Causality and Resonance

Greetings and Welcome to the Top Secret Project!

As you can see the majority of the work we'll be doing will take place on the forums. As such it can look rather intimidating at first glance, but really it's just takes getting used to. That said we'll now break things down a bit so you can familiarize yourself in a relatively short amount of time.

Firstly, as you will have heard, this project is brought you by Acclaim, and is directed by none other then David Perry, the genius behind many #1 games and a leading industry professional.

Secondly, as you will have discovered the overall genre of the game we are working to create is racing in an online MMO format. But contrary to popular belief, as we move from task to task, we're taking the racing genre as a base and moving into new territory to make something new and exciting!

Now then, starting out, feel free to introduce yourself in our

Introduction Area!

This is the place were you can tell us a little bit about yourself. Where yo
u're from, what skills your bring with you, and your expectations.Also allows the community to meet and greet you and welcome you to our great community of creative and talented people.

As you have seen, the forums are broken down into various sections, each related to game design and development as well as various discussion areas for related topics from Industry Discussion, to off topic areas for members to just shoot the breeze and talk about anything under the sun.

Milestone 1

Now the main hub of activity related to the content and concept creation and submission takes place in the Milestones section. Each Milestone is broken down into various tasks and discussion areas, which we, as a community complete to add content and elements to the game. At present we are working on the general concepts and elements, as time goes on we will be refining these elements to become core components of the final game.Currently we are on the above linked Milestone 1.

Each task included in the Milestones has instructions and submission requirement information posted at their beginning to help you understand the needs and aims of the respective tasks.

Following along with the areas already listed, we have already accomplished quite a bit, and to get your bearings on what has been completed we have the constantly updated

Design Document

Which lays out the steps we have taken and the elements that have been decided on as well as components we are refining for the final product? Feel Free to read over it as well as the rest of the Wiki for more information.

The Research and Discussion Area

Is the section of the forums dedicated to looking at all manner of ideas in their corresponding sub forums and discuss them, exchange information and analyze them both for either further development in the game, or other ideas for later avenues of creation or simply to learn more. One of the key goals of this project beyond creating one awesome game and community is also the exchange of knowledge and a learning experience for those interested in game design and its various elements.

Community News Site

You will have taken note of the Latest Site News header on the top of the forum, this area is used to inform members of what tasks are opening as well as the dates for when their various phases are completed. A further resource for current community news, is our above linked Community News site. Where news both in regards to project progress, task introductions, as well as related community news is kept current and updated.

Now then, I'm sure this is quite overwhelming at first, so we have begun a new resource to help filling the blanks and answer any questions you might be having.

The Top Secret Mentor Program!

Mentors are community members whom have stepped up to help new users like yourself acclimatize yourself to the top secret Environment and answer any and all your questions. As well as dive in and start helping out almost immediately with support from both our Mentors as well as the community at large.

Lastly we have a great team of Moderators who are always open for questions and are here to help.

So again I bid you welcome and we look forward to having you join us and help us in our MMGDP (Massively Multi User Game Development Project) come to life and deliver one kick ass game to the world!

 I've been asked now by several people as to why the current task group sign ups isn't full of CM people. My answer should be obvious to you guys, but perhaps I should state it anyways, though i suspect you guys know already. We've not going to issue a mandate that you guys join every single taskgroup for every single task. It goes against our Princioples to start issuing, "You must be present for everything" orders. I personally don't want to see you guys burning yourselves out on every single task. Focus on the ones that interest you personally and the ones you feel you have direct and valuable input. When things kick into higher gear and we have several running all at the same time, It's better to focus your efforts to deliver the quality we're known for in direct interest then trying to spread ourselves to thin on some areas were we don't feel we need to show up in just for the sake of showing up in. We're all representative of CM and we're all representing ourselves and our personal interests. So keep that in mind. If you feel you don't have any real interest or nothing to add to a certain task, then kick back and conserve your energy or work to prepare for the future. Cause it's gonna be bright and CM can ride the waves of change, leading the charge on the important issues and delivering quality content and ideas. That's what we're about, stepping up when we have the goods but providing the means to allow others to step up and shine in the community when they have the goods by need a little help getting there. We leverage our own empowerment and we leverage the empowerment of the community at large.

So say we all. 

Card Symbology was the corner stone of his entire culture, his race specialized in the art of card usage, combination and manipulation. It was a craft as old as their race's history and was their leading science as well as the main focus of their magical abilities. Some sects within the core of the Nephilati society focused on different operational aspects of the cards, from breeding manipulation to weapon specialists and spellcraft. He himself was a generalist.

Taking classes in the Nephilati high institute on a diversified path to enable him to combine Symbology with his already exceptional skills as a beast rider. He wanted to be both a warrior and a scholar for his people. to stand against their enemies and yet have meaningful discourse with their allies. Not so different form the path his father had taken before him. The subtle differences lay in those areas they went for. Where his father gained a mastery level not only in combat and tactics, but healing, he sought to attain mastery in breeding and beast enhancement. He didn't have the patience for healing, though he knew how prized and necessary it was for supporting a rider and their beast companion.

With an affectionate hand he patted his dragon's chest upon which he leaned against as he studied. They had bonded when they were both very young, and while he had progressively trained to ride a variety of creatures, Mezohur was by fair his favorite amongst his personal stable. They'd been through many races and trials over the 22 years of life they shared together. Stretching forward he flexed his wings slightly to relieve a cramp from having had them folded against his back for a prolonged period of time. He longed to ride across the open grasslands outside of town. But with another test of his Symbiologic Competency forth coming he knew he had to focus on the task at hand.

"Connecting a web of cards to create a network magic network from strengthening to final weapon discharge, will result in greater damage and better chances of disabling one's opponent" he read aloud from the text he held firmly in his grasp. His final aim was to become an Enforcer, one charged with both protecting his race and city, but also the secrets and lore of both card Symbology and also the Nephilati Race. With attack card methodologies he excelled, but he always knew that during the testing, situations of both complex tactics and increasing difficult if near nigh impossible creature encounters were the main course of the questions he would face.

Coming up both with tried and tested tactics as well as card combination innovations would ensure his progression to another level. With a faint chuckle, followed by a patient sigh, he delved deeper into the text and took that knowledge in while applying it with his own theories to create his strategies of combination, effect, status change and attack. As complex as it was beautiful, Card Symbology was a fine art and he wished and strove to be an artist of great success.

We know where we've been in terms of work done, and selections made, we
know what we're working on now, and we have some hints as to what's to
come. This is all well and good, even though there have been plenty of hiccups, and a great
amount of process discussion. All these things have taken place and are
happening now. But I'd like to move away from that and focus on something
entirely different. That being the question about who "We" are.

We, as the community, are a mass group of people working together to create a
game.

We are a community of aspiring developers, artists, writers, programmers
and various members of other disciplines.

We, as the community, are also the individuals that make up this dynamic
community.

The community we have now is the foundation for the future community for
the game we are trying to make. There has been discussion about how we can
build up our community. I have touched on advertising for this
project to increase the members of our community, for as we grow and gain
new members, we're building up our community talent pool and strength, and
bringing in people to help us work towards our overhead team goal of
creating one kick ass game. But something that's been getting lost
in the translation and process discussions, I think, is our sense of community. We
encourage collaboration, we want to create content and make magic happen.
And sure we don't get along all the time, but as days go by I've seen the community
becoming more and more tight knit. Touching on this community growth,
something that might get lost is that while we're all one big team, we're
all individuals with our own thoughts, our own goals, and our own reasons
for being here. We, as a community, need to build ourselves up to allow not
only ourselves to deliver the best we are capable of, but to allow the
work of our fellow community members to grow and shine with us. That is
the spirit of collaboration, to work together with others to bring about
great results. This trend has been growing and it's a wonderful thing to
see happening.

But we're also losing members. Sure we gain new members, but we've lost
many others, and while it might not get talked about often, or up front,
it is happening. Now who is to blame for this happening? The process,
perhaps in part, which is why there's so much conversation about it. The
choices made? Sure not everyone is going to be happy with the art style we
have, and sure not everyone is happy with the direction we're going with
beasts and cards, or the way all the other hooks are going. But what else, because that
doesn't explain all of it, does it?

I think not. We have and are a community, we are a team, and we are
individuals, So we firstly as individuals must decide what we want out of
this experience and work towards that. We've made friendships and some of
us have joined groups and smaller teams within the ultimate team.
Some see this as a problem, while others, like me, fail to understand the
complaints, but I digress. We are, in the end, on a large team working towards a
goal, and that big team is what forms our overall community. So, as a
community we need to find ways to invigorate and inspire, motivate and
work together, firstly towards our main goal of building one awesome game,
but we also have a chance to build on a great community full of talented
people. We're responsible for our own actions and how they impact our
community, so as a community we need to come together and strengthen
ourselves as a community and team to help not only our creation reach a
successful conclusion, but help our community reach greater and greater
heights.

We can work to strengthen our community and come up with solutions to help
us not lose members during the low points. It's the nature of people to
band together around a certain idea, or a certain goal. We form
friendships and teams and groups, because within any large community,
smaller groupings happen. That's the nature of people, and how large
communities happen and societies are built. This doesn't have to have a
negative effect on the community. Groups and teams help further individual
expression, and allow people to feel more connected, first to the ones
they're close to, and then by extension, to the community at large. We have
started the foundation. The foundation of our community is each of us as
individuals, and then we form our friendships and our collaborations
becoming the roots for the eventual growth of our community, which with
our work and love and a growing awareness and sense of community can
blossom into an even bigger, stronger, and more powerful team to bring the
game we want to make to life.

So I submit to you my team mates, my overall team members, and to my
fellow community residents, help me lead a charge to help strengthen our
community. Let’s build on a foundation to carry us as a strong team into
the tasks and throughout this project to create our kick ass game. The
community we build now will form the core of the community for the game
we finally produce, and the stronger we are from this point onwards, the
stronger we'll be when we launch our game and bring in even more people to
experience our creation. So I ask for you to offer your ideas and
solutions on how to build and strengthen our community, both as individuals,
as groupings, and as our Massive team. The time for complaining I think has
ended. We need to move boldly forward. Together we can accomplish much,
both individually and as a unified community.

I'm ready to take that step forward. Who's coming with me?

•  Name 
Terra Draconis
•  Origin
Within the canyon’s and rocky lands around the planet, born within rock hard eggs.
•  Natural Weapons
:arrow: Claws
:arrow: Teeth
:arrow: Horns
:arrow: Tail
:arrow: Acid Breath – Used to melt rock and metal, as well as damage flesh
•  Terrain
Canyons, Deserts and other rocky terrains and forests, very connected to the planet.
•  Movement
Can walk/run, glide assisted jumps and/or fly, 
• Main Ability
:arrow: Tremor Blast – Can jump and apply its weight and innate connection to rock and ground to cause tremors to damage or disrupt opponents
:arrow: Terrakinesis – Telekinetic control over rocks to fling them or move them.
• Battle Skills and Abilities
Quite strong and able to jump/glide or fly makes it a versatile mount, intelligent but spiritually connected to its rider makes for easier control.Naturally immune to earth.
• Battle Weaknesses
Water is the main threat to this creature as it can cause damage or a fear reaction when faced with direct threat of water based attacks. Large so has difficulty moving through smaller areas without having to take time to make some room.
• Racing Skills and Abilities
A combination of strength attacks of the beast combining with a rider’s skills and weapons, using its abilities to attack or disrupt opponents or delay them through obstacle manipulation. Any rock like obstales would move off the way (something like rock-anti-magnet)
• Racing Weaknesses
Water obstructions or large trees and the like, also can be distracted by precious gems, very found of diamonds and obsidian.
• Saddles
:arrow: Saddle improves control with time.
:arrow: Saddle allows the Rider with freedom of movement to attack other riders with personal weapons.
:arrow: Packs can be attached for storage of picked up/found items/ cards
• Demographic Target
How doesn’t love dragons, be they 12 or 50 everyone loves a good dragon, both genders and any age.
• Credits
:!: Elkhorno artwork of the dragon image, card styling done by myself.
:!: mjuricek77 - rock-anti-magnet
•  What unique qualities does your mount bring to the game
A sense of greater majesty and rare beasts to strive for.

 **

•  Name
Incendia Draconis
•  Origin
Emerging from the tubes of both active and dormant volcanoes, this creature of great strength has causes religions among more primitive natives.
•  Natural Weapons
:arrow: Claws
:arrow: Teeth
:arrow: Horns
:arrow:  Tail
Lava Breath – need I same more? Smokin'
•  Terrain
Moutains, Volcanos, Underground.
•  Movement
Can walk/run, glide assisted jumps and/or fly
• Main Ability
:arrow: Pyrokinesis – Ability to create and manipulate fire, sending powerful blasts at enemy riders and beasts
• Battle Skills and Abilities
Quite strong and able to jump/glide or fly makes it a versatile mount, intelligent but spiritually connected to its rider makes for easier control. Naturally immune to fire.It's body temperature raises with progression of the race, can burn opponents in direct close combat
• Battle Weaknesses
Weak against water attacks, obstacles , snow/ice as well as can be challenged by more heavily armored creatures whom might be fire resistant.
• Racing Skills and Abilities
A combination of strength attacks of the beast combining with a rider’s skills and weapons, using its abilities to attack or disrupt opponents or delay them through obstacle manipulation
• Racing Weaknesses
Large water areas, snow/ice ares can cause both stat weaknesses but also physical damage over time and exposure.
• Saddles
:arrow: Saddle improves control with time.
:arrow: Saddle allows the Rider with freedom of movement to attack other riders with personal weapons.
:arrow: Packs can be attached for storage of picked up/found items/ cards
• Demographic Target
How doesn’t love dragons, be they 12 or 50 everyone loves a good dragon, both genders and any age.
• Credits
:!: Elkhorno artwork of the dragon image, card styling done by myself.
:!: mjuricek77 - Body Temp Battle Skill
•  What unique qualities does your mount bring to the game
A sense of greater majesty and rare beasts to strive for.

**

•  Name
Aqueous Draconis
•  Origin
From the ocean depths this breed emerges from their eggs within the coral reefs and deep crevices
•  Natural Weapons
:arrow: Claws
:arrow: Teeth
:arrow: Tail
Aqua Blast – Concentrated blast of high pressure water
•  Terrain
Oceans, Lakes, rivers and beach areas
•  Movement
Can walk/run, glide assisted jumps and/or swim.
• Main Ability
:arrow: Aquakinesis – Telekinetic ability to manipulate and control water, causing high strong waves, or more focused spirals of water.
:arrow: Acid Rain -[opponent's disclaimer] don't get this baby wet because, it's poisonus body shell mixed with water will create poisonous rain (AOE attack)
[riderwill make dragon shake off of the water]
• Battle Skills and Abilities
Quite strong and able to jump/glide or swim makes it a versatile mount, intelligent but spiritually connected to its rider makes for easier control.Naturally immune to water.
• Battle Weaknesses
Earthen based attacks, cause extra damage as well as intense heat, though it can quell many fire attacks, intense heat or prolonged sunlight can cause damage or stress leading to the beast to move slower/ become weaker.
• Racing Skills and Abilities
A combination of strength attacks of the beast combining with a rider’s skills and weapons, using its abilities to attack or disrupt opponents or delay them through obstacle manipulation
• Racing Weaknesses
Large land areas with low shade, sand obstacles and other ground/rock determents can impede the creature, also can be distracted by precious gems, very fond of blue sapphires.
• Saddles
:arrow: Saddle improves control with time.
:arrow: Saddle allows the Rider with freedom of movement to attack other riders with personal weapons.
:arrow: Packs can be attached for storage of picked up/found items/ cards
:arrow: Oxygen Tanks can be attached to the back of the saddle.
• Demographic Target
How doesn’t love dragons, be they 12 or 50 everyone loves a good dragon, both genders and any age.
• Credits
:!: Elkhorno artwork of the dragon image, card styling done by myself.
:!: mjuricek77 - Acid Rain
•  What unique qualities does your mount bring to the game
A sense of greater majesty and rare beasts to strive for.

**

 

•  Name
Etheric Draconis
•  Origin
Originally believed to have somehow transistions from the dreams of the ancient gods these magnificient creatures now reside in the illusion and sky lands.
•  Natural Weapons
:arrow: Claws
:arrow: Teeth
:arrow: Double Tail
:arrow: Mist Blast – Concentrated blast of high pressure air and ice shards
:arrow: Screech - very high pitch noise that can break any solid obstacles in it's way
•  Terrain
Illusion lands, dream lands, Sky lands
•  Movement
Can walk/run, glide assisted jumps and/or fly
• Main Ability
:arrow: Illusion Magic – Ability to create illusions before a selected opponent to distract or frighten cause them to slow down considerably.
:arrow: Mind Blast - Telepathic attack that causes target disorientation and occasional loss of direction.
• Battle Skills and Abilities
Quite strong and able to jump/glide or fly makes it a versatile mount, intelligent but spiritually connected to its rider makes for easier control.Naturally immune to air/ice.
• Battle Weaknesses
The various elements can damage this creature, though fire/lava is generally the strongest against it to damage it and force loss of concentration.
• Racing Skills and Abilities
A combination of strength attacks of the beast combining with a rider’s skills and weapons, using its abilities to attack or disrupt opponents or delay them through obstacle manipulation
• Racing Weaknesses
Mirrors which can cause it's own attacks to disrupt/distract it. Also more elemental areas impose strict sense of reality which can lesson it's abilities.
• Saddles
:arrow: Saddle improves control with time.
:arrow: Saddle allows the Rider with freedom of movement to attack other riders with personal weapons.
:arrow: Packs can be attached for storage of picked up/found items/ cards
• Demographic Target
How doesn’t love dragons, be they 12 or 50 everyone loves a good dragon, both genders and any age.
• Credits
:!: Elkhorno artwork of the dragon image, card styling done by myself.
:!: mjuricek77 - Screech
•  What unique qualities does your mount bring to the game
A sense of greater majesty and rare beasts to strive for.

**

 

•  Name
Metal Draconis
•  Origin
Scholars have argued the origins of this beast some believe it to be a cross bred Incendia and Terra Dragon, others believe it was the result of gene splicing form aliens or the future.
•  Natural Weapons
:arrow: Claws
:arrow: Teeth
:arrow: Horns
:arrow:  Tail
:arrow: Fully Armoured
:arrow: Plasma Breath – need I same more? Lazers go pew pew
•  Terrain
Land areas and sky zones.
•  Movement
Can walk/run, glide assisted jumps and/or fly
• Main Ability
:arrow: Telekinesis – Ability to create and manipulate inanimate objects, sending them flying at enemy riders and beasts or moving obstacles infront of the same.
:arrow: Charge - would result in "shaking" of any metal ojbect, make it difficult for opponents to use their weapons
• Battle Skills and Abilities
Quite strong and able to jump/glide or fly makes it a versatile mount, intelligent but spiritually connected to its rider makes for easier control. Naturally immune to projectile weapons
• Battle Weaknesses
Weak against water attacks and electro magnetic attacks, obstacles , snow/ice.
• Racing Skills and Abilities
A combination of strength attacks of the beast combining with a rider’s skills and weapons, using its abilities to attack or disrupt opponents or delay them through obstacle manipulation
• Racing Weaknesses
Large water areas, snow/ice ares can cause both stat weaknesses but also physical damage over time and exposure. As well as electrical zones and magnetic displacements/ gravity fluctuations.
• Saddles
:arrow: Saddle improves control with time.
:arrow: Saddle allows the Rider with freedom of movement to attack other riders with personal weapons.
:arrow: Weapons systems can be attached. ie Missle packs, etc.
:arrow: Packs can be attached for storage of picked up/found items/ cards
• Demographic Target
How doesn’t love dragons, be they 12 or 50 everyone loves a good dragon, both genders and any age. Also the mecha related crowds.
• Credits
:!: Elkhorno artwork of the dragon image, card styling done by myself.
:!: mjuricek77 - Charge
•  What unique qualities does your mount bring to the game
A sense of greater majesty and rare beasts to strive for.

With everyone scrambling to fill in the forms for both beasts and characters, something to keep in mind, there's always room to spruce up your art. Mind you i'm not talking about tackling your artist to the ground and force em to tickle that one stray line, though I suppose you could go that route. I'm meaning more take a look at it, maybe add some colour, throw on a bit of last minute text or decorate the shiznat out of it. It's not so much to put forward the idea on a srtonger footing, though that can result, but also just adding to your talent, show a little extra thought and go the distance to make yourself and your idea shine brighter then it already does. Sure we're not getting paid for any of this, but consider it a life lesson , going the extra distance on the free things, can become habit forming to do the extra miles in other areas of your life, work, and play. Things can always use some extra refining, perfection is what we strive for, but never achieve, but when you've got the time, drop the extra dime into the machine and see what happens.

The city was brightly lit, even at this hour of evening, humanity continued it's bustle on the streets below, automobiles buzzed down crowded streets, pedestrians walked, ran or simply strolled in whichever direction they desired. Even in this human mediocrity he found excitement, vibrancy of life and the continual wonder that is man, also he felt infinite sadness. From his perch, high above the street ways and sea of people he watched in silence, unseen by those below, unseen even by any whom on odd coincidence might look towards the rooftops of the skyscrapers, man's vain attempts at reaching upwards towards heaven, almost at times in seeming defiance. He was there yet not, communizing with the world, but not part of it. His prismatic blue eyes absorbed the sights below, his ears hearing in every muttered word or simple breath of the people on the ground. While his mind wandered over introspection of his feelings and his emotions, he had no concrete thoughts with which to truly focus apon, though deeper still within him, he felt his longing to again be held or at least in the presence of Ainsley. Though their parting from that tormented moment of his existence and the various happenings of then seemed a distant memory, like an emotion hidden from view or a fuzzy and blurred photograph, his emotions nor his missing and longing for her had not diminished in the least. Caught up in his thoughts he'd failed to hear the appearance of another, the soft hush of folding wings, nor the rustle of fabric as the other walked closer to him were simply meshing with the vague remembrances which he was struggling to make more vivid and clear.

"Are you still flirting with darkness Cyrano, is falling from His grace so attractive?" Said a deep basso voice behind him, he turned abruptly, surprised by being caught so unaware and deep within his personal remonstrations. His eyes sought out the face of the speaker, surprised yet again at whom it was. His prismatic blue eyes met the dark smoke grey orbs of the speaker. visibly older then himself there were lines apon the others face, etched either from years of stern looks or expressions of deep compassion. Even with the looks of wisdom in the ageless eyes, the other still held a full head of rich coloured brown hair, which was strung up in a lengthy pony tail, held together by a golden cord. Pristine white wings folded against the other man's back gave evidence both of what the other was as was himself, for his own wings were still wrapped around him. His own were largely as beautiful white as the other save for a marring patch of black feathers apon his left wingtip. Garbed in a long ankle length grey trench coat either side adorned with a single red cross, the man stood with his arms folded across his chest as he regarded the younger angel, looking on expectantly of an answer.

"I am neither flirting with anything, nor attracted to becoming one of the Fallen, Caeleb. I simply... I simply seek to understand, understand both my place in Angelicum and understand the sense of things. Apon this world which He has crafted, humanity suffers, it grows yes and progresses and yet there is continual suffering. The Fallen, and many other dark things reign almost unchallenged, Lucif and the rest of the Usurpers make more gains and corrupt more of humanity, then those whom turn to The Father. And yet even with all the creatures both of darkness and the other entities of light moving about on this plane. We, we continue on as we always have, Yes we fight with the Fallen and other creations of Evil, usually only when it intrudes on our own projects, When it moves more wildly or brakes the Covenant between Him and Lucif, or when our own are attacked. And yet the suffering continues, and largely we do ... nothing. I simply seek to understand, to understand why it is necessary for Humanity to suffer great horrors and tragedy , why it is believed that for Man to come to know Him and to seek Him, Man must first suffer pain. Why those whom are proven to be faithful are continually tried and put through tribulation, is not their Faith enough?" He paused not watching the expression of the other, but continuing to vent his thoughts, his questions, his concerns.

"And if any of Angelicum... or even... if Anyone truly believes that Lucif and the Fallen truly follow the Covenant of the Innocent, is a fool, of course they do not seek to corrupt children. They scarcely need to, they corrupt the parents, thus in turn corrupting the children. Tell me, tell me Caeleb, how many souls of children have you guided in this year alone? I simply seek to understand it all, and as hard as I try I cannot, and yes my faith wavers, yes I do not know my place, but I can not find anything until I understand, even a portion of what I don't. You guide and collect the faithful to Him, Odion battles the Fallen and others only when told to do so, so many of our kind do as their bidden, and yet I have never been given anything, I am the Angel adrift, the Seraphim without calling. Am I distasteful? Am I meant to Fall?" He trailed off and looked away, down again at the moving mass of humanity, feeling as lost as many of those whom sought for that unidentifiable something below.

"You don't flirt with darkness, you dance with heresy as your partner and are attracted to Blasphemy Cyrano!" The other exclaimed, shaking his head with a heavy sigh. He hated seeing any of the Host in such states, many had been in a situation such as this, he well knew, he had once had many questions before he'd been chosen as a Collector. Yet Cyrano pushed the boundaries to much, skirted the edge like an unbalanced comet caught between two gravities both seeking to make it smash itself apon one surface or another. Reaching out he placed his gloved hand apon Cyrano's shoulder and spoke softly before departing. "Tread carefully brother, I know you do not seek to Fall, I know it within my heart, but even though you mean to understand, do not let your quest bring you more understanding then you wished for..." Without another word Caeleb vanished the warmth of his hand the only thing that remained of his presence a mere breath before. Sighing in kind Cyrano knew that while Caeleb meant every word, and was not trying to be patronizing nor insulting, still he felt alone in his thoughts, misunderstood, or even unwanted even by his own Brethren.

The only comfort he'd ever found had been when in Ainsley's company and now she too was gone, and he thought, or perhaps felt, that perhaps even she wished to no more be entangled with him, to get caught up should he Fall. He did not wish to , he wanted to serve, to bring light and love to the humanity of which he loved. Even now since that first day he'd broken down and wept, he could no longer commune with the Lord. He did not feel forsaken, not yet, though he felt the estrangement like a deep wound within his soul. Perhaps she was right and he was being put on trial for some greater unknown purpose, yet who could that be so, he did not feel worthy of anything, given his thoughts and yes how close they were to heresy and blasphemy. He did not dare entertain the thought of seeking answers elsewhere, though he knew of only one source whom might have something, he would not be tempted, he would not, could not seek out Lucif. With another sigh, he curled his legs to him, resting his emotionally weary head apon his knees, again wrapping his stained wings about him as he returned to watching humanity. The moon hung high above him, and the stars cast out their light across the cosmos, and for a moment it seemed that their light had a sad cast to them, shining within the sky in a silent vigil with the Seraphim whom wept.

Tears stained his face, the gleam of salt remaining on his cheeks even as he turned his eyes heavenward, he could think of no better reason for his tears other then the clamour of uncertainty in his mind. He wished not to be as he was but he had no more control over his thoughts then he had over opinion of his own kin. He'd tried to simply keep himself from view, but with his kind that was an exercise in futility, one or all could find him within a single heart beat, and simply be there. He had no where to hide, no where to turn for comfort, so he struggled onward in his search for answers as best he could. He did not expect there to be any, he didn't want to ponder the possibilities of never finding anything other then a path that lead him further still away from the Lord. Yet he could not simply push away the discontent he felt, surely there was some reason the seeds of near heresy had been planted within his mind. Perhaps he was truly tainted, somehow corrupted by the Dark, seeping into him due to his long time fascination with humanity. He dismissed this immediately, for had such a thing taken place he would have known, he would have fought against it, he would not have simply let it occur. He was not so disenchanted as that, not yet at any rate, looking once again on the city below, he felt the heat of the sun as it swam across the sky , how long he had wept and simply been bothered him, that so many hours had simply passed unnoticed.

Standing slowly on the edge of the roof top he stretched to his full dignity, his marred wings spreading out behind him as he worked out the kinks of being in one position overlong. Despite all the gifts given onto his kind, even they suffered from being stuck in one place for far to long. Had any human eye taken sight of him, he might well have looked like just another statue on just another building. Breathing in a heavy sigh he leapt from the side, his wings fully unfurled to allow him a strong down stroke and take flight. He was just as capable to simply move from one place to another, crossing the globe at a thought, and yet he wanted to take a longer look apon the city he had been watching, to see it from the birds eye, for he knew he'd stayed too long and needed to seek another place to contemplate and be alone. Or at least have the fiction and false security of aloneness for that was all he was really accorded, no angel was truly alone, but then it occurred to him, he could not commune with the Lord, thus in essence he was as alone as he could conceivably be.

He'd once thought of joining the undercover ranks, to take on full human form and interact and watch from the front lines, be for such an assignment it required sanction from both God and nomination by the council of the Arch. He'd never proceeded with making an application, he'd held back, determining for himself he was unsuitable, it would be too likely that he would use his gifts to aid as much of humanity as he could and that would breech the none interference laws, he knew that at times independent action was always applicable in given situations but to give freely to every situation would bring about stiff censure, so he decided it would not work and his nature was already well known and likely gossiped about within the halls of heaven.

He watched her walk down the dimly lit hallway, her hips swaying from side to side much akin to the swing of a well timed pendulum. His eyes he couldn't help but to fix on the rhythmic motion of her walking away from him. His sandy blonde hair shifted with each little breeze that entered from the open window beside him, the heavy scent of the ocean down below filling his nose even as he gazed after her. It amazed him sometime just how disarming his sister could walk. It didn't summon up any hint of sexuality within him, more this fascination was for his curiosity on women. His sister was a shining example of how women utilize the weapons they possessed within and of their own bodies. He watched her when she moved through the town on her way to the academy or back home. The townsmen and younger boys would all stop what their doing and become like medusa's statues when confronted with the meticulously timed rocking of Sadira's hips.

The women within the town watched as well their faces conveying envy and disgust, hatred and occasionally lust as well. While he, he simply watched to learn more of this weapon, to attempt to prepare himself in case some woman at some point used it against him and he could become impervious to this particular charm. As he watched his sister recede into the dark turn at the end of the hall, he could hear her chuckling back at him, watching as she turned in a swirl of her crimson dress before she called back down the hall to him.

"If you keep your eyes glued to me like that Tryst, I might start thinking you're a suitor not my brother." He blushed furiously and wiped his head away form her to stare out the window. She always knew just when to tease him, knowing full well, what he was thinking and that she was proposing an impossibility. The very idea of incest disturbed him on many levels, his sister and himself were twins, they were born only moments apart and shared many qualities of personality. He loved his sister dearly, but the thought of that loving being something obscene such as her teasing suggested was down right nonsense. Listening as her laughter rippled back to his ear as she vanished down the turn in the corridor he could only shake his head and laugh

. Sadira was a pain and he found more often then not he would have great pity and sympathy for the man that would someday marry his devious sister. The crashing waves down below the window and smells of salt and sea brine soothed away his blushing and relaxed him as he let his thoughts wash out. The castle sitting perched on the cliff side, stood like a stone titan, watching over the town below. The blue-green waters of the Midsel ocean crashing up against the rocks below was a soothing sound, and from his view out the window he could watch the bright moonlight sparkling off the white foam of the breakers. The evening air though charalistically damp was warm as usual given the climate. How he loved evening such as this when the castle was quiet and the only sounds to be heard was the foundry on the other side of the castle where the blacksmiths toiled till nearly mid hour and the ocean. Across the town way the academy buildings sat , the greatest institute of learning on the whole of their island, where the sciences and majik was taught in tandem to any student common or noble whom possessed the required intelligence. It was among many other things one of the defining features of his father's barony.

His father had insisted that the abilities and benefits of education be not only available to the nobility, but also to people over whom he ruled. It had caused a great stir throughout the whole of the kingdom at first, until of course come the periodic tithes to the Grand King were delivered to the kingdom's capital city of Pharshia did the fruits of his father's decision become evident. His father pointed out to the Grand King and the gathered nobles, Dukes, Barons and so forth down the ladder of ruling chaste that smart people produced better commodities and wealth for all. While the heavy conservative elements of the kingdom, especially the Dukes and Marquis whom still employed the archaic serf workers objected nearly violently to the idea, several of the other ruling nobles adopted his father's stance and their provinces prospered several times better progressively over time as his father's "Radical ways" were implemented. It had been his sister whom had hammered the final point in an argument during the woman's usual domestic council with the Grand Queen when she had rather simply and nearly contritely pointed out

"If clergymen of great church can come from the sons of whores and stable masters, when can not the whores and stable boys be educated as well?" It had causes a shock wave through the woman's council, and also served to cement a relationship between Sadira and the Royal Princess.

The sudden sound of the blacksmiths heavy hammers roused him from his thoughts and he turned again to look down the dark corridor. No one would be up and around at this hour he knew, everyone whom lived in the castle were so accustom to the sounds from the foundry could sleep through the thundering hammers and hiss of the big billows that spurred the forge fires. To him, the timed drops of the hammer on steel were like the ticking of a clock, percise and even had a ring of music. A fluid motion that spoke well of the blacksmith's skill. Moving away from the window, he deicide it was yet still to early for him to be abed, turning down the maze of hallways and down the great spiral stairs of his tower, he made his way leisurely to the great courtyard at the front of the castle. the gardens that grew in and around the sides and within the middle of the yard gave off their own distinctive odors, which mingled with the night air of the sea.

Stepping through the great doors which always remained open during the summer, the guards on either side snapped to attention and saluted him as he passed. With a boyish smile he stopped between the two women and gave them a crisp salute and smile before proceeding onward. Behind him as he walked through the yard passed the center roses he could hear their quiet talk and giggles. He was or so he had been told on occasion by his mother and sister a handsome young man, yet he couldn't bring himself to recognize the fact nor did he really see the whispers and looks he received from other women outside his family as being attraction. Whenever he heard similar whispering and giggles from most ladies be they the various noble women or guardswomen and even among some of the commons whom he called friends and classmates at the academy he had it set in his mind they were making fun of him. But that was normal for his age, most young men were self conscious and quite insecure about their appearance.

His father rumbled every now and then as of late that he was in the age when any young nobleman should be settling down for a good and lengthy betrothal to some fitting and beautiful woman. But to Tryst, the thought of courting and especially the idea of marrying was absolutely frightening. he had comment such to Sadira one night the week before and his twin sister laughed in his face and told him, he simply hadn't found the one of whom would change his outlook. He remembered stalking out of her room after calling her a "damned fool", which had only served to make his sister laugh even harder at his blight, which made him feel even more self conscious. He studied women and he found several attractive, there was no mistaking that, he noticed women, but if one were to ever confront him seriously, he felt and knew he would probably run off in terror.

Well there it goes, I wanna scream, shout, jump up and down and point "Fire" "Fire" but I can't. The damn peculiar posistion I'm in presently forces me to keep my silence on certain things, even when I fell the bubbling urge to denounce certain things and generally be a pain in the ass. But I know, sometimes I have to swallow it like so much bile and keep my peace so i can can act later for the greater good. Maybe I am wrong and just don't get what's being sold, but somehow I think that's unlikely, but whatever, things will go forward with or without my input so i have to hold the line and not let it get to me.

If things go as I anticipate and predict I'll be the first to stand up and say "I told you so" If I'm wrong well then I suppose it invalidates my claims of intelligence and I'll say sorry later, if I remember too.

Sometimes there are just some things that escape me, especially when I see something and other intelligent people see it, and yet the whole do not. Maybe it's just how my brain works. Who knows , I can only keep on, keepin' on.

Tears, hot wet salt laden droplets, they slowly roll down over my cheeks, moving to trail blaze over my flesh and seek freedom when they break off and fall from my chin to splash almost obscenely on the floor in glee. Like so many things they seemed to want to get away from me, to complete my loneliness, leaving me to my sorrows and my shames. Already there was a puddle gathered apon the floor underneath my head as I remained kneeling, the side of my face pressed against her cold marble statue. Where else could I turn, she had always been my only solace , this beautiful creature of marble, some lost artists personification of an Angel. I had spent so much of my life, holding her as I did now, pouring out my heart to my marble goddess. As a child I had always envisioned that she would sometimes stroke my hair, but as I grew older I knew that couldn't be for she was as always just a thing of marble, no matter how much my heart and mind wished she were to come alive and hold me. Take away my fears, calm my aching heart or simply tell me of love and offer me some light in the dark of life. I was never pointed to for rational thought, growing up the children around me always teased me and called her my girlfriend, and to them I would say "So what, least mine's pretty and hasn't broken my heart." Which was true and remains true for how can one so lovely and of course not living do anything to harm me. She always offered me quiet peace, and a place to cry, someone to hold on to when I felt alone and scared.

Sill the tears , those fevered particles of water that flowed out of my body as I cried fell. time never moved when I was with her, my Angel, minutes became hours, hours became days and I felt an eternity of peace even when I was crying or raging about the trials of life and the injustices of the world, I still felt at peace when I clung to her. My rock, she was, my marble anchor that kept me from delving into bittersweet madness. My heart, that small muscle that moved my blood about was broken, I could almost feel the tiny shards of it digging into the skin, trying to get out away from the dead core of my body. My soul, my soul already fled me, I knew this and I was left with only a shell. This shell that wept, that gave it's moisture to the ground here within the cemetery, no one bothered me here, it was only ever my Angel and me. I didn't believe in God, I had no strong Christian morals, or even any belief in the bible and it's teachings. I could care less who ran the universe, for my world, the world that enclosed my days was dark and their seemed no guiding hand in any of it. Unless I was meant to suffer and some being greater then I took torment in my suffering. Again out of some unknown whimsy, as my eyes remained closed, the hot tears moving in their natural progression down my cheeks and onward to freedom I felt my hair being soothed." Only the wind, how I wish it were you my Angel, it's only the wind" I uttered as I choked back a sob, a broken hearted sound that I poured so many of my wishes to come to be, that her white marble hand would suddenly come alive and her delicate fingers would gently glide through my hair.

Even more tears, beckoned out by hushed whimpers and heaving sobs, the physical river of my emotions moved with the pull of gravity. I wanted for it to end, for I knew within myself my true desire was a futile thing born of agony and childish fantasy, and I would finally lay down to rest, die as I wanted at my Angel's feet, and perhaps then I would go on to her true embrace. For such an ethereal beauty must reside beyond the tangible and perhaps only through the veil of death. I shuddered and my arms tightened around her waist, her marble skin was no longer cold, but felt warm against my tempered flesh, the heat of my body and broken emotions felt being shared with her lifeless form. Again I felt that caressing in my hair, and I so wanted to believe it was happening though I knew it simply couldn't be and my sobs grew. How I ached for just even the slightest real touch from my Angel, even a small tap apon my pain filed head would ease so much but I knew it was for naught. I could feel the knife hilt against me knee, I had left it laying beside me, for I had come there again to end my life, to try seeing my Angel on the other side. But once I had arrived there again, looking at her beautifully sculptured face I lost my will to do it, I couldn't carry out such an act before my Angel, nor more then I could do it without her. Thus it was the Tears, hot wet salt laden droplets, began to slowly roll down over my cheeks, moving to trail blaze over my flesh and seek freedom when they break off and fall from my chin to splash almost obscenely on the floor in glee.

 I'm going to slowly bring out some of my old posts from free form rp writing to energize myself and others for when we do storyline work for TS and other projects. Maybe we'll see p an area for more in depth work over time if people feel a need, thus the following is an old work for one of my oldest online storylines.

 *****

There was a soft stir of air, carrying with it a cold sensation of familiarity even before his eyes opened. Like some distant half remembered dream fragment, long since suppressed, it stirred his awareness. With a slow flutter that seemed to disturb dead air, his eyes slowly opened. Unsure even with the sensation within, he did not risk exposure to too much light, though as his vision started to focus, the precaution was largely unnecessary. For he was simply created with more darkness, his eyes taking in what trace amounts of light there were around him. He could see very little, save the faint pulse of stars trying vainly to penetrate heavy, angry looking clouds which covered the sky. Something fell against his cheek, so softly it felt almost like a snow flake, yet as his awareness grew, he knew it was not cold, but rather quite temperate. Where he was, remained a mystery, no matter how vaguely familiar, he could see nothing but dark sky. As his eyes came fully into focus, he could see more of the small particles falling towards or around him. He was laying apon the ground, he realized, for beneath his hands he felt marble, scarred marble, not polished smooth, but rough as though poorly treated by time and people. Reaching up a hand to attempt catching one of the falling specks, he felt it touch his palm only to crumble instantly, rubbing it with his opposite finger, it yielded it's identity to him, ashes.

"Ashes...."

He spoke softly to him, as he moved to push himself up to a sitting position, his head swiveling in various directions to survey the area around him, only to see nothing but darkness, impenetrable darkness save for the sky and falling ash. He shook his head then and cautiously struggled to stand. His body felt incredibly weak, as though he'd been hammered to the ground by a giant mallet repeatedly. He felt extremely weary, his physical energy depleted as badly as he felt beaten. He made a vein attempt to try summoning forth enough power to both heal himself somewhat and to generate some light to see by. He gasped softly in shock when nothing happened, his majik, something that was almost central to his entire being simply did not exist. he could not sense it within or sense any outside of himself. Like being mute to sound and speech, he felt nothing beyond dead tired and thoroughly thrashed. he shook his head rapidly, trying to perhaps rattle his brain to wake himself up from this seeming nightmare. Which only served to cause a throb behind his eyes. Muttering a curse, he tried again to reach within and call out his majik, again nothing happened save a growl within his stomach.

"I advise against continuing to try that, you'll only make your headache worse."

A very familiar voice said from behind him, with no small difficulty he struggled to turn about and see whom it was he expected to see. Even with the small movement it required, it caused him to be dizzy, and he staggered to one side before he caught himself with a grunt. His eyes had shut while he'd tried not to fall on his face, and he opened them again slower this time then before. He was rewarded then with the rather bizarre image of two orbs of liquid seeming metal. No not metal, but deep, infinite shades of grey; he told himself. Blinking as the orbs seemed to hang in the air of their own accord he coughed as he inhaled ash and air before he managed to speak.

"Darius...Darius is that you?" A grunt came followed by the voice again from the area of the two suspended orbs of shifting grey.

"Disturbing isn't it, feeling so powerless, so unstable." It was the closest to disdain he had ever heard from that voice. He blinked in response both to the words then the sight that altered before him. Light seemed to leak from the grey orbs, and while he looked on, what were orbs soon became the deep ageless eyes set within the handsome face of the Deity he'd known since birth. Again the words Darius spoke echoed in his mind and the tone and inflection of them. He had never heard Darius speak so before in his entire life, and the fact it was directed at him made him shiver at the implications. He found he had taken a step back from the Deity, unintentional as he'd never felt threatened before, yet the fact remained, he felt very threatened in that moment.

"I..... I don't understand." Was all he offered in reply, he was off balance physically and mentally, taken so aback that he could think of nothing more to say.

"No I suppose not" Darius shook his head, then looked hard at him, and he felt as though the grey eyes were cutting deep craters into his soul. Darius shifted his gaze then from him to the sky, the ashes fell around them both as the Deity again spoke. Though Darius' voice shifted from disdain to almost sympathy. "You really have no idea what has happened or what is truly happening." It wasn't a question, it was a plain statement of fact, to which he could only nod slowly, mindful as he was of his throbbing brain. With a casual seeming wave of his hand the terrain of darkness around them shifted. The change was instantaneous and he was painfully aware of just how much power the Deity possessed, another bolt of fear rain through him.

Even as intensely as he felt that fear, it was supplanted by shock, awe, and disbelief. Turning carefully around he looked at the scene that now lay around them. First he saw the ruins, recognition came without a second look, they stood in what was left of his personal sanctum within the Palace complex. High atop the main structure had been the domed ceiling and walls of his personal conference room. But as he saw around him, only charred walls remained and the dome was a gaping hole with jagged teeth around the edges. Large sections of the walls were gone and he could see the burning remains of the capital below. It was almost surreal, for he remembered only what seemed like moments before waking in darkness the vibrant city. The busy aerial and ground traffic of his people and visitors from other worlds moving about. Now he could see nothing but destruction and felt deep down that nothing lived save himself and Darius on his world.

"What the fu..." Darius silenced him with another gesture and though he thought nothing more could happen to shake his grip on sanity and reality the cityscape around the sanctum vanished into darkness and a circle of large crystal spires rippled into existence. Formed in a circle all around them. Yet none of that had cause him the fresh quake of fear and astonishment. His physical condition practically forgotten he spun about frantically his eyes darted in their sockets. Within each crystal spire stood Soulfires. Trapped in repose like statues within statues. He  recognized his father Anjelus then his children Teirnan and Orchid instantly, then Damascus the interloper from another dimension. As he moved around the circle, he strained to see details. Upon the spire of each Soulfire their name was inscribed in gold.

"Caspian? Epiphany? Roznine? Erasmus? But Erasmus has been dead for almost four hund..." His voice failed at the incomprehensibleness then his mind went absolutely blank. The last spire made his head spin and he fell to his knees, a ragged cry caught between denial and escape apon his lips. Within was someone that could not possibly be, yet the gold lettering stated simply and accurately "Daire" The disbelief that overcame his psyche drew a deep well of terror and panic out him as he staggered to rise and turn back to Darius wasn't born from the seeming body of his own within the crystal, but from a raging sense of guilt and utter familiarity of a similar scene buried inside his memories. He had seen himself in that crystal spire before, he knew it down to his core, yet the why , how and when answers were blank. "Darius...The..fuck.." he managed to croak. "Who or what the fuck are they, what is fuck is happening, what the fucking hell have you done??" he found strength at last a product of his attempt to turn his shock and guilt into anger and directing it as the source that made even a small margin of sense in the chaos presented to him.

"What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE?" Darius boomed at him, the Deity's voice seemed to echo from the very edges of the universe and drove Daire to the ground like a wave of force. "Look around you again, There is your family, your father, your children, your ancestor and even," Darius pointed at the spire holding Epiphany "your yet to be grand daughter and grand son." Darius lifted Daire off the ruined marble by will alone and turned him helplessly from spire to spire. "You did this, no you do not yet appreciate things in full." Darius paused long enough to flick a hand outward, the scene altered from the bizarre surreal scene into for Daire something truly chaotic and insane. In all directions from the original circle countless spires rose up, each containing another Soulfire down through history and into the yet to come. "Look well, this is your entire line in both directions of time. You and you alone have caused this" Daire tried to shut his eyes, tried to escape into his own mind, but the will of Darius held him as firmly in the mental as it did in the physical, with no escape he screamed in the agony the sight caused him.

"Me, How, I could never do this, this is not real, it cannot be, this is not my reality!" Darius dropped him as suddenly as he picked him up, leaving him in a crumbled heap on the ground while he wept. One moment, then several more passed before he could even gain marginal control of himself and he lifted his head. The countless spires were gone only the inner circle remained and Darius watched him for a moment more before speaking.

"In that you are correct, yet not in the way you believe. No this is not your reality, it never was, this is his reality." Darius pointed at the Daire within the spire.

"What, that, that can't be possible, I remember...I remember my entire life!" Daire objected weakly, "I remember being born, I remember it all."

"No, you remember his life from before you came, and you remember what you have since done. None of it since you came should have happened, and you, your presence has nearly destroyed this tangent, this true reality, on the verge we stand now. The very precipices of destruction looms before us." Darius looked hard again at him and the grey eyes took on once more the consistence of liquid titanium before hardening to what could only be called as solid time itself. Daire pushed himself up to sit at least on the marble, his head shaking as he denied within his mind over and over the Deity's words. yet inside, in that buried substance of memory lost and suppressed he felt Darius' words rang with the solid power of truth.

"Before? Before I came, came from where? What the fuck are you talking about? If I came from somewhere, how is it that I remember his life as you put it." he looked at Darius and his own eyes filled with a colour of their own. Not at all intense of powerful, but filled with his plea of explanation of truth and mingled with the struggling denial he tried to hold on to.

"You, are not from this tangent, this reality, you never were. You came from a dead end happentrack, one of those could have been realities. So far removed from this one in aspects yet temporally very close. It took even I time to finally piece together the truth of it all, and for all that only now in these the final moments before this tangent ends have I been able to intervene." Darius paused and looked around before he once again flicked his hand outward and the scene changed. Shifting into darkness, Daire felt motion at a stand still, it was familiar. Though he himself could move through the Eternium to other worlds and other times, this seamless transition was beyond him as the sun was beyond a simple lit match. The sensation of motion ceased and around them reality flickered to a chamber far within the Palace complex, obviously in a time passed for it was n pristine condition, save for the crystal spire that still held his duplicate. This place more then any other he had thus far witnessed was the most familiar and most alien of all. Darius finally spoke again once the Deity and Daire became fully and flawlessly inserted in the present Linear moment.

"This is where it all started, this is where you came and started the ripple effect that is, will destroy the truth tangent you were never meant for. Before that however, one more part of an answer for you. While you initiated the destruction that will, is coming you did not cause yourself to come here. That was my kin's fault. In your home reality, your dead end tangent that ceased to exist though you were removed from it was brought about long ago and far away during the Infinity Wars. Your appetite for destruction and the shards of Chaos's power eruption at the moment of his death caused you to come here. That much at least you are blameless, but what you did afterward however is another story."

The explanation thus far cause him to shake his head at Darius for he spoke of events that were beyond his memory or hidden within it. Save for the appetite for destruction, that he knew had once been reality for he remembered that hungry, that dark time when he was killing anyone and everyone he came across for the shear pleasure of it. Yet, that was due to the illness hadn't it, the one that had almost killed him several times, that Damascus had brought upon him. Looking again at Darius, he turned his head from side to side in confusion.

"No Damascus caused me to be that way, caused me to change when he broke into the tangent! If what you say is truth how is it I remember so much, and overcame that dark filth injected in me?" Denial was powerful, and he tried to hang on to it as tightly as he could against the echoing chimes of Darius' truths.

"Damascus isn't the interloper, he belongs in this tangent, it was your coming that forced him out into yet another tangent which had twisted him. Your coming corrupted everything and sent ripples across this reality throughout time. You overcame the darkness you say? Hardly, you projected it, your corruption was forced out of you and it infect the ones whom belong here. It was your corruption that sent Teirnan to kill billions on the frontier worlds. It was your corruption across this space time that killed Caspian, Epiphany, Roznine, and Erasmus. They are all from a time before and a time yet to come that this tangent brought into play early by Tempus Aquaria's own will to correct this tangent from your intrusion. It was the Time Stream herself that brought Damascus back, damaged as he was, to correct her child. But enough of this, first , first you must see the beginning." A new flick of a hand and Darius activated a vid screen beside them, it showed the same chamber they occupied, yet different. It was in the true temporal moment, not this side junction of Darius's will and Daire watched the screen in muted awe.

He watched as he saw the chamber shimmer as though a massive heat wave filled the chamber then a jagged seam of multifaceted light erupted from nowhere, the hallmarks of a rip in the Linear and he watched as an image of himself stormed out of the tear. He gurgled as the realization of familiarity and the expression this image Daire bore. For it was the death lust, the image Daire's eyes were a continuous blood red. The angle of the event altered to follow this Daire's back as image Daire seemed to peer around before giving a satisfied growl. What followed next made no sense at all, or none that he could discern, for image Daire bent before a strange yet eerily familiar console and typed in a command with sadistic giggling glee. When the command was executed the video display before him and Darius blurred and went to total static. When it cleared it displayed the scene that had shocked him entirely moments before, it portrayed image Daire seemingly gloating before a spire of crystal, the spire that held, what he could only find to call, True Daire.

"What... what was that command, that computer...I.. I feel I know it, yet I.... I don't" He asked Darius, turning as the vid screen went blank. He tried to dig it out of his memory, out of it's buried place in his mind, but could not. "And you still haven't answered how it is I know so much if I am this demon from some dead time you say I am?" Darius pointed away from them to a corner of the room within which they were. turning to look Daire rested his eyes on the odd computer terminal, it's projected 3d screen frozen in the moment from hence he'd watched image Daire imputed whatever command it was. He walked to it, his hands trembling violently as his memory played hide and seek with his conscious thought, and he forced himself to read the words displayed, a gasp followed as he finally brought himself to read the glowing letters. "Dark Soul Agenda Initiated."

The Dark Soul Agenda, he spoke again inside his mind , and the memories locked away flared into being within his mind. It was a doomsday program, created with only intention of a last defense against Intrusion from greater powers within the original Soulfire tangent, before all the happentracks and divergence caused by the fall of Infinity and her children during the Infinity Wars. It was buried within each happen track, a consistence piece in the scattered puzzle of temporal reality's that came after the War. It would lock away all true Soulfire's beginning with the current King and down through the tangent from start to finish and replace them with the Dark Souls, opposites that would fight with the ruthlessness required to defend the tangent or destroy it to save it from being dominated by pure evil intelligences. yet used as he had done it. Could corrupt the timeline and grant the outside user control.

"Fuck"

"Yeah, Fuck" Darius replied bluntly as Daire turned back to face him, he could no longer deny any of it, for he remembered it all. Even however in remembering, questions remained, and while the memories came to be, he did not revert to his true nature, which made no sense, since logic should dictate , that with regression of mind came regression of being. One answer came to him in that same instant; with the DSA initiated, logic goes right out the window.

"I know all this is real now, yet, why am I not who I was, or should be .... how is it that even as the Tempus Aquaria tried to repair things, by whatever means you said and ones you didn't, I should have been unalterable, that was the true chaos code of the Agenda." Darius nodded at him for that was supposed to be the case. On many other happentracks, the DSA had happened and those tangents dead-ended. then Darius spoke as he brought forth another positional transition, back to the ruined sanctum and the circle of spires.

"They altered you Dairisian" the Deity pointed to the various core Soulfires of the true Linear and the use of Dairisian's true name form became apparent, it flooded him with more memories of his real past in his long since dead home reality, of murder, torture, rape and many other unspeakable, and to him as he was in that moment, disgusting crimes. Darius returned his gaze to Dairisian and spoke matter of factly. " They whom are within yet cut off from their own reality changed you by the truest strength of the Soulfire quantum genetic strength, By their will and their purest emotion." Pointing to each in turn Darius named each case, " Epiphany, with her melancholy, her heart's yearning to not be the last surviving, but to be surrounded by the family she fought across time to save before she was taken in by the Agenda. Caspian, with his love for both Kalilya and his yearning to be with his parents, Damascus , for his plea for healing and redemption from what he had become during his exile. Teirnan, with his pure heart and innocence which was destroyed by his Dark Soul Opposite. Orchid, his desire to be true and honourable. Roznine, for his wish to be found by his family which he never knew. Erasmus, and his dedication to safe guard his families future with his personal sacrifices." Darius lastly pointed at the Daire within the crystal.

"And lastly, Daire, the one you supplanted and replaced, he was the instrument by which altered you so completely, for even as you stole his place, his life and sought to destroy everything and everyone he loved, He forgave you. And his capacity to love in itself, he filled you with his memories and essence, in hopes of saving everything. Yet he could not, and he can not save this tangent. This reality, which is moments now about to cease, which I can no longer hold back for even I am limited by the Agenda, neither they nor I can fix it. Even Tempus Aquaria can do nothing for her child now, and she mourns where none of us may reach to console her, New tangents form from each tear, but these will be places of sorrow for eons. Only one may save this reality, only you Dairisian hold the power to return all things to order." Dairisian shook his head, he knew not how, he had only ever learned how to activate the Dark Soul Agenda, the means by which ending it was lost in long off antiquity, and the means by which he had started it were against it's real purpose twisted by his former true nature.

"Me... I am powerless, I have nothing left, I can do nothing but end with chaos I created. How can I stop what I have begun? The Agenda cannot be stopped, no one save the original Soulfire's knew that and it was never passed on!" Darius' expression altered dramatically as he regarded Dairisian, the faintest smile crossed his lips like some deep secret danced there for a breath of a breath of an instant ten was gone before he spoke, his voice for once soft, almost caressing and his eyes softened back to the flowing sea of ageless liquid metal.

"You can, but will you? To end all this, to restore all things within to their proper being, to return things to the point before you altered it all, you must accept your cessation, you must voluntarily complete the cycle you were meant for in your home dead ended tangent. To stop the Agenda, the Initiator, must quite simply sacrifice their own life."

Dairisian stepped back, and even as he took the moment to consider the answer his former nature surged into awareness, taking duality within himself, screaming that it would never relinquish control, but the altered Dairisian, looked from face to face within the spires around himself and Darius, struggling within, yet pointing around and asking softly.

"What happens to them were I to do this thing?"

"They return to the points within the tangent they belong, all things that have occurred since they were overcome cease to exist and time, for them resumes as though none of this has happened. Where things go from there... who can say, their stories interrupted, thus unwritten, some may cease to exist for they were products of your corruption, only..."Darius smiled faintly at his personal joke "time can tell"

Dairisian stood amongst the chaos he'd created outside and the chaos that fought within him. Altered Dairisian and Former Dairisian battled each other, evenly matched with their opposite sides, one of darkness, the other of forgiven light. He shivered from the intensity , torn inside by his two natures. He hated his former nature, yet his altered nature could not find the strength to do win. Darius watched him in silence, acutely aware as the tangent began to dissolve on he fringes of it's reality. The veil to the Eternium rippled into sight as the tangent degraded, the end coming exponentially. Dairisian looked up and saw the rushing conclusion of what he had wrought. No, he screamed within himself. His altered self reared up as the image of the countless multitude of crystal spires containing Soulfires untold burst into sight on his minds theatre screen. His former nature shrank even from the sight for it struck deep into the barest core pf his soul, that preternatural place where emotions were birthed and the true soul resided.

"No!" he shouted as he embraced the decision that came to him in that resonant moment when he truly was no longer a being of his nature and personality but the elemental creature of Soul fabric. Darius watched the moment with even a deities brand of awe as reality paused. Dairisian brought out the long forgotten essence of himself, his Soulfire igniting for the first time since his lost childhood in a reality which no longer existed. Forming that Soul majik into a blade he committed himself to the task he had chose and plunged the weapon into himself.  Even as the soul blade passed through his physical essence, lanced through his mental essence and into his soul core, he spoke one last time to Darius, the only being whom would remember his words.

"I am...sorry, Darius, for it all... I never thought I could do this, before I would never have, and I would have laughed at the thought. I doubt anyone would think I could change as I have. nor do what I am doing. I sacrifice myself now , not for glory, but to be forgiven, though no one can forgive me for I ... I do not exist." A faint chuckle passed out of Dairisian as the soul blade pierced into his Soul Core and began to sever the corrupted link and remove himself from this tangent had had almost destroyed. "Bet no one saw this coming." As he felt himself dissolve, ceasing to ever be or ever having been, his awareness for one last moment caught something, a voice, that familiar voice speaking. it came just as the last trace of him vanished and the reality that should be restarted.

"I did Dairisian, no matter what you did , had done, or would do, you are still a Soulfire." Darius turned and looked out as the tangent shimmered, and rippled, the crystal spires vanishing across the great planetscape as each occupant was returned to their proper position. He shook his head and allowed himself a sigh of relief and then a chuckle at some deep hidden thought. "I wonder what comes next" he asked into the fabric of renewed reality before exiting the Linear, strolling out leisurely across the length of the Eternium, passing countless realities , temporal tangents and worlds. With another faint chuckle, Darius decided it was time for a nap; it had been , after all, a rather long day.

Finding a place to core dump thoughts and such is of incalcuable value to me. Though I have to keep some things close to the vest in regards to what I do know, I can at least echo most of the sonic booms that go off in my head from time to time. The motion forward has been tricky project wise and my only comfort at times is entrenchment of CM, and watching the phenoms we have grouped together. from our artistic ninjas to our idea smiths and beyond. Seeing them work and create, warms my lil black heart when I see other things around the project that just make me want to scream.

With the inception of CM 2.0 and working to git'er done is a wonderful distraction from the lobbying attempts, advocating and fire suppression I do from day to day. Sometimes I think i get too passionate about things and usually end up either getting burned by the backwash of my own Mana bursts or just disappointed by the lack of cohesion among Boss Camp. Fortunately the community hasn't developed an angry mob mentality as yet, and generally handle the wave so far like surfers rather then grains of sand. Though troublemakers run around like always, the ratio between asshats to intelligent beings is in the right sides favour.

So I think pushing forward with the CM agenda is going to help me maintain my sanity while i balance the other things going on. We'll continue to kick ass and take names, as we develop our platform to really stand on.