[The Arcana Is The Mean By Which All Is Revealed] || [Semi-Open]

[great_king_of_evil]

Characters: A lot of characters, check the tags!
Setting: Various floors for gathering the seeds; the battles will happen on the Roof of Towerception (Floor 75).
Format: Prose or action, whichever you prefer!

Summary: That's the log for everything related to the Nyx Avatar player plot! The OOC post is here if you want more information about it! You can also use it if you want to plot about how the battles will go. The log is going to be divided into five main threads: a first thread for Ganondorf to gather the "seeds" who will be used to make Ryoji go into his Nyx Avatar mode. Essentially, he's just going to trap them into nifty, colored crystals while they're distracted. The second thread will be about Ryoji reaching the roof of towerception and subsequently being kept there alongside the four seeds till the heroes arrive.

The third thread will be about the 'heroes' arriving to Towerception-- If they took part in the Sephiroth battle, they will have received a seemingly friendly letter asking them to come, otherwise either they will just happen to pass by the tower and feel a strange presence / hear weird noises. Finally, the fourth thread will be about the battle against the seeds with a sub-thread per seed, and the final thread about the battle against Ryoji. As a reminder, the four "seeds of grief" are: Diarmuid, Lancer, Patrick Dawn and Yukiko Amagi.

Because of how the log is divided, you can start the battles without having to wait for the three "lead-in" threads to be completed.

Warning: Evil gloating. Unending lectures about the tarot arcana. Lots of sad all around. Of course, anyone participating in the battle against either the seeds or Nyx takes the non-negligible risk of being killed or grievously wounded.

Seeds of Grief Gathering
Ryoji's Arrival at the Tower
Villain Speech & Nyx's Awakening

Seeds of Grief Battle
Nyx Avatar Battle

Comments

[oathshackledbird]

[In the stillness of the floor, the shift that results from Ganondorf casting his spell draws Diarmuid's attention almost immediately, but it is too late. The spell is already cast and it is not something that can be dodged.

It's one of the benefits to being able to use magic. Get that spell off and it is much harder to avoid than a punch of kick would be.

Diarmuid has defenses, of course. His high magic resistance kicks in almost immediately, but this magic is very different from what he has faced before. Even weakened, Ganondorf's powers are strong enough to eventually overwhelm his resistance, and all he can do is watch in shock as the green crystal forms itself around him.

However, once he sees Ganondorf reveal himself, his eyes widen. While this might be their first actual meeting, he has heard the man described enough times to know him on sight.]

Ganondorf!

[great_king_of_evil]

[ Ah, the joy of a well-preserved reputation. Ganondorf had always ensured that his mere name would sound like a threat back in his homeworld, and while he hadn't intended to reach a similar situation in the tower, not so soon at least, it was satisfying. ]

Ah, I see my reputation precedes me.

[ He chuckles but shakes his head, but after a couple seconds his smile fades as he takes on a more serious tone. ]

Infuriating to be attacked in dishonorable way and made captive as a result, isn't it Diarmuid Ua Duibhne?

[ Ganon hopes the reference is obvious. ]

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid starts to respond, the heat of his anger for the moment blocking the meaning of Ganondorf's words from his mind, but then the words sink in and all that heat snaps away into ice sharp clarity instead. His eyes narrow.]

Why am I not surprised he is too much of a coward to do his own dirty work?

[He can't say he didn't expect something like this to happen someday. It would be a lie and Diarmuid has been trying very hard lately to stop lying to himself. However, he didn't really expect the retaliation to come from anyone but Sephiroth.

Diarmuid really should have known better.]

He did tell you he knew what he was walking into and came anyway, correct? I would hope he was at least man enough not to play the victim card with you.

[great_king_of_evil]

[ Ganondorf listened to Diarmuid's reply. The comment about Sephiroth not doing his own dirty work earned him a smile, but the evil king closed his eyes and made a dismissive hand gesture as Diarmuid started trying to speak his way out of this. Futile and uninteresting. ]

I am not here to listen to your version of the story. The details matter little to me and it appears we agree as to how the events unfolded.

[ He paused and smiled. That's all that mattered to him, details as to how it went-- He figured Sephiroth hadn't been an example of heroism, that didn't matter. What mattered was the arrogance and audacity of these people. ]

We are reasonable people, of course. But attacking one of the lead scientist who was at the time working to free us from our chains, not to mention an ally of mine... It is something that calls for consequences, I am sure you will agree.

[oathshackledbird]

[A dark laugh slips from Diarmuid's lips.]

Consequences? You speak to me of consequences? He killed my son. He killed my son's girlfriend. He attacked me and broke himself the truce that had been set in place for the collar research. He also threatens the whole Tower with his plans. Tell me, should he have not expected consequences for those actions?

Stop trying to justify your actions as right when they are the very same as the ones you are 'punishing' me for. If I am not allowed to take those actions, then neither are you. At least call them what they really are.

Revenge.

It is below you to term them anything else.

[great_king_of_evil]

Yet, you replied to Sephiroth's violence with a violence matching his own. Maybe even exceeding it. [A pause.] In the end, you two are exactly the same.

No... Not exactly the same. Unlike you, Sephiroth is honest about what he is.

[ Nobody from the Evil Alliance pretend to be anything less than what they are: evil, monsters and so on. Ganondorf shakes his head at the word revenge however. ]

Revenge... Maybe that is what it is on Sephiroth's mind. I, however, have no such petty concerns. All that concerns me is to make sure this never happens again. It is simply a message, a letter I am sending you. Yet, words... [He chuckles.] Words have so very little impact, I am afraid this message will have to be written in blood.

[ With that said, Ganondorf has a black crystal appears within the palm of his hand. The negative emotions emanating from it can probably be felt from Diarmuid's cage, as powerful as they are. ]

Today I am offering with a choice: to put an end to the petty quarrel that binds you to Sephiroth. Or for that matter, with anyone whom I would call an ally. Whether you perpetuate the cycle after what is about to happen, is your choice.

[oathshackledbird]

You say the message must be written in blood to prove a point and then fault me for using too much violence.

[Diarmuid shakes his head. As much as he hates to admit what he is about to admit, he is trying to accept the darker parts of himself so that the can learn to control them. Denying them now will help no one, least of all himself.]

Perhaps we are too much alike, but there are important differences between us. I at least tried another way. I talked to him and I would have talked more had he not attacked me. Do you really expect that my friends would not return the violence he showed me and mine with violence of their own?

Light-addled fools protect their families as well.

[His voice is confident until that crystal appears and the first waves of dark energy hit him. Once they do, the only thing that keeps him from flinching back is the fact that he can't really move. In fact, the sheer force of the negative emotions coming off the crystal takes his breath away.]

What is that?

[great_king_of_evil]

Indeed. But of course, I, unlike you, do not pretend to be a good person, let alone a hero.

[ Well, at least Diarmuid admits that much. Ganondorf isn't going to push his point much further-- That's what the Nyx part of the plot is for, after all. ]

You make a valid point. I may have set my expectations for your kind too high, I will admit that much. I'm used to heroes with stricter morals and ways. It is refreshing however to see heroes not restrained by ethical considerations.

[ Ganondorf chuckled as he mentioned light-addled fools-- He obviously had spoken to Nesir before, but he wasn't going to mention her. Instead he turned his gaze to the crystal and spoke slowly. ]

Ah. This, is the mean through which you are going to help me reveal your so-called's son true nature. Of course, you didn't really think to what would happen to him when you attacked Sephiroth.

[oathshackledbird]

[Diarmuid's eyes dart to the side, anger filling them seeming from nowhere. He wonders about it for a moment--could it be the crystal's doing?--and then looks back at Ganondorf again.]

For your information, I never asked to be labeled a hero. At times I have even said I think the Grail was mistaken to choose me, but it did and gave me no choice in the matter. I now carry the label though my deeds were merely the things I felt needed to be done so that people could be safe and happy.

And I am just as fallible as anyone else...

[This is said with no shame as he is trying hard to believe Waver's insistence that what makes him such a good hero is that he does make mistakes which allows him to understand those he protects better. Not that he expects Ganondorf to understand or care about that.]

His true nature?

[For a moment Diarmuid is confused until another wave of that negative emotion washes over him, this time tinged with sorrow and the wish to give up.

And then he understands and that sorrow begins to slide into his heart...]

Nyx...

[great_king_of_evil]

[ Ganondorf chuckled as Diarmuid added to his argument-- Apparently his efforts to make sense were lost on Ganon-- At least partially. ]

You need not to remind me how fallible you are; I believe facts speak of themselves. But I appreciate your sudden surge of honesty.

[ He nodded at the mention of Nyx and smiled. ]

Indeed. This crystal contains the emotions that should summon Ryoji's true form. However, the crystal alone cannot accomplish this. You see, to summon death we need life-- It is a very simple principle, emotions cannot truly exist without a sentient being to carry them, without life.

This is why I need you, to give life to these emotions, to cultivate them and carry them to Ryoji, so he can finally accomplish his true destiny.

[oathshackledbird]

It is not his true destiny!

[The words are practially snarled, but Diarmuid calms almost immediately after saying them. He knows his words are lost on Ganondorf. Even if the villain wasn't completely convinced of his 'right' to do this, his plan is already in motion. Nothing Diarmuid, trapped in his little crystal prison, says will change that.

All he can do is attempt to reject these negative feelings that Ganonodorf so badly seems to need him to 'bring to life.' Unfortunately, that is easier said that done.

What can someone trapped in a crystal do to resist anyway?

His eyes close, fingers curling very slightly against the crystal.]

We might not be able to stop you now, but I will never give up on the idea that someday, somewhere, you will pay for this. All of you. It is just a shame that it will not be my hand that delivers that punishment.

[It might not seem like much. Perhaps, it's even positive. Except it's not. It's a small part of Diarmuid giving up. Giving up, when he has never given up on anything before.

It's the first domino falling over...]