Enter The Arena As Your Avatar -- The Spinoff!

Blackreach

All was quiet in the subterranean realm of Blackreach...

Deathly quiet.

No mechanisms moved, no tonal architecture hummed, none of the flora or ores gave off their distinct tones. A thick, choking blanket of suspense fell over this place. Even the water seemed to be horribly quiet and still, save for where gravity forced it to fall.

And in the rocky ceiling, something rumbled. Something massive and twisted.

I know someone who can. But he's not as skilled with it as you are.

He shake his head. Furthermore, we always have one power. I'm somewhat of an exception. Not that it makes me better than the others. He contemplate, creating flames on one hand, ice on the other.

...

Blackreach

Lady Maria is once again "present", albeit still dormant. As a result, she offers no reaction to what's happening upwards.

Blackreach

Gregoria and her team are patrolling around the place.

   Hmmmm... This place could be perfect for our base. It's not so polluted like the Hub Centralis sewers.   

Suddenly, the ceiling crumbled.

   Hmmm? Something is happening over us.    Said Mukade.

Edited by BombonBombin on Mar 20th 2021 at 12:37:20 PM

Outside Sarah's Doorstep

A handwritten letter appears in Sarah's mailbox with a puff of smoke. It reads:

"Dear Sarah,

What the actual fuck? You didn't tell us just how lopsided these battles were going to be. But that's nothing compared to how monumentally idiotic your mouthbreather of a thunder god 'friend' is. "Bash open the front door"? In case you haven't already heard, he was splattered in one shot by Katre. I was supposed to do that. I may be a little bit suicidal, but I refuse to actively throw my life away, and especially not to put that kind of target on my people's backs.

Yours truly,

Jarl Aleifr"

Blackreach - City Ruins/Hearth of Shadows Forward Base

Within the city proper, several people are taking note of their surroundings - Dwemer artifacts and the like - when Lambert feels something going amiss. A stifling presence outside, before the rest of the group feels the rumbling.

"Well, this day is about to get more interesting." He says before leading the group outside.

Sarah teleports behind Aleifr, from wherever he is, with her hair tied into several messy buns and pockets beneath her eyes.

Explain.

"You could say that your power is just 'extreme temperature'. That counts as just one, right?"

"Even then, though. You seem pretty impressive. Can you actually bend fire and ice once you use them? Or do you just shoot them out like a living cannon of the elements."

Blackreach

A man in a primitive diver's suit is knocking around.

"?"

He seems a bit out of place.

Edited by Rbade on Mar 20th 2021 at 12:41:53 PM

He nods, as if thinking its a good idea.

I can give them shapes. Ice's easier though.

College of Winterhold - Arcaneum

Aleifr has a stack of books in front of him, several open, when Sarah teleports in. He raises his eyebrow, but doesn't seem surprised.

"Ask Thor. Oh wait, you can't. He got disintegrated into raw lightning. I don't know where he is, and I haven't asked Lambert yet." He replies flippantly. In one of the open books Sarah can plainly see an image of the Infinity Gauntlet.

He then sighs. "What part of it do you want me to explain further? Even with using one of my normally forbidden techniques, I could just barely keep up with your base form, and I'm one of the strongest in my tribe. That wouldn't be such an issue if we played to my strengths, but."

Blackreach

The rumbling overhead grew distant, and the general ambience of Blackreach slowly began to return...

Only to suddenly grow silent once again. The rumbling was now beneath — and whatever it was, it wanted to be known. A terrible, ticking resonance seemed to echo from the presence of this... being, as glowing, sickly-green cracks began to appear in the earth. The being, evidently, was massive, wormlike, and reeked of forgotten, forbidden, ancient secrets.

A glimpse of the thing's back appeared from the distant cavern wall — an enormous, grotesque, many-eyed visage darted above the rock before diving back in, smoothly splitting the very space itself as it travelled. This, evidently, was the cause of the rumbling — not the displacement of rock, but the compression and distortion of space. Many eyes of red lined the being's sides, glaring out vacantly like the Thousand-Yard Stare of a truly damaged soul.

A voice echoed in the minds of those present, seeming to come from all around...

   So many lost little lambs, so far from the open sky and the comfort of the stars... And so very close to my eyes.   

He's immortal. I'll fetch him. She says. And then I'll fetch you someone to make a proper plan in a proper location.

Then she looks at him. Did he bother to give you a specific gizmo that'd help a lot? It's made out of the technology of his people. It can be used to banish souls. We were thinking that he could hit them with it to jettison their souls out of their bodies and leave them defenseless.

Sarah put her hands on her hips. He told me a little about it recently. Did h even use it?

...

Maria look up at the monster with her usual poker face and stand up, glancing at it before casually drawing her Rakuyo.

She offers no words.

Edited by Bolded1 on Mar 20th 2021 at 8:53:07 PM

???

"-which concludes this part of our meeting.", a voice says from within their respective dark spot. The beings are still there, discussing important matters. Not all of them seem to be there though. Mara had left about a month ago, but a few of the others had left by this point as well, mainly due to not being involved with the matters that were being discussed and having work of their own to do that they had to be present for. As such, they'd gotten permission to leave early as well.

Unfortunately for their nerves and patience, the Great Light◊, Des◊ and Vit◊ are still there.

"'There is still one more matter to discuss', he said.", Des grumbles to herself, repeating the words one of the others had said to Mara before she'd left. "'One more' turned into 'about ten more' very quickly."

"Well, to be fair, it's not every day when all of us, or even just most of us, have an opportunity to meet up to discuss matters like this.", Vit says to her.

"Oh, I understand that. What has me annoyed is that Janus, despite saying that to Mara and knowing perfectly well that things wouldn't stay at just one matter, left as well after a while."

"We're the ones who accepted his challenge and lost. He won his ticket out of this fair and square.", Vit shrugs.

"You know, sometimes I have a hard time believing that his challenges aren't secretly tailored in his favor. The only reason I'm not convinced of that is because he despises cheating the most out of all of us."

"It sounds to me like you two are having quite the interesting conversation over there, Desgard, Vitaegard.", the being who was speaking up before now talking to them specifically.

"It is rather annoying that not all of us are allowed to leave early, yes, but try to keep your attention on the topic at hand so that we ALL get to go sometime soon.", the serpentine being that questioned Mara back then speaks up as well. A very dim light shines from their corner, a silhouette of their form showing that its form slightly changes.

   "You are not the ONLY ones beginning to lose their patience, after all!"   , it says, its voice completely different and more aggressive sounding. Des and Vit immediately stop talking about this Janus.

"Apologies."

"..."

The serpentine being dimly shines again, its form changing back.

"Now hold on a little longer. We only have one more subject to go over. And this time it really IS only one more.", it says, its voice having changed back too.

"Indeed. Our last subject for this meeting will be about another resurgence of the shapeshifters."

"Again? I thought they'd been wiped out this time! It's been a few hundred years since their last appearance.", Vit whines.

"Apparently we did not do a good job. Now please focus.", the Great Light says, at their wits end themselves and really wanting to go back to the Arena to continue their search.

And to confront Porky Minch. Because there is no way that kid didn't know about Cyber being Tobajas. The thought angers the Great Light, and they are very curious what Porky will have to say for himself when they meet again.

Skyrim, an empty field near Gjukar's Monument

The dark being who had been watching the tournament until its finale is wandering around the area. Seemingly with no clear direction in mind, because the being tends to change the direction it's going in seemingly randomly.

Edited by DevilPsyco on Mar 20th 2021 at 8:53:39 PM

Near Gjukar's Monument

Luxord◊ walks over the field. He stops some distance across from the dark figure and sizes it up.

"Well, now, what have we here? I seem to have been steered in your direction. Was it chance... or fate?"

Edited by KiriK on Mar 20th 2021 at 2:59:07 PM

The dark being turns to Luxord upon being spoken to.

"I suppose that is up for you to determine.", he says. "Who are you?"

"You may call me Luxord."

A hand of cards slides out of his sleeves, and he proceeds to do tricks with them as he speaks - rapid-fire shuffling, finger-twirling, and disappearing. "I am a master of the cards, a weaver of fate... and an avid gamer."

"Either you have a flair for introductions, or you seem to know me well enough to know how to get my interest. The latter is doubtful, seeing as this is only my fourth time in this realm in six years time.", the being says, his expression not changing but his tone of voice confirming his interest.

"We have similar tastes, you and I. Games are how I, too, entertain myself. A variety of games, to be sure, but..."

He raises his hand and three cards appear on top of his fingertips. He makes them spin around without moving his fingers.

"Cards, dice and coin are among my favorites."

Blackreach

Normally towering over the diminutive werewolf, Reuben promptly shifts into his childlike goblin form and hides behind Lambert. Considering their respective expertises, spatial distortions like this are especially spooky to their senses.

"Whoever you are, speak plainly and show yourself." Holding the young mage behind him with one arm, Lambert's eyes glow yellow as he invokes both his 'mundane' magical vision as well as his Soul Stone's power, attempting to sense the entity through the rocky interior and pierce closer to its 'true' form, if it has one.

College of Winterhold - Arcaneum

"Let me demonstrate." Aleifr clears his throat, and the voice that comes out next is a near-perfect replica of Thor's, down to the deafening volume.

AND MY PLAN IS SIMPLE: WE WILL MOST BRUTALLY FUCK THEM OVER WITH A MASSIVE ARMY! I KNOW PRECISELY WHEN SET WILL LEAVE, AND I HAVE ARRANGED FOR SEVERAL OF MY EINHERJARS TO PREPARE THEIR ARRIVAL TO THIS REALM! WE WILL ATTACK THEIR MAIN BASE EN MASSE, FOR I WILL ASK BRAVE SKADI TO CHECK FOR THE FIENDISH BEINGS, AND WE WILL PROCEED TO MOST GLORIOUSLY SLAUGHTER THEM ALL! AS LONG AS I TAKE OUT THE SMALL RED-HAIRED FIEND, A SURPRISE ATTACK WILL BE ABLE TO OVERWHELM THE OTHERS!

"So... no. Though now that you mention it, Lambert tried to do pretty much what you just said to him during the first encounter, so we're familiar with soul trapping and the like." With a flick of his hand, he passes over two books telekinetically, about the Soul Cairn and legends of Dragon Shouts respectively. "If they're really as dangerous as you say, even that probably won't leave them as sitting ducks. I know I wouldn't be."

Tropique

"Makes sense. Fire isn't exactly solid enough to hold a shape most of the time."

>grumblestomak.m4a

"Urgh... is there a way for us to pick up the pace? I'm getting hungier."

The diver doesn't seem particularly perturbed.

"Oi? I ain't lost. Dis is da neath, yeh? Neh?"

He looks around.

"Ahk, ah might be a leetle lost."

Her phone beeps with a notification. A text! From Mr. Science monke.

"yo sarah i fucken died"

"we were in a meeting and loud thor was telling us his genius plan and then some shitters came by to fuck us up and your shitty future alternate sisters came in and killed me"

"well actually eleven beat me but i totally would have done better if stupid future katre didnt keep messing me up"

"can you like tell me when the next meeting is being held without loud thor being the ringleader"

.... Super-hearing you know. She says. Well... Fine. I think that such a plot may require a finer tactician. I'll fetch you one, and the means to scheme in peace.

It might work on Troa, maybe not Katre. Her power allows her to resist the esoteric better than we can. Truthfully though, I was expecting him to mention that, but it's also my fault. However, since they were fought before... Sarah looks up at the sky briefly.

Regardless, I'll offer you guys the means to scheme in peace and a better framework.

She look at her phone and decide to show the conversation to Aleifr, to show that others agree, before typing back.

ok yah sorry i'm gonna give him an earful

Then Sarah decide to put a picture of a big monkey here.◊

yo think you could teach someone the Mafuba? Maybe it could help.

Edited by Bolded1 on Mar 20th 2021 at 9:25:00 AM

Blackreach

The words of the wyrm/worm draw the attention of a nearby girl with reddish brown hair, wearing a black dress, strawberry-patterned stockings, and a white hood that looks somewhat priestly. In her hands, she holds a crimson maple leaf. She turns to look at the eldritch creature, and recoils with a shudder...

"What... is that?" is all she can muster for now.

Edited by Arachnos on Mar 20th 2021 at 4:19:16 AM

Luxord chuckles. "It seems we have much in common. Would you, perhaps... care for a game?"

"Always. After the end of my last grand game, I have been looking for sources of inspiration. I will warn you beforehand though, I tend to play rather intensely. If that is not a problem for you, then we can proceed.", the being says.

"That is another common ground we share. Then allow me to set the board."

Luxord throws his cards to the ground between him and the dark being. The cards suddenly turn bigger than a person, slide out towards the edges of the field, and stand up, forming a ring that floats in the air, circling around the two.

The 13th Struggle [Luxord Ver.]

Luxord's Time Gauge: ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚

???'s Time Gauge: ❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚

"In this game, we each have a time gauge. We each take a turn putting forth a challenge for the other. The one being challenged has their time gauge tick down while they attempt to complete the challenge, while the gauge of the one issuing the challenge is frozen. Whoever runs out of time first loses."

"Additionally, if either combatant takes physical damage at any point, their time gauge also ticks down. I will allow you to put forth the first challenge."

Edited by KiriK on Mar 20th 2021 at 3:32:21 AM

Blackreach

Gregoria and her team heard the voice... And then saw the glowing silhouette of the bug-monster clinging.

   We heard your calling. We are part indects; we are used to darkness and soil. Tell us: are you a friend or a foe?   

The dark being, despite it having no visible face to read an expression off of, still appears intrigued.

"It has been a very long time since I played with my opponent's ruleset. It will be a nice change of pace."

The cards stop spinning.

"Especially if we mix things up a bit."

He snaps his fingers and the three cards appear on the ground, with them shining and growing in size as well. Luxord will be unable to see what's on the underside of the cards.

"I have three possible challenges laid down here for you. Choose one of them. Your time gauge will not deplete until a card has been chosen and its challenge has physically appeared on the field."

"A most clever game, this is... hmmmm..."

Luxord reaches out, and the middle card shakes a bit before flying into his grasp. He then flips it around, apparently having chosen it.