I'm glad we got another nice moment between Marisol and Aisling rather than...whatever was going on with Blake and Akira.
Why is Mind Scorch an evil power? Does it require the user to do something evil in order to learn it?
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I keep a list of Psionic Techniques that Gifted characters can use. It dates back to Faith in Chaos, about 2018 or so. While there is no hard and fast rule saying certain techniques are evil, there are certain ones I've "reserved" for villainous characters only to make Psionic fight scenes more tense and dynamic:
- Reanimate Dead/Gateway
- Raise a zombie under the caster's control/kill multiple enemies and raise multiple zombies at once
- Spectral Army
- Summon a small force of semi-corporeal warriors
- Mind Scorch
- Psionic chain lightning that debilitates and dazes targets
- Parting Silk/Bending Reed
- Render next attack imperceptible / escape retaliatory attacks
- Dimensional Rift
- Create a Psionic storm that causes harm to all inside of it
- Psionic Bomb
- Disables conventional weapons, after a short delay, releases a telekinetic shockwave
- Ghost
- Creates a duplicate of the caster using a nearby corpse. Copy has same powers as caster and will fade once the caster loses focus.
- Domination
- Place a target under permanent Mind Control
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Episode Twenty-One: I feel nothing but despair. It’s all I have left.
Author’s note: Special thanks to Reddit user r/Theletterz who made it possible to take a virtual tour of Paradox Interactive Offices and Paradox Development Studio Offices using Google maps. While said virtual tour is now quite old, some of the location descriptions in this chapter would not have been possible without this aid.
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty-One: I feel nothing but despair. It’s all I have left.
Marisol
Creator
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Marisol dialed Cali’s cell phone number, and Akira picked up on the other end.
“First two are prepped and ready for you!” Marisol said.
“I’m on my way now.” Akira replied. “I can sense someone on the roof, coming down to you now!”
“Behind us!” Cali yelled.
A cascade of freezing water fell down a nearby staircase before reforming into a Human shape.
“Uisce!” Blake yelled. “It’s the Water Witch!”
The Water Witch raised her dowsing rod, but before she could make another move, Trig was on her. He conjured a Psionic construct, a shimmering wall of purple light that held back Uisce’s next assault.
“Lady, I’ve got nothing against you! But if you’re not going to back off, then you’ll have to fight me!” Trig said.
Cali turned to the rest of the team.
“Where’s Akira, she should have gotten here by now!?”
…
Akira Robinson
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
Akira was just outside of the Paradox building, mere feet away from the lobby door, when she was intercepted.
“Stay where you are!” Whetu shouted.
Akira turned on the spot and dodged an incoming Psi Lance. Telekinetic force tore up pieces of pavement and ice before sending them flying. To her left, Akira could see Malum and Sebakhira fighting. The old lioness was projecting a cone of Soulfire toward Malum, but he had used his own power to freeze her assault in midair.
Whetu appeared, descending from the skybridge and landing with far less force than her master.
“You’re going to regret going against the man you love!” Whetu said. Psionic energy rippled and crackled around her.
“Oh, really?” Akira sniggered. “Where is Rafi Bakir? How about Hakara Tamihana? Is he here as well? Oh! Or maybe you’re talking about Kyle Bradshaw or Emanuel Espinosa? Blake gave me quite a few love interests over the years, you know. But Malum? No, that wasn’t love. It never was. Let me show you what its like to feel genuine emotion, Whetu. How about we start with fear?”
Akira’s attack came so fast that Whetu never had a chance to defend herself. An Arc Wave, a pulse of Psionic energy travelling along the ground, struck her. Whetu jumped in surprise, losing her focus. A moment later, Akira used telepathy to penetrate Whetu’s mind. Thinking hard, Akira searched her own memory, trying to remember just what Whetu was most afraid of, and then she found it.
Whetu opened her eyes and screamed in terror. She was surrounded by phantoms visible only to herself. They were ghostly images of her friends and family, left behind in her own story. They accused Whetu of failing in her mission, saying that because of Whetu, everyone in her town was going to die of starvation.
Akira moved around to Whetu’s side. The young Partogan was so distracted that she had lost track of her enemy. Akira took a deep breath, trying to refocus her mind. She was going to break Whetu out of Malum’s power now, then move into the building to get Dak and Moka.
“YOU!”
Malum’s shout broke glass and rattled cars. He had spotted Akira. She looked around and saw that Sebakhira was on the ground, burned by her own Soulfire attack. Malum aimed his Venn Brace at Akira. Six constructs of purple light emerged from the pavement in front of Akira. Malum had conjured Spectral Warriors to fight for him.
“Using my own Psionic weapon, now, Ralpakin?” Akira said. “Losing confidence in your own powers?”
“You dare to doubt!?” Malum was incensed.
Six more Spectral Warriors rose from the ground. Akira was surrounded by translucent figures. She tilted her head back and let out her old villainous cackle.
“I should thank you!” Akira said. “I haven’t gotten to do this in a long time.”
All twelve of the Spectral Warriors moved to attack. Akira pointed her palm toward the sky, where dark clouds began to rumble dangerously. Then, just as the first of the Spectral Warriors got close enough to touch Akira, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck it! The thunderclap shook Stockholm like an earthquake. Then came three more, followed by another salvo. Each blast was enough to blind and deafen those nearby.
Akira kept up the pressure, feeding all of her focus into the Ionic Storm, expanding her attack radius to hit not just the Spectral Warriors, but Malum and Whetu as well. Pushing out further, Akira realized she managed to hit someone all the way out at Rothelmen Island, but she had no idea who.
A moment later, a second, third, and fourth blast of lightning blasted the space in front of Akira. Malum was being hit over and over and over again! Concrete and dirt flew into the air with each successive strike.
“I’ve got you, you sonuvabitch!” Akira screamed. “Die! Die already!”
All of the Spectral Warriors were gone, blasted into harmless vapor. Akira refocused herself one last time and struck Malum with two more lightning bolts. Smoke curled up from the body of the Great Khan as he keeled over and slumped to the ground.
For about one and a half seconds, Akira could see the body of Malum Ralpakin.
He was dead.
Clearly,
Plainly,
Obviously,
Dead.
And then… Malum’s body began to glow, emitting a bright purple light.
“No!” Akira screamed. “No, no no!”
Akira tried to conjure Soulfire in her hands, but she was unfocused and could not do it before Malum’s body faded away. Instead, Akira projected a frantic Telepathic message to her allies.
Malum has a Sarcophagus somewhere!
…
Marisol
Creator
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Varian, Cali, Blake, Marisol, and all six members of Cali’s SWAT team were now inside of the Paradox HQ lobby. The team was using the heavy counter of the receptionist’s desk for cover, Cali herself was hiding behind a statue of a wizard clad in yellow robes. As soon as Akira’s warning reached them, they all froze and looked at Blake.
“Sarcophagus? That thing from The Stormbreakers?” Cali asked.
Blake nodded.
“That means we can’t kill Malum, full stop.” Blake said. “He’ll just come back to life, fully healed and ready for another fight. We’ve gotta find the Sarcophagus and smash it.”
“Smash it?” Trig asked.
“They’re giant slabs of Elerium.” Blake said. “Any gun will break those things.”
Varian and Cali took the magnetic rifles Dak and Moka were using.
“Zip-tie them.” Cali said, gesturing at her husband and sister-in-law. “Akira might not…”
“Akira’s here.” A panting voice called out.
Akira stumbled into the lobby, carrying the unconscious form of Whetu.
“Someone cover me while I work on these guys.” Akira said. “And where’s Trig?”
“He went ahead, pushing Uisce deeper into the building.” Blake said.
“Someone go after him!” Akira gasped. “Malum said he was going to build his new Sanctum in here! That means his Sarcophagus is somewhere in the building. Someone will be guarding it!”
“Fuck, that’ll be either Tenna or Cassandra.” Marisol said. “Cali, we need anti-Psionic weapons.”
Two members of Cali’s team stepped forward. Marisol was given a satchel full of modified flashbang grenades. Blake also received a satchel, plus he was also given…
“The musket? Are you serious?” Blake said, looking at the antiquated weapon.
“You wanna better weapon!? The Armory is in another building, and we don’t have time!” Cali snapped. “I’ll stay with Akira. Varian, take a team and go after Trig!”
Marisol pulled the satchel straps around her waist and palmed one of the modified flashbangs. Right as she was about to leave the lobby, Marisol noticed a message painted in white lettering on the black surface of the doorframe:
You must gather your party before venturing forth.
Looking around, Marisol noticed that there were nerdy and geeky slogans displayed prominently throughout the building. She quickly found her favorite:
A patch is never late. A patch arrives precisely when it’s meant to.
“Well, these are video game developers.” Marisol told herself.
…
Trig Shepminter
Creation
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Trig had figured out Uisce. All of her powers seemed to be based on water, meaning he had a much deeper well of options to draw from when fighting her. Trig made sure to keep a Telekinetic shield up at all times because Uisce was trying to drain all of the water from his body.
Refusing to give her the opening, Trig pushed the Water Witch back, advancing and forcing her back through sheer force of will. Uisce became frantic, flooding corridors and passageways, sending torrents of debris toward Trig to no avail.
Trig and Uisce emerged into a large communal workspace where nearly a dozen computers were arranged on long tables. A nearby marker board contained a hastily written invitation to a party:
Stellaris Dev Team social hour TONIGHT! BYOB. (Bring your own Bat’leth)
A chain-link fence rose from floor to ceiling, separating the workspace from the next-door break area. Trig reached out and summoned the fence to him with Telekinesis. It broke free and skidded across the soggy carpet until it caught Uisce from behind. She lost her footing and fell.
For a short, tense moment, Uisce was pinned, trapped between Trig’s Telekinetic shield and the chain-link fence. She raised her dowsing rod and launched a continuous spray of cold water at Trig, blasting with the force and intensity of a fire hose. She tried to break through his shield, but after a few moments, the stream lost power and died away. Uisce let out a pained gasp as her eye color faded to grey.
At the same moment, the floor gave up under the weight of the deluge Uisce had conjured. The floor collapsed, dumping the workspace, thousands of gallons of freezing water, and Uisce herself into the cafeteria below.
“Uisce! Are you alright?” A female voice called out from deeper inside the building.
And then… Tenna stepped out from behind a doorway. At the far end of the Paradox Development Studio workspace, there was a very large executive conference room. The actual conference table was not visible through the glass wall. A huge slab of Elerium had been placed atop it, while a large and familiar looking chair was positioned at the spot where the CEO of Paradox would normally take his place.
It was the Psionic Sarcophagus and the Khan’s Throne. Tenna was guarding them.
As the floor collapsed, sending Uisce down below, Tenna and Trig stared at each other across the chasm. Windows on either side of the office shattered, allowing a rapidly forming blizzard to enter.
“Tenna…” Trig said. “I… I came to save you.”
Tenna’s expression softened. Trig was not sure, but he could have sworn he saw a trace of water in her amber eyes. For a brief moment, both teenagers remembered the very brief romantic connection they once shared. It felt so long ago now.
“I’m sorry, Trig.” She said, her voice shaking. “I’ve chosen my side. I can’t go back, even if I wanted to.”
A brilliant light illuminated the wrecked office. Tenna was suddenly nothing but a silhouette in Trig’s view. The Sarcophagus projected light in all directions for a few moments, and then dimmed.
Malum Ralpakin was now seated in his throne, restored to full health and power. He rose and spotted Trig.
“I have nothing to say to you, boy.” Malum said. “You wounded me in battle. For that, I shall grant you the courtesy of a quick and painless death.”
A jet of purple light sailed across the chasm, Trig started to raise his hand to defend himself, but it was not necessary. The beam struck a translucent barrier in midair, which shattered like glass as it took the full brunt of the blast.
Trig looked around just in time to see a peregrine falcon dive into the wrecked office, drawing its claws across Malum’s face as it went. Psionic energy enveloped the bird, which came around for another pass. Malum screamed in rage, his face bloody.
“Aisling!” Trig yelled. “I thought…”
He did not finish his sentence. Trig quickly moved to close off his mind, to purge all thought about how Aisling was in the wrong place. She was not supposed to be here! She was supposed to be attacking the Broken Gate with Kanti and Mina and Emily!
Aisling folded her wings and dove on Malum again, but this time the Great Khan was ready. He jumped into the chasm, landing in the wreckage of the cafeteria below. Aisling shot past Malum, flying deeper into the office, no doubt looking for the rest of Team Marisol. Malum started to give chase, causing Trig to react.
A Telekinetic force held him in place. Tenna had moved as soon as he looked away from her, and now Trig was caught in a Void Conduit. Semi-transparent tendrils reached up from the floor and wrapped themselves around his legs.
“Stay down, Trig.” Tenna said. “I don’t want to hurt you, and you can join us after Malum takes over.”
“We’re past that point, Tenna.” Trig responded. “We’re way past that point.”
An inferno of Soulfire erupted around Trig. Far too late, the fire suppression system activated, dousing both fighters. Blue flames danced around the shattered office and burned away the Psionic appendages grabbing Trig. He projected his power across the chasm, a shimmering column of white light.
Tenna raised her own mental defenses, but Trig’s resolve was stronger. He broke into Tenna’s mind with the force of a wrecking ball, causing her to stagger. Trig held Tenna in place, wrapping Telekinetic energies around her arms and neck.
Trig had no idea how Akira had managed to free Mina from Malum’s influence… but ever since coming to the real world, he had developed a knack for figuring out Psionic techniques on the fly. He was going to do it now.
In spite of everything that had happened, Trig still loved Tenna.
Desperate, knowing he had only moments, Trig ransacked Tenna’s mind, searching for the connection to Malum Ralpakin. Every time Trig found the mental concept of the Great Khan, Trig followed it, trying to see if it lead out of Tenna’s mind. (and therefore, back to Malum)
But there was none. No telltale strands of Mind Control, no evidence of Telepathic Manipulation, no hallmarks of Domination.
Tenna was not under Malum’s control. There were faint traces of his presence in her subconscious mind, but they were old. She had either broken free or been released.
Instead of what he was expecting, Trig found something else in Tenna’s mind… a deep, dark, desolation.
“Yeah…” Tenna said aloud, her voice strained by the mental invasion. “That’s what you think it is.”
Tenna clenched her fists, Celestial Gauntlets crackling as they came online.
“Despair…” Trig breathed. “But… why?”
“I betrayed the only boy I ever loved…” Tenna’s voice was shaking. “I thought I could find real purpose and happiness with the Great Khan… with your father.”
Trig could perceive a sea of emotions rolling through Tenna’s mind as she told her story.
“At first, I was happy. I was in love with Malum… It was real love, too. Not that fake feeling you can induce with Psionics. I… I thought I was something important to him. A lover, a confidant, maybe even a friend. But I was wrong. I was so very wrong. He used me. He only saw me as a minion that moonlights as a concubine…”
Tears welled up in Tenna’s eyes.
“And I can’t go back!” Tenna raised her voice. “I can’t go back to you, because I know what you and the others do to me then! It’s less than I deserve.”
Tenna’s willpower began to boil over. Behind it, Trig could finally see what he was looking for: There was a Psionic Echo, a faint imprint Malum left behind, tied directly to Tenna’s mental willpower. She was free of Malum’s direct control, but not his influence.
Tenna was fighting back, resisting Trig’s mental invasion. He was about to be forced out of her mind!
“I threw away my future on a selfish gamble.” Tenna said. “And this is my reward. Damned if I do… damned if I don’t. That’s what you found in my mind, Trig: Despair. I feel nothing but despair. It’s all I have left.”
Tenna ejected Trig from her mind and activated her Celestial Gauntlets. She launched herself across the chasm and began to attack!
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty-One: I feel nothing but despair. It’s all I have left.
Marisol
Creator
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Marisol dialed Cali’s cell phone number, and Akira picked up on the other end.
“First two are prepped and ready for you!” Marisol said.
“I’m on my way now.” Akira replied. “I can sense someone on the roof, coming down to you now!”
“Behind us!” Cali yelled.
A cascade of freezing water fell down a nearby staircase before reforming into a Human shape.
“Uisce!” Blake yelled. “It’s the Water Witch!”
The Water Witch raised her dowsing rod, but before she could make another move, Trig was on her. He conjured a Psionic construct, a shimmering wall of purple light that held back Uisce’s next assault.
“Lady, I’ve got nothing against you! But if you’re not going to back off, then you’ll have to fight me!” Trig said.
Cali turned to the rest of the team.
“Where’s Akira, she should have gotten here by now!?”
…
Akira Robinson
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
Akira was just outside of the Paradox building, mere feet away from the lobby door, when she was intercepted.
“Stay where you are!” Whetu shouted.
Akira turned on the spot and dodged an incoming Psi Lance. Telekinetic force tore up pieces of pavement and ice before sending them flying. To her left, Akira could see Malum and Sebakhira fighting. The old lioness was projecting a cone of Soulfire toward Malum, but he had used his own power to freeze her assault in midair.
Whetu appeared, descending from the skybridge and landing with far less force than her master.
“You’re going to regret going against the man you love!” Whetu said. Psionic energy rippled and crackled around her.
“Oh, really?” Akira sniggered. “Where is Rafi Bakir? How about Hakara Tamihana? Is he here as well? Oh! Or maybe you’re talking about Kyle Bradshaw or Emanuel Espinosa? Blake gave me quite a few love interests over the years, you know. But Malum? No, that wasn’t love. It never was. Let me show you what its like to feel genuine emotion, Whetu. How about we start with fear?”
Akira’s attack came so fast that Whetu never had a chance to defend herself. An Arc Wave, a pulse of Psionic energy travelling along the ground, struck her. Whetu jumped in surprise, losing her focus. A moment later, Akira used telepathy to penetrate Whetu’s mind. Thinking hard, Akira searched her own memory, trying to remember just what Whetu was most afraid of, and then she found it.
Whetu opened her eyes and screamed in terror. She was surrounded by phantoms visible only to herself. They were ghostly images of her friends and family, left behind in her own story. They accused Whetu of failing in her mission, saying that because of Whetu, everyone in her town was going to die of starvation.
Akira moved around to Whetu’s side. The young Partogan was so distracted that she had lost track of her enemy. Akira took a deep breath, trying to refocus her mind. She was going to break Whetu out of Malum’s power now, then move into the building to get Dak and Moka.
“YOU!”
Malum’s shout broke glass and rattled cars. He had spotted Akira. She looked around and saw that Sebakhira was on the ground, burned by her own Soulfire attack. Malum aimed his Venn Brace at Akira. Six constructs of purple light emerged from the pavement in front of Akira. Malum had conjured Spectral Warriors to fight for him.
“Using my own Psionic weapon, now, Ralpakin?” Akira said. “Losing confidence in your own powers?”
“You dare to doubt!?” Malum was incensed.
Six more Spectral Warriors rose from the ground. Akira was surrounded by translucent figures. She tilted her head back and let out her old villainous cackle.
“I should thank you!” Akira said. “I haven’t gotten to do this in a long time.”
All twelve of the Spectral Warriors moved to attack. Akira pointed her palm toward the sky, where dark clouds began to rumble dangerously. Then, just as the first of the Spectral Warriors got close enough to touch Akira, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and struck it! The thunderclap shook Stockholm like an earthquake. Then came three more, followed by another salvo. Each blast was enough to blind and deafen those nearby.
Akira kept up the pressure, feeding all of her focus into the Ionic Storm, expanding her attack radius to hit not just the Spectral Warriors, but Malum and Whetu as well. Pushing out further, Akira realized she managed to hit someone all the way out at Rothelmen Island, but she had no idea who.
A moment later, a second, third, and fourth blast of lightning blasted the space in front of Akira. Malum was being hit over and over and over again! Concrete and dirt flew into the air with each successive strike.
“I’ve got you, you sonuvabitch!” Akira screamed. “Die! Die already!”
All of the Spectral Warriors were gone, blasted into harmless vapor. Akira refocused herself one last time and struck Malum with two more lightning bolts. Smoke curled up from the body of the Great Khan as he keeled over and slumped to the ground.
For about one and a half seconds, Akira could see the body of Malum Ralpakin.
He was dead.
Clearly,
Plainly,
Obviously,
Dead.
And then… Malum’s body began to glow, emitting a bright purple light.
“No!” Akira screamed. “No, no no!”
Akira tried to conjure Soulfire in her hands, but she was unfocused and could not do it before Malum’s body faded away. Instead, Akira projected a frantic Telepathic message to her allies.
Malum has a Sarcophagus somewhere!
…
Marisol
Creator
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Varian, Cali, Blake, Marisol, and all six members of Cali’s SWAT team were now inside of the Paradox HQ lobby. The team was using the heavy counter of the receptionist’s desk for cover, Cali herself was hiding behind a statue of a wizard clad in yellow robes. As soon as Akira’s warning reached them, they all froze and looked at Blake.
“Sarcophagus? That thing from The Stormbreakers?” Cali asked.
Blake nodded.
“That means we can’t kill Malum, full stop.” Blake said. “He’ll just come back to life, fully healed and ready for another fight. We’ve gotta find the Sarcophagus and smash it.”
“Smash it?” Trig asked.
“They’re giant slabs of Elerium.” Blake said. “Any gun will break those things.”
Varian and Cali took the magnetic rifles Dak and Moka were using.
“Zip-tie them.” Cali said, gesturing at her husband and sister-in-law. “Akira might not…”
“Akira’s here.” A panting voice called out.
Akira stumbled into the lobby, carrying the unconscious form of Whetu.
“Someone cover me while I work on these guys.” Akira said. “And where’s Trig?”
“He went ahead, pushing Uisce deeper into the building.” Blake said.
“Someone go after him!” Akira gasped. “Malum said he was going to build his new Sanctum in here! That means his Sarcophagus is somewhere in the building. Someone will be guarding it!”
“Fuck, that’ll be either Tenna or Cassandra.” Marisol said. “Cali, we need anti-Psionic weapons.”
Two members of Cali’s team stepped forward. Marisol was given a satchel full of modified flashbang grenades. Blake also received a satchel, plus he was also given…
“The musket? Are you serious?” Blake said, looking at the antiquated weapon.
“You wanna better weapon!? The Armory is in another building, and we don’t have time!” Cali snapped. “I’ll stay with Akira. Varian, take a team and go after Trig!”
Marisol pulled the satchel straps around her waist and palmed one of the modified flashbangs. Right as she was about to leave the lobby, Marisol noticed a message painted in white lettering on the black surface of the doorframe:
You must gather your party before venturing forth.
Looking around, Marisol noticed that there were nerdy and geeky slogans displayed prominently throughout the building. She quickly found her favorite:
A patch is never late. A patch arrives precisely when it’s meant to.
“Well, these are video game developers.” Marisol told herself.
…
Trig Shepminter
Creation
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Trig had figured out Uisce. All of her powers seemed to be based on water, meaning he had a much deeper well of options to draw from when fighting her. Trig made sure to keep a Telekinetic shield up at all times because Uisce was trying to drain all of the water from his body.
Refusing to give her the opening, Trig pushed the Water Witch back, advancing and forcing her back through sheer force of will. Uisce became frantic, flooding corridors and passageways, sending torrents of debris toward Trig to no avail.
Trig and Uisce emerged into a large communal workspace where nearly a dozen computers were arranged on long tables. A nearby marker board contained a hastily written invitation to a party:
Stellaris Dev Team social hour TONIGHT! BYOB. (Bring your own Bat’leth)
A chain-link fence rose from floor to ceiling, separating the workspace from the next-door break area. Trig reached out and summoned the fence to him with Telekinesis. It broke free and skidded across the soggy carpet until it caught Uisce from behind. She lost her footing and fell.
For a short, tense moment, Uisce was pinned, trapped between Trig’s Telekinetic shield and the chain-link fence. She raised her dowsing rod and launched a continuous spray of cold water at Trig, blasting with the force and intensity of a fire hose. She tried to break through his shield, but after a few moments, the stream lost power and died away. Uisce let out a pained gasp as her eye color faded to grey.
At the same moment, the floor gave up under the weight of the deluge Uisce had conjured. The floor collapsed, dumping the workspace, thousands of gallons of freezing water, and Uisce herself into the cafeteria below.
“Uisce! Are you alright?” A female voice called out from deeper inside the building.
And then… Tenna stepped out from behind a doorway. At the far end of the Paradox Development Studio workspace, there was a very large executive conference room. The actual conference table was not visible through the glass wall. A huge slab of Elerium had been placed atop it, while a large and familiar looking chair was positioned at the spot where the CEO of Paradox would normally take his place.
It was the Psionic Sarcophagus and the Khan’s Throne. Tenna was guarding them.
As the floor collapsed, sending Uisce down below, Tenna and Trig stared at each other across the chasm. Windows on either side of the office shattered, allowing a rapidly forming blizzard to enter.
“Tenna…” Trig said. “I… I came to save you.”
Tenna’s expression softened. Trig was not sure, but he could have sworn he saw a trace of water in her amber eyes. For a brief moment, both teenagers remembered the very brief romantic connection they once shared. It felt so long ago now.
“I’m sorry, Trig.” She said, her voice shaking. “I’ve chosen my side. I can’t go back, even if I wanted to.”
A brilliant light illuminated the wrecked office. Tenna was suddenly nothing but a silhouette in Trig’s view. The Sarcophagus projected light in all directions for a few moments, and then dimmed.
Malum Ralpakin was now seated in his throne, restored to full health and power. He rose and spotted Trig.
“I have nothing to say to you, boy.” Malum said. “You wounded me in battle. For that, I shall grant you the courtesy of a quick and painless death.”
A jet of purple light sailed across the chasm, Trig started to raise his hand to defend himself, but it was not necessary. The beam struck a translucent barrier in midair, which shattered like glass as it took the full brunt of the blast.
Trig looked around just in time to see a peregrine falcon dive into the wrecked office, drawing its claws across Malum’s face as it went. Psionic energy enveloped the bird, which came around for another pass. Malum screamed in rage, his face bloody.
“Aisling!” Trig yelled. “I thought…”
He did not finish his sentence. Trig quickly moved to close off his mind, to purge all thought about how Aisling was in the wrong place. She was not supposed to be here! She was supposed to be attacking the Broken Gate with Kanti and Mina and Emily!
Aisling folded her wings and dove on Malum again, but this time the Great Khan was ready. He jumped into the chasm, landing in the wreckage of the cafeteria below. Aisling shot past Malum, flying deeper into the office, no doubt looking for the rest of Team Marisol. Malum started to give chase, causing Trig to react.
A Telekinetic force held him in place. Tenna had moved as soon as he looked away from her, and now Trig was caught in a Void Conduit. Semi-transparent tendrils reached up from the floor and wrapped themselves around his legs.
“Stay down, Trig.” Tenna said. “I don’t want to hurt you, and you can join us after Malum takes over.”
“We’re past that point, Tenna.” Trig responded. “We’re way past that point.”
An inferno of Soulfire erupted around Trig. Far too late, the fire suppression system activated, dousing both fighters. Blue flames danced around the shattered office and burned away the Psionic appendages grabbing Trig. He projected his power across the chasm, a shimmering column of white light.
Tenna raised her own mental defenses, but Trig’s resolve was stronger. He broke into Tenna’s mind with the force of a wrecking ball, causing her to stagger. Trig held Tenna in place, wrapping Telekinetic energies around her arms and neck.
Trig had no idea how Akira had managed to free Mina from Malum’s influence… but ever since coming to the real world, he had developed a knack for figuring out Psionic techniques on the fly. He was going to do it now.
In spite of everything that had happened, Trig still loved Tenna.
Desperate, knowing he had only moments, Trig ransacked Tenna’s mind, searching for the connection to Malum Ralpakin. Every time Trig found the mental concept of the Great Khan, Trig followed it, trying to see if it lead out of Tenna’s mind. (and therefore, back to Malum)
But there was none. No telltale strands of Mind Control, no evidence of Telepathic Manipulation, no hallmarks of Domination.
Tenna was not under Malum’s control. There were faint traces of his presence in her subconscious mind, but they were old. She had either broken free or been released.
Instead of what he was expecting, Trig found something else in Tenna’s mind… a deep, dark, desolation.
“Yeah…” Tenna said aloud, her voice strained by the mental invasion. “That’s what you think it is.”
Tenna clenched her fists, Celestial Gauntlets crackling as they came online.
“Despair…” Trig breathed. “But… why?”
“I betrayed the only boy I ever loved…” Tenna’s voice was shaking. “I thought I could find real purpose and happiness with the Great Khan… with your father.”
Trig could perceive a sea of emotions rolling through Tenna’s mind as she told her story.
“At first, I was happy. I was in love with Malum… It was real love, too. Not that fake feeling you can induce with Psionics. I… I thought I was something important to him. A lover, a confidant, maybe even a friend. But I was wrong. I was so very wrong. He used me. He only saw me as a minion that moonlights as a concubine…”
Tears welled up in Tenna’s eyes.
“And I can’t go back!” Tenna raised her voice. “I can’t go back to you, because I know what you and the others do to me then! It’s less than I deserve.”
Tenna’s willpower began to boil over. Behind it, Trig could finally see what he was looking for: There was a Psionic Echo, a faint imprint Malum left behind, tied directly to Tenna’s mental willpower. She was free of Malum’s direct control, but not his influence.
Tenna was fighting back, resisting Trig’s mental invasion. He was about to be forced out of her mind!
“I threw away my future on a selfish gamble.” Tenna said. “And this is my reward. Damned if I do… damned if I don’t. That’s what you found in my mind, Trig: Despair. I feel nothing but despair. It’s all I have left.”
Tenna ejected Trig from her mind and activated her Celestial Gauntlets. She launched herself across the chasm and began to attack!
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So, Malum learns the hard way why he shouldn't try to mind control characters stronger than him.
Ouch. That's enough to pity Tenna... Question is, can Trig put her down if she forces him to do so?
Eyes going grey means Uisce is out of the fight. Sebakhira too, but hopefully she can recover...
Aisling needs to lead Malum into a trap while he's pissed off and not thinking straight, no point in trying again now.
Ouch. That's enough to pity Tenna... Question is, can Trig put her down if she forces him to do so?
Eyes going grey means Uisce is out of the fight. Sebakhira too, but hopefully she can recover...
Aisling needs to lead Malum into a trap while he's pissed off and not thinking straight, no point in trying again now.
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A double-post! What's going on!?
Well, a user by the name of @StrategyGameEnthusiast nominated me for Best Character Writer of the Week. (Many thanks, by the way. You're too cool. )
As my house rules demand, I was required to post a new chapter of The Broken Gates immediately, which you can see above. I also promised another preview of my next story. I'm still writing the Universe Bible (a small folder full of documents related to worldbuilding. Character sheets, country data cards, starship stats, etc)
Today you'll be getting to see two more pages of the Universe Bible, special thanks to @StrategyGameEnthusiast's kind actions. In this post, you'll get to learn about two of the playable star nations that will be appearing in my next Stellaris story. Enjoy!
UNITED NATIONS OF EARTH
Government:
Executive Branch:
Legislative Branch:
Judicial Branch:
DESSTICAN ASTRAL FELLOWSHIP
Government:
Executive Branch:
Legislative Branch:
Judicial Branch:
Well, a user by the name of @StrategyGameEnthusiast nominated me for Best Character Writer of the Week. (Many thanks, by the way. You're too cool.
)As my house rules demand, I was required to post a new chapter of The Broken Gates immediately, which you can see above. I also promised another preview of my next story. I'm still writing the Universe Bible (a small folder full of documents related to worldbuilding. Character sheets, country data cards, starship stats, etc)
Today you'll be getting to see two more pages of the Universe Bible, special thanks to @StrategyGameEnthusiast's kind actions. In this post, you'll get to learn about two of the playable star nations that will be appearing in my next Stellaris story. Enjoy!
UNITED NATIONS OF EARTH
Government:
Government Type: Parliamentary Republic
Administrative Capital: Washington, on the planet Earth
Legislative Capital: Beijing, on the planet Earth
Judicial Capital: The Hague, on the planet Earth
Unification Day: December 31, 2086
Constitution and Legal System: First UN Charter drafted 1945, Second Charter drafted 2086, adopted by plebiscite 2086, effective since 2090. Civil law based on hybrid of continental European systems and American systems, judicial review of legislative acts by Supreme Court
Administrative Divisions: 199 Member-States (on Earth) plus 25 planetary colonies
Citizenship: Citizenship by birth is conditional; at least one parent of a child born in Human territory must be a legal resident for at least four years prior to the child’s birth. Citizenship by decent is recognized, meaning UN citizens can be born outside UN territory to UN citizen parents. Dual citizenships are legally recognized. Residents must live in Human territory for 8 years before citizenship via naturalization.
Sentient Species population (type) /Rights:
- Humans (Mammalian, Founder Species) / Full Citizenship
- Bhiir (Lithoid) / Full Citizenship
- Cevanti (Mammalian) / Full Citizenship
- Cyanidite (Toxoid) / Full Citizenship
- Halflifer (Toxoid) / Full Citizenship
- Hulfir (Fungoid) / Full Citizenship
- Jhabbanid (Arthropoid) / Full Citizenship
- Lozavatan (Plantoid) / Full Citizenship
- Malwegoll (Molluscoid) Full Citizenship
- Makaru (Fungoid) / Full Citizenship
- Thorquell (Necroid) / Full Citizenship
- Tycan (Fungoid) / Full Citizenship
- Usanace (Molluscoid) / Full Citizenship
- Wulhubb (Fungoid) / Full Citizenship
Suffrage: 18 years of age, (Humans) Age of majority (to each corresponding non-Human species)
Other Population notes: Humans make up approximately 80% of the population. A substantial Human diaspora exists throughout the Galaxy, making it nearly impossible to determine the exact Human population. It is theorized as many as 10 million Humans live outside the UNE’s borders.
Executive Branch:
Head of State: President Andrew HORNER
Head of Government: Prime Minister Ren ZHIHAO
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the Prime Minister, appointed by the President, approved by the People’s Congress (lower house of Parliament)
Elections/Appointments: President directly elected by majority popular vote for a 7-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 26 October 2224; Prime Minister nominated by the Senate, appointed by the President
Recent Election Results:
2227: Ren Zhihao is elected Prime Minister by Parliament and is appointed Prime Minister by President Horner.
2223: Andrew Horner is re-elected President in the runoff election.
Note: Prime Minister Fiona Washington resigned from the ruling party on March 9, 2227 but remained as Caretaker Prime Minister until a successor was appointed
Legislative Branch:
Legislative Body: Parliament of Earth; (bicameral) consists of:
Senate (upper house); sometimes referred to by its former name “General Assembly.” 224 seats, appointed by the governments of their corresponding nation-states or colonial governments.
People’s Congress (lower house); 3,500 seats, members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote.
All members of Parliament serve five-year terms.
Elections: Parliament – December 2225 (Next election December 2230)
Recent election results:
Senate: Interstellar Labor Party 52%, American Democrats 16%, Conservative Party 11%, American Republicans 9%, Chinese Communist Party 5%, Bharatiya Janata Party 5%, Offworld Conservative Party 1%, other parties ~1%
People’s Congress: Interstellar Labor Party 61% American Democrats 12%, Conservative Party 7%, Chinese Communist Party 8%, Bharatiya Janata Party 6%, Offworld Conservative Party 1%, Other parties ~5%
Judicial Branch:
Highest Courts: International Court of Justice (hears disputes between states); International Criminal Court (prosecutes major crimes), Court of Appeals of the UN (highest court of appeal)
Subordinate Courts: Criminal Courts, International Courts, Maritime Courts, civil courts, military courts
Political Parties, Factions, and Organizations: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, Global Communist Party, Christian Democrats, American Republicans, American Democrats, Liberal Democratic Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Liberal Christian Congress, Justice and Development Party, Prosperity Party, Judicialist Party, Radical Civic Union, Chinese Communist Party, Arab Socialist Party, General People’s Congress, Colonial People’s Congress, Interstellar Labor Party, Conservative Party, Global Green Party, Offworld Conservative Party
Interstellar Organization Participation: Galactic Community, Galactic Market, Interstellar Navigation Agency, Galactic Trade Organization, GALPOL, Afrmyke-Fulaz-Sol Security Coalition (AKA “The Coalition”)
Geopolitics notes: The Tiyana Vek Star System, located in a central position within Human territory, contains a wormhole that leads to territory controlled by the Augmented Cevanti Administration. Both the UNE and the Coalition have sought to establish positive diplomatic relations with the Cevanti, with the express purpose of ensuring both sides of the wormhole are controlled by entities friendly to Earth. The Cevanti government has proven receptive to Coalition overtures and has expressed a desire for closer relations with the Coalition and its member-states, including the UNE. Commerce and Migration treaties between all parties are currently in effect, with citizens of Earth and Cevasia living on both worlds.
DESSTICAN ASTRAL FELLOWSHIP
Government:
Government Type: Theocratic Monarchy
Capital: Tulnui, on the planet Dekronia
Independence Day: November 9, 2091 (From the Astrophytan Plexus, 138 years ago)
Constitution and Legal System: “The Basic Order of Life, the Universe, and Everything” a governing document which serves as a constitutional framework. Issued as a royal decree. Amendments are proposed by the Consultative Council and enacted by the Supreme Ruler.
Administrative Divisions: 42 Terrestrial Fellowships (inhabited planets) and 219 Solar Fellowships (controlled star systems)
Citizenship: Citizenship by decent only. The biological father must be a citizen of the Fellowship. Any sentient being that can be identified as “biologically female” cannot be a citizen of the Astral Fellowship.
Sentient Species population (Type) / Rights:
- Desstican (Necroid, dominant) / Full Citizenship
- Cevanti (Mammalian) / Purge
- Cyanidite (Toxoid) / Purge
- Ebusian (Aquatic) / Indentured Servitude
- Fex’Klanga (Reptilian) / Chattel Slavery
- Havarigga (Molluscoid) / Chattel Slavery
- Human (Mammalian) / Domestic Servitude
- Kodranite (Lithoid) / Chattel Slavery
- Lishian (Aquatic) / Livestock
- Lozavatan (Plantoid) / Indentured Servitude
- Magnoid (Aquatic) / Livestock
- Mirovandia (Plantoid) / Indentured Servitude
- Obadin (Molluscoid) / Chattel Slavery
- Obevni (Fungoid) / Indentured Servitude
- Photecian (Mammalian) / Domestic Servitude
- Pictling (Aquatic) / Domestic Servitude
- Yastun (Plantoid) / Domestic Servitude
Other Population notes: While exact numbers are hard to come by, it is theorized that Dessticans make up approximately 20 percent of the total population, while the rest are enslaved people from various species.
Executive Branch:
Head of State: Supreme Ruler Aramachus ZILFALLON (Note: In comparison to Human governments, the Supreme Ruler is the rough equivalent of an absolute monarch who is simultaneously the head of a religious organization. Such as a Pope or Caliph)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Mullioch ZILFALLON
Cabinet: Council of Advisors, appointed by the Prime Minister. The Supreme Ruler has veto power over all appointments.
Elections/Appointments: The monarchy is hereditary. The Prime Minister is elected by the legislature.
Legislative Branch:
Legislative Body: Astral Assembly; (unicameral) 261 seats directly elected in single-seat constituencies by non-transferrable votes, with each seat representing one of the 261 internal fellowships. All candidates seeking election to the Astral Assembly must be approved by the Council of Guardians; a 15-member group of which nine are appointed by the Supreme Ruler and the remaining six are nominated by the Supreme Court and elected by the Astral Assembly.
Judicial Branch:
Highest Courts: Supreme Court (consists of a five-judge panel headed by the Chief Justice) Members are elected by the Astral Assembly after receiving approval from the Supreme Ruler.
Subordinate Courts: Penal Courts, Astral Justice Courts, Special Clerical Courts, military courts
Political Parties, Factions, and Organizations: Committee of Spiritual Redemption, (CSR) Martial Supremacy Alliance, (MSA) Defensive Readiness Council. (DR)
Interstellar Organization Participation: Galactic Community, Galactic Market, Interstellar Navigation Agency, Galactic Trade Organization, GALPOL
First Contact with Humanity: May 21, 2213 (Hostile First Contact, non-violent)
Diplomatic Representation to Earth: None. The Desstican Astral Fellowship is currently in a state of war against the Afrmyke-Fulaz-Sol Security Coalition (AKA “The Coalition”)
Geopolitics notes: The Desstican Astral Fellowship is currently trying to increase its control and influence over the Augmented Cevanti Administration, a star nation that controls the Hodranus Star System. There is a wormhole in this region that connects to the Tiyana Vek Star System, which is located deep within Coalition territory. Both the Fellowship and Coalition consider control over this wormhole to be of the highest priority.
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Strange that none of the South African capitals were chosen by the UNE, seeing as they have three. Also having three capitals on three different continents doesn't seem like a good idea (What if a rebellion happens in Europe, leaving the regime unable to utilise the judiciary, for example).
Maybe its because I've only got 21 minutes in Stellaris (I found it too confusing), but that seems like a lot of species to me. Where do they all fit?
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Does the coffin for Malum have limited uses? Or does it just always work?
I'm suitably worried for Aisling's safety when fighting Malum. The matchup between the two is not looking good.
I'm suitably worried for Aisling's safety when fighting Malum. The matchup between the two is not looking good.
What is sci-fi without references to other sci-fi, right?
Does the Astral Assembly have term limits or reelections like those of the UNE? Or are their members elected for life?
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I imagined that once a global government started consolidating power, the holdouts would have demanded concessions in return for joining up. In my mind, I saw China as being the most likely "final holdout" before joining the new global government of Earth, and that the Communist Party in Beijing would extract a steep price for its signature on the Second UN Charter. Moving Earth's Parliament on Chinese soil is probably just one of the numerous demands China made in return for coming aboard.
Also, in real life, the Chinese People's Congress is the largest legislative body on Earth, with over 2700 seats. I can't help but picture their building as the logical HQ for a Human government that rules more than two dozen planets.
Most of the non-Human populace lives on planetary colonies, Habitat stations, Megastructures and assorted space stations. Running out of space to house people doesn't really become a problem until the very late game stage of Stellaris.
Now that Malum is connected to it, he can use the Sarcophagus to regenerate ad infinitum. They are very overpowered, that's why only three ever existed in the Stormbreaker Universe. (and two of them were destroyed)
The matchup between Aisling and Malum is going to be very lopsided, but I want at least two more 1v1 fights before we get the big "dogpile action" where a bunch of characters all go after him at once.
Members of the Astral Assembly don't have term limits. However, very limited democratic institutions exist in the local Fellowship governments (on the planetary level) so they could theoretically be voted out by the very small number of registered voters who live in Desstican territory.
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Well, a lot to parse here as usual, and the action just keeps coming.
And now, because although it is a small reference there is something to correct in the last chapter, so I must put on the sacred headdress again and become Chac1-tay, Delta-grade Meta Meta Critiquer, Voluntary Editor, Faux Elvis Impersonator, Head Cook and Bottle Washer of the Macedonians, Keeper of the Keys of the City of Babylon, The Most Holy Wheelright of Jerusalem, Custodian of the Bars of the Two Holy Mosques, etc., etc., etc. (as denoted by the King of Siam).
This is a big reason I've been reading this AAR (although there are many reasons at this stage): to see some of the loose ends of the Song of the Solitaire resolved.
Indeed, a reference to The King and I. You may not have noticed but it has been part of the unofficial title for quite some time.
And now, because although it is a small reference there is something to correct in the last chapter, so I must put on the sacred headdress again and become Chac1-tay, Delta-grade Meta Meta Critiquer, Voluntary Editor, Faux Elvis Impersonator, Head Cook and Bottle Washer of the Macedonians, Keeper of the Keys of the City of Babylon, The Most Holy Wheelright of Jerusalem, Custodian of the Bars of the Two Holy Mosques, etc., etc., etc. (as denoted by the King of Siam).
In this particular case, "lead out" should be "led out." This is a common grammatical issue for many folks these days.
This too is a minor point and apologies for belaboring it, but now I feel like I have wronged the Blake character in the story with previous comments. Akira's beef is not with Blake but with the Reddit user who drew the fan art. Don't get me started when it comes to Reddit. Just wanted to redirect my criticism away from Blake's character and to where it should belong: toward Reddit.
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What is the difference between the indentured servitude, domestic servitude and chattel slavery? To defeat Tenna/Malum, Trig will need to be harder than trigonometry is for a high schooler. Thank you for the update.
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Indentured servitude means you are technically free, but you are held in functionally inescapable debt and are used as a slave to work your debts off, usually while the debt mounts up through the enslaver charging extortionate rates for living costs.
In modern slavery a variant is becoming very common where the actual employment is legitimate; a genuine employer exists, paying a genuine wage, but the enslaver controls the slave's ID and bank cards. They also take out the maximum amount of loans on the slave they can and whatever benefits they can get. Usually the slaves are migrated in illegally and told repeatedly they will be severely punished by the police for being in the country as a further deterrence to escape.
Domestic servitude is fairly similar, but specific differences come from the in-home setting of the slave that can make it much harder to identify and deal with.
Chattel slavery is the "slaves are property of the owner" slavery people think of when they think of the word slave.
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That could be a problem. Trig never completed high school. (This is a fairly common thing for my protagonists, owing to my love of writing teenaged heroes. Jericho and Aisling are both illiterate)
@CBR JGWRR pretty much hit the nails before I could get to this one.
I'm still working out the worldbuilding details here, so none of this is set in stone:
The Astral Fellowship expands entirely through armed conquest, and has taken people from both spacefaring empires and pre-FTL societies. I think I want the different types of slavery to represent the method by which these enslaved people were brought under Desstican control, as well as the Supreme Ruler's intensions for that species.
For instance, the Fellowship conquered a Fex’Klanga world through sheer force of arms. Any people who survived the conquest became spoils of war that the Desstican government could sell to private owners to offset the cost of war. Desstican industrialists were deeply grateful for the sudden surge in cheap manpower. State-sponsored sales of enslaved people are a very frequent occurrence in Fellowship territory, especially after a recent conquest.
At the same time, Humans were living in colonies near the disputed Fellowship/Coalition border. The Fellowship has been using strategies similar to modern-day China, strategically building military bases and settlements in the disputed zone to subtly move the border in small increments that would not be noticed quickly. Thousands of Humans simply woke up one morning to find Fellowship voidcraft in orbit of their colonies, informing them that they were now in Desstican territory and subject to Desstican laws. The "Domestic Servitude" part mainly comes from Humans being abducted from these border colonies and forced to live and work in the homes of the Fellowship soldiers and officers who took them.
And then there's the Necrophage. The Astral Fellowship is constantly sending aliens into the Chamber of Elevation, where they are converted into Necroid lifeforms. (Who enjoy much greater freedoms and are counted as Dessticans) This mass conversion is being carried out in slow waves, owing the fact that purging/converting 80% of the population is not something that can be done quickly.
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Episode Twenty-Two: That is how it feels to be powerless.
Happy holiday weekend everyone! Here's a weekend offering to go with your barbeque and fireworks:
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty-Two: That is how it feels to be powerless.
Emily
Creation
Rothelmen Island, Stockholm
Three Creations closed on Rothelmen Island aboard a stolen police boat. Two members of local police were on board, but they had been rendered docile via Psionics.
Kanti used Telekinesis to push the boat along the river, allowing the little team to move in absolute silence. Mina hunched over in the bow, clutching an Uzi she had taken from one of the cops. Not knowing her way around weapons from this time period, Mina knew she would not be able to reload it, so she was also carrying a pistol and a knife as well. Emily stayed near the back. She had proved uncomfortable with violence in general, but Kanti trusted her to keep watch over the stunned law enforcement officers.
“I’m a bartender, not a fighter.” Emily had reminded the others. “I mean…. I wanna help, but I don’t think there’s a lot I can do.”
It had been Blake’s idea for Emily to join the raid on the Broken Gate.
“In the Stardew Valley video game, Emily has a connection to forest magic. It’s baked into her character.” Blake had explained at the time. “She can sense the supernatural. It’s a little more vague and generalized than ‘Psionic Sensitivity’ in my other stories, but Emily can probably find the Broken Gate on that island without help. Plus, I’m willing to bet she can interact with it as though she was a Gifted person. That should free up a Creation to help us fight Malum.”
So, Emily and Mina had waited by the shoreline, pretending to be tourists admiring the many marinas around the city. They knew Kanti and Aisling would join them to help steal a police boat, but were alarmed when Kanti showed up alone and injured.
“Okay, the fight’s started.” Kanti said, dropping burned feathers as she circled above Emily’s head. “Hopefully, Malum and his allies have called for help. If we’re lucky, whoever he assigned to guard the Broken Gate will have moved by now. Let’s go.”
A group of local women, walking home from a night out, paused and blinked their eyes, trying to figure out if they really had just seen a talking peahen.
After the boat theft and short river journey, Emily was brought back to reality by the sound of crunching stone. The police boat made landfall on Rothelmen Island. Mina jumped onto the rugged shore and aimed her Uzi into the treeline.
“We’ll protect you, Emily!” Mina said. “Just show us where the Gate is.”
Cautiously, Emily made landfall and looked around.
The truth was that Emily had no way to know if her connection to “Forest Magic” followed her into this world. But she was confident it had, and she strode into the trees without hesitation. Mina followed while Kanti took flight, conducting her own search from the air.
Rothelmen Island was tiny, just over four hundred feet across. The search only took a few minutes. It is impossible to know whether Emily found the Gate through some inherent talent or if she just got lucky. Emily chose to believe the former option.
“There!” Emily hissed, pointing toward a clearing.
On the western shore of the island, a patch of rocky ground prevented any trees from growing. Here, a perfect square-shaped indentation had been carved into the rock. In its center, a ring-shaped structure stood on a metal platform. Five large purple crystals were seated in niches along the upper half of the ring.
“That’s the gate alright.” Mina said. “I guess the person guarding it has already left.”
Just to the left of the Gate, below the branches an old tree, there was a sudden flashing of light, followed by chattering noise. Twigs and branches rained down on the two Creations, and Mina screamed:
“Gunfire! Get down!”
She grabbed Emily and shoved her into the dirt. Both women scrambled behind nearby trees for cover, and Mina raised her Uzi to return fire. The stuttering burst caused Emily to cover her ears. She had seen guns in movies and TV shows, but up until this moment, she never understood just how loud they could be.
“Give up now!” Mina shouted. “I’ve got air support nearby!”
A man’s voice replied.
“I’ll shoot that damn Vanian as soon as she pokes her head out!”
Mina hesitated, lowering her Uzi.
“Wait a second… Kiri, is that you!?” She yelled.
“Mina!” Kiri let out a cry of joy as he recognized his girlfriend’s voice, but a moment later, a bolt of violet light shot down from the sky.
Kanti had struck as soon as Kiri gave away his position, lashing out with a Psionic blast that left Kiri stunned. While their foe keeled over, Kanti glided to a landing on the archway. She kept one eye on Kiri as Emily and Mina emerged from the woodline.
“I don’t sense anyone else on the island.” Kanti said. “We have control of the Gate, now we just need to figure out how to operate it.”
Mina ran past the Gate entirely, running to the spot where Kiri had fallen. Her boyfriend had dropped his assault rifle when he was hit. Mina grabbed it and pulled it away from Kiri before kneeling next to him. Emily turned her attention to the Gate.
“I can feel something.” Emily said, raising one hand as though checking the wind direction. “It’s like, a pull.”
Emily looked into the open space in the middle of the ring. If she squinted her eyes, she could faintly see the outline of something familiar on the far side… but she could not tell what it was.
“There must be a special Psionic technique to open the Gate.” Kanti mused. “Let me think.”
A deep rumbling sound in the distance reminded everyone that a battle was taking place nearby. Kanti paced back and forth on top of the ring, her talons made a clicking sound as they scraped metal. Emily placed her hand on one of the crystals and noticed it was very cold to the touch.
“These crystals are drained. There’s hardly any energy left in them.” Emily commented.
“That must be how the Gate is powered on or off.” Kanti added. “Those are Lightstones, a type of crystal from my world.”
“Lightstones?” Emily repeated.
“Crystals made of unrefined Aetherium. Its’s a naturally occurring insulator of Psionic energy.” Kanti said. “Elerium is a conductor, used in making things like Psionic Amplifiers. But these Aetherium crystals? They can trap Psionic energy for thousands of years.”
Kanti frowned, looking at the Lightstones attached to the Broken Gate.
“Why are they so dark?” Kanti muttered to herself. “Even when drained, there should still be a faint glow.”
Kanti unfurled her wings and tried to brush one of the Lightstones with her feathers. Emily noticed a sticky black residue covering the Lightstones. Kanti brushed some of it away with her feathers, but a moment later, the residue seemed to “grow back” and re-cover the Lightstone.
“That’s odd.” Emily remarked. “It looks like all of the Lightstones are covered in that black stuff.”
“Black stuff!?” Mina repeated, looking up from Kiri’s unconscious form. “Where?”
“On the gate.” Emily said, pointing.
All of the color drained out of Mina’s face.
“Nanites!” She said. “Cassandra must be somewhere close by!”
…
Cassandra Espinosa
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
Cassandra was close by. Like her enemies, she had hijacked a civilian watercraft, though she had gone about it with much more violence. She was crossing the railroad tracks near The Tanto International School when she received a warning from her microbot sentries.
She stopped on the tracks, her Nanite Armor rippling dangerously in the night as she considered her options.
For the shortest of moments, Cassandra felt a twinge of emotional pain. She knew her mother, Akira Robinson, was somewhere in the fight now playing out. Cassandra wanted to be there, to at least try and save her mother… but Malum had given her an order. Her duty was to protect the Broken Gate, and she could only join the main battle if it was safe.
Right now, the Broken Gate was not safe.
Cassandra turned around, breaking into a jog as she ran back toward the river, and Rothelmen Island.
…
Aisling
Creation
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Aisling was trying to lead Malum into a kill zone. Cali, Blake, and Marisol were in one of the conference rooms, setting up an ambush with anti-Psionic weapons.
Shapeshifting into a small songbird, Aisling flitted down the corridor at high speed. Malum was right behind her, lashing out with Telekinesis as he tried to hit her.
Aisling and Malum thundered down a narrow hallway where numerous awards, decorations, and trophies were proudly displayed on shelves. About halfway along this corridor, Aisling’s luck ran out. She was caught in a Psionic blast and found herself being forced to shapeshift against her will.
Suddenly back in Human form, Aisling stumbled and fell to the floor. Malum was on her in an instant. He grabbed her and pulled her up to his level.
“You’ve become quite the pest.” Malum said.
At Aisling’s command, a hurricane-force wind suddenly struck the building. The blizzard raging outside smashed every window, allowing snow and ice to enter. Malum’s grip on Aisling slackened for a moment as he was hit by the stinging chill. The wind intensified, causing the building to creak and shudder dangerously, as though it was going to collapse.
“Let her go!” a voice cried out.
Marisol had appeared at the far end of the hallway, clutching the Gauss Rifle previously used by Moka. Aisling tried to speak, to cry out a word of warning, but Malum wrapped one hand around her throat and squeezed so tightly the pain made her go blind.
A gunshot rang out and Malum staggered, loosening his grip on Aisling a second time. Once more, she refocused her powers, trying to force Malum to let go. The blizzard outside became a cyclone. Part of the ceiling above Malum collapsed, raining wreckage down on the Great Khan.
Aisling’s vision and hearing returned just enough to let her see that Marisol was now firing her weapon continuously at Malum, trying to break through his Telekinetic shield. The blue flash of the magnetic weapon lit up the hallway like a lightning storm. Then Aisling realized Malum was looking at her.
"Your powers lack balance." Malum seethed. "Even the readers questioned your abilities. Characters like you are terrible protagonists."
Aisling clawed at Malum's arm. He tightened his grip around her throat.
"Killing you was never part of my plans for my story." Malum said. "If you value your life, stop trying to be a hero and play the role of innocent bystander instead."
The Great Khan turned on the spot and threw Aisling with all his might. Her broken body crashed into the Mr. T Memorial Showcase and slumped to the floor, where she was buried in an avalanche of broken glass and shattered YAYA trophies. Wracked head to foot in overwhelming pain, Aisling could not move.
"Do you feel that?" Malum growled at Aisling's limp form. "That is how it feels to be powerless. Sit back and watch this war end. It's all you're good for now."
“Aisling!” Marisol screamed.
Again, there was gunfire. All Aisling could do was cover her head and wait for it to end.
“I’ve got you covered!” Another voice called out.
Varian Robinson had appeared in the opposite end of the hallway, and she (or he) was not alone. The Paradox SWAT team, trudging through ankle-deep snow that was piling up throughout the office, was bringing up the rear.
“FLASHBANG!” Varian yelled.
Aisling closed her eyes and covered her ears. Three loud blasts rang out, but something about them seemed off. She did not lose her hearing, nor did she go blind.
Looking up, Aisling saw that three of the SWAT operators were down. Their flashbang grenades had prematurely detonated, and now those fighters were clutching at the mangled remains of their hands.
“He Fused us!” Varian shouted. “Ballistic weapons only! Shoot him! Shoot him down!”
Varian, Marisol, and the remaining SWAT operators raised their weapons and opened fire. Marisol, who had never fired a gun before tonight, had no idea her weapon was out of ammunition. She just kept pulling the trigger, hoping it would do something.
“Enough! I am a God and you are all beneath me!” Malum shouted.
A swirling bubble of Psionic energy began growing outward from Malum. It expanded past Aisling until Marisol, Varian, and the SWAT crew were all inside of its perimeter. The world took on a disturbing indigo hue. As soon as they were inside of the bubble, all of the guns stopped working. It was as though they had jammed simultaneously.
“AW, FUCK THIS NOISE! We’re inside a Psionic Bomb!” Varian yelled. “Break contact and run! Run now before it kills us all!”
The SWAT crew grabbed their wounded and started to withdraw beyond the perimeter of the Psionic Bomb. (The bubble had finally stopped expanding) Malum pushed through a conference room door and vanished into the snowstorm just beyond. In moments, Aisling was alone inside of the Psionic Bomb, unable to move, unable to save herself from what was about to come. She closed her eyes, knowing she was about to die.
“My hand!” A distant voice cried out. “Take my hand!”
Aisling opened her eyes.
Marisol was standing above her, digging through the rubble to reach Aisling. Swirling strands of Psionic energy tumbled through the air, rapidly pulsing with brilliant light. The Psionic bomb was only moments away from detonating, and yet…
Marisol had run into its very center to retrieve Aisling.
“Get up! Grab onto me!” Marisol gasped.
Aisling reached up and seized a fistful of Marisol’s shirt. She pulled herself up as best she could, but a searing pain in her leg told Aisling she would not be able to stand on her own. Leaning on Marisol for support, the pair started shambling their way to the lobby. Blinking blood out of her eyes, Aisling could see the outer perimeter of the bubble. It was just a few feet inside of the lobby. Aisling could see Akira tending to the semiconscious forms of Moka, Dak, and Whetu. Varian was tapping her on the shoulder and pointing at the Psionic Bomb.
Akira, Varian, and Cali all ran across the lobby as fast as they could, but it was too late. Suddenly, the bubble began to shrink. Aisling and Marisol were nowhere near the outermost perimeter, yet suddenly they were outside of it, and the world had resumed its normal color scheme. Aisling knew this meant only one thing: The Psionic Bomb was about to detonate.
Marisol must have figured this out too, because at the last second, she forcefully grabbed Aisling and pulled her to the right until Aisling was standing directly in front of Marisol.
The Psionic Bomb imploded, then released a telekinetic shockwave that shook the building like an earthquake. Marisol took the full brunt of the blast, shielding Aisling from the worst of it. Lights went out and the north wall collapsed, revealing the frozen streets outside.
Marisol and Aisling both collapsed into a snowbank that had formed on the street-facing side of the lobby. When Aisling finally lost focus… she also lost control of the blizzard raging just outside.
The Broken Gates
Episode Twenty-Two: That is how it feels to be powerless.
Emily
Creation
Rothelmen Island, Stockholm
Three Creations closed on Rothelmen Island aboard a stolen police boat. Two members of local police were on board, but they had been rendered docile via Psionics.
Kanti used Telekinesis to push the boat along the river, allowing the little team to move in absolute silence. Mina hunched over in the bow, clutching an Uzi she had taken from one of the cops. Not knowing her way around weapons from this time period, Mina knew she would not be able to reload it, so she was also carrying a pistol and a knife as well. Emily stayed near the back. She had proved uncomfortable with violence in general, but Kanti trusted her to keep watch over the stunned law enforcement officers.
“I’m a bartender, not a fighter.” Emily had reminded the others. “I mean…. I wanna help, but I don’t think there’s a lot I can do.”
It had been Blake’s idea for Emily to join the raid on the Broken Gate.
“In the Stardew Valley video game, Emily has a connection to forest magic. It’s baked into her character.” Blake had explained at the time. “She can sense the supernatural. It’s a little more vague and generalized than ‘Psionic Sensitivity’ in my other stories, but Emily can probably find the Broken Gate on that island without help. Plus, I’m willing to bet she can interact with it as though she was a Gifted person. That should free up a Creation to help us fight Malum.”
So, Emily and Mina had waited by the shoreline, pretending to be tourists admiring the many marinas around the city. They knew Kanti and Aisling would join them to help steal a police boat, but were alarmed when Kanti showed up alone and injured.
“Okay, the fight’s started.” Kanti said, dropping burned feathers as she circled above Emily’s head. “Hopefully, Malum and his allies have called for help. If we’re lucky, whoever he assigned to guard the Broken Gate will have moved by now. Let’s go.”
A group of local women, walking home from a night out, paused and blinked their eyes, trying to figure out if they really had just seen a talking peahen.
After the boat theft and short river journey, Emily was brought back to reality by the sound of crunching stone. The police boat made landfall on Rothelmen Island. Mina jumped onto the rugged shore and aimed her Uzi into the treeline.
“We’ll protect you, Emily!” Mina said. “Just show us where the Gate is.”
Cautiously, Emily made landfall and looked around.
The truth was that Emily had no way to know if her connection to “Forest Magic” followed her into this world. But she was confident it had, and she strode into the trees without hesitation. Mina followed while Kanti took flight, conducting her own search from the air.
Rothelmen Island was tiny, just over four hundred feet across. The search only took a few minutes. It is impossible to know whether Emily found the Gate through some inherent talent or if she just got lucky. Emily chose to believe the former option.
“There!” Emily hissed, pointing toward a clearing.
On the western shore of the island, a patch of rocky ground prevented any trees from growing. Here, a perfect square-shaped indentation had been carved into the rock. In its center, a ring-shaped structure stood on a metal platform. Five large purple crystals were seated in niches along the upper half of the ring.
“That’s the gate alright.” Mina said. “I guess the person guarding it has already left.”
Just to the left of the Gate, below the branches an old tree, there was a sudden flashing of light, followed by chattering noise. Twigs and branches rained down on the two Creations, and Mina screamed:
“Gunfire! Get down!”
She grabbed Emily and shoved her into the dirt. Both women scrambled behind nearby trees for cover, and Mina raised her Uzi to return fire. The stuttering burst caused Emily to cover her ears. She had seen guns in movies and TV shows, but up until this moment, she never understood just how loud they could be.
“Give up now!” Mina shouted. “I’ve got air support nearby!”
A man’s voice replied.
“I’ll shoot that damn Vanian as soon as she pokes her head out!”
Mina hesitated, lowering her Uzi.
“Wait a second… Kiri, is that you!?” She yelled.
“Mina!” Kiri let out a cry of joy as he recognized his girlfriend’s voice, but a moment later, a bolt of violet light shot down from the sky.
Kanti had struck as soon as Kiri gave away his position, lashing out with a Psionic blast that left Kiri stunned. While their foe keeled over, Kanti glided to a landing on the archway. She kept one eye on Kiri as Emily and Mina emerged from the woodline.
“I don’t sense anyone else on the island.” Kanti said. “We have control of the Gate, now we just need to figure out how to operate it.”
Mina ran past the Gate entirely, running to the spot where Kiri had fallen. Her boyfriend had dropped his assault rifle when he was hit. Mina grabbed it and pulled it away from Kiri before kneeling next to him. Emily turned her attention to the Gate.
“I can feel something.” Emily said, raising one hand as though checking the wind direction. “It’s like, a pull.”
Emily looked into the open space in the middle of the ring. If she squinted her eyes, she could faintly see the outline of something familiar on the far side… but she could not tell what it was.
“There must be a special Psionic technique to open the Gate.” Kanti mused. “Let me think.”
A deep rumbling sound in the distance reminded everyone that a battle was taking place nearby. Kanti paced back and forth on top of the ring, her talons made a clicking sound as they scraped metal. Emily placed her hand on one of the crystals and noticed it was very cold to the touch.
“These crystals are drained. There’s hardly any energy left in them.” Emily commented.
“That must be how the Gate is powered on or off.” Kanti added. “Those are Lightstones, a type of crystal from my world.”
“Lightstones?” Emily repeated.
“Crystals made of unrefined Aetherium. Its’s a naturally occurring insulator of Psionic energy.” Kanti said. “Elerium is a conductor, used in making things like Psionic Amplifiers. But these Aetherium crystals? They can trap Psionic energy for thousands of years.”
Kanti frowned, looking at the Lightstones attached to the Broken Gate.
“Why are they so dark?” Kanti muttered to herself. “Even when drained, there should still be a faint glow.”
Kanti unfurled her wings and tried to brush one of the Lightstones with her feathers. Emily noticed a sticky black residue covering the Lightstones. Kanti brushed some of it away with her feathers, but a moment later, the residue seemed to “grow back” and re-cover the Lightstone.
“That’s odd.” Emily remarked. “It looks like all of the Lightstones are covered in that black stuff.”
“Black stuff!?” Mina repeated, looking up from Kiri’s unconscious form. “Where?”
“On the gate.” Emily said, pointing.
All of the color drained out of Mina’s face.
“Nanites!” She said. “Cassandra must be somewhere close by!”
…
Cassandra Espinosa
Creation
Stockholm, Sweden
Cassandra was close by. Like her enemies, she had hijacked a civilian watercraft, though she had gone about it with much more violence. She was crossing the railroad tracks near The Tanto International School when she received a warning from her microbot sentries.
She stopped on the tracks, her Nanite Armor rippling dangerously in the night as she considered her options.
For the shortest of moments, Cassandra felt a twinge of emotional pain. She knew her mother, Akira Robinson, was somewhere in the fight now playing out. Cassandra wanted to be there, to at least try and save her mother… but Malum had given her an order. Her duty was to protect the Broken Gate, and she could only join the main battle if it was safe.
Right now, the Broken Gate was not safe.
Cassandra turned around, breaking into a jog as she ran back toward the river, and Rothelmen Island.
…
Aisling
Creation
Paradox Headquarters, Stockholm
Aisling was trying to lead Malum into a kill zone. Cali, Blake, and Marisol were in one of the conference rooms, setting up an ambush with anti-Psionic weapons.
Shapeshifting into a small songbird, Aisling flitted down the corridor at high speed. Malum was right behind her, lashing out with Telekinesis as he tried to hit her.
Aisling and Malum thundered down a narrow hallway where numerous awards, decorations, and trophies were proudly displayed on shelves. About halfway along this corridor, Aisling’s luck ran out. She was caught in a Psionic blast and found herself being forced to shapeshift against her will.
Suddenly back in Human form, Aisling stumbled and fell to the floor. Malum was on her in an instant. He grabbed her and pulled her up to his level.
“You’ve become quite the pest.” Malum said.
At Aisling’s command, a hurricane-force wind suddenly struck the building. The blizzard raging outside smashed every window, allowing snow and ice to enter. Malum’s grip on Aisling slackened for a moment as he was hit by the stinging chill. The wind intensified, causing the building to creak and shudder dangerously, as though it was going to collapse.
“Let her go!” a voice cried out.
Marisol had appeared at the far end of the hallway, clutching the Gauss Rifle previously used by Moka. Aisling tried to speak, to cry out a word of warning, but Malum wrapped one hand around her throat and squeezed so tightly the pain made her go blind.
A gunshot rang out and Malum staggered, loosening his grip on Aisling a second time. Once more, she refocused her powers, trying to force Malum to let go. The blizzard outside became a cyclone. Part of the ceiling above Malum collapsed, raining wreckage down on the Great Khan.
Aisling’s vision and hearing returned just enough to let her see that Marisol was now firing her weapon continuously at Malum, trying to break through his Telekinetic shield. The blue flash of the magnetic weapon lit up the hallway like a lightning storm. Then Aisling realized Malum was looking at her.
"Your powers lack balance." Malum seethed. "Even the readers questioned your abilities. Characters like you are terrible protagonists."
Aisling clawed at Malum's arm. He tightened his grip around her throat.
"Killing you was never part of my plans for my story." Malum said. "If you value your life, stop trying to be a hero and play the role of innocent bystander instead."
The Great Khan turned on the spot and threw Aisling with all his might. Her broken body crashed into the Mr. T Memorial Showcase and slumped to the floor, where she was buried in an avalanche of broken glass and shattered YAYA trophies. Wracked head to foot in overwhelming pain, Aisling could not move.
"Do you feel that?" Malum growled at Aisling's limp form. "That is how it feels to be powerless. Sit back and watch this war end. It's all you're good for now."
“Aisling!” Marisol screamed.
Again, there was gunfire. All Aisling could do was cover her head and wait for it to end.
“I’ve got you covered!” Another voice called out.
Varian Robinson had appeared in the opposite end of the hallway, and she (or he) was not alone. The Paradox SWAT team, trudging through ankle-deep snow that was piling up throughout the office, was bringing up the rear.
“FLASHBANG!” Varian yelled.
Aisling closed her eyes and covered her ears. Three loud blasts rang out, but something about them seemed off. She did not lose her hearing, nor did she go blind.
Looking up, Aisling saw that three of the SWAT operators were down. Their flashbang grenades had prematurely detonated, and now those fighters were clutching at the mangled remains of their hands.
“He Fused us!” Varian shouted. “Ballistic weapons only! Shoot him! Shoot him down!”
Varian, Marisol, and the remaining SWAT operators raised their weapons and opened fire. Marisol, who had never fired a gun before tonight, had no idea her weapon was out of ammunition. She just kept pulling the trigger, hoping it would do something.
“Enough! I am a God and you are all beneath me!” Malum shouted.
A swirling bubble of Psionic energy began growing outward from Malum. It expanded past Aisling until Marisol, Varian, and the SWAT crew were all inside of its perimeter. The world took on a disturbing indigo hue. As soon as they were inside of the bubble, all of the guns stopped working. It was as though they had jammed simultaneously.
“AW, FUCK THIS NOISE! We’re inside a Psionic Bomb!” Varian yelled. “Break contact and run! Run now before it kills us all!”
The SWAT crew grabbed their wounded and started to withdraw beyond the perimeter of the Psionic Bomb. (The bubble had finally stopped expanding) Malum pushed through a conference room door and vanished into the snowstorm just beyond. In moments, Aisling was alone inside of the Psionic Bomb, unable to move, unable to save herself from what was about to come. She closed her eyes, knowing she was about to die.
“My hand!” A distant voice cried out. “Take my hand!”
Aisling opened her eyes.
Marisol was standing above her, digging through the rubble to reach Aisling. Swirling strands of Psionic energy tumbled through the air, rapidly pulsing with brilliant light. The Psionic bomb was only moments away from detonating, and yet…
Marisol had run into its very center to retrieve Aisling.
“Get up! Grab onto me!” Marisol gasped.
Aisling reached up and seized a fistful of Marisol’s shirt. She pulled herself up as best she could, but a searing pain in her leg told Aisling she would not be able to stand on her own. Leaning on Marisol for support, the pair started shambling their way to the lobby. Blinking blood out of her eyes, Aisling could see the outer perimeter of the bubble. It was just a few feet inside of the lobby. Aisling could see Akira tending to the semiconscious forms of Moka, Dak, and Whetu. Varian was tapping her on the shoulder and pointing at the Psionic Bomb.
Akira, Varian, and Cali all ran across the lobby as fast as they could, but it was too late. Suddenly, the bubble began to shrink. Aisling and Marisol were nowhere near the outermost perimeter, yet suddenly they were outside of it, and the world had resumed its normal color scheme. Aisling knew this meant only one thing: The Psionic Bomb was about to detonate.
Marisol must have figured this out too, because at the last second, she forcefully grabbed Aisling and pulled her to the right until Aisling was standing directly in front of Marisol.
The Psionic Bomb imploded, then released a telekinetic shockwave that shook the building like an earthquake. Marisol took the full brunt of the blast, shielding Aisling from the worst of it. Lights went out and the north wall collapsed, revealing the frozen streets outside.
Marisol and Aisling both collapsed into a snowbank that had formed on the street-facing side of the lobby. When Aisling finally lost focus… she also lost control of the blizzard raging just outside.
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Someone just write a story about Malum being a hero even if you have to sacrifice Blake. Blake sending Emily was a no lose. The small upside was Emily doing something helpful. The big upside was Emily being a sacrificial victim (and out of his hair) and distraction. Thank you for the update.
Yes, an action-packed update, no doubt. Marisol sacrifices herself for Aisling, as might be expected. Of course, awaiting the damage/medical report in the next chapter to see how she survived. Very heroic.
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Oh, Tenna. I want to see her redemption now.
Bring your own Bat'leth? Why am I unsurprised that the Pdox devs have parties with Klingon weapons?
Does Kyle count as a love interest, Akira? From what I remember from that incident, it was you using basic manipulation.
What event led up to the creation of the Second UN Charter in the new story? Also, why do the American political parties in particular survive as distinct global parties? Was the US an important founder of the new UN? Do American parties other than the main two survive?
Why did Aisling attack Malum early?
I hope that both Marisol and Aisling are alright.
Malum has a painfully inaccurate view of storytelling. No one wants OP protagonists unless their opponents are similarly (or, preferably, more) OP. This is why most stories with deities as protagonists or mentors involve other deities as antagonists... Humans like stories of triumph over adversity. That's why Malum's the villain - he has the power here. If you want a story where he's the hero, you need an extremely powerful villain (Blake armed with the ability to change reality might work if he went insane... or maybe the Worm from Stellaris).
Bring your own Bat'leth? Why am I unsurprised that the Pdox devs have parties with Klingon weapons?
Does Kyle count as a love interest, Akira? From what I remember from that incident, it was you using basic manipulation.
What event led up to the creation of the Second UN Charter in the new story? Also, why do the American political parties in particular survive as distinct global parties? Was the US an important founder of the new UN? Do American parties other than the main two survive?
Why did Aisling attack Malum early?
I hope that both Marisol and Aisling are alright.
Malum has a painfully inaccurate view of storytelling. No one wants OP protagonists unless their opponents are similarly (or, preferably, more) OP. This is why most stories with deities as protagonists or mentors involve other deities as antagonists... Humans like stories of triumph over adversity. That's why Malum's the villain - he has the power here. If you want a story where he's the hero, you need an extremely powerful villain (Blake armed with the ability to change reality might work if he went insane... or maybe the Worm from Stellaris).
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Psst, stop reading ahead!
It's bookends. Someone saved Aisling's life back at the beginning of the story, now here we are at the end and someone is saving her again. But this time, Aisling might get the chance to pay it forward.
Can she be redeemed?
Nerds. Nerds one and all.
That part of Unsung Paragon's backstory has not been laid out yet. Although the date of the Second UN Charter (the year 2086) is an intentional Easter Egg referencing The Last Heroes. The only details I've hammered out for certain are that the United States and European Union were early adopters of the Second UN Charter, meaning they had much greater power and influence over the creation of the Global Government than other countries.
The situation spiraled out of control quickly, and Team Marisol has pretty much abandoned most of the original battle plan.
We'll see in an upcoming chapter.
Malum's perspective is warped badly, not even exposure to stories written by other people would save him now. Malum doesn't understand how triumph over adversity is important to the structure of a story.
Yes, and this update was also unprecedented for a Macavity116 story. There's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in the YouTube video version of this chapter. The first-ever AI-generated artwork of a character from the Stormbreaker Universe: Cassandra Espinosa (pictured below)
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That explains why there isn't a capital in South Africa.
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Oh, that would be a good explanation. I need to hold onto this.
Glad to see there's a strong show of interest in the next story. I'll make sure to add another Unsung Paragons preview to an upcoming chapter. Maybe an actual excerpt this time.
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