SailorMeff

When the runner dropped to Lyle's hailfire of lead, Ivory let a slug fly from his weapon in crystal clear 128bit, multiscanned, component video, color corrected, visually enhanced slow motion. The slug lifted the second Tsoo who had begun to run straight up from the ground and flung him violently twords the end of the hall. As the man tumbled heels over head a second shot slammed into his face with frightening accuracy and power. A distinct crack and his mid air momentum was changed, sending him spinning head over heals, he landed on the carpet as though he had simply fallen backwards: a large red welt was a pulsing headache located in the center of his face.

Ivory lifted his weapon over his shoulder and strolled, noticeably fedora-less, to the Tsoo squiriming on the ground, arching his back in pain. "I liked that hat, it was a really good hat. It took me 12 years to find that hat, it's italian; have you ever purchased anything italian that wasn't expensive? They're lazy buggers too, everythign they make is limited run or one of a kind." Ivory took a slow breath to keep from getting carried away. "Listen, direct us to where the rest of you kids are meeting or my 'friend' here is going to find a new and certainly uncomfortable way to fit this," Ivory held up one of his impressive long range rounds, several inches in leangth, "into there." he pointed at the Tsoo's crotch.

Lyle cocked his weapon, sending a spent shell steaming to the ground with a loud ringing clang. The Tsoo would have jumped from his skin, were it possible, and began to cry.

Ivory had been meaning to be gentle with the situation, even a booby trapped elevator didn't mean they could go around killing every Tsoo they saw. The two Tsoo lay unconcious heaps on the ground, not about to wake for hours. As the two men drug them by their feet to a corner of the hallway, Ivory stopped suddenly as a large shiruken blazed past his eyes opening a rather large cut into the brim of his fedora. Quickly two more were expertly blocked with ubelievably fast manipulation of his weapon, the star colliding with the wooden stalk producing subtle thunking sounds and staying firmly stuck. Two more Tsoo had followed, one was beginning to slee back down the hallway, presumably to warn the others.

"Ok, they're both men. Shoot to incapacitate, we need answers and information, not corpses."

Another shiruken knocked Ivory's fedora from his head and pinned it to the wall behind him. Ivory took a moment to look at his ruined hat and then back to Lyle.

"Of course, mistakes are prone to happen." he said, sliding a slug into the weapon's loader with a satisfying thoomp.

The black silhouet of a familiar hero stands at the top of a building. As the figure crouches and finally takes a mighty leap from the building he performs a series of mid air acrobatics before landing in a dramtic crouch on the pavement below, surrounded by Skull gang members.

Galactic Jack's sly grin is trademark, he's ready to do business. In a blaze of inhuman speed he rushes at the nearest gang member.

One by one the gang members are tossed into building sides, across the streets, into light poles and parking meters. One even lands in the open arms of a passing patrol man. Every punch, kick, throw and slice of his long metal claws is accented, dramatic and well rehersed.

When the gang members are no more Galactic Jack walks to his left and enters a store front, a huge sign proudly displays "City of Gyros" above the door.

Inside, Galactic Jack is surrounded by beautiful, young women in tight clothing with a particularly attractive girl at his side, his arm securely wrapped around her hip. In his left hand he holds an exquisitely crafted Gyro.

"When I'm finished with crime on the streets there's only one thing on my mind." he says, smiling like he was born to do it. His hand moves down to presumeably squeeze at the rear of the woman he's holding, much to her discomfort. "But after that, I head to City of Gyros for the best Gyros Paragon City has to offer."

Jack takes a large, clean bite from the Gyro in his hand and lets out a convincing sigh of satisfaction.

"City of Gyros: my number one Gyro destination! And that..." he stops enthusiastically only to have the women around him chime in unison to finish the familiar catch phrase.

"... is a Galactic Jack matter of fact!"

There are also people, such as Ivory, who's descriptions are very brief. I like to think of that featuer of the game as my character looking at someone and saying to himself "Oh hey, I've heard of that guy, he was mauled by radioactive aligator mutants from outerspace and now seeks to avenge his sad fate by hunting down the political monsters who's budget spending allowed such abominations to be stored at his local japanese bath house located 1200 years in the past. The only way he can get to them, however, is to make a name for himself so great that it cannot be ignored.

*heavy breathing, catching breath*

So as a result, Ivory's description is simply (and roughly): A brilliant engineer and expert marksman, Ivory has tried his hand at many occupations over the years. He hopes to curb his boredom with heroism and seeks to clean up more then just the streets of Paragon City.

Very simple, very concise, but it's also all that i want the average hero to know about me. I just figure people with more information in their profile want players to know that about them.

The point is... for some players the lack of information (in some cases amnesia) is simply a way to establish that there is something more to the hero that the average public doesn't know about and perhaps by getting to know that person you'll be able to learn that past.

God damn I'm long winded... I should write a book but... who would buy that?

Absolutely! It's very common for players to intigrate their character history and background into the current events in the game.

Ivory denied the call to arms during world war 2 when every other hero around him accepted, something that pains him to this day as he makes special purchase twords fighting 5th column. The company that "employs" him makes great use of Crey biological properties and Ivory himself will claim to have developed the proprietary technology on which most of Portal Corporation's current developements are based.

Galactic Jack actively seeks the Rikti in hopes he can obtain technology adaquate to get him off the planet, allowing him to reclaim his "towed" spacecraft.

It's fun, almost everyone does it, it's very natural, first time is always free... want a sample? wait...

((ooc Not to mention I thoguht it was pretty clear that Jack sped away at super speed. I would appreciate if you went back and actually read those "guidelines" I posted, they're pretty common sense but you as a PERSON not a character don't seem to understand.))

It seemed pretty obvious to everyone that if Kyle didn't want to be with the heroes and their recent venture that he would have left long ago never to return, unmissed at that. What mission he claimed to be on when he was inturrupted must have been of little importance (or perhaps he was incapable of the task) as he found it more important to follow the heroes and complain about the results of that decision.

((ooc Nobody forced you to come, every change of environment set before you has been one allowing players to choose their direction.))

A massive rip in space and time opened and swallowed the universe, rewinding time by only a matter of seconds.

"An ape? Listen budy, I don't ***** around with the kind of people that insult me, I ***** them up." Kyle spat at Jack who was merely a dust gone with the wind by the time he could muster the words.

Lobe seemed to be steaming from the amount of cursing being done, despite his repeated requests that it stop.

((ooc Jack speaks with an accent similar to an Australian's but he doesn't use the same vocabulary... just thought it might help you image the character better))

Feline or not, Jack was in his prime at 3022 earth years old and instinct had well settled in. At first he thought these quick jabs must have been a customary greeting by earth males but he soon learned otherwise. Jack leaned quickly and deftly out of the range of Sly's extended fist with a movement so fast that all who saw it could only assume the punch connected solidly.

"Hey now chum I'm sorry, not my intention to steal away a fine lass such as this one from such a handsome fellow as you." Jack said as he slowly pushed Sly's fist in a direction less threatening. "Besides," he straitened his jacket and ran a hand through his hair, "she's not my type; bit too mommy for me eh lug?" Jack playfully nudged Lobe with his elbow as he lounged propping himself against the counter.

An obnoxious series of musical beeps and chirps rang from the beeper clipped to Jack's short pockets. Jack lifted his glasses off his face revealing his alien eyes, a pure clean white with a featureless golden center. He looked at the beeper and clicked at the button on its side a few times prducing quick chirps and beeps from the device.

"Sorry chaps but Galactic Jack's got some business to do. Jack's publicist says beloved pop idol Weather Lovely has been taken captive by Outcasts." Jack clipped the beeper back to the inside of his pocket. "And Jack's out to make a new fan."

Jack moved a bit closer to the ground and suddenly disappeared in a flash of light, a smoking trail led outside the door which was slowly falling closed. The bell chimed innocently at his departure.

Sly seemed to be missing a few extra greenbacks from his pocket.

Rebecca Morningstar swallowed a bite of pizza and replied, "Oh, they were all in a Demon Princess' prison unknowingly being used by the imprissoned Princess' worldy persona, Ivory, to entrap her origional captor who was under the impression they were taking him home in exchange for being shown the exit from hi own prison."

Morningstar nodded to herself.

"Oh and Sly, he was my father, but only by the meaning that I was born of his seed to a mother he impregnated." She took another bite.

Galactic Jack had been carrying on a private conversation with Morningstar for a while when the pizza arrived. He once used to explain to people that even though he had a cat's tail it had nothign to do with felines, simply an inherited trait form his home planet. But if something bored him, he was one to simply move on.

The group was eating their meal, it was almost comical to see the group of heroes sitting around an antique shop in full dress eating slices of Paragon Pizza Pie. When nearly finished Jack slid up like a snake to Deth's side and placed a hand solidly on her bum.

"Maybe now we can get that desert you were talkin about?" he said, the same blinding grin plastered across his face. Before she could retaliate to what Jack had only assumed was wanted attention a loud rumble came from outside. Helsing and company was outside directing rather super human burps at innocent bystanders. The entire room fell silent and for just an instant Deth forgot about the hand cupping her behind. Of course it was an instant short lived. No matter how quick on his feet, Jack could never dodge a woman's wrath.

Cupping the leftside of his face, Galactic Jack glared at the two neanderthals as they re-entered the antique shop as though they were certainly lesser life forms. Even the enormous man with a child trapped inside him had better manners.

"Wha.." Jack studdered, "what kind of heroes are you? Are you even licensed? My understanding was that you had to hold species classification above that of an ape in order to hero in Paragon..." Jack directed his words sharply at the two bafoons in the doorway who looked at the group as if they had done nothing wrong.

Jack stood up as though he was going to storm out of the store disgusted but instead turned around so his face sat mere centimeters from Deth's and he grinned.

"So there's a demon inside ya? Don't suppose that's a figurative expression?" he said as his grin grew.

Jack's was certainly a mind of a gentleman, if not one left rolling in the gutter.

<spinning letters>
MEANWHILE WITHOUR OTHER HEROES
</spinning letters>

Ivory and Lyle were standing in the elevator, Ivory calmly leanign against the wall. The elevator slowly and silently made a climb up the stories, the numbered buttons lit up in sequence.

Breaking the uncomfortable silence Ivory inquired, "So... where do ou think they get this music?"

"The walls are suprisingly thick." Ivory said as he knocke don one a few times producing a solid sound. "I doubt anyone inside the building actually heard that."

The two cautiously made their way through the reception area. Although abandoned by its former occupants the offices were suprisingly well kept. When they came to the elevators Ivory took the piece of paper taped to one and read it out loud with a sarcastic tone.

The neat painted script read clearly: "Tsoo meeting floor 12. Please check your coat and weapon with the Gaurdian up front."

The two men watched each othere's blind spots perfectly but the monster was nowhere to be seen. Ivory slowly opened the loader to his rifle and fished a large beanbag round out of his coat.

"Switch and load a sniper round." he said, knowing that the old man might find the timing ill placed, but would trust his judgement. Nothing like an intense gun battle to get two men to trust eachother.

As Lyle switched his firing mode, Ivory fished the small mirrored ball from his coat. The targetting device he had once before revealed to th heroes outside the Steel Canyon Yellow Line. Flipping a switch, it lifted itself into the air besides the heroes and briefly bathed the hallway in a sheet of red light before it began to simply hum and hover.

After what seemed like solid minutes of silence a single red beam shot from the floating drone, painting an electronic bulls eye on the Astral as it came through a wall and took physical form once again. Ivory fell cloer to the ground and spun, landing almost cross legged, and fired his bean bag into the chest of the Astral, Ivory's barral at only knee hight to Lyle.

The being stumbled back and began gasping in shock it simply stood motionless, unable to move.

Lyle took aim.

Ivory looked behind him at where the tear he had opened sealed itself, Lyle stood looking a bit irritated but ready for action none the less. The frozen image of the heroes glew behind them like a smogy daybreak. Ivory's voice was like an echo in a hall of mirrors.

"Glad you decided to join me. We can take our pace as we wish, time has no meaning here." Ivory tapped his wrist watch. "There's a Tsoo haunt not far from here, actually, might have been a former base of operation."

The two walked the frozen streets of Paragon City, taking what felt like over an hour to cover the distance at the calm pace Ivory seemed to prefer, but barely had a second passed before they came to their destination. The two of them stood before an old corporate building, the bleached area of where a sign once hung displayed that the previous occupants had long moved on.

The two of them entered the building, stepping through the door like a curtain. Once inside Ivory stopped, amidst the grey, black and white of Limbo stood a strong figure, clothed in eastern robes and armor it bore a brilliant blue glow.

As it turned its head to Lyle and Ivory, Ivory spoke. "We'll only be sitting ducks here old codger."

Ivory violently broke the window to reality and the two emerged into the building, staring at the impressive figure hovering inches off the ground. Ivory in a brilliant display of blue flame as his suit cleaned itself, Lyle with a barely noticeable layer of white, ash like dust covering his shoulders and hair.

"If there's something I hate more then walking, it's being forced to walk and if there's something I hate more then being forced to walk, it's an Astral." Ivory spoke in a calm and controlled tone as he placed the but of his rifle expertly against his shoulder and let a slug fall into place in the loader.

The Astral went into a charge twords the two.

<spinning text>
MEANWHILE AT REBECCA's ANTIQUE STORE
</spinning text>

The heroes had only just watched Ivory and Lyle leave through Limbo when the bell on the front door gave a simple, innocent jingle and a man dressed in golden yellow shorts and a flack jacket with a pair of stylish goggles covering his eyes popped his head in. Golden blond hair jetting back in sharp curved strands covered his head and were it not for an aura of arrogance and misdirected charm, the man may have been the most attractive male on earth. A cat's tail dangled from his behind.

"Hey cats! Don't suppose you are outfitted to sharpen Tri-Sol folded steel are ya?"

A pearly white grin so bright it could give sight back to the blind stared the heroes dumbly. Those that had caught the newspaper recently would recognize him as Galactic Jack. A scrapper with almost as many solved cases in the last month as he had sexual harrassment based restraining orders filed against him each week. Both were very impressive numbers.

Lobe and Helsing were bad enough, one was loose in the head and the other was loose in the finger. He was going to have to be careful if he didn't want to be seen and have his insurance skyrocket. But now there were more, two more. A genetics hero and some sort of mutant or magic hero. They came in all kinds these days.

"My insurance is going to... thanks chum." he changed directions in mood as Sly Fox returned with a Jack Daniels on ice, 1:1 with ginger ale. Earth liquor had to be the most exquisit he had ever tasted.

Ivory pointed to a shelf in front of the window that displayed a number of impressive statues, charms and a sword rack now missing its display item. Among the trinkets and baubles was the golden statue that had once held Gideon, a white pricetag hung from its base bore the neat handwritting of Rebecca Morningstar: "New Item, Chinese Ornamental Dragon Statue. Gold Body, Bloodstone Features. Sale: $1800."

Ivory spoke in place of Morningstar, "Spectral prisons draw their energy fromwhatever is around them. If in the posession of a living being, it will slowly kill them. It takes a lot mroe then it really needs though so vessals like that, and mine, are good for ritual magics like that of the Thorns." Ivory took a slow sip form his drink and lifted it in gratiude to Sly. "But without a prisoner, the prison ceases to take in energy making it nothing more then furniture."

Ivory let out a loud sigh of comfort as he began to slouch in his chair, his left arm bumping his rifle sending it crashing to the gorund with a solid, metalic crunch. Ivory didn't seem to notice.

"Now. We think this gem might do a similar thing although in a slightly different matter. Seems that proper use grants you certain," Ivory paused and lifted his hand, showing that it was emitting a small candle sized flame before continuing, "powers. But at a very great price." The flame vanished.

Ivory stood from his chair and adjusted his hat though it sat perfectly uppon his head. "I'll go check on the Tsoo. I have certain gifts that should give me a competent edge in survailence." He eyed the new comer with the smokey mist around him, Ivory sensed the thing in the hero's voice also. "We can't simply go off picking fights with the Tsoo. Even in Paragon City we have to establish motive and retrieve a warrent, or at least establish heroic cause for intervention."

Ivory eyed the rifle the old man Lyle had been toting around, it bore striking similarity to Ivory's own custom model. It seemed only a Cynergetic Enterprise engraving and a few different parts distinuished the two, that and the thick coat of white ash and powder that had been accumulating on Ivory's model.

"Old man. You have a support for long range ammo?"

Lyle indicated he did, patting his rifle confidently.

"Good," Ivory continued, " I'll invite you to come with me. I'll need a spotter."

With that, Ivory slit a cut into reality before the heroes, white light poured from the tear. As Ivory stepped through he spoke, "I hink you might want to hit the streets and maybe take down a few Outcasts. See if you can get any of them to talk on our little stone there." Ivor ymotioned to the stone on the counter.

He stepped fully through into th frozen, lifeless world he called Limbo, the rift behind him staying open just long enough for Lyle to make a decision to come with or stay.

The heroes filed out one by one, each disappearing unimpressively behind the door. Ivory would stay behind after the others had left to shut the door, a prisoner still.

On the other side, the heroes appeared into the modest antique shop of Rebecca Morning star as though they had stepped through the front door. On the counter was the Ivory vessal in the shape of an angel. Morningstar and Ivory, who looked as he always did in this "real" world, were sitting on stools on either end of the counter, conversing over coffee. Rebecca held the thin, red jewel that Ivory had revealed when he first met the heroes to the light, staring through it like it had a secret message written in lemon ink.

"Took you all long enough. I hope i didn't give you any trouble in there." Ivory spoke, calm and cool. "She doesn't knwo what that thing is, but she claims she's found similar things brought in by outcasts."

Rebecca looked to the heroes and set the stone on the countertop.

"Outcasts who said they got them from Tsoo."

Only time I ever got a gm response for someone "reporting" me for a mob tp, they told me "be nice to him. He is new and doesn't understand the game." and after a very short conversation he told me that there's nothing he can actually do about it... if the player has a problem with it, they can leave the party.

I disagree about hurting the player... if they "get hurt" because a jerk in their party tosses them into mobs, they should probbly be playing a single player game.

griefing is one of those words that really means "He's being a jerk and I can't handle it" in these games.

Users have control over their experience; if they don't like the way you talk, they can /ignore you and never have to see it again. If they don't like the way you party, they can refuse to join up with you. If you're really out to roleplay... why are you trying to make friends with the people whom you might offend? Well... unless you're roleplaying someone who's insecure with their public image.

But the prison wasn't built by demons, and Barkansis was, by Ivory's defenition weak. So far he had posed no true threat and althought he had tipped the battle in Deth's favor, he had help. If Deth could contain him, then it was a tribute to the streangth she posessed and the streangth of the other two inside her, whatever they were.

Helsing wasn't an expert on demons. An expert would have found the patience and restraint to conduct himself properly. To Ivory, he was simply another mortal: too headstrong, too cocky, too sure of himself and far too ready to confront the powers before him.

"Any demon you can put down with that weapon," she said her eyes closed, "is far too weak to worry about. "Your expertise is in hunting witches, phantoms, ghosts, goblins, and the spectral runts the Circle conjurs from their 'lost city'."

She stood up and shook her head. A voice echoed from the depths of her mind so loud that she was sure Contact could here it whether he liked or not.

"That's it, you fight the demons now, you fight the evil. Don't go back to who you were." it said. "Tell them about demons, tell them about the endless reaches of the galaxy and the horrors that exist there and then let them protect themselves."

Ivory looked like she was having a mental conflict and perhaps a small headache. Annoyed by what she percieved as a child whining and asking to be noticed.

"I'll tell you how an expert works. An expert would have kept the knowledge of their prey to himself, it establishes the advantage of suprise if you havn't announced your prey's presence. Then, if you do see it fit to announce your prey, for example you know those around you are as versed in fighting your opponent as you are, you do not reveal your plan or intention to your prey." Ivory took a long breath and seemed to try to calm herself. "A hunter, a true predator stalks their prey until the opportune time to strike. They wait until their prey is weakest, most vulnerable and most unaware before they even let their presence be known and at that time they strike and bring their prey down."

She shook her head and let her platinum hair flow around her a bit, lifting her arms above her head and stretching.

"I apologize for my earlier deception, but you'll understand I can't allow my greatest adversary escape back home." She glared at Helsing, huffing and puffing, gripping his rifle as ussual. "I also couldn't simply spell out my intentions before the enemy now could I?"

She slowly circled the heroes, looking at the room intently, inspecting each hallways with care. She pointed down one.

"That's our way out. I'll show you the way out so we can all escape. I don't actually expect you to get yourself out," she paused and turned her head to Helsing, "simpleton."

Ivory's legs should have been tired with all the walking he had been doing lately. The parts he had gotten from Cyred were expensive to impliment into his own technology and Cynergetic wasn't about to float the bill. It had brought Ivory to doing some freelance work.

He stopped in front of the doors to First Strike Security and took out his ID card. Having always had it prompty scanned, he didn't even think as he swiftly placed it back into his wallet and stepped past the fallen gaurds.

He strolled in casual fashion past the three heroes, Sly, Red and Contact, who seemed to be having a conflict and led himself straight to the receptionist.

"HellohowmayIhelpyou?" she said with an oblivious smile and false cheer in her voice.

"I got these contracts earlier this afternoon." Ivory said as he placed near twenty blue three ring binders on the desk, all bore the First Strike logo. "So I'd like to get paid." he said cheerily, completely oblivious to the others who had stopped to stare at him and his little spectacle.

The receptonist took the binders and a check printed from her printer, a number of zeroes graced the end and both the receptionist and Ivory continued to smile, almost in a brainless fashion at eachother. The check exchanged hands and went promptly into Ivory's jacket.

"A pleasure doing business with you old chap!" he said as he patted Contact on the sholder as he passed.

Ivory stopped and stared for a moment, the look of seriousness crossed his face and seemed to send the previous comedy to the foreground. He was looking intently at the man clad in red and black.

His face broke and a grin came accross, in a sarcastic tone, "Nice suit, kiddo!" and Ivory walked out of the door.

As Ivory IG I'm a very cold and calculated person. I don't curse too terribly much, but I find new and unussual ways of pissing people off every day. However... when I play Ivory, I roleplay. If someone wants to get mad, I'll respond just as Ivory should. If there's a challenge made to me in a party I'm quick to silence it by words or, in certain cirumstances, a quick recall friend into a pile of purple mobs.

I don't think that you should be bothered by how you play your character or how others respond to it... if you are then you need to re-evaluate how you want to play your character because his personality is obviously too far a stretch for you to accept.

The profanity filter, on the other hand, is key to a single fact: you cannot be repremanded for cursing. Try telling a GM that someone called you... whatever... and they're just going to tell you to put the filter on and close your request. gg

When all is said and done just be ready to face the consequences of playing the character you created... in a comi book the character who often berates the "weaker" heroes or is perhaps... cold or unfeeling, very to the point, curses like a fiend... they don't tend to be very popular with the other super heroes... guess why.

Ivory was strained from making a sudden invasion into the girl's body. She had sensed that there was something else in there and she had been lucky to find it fighting Gideon. It gave her the element of suprise she needed to force them into the labyrinth. She had no idea why they would disappear afterwards though.

Ivory slowly came to in her own body, the others were... running away?

"Good," she thought, "just as I told them."

She stood and stumbled a bit, but then put all her weight the enormous cog next to the door and let it fall into place, the door being replaced by another leaving the halways silent besides the fleeing footsteps of the heroes. Beside her stood the old man and she didn't have to be a psyhic to see some sort of twisted kind of courage inside him, twisted but very strong.

"Old man, thanks for waiting. It's time for us to catch up." Ivory said as she snatched his hand in hers and proceeded to walk up the side of the wall as though it were a set of stairs and into an unseen door in the ceiling. They would emerge from the cieling of the grand central room, the junction of the five hallways, and drop softly to the center. They both heard the bickering and it sent Ivory into a rage.

She glared at Helsing and the room shook, "This all powerful demon you are so afraid of is weak, born without a corporeal body. He would break a sweat trying to bring destruction to anything more then a city block, an entire city the size of Paragon would tire and drain him to destroy in any timely fashion." she looked at Deth, remembering the coarse slap she had recieved earlier. "If you want to keep him, you can have him. If not, he comes with me and stands trial before the triad. If Helsing would like to continue making threats twords the vessal that sacraficed her own well being to help us escape from Gideon's prison, then I'll invite him to find a way out of mine."

With that the heroes had collected themselves in the centrel room, five coridor spanning before them. The heroes began to move twords the coridor they origionally had come from when they arrived.

"Oh no, not that one. Heavens no not that one." she spoke sarcastically, a grin of pure evil graced her face. It was as if some sort of transformation had completed itself. "If you go down there who knows where you might come out even if you get past the door." she sneered. "I know I don't. Don't turn any of the gears either, you have no idea the mess you might cause."

A distant male voice in her mind seemed to whisper desperately, "This isn't right, these people aren't your enemy." But it seemed to go without notice.

Ivory seemed content to wait and in no hurry to walk anywhere, after all....

Ivory, for a moment, flinched as the old man came crashing in.

"No they are unaware. This will still work." she thought to herself. But her hands wanted to tremble.

"Through that door is a path into the spectral realms. This is our destination." she said with uncertainty in her voice. "We need only step through and Gideon may take his leave of us. Deth, only you need follow." she said and motioned with her hand to Deth, who had been barely able to walk this whole time.

When Deth slowly passed through the door, Ivory stepped in front of the others trying to follow, a look of intensity came over her and the entire room boomed behind her.

"Run, run as fast as you can the way we came."

Ivory stepped through the door and slammed it shut behind her. The game was now about to be played.

On the other side of the door, Deth had stepped into a stone labyrinth, circling around her were thousands of passages. The room was dank and cold, and the floors uneven.

"Where..." Deth trailed before Ivory stepped in behind her.

"Forgive me, this is going to hurt a great deal, it may help to place some clothing into your mouth." she said quickly.

Without further warning, Ivory evaporated into a cloud of thick white smoke which forced itself inside of Deth. The pain was excrutiating, the very walls of her soul felt as though they could burst. When the pain subsided, she was alone. She didnt hear the voices, she couldn't see the people inside of her. The place was silent around her and very dark.

She finally came to her feet, stepping in a circle to see the unimagineable maze before her. Before she could take a step though, the pain resumed ten fold. If one's soul was being torn at, it would surely pale in comparison. Memories other then her own fell like sand over her mind, the images became indistinguishable from her own memories.

The tall black and red figure of Gideon, his dogish head and ram horns, suddenlt appeared before Deth. It had a predatory glow in its eyes. Beside him stood Barkansis, no longer wearing his suit he was a much more impressive being now, in his right hand he held by the neck the struggling figure of Ivory, gasping for air. Gideon turned his attention and pounced on the two.

"Run, I will guide you, simply keep your eyes open." she heard.

Inside there stood Ivory encircled in Blue and Purple mists, there was a terrfying grin painted to her face. Deth took her chance while no attention was drawn to her and did just that, she ran. Streangth filled her body, her legs, carrying her at an amazing speed. She soared through the maze faster then water could fall. Left, right, forward, left. Ivory kept giving the directions until she came to a door with a simple lever next to it. Instinctively she pulled it and the door disappeared, another sliding mechanically into place.

"Go through, quickly"

Deth burst through the door which slammed behind her. The other heroes stared, confused, at her. No sooner had Ivory entered behind her and shut the door, just for her to burst through once again.

"It's not over, you... have to get..." Ivory looked much weaker in her mind. She fell over exhausted and the mists seemed to consumer her.

The heroes jumped as a loud, solid sound came from the door as though someone were trying to break it down.

Ivory: Rifle/Gadget technology blaster.

Ivory's past is as unknown as his motivations. A brilliant engineer he has tried his hand at many occupations. He hopes to cure his boredom with every day life by tking up heroism. Armed with a calm resolve and his multi function assault rifle, Ivory seeks to clean up more then just teh streets of paragon city.

Galactic Jack: Dark/Reflex natural scrapper.

A multi-dimensional crime trouble shooter, Galactic Jack has had his name plastered at the top of headlines in countless galaxies in no fewer then three parallel realities. He's as confident as he is cocky and almost as able. He found his way to Paragon City on vacation when intersteller meter maids towed his spacecraft for an orbit around a no orbit moon.

Cyred Ver. 2: Energy/Energy technology blaster.

Cyred Ver. 2 is Cynergetic's first succesful build of an intuitive self building AI housed in a combat ready power unit. Cyred has since abandoned his birthing company and roams the streets of Paragon City, performing favors and delivering information to heroes as he sees fit.

Cywhite Ver. 1: Energy/Energy technology blaster.

Cywhite is a more advanced model based on the Cyred self building AI, a nearly identicle body was constructed by a team of Cynergetic engineers that happened to include Isaac Voramy, better known as Ivory. Cywhite is a loyal, although fully independant, hero at the employ of Cynergetic. As he provides name recognition and security to the company, Cynergetic is more then happy to provide him the tools required for regular maintenance, upkeep and upgrade.

Megadyne Red TL: Invulnerability/Energy technology tanker.

Megadyne is a direct competitor of Cynergetic but supplies a much wider array of weapons to a far greater audience including over 300 law enforcement agencies in 40 different countries world wide. The Red TL (test line) is the direct response to the Cy intuitive combat routine their competitors test. It is faster, stronger and can take more damage then the CY models but lacks a ranged method of suppression. Rumor has it the AI is an exact replica of the base AI in the Cyred model.

Master Decoy: Energy/Energy technology blaster.

Before the Cy model AIs were developed the same housings were powerful personal weapons. Powered suits of armor capable of giving the user superior abilities in combat. The only suit of armor to have ever been produced in a test line was also the last, the neuro logic intigration driving the test pilot completely insane. The pilot has since escaped with the suit and earned his name the Master Decoy by his seemingly suicidal tactics while fighting high profile crime in Paragon City.

I am starting this thread as a way for players to introduce us all to their character(s). This is not a thread for your origon but simply a place to let people know you exist.

Please provide your IN GAME name so that players can contact you. Other then that, have fun!

Emerging from the hallway to a grand junction, the heroes were faced with four more hallways carefully spaced so their openings were all identicle. The mirrored columns and the reflections rom the precious metals and gems made it seem easy to get lost.

Ivory had quickened her pace, partly becuase she was uneasy with her familiar surroundings, partly because she didn't want to see a physical conflict between this Barkansis and Lobe. Her finger shot to the hallway closest to their left.

"At the very end of that hallway are nine thousand doors on a rotating gear, one accessable at a time. Only one does not lead back into the prison. I've marked the exit door and you'll know it when you see it. There should be a large golden cog to the left of where the doors slide into place, Lobe should be able to turn it and force the doors to rotate."

The physical incarnation of Barkansis lifted his head finally and spoke in a strange, fearful langauge. "Miss, what of me? I'd like to go with them too."

Ivory spun to stare at the figure and her eyes seemed to blaze. It was beginning to become apparent to the others that the prison was having an effect deeper then physical form on Ivory.

A wicked smile crossed her face and she sneered, "I'll make you a deal. If one of my friends here will speak for you and stand up for your defense, you will go with them to the door. If they refuse, you will come with me and stand before the Triads of our world. It is forbidden to inhabit an unwilling vessal in our timeline and I will leave your fate to their adherance of law."

Contact came to.

"You're going back in, one way or another. She apparently needs you, for whatever reason"

Ivory stood glaring at the group, Barkansis revealed his face: a dark tan of white, asian features sat below a mop of black hair from whitch the horn protruded. His expression was as though he had just stood defiant to a god, if the group knew Ivory's true story in full they would understand that he had.

"Go with them, then. My terms stand for when we no longer need you." The figure began to melt into a thick black smoke, a trail began to feed itself into Deth's eyes and mouth. "Pray you prevail and survive to tell the tail for your impending justice is far less harsh then what Gideon will do to you when you fail."

A cross frown came over the girl's face and her wings seemed to sulk some. With a slouching sunter she walked over to Sly and gave him a firm full fisted rap on the top of the head.

"It's me, it's Ivory. This is my guilded cage, it was built for me." she said crossly, looking almost childish.

Sly blinked in disbelief for a moment. The woman stared him in the eye like one my stare at a cat and then looked down at Contact, obviously trying to lend his own brand of help ot her. After a deep sigh, she stepped a bit back from Sly and placed a hand on her left hip, her right motioned in the air.

"Listen, this is what I look like ok? In a timeline I get to choose what I look like, in here I don't: you see me as I was birthed thousands of years ago. Now just follow me, I'll get us out of here." she said in an irritated tone.

Ivory had meant it, he never desired to show this part of him. Being a man left so little to be expected of you and it made things much easier. The expressions on the faces around him led him to believe they didn't quite understand the change in form.

"I'm a demon, I'm sorry, I really don't have much choice in the matter." she explained and let her wings open a tad as if showing them off as proof. "If that's all clear, can we get moving?"

Sly opened his mouth as though to say something but the woman who identified herself as Ivory inturrupted him.

"Ok, when you're a demon there are certain expectations people expect you to live up to, I understand that. I'm not going to tinker with your mind or play games with you though. I actually can't even take incorporeal form here." She shook her head a bit, holding her temple. "Listen, Deth is in a battle and, to be frank, even with Contact's help, she's likely to be losing. I have no idea how some other demon made its way into her head and I don't really know what to think of it but I went over this. Gideon's prison... I think... was meant to bring out a person's other half. MY prison was built to chain a person's soul and essence to the ground and avoiding it is a bit more difficult then concentrating on how you want to look." She growled to herself a bit, "It may be a prison but it's MY prison and I don't like uninvited guests."

Ivory walked over to Deth and gently placed an arm under hers. She placed her palm on one of her breasts and waited a moment.

"She'll be fine while we travel, she wont enjoy it but the bonds of my prison are in place on all of us and there is little lasting harm they can cause her. Contact will do doubt keep her much more confident then my words will." She then turned to Helsing with a questioning gaze. "Who is this Barkansis and why should we fear it so greatly? If it was absent in Gideon's prison it had only the moment we were in Paragon to invade her, the bonds of this place make it impossible for any being to invade that of another."

Helsing looked as though he was about to answer when Ivory once again inturupted.

"This is enough. Gideon she allowed to share her body. This demon, this fool of a demon to invade her and then feel the right to enter my prison without consent, it will be brought before us to explain itself."

Ivory spoke clearly in a toung older then the timelines themselves, the heroes 'felt' the words fall over them and they could feel their spiritual power. The meaning of Ivory's words were somehow clear to everyone.

"As the omen of terror and death I summon you to my audience for I am [ ] crown princess of the spectral realms."

Deth began to shake violently, a silent scream escaped her gaping mouth before she once again fell limp. A tall figure in black suit and tie with a single horn protruding from his forehead stood before the heroes, its head lowered rom the eyes of Ivory.

Ivory, disgusted, turned and began walking down the hallway, motioning for the others to follow.

"I hate walking." she said.

The woman in white bearing wings of silver turned to those that had followed Ivory through. She lifted a hand and motioned down the hall, her face, though beautiful, was stern and looked even a bit tested. Something was upsetting her greatly and it was obvious.

"Follow me. There are thousands of doors in this place but only five that go anywhere so don't bother opening any." The perfect figure stared at the heroes as though trying to [censored] the situation.

The figure began to take a few silent steps down the hallway before stopping and turning to the heroes once again. Her voice was eerily familiar, soft and purposeful.

"I've spent a lot of time here so don't worry. I escaped once before and I can do it again." She smiled and lifted her hands as though presenting something.

A loud, confident booming voice, much like the woman's but far more imposing rang through the room. It came from every direction in much the same fashion Gideon's had in their last location.

"Welcome to my prison, my guilded cage built for eternity." it rang.