The Time Traveler's Guild

[sailing101]

“Time is a mysterious thing. It flows, it shifts, it bends around us, but most humans barely acknowledge its complexities. Even with my vast knowledge on the subject, I still was unable to fully understand the intricacies of the higher dimensions. That is, until my son’s betrayal. Perhaps it was Irony, for I foresaw my downfall, but it was my methods for preserving my reign that lead to the uprising of my children. I was struck down from my throne, cast into a well deeper than any, a hole in the fabric of space, exiled from existence. But it was there that I realized just how powerful the force of time was. Through the smallest of gaps I could still see the world, even if I could not escape my prison. I saw my children grow arrogant, and proud. I saw how they began to fight among themselves, and one by one, they fell, just as I had. Even after they had faded, the humans still remembered their battles, though the stories were warped by time, distorted, disfigured with each retelling, until it was believed that we had been immortals. I watched as the humans forgot the secrets of magic taught to them, and learn of new powers, of steam and coal, electricity, and fission. I saw wars, plagues, acts of hatred more ferocious than any of those committed by my kind. All of this, I saw in the blink of an eye, and I was able to understand it perfectly, for I existed outside of time, untouched by its destructive force. Unlike my family, I was truly immortal.”

“But then something happened. Some unknown force, a dark power, unknown to me, stirred within the depths of my prison, it struck at me’ nocking me aside as if I were no more than a leaf in the wind. I realized then that this prison was not meant to hold me, but something far worse, something that should not have existed. It struck at the hole that had been made when I was imprisoned, the window that I had seen the world through, and broke free. The last thing I remembered before losing consciousness was its words, ‘The reason you still live now is because I have you to thank for my freedom.’”

“When I came to, I looked through the crack to the earth.”

“It was destroyed.”

“The sun was dark, and the moon had fallen.”

“Warily, I stepped through the portal, and began to search for survivors. Despite all odds, I found a small group of humans in a hidden bunker, buried in a remote corner of the planet. They had been put into a deep sleep, and most had not survived. The rest did not have long to live either, so with my power, I awakened them, and lead them back to what had been my prison.”

“There were only twenty survivors. It was then that we began to make our plans.”

“With my power over time, I can turn back the clock, though I am unable to alter the course of history. But the humans could. Little by little, we began to change the world.”

 

 

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Today was not Simon’s Lucky day. His homework had disappeared on the way to school, his girlfriend was completely ignoring him, the teacher never called his name during roll call, and nobody had wished him a happy fifteenth birthday. Now to top it all off, his dad had not picked him up from school, and Simon had to walk home, only to find that he was locked out. Simon fumbled around for his house key, but it was nowhere to be found. He sat glumly on the porch and shook his head in despair. Night was falling, and Simon did not live in the nicest part of town.

“Hey kid! What’cha doin?”

Simon looked up at the man who had spoken. The stranger was wearing a trench coat and fedora. He was watching Simon with a look of detached interest, as if it didn’t really matter if Simon responded.

He chose to.

“I’m locked out of my house,” Simon explained.

“No big surprise there,” The stranger responded with a laugh, “Nobody’s lived there for fifteen years.”

Simon stood up. “You have got to be joking!” He replied, “I’ve lived here my whole life, today was my-“

“Fifteenth birthday?” the stranger guessed.

Simon was dumbstruck. “How did you-“

“It’s always the fifteenth.” The stranger answered, “You’re one of us now.”

He walked by Simon up to the door of the house, and from a pocket on his coat, drew a silver key, and put it in the lock. The stranger then turned the key and the door opened into a swirling expanse of stars.

“Well,” said the stranger, “Are you coming?”

 

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Welcome to the Time Traveler’s Guild.

Whether by accident, by family ties, or by personal invention, you have found your way to us. Fellow travelers, dedicated to protecting humanity, shaping the course of history ever in our favor, and preventing all ends of days. Some of you may be wondering: What does this all mean? Why am I here? How did I get here? What will I be doing here? What are the tools of the trade? How does that picture frame keep changing its word-waitaminit,thosearemythoughts!Getoutofmy- Opps, sorry recruit, didn’t mean to scare you. I’m Janus, magical artificial consciousness, and I’ll be your all access guide to the guild. First off, here is a list of frequently asked questions.

FAQ

How did I get here?

There are many possible ways for someone to end up at the guild, but here are the three most likely ways.

First, one of your parents could have been a guild member. This is by far the most common. It is also sometimes very heartbreaking to have to endure. On your fifteenth birthday, the improbability of your existence caught up with you, and to repair itself, the universe erased all proof of your existence. We have guild members on constant alert to detect those who were erased, and collect them. Unfortunately, you will not be able to reunite with your family, as they too would have forgotten you.

Second, perhaps you invented or discovered some other means of time travel than what we use at the guild. Good for you!

Finally, it could have been some freak accident. Your guess is as good as mine, but it may have something to do with the inventor standing to your left.

What will I be doing here?

The goal of the Time Traveler’s Guild is to guide humanity towards a better future, keeping record of the changes we make, and how they affect the world. Exactly what your job will be is determined by your class.

What are the tools of the trade?

Every Guildmember has a key to the guild and a special watch made by the Guildmaster himself. When you earn a new rank, your watch is upgraded to better help you in your missions. Also, every guild member develops one unique ability, or power. Finally, due to existing outside of time, the natural life expectancy of guildmembers is greatly lengthened..

What does this all mean?

What this means is that you have a chance to make something of yourself, to be a hero. Don’t hold back, explore your talents, and make the drive to do your best.

 

 

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Rank List:

Rookie: The Rookie is the starting rank and class. All Guild members start their journey as a rookie. As a rookie your job is to explore your abilities, and learn what you can. Once you have discovered your power, you are then eligible to be tested and assigned a class. Every rookie watch has one function. It can briefly stop time for the user for ten seconds. This allows you to escape from a dangerous situation that you may find yourself in, but it has a five minute cool down, so use it sparingly.

 

Junior class: The second rank within the guild is Junior class. Once you have been selected for the class that best suits your abilities, you are immediately promoted. Your duties will vary depending on which class you are, but it still remains your job to learn all you can. Your watch is also upgraded depending on which class you are.

 

Advanced class: After one year in the Junior rank you will automatically be promoted to the Advanced rank. Your duties will remain the same, but you will be expected to work harder. To help, your watch is again upgraded.

 

Expert class: After one year in the Advanced rank, you may apply to take a test. If you pass, you are promoted to the Expert rank. Those of Expert rank are expected to lead missions and teach those under their lead, in addition to other duties. Your watch is also upgraded once more.

 

Officer: Guild members who show extreme merit of the highest quality are selected by the Guild master to be tested for promotion to Officer. If they pass, a ceremony will be held where the Guild master will personally Award them the title of Officer. Guild officers take training from all classes, in addition to which class they began as. Guild officers are given critical assignments to lead, and hand-pick their teams from their peers. Their watch functions are upgraded to include the Advanced functions of every class, in addition to the Expert function of their current class.

 

Senior Officer: The Senior Officer is the highest rank in the guild; they take their orders directly from the Guild master. Senior officers are not affiliated with any one class, instead, they are expected to study and teach in all fields. At any time, there are only ten Senior Officers within the guild. When a senior officer retires, he or she will choose a replacement from the officers present. In the event of the Officer’s death, the Guild master will choose.

 

All study is done by learning from, and teaching your peers. There are no classrooms, study halls, or lectures.

 

 

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Class list:

Monster Hunter: The monster hunter is the most direct class to understand. Guild members of this class are expected to know how to handle and tame beasts who’s existence has been kept hidden or ignored by humanity. But it’s not all about fighting, Monster hunters are expected to care for and help these creatures as well. However, sometimes a creature is simply too dangerous, and must be put down. Expect to learn first aid, combat skills, and mythozoology.

The watch upgrades are as follows:

Junior: A bow function that fires special arrows of crystalized energy that can be focused to stun or injure the target. The type of bow is up to the guild member.

Advanced: A sword function. The blade is of the same crystalized energy as the arrows for the bow. The type of sword is up to the guild member.

Expert: A unique weapon, of the guild member’s choice.

 

Ghost Hunter: Ghost Hunters deal with restless spirits. Often called Guides to the afterlife, the goal of a ghost hunter is to pacify lost souls, and banish restless daemons.

Expect to learn Exorcism, grief consoling, crime scene investigation, and marksmanship.

The watch upgrades are as follows:

Junior: The watch emits passive field that exposes weaker spirits.

Advanced: A bow function that fires ethereal arrows that are capable of hitting incorporeal entities. The type of bow is up to the guild member.

Expert: The watch is upgraded to dispense several rune stakes that are used to craft a nexus for dispelling powerful phantoms.

 

Clockwork Fighter: Clockworks are an anomaly. Like guild members, they have the ability to travel through time, although where they come from is unknown. Clockworks are often hostile, so it is the duty of a Clockwork Fighter to track down, and dismantle them. Pieces of dismantled clockworks are highly valued by the guild, as they make great components for the watches.

Knowledge of mechanical engineering is expected, as well as basic combat skills.

The watch upgrades are as follows:

Junior: The watch holds a tool kit containing a wrench, screwdriver, and hammer.

Advanced: A sword function similar to the Monster hunter’s, with one difference; the blade can be heated to easily melt through most clockwork armor. The type of sword is up to the guild member.

Expert: A unique weapon of the guild member’s choice.

 

Diviner: The Diviners are the eyes and ears of the guild. They tipically have powers of precognition and foresight. If a diviner detects anything suspicious, it is immidatly reported to the guild master, who will then decide if any action is nessary.

Expect to Learn Divination, fortun telling, astrology, and basic logical reasoning.

The watch upgrades are as follows:

Junior: The watch's crystal, (the glass that protects the hands from damage) is replaced with a cutting from a crystal ball.

Advanced: An astrolaube is added.

Expert: The watch face is upgraded to show the planets, rather than the time. The reason why is only known to the guild master, but it seems to increase the watches power.

 

Healer: The Healers take care of the guild's medical needs. Every mission has a heale accompany in case of emergency. this class is not for the faint of heart, nor the unessarly apethetic.

Expect to learn herbology, trauma care, nursing, and other medical skills.

The watch upgrades are as follows:

Junior: The watch can dispense bandages, gauze, disinfectant, linnen wrapings, and a thread and needle.

Advanced: A modified timestop function that can be used to place someone in suspended animation, in case of emergency

Expert: The watch can be used to apply miled pain killers, stimulants, or a powerfull knock out injection.

 

 

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Guild layout:

The guild itself is a vast tower outside the physical realm. Each floor coresponds with a year. In the center of the tower is the Grand Atrium, an open area that serves as the main gathering area for missions. Each floor has a balcony that circles the inside of the tower. in the middle of this open space is a ribbon of energy stretching from the base into infinity. This energy is known as the timeline, and is the etherial representation of the real world within the guild. Each floor also has what is known as a Gate of time. These Gates are what allow for travel between the guild, and the world. Every floor also has Dorms for guildmembers from that year. However, most are empty, so guildmembers will often move to another floor to be closer to friends. also on every floor are three dors that conect to the lybrary, training hall, and mess hall. It does not matter which floor you enter from, you wil always arrive in the same room as everryone else, and choose whic floor to leave to. Guild members can also use this to quickly traverse floors, as taking the stairs can be very tiring.

 

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It was night time at the guild, and Simon coluld not sleep. His time at the guild, five weeks, had already seen him quickly become a Basic Diviner, there was even talk of how the guild master might have him promoted early. However, there was one vision of recent that simon had found himself dwelling upon.

He looked out over the banister of the Grand Atrium at the flowing timeline, and opened his watch once more. He didn't need to look at the watch's crystal to know what he'd see.

A shadowy force, twisting itself around gears of bronze and gold.

Clawed hands of metal, reaching out from the timeline into the guild.

The sun dark, and the moon flashing brighter than the sun, filling the sky with burning stone, raining down upon the earth.

Simon felt someone place a hand on his shoulder, and wheeled around to see someone standing behind him. Simon calmed dowh when he recongnised the man. It was Officer troy, who had brought him to the guild.

"What are you dooing up, Simon?" Troy asked gently. His voice sounded tired. "Is it something to do with what you saw?"

"Yes," The boy replied, "Do you really think it could come to pass?"

Troy didn't answer, instead looking to the timeline.

"Our lives are always filld with hardships," he eventually said.

Troy's image flickered, and Simon felt something hit him in the back. He then looked down to see the end of Troy's blade comming out of his chest.

Troy pulled his sword free, and Simon fell onto the banister.

"Troy, what are you.." simon said weekly. He coughed, and a splatter of blood hit the flagstones.

Troy had already walked over to the gate of time, and taken out a black key. He used it to unlock the gate, and open it. Simon heard the sound of countless gears and mechanisms, grinding and pulsing.

"We have the power to change the world," Troy sighed, "But do we have the right? the most I can do for you is spare you the pain of seeing horrors come true."

Simon's vision blured, and he felt himself growing weaker. He felt Troy's hand on his shoulder once more, and heard a faint whisper say, "I'm sorrry."

Simon then felt the world pitch around him. There was a faint sense of falling...

 

Then nothing.

 

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Aplication form:

[B]Username:[/B]
[B]Name:[/B]
[B]Gender:[/B]
[B]Age:[/B]
[B]Appearance:[/B]
[B]Personality:[/B]
[B]Rank:[/B] 
[B]Class:[/B]
[B]Ability:[/B]
[B]Watch specifics:[/B]
[B]History:[/B]
[B]Other:[/B]

Edited February 22, 2013 by sailing101

[sailing101]

Standard DC rules Apply.

No killing another character withought permission.

An extended period of abscence withought any notice shall be treated as leaving the RP. If you want to Join, you are expected to participate.

 

 

Accepted forms:

 

Username: sailing101

Name: Elizabeth Troy (call her Liz)

Gender: Female

Age: 19

Appearance: Liz is five feet tall with long silver hair and silver eyes. She commonly wears a black linen dress with black lace fringes.

Personality: At first Liz may seem cold and distant. This is because he is more used to comunicating with the dead, who often act the same. However, if someone takes the time to get to know her, they'll find that she is a caring individual who will fiercly protect her friends.

Rank: Expert

Class: Ghost Hunter

Ability: Liz can see anything hidden by paranormal means. Nothing can escape her gaze.

Watch specifics: Liz's bow is a Longbow that is as long as she is tall.

History: Liz and her brother Guildon were twins living in a roman camp that had grown around a limestone quarry. As twins, Liz and Troy were able to remeber eachother after being erased, so they came to the guild together. Liz embraced the new freedoms that came with the guild, and was exited to learn that some of the old stories were true. However, her enthusiasm was cut short by an encounter with a manevolent spirit that left her devoid of any color, and nearly cost her soul. After that, Liz took her studies verry seriously, so that she could better protect others against similar ghosts.

Other:NA

 

Username: ubbydubby

Name: Lana Stonehallow

Gender: Female

Age: 17

Appearance: Brown, long hair that reaches just below her shoulderblades. She is fairly tall, and has dull green eyes. She tends to wear an array of brown, green, purple, and jeans. A necklace with a small heart charm is always present encircling her neck.

Personality: She is friendly, but prefers to keep to herself until she truly knows the person. Then, she will be hyper and energetic. She loves to run, and read. However, she tends to trust too easily, which leads to her getting hurt a lot.

Rank: Advanced

Class: Monster Hunter

Ability: Increased/highly sensitive hearing

Watch specifics: The sword is a lighter version of a claymore, with a silver blade and dull gold handle. It is a hand and a half hilt so she can use either one hand or both.

History: She came to the Guild as a newbie, knowing nothing about it or what they do. On her fifteenth, like many others, she was pulled from her home and taken. She still misses her home, but knows that she cannot return. This causes a perpetual air of something missing from her personality, like she is never truly revealing who she is. Her home state, Oregon, is a secre she will never reveal.

Other: She has strung her watch on a chain and wears it hanging from her coat, ready to use if needed.

 

Username: SkullKrusher

Name: Archer Darrow

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Appearance: He has jet black hair that reaches just a bit under his ears. It also seems like his hair is slightly spiked at places. Under it is a pair of deep blue eyes, almost as if they are from the depths of the oceans. He usually wears different kinds of clothing, but his most often worn outfit is a black pair of jeans with a red sweater over it. On his left wrist, he has a bracelet which seems to look just like his eyes in color.

Personality: He might look very cold and extremely serious at first, but soon you'll see that he is a very friendly and social person who loves to joke around and have friends nearby. He can become serious in a matter of seconds, though, and some people are practically shocked when they see the sudden huge change.

Rank: Rookie/Junior

Class: Monster Hunter

Ability: He will have almost inhuman reflexes, but for now he is slightly better than the normal person.

Watch specifics: The bow is made of two parts - the string is a blue beam of energy that bends easily and makes arrows by using parts of itself and shaping them, while the handle and wings are made of much more solid pieces of clockwork energy and they slightly bend when the string is pulled.

History: He has grown up as a very normal guy, having a lot of friends which liked cars, girls and such - just like the normal boy around 15 years. But when his birthday actually came and he was coming back with a great note from Maths, his house was locked, he was missing the key and even some strange things happened back at day - people wouldn't mind him even if he practically punched them, they wouldn't note his raised hand and he actually found the note by digging in the cabinet and not taking it from the teacher that didn't even bother doing that. The note was even gone now. Suddenly, a strange man came and then he joined the Time Traveler's Guild.

Other: His clock is on his right hand, usually hidden by his sleeve as to not reveal any normal people the technology even for a second.

 

Username: Lore_Master

Name: Marcus Briggs

Gender: Male

Age: 17

Appearance: Marcus is roughly 5'8, and weighs just under 130 pounds. He has messy brown hair and blue eyes. His skin is slightly tan, but he can still easily be identified as Caucasian. Even though Marcus like to wear the clothing from his era, mostly light cloth clothing and a bowler hat, he will wear clothing from the 21st century.

Personality: Marcus is polite and considerate whenever he's socializing within higher social classes. His manners around women are very much the same, and treats them with the utmost kindness and respect. Whenever he's not in the public eye, he's busy experimenting and researching clockworks, regardless if its theory or practical. In his spare time, he also like to play around with technology from the future.

Rank: Advanced

Class: Clockwork Fighter

Ability: No matter how well something is built, there will always be a flaw in the structure. Marcus has the ability to see these critical weak points, and exploit them.

Watch specifics: Marcus's weapon of choice is the saber, a weapon typically held by British officers in his birth era. The blade is double-edged, with several symbols of gears present on the hilt. His tools of the trade, the wrench, hammer and screwdriver are also customized. They each have a bronze engravement with his name on them.

History: Born in the Victorian Era to a family of clock smiths, Marcus was always expected to take up the family trade. He would have been a natural at it, but then his fifteenth birthday came... and no one would acknowledged him. Eventually, he was taken to the Time Traveler's guild. For the next two years he diligent studied the strange beings known as clockworks, and understand how they work. Over time, he has become slightly reputable for his constant reshearch into the strange beings.

Other: N/A

 

Username: IvyMarie.

Name: Sienna Amour.

Gender: Female.

Age: 17.

Appearance: Sienna has long, black hair with dyed brown highlights, which reaches down to her stomach. She is a skinny, slender girl, with haunting light blue eyes. She chooses to wear dark clothing, mostly assorted t-shirts and jeans. A jade studded bracelet given to her by her mother always is around her wrist.

Personality: Sienna is a carefree, kind, optimistic girl that always looks for the good in things. She loves to read, write, and draw, sometimes choosing to shut herself away from the outer world. However, Sienna craves attention and hates being alone for a prolong amount of time.

Rank: Advanced.

Class: Healer.

Ability: Sienna can always see if someone is feeling sad, or uncomfortable. She always tries to make these people happy, and she has an ability that naturally makes her bubbly especially in dire needs or situations.

Watch specifics: Sienna has an amulet that heals people's small bruises or burns. She received it from her mother, who was also a Healer.

History: Born into a family of smart, optimistic healers, Sienna has always wanted to follow in her family's footsteps, and pursue the path of healing and nurturing. Sienna was born in Wisconsin, although she's always wanted to live in grand and huge states like California, or New York, where opportunity always waits around the corner. Sienna's teachers would describe her as 'smart, endearing, and lovable,' although Sienna only puts on this facade so everyone would like her. She is afraid of making enemies, and disappointing anyone, especially her own family. When she met the strange man who offered her a position at the Guild, she quickly accepted, sensing an opportunity that would enable her to follow in her parent's footsteps, being a Healer.

Other: Nothing as of right now.

 

Username: Phoenixstarr

Name: Colton Graves

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Appearance: He's five foot eleven and has a slender build. He has short, straight black hair that tends to look more disarrayed than neat. He owns one comb, and it's missing teeth. His eyes are hazel leaning more towards grey than green, and his skin is that awkward shade that's not quite pale and not quite tan. He favors 21st century clothes, as that's his home era, typically jeans and a solid coloured t-shirt. A scar cuts across his right cheekbone from a fight he lost against a Monster Hunter he insulted.

Personality: Colton's personality is marked by a constant stream of pervasive arrogance and sarcasm, choosing to interact with venom rather than honey. He strives for outside validation, measured in the number of enemies he's made and the number of people who cannot bear to share a room with him. Inside, he's burdened with a lack of self-confidence and an introversion that leads him to alienate others rather than let them get to know him. Emotions other than anger are not allowed to interfere with his actions, which are typically chosen by head rather than heart. He is impulsive and manipulative, and has no close friends. When interacting with those he heals, the venom is turned off, like a tap, and he becomes wholly concerned with duty.

Rank: Advanced

Class: Healer

Watch specifics: NA

Ability He is impervious to disease, never ever even afflicted with the common cold, a beneficial ability for a Healer.

History: Colton is the only child of a rich family. Throughout his childhood, his parents were always absent, attending one event or another, and he was left to explore the big house, alone except for the serving staff, and, later, when the family's fortune turned for the worst, no one at all. He became used to this loneliness, even grew to like it. At school, he ate lunch and did group projects by himself, running a monopoly on the swings at recess.

At age fifteen, he was walking home from school, taking a longer route than usual, and was just passing the park when the wind picked up. Confused, he looked across the street, towards the house of Mr. Thorpe - an eccentric, balding old man who spent his spare time talking about time travel, a science he said that he was destined to perfect - which seems to shake with the pressing wind. Suddenly, something gave way, and there was an explosion, a loud crack of white light that struck him to the pavement. It was several moments later that he opened is eyes and found himself in the Guild, and several more before he found a man who could explain what was going on. Here was the opportunity he had wished for - a new life. He jumped upon it and never once looked back.

Other: NA

Edited February 24, 2013 by sailing101

[gistofeverything]

((You're good to go. Approved.))

[sailing101]

Liz had not been able to sleep last night. Her dreams were filled with faces. Countless people, each and every one she knew, And they all had one thing in common.

They had all been dead long before she met them.

Some would curse at her, others would try to attack, some even accused her of witchcraft. However, that was the life of a ghost hunter at the guild.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Her bow in hand, Liz looked down the arrow to the target at the other end of the hall. She slowly cownted down from Five.

Four...

Three...

Two...

*BRRING*BRRING*

Liz jumped at the noise, letting go of the arrow. Even with her concentration broken, the bolt hit the target directly in the center.

"Of all the times to be startled," she sighed to herself. The purpose of the alarm was to let guild members Know that there was a mission asignment ready. It went off nearly every day, so it was silly to be scared by it. Still, Liz had'nt been feeling like herself lately.

Liz let go of her bow, which wound into itself and vanished within her watch, and headed over to one of Janus's boards to read what the mission was. Strangely, only the list of guildmembers requested to go on the mission was given.

 

Would the folowing guild members please report to the Gate of Time on 1918 AD to recieve a special mission.

Lana Stonehallow

Archer Darrow

Marcus Briggs

Sienna Amour

Colton Graves

Elizabeth Troy

The details shall be given once everyone has gathered. That is all.

 

Directly under the offical message, another note appeared, one that Liz knew only she could see:

 

Im' sorry Liz, there's no word on your brother's dissapearance.

 

It had been a week since Guildon had dissapeared. Liz had looked to Janus every day to see if there was any news, but to no avail. It was if he has been physicaly erased. Nobody knew what had happened to him, or that other boy, Simon. Janus's words were just another confermation of the fact.

 

Liz sighed, and turned to the door. "Just keep looking," she said, "Ok?"

As she left the room, she wasn't able to see Janus's reply, but she didn't need to.

 

I will.

Edited February 24, 2013 by sailing101

[PhoenixStarr]

Colton was not amused. Hours of forced confinement in a chair watching these moronic packs of monster hunters shoot arrows and fling knives and other such nonsense was enough to annoy anyone, nonetheless him. Granted, these first-aid stations around the training hall had been his idea, but he did not think that he would be one day forced to man one of them when he had pitched the idea. He crossed his arms across his chest and slouched even lower in the chair.

 

He watched as arrow after arrow hit the bullseyes. He could do that; it's not even that hard. Pull the string back, point, aim, let go. Perhaps he should have been a ghost hunter. It would have been easier. His temper and inability to work well with others, however, did not make him a person one wished to hand weapons.

 

Besides, he liked healing. He was good at it and most of the people he had to interact with were unconscious or under anaesthetic or in too much pain to be an annoyance. Except for today.

 

He ducked as an arrow buzzed passed his head. A girl - who looked about twelve but was probably fifteen - stared at him with mortified eyes.

 

"The target is that way," he straightened and brushed imaginary dust off his clothes. "Not sure if you saw it. It's that big thing with the bullseye."

 

The girl blushed and turned away. He did not know her name. He probably never would. Just another ghost hunter rookie, and Lord knows there were enough of those.

 

He did not even flinch when the mission assignment alarm sounded. "And who are the unlucky 'vounteers' this time?" he commented to no one in particular.

 

With a groan, he stood, taking a moment to stretch his stiff muscles and shake out his legs before wandering to the board. His eyes scanned the message quickly, not bothering with the heading, only the names. And, sure enough, there among them:

 

Colton Graves.

 

Rats.

Edited February 25, 2013 by PhoenixStarr

[Lore_Master]

Marcus was busy fiddling around with a metallic-like cube. Around him were other clockwork fighters, both rookies and the more experienced. This workshop was the result of a few clockwork fighters coming together to discuss clockworks and learn more about them. In time, more and more joined them, even though they're still just under twenty people. He knew that more people would join them, eventually. For now, the core of a class four still needed to be looked at, and potentially made into another lamp if it still had any juice left.

 

"So, what's the highest class you guys have fought?" Asked one of the younger members, a rookie. He was with a group of three people, who were busy breaking clockwork parts into usable materials.

 

"Class 12" Replied one of the older member in a dispassionate manner, which caused another man to call him out on it.

 

"Bull, that was a class nine, stop trying to impress the rooks." Said the second man, causing all four of them to laugh, before returning back to their project.

 

The mission assignment noise went off, which meant all machinery was halted temporary to check the board. Marcus was still focused that he didn't pay attention.

 

"Hey Victorian, they called for you! 1918 AD." Called out one of the more experienced members, a girl that appeared to be in her early twenties. Victorian was Marcus's nickname, a name he had grown to like. Taking the cube with him, he began to make his way to the time gate.

[IvyMarie]

Sienna messed around with her lucky bracelet, feeling as if something important was about to happen. In front of her, a class of rookies were busily experimenting with simple healing procedures. It was boring, tedious work, and Sienna wished she was anywhere but here. Watching over rookies and making sure they weren't doing anything wrong wasn't her area of forte, she could hardly keep her focus on the nervous teenagers. She had been in their shoes before, but still, she wondered when she would finally be assigned a task of importance.

 

Still messing around with her bracelet, she looked up as a girl approached her, probably as young as 13. Sighing, she quickly put her bracelet back into her jean pocket, and attempted to smile. "What's up?"

 

The girl responded with an air of authority around her, as if she were better than Sienna. "You're wanted by someone. Good thing too, you were hardly doing what you were assigned. Watching over us."

 

Sienna rolled her eyes, annoyed by the small girl. "Okay, whatever, and where exactly am I supposed to be going?"

 

"I dunno. Apparently, you're going to the Gate of Time on 1918. They want you, and quick. You should be on your way." The girl replied, placing a hand on her hip.

 

Sienna bit her lip, trying not to laugh, meanwhile watching as the girl asserted herself. The small teenager obviously thought she was in charge. "Okay, okay. I'm on my way. Thanks."

 

The girl nodded, and whipped around, walking back to her group. Sienna dusted off her t-shirt and jeans, and started her way towards the Gate of Time. She had never been called to the Gate, and it must be a matter of importance, especially if they wanted her urgently. Maybe she would finally get a change to prove herself, being assigned a task or quest, as she hoped she would be for a long while.

[brisingrrider1]

Lana strode down the hallway, checking her watch for the time. She disliked being late. However, the time was just right for the mission she had recently learned about. Apparently it was her and five others.

 

She had never met the ones to whom the names belonged, as she was still fairly new to the Guild herself.

 

Earlier, she had been feeding the resident hydra, when she had been called to the board. Time Gate 1918 AD, she reminded herself. Lana had only been called to the Gate once before, and that was for news of a friend she had found who had disappeared in a time anomaly. The news had shocked her, and she was still attempting to recover from the loss.

 

Sighing, Lana continued her scurry down the hall, finally glimpsing the Gate through the slight fog.

 

"This better be good," she muttered to herself, "the hydras are hungry."

[sailing101]

Liz was the first to the gate, only to find a man waiting for them.

The Man was wearing an outfit as if he had recently come from a masquerade ball. A white mask, black tuxedo, and a wide fethered cap hid any features of the man from sight. However, Liz recognised Him immideatly.

"Hello again Officer Erik What brings you from the Opera?"

Officer Erik was a ghosthunter usually stationed in Paris. It was his job to watch over the city's famed catacombs for the guild.

"A most Grave turn of events, my dear," The man replied, "It is why I have called for your help, But I shall wait till everyone else has arrived to elaborate."

Liz had worked under Officer Erik before, And she knew that to press him for more information would be futile.

[Lore_Master]

"Blast, the coils are shot... gotta get that replaced." Muttered Marcus as he got on one of the many elevators. On his first week here, he once planned to reach the very top floor. But seeing some of the things the far future had to offer caused him headaches. Thus, he would never tried that stunt again until he understood all the concepts the future had, like portable music. Regardless, he had reached the floor, and proceed to make his way to the gate. He had most of his attention payed to the core, trying to fiddle with a locking mechanism, that he didn't notice Liz or Officer Erik until he looked up.

"O-Officer Eirk, Ms. Troy, my sincere apologizes." He babbled, before hooking the cube to his belt and bowing slightly.

[SkullKrusher]

Being a monster hunter wasn't the easiest thing. It wasn't quite often that you went to missions, yet everytime you went somewhere came a new monster that you had to formulate a strategy on or find new moves to kill with. Then came the change from bow to sword as soon as you went up a rank and people had to adapt way quicker to the melee weapons. Yes, every other class except the Diviners shared the same risk to their lives, but they had some defenses - Healers obviously can heal themselves and usually stay in the back, most Ghost Hunters deal with passive ghosts and rarely meet stronger forces and Clockwork Fighters simply have to take care of any Clockworks in the way and usually stay in the back except when Advanced or Expert levels. That's why it was rare to spot the Monster Hunter training grounds empty, since people always prepared by practicing or fighting holograms. It wasn't rare to spot the bullseyes of the ones skilled with their bows, and Archer had just scored one when he heard the blaring of the mission alarm. He sighed and let his bow absorb back into the watch on his wrist, then walked to the board.

 

Archer Darrow

 

Well, he was lucky today. Got a few bullseyes, wasn't late for training and even got a compliment from one of the Advanced when they competed with him. Getting a mission now was simply icing on the cake, as people would say. Smiling, Archer walked out of the training room and headed toward the gate that he saw written on the board. 1918 AD, eh? Let's see... they could be going quite a lot of places in those times, actually - it was just the end of the First World war and they could be stopping some monsters which wanted to continue the war. The second world war would be only twenty years later - what was the actual reason to stop then? 20 years to regain strength? 20 years to get fresh recruits and start the massacre yet again? Shaking his head, Archer sighed and thought of something else. Hmm... Paris was flourishing at that time - maybe there was something large going on there. Oh. He had already reached his destination and saw an officer along with another young woman and man. "Hello." He quickly said to the higher ups, bowing to them. They were better than him, and bowing was just a way of showing respect as a rookie to the advanced and experts.

[PhoenixStarr]

Colton wandered towards the elevators in no great hurry, hands tucked in the pockets of his worn jeans, shoulders hunched. He did not like missions - too much mandatory time around people that he had already decided he did not like. The best thing would be to get this all done as quickly as possible with minimum casualties. Then he could get back here, freed from a shift, and lock himself in his room. But missions were rarely that easy and life took great joy in inconveniencing Colton more than strictly necessary.

 

He was disappointed to find that he was not, in fact, the last one to arrive. Out of the six, he was fourth. How mediocre. He cast a glare at the officer, who looked nothing less than utterly ridiculous in his pompous, almost penguin-reminiscent attire.

 

A sneer slithered across Colton's face. "Get lost on your way to Antarctica?"

Edited February 25, 2013 by PhoenixStarr

[sailing101]

The Man regarded Colton's comment for a moment. "You know, you really shouldn't make faces, boy," He said. He then lifted his mask so that only Colton could see his face.

Or lack there of. His skull was bare save for a layer of skin that stuck to the bone.

"It might stick that way."

He then replaced the mask.

 

Liz meanwhile had turned to Archer. "Hello," she said politely, She then noticed Archer's watch. "Oh, you're still a Rookie? I wonder why the Guild Master wants you on this mission?"

 

"He was mumbleing something about the planet Mercury, I think." Officer Erik replied. "But we all trust the Guild Master's judgememt."

Edited February 25, 2013 by sailing101

[SkullKrusher]

Archer watched as another guy came over and spoke to the officer, delivering a smart-ass comment about his outfit. How rude. What if he had just infiltrated the surroundings as to not look strange? He then shifted his gaze as the young woman which stood beside the officer spoke to him. She had noted his watch, it seemed, and asked why the Headmaster was sending him to the mission, to which the officer replied that he was mumbling something about Planet Jupiter yet did not know the reason as to why he was coming along. "I am not sure as well, actually. Maybe he wants to test my skill so he could elect me to a Junior after the mission, if I was good and useful. Otherwise, I really do not find a reason for him to sent a Rookie to a mission full of Advanced and Experts." He spoke, slighly smiling as he took his spot beside the other two and started waiting for the others.

[PhoenixStarr]

Smarting from the Officer's comment, Colton reached up and ran a hand over his own scar. It followed the curve of his cheekbone before plummeting down across his cheek. For the briefest of moments, he was ashamed of it, but then the pride came roaring back and he stuck his hand back in his pocket.

 

He cast his eyes around, looking for the remaining members who had managed to be tardier than him. One had appeared - a rookie. Polite. Obviously a faker; there was no way you could be that consumed with manners and show up to a meeting later than Colton. No possible way.

 

Colton detached himself from the group so as to avoid having to force conversation and leaned over the railing, looking down at the foggy depths of the grand atrium, and, even lower, the shifting, shimmering timeline. Heights did not cause even close to the same amount of discomfort that conversation did. For a moment, he could almost relax.

Edited February 26, 2013 by PhoenixStarr

[brisingrrider1]

Taking the last few steps down the hallway, Lana nodded her head to the strangely dressed officer, and slouched slightly as she waited for instructions. Her left foot was supporting her weight, while her right foot rested away from the other.

 

She played with her watch, taking close notice of all the people's movements. There were three men, and one other girl like herself. At least the genders aren't uneven... she thought to herself, being supportive of the Equality campain that some radicals were running about the Guild. The group supported equality of all people, no matter who they are. Lana agreed with most of what they say, but she believes they are taking it a little too far, even starting rumors of all-out revolt against the Guild leaders if they do not comply to their regulations.

 

Being in the Advanced class certainly held her in some regard to the younger or less experienced, and Lana was certain that she would need to attempt at being congenial and friendly to the rookie. Otherwise, her reputation would be metaphorically dented.

Edited February 26, 2013 by ubbydubby

[IvyMarie]

Sienna hurried along the rutted path, quickly trying to reach her destination, the Guild of Time. She realized she was running late, and she chastised herself for her small error. Whoever was waiting for her would not be pleased.

 

Finally, she approached the group of young adults around her age, and she let a tinge of pink engulf her face. Feeling slightly embarrassed for being the last one to arrive, she stayed in the outskirts of the group, watching the others. From what she could tell, the Officer was engaged in a conversation with a man. The others were gathered around the Officer, too.

 

Sienna decided to stay quiet as of now. They were obviously waiting for her, and since she was now here, they would start the discussion. She would speak only when needed, she silently decided.

[sailing101]

"All right, I think that's everyone." The Officer said. "First, for those of you who may not know who I am, I am Officer Erik, Ghosthunter. I am not usualy at the guild as my mission is ongoing. I watch over the city of Paris for the guild."

A soft chime from a board nearby sounded, this was Janus's way of getting people's attenion. Words appeared on the board reading,

 

You may not know this, but Paris is not one city, but two. One belongs to the living...

 

"And the other to the dead." The officer concluded.

 

"The catacombs," Liz said with understanding. "Paris was built on top of an ancient limestone quarry. In midevil times, the graveyards were overflowing, and sickness was common."

 

"Indeed," the Officer replied. "Eventually the people realised that the massive amount of bodies needed to be taken to a place where they could lie away from the living. And so the Quarry became a tomb."

 

Liz continued, "Left without a proper burial, many spirits could not find rest, and wandered the halls below the city. The guild has made many efforts to calm them, but the spirits keep comming back."

"The catacombs have also atracted many Necromansers over the years." The Officer added, "The sheer amount of bones, to them, is the promise of an endless army. Naturally, the guild has dealt swiftly with each case, However, this one is different." He took something from his cloak, and showed it to the group. It was a skeleton's hand, with bronse gears worked into the joints.

"This greeted me last night," He said, "I did need a hand with something at the time, but I felt that the joke was rather tastless, Nevertheless, It is clear that we are dealing with no ordinary Necromancer."

Edited February 26, 2013 by sailing101

[Lore_Master]

Marcus merely kept quiet as Officer Erik began to explain why all of them were called. From what he read, the world would experience a great war sixty years after his birth. Even though he would have been to old to fight, it still saddened him that troubling events happened after what seemed like a golden age to him. Eventually, Erik began talking about skeletons and ghosts, mostly stuff that didn't apply to him. However, when Erik showed one of the hands, which had bronze gears in the joints, Marcus's eyes lit up softly.

"If I may examine the hand..." He said to Erik before approaching him, before pulling out a screwdriver and began to poke at the gears, trying to examine their quality. Normal clockworks, at least those below class nine, were metallic. If his suspensions were proven true, then whatever created this was clearly experienced, if not a powerful clockwork.

"Odd... these are well-crafted gears. These aren't something you normally put into a skeleton." He added, before pulling away from Erik.

[PhoenixStarr]

Colton did not even bother turning his head as Officer Erik rambled on. He was close enough to hear every word, every tiny inflection in his voice, and even the quiet comments of the clockwork fighter as he looked the hand over. Generally, Colton did not much care what the specifics of the mission actually were, as he was not the one carrying it out. It was his solemn duty to follow behind and pick up the pieces and do his best to make sure that nobody died. The threat was not exactly his problem, but this time he felt that something was wrong. Something about the hand and the secrets made him suspicious.

 

He pushed away from the railing and turned back to the group, playing up the few steps back with unnecessary, theatric swagger. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned forward, staring at the Officer intently.

 

"So this is it? We find the Necromancer? That's all? Why the secrecy, then? It is, after all, quite odd to see a summons without the purpose directly in the message," his eyes narrowed as he searched what was left of the Officer's face for a tell, the red flag that the man was hiding something.

Edited February 27, 2013 by PhoenixStarr

[sailing101]

It was Liz who answered Coulton. "The verry fact that a clockwork has attempted to integrate human parts into it's structure. If the prosess proves sucessfull, who knows how far things could go."

"I did not want to cause a panic within the guild," The officer continued, "If clockworks can build themselves into humans then the Mimic models become all the more dangerous."

Clockwork Mimics were clockworks that looked and tried to act like living things. However, they are always found out from their jerkey movements, repeditive and poorly recorded speech patterns, and the cnstant ticking noise that all clockworks shared.

"Furthermore, This hand was animated by genuine necromancy, and clockworks posess no means of magic."

He handed the hand over for Marcus to inspect. "I am no expert on clockworks," he said, "but it seems that this hand wandered off before it was finished."

The bones were loosely held together by small frames of wires and gears. Some bones were even plated in copper. There were a few scraps that looked like pieces to a gauntlet that would have covered the hand. And on every piece, both bone and metal, were etched minute runes, almost too small to be seen. A large number of the runes had been scratched out, but others remained recongnisable as the same ones used by Expert Ghosthunters.

 

"Animated skeletons are easy to break apart," Liz commented, "but the demons have a nasty tendancy to reassemble themselves. Clockworks are just the opposite, Their armor makes them very resiliant, but once a few critical gears are knocked loose, everything else grinds to a halt",

[SkullKrusher]

Archer watched the strange hand, practically marvelling at it. The Clockworks, while rare in the early levels, were very durable and that was why they needed to be defeated in a technical or mechanical way instead of the normal hitting and bashing. Meanwhile, Necromancers could summon a lot of skeletons and if they had enough energy, they could simply make them reasemble themselves using their own bones and continue doing that. "You know what... that sounds very ingenious, actually. The Clockworks are durable yet with a few good hits or changes with tools they fall apart, while the Skeletons are easy to kill yet revive themselves, in a way. If they combine those two and have a large enough source of energy - which, for the Necromancer, is practically the souls around and the Clockworks usually use their kinetic or mechanical energy - they will have a regenerating army of skeletons that are tough and survive a lot of hits. This, in fact, could potentially be dangerous on the whole time-scale of the universe!" Archer spoke, adding together what he had learned from his other classes.

[Lore_Master]

Marcus was busy tinkering with the hand, trying to see if he could get it restarted. He had a theory that the hand could lead them back to the necromancer. Of course, if that turned out to be a false end, he could always use the hand as some sort of assistant, provided he was sure it was below class seven and had all the necessary parts. His eyes turned to Archer as he began to talk about how he though the combination of skeletons and Clockworks was 'ingenious'.

"The combination of magick and clockwork is indeed ingenious, however they're meddling in uncharted territory, and I can see no fewer then three flaws." Marcus said, looking at Archer. He added in that he meant no disrespect for what he said.

"First flaw, the metal used in the hands is more fragile then a normal hand, to compensated for the lack of nerves and muscle. Second, the gears alone are flawed, and can easily lock up the hand. Third, the lack of a total hand implies that the necromancer is working on limited material, thus means more clockwork parts are being used, making it easier to detect them." Marcus explained, while still fiddling around with the parts to make it work again. Finally, he gave up for the moment, and returned his attention to officer Erik.

"Again, the books we have also have limited info on mimicks, since they were deemed 'inefficient.' That doesn't mean this is a problem to be taken lightly... sir." He said, before standing more upright.

[brisingrrider1]

Lana payed close attention to the conversation, noticing in her peripheral vision the girl who had just arrived. She seemed nervous and a bit ashamed, due to how she was not joining the group that had collected around Officer Erik.

 

While the men were examining the hand, and the joints of metal, Lana focused on the actual bones- they were not very deteriorated, which suggested that the person to who it belonged to died close to the time it was found. Therefore, she interrupted the scrutiny, "Officer Erik? What time did you find this hand? It seems to me that the one whom the hand belonged to died only recently, due to the lack of deterioration and yellowing. Perhaps we could find out exactly when this hand was exposed to air and therefore discover when the person died."

 

Because Lana is a Monster Hunter, she studied bone structure and such in order to learn the best way to capture, hurt, or in extreme cases kill the monsters.

Edited February 27, 2013 by ubbydubby

[IvyMarie]

While closely watching and listening to the Officer's words and gestures, Sienna trained her ears to pay attention to his every inflection and pitch change. The Officer was cautious, and she could tell this Necromancer he was talking about was no ordinary villain, he was someone to watch and account for.

 

Shifting her eyes so she could watch the others, she observed attentively how they asked questions. They were obviously engrossed in the whole discussion. Feeling as if she should contribute to the conversation, she cleared her throat. Piping up with her velvety voice, she asked the officer a simple question. "So, we go and find the Necromancer, either kill him or bring him back here, and that's it?" Sienna could almost scoff at the simplicity of the quest.

 

In the back of her head, though, she felt a voice mocking her. 'You don't know what's coming, don't judge too quickly Sienna.' Sienna blinked, taken back. Those words were always what her mother used to say. The small shock of remembrance alarmed her, and closed her mouth, not bothering to ask anymore questions.