Terminus: To Perfect Humanity VII

[19:45] Laurentius walks into the chambers- a new uniform donned. His old one had been thrown to the tailors, torn and ripped up after a fight. Bandages had been changed, equipment re-checked. Yet- the patron, with his connection, could doubtless feel the strange contamination within, as Antefinem's finest kneels at the head of that pool once more.

His head hurts... but he'll manage.

The entropic energy that swirls within him is vast, at this stage... and he begins to relay news.

"A camp of dwarves has settled in the north, all weak. A spider among them, though.

Drakenspire is gone. Pscaela destroyed it, so the reports say, with the nameless circle present. There are a great deal of undead around now as well, after. Viritas has revealed itself a witch coven, the realm of Delphina postures for war alongside Gloomlight. The mercenaries of Ogretime are sanctioned by near all for picking the side of Viritas.

The Nameless Circle, who own Nilhirra after their invasion, have begun employing child slave soldiers. They have numbers more often than names and clear signs of abuse. Koretheia, in Arcadia, captured one- and they began to cry immediately.

I was defeated by a gorgon of the nameless, and partially turned to stone- but I will recover.

Mininya has been handed over to the Seneschal of Delphina, who knew who I was, apparently, and warned us to stay off Delphina's attention overall, but that our acts were greatly appreciated. She will die soon, after being used for medical experimentation.

I have harvested more material, as well, with a plan. A great deal of it. I have ideas for further growth.

I tried to take one of the child soldiers into custody, but another... gorgon got in the way. Unaffiliated, a fool. I defeated her, but the child soldier escaped, and her friend of Altharim fought me for honor. Kresimir of Altharimchastised her heavily, and she apologized.

I believe her to be their strongest. Victory is obtainable over her but unlikely."

He seems angered, ired over it all. A proper level of indignation for what he had spoken, the notion of these child soldiery or the interference of fools. Bitterness over his defeats, even if by his own admission he was greatly weakened for at least one.
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[20:18] How long had it been...
Thoughts of the realm at large proved so distant now -- forgetting what much of the world was like beyond the words and faces he had seen in his brief glimpses of the memories of encompassing ilk. Once Laurentius had returned, one's influence sought to chain through the various clergy in proximity, bouncing off even the Maledictus to cling unto vestiges of himself resided within his champion.

One that had proven to mutate over the recent years -- advanced in their evolutionary stature. Every word was heard through the ears of one's followers, their thoughts on the matters, the experiences of Laurentius himself -- Everything. Somewhere beneath the depths, he could feel the sensation of touch returning to his husk, fibers and nerves firing off to give the subtle shift and ebb of individual digits. Mounds of flesh budding akin to a mold around the egregious injuries of olde pulsated akin to cancerous cardiac tissue, slowly but certainly striving to imbue a state of scarification upon the wounds of century's past.

Who knew how long such an effort had taken place... Then again, most hadn't even had the privilege to behold it with their bare eyes, for the surface of the vantablack pool was not only opaque, but polluted with pea-sized beads of flesh floating upon it.

A faceless tendril that betrayed the scope of mortal eyes reached out to Laurentius, briefly fusing with them -- before siphoning away what could've been perceived as a burden for the time being.

"How the times change...
How Fate's favor ebbs and dwells...

The world at-large will continue to toil... So long as it remains at-bay, and nothing interrupts my Vision -- Then, there lies no matter of concern from I...

The matters of Delphina are not lost on me... I have encountered their Lumin King time, after time; An enemy that stands eternal, far greater than the likes of Varrach. Mind yourself -- This Seneschal of Delphina may be cognizant of the Elzaran Extermination effort made against me long ago, upon the predecessors of Antefinem. The dots may not be connected by all... But is likely known by the forces of Dal'thala.

Though, I can sense it within you... The very spite I felt the moment you were capable of harnessing greater thought.

Fret not...
You are not yet perfect.
Humanity is naturally flawed... --and your very framework, is from them -- further shattered and broken from their pieces.

Alas, I have added a piece of myself... A concept, tarnished from the Perfection it was destined to claim.

I will perfect you...
Then, through the entropic energies your harness, we shall kill the cycle that ruins the realm at-large...

So, that I can perfect them all."

The mention of Mininya's disposal did not seem to draw any additional concern -- They were one of many, though they did seem to strive to pit themselves as an equal where powers deemed otherwise.

As entropic essence was siphoned however, impurities were detected -- Stone acted as a blockage against his sensory techniques, revealed as voids in his etheric pulsations where mana should've innately resonated throughout. Then, there was the concussion -- not outwardly detectable to the human eye, but within the mind? The mana nexuses showcased a unique pattern that proved enigmatic to the common magi.

At the very least, it showcased that the emulation of the human brain was rather accurate -- but still, work needed to be done. While Laurentius still was in need of attention, there was a matter brought up.

"You mentioned an idea... Speak it at once."
(Etheric Presence)

[20:26] The champion listens, for the notions of history are not things which he is familiar with. How could he be? The world shifts. Yet- true. He is not perfect, he is flawed, and this keeps him from the grand ambition of his patron.

"There are two."

To these, he reaches within his kit- retrieval, at once, of the materials to be shown.

The first is normal- a ball of tissues, festering, decaying. Infected. Blood and flesh, taken from those abroad. Yet something seems- different, about these... and nested within, lay rusted metal, plagued to a lesser extent than the flesh was. Mana saturates this collection, taken from three magi- one of which... that is the distinct taste of a fairy...

"Those who come into contact with me, when I am not shrouding my nature, become sickened. The symptoms at first were nausea, hunger, and fever... but they have grown to include great aggression. I watched a fairy turn upon their comrades in the grips of it.

I believe it could be refined, and bent to our ends..."

From there, more is pulled forth, that set aside. The hide of some magical beast, a wolf pelt from the looks of it, heavy and large. Decay has already set in of course, such was the nature of it's harvest, but it is strong and thick all the same. Not the entire pelt is here- just a large swath taken from the back and shoulders. Large enough to be worn.

Tendons, balled up- sturdy. Not human... not recognized, they are thicker, harder. Similar to these, a dense length of bone the size of a finger, from a femur. And lastly- a great ball of blood, giant's blood, infected with his plague- and cursed, by something else... as if the host were not meant to be a giant at all.

"These tendons, this bone, from the dwarves of the north. Sturdier than most. And this- this, here, the blood of an accursed giant who bled for their transformation. The hide is from a wolf beast. Strong. Sturdy.

All good materials for the creation of armor, but I would only be able to wear it while hunting." A nightmarish set of equipment, unless Terminus had other ideas... such as infusing these into his champion's own body...

But the hide, that would be a dead giveaway to inhumanity.

The last thing he pulls forward, is a metallic section of scales, clinking slightly together. "Scales, taken from a gorgon, along with a harvest of metal from their body. Their blood, bones, so on. Useful as well, possibly."

He waits to hear his Patron's will, and direction... now listening, waiting.
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[20:27] Laurentius of Terminus thinks, "And of course there is all the skin that was taken, and the other samples of infeted flesh that were far older, before aggression had set in."
[21:00] Bestowing of thoughts and materials, before contemplation set in...

A biological agent to turn the numbers of Meranthe upon one another? Surely, with all of the issues that they bore, it would offer another distraction to keep attention off of him just a bit longer. Seeing it advanced might've even others enthralled to an alternate purpose. A higher purpose...

Then, there was the pelt and scales -- both of which, matters of curiosity. While Terminus was aware of their ability to transition between humanoid and serpent, he was not cognizant of their capacity to turn organic material to stone. Such was a matter of concern to be wary of, given how much of a counter it could prove to supernatural healing properties if accomplished to completion.

A fleeting thought surfaced...
If Gorgons were capable of such a supernatural ability, then it was natural to presume that it was connected to their own racial prowess -- their own anatomy. Could they had proven resilient or even immune to their own petrification?
An armor, as Laurentius had eluded to -- That not only proved as sturdy as the magical beast its pelt was peeled from, but resistant against Gorgons' petrifying powers as well!

Then, came the last tidbit...
The skin taken from others... Previous efforts had been committed to perfect Laurentius in all matters, but what proved most troubling was their outward appearance. To wander the land in armor and cloak one's intentions was one thing, but mortal curiosity and suspicion would inevitably draw them out -- It was likely why Aricles was inevitably unhelmed.

What was to make Terminus believe Laurentius would prove the exception? Thus, the skin was to be examined... Replicated in some capacity, before seeing preservative practices and being applied upon Terminus' Champion.

Only then, could one be certain that time was on their side...
That his works proved ever-the-bit closer to Perfection...
That he, and all that followed, would prove unstoppable before their goal -- The Vision would be had at last.

"Yes... This... Will do. Certainly, it will do..."
The plan was still being formulated, though enough was accomplished that Terminus proved confident on the words that would meet Laurentius' mind.

"The fleshly products of the northern dwarves, will prove proper bindings...
The bone: Its framework...
The tendons: its elastic bindings...
The blood, once enchanted -- A mana-rich substance to purify and engorge the aforementioned indefinitely.

The Hide: An aegis across the backside of an armored torso.
The Scales: An interlocking extension of this aegis across the anatomical appendages of this armor.

Though, there is still something missing... Your biological agent, as you've described. It is best applied to this construct, as it would not only assist you in your hunts, but only find use when your identity is no longer obscured.

Such infectious tissues shall be transmogrified into a sheath to cloak all that remains untouched by the construct previously described.
This sheath will become you, as you prove to be now... For soon, I shall turn what will lie beneath it -- Into the image of a Perfected Human.

One that knows War, but it spared from the suffering it brings...
One that knew Death, but is thoroughly spared of its embrace... "

Alas, Mordeaux would become a constructed face for Laurentius to use...
And Laurentius, shall garner a face, for Meranthe to behold...
(Etheric Presence)

[21:12] He listens to the feedback of his Lord, the ideas presented... though raises one notion, at the bone. It is only the length of a finger, he had not the power to slaughter the dozens of people needed for a suit. At least, not without contest.

"My intent was to create a sewing needle from the bone, use it to stitch the armor.

Auguria, and Entropic Arcanium, for a chestplate... and the leather armor I wear on the hunt as a base... otherwise, my thoughts exactly." The alloy was powerful, but very overt. This would not be a subtle suit of armor, nor anything he could wear as 'Laurentius.' Not unless they were well and truly exposed for what they were.

And in such a case, their end was certain, at this point...

Then, the agent. He listens, he ponders. Applied to this armor... transforming it into a sheath, what covers the rest of him outside of the armored shell...

The armor would be monstrous in appearance, certainly. A horrifying thing to behold, but a powerful aegis all the same. Something to retain his horrific aesthetic, when he was not himself- when he had been perfected.

Soon.

Soon, Mordeaux would be the mask, and Laurentius the face beneath.

Yet what lay beneath both, that nameless true self, was a thing worse than one, and alien to the other- unchanging. The champion. Laurentius was an artificer- but no fleshcrafter, even if he possibly had talent for the art... perhaps, soon, that could change, with this work.

All he needed were the materials.
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[21:20] Laurentius of Terminus thinks, "I also believe using these gorgon scales I gathered is impossible. I harvested them with my mask on."
[21:20] Laurentius of Terminus thinks, "Others may notice"
[21:23] So it would appear the bone within their possession was not nearly as much as he initially presumed -- No matter.
Magus bone was far less easily acquired, but was potent enough to accomplish the task required by Laurentius. The only obstacles that'd prove troublesome to their endeavors would be the lack of capacity to craft flesh as they saw fit, and procuring of the Entropic Arcanium -- both instances well within Terminus' capacity.

The Auguria hardly seemed troublesome either -- surely something that, if not already claimed by Laurentius, then something that was accumulated within Antefinem's coffers.

"See the material you would like reforged by my embrace submerged within my shrine -- and I shall have it resurfaced in the image you seek.

Otherwise, you will find auguria supplied from our coffers to assist in this endeavor. As for the entropic arcanium, I can have it bled now..."
There was a cause for concern -- A matter that led to the real possibility that the gorgon scales acquired would directly point him out -- revealing the ploy.

However, was it not possible to point out another fallen gorgon? Would a gorgon's words be valued over Laurentius' own? Then again, what witnesses of value could validate such, enough so, that eyes and ears could turn towards the mask, the man -- and soonafter, the nation?

"Who are these others?"
(Etheric Presence)

[21:33] All of Laurentius's arcanium had been donated, of course, to refill coffers drained by his weapon. He had slowly been collecting coin, around twenty thousand at this point... not enough for dens, no, but getting there. They'd have metal soon. For now, he made do with what he had access to the most of.

Bodies.

And so, Laurentius takes that ball of diseased flesh and metal, brimming with his plague- The Rust Plague, as it had come to be called, for it's symptoms and visions... and he lowers it into the pool. So too goes the beast hide and the tendons, though not cured yet- to be filled with the power of his Lord all the same. Inoculated, infested with Terminus's cancerous might. The blood remains his own, to be used to treat it, in the end...

Does his lord catch glimpse of what the infected experience, through this donation? Perhaps he does...

The time has not yet come for Laurentius himself to step into the pool and be made clean, so for now, it is time to warp the flesh towards use.

Auguria is retrieved from the coffers- and a single lump of arcanium given, to be bled as requested. Yet then- Grey ponders. What witnesses?

"One of Altharim saw me take the scales. So did the nameless, and a few wanderers... and the gorgon herself, who will be off to seek medical aid. I could argue it were another Gorgon... or I could claim to have taken it from one of the nameless's own... but the metallic extraction was somewhat obvious and distinctive. When I harvest while unmasked, my extractions are often putrid and infectious- but these are clean, shiny, metallic.

It is a small length of scale, as well. Perhaps instead, it could be wrapped about my heart." An internal shield, something that would not be seen, but would prevent the decaying organ from being pierced. Worked into the fabric of his being in a way that none could see.

Perhaps too, it could be... improved. For his heart was a dead thing that only twitched when spurred to life.

Yet for the flesh that bubbles forth... could something else be done?
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[22:44] There was likely a good point made here...
If there were many witnesses, it could've led to an immediate discovery -- after all, the ceasefire with Altharim was just that. It did not mean peace was officially declared...

In fact, they were still very much at war until negotiations were followed to completion. Any angle they could use to justify kicking war back into high gear was to be given the highest degree of scrutiny from Antefinemite forces. Thus, Laurentius' suggestion was ideal...

"If the properties carry over, then perhaps the sheath of scales shall render it impervious to the effect of petrification, ensuring that this vessel shall never truly be at risk...

That, or perhaps -- there are other properties to these scales that I am unknowledgeable of. You shall be my bridge to such knowledge in accommodating such a request."

It was certainly a task, though a beating heart -- however vain it may've proven, was accomplished before. His mark surged the circuitry around it...
Thus, it was well within Terminus' ability to augment it, to ensure it could never be pierced. Though, there was still more that could be done...

The skin could be augmented certainly, and the heart? Certainly... But the flesh around it? It was a constantly evolving project. For even the healing and modification of a muscle group here, or a structure there, would succumb to rot due to a system elsewhere. It was all connected, thus, a central hub had to be focused upon to ensure any transmogrification held permanence.

He could apply a homogenized skin upon the outside, but it wouldn't stop the deterioration of flesh within...

Though, he could augment the heart once more...
He could apply it in such a way that the regenerative properties slowly ebbed away at the deteriorating tissue enough that the smell of rot resonated less over time. Means of cloaking would be rendered a non-necessity over time, though enough remnants of one's nature would lie beneath the skin to ensure that they never quite proved mortal -- A supernatural stillness that would inevitably impair the skin in some capacity, likely via means of lacking nutrient transference.

The mental image of a future Laurentius was proving clearer to the Patron now...
A pasty skinned individual that knew not the years of the world at large that passed them by, with a heart that pounded through their anatomy. The muscularity and systems abroad all proved preserved by a combination of otherworldly influence, but the radiance of such proven suppressed from the inquiry of those abroad.

In the meantime, a faceless force examined the maladies applied upon Laurentius beyond their helm, beyond their armor. The stone that blocked his colorless sight was ebbed upon, agitated and wrought to crackle from beneath its surface.

It started akin to sonar, but then pulsations resonating through the air sought to agitate the more pristine surface of rock, both within the cobblestone encompassing his pool and upon Laurentius. What was being done, was a ping from the Patron of his own essence from his husk, to Laurentius -- for the flesh and essence of the Patron within Laurentius to answer with a ping of its own.

The constant back-and-forth motion of ethereal essence sought to wither at the petrified sheath, shattering it, and enabling organic regeneration to take place beneath the armor. What was once solid stone, spilled from the seams of armor akin to sand.

Without much hesitation, energy and effort was immediately shifted toward the anomaly within the head... It wasn't simply a strange activity induced within the mind by blunt trauma as exhibited in a previous encounter, but rather an invasive energy actively gattling at functionality. Perhaps, Laurentius wasn't truly capable of realizing such... While the pulsations enacted upon them certainly didn't help, it surely clarified the abnormality to Terminus, giving the opportunity to consider a new matter of approach to address such a matter -- if at all.
(Etheric Presence)

[22:45] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[22:45] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[22:57] Indeed, Laurentius's body was a tapestry of decay and damage, the flesh constantly regrowing and dying and regrowing over and over again. Skinless, he wrapped linen bandages around himself regularly to keep the coagulated blood from leaking out... He would be ghastly at first, wrapped in skin, but perhaps that could be altered as the living tissue overtook the dead.

His heart beat, from time to time- blood, foreign, often siphoned in. When the throes of combat were well underway, it would begin to beat, to push that decaying blood through his veins, injuries closing more and more swiftly as time went on. He grew. He adapted. He changed.

Yet all of it was a process that was temporary, a losing battle against the world. Inevitably, that organ grew still again... it's function purely performative. His biological functions were in constant flux, if they worked at all.

A flaw to be corrected.

At least he was good at hiding his presence, when pretending...

"The gorgons draw power from petrification. I saw it myself, observing as one tried to turn me to stone- he strengthened, but it was likely incomplete as I was not fully consumed.

Every one tries to do this, in the past, save for the poisoner... who sought to subvert me instead with venom."

Steadily, the last of that rock is flaked away, his body already trying to be rid of it, and he recovers. The invasive lightning in his head is... somewhat more recent, but his resilience is already shrugging it off.
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[23:07] "Drawing power from petrification? Such must be a power tied to a Patron. I simply lack knowledge as to what, nor which. Not that it is of importance."

Their focus was still applied upon their anatomy...
The naturally regenerative properties imbued within them sought to perish the foreign magics that muddied the machinations of their mind. Such a process, as effective as it was? Was shy of accomplishing the task at-hand.

Terminus was still here however, intent on giving it a bit of a push. The invasive presence of the occult was entirely intoxicating for the common mortal -- thus, far Laurentius? It was akin to embracing an amplification of their present Hatred. Their spite for the world, briefly capitalized upon -- Used as fuel for a magic that was inherently a part of them, seemingly sapient in these fleeting moments as it ate the small instances of lightning magic jolting about their mana nexuses.

It was a predator that sought subsistence, beyond one's emotions... Though, it was eternally starving -- damned to Death, for all it knew was destruction before the eyes of the mortal ilk. The world simply would not have such chaotic power, in any other fashion. Clarity would come... And as it did? The occult would flutter away, akin to a dying gasp, burned off by the disconnection of the faceless circuit conjured by Terminus from beyond the veil.

The traces of an experienced thunderdome, only remained as inklings of a dying memory -- to be sustained only by Laurentius' volition.

Yet still, much more work was to be done here...
(Etheric Presence)

[23:07] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[23:07] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[23:07] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[23:07] Etheric Presence applies first aid treatment to Laurentius of Terminus.
[23:10] Hatred.

It was something that had steadily begun to bloom within him... he was not one who felt it, not at first. Yet steadily over time as he fought, it grew. Hatred. Often present when interrupted, or beaten... hatred.

Even today, facing the gorgon- he had not known at first, thinking them a foolish human, yet once they had shown their true shape, it had changed to a personal beating. Were he not 'pretending,' it would have been far worse for them than some stolen metallic compounds and skin...

And hatred once more, for the one who had beaten him afterwards.

The last brush of that intoxicating fuel simmers away, sustained. The knowledge of which patron is ignored, then. "Most gorgons I have seen are witches. I do not know if the last one was, but it would not surprise me.

The one who sought to petrify me this time, was of the Nameless Circle. The other two I knew of, were likewise."
(Laurentius of Terminus)

[23:21] Witches...
The servants of Marqui deemed to be his superior while he remained shackled to Hel. Even now, they sought to prove themselves his superior. He was damned to be their slave...

It didn't matter when the time would be... They would always prove to be his antagonist. Their suffering was not of his concern...
However, perhaps he could use them to his advantage somehow...

Such a matter, would have to be a study into the powers that gave the Marqui their power... Perhaps, it was something that was already well within his own capacity.
"Then, they have abandoned their God. How they keep their gifts, eludes me...

As traitorous as those whom had fled with my blood...
As traitorous as the very Marqui they serve..."
Not much more was needed on that front... Only that Antefinem's relationship, and the Patron by extension -- was less than desiring towards witchcraft.At least, in the capacity that did not serve the Patron itself.

"Those you come across of this 'Nameless Circle' are free to do with, as you wish... Ensure none are bold enough to consider the shores of Antefinem, but lull those you come across as you hunt into a false sense of security... If you see to it, amidst your developments."

With that, the sensation of the Patron seemed to wane slightly...
As though, they were succumbing to dormancy for the time being.
(Etheric Presence)

[23:26] Witches... slaves, all, and not in line with his Lord's perfect vision of the world. His opinion was little, save that they were acceptable targets no matter the circumstance. In the end, they were all simply a resource.

"Thy will be done, my Lord."

Their time, too, would come... eventually, they would meet the End. A world to be made in His image- and they were not in it.

Whether that took violence or guile, was to be seen.

For now, he rises, leaving the offered materials within that pool to stew for now... to be altered, slowly, by the dark fluids and his master's will. He would retrieve them later- and the works of artifice would begin... the plague, refined. The tissues, treated.

In time.

In time...
(Laurentius of Terminus)