8/28 Chaos Mountain Rune Sesh- Full Accursed Dev

[19:15] Ardith starts unloading things from her bag o' tricks- patent pending- setting them up onto the table like a chef might set their mise en place. The only difference here is the Accursed is cooking up trouble and not a five star meal.

"So. You're a doctor. That'll actually be good. Here I thought I was just gonna have to cross my fingers, bite down on a block of wood, and hope for the best."

It sounds like she's joking. She is not joking.

"Never finished my training myself, but I managed to learn a bit here and there. Go figure, healing people with occultic magic is hard, right?"

The Accursed makes her polite, witty banter as she sets up her station on the desk. Phials of liquid, of varying shades, what looks like a jar of thicky, tarry ooze, and a set of stones etched with runes.

All of it oozes power.

"Not to alarm ya'll, but if this goes wrong? It'sgonna go wrong fast and hard. Okay?"
(Ardith)
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[19:17] Ardith says, "But y'know...some folks like it fast and hard."
[19:17] Ardith pauses, then curses as she lets another terrible, dirty joke slip.
(Ardith)
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[19:18] Garrick would pace contently with idle clanks of his black sabatons into the towering outpost of chaos mountain with an idle clack of his teeth, watching Ardith clop away were her horse shoed hooves towards one of the myriad deks upon the first floor as he took a long, pensive drag from his raggedy cigarette. Crossing his cracked, emerald scaled arms over the black, layered plate of his cuirass, the drakan would lean back against the nearby pile of wooden crates as his molten glance trailed about the room.

As the accursed spoke and made her warning, the smith would nod with a two clawed salute as he took another steady drag.

"Wouldn't be mad science without a bit of danger, now would it? We've got your back Ardi, you've got this. And I don't just say that cause sweet Mistletoe is far more in goring range than I am at the moment."
(Garrick)
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[19:19] Ardith says, "I'd laugh, and I prolly will, but that might actually be a problem."
[19:19] Ardith says, "Just so you're aware."
[19:19] Garrick says, "Very much so."
[19:19] Garrick asks, "Wouldn't be fun without a bit of risk?"
[19:20] Garrick says, "If we need to hold you back, we will. Don't worry about us, focus on kicking research ass."
[19:20] . . .
".. This wouldn't be the first time--
I find myself in such a situation ..
Aside from watching a Cosmic Magi link a Star--
Or even perhaps dealing with creatures of the Void ..
.. I'd say this is a Sunday-Stroll .."

He genuinely hoped there was a sense of sarcasm with that joke ..

Mistletoe readies himself, observing carefully. His mind boggled with what the woman was attempting to do, her Accursed form, and ever so faintly sensing the energies from the Jar.

Leaning against the wall, he lets out a quiet breath.
. . .
".. Very well then--
Preform."
(Mistletoe)
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[19:21] Ardith says, "Great. Try not to murder me? I like living."
[19:21] Ardith says, "Y'know. If shit does go south."
[19:21] Mistletoe says, ".. I'll be sure to bring you back-- I suppose .."
[19:21] Garrick says, "..."
[19:21] Ardith says, "...Not as a corpse."
[19:21] Ardith says, "Not. As a corpse."
[19:22] Ardith squints at Mistletoe. He gives off those vibes.
(Ardith)
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[19:22] Garrick says, "No necromancing her. She's gonna be fine."
[19:22] Mistletoe asks, "Easy. Let's just survive this first, yes?"
[19:22] Garrick says, "Waste of all this muscle if I couldn't restrain you without murder Ardi. Don't worry about it."
[19:22] Mistletoe says, "I see her as a friend this day, not a test subject."
[19:23] Ardith says, "Keep up that attitude, I think we can be fast friends you and me, 'Toe."
[19:23] Ardith says, "...Toejam? "
[19:23] Garrick says, "Toejam....that's precious."
[19:24] Garrick says, "TJ the necromancing clown."
[19:24] Mistletoe took a deep sigh.
(Mistletoe)
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[19:25] Every little thing she lines up on the desk has a power all its own; yet surprisingly the most potent, the most overwhelming, is the little phial of dark, dark blood. There's preparation needed first. This isn't some slipshod work she's doing. It's advancement. It's art.

It's evolution.

"If you got any questions while I get ready, feel free to ask. Always nice to meet a fellow scholar, y'know?"

She spreads out a large sketch onto the table, marked with a rough outline of an arm, details for symbols, and little scrawled notations that are difficult to make out at a distance. Thankfully they're in her very own chicken scratch.

There's danger ahead, but she's unconcerned. Outwardly, anyway.


(Ardith)
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[19:30] Garrick would whistle a jolly tune as he dragged away steadily at his cigarette, puffing rings of smoke towards the roof of the outpost's first floor with a contented clack of his teeth as his molten eyes flicked between the doctor on scene and Ardith in all her mad scientific glory. It was an amusing display, the drake could not deny, and a rare occasion where the smith had trouble gauging who was the more malevolent in the situation.

Rare to see a novice necromancer shown up, but then, Ardith was a rarity.

Glancing over with ambient curiosity at the sketching he could vaguely perceive from his leaning spot, the fire drake would hum to himself pensively as he thought back to a similar circumstance long ago. With a dark relic, some telepathy, and a whole bunch of bitey shenanigans. She really had come far, hadn't she.

The fruits of labor.

"So, this the outcome of trial and error using Vedran as a guinea pig? Gotta say, gave me the best laugh I'd had in years seeing him squirm a bit. Age cheating tan leech goon."
(Garrick)
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[19:32] Watching at the odd collection of miscellaneous objects arrive upon the tapestry, his gaze would find itself so curiously scanning the products ..

With the odd examination of the sketch, his first thoughts would be that of Sors-- Bringing to mind his arm filled with corruption. It wasn't as there were any notable symbols to demonstrate the use or procedure required here-- Not that they'd be legible, of course, but still, an outward inquiry would seek to prod ever so for clarification.

Mistletoe folds his arms, resting upon the wall ..
. . .
".. What is it that you plan to achieve here?
This process, this sketch--
You've been planning this for some time, I presume ..
.. And, tested, no doubt--
. . .
.. Hopefully."


A concerned study would take sight of the strange collection of materials for this experiment ..

. . .
".. Preferably--
Do not end up Dead.
.. I wish to not practice The Art--
.. On those who are to be considered 'Allies' .."

A forewarning all the same, with a respectful attitude presented.


(Mistletoe)
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[19:39] "It's been tested sorta'. And Vedran volunteered for that one. Originally I was just laying out the placement of runes, since he's close to my height and limb length. There'll be some margin of error there though," she explains.

She tugs off the glove on her left-hand, revealing a ring etched with eldritch runes and set with a scintillating gemstone.

"I'm planning to further my evolution. Plain and simple. I can draw power from this to make it happen, on top of metabolizing occultic energies like demons do."

Her other comparatively minor changes had been proof of that.

"So long as it's got the power and energy and a means to be guided? The possibilities for mutations are...well. Staggering," the Acccursed states with a wicked smile.

Ardith seats herself, takes one of the jars of mundane ink, and begins drawing on her own flesh. Around the ring, the back of her hand, each finger,and halfway up her forearm. The foundation has to be laid before anything is built or set in stone. Or, in this case, her body.

"I ain't think I'll end up dead. Worst case? It'll be more than I can quickly metabolize. 'Least that's the guess."
(Ardith)
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[19:39] Ardith says, "Thankfully I'm not doing all the runes at once. If I divvy it up into three sessions...I run less risk of overflow."
[19:40] Garrick says, "...Good. Precautions never hurt."
[19:40] Garrick says, "Even with mad science."
[19:40] Garrick says, "You ain't gonna die."
[19:41] Mistletoe says, "I guess that's one thing you have in common with the other Accursed-- "
[19:41] Mistletoe says, "You both have your own methods of achieving that evolution .."
[19:41] Ardith asks, "...What's that?"
[19:41] Ardith says, "Hff. Nah."
[19:41] Ardith says, "We ain't the same."
[19:41] Ardith says, "I'm furthering mine. He's...I ain't know what the fuck he's doing."
[19:41] Ardith says, "And I ain't care."
[19:42] Mistletoe begins putting on surgical gloves, and tying around a mask ..
(Mistletoe)
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[19:42] Garrick says, "He doesn't matter. You not fucking up these tattoos does."
[19:42] Mistletoe says, ".. Something concerning Angels-- Last I heard."
[19:42] Ardith says, "He's a watchdog for a cave. And before that, he sat on his ass in Dawn's square and ignored me."
[19:42] Ardith says, "Fuck him."
[19:42] Mistletoe says, ".. A fair statement."
[19:45] Mistletoe says, "Keep back-- It's an experiment."
[19:46] Famfrit says, "Yasu! I've been waiting for you~~~~~~"
[19:46] Yasuyoshi says, "Heyyyo."
[19:46] Yasuyoshi says, "Famfrit - question."
[19:46] Garrick would sigh lightly as he took an idle step to the right around the crates, leaning back against the stack that was parallel to Ardith's runic work as he dragged away progressively upon his half ash cigarette. The fire drakan would cross his arms once more over his chest, molten eyes watching the inking process with care and attentiveness with preparation to act if Ardith's worse expectations came to fruition.

He was certainly closer to goring range, but such was the costs of mad science he supposed.

The drake would remove his own leather bound tome from the deep pockets of his navy cotton coat before dipping a claw in a nearby vial of far more common ink set upon the crate, sketching the scene idly to kill the time as he awaited whatever came next. No matter how bad it got.
(Garrick)
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[19:46] Yasuyoshi asks, "You said Adonis was up here - what happened?"
[19:46] Famfrit says, "Slade and I beat him up and threw him off."
[19:47] Yasuyoshi asks, "...he's still alive?"
[19:47] Famfrit says, "Sadly."
[19:47] Yasuyoshi says, "...hm."
[19:47] Yasuyoshi says, "I need to get stronger, to beat him, I still have memories."
[19:48] Yasuyoshi says, "--but I need to be able to control my emotions, to...move past things."
[19:49] Famfrit says, "They're a bit busy. Come on, we'll talk about it."
[19:54] Ardith takes one of the three runstones and sets it onto the back of her hand, in the center of a drawn circle. She pulls forward the phial of dark, viscous liquid. The closer it gets to her ring hand the more it bubbles like a potent acid.

No, no she wasn't kidding about the block of wood either. It's there and one of the few mundane possessions currently in her arsenal, aside from one of her brushes which she picks up to dip into the boiling substance. She sets the block between her teeth and bites down.

The lines of mundane pigment act as a guide she follows over it with the fresh ink- but it's not ink. Ink doesn't burn into flesh like that normally. Nor does it encourage these kinds of transformations as the circuit of runes is closed, sealed in the blood of an Archon.

A howl of pain is deafened by her jaws clenched; when the circuit of runes is complete her skin begins to boil just as the ink had, liquifying and twisting. Beneath the shrieks of agony her bones snap and splinter.

Her hand enlarges, her fingers extend, and her nails grow out into nightmarish hooked claws. Flesh swells and almost subsumes the ring entirely in its mass. Only the gemstone and the faintest hint of a band of metal remain visible.

All the while her aura goes absolutely haywire. Ardith's heartrate spikes and, when not crying out in pain, she hyperventilates and watches her own body warp and twist.
(Ardith)
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[20:00] Garrick would force himself to watch the display with a steady gritting of his jagged teeth, consternation spreading across his visage as he watched the accursed begin to quite literally bubble and boil from the fell ink, the potent mutagen acting before the smith's very eyes in what was very clear to him to not be a pleasant sensation for Ardith. The fire drake would grimace, worry flecking steadily over his expression as he watched Ardith's flesh convulse, her claws shift, her body shift from the potency of the runic lines.

It didn't feel good watching her in pain.

The drakan would slap himself in the face, banishing his fogged thoughts as he stood at ready for whatever might come of the process. Ardith was the strongest willed person he knew, she was going to make it through this pain and evolve just like he said. To worry was to not believe in her, and Garrick wouldn't shame her efforts or research by giving anything less than his full support.

"You've got this Ardi. Tough it out. Evolve. The top of the mountain's waiting for you. Keep climbing."

The smith would shiver lightly as he watched the accursed hyperventilate, her body continuing to shift and warp at the mutagen's beck and call. Yet, he'd keep his arms crossed, his back firm, and as much positivity as he could must present upon his face.

She would not fail.
(Garrick)
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[20:02] The Doctor rushes over quickly-- Still maintaining some distance. The unpredictability of it all-- His mind tried to capture the confusion as the Accursed woman howled in pain.

With the joining of runes combined, her physical body would come under stress. An intense enlargement of her arm, followed by the deafening noises of bones shattering.

Hearing the shrieks combined with the swelling, Mistletoe quickly approaches Ardith.

It is mostly an over-sight on his part--
That they did not include a 'Safe-word'..

. . .
".. Accursed-- Answer,
What is your suggestion? ..
.. To continue or to cease? ..
What is your call on this? .."


Mistletoe quickly dabs two fingers into a vial of lax essence, prepared to intervene if requested ..

The flash of Occultic aura blasting the room left an element of Dread lingering ..

.. Still, it was plenty admirable to see the lengths one would go for their 'Evolution'.
(Mistletoe)
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[20:11] Ursha says, "Hey, Eretria."
[20:11] Erétria Fengari says, "Hello."
[20:12] There's no growth without pain, no progress without risk, and no omelets without broken eggs.

While in spirit Garrick's pep talk is great, it does nothing to keep her from agony. When the doctor approaches she flings up her non-convulsing hand palm out to keep him at bay. It hurts, no mistaking that from the way she shrieks and her teeth dig into the little block of wood, but it's part of it. That much she expected.

Really, she should've picked a safe word. Or a high sign. Or something.

The initial outburst of occult subsides. Her pupils are little pinpoints, her pulse still elevated and the edges of her vision blurry, but apart from the transmogrified hand?...

She appears relatively unharmed, if only addled.

Ardith tries to speak, to confirm to her latest partners in crime that she's well. But-

The block of wood is firmly stuck to her razor sharp teeth.

Oops?
(Ardith)
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[20:12] Ursha asks, "How's the betting life treating you?"
[20:12] Erétria Fengari says, "Well enough I suppose."
[20:15] Erétria Fengari says, "Still waiting on that bet with Lord Ultovex. I feel-"
[20:15] Erétria Fengari says, "Anxious, to some degree."
[20:15] Ursha says, "I mean."
[20:15] Ursha says, "You bet somethung huge."
[20:15] Ursha says, "YOu should feel that way."
[20:16] Erétria Fengari says, "."
[20:16] Erétria Fengari says, "Ahah.."
[20:17] Erétria Fengari says, "Pretty literally -huge- in my case. Heh."
[20:17] Ursha says, "Yeah, who knows what he'll ask you to do."
[20:19] Garrick would lean forward from the crate as he watched Ardith acclimate to the mutagens with a careful flick of his molten eyes between the doctor on hand and the accursed, cigarette ashed upon the boxes as he stepped forward to gauge with certainty that she wasn't going to suddenly explode of condensed occultic energy. Clacking his teeth idly together with the slightest bits of worry, a sense of relief would fall over his expression as he saw that, for now at least, the worst had passed.

Pacing closer now that it seemed there wasn't going to be any more surprises for the evening of mad science, the fire drake would approach Ardith before glancing at her state of wood lodged teeth with a raised eyebrow, the slightest bit of a smirk trailing from his own jagged teeth even if the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll spare you the racy joke about wood and mouths for today, really more your department. Let's....do some vague dentistry."

The smith would ignite his molten claws before attempting to do his best to carve Ardith's jagged teeth free of the tongue biting preventative lumber with an engineer's delicacy, not the slightest bit of judgement in his expression
(Garrick)
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[20:20] Erétria Fengari says, "Mn.."
[20:21] Erétria Fengari says, "Presumably he'll treat me like a pet. That's what was bet for."
[20:21] Ursha says, "Oh my."
[20:21] A cautious movement paces around Ardith in a wide radius ..

Peering eyes would try to study-- assessing the Accursed's health. For the moment, she's breathing, but with the myriad of injuries commonplace in Agartha, both physical and a mental, that didn't account for much.

But even still, ever present-- the injuries seemed to have been kept to a minimum ..

Eyes would drop, gazing upon her arm, then to the Accursed, truly, she was dabbling in that of a 'mutation' ..

A small speech is accompanied, as he starts readily gathering his toolkit ..
. . .
".. How is it, Accursed?
Do you feel any ..
.. 'Different' ..?
.. Also--
Dental work is not my specialty.
. . .
.. Though, I am available for ..
Theraputical needs .."


Mistletoe cautiously approaches ..
(Mistletoe)
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[20:22] Ursha says, "You really have no standards to betting."
[20:22] Erétria Fengari says, "I have standards."
[20:22] Erétria Fengari says, "They're just low."
[20:22] Ursha asks, "Wanna do something fun with me sometime in the future?"
[20:23] Erétria Fengari asks, "What might that be?"
[20:24] Ursha says, "Keep an open mind."
[20:24] Ursha whispers something.
[20:25] Erétria Fengari whispers something.
[20:27] Ardith, for all intents and purposes, still looks like she's cracked out on whatever occultic magics she's just infused herself with it. She twitches, as do her freshly clawed fingertips, and her movements are jerky at best, spastic at worst.

Thankfully at this tender time she's spared judgement, and also spared splinters in her gums. Phew. The Accursed nods her thanks to them both and works her jaw.

"I feel...fuckin' great. Weird and a lil' like my heart's gonna pop...but great."

She did infuse herself with a healthy dose of dark mana after all. Her mutated circuits are having a field day with it. So far the changes on the surface are minor. The runestone she'd placed on her hand and the ring have both begun to grow into her skin.

"...This'll be a lil' awkward to hide, but I think I can work with it. I got lucky. I actually didn't expect it to work that well. Like. At all."
(Ardith)