Kei looks down at her hand in his pocket and then looks up, blushing.
"The truth though, Joseph, is that you are far more a work of fiction than I am."
"Well, if what you say is true then my entire being, aside from my body, is a work of fiction." Joseph takes his face in his hand and looks skyward. "And you know what? I might actually be alright with that. Not like I had more than a couple "Imaginary" friends anyway, and now I get to live forever and never worry about anything other than what I want too. Sure, the usual trappings of that certainly apply. Outliving everyone ever, watching people I love and care for fade or be killed in the blink of an eye. I wounder at what point time will begin to seem meaningless..." He hangs his head, the gravity of his new (old?) situation hitting him like a ton of bricks.
Slowly, he looks back up and speaks. "You guys remember "The matrix"? I used to fight with my friends over weather the virtual world or the real world was better. I would always say the real world, because then you could give yourself superpowers inside the matrix. This is like that, except reversed. The real world is where we have super powers and the matrix is where we're normal." He pumps his fist into the air and yells. "Well F~!@ being normal! Now that I know all that shit was fake I don't give a damn about it! I'm on your guy's side of this crazy bullshit after hearing all that! Let's go make up for whatever could have gotten us put in that mind prison! Let's go be HERO'S! I need to put this invulnerability to good use before I become to up my own ass with existentialism to care!"
Impressed, Zaidel added, "Yeah. What Joseph said!"
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Alyssa stops. Her mind is a whirlwind of emotions right now. Earth, a prison? Powerful beings, trapped because of evil, or uncontrolled powers?
But what about my family and friends? No, no, I was the screw- up, not them. Never them. They can't be fictional! I loved them- they were important. They had lives that mattered, unlike mine.
Then the Lady falls. She stops as John and the elven guard rush over, and almost tussle.
Please let her be ok. Please let everyone be ok.
"Please...not too late...survive!...the Seal...destroy ...can't die!"
I'm sorry, Lady, but can you repeat this? I- I feel like I've heard this before, but I cannot place where."
Upon hearing the Lady of the Wood, the Vulture King sighs heavily, as if a great weight was settled on his shoulders, "So I am...scraps of magical energy, errant worship of beings mightier than myself. This is a rather disappointing revelation. I must ask, who then, if you know, were those beings?"
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So... Earth was... a Prison?
It did make sense, considering the raw power, fighting prowess and skilled tongues that he had witnessed so far. He could understand why... some of the members could be considered rather dangerous, and in need of control or punishment if their crimes were severe enough. Doubly so if the prison was created and maintained by the Apogee Society as a rehabilitation centre... if any civilization had the ability to make an entire, artificial world as a prison, it was them for sure.
Yet... yet he couldn’t help but rebel against the idea. Rebel against the idea that this ‘Earth’ was nothing more than a prison. That all of the legends, myths and stories that had been crafted within that world were actually memories of the other realities gleaned through their dreams. That all of its people, all of its farmers, builders, warriors, crafters and leaders were either criminals going through rehabilitation, or simply made up by the Apogee Society entirety. As much sense as it made... he couldn’t accept it. Not even a single iota of his being allowed him to accept this as the truth.
Nor did he know why... through with one theory, that was rapidly becoming stronger in how true it may be: That he was somehow linked to this Earth. That he himself had gone through the rehabilitation process before he awoke with no memory and no purpose. It would explain why his emotions were stirring now once more, despite being dead for aeons... and yet, it wouldn’t explain why he was taken out of that world. Why he was removed from it, and what his purpose was...
Through, he had a theory... this world... this Earth... was a world without magic. Completely devoid of it in fact. So much so, that the magical bleed off from the previously very powerful magical beings was enough to lead towards the creation of an entirely new god... and perhaps not even the only one, though he had no way of knowing that himself. He... he wasn’t able to wield magic. He had tried: He has studied it for many years as a wizard, yet he was never able to perform even the simplest of cantrips. Whilst he was a skilled alchemist in his own right, he hadn’t even been able to use the powerful and temporary extracts that other alchemists were able to... heck, he had trained as both a monk and a ninja, yet had never been able to tap into the power of Ki.
Meaning... meaning that this body. This form, despite being far stronger, tougher, swifter, smarter and wiser than your average human being... was one from this Earth... and if that was the case... if he was superior to normal humans... was he meant to play the role as a jailer? Was he the jailer off Earth? The one that was meant to ensure that the rehabilitation process went smoothly and that nobody was able to infiltrate it to extract prisoners before their time? Or perhaps just kill them? He... he just didn’t know. It made sense, but he didn’t know...
What he did know, however, was that this story was only just beginning. Not just because the group he was linked with, were being summoned by Merlin himself... but also, and perhaps more importantly. There was talks of a Seal... and it was linked to the Apogee Society... The Great Sin of the Gods of Weal... there was only one seal that he could recall that was linked to the Apogee Society... if this theory was true... well. Well well well... it would certainly make things... interesting...
Through it was also amusing where he, the guy who had no memory or purpose for aeons, did not wish to reject Earth as simply being a prison. Whilst most of the group seemed quite willing to accept it very easily. Especially Joseph. Wasn’t he shouting about having a sister he needed to get back to, not even an hour ago? Talk about a swift turn around.
Regardless, he made his decision. He would see if he could talk to the Lady of the Woods alone... and follow the group to Merlin. Wherever Merlin was.
I'm sorry, Lady, but can you repeat this? I- I feel like I've heard this before, but I cannot place where."
"Oh?" The Lady says as she removes her hand gently from Kei's pocket.
"Did I say something when I was suffering from the magical backlash?"
Upon hearing the Lady of the Wood, the Vulture King sighs heavily, as if a great weight was settled on his shoulders, "So I am...scraps of magical energy, errant worship of beings mightier than myself. This is a rather disappointing revelation. I must ask, who then, if you know, were those beings?"
"I do not know who they are, but while they worshiped you they were human for all intents and purposes. And do not fret, you come from humble origins perhaps, but you are still a god!"
The Lady turns away from Kei, her blue-black hair tossing round and scattering star dust all over Kei. An accidentally gesture surely, but it still feels affectionate.
"As one of my personal heroes once said; 'I doesn't matter much where you come from, it only matters where you are going.'"
She says to the Vulture God.
The mysterious inheritor of ancient Druidic and cosmic powers his origins are shrouded in mystery but his later deeds shine bright on history's scene.
Most famous for being the sage advisor of King Arthur and his court, he helped the world in more ways then can be counted. After Arthur and Mordred defeated each other in mortal combat Merlin abandoned his great tower and disappeared, pursuing his own purposes.
John's a bit taken aback by Jospeh's sudden outburst, and he shies away from him every so slightly. He seems a bit unstable.
"That brings us to our next question, I suppose. If Merlin needs us, we should go to him. Any idea where we can find him?" He says, in reply to her comment about 'it only mattering where you're going'.
"That brings us to our next question, I suppose. If Merlin needs us, we should go to him. Any idea where we can find him?" He says, in reply to her comment about 'it only mattering where you're going'.
"I'm afraid I can't help you there, Merlin is a slippery one. Perhaps you have your own abilities you could use to find him?" She inquires.
"I will help you, Liriiestil, as best I can though, for the sake of that loving evening we once shared long ago." The Faerie Queen says.
She begins to dance, a graceful and elegant display of agility and passion.
She swirls all about, scattering star dust everywhere, her blue aura flaring, until stopping in front of John and holding out an amazing robe to him:
When donned, this sheer, sleeved robe fades to near invisibility. It grants the wearer a +4 competence bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks against fey. On command, the mantle glows in delicate faerie fire of any color of the wearer's choice, and a second command word ends the glow.
8th Level: The mantle magnifies and sharpens the wearer's beauty such that her +4 competence bonus now applies on all Charisma checks, Charisma-based skill checks, and Sense Motive checks against any creature. Against fey, the bonus increases to +6.
10th Level: The mantle's wearer becomes manipulative and eloquent in social situations. Whenever she converses with creatures, she can insert a suggestion (Will DC 14 negates) for every 10 minutes of conversation by succeeding at a DC 14 Perform (oratory) check. If she ever fails the Perform (oratory) check to use this ability, all creatures who witnessed her misstep are immune to this ability for 24 hours.
12th Level: Once per day, the wearer can release the glow within the mantle in a single coruscating burst of color. This blinds creatures in a 10-foot radius (Reflex DC 19 negates) for 1d4 rounds and completely dispels any darkness spells of 6th level or lower whose source is within its area.
14th Level: The wearer grows a pair of gossamer wings. The wings are delicate and weak, carrying the wearer only with difficulty. She gains a fly speed of 30 feet (poor maneuverability).
16th Level: The wearer's wings grow stronger, more agile, and more beautiful, and iridescent patterns trace along them. Her fly speed increases to 60 feet (good maneuverability), and she gains a +5 competence bonus on Fly checks.
18th Level: The wearer gains a small domain in the fey realm. She can access her domain from any location, creating a silvery gateway. Treat her domain as a mage's magnificent mansion except that its size equals 20 10-foot cubes/level, the domain appears as wilderness instead of a mansion, and the servants are tiny fey instead of nearly transparent liveried servants.
20th Level: The wearer's type changes to fey, and she gains DR 10/cold iron. If the wearer's type was already fey and she already possessed DR/cold iron, her DR increases by 10 and magic weapons with enhancement bonuses of +3 or greater do not count as cold iron for the purpose of bypassing her DR.
"For you..." She grins at John.
Safely hidden away in his lair Kamii sits on a cushion of pillows in a dark, cellar-like room and lights the candles around him, tall red things scented to smell of some hot musty spice.
Strictly speaking, the dark and candles were unnecessary, but Kamii preferred a gentle, meditative environment when contacting his big sister, it tended to lessen the headache of dealing with her.
+Sister.+ He sent along the telepathic link they shared.
After a moment he felt a restless presence, like a sleeper just awakened when they'd rather snooze, uncoil within his skull, glimmers of holy light illuminating the dark psychic spaces of his demonic spirit.
He shuddered at her holy touch, but such was his curse, being her jailer.
+Yes, what is it Kamii? Do you need yet more help like when I devised the plot to get Kanzen? Why should I help? You messed up that one bad by not finishing her, you think she can be used as a tool? Really? I'll be highly amused when she catches you and shreds your face off, idiot.+
A soft feminine voice said, echoing throughout his skull.
Kamii sighed, a thing he had found himself doing a lot lately.
+Please, let's stop the bickering.+ He requested. +Important things are happening.+
+No bickering? But that's all I get to do in this prison for fun...well that and dream of the outside world.+ She said with both a tone of humor and a bit of glumness.
Taking that as consent Kamii relayed all that had happened since his sister was last awake.
Her laughter filled his entire being, ringing like wedding bells.
+Yes, that's part of our problem...OUR problem.+ Kamii emphasized.
The laughter finally trails away. +So under the influence of my sleeping soul you were completely honest with the beings who got attached to our Key, they rejected you, and then sought truth from Ariel?+
Once again she is laughing.
+Well the good news is that once they leave that liar's nest they will be so discombobulated by whatever prank she pulls that they should be easy marks to get the Key from.+ She acknowledges eventually, her laughter finally spent.
+No, something very strange is going on here and I sense strength in these beings, great strength.+ Kamii informs her.
+Forget it, I'm not wasting one of my Greater Alter Reality abilities just on fixing your stupid mistake. Good bye, I'm going to sleep again.+
+Cammella wait!+ Kamii projected, in the mental equivalent of a shout.
+No Kamii.+ Was her reply, her voice growing softer. +Either you succeed and we both will stand as Gods, or you fail, they destroy you...and set me free.+
+Cammella!+ Kamii shouted again as she faded away.
+Now wouldn't that be interesting?+ She whispers as she vanishes.
At the Lady's mention of an evening, John blushes a bright red. "W-w-we did w-what now?"
Despite his embarrassment and surprise, he readily takes the proffered robe. "Thank you." He says simply.
Zaidel is awed by The Lady's diaphanous gift. "Wow."
"Hm, so those two where an item before all that buisness with the prison. Nice, they seem good together." He smiles but finds a slightly darker thought worming its way into his head. "I doubt the rest of us where so lucky as to have such long lived lovers." Shaking his head again he returns to the task at hand. "So, anybody feel like they can do anything to find Merlin? If all I can do is take infinit punches I'm pretty smooshed here."
"Saiyans can supposedly track power levels of living things, but...yeah, I don't know how to use it that well yet, and I also wouldn't know what power was Merlin's."
"No", conceded Zaidel. "Perhaps we should get back into the Material Plane and make our way to civilization and get some directions. I would not be surprised if Merlin was actively look for us as well."
Looking to the fey couple, the big warrior adds, "But if Liriiestil wishes to stay a little long in this fey haven, who are we to push him out?"
Alyssa replies "Yes, you did. It sounded... strangely familiar."
"I can't remember where I heard it, though. Strange...."
"Likely just gibberish from the shock of the backlash." The Lady says as she stretches her arms to the sky, in a gesture that was both celebratory and a good way to lessen the strain on tight muscles.
"I doubt it meant anything." She advises.
"Oh, I'm not so sure it was gibberish. You said 'Please...not too late...survive!...the Seal...destroy ...can't die!'. That sounds hauntingly familiar." He tries to remember where he heard that from. "I definitely think it's important"
A creature with this ability weaves the truth and lies together with supernatural skill so that their true intentions and lies cannot be detected by any means, mundane or magical.
Format: Perfect Storyteller; Location: Defensive Abilities.
"Hush now John, everything is all right." Says the Lady as she bends down and plants a soft kiss on his forehead.
When the Lady of the Wood kisses John's forehead, it triggers something deep inside him, igniting the power within and unleashing a flood of memories. In series of flashes, he sees snippets of an older, ancient life. So fast, and so intense are they that he's unable to truly piece them together, or make sense of them, at least for now.
"I remember, I know who I am. Liriiestil, the Shining King, Lord of Elves."
He dons the mantle, and suddenly undergoes a great transformation. Gone is the plain, boring form of John Smith. In it's place stands a tall, regal looking elf, with unearthly grace and beauty. Long, luxurious hair the color of bright, sunny yellow flows down past his shoulders. His blue eyes give way to a brilliant magenta. His skin takes a muted green tone, while his clothes take on the appearance of the robes she gave him. Finally, gorgeous gossamer wings sprout from his back, covered in iridescent patterns.
"Something is definitely not all right. Ever since I first stepped foot into your realm, you have referred to me by my true name, yet just now you called me by false prisoner one."
Again, like all around him, Zaidel is awed by the final, true form of Liriiestil.
Wow! I wonder what's in story for me?!
"Something is definitely not all right. Ever since I first stepped foot into your realm, you have referred to me by my true name, yet just now you called me by false prisoner one."
Zaidel whispers to those nearest him, "Okay folks. I think we should find the door..soon!"
When the Lady of the Wood kisses John's forehead, it triggers something deep inside him, igniting the power within and unleashing a flood of memories. In series of flashes, he sees snippets of an older, ancient life. So fast, and so intense are they that he's unable to truly piece them together, or make sense of them, at least for now.
"I remember, I know who I am. Liriiestil, the Shining King, Lord of Elves."
He dons the mantle, and suddenly undergoes a great transformation. Gone is the plain, boring form of John Smith. In it's place stands a tall, regal looking elf, with unearthly grace and beauty. Long, luxurious hair the color of bright, sunny yellow flows down past his shoulders. His blue eyes give way to a brilliant magenta. His skin takes a muted green tone, while his clothes take on the appearance of the robes she gave him. Finally, gorgeous gossamer wings sprout from his back, covered in iridescent patterns.
"Something is definitely not all right. Ever since I first stepped foot into your realm, you have referred to me by my true name, yet just now you called me by false prisoner one."
All the Elven and Fey Lords and Ladies freeze perfectly in place. With one unified movement they turn their heads to look at Liriiestil.
True night seems to fall on the glade and the Lady of the Woods' blueish aura fades to purple and black and licks about at its edges, like hungry flames.
"Always so perceptive John." The Lady says as she glides away from him.
"I think you'll handle what needs to be done."
She calls as she vanishes into the encroaching darkness.
The Elves and Fey still stand stock still, staring at Liriiestil.
Zaidel draws his holy longsword and shield with deft quickness.
"Well, it was fun while it lasted", the big warrior nods to Liriiestil. "I guess it's a good thing I never got to try any of that fey wine. Too bad about The Lady. She had nice 'fey mounds'. With equally big 'faerie rings', I imagine", said Zaidel in a flippant sort of way.
Very politely, Kei would simply say "You should be nice and just get out of our way. I really don't want to fight you."
Lir looks at the gathered and stunned elves and fae. "We have no quarrel with you, and I do not wish to fight my brethren. May we stay, and refresh ourselves before taking our leave?"
"What's going on?" Bage whispers to Zaidel as he prepares for what appears to be a fight.
John or Lirewhatever seemed to be in control and know a lot more than he previously let on, but Bage also felt uncomfortable addressing him now that he appeared completely different from before.
"Did that coat turn...John to the dark side as her slave or something?"
"What's going on?" Bage whispers to Zaidel as he prepares for what appears to be a fight.
John or Lirewhatever seemed to be in control and know a lot more than he previously let on, but Bage also felt uncomfortable addressing him now that he appeared completely different from before.
"Did that coat turn...John to the dark side as her slave or something?"
"Don't think so." Zaidel whispered. "I think Big L. just went Ultimate Super Elflord! Stay frost, though."
Surprised by the turn of events, V.K. says to the group, "I might recommend getting out of here. Lingering much longer than we have to is an unwise idea. John...ah, Liriiestil, I believe it is our time to go."
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Only the patience gained through raising and listening to the nonstop chatter of children and grandchildren for close to five decades allowed Lucas to keep his silence during the storytelling, plot twists, and transformations, but the Lady's disappearing act finally motivated him to act. "If the stories my grandchildren loved so much were based on memories of the real thing, then we may want to leave immediately. I don't mean this in a derogatory manner, but fey were known to be fickle in their hospitality and cruel in their games. I do not want to find out how much of that was true. Let's move." As he was speaking, Lucas, as unobtrusively and quietly as he could, racked the bolt in his rifle to load the first of the five rounds in his magazine.
Lir looks at the gathered and stunned elves and fae. "We have no quarrel with you, and I do not wish to fight my brethren. May we stay, and refresh ourselves before taking our leave?"
Without saying a word the Elves and Fey, whose aspects had turned strangely dark in a pale imitation of their Lady, slink away into the forest and disappear among the trees.
Before leaving one of them waves a hand in a 'be my guest' gesture.
The glade continues to darken.
Though the dark sky was clear just a moment before a great wind suddenly blows and a massive spiral of clouds appear above you in the heavens.
The clouds spiral in fast and are gigantic, their own weather system similar to a hurricane.
There is a bright flash as lightning strikes the ground nearby and when the glare fades a shockingly beautiful being stands where the electricity hit.
Seven feet tall she stands, her skin the alabaster of polished marble, her hair silver in a bright, inhuman way, more akin to the silver of precious mithral than anything ever seen on the head of a human.
So perfect is her gorgeous form that it feels somehow unnatural, as if a statue crafted by the greatest artist ever had become animate after a lifetime of carving its perfect beauty down to the slightest millimeter.
Ice blue eyes look upon you dispassionately as the white, silken scarf shaped fabrics that pass for her clothes blow about her as if caught in some sourceless breeze.
"You stink of the Demon Kami." She says coolly, crossing her arms and sniffing the air.
"His aura is here, hiding among you, is he in disguise as one of you?"
Suddenly you realize that when the Lady and her Court retreated they might not have been fleeing you.
Prior to his memories being restored, and the shedding of his old form, Liriiestil(or rather John) would have been in stunned awe at the appearance of this new comer. Yet, he had seen similar impressive beings before, if not perhaps the same power as the the woman before them clearly possessed.
"I do not believe he is in disguise as one of us. You are likely sensing the residual taint from the ritual that brought us here. It seems to somehow be tied to Kamii."
You can see this woman's true form, free from all magic, and it is both frightening and glorious in the extreme. It is a feline with mithral colored fur the size of a great wyrm dragon, its head the size of a house. Its eyes are blood red and shaped like a cat's and its pearl white fangs are the length of spears.
Three long bushy tails trail out behind it and shapely, human like arms sprout from its shoulders, though it also has the normal, razor clawed four limbs of a cat as well.
The human arms look feminine and have fingers with long sharp nails that move constantly, weaving trails of bright blue magic as they endlessly form powerful magicks.
The whole feline bleeds power and potentiality, like a rumbling thunderstorm rolling in and just about to break.
As the breath-taking newcomer enters the darkened fey retreat, Zaidel glazes upon her unearthly beauty, and starts to squirm in pain while holding his sword and shield aloft.
Ow! Ouch! I can't believe this is happening?!!!
Prior to his memories being restored, and the shedding of his old form, Liriiestil(or rather John) would have been in stunned awe at the appearance of this new comer. Yet, he had seen similar impressive beings before, if not perhaps the same power as the the woman before them clearly possessed.
"I do not believe he is in disguise as one of us. You are likely sensing the residual taint from the ritual that brought us here. It seems to somehow be tied to Kamii."
"No." The woman responds simply. "I sense more than that."
She seems neither hostile, nor upset and spends a long moment simply staring at the group.
Bage stares at the woman with a slight blush at just how scantily dressed she was. After a moment, Bage finds his voice. "If you mean that guy who tried to kill us, then no. He disappeared after leaving a threatening message." I think stuff is hitting the fan already. Is this his sister?
Bage stares at the woman with a slight blush at just how scantily dressed she was. After a moment, Bage finds his voice. "If you mean that guy who tried to kill us, then no. He disappeared after leaving a threatening message." I think stuff is hitting the fan already. Is this his sister?
"You are enemies of Kamii." The woman says, a statement, not a question.
A slight, lopsided smile appears on her face.
"Of course, he took the Ogre's brain, it's a false aura."
She says to herself.
"Why, you must be important to Kamii, if he's expending all this effort trying to get me to kill you."
Her smile grows wider.
"Tell me, why does Kamii want you dead?" She asks, her tone almost friendly.
"We have something he wants and refuse to turn it over to him." Joseph says plainly, having found that expressing wonderment has become tiring. "And who might you be miss lightning?"
Lucas steps forward and puts a hand on Joseph's shoulder, thinking that he is probably one of the most level-headed in the group and he might be able to defuse a potentially violent situation before it gets to that point. "Joseph, calm. Madam, I will admit that I did not see the first portion of our meeting with Kamii, but the story pieced together from him and my... companions... is that he made a deal with one or more of them. Information in exchange for an item that we assisted in retrieving. He was unable to provide the requested information, and turned hostile when we refused to part with the item with nothing to show for it." Lucas is deliberately using communal words in his response to show solidarity among the group as it stands. "I don't know about you, but I believe that a being's word is its bond. Unable to accomplish his end of the bargain, he should have sought to strike another deal in its place, and I for one would have been happy to see that through as well. We are not looking for a fight over some perceived injustice, but he apparently holds no such qualms."