In Character Chat

[Juju]

(meanwhile...) 


Renae had been careful to plan her flight path as far away from the heart of the battle as possible to avoid getting caught by any stray magics, but when she witnessed the emergence of a sandstorm born seemingly from thin air she was thankful for her caution. Even at such a distance she could feel the air shift suddenly towards whoever had cast the spell, forcing Snark to quickly adjust his wings in order to prevent both rider and beast from being blown off course or worse. The creature gave a sharp yowl of displeasure, clearly unhappy with the current situation. 


“Almost there, buddy.” Renae reassured her feathered friend, giving the growing void of sand and wind an uneasy side-glance. She hoped the city wasn’t going to disappear along with the library, but if it was… well it made what she was going to do a lot easier. 


Snark swooped low over the remaining half of the library and landed on what was once a grand staircase. Renae slid down from her saddle, her boots landing on a smooth surface that she realized had once been the interior of a wall. Peering over its edge she could see the tiled flooring of a hallway parallel to it. How bizarre. She hopped over the perfectly cut stone and walked down the hallway, ignoring the fact that everything from her waist up was missing and overhead was nothing but sky. It was strange, but the air seemed to become increasingly chilled the further she walked and she couldn’t help but notice shadows that she swore looked differently than their physical doppelgangers. She adjusted the bag on her shoulder and walked a little faster.


It was just before she got to the main section of her current floor that Renae saw her first corpse. Initially she thought it to be a heap of crusted cloth but upon closer inspection she realized it was the mummified remains of a scholar, his flaking hands still clutching the book he had been carrying at the time of his death. His shriveled face was turned towards Renae, empty sockets glaring through her. 


“I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” she muttered, tearing her eyes away long enough to step around the body. 


The inner library was filled with his sort, some mummified while others bore gruesome holes in their heads which leaked a putrid substance reeking of fermented flesh. Naturally, Renae took some samples but she was never keen on sticking around the bodies longer than she needed. As she walked through the library turned graveyard couldn’t help but notice that she recognized a few of the mutilated faces. A scholar she had angered one time, an elderly librarian who never failed to smile at any passerby and even a woman whom had seemed genuinely interested in hearing about Renae’s inventions. Renae shook her head somberly, cursing under her breath at whoever used this magic. It was an irresponsible use of magic, an unfair power that allowed one to hold absolute sway over others. She forced herself to walk further into the aisles of books and scrolls, the silence roaring in her ear, deafening. Even though she was the only living soul remaining in the building, she felt like a ghost. 


Eventually she stopped before a particular shelf filled with leather bound tomes labelled in an array of topics related to the biological research of magical organisms. Her fingers skimmed over anatomy books, botany guides and origin theories (she still stood by the Darles Charwin theory and regarded these as hogwash), taking any that seemed to be of credibility. Once her bag was filled with the books she turned to leave, but stopped abruptly when her eye caught on a worn tomb, sloppily lodged within the origin theory section.


 By some spell of curiosity she decided to take it down from its resting place and searched for the author. In a messy scrawl of handwriting it read ‘Joshua Leggin’. The name rang a bell but she couldn’t recall where she had heard it. Through a flickering of the pages the book seemed to be a collection of research, theories and diagrams of things she had read before. She was putting it back on the shelf when a dog-eared piece of parchment fell out. Renae stooped to pick it up off the floor and unfolded the paper. She was completely shocked to find herself staring at a crude sketch that looked to be an oddly shaped device with unorganized notes scattered about it. There was a circled number in the top right corner, most likely indicating a page in the book. Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly fumbled to the page only to find it missing, along with a few others that followed it. 


“Bloody hell..!” Renae hissed, breaking the quiet of the library. For some reason she felt like that wasn’t a good idea, and eagerly let the silence return. The hair on the back of her neck began to rise and she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched. Okay, Renae I think you’ve overstayed your welcome, she thought while glancing through the bookshelves. She slipped the book into her bag and began to retrace her steps to where Snark would be waiting.
 

 

[Blaire Wisteria]

[COLOR= rgb(13, 13, 13)]Pain shot through Titus' body as it made contact with the cold stone roof. "Ugh, what in the fuck was that?" He muttered as he painfully pushed himself up onto his knees. His head was throbbing and he was still confused about what was occurring all around him. Most of what had just happened was a blur. Like why was the library in half? Why is there some strange cat-person-thing jumping all over the place. Most import, why in the hell is there a sandstorm starting in the middle of a stone city surrounded by water?!? Then finally, there was that pointy bastard that broke into Titus' precious mind space. No one has the right to go in there except the necromancer himself. Well there was that one attractive illithid, but that was a one time thing. He wanted nothing more than to get back at the freaky cultist, but even he knew his limits. That guy was just brushing off every attack like it was nothing. Titus was pretty sure that even he wasn't going be doing much, well not by himself.[/COLOR]


[COLOR= rgb(13, 13, 13)]Looking around, there were no dead in sight, only those that'd soon be dead. Yet, Titus was not the waiting type, and it appeared that Faylinx fellow wasn't either. Mayhaps what was left of the library had something that he could work with. After all, it was filled to burst with dark energies. Legs shaking, Titus rose to his feet with the aid of his staff, and made his way off the roof, towards the library.  Once there, he walked through the collapsing  entry way. The interior seemed to have suffered a worse fate than it's exterior. Books, torn to pieces and strewn all over the place. Their shelves toppled to the floor, crushed underneath rubble from the upper floors. Titus made sure to pay attention so he wouldn't end up sharing a similar fate. It wasn't the literature that drew him back to this place, but the remains of those that had once taken care of it. Lucky for him, there were still a few corpses lining the halls, but they were in an unfortunate state. Most were nothing more than skin on bone and a good few lacked their brains. The necromancer would just have to make due for now, after all, now wasn't the time to be picky. [/COLOR]


[COLOR= rgb(13, 13, 13)]Sighing, Titus sat crosslegged on the ground and gripped his staff with both hands. This was going to take a good bit of magic and he didn't want to risk collapsing in the middle of it all. Slowly, he muttered a small incantation in a mishmash of different languages. As he did so, a faint purple glow could be seen in the eyes of the skull at the end of his staff. Out of nowhere, a bright purple light shot out from the skull's eye sockets. It made it's way down the halls of the grand library as if it had a mind of its own. As it came across a corpse, part of the light broke off and entered it's head while the rest of it kept on searching. The beam of light started to grow fainter the farther it got as Titus' magic reserves dwindled. He was running out of juice and needed to stop before he fell unconscious again. The brilliant glow stopped as fast as it began as Titus took a deep breath. Standing up, exhausted after expending all that magic at once. He felt the need to lean on his staff to better compose himself.[/COLOR]


[COLOR= rgb(13, 13, 13)]Once Titus regained his composure, he lifted his staff in the air with one arm while the other rested at his side. It was now that the corpses touched by his light began to rise up off the ground, eyes glowing the same color as the beam. Their mouths agape in silent agony as the light trickled out of their eyes. The purple glow began to strip the last of the flesh off their bones,  landing in messy heaps at their feet. One by one, finally free of their fleshy bindings, made their way to their new master by leaps and bounds. With his new undead militia,  a dozen skeletons, assembled, Titus turned towards the exit. The fight was still going and the sandstorm was still growing by the second. Titus was rather glad the fight hadn't ended while he was inside. After all, he had [/COLOR][COLOR= rgb(13, 13, 13)]a bone to pick with Faylinx.[/COLOR]


Motioning his staff towards Faylinx and Linli, after all, she was just collateral damage. The skeletons started tearing themselves apart, one bone at a time. They began to throw the various bones at Faylinx in a sporadic fashion. "Hey, Mister tall, dark, and lanky! Don't you know who I am?!? I'm Titus Nathaniel Hillingham Roscoe Tudor Michael Rothschild Kihvar The Third! How dare you even think to handle me in such a way!"  He shouted at the man as he yanked the skull off of another skeleton and chucked it as hard as he could at him.

 

[Throne Trinity]

As the last member of the Travellers removed herself from his carriage, Kern sat back up, once again grasping at the reins of his armada of mechanical horses. As he did so, Renae and Snark began to make their departure as well. 


“Kern, I really enjoyed our little chat and I hope we can do it again sometime!”


The angel's lips began to curl up around the edges, his annoyed expression turning into a faint grin. "Oh honey, of course you do."


"Farewell for now!"


"Yes, indeed, farewell for now. Stay safe, my dear!" Kern mutters a prayer in angelic, before waving Renae and Snark off. The angel had to admit, it had been a long time since he had found a mortal whose company he found tolerable, and it was certainly a nice change of pace. Hopefully his blessing would keep the girl safe enough that they could meet once again.


Regaining his focus, Kern tightened his grip on the reins, and begins muttering in angelic. The sound is soft and beautiful, filling the ears with pleasant golden whispers. If one were to describe the sound in layman terms, it could easily be compared to the sound of a church choir, each word ringing out in beautiful and harmonious glory. However, as Kern was in the middle of his quiet incantation, he was interrupted by one of the Travelers, the drow to be specific. 


"You identified yourself as Kern earlier, yes? As you have most likely noticed, a building, probably the library, has disappeared - well, half of it has. The others have departed for the building, but I wanted to inquire about the carriage's capabilities. Would it not be possible for the carriage to travel in that direction, in the air, at a faster rate than walking or running the couple of miles? I simply desire to shorten the travel time to provide as much aid as possible to those in need." 


With an annoyed sigh, Kern loosens his grip on the reins and closes his eyes, bringing his hands up to his head to massage his temples. "Yes dear, I am Kern..." he opens his eyes again breathing out a sigh before a wicked takes over his face. The angel moves his head to face Tyrona, lowering his gaze to the dark elf before him, the golden, fiery glow emitted by his eyes growing stronger as he does so. "...and for someone like you, that name should strike fear into your cold heart."


He gives Tyrona a wink, before sitting back in his seat once again. "Were these circumstances any different, I might actually help you. It'd be nice to blow off a little steam you know? But knowing that by not helping I'll be pissing off that bitch Amalthia," there is a sudden rumble of thunder despite the fact there isn't a single cloud in the sky "makes not helping you so much grander. So sorry, baby, but this angels got places to be." And with that, Kern returned his hands to the reins and attention to the horses. The carriage quickly lifted off the ground, and a hot holy fire began to coalesce around the massive structure. "Good luck to you Drow, may you find whatever it is you seek in life!" Suddenly, a blast sounds, shaking the earth near Tyrona as the carriage shoots off and into the sky, effectively disappearing from anyone's view.


As this happens, Tyrona would find herself alone at the entryway to Ras Dothore, when a faint tap (mayhaps a peck?) is felt on her shoulder, the contact tinking on the young dark elf's armor.



@Juju @Anaxileah 

Gregor Hartway
​

 ​

As Gregor ran to catch up to Falin, the bosmer stopped completely in her tracks, now turning to face the young bard, regarding him with a single nod. He watched as she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as if trying to concentrate on something. "Why'd you stop Ms. Falin? Aren't we giving chase?" A confused look came across Gregor's face as he watched his new friend, but the confusion suddenly disappeared as two ethereal hawks suddenly appeared at either side of Falin. Eyes wide and jaw dropped, Gregor stared in disbelief as Falin tussled the feathers of one of the birds and nimbly threw herself onto it's back. A barely audible noise, not recognizable as any language, was emitted from the back of Gregor's throat as he struggled to find his voice. 'That's so freaking cool!'


"This will be faster than trying to run through an unfamiliar city."


"It might be a bit of a bumpy ride, but it should be a short trip."


The second of the two hawks moved over to Gregor then, lowering its neck for him as the first one had done for Falin. The bard does not hesitate to run his hand through the ethereal feathers, his eyes still full of amazement.


After a second of simply admiring the creature, Gregor attempts to clamber onto the back of the winged beast, but fails and slides off. He immediately tries again, this time managing to get onto the bird with its help. When Gregor finally got comfortable, gripping the hawks feathers for support, he responded to Falin's nod with one of his own, and soon, both him and his partner were up in the air.


"Wow... This is so cool! Bird, do you mind if I call you Buddy? You look like a Buddy." Gregor pats Buddy on the head. "You're a good bird, Buddy."


'Gregor, look down! What on Kaveer is going on here?' The bard's attention immediately snaps from his mount to the chaos below just in time to witness a small sandstorm begin to whip up in the middle of the city. Several flashes of a dark purple light can be seen as well as several shouts and hollers that can be heard over the wind. 'A sandstorm in the middle of a city? Well that doesn't make much sense. The desert is like... a lot of miles away from here.' 



@KageYuuki

Spoiler

Gregor's Inventory
​

Armor:
-Fancy Bard ClothsE
-Ring of Fire ProofingE  
Weapons:
-Lute of SerenityE  
-One Trick Flute (A flute with a switch blade on the end)E
-Dawn Singer's Short Sword (A short sword that whistles when it is swung through the air)E
Bag of Holding:
-Dungeoneering Kit
-Survivalist Kit
-Traveling Rations x3
-Simple Pipe
-Bed Roll
-Ex Genie Oil Lamp (just a regular oil lamp)
-Oil Lamp oil 
-Oil Lamp Wicks
-Puffington Brand Tobacco
-Various dried and salted meats x6
-Water Skin (Filled)
-Felt Coin Purse
-Juggling Ball Set
-6x6 Cyan Silk Sheet
-Minor Healing Potion
-Old Yo-Yo
-Captain Mallard's Legendary Compass (just a broken compass)  
-Letter Opener
-Theater Mask
Money:
Silver Piece: 0 | Gold Piece: 0 | Platinum Piece: 0
​

 
​

'Well this was certainly unexpected...'  After sending the three Gloomblind bolts rocketing towards that delightful holy warrior, Faylinx noticed what should have been a corpse, was now beginning to move again. Large currents of sand began to form around the bleeding man's body, lifting him up and back onto his feet. Pieces of the roof he stood on began to disintegrate, joining the swirling mass in it's endless dance. Cries and shouts could be heard coming from inside the marble building that was now slowly breaking apart, and in only a short time a small group of dragonborn rushed out of the house, joining the crowd that was starting to form around the fight. Faylinx actually hadn't noticed it until now, but his little play session was beginning to attract a lot of attention from the locals. He could even see some guards trying to usher the onlookers away. 


Smirking, Faylinx tore his gaze away from the crowd now forming and focused back onto the swirling sandstorm coalescing around the previously impaled man. 


"Soma! Thank the gods you're still alive!" Linli, who was currently standing in front of Faylinx, called out to her mysterious sand rat and tried to run closer to him, but was stopped immediately as Faylinx's arm snapped forward, his spindly fingers wrapping themselves around the top of the witch's head. Easily the man picked the girl up, his sadistic smile growing once again. Linli let out a shout and cry of pain as she struggled to try and get free of Faylinx's grasp, but the man showed no signs of letting go. Instead he stood there defiantly, his inhuman smile not faltering for even a moment as a wave of sand approached him. 


With his free hand, Faylinx pointed at the wave of sand and drew a single ward in the air. Suddenly the sand stopped, mere inches from his finger, before beginning to form a ring. In the center of that ring an image appeared. To most normal people, the image would be one of chaos and meaningless gibberish, but Soma would know this to be an image of the plane of dreams. The image stayed there for a second, shuttering spastically, before closing in on itself, the sand disappearing. 


Faylinx erupts in a fit of insane laughter then. "HAHAHAHA! Amazing! You must be one of those Sandmen, right?! Your kind is going extinct you know? You should really pick your fights better if you want to keep the bloodline going." Faylinx picks a grain of sand out of his hair, and flicks it carelessly away. 


"Anywho, don't bother calling on from the plane of dreams anymore, we're in the material realm after all..." Faylinx's voice becomes deep and guttural once again, the animalistic growl cutting through the night air. He brings Linli's face closer to his own and a long black tongue escapes his lips, finding itself traveling across the witch's soft skin. At this point Linli has stopped struggling, instead finding herself whimpering in fear. "...and in the material realm, you're my bitch!"


Suddenly, a bone flies through the air, striking Faylinx in the face. Immediately the towering creature drops Linli, and looks to the source of assault. 


"Hey, Mister tall, dark, and lanky! Don't you know who I am?!? I'm Titus Nathaniel Hillingham Roscoe Tudor Michael Rothschild Kihvar The Third! How dare you even think to handle me in such a way!" 


Titus, removing a skull from one of his skeletons, lobs the object at Faylinx. The towering man doesn't even bother moving, allowing the skull to strike him across the face. It impacts loudly and shatters, sending bits of bone flying off in all directions. 


"Ouch... You know Titus, I'm hurt. I thought we were friends. Friends don't throw skulls at friends." Faylinx takes a step towards Titus, ignoring the constant pelting of bones, but is momentarily distracted when he hears shrieks from the crowd behind him.


'What now?!'


 Immediately, Faylinx turns around- the airborne bones pounding into his back now - and faces the cause of the shrieks, his face going slack at the sight.


Four figures stood before Faylinx, each one more out of breath than the last. Onas the halfling and Hudarack the old man stood with their hodes obscuring their faces. Beside them is a large Festrog standing on it's hind legs, in its arms, a disrobed and unconscious Asfelia. Around the stump where her missing arm was, the girl's purple cloak is tied tightly, doing its damndest to soak up as much of the blood as possible. "Fiiix herrrrrrr. Fiiix herrrrrrr." The Festrog whimpers, one of its clawed hands caressing the head of Asfelia.


"Jyn have mercy... Brother Kober, is that you?..." Faylinx's sinister smile is nowhere in sight, his face now contorting with genuine rage. In a low snarl, the man speaks, still ignoring the bones pelting him.


"What in the nine hells happened? Who did this to you?"


"Father Faylinx, it was the filthy heathens! A thief, he stole our eyes and attacked us. I-I'm not sure how, but he was able to put us all to sleep. He stole our valuables and then we were attacked by the guards and this cat lady, an-and... I'm afraid we were the only ones who made it. I'm sorry Father, we have failed Syrinx." Onas spoke, his voice panicked and distraught. 


Immediately after hearing this, Faylinx spins around, his face contorted in pure rage. "YOU!!!" The seven foot tall man, powerful enough to desecrate a monolithic library with his finger and powerful enough to send the sands of dreams back home with his finger, points a single finger at Soma and Naya. "ATTACK ME!?! THAT I CAN DEAL WITH!!! BUT ATTACK MY CHILDREN!?! Hehehe. May Syrinx find place in his bounty to forgive you, you insolent children!"


A single ball of crackling, black energy begins to form on Faylinx's finger, but before anything else can happen, old man Hudarack falls to his knees and grasps at the robes of the enraged man. "No! Father, remember, Syrinx teaches compassion and forgiveness of thine enemy. We must not stray from his sight. Let us leave these heathens and tend to Asfelia. She is too young to be taken into Syrinx's bounty yet."


A sigh escapes the lips of Faylinx as he drops his finger and his gaze. "You are not wrong brother Hudarack. I have taught you well." The father raises a hand to his necklace, and runs a thumb over the crest of Syrinx. Meanwhile his other hand slips into his robes, retrieving the book he had taken from Titus. It disappears in a puff of eldritch energy, only to reappear at the necromancers feet. "But this is something I can not let go. I am willing to receive my licks later, but for now, there will be justice." The hand caressing the necklace is suddenly extended so that the palm is facing Linli.


This is when Titus would most likely realizes that the gelatin like protrusion he had felt on Faylinx's hand earlier was actually an eye. The large and grotesque ocular organ on the father's hand stares directly at the whimpering Linli, before slowly opening down the center, only to reveal a mouth with in the eye, lined with hundreds of small teeth. Abruptly, a long black tongue ejects from the mouth, penetrating Linli's forehead. There's a momentary shriek, but it is quickly silenced as Linli's body falls to seizures and spasms. Her body shudders, a foamy substance beginning to form around her mouth as her brains are sucked from her skull. 


@shadowz1995 @Ian Temero    

 

[seasonedcat]

        Hera raised her eyebrows at the now empty pub that she sat in. The creaky chairs and faded tables held half empty glasses of ale or whisky, and cards lay scattered on the dirty floors. Some forgotten articles of clothing and smoking pipes still hung on the chair or burned low on the tables. Some commotion was going outside, but Hera knew that it was probably some common thieves with captives or some crazy guy with a sword. Hera still sat boredly in her chair with her deck of cards in her hands from the game of cards she was playing before stuff went bananas. Hera looked left and right, confirming that no one was still here and picked up the cards of one of her opponents, before throwing back down on the table frustrated. She would have lost that game by a long shot, she then slipped out of her chair landing on the creaky boards. She then started to collect the bids from her game with a small smirk on her face. After successfully grabbing all the loot, she then started walking to the bar, picking up a smoke pipe that still was burning on her way. She took a long puff out of it as she approached the bar. She then climbed up a stool, and jumped over the, landing on the other side.


    Hera's smile then widened as she stared at all the whisky and ale in front of her. She started to load it all into her bag, fitting as much as she could before she grabbed some gold that still sat on the oak wood bar stand from people who were ordering when everything happened. She then exited out the Employees only entrance and quickly scanned the room for any more loot. Hera then extinguished the pipe and shoved in her bag after taking one more long smoke. She then straightened her hammer before grabbing an half empty bottle of ale and began to chuge it as she pushed open the door. Some guards lay unconscious at the side of the building, while some were tending each other's wounds. Hera decided that they were not going to check her bag for her stolen loot and began to walk forward, still drinking the ale.


    As Hera rounded the corner of the street she had finished her drink and threw it at the side of stone building next to her, successfully smashing it. She then wiped her mouth for any access liquid that might have slipped out of her mouth. Hera smiled proudly, she had just gotten more alcohol and money for free! She started walking proudly before she saw the scene before her. The library that once stood there was missing it's top half and a dead girl lay casted of to the side.(R.I.P, this is why you stay active in Rps. XD) What appeared necromancer floated above the ground, and skeletons seemed to be fighting the group of people below.  


"Bloody hell...." is all she can muster for this situation and just stands there, unsure if she should join the fight or not.


(Hope this is all correct with the scene and stuff...=) )

 

[Raven Kade]

[SIZE= 48px]Avanna[/SIZE]
​

The werepanther reached the fight after running across most of the city, and was not even slightly winded. Unfortunately the exertion and the adrenaline had pushed all reason well away. The creature scanned the scene as it sprinted up to it, and quickly parsed out the scent of the foul magic that had evaporated the building. For a moment its gaze lingered hungrily on the injured thief at the heart of the sandstorm with a predators preference for injured prey, but the imprint of the reason for its change was still strong enough to hold it to its original target. As the eldritch being sucked the brains from one of the fighters the creature lept from its rooftop towards his back, aiming to land claws first and snap through his spine with her teeth.
​

 
​

Meanwhile Ava sat in the back of her own mind as the creature moved. She observed the surroundings along with it, but unlike it also noted the dwarf warrior observing the proceedings as well as the necromancer and miscellaneous creature of the light also involved in the fight. When its focus stumbled and it seemed to consider targeting the injured fighter she nearly stepped forward to wrest control back, but its focus readjusted before it was necessary. Her demonic nature knew much better how to use this body, and often reacted faster, so she generally left fighting in it to it. She cringed slightly as the demon leapt straight for its foes back with its usual lack of tactical forethought. Its sheer ferocity often made that irrelevant, but since this foe had just vaporized most of a building she doubted that would hold true.
​

 
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Spoiler

Well heres a post. Attacked: @Throne Trinity Noticed: @shadowz1995 @Fluffykitty9000@The Endergod Throne what precisely happens of her attack, i'll leave to you as it should be. Tis worth noting that she is presently several hundred pounds of demon attempting a panther pounce with accompanying back of the neck chomp.

 

[KageYuuki]

Falin Nightlake
​

Dark red hues narrowed down at the scene below them as the pair of great birds circled the fight. There were multiple powerful magics in play, there wasn't any denying that. But telling who was on what side and what all was happening was far from easy. "Tch, we're likely not going to be able to intervene any here." She idly combed her fingers through the feathers of her ethereal companion. "For now our best bet may be to just keep our distance and observe for the time being." The mage below may very well prove to be an issue... Falin would admit she didn't have much in the way of ideas for countering his magic.

 

[Juju]

(Following the scene tonight we have Renae up in one of our news helicopters. Renae, update us on the current state of events.)


There was a rush of relief when Renae finally emerged from out of the library and back into the fresh air. With a grateful inhale she let the breeze ruffle its invisible fingers through her hair and gently tug at her clothing. Such a peaceful moment almost made her forget the graveyard below her. She had never been one to shy away from dead bodies but back in the library it was different, there was a chilling eeriness within those walls that evoked a primitive instinct to flee. It may have just been that fear, but she could swear that the empty eyes of the damned had followed her every movement. 


A sudden growl brought her back to the present and she turned her head to see Snark looking at her with his feathered head low to the ground. The pupils of his eyes were dilated as he stared at her, his feathers fluffed out to make him look twice his size. It was surprising just how often Renae forgot the savage predator he truly was.


“It’s me, Snarky.” Renae said, slowly approaching her companion with an outstretched hand. For a moment it almost looked like he would lash out to snap her arm between his jaws like a twig, until he blinked and gave a low rumble. “You’re pretty shaken too, huh?” She ran her hand along the length of the beast’s snout in a reassuring manner. “Come on, let’s get the hell out of here.”


With that she climbed into the saddle, making sure her stolen cargo was secure before signalling for Snark to ascend. She did not have to ask twice. He took took off with a jolt, free-falling down the side of the library with outstretched wings before allowing the wind to catch beneath his feathers and carry them back towards the way they had came.


While en-route, Renae decided to take a look at the magic battle’s progression. The sandstorm had grown significantly larger, stretching over many of the roofs below as it grew and haphazardly depositing sand on the city like falling snow. Its maturation also proved to be a visual problem when Renae realized she couldn’t see what what going on below anymore. Flying closer wasn’t an option either, even with Snark’s natural resilience to such weather. The winds were just becoming too strong. With a click of her tongue she lower the binoculars from her eyes, the improved vision being utterly useless with the raging sands. 


[SOMA used SANDSTORM!]


[A sandstorm brewed!]


[The sandstorm rages.]

 

[Throne Trinity]

In the distance of the glimmering skyline, silhouetted against the starlight, lay a city. A city with grand spires that jutted forth from the unforgiving earth, man made mosaics of mortal prospect, simple yet impossible feats of engineering. This city, a city of an ancient dragon race, meant many things to many people, but to Sigurd Hart, Ras Dothore was haven and sanctuary. After a grueling two weeks of traveling from the city of Sylnelune - a city that never felt quite right - Sigurd had almost finished his contract with the man walking beside him. Looking at him, he wasn't anything much, but after travelling with the man called Rat for as long as Sigurd had, it was clear that - much like the city they had met in - there was something very off about him.Though only standing at about five and a half feet tall, the man had a daunting and sometimes even chilling presence. He dressed in rich magenta robes, the hood of which never seemed to fall from the man's head. On his back he carried a large travelling pack. It appeared to be incredibly heavy and was easily larger than Sigurd, and being stuffed to the brim with trinkets, magical nick-knacks and marketable items, the large pack wasn't exactly quiet either. Over the last two weeks, the noise and smell of Rat's pack had attracted goblin raiders, wolves and even a Harpy, all of whom had been dispatched by Sigurd.  


/monthly_2017_02/IMG_20170209_205530.thumb.jpg.77fda9bb25d3374759054dc425ad59aa.jpg


Though he wasn't much for company, Rat certainly had his charms. The small merchant, with his strange mask and butchered salt and pepper hair, always had a smile on his face. His speech was often interrupted by fits of giggles and cackling, and although somewhat off putting, after all this time there was something weirdly comforting about it. It seemed no matter how dire the situation, Sigurd could always rely on Rat to be laughing off the pain and responding with his own brand of dark humor. 


The cool forest air had become still between Rat and Sigurd for some time now, the only sounds breaking this delicate quiet coming from Rats travel pack and the occasional snapping of a twig. They had spent most of the day walking through thick forested groves and open meadows, burning up the daylight with casual conversation and peaceful silence, but now that twilight had fallen, the two were looking for a place to spend the night.


It didn't take long for Rat to find a good spot, as it never did. Though it was a little strange how the man seemed to always know his way around the woods, no matter where him and Sigurd were, it was truly nothing to complain about. As Sigurd had come to learn, it was just another one of Rat's many oddities. 


The particular spot in which Rat had chosen this night was rather pleasant. High atop a hill, surrounded by a sea of grass and flowers that wavered in the wind and shone in the moonlight, Rat stood with his hands on his hips and a proud look on his face. "Ah, nothing like, hehehe, starlight am I right Sigurd? Hehehe!" Rat continues to be his bubbly self and gets straight to work on their campsite. First, as per the norm, Rat procures a bottle filled with a swirling brown liquid, from the inside of his robes and uncorks it. Immediately, two fully set up tents shoot forth and land on the ground ready to be used. Next, Rat retrieves a second bottle from his robes, this one glowing a bright blue. Uncorking this one, a vibrant and ethereal fire spews forth and floats just above the grass, acting as a makeshift campfire. Cackling in delight, Rat moves on to the last part of his nightly routine, setting up alarm wards all around the duos campsite. When satisfied with his work, Rat trots back to the fire, removes his pack and retrieves a brass pot, a water skin and various other unnameable ingredients to begin making soup. While he waits for the water to boil, the small man takes a deck of cards from his pack and begins to look through them, giggling each time he looks at a card face.


@Dreamtique

 

[Dreamtique]

It didn't take long for Rat to find a good spot, as it never did. Though it was a little strange how the man seemed to always know his way around the woods, no matter where him and Sigurd were, it was truly nothing to complain about. As Sigurd had come to learn, it was just another one of Rat's may oddities. 


The particular spot in which Rat had chosen this night was rather pleasant. High atop a hill, surrounded by a sea of grass and flowers that wavered in the wind and shone in the moonlight, Rat stood with his hands on his hips and a proud look on his face. "Ah, nothing like, hehehe, starlight am I right Sigurd? Hehehe!" Rat continues to be his bubbly self and gets straight to work on their campsite. First, as per the norm, Rat procures a bottle filled with a swirling brown liquid, from the inside of his robes and uncorks it. Immediately, two fully set up tents shoot forth and land on the ground ready to be used. Next, Rat retrieves a second bottle from his robes, this one glowing a bright blue. Uncorking this one, a vibrant and ethereal fire spews forth and floats just above the grass, acting as a makeshift campfire. Cackling in delight, Rat moves on to the last part of his nightly routine, setting up alarm wards all around the duos campsite. When satisfied with his work, Rat trots back to the fire, removes his pack and retrieves a brass pot, a water skin and various other unnameable ingredients to begin making soup. While he waits for the water to boil, the small man takes a deck of cards from his pack and begins to look through them, giggling each time he looks at a card face.





 






 







 







 







 







 

Sigurd tailed after Rat as the merchant manoeuvred around the forest at ease, eyes scanning the surrounding for potential danger as they darted among the trees. As darkness slowly engulfed the vicinity, Sigurd was expecting Rat to start settling down on a good camping spot. Sigurd's pace came to a halt as Rat too started to carry out his routine, setting up a camping site not far away from his field of vision. Sigurd supervised from afar as the merchant did his job.


The chilling wind whispered in Sigurd ears, sending silver waves down the sea of grass which bathed under the exquisite moonlight as it swiped across the meadow that extends to the horizon. The scenery unfolding in front of Sigurd did somehow soothe the tension build up in Sigurd throughout the exhausting journey.


 "Ah, nothing like, hehehe, starlight am I right Sigurd? Hehehe!" 


Sigurd attention was drew back to the merchant as his familiar voice reached his ears.


Sigurd instinctively looked up to the night sky, vision stretched across the night sky while admiring the twinkling starlight that rained down from up above.


I is beautiful...I do want to believe it is......


Noticing that his mind started to drift, Sigurd stopped his train of thought and instead turned to look at Rat while he faintly stretched his lips, as how he usually reacts to every Rat's attempt in breaking the silence with his humor.


As Rat had finally finished with the setup, Sigurd approached the campfire and sat down to face Rat, eyeing him up and down while Rat being his weird self and giggled at a deck of cards, Sigurd was pretty much used to that.


"So, what is it that you are giggling about?" Sigurd spoke amid the gurgling sound of water in the brass pot.


Though Sigurd preferred to mute his curiosity for various reasons, mainly to focus on his task instead of bugging others, but he figured this would be a good opportunity to toss some questions at Rat and initiate a conversation, especially when that merchant didn't seem to have any intention to keep what he was doing a secret but instead had a quite open attitude on the matter, Sigurd could also satiate his curiosity to some degree, which is always a plus.

 

[shadowz1995]

Nothing had interrupted the thief's rampage and thus nothing drew his ire and the attack remained the same. The first may have been thwarted but Soma had an entire storm at his disposal amd had only attacked once. This was only the beginning of his natural disaster level assault.


At least, that's how it was supposed to be. Due to Soma steadily gaining mastery over his dream eater side, the thief regained consciousness shortly after his first attack. This caused everything to revert and slip back into the realm of dreams. The sand could be seen being sucked back into whatever dimension it came from as quickly as it arrived. Leaving only a wounded and now exhausted Soma behind.


He collapsed to a knee in a coughing fit and took a look around himself. Several buildings had been pulled into his wrath and the corpse of Linli was....disheartning to see. It was rare that something brought Soma's spirits down but that had been it. He hadn't known the girl for long but he did like her quite a bit. It truly was a shame but the laws of nature was something the sand rat knew all too well. Linli was just a healthy reminder of what happens out there.


New faces had appeared and even some form of wyvern was sighted in Soma's still glowing, sandy eyes. They detected all life and it was certainly still active around him. None from Linli, of course. 


With a grunt, the thief pulled himself up to one knee and glared at the evil mage. Soma wanted to attack but he knew better. All he could hope for at this point, was to evade but Faylinx had already proven once that was easier said than done. Now the dream walker was badly injured and unable to take part in the offensive but he was aware of the threat now, at least. Every fiber in his being told him to run but something else told him to say.....


@Throne Trinity


@Anaxileah


@The Endergod


@Juju


@KageYuuki


@Cass The Mad


@Fluffykitty9000

 

[Throne Trinity]

[SIZE=10.5pt]With a comical grin on his face, Rat continued to look through his deck of cards, his bubbly demeanor never seeming to falter. He began to shuffle the cards with a entertaining sort of showmanship, his hand movements seeming precise and practiced. Even as Sigurd spoke to him, and Rat's concentration moved from the deck to his adventuring companion, the stellar shuffling continued to be just as flawless.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]"So, what is it that you are giggling about?"[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]It was a simple enough question, but to Rat - it appeared - the question was rather funny. Responding with a cackle, the masquerading merchant ceased his shuffling, the cards stopping their weightless movements and forming back up into a deck. "My, my. Curious tonight aren't we Sigurd? Hehehe. Well, we've been traveling together long enough that I don't mind hehe, telling you." Rat sets the cards on the soft grass below, before scooting closer to his brass pot now full of boiling water. He quickly procures several leather pouches from the inside of his cloak and a wooden spoon from his sleeve. He opens the small pouches, revealing what appears to be clumps of cooking spices and possibly various other ingredients. Pinching a few spices between his fingers, Rat sprinkles the ground herbs into the boiling water and begins to stir with the wooden spoon.  "If you must know, hehe, I recently came into the acquisition of... Hehe, let's call it an 'insurance' policy that will be of great benefit to me in the future," seemingly without thought, Rat's hand moves to his deck of cards once again, "and the thought of it just makes me feel... hehehehehehe!" Rat doesn't finish his sentence after that, he simply continues to giggle. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]A few short seconds pass before Rat stand up once again and scampers over to his pack. He rummages through it before retrieving two small red bowls and a ladle. He then moves back over to the arcane fire, and begins scooping soup from the pot into the bowls. The delicious smell of seafood, cayenne pepper and garlic begins to waft through the chill night air, and as Sigurd is handed his bowl, he would notice that it was full of a thick and orange broth. Despite the fact that all Rat had added to this pot was water and random spices, somehow a perfect shrimp bisque had been made. Rat then begins to poor out his own bowl and is about to sit down again to enjoy his meal, but suddenly appears as if he's remembered something important. With a giddy excitement, Rat reaches his hand into the brass pot, his arm disappearing into the small container before reappearing, a loaf of bread now in hand. Tearing off a chunk, he tosses the warm and fluffy bread to Sigurd before sitting down and enjoying his meal. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]@Dreamtique[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]




[SIZE=10.5pt]Watching with a triumphant smirk, Faylinx assessed the defeated thief and holy warrior before him. The long tentacle embedded in Linli's corpse suddenly whipped back, quickly sliding into the eye on Faylinx's hand with a sickening slurp. Giving a moan of pleasure, the tall creature runs his hand through his greasy black hair before throwing his head back and shivering in delight. Faylinx’s smile grows wider. “Oooh gods, there’s nothing more delicious than memories,” stepping forward again, Faylinx lowers his gaze back to Naya and Soma, “To bad I got inside her first, ay Soma? It seems the chance to do so has passed you by and by. Unless…” Faylinx nudges Linli’s corpse with a booted foot, “you want to fuck a dead body. I won’t judge thief. Look, there’s even an extra hole for you in her head now.” At this, Faylinx erupts with mocking laughter.  [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Behind the triumphant monster, Hudarak lay on his knees, praying for the recently murdered Linli while Onas stood behind the old man, consoling him. The large Festrog that was once Brother Kober had not moved its attention away from his slowly dying sister. It was strange to see such a large undead beast show any form of compassion, uncanny even, and yet here it was. However, the illusion of humanity soon dissipated, as something in the shadows caught the beast’s attention. The Festrog’s head snapped to it’s right, and a guttural growl began to bubble up from the undead beast’s chest. Just as this had happened, Avanna leapt from a nearby rooftop, claws reaching to clutch their prey, teeth bared to gnash at flesh.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Quick as a whip, Faylinx turned on his heels with his palm extended to the large panther. The eye on his palm explodes with a bright purple flash of eldritch magic, the sparks dancing around the airborne beast. Like wet paint running off a fence in the rain, Avanna’s panther form dispersed, leaving her as a human flying towards a monster of unknowable power. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Easily, Faylinx caught Avanna, his slender fingers gripping her throat as he held her aloft. The creature gave the girl a toothy smile, before turning and looking at those around him. Though his eyes could not be seen, his gaze was cold and heavy. The sandstorm had cleared, and he now had a better view of those who had surrounded him, both on land and in the sky. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“Hear me now heathens, for I am the one who calls!” Faylinx’s voice booms across the night sky, commanding the attention of all those near, “you may not know it yet, but each of you have taken steps tonight to defy me, thus defying the mighty god Syrinx! I am Faylinx Occul’Kana, and I am your end. Remember my name, and remember my face, because I will be in your dreams. I will not rest until each and every one of you has met your miserable ends. You will pay for what you’ve done, and what you will do.” Faylinx drops Avanna and walks over to the priests. “May Syrinx find place for you in his bounty.” And with that, the Priests of Syrinx were gone, simply blinking out of existence. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Silence. The air was silent. Then, shock. Absolute and powerful. A golden glow fills the vision of those Faylinx had addressed, and one other outside the city walls. Gregor, Falin, Tyronna, Avanna, Titus, Naya, Soma, Renae, Hera and Sigurd. Each of these travelers came from different backgrounds, different cultures, and yet they were the same tonight. Tonight, they had been given a promise, and a vision. They could feel their minds slip through reality and travel through the ether until finally landing in a cave. The air was thick with mildew and blood. The walls were stone and rugged. A cave. From the roof, bodies hung from chains, golden blood dripping idly from their wings. The faces of these angles were twisted in eternal horror, their eyes trapping the image of their end just beneath the surface. These were creatures of eternal beauty and purity, but here they were brutal pieces of artwork, a monument to pain.  [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Suddenly, the ten minds were drawn deeper into the cave, deeper into the dark. No. Not the dark. Deeper into eternity, deeper into infinity. An eye. A single eye opens before them. Then a voice, a voice no louder than whisper but loud enough to make you want to scream. It is weak and raspy, yet strong and booming.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]“Don't fear death in earthly travels. 
Don't fear enemies or friends. 
Just listen to the words of prayers, 
To pass the facets of the dreads. 
Your death will come to you, and never 
You shall be, else, a slave of life, 
Just waiting for a dawn's favor, 
From nights of poverty and strife. 
I’ll build with you a common law, 
One will of the Eternal Reign. 
And you are not condemned to slow 
And everlasting deadly pain.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]***[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Immediately Naya fell to her knees, her head dizzy. She had seen this golden light earlier this night, the experience had been similar in every way save the vision. But there was something else too. After this had all happened, a voice of good, of purity and light. It had whispered in her ear. “Run.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]Jolting to her feet, Naya bowed to Soma; “I’m sorry.” And then she did exactly as the voice had told her.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]@KageYuuki @Cass The Mad @Anaxileah @The Endergod @Juju @shadowz1995 @Fluffykitty9000[/SIZE] @Dreamtique  

Gregor Hartway
​

 View attachment 237313​

Watching with concerned eyes, Gregor witnessed the raging sandstorm below envelop the housing district. Taking Falin's advice, Gregor kept his distance from the raging sands below, trying to observe the strange phenomenon and see what could be discerned.


Eventually the sandstorm died down, and the the full extent of the destruction came into view. It was hard to see much from Gregor and Falin's altitude, but by the way Aunty had tensed, the caster who had destroyed the library was down there, amidst the various peoples. Despite the sandstorm clearing, Aunty advised Gregor and Falin not to approach or try to make a landing, as engaging said caster would likely be suicide. So Gregor circled the scene atop the back of Falin's spectral bird, biding his time. However, as things seemed to be dying down, Gregor caught a glimpse of Avanna as she sprung from the shadows in an attempt to maul the mysterious caster below. Gregor shouted; "Avanna, no!" But his voice was lost to the winds, and it was too late. Gregor watched helplessly as the man below snatched Avanna from the air effortlessly and held her aloft by her throat. 


Immediately the bard began to descend, but he was stopped by Aunty's words. 


"Don't be foolish Gregor! There i no way you can stand up to that man. Though I hesitate to call him a man at all... I still don't understand it's aura."


"But Aunty, Avanna is in danger!"


"And you won't be able to save her if you throw your life away! You can't solve every problem by running headlong into battle yelling 'surrender'!" Aunty sighs deeply. "I'm sorry child, there's just nothing you can do here." Gregor looks absolutely devastated, a wave of helplessness washing over him. Though there isn't much time to dwell on his feelings of inadequacy, before the man holding Avanna begins talking, his voice somehow reaching the bard's ears. 


The things the man said were both confusing, and terrifying to Gregor. He wasn't quite sure what everything the man had said meant, but Gregor did understand that he was addressing him, and that he was going to try and kill him, and his friends.


At that point, Gregor had snapped. Threatening him was one thing, but his friends? That was the last straw. Immediately the bard began to dive bomb the area. Aunty was yelling at him, but he couldn't understand her anymore. He was too angry, and he would not let the man hurt his friends. However, before he could go any further, the man who had addressed himself as Faylinx was gone, and a hot golden light filled Gregor's mind.


When the vision had finished, Gregor's head was spinning. It took every last bit of his strength to keep himself mounted on the back of Buddy, lest he fall to his death.


Still reeling from this experience, Gregor tried to get a lay of the land. Several buildings had been destroyed in the wake of the sandstorm and there were several other folk who seemed to have gone through the same experience he had. Deciding time was of the essence, Gregor immediately broke into action. One of the people who seemed to be recovering from the visions was also mounted on a winged beast, and something about them seemed familiar. Flying closer, Gregor began to shout; "Hey! Hey miss, are you alright!?" 


@Juju

Spoiler

Gregor's Inventory
​

Armor:
-Fancy Bard ClothesE
-Ring of Fire ProofingE  
Weapons:
-Lute of SerenityE  
-One Trick Flute (A flute with a switch blade on the end)
-Dawn Singer's Short Sword (A short sword that whistles when it is swung through the air)
Bag of Holding:
-Dungeoneering Kit
-Survivalist Kit
-Traveling Rations x3
-Simple Pipe
-Bed Roll
-Ex Genie Oil Lamp (just a regular oil lamp)
-Lamp oil 
-Lamp Wicks
-Puffington Brand Tobacco
-Various dried and salted meats x6 rations
-Water Skin (Filled)
-Felt Coin Purse
-Juggling Ball Set
-6'x6' Cyan Silk Sheet
-Minor Healing Potion
-Old Yo-Yo
-Captain Mallard's Legendary Compass (just a broken compass)  
-Letter Opener
-Theater Mask
Money:
Silver Piece: 0 | Gold Piece: 0 | Platinum Piece: 0
​

 

 

[Dreamtique]

[SIZE=10.5pt]It was a simple enough question, but to Rat - it appeared - the question was rather funny. Responding with a cackle, the masquerading merchant ceased his shuffling, the cards stopping their weightless movements and forming back up into a deck. "My, my. Curious tonight aren't we Sigurd? Hehehe. Well, we've been traveling together long enough that I don't mind hehe, telling you." Rat sets the cards on the soft grass below, before scooting closer to his brass pot now full of boiling water. He quickly procures several leather pouches from the inside of his cloak and a wooden spoon from his sleeve. He opens the small pouches, revealing what appears to be clumps of cooking spices and possibly various other ingredients. Pinching a few spices between his fingers, Rat sprinkles the ground herbs into the boiling water and begins to stir with the wooden spoon.  "If you must know, hehe, I recently came into the acquisition of... Hehe, let's call it an 'insurance' policy that will be of great benefit to me in the future," seemingly without thought, Rat's hand moves to his deck of cards once again, "and the thought of it just makes me feel... hehehehehehe!" Rat doesn't finish his sentence after that, he simply continues to giggle. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt] [/SIZE]


[SIZE=10.5pt]A few short seconds pass before Rat stand up once again and scampers over to his pack. He rummages through it before retrieving two small red bowls and a ladle. He then moves back over to the arcane fire, and begins scooping soup from the pot into the bowls. The delicious smell of seafood, cayenne pepper and garlic begins to waft through the chill night air, and as Sigurd is handed his bowl, he would notice that it was full of a thick and orange broth. Despite the fact that all Rat had added to this pot was water and random spices, somehow a perfect shrimp bisque had been made. Rat then begins to poor out his own bowl and is about to sit down again to enjoy his meal, but suddenly appears as if he's remembered something important. With a giddy excitement, Rat reaches his hand into the brass pot, his arm disappearing into the small container before reappearing, a loaf of bread now in hand. Tearing off a chunk, he tosses the warm and fluffy bread to Sigurd before sitting down and enjoying his meal. [/SIZE]





 






 







 







 







 

"Insurence policy?" Sigurd couldn't help but to mumble under his breath as soon as the intriguing phrase was caught by his ears.


With his eyes still locked on that bubbly man, Sigurd tried to decipher Rat's words in his head as he gradually furrowed his brow.


As Sigurd pondered, Rat's sudden giggle soon disrupted his concentration. With an abrupt pause, Sigurd decided to leave all of those entwined thoughts aside for the time being, letting his burning curiosity unquenched.  


The momentary plateau ended as Rat handed over a bowl of steaming broth, Sigurd wrapped his palm around the red bowl, letting its warmth slowly seeped into his skin. Sensing the incoming projectile from his peripheral vision, Sigurd reached out and caught the chunk of bread.


Sigurd looked down to the swaying flame, hypnotized by the flickering light and twisting flare as he stared into it. 


It was then a golden light filled his vision, images started to flash wildly inside his head like the view inside a spinning kaleidoscope. As Sigurd senses started to come together, Sigurd was able to see a set of unexplained visions. HIs conscious was somehow being drawn to a cave, and what came into view inside the cave were lifeless angels with torment and agony etched on their face.


All of a sudden, the vision shifted, enveloped by absolute darkness. An eye was staring right back at him, a voice was calling from deep, and then everything ended.


The bowl slipped from Sigurd's hand, the perfect bowl of shrimp bisque was left splattered over the grassy ground. Sigurd head went numb, he closed his eyes tight as he placed a palm over his eyes. 


Lifting his eyelids slowly as he realized the strange vision ended, Sigurd looked up to Rat, pausing a few second before he started to explain what just happened. 


"I...I just had a strange vision."


"It definitely differs from the divine vision I usually have."


"I couldn't quite explain it...but I think I saw a cave, inside the cave were angels...tormented angels..."


"And then there's a strange looking ominous eye..."


"Something about all of that just reeks of chaos and terror... I can definitely feel it, yet I am not sure what it all means." Sigurd could feel a chill crept down his spine, knowing clearly that this could very much mean that a disaster upon the realm is brewing, and what ensue will be pain and suffering.


His eyes dilated as the thought of that crossed his mind, his heart was drumming in his ears. Despite feeling confused about the mysterious vision, deep inside the young man was already determined to stop the chaos at any cost, he swore to himself that he will not allow anyone to suffer.


@Throne Trinity

 

[Juju]

Though Renae had to look through binoculars to see the sickly figure, she could hear the mage’s words as clearly as if he had been standing beside her. She discovered that his names was Faylinx, and that he worshipped some god named Syrinx. Renae wasn’t familiar with such a god, but it didn’t sound like this being was the deity of peaches and cream. Just Before the man -if you could call him that- disappeared along with a few other unsightly figures, she heard an ominous threat of dream-haunting and man-hunting.


Suddenly Renae was grateful for keeping her nose out of such business, almost smugly so. That is until everything vanished in a sunburst of golden light. 


Then she was in a cave.


Something wet fell onto her shoulder as she stood there, drawing her attention. Was it raining? No, she was in a cave; it must be condensation. She stuck out an imaginary hand before her, catching a golden globule in the center of her palm. Gold? Her vision shot upwards to find figures hanging from the ceiling of the cave like pigs in a butcher’s shop, their wings drooping lifelessly down. Angels, Renae realized. The ‘rain’ had been nothing but angelic blood. She felt sick, but it wasn’t the sight of blood that caused a tight knot to form in her stomach, it was their faces, contorted and twisted in an eerie display of pain. She wondered what could have done this, only to find a nagging suspicion already in the back of her head. The corpses at the library had worn those same expressions. Could this all be done by the same person? Renae's thoughts went back to her chat with Kern and she found herself hoping he wasn't among the dead.


There was a sudden pull and before Renae knew what was going on she was being forced into a dark abyss. As if things could not get any worse, they did, and she came face to… eye with the biggest iris she had ever seen. There was nothing she could do when the voice boomed out of nowhere, for even when she covered her ears it was still as loud as ever and the unyielding eye was everywhere she turned her gaze to. The words dug into her mind like nails but she couldn't phantom what they could possibly mean. All she could think of was the desire for this pain to end.

 
​

-----------
​

 
​

When the vision finally faded Renae awoke with a shock to find nothing but thin air beneath her feet. Actually, that was only partly true because further below was the sand-dusted roofs of Ras Dothore’s library district. After a brief moment of panic, Renae concluded two things:  she was not falling and there was an uncomfortable constriction around her waist. It wasn’t the most dignified position, to dangle against the side of her wyvern like a game animal, but never had Renae been more thankful for adding a safety-belt to Snark’s saddle. She fumbled her hands through the beast’s feathers in search of  a rein to hoist herself up but ended up using his plumage instead when she couldn’t find one. Only once she had reestablished herself into her saddle and the adrenaline faded did the aftermath of the magics begin to show. 


It started as a nauseated tangle in her stomach before moving on to make her head feel like it was being split in two with an axe. She doubled over from the sudden onslaught, accidentally headbutting her companion in the back of his neck. A pained groan was all she could muster. It was worse than the time she tried testing the effects of moonheart mushrooms.


Then she heard something.



"Hey! Hey miss, are you alright!?"


 Renae turned her head to the side and between the feathers obscuring her vision she could make out what looked like a huge, transparent bird… with someone perched atop it. She wondered if this was still part of the vision, but figured she should respond anyways. She weakly held up a hand and gave the bird rider a thumbs up. It was a lie, but she couldn’t explain anything for fear of losing the contents of her stomach if she opened her mouth.


@Throne Trinity


(Yay, Renae gets to meet Gand-elf and Mr. Brains-Of-The-Operation)

 

[Raven Kade]

Avanna
​

Ava fell to the ground in a boneless heap, the change beyond her control weakening her grasp. She dropped to the ground and on impact her mind kept going falling into the Dark. Then She surfaced. She shifted through the shadows fading through two forms before settling on her human form. As she faded out of shadow her clothes swirled into existence, although her eyes remain closed. She held out her hand and the sword came forth too, although before the sheath came into being, the blade did not look quite right. Her eyes opened then, and they were filled with a swirling black. She bared her teeth in a viciously joyful smile before the black faded away and become Ava's normal purple, although to close inspection they were oddly flat.
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She looked around the battle-field, watching the others present return to awareness. A bare instant had passed between the impact and her emergence. She looked up at her erstwhile companions as they spoke, barely making out their words to someone else who was flying, "Hey! Hey miss, are you alright!?" The other flyer did not seem to reply. She inspected the buildings around her, trying to find the most intact one. She turned to one that looked promising and jumped towards it, flinging herself between small handholds, although her movements lacked her usual grace. Right before she reached the roof her shoulder quietly popped, going limp. Standing on the rooftop she frowned down at her arm, muttering under her breath, "Bother." She relocated her shoulder with another quiet pop before calling out to Gregor, "Well this unfortunate business appears to be concluded. Should we set off again for our goal? I suspect that we do not want to take the time to have to explain our part in whatever happened here."
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Spoiler

Addressed: @Throne Trinity, indirectly @KageYuuki Noticed: @Juju Her aura is much darker and generally nastier now, which Auntie would likely be able to detect. Her speaking patterns are also slightly different, although I don't know that anyone other than Tyrona would be able to tell that, if she comes back. Her movement is also less fluid. Yes there is something wonky, no I will not be telling anyone other than throne what exactly that is yet.

 

[shadowz1995]

The darkness. Something the thief had grown up with, engulfed his senses. For an unknown amount of time, Soma stayed in that abyss and waited. He knew it was meaningless to struggle against it. It was all consuming and he was in the center. He just needed to wait until it released him.

Linli was dead and Naya had run off after the black mage had disappeared into the night. As quickly as Soma had gained comrades, he lost them. It had seemed the law of the desert stretched even this far. The strong live and the weak die or cower in the shadow of the mighty.

It was infuriating how easily Soma was dispatched. He was born in the most hostile and dangerous place in the world and yet, he still found himself being tossed aside by forces greater than him. The desert was a cruel mistress but ir did not compare to the force he was about to encounter.

Slowly the abyss opened up to beings Soma had never seen before. They were absolutely beautiful. So much so, that it was otherworldly. Gorgeous but horrifying. Their faces were twisted and marred in agony and despair, frozen in their final moments like horrible works of art. It was enough to make even Soma's stomach squeeze with discomfort.

Almost immediately after, the scene opened up to that terrifying force previously mentioned. A giant eye reminscent of the jewelry he had stolen from those priests. It spoke words that made little sense to the thief before disappearing and the feeling of his bosy returned to him and all its agony-filles glory.

Soma awoke with a muffled cry of pain as he rolled over from his back to his stomach. His right hand clutched the seared, bleeding hole in the center of his gut. Naya's golden flames may have inadvertently saved his life but it was still an open wound. He would eventually bleed out if it wasnt treated. Soma silently thanked the human side of his dna for being more resilient to damage than his sandman half.

"RGGHHH!" The sound of his pain was clear as he struggled to push himself off the floor. It appears he wasn't the only one that had been brought here. The strangers from before were also there. Soma's blue eyes scanned them cautiously before deciding there was no way any of them had something to do with all of this. They all looked just confused as he was. Some even looked panicked.

The male forced himself into a sitting position with a groan. The blood beginning to flow over his fingers from the wound because of the movement.

Soma decided to save his words for whenever someone addressed him. Which they inevitably would. Some of them must have seen his work earlier after all.

Raven Kade Juju Throne Trinity Anaxileah Blaire Wisteria
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