Wielder of Names 5-101
Chapter: 5
“The air is full of the plaintive cries of fools struggling pitifully to bend the arc of their own destruction. Thus it has always been.”
-Ryo ten Ryam, Swordmaster
Kill Six Billion Demons
BREAKER OF INFINITIES
“The air is full of the plaintive cries of fools struggling pitifully to bend the arc of their own destruction. Thus it has always been.”
-Ryo ten Ryam, Swordmaster
I see INGSVLD found his head again.
More accurately, found his body.
He will soon have lost it again…
Or *a* head, anyway. Doubt he’s happy with it, though.
It is true. The Geas Knight is much calmer than he was — we shall see how long that lasts.
I never lost it in the first place. It’s all well and good if you think my kind all look the same, but I do have to ask that you remember that I am a knight of no small skill. Quite the opposite, in fact, though I do say so myself.
Here. Now that we have finally tracked down the key, perhaps I’ll have an opportunity to show you what I mean.
It appears, Geas Knight, as though you are in possession of a Key of Kings. I know of no other outside of my brethren who possess such a halo.
Were I so fortunate as to have already had one key, I would now be in possession of two keys, as I would have had far more than enough power to easily seize it in the first encounter.
No, this is but a reward for my deeds in service to the Haberdasher’s Guild. It is rather handsome, and possesses some magics of its own, but it is a far cry from having an entire universe at its call.
Your weight in black glass says that Maiya Ten Meti kicks your ass.
–but then, how many other player characters are still alive?
You would do well not to underestimate the Geas Knight, lest you lose that which is precious to you.
What use have the dead for their bones?
Plus, he’s really just the head/book part right? How much can he weigh?
But, O Knight, how do you expect to survive when my brethren White Chain and Juggernaut Star show up? Angels have quite the reputation for interrupting parties.
What possible business could Juggernaut Star have in Mottom’s palace? Your hypothetical is about as likely as Aesma showing up in person. It’s not worth consideration.
He is truly a fortunate thing. To take pivotal part in the coming art of cutting hearts, and bullets. As it appears. Yet, such events require a commencement of record that boundless might bear witness. At least tangentially.
Thus it lies to me, you see, to ensure the dark undertaking takes hold to take the place of common place mythos, and pathology, that dear old Meti might find rest amongst the rest of dusty tombs which Ingsvld is the ilk.
TRULY! We are fortunate things to be amidst the floating citadel of a seventh hell. What glorious tales await, I cannot guess, beyond the coming sense of violence, most assuredly.
The only certainty remains, that Ingsvld’s brains will help contain the hardy contents of this night, and stand the test of antiquity.
Behold, the parade of 108 idiots has finally arrived. This should be fun.
BTW, I’m a 5’11” tall and very large adult woman who outweigs most adult men. I have no problem using 0.577″ ball and large calibre rifles because my 1853 Enfield has ladder sights calibrated out to 1,600 yards.
Thought this was gonna be an ad.for female steroids or something.
You have no idea what 0.577″ ball does to someone. It can, and will, remove a limb with one shot.
.577″ ball is one of the largest rifle rounds that exists. It, along with .50 BMG and a few other large heavy machine rounds are the only ones that do have enough firepower to stop a polar bear.
Uhh.. okay
Looks like an ammo ad. Not sure what the point is.
What a magnificent fight that is about to occur.
So much cutting and so little healing. But the Wheel is expanding after all. It is to be expected.
If Al-YIS-UN wants to break all of the 108 idiots, she can. If she wants to be elsewhere, she can do that too. There really isn’t much they can do to hurt her. Al-YIS-UN’s only problem is that she doesn’t yet realize that she is god.
As an esteemed master of the Art once said, “Ohhh, this shit’s about to get real, yo!”
This one only hopes that Maya would team up with our esteemed Alice-UN in, and I quote, “wreck[ing] these fools like a Pinto.”
The human female in the image to the left of the gun witch is pleasing to me aesthetically. Her sunken eyes, long hair that seems to curve like a blade, yet also the wings of a bird.
What a fine aesthetic, the second master would be proud.
I know. That warrior is so done with absolutely everything. A woman for whom even the tedium of killing has dissolved away.
Indeed. She does have a curious charm to her…though I fear that we should not get to attached. Ten looks like she’s ready to use her sword skills for kills…
I continually expect all hell to break loose on the next page.
Have for quite a few pages now. This work is making me impatient.
(I will say it again, however- our pair of Angels are liable to show themselves any moment.)
Things are about to get really dynamic.
She’s riding the rifle!!
“Once, an Initiate to the mysteries asked me, ‘Does the Witch ride a broom because of some symbolic connection? Are brooms inherently good for riding?’ I quickly corrected his error in thinking. For while there may or may not be inherent power in a broom, this is not why the Witch rides it.
“Unlike the Shaman whose tools are dictated by the spirits, the Yogi whose tools are their own bodies, or even our own Hermetic Arts, which are dictated by sacred geometry and perfection, the Witch is an exceedingly practical magician. She takes as her tools what she has around her, for she seeks not Enlightenment with her Arts, but simply a more comfortable life.
“For this reason, a Witch may be found riding any common object in order to take flight. A broom is iconic, but just as often a shovel may be employed, or a cauldron, or a rug (not unlike the Djinn-binders). Or, in the case of the War Witch, their own weapons serve as steeds. Spears and swords (usually sheathed, or else surfed standing up on the flat of the blade), shields and cannons. And, yes, even the modern Gun Witch is not opposed to riding a Rifle. Anything is possible, so long as their Will be done.”
-Pavlos Rightwind bani Bonisagus, excerpt from “On The Arts Of Hedge Wizards And Assorted Non-Hermetics”
a rifle with a footrest on the off-side of the stock would perhaps be of benefit for advanced manuvers
Hey-Oh!
Let the fun start!
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
I’m so excited to watch Maya kick ass. She’s so great.
But we have already seen this fight for the key. it will not be repeated no matter how cool. YISUN committed holy division rather than suffer sameness. I expect a buildup to violence followed by noodles.
I think it would be appropriate for White Chain to rejoin Alice in the middle of what is essentially the same fight that was raging when they last separated.
Well, noodles ARE pretty great.
INGSVLD! You’re back! And so stylishly dressed!
It would be unfitting to show up at Mottom’s palace dressed in rags, after all. A true knight dresses for the occasion.
He is, at that. Truly, there is much worth in the Art of Wearing Clothing-… Maybe I should try it some time.
And so comes the guns, the blades, the witches and angels, beings of flesh, fire and other things that live the life of swords and bullets. One day they will learn that those that live by such things die by them as well.
But as the wisest of us like to say, there are worse things than death.
Sadly power like this does not blend when forced together into a small crucible. Those hoping to concentrate it will find that most of it violently evaporates and what is left is purer, but not stronger.
With respect, you have been without true royalty for too long a time to remember it’s power as a catalyst. The will of a king may unite even these disparate reagents into a wild and wonderful compound with synergistic potential. Or it could explode. Ether way, no crucible forged of man will contain the results.
Oh hey, look, it’s that INGSVLD guy!
He’s so dashing~
In time when formal law is overwritten, it seems
whomever is most ready to enter into violence, becomes the best attended.
I have a history of refusing to comply, in any case.
Furthermore:
Behringer’s Barnes, I am reminded of. With Karambit and humanity.
Bravo, dear Abbadon.
Behold, a witch flying a boomstick.
The great slayet of the undead Ash Williams would be proud of her choice of weapon.
Actually, that’s a rifle, which make for poor broomsticks.
Of course, it is really a matter of perspective
I wish I had paid closer attention to the spelling there. That pun deserves an upvote and a hefty dose of shame.
^Upvote XD
So that’s where the Rifle Of The Last Dark Pearwood ended up,curious and obvious, gunwitches are the only faction with weaponry that aren’t under total fist of the Tyrant
Oh boy, party mode engaged.
There is an esteemed slayer of demons who would confirm, “This party’s getting crazy.”
“Oh boy a crazy battle with all these… hey did you hear something that sounded like two ancient war machines wreaking havo-“
Mortal kombat!!!
Dun dun ta dun tadun dundundun!
I believe this is what we commonly call “a pan-dimensional showdown.”
Plug in the Kill Bill and prepare for enlightenment through ass-kicking, amigos.
I’m surprised as how surprised the guardsman is. Surely the guards on the floating palace of the previously-immortal sorcerer-queen have at least heard of bullets being deflected before?
(Also I like how Layla’s broom is in fact a rifle)
I suspect that those bullets may not be completely standard. If I were arming palace guards in a world where people like Ms. Murder the Gods exist, I would try to give them magic bullets that defeat many of the usual tricks to avoid bullets, so that they could shoot down cocky fools. However, Ms. Murder the Gods is probably in a significantly higher weight class than the usual fool, considering her epithet.
I also love Layla’s vehicle/weapon/who knows what all a gun witch can do with a gun.
Speaking of things a gun witch can do with a gun, I think Layla has mistletoe strapped to the butt of her rifle. That’s a little ominous, and it fills me with gleeful anticipation. Also, we haven’t heard from Cio in a while…
I thought it holly. Is there an arcanobotinist in the house?
Based on the leaf shape and the hue of the berries I’d say holly, provided Layla is using Earthly flora at all that is.
My man INGSVLD looking dapper and ready to beat in some skulls.
Can I just say, that it’s my favorite element of any story when the hero is thrown deeper and deeper into trouble and it’s only getting worse?
(It’s the best)