Fantasy As the World Burns

Han Liuyang

Han pulls Toko into his embrace against her will, letting her cry into his shoulder. And it's at times like this, that the King feels... Old. How many times had he seen this before? Burning homes and people whose worlds had been destroyed around them. People who are lost, desolate - their futures only seen as ash in the wind. How many times had he been there too late? How many times had he been the cause?

Five hundred years was a long time.

"Toko. Look."

Han's finger stretches out to point across the shores of the lake. The pillar of floating rocks, caught in the shadows of a starless night.

"I know the Divine- for once, in another world, in another place, I walked among them. Our ways inscrutable, our machinations to be held as articles of faith. For so oft we act, and do not grant even the ghost of a hint as to our will.

But that is not this."

His hand unfolds, and rests open to the sky, as if to catch a star falling from the heavens.

"The Wyvern was fleeing, its Knight was dead. The orb was safe. And yet, they raised the Eye into the heavens, and with it, the stones raised from the earth. Do you think that is a coincidence, Toko? Chains bind those islands to the lakebed. Their surface is etched with symbols. What hands do you think forged those chains? What do you think the symbols mean?"

He looks Toko in the eyes, a spark in them, as he smiles.

"And what do you think is waiting at the very top of those stones? The stones go up. The Eye goes up. I am willing to bet, Toko- The Eye is not gone. The Eye had a purpose. It was not raised up because you failed - No. I think, somehow, in some way, it was exactly where it should be. And that it is still up there, amongst the floating islands - Waiting."

He pulls her up.

"But we are in no condition to go climbing those stones now, are we? And we need answers. Come."

It took a bit of time and effort for Sarah to get into the cart as care had to be taken to not aggravate the wound on her side. Even as used to pain and injury as she was, the swordswoman still gave a small sigh of relief as she laid down on the pad of grass. With not having anything immediately pressing requiring her attention, the old woman let herself relax a bit and before long sleep would claim her again. After only a few moments the sound of her quietly snoring from time to time could be heard by any close enough that cared to pay attention. A sound, that while possibly annoying to some, was a sure sign that she was still alive.

Different world or not, human behavior was all the same. And Rishii had her expressions open like a book. Poor thing... she must've had these thoughts suppressed until now. Only a little more pressure... "I've seen it all before. Nations proclaiming peace and acceptance. But when faced with imminent danger, they forsake their morals; sacrifice those deemed 'lesser'. It becomes a matter of survival, and you and Tonati, unfortunately, don't matter to them."

Then to fill her void with hope. "You've been here for a while, haven't you? If that's the case, then there's something your people haven't foreseen: that you are not a nobody. Listen to me carefully. Your name is Rishii. And you are not like those spineless traitors. You are not useless, nor cannon fodder. You are strong, and you've survived despite them abandoning you. There is still a purpose for you to fulfill."

Looking at the pitiful girl, Doi couldn't help the twinge of empathy. To spend days locked indoors, hoping for a rescue that would never come; it was all too familiar. And upon remembering this, Doi took a breath—and recited her mantra, for Rishii and herself. "Forget the past, for it has nothing to offer you in this moment but grief. We can only move forward." Throughout everything, her smile never once faded. "Once they let me out, I promise you, I will free you as well. As long as you stay by my side."

Han Liuyang

Han just smiles at the look on Toko's face, as he waves her concerns aside. He holds up a finger as they walk back into the gates, chuckling softly. Ah, being fawned over. It was always troublesome - at least Toko wasn't bending and scraping saying 'I'm not worthy' over and over. That had been a frustrating few decades. He gestures to his softly flickering halo.

"I once walked among them. I am a spirit no longer. Everything fades, Toko- even the divine are not always immune to such a thing. What I was is simply the past- I am as mortal as any man, now. I gave all that up. This is not my world anyway- the Sun I was King of is far away. Don't worry too much about it."

Eventually, the ragged pair makes it into Cloud-Home, Toko predictably dragging him over towards the carts and what he assumed must be Elder Ook-so.

"Don't worry about me much. These wounds aren't getting worse anytime soon," Han laughs. The small mercies of burns- As long as you survived the initial encounter, you wouldn't bleed out from them.

GAMMARIAH | Temple Gate
seasonedcat Juju

Gammariah stood proud, some proven quality gave him permission from the great wolf-mother to rend truth from the mouth of the elf. He heard there was a prison camp for the Astellians, but if too many Astellians got together… Gammariah saw the effect of that on the battlefield. A swarm of mages huddling like bugs in lamplight. Rightfully so, however. They saw what happened to the last mage who broke out of the herd. They would have to develop techniques to break up the herds, perhaps a catapult or some other large projectile their shields would have difficulty blocking.

For now, Gammariah would focus his attention on the person in front of him. He drew his swords and placed them on a rock nearby. Not close enough to lure the elf’s hand, but close enough they could become useful if things escalated.
“Elf,” Gammariah turned their face to see them still unconscious. On touching his face, Gammariah got a new vision. The elf was from this world but long ago, dying like Gammariah and being brought back among the stars. If they were of this world they were likely an agent of Astel, but Gammariah held onto hope. If they were old enough perhaps they predated Astel, or perhaps they were of the same species but unaligned with the Dynasty.

Gammariah pushed them into an upright seating position and stood. Scanning the gates he noticed some soldiers yet to go inside. He approached a younger man, ensuring he could still keep an eye on the elf.
“Friend, would you be so kind as to bring me a pail of water? I cannot leave the prisoner.” Gammariah smiled and returned to Zareth. Gammariah could never tell with elf ages, but this one looked younger than most. Surely not a child but far from many of the soldiers he had met in his day. Perhaps years of scholarly life softened him. It would bring him joy to know the Dynasty were so desperate they were sending their scholars out into the field.

“Wake up,” Gammariah slapped Zareth across the face, leaving a bright pink handprint on Zareth’s white skin.

Zareth | ???
visions and noises flew through Zareth's heavy mind as he fell deeper into the muck that was his mind. Memories and dreams took their turn, dashing through the walls of his head before slipping away into nothing, too difficult to grasp things he had just seen. Zareth let himself get dragged deeper into nothing, his entire body far too tired for him to want anything more. He was met with complete and utter peace for the first time in so long.

unbeknownst to Zareth, his fate was being discussed around his body as he rested peacefully. It wasn't until the harsh slap hit his cheek that Zareth was thrown out of his momentary bliss. A gasp tore through Zareth violently as he lurched forward into a sitting position, desperately trying to take in everything around him rapidly. The sights around him and the sounds didn't process until he took a moment to blink and breathe and try and understand what was happening.

the usual ache of his markings came as he woke, almost spurring an annoyed groan from him, but he chose to suppress it for now. The next things that came to his attention were his pounding head as well as how heavy and weak his whole body felt. Most importantly, though, was the pain radiating from his cheek. Instinctively, one of his shakey hands came up to caress the sore spot as his gaze fell on the man before him. Putting two and two together, he figured whoever was before him had just slapped him awake.

sparing a glance around his surroundings, Zareth found that he had no idea where the fuck he was. The only thing that he could recognize was the slime thing from earlier being held by some girl. Based on her familiarity with it there was no way that wasn't the girl from earlier. Was this her true form perhaps? Or some sort of magic? He did not know, though, based on the violence he had just endured, they were not near friends. He couldn't remember anything from after he fainted. Had the two of them been captured by one of the Astellian's many enemies? Or had the girl turned him in, willing or by choice? Judging by her rushed appearance(and lack of restraints or violence on her) it was most likely the latter.

as expected from someone who wasn't an elf. It was almost laughable. The people who opposed the Astellian Dynasty thought themself so superior to the elves, but are they any different? They jumped on the first elf they saw, just as they claimed the elves due to them. They take pleasure in the suffering of elves, innocent or not the same as they claim elves do. Just because they did not fire the first shot did not exempt them from those they did. So many lives need not be wasted if they had simply just joined the Dynasty. If they let their pride fall the same way they asked for Astellian to do, how would history have been written? There was no denying that the Astellian Dynasty was superior to the other nations in several ways if only the others could see the truth behind their obsession with things staying as they always had.

he wondered what the girl had done with the knight. Had she slain her to get access to him for a free ticket? He couldn't see her giving him up without much of a fight unless some scuffle or lie had occurred. Had all their teamwork simply been a lie to gain their trust? He could imagine his mother's response after she saw him have trusted a lowly being like her. It is no wonder no elves want to trust or respect those of different nations when they care for little more than their idea of their idea of the elven people. He was a fool for letting someone see him weak, elf or not, but at least an elf would have taken him to an infirmary or left him to die rather than be used as a pawn, or murdered him for his crimes. Either worked.

letting his hand fall from his injured cheek, he gave the other man a smug grin, "and you are? A fan of mine, I'm sure." his prideful posture returned instantly as he caught up to what was happening around him. He had no choice but to endure what was about to happen to him; his mana was still completely empty, even if it had recovered its exhaustion enough to keep him awake. Though, with how things were going, he would likely meet the end of a sword or dagger shortly.
mentions| Juju jmann
interatctions| jmann

Han Liuyang

"A few rounds of infections won't kill me, Elder Haavi. It will, however, be very inconvenient." Han admitted. "I will see you after I speak with the Elder below."

As much as Han was confident he could recover- he would much rather recover quicker, rather than later. He lets Toko carry him along, bringing him to one of the seats on the cart and taking the moment to rest. It had been quite a day for him, all at once. Though he didn't think he'd get any real rest anytime soon- Speaking with old elders about matters of spirits was often tiresome. Dogma mixed with superstition mixed with ancient half-forgotten stories. You could tie yourself into a knot for days doing that.

As they travel along the passage, Han notes the ancient infrastructure. It was as he suspected. There had been something, some civilization that pre-dated this 'modern' age. The Knight had called the Eye an Arcane Keystone, Toko had seen it as an artifact of the divine. Another might think these two things irreconcilable. The work of men was the work of men. The Gods were the Gods. But Han knew better. The works of Heaven and Earth oft intertwined, and one could find truly impossible works of craftsmanship in the right age, in the right places, forged by bright minds and curious divinities.

Han was increasingly sure of the thought, with every ruined arch and pillar that they passed.

"What sort of people built these ruins?" Han asked, as much as to ask those around him who were from this world, as asking it of himself.

This place was new life overgrowing ancient works. The Eye, the Keystone, was a lost relic of an ancient empire, whose true purpose and nature had been forgotten by time. He'd seen this before, in the fall of empires. What was fades into myth, relics losing their meaning and purpose, only to be found again. When they stop, Han follows the rest of the summoned along the path into the depths of the shrine. Still, Han Liuyang refuses to do anything other than walk on his own feet while he still had the strength.

He passes through halls of ancient stone, past silk and perfume, through the kindly breeze. He passes through to theatre within- whether it held tribunal or play, it had found new purpose. As things tended to do with time. He looks upon the two spirits that watch over the gallery without fear or particular surprise, taking his own seat as they begin to commune. He listens to Haavi's words patiently, before shrugging. He did not do these things for reward.

"I ask only two things, Elder Haavi. That you not blame Toko for the events that have transpired, for I suspect they were driven by greater wills than you or I... And for you to help me interpret a vision that I received, when I touched the Eye that Toko guarded.

I am many things, Elder Haavi- but I do not have the context of this world and its divines, its history. I lack the knowledge to understand what the Eye showed me."

"They will let me out," she said, donning a sudden tone that left no room for argument. "That is Her will, and it cannot be bent." There was the very real possibility that the Astellans were not taking her seriously. That they left her here for later, as though she was some footnote saved for last. But no prophet ever spread their message without tribulation. She'd be patient.

"If the Elder told you anything reassuring, it was likely a lie. A soldier on low morale is no good soldier." Doi shook her head, disdainful of this leader's deceitful ways. "You have survived this place for so long. It should no longer matter to you what they said or did. Besides, you have a new friend in me."

They were making wonderful progress.

Sarah gave a quick word of thanks when Rodal picked her up, uncaring of the manner that he did so. What was interesting though was the sensation she got when he went to do so, one of an instinctive understanding that he wasn't from this world. The fact that such a feeling happened as soon as they made contact was an interesting tidbit that the swordswoman filed away for later. The wounded warrior was a bit surprised that he didn't set her down once they arrived at their destination, but she could see enough from where her head rested on his shoulder so it ultimately didn't matter much to her. As she listened to the Elder's comments and the responses from two of the other summoned, the older woman gave an amused snort at Rodal's comment on her being 'on route to oblivion', but didn't respond to it, instead addressing the Elder.

"I don't do this kind of shit for rewards, but suitable gear that I can borrow so I can keep fighting would be appreciated. What I got now was salvaged from an elf I killed and doesn't exactly fit well." As if to highlight her point, one of the boots Sarah was wearing slides off her foot and lands on the ground with a thud. Instead of reacting she just moved on as if nothing had happened. "I have some theories as to what's going on here with us all showing up like this, but I'd like more context about the situation and this world first."

Juju Solirus

GAMMARIAH | Temple Gate
Juju seasonedcat

Gammariah took a knee and only then noticed the shorter woman who complimented the temple and chased down a small creature. Was she from the stars as well? It would make sense for her bizarre attire. She spoke strange, too, as if their world were ephemeral and like she were a temporary guest in another’s home. It was true, in a way. It was possible if they died again they’d go beyond the stars to yet another world in need of saving.
“Thank you, sister,” Gammariah nodded in respect, “You did well to bring the elf back alive. I cannot say in your situation I’d have done the same.”

Gammariah returned his attention to the elf as it stirred. It grinned, and asked if Gammariah was a fan. An interesting defence mechanism, to be sure.
“I am sure I will be, in time perhaps. For now I only have questions. I think a conversation is most beneficial for both of us right now.”
Gammariah took a handful of water and scraped the mud off their arms, the Marks glistening in sunlight. He hated them being covered in common filth. There was a reason he rarely wore a shirt. The air was freeing, but he knew soon he’d have to cover them in a dozen wraps to let his back heal. His conversation with the prisoner would have to be brief if he wanted to avoid infection. The rot had claimed many in the rebellion who could not reach a healer in time or because they were forced to prioritise travel over rest.
“I am Gammariah, the Leading Light. And what do they call you? Would you like something to drink?”

It was an honest question, as honest as Gammariah could be through his disdain of the Astellian Dynasty. He didn’t want the elf to die just yet, maybe not at all if they answered well. The rebellion had dreamed of a turncoat to help them for a long time, if Gammariah could help claim responsibility for bringing one to these people he could win more favour after his prior outburst and disrespect of the Wolf-Mother.

Han Liuyang
"The vision was given in dire circumstances," Han spoke clearly, "We had sunk into the lake. Toko was dying. My options were few. Though I am divine no longer, I know divinity enough to appeal to what lay within the Eye. The Great Spirit manifested itself and healed Toko's wounds. And then it showed me..."

Prophecy. The giving of it was as much an art of interpretation as anything else. The vision that the Spirit had given him was chaotic, intermingled- It was not a work of clarity, as he had preferred to give in his prime. It was many thoughts bound together. Han pauses for a moment as he collects his memories, closing his eyes to try and clearly see that vision again. The impressions, the ideas communicated by the grace of the Divine.

Then he opens his eyes and speaks with a Prophet's voice.

"Red clouds at sunset. Pale feathers drip blood. Ash falls as rain.
The wolf breathes its last. The darkness stretches on and on.
Pain within, biting, pulling, breaking me bit by bit.
Collared by steel, impaled by steel. Maddened.
Sorrow. Tears."

Han blinks, as he clears his mind.

"I know not what you speak of when you refer to me as 'foul-blooded'. But the Great Spirit told me after, when I spoke with her...

'To speak is to wake the sleeper, and names have no meaning, you must first see to understand.' That was after I asked her for her name."

The burned demigod chuckles.

"She was also very clear that I not seek her out afterwards. Apparently, the next we meet would be of ill fortune."

Sarah quietly listened to the others while the Spinner got to work, and once her wounds were repaired the elder woman got down from Rodal's grasp. Once she slipped off the other ill-fitting boot she stood mostly still, the better let the spirit figure out how to size the garments it was making for her. A pleased, and thankful, grin could be seen on her face while she waited.

Then the prophecy recited from one of the others caught her attention. It sounded like one foretelling destruction, but the question was if it was just for one land, or for the entire world? "I had a bit of an interesting dream encounter as well," she comments briefly before falling silent as the fox-woman said her bit. It was only when she was done that Sarah started to get into more detail.

"Before I start, for introductions, do you prefer something quick or is it your way to get the full thing with any titles and such? Anyway, when I was unconscious earlier I had found myself in some kind of forest that had a bit of a flooding problem. Not far away was an area where the water was far deeper and a gigantic statue of a woman rested there with the head barely avoiding being submerged. The statue was rather beat up as well. As I was observing it from the 'shore', I also noticed some equine shaped heads of aquatic creatures observing me in return, reminded me of the Kelpies you'd find on some worlds. Didn't seem able to communicate and before long they abruptly left after a blue butterfly landed in one of the ruined eyes of the statue, filling it with light that then spread to the other eye. At that time I heard a voice that seemed to come from the water. It said something about 'finding home' and then asked for forgiveness."

"It was at that point the water level abruptly increased and the ground I was standing on vanished. Apparently I had to drown to wake up." She says that last bit with an uncaring shrug. "Felt more real than your standard dream, plus falling unconscious from blood loss isn't something that is conducive to having a dream in the first place. As such I'm inclined it was something trying to make contact with me, which ties into my theory as to why we are here."

"I don't know about the others yet, but I had died in my sleep from old age before waking up here. Considering that the only things I'm good for are exploring other worlds,” this first bit she says with a bit of longing before her tone returns to a more neutral one, “...and fighting any evils that I came across or threatened my home, I'm guessing we were here to stop something evil or to right a wrong. To support that, the Great Light of my home allowed me to go, if the entity summoning us was doing so for unjust or evil reasons then I wouldn't be here. The question is, what is it that we are supposed to fight against or stop? I at least wasn't told anything, which makes me wonder if the entity is currently too weak to do anything else at the moment. As such we'll have to figure out what is going on for ourselves, and that can mean having to travel to other lands to see what information we can find.”

The old woman gives Autumn a nod. “As such the young woman there is on the right track about needing information, I'd just ask that the scope of information be expanded to include stuff like ancient prophecies, legends, mythology, history, anything that might be useful in figuring out what else besides the war that might be going on. If, IF, my theory is correct, we may be facing something far more dangerous than this war before long and I for one would like to have some idea of what I'm up against for once. I'm not expecting you to change your stance about letting her back in, but we would need some way to stay in contact so we can discuss whatever she might find out.” The old swordswoman turns her attention to Autumn. “Not asking you to spy on the invaders either, just asking for information that could indicate if I'm right or not.”

There is another shrug. “I fully acknowledge that I could be wrong though, I'm just basing this on what I've seen and experienced in other realities as well as the information currently available to me. Seeing as I likely only have about two or three years before dying again, basing that on how my body feels currently, and assuming that I was indeed brought here to help deal with a threat, I'd guess it would show up before long.” Sarah gives the Elder and each spirit a brief look before saying one last bit. “If you have any information that may be relevant, regardless if it supports or denies my theory, I'd greatly appreciate it if you would share.”

Juju jmann Solirus November Witch ThatWhichShouldBe

Visions and Omens
The longer Elder Haavi listened to what Autumn said, the deeper the sadness that washed over her aged features. She nodded her head, listening to what the young woman had to say before saying anything of her own. “It was not too many winters ago that my kin and I shared the same view as you, sweet child. Before the elf-kin brought war to our shores, we were a people of peace. War and bloodshed was among the greatest of our taboos. Even now, many of our sister tribes hide away in hopes that the elf-kin will leave us alone. We of Cloud-Home have seen the truth. If we are to defend our home, our way of life, we must fight for it."

“I only ask that you stay to hear my interpretation of this message from the Great Life Spirit. I grow old, and cannot speak for the Great Life Spirit's will as often as I once could.” Despite the bittersweetness of her twilight years, Haavi’s smile was warm and free of any regret, “It will not be until several nights have passed before I may interpret the Great Spirit’s will once more.”

Mist-Mother tilted her head in vague agreement, watching the gathered summoned without eyes. She was silent for the most part, but seemed to be intrigued by the question of Rodal concerning foul-bloods. Cool fog rolled out from the spirit, heavy and calm as the night chill. Her voice flowed out with it, barely a whisper and yet clear for all to hear. “Foul-blooded… those born touched by the impure miasma. The blight of all creation. The unspeakable. That which lurks in the memories of all Spirits. To bear such a thing is to be harbingers of ill-fortune. Harbingers of sorrow. Shunned by the Children out of fear.”

Once more, she extended a long, spindly hand in the direction of Rodal, and then slowly towards Han. “Two here bear such a curse… I extend my pity…”

The spirit’s cryptic words clung to the air like her mist, until it was cut through by Han’s prophetic retelling of his own vision. Elder Haavi carefully studied him from across the brazier, her soft blue eyes flickering with the flames beneath her. With a wizened hand, she reached into a nearby clay pot to retrieve a handful of chalky red powder. As Han spoke, she sprinkled the powder into the fire and squinted at it as he told of his strange vision and meeting with a so-called spirit of the lake.

Haavi gave a frown of thoughtful concern, “This is indeed an ill-omen, as this spirit has told you. These signs you spoke of in your vision, they are omens of death… immeasurable death. Cataclysm.”

There was a silence in the air, broken only by the crackle of flames. Intrigued, the wise spirits peered down from their perches to stare at Han. It was The Spinner who broke the silence first, “This may be true, but one thing rings strange to our ears. There is no spirit who resides in the lake. Even now, the only resident of those depths is the coward Shem. Hmph! Pitiful thing.”

Toko winced at the comment, but said nothing.

All eyes turned to Sarah when she claimed to have had a vision of her own. Strangely, of all present, the one with the most visible response was Toko. As she listened, she placed a hand over her mouth and her eyes widened. Did she know something? If she did, she had no openings to add anything as Sarah continued to speak onward about legend, religion and a great deal of other things.

Elder Haavi unfolded a bundle of leaves and dropped a few stalks into the flames, unleashing a sharp floral scent across the room. She looked already half lost in thought, while the other half loosely listened to Sarah’s speech. What caught her attention the most seemed to be the mention of supposed reincarnation, “The Great Life Spirit is the arbiter of death and life, two halves of the same whole. If you have returned from the realm beyond death… hmm…”

With a slow movement, Haavi reached into the folds of her robe to pull out a bone knife carved with countless runes. She held a hand above the flames and drew the knife across her palm. The moment the first drops fell onto the flames, a change enveloped the room.

Every candle, hanging lantern or burning incense in the room was snuffed out in an instant. In the darkness, smoke lingered, reflecting the burst of light from the brazier. It burned in a blooming of red, pinks, violet and blue, shimmering with star-bursts of sparks. The magenta smoke clung around Haavi like a cloudy snake, enveloping her in a hazy shroud. Through it, her eyes glowed a bright blue, wide and staring directly ahead.

“Reincarnated ones… blessed by the Great Spirit itself. You who have defied ultimate end. An omen of great destruction. Of cataclysm. To pierce the heart of this world and the fabric of fate itself. The very embodiments of change. I see… renewal and… Great Spirit, have mercy. The End of all things. One and the same. The eyes of the world. Unravel the chains of the past. I… I do not understand…”

Something overcame the flames, twisting it up until the fire left the wood and brazier behind, rising up in a flickering ball of heat and smoke. As a flaming orb, it floated up, the light sharpened within it into the shape of a giant eye. It swivelled down, and no matter how many angles it was looked at, all the summoned would see the exact same thing;

The eye was looking directly at them.

A deep burning sensation had dug into their head, along with a vaguely familiar voice.


Both The Spinner and Mist-Mother let out inhuman shrieks before they fell to the floor, their forms shivering uncontrollably as they seemed to be resisting some unseen force. Even Toko was overcome with it, squatting down with her hands clutched tightly to her head and her eyes screwed shut in agony. Tears streamed down her face as she cried out in pain, begging for it to stop. The only one who didn’t seem to be in pain was Haavi, who was stuck in a trance. Though the bright blue light seemed to drip down her face like tears.

Staring at the flaming eye would cause intense pain to anyone who dared to, though it was the only way to witness it change from swirling red smoke into a blinding golden-white. Staring at it would make one’s vision blurry, but it also filled their mind with whispers. If they focussed on it long enough, they might be able to understand what the whispers were saying. However, the pain in their eyes left the question whether this could be harmful or not. Of course, there was always the option of ignoring it.

As chaos unfolded inside, so too did it unleash beyond the shrine. An enormous clap of thunder shook the foundations of the shrine and wind rushed in, stirring the draping fabrics and wind chimes into a violent flurry. A few of the medallions and charms broke from their ropes, crashing against the floor and walls. Strangely, most of them seemed to fling towards Haavi, Toko and the spirits, shattering against them unless someone tried to shield them. Some were quite large, and could cause significant harm to the humans.

The wind howled like a monstrous thing, and yet it was drowned out by an enormous wailing-roar that came from outside, originating from the pillar of floating rocks that now made its home above the lake. Clouds from the night sky were pulled in its direction, condensing around the pillars in a twisting, miniature hurricane. Lightning crackled throughout the clouds, shivering in the rapid winds. With the clouds rushing towards the isolated storm, the rest of the night sky was visible once again.

---

Both Zareth and Gamma would feel the change in the winds at roughly the same time as the other summoned in the shrine. If either of them looked back at the shrine, they would see a beam of bright light radiating from the walls of the shrine. As both of them were outside, they would also have a clearer vision of the storm that suddenly condensed around the floating islands above the lake. As both of them were acquainted with magic and the patterns of storms in this world, they could both easily tell that this was not a natural phenomenon. Between them, Zareth would sense an uptick in the arcane energy in the air... as well as some concerning signs that he had read about in his studies into the leylines (check your DMs)

Toko's reaction to what she had been saying caught Sarah's attention immediately, but the swordswoman decided that she'd give the other woman a chance to speak up on her own before questioning her about it.

But then Elder Haavi did her ritual and everything went to shit. The pain in her head did not stop her from glaring back at the eye. She had suffered through pain far worse than this more times than she cared to remember. This minor inconvenience would not cause her to look away or back down. However this didn't mean that she ignored what else was happening around her. As some of the various decorations started to be tossed through the air by the wind, Sarah reacted as quickly as her newly-healed body could manage. The nearly translucent, blue shape of her Mana Shield appeared on her left forearm as she stepped in front of the Spinner who had been right next to her, using it to block some of the items that were flying towards the spirit. But neither that, nor the impact of one of the charms against the swordswoman's head, tearing the skin and causing blood to pour down her face, would cause Sarah to lose her focus on the eye. The whispering seemed to get clearer the longer she glared at it, and if there was any information to be gleaned from the whispers the older woman was going to get it.

Han Liuyang

Juju said:

“Foul-blooded… those born touched by the impure miasma. The blight of all creation. The unspeakable. That which lurks in the memories of all Spirits. To bear such a thing is to be harbingers of ill-fortune. Harbingers of sorrow. Shunned by the Children out of fear.”

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Han's eyebrow shoots up in realization as Mist-Mother speaks of the nature of being 'foul-blooded'. Touched by the unspeakable, the blight, the impure..... before a hearty guffaw spills from his throat. His hand clutches for a moment at his stomach, as he leans on a conjured spear, the King having to catch his breath after that burst of almost painful laughter. He finally clears his throat, wincing a bit at the pain of some of his wounds, before the Sun-King speaks in explanation.

"Ah! I died in battle defeating those twisted, hungry things gather like flies at the edge of Creations- That is likely the touch that you see. Yes, indeed, it would be Foul-blooded..."

Han Liuyang shrugs, grinning.

"But it is a mark I will wear with pride. It was earned with a worthy deed, and so I feel no shame for it."

Juju said:

There was a silence in the air, broken only by the crackle of flames. Intrigued, the wise spirits peered down from their perches to stare at Han. It was The Spinner who broke the silence first, “This may be true, but one thing rings strange to our ears. There is no spirit who resides in the lake. Even now, the only resident of those depths is the coward Shem. Hmph! Pitiful thing.”

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"It may be a spirit you know not yet of, or perhaps a spirit that only manifests rarely, and does not truly dwell in the lake."

Han would go on to describe the scaled white spirit, with its humanoid torso and its long sinuous body, before.... Haavi begins to prophesy in her own way. The once-God listens closely, lending his ears to her words, trying to decipher them as she speaks. The Star-Fallen were a sign of a great change, cataclysm and renewal. Haavi may not have quite understood, but Han has seen the changing of ages twice before. The Wheel ever turns. A time of heroes and monsters was coming for this world, for however long it had remained in stasis before. A sword-age, a wind-age, an age of Legend.

"The eyes of the world.... the chains of the past...." Han mutters, before his eyes sparkle. "The Eye! When it floated up, it rose up islands from the water, bound to the lakebed by great chains. Ha! And some say prophesies are never helpfu-"

And then the flames blaze anew, and a great red eye appears in the flames. Agony washes over the spirits, Toko, and all those there. But Han, despite the agony, he does not look away. His eyes are wide, bloodshot. That Eye, that thing, lay in the crux between God and Horror, between World-Upholding Divinity and World-Breaking Outsider. Objects in the room begin to fly, and far off he can hear the howl of the floating rocks. The moment Han sees how they move, striking for Toko, Haavi, and the spirits, Han realizes this- this is an attack.

The spear in his hand unfurls immediately, long chain-blades extending out as Han grits his teeth. Even Han had his limits, and he was far from at his best. But since when had he ever let that stop him? The Sun King roars as the blades begin to whirl through the air, Han pushing himself hard as he dashes before Toko and Haavi. They were the least durable of all the subjects attacked by the flurry of thrown items, and so his chain-blades began to sing at blistering speeds. They act to deflect as many of the incoming items as he can, Han interposing himself between the objects and his chosen charges where his skill-at-arms fails.

"SOMEONE DOUSE THAT DAMN FLAME BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

Han cannot move from this spot, he's barely defending Haavi and Toko well enough as it is, but someone else had to stop this. He didn't know how long the Spirits could hold out against that dreadful golden eye, but he had no intention of testing their resilience!