Re: The Gradual Massacre (GBS2G4) [Round 1: Focal High School]
05-31-2010, 12:25 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Pinary.
Nine golden rings, set into the flat, steel floor of the Controller's domain, formed an arc describing a third of a circle. In the centre of that circle, the Controller sat, reclining in his seat and surrounded by monitors, fingers steepled.
He stared, examining the nine beings in the rings closely. One attempted to move outside their ring and hit the shield. The Controller grinned as it screamed out in pain- the field was set to its lowest setting. He couldn't wait to see their reactions to higher ones.
After a few more moments of confusion and disorientation, the Controller spoke.
"Massacre."
His voice was slow, lingering on the word, tasting its meaning.
"Noun."
The words weren't just spoken verbally- they reverberated along telepathic channels as well, carrying with them context, meaning, and history. They rolled over the contestants in waves, filling their minds.
"The wanton slaughter of a large number of beings indiscriminately and cruelly."
The Controller leaned forward, the views on the screens reflecting off of his glasses and being projected to hang in the air. Scenes of war, violence, death, and destruction flashed in front of the nine beings in gruesome detail.
"Welcome to yours."
After a few moments, he leaned back, the images vanishing. His voice took a more businesslike quality; the tone of one who understands the necessity and just wants to be done.
"You may call me the Controller. I have brought you here to die. All but one of you will be killed by the hands of the others you see here. You will be placed in an arena of sorts, and when one of you has died, the rest will move on to another one. This will continue until only one of you is left alive. As a reward, that person will be returned home. There are nine of you, which means there will be eight arenas to visit. The lucky ones will see far fewer."
"Before you kill each other, though, I think introductions are in order. If you are going to be killing someone, it's at least polite to know their name."
The ring farthest to the Controller's left lit up, illuminating a being of gears and cogs. "First, this is the Countess. Despite her elegant construction, she's got serious strength, and if damaged, she will simply dissolve into putty and reform whole."
The next ring lit up, indicating the werewolf enclosed in the field. "This is Pluck, a werewolf with the unusual ability to take things from others' minds and make them a reality. He survived five years on the run from the mafia, but I don't know if he would have made it much longer."
"Next we have Holly Tallbirch. This buxom lady calls herself a pathomancer. What that boils down to is an ability to convert emotions to materials and vice-versa; she's also a dab hand with that whip of hers."
"This here is an interesting specimen- a colony of Ouroborites (know collectively as Ouroborous) that are constantly eating each other and reproducing in an endless cycle of death. They ravaged their homeworld with their assortment of natural weapons, dissolving some people and just eating others. A truly fascinating species."
"At the moment, this is Lucas Maxl, who has been driven quite insane by the four demons that occupy his body. Wrath, Envy, Greed, and Lust are all embodiments of the sins they are named after, and they all possess the ability to inspire their respective emotions in others."
"Thane, at one point, was human. Unfortunately, a twisted desire to prove himself led him to summon Yt'hroloth, a Great Old One. Bargaining with a being like that is, of course, an absurd concept, and Thane was taken as a vessel, corrupted and forced to commit some truly impressive atrocities, just riding along as a spectator in his own body."
"Next is Sir Arnold Scarlet, an immortal knight. In the modern world, he worked as a police officer, keeping the peace and fighting for the good of all. His principles are strong, and he's got the skills and weaponry to back them up."
"Acacia Skammer had the best of intentions when she became a part of the Last Sanctum, but, as they say, 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.' That collar on her neck is called a 'boomer,' and it's quite the sonic weapon. To use it, she was deafened, so she can't hear anything."
"And finally, we have Algernon. That worm on his head isn't just for show- For the low, low cost of a few memories, it can create anything he wants. Of course, when memories are all you have, they come to be rather precious. I wonder what it'll take to make it worthwhile?"
The Controller shifted his posture a bit, and the enthusiasm began to return to his voice. "Now that that's done, let us begin."
The plane around them began to blur, fading into a new scene. The nine beings found themselves alone, scattered around what appeared to be a school.
The PA system buzzed, and the Controller's voice echoed throughout the building. "Welcome to Focal High School. Due to inclement weather, we have the whole building to ourselves. Feel free to roam the halls, but don't bother trying to leave- the weather out there is bad, and the forecast only calls for more of the same."
The PA clicked off, leaving the beings alone and isolated. The school was silent aside from the ticking clocks, driving wind and rain, and occasional clap of thunder.
Nine golden rings, set into the flat, steel floor of the Controller's domain, formed an arc describing a third of a circle. In the centre of that circle, the Controller sat, reclining in his seat and surrounded by monitors, fingers steepled.
He stared, examining the nine beings in the rings closely. One attempted to move outside their ring and hit the shield. The Controller grinned as it screamed out in pain- the field was set to its lowest setting. He couldn't wait to see their reactions to higher ones.
After a few more moments of confusion and disorientation, the Controller spoke.
"Massacre."
His voice was slow, lingering on the word, tasting its meaning.
"Noun."
The words weren't just spoken verbally- they reverberated along telepathic channels as well, carrying with them context, meaning, and history. They rolled over the contestants in waves, filling their minds.
"The wanton slaughter of a large number of beings indiscriminately and cruelly."
The Controller leaned forward, the views on the screens reflecting off of his glasses and being projected to hang in the air. Scenes of war, violence, death, and destruction flashed in front of the nine beings in gruesome detail.
"Welcome to yours."
After a few moments, he leaned back, the images vanishing. His voice took a more businesslike quality; the tone of one who understands the necessity and just wants to be done.
"You may call me the Controller. I have brought you here to die. All but one of you will be killed by the hands of the others you see here. You will be placed in an arena of sorts, and when one of you has died, the rest will move on to another one. This will continue until only one of you is left alive. As a reward, that person will be returned home. There are nine of you, which means there will be eight arenas to visit. The lucky ones will see far fewer."
"Before you kill each other, though, I think introductions are in order. If you are going to be killing someone, it's at least polite to know their name."
The ring farthest to the Controller's left lit up, illuminating a being of gears and cogs. "First, this is the Countess. Despite her elegant construction, she's got serious strength, and if damaged, she will simply dissolve into putty and reform whole."
The next ring lit up, indicating the werewolf enclosed in the field. "This is Pluck, a werewolf with the unusual ability to take things from others' minds and make them a reality. He survived five years on the run from the mafia, but I don't know if he would have made it much longer."
"Next we have Holly Tallbirch. This buxom lady calls herself a pathomancer. What that boils down to is an ability to convert emotions to materials and vice-versa; she's also a dab hand with that whip of hers."
"This here is an interesting specimen- a colony of Ouroborites (know collectively as Ouroborous) that are constantly eating each other and reproducing in an endless cycle of death. They ravaged their homeworld with their assortment of natural weapons, dissolving some people and just eating others. A truly fascinating species."
"At the moment, this is Lucas Maxl, who has been driven quite insane by the four demons that occupy his body. Wrath, Envy, Greed, and Lust are all embodiments of the sins they are named after, and they all possess the ability to inspire their respective emotions in others."
"Thane, at one point, was human. Unfortunately, a twisted desire to prove himself led him to summon Yt'hroloth, a Great Old One. Bargaining with a being like that is, of course, an absurd concept, and Thane was taken as a vessel, corrupted and forced to commit some truly impressive atrocities, just riding along as a spectator in his own body."
"Next is Sir Arnold Scarlet, an immortal knight. In the modern world, he worked as a police officer, keeping the peace and fighting for the good of all. His principles are strong, and he's got the skills and weaponry to back them up."
"Acacia Skammer had the best of intentions when she became a part of the Last Sanctum, but, as they say, 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.' That collar on her neck is called a 'boomer,' and it's quite the sonic weapon. To use it, she was deafened, so she can't hear anything."
"And finally, we have Algernon. That worm on his head isn't just for show- For the low, low cost of a few memories, it can create anything he wants. Of course, when memories are all you have, they come to be rather precious. I wonder what it'll take to make it worthwhile?"
The Controller shifted his posture a bit, and the enthusiasm began to return to his voice. "Now that that's done, let us begin."
The plane around them began to blur, fading into a new scene. The nine beings found themselves alone, scattered around what appeared to be a school.
The PA system buzzed, and the Controller's voice echoed throughout the building. "Welcome to Focal High School. Due to inclement weather, we have the whole building to ourselves. Feel free to roam the halls, but don't bother trying to leave- the weather out there is bad, and the forecast only calls for more of the same."
The PA clicked off, leaving the beings alone and isolated. The school was silent aside from the ticking clocks, driving wind and rain, and occasional clap of thunder.