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3/12 Rift Sealing

Baizon
May 2nd, 2019
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  1. [19:08] {NARRATION} The trek to the peak of the mountain had never been an easy occurance, even on the tamest of days. Biting chill, thin air, and rocky footholds that didn't serve so much as walkways as barely trodden grazing paths for herds of beasts.
  2.  
  3. And that was before Malentine had torn open the abyss to bring forth his horde of Nethradin. Always had the incursions been to the outskirts, never deeper. The storm above blocked out any hint of the sun, leaving it almost as dark as the pits of the earth. Acidic tar poured from the sky in great, heaving gouts, like tears of an angered god, melting away the landscape into smooth stone and bogged down swamp.
  4.  
  5. The air stunk, what little there was. It was an environment that could kill, and the occasional half-dissolved bone felt underfoot was clear indication that it had. Thankfully though?
  6.  
  7. Earlier efforts made at least one part of the journey more tenable. Few Nethradin creatures were seen, and the ones that were limped and shuffled as if wounded. The previous ritual had been a success, though the cost was clear to any who looked upon Ohtli.
  8.  
  9. A lazy tendril of blackened lightning sparked across inky clouds, an otherworldly scream following instead of lightning. For a moment, vision went dark, as if it were the very inverse of lightning, shrouding instead of illuminating.
  10.  
  11. All obstacles to be overcome as Malentine's horror came into view.
  12. [19:17] "There are still a few around." Angelo spoke, the mask covering his face; It seemed like the crusader took to himself on staying ahead of the group, hammer flailing at his side. Certainly, it meant little to him what was or not a horribly, inconceivable being in his vision.
  13.  
  14. They all took the shame shape to him. They were obstacles, no matter how big, no matter how strong. They were stones in the way, and he was the one to try to move them, through brute force or wit. Still, he could feel the presence of that ominous portal still looming.
  15.  
  16. Their closing wasn't entirely effective, after all. They had stopped new ones from coming forth; And the sacrifice killed most of the remaining ones. Still, mythril greaves trailed over the black tar. "Since we don't have much left, I don't see much of a choice besides going all the way there. I know I can fly over most."
  17.  
  18. "Any other ideas?"
  19. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  20. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  21.  
  22. [19:19] It is a relatively easier one for the serpent.
  23.  
  24. While he doesn't take point- Those who have tread this path before being more than welcome to lead, he is by far proactive in keeping any Nethradin at a distance.
  25.  
  26. The pressure of Eiphraem's telepathy is directed outwards- Those few stragglers, wounded as they might be, would feel the tinnitic command to run hissed into the forefront of their brains. Avoiding exertion was something the demon prioritized at this point, far over going for any kills.
  27.  
  28. The gilted, aqua-leather bound tome hangs heavy, strapped to his waist and still delicately locked by that diamond front-plate. He had the time to examine, review, and get a grasp from collaborated with Tezoxochel and his own rudimentary grasp of runework.
  29.  
  30. He'd still more than require it as a reference.
  31.  
  32. His blade IS drawn, and in his hand- The pall of darkness that overtakes him keeping that psionic buzz flowing outwards, the silvery tail on edge. While it was doubtful the qilin would precisely be close to him, Eiphraem does try to keep himself close to at least one of the group at all times, and on the flank of his companions to be at the ready.
  33.  
  34. His earfins flick and waver at the smallest sound of crumbling rock, the distant belch of ash from the earth. His scales coat themselves naturally in pure water- Neither bog nor stone deter him.
  35.  
  36. "..." That 'silence' is actually a light whistling noise, his head turning towards Angelo! "... If we have individuals whom cannot fly, I am certain one or more of us can carry them," His voice slides out, that eerie baritone and countertenor tight, in spite of his attempts to seem collected. "It should be no issue."
  37. (Eiphraem Kang)
  38. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  39.  
  40. [19:20] She'd expected the cold. And partially expected the acid rain. After a particularly vexing conversation with the Naga himself, she'd come -prepared-. Ohtli marches along with the others with her spiritualists satchel, crammed full of all manner of things that she might need.
  41.  
  42. No umbrella was going to stand up to that ichor though. She shields herself and any adjacent allies as best as she can with her wings, diverting other droplets with pushes of force or gusts of wind.
  43.  
  44. Sacrificial knife? Check. Herbs? Check. Artifacts and armaments for cleansing physical and spiritual threats? Check and check. The Drakan's even loaded for bear with armor under her heavy coat.
  45.  
  46. "We can take the brute force route and go straight through. There's no telling if there's any of them left that can fly. I can carry at least one person. If they're not too heavy."
  47. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  48. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  49.  
  50. [19:20] Shen flipped up his hood, pulling up his mask over his face as he braved the walk up the mountains once more. Easier than before, but still difficult and life-threatening. The weather made it abundantly clear that they should get done with the task as soon as possible. That combined with the rot, this place was uninhabitable.
  51.  
  52. But, he had done it before. In a much more harsh circumstance, no less. Standing alongside his previous squad with the addition of one more demon, Shen trekked up the mountain. Eyes trained on the distant horrors as they came into view, a shiver was sent down his spine.
  53.  
  54. After his training with Ohtli and his meditation on his own time, Shen was a lot more sensitive to these things. In that regard, it actually made this trip harder than the last. Sick to his stomach as they drew closer to the storm, the man conjured a shield of energy to defend himself from the raining tar.
  55.  
  56. ".. I can't fly." he commented, peering over to Eagleheart and then Ohtli for potential assistance and not sparing Eiphraem even a glance.
  57. (Shen)
  58. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  59.  
  60. [19:20] An year or two since his last visit.
  61.  
  62. Mythril boots sink into frosted grounds underneath, and the azure cloak merely flutters about in Agarthan blizzard all the while. No words escape, really, and just as quietly would the Shogun continue onwards. Cold never particularly bothered him, though it was always a bother to traverse along those rocky mountains. And the further they'd move, the harder it becomes.
  63.  
  64. A stormy blanket of grey embraces the space overhead, and he couldn't help but let those faint, vapory sighs outwards once the droplets of blackened tar meet them yet once again. Though, steps remain small, albeit, quick, and he'd merely utilize softest forces of Arcane to keep the rain at bay-- to prevent it from directly pouring along all over his form, at the very least.
  65.  
  66. The abrupt streak of darkness cracking against skies did come as a bit of surprise, however, bringing forth a quick blink, before the Heifang comes to a halt all the while. Pale hues drift outwards, and eyes narrow just a tad-- if only to see through the dimout.
  67.  
  68. "That..."
  69.  
  70. Following the ear-piercing scream, which was anything but similar to thunderous boom, he'd finally murmur our, glancing upwards in the moment.
  71.  
  72. "...was new. Greetings from the other side, I suppose."
  73.  
  74. Once Angelo's words grace along his senses, he'd shift to gaze in the Sanguinis' direction-- Zeriel didn't know how the Spatial magic worked in practice, after all. Just how far away they needed to be-- just what they needed to do. Slowly, that gaze does drift over towards Eiphraem.
  75.  
  76. "Got no wings on myself... if knew it'd be required, probably would've brought a potion or two along. Makes... things easier-- but Arcane telekinesis, alongside wind magic would help in carrying, I guess."
  77. (Zeriel Heifang)
  78. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  79.  
  80. [19:23] The serpent's head turns, orienting towards Zeriel at that comment. He emits a soft, thrumming noise.
  81.  
  82. "... New." His earfins fold back. "Possible victims? Captives? Magical activity? How far out do you believe we are?"
  83. (Eiphraem Kang)
  84. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  85.  
  86. [19:23] Eiphraem Kang says, "... They could be self-cannibalizing."
  87. [19:23] {NARRATION} As perhaps a product of the inversed lightning, or the latent magic in the air, with every scream and burst of intense blackness...
  88.  
  89. Angelo could see. Something. It wasn't clear what he was seeing, or if it was was the others were...
  90.  
  91. But with every boom, something was showing itself to the blind man.
  92. [19:25] Zeriel Heifang says, "Victims, probably? It's literally hell, after all-- or simply one of the larger Nethradin screeching about. That's considering it came from the other side of the weakened portal."
  93. [19:25] Morrana DM whispers something.
  94. [19:25] Morrana DM whispers something.
  95. [19:25] Zeriel Heifang says, "Rift in itself isn't that... further. If we have to fly our way there, I... would stick with Angelo, I guess. He can carry me about."
  96. [19:26] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "...There's a chance it could be a victim. "
  97. [19:26] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "Even this far up."
  98. [19:26] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "And not just on the other side either."
  99. [19:27] Eiphraem Kang says, "I am ambivalent as to-"
  100. [19:27] Eiphraem Kang says, "Hfff."
  101. [19:27] Eiphraem pauses, during a gout of blackness. His tail lashes, slightly.
  102. (Eiphraem Kang)
  103. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  104.  
  105. [19:28] Eiphraem Kang asks, "... Apologies. Difficult to keep track of thought. The danger we may encounter, but I presume if they are committing atrocities on the other side to widen it, I would not encounter resistance to putting an end to it?"
  106. [19:29] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "No. You'd only have help."
  107. [19:29] Angelo suddenly came to a halt at one of the bursts of black energy. The hammer was held with its shaft nearly accompanying his arm, and quickly, the right arm rose to the side, the hammer's head risen above the ground. "You saw that, didn't you?"
  108.  
  109. He speaks, rather slowly when compared to how he usually did it. Obviously, his mind rushed to find a solution on how to describe that; Being a blind person obviously had its disadvantages, some more obvious, some... Less. One of the less obvious ones was the fact he didn't know how anything looked like.
  110.  
  111. He had brief ideas, but to feel and picture inside his head is something entirely different to actually doing so. He stopped, moving his head from side to side, the soothing chime expanding along with pushing the acidic rain away. Obviously, he wasn't holding himself back in his telekinetic powers as of now. "I think we're being watched."
  112. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  113. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  114.  
  115. [19:31] The Drakan turns slowly, then does a double take to spin her head around towards Angelo.
  116.  
  117. "You...saw something?" is her first and most obvious question. Then she's quick to draw her sword.
  118.  
  119. "Something watching us? From where?"
  120.  
  121. Ohtli casts out for what her senses might detect, but with so much corruption and decay around...there's no telling what she may or may not find in this place. Even the lightning wasn't behaving properly.
  122. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  123. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  124.  
  125. [19:32] ".. Saw that?" he queried, looking towards Angelo with a puzzled expression. He was under the impression that Angelo was blind this entire time, so how was he suddenly seeing things now? Shen hadn't known the man to be a liar, so it must have been something to do with the latent magic in the area.
  126.  
  127. "What did you see?" he asked, placing his faith in Angelo's vision despite his initial skepticism.
  128. (Shen)
  129. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  130.  
  131. [19:32] "Probably... trying to escape over to our side-- widen the gap, break through. The rift's rather weak--"
  132.  
  133. Words are cut short, and an eyebrow soon quirks upwards at Angelo's words to follow. Though the Heifang would silently nod, he'd allow his eyes to settle close in the moment-- no words of his own escape, and the presence of Arcane merely aims to expand along-- expand, yet it remains faint all the same. He didn't want to alert any beast, or so, after all.
  134.  
  135. He didn't question anything just yet, but... simply tried to sense-- to see if he could figure what the Sanguinis was talking about.
  136.  
  137. Mimic his mentor, if anything.
  138. (Zeriel Heifang)
  139. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  140.  
  141. [19:33] All it takes is Angelo asking if he saw something to bring the demon's head back about in almost an unnatural twist, the skin at the serpent's neck having an inhuman yield.
  142.  
  143. He halts as soon as Angelo calls for it, his lower body curling and giving him the positioning to spring. Earfins perk right back up.
  144.  
  145. The arcanium edged blade is reoriented and adjusted in his good hand.
  146.  
  147. "Direction."
  148.  
  149. It's a curt word.
  150. (Eiphraem Kang)
  151. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  152.  
  153. [19:33] Morrana DM whispers something.
  154. [19:33] Morrana DM whispers something.
  155. [19:33] Morrana DM whispers something.
  156. [19:43] His hand grips tighter around the hammer. He still seems to eagerly search the surrounding location for something, moving the snow and tar away from their position, clearing the ground. Any Nethradin standing in the way would likely be thrown along with the scouting strikes, leaving only the group's position not affected.
  157.  
  158. Yet, he continues entirely still. Another thunder, and he starts moving again. "There's something lying in wait. It hides. It's..." Perhaps that was the moment Angelo realized something. As fiercely as his arcane spread around, it simply shut down completely.
  159.  
  160. Hoping to end his connection, or at least weaken the whispers. His breathing was audible soon afterwards, now not covered by the soothing chime; Deep breaths, taken in a somewhat rushed manner. Soon enough, however, he lowers the hammer.
  161.  
  162. "The rift is a closed door. We need to continue." He speaks, slowly rising the hammer with the tip pointed up; A ray of cosmic magic shimmering through the dark clouds into it, empowering his essence, spreading yellow cosmic energy through his mana circuitry. And soon enough, that same booming energy rushed to concentrate against his back, erupting, spreading wings that seemed to mimic that of the angel, yet made of pure cosmic mana.
  163.  
  164. "I can't fly without my attunement to the arcane properly. We'll have to push ourselves through." He spoke, another step taken forward, a soft thrum of the ground emitting from his feet. "And I feel like there's some... Thing, waiting for us."
  165. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  166. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  167.  
  168. [19:49] Angelo's sudden intensity is troubling. Not enough to strike fear into her heart, but certainly enough to bring concern. Especially when that familiar presence around him simply ceases to be. -That- concerns her the most.
  169.  
  170. "You can't tell where it is?...Do you think it's waiting on the other side?"
  171.  
  172. While her attunement to Order isn't quite so great as some of the others present, she casts about herself with her senses. Just for good measure.
  173.  
  174. "I can fly well enough. The rain might be some trouble...it's not right. But if we have to go through, then we go through. There's no helping that. So long as we're not ambushed."
  175.  
  176. If it survived the ritual on the mountain before, then it must be a breed of its own that lies in wait for them somewhere beyond.
  177. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  178. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  179.  
  180. [19:50] Eiphraem's coils raise as the ground around them ripples, moving and flowing over the motion of the earth like the water elemental he was.
  181.  
  182. When the arcane aura surrounding the aged earth magi shuts down completely, Eiphraem seems half apt to dive forwards, rolling on his coils with effortless agility. The inability to see amidst the theoretical flashes of clarity given to Angelo has Eiphraem a bit rattled.
  183.  
  184. He's careful to move his body entirely to Angelo's side, away from his back- As much as he was apt to cover it, excessive contact with Perseus' similar expression of connection to the moon had somewhat thoroughly conditioned him to be out of the way of that.
  185.  
  186. "If something is waiting, I see no reason not to welcome it's challenge- So long as we are prepared." His tongue clucks, the silvery, if non-forked, organ rolling. He puffs gently, and a bit of mucous drools from his gills.
  187.  
  188. He's been keeping them tightly shut due to the smell. Playing with his vision in addition to shutting down his most acute sense seems to be what has him more than a little rattled in between.
  189.  
  190. Not that Eiphraem was helpless. Scouting WAS his primary training.
  191.  
  192. "I can shield us from the rain, as long as I have clear concentration." He says, confidently. "Angelo, correct me if I am wrong- You cannot fly without your attunement, due to the necessity of keeping perception? Or merely- Power to draw upon?"
  193.  
  194. "Important clarification. I can remedy one."
  195. (Eiphraem Kang)
  196. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  197.  
  198. [19:51] "Eagleheart-.." he called out whenever his arcane shut down abruptly, concern spreading on his features. Perhaps due to the enhanced empathy that was offered to his face, he was more worried about the old man's condition first than any of the horrors that surrounded them.
  199.  
  200. His next words were enough for Shen to steel his resolve however, given a simple task. That they needed to push themselves through, plain and simple. Ohtli said it well: if they have to go through, then they go through. He swallowed his apprehension and nodded his head, setting his gaze ahead.
  201.  
  202. "I'm ready when all of you are."
  203. (Shen)
  204. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  205.  
  206. [19:51] Eyes re-open yet once again, and he'd quietly frown about. Eagleheart's words are heard, quietly so, and it only made those eyebrow knit further.
  207.  
  208. "Without your attunement...?"
  209.  
  210. Mumbled outwards, as per usual, he'd take slow, small steps over to the blonde's side, glancing towards him, eyebrows slightly raised all the while.
  211.  
  212. "The... thing's messing it up, I--"
  213.  
  214. Another, slower pause, and the narrowed gaze drifts back over to what was in front of them. He'd merely tilt his head over to the side before speaking up yet once again.
  215.  
  216. "Vague. But if you can't fly... that only leaves Ohtli-- surely, it'd be bothersome for her given just how many of us are here. Can move... quickly-- while keeping our auras diminished. Not make much noise."
  217.  
  218. Another, slower pause.
  219.  
  220. "If it's about perception, I'm sure either Shen or myself can guide you through, though."
  221. (Zeriel Heifang)
  222. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  223.  
  224. [19:51] Angelo Sanguinis says, "... Power. Most of my power comes from it."
  225. [19:51] Zeriel Heifang says, "Mmh."
  226. [19:51] Angelo Sanguinis says, "I shut it down because of myself. It's better this way."
  227. [19:51] Angelo Sanguinis says, "It's whispering."
  228. [19:51] Eiphraem Kang says, "Mm. If I carried two... My arms would be dangerously full."
  229. [19:52] Eiphraem Kang says, "And I am certain Ohtli would require both for one."
  230. [19:52] Angelo Sanguinis says, "I can-- I can still fly."
  231. [19:52] Angelo Sanguinis says, "I can take it."
  232. [19:52] Eiphraem Kang says, "... No. We should err on the side of caution."
  233. [19:53] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "I'm with Eiphraem."
  234. [19:53] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "We're not here to be reckless if we can help it. There's a job to do."
  235. [19:56] Angelo finishes off, and takes another even deeper, longer breath. The aura slowly starts to shine through him, yet the attention quickly enough brings it to a halt-- And it stops fiercely, the soothing chime slowly dissipating as it vanished into the horizon.
  236.  
  237. "We still have to move forward, to the rift. It can't be helped." His mind rushed to find an answer. Perhaps it was the latent chaotic corruption that dwelled within his very body; A sore wound that never truly healed, no matter how intensive the treatment with arcanium had been.
  238.  
  239. After all, it wasn't something he got corrupted with only once. Perhaps it was his biggest, nearly life-bonding connection to the Arcane which made him the receptive. Or perhaps, it was simply the fact that he couldn't see. He made another question, before beginning to move forwards still. He couldn't stand there, quietly.
  240.  
  241. "You're not hearing anything, are you? Or-- Getting visions." He asked the remainder of the group.
  242. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  243. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  244.  
  245. [19:58] "No...no we're not. We can't see anything. Or hear anything," she confesses, growing more and more concerned with her comrade's behavior.
  246.  
  247. It's not possible that something up here was driving him mad...was it?
  248.  
  249. "Can't see or hear. But whatever we do, I think we should keep moving. Eiphraem can keep the rain off of us. What you see...is it looking for Order magic? Is that what you're saying?"
  250.  
  251. Was it by choice or by nature of something that his aura was wavering?
  252. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  253. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  254.  
  255. [19:59] A hand THUMPS down onto Angelo's shoulder, the scarred, slower left hand resting to try to stop him from launching him into the air.
  256.  
  257. "Whatever it is, is targeting you. I am not hearing it- It is assuredly not physical, you are correct. However."
  258.  
  259. "Do NOT push yourself to fly." He squeezes with one of those oversized, bone-crushing grips- A bit gentler than that, but enough to be felt through pauldrons.
  260.  
  261. "It is a pragmatic equation of how helpless we are if we take that route. If you cannot fly and fight simultaneously, I would go as far as to say we would be more disadvantaged than if we waltzed into an ambush." His head leans in- "Please- Be at ease."
  262.  
  263. He points forwards-
  264.  
  265. "We can take it slower. If they know we are here, we should take a different route. We can play to your strengths." His hand raises, as he eases back. "... Can you shape the earth, slowly, instead, to make the way up able tobe properly crossed? We can take our time."
  266. (Eiphraem Kang)
  267. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  268.  
  269. [20:00] A single hand drifts through the air-- and it expands yet once again. The presence of Arcane shrouding about, moving along the surroundings all the while-- stronger than before-so. The Divine staff strapped to his back shimmers along the forces of lifestream, merely responding to it.
  270.  
  271. "Tried the last time-- not a thing. No sounds. No visions..."
  272.  
  273. As soon as words drift off, he'd allow his eyes to settle close in the moment, leaning over to the side. Regardless, the frown remains. Yet another attempt-- likely to end in vain, but...
  274.  
  275. "...regardless, if it's targeting you, it'll try to meddle with you during the flight. We'll move on foot-- the former is far too risky, yeah."
  276. (Zeriel Heifang)
  277. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  278.  
  279. [20:00] ".. I have to agree. We're not in any position to be taking chances right now. Walking straight through shouldn't be as difficult with the work that we did last time. And.. we have more muscle this time, too." he commented, sparing the shortest of glances towards Eiphraem.
  280.  
  281. "This isn't like you, Eagleheart. Let's take a step back and think about this." he advised alongside the rest of the squad. Hopefully that would stop him from doing anything that would risk them the mission, if he was held back.
  282. (Shen)
  283. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  284.  
  285. [20:02] Eiphraem splits his lips in what might be a smile, as his upper lips curl- A glance spared back over his shoulder towards Shen in turn. "Quite."
  286. (Eiphraem Kang)
  287. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  288.  
  289. [20:02] Morrana DM whispers something.
  290. [20:07] "No time to waste." He speaks, even if slower, still in the same tranquil voice of always. If anything had affected him, it didn't appear properly- Obviously, the mask did the best of its job concealing his expression.
  291.  
  292. The earth thrummed under his feet, shaking ever so slowly, trying to feel any sort of movement. "These probably won't affect me this much. I can talk and battle at the same time." Although, obviously, the sudden flashes of visions in his mind didn't help a lot.
  293.  
  294. "We just have to go forth. We're too close to give up now." At this point, Angelo still continued to move in front of the whole group, although at a slower pace. Where he once trailed ahead of everyone, he now remained closer to the others.
  295.  
  296. "Keep your wits sharp. If it stops targeting me after I cut my connection... It will mean they're disturbing the arcane around here."
  297.  
  298. "Chaos." He spoke, letting out a deep exhale afterwards.
  299. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  300. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  301.  
  302. [20:10] Not saying much, he'd take small, albeit faster steps all the while. A soft shine of icy hue embraces along the Heifang's sight, visual casting bringing forth a bit of shift in the snow before them-- clearing the path, making it easier to trudge along-- at a quicker pace.
  303.  
  304. The presence of Arcane remains wide, expanding-- yet faint all the same, to not cause much a noise, but sniff out in chaotic energy, or nearby Nethradin.
  305.  
  306. "On foot it is, then..."
  307.  
  308. Mumbled outwards as those vapory breaths escape him, he's just move along, further towards the rift.
  309. (Zeriel Heifang)
  310. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  311.  
  312. [20:28] You learned the spell Shardshot.
  313. [20:28] You learned the spell Formation of Crystals.
  314. [20:31] {NARRATION} Like a bog, it was a pain to traverse through. For the serpent of the group, they'd find the trail sticky and viscous, stinging the scales, trying to clog pores and gunk up anything it could. It was likely that anything non-magical any of you were wearing would be forever ruined by the end of this, and even magical arms and armor would need serious maintenance.
  315.  
  316. The things Angelo saw became stronger. Like a virus, a plague, it leapt from person to person, to anyone with a connection to the arcane after it was severed from him. The constant message. A churning, roiling thing lacking voice, only the emotion of malice.
  317.  
  318. "Let me in."
  319.  
  320. The ruins of Baukdengrad were true ruins now. Slags of stone foundations, the wood turned to pulp by the acids, leaving only a true vestige of wreckage as a monument to a city of the continents worst creatures. Of man gone wrong.
  321.  
  322. The hole in the sky was the only breakage in inky black clouds, a jagged thing of terrible potential. Reddish, sealed, it looked like a scar in the very fabric of reality, as if air were like skin, somehow always visible at the same angle.
  323.  
  324. The screams were overpowering with every black crackle of lightning.
  325. [20:37] Even with her bag-o-spiritual-tricks, Ohtli makes good time in the wake of the others. Good time considering the mire they have to slog through on the way up the mountain. True to Angelo's warning she remains alert, attentive, head lifted to catch any whispers she might feel on the wind.
  326.  
  327. Whatever it was that harried Angelo she can hear it echo in her head, and it brings a peculiar feeling with it.
  328.  
  329. It makes her shiver in a way the cold and the ichor-rain can't, a bone deep chill that travels from the tip of her horns down to her clawed toes. The scenery, a kingdom fallen to ruin, does nothing to help.
  330.  
  331. Ahead the shrieks echo above the crescendo of inverse-lightning. The Drakan picks up the pace and whiteknuckles her blade; how nice it was to have knuckles again. The Drakan glances to the others, urging them to greater speed in silence.
  332.  
  333. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  334. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  335.  
  336. [20:40] Eyes narrow a tad at the laced grounds underneath, and the grimace wasn't particularly... well hidden.
  337.  
  338. "This..."
  339.  
  340. Words drift off, merely soft mumbles underneath his breath by the end of it. Walking was definitely... bothersome, to say the least, but they didn't have any other options at this point. The damage to those boots, alongside the edges of his cloak was rather obvious, but...
  341.  
  342. "Ah... there, it is."
  343.  
  344. There's a blink, and then another before the voice finally finds his senses-- rather dreadful and unsettling all the same. Though the presence of Arcane about his self diminishes soon after-- he didn't want to end up a target like Angelo, to say the least. Or let the echo influence him, for that matter.
  345.  
  346. Quietly so, those pale hues drift along, gaze focused upon the rift that looms over in the moment. Silently, he'd continue trudge along, for now.
  347. (Zeriel Heifang)
  348. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  349.  
  350. [20:43] "So disgusting.." he griped under his breath, knowing that it would be hell to clean off his armor after this. If it was even possible. The trudge through the tar ate away at his dignity with each step, an expression of distaste stuck to his features. He was not raised to get his hands dirty like this. It was not ideal.
  351.  
  352. Eventually, he felt the visions enter him. It made sense. Angelo who was the most sensitive and experienced of them all, lacking sight. It must have made his other senses more potent back there, especially ones of spiritual nature. The Qilin shuddered and looked around frantically, eyes widening.
  353.  
  354. "What?"
  355.  
  356. Something was trying to contact him. Like a plague, spreading from one order magi to the other as they treaded closer to the eye of the storm. The ear clipping screams became less distant, making his head throb alongside the cracks of thunder. Subconsciously, his movements slowed. But a glance from Ohtli made him realize this, pushing himself forward through will.
  357.  
  358. In contrast to Zeriel, he wasn't aware that his arcane was the issue. Or if he even needed to turn it off. The Qilin was unknowingly made vulnerable as they drew close. His head turned upwards, eyes drawn to the hole in the sky.
  359.  
  360. "That's.. what we came for." he commented, labored.
  361. (Shen)
  362. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  363.  
  364. [20:58] The demon is completely oblivious.
  365.  
  366. The arcane isn't something Eiphraem Kang is attuned to. Instead, he's focused on constantly rippling with water. The demon is positively drenched, his passive control over acid and corrosives, liquid and chemical assisting it in being no more than 'really gross' and 'quite itchy' compared to actually burning, but it leaves him completely soaked as he constantly calls fresh water to him.
  367.  
  368. The reaction of others around him makes his head twist to glance.
  369.  
  370. But he is somewhat distracted by the ruins.
  371.  
  372. He flicks his tail, at last- A bit of power expended as he floats himself, hovering above the disgusting, devouring mire. Bits and grainy pieces cling and sizzle, slowly getting dripped off of him as he takes a pause.
  373.  
  374. Before it was Baukdengrad, he knew this place. What was once snowy, pure slopes. A realm he had visited long ago, both as an enemy and as an ally.
  375.  
  376. There were vestiges of Laureline's old realm, amidst the rubble.
  377.  
  378. His gaze finally lands towards non-Euclidian rend in the world, and his breath catches, Snot drools from the sides of nis neck, and he rubs at it, aggravated. His eyes water from the atmosphere, nictating membranes flickering down.
  379.  
  380. He reaches for the book at his side- Trying to be high and clean enough to handle it safely.
  381.  
  382. "I will need a bit of time to start setting up. Can we ensure we can get to the old square? If there isn't too much rubble in the way. I need a clear space- As close to it as possible, to begin the runework."
  383.  
  384. Someone far more practiced would likely be able to begin the weaving in the air, but Eiphraem would need to make use of amplification ritual circles.
  385. (Eiphraem Kang)
  386. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  387.  
  388. [21:05] Angelo moved forth with the group. Absolutely silent, his steps were slow, although he did notice the fact that Zeriel had turned his own arcane off. His own briefly erupted into vision, slowly feeling to see if any of the others had their own. "You two should cut short your attunements."
  389.  
  390. These vestiges were slowly walked through and briefly analyzed by the blind order magi, the ground slowly shaking around him. Yet, at the observation from the Archon, he simply nodded in response. "I'll probably be able to help you." He spoke, before gesturing towards where he knew that terrible portal was.
  391.  
  392. "We still should go closer to the portal. The square is too far-- Malentine had his own laboratory up there, I think." He lets out a sigh, and a hand moves to the head, against his throat. A brief sigh, and he continues.
  393.  
  394. "The portal is still a closed door. See if there's anything in the book while we walk. Anything that could show us to repairing rifts in the lifestream. This is nothing more than a permanent rift."
  395. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  396. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  397.  
  398. [21:10] Ohtli doesn't need her attunement to fly, thank the Spirits. She takes wing against the downpour of rain, flinching when the drops singe her scales, feather, and skin. Far from pleasant. The little refuge she could take in her attutnement fades at Angelo's suggestion.
  399.  
  400. It's been a while since she's been this far up the mountain's face. She had no personal ties to Baukdengrad, but she has every reason to hate the things that came to pillage the once proud city. They took it from a friend and made it their den, then even worse they'd made it a locus for corruption with this tear in they sky.
  401.  
  402. "I can look ahead. Clear a path to wherever we need to go, and start closing things off."
  403.  
  404. She flaps in a few wide circles around the heads of the others. Then, unless someone has reason to stop her? The Drakan flies ahead and ascends higher bit by bit to find a clear path to the square or to the mountaintop laboratory. Wherever they can find a place to setup their ritual.
  405. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  406. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  407.  
  408. [21:12] "Cut short my attunement?" he echoed, having to stop for a moment to figure out just what that meant and how he'd go about it. While he had a strong faith and connection with the lifestream, and his connection was more potent than even Ohtli's own at this point.. he wasn't aware of the intricacies behind order magic, knowledge being sacrificed for raw pounding force in the form of his telekinesis.
  409.  
  410. So, it naturally took him a while to figure out how to turn it off. The Qilin took in a deep breath, drawing back his influence over the lifestream and trying to mute any protective or selfless impulses that would arise in his mind. He temporarily severed his bond with the natural order, for now.
  411.  
  412. "I think that worked.." he muttered, his mind now cleared of the voices and visions that came with coming closer. He picked up his speed and trudged forward to catch up with the rest of the group.
  413. (Shen)
  414. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  415.  
  416. [21:12] "The lab is the closest... resting spot we can find, probably-- Baukdengard ruins are all over, but that one place is mostly... clean. Clear."
  417.  
  418. Words are murmured outwards in Eiphraem's direction, before he'd sigh a tad, moving along.
  419.  
  420. "Shouldn't be that much further away, anyhow."
  421. (Zeriel Heifang)
  422. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  423.  
  424. [21:21] "If it's clean, that is ideal. The closer it is, however, the better- I am certain I can enact the setup, but the mana required will necessitate some-"
  425.  
  426. He flips his right hand, shaking off cleansing water before touching the pages. "Measurements. This requires a lot of measurements. I know some of these can do the measurements, but even that will require me to-"
  427.  
  428. His eyes dart to the source of the corruption and twisting of Agartha.
  429.  
  430. "... Get very, very close."
  431.  
  432. "Where was the laboratory? These places have long shifted in thirty years. Not all is what, nor where, I would remember it."
  433.  
  434. He pauses- Staring across the desolate, damaged, bleak rendition of Bhaldraithe, before it was rechristened by the aproporyians.
  435.  
  436. "... I wonder if the statues survived, in the vault. Or if they were removed," He wonders, aloud.
  437.  
  438. He's prepared to follow them to an ideal spot for the setup.
  439. (Eiphraem Kang)
  440. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  441.  
  442. [21:22] Zeriel Heifang says, "It was, uh... right underneath the main focus of rift. That's where Malentine operated."
  443. [21:22] Zeriel Heifang says, "Not... quite sure about what other things are, or where they are. But I remember the laboratory clearly."
  444. [21:24] Eiphraem Kang says, "Sounds perfect then, yes."
  445. [21:24] Eiphraem Kang says, "I should have the tools for most any surface."
  446. [21:29] The Drakan makes her sluggish flight through the gale of the supernatural downpour, using wind magic to speed her way where others might have only utilized Order or otherwise. It sadly doesn't do much to help her feathers though and progress is not as clear as it would have been in clear skies.
  447.  
  448. Ohtli has similar thoughts about the statues too, keeping a keen look-out for one or two in particular...but she can't linger on that too long.
  449.  
  450. She ascends higher and higher, up to the peak where the fated lab rests, empty and desolate...
  451.  
  452. Emptier than she had expected. Disappointing, but good enough for a landing stage for their ritual. From her vantage point on high she tries to signal the others to follow the path above so that they might begin.
  453. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  454. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  455.  
  456. [21:38] Eiphraem flicks his tail, and sails after her towards the sickening, pus filled gape in the lifestream, and Malentine's laboratory.
  457.  
  458. The 'flashes' of darkness make him weave erratically and bristle. A keen eye might note this wasn't him simply going off track due to losing sight, but self preservation instincts screaming at the beast to dodge whenever he has his view obstructed.
  459.  
  460. It makes him do speedy zig zags behind her, swishing to and fro irregularly.
  461.  
  462. A small bubble of 'air' held together by tight, membranous water is as solid as it would be for a water skater, holding the tome aloft for him as he touches down, tail slapping against the stone roofing of the laboratory. This work had to be done outside- In sight of it.
  463.  
  464. A median sized paintbrush- Between one for canvas and wall, skirting that gap, is pulled out, alongside a sack of powder.
  465.  
  466. "Ohtli; I will need to make sure Angelo can sense the circle, so he knows where to channel his power. Can you bring the others up here, as I work?"
  467.  
  468. The tepid, dank wetness in the air is drained, collated- What forms a stagnant, humid miasma is slowly gathered in another, fully liquid bubble in the air, as Eiphraem slowly introduces some of the strong, ground quartz and pearl laced white dye powder into it, as he starts mixing a conduit paint to begin working.
  469.  
  470. As she ferries them, in a brilliant, glittering silver sworl, Eiphraem piece by piece makes a circle around 20 feet in diameter along the roof- Errant parts of the stroke are urged to correct themselves, the liquid forced to conform to his design rather than his potentially imperfect motions by the will of the aquarius.
  471.  
  472. Working in a thin inner line, and a strong outer line, he begins in the margins to set up the allotted glyphs to permit mana of harmonious alignment in, trap it, and avoid absorbing the ambient, foul depravity in the air when dragging in the power for the undertaking soon to be aligned and denoted within...
  473. (Eiphraem Kang)
  474. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  475.  
  476. [21:45] Coming to a brief, little halt, he'd gaze upwards, eyes softly narrowing at the laboratory all the while. Decade... no, more than a that since he last stood here. Back when Angelo led himself alongside the small unit of Order Mages, temporarily stitching the rift back when it first opened.
  477.  
  478. The war against Baukdengard.
  479.  
  480. A sigh, and then he'd glance in Shen's direction, before allowing those pale hues to drift towards Ohtli.
  481.  
  482. "Alright, then. Would probably be hectic to carry both of us at same time, Lady Ohtli-- Shen first, and then myself, I guess."
  483.  
  484. With that, he'd shift about, waiting.
  485. (Zeriel Heifang)
  486. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  487.  
  488. [21:46] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "Likely for the best...with this rain, I'd rather not risk more than one at a time."
  489. [21:46] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "Try not to fidget too much."
  490. [21:47] It seems that Angelo moves with the same discretion that he did in moments before. Obviously, the sounds of the thrumming earth doesn't change much, but it allows for him to slowly make his way towards the laboratory. Soon enough, amidst the black tar, they come close enough.
  491.  
  492. With the wings, he is able to at least fly up there by himself, or even take one of the others up there. There was the stairway that took them to that place, but flying was the easiest way-- And the one that he did take by himself.
  493.  
  494. As soon as Eiphraem comes to the place and voices that he needs for him to sense the circle, the brimming sensation of the soothing chime echoes around him yet again. "Will you need me to shelter it from the rain?" He speaks, briefly seeming to forget the memory of the whispers--
  495.  
  496. And it soon enough is shut down again. "I can probably make it, and it'll allow me to feel any sources of energy that emits. It's my way of seeing things after all." He lets out a concentrated sigh, before the bursts of orderly arcane are sent forth.
  497.  
  498. In no more than simply aiming to recognize the glyphs and drawings that Eiphraem did, one at a time. "Is it symmetric? I can draw just the same on the other side of the circle. Knowing what's on one side means I know what's on the opposite." He finishes off, nodding- perhaps in agreeance to no one but himself.
  499.  
  500. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  501. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  502.  
  503. [21:49] When Angelo arrives, he pauses- Making sure no drips form unintentional breaks or gibberish, before he takes the order magi, yanks on the man's forearm, and slaps the paintbrush over the palm of his gauntlet unless stopped.
  504.  
  505. "Can you feel out the quartz in this pain? Extend your earth magic to resonate with it. You should be able to detect my work- I had a vein of it prepared in the paints for this."
  506. (Eiphraem Kang)
  507. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  508.  
  509. [21:51] Eiphraem Kang says, "I am going to need to have you occasionally move positions with the others, so being able to sense it is- Very helpful."
  510. [21:51] Eiphraem Kang says, "And will prevent you from scuffing anything."
  511. [21:53] The Drakan has no compunctions about scooping up Shen beneath the arms like an unruly child, hauling him up the mountain against the driving rains. And, if Angelo doesn't take him, the esteemed Shogun is next for the same treatment.
  512.  
  513. Will she let them live this down in the aftermath? Probably not.
  514.  
  515. Almost assuredly not.
  516.  
  517. As soon as she lands again near the staging area atop the lab's roof she begins trying to preen out the cloying gunk from her feathers. It weighs them down over time, bit by bit, and causes her more discomfort as it sizzles and stings.
  518.  
  519. "Right...next order of business? Can we stop this -rain-?" she grumbles.
  520. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  521. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  522.  
  523. [21:58] Shen had been picked up and carried away. As demeaning at it was, this was no time for complaining. He kept his thoughts to himself, silently pouting and cursing the fact that he didn't bring a potion of levitation. Finally, he'd be returned to his feet at the landing point.
  524.  
  525. "How do you suggest we do that without bringing any unneeded attention?" he asked Ohtli. The rain was a concern, though.
  526. (Shen)
  527. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  528.  
  529. [21:58] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "Believe me, if I knew? I'd have suggested it before I got this in -all- of my feathers..."
  530. [21:59] Angelo was yanked closer, his earth magic resonating through his palm. Soon enough, it resonates with the group of crystals, allowing them to chime and slowly shake in their very position, trembling in place-- But not distorting the shapes of runes in the least.
  531.  
  532. "You should speak more of the plan in advance. What am I going to do?" He asked, slowly moving around the circle so he could start examining its form; His feet moved around the circle, slowly resonating with the ones in the ground.
  533.  
  534. "Last time, I had to focus too much energy into the portal, and it blew up right in my face. What is this going to do, this time?"
  535. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  536. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  537.  
  538. [22:00] Ohtli shoots Eiphraem a -look- at Angelo's comment.
  539. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  540. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  541.  
  542. [22:01] A very distinct look.
  543. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  544. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  545.  
  546. [22:07] Zeriel just frowns a tad, once up there, before waddling over to process conversation at hand.
  547. (Zeriel Heifang)
  548. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  549.  
  550. [22:08] "Ultimately, you will need to stand in place and channel, and hope I am not transcribing these runes incorrectly-"
  551.  
  552. "Is the rain an issue?"
  553.  
  554. He turns his head, idly, interrupting himself. While it was a bit gritty in sensation, the elemental was a bit... Blithe, to the unpleasantness of it in whole to a human body.
  555.  
  556. "Here. I can take more-"
  557.  
  558. His arm waves. The Warden of Crafthold, almost without a doubt, while internally focused is still perhaps one of the most powerful controllers of water upon all of Agartha.
  559.  
  560. It isn't precisely effortless. His attention is getting divided between maintaining the paintball, hovering the tome open without letting water seep into it, and now, evaporating the water into the air within a vague dome about them into a humid...
  561.  
  562. Toxic...
  563.  
  564. Mist.
  565.  
  566. hm.
  567.  
  568. Whether or not this was better or worse was maybe depending on if the wind magi could finish the job.
  569.  
  570. Eiphraem doesn't seem to consciously recognize the issue from this, as he gives that attempt at a smile to Ohtli, as he flicks his wrist to drag the book closer again to use it as a reference.
  571.  
  572. "As I was saying... This should act as an infinitely more precise operator of your power, only applying according to the instructions we give this circle. There will be nothing blunt about this, theoretically- Pouring your power into it should be perfect, and without backlash."
  573.  
  574. "It will use the precise amount specified, as we specify it. As a result, this is..."
  575.  
  576. "Going to take a while."
  577.  
  578. The demon slides his upper body almost u shaped, pulling up more of his coils than usual to almost hang upside down on a bend in his powerful muscles as he gets back to painting.
  579.  
  580. Finishing the outer layer, he begins with four circles around a central, square diamond- boxed within, which each circle connecting at the point. A line carefully connects each circle to the outer border...
  581. (Eiphraem Kang)
  582. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  583.  
  584. [22:13] Ah, yes. Sweet relief...
  585.  
  586. For a few seconds, until the Drakan begins hacking up a lung. The toxic sludge evaporates into an equally toxic vapor that Ohtli hastily scrambles to disperse with a forceful gust of wind.
  587.  
  588. Well...She knows the Archon had their best at heart. If she trusted him an iota less, or know him any less well, she'd have patently expected that he was trying to kill all of them in one fell swoop.
  589.  
  590. As great and powerful as the Archon is, it's difficult to deny that he's a bit of a goof.
  591.  
  592. "Ack, sweet Serpent above...Just...just let us know what we can do if anything," she wheezes, rubbing her throat.
  593.  
  594. "If nothing else- Shen, Zeriel- we should keep an eye out. If something out there is waiting like it sounds like, I don't want it to get the drop on us."
  595. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  596. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  597.  
  598. [22:18] No rain anymore, thankfully. Those concerns of his were pushed away, just to give birth to; you guessed it, even more concerns. There were still those voices trying to contact them whenever they were coming up the mountain, and the enemy lying in wait that Angelo mentioned prior. Whatever it was, they needed to keep watch if they were to come during the ritual.
  599.  
  600. That's when these things always seemed to arrive. Right when the ritual was taking place. Shen gave Ohtli a curt nod, before focusing his gaze on the tundra below. Observing closely to see if anything would come to interrupt what they had come to accomplish.
  601.  
  602. "I'll tell you if I see anything."
  603. (Shen)
  604. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  605.  
  606. [22:25] A coughs here and there, and his arm is immediately brought closer to the pale features. A softer gust of wind of his own escapes about, clearing the toxic vapor a tad-- also aimed in Shen's direction, to give him a little room to breathe all the while.
  607.  
  608. No words escape just yet, and just as quietly would he step closer, pale hues scanning along the tome present, drifting over towards Eiphraem every now-and-then.
  609.  
  610. Then, another sigh, and he'd lean along one of the walls, quietly allowing the presence of Arcane to expand about-- keeping the diminished state as it washes over, scouting.
  611.  
  612. "Right."
  613.  
  614. Murmured outwards, as per usual.
  615. (Zeriel Heifang)
  616. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  617.  
  618. [22:28] Angelo seems to simply acknowledge it all with a nod. His feet dig down into the ground, slowly resonating around the ground to see if he could fully detect the shape of the circle and the runes that came with it. Obviously, the paladinesque man seemed to put the maintenance of the ritual itself above everything else.
  619.  
  620. In the end, at the circle, he simply stood around-- Every motion attempted to detect a pattern, and then, repeat the same pattern. His body brimmed with cosmic energy, and slowly, the chime of Order started echoing back at him as hands came to meet each other in front of his chest.
  621.  
  622. It seemed that Angelo himself was slowly allowing the arcane to come forth and once again aid him. The cosmic shimmer of his body slowly rose, and then, a small dome was slowly drawn over each of the marks, protecting them from being corroded away by the acid.
  623.  
  624. It seemed that the order magi himself tried to do his way of helping in this ritual. Whispers or not, he needed it.
  625. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  626. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  627.  
  628. [22:28] The serpent's tail swishes at it's tip, before he goes back to giving the working his full attention.
  629.  
  630. The beast's mind was capable of juggling quite a bit, but things had to slip for the utmost priority- The working in and of itself.
  631.  
  632. He says little, though he makes plenty of noise. The demon is full of tiny musical bars, aggravated whistles, sneezes, and gurgles as he operates, separating and delineating more areas of the inner circle initially- Boxing them into command regions.
  633.  
  634. He switches tools, after washing the first, to a properly small, human hand sized paintbrush to begin the layered instructions in that platinum-hued, sparkling solution.
  635.  
  636. The alien, unpleasant demon may be unnerving, but at least as it began to take shape, in curving, slender imagery. Amidst the rigidity of the linework, the symbols start to flow more clearly- The dots and bounced sines that denote numerics looking like flowing, roiling waves.
  637.  
  638. He is forced tostop, pause, and make his way dangerously close to the rift. He holds a drawing of fluid like a thin thread between his fingers, matching it to the length on the page.
  639.  
  640. He needs to grasp the distance.
  641.  
  642.  
  643.  
  644.  
  645. For everyone's sake, this entire business would at least take over an hour, and closer to two to three.
  646.  
  647. Certainly, if anything impatient was lurking in the ruins, it would absolutely have time to strike before Eiphraem finishes it.
  648.  
  649. This is not a very simple script Eiphraem is attempting to force the lifestream to run properly. There are as little shortcuts as Eiphraem believes he is taking.
  650. (Eiphraem Kang)
  651. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  652.  
  653. [22:42] {NARRATION} For three long, excrutiating hours, the circles were drawn. Prepared. Magic flowed, and the air screamed. The rain and sludge would have tried to erode every last line, were it not for Eiphraem's aid, but instead, a small bubble of dryness was maintained. Though perhaps that wasn't the right word.
  654.  
  655. The atmosphere was like a knifes edge, the gaping hole in the sky radiating magic and malice as if at any moment, it would tear itself open to unveil a new army of horrors to pour out and kill you all...
  656.  
  657. Or perhaps not.
  658.  
  659. The process completed, eventually, leaving the groundwork ready. Who could tell what effect it would have? Hopefully the desired one.
  660.  
  661. More than hopefully, it *needed* to be that.
  662. [22:51] It seems to finally be over when the demon reviews every filled in, seemingly packed geometric shape that isn't within the four internal circles.
  663.  
  664. Scrawled with calligraphic fineness, the demon's hand visibly shakes by the end of it when he finally lets it go lax. His fingers are far too BIG to hold the fine brush so easily, an almost painful cramp forming as he obsessed over the commands from the book, painstakingly adjusting the measurements of the rift, the necessary mileage to hit untainted air by maps and documents he folded between the pages...
  665.  
  666. Eiphraem's 'play by ear' is a bit more thorough than Ohtli may have feared from his laissez faire chatter- His collected reagents and documents to pull from, alongside some of Iosefka and Tezocochel's margins, even some of Gizmo's old notes out for the more basic pieces that Elisheva's tome would be long too advanced for, to simply double check his bases.
  667.  
  668. It begins with the gathering and containment of power- Loops and spirals to act as holding patterns before the scheduled releases, when it's pulled out of the individuals in the appropriate places. It'd begin by isolation- Cutting off the rift from the world around it, like a torquinet. It'd be a working to pull, meld, and restore the fabric like needle and thread, then urging it to meld and flow like the surface of a pond.
  669.  
  670. And from there, it would 'correct'.
  671.  
  672. The isolated region's patterns would burn out and cauterize with the aftermath of enough power, allowing the area to reconnect with the world around it- Georgaphy measured out by the meter, variable slotted X for the resisting mana to identify...
  673.  
  674. ... Presuming there was enough, the arithramancy would see it through.
  675.  
  676. The demon wheezes, finally speaking.
  677.  
  678. "... Pick a circle. Get fully inside it." His voice sounds a bit froggy, from keeping his gills so pressed for so long, his throat a bit thick. He drops the brush- Yawning and flexing his fingers. "Ohtli, you may need to pull your wings in."
  679. (Eiphraem Kang)
  680. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  681.  
  682. [22:57] While the Drakan certainly might have preferred to be more 'in the know', she can't complain with the Naga's results. She glances over it when she's not keeping watch, taking mental note of the intricacies.
  683.  
  684. Questions buzz through her thoughts. They're all matters for a later time. Ohtli doesn't lack for focus.
  685.  
  686. "I'd hoped he would've showed up," she laments while looking out over the Envy sin's abandoned laboratory. Malentine is still out there at large. Not that she's going to scoff at entry on her extensive resume of cleansing places.
  687.  
  688. That work is good in and of itself. Yet in the vampire's absence, the one that had haunted her off and on for decades in some form or fashion, it all felt...hollow. She can still bring back good news, but not the news that she wants to return with to where, and whom, it matters most.
  689.  
  690. Snapping to attention, she slips into one of the circles outlined and pulls her wings in tight. Lamentations later. Work now. She reaches for something in her satchel; the warmth and magic hum of arcanium beneath her now very real fingertips.
  691.  
  692. Her touch falters. Ohtli looks nervously to the Archon. Perhaps not wise to risk it here. Sword, armor, and purpose will have to be enough.
  693. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  694. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  695.  
  696. [23:00] Shen didn't enjoy stepping into a magical ritual that was crafted by a demon, or placing his trust in said demon either. If it had been only Eiphraem, he would have been more weary. Given that Angelo was down there supervising the entire thing, he was less apprehensive.
  697.  
  698. "Alright." he spoke curtly, stepping up to a circle of his choice and dragging his tar covered self inside of it. Hopefully that wouldn't ruin the markings, because he couldn't exactly take a shower here. The Qilin looked from side to side, crossing his arms.
  699.  
  700. "Now what?" he asked. Maybe he should have focused on preparing himself for the ritual to come instead.
  701. (Shen)
  702. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  703.  
  704. [23:01] A shimmering, soft presence of Arcane lingers in his wake as slow, small steps are taken all the while. No words escape just yet, but those pale hues did glance about, taking in the figures present.
  705.  
  706. Eyebrows lift upwards, somewhat puzzled-- but the time wasn't right to put forward questions, to say the least. And so the Shogun merely allows his eyes to settle close, and those lips to part as a faint, vapory breath escapes, washing over.
  707.  
  708. "Same."
  709.  
  710. It's an idle remark regarding what Ohtli mentioned, before he'd quietly step into one of the circles present, glancing back in the Drakanite's direction.
  711.  
  712. "Better to be eliminated than... whatever he's doing. Who knows if he left for good after all or not... Vampires are known to simply hibernate at times."
  713.  
  714. Then, silence lingers yet once again, and he'd only shift his weight from one foot to another. Observing, waiting.
  715. (Zeriel Heifang)
  716. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  717.  
  718. [23:09] It seemed that, at long last, Eiphraem was done. It meant that even with all the carefulness that he did, the blind order magi needed it to work properly. In the end, at the moment Ohtli spoke about the hope of Malentine being there, he could do nothing but shrug.
  719.  
  720. "I think that it's better he didn't. Me and him had some beef-- You as well, I believe. Everyone here had, just less directly so." But, at the instructions that came shortly after, he simply moves inside one of the circles; The one closer to him, no less, and steps entirely inside of it.
  721.  
  722. Quickly, cosmic mana starts brimming from him. The yellow energy runs from him accompanied by an unnatural push against everything, aiming away from the ground for a purpose; Instead, aiming at the skies above. It aimed to clear the dark clouds, separating them in a whirlwind of the arcane and finally...
  723.  
  724. ... Finally allow him to feel the only thinghe knew for a long while how it felt. He wasn't that advanced into detecting what each one of these were, but the arcane which he had been trying to hide was no more. In fact, at this time he expanded on it.
  725.  
  726. He aimed to sense everything, each one of the tints, and the ground resonated at the ground, emitting a singing sound as the crystals rattled in the paint, clinking against each other as they moved forth to gather his power, recognizing each one of the patterns.
  727.  
  728. Quickly enough, his hands moved to the side, and with a fluid movement, his arms began moving. Holy energy coalesced around him, putting him inside what looked like a shell, pulsating at each flick of his wrist that occasionally came. Cosmic magic flowed through the ground, converting the destroyed and chastised, acidic ground into a white marble, from below the surface.
  729.  
  730. In fact, his power dwelled from the stars, and from the ground itself. His own energy was completely cast, redirected; He was merely a conduit to the Arcane and to his own star, in the end. Yet, they were not just channeled more than what he sought for now, simply lighting up the circle, perhaps to indicate he knew where it all was.
  731.  
  732. "And now?" He asks, voice resonating briefly through the air.
  733. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  734. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  735.  
  736. [23:10] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "That's exactly why I'd like to rip out his heart, Angelo."
  737. [23:11] Angelo Sanguinis says, "I say he killed himself. He didn't leave. Just... That."
  738. [23:11] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "I can't believe that."
  739. [23:11] Angelo Sanguinis says, "He had been showing suicidal tendencies for a while."
  740. [23:12] Eiphraem Kang says, "In order to..."
  741. [23:12] Eiphraem Kang says, "Channel, your arcane powers."
  742. [23:12] Eiphraem Kang asks, "You meditate, correct?"
  743. [23:12] Angelo Sanguinis says, "I'm always meditating."
  744. [23:13] Eiphraem casually slides along the outside of the circle, and flicks at the man's doubtlessly still armored and hooded head, lightly.
  745. (Eiphraem Kang)
  746. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  747.  
  748. [23:13] Eiphraem Kang says, "Deeper meditation. I need you to call the power to flow through you."
  749. [23:13] Eiphraem Kang says, "The circle will drain you of the mana you convert into prepatory energies, slowly."
  750. [23:14] Eiphraem Kang says, "It cannot do so until you manifest it into arcane energies. The ritual will not continue until it has stored enough to execute."
  751. [23:20] "Very well." He nods, and then, feet readjust. They stomp upon the ground, mythril colliding with stone, and soon enough, his legs cross, floating into the air. The chime around him echoed further, but now, instead of following the unnatural push, it simply moved towards the ground.
  752.  
  753. "My cosmic magic is my gateway to the arcane. I've been told this is shiny, so you may want to look away." The order magi commented, before he did in fact begin to slowly shine. His mana circuitry possessed with brimming cosmic energy, collected into the hammer's head and then redirected around the shaft, or directly poured into him from the skies above that allowed him to channel.
  754.  
  755. It was often a brief display of his extreme energy, but at these moments, he needed it to be more permanent. He needed it to go further, and at the realization of such, the faux wings that stretched around his back slowly began to envelop him, much like the cocoon of holy magic that did so, emitting its whole potency through the runes.
  756.  
  757. His own arcane energies were partly embedded directly into the cosmic magic that slowly erupted from his open palms, threads carefully tying themselves off and away, following a random pattern until they found themselves colliding with the runes, and then...
  758.  
  759. The flow of magic was obvious, with the mana treading through it distorting the world around, nearly raw arcane energy pushed inside these conducting threads of celestial magic, mixing cosmic and holy mana to form one single art capable of acting as a founding step to the Orderly energies he called upon.
  760.  
  761. Treading into deeper meditation was no trouble for him, after all, the very feeling that he used to sense the world surrounding him was one that came from meditation. His mind was always in near-stasis state, but at last, he allowed it to come free.
  762.  
  763. And soon enough, the energies lit up the entirety of the circles, sending the very familiar chime through the paint.
  764. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  765. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  766.  
  767. [23:26] The light would only find itself refracted.
  768.  
  769. The inlaid lines of the ritual would flow and glimmer as that radiance is carried from the stars, flowing with life, essence, and thought to be pulled into the etched eddies and sworls light the sun shining down, refracted blindingly over fresh snow.
  770.  
  771. The serpent's eyes do narrow- That filmy, nictating membrane acting as a tender filter as his pupil constricts into a pencil-stroke thin line to keep himself from getting blinded.
  772.  
  773. The circle doesn't taste of foul occult, though it rolls with inviting promise as Angelo's power sings along it, practically inviting the others to join in; A silent chorus of order thrumming, caught within the echo-chamber the circle summoned...
  774.  
  775. It makes a pull.
  776.  
  777. Eiphraem turns away from the circle, binding the book back to the chain at his waist once more, locking it as he busies himself. He lets the paintball float in the air, checking the dome of protection, his sword back in his hand.
  778.  
  779. He stands guard over the proceedings.
  780. (Eiphraem Kang)
  781. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  782.  
  783. [23:32] The infusion of Order magic lights up Eiphraem's carefully drawn ritual circle. It cuts through the latent gloom that pervades the land like sunlight through a misty morning.
  784.  
  785. Her thoughts turn away from their brief flirtations of violent tendencies, even if they are a particularly potent source of it for her. The hum of purity, of Order, draws her to task.
  786.  
  787. The song is a sweet and familiar call and Ohtli is compelled to join. Not out of anything foul of malign. It only feels natural to add her own power to the efforts to the collaboration. She joins the others in meditation, closing her eyes and folding her hands over one another.
  788.  
  789. She pulls from the Lifestream, from the world beyond, from the Serpent herself even though Her blessed relic lies unworn in the satchel slung over her shoulder.
  790.  
  791. Ohtli's part takes its place in the grand, sonorous chorus between all those present.
  792. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  793. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  794.  
  795. [23:35] Quietly would he watch along, eyes focused upon his mentor's form all the while. The flow of magic was always there, and he could practically feel it surging through. No words escape of his own, and the Shogun's eyes settle close soon after.
  796.  
  797. A soft, deep inhale.
  798.  
  799. It's a shimmering presence, really, essence of lifestream in itself shrouding his person. Powerful, pulsating Arcane cascading through, bringing forth a chime similar to Angelo's own until the entirety of the circle goes on to shine within a faint, icy hue.
  800.  
  801. Soothing, orderly energies, absorbing through and only producing that muffled, comforting tingle, similar to a crystal's knock in the moment.
  802.  
  803. To feel one's surroundings and meditate on the notions of spirituality, to allow his senses to diminish within the moment there, to synchronize with the stream in itself-- attune oneself to the essence of life that surrounds them at all the time.
  804.  
  805. Keeping the pace, and not saying much, he'd merely reach out to unstrap the staff along his back, quietly placing it in contact with the grounds underneath-- as well as the circles. Blessed by beings of Divine, it's merely meant to channel the energies better.
  806.  
  807. The Heifang's magic flares about, nonetheless. Powerful, at the very least.
  808.  
  809. To give all he had, to offer the best he can. A lot led up to this moment, after all... their efforts, Bai's death-- and it was to come full circle, finally.
  810. (Zeriel Heifang)
  811. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  812.  
  813. [23:36] And now it was time to do what he came here for. Shen lowered himself into a sitting position, focusing his arcane energies in the way that he devised with Ohtli. Shen drew his eyes shut, taking in a deep breath as he entered a trance-like state. Allowing all of the sensations of the nearby area to enter him in meditation.
  814.  
  815. It empowered his Arcane, feeling naturally opposed to the chaos and rot that surrounded them in the form of the thick black tar. Then, he tugged on his soulbond. He allowed the Emperor's mana to flow into his body like a river. It was his own gateway to the arcane, much like cosmic was Angelo's.
  816.  
  817. It shrouded his body in a blinding cerulean brilliance as he focused. He became the epicenter of an enormous beacon of raw mana, a densely compacted wealth of spirit. Utilizing his influence over the arcane, he drew on the lifestream and guided it towards the area.
  818.  
  819. His way of pulling on the lifestream was by guiding the spirits towards the Emperor's light. His own contribution in the chorus of order magic.
  820. (Shen)
  821. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  822.  
  823. [23:55] {NARRATION} The ritual finally began, as it always did, with the glow of magic. The hum of power. Of the powerful exerting their will on the world. As it was for Malentine's tearing open of the void, so it would be for the forces of order to seal it. To return to normalcy. To fix what had been so terribly wronged.
  824.  
  825. As arcane magics flowed, the whispers grew to shouts. Like providing fire a fuel, soon more than voiceless emotions could be felt. Words, phrases, breathing, guttural groans. Wet, disgusting sounds, the crunch of bone snapping with every muttered word. Most were madness, incomprehensible.
  826.  
  827. Some weren't. "Open it... You have the power... It's so easy, let me in..."
  828.  
  829. At this point, even the uninitiated among them could hear it, nameless Eiphraem.
  830.  
  831. "The feast is close, it's sooooo close. It will be quick, a shroud, the cover pulled!"
  832.  
  833. And then the circles gathered their power from all. From the spiritmancer, from the blind, from the Emperors servant and from the Shogun. All directed towards the purpose of closing the rift. Every detail followed to the letter, everything so properly done...
  834.  
  835. But there was always a wrench in matters. Nothing could quite be done in this hellscape without it being left *corrupted*. Yes, perhaps the intent was to close the portal, but something on the other side could very much see the power too. Could perhaps...
  836.  
  837. Even hijack it.
  838.  
  839. A bladed forearm stabbed through the hole in the sky, crashing down as a terrible crushing hammer. Chitinous, black and infinitely deep, it was like staring at the worst depths of the ocean...
  840.  
  841. Claws sprung out from the hammer, powerful muscles pulling something inhumanly powerful through. A smooth, eyeless face, without features, without *anything* screamed, a maw of thousands of gnashing teeth rotating and drawing its own ichorous blood to trail behind it.
  842.  
  843. The rift was re-opened, flickering, and then -
  844.  
  845. Another scream. Ichor splattered across the mountain, acidic blood scorching with a violent hiss.
  846.  
  847. Angelo was unlucky, the stuff coating him, scorching skin and leaving terrible blisters and melted flesh. Thankfully he was made of stern stuff, stern enough to heal... Later.
  848.  
  849. A violent crash echoed from the rift. The ritual had not ended, after all. It had been perverted, hijacked, but not completely. The rift closed again, bisecting the terrible thing that had been pulling itself through. Still so massive that it dwarfed Eiphraem, like a child preparing a worm for a fishing hook.
  850.  
  851. Left unintelligble by pain, the thing drug itself forward, blood pouring from the horrific wound, its maw open.
  852.  
  853. Prepared to feast.
  854. [00:10] By the time that something terrible had come to transpire, Shen was already too late to break his focus. His eyes forced open, connection with the lifestream severed as he became aware that they weren't alone. That something was using the powers they were putting into that ritual against them. Hijacking their arcane energies.
  855.  
  856. "Stop the ritual!" he shouted, but they had already gone too far. Outsmarted by this horrifying resident of Hellheim, having broken free and tore open the very rift they were attempting to close. Shen stood up, panic soon washing over him as he looked from side to side frantically. What were they going to do?
  857.  
  858. "Eagleheart, no!"
  859.  
  860. It was going south, fast. Ichor splashed on the older order magi as Shen called out to him, coating his skin and scorching his flesh. Because of the enhanced empathy that was offered to him as a Qilin, he could feel the pain that would inevitably shoot through Angelo's body.
  861.  
  862. His weapon. He reached for his weapon instinctively, even though this thing was like a toothpick when raised up against this beast. Not even that - like a splinter. Sweat accumulated on his features as he stared up to behold the hulking Nethradin, hardening his grip.
  863.  
  864. "What happened, Eiphraem?!" he shouted, quick to blame the demon.
  865.  
  866. "We were so close.." he griped, before shaking his head. This wasn't the time for hopelessness. Just like last time, if they let this thing roam free on Agartha.. it would kill countless people, and not only that. This time, it would be their fault if it broke loose. Energy still burning, he made his best effort to swallow his fear and fight.
  867.  
  868. "We need to get rid of this thing before it hurts anyone else!"
  869. (Shen)
  870. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  871.  
  872. [00:15] The serpent's eyes go wide as saucers when he feels the twist of his bindings overtaken.
  873.  
  874. He lifts off the ground, his tail lashing. Fangs drop, almost instantly.
  875.  
  876. The demon's hands go to the flask at the hip of his coat, popping off the bolted cork so it hangs limply at the side of the bottle. Riveting flows of liquid mercury flow out, and he hits the air. The dome stops disintegrating the liquid-
  877.  
  878. He gathers it, drawing the thick, corrupt liquid. He REFINES it, dragging it into a caustic aegis about himself, as the unpleasant crackle of a backwash of nerves turns into a potent, intense telepathic broadcast.
  879.  
  880. This is MY realm.
  881.  
  882. Eiphraem's mind BURNS backwards, a searing invective that tried to give him confidence, rather than stemming from it. It isn't full of pride, or arrogance like the bisected, crawling, suicidally hungry massof perverted spirits is no threat to him, or some nonsense No, the direct, intense statement reeks with the contrary; Fear, hatred, anxiety. He is a spitting, ophidian creature, and when he feels threatened, he sprays his venom.
  883.  
  884. He stares at what could have been a bigger predator than himself, a beast truly made of the urges he lacked the wherewithal to succeed, eyeless and made of hunger- it shakes him.
  885.  
  886. It does not stop him.
  887.  
  888. Do not panic. The ritual has it's energy. Stop the circle from being destroyed. It will complete it's execution.
  889.  
  890. The silver serpent darts forwards as his mental words waver in spite of the smooth contents, cut off as the defect of Gaiar was trying to move faster than the doubtless viscera-spilling beast could immediately at to try to slash at it's smooth skin where eye sockets should be, and continuing to zip like a vicious little wasp, stinging and dragging his blade through, to it's rear.
  891.  
  892. Trying to force it to drag itself around on it's own intestines, and bring it away from the delicate runework that would seek to finish off this bug in the gears.
  893.  
  894. (Eiphraem Kang)
  895. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  896.  
  897. [00:21] Though she didn't get quite her fondest wish out of this ordeal, the most important part is being completed. Not alone either. No need for bloodshed with this many people, and with this much time to prepare. Really, she's not even sure if her blood would mix well withy the Angelic runes at play.
  898.  
  899. Everything is going well. Right up until it doesn't. There's a definite shift at the point it's far too late. All the mad gibbering drowns out their divine symphony, a cacophony of pure Chaos. The energy meant to seal the rift for good is stolen, nabbed, and used for the exact opposite. By the time she can stop channeling mana and focus into the ritual the beast is already coming through.
  900.  
  901. Oh, she can hear it all right. And as the beast emerges, spewing blood when severed from its lower half.
  902.  
  903. She's faced some large and terrible things, from coast to coast on this wretched continent. This one just may very well take the cake on size and magnitude. Atl's and Eidlon's presented a danger all their own; this one is more likely to eat her than corrupt her, which in all honesty she'd prefer most days.
  904.  
  905. Her head whips around quickly enough to see her comrade get soused in acidic gunk. If she knows him at all she knows he's made of sterner stuff than to let it down him.
  906.  
  907. What compunctions she had about using the relic at her disposal dissolve. It would -probably- be fine in the aftermath. Maybe.
  908.  
  909. Ohtli reaches into her satchel again, yanks free the blessed cowl with the Spire shard inlaid into its forehead, and swiftly dons it.
  910.  
  911. In the face of battle the shift is swift. Her wings broaden and shimmer and opalescent scales climb up her arms to further cover her flesh in armored, gem-like plates. Her teeth and claws sharpen further, prepared for rending at Her will.
  912.  
  913. And all in her mind grows quiet as her purpose becomes clear, narrowed to sharp focus like an arrowhead against the wretch that dared to mock and destroy what She labored so hard to preserve. The Drakan darts forward with peregrine swiftness, right for the thing's eyes.
  914. (Ohtli Tezcacoatl)
  915. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  916.  
  917. [00:29] The ritual had to go on. No matter what happened outside of it, he kept his own quietness entirely. He knew that things were far too quiet, far too allowing for them to go on, far too... Easy. Yet, it didn't mean that he would have to accept any fate that would come.
  918.  
  919. Even as the creature passed through, he gave it his all, until the ichor hit against his skin and armor.
  920.  
  921. Molten armor and melted flesh wasn't the first time happening to him. It had been done before, and thoroughly repaired; It dropped his concentration, causing the man to quickly fall down onto the ground, only stopping himself a few mere milimeters away from the ground.
  922.  
  923. He knew it. Yet, words were lost on him at this time; The porcelain mask melted right in front of his face, filling him with enough pain to cause a brief yell of pain to echo from him. However, he was soon able to make his own balance, hammer flying from far away to come closer to the order magi.
  924.  
  925. Soon enough, however, he felt it; That ominous presence aimed to interrupt the ritual, but he hoped inside of himself that it was still recoverable. Without anything to fear at this time, his energies once again swapped out in raw, pure intensity.
  926.  
  927. "I... I know." He replies at Eiphraem's message, hammer going against the ground, head pressing against it so he slowly craned himself upwards, the ground tremblign around him. It collapsed and moved around the circle, sinking it some feet into the ground, in order to cover it from whatever the newfound Nethradin wanted or could do to it.
  928.  
  929. It didn't matter to him. They had come here with a purpose, and whatever that purpose was... It'd be fulfilled, to the end of his very days. The hammer is held to his side, still panting; The face exposed now, eyebrows furrowed down as a few threads of facial hair struggle to keep themselves stuck to his face.
  930.  
  931. "There's only one way, and it is forward." He muttered, perhaps a reminder to himself from things past. The massive weapon circled around the air, cosmic energies rushing around him, and soon enough, erupting.
  932. (Angelo Sanguinis)
  933. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  934.  
  935. [00:44] {NARRATION} zeriel dies the end
  936. [00:44] Eiphraem Kang says, "damn..... i can't believe he fell into the nethradin's butt"
  937. [00:44] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "such a terrible fate"
  938. [00:45] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "taht we must share with allof his people"
  939. [00:45] Angelo Sanguinis says, "well i guess eiphraem is shogun now"
  940. [00:46] Eiphraem Kang says, "konnichiwa"
  941. [00:46] Ohtli Tezcacoatl says, "uguuu snuncle shogun senpai"
  942. [00:48] {NARRATION} The ritual continued, so long as the circle was left undisturbed. But while that happened, the horrific beast veered towards the prey that had wounded it. That had ignored its calls to be let in and actively denied it. Driven mad by rage, left blindly furious, it did the only thing it knew...
  943.  
  944. Crawling forward with a frightening speed, it aimed to consume.
  945. [01:13] {NARRATION} The ferocity of the battle was clear, a terrible thing with the Shogun absent, his mastery over the Arcane required to maintain the ritual. Someone was forced to sit it out, and it seemed he drew the short straw to do so...
  946.  
  947. As for the rest...
  948.  
  949. Angelo was already wounded, his body scorched by vile acids. As a result, he's left more frail for future injury.
  950.  
  951. Angelo will take a -1 to all rolls.
  952.  
  953. As for the rest, perhaps they should not consider themselves lucky. The whims of battle were fickle.
  954.  
  955. Angelo and Shen... They'd suffered the worst. Perhaps too much. They will roll, on a 1, they will die. On a 2-3, they will suffer a grievous perm. On a 4-5, a standard perm. On a 6, a terrible temp.
  956.  
  957. Ohtli and Eiphraem were luckier, but only by a shred. Their chances of death were slim. Adjust the scale down a tier, with 5-6 being a temp.
  958. [01:40] {NARRATION} The battle would have been impossible had the beast not been bisected at the start of the battle. Down a powerful magi, fighting something so keen on consumption and all they had to bear were weapons intended for melee combat?
  959.  
  960. Downright suicidal, as all would come to realize.
  961.  
  962. The single gaping maw of thousands of teeth was not as singular as it seemed. The back end had hundreds of tiny mouths, and of course, there were the far more present concerns. It had command over so many magics that it was impossible for it to be one individual spirit, but some kind of comglomeration. Perhaps every set of teeth represented another person...
  963.  
  964. A disturbing thought.
  965.  
  966. The flesh was both chitenous and soft at the same time, like hitting gelatin, always reverberating back from any wound...
  967.  
  968. Eiphraem, as fast and vicious as a bolt of lightning, or perhaps a raging river was more accurate, was the hardest to pin down, and surprisingly, the one hurt the worst. A clawed forearm stabbed into the ground, and dozens of tiny spikes shot forth, erupting out, shooting up around the naga. So many dodged, so many and yet...
  969.  
  970. Not all. Pierced over and over, riddled with wounds that burned horrifically with the otherworldly magics, scales shriveled, flesh sizzled, mucous boiled.
  971.  
  972. Eiphraem burned in the abnormal magics of helheim.
  973.  
  974. The Drakanite, so recently healed, once more felt the sting of horrid pain. The spirit destroying powers of death magics rippled and roiled, tearing through her... Or maybe not.
  975.  
  976. Telekinetic powers of chaos hurled Angelo to the ground, breaking several bones in the process. Gods knew he wouldn't be responding quickly to this, or effectively.
  977.  
  978. The beast came crashing down, its maw wide, preparing to consume the old Gehennan.
  979. [02:18] It was hard to tell where the eldritch horror began and where it ended. Each strike against his gelatinous carapace felt like a futile effort, his compacted nyeshk blade like a toothpick against the colossal beast of a Nethradin. From the beginning, it was clear that they were fighting an uphill battle. Something that they couldn't reasonably win, especially without Zeriel.
  980.  
  981. But, this was a battle that was worth winning. When he looked this beast in it's many, many faces, he saw death. A creature that was not meant to walk these lands, an amalgamation of everything unholy. Strength that even the Archon Eiphraem couldn't hope to eclipse. A monster that threatened to claim anything that he loved, should it wreak havoc on Agartha below.
  982.  
  983. His blade shook within his grasp as fear threatened to take hold of him. Eyes shifting from side to side, watching as those whose strength he had grown to respect had been toppled one by one. Ohtli, who taught him what it meant to use his powers to cleanse the world and make it beautiful. Eagleheart, who taught him the meaning of selflessness during the war against the vampires.
  984.  
  985. It was this very spot, all of those years ago. When they waged war against the forces of Baukdengrad. Shen was an entirely different person. Lost and confused, wandering the wilderness. Lonely, wrought by post traumatic stress. A wandering husk of what a Qilin was supposed to be.
  986.  
  987. How poetic was it for him to challenge death here once more?
  988.  
  989. But, he had changed now. He had changed so much over the years, and if he couldn't stop a horror like this from being let loose on Agartha? It was all for nothing. Shen knew loss. He knew loneliness. He knew war. It was here where he'd make his stand. He didn't want anyone to experience that ever again, not while he was still breathing.
  990.  
  991. His soulbond. Something that offered him just a taste of a near limitless amount of energy, but somethingthat was bottlenecked all the same. His mortal body couldn't take the amount of stress it took to intake even a fraction of his Emperor's mana. No matter how much he strengthened his bond or forced mana through, there was no overcoming that inherent limit.
  992.  
  993. But what if he could overcome that limit for just one moment?
  994.  
  995. In the final strength of the battle, Angelo was hurled across the ground. Each snap of his bones reverberated throughout the enhanced empathy of the Qilin, making him grind his teeth with each impact. A sharp breath as he watched the beast come crashing down, preparing to consume Eagleheart. Someone who had so much wisdom to pass on, a man who had touched so many lives.
  996.  
  997. From the beginning, Shen was a prodigy. But the thing he was prodigious at was battle. At a very young age, his skills were able to very quickly outclass the majority of Huangzhou. His sense of justice and dedication may have faltered, and his direction may have been unstable at times. But if there was one thing that was undeniable, it was his power.
  998.  
  999. And as far as talent went, that was all he was good at.
  1000.  
  1001. The rank of Arbiter had just fallen into his lap. Day after day, he slaved tirelessly to make sure that his people were happy. But, he knew that he was better suited to be a weapon. A warrior, the Emperor's divine wrath. It was something that he couldn't accept again until this moment, when he saw Angelo's life threaten to be claimed right before his eyes.
  1002.  
  1003. In this moment, all he could do was what he was good at. The only thing that he could do. It was that perception of himself that caused him to rush forward in front of Eagleheart, sword in hand. Blissfully unaware that he was so much more. Ignorant to the fact that he had made so many bonds, and similarly touched many lives. Ignoring that he would be missed.
  1004.  
  1005. He was an idiot, there was no doubting that.
  1006.  
  1007. In that moment, Eagleheart heard Shen speak. It couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds. ".. Hey, Angelo." he finally addressed the man by his name, time seeming to slow as the Nethradin approached. "I'm glad. Glad that I was able to live a human life, if even for this long. But, I think it's time for me to do my job. I'm sorry."
  1008.  
  1009. And with his weapon in hand, Shen leapt straight into the mouth of the monster. A suicidal maneuver, the Qilin planned on landing the decisive blow from the inside. Making sure that he would be eviscerated without a shadow of a doubt, so that the rift could be closed and this saga would finally reach it's end.
  1010.  
  1011. Every friend that he had ever made flashed through his mind in that moment. Every experience that he had lived through. From the pain, the stress, to even the simple moments that made him happy. It was so convenient for these things to enter his mind now wasn't it? But, he didn't feelregret. It was quite the contrary. He felt happy that he could live on in the hearts of so many people.
  1012.  
  1013. The bottleneck shattered.
  1014.  
  1015. His soulbond was recklessly tugged on, forcing as much power as he could through it at once. Every crease, fold, and opening began to glow from within the beast. A blinding cerulean light that poured from the inside, as Shen filled his body with as much energy as he could muster. More than that. More than his mortal body could handle, more than anyone could feasibly take. He was killing himself.
  1016.  
  1017. The Spawn of the Rift erupted.
  1018.  
  1019. From the inside, an enormous outpour of raw mana lead to a deadly explosion. Pushed out from every direction, chunks of flesh were rocketed out accompanied by a blinding blue light. More brilliant than ever before, a presence so divine that it couldn't have possibly be born from Shen himself. His life for the Emperor.
  1020.  
  1021. When the dust cleared, it revealed a rotting man. Gray hair, flesh burning away from his body and crumbling to ash. Wrinkles and cracks formed on his skin, as if he had lived through his entire mortal life in that moment. The decaying Qilin wore a wistful smile, his last sight being the frozen tundra.
  1022.  
  1023. A ray of light peeked through the clouds, basking him in sunlight for only a moment. Shen looked up, answering his calling and collapsing to his knees. His gaze affixed to the light. Those blue eyes of his glazed over, and his heartbeat slowed to a halt.
  1024.  
  1025. And he died smiling.
  1026. (Shen)
  1027. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1028.  
  1029. [02:21] {Item} You drop Serpent's Caress.
  1030. [02:21] {Item} You picked up Serpent's Caress. Dropped by Ohtli Tezcacoatl. .
  1031. [03:01] Eiphraem was over a century old.
  1032.  
  1033. Perhaps not SAPIENT for a century yet, but he was getting there. After grazing the Nethradin conglomerate with the sliding, poisonous edge of his blade, following through as he drags it around, the demon proves elusive.
  1034.  
  1035. The caustic mists slam shut like a wall as he darts out of range of the bloody, pincering claws, though howling winds part them before long, darkness ebbing and dragging. He zips, using his speed to try to stay in the abomination's blind spots- Positions where it's arms can't reach him.
  1036.  
  1037. His damage is born of experience. The nethradin might not rely on sight, but magical power, and the semisolid flesh was unfortunately, failing to unwind from how many spirits had fused into this essence of yearning. Even so, he realizes what he needs to do- He switches to careful, outwards facing crescents, trying to dive for it's massive back.
  1038.  
  1039. Careful angling. Don't get sprayed by the blood- His hands adjust, his body bends to deliver the solid, flensing arcs that bare and rend chunks of flesh.
  1040.  
  1041. The demon is quicksilver. He moves as the mercury he commands does, and he gets lost in it-
  1042.  
  1043. Until he's almost blown out of the air with a blast.
  1044.  
  1045. A pause- The battlefield is taken in, like a snapshot. Yellow-green eyes absorb the ichor-sprayed Angelo acting as the guard, barriers of holy light and ordered force holding the main attention of the beast, Ohtli's blade struggling to connect, flagging underneath the cursed onslaught when she came too close, the Qilin was- He was going in too hard-
  1046.  
  1047. Eiphraem sheathes Twice Bitten, as he slides up into the air, out of reach. Perhaps- He could run. That would be theoretical.
  1048.  
  1049. It would also be utterly impossible for him. It was simply his nature.
  1050.  
  1051. His massive hand grips the biting, nipping handle of Fool's Cold. It digs into him, pricking his skin with frost almost immediately; like a metal banister frozen in the sleet overnight. It gives that sense of conjoining possession and power, the tyrium greeting it's master with pain and pleasure alike.
  1052.  
  1053. The serpent's armor adjusts, as his flesh fluidifies, flowing out and around to his true size to deliver blows capable of finally dealing damage. The demon's size is still unable to hope to match the nethradin's own, but when he wields the tyrium bastard sword one handed, flipping it in his hand to hold it like a knife, he crashes into it and CARVES down.
  1054.  
  1055. This time, when he cuts-
  1056.  
  1057. He drives out welts of dangerous blood, searing through spirit plasm with the black blade's dearth of mana. Tearing through the laws of Helheim that held it together in a sizzling slash, the mass of the beast is force to yield. The serpent digs in, and he rends, and rends, and rends from above, slathering the ground below heedlessly with cursed blood.
  1058.  
  1059. The realization that he's doing damage, forcing it to scream and roar, to feel anything remotely resembling what he felt while helpless
  1060.  
  1061. is knocked off his face, as one solid swipe of the claws drive him to the earth, spikes greeting him as his rewards.
  1062.  
  1063. His vision practically fuzzes, in a combination of terror and confusion as the darkness infused earth, rendered painfully caustic from the handiwork of all of them even to Eiphraem burns and punches through him from below. The tide turns so fast fear and agony are beaten to Eiphraem's mind by at least several milliseconds by nigh betrayed confusion.
  1064.  
  1065. Crashed to the ground, to say Eiphraem is 'stunned' is an understatement, as only a weak, worthless croak escapes his throat as he tries to scream, only for the air to whistle. Slammed onto old wounds from years ago, his entire vision flickers.
  1066.  
  1067. He actually outright goes unconscious underneath the raw shock, even if it's only for several seconds.
  1068.  
  1069. It leaves him in theposition, twitching as he can't manage to rise, as he tries to force himself, to watch everything,
  1070.  
  1071. He wasn't Shen's intended audience.
  1072.  
  1073. But, held captive by the damage to his own body, he is the one most able to watch. He may not remember it quite correctly. He couldn't quite hear what the Arbiter was saying, and his recollection might fill in the blanks a little differently.
  1074.  
  1075. His body spasms, as instead of being an observer, when Shen leaps in, he feels the burning as he gets out a proper howl of agony, thrashing and impaling himself further on the jagged ground as he twists and rolls, water flushing across his skin and down his eyes.
  1076.  
  1077. When the mouth is averted, and the rumble of energy comes-
  1078.  
  1079. The demon holds up his hand, and when Shen's work bursts it, the biggest spray of the vitals sizzles and goes base, splashing over filthily, clumping, but harmlessly over all three of them; Crashing to reveal that crumbling figure, the blue crashed out of his body in that azure explosion.
  1080.  
  1081. He spasms on the ground, struggling to process what he just witnessed, in Shen's last moments.
  1082.  
  1083. (Eiphraem Kang)
  1084. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1085.  
  1086. [03:02] {Item} You picked up Suffering's End. Dropped by Shen. .
  1087. [03:03] {Item} You picked up Adamantite Amulet. Dropped by Shen. .
  1088. [03:03] {NARRATION} A sacrifice. One life for another. An equal trade, as it were. While all present were terribly wounded, it seemed Angelo would, in thanks to Shen's sacrifice, escape mostly unharmed... Disregarding the burns already suffered. Well, Angelo and Ohtli, the latter blessed by an artifact of her goddess, the protective powers of divine magic shing brightly.
  1089.  
  1090. Blessed that their injuries were light. Damned that the others suffered so grievously for it.
  1091.  
  1092. As the great creature was left exploded, it could be considered luck that gore did not splatter the intrepid party with their acidic nature. An anticlimactic way to be injured... And within the very core of the beast?
  1093.  
  1094. Something shined, its power palpable, impossible to deny. The shining magic of a spire shard, somehow contained within it. Corrupted by its very essence, but still a radiant source of divinity. If only someone were to utilize it.
  1095.  
  1096. As that happened, Zeriel's own magic, finishing what the ritual had begun, came to fruition. The Arcane seethed and countered what had been spawned, fulfilling the criteria of the given literature to the letter. Seperate. Mend. Restore. Like watching an eraser being used on the sky. The ragged hole int he sky, ever so slowly...
  1097.  
  1098. Began to fade. Corruption still remained, but it was faint. Nor did it do anything for the black clouds or the pouring tar, but with hope, the land would mend in time. Or perhaps it would take a similar effort to Eidolon to fix.
  1099.  
  1100. Only time would tell.
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