The World Engine Redux

Jomber

Jomber

Explorer
Benefactor
(OOC: We're throwing out the previous misadventure as canon.)

The World Engine hung in the distance above a blue misty void. From the outside, it looked as some sort of unassuming observatory with an abnormally large telescope. It was here that many adventurers came to seek to fulfill their wish. Several victors have returned, but many have disappeared behind the heavy doors leading in.

A small island was located off in the distance, the Engine still well within view. It was here that the seekers would arrive. Smaller floating islands acted as stepping stones to reach the Engine itself. It wasn't unheard of to immediately lose someone due to falling, albeit it rarely happened.

Beside the two massive doors laid a warning engraved into the side.

Once inside there is no way back. Turn back now.

For the first who dared open the door, a large font of energy would rush out, and they would soon find themselves within the Engine with their fate sealed.

The inside was enormous. It was a circular room that extended up into a seemingly endless void. The room was lined with rows of figurines of all kinds of ilk. Strangely, one could always find the figurine that they sought.

In the center of the room was the eyepiece to the telescope itself. To its left laid an archway. To its right laid a traditional scale. Its left was golden, while its right was rusted. In the center of the scale was an hourglass, sand constantly dripping down from the top but never draining nor filling the bottom.

All of this was overseen by a Warden. It was seemingly cut out of reality, and yet wreathed with shadows. Its overall shape bore some resemblance to an old-fashioned lamp-post. The bottom of the Warden would widen out into several writhing tentacles, a few of them stretching back up halfway up its thin body. Within the head was a glowing slit purple eye.

"Welcome," The Warden announced to the first who dared enter.
 
(OOC: Possibly. Characters can attempt to purposely enter the World Engine, or it can selectively pluck people. Usually though, you'd have to piss off some really powerful being in order for them to try and send you there. Otherwise, it's usually the character's choice whether to try and get in, and if that involves flying, then totally. There are various ways of getting in, but none of them reliable. Of course, your character is the one who gets lucky (or unlucky).

There are other reasons to be drawn to the World Engine. Being yanked to it right when you're about to die, making a wish and accidentally finding that something responded, or by meddling with the unknown.

But yeah. Being caught mid-flight is something that can happen.

Make sure to make a character sheet.)
 
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Nazren swung his sword at the obmnocoi, aiming for the host within when his blade hit the soft dirt. He was no longer in the plains of blood, but on a floating island near a tower that stretched into infinity. He took a moment to tug it out of the dirt before examining the place more. He looked out into the void and around the strange shiny structure. Then, noticing the doors he headed straight in, looking around at the different figurines high above. He spoke for the first time in a while. "Nice place. Why am I here?" He had grown used to being plucked from places at random from strangers. Most of the time they were gods, so he tried to be as polite as possible. "You are not part of my realm. Where am I, sir?" He switched his attention to the warden. Not armed. Powerful. He put his blade in its sheath. He looked through the door as another entered.
 
Gabby sat on a park bench staring at a child across the path. A freckly boy with a mean curl to his lip, was stomping on flytr bugs as they flew from their tiny holes in the dirt. She watched him smash one after the other. Dead. Dead. Dead.
He had made a habit of coming here in the evenings to wreak havoc on the flytr bug world. She really wasn't sure why she bothered to watch him at all.
She stood from the bench and walked past the boy, her feet leaving no trace of her passing in the dark dirt.
As Gabby walked through the park, she noted that something was different, but couldn't quite think of what. Everything looked the same as the day before...except the area appeared...fuzzy.
This was new.
She blinked a few times, but the blurriness only grew worse. Darkness crept to the corner of her vision as the park faded away. Clamping her eyes shut, she shook her head hard, flicking her short brown hair everywhere. When she opened her light grey eyes, only darkness met her at first. As her eyes adjusted she could see shadows and shapes. Holding her hand up to her face, she watched as the color slowly faded back into her vision. What was that?

A moment passed as her vision cleared again and she found her self, not in the park, but somewhere else entirely. A large room was laid out in front of her. In the middle sat a large telescope and a scale with a rusted side and a gleaming golden side. Above that rows and rows of strange dolls swirled on shelves as far as she could see into the ceiling and beyond. Her eyes shifted from the instruments to another odd sight. A..creature? Made of shadows and with a large purple eye sat in the corner with another figure. A tall man who wore odd clothing and carried old weapons, almost like that of the warrior tribe on the Iktya Continent, but something was strange about him. His appearance seemed unsettled. Undefined.

Her eyes narrowed as she stared at them both and walked over to them silently wanting a closer look. It wasn't until she looked into the eye of the man that she realized. He was looking back.
 
Hallay stepped over the body of one last dragon. A seaborn purebred guard who had tried to stop her. Six long quills now stuck from his convulsing body. He would be dead within the minute. Beyond him was a sheet hanging over a blindingly bright room, so bright that she couldn't even make out anything inside. She closed her eyes and took a few steps forwards, keeping her wish close to her heart for bravery.

For you, mother.

A moment later and she was in the dark. She opened her eyes to find herself standing on a floating rock in a void, a path leading to a large tower in the center. She readied herself, taking a deep breath, before bounding up the floating steps to the door of the building. The shiny gold doorknob on the door was the last thing before she was inside. She paused, breathing deeply again to ready herself, and opened the door inwards.

Terrans. She reared back and hissed at the two humans inside, threateningly flicking her deadly cone of feathers on her tail at them.
 
Gabby stared into the two-toned eyes of the man. Those eyes weren't looking past her as all the others did, they were staring hard directly at her with a spark of recogonition. He could see her.

How long had it been since she had looked someone in the eye? 60? 70 years? She swallowed, as she couldn't bring herself to look away but couldn't speak either.

They stared in silence until a low hiss interrupted the moment. She turned, tearing her eyes away from the man, to see reptilian creature glaring at her, teeth bared and tail flicking. It looked like a Rexalyn from the Wilds. Fierce and deadly creatures that slink in the jungles. This one however had a spark of intellegence its eye. This was no mere creature with beautiful scales and quills. This was someone from a different world just like she was, and they could see her too.
 
Nazren hastily flipped out his blade and pushed the lady out of the way, entering a defensive stance and beginning to circle the dragon, looking for a weakness or a hint at when it would strike. He looked quickly from the black coat to the red and purple feathers and then squinting his eyes to see the quills concealed within them. He switched his blade to the right hand and swept his cloak about him, ready to block the projectiles. He glanced over at the creature of tentacles and the maiden and strode to the opposite side of the room, making sure they stayed out of the fight. He recognized that this was no primal creature and decided to attempt a conversation with it. "Why do you mean to attack? I have done you no wrong." Slowly he pulled a dagger out from his chest plate with his shielding hand and hid it behind the robes, ready to flick it at her.
 
Hallay backed off from the Terran... Native? He did not have a gun, and neither did the Woman. Just a sharp looking sword, a dangerous weapon against her fur if he could make it more than a few steps to her before the poison set in. Unexpectedly, the man suddenly spoke Uppercourt to her. She narrowed her eyes, keeping a healthy distance from the man and making sure her quills were always ready.

"You are not Terran... drop your sword."
 
"Drop my sword!?! Twas not I that barged in and suddenly started to threaten everyone with sharp quills! You were the first to the offensive, so YOU shall be the first to lower it." His sword, however, did fall slightly as a gesture of faith. Still cautious of this stranger he kept his cloak about him and his throwing dagger in hand. He wondered what god would want such a lineup of strangers. A maiden in odd clothing, an aggressive dragon, and him. He decided he would need cover if this creature was unwilling to stand down, and looked around for such things, keeping one eye still on his combatant.
 
The Warden approved of being called "sir" by the swordsman. It was about to respond when the third member stepped through and almost immediately attacked. The Warden stood there, amused for a few moments. Clearly at least two of these hopefuls were experienced in combat. Still, this was a problem. Whether they knew it or not, the Engine had a reputation to keep.

"Now, now children," it spoke, forming a barrier between the two combatants, "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but drawing weapons on a stranger is no way to greet one another. Now... let me make one thing clear before we start anything. If any of you kill one another, there will be consequences," it made a show of power, remotely picking up a multitude of figurines around the room and swirling them around in a vortex before abruptly sending them up into the endless abyss.

It lowered the barrier, keeping an eye on the two to raise it again if any should lash out.

"You're all here to work as a team. If you can't... then... well..."

It snickered, "Oh, I guess you'll find out soon enough."
 
Gabby stumbled back at the sudden and hard shove from the man as he produced a blade from his belt. His reflexes were lightening quick and the contact happened so fast that she barely registered it until a moment later when she caught her balance.
He had touched her. The ghost of his grip sat on her shoulder and she reached up feeling the spot. How was this possible? Lifting her hand, she inspected her pale skin intently. Nothing looked different. No heart beat, no filling lungs or tensed muscles to feel. But yet she was solid.

What was this place?

Her attention snapped back to the room around them as the man and the feathered dragon quarrelled. They were so busy circling each other they didn't seem concerned with where they were. Wherever that was.

As the tentacled creature spoke and showed its power, she watched the two and shook her head. If they escalated much further it would be a brawl. She'd seen too many of those all ready. There was more going on here...and they needed to know what.

"Stop." The word came out a hoarse whisper. Furrowing her brow she focused harder on the sound. "Stop."

The sound was solid and strange in her throat. They didnt seem to hear it though. Had she even spoken?

"We...we need to stop," she said evenly as she held up her hands, "We're all just confused. Let's just step back...my name...my name...is Gabby."

Her grey eyes darted from the dragon to the sword wielding man, hoping that the words of the creature and her own might prevent a fight.
 
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The barrier rose and he noticed the dragon still did not stand down. This annoyed him but he did not protest. Nazren looked between the 3 beings and put his sword back in its sheath, stowing his dagger. He debated whether or not he should use his real name. He decided not to. "Very well sir and madam, if you insist. I am...Cain. I repeat my previous questions If that is not too rude. Why are we here? Why must we work together? And what is this place?" He motioned above at the endless rows of figurines. He then realized he had kept his mask up and shifted it to rest upon his neck, revealing a clawed scar across his right cheek. He looked deep into the eyes of Gabby and Hallay as if staring at each of their souls in turn. When his eyes met the maidens his form for her switched to that of his future cursed self before flickering back seconds later when he looked away. Nazren waited for the answers from the warden.
 
The Warden nodded, still ready to throw up the barrier again if the need should arrive, "Yes... about your questions. If you do not know why you are here, then you must have fallen on some misfortune. Most come here voluntarily. The fact that you are here means that something wrong has happened. Wrong with you that is. Did you happen to die? Inadvertently gained the ire of someone? Walked into a trap? I guess it doesn't matter what you did. You're here, and you're stuck."

"Since you are here, you may as well use this World Engine for what it was made for. To make a wish, and then to create worlds to fulfill that wish. Only once everyone's wish is completed can you escape. You may as well make a wish while you're here, or I'll make one for you. And please, don't wish for something as trivial as a sandwich. It'll be the best sandwich you ever had, but I doubt you'll want to brave difficult trials for one."

"As for why you have to work with one another, there are several reasons. Some are obvious, such as if you don't help someone, they have no reason to help you. Some are a bit more obscure, such as that once a wish is chosen, another cannot be picked until the current one is fulfilled. A very important reason however is that if you don't work together, then I will give you a reason to help each other. On another note, if any of you die, you won't have to visit their world, but directly or indirectly killing another through action or inaction will not be looked kindly upon."

The Warden paused, "I may be going too fast for your small brains, if you have any. I will explain the rules as we go once we have everyone's cooperation."
 
"I understand completely sir, please continue. Is there a limit on the power for the engine... and.. can it cure me?" (put this in your post if you think its too short)
 
(Jomber, rejoin chat sometime, eh?)

Hallay eased up as the weapons were placed away, but kept weary of the armed Human. He might have worn different things than the Terrans, but to her he looked exactly the same. Friendly when it was convenient, dangerous if she turned her back for too long. The other human, the female, she seemed strange somehow... her manners did not fit with anything she had seen the bizarre creatures do before. She intrigued her a little, but only a little.

She patiently waited on the Warden's words, eyes narrowing and ears flattening back at the insults flung towards them. Still, she was wise enough to hold her tongue, for now.
 
Gabby met Cain's eyes and for a moment his appearance faded and flickered from a younger scarred face to a grey, flaky visage with soul-less eyes. The image was like a shadowy storm hovering just over him, dark and ominous.

She glanced at the dragon who had not yet given her name. Her ears laid back and her exotic plummage ruffled, but otherwise she looked unphased. It didnt seem like she could see the strange aura over the man.

What was Cain? Was he like her? A better question is what exactly was she now? So many questions and now they could be heard...

Her eyes settled on the Wardens, glowing purple iris. He seemed to be an immensly powerful guardian of this place, and she gathered a sense of slipperiness from him....speaking as he did. But still the chance to earn a wish? A shock of realization hit her with the idea, a violent bolt of energy, and her eyes widened

"I...I could be alive?"
 
(Short posts are fine.)

"Hm... a few limitations. The more powerful the wish, the greater the dangers. For example, if you wanted to be a god, expect to be smote by one. As for cures and resurrection, those are both reasonable, and not too uncommon. For the likes of you, it shouldn't be a terribly difficult task. That said, since some of you came here without knowing full well of what you were thrown into, let me make one thing clear. Most who enter this place don't usually end up leaving alive. Even for the dead, there is a penalty."

The Warden moved over to the eyepiece, "If there are no more questions, which I highly doubt, then we can move on with the process of obtaining your wishes," it grabbed a hold of the eyepiece and shook it a tiny bit, "Whoever wants their wish first can approach. Look into the eyepiece, and search for your star. Whatever you see will be the baseline for your world. Please, don't try to fight another over it. I'd hate to start giving penalties already."

For the eager, the first individual to look through the eyepiece and find their star would be stricken with a powerful memory, thought, dream, etc. These visions are usually out of control of the person viewing them; the vision coming spontaneously rather than determined thought.
 
Hallay glared at the humans, prowling forwards to the lense.

Gabby watched as the dragon prowled forward to the spy glass, her eyes locked on to the object with a glare. Stepping just to the side of the hour glass, she held up her hands. "Wait a moment. If we really are in this together. Maybe we should talk to each other more first?"

Hallay stopped, but stood clearly in the way of the telescope. She would not let one of the humans trick her. She let silence hang between them, eyes meeting with the woman challenging her. They were dead grey disks set in her head, soulful eyes like a mass for the dead. She resolved, sitting down in her position and waiting for the human to continue.

The dragon sat down and Gabby swallowed hard out of instinct before continuing. "If this Engine can grant a wish to us all by looking into the glass and facing the trials within, created for each of us, then we should get an idea of each other first. To better understand each other's worlds and what we might face." Glancing at them both, she continued, "What are your wishes?"

Hallay looked at the man quickly, then back to Gabby. "My mother... She has Cancer."

'Cain' looked anywhere but at gabby, often focusing on one point for too long. He thought for a long while before saying "It's better if I show you..."

She looked at Cain and his visage fluttered slightly. She had wanted to know more about him. Now was her chance. "A-Alright. That may be best."

He took of his layers of tops beginning with his armor, then the leather, then an ugly mesh of materials, then a fancy button down red shirt, then a white cover, revealing his various scars. He offered his hand to her noticeably slowing his breathing. "You must give me your word that no matter what you see or hear you do not let go until I do."

Gabby's grey eyes roamed over all of the man's scars. Some were deep and jagged and others slices from his skin. She wasnt sure she fully understood what was going to happen, but she could follow instructions. "I won't. Show me what you will."

He took her right hand in his left and slowly his form changed, his cheeks dried and deadened, sticking to the skin. His nose broke and cut, flattening against his skull. His eyes sunk as if they had not slept, the left grey one cut and bled, the blood drying before reaching his chin. Multiple cuts appeared on the aging face, its complexion changing from bright tan to dead pale. Multiple scars and cuts appeared and bled across his exposed skin, the blood often drying before being able to drip. Burns and bruises etched their way through what was left, leaving little alone. His hand shook with pain and the white scar on it grew brighter. Nazren grit his teeth and hyperventilated from the pain, occasionally letting out a quiet sound of anguish. Words burned into his back deeper than all the others, words that read as such:

On winter's sun,
A woman on the run,
Shall create,
One of sealed fate.
His skin shall flake,
His insides shall bake,
Torment shall follow,
A punishment of Sorrow,
For all those he holds dear.

This shall be done,
For he is the son,
Of the immortal one,
A lord of bad fun.
This master of lies,
tricked the one who flies,
To host a great slaughter,
Every being but not her,
Not the wife of fear.

This child who shall soon draw breath,
Shall be banished from death,
But blessed be his cowl,
And also his owl,
For I am not made of stone.

I, wife of fear,
Shall be ever near,
And make sure the curse adheres.
My words shall not be twisted,
He shall be restricted,
This can only be lifted,
by a powerful one like our own.

Hallay stepped back as the human's form changed, tail flicking back and forth rapidly behind her and her stance lowering into a crouch. She hissed at Cain, her fangs baring at the apparition before her.

Gabby kept ahold of Cain's hand as he withered away to a bloodied and deadened wraith. He writhed in agony at her touch and her instinct to draw away from him to ease the pain grew. Still she held fast to his hand as a sickening voice echoed words in her head. This man was cursed to live a half life of pain and sorrow. Forever alone in his struggle.

Nazren finally let go of her hand, the wounds and burns healing at a rapid rate. The only wounds left besides the ones he had already were the ones on his hand, and the letters burned into his back. His breathing slowed as he lay in a fallen sitting position for a few seconds before saying "I want to be able to care again. About someone, something, without watching it burn." A few moments passed. "That Is my wish."

Hallay closed her jaw, fangs hiding among her teeth once more. She sat back down, trying to regain her composure as much as possible.

She watched him take in shaking breaths as his image returned to its former, younger appearance. His curse was a deeply rooted evil that had caused him a great deal of suffering. Pain she understood to an extent. With a steady hand she knelt down and grasped his elbow to help him up, careful not to touch his skin. "I understand," she whispered, as she looked him in the eye. Turning to the dragon, she nodded respectfully. "I don't think i caught your name, what is it?"

Hallay eyed them both with suspicion. A few moments later, she responded. "Hallay, of Terkaurai Saulus."

Gabby gave Hallay a searching a gentle, searching gaze, sensing a great deal of anger and mistrust from her. "What will you wish for, Hallay of Terkaurai Saulus?"

"...A cure for m-... a horrible disease."

"A cure..." Gabby repeated quietly. Hallay's stumbling words revealed more than the dragon was willing to admit to them. Something more more personal than a philanthropic wish for a cure. She didn't press the matter however, something Hallay was glad for. The fact that she had stated previously her personal stake in the quest seemed to have been forgotten by the humans.
 
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"We should probably go in order of ability, the wishes that could help out the others more gets their wish first. I can use my magic and not curse you to die painfully if I go first." Cain said, putting back on his layers of apparel.

Gabby raised a brow at Cain and then looked to them both. "I'm already dead. This body has no heart beat either, though I can feel things. Perhaps a doll body will be useful in both worlds? I am...well...used to be a pilot and I am also trained to handle combat situations, as well as some medical knowledge."

Hallay moved her eyes between the two human slowly. She was dead, he was cursed. Neither sounded Terran or even Native at all. They were... different. "Cain shall go first then, and I second. If I must fight with you, you might as well be able to do something."

Gabby felt something flicker over her lips at Hallay's words. They curled up just at the corner for the briefest of moments. The confidence and sass of the dragon reminded her of something or someone from a long time ago, though she couldn't quite remember what. "Agreed."

She moved aside, allowing Cain access to the telescope lens as her eyes settled on the Warden before going back to the man."Be...careful."

Nazren looked through the spyglass and at first saw nothing. Turning to ask the warden why it did not work he was interrupted by a ghostly shadow of a being. A being that made him draw his sword. He looked at the evil creature for a second before charging.. through air. He tried casting magic through it. If it worked, he thought, it would be worth the pain later. Twas' to no avail. The figure waved her arms and a scene flooded into the room like a splatter of paint. A man with golden angelic wings killing in great number. "IT WAS MY FATHERS CRIME! NOT MINE!" he shouted at the spectre, but it simply laughed. The scene continued until the great hero came from outside and struck the winged one down. The figure moved into place with its counterpart within the scene. He put all his might into a flaming blade swing, and found himself holding the spyglass in the observatory once more, a whispered echo informing him it was real. "Is that any way to treat a goddess?"

Gabby watched as Cain screamed at whatever terrible things had haunted his vision. His words made her realize that his condition was not of any fault of his own. He also looked to be in pain as he stood there gripping the spyglass with white knuckles. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "It's okay...let go now."

Nazren smiled slightly at the hand on his arm before twitching and shaking his head like a dog shaking off water. He moved to take the spyglass again like he had forgotten he had just done that previously.
She gave him a confused look and pulled her hand away gently. "Cain...you don't have to look again. It's already done."

"Again... Have I forgotten something? What was it that I saw through the lens..? It was... Oh..." He again twitched and shook his head. Another move to look through the spyglass once more.
Gabby backed away in confusion. Perhaps his sudden memory loss as the effect of the curse and he simply couldn't remember. "You saw your goddess and your father's sins.... You were angry at them so I imagine your world will have something to do with them."

Nazren looked confused but decided to move on. "Ah. Ugh....Fair...Sir.. How does this world form?" He said, walking over to the one with the slit eye.
 
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"It seems you all have a thread connecting each other. A cure for death, a cure for someone's cancer, and a cure for... whatever that is," the Warden snickered, "Not the most noblest of goals, all self-serving, but I've seen more selfish people."

It watched carefully as Nazren approached the lens and looked in, only for a few moments later to have him scream.

"Oh? Such a troubled history? Hm... this will be interesting. Your vision serves as the baseline of the world, but that is just the start," it pointed towards the scale, "that is where the real magic is. I suppose you've noticed the figurines all around the walls. You can modify the world with them by placing them on the scale. Notice that there is a gold side, and a rusted side. The gold part of the scale will be beneficial to you, and your wish will partly manifest through them. The rust side is well, the opposite. It will oppose you, and keep you from your goal. Naturally, both sides must be kept in balance."

"Oh, and another important note," it motioned to the hourglass in between the two parts of the scale, "You start with four hours. If time runs out, the world will collapse, and everyone in it will die. Each figurine deducts 30 minutes, so every pair removes an hour. You can place an hourglass on the gold side to add another four hours, but it must be balanced accordingly. Oh, and a little oddity. The hourglass and its balance still count as figurines, so it only effectively adds three hours."

"There's another important rule regarding time. Depending on your world, certain actions can decrease the time you have. For example, in a war-torn world, killing soldiers will have no effect, but killing innocent civilians in a peaceful world will drain time. You can tell when you've made a mistake if you hear a distinct ticking sound. Of course, such actions can be a bit more complicated."

The Warden paused, looking over the group, "Once you are ready, the wishmaker and I will open the gate to the new world. Once it is open, no new figurines can be added, and none of the existing figurines can be removed. If you run out of time, or dislike the world, you can always exit and reset. However, any figurines placed still cannot be removed. Choose carefully."

"I hope I didn't go too fast for you all. Any questions? As much as I hate to say it, I've probably missed a few important notes."
 
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