Krodnok's Lab

#1

Sunlight poured into the room through the hole in the earth that was the ceiling. I’m gonna need to get that fixed, Krodnok thought. Hopefully, given the deal he had made with Bo’gan, he’d soon have to ability to do so.

He let go of the portcullis that denied him access to that room, and instead turned around to observe the room he was currently in. On the wall across from him was the door that led to the bedroom/library. He looked to the left. There were two doors on that wall, though one of them was hidden. The door that wasn’t hidden was elevated just a few feet, so there were a few stairs in the entrance. But even so, Krodnok could see into the next room.

The solid stone slab that had been built into the floor appeared to have been used for some surgical purpose. That was the assumtion, anyways, given that the top and sides of the slab were stained with blood. There were also 3 metal carts on wheels in the room. The true purpose of these was also a mystery. However, if he was right about what the stone table in the center of the room was, chances were good that the carts had held the surgical equipment.

While that room was raised slightly, the hidden door concealed a spiral staircase that led down into a fairly large natural cavern. There was another laboratory down here, and a large pool of water. Through the water, one could see the undead Kraken that ‘lived’ in the pool. Krodnok didn’t know how it had gotten there, but he was sure he could come up with a use for it.

He looked to the right. This room held 5 glass cases, all large enough to hold a full-grown Earther. Which was good, given that 4 of the cases had full grown Earthers in them. They were ghouls, Krodnok knew, but the reason they had been created was a mystery. The other case held a mastiff in it. The dog was dead, but had had a Nightmare instilled in it. It wasn’t Krodnok’s Nightmare, so he had no control over it. That would change, Krodnok thought.

The room he currently stood in also had glass cases in it. They lined the walls, wherever there wasn’t a door. In these, there appeared to be expirements. Failed, of course, but they were there, nonetheless. Corpses of both Earthers and Olgogs alike were deformed and mutated. He didn’t think that there would be anything salvagable from these bodies, but Krodnok would find out for sure.

He stood in silence for a while, then moved to the room with the surgical slab. Metal carts to hold surgical equipment, he thought. That made sense. They even had a drawer on each of them. He opened the drawer on the cart that was furthest away from the door, and extracted a vial of thick, blackish-purple liquid. As he held it, he watched as it sloshed and slammed against the sides of the vial, trying to escape. Trying to get at him.

Krodnok looked out towards the room he had just come out of. Then he smiled, and put the vial back in the drawer. He closed the drawer, and walked out of the surgical room. His mind swirled with ideas and plans. Things he wanted to do. Things that would be attempted. He’d have to wait though, until his troops arrived with all their equipment.

Krodnok smiled again. He was patient. He would wait. The time to work was almost here…

(Ooc: There are only a few agreed characters who can post here. Uriel, as Uriel, Yyan Kol as Yyan Kol, and Kolgol as Pluto. Also, will need the Narrator to post from time to time, as there is science-y research and expirements going on…)

#2

Pluto stepped quietly through the halls of the laboratory, his eyes taking in all that there was to see. He found the laboratory absolutely fascinating, although quite disturbing as well. He was glad he had been allowed to stay, and he wanted to help as best he could. He found himself before the metal portcullis once more, and stared through it at the strange opening above.

“How can I destroy this?” He mused aloud. “Far too strong for me to melt with leyas, but maybe a fireball? No, that would probably break something else, I must find a way to contain whatever it is that I do to the bars.”

He then remembered a technique he had heard described in his younger days that was used to make fine metal. By heating and then rapidly cooling metal, it gains additional strength if done right. If done wrong, it makes the metal brittle and easy to break. Being that he didn’t know the correct method beyond the basic theory, he decided to give it a try.

He put his hands on a bar, and began to chill the metal with water leyas. When it was cool to the touch, he would apply heat slowly using fire leyas, the opposite of how he had heard it done when strengthening metal. He would repeat this process many times, and would then wait and see if anything happened.

(Note: This is on a small section of one bar, so that if it were to work, whatever is on the other side wouldn’t be able to just charge him)

#3

Krodnok stepped down, out of the surgical room, and looked around. Pluto was standing at the portcillus, muttering quietly to himself. Krodnok wasn’t aware that Pluto had stayed. He had extended the invitation for the old 'gog to assist, but didn’t know he had accepted.

Leaning against the wall, Krodnok watched Pluto work with the gate. Whatever he was doing, he really seemed to want to be on the other side of that gate.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, Pluto,” Krodnok began. “But there isn’t anything over there. Not anymore, anyways.”

Krodnok began to search through what was left of the expirements on the walls. He wanted to find something, anything, useful. A part suitable for transplant, maybe a complete body that could be converted.

#4

Pluto blinked in surprise and looked over at Krodnok. He scratched his head and looked back through the portcullis.

“Oh, there is nothing in there? Curses, I could have sworn I saw something there earlier. I apologize for my forwardness is getting to work, but my memory isn’t what it used to be. Might just think of an idea and then forget it before I have a chance to use it.”

He frowns, trying to remember what it was he was trying to accomplish. Clearly he was barred (literally) from the room, but if there was nothing of interest on the other side, he might as well put his mind to something else. At a loss, he asks,

“Is there anything in particular that you need assistance with? I would be more than happy to aid you in whatever endeavor you decide to undertake. My knowledge is at your disposal.”

#5

Krodnok ran his hand over one of the glass cases. He didn’t want to damage the cases, so he was currently just studying the bodies inside them, looking for anything that could be interesting. Or, more importantly, useful.

He heard Pluto’s question, but ignored it while he studied the contents of another of the cases. After a few moments, he turned around and regarded the old Gog.

“Actually, there is something i’d like your opinion on,” Krodnok said. “Wait here.”

He moved up into the surgical room, and from the drawer on the cart furthest from the door, withdrew the vial of liquid. He, again, watched as the liquid in the vial thrashed inside, in what appeared to be an effort to get at him.

He moved back to the main chamber and moved to where Pluto was standing. He held up the vial. “I haven’t yet been able to run any tests with this stuff. Although I do have some ideas. What do you think of this?”

(Ooc: The vial’s contents is a mixture of demon essense, nightmare hybrid flesh and undead vampyr flesh. Appears to be at least semi-sentient. No idea as to what it was created for.)

#6

Pluto regarded the vial somewhat curiously as he scratched his chin in contemplation.

“An interesting find to be sure. It looks positively nasty, I wouldn’t recommend letting it out just yet. It seems quite feisty too…”

He hadn’t really encountered anything of this kind that he remembered, and was somewhat baffled. However, there was only one way to find out more, and that was to observe it in a controlled setting.

“Do you have an area which we could test this substance? Understandably we must let it out purely to figure out how it reacts in the natural environment. If we have some kind of basin or large container we could pour it in, we might be able to conduct experiments on it.”

#7

Krodnok thought for a moment. Then looked behind himself, at the door to the bed / library area. He turned back and looked at Pluto.

“Yeah,” he said. “Give me a minute. I’ll go get it.”

He walked to the door and opened it. He moved past the altar, where he aquired the Fiend of Warmonger that currently resided in his head. He continued through the next door, to the sleeping area. Just far enough to be in the room. He looked to the left, and grabbed the pot that was in the corner.

It was full of dirt, which made Krodnok think there had once been a plant in it. But it was tall, and wide, which would give himself and Pluto the ability to watch the liquid do… whatever it would do.

He emptied the dirt out of the pot as best he could. He walked back through the rooms and moved to where Pluto was waiting. He set the pot down and looked up at Pluto. “Will this do?”

#8

Krodnok waited for a response from Pluto. But when the old 'Gog just continued to watch, Krodnok opened the vial, and emptied it into the pot.

#9

The liquid dribbled out in chunks but as the chunks hit the smooth inside of the pot, they jelled together again becoming a smooth liquid. The liquid flowed around the inside and began forming eyes that looked up at Krodnok and Pluto with malicious intent.

The liquid vibrated a few times until it began creating a sound like a voice and said, “01101010001000100010010001”

Then changed to sounds like a trinary.

Then said, “What is your command?”

#10

Krodnok blinked in suprise. He wasn’t sure what he had expected when he poured the liquid out of the vial. He was sure, however, that one of the last things he thought would happen was that the liquid would ask for orders.

He regained his composure quickly. “What are you?” He asked the substance. “And why where you created?”

#11

"I am a hybridization of Ha’kritha biological matter. I was created as part of an experiment by the Krato General Tharr to repopulate the Nightmare Lords to counter the Warmonger.

I failed as a nightmare lord and was sent for further experimentation by Kasanth Dannor of the Earthers.

I am a multiphasic being and can ascertain most objects by feel alone. I can sense light waveforms and sonic waveforms by feel even through thick materials."

The undulating mass of nightmare lord flesh seemed to be seeking some sort of interface. It extended tentacles probing in all directions.

#12

Krodnok listened to the ooze, and pondered what he heard. He wasn’t sure he enjoyed the fact that someone was trying to re-create the Nightmare Lords. But having the attempted experiment in his possession… That was an entirely different matter. Nightmare Lords could control any Nightmare there was. Even massive False Wyrms, and True Nightmares. That was an ability that Krodnok didn’t have… yet.

He watched as the ooze writhed, and reached out with tentacle-like appendages. Then a thought occurred.

“Well, now i have a fairly basic understanding of what you are. Or at least what you were supposed to be. Which means that either you aren’t what you were created to be. Or you are, but you can’t do what your creator expected of you. Which is why you were labeled a ‘failure’, and were made into an experiment piece.” Krodnok paused, thinking about which of the questions he had was more important. “So, now i have two questions. What, exactly, were you created for? And, more importantly, what exactly can you do? What abilities do you have?”

#13

Pluto’s eyes opened, and he realized that he had fallen asleep. Before him he noticed Krodnok and some kind of ooze like substance. He quickly remembered what he had been doing, and was about to say something when the ooze begain talking. He waited for a moment while Krodnok responded and the conversation went back and forth. The questions Krodnok asked were the same that Pluto wondered, so he simply gave a nod to Krodnok to let him know he was awake, and waited for the answer.

#14

The ooze finally gave up thrashing as it realized nothing was in reach.

It burbled and gurgled and said, "The Earther Dannor was trying to modulate me into a method of hijacking nightmare run vehicles.
They tasted so good i kept eating them.

If i was well fed before hand i could control a nightmare run vehicle like a Kias Warwalker for an hour or two before i ate the Nightmare running it. Then Dannor would pull me out. He didnt like when i would shoot up the lab with the onboard weapons but they made such nice shattering sounds.

He kept muttering something about needing a way to control the Brain that crashed in the Falling Star but i really dont know what that means.

Then he left saying he was founding a new faith up north and didnt need me anymore.

I am indestructable but lots of direct sunlight makes me pass out from the pain."

Both Krodnok and Pluto looked at each other at the mention of Brain in the Falling Star.
They had each heard legends that the meteroite that crashed into what is now the Falling Star homeforge was a nightmare Lord vessel.
If the brain from that vessel was still around and this ooze creature could control it…the possibilities for creating a megamachine powered and animated by the combination were endless.

#15

Krodnok listened carefully to what the ooze was saying. He had heard rumors about what had crashed at the Homeforge, but had never gone out to explore thee place. He decided that he would need to go investigate, but later.

“Well, I have my ideas on the Nightmare vehicles problem, but that will need to be attempted later,” he said. “But for now, I need you to be back in the vial. I’m expecting company soon.”

Krodnok turned to Uriel. “Before i get too into anything, is there anything you’d like to look into, or experiment with?”

#16

(Ooc: this had been left idle for quite some time, so, in my mind, my last post was still back at, like, week 8 or 9. Jumping ahead to current with this post.)

Krodnok stood on the bank of his underground lake, and watched the Undead Kraken move through the water. It had been a pair of months since the conversation with the ooze, and a lot had happened in that time. He hadn’t yet decided what to do about the ooze/Homeforge thing, or what to do with the Kraken, but things had changed.

He had gone out on a few missions and had scavenged a few new parts, and had had them implanted. He now looked like an entirely different creature himself. A new, large third eye sat in the middle of his forehead, and his left hand had been replaced. Well, his second left hand, anyways.

Krodnok shifted his weight, and stretched all four arms. A pair of arms extended from the shoulder, like they should have, and the second pair of arms were attached on his sides, at about his waist. It was this set of arms that had a new left hand. He looked down at that hand, and flexed those fingers. Just like with the arms, and the eye, Lotara had done an excellent job. No loss of mobility or function. And, with the extra arms, four Hellguns at once. That was a plus. He smiled.

His smile faded, however. Some things had happened in recent weeks that hadn’t been positive. The Warmonger was growing stronger. Krodnok could feel it, and he didn’t like it. It came as a ‘bonus’ of having once been enslaved by the Evil. Even though he was still technically free, Krodnok could still feel the power of Warmonger.

He had been away from camp for a number of months. So there were a few things he had only just learned. For instance, how the Kolgul Militia had come calling, requesting ‘volunteers’. That served only to increase the number of residents of ‘Camp Krodnok’. Really need a better name for that, Krodnok mused…

Oh, and then there was the defense of Thomasville. When Volurk told him about that, Krodnok could hardly contain his surprise. He had been free for nearly two decades now, and had known Volurk for most of that, since Krodnok freed him. And in that time, Volurk had shown nothing but distain and hatred for Earthers. But when it was revealed that the defense Volurk sent was only to stop the Unit 111, that started to make sense.

Unit 111… Krodnok had had his own run-ins with the Warmonger loyalists. Granted, his run in came in a War-Machine conversion facility. But, if they’ve started moving on Earther towns and settlements, that’s not a good sign.

Warmonger was priority. Stopping whatever the Evil had ‘planned’ was vital. In order to do that, though, power was needed. Alot of power. And, Krodnok thought, the seeds for that power had already been planted. Thanks, Torlok’ab…

Krodnok smiled again. He turned around, and walked up the path that led back to the lab.

#17

A large bowl sat atop one of the operating tables in the surgical room of the lab. Krodnok was away, and Valurk was overseeing the lab’s growth and expansion. So, Lotara had some time to herself. Time to give herself to a side project.

She uncorked the vail of dark liquid and emptied it into the bowl. She watched as it writhed and looked for a way to get out. When it couldn’t and had settled, forming eyes that gazed at her, she began to speak.

“I’m looking for information about you,” she began. “More to the point, I want to know whatever you can tell me about the process by which you were created. It’s a process i’d like to try and replicate. Not exactly to make another you, but to attempt something similar.”

Lotara crossed her arms across her chest. “So, what can you tell me?”

#18

The ooze settled down and began to communicate, "Three things are needed.
First a host body made from Nightmare or Kuliek flesh that can withstand the raw power of a NightmareLord.
Second the bone or blood from a Nightmare Lord.
Third a huge amount of fear for the creature to consume while it gestates.

I was fed on the horrific slaughter of an entire village of innocent Olgogs. They tasted good.
But do not tell the one called Krodnok. His aura smells less trustworthy each day that goes by. As if faith drawn leyas is starting to pool around him. Do not trust it…it will burn my oozr and your corrupted flesh…"

#19

It was a little disheartening to hear the ooze describe what it would take to create another ooze creature. Finding a Nightmare that could withstand that kind of power was one thing. To get the blood, or a bone, from a pre-existing Nightmare Lord. That would be an almost impossible task, as Nightmare Lords were extinct. And Lotara had no idea where to even start looking for remains.

But, then the ooze mentioned her father, and ‘faith drawn leyas’. That made her smile. Because that meant that what they were doing, in so far as setting up the Devotion and amassing worshipers, was working.

Lotara shook her head. She would just have to figure something else out. She wanted this project to bear fruit.

She put her hands on her hips and looked into the bowl. "So, i hear from my father that you were created for a purpose. That you might be able to control the thing that’s crashed at the Homeforge. So, here’s the question: Can you actually do that?

#20

The ooze burbled and gurgled with delight, “Yes, yes i can hijack it and bend it to my will.
I need only be poured nearby but must be protected during the bonding process.
If angry Kiou strike me with light or healing energies during bonding process it might kill me.
I do not know for sure if it will kill me but it is dangerous. Too dangerous.
Protection must be had during the hijacking.”