A Storm at Midnight

[Phoenix]

"The pages turn, and the time draws near. But there are still things that must be done before Midnight."

The call of the Learned echoes across the worlds.
The Vanguard of all that is to Come turns its head to listen.
The Voices cry of ancient secrets, the ashes of sin.
The Three-fold One stands at the heart of the gathering Storm.
And as the Clock nears Midnight, all must change.

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Audio message from Jane, dated 25/07/2008:

"Alright, folks, listen up. In the last few days, I've received several messages from a being identifying himself only as the Professor. This man claims that our world and all others are in grave danger. Some sort of powerful being quite possibly linked to the Shadows that the Master tried to bury the planet under last time we met him is breaking free of its restraints, and this Professor requests our assistance to stop it.

Having met with an associate of his, I'm inclined to believe that he's not trying to mislead us. Personally, I'm willing to at least hear him out on this, and I believe that Ves, Chlorr and Cyder have agreed to do this as well.

I'm not going to pressure any of you for help at this stage, but I would appreciate any that is offered. You know how to reach me or the others if you're interested."


((OOC infos))

((yes, it's mayplot time again! if you don't like that idea, you can stick your fingers in your ears and pretend it doesn't exist or whatever.

As Jane says, for the initial part at least, this is entirely and only opt-in, I got the feeling that a few people resented being pulled along especially towards the end of the last one, and as such I think it better that interested people come to me rather than me going out and trying to shake up interest in people who may not feel like it or whatever.

All the characters Jane mentions in the message are up-to-date and can direct interested characters towards the proper direction to get involved.

This hopefully won't drag on as long as the last few did, it's a little better-planned and should be easier to break into bite-size blocks. If you has questions or comments or complaints or streams of verbal abuse, post here or pm me or catch me ingame and i'll do what I can.))

[Phoenix]

Message from 351

at approx. 9pm my sensors detected a temporal anomaly within the confines of the Alliance base, centred on the statue of Akkarin in the library. This cleared quickly, though after it had, Jane and Veskit discovered a freshly-painted example of what appears to be graffiti behind a shelf that, according to my sensors, had not been moved since its original placement.

Hi-res image of said graffiti follows. Assistance in interpreting it is welcomed.

[Phoenix]

Unknown location

The crackle in the dark... the spark of life crossing the blood-scented air, the breath of a God.

The dim light of the lanterns is enough for our Great Work. For it, some will call me mad. Some will call me criminal. But those who appreciate true beauty will know me as a master of my craft, to rival Michelangalo, van Gogh, Matisse... an artist, my medium the most beautiful of them all.

I am the Crafter, and my greatest work stands before me. Metal grates on metal, the shadows shift...

It is done.

[Phoenix]

((so yeah, I's off for a week or so at least, stuff to do in various places that are not here! in the meantime, let's bring this kinda sorta up to date! maybe I can even pick it up and get it going again whenever I gets back. wait, who am I kidding? we'll see I guess.))

Status Update - 14/11/2008

Following repeated appearances by the mysterious Vaux de Ville, several members of the Alliance were taken by him to meet the man known only as 'the Professor'.

Following this meeting, they were transported, apparently in error, to the inside of a tower apparently built by the long-dead Immortals. Solving a series of cryptic pictogram-puzzles brought them out several miles above the Great Seal, the massive stone and magical construct that, apparently, is the only thing stopping the destructive God Omega from returning to the multiverse and removing everything from existence.

After descending the tower, some more sensibly than others, they briefly encountered the Master, who attempted to break the Seal by means of a compact but powerful explosive. The attempt appeared to fail, however, and the heroes returned to their task, planting several sensors in the sands around the Seal, providing an early-warning capability should it start to fail.

Some time after this a shipment of impervium from the EU to Paragon mysteriously vanished from a ship in the mid-Atlantic. After a discussion at an FA meeting, Jane took it upon herself to investigate the ship and found a power cell for a Crey cryopistol left behind in the empty bay where the precious metal had been.

351 is discreetly (or so he claims) attempting to source the cell to the place where it was intended to be used, in the hope that there will be further clues at that location.

The source of the graffiti found in the Alliance base in August remains unknown. How these events are connected, or even if they are, is similarly shrouded.

Pertinent Questions:

((feel free to answer them in here if characters can, all this information will have gone out IC at some point, including what 351/Jane think are important questions to answer.))

i. What is Omega?

ii. Is Omega a genuine and imminent threat?

iii. Why did the Master attempt to break the Seal?

iv. Who is the Professor and can he be trusted?

v. Who stole the impervium?

vi. For what purpose?

vii. How was it stolen?

viii. What is the meaning of the message/messages written in the graffiti?

ix. What relevance if any does the phrase 'tempus fugit' have to the current situation?

x. Are these events connected and if so how?

[Phoenix]

Message broadcast to all Alliance and Alliance-channel-recieving communicators, repeatable by request to 351

((basically, anyone who wants to be involved or is involved! yay fudge!))

Date: 14/11/2008
Time: 7:11pm
Source: Unknown

*abruptly, the channel descends into harsh static, an electronic-sounding female voice cutting through it*

"Greetings, heroes. I apologise for the intrusive nature of this communication, but it is necessary. If it were possible, I would meet with you face-to-face, but there is too much danger in doing so at the present time.

I contact you simply to offer a warning, and what advice I can, in the hope that it might be heeded. A storm is coming, the final outcome of a war that has gone on too long. You were not involved in the creation of the atrocities that have occured, but fate has pushed their outcomes in your direction.

Your enemy seeks nothing less than the total destruction of all that is, was and ever will be, and he must be stopped. This one man, by stepping beyond his station, has threatened everything.

The path will not be clear, but it is there if you try to see it. Be wary. Friends and enemies may not be all they seem, but in the end all will be revealed. Trust in yourselves and those you know to be true to your cause, but no other.

Midnight draws perilously near, and with it the destruction or salvation of all that you know. I can only hope that you are willing to do what must be done.

The storm is coming, Heroes. Make certain that you are ready for it. Follow what you already know, and you will find all that you need. Even the smallest of things can change the course of history.

Tempus fugit."

*the static and the voice abruptly cut out, and the channel returns to silence*

[Phoenix]

Audio message from Jane, repeating half-hourly until acknowledged
19/11/2008

Alright guys, I've done my digging and 351's done his. Between us we've gathered enough data to pinpoint the source of the power cell down to an immediate area that contains one major and two minor Crey facilities.

Now what I need is volunteers. People willing to go into these bases and crack skulls 'til we find the missing impervium or a clue to where it went. If I know this group as well as I think I do, that shouldn't be too difficult.

I should be back in Paragon by tonight or failing that tomorrow. You know how to contact me anyway. Jane out.

[Phoenix]

Update- 28/11/2008

Phoenix, along with Iris and a returning Veskit, assaulted a Crey storage facility on Peregrine Island only to find Arachnos troops inside. After dealing with the spiders, the trio located the missing crate and opened it, finding not the expected impervium shipment but the body of the warehouse foreman, apparently murdered by Vahzilok zombies.

Phoenix, after zoning out for a moment, broke open a completely unremarkable wall, which turned out to be a false front concealing a bomb. This was defused with some thought, and a note found alongside it.

The tone of the note was similar to the mysterious audio message of two weeks before, warning in vague terms of the 'storm' and directing the heroes to a particular junction of the sewers.

Audio message from Jane

Crey warehouse turned out to be ful of Arachnos troops, the foreman apparently killed by Vahzilok and the metal missing. We found a note directing us to a particular junction of the sewer system that 351 has pinpointed for us.

On the evidence we have now, it seems likely that the Vahzilok have the impervium itself. We don't know the mission of the Arachnos troops we found at the warehouse, Cy is looking into that for us.

For now, though, we need to find whatever sect of the corpse-doctors has the impervium and beat some sense into them. As Ves pointed out, the idea of a Vahzilok meatsuit coated in the strongest metal in the known universe is not appealing.

Jane out.

[Phoenix]

Another Time, Another Place

As the last of the group of sharply-dressed men and women filed into the room and took their seats, the metal blinds slid silently closed, the light glinting from the shattered spire of the old Palace of Westminster vanishing from sight behind the thick steel plates.

The heavy door swung shut with a click, and the projector at the centre of the large, antique wooden table flickered into life, the red lights at its base winking in the gloom as the man at the head of the table spoke.

"Eyron Mueller, Lord of Great Britain. Authorisation seven charisma foxtrot. Connection to the Office of the Emperor requested."

The device beeped twice and then began projecting, an image of a tall, lean man in a spotless white suit of armour floating above the table, the detail of his face becoming clearer as the viewpoint moved closer.

"Lord Mueller. I am glad to see that you are making your report on schedule... this time."

"I repeat my apology, my Lord. Unfortunately, tech-"

The holographic figure silenced him with a dismissive wave of one hand.

"I do not care for your excuses, Mueller, only that you perform your task correctly. In the case that you fail, I am certain that any of those you share the room with would gladly take your place. I am a busy man. Make your report and keep it brief."

Nodding to himself, Mueller scrabbled in the darkness for his papers and scooped them up, tracing the lines with a shaking finger as he read.

"In truth, there is little change to report. Through your benevolent provision of further security forces, crime rates continue to fall and general order has improved markedly. The coun-" he abruptly corrected himself-"subdominion is in generally good health... notably fewer 'accidental' chemical spills since some bright-spark manager suggested making the peons drink whatever they spill."

The figure of the Emperor nodded curtly at this.

"Innovative at least... if somewhat self-destructive. They will inspire only revolt with such policy. Speaking of which... you claim order to be improved. What news of the terrorist problem, Mueller?"

Glancing rapidly about the room, Mueller picked out his chief of police after some effort, twisting the lens of the projector towards her.

"I will defer that question to my security chief, my Lord. She has more details than I do."

The Chief, an unremarkable middle-aged woman, lazily saluted the projector. "My Lord, we have flushed most of the smaller groups out of their bases and arrested the perpetrators of the Edinburgh attacks of two weeks ago. Unfortunately, they refused to co-operate with interrogators and had to be put down. It is our hope that their execution will show the public that these groups are not tolerated."

The Emperor's voice took on an icy tone.

"You have not answered my question. Tell me of the real problem."

Shooting a glare at Mueller, the woman turned back to face the camera. "We... uh... we have made progress towards locating their base of operations... their identity of their leader remains a mystery, but we are working on it."

"You have had long enough with no real progress. I am afraid the time has come for you to... retire."

The holographic figure's hand moved out of sight for a moment, and a beam of red light lanced from the base of the projector, the Chief's agonised screams filling the small space and dopplering away into silence as the ashes that remained of her body drifted to the carpeted floor.

"Mueller. Your priority remains the apprehension of the leader of the true instigators. If you fail me again, I will have to find replacements for you and your entire cabinet. I hope I have made myself clear."

Shaking visibly now, Mueller responded a little too quickly, his voice wavering. "Yes, my Lord! Your will be done!"

The projector cut out without further comment, the blinds rising again and the room lights flickering on as the sensors detected the growing darkness outside, Mueller barking orders as the group filed out.

"Get that damn' mess cleaned up! And someone call the deputy Chief, tell 'im he's got work to do!"

Far away, the Immortal Emperor eased himself into his chair, watching impassively as the array of monitors in front of him flicked between feeds. Reaching down to a small container on the ground, he removed its content and held it up, eyes level with the eye-sockets of the carefully-preserved skull.

"Saviour of the Multiverse, the Child of Fate, Omega's Bane... you know better than any how wrong the so-called fates can be, my dear Jane."

Permitting himself a quiet chuckle, the Master returned his gaze to the screens, just as one of the images flicked away from a haze of static...

Far away, in London, the silent night was abruptly disturbed by a deafening explosion. From within the halls of the government itself, a wave of blue-white fire rolled out over the city, devastating all in its path for more than a hundred yards.

From a nearby rooftop, six eyes observed, hidden behind metal masks, their gazes pinpricks of white light in the dark. The closest lowered a hand to its belt and tossed a small token into the wreckage, a metallic emblem of a clock face gleaming intermittently in the scant street lights.

Straightening, the lead figure signalled a retreat, and the other two vanished silently into the shadows. Dropping carefully down to street level and ducking into an alley to avoid the guards, the sole remaining figure spoke, a metallic rasp that would have sounded vaguely female, if anyone had heard it.

"Tempus fugit."

[Phoenix]

Audio message from Jane

351 has detected increased Vahzilok activity around the sewer junction we were directed to in the warehouse. Not sure what they're up to, but I'm certain it's not good, so I'm getting ready to go in there to find out and stop them.

If I have to go in alone I will, but reinforcements would be appreciated.