I stare down at the dark tunnel that my summoned minions have spent many days digging through miles upon miles of rock, earth, and soil leading to the headquarters of Shieldmaiden. It is a dark and foreboding tunnel to put it mildly, and especially so with the company I will keep on the journey. I glance behind me to see the horde of monstrosities that are to follow me into battle. Vles will puppeteer her army of CyberBeasts and have them along with myself form the first wave. She will then have her precious Goblins invade and begin their riots, all over the planet once Shieldmaiden is well and truly distracted by my assault upon their territory.

Such risks are something I in my old life would have considered loathsome, and while I dislike risking my life like this. I have to admit that it is the same strategy I would have employed in her stead. Use the disposable pawns to cause chaos, and then use the troops you actually care about. Having me work alone like this will also let me cut loose and use magic freely, without any of her troops catching wiff of it.

I shake my head and let these thoughts drift away, now it is not the time to be distracted. The Dreamborn beast in my mind is drooling and roaring as it can sate it's base lusts through me. A warlike grin appears unbiddenly on my face and I jump down into the underground tunnel. Behind me I hear the groaning of metal, and the wheezing breath of the Cyberbeasts as they like me jump down.

The soft glow of my staff along with the myriad of glowing eyes, is the only illumination I have in the darkness. As one the horde of monsters begin to run down the tunnel, their movements not at all limited by such minor concerns as fatigue or pain. I jump on the back of a large 8 legged mammal who's back is primarily consisting of fur, rather than metal. There is, after all, no reason that I should waste my energies before the battle has even begun.

Riding the beast through the perfectly carved, but still unwelcoming, tunnel takes hours as we move through the darkness towards our destination. I do not even bother attempting to sleep while waiting for us to arrive, as I have long learned that sleeping before a battle is immensely difficult. And that is when you are not clinging to the back of a monstrous mamal creature that is running at full speed down a tunnel deep underground.

No, I rather spend my time meditating until we arrive. Achieving self-mastery should never be shirked even the immenent fear of death is lurking in the back of the mind. And I have just realized something in regards to death and this world that must be considered. If this is a world without magic, is there then a plane of existence for the dead? Back in my old world, those who study the mystical can quickly find proof that there is a life after death. Warlocks know that their fate is usually to be eternally bound as a slave to one's patron, which is why most of us do our best to avoid death. But in this cold and alien universe maybe there is just...nothingness?

I feel the cold grasp of the void around my heart as I desperately attempt to push down this option. Surely, there would have to be something? But as I stretch my mind towards the feeling one usually gets in regards to death in my world, which is hesitant acceptance. I only feel the eternal oblivion of the void and my mind instantly recoils and I scream in the darkness as my meditation breaks. I scream and I scream, but there is nothing to hear me except monstrous husks.

The cold grip around my heart fades after what feels like hours, as the horde comes to a stop outside of a thin earthern wall. I gracelessly fall of my "steed", and absently focus the glow of my staff so I can focus on the obstacle before us. Each step I make pushes me through the disorganized throng of monstrosities around me, as I finally reach the wall. After a moment of examination it is clear that this is the final layer of earth I ordered the earth-elemental to errect once it had dug a tunnel to the base of the enemy.

"Vles, Have your monstrosities smash through the layer of stone and earth. It is superficial and is only meant to serve as a way to obfuscate our tunnel." I say absently I step back through the throng. My recent revelation about death in this universe, has made one thing clear for me. Risks to my life are unacceptable and I must do everything I can to avoid the grasp of oblivion. Therefore, I will have the beasts rush in first and serve as a wall between myself and death.

It only takes a few moments between my words and the rather intimidating response from the animals. Almost as one unit they all rush with great speed at the wall. The horde of flesh and metal easily smash through it and I close my eyes, before I can be blinded by the sudden influx of light filling the corridor. The Cyberbeasts scream as the light burns their eyes but they are driven forward into the opening, and I hear much more human screams accompanying the sounds of the monsters.

I take the time to slowly open my eyes and acclimate them to the light before I step in through the opening. The usually pristinely white Shieldmaiden complex has been rendered a mess of gore and blood. I count 10 dead humans laying spread out in pieces around the wide room. The carnage does not affect me in the slightest as I step through the puddles of blood, these are after all just obstacles between me and my destiny. Human obstacles at that, which makes their death a service to the universe, really.

The cape of invisibility is quickly draped around my body so I can begin to move unseen through the complex. My objective is not the blind carnage that the Cyberbeasts are causing. I am to find what Vles describes as a "control node", which according to her sources are hidden deep in the facility I am now in. With that node she will have complete dominion over the remaining Cyberbeasts under Shieldmaiden's control. I begin moving out of the large chamber down a side corridor that the Cyberbeasts have not rushed through.

Captain Torran Pierce is inviting you to his party, as this is a mandatory party for members of the Incredulous Crew, you may not refuse the invite.

"Welcome back Glyphie, time to get this show on the road and fuck over the bootlickers. Mary is making quick work of our collegues, and Namatha is "taking care" of the Administrators. Tlokbur is coming down to help you find the node, I am going to hold some ground up here...see ya soon. I have questions for you in regards to well...errything." I stop as I hear Captain Torran speak in my ear as if he was right next to me. It felt like a lifetime since that infiltration mission where I had first been introduced to the party function of the NVRI.

My hesitation only lasts for a moment, however, as I do not bother to reply and I rather refocus on the task at hand. I remember how labyrinthine this entire complex felt, when I first visited it. So, it is only right that I bring some illumination into it. I "snap" my fingers and say "reveal", with this done I immediately feel the Occult Eye spell I suspended take effect. A slight sheen overtakes the world as my eyes adjust to see all that is hidden in it. One spell down, 13 spells to go.

Unlike the Arcane Eye spell employed by Wizards and Sorcerers, Occult Eye does not focus on just the mystical. It is a spell that also allows me to see that which others have sought to conceal in general. In my opinion this grants us Warlocks far more utility than Wizards, as I quickly discover various hidden "sensors" in the hallways I move down. The room with this control node is most likely a hidden one, as it is direct evidence proving their cuplability in releasing the Cyberbeasts on this world.

As my cape will surely keep me concealed from these "sensors", I move past them without much thought given to them. The focus will be on finding the hidden doorway to the Control Node chamber, the screams and sounds of battle are distant to me as I move through the corridors with an almost single minded focus. This effort is made worthwhile, however, in only a matter of minutes as I eventually find a concealed door. After a minute of intense observation I conclude that the doorway leads to a large chamber full of machines. This is as much based on logical deductions as the hints provided to me by my Occult Eyes. The spell can be frustratingly vague at times, but I sense that this is most likely the right place.

The question I now have to grapple with is how to open this door in the most expedient manner. I am loathe to waste any of my suspended spells, and the same goes for my mana. Even with the increase of my "mana pool" to 200, every spell I use must be used wisely. I prod the door with my staff and let electricity flow from it and into the door, but nothing seems to happen. The door is made out of thick metal, so it is obvious that I will not be able to physically break the door.

That leaves attacking the door with eldritch javelin or perhaps a more creative approach? I suspect that jam technology will be ineffective as the door will just remain shut, even if it is "jammed". If I did not have so many spells suspended I could have been free to waste some mana, on experimentation with the door. But each "point" of mana is a resource, and battles are in actuality a contest of resources. Wasting my resources on failed gambits is not permisseable here, not as long as my mana regeneration is slowed by my suspended spells. I spend a few other precious minutes considering my options before I touch a panel next to the door.

"Eldritch Servant, non corporeal." I whisper as I feel mana exit my body and the bond of the summoner being established with the being of numbers that just entered the panel. Tlokbur had previously taught me that most doors in galactic society are controlled by computers, and since my incorporeal servants had previously shown their aptitude at possessing machinery. I think that this is the most logical solution to the issue of the door. The massive door slowly creeks open with a loud groan of machinery, completely unlike the smooth wooshing sound I have come to assosciate with most doors here.

I smile and casually swat down the monster in mind as I step through the doorway and into a spacious chamber. My Occult Eye spell along with my NVR work hard to identify all the strange technology contained in it. But I am looking for one word in particular and soon I see it "Cyberbeast Control Node", floating above a wide panel connected to some kind of purple orb. My grin grows wider as I confidently stride towards the panel, as I am eager to complete this first objective of my infiltration.

My grin is cut short as suddenly a large fist descends on me from behind and almost smashes me into the floor. One of my suspended spells activate as the trigger was being attacked from behind, and a lesser mana shield surrounds me. The massive mettalic appendage easily smashes through the spell, but it gives me enough time to roll away from the attack. Somehow, my cape of invisbility must have been pierced. As I roll the cape flows around me and I become visible to the naked eye again.

I quickly spot my assailant, it is a massive four meter tall construct standing there with two massive arms. In it's chest cavity I see several long barrels that are now pointing towards me. Thought is not an option here, merely instinct, as I must roll away again as a barrage of blaster fire is shot at where I previously stood. The massive automata's barrels follows my movement and repeats it's assault before I can rise up again.

The intense barrage is only halted once I manage to roll behind some kind of metallic box. I breathe rapidly as I focus on what has happened. In my excitement I ignored the possibility of a guardian left in the chamber, an obvious mistake which I must fault myself for having missed later. It's steps almost causes the room to shake with the weight of it as the massive machine steps towards my impromptu hiding place.

I can hear it smoothly raise one of it's arms ready to smash me. I make my snapping like motion with my hand as even the threat of imminent death is not enough to make me able to snap my fingers, and I then whisper "break". Before I roll out from my hiding space and aim my staff at the attacker. I feel the lesser limitbreak spell take effect, but that is of no consequence as I unleash a blast from my staff at my attacker. The purple blast hits it and I see it barely scorch the armor of the massive metal creature.

It rapidly sends it's fist down towards me and only my enhanced agillity let's me avoid the blow as I sidestep it. The barrels then move to aim at me, and I have to roll under and between it's legs, to avoid being disappated by the intense barrage that follows. So my staff's eldritch attack is essentially pointless against my assailant here, and I suspect that my eldritch javelin will not do much more against it.

If my Instinct level was higher, I could perhaps have improvised a use of my principle of Containment to trap the massive construct. But sadly I do not think I have it in me to use that level of improvised magic yet, my rapid stream of thoughts are interrupted once again as I my efforts to elude my attacker are rendered in effective. Before I can roll into cover again, the barrels aim to both sides of where I could go and start firing down on the floor. Effectively cutting me off from any escape routes.

The strike that would send my broken body to the floor never hits me, however, as the air around the construct flickers for a moment and it halts. I can hear the metal monstrosity strain, but it takes me a heartbeat to realize the cause. Tlokbur has entered the chamber and her majestic black bow is swaying on her. She must be unleashing her scrambling attack on the machine. This breathing room gives me time to use one of the potions I managed to create before the attack.

I pull out one of my two Living Anti-Circuitry Acid phials, and I throw it at the "head" of the machine. The thick clear liquid coats the head for only a few moments before it starts flowing in through gaps in it. The magical acid is seeking out it's "food" and, I begin moving again as Tlokbur pauses her scrambling attack. I roll into cover and I aim my staff at the robot, before it can turn to attack Tlokbur I send another blast as it. It barely damages it, but this machine is clearly torn between me and Tlokbur. She on her end resumes the Scrambling again and stretches out with her long tentacles to wrap around it's arms.

It strains against her grip and it is obvious who will win that pulling contest. But I rush forward and jab the machine in it's chest with my staff. The electrical attack of the staff is amplified by the enchantments on it, but it is clear that it does relatively little damage to the machine. It manages to rip itself free from Tlokbur's tentacles and the remnants of momentum from that action sends the fist into my chest, which in turn sends me flying back into the wall. I land and absently dismiss the notifications telling me I have taken 30 physical damage.

My sudden and imminent death at the hands of the machine never comes, as yet again it is interrupted as a third party enters the conflict. With an alien and furious roar that it's physical form belies to show the true magnificence of, Sugar Plum jumps on the machine. It's little cat claws somehow managing to scratch deep gashes into the metallic construct. I blink at the absurdity of the sight as the tiny cat battles the 4 meter tall giant. The knees of the robot buckles and Sugar Plum has to jump away with a yelp, as the machine falls forward onto the floor. Smoke is rising from it's head and I sigh in relief.

"LEARN FROM THIS PITIFUL MONSTERS OF THIS REALM. I!...SUGAR PLUM, AM YOUR BANE!" The Little Cat jumps on the body of the foe that he clearly believes he slayed. The fae looks about the room with satisfication radiating from his face and it even smirks at where I lay. I am too relieved for having escaped the grip of oblivion, to be angry over the fact that a lesser faerie is smirking at me. Tlokbur stares at the cat with her many eyes before she focuses on me.

"Errr, Glyphie why did that cat just slash through metallic armor that can withstand plasma missiles? Moreover did that cat just call itself Sugar Plum?" Tlokbur stops for a moment to consider this before she rushes over and grabs Sugar Plum in her tentacles. "Ohhhh Sugar Plum, now I remember! You are that cat I found in the jungle, are you a magical cat" Her voice is frankly giddy with excitement, I on my end am glad that Sugar Plum is a faerie since they understand all tongues.

Sugar Plum struggles in the vines of Tlokbur before it goes limp in her grip. "Yes...I am a fae who is a cat." Sugar Plum eventually says as it sighs in defeat. Tlokbur on her end pulls the cat into her body and seems to place him safely within her titanic body. "Welp, you better stay in here where you are safe. I am so happy to meet you again Sugar Plum."

I distinctly think I can hear purring come from within the folds of plantmatter, but it is too muted for me to be certain. "We do not have time for this, the mission must be our focus. We can handle introductions later." The air of impatience in my voice seemingly rouses Tlokbur out of her reverie and she turns her attention towards me. "Mission first, got it. So the Control Node is what we need to handle right?" Tlokbur asks this as she wanders over to the control node and begins interacting with the control panel.

"Indeed, take this." I throw a little coin-like piece of metal at Tlokbur, she catches it with a vacant tentacle and brings it before her eyes. "Ohhh, this is some serious tech. I wonder how Vlesie got it, but that is something I can ask her later." Tlokbur comments the device absently as she brings it over to the panel and attaches the "coin" to the underside of it. She then steps back and turns to me, "welp I think we better run. Shit is going to get hot down here and we should find our friends."

The slang is unknown to me, but I understand the point well enough. I do not bother saying anything as I just jog out of the chamber with Tlokbur lumbering after me. "Follow me, Glyphie, I know the way to the elevator." I let Tlokbur take the lead as we quickly move down through the labyrinthine corridors. It takes us only a few minutes for us to reach the elevator, this part of the complex is coated in blood and gore. Tlokbur stretches a tentacle towards the door and when it doesn't open she looks preturbed.

"Ahhh fuck, they have initiated the emergency lockdown. I can sense that the elevator is still down on our level, but I am going to have to crack it." Tlokbur states this with a noticeable amount of annoyance in her voice, before she begins flicking her tentacles at the air. I let her get to her work while I turn to guard us from any potential ambushers. The screams of dying humans reverberate through the corridors, but soon enough I hear running footsteps coming towards us. A squad of five humans armed with ranged weapons are coming down the corridor towards us, they exclaim in surprise as seeing us.

Before they can ask any questions, or begin their attack. I snap a phial out of my belt and throw it at the group, a light blue gas suddenly fills the corridor they are in. The sound of the screams is drowned out by the sudden onset of laughter that the soldiers fill the air with. The laughing gas phial was a useful investment as I expected, I smile and take the time to fire two eldritch blasts into the cloud.

I can hear yelps of pain coming from the cloud, but I do not let that stop me as I run towards the cloud. Three of the five humans stumble out of the cloud, and I quickly smack the first of them with my staff. I spin my weapon around and jab the second of them with the end of my staff, the enhanced electricity cooks the human alive in his own body. The last remaining human lifts his barrel towards me, and I smack it aside before I silence his laughter by punching his throat.

As the warrior falls to the floor I jab all three of them with my staff to ensure they remain dead, by sending electricity coursing through them. It only takes a few seconds after this for the laughing gas to dissipate, the two remaining humans lay on the ground clutching their chests and stomach, while they giggle uncontrollably . I aim my staff at the two humans and quickly execute them with two eldritch blasts into their heads. I turn back towards Tlokbur and I step back over to the elevator.

"Are you done with the machine?" I ask Tlokbur impatiently as I glance back to see if more Shieldmaiden agents will come our way. Tlokbur flicks a tentacle at me, but she doesn't stop her work on the door. The message from Tlokbur is easy enough to read, so I turn back to guard her. Each second that passes as I stand there seems to last an eternity, I can only feel my beating heart as I wait for more complications to arise. But the eternity passes and nothing happens, before the woosh of the elevator door shakes me free from my thoughts.

Tlokbur taps me on my shoulder, "well the elevator is ours now. Soooo, time to go I think. I still haven't had the time to ask what you did to my staff, but I expect to hear about it once all of this is over." Tlokbur says with an air of playfulness in her voice as the two of us step into the elevator. The doors closes again and the elevator starts moving back up through the complex with impressive speed.

"I hope it is the two of you coming up the elevator. As reinforcements for the enemy is going to be shitty, Namatha has secured the administrators. I think Mary is still making minced meat of the troops on the ground floor, the resistance army is attacking from outside. Come up to me and we can cut of any rescue missions sent to free the administ- shit." Torran's report is cut of and myself and Tlokbur stand there in silence. "He must be under attack, since he can see that this contraption is moving up. It is reasonable that we will be attacked once the doors open."

I state this sourly as this metallic box is not exactly ideal for us when we are going to be ambushed. Tlokbur flicks a tentacle and the elevator seemingly slows it's movement. "So, we need a plan then. I can hide myself from their eyes with my skulking talents, it sucks that you can't do the same Glyphie, because that would make it much more easy." This statement provokes a grim little chuckle from me as I lean in to whisper, "Oh then I have some good news for you." Tlokbur makes a giggle like sound as I explain what my cape can do, and we exchange ideas that quickly become a useable plan.

The Elevator stops on the floor below Torran for less than a minute, before it moves up one more floor. I am crouching against the right wall of the elevator with my cape of invisibility draped around me. As the doors open I see a group of 10 mercenaries that I vaguely recognize point their weapons in our direction. They do not fire as to their eyes and helmet sensors, there are no living things inside of the elevator. The armored blonde human that I seem to recall wanted to lead the various mercenaries steps forward and turns to the troops. "Clearly, they got off on the floor beneath us. The fucking traitors know how we tend to operate, let's split off and have three of you run down to deal with them. The rest of us need to free the Administrators or we are never going to get paid."

Three of the soldiers that the blonde human pointed at begins to step towards the Elevator. As the rest of the humans turn away from us, Tlokbur and I react as one. I clap my hands and with that activate an eldritch javelin spell that is sent flying right into two of the three humans stepping towards the elevator. Tlokbur on her end unleashes what I suspect is a powerful scrambling attack as the remaining 8 humans stumble, and fall over to the floor. Before, any of our enemies can react, a green blaster shot hits the third of the mercenaries that lay in our directions. The shot came from several metallic boxes standing over by a corner.

I cannot think about our unseen ally, as the 7 remaining humans are scrambling to their feet. Before they can unleash their attacks at us, I manage to roll out of the elevator and slap my hand down onto the floor while making a snapping sound with my mouth. Soon enough, several grasping hands rises up from the floor to entangle several of the soldiers. The blonde human and another mercenary manages to roll out from the throng of eldritch limbs, and aim their weapons at me.

My conciousness returns to an avalanche of pain, as I realize that I am laying on the floor. A flickering mana shield is surrounding my body and I feel my staff no longer being in my hands. I blink up at a status notification hovering in my vision informing me that I have been reduced down to 20 remaining health points. Smoke is floating up from my clothes and I feel burns coating my chest. Memories surge back to me as I remember the two mercenaries hitting me with their blaster weapons.

I blink and try to move my battered body and what I see is carnage. 6 soldiers are laying on the ground with 5 of them being crushed by eldritch limbs and blood pouring out of their eyes and ears. The 6th soldier has no head left to speak off, just a bloody and charred pulp left in it's place. As my senses return to me I finally hear the clamour of battle, and I see Torran and the blonde human exchanging blows in a fist fight.

Torran blocks the incoming strike from the blonde human who I finally remember is named James Taylor. His metallic arm easily manages to block the strike and he rushes forward to grasp Jameses throat with his mummified arm. The limb displays surprising strength as Torran lifts the man up and slams him down onto the floor, I see the very life force of the man being sucked out of him through the hand. With my still active Occult eye skill as tendrils of purple energy. James Taylor soon enough looks like a mummy himself as Torran lets go of his throat and steps back from the corpse. "And this Glyphie, is one of the many things I want to ask about." He says as he lifts his hand up before his eyes to examine it.