Fantasy Styx - A Second Life

[Deucalion]

In-Character Roleplaying happens here! Be it your character waking up in their home, bartering with a greedy Spirit on one of Styx's markets, just roaming the busy streets or planning an expedition into Gehenna, you may begin posting here the second your character has been approved!

Welcome to the Afterlife

​

So hey, you died. Tough luck, huh? Maybe it wasn't your fault, maybe you ended up in an airplane crash or a disease took you out. Maybe it was your fault, maybe you made too many enemies or maybe you drove over some tall bridge drunk and went over the reeling. Whatever. The point isn't how it happened, though that's going to matter in the future too, trust me. The point is that you're dead. Over and done with. Finito. All that's left is stuffing your remains in a box and waiting for the worms, right?

Heh, try again.

Turns out there is an afterlife after all. Sorry, it's not quite Heaven, but hey, it's not quite Hell either. We call it Abyss. Now, I'm going to be honest with you, most of Abyss...Kind of sucks. Pointless chaos with plenty a Spirits abound. It's a mess. Fortunately though, you didn't wake up out there. Your soul or whatever was sent down to the city. Our city. A huge labyrinth of a place, buildings and roads alike of white stone or wooden planks making up the majority of it. Sometimes new buildings just kinda grow out of the ground when nobody's looking. Don't ask me, I don't know how the place works. But it's our home. It's the one city of our second life.

It's Styx.

Introduction

Welcome to Styx - A Second Life, a roleplay set in the fictional afterlife of Abyss, an infinitely stretching, chaotic land with one single sanctuary of safety, known as Styx, an enormous city that seems to twist and alter itself daily. It's a diceless game starring your characters who died on Earth in some way, it could be any way, only to reawaken on Styx's streets. It wouldn't take them long to realize they are in the closest to a conventional "afterlife" they will ever get, though they are still quite mortal even in this incarnation. Death in Styx is said to destroy your soul for good. Well there, they will soon notice the unnatural abilities they begin to manifest, special powers that in any other situation would be a blessing. Of course, as this is set in Styx, they will notice that they are going to need every inch of power they have obtained, along with their wits and social skills, to make it through the semi-medieval social climate of Styx, not to mention surviving the hostile Spirits and the unpredictable nature of Abyss itself.

Unfortunately it's not quite Heaven, fortunately it's not quite Hell. Welcome to Styx, enjoy your stay and good luck. You're certainly going to need it.

Setting / Terminology

A character is also known as a Revenant and is a person who suffered their First Death on Earth only to reawaken in the city of Styx, located in the strange world of Abyss. Styx itself is an enormous city, aesthetically something of a mix between Renaissance and Victorian era buildings and technology. This city seems to twist and alter itself to fit its inhabitants and indeed, if a sudden influx of Revenants happens, Styx seemingly simply grows to accommodate for the new increase in population. Revenants make up the bulk of Styx's population, but there also exists strange creatures native to Abyss, so-called Spirits. Contrary to their name however, Spirits are not necessarily whispy ghost-like beings, but a very strange group of beings that can take almost any form imaginable. One could be short and pudgy with hooves and a pair of small tusks, while another could be a towering muscular creature with blue skin and only a large mouth for a face. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to how exactly a Spirit looks physically, their only common trait being that they can safely traverse Gehenna, the chaotic and extremely treacherous land outside of Styx. Gehenna is an absolute mess and describing it is a near impossibility, as it always changes and evolves. The one constant is that it is extremely dangerous to Revenants and is populated primarily by hostile and animalistic Spirits called Phantoms. As such, Revenants rarely if ever leave Styx and the rare expeditions out to Gehenna require weeks, if not months of preparation.

Revenants will find it that they have a much easier time surviving in such a tough environment than they would in their First Life, however, as they discover the special abilities one's Second Life has to offer. For example, all Revenants are much more durable than they used to be in their First Life, able to take incredible amounts of punishment compared to that of a normal person. More spectacularly, all Revenants manifest an unique ability known as a Pyre. A Pyre can be nearly anything, from the ability to create and control fire to inhuman speed to teleportation, though a Revenant can only have one Pyre. Additionally, they will soon discover an unique weapon that can be called to their hand and usually has special abilities, referred to as a Memento. Every Revenant has one Memento that they can summon and dismiss at will once they awaken in Styx. Every Memento is unique to the Revenant and usually relevant to their First Death in some kind of symbolic sense. More Mementos can however be crafted through an art known as Manifestation. Manifesting a new Memento requires the small flame-like balls of energy known as Wisps which are left behind at the death of certain Spirits, specifically Phantoms. The more powerful the Phantom, the higher the quality of the Wisp and the stronger a Memento can be made. As such, many a Revenant take up Phantom hunting and Wisp dealing as a profession.

This is of course only helped by the very hostile nature of Phantoms, not to mention Abyss in general. While Styx is generally a safe zone most of the time, it does have occasional moments called Hauntings, where the relative structure of Styx crumbles and is replaced by the total nonsense and destructive chaos so common outside of Styx's walls. Not only is a Haunting dangerous because of the unstable nature of... Well, reality in the area, but Phantoms also tend to flock to Hauntings before and when they happen. What exactly a Haunting is, Revenants do not know. Some theorize it's the chaos of Gehenna "bleeding" through Styx's walls from time to time. Others think that this chaos is simply Abyss' natural state and it occasionally tries to revert Styx back to this state. Whatever the case may be, they are dangerous, which is only helped by the fact that hundreds, if not thousands of Phantoms are constantly pounding away at Styx's walls, a few occasionally slipping through and into the city itself. Though at the same time, the external danger is nothing compared to the treacherous insides of Styx itself. There is nothing stopping Revenants from evil after all and human sin is as common as it always has been. Styx is a treacherous, dangerous place, not for everyone. But those that do survive often find it that this new home has a lot to offer in its own right.

Think you got what it takes to make it in the afterlife?​

1. Follow the usual RPNation rules.


This should go without saying. This roleplay is hosted on RPNation, so follow the rules of the rest of the site.


2. Be Excellent To Eachother


Also known as the BETE rule, this should be the one thing everyone should remember. It's ultimately just a roleplay for fun and to ensure this fun, you should show other players the respect they deserve. They're people too, don't think anything else.


3. Be Reasonable


And everything that entails. Your character shouldn't be the most powerful creature in Styx, nor should they be completely unable to function in society. Nobody likes a Mary Sue and really, it's way more fun if you roll with the punches, accept that your character can't win at everything and have some actual flaws to play with.

 

[The Darkling]

( so we can start whenever? :0)

 

[Deucalion]

((Indeed! The second your character has been approved, feel free to make an introductory post.))

 

[The Darkling]

(ah! ok! hopefully people will start replying!!) 
Freyja was sitting on their tattered couch reading a book she had found years ago when a rumbling made her look up from her page and look out her small window. "Its just a shifting you know" she looked over to see her brother also holding a book, one he must have found awhile back she guessed. "I know it is but it still reminds me of the earthquakes we used to have back home. besides its hard to concentrate on reading with it going on" She sighed and closed her book setting it on the arm of the couch.


Damien set his book beside hers and sat next to her, "We probably wont ever be used to it here sis..we just..have to accept it" He shrugged and looked out the window, in ways it was nice. But if you looked around enough you knew it wasnt right and it wasnt home. "But I think we have done well making a place here and its almost like how we lived back when we were alive" Except for the obvious changes he thought.

 

[Kairo]

The mountains are moving again.


From the roof of the Merchants' Guild, one of the tallest structures in Styx, Ancell could see what always appeared to be a never-ending stretch of desert. Dust clouds rolled through from time to time, but even that did little to break the monotony of the landscape. Gehenna — when one was in Styx — looked flat and hard and always dry. He had once thought it lifeless. Immutable.


That had been his first mistake.


Now, some four hundred years later, he knew better. Peering through the brass telescope in his hand, he could make out a gathering of storm clouds on the horizon. The crackle of lightning was visible: a bright, sharp red against the grey and gloom.


He frowned; this did not bode well for his upcoming expedition.


Only three days away now. And little time to prepare for it.


Turning away from the skies, he looked down where the city sprawled under his feet in a maze of twists and turns and dead-ends that may or may not be dead-ends at all. Bright red lanterns hung from the rafters of most buildings, and the boisterous sound of celebration persisted; the Festival of the Flies was still underway.


He jumped down from his perch, his coattails catching a slight breeze, letting it billow behind like the wings of a bird in flight. He landed in front of a spirit that looked more insect than human, with big, bulging eyes and an always-busy mandible.


"Do you still wish to travel, Ancell of Lynn?" the spirit asked, three pairs of hands clasped together as if in prayer. The voice sounded oddly liquid, so out of sync with the surface that Ancell often felt like he was submerged in water when they talked.


"We leave in three days," Ancell answered.


"And what of the mountains?" the spirit asked. "They are running away, you know. And yet you still wish to travel?"


"I have given my word, Behet," he said with a calm that didn't match the frown on his face. "We need to gather our supplies."


"And what of another companion? It would be wise to take another with us. The mountains are running away."


There was an edge of worry in the spirit's voice that unsettled Ancell more than he wanted to admit. Yes, he knew the mountains were moving, and another companion might indeed be wise, but he refused to voice it out. Perhaps that could still be avoided. They made their way through the crowd, finally stopping in front of a sign that said Madgar's Emporium.


"Are you not joining the festivities? It is for your people after all," Ancell said, ignoring Behet's earlier question. He pushed the door open and a bell overhead chimed their arrival. Inside, the haggling ceased for a few seconds, and then resumed its usual rhythm.


"Ancell of Lynn," a voice called out from behind the counter where a feline spirit emerged carrying a small gilded box, "this is ready for your travels. Do you require another companion?"


"Another companion would be best, Ancell of Lynn," Behet pressed. "Gehenna is not happy."


Ancell sighed. Gehenna never is.

 

[Dromio of Ephesus]

Darcie was walking back from a particularly satisfying deal, the pleasant weight of payment resting against her thigh. (Because she had little interest in what manifestors had to offer in return, Darcie almost always requested gold and silver in trade. It was easier to pay the hunters with as well.) It was well enough, for during the festival there would be little money to be made. All of the wisp hunters and manifestors would be celebrating. She would not be participating in said festival; red lanterns cast too many shadows.


She made a right turn up an alley, keeping in the sturdy reassuring shade of the building that she'd made her home. Something in her mind relaxed as she unlocked and walked through her door, and she exhaled in relief. As the population grew, it was getting more and more difficult to go out during midday to make deals.


When she went to go put her money in the safe, she ran her fingertips over the cool glass of her bottles, each of them containing a blue flame. None of the ones she kept were of especially high caliber, though a couple had come from some rather unique phantoms, and she might sell them merely for the story. She took one last glance at her possessions before going to close the safe.


Wait a second.


Darcie opened it back up and counted the bottles. Her brow furrowed. She'd thought -no- she'd been sure that there had been seventeen of them.


The remaining sixteen wisps vibrated against each other as the ground trembled.

 

[Saul]

Michael sat at his desk. The concentration painted across his eyes. His glasses sat upon his nose. He didn't really need them now, it was a force of habit that he had no reason to get out of. Michael chuckled to himself. Being dead certainly had it's advantages. the object Michael had been holding in his hands happened to be a large chunk of metal, Michael was transforming it into different intricately carved or fashioned objects and back to the chunk of metal repeatedly, it was a strange pastime he had, it was almost like some strange mobile game from when he was alive. Michael snorted. Mobile games, he was more than happy to be away from that.


Quite abruptly there was knock at the door of his home. Michael stood up, using his hands on his knees as support as he rose. He made his way to the door and opened it cautiously. Standing there was a man, he was holding a parcel. "For you, sir" The deliveryman announced, holding the parcel out in front of Michael. Michael took it and thanked him, closing the door as he walked away. He was curious as to what was inside, he didn't remember mailing someone else, or asking for something to be delivered from a shop owner. Nevertheless Michael sat down at his desk once and began to open the parcel. He knew things didn't get wrongly delivered in this world. After some difficult unwrapping it was revealed that inside was a small note. It seemed strange at first how a small slip of paper would need to be transported in such a large parcel, but Michael tossed the thoughts aside, simply assuming the writer didn't want the letter damaged. Michael summoned his memento, inferno materialised in his open hand (Just for reference inferno is his bow) and the quiver materialised on his back. He placed down inferno down and took an arrow from his quiver, using the unlit arrowhead as an over the top letter opener. Once the envelope was open Michael de-summoned inferno and slowly slipped the letter out. It read:

I'll offer you some high quality metal for 10 wisps. It might take you a while but heck, I know you've got time on your hands. (That metal is really rare as well, you should consider it)


regards - Bjorn

"Hmm, why not?" Michael thought "I haven't done a wisp hunting job for a little while so it'd be good to freshen up my skills. I don't want to get rusty now do I? and some rare metal would be ncie" Michael chuckled at his thoughts and smiled. He concluded he'd prepare today and so he walked out of his study and towards his cupboard. He flicked through a few items of clothing until he came to the attire he wore for gehenna expeditions. A large black, high collared jacket, with tails sort of like a tailcoat, as well as his face mask. Michael was just slipping on the jacket when a thought swept over him "I shouldn't rush into things. It's still dangerous. yeah, I'll go and find a team" Michael fully put on his clothing and left his home, heading off to the centre of Styx.


He arrived at a large bill-board. Pinned to it where multiple bits of paper, some old and frayed, and some new, obviously recently written. What they all had in common, however, was that they all requested some kind of service, luckily for Michael none requested what he wanted, and so he lifted his arms up to the billboard and pinned a fancily written post onto it, it read:

Hello. My name is Michael sessile and I am interested in going on an expedition to gehenna. However, as all will know an expedition to gehenna is not a simple task, and so I've devised to form a team of sorts to aid me. If you're interested contact me.

Spoiler

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[Deucalion]

The festivities continued. Spirits flew through the air, Wisps were used as a colorful way to add life and soul to the Festival of the Flies, one of the many grand celebrations of Styx's inhabitants. One of the various ways for those living their Second Lives to remember that indeed, they did live still. Revenants were not undead or unnatural and they made sure to show that in any way they could. Music, dance, elaborate displays of more colorful Pyres. Anything that could be done to turn these couple days into something unique.


Of course, Abyss would respond in its own way. Nobody ever expected a festival to truly go interrupted. It began with an imp.


A small, husk-like black skinned thing, wrinkled and dry, that scuttled across the rooftops of the twisting city. Nobody would think anything of such a low class Phantom, it probably climbed over Styx's walls. Nothing to be concerned about on its own. But then came the swarm. Insects, not belonging to any certain breed or family native to Earth, arrived to the same spot. Always in large buzzing swarms. These were recognized and the clever Revenants broke the celebration to scatter from the point where they gathered.


The air rippled.


Then came the tall, many-eyed thing with limbs like a spider but the body of a man. It jumped with surprising strength, flying across buildings to gather around the very same spot like a moth to a flame. Now, the music began to die down and Revenants began to look.


Then came the snakes. Twisting and coiling, covered with a mucus that smelled strongly of human sweat, with enormous maws like that of a man. Bursting from any body of water within the city's walls to slither and squirm towards the other Phantoms.


What was happening was painfully clear to everyone. The air tore. Before anyone knew what happened, the festival had broken into surprised screams and the summoning of Mementos. Phantoms littered the streets and rooftops and the top of one building tore apart, sparks and rips of an inky blackness spinning in the air as Phantoms threw themselves into the chaos they knew so well. The stone began to melt in protest, the air around the event gained a distinct blue tint.


Within the chaos, within to tumult to get to safety, one word was shouted over every other.


"Haunting!"

 

[Plight]

5 AM, and so the alarm goes off. Without as much of a whine, Tristan was turned off the alarm and stood up, stretching his muscles. Tidying himself up, and preparing a well-balanced meal, he donned his plated armor. Every day, before the sun came up, Officer Walhart would be ready to service the populace! Er. At least, that's what he thought as he chuckled to himself. 'S not like there's anythin' like a police force in this place...nor a mostly kind populace.





It was true, Styx was a city with no ruler. In a way, it was amazing that it had not crumbled in anarchy. People were content bartering and going about their daily business...most people. Was it the realization that this was their last shot? There surely wasn't a third life, which made dying in a bar fight suddenly not very appealing. Tristan scratched his head as he prepared to leave his modest residence. He had decided to stop understanding the place a long time ago.


There would be a festival later in the day. Thus, he was resolved to finish his business quickly and head out as soon as he could! No one hates a good party.


Back home, crime peak hours tended to be from 8 to 10 AM, when kids had gone to school and housewives were left alone. But here? Hell, it was as erratic as Gehenna. There was no supreme court of Justice, and it didn't seem like people were eager to found one. At first Tristan found himself wondering: What were policemen good for here?Ao the concrete below. Without hesitating, Tristan linked himself to the man. An invisible green thread, visible only to them two, signaled their temporary contract. Tristan braced himself as the man fell, his head suffering a sharp sting the instant the other's hit the floor.


"Ah hell, that was one nasty crash. Gods!" Tristan broke the link as he walked to the man. It had taken time to get used to this, but every day his pain threshold seemed to go just a little bit higher.


"That damn woman, she never learns! Thanks for that one, Walhart!" Tristan pulled the man back up to his feet, and the two laughed together. "Damn, Arthur. What did you do THIS time?"


-------





After taking a few more hits for the people in his vicinity, hours had already passed. Following his daily routine, it was about time to check the billboard. In fact, a man had just posted a note! The sooner one could help, the better. "Let's see what's up".

Hello. My name is Michael sessile and I am interested in going on an expedition to gehenna. However, as all will know an expedition to gehenna is not a simple task, and so I've devised to form a team of sorts to aid me. If you're interested contact me.

Nothing too far out, just an escort job. He could probably afford to make the trip. He ripped out the note, making sure to pass by the postal service when he was done with the festival to contact the so named Michael. Speaking of which...it had started a while ago! Well, there was no harm in arriving a bit late, so he merrily headed to the main site of the festivities.


But as the air took its blue tint...as the screams began echoed, and a fly hit his face...he stood upright. Partying could wait, Expeditions could wait.


It was a haunting, and nothing else mattered at that moment.

 

[The Darkling]

Freyja figured they should go out. Too long had her brother and herself been stuck in this place. "Shall we go damien? it seems nice enough out for us to have a small adventure you know" She smiled hoping her brother would cheer up if they went out together and bought some trinkets for this little space of theirs.


Damien looked at her and away from the window and made a slightly sour face, "Freyja im not sure, I think we are best left inside. Besides its not like we make any friends when we go out, no one seems to like us here." He sighed and stood up brushing himself off.


Freyja frowned and stood as well, her long red hair making swishing sound against the couch, "So? its you and me going out there to have fun, not make friends" She smiled and grabbed his arm dragging him out the door with her brother struggling to get out of her grasp and saying words of protest.


Damien never saw the point in exploring styx, was there a point? They didnt need food and They were those kinds of people who hunted the phantoms and collected wisps. Out of all their years there they had maybe kept and saved 10 wisps for back up. He crossed his arms and looked around at the other revenant doing their thing and seeing all the different spirits that wandered around. He almost bumped into Freyja when she suddenly stopped. He was going to ask her what was wrong when she suddenly held up her hand to him.


Freyja had a worried look on her face and she knew it would worry Damien so she tried to stay calm when she spoke to him next, "Do you hear that?" He shook his head and frowned, "What is it?" He asked her and she wasnt sure she could answer, but in the distance she heard screams of terror and people were starting to scatter. She pulled out her sword and stood defensively by her brother.


Damien was going starting to freak out, people were running like chickens with their heads cut off. And shortly after he saw his sister pull her sword out he heard someone scream, "HAUNTING!!". His eyes widened and he grabbed Freyja by the arm tugging at her, "We need to go back! NOW!"

 

[Dromio of Ephesus]

A half an hour of searching later (Darcie's apartment was rather small), she gave up. She considered putting up a notice on a billboard, but the reward she'd have to post (especially if someone stole the wisp) would be more than the bottle was worth. Darcie couldn't help but wonder how the thief had broken in and taken the it without leaving a trace of evidence of their being there.


The real question was why: Why that particular wisp? Out of all of the ones she'd bought, it was most likely the least extraordinary.


There was little time to ponder this, however, before the screaming began. Darcie looked out her window to see swarms of insects of a kind she'd never seen before. Phantoms. She steeled herself, and slipped the rest of her rings on alongside the primary one on her middle finger. Even though she wasn't planning to get into a fight, she knew that there was little chance of avoiding one under these circumstances. She could only hope that revenants with more powerful pyres and mementos would take care of the bigger spirits.


Darcie scowled at herself. After six years, she should have known there would be a haunting today. She started to bolt the door, but then considered. If she could quickly kill a minor phantom and make it back before any of the other ones noticed her, she could replace the wisp she lost.


She pursed her lips in thought before ducking her head outside to check the chaos, and then darting out into it.

 

[Plight]

Sometimes, having no authority was very annoying. It's not like he wanted to be a dictator, but...Just one look at the stampeding masses drove him insane! Every single haunting, he would attempt an organized evac while waiting for other Revenants to assist him in repelling the attack. Alas, it's not like anyone had any reason to listen to him. Selfless favours gained kindness, but didn't entitle you to command others.


So, after summoning his trusty Shield Memento, all Tristan could do was push against the crowd towards the heart of the festival, like a Salmon against the current. By himself, he was more than capable of taking on several phantoms, but his real strength was making others more destructive. So he would just hang in there as others arrived.


But gods, moving was most difficult, and the crowd severely impeded his vision. If some roofs weren't collapsing he wouldn't hesitate to ride over them. To top it off, the Phantoms spread around the city (...was it even a city anymore?) like locusts over crops.


And yet finally, he got to the other end of the line. He stood alone, facing the river of beasts swarming into Styx. He waited for them to approach him...And with a swing of his big arm, bashed the shield in an arc against a group of snakes jumping to his neck. The impact of their speeding bodies against nearby structures tore craters into the concrete.


"Who else is going to fight? Stand behind me!"


Enviado desde mi GT-I9100 usando Tapatalk 2

 

[Saul]

The festivities were starting, it was Michaels favourite time of year, the sounds, the sights, the smells. It reminded him he wasn't a monster of any kind, and that he could enjoy life in this world as much as he did in the last. Michael was making his way to a stall to purchase some gold when abruptly there was silence, and then some muttering, and then suddenly someone exclaiming "HAUNTING" over everyone. This was followed by a chorus of screams and the electric buzzing of many memento's being summoned. Michael did the same, holding his hand open so that inferno could materialise into it, it was still the best feeling. Michael began to draw arrows and shoot, not missing a single shot, and every time killing his target. Out of skill as well as the fear of hitting someone in the crowd. Michael took down roughly ten phantoms before de-summoning inferno and running full speed to get to a higher point, where bows were most affective. He had to push a couple of people over, but they were doing nothing to protect Styx, so in Michaels mind it was okay. After a couple of minutes of travelling Michael reached one of the many look out towers of Styx. He opened the door by putting his hands to the lock destroying it, entering cautiously and fixing the lock with another placement of his hands over it. He quickly traversed the stairs, only taking a couple of second to reach the top. He knew the view normally would have been a bland view of gehenna, but not now, currently he could see a black cloud of phantoms pouring over the wall, there were so many, more than Michael had ever seen before. He quickly drew his bow and armed it, firing off multiple arrows of flame. They were extremely affective against the tightly packed invaders, setting large groups on fire.

 

[Plight]

Fierce arrows of fire flew from the city into the vile swarm of horrid insects. As if to answer his shout, he briefly thought. Although being realistic, his plea had fallen on deaf ears. Revenants really had this bad habit of going at it solo!


"Damn, policemen really feel out of place here, heh". Tristan laughed at no crowd as he swatted away yet another snake. Looking back, he saw the arrows coming from a nearby turret. Given it was the most visible ally around, Tristan decided to move towards that location while fending off the phantoms.


It was no simple task, he also had to deal with helping the few who had not managed to evacuate. While the life-link earned him time (and pain!) in reaching single helpless ones, it was a fact that he couldn't cover the entire area by himself. For every soul he saved, he heard the cry of another. It haunted him, how he was destined to fail in saving everyone during a haunting.


"Gods, where do all of these...things even come from!? Hurry, to your house or a friend's! And don't look back!"


Pushing more citizens away from danger, he kept trekking towards the turret that had fired the arrows. Surely, if he could make sure the location wasn't compromised, the archer...mage...dart thrower? would cover a much wider area than him.


Enviado desde mi GT-I9100 usando Tapatalk 2

 

[fatfatsrevenge]

Isadora awoke to a scream. She sat in a alley way, leaning against a brick wall. Figures blurred past her. She felt dizzy? Sick? Drunk? No, not drunk. Ignoring the pain radiating from her left temple, she tried to focus on her surrounds. There were people, were they people? Well whatever they were, they were all running in one direction. And they looked panicked.


Okay legs it's time to move.


But they didn't want to move. So she pushed herself up and stood leaning against the brick wall. Where was she? How did she get here?


No time for questions though. People were screaming and running away from something, which probably meant bad news.


"Umm excuse me" Isadora squeaked, her throat was dry, raspy.


No one noticed her.


"Excuse me." she said louder. But no one in the crowd acknowledge her.


She took a few steps, but fell forward, her elbows scraping the ground. "Fuck."


Isadora looked down the street. Something was coming. Snakes? That wasn't normal.


"Time to go." The adrenaline kicked in, she lifted herself up to ran out of the way of the snakes. Weak, she leaned herself against a tree. What was this place? Some freaky nightmare?


Just then she felt something wet on her shoulder. She touched it.


"Ugh! What is this, snot?"


A blob of mucous dripped onto her chest. She looked up. A mucous snaked jumped at her from above. She fell over and dodged it, but it still came at her. She tried to kick it away.


"Get away you little prick."


But it slithered up her leg. She pulled it off and stabbed its head with her dagger.


Dagger? When did I get a weapon?


She stared at the slender weapon made of bone. What was going on? Her head ached. She touched her temple. Blood. Last she remembered she was at home, curled up in bed, her mother beside her, ...dying.


The shook. Isadora looked up to the most terrifying man-spider thing she'd ever seen (not that she'd seen many man-spider things).


"Okay, yeah, this is a dream. Waking up now."


She laid down and closed her eyes.


It moved towards her.

 

[CloudKitteh]

Ace stared at the horde of insects advancing towards her, eyes slightly wide. Her hand touched her trusty headphones and instinctively tapped them once or twice. A high pitched siren sound was produced from the peacock themed devices, knocking out a dragon-fly-man-thing and more behind it. This had never happened before in Styx, perhaps the Phantoms broke in again? The girl planted her feet on the ground firmly, frowning at the advancing Phantoms. "I really hate you guys," she muttered under her breath, before producing higher frequency waves that could be heard within a mile of her. Ace knew she could last six minutes tops, unless others came to assist her. Until then, she would have to fend for herself.

 

[Dromio of Ephesus]

Then, there was fire.


Darcie worried her bottom lip, glancing back up at her apartment, but it was far enough away from the flames that it was unlikely to sustain much damage. She scanned the area. All she had to do was squash one of those godforsaken phantom bugs and bottle it up. Then she would run back to her apartment and secure her belongings. However, all of the insects seemed to have vanished from her neighborhood. She frowned. That didn't seem right.


Something hissed behind her. Darcie turned around to see snakes slithering behind her. They were covered in a mucus like film. Actually, judging by the smell, that was exactly what it was. She wondered absently if their scales would be affected by her rings. Well, there was no time to find out, as several were advancing towards her, and she knew that even if she could blind them, she only had two fists. Darcie ran.


She ran through the cities, ducking in and out of alleys and side-streets, until she came across a woman lying down next to a tree. At first, Darcie assumed the worst, but as she got closer, she noticed the woman was still breathing. A phantom-snake like the ones she saw before was convulsing next to the woman, a stab wound going straight through it. It appeared to have been the work of the dagger in the (sleeping?) woman's hands. What luck.


Darcie tapped her on the shoulder. "Uh, excuse me?"

 

[CloudKitteh]

Clearly frustrated by how fast the Phantoms replaced the fallen she let out a low drone that pinged throughout the city. It was a sound that would have caused a split second headache for most Revenants, but much worse for the Phantoms. After the drone resided slowly, a stray and seemingly more intelligent Phantom jumped onto her back, it's claws digging through the soft fabric of her clothing and scratching her skin. With a hiss, Ace struggled to pry the thing off, never noticing the advancing Phantoms who took note and advantage of her vulnerable state.

 

[Kairo]

It didn't take long for the news to spread to the Old Quarter where Madgar's Emporium and the Merchants' Guild were located. Older residents — revenants and spirits alike — packed up their goods with practiced haste. Strange boxes that could fit homes slid out from under dusty shelves; small stalls shrunk with the snap of fingers before being stuffed into bottomless sacks. A black parchment paper was passed around. Ancell took the sheet, tore a piece, and passed it on to the next waiting hand.


The whole scene was organized chaos, and within seconds, the place was deserted. Flying to a rooftop, Ancell surveyed the mad scramble below. It was always the same.


Do not fight. If you live long enough, you will know what we mean, Ancell of Lynn.





Those were Behet's words to him after he survived his first Haunting, and as centuries passed, he understood what the spirit meant. Perhaps the newer revenants would as well, in time. His companion scuttled up the rooftop, gazed into the fray below, and pointed something out.


"That revenant must be new," Behet said. "It has decided to sleep."


Ancel glanced at the direction Behet was pointing and saw the supine figure on the street.


Of all the foolish things to do!





With little thought, he propelled himself towards the figure and hoped he wasn't too late.

 

[fatfatsrevenge]

Isadora felt a tap on her shoulder. She opened one eye. Nope, still here. Wake up. Wake up.


Nothing. She opened her eyes again to see the what was talking to her. A girl that looked about her age stood over her.


"Sorry, I'm trying to wake up right now before that giant man-spider comes over and wraps me up in its giant man-spider web and eats me for its giant man-spider dinner." Isa motion towards the lurking creature. "So if you don't mind..." She closed her eyes hard and thought of her bed with some doubt. Was there a bed to go back to? Everything was so vivid. Everything felt so real. The cool ground. The scrapes on her elbows. The mucous staining her pants leg. So real, but so impossible at the same time. The cut on her head stung.

 

[CloudKitteh]

More Phantoms were now covering her, limiting her movement and virtually immobilizing her. Ace closed her eyes and tried escape their claws, which were digging into her skin and causing her to lose blood. She needed to concentrate for a larger wave, something that would give her somewhat of a chance. With her acute hearing, she picked up vibrations that were nearing her...from the air. Maybe some Revenant had come to help. With renewed hope, she made her attempts more forceful, loosing her footing along the way.

 

[Plight]

As his steps echoed throughout the granite floor, Tristan had to take a moment to hold his head: A disgustingly annoying sound had entered his ears, giving him a headache. It was nothing compared to the impact from earlier, as he had life linked to the man falling from the building. But still, anyone would've been distracted from it. Was it a new type of phantom? If it could attack through sound, he wouldn't be able to assist the archer. For the time being, he assigned destroying the phantom as his priority.


Pinpointing the source of the vibration was easy, given its intensity. As he trekked, he came across a girl being held by a Phantom, others quickly approaching. Without hesitation, Tristan created a life-link between him and the girl-the green string signaling their contract appearing before him.


"You're safe now! Just stay with me!" Tristan roared as he dashed towards the girl, grasping the Phantom's head within his gauntlet. The beast howled at the stimuli, letting loose its grasp on its prey.

 

[CloudKitteh]

In shock, Ace nodded, sticking close to the boy's side. "Cover you ears," she muttered quickly to him, before emitting another head-ache inducing drone. It distracted the oncoming Phantoms, giving enough time for them to get away. Ace had several bruises and cuts on her arms, most that stung and pained her. Brushing it aside, she waited for the sound to die out, and it did seconds later.

 

[Plight]

"Thanks for that one, eh? I'm Officer Walhert". The two ran away from the Phantoms, the girl visibly in pain. Noticing the wounds on her body, he duly noted that he was too late. The life-link prevented further injury, but it would not heal previous ones. At the very least, she would be safe from other attacks. It clicked to his mind, right after that, that the girl had distracted the Phantoms with sound.


"So you're the one attacking with sound, huh? 'N here I thought you were one of 'em. Was coming here to get rid of that and all! ...But don't mind me. You won't be hurt anymore if you stick with me. Are you truly in condition to run? I can carry you if I must."

 

[CloudKitteh]

"No, I have to thank you," she said quietly. "I do not be carried, although I appreciate that you have not killed me." Ace ran alongside Walhert, keeping a steady pace. Fortuanately, running required more action from the legs and not the arms, which greatly helped the girl's condition.