Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asumit, p2
Log Info
- Title: Renew the Pact: The Hand of Asummit, Part 2
- Emitter: Whirlpool
- Characters: Seldan, Kravar, Merek, Cryosanthia, Cesran, Serene, Karelin
- Place: The Wilderness of Alexandros
- Time: Tuesday, May 11, 2021, 9:24 PM
- Summary: Griva and a bunch of adventurers head out into the wilderness to look at magicite formations that have been appearing along the ley-lines. The group decides the best approach is to draw out the 'magic pus' using a magic poultice that is a rod of absorbtion and explosion, and contemplate how much they want to give up magically to make it so. The adventurers cast spells into the rod, and it does its thing, shocking the area and causing the crystals to dissonate and start to fall. Cryo and Cesran take to the air, the earth erupts with etheral anti-mana and everyone is surrounded by alternate images of themselves, time fragments of potentials. Most get a headache, Merek touches his, and screams. The fragments vanish, and out of the spreading eruption emerges a second Merek more darker and terrible than the first. He intones something in an unknown language, then splits into multiple beings.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Seldan 5'11" 187 Lb Human Male Ginger-blonde human in armor wearing Eluna's symbol.
Merek 5'10" 215 Lb Human Male A black-haired, dusky male with golden eyes.
Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Cesran 6'1" 185 Lb Human Male A tall dark-skinned man
Serene 6'2" 175 Lb Eldanar/Charn Female Glacier meets granite meets strawberries.
Karelin 6'2" 256 Lb Human Male Tattooed Korite warrior. Tall, dark and scarred.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
-=--=--=--=--=--=--= Sirs maybe later =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Kravar 6'2" 220 Lb Human Male Big Aesir Hero...with wings
Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
-=--=--=--=--=--=--= NPCS of Note =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva Brassbringer Khazdi Female Head of the Alexandrian Chapter of the Resurrection Society
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
-=--=--=--=--=--=--= As the GM =--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Whirlpool 5'0" Otyugh I am stinky!
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
Griva sinks the rod into the soft earth and then steps back, nodding towards the others.
"We're going to need to discharge a lot of energy into it, but I think we can dislodge ... enough of whatever's in there. We need to find out more. Now, if you can just cast your magics, or channel energies available into you into it, in enough quantity, we can see what happens. It'll do the trick, I'm sure, now that you've figured out what's going on."
Griva rubs her eyes briefly, as you stand here amongst the crystals that once were raised by the mana flowing in the area. The canyon definitely feels like it's closing in on you, but surely that's your imagination.
"Well... he would suggest fireball." Cryosanthia says, frowning a little. She looks at Griva, "Do you have an idea of how much? You said not too much? How do magic items relate to power of spell circles and any idea the amount? Like, ten? I could cast myself dry but I guess that's not a enough?"
She looks over at Cesran, "And everything I can do barely dents what you're capable of."
Cesran tries to waves everyone back, "Please let me go first, hopefully it will only take one of my spells and the rest of you can save your magic and power for whatever comes out of the cyst." He hmms, 'Well a rod of absorption can hold a great deal of magic, it would take multiple high powered spells for me to fill up an empty one. I would like to try first, perhaps one extremely powerful spell will draw it out that way everyone else can spend their powers to defeat it." He offers as he starts to gather himself for the casting.
Basically, it's channeling the spell levels of the spell into the rod. Enough spell levels will do the trick, but obviously, what is used should be considered. Magical items will also help. It will take more than nine levels, or ten. Somewhere north of 25 spell levels should do the trick.
GAME: Merek casts Lunar Veil. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21 (SL 7) GAME: Merek casts Fireball. Caster Level: 13 DC: 18 (SL 3) GAME: Merek casts Lightning Bolt. Caster Level: 13 DC: 18 (SL 3)
Merek looks then to Cryosanthia and holds up a finger, "Well, that's not necessarily true. The essence within all people is unique, and sure while one of sufficient power could... It's likely best we all share the burden together." The man nods a bit, while he begins to lift a hand up towards that magical rod, to begin channeling. "Will you channel with me?" he asks of the sith'makar. A triangle begins to form with a sigil in front of him, the magic flowing into the piece while he watches.
Serene's gryphon touches down near enough for his beating wings to whip about some cloaks and toss around some hair... he hasn't quite settled when Serene swings her leg over and slips from his saddle. "I was unable to see anything while I circled, but the aura of wrongness has not left," she reports, narrowing her eyes a little bit as she absorbs what appears to be the tail end of a discussion. Or a plan.
GAME: Karelin used a Gauntlet of Rust. (SL 8)
Karelin pulls off his left gauntlet, and produces a hat from his pack. Adding in two potion bottles, he makes a little pouch. Then, grimacing, he steps forwards.
GAME: Cesran casts Polar Ray. Caster Level: 20 DC: 32 (SL 8) GAME: Cesran casts Meteor Swarm. Caster Level: 20 DC: 33 (SL 9) GAME: Cesran casts Project Image. Caster Level: 20 DC: 29 (SL 7)
Cesran finishes readying him and he extend his staff. He shouts a word in arcane and the eyes of his staff light up with red fire as the mouth of the crystal dragon head opens up wide. It starts out a small bead of molten fire, like one would see from a fireball, but then it expands into a large ball, almost 2 feet in diameter of swirling first. It shoots from the mouth and slams into the rod of absorption. A second quickly follows and then a third and finally a fourth. Cesran isn't done yet as he gathers himself up again and this time the eyes of the staff turn a chilly pale blue as frost escapes from the dragon's mouth. A beam of intensely cold energy shoots forth and strikes the rod, causing ice crystals to form around it as the spell's energy is absorbed. Finally Cesran leans on his staff and moves to kneel down on the ground making himself comfortable. He leans on his staff to help keep him up as he casts his third spell in a row. An exact duplicate of Cesran rises up leaving the kneeling form and heads towards the rod of absorption. The copy moves over to to touch the rod and then disappears. Cesran opens his eyes and rises up, brushing off his robes. "So how does it look?" He asks.
The whitescale says, "I could cast everything I've got."
Cesran says, "That's too many. Maybe do one of each of your circles for the moment, if it doesn't come out others can add more."
Serene says, "Do we know if channelling positive energy would help?"
Seldan says, "Hold on. I have have a number of scrolls that I purchased and never used." Scrolls targeted for a specific purpose, and are unlikely to be useful now that the purpose for which they were purchased is at an end.
GAME: Cryosanthia casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 10 DC: 15 (SL 1) GAME: Cryosanthia casts Acid Arrow. Caster Level: 10 DC: 16 (SL 2) GAME: Cryosanthia casts Ablative Barrier. Caster Level: 10 DC: 17 (SL3) <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "6 spell level totals" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "37 isn't quite enough, but you're close :)" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "43 will trigger it." GAME: Seldan casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 16 DC: 24
"I... no." Cryosanthia shies away from Merek, shaking her head. "I've got things wrong with my magic right now. More wrong with this place. I don't want to channel with anyone. I'll cast separate."
The whitescale looks over at Serene as she lands, acknowledging her report. Followed by a long stare as Cesran casts. Her hands find themselves clasped together, fingers rubbing over each other. Her head is dipped slightly, she glances at the Mage, the Seer, Griva.
"Is that enough? Do you need more? How much more? I could cast almost everything I have, that would match Cesran's contribution, more or less..."
She flips both her hands through graceful motions, traces patterns in the air, sways in place, doing a small dance. Her scales start to twinkle with lights, tracing from her chest outwards, from her back. Spiralling and cascading they grow in intensity as the spell energy gathers at her fingertips. Three dramatic gestures, each with a pose and a shout, and the spells are cast at the rod. After, scales continue to flicker and flash here and there.
Karelin pours out two potions, then lays his left gauntlet on the smear. There's a surge of magical energy, then he steps back to a good distance, watching and waiting for the other spell energy to be discharged. In the meantime, he wipes his hand on his cloak, and loosens his warblade in its scabbard.
Serene watches the others pour magic energies into the rod, but doesn't step forth herself. For one, there seems to be no shortage of power being offered... for another, well, her expression isn't entirely successful at hiding the unease she still feels. She remains beside Silver, ready to take to the air at a moment's notice.
While the others cast, Seldan rifles through a collection of scrolls fished from a blue-capped case in his bag, a collection both odd and rather extensive, unusually so. His expression is set and focused as he leafs through them, but eventually shakes his head and tucks the lot back in his bag. He is patient and focused, waiting until others have finished and stepped aside before raising his own hand.
He draws a complex series of interlocking sigils before him, then speaks several arcane phrases. The sigils shimmer an odd, unstable green before him, and he touches one with the palm of his hand. When he does, it seems to - fold up. Collapse before him, condensing itself into a single bead in the palm of his hand. A boyish smile spreads across his features when it does, a look of pure unbridled joy seldom seen as he points at the rod of absorption, sending that green shimmer streaking towards it.
As the magic is cast into it, the rod seems to heat up. Glow ever more brightly. Eventually, the metal of is cracking white, like it's molten-hot, and it's radiating that level of heat.
Then the ground around you seems to start shaking. The crystal pillars start to tople and crackle all around you in turn, all vibrating with the same harmoy.
As the ground shakes Cesran waves to the others, "I can carry three on my carpet comfortably, more if we squeeze, although we might not get very high." He says as he makes sure his magic carpet is ready to go as he watches the shaking and toppling of pillars, "This might not be the safest place to be!" He tries to shout over the sound, it's manly shout of course.
GAME: Merek casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 13 DC: 20 GAME: Merek casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 13 DC: 20 GAME: Merek casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 13 DC: 20 GAME: Merek casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 13 DC: 20
Merek looks from the hood to Cryosanthia and nods a bit, "Just remember, emotions can affect magic." The man then takes a look about the place, then he considers while he places a hand before one of the toppling walls, beginning to form a field of what looks like magic, the wall shimmering to protect the place, then he draws another three, though he keeps a space open to escape from when they need to be about their way. This means that he can't really focus on that magical rod. It looks like the wall is growing a little bit dim, while it crackles with white energy.
"That should keep the crystals away while we finish the task, Griva will tell all of us when it's complete, if you need to flee then do so." The man seems to be pretty adamant about remaining to watch. He's under a Geas, who can say why he does what he does anymore, all he knows really is that he needs to protect people, and if that keeps danger on him, then that's alright with the mage.
"Oh! Um! I can almost fly. Merek and Seldan can, and Silverguard Serene has Silver. Take Griva and the others Cesran." Cryosanthia catalogues the abilities. The crystals are fascinating, she has so many ideas!
Ideas she'd like to try out at a distance. She's about to jump when... walls of force go up. She ends up staring at the Seer as he calmly lectures her about emotions. There's a lot more flickering across her, and her highlight scales stay lit longer and longer. What the hell did they do to him. She stares upwards, no ceiling. Thank the Silver Empress. "Remember the tar comes after they explode, and they're about to explode. Up sounds good."
She jumps upwards... and keeps floating up.
Between the walls of force and more, the toppling of the crystals into their component shards and dust is not really an issue, except for the whole breathing in crystal dust thing, but that's a problem for future-you rather than the immediate you.
Actually, wait, speaking of future-you...
For a moment, everything seems to double. There are ... more of you, now, all around you. In various states suggestive of battle and injury. You can see each other,and their duplicats, like you're seeing double, triple, quadruple. They're talking, all of them, their whispery, gossamer voices and diaphnous natures making them see like echoes of the past ... or the future, all around you. Slight differences between them, a scar or hairstyle or more, makes clear you're seeing yourselves .. just a little ...varied.
GAME: Merek rolls perception: (12)+25: 37 GAME: Cesran rolls perception: (12)+24: 36 GAME: Serene rolls perception: (3)+25: 28 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (17)+7: 24 GAME: Cryosanthia rolls perception: (13)+8: 21
What is visible is very magical! Like seeing fragments of time. Could have beens and never weres and might bes.
Cesran winces as pain shoots through his head like a bolt of lightning. He closes his eyes as he leans on the staff, "Careful if you have magic sights on." He manages to get out as he starts to rub his forehead and temple with one hand as he grips his staff with the other. He takes slow deep breathes as he tries to ride out the pain.
Serene doesn't move much, though she does retain one hand upon the pommel of Silver's saddle. And the great gryphon has remained crouched to make for an swift mount and take-off as need be. But Serene remains as she is, noting the thrum of the crystals, their cracking surfaces. Merek's magic walls going up, and Cryosanthia's precaution of getting airborn. Cesran's preparation of his flying carpet. And then there are the images... through it all, Serene tries to focus on the sense of wrongness that has been with her since enterying the valley.
As the crystal dust begins to fill the air all around them, Seldan frowns, then quickly digs into his pack and pulls out a heavy chain, much bigger than the piece of white bark on a cord he'd been wearing. He switches the two out, depositing the smaller one back in his pack for the moment and quickly closing the pack. No explanation is forthcoming, but he looks around at the others, and the images.
"Future possibilities, mayhaps," he decides, remarking to the others, watching with mingled fascination and confusion. "But ... there are so many ... is this why She does not reveal the future plainly to us?" Unthinkingly, he turns his head towards Serene. "And yet, some are more likely than others...do they appear more often, perhaps?" He blinks in confusion. "Is this ... Her view of what may be?"
Cesran takes a moment of not looking at the fragments enough for his head to stop trying to split itself apart. He takes some deep breathes as the pain starts to very slowly recede although he keeps his eyes covered and tries to avoid looking at any of them, "They are us or what might have been us. They are the fragments of possibility, paths that we never took, different outcomes to events that have or might have happened. I wouldn't suggest interacting with them, just looking at them makes my head feel like it's going to tear itself in two."
"What She see is likely much, much more... but this is likely as close as our mortal minds could come to understanding," Serene says after a moment, responding to Seldan. Her gaze drifts to Griva. "We should not be seeing this. The archmage is correct. "
You paged (Cesran, Whirlpool) with 'I would like to: Coordinate with my alternate could have been never weres and might bes, by starting to perform/dance, using pulsing Dancing lights to set the beat, then all of us do a Bollywood routine, and using Ghost Sound, hit the Crystal Harmonics and make them explode.' <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so... Whirl, can I roll perform?" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "Whatever for?" <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "the coordinated Bollywood dance routing between me and all my alternate selves." <OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I'll synch up our timelines that way" <OOC> Serene says, "Haha nice." <OOC> Whirlpool says, "You can certainly dance. It won't have any impact on the other you's, however. :)" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "(Cute thinking thoughg!)" GAME: Cryosanthia rolls perform/dance: (20)+21: 41
Cryosanthia's jump continues, she floats upwards and is able to look down across the crystal field. The crackling and electricity is jumping between them. Not only that, she's surrounded, by her selves.
Similar, yet all different. Slight variations in her choice of clothing, scale patterns, ridges and horns. Some younger, much younger with her original corrupt tattoos. Most, similar, causing her to wonder who they are. Versions of her that could have been, never were, might be. Did so many succumb to Her that the majority are older.
Her hurts, a lot. She clenches, squeezes her eyes shut. And a thought drifts, Ceinara's teaching. Make the best of it. Well there's never going to be so many versions of herself together in one place again. She casts so quickly her scales start strobing. Dancing lights appear around her, pulsing to a quick beat. She starts to dance, floating in the sky. Another cast, and there's a musical beat surrounding her. "Come on Me! DANCE!"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Cryo does a great dance." <OOC> Cesran says, "the dc was 42."
Merek looks to the myriad forms of him that appear in the sight of magic, while he watches each. The man looks up to Cryosanthia, well he knew that people would be flying, he kept that pretty open. What does it mean that one would see all possibilities. The man has seen so much of the world, broken that he is, a hand lifts up to reach forward to a few of them while he places the next hand along to another. "Alright, at least let me know. In knowing, knowledge is power.
When the abyss comes staring, the man stares right back into it. Because he has nothing left to lose, he remembered that from what the Illithid took from him, the memories. If he has nothing left to lose, he is a man which will always need something to gain. "Show me Truth."
Seldan watches the myriad images of himself, of others, in fascinated and reverent silence, for the space of several more seconds, not bothering to offer answer to any of the others. The understanding settles deep within him. Her answers are unclear, not because She wishes to withhold, but because each future holds infinite possibilities, and the only truth is that which is most likely given current circumstances. _Oh._
Gradually, though, as he absorbs this, that sense of _wrong_ that had been with him since they found this place filters again to the front of his mind, and he shakes himself, his eyes narrowing as he focuses once again. "Truly is Her wisdom infinite ... but our task is not yet done."
Merek, looked into the abyss indeed, while he takes a moment to watch the hands of his, then he begins to feel something. He winces a bit, then all of the sudden both hands come to his face while he screams, an echoing scream that seems to resound along everything. His whole body seems to be shaking while he places both hands to the ground, kneeling. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"
The man tries to back up while he watches the images, then he feels that wrongness, the one that seems to begin forming upon him, it's like the man was made of glass, like the world was indescribably in its purest sense not right. The images, the pieces, they begin tearing the man apart within while he tries to piece together his mind, tears flowing to the crystals while he watches the place, the face wrap that covers his eyes letting them shine through with their mystical golden and bluish glow while he watches.
The effect does not linger long. Ten, fifteen seconds. Long enough for curiousity and bad decisions, it would seem.
...that's about the time the ground starts shaking. Violently.
GAME: Seldan rolls reflex: (1)+23: 24 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Merek rolls reflex: (7)+12: 19 GAME: Serene rolls reflex: (7)+28: 35 GAME: Karelin rolls reflex: (7)+16: 23 GAME: Serene rolls 1d20+16: (11)+16: 27 (Siver Reflex) <OOC> Cesran says, "If we are flying or hovering above the ground do we still need to make it" <OOC> Whirlpool says, "If you're flying, no need to roll, I'd say."
When Merek drops to his knees in agony, Seldan looks down at him, but doesn't get anything out before the ground jerks wildly under his feet, sending him sprawling to the ground, an uncontrolled fall that clocks his head nastily into the ground at his feet with a sharp *crack*.
Karelin tries to stay standing, but he can't manage it, and goes first to his knees and then to his side, shaking along with the earth.
Cryosantha continues to hover and do her sky-dance. Somewhat disappointingly, she's not joined by her other selves. It makes her question if they are really her; she knows she would join in if another was. Simply let go the tension, the worry and doubt, and move.
Then her alternate selves vanish, but her dance goes on.
Below, Merek screams, the ground shakes, she hears the crack of Seldan's head, grimaces in sympathy. "Up! You need to get off the ground, something bad is happening." As if they needed to be told the obvious. "Cesran! Can you help?"
She floats, watching, unable to help.
Cesran is able to avoid the shaking on the ground as he's floating above the ground on his carpet. He nods, "Of course." He says as he moves his magic carpet closer to those that have fallen, "Come on let's get you up and off the ground." He says as he holds out his hand to help those that are still on the ground up onto the magic carpet.
THE GROUND CRACKS.
It splits open in a sudden spasm and erupts in a spray of magical energ that directs itself upwards in a violent surge of mana, followed by a spray of energy that's thick and viscious and black *feeling*. It's all quite ethereal, but visible. The collapsed crystals now offer a new harmony from them, a dischordant, painfully dischordant, screeching and scratching.
"What... what *is* that?" muses Griva, staring at the energy. "It's not exactly mana. It's like mana, but ... empty, somehow."
Merek looks to the geyser of magic that spills forth from the open earth, and nods a bit to the party from the hood while he tries to keep himself together in thought. "The... Time and space, that means..." Then he takes a look along to that mana that is and isn't. "It's not sourced from this world, it's not supposed to be. It's not supposed to be. It's... Wrong, it doesn't belong in this world."
Then he takes a look along the skies, "The time magic, Griva. You said something was... Messing with it, what if this is a result of that?" he asks.
It takes Seldan a moment to pick himself up, but he shakes his head at Cesran slowly. "Take those that cannot fly on their own." He draws a deep breath and focuses, with an effort. A pair of massive, white angel wings unfold from his back, and he holds until they are completely unfurled before moving to spring up into the sky on his own.
....when the eruption ends, a single figure emerges from the hole in the earth. He seems molten, at first, his form uncertain and sloughing energy off. He emerges from the ground and then straightens up, striding out of it. Slowly. As the magic drains away, bit by bit, it becomes apparent that he is a familiar figure.
...it's... Merek?
This Merek seems solid enough, unlike the phantasmal images that came before. He pauses a moment, then smiles.
A slow look around, studying the vicinity, studying you. As each of the adventurer's meet his eyes, it becomes clear that this Merek has ... something ... different about him... but exactly what isn't clear. He's clearly a variant of Merek. His face is scarred. An eye is missing, an empty socket alone in its place. There's a lack of color to him, and a haggardness so like the Merek amongst you but different somehow in how he wears its burden.
Karelin pushes himself to his feet, then wings sprout from his heels and he rises up into the air. He pulls out his warblade, and holds it low, watching warily.
GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/the planes: (11)+12: 23 GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/arcana: (17)+18: 35
Cryo flinches! She pulls back from the eruption of magic, in as much as she can while hovering, staring with glowing eyes at the energy contained and escaping. The sense of it, having a thickness, a flow, a feeling. The screeching of the crystals does not help, offending her musical sensibilities and hurting her ears. No way to straighten the crystals out.
Then... It's Merek.
Her jaw drops, and she simply stares. Her dance ends. A molten Merek, forming into one that's familiar enough... yet somehow been through worse.
Her headache slams back. "I... ah! Merek! I'm sorry I haven't been there for you lately. There's just so much and I don't know what to do, and now there's two of you. Ack. Gah! Ah. Sorry! Sorry! I told you you should have quit adventuring!"
Behold, the skilled diplomat at work.
Karelin stares at the eruption of power, then the figure moving beyond. He swings his scarred face around towards Merek. "Who'd you piss off?" Then, he hangs in the sky, watching the not-Merek warily.
Seldan's too busy fighting the eruption of _wrongness_ and getting himself airborne to take stock of anything else, and only once he is hovering does he look down and see what the others are talking about, shaking himself somewhat like a wet dog as the crystal dissonance rips through him. He may not be musical in the slightest, but it still hurts.
"Seer-" He looks back and forth between Merek and not-Merek. "What-" He trails off, at a loss for words.
Merek looks to the new Merek, and thinks about it for a moment, "That's about right. Well, I was right about timeline and all," the man notes. Then he takes a look along to the molten man, "Well, aren't you roguishly handsome," he offers. Then he lifts up both fingers to fingergun at that alternate reality him. The mage looks up to Cryosanthia, "Thank you. It's alright, you... Are there for me, you're a great friend." To Karelin, "I don't know. Probably a demon duke, a few powerful magi. Probably vampire people, you know what." He nods then to Cesran and Seldan, "At this point, I just learned to accept the madness and chaos that is me."
Serene manages to keep to her feet as the ground rumbles, due in no small part to the support of her leoavian ally. Then, perhaps in response to the calls to get airborne, she slips back into Silver's saddle.. but the two don't immediately take off. For a figure has emerged. A new Merek. She settles her gaze upon him, eyes intent... definitely not an improved Merek. "Keep your distance!" she warns sharply, slipping her shield back to her left arm. Then she points at... dark Merek. "Why are you here?"
Merek speaks. It speasks for a few moments. You can not undertand what he's saying, actually. It's a langauge that sounds like your own, but isn't. It's all muddled up. Familiar enough to make you think you can grasp it, but different enough that you can't.
Then he makes a non-comittal sound before he tilts to the side at the waist, and then splits open with a thunderous, bone wrenching crack. A second form erupts from the split ripped open in Merek's torso where he bent to the side and in fact begins tro grow in size, flesh spilling out of him. As the form bloats and further gains in mass, faces and arms and bodies and eyes begin to erupt all along it. Familiar faces.
Your faces, as if Merek had consumed each of you. Screaming. Grasping.
"Okay, well that's not so handsome me," Merek admits while he takes a look to everyone, then the thing that takes the man's face and has devoured all of their faces. The man takes a small bottle of whiskey from his pocket and justs drinks it, "Right then," he offers to Serene, "In that case. Let's kill me, I have quite the bone to pick with that guy. The others, not so much, try and not look at them guys." Then he walks forward with the hood upon him. Nethicite chains, Geas. Iron Hells, a time beyond time and space. The divination of the thing that brought all of them to this place.
At this point, the man seems to consider everything that's he's been through up to that point, "Well," he slams a fist into his palm, "Embrace it, and fight!" The man prepares to face off with himself and its many faces of his friends.
Combatty
===================== Current Initiative Order - Round 1 =====================
---Init--Name------------AOO-Notes--------------------------------------------
25 Cesran 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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23 Griva Brassbrin
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21 Cryosanthia 5 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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19 Karelin 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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18 Hollowed Merek
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14 Seldan 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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8 Merek 1 Flat-footed (0 rnds active)
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OOC
<OOC> Cryosanthia hopes against hope, "might perform/percussion help with the crystals, like they are wind chimes?"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I'm not clear on what you're trying to 'help' with?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "help them crack and explode? Oh, they're crackling, not cracking"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "As we saw last time they are very fragile."
<OOC> Serene says, "I'm sure nothing terrible will happen from being at ground zero in a crystaline explosion."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Anyhow, remembered, I wanted to use Ghost Sound to hit the harmonic frequency of the crystals with a loud noise."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that's how perform/precussion related."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Not explode. They're just toppling."
To (Whirlpool, Cryosanthia), Cesran pages: Do I see any with a fez or a long scarf? Any blue boxes? Any with an evil looking goatee?
To (Cesran, Cryosanthia), Whirlpool pages: ...no.
To (Cesran, Cryosanthia), Cesran pages: That's good...wait that's not good, that means I'm the evil Cesran.
To (Whirlpool, Cryosanthia), Cesran pages: That's good...wait that's not good, that means I'm the evil Cesran.
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "well, it shall be something."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Thanks for running wp."
<OOC> Merek says, "ya ty!"
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods "Very, very interesting. I still think my dancing should have sychronized the spheres. :)"
<OOC> Merek says, "i think the ghost idea was interesting too with harmonizing"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Alas, no, Cryo :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "It was a clever idea but wouldn't work."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "I hope you're enjoying it, Ces :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "This is, after all, all a result of your efforts."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "Without your map this plot would not have occurred. :)"
<OOC> Cesran says, "Oh I am, I was just a bit distracted tonight, multitasking between this and work."
<OOC> Cesran says, "I'm glad my idea got some use."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "That's fine, Ces! I just like to make clear :)"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "So that was a thing he made as a legwork or something?"
<OOC> Cesran says, "Yep, heard about the shards of animus plot going on, had my own unique take on trying to solve it, which lead to this."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Neat. None of my ideas have been successful"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so cool that it's possible"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "That's not entirely true, Cryo :)"
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "You're participating in a useful way!"
<OOC> Merek says, "You've contributed, ya."
<OOC> Merek says, "Just not the neat plans but definitely you've been a help."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Very much so, icly Cesran is very impressed with everyone here."
<OOC> Cesran says, "As am I oocly. :D"
<OOC> Merek says, "Karelin's a warrior and he's a great help too, everyone's put in something and I like that."
<OOC> Merek says, "And the plot is hardly over."
<OOC> Merek says, "So there's plenty of chances for others and cool moments."
<OOC> Karelin grins. it's just fun to knock the dust off of K, but he's good for standing in the way of bad things
<OOC> Cesran says, "I'm trying my best not to overwhelm everyone. I am trying to just take a back seat and play alone, help where I'm needed."
<OOC> Whirlpool says, "You are fine Cesran"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Thanks, did need to hear."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "thanks for the RP all, must sleep, will have this up in a while."
<OOC> Merek says, "I get to pull out the 'who is this roguishly handsome fellow' to yourself line."
<OOC> Merek says, "I have succeeded in something special in life."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that is amusing"
<OOC> Merek says, "and now everyone has to kill me."
<OOC> Merek says, "just be glad you didn't touch them"
<OOC> Merek says, "that was"
<OOC> Merek says, "a bad idea"
<OOC> Merek says, "Merek has consumed all and become the Devouring Worm of Dimensions."
<OOC> Merek says, "What other reaction could Merek have at this point besides."
<OOC> Merek says, "Literally just 'done'."
<OOC> Cesran says, "Also Merek Cesran would be happy to give you some therapy, his rates are very reasonable."
GAME: Cesran rolls heal: (11)+4: 15
<OOC> Cesran says, "Good news, I don't screw you up more. ;)"
Merek pages: I also am getting semi-permanent debuffs for now for it.
Merek pages: No he touched his alternate timeline selves.
Merek pages: like directly by hand
Long distance to Merek: Cryosanthia nods
Merek pages: so ya
Merek pages: it messed with his mind
<OOC> Merek says, "I simply enjoy putting Merek through the ringer."
<OOC> Merek says, "It's all to prepare him for the next step."
<OOC> Karelin grins.
<OOC> Merek says, "SORCERER-KING MEREK."
<OOC> Merek says, "Legally Not Dark Sun tm"