The Emperors Crown

[skyline339]

Off in a far away place, I kingdom stood proud. A clockwork land, where many strange and wonderful machines flew and walked the earth. It had been a peaceful time for the citizen, no conflicts, except maybe the odd bar fight, would happen. It wasn't until recently, an archaeological team uncovered an ancient relic. It looked like a crown. Historians believed it to be one of the last remaining items from the ancient and mysterious race, Nax'Deka, a race entwined with magic and power. Many historians believe this crown to have been the crown of the sorcerer Minos, he who conquered the entire world, but is recorded no one among any history records.

The crown holds strange powers within itself. Anyone who has dared touch it with their own hands, strangely disappeared for exactly one week, before returning completely insane. Weird images began appearing all through out the kingdom and all throughout history. Is Minos trying to return to the land of the living, or has he set his goals much higher, and wants to rule the land of the living, the dead, and of time itself...

[skyline339]

The rules are simple, just tell me your:

Name:
Age:

and create your character as you go, and please no god modding cause that's uncool

[Sophidian]

Name: Molly Popkiss
Age: 20 years

A cascade of blonde curls fell in front of her face as Molly removed her hat. The freckles across her nose came together as she scrunched her face at the sudden smell of dust and mold. The museum had gotten one of the most exciting relics to be told about - even more so than anything that'd come out of Africa or Greece. And she'd come, alongside the man her father wished for her to marry, to smell the terrible stench and deal with the crowds.

"Are you sure this is where you want to be?" she asked him, smoothing her hands down the bronze-colored corset. She knew it looked it; it always looked good. Even the underskirts, pristine and white and barely peeking out from below her lighter brown skirt, were breathtaking. She tried hard to make herself look like this and anything less than her best was frankly insulting.

She played with the feather in her hat as another group of people came to stare at the relic. She inched closer to her escort and frowned. Her dress would be ruined at this rate...

[skyline339]

NAME: Alane Wickerbot
AGE: 21

Walking into the museum from the back entrance, he made his way past many nods, and small cheers. Alane was the one who discovered the crown. Pulling the old leather bomber jacket off and placing it on the hook, he walked out into the public eye. His tanned shirt crinkled under the weight of the suspender straps, if no one knew his face, no one would ever suspect he was the one that made millions discovering the crown.

As he looked around the crowd, he saw her, the beauty of her radiated. He had wished many times that maybe he'd even be able to talk with her, much less learn her name. But it's been news spreading around now, that the count's only daughter is getting married. But that was not the intent of his visit, he needed to study this crown. His own instruments were reading some strange wavelengths radiating from it. Maybe if he could just get close enough, he could scan it.

[Sophidian]

Molly edged to the side, letting an elderly woman take up the spot she once did. She grabbed her fiance's arm and frowned over to him. He refused to acknowledge her wish to go, no matter how many times she pouted to him or turned well-practiced puppy-eyes upon him. Huffing, she crossed her arms under her chest and turned to look up at Mr. Wickerbot.

She watched him move, finding him to be far too interesting to be considered a scientific genius. Weren't they supposed to have beards and glasses and be over the age of thirty? Shaking her head, she felt herself jostled to the side again and stamped her foot. "I insist that we leave here at once!"

[skyline339]

Pulling out a small meter, Alan begins scanning the crown once more. As he was watching the small screen someone bumped him from behind causing him to fall. Stumbling forwards he crashes headlong into the blond beauty, dropping his scanner in the process. The first thing which happened, his face blushed bright red. "I'm sorry miss, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to crash into you." He said very apologetic and holding out his hand.

[Sophidian]

From the ground, she stared up at him, mouth parted in surprise. Her skirts, shifted high enough to show her ankle, and her corset shifted a bit too far down, she knew she was flushed with shame. Her date began to reprimand the man, but she accepted the man's hand.

"Do you have any idea as to what you've done, Mr. Wickerbot?" She readjusted her clothing, hearing the mutters behind her.

[skyline339]

"I'm very very sorry miss, I really am." He said helping her to her feet.

Just then a strange vibe rang out through the room, emanating from the crown. The small building that the museum resides within began to shake. "WATCH OUT!!!" Alan yelled as he grabbed her and threw her out of the way as a chandelier fell from the ceiling, just grazing his back. Looking back around through the chaos, someone fell through the glass case and knocked the crown off the case.

Quickly moving, Alan manged to grab the crown before it was crushed by a larger gentlemen falling over.

[Sophidian]

On the ground again, she gasped as chips of glass flew around the room. She covered her face, the lace of her gloves catching a few pieces, sending rainbows around the room as the light hit them. Staring at the ceiling, she saw the dangling chain, a link having snapped.

Her fiance-to-be had gotten lost in the crowds milling about the edges, trying to find their way out. Rumors of a curse on the crown began almost instantaneously. With the assistance of a nearby man, she stood and dusted herself off. Calls for Mister Wickerbot began, trying to see if he was alright.

Slowly, she spotted him by the fallen display case and took a few clacking steps over. "Mr. Wickerbot?"

[skyline339]

"Here come with me." He grabs her hand and rushes towards the back, grabbing his jacket as they passed by. All the years digging through the dirt and caves taught him to see when a buildings going to collapse. Running through the back, door, the cracks began to scale the walls as the whole building began to collapse. As Alan took the crown out of the building it quit shaking, and rested once again.

"Miss are you okay?" Alane asked bowing slightly. She was of course part of one of the wealthiest families around.

[FallenFeather]

Name: Enylia Rue Prescott
Age: 19

Rue stood at the edge of the crowd, arms crossed over her chest and a bored look upon her face. She had been paid to steal the crown. Her employer believed that the crown of Minos would make him the richest man in all the world. Rue hardly believed in all this magic talk. Personally, she thought it was all just superstitions and rumors to hype up the discovery, not something that really happened. People didn't just disappear for a week to come back insane. Well, some did, but it wasn't caused by a crown. Rue bit her lower lip and started to circle the crowd. Regardless of beliefs, the woman was paid to steal the stupid thing and whether the rumors were real or not, it didn't matter to her. The only thing that mattered was the hefty amount of cash that her employer offered her. Half to take the job, half to complete it. Rue preened with pride at being the first one picked for the job. Her reputation as the Scarlet Rose proceeded her. She was the only female thief to be successful and notorious, yet never be caught or even seen. There were more rumors about her than about the crown. The aforementioned crown was going to be taken by her. Not now of course, there were far too many witnesses, but tonight, when the museum was empty. Rue was just getting a feel for the building and the security. It was seriously slacking.

The black-haired porcelain skinned woman was nearly knocked over by a gentleman that stumbled into her when the area began to shake. An earthquake? Here? How unlikely. As Rue tried to gather herself and move out of the crowd, someone stepped on hem of her cream skirts. Curse these feminine clothes and their inability to move easily. But no woman came here wearing leather, and thus Rue had to blend in. She heard the skirt rip up the side of her leg, all the way up to her knee. The woman held back a curse as another man bumped her from behind and forced her forward onto her hands and knees. Right in front of her lay the crown. She could just reach out and grab it in the chaos. The thief started reaching for it only to find it snatched by the stupid man that discovered it. Rue cursed and yelped immediately after as someone landed on her legs. They were fat and it hurt. The man was passed out and Rue was stuck underneath his girth. The woman attempted to squirm from under his weight to no avail.

[Sophidian]

Molly gasped, watching people rush as fast as they could out of the formerly-shaking building and could only let her shoulders and hands drop when she saw that it stopped. "My God," she whispered, making the sign of the cross over her chest. "What is that thing?" She jumped away from him, finger pointing at the crown he held. "It's obviously nothing good. I don't want to be anywhere near it."

She picked up the bottom of her skirts - forlorn that they were now ruined - and straightened her back. "You must take me back to that horrid man I went to your museum with. I need to get home."

[skyline339]

"I am very sorry miss, you wont need to worry about me or this crown anymore." Alane said, now feeling quite stupid with himself. Pocketing the crown, he looks back towards her. "The rest of the people would be coming out from the front. This way please miss."

He guided her back through the ally, making sure to help her over the oil patch. "I'm very sorry for how the day turned out for you. Maybe this piece of history should be studied more closely before placed in front of a crowd." Making there way to the front of the damaged building, He put on his jacket. Making sure she found who she was looking for he turned away. "What a disaster." He groaned to himself.

Deep in his mind a strange voice was calling him...

[Sophidian]

After seeing her horrid fiance again, she sighed. She knew she was being completely unreasonable. Turning, she saw Mr. Wickerbot walking away and held out a hand. "Mr. Wickerbot! Please... I've been quite... Well, I've not been fair to you. Thank you. For saving my life there."

She took a few steps over to him. "I'm completely grateful, though I may seem otherwise."

[FallenFeather]

Rue cursed and managed to get the fat bloke off her legs. Unfortunately, the expensive skirts were tattered and in ruins. One large rip went all the way past her knee. Despite what she believed, Rue had spent a good coin on this dress. She didn't want to go into public looking like a tavern maid. The thief grunted and managed to sneak away while mass panic hit the crowd. The ripped skirts actually help her weave through the bodies. She managed to find a back door, slipping through it and into an ally-way, just in time to hear someone say "should be studied more closely before being placed in front of a crowd." Rue's eyes widened. No way, it had to be on display. If it was in some secretive science lab, she wouldn't be able to steal it! Then all that money would be gone. Rue hid in a doorway, listening into the man's conversation.  She would follow him and steal the crown directly from Wickerbot.

[skyline339]

Alane smiled at her. "It's okay, no need to worry about it. By the way I don't think I got your name."

Carefully he held the crown, and was running his fingers over it trying to find different marks or imprints. The old gems felt strangely warm to the touch.

[Sophidian]

"Molly Popkiss." She held out her hand, eyes flickering once toward the man behind her who seems impatient. It only made her wish to make him linger longer. "Count Earl Popkiss's daughter." She offered him a smile though it falters as she sees the crown. "Are you sure that thing is safe?"

[skyline339]

"It's very nice to meet you Mrss Popkiss. I'm hoping it will be, I have been hearing rumors about people wanting the crown quite badly. But I don't know about all the dangers it posses." He said, "well I best be off. I can't let the crown fall into the wrong hands." he bowed again to her, before taking his leave. "If you want to see any of my other discovery's, stop by my office." He said yelling a little as he back tracked before turning towards the air tram.

[Sophidian]

Molly found herself smiling as he left and quickly dashed it off her face. How insane could she be, smiling at some random archaeologist when she had...him. Perhaps her mind was smarter than she gave it credit. Trying to fix herself, sucking in some breath and smoothing down the edges of her corsets, she turned back to her date.

She'd visit Mr. Wickerbot at his office as soon as she could. It could prove to be interesting.

[FallenFeather]

Rue held a smirk on her face as she listened in. So others were after it as well? Well not to worry, she was the one to get it. She just needed the right opportunity. She slipped away, hoping to cut off the silly archaeologist before he got away. Something told her he wasn't going to let it out of his sight. Easy enough though, he wasn't trained like she was. From the direction she was heading, she believed him to be going towards the tram stop. She would cut him off there. She slipped through the crowd, looking more than a little disheveled and made her way to the station. Finding a bench near the entrance, she slouched in it, pretending to catch her breath. Quickly, she started making up a story. If her guess was right, he'd feel responsible for what happened today in the museum.

[skyline339]

Making his way quickly through the crowd, he was late the tram is leaving soon. Pushing his way by people, he makes it to the platform just as the tram was getting ready to leave. Slowly making his way to the checkout stand, he buys his ticket. His other hand holding the crown in his pocket, something about the crown was continuously keeping his attention.

[FallenFeather]

"No! I swear, it was right here. I had it right here with me!" Rue wailed at the attendant checking tickets. The young boy looked nervous as he tried to explain to her that she needed a ticket to board the tram. "But I had a ticket, I swear I did. I have a pass. I must have lost it in the museum. I mean, look at me!" Rue looked like a mess. Her black hair was out of its previous bun, strands falling into her face. Her cream colored clothes were in major disarray, her corset coming undone and her skirts torn and dirtied. The large tear up the right side of her leg revealed the skin underneath. She was missing one glove and her eyes were filled with unspent, frustrated tears. "How am I supposed to get home now?"

[skyline339]

Walking over to the women in distress, he hands her his ticket. "Here you go miss, seems your more in a hurry than me." Alane says nicely.

His eyes, quickly dart over her, noticing the shambled clothing she was in, he sighed. "I'm very sorry for what happened at the museum earlier today. But it can't be helped. Well miss you better hurry home the tram will be leaving momentarily." He said and smiled at her

She was also very beautiful, but seeing her like this wasn't the way he would have wanted to meet her.

[FallenFeather]

Rue caught her breath in surprise and looked over at the man that handed her a ticket. "Oh! Mr. Wickerbot!" Her eyes shone with tears as she turned to him, clutching the ticket in her hand. "What happened Mr. Wickerbot! What's going on? I'm so confused. I lost my purse in the museum. It had everything in there, my money, my keys!" She shut her eyes tightly, attempting to not cry but a few tears fell down anyway. Her clenched hands went to her bosom, which was no more exposed because of her askew corset. "I'm so afraid..."

[skyline339]

Alane smiled brightly towards her. "Don't worry just take my ticket and you'll get home soon. Let me go talk to the conductor, he'll be able to make sure your home."

Turning around towards the ticket boy, he talks to him for a second, before he runs off.

"You shouldn't have any troubles now." He said smiling. The voice in the back of his mind, she wants the crown....

[FallenFeather]

"But, but. I don't have any money any more. I can't even get into my house because I lost my keys! How am I supposed to get home if I can't get in!?" Rue took a deep breath and looked away from him. "I'm sorry... I'm just a little panicked right now. I don't know what to think."

[skyline339]

Suppressing the strange voice in his head, he smiles at her. "Here let me help you then, come with me."

Placing his leather jacket around her shoulders. "Come back with me to the museum maybe we can find your belongings together."

[FallenFeather]

Rue looked back up at him in surprise, pulling his jacket closer. "You really think it'll still be there? I would have looked, but I got bustled out by the crowd. I was afraid of being crushed. You don't think someone would have stolen it do you?" She looked up at him with hopeful eyes, believing that she will be able to find her belongings easily.

[skyline339]

"Well really there is only one way to find out." He said happily as he held out his hand. This is the right thing to do but deep down he wants to take the crown back to his own house to begin his research. The little gadgets in his pockets began wiring and vibrating. Magic was beginning to appear in the world once again.

[FallenFeather]

Rue blushed and took the offered hand. She looked away as he led her back to the museum. "Do... do you believe it was the crown that caused that?" she asked quietly.

[skyline339]

Finally as they had arrived back at the museum, he looked around at the wreckage. "I don't know what to believe, if it was the crown or if it was just by chance. The part which confuses me the most, is no other building on the street has obtained any damage, except by falling rubble." He said look all around.

Walking over towards the entrance way, and slowly and carefully walking inside, he began looking around. The law enforcement has come by yet, which seems peculiar, he noted to himself. "Well where did you fall, that's a good place to start looking."

[FallenFeather]

Rue wandered in, looking around. Rubble littered the floor, but it was otherwise empty. No one was around, which was weird considering the museum didn't only have the crown on display. She followed him to the room. Where was security? All these other relics and antiques were unguarded. "I... right by the case is where I got stuck under someone. Maybe it's under some rocks?"

[Hunter Phoenix]

Name: Hunter Phoenix
Age: 32

Hunter had stood on a ledge the whole time, watching the spectacle of the crown being moved, the accident and the mysterious woman that had acted all distressed. He had to keep a close eye on these three individuals, he had been sent to keep a close eye on the crown and to make sure it reached its destination and he would do everything within his power to make sure it stayed the course it was meant to travel.

Jumping down off of the ledge, he dropped many feet and landed on the pavement, falling into a roll and stood up, acting like nothing had happened, he walked casually over to the museum so that he could keep an eye on the people and the crown as well, something was happening, it was something he hadn't anticipated, so he was curious and weary.

[skyline339]

Alane slowly bent over, pushing different chunks of rubble aside. He scanned around the room, odd, he noted. "It seemed as though some of the artifacts had changed since this morning, many of the paintings displayed a single man dressed as an emperor. Standing back up to his full height, pulls out the crown. Looking at it, and seeing his reflection in the jewels encrusted within, he entered almost a trance. The crown began to vibrate within his hands, as the jewels began to light up. In shock, Alane opens up his hands and lets the crown fall.

In what seems to be almost slow motion, the crown falls towards the ground. The moment the crown was about to touch the ground, everything around the two of them froze. The old clocks in the room that were ticking proudly fell instantly silent, as the hands quit moving. A weird eerie feeling washed over him, but only for a moment, as he stared at the crown. The desire to take the crown, to touch it, hold it, wear it, began to over take himself. His body was screaming at him, "STOP, DON'T TOUCH IT" But all he could do was reach forwards. His hand neared the crown, as the lights emitted from the jewels began to crown. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the women he was with. His brain noted that nothing happened to her ether. But just as the thoughts came, they had left, all he could think about was the crown. His hand neared it, getting ready to grasp it.....

[FallenFeather]

Rue started sifting through the rubble, looking for her seemingly lost belongings. Of course she hadn't lost anything, it was just a ploy to get the man alone and away from public eye. Rue always kept her things either strapped around her, or hidden in secret spots around the city. She owned many apartments and other sorts of buildings around the town, none in the same name of course. They were all for her to hide in if things got hot.

But all of a sudden, time seemed to stand still. There seemed to be no sound, as if someone had put things on mute. Even the hands on the clock seemed to not move. Something was wrong. Rue looked around the museum, searching for Wickerbot. And she found him, staring at the crown on the ground. It was almost as if he was arguing with himself. Slowly, almost as if in slow motion, he started to reach for the crown. Rue's eyes widened as she noticed her opportunity. Grabbing her skirts in one hand, the woman rushed to the ground, scooping it up with her gloved hand. Before the man realized it was gone, she had pocketed it in her skirts. All of a sudden, Rue seemed dizzy and felt a massive headache coming along. It seemed like everything was overly bright, like someone had turned the sun on max.

[Hunter Phoenix]

When the woman had whisked up the crown in her skirts, he struck.

Running from the place he had been hidden, he took the chance to take a container out of his pocket and unfold it while the woman was disorientated, kicking the crown out of the skirts he scooped it up into the container and closed the lid. Then he made to leave before anyone knew what was happening.

[FallenFeather]

The second the crown was out of her possession, the cloudiness disappeared. She felt the weight leave her pockets. Rue glanced around the otherwise empty museum and spotted him. Grabbing his arm, she spun him around. "I beg your pardon, but that does not belong to you! I'll have you return it right this instance," she demanded of the stranger. Whether she was pretending to return it to Wickerbot or not was up in the air however. Rue kept the stranger's arm in a death grip, refusing to let him go, fingernails digging into his skin.

[Hunter Phoenix]

Hunter was stopped by a sharp grip on his arm and nails bit into his arm, he didn't struggle, instead he turned to see who it was and was surprised to see that it was the woman that had held the crown moments before.

"Actually my dear, I am a guardian of the crown, I make sure it stays on its correct path back to its true owner, you have no business with it what so ever, now if you'll excuse me, I have a plan to follow"

He span his arm around until she let go and then he headed towards the exit again, not seeing the need to get violent with anyone.

[FallenFeather]

Rue grabbed his arm again as he continued to walk out. "Forgive me if I don't believe you, but I don't believe you. Who gives you the right to claim guardianship?"

[Hunter Phoenix]

Hunter sighed, released himself from her grip again and took his left arm out of his jacket sleeve, pulling up his shirt sleeve with the hand that had the contained crown in it, he revealed the mark of Minos, the ancient sorceror who had owned the crown and would one day return to claim it.

"Believe it or not, I'm the real deal, I won't get physical unless I have too, so I suggest you get yourself a new target thief, stop going after this..."

He shook the crown in her face

"...and maybe you will live to see the return of the great Minos, a man so powerful, you wouldn't last more than a millisecond against anything he throws at this world"

Hunter then shoved his arm back into its sleeve and turned, feeling thoroughly annoyed. He turned back and looked at the professor.

"By the way Professor Wickerbot, thank you for starting the journey for the crown, if you're lucky, you may get to see its full power soon"

With that he turned and headed towards the exit, hoping the thief had gotten the message.

[skyline339]

Coming back to his senses Alane, looks onward and sees the new person. "You know of the emperor, Minos. The emperor who is said to have not even existed."

It wasn't until he managed to find the crown, that people actually started to believe he was crazy. Alane was so convinced that this emperor had once existed even for a short reign. But trying to find any proof, that was the challenge. It was almost as if every document, statue and monument of the emperor had been completely destroyed. The reason he was really so interested in this story, was that in the old history, there was a very strange gap. A 10 year period where it was like their civilization went completely blank. Many of the neighboring countries mentioned strange things about a weird and powerful emperor.

Seeing the man take away the only thing he had been able to track down, infuriated him. Quickly walking over and grabbing him now. "That crown is mine. I wont let you or anyone else take that from me. It is a valuable piece of history from a time, which many believe did not even happen." He said grabbing onto the man hard.

[Hunter Phoenix]

Hunter tried to shake the man off but couldn't manage it.

"Fine then, you want this crown, you want to see it in action, you come with me, your little friend can as well if she so wishes, but the thief, if she comes along, she has to stay well away from me and the crown, got it?"

He was not in the mood to be tested and would soon resort to violence if he was pushed too far.

"Now will you let go already, I am not in the mood to be man handled"