The Manatorium [A PvP Experience]

Welcome all.

I am the Game Master.

What kind of games do I run, you ask?  Well a multitude really, but the important one is taking place right here, right now.  Where you ask now?  Full of questions, I see.  We are residing in what I call the Manatorium.  You cannot point this space out on a map of any sort, I might add.  This place is hovering in the Expanse, the largest extradimensional vein of mana coursing through the entire multiverse.  How I gained access to such a place will be a story for another time.  Come, let us focus on the task at hand.  The Manatorium is a large arena hovering in the Expanse where warriors from every realm, world, dimension, and what have you can gather and test their mettle against each other in fierce combat.  Challenges against frightening monsters also can take place here, for I can gather them from all reaches of existence just for you.  If you're worried about your life being in mortal peril, worry not.  The rules of life and death do not apply here in the Expanse.  Fight as hard as you wish, and though you might fall in battle, you will live again to see another day.  You can't find a much better deal than that, surely.  Anywhere.  Of that, I can assure you.

So, have I convinced you to come along?  Ah, you're wondering how to get here, aren't you?  There are rifts in the spacial continuum (not very continuous now is it though?) that I have access to.  All it takes is a wish.  It can be a specific desire to come here, or they can be opened by the desire to get stronger or to fight others.  Many things can open the rifts, whether it be on accident or purpose.  It is easy to come, and worry not, for it is equally easy to leave.  Visitors arrive at the Convergence of Doors, the main hub of activity in the Manatorium.  Take the Hall of Destiny to the lobby and speak with Eris, head secretary and registrar, or one of the other receptionists for information and to sign up for a fight.  Rules will be need to be agreed upon by both parties and the referee will be informed by the receptionists what these rules will be.  After that, the arena you are given will be randomized in terms of terrain.  Oh that's right, our arenas are special here at the Manatorium.  You never know what you'll find when you enter.  It's a way to shake things up a bit, and we are sure that hardened fighters such as yourselves will appreciate the challenge.

Ah, I'm afraid I've overstayed my welcome.  The arena will not run itself.  If you have any other important questions, feel free to ask Eris.  If it's something even she can't answer, than ask for an audience with me, though she'll probably suggest this if she doesn't know.  I may be a busy man but I have time for my brave warriors who make this place truly alive.  Until next time.

* * *

~ T H E ~ R U L E S ~

+Number of characters will be limited.  6 characters per person will be allowed to enter and interact with the Manatorium.

+Outside of battle, text-based roleplaying will be encouraged and necessary to some extent.  This place does have a story. In battle, text is not necessary but is optional instead.  Major story-based battles will need to have actual roleplaying taking place and you will be alerted to when this is necessary.

+Character profiles won't need to be kept in the "profile" thread that is associated with this arena, but character journals, observations, etc. are encouraged.  Also, they will all have a single universal stat known as Prestige which is gained and lost through battle.  Having a higher Prestige grants you special effects and gifts in and outside of battle.  Bolstering your arena career will be highly dependent on your Prestige.  All Prestige starts at 0.

+Story battles and PvP battles will be queued and only one battle takes place at a time.

+For PvP battles, rules will be agreed upon by both parties and the conditions will be delivered to the GM in a clear and quick manner.  Rules would include things like level of characters, equipment bonuses/effects/clauses, ultimate ability usage, item presence, etc.  Make sure to touch on everything so nobody gets an upper hand.  In Story battles, rules are preset and you will be alerted to them.

+All fields are randomized.  Enjoy.

+It should be obvious but level is flexible and will not be increased and such.  It might do you well to make a max level profile and then strike down things so that it matches a certain level.  It will most likely save you a ton of time.

+There is no such thing as hero or villain here.  All sorts of characters are welcome.  And since the rules of life and death do not apply, characters who may already be deceased are also welcome to join the battles.

+Exploration of the Manatorium and battles will take place in two separate threads to keep things from being cluttered and so that traditional role playing can take place (i.e. future sign-ups, etc.) while battles are going on.

+If you have any questions, the Game Master directed you where to go. :3  Pamphlets containing information about the Manatorium are available at the Convergence of Doors so your characters will know general information such as things regarding Prestige.  It won't be in the context that we know it, but they will know that they will gain fame if they take place and win fights, etc.  Get creative.  If you absolutely have to talk to me about it, just send me a message or hit me up on skype.  Losers.

* * *

~ T A S K L I S T ~

Convergence of Doors

-Enter.
-Grab a pamphlet.
-Mingle with other warriors.

Lobby

-Meet Eris.
-Mingle with other warriors.
-Register for a PvP match.
-Register for a monster match.

Dorms

-Explore.
-Claim a room at the office.

~ S T O R Y ~ M A T C H E S ~

LEVEL 5 - Ultimate Gamble [Rules: Character lv 5.  Starting equipment bonuses.  Death Drive enabled.  Beginner item set granted.]  2 enemies [Boss class.]  Max Party Size: 4.  Prestige Required: 5 per character.

~ M O N S T E R ~ M A T C H E S ~

LEVEL 1 - Child's Play [Rules: Character lv 1.  Starting equipment bonuses.  Death Drive enabled.  Beginner item set granted.]  4 enemies.  Max Party Size: 6.

LEVEL 1 - Spectral Gathering [Rules: Character lv 1.  Starting equipment bonuses.  Death Drive disabled.  No items granted.]  6 enemies.  Max Party Size: 4.

LEVEL 2 - Hyperactivity [Rules: Character lv 2.  Starting equipment bonuses.  Death Drive enabled.  Beginner item set granted.]  1 enemy [Boss class.]  Max Party Size: 3.

~ B A T T L E ~ Q U E U E ~

Empty, awaiting battles.

Chapter 1: A Place Worth Investigating

A rift. The man inspected the rippling tear in the fabric of space and time. His jet black hair was tousled by the breeze of the vacant meadow...or at least now it was vacant. The lone being that had been here had undoubtedly taken this strange portal somewhere. Sword in hand, he peered intently at this rift with his dark red eyes seeming to catch the gleam of the midday sun hovering directly above in a cloudless blue sky. So peaceful. The portal was unsettling however. The man, Wallace, was a master of portals and interdimensional travel, but this was one rift he could not identify. Where it led was anyone's guess. Sightings had been reported in other dimensions and worlds as well, but no reports of what lie on the other side had been made implying those who traversed these rifts were never to be seen again. Shaking his head, Wallace gripped his sword tightly, garments fluttering as he took a step into the rift. There was no other way. Believing in his own power and remaining calm, he took his first step to investigating these oddities.

Wallace was awestruck to say the least. His feet landed on stone ground as he walked out of what appeared to be a well-kept stone gateway. The multicolored portal shimmered behind him like a door, and all around him were similar doors out of which many other people emerged and into which just as many entered. So there was a way out after all... Several females wearing rather tight-fitting futuristic attire of a white and purple hue were stationed around altars upon which pamphlets were stacked. They greeted the newcomers and appeared to be dishing out quite a bit of information regarding this place so it must not have been a huge secret.

"Well hello there, cutie!!" exclaimed one of the women. She approached him with a huge grin, adjusting her headset for a moment before handing the man a pamphlet.

"The Manatorium..." Wallace read aloud from the front page of the pamphlet. He didn't bother opening it figuring it would be easier to seek answers from the informant standing before her. Besides, she seemed to be in the mood to talk. "What is this place, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked calmly, keeping his mind open and clear. This was of the utmost importance. It was his job to keep balance between the worlds...or at least that's what he tasked himself with utilizing his extraordinary diplomacy. There didn't appear to be any demonic activity in this place which was odd. Then again, there was the matter of where this place was. Looking upwards, Wallace realized there was no ceiling over this hub of activity. An expanse of space was showing, but mixed in it was a huge stream of polychromatic energy wavering about in the sky. It was Mana.

"You're at the Manatorium, of course! The Game Master erected this wonderful arena for warriors to test themselves and get stronger without having to worry about the rules of life and death," the informant was more than happy to explain, the huge grin still plastered to her rather youthful and flawless face.

"The rules of life and death don't apply here? Then that means my suspicions were correct. We are in the Expanse." The words were weighed heavy by solemnity causing the informant to shirk back again, her smile fading for the first time since she greeted Wallace. He was deep in thought. How could someone gain access to the Expanse, let alone build some sort of colosseum in the midst of it? "The Game Master..."

"Wh-what was that?" the informant girl asked warily.

"Is there a way to speak with this...Game Master?"

"Certainly! Just make your way down the Hall of Destiny and talk to Eris at the registration desk. She will try to get you an audience," the woman stated cheerily once more, pointing north to a large archway leading into an interior building. There seemed to be a large statue of a galaxy in the center of this plaza, the torches hanging on the walls between doors emanating light other than that gave out by the stars in the sky which seemed to shine so much more brightly here. Inside the hall seemed to be lit by artificial light, the golden walls and twilight-colored tile floor glowing with a warm ambience. Wallace took in the beauty of this place, every well-trimmed bush and dust-free, unweathered stone, but he would not be deterred from the task at hand.

"Very well. I thank you sincerely for your time." Wallace bowed his head and strode gracefully past the woman towards his new destination, aiming to get some answers.

"Well this couldn't possibly be dangerous at all," Lily stated monotonously as she stared at the rift that had opened near her. She had been hard at work, restoring her forest to it's former glory. After the whole run-in with the bears and the random sickness that took to the trees, she had to work her ass off trying to restore the forest's health. Right when she was doing her biweekly checkups on the forest, she found that one of the trees was holding a portal of sorts in its branches. "Who has the nerve to put this thing in MY forest? Seriously? This is disgusting." Lily sighed, rolling her aching shoulders. She had been out in the forest since the crack of dawn, and with the sun beginning to set, she had to start thinking about finding a place to rest.

"I really shouldn't leave this be though," Lily sighed again, frowning deeply at the rift. She slowly reached up to test it with her hand, but stopped just short of it. There was no guarantee that the thing was safe, but she had to at least check it out. She had confidence in her skills to get out of any situation, but still. Lily took a deep breath, "here goes nothing," and entered the portal.

Almost immediately after entering the portal, Lily felt herself hit solid ground and was able to look around. It was quite the strange place, unlike anything she had ever seen before. There were people around her moving about, so she guessed that this place was some sort of resort. But upon closer inspection, she found that most of the people here were some type of warrior or mage. Interesting.

Lily glanced around, maybe someone she knew would be here. She did, in fact, spot someone that she knew, but it wasn't one of her friends. It was a friend of a friend. And a very close friend of a friend at that. A small grin grew on Lily's lips as she started to track him like the hunter she was. She kept a distance, but he would probably notice her presence anyway. Lily heard quite a bit about this man when she was actually trying to avoid his notice, but now she would allow him to sense her behind him. Maybe he'd turn around and address her first. Lily smiled mischievously.

The Sea of Stars.

It would have been a beautiful place if the Guardian of the Gods hadn't been gunning to strike down her ship. Luca had given up steering her vessel, for the dragon could not be outrun–his ability to burrow into different dimensions and reappear within this one ensured that. Her compatriots failed to maintain such a calm acceptance of the inevitable. Each man or woman that had accompanied her through the pathway to Heaven now frantically rushed about the damaged boat, few foolishly attempting to strike the beast assaulting them down.

Luca shook her head. The arrows and spells barely grazed the dragon's otherwordly hide, most bouncing off and hitting the ship. She guessed that only a few more hits from the beast would bring them all to an early end. And yet she still stood still with an unwavering stoic about her. One of the men, a man named Nic, cursed her for remaining so calm, spitting at her feet and returning his attention to the beast. Luca blinked.

A flash of lightning struck the dragon, but little changed in its outward body. Nic's attack, no doubt. Luca shook her head again. The dragon tore through a dimensional rift, disappearing for the time being; all eyes on deck landed on the infamous Queen of the Pirates. "There is no hope in combating this creature," she stated, "but I assure you all that this is not the end." Her crew began to rage, most shouting at her in disbelief–that she stood before them uttering lies and offering only false hope. When the ruckus died for an instant to receive an answer from the less than favored captain, she merely pursed her lips and turned away.

"Wait and see." she whispered, nodding her head in the direction opposite the ship. The dragon suddenly tore through another rift, surging toward the ship in all it's fury. Her crew began to panic once more, those that had been attacking it returning to their useless struggle. Luca's head shook once more.

The ship shook wildly as the dragon suddenly latched onto the side, a few close-ranged fighters running to meet it. Swords clashed against its skull, but the beast went unfazed, ethereal eyes locked on Luca's frame. The Trailblazer shifted her gaze to it, and for a moment nodded. Those around her which witnessed the action cried out in despair–had she just given the beast permission to end their lives?

No.

No sooner had she nodded did the beast suddenly fall into a state of utter tranquility. Those assaulting its astral framework stumbled, pausing reluctantly as the woman took several steps toward the dragon. "When what I am about to do has finished all of your panic shall fade," her right hand found a destined place on the dragon's forehead, "worry not, for you all shall be restored to your home. Do not forget what you have seen here; none of you shall ever see this place again."

The dragon's body began to glow with a mysterious light, the crew members rushing away from it. Luca's eyes fell on each of them for a moment before landing on Nic. "Goodbye." Before any could react, Luca vaulted from her position on the deck, expertly tossing herself off the side along with the dragon. A multi-colored portal opened up beneath her, and as screams of worry erupted behind her, she closed her eyes.

When she opened them once more, a new world formed around her; the Queen of the Pirates nodded.

"And so another journey begins."

It was one of those bright and sunny days where one generally thought nothing could go wrong that found Darragh contemplating the rip in the fabric of reality not ten feet from him. He sat back against the stump he was leaning on by the old path, pipe lazily hung from his mouth. He'd been here before, once, a long time ago. Back when he'd been a rebel. But back then there hadn't been this rift here. It was kinda pretty to look at, he thought, all swirling colors and whatnot, a bit like the Moirai.

A small cloud of blue smoke escaped his mouth as he exhaled slowly. He could, conceivably, take a look inside. Though he was out on his own for the time being and someone would eventually notice him missing, something about the rift was enticing, like it promised adventure or something. It could've just been the pretty colors. No, no, it was probably a bad idea. How was he to know if he could navigate, or breathe, or, hells, even smoke? He sucked on the end of his pipe thoughtfully. Then again, the last time he'd been in an interdimensional space they'd been just fine, breathing, smoking, navigating, the works. It was fun even, especially seeing his friend's home. The knight smiled at that.

"Well," He crossed his arms and inhaled some more of the smoldering weed, expelling more of the smoke as he spoke. "If'n I was the type to go adventurin', which I am, I s'pose it wouldn't be adventurin' of me to not go into the pretty, colorful portal. And since I am a cautious type, I should take ev'rythin' I got with me." Darragh nodded once to himself. That was that then.

He snuffed out his pipe and put it away, and put on his helmet as he stood up. He picked up his lance - and what a beauty it was - from where it rested against another tree and hefted it up onto his shoulder. The knight regarded his shield with a slight smile before he strapped it on as well, and faced the relatively small tear in the universe. He took a deep breath. "Feet don't fail me now." He muttered, and stepped through.

It wasn't the wild ride he was expecting. In fact, it was almost tranquil right up until the end when it felt like something was trying to snatch him back. Then it was like being pulled between two distinct forces. Well, that wouldn't do. Darragh willed himself onward and abruptly found himself tumbling on a hard, stone floor, metallic clinks of his armor and weapon echoing slightly in the chamber. He laid there for a moment and chuckled to himself, pushing himself to his feet with a grin. "Hah, that was more fun 'an I expected. Now what do we have 'ere?" The knight strode calmly forward to where he believed he could hear other people. No telling if they were 'people' people, but it would be interesting nonetheless.

Wallace decided to halt before the immense statue in the center of the Convergence of Doors. Pamphlet in hand, he read that it was called the "Niris Galactica," created by an unknown artist who was rumored to have an unbelievable and flawless control over gold. The planets, stars, comets, and moons were so beautiful and possessed such accurate and enthralling texture that the demonlogist was quite willing to believe that. No one could have that sort of patience; to create this masterpiece by hand would have to drive someone insane along with taking over a century or two. The surrounding architecture was said to be done by the Game Master himself. No credit to any construction teams was given, so did that mean he also built it all? There was no doubt that the Game Master was a being that was extremely and frighteningly adept at magic. Wallace's foot tapped against the pavement for a few moments before he realized what he was doing and stopped. He wasn't the impatient type. His calm was perpetual.

A hissing suddenly came from somewhere behind him. A massive serpent covered in black scales patterned with crimson vines slithered past a bow-wielding woman who happened to be tracking Wallace. The serpent glanced up at her as it passed, giving an extremely arrogant and knowing look before crossing the ground over towards Wallace. The demonologist knelt down, bowing his head so the serpent could raise its head to his ear. It appeared to be telling him something, and Wallace nodded his head in agreement before gazing directly at where the woman would be standing.

"You can come out now. Lucifer says there's someone following me and I am not apt to doubt him," Wallace proclaimed suddenly. A few of the passerby warriors glanced at him strangely before continuing on their way, but he knew that whoever was tailing him would know exactly to whom he was speaking.

Well that wasn't very ceremonious. Lily was hoping for some paranoid reaction than the cool calm one she got out of the guy. Though from what she's heard and observed, that sort of reaction isn't very likely. No, to be a friend of Auza, paranoia would not help in the slightest. Rather, someone who isn't rattled by being stalked, or someone who can remain calm in tense situations. Those were the sorts of people Auza would even consider liking. Lily grinned, lowering her guard and stepping out into clear view of the man.

"Hi there Wallace, nice to see you again," Lily spoke cheerfully, giving the demonologist a small wave. Her hand stopped and she placed her finger on her chin. "...Is what I would say, but you don't know me. So let me introduce myself. My name is Serene Lily, but you can call me Lily. I know Auza."

Lily grinned and gave Wallace a gentle bow, showing him some respect. "I know a lot about you and Auza, Wallace," Lily said knowingly, wondering if she was saying too much already. She wasn't sure how he would react to her. Lily was 100% sure that Wallace had no idea who she was. But the mentioning of Auza was sure to let him know who she might be. Lily wondered if he would have anything to say to her. She knew that Wallace and Auza were two very different people with similar interests. And somehow they meshed well. Lily waited, her finger still on her chin.

Icy blue eyes locked on the calm figure in armor taking a couple steps forward. Perhaps he knew what was going on here? He seemed sure enough with his stance; talking to him would be the logical thing to do. Luca's eyes briefly left his frame, however, to look at the women handing out the pamphlets. She let go of a large breath of air before turning her attention back to the man, choosing to walk in his direction (she could get a leaflet later.)

"Hello." she called out calmly, her voice even and just slightly friendly. "Don't suppose you know anything about this..." her eyes quickly shot to one of the women, focusing on the pamphlet in hand. Irises focused sharply on the clean font upon the page, a single bolded word coming into semi-clarity. "Manatorium." she finished, having finished closing the distance between them. "Do you?"

Darragh's own green eyes settled on the girl speaking to him, and he smiled disarmingly. He set his lance to the floor and leaned against it. "No lass, I think you know more 'bout it 'an I do. Didn't even know the name myself." The place was pretty nice though, clean marble and beautiful lighting. For the most part it seemed peaceful. The girls ahead seemed to be holding pamphlets for passing out. "Back in a tick, lass."

The knight strode past her and towards the women, usual jaunty smile on his face. "Excuse me ladies, might I 'ave one of those leaflets there? Ah, thank ya." He accepted it graciously and started leafing through it as he paced back to the girl, lance precariously balanced between his elbow and his shoulder. "The Manatorium," Darragh read out. "An arena built for warr'rs from all across the multiverse, to test 'emselves and get stronger without 'aving to worr' 'bout the rules of life and death. Hm, sounds fun." He grinned at the girl. "Dunno about you, but I think I'll be sticking round."

Wallace faced his stalker which turned out to be a young woman proficient in that very art. If Lucifer had not been out and about, he probably would not have been so quick to notice her presence. Regardless, it seemed this Lily knew something about him, being an acquaintance of Auza's. He thought for a moment, his stoic eyes trained on the archer's face. There was something about her name that was quite familiar, and it eventually sparked something in Wallace's mind. This woman had been mentioned by Auza, at least once.

"No, we've never had the pleasure of meeting, Lily," Wallace spoke up at long last, the silence in their immediate vicinity becoming more and more awkward until he broke it. "I am Wallace Night, as it seems you know. Auza has mentioned you. She doesn't particularly care for you, if I'm not mistaken, but I do hope that the two of us can get along." With that, he clasped his hands together and bowed to her. Lucifer glanced away at the gesture; he would never think to be so humble. Becoming sick of it rather quickly, the serpent slithered away, his sleek body sliding over the stone of the plaza as it went. Several of the warriors darted out of his way, sensing his immense power.

"It really is a small universe, I should say. What brings you to this Manatorium, Lily?" Wallace inquired. This was a crucial part of his investigation. Were people coming here purposely through the portals? He knew there were plenty of accidents, but how did these portals come into existence. Perhaps the archer could give him some insight.

An arena. . . Luca repeated internally, grabbing a pamphlet from a nearby woman as well. She quickly scanned the document only to find a longer explanation of the summary the man before her had given. Her brow furrowed for a moment, but became smooth again quickly. "If that's the case, I suppose I'll be staying too. For the meantime, anyway."

The sounds of darting footsteps forced her to turn her head, a serpent slithering along the floor. It had scared some of the other warriors, but Luca just shrugged. The thing held intense power, she could feel it for sure, but it did not frighten her. The depths of Hell certainly held worse abominations–this demon would not phase her so easily. In battle perhaps, she offered it some credit; the thing would most definitely prove a worthy adversary, but as for whether it was the lone fighter or not remained to be determined.

Nevertheless, Luca did not move to find out, merely returned her gaze to the man next to her and offered her hand. "Luca." she stated, as if that was all the introduction she really needed. If the man knew of her, it really would be.

He put away his little pamphlet, and took her offered hand in his gauntleted one and bowed his head respectfully. "Sir Darragh Loxley, dear lass. Though just Darragh to my friends." He eyed for moments longer than were strictly socially acceptable, mulling over her first name. It snagged on something in his memory like he should recognise it. Luca . . . Luca di something . . . oh! Darragh suddenly grinned at her, the expression brightening his face with the light of recognition.

"Now madam, ya wouldn't 'appen to be the Luca di Angelo Graves would you?" His accent distorted her name somewhat, making it sound more like 'Luker.'

A perfect blonde eyebrow raised slightly when the man mentioned his being Sir Darragh. She bowed her head in respect for a moment before nodding when he asked his question. "That is correct. I am Luca di Angelo Graves, Queen of the Pirates." she answered with a small smile, hands poised firmly on her hips.

Lily giggled at the mentioning of Auza's name. She knew full well that the woman would try to kill her if she knew as much as Lily knew. Then again, there was no reason for Auza to know that much. Unless someone wanted her dead, anyway. "Yes, well it's a pleasure to officially meet you, Wallace. I've been looking forward to this opportunity, but never seem to get the chance." Whenever Lily had seen Wallace around, he was always near Auza. Those two were neigh inseparable, which gave Lily the notion that the witch would be arriving here out of her own curiosity soon enough.

"Why did I come here? Well, that's a bit of a tough question," Lily said, trying to find a way around that. She didn't want to reveal what she was doing to anyone. If Auza or the others found out she was just sitting and caring for her forest, they'd think she was just being a lazy good-for-nothing. Which was technically true, but also not. "If you must know, I found a portal that led to this place in my forest. My forest is sick, you see, and I was wondering if this portal was the cause; however, that doesn't seem to be the case." That much, at least, should be enough to sate the man's curiosity. "Oh, but the forest is recovering and starting to grow thicker. I wouldn't have come here if the forest was still as sick as when I came back to it."

"Tis quite a pleasure to meet you then, ya Majesty." This time Darragh bowed low in a teasing manner, armor tinkling with the movement, but meant no harm by it. He was genuinely pleased to meet the pirate. The tales of her exploits had been among some of the most entertaining he'd heard in years, especially when he'd still been a soldier lounging about camp. He figured he truly had come a long ways if he was meeting her now. He cast a further searching look at their surroundings, thinking it really was beautiful. 'Wonder what else is around here . . .' He thought, resting on his lance again.

"Strange place, don't ya think?" Darragh turned his attention back to the pirate, pale green eyes probing hers. "Maybe it's not quite as fantastic as the Sea o' Stars, but looks normal enough for something ta be categorically off, eh? Ah mean, portals poppin' up where people happen to be. Just strikes me as odd."

Wallace pondered for a moment on what Lily had said. It was actually another accidental transportation. He wondered why these portals appeared where they did. Was someone controlling them? Signs pointed towards this mysterious Game Master giving him much more of a reason to interrogate this being. The people who happened to fall through the portals were lucky there wasn't anything threatening on the other side. "No, I'm fairly certain the portals have no negative effect on the environments in which they're found," Wallace said solemnly. "After my investigation of this place is completed, however, it would be my pleasure to start another investigation--one involving your forest. Perhaps me and my demons could be of some assistance to your plight," he offered, a gentle smile forming on his face. It was his job to set things straight after all. And if there was a demon behind the sick forest, than he would need to subjugate it and earn its respect. Another addition to his legion would be well worth the time invested, not to mention even if Lily wasn't a close friend of Auza's, he still wanted to help her out if he could.

"For now, however, I feel there is something off with this place. I would like to learn more about it," he explained lightly, breaking eye contact with Lily at last in favor of turning to look at the main building where the registration desk lie waiting. "Would you care to join me to the lobby? I was going to talk to a woman named Eris to see if she could grant me an audience with the Game Master. I think most of the answers to my questions lie with him." It made logical sense. Only the person running the show would know everything, and Wallace was typically knowledgeable about everything. Yet here in this place, he did not have the upper hand. As vain as it may have been, he hated not having the upper hand; it made him feel vulnerable no matter how much power he possessed. Not knowing what exactly the Game Master was capable of made him even more uneasy but he would never let it show on his face or even in his heart. He would remain calm and he would learn what he needed to learn, even if he had to do so alone, so to speak, for he always had his demons. Still, having human company was always a joy. Staying apart from Auza and her companions when he was investigating demon activity in Berbatu back on Alidaire taught him that. He was foolish to work apart from them then, but it really was for the best. This time, however, he would not be going about things alone...as long as Lily expressed a desire to join him.

Lily was stunned, absolutely confounded by Wallace's words and his offer. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, a vain attempt to hide her expression. She couldn't believe that he would offer her help, they were total strangers! Well, she was a stranger to him anyway. But Lily never expected him to offer her help with her problem. It was...comforting, at the very least.

"You would really do that...? For me?" Lily whispered. Whatever he said next just flew over her head, she didn't hear it at all. The only thing she could hear was the beat of her own, excited heart, racing at the thought of being rid of the plague in her forest. Out of sheer impulse, Lily threw herself at Wallace, wrapping her arms around his neck in an embrace. She couldn't quite touch the ground, but she was sure Wallace could handle her light weight.

"You have no idea what that means to me," Lily whispered, a huge grin on her face, "that forest is my home, my life. It means everything to me." Lily let herself down, her hands on Wallace's shoulders. "I think I understand now why Auza is so enraptured by you." Lily, realizing that she was closer to Wallace than was safe, jumped back a short distance. She didn't want Wallace to get the wrong idea, after all. He and Auza were...well, Lily had her own interests, and Wallace had his. "I offer you my bow and my talents, I will go with you to see this...Game Master...whomever he might be."

"It certainly is an oddity." Luca agreed, a slight nod in Darragh's direction. Thoughts of Scather and his means of bringing her here briefly stirred in the back of her mind. The dragon could have been going around doing this Game Master's bidding. Could have, she thought, arms crossed, but probably not.

So how then? These portals appearing across worlds, ever so conveniently popping up in front of warriors, had to be controlled by something. Did the Game Master really hold enough power to send out all those rifts at once? She had to find out. "Say Darragh," Luca began, eyes shifting away from him toward the passageway leading further into the Manatorium. "Would you care to join me? I'd like to get some questions answered."