You close the door to the west.

Chamber of Social Service. (Spinesreach) [urban] (v12980)
This busy office is home to the Ambassador, the Minister of Security, and the Minister of Cultural Affairs and all their aides. Strewn out across countless desks are plans and papers to assist the citizens and to provide programs for the welfare of the city. This office is always in a completely chaotic state; underneath all the paper, you can hardly find a chair. A sigil in the shape of a small, rectangular monolith is on the ground. A young cadre mage stands here, wielding a long staff tipped with a glimmering crystal. Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind is here, shrouded.
Exits: west(closed door).

You have emoted: Lin pants continually, as if she had run a marathon. She seems prepared to burst into laughter.

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind exclaims to you, "Lin. We did it. It was SO EASY!"

You say, "I cannot -believe- that just happened. What... what do we do? What do we report?"

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind laughingly says to you, "Well, first of all, the Chairwoman needs to know that... that... oh, goodness."

You have emoted: "Goodness," Lin parrots, and pulls an arm over Elanth's shoulders, staring dazedly into space. "They've done it, they've really done it. There's no second meeting - this is ****ed."

Elanth nods eagerly, grinning broadly and pushing you onto the nearest desk. Taking a seat on one nearby, casually pushing aside a stack of paperwork to permit him to do so, he stares across at you.

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says, "We did it."

You have emoted: Lin's breasts rise and fall sharply, her eyes wide and alive as she gazes at Elanth. "No more foreign influence. No iron-fisted, fair weather allies. No disputes, no invasions, and no insults. We're free."

Standing and moving over, a triumphant grin on his features, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to you, "We did it. Everything Villi ever wanted, for so long, and we did it. We ****ing did it."

Elanth grabs you by the shoulders, pushes you down against the desk, and kisses you - hard.

You have emoted: Lin jerks her fingers into Elanth's hair and kisses him hungrily, laughing all the while, a little musical staccato against his lips. Just as fiercely, she pushes him away, if only to gaze at him properly from a close distance. "Elanth, I could **** you right now. We- we have to prepare a report. Do... you want me to make a transcript of the conversation?"

Nodding shakily, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to you, "That- that might be for the best."

"Chair gets final call on this business, I think," Elanth murmurs, and falls to a seat beside you, gazing over at you.

You have emoted: Growling, Lin cups Elanth's groin, roughing her palm lewdly over him for a moment, before forcibly returning her hands to herself, fumbling around for paper that hasn't been written on, a monumental task to be sure. "She does... but by the gods, if I have to endure another second of her doubting, fearful bull****, you lot need to put her down. Swiftly. This is- this is the final straw."

Handing you a blank sheet of paper, Elanth states: "Here. And look - as for a new Chair? Xemnas and Infin want one of their own. I don't want either of them in power. Soon enough we'll have Amara in a Senate seat, so it comes down to what she, Luna, and I think ought to happen."

You have emoted: "No, no... Luna- Luna is good. I -want- her to be there. I -want- her to lead us, damn it," Lin says, beginning to write, her typically neat draftswoman's hand gone chaotic with adrenaline. "But if after all of this, she sides with Loch... it has to be done. We cannot afford what, at this point, amounts to treason. Gods - ha, ha! - I can't even write."

You have emoted: "Calm down, Lin..." Lin pauses, breathing deeply.

The door to the west is opened from the other side.

Tirria arrives from the west.

You pointedly say nothing at all.

Elanth stares implacably at Tirria.

You say, "Tirria, comrade, this is my office."

Tirria says, "Eer."

Tirria says, "Sorry."

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says, "Get out."

Elanth points off towards the west.

You sigh and apply your face to your palm.

Tirria leaves to the west.

You close the door to the west.

Shaking her head, you say, "Bahkatu."

You have emoted: Lin claps her pen to the desk and breathes deeply. She has transcribed maybe three lines of dialogue from memory. "****'s sake. I... I think I need alcohol."

Elanth rises slowly to his feet, patting you on the shoulder. He bends down to whisper in your ear.

Elanth murmurs to you, "I'll get you some?"

You have emoted: Lin rubs Elanth's cheek comfortingly. "Please. I would love that. I don't even care what it is."

Elanth opens the door to the west.
The door to the west closes abruptly.

...

The door to the west is opened from the other side.
Elanth closes the door to the west.

Elanth gives a stout glass to you.
Elanth gives a tall glass to you.
Elanth gives a stout glass to you.

Setting down the glasses one by one, Elanth resumes his previous seat, resting his claw on your shoulder.

You have emoted: Lin has managed an astounding amount of writing in the time you were gone. She murmurs pleasantly at her glass, sniffing it lightly.

You are holding:
"glass71421"             a stout glass (a Ward Eight cocktail).
"glass101455"            a tall glass (a Sunshine Bright cocktail).
"glass38484"             a stout glass (a Salty Dog cocktail).

You take a sip of the Sunshine Bright cocktail, a mingling of sweet fruit juice and sparkling white wine followed down by an alcoholic kick of vodka.

Her eyebrows bouncing, you say, "Oh, I must have been good today."

Elanth murmurs to you, "A good girl. The best."

You have emoted: Lin purrs warmly and leans against Elanth's shoulder. She returns to her writing, but manages enough attention for conversation. "So... how will you handle all of this?"

Elanth murmurs to you, "Well, you're going to get me that transcript, you're going to get tipsy, and I'm thinking of letting the Chair see the transcript and judge for herself."

You have emoted: Lin's eyes shoot to her cocktails. "And if I drink... I won't be able to finish this. Damn, you do not make this easy." Feigning a frustrated growl, she lifts off of Elanth, hunches over the desk and scribbles furiously.

Elanth murmurs to you, "They'll be there when you're done, love."

...

You are transported by the power of the Divine.

You have emoted: Lin sounds out in surprise, no longer holding her pen.

A bloody and chaotic battlefield. (Nowhere) [vlley] (v35595)
You are at the center of a trampled and bloody battlefield, stretching out in every direction. There is no horizon or distant scenery, only the stark whiteness of a thick fog that appears to wall this battlefield in on all sides. The grass of the valley has been flattened beneath the traffic of many creatures or people, brown and dead and ripped out of the ground in places. Though the battlefield is empty, the roar of a battle involving hundreds of people is audible, but muted, just enough to be a constant din above the silence. The evidence of war is scattered over the field - bloodied limbs, unidentifiable piles of carnage and broken weapons. Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind is here, shrouded. A haze of shadows surrounds the form of Iosyne, Her centipede lower body holding Her upright. A red haze has been carried in on a faint breeze, coating everything in a light mist of blood.

She is an Immortal of towering height, Her upper body held upright by a segmented, arthropodic form similar to that of a centipede. Covered in a hard crimson exoskeleton which begins at Her waist, Her lower body possesses several dozen pairs of jointed, insectoid legs; at times, they carry Her with skittering speed, and others they move Her with the sinuous, swaying grace of a serpent. The sharp, angular features of Her face are hardened into a cruel countenance, Her sightless gaze naught but narrowed white orbs lacking their pupil. A haze of creeping shadows partially swathes Her form, surrounding Her like a heavy fog, and partially melding with the wild mane of crimson-streaked black hair cascading from Her shoulders. Whipcord muscles beneath ebony skin suit Her monstrous form well, Her torso protected beneath a molded plate chestpiece. She is wearing:
a molded plate chestpiece
a black-inked tattoo of a pair of crossed fists

Taking several moments to reorient himself, Elanth hastily pockets his gold; and then his eyes alight on Iosyne and his fire blinks out, replaced instead by inky black shadow that wavers unsteadily over his frame.

You have emoted: "Iosyne," Lin blurts, her eyes wide in surprise. She is further shocked to find Elanth here, and spins about on her heel to assess the battlefield.

"You are prepared to do as I asked," Iosyne states to you in monotone. She stands alone on a dead patch of grass, fresh carnage at Her side and Her arms like steel rails pointing at the ground.

He is a dexterous Yeleni and is a shadowy black figure about seven feet in height, his build thin almost to the point of being skeletal. Seeming almost to draw the shadow toward itself, the man's frame is angular and somehow awkward in spite of its grace and symmetry. A long, ovular face and dark, red-irised eyes surmount his neck and sloping shoulders, his arms and legs ending in long, wickedly sharp claws.
He is wearing:
a locket of valor
a bottomless letter satchel
a pair of comfortable black trousers
a durable black pack
a smooth, matte darkbow
a black snakeskin weaponbelt
a woven sash of shifting greys
a chain bearing a phoenix-etched compass
a silver falcon pin
a sleek black quiver
a shadowy ring
a fitted leather top
an embroidered leather bag

You have emoted: The question, if it could be called that, sobers Lin up immediately, and she snaps to attention, her tail slashing briefly at the dirt. "You wish to use me as a weapon against Her Order," she answers, "And to that end, I am always prepared."

Elanth's eyes travel across to you, his red irises gleaming sharply as if in reflection of the blood floating through the air.

Iosyne lifts both Her eyebrows in an expression of faint boredom. "I possess many weapons, Yeleni," the Goddess says through teeth clenched together, Her upper lip moving in the beginnings of a scowl. "The most dangerous mortal men and women beg for My favor. You..."

Iosyne lifts Her right hand, crooking a finger to beckon you closer. "You will be a tool. But first, you will be My entertainment."

Her attention shifting to Elanth, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "And you will be part of it."

Eyes narrowed, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to Iosyne, the Malevolent, "The hell I will. I'm not Yours. I don't belong to You. You haven't the RIGHT."

Iosyne lowers Her massive flail until it touches the ground, where it comes to rest.

You have emoted: A tremor runs through Lin's body, and she can't help but drag her eyes over Iosyne's enormous, nightmarish figure. She holds out her hand to Elanth's shoulder, saying nothing, but trying to steady him. "As you wish, Iosyne."

You have emoted: Lin begins to approach Iosyne.

You are practically screaming inside your head, torn between horror at Her demonic body and the intense itch developing in your brow.

Iosyne drops an enormous black spiked flail onto the field beside Her monstrous form. "I have eaten things larger than you, firebrand," She answers Elanth, Her every word slow as it is precise. "If you expect Me to aid the changing of your form with that attitude, I will make appetizers out of your fingers."

"Oh." The point of Elanth's dirk drops by a few inches, and he hesitates, offering a faint grimace before he sheathes the blade. "It's about that. Right."

You have emoted: Lin halts, shooting Elanth an utterly disbelieving glance, before closing the distance to Iosyne. For all her size, she looks like a child before the demonic Goddess.

Elanth moves forward hastily, joining you, glancing aside to you with subtlest expression of apology he can muster in the face of Iosyne's looming presence.

Iosyne's free hand drops, settling over the top of your head as if you were nothing more than an armrest to the Goddess. An index and a middle finger covers the darkened Mark on your forehead. Her sightless gaze remains fixated on Elanth. "I have no need for creatures who come to Me begging for favors and expect Me to issue them tasks and busy work." She snorts.

Where Her hand touches your forehead, a feeling of sudden, intense pressure builds just beneath your skin, as if insects were burrowing around just beneath the surface.

You have emoted: Lin utters a frightened peep, lines of concentration developing in her brow. She remains silent thereafter, eyes on the ground, her hands clasped together lest they tremble.

Iosyne addresses you, "You must show Me your worth now, little Eye."

You have emoted: Lin sucks in a deep breath and takes a moment, clenching her eyes and preparing herself mentally. With a determined nod, she addresses Iosyne: "Yes, Goddess. I am... I am prepared. Do as You will with me."

Light and shadow dance about the grasses as a breeze flows through the valley.

Elanth watches, in silence, eyes flitting between you and Iosyne's gargantuan form, his claws knitting together in front of him and squeezing tight together.

Iosyne's hand moves away from your forehead, Her fingertips grasping the end of your ear as they depart. Snagging it, She bends at Her waist to whisper something to you, something that sounds of skittering, mad whispers, utterly incomprehensible.

The maddening noise enters your ear, and only when it reaches your mind does it assemble into something you can understand: "You will experience pain, and so will he. You will lead him in this, as I will not further instruct. Beat one another within an inch of your life, and DO NOT THINK for one moment I will not see you hold back."

Iosyne releases you and straightens once more, silent and statuesque in Her posture.

You have emoted: Lin listens to Iosyne's every word with a stunned expression, her mouth agape. She doesn't register anything around her for quite some time after, before shaking her head snappily to return to her senses. In a tight voice, she calls out to Elanth, "Elanth... ah- approach."

Elanth pauses for a moment; and then, hesitantly, he does so, eyes constantly flickering aside to Iosyne. Though a hint of his previous fire is in his gaze, and in the quick, nimble steps he takes, he is otherwise dark and shadowy. "Alright..."

Her voice cracking, you ask Iosyne, "Now... Iosyne?"

Silently, Iosyne waves you on.

You have emoted: Lin prowls toward Elanth, more surefooted now, cracking her knuckles. She is slow about it, giving him more than enough time to comprehend what is happening, but finishes the approach to him by rushing bodily at him, mouth bared wide in a snarl. There is only a brief pause...

You project the hallucination into the mind of Elanth.
I love you.

You have emoted: Before Lin drives her fist into Elanth's gut, with enough force to shatter boards.

Frail and delicate as Elanth is built, the blow is sufficient to send him hurtling back, landing hard, face frozen, the breath driven from him in a wheeze. With wide, watering eyes, he stares up at you in disbelief, trying desperately to regain working control of his arms; all he can seem to manage, though, are faint twitches.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs appears from the chasm, having been dropped unceremoniously beside Iosyne and looking faintly bewildered.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs immediately catches onto the happenings on the field, a cheeky grin lighting up his scarred, chiseled features. He leaps to his feet, dancing a bit back and forth in the manner of a Tekura user warming up.

You have emoted: "Stand UP!" Lin shouts. She is not the same woman she was even fifteen seconds ago, her body seeming to radiate an intense aura. "She wants pain, we are giving Her pain!" She stalks after Elanth immediately, giving him minimal time to react.

Exuberantly, Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "We got ourselves a BRAWL, do we?!"

Choking, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind exclaims, "N-n... no. No no no. No. No!"

Elanth gathers himself back to his feet, eyes widening in nothing more or less than sheer terror; his fumbling hand goes to his dirk and he draws it, holding it out, poison glistening on its edge as he backs away. It isn't long before he trips, landing again, braced on one elbow.

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says, "P-p-please, no. No. N-no..."

A deafening hiss is in your ears, chittering encouraging, hateful things for you to do to him.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "Hell yeah, use it, man!"

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "There's no rules here!"

Stone-faced and still, Iosyne observes the beginning of the fight with what seems to be only mild interest.

You have emoted: Lin's stride does not slow down, not when she reaches down to grab Elanth by the armpit, hauling him up to his feet. "Do you want a new life?" she snarls, and throws her elbow out, seeking to crack it against Elanth's face.

Elanth disengages and rolls back in a smooth tumble eyes flashing; when he looks up at you, his dirk held out, his body straightening fluidly, his terror seems to have abated slightly. "This looks like the old one to me!"

Elanth snaps his fingers in front of you.

You pull the collar around your neck, involuntarily swallowing as it cinches tightly around your throat.

Voice gaining authority, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to you, "Down. NOW."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs continues hopping restlessly from foot to foot, one fist housed within the other, his eyes intense.

Iosyne coils Her lower half in the manner of a serpent, dozens of legs moving silently into position.

You have emoted: Lin's face turns a striking shade of red, scrabbling at the collar around her throat. Her throat stressed by the cumbersome thing, she stumbles and stops in her tracks, patently refusing to make eye contact with anyone. She whispers something, too quietly for mortal ears to hear.

You murmur to Elanth, "No, no, not here... please, take it off. Take it off."

Iosyne cocks Her head to one side, Her astute gaze flicking to the collar. "Are you... owned?" She inquires, Her voice laced by something dark and sinister.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs smirks.

Elanth draws in a slow breath, staring at you - he advances, slowly, giving an implacable shake of his head. Like a whisper, he pulls his whip from his belt. CRACK, it rings out, biting into your flesh. "I said DOWN," he growls.

Looking up, eyes narrowed to slits, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to Iosyne, the Malevolent, "She's mine."

The ground shudders and splits open into a second chasm, the now-familiar tentacle dragging with it Jarva Ruek, who recovers far more nimbly from the deposit than his companion.

Jarva Ruek brushes his suit off casually, already appearing bored. "What's all this?"

You have emoted: Lin falls to her knees bonelessly, as if her legs had simply given out. Her fists tighten and lines along her neck clench with barely-contained fury, a hiss escaping her throat as the whip strikes home. "Elanth..." she says, a little louder, "N- not like this, this- this is shame..."

Rolling his eyes, Jarva Ruek says, "Oh, you've got to be--."

You are livid. You want to fight. Not to put your secrets on display. But if you take off the stupid collar...

The shadows intertwining with Iosyne's hair begin to writhe angrily, Her mouth turned downward into a displeased frown.

"That didn't matter to you." The whip lands as Elanth's arm moves again. CRACK. "That didn't matter to you before, did it, Lin." Another lash, its harsh retort echoing through the battlefield as he advances. "All that mattered to you was a new life." Breaking from employing the whip, he kicks you hard in the side. "Even if you had to hurt me to go get it."

The whip coiling back into his hand, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says, "Isn't this what you wanted? Tell me this isn't what you wanted."

Jarva Ruek gestures at you with a sound of blatant disgust. "Look at her, you call that equality? 'No one has your number'? Are you even taking Her seriously, you little rat?"

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "She can't even stand up, look at 'er."

Looking up, a grin writ across his features, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs, "She's just a wild beast. She'll serve anything that keeps her warm at night."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs throws his hands up in disgust, turning away from the pair to go occupy himself by boxing the air around him.

You have emoted: Lin yelps with each crack, thin lines of blood spilling from the holes ripped in her clothing. Seeking escape, she scrambles backward, leaving behind hand-shaped prints in the dirt, panting for breath. She glares at Elanth. She glares at Jarva, and Draden, and Iosyne, brimming with volcanic anger. Slowly, she stands up, reaches for her collar, and rips the thing from her neck, snapping the iron like wood.

As you pull the collar off, your throat expands and you take a clear, refreshing breath, rubbing at the tender part of your neck.

You drop a heavy, lockable leather collar.

You have emoted: "I'm going to kill you slowly," Lin whispers. She drops into a crouch and advances on Elanth.

Jarva Ruek remains rooted to his spot, flicking the brim of his fedora-hat to reveal a smouldering, angered expression in his cold eyes. "Know no lesser, and no greater," he nearly spits.

The deafening hiss nearly pierces your eardrums. "KNOW. NO. GREATER."

"And now we see how much I meant to you," Elanth whispers, raising his dirk, raising his whip, sinking back with a dangerous gleam in his eye. "In the end, She came between us. I was right to be worried. When I kill you and I leave this place, Lin, I am taking the girl and I am walking out."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs stands still for a moment and places his index and middle fingers to his temple, concentrating hard on something. Suddenly, he whips them away from his head, glancing over to one side.

Despot Issril Etysul appears, looking bewildered.

You have emoted: "SHUT UP!" Lin screams. Launching herself at Elanth, she tackles him, sending the both of them crashing into the earth. From there, she is merciless, beginning to tear at him with unhinged, inhuman fury, employing her claws to rip at his clothing, his skin, his face, anywhere she can get to.

The blood haze saturating the air of the battlefield suddenly intensifies, as if from a fresh spilling of blood. The scent is heady and intoxicating as any wine.

Her voice rising in fervor, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "Yes. YES."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs pumps his fist into the air.

Elanth's hand rises; the dirk flashes in the air, catching the light through the haze of blood, and then he drives it down, stabbing at you - once, twice, again and again, even as shadowy matter pours from his frame, even as he angles the blade for your back, your spine.

"What's ---" Despot Issril Etysul begins to demand, before setting her sights on the feuding pair. "Oh. OH."

Jarva Ruek remains wholly unimpressed, shoving his hands into his long black coat and scowling.

You have emoted: Blood spurts profusely from Lin's body, but she scarcely registers the pain, her face frozen in that bestial, barely sane grimace. She tries to wrestle the dirk from Elanth's hands to no avail, and then, finding him open, she lunges down and sinks her teeth into the meat of his shoulder, piercing muscle, ushering in a horrible, gristle-popping sound.

Elanth throws back his head, screaming: "AAAAAAAARRRGHHHH!" His blood is dark and almost cold against your lips, and he attempts to wrest his way out from under you, legs flailing before he slams his knees against your bloodied midsection. "Urrrhh... urrrRRRhh..." He finds the whip, clumsily coiling it around your neck - and as you bites, he attempts to throttle the life from you, the weapon's iron tip drawing blood from his palm. He is unable to move from beneath you, as your body is much heavier and more muscular than his own.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs cups his hand over his mouth, yelling out hoots of encouragement and grinning.

You have emoted: Lin gags, coughing up thin droplets of blood, her tail snapping out erratically with its fur standing on edge. She simply will not loosen her lock on Elanth's shoulder, beginning to pull her head back, beginning to twist, trying to rip away the flesh. She is merciless in her advantage, and her claws pierce too, penetrating his arms. Acting with mindless violence, the only thing slowing her down at all is her sudden inability to breathe.

You want to KILL want to eat him and his FACE not your slave, no one is your slave you want SLAVES world will die must be free MUST BE FREE...

Her words a hiss, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "Do you feel alive yet?"

CRACK. Elanth shudders, and a wet, ripping noise sounds as bone tears through shadowy, half-distinct flesh, jutting out at a sharp angle. Instead of marrow, some short of shadowy substance festers inside, and his hand on the whip goes limp; he uses his good arm to pull you into a headlock, choking you that way, the dirk falling away as he continues to knee and kick you from beneath.

Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind screams, "AAAAAAAARRRHHHHHH...!"

A slight smile crawls over Despot Issril Etysul's lips as she watches the gory display.

You have emoted: Lin rips one of her hands from Elanth's flesh, reaching out blindly to slap it over his mouth, trying desperately to shut up his noise, but can't quite seem to find her mark. The endless growling erupting from her throat slows, giving way to coughing, which eventually gives way to a horrible choke, her body growing limp. In sudden desperation, Lin tries to rip the whip from her neck, her movements sluggish at best.

Elanth's fangs clamp down on your hand; and when he bites, he clamps down as though he were some sort of wolf and doesn't relinquish the grip; face contorting into an awful, almost comical expression as he secures your neck with whip and arm alike. It's clear that the bite carries with it some sort of venom; the flesh around his teeth turns a strange, sickly shade of green, and your veins blacken, shot through with ugly discoloration.

Moving suddenly from Her position some ways away, Iosyne darts towards you and Elanth, sightless eyes glowing with white-hot intensity. Her hair floats around Her visage like a head of angered snakes, writhing and twisting with the shadows that intermingle with it. She slithers towards the grappling pair, dozens of legs carrying Her in a sinuous sway until she hovers above both you and Elanth.

Her voice guttural and raw, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "This is your pain. This is LIFE."

You have emoted: Lin struggles for every breath, becoming unable to fight back. Her mouth gapes wide in an agonizing cry, but no sound comes out, an ugly jolt shooting through her arm. Using the remainder of her strength, she gazes up at Iosyne, barely sentient.

The trio of onlooking mortals overlook the scene with great amusement, their forms barely visible through the mist of blood hanging in the air.

Elanth's hand draws back; and then he punches you hard, bracing himself on the ground, using that support to hurl you off of him and onto the ground. When he rises, crouched, hissing between clenched and bloodied teeth, exhaustion is writ on his features, and blood pours profusely from him, shattered ends of bone protruding from his left arm. He cradles it near, using the ripped remnants of his top to form a makeshift sling for it.

Barely able to maintain his composure in the face of overwhelming agony, Elanth turns his red eyes up to Iosyne. There is nothing but hatred there in his expression.

Sneering, Despot Issril Etysul says, "You need this."

You have emoted: Lin, by contrast, lies panting on the ground, swallowing deep of each precious breath. Her face is a mess of blood, and she curls her arms around herself, shivering, her wounds flowing sluggishly. "I... I need this..." she whispers, sounding a hundred years older.

You can't remember when your heart was pounding this fast. Not in the wars. Not when sparring Hadoryu. Not on top of Sibatti. Not on the brink of death.

You are approached by the terrifying Goddess, Her form towering above your broken, mutilated, and bloodied bodies. At once She hits the floor, releasing out a terrible hiss and unholy shriek. Her hand closes around your forehead, and in your last moments you feel Her dark energy annihilating your mind and severing your affinity to your Yeleni body.

You have emoted: Lin spasms, screaming aloud with unholy anguish. Her eyes roll back into her head, her body curling tightly into the fetal position.

Elanth only collapses, in silence, the shadow around him festering and contracting, his body shifting unbidden and unwillingly.

Elanth has suffered irreparable damage to his Yeleni form, perishing to the pain inflicted upon himself.
Lin has suffered irreparable damage to her Yeleni form, perishing to the pain inflicted upon herself.

Standing still for once, Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs begins a slow clap.

When Elanth stands, remade and whole, shadow creeping along him, there is no trace of fire left; it has been erased from him wholly, and there is only darkness left in him.

Jarva Ruek only mutters to himself quietly, turning away from the scene. "I need out of here."

The ground shudders and splits open into a narrow chasm, out of which emerges a viscous, huge tentacle. With surprising speed, it lashes out and coils around Jarva Ruek, dragging it back down into the depths of the chasm.

You have emoted: Lin awakens with a gasp, snapping to her feet by pure instinct. She stares into space, dazed, surveying the world with entirely unfamiliar eyes. As if chilled to the bone, she shivers, registering, at last, Iosyne's enormous form, then Elanth. At the sight of him, she bursts into tears, losing water, not sand, like everyone else.

His voice cold, alien, Lieutenant Elanth Ishilind says to you, "**** you."

You have emoted: Lin brushes her palm harshly against her face and wipes it dry, glancing down at herself in disbelief. "I... I love you," she says weakly, but then she raises her face to meet Iosyne. "And You... I feel so... wonderful."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs gives the pair a final once-over and snorts through his nose. "Okay, that's enough for me."

Just as they had arrived, both Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs and Despot Issril Etysul are pulled away by Divine transportation.

Scowling, Iosyne says to you, "You should be. You have not lived before this day."

You have emoted: Lin peers over at the collar, lying half-submerged in mud and unnatural blood, and picks it up delicately, pondering it for some time, before clasping it around her neck.

You pick up a heavy, lockable leather collar.
You pull the collar around your neck, involuntarily swallowing as it cinches tightly around your throat.

Elanth turns; in silence, without glancing back at either you or Iosyne, he begins to walk away, his expression sober and unreadable.

The ground shudders and splits open into a narrow chasm, out of which emerges a viscous, huge tentacle. With surprising speed, it lashes out and coils around Elanth, dragging him back down into the the depths of the chasm.

You have emoted: Lin's voice sounds largely the same, but carries some otherwordly, sepulchral tone. "You... You are a Goddess of Your word. I feel... so incredible. Like I could do anything. How do I repay You?"

The tail of Her lower body shifting in an annoyed whip, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "I am not finished with you. My vengeance has not yet been sought against My Sister. This is where I will use you."

Iosyne bends down, Her body curling in a way that would be impossible for those with legs, until Her hand is on your forehead again, completely eschewing the Mark of the Nightmare's Eye.

Elanth has broken off your proposal of Unity.

You have emoted: Where before, Lin reacted with fear, she only sighs in relief, even reaching up to touch Iosyne's wrist. "I want to do to Her what I did to him..." she mutters. "And- and kind Iosyne, will You relieve me of these as well? A gift from the Goddess Auresae," reaching to her horns - massive, gnarled things, like a ram's - she strokes her finger over the mithril decoration.

"You will not mistake Me for kind..." Iosyne seethes, closing Her hand around your head.

Incredible, hot, burning pain is felt on your skin as the Goddess squeezes Her hand shut. You fear She would crush your head like an egg, the pressure building and building until it is unbearable. You can see trails of black smoke whipping out from beneath Her hand, flying across your vision.

You have emoted: "Augh- ahh--" Lin shrieks incoherently, seeming to dangle from Iosyne's grip as her body goes slack. She forces herself to stand, to brace herself, and channels the pain into a mounting roar.

When She pulls Her hand away, you feel a deadened weight in the center of your forehead.

Before Iosyne moves away from your face, She seizes the mithril horns in Her hands and twists them within Her grip. The metal warps and shrinks immediately at Her touch, blackening into a hunk of metal which She twists around your horns.

She is wearing:
warped and twisted filigree horn ornamentations
a shadowy, blackened mark on her forehead
a heavy, lockable leather collar
etc.
etc.
etc.

The mark:
A blackened mark is permanently burned into Lin's forehead, as if something had attempted to destroy its former image. Only vaguely resembling the eye it was once shaped in, it is now hardly more than a black smear. A faint haze of shadow surrounds it, appearing like light trails of smoke as if it were constantly smouldering.

The ornamentation:
Warped and twisted from the delicate shape they once maintained, these horn ornamentations wrap around Lin's horns in a chaotic way. Sharp shards of the metal wrap around, splitting and sectioning off into branches at times. Altogether, they make for a very dangerous addition to already-dangerous horns.

She is a dexterous Azudim, a bit short in height, but terrifying of stature. The flesh of her skin is jet black, shining and beautiful in the way one would describe a black widow. She is built muscularly, but her mass is packed in her calves, hips and shoulders: the build of a sprinter. Her facial features are constructed in cruel, sinous lines, with two sharp, dark eyes set beneath a sharply crested brow. A long, thin nose and ochre-colored lips finish the disdainful make of her face, and hair of the same pure ebon color flows around her cheeks, pulled back into a ponytail that trails along the ground. Curling ram's horns surmount her face, sheathed in dark metal, and appear capable of goring someone bloodily.

You have emoted: Panting, winded, Lin clutches her hand - normal-sized, without claws - to her heart, gazing vividly into Iosyne's eyes. "He's left me. The world feels silent. The lesson is learned, the damage is irreversible. I want a drink. I want to blow smoke." And at this last point, she does, lifting back her head and blowing a stream of char-laden mist into the air.

You say to Iosyne, "You are NOT kind, You beautiful bitch... but You have earned my loyalty."

Iosyne releases you, setting Her arms over the molded plate chestpiece as She does so. "You have much to learn before you can call yourself Mine."

You have emoted: Lin gasps suddenly, crying out in pain, embracing herself as something within her burns. "Aaagh... I- I don't think this body is done..." Forcing herself into composure, she responds to Iosyne, "Then I believe I should stick around. You've already given me a taste, it would be a shame not to get the real thing."

Sneering, Iosyne, the Malevolent says, "Learn from My experts. You surely remember their faces as they stood here today."

You are transported by the power of the Divine.
Ledge next to a waterfall. (Azdun dungeon) [ntund] (v1804)
A huge drawbridge spans the chasm. Dripping black ichor, a heaping skeleton of bone creates a construct from the earth here. A pike with the decapitated head of Damonicus has been erected here. Practicing his right hook, Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs is here.
Exits: down, southwest, east.
Shrines: Iosyne.

Iosyne, the Malevolent has bestowed a divine blessing upon you. It will last for 2 day.

You have emoted: Lin clutches her arm around her stomach, body in pain, face twisted in fury. "The heckler," she says.

You say to Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs, "Let's fight, you piece of garbage."
Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "You here to fight the Mauler? I'm warnin' ya, once we start we have to go until one of us hits the ground."
A smarmy grin overtakes Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs's features, and he puts up his fists.
SAY LET'S DO THIS to begin fighting Draden. ASK DRADEN DIFFICULTY to set the bar.

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs tells you, "It ain't about winning or losing here, buddy. I can understand if you need a few easy rounds first though. TELL me EASY, MEDIUM, or HARD to let me know how much you can take."

You tell Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs, "Hard."

Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs tells you, "I like your style! Let the bleeding commence."

You say, "Let's do this."
Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs pumps his fist into the air.
Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs says, "YEAH! Let's do this, then!"
A blood haze fills your sights as the adrenaline of battle begins.

...

And then Draden kills me almost immediately.
You have been slain by Draden "the Mauler" Jibbs.

Later...

(Syssin): You say, "Thank you for your earlier concern. I am fine. Feel great."