Avatar of the Dead's page

The Avatar of Death appeared in front of all at the World Tree.

"Ah, a reunion! How splendid. Armed? Ready to fight me? My, it seems I have offended you all."

The Avatar turned to Ae, and asked him "And how is Netura? I believe I may have scared her a little, not entirely on purpose. You see, Ae, I cannot kill the World Tree, nor would I attempt to. However, all things do come to an end, and I wish to savour that moment when it comes. You Archdruids have nothing to fear from Me."

Turning now to the statue of Tukatu for a moment, he looked almost surprised, like some kind of ghost would affect a mortal. "Tukatu? I assumed that those were just stories. But then, of course I would not be the only paragon of Death in this place. The World Tree draws us to it, like moths to a flame, and we can harm it about as much. No, I will not fight you, Tukatu."

And, turning one final time, the Avatar of the Dead opened his mouth to speak to Merlyn.

"Merlyn, wizard of the East, I do not intend you harm. You took my brother's success from him, indeed, and I shall savour the moment that you pass through my gate, but I intend you no ill while you are alive. After all, I signed a contract not to meddle in mortal affairs, did I not Josephine?" And at this, the Avatar of the Dead disappeared, leaving behind only unsettling silence and the memory of a smirk.

"Then, Stagbrow, Druid of Death, I rename you Viscera. I connect you now with my own world, that of pain, misery, the end of days and the end of lives. You may tear individuals power from their bodies, and only direct combat can stop you. Never shall magic or Gods harm you. You are a conduit of my power, and you are now... Complete once more!"

While the Avatar had been speaking, Stagbrow's muscles had returned. His body inflated, his stature returned. With the strength, Stagbrow experienced pain as his body attuned itself to Death. His bones strengthened, his flesh turned black, his entire being became evil. When the ritual was complete, a shockwave flattened the surrounding foliage.

Viscera is here. And he is not happy.

"Stagbrow, I can give you a bond to nature again. Not like what you had. You will be forever changed. Death is a part of life, just as life is a part of death. I shall connect you to the darker side of nature, that you may see the world you live in from the other side of the looking glass. All of your strength, your knowledge, your power shall return to you. My brother, when he took your bond, also made you immune to the help of other archdruids, other paragons of nature, but this immunity also extends to their methods of harming you, of hindering you. You shall become a Druid of Death, a paragon of the darker side of the coin, and above all, you shall have the power to kill he who is most hateful to you."

At this, the Avatar of Death smiled.

"Merlyn..."

Death. The ending of life. The ending of a process that allowed individuals the ability to express themselves. For the Avatar of such an event, finding one who's connection to nature had been severed was easy. Perhaps too much so.

"Stagbrow..."

The voice echoed in the clearing where Stagbrow had recently killed another animal. His need to eat seemed to be almost human, but he had not aged at all. His immortality was bound not to nature, but to another force. After all, nature is a cycle between the lives of the fittest, and the deaths of all others.

"Stagbrow... You have lost much. Do you still feel? Do you still miss the connection you once felt? I can... give you something more... something... greater..."

And with that, the Avatar of Death appeared before Stagbrow, the Broken Archdruid.

"Neturaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."

The voice came from behind her, but before she could turn around she began to feel cold, although it was the middle of the day.

"Neturaaaaaaaa..."

Netura turned around, only to see a wisp of smoke materialize into a hooded creature, clearly humanoid, but gaunt, lifeless.

"Netura, surely one such as yourself knows this feeling? That a big change is coming, and nothing can stop it? The same feeling my brother caused when he came near this place. He always was one for theatrics."

The figure walked a little way towards the tree, then sat down. He clearly didn't care that Netura was there, nor did he take notice of the other Archdruids nearby.

"Long have I pondered when the World Tree would fall. And how it would taste when it did. The sapling my brother tore from life, you have heard of it? Well, I collected it's soul. And my, it was... Delicioussssssssss........"

And the hooded figure dissipated into smoke once more, before even that had disappeared. The entire thing had taken mere moments, but already Netura dreaded what was to come...