Ix nodded, offering no other reply as he worked both cleanly and quickly at his food. The night's previous journey into the Yellow realm had affected his appetite more than he had thought. He signaled for his second plate as the server passed by. His thoughts mulled over what Raven had to say, considering the helpful advice in watching the convict's work methods.

Curling up and dying? You, of all people, could never do that. Even if your time is done. He kept the thought private as he downed a forkful of eggs. I wonder what path my Mentor would suggest? Besides his initial contact through the gifts and message he left Ix on the ship, the mysterious Mentor has made no other attempts to contact his newest protege. It didn't bother Ix, simply piqued his interest.

By the time Ix worked through his third plate, he felt right as rain. The 4 empty bottles of water lined the left side of his plate perfectly, and he leaned back (ever so slightly) to recline in his feeling of fullness.

It turned out the strongest stuff the diner had was coffee, or at least the pitch black steaming tar colored the same as motor oil came in a cup. Raven drank one with each plate, which numbered four before he leaned back in his chair and let out a belch that rattled said cups.

"'Eat drink and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die', as the old saying goes. Good eats. let me know when you're settled enough to go grab our gear."

The assassin's fingers were neatly laced over his lap while his eyes rolled over the room. "Truer words never spoken. And yes, I'll be prepared to depart when you are." His lip quivered everytime Raven sipped at the unidentifiable substance in his cup. He never understood how his avian acquaintance could stomach the foulest things from the Abyss on a regular basis.

Raven took his pack out and lit a smoke. He offered one to Ix to be friendly then puffed on his own. five smokes later the old fighter was ready to run by the shop for his modified rail gun and any other things the owner needed time yesterday to get ready for them.

for time sake can we skip that? everyone else is waiting lol

Lol all good all's assumed to be them gettin their shit delivered/taken and heading to main thread.

I'm good with that

As the figure emerged, the tomahawk slowed to a stop as Ix drew back to his full height. There would be no escaping the attention of a god of the Hunt.

"Assassin no more you take up the hunt, though with a bit of a side trek to please the party hum?"

Ix kept the tomahawk loose in his grip as he regarded the deity with a look that spoke of respect. To have earned the eye of the Northern Sky Master...the killer could only pray that he was not prey.



(Ooc: I thought FW caught in to a good idea to prevent cluttering.)

He smiled some as the snake continued to circle. "Mmmm for you to keep our ways alive, even in the slightest, in these times is an honorable trait. You have proven yourself worthy of my attention. I offer you my assistance, I will give you my blessing as your totem... with a restriction." He rose a finger. "You hunt down the truth and your new prays, I will give you my blessing when you don my armor and wear my mask. However a hunter killing his pray is nature, it is the way of things... to kill or be killed. A hunter may find pride in his skill, or shame in the lack of it, but a hunter should not take pleasure or find sorrow in his prays death. This is nature and to do so perverts it. I will not have my hunters dirtying the sanctity of the hunt."

Ix remained quiet for a long moment after Mixcoatl spoke, two thoughtful sips attempted to hide his surprise. The Sibling Slayer's favor seemed devious, but Ix wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. But the god's attention was a divine sign; that his path did not divide him from his role as an agent of Fate. As an assassin, he could easily relate to how intellect and instinct led to the Hunt. A hitman was little different to a hunter of men.

The god's ending words felt somber in the killer's ears. He wasn't one to consider sympathy for his targets, but the reminder was nothing to be ignored.

He politely put away his weapon and brought his hand to his hip. His other hand brought the glass to his lips for the final drink of water...
This message was last edited by the player at 00:24, Sun 16 Feb 2014.

He smiles extending his hand and when they shake, he feels compelled to, a serpent slides out from under the gods armor and coils around Ix's hand slithering into his armor and bitting him... there is a little sting as the snake dissapears into him. (should he check he now has a 'tattoo' of a white and red serpent coiled around his right arm, it's not always in the same position though)

"Do well in your battle... I will be watching with the others..." He smiles and slides back into the snakes mouth. It then turns and slithers under the door, a rather odd thing to see considering its as big as the door.

---

Ix gains:

War Totem: Mixcoatl, The Hunter.
Traits: Gives +1 Strength, +2 Survival, +2 stealth.
Ban: Must wear or paint his body with white and red stripes with a black mask to recessive the bonuses. Must never take pleasure or sadness in a kill.

Ix watched on quietly as Mixcoatl's snake slithered away, rubbing gingerly at his arm. If there had been pain he didn't recall the feeling, his mind set to repeat of the scene of the last minute. So an ancient god of the Hunt will be watching my performance? He grimaced as he began to remove his equipment and spread it out in a circle around him.
This entire fiasco was outside of his comfort zone. He was one who worked in the quiet, in the shadow. Now he was joining the realm of War as both a hunter and performer. Having encountered the Mayan deity before the challenge had even begun spoke to the unpredictability of their encounter. And the eyes of many more mighty gods and warriors were to be on them soon enough. Including the gaze of the god of this planet.

That's fine...no pressure...

no but he ask for some war paint for his armor and worry about some perminate solution later.

Word.

The dealer of Good Death spent a little longer meditating, drawing in as much positive karma as he could muster. Once his short ritual was complete, he reattached his gear. He stored away the power suit, compensating for the warmth of their new environment and to lessen the restriction of his movements. Clad back in his flowing red scarf, worn leather jacket, and nanoweave skin suit, he left his mask unzipped as he stepped back out the door. He made his way back down the halls in search of appropriately colored war paints for the utilization of his new totem.

(I'll give him -1 diff for actions for the next scene and +2 for actions agents him)

He'll yeah bountiful perks lol I'll take all I can get before we run into this unpredictable shit you got lined up :)

Unless you got something in mind as Ix grabs some paint, should we move this back to the main thread?

sure

The maiden leads Ix to the private rooms. "There are blacksmiths that can work Rorgs bones into blades of any style you like here, I suggest you do so before you leave you will be harder pressed to find people that can work the metal otherwise. Even if you plan to seek out Vulcan he can reforge it." She leaves Ix at a door and goes on.

Inside is man? in a similar though more advanced and geared naofiber suit and mask waiting there.

He used the same halo tech Ix used, though his in fine working condition.



He removes a mechanism from his belt and fiddles with it.

oh yah.... as for the map the level of cosmology and correspondance going into keeping track of things.... and how a fluid and subjective thing like the univurse is being projected from paper.... it's all..... way way way way over Ixs head... way out of his lauge Much like he probably guessed this map would take a vast intellect to fully understand it.  Normal people could look at it, understand pices...some of the labes, but how it all works.. how some of those borders and lines interact with each other correlate to whats happening in the universe ..... well this is in the war room of a god like being....

Ix considered the maiden's words, noting that he should decide on the metals' form and function as soon as he could. Next thing he knew, he was standing at a nondescript door. His nerves were tight, and anxious fingers pressed against the portal. The fingers of his other hand zipped his mask back over his feathery head, not quite sure he wanted to reveal his close call just yet. As the door swung open, Ix cocked his head to the side at the sight of the man.

The Death Dealer did as he was bade to do, cooly closing the door as he took two more steps forward. He hadn't expected a doppelganger - a rather advanced doppelganger. Even the man's Halo tech was similar, albeit much more...functional.



Ixneatly clasped his hands behind his back, standing shoulder-width apart.

quote:

HÒw _may ^I be of srvis?

While Ix had been informed that his mentor had come bearing gifts, he'd felt it more appropriate to see how he could cater to his teacher's needs first.

Once he had set the device up, he activated it and Ix could feel a powerful correspondence affect projected by it, such a device was able to though because it was a very simple affect all it did was stabilize the space around them and prevent sound from leaving. This keep people from using magic to spy on them and ears pressed agensts walls/doors too. It was a simple enough affect Ix could do himself, but the device must have some dram in it fueling quintessence into the affect to make it stronger.

It wasn't to much a suprize he had the same gear, he had supplied Ix with most of his. What was a suprize was that he took his mask off and tried to speak. At first it was a rather poor attempt really... he had apparently not spoken in years... but he used life magics to help with that.

"It is good to see you."

The assassin was indeed a man... a very old one, likely pushing a hundred years old. It seams he has been using diet, exercise, and a combination of life, entropy, and prime to keep his body in top condition allowing him to move and fight like he was a third his true age. But true to the wheel, it was quite clear he was doing nothing to extend his natural life.

"Your circlet has been damaged?"

He was always more professional than even Ix, even in doing something like this he would rather talk about serious maters. But it was quite likely Ix was the first person to see his face and hear his voice sense the old mans childhood.

Ix mirrored the old man's movements by unzipping his own mask. He hadn't expected a man so old, nor a voice ancient from lack of use.



He didn't reveal his confusion at the question. I thought mine was just an older model. I'll have to check into that.

He shacks his head. "What ever you are comfortable with is fine." He hums some reaching up and rubbing his surprisingly strong hand along the down on your face letting it run through his fingers. "An interesting battle scar, nexus crawlers are tricky pray even with a 'hunting party'." he smirks some. "You should decide soon if you will wear this scar or not before it sinks into your pattern, after that even if you should cut it... it will just grow back."

"I always took some pride in the fact you would find ways to honor your people, with out compromising your missions, when everyone else has all but forgotten them. Now you handicap yourself, ever so lightly, with this armor to placate a god. Normally I might have been some what disappointed, but you thought this through carefully did you not? His favor cancels out the visual disadvantages of the armor, and enhances your stealth in all other ways."

He smiles some. "Well.... I suppose I should get to why I was brought here." He reaches to the small of his back removing an odd katar, it's three blades sheathed separately... each sheath connected by a black chain. He pulls one sheath off and pulls it around in a half circle removing the other sheaths by the chain.



The blades had an odd gleam to them that made it almost shimmer, they were almost a little transparent and had a purple tent to the metal. "This is an old hunters tool I have had for a very very long time, sense I first started my career. Though the god has enhanced it for you... some how hardening it while keeping it's original properties. It is otherwise much the same as when I used it. You should keep it on you but never unsheathe it unless it is needed. This is a hunters tool and has only one use, to kill supernatural beings. It is specially destined with fera in mind. The very touch of the blade will burn and boil there skin, all save for the breed of the 'yote and the spider. If a fera should see this blade unsheathed they will know what it is used for and likely take offense, and you should avoid that if at all possible." He replaces the sheaths onto the blades and the holds the weapon up for Ix, the handle facing him. "I have seen the beast you will face, I dought this will hurt him much but it will cut through his exoskeleton like a hot knife through butter and the innate anti-magic in the blade will negate some of the spirit magic he uses to protect himself as well. So while it may not hurt him much, he will have little deffence against it."


Master's Hardened Electrum Haladie Dagger <Dex+Melee, Str + 2, range CC>
*Dose aggravated damage to all supernatural beings.
*Damage can not be soaked with stamina by fera.
*3 dice of anti-magic.

Ix hadn't expected an assassin so ancient. To stand in the presence of someone who's served the Wheel for so long...he wasn't sure what to do. He resisted jerking away as the wrinkled hand touched the down of his beard. He managed to return the senior's smirk with a subtle grin of his own.



Ix received his compliment with a humble bow of his head. He had wondered himself how his mentor would have reacted had he noted his newly colored ensemble. He had tried his best to choose the most rational, efficient solution. He felt very much accomplished, a feeling he rarely allowed himself to experience.

As his mentor withdrew the dagger, Ix continued to listen while his gaze remained affixed to the beautiful blades. He took the weapon in his hand, giving it a few spins to test its weight and balance. A tickling sensation crawled up his spine, an unexplained heat filled his head. It was the movement of his emotion, of his appreciation. He bowed low to the man as he grasped the weapon in a tight, inspired grip.



Ix brought the blade back into view, and in a moment of clear curiosity he asked,

The blades took care of all the ways to orentate a short blade at once, a katar blade, and a dagger in both positions of holding it... and the balance was perfect.


"They look good on you, but they are far to brazened for our job." With out him moving a hand or even seaming to considerate much the feathers and down fall out and come apart braking down into prime. "I requested information on your current assignment. At my security level it includes a video of the fight they had with that monster, much like your beefing should have had. Though there are files I have more access to. This is a rare beast, anything you can send back of it would be appreciated by central. There are few of them, and as far as we know it this is the only one to ever be corrupted. There is some helpful information though the counsel has on them, it seams they are a very old race... older than mankind. There was a war before man when the spirit called the weaver created countless insect races and spread them over the world. Some she made with the help of other spirits, but the first she made with the help of the weaver and the wyld... the triat worked together to help her make the queen of spiders. I believe your people called her Teotihuacan. She was seamed the daughter of stasis and made as like... like a back up crystal, if something went wrong her 'program' could be run to fix things. As you well know things have gone wrong with the balance. And Teotihuacan's nephews and nieces (sp?) all followed suit.... however Teotihuacan and these scarab creatures did not. And when stasis took it's focus on sterilizing the moon, Teotihuacan and her children set out to slay her relatives and the great insect wars raged till only Teotihuacan's children and a rare few of the scarabs children were left... between there mothers stasis and the earth they chose the earth... and the sun adopted them and they pledged them self to Amon-Ra. They were supposedly wiped out in the war of rage though, but clearly they were not." He gives a smirk. "At least this is what the records say of all the many many stories collected of pre-historic times..... lord knows if any of it is true. But that is really the only information we have on them.... that and scarabs were said to sort of be recyclers of sorts, eating waste and nurturing life.... this thing seams to be doing the opposite.  But this is all a lot of stories, but they give hints at weaknesses. Mainly if his people are pleaged to Amon-Ra and him to Apophis it seams to make sense that the sun will weaken his magics and possibly him." He points to the orb of sunfire Yogan lent them. "I would hang onto that till you fight it again."

"Always research your pray, one of the rules." He smiles some. "That, and you will carry on my skills, it seams only fitting you carry on my first weapon."