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Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 12:56 pm
by Ves
Beneath a star spangled sky, gems suspended in a navy see overhead, Kemet shuddered. Cheers filled the shimmering air following a wave of dust razing the earth outside the grand colosseum. A place of wonder and terror, degenerates and divinity, those hallowed walls shot a symphony into the air out lasting the settling cloud hanging in the darkness.

“Michi! Oh! Michi! Oh!” sang into the night. The star of this chant? A statuesque behemoth in the ring standing over his latest conquest. Clad in blood and dust, he rested his foot lightly above his felled opponent. Normally rather stoic, he raised a fist to the crowd to acknowledge their admiration. Fans unwaved are tools underutilized.

Combat, ritual or otherwise, was the way of Arcturus. Kemet, an ancient place built by the Architects of Old held a seat of power here in the Arcturan Colosseum. It's ability to withstand most, if not all forms of physical damage made it a pilgrimage for some that spanned all corners of Vescrutia. They traveled to meet during the Seto Crossing, a celestial time of sun and moon alignment. Fighters, masters, monsters all convened to fight for glory among the stars. Legend held that those who proved themselves worthy saw their image in the stars above Vescrutia, and that possibility alone ripped men and women from their homes to risk life and limb to be remembered for all time.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 1:10 pm
by Zero Venkage
Zero walked the halls of the colosseum, watching Kham's opening exhibition on the field. His mind ran giddy with the kinds of battles that could only be had on the Seto Crossing. Every Crossing, someone or something pops up and thinks it's the hottest thing on the face of Vescrutia, and gets taught a grueling, but well earned lesson.

"Wow, he acknowledged the crowd. Must have been a cakewalk," Zero mumbled to himself walking to a banister to look over the arena. The stands were alive with cheers, screams, whistles from all styles of Vescrutians. Times like this make the teen grateful he traveled the world as much as he did. His travels brought him into contact with so many people, most of them weren't fond of outsiders whether they be of race, creed, or organization. But here, everyone was equal except on the battlefield.

"Kham! Opening act's done, let's get to the shows!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. The Crossing was a single night event and at the end, a massive brawl took place that spanned the whole colosseum. Attendees and residents still lined the seats and halls thick. If they were going to get to every match in the tournament, the combatants needed to enjoy the smell of victory on the go.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:32 pm
by Michio Tribe
Praises, curses, jabs, jibes and jests all befell him. Mixed together in a raging cacophony of screams, chants and swears. And The Destroyer? In the center of it all foot planted over his latest triumph, and not a bead of sweat or blood was shed to testify to any amount of hard work. Kham looked down at his fallen foe, letting the crowds frenzy fill him with joy, the kind that affixed a permanent smirk to his face and fixed his shoulders back in triumph. He stepped off the belly of the Mammoth sized creature, sword as tall as him still a flame with rage, armor golden and glistening, cracked and scattered among the arena. He extended his arm out to him to help him up but with a nasal grunt, the creature denied, tumbled himself over and walked the radius of the circular arena toward his respective side in shame kicking up clouds of sand and dirt in his wake, dragging that flaming sword like his fallen ego of defeat. The fights were meant to be entertaining. Let a couple blows graze you, maybe feign a grunt or two but two seasoned fighters sound spot an opponent that was faking, letting them win. Like pity sex, Kham was one of those fighters in the arena. Rarely exerting himself, giving those satisfying moans of pleasure, or yelps of pain. He played with Mammoth enough before knocking him on his ass completely.

Slowly he raised his hands, and the screams of the crowd died down to a whisper, like a tamed beast the energy of the masses were his to command. This was his throne, his home, a seat of power and prestige where he had settled down and raised a family. Among the stone seats, with veins of natural energy pulsing through them, the indecipherable runic carvings and mysterious obelisks, The Abyss was his home. The colosseum was the only complete structure, the rest of Arcturus was ruins where people had repurposed most of the buildings into a very thriving economy of ideas and resources. It was a lawless land, the only rule was respect, and fight for your right. A paradise. Kham grazed the audience for his family. Everyone was accounted for. A young girl, dirty, dejected with blue hair- Cross. A boy of teenage disposition, with budding horns, Atra. A young girl with hair of crimson, like her mother, T’Ajsa. Zero just made his way in as well. Zeik was always late. He could begin.

“The Grand Crossing. Where the celestial bodies in the sky grow ever so close, they threaten to collide above and we celebrate by clashing down below. As above so below!”

They echoed the phrase, AS ABOVE SO BELOW!. He continued.

“There is a champion of the Grand Crossing out there today…. Who’s thinking they’re awfully lucky The Destroyer is only participating in exhibitions this year.”

Some laughed, others cursed, flinging challenging and talking all sorts of half baked shit.

“We move onto the main events.”

Kham snapped his fingers, and from the sky rained down auburn, shimmering maple leaves numbering in the hundreds, the stars in the sky, burning bright reflected off their shimmering skin casting blinding radiance into the audience shielding their eyes. As the leaves touched the floor of the arena, they electrified to a standing precision. Only for them to show their faces to the festival goers. They had fangs, insect like limbs, and the shimmering consistency on their leaves was a dripping liquid. They were known as the Maiaitoni. Deadly motherfuckers. It was rare, but sometimes Kham could call upon various animals for a favor and these guys were always down for a snack. They covered every inch of the arena save for the polar opposite ends that appeared to be the ‘Start’ and ‘Finish’

“Who among you can cross a pack of these little guys and live to tell the tale? It’s a story that can swoon any partner, and drown your name in glory. Anyone?”

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 8:57 am
by Zeik
The crowd erupted in ecstasy, shaking the colosseum with a thunderous roar. They cheered on the champion’s victory as if they fought alongside him. The excitement of the Arena had seized the attention of everyone in Arcturus, the passage ways and food stands were as packed with eager patrons as the roads into the city.

From above the stands, resting on the edges of the colosseum, a hooded figure oversaw the event. Worn from battle or old age, the dusty black robes were filled with holes and revealed several runic markings covering the strangers body. He removed his hood, letting his thick-bushy locks fall to his shoulder and revealed the corners of his eyes were pulsing with a vibrant array of colors.

‘Michio always attracts a crowd, but....these numbers are unusual. I’d wager everyone in Kemet is drawn to this colosseum’

He said to himself, a common practice of hermetic spirits. His eyes still bared the glint of Origin Vision and his pupils bounced around his eye-socket at breakneck speeds. He thumbed through the proverbial files of information given off by a the radiance, their Aura.

‘Is that?’

He shifted his attention from the crowds of citizens riled up by the lust of battle. Hanging over his head was one of Vescrutias four moons, Shining brightly as her plump form filled the sky.

‘It’s....mother’s eye

-He said, surprised to witness such a rare event in the flesh. The moons were closely positioned in each of the four corners of Kemet , each engulfing the atmosphere in a rich sea of Naten and filling the skies with their heavenly bodies. The moons hurdle the invigorated masses from all over Kemet to Arcturus to witness kemet’s astrological phenomenon- Mother’s Eye.

‘....’

Zeik’s mouth, agape in awe and mesmerized by the beauty of nature and the void, closed shut as his attention picked up a Familar spirit. He heard the youth-filled shout of young Zero over the blaring cheers of the audience.

‘Young Zero?’

He said. His eyes narrowing with suspicion as he gave way to his minds curiosity. The inaudible shouts of countless cheers swept through Zeiks senses, partially overwhelming him. He took a moment to catch his breath.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:34 pm
by Michio Tribe
"I'll take the challenge"

Came a voice from the front of the Arena out of Kham's field of vision. The Arena's screams were reduced to a murmur as they all searched for the source of the voice. Kham's head swiveled about for a moment in vain, seeing nothing but a wash of beatific people from far and wide who came to The Mother's eye on this special day.

I'm over here.

She said again, he theorized that it had to be a very courageous, or a very drunk person but to his surprise it came from a very beautiful woman that had all the Michio features, but Grey Skin instead of the sandstone brown. She sat among the crowd, but by no means did she seem of the crowd- the drunken, loud, obnoxious revelers who just wanted to see someone bleed, no, it was like the chaos only calmed her, gave her a means to distinguish herself from it all, like a rose in a desert. Kham was caught off guard, letting her appearance knock him from his showman's heir but he took a breath and took hold of the beast's reins once more.

"It seems some crazy fucker want's in the Arena!"

Another roar of insults, encouragement, excitement. The Beast was his again.

"And your name mysterious maiden?"

Nita

"Nita The Gusty everyone! Nita the Terrible!"

Just Nita.

Another round of Cheers. Kham fanned his hands to silence the beast and bring them back in. Kham was a little cautious to let her participate, she didn't seem combat ready but his years of life taught him to never underestimate anyone on this godforsaken place. This was her chance to prove herself, and could possibly be her first, and probably last step in the arena. No one died, on festival days. The Maiaitoni, who simply swayed on the ground to and fro, would want to see her in pieces when she got in the arena. But this was a show, Kham could keep the leaflets under control enough to make it convincing, after all they weren't eating him alive. Surely the Audience knew he kept them on a tight leash.

"JUST NITA! Please make your way to The Mother's Eye."

As she rose, and made her way across revelers, most of the men, and men looking people looked her up and down, their eyes tracing every inch of her slender figure. The arena was as much intrigued with her mystery as Kham was, people come in and out of the Abyss true, but the regulars, the fighters worthy of taking a step in The Mother's eye were all well known. Kham had a crowd to please, he'd get a good look at her in a moment.

"The moment I take my step out, The Maiaitoni will be at your flesh, their teach stripping your skin from your bones. What will carry you across to the other-side? What gifts do you think will save your life?"

She stood at the edge of the arena, walled off and above the fighting pit a dozen feet or so, which was often too low to stop things from inside getting out, but, it was something. The crowd was hers now, the beast yielding to her control and obvious grace.

"Just this flute."

She held up an ordinary, seemingly wooden recorder, covered with chips and decay. You could hear the beast holding back a laugh. Not to say magical music wasn't a commonplace thing. But considering the stakes, what was she possibly going to do? You could hear the beast hold in a laugh. But Kham wasn't going to let them let it loose yet.

"A musician eh? Do you plan to scare them away with a song so bad?"

Now they let it out, a burst of chortles, guffgaws, and all out laughs. The Destroyer gave the faces a scan, others were intrigued at the developments and Nita was eerily very composed. Good, the anticipation was brooding, the skepticism was brooding. The Beast off guard. By all means then, step into the arena.

Kham made his way toward the edge, the Maiaitoni were swaying more violently, his control over them loosening, the crowd cheering. The first main event was about to begin.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 4:25 pm
by Zero Venkage
The crowd swelled to attention. Roaring in unison with the beasts filling arena’s floor. The celestial dance above entranced some of the crowd, devotees to the ritual offering their respects to the heavenly alignment. Across most cultures of Vescrutia, the Grand Crossing presents itself in their lore in as many ways as there are to pass on the knowledge. Zero’s focus on the field only stoked the flames of his excitement. The eager grin dripped sparks of lightning, the grip on the stone banister carving its way deeper into the ancient stone. Hype only half describes the fervor flowing through every inch of his body.

“You’d better calm down before we start a party in the stands.”

A voice gurgled into Zero’s ears shifting a bit of his attention from the field to his right. Skeptical of this voice ordering him to change his excitement. His brow raised as a single eye caught a figure cloaked in a damp jacket. The moist shade stretched to the floor, just skirting the ring of mud collected around him.

“You’d better pay attention to the show,” Zero said confidently. He rolled his neck before turning to face this tall drink of water, leaning back on the rail he left his mark on. He let the crowds intensity swell again as the combatant approached in the background. He might have jumped over the railing himself to make easy work of this introductory challenge if a more brave soul hadn’t stepped up first. His arms crossed, scanning the figure from head to toe. Well built, stoic, solid, covered in moisture. It reminded him of of the sea, his home on the edge of the ocean, pelted with salt and surf. The salinity of the memory caused his mouth to water, turning his grin into a displeased grimace. “Unless you wanna start this party right.”

“Always so quick to snap,” the figure gurgled removing its hood and moving to watch the show with Zero. A solid visor covered both his eyes, filled to the brim with some form of liquid. Atlanteans usually needed a way of staying moist surface side. Zero turned as he passed, tossing an arm around the moist jacket of this spectator.

“Look, you know not to sneak up on me,” Zero said with a chuckle, shaking the wet cloak for this character he realized knew much better than the stranger he prepared himself to dispatch. The two young ‘gentlemen’ had their fair share of adventures out on the open sea, always bumping into each other in a multitude of places. The serendipitous comraderie did not fail them on this grand holiday. They both smiled looking down on the arena and the woman whipping out what looked like a stick from their vantage.

“I would never!” his friend, Kamui replied, craning his neck to get a better look at the piece of work going down. It was common practice in his own home that women were the last line of defense against invaders who never had to assume the role. The men of the community were skilled fighters and adventurers across their realm, seeing a lady of any sort stand in the face of the Maiatoni perplexed him, but the surface world always confused him. It’s why he kept to the seas. “Do you think she’s gonna do well?” he asked Zero, who leaned over the banister again.

“Well? It’s a party, man. If she’s gonna start it, I have no doubt in my mind it’s gonna blow our minds!” Zero’s excitement swelled again as the crowds raved and hollered. Kham stepped back from center field and looked to let the festivities begin. “YOU GET IT GIRL! KICK THEM IN THE BALLS!” he screamed almost falling from his perch. Kamui caught him just in time, the boy cackling wildly. All he wanted to do was celebrate the holiday with his people, these vagabonds from all over coming together to celebrate order from chaos, the cycles of death and rebirth, gratitude for another cycle they could see beneath the stars. Wherever they were from, the Grand Crossing was a global phenomenon that brought Vescrutians together for a single day, especially here in the Abyss.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2019 9:34 am
by Zeik
-Zeiks eyes rolled to the back of his head as he heaved a heavy sigh,glaring from above the stadium he observed the Maiatoni and couldn’t help but wonder why Michio would ride the edge of caution so closely.

Letting his thoughts settle, he remembered he felt a strange sensation when he heard Young Zero’s voice. He pulled his hood over his head and fell from the stands, landing silently beside Zero.

The crowds excitement and insipid need for entertainment sickened Zeik,so he tuned them out, all that remained was the tremor that rattled the colosseum.

He whispered to Zero’s side, directing his voice through the overzealous audience and into Zero ear.

‘Why are you here? To see the fight? Did you know the moons would align tonight?’

He said through a whisper. Rattling off repeated questions, either interrupting Zero’s responses or simply steam rolling him with rapid fire request.

‘Welllll?!’

He asked frantically.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 5:46 pm
by Zero Venkage
His excitement drained out of his ears as Zeik appeared and began peppering him with questions. His phantom friend, always an enigma, sometimes scared Zero with his attention to detail and penchant for showing up at the perfect moment. Zero’s excitement drained from his ears as he slowly stepped back from the banister. He sighed and rustled his hair, trying to put on his most stoic face for his mans.

Kamui, pulled his hood over his head again, turning away from the pair. While Zero and Zeik prattled their faces away, Kamui gained a bit of distance. The pair always wound up bickering in each others’ midst and he seemed to want to avoid being engaged in conversation. He heard stories of Zeik’s discerning eye, he could see through most forms of deception.

“God, Zeik, rain on the parade why don’t you?!” Zero screamed in an attempt to break up the interrogation. He always felt this heat in his chest when he and Zeik talked. It never seemed to be anger or resentment or any negative emotion, but he felt full of fervor in his presence. Suits the theme of the holiday. In his homeland, the Grand Crossing was a single night when the storms would stop, and the Venkage could see all over the mountain. The Grand Crossing was a single night where his view remained unobstructed, his skies were clear and he could see the endless possibility stretching out from sea. The Grand Crossing for Zero meant dreams untethered, adventures the world over, becoming the unstoppable force he felt staring into the squall.

“It’s a holiday! I’m here to celebrate the season, why are you here? You rarely hop in the ring anymore…”

Zero side eyed the shit out of Zeik. What did he mean ‘Why are you here?’ Zero loved the swell of the crowd, the dance in the ring that made the crowds sing. Zero lived for the hype, the energy, the drama! Zeik had sight beyond sight, surely he could see Zero’s attendance completely in character.

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2019 9:34 pm
by Zeik
He took a short sigh to collect his words. It wasn’t in his character to be so impatient, but his youth felt particularly invigorated when he was around young Zero. The fires of youth were magnified by the cheer of the crowd as their flames too were stroked by the ebb and flow of the moon. Zeiks senses began to bleed into one as the melodic sound of the woodwind instrument took hold of him, stirring his senses to a frenzy.

‘You’re right. I’ve only bombarded you with my thoughts. My apologies, Zero.’

He said calmly, despite the inner calamity of emotions stirring within.

‘I don’t know where to start Zero and I fear im short of time..’

He said, looking around rather nervously for a moment. He scratched at his scalp and directed his gaze towards the sky, tossing his pupils back and forth between Vescrutia’s four Moons.

‘Mother’s eye...’

He said under his breath, his focus fading off into his mind as the maidens tune reached a crescendo. He slowly lifted his finger, pointing at the four moons hovering above them.

‘Zero. Have you heard the stories about Arcturus and the phenomenon, mother’s eye?’

He asked softly, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as his subconscious mind took control.

‘During this alignment Vescrutia channels an incredible amount of Naten,comparable to the amount Naten experienced during the Astral year. Many cultures have different interpretations of why the moons converge over Arcturus, some teasing that Vescrutia walks the land and claims a mate, while other paint a tale that she rises from the ashes of her kin and ravages the land. There’s a bit of truth to all gossip, experience will attest to that.’

His dilated pupils returned from the back of his head to meet Zero’s glance.

‘The moons orbit doesn’t naturally converge this way...this is deliberately done by Vescrutia’s will. This phenomenon was first observed during the battle with Corruption and Desolation. Vescrutia coiled the moons to her aid, vanquishing the horsemen and giving us enough time to prepare defenses against their invasion.

Of this I’m sure. Yet, I don’t know what she is planning now...why would she need this much naten? Did she lead us here? Together?
I keep trying to jog my memory as to why I came to Kemet, but nothing comes up...Zero.’

Re: Flashback - Fall of Arcturus

Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 8:28 pm
by Ves
Layering Zeik's prophetic conversation was the roars of the crowd, and wails of onlookers as they were cheering on the arena's latest entrant who, out of the corner of their eyes could be seen weaving elegantly through the deadly plants by the sound of her flute. She had the poise of a dancer and the fluidity of a ghost, making the whole ordeal seem choreographed.

While Zero engaged his friend with intrigue the weight of Zeik's circumstance was suffocated by the thrill of the holiday. Even the master of ceremonies, Kham had failed to take note of his third friend's entrance