered few were still in their warframes, in particular Crowley and Khimera were present in them. Crowley, of course, could not remove his though it wasn't like that was widely-known. Khimera refused to reveal his face to anyone, even his own Cell and especially Sandalphon. Issachar had been given the honor of attending the meeting and she was dressed formally. Her clothing was dark, mainly deep purples and reds somewhat like her warframe. Surprisingly her hair was blonde, though her eyes were a venomous violet color as a testament to the side-effect of wearing her warframe.

 

Issa had mixed feelings about all this. Both her senseis were sided with the Corpus, though even as she left to return to her studies Issachar couldn't help but feel the Grineer might be the better choice. The Grineer had honorably held a contract with the Corpus for a great deal of time and this would make the second time the Corpus had been less than honorable in keeping up the contract. The first time had triggered the Fomorian assault, though without much choice the Tenno had sided with the Corpus then. Thinking on it, Issa began to further feel the Grineer were the better choice. Savages though they were, they knew what honor was unlike the Corpus sycophants.

 

Crowley waited until the other Tenno had left the meeting room to shut off the holographic projector, taking it with him. The 'proxy' merited further study, especially if it somehow held a soul. For the Corpus to place a soul into such a creature would be technology Crowley would need to destroy...or take for himself. Yet another hard decision, it seemed. With a sigh, the Grand-Master of the Dead stopped and glanced at the well-hidden Nekros in the hallway. "Oh...I remember you." Behind the frightening Raknis helmet was a knowing grin on Crowley's face. "Please refrain from messing with memories again or I'll have to reprimand you. Remember our purpose is to protect memories as well as the dead." With that the blue Nekros left for his meeting with the Foundry-Master of the clan. Some important business was in need of getting under way, and this by far was more important than some petty squabble between cloned fools and religious fanatics.

[Entari0]

can someone please write in a sassy mag? i would, but I can't write for S#&$. dont care about rank, but she has to be headstrong, wear a shade as a hat, and sassy, almost to a fault.

 

the character is based on my first frame, btw

 

if you want a picture for reference, here ya go (this was a screenshot i took for a bug report, sorry i dont have a better one)

 

 

for any character development....

fave weapons

-Strun wraith

-vasto

-galatine

 

preferably somewhat experienced

if this request is out of place, i apologize

[Ajkrumen]

My first post was a request as well, and I'm honored that you came to this thread. But I read for awhile and got some inspiration and began my own characters! Trust me, it's so much better when you write it yourself. :)

[Tyranthius]

'Remember, our purpose is to protect memories as well as the dead.'

 

As the ice-palette NEKROS walked away, Harahel felt a jolt of annoyance. How had he been seen? It didn't matter at this point. But with Crowley aware of his presence, he could no longer stay in the Dojo without an excuse. He walked, staying close to the shadows. And where did the Grand Master of all people even remember him from? He was not inducted in Vis, as was custom. No, at that point, his services were needed far more immediately. He looked at his Warframe. His black and poison-green coloration was distinctive, to be sure. But perhaps he was over-thinking. Most likely, Tyranthius had talked about what he had seen in his trip through Mnemosyne. In hindsight, it might not have been the best choice give Lethe to Tyranthius. He had thought that his ordeal was too much to take. In his three years, Harahel had seen too many Tenno simply lose their will to soul-crushing sadness. Sometimes, it was best to forget.

 

He reached a small storage closet-area and entered. Inside was an array of surveillance devices, data drives, and three weapons. He looked over the log of Orokin Tower explorations. No one had reported anything unusual. Good. He had ventured into many, many Towers, finding Guardians in derelict states, some completely inoperable, and even more worryingly, some of them were in good condition. He couldn't vouch for their recognition capacities - he did not want another Nidhoggr - and thus, he sealed many away, for future study. He thought about how Tyranthius would now recall his encounter. There was no chance, though, of word getting around. They'd think he was in an insane interval. Shaking his head, Harahel took a Galatine down from the wall and put it into the mag-sheathe on his back. He stepped out of the closet and started walking. This time, he moved with purpose; as though he had every right to be here.

 

He walked to the room helpfully labeled, "Recruitment Center". He went inside, and saw a complex that he knew would, in its height of use, be full of would-be Initiates. As it was, it was nearly deserted. He saw an EXCALIBUR Prime. He searched through his mind and came up with the name: Sandalphon. Apparently, he was currently in charge of screening the as-yet non-existent recruits. A punishment assignment, probably. He approached.

 

"May I help you?" Sandalphon asked, obviously surprised that he would actually get to do something.

 

"Yes. I am here to offer my sword and services to the clan", Harahel said confidently.

 

"That's strange. We didn't receive any notice. Besides, don't Initiate NEKROS' go through Crowley?"

 

"I assure you I am no Initiate. And I have already spoken to Crowley." This was not strictly a lie.

 

"Well if you have...", the Tenno said uncertainly. "So he sent you here for trial?"

 

"I found my own way." He spoke still in his composed voice. He had to make this look convincing. "I choose trial by combat. Blades only; whichever you care to use. I will use my Galatine."

 

He could sense the grin behind the Prime's helmet. "Well, you're certainly an eager one. Not very smart, though, choosing to cross blades with an EXCALIBUR. Very well. I'll take my..."

 

Khi, I need to ask. What does Sandals use? Is he still one-handing a Galatine?

Edited October 22, 2013 by Tyranthius

[Entari0]

i'll giv it a try, but no garantees on the quality.

maybe name her saichra? and i dont mind if sandals hits on her, but she might.

[Tyranthius]

Sandals hits on Khimera. I'm not sure if he'd even try for a woman. But, different strokes, I suppose....

[khimera]

Sandals is...bizarre by most Tenno standards, and not because he's attracted to Khimera. (It is my logical reasoning that homosexuality isn't even an issue to the Tenno. Love is love and all that. Sexual preferences have no bearing in combat after all.) Maybe if he gets turned down enough times he'll give up, but I highly doubt it.

 

Sandalphon has an all-melee load-out. Primary: Galatine, Secondary: Dual Zorens (or any other Dual Melee Weapon on hand), Regular: Dakra Prime

 

To clarify, he doesn't really one-hand Galatine yet...that's more Rhino-category stuff...he's working on a way to do it though. The most he's been able to do is swing once one-handed before letting the end rest on the ground before the next blow. If you are familiar with momentum, he's been using that to his advantage so far with 50/50 success.

[Tyranthius]

"...I'll take my own Galatine. And just for a bit of thrill, I'll do it one-handed."

 

Harahel grimaced. An exhibitionist. They stepped into the dueling arena. "Rules?"

 

"Oh, standard. First to score a would-be fatal hit, blades only, no time limit", Sandlphon said airily.

"And what do I have to do to qualify?"

 

"Impress me."

 

And they began.

 

Harahel charged, hoping to find the Prime off-guard. He was sorely disappointed. Each of his strikes were met by lazy, yet precise, one-handed swings. The problem, he thought, with the Galatine was that if swung too fast, it simply didn't have any power. The sound of ringing blades was near-constant, yet Harahel had yet to come close to landing a single hit, fatal or otherwise.

 

"Poor show, lad. You're not getting in with this performance."

 

Harahel could only snarl. It might have been a mistake to demand bladed combat after all. He forced himself to focus. Judging by the slight hesitation and delay in the Prime's movements, Harahel supposed that Sandalphon was not so experienced with his unorthodox wielding of the Galatine. He used the weapon's weight to more or less compensate for the lack of strength. This would have the effect of powering up his strikes, but would make it impossible to pull an attack once committed to it. But first, a subterfuge.

 

"You're one to talk. I don't see Khimera being very impressed with your technique", Harahel called out as he dodged a vicious overhead slice. Sandalphon was completely unfazed by his taunt. He realized that he was outmatched; the Prime was only toying with him. He had to finish this before his opponent took him seriously.

 

"Come now. Getting desperate already? I assure you, insults won't sway me."

 

Harahel expected as much from any self-respecting Tenno. He had guessed, quite correctly, that Sandalphon was the type to point it out. Before the insults were fully out of Sandalphon's mouth, he delivered an unexpected series of powerful slashes, culminating in an overhead swing bull-rush with all his strength. Sandalphon met, parried, and dodged the attacks flawlessly, and as he stepped aside from the final strike, he almost smugly sent a cut at Harahel's vulnerable side.

 

Got you. He waited until the last second, until he was sure Sandalphon had committed. Then, using the momentum from his lunge, he braced his legs and jumped. Sandalphon's blade passed harmlessly beneath him, and has he flew slowly in an adrenaline haze, he saw that his opponent was still trying to check his own unwieldy strike. Still in midair, he twisted for all he was worth, stuck his arm out, and his blade's center struck Sandalphon squarely in the spine.

 

He landed on the floor, almost short of breath. Sandalphon didn't even appear slightly tired, but was obviously surprised, and perhaps mildly impressed and annoyed.

 

"Well, that was certainly something. You didn't punch through my Shields, but I suppose that was impressive. Sly and sneaky, but impressive."

Harahel leaned on his Galatine like an ancient with a cane. He had barely fought at all since his awakening, and obviously he would need to re-accustom himself. If the Prime decided to continue the fight, he would not last. "So I suppose you'll grant me permission to join?"

 

Sandalphon thought for a moment, then nodded. "You seem good enough, and you did say Crowley vouched for you, right?"

Harahel didn't answer this. Plausible deniability, he told himself.

 

Fortunately, Sandalphon didn't wait for a reply. "There's supposed to be a ceremony to make it official, but as of now, consider yourself a member. Welcome... what did you say your name was?"

 

The NEKROS breathed easy. He had done it. "Harahel. It's Harahel."

 

"Well, Harahel, I'm sure you'll fit in just fine. Go to Requisition and ask for chambers; tell them I sent you. You might also want to get some essentials while you're at it."

He thought about the cubbyhole of a closet he had been hiding in for some time now. It would be nice to sleep in a room longer than he was. "I have my own things, thank you."

 

He smiled as the EXCALIBUR Prime gave final instructions, then left. He was now in a Clan - something he never thought he would be - and a Clan where such interesting things happened. Interesting people. So much to observe.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Tyranthius

[khimera]

Wait, wait, wait...Harahel's been hiding in a closet like a Stalker? I'm sorry, too much amusing imagery.

 

That aside, awesome job with Sandals. I think you did him better than me actually. -chuckles- Regardless, Sandalphon is indeed a man of prestige in the realm of melee combat. Even without his swords he could probably take a lot of people hand-to-hand.

[Ajkrumen]

I haven't done anything with heus in awhile... I need to get on that.

[Tyranthius]

Yep. He's been hiding in a closet. For all his frightening Warframe and helmet, he's a die-hard historian; eager to do anything for the sake of observing things first hand. He doesn't even like fighting, though he is decent at it. He applied as a NEKROS hoping he would be able to focus on the more historical side of that position. Fortunately for him, he had applied during the Collapse, and his application was rushed. Unfortunately for him, the Collapse was not a great time to live, and he was assigned to active duty more than he liked. When the Long Sleep was imminent, he loaded all his favorite documents into a cryo-proof data drive and sneaked it in with him. He still has it.

And yep. Haven't seen him in since he got his Braton Prime.

Edited October 22, 2013 by Tyranthius