The following has been sent out to all Theatre of Shadows registrants...
My friends,
Many of you have spotted the facebook incursion on Sunday from escaped fugitive Silas Nadir. He’s taunting us. We need your help now more than ever.
The first clue to Nadir's location arrived late last night and we set our three top code-breakers to solve the puzzle.
This morning, they were each found dead in their homes. On the wall beside each body was scrawled "Silas 3, Sanctuary 0."
And so we must call upon you.
Time is of the essence. Before they were killed, our code-breakers worked out that the clues seem to point to an unusual sequence of numbers. They managed to fill in not one space before Nadir found them: ? ? . ? ?, leaving us four spaces to fill for now.
Remember Nadir's promised us three clues: so to throw him and his accomplices off the scent, the next clue will be sent out to all those registered to Theatre of Shadows. If you haven't already – be sure to sign up for free as a matter of urgency. Operatives in the US, Norway and Sweden we know that registration is an impossibility for you right now: rest assured we will need you for the third clue. You are crucial too.
Here’s the first clue:
1. Take the number of letters in my magical discipline (here's a hint, idiots — it's a two-worded ability), then multiply that by the age of the Jitter Girls. Add to this the number of rooms in the Midnight Hotel and then subtract the age of a sorcerer named Petrichor. With me so far? Keeping up? Now put in a decimal point (do you know what that is?), then the amount of damns I give about any one of you, and follow this with the maximum number of Dead Men there is at any one time. Now subtract the number of babies stolen by the goblin brothers. Whatever their names are. Ugly little critters, the lot of them. Not as ugly as the babies, though.
And that's all he's given us to fill in ? ? . ? ?. The Sanctuary’s resources are stretched so terribly thin… please help us find Nadir before he can kill again.
And be wary. He found our first code-breakers. He could find any of you, too.
Yours in magic,
Grand Mage Erskine Ravel
Posts
4,391 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 3601 – 3800 of 4391 Newer› Newest»*another of him appears by Clara* Not all of us are paniking.
No...
*still staring into the forest*
*wonders how many there are*
*kinda wants to go see*
*walks back in, fully suited up with enough weapons to successfully put down the state of Texas*
*with the new suit he stands about 16 feet high*
Zafira: Sil, calm the hell down.
Hunter: *smiles at Silente's answer* *contemplates just falling back into his portal again*
*by Loki* Then our first goal should be to figure out who they want.
*looks up at Alistair*
*eyes wide, and concerned*
Not panicking?
NOT PANICKING?
The Remnants are free! Free from my Hotel, because I wasn't smart enough or strong enough or good enough to keep them in!
We have to get them back.
*scrambles to her feet*
We have to catch them!
*looks down at Clara*
I'm sure it wasn't your fault.
I'm fine Zaf. I'm calm.
*isn't but she's a good actor*
*resists the urge to walk into the forest and get it over with*
She's possessed, Vivanus. She doesn't need consolation.
And I'm well aware that there are remnants free. But that's only barely irritating enough to warrant an effort on my part to get rid of them.
It WAS my fault.
*stands there, looking at the seething forest*
*her eyes are wide, panicked*
*and glittering with something*
*amusement?*
It was all my fault,
and now people are going to die.
How can I live with myself?
Possessed? By whom?
*glances a sidelong look at Alistair*
*grins*
Was I THAT obvious?
*shrugs*
She never was a good actor.
By a remnant.
I'm sure you'll love with yourself quite easily, Clara. Or whatever else you'd call yourself.
I didn't need to guess, in any case. I can see inside your mind easily enough.
I see, so she was tricking us....sorry, with this mask on I can't see facial expressions. And the accoustics are terrible.
*live
Anyone in power, Zafira, Ravel, Thor, they know all of us Asgardians are here. Powerful people next, you, Silente, Viv, Blake, any Asgardians...
She was tricking you, perhaps.
Then I suppose there's no need to hide.
*her lips turn black, and dark veins spread beneath her skin as her blood blackens*
*that, combined with her already ravaged appearance, makes her look truly ghoulish*
I didn't expect to gain the attention of all Blogland so soon.
I suppose it's good thing, though.
*turns on her heel and looks at Loki, shaking her head*
I'm not powerful. Viv, Blake, Chi, they're powerful. They will be wanted. Not me.
*sends a ten foot long leg crashing into Clara's side*
I hope she has medical insurance
I suppose your plan is something akin to concentrating them in one place, eh? To teleporting them away, away to your little Catcher?
*joyless smile*
Am I wrong?
I debate this, I don't think anyone wants to be in my mind. I'm not even sure if they could be. Now, controlling Jag would be a remnant's heaven.
Two of us are hardly all of Blogland. What are you planning, if I might ask? Why have them wait?
--
So we'll have to lure them in, then move to the outside before we're possessed?
Lure them, yes. We need to build a room we can easily transport.
Zafira: I say make walls and a roof and go from there.
Zanida: Can one of you explain what a remenant can do?
That's one plan, it seems. I imagine you've accounted for it already, if you guessed?
Hmm.
*taps her chin thoughtfully with one finger*
Why did I do it? Let me think . . . I wonder . . .
The only way you can re-capture the Remnants is to get them all in one place . . . and I've ordered them all to remain together, indefinitely, in one place . . .
So what could I be trying to accomplish . . ?
*taps Alistair's forehead*
Think, little man, use your precious brain and think. Why would I put my boys in such a vulnerable position, unless . . ?
You're a double agent?
*gets bored of the planning*
*slides down the back of his huge suit*
*lands, runs over and kisses Sil*
*reenters the suit*
I'm smart! Yeah!
Aww...I'm not smart....
*sigh*
(*pats on shoulder*
I'm so sorry, Vivanus. I feel your pain.)
(Or she could be a TRIPLE AGENT...
Wait do they exist?)
(*breaks down* BUT YOU SAID I WAS SMART!!! *blubbers into a handkerchief*)
(*hugs Vivanus*
I'm so sorry. I know this is a difficult time for you, and my heart goes out to you in this time of need.)
((Wbd for lunch and Mom and I are planning to go down the shore Friday :D-Zaf))
(Or it could just be that she possessed a crazy person...)
(Yes, triple agents exist! Where do you think I get my- I mean I saw it in a movie once...)
@Clara: Why?!? Why?!?? My whole life is ruined now!!!)
Presumably, you'd gain something from is going after them.
*sneaks back over to Sil*
*quiet chuckle*
*looks out towards the forest*
My boys . . . my dear, dear brothers . . .
*looks back at Vivanus*
A double agent? Hardly. A triple agent? Don't be daft.
No, I'm a solo artist, Mr. Keen. I work alone. But Remnants are like potato chips: You never swallow just one, you get the whole bag.
*laughs*
Take them. See if I care what happens to those little shits.
This world is my own personal playground, and I won't share it.
Not with anyone.
*tilts her head at the forest*
*takes a step forwards, into it slightly*
*she's never seen a remnant our of its body before*
*hmmmmm*
*runs back to the suit before replying*
I see. Well, we did plan to put you with them. Is that a no?
(I can't pretend to know how you're feeling right now, Vivanus.
*tears fill my eyes*
Just know that we're here for you, in this time of hardship. There are support groups for this sort of thing. You can get help.)
(@Clara: You caused the problem in the first place!)
*laughs*
I'm afraid so, Mr. Keen. I've spent far too long squashed up against my brothers in a cramped, squalid room in a broken-down Hotel. I'm through will all that.
I'm happier, now. Better. And so is this little bitch.
YOU ARE PERFECT AND I LOVE YOU
(Vivanus, there's . . .
*voice all choked up with emotion*
Vivanus, there's something I need to say.)
Can you at least give us a rain check on it?
*with
(YOU ARE WRONG BUT I LOVE YOU TOO ANGEL!)
RIGHT BACK ATCHA LUCE
(@Clara: I'm not going to make it...am I?)
SAME TO YOU L
(Hah, you all thought I had stopped ghosting, didn't you)
I AM ALWAYS RIGHT OKAY
<3
(*mildly accepts the cat lady's word as truth*)
*shrugs*
Do what you like with my boys in the forest. I'll walk away from this no matter what, head held high, ready to keep on rocking in the free world. I can't promise no one will get hurt. In fact, I guarantee it. But one thing I can promise.
Without me inside her, Clara L. Crowley will become a gibbering lunatic before the week is out.
*smiles*
This is better.
Really.
*takes another, hesitant step into the forest*
*what are you doing?!*
*I want to see*
*you want to be possessed?!*
*i won't be possessed. I just wanna look*
*you will be possessed if you get close enough to look!*
*shhhh*
(No, Vivanus! You will live on! You will!
*tears of joy streaming from eyes*
You know why? You know why you'll live?
Because you
are
. . . smart!)
*looks at the Remnant*
Why are you possessing HER?
*smile grows wider*
That's for me to know and you to find out, Vivanus.
(*floods pour from his eyes* I knew it....they all told me otherwise but I knew it. I WILL survive because I'm SMART!!! You don't know how much this means to me!)
*considers her warily* I can easily understand not wishing to be powerless and contained amongst a crowd, but you're still a threat. And some of us care for Clara Crowley without anything else inside of her.
(*clutches Vivanus, sobbing hysterically*)
I mean, 7 billion people and you choose HER?!
*goes to Sil one last time*
(THANK YOU!!! I WILL SURVIVE!!! STAYIN ALIVE!!!!!)
(Back.)
A threat?
*nods, as if considering the possibility for the first time*
True, true.
*smiles*
But everyone is a threat in Blogland, are they not?
Besides, there is nothing left of Clara anymore.
*gestures around at the remains of the Hotel*
I'm inhabiting a useless shell, without any reason to live. Other than me.
((That's my ded. It's typed in invisible font))
In that case, I'm sure no one will mind if I just kill you.
((Wb Dragona!!!))
*by the others, looks about to see if Hunter is still here*
(*sings the Canadian national anthem*)
(I don't think he is, but he can possibly pop up again. Possibly.
*runs through head to see how realistic it is that that would happen*
*it's relatively realistic*)
Ah, see, there's the rub.
*nods and shakes a finger thoughtfully*
See, the thing is, if you were to kill me, then I wouldn't be able to enjoy this little one-Remnant universe I've planned out for myself. It would be pretty dull, frankly. And unlike my host, I like to have fun once in a while.
So I'm afraid this whole you-killing-me arrangement isn't going to pan out.
Now, ideally, I'd hop out of this wretch I'm inhabiting and fly off on my merry way, but I'd really rather not leave her just yet. So I suppose I'll take the long way out this time.
*smiles*
*nods politely*
*proceeds to stroll away, casually, hands in pockets*
*finds herself taking more steps into the forest*
*STOP WALKING*
*i'm only looking. Come on scaredy cat*
*taps Sil on the shoulder*
Where are you going?
*still surrounded by a bubble of energy holding her head in her hands, covering the glass of her helmet so she can't see what's going on*
*teleports in front of her, blocking her path* Why should I let you leave?
*jumps turning quickly*
*looks and see's its Viv*
Oh. It's you. Don't sneak up on people like that!
*hiding behind a tree*
((I'll be waiting to see if he does come back, then.)
*raises an eyebrow*
Sneak up? I've been kissing you for about a minute now. You must be very distracted.
(See, he'd really only come back if there was a reason for him to come back, I think.
So.
*waits to see if anything reasonful happens*
Sorry . . . :/)
*blushes*
I..uh...sorry. I wanted to have a look...
*looks over her shoulder into the deeper forest*
*looks back at Viv*
What do you think would happen if you drained a floaty remnant of energy?
((Don't be.))
(Or if he had nothing better to do, but he can generally find somethign better to do, and he's not really running out of vetter things at the moment.)
*better
((*nods at Alastair :/*))
Good-naturedness? Feelings of generosity? Some shred of understanding for my tragic plight?
C'mon, Alistair. Tough as you are, you won't kill me. I've got too much potential.
I could do some pretty fun things with this vessel. World-changing things. What do you think happened before I came here? A few Hotel guests who left angry and disappointed?
Leave me alone, Alistair.
*voice hardens* Back off. I have things to do, places to go, people to see.
You would get some DARK energy!!
*frowns*
Are my kisses that boring?
(Take the kids, Leave the kids, Make more kids! XD I love that advert. It's great.)
No. Your kisses are great, but I mean do you think it would kill them before others? Before living people?
*pulls her arms in closer, shivering in fear*
I'm more than willing to kill you. Your potential hardly prevents that.
Fine!
*cracks knuckles*
*energy sparks fly from them*
Fine, then. I'll fight you, if you're so keen on it, but keep in mind that you can't kill a Remnant, my fine friend. All you'd do is slice my vessel to ribbons, and while my dark little heart would be broken for a while, I'd just skip on to the next host. Fortunately, not many folks will miss this vessel, now that the Hotel's a pile of kindling.
(@Silente: I know. XD XD XD
I was just writing a description of the sensing of dark energy and then I refresh the page and see Viv say "You would get some DARK energy!!" and like O_O. :P
(Haha!)
(Hey C? Would you be able to do the remnants reactions in a minute or ten?)
But you wanted this vessel for a reason. What do you intend to do with it?
(I beg your pardon? Do you mean, can I stick around for a while? The answer is yes.)
(Gtg)
*frowns*
Isn't it obvious? I intend to trade this out-dated thing in for the latest model.
This particular vessel has been having dreams lately. Head-turning, heart-crushing dreams. There are plenty of people in this world who want this vessel, to try and crack all the little secrets in her noggin.
*knocks three times on her head*
I turn this one in to the highest bidder, and I get someone better in exchange. Someone with power. Maybe a Grand Mage, or a King.
Something more . . . palpable. More empowering.
Not a fucking Hotel manager.
Why not go directly to someone else, then? There are two Grand Mages in the vicinity already.
(..sure thats what I was asking.)
(bye Viv!)
I wonder...
*kneels by the tree she's next to and digs free the roots, grinning when she sees the sigil intact*
Fingers crossed this works...and doesn't make me crazy.
*activates the sigil and tree roots all across bloglands forest light up with similar sigils*
*anyone or anything (other than trees and Sil) withing 100m of the trees immediately starts getting its energy drained, including the remnants*
((Clara, how far away are we from the trees?))
Stubbornness, maybe. Willfulness, possibly.
Frankly, I'm just fascinated by this one. I don't intend to turn her over until I've unlocked her secrets myself.
*taps her temples*
It's a veritable minefield in here. I can barely hold onto her, even now. I'm tip-toeing between traumas, trying to find the ones that matter, the ones that are valuable.
It's surprisingly painful, staying in here. Her mind destroyed a sentient building, you know.
(We can see them from where we are. If a man were standing in front of the trees, we would see him as about half an inch high.)
*the Remnants begin to swirl and shift*
*and the rumbling grows louder*
*with shrieks of agitated fury, they swarm*
*ignoring their orders*
*spiraling in on the disturbance*
*on Silente*
*starts getting her energy drained* *starts feeling tired*
Zanida; So shakl I assume our doomsday is coming?
*looks up and sees the remnants*
*BAD IDEA!*
*doubles up the energy drainage and runs, leaving the sigils glowing*
Zafira: Well this is pointless...
Agreed.
Zanida: They don't need help let them all die.
((I meant to ask whether you'd say we're close enough to be affected by her sigils.))
*sighs* I don't want to kill you. But I don't trust you, either. And I'd rather get rid of you now than have to do it later...
*head snaps up*
*eyes wide*
They're moving!
*pelts down the hill, towards the forest*
*screams* WHY ARE YOU MOVING, BASTARDS!
RETURN TO YOUR POSITIONS!
*stands up, stopping the bubble of energy that surrounded her*
*tries to stagger away, getting weaker and weaker by the second*
Hunter: *sees an entrance here*
*appears and puts a hand on Leri's shouler, stopping her energy being drained*
Hi.
((Well it seems I lack anything to do...going now...hope they kill you all.-Zaf
*keeps her lips clamped together as she runs, breathing heavily through her nose*
*dont fall don't fall don't fall don't fall*
*the bad energy is making her head spin*
*dont fall don't turn bad don't fall dont turn bad*
*the Remnant stampede across the plains*
*a thousand dark smudges, all swarming at once*
*many of the cluster around the symbols, gnawing on them in an effort to rub them out*
*others soar through the skies, after Silente*
*runs after them, screaming*
DON'T SPLIT UP!
DON'T SPLIT UP!
*laughs mentally*
*dives onto a different tree's roots and triples the drainage*
*it should kill the remnants before the mages*
I hope they kill the vampire. *The Asgardians stand by the forest, not even caring at this point*
*collapses* *starts trying to crawl away*
(I had a nightmare again...)
('I hope they kill the vampire' why would you want Kessy to die?)
Hunter: *hmm* *he can't really be in two places at once*
*considers this*
*the Remnants streaking across the plains, away from the sigils, remain unaffected*
*Clara has skidded to a halt by the forest line*
*staring in horror at the remaining Remnants, gnawing at the sigils*
*some of them are chewed away before they can do any damage*
*but some Remnants are beginning to drop, their dark energy draining away into Silente*
They're . . . dying . . .
*wild eyes*
*gaping smile*
You mean . . . they can be killed!?
*wild laughter*
((Thank you, Zafira.))
*appears by Silente* Do you need to be in the forest to make these sigils work?
(@Death: :/ *hugs*
I'm sorry . . .)
(*hugs Deathy*)
(*pressed hands to chest*
Really?
Oh, Elleni, that's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me!
*hugs Elleni*)
Hunter: *doesn't think the sigils being chewed off is a smart idea, so blasts one of the gnawing Remnants with a laser, seeing what that'll do*
*starting to struggle to even crawl*
Yes! I do!
*is starting to be badly affected by the dark energy*
*heightens the radius to two hundred metres*
(*Hugs everyone back*)
*the blasted Remnant is thrown backwards into the air, but recovers quickly*
*it zooms towards Hunter like a wiffle ball*
Hunter: @Silente: Want me to absorb some?
*blasts another Remnant*
Hunter: *watches Remnant zooming towards him with fascination*
Look after the others instead. I'll be fine!
*the Remnants*
*all of them*
*begin to struggle*
*some of them are moving sluggishly, as if swimming through sludge*
*and, slowly, they begin to fall from the sky*
*stands there, in the middle of the field*
*arms raised, mouth wide open*
*laughing as Remnants fall all around her*
Hello, Rose.
Zanida: Uhm...do you people want help...? We're sort of standing here clueless.
Hunter: *doesn't much want to look after the others* *he's fine blasting Remnants, thanks*
Hey Loki...
*Cuddles*
*sits by the tree*
*not much longer now*
*she can feel them all*
*its not very nice*
*at all*
*stops moving* *hasn't got the energy to move* *just lays there, crying*
*moves to lay a hand on her shoulder, teleporting them both to a farm in Serbia* But the sigils are yours, so I'd rather not see you possessed. It looks as though you've actually killed a few.
*the last Remnant falls to the ground*
*and the grass is coated in darkness*
*lowers arms*
*takes a deep breath*
*exhales*
*she was beyond the reach of the sigils*
*and stands there now, surrounded by her death brothers*
*wipes a stray tear from her eye*
. . . beautiful.
*feels her energy getting drained away from her and is getting weaker and weaker by the second* *her vision is fading* *feels scared and alone*
*cuddles with Rose*
Astrid: *goes by Leri, healing her*
*looks around*
Al, its nearly done. If I dont turn the sigils off at the right time it'll drain the bloglandians lives as well!
I want to braid your hair today, Loki. Can we do that? There's a really pretty clearing in the forest... I think you'd like it...
Hunter: *the Remnants appear to be dead*
*he goes over and puts a hand on Leri* *it will stop any more energy being drained* *but late, but better late than never*
(Someone turn the sigils off! Tap the biggest one twice. All of the sigils on all the roots will fade.)
*bit late
Hunter: *doesn't know to do that in the roleplay because he doesn't, unfortauntely, have mind-reading powers*
Then tell me when to bring you back. I'll move back in time a second or two, if you like, to be safe.
*sighs contentedly*
*looks around at the carnage*
*at the dead and dying Remnants*
*at the collapsed corpse of the Hotel*
*walks away*
*hands in pockets*
*and quietly humming*
Sing us a song, you're the piano man . . .
Sing me a song tonight . . .
(Forgive me, my friends, but I must go.
For now.)
((Hunter: Bye, Clara.))
Now. Take me back now. No more dark energy is coming in so they're all drained..
(Toodles Clara)
(bye Clara!)
*feels Hunter's hand, and stops getting weaker, but is still laid on the ground, too weak to move, shivering in fear*
*teleports them both back, one second earlier than they would have arrived*
Hunter: *can't really do much to heal that* *whispers* Shhh, it's okay . . .
*lunges onto the roots, tapping the big sigil twice, and the drainage stops*
*sags slightly*
*full of remnant energy*
*baaaaaaaaad*
(*Wanders into Bogland completely by mistake*
Oh hell everyone... Sorry for poofing last night.)
Sure, Rose. Take me to it.
((Rose, Friday my author is going to the ocean, so I shall be on early. The weather is horrid for next week.))
(Hey Blake...)
Hunter: *feels the attempted drain stop and stands up, eyes going to Silente* *once they've found her, the move away again, wandering around, looking for something interesting to latch on*
*is feeling very cold* *still shivering, but not as much* *sobbing noises can be heard through her helmet*
(Okay, Loki.)
*She took his hand and towed him towards the meadow she had visited with El yesterday. She pulled him into the centre and sat down, half concealed buly the tall grass*
I love you. I just thought I should tell you...
(Hi Rose! *Cuddles* ^-^)
(Hey Blake)
*winces at the dark energy*
*it wasn't nice*
*it was bad*
*gets up and walks back to the blogland clearing*
Hunter: *feels rather awful for not going to Leri sooner, and his eyes darken, but they also go grey as he pushes the thought away (at least she's alive), thinking about something else* *what else?* *something* *he looks over to the others*
(*Cuddles Blake back*)
((Since Clara left, can Zan still talk to you, Alastair?))
You really wish to braid my hair? *smiles* This is beautiful...it really is, and I love you too, Rose.
Hunter: *wonders whether to offer to take the dark energy off Silente* *nah, he asked once* *if she minded that much, she'd come and find him, and if she's forgottem, that was her fault for not paying attention*
*she'd
(*Presses play on his RP button*
*He's always wanted to do that*)
*Blake's eyes snap open and he shoots upright in his makeshift bed, turning to the strange hole floating in mid-air. As memories flood back into him, he stands and grabs his weapons*
(So is anyone up for the adventure mentioned last night?)
I do. Ever since I first saw you I've wanted to braid it. Then came the whole killing thing... But now I can.
*She grinned at him and opened her arms invitingly for a hug*
It's so much more beautiful now that you're here...
*She started to run her hands through his hair, unknotting a few knotted pieces of hair*
((Hunter: I'm always up for adventures.
That's actual adventures.
Is your adventure an adventure, I wonder?
Only one way to find out!)
(adventure?)
*wonders where Blake is*
*be can get rid of dark energy...*
*...he can also behead people that his wife doesn't like*
*ah*
*manages to slowly crawl back to her tree and rests against it*
Hunter374023749702.3497349032749(rounded): *sure, go to Blake, Blake who's mean to you, Blake who doesn't like you, Blake who took your life away, Blake who doesn't even know enough about energy that he thinks a vampire is the same as a demon* *he'll be very helpful* *very helpful, I'm sure*
Hunter: *looks at Leri and looks awwy again, his eyes still carefully grey*
(This adventure is an expedition into a dimension filled with the hundreds of beings Blake has banished by use of his exorcism in order to retrieve a very important part of Rose that was lost in their last battle. Stuff will not be happy to see us in there.)
*breathing heavily, still shivering and feeling cold, despite her suit's temperature systems*
*rests her helmet in her hands as she cries*
(Bake who knows a vampire is a form of demon by the general term. It is his job to know this stuff. Well, was his job.)
*hugs her back, kissing her cheek* Very well, you can braid. I am relaxed enough.
(@Hunter he gets rid off it. You absorb it and take it on. One is safer.)
*rolls in to tell Sil goodnight*
*rolls out throwing a knife at Alastair*
(Hunter: Ah, that type of adventure.)
((My Asgardians will go, I'll just use a second Loki.))
(Hunter: That was Hunter374023749702.3497349032749(rounded).
@Blake: I know. Sorry, didn't mean offense.
@Silente: Yeah, sure I do.)
Thank you...
*She moved around him until his back was towards her. She ran her hands through his hair and kissed it before she set off to work*
How was your day, love? Is your author feeling any better?
(The knife is a thankyou gift)
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