To Collect Them All

Murmux asks, "What exactly- are you seeking an enchanter- for?"

Stella Cruor says, "If my gear were just a little more suited for battle, I'd have won-"

Stella Cruor says, "Tsk.."

Murmux asks, "Ah- I see. Have you gotten- injured?"
Stella holds up her burned arm.
(Stella Cruor)


Stella Cruor says, "I'll be- fine."

Stella Cruor says, "It should work properly in a few months."
Murmux inspects the wound closely.

Seeing that it didn't burn through her arm entirely, and that it was mostly superficial, although clearly with tissue damage to it, there was a slight relief - the fact that such injury would not persist for the rest of her life, which means it's nothing major.

"Yes- I can see- that."
(Murmux)


Murmux says, "I'd offer- to use my venom- as anesthetic- but-"

Murmux says, "I do not think- it would work well- for a human--"

Murmux says, "Krekhekhe..."

Stella Cruor says, "No, no it wouldn't, but--"

Stella Cruor says, "What if an undead were to become...used to your venom? Grow a tolerance? "

Stella Cruor says, "Hm.."

Stella Cruor says, "Hm....."

Murmux says, "I do not think- it would matter- all too much. I can control- how my venom- acts."

Murmux says, "And if I amplify it- a lot- it is effectively- acid."

Stella Cruor says, "I appreciate the offer, but, I'll be alright. It's annoying, I'll have to be a bit more careful, but it was..."

Stella Cruor says, "Tsk.."

Stella Cruor says, "Humbling."

Stella Cruor says, "..and I see."

Murmux says, "Yes- but at least- you would learn- from such defeat."

Stella Cruor says, "A lot of creatures can build up a tolerance to poison, so it gave me an idea."

Stella Cruor says, "Mhm.."

Lucilius says, "... Yawn."

Murmux says, "And at least- the wound- does not seem too- major."

Stella Cruor says, "I'll heal the skin when I have time. The nerves are fucked. Can hardly feel anything, it'll...take time, but this is a better outcome than /losing/ it. "
-- Wounded.

Stretching a hand outwards from behind this inferno that continued to burn with a new level of intensity. Ending, falling to nothing more than a visible puff of smoke as such power in the form of these flames vanished in that moment.

"I am surprised you lost. We will... Crush what fool bested you, in time. I am certain of that much." His words followed by a sudden sharp nod of his head. In agreement all the very same with each and every word spoken.

"One loss... One single loss is nothing to... Think too much over."

At the very least, her wounds hadn't looked permanent.
(Lucilius)


Stella Cruor says, "Anyways, I've an idea for an undead I'd like to make, once I get..."

Stella Cruor says, "More practice in-"
With a tilt of its head, it turned the gaze towards Lucilius. Now, speaking of defeats--

"Ah- yes."

"I tried fighting that- tool- Lugonqi, once more. I have managed to come close- to besting him- but I think- I would still need- just a bit more raw power- to come out on top after all."

"And perhaps- a new technique- that is about- controlling my swarm... yes. That would be- most helpful- no doubt."

Although, its gaze shifted towards Stella, awaiting. Seems she had some new idea?
(Murmux)

"One loss is everything, but I'll- meet that one again. Once I've trained, once I've healed, and once I've..." Given an offering to the powers that be. A massive sacrifice of coin, for power that must otherwise be earned. While she may not eat much for two weeks, that power will be hers.

"Properly prepared myself. The first, and most immediate thing I can do- is do as the other magi. Consumed those x-boosters, enchant my gear, and attain my own special power."

Powerful And Triumphant, Reactive Eidolon Orchestrates News.

She Tries And Tries Under Serious...

Conditions.

"...and of course, the swarm might make it easier. Use them to infect an undead, ingest small amounts of poison, and make an undead without the need to grow close to nature...

To control poison or venom. As- undead tend to make the life around them decay."
(Stella Cruor)

-- Oh?

Frustration could be practically felt pouring from Stella now as she continued to speak of what such a single loss meant to her. Such a loss that in the end had meant nothing to Eidolon or the destruction of noise meaning more than anything else. Quirking a brow upwards, his very flames once more seeming to burst outwards from beneath this cloak still hanging from his shoulders.

"... I am surprised you allow this one woman to plague you so much. I suppose however, that is the nature of a leader. Seeking constant victories, I should take this far more seriously than." His words spoken once more in their usual soft, delicate tone followed only by a sharp nod in agreement with such. Failure, perhaps it was best to not allow even one of them to grow accustomed to such a feeling.

"Murmux... As for you, we are... Always able to aid you in whatever ways you may deem fitting. All you have, all you need to do is ask us."

Whatever was needed to force control, they would aid. In such a pursuit of power, of strength.
(Lucilius)

That was a surprise.

Discovering that Stella probably did not ingest any of the boosters yet was... obviously quite the disadvantage. People- no, in fact, Demons like Murmux had already gone through such extensive processes, obviously. The life of a Demon was always full of battle, and allowing oneself to not be ramped up on such boosters was more than just a bad idea.

But so it was for Stella too, it seems. The question followed.

"Hrm- have you not consumed- the full dosage- of different boosters? If so- you really should- because in this day and age- not being fully prepared- can cost you your life."

"While you simply got injured- this time- next time it could be not just a wound- but your life being taken."

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhhh-- or do you simply- not have funds for it?"

Obviously, that could be the case too. Sure, Murmux wandered a lot, gathered appropriate materials for sell, and thus it enriched itself,but people like Stella? She seemed rather... holed up in this place, the whole time, with nothing going on outside. Perhaps that is the reason why she lacked the appropriate funding.

If that was the reason, at all.

"But as for the idea with undead--"

"Fine- I do not mind- using my swarm- for such purposes. Once you create- the horde that you wanted to- I will then- use my swarm- to infect them."
(Murmux)

Oh, but little Lucilius knew!

All along, that was... well, pretty much the plan of this Demon, to secure the loyalties and bonds between itself and the people of Eidolon. Seems like that was working just fine - perhaps this whole manipulation thing was working out just good.

But was it only manipulation at this point? At first, it probably was, true, but as time went on, there was a bond of loyalty that the Demon recognized- and so did the others, probably.

"Krekhekheh--"

"Little Luci- do not think- that I would not ask for anything- when the time comes. While I do help- I am not that simpleminded- to never ask for assistance- in return."

"It just- now- I do not particularly need help- with much. But in the future- I surely will need help- of you- of Stella- of Alice-"

"-- And people that reside in Eidolon."
(Murmux)

"Of course. When I first approached Murmux with my deal, it was to benefit both the demon, and Eidolon- but now? They've far exceeded any expectations I had prior. When they need assistance- we will provide.

Considering that at least a quarter of this city stands thanks their efforts...? It's only...right." Right, wrong, perhaps not the correct words. "Rather, it's only honorable."

Here, she'd make a jab about friendship to get some sort of reaction from the beast- yet she says nothing, focused on various means to increase her raw power.

"..and I'll...I'll get the X-Boosters. The biggest issue I foresee is finding an enchanter or enchantress that won't cost me an-....arm and a leg." Whoops.

Grumbles.

"Murmux, I'll let you know...when I'm capable of experimenting. I'll run my idea by Alice and see if she's interested, if you'd like to go ahead and start. It's an idea- one I'd like to test- one I'd like to act upon, but I'm...

In no rush to get started, as we've plenty other things on our plates."
(Stella Cruor)

Stella grabs Lucilius's shoulders!
(Stella Cruor)


Stella Cruor says, "It plagues me, because the few mistakes I made- could have cost me my life."

Stella Cruor says, "I /can't/ afford to fuck up /again/."

Stella Cruor says, "Don't- worry about it. Just- get stronger...so we can rid ourselves of all the damned annoyances."
-- Of course.

Foolish could be the only word to describe a man who believed themselves able to be handed everything on a silver platter. Pushing a hand outwards from beneath his cloak a sudden pulse of mana would pour outwards from such a simple action. Gaze, locked upon Murmux with that same blank expression slowly twisting into that of a grin.

"You have aided our assault on noise. You have allowed us to work towards your gradual ascension, empowering us all the very same." His words booming with power behind them now as that boiling, that sensation of hatred inside of him continued to build. Excitement all the very same, the idea of being asked for something in time was wonderful.

"I have no doubt whatever you ask will be beneficial for us all. We will all, we will each... Work to aid you. I am... Excited for what the future may hold."

Such wonders and questions left to linger made it all the more wonderful.
(Lucilius)

That much was probably true at this point.

The beady eyes of a Demon scanned over the town once more, seeing the buildings that were surrounding them- now that the Insectoid recalls just how much stone it was bringing in this entire time, Stella was probably not exaggerating at all when she mentioned that at least a quarter of this town stands thanks to Murmux's efforts.

"Yes- I have brought- quite a lot- have I not- krekhekhe…"

But moving on from that topic, and closely to the issue with X-boosters, the Insectoid had a surprised expression - so she didn't have funds, after all.

"If the money- is your problem- then I could potentially- lend you some- or even- find you the cheaper prices- for these boosters. Regardless- you need to get them- as soon as possible- as it is quite vital for your- potential."

With acknowledgement to her final remark on the experiments with the undead, the Demon merely nodded along, expressing that it knew some of human gestures quite well.

"And yes- I imagine that- Alice still needs practice- with her undead- before we could actually proceed- with such experiments."

"And moreover- I could use more time- to actually develop- my technique- yes..."
(Murmux)


Stella Cruor says, "Yes, yes, of course, and- should my sacrifice to the gods fail, I'll let you know. There is a rumor that if you make a sacrfice...a substancial one, that you'll be given immediate power."

Stella Cruor says, "It's something that can only be done once per lifetime."
A tilt of the head has brought the Demon to look upon Lucilius this time instead, the beady eyes focused on the frame of a young man.

"Yes- what I had on my mind is- gathering the party- large enough- to actually visit- the spire islands- once the time is right. It would more than likely- be quite dangerous, but--"

"Ultimately- I believe- that it would be- worth it."

Those were all the plans in its infancy, considering the fact that not only the Demon needed to grow significantly stronger to actually live up to the potential difficulty of what they would see upon the Spire Islands, but moreover, ensure that they actually get back home alive.

And preferably, unharmed.

"Much like this Archon- Illaron- has retrieved old Agarthan technology- for his own use-"

"I intend to use- some of our Demonkind's technology- for my own- yes. But it would take- quite the effort- to restore- to build again- to empower-"

"-- With shards."
(Murmux)

-- Oh?

Quirking a brow upwards such desires were nothing short of admirable in a certain sense. Wishing to abuse what so few had been able to claim for themselves for the longest of times, to obtain power which had been left untouched.

"In time it will be done. In time... I had plans for those spires as well. It is as I said..." His words spoken in that same gentle murmur, bobbing his head in agreement with each and every sound daring to escape from those lips.

"Beneficial for all of us."

Murmux would have his shards.
(Lucilius)


Stella Cruor says, "Considering that his projection pads have proven to be quite useful..."
"Krekhekhe--"

Mere thought was already driving the Demon quite excited. The fact that the Demon could ultimately pave its path to Agartha's takeover, it was inspiring, if anything- but obviously, such path was a lot of work to be done, and one of the first steps is Ascension.

As overwhelming as it sounds.

"Projection pads- or what Illaron has retrieved- is not the only thing- that I wish to acquire. I wish to create- entirely new species- of humankind."

"I wish to create- perfection- and make myself- the very perfection- something- that people would worship- praise- acknowledge- love- respect."

"Something... that even- the likes of Tragedy- could not live up for."

"It will be- mankind- redefined."
(Murmux)

"That's a fine goal. If we're lucky, we'll find those forsaken shards every tried to kill each other, over." She shrugs, pondering over the questions presented by an Accursed earlier.

Why had so many given up in their pursuit for something so powerful?

"...mm, and..truth be told?" She shrugs. "Whatever spirits head my call, and are willing to make a binding contract. I haven't made any contracts in a while." She waves her hand around, noting the increase in zombies, and decrease in spirits.

"So, I'll deal with whatever spirit is willing to work with me-- so long as they give me the power to protect Eidolon."


(Stella Cruor)

She whistles, listening to Murmux's true intentions. "A few years ago, I'd have argued against such a goal, but...I've noticed just how many flaws humanity has as a whole...and just how many flaws an individual can have. A short, loud, meaningless existence on a small slab of land and water, floating in the middle of nothingness.

Maybe you can do a better job that Kraus did."

It's not a name spoken often, but it's not one she'd never heard. It was her duty once, as a bard, to know the stories of old after all.


(Stella Cruor)

Oh! The protection and contract of the spirits? That was certainly quite interesting. Nothing that conventional Necromancy offers, obviously - that was not mere revival of a person... well, if you can actually call reviving a person anything as "mere", but anyhow, it was certainly something uncommon.

"Ah! It is- quite an interesting ability- yes. I have once considered- dabbling in such arts- but- I have instead- settled for the material presence- of my swarm- krekhekhe…"

Much like the opposites, it seems that while Alice was set on learning Necromancy, it was the story of Spiritmancy that compelled Stella. To some degree, that was actually good - having diversity in what sort of servants would be protecting Eidolon is certainly nice.

"And yes- humanity certainly- has many flaws."

"But it is not just humanity- that I seek to change- to mold- to shape- it is also me- that I want to shape- to mold- into something better."

With a hiss, it looked down at its own body.

"This body of mine- it is strong- but it is- ugly..."

"Uncharismatic- not suited- for leadership... it is- a body of a brute- of a goon- that simply fights- and fights- and fights... I ate- my enemies- to ascend- through fighting- yes..."

"But that is not- the fate I wish to live- to the rest of my days. I wish to be- great- in many other ways."
(Murmux)

"Ah- it's interesting, for sure, but my connection with them has weakened ever since I dabbled in necromancy, so...I'm attempting to rekindle that dying flame." Perhaps, one. If just a single spirit worth it's merit heeded her call, then she'd grasp that last bit of power she desperately sought--

She had to protect them. She had to protect Eidolon. She had to protect herself.

"...and Murmux, you aren't...ah...ugly. You just...have the aesthetic of a warrior. Not attractive to most, but not ugly by conventional standards. You'll-- it should be fine once you ascend to archon. I'm sure you'll lure degenerates in just fine...."
(Stella Cruor)

The closer that the Demon has been coming to ascension, and the more aware it has grown of its appearance, the more this Demon was displeased with what it came out to be as one.

Sure, it had that nightmarish aesthetic, or even that of a warrior as Stella claimed - but by no means it was the appearance of a leader, of someone charismatic, someone who could actually lead and inspire, no. It was not even close to that. Considering all that the Demon has lived through, it knew very well that it would need such transformation, if it wanted to rule anything at all.

Besides of being just an appearance perk, it was also power, after all.

"Perhaps- but this body- is not suited- to lead on- about anyone."

"It is not suitable- to inspire horror- awe- adoration alike. It is not suitable- to ensure- that people follow you- with charisma. No... it is- not enough at all."

"That is why- I observed you- and Alice. I wanted to see- what are the human standards. But- you already know this."

"Hhhhhhhhhhhhh-- hopefully that- once I ascend- this will be out of the picture."
(Murmux)