Knowledge is Power

15:14:59] {NARRATION} The whole group is conducted towards the swamp, east of the Cruxati settlement. Through it, Atla leads them inside a cave, its damp and wet ambient soon being broken by evidence of ruins from the ancient agarthan demon empire. Crumbled structures are carved within the stone halls, no light to be found within the next few miles.

However, even if there are no lights, sounds are heard around. Even if the demons have evolved or mutated into Daemons and smaller creatures, they still inhabit this place. Steps from the remnants range from large and strong-hitting upon the ground, to the sound of simply slime being spread on the wake of a demon.

The only source of light, for now, are your own torches, and the entrance of the cave.

[15:20:57] Tarlac had accompanied Atla in what would be an expedition, for it seemed interesting, and the subject of the slaves had not yet begun. And he had not yet met with Xomac, so there was not much to do, and he ended up accompanying his friend.

"Interesting place .. I hope we finish this soon, I have to start a business scare of slavery .." He spoke as he shrugged.

He waited for Atla to take the lead, for Tarlac was not in the best condition of strength among those who were there.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[15:21:48] Atla tried to find Ajax at the last minute but for some reason he did not show up at the scheduled time, it was a shame, but they should proceed anyway, the group was the people he had made some friendship before.

Atla led the group through the swamp where they found a cave, there everything was dark and damp, but it was no problem. After finding the ruins of an ancient civilization Atla's eyes gleamed, they really made a discovery.

He approached the walls of the place using the torch to illuminate, trying to see symbols and such things, but he then ended up finding an entrance that led further into the ruins, and is the nucleus he sought.

"Let's go inside the ruins, there must be more information."
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[15:21:48] Huh. The unknown.

A darkened sight corrupted his yellow eyes, entering the depths of the cave. No time to be wasted, of course, utilizing sources of light as the torches and rubicund sparkles coating the entirety of his body. The shimmering flashes of lightning also escaped the boy's digits, searching for any special creature or loot. Anything would suffice.

Footsteps weren't calm. They echoed the cavernous structure, likely ignoring the possibility of a dangerous creature. No-- he actually hoped to find one. Against the reverberating sound, only one other wave escaped him, the voice.

"Hmmmh... nothing special, for now. Maybe if we follow the sounds of creatures?"

Adjusting the line of thought, periodically taking turns would be the best outcome for the Elsyrean, aiming to reach the unpleasant areas by immediating tunes.

A powerful creature... would be a nice experience for someone chained to a church for years! After finally being rewarded with his freedom, he had to investigate every inch of Agartha, to find the rarest of the experimentations!

"Hey, hey. Don't lose track of me."
(Caesar Valerius)
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[15:23:31] The Magi stops as he sees the structure, he was more exploring than everything, walking with others, curious about what they were looking for.

The Krausite then took a step back with a slight whistle, impressed by the magnificence of the structure he had found, he was not sure if this was expected, using his sacred aura to illuminate what was found beyond the reach of his fragile eyes.

That cave was very uncomfortable, he did not know what to do, in fact, nor had he been the one who had orchestrated this adventure, he did not know anything, nor if this was expected.

"Uh... This is pretty... Erm, old."
He points out, seeing plants and moss enveloping the structure, he would not go in or do anything, after all, he was waiting for Atla...
(Raoni Vzier)
[15:36:19] {NARRATION} Especially because of Caesar, and somehow probably related to Raoni's whistle, a growl is heard near the Krausite. And from the same structure that he was examining, something draws the rubble away from the ground. It seems to crawl on the inside of the building, until it jumps at Raoni!

The creature stops, a humanoid, skin hugging tight to its bones, as the claws extend for about a foot forward in each of its three fingers. Further examination would seem that it looks much more alike to a cougar mixed with a human, slowly copying Raoni's form.
[15:40:35] Already inside the ruins, Tarlac came upon a strange creature, who strangely took form of his friend Raoni, leaving then quite suppressed Tarlac.

"Now, this is weird," he said as he aimed to be.

Leaving a little behind the others, Tarlac was aware of the movement of being.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[15:44:00] The lack of light further intensified Caesar's attention, his gaze shifting between each member holding torches, despite not really caring about the team. The Elsyrean walked, ondulating the ground beneath him with the power of darkness wobbling in unison to the footsteps, until--!

A blackened creature grasped the so wanted desire of knowledge. Adapting to Raoni's form, a smirk followed the white-haired one, clearly amazed. Perhaps, it is something like Effigy, who refused to show the shapeshifting ability?

Curiosity. It burned. The flames spread, and his eyes widened! Rotating the newly acquired rifle, the boy juxtaposed the back weapon to his shoulders and aimed towards the unbeknownst tool, more like a plaything to the adventurer.

Yes. Exploring. Finally something worthy of him showed itself! Perhaps the first danger of Agartha, after fighting with demons and angry gehennans! A place to bet it all!

Thus, the rifle fired, droplets of manaenhancing the capacity of spells, not wasting time at all. Alighted, a furore took control of the white-haired one.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[15:44:00] At last Ajax had arrived, it was a relief to Atla, he came in the last hour before they went deeper into the ruins.

It was really dark, they could not see more than a few steps ahead of the torches, a noise could be heard, and before Atla could tell a creature had jumped on Raoni but then turned away.

"What the hell is this?"

His eagle eyes examined the creature trying to understand it, when he could see it begin to take the form of Raoni slowly.

"Are you ok, Raoni?" He was still worried to know if the creature had done something with the Krausite.

'Is it a Yokai who took possession of these ancient ruins? Or perhaps some creature of ancient times? ' Atla thought.

But he could not leave his guard open, he let the energy flow through his body and pulled the bow off his back, that creature clearly did not want to talk, and maybe it was not even capable of that.
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[15:44:51] The pale one notices that strange thing, at once, he stops.
Watching afflicted after jumping back and imposing his hand charged with divine energy against the cougar liquid that was forming.

Taking his right hand at the handle of his huge sword forged by Saida, he took it out at once, not as if he were literally going to attack, but his intention was to protect himself and his allies there.

"What the ...?"
He asks, more to himself, than to the others. What just happened? Would he have time to think about it? It was a strange feeling... He was being copied. He slowly enters Fomorian in a 'passive' way, waiting for any signs that this is indeed a danger to the group.
(Raoni Vzier)
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[15:49:07] Ajax walked behind the group taking it slow and listening for any dangers that might be coming towards them. He was also doing his best to see through the darkness with barely any light. Trying to make himself just as invisible as the creatures around them. Finally he almost bumped into Tarlac as the group had stopped.

He looked forwards to see why the group had stopped. A strange humanoid creature crouched before them. A similar appearance to Raoni as it began to copy him form from the looks of it. Ajax tsked as he did not think they would run into trouble so early on in their search. They had yet to find anything, but it was truly large ruins.

Ajax sighed as he called upon his energy the color of it had once again grown a deeper and darker blue. It seemed Ajax and Afro's energy was beginning to completely mix at last.

Ajax stepped forward, his sword not drawn yet. He crouched before the cougar like creature and tried speaking to it.

"Well now. Does this thing before us have a name?" Ajax asked hoping the Daemon would be able to respond.


(Ajax)
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[15:49:58] {NARRATION} The cougarlike demon clearly felt itself threatened by the group in front of him. It stood in its two feet, until a bullet of mana ripped through its ribcage. The demon's skin stopped shifting, as it let out a high-pitched scream, his attention turned elsewhere.

He faced the whole group at once, retreating to a safer position, as it prepared to lunge itself towards the group once again.
[16:10:27] {NARRATION} The creature lunges towards the group, its attack against the holy magi landing on the ground. Soon enough, he is cornered by the rest of the group, suffering hits from every side. With a circular strike of his tail, he manages to break free from everyone's grasp, and lunges once again towards the empty darkness of the ruins.

However, on his lunge, Tarlac accidentally walks in front of him, the demon landing on top of him. Its claws dig up on top of his shoulders, ripping apart the muscle there. Another lunge makes its lower legs dig further down onto the man's skin, leaving a gash at his thighs.
[-10 VIT until the end of the event]

However, this gives Caesar just enough time to finish off the demon while he's maiming the Gehennan fellow.
(Caesar decides how the demon is killed)
[16:17:16] Being struck by the creature during the fight, Tarlac had been wounded, then crawled into a corner to recover and stay there until the fight was over.

The boy was thinking as he leaned against a stone.

Putting his hand on the wound, Tarlac waited patiently for the rest of the group to finish what they came to do.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[16:18:59] Impetus of eletricity announced the boy's presence, shooting with the insane velocity and making use of the momentum to prepare perfect angles. The ominous spells attacked from everywhere, covering the whole 360° degrees of the beast.

Silent. The only sound coming from him would be the despairing, thunderous reactions from the blows escaping his palms and weapon. Beams, strikes, laces, utilizing every ability to subjugate the somewhat weak enemy, despite the circumstances.

Bang.

With enough power, a distant blow weakened the cougar demon, ondulating the skintight enemy, paralyzing it with such immense electric force. Sparkles of red magic danced, enough to hold it for a while.

Retreating, the boy intensified the mana, travelling with fluidity to his hand. Scintillas announced another roaring attack, cutting the air with a fast hand-movement to finish the creature.

Lightning soared, ricocheting at the top of the cave and, finally, penetrating the unwanted demon, enough distance to be aware of a trap, at least what he thought of the surroundings.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[16:21:32] Atla kept behind providing support with his arrows of energy, but it was difficult to peer into that darkness, they managed to catch the creature for a while but it loosened, and that mistake was enough to cause a serious injury to Tarlac.

Though the creature already seemed panting and almost defeated, then Atla did not feel the need to use her advanced mana manipulation or activate the rune on her shoulder.

He then continued to shoot arrows trying to keep the demon within range of Caesar's attacks. After the creature died Atla had time to worry a little about Tarlac.

"Raoni, can you at least cure Tarlac's superficial wounds so he can continue?"
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[16:27:31]
The Krausite stands in front of his party and with the mission to contain and prevent their allies from getting hurt, he raises his sword and sets off against the obstacle in the goal of his group.

His eyes quickly hover over him, Raoni uses the earth magic in the struggle to try to stop the creature's movements as it envelops everyone there with a comforting, warm, healing aura.

At last, he relieved returned his weapon to his back, not so excited however, Tarlac had been injured.
Confirming it with his head, he goes toward the fallen Gehennan, and places his hand against him, wrapping Tarlac over his sacred aura.

Soon, a strange mixture of earth illuminated by the blessing of the sacred light of the Krausita surrounds the place of the wound of Tarlac, a "bandage of stone", would limit a little his movements, but it would stop the pain a little, after all, Raoni is not much good with healing magic.
(Raoni Vzier)
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[16:33:29] {NARRATION} Caesar's strike resonates against the whole cavern. Even if he was strong, even if it killed one demon, the whole cave seemed to growl around you. The remaining demons all seemed to start gathering around you, warned by the luminous effects and thunderous roars.

However, on the distance, a more ominous presence seems to have recognized you all. Tarlac now able to stand up, blue lights echoed on the deepest end of the cavern. It looked like the incarnation of leylines, and every sensibility to magic would point to that place concentrating lots and lots of raw, pure energy.

It was a temple-like structure, pillars risen on its way, all now shining with energetic lines, blue-hued and guiding towards the structure. The group now had to hurry, as it seemed to be the only structure that still stood tall amidst the ruins.

[16:37:45] Now standing, thanks to Raoni, but still with a little difficulty walking. One of those on the expedition killed the creature, while other boulders came close to the group and a light was in the distance. Tarlac looked in the direction of the light and spoke.

"Well .. Who goes ahead? I'm not in the best of conditions."

He crossed his arms, waiting for someone to take the lead.
(Tarlac Rovar)
[16:44:35] The Paladin then looks around, amazed at the strange lights surrounding him ... Distressed, he takes the sword to his hands once more.

Walking holding it close to his chest, using his earthy aura with some bundles of sacred light to illuminate the path, he decides to go ahead as soon as he realizes what had happened.

"There may still be dangers here ... I'll go ahead, be careful ... There may be more where that came from."

He takes a sigh and is trying to guide the group, totally on guard, his blood still warm from the battle.
(Raoni Vzier)
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[16:45:26] More creatures.

Strong creatures.

Did Caesar care? Oh, he did. It means... more places to explore. More beasts to defeat. More rarities to discover! Stomping the ground, dust orbited around him, rising like the fighting spirit covering those yellow, determined eyes!

Like a pure spark, the white-haired one moved, following the blue luminescence, despite the care to notice any traps or others. The desire to find something was bigger, and moved him, despite anything else!

(Caesar Valerius)
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[16:47:08] After defeating Caesar defeating the creature the noise of its attack echoed by the cave, this attracted several others that now were gathered around the group.

"Damn, I guess this whole thing was a bit scandalous."

Something then immediately attracted Atla's attention, he noticed a great raw energy, it was possible to see blue lines coming from the bottom of the cave, and this also caught the attention of somebody else ... the spirit that was still with Atla, she continued quietly without speaking, but somehow she was able to communicate with the Atla.

'Uhm, what is this?' He was able to see the woman's image per second.

'So are you?' Atla responded telepathically.

And for the first time the spirit had answered.

" Home. " She said as she pointed in the direction of the blue light.

Atla did not understand very well, but she knew that energy was the nucleus or something that could save them since they would not be able to face so many of those creatures.

"Let's go to the bottom of the cave, follow the source of energy! But keep the monsters away while they run."
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[16:53:58] Ajax suddenly caught a huge whiff of disgust, as the other daemons began to horde around them. It was like a hunt only the Gehennan's were the ones being hunted.

Ajac looked towards the only structure that was still standing amass the ruins and he urged everyone to continue moving on towards it.

"Everyone hurry! We must move on! We can not stop here." Ajax made his way over to Tarlac and helped him up after he had stopped the bleeding. Ajax could still move with haste even with the added weight.

The group eventually came upon a pillar of light that was buzzing with energy. In fact it seemed to be the only thing that still stood in all the ruins. Ajax soon allowed Tarlac to carry himself as they neared the structure even more. Suddenly before Ajax could place his hand on the structure he heard Afro's voice.

"Ajax don't touch that! Remember what I have told you. Your body is designed to intake Energy just like Atla.That structure contains a mass of energy. Touch it and it may start to consume you instead. Let us examine it a bit more.

With that Ajax nodded and called for Afro's help, summoning him to his side. That way he could get a better look at it. Ajax looked back at the group while Afro did so.

"Watch out for any of these demons! If they come near. Kill them. We just need a bit of time to figure out what this thing is!"
(Ajax)
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[16:59:56] {NARRATION} Even surrounded by demons, the group managed to walk towards the temple-like building unscarred, not one of them able to come in closer. Those more sensitive to it could feel the pure energy emanating from the spot, the entrance hall being filled with blue lines that emanated strong energy, lighting up the whole place. It was like a library, with a trail of blue lights guiding them towards the inner sanctum's entrance, underground.

The inner sanctum was a blue-lit room, filled with energy-lit torches, its energetic-like flames emitting a strong magic, with books scattered around it. An enigma would be presented to the group: "Those who are blessed will survive the transfer to the inner sanctum. Those who are not, shall perish on their journey. Let the flames decide who may and who may not", the message echoing inside each one's head.


[17:05:55] With the phrase passing through the head of Tarlac, the same would just be quiet, would not touch anything .. Because you already ended up suffering in that place previously.

"I'll stand here. I do not want anything else to happen to me."

With a sigh, he just leaned into a corner as he waited to see what the rest of the group was going to say.

(Tarlac Rovar)
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[17:08:28] Let the flames decide who may and who may not.

The words echoed inside his head, redoubled, the intents being very, VERY clear.

A first step. His body moved, outside of his command. Blue lights shimmering, orbiting him, another step finally consecrated. Blessed? Who really cared about such things-- the boy seeked experiences unknown to the man.

Artefacts of pure nobility. Aristocracy claimed with every movement, never ceasing to follow the mysterious power's call, entering the obnoxious healm of pure energy. No time to waste, as always, his head tilt finally reached Tarlac, neglecting the insanity.

"That's... weak. Men are used to waiting for the obvious. But... true patriarchy seeks the unknown, the innovations of the future! The recondit treasures of Agartha! Therefore, I, Caesar Valerius, shall claim it!"

Decided. Determined. The yellow eyes burned a red luminescence, similar to the radiance coating him. The flames to decide? No. The Elsyrean thought way further.

HE would be the one to decide. Thus, engaging, awaiting for the outcome.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[17:09:20] His heart was still puzzled, serenity rather than emotions, peace instead of conflict, this should be his motto... But it was impossible not to be distressed by that situation.

He would patiently wait, that mana... That pure, good energy. It was too different for him, he had felt it before when he meditated beside Atla, it was far safer to trust his friend than anything.

He would only let his sacred aura emanate and surmount the thin layer of sand that covered his body defensively, allowing his light to bathe everyone there, perhaps trying to ... Recompense them?

He spits his sword to the ground and waits patiently, holding the weapon by the handle, while his eyes hang over the blue lines, his mind only thinks of what he had heard ...


(Raoni Vzier)
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[17:12:44] They passed a library, Atla's eyes gleamed, so much knowledge lost so long, was all he wanted, but they followed the blue lines of energy that guided them to an inner sanctuary.

Arriving there Atla noticed the walls and all over the place a great amount of energy being used in ways that he never imagined was possible, torches and flames made of energy illuminated the place, books were scattered, and then it was possible to hear a voice that at first he thought it was the spirit that followed him, but then he realized that it was different.

An enigma had been given to him, Atla knew that his journey was to continue, after seeing the energy being used in such an advanced and creative way he could not stop there.

"Let me take care of this."

He then approached the flame that should judge him, he removed his cloak, revealing the rune that covered his whole shoulder, he closed his eyes, the rune began to shine, the energy of the place, the torchesthat lit the place and the the very energy that hung in the air began to be drawn toward Atla's shoulder, the energy of the place began to be condensed and stored, taking the shape of a wing on the back of his shoulder.

For Atla the answer was simply to demonstrate an advanced manipulation of energy, after gathering the energy of the place he extended his arm and touched the flame, hoping to see if he was right or not.
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[17:16:09] Ajax looked at Afro and then at the enigma before them. He did not like the sounds that had resonated in his head, but he figured he did not have much a choice in the matter. He was not about to let this stop him from obtaining information he needed. He felt he was almost there in being able to not only wield his own energy, but the completely new energy that had formed from the mixture of Afro's and his own. Perhaps he could find an alternative method to storing the energy other than Atla's runes. Ajax decided to push through without any hesitation. Feeling the energy inside of him resonate with the library. He pushed forward incasing himself in energy. Hoping it would protect him if need be.

"Well then doesn't hurt to try. For the Atl I would do anything!"
(Ajax)
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[17:33:13] {NARRATION} Caesar is instantly attacked by the flames. The way that he walks and tries to ignore the ritual itself, he is horribly attacked by those flames. Voices echoes inside his head, as he is pushed back to the room by the flames. "Unworthy!", they say. He seems to vanish for a single second, leaking his spirit to the spirit realm, before being pushed back into the corporeal realm.
[Temporary Wound, 4 days, plus -10 vit until the end of the event]

Ajax, however, tries to do halfway through the ritual. He manages to protect himself, using his own energy shield to propel the flames away, but unfortunately he fails. The flames still attack him, but soon, his body isn't delivered back to the mortal realm.
[Temporary Wound, 4 days]

However, Atla manages to traverse completely. The flames consume his body, not burning, but simply consuming his body peacefully. Soon, he opens his eyes, being in the exact same room, but with the energy flames flowing towards the center of the room.

In the center of the room, a being that seems to not have a face stands, naked. He does not seem to have sex, he does not seem to have a face, and his body seems to reflect the one of the person looking at him. It doesn't seem to notice any of your presences.

The other two, however, are left outside, but Atla and Ajax feel that they can communicate with them.

[17:40:03] Ajax made it through into the spirit realm, but he had practically forced his entry. The flames damaging his circuits and extinguishing most of his magical energy. He could barely muster it now.

Ajax looked towars the line of energy flames. Seeing where, and on what it landed. It resembled Ajax's own body type but it had no face and it stood naked. Ajax looked down at his junk and noticed he did not have any. It frightened Ajac for a second and made him look for his own. In a sigh of relief his own junk still seemed intact.

Ajax then looked at Atla and asked him a question.

"Shall we proceed then? I am not sure I like the looks of that 'thing' though..I am not sure if it notices us. It doesn't even have a fae."
(Ajax)
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[17:40:54] {NARRATION} For Raoni, Tarlac and Caesar, who are still bound to the corporeal realm:

The rites of transference do not seem to affect you, and you witness Ajax and Atla being burned, the former apparently through painful methods, and the latter is smoothly disintegrated before being reintegrated into the spirit realm.

Their images are no longer tactile, instead being transformed into ghost-like beings of pure energy. In the middle of the room, you see a formless humanoid, bearing a striking resemblance to no one and to everyone that you ever knew. Its own existence seems to be a contradiction.
[17:40:54] {NARRATION} And yet, you seem to be capable of hearing every word that they speak, echoing from the energetic flames of these walls.

[17:46:01] With Ajax and Atla having been burned by the flame, now Tarlac had seen too many bizarre things .. I was no longer understanding what was happening.

"Huh, well .. This is getting more and more bizarre." It ended with a slight sigh.

Holding his staff with his left hand, Tarlac was careful to be around, to see if nothing stranger would happen now. More than Ajax and Atla have been burned ..
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[17:46:52] Naturally, ignoring the ritual would have consequences. One who deeply injured the mortal. The words unworthy enscribed within the boy's psyche, thrashed to the end of the room once again-- however, the worst did not reach him, yet.

Seconds inside the spiritual realm. His soul bended, true insanity reaching his eyes, astonished-- unable to comprehend whatever tales such metaphysical world tried to tell. His body weakened, the flames consuming a grand part of the Elsyrean's structure, yellow eyes trembling with the amazing, hidden rarities of the unknown realm.

UNWORTHY!

He understood. Unworthy. He was unworthy. Unworthy of pursuing such object. Therefore, the white-haired one had to delve further into desire. More volition. Try steadier. Fall for deeper paths, analyze frames of pure greeting.

However, he couldn't accept the rest. Being unworthy at the moment was acceptable, but others reaching absolute power and necessity over him? No. He was the most determined, and the flashing images of a forgotten land surely reminded him of -THAT- affirmation. Stiffening his spine, the burned Elsyrean pointed to the formless humanoid, trying to pull his attention.

"Are you the one controlling this burlesque trial, man? You are the unworthy one here! My desire and endeavor surpasses whole generations, therefore, you shouldn't underestimate Caesar Valerius, the Elsyrean now free from the church!"
(Caesar Valerius)
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[17:47:44] This feeling ... Atla had already made sense, it was the spiritual realm, but this time he had arrived there without much effort or trouble, it was different, his body had gone along with his spirit, something he had never done before, the sensation was indisputable, he only felt his body and soul as one, able to cross even the planes.

On the other side he saw Ajax, he seemed to have received some damage from the flames, Atla looked to the sides, noticing what was in the room, he then realized that the spirit that accompanied him was also there, after all he was now in the spiritual world , on the same plane as she, she was tangible to him now, her body could touch her, she was certainly beautiful, hair as black as the veil of the night, she smiled at Atla.

"Renata ... that's my name." For the first time Atla could hear her voice clearly, her eyes glittering.

Renata then pointed to the being in the middle of the room, his presence was so weak that Atla had not noticed at first.

"Be careful."

Atla's eyes then focused on that faceless being, trying to understand, but the energy of the place was certainly strong, and that being somehow seemed to be controlling the energy circulating around the room .

"Be careful Ajax, but let me approach first."

Atla then moved closer to the being who had not yet noticed their presence, the energy in the wing of Atla merged and disturbed the energy of the room more and more as it approached the center, the two energies seemed to be like water and oil, if keeping them separate even when in contact.

"Who are you?" Atla asked.
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[17:51:08] He then takes a few steps forward. On seeing his allies being disintegrated in some way, and seeing Caesar being hurled back.

His expression of concern was eminent, he withdraws his sword from the ground and takes a step forward, holding his sword at chest level, almost running against that scene.

Seeing Caesar fly away, he looks back, and extending his hand, creates a barrier of stones, trying to make them look as comfortable as possible for his landing.

As soon as his eyes fall on the ghostly figures of his allies, he swallows dry. Raoni knew what was happening.

The spiritual realm, of course, a Krausite should know about the existence of this astral plane, he observes the other strange figure, and only allows himself to engage with his aura of earth, even without even knowing if he would be able to help his allies in the combat, he would not forgive himself if any of them got hurt and he could not do anything...
(Raoni Vzier)
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[17:58:49] {NARRATION} The creature just remains there, steadfast. To those in the spirit realm, it seems to take upon the shapes of many known faces extremely quickly, and then lose these traits equally quickly. It was ever shifting, ever changing, and yet you could manage to make due that it was something.

However, as soon as Caesar finishes his taunting... The creature finally moves. Its head turns as to face the Elsyrean, and one hand is risen towards him. A membrane seems to form surrounding the man, and suddenly... It pushes through him.

It is not a swift, smooth transference like the one that Atla, or even Ajax suffered. It is brutal, like being tossed from the top of a cliff and landing on solid stone. It hits the man's skin, and seems to stretch it as the membrane passes through. And soon, Caesar is back to the spirit realm, being tossed there with force. His mana circuits are clearly stressed, emitting a burning sensation to himself as they seem to be way over their own capacity.

Soon, however, the flames start surrounding Raoni and Tarlac, a swift tornado of blue fire revolving around them. It closes in as soon as the creature casts a glance towards them, a faint voice being heard on the inside of their heads. "Let us test your worth, mortals", the voice says.

[18:07:21] {NARRATION} Tarlac is taken by the energy flames, being swiftly passed through to the spirit world. As he traverses, the flames cling to his body, protecting him from being overexposed to the energies of the spirit realm.

However, Raoni is not so lucky. The energy fights against his holy energy, dragging it and purifying it. It seems to not accept nor remain any form of exorcism to remain, effectively dampening his attunement to Holy energy.
[Raoni can't use holy magic until they leave the spirit realm]

And then, the creature just moves back to the center of the room, and thousands of voices echo on everyone's head, as they are now all inside the spirit realm. Its gaze seems to be fixated upon everyone at the same time, at every time that eyes seem to materialize, every single person feels the gaze upon himself.

The voices say: "What is it you seek here, mortals? I hear from the inside of your head. You aren't here for fun. You aren't here for exploration. Have you come seeking knowledge, or something else?"

[18:11:37] Ajax and Afro moved closer behind Atla and his spirit guide. Ajax himself stepped forward. Weapon sheathed, he wanted to make it out of this peacefully if possible. Here in the spirit realm they had less control. Especially since Ajax had been weakened by the flames.

"Indeed we do come here seeking knowledge." Ajax looked at Atla quickly for a moment, and then to Afro.

He then opened his arms wide to gesture towards the whole group.

"We have all come here seeking knowledge, are you one that can help us obtain what we seek?"
(Ajax)
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[18:14:11] The pale Paladin looks at his hands, only the thin layer of dirt had covered his body, he seemed desperate...

It was strange not to be able to feel the heat of his own light, how could he fight...? Unable to use his greatest asset, he had been abandoned.

No, he did not feel as if the breeder was left to him, but... It was a strange sensation, as if he had lost an arm or something.

Remarkably, the cure he imposed on Tarlac's shoulder would also disappear, and now...?
He entered Fomorian, but was not as confident as before. Now it was a fear, as if he were fighting alone, he was still ahead, still seeking to prevent his allies from being injured, but now he himself had not someone else to protect him.
(Raoni Vzier)
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[18:15:53] Clenching teeth fought against the presence, anger resonating from the Elsyrean as the creature intensified the pain, brutally traversing his mana circuits. To reach the apex, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to be there. Excluding the unbearing pain... it's what he wanted.

Trembling, the boy reached the epitome, laughs bursting through the spiritual realm or whatever the place he was. The focus never exchanged, an ominous sight focused on whoever and wherever the enemy was.

"FUHAHAHAHAHA!"

True insanity. One he would never reach before, under the care of the church and Atro, supposedly a saviour to the Elsyreans. But Caesar's true savior was nothing but himself, fighting against the constant chains trying to tie him down, trying to make him hide forever. And now, freedom finally reached, Agartha had to be claimed by someone.

The forceful tones basically emanated from his mouth, parting his lips with pure will.

"What do I seek? It is not exploration. It is not knowledge. It is..."

"...IT ALL!"

"And nothing will cross my path to conquer the unknown, presence! Therefore, aid me, and let us reach uncommon heights!"

Crimson lightning enhanced, once again the waltzing eletricity prepared itself for an impetus, unless a response graced his thoughts with agreement.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[18:16:44] Being consumed by the flames, Tarlac had gone to a spiritual world, as if it were not enough to have suffered in the fight before, now he was in a spiritual world. Moving to Atla and Ajax, the boy remained silent, for he was speechless.

I thought to myself.

The being who was once more like a spirit could now be clearly seen by Tarlac, who remained silent all the time. The creature asked what they were looking for, and as Tarlac always sought to strengthen himself, who knows through that being he could get stronger ..

"I'm looking for something to increase my power ..." He spoke quietly, almost muttering.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[18:17:36] The voices seemed to shake A little bit Atla, but Renata telepathically interfered so that he could hear only her voice instead of the other spirits, though they did not have a fully formed link she seemed to want to do at least a bit for Atla.

"Thank you." The Archer said.

Apparently the rest of the staff had been brought to the spirit realm too but not as well as Atla was. His posture then changes upon hearing the question of that being.

"Certainly, knowledge is everything that I look for, and especially now that your energy intrigued me, how do you handle this?"

Atla possessed a lot of energy and a lot of raw power, but his manipulation of all that energy was not to an effective point, he needed to figure it out, so he pulled the bow off his back again.

His eyes fixed completely on that being, he would at least notice how he does even if he did not say.

"Stay behind me, Renata."
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[18:27:50] {NARRATION} The creature's infinite eyes seem to focus on Atla. He seems to open a fake, makeshift mouth, barely resemblant those of yourselves. He seems to live in inconsistence, but not only that. He seems to feed on it, the inconsistence of the universe itself being his power source.

All the energy in the room is, undoubtedly, dragged to him. The magi manage to keep a considerable amount to themselves, of course, but it feels like they can only do it because it WANTS them to.

Some words exit from his fake mouth. "Raw power is to be controlled b--"

And as such, he is interrupted. A voice echoes inside your heads, awfully resemblant to your own. "Do you wish to attack me, mortals? Did you forget I can read your minds?"

A laughter echoes from the flames in the room, as the creature's mouth disintegrates into nothingness, its form returning to emptyness. His head seems to face every single one of you, and at the end...

"I do not know who you are." It admits. The energy flames on the walls flutter as he continues speaking. "I am the Keeper of Knowledge. And I know what you all want. I know if you will get it. But still... I feel myself compelled to enjoy this."

The energy surrounding him seems to intensify, until he seems to be surrounded by a purplish haze, which soon seems to be filled with images. Looking to the haze, you could see, in a purple tone, your own past. Visions of it. Whatever this was, it could bend, or at least look into the past -- And from what it said, the future.

"Let us strike a bargain." The voices echoed once again. "If you defeat me, I will let you impart with a piece of my knowledge. If you don't... I will think of it."

And as such, a simple feeling filled their head, probably manipulated by the creature itself. And the feeling itself just transmitted one thing: You were under his control. And, deep inside... Everyone heard their guts telling them: "You cannot win."

[18:56:00] {NARRATION} The creature itself obviously focuses its efforts upon knocking down Caesar. However, even if his efforts are focused upon the man, the other ones fight fiercely as he keeps on attacking the man. His energy hits are mostly interrupted by the fellow fighters, and since, he decides to change tactics.

Time distorts itself around him, and he rots their skin slowly. Until he knocked out two of the fighters that stood in his way. A massive barrage of energy was thrown towards the melee fighters, knocking down Raoni Vzier and Atla-Cuauhtli.

Atla felt the energy burning on his skin, and the mark on his shoulder exploded by simply being overloaded. The energy seemed to be drawn out of him, effectively dampening his magic... For a while, or at least, until he could recover from it.
[Temporary, 4 days]

And Raoni himself felt the same. The massive energy burst washed once again through his exorcist mana, cleansing it from the purity that was holy magic. He was not protected already, and this further damaged his mana circuits, dampening further his abilities to use holy mana.
[Temporary, 4 days]

And, quickly after the cannon, as his attention was turned elsewhere, Ajax finally landed a blow that knocked the man down. Even so, he started laughing, and rewinded himself in time, his wounds completely recovered. With a wave of his arm, all the fighters are thrown back into place

"You are worthy fighters!" The voices echoed from the flames. And as such, he materialized two books in front of him. One, it contained an intricate drawing of leylines, flowing energy from everywhere. In it, details contained how they could further control raw energy like the man itself did.

And on the other book, it contained information on the previous history of Gehenna. More specifically, he looked at Afro's ghost that followed Ajax. "I feel that he wants you to have this". And then, the book floated to Ajax's hand.

Pointing his arm to Caesar, he opened his hand suddenly. A massive portal opened there, ripping the fabric between Eternia and the Spirit Realm, back to the room where you were before. "Now go, before I change my mind."


[19:04:32] So .. With the determined struggle, Ajax and Atla received prizes, books .. But while the Tarlac? Would not you get anything?

"And I get nothing, just them?" He questioned being.

Crunching his arms, he stared at the being, to see if anyone else would ask a question or have another attitude.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[19:08:48] Ajax finally landed a crippling blow on the Keeper but unfortunately it was not enough in the end. The Keeper simply laughed it away as time itself reversed and they once again stood before the The Keeper. Except their injuries had remained. It seemed the Keeper was not forgiving enough.

Still he had told them in the end they had passed, and in his hand Afro held two books of great importance. He could feel it inside. The energies in them somehow resonated with his own.

Although he could barely tolerate his pride being toyed with. Finding out that even though he had battled his hardest against The Keeper it was all a game to the Keeper. Still in the end Ajax simply gritted his teeth and sighed. Nodding to the Keeper before helping Atla to escape the room, and return to Agartha.

He would not stick around and wait to see if any of the others would try and demand something from The Keeper. It was obvious there was not much that they could do to that being in its own Realm.

However after this battle. Ajax once again felt that his new energy had become more integrated than before. With the books' help he would soon grasp the power of his newfound energy, and his current energy all at the same time. Afro had once said that Ajax could take control of his energy as well and that is exactly what he planned.
(Ajax)
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[19:19:02] The Keeper of Knowledge certainly was very powerful, and that encouraged Atla, while Atla's eyes were focused on the manipulation of energy that being had, but that attention cost him something. Atla's lack of attention made him carry a barrage of energy, the mark on his shoulder destabilized again after receiving too much energy, the energy seemed to be less now.

His ability had been diminished but maybe that was a good sign he could train at a lower level to master and then raise the level again.

Surely they could not win, but the being was generous to them, handed them two books, which they dropped into Ajax's hands, one of the books was interesting to Atla's gaze, since it seemed to have a similar energy coming out of it.

Raoni also seemed to have been bruised but they managed to get out of there alive as soon as Atla left the spiritual realm the feeling was different again, he simply felt a calm and relaxing air as he entered and exited the spirit world, perhaps his body and mind have been adjusted perfectly so he could do it without problems.

In that process Renata disappeared and returned to Atla just for her spirit, Atla could no longer see and touch her again, but she was still there, just not someone who used to talk a lot.

Atla's mind now kept a lot of new information, he had learned a lot, and his apex of energy manipulation was near.
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[19:20:44] No.

A demonic presence clawed his back, yearning for more. It couldn't end there. The yellow eyes trembled, a hand juxtaposed to one of them, a space between the ring and middle finger crowning his eyelids. Despite the lack of wind, Caesar's hair oscillated, climbing and denouncing the inner transgression dominating.

A hand pointed to the door. Who would declare the battle ended? Certainly...

It could only be Caesar Valerius.

The being took much from him. Returning with nothing back, not even the dignity of a battle, would be... disgusting. Spiteful words escaped the vengeful's curvy lips, desire completely overpowering any past emotions or feelings. Involved in unknown lands. Not returning with anything.

The memories wouldn't be enough. Material pleasure asked, perhaps intensified by the magical circuits being forced to their apex, the tales of treasures he read while stuck inside a church.

"As I said... I WANT IT ALL."

Diverging from the common path, the occultist turned back to the unwanted creature, rubicund sparkles travelling the insane body. He had to. Harsh footsteps created fragile craters with the amount of deranged, alienated powers crossing the contents of the Elsyrean's psyche.

A guardian of knowledge? To reach true knowledge, one must go past him. Returning wouldn't suffice. The intention declared, a rifle back to the post.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[19:22:27] He waited for the others to see what they would do now. At the main Atla, who was their guide.
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[19:24:09] "Well .. I'm not in the mood to fight again .. I've had too many fights for today .. So it's .. I'm going." He spoke as he went out the portal to get out of the spiritual realm.

He waited for the others to see what they would do now. At the main Atla, who was their guide.

(sending again due to the RP being cut off)
(Tarlac Rovar)
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[19:49:45] {NARRATION} Four of the five members left the spirit realm. Upon arriving back to the temple, they saw the portal still open, and Caesar rushing in to attack the Keeper of Knowledge.

It was quick, and it was painful. The man attacked him, claiming to need to know everything... And the Keeper simply waved his hand at Caesar. His mana circuits were exposed, as they tore a path through his clothes, leaving him in nothing but rags. However, the torture continued.

The Elsyrean's mana circuits were not only exposed. They were overloaded with energy, as the Keeper's hand grasped around his head. And only then, perhaps, everyone saw his true form. A demonic entity, with black claws grasping at Caesar's head... Probably, it was due to his own influence that the other demon you saw earlier sported such properties.

And what was left was almost-empty circuits on the Elsyrean's skin, as his energy was drained to the Keeper. A demonic mouth opened as he said only one simple word: "Feeble."
[Temp, 4 days]

Afterwards, he threw the human through the portal, barely awake, and spoke once again, his inconsistent form returning, mimicking everyone's appearance. A voice echoed inside your heads. "Leave", it said.

And as such, the temple started crumbling down, the portal imploding upon itself, releasing a massive amount of energy, which took down the torches' lights. It was evident -- They had to run now.

[AN IC TIMER HAS ENSUED. ESCAPE QUICKLY, OR FACE PERMANENTS.]
[19:55:44] Ajax watched as a heavily injured Caesar flew out of the portal. They had all made it out but now the ruins were collapsing. It seemed they would not be able to come here again. It mattered not Ajax quickly made sure everyone was able to move as he put the books away in his pack. He then carried any that could not carry themselves as they made their way out of the ruins running faster than they had upon entry.

"Hurry we must leave!"
(Ajax)
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[19:58:17] With the temple collapsing, Tarlac just thought of something while Ajax screamed in the background. Run.

Shooting at the exit, Tarlac did not even look back as he saw the light at the end.

(Tarlac Rovar)
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[19:58:17] Pain. The despair ached, but Caesar never faltered. A grin of pure madness coated his countenance, grasped by the demonic entity exposing his magical circuits. The lack of mana lingered, despite the morbid lightning never disappearing-- it actually mingled into a greenish look, absorbing the blood and every last bit of essence still inside the Elsyrean.

"I'LL COME BACK FOR YOU, FUCKER!" the anger replies were thrown towards the creature, completely dissented from the portal, perhaps questioning who was the actual demon at the place.

Away from the realm, the white-haired one inherently trembled, pain raising every step, neglecting the actual ceasing of magical influence, a decision also influenced by the powerful occultic flames surrounding him.

"T-s-sk. Get away."

The place surely left him with knowledge. The knowledge to seek more.

Therefore, he left.
(Caesar Valerius)
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[20:00:00] They had come out of the spiritual realm but a person came back ... Caesar.

"Is he crazy?"

The image of the Elsyreans molded into Atla's head when he remembered, Elsyria was a neighboring country of Valmasia, perhaps their folly was shared. Atla just watched through the portal what was happening there and saw the extent of that being's power.

After Caesar was thrown out again they realized they should run, there was not much time to run away, Caesar had seriously irritated the Keeper of Knowledge.

"Damn it, come on, we have to run."

The energy coming out of the portal was intense, it was as if the very energy of the spiritual world had been stirred through the portal.
(Atla-Cuauhtli)
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[20:03:24] {NARRATION} On the outside of the inner sanctum, you realized that you were actually lucky. The energy inside was fed by the Keeper, but he wasn't still done with you. As you left, you witnessed the temple still being held up by his energy, pillars of mana slowly disintegrating as the floor under you started moving up from the explosion.

Soon, you were on the outside of the pristine structure, now an explosion of arcane energy. The raw energy released by it sent away the demons that were surrounding the place, allowing the group safe time to leave. However, soon it became clear -- The explosion itself did not only affect the temple.

Everything in that very cave was about to go down. And yet, the whole group rushed to the outside, only to see the cave being turned into an endless amount of rubble right behind their backs. They all had left with extra knowledge -- Even if it was just from entering the spirit world. Yet, it was still something.