Welcome to Gaia! ::

Contents:
Cleansing and Ascention Pg 1-6
Night on the Town Pg 6-11
A Rose for a Lady (of the Night) 11-16
Ashes of the Past 16
Rising from the Ashes 16-22
Falling Apart 22-

This RP is to take place in The Fields of Slaughter, exact time unknown, and farmlands outside Barton, mid 2000.

The immortal form of Tac needs answers to his past, present and future, and his mortal Avatar simply needs salvation. The taint of pure evil has penetrated the very soul of Tac and threatens to consume him. His only hope is the last vestiges of basic human decency and the link one holds with another, deep and profound. The Tainted Tac, as he will be refered to from this point on, is seeking to absorb more evil and more taint to increase his powers as gained from them, while the God-Tac, as he will be reffered to from now on, is trying to save him, having failed once before already. Enlisting the help of the only mortals he can, he has fallen to rest upon his "son" and the one person that might be able to appeal to Tainted Tac's humanity, Cora Serenis.

((then whenever you can reply to this, even fi I'm not around.))

G Tac: Cora, whatever you do, don't scream.

Tor: ********, are we here, again? This is what? My third visit?

G Tac: Shut up!

*With that the light of the area began to rise, but one would certainly wish it hadn't. Bodies lay everywhere, heaped up in mounds that seemed to reach to the sky, all broken, battered, and mutilated. Cora was laying on someone that wasn't quite dead, but they were missing large sections of their skin and chunks of their torso. It was almost as if they were damned to a life of pain as a shriek filled the area from the mutilated body Cora landed on. There were so many bodies that the ground couldn't be seen, and even if it could it was likely soaked in blood. The smell of death and rotting flesh mixed with sulfur and burning flesh to choke the air. Visible fumes could be seen rising everywhere as they seemed to worses the smell by the second. There simply was no adjusting to the smell, it pervaded the air, but also invaded the body mind and soul. The smell was almost bad enough to force the mind to think the tongue were tasting it, a rather nasty thing in of itself. A low rumble filled the area as energy seemed to begin gathering far off.*

G Tac: Come on, we need to talk to Him.

*As he looked back at them the three became as featureless wraiths, figures usually seen as omens.*

Torment rushed over to Cora, kneeling down next to her. He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder, both to calm her and grab her attention. "Cora, calm down, just calm down. You are going to see some horrible things here, and I'm sure my father's immortal form wouldn't have brought you here unless he was sure it was neccessary. You must be strong. I can clean you up a bit later, and keep you from having to touch the...landscape if you want, but for now you have to be strong." G Tac was getting impatient, calling back to them coldly, "Time is wasting."

Tor glanced towards him and shot back, "Shove it." He turned back to Cora and continued. "If things get messy,...er, dangerous, just stay behind me." With a smile Cora could feel a warm sensation wash over her from her shoulder as she seemed to float off the ground, though not more than an inch. "Come on, can't keep pops waiting." At Tor's comment G Tac turned around and glared at him, but Torment ignored it and stood up, extending his hand to Cora to help her up.

G Tac meanwhile started towards the ridge of flames danced over on the other side, rising up from the valley and the fortress nestled between the mounds of rotting flesh and bone. Rivers of bodily fluids ran like rivers as the vast field opened before G Tac, causing a pained look to flash across his visage as he remembered all he had done here, so long ago. Torture deviced packed in the field with many fiendish attendants working on their charges for the day. The wide variety of torture was staggering, not only limited to the body, but the mind and soul as well. Mind games, physical disfiguration, magical hexes, sexual molestation, it was everywhere. G Tac only hoped that his avatar wasn't capable of this any longer, another reign of terror like this in his time would definately not be accepted and would result in serious consequences, not only for his avatar, but likely coming back to him as well.

Torment led Cora forward and as the group reached the ridge, he winced and almost had the urge to throw up. The smell was getting stronger, exponentially, as they approached the valley between the mountains of the dead, or those close to it. Torment covered his nose as he glanced to Cora and led her onward. As for G Tac, he was unflinching in his resolve as he pressed onward. Neither one of them said a word, but as they approached the fortress G Tac paused and looked back, their Ghostly disguises becoming even more convincing as they became ethreal. "He is inside," and with that he pressed his hand to the wall and passed through. Torment led Cora forward to the wall as he spoke, "Just place your hand on the wall and pass through, once we're inside, try not to talk at all." At the last word he passed through into the main chamber of the small fortress.

The Tormentor sat upon his throne of bone and mutilated flesh as G Tac entered. The massive man immediately stood at the sight of the wraith, glaring at it with a supersticious eye. He stood well over 8 feet, nearly nine, with stark white hair running down his back it a tight braid that had a spike fashioned to the end, looking as if it could be used as a weapon. His robes were stark black and covered in blood, even dripping it from the hemlines and they were quite loose, but his muscled physique beneath it was unmistakable. Large bulging muscles were predominantly displayed through the robes, only further displayed as he grabbed his axe from the place where it rested against his throne. Even with his towering stature his axe seemed to be nearly as big as his, with an axehead that seemed to be as wide as his armspan. Aside from it all, the most outstanding feature was his extremely close appearance to Tacitus. Despite the horrid appearance and surrounding outside, the inside was lavishly furnished and smelled more along the lines of the aroma left behind after a large gathering dedicated to sexual relations. The Tormentor stepped forward as he spoke, "Wraith! Spectre! Omen! Why have you come to my halls?!"

G Tac was unphased by the large man as he replied, "I have come to speak with you on your nature and possibly show signs of the future..."

((damn PG-13....made it sound all retarded.))

The Tormentor seemed to twitch slightly at the mention of having to talk about himself. His voice seemed filled with anger that anyone, living or dead, had the gaul to inquire about him, "How Dare You! I am the liege of this entire domain and you think you can float in here and just ask about me?!" G Tac was still unphased, "I was going to provide a warning, but I am not sure you should receive it." The Tormentor nearly exploded in rage, "I NEED NOTHING FROM THE DEAD!"

G Tac slowly floated forward, his eyes glowing a deep green and a brilliant orange, even visible from behind him through his ethreal head. His voice chilled to the bone but he also had a certain suppressed anger as well, "You WILL answer my questions, or you WILL die." The Tormentor took a step back, almost fearing the shade of a man before him, his voice holding a slight quiver deep within, "W..What do you think you could do to me?" Several scantily clad female attnedants had gathered and were looking on and G Tac looked to one of them, tracing her future and silently asking for forgiveness as she erupted in flame and her innards began to spew forth from her mouth and blood poured from every oraface on her body, a fate much less painful than what she would have received in the coming days. G tac looked back to The Tormentor as the giant of a man spoke, "How...How did you do that?"

Tor floated forward, keeping an eye on Cora, motioning for her to stay put for the moment. He masked his voice so he would not sound like The Tormentor's first advisor, who was oddly absent, "Beware! This shade of a man holds power over life and death itself! He can do what he did to that poor lass to everyone in her, living or dead! Heed his word!" He was bluffing, only hoping The Tormentor would believe it.

The Tormentor took several steps back, resting his Axe against his throne, visibly shaking now, his voice trembling, "Spare me Spirit from beyond! I did not believe! What is it you would wish to know?" G Tac would have smiled, had he a face. He spoke in a voice that seemed much grander than his own, an authoritative nature taking him over, "Tell me! I know you have knowledge of your past life. In it you took on the evil of a Daemon Warlord and his minions to save a Gold Dragon. Now, tell me why!" The Tormentor was taken aback, "How have you such kn..." he caught himself, "Ahem, I mean, You are correct Spirit! I took the Taint to further my own power!"

G Tac stares at The Tormentor for a moment before continuing, "I think not! What were you called then?" The Tormentor took a moment to think, and hurredly answered, "I was the Faithful then, a Darastrix Friend." G Tac immediately shot back, "If you were Faithful, then would you not have taken it to protect your charge?" The Tormentor fell back into his throne, both at the blast of words and the revelation. He seemed almost lost in himself, "Why then do I live as such? I should...but...I..." He became lost for a moment, then looked back up at G Tac, eyes blazing. "WRETCHED SPIRIT! YOU ARE SENT BY MY ENEMIES! You seek to undermine my empire! I took the Taint and torment these souls, day in and day out to heighten my power and satiate the lust I hold within! I ravage these girls each day and then slaughter them and force their families to find me new virgins to do with as I please! I AM THE TORMENTOR! I Torment the souls for my own benefit and pleasure, now BEGONE!" He rushed towards G Tac, axe in hand, and with a rush of wind and the sound of the axe slicing straight through the stone floor, the axe came flying around and slammed into G Tac, sending him flying against a wall. Where he was able to maintain his own guise, the disguise of Torment and Cora fell, revealing their faces.

Tor saw his original form returning and glanced at Cora, yelling to her, "RUN!" He turned away from her and dashed at the huge man, seting a series of events into motion that never should have been. It was the original Kargin "Torment" Nusradai which started the fued between him and The Tormentor, but this future version. The Tormentor yelled at the oncoming Tor in a raging frenzy, "BETRAYER! YOU SIDE WITH THE ENEMY!"

The giant rushed forward and swung his Axe at Tor, only to have him grab it and stop the swing cold. He had forged the blade so long ago and had ensured that incase this were ever to happen, he wouldn't be harmed. Tor pulled the axe away and used it as a shield, speaking not only the The Tormentor, but himself, "This blade, forged so long ago and fashioned in the rune that bears my name. The Axe of Torment. It will not harm me and you shall not harm anyone any longer."

With a brilliant flash of light the world seemed to come crashing down around them as events culminated, leaving a giant dead on the ground, burned to a crisp by cleansing flames so intense and concentrated that even those of non-evil alignment could be harmed by them. The Torment from the time came running into the room as the Trio became invisible, Tor dashing over to help G Tac. The Torment from the time kneeled over the slain giant and smirked, beginning to drain the evil and the strength of his soul.

G Tac stirred as Tor tried to help him up, shifting them outside as great tremors started rolling through the area. G Tac's voice was weak as he glanced at Cora, "Beware...he approaches."

OOC: Nah, don't bother pretending I was with you two the whole time, here, sure. Malazar isn't exactly the head-on type, so him holding back until the real danger arrives isn't a bad idea. >>

:::At the site of Tainted Tac, Cora seemed to be released from her nightmare of helplesness. She felt her limbs loosen, and her determination return. She wanted to step forward, and begin to repremand Tainted Tac, almost like one would a child...but then she saw things begin to stir...and she noticed movement crowd around them:::

If not for the rippling landscape that begins to rise all around the valley the Tainted Tac would likely be swiss cheese, or worse. Several round reached him, shattering both his horns and piercing his left arm as he let out an earth shattering roar, that literally seemed to shatter the earth. The mounds of bodies absorbed much of the fire as three large entities made up of death and only death rose to tower around the trio and their master. The Tainted Tac seems to double over in pain for a moment before the smoke around him seemed to be drawn into him as a small explosion of energy shot out from around him. His gaze jerked up to look straight at Torment and he charged, screaming, "I am invincible!"

((yeah, cliche, I know...))

Tor darts to one side and leaps into the air as blue arcs of energy run across the exposed skin on his body and leap off into the air, some connecting with the huge beasts made of flesh and death. He placed his hands in front of him, one pointed upwards and the other down to form a cage with his fingers, seemingly grasping an unseen ball. A small ball of blue flame began to form in his hands as blue arcs of energy leaped from it and his hair burst with flame itself.

G Tac was in no posiition to be fighting at the moment and tried pushing himself along the ground closer to Cora, pulling Orcanus from its sling. As he got near to Cora he whispered as a sphere was errected around them, "Cora...ugh...stay close...don't step outside the sphere."