With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

Khepri sponsored a superhero in DC actually- Scarab.

He actually evolved from a rejected Dr Fate pitch, but the end result was more What if the Blue Beetle Scarab was an Egyptian god.

Although he predates Reyes, which is the beetle he's most similar to.

 

I wonder why daemons are bad ad defending themselves from ego theft?
Shouldn't they be harder to yoink because of how much in control of their own essence?

As for the new chapter.
Superboy found a potential investor/patron.

I wonder how powerful he would be if he had the blessings of every sun god on earth.+Rao.

 

Are daemons really in control of themselves? Identity Theft essentially works, from my perspective, hijacking your desires to infiltrate your metaphysic. Then use that as a vector, like a virus, to inject and spread the orange light, replacing the previously natural composition of the victim's soul (and body, in the case of living beings).

I wouldn't count Daemons as individuals well-adjusted or self-aware enough to cut off/block/shield what allows Identity Theft to attach to them, their selfish wants and desires. Even if they knew what is essentially soul magic, the emotional electromagnetic spectrum is such a different and abstract method that they would probably need to study it to even understand what's happening to them and during the assimilation itself there's definitely not enough time.

 

And oblivion may also be better for stopping evil people from getting power like Harm and that speedster demon.

He is a god of the hunt.

Yep.

He's still gone up against it and survived, so that says a lot.

Add a space between these two.

Well this is interesting.

Granted, I can see the Olympians going to Khandaqi territory since in some myths they are connected to them.

Assuming they went willingly.

 

Given that Apep was said to be the greatest enemy of Ra, at least sixteen yards long with a head made of flint, had the title of World-Encircler and was said to be the cause of Earth quakes? I'd say he is pretty Fing formidable! Or at least he would be if he wasn't also really, really stupid.

 

I think the aesthetic is more because this is a shadow realm, a place of darkness and night. A place where the light, the Sun is a foreign invader. Possibly also a place where people who lose dramatically important Children's Card Games get sent.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Smart move, though it does make dodging a little tougher, especially if you're having to dodge the crests of dunes.

Okay, Cernie's reason might be just a little bit more useful.

So, traces of Khepri's passage? Logical enough. He must get bored, though, walking the same route constantly...

In other words, you ain't found shit?

Excellent. Good thing you decided to let him come along.

...Quick guess: Is it a giant black snake? It's on theme with everything else around here.

So no having to dodge him... Yet.

That doesn't necessarily mean he's bad at what he does...

...Honestly a good question. I mean, a normal fly wouldn't have that great a range, given metabolic needs, but Sheeda creatures operate on different rules.

And what little brain they do have is probably optimised for managing flight mechanics.

That would require a very specific sort of inventive logic. Though I wouldn't be surprised if there was some insect-focused hypercognitive out there.

Really, a good helicopter would do the same job as the flies or beetles.

Probably a symbolic thing.After all, he is descending into darkness to aid another. Of course the blessing is weakened this far from the path of the Sun.

You're hoping he gets time to recognise it. ideally it'd be like 'Back to the Future's slow dissipation rather than, say, Alucard's little Schrodinger moment.

And it's not like it's simply a giant tunnel under the world above...

Oh dear. I hope that's not Apep. It would make sense for it to be Death-aligned, after all.

...Ah, it was something akin to godspeech, then. In the same way his own spiritual 'whispers' are...

Yeah, splitting up would be bad here.

Hopefully she's just keeping her head down. This place is probably damn scary to a spirit literally born yesterday.

...I mean, where is your shadow being cast?

I understood that reference!

I mean, Kon hasn't picked up any Godspeech before. I's not likely he would now.

Or they got tired and stopped for a rest?

Hey, at least you're not trying to do it for a full snake form. That would end up looking like a slinky, I suspect.

Ah, they did stop... To set an ambush. Presumably whoever's controlling them considered them expendable.

...Let's hope that isn't Elvish blood. Or this will have been a wasted trip and all they can do is avenge Nuala.

Well, shit. Looks like they got Apep's attention.

In which case, wherever this portal leads, it's better than here. Which is likely about to re-enacting the sandworm attack scene from Dune.

...Why are you not running? Flying? Anything that will get you away from that?

Huh. Well, hands up, anyone who was expecting that?

Fascinating. How did a portal into Themyscira end up here? And more importantly, who made it? Assuming it wasn't Constantine. More importantly, this does sidestep a few of the stages of this sidequest. Though there's still an Elvish maiden to rescue. And I get the feeling they won't be able to access Erebus from here until some other arbitrary annoying vital task is completed.

 

Really regretting abandoning Earth right now aren't you?

 

Looks like Apep is missing in action but his realm is still there.

 

At.

 

Was that an Anti-lifed Apep?

 

Thank you, corrected.

 

I used to think I'd always choose life. Then I experienced near peak pain.

If such pain was constant, with no hope of reprieve, desensitization, something.... I would choose to not exist. Probably quite fast.

If I knew for sure, that the pain will stop after... not sure. One month? I still might not make it.

Of course, in real world I could probably muddle through with enough painkillers, but if that peak pain continued at that level, without easing.... heck, I'm not sure how many days I could last.

 

Yeah, against the most commonly understood concept of Hell, that of eternal damnation, torture and pain, I'm most emphatically choosing non-existance. That's what I believe in right now, anyway, and I'm fine with that; just biological process taking care of my remains and memories for those who know me, that's it.

Really curious how this quest is unfolding. They went through the Kahndaqi Shadow Realm, found proof of Sheeda Beetles being used and an Aztec sacrificial portal to Themyscira, possibly created with thre divine blood bought. And, was that "Life?" Just Apep resonating with Anti-Life or just with Death? Or was it something else and Apep is gone/possibly dead? And does this place have some conceptual connection to the Shadowlands or just similarities?

 

I kinda wish we could read about people's in-universe reactions to this.

 

Paol, you might want to make some improvements while you're rearranging his skull, clearly there's some issues with the hardware.

 

Either he should scan that Leitdorf person and fix what is broken or find a way to discreetly remove him because...yeah

 

"And that, Lady Richilde, is why I prefer democracy. The bureaucracy moves at the speed of slow, but it's also a hell of a lot easier to remove someone in power who is unfit to be in power."

 

Ah, seeing to the process of extermination? I do hope the lady has at least donned some more appropriate clothing for trudging through skaven-loaded sewers and underpassess. Otherwise, that sounds like a nasty way to get unpleasant infections.

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Honestly, not one of the prettier aspects of Skaven biology. Sorry, folks, the hot rat-chick market isn't open here.

Well, that's the stuff of nightmares there. I certainly hope the countess hasn't been turned off children, though.

Surprising. Not even a thermal emitter? A simple flamethrower fed from subspace stocks of oil?

Compared to the shit they saw in the invasion, this would be nothing.

I don't think the lady is interested in science.

Just watch out for any unusual particulates in the smoke.

I doubt anything here's tough enough to kill them, even three-on-one, so that would be their job done?

If they survive, they get time reduced? At the risk of dying horribly? I can see some standing up., Otherwise, they'll be volun-told.

...Well, it's a start. That's about all you can hope for.

...Ten or so more to go.

The doughty Elector Count of Middenheim. Nearly any invading Chaos army's first stop on the way south. A grim leader for a grim folk.

Besides, the ladies probably find the eyepatch dashing.

...Not all that distinguishing. Especially if he changed his equipment over the years.

I doubt that'll refine matters any.

Blame the limited poses of early models of the era.

That will be a bit more of an identifier, yes. And if it turns out to have six... I'd honestly be impressed.

Still describes a lot of Beast characters. They were a good way to indicate status in models back then.

Why not show remote imaging of them first? It seems troublesome to have to fly off each time.

And honestly, Beastmen characters hardly played significant roles in major campaigns anyway. It was all about the humans.

And a tribe or two disrupted, as they sort out their leadership situations.

Ah. Marius the Mad. One of the drawbacks of these positions being for life. Still, get him aimed the right way and on task, and he'll pursue it to the bitter end.

As long as it isn't someone important to the Empire.

...Remember, you want him on your side.

Certainly, any random beastman is an easier ask than...

...<facepalms> Good gravy. ...Which he'd probably refuse, despite it likely improving the flavour.

Oh, you are going to love this, your lordship...

Pity you can't do a little tinkering while you're in there. It'd only be an improvement.

Let's hope you don't get distracted in the process. Though losing him would probably make his court happy, you'd still have to wait for a new Count to be selected.

...Honestly, it's probably not even the strangest thing he's been asked for. Hopefully the rest of them are easy compared to these last couple. I expect most will simply ask for some housecleaning, clear out some particularly aggressive warbands or the like. Or just demand a lot of money. neither thing being that difficult for Paol.

---

Graf Boris Todbringer peers at the severed, one-eyed head.

But this is getting to me.

 

At this point, the Orks, Daemons, Servants of Chaos and Beastman alike probably all think the same thing: "F@#$, NOT AGAIN!"

I dare say the color Orange is probably the most accursed in the eyes of the forces of Chaos and Destruction by now.

TECLIS: (Amazed) You actually fed the mad count his own head?

PAOL: WHY is that the one thing that everyone focuses on?!

 

‘its..’

It’s fucking Toddy!

 

Considerably more mad than he was in Honour of the Grave. Did the Turmoil of 2512 take place earlier in the year, if he's already the Elector Count?

 

There os crazy, and eat-your-own-head crazy, but at least he seems easy enogh to work with?

 

That's an improvement on both counts. In a democracy, the bureaucracy moves at the speed of slow... but under feudalism, it moves at the speed of a tired and ornery mule. Mostly because said mule is required to carry tax papers by the wagonload, up and down winding dirt roads to the capital. If they actually arrive intact, instead of being ruined by rain, bandits, mishandling, accident, or 'accident', then the excisemen can puzzle through them, comparing lists of figures in sloppy and uneven handwriting to the pile of coins in quaint local denominations received, while they try to determine if the amount received is approximately correct... likely by reference to other documents, which are stored in the third subbasement under the old castle. Should a long search through dark and poorly-organized rooms full of disintegrating old papers turn up any useful finds, and should said findings meaningfully conflict with the results of the count and not be meaningfully explained by the documentation, then they'll need to direct any questions to the lord responsible for that region. Should some inquisitive soul arrive at his manor to so ask, they'll find that he's off on a hunting trip and won't be back for the next week or so. If they do return in a week, and actually catch the lord in question, they can have an circuitous and unhelpful conversation about the discrepancies, in which they are given a pile of excuses and no additional gold (unless they seem bribeable, in which case they'll return with full pockets and close the matter for now). Should they feel the need to continue pursuing the matter, they'll need to meet with another noble of sufficient rank to seriously accuse the allegedly delinquent lord (cue a couple more repeats of the 'lord is busy/absent at the moment' scene on each leg of the trip, and perhaps the turning of the seasons). If by that point all evidence and witnesses relevant to the problem haven't mysteriously gotten 'lost', perhaps there'll be sufficient grounds to actually do something about it.

 

You had a chance to check nature vs nurture on Skaven and decided to kill some humanoid babies instead. Bravo!

 

[Breathes in]

[Looks at Rule 8]

[Breathes out]

"Skaven has mutant if you have warpstone-coin."

Time reduced? The Empire doesn't use imprisonment as punishment. The stocks, beatings, fines, maiming and hanging are the options. In Altdorf for example theft is punished by the removal of an ear lobe. Out of ear lobes? They hang you. Three strikes.

They weren't keen on being in the room with a magical orange beastman.

Thank you, corrected.

No, that's correct. 'Which isn't unreasonable, but… But this is getting to be.'

Thank you, corrected.

"No, he fed himself his own head. It's his brain that's damaged; his arms are fine."

As far as I can tell, he's bipolar. The SI caught him in the manic part of his cycle. He's not doing this because he thinks it's normal behaviour, he's doing it because he thinks it's funny.

 

To be fair, he's fucking right.

That shit's hilarious.

 

Eh, they’re babies, which means they’re already barely people, and then on top of that they’re skaven. I think the morality of killing them is pretty reasonable, and he hasn’t lost an irretrievable opportunity because he can just get more from a different place.

 

TECLIS: Ah, naturally. What of the courtiers? Were they appalled, or did they stoically accept the proceedings with all the grace of those accustomed to the madness of others?

PAOL: They were a bit disquieted, judging from their expressions, but I think they were mostly impressed that I actually managed to fulfill their liege lord's insane request.