Iris Cole.
***
"Alright, before you all drink the sap and begin training, there are a few things we have to finalize. Iris?"
I perked up, ready to respond, only to be flagged by a data packet downloading into my archives. It opened the millisecond I accepted, showcasing a vast world of towering mountains and deep valleys overlooking two super-continents connected by a land bridge, with a few exotic islands sprinkled around the seas.
"Okay!" I hopped in front of the Troupe, throwing tech blasts at everyone to craft proper desks and holographic screens before I switched operative modes. With the application of the bardic perks I received growing up, I always felt a coldness creep into my vocal transmitters; and it always matched the sudden giddyness of conducting Legion business.
"Project Darkroom," I announced, pacing across the room with great poise. "Placeholder nomenclature is thus: The Noctis Halls. Descriptor: the Abyssal forge that creates Noctis Legionaries.
"It is a spatially and temporally distorted chamber that mimics the worst conditions found across the Mortal Plane. Arcana fills the realm, creating Extreme Mana Zones and Catastrophic Arcane Territories. The seasons change on a weekly basis and the apparent gravity increases by .2G per month. All to promote a habit of using mana molding at all times.
"The slaves of Nydorden Halls liberated through death. Those felled from the battles in Shujen and the Kasian Empire. All who were whispered words in Deep Abyssal before Grand Master Amun killed them now take up residence in this expanse. They are ruled by the first proxies, Sir Doyle Wolfgang and Lady Olga Godzuik; alongside the first undead, Abyssal Abbot Zaraxus and Lady Lana Nox. They all boast military-industrial empires akin to ours. Eager, all of them are, for your blood."
Malicious grins came from all around. I loved it. So I began pacing with fervor to egg them on more. "Our Legionaries should fear the Darkroom more than anything in existence. More so than dragons, demons, or even the Gods. It is for that reason that they must live, grow, train, die, and learn through four maddening phases of training.
"In every phase, recruits will be locked in a cycle of reincarnation. The first phase, however, takes after Etan's world to strip them of their magic. Leaving them with just enough to stand without collapsing. For three months, they will undergo relentless physical training and combat conditioning while hostiles swarm them in waves, depriving them of sleep, food, and morale until their fear of death and suffering is vanquished. This is the War Phase.
"The next phase also lasts for three months. Magic and Martial Training. If they haven't already, recruits will take this time to master the four requirements, Manipulation, Mana Molding, Martial Combat, and Flight. So too, however, will classroom studies begin as well as courses to develop mana tolerance, fortify wells, develop spells, and train with basic equipment.
"The third phase consists of Battle Drills- mastering war and cross-training. Again it will last for three months. It is in this phase where legionaries can be tested for more advanced equipment and take specialized courses for their Class; as this is the most relaxed phase to make the drop of the final phase harder.
"The Abyss removes the recruits from their reincarnation cycle, yet it keeps them from dying outright. Unlike the War Phase, recruits will retain their magic and will use the skills gained to engage and destroy the magically inclined and technologically advanced empires of the Darkroom.
"Our training will be the same, omitting the Magic and Martial Training. Instead, we are to replicate what we've accomplished on our worlds to fulfill the following tasks. To first give structure to the Darkroom's administrative processes and training regimen and to second, make the training as challenging and traumatizing as possible.
"We will start with the first point. Any ideas?"
"What of recruiting?" Etan asked. "Standards, preliminary education, transportation."
"At the discretion of the Legion's Imperator," I answered. "Generally speaking, however, we have no recruiting standards. If they're so vile or old they have to be turned into devils or raised as undead then so be it. In any case, their first step will see them transported here for reception."
"To that end, I would like to propose a method of gathering information on the recruits before the training begins but after they arrive. A walk." Etan smiled knowingly.
"Ugh." Blude rolled her eyes. "Again with the walks."
"Specifically, a night march across the barren, soundless surface of Mani." Etan continued in stride. "A march of madness, wherein all they would be given is the order to walk. What they would not be told is that the task to complete is forty-eight hours of locomotion. The clock shall tick forward only whilst they move at a walking pace, yet it should go no faster should they run. Their destination only reveals itself once that time has elapsed.
"Our instructors will not guide them in any way. Nor will they grade the recruits on how fast or slow they accomplish this timeless task. They will only observe. Do they accomplish their vague orders with haste or do they take their time? Do they go in the directions pointed, paved by others, or do they form their own path? How do they react to the unknown? What would they do when not observed or when powerless? These observations can tell us much about a person."
"I agree." I nodded slowly. "In that case, that will be the first Night in the Administration Phase of Reception. As for the rest, the GM has compiled a course akin to the many variations of 'boot camp' or 'basic training' seen on the Net. The first item in that list- what will be the Second Night, is the Soul Screening."
At this, the Guildmaster- my dad- stepped forward. "I'll need to look into the eyes of the recruits to read their souls. In doing so, the instructors can learn of their desires and their potential classes in addition to receiving tomes or grimoires to guide them during their training. More so, however, it will allow them to be organized.
"As Iris said, while those who are wicked have a place in the Legions, there will be some who are so vile that they'd be better off dead. Even they, however, would be given a choice. A gamble. A roll of a cursed die to decide if they become a devil, shadow, or any number of undead." He playfully tossed a 20-sided die in his hand while smirking at the lot of us. Then continued.
"Everyone else will be given a list of occupations to choose from based on their traits, qualities, ambitions, and the paths available to them. They can be trained at their discretion, and the instructors should be aware of those choices to guide them properly."
"Of course." Etan nodded.
"To make that easier, I could make a Brood for the Darkroom. I mean," Reina awkwardly giggled. "I was going to anyway. But I can make a few observers and seers in here, with a bit of your… um. Blood."
"That's fine." Dad shrugged, then turned back to me. In turn, I designed a many-eyed archway to mark the gate to the administrative moons in orbit of the Darkroom and added the file to the project.
"A divine archway of birch, filled with our magic. Inscribed with the words: 'This archway; Beith, serves as alpha and omega, your birth as a Noctis Legionary; the death of your life."
"A bit theatrical," Geri murmured and was countered immediately by Rickley.
"Gotta give 'em inspiration. Something poetic so they can think about it. We're making demigods here, after all."
Rather than respond with words, I responded with a simulation of the room I'd been working on and proceeded to ignore their initial reactions in favor of scrutinizing what I saw before I gave the GM the final approval.
A snap, and gone was the nigh-invisible divine tree dominating the distant horizon. In its place was a quaint campsite set up beside a towering cliffside, the aforementioned archway carved into its center.
Geri made no such mention of theatrics as we crossed it, arriving at a landing that opened to a starry expanse like that above. Gone was the floor, however, as was the roof. Only a starry expanse of emptiness sat between the grand staircase to our rear and the black hole pulsing in the far beyond.
Together, we designed and wove the moons orbiting the Darkroom one by one; going through the process just as the future Legionaries would in order to build the best infrastructure to support them, the Eternal Emperor's Angels of Death and Devils of Life.
On the outermost moon, in the 3rd Reception Phase, recruits would arrive during the night to hear a preliminary briefing before being issued basic uniforms. Their first night of sleep would see them rise to a busy schedule that would last throughout the next five days- from an outsider's perspective.
Theirs would be far longer.
In addition to briefings and lessons on ranks; chain of command; parade and drill; and Legion structure, they would be faced with and observed by many of Reina's children and my devices to build profiles for each recruit. Highly extensive profiles.
Their fingerprints would be copied; retinal scans would be archived; visages would be captured; and their voices would be analyzed; their gaits recorded; dental records would be formed, complete with plans for future treatments or operations. And the same was true for their medical, psychological, and genetic records.
With the procedure, the moon, and our profiles formed, we moved on to the 4th phase. The Moon of Medicinal Witchcraft. There, the most troublesome aspects of their records would be corrected or outright treated. It was decided that all recruits would join them, even if no such ailments were present, as it presented the opportunity to teach basic classes in anatomy, first aid, and recovery magic.
It was also here where they would decide upon their preferred manner of critical healing- Reina's Life Center, my augmentations, the various divine powers of the Legions, or no such treatments at all, preferring instead traditional witchcraft, medicine, or technology. So too would they decide their preferred domain- choosing how the GM would guide and watch them.
They did not, however, decide their afterlife. Not yet, at least, for choosing how or even if they would be resurrected, raised, or reincarnated came only with a high enough rank in this meritocracy. However, they would receive the option to change their afterlife preferences with each subsequent promotion.
Despite all that would happen, the phase would only last for a mere eight days. Yet the assessments would continue.
The next moon- the 5th Phase was overseen by Etan. On a particularly dull moon, he designed everything from team exercises to dreams and nightmares meant to assess the mental stability of the recruits. How they led others. How they panicked. How they went off the rails, dealt with stress, or coped with trauma. Everything was monitored and more, offices and lounges were constructed to interview and screen recruits in order to determine their intellectual capabilities, emotional ranges, personality types, morals, and learning styles; all in just 48 hours.
In the 6th phase, the recruits would spend a tenday gaining an understanding of their current physical capabilities. To accomplish this, we made a variation of the assessment given by the Guild Association; established a means for recruits to begin training to use a favored fighting style, armor type, and weapon; and then posted combat drones of various makes throughout the world to teach the recruits how to use and care for their gear.
The 7th Phase was much the same, albeit with a focus on magic and crafting. On this moon, we devised ways to test recruits in the four requirements. Their mana tolerance would also be recorded, and mana wells and magical abilities would be tested in a number of metrics. Spell power, range, accuracy, casting versatility, and more for five days. For the other five, they would be assessed on their knowledge of crafting, alchemy, smelting, forging, and enchanting.
The 8th phase saw their profiles finalized, permitting them to arrive on the final moon orbiting the Darkroom. There, they would receive a full-body scan and be prompted to customize the features and aesthetics of their field gear in favor of their class and abilities. In turn, they were measured for dress uniforms and once again would be given extensive classes to teach them how to maintain and repair their gear.
While they would be issued their field uniforms at the end of that tenday, the caveat was the limitations imposed onto the gear. Dubbed the 'Locked Set,' the equipment billeted during this phase were to be made of ordinary materials. They'd have no connections to the various networks and boast no enchantments other than what was necessary to survive within the Darkroom; but not thrive.
Only when they began their Magic and Martial training in the Darkroom would their gear be upgraded to fit the standard suite of enchantments. Only when they graduated would their gear be upgraded to hold Noxweave, connecting them to the networks and permanently tying the pieces to their soul.
Before any of that, however, they had to feast upon the magical victuals of Sam's Kitchen, stock up on equipment, and rest as much as they could before their instructors organized them in front of the Darkroom. There, they would straddle the Darkworld's gate and watch the previous graduates emerge gloriously. Only then would they cross into the void to begin their training.
"Alright." I sighed as the cold giddiness faded in the background of my default settings. "The regimen inside is already established. As is the occupational training post-graduation, dubbed the Brain Phase. So, any ideas as to make this the worst place imaginable? I'm going to install drones and stuff once we're in there."
"Me too. But with my Children." Reina added.
"I figure sis and I can make the seasons really swing."
"Or make it gradual." Geri shrugged. "Start really fucking cold and end really fucking hot."
It took not long to agree upon changing the seasons sequentially with the passing months and agreeing to compete in installing some sort of war machine to terrorize both the inhabitants and the future Legionaries. It was only a matter of finding territories in the ever-shifting environment. A task made all the more difficult by our overlapping niches.
A task made all the more difficult by the denizens of the Darkroom.
"As I've said," Dad spoke up once the project was made into something real. "The civilized denizens of the Darkroom are the beings I've killed down below, uplifted by those above. The orcs of Kasia, uplifted by Lana. The goblins of Kasia, uplifted by Olga. The those I killed in Nydorden Halls, uplifted by Doyle. Those I killed in Shujen, uplifted by Zaraxus.
"For several centuries now, they've been here. Thriving, growing stronger as we have, waiting for our arrival, for their curse has left them in a loop of reincarnation. Between my underworld and the Darkroom, they cycle like a clock. The residents who die within are reborn at the start of every month. Always.
"So too, however, has their curse blessed them with arcana. And so too has their curse left them tainted, capable of Usurping Life and Strength from the other creatures of their realm. They were then placed here, in the Darkroom, where one year within equates to one day outside. And here, like anywhere else, they built cities, empires- militant superpowers with advanced technology.
"Their sole purpose is to wage an eternal war against those who invade their realm- those who enter the Darkroom. They will show you no mercy. Though, they cannot steal life from you or anyone else not native to the realm. That said, their Usurped energies do not return when they respawn. Thus they have to regain their strength by Usurping life from the many lesser creatures of the realm. If not their comrades.
"Thus it goes without saying." Dad flicked his eyes between us, showing a malicious smile while the incorporeal vines of the divine tree uncoiled to bless us with their sap. "The weakest creatures will be the first ones you face in this War Phase.
"Have a reaping revelry."