Dragon Kings Journey (Worm/Exalted)

[AcridComet]

Welp. Time to see if people want to try this.

******

The ground beneath your scaly hide creaked. Something was... wrong. This wasn't the grassy bed you'd laid down that morning. The ground felt fragile, the grass held a different scratch to it. It was not where you fell asleep, even smelling different. Like rotting fish left to fester, but... everywhere.

And something was bumping against your head. You growl at the annoying thing, your eye cracking open to show you this mostly hairless ape. Taller than others you'd seen, with a pale, pink face with scrunched up features. It had some form of leaves wrapped around its body, and held a strange club, black, with a flat circle for a head. And it was prodding you with it. An annoyance, to be sure, but you had invaded its' nest. Your eyes fall to slightly behind it, and you see a smaller one, with longer fur atop its head. You suppose that was either its' mate or its' spawn, with how it stood between you. You growled at it yet again before working your jaw. You felt sore, like you had overslept on pointy rocks.

Wait... since when did you think like this? By now you and your clutch mates would have torn this human apart, without caring for its' state of... leaf-donning? Yoh needed a better idea of what the... garment? What that was.

You shake your head, taking time to snap at the club when it comes too close to you. Damned annoying, that monkey. You take in your surroundings as a strange, almost wooden cave, with blueish grass beneath you, seemingly made of something similar to the leaf-wear of the balding monkeys. Maybe they were wearing grass? There was also a strange wood-crystal slab set upon wood carved like a strange beetle, with a set of grass-wove resting patches from it. Some form of resting chamber then?

You pause. Focus. You had your surroundings in check, even though you suspected the monkeys might try to charge you, they were scared of you. You could use that. They were afraid, unlikely to try anything if you didnt move suddenly. And that gave you time to focus on the mystery at claw. The past. How you got there, and why... You were different, that much you knew. Like your heart beating in your chest, you knew youd changed during this transition. Your body ached, strange sensations arcing across your body in exhilarating ways. And on some level... a deep, primal level... it scared you.


What are you?

[ ] [Breed] Anklok: massive brutes with thick, scaly hide, this breed of warrior-priests stalked the southern plains of Creation since time immemorial. These creatures turn to violence first, with even their craftsman preferring to build crystalline weaponry. They have a strong Resistance to their harsh surroundings, placing their Survival above all other things, save their holy War in the name of the sun. They favor the Flickering Fire Path (Moving without thought, you bring your actions quickly), and the Blazing Fire Path (create and manipulate Fire as if it were a part of you). (Brutes, they are Strikers, Blasters, Mover/Thinkers.)

[ ] [Breed] Mosok: Sleek and mobile in the water, this crocodilian Breed is rather slow on land. In the sense of a tank. They are only slightly less hardy than an Anklok, and are far more cunning. They favor Stealth tactics, with a great focus on all pursuits of Larceny, and are more than a match with their fearsome claws. They often favor Martial Arts to calm their mercurial personality. They favor the Flowing Water Path (move as if you are underwater), and the Shimmeting Water Path (disguise your form with a menagerie of illusions). (Brutes, they have a fluctuating Mover rating and a Stranger rating.)

[ ] [Breed] Pterok: this winged Breed controlled the skies in ancient past, but were mainly concerned with the pursuit if knowledge. They were fast and eagle eyed, but tended to prefer pens to blades. The sought the Occult, and ancient forgotten Lore. However, their love of the sky led their Breed to be quite Athletic in all activities. They favor the Clear Air Path (enhance your senses to their full potential) and the Celestial Air Path (Summon the elements and commune with gods). (Mover and Thinker base, they are primarily a Thinker, with a few Master powers.)

[ ] [Breed] Raptok: The most human of all the Breeds, the Raptok were master inventors, masters of plant technologies, and often crystalline ones as well. They are the only Breed able to use human tools or weapons easily. They were well known for their masterful Craftsmanship, their witty banter at Socializing events, and often many often fell in love with the Linguistics of other regions. They favor the Growing Wood Path (turn plants into strange technology), and the Shaping Wood Path (don the power of the forest, and become as hardy as a tree) (Minor Brute, with Mover and Thinker. Primarily a Changer and a Tinker.)

You are Different.

[ ] [Mutation] Dragons Breath: You hold a blazing inferno in your gullet, expelling it with ferocious force. (Moderate blaster power)

[ ] [Mutation] Crystal hide and Large: You are bigger, and your hide has strange, crystallinegrowths in it. (Moderate Brute power.)

[ ] [Mutation] You felt... smaller, lighter, and... what are those orbs on your chest doing? (Obligatory Monster girl-ification)

[ ] [Mutation] Write in (those who know exalted, 6 mp are free. For everyone else, if you're interested, I'll figure it out.)

You are...

Spoiler: Paths

Paths are the special powers of the dragon kings, and are linked to different frames of mind. The paths are linear, and progress in a semi-logical manner.
Celestial air Path goes from seeing Spirits of various sorts, to touching the immaterial, to opening gates to immaterial places.
Clear air Path goes from enhancing your senses, to seeing magic, to preternatural awareness of enemies.
Blazing Fire Path goes from creating light to creating fire, to blasting fire at your enemies.
Flickering fire path goes from quick reactions, to enhancing actions, to accelerated movement.
Solid earth goes from not needing tools for crystals and rocks, to molding stone as if it were clay, to further empowering crystal technology.
Yeilding earth goes from bolstering objects and people, to repairing objects, to accelerating natural healing.
Flowing water goes from wall crawling, to a slow flight, to phasing body parts through objects.
Shimmering water goes from an "ignore-me" field, to becoming any reptile, to becoming any person (as an illusion)
Growing wood goes from working plants with no tools, to accelerating plant growth, to further empowering any vegetative technology.
Shaping wood goes from gaining plant features, to becoming large and flexible, to becoming far tougher than they should be.

There are steps beyond what is here, but lets keep things simple for now.

So paths are essentially your powers. They improve, and there will be chances to gain the paths you did not choose later on.

[ ] [Self] Compassionate: You favor the Yielding Earth Path (healing and repairing) or Clear Air Path, and typically favor intellectual problems over physical ones. (Striker or Thinker)
-[ ] which path

[ ] [Self] Valorous: You are Bold, Favoring the Blazing Fire Path or the Solid Earth Path. Violence is your language, Talking can wait. (Tinker, or Blaster/Striker)
-[ ] which path

[ ] [Self] Temperate: You wait, in all ways. Favor the Growing Wood or Solid Earth paths (turn Crystal's into strange technology, and become one with the earth). You prefer to Balance yourself, Often meditating on the state of things. (Tinker)
-[ ] which path

[ ] [Self] Driven: You seek your goals, and let none stand in your way. Favor the Celestial Air Path, or the Shaping Wood Path (Thinker/Master orChanger)
-[ ] which path

[ ] [Self] Write in. Be as basic, or as detailed as you like.


Still a fairly new QM so... help is appreciated.

Edit: added a brief path explanation.

 

[AcridComet]

Name: ????

Age: ??

Breed: Raptok.

Spoiler: Attributes: Balanced

Strength: 3
Dexterity: 5
Stamina: 3

Charisma: 3
Manipulation: 3
Appearance: 4

Intelligence: 3
Perception: 3
Wits: 3

Spoiler: Abilities

Linguistics: 1
Socialize: 1
Craft (Wood): 3 [+1 Vegetative Tech]
Craft (Earth): 3
Occult: 3
Lore: 3
Presence: 1 [+1 Proud Beauty]
Melee: 2
Martial arts: 1 [+1 Fangs]
Dodge: 1
Athletics: 1
Integrity: 2
Awareness: 2 [+1 Seeing]
War: 1

Essence: 2. Current pool: 22

Willpower: 5

Compassion: 2
Conviction: 2
Temperance: 3
Valor: 2

Paths
Growing wood: 3
Shaping Wood: 3
Solid earth: 3
Yielding earth: 1

Backgrounds
Artifact 3 (your gear.)
Backing 3 (PRT)
Resources 2
Mentor 5 (Eben)

Bonus points remaining: 10


Bonus points may be spent as the prologue (Awakening) continues.

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] [Breed] Raptok: The most human of all the Breeds, the Raptok were master inventors, masters of plant technologies, and often crystalline ones as well. They are the only Breed able to use human tools or weapons easily. They were well known for their masterful Craftsmanship, their witty banter at Socializing events, and often many often fell in love with the Linguistics of other regions. They favor the Growing Wood Path (turn plants into strange technology), and the Shaping Wood Path (don the power of the forest, and become as hardy as a tree) (Minor Brute, with Mover and Thinker. Primarily a Changer and a Tinker.)
[X] [Mutation] You felt... smaller, lighter, and... what are those orbs on your chest doing? (Obligatory Monster girl-ification)
[X] [Self] Temperate: You wait, in all ways. Favor the Growing Wood or Solid Earth paths (turn Crystal's into strange technology, and become one with the earth). You prefer to Balance yourself, Often meditating on the state of things. (Tinker)
-[X] Solid Earth path

You felt... odd. The body you were in wasnt your own in more ways than one. It was like someone had grafted bits from these not-monkey onto you, slapping them over seemingly random places. Your chest had these strange flabby growths stuck to them, with reddish-pink flesh flowing into the scales. And feeling your muzzle revealed much the same, having been flattened and smoothed with strange, alien skin. You bristle, your previously feathery headcrest dropping it's now stringy pieces over your eyes.

And on top of that horrifying revelation, the Male will not stop pointing that club at you. Or shouting things in that strange calls of "stay back" and "Da-ad" of theirs. You weren't sure whether it was at you, or the female, but it was grating. You were going through alot mammal! You snatch the club from his hands, eliciting a slight cry, and break it. Or at least you try to, as the club proves much more durable than youd expected, bending instead of breaking. And it doesnt snap back into into place either, just staying in the shape your claws twisted it too.

You give a wordless cry, growls building in your throat. Nothing in this damn place made any sense! Was this the Wyld? It felt right and proper, but everything twisted your senses all the same. And then a different kind of growl came through the room. From your stomach. You weren't sure you trusted anything here though, with all the oddities the alien cave held.

"Dad?" The small female chitters at the Male. "I think she might be hungry." The not-monkeys calls were getting more complicated, and you weren't sure if you should be worried.

"Taylor it broke in our house." The male barks back. Were those names? You could almost make something out of their odd noises.

"She doesnt... seem to know what's going on dad." The female says. Was that this Tay-ler? "We already called the Police" Ok, there went that theory. Unless Poh-leese was a different not-monkey. Your stomach growls again, hunger building. You consider just eating the not-monkeys, but considering your mutations you couldnt be sure you could tank any sharp implements. You settle for just gnawing on the club, which... appears to be really chewy rocks. Either way, hopefully this will get the point across that you want food. "See dad? Shes eating a frying pan."

"Just... go get something from the kitchen while I keep it here." The male says. Honestly, this rock wasnt half bad. Kind of salty, but you could taste something delicious on half of the round head. Too bad it wasnt filling. The female leaves this chamber briefly, before coming back with... something. A small slab, appearing to be made if some meat, a vegetable... meat, and... yellow meat. It smelled better than its surroundings, at least. As soon as she gets close enough, you were going to snatch it from her.

Or at least, you were. Until she started bringing it to you. You grab it, careful not to scratch the female, and take a closer sniff. It didnt smell poison, and even if it were poisonous, you were from a different place. It might not effect you. A tenative bite of this strange mixture, followed by another, and another, and another. Before you knew it the rather tasty thing was gone, and the not-monkey were twisting their faces. The males downward, and the females upward. You honestly wanted more though, looking down at the twisted club, trying to decide how to communicate it.

And then the bird calls started.


Vote! PRT

[ ] [PRT] Just the troopers.

[ ] [PRT] Protectorate, with trooper backup
-[ ] [PRT] Who?

Vote! Reaction

[ ] [Act] You dont like these new beings at all.

[ ] [Act] The Female seems to like them... best to not attack.

[ ] [Act] Write in

Vote! Perspective!

[ ] [View] Dragon King

[ ] [View] Taylor

[ ] [View] Write in.


AN: Anything else? Feel free to suggest stuff... I'll probably do the Char sheet in a bit.

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[x] [PRT] Protectorate, with trooper backup
-[x] [PRT] Assault and Battery
[x] [Act] The Female seems to like them... best to not attack.
[x] [View] Dragon King

The birds drew closer and closer, finally settling down outside the wood cave you had awoke in. The girl gets up, and walks, carefully, over to a strange section of the wall. The girl, who you believed was this Tay-Ler, moved the section in a specific way, and it moved easily. Perhaps a magically hidden entrance? Tay-ler moved to the side, shivering with her mouth turned up in the same way it had been when you had fed. Strange, but given such little information, youd have to attribute it to joy. After all, Tay-ler smelled far younger than the others in the cave, so they might be scavengers with food?

The male garbed in Red comes forward, standing between you and the Glowing, bluish female. "Well. Looks like a case 53 to me Puppy." More not-monkeys meant more sounds, and you still hadn't figured out the ones from before!


Blue hits her red counterpart lightly, sighing. "Shes certainly... not what I expected." You glance at the twisted club. Would these new not-monkey bring you more food? The blue one kneels down in front of you, holding out her (dissapointingly empty) hand. "Its ok. I'm Battery. Bah-ter-ree" Blue motions at herself. Communicating with you?

"Well, yeah Puppy. Shes got huge t--whoa!" The Red man shouts, before Blue moves, almost too fast to follow, with her foot, knocking Red off balance. Perhaps you could eat him? He seems to be the omega of the duo. Though, Tay-ler is making snorting noises, so it might be for her benefit. A mating ritual.

"Quiet. Now, can you-" Blue, or you suppose Bah-ter-ree, motions to you. "-understand-" a motion to her ears "-me?" She points to herself, and you think you understand what she means?

Maybe you should try out their language? "Da-ad? Bah-ter-ree? Stee bak?" You try, seeing Bah give an upturned mouth, and a brief passing of convulsing breaths. "Bah-ter-ree?" You point at her, hoping you got it right.

Blue nods. "Yes, I'm Battery." She points at herself again.

Red has gotten back up at some point. "C'mon Puppy, let me try and-" you try that upturned face, showing your fangs for the first time. And... immediately every not-monkey in the room jumps back a bit. Odd. "-oooor you can handle it. Jeez, shes got some bite to her."

The original Male speaks up. "She hasn't seemed... violent. Just cautious." Tah seems to be lost in thought, over something, but Bah looks... thoughtful.

"Did you see how she came to be in here?" Bah shares a look with Red, before looking directly at the original Male. "This is the first time a 53 has appeared in an occupied area." Their look sharpens, distinctly causing you worry. Was something wrong. Apparently, it showed on your face, as Bah was back to her gentle voice. "Not you." She motions at you, and then at the surrounding cave. "How you got here. You-" a point at you. "-here" Her hand taps the grass. Was she asking you to lay down? Confusing not-monkey.

The Original Male, or... is he Da-ad? Da begins motioning with his noises. "She sort of... popped in? Almost like a screen wipe and she was there." He holds trepidation at this. "Convulsing and thrashing about, before settling down."

Red whistles, before turning to the magic entrance. "I'll prep the transport. You try and get her to follow you out." He says, presumably to Bah. Strange noises, new noises, you didnt like them. Honestly frustrating, but if you push a little on your understanding of language...

"Wh-iee yoo wan' me to go Bah?" You say, rather pleased with how you adapted to their language. The not-monkey are not quite so prepared for this, and they stare at you.

Bah recovers first. "H-how long have you been talking around her?" Her shock aside, it's not that odd for how youd done it, right? And they were the rude ones, for not helping you more to learn it.

"... 15 minutes or so?" Da looks incredibly confused at you. "Is... that normal for... 53s?"


Vote: Reaction!
[ ] [Act] Try to stay with Tay and Da. They seem like they aren't leaving you to a trap.

[ ] [Act] Go with Bah and Red. They might have food! Or answers. Youd prefer food.

[ ] [Act] Write in!

Vote: Who you are

[ ] [Past] The Peacock: You were your clutches face, the type that lured prey to be eaten. Of course, you had to get a hang of dodging the various beasts you and they took down. And you were exceptionally beautiful, at least before your transformation.

[ ] [Past] The Monkey: You were the scout of your group, spending more of your time in the trees than on the ground. You were an exceptional climber, with sharp eyes and powerful legs. Often times you wondered how high you could go, with your natural strength.

[ ] [Past] The Fox: You were the most cunning of your clutch, showcasing bountiful knowledge. Almost in spite of your bestial intellect, you found yourself a master of creating and repairing the wonders around you. Your eyesight wasnt bad either.

[ ] [Past] Write in

The write in for Past are detailing your base skills, and occasionally bonus point costs. Be as vague as you want, I can interpret them, or do whatever. They determine dice pools, so... kinda important.

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] [Act] Go with Bah and Red. They might have food! Or answers. You'd prefer food.
[X] [Past] The Fox: You were the most cunning of your clutch, showcasing bountiful knowledge. Almost in spite of your bestial intellect, you found yourself a master of creating and repairing the wonders around you. Your eyesight wasnt bad either.

The uneasy silence continued around you for some time, before Bah spoke again. "Ooookay. Well, miss. You are... different, and my organization wants to help you." As she speaks, you feel yourself devouring the concepts she speaks of.

"Wha' th-ay hel-p w'th?" You say slowly, still feeling the content of her words solidifying in your mind. After a moment you nod. "Yis. Wha' th-ay help w'th."

Bah smiles, even as Tay and Da seem bemused by the turn of events. "Well. We help you get a legal identity, a place to stay, training for your powers, and much more." Bah says sincerely, her face showing that she truly believes it. You... dont. It reeked of a trap. Honeyed words that hid implications, implications that you didn't fully understand. Bah seems to notice this. "Its ok. You can walk out of it whenever you like." She says, adopting a soft tone.

You make a noise deep in your throat, desperately wishing you had something familiar to latch onto. "Oh-kee. Eye go w'th yoo, Bah." You stand up, feeling your joints pop. "Wan' freye pan" you say, hoping that you're still getting the words right. "Shee is hun-gree."

Bah has a bemused expression on her face. "Guess that super learning only applies to things shes heard." A slight smile as she gets up. "We'll get you some food on the way." She grabs your claw, and gingerly leads you to the entrance.

And when you get outside, several things hit you at once. The smell is somehow worse, as if the city bathed itself in rotting meat while guzzling faces riddled water. The grass changes to stone, and you see real grass, familiar grass, just a few feet away. The metal trunks that filled the skyline, clipped and hard despite their size. And it was all controlled. Oppressive and decayed. "Bah?" You say, hearing her look over to you. "Wh-eye it..." you search for the words she could understand.

Bah chuckles at you. "Overwhelming?" A slight amused not in her voice. Despite not being quite accurate, you cant help but nod. Bah smiles and leads you to a strange, boxy cave. She opens another strange, shift entrance and ushers you in. Perhaps it is a tunnel?

It does not seem to be, simply being a smaller cave, with Red relaxing on one of the seats. "Hey Puppy. And you brought in the-" he makes motions in front of his chest. Odd not-monkey. And Bah walks over and smacks him. "Ow! Ok, ok. Always so serious." He halfheartedly says, still smiling. "We ready to roll out?"

You ponder over his odd choice of words as Bah answers. "Ready as we can be." She looks over to you as she sits next to Red. "Sit down, its gonna be a long ride." Ride? What's she- your thoughts are arrested as the cave begins to lurch. Your claws find purchase in the surprisingly flimsy cave walls. Red barks out a laugh as Bah tries to calm you down.

This could be a long day...



Vote! Food!

[ ] [Food] Ask for another stack of meats. Like you got from Tay! Only a lot more. It's new, and you want to get used to new. (Max out your Favored and Breed Paths [3 currently], and choose a fourth Path)
-[ ] which path?

[ ] [Food] Find something familiar. Anything really, just keep looking until you find it. (Max out a path, and choose up to 2 other paths)
-[ ] which path?

[ ] [Food] Everything! They have this bin where they store leftovers, this place where food comes out, and all sorts of kinds! (Gain Shaping Wood to 3, Flickering Fire up to 2, and a single other path. Bonus point goes to valor.)
-[ ] Which path?

[ ] Write in

Vote! POWER TESTING

[ ] [Test] Be honest. Show everything you can do, even though they will probably be scared.

[ ] [Test] Hide you abilities, as humans are always paranoid individuals. If they press, cite your strength.

[ ] [Test] Hide almost all your abilities. Reveal a single path to them.
-[ ] Which path

[ ] [Test] Write in.


AN: I'll do abilities soon. Currently sick.

 

[AcridComet]

Well. Figure I should do a brief summary of what the Dark Paths do.

The first step of a Dark Path can be learned by humans, and having more dark paths than regular paths makes you a creature of darkness.

Path of Glorious consumption. Drawback: You eat corpses, and corpses carry disease. Similarly, spiritually enlightened individuals might cause stomach issues.
This path starts at a grisly regeneration, before moving to stealing the deads memories, to gaining the deads physical prowess.

Path of the Coagulated Eucharist. Drawback: You drink blood, and that can have diseases. Also it's kinda intoxicating.
This path starts at drinking fresh blood for essence, to learning secrets from someones blood, to using your own blood as a weapon. A blood whip to be precise.

Path of Technomorphic Transcendence. Drawback: implanting devices tends to require a Lab, and you have trouble understanding people.
This path starts at attuning to artifacts through sheer will, to repairing implanted artifacts, to surgically implanting artifacts into yourself for free attunement.

Path of Ecstatic Armageddon. Drawback: using this causes fire, and not exactly by choice. Appears within 10 yards of you.
This path starts with inciting Anger, to setting your claws horrendously ablaze (deal Aggravated damage) against those you hate, to retributive flames attacking those who hit you.

Path of the Tormented Bodhisattva. Drawback: Suicidal tendencies.
This path starts at damaging yourself for success in endeavors, to seeing faith and Essence, to temporarily becoming a ghost.

And that's the Dark Paths. At least at the level you can access.

Edit: Moving the description of Paths on the first part here too.

Paths are the special powers of the dragon kings, and are linked to different frames of mind. The paths are linear, and progress in a semi-logical manner.

Celestial air Path goes from seeing Spirits of various sorts, to touching the immaterial, to opening gates to immaterial places.

Clear air Path goes from enhancing your senses, to seeing magic, to preternatural awareness of enemies.

Blazing Fire Path goes from creating light to creating fire, to blasting fire at your enemies.

Flickering fire path goes from quick reactions, to enhancing actions, to accelerated movement.

Solid earth goes from not needing tools for crystals and rocks, to molding stone as if it were clay, to further empowering crystal technology.

Yeilding earth goes from bolstering objects and people, to repairing objects, to accelerating natural healing.

Flowing water goes from wall crawling, to a slow flight, to phasing body parts through objects.

Shimmering water goes from an "ignore-me" field, to becoming any reptile, to becoming any person (as an illusion)

Growing wood goes from working plants with no tools, to accelerating plant growth, to further empowering any vegetative technology.

Shaping wood goes from gaining plant features, to becoming large and flexible, to becoming far tougher than they should be.

There are steps beyond what is here, but lets keep things simple for now.

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[x] [Food] Ask for another stack of meats. Like you got from Tay! Only a lot more. It's new, and you want to get used to new. (Max out your Favored and Breed Paths [3 currently], and choose a fourth Path)
-[x] Yielding earth
[x] [Test] Be honest. Show everything you can do, even though they will probably be scared.

It took Bah a little while to coax you off of the rumble-cave wall, though it would probably always have the holes from your claws, and try to get you into grass-garments. Red chuckled at the antics all the while. "You know, this would be alot easier if you just explained nudity to the Thinker?" He said.

That... made you blink. "Nu-deh-tee?" You pause, comparing yourself to the not-monkeys and their obsession with the garments. "... yoo don l-ike Thin-ker?" A small part of you figured you should hide your abilities, even though you doubted the not-monkey could harm you, but... you decide to show them. "Yoo wan Me in" you emit a low growling, followed by harsh syllables, trying to articulate complex concepts that you had no name for in this language. "... Cloh-th-ssssss." You finally grasp the word, plucking it from the surrounding essence just as Bah opens her mouth.

"... yes. Can you-" Bah glances down at your legs and pauses, noticing that your knees and ankles far more pronounced and angular than her own. "This may be harder than I thought." A few moments later, you walk out of the rumble-cave and into a larger, blocky cave out on the water. And you were garbed, albeit haphazardly, in various, mismatched clothes. Your chest was covered by a strange blue "Tea shirt", while your bottom was covered by two pre-torn clothes tied together to form a sort of long skirt.

A large man in blueish armor stands before you, a clearly trimmed face-hair peeking from under his helmet. He greets your guides with a curt nod. "Battery. Assault." He turns to you, his visor gleaming under the artificial lights. "And this must be the 53. Do you require anything before we begin testing? Sleep, food-"

"FOOOOOOOOOD!?!" you glance at him, feeling your stomach growl hungrily. "Food! Yoo have food?" Your tail whips back and forth as you sniff the air. You only barely hold yourself back from charging to the food-room you smell, glancing back at the currently bemused Bah and Red. Or Ass-alt, you supposed. You glance at Blue-man with your best "cute" face, hoping to sway him.

"We can... get you some food?" The new Blue speaks slowly as he glances at you. You're led to the chamber, carefully, and Bah tries to bring you something. You wind up with a "sandwich", those stacks of meat and various bits from before, and you begin tearing into them. Your guides watch in bemused fascination as you stuff one after the other into your gullet, tearing bits of them with your sharp fangs. You barely waste time swallowing, nor do you savor the flavor, as you felt like you had not eaten for days.

Finally, after careful deliberation of whether to eat another bite, you carefully stand up. You were sated, for now at least. You glance at Bah, carefully measuring your words. "Tes nowe?"

She nods, before shaking her head. "Boy, you were... uh... hungry, huh?" She glances at the small crumbs left from you meal.

The Blue man nods, before turning abruptly. "If theres nothing else, we can perform the tests." He walks out, and judging from Bahs' look, you follow him through the various chambers. Eventually, you find your way through to a teleporting chamber, and then forward to a large, plain chamber. The man nods at the chamber, and speaks overly simply. "We need you to give an explanation or demonstration of your abilities. Battery tells me you have enhanced learning capabilities. Would you care to elaborate?"

You briefly digest his words. Is he trying to be formal using Bahs' full name? Or is there something else. A brief flash of realization hits you: Battery could be her Title, albeit an odd one. Something to look into. "Not lern bet-ter. Nuh-ow." You tap your chin. "Take... the lern f'rom oth-ers. Take un-der-stan an' nuh-ow wat they do." You pause, reaching for the words to describe how you incorporate the lingering essence of Speech into yourself. Or is it eating the speech, and becoming it? It's hard to describe, much less understand the metaphysical concepts. Youd be lying if you fully did, as imperfect as your own explanation was. "Can all-so ch-ane-geh. Become... toh-fer. Stroh-n-ger. Can chan-geh pluh-ants, make them... Bet-ter."

Blue notes these down, you think, on some paper. "Well that is quite-"

"All-so cris-talls." You interrupt him, counting yet more on your claws. "Make ob-jec bet-ter too." The others are staying at you as you clack your claws. "[Clutch] kood do mor." You finish, briefly stepping back into your... you suppose first language.

Blue man, Bah (or you suppose Bah-ter-ree) and the Assalt stared at you. Blue finally spoke up. "We will, of course, be testing these claims miss." He glances vaguely at Bah. "I'll inform the scientists we will need a plant, crystals, and the Brute test machine for our... friend here." He stands up, rather abruptly, and walks out the door.

"Did I doo bahd?" You look at Bah with large eyes.


Vote! Crafting! (Will be complete after prologue)

[ ] [Tech] begin creating a Flame Talon, leaf armor, and a minor crystal buable.

[ ] [Tech] begin to create a Bracer of Crystal Bolts, a stick-sword, and a ring of illusion.

[ ] [Tech] Write in one major, and 2 minor artifacts.

[ ] [Tech] On second thought, No. No crafting.

Vote! Brute test!

[ ] [Combat] Go all out. Destroy the machine!

[ ] [Combat] Do the minimum required of you for the test. Precise strikes.

[ ] [Combat] Write in.

Vote! Other!

[ ] [???] You remember arriving, somewhat. You attacked a mysterious entity, and ate a glittering egg that it held. You didnt know what it was at the time, nor do you now. But it felt... wrong.

[ ] [???] There has been a nagging feeling in your skull. Another presence in there? Something... Old came with you. And it is laughing.

[ ] [???] You look around the area, feeling uneasy. You knew a brew that could help that, your mother... wait, something isnt right with that line of thought. Something... was very wrong.


AN: this took awhile. I'm wondering if people know what each of the bonus things are though.

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning vote

[X] [Tech] begin to create a Bracer of Crystal Bolts, a stick-sword, and a ring of illusion.

[X] [Combat] Do the minimum required of you for the test. Precise strikes.

[X] [???] There has been a nagging feeling in your skull. Another presence in there? Something... Old came with you. And it is laughing.

The Blue man did not return. Instead, a bunch of not-monkey in white clothes came, setting up numerous areas. Bah Pat's your shoulder to keep you from worrying, and tries to explain. "This is to help us get a grasp of your powers, and to try to find a way to help you make the most of them."

You just blink. "Yoo wan me too doo pow-err?" You mull this around in your head, a slight headache coming on. "Buh tha' take tuh-ime."

"Yes well-" one of the white-cloths speaks up. "From the list Armsmaster provided it may take several days. For now we're checking your brute rating and seeing how quickly you can tin-... create your improved plants and crystals" she stumbles over her words at the end, though the why escapes you.

Within a few minutes, they had a rather small... golem? Something that isnt quite laughter begins playing in your head as you look at it. Youd seen things like them before around your nest, but never so... primitive. It takes a fighting stance, small fists raised while its... legs? Rotating, bulky legs sat it squat to the ground. You walked over to it, feeling it steadily approach. One of the white-cloths, a Male, begins speaking. "Please hit the drone as hard as you can. Dont worry about breaking it, most people find this cathartic, and the Data goes through either way." That did explain its primitive look. Though not why it had fists. Maybe that cath-arrr-sis thing?

Either way, you move toward it. It's small, blunt nubs lash out at you in expertly, and you calmly dodge. It basically has no guard as your claws find purchase on its side, breaking the strange rock layer and digging into fine, delicate components. And it falls over, a ragged whining coming from its torso before it goes silent. And that's when it finally hits you. Power testing is gonna be boring.

You just hope the not-laughter in your head dies down.

******

It didnt get better. You honestly thought that they couldnt make your crafting boring, but they managed. Every change you made had to be catalogued, every motion watched and scrutinized, and it was. So. Damn. Annoying. On top of that, the not-laughter doesnt shut up! It keeps going and going, laughing at your frustration! It was driving you crazy! When you finally finished the sword stick, enough time had passed that the circle on the wall was halfway through its rotations.

Bah eventually forced the white-clothes to stop, just before you snapped. "I think that's all we can get through today. I need rest, she needs rest, I'm sure most of you need rest. C'mon-" Bah grabs your hand carefully. "-lets get you a room." She leads you out of there, back to the teleport tube, and eventually gets you to a cave with a flat, cloth covered... thing. You presume for sleeping.

"Than-keh yoo Bah-ter-ree." You say politely, the not-laughter almost ceasing as it feels your full attention go to it.

"Dont thank me yet. You've still got more yet." She sounds apologetic as she closes the door behind you.

And now, alone, you finally shift back to your more familiar tongue. "[Come out, spirit. I know you're there.]" You see your shadow jump slightly, before distending and swelling, rising from the ground to form a pitch black mirror of yourself.

"[Awww. What gave me away?]" You can almost feel the smirk on the shadow-yous face, even if you cant see it.

"[The laughter. Now. Why are you here.]" You keep your voice stern, hoping you sound more confident than you felt. Spirits are serious business.

"[Well, I seem to recall a large man in armor ripping at my form, then tossing part of me away, and here I am. With you. And you're infinitely more interesting.]" The shadow-you leans in as it talks, pulling right up to your face.

You push it off of you, desperate to get away from the reminder of your... mutations. "[Why? I know of no reason I should interest you, spirit.]" You get up, walking over to the slab.

"[Oh, poor girl. You havent figured it out yet.]" The spirit grabs you pulling you close to it's cold, ethereal flesh. "[We arent in the Wyld. We arent in creation. We arent in Malfeas. We are in somewhere new. Somewhere where the people want to use you. Do you think all that food and shelter is out of the goodness of their hearts?]" The shadow-self waves its hand, the room twisting and highlighting these small reflective dots. "[They are using you, training you to eat from their hand so you can die for them.]" The shadows words made some sense, as you thought about it. They were being awful... open with you. "[They watch us now, hoping to see if you can be trusted. But they won't see me, oh no. I'm only for you, little dragon. And I want to help poor-]" the shadow twists around you pulling itself to your face "[-little-]" it spreads its form, darkening the room in an impossible mimicry of a flower blooming "[-you.]"

It takes you awhile to finally find the courage to speak. "[Why. You could ride any of these mortals. Why choose me.]"
W
"[Because you're the hero, the little dragon lost in a world that hates you]" it moves again, showing a shadow like Da moving towards you. "[That fears you]" It shows a shadow Assalt backing away from your teeth. "[That can't understand you]" the shadows morph to the silhouettes of the white-cloth.

"[So... what do you do?]"


Vote! Shadow

[ ] [Dark] Accept its help. (Mentor 5 [???])

[ ] [Dark] Rebuke it (Gain Valor/Compassion.)


Vote! PRT
[ ] [PRT] Join up today! (Prt backing to 3, resources to 2.)
-[ ] write in Costume

[ ] [PRT] Decline. Write in why.


Vote! Name!
[ ] [Name] Write in.
-[ ] [Name] Apparently they name their capes here?
-[ ] [Name] shadows need names too!


Vote! Bonus points
[ ] [BP] give a plan for how you want to have the little dragon develop. Can be as detailed as you like, I can fill in the blanks.

An:... yeah. Hope its ok....

 

[AcridComet]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[x] [Dark] Accept its help. (Mentor 5 [???])
[x] [PRT] Join up today! (Prt backing to 3, resources to 2.)
-[x] Gold spandex covered with jewels of our own creation
[x] [Name] Civilian: Ddraig
-[x] [Name] Cape: Akatosh
-[x] [Name] Shadow: Eben Sur

Armsmaster frowned at the screen in front of him. The case 53 was speaking, rather adamantly, at what appeared to be nothing. Of course, given his line of work, nothing tended to be among the worst things that a cape could be doing. With a thinker... it was probably the most worrying.

"Fīn ará." The girl crosses her arms, clear enunciation allowing his translator programs to inform him what he already knew: this was not a language from this Earth. "Nu. Por los Hi-het." There were similarities in the dialogue with certain languages, but that would take days to dissect. Best to study body language, a tricky bet with some case 53s. So far she seemed formal, stern. A certain amount of familiarity in her stance, but very little emotions. Likely a- She abruptly pushes at the air. His finger shifts to a silent alarm. A possible stranger? Or a psychotic episode. Either needed dealt with. "Por? Zu'u Mindok dó nid kialo Hi, Zinzii."

"Case 53, code named Ddraig, appears to be in the midst of a hallucination. Low stranger possibility. Remain alert." His words were short and clipped as he spoke to the radio, trusting the troopers in the facility to take appropriate precautions.

"Zi'i... Zi'i Geh hin Síl, Zinzii."

******

Armsmaster taps his papers on the table, glancing at the room's other occupants. Battery and Assault sat off to the side with their reports of the initial contact stacked in front of them, while Dr Morrison, the lead scientist, was holding the preliminary threat ratings, and the Director somehow appearing both tired and angry at everything that was going on.

"So let me get this straight." The director taps the report from Battery. "Differentiation from standard case 53 contact immediately, followed by-" Piggot turns her head towards the armor clad tinker. "-an increasingly worrying event that was either a psychotic episode, or a stranger."

"Further monitoring equipment is being installed, and we are currently in a yellow alert, initiated as soon as suspicion arose." Armsmasters answers the director easily in a short, clipped tone.

Piggot nods. "Good. And the preliminary ratings."

Morrison nods and flicks the remote to show the power testing. "Initial tests have shown a mild brute rating, approximately 3 if initial tests are anything to go by." Theres a flicker on the screen as it shows the robot. "Ddraig, as I will now be referring to the subject, took approximately six seconds to destroy the testing drone. Claws give a preliminary striker rating of 1 by themselves." Another click shows a sword-like plant. "And finally, testing on the veracity of what are presumably Tinker claims are ongoing but promising. Current rating denotes a Striker rating for both Crystal's and flora, with no signs of harmful emissions or mutations."

"Hmmm" The Director turns in her chair. "Battery. Do what you can to keep her calm. I don't want a cape like that on our asses. Assault, dont interact more than necessary." There was a shuffling as Assault opened his mouth, gets hit by Battery, who answers an affirmative. "Good. Armsmaster, Morrison. Investigate the possible Stranger discreetly." She rubs her eyes as the two nod. "I dont know what happened where a hallucinating cape is the better option, but I dont want anyone slacking off until the Stranger is caught or disproven. Dismissed"

The capes shuffled out if the door, Morrison clicking the screen off and glancing at the Director. "I'm sure it's nothing Emily."

Before the door closes, a faint wisp of darkness creeps inside...

******

Vote!

[ ] [Age] Wards age. Maybe not really, but that's a out where you're at.

[ ] [Age] Protectorate. You look like an adult, you sound like an Adult, you're gonna be treated like one.

Vote!

[ ] [Ddraig] Finish power Testing. Just get it out of the way.

[ ] [Ddraig] Socialize with someone.
-[ ] write in who?

[ ] [Ddraig] find out about this strange new world...


Vote!

[ ] [Dream] The Tiger: Theres a dread around you as the stone and metal trees loom high. Theres a rustling wind and you find yourself facing a tiger. Theres little you can do but fight... [gain brawl and dodge]

[ ] [Dream] The Serpent: You stalk through the tunnels around you, spear at the ready. Theres little you can do in your search but stay quiet, intent on the hunt for the two headed serpent... [gain Thrown, melee, and stealth.]

[ ] [Dream] The Sun: Its so warm... [Gain a dot of Essence]


An: That is not dead which can eternal lie! And with strange eons even death may die!
... anyway, trying to continue this with everything else. Slowly. And for those wondering, the High holy speech is a bastardization of Skyrim dragon tongue, Spanish, and Esperanto.