"A pocket dimension might be, but it's something many can do. It doesn't have quite the same impression as being greeted by... him? in this place," she says, gesturing at the gigantic archon and then around the celestial cathedral. "It's likely that our new patron is putting a show on for us as well as providing a private place to speak."
"It's also possible that whatever being summoned us here used their power to split this off and hide it."
Charis clicked his claws against his rapier, tail flicking back and forth, the simple spike attached to his tail glowing a gentle blue, similar to the Kobold's own robe. Despite his attempts at looking unconcerned, Charis was still trying to think of anything that he could know of, including how far he was from the nearest safe dimension, despite knowing that their were probably countless magics around him.
Knowledge (History) to try and figure out past actions of Lumos and "Verana the Risen Light"
Knowledge (Planes) for any info on Lumos, capabilities and such.
Knowledge (religion) for any info on Verana or Lumos that way.
You remember hearing of Lumos and his mistress Verana, but you forget some of the details. Lumos, known as the Lanthorn of Heaven, is a mighty warrior and messenger of the inscrutable forces which rule the heavens. Though not an Empyreal Lord in name, it is the closest thing a celestial being can be. Some of Lumos' past achievements include single-handedly destroying an entire battalion from the Hells, slaying the fiendish prince Molkaeth the Ashen Prince, and bringing words from the Firmament above the Seven Heavens to the prophet Zarakiel, who overthrew the wicked Deklan Imperium and led millions of souls to the Heavens. Lumos has nearly unmatched control over light, able to harden it into weapons sharp enough to cut through force energy, intensify it to form blasts of energy as hot as the surface of a star, and these are but a few of its powers.
Lumos' mistress, Verana, is more obscure in the annals of history. Rumors say that she once numbered among the nobility of the Hells, but through some twist of fate, became disgusted with her sinful nature, and fled the Hells, working numerous miracles and doing mighty deeds in the name of good. She eventually caught the attention of the Heavens and was turned into an Empyreal Lord. Her powers are even more obscure than her history, but she is best known for her unearthly beauty that causes even the most murderous fiend to lay down its arms. Her combat capabilities are unknown, but she is rumored to have layed waste to her entire House in the Hells before leaving with a legion of condemned souls that she led back to the mortal world for a second chance at life and salvation.
Charis suddenly took a step back, as if he had been struck. He couldn't comprehend the magics that darted around before him, something that he simply had no experience with. Yes, it was magic, but more raw and potent than even the core slung around his neck. It felt like needles were stabbing into his eyes as he forced himself to continue watching the magic, trying to drag up anything that he could have possibly read or discovered to help him comprehend what he saw.
The Ice King amuses himself by making various small ice sculptures, then animating them to dance and entertain him. Some juggle snow balls, some perform ballet, others minor acrobatics. He's clearly having lots of fun passing the time waiting.
Seeing Charis' reaction after casting detect magic piques Yukio's curiosity. She quickly duplicates the kobold's gestures, wanting to find out what he's seen.
Her eyes glow with a blue light, and almost immediately she recoils from the power filling the room. After adjusting to the intensity of the magic around her, she begins to watch the patterns swirling before her. I've studied some truly ancient magic and rituals in my time, but this... this is something else.
"You should take a look at this Petrikov, this is far more entertaining than your dancing sculptures." she says, teasing the Ice King.
Numerous flickering images of Lumos seem to walk from every direction and materialize in front of you as the radiant angel itself. Its resonant voice echoes thoughout the cathedral, "IF IT BE PLEASING TO YOU, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU FOLLOW US TO OUR LADY'S CHAMBERS THAT SHE MAY DISCUSS WITH YOU THE MATTER AT HAND AND SHED LIGHT UPON MATTERS WHICH ARE HIDDEN TO YOU. YOUR ANSWER, HONORED ONES?" Lumos' featureless face looks over each of you in turn awaiting a reply.
Lost in the symbols floating before her, Yukio barely notices when the images of Lumos reappear in the cathedral. Lumos' request that they follow snaps her out of it however, and with a swift gesture she invokes an arcane mark on the back of her hand to help remind her to transcribe the runes later.
"Of course. At this point it's clearly worth going even just for curiosity's sake. The magics floating around this place are sublime, beyond anything I've seen before. Meeting someone who wields magic like this is an opportunity that cannot be passed up," she says with a grin.
"Sounds good!" Trazzle exclaims almost immediately, walking off in a random direction at a pace about thrice that one would expect from a typical goblin. Instants later, he returns to the group, floating backwards through the air, chuckling nervously. "Forgot to ask... which way is it?"
Petrikov smiles at the being of light, and then throws a snowball at it. "Sure, sounds fun!" He exclaims.
The dwarf standing at the back steps forward, saying nothing as he trods heavily forward, his mithril boots chiming against the floor. His teak staff thuds heavily with every other step, and the links of his mail make a slight noise as he moves.
"WE ARE THANKFUL FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. AS FOR YOU TWO?" Lumos says to the four who gave answers, spoken or not, while looking over Charis and Thoon.
Petrikov's snowball arcs towards Lumos, hitting it squarely in the face. The celestial beings stands impassively as the snowball runs down its featureless face, "IT IS A MATTER OF UTMOST SERIOUSNESS, HONORABLE KING OF ICE, THOUGH WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE LACK A FORMER MORTAL'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE MATTER SO WE ARE PERHAPS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW 'FUN' THIS MAY BE IN YOUR EYES. WE WOULD SUGGEST YOU KEEP THOUGHTS SUCH AS THOSE TO YOURSELF, FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THIS MEETING WOUND OUR MISTRESS DEEPLY."
Charis quickly stores the runes away, trying to reference it to any sort of arcane language he knew of, but gives up on it with a short sigh as Lumos returns. "Interesting magic you have here." The short comment was spoken as the kobold stood, glancing over his 'compatriots'. "The attention of an Empyreal Lord is not easily gained. I would be foolish to reject it out of hand."
Watching Trazzle's speed, Charis tilted his head. "I don't believe you were nearly that fast the last time we met. You've learned some interesting tricks!" A smile spreads across the Brightstar's face as he walks towards the quick-footed goblin.
KNOWLEDGE IS KNOWLEDGE. Thoon booms cryptically into the minds of all nearby. The eye contact the dwarf made with the angel meant it was mostly talking to him.
You all follow Lumos through the expansive halls, spotting countless strange celestial creatures you have never beheld before flitting to and fro on errands. Finally, after walking for what seems alternately and paradoxically for a few seconds and for several days, you arrive at a double door made of solid gold. Lumos raises a hand and the door swings open.
You enter the room, the dimensions of which play tricks on your eyes, is made of the same golden ice, but is... different. Golden streams of pulsing light run through the structure like veins of pure energy. The streams all flow through the ice towards the center of the room into a massive, jagged crystal that shines with a rainbow of colors, some of which you have seen, but others which are indescribable and you have never seen in all your travels. Kneeling before the crystal, back turned to you, is a woman praying. She is clothed in a simple but finely-wrought robe of radiant white, much like a missionary in one of the prime worlds would wear. Long and flowing curly black hair spills from her head to the floor, splaying out almost like a sunrise on the ground. Wings grow from the womans back, hooked and draconic like a demons but having radiant white feathers that seem to almost glow.
"MISTRESS VARANA, WE HAVE BROUGHT YOUR GUESTS. NEED YOU ANYTHING MORE FROM US?" Lumos asks the woman. The woman, apparently Varana the Risen Light judging from Lumos' words, rises and turns to you. You almost gasp as you behold her unearthly beauty. Her skin is a rich, creamy white without even the scarcest flaw or blemish, almost like porcelain. Her eyes, a brighter blue than the sky itself, stare from her indescribably lovely face and look you over. A warm smile crosses her perfect lips as she speaks, her voice a soft, living melody to your ears, "No Lumos, you have done exceptional today bringing these heroes before me. Why don't you go rest a little while and enjoy yourself?" Lumos bows its head and places its hand over its chest, bowing deeply, "AS OUR LADY COMMANDS, SO SHALL IT BE. WE SHALL TAKE OUR LEAVE FOR NOW. IF YOU NEED US, YOU HAVE BUT TO ASK." With that Lumos splits back into its seven component lantern archons, which float out of the room making slight tinkling, crystalline noises as they do so.
Verana turns her attention back to you all, flashing a smile. "Greetings and salutations everyone. I trust your trip here was a pleasant one? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Verana and I am a relatively recent addition to the Empyreal Lords, a title I am still getting used to. Given my origins, it's certainly not the position one would expect me to have, but I shall fill whatever role is required of me by He Who Abides. Ah, but where are my manners? You must be tired of standing for so long."
She waves her hand before you and a table along with seven chairs grows out of the golden ice. She gestures towards the chairs, "Please, honorable ones, have a seat. They are much more comfortable than they look." She gracefully moves over to one of the chairs and has a seat, gingerly crossing her legs in a ladylike manner and placing her hands on her lap like a well-mannered noblewoman.
Verana raises her right hand and motions to each of you, "Tell me a bit about yourselves, if you so desire. I dearly like to meet new people, though I must confess I know quite a bit about each of you, courtesy of Ansiel. I hope you shall forgive me for violating decorum in doing so, but with the urgency of the matter at hand, I felt it prudent to do so."
The dwarf walks up and takes a seat, leaning his staff against the table.
"I must say Verana, it's a shame you weren't looking for help several hundred years ago, I really had nothing going on back then," Yukio says with a sly grin as she walks around the table, examining the finely wrought chairs and their hostess' unearthly beauty.
"So, decorum and ceremony... very well." she says decidedly. Stepping back from the chair she chose, she bows deeply and gracefully towards Verana. When she rights herself she says "I am Yukio, known as The Shadow-Binder, the Lady in Black and Thiever-of-Stars. Wielder of Avidarel's Shadow, and she who commands Aeliastraza. It is a pleasure to meet you Verana." Almost as an afterthought, she adds "But of course you already knew that," with a knowing smile.
After introducing herself she pulls out her chair and stands before it, waiting for the others before sitting.
I AM THOON, THE PATTERN THAT BINDS US.
"You have no idea," Trazzle grins at Charis' comment, before being struck by a fit of giggles as Petrikov pelts the divine spirit with a snowball.
That one has guts! Even I wouldn't be crazy enough to try that.
The air on Trazzle's face as the spirit leads the assembled through the golden halls is not unlike that of a child walking through a candymaker's shoppe... or that an orc warrior picking out a new weapon amongst the loot of a pillaged armory. He darts to and fro, zipping at astonishing speeds, with only his unbelievable pace allowing him to keep up.
When the party reaches the halls of verana's dominion, Trazzle eyes the crystal with much marvel, his already-large eyes seeming to grow even larger. He takes a seat a few moments after the others, adopting a comfortable and in no way elegant slouch. Knowing himself a much better listener than speaker, he remains silent.
(If need be, substitute Know(Planes) or Know(Dungeoneering), or Nature or Arcana at +32)
"We'll have to catch up on each others adventures then." Charis smiles at Pertrikov's bold action, though he doesn't break out into laughter. The kobold follows after Lumos, tilting his tail in front of him as he walks, removing the tail spike with careful twists, unhooking the complex locks with practiced ease. Stowing it away as he walks into the hall, Charis glances up to see the Empyreal Lord. Without a word, he bows his head towards Verana, taking stock of the room. It was very doubtful that it was a trap now that she had appeared. Only the most foolish took the guise of an Empyreal Lord.
"Greetings my Lady." Charis says quietly, walking towards the table and taking his seat with as much decorum as he could muster. Being in the presence of a true demigod set him on edge. His tail flicked nervously, unsure of what to do with itself as he sat in the odd chair, not one he was used to... Without his second weapon he felt a bit unsteady, despite knowing he was probably safe here. "Charis Brightstar. My name is my only title that is easy to say." The kobold glances around, ensuring that he takes note of where Trazzle is seated.
"This one is Trazzle Glimmerfang, chief of the Wyrmtaunter tribe." Trazzle grins, displaying some remarkably shiny fangs, These would have been an impressive display... had the assembled been goblins.
"A pleasure to meet all of you. Now that we have that pleasantry out of the way, let me offer you some background. I was, as some of you may already know, a demon in my past life. I was corrupt, wicked... evil. I led thousands of good souls down into the darkness and supped on their vices and the suffering I drove them to inflict. I liked it... enjoyed it, as horrible as it seems now to admit... For millennia, I was Verlina the Beautious Venom, the Lady of Forbidden Desires, and a thousand another names I would sooner forget. A few hundred years ago I was stalking one of the material worlds, which one I forget, and plying my temptations, condemning souls by the score. I had just turned Halkhoes the Tempest King and his followers upon each other, forcing them to kill each other for my pleasure. That's when I met Marasia the Seeress, who would be the hand of my redemption."
"I remember it like it was yesterday. As the king and his son cut each other down, the last two members of the royal line, I saw her. I hadn't noticed her before... she just seemed to simply appear. She was a tall giantess, one of the Cyclops, about fifteen feet in height. She wore transparent, diaphanous white silk robes over which her hair spilled like waves of gold. She walked towards me, effortlessly, her tanned skin visible when her robe shifted and her sandled feet dodging the swaths of gore and dead bodies littering the floor. This was most alarming, because she wore a golden, eyeless mask shaped like an eagle covering the top half of her face completely. I stood there, watching as she moved, listening as her numerous pieces of golden jewelry and the numerous beads in the metal and gemstone veil she wore clattered softly. I don't know why, I just couldn't move. After what seemed like forever, she stood within arms reach of me. "Greetings Verlina, mistress of the Abyss, my name is Marasia, Oracle of the Cyclops people. I have watched you for a long time, watched your sins, your depravities, watched you drag countless souls into the Abyss. Thrice-damned are you, in life, death, and rebirth. But it need not be so, for I have also seen the future, seen what you could become. I come bearing a message from He Who Abides, Master of the Heavens' Firmament. Look now Verlina from the eyes of eternity... look now she who could be and shall be Verana!" With those words she reached towards me with her right hand, her silver-painted fingernail touched my forehead as I stood, still enraptured by some mysterious force. That's when the vision began. I saw an empty black void filled with dim, guttering stars with seven shining stars interspersed between them. The seven radiant stars plucked themselves from the void and danced, forming strange patterns, forming names. The seven lights slammed together with great and silent force, forming a massive portal of golden light shaped almost like a door. I remember squinting to see through the door when, all of a sudden, a figure stepped in the doorway. Instead of blocking the light, the figure seemed to AMPLIFY it. All I could make out several feathered wings of radiant white tipped in gold, and a white and gold mask, featureless save for two eyeholes, from which a light issued forth brighter than any I had ever seen. It... He, spoke to me, His voice like the voices of every being in existence speaking a calm but powerful voice that seemed to resonate in my bones, "Verlina, daughter of man remade as daughter of the yawning Abyss, heed my words! You have sinned grievously against all Creation, used the gift of free will to spread darkness amongst the pure of heart and turned brother against brother, husband against wife, priests against their gods. You have done all these things and yet, I love you, just as much as I love all of your innumerable victims. I give you now this gift, greater than all the cosmos: I give you the chance to gain forgiveness for your sins, one final chance at redemption, for I have always seen the spark within you, a dim light that could be turned into a beacon so glorious as to outshine even the angels. All I ask is you open your heart to My love, that you let me show you what I see you could be. Take my hand, Verlina, and see through the eyes of eternity." I took his glowing hand that reached through the door, which filled me with such feelings as I had never felt before, and what I saw... cannot be described. There are no words for it. At the end, I saw me as I am now, inside of the cathedral. He released my hand, "Verlina, my beautiful child, do you see what I see?" I could only nod as tears of pure joy ran down my face, my heart full of repentance and the joy of knowing I CAN be saved. "Then you know what you must do. Go forth in the multiverse and make amends for your wicked deeds. Keep this ever in your heart, my repentant daughter who was Verlina and who is Verana: as I love you, so I love all of Creation. And, as you love Me, so shall you love all of Creation. Live this phrase and I shall ever be in your heart, My child." His hand reached from beyond the doorway again, clenched into a fist. He opened His hand and a radiant silver crystal that shone with an inner light appeared. "Take this to the Heavens, to the Shining Council. You need not explain yourself, for they shall know what it portends and whom I have sent to bear it hence. Do as they instruct and hold Marasia close to you, for she is My messenger. This, I have spoken, this is what shall be. Go forth now, and live life anew." I took the crystal and my vision ended. When I came to, I was kneeling before Marasia, tears of joy still streaming down my face. I looked at her and spoke to her, "I... am Verlina no more, my sister... I am Verana." She smiled a warm smile and greeted me as well, "Welcome then, my sister Verana. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I trust He has spoken to you? I only see what He shows me. What task did you receive?" I could only look at the crystal I now held in my hands. Marasia smiled and helped me up. This was my first step on the road to redemption."
"Over the years, Marasia and I have been as sisters as we journeyed to accomplish He Who Abides will. When I brought the crystal forth and this beautiful crystal made the cathedral, she offered to stay to safeguard it while I was away crusading in the name of righteousness. While I was on a campaign in the Hells to rescue abducted souls, I discovered someone had created the situation as a diversion and had taken the opportunity to kidnap her. I consulted with Ansiel, the Angel of Knowledge, and discovered she had been taken by Da'amaat Anzukhat, Pharoah of the Black Sands, an ancient dragon hundreds of thousands of years old who tore out his own heart and devoured the souls of 101 angels to gain eternal life as an undead of terrible power. He sought Marasia for her oracular powers, because he desires a way to find the legendary Simit-Al, the Lost City of the Gods. We discovered that he has her in his lair on a forgotten demiplane simply known as the Desert of Woe. Before Ansiel could discover more, Da'amaat apparently discovered us, for a draconic voice boomed out one of the Words of Creation and the Scrolls of Fate embedded in Ansiel's back went blank. We tried everything to bring back the writing, but nothing works. They show other beings fate just fine, but his and Marasia's only come up blank. And herein lies my request... the reason you were all brought here. I cannot leave the cathedral unguarded, for the crystal is of great importance to the forces of good... but neither can I allow Marasia to languish in whatever foul prison the dragon has her in. So I ask of you... will you aid the cause of good and save Marasia? This is a personal favor, I am aware, but I am willing to offer you nearly any boon that is within my power to give should you succeed. What say all of you? Will you aid me in this hour of need?"
The dwarf leaned back in his chair, contemplative. His once-haunted eyes had become a mirror of the night sky, black with shining specks of white.
Trazzle appears to progressively stop paying attention to Verana's speech, until the words "ancient dragon thousands of years old" are spoken, at which point his ears visibly twitch and he begins listening with the utmost devotion.
"Ooooo. So it's basically like raiding a dragon's lair... except the lair is a plane and the dragon is undead. I like it." Trazzle grins widely. "I'll do it! Sounds like a blast! Who's with me?"
The kobold's tail swung back and forth as Verana spoke, part of her story already familiar to him. Transcending the corruption of the Abyss is no easy task... and yet this one talks of the being who can do it so easily. Surprising. Closing his eyes, Charis turned through the chronicles of his mind, wanting to recall anything he could about the undead dragon and it's powers. Perhaps he could also recollect where this fell creature made its lair?
Doubtful that it would keep any kobold servants. At least... The thought was silenced as Charis grimaced. It was doubtful that the creature would leave his servants unchanged, especially as a practitioner of such dark arts.
The normally playful and capricious Petrikov quickly becomes serious as Verana relates her tale.
And then icy grim when their task is revealed. "This abomination shall be put down!. The Blizzard King has spoken!"
Yukio listens to Verana's tale with interest. When she finishes explaining the situation, Yukio looks distracted for a moment. One thousand years I spent entombed within the chamber my brother created for me. I may never had been freed if not for the adventurers who managed to find my tomb. "To take someone's freedom is unforgivable. That alone is reason enough to lend my aid against this wyrm Da'amaat," Yukio says to Verana.
She makes some quick gestures, casting a simple spell.
After a few moments of thought she closes her eyes and gestures again, opening a connection across the planes to her servant, Aeliastraza. Aelias, Research the wyrm Da'amaat Anzukhat's history, Simit-Al, the Lost City of the Gods, and the Desert of Woes. I will call for you soon. Shortly afterwards a reply echoes through her mind:
Turning to the others, she speaks "Should we head directly to this Desert of Woes? Or do we wish to gather someplace first and pool our knowledge? Aeliastraza will hopefully have some information to contribute from my library, but I hesitate to summon her here. This is no place for a Shade."
GM RVT, here are some d20 rolls and my knowledge modifiers. I figured this would be faster than me asking which knowledges were most relevant, and less random than rolling for each knowledge (and ending up with high rolls on irrelevant knowledges and low rolls on relevant knowledges).
Let me know if more than two are relevant, and I will roll some more d20s.
Also, I have some abilities (like a power that gives me +20 and a mythic ability to a similar effect). I might use one, who knows.
Know Arcana (Int) +36
Know Dungeon (Int) +40
Know Engineer (Int) +36
Know Geography (Int) +36
Know History (Int) +27
Know Local (Int) +27
Know Nature (Int) +36
Know Nobility (Int) +25
Know Planes (Int) +40
Know Psionics (Int) +36
Know Religion (Int) +40
[ooc]Waiting to see if there are any responses to these before I post further.
"The Desert of Woe's a dangerous place. It drains life and joy from all those who go into it. I can craft elixirs that would protect someone from it for almost a whole day, but I can only make enough for Nocturne, myself, and one more person. We could only stay in for ten-seven hours before they wore off, too. Does anyone else know how to protect themselves from bad worlds?"
THOON CAN PROTECT ITSELF ONLY, AND ONLY TO A LIMITED DEGREE DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF THE ADVERSE EFFECTS.
Verana pauses in deep thought for a moment, then rises from her seat slowly and walks to the crystal, "I have a little something to counteract the entropic effects of the Desert of Woe..."
She removes her long white gloves and places her hands on the crystal. Her hands sink into the crystal and she removes a fist-sized chunk of radiant crystal that. She then walks back and places the crystal on the center of the table. "The Empyrean Crystal is pure life and light, and thus has the power to protect against the crushing darkness of the Desert of Woe and repel the legions of lesser undead that are said to roam that desolate place. The trials of overcoming your own despair and the more powerful servants of Da'amaat, I fear, is something that only you yourselves can accomplish. Place your hands upon the crystal and receive its blessing, if you are willing to undergo the tribulations of the Desert of Woe to aid the cause of the Heavens."
"Yes, only entropy. True light does not burn the wicked... it illuminates them, tries to redeem them. No one need fear the power of the Crystal if their hearts be less than pure anymore than I needed fear it. I knew of your pasts, your sins ere you arrived here in this place. If I thought it would harm you, I would not have offered a piece of the Crystal to you. Be at ease, child of two worlds, for it is harmless to you."
BUT WHAT OF A MIND SHATTERED? ENTROPY OF THOUGHT?
"Entropy from outside forces, Lord Thoon. It will not effect you in the slightest, apart from a feeling somewhat warm and comforting to the touch, like a a good memory from the past."
WE WONDER WHAT CAN CHANGE THE EVER-CHANGING THOON muses, reaching out to touch the crystal.
The chunk of crystal feels warm and comforting to touch, but feels strangely... alive as well. Suddenly part of it flows up your arm like some sort of liquid and snakes around your neck, forming into a crystalline medallion etched with intricate runes.