...And Frost's eyes snap open. He hisses like a cat and leaps up, back arched.
"I've found you! At last, I shall have revenge for what you have done to me! I never forget!"
The dragon breathes water, which in a heartbeat freezes into spiked ice, which then separates.
Ten icy spears fire at the undead creature.
The Mask shouts a spell and, just in time, the ice remelts and evaporates into burning steam, which blows back at the dragon. As Frost screams, the Mask fires its main assault, and the air around Frost begins to heat up...
"No!" The air returns to its normal temperature. "You shall not defeat me again! Begone, undead abomination!" Frost screams a spell and the Mask is thrown from the Sanctuary. In the same breath, he shouts a prayer to a strange draconic god, and he adds new wards to the wards around the Sanctuary.
Despite himself, Frost slumps to the ground. He has to rest...and he is too tired to warn the others...he regrets this, of course, but he is safe...
The Mask breathes heavily, out of habit. It has not fought against a competent opponent in a while, and the battle has shook it. However, it must press on...it now has little time for the ritual.
Suddenly, it feels a presence...Frogskin is fighting.
:Let me out, Mask! I won't let you!: Its eyes shift, and turn black. "I can expel you from my body, and I shall do so!"
:Frogskin, think.: The voice is calm, and almost sounds disappointed. :The Servants are growing in numbers. There are foul spirits in the air. This won't hurt the girl, and it is repairable. We have no choice!:
"No. We can't be sure it can be reversed."
:Do not worry: The Mask coos. :I know enough magic, it will be quite simple. Think, Mask. An Eternal Seer could help us! It could help us defeat the Servants, find us the right rituals to banish the spirits...it could get Kobold Cleaver back:
"I...I..."
:It could bring Esmerelda and Meepo back as well.:
"I..."
The Mask thrusts itself back into control.
"Do not worry, Frogskin. I will be quite careful."
Frogskin is silent.
"Now, we must find Arielle..." The creature whispers to itself. "And make sure that that meddling elemental isn't around. I best part is, none will be able to intervene without being expelled from the place!"
The Mask thinks. He cannot make the attempt easily with her grandfather in the way. What to do, what to do...
The Mask thinks. He cannot make the attempt easily with her grandfather in the way. What to do, what to do...
The Mask decides to look for an effective power source. All he needs is enough power to banish the grandfather. The daughter herself is no threat. Once he has the daughter, he can--but, ehm, that isn't important.
That's it! The Spirit Realm!
The Mask speaks a word, and vanishes.
The Mask decides to look for an effective power source. All he needs is enough power to banish the grandfather. The daughter herself is no threat. Once he has the daughter, he can--but, ehm, that isn't important.
That's it! The Spirit Realm!
The Mask speaks a word, and vanishes.
The Mask reappears. It now must only find the Place. It flies off toward its goal.
The trader's name was Izmayel. And he was persistent, she'd grant him that. He'd shown up to pester her every day for a week. She tried to be standoffish, but it wasn't easy. He was actually nice to her. It was hard not to talk to him. And he was interested in hearing about her, about her life here in this village, about the people who lived here. And he wasn't bad looking either. She wondered if this was what it was like to be courted. No. She was being silly again. Izmayel would be gone soon and there was no point in getting attached.
Linna knelt in the hard packed dirt of the village square trying to work free of the rope tying her hands together. Sonja was next to her. The entire village had been rounded up and bound. These not-men were stronger than humans could possibly be. They had come in the night and rounded everyone up. They knew just where to go and who to look for. None escaped. She watched Izmayel as he stood there dressed in robes like the rest giving out orders and felt the cold prickle of nausea. Everyone in her vilage was going to die and it was all her fault. She'd been so stupid. Thinking that he was actually interested in her. And she'd foolishly told him everything he needed to know.
"What are they doing?" she whispered to Sonja. Sonja knew just about everything. Hopefully she could shed some light on their current situation.
"You see that?" Sonja pointed out the large red jewel sitting on the altar the not-men had dragged out of the village temple. "That's a soul-trapping gem. One that big has to be meant for a lot of souls. I think they mean to put all of us inside that and give it to whatever evil god they serve."
Linna looked at her in horror. "There must be something we can do to stop this."
Sonja shook her head sadly. "They're too strong for us, child. It's hopeless."
Linna stared at the jewel as her hands finally worked free from the ropes.
"There's no such thing as hopeless," she said stubbornly.
As the not-men began to intone the first words of the ritual to pull the souls from the villagers, Linna broke free and made a mad dash, not away as they'd expected, but towards the altar. She scooped up a rock and used it to smash the gem as Izmayel drove his spear into her back.
"You failed," she whispered, smiling, as her life drained away. She hadn't been able to save the lives of her fellow villagers, but at least she had been able to set their souls free to go to the halls of the gods as they ought. But not her soul. Her soul was drawn into the small gem on the hilt of the spear, trapped.
She snapped back to herself with a jolt. The memories had been so potent. She felt disoriented as she tried to reconcile Linna and Lynora's memories. Now she knew why Ch'ack Hammer found it so hard sometimes to remember who he was. She went to push back hair that wasn't falling in her face, and sat down trying to digest all of this.
She snapped back to herself with a jolt. The memories had been so potent. She felt disoriented as she tried to reconcile Linna and Lynora's memories. Now she knew why Ch'ack Hammer found it so hard sometimes to remember who he was. She went to push back hair that wasn't falling in her face, and sat down trying to digest all of this.
To pass the time, Tristan practices targeting and accuracy with his new sorcerer's spell. He adapts to it quite well. When he becomes frustrated with the boredom and loneliness, he hikes and climbs around the Eyrie. He enjoys the breath-taking view his new home has to offer.
Azuri'ith can take care of Arielle for a bit. Actually that works since he needs to teach her weather magic[/ooc]
Arielle yelled at the top of her lungs as soon as the amulet transported her back to the main entrance of the Eyrie.
LJ's musings were interrupted by an obviously panicked yell from her daughter. She didn't bother with running. Flying was faster. She leapt off her balcony and landed on the balcony outside the portal room only a few seconds later.
"Arielle, what happened? Are you alright?" she asked examining the girl for any hurt. There were only a few scrapes and bruises which she absently healed as she focused all her attention on what Arielle had to say.
"Mom, it was awful," she said, throwing herself into her mother's arms and crying.
"Grandpa was teaching me and we were practicing with cyclones when these people came. And the funny raven was there and I think he might have been helping them. They cast some sort of spell on Grandpa and he went poof. I don't know where he is or if he's okay. And then they tried to take me, only I wouldn't let them. I already had so much weather I was working with, it wasn't hard at all to just let it spin out of control so it would hurt them. And then they tried to cast a spell on me, and it didn't work and I think they were going to try another one, but I used my amulet to come home just like you told me to. The main ones that I know of were called Dral and Tarvek and there was a woman called Stina. That's all I know."
LJ hugged her daughter tightly. Her eyes blazed with fury. Power flowed from her like water racing throughout the Eyrie, changing the wards.
Everyone within the Eyrie or the Sanctuary can hear the following within their mind.
The wards have been changed somewhat. The one known as the Mask as well as his knowing allies and the ones known as Dral, Tarvek, and Stina, as well as any evil-aligned servants of the boards are banned from this place. Should they find a way of getting through the protections, the restriction on attacking another within this place does NOT apply to them.
"It's alright, honey. Everything is going to be fine. First things first, we need to find Grandfather and make sure that he's okay. Alright? It's okay, Arielle. I won't let them have you, my precious girl. I love you, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
Everyone within the Eyrie or the Sanctuary can hear the following within their mind.
The wards have been changed somewhat. The one known as the Mask as well as his knowing allies and the ones known as Dral, Tarvek, and Stina, as well as any evil-aligned servants of the boards are banned from this place. Should they find a way of getting through the protections, the restriction on attacking another within this place does NOT apply to them.
Over the past few days, Aidan could be seen with someone almost all the time or all alone and shaping small bit a fire. After talking to Oroth, he steps through the omniportal and returns with a pack bulging at odd angles. He finds an empty room, moves the furniture into another room and starts to work. Now, with Lynora-Jill's telepathic message still clear in his mind, he starts working furiously. In his haste though, he forgot to put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and forgot to place wards to keep the heat his Champion magic is generating in the room...
LJ keeps Arielle close as she summons winds to bring her information about what happened and about the people who tried to harm her child. She also sends winds looking for Azuri'ith, bringing him back to the material place with some extra resistance against future attempts to banish him back to the plane of Air. Elementals and invisible stalkers that had abandoned the Eyrie after the last war are once more seen patrolling the corridors, watching for intruders.
invisible stalkers that had abandoned the Eyrie after the last war are once more seen patrolling the corridors, watching for intruders.
Invisible post irony.
invisible stalkers that had abandoned the Eyrie after the last war are once more seen patrolling the corridors, watching for intruders.
invisible stalkers that had abandoned the Eyrie after the last war are once more seen patrolling the corridors, watching for intruders.
...when the Servants have overrun the Eyrie, you shall be the first to die.