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00 - Her potential has been limited by her free will- 00

I don't care.
- 0 (0%)
I don't care.
- 0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: January 04, 2021, 02:28:47 am


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Author Topic: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)  (Read 221287 times)

Devastator

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5655 on: May 01, 2021, 03:34:09 pm »

That might work, but I'd be worried that if we go for C on the verge of death we won't end up as strong as if we do so while still in pretty good shape, like we are currently.  There might also be the possibility of the Plague Lord killing Phoebe while she's trying to transform, because it might smell her weakness out and ignore our allies trying to keep it off us while she transforms.

In general, C seems too obvious and straightforward to appeal to me, but I think that like most military plans, it's best to take a plan of battle and back it to the hilt.. you might also plan for the success or failure of the plan, but you should put your all into the one you do execute.  So if C is decided on, that's the one we should go for.

..although we can probably heat ourselves up a lot even in A, even if we aren't trying to condense ourselves into basically an energy creature.  Being a few thousand degrees hot might soften some of the blows and give us somewhat of an edge in nanite-on-nanite combat.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2021, 03:36:56 pm by Devastator »
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King Zultan

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5656 on: May 02, 2021, 05:05:13 am »

I kind of like the sound of B, but if people want to go with A or C I'm fine with it, and if people want me to chose one I'd go with C.
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The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
Quote from: Leodanny
Can I have the sword when you’re done?

19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5657 on: May 02, 2021, 08:13:21 am »

((If no other votes arrive, I will go with plan a with c as a backup. Is that correct? I will be updating tomorrow. This will likely be one of the last choices in the game.))
« Last Edit: May 02, 2021, 08:16:00 am by 19_EgarAlnis »
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King Zultan

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5658 on: May 03, 2021, 01:32:02 am »

Sounds good to me.
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The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
Quote from: Leodanny
Can I have the sword when you’re done?

ZBridges

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5659 on: May 03, 2021, 02:01:52 am »

I'm exhausted.  I think at this point we've done all we can as Ancestors.
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Eschar

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5660 on: May 03, 2021, 02:11:47 am »

I'm exhausted.  I think at this point we've done all we can as Ancestors.

Yes. Our purpose here will either be fulfilled, or irrelevant. Time for your last apotheosis, Phoebe Gainer, Goddess of War and this planet.

Plan A, especially the kinetic-gravitational-bomb components. C as last resort - but begin the heating process now if possible.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2021, 02:14:34 am by Eschar »
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Devastator

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5661 on: May 03, 2021, 02:40:29 am »

(To be honest, I'm much more looking forward to the fight rather than any epilogue.  The struggle is the part I enjoy... I don't really find extreme power levels or massive-scale existances entertaining.

I gave those suggestions because I didn't want to see Phoebe die without putting up what I saw as a proper fight.)
« Last Edit: May 03, 2021, 03:05:48 am by Devastator »
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5662 on: May 03, 2021, 08:16:02 pm »

((I am 80% done. Holy shit this is a lot of writing.))
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5663 on: May 09, 2021, 10:10:20 pm »

[15][25][24][12]
William drops down beside you, resplendent in demonic armor. He crouches low, an Inferno Shotgun in one hand and a cutter hilt in the other. A laugh echoes down the canyon from his curled lips. His helmet seals shut around his head, replacing his smiling face with the twisted, savage grin of a demon. His augmented muscles flex within the armor.

Another man drops down beside you. Eric is a hulking beast now. Spikes of silvery metal rip through his coat, running down his back. Eyes of grey gleam with a malignant light through his gasmask. Every muscle in his body bulges unnaturally against his clothing. A chunk of steel barricade is crudely strapped to his arm-- and a savage, steel axe gleams in the other. Black ichor covers him. It drips from his tattered greatcoat to the soaked earth below.

You hear a click from behind you, and glance back to see Murdach levelling a massive las-rifle at the abomination. The man menaces in his eight foot powered armor. Its shiny black carapace marked with scratch and scar, while covered in the blood of abomination. A grenade launcher fixes on the Plague Lord’s every move. There is no expression that you can see from the ancient Pirate, but you know his resolve hasn’t faltered.

Above you, a light catches your eyes. Two wings of cold, blue fire spread from Emma’s back as she stops to levitate above you. She brushes some hair from her face with a gloved hand. ‘For Polly’ gleams in one of her hands, and a nimbus of hydrogen fire forms in the other as it drops from her face. You catch her gaze and give her a smile. She returns it, soft. “Cephie sends her relativistic regards.”

You raise your brow in confusion.

The Plague Lord stares at its new foes. Perhaps in shock, in confusion, or perhaps in savage joy at the sheer amount of potential meals that have come to surround it. Its many lips split, and it gives a roar of rage-- William and Eric move in quickly--

Emma ticks her head upward. You lift up on your wings, following her out of the Plague Lord’s range. Las-gun lights flash from the canyon below as the battle is joined. William, Eric, and Murdach distract the Plague Lord while you and Emma confer in the sky above the battleground. You watch as Eric rends flesh, as William carves organs, and Murdach sends round after round of explosive ammunition into the fray.

“I need pi--”

Emma draws close, holding energy capsules in her hand. You press them into your mouth wordlessly, swallowing them down. Her thin fingers dance along your shield’s buckle as she undoes it and replaces it with her own. Strapping the worn, weak shield to her chest, she gives you a wane smile. Her body presses against your own, and your eyes meet.

“I love you, Phoebe.” She whispers. “Thank you. For everything.”

You bite back the laugh and smile at her instead. “I love you too--”

“And I’m sorry.”

You blink. “For what?”

Emma doesn’t have to speak. A tear drips down her cheek, and she leans in, planting a kiss upon your lips. Then, in a flash of light, she’s gone to join the battle raging beneath. Giving you time to meditate on the battle ahead.

[37][25][26]
You bring forth manipulators from the carnage below, crafting them into spiked, rusted rings of iron, floating crystals of silicon and lashing wings of hydrogen plasma. With a switch of processes, you keep them sustained with a twitch of your willpower. Next you gather hydrogen, and incase it spheres of thin silicon. When your orbit fills with these packets, you turn your attention to your ‘arm’.

[33]
Pumping energy into the Plague material you bonded with seems like a bad idea, but it comes naturally, despite your trepidation. Your ‘fingers’ elongate, and your arm convulses. Pain shoots through your shoulder as your arm twists itself into a bladed configuration. You pump hydrogen into the reactor, using the outputted energy to form a blade of ionized radiation and superheated metals.

[40]
You follow this by tweaking your internal chemistry to pump your system full of adrenaline, steroids, and neurochemicals. You trim unnecessary processes, burn old memories, and ‘overclock’ your system. Blood drips from your nose, but the world sharpens. Colors brighten, senses sharpen, and the beating of your heart drums in your ears. You swallow, thirsty for the first time in your short life.

[3]
You begin to consider the possibilities before you. The lines of attack, how the Plague Lord will react to each of your moves--

An explosion from below catches your attention.

“I’m pulling Eric out-- Murdach is dead.” William’s voice is tinny in your ear. His voice is edged in pain--

A shot of light, Emma, flies pass. A shard of silicon embedded in her chest and her dark blood trailing behind her. Droplets of the crimson liquid dance in the starlight. You catch her look-- pain, fear, and helplessness all playing across her fair features when she meets your gaze. She’s pale from blood loss. The shield is a smoking ruin on her chest and the gleaming gun is nowhere to be seen.

You react without thinking. You lift your glimmering arm in an arc and swing one of the compressed hydrogen packets around on an intercept course. A directed bolt of energy ignites the hydrogen and explodes just as the Plague Lord approaches. It screams in pain and Emma makes her escape.

[35 vs. 24]
The approaching Plague Lord doesn’t have time to dodge as thermal energy and shards of silicon wash over it. Flesh blackens and chars with the sudden heat. Black ichor splatters as it tries to twist away from the explosion. Malignant in its cancerous hunger, it turns its attention back to you. Its body is marked with a multitude of wounds from the ferocious battle that your allies waged.

[|||||||||||||||](16/16]
[|||||||||||||||.........] (15/24)

[24 vs. 21]
[21]
You dodge the silicon shards before they can impact your shield. Asserting your willpower to push kinetic energy into the projectiles and blast them into the upper atmosphere. The entity continues to fire upon you, and you dance around the battlefield--

[|||||||||||||||](16/16]
[|||||||||||||||.........] (15/24)

[29 vs 34]
[19]
You swing one of the hydrogen packets around in a sharp arc -- it dodges away, but you fire a blast of energy at it anyway.  The blast radius catches it with a glancing blow. You try to form the exploding hydrogen and silicon into silane, but it realizes your ruse, and winches away the silicon before you can manipulate it.

[|||||||||||||||](16/16]
[||||||||||||||..........] (14/24)

[3 vs 27]
[14 vs. 14]
A silicon shard glances off your shield, and you hiss out a breath of annoyance-- the next few shoot off into the atmosphere as you dodge out of range. You lift your arm, firing off a laser burst and having a silicon shard smash into your shield for your troubles.

[||||||||||||||.](15/16]
[|||||||||||||...........] (13/24)

[3 vs. 29]
[11 vs. 28]
--the Plague Lord moves before you can react. The hydrogen packet breaks apart before you can ignite it-- and glass dust billows against your shield as it retaliates in kind--

[|||||||||||||..](14/16]
[|||||||||||||...........] (13/24)

[1 vs. 36]
You grin with savage triumph as you maneuver yourself into range of the silicon you sent flying into the atmosphere. You grip the red-hot slag as it comes down -- and your grip slips as the Plague Lord seizes hold of the silicon. You try to dodge, but the metal hits your shield with savage force. You have no time to adjust your propulsion and the newtonian reaction sends you spiralling towards the ground.

[||||||||||....](11/16]
[|||||||||||||...........] (13/24)

[20 vs. 36]
[40]
You curl the ring of iron into a forward facing shield as you fall. Silicon slams against iron again and again, the weaker metal shattering against the stronger. You block the minute, shattered remains while simultaneously defending against the man-sized chunks it flings your way. You grit your teeth, trying to rise, but the Plague Lord doesn’t relent. You block each strike of silicon the best you can, but each blow is a contest of strength. A contest you lose. However, due to your manipulation of iron, you retain your shields.

[||||||||||....](11/16]
[|||||||||||||...........] (13/24)

[40 vs. 30]
You shut your eyes, your willpower twitching out to block oncoming blows whenever you sense a shard of silicon approaching. Reaching into the clouds above, into the heart of the swirling storm clouds, you agitate the water and dust molecules and adjust the electromagnetic field surrounding you. Lightning jumps forth from the storm front, striking the Plague Lord with explosive force. Flesh sears, and its willpower reacts erratically-- it falls to the ground below as its silicon manipulation fails.

[||||||||||....](11/16]
[||||||||||..............] (10/24)

[30 vs. 29]
[36][30][3]
You seize the advantage your stunned foe provides. You swing the remaining packages of hydrogen around and, at once, ignite them all with a blast of your ionized appendage. The explosion blasts you back, damaging your shield, but blowing away chunks of the Plague Lord’s flesh.

[|||||||||.....](10/16]
[|||||||.................] (7/24)

[10 vs. 25]
The Plague Lord screeches its static call, screaming in pain and agony -- ...screaming with the voice of a thousand dead worlds.. . You stagger, blinking back the pain that bursts within your skull. You struggle as visions of great cities overwhelmed with abominations devour your mind. Strangely shaped humanoids scream in pain and fear as ...death rains from the stars….

[|||||||||.....](10/16]
[|||||||.................] (7/24)

[28-5 vs. 15]
[16]
You shake yourself back to sense, bringing down weak bolts of lightning to harry your wounded, screaming foe. Rivulets of ichor pour away from the gouges rent by your storm. The scent of charred flesh and ozone burns your nose, amplified by the hallucinations the Plague Lord’s mental assault brings on.

[|||||||||.....](10/16]
[||||||..................] (6/24)

[16-5 vs. 27]
Your vision swims as blood pounds like war drums within your ears. The Plague Lord takes advantage of your lack of focus to hurl spikes of distracting silicon and close the distance between the two of you --

[|||||||||.....](9/16]
[||||||..................] (6/24)

[14-5 vs. 50]
[13-5 vs. 35]
It strikes at you with tentacles of razor and electricity, batting at your shield. You dodge out of the way-- and directly into the path of several shards of silicon. Your shield crackles and breaks in a flash of light. A burst of energy flings you back, but you regain control with the minute adjustments your skill in flight allow.

[||||||........](6/16]
[||||||..................] (6/24)


You halt your fall and stare into the hungering maw of the Plague Lord. Its false form has fallen away to nothing but pale skin hanging limply between twisting masses of black flesh. It growls a low rumbling sound in the pit of its many throats. You grimace, and put distance between you and the beast. It follows. You have time, time to think--

Screwing your eyes shut, you try to shed your skin as you fly away. Your war form, while powerful, is a disturbing experience, and one that requires perfect serenity. Identity, morality, emotion, feeling, pleasure, relationships, all of them must be stripped away until there’s nothing left but the drive to win, the drive to survive, the drive to struggle. Sometimes you wonder if what you manifest is your true humanity. That drive that drove your race to conquer its homeworld, to conquer physics, the galaxy, and even time itself.

--Bullshit.

You twist suddenly--trying to drive your augmented fist into the creature’s core. The Gs of your sudden deceleration pull at your mortal flesh. It hisses, ripping at your armored form with its razor tipped tentacles. It finds purchase, shredding at your ablative plate. You ignore it and activate the fusion laser within your arm. Chunks of Plague Lord fly away from the beam of ionized plasma. It screams in pain--

No. No. No. No! I will not fight as a god-- I die as a human. I die as a mortal!

--you blow away chunk after chunk of Plague Flesh as it ineffectively scrambles at your frame. Its blows start to weaken as you slam your ionized, flaming fist into its form with savage fury. Pieces break away. Pieces char. The monster screams--

I. Am. Free. Godsdamnit, and I will die that way!

It rips through your armor, but doesn’t draw blood. You, on the other hand, draw plenty of the beast’s foul ichor. Its cries of pain turn into whimpers as it begins to fall to the ground below. You do not relent in your assault. You follow it down, screaming in rage. You continue to pummel it even as the ground shakes beneath your feet, even as an explosion lights up the distant western horizon.

You slam your fiery fist into its unmoving form again and again. Silicon sprouts from the ground around you, turning into floating orbs of glassy metal. Iron sprouts and rusts. Chlorine condenses into a fog of choking death, and still you beat the Plague Lord until nothing remains but a smoking carcass of pulverized flesh and bone.

You heave deep breaths and gather yourself. Then, with an adjustment of the force calculations of your wings, you rise to the skies and return to the battlefield. The war wages on, but your part is done. The Plague Lord is neutralized--

“Load the Antimatter shells.”

On a cliff side far from the Great Crater you watch as annihilation rains down on the Plague Army. A burning flame, a holy flame, washes over the battlefield. Great cylinders of ash and dust rise from the earth to scourge the infestation that haunted your planet and nearly drove you and your people to ruin. Hundreds of thousands died to stop the storm in its tracks. And, thanks to you, they succeeded. They lay the metaphorical laurel of victory at your feet.

But with this battle, you have gained a victory greater than anything.

Phoebe won. The mortal girl, stranded on this planet less than three years ago conquered herself. She turned away from divinity and dark temptation. She spat in the face of gods and kings and remained mortal. The light of antimatter devastation bathes her in its baptismal light. She’s free. No longer chained by the constructs of her birth, of her rage, of her ambition. She surrenders only to the path of contentment.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 10:17:13 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5664 on: May 09, 2021, 10:11:31 pm »

Ten years later, chronologically...

Phoebe wrenches a plate of ablative alloy into place. Her arm hisses as hydrogen fires heat a rivet of complex composite alloy. With a hiss, it seals into place, and she tightens the material before it can slip. With a grimy hand, she wipes at her sweating brow and grins at her handicraft. Her personal vessel, The Phoenix still looks like a loose collection of parts and hoses, but the passing of time is turning the collection into a beautiful vessel.

An attendant rushes in from another part of the dry-docked vessel, clutching a data scroll in hand. “Lady Protector, Madam Thornton is requesting your presence at the autumn ball in--”

“Tell her to get Cephie--” Phoebe starts.

“She says they’re serving Skarinite cuisine.” The young woman interrupts.

“--I will attend. I suppose.” Phoebe sighs, and moves to leverage the other end of the ablative plate into place. “Don’t worry about sending her a message. I’ll tell her at home, tonight.”

“And you have a visitor as well.”

“If it’s Mister Eric, tell hi--”

“He says his name is Magnus.”

The ablative plate slams into the hangar floor.


The looming crisis pushes you back into the state of your ‘childhood’. You freely open your mind to the Ancestors. For a decade you only sought their council on matters of great importance, and you tried to rule as you were taught. You purged the Plague from the world. You established a ...working representative democracy. You abolished debt-slavery. You established schools and training programs. And most importantly, you prepared for war with Magnus.

Under Minister Geoyde your economy boomed. WIth the Plague gone, McCreary’s Rest flourished. Technology spread with the removal of limitations. New corporations formed and spearheaded growth in fields previously forbidden. Economic information from thousands of planets flooded in, and, after a time, so did a Planetary Development company.

They provided your world with a space elevator-- for a cut of future profits. Ships were launched, asteroid mining began in earnest with the help of subcontractors, and Mcreary’s planet grew wealthy rapidly.

With the majority of your world still geared toward war, it was difficult to turn it to peace. Many of the current senators are of military stock, and it shows. The industry of your planet churns out weapons of war and conquering armies with alarming frequency. It was only a matter of time before other planets fell under the sway of McCreary’s Rest. Your economy grew even stronger with the tributes that flowed in from your newfound ‘colonies’.

Your armies are...terrifying. Half Plagued Zealots screaming your name as they throw themselves into battle. Thornton Warmachines, Loomed for war and devotion. Destructive Space Pirates, savage Outlander Warlords, and lockstep Crusaders. All of them spread your empire into the neighboring stars under the cruel efficiency of William and subtle calculations of Isela.

You tried to slow the wars, but made no progress. You were slowly ousted by legal coups until the People’s Senate, the Noble Chamber, and the Elective Council had supplanted you entirely. They kept your promises and honored your treaties, so you, without much fanfare, retired to an ornate palace. Then, when the Spaceport was complete, to one of the Hangars assigned to you. You formed a small corporation and began to manufacture your own spacefaring vessel -- having nothing left to do and a firm distaste for politics.

The Noble sits comfortably at your desk within the hangar. He turns his head to flash you a wry smile, and shock burns through you. Your heart pounds in your chest, drowning out cognizant thought with the drums of war. A spike of adrenaline, once easily managed with an adjustment of your internal chemistry runs amok with your body. He lifts a hand, and you tense.

“A space elevator and dock? Already? Bravo!”

You blink--

“I’m sorry, was that a compliment?” You question, confused.

“Yes! This savage world is developing splendidly. I think, in a hundred years, it will be completely developed.” He rises, and you flinch again, but he only strides to the window to cast his gaze to the developing planet below. “You know, the [Empyror/ess] was disappointed. It was expected that you would bring about an Ascension similar to his own.”

“I decided against it.”

“I see. For once the hammer broke before the ingot did. And what are your plans now?”

“I leave with whoever wants to come. Explore. Fight. Relax. Whatever. Where’s your flee--”

“Cephiela included?”

“If she wants to.” You pause, “And if she has release to do so.”

“Consider it done.” Magnus shrugs. “I want to broker a deal, daughter of Sol, before I return to the Core.”

“And what would that be?”

“You died, here, on this planet, and, when I arrived, I placed it under my protection after being moved to tears by your amazing story of heroism and self-sacrifice.” He wipes away a tear, “Your people kept myths about you, but I confirmed that you were indeed dead. No pirate or vassal empire is stupid enough to oppose me-- you get everything you want. Freedom. No bounty on your head and your planet is safe and sound.”

“What do you get?”

“You die.”

Magnus pauses as your hand strays to the collar around your neck--

“Metaphorically, of course. You don’t interfere in any Empyreal politics. You start no great wars, no grand revolutions, no all-encompassing crusades. You fade away into myth as you explore the rim and never return to the Empyre proper.”

“That’s...that’s all?” You tilt your head, keeping your gaze fixed upon the Noble. “You have a deal, Magnus The Third. I will fade into obscurity -- but if anything happens to this world or my loved ones…” You trail off, letting your willpower radiate outward. Even bound within three nullification collars the metal walls around you creak with the strain of your power. “I will burn everything you hold dear.”

A smile flickers across his lips. “It's a deal, Phoebe, Daughter of Sol.”

The words take root as the two of you hash out a legal contract and repeat it in High Empyreal.

“I’ll see you around, Phoebe.” Magnus offers, letting your hand fall from his grip.

“No, you won’t.”

Magnus pauses in the doorway. “You’re right. I won’t.”
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 10:15:05 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- Act V: The End
« Reply #5665 on: May 09, 2021, 10:13:42 pm »

Five years later, relatively...

You sit in the soft grass overlooking a great mountain valley. Two suns dip low in the lazy afternoon sky. Just behind you, a moon begins to crest the horizon. Night will be falling soon, and the temperatures will plunge from the beautiful balmy breeze you feel into frigid cold. You care not. Emma is curled beside you. Her pencil scribbles a drawing out on the rough paper as she commits the planet to memory within one of the many sketchbooks she carries with her to each new world.

Cephie should be around her, somewhere, and so should Moore. Probably playing with Mitch and his pack of rambunctious pups. You tuck your legs up under your coat and try to locate them by willpower alone. Unable to, you shrug and look out over the horizon once more. A breeze ruffles Emma’s hair, sending the red strands dancing. You smile. She scowls and playfully nudges you in the side.

I’m safe now. Sorry--sorry I don’t talk much to you, anymore. There’s no reason to. Not anymore. There’s no war. No battle. No great enemy to vanquish. Nothing to rule. Nothing I can’t handle. Eric has been elected Lord Protector in my absence. William and Isela are carving out an empire. Nicky...she passed a few years ago. I was by her side. She seemed happy -- she crafted a peaceful world for her people and died happy about it.

Me, Emma, Cephie, Moore, and some household attendants just drift from world to world. We occasionally return to McCreary’s rest for resupply and repair, but we never stay too long. You wouldn’t even recognize it! The Holy City stretches as far as the eye can see. The people are happy, healthy, and fat! It has a fleet and merchants from the Rim travel to trade-- I’m...I’m rambling.

Thank you for everything you’ve done. I know...I know you only had the best intentions at heart. I’m sorry if I disappointed you, but I hope you’re happy with your daughter.

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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)
« Reply #5666 on: May 09, 2021, 10:19:14 pm »

After the End:
A great God of Control and Nature once kept the fanatics of McCreary’s planet turned inward. In its death throes it baptized a new god. One born in battle, in hardship, and of devastation. Phoebe Gainer, The Phoenix of Sol, rose from the ashes of McCreary’s Planet to lead her people to glory over the Plague infection that threatened to devour her new home. While it cost the young demigod her blood, her body, and her innocence, the war never claimed her soul. God and Man alike tempted her with powers untold and she retained her humanity. But the people of McCreary’s Planet never truly recovered from the mental strain of their generation long war.

When the final fires of the McCrearian Plague War ended, it left millions of hardened men and women unable to practice their craft. Even with the wealth and career options provided, many of them continued to ply the only trade they truly knew.

The warring factions of the planet united beneath the McCreary’s Rest Alliance, also known as the MRA. The technical aptitude of the Skarinite Pirates, the savage manpower of the Outlanders, and the cruel ambitions of the Families let slip the beast of war on a galaxy recovering from the Plague Advent. Crusaders, Warmachines, Plague Zealots and Outlander clansmen marched across planet after planet. After eighty years, the conquest of the surrounding stellar space was slowed only by the arrival of a Empyreal Naval Fleet.

The Holy Fortress State of SEED grew to be the industrial and technological powerhouse of the MRA. While the initial blow of the Holy City’s destruction and the total war that followed caused significant damage to the economy, Minister Geoyde’s masterful manipulation of currency created a period of rapid economic growth. New corporations took advantage of leaked technological data to modernize the primitive industries of the Fortress State. The new Holy City now stretches from one end of the Holy Land to the other, stopped only by the antimatter scorched wasteland to the west.

With its battlecruiser grounded upon Mcreary’s Rest, the Skarinites joined the MRA without fanfare, having been one of the original alliance. The vessel was stripped and turned into Murdach’s Gleam, also known as Crater City. The majority of the population continue to serve as technical advisors and rapid strike forces for the MRA.

Outlanders found their way of life challenged by the hegemony of the MRA, but, in time, submitted themselves to the new ways. The majority of McCreary’s Rest is still considered ‘Outlands’, but with the MRA’s expansion into space the discordant clans that once called them home are scattered across the nearby stars as scouts, prospectors and warriors. Some make a pilgrimage to the birthplace of their culture, but most never return to that caldera of violence.

Many people of note rose in the time of the Pheonix. Some continued their stories and legends after her exile, while some faded into obscurity.

Eric Applegate received the position of Lord Protector of the MRA after Pheobe’s self-imposed exile. His reign, in the history books, is considered a golden age in the MRA’s history, while many more consider him a genocidal dictator. History is never kind, and neither is the strange illness that plagues the Lord Protector. He makes few public appearances, and when he does, it is always with the assistance of a breathing device or in heavy clothing.

Isela, in the prime of her life, became known as one of the greatest military minds of the Rimward Galaxy. With her cunning use of the disparate militaries beneath the MRA’s banner and her push for rapid modernization, she is one of the key factors for the MRA’s expansion into the Galactic Scene. She and Eric married after the arrival of the Empyreal Fleet and she retired to the position of Lady Protector to train the next generation of MRA officers.

William Thornton ruled  the great Fortress State of Thornig. Not much is known about his personal life. Or even if he has one. The man’s one true love appears to be war. His Loomed soldiers served in every heavy assault action the MRA committed to, and he was never far from this vanguard. The Bird of Sol’s Reign never graced him with the wings of his birthright, but with the development of Avernus’ Plaguetech Wing system, he never wanted for them, either.

Silas co-founded Demonic Technologies Unlimited with Queen Avania. His singleminded drive and devotion to the cause of biomechanical and medical sciences led to McCreary’s Rest being known across the Empyre as one of the best providers of cybernetic technology. However, due to his addiction to amphetamines, he recently retired from the public eye citing health reasons.

Queen Avania co-founded Demonic Technologies Unlimited. Immortal, incredibly advanced, and inhumanly intelligent, she pushed the technologies of the MRA one step into the future. However, there are always rumors swirling around the lowest levels of her research labs. Rumors of horrifying and unethical experiments on criminals and ‘blanks’.

Nicole Gainer passed five years after the last day of the Plague War, just before the first warships launched from the MRA’s spaceports. Attended by friends and ‘family’, the battle-hardened soldier died peacefully. Her name graces the largest orbital bombardment vessel in the MRA fleet, and continues to spread fear across the galaxy.

Rekhyt fled the planet as soon as he managed to steal a Skarinite Voidmarine suit. Currently, he operates a MRA unapproved mercenary company. Bloodthirsty, cruel, and successful, he’s the current role model for an entire generation of young Outlanders.



Somewhere in orbit around McCreary’s Rest

“...and how much will her Looming and Conditioning data cost?” Magnus questions, leaning on a throne of pure alabaster white. He neatly crosses his fingers in his lap as he eyes the camera with a dubious look.

“A full Empyreal pardon. Avernus rebuilt...and I’m in control of the project, and reap a fair share of the rewards, as such.” the voice hisses, cybernetically distorted.

“What prevents me from, say, just taking it?” He tilts his head.

“I’m close to producing a viable alternative. One that won’t succumb to the inherent self destructive behaviors.”

Silence. Magnus flips a black and gold coin. It spins through the air...and it lands on gold. “We will arrange a contract. Do you have a host in mind?”

“Yes. A young man by the name of Moore Thornton.”
« Last Edit: June 02, 2021, 06:14:59 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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Superdorf

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)
« Reply #5667 on: May 09, 2021, 10:46:51 pm »

Just dropping in to offer my congratulations, thanks, apologies-- whichever. This game took me through a rough eight months or so; it's good to see the thing tied off.

D'you know, Phoebe's first flight happened on my birthday? Was a special moment.
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Falling angel met the rising ape, and the sound it made was

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tormenting the player is important
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19_EgarAlnis

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)
« Reply #5668 on: May 09, 2021, 11:03:13 pm »

No, but I'm glad that it made an impact. I was going to modify that reserved space but...but I just want to say I appreciate all of you. I know at the end I fell flat with my obligations, but I kept fantasizing about other worlds than McCreary. Other places to visit. Other battles and enemies. Other wonders I could show.

But I slowly came to realize that Phoebe wouldn't want that. My original inspiration was One Piece. A swashbuckling adventure from world to world! But I realized that it wouldn't happen like that. That the characters that I made and that you shaped all had different aspirations and goals that changed my plans.

I started this story after a very rough breakup, during a very... interesting time in my life. It kept me out of trouble and kept me going. After all, how could I update if I was dead or in the military? Lol.

For a long time, it was an obsession of mine. And still is. I want to do more with the setting and the mechanics. But I also realized that holy shit I half-assed this and you deserved better. I plan on cleaning it up and reformatting it for ease of reading. I want to make it a webcomic-esque adventure down the line, like Homestuck, but need to aquire some capital and make a better plan.

So, I still want to ask some questions, but for now. Thank all of you for the interest and inspiration. I'm glad to have been your gm, and I hope that if I do another game I can be lucky enough to count on some of you as players.
« Last Edit: May 09, 2021, 11:06:16 pm by 19_EgarAlnis »
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Eschar

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Re: McCreary's Planet -- (FINISHED)
« Reply #5669 on: May 10, 2021, 01:14:48 am »

Thank you for this.

The game is beautiful.

Long live Phoebe.
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