In the darkness of the black void, Gouki seethed with blind rage. His mind was ablaze with fury and questions. Who had dared interrupt his training? Who had taken him from the island he dwelled in and brought him into this empty world? Who thought they could subdue him, the master of the fist, the unrivalled fighting force, the one who was called a demon so great was his power, and get away with it?

In other words, who wanted to die?

Omni's silhouette appeared. Gouki immediately rounded on him... Or was Omni rounding on him? The total lack of light made it hard for even for the master martial artist to judge the distance between him and the mysterious figure. The demon couldn't even see his own hands though he was sure he was holding them up in front of his eyes.

Omni spoke. Gouki fought to reply with a stream of blood-curdling death threats but found that his mouth had been bound shut.

Omni spoke some more. Gouki looked around to find a way to escape the black trap he'd fallen into but found that everywhere was darkness.

Omni continued his monologue. Gouki tried to punch him and his despicable grin but found that no matter how much he tried, he couldn't close the gap between them.

And so the demon raged in silence. Even when Omni waved over a rainbow coloured sphere of light, Gouki only gave the sample of omnilium the briefest of glances before turning his hateful gaze back towards his captor. Gouki was not one to be talked down to yet here was this shadow telling him to "listen carefully", telling him that he was "nothing" without omnilium, telling him that he "should not fear death". No living being had spoken to him in such a fearless manner and lived to tell the tale, which is why his blood boiled at Omni's condescendence. He swore then and there that he would kill him given the first opportunity.

Omni finished his speech and faded away, as did the darkness, leaving Gouki alone in a vast expanse of immaculate whiteness, his mouth finally unbound.

"Death is beneath me!" he roared, his body trembling with the intense anger he felt, "My fearsome fists will dispatch you to damnation! Fight me now!"

There came no reply, not even the echo of his words.

"Do not believe you can escape my wrath! I will find you and destroy you!"

Again, silence.

Then he heard a knock. Two knocks. Three knocks.

Gouki turned around, expecting to see Omni, but instead faced a sōzu, a water fountain made of wood, rocks and bamboo. From a boulder as tall as he was high ran a trickle of water that poured over its edge and landed on a bamboo stick that was propped up in the middle of its length by a piece of wood shaped like the letter Y. The bamboo stick had been cut and positioned so that its open end would catch the water falling from the boulder while its closed end rested against a smooth rock the size of a fist. As the bamboo filled with water and its weight distribution changed, it pivoted against the wooden support and tipped over, emptying its contents into the gravel that lay at the fountain's base before dropping back into in its initial position and 'knocking' the small rock. Fountains like these were typically found in Japanese gardens and served the same purpose as scarecrows; they were designed to scare away plant eating animals with their sharp, startling knocking.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Gouki sneered in contempt.

Name: Naz'ruk

Character Source: Oc (Inspired by Dazzle from Dota 2, and the sun shine man saint's row two)

Character History: Naz'ruk's history is little known to normal men, but it is known this. Though his practice of the voodoo arts, he has ungodly powers, said to only be killed via destroying his heart.

Naz'ruk was just a young troll boy, when the Shadow priest Dazzle came to his town, looking for an apprentice. Dazzle's magics, said to come from the great Nothel realm itself, where legendary among Naz's people. Seeking a way out from his fearful parents, how had attempted to beat out Naz's natural gift for magic, He slipped away with Dazzle, and learned under the great priest. However, one day when attempting to cast a extremely difficult spell, said to ward of death for a few moments, Naz was infused with the spell, nearly killing him...but making him much harder to kill. What happened after this, is unknown....but they found the shadow priest Dazzle leaping about with joy, saying he had finally ascended someone to the Nothel realm alive...
Level: 1
Spent OM:

Proficiencies2000 Omi)
Ranged Proficiency - 1000
Debuff Proficiency - 1000

Powers2000) Survival

Moves:900

Poison Blast: Lobs a large caustic glob at Naz'ruk's foe of choice, slowing them down, and burning them. After a few moments, it will stun the foe. After the stun, the foe still is effected by the burning effect, but their movement
isn't hampered. If the foe is armored (Or has a def stat of over 3), it will reduce their armor, but not harm them. They will loose .5 def over two turns. -600 omni

Weave: Using his voodoo magics, Naz'ruk unweaves the armor of his foes, reducing their Def stat over time, up to a point. They loose .25 def a turn(?) for 8 turns, and after the 6th turn, the debuff vanishes, their def returning to normal.

Super Moves:

Transformations:

Summons:

Items:

Bases:

Unlocks:

Base stats:
ATK: 2
DEF: 4
SPD: 1
TEC:3

So this weekend is Colorado's major anime convention, Nan Desu Kan and I thought I'd bring up the obligatory "Do you guys cosplay or go to cons?!" topic. I rarely ever go to anime cons because well...I don't like anime that much. I used to and then I went to an anime con. BTW if you're Japanese, don't ever tell people you're Japanese at an anime con. You'll be flooded with "Way-toshi weh nom-i-ay David-o-kun" and "Kawaiiiiiiiiiiidesuyosouneka".

So how does a Japanese guy get revenge on weeaboos? He goes to their conventions as Deadpool and ruins their day.

Yeah, Colorado has Denver Comic Con and I go there to just be the best damn Deadpool that ever Deadpool'd. But I go to anime cons to cause mayhem, pull pranks, make tasteless jokes and generally troll anime dweebs. All in good fun of course.

And yeah, this costume isn't the outfit you buy from a store/ebay/amazon. I made it from the ground up. Designed the top and bottom, put it all together, had to follow a tutorial for the mask, installed a waistline zipper to attach both pieces of the costume and all that good stuff. It's all very breathable and comfortable, gives me flexibility to run and jump and do stunts (yeah I don't just stand around and be a smart ass, I actually went through some rough athletic training to get the physique for Deadpool) and durable enough that it doesn't rip or tear. It's like...my pride and joy and every year more and more people remember my costume specifically and then remember what an amazing asshole I am because when that mask is on, everything is in character.

Made with 100% cotton
Sheer fabric for the eyes
Industrial jacket zipper line
Velcro for the mask
Leather collar for the neck piece
Leather straps for the wrists and ankles
Altered Under Armor Utility gloves
Custom converse X-Hi Tops (The heel says BAMF)
Altered backpack for sword sheaths/carrier
Hardwood bokken for dual swords
H&K MP5 SMG airsoft guns
Hunting grade gun slings
WWII era dummy grenades
Tactical Utility belt w/ canvas pouches
Pewter Deadpool belt buckle

"My name is Omni..."

It rang clear. In a darkness that felt so tangible it ought to smother all sound and light, that voice rang clear. So, too, did he clearly perceive the impossible silhouette within the dark. How was it visible? What light could cast a shadow in this perfect pitch black? There was nothing to do - nowhere to go, not that he could even seem to turn away from the shadowed figure.

"...With it, everything you desire can be yours..."

What did he desire? What want could be worth anything in this darkness? And even if there was more to it, it was a tall claim to make that this incandescent sphere of something held such power. A name wandered to the front of his thoughts... Vinheim. The Dragon School. He remembered the many marvellous things its mages had made possible, as if he had needed the reminder to warn himself not to rush to a judgement of this... place. If it could even be called such. For now, little to be done but accept what he was being shown by this strangest of dreams.

"...For as long as you interest me, you will be reborn..."

If he had had the capacity, he might have scowled to hear this. Reborn - he knew all too well that the notion never boded well, however much it might promise at first glance. The chaos wrought by the Darksign had made that abundantly clear to him. He couldn't decide which idea he disliked more - being liberated from death by the whims of this figure which now claimed to hold power over him, or by the grip of a curse about which next to nothing had ever been discovered.

"...I'll be watching... and waiting."

As suddenly as this dream began, it was over - the darkness gave way to blinding light.

But the ground beneath him felt real.

Slowly, Ornstein blinked his eyes open. Though encased in a mercifully familiar metal - his armour remained with him - he could tell he was laying on something. He placed his hands against the ground and pushed himself to his feet, rising groggily. Beneath the bestial visage of his helm, he screwed up his face. It was bright... far too bright, and far too empty. There was absolutely nothing to be seen, not even a horizon that was discernible from the flat white of the sky. As a matter of fact, it didn't look like there was solid ground beneath him at all. He'd gone straight from a void of black to a void of white, it appeared.

Well, almost a void. After a few moments of staring, he became sensible of a steady trickling sound behind him and turned. He was met with a fountain, about as many meters tall as it was wide, hewn of rough, dull grey stone. A broad column rose from its base, from which five narrow channels poured water into the pool below. Atop the column was a wide, shallow bowl... containing a bonfire. Ornstein couldn't help a derisive laugh that echoed within his helm. Was this a twisted jest on Omni's part? Did he mean to mock the knight within his dreams?

...Come to think of it, when had he fallen asleep? He couldn't recall ever leaving his lady Gwynevere's side, not once since her father uttered his last command before his departure. He and Smough had held their vigil over the Princess... Crash! A mighty shriek of steel against steel echoed in his ears. Or was it in his mind? It came again, brief and sharp as before... Blades. A battle. But he would've remembered a battle, so who could have... Wait.

Them. Now Ornstein remembered. Two there had been; one bore the arms and armour of an elite knight of Astora, while the other had appeared little more than a ghost, albeit one which glowed a brilliant yellow. They had stepped into the cathedral, intruders upon the Princess' domain. So Ornstein and Smough had interposed to answer their impudent challenge. But they were slow, sloppy - Ornstein's years of lacking practice had betrayed him at the worst possible moment. Smough fell first, collapsing in a great heap in the center of the half-ruined hall. The Dragonslayer had paid a brief final respect to the executioner - hideous habits be damned, he had served his Lord - and consumed the great soul given to his partner to claim its power. Alone, he refreshed his assault upon the two intruders, but with a freshly practiced deftness they evaded almost his every strike.

He remembered pain - sharp and fiery, as if to simply remind him of how it was meant to feel after he had been out of its reach for so very long. He remembered a final panicked, longing glance in the direction of Gwynevere's chamber as he collapsed to the floor. He had failed her. He was dead. Or was he? The grinning figure of Omni had reached out from beyond Lordran, it appeared, to inflict his design upon the fallen Dragonslayer. Was this some kind of afterlife, perhaps? A purgatory where he would remain to reflect on his failure? No. Omni had spoken as if there was far more to this place than met the eye; it simply remained to be discovered.

The knight stepped to the edge of the fountain and leaned forward to behold his rippling reflection. His armour appeared... charred. It had been blackened as if by fire, and taken on a similar ashen grey to the stone of the fountain. How thoughtful of Omni to impart this stark visual reminder of the duty Ornstein had left behind. So if his armour had at least been salvaged, then where was his spear? He stepped away and paced around the fountain, looking around the empty landscape for any sign of his weapon - ah, there it was. It had been hidden from his sight by his original position next to the fountain, but it was on the other side, its blade jabbed into the central column. Conveniently, the pommel was at his eye level, so he needed only reach out to take hold of it and pull the weapon free. From the fresh hole in the column, another gout of water poured free.

He studied the spear, and sadly found it blackened as his armour had been. Even the blade was dull, devoid of its usual immaculate shine. What a miserable sight, but at least it was here and he wasn't unarmed. Next order of business: decide where to go. Now that his eyes had adjusted to the light - constant, if it wasn't intense - he peered around again at what he estimated was the horizon... There was something out there. Something in eight directions, in fact, spaced evenly as far as he could tell. But they were tiny and distant; reaching them on foot would take quite some time.

If there was one thing he appeared to have in abundance, though, it was time. So towards one of these distant points, the Dragonslayer began to walk.

Even though I enjoy reading (though it is a hobby I've sadly neglected far too much in recent years), I never had much of a habit of reading the writings of my fellow writers on PbP RPG sites. Even back on Chubbs, it was quite rare for me to read anything that didn't directly or indirectly involve my characters. In retrospect, that wasn't a good thing, since I have no doubt I missed out on a lot of good stuff by doing so. But that's beside the point.

The Omniverse is now a year old and, by this time, I'm sure there are a couple of stories that have stood out from the rest. Since I wish to be more active and involved this time around, I am interested in reading some of the works fellow members have created. For this reason, I would like to ask for your recommendations. In your opinion, what are some of the best Omniverse stories that have been written so far?

If anyone is interested in joining in my and Buggy's thread, "Cinnabon Isle Arc," feel free. We're located in the Vasty Deep and heading for Cinnabar Island soon. You can either plan to meet us before we depart or travel on your own and meet up with us once we reach the island.

I can't seem to find a page in the Rules that details all the ways to earn Omnilium... I know that posting IC is one way and voting is another, then there's the weekly top-up and then there's becoming an overlord in a verse, you can actually find Omnilium in-game or extract it from items and by killing other Primes.

Are there any other methods? And how is the Omnilium per IC post calculated?

I'm not one for solo-roleplay and I've yet to make an entrance in the Omniverse, however my character sheet is ready and has been approved, which means I'll soon be turning up in the Nexus.

Anyone interested in running into Gouki there and possibly being challenged to a fight to the death? Or being called weak? (That's just what he does, nothing personal!)

It's still the 8th here so...

Happy Birthday, Link! Congrats on another successful trip around the sun. Ya' did good.