I take the white clothes, if nothing else they could make nice bandages. From the refrigerator I taste a bit of the food and drink and take the rest of it for later. I take my knife from the drawer and strap it to my belt. Then I take my and gun give it a good look over to make sure it is in working condition, then load it with the ammunition from the metallic box, I also strap this to my belt.
It seams that whoever has taken me in trusts me enough to let me carry my armaments, but I stay on the cautious side. Being in such a strange place has made me anxious and I decide to exit through the unlocked door to see if I can find out where I am, or who I am in the company of. As I reach for the door handle I feel my hands begin to shake, my eyes starting to water, and a sudden increase in my heart rate. Sighing, I recognize the early symptoms of morphine withdrawal, as well as noticing my internal craving for my drug.
I step back and take a few breaths to collect myself. Determined to stick out the early signs of withdrawal I continue out of this strange room.
((I'm really thinking about typing up a background for my character if I get some ambition to do so. Stuff about specific gremlin physiology, Some basic background history on Vertigo's world, and some specific events of his own personal past. I'll try to get the physiology stuff tomorrow since it's likely the most meaningful))
It's crystal that the NPC isn't breaking character on my behalf. The story looks thin at primetime but I'll have to play on his level if I wanna beat this sim and get my outside connection back. Any case, I've never turned down a brainpick, and whatever unknowns put this server together seem to have gone long to cut me off and make this place look unvirtual. For certain, I'd love to see what juicy zero-ones are hiding beyond the crystal static.
"You've piqued me, I'll grant you. Let's see this project." I hoist my pack and trail the avatar.
I turn at the one IDing as Suicho, noting the bioskeleton wrapped around his chest. "Shiny tech. Function or form?"
((Gremlins of Vertigo's world aren't large as expected. At most they'd reach about 12 inches standing, though that's like a human reaching nearly 8 feet tall. 8-9 inches is more common, though females tend to be a little larger. They have a gray-brown skin that can color change a little like a chamelion although to a much lesser degree. Color shifts are mild and leave a grayish look in any case. They have largish heads relative to their bodies with large eyes, ears, and mouth even for their heads. If falling from a great height, they've adapted to using their ears to sort of glide a little. A fall from almost any height for them is rarely fatal, though they may sustain significant injuries. They have rounded torsos with very short short fur that is actually largely transparent and clear in color. This fur covers only their torsos leaving their heads and limbs bald with only their somewhat rubbery skin. They have a rat-like tail which is highly articulated. It functions as an extra limb. It's not needed for balance in movement so they tend to keep it close to their torso to keep it protected most of the time. They are bipedal and have thin limbs all around. They have dense bones and a tight, but flexible muscle structure that is designed for quick movement more than feats of strength, but they can be surprisingly strong, at least for their size. Especially in regards to their jaws as they have a pretty nasty bite.
There are myths about them and water, ranging from water being deadly to them and water causing them to multiply. Neither are true exactly, though they are both understandable mistakes. Gremlins can't swim generally as a result of their dense bones and fine limbs. Thus standing water leads to drowning for them. Over time they've grown to hate water as a result. Still, they need water like anything else and were, in their distant past, desert creatures and maintain a pocket in their little bodies that stores water. As such they go for water without much frequency which only helps the myth. The multiplying myth is another matter. A wet gremlin smells quite bad to most, especially a female gremlin. Incidentally, that smell happens to be a bit of a mating call. Female gremlins sweat a lot normally to get that effect. Yet since gremlins hate water many people will spray it at them to scare them away from machinery when they see them. This sometimes has an unintended effect of promoting reproduction of more gremlins.
Gremlins are also intelligent, though not as much as a human normally. They may live to around 35 years old in captivity, but in the wilds in tends to be much shorter as a result of their curious nature.
Vertigo himself is extremely intelligent for a Gremlin, and quite charismatic too. He'd be considered "pretty smart" among humans. He's about 10 inches in height making him fairly tall for a male. He is not really a very strong example of his species otherwise, but being a warlock, he does have mystical benefits to help offset his frailty. Additionally, he seems to be aging a little slower than a normal gremlin. He looks to be about 8 rather than 11 to anyone who knew the difference. This is possibly a side effect of his warlock power, but it's hard to say.))
Darn you, I was gonna be a rodent. Oh well. I'm not good at keeping up with these games anyway. I have to say I'm really enjoying the crazy lingo that Mario is apparently making up as he goes.
Name: Spoony Silverward
Species: Carbon-based bipedal lifeform
Age:20 earth years
Home Time: 1200~
Special Skills or Abilities: Said to be the best lute player in his village, however, he is the only one known to the village, and may, in fact, suck. However, he's very charming, even if he did get the wizard's daughter killed.
Personality: Very self absorbed, but he does try to be nice in his own way.
Suicho, Chenda, and Vertigo: The kind-looking man laughs. "Oh please, Suicho. You're making me out to be some omniscient deity. No, it's not that, I...." his eyes light up and his gaze quickly snaps to the pedestal. "Oh dear, oh dear, busy busy. Excuse me, for just one moment. As he walks toward the pedestal, he whispers into his collar once more. As he places his hands upon the orb, the two thuggish men enter the room once more.
Spoony: You've been running for quite a while now... who would have know that frail old man could run so fast and for so long? BZZZT! A lightning bolt arcs over your head, almost frying your skull. You keep running.
THUD. When you looked back over your shoulder, you failed to see a stray root on the ground in front of you, and you trip and fall hard. This gives the wizard just enough time to catch up to you. As he stands over you, he glares, tears streaming down his face. "Silmeria... you.... YOU MONSTER!" He raises his hands; electricity crackles between his fingers. His arm flies down..
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo, Spoony: ZAP! Spoony, you find yourself standing in a vastness of glass and empty space. Standing before you is a kind-looking man. A large-shouldered human male and a golem, both wearing clean white clothing, stand next to you.
"Welcome!" the man greets you warmly. Normally I'd stay and chat, but I'm rather busy with two guests right now. Suffice it to say, this is your new home now, and these two gentlemen will escort you to your quarters. I'll be with you in a few hours, if you don't mind." The two large men turn toward the northeast corridor, ready to depart, and watch you warily. "So, what do you say?" There's a slight hint of impatience in his eyes as he awaits your reply.
Gabby: After a long day of school, you finally board the bus ready to take you home. Amy chats with you vibrantly. Suddenly, a great roar sounds from outside the bus. It's another one of those pesky city-destroying dragons! It spots your bus and runs toward it, full speed. Apparently your transport looks like a tasty snack!
Jason: As you open the door, you're greeted by familiar sounds. In the distance, you hear gunfire and gruff voices shouting orders. The room on the other side apparently opens up into a whole landscape...exactly where you were a moment before. Next to you on your right is the same medical tent you had just spent hours in. Even the smells are the same: blood, gangrene, gunpowder, and freshly-dug earth. You're struck, however, by a very unusual phenomenon: to your left, there appears to be a window standing in midair. Through it, you can see clearly the blob-like shadows you could see before: they appear to be creatures of all shapes and sizes passing by and occasionally looking in. As your door opens, the eyes of a smaller being rest upon you. They light up, all 4 of them, and the creature's blue lips suddenly puff to twice their size. It leans in for a closer look, apparently anticipating your next move.
Sexy: As you scrounge for food and a mate in the recesses of the canvas tent, you hear a strange sound you haven't heard in a long time. As you peek your head out, you see a strange new opening in the sky! There's a big human standing in the opening, but there's plenty of room for you to scurry through if you wish.
Very intriguing indeed, this man is very humble, but he clearly holds great power, surely I can get my hands on a bit of that! Besides, there doesn't seem to be much else I can do here but what he asks, how can it hurt?
*Suicho cocks his head even further to the right while thinking, he smiles slightly. A distinct cracking sound is heard, Suicho grimaces and cocks his head even further, a pop is heard and Suicho sighs in relief. Halfing Anatomy has many quirks.*
Sexy: Duh duh duh DAAAH! Special skill activated! You race up the big thing's legs! It sure is dark and hairy in here.
Jason: There's a mouse on your leg. Is it... trying to sex you?
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo, Spoony: "Yes, dear sir, of course. There's plenty of refreshment in your quarters. Please follow these two gentlemen." He turns back to Suicho and Chenda. "Now, my apologies for the delay. As I was saying..."
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo: "...no, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm certainly not a god... I simply created the universe which eventually led to all the diversity of life there. Oh, to be sure, it was complicated, but I know what sort of religious ideas your kind has: that I waved my hands and there was light, or that I crafted humans from the dust and a rib. No, no, nothing like that. Just honest technology." By this point you've entered the corridor and are following the man through a series of zigzag hallways. He finally stops before a blank dead-end. He places his hand upon the wall, and it glows faintly blue. A panel slides up. "However, I must say, seeing such complexity arise certainly humbled me. I could make a vast expanse of matter and energy, but YOU all! Your intellect! Your culture! Simply fascinating. So, I thought I'd give it a go. Only.... it didn't go perfectly well. As you step inside the room, you notice a great deal of scientific equipment: monitors, generators, all sorts of tubed and labelled liquids, solids, and gasses. But at the center of the room, a large containment tube draws your view. Within its smoky depths, a faint yellow light shines down on a young woman. She rests against the back of the tube, eyes staring wildly out at you all. Her right hand is pressed against the glass at the tube's front. You notice that she is completely still. Even her eyes are glassy and unseeing.
"So." The man continues. Upon glancing at him, you notice now how strong and imposing he looks. "Here she is. My first experiments with life. Only I need your help to make her live."
"Don't get me wrong deity, my kind believes in no god, but it has never been thought unlikely that there was at least an instigator of ours and many other universes. The tech necessary to escape the bounds of this one is not far from my peoples' understanding.
Ah, this is a masterpiece! You think we can do much more than you? A master nanosmith does not expect his apprentice to fine tune his best work!"
This guy is nuts! Halfling-kind has never seen bioengineering on this scale, he thinks a genius mechanist can work with this stuff!?*
Ah, but that is where you're mistaken. She looks flesh-and-blood human, but that's only part of the story. She's only partly human... the rest of her is mechanical, and her brain is electronic. I've been able to make good success with her biological components, but I must admit that my own mechanical and electrical knowledge is far from perfect. Here's what I have so far."
He opens a drawer nearby and pulls out several sheets. He spreads them out on the table space. The largest and most complex must be the biological aspects he's talking about: you can't understand the complex, almost alchemic symbols and designs. Another, however, appears to Suicho to be a crudely-designed muscular and skeletal system. ((Your level of technical expertise on this is up to you: my own ideas tended toward you being able to actually make vast improvements on this being, but you can do whatever you wish)) "And you, Chenda. Here is her brain." He pulls out yet another sheet, this one riddled with all sorts of electronics. ((Same deal as with Graeme)) "I need some help to bring this all together. Right now she's just in stasis with her brain turned off... but with your help, I'd like to actually CREATE life!" Vertigo, your silence has allowed you to continue to go unnoticed, though you've had to bury yourself deep into Chenda's backpack to do so.
<...Things...machines...must...resist. The human. The male one. He's a sorcerer. He MUST be. He spoke no words, he used no reagents...there was no science in his action. Yet the wall obeyed his silent command. He could not be a mere wizard as he seems to be saying. Oh Vertigo, what treacherous sort of trap have you got caught in now?>
((EDIT: Brackets indicate thought. I reserve use of italics for other purposes. Also I had this open most of the day and forgot to refresh before posting so I missed the Suicho exchange. I have a lot of windows open while working and got distracted away from this partway into writing it. This thought would be prior to the reveal of thought reading.))
((History lesson time! Vertigo's world is a world of science and magic both. The science is more...steampunkish than anything else. Very mechanical, but this technology didn't always exist. In the far past before Gremlins had left their deserts, the world was quite simple with limited science and magic was a gift to a very select few powerful individuals who were born with great magical power. These people were sorcerers. They were treated more kingly even as kings but in return people clamored for the sorcerers to provide services with their magic.
The sorcerers were VERY few in number, however. They could not fill the market for magic. Eventually some very smart and enterprising non-gifted sorts came up with the idea to work with the sorcerers to sort out how magic worked; to reverse engineer it and duplicate the effects somehow. These people eventually became known as wizards. They didn't succeed totally. A great deal of magic, especially the really powerful stuff remained exclusive to the sorcerers, but the wizards did sort out how to reproduce many magical effects without the Gift. Unfortunately their ways were difficult and required much dedication and effort. Exotic materials came into play. A wizard could only work middling magic at a very high cost. Still, the market for magic was such that the price would be paid and then some. Of greater note is that the wizards found that some very simple and weak magic was dramatically cheaper and really quite simple to do. Very small fires (like a candle), temporary light sources, that sort of thing were actually released into the world on a wide scale. So the wizards did make quite a mark on the world in that way. Still even with the wizards, being more common than sorcerers (but still rare), and the wide release of simple magic, the demand for magic power was still too great to fill. The wizards decided to take their research in new directions. The result was SCIENCE! A new class of people came about who focused on this, though they are usually still called wizards. Some call them apprentices. Really the line between one or the other is fairly vague to commoners. Vertigo is among those who doesn't distinguish the difference.
Airships eventually came about and have become practically the defining symbol of Vertigo's world. A sight of a skyline with no airships in it became a rarity, such was the proliferation of air travel. Gremlins got picked up and spread like the plague. They are a widely unliked nuisance and are regarded as vermin despite their intelligence. The gremlins themselves don't trust larger races regardless of their seeming kindness as a result. From their view everyone is out to kill them.))
Origin Point: A planet called Tira (Tira and Earth were both modeled after the same planet when created and thus the resident lifeforms and phenomena are VERY similar to those present on Earth, however there are a few differences, for example: Tira orbits it's sun every 439 days and each day is divided into 33 hours, each hour being 33 minutes long, each minute being 33 seconds long, and so on.)
Species: Gohny (Very similar to humans, but with a longer life span averaging 2,310 Earth years or 700 Tiran years; they also lack a sense of taste and smell.)
Origin Time: The Gohny do not keep a calander and find tracking time a useless effort. However the Ferians are quite obsessed with time and have calculated the time of their planet's creation down to the hour (Unknown to them they are, in fact, 103 years 6 days and 19 hours short of the actual date). Starting from the supposed creation of their planet they are at year 830,144,963 (Plus 6 hours). This is around year 2318 in Earth time. (Medieval Tech with some Minor Magic in the mix.)
Age: Ezèkièl has just reach middle aged for his species and is 253.
Special Abilities: Ezèkièl (Though he does not know it) is a Werewolf (The variety that transform unwillingly into a wolf-like creature with extraordinary strength and agility at the full moon.) but he's not a normal Werewolf either (Or Sylan as they are called on Tira.) Ezèkièl is a Berserker, while he also transforms at the full moon (Which occurs at the start of every month or about every 13 and a third days) he also has a very slight chance of transforming upon receiving any significant injury (Basicly anything more then a scraped knee or stubbed toe), however at only half the strength of the normal transformation and the transformed state only lasts an hour (Ferian Time) instead of an entire night. Sylus maintain a separate memory from their host. So, for example, say Ezèkièl is injured while in his transformed state by a Ferian arrow, when he comes back to his original form he will have no memory of his wound or anything else that happened while in his transformed state, however when he transforms again the Sylan within him will remember who injured him and probably seek revenge, but wouldn't know (and probably wouldn't care) who cleaned and bandaged the wound.
Personality: In his normal state Ezèkièl tries his best to help those around him, though if you make an enemy of him he has been known to be quite cruel. He's unpredictable at times, but not entirely random. In his transformed state however he is VERY irate, and will rip out the throat of his best friend because of a joking insult (Or possibly just because he's in a bad mood). He won't attack everyone in sight, but it doesn't take much to invoke his anger.
Occupation: Ezèkièl is a foot soldier in the Gohnian army. The Gohny have been at war with the Ferians for the past 2,362 years after a dispute over a small island. The conflict takes place on the single continent of Tira and, though uncommon, the occasional sea battle takes place. The Gohnian Commanders are well aware of Ezèkièl's "Condition" (Along with the Lycanthropy of many others) and have exploited it many times to win battles. The Ferian army developed this tactic after a month of combat and since then it has been used all though out the war.
Inventory: Standard Army Issued Chainmail, Longsword, Dagger and Shortbow (20 arrows); His grandfather's Greatsword (A family heirloom and war trophy.) ; 3 days food; Magical Fire Starter (A small rock with a heat spell cast upon it, it is kept in a metal case, the outside of which is lined with a flame resistant cloth.); Displacement Vial (A small metal vial with a displacement spell cast upon it so it holds 5 gallons of liquid, generally used for carrying drinking water.)
Edit: Illithid, you want to control Ezèkièl while he's in his transformed state (as it's completely involuntary) or should I?
Edit 2: Accent Marks added to name.
Edit 2: Small fixes
))
Gabby: After a long day of school, you finally board the bus ready to take you home. Amy chats with you vibrantly. Suddenly, a great roar sounds from outside the bus. It's another one of those pesky city-destroying dragons! It spots your bus and runs toward it, full speed. Apparently your transport looks like a tasty snack!
"What the not this load again," Gabby muttered under breath. She turned to the only person she trusted to keep her secret, that she was in fact... a super hero (as well as a pop star and a world famous modern artist)!!! "A-Dawg," Gabby began, with utmost seriousness in her tone, "I'll B... R... B!" With a wink, Gabby instantly teleported off of the bus, levitating in front of the beast in the next instant, clad very scantily in a mask that barely covered her face and pink leather that barely covered her body. The dragon didn't realize it's aim, it's misfortune being that it enclosed Gab-, sorry, no, The Pink Shadow, within it's jowls. The dragon recoiled as it felt TPS's Laser Eye Beams ripping apart it's innards. Eventually, a ball of pink energy appeared, the sinew and marrow of the dragon's spine ripped out from it's body, as The Pink Shadow came out, hovering over the body of the Dragon. She floated down to the crowd of onlookers, shouting "HOLY SHIT IT'S THE PINK SHADOW," posing to take many pictures in front of them, still covered in the blood and bile of the beast. She gave another wink, and appeared back on the bus, fully cleansed and back to wearing her typical teenager outfit. Nobody should ever know her secret, or it would ruin her social life 4-ever!!!!
Name: Varieus Archer.
Origin Point: Helinea(Different human planet).
Species/Appearance: Human (Caucasian, male, blue hair).
Origin Time: Due to loss of records, exact time has been lost.
Age: 24
Special Abilities: Military Genius, also one of the best weapon masters/users in the Galaxy.
Personality: Hardheaded, very smart.
Occupation: Military Commander of his own ship called Light's Hope.
Inventory: His Great Laser Sword he forged from the fires of Vageska(a Volcanic plant in the Outer Rim) Commander Suit(Personalized to be black instead of the normal blue).
((Varieus starts off in his commander chair))
Soldier: Commander, incoming message.
Varieus: On-screen.
Grand Commander: Varieus I have a mission for you, I want you to...
Ezekiel: It's been... how many years? Since you were first abducted and taken to this prison. Sure, there's still plenty of Ferians to kill... at least in theory. But they're slower, dumber, not as REAL as the real thing. And come on... moonlight whenever you wish? It's too easy this way, and you long to escape. And that damn window, with those strange THINGS always watching you...
As it has been for the past indeterminate interval of time, you're standing in the "room" attached to yours, where your world and the conflict you were once a part of rages on around you eternally. Occasionally you catch glimpses of onlookers from that eerie floating window that follows you everywhere you go. You also know that the door to your room is only a thought away, should you wish to go there.
A soft beep fills the room and the sounds of warfare stop around you; everything is still. It's that time again, apparently. A disembodied voice floats through the air around you. "Ezekiel... so good to see you again. I trust everything is well with you?" It checks on you every so often... it feels like a year or so between visits. ((BTW, you can control your transformation as well, you clearly know how they're different so just play that up))
Gabby: On the ride home, everyone is chattering away about how amazingly COOL the Pink Shadow is. This is probably the 500th time you've saved the town from some fate worse than death, but they'll never know how close their hero is to them. As you arrive home, a familiar car is parked in the driveway. Jenkins, a small British gentlemen in fancy dress, is waiting for you. This, too, has happened countless times: another crisis for you to solve in some far-flung space and time. This is SO not a good time... you have homework and a football game to go to tonight!
Varieus: Varieus, I have a mission for you. After your string of victories, we feel that you are best suited for an... unusual task. An anomaly has opened up in the Theta sector of Antares space, and no one knows exactly what it is. We want you to be the one to lead the expedition to figure out its exact nature. Find out if its a threat. If not, find out what it is. Unfortunately, there are several Antarean ships already stationed there, guarding and exploring themselves. They're breaking Federation law, as you well know: all anomalies in colonized space are to be reported to the Federation before any local authorities get involved. Your name will, hopefully, scare them away and let you have as much room as you need, but I don't want to take any unnecessary risks. I'm transmitting the rendezvous point to you now: head there, wait for the rest of the Federation ships to arrive, then travel in formation to the anomaly. Get those natives out, one way or another, and get to work on figuring out what that is. We don't want another para-dimensional invasion on our hands. Any questions?"
Chenda, Suicho, and Vertigo: "So, here's what I'm asking... help me make this being functional. I can give it the spark of life, but I need it to have a functioning body and I need its brain to be able to use that body properly. I hope you two are up to the task. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to." He whispers into his collar and walks out the door. In a moment, a lithe young woman walks into the room and stands stoically against the door.
Spoony: The two burly men are still waiting to see if you follow. They're starting to look impatient: they flex their arms and you wonder if they might just carry you before long.
((Pretty sure Chris is out of town, so he's not making any moves for a day or so.))
I begin to inspect the materials and equipment in the lab. I need to find out as much as possible about this girl's current structure before I attempt to make any changes.
That was some good sexing. Quickly scurry past the man and into that comfortable looking bed in the room he came from. Nap time. (assuming I saw the room, I wasn't really sure about that, otherwise just scurry somewhere and take a nap)
Varieus: Yes sir! set course to the Theta sector.
Soldier: Roger that, all engines to full, hyper speed engaged.
((Light's hope goes in the hyper speed on its way to the the Theta sector.))
Varieus: Lt. keep things in control up here. I'm heading back to the training room to see how the rest of the crew is doing before we have a chance of a fight.
Lt.: Yes sir, you heard him boys lets do this.
((in the training room))
Varieus: How you doing boys!
Soldier(s): Doing great sir whats the next mission.
Varieus: Its a basic save and rescue with some exploration, just came back to see if you were ready.
Soldier(s): Ready as ever sir.
Varieus: Good
((over the intercom))
Lt.: Sir we are coming out of hyper speed now.
Varieus: Well boys I got to get back to the bridge good luck.
((Back on the bridge))
Varieus: Ahhh we're here now lets just sit and wait for the others to arrive.
Special Skills or Abilities: She was injected with some shot as an experiment project by the government that was supposed to make super-soldiers for the military. The shot destroyed some nerves and brain tissue. She now can't feel anything physically. That means no pain, no pleasure. She also has trouble remembering things sometimes since a small part of her brain was destroyed. The shot did do a bit of what it was supposed to, though. It molded the cells in her hands to be able to collect heat, and control it for the most part. She can take the heat from the air and create fire.
Personality: Anelia is very quiet, and is afraid that she always sounds stupid to people since her memory isn't the best and she knows her brain is destroyed a bit. Even though her thought process is the same and it didn't make too much an impact on her, she convinced herself it's a lot worse then she thought. She has to make up nicknames for people most of the time, and developed a bunch of habits that most would consider OCD.
Name: Bubbles
Species: Human, male
Home time: ~7000 BC, Earth
Special Skills: Hitting things with a large stick
Personality: Enjoys hitting things with a large stick
Comments
It seams that whoever has taken me in trusts me enough to let me carry my armaments, but I stay on the cautious side. Being in such a strange place has made me anxious and I decide to exit through the unlocked door to see if I can find out where I am, or who I am in the company of. As I reach for the door handle I feel my hands begin to shake, my eyes starting to water, and a sudden increase in my heart rate. Sighing, I recognize the early symptoms of morphine withdrawal, as well as noticing my internal craving for my drug.
I step back and take a few breaths to collect myself. Determined to stick out the early signs of withdrawal I continue out of this strange room.
"You've piqued me, I'll grant you. Let's see this project." I hoist my pack and trail the avatar.
I turn at the one IDing as Suicho, noting the bioskeleton wrapped around his chest. "Shiny tech. Function or form?"
"Actually both tall one."
There are myths about them and water, ranging from water being deadly to them and water causing them to multiply. Neither are true exactly, though they are both understandable mistakes. Gremlins can't swim generally as a result of their dense bones and fine limbs. Thus standing water leads to drowning for them. Over time they've grown to hate water as a result. Still, they need water like anything else and were, in their distant past, desert creatures and maintain a pocket in their little bodies that stores water. As such they go for water without much frequency which only helps the myth. The multiplying myth is another matter. A wet gremlin smells quite bad to most, especially a female gremlin. Incidentally, that smell happens to be a bit of a mating call. Female gremlins sweat a lot normally to get that effect. Yet since gremlins hate water many people will spray it at them to scare them away from machinery when they see them. This sometimes has an unintended effect of promoting reproduction of more gremlins.
Gremlins are also intelligent, though not as much as a human normally. They may live to around 35 years old in captivity, but in the wilds in tends to be much shorter as a result of their curious nature.
Vertigo himself is extremely intelligent for a Gremlin, and quite charismatic too. He'd be considered "pretty smart" among humans. He's about 10 inches in height making him fairly tall for a male. He is not really a very strong example of his species otherwise, but being a warlock, he does have mystical benefits to help offset his frailty. Additionally, he seems to be aging a little slower than a normal gremlin. He looks to be about 8 rather than 11 to anyone who knew the difference. This is possibly a side effect of his warlock power, but it's hard to say.))
Species: Mouse
Age: 2
Home Time: Now
Special Skills or Abilities: Sexing
Personality: Sex
Species: Carbon-based bipedal lifeform
Age:20 earth years
Home Time: 1200~
Special Skills or Abilities: Said to be the best lute player in his village, however, he is the only one known to the village, and may, in fact, suck. However, he's very charming, even if he did get the wizard's daughter killed.
Personality: Very self absorbed, but he does try to be nice in his own way.
Spoony: You've been running for quite a while now... who would have know that frail old man could run so fast and for so long? BZZZT! A lightning bolt arcs over your head, almost frying your skull. You keep running.
THUD. When you looked back over your shoulder, you failed to see a stray root on the ground in front of you, and you trip and fall hard. This gives the wizard just enough time to catch up to you. As he stands over you, he glares, tears streaming down his face. "Silmeria... you.... YOU MONSTER!" He raises his hands; electricity crackles between his fingers. His arm flies down..
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo, Spoony: ZAP! Spoony, you find yourself standing in a vastness of glass and empty space. Standing before you is a kind-looking man. A large-shouldered human male and a golem, both wearing clean white clothing, stand next to you.
"Welcome!" the man greets you warmly. Normally I'd stay and chat, but I'm rather busy with two guests right now. Suffice it to say, this is your new home now, and these two gentlemen will escort you to your quarters. I'll be with you in a few hours, if you don't mind." The two large men turn toward the northeast corridor, ready to depart, and watch you warily. "So, what do you say?" There's a slight hint of impatience in his eyes as he awaits your reply.
Gabby: After a long day of school, you finally board the bus ready to take you home. Amy chats with you vibrantly. Suddenly, a great roar sounds from outside the bus. It's another one of those pesky city-destroying dragons! It spots your bus and runs toward it, full speed. Apparently your transport looks like a tasty snack!
Jason: As you open the door, you're greeted by familiar sounds. In the distance, you hear gunfire and gruff voices shouting orders. The room on the other side apparently opens up into a whole landscape...exactly where you were a moment before. Next to you on your right is the same medical tent you had just spent hours in. Even the smells are the same: blood, gangrene, gunpowder, and freshly-dug earth. You're struck, however, by a very unusual phenomenon: to your left, there appears to be a window standing in midair. Through it, you can see clearly the blob-like shadows you could see before: they appear to be creatures of all shapes and sizes passing by and occasionally looking in. As your door opens, the eyes of a smaller being rest upon you. They light up, all 4 of them, and the creature's blue lips suddenly puff to twice their size. It leans in for a closer look, apparently anticipating your next move.
Sexy: As you scrounge for food and a mate in the recesses of the canvas tent, you hear a strange sound you haven't heard in a long time. As you peek your head out, you see a strange new opening in the sky! There's a big human standing in the opening, but there's plenty of room for you to scurry through if you wish.
*Suicho cocks his head even further to the right while thinking, he smiles slightly. A distinct cracking sound is heard, Suicho grimaces and cocks his head even further, a pop is heard and Suicho sighs in relief. Halfing Anatomy has many quirks.*
Jason: There's a mouse on your leg. Is it... trying to sex you?
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo, Spoony: "Yes, dear sir, of course. There's plenty of refreshment in your quarters. Please follow these two gentlemen." He turns back to Suicho and Chenda. "Now, my apologies for the delay. As I was saying..."
Suicho, Chenda, Vertigo: "...no, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm certainly not a god... I simply created the universe which eventually led to all the diversity of life there. Oh, to be sure, it was complicated, but I know what sort of religious ideas your kind has: that I waved my hands and there was light, or that I crafted humans from the dust and a rib. No, no, nothing like that. Just honest technology." By this point you've entered the corridor and are following the man through a series of zigzag hallways. He finally stops before a blank dead-end. He places his hand upon the wall, and it glows faintly blue. A panel slides up. "However, I must say, seeing such complexity arise certainly humbled me. I could make a vast expanse of matter and energy, but YOU all! Your intellect! Your culture! Simply fascinating. So, I thought I'd give it a go. Only.... it didn't go perfectly well. As you step inside the room, you notice a great deal of scientific equipment: monitors, generators, all sorts of tubed and labelled liquids, solids, and gasses. But at the center of the room, a large containment tube draws your view. Within its smoky depths, a faint yellow light shines down on a young woman. She rests against the back of the tube, eyes staring wildly out at you all. Her right hand is pressed against the glass at the tube's front. You notice that she is completely still. Even her eyes are glassy and unseeing.
"So." The man continues. Upon glancing at him, you notice now how strong and imposing he looks. "Here she is. My first experiments with life. Only I need your help to make her live."
Ah, this is a masterpiece! You think we can do much more than you? A master nanosmith does not expect his apprentice to fine tune his best work!"
This guy is nuts! Halfling-kind has never seen bioengineering on this scale, he thinks a genius mechanist can work with this stuff!?*
*((Using italics for thought.))
He opens a drawer nearby and pulls out several sheets. He spreads them out on the table space. The largest and most complex must be the biological aspects he's talking about: you can't understand the complex, almost alchemic symbols and designs. Another, however, appears to Suicho to be a crudely-designed muscular and skeletal system. ((Your level of technical expertise on this is up to you: my own ideas tended toward you being able to actually make vast improvements on this being, but you can do whatever you wish)) "And you, Chenda. Here is her brain." He pulls out yet another sheet, this one riddled with all sorts of electronics. ((Same deal as with Graeme)) "I need some help to bring this all together. Right now she's just in stasis with her brain turned off... but with your help, I'd like to actually CREATE life!" Vertigo, your silence has allowed you to continue to go unnoticed, though you've had to bury yourself deep into Chenda's backpack to do so.
"Ah... were you reading my mind a bit ago? I did not mention bioengineering outloud...."
((EDIT: Brackets indicate thought. I reserve use of italics for other purposes. Also I had this open most of the day and forgot to refresh before posting so I missed the Suicho exchange. I have a lot of windows open while working and got distracted away from this partway into writing it. This thought would be prior to the reveal of thought reading.))
((History lesson time! Vertigo's world is a world of science and magic both. The science is more...steampunkish than anything else. Very mechanical, but this technology didn't always exist. In the far past before Gremlins had left their deserts, the world was quite simple with limited science and magic was a gift to a very select few powerful individuals who were born with great magical power. These people were sorcerers. They were treated more kingly even as kings but in return people clamored for the sorcerers to provide services with their magic.
The sorcerers were VERY few in number, however. They could not fill the market for magic. Eventually some very smart and enterprising non-gifted sorts came up with the idea to work with the sorcerers to sort out how magic worked; to reverse engineer it and duplicate the effects somehow. These people eventually became known as wizards. They didn't succeed totally. A great deal of magic, especially the really powerful stuff remained exclusive to the sorcerers, but the wizards did sort out how to reproduce many magical effects without the Gift. Unfortunately their ways were difficult and required much dedication and effort. Exotic materials came into play. A wizard could only work middling magic at a very high cost. Still, the market for magic was such that the price would be paid and then some. Of greater note is that the wizards found that some very simple and weak magic was dramatically cheaper and really quite simple to do. Very small fires (like a candle), temporary light sources, that sort of thing were actually released into the world on a wide scale. So the wizards did make quite a mark on the world in that way. Still even with the wizards, being more common than sorcerers (but still rare), and the wide release of simple magic, the demand for magic power was still too great to fill. The wizards decided to take their research in new directions. The result was SCIENCE! A new class of people came about who focused on this, though they are usually still called wizards. Some call them apprentices. Really the line between one or the other is fairly vague to commoners. Vertigo is among those who doesn't distinguish the difference.
Airships eventually came about and have become practically the defining symbol of Vertigo's world. A sight of a skyline with no airships in it became a rarity, such was the proliferation of air travel. Gremlins got picked up and spread like the plague. They are a widely unliked nuisance and are regarded as vermin despite their intelligence. The gremlins themselves don't trust larger races regardless of their seeming kindness as a result. From their view everyone is out to kill them.))
Name: Ezèkièl
Origin Point: A planet called Tira (Tira and Earth were both modeled after the same planet when created and thus the resident lifeforms and phenomena are VERY similar to those present on Earth, however there are a few differences, for example: Tira orbits it's sun every 439 days and each day is divided into 33 hours, each hour being 33 minutes long, each minute being 33 seconds long, and so on.)
Species: Gohny (Very similar to humans, but with a longer life span averaging 2,310 Earth years or 700 Tiran years; they also lack a sense of taste and smell.)
Origin Time: The Gohny do not keep a calander and find tracking time a useless effort. However the Ferians are quite obsessed with time and have calculated the time of their planet's creation down to the hour (Unknown to them they are, in fact, 103 years 6 days and 19 hours short of the actual date). Starting from the supposed creation of their planet they are at year 830,144,963 (Plus 6 hours). This is around year 2318 in Earth time. (Medieval Tech with some Minor Magic in the mix.)
Age: Ezèkièl has just reach middle aged for his species and is 253.
Special Abilities: Ezèkièl (Though he does not know it) is a Werewolf (The variety that transform unwillingly into a wolf-like creature with extraordinary strength and agility at the full moon.) but he's not a normal Werewolf either (Or Sylan as they are called on Tira.) Ezèkièl is a Berserker, while he also transforms at the full moon (Which occurs at the start of every month or about every 13 and a third days) he also has a very slight chance of transforming upon receiving any significant injury (Basicly anything more then a scraped knee or stubbed toe), however at only half the strength of the normal transformation and the transformed state only lasts an hour (Ferian Time) instead of an entire night. Sylus maintain a separate memory from their host. So, for example, say Ezèkièl is injured while in his transformed state by a Ferian arrow, when he comes back to his original form he will have no memory of his wound or anything else that happened while in his transformed state, however when he transforms again the Sylan within him will remember who injured him and probably seek revenge, but wouldn't know (and probably wouldn't care) who cleaned and bandaged the wound.
Personality: In his normal state Ezèkièl tries his best to help those around him, though if you make an enemy of him he has been known to be quite cruel. He's unpredictable at times, but not entirely random. In his transformed state however he is VERY irate, and will rip out the throat of his best friend because of a joking insult (Or possibly just because he's in a bad mood). He won't attack everyone in sight, but it doesn't take much to invoke his anger.
Occupation: Ezèkièl is a foot soldier in the Gohnian army. The Gohny have been at war with the Ferians for the past 2,362 years after a dispute over a small island. The conflict takes place on the single continent of Tira and, though uncommon, the occasional sea battle takes place. The Gohnian Commanders are well aware of Ezèkièl's "Condition" (Along with the Lycanthropy of many others) and have exploited it many times to win battles. The Ferian army developed this tactic after a month of combat and since then it has been used all though out the war.
Inventory: Standard Army Issued Chainmail, Longsword, Dagger and Shortbow (20 arrows); His grandfather's Greatsword (A family heirloom and war trophy.) ; 3 days food; Magical Fire Starter (A small rock with a heat spell cast upon it, it is kept in a metal case, the outside of which is lined with a flame resistant cloth.); Displacement Vial (A small metal vial with a displacement spell cast upon it so it holds 5 gallons of liquid, generally used for carrying drinking water.)
Edit: Illithid, you want to control Ezèkièl while he's in his transformed state (as it's completely involuntary) or should I?
Edit 2: Accent Marks added to name.
Edit 2: Small fixes
))
(THIS RIGHT HERE WHAT YOU CALL DOMINATION.)
"What the not this load again," Gabby muttered under breath. She turned to the only person she trusted to keep her secret, that she was in fact... a super hero (as well as a pop star and a world famous modern artist)!!! "A-Dawg," Gabby began, with utmost seriousness in her tone, "I'll B... R... B!" With a wink, Gabby instantly teleported off of the bus, levitating in front of the beast in the next instant, clad very scantily in a mask that barely covered her face and pink leather that barely covered her body. The dragon didn't realize it's aim, it's misfortune being that it enclosed Gab-, sorry, no, The Pink Shadow, within it's jowls. The dragon recoiled as it felt TPS's Laser Eye Beams ripping apart it's innards. Eventually, a ball of pink energy appeared, the sinew and marrow of the dragon's spine ripped out from it's body, as The Pink Shadow came out, hovering over the body of the Dragon. She floated down to the crowd of onlookers, shouting "HOLY SHIT IT'S THE PINK SHADOW," posing to take many pictures in front of them, still covered in the blood and bile of the beast. She gave another wink, and appeared back on the bus, fully cleansed and back to wearing her typical teenager outfit. Nobody should ever know her secret, or it would ruin her social life 4-ever!!!!
Origin Point: Helinea(Different human planet).
Species/Appearance: Human (Caucasian, male, blue hair).
Origin Time: Due to loss of records, exact time has been lost.
Age: 24
Special Abilities: Military Genius, also one of the best weapon masters/users in the Galaxy.
Personality: Hardheaded, very smart.
Occupation: Military Commander of his own ship called Light's Hope.
Inventory: His Great Laser Sword he forged from the fires of Vageska(a Volcanic plant in the Outer Rim) Commander Suit(Personalized to be black instead of the normal blue).
((Varieus starts off in his commander chair))
Soldier: Commander, incoming message.
Varieus: On-screen.
Grand Commander: Varieus I have a mission for you, I want you to...
As it has been for the past indeterminate interval of time, you're standing in the "room" attached to yours, where your world and the conflict you were once a part of rages on around you eternally. Occasionally you catch glimpses of onlookers from that eerie floating window that follows you everywhere you go. You also know that the door to your room is only a thought away, should you wish to go there.
A soft beep fills the room and the sounds of warfare stop around you; everything is still. It's that time again, apparently. A disembodied voice floats through the air around you. "Ezekiel... so good to see you again. I trust everything is well with you?" It checks on you every so often... it feels like a year or so between visits. ((BTW, you can control your transformation as well, you clearly know how they're different so just play that up))
Gabby: On the ride home, everyone is chattering away about how amazingly COOL the Pink Shadow is. This is probably the 500th time you've saved the town from some fate worse than death, but they'll never know how close their hero is to them. As you arrive home, a familiar car is parked in the driveway. Jenkins, a small British gentlemen in fancy dress, is waiting for you. This, too, has happened countless times: another crisis for you to solve in some far-flung space and time. This is SO not a good time... you have homework and a football game to go to tonight!
Varieus: Varieus, I have a mission for you. After your string of victories, we feel that you are best suited for an... unusual task. An anomaly has opened up in the Theta sector of Antares space, and no one knows exactly what it is. We want you to be the one to lead the expedition to figure out its exact nature. Find out if its a threat. If not, find out what it is. Unfortunately, there are several Antarean ships already stationed there, guarding and exploring themselves. They're breaking Federation law, as you well know: all anomalies in colonized space are to be reported to the Federation before any local authorities get involved. Your name will, hopefully, scare them away and let you have as much room as you need, but I don't want to take any unnecessary risks. I'm transmitting the rendezvous point to you now: head there, wait for the rest of the Federation ships to arrive, then travel in formation to the anomaly. Get those natives out, one way or another, and get to work on figuring out what that is. We don't want another para-dimensional invasion on our hands. Any questions?"
Chenda, Suicho, and Vertigo: "So, here's what I'm asking... help me make this being functional. I can give it the spark of life, but I need it to have a functioning body and I need its brain to be able to use that body properly. I hope you two are up to the task. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to." He whispers into his collar and walks out the door. In a moment, a lithe young woman walks into the room and stands stoically against the door.
Spoony: The two burly men are still waiting to see if you follow. They're starting to look impatient: they flex their arms and you wonder if they might just carry you before long.
Jason: Still waiting on your next move.
I begin to inspect the materials and equipment in the lab. I need to find out as much as possible about this girl's current structure before I attempt to make any changes.
*Slumps against the wall and begins to fall asleep*
<"Hah, I just noticed, since the last moon cycle, I've been 253... not that it matters so long and I'm here... ">
((Since I seem to be in some sort of prison, do I have all my equipment?))
But then again, it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"Say, my good gentlemen, would it be out of the question to request to be carried to my quarters?"
Soldier: Roger that, all engines to full, hyper speed engaged.
((Light's hope goes in the hyper speed on its way to the the Theta sector.))
Varieus: Lt. keep things in control up here. I'm heading back to the training room to see how the rest of the crew is doing before we have a chance of a fight.
Lt.: Yes sir, you heard him boys lets do this.
((in the training room))
Varieus: How you doing boys!
Soldier(s): Doing great sir whats the next mission.
Varieus: Its a basic save and rescue with some exploration, just came back to see if you were ready.
Soldier(s): Ready as ever sir.
Varieus: Good
((over the intercom))
Lt.: Sir we are coming out of hyper speed now.
Varieus: Well boys I got to get back to the bridge good luck.
((Back on the bridge))
Varieus: Ahhh we're here now lets just sit and wait for the others to arrive.
Species: Human
Age: 18
Home Time: 2o68
Special Skills or Abilities: She was injected with some shot as an experiment project by the government that was supposed to make super-soldiers for the military. The shot destroyed some nerves and brain tissue. She now can't feel anything physically. That means no pain, no pleasure. She also has trouble remembering things sometimes since a small part of her brain was destroyed. The shot did do a bit of what it was supposed to, though. It molded the cells in her hands to be able to collect heat, and control it for the most part. She can take the heat from the air and create fire.
Personality: Anelia is very quiet, and is afraid that she always sounds stupid to people since her memory isn't the best and she knows her brain is destroyed a bit. Even though her thought process is the same and it didn't make too much an impact on her, she convinced herself it's a lot worse then she thought. She has to make up nicknames for people most of the time, and developed a bunch of habits that most would consider OCD.
Species: Human, male
Home time: ~7000 BC, Earth
Special Skills: Hitting things with a large stick
Personality: Enjoys hitting things with a large stick