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Author Topic: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness  (Read 30064 times)

Offline Shadow Chorus

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #80 on: November 06, 2016, 02:21:09 AM »
CRCK. CRCK.

The sound of knuckles popping loudly, like the snapping of bones, echoes across area as Gulgrim presses his massive fists together, green lightning dancing around his form as he looks intently at the entrance to the Spire of Chaos. The air around him seems to grow heavy with malice, hairline fractures breaking in the earth around him as the weight of his growing power begins to manifest. If he didn't find a fight soon, his building energy suggested the Warboss may lash out uncontrollably or explode, potentially both.

"Rrrrg. I'z sick o' dis muckin' about! Let'z get movin'! Else I might 'ave ta go meself. Won't leave nuffin' for ya either if I do."

Punching his fist into the ground, a burst of green lightning erupted from the impact point, and in a flash of light, several new figures had emerged.

Decked in spiked armor that was permanently stained red with blood, and each bearing numerous cybork augmentations, Gulgrim's personal Honor guard stood behind the Warboss. Each was a massive nob, not quite as dangerously large as the Kabinet, but well equipped and prepped for slaughter. Each had a personal loadout kitted for their preference, and each looked itching for a fight just like their Boss.

"Alright ladz. Get yer Gubbinz in order. We'z da tip o' da spear. 'Ope yer ready fer a gud fight. Everyone else's got dere chance, now'z yer turn."
« Last Edit: November 06, 2016, 04:25:17 AM by Shadow Chorus »

Offline Soul Reaver

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #81 on: November 06, 2016, 08:18:52 PM »
Soul Reaver nods ever so slightly in reply to Cameron's message.

Whatever the case may be, we cannot trust Ahriman.  The forces of Chaos always war amongst themselves.  Even if he is willing to fight Abaddon and Peterson alongside us, it does not mean he will not subsequently stab us in the back.

He then looks up at the spire.

Ahriman is a powerful sorcerer, and your own mental powers are substantial.  Can you not contact him telepathically?

While posing the question, he glances around at the holy warriors rallying their forces nearby.  All manoeuvres are performed with pinpoint precision, but it galls Soul Reaver to know that many of these courageous warriors will likely fall in the battle to come.

With Mary's assistance he could possibly call upon the Daemons of Inferno to bolster the lines here, but he doubted they would fight well in cohesion with Jharm's forces and after recent events, their presence here would be doubly unwelcome.  Besides, his attentions would be better spent on focussing on the battles at hand, rather than dividing his attention so as to retain control over the Daemonic hosts.

Not allowing his thoughts to drift further, he turns back to Cameron, awaiting a reply.
« Last Edit: November 17, 2016, 04:13:09 PM by Soul Reaver »

Offline Cameron

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #82 on: November 16, 2016, 12:09:03 PM »
As control over the gate is pulled away from her, Mary stumbles backwards. Her shoulders slump as she lowers her hands. The constant outpouring of energy today has taken it’s toll on her. She says nothing as Jharm’s reinforcements begin to arrive. She instead keeps a close watch on the gate itself, monitoring it for any lingering Chaos interference.

She jumps slightly as something reaches out and touches her. She quickly recognizes this as Danyael, though she is surprised when she looks behind her and still sees him in his original position. The gift of energy courses through her, renewing her strength. The smile she flashes in Danyael’s direction is a grateful one.

As she turns back around, her gaze is once again drawn by the Spire. She feels her muscles tense, charged with the new energy provided by Danyael. She checks the interlocking plates of her armor for damage and tests her mobility. The straps and joints have seen better days, but they will hold. The plates themselves are made of a purplish black obsidian that was pulled from the warp itself, and shows little in the way of damage. Satisfied with her inspection, she pulls her broadsword from its scabbard. It is made out of the same incredibly hard material as her armor, so she only inspects it briefly before hefting the blade over her shoulder and turning to Cameron.

“So now what?”

Although he doesn’t voice it, Sepher is also thinking the same thing. He notices that he had brought his spear into a ready position when Jharm’s forces arrived and returns it to his shoulder.  He had watched them closely for any reaction to him or the other companions when they first arrived, but they seemed to pay him no heed. Relieved that they appear to not be a threat, Sepher has returned his thoughts to the Spire and the battle that awaits.

Cameron looks to Mary and responds.

“Now we go. But not all of us.”

Cameron scans the courtyard and locates Karyl, Garr, and Kari. He waves them over. Mary joins them.

“I need the three of you to remain here and hold this courtyard. This is the only ground entrance to the Spire that I am aware of. It’s vital that we hold this position.”

Mary frowns.

“The three of you? There’s four of us.”

Cameron does not hesitate with his reply.

“I know. You’re coming with me. Karyl, Garr, and Kari can handle this on their own.”

Karyl, still frustrated about Mary and Danyael, objects.

“Hey man, that doesn’t sound like a really cool idea. She’s the strongest of us, other than you. What if that chain guy and Chaos douche show up?”

Mary nods.

“For once, I agree with Karyl. This sounds risky.”

Cameron does not waver.

“Yes, she is the strongest of you, which is exactly why we need her with us. I doubt that Peterson and Abbadon will come this way, since I’m sure Abbadon has his own way into the Spire. But if they do for any reason, do not engage. Let them come to the Spire and we’ll deal with them there.”

Garr looks confused.

“So to clarify, you want us to hold this point and not let anyone flank you, but if the greatest threat appears, we are to simply let them pass?”

Cameron nods grimly.

“Yes. You’ve already fallen to Peterson once. And this time you won’t have Mary, or…”

Cameron closes his eyes for a moment before starting again.

“You won’t have Mary with you this time. And Peterson will have Abbadon with him. The only thing you could possibly hope to do by yourselves is slow him down. And I’m not willing to risk you all just to buy us time.”

Karyl grins.

“Not sure if I should be offended there, bro. But thanks for looking out for us, I guess.”

Cameron can’t help but smirk.

“I have full confidence in your abilities to hold this position from anything other than them. You’ll have the Marines and Jharm’s forces watching your back, but you three are the only ones I can put my complete faith in. Can you handle it?”

The three elementals nod. Cameron nods to each of them in return.

“Stay alive. Keep yourselves safe. We have work to do once this is over.”

Mary has no outward reaction to Cameron’s statement, but she bristles inwardly.

Yeah. Work that you won’t be around for.

Cameron suddenly shifts his gaze to Mary, and she briefly wonders if he has read her thoughts again. But if he did, he makes no mention of it.

“We should get moving. Time is of the essence, and some of our guys are getting restless.”
Cameron gestures in the direction of Gulgrim and his new company. Mary nods.

“Ready when you are.”

Cameron turns away, hearing Soul Reaver’s message as he begins to walk towards the steps leading out of the courtyard. He hadn’t considered trying to reach Ahriman from out here. He allows his mind to stretch out towards the Spire but soon finds a wall. He replies directly to Soul Reaver’s mind.

It would appear that he’s cut the Spire off from any psychic influence. Not surprising. We’ll have to get inside first.

As Cameron reaches the steps, he drops a blinking transmitter to the ground. Seconds later, a group of 20 Grey Knight Terminators, wearing the same armor as Cameron himself, appear in a flash of light. He converses with their Sergeant briefly before turning to everyone else.

“Alright. Marines. Strike Team. Our objective is simple. We breach the Spire at it’s base, secure the ground level and eliminate any Chaos forces within. Then we have a contingent hold the base while we head up and clear the tower level by level. I’m assuming that we won’t find Ahriman until we reach the top, but we can’t afford to be surprised. Marines! Sound off!”

The marines shout in unison.

“Death to Chaos! For the Emperor!”

Cameron nods as the faceplate of his helmet closes.

“Damn right. Let’s move out!”

Cameron and the Marines begin marching up the steps, heading for the Spire.

Offline Veldanya Venalla

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #83 on: November 16, 2016, 11:07:56 PM »
The Seraphim watches as Cameron and the Grey Knight begin to advance up the stairs.  Turning he moves towards the awaiting Seraphs.  As he approaches one of the winged soldiers snaps to attention and salutes.

"Seraphim! We await your commands!"

Returning the salute the Seraphim nods as well.  He moves in front of the armored warriors, his voice ringing out over the gathered forces in front of him.

"Seraphs! Warriors of the Light!  We march now into the bastion of Chaos itself!  Be prepared for anything and hold nothing back! Give no quarter....for none shall be given to you! We have no idea what we may face within, but never forget...the Light is with us!"

The angellic commander turns to face towards the stairs once more, the malevolent light of the Eye glimmering off the shining armor of the gathered Seraphs.  Resting his sledge on his right shoulder, Jharm bellows out.

"Forward!  For the Light!"

The Seraph detachment surges forward, each armored step and movement in complete unison.  Perhaps it is the discipline displayed by the Seraphs, the way they march into the unknown without even a hint of concern or hesitation, but all present can almost feel a surge of hope swell within them as the Seraphim and his force advance up the stairs behind Cameron and the Grey Knights.
Religion and greed, cause millions to bleed.

Offline Kitharsis

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #84 on: November 18, 2016, 11:42:24 AM »
Kitharsis nods in return to Jharm's reply.

As Jharm turns to address Nethanya, Kitharsis cannot help but set his eyes on the tip of the Spire.  The tiny skeleton mage clambers over his back and perches on his shoulder, glaring at the spire alongside its master.  The bone wings on his back shudder, the will of the golem rousing as it anticipates the upcoming battle.  He slides his horseman's pick into its sling on his hip before he begins adjusting the many pockets and pouches attached to his belt.  There are thankfully a few bulging bags of sand left, along with a thick padded bag of assorted runes for emergencies.

Finding things in order, he turns to Cameron awaiting the order to move forward.

Cameron rallies his squad of Grey Knights and begin their march onward to the Spire.  Jharm and his Seraphs follow suit and march forward as well.

With a silent look to the rest of the companions, Kitharsis sets his jaw and begins his own march up the steps of the Spire.

Offline Soul Reaver

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #85 on: November 20, 2016, 05:24:14 AM »
Cameron gives his orders to the marines and asks Karyl, Garr and Kari to remain behind and guard the spire alongside some of Jharm's forces before responding to Soul Reaver.  Soul Reaver nods in response.

Unfortunate, but not surprising.

Observing Jharm and his forces marching forward, Soul Reaver felt a little more at ease - somehow, come what may, he knew Jharm would always be there to do what is right.

Soul Reaver briefly meets Kitharsis' gaze before the enormous Tirthandara ascends the steps, a small skeletal minion riding on his back.

Turning around, Soul Reaver looks over at the three elementals who have been asked to guard the spire.  Regardless of what Cameron may have said, they were putting themselves at great risk by staying here.  He puts his right fist over his chest in salute - the gesture conveys much, including respect, gratitude, and - should it come to that - a farewell.

Turning on his heel, Soul Reaver strides up the steps toward the spire, adjusting the straps of his armour in preparation for whatever may be to come.

Offline Daccio

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #86 on: November 20, 2016, 07:11:57 PM »
Sepher relaxes visibly when jharm's forces to not react to him or the other companions. Taking a deep breath, he shoulders his spear.

He watches the discussion between cameron and the elementals, but turns to face the spire once more, watching it. It made him feel... uneasy to be near that place... more so than he had been feeling being in the eye in general.

Deciding he needed to save his energy, he did not use any of his powers yet, but followed in steady pace as they began to make their way to the spire.

Offline Danyael

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #87 on: November 22, 2016, 02:09:29 AM »
Danyael listens intently and without a sound to the exchange between Mary and Cameron, then hears the tentative protest of Karyl. So three of the four would be staying behind? Not an idea he agreed with, but it wasn't up to him and there certainly wasn't any other option. Unless... he waited for the others to finish and then move on. But as they left, Danyael reached out a tether to the mind of Cameron. I've yet to test my abilities gained in the warp. But as it can be seen, I've a hard time at dying, even upon trying my best. I could stay behind to assist in holding the line.

He looked to the Spire in the distance, then looked to the other companions. Then saved looking to Mary for last. Would she approve of this? Probably not. Then again, it's possible Cameron would recommend against it anyway. But if he gave him the green light, then the nephilim lord would be more than willing to stand by the elementals that trusted him the least. He could leave behind an echo, perhaps even a retinue of echoes. He still didn't know how far this ability could reach, but considering just how much he'd pushed it, he was eager to see just how much further he could go. But either way he was prepared to walk in either direction, oddly leaving the decision up to someone else for now. Even if that someone else was someone who trusted him even less than the other three elementals did.
"Yeah, well, ya' better have a spatula where we're goin' cause my ass is frozen to this yak!" :o

Offline Shadow Chorus

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #88 on: November 24, 2016, 08:58:09 PM »
As soon as the combined forces of the companions began to move toward the spire, Gulgrim and his Retinue were up and gunning for the steps. Moving at full sprint, they aimed to get to the spire ahead of everyone else, even if it meant rushing headlong into the enemy without looking for traps or other pitfalls. Gulgrim himself was at the head of the pack, his massive feet digging chunks out of the ground with each bounding stride he took, his kutlass held high, a bellowing "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!" on his lips. Green lightning flowed in his wake like a train, dancing along the ground where his feet collided and lending him speed as he made his way toward battle.

The Orks were in their element. It was time to fight and win.

Offline Cameron

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Re: The Eye of Terror: Ascent Into Madness
« Reply #89 on: November 30, 2016, 04:34:54 PM »
[End of chapter.]