[Interim Two] Reprise

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Kansas

Rhea ineffectually flailed her way into not drowning in an imaginary landscape, looking around and blinking hard. Was she dreaming? She'd had dreams where she drowned before. Though she couldn't help but look down and frown when she realized she didn't have her bag of candy. Drat. Slowly, very slowly, she stood up, observing the world around her, briefly listening to the conversation, before tearing her eyes away from the overseer, and staring in all directions, looking for any sort of landmark.

As she thought about what exactly this place is, she supposed this would probably be the best, private space to talk about... whatever it is she wanted to talk about. Why WAS she so mad exactly, though...? No... no, as she thought about it, she remembered their... first encounter. That made sense. Any she got beat up last time from, what she knew so, she would probably be grumpy too.

Eventually, rhea raised her hand, a bit hesitant. "Uhhm... Can you, show me around the place, maybe?"
 
The VR Zone

Romulus gasped as he woke up, the water splashing on his face as he shook it off, as to not ruin his suit, before realizing it's not exactly real. Looking around the surprisingly blank interior, the Biker got his bearings and started to try and ask questions.

Reaching for his gun, he was surprised to not find it on his person, nor any of the keys he had collected. He was just himself in here, without any of the fancy technology he had made along the course of working in Amperia. Question is, what exactly did he need to know here to make more sense of that last little bit of notes.

What caused the beast to awaken in the first place?

--------------------

Reman's awakening was... Different.

A moment of black was cut short by a brief vision. A crack in the hole of space and time, opening up to a fraction of a world surrounded by nothing. It was a park, with winds blowing fiercely through mint green trees, with a lone bench to sit on straight in the middle. Right before he woke up the winds became deafening, the winds increasing in speed until he gave his first signs of life.

Reman slowly got up from the ground, felling submerged in water, but coming out dry. Bizarre, but kind of nice. It definitely was a lot to take in, just vanishing into a blank plane with barely anyone inside, but this would mean that he'd finally live up to his promise eventually, so that was nice! Unfortunately, he didn't really get a lot of the software side of things too well.

"So... Where exactly do we start?"
 
Epsilon's Way of Saying Hello

The entire space. It was something else entirely.

She hadn't woken up due to the water -- although that did help get her fully awake. Every last bit of the room, every last atom felt like it was speaking. Whispering to one another, to her. Constantly monitoring, constantly watching, constantly updating one another on what she was doing. The noise was...logical? Mechanical? She focused in on the pattern one part of the room was unfolding in, and she saw it for a glimpse. A string of words, of instructions, from one place to another.

Full-dive. Or at least that was the first term people called it. Full-dive virtual reality. A rare experience she got to enjoy, as normally the machines were all taken up by rows and rows of students, but sometimes she got to sit in one, and not so much enjoy its scenery as she got to enjoy being absolutely immersed in how the barebones of the machine functioned. Full-dive always managed to tear her away from what she was focusing on -- even if it was just for a second.

Right. Right, the library. She began to read the signals, trying to determine exactly what caused this library to activate. Unwittingly, to the outsider, she was standing there looking into the abyss.
 
The Great Library of Arcandria?
The Part Where She Kills Us

Keith spent a few quiet moments longer than the rest of the crew in contemplation, floating peacefully at the simulated water's surface with his eyes closed. It seemed he had dealt with the hardest part of the trip through meditation, trying to achieve a measure of wholeness in what now felt like an empty body. In truth, he had also caught himself thinking about those documents Marie had requested of him---and something else he had managed to find, something much more useful to her situation than the PhD-grade essay would ever be. He was in a little bit too deep. Whatever it was those mad scientists were messing about with seemed way too close for comfort to what was happening to the crew's mechanic, but now was not the time nor the place to talk about it.

The informant properly came to his senses when the water was replaced by solid ground, grass all around him cushioning him into an almost natural bed. His poncho was gently billowed around by the artificial wind as Keith pulled himself up, standing to better examine his new surroundings... or lack thereof, finding only void as far as his eyes could see and the Downrider crew rendered as trichrome avatars. Well, that was disappointing.

"What now, Overseer?"
 
It's like SAO but not shitty and also has a purpose

Aradia took a few moments to... Orient herself. Seems the Overseer had been busy...
Minus the details, she looked about normal. That was a good start, though the magician-pilot stillhad no idea what was going on. She just waited though, given that other people had asked the same question she was about to.
 
The Codex

The Overseer straightened into their default stance, wings folded evenly. Her eyes shifted to address Rhea directly, in a distorted message only the young girl could hear. Marie could feel the disturbance, but was unable to decipher it. "Another time."

OSC-01 returned their gaze to the group. "We shall begin this session with the information requested by the captain."

Dahlia crossed her arms, though the motion was poorly translated by the off-putting lack of real collision. "The story of Arcadia. As much as you have."

The Overseer gave a low bow, forming their wings into a full circle ahead and behind her. "As you wish. The story of Arcadia." As the Overseer talked, their image began to warp and spin, shrinking into nothingness ahead of the crew.

All around the crew, the sky began to darken. Like lights in a theater, the searing white burnt out into a dull, black void. The limited color faded from the crew as well, fading away into the background. The voice of the Overseer rang out quietly once more, before they too disappeared. "In it's most hideous detail."




For the briefest moment, the void surrounding the crew was broken by lines of white text, accompanied by an audible click. For the moment they were visible, they appeared to be recently modified patch information. What it all meant was anyone's guess.

After a few seconds of silence, Dahlia looked around. She was prepared to speak up when a startlingly new pair of voices broke the silence. Not OSC-01, nor anyone the crew had heard before.


"In the collective word of Richter and Adila Marheart."

The crew was assaulted with light as the void disappeared once more- being replaced by a warm, golden glow. It came from a distant rising sun. casting its rays out across a wide valley placed between two ridges. The crew had been placed back in their true colors in the heart of the valley, knee-deep in the pale green grasses that blew around in the wind without care. At the center of the valley ran a rather wide river, which was fed with clear blue water by the tributaries running of the larger mountain of the two ridges. The mountain hung over the entirety of the valley, the sunlight highlighting the bulk of its snowy caps.

The commentary of the presumed Marhearts continued after a momentary pause. The voice was that of a female.

"For as long as we have tread on these lands, two nations had been out for the blood of the other. Nepheros and Arcadia, needless enemies. It was the way for our mothers and fathers, as it was for theirs and theirs before them."

The male voice chimed in.

"But long before the cycle of bloodshed we grew accustomed to, there existed a common ancestor: the Feudal Aperthus. "

The land around the crew shifted and rattled.

The oldest texts we’ve found claim the society was founded on the then-barely touched soils east of Mount Avisten, by eager traders looking to stake their claim upon the land. It was there that our most common ancestors found a form of society, one founded on the principles of family, over that of kingship. They cultivated the hardened tundra, capitalized the river Aper, and built their foundations upon its banks.

From beneath the soil rose grand stone pillars, forming brick by brick along the path of the riverbank. The bricks formed streets, barriers, and intertwined with logs to form housing. The pillars rose past the foundations and streets, curving outwards to form a grand bridge that stretched from one ridge to the other. Life flickered by in high speed as shilouettes of hunch-backed creatures fit with claws and wings dotted across the site. As the formation grew around them, the bridges began connecting and expanding to form a second layer of streets. Buildings were stacked upon each-other, like the bricks themselves, expanding the small riverbank down into a sprawling fortress of brick and stone.


Without beckon, the land beneath the crew shifted once more, this time a solid platform of ground unearthing to lift them up to the layer of roads and plazas atop the stone maze. The male, Richter, spoke again.

"In many ways, it was akin to the foundation of our New Incipere- but one without favour of law. Aperthus, in its growing age had still neglected to instill a commonplace of order beyond their basic commandments."

The ground was moved not so gracefully against its programming, slamming into the side of the bridge and spilling the crew in a pile at the side of the busy road. Creatures from several walks of life trudged along without paying the odd crew any mind at all. Beastmasters, rangers, traders, in all sorts of shapes and colors. Many of the inhabitants were notably beastlike themselves.

The male continued as the crew could orient themselves. "...as such, the more profitable families expressed their grip over the streets- ones such as the condemned Mirijii name."

Further down the street was a rather large congregation of colonials, gathered around a particularly invasive ruckus of yelling and singing.
 
Codex? No, still kansas.

Rhea did her darned best to stay on her feet as the documentary- it was DEFINITELY a documentary- continued on. Doing... reasonably well, all things considered. She only fell on her butt a little bit during the whole earth tsunami thing! She payed at least some attention during... most, of it, more interested in the visuals than the ones talking over it though. During the bits where it was showing off the strange people, Rhea ws by no means idle, walking right up to them and examining them- even trying to touch them and see what would happen.

And, when the crowd of invasive ruckus finally appeared, rhea took off straight too it, basically inserting herself into the crowd, with a grin on her face as she checked out the 'party', she may even almost blend in with the crowd, perhaps being hard to pick out of it, had the crew not known her before hand. It of course, helped that many of the denizens seemed beast-like, however.

"Little uh, disorienting at first but... this seems like it could be alot of fun. You'd better show me around later..." she mumbled as she continued invading the personal space of the virutal constructs. Of course, she was refering to the virtual reality as a whole, but the strange party, also applied here.
 
Codex - Apethrus

As Rhea and the others examined the passing civilians, they paid them no attention at all- to the point of blinking to the other side of her when approached. Some of the creatures carried a strong bird-like appearance, while others appeared more beastly with a mane of fur dropping from their maw as they huffed along with bags twice their size slung over the shoulder. It was as if a community of beasts had evolved into a society without much refinement. The closer the group looked at the edges, the less detailed the simulation became.

As the girl made her way into the crowd, the captain followed quickly. The voice of Adila spoke up again.

"A nepotic sect of traders and architects, the Mirijii family was hard to avoid among the streets of Aperthus. The most infamous of their ranks was Luhan Mirijii, the Accuser."

Right on queue, the grouping could see the mentioned man... or rather Avecris, perched upon a stack of barrels in the center of the square. The creature was rather short and birdlike humanoid, with a rich string of unintelligible speech being sung from their beaklike maw. Whatever it was they were yapping however, it had the fake audience enriched. The man was paired with a shorter and more shapely creature of a similar likeness, though their brown featherly complexion had been powdered over in a pale blue.

Luhan's presentation featured prominent swinging and flashing of a rather quirky blade. It was shaped much like a rapier, but was accented by a sharp coil of beaten wire that ran into a volley of heavy cylinders fused around the hilt. Dahlia approached the scene curiously, soon realizing that the fellow spectators had no tangible collision to them. The crew could just walk straight through them.


"Luhan’s claim to their influence was the pioneering of early electrical systems, predominantly of the weaponized suit. The earliest accounts we have of his public speeches cite that his swords could down, or even kill an armored invader- not through brute force, but through a deft touch. He stood firm along his daughter and supporters, the mere idea being enough to spur many to invest in the Mirijii’s expanding prowess;."

Dahlia's head darted up as she caught that paragraph. It was too late, however. Luhan thrusted the sword towards the metal suit of armor set up for demonstration, obliviously with Dahlia as it passed. The captain was sent reeling to the ground with a plume of light and smoke- though the simulation paid no mind. Marie could feel an otherwise silent disturbance in the signals around her, one that pulsed ecstatically- laughter.

In the real world, Dahlia's limp body jolted and settled. It was as if she had received a shock, though no real damage was incurred.


Adila continued, clearly in a prerecorded manner.
"However, not all were accepting of this new discovery. The largest contender to the Mirijii name were the Zeveriel: a brutish clan of warriors that acted as the paid defense force for the civilization of Aperthus.

The crowd around the display seemed to fizzle away, leaving only a select few to stand in paused time. The bunch were brutes, some twice as large at the spindly bird singing on his makeshift stage. They were nasty looking for sure, some bearing natural scales and exoskeletons as thick as their armor itself. The lead, a greyish individual with a flared snout, huffed at the Avecris making a cacophony.

"As held dear by many of rural Nepheros, the Zeveriel acted on more… classical principles of brotherhood: from the belief that fighting bonded blood, to that the core of the soil they stood on supplied them with enough power to win any conflict. Their beliefs favored the practice magic and strength, over the deteriorative and cheap satisfaction brought about by the technological revolution. Often, they would come to interrupt or disprove Luhan’s ideas publicly, an act which kindled a feud between the two powers."

And so it was. The Avecris turned their attention to the brute, casting a sly snark at the man. The insult was returned and sent back and forth between the two like a loop.

"Time and time again, the conflicts grew to the brink of violence in the streets and alleys. Eventually, the Mirijii family went so far as to wall of the Zeveriel from their property entirely."

In the distance, another structure rose from the surrounding earth, a walled manor that was built straight into one of the Mount Avisten's many dips and valleys. It was built much like a cross between a villa and a fortress, with watch towers on every corner.


The setting began to shift, the sun accelrating it's pace through the sky as the streets below the crew became less detailed and ultimately black once more. Dahlia peeled herself off the now-dissipating cobblestone, trying to keep her mind about her as the apparent onslaught of learning continued. She wasn't injured, but certainly jarred by the explosive sword. "What the hell, Osco..."


 
Codex Part2: Codex Harder

Rhea figured that this was all fun and games untill the captain fell over- but she only looked panicked for an instant, remembering that, this was just a simulation, and that they couldn't ACTUALLY get hurt in here.. just startled. it wouldn't hurt to make sure she was okay, though. "Hey, you, okay, there?" She asked a bit hesitantly, still looking around at the rapidly fading, and shifting setting, taking in everything that had happened. She wasn't all that far away from dhalia when it happened herself, but, certainly not in the direct path of the sword...

So Strange... She thought, as she recalled their appearances, and mannerisms. And, at least one of those groups had power armor? they didn't look advanced enough for that... maybe it was something to do with magic, just like that sword surely was too. It all seemed like some big, three way brawl of tyrants to her either way though, like three mafia families going at it. In all likely hood, it only got worse from there.

But, she quickly diverted her attention to the new suroundings, clearly this whole deal was just getting started. "Maybe uh, don't stand next to the guys with weapons any more?" She says to Captain Morgan with a grin.
 
Codex Astartes Aperthus

Reman adapted to she shifting world, observing details as best as he could. Watching the setup of these two houses, he could only think of one thing to ask while trying to keep on solid ground and away from sharp objects. "This blood-feud, if I may call it that... What actually happened to the both of them? I can really only see this going one way, and that's-"

"Poorly." Romulus mulled over his surroundings, paying attention but less-so looking for the exact details of the scenery and more so looking at the armor and objects in between the civilian folk. Unlike Reman, he was fleet-footed, and could stay a moment to observe the little details of the scene before it shifted. The husks that the keys sat in were an amalgam of a certain aspect of their tech, that much he knew. What he didn't know was exactly what caused the tech to resonate so closely not only with the devices, but with each other as well. Intuition told him he might have to wait a long, long while to find answers, so he decided to play coy for now.
 
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Simulated Crossroads with an Eccentric Chaperone

"Well... This can't be good," the magician stated as tensions were... Pretty clearly rising. Being a magically-oriented person herself, she had a bit of favoritism towards the Zeveriel... Tribe? Group? Faction? Whatever. But Arcadia wasn't a moron either - technology often worked really well during the "now", regardless of how well it would work in the future. So in a head-to-head comparison... Technology usually ends up winning.

She'd just wished that the simulation could have dulled her muscles. Spooky virtual reality or no, she still felt tired, and it kinda sucked.
 
Oliver was not enjoying himself. Though he wasn't having a terrible time either.

The conjurer had slipped the headset on wordlessly and been shoved into this place with the others, while he didn't so much as care about the history it was always better to have information than desire it, after all that would put him at a disadvantage and that wasn't his style. As everyone came to their senses and fell in to have their history lesson his eyes wandered, looking around the fake but real landscape they'd emerged into, keeping an ear out to listen in on the show until finally he settled his gaze upon it.

Still the man said nothing, in this crew he considered himself the most sane and the most at risk at any given time during their journey, he'd already witnessed the absurdity some of them possessed and in comparison to himself they were just, odd. So Oliver chose to say nothing, though he did wonder if this place could accurately recreate any ability they had in the real world, or if he could just will things to be or not to be with his mind, it was a simulated world after all. Like the pilot he noticed his body felt the same as before entering but he suspected that was the extent of what they could do, or were allowed to do, for now.

"So, what's the whole deal with this Arcadia thing anyway, I didn't sign up for the gold museum tour." He said more to himself than anyone else, slightly under his breath as he watched on in relative peace.
 
Codex - Aperthus

Dahlia rose to her feet, brielfy rubbing her temples. "Yes, it would seem that-"

Richter spoke amidst the darkness, practically overwriting the captains statement while confirming it. "Over time, the petty feud of words grew into something more, on part of the Zeveriel. The family was out to demerit Luhans reputation, but confronting his public spectacles weren't going to cut it."

"One fateful night, the young Lavens Zeveriel set out on a rather cunning plan that would inevitably set forth the cataclysm of events that led to where we stand now."


A spotlight broke the void around the crew highlighting a rather stocky figure. They were much like the rest of the grey-scaled reptilian family, albiet a bit stunted and... scruffier. The figure, Lavens, looked about before slinging a sack over his shoulder.

"If the Zeveriel were to find out where the Mirijii kept their new experiments, they could leverage them against Luhan himself. And so they chose Lavens himself, one of the quiet hunters of the clan. His mission was simple- to break into the Mirijii’s manor atop Mount Avisten, and do what had to be done."

The scene around the crew began to shift once more. The yellow spotlight flickered away to reveal an expansive garden, dotted with cultivated bushes of flowers and odd fruit- even with the chily mountainside air. The entirety of the garden was cut off from the surrounding mountainside by large stucco walls, with stone tiles cut a winding path around the moon-lit oasis. The only thing that cut through the walls was a small creek which pooled towards the center.

And there Lavens was, pressed against the wall of the manor as they escaped through a basement skylight. The lanky lizard darted their head back and forth, plotting a course of escape through the gardens. Once more, the crew didn't exist to the projection- but something behind them did.

Adila continued the narration. "His mission was an ultimate success, but Lavens soon found himself distracted- by none other than Acedia Mirijii, the daughter of Luhan."

Behind the crew rested the other Avecris from the display only scenes earlier, who kneeled at the edge of the creek as she ran the cleansing water through her brow. Dahlia twisted around to get a good look at the lone creature, and soon found them staring through the captain in alarm. Acedia moved towards the manor's back parlor, but was stopped by the sound of feet sliding on pebbles.

"Written in texts long stretched, Lavens had encountered the lone Geisha on his way out through the manors back gardens."

The simulation of Lavens spoke up, quietly. Their dialect was once more intangible, but it appeared to be rather... careful. The Avecris halted, looking back at the intruder. On cue, Richter continued.

"Finding him rather courteous for his upbringing, Acedia let the Zeveriel intruder go with a simple catch: the promise of another nightly visit. What was believed to be budding passion between the two remained quiet for some time, with Lavens coming back for yet more 'espionage', before seeing Acedia out the gardens on his way. When he returned home, Lavens gave the Zeverial just enough information to warrant a return trip."

And so, the scene repeated itself in a variaiton of ways. Different paths, attitudes, and discussions blossomed between the two with subsequent visits. With the acceletared time, summer began to shift towards fall, and the bushes of the garden began to hunker down for the approaching winter.


Dahlia scratched her chin, feeling a familiarity of it all. "Secret love, something that always ends in-"

The captain was cut off once more, this time by the Overseer herself. "Tragedy?" The captain was clearly growing tired of it, but she looked around for the source of the voice. The robed Overseer was perched stop one of the manor walls overlooking the now paused scene. The Overseer have a sly nod upon being spotted. Despite the gesture, her voice carried some affliction. "Have some respect for the presentation, Miss Morgan."

And from then on, everyones mouths who spoke up disappeared, leaving them with their thoughts. Marie could feel the rash deletion occur.

OSC-01 waved a wing annoyedly, disappearing instantly as the presentaiton resumed with haste. The time of year advanced ahead several months as the light all around the gang started to fade once more.
In the real world, the Overseer opened an eye briefly, scanning the commons room.

---

Richter spoke up, solemnly. "It wasn’t long, however, before the Zeveriel family caught wind of the affair. Angered by his stalled failure, they cast Lavens away and stormed the mansion for Luhan himself. The stories after that have, varied wildly. All that remained after the night was Acedia’s cold body, damages all across the property, and a newfound rage sweltering out of both families. For the longest time, it was believed that the Zeveriel ransacked and butchered anything that stood in their way, including Acedia. Older folk songs spread about stated that Acedia died in Lavens hands, trying to escape the siege in some pitch of heroism."

Adila picked up where Richter left off. "It wasn’t until we came across a rather peculiar acquaintance that the world learned the truth of what happened that night. In the nightly raid, Luhan clashed with the head of the Zeveriel family, Karnus. Using his prototyped sword and armor, the fight between the two had become an unnaturally close match."

The scene caught up, bearing the two men who opposed each other at the festival clashing against eachother against the spiraling flame of a broken fireplace. Despite the obvious different in size and strength between them, the two heads were caught at arms. Then, as the Avecris raised their blade for a strike, a white flash of energy erupted from the edge.

"No one is certain if it was a twisted fate of Lavens' intervention, or if Luhan’s inventions were not as perfected as he believe them to be, but a grave accident occured. The experimental sword discharged unexpectedly- wounding Karnus and killing his beloved Acedia.

The image faded to black slowly, of the three outlined in black against the light. Soon, the crew found themselves floating high above the city of Aperthus. The city looked no different, but the manor atop Mount Avisten had suffered great damage. A familiar gathering had converged in the streets, but under a different tone.

"The following morning, Luhan Mirijii cried in outlash, and accused the Zeveriel of all the damages lost, including his daughter. The Zeveriel denied all allegations for the murder with an equal amount of spite. Some time after the event, the remaining Mirijii family announced their succession. They convinced their followers to join them, and forced the Zeveriel Clan out of Aperthus.

Richter slowed, stressing the words he spoke. By evening, Luhan had created his own nation, named in honor of his lost daughter: Archacedia."


After a moment, Adila countered. "The Zeveriel did not take lightly to their banishment, instead taking their believers with them as they departed with many a word. The clan set out abroad, using their magic and wits to guide them to a newfound land, far away from the accusative Mirijii name. Together, they named it Igneipherus. Thus came the beginning of the War of Races."
 
Codex

The scene around the crew faded to black once more, but not for long. As the Captain got her bearings without a mouth, the group was deafened by the blast of drums. The scene around them was now a battlefield, the life of which had been trampled and scorched. in the distance, they could see another grouping of people- but this time caught in a violent conflict. Despite the noise, Adila was still clearly audible. "It was a bloodshed, never-ending."

The crew found themselves rather suddenly in the middle of the conflict, chaos surrounding them from all sides. To one side of the fight laid the Zeveriel, clad in armor and carrying all manner of alchemical brews and implements. To the other side were the followers of Mirijii, clad in machined and insulated armor which paired with unstable implements of destruction. The area was a flurry of arrows, potions, spells, swords which soon became crowded with bullets and bombshells.

"Death meant nothing to either side as the rage between them festered and boiled. Not even the greatest of Terran wars could account for the continual bigotry and hate stirred by either side of the conflict."

It was no longer just the captain in any sort of danger. Bullets and spells ripped through the air around the crew, several punching straight through Arbitrated and Romulus. The sensation was sharp and painful despite the lack of real wounds. As time progressed through the simulated battlefield, the scene began to change. The men hunkered down in prototype armor grew more diverse as their weaponry grew stronger.

Richter continued, ignoring the dangerous situation. "At first there was something to fight for- the death of an innocent. But as decades led into centuries, the conflict boiled into a matter of pride without an end in sight. The pace and devastation of conflict ebbed and flowed through the years as both sides grew more distant, before being reminded of the claims their fathers fought for."

Despite the advancements made by both sides of the conflict, the abbreviated was showed no signs of a true victor. The fighting ebbed away as if it were drowned, leaving the swiss-cheese avatars of the crew to rest and regenerate in shock. The visual show surrounding them instead showed a batch of microscopic creatures, blown up to a grand scale.

Richter continued, inquisitively. "The effects of such a brutal war ran so wide and deep, that it lead to either side evolving to biologically despise each other. The bacteria from the homelands of Archacedia and Igneipherus mutated from the echyllis radiation brought with them, and reacted violently to foreigners with sickening results."

Images flashed by, real images of morgue-ridden bodies scarred by disease. Direct contact seemed to stimulate the growth of burns, eventually leading to rot and even tumors.

The images faded and Adila continued. "Over time, the Mirijii and Zeveriel families dwindled and flickered away like fire, but their feud burned in the creation of their own races. Through the years, their nation’s names became bastardized and simplified, until all that remained were Arcadians, and Nepherians."

The scene returned to battle, but things were different from last time. While the Nepherians had advanced to the use of vintage-looking artillery and armor to assist their front lines, Arcadia had evolved into a different beast. The men in ill-fitting prototyped armor had been rendered obselete by men and women clad in streamlined armor, designed with deft and speed in mind. While still not perfected, the powered armor unprescedented edge in combat to the winged crusaders. On top of it all, certain members of both sides were starting to resemble a familiar third party, previously missing.

"Arcadia continued its technological development far ahead of Nepheros, eventually garnering the use of robotics and wastefully-fueled armor to use for their selfish gains. Nepheros on the other hand, had always found that no matter the size of Arcadia, they could find a way to keep them at bay- be it by cunning magic or a clever use of brute force.. As the war began to grow into an uphill battle however, they lived in fear of the day Arcadia found a way to close their loopholes."


The battle continued but darkened, the bullet hell no longer posing a threat to the crew. It was as if time was slowing to a crawl.

Arcadia and Nepheros only once reached an armistice, but one barely true. It was born out of atrocity. During the “Battle of 2052," the title graced from Terran time, the two forces we’re at each others throats with Arcadia gaining the upper hand."

The scene broke loose to a flash of violent purple and white light, bathing the crew in it for just a moment. "The battle was silenced however, as an unknown craft plummeted onto the battlefield with a meteor-like crash."

On cue, the white and grey pod of metal slammed into the war-torn soil- flattening Mikodimus into the crater of hot ash it left behind. The craft wasn't anything like what either side had brought with them- sufficiently advanced, but nothing near Arcadian standards. Still, it carried an industrial vibe. The fighting had ended abruptly, as few individuals from either side cautiously stepped into the no-mans land to investigate.

"The craft was of Terran origin- more than likely from the Alpha 3 cluster. A failed attempt at faster-than-light travel had sent them somewhere they could not comprehend, nor were they given the chance."

With a hiss of pressure, the door of the crashed pop opened, revealing a small crew of two humans rigged in bulky space suits. The humans rose from the pod, dazed and confused as they found themselves at boot-level with two equally strange aliens. Before any communications could be made, it was too late. With a stamp of a metal boot, the invaders were impaled at the end of a broad, blue spike of crystalline energy.

Richter continued with disgust in his voice.
"The Arcadian General in command ordered for a slaughter of the crew, no trial, no questions. Shortly after the event, the two forces came to a shaken cease fire. Nepheros had gone on its own way after the event, but both forces came down in political fire. Arcadia had grown increasingly more paranoid after the event, with the defense council starting to hold more power over the Grand Republic each day."

The images of the battlefield faded away to give view to the alien metropolis. The layers and layers of streets and high-rise biildings were surrounded by a gigantic metal wall, projecting a great shield over it. The vast changes to the area masked it's true identity, but with a close eye the crew could spot the remnants of a grand mountain pressed against the north end of the metropolis. It was built directly over the remains of Aperthus- Avisten.

The city was reduced to a shilouette as the light was drained from the scene. A new figure was painted against the background- yet another Avecris. This one looked far different from the Mirijii family, however- far more refined and healthy. The birdlike creature had a waxy crop of dark blue and blaze orange feathers, with matching eyes as deep as jade gemstones. The man was adorned in the familiar powered armor, giving the group a brief close-up of its streamlined design.

Adila captioned the man. "Derelict Athes II, an Arcadian of prominent military record, laid plans for the expansion of the Arcadian Tactical Engagement Squad, a paramilitary corporation tasked with the investigation and protection of Arcadia’s presence on an otherworldly scale. While their intentions were pure to begin with, after the Battle of 2052, they became a martial monstrosity."
 
Codex

Rhea's mouth quickly became a pressed, thin line as she noticed the fact that the captain, standing right next to her, no longer had a mouth. As she was about to ask if she was okay, she quickly wisened up and shut her mouth as the simulation went on. With in moments, loud, obnixious interuptions occured, causing rhea to press her hands to her ears on reflex- followed by laying on the floor as she spotted her 'fellow crew members' get poked full of holes. That didn't look like something she'd enjoy at all, so the little defilade she was in, while it limited her vision, made sure it would be very difficult to get shot... and she also, breifly, attempted to get the captain's attention, but, the defilade wasn't exactly a trench big enough for the both of them.

She had to admit, this was more than a little stressful, a far cry from the initial, easy going, documentary nature of the display. Perhaps if she played more video games this wouldn't feel as scary. She was infact, too nervous to shout about how scary this was, as she might lose her mouth in the process! "Eahh... don't hit me don't hit me...." She started curling up in her little space as the fighting intensified with ever more dangerous, and numerous, projectiles of all kinds.

Eventually though, she peaked her head over the defilade, as the world outside her little hole... seemed less dangerous... and she observed, watching as the pod landed, as they were aproached, and as they were brutally murdred, with rhea wincing and wanting to look away- before turning her head back and staring at the thing that had caused it, at that crystal. Even as it dissappeared, and the simulation moved on, rhea had a hard time moving on herself past that point...
 
Codex

Richter continued. "With time, their presence and influence among Arcadian officials only grew. Their mission was a simple and pure- to prevent another incident like the Battle of 2052. However, their methods became particularly cruel. Their hand and influence delved deep into affairs that were not theirs to judge, under the mad ravings of the councils. It was all they could do, to keep things from changing."

The scene shifted to that of a starry night, leaving the crew blanketed in a dim blue light. Among the scene laid a silhouetted house atop a hill overlooking a simple Terran space colony- not unlike Bivona itself. It was quiet, but disrupted by a brief sequence of white flashes. The windows of the house flickered and erupted with light as silenced and alarming weapons discharged, in a flurry. In the end, the flashes signaled the attackers had left.

"In nightly runs, ATES would descend to Earth and like civilizations, running their scythe across anyone who tampered with fknowledge they deemed forbidden, or dare get close to discovering anything solid about Arcadia. This was the daily life of the defense council. Their paranoid measures grew rabid as Arcadia used their inter-dimensional technology for sickening purposes."

The star-filled night sky grew and warped, becoming a deep and nauseating purple hue. The stars became replaced with speeding comets, or as close as one could call them. The usually serene stillness of space became disrupted in a chaotic display of light and sensation. It was as if the crew had been stranded floating in a space where they shouldn't exist to begin with. Amidst the chaos was a violent storm- at least in appearance. The superstorm twisted and thrashed indefinitely, looming over the entirety of the scene.

Adila spoke with a cautionary tone. "One cannot fly to the web of Arcadia, for they did the unthinkable: they twisted the Great Nothing, the paradoxal space that stretched between dimensions itself, to make themselves nigh untouchable." She paused. "The greatest and most unpredictable force we knew of- cultivated like a bunker."

After a momentary pause, Adila continued. "But as with all of life, the fate of Arcadia finally caught up with them. Once again, it was the Terrans determined curiosity that bore a crack in their shell."


The Great Nothing, so it was called, faded away as the crew settled back on firm ground. This time, they were now in another set of ruins, uncannily similar to the one they found OSC-01 sealed away in. The crew found themselves in a grand round ballroom that had become densely overgrown through the vines and jungle foliage that had crept through the cracks in the ceiling. Sunlight poured through the crevices, washing over the fallen debris and reflecting brilliantly on a finely carved lens that rested in the epicenter of the chamber floor. A decrepit balcony ran around the edges of the hub, torn apart in collateral damage by an enormous conflict.

"Through their destiny to claim and explore anything they land on, they discovered Parchea- a mass grave even ATES had lost to time."

The crew was pulled straight through the earth itself, catching a passing view of a deep facility below the ballroom as they passed into the darkness. The twisted metal labyrinth was dotted with an array of destroyed equipment, charred remains, and armored assailants searching for survivors with their mono-eyed helmets. "Their response was swift, but disjointed: too many loose ends left to linger."

"The discovery was enough to set Arcadia back, buying time for an underground movement to flourish beneath their noses."



Richter paused as the view panned back to reveal a rugged mesa surrounded by rocky grasslands. Against the colored mountainside laid an entire city of a dark brick buildings, around which laid a wide arborium of trees. "Following the death of Aghaniz, the former leader of Nepheros, the nation fell into a heated civil war. It was sought out to be another bloodshed, that would invite the boots of Arcadia to come in and finish the job once and for all."

It was as if history was repeating itself, a new generation of warriors ready to take their turn on the longest-resting throne in history. The free-for-all was ready to brew around the crew once more, causing Dahlia to flinch and tuck for the ensuing war.

But nothing happened.


Richter continued as the scene panned away, revealing a room full of a rather colorful gaggle of figures. Different races, species, and homelands. Among the bunch were Terrans, Nepherians of various forms, a winged woman in and of red, two identical tieflings, and an odd pairing of a tall Terran and a short, auburn... harpy. They were gathered in unison around a worn wooden table, discussing their options. "In defiance of expectations however, the civil war was ended with minimal casualties and the dissolution of the aggressor- thanks to new influences in command. Arcadian and Terran immigrants in Nepheros had been around for centuries, but new to the pot was a series of high-figure defectors. Workers, scientists, anarchists, and diplomats. It was there we made the strange acquaintance of one Amelia Athes."

The stage fell dark to a new figure- a female Avecris with stark white feathers and skin. They were dressed in a royal gold and purple ATES dress uniform, matching a wide-brimmed hat from which a broken veil protected the figures face from the harsh spotlight. Upon being called, the figment looked up, bringing a pale claw to tip their hat, revealing a haunting complexion of three reddish pink eyes beneath that veil.

"A reject to her name all the same, the granddaughter of Derelict Athes II himself came down to us, and we were there to greet her personally. The ex-militia figurehead came not long after a confrontation with the Defense Council, to quote “face the demons she could not pacify.” Whether she meant the Nepherians or her homeland, no one was sure."

Adila continued after a somber pause. "But if one thing was for sure, it was that the Avecris deserter quickly proved their worth in knowledge and tactics, and soon the new order of Nepheros was met with an overwhelming applause of their denizens."

It was time.

---

Richter spoke flatly as the scene faded into the background once more. Only his words remained.
"We did not expect a bloodless fight, and our expectations were no longer subverted. There was simply no way the Grand Republic of Avisten would go down without a fight, with how many eons of time they had to grow and hold control. The War on Avisten was a sixteen-year siege against against of Arcadian military and doctrine, the latter of which we supposedly had the advantage over. The war would have been brief and met a catastrophic end, had Amelia not informed us of how hard, and how low Avisten would blow to finish it. Many times we had to bug out far and wide, and pray for the best as Arcadian forces tore through the land itself with fire and malice."

Bombs, flashes of light- photographs. One by one, depots in ruins flashed by. All military targets, but crushed nonetheless. Bodies of enemies and allies alike littered the scenes.

Adila gave her husband a moments rest. "Depot and outpost, one after another, the Nepherians struck. Arcadia could not have planned in time to accommodate our secret informant. As the renewed war drug on, it seemed like there would be no way to peacefully resolve the conflict at their capital- though we tried."

Once more, the great walled city of Avisten faded into view. This time though, the capital city seemed less like a gem and more like a wasteland. The buildings remained, guarded every-presently by the floating Gardens- the levitating platforms of war utilized by the Defense Council. However, the lively population of the city seemed more sparse than ever.

"Years of guerrilla warfare had left the Grand Republic of Avisten stuck within their own walls, precision engineered to keep us out. We gave them fair warning that their walls would fall, and our souls were resolved that some of the population heeded. Their government, though, remained steadfast."

Richter commended, brazenly. "Obdurate to the very last."
 
Codex

Keith was disgusted by what he saw, having suddenly been transported to various wars as part of the Codex's programmed documentary. He watched soldiers fall and buildings ruin, occasionally stopping to examine either. The waif, Rhea, seemed to be having a harder time—poor girl, she was just a child. The veteran soldier moved closer to her side and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, even as he wasn't better off himself.

Battlefield after battlefield, corpse after corpse, Keith grew increasingly restless, until he could almost no longer bear to look. He closed his eyes shut in a futile effort to tune out the horrors around him, but it did not last, for the promise of lost history happening right in front of him was too tempting to pass. Unstoppable force met immovable object; but the object was not as stoic as it first appeared.
 
Reman's eyes widened to a scene that was all too familiar in his eyes. The raging blackness, akin to the heart of a storm was what he saw every time a new nightmare plagued his sleeping conscious, but the presentation charged on without him being able to raise a valid objection. He waved his hands about in an excited fashion,

Romulus was briefly observing the style of the armors and suits evolving closer and closer before he perked up for a moment. Looking back, he saw reman in that zone, hypnotized by his surroundings and begging to go back. Briefly reaching to his hip to a gun that wasn't there, he turned around when the environment shifted. In his eyes was a hatred unbridled. He stepped a few paces towards Reman unthinkingly, clenching his fist. If he recognized that locale, that only means one thing, and that wasn't worth hesitating for. With a

"SO YOU DO REMEMBER!"

Reman was taken aback by this, and while trying to respect the presentation, clearly wanted to say something before being accused of wrongdoing.

I’ve about had it hiding in the shadows while waiting for the monster to creep out of it’s brittle and fragile bars.

Romulus concentrated his energy into moving his hand up to where he knows his headset would be, and slowly but surely, in the real world, his hand started moving limply and slowly.

I’m about to do you all a service.

In reality, Romulus’s hand was ever faster creeping up towards his headset before Romulus felt something outside of the simulation. His fingers felt gently around to try and get a grip on his headset, and in doing so his hand was wrapped fully around it’s earpiece. The headpiece started slowly glowing as Romulus concentrated his energy into either removing the headset or outright destroying it. He took the headset, now melting. and sparking in the real world, and made his first attempt to shove it off, but no luck. The avatar in the digital world was fizzling and faded in certain areas. His second attempt was much more successful. He not only pulled off his headset, but it flew to the other side of the room, white hot and sparking on the floor. His vessel in the virtual world vanished with utmost haste as Romulus woke up in the real world. Briefly eyeing both awake and scheming Juryrig, he quickly made his move before the mad inventor could make his.

Romulus got up and dragged Reman by the collar, kicking the ship door open as he flung the beast out into the freezing tundra. OSC-01s green eyes silently flickered open, following the man as he barged out.

Loading his revolver, he knew what he had to do. The trigger key started charging the internals of the Veteran, the internal chamber revolving at unprecedented speeds as he held the trigger down with an iron grip. The gun barely shook as it drew mysterious blue mist through it’s piping, exiting towards the barrel.

You ruined everything for me. You just couldn’t keep yourself out of that deep, blackened realm, COULD YOU? That night you first let the monster out, you nearly slaughtered, if not outright obliterated my research team. The medbay was quarantined because of you. I’m surprised anyone can trust you, let alone a first hand witness to your destruction. And I’m not even sure why she DOES! It’s like you ERADICATED her memories! And now… I’m finally giving you a fraction of the pain I felt that day.
 
Codex

"I-is... this a bad time to mention that i'm pretty sure all the people that are using the drivers are crazy and probably want to kill eachother and the crew? I wanted to say earlier but... they were... right there.... even in here...." She asked, as reman started doing the crazy fizzing thing, only now coming back to... 'reality' having been still been thinking about... what she was pretty sure was her power, being used to, very thoroughly murder a few someones.

She backpedaled, somewhat, at the scene, and seeing what the fizzy avatar was doing, also tried to take her helmet thing off... to, little success. If she could go pale in that virutal reality, she most certainly would, as there was one of them busting out of the simulation with murderous intents while the resty were in here. Wait.... juryrig was still outside too! OH GOD!
 
Codex

The crew now found themselves down upon the barren streets of Avisten proper. Most of all civilians had either been evacuated, or sought shelter deeper within the heart of the layered metropolis. A grand, bustling metropolis with nothing left but military to walk the streets. The moo-eyed soldiers were back, coupled with an impressive selection of automated defense units. The crew were laerted by an thunderous roll, like a thunderstorm had manifested all at once over the ghostly metropolis. "The Republic was stricken with disbelief however, when their walls came crashing in from all directions."

Above the crew, white streaks of light crashed through the blue-tinted sky. Chunk by chunk, the great shield that was projected over the bunkered capital began to cripple and fade away.
Richter continued. "Deep below the streets of Avisten, the word of the revolution had moved the poor and the overworked to join their cause." The view panned deep below the earth, spreading light on the massive generator coils hidden well below the city streets. The crew could see what was happening plain as day as the generators began to destabilize in a flash.

"They cast down whatever they could cobble together into the large power generators that kept the city defended- explosives, tools, even themselves. And in the end, we have their sacrifices to thank. Though Avisten was left defenseless, ATES and the Grand Council were not."

Just like that, the crew was dragged straight back to the surface- but to a different scene entirely. The entire metropolis was now cast in orange, and the cacophony of war had broken through the streets. Faceless soldiers fought up and down the city as a barrage of artillery and gunfire hailed past. Stylized fire, explosives, and destruction range past as the focus of the scene shifted down the wide avenues. Hanging far above the city laid a massive floating island- one made of metal. The airship peered down upon the scene, beams of energy erupting from the hanging cannons located in a ring around the outside.

"They were prepared to cast down mortars upon their own capital from their Gardens above to cease their undoing by our hands." As Adila spoke, the guided projectiles seared through the streets, piercing several soldiers and crew members with a crystalline spearhead, followed by a stream of ceaseless green flame.

Adila continued, but something began to interrupt her- a glitch in the codex. "Their atrocity and black hea rts s one th roug-h and throu gh as we s tor- med-" Time around the scene slowed as another stream connected, a much different, more realistic one.

The ever-present voice spoke up again. "Don't take my interruption wrong, Adila was always a sweetheart and a poet... but there are some things you can't just paint an appealing picture of."


There was no more narration, or witty dialogue. The new stream showed the same scene from a different perspective- the eyes of a person falling to the ground. The soldier was clad in a dark black metal laid over kevlar fabric, but the now first-person perspective limited their appearance. The soldier scrambled to their knees as they pressed themselves against cover, absorbing the scene. They were atop one of the many pedestrian highways of Avisten, the orange curls of flame pressing from beneath their position. Artillery rounds impacted across the city, kicking up plumes of dust and debris as opposing forces clashed in all-out urban warfrare.

From around the cover they spotted an ally, a soldier in matching rugged armor. The soldier was caught beneath a large metal clamp, struggling for freedom. The spectator behind covered physically winced and retreated when the man was quickly crushed in a unceremonious splatter of flesh and blood.

After a moment of breathing, the soldier hurled their weapon over the cover- a cheaply-produced battle rifle chambered in some wide unorthodox round. Farther down the street littered with corpses and debris laid a massive, quadruped assault machine. The gorilla-like machine sat in a predatory position, bloodily finished with its target and seeking the rest. The soldier grunted and fired off a burst of rounds into the machine's back. The rounds did little overall damage, but were more than enough to draw attention.

The beast turned, picking up speed as it found a new target. The machine wasn't any of Oakland design, or like anything the crew had seen so far- heavily industrial, modular, no nonsense. The machine let off a mechanical whine as a flurry of spear-like echyllis rounds impacted the unknown soldiers cover, quickly shredding the outer side of the concrete bulkhead. The sharpshooter yelled something intangible, though their voice carried a rich gaelic accent. "As-kut!"

As the machine focused on the shooter, an entire patrol of soldiers could be seen rushing from the other end of the street. They carried heavy armor across their hunched backs, giving them protection from the falling debris. With them out of the way, the shooter prepared their escape from the mechanical beast. Their escape was, however, delayed by a new spectacle that befell the scene. The Upper Gardens of Avisten, the mechanical fortress that overlooked the entire battlefield- brought to its last legs. The airship gave out, descending towards the center of the city as gravity took it to it's grave. It was over.


The shooter was a moment too late, as the mechanical gorilla bowled through their cover- taking them underneath it's boxy foot. The heavy spiked paw visibly cleaved through the soldier's body armor as they let out muffled screech of pain. The struggle of the soldier was fierce, but in vain as an audible shock-wave rippled the air. Debris was sent flying into the air as the bridge beneath the soldier and machine crumbled, washed over in a horrid blue light. An unnatural supernova wiped through the streets as the soldier plummeted, slicing buildings clean in half as fire scorched the alleys. The falling soldier bounced from the debris and hit the ground beneath the underpass, their camera breaking free to fall down, and down, and down- eventually landing where the sun no longer shined before the feed was cut.



Dahlia stood there, incredibly concerned and confused with a lot to say but nothing to say it with.

The Overseer's voice returned from the dark, directly behind the crew. OSC-01 themselves laid a hand on the Captains shoulder. While the Overseer had been mildly enjoying putting the crew through digital torment, the scene had even jarred her slightly. "Now don't fret, that's not where our story ends- or hers for that matter."

OSC-01 leaned back, resuming their regular posture. "But it would seem there's a situation brewing outside that needs attention- so let's speed this up."

The Overseer waved a wing, and the program resumed it's normal track, albeit farther ahead. The scene and dialogue accompanying it had been sped up exponentially, leaving the crew to listen.

"There are too few words to describe the nightmarish weaponry that the Councils had held close secret. Not even Amelia knew of what lie beneath the soil of Avisten. They could not destroy their creations, but only contain them in vain. When Avisten fell, the tortured souls were released and rampant. Our futile attempts at preserving the city were struck down in vain as a new force sought and destroyed. We could not determine if there was some malevolent thought behind them, or if these poor creations were simply driven by an instinct to escape. What took minutes felt like an eternity to all of us. The valiant stood against them, working to contain the fires of destruction and rebirth- and to finally seal them from whence they came. "

"In the end, there was somber silence. We had won, but not without sacrifices- from the personal, to the most extreme. We had lost not only our own, but out leaders, and the innocent that stood behind us as well. The event was forever known as the Schism."

"What happened to Nepheros was a tragedy.
The land had been cleaved and carved, ravines of scorched rock left in its wake. The Schism had taken not only lives, but civilizations- lost beyond our wildest comprehension. From the highest plateaus to the deepest trenches of the southern sea, not a stone was left unturned. Chunks of the rock and soils had been uprooted from the crust, left to orbit a planet with a burnt and thinned atmosphere. Those that were fortunate enough to survive the Schism were left with ash and bare soil to rebuild on. At first, we thought it was the end. We thought we had lost it all, and our comrades were to never return."


"That was, until the seventh day. We found one of our former leaders, the person who helped lead the charge seal away the Folly. But they were not like the person we once knew, grown old but certainly not feeble. Their spirit still burned in the hopes that they too could return, to us. For our mere days, they stated they had experienced decades. The person proved to us all that despite the destruction and ruins we had been left, it was not the end. They were soon to become our first leader, henceforth known as The Faceless Baron."

"In lieu of the events they had endured, and his position as the first leader, the Baron asked of us all to state their name not in public. They wished not to be known by it, nor by his appearance. Instead, they desired to be known for their deeds, and let history decide upon their fate. Under their aim, we gathered the survivors of the destruction from both sides, and set forth on a journey towards the westward wharfs shores; far away from the decrepit remains of Mount Avisten, and the metropolis it once held. Together, we sparked new life into the wastelands that lay before us. A land we titled New Incipere."


The dialogue and scenery continued to accelerate to beyond comprehensible levels. It seemed the documentary went on for quite a while, though it was clear by the devolution into still images that it was never quite finished by the creators. The images flashed by of a new figure, draped in velvet, leading the survivors to a new land. The land became cultivated, and a new civilization flourished. The last still image stuck in view for a few moments. It was of that particular figure, an elderly but clearly strong beast of a man- or woman- standing tall as they oversaw the construction of a new manor overlooking the sea. Surrounding the man was a round table of odd souls. Some of them could be recognized from the new order that overtook the Nepherian Civil War, but others were missing. And for the first time in that still frame, the crew could catch a glimpse of an ever-familiar Overseer standing at guard near the head of the table.


The program ended without much grace, like a tape running out of video to display. The crew was left in an empty void, the sound of quiet crackling filling their ears. The Overseer returned, somewhat peeved. She waved a wing, returning the missing mouths to the crew. "What a shame, just at the part where things started to turn up. The Marhearts never got to finish their work for the public debut, however."

Dahlia looked around, flooded with a lot of information and not a lot of time to process it. She had an onslaught of questions, and not enough time to reason them all out. "Who, where did, what was, you-"

OSC-01 waved a hand, immediately regretting this decision as their eyes narrowed. "There will be a time for questions later, for now it seems like your crew is on an edge."

The Overseer disappeared, spiraling into the thin air once more. The crew within the simulation started to feel a tug on their heads, as if being dragged once more into the real world.

When they surfaced, the Overseer was nowhere to be found.
 
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