The Evrensel Conflict -- chapter 2, act 1, Paralogue: The Penance Company

[Questionable]

LOCATION: Winterhold Prison, Undisclosed location in the northern polar circle.

TIME: REDACTED



It was a weird experience to say the least, the feeling of drowsiness washing over you until the point of passing out, followed immediately by an intense all body muscle strain and a banging headache. Your body tries to suck in air but it's like in an void, your feel your veins begin to pop as your heart pointlessly attempt to pump blood carrying no oxygen through your body in an attempt to stave off whatever is happening.

Then darkness, losing all sense of time and place.

When you wake up you feel enveloped by an cold atmosphere, definitely sub zero, perhaps a brisk contrast to what you experienced you passed out. The sound of a orotund, husky voice speaking with another much more disembodied, modulated one as if from sort of robot or voice changer.

"What's the preliminary examination of the summoning procedure?"

"34% success rate, no research staff harmed in the experiment but a lower yield."

"I can see that, move the magi to the recovery ward before they wake up."

At which point you can open your eyes just slightly, to be greeted by the sight of a windowless hexagonal room with walls made out of what looked like precisely cut black obsidian. You are in a small circle, carved into the floor that's about 10 feet in diameter.

Around you see guards in a coherent visor less full cover suit of metallic black armour, standing at with arms at their sides, you can't help but feel like they're watching you even though their helmets presents no features.

Spoiler

Looking at the towards the noise of the voices speaking you would see another one of these guards, distinguished by three white lines running parallel to each other on it's shoulder. People in similar black robes, being put on stretchers and being carried away.

Finally, the figure that stands out to be the most is an imposing figure. Standing at multiple heads above the uniformly 6 foot tall guards you see a brunette woman with straight long hair wearing a burgundy striped double breasted suit, you can easily assume that if anything her broad shoulders indicate that she is hiding a physique underneath it.

They turn to look at you, making you privy to their black sclera, seemingly rotating golden squares, triangles and other shapes interlock permanently instead of pupils or irises. She offers you a courteous smile.

"It seems that most of you have woken up, wonderful. No point delaying then." At which point she nods to the guards, they approach your circles in unison and reach into their suits to pull out....

What looked like a pen and a sheet of paper.

"I'd like to get introductions out of the way!" She said, with a preppy tone that mixed in a strange way to her stature. "If you could write your name and titles if you wish, a random fact about you and the thing you fear most! I'll start first, nice to meet you all. I'm Warden Stoneheart, Director of Winterhold Prison, I like to bake and my worst fear is failure!"

@Wade Von Doom @Epiphany. @Noble Scion @Birdsie @littlekreen @The Wanderer

 

[littlekreen]

Flynn The Volatile - Character Sheet

That Flynn avoided deep was due to survival habits. She'd nearly translocated into other rooms while in the medical ward recovering from the husk's damage. This time a little different as a dream projection wandered to find a safe spot on a coterminous plane but shied away from the ring of dangerous creatures and hadn't gone far. Just a technicolor glint of a dinosaur made from stained glass wandering through dreamscapes but inevitably finding them unfit for translocation.

Under a black head of soft feathers and occasional bony imitation of such shot eyes open when the projection finally shattered. Roughly sutured hand rubbed at the irritated stitches on her arms as the bases of her flight feathers were still itchy from damage. With the divergent husk being damaged they both needed time away from each other to restabilize. Not ideal but missions needed getting done when not one to stay curled sniffing her tail at the healer's.

The slit eyes looked at the others and she taps her talons on the floor though with crest shooting up closed her eyes to try and shake out the shards obscuring her thoughts. At least the dream projection hadn't tried to put her anywhere. When her eyes opened they were flat black checking for heat to make sure her allies were still some form of alive. The armored 'warden' a blur at distance in harsh color. Her own black pupilless eyes stared back at the Warden's. A third eyelid shot across for eyeshine to gleam in from the sides before her own irises returned to wobble a crest at looks between the objects the soldiers were carrying. A prison? One fire to another it seemed. She decided to play nice for now.

Finger twirls she considered writing down the sanguinary for what they might do to her children or her mate with her too long away from Didi. Her mother was more a terror to others because they could not kill the Yellow as Flynn could. Though ith all the bipeds thought of the humans. They feared many things, A red sky in the morning, a sweet wind on a drought's horizon, the turning of clouds, the howl of predators in the dark, or just the end of their single short path. Their forces of impartial nature that just were but had no real opinions.

There is power in those names written down most especially by someone that's seen its true face. Its opinions are both heard and known. A few of the ones those of other planes named their forces of nature: Gaia, Magnus, Maker. Though she thought the last seemed a comfortable fiction. So too for hers that predated to extinction both the celestials, their gods, their enemies, and the demiurge twitch presume created the past plane. All now digested just like the raw forces of time that they created. The 'reaper tree' Reegan even said Death had died for her plane and from her people's path of reincarnation she had to agree.

So she gave them what they wanted, the name of the final fear of their heavens hunting for its lost possession. It knew she was outside now with a need to find her to be there itself. She worried at what the breach of quarantine would unleash. A pen slowly twitching between her fingers a growing complexity as she writes her name. A moment to look at the writing device still wasn't sure whether the feeling came from the pen or the hairworm shuffling hollow metal dust between the muscles of her arm. A look at the large woman Flynn chuffed at her hoping there was a mage with sense enough to commit the paper to memory then burn it. Though it might not help.

Her writing wasn't in English but the native tongue that the Red Lady taught her people ages ago. A thing more common to seelie than one would expect of Flynn.

Flynn the Volatile, one-who-reaches, half-yellow
I have a rightful ticket for a Wiedergängerzug
The Grandfather of Teeth

 

[The Wanderer]

Jack Marston
Waking up in a strange prison

Jack had finished his ultimate goal the past three years. Those years spent honing skills that his father had, taking care of his ailing mother and letting the ranch fall apart. And all he had in the end was watching a dead man float down a river, a widow being left behind and no doubt a bounty coming for his head once people put two and two together and a proper investigation was filled out. As Jack was no fool, he didn't expect anything short of a manhunt after he gunned down Edger Ross.

Even as he rode back to the ranch at breakneck speeds to hopefully get back before any federal agents got on the trail or before any witnesses can report his face in detail, the now-widow and friend could at best give a decent idea of his face. Hoping neither of them could give enough of a collaborative story or description that'd shorten his time to lay low.

Taking the reins in the riding gloves he had on, he pulled on them as his vision went hazy. His immediate thought went to possibly being bit a snake or spider down when he visited Ross. But he didn't feel a sharp pain at all when he went south, which begged the question of what the cause would be. The question being the last thing he remembered thinking about before he blacked out. Feeling cold and not hearing anything as if he were in a void.

When his vision returned, first thing he reached for was the holster for the Scofield he had, grabbing and drawing the weapon with practiced ease as he aimed it at the closest figure, keeping his finger over the trigger as he waited for his vision to return. Seeing he was in a circle of carved stone with a freaky looking armored guard looking at him. Jack weighed his options, he could handle himself in a fight, but fighting against someone armored was no doubt going to end badly.

And while there were no walls, Jack had a feeling the guard would mess him up if he tried to leave the circle. So he just settled for glaring at the figure as it stared at him with that featureless mask with Jack keeping his gun pointed at the guard. When he got bored of this and that there was no chance of the guard rushing him, he hesitantly holstered the revolver. Jack looked to the other circles in passing glances, looking at the other figures in their own circle and guard. Each one an odd sight that was quickly dwarfed by the new arrival. She stood a good couple heads taller than Jack, the young man having to crane his angry face up at her as he listened.

She wanted them to write down their names, titles, a fact and what they feared. His guard getting pen and paper. Reluctantly taking the items, Jack began to write out a fake name as he didn't trust the tall person and their armored guards.

'Jim Milton
Son of John and Abigail Milton
I like to read books but don't expect me to write down a fear. '

He handed the paper and pen back to the guard, looking back at Warden Stoneheart, noting the Winterhold Prison name and the fact she was a Director of it. Jack didn't seem none too pleased about the fact she emphasized the not liking failure part.

@littlekreen @Questionable @Noble Scion @Wade Von Doom @Epiphany. @Valkan

 

[Noble Scion]

Crossbreed Priscilla

The giantess had been sitting there in the dainty human room given to her when once again, she felt a strange sensation encompassing her body. Though while the first had been one of green light and a strange falling sensation, this one induced nausea and pain. She slumped forward, and was gone.

Waking up for the pained slumber, she found herself in a much larger room, sitting up as she gazed around with soft eyes, first noting the strange carvings on the ground, then the unfamiliar suited man who was watching her unwaveringly through the mask, then the comfortable temperature. It was strange, nowhere on the ship had been cold enough to her liking, to remind her of Ariamis, yet the the place she found herself in now seemed exactly correct, despite the lack of snow.

The faintly familiar bird-one was there, though their name was lost to her, she had at least seem them around on the ship. As strange as it was, their appearance soothed her slightly, they reminded her of the crow attendants she had, although the difference in appearances were substantial.

The next was one she did not know, strangely-clad in soft fabrics, yet each article of clothing seemed to be a different shade, unlike her fine white coat of fur, and there weapons were nothing like her scythe, which she tightened her grip on slightly.

His funny hat made her smile. It was no helmet, and would not protect against a weapon. She resolved to ask about it when she got the chance, but before she could her attention was grabbed by another.

A tall woman, in contrast to any of the others, yet still a sizeable amount smaller than her, surrounded with slightly different looking guards. Their face was pleasant, and made the crossbreed smile softly in return as she peered into their unique, yet wonderful eyes, before turning her attention to the paper.

Priscilla's face furrowed as she concentrated on writing. The pen was small, and hard to write with. She also had little time spent refining her writing, but she hoped her best was enough as she scribbled some words down.

Priscilla
The cold comforts I.
The ruination of Ariamis in the absence of I.

The words, while readable, were written poorly. An unpracticed hand, but one that had done its best.

She sheepishly handed the piece of paper to the guard, then wrapped her arms and tail around her tucked-in knees, laying the scythe gently down before her. They hadn't tried attacking her yet, so that must mean she was in safety yet again, right?

 

[Epiphany]

Ahsoka Tano

This wasn't the first time that Ahsoka Tano had been rendered unconscious. Not even the first time she's tasted vacuum for that matter. First time she's survived vacuum and woken up somewhere unfamiliar though, with unfamiliar people evidently responsible. It was cold here, too. Particularly for a Togruta, evolved on the grassy plains of Shili. For a moment, she was swamped with the twin sensations of freezing and disorientation. Then Ahsoak reflexively reached out for the Force, sought serenity, and brought herself under control once more.

Opening her eyes, she took in her surroundings and pondered them for a moment. Then she rose with the effortless grace of a woman in prime physical condition. The circle might represent a force field so she didn't make a move to cross it just yet. Instead, Ahsoka looked to her companions, saw they were already recovering and nodded in satisfaction.

@The Wanderer
At which point she noticed someone new. Studying the man, Ahsoka gathered he was some kind of settler of a colony world. A warrior, perhaps, in his own way but not a soldier, at least not one with a uniform. "Ahsoka Tano," she said to him if there was an opportunity to catch his attention while others were writing their names on those sheets of paper. "First time?" she asked with a coy smile.

@Questionable
Only after the brief chitchat did Ahsoka crane her neck up to look at the giant of a brunette. Warden Stoneheart, Director of a Prison. So they were prisoners of an unknown government for unknown crimes, presumably? Not the first time she'd been accused of something she hadn't done. Ahsoka's lip curled in ire at the memory before she channeled those feelings into the Force, dissipating the remnants of anger long since dealt with.

As for the others, it didn't escape her notice that her companions were apparently compliant with the instruction. So instead of responding to the Warden's remarkably frank admission, she crossed her arms and said nothing to their apparent captors. Instead, Ahsoka reached out with the Force. The Jedi were experts in the Mind Touch technique, where the weak-willed could be bent to a Force-wielder's will. She wasn't aiming for anything so grand, though. Instead of persuasion, she simply radiated unimportance, disinterest, nothing to see here. It wasn't invisibility, exactly, but it worked just as well for infiltration (or exfiltration for that matter). Ahsoka had passed through storm troopers, wary sentries, suspicious imperials of all kinds under all manner of circumstances. Pity she hadn't mastered the trick earlier in life, it might have saved her a lot of trouble.

Time to see if it would save her trouble this time.

 

[Valkan]

Selena Oconitrillo

One moment you're drinking beer in a hallway, minding your own business, then you suddenly feel it hit way harder than it should. Selena felt like blacking out, but immediately got what felt like a long forgotten hangover, a really bad one. Then it was like drowning in nothing, like that made sense. Then that nothing became absolute. For an instant, Selena believed she just had a stroke and died. But then she opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She was no longer in the ship, was she?

Noticing the guards and the odd formation she and a few others were, made her hesitant to touch her rifle, a force field or some incapacitating force may await if she tried to move around too much. There was that, and the fact that there were plenty of guards probably able to kill the others if she didn't act fast enough before being killed herself. A scoff came out of her as she came to the conclusion that she had to wait it out for now "Well shit". Just as she commented that under her breath, an interesting looking lady entered the fray. Warden Stoneheart, wanted them to introduce themselves. Her own introduction made Selena repeat her own comment mentally. A prison, with a strict ass Warden, in an unknown location, where they are most definitely prisoners. Wonderful.

Not wanting to make matters worse for her or the others, she obliged and started writing her own introduction. While she was at it, she used her eyes to actually do some work. Scanning the guards, the Warden, the circles, and expanding outside the room, wanting to inspect what lied beyond these walls in every direction. They may have some data on them, or a way of knowing it, if they could pull a trick like that on them to bring them here, so she avoided lying. In a bit of a messy handwriting fashion, just like Selena herself, she wrote:

Selena Oconitrillo
I like drinking
I fear not having booze

 

[Questionable]

@littlekreen

Using her heat vision the mage would be able to tell that most of her companions left off some sort of signature. The clone like guards seemed quite interesting however, her vision peering past their shell and she could see all sorts of signatures, some as tall as the suits themselves and some as shorter than her, their shapes indicated different genders and the slightly different degrees indicated different species.

The warden however, who besides their stature seemed the most normal, was just as cold as the obsidian was made out of.

@Epiphany.

Ahsoka was basically a Jedi Master in anything but name and the force still seemed present. Her guard as he extended the pen and paper into the circle waited for a few seconds and she could see as they leaned back a bit in confusion, as if they forgot if they were handing something to someone and just looked at the warden.

At that point, the torgruta would be privy to the sight of the Warden, staring directly at her with her professional smile still on. "It's fine if you don't want to participate in the team building activity, some of us are shyer than others."


At that point the papers would all be gathered and handed off to the warden, she would take a few minutes to read through all of them with a pleased look, giving everyone a few comments as she did.

@The Wanderer
"Mr. Milton it seems you care quite a bit about your parents, they must've raised you well. If you are an avid bibliophile we have quite a library available, I'm sure you'll enjoy it."

@Noble Scion
"Ah, Priscilla is a lovely name." She noted. "Big girls like us don't have to mind the cold at all do we?" She asks, flexing her biceps and almost ripping her suit and ripping her coat, forcing her to stop in a shocked manner. "Anyways... Don't worry we're designed to accommodate inmates of all sizes and climates, you'll get right along with the ice giants."

@Valkan
Reading Selena's note the frown she would sport as she looked up at her indicated worry about her health, but you could see as she decided not to pester you about it. "You're an adult and if that's how you like to spend your time, as long as you don't cause trouble for anyone else."


"But, to cut straight to the point. You are not in this prison because you have done anything wrong." She addressed the room. "This facility is as much a place to keep the world safe from who we hold as well to keep the world from hurting the ones we keep. Honestly if it was up to me, I wouldn't have done this but I can't ignore an order from headquarters." The large warden would sigh.

"You are here to trial if using interdimensional operatives is effective in the interests of the Wruillian Empire, as an pilot project of our already existing Penance Company System. But we'll worry about that later, we should settle you guys in."


Without being held or manhandled, unless you resisted, the guards would begin to lead you to different wings of the prison after taking anything that seemed like a weapon or spell book that was on you.

Selena and Jack would be lead to wing 1, where all the non-powered creatures existed, they would meet all sorts of people, orcs, goblins, undead and even elves and humans who proclaimed themselves to be holy paladins. Of course, they would all be split in their own sort of cliches.

Ahsoka would be lead to the ki sensitive wing 3, where she would be met with strong headed martial artists fighting each other and old permanently mediating ascetics stuck in one place.

Priscilla would be taken to the biggest wing, 7. Her fellow inmates would account from all types of giants, large elementals and even celestials and fiends. The latter two groups actually got along relatively well, arguing that they didn't have to fight since in prison you aren't on the "clock".

Flynn finally would be lead to wing 6. The wings obsidian walls seemed to be augmented with blue stone in the shape of blue lightning, who some other sorcerers and mages explained quickly to her would actively absorb any magic they would try and release.

 

[The Wanderer]

Jack Marston
Being led to a new life in prison

As each newcomer became more evident to Jack, his wonderment became more apparent. There was an Orange skin woman with weird hair that gave him a coy smile before asking if this was his first time in this situation. "No, but sounds like something out of Uncle Arthur's journal..." There was a weird feathered lizard thing. The other giant woman made Jack feel sad just by looking at her, not that she was ugly, but that she gave off the impression of loneliness. There was another human looking person that seemed normal, but considering who he was sharing a room with currently, he didn't push his expectations beyond normal limits.

"Right you are, M'am. These clothes are a keepsakes from them. If this is a prison, I assume there's a uniform. I'ma tell you right now, I ain't getting out of this jacket or losing the hat. I'll wear the uniform underneath the jacket, but they're both staying. I'll comply with everything else IF this is agreed upon." He said, keeping eye contact. He didn't want to outright say it, but if these armored bastards were going to take Arthur's jacket and his Dad's hat from him, he was going to fight tooth and nail.

Being led along into the main area of what seemed like a normal prison with humans and what looked similar to humans talking it out, some claiming to be Paladins from some far off world or some hogwash that didn't concern Jack.

With no future plans beyond getting out of here. Jack planned spend each free time he could get to study in the library, maybe take a few books with him to gain better insight into what in the hell was this 'Wruillen Empire' and just what exactly its interest was. For Jack was getting a rough mirror of the "Arrangement" that got his Dad killed. Main difference in this situation was that the Warden was trying to be wish washy about it, being nice about it.

As much as he damned Ross and wished he could shoot the man a thousand more times just to make sure he was dead, but the man was at least honest about the hostility and so on.

@Noble Scion @littlekreen @Wade Von Doom m @Questionable @Valkan @Epiphany.

 

[littlekreen]

Flynn The Volitale - Character Sheet

The will of the Reacher reacted as a basalt cliff against light waves as while not a hole in the force certainly a strength bordering on obstruction. While Flynn didn't move against the effort on purpose her mind bore a long history in battle scars of holding the line against an entirely different class of woe and dark energies. Things that are not fought back against, just survived. Her awareness of these new lighter energies and natural magics was still very coarse. The itch of a prickly innate defense dropping pebbles on the waves had her scratching her side then rubbing sutured hands again. Keen eyes looked around at the various newcomers and warden having no clue what of many new things and people it could be. Though it didn't seem directed at her in particular at least. @Epiphany.

Flynn's displeasure with the situation came with a throaty rake at Ahsoka's comment if a far deeper growl than corvids Priscilla might have heard as she stared at the Warden, "Conscription's a lot like prison. A fancy name for being unable to leave because you're too useful. I guess this makes it my third. Maybe fourth."

Marston's notion of uniforms drew her clear attention though she didn't say anything. If it was like the prisoners from last time she couldn't wear pants without breaking either the pants or her legs. Even the shirt wouldn't much work with as many stitches as she had. Especially the small torn nubs strung the length of her arms that could form her wings. Though the last time she tried they were still too haggard to fly.

Though she didn't resist the guards moving her about Flynn hissed and muttered to herself most of the way, "More stupid Far and Deep wanting artillery bloodwrit to shoot something. The ship is cold enough now I have to work in frigid stone. My toes are numb. We already have better things to do than shoot and eat some King's rebels."

Once in the suppression of magical effect in wing 6 felt nauseated and breathless from constriction. Not from the uniform at least. She tied the shirt around her neck to bear their stupid number and tied the pants around her waist. Able to breathe her lungs didn't seem to pull as much air as they used to and it was tiring. Though she started to recover by the next day when the other mages were capable enough to recognize an innately magical creature worn down. An arcane engineer, if one built for blood and metal, had more than enough to hold her own in debates within her specialties. Other mages of varied descriptions she pumped for information, or just for warmth, so the living feather down pillow didn't have to sit on the floor. There were a few that used her as a comfort creature, namely a down pillow, which thankfully for them she didn't much mind. Humans had a unreasonable expectation of personal space plus being a luxury item did have its relative perks against the more aggressive sorts. With a survivor's palate she ate whatever meat she could get her claws on with her body burning its forge thickly with meager efforts to keep her warm accounting for the repeated suppression of natural biology and the absolutely frigid touch of numbing stone.

The library was something she could get behind. There were plenty of books she could read to her steel trap for a mind plus had a list of candidates from the various mages she'd talked to. A few worked as introductions to magics of varied schools which she would suggest to Marston if she saw him there. If not laying over his lap at the time like some cat wanting the pets of warm hands and avoiding contact with floor as much as possible. Otherwise serving as a helpful catalog while he worked through terms of the kingdom of whatever books he needed locating. While lacking the patience for learning about politics and kingdoms knew where to find books about them and what mages to ask. @The Wanderer

Priscilla would get far more tame books, or whatever interesting things the Reacher could dig up for the giantess, in trade for reading in warm fluff for a few hours. Likely with a few mage 'friends' in tow for academic debate. @Noble Scion

By the end of the week Flynn could smell every male within ten meters and knew she'd have either a problem or an orgy within two or three at most. Elder things may have forces beyond most comprehension to hold against as they beat at the cliffs of will but instincts lived with you on the plateau. Meditation with the Jedi or mages in the library might help take the edge off but she knew she had limits. The humans seemed a more continuous smoulder compared to her own periodic scheduled arson. @Epiphany.

 

[Noble Scion]

Priscilla

Priscilla was pleasantly surprised at how accommodating the warden was, offering her a place with some "ice giants" as they put it, and seemingly sharing some kinship about their size. She smiled softly at the words, and returned a nod. It was very different from when she'd been thrown into Ariamis, but not unpleasant.

Priscilla followed alongside the guards calmly, though she did show some distress at having her scythe taken away. She did as bid though, and refrained from summoning the weapon back to her. Her protection would be left in their hands.

Being the reserved yet icey giant she was, Priscilla quickly returned to her recluse ways. It didn't feel too different from her last prison, aside from there being more people, and less of them seeming hollowed, as well as everything being more spacious. She'd been confined to the outdoors in her home, not that she minded.

The crossbreed had even attracted some attention on account of her being so fluffy, an ice elemental, content with hovering around her and even working up the confidence to stroke her, which had been a little startling, but she said nothing, merely enjoying the cool air they brought with them.

She didn't enjoy reading, but frequently visited the library on account of familiar faces being there. Thought having to accept becoming essentially giant cushion was difficult, she at least shared the struggles with her bird friend who went through the efforts of finding books for her. Admittedly, the affection received elicited a strange warmth in her that was unfamiliar. The crossbreed decided to not question it and accepted her newfound role.

 

[Epiphany]

Ahsoka Tano

Unfortunate that the Warden seemed too strong willed for the Force to influence. No remark back seemed necessary, though, and Ahsoka was content to listen and reflect on every word spoken by their captors. Interdimensional operatives. Interesting. The ethics of this Empire seemed as dubious as the Galactic Empire she knew so well. A flaw of all such governments, perhaps. Ahsoak didn't claim to be an expert in politics, though.

What she knew was the Force. When the future seemed uncertain, turning to the Force would reveal a path forward sooner or later. It cost her and the others nothing in the meantime to learn more about this facility and the kind of work this Empire has for its interdimensional operatives.

Thankfully, it was the guards that served as an escort. Seeing them disarming her companions, Ahsoka simply modulated her Mind Touch to make the lightsabers seem...uninteresting, unworthy of investigation. Given they didn't appear to be either weapon or spellbook, odds were good that she'd be able to walk into her 'cell' with them. And if one did decide to disarm her, it would be simplicity itself to spot a distraction, amplify its attention-getting effect on the guard's attention and swish her lightsabers off of them and back into her possession.

This weapon is your life...but it is also your responsibility. Don't let it out of your sight.

Once escorted into her wing, the former Jedi took in her surroundings with an interested eye. Escape was inevitable for the prepared mind. Ahsoka smirked at the 'strong headed martial artists' fighting each other and ignored them, choosing instead to learn the limits of where she was. Then she joined the ascetics, knelt among them and placed her hands over her knees while closing her eyes. Their captors would show their hand eventually. By giving herself over to the Force, Ahsoka knew it was only a matter of time before the opening she needed would present itself.

As the days passed, she was the very model of a meek prisoner. Possessed of an unflagging serenity, she exercised sparsely and meditated the rest of the time, save for when she had access to the yards or the library. For the former, every chance was an opportunity to see more of the guard patterns here, get another perspective on the facility layout and a chance to see the people she'd arrived with, marking them in her mind by attuning herself to their specific feel in the Force. @littlekreen Although in one case at least, Flynn was easy enough to keep situational awareness of by the absence of that presence. The strange being had a most formidable will, with a unique shape to it. Seeing into her head might be impossible but that singular signature would make it easy enough to find her in the future. Hopefully.

As for the latter, a Jedi spent their whole lives reading. Ahsoka was no Jedi but she was every bit the avid reader she always had been.

 

[Wade Von Doom]

LOCATION: Winterhold Prison, Undisclosed location in the northern polar circle.

TIME: REDACTED



It was a weird experience to say the least, the feeling of drowsiness washing over you until the point of passing out, followed immediately by an intense all body muscle strain and a banging headache. Your body tries to suck in air but it's like in an void, your feel your veins begin to pop as your heart pointlessly attempt to pump blood carrying no oxygen through your body in an attempt to stave off whatever is happening.

Then darkness, losing all sense of time and place.

When you wake up you feel enveloped by an cold atmosphere, definitely sub zero, perhaps a brisk contrast to what you experienced you passed out. The sound of a orotund, husky voice speaking with another much more disembodied, modulated one as if from sort of robot or voice changer.

"What's the preliminary examination of the summoning procedure?"

"34% success rate, no research staff harmed in the experiment but a lower yield."

"I can see that, move the magi to the recovery ward before they wake up."

At which point you can open your eyes just slightly, to be greeted by the sight of a windowless hexagonal room with walls made out of what looked like precisely cut black obsidian. You are in a small circle, carved into the floor that's about 10 feet in diameter.

Around you see guards in a coherent visor less full cover suit of metallic black armour, standing at with arms at their sides, you can't help but feel like they're watching you even though their helmets presents no features.

Spoiler

View attachment 222231

Looking at the towards the noise of the voices speaking you would see another one of these guards, distinguished by three white lines running parallel to each other on it's shoulder. People in similar black robes, being put on stretchers and being carried away.

Finally, the figure that stands out to be the most is an imposing figure. Standing at multiple heads above the uniformly 6 foot tall guards you see a brunette woman with straight long hair wearing a burgundy striped double breasted suit, you can easily assume that if anything her broad shoulders indicate that she is hiding a physique underneath it.

They turn to look at you, making you privy to their black sclera, seemingly rotating golden squares, triangles and other shapes interlock permanently instead of pupils or irises. She offers you a courteous smile.

"It seems that most of you have woken up, wonderful. No point delaying then." At which point she nods to the guards, they approach your circles in unison and reach into their suits to pull out....

What looked like a pen and a sheet of paper.

"I'd like to get introductions out of the way!" She said, with a preppy tone that mixed in a strange way to her stature. "If you could write your name and titles if you wish, a random fact about you and the thing you fear most! I'll start first, nice to meet you all. I'm Warden Stoneheart, Director of Winterhold Prison, I like to bake and my worst fear is failure!"

@Wade Von Doom @Epiphany. @Noble Scion @Birdsie @littlekreen @The Wanderer

There was one noise the Warden would hear from Amy when she regained consciousness and realized where she was. And one noise only that would answer all the questions on the sheet.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

She paused to breath, then continued,

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The screaming would continue until she was taken away and brought to wing 3, as they would find no weapons on her, but would sense she had a strong chi within her body, allowing her to move the elements around her. The scream was also very high pitched, like Finn's from Adventure Time.

 

[Valkan]

Selena Oconitrillo

Selena kept a keen eye on her rifle as she was being escorted out to her cell. Making a mental note of every single door she would have to get through to get it back. To the guards, it would just seem like she was slightly disoriented, but given the almost permanent scent of liquor emanating from her, it wouldn't be too out of place. Once in her cell Selena would spend her days studying every single detail of the prison layout she could manage to get her eyes on, except for that weird box deep below. No matter how hard she tried, her eyes couldn't see through those walls. If not doing that she mostly just drank from her flask in a corner somewhere in her cell. She considered testing her wires, but she didn't want to risk being seen as a bigger concern. It was best for now to lay low, she thought. She did take notice of cowboy going to study every so often. So she kept under consideration talking it out with him and see what they could come up with.

 

[Questionable]

LOCATION: Winterhold Prison, Undisclosed location in the northern polar circle.

TIME: ONE WEEK LATER...



@The Wanderer

Through out his week Jack discovered many things about wing 1, non-powered humanoids. It was the most like a normal prison, but even then he was afforded quite a few liberties. His room was a lot like a hostel, just made in such a way that he couldn't off himself or use it to escape. His fellow inmates where a varied bunch. Master criminals, Famous Generals, World renowned Scientists and quite a few so called Crusaders the latter who were majorly formed out of elves and half-elves.

His studying would give him a few realisations about the empire and world history. First thing, the Empire was a mostly democratic nation with a diverse population of many different races, it boasts the highest level of arcano tech in the world that allows it to maintain it's sovereignty.

Besides that, it was founded long ago by the only human to ascend as a God, Saint Erelia. The main power of this country is the Triumvirate of sisters, who received the Saint's will to carry on with protecting and leading the empire, one of which is Warden Stoneheart herself.

@littlekreen

It didn't take more than a day for the prison authorities to notice and act upon the plights of the mana based lifeform. She would be given a stone, that they offered to fashion in any form of jewellery she wished, to keep in contact with her body. It's purpose was to fuel her with mana constantly, after they ran tests to see how much it was necessary to keep her comfortably alive but not enough to cast magic. In addititon to that her room was changed to retain the climate of a tropics but they couldn't change the whole prison for her.

Her inmates were quite interesting as well, arch mages, liches and actual bonafide demi gods numbered amongst them. If their magic wasn't constantly sucked off she had to wonder if their power was enough to make continents move.

Her research uncovered more about the history of the world, apparently it was quite used to trans-dimensional travel, to the point where it's own deities where from another dimension. In short, about 5000 years ago still in the prehistoric times the elves arrived, from their world that was in the process of it being destroyed. They rapidly some of the world and a number of them ascended to become part of this world's pantheon.

@Noble Scion

The hybrid's wing was a curious one even though it was smaller than her dimension she could clearly tell that it was much bigger on the inside than on the outside, to the point where they could encompass separate biomes.

Her ice elemental friend spoke to her mostly through writing with ice on the walls. The transporation magic gave her the ability to understand and read languages but it didn't include sign language. They introduced themselves as Frostbite, a primordial aspect of the elements that once ravaged the world in it's infancy, but it apparently worked through it's anger problems by getting into ice sculpting.

The other giants creatures there were actually quite friendly and understanding, figuring out she didn't really get how to socialise. Except for the myriad of dragons, who just stared at her from afar with a mix of distrust and curiosity about their familiarity...


@Epiphany.

The jedi's meditation with the other ascetics there clarified a few things, some version of the force, or in other words the life energy that connects all things, existed. The other thing she figured out that the force, or ki, as they called it, couldn't be contained by the prison directly.

It made things curious for her, as some of the ascetics there clearly had the necessary power to break out of these obsidian walls but they instead decided to reside there. Gatherings of them, meditating was a daily occasion where everyone was welcomed.

In her attempts to check the guard patterns, she would figure out that they would be changed every 12 hours and randomly assigned, so it was difficult to figure out a specific pattern if she didn't want to escape quickly.

@Wade Von Doom

The faceless guards just looked at her and waited for her to calm down, after which they directed her to her wing, the same as Ahsoka's in a professional but tired manner.

She would immediately figure out that, the earth's will or otherwise the obsidian that this prison was made of, seemed unwilling to be moved by her. But her attempts would be spotted by the other martial artists there and she was invited to the daily tournaments they held in their wing, to participate for mostly fun and training, but the winner got 3 extra deserts.


@Valkan

Selena kept to herself and used her vision to see the rest of the prison. The artic tundra they were in and the fact that the guards and defences of this place were made in such a way to keep people from coming in as opposed to coming out. Otherwise, the daily shouting and proselytizing of the crusaders in her wing might've kept annoyed.



Sooner rather than later, they would all get two guards to the cell and be let known that the warden requested their presence. The guards didn't seem violent, but it was definitely inferred that they would be force them to follow them if they didn't comply.

Being lead to the middle intersection of the prison, connecting all the wings, they would be greeted by a circular antechamber, runes drawn around the edges of the room in a script that none of you really understood. However, those with an arcane inclination could tell they were magical in nature.

Directed by your escorts to keep your bodies inside the circle carved into the obsidian floor a red barrier would shoot up immediately, similar to a forcefield.

A couple of seconds later and a bit of nausea as if to a sudden change in environment, you would find yourselves in a similar room but now instead of all the corridors leading to the different wings you would find only one, leading to a varnished oak door.

Beyond the room it looked like a lecture hall desks of varying capacity, probably to accommodate different sizes, were formed in a semi circular manner around 4 blackboards and a teacher's desk, made out of the same varnished oak.

Sitting there, with their friendly but definitely practiced smile was Warden Stoneheart.

"Welcome! Please, come take a seat and take a cookie if you like, freshly baked." She offered, on her desk a tray of chocolate fudge with red and yellow Turkish delights. "My own recipe, better to have while hot."

"When everyone is ready I'll go over the details of your next assignment, retrieving Dr. Dandelion from the Grand Duchy of Claybaria."

 

[The Wanderer]

LOCATION: Winterhold Prison, Undisclosed location in the northern polar circle.

TIME: ONE WEEK LATER...



@The Wanderer

Through out his week Jack discovered many things about wing 1, non-powered humanoids. It was the most like a normal prison, but even then he was afforded quite a few liberties. His room was a lot like a hostel, just made in such a way that he couldn't off himself or use it to escape. His fellow inmates where a varied bunch. Master criminals, Famous Generals, World renowned Scientists and quite a few so called Crusaders the latter who were majorly formed out of elves and half-elves.

His studying would give him a few realisations about the empire and world history. First thing, the Empire was a mostly democratic nation with a diverse population of many different races, it boasts the highest level of arcano tech in the world that allows it to maintain it's sovereignty.

Besides that, it was founded long ago by the only human to ascend as a God, Saint Erelia. The main power of this country is the Triumvirate of sisters, who received the Saint's will to carry on with protecting and leading the empire, one of which is Warden Stoneheart herself.

@littlekreen

It didn't take more than a day for the prison authorities to notice and act upon the plights of the mana based lifeform. She would be given a stone, that they offered to fashion in any form of jewellery she wished, to keep in contact with her body. It's purpose was to fuel her with mana constantly, after they ran tests to see how much it was necessary to keep her comfortably alive but not enough to cast magic. In addititon to that her room was changed to retain the climate of a tropics but they couldn't change the whole prison for her.

Her inmates were quite interesting as well, arch mages, liches and actual bonafide demi gods numbered amongst them. If their magic wasn't constantly sucked off she had to wonder if their power was enough to make continents move.

Her research uncovered more about the history of the world, apparently it was quite used to trans-dimensional travel, to the point where it's own deities where from another dimension. In short, about 5000 years ago still in the prehistoric times the elves arrived, from their world that was in the process of it being destroyed. They rapidly some of the world and a number of them ascended to become part of this world's pantheon.

@Noble Scion

The hybrid's wing was a curious one even though it was smaller than her dimension she could clearly tell that it was much bigger on the inside than on the outside, to the point where they could encompass separate biomes.

Her ice elemental friend spoke to her mostly through writing with ice on the walls. The transporation magic gave her the ability to understand and read languages but it didn't include sign language. They introduced themselves as Frostbite, a primordial aspect of the elements that once ravaged the world in it's infancy, but it apparently worked through it's anger problems by getting into ice sculpting.

The other giants creatures there were actually quite friendly and understanding, figuring out she didn't really get how to socialise. Except for the myriad of dragons, who just stared at her from afar with a mix of distrust and curiosity about their familiarity...


@Epiphany.

The jedi's meditation with the other ascetics there clarified a few things, some version of the force, or in other words the life energy that connects all things, existed. The other thing she figured out that the force, or ki, as they called it, couldn't be contained by the prison directly.

It made things curious for her, as some of the ascetics there clearly had the necessary power to break out of these obsidian walls but they instead decided to reside there. Gatherings of them, meditating was a daily occasion where everyone was welcomed.

In her attempts to check the guard patterns, she would figure out that they would be changed every 12 hours and randomly assigned, so it was difficult to figure out a specific pattern if she didn't want to escape quickly.

@Wade Von Doom

The faceless guards just looked at her and waited for her to calm down, after which they directed her to her wing, the same as Ahsoka's in a professional but tired manner.

She would immediately figure out that, the earth's will or otherwise the obsidian that this prison was made of, seemed unwilling to be moved by her. But her attempts would be spotted by the other martial artists there and she was invited to the daily tournaments they held in their wing, to participate for mostly fun and training, but the winner got 3 extra deserts.


@Valkan

Selena kept to herself and used her vision to see the rest of the prison. The artic tundra they were in and the fact that the guards and defences of this place were made in such a way to keep people from coming in as opposed to coming out. Otherwise, the daily shouting and proselytizing of the crusaders in her wing might've kept annoyed.



Sooner rather than later, they would all get two guards to the cell and be let known that the warden requested their presence. The guards didn't seem violent, but it was definitely inferred that they would be force them to follow them if they didn't comply.

Being lead to the middle intersection of the prison, connecting all the wings, they would be greeted by a circular antechamber, runes drawn around the edges of the room in a script that none of you really understood. However, those with an arcane inclination could tell they were magical in nature.

Directed by your escorts to keep your bodies inside the circle carved into the obsidian floor a red barrier would shoot up immediately, similar to a forcefield.

A couple of seconds later and a bit of nausea as if to a sudden change in environment, you would find yourselves in a similar room but now instead of all the corridors leading to the different wings you would find only one, leading to a varnished oak door.

Beyond the room it looked like a lecture hall desks of varying capacity, probably to accommodate different sizes, were formed in a semi circular manner around 4 blackboards and a teacher's desk, made out of the same varnished oak.

Sitting there, with their friendly but definitely practiced smile was Warden Stoneheart.

"Welcome! Please, come take a seat and take a cookie if you like, freshly baked." She offered, on her desk a tray of chocolate fudge with red and yellow Turkish delights. "My own recipe, better to have while hot."

"When everyone is ready I'll go over the details of your next assignment, retrieving Dr. Dandelion from the Grand Duchy of Claybaria."

Jack Marston
Did some studying and now in a classroom

The information regarding the history of the Empire and that the Warden was someone of note caused Jack to feel pleased that being a bookworm paid off, even though the concept of magic was beyond him, considering the circumstances and the fact there were beings from fiction standing around in the prison same as himself, Jack was willing to suspend his disbelief.

He wasn't too pleased that there wasn't any real way to escape, Jack's questions towards the other inmates sparked some talks but just moreso being displeased at being locked up than actual information. He did enjoy talking to some scientists who explained to the gunslinger about various fields of study that intrigued Jack. Apparently, some were about something called 'Nuclear.' And others about 'Quantum.' But unfortunately, Jack didn't have time to bug his fellow inmates as the guards showed up, gestured to follow them. And since Jack was a good boy, he followed them without much fuss. They did allow him to keep his father's hat and the special jacket left from Uncle Morgan, even the journal. Although he couldn't write as they took the pencil so he couldn't hurt himself or hurt others.

He was relieved to see the strange group he arrived here with, but that soured once he got teleported with them, and the feeling of nausea hit him like a wagon that Jack had to brace himself to avoid vomiting. When he did recover, he walked down the corridor and was the first one to enter the classroom-eqse room. Seeing the all-too friendly Warden with some cookies, with some chocolate looking things and some weird lookin' desserts, at least to Jack.

He did grab a cookie or two, offering the other to the really tall lady in the white fur coat, considering she looked shy last time before he took a seat, munching away at his cookie.

@Questionable @Wade Von Doom @Noble Scion @littlekreen @Epiphany. @Valkan

 

[littlekreen]

Flynn The Volitale - Character Sheet

@Questionable
--- Hidden pointed issue ---
The dagger Flynn used was more accurately a denizen of her mind. A loci microcollective of the barest physical substance needed to connect her mental plateau and anchor itself to reality. It felt the suppression field more acutely than herself and Flynn had a feeling that even if she couldn't use it couldn't let them try to pry it out of her either. As they noticed her deteriorated health under the suppression willed the creature to conceal itself deeper within.

There were places for a creature such as a psionic microcollective to hide in a mind such as hers. One that needed skirting shadows from skies with beings far too damned for anyone sane to walk near them. As her mind started draining a single signal thought made minute sub-units of the hairworm to concrete their metal shells to the bones of one arm in dense thickets of microscopic lines. Patterns attuned for independent magic to the cleverest eyes, but then the bloodwrit had many such empty spaces more solid of purpose and clearly useful than that. Weapons that would be strong enough among the magical activity in her magical signatures one would find far more clearly threatening.

--- Crouching stab gremlins ---
As much a misty plateau amid a drought where what amounted to tiny phonemes of whole thoughts hid like a thunderhead of locusts sleeping under the toadstools and behind single periods in her memories. All hiding from a sky that their thirsty homeland said had hungry eyes. The smallest things sometimes were just as much a danger. As the rains came again to their homeland they stayed hidden for they knew the sky had patient churning teeth. There would be a sign from their home when it was safe to emerge again.

--- Receiving the stone ---
Reachers were keepers of dark secrets which arcane engineers of her world used to great effect. A bloodwrit half-yellow an asset of a rarity on a species level. Her blood and flesh a rare ideal substrate for carving industrial magical agency into self-stable forms of entirely different disciplines was what made her a bloodwrit. It was, at times, difficult to see where body and magical being began for a Reacher of her age let alone between defensive scars or the creations of outer beings and even mortal twitch mechanists now permanently fused to her psyche and later overgrown only to built over again like her essence were a old city. Keen archanotechs might either see something they like or more than they wanted and likely both.

Flynn figured that was why the lip barbell still left her mind feeling de-saturated but at least it wasn't so hard to breathe anymore. They'd probably opted to err low from her inconsistent results likely common to those touched by extrabeings let alone multiples of them. The newblood twitch always complained of it when inscribing spells onto her.

--- Willpower will poke her ---
However with her breath back her libido took the occasion to arrive in full force. The exhaustion largely what was holding her back the sudden return of enough mana to keeper her healthy set her estrus off the next time she woke up not a day later. If the guards, and Flynn herself if her intellect were composed of less treasonous arsonry, were lucky they were able to keep her confined before she managed to have her way with a mage bearing the right equipment for the job. Instinct for her was a picky creature attracted to health, vigor, and power but the tampering of her mother left her with a howling hunger irrespective of shape.

In any case by the time the guards arrived to drag her off she'd ended up tethered up with her black eyes bloodshot with cobalt veins. Feathers fluffed out widely not unlike animals stuffed and periodically huffed from a snout taped shut as she was carried in. That'd happened soon after she bit one of the guards that smelled too female or a male that smelled too unfit. She'd already forgotten which. Placed in a seat guards promptly tied her to the chair then cut the mouth binding. Life, much like Qi or the Force, knew exactly what it was about thus the plateau of her mind currently covered in a spring of lurid signals. What made her dangerous was keeping her focus even if the goals shifted tempestously for a little while.

Flynn eyed the food and curtly replied from the chair though locked eyes directly on the Warden though not in a concious hostility, "Can't get drunk. Affects stamina. RrRregh... Peaked already at least. Less bitey by tomorrow. I'm listening."