Mysterious Chaos (Reaver/Rayage)

[Rayage]

The poem was odd, and was almost like an incantation for as the words were read the feeling of being watched increased. Giving an almost nervous glance around Ray kept his guard up trying to spot anything out of the ordinary. Keeping his observations to himself they left for the lab on Reavers behalf, Ray silently agreeing with him. Though Ray was wholly unprepared for what they would find when the pair would arrive and start diving into the body.

Undisturbed. One word to describe his lab. Usually that was a good sign, but now it just made the place seem eerie. Though Ray was preoccupied to see for sure that nothing had changed he made his way to Reaver, who had already dug into the body, half distracted looking around. Seeing nothing and when the smell of mint came up he looked down to see the green goo. ”Interesting.” he said, bending down to get a closer look at some of the green substance which Reaver had removed to get a clearer look at the bone. ”Mint?” he asked, ”Why does it smell like that?” he was thinking aloud before his eye caught something on the bone. Observing it he frowned, and memorized the glyphs showed to him by Reaver, the alchemical formula, but he hasn’t figured that out yet nonetheless he wrote them down.

Looking up at the other nuit as he asked the question, ”I do not know anything of the Isur.” he simply answered him quickly before hearing the other go on. He wrote down what he could inwardly laughed at Reavers slight mention of gaining a gods attention, ”No, I don’t think we attracted a god.” he said, ”More like someone who thinks they are a god.” the concept itself was amusing to Ray. It almost reminded him of himself, but he doesn’t play sick games with others. No, he plays best alone.

The eye itself was interesting, intact, unlike most of this body. He began to imagine the horrible way this person died. Was it once a human or a nuit? A failed experiment? Or was it something made to nudge the both of them in the ‘right direction’ and delve further into the mystery this mystery person could not solve? Is that what this was, a half solved puzzle turned into a sick game in the name of another’s research? So many thoughts going through his head but he didn’t share any of them with Reaver, instead he just wrote down what the mage pointed out to him trying to make some useful observations.

The discovery of the coin was nice too. Perhaps this person was using symbolism? Or maybe it was the only thing around to stick in there… Though it did contain more formula and letters. These letters and the alchemical formula, were they somehow connected?

Then there was the discovery of more Nadar-Canoch. Smiling he tried to translate it, this time skipping the explaining phase to Reaver and said it in common the best that he could:

“Daek-nuit is imperfect.
Daek-nuit limits our freedom.
I craft nuit to change
I craft nuit equal to alvina
Make alvina”

With all the letters written down either by him or Reaver and the poem read in ancient tongue. ”Interesting.” he said, ”Could this have been an attempt…” he made more connections before verbalizing his theory, ”This was an attempt to improve upon the nuit body. That is why this, ichor, for lack of better definition, is different. Whoever this is was crafting a better body. Perhaps.” he thought on it, ”This is an invitation to join this person in their research? Or maybe this one is just bragging?”

[Reaver]

”Mint?” "Why does it smell like that?" "I hope it isn't because it smells nice." Half a witty retort, half a prayer. The last thing he wanted was someone that actually cared about smells with this much work on a corpse. His thoughts would spin, but he kept to his work. ”I do not know anything of the Isur.” Could he see the sudden frown on Reaver's face? Probably not. Thoughts would spin, twirl, and dance. Whoever this was, either they can read minds, or worse. ”No, I don’t think we attracted a god.” ”More like someone who thinks they are a god.” "Well, I'd hate to offend him either way." Gods, and others with powers he couldn't know or obtain. Could he? What purpose did this corpse hold, it was time he grabbed hold of the answer, but it was far off yet. “Daek-nuit is imperfect. Daek-nuit limits our freedom. I craft nuit to change I craft nuit equal to alvina Make alvina” He repeated a single word, muttered in a hushed tone. "Alvina..." Well, he had a puzzle set out before him, it was about time he started putting pieces together himself. But, he was curious as to what Rayage would assemble, were there multiple solutions? All the same, he didn't want to jump to a single conclusion, and Rayage mentioned two himself. "I suspect he wants test subjects. If I were more inclined to trust, I might be prompted to volunteer. I am very curious as to which limitations he is intending to cure. Is it the connection to Uldr? Perhaps our inability to grow or heal? Even just slowing how we rot over time would be a wonderful change, if done instinctively. No, Alivna, I'm looking the wrong way. He could propose a deeper connection to Uldr, the ability to take the health of others more directly, not needing to change bodies from some new process, or even transferring bodies more like a ghost, possibly cutting future need of the ritual. Well, I do feel less intelligent just now. I just realized the futility of all this conjecture. The answer should be rather obvious, all we need to do is find the clues. If it is an invitation of some sort, we just need to figure out how to read it. If he really meant to brag, why would he test us so?" "I honestly have been waiting for the house to catch fire, now that we were together, given the smells and menial tasks put before us thus far. Keeping us together long enough to sneak up and put us out together, a good plan I think. With that poem in mind, I think I'd like to meet this person either way. I'd love to hear him brag personally, even if it was just to do so. But if he wants our attention genuinely, I suspect he wants us to prove we could be of use. Research, we must consider the odds of him already having finished. Shall we find the pieces of this puzzle and put them in their place? Rhetorical, I think. I'd love to hear his theory on making the children of gods, and our part in it." Reaver took a moment to wipe some of the minty goo off of his hands, and looked back to the notes. He turned the page, and re-wrote the letters in there respective places as written on the body. He had to turn the pages back and forth a couple times to be sure he was writing down the correct letters. He glared at the gaps in his notes. He would briefly show the page to Rayage, and highlight the 'H' 'E' 'L' 'P' listed along the top of the chest. "So, any other words you can find? I'll continue cutting I suppose." The left palm held the most empty spots, so he went there first. He had his suspicions, though left plenty of room for doubt. [...] The right lateral incisor held his attention next, he wondered why it needed such a silly name... though he was very impressed. The teeth would be such a hard place to leave messages on, wouldn't they? He checked with glee, and even went about removing it carefully. He figured it would make a great keepsake, like that coin. He never kept keepsakes for over a month, but he might make an exception, though he only intended to keep the cleverest clue. [...] The right Ulna was next, and possibly the last. He cut into the arm, following the stitch-work as always. He could always hope for something interesting in addition. [...] To be continued!I will start "editing in" more of my post as I put some theories on possible answers together. Just... not this moment. I have quite a bit of re-reading to do. I must say, I am very pleased with this plot thus far, and it's so rare to see Reaver's interest in his future aligning with mine at this point.

[Verilian]

The implications of the poem were deep, and could mean a number of things. Of course the obvious interpretation had to do with that last word, Alvina. Whoever had left them these clues, they apparently believed they could make an Alvina, much like the ritual that allowed one to make a Nuit. Really though, there was no way of truly knowing what the person intended, as they were not there, and the only thing left to do was to continue dissecting the corpse. As for when Reaver decided to go off course and investigate a random cut not on the list, he was not left without a reward. Choosing the rather obvious slit on the woman's right breast, Reaver found hidden among the flesh and goo another one of the coins, complete with formula and a set of letters, "D, L, N." Sadly there was little that Rayage could do to help at the moment. There was no way of deciphering the formulas they had found so far. He would need some sort of a key, since they appeared not to be using the same code as the message on the chest was using. But it was surely an interesting thing to watch as Reaver cut into the next few body parts and the message began to reveal itself more clearly. There was yet another coin beneath the skin of the left palm, the letters "O, T, Y" engraved on it, and engraved into the tooth were some very tiny letters, "V, A, F." Sadly the long bone of the arm carried no new intriguing messages, only more letters and formula. "R, W, B." All the letters in the message were reveal. All that was left for them to do was decipher their meaning. OOC : Before After

[Verilian]

OOCMoving on without Reaver As Reaver continued to work on the corpse, the feeling of being watched intensified in Rayage, so much so to the point that he couldn't help but look around. No amount of searching the lab would reveal the source of the feeling, though when Rayage finally turned his gaze back on Reaver and the corpse, Reaver was gone. The corpse was gone, and all that was left was the parchment Reaver had completed translating. The letters in common spelt out a message, but Rayage would have to decipher it. Most likely though, his concern was for where Reaver and the corpse had gone. If he went outside he would find that Reaver and the body were not the only things he had lost. He lost time as well. When moments before it had been mid-day, it was now late at night. Leth was high in the sky and her eerie glow reflected off the waters of lake Ravok. It was a bit warmer out as well, if he cared to notice, and he would later discover he hadn't just lost the day. He'd lost the entire season, for it was now mid-summer. There were no clues in his house, nothing to tell him what might have happened during the time he lost. The only thing there that had any hope of answering his question were Reaver's notes, the series of letters that while translated into a language Rayage could read, had yet to be deciphered. The last thing he noticed, if he noticed at all, was that he no longer felt as if he was being watched.

[Rayage]

The nuit would nod at the appropriate times. What his colleague was suggesting seemed interesting enough. Ray had never quite encountered something like this before and so it piqued his interest. If this person wanted to test them, then so be it. They will pass every test set before them, or so the nuit had confidence in their combined abilities to solve the problems at hand.

The poem and all its possible meanings spoke to him in his mind, the nuit turning to read it over and over again as the other went back to work on the body. They slowly, through Reavers medical skills, found the other clues inserted into the body. The notebook was filling out quite nicely. Yes, they would have the puzzle solved in no time at all, yes, no time. Even if it would take ten years, to a nuit as old as Rayage that time was nothing and the implications seemed that it would be worth sticking around for.

When Reaver turned Rays attention back to the notebook the nuit looked down at it. There it spelled out H-E-L-P. Was it the creator calling for their assistance, or was it some manifestation of the poor soul, the failed experiment, the trash? Whatever it was he kept looking, sorting out the letters in his head trying to make any more connections in the first part before moving onwards. No matter how he put the letters the only real word it spelled out was H-E-L-P and it was clear as day. Was there a reason for that? Could it be some sort of key?

He then shook his head, ”No more words in the first part.” he said, at least words that made sense. Perhaps he should have waited until he got all the clues to make such an announcement? No matter. He shook away the doubts in his mind. The first word was a given.

Slowly but surely the notes were filled with the various clues that Reaver had uncovered. His confidence grew again that they were going to solve this, and they were so close too. What if this only lead to another clue? Would they be lead around the city like… he paused mid-thought. His gaze lifted from the notes and glided around the room. The cold stare of a nuit who knew he was being watched. Turning quickly, as if trying to catch someone peeking around the corner at him, the cloak around him swirled and twined with the force at which he moved. His eyes scanned the room, but yet nothing was found. No amount of searching would reveal anything. Strange… Strange indeed.

”Reaver.” he said, ”I feel that we are being watched again. Do you feel that too?” he asked the others opinion. He could just be paranoid. Though when he got no answer the alchemist thought that Reaver was too busy working on the body, absorbed in his work… Ray could relate to that. So he turned around and was shocked at what he found. Nothing. No one was there. Taking a small step back, the nuit did a double take, ”Impossible.” he said. They were just there, both the corpse and the walking one. How? Where? Why? What happened? Magic?! Hypnosis? The possibilities started to run through his head. Were the poems glyphed with some sort of magic? Or… is he just losing his mind? No. Ray was not crazy. Not crazy. Not crazy. He tried to convince himself.

Growing frustrated with the amount of questions that had yet to be answered the nuit stormed out of the small lab and out into the night? Stopping as the he didn’t see days light filling his vision, but rather nights darkness. What is happening to him? It was day but moments ago, now its night. This made no sense. Where were they and how long had he been out? More importantly how long had he been out and how was such a thing accomplished? Poison? Then again he has yet to hear or encounter a poison that works on the undead. Though it was still a possibility, he will be crossing nothing out.

The alchemist was about to go back inside when he noticed something, it was not cold. Winters grasp was just fading from the land and now… it wasn’t cold, err not as cold as it should have been considering that spring had just started. In fact, it felt like a warmer summers night. Then and only then when he had found the most baffling thing did he turn his whole back on the situation and go back into his lab. What had happened? Had he just been standing there frozen for an unknown amount of time? What ever happened to Reaver?

Entering the lab once again the nuit was sure to close up tight, not that it had helped before, even with the animated lock. Looking back to where the other nuit had once stood all he found was the notebook with the completed notes. Again he picked it up and looked it over. The word H-E-L-P immediately popped out to him again. ”Help.” he said, ”Help, help.” he repeated the word in his head and soon enough out loud. It was how he concentrated and remembered things.

Lifting his hand he held a finger to the word, slowly tracing the letters that formed the word H-E-L-P. One word down and now the undead turned his attention to the other mess of letters scribed on the page. They were all in the clues that were found inside the body where ever that went. Though now he had to focus on the task at hand, figuring this out. Firstly his mind went and tried to make words out of the letters going from left to right, choosing a letter at random and trying to make it form a word with the other letters. He did this forming the phrase, ”Help. “ and that is as far as he got. He then tried to take letters at random to form meaning, but it was only when he started looking it going up and down that it started to remotely make sense.

The immortal cleared his mind and stared at it some more trying to puzzle it together. It was then he found the word M-E-E-T in the leftmost column.

H-E-L-P and M-E-E-T, was this person asking for help and wanted the two of them to meet him somewhere? Well Ray assumed the genius was male. Yes genius… His eyes then traced out another part of the message; this one was clear as the H-E-L-P was. The word was A-T, and then the next over was T-H-E. Yes he was solving it. Slowly but surely he would have this all ciphered out.

The message read: MEET AT THE BLACK HOLE

Now the only question left was, was the HELP part of the message or was it a sort of key? The nuit guessed that the only way to find out was to go to the black hole himself. Leaving the notebook behind the alchemist hurried out of his lab and started towards his destination: The Black Hole. Having lived in Ravok for some time already the nuit had heard some hearsay about the place, rumors, and he even knew where it was. Oh yes, its location wasn’t a mystery, but what exactly happened down there was. The black hole, the well which was worse than death.

[Verilian]

Rayage would find as he made his way through the city something both mysterious, and perhaps even wonderful. First of all, his body moved with an ease and grace he had not felt since he was alive. There was no resistance, no sluggishness. It wasn't long before he broke into a run, unable to resist testing out his new found strength. As he ran along he would catch a glimpse of himself in the reflection of the water. He was a handsome man, blond hair and brown eyes. His muscles were well defined, and there wasn't a sign of decay on him. When he ran he found that he didn't tire, and was in fact faster than he should have been. If he continued to test his limits he would find he was at least twice, no maybe even three times stronger and faster than any living human should have been. He could tell that he was not alive, but the body was powerful, and he was experiencing none of the usual weakness that came with inhabiting a dead body. Eventually, when he was done playing with his new found strength, Rayage would arrive at the Black Hole. It was perhaps one of the most mysterious places in Ravok. Everyone knew there was a jail, though the Hole and the jail were often thought to be two different places. Even so, there were rumors whispered that the Black Hole was the secret prison of the Ebonstryfe. It was never guarded, and any foolish enough to climb in were free to do so. It was also said that should anyone imprisoned managed to escape from the well, they would be pardoned of all their sins and perhaps even rewarded by Rhysol himself. Considering the fact that nobody alive had ever heard of someone actually escaping from the Hole left the rumor to debate, however. Rayage found the well deserted, though that was not unusual. People were often disturbed by the wails and screams that occasionally drifted up from the depths, and few wanted to actually hang around the place. Looking around, he found no clues that might lead him to the next step, and it seemed his only option might be to investigate the inside of the well itself. That is.. until a homeless beggar walked up. "M... mister Rayage? I um.. I have the letter, just like you told me. Here it is." At the look of confusion that undoubtedly appeared on Rayage's face, the homeless man continued, "You um... after you climbed out, you told me to give this to you.. when you came back. That.. you might not remember me. But you promised me a gold miza if I gave this to you when you came back." Rayage wouldn't remember the interaction, or the promise. But the man did have a letter, and when Rayage opened it he recognized his own handwriting. The game is over. I failed. OOCErm.. this does not mean the thread is over, btw. >.>

[Rayage]

The nuit went along, and as he went along he noticed that there was something different about his body. His walk was brisker than it normally would have been, and that got him thinking. Soon he noticed not only that his walk was faster but the usual lag, slowness that he had gotten so accustomed to while in another’s body was gone. The fact that it vanished was strange for him. It was something he had gotten used to, and so in a twisted way it made him think even more on his present state of being. Was he alive? No, he was very much dead, or his body was at least. How could he be alive again anyways? Such a thing would be… he stopped himself from saying the word ‘impossible’.

Change, his thoughts quickly transistioned to the subject. He had undergone some change. That much was obvious, but what? The nuit grinned, he couldn’t help himself but try out the new abilities he had been granted. His brisk walk turned brisker, he walked faster and faster and faster still, then walk turned to a full out sprint. His run, it brought the grin wider on his face. This had been something he hadn’t been able to experience since he was alive. Not that he couldn’t ‘run’, it was just these speeds were something he hadn’t been able to achieve in quite some time. Slight observation noted that he was going faster than he remembered being able to go, but could that be some distortion of memory buried in the sands of time or was he really going faster? In reality the nuit couldn’t tell other than he seemed to be moving faster than any average human that he watched from day to day. This, this was incredible.

It seemed none of the usual undead weaknesses subjugated him for this time. He wondered how. His mind immediately searched for answers, but when he found none, his lack of memory not helping him in this matter, he just took a moment and enjoyed himself. It was something that he had not experienced in quite some time: joy. This was the ideal freedom. He ran and jumped and hopped and just tested what he could do. Were his reflexes sharper now too? He tired those out too. He was obviously faster and stronger.

When he tired of his games, or rather, when he came down from his emotional high the nuit once again fell into a calculating mood. He had not come outside to frolic like some child. No, he had come in search for answers. He must not let his new body distract him from the goal in mind. He reorganized his thoughts, if he were to find answers it had to be at the Black Hole. That is where this all pointed. The missing time, the improved body… He had to have gone there? The nuit remembered the body found at his lab, and how odd it was. There were things inside it. Notes, messages, bragging poems. Making Alvina. A thought entered his mind, was he some experiment? Did he have things placed inside him?

He shook his head dismissing such misleading thoughts. He need not jump to conclusions. Rather he needs to hunt down the facts and find out what is happening to him, and more importantly why. He suspected that the answers would be at the Black Hole. That is where he needed to go, that was his first clue, and upon arriving there he found it well deserted. Not like he had expected to meet someone here. No, that would be too easy. He approached the well and looked down into it. His hands placed on the stone mouth of the well, as he leaned over it and peered into the shadows. Somewhere down there he would find his answer. He braced himself to descend down into its depths, but then a sound stopped him. A word. A sentence. His name.

Turning he saw a person before him. The clothes tattered and ratty, the smell not the most pleasant, but can a nuit really judge based on that? Overall it was obvious the man before him was homeless. His words seemed hesitant, uncertain, and almost afraid. Though what was more interesting than how he said the words was the message itself. He had a letter for him? The nuit looked confused, but a hand went out to accept the letter. With the look of confusion the beggar began to explain a little more. The nuit did not remember anything which the beggar had claimed, but when he opened the letter he recognized his own handwriting. The message confused him even more; perplexed he reached into his coin purse and produced a single gold miza though he did not hand it to him.

”It seems I was correct. I do not remember you or anything.” he said, but stopped with thinking a moment before going on, ”Did you want to earn more miza?” he asked, flipping the coin up in the air and catching it, ”I will give you five more gold miza if you tell me everything you saw that night. You said I climbed out of the well.” he said, pointing to the well, ”This well, right? The Black Hole?” he asked, ”Was anyone with me? Did I say anything else?” his words were slow, unrushed as if had all the time in the world. He did not want to seem desperate for information, and he did not want the beggar to get any ideas that the miza amount he was offering was negotiable. He had more questions, but those two were good enough to start with. Especially the last one. He wanted to know if he was alone.

[Verilian]

The homeless man's eyes never left the coin as Ray flipped it up into the air, and the Nuit could easily see his eyes light up when there was mention of more coin, though when the man spoke it was still with a somewhat fearful tone. He didn't trust the Nuit, or perhaps he was afraid simply due to the fact that he escaped from the Black Hole. That wasn't something that usually happened. In fact, it never happened. And the people who were kept in the Black Hole, so far as all of Ravok knew, were not the type of people that one would normally want to associate themselves with. And since Rhysol himself hadn't come down to pardon the man when he climbed out, the beggar was still a bit unsure around Rayage. But mizas were stronger than fear, and the man tried his best to recount the events he witnessed that night. "Well.. y.. you were alone, but.. you were talking to someone. Arguing, I think. I couldn't understand it all, I wasn't close by right yet. But I can tell a fight when I hears one, and you were arguin with someone. But all I saw when I came up was you by yourself, so I dun know who you were talking to. Maybe someone stil in the Hole. I never did hear or see them." The beggar eyed the coin again, as if trying to decide whether or not Rayage was actually going to give him the mizas or not. He didn't remember what had happened, but he had also told him he wouldn't remember. But because he didn't remember, he might not feel so inclined to keep his promise. In the end though, they were just words, and the homeless man could not risk not getting the mizas, so he continued to speak. "When I walked up you stopped arguing. You were already writing the note, then you handed it to me and told me you'd pay me if I gave it to you when you came back. After that you ran off... an that's all I know." OOCSorry for taking so long, and this being so short, but I don't want to rush things. I have something really cool in my head, and I'm trying not to mess it up, lol.

[Rayage]

Rayage watched the man as he idly played with the gold coin in his hands. The beggers eyes seemed to follow the money and that got Ray quite amused with the whole situation. There was fear in his tone, but the nuit didn’t mind that. Fear, like miza, was a great motivator. Though, which one was stronger, the need for money or the emotion of fear? The nuit silently weighed both forces, yes forces, in his head as he awaited an answer to his proposition. This homeless man surly could not afford to shy away from earing six gold miza. Ray knew that, and used that to his advantage.

A moment later the story began. It started with an overheard argument. About words not fully understood but he swore it was an argument. He was arguing with someone, but stopped when the man came close. He was alone when he climbed up the Black Hole. So… Reaver couldn’t be with him. He concluded. Was the nuit trapped in the Black Hole? Is that why he lost? Who was he arguing with? The story seemed to frustrate him more than provide him with answers. Though it was something… What was he expecting? He criticized himself for his stupidity. No, the man could never be clear, but he was trying. The nuit could only hope that fear kept him in line, that fear kept him from lying, and miza loosened his tongue like it should have been. Or maybe it was the other way around? He didn’t care to think about it.

When the story concluded, the coin flipped up in the air again and the alchemist once again snatched it from the air. Rayage sure was enjoying his newfound physical abilities. Not that a nuit couldn’t preform the action he was doing, but a regular nuit couldn’t do it with such fineness and ease, with such simplicity. When the coin was caught again the nuit walked over to the Black Hole again and peered into its depths. Only shadows met him, and he frowned. Turning back to the man, ”Well said.” he congratulated him, the hand un-busied with the coin he was playing with dived into his coin purse and fished out five more gold miza. Hand taken out of the bag he opened the hand and counted the coins in his palm. Nodding at the number he added the one miza in his hand to the pile and extended his hand, offering the coins to the homeless man in a civil and loyal way.

The coins clenched in his outstretched fist were tightly held in place as he waited for the man to approach him. If he did not, then after a chime or two the nuit would drop them on the ground, the coins scattering in several directions from the force of impact. A soft clanging noise could be heard as the miza danced on the ground before them before they were stopped by the force of gravity. ”Do you want to be free from this homeless life?” the nuit asked, the undead trying to suppress a scheming grin, ”Imagine making that much every day, no,” the nuit stopped himself, ”twice that amount.” he tempted. ”How would you like to rejoin society instead of living like you are?” he asked him, ”How would you like to support a family of your own?” he smiled, the words of manipulation coming far too easily for him. Course he had something to gain from this, and if he could slightly dispel this mans fear of him… well the man could be useful.

”But I can’t forget,” he said in a tone that made what he was going to say next sound quite obvious, ”How would you like a means to an end that will allow you” he pointed at the man, ”to live out your dreams for the rest of your days?” he asked, placing the thought in his head. A chance for the man to once again grab for his dreams, ”You will never be homeless again.” he said, ”I will see to that.” he turned and looked into the well once more, ”All you have to do is help me some more.” he said, ”Help me solve what happened to me.”

Without a second to spare, he turned back to the man, ”What do you say, do we have an agreement?” he asked, smiling. If the man was listening he would have picked out that the only thing Ray had actually promised is that he would never be homeless again. All the other things, well, they were just attention getters, distractions to get the man thinking of everything he could have. Tricky was how the nuit worked. A true devil.

If miza really wins over fear then will the homeless man follow him into the depths? Regardless if the man agreed or not the nuit knew his next destination: The Black Hole. Surly there had to be answers there, and so, with the intent of finding out what had happened to him, he tried to climb in and down the well going back into the place that he has supposedly once escaped. Whatever game this might be, he had failed, game over, it ends now.

OOCRay never used hypnotism in this post. Just talking normal.

[Verilian]

Gold was a powerful motivator, but there were some fears even gold could not conquer. Perhaps, had the beggar been a former adventurer, gold might have overcome fear and good sense, but the beggar was not brave, and gold was not enough. It was the Black Hole, and people who went into the Black Hole never came out. Yes, Rayage had escaped.. but there had been no divine pardon, no reward, and.. he was going back in. Had he ever truly escaped then, or was the well calling him back? The beggar wouldn't go, either out of fear, or perhaps he knew something Rayage didn't, but the Nuit was on his own. The well was deep, but Ray's new body was strong and able to find handholds that even a living man might not have found. It was a slow climb, but eventually he did make it to the bottom. He found he had little trouble seeing in the dark. It wasn't night vision, or the heat sensing vision that some races possessed, but his eyes were keen enough to absorb what little light was available and paint a clear picture. The first thing he noticed was the dead body, and then the memories came pouring back in. Flashback... Ray was at the bottom of the well, he could see the light drifting down from so far away. Somehow he knew he would be able to climb out, but the shouts down the hall were too close. He would be a sitting duck to their bows, Ray had no choice but to make a stand. Ray wasn't a fighter, but his body was strong. At least twice as strong as an average man, perhaps more so. And he could feel the raw djed flowing through his veins, the raw power, far more than he was used to. Not only was his body stronger, his magic would be stronger too, though he knew little in the way of combative magic. Even so, it would help. Three men rounded the corner, and Ray could easily make out despite the shadows that they were armed with both sword and crossbows. He had been right, climbing would leave him vulnerable, his only option was to fight. OOCOkay.. so, you don't have any bonuses to skills or anything in this body, but your strength, speed, and reflexes are at least twice that of a normal mans, you can see extremely well even in the dark, and you have at least twice the djed you would normally have. Feel free to self mod this fight. Enjoy!