"Whoo--" it called out in a low groan. "Whoo--" "Whoo--" "Whoo--" multiple voices responded. "Roar--" it shouted. "Roar--" "Roar--" "Roar--" multiple voices returned its cry. It understood there were countless like it here. But where was "here"? It recalled its creation… an amalgamation of ash, rock fragments, corroded weapons, rotten corpses, and a peculiar dim flame. It remembered appearing in those ruins from the dim flame. It wondered what it was. A piece of junk? A monster? A human…? No, not a human, it thought. Humans were what attacked it and called it the Primeval Golem. Certainly it was a monster from the Simmering Ruins. The Primeval Golem looked around, observing other creatures in the ruins wandering aimlessly. No humans were in sight, for it had scared them away. It was unhurt from the attack, safe from a little cut. The sensation of pain coming from the little cut frightened it, just like everything - including its own existence - did. As it curled itself into a ball, tentacles stretched out over it. Tentacles?! Why did its body grow tentacles? It curled up even more tightly, consumed with fear. |
2 |
x 4 |
The place and the power it possessed excited Merksha greatly. She watched as the Simmering Ruins produced a powerful monster after consuming a sea god's severed tentacle, pieces of internal organs, and some miscellaneous junk. It was testament to the power of the ruins. Merksha was convinced after she witnessed its creation of the Primeval Golem. Countless other creatures, created by the same process, shambled across the ruins. Some fast-moving figures seemed to be guiding the horde somewhere. There were more secrets to be discovered. How interesting, she thought. And she loved secrets. Merksha grinned in anticipation. Little did she know her excitement would soon be replaced by boundless darkness and silence... |
4 |
x 5 |
Hex Painter unfurls her scroll and starts drawing with her ink brush, her expression serious. She draws a picture of herself, accurately depicting her terrible complexion and eyes encircled by dark eyeliner. She finishes by curving the ends of her eyes upward. She loves her femme fatale look, believing it befits her status as a general of the Annihilators. However, she has no love at all for the Simmering Ruins. The air is pungent, it's crawling with grotesque monsters, and there's always something wet and sticky around. She frowns discontentedly. "This place is the worst. Why did I have to be assigned here...?" The legion's plan to invade Narcia hasn't gone smoothly. They did not expect the lords of Narcia to band together and form a consolidated defense. Which led to her getting sent to this horrid place... Unlike her, many within the Annihilators enjoy the Simmering Ruins. A flaming rock sits at the center, absorbing everything around it to create almost unlimited forms of monsters. Hex Painter's mission is to draft these monsters into the Annihilator army. Hex Painter completely hates her task. In fact, she has no love for the Annihilators either. The terror and destruction they caused have left her exhausted and filled her with self-hate. She thinks to herself, maybe she can turn the situation around. Perhaps she herself or even the Destined Alliance can use these creatures instead. She watches the monsters as they are created from the flaming rock and draws each of them on her scroll. With a plan in her mind, Hex Painter's boredom is replaced by excitement. |
6 |
x 3 |