Ring 1

[21:26] It was not the typical tear of reality. A rift would be opened, and stepping through would be a world in the center of a void. Death magic poured through, making the world more foul as he floated beyond it, landing in the worldscape and quickly leading the drakanite through.

"It's a bit o' a special order. Ain't gon b something fer ma directly. Garrick, this is Rindou. She'll need ya assistance creatin' a special ring. An' in tha' long run?"

"Ya. Should mess wit' 'em Demi angels."
(Despair)
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[21:30] Garrick would pass through the rift into the foul dimension with an idle puff of his raggedy cigarette, molten eyes trailing about the worldscape with idle wonder as the crack scaled smith hummed to himself with an idle clack of his jagged teeth. He'd heard of the place in rumors and whispers, but few things beat personal experience as far as the drake was concerned.

Crossing his spider webbed, split scaled arm over the navy cotton of his engineer's cloak, the fire drakan would nod his head to Rindou with a steady puff of his smoke.

"Cozy place, really. Gives me the end of the world sorta vibe. Big fan. Rindou, I am Garrick the Drake, and it looks like we're going to be working together. Mess with the clucking chickens huh? Gonna make'm fry, or should I bring the oil myself? No preference really, all the time in the world."
(Garrick)
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[21:37] "It is real cozy." The Agreement was voiced as the Ultovexian floated slightly forwards, narrowing eyes slightly as Rindou seemed to have fallen asleep standing. His lips formed a line, considering various deeds to bring her back to reality.

"This one will b less direct. I 'magine it'll b a slow burn if thangs continue like they are. I ain't think she'll make 'em fry right away, but it's like puttin' butter inna pan ta help heat thangs up."

The Ultovexian looked back towards Garrick. "She'll show ya a gem she'll need fitted inta a ring. An' latta on I mite need ya help on a separate project. Real recent found a real rare metal."
(Despair)
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[21:40] With Rindou distracted, the woman turns away from her.

Ahead, a rift forms and from it an unfamiliar face presents itself. "Welcome to our little abode." An island floating in a star filled abyss. Not the most comforting of places, but it had a charm to it. "I'm certain your work will assist in plucking some... chicken feathers."

She smirks. Just for a moment.

(Melody Ultovex)
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[21:45] Garrick would nod in appreciation to the references towards cooking, a personal hobby of the smith in truth. And if a bit of fried chicken required some spice, a bit of effort and commitment on the kitchen staff's part? Well, that just came with the job, didn't it. Taking a slow drag from his raggedy cigarette, the fire drakan would turn about as his glowing eyes glanced about the void that surrounded the island in the depths of the worldscape, a slow nod issuing forth from his nub horned head as he took a moment to just...embrace it all. The alien nature of the place.

It smelled far less like the shit filled air of the island's hypocrisy, the crack scaled smith could not deny.

Returning his gaze to Melody, Sors, and Rindou with an idle hum, he'd take a step forth to fleck his molten eyes briefly at the fortress before him, admiring the architecture as only an engineer could.

"Wouldn't be a dinner show without a bit of prep work. I'd be a poor smith if I was impatient, I'm content to watch them wait and suffer as long as the endgame is their ashen remains. Won't put out the fire burning inside, but there's a sense of relief in shared discomfort. Real nice like that, I am."

The fire drakan would return his attention to Lord Ultovex, nodding steadily once more.

"Gem huh? Something special about it? Guessing you're not proposing to the chicken emperor, bet he's a real priss when it comes to shinies anywho. And another project, huh? Never complained about good work."
(Garrick)
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[21:46] Rindou looked at the new arrival for a few moments. While the oppressive darkness around them felt as vile as ever the young woman kept a rather warm glow to herself - more dim than ever before but still present. Her lips parted as she spoke, nodding towards Garrick.

"I'm sure we'll have a pleasant time. As long as you're competent." She said.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[21:49] The Ultovexian takes a step back, floating next to Melody as Dusk and Aurum affixed themselves to the blacksmith and their customer.

"I hav' ta say, enjoyin' ya company mor' wit' every minute Garrick. Lot o' people real abrasive ta wha' we do, so everyone willin' ta help is real such a plus."

"Prospin' ta tha' chicken emperor, tha'd b a riot. But ya, help her out wit' her plan an' jus' a heads up, she's a lil abrasive. B ready fer tha'." He waved, then smirked just like Melody.
(Despair)
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[21:56] "Competent? Yeah, sure. I'm a fire drakan with flames leaking out of me like a rusty spigot. If I couldn't shape a bit of metal with gravitic pressure, the heat of lava, and some bootshine? Well, I'd be a mean fuckin' lamp."

The fire drakan would grant Lord Ultovex a two clawed salute as he nodded to Rindou, cracking his back briefly before crossing his crack laden, bulky smith arms over the scaled plate and cotton of his adornments, molten eyes falling once more upon his work partner to be with a steady hum as he chewed lightly at the end of his raggedy cigarette.

A small ring of smoke would emit from the drake's jagged teeth as he gauged the woman, before at last he seemed content.

"Dealt with abrasive, nothing new. How's she factor into this anywho? Got some fancy talent I'm unaware of, or she just gonna yell at me until I get the job done? Not that I'd complain, white noise is a helluva thing."
(Garrick)
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[22:00] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "..?"
[22:00] Garrick says, "Hey, honest inquiry."
[22:00] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "Are you asking how I factor into a ring for me using my resources..?"
[22:01] Garrick asks, "Uh, yeah. Did I studder somewhere?"
[22:02] Garrick says, "If the answer is "just using my resources", that's an answer."
[22:02] Rindou Sakamoto says, "No. I'm just surprised at the unusually useless question."
[22:02] Despair says, "It's her ring an' she knows tha' specifics it'll need."
[22:02] Garrick says, "That simple, thank you Lord Ultovex."
[22:04] Garrick asks, "See, all friends here. Now what's the particulars of this ring?"
[22:05] Rindou Sakamoto says, "From a blacksmithing point? Nothing special."
[22:05] Rindou Sakamoto says, "It's just a crystal attached to metal."
[22:06] Garrick says, "Makes sense. So the crystal's properties are the important component, you just need a ring to serve as a conduit for it. "
[22:07] Garrick asks, "Question of the hour then. What are this crystal's properties?"
[22:18] Rindou thought about for a few more moments. Was this guy really as trustworthy as Sors claimed? She wasn't sure just yet, thus, she left things rather vague for now.

Hopefully he wouldn't ask more until the process had begun.

"It was taken from a Nethradin."
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:21] Melody Ultovex whispers something.
[22:24] Garrick would tilt his head with a squint as Rindou answered his question with immense amounts of detail. The fire drakan was clearly overwhelmed by the amount of information he received, at least if the impassive expression upon his face and idle picking of his teeth with his claws was any giveaway. With a light shrug and a yawn as the crack scaled smith glanced between the woman, Sors, and Melody, he'd take take yet another pensive drag from his cigarette with a nod.

"Incredibly informative. Gives me an excellent idea of what I'm going to be working with. Very generous of you. Gotcha, dark spirits, that's a start I guess. Guessing it ain't from our side of the park then, neat Helheim trinket. I'll factor the presence of such energies into the design then."
(Garrick)
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[22:27] Rindou Sakamoto says, "It's more than that."
[22:34] Rindou Sakamoto says, "I can show you, if you wish."
[22:34] Rindou Sakamoto says, "Although I'm not sure if we should tamper with the crystal before attaching it."
[22:35] Garrick says, "Yeah, don't wanna destablize anything. Magical objects have a real bad habit of being finnicky."
[22:35] Garrick says, "Or explosive."
[22:35] Garrick says, "Sometimes both."
[22:36] Garrick says, "Could hold it up for me real delicately, I reckon. See what I can gauge with just my eyes."
[22:38] Rindou gave the proposition a thought, looking far beyond Garrick's form and into the dark abyss. If she had the talents he possessed she would not require help from someone like him. It was despicable at best. Her lips parted for a moment, yet no words came out. She nodded.

Her hand reached into her pocket, pulling out a pitch-black crystal. It was as if whatever she held it in front of had completely vanished, giving a direct look into the endless abyss laid around them. An empty void, one that did not allow light to come through.

Terrifying artifact.
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:38] {Item} You drop Pitch-Black Crystal.
[22:40] Despair whispers something.
[22:50] Garrick would glance into the abyss itself, it seemed. The fire drakan's molten eyes hung upon the darkest of gems with intense curiosity as he felt the occultic cracks that spread up his scaled form ache lightly at the mere presence of the crystal. The fire drakan, usually a bundle of sass and wit, seemed genuinely silenced by his examination of the abyssal manifestation, gazing into what appeared like the true blackness of night itself as he puffed away steadily at his raggedy cigarette.

The drake would stare at it for a long while without a word, clacking his jagged teeth together with an idle hum as he seemed to tilt his head a few different directions to gauge if there was even any dimensions to the arguable hole in the otherwise lit confines of the worldscape. There was dark, and then there was that which was completely absent of light.

After a time, and about half the length of the crack scaled smith's cigarette, Garrick would finally begin to nod as the gears turned within his head.

"Well, well, well. That is something. Like shutting your eyes while they're still open glancing at this thing. Huh. I'm guessing we need to reempower it, siphon some dark energy or...honestly seems like any energy would do. From what I reckon, this kinda thing could take all the light out of someone. Even a white winged chicken. I love it."
(Garrick)
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[22:56] "That is the idea." She said, pulling the crystal closer to herself once more as she spoke.

"To take all the light out of me. I intend on... trapping what remains of Jiuweihu's blessing into that crystal and alter the darkness within to have it expel that light outwards. To create harmony between light and dark and provide a glow in the darkest of times."

Unsustained harmony. It was bound to fail at some point, wasn't it? With the pitch-black emptiness activated again who knows how it would react when all the light was gone?

"I believe it would be best to work on that first and foremost. I have arcanium for the ring itself; forging it and attaching the crystal should be easy enough once everything else is done."

Her amber gaze shifted to Sors.

"Have you thought of a way to have this light trapped within?"
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[22:56] {Item} You picked up Pitch-Black Crystal. Dropped by Rindou Sakamoto. .
[22:59] The Ultovexian seemed not to be paying as much attention, letting the blacksmith and the to be ring's owner discuss the details among themselves. Dusk and Aurum simply stared out into the void before hearing a question voiced at him instead of anyone else.

"Ya could manifest tha' whole rest o' the light. Then ya could encase it in tha' crystal. Make a lil hole innit, put tha' light inside, tha' sort o' thang. Bes' I can tell, tha' crystal absorbs any light tha' meets it. But if tha' light was comin' from tha' inside, I'd believe it'd expel it."

"Wouldn't b real keepin' tha' light trapped within' but amplifin' it. If it shines light outwards while absorbin' external light, should make ya look brighter in comparision ta all else. But tha' would only last as long as tha' light did."
(Despair)
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[23:03] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "How do you believe I'll be able to make a hole in it?"
[23:03] Despair says, "A real hard tool."
[23:04] Melody Ultovex says, "A physical hole would just allow all of the energy to dissipate through it."
[23:04] Melody Ultovex asks, "I would suggest Adonis, perhaps?"
[23:04] Melody Ultovex says, "If he can form a microscopic portal into it then the light could be released that way."
[23:04] Melody Ultovex says, "... Through runes, of course."
[23:07] Despair says, "Tha' is an option. O' ya could make tha' hole face inward. If it's pressed inta tha' ring less chance o' spillage."
[23:07] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "Sors can tear things apart to make shortcuts. Wouldn't it be the same?"
[23:07] Melody Ultovex says, "No, it would not."
[23:07] Melody Ultovex says, "Rifts produce foul energy, no matter the size."
[23:08] Melody Ultovex says, "Wayfinding does not have this side effect."
[23:08] Despair says, "Rift wouldn't work if I ain't able ta see tha' destination. Unless ya want ma ta rift tha' crystal in half. But the crystal ain't the lifestream. it won't heal itself."
[23:09] Despair says, "Wayfindin' wouldn't work either. Wayfindin' does not cut thangs."
[23:09] Rindou Sakamoto says, "... I'd rather not add more people to this, either."
[23:09] Rindou Sakamoto says, "The less know, the better."
[23:09] Melody Ultovex says, "I suggest using a portal to access the light stored within it, ensuring no leakage whatsoever. "
[23:09] Melody Ultovex says, "But do as you will..."
[23:10] Despair says, "I do 'gree wit' the idea. But ta rift o' wayfind, ya'd need ta see the destination. Tha' inside o' the crystal ain't visible cause o' the darkness."
[23:11] Melody Ultovex asks, "An inch in a certain direction guided by runic engravings proves too much?"
[23:14] Garrick would tap his claws steadily upon his lips as he listened in idly upon the conversation between the trio, humming to himself as he nodded lightly along to the chatter. A hole that released light, a harmonious balance of dark and light? If that thing was going to absorb it, there would have to come a time when there was no light left to absorb. The thing already consumed all the light surrounding its very existence, the concept of a balancing act seemed shaky.

"Create a glow, huh? Wouldn't that be more like an...illusion of light at best? Shiny, sure, but you got something that dark around your finger, no way it's gonna be real light for long. Wouldn't the ring be better off for stripping light from folks?"
(Garrick)
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[23:19] Rindou shook her head towards Garrick.

"It would not feel or look the same as Jiuweihu's blessing. I will grant it what I possess and use the time as best I can while it lasts."

Her eyes then shifted to Sors once more.

"Prying it open physically seems to be the best way, as long as we can seal it back once that glow is in. I believe I have an idea for such; magma will provide enough heat to let rocks meld into place and hold the light. A small patch that would then be further reinforced by the ring itself, if you would.

I honestly thought you'd be able to bind that energy to your will, but it seems not. Nethradin did obey you back then, after all."
(Rindou Sakamoto)
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[23:25] The Ultovexian would nod to Garrick.

"It is an illusion o' light. Made ta look like a certain kind. Ideally tha' darkness tha' gem exudes can b used in tha' illusion, exertin' tha' darkness further away from her ta make her glow appear even mor' powerful. Refraction o' something." His lips then formed a line.

"Ain't a good 'dea ta hav' mor' people know then necessary, ya. An option ta get a scribe is there but makes it mor' risky o' bein' found out." A clawed finger tapped on his arm then he nodded. The clawed hand extended.

It takes seconds for the facsimile to form. A small crystal that almost looked the same of Rindou's would appear in the center of his hand, curtesy of the worldscape. A rift opened halfway between the object, bisecting it which would cause for some of the darkness inside to escape.

"If ya make tha' hole small should b minimal leakage an' easier sealin'. But rift ain't tha' bes' fer small. Tha's why a tool is preferred. But ya, magma should b able ta seal it up. As fer bindin' energy ta ma will? Rifts, ya. But controlin' a sentient bein' an' something without a will is different."
(Despair)
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[23:26] Rindou Sakamoto asks, ".. So forcing it to cave in a bit, then channeling my light within and ending it all with some magic to keep it in's the best solution, isn't it?"
[23:27] Despair says, "Sounds rite."
[23:31] Rindou Sakamoto says, ".. I should get to work, then."
[23:31] Rindou Sakamoto asks, "Anything else any of you can think of?"
[23:33] Garrick says, "Magma I can handle easy enough. Stabilizing the hole seems like a half decent plan once it's all inside. Sorta like....a drainage ditch for holy energy."
[23:33] Garrick says, "Makes sense to me."
[23:35] Rindou Sakamoto says, ".. Alright."
[23:36] Rindou Sakamoto says, "Then.."
[23:36] Garrick says, "Hell, energy's malleable....probably only need a real tiny point to release it. Might be could make a mechanism that contracts a bit of the crystal with a bit of applied force, like a spray bottle."