Post by Baalbatos on Jun 13, 2016 20:08:26 GMT -5
(Heavy weights on!)
The Crane Master was dead. Damn it, thought Baalbatos as he flew along, damn it, damn it, damn it! There went everything he had been planning for. It had been all about getting stronger, all about gaining knowledge, about becoming a master of the arts so that he might use his power to forge empires. With the power of the Crane, he'd have so much more of an edge. Damn it, he thought again, all that time wasted with the Crane Master. And now he was dead. He did not even know how the man had died, just that he had. Damn him, thought the lilac skinned demon, damn him right to Hell! The man had practically ruined his plans. All his work was now practically for naught. He was so mad, he could practically kill someone. But he wouldn't. No, drawing negative press was the last thing he wanted to do now.
Baalbatos came to a dead stop in the air. He hovered there for a few moments, the mass of his weights dragging down on him, pulling towards the Earth. His breathing was harsh and his mind was alight, brimming with a fire of possibilities, a thousand contingency plans, trying to piece together what was left of his plans. His knowledge of the Crane arts... It was so incomplete. Well, he thought, perhaps he could do without the whole thing... No, he thought, that would not do at all. He did not like to leave things undone, and he did not do things in half measures. It was not like him.
"No," he whispered to himself as the winds whipped at his silvery, white hair, "I will not let it end here. I am Baalbatos. I do not let small matters such as death get in my way. I can still finish this."
He just needed to find out how to do it. And then it came to him. He had an idea. Quickly, he burst forward and further up into the air. He was headed for the Crane training compound. He still remembered the coordinates, the very same that the old Crane Master had once sent to the badge that the mechanical man had given Baalbatos. Baalbatos had a mind like a steel trap, he'd not let such locations slip from his memories. Before long, he had reached the very same area that he had received his first lessons. It was not far from the Citadel, the poor place. Below, he could sense no signatures. What happened to the Crane Master's disciples? Baalbatos supposed that it did not matter. He was not here for them, no, he was here for knowledge. And knowledge he would find, if it were the last thing he did.
He flew downwards and touched down the compound, making for the largest of them. It was a grand place, thought Baalbatos, the old Crane Master had done a good job with it. A shame that it was not Baalbatos's style. No, the demon was not about compounds or anything fancy like temples. He preferred finery, castles and the like. Training gis should give way to suits and robes, made for formal occasions.
Baalbatos made his way into the building, making his way for what he thought to be the Crane Master's office. It did not take him long to reach it. Thankfully, there was something to be said for the simplicity of these compounds. It made finding what one was looking for rather simple. Baalbatos burst into the room, casting the doors open, his eyes scanning the room frantically. Where, he thought, where did the Crane Master keep his knowledge? Baalbatos's eyes fell on a large cabinet at the back room, a fine cabinet made of beautifully adorned wood. It looked heavy and sturdy, the perfect place for one to hide their secret knowledge.
Baalbatos stomped across the room, arms already extended to cast the cabinet open. He wrapped his hands around the heavy doors of the cabinet and pulled. Slowly, the cabinet creaked open and its contents were revealed to Baalbatos. And it was a sight to see: scrolls. Scroll after scroll, a sea of scrolls, a forest of parchment and ink.
"Damn it," muttered Baalbatos, "Where to begin? So many scrolls, so little time. Would it kill these monks to switch to digital? I swear, it's like they're trying to make things harder than they have to be."
With a sigh, Baalbatos pulled the first scroll from the pile and began to read. It seemed that this one was about the history of the Crane School. Something about an old age of the world, Shen this, Tao that. A series of names and places that Baalbatos did not recognize ran across the scroll, flowing like a river, strung together by so much history.
"Boring!" Exclaimed Baalbatos as he finished skimming the scroll. He held it aloft and tossed it aside. It rolled across the ground like a discarded piece of trash, thousands of years of history discarded just like that. But Baalbatos did not care. He simply kept reading, looking for the practical knowledge that he sought.
Another useless scroll, thought the demon, this one about the philosophy of the Crane School. Baalbatos rolled his eyes as he read. He had little need for the philosophy of dead men. Their knowledge, on the other hand, well, he wanted that, and very badly.
Finally, his eyes glanced across words that mattered. The 'Volleyball Attack'... Not the most elegant name, he had to admit, but it certainly looked interesting. And sort of fun, as well. Apparently, it involved balling an opponent up and smacking them around with dual blows, before finally delivering an overhand spike that sent them careening into the ground.
"Very nice," said Baalbatos with a mischievous grin on his face, "I could certainly make use of that. And I suppose it would amuse Lord Qrowen as well. He always did enjoy hurting his foes like this." Baalbatos tucked the scroll into his cloak and took a quick step back from the cabinet. Quickly, he shadowboxed with himself, going through the motions of the attack that the scrolls had described. It seemed simple enough, he thought, just like any of the other techniques that he had been taught by the previous Crane Master. Martial arts seemed easy enough. But Baalbatos was more interested in matters of magic and ki, it was where he found most power. If this were the last thing he had to learn from the Crane School, it seemed as if his had been wasted after all. A shame.
Baalbatos went back to the scrolls. He tore through them like mad, searching for any kind of knowledge that mattered to him. It seemed as if all was lost, like the Crane School had been a waste of time for him. In frustration, Baalbatos tossed a scroll aside and picked up another. He ripped it open and began to read angrily. And, suddenly, his eyes fell on something that interest him, something that interested him very much. The 'Tri-Beam'. An attack so powerful that it fed off the very lifeforce of the user, fueling it with insane strength. Now this, thought Baalbatos, is what he was looking for. Of course, he wasn't fond of the whole 'dying' part of it. But he'd just have to be careful about overusing the technique. The scroll itself made that very clear on that, very clear indeed. It provided very precise instructions on the matter of performing the technique. Baalbatos grinned. Well, he thought, if it was going to provide him with the instructions, he might as well try it.
Baalbatos held his hands in front of him, putting the tips of his fingers together like a misshaped triangle. He turned slowly to face the wall of the building and framed the wall squarely between the space between his hands. He pulled the energy deep from within him, from the very well of his lifespring itself.He felt the energy rise all over him, congregating in his hands, like some kind of spear of life force.
"Tri-Beam!" He exclaimed as he forced the energy outward. A powerful burst of energy took shape before him, bursting forth like a triangular beam of energy. It cut through the air like a knife and crashed into the wall, exploding with amazing force. Smoke and dust filled the room, obscuring his vision. He felt tired, so very tired, like his life itself had been drained away from him.
"The scrolls weren't lying," he mumbled as the dust cleared to reveal the Tri-Beam's swath of destruction. It had blasted a whole right through the building, to reveal the outside world in full. Sunlight shone through the hole, lighting up the dust and debris around him, like some kind of dirty fog. His breathing harsh, he made for the hole and stepped out into the world, waiting for energy to return to him. Slowly, he raised his head to the sky and gazed upward at the bright Earth sun, and shaded his eyes against it. It was high in the sky, but for Baalbatos, it was only rising. This was the start of a new day.
"I suppose I'm the Crane Master now," muttered Baalbatos, "Probably for the best. Can't let this knowledge die with the last."
A solo for becoming the new Crane master! I'm mastering the Crane School and inheriting it from Saki! I'd also like PL for this please, with heavy weights and LMB! I was told I could have the school items, but I'm not sure if a dojo bonus applies!
Thank you!
The Crane Master was dead. Damn it, thought Baalbatos as he flew along, damn it, damn it, damn it! There went everything he had been planning for. It had been all about getting stronger, all about gaining knowledge, about becoming a master of the arts so that he might use his power to forge empires. With the power of the Crane, he'd have so much more of an edge. Damn it, he thought again, all that time wasted with the Crane Master. And now he was dead. He did not even know how the man had died, just that he had. Damn him, thought the lilac skinned demon, damn him right to Hell! The man had practically ruined his plans. All his work was now practically for naught. He was so mad, he could practically kill someone. But he wouldn't. No, drawing negative press was the last thing he wanted to do now.
Baalbatos came to a dead stop in the air. He hovered there for a few moments, the mass of his weights dragging down on him, pulling towards the Earth. His breathing was harsh and his mind was alight, brimming with a fire of possibilities, a thousand contingency plans, trying to piece together what was left of his plans. His knowledge of the Crane arts... It was so incomplete. Well, he thought, perhaps he could do without the whole thing... No, he thought, that would not do at all. He did not like to leave things undone, and he did not do things in half measures. It was not like him.
"No," he whispered to himself as the winds whipped at his silvery, white hair, "I will not let it end here. I am Baalbatos. I do not let small matters such as death get in my way. I can still finish this."
He just needed to find out how to do it. And then it came to him. He had an idea. Quickly, he burst forward and further up into the air. He was headed for the Crane training compound. He still remembered the coordinates, the very same that the old Crane Master had once sent to the badge that the mechanical man had given Baalbatos. Baalbatos had a mind like a steel trap, he'd not let such locations slip from his memories. Before long, he had reached the very same area that he had received his first lessons. It was not far from the Citadel, the poor place. Below, he could sense no signatures. What happened to the Crane Master's disciples? Baalbatos supposed that it did not matter. He was not here for them, no, he was here for knowledge. And knowledge he would find, if it were the last thing he did.
He flew downwards and touched down the compound, making for the largest of them. It was a grand place, thought Baalbatos, the old Crane Master had done a good job with it. A shame that it was not Baalbatos's style. No, the demon was not about compounds or anything fancy like temples. He preferred finery, castles and the like. Training gis should give way to suits and robes, made for formal occasions.
Baalbatos made his way into the building, making his way for what he thought to be the Crane Master's office. It did not take him long to reach it. Thankfully, there was something to be said for the simplicity of these compounds. It made finding what one was looking for rather simple. Baalbatos burst into the room, casting the doors open, his eyes scanning the room frantically. Where, he thought, where did the Crane Master keep his knowledge? Baalbatos's eyes fell on a large cabinet at the back room, a fine cabinet made of beautifully adorned wood. It looked heavy and sturdy, the perfect place for one to hide their secret knowledge.
Baalbatos stomped across the room, arms already extended to cast the cabinet open. He wrapped his hands around the heavy doors of the cabinet and pulled. Slowly, the cabinet creaked open and its contents were revealed to Baalbatos. And it was a sight to see: scrolls. Scroll after scroll, a sea of scrolls, a forest of parchment and ink.
"Damn it," muttered Baalbatos, "Where to begin? So many scrolls, so little time. Would it kill these monks to switch to digital? I swear, it's like they're trying to make things harder than they have to be."
With a sigh, Baalbatos pulled the first scroll from the pile and began to read. It seemed that this one was about the history of the Crane School. Something about an old age of the world, Shen this, Tao that. A series of names and places that Baalbatos did not recognize ran across the scroll, flowing like a river, strung together by so much history.
"Boring!" Exclaimed Baalbatos as he finished skimming the scroll. He held it aloft and tossed it aside. It rolled across the ground like a discarded piece of trash, thousands of years of history discarded just like that. But Baalbatos did not care. He simply kept reading, looking for the practical knowledge that he sought.
Another useless scroll, thought the demon, this one about the philosophy of the Crane School. Baalbatos rolled his eyes as he read. He had little need for the philosophy of dead men. Their knowledge, on the other hand, well, he wanted that, and very badly.
Finally, his eyes glanced across words that mattered. The 'Volleyball Attack'... Not the most elegant name, he had to admit, but it certainly looked interesting. And sort of fun, as well. Apparently, it involved balling an opponent up and smacking them around with dual blows, before finally delivering an overhand spike that sent them careening into the ground.
"Very nice," said Baalbatos with a mischievous grin on his face, "I could certainly make use of that. And I suppose it would amuse Lord Qrowen as well. He always did enjoy hurting his foes like this." Baalbatos tucked the scroll into his cloak and took a quick step back from the cabinet. Quickly, he shadowboxed with himself, going through the motions of the attack that the scrolls had described. It seemed simple enough, he thought, just like any of the other techniques that he had been taught by the previous Crane Master. Martial arts seemed easy enough. But Baalbatos was more interested in matters of magic and ki, it was where he found most power. If this were the last thing he had to learn from the Crane School, it seemed as if his had been wasted after all. A shame.
Baalbatos went back to the scrolls. He tore through them like mad, searching for any kind of knowledge that mattered to him. It seemed as if all was lost, like the Crane School had been a waste of time for him. In frustration, Baalbatos tossed a scroll aside and picked up another. He ripped it open and began to read angrily. And, suddenly, his eyes fell on something that interest him, something that interested him very much. The 'Tri-Beam'. An attack so powerful that it fed off the very lifeforce of the user, fueling it with insane strength. Now this, thought Baalbatos, is what he was looking for. Of course, he wasn't fond of the whole 'dying' part of it. But he'd just have to be careful about overusing the technique. The scroll itself made that very clear on that, very clear indeed. It provided very precise instructions on the matter of performing the technique. Baalbatos grinned. Well, he thought, if it was going to provide him with the instructions, he might as well try it.
Baalbatos held his hands in front of him, putting the tips of his fingers together like a misshaped triangle. He turned slowly to face the wall of the building and framed the wall squarely between the space between his hands. He pulled the energy deep from within him, from the very well of his lifespring itself.He felt the energy rise all over him, congregating in his hands, like some kind of spear of life force.
"Tri-Beam!" He exclaimed as he forced the energy outward. A powerful burst of energy took shape before him, bursting forth like a triangular beam of energy. It cut through the air like a knife and crashed into the wall, exploding with amazing force. Smoke and dust filled the room, obscuring his vision. He felt tired, so very tired, like his life itself had been drained away from him.
"The scrolls weren't lying," he mumbled as the dust cleared to reveal the Tri-Beam's swath of destruction. It had blasted a whole right through the building, to reveal the outside world in full. Sunlight shone through the hole, lighting up the dust and debris around him, like some kind of dirty fog. His breathing harsh, he made for the hole and stepped out into the world, waiting for energy to return to him. Slowly, he raised his head to the sky and gazed upward at the bright Earth sun, and shaded his eyes against it. It was high in the sky, but for Baalbatos, it was only rising. This was the start of a new day.
"I suppose I'm the Crane Master now," muttered Baalbatos, "Probably for the best. Can't let this knowledge die with the last."
A solo for becoming the new Crane master! I'm mastering the Crane School and inheriting it from Saki! I'd also like PL for this please, with heavy weights and LMB! I was told I could have the school items, but I'm not sure if a dojo bonus applies!
Thank you!