[Darkest Before Dawn] Eternal Torment

Thorn Darkblade

Thorn Darkblade

I know lots of things. Lots of things...
Drip. Drip. Drip. For such a cold, sterile place, that water sure could drip incessantly. Was it water, even? The reverberating, shallow breathing of the dead titan this citadel was perched on could be heard...perhaps this was some other...fluid...leaking in. No matter what it was, it echoed, nearly perfect, every sound magnified by the polished black marble floor, the iron and obsidian walls, the soulsteel bars of the cages.


A sudden draft entered the room, followed by its source.


The Mask of Winters, followed by one of his servants, a skilled necrosurgeon. The face he wore was that which grinned, as he observed his prisoners. This face spoke softly, deliberately.


"Are the vessels ready?"





Every whispered word, a chill down the spines of the mortals within the room.


"Not yet, my liege...but they are mortals...once we begin the process, their wills will break in short order. Your additions have, of course, perfected the Machine..."


He nodded to a soulsteel and iron contraption of spikes, saws, tubes, graters, blades, pincers, needles, and other gruesome appendages. The tips of the tools had a thin layer of dried blood on them.


"And our...guest?"


The necrosurgeon looked nervous, but gave his reply.


"Her...her will is strong, my lord, despite the monstrance's power. She resists it still. But, in time, she too will break."


"Yes, all things do end in time...however, she is still too useful to simply kill. If these ones resist too long though, they are not as nearly...indispensable."


The Deathlord walked closer to the cages, a thin layer of rime forming on the bars.


"A bit of resistance does make for a stronger vessel, though...see to it they keep some of that fire."


The necrosurgen nodded, and began preparing some tools. The Mask of Winters observed the prisoners one last time before leaving.


"Well, it's almost time for your first run in the Machine. Oh, first timers are always the most fun!"


He grinned at his captives. There was no need for chains in this cage...the soulsteel bars caused a soft aura of lethargy and weakness over those within, but, certainly not enough to make them fall unconscious or lose lucidity. That wouldn't leave them aware of their situation.


Still, fate is unpredictable, and sometimes can go beyond what mere coincidence can allow. These four mortals sat at the cusp of destiny, although they were unaware of it.


 
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You really can't let the pageantry go can you old ghost? You cannot ever let the theater mask slip. Do you even see how much it limits you? How much it chains?





Tian Feng turned to the others. He spoke slowly and deliberately, with visible effort. Forcing his tone to be merely neutral instead of despondent, he said "If you wish it, I will compress your carotid arteries. Death will be quick, and you will not feel it after a few seconds. They will not have their sport at least."
 
The necrosurgeon smiled.


"And you honestly think your souls will pass on in a place like this? No, no, no...your po will become yet another soldier in my master's army, and your hun will be forged screaming into some useful tool..."
 
"You were going to do that anyway. Denying you any of the enjoyment you would get before that point is just one last way of spitting on you before we go. Then again, I have seen the actual production records. You would probably be so concerned about another mistake that you wouldn't be able to savor the experience anyway."
 
Astra rose wearily to her feet, shaking her head. "Bantering won't save us here, Tian." Showing a brave face despite the enervation of the soulsteal. "Don't hurt the others. I'll volunteer to be first. You took what was dear to me when the city fell, what worse can you do now? I'm not afraid of you."
 
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Tears ran down her face. She didn't want to die. She had wanted a long life after rescuing her people, rebuilding her city. Last thing she wanted now was to be put to some torturous engine to sap her strength even more. She wanted away from this place, but she couldn't manage it on her own, not as battered and worn as she was. She would need help.


Silently, her lips moved, her breath the only escaping sound, but she prayed. To the gods in the sands, to hear her plea, send someone to rescue her, and all the rest trapped here. To the divinities of the high mountains, pity her plight and send some relief. To the dragons in their slumber, to rise and remove her chains. To every celestial body, stars, wanderers, moon, and sun, take her away from this place.


She had nothing to offer. Everything else had been stripped from her. Every coin, every weapon, every bit of jewelry. She had nothing left to offer except her tears. Even her blood had crusted to the manacles that bound her there had dried. How long until the tears dried as well.


Her lips moved, but only breath escaped. Then, weak in a moment between prayers, she uttered a new plea. "Just.... Just make it stop."
 
Adam sat silent for a while before speaking, stewing in frustration at his temporary team's overall failure, despite how perfectly everything had gone at first.


"How is it possible to feel so much pain and be so numb at the same time?" He groaned in frustration.
 
He ignored the pleas and the bravado, working on his lovely Machine, humming to himself


"Ah, that would be the soulsteel..."


The necrosurgeon smiled.


"Quite an interesting substance, wouldn't you agree? Are you familiar with its properties?"

I'm gonna probably have lots of NPCs monologue shit about the setting, so you can learn in-game,

:D
 
"I am sure you are going to tell us regardless of our answer. I gather you don't get out much" Tian Feng had to catch his breath from just that little bit. "Must have a lot of time to practice."
 
"Your very voice is torment and I have no way to stop it." Her head drooped back to her chest, her lips continuing in her prayers from some sort of release from the torment. This soul steel was like needles plunged through her body so that every heart beat was pain.
 
"Ah, soulsteel, such a marvelous material...iron, crystals from the Underworld, and most importantly, souls. Wonderful, screaming, stolen souls! Interesting properties too...it can drain will, health, and Essence depending on how it's used..."


He turned to the crying girl.


"It seems this one is breaking a bit too soon...that's a pity, it seems she'll have to be thrown in the flesh vats with the rest of the unworthy...you others, though..."
 
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"You haven't broken me. My tears are a supplication to the gods. They will hear my voice, see my tears, and they will send me aid." She didn't bother to stop her tears, she was a champion of her people and she would not be defeated by such a man, playing with his machine. He could rob her of her strength, but her resolve was stronger than steel.
 
"Well, then, I suppose I've been corrected...all the better though, I didn't want to have to waste more resources..."


He walked over to a rack and grabbed a wicked looking spear, seemingly made of the same material as their prison, with a jagged barbed blade at the end, before walking to the cage and unlocking it, spear at the ready.


"Now, listen carefully. You will exit, one at a time, and sit in a seat in that chair. Once one has been seated, the next may proceed. If you try to escape, I swear I will visit a torture upon you far worse than what we have planned for you... I suggest cooperation."


He held the spear tightly...for a necrosurgeon, he seemed to wield the weapon proficiently.
 
Jann was the Scorpion, it was not in her nature to be led around peacefully. As she moved toward the chairs where their torture would begin, she kept her head bowed low so she could continue to whisper her prayers.


She left the cage heading to the chair, but as she turned to take the seat in the chair, she observed the scene. Did his focus falter for even a second? She didn't care, she charged the neurosurgeon. He could fight her if he wanted, but she would not give her life's blood without a fight (or whatever it was he planned to take.)
 
The man cackled with an unholy glee as she charged.


"So brave, this one!"


He grasped the spearshaft, as he swept low across her legs, backing up against a wall as to not be overhwhelmed. The soulsteel bit deep, but not to the bone. He did not intend to kill.


"Now, into the machine, all of you, before I feel....less merciful...." the man hissed.

Just doing it diceless for now. You will have a chance to really hurt this guy soon, I promise.
 
She hadn't caught him by surprise, but he surprised her with his ability with the spear. He was just a bit quicker than she counted on - or perhaps she was just a bit muddled from the soul steel. He caught her just before she could make her lunge, and the spearhead lanced her thigh. She went down immediately in pain as the material of the spear sapped her willingness not to scream.


She pulled herself back and sat in the chair, blood dribbling out of her thigh. She had relied on being quick, but not here, the cages slowed her down too much. She didn't have the power to fight through this again. The death knight had already hurt her once, she couldn't maintain herself here. She needed to get away.
 
"I will remember that Jann. Thank you for having the courage to do what I balked at."


Tian Feng walked out with the others glancing around for a path down which to bolt. It was cowardly, but it was also survival.

Perhaps you should just ST us into the death machine? People in that kind of situation will often have to be dragged out.
 
Normally I would but this is actually technically my form of chargen right now. Calculating some of your virtues

:)
 
"Well I think it could have been coordinated better, he will be on his guard now. Attacking a deathknight alone when you are being sapped by soulsteel is stupid, not brave."


Adam began running battle plans through his head and trying to find ways it could turn out. None of them turned out very well. Maybe he could engineer a distraction when he next sees an opening to escape.
 
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"Indeed. A wonderful coincidence that we all learned the same obscure sign language so we could communicate without our captors comprehending isn't it?"


Tian Feng had been rationing his strength through this ordeal, allowing wryness to cover up the lack of energy behind his words. Nevertheless he tried to catch Adam's eye before gesturing with his chin out in the open.


As thing stood, they were in a confined space that drained them of strength and could only exit it through a narrow point guarded by their enemy with the only weapon. On the other side of the soulsteel bars that one obstacle would be removed. He still didn't know if they could escape, but they certainly couldn't do it from in here.
 
Sorry for the railroad moment, you guys are about to get full freedom very soon,

:D
One by one, he carefully corralled them towards the Machine. As they sat, soulsteel clamps came down upon their wrists.


"Don't worry, you will thank me for this gift when it is over..."


He moved over to a console, and tweaked some levers and crystals, as the bloodsoaked contraption whirred to life. One by one, it would clamp down hard upon its captives, blades, needles, screws, barbs, and other less pleasant instruments piercing flesh, but not organs. Then, it began to turn, with them in it.


"Yes, yes, yesyesyes!!! A much more efficient way to make servants for my lord!!!"


A central core opened up in the middle of the Machine. The grimy glass contained four brilliant wisps of golden light, flitting to and fro against their prison. Their glow seemed calming, but also desperate. They did not belong in a place like this. This was not the destiny they were to grant.


As the pain of the Machine intensified, black lightning began to arc through the core, almost hitting the wisps of light.


"No, no, the shards are still resistant... more power! yes, more power!"


The necrosurgeon adjusted more crystals, as the hum of Essence became audible. The Machine drew incredible amounts of power and Essence from its surroundings, the very color temporarily draining from the surrounding areas. The Essence-lit lamps dimmed and flickered out, and even the draining aura of the soulsteel seemed to be weakened...


That's when it happened. A loud crash came from somewhere nearby, an almost cacophonous explosion, and then another as the door to this hellish prison was burst inwards, flying off the hinges. There stood a nude woman, glowing in glorious sunfire.
 
http://www.rpdom.com/proxy.php?image=http://i.imgur.com/MX8bf8F.jpg&hash=41220ff48bc78944f8b0c65b7a54c96c


Jaleena's not quite sure how she's gotten into this, but she's going to make sure everyone remembers how she gets out.


She'd met that girl she thought she'd killed waaaaaay back in the arena, just before she'd Exalted - a pale-skinned, raven-haired thing who moved like lightning and tasted of cloves. Raven (as she'd come to call her), had her on the ropes, but she had a desire for Jaleena's body as well, a weakness which the gladiatrix had used to get inside her guard and swiftly slit her throat in the throes of passion.


Things had happened, and situations had changed, but then she saw Raven again, with nothing but the merest hint of scar tissue across her neck suggesting what had happened between them. Raven beckoned, an inviting smile on her lips, and Jaleena's curiosity had gotten the better of her.


And of course, so had Raven. She'd woken up in restraints, naked and lashed down by strange, arcane devices which sapped her physical and mystical might, taunted by a two-faced ghost and his toadies. She'd wondered how to get out of her fix, but the air here was oppressive and held no motes for her to respire, and the rack she was strapped into prevented her Essence from organizing into usable patterns. Without her Charms, soulsteel was too mighty an obstacle to shatter, even with her own prodigious mundane might.


Of course, that had changed about half a minute ago, when the minion with the great machine had foolishly diverted all power in the local grid to it...


...including the power-sapping manacles binding her.


Jaleena's cry of triumph is lost in the reverberating crash of her shackles shattering around her. With a few seconds to properly center herself for battle, she decides to show Two-Face and Friends what she can do by striking the soulsteel door in front of her hard enough to demolish the wall and send the half-ton plates of magical materials flying across the room and into some delicate machinery.


"Surprise!" she shouts. "Oh hey, looks like you shouldn't have drained the power from the only thing keeping me from breaking loose. Want to know why!?"


Without waiting for an answer, she seems to disappear, the burning streak of her Caste Mark seared into the eyes of onlookers as she flashes around the room, expertly shattering the manacles binding Tian Feng, Adam, Jann and Astra.


"Go on, git," she says. "I'm going to bring the house down and believe me, you don't want to be around for that."


As if to emphasise her intentions, she smartly backhands the big machine in the center of the room, the one with all the sparkly things inside...
 
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