abyssal core

The laws of selection.

To take only the best that Esshar could offer for him, and then to make sure that they were going to contribute plentiful to his own means. Isn't that what the Archons are meant to do? As much as the warfare and hunting could be an exciting endeavour, truthfully, one does not get anywhere far if all they do is fight.

No, at this point, his work should be more delicate- more refined.

A revelation of Abyssal Core- resonating with the essence of Helheim, and capable of soaking up these very same energies that belong to Helheim. Is it any wonder, then, that it would be involved in construction of the gate?

The gate that could promise chaos unlike any other.

Not without a purpose, of course; as much as the Serpent enjoyed a little bit of mess here and there, he knew better than to subject people to pointless bloodshed - it teaches them nothing, and it shows them nothing. Instead..

It will be another law of selection.
Who's worthy to die.
And who's worthy to be evolved.

"This is the future gate to Helheim."

Unfinished construction, with solid platform made up of Orchilacum, Arcanium and many other steels to channel its energy better. Up to five feet up, it has wiring of mana and various runes that could allow for some work to be done already.

Beyond that? It remains an unconfigured construction that is yet to be finished; with the frame already there, yet lacking details.

"The purpose here is to allow this core to soak up energies from your ritual."

"At the same time, I will begin to utilize what I already learned in order to connect it better to Helheim."

"This is not the last piece of work, but a step towards it."

His gaze looks over to those present, soon to remark.

"Are you able to proceed?"
(Morok)

The core was brought forth and Raeliana released a little gasp. She could feel that power, the energy that resonated within it and it brought a shiver down her spine. Eyes dipped to a close. It's only as Morok revealed his words did her eyes shoot open.

"... A gate to Helheim itself…" She murmured. The very thought sent a dizzying wave of illness through her small body. She could not fathom such a thing - but it was an exciting prospect nevertheless. The Drakanite eyeballed the incomplete portal for the time being, as the Demon explained it's purpose.

They were to perform their own ritual for the first time, united as a Coven whole. Their work would not only profit themselves, but also Morok's idea and eventually Raeliana nodded.

"We will do our best, then, Morok." The Fireblooded Witch stated. All pretenses of childishness was knocked away, in favor of something more serious. Something deadly, if given the right chances.

She'd look towards Carlisle, Jianyu and Avery before looking back to the Archon. To the ascended Demon.

"I believe so? Yes?"
(Raeliana)

A light shrug came from Avery's shoulders as the only thing that came from his was a single hum. A smile rising afterwards as he took a seat on one of the wooden desks that were there and sitting down up straight. His eyes going to Molok first.

"You look so, so different Fidi, and this is your great plan eh?"

He was impressed.

As his eyes moved over, a single glow came from him and his fingers as he started to focus entirely on what may have been.

"Let's get the show on the road, then? No need to make a big fuss."
(Avery)

She would be lying if she said that there wasn't something that plagues her in moments such as this. It is not doubt within her mind, but anticipation that flutters within her heart. An excitement that flourishes upon her features...Showing a gentle smile while she stalks behind the group. Of course, while they move...She seemingly vanishes...Only to return with a proper offering to those that were around. Within her hands, ivory fur can be seen within palms....Her hand wrapped around it's ears, her other one securing it's feet as she speaks.


"Impressive."


She scans the creation, admiring the handiwork of Dun Task and those that assisted him. "...I believe that coming here was a stroke of luck for all of us then. I thank the father for our ability to convene." She adds with a careful bow of her head.

"...We're capable of preceding. As Jianyu states the first part of the incantation...I'll carry on the second and then, we'll start the true fun." A promise of debauchery and filth. Where bodies and sins and more will be exposed in the upheaval of magic and prowess.
(Carlisle ras Petrakis)

Along the way, they think of ways to proceed, how to have a ritual they've never had before. It's been read on a bit with whatever resources they could pull together in the manor.

So knowledge is present.
Execution, however?

The Coven will all assist one another with that. With the ritual being their idea, they would first take the reigns of it.

A sacrifice was needed.

Blood for gain- Nothing major, an animal would do, one whose skin and flesh and bones that would be given for greater gain. Futile life given purpose at the hands of the Coven.

Once inside, they lay their gaze upon the construct. Unfinished but full of so much potential.

"How beautiful. When complete, will Helheim be just on the other side."

Jianyu brought their hands together and in front of the portal, they crouch hand, palms touching the floor. Beneath both did a orange flame burst and spiral out into a circle with lines that cross and form a symbol, the location of the ritual set and drawn with occultic flames.

When they rise, it remains.

Energies from the ritual that will firstly, aid the witches present will also serve secondarily as a fuel for the portal. They'll begin here and now.


"He gives and He takes, and we give to him. Blood for blood, blood for power. Today is our hour, one where we devour. Drinking upon what's been given, that of innocence..."


Smog appears and lifts from the drawn circle as they chant, an obsidian smoke that one could get lost in. Sparks glow within its depths.


"Open the door, there's no need to be shy. With all we give, we deserve to say hi. Greeting You will be a day of history."


They continue on as they reach for their hip, holstered there a dagger thatreveals itself. Its blade slid along the palm of their hand, crimson streamed from the cut and dripped to the circle.

Sizzling and emitting a little steam.


"...One that in turn, will bring great misery."


Their portion concluded and with the sacrifice, their sister can continue on with the incantation.
(Jianyu Xi)

All things are ruined. Promise is found within the gentle thrumming of her heart- where the step becomes matched with the careful drift of her palms rising into the air. She dances for her lord... Opulence lifted upon high, where she is lulled within the negativity and the markings upon her frame are shown amongst the smog. Pink and decadent. It appears upon her forehead and traces down towards her chest. Within her hands...The sacrifice is raised and the sound of bones snapping can be heard...

Blood washes over all of their beings. Like the presence of rain, does it pitter-patter...Cool, contradicting the warmth embracing their frames as each of the witches become swarmed with debauchery and sin. Does it have a feeling? Yes. It is like hands leading one within a forbidden dance. It is like feeling another's heart pressed upon your own...It is like having a love like no other, both breath-taking and flawless...And yet, as heavenly as it might feel....

Those that are not of it feel nothing more than dread. In the midst of the circle, would the orange flames arise- and with it, do bodies begin to levitate. Shadows on the wall can be seen running about, otherworldly speech gathering about them- echoing beyond Jianyu's words.....And soon, following the incantation as she speaks.

"He gives and He takes, and we give to him. Blood for blood, blood of power. Today is our hour, one where we devour. Drinking upon what's been given, that of innocence..."

She allows this praise to take her upon high. The decadence becoming nearly delectable- the sweetness of misery, the promise of despair and the gathering of fallen souls become reeled into this form. It is as intoxicating as she had felt before...Like lightning surging through fingertips, like the first nip of frost that bites upon her flesh..

"One that in turn, will bring great misery. For we are worthy, bringing with us a sacrifice and the best of our ability. Tonight, we thank you for the journey and pray that you give our enemies and all that stand against us...No Mercy."

There is to be no quarter. There is to be no surrender, only unless it is unto him. And so, when this continues- the decadent storm arises and the world shudders and freezes over. The mixture of magics can be felt....Where Jianyu and Carlisle's storm looms- where the lightning of Raeliana strikes and the blood and rot of Avery persists. Malignant and twisted...The overstaturation of hellheim's presence is absorbed into the gate while the witch's dance comes to an end. All four of them now thrumming with impossible potential and the ability to not just walk dreams...

But create the utmost havoc.
(Carlisle ras Petrakis)

"Good.."

As long as they could continue, this would mean that eventually this gate would see itself spark with life unlike any other. Only a fool would think that the purpose it holds is anything safe- countless creatures from spiritual world could come slither by, including Nethradin that would most definitely try to invade this world.

A fine distraction for what he wanted.
A fine test for humanity.

Two-in-one. How could the Archon pass up an opportunity like this, when he could not only deliver unfathomable plagues onto his enemies, but see who would be worthy of capturing to become the next step in evolution and advance his plans all the same?

The pieces of the puzzle fall right where he wants them.

The Abyssal Core is placed right at the site of the ritual; the energy of Sabbath involved, of the pure essence of Helheim that stems from their power- it would be the necessary attunement that he's been looking for. What other source can serve better but witches themselves?

"Continue the ritual."

"I will do my part."

What comes next is the Archon turning towards unfinished gate; the shadows extend forth, and they begin their fine runework upon the slots that still have no particular corresponding spirit realm to them- the complex art of Arithmancy employed in this process as well, sharing similarities with Wayfinding, and yet..

There's a difference - a greater potential, in exchange of being attuned to Helheim.

As the shadows deepen and inscribe the runes of power, a technique borrowed from Hades Task, the Archon adds an entirely different flavour- one that not even the master Riftmancer could match, for he doe snot possess connection as close as his own.

Words most unholy.
Grazing upon the very nature of Helheim.


"Vyraj, uslish moi zov."

"Temnii Vladika, tvoi verniyi slugi otkrivayut Vrata v tvoe czarstvo. Neverniyie i nedostoiniye poterjali svou pjut na etoi proklyatoi zemle - oni ne znayut svoi potencial."

"Otkroi zhe ih glaza - otkroi Vrata k Vyraj."

A mere beginning.

The reality ripples with something else- the Lady Erie's Greed, in possession of the essence stolen from corrupted demi-angel could almost burst from its host. It's only there that one could see..

Just how potent it becomes- fuelling the process.

But he's not done. Far from it.
(Morok)

Raeliana was silent, moving over towards the circle they had all gathered around - the occultic flames being a welcoming feeling to the dragon-kin. The girl kept watch upon Jianyu and copied them as they moved. The smog appeared and lifted as they led the ritual itself, chanting towards the Dark Lord.

This was all for Him, after all.

A sharpened claw was pressed up against an open palm - and she pressed it in, drawing crimson quickly. Her own blood dribbled onto the circle as well, joining with Jianyu's in a macabre fashion.

"He gives and He takes, and we give to him. Blood for blood, blood for power. Today is our hour, one where we devour. Drinking upon what's been given, that of innocence..." She repeated. Lightning crackled along her form, showcasing her own magic being placed into the ritual itself.

"No mercy for those who stand against us - we call upon Him to take our blood and grant us His power. For we may offer our own misdeeds upon those misguided souls which struggle so..." She continued, eyes dipping shut.

Morok's own speech was half forgotten about - given she couldn't understand a word of it to begin with. She continued to allow her blood to mingle upon that circle with the others, the sizzling growing. Her tail crashed against the chest behind her in a loud thud and soon enough it slowed it's typical movements. She was focused.
(Raeliana)

Blood was something he happily gave to anyone who asked for it. As blood dripped from his very stitches and on to the circle, his eyes would look towards the others as his motions were not something that were too abnormal.

However, he was moving his head left and right, almost like he was in a trance, and listening to a certain tune of music.

"Mercy does not exist, not for us, and not for them. Mercy was a luxury that only a few could have been given, but because of their ignorance and their lack of knowing, the only thing that they deserve is death."

The shivering coldness, the warmth that were to follow, and the blessings of the life after for everyone was tempting.

"Because of Him, we were given a chance to learn, a chance to become stronger, to accomplish our goals and to move forward with our lives so that we can serve him and him alone. Let us not forget our mission on Eternia, to send him every, single, soul, and finally, to bring him here."

More continuous blood dripped down to the circle as he lets out a chuckle.
(Avery)

Bones snap, an added melody to an act of sin. From this snow furred creature came its blood, rained upon the circle and area, that of innocence.

With their sister do they move. Engaging move physically now to place their entire body into the ritual, not just mere soul or words.

All facets of themself would be offered, even if they oft did not move in such a manner. An added storm- One where they bring a thunder.

The obsidian smog rumbles with the lit mist of raining crimson upon them all. Debauchery enacted and honed, slipped from their lips in words that flow.

Like rivers of vice.


"He gives and He takes, and we give to him. Blood for blood, blood of power. Today is our hour, one where we devour. Drinking upon what's been given, that of innocence..."


They continue from the very beginning of their incantation. Morok speaks in a tongue entirely unfamiliar to them but, it's his contribution, one not taken lightly. Shadows play into the mix, all magics dance in cohesion with that of Helheim.

As they turn, circling upon the occultic flares upon the ground, tipping along with the droplets of blood that coat the ground.


"Those who disrupt our flow deserve know naught what they sow. Resistance is futile though welcomed. Give us a show, give us a run. Helheim stops for none... The Lord stops for none. Upon the shores and lands and skies. He'll be here, and all should adhere."


Chills and frost encourage them. Engaging still in what feels to be a forbidden dance and display but how lost they are in the movement of it all.

Freeing, every turn they make, every shake. The circle glows bright, flaring with a fueled presence of vice and sin.
(Jianyu Xi)

It feeds.

The Abyssal Core feeds on the debauchery and display of the ritual by the witches; absorbing, soaking in the darker energies that have a source within Helheim. For that exact purpose, it was intended to serve as a battery for things of such nature- in this case, to connect the gate to Helheim. And even though his own work with Arithmancy and runework of Riftmancy, one based around Helheim, is still not perfected..

It would be something he can perform nonetheless - mainly due to compatibility of these two forces.


"Vyraj, otkroi svoi sekreti vsem - chtob mi smogli pokazat tvoyu istinu."

"Shtobi mi smogli pokazat vse, chto oni nikogda ne videli."


Nightmares incarnate. Demons were often called that, and in the moments such as these, the true nature of the Archon shines through- despite the human appearance he has, with Serpentine traits mixed in, this magic remains something that no human should ever approach or wield, lest they were ready to take consequences for it.

A single fang protrudes from his mouth, and whereas he nears an open palm to his mouth, he drags the fang along the surface of his palm's skin- to draw blood, the potent blood of the Archon, and smear it across the runes laid in the groundwork. It would be a necessary step to connect it better.

He gives a glance to the Abyssal Core. Soon... it seems that it would be ready soon enough.

"You may finish your ritual whenever you feel comfortable."

"The Abyssal Core is quick to absorb such acts, and it will serve as a means to fuel the gate to Helheim."

Morok didn't care too much about the potential of the gate opening path to any other spirit realms. So long as he masters this art, it would mean that he can get anywhere he wants regardless.

But now..

One last step is left - and the witches are a key to that puzzle.
(Morok)

She has felt this presence before. When the thousand-eyes upon her back burn like midnight stars. When she swears that she had felt his heat before within her worst fears...Of being strung upon the crucifix and forced to flame infront of a thousand onlookers. Does the darklord take joy within her self-torment? When the dagger brushes carefully along the palm of her hand and adds to the blood spilled amongst them? Or does he take pleasure in knowing that so many worship his name now...More than ever before?


"Those who disrupt our flow deserve know naught what they know. Resistance is futile though welcomed. Give us a show, give us a run. Helheim stops for none... The Lord stops for none. Upon the shores and lands and skies. He'll be here, and all should adhere."

She echoesafter her sisters and brother. She dances in unison. The words that spill past her lips are reversed, signifying the end of their ritual...Allowing all of the blood shed and the debauchery to not just pass through the witches, but unto the demonic and the orb that feeds and takes in negativity and sin...And vices.

Each vice can be seen. Greed and obsession, gluttony and lust, wrath, pride, and sloth. Each one is as decadent as the next...Sweet upon the tongue, bitter when left from the body and yet....The speech continues...

"For you, oh lord, deserve our eternal praise. Tear through and through, pillage and raze. Give us all that we seek, and with your power, will we cull the weak. Through blood and sweat, through flesh and bone- we will grow the seeds which have been sown."

Such ends. Where the debauchery and blood within the room all peel away from the walls and those that it had stained. Just as the decadence had appeared...It vanishes, exposing each witch and warlock and demon present with the markings he has left upon their flesh growing brightly. Charged. Pulsing with power.

And through gentle, idle breathes would she speak... "...I believe that this is the end, the ritual has been complete, although.." She pauses for the moment to capture her breath. The static running through her veins still spill forth in idle crackles and pops.

"Is there anything left required of the Coven, Fidi? We can easily get together and do this once more in the next years coming."
(Carlisle ras Petrakis)

They all continued within that debauchery - of calling for the Dark Lord, and of beginning to empower that portal to Helheim itself. A small giggle escaped Raeliana's form as Jianyu began to twist and turn and dance. So unlike them but it beckons her to join and along with Carlisle with Morok chanting in the background do they dance. They blood continues down in rivulets of deep red.

The electricity continued to spoke amongst Raeliana, and much like Jianyu…? They dance in a storm of sparks and darkness. The icy chill from Carlisle did not stop her either.

"He gives and He takes, and we give to him. Blood for blood, blood of power. Today is our hour, one where we devour. Drinking upon what's been given, that of innocence..." She began once more, her arms ascended over her head, red sleeves of her robe sliding down her arms. The blood flows down her arm but in that moment she did not are.

"Those who disrupt our flow deserve know naught what they know. Resistance is futile though welcomed. Give us a show, give us a run. Helheim stops for none... The Lord stops for none. Upon the shores and lands and skies. He'll be here, and all should adhere."

The power flowed within her, the carnal essence unlike anything she had ever experienced both. Those sweet whispers came to her ear like candy and she canted her head to the side, lost within that trance. Greed stacked upon her like a deck of cards, something she would never forget. Their first ritual. The trial may have bonded them together, but this?

This cemented that bond above all else.

From different backgrounds they hailed, but united as one they were a family. Not like the Family that boasted itself within Osrona - a true one, with a true calling after death. It's only as Carlisle called for an end to the ritual did Raeliana pause, her arms dropped as she slowly looked around.

"... Ah..." She murmured, backing up.
(Raeliana)

Pieces are spoken and the room coats itself in a thin layer of blood. It fuels all present, siphoning from the sacrifice a shared essence.

Mutual gain that draws to a completion.

The circle's vibrant hue remains for a bit, allowing for it to conclude with another repeat of their words and that spoken from Carlisle.

It's done...

"How lovely..."

Is this what the present was meant to be? A sacrifice was made but, not of them. No longer did they need to give for a few weeks, but.

How the future smiles upon them all.

Coven's as these, those tightly packed and aligned with demonkind should be feared. Especially an Archon of all things. Perfection reached already yet true refinement laid within mere grasps.

"If you need us, let us know." Their hand waves, dispelling the occultic burn on the floor and the obsidian smog that coated it.

And the blood? Well, a gift for the Therian working so hard on the Helheim gate. There's much to be done, much to gain.

Icy hues settle upon their sister in front of them.
(Jianyu Xi)

Everything.
Down to its core.

These artifacts were a helpful addition to all the work that Morok was doing; not only it allowed him to surpass the limits that were impossible to defy previously, but now, they would also serve on more permanent basis. The Abyssal Core, capable of taking in the energy of a witch ritual, made to tie the essence of Helheim into it..

And then, steadily introduced to the gate.

The destination input is given with the runes of arithmancy, a practiced art which he has honed as much as possible by now- an effort that could not only ensure that this would be done correctly, but to ensure that he would truly grasp the Riftmancy as a separate art on its own.

One whose origins would be drawn from Helheim.

He can't wait to see what would happen out of it. But.. even with Therians were to fail to come through with all that they were meant to do? The Archon now knows what exactly he would have to do- and such gate to the Helheim could be recreated anywhere else, should the city fail.

They were on the path of something great.
Something terrifying.

"It's finished."

"Now, all I need is to correct my own practice with summoning spirits to this world- to have a little more control as they step through the gate."

It's one thing to open the gate and let them flood in - but it's completely another to direct them at their enemies.

"The help of Coven is appreciated, Clio."

"No other additions are needed."

Not from their part, of course..

But his own. Soon, it would be complete.

And he can't wait to see what it would become.
(Morok)