Oketra's booming voice once again echoes over the small crowd of initiates awaiting the beginning of the newest set of Trials.
"The Trial of Solidarity is about to begin. The task I set to you is simple: you shall make your way as a group towards the obelisk you have spent years creating together, and then you must climb to the top of said obelisk to retrieve the arrow I shall place within it and bring it to me where I await you, on the other side of the maze."
She stops for a moment, bringing up her massive bow and notching an arrow in it before taking aim at the top of your obelisk poking above the edge of the maze. You watch the arrow fly true, straight towards her target, and bury itself in the works sstone of the monument you created.
"I need not remind you that I shall be watching the whole time. May the God-Pharoah watch over you as you compete this Trial."
And with that, the doors to the maze are opened before you by a horse of Anointed, revealing the inside of what appears to be exactly as advertise: a maze of worked marble.
Ankhet yips twice in excitement. She raises her blade to the sky, faces her crop-mates and exclaims loudly:
"The time has come! The moment we have been waiting for! Our first trial begins, my crop-mates, the first step towards our destiny! Gather close, and together we shall triumph!"
She speaks quietly for a moment, almost praying. "Oketra, we will make you proud. Hazoret, I embrace this trial with open arms. Orkhet... I will see you in the afterlife, my brother."
She raises her voice again, loudly rallying her crop-mates. "For the trials! For our crop! For the GOD-PHARAOH!"
Ankhet then faces the maze and steps inside.
Zharifa follows Ankhet inside, keeping her eyes open for any challenges within the maze.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Kierna flinches slightly at Ankhet's thundering enthusiasm, and follows the khenra at a measured place into the maze. She had never quite gotten used to the khenra's raw fervor, keeping her own devotion a quiet, yet equally as strong armor around her soul. The crop's enigmatic mage-warrior is, as always, clad in a veritable armory of magical items of simple, practical make. The circlet around her flowing black hair is a simple burnished silver, the belt leather cord with some caracal whiskers woven into it, an amulet with a serpopard scale dangling from the iron chain around her neck, and a steel band inscribed with arcane runes around her left index finger. Perhaps the only concession made to fashion is Kierna's odd, long coat, blue silk interwoven with tough leather and gold. When pressed on how she manages to survive in such heavy garb, Kierna stutters out some arcane nonsense about enchantment, variable temperature, and abjuration fields. Most simply tune out before she's done explaining. Three wands are stowed in specially-crafted sheaths at the side of Kierna's longcoat, and up her billowing left sleeve is an odd contraption holding her second weapon of choice, a rather powerful wand that projects a whip of electricity when activated. Her first weapon of choice, an oddly shaped blade that Kierna simply had one day and refused to explain where she got it, hangs at her side.
Your cropmate herself is something of an enigma. Kierna mostly keeps to herself, always busy with tinkering with her magical armory, or experimenting with spells, or obsessively training. She's shy to a fault, preferring to stay quiet during crop gatherings. Despite her unassuming demeanor, it is unwise to underestimate Kierna: the crop has once seen her dance around a hulking minotaur when he challenged the "puny human" to a duel, leading him on until he completely exhausted himself. And that's saying nothing about her raw offensive capabilities: Kierna has done some quite frankly horrifying things with that curved, obsidian-black blade of hers, and you've occasionally caught her practicing devastating magic when she thinks she's alone. You don't know much about her personal life, and it's easy to assume that Kierna doesn't have one.
In the present, Kierna keeps herself eagle eyed (although not nearly as much as the one actually related to birds) while looking for dangers, and begins analyzing the structure of the maze.
"Well, here we are... now to keep watch on any useful information that I can pass along. For Amonkhet!"
As one of her companions leads the way, Amenset cast a defensive spell and follows. She's here for the trials, but also to find clues on a possible alternative to this infinite carnage and sacrifice. Of course, not all of her ideas are to be shared...
Arona Remains as stone faced as she always has, walking up to the front, easily surpassing the enthusiastic Khrena and taking point. quiet. This may be our first but this is still a trial. People die during these. And if we prance around announcing our presence to every obstacle in the way then we are going to wear ourselves thin quite quickly... she says.
Arona has always been a cold and calculating member of this group... Her eyes always watching, looking for weakness. Her scrutiny wasn't for lack of use either...
Arona pulls out a violet stone, and let's it float in the air above her head. I suggest we stay together, and stay quiet... Who knows what they have laid down to stop our progress.
"Stoic as always, crop-sister," Ankhet remarks with an unsurprised smile. "You lead, I'll follow. And we all stay together, of course! Solidarity is our trial! It shall be our strength this day!" She pats Arona on the back once. "And as for silent... Remember to whom you speak, crop-sister! In travels, of course, but in combat, never!" she laughs as if being quiet during combat was the silliest suggestion she's ever heard. She glances behind at the group to make sure we're all here.
"What do your keen eyes see, Zharifa?"
Noticing Kierna examining the walls, she asks, "Did you discover anything, Kierna?"
Arona sighs, slipping into the shadows,
She stays close to the group, but slightly ahead in case some enemies in wait.
She listens closely and watches where she can.
The opening hall of the maze is actually deceptively wide, appearing to about 50 feet wide for almost 150 feet before slimming down and breaking off into multiple smaller passages.
There are multiple statues and murals depicting Oketra and her viziers in various acts of solidarity and defense of the Hekma, most of which have managed to stay intact despite the signs of many combats in this room that someone has attempted to hide.
Within a few seconds of exploring and looking around the opening chamber, a loud explosion of fire can be heard above you, and looking up grants you a vision of a creature that would certainly impressive had you not seen the gods themselves.
But this figure is still an awe-inspiring sight, for its six golden wings frame a very fit humanoid body, which is accompanied by a large staff that ends in the curling horns of the God-Pharoahs monument.
"Initiates." it speaks out, somehow being heard from what must be stories above the maze. "The Trial of Solidarity has begun, and you must be tested immediately."
The figure waves his arm down towards you, and a blinding wall of light appears in front of you, and the pack of Anointed behind you simultaneously make their presence known in a loud cacophony of sounds out of what mouths they may have left.
The anointed are locked in here with us. We will be forced to face them in battle, apparently.
I dislike it, for I do not want to sever anyone from their eternal life, but ... we must destroy them.
The other choice is to proceed through the barrier, which will be quite harmful. I don't know. Perhaps we will need to do both, but better to face the enemy first so we do not get caught between them, perhaps? What say you, my brothers and sisters?
I can channel to harm them, but to use it most effectively, they all must be within 30 feet of me. If we can manage that, I think that it should be quite effective, which will give us breathing room to face the barrier.
One of the other initiates answers Zharifa, calling out an answer over the roar. "Fear not, sister, the Anointed are not worthy of the Afterlife we are fighting for!"
Shall half of us go out to meet them and allow ourselves to be surrounded, and then have the rest of you drive them inward, so that the channelling can get the maximum amount of effectiveness?
"Agreed, crop-mates! To BATTLE! FOR THE GOD PHARAOH!" Ankhet exclaims, inspiring her allies to fight bravely.
With her sword held high Ankhet shouts, "Hazoret, bless us! Let loose the fervour in our souls!" As she speaks her weapon becomes ablaze with flames, as do all of her allies.
Ankhet moves her off hand in strange patterns, forming sigils with her fingers, and drawing the power of the firm mountains up from the ground and into her body. The mana flows through her hot and wild, pooling in her hands as she utters arcane words of power. She raises her fist, holding it out before her, and then opens her fingers suddenly, causing a massive fireball to explode over the zombies.
fire damage.
"Um, stay clear," Kierna mumbles as she sees Ankhet weaving her destructive spell, and takes the opportunity to cast protective enchantments around herself with whispered words of power and twitching hands. A shimmering blue field appears around Kierna, and taking a deep breath, she draws her blade, and without a word from Kierna it begins vibrating in anticipation, making a blur in the air as cerulean and crimson energy crackles up and down the odd, black metal. With a flick of her wrist, a stone wand flies into her hand from the inside of her sleeve, and Kierna settles into a battle stance as she wracks her brain for what she knows of the combat-embalmed Anointed.
Zharifa shrugs, wishing things were otherwise, but accepting that she is on her own with the plan, and knowing that running to the middle of the anointed would be suicide alone, she gets out her bow. Her revised plan is to shoot them until they get here and then channel when enough of them get close.
Arona Scoffs. If I was alone I could simply walk past them... But it seems I ham held back... The Anointed are hard to predict... I'll have to be careful when fighting them... she grabs the bo Staff from her back and goes into her stance, fluid like a Naga. She watches the undead approach, and wills her Ioun stone not hide her from them.
Round One:
Round Two:
Given the situation, Amenset would have preferred to just focus on the barrier, but when the anointed start moving towards her crop-mates...
"Um. How inconvenient. I think we should get rid of those. Try to stay away from melee for a small while, crop-mates, while I conjure a proper spell..."
Also, I'm not sure how good an idea is to use non-lethal damage vs undead...
"Not subject to nonlethal damage, ability drain, or energy drain. Immune to damage to its physical ability scores (Constitution, Dexterity, and Strength), as well as to exhaustion and fatigue effects."
The two Fireballs easily tear through the horde of undead which just moments ago looked so threatening, leaving most of the Anointed as piles of burnt ash, and whichever ones did survive are easily dispatched by hand after they are crippled by the flames.
You hear the voice of the being above you once more, as he compliments you on completing the first combat of the Trial.
"Be wary, though, not all the enemies here shall be as easily dispatched as the others. Go forth, and find your path through the maze."
With that, he waves his hand over the Barrier, and it disappears, revealing the path forward once more.
"Ahah!" Ankhet exclaims proudly. "We're off to a good start!"
If anyone else is good at survival, Ankhet calls them forward, with a "Come, ______! Let us join our skills as one to find the way forward! Oketra be praised!"
Arona follows the others, smashing a fallen Anointed as she passes it. She doesn't say anything... Typically she didn't have to track anything so she hadn't thought of training in it...
However she seems (like always) to do it naturally with utterly precise skill.
"Well done, Arona, as always!" Ankhet exclaims enthusiastically, allowing her better to lead the way forward.
"Well done, Zharifa! Your keen eyes see much!"
Kierna blinks as the Anointed are blown away, and sighs as she feels her arcane power going to waste. She follows the rest of the group, following the lead of the more direction-savvy.
Not being really good at wilderness skills, Amenset follows the experts while casting a preemptive spell.
Arona looks back to those who waisted their power and sighs. when one uses your energy, you must make sure you need it first. Wasting your power before you use it can only lead to disaster she says, trying to be helpful. In the future, only cast your spells if you need it. The Anointed are a simple task. I'm sure they would not have even harmed you had we not destroyed them utterly... Save your spells for something worse, like a Chimera or a Manticore... Something that isn't easily dispatched...
Kierna shrinks back at Arona's rebuke, looking away. "You're right, s-sorry. I panicked back there." She rubs her arm and stares at her sandals, shying away from the other group members.
"Words of wisdom, indeed, Arona. But not all of us are so patient. Hazoret blesses the fervent! And I, for one, have earned his favour!"
Zharifa moves between Kierna and Arona, addressing the latter.
Have some compassion. We are all still striving for perfection. None of us are there yet. We would do well to work together and encourage each other rather than tearing each other down. This, after all, is a test of our unity, not of how well we can berate one another.
Arona Scoffs. If you don't want my wisdom than don't take it... Let's move, before more monsters arrive... And quietly... I don't want to draw the attention of anything worse than an Anointed...
Ankhet pats Kierna on the back. "Zharifa speaks truth. We all strive to be worthy. And what works for one, will not work for all. That is why unity is paramount. Together, we can accomplish anything. Ones strengths covers the others weaknesses."
Ankhet nods and then hurries off after Arona, sneaking quietly through the maze, while helping guide the way forward.
The hallway continues deeper into Oketra's monument before branching off into multiple different paths, with only one being the correct way to your obelisk.
The crowd of initiates moving through the hallway are mostly confused on which path is the right one, at least up until Zharifa's sharp eyes manage to catch what appears to me a hint as to which way to go: something moved through one of the passages, something big. And it was dragging or pushing something along the floor, as there is a slight drag trail heading down it.
Surely this must be the way.
"Is someone going to have a look? I mean someone who can sneak better than I do."
Amenset is ready to cast Invisibility on the one who's scouting first.
Oketra still watches Zharifa says, drawing her group's attention to the angel flying above them. She hopes that the knowledge will inspire them to greater efforts in following the ideals of her god. She also realizes that she, also, needs to show more humility. We stand or fall together.
____
Zharifa walks closer to the big thing, trying to see what it is dragging or pushing.
The fact that there is a seraphim watching from above does little to soothe Kierna's anxiety. In fact, it exacerbates it, and she instinctively tucks her blade somewhere a little less obvious on her person. The pressures of her cropmates counting on her, the harsh scrutiny of the angel, and her first failure so soon into their trial begin making themselves known, whispering to Kierna all of the many, many ways that she could fail and drag her crop down with her.