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[ QUOTE ]
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Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dood, are you crazy?
Claws+Regen=Profit
[/ QUOTE ]Considering my first practical application of IH+DP was against three spawns of +3 arachnos LTs and minions on invincible while solo, bet yer [censored] I'm crazy.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, I soloed 3 AVs at once, sans IOs without IH or temp powers.
Top that.
[/ QUOTE ]
rad/sonic solos GMs... at level 30
[/ QUOTE ]
I was level 26.
But this thread is becoming quickly derailed. Let us not focus on the present, but the begining.
It seems I had tracks already built under this derailment. Here is a story about Rads, defeating GMs, and why we should not fear change.
- Jock Tamson, Who appears to be ahead of the game.
Balance. Balance is important in all things. Imbalance soon leads to destruction, and thus to balance again. Statesman, it is often said, knows his children need challange to thrive and grow. Too little and they will perish from boredom. Too much and they will perish from despair. Balance must be sought. But inertia is another form of death. While there must be balance, their must also be change. The pendulum may always swing about the balance point, but the pendulum does swing.
There is a land in the south of the City noted for its sunny plazas and towering waterfalls. Pleasant though this land is, it is beset at times by a great and powerful Titan. A worthy challange for many heroes. Bold Children of Statesman would summon this beast to face it, almost always they were victorious till it came to seem not the challange it once was. So it was that Statesman took some of the power he had taken from Scrapper's son Reg, and gifted it to the Titan.
One day it came to pass that Radia was travelling through the Land of the Falls when she noted a sad a somber procession marching forth from the place of healing. Radia stopped the leader of the procession, a Child of Blaster, and asked, "Why such despair my child?". The Child of Blaster answered, "I was defeated in battle.." Radia interrupted asking, "This is unusual Child of Blaster?" "I WAS DEFEATED IN BATTLE", came the reply more loudly "And woe is upon us for I have unleashed a great evil. I summoned the Great Titan, as many have done in the past, but the Titan who now lays waste to the south of this land is like none before! Though we assault it in great numbers, it seems to feel not our blows. It seeks me, I go to give myself to it in hope that it will leave us in peace." Radia replied boldly saying, "I shall not let you give way to despair. I shall face this Titan, and together we shall see what can be done!"
Traveling to the south they found the Great Titan, alone an unharmed, surrounded by a multitude of the fallen. All could hear their spirits greatly lamenting the power of this foe who seemed to recover faster than ever they could do it harm. Radia gathered her strength and sought inspiration from within until she glowed with an inner light. Then launched herself, alone and unaided, against the mighty beast. The multitude watched in suprise, for they had spent much time amongst the Pugs, and had not before seen such bold action from a Child of Defender. Radia's movements were truly inspired. Her attacks hit home while the Titans mighty blows could not find her. Assaulted by Radia's unique gifts to weaken her enemies the Titan did what no other had seen it do: It staggered back. "Join me!", Radia called out, and so saying revived those around her adding her own great strength to theirs. Encouraged, all there present rushed to her aid.
The battle was long and difficult. The rewards split amongst so many, were few. None the less, as the Great Titan fell, a fierce joy filled the company. They called out hailing Radia and asking what reward they might offer her. Radia answered saying, "I need no reward except this joyous moment with you, and this one boon: Remember always that great challenges will from time to time be set before us. Despair not! Relish them instead as opportunities for great deeds!" Somewhere, Defender must have smiled. Proud of the wise words of her daughter, and amused that one of her children would chastise others for complaining
Heed Radia's words my friends and relish great challenges as you would relish great power. Both in time must pass. Always there is balance, but the pendulum does swing.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
Arg! The horrible spectre of Balance! Many is the lost soul who has lead their lot to ruin on the jagged rocks of balance' shore.
This passage is meant to uplift the diligent in their toil, for the lot of the defender is often thankless, and occasionally abusive. But CRIMINAL HEATHEN JEZEBELS continuously try to advocate an interpretation of this passage which somehow links hardship with joy as a matter of course, or even WORSE, risk and REWARD. These *FILTHY SWINE*, who disgust me and are cast out from the light of defender, are nothing more than base tools of Scrapper. Or whoever you consider to be completely evil (please fill in your own scion of darkness, not to be confused with Dark/ness).
What the devout defender must always remember is that hardship is *not* the road to happiness. After all, the world-shattering powers of The Mighty Storm defender impose hardship only on villains and those with arthritis who cannot push their movement keys without much pain. The road to happiness is doing things which engage the mind and the spirit--but keep in mind, there *is* nothing to engage that spirit when you are wiling away the hours seeking higher threat level certifications. Once achieved, those certifications give you the power to seek out challenge, but there is no *real* reason that you must continuously, and drearily, complete tasks for the lesser beings among us.
Remember, the city representatives use 'balance' against us to imply that we should run their errands. In reality, if their errands were worth running (or, if they'd just, for the love of god, keep that damn apocalyptic relic from being stolen over and over again), then we would gladly engage them. But instead, to unlock our potential, we must burn our precious time on this earth slowly grinding.
Balance does not mean grind! When the wheel is balanced, it can spin at any speed without instability!
-TMS who is, I guess... apocrypha.
So, the point is that rad does indeed pwn all else 
excellent timing, Jock.
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
[ QUOTE ]
So, the point is that rad does indeed pwn all else
excellent timing, Jock.
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Too bad Radia, Storm, Trick and the rest of Defender's children are all stuck in Pug land, waiting for that damned pendulum to swing back to the center.
Were she here with us today, Defender would surely hang her head low in shame. How far her children have fallen...
Jock, I somehow missed this thread during its first incarnation. I'm getting to read these for the first time, and I must say, masterfully written. I do have one correction to make to your story...
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Scrapper had three sons, Dark, Essar, and Reg.
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Where is the retelling of the [censored] child, Invuln? It is commonly overlooked now, and seemingly erased from the history books as well? 
Fallen? I have not fallen, I stand stronger and prouder than ever. It is not in Defender's character to hang her head in shame. Though to see Her Children do so might bring a tear to her eye, and a touch of The Storm to her eye.
You would make a demon of Balance and accuse others of worshiping at its altar. Balance is neither Demon nor Idol, it simply, inevitably, is. Day and Night. Life and Death. Buff and "Nerf". Why do you see only one side? There will always be both. Like Life itself, our City is always a place of change which will never be all good or all bad. The will always be both. How you are affected by that change and how you respond to it is called "living". The alternative is generally considered a bad thing, so you may as well find ways to enjoy the ride.
Rage against the machine if you must, just don't stand still, don't think there will never be "nerfs", and don't lose sight of the buffs that are always there too.
There will be rises, there will be drops. You can fall through the drops if you insist. I shall sky dive.
- Jock Tamson, Who may be a Western Anthropomorphic Personification of the Brotherhood of Man, but spun an Eastern Philosophy into his last tale.
I suppose in your heretical gnostic approach, you can accept, casually this concept of nerfs. But I, and other right-thinking people know full-well that it was never the intention of Defender to nerf.
In the proud tradition of schismatic disagreements, it is the canon of the Church of Storm that any professing pro-balance viewpoints, whether in the guise of risk v reward or the debased and grotesteque practice of nerfery shall be put to the plush sea turtle. Any who harbor them shall spend time in a small room with a tornado. Any who profess to have been exposed to their teachings shall be herdicaned into a corner until such time as they renounce this distortion of the one true word of Defender, as given to Storm in the presence of Kin.
[ QUOTE ]
the canon of the Church of Storm
[/ QUOTE ]
Can we agree on
THOU SHALT NOT HANG THY HEAD IN SHAME
If Storm were to hang his head, it would only be to allow her scarf to whip dramatically in the wind before raising his head with the kind of smile only seen on the powerful (yet doomed) anime character before revealing never before seen reserves of awesomeness.
- Jock Tamson, Who is thinking of this not this
Yes, but the children of Defender are children of the light... brightly-glowing Radia, Empathy's warm gentle auras, Storm's crackling flash. Even the mimic Trick can bring forth a burst of pure white light from his arrows.
But they are trapped in a land of darkness, where only their goth sister Mia thrives, patiently waiting for night to end and the sun to rise and restore them all to glory.
Such is the way of balance; and this they understand and continue to be patient. But even patience has its limits, and the current Guardians of the City, controllers of day and night, light and dark, and the great pendulum of balance, would be wise to take heed of their growing impatience.
- Mystic Poobah, feeling dramatically more Mystic than Poobah this evening.
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the canon of the Church of Storm
[/ QUOTE ]
Can we agree on
THOU SHALT NOT HANG THY HEAD IN SHAME
If Storm were to hang his head, it would only be to allow her scarf to whip dramatically in the wind before raising his head with the kind of smile only seen on the powerful (yet doomed) anime character before revealing never before seen reserves of awesomeness.
- Jock Tamson, Who is thinking of this not this
[/ QUOTE ]
You're continued use of the male pronoun to refer to Storm is yet *another* of your heresies. You can't draw me in with your head-hanging olive branch.
I'm feeling inspired... but let's see what I can do to add my own spin to it, without wrecking things.
***
In the days after Statesman granted Reg's power to the Titan, all hailed Radia's powers. But, Radia soon became arrogant; with her help none could fail, without, failure was inescapable. She grew prideful, and lazy... and decided to take a vacation to a sub-tropical island that happened to be near the place where beautiful mermaids sang, near to the city created by the Spider. There Radia relaxed with many of similar power.
Rocks fell, and everyone died.
But, someone had an awake, so they were able to recover from the wipe.
Those rocks, however, were no normal stones, but fragments of the mirror the Spider had made. Six of them began to glow with the power of Radia. Curious, a grandchild of Scrapper, having little to no fear, came to the sub-tropical island, and studied the rocks. He found that by taking a piece from each of the six rocks, smelting them in one of the unexplained volcanic lava pools, and taking it back to his camp to forge, he could create a weapon that gave him the power of Radia to counter the power of Reg, by creating a strange reflection of his cousin. Such a bright reflection, but so short lived. He shared his findings and methods with his brothers and sisters, and more distant relatives, realizing the power of Radia could be now claimed by any.
Radia was deeply saddened by this, and in her despair went to the Spider. She asked the Spider to make her powers rare again, to make Radia more powerful than her imitations. Spider promised to "do something to make Radia more attractive compared to the weapons that mimiced her power."
Spider, not really caring about Radia, shared the secrets of the six stones with the children of Brute, Stalker, Dominator, Corrupter, and Mastermind. They flocked to the island, where soon war broke out. Collecting the pieces of each of the six rocks became a perilous trial. But Spider did more, and sent the Descendants of the Fifth to the island, where they set up cunning traps around the unexplained lava pools. Even when the six pieces were collected, it was all but impossible for any to get past the traps to the unexplained lava pools unaided.
And Radia watched as the reflections of her power became harder and harder to come by, and her brothers and sisters beset by the reflections of her, she learned the price that must be paid for Pride, and Envy.
It didn't help that the Spider rubbed it in, explaining how he had fulfilled the letter of his promise.
*****
I have no idea about the real sequence of events, or reasoning behind them. I mostly wrote this to be silly.
This story introduces my favorite character. See if you can guess which one it is 
- Jock Tamson, Who is Scottish after all
When the City was young and the Great Progenitors still walked its streets, there was a land at its borders of high mountains and many caves. Within these caves grew the Kora fruit, which has power to give strength to a Child of Stateman. Each day as meal time approached, Defender would send some of her children to these caves to gather fruit. An offering of chopped fruit is still, to this day, considered an honorable offering amongst the Children of Defender. In those distant days when the First Children of Defender were still young, they would compete to be the first to return with the best fruit.
First in these contests was Kin, who was gifted with great speed. Last was dour Darkity, who was slowed by a black sheep she was required to care for in her travels, but that is different tale. In this tale it is Darkity, last and slowest, who is first to make a great discovery. In the deepest part of the deepest cave in the furthest mountain she came upon a wonder. Darkity found two great and shining fruit, one of silver, and one of gold. Resolving this time to be first back, she secured her sheep in a safe place and ran as fast as you could manage towards her home. Wreathed in dark clouds and vapours, she did not escape her brother's notice.
Running towards his sister with all his great speed, Kin saw the two great fruit and desired greatly to take them home himself. So when Darkity came to a narrow bend on a high pass, he reached out with his gifts and greatly increased her speed. Darkity hung, startled, in the air for a moment before Gravity took notice and flung her down. In that instant her brother rushed past and stole the fruit.
Now the game was on.
Pulling herself up from the ground, Darkity reached out with her own gifts and set before Kin a great patch of clinging darkness. Some aura of the fruit must have enhanced her strength for as Kin reached it he came to a sudden stop and fell flat. The fruit arced through the air shining brightly in the City light, and Darkity ran towards them, her arms out stretched. She was almost within reach when Kin freed himself at last. Kin reached out with his gifts again to slow his sister. He too must have gained strength from merely holding the fruit, for his sister was slowed as if time itself had nearly stopped, the fruit balanced gently on her fingertips. Again Kin rushed past and stole the fruit.
Darkity released a clouding darkness as she had done in the past to hide herself and her friends from harm. She hoped that she might obscure her brothers way, and he might trip in the darkness, but again the presence of the golden and silver fruit seemed to greatly enhance her power. A great all consuming darkness spread forth for miles around till all that was visibly was the twin glowing orbs clutched close to Kin's chest. He stopped, unable to see his path before him, but Darkity was daunted by no darkness and it was her who this time rushed past and stole the fruit.
And so the chase went on, one sibling tricking or thwarting the other as their strength grew and grew under the influence of the fruit. Soon they began to discover skills they had never known before. Darkity found the gift to draw strength from the life around her, and to protect herself with dark auras. Kin found mastery of his own strength such that he could focus and conserve it as never before. The contest became a series of ever greater bursts of light and dark until the very mountains about them began to shatter and drift into the Outer Void, and Statesman himself took notice.
Statesman caused a great weariness to come upon the two Children of Defender and they soon fell into a deep slumber, Kin clutching the golden fruit and Darkity the silver. He then took the fruit and set them in sky above the City, where they continue the chase to this very day. In time all would benefit from their invigorating glow. The children Statesman returned to their mother, who was most displeased. For Darkity had lost her sheep.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
[ QUOTE ]
This story introduces my favorite character. See if you can guess which one it is
- Jock Tamson, Who is Scottish after all
[/ QUOTE ]
Baaaaaaaa!
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
[ QUOTE ]
When the City was young and the Great Progenitors still walked its streets, there was a land at its borders of high mountains and many caves. Within these caves grew the Kora fruit, which has power to give strength to a Child of Stateman. Each day as meal time approached, Defender would send some of her children to these caves to gather fruit. An offering of chopped fruit is still, to this day, considered an honorable offering amongst the Children of Defender. In those distant days when the First Children of Defender were still young, they would compete to be the first to return with the best fruit.
First in these contests was Kin, who was gifted with great speed. Last was dour Darkity, who was slowed by a black sheep she was required to care for in her travels, but that is different tale. In this tale it is Darkity, last and slowest, who is first to make a great discovery. In the deepest part of the deepest cave in the furthest mountain she came upon a wonder. Darkity found two great and shining fruit, one of silver, and one of gold. Resolving this time to be first back, she secured her sheep in a safe place and ran as fast as you could manage towards her home. Wreathed in dark clouds and vapours, she did not escape her brother's notice.
Running towards his sister with all his great speed, Kin saw the two great fruit and desired greatly to take them home himself. So when Darkity came to a narrow bend on a high pass, he reached out with his gifts and greatly increased her speed. Darkity hung, startled, in the air for a moment before Gravity took notice and flung her down. In that instant her brother rushed past and stole the fruit.
Now the game was on.
Pulling herself up from the ground, Darkity reached out with her own gifts and set before Kin a great patch of clinging darkness. Some aura of the fruit must have enhanced her strength for as Kin reached it he came to a sudden stop and fell flat. The fruit arced through the air shining brightly in the City light, and Darkity ran towards them, her arms out stretched. She was almost within reach when Kin freed himself at last. Kin reached out with his gifts again to slow his sister. He too must have gained strength from merely holding the fruit, for his sister was slowed as if time itself had nearly stopped, the fruit balanced gently on her fingertips. Again Kin rushed past and stole the fruit.
Darkity released a clouding darkness as she had done in the past to hide herself and her friends from harm. She hoped that she might obscure her brothers way, and he might trip in the darkness, but again the presence of the golden and silver fruit seemed to greatly enhance her power. A great all consuming darkness spread forth for miles around till all that was visibly was the twin glowing orbs clutched close to Kin's chest. He stopped, unable to see his path before him, but Darkity was daunted by no darkness and it was her who this time rushed past and stole the fruit.
And so the chase went on, one sibling tricking or thwarting the other as their strength grew and grew under the influence of the fruit. Soon they began to discover skills they had never known before. Darkity found the gift to draw strength from the life around her, and to protect herself with dark auras. Kin found mastery of his own strength such that he could focus and conserve it as never before. The contest became a series of ever greater bursts of light and dark until the very mountains about them began to shatter and drift into the Outer Void, and Statesman himself took notice.
Statesman caused a great weariness to come upon the two Children of Defender and they soon fell into a deep slumber, Kin clutching the golden fruit and Darkity the silver. He then took the fruit and set them in sky above the City, where they continue the chase to this very day. In time all would benefit from their invigorating glow. The children Statesman returned to their mother, who was most displeased. For Darkity had lost her sheep.
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like an epic, uh, ancillary tale...
[ QUOTE ]
*snip*
-TMS who is, I guess... apocrypha.
[/ QUOTE ]
You rang?
I suppose you might call this short sequence of stories The Black Sheep Cycle. Here is part 2.
- Jock Tamson, Baaaaaaa!
Controller and her daughters had the gift of summoning to their aid elemental creatures of fire, stone, ice, light, and even the very fabric of the world. Now Defender and her children had been cursed from the Beginning to not use their greatest gifts for their benefit alone. So it was with great jelousy that the Children of Defender watched the Children of Controller use the gifts Defender once shared with their mother to aid their loyal pets. It was this dark emotion that moved Defender's dark daughter to gain herself a pet.
If Darkity was Defender's dark daughter, then Illusion was Controller's light daughter for it was her gift to weave weapons, traps, and allies from the Luminous Either itself. It was to Illusion that Darkity went to seek her prize. "Do you not like me cousin?", asked Darkity. Sighing in a way that suggested that at this moment she did not, Illusion replied, "Why whatever makes you say that?" Darkity answered thus, "Every day I watch you stride the City aided by the companions you weave for yourself. I watch you strengthen them with gifts you have from my family. You have so much, but do not share with us. So I wonder, is it that you don't like us?" "Of course I like you cousin", said Illusion with little conviction, "what would you have me share?" "Make me a pet!", was the rapid reply. In the pause that followed, there was a twinkle in Illusion's eye.
"Of course dear cousin!" Illusion beamed, "But first you must make me a promise." "Yes?" asked Darkity eagerly. With a stern expression Illusion commanded, "You must swear an Unbreakable Oath to always keep and care for the pet I make you." Her prize in sight, Darkity eagerly did as her cousin asked. Taking some of the darkness that surrounded her cousin, Illusion called on her gifts and wove from the Ether a small black sheep. The sheep and its new mistress stood staring at each other, both looking slightly bewildered. Illusion laughed saying, "Why cousin! It looks just like you!" As she faded from sight, her laughter lingered in the air.
Ah brothers and sisters, someday the other Children of Statesman may learn it is not wise to anger a Child of Defender. As she walked home holding her shivering charge, Darkity's thoughts turned to revenge...
- Jock Tamson, Mythologist
Dun dun dun!!!!!!
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea
I love reading these, but I think you were going for Aether instead of either (or ether)
the only character that I see actually introduced in that story (1st of the dark sheep tales) is Gravity - I think - I recall Darkity and Kin had small parts in an earlier episode.
[ QUOTE ]
I love reading these, but I think you were going for Aether instead of either (or ether)
[/ QUOTE ]
Ah the perils of spell check. Thank you!
- Jock Tamson, Who is a bad speler.
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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Now I've got even less reason to play my precious Zuvaii (claws/regen)... oh well, /wrist.
[/ QUOTE ]
Dood, are you crazy?
Claws+Regen=Profit
[/ QUOTE ]Considering my first practical application of IH+DP was against three spawns of +3 arachnos LTs and minions on invincible while solo, bet yer [censored] I'm crazy.
[/ QUOTE ]
Well, I soloed 3 AVs at once, sans IOs without IH or temp powers.
Top that.
[/ QUOTE ]
rad/sonic solos GMs... at level 30
No
Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo
I think you underestimate our fools, sir.
Why /duel is a bad idea