Serpent City, the homeplace of the famed Snake and Dragon Inn, is under attack. From within itself. A vile being, a menace from beyond space and time, has infected buildings, people, and animals with a horrendous virus, turning them into monstrous abberations, extensions of itself. This being is an unknown, an enemy never before encounterd, old and dangerous. A group of heroes must journey to where It entered the world, to find what is known about It and how to kill It. They must travel the Prime Node of the Spellweaver race, and they must track down a Being even older, even darker than that which plagues Serpent City.
And while this search goes on, even more heroes must gather to contain the blight inside Serpent City. It cannot be allowed to leave the gates of the city.
And in the shadows, a dark figure awaits. A dead man, whose skull is wreathed in green flames. Is this enigma an enemy, or a very old friend?
This thread is a branch off from a plotline within Snake and Dragon Inn II. All players are welcome, but it would be quite beneficial if anyone desiring to join would read that thread first.
))Equus looks around at the place. And what are we to do here, Lord? Where is your sister?
Alex also studies their new location. Like hell you'll have a new empire. He mumbles darkly before being interupted. I was told we would be fffffighting. Alex pats Kite on the head, a gesture Kite shrugs off with annoyance but that anyone else would of been ripped to pieces for attempting. Soon my friend, soon.
Lord snaps at Alex mentally, his fury palpable. " Watch your tongue! Our empire will flourish! We'll conquer the stars! We-" The rest disintegrates into a strange mental fit. It seems like the mental equivalent of a coughing fit. He bends over, two hands on his knees and weakly points at the pyramid in answer to Equus's question.
-Back at the Snake and Dragon Inn-
Lexia hears screams from outside and looks out the window. Uh oh, that things getting stronger. Boss we need to get to work. She turns around to face him and he takes a minute to anwser shaking his head and blinking as if coming out of a daze. The council wont send anyone Lexia. I have my personal guard and myself to offer but that is it. Even your grandmother's faction isnt sending anyone. Lexia purses (( I never have figured out if I'm using that right )) her lips and sighs. Fine, I shall put them in their place later. We will fight on our own for now. Let the people in Boss, we are a bastion for the realm of sanity now.
Snow quickly begins searching around trying to find things to do, she stumbles over a few things and lands on her butt. After a minute she stands up sighing and goes back to helping out.
"Here I want you to mold these into a Katana. Its a very special material of mine and it has a gift to my daughter within it."
He hands over a rather large chunk of frozen metal, it seems to be constantly growing as if it was alive.
He bows to Matar and quickly fades to back outside.
The twisted wolves begin to chew upon the door, trying to rip chunks of it off the wall.
Matar runs down. I will be here to make a stand. Snow, catch. Matar throws her a wooden katana, similar to one used in training. I'll explain later, but that should work out.
An explosion of ice erupted from the blade flowing through the area within his sight and flowing up encasing even Revelation in his holy ice...
Revelation was in mid swing when the frozen moutain covered his body and he froze solid...
Genesis started to weave a spell and gathered as much magical energy as he could and used several quickened implosion spells on the creatures while they were being attacked by Constatine and Revelation.
Snow actually catches the weapon and she twirls around. She gets into a stance she had seen her father stand in many of times when he battled.
"Lexia? Whats outside?"
Lord stiffens and looks at Beast, his eyes seeming angry, and a trifle confused. " That....that doesn't matter."
He started to get up again, his face oozing with a thick black blood, where the creature had punched him onyx black scales were slowly surfacing and the rest of his scales started to split from his body as his other scales tore through his flesh...
"You want to play with fire....I will burn you all!" Revelation started to take on his draconic apperance, the burning vortex of the transformation started to surround his body.
His eyes swirled like a vortex of absolute darkness,and the ground erupted into black flames which seemed to engulf his very being.
Then, amidst the black infinity , there emerged a horror of the likes noone had never before witnessed. Somehow, its darkness was even blacker than the surrounding nonexistence, its form definite only by how it made the adjacent hollow reality seem overflowing with life compared to the utter desolation of its own anathematic being.
It was vaguely draconic in shape, with four colossal legs and a long serpentine neck. Two whip-like tails extended behind it, and four dark wings graced its back. A long, wispy mane of blood red ruby hair adorned its head and neck, and from its brow came two chillingly white, needle pointed horns curving into a lethal helix.
Its eyes were indescribable orbs of maddening pandemonium that swirled with the most deplorable ideologies ever to be contrived in the history of eternity; they stared straight through everyones very existence.
Its teeth and claws were unnaturally large for its size, crimson red and shimmering with feral lethality. It looked to be composed almost of smoke, an insubstantial haze of unreal matter that breached the laws of reality solely by the virtue of its abhorrent being.
By far the most horrific feature of the abomination however, was the malefic black crown that hovered above its unholy skull. Wreathed in entropic flames darker than the heart of midnight, it radiated an aura of malignant power unlike anything else in all Creation.
Its gaze burned the very core of all beings, and the voice that reverberated throughout the entirety of all the creations, essences was a cacophony spawned of an elder time, a mind shattering bellow of dark-willed defiance and insidious divinity.
The entire area shook as his transformation was complete, heat waved off of his body and soon water started flowing from nowhere flooding the area, fire started to rain down upon all burning trees,buildings and all within range.
"COME NOW FOOLISH BEINGS! I WILL TAKE YOU AND THIS PLANE DOWN WITH ME!"
Snow quickly fell asleep as the voice spoke to her.
Cloud shook his head extremely confused, and his eyes widened when he felt the surge of darkness coming from Revelation...
"Lexia,Matar please get everyone inside..Revelation is on a rampage!"
Constatine was over the city when he felt Revelation transform...He shook his head wanting to turn and stop him but he wanted to destroy this monster...
His entire body started to split,blood icy blue started to ooze from the wound. His entire body showed no emotion as the wracking pain tore through him. His eyes transformed from his sparkling sapphire ice like eyes and went completely dark with a icey draconic pupil forming in both eyes.
His blood continued to drip down everywhere and his eyes open wide, all around him a pulsing aura of blue,white,siver exploded from his body spraying more blood toward the ground.
His very flesh started to peel away reveiling new scales, then muscle and then veins until a swirling mass of energy swirled around his very body. His scream seemed to echoe through the region as the transformation started to complete, it was his normal scream but became a mighty roar.
A massive explosion rocked the sky sending a wave of energy in all directions and with that a massive creature slowly emerged.
The dragon was the size of a moutain, its entire being was composed of what appeared solid ice. It had several aquatic features such as webbing between his claws and under his legs and even his tail was built for underwater.
It's thick scales glistened as the sun shined down upon him.
Its tail swung back and forth as it stared as the tower below, its freezing aura covering miles, it released a massive roar and exploded straight for the tower sending a wave of frigid energy straight toward it.
"I have no information to give you. Infact, all you need to enter the world is me. When I steal the so called Stormchild's last breath I shall take us there. Be patient and hope the dog doesn't fight back.
Oh, and yes, I have heard of you. Many creatures idolize and fear you in equal proportions throughout the pits of Hell."
The demon does not heed the threat Revelation had given her. Unaware of who his father was, she continues to flay his mind and very will until his existence on this plane is no more and his essence relinquished from his body.
Kite glares at just about everything flicking his tongue in and out, and clicking his claws impatiently. Alex stands still and listens intently, these world shaping events seemed like something his Grandmother and the council would be interested in. Although they were concerned with only his home plane and the various spirit worlds directly connected to it, such universal events would be of importance still.
'Saragoth' unleashes his strange double laughter. " Oh no no no, Equus. I am Saragoth no longer. Nor, Beast, am I Felex'ja. You see, after you trapped Felex in this damnable bracer, he despaired. He sent psychic probes everywhere, looking for just the right desperate humanoid in search of power. He knew he couldn't free himself, but he at least wanted a body to run around in. He didn't want to end up like poor old Baaltriel. But he hit upon the perfect mind. An old lich, love-lost and tormented. A man with no thought to his future, only his past. And this lich put Felex'Ja upon his arm, hoping to use it's power to bring back.....his love." The lich-being's voice falters a bit, a hint of rage and annoyance in it's dual voices. " And Felex'Ja, sensing what he percieved as weakness, cannibilized a portion of his own newfound power, using it to catapault himself into Saragoth's mind and body. But Felex, dear Felex, miscalculated. Saragoth was stronger than he anticipated. So the minds battled each other for..... " The thing falters again. " A long time. And as they danced and fought and died, they began to grow closer. And then, one day, they just....merged. And now, there is only me. Babzidu. A fitting name, don't you think?" Babzidu, the lich-Primordial, throws back his skinless head and laughs again.
His dark blue scales seemed extremely tough, his knuckles,knees and elbows had long serrated blue gems protruding out of his flesh. Also in between each of his scales he had the same gems woven through his body.
In a flud motion he brought his fist down going to smash the small demon and his foot launched out going to kick the Emissiary in the face trying to throw him off of Revelation.
If his attack worked he went to place a hand on Revelation and send positive energy into his body.
"Lets have some fun Revelation. You look like you are being lazy again."
Chaos's deep voice boomed throughout the area.
Revelation slowly lifted his head up as he felt a hand on his stomach. It was Genesis beneath him, his wounds started to disappear swiftly and he started to feel his strength returning.
"Stupid people..I was doing fine, I had them right where I wanted them."
The warriors who were about to charge the beast soon dropped their weapons and ran to the desolate barrens that surrounded the citadel.
In minutes the Emissiary had won through simple intimidation. The outpost was his newfound playground.
"This may have been a bad idea."
"Relax, love. Just like you told the monstrosity it does not know the potential we are capable of."
The Emissiary picked up the shatter automatons. It had little flesh to work with, but in truth, Abbalah-Doon did not need flesh. The Emissiary dragged the bodies of the automotans to the center of the outpost of Hellbred. It piled them in a center, and stood on top of them. Then, the Emissiary did something strange. It put it's delicate hands on it's blank face, almost caressing it, before ripping it's own head off. As the head falls to the ground, tendrils explode outward, ripping through the armored shell of the Emissiary's body. These tendrils latch onto the buildings of Hellbred and and slain automotons, as well as the piece of the Emissiary's body. The tendrils twist the metal, stone, and even the dirt, melding with it and growing, until the buildings and ground are as much twisted flesh as they are stone and bone and steel. Eyes and grotesque mouths grow outward from the buildings, gasping and staring, gnawing and biting at the air. The central buildings of Hellbred begin to ooze toward each other, sending out questing tentacles to latch onto each other. They begin to merge together, forming the basic shape of a Tower. The outer, slightly smaller buildings also latch on, sending out more tendrils to grab the automatons and the shattered remains of the Emissiary. These pieces meld together as well, shaping themselves into a manlike being, a new Emissiary. The black, hellforged armor of the automaton's forms the outer shell of the Emissiary's new body, while the buildings form his inner muscle, the secret source of his deadly strength. They compress themselves downward, until the Emissiary's final form ends up at a mere 8 feet, 1 foot taller than his previous shape. But this one is far more intimidating. It's face is like a black steel helm, with segmented and clawed palps in the place of a mouth. Four red eyes glow like hellfire sprouting from the black depths of it's face. Steel spikes rise out of the back of the head, forming a crown of sorts. It's body is similar in shape, but black and segmented, like a beetle shell or a suit of armor. Hot steam rises off this creature in waves. Black wings, one pair large and membranous like the first Emissiary, the other pair smaller and located on it's lower back, rise and fan the air lazily. A scorpion's tail, made of segmented black steel, lays flat on the ground. What looks like molten rock drips from the stinger. It's legs are powerfully sculpted plates of hellforged steel. The feet are large and blocky, ending in two talons, a definite departure from the delicacy of the Emissiary's hands. It's voice rings out across the hellish plain. It is atonal and and fearsome, but still the voice of Abbalah-Doon. " Demons! Show your faces! I still have not found the knowledge I seek! These soldiers, they have run from me! I find in this ruin only building material and automotons! Bring me the runners! And then, we must talk." Spreading it's wings, the new, improved Emissiary ascends to the top of it's developing Tower.
The remaining automoton bodies, twisted by the embrace of Abbalah-Doon, rise and form ranks. Tentacles have burst through the armor of their bodies, forming mangled, clawlike appendages and horrific staring eyes on random parts of their forms.
(Gotta go to work. Be back in an hour or two.)
As the warped legions of eidolons advance into the volcanic barrens that surround the brand new hive they uncover hundreds of infernal residents much more resilient than the puny Hellbred militia. Abbalah-Doon watches many patrols of his distorted sentinels fall prey to a contingent of powerful yet mindless desert fiends. The beasts are obviously mindless, only simple animals when compared to the organized demonic nations.
Through his newfound army Abballah-Doon sees very vivid images of these unusual devils. They are huge, overly muscular brutes with tough hides and feral red eyes full of rage and malice. Their elongated arms drag against the jagged black rocks and slice their knuckles raw. With a maw housing at least three rows of rancid black teeth and the power to sunder a wall they are fearsome creatures indeed. They travel in smal packs and howl like wolves as they carve up their kills.
There are other residents that put up resistance though none of them can compare to the savegery and destruction that the gargantuan, nomadic fiends put out.
The monsters shred through Abbalah-Doon's weaker forms in an instant and hinder his search for the fleeing Hellbreed. From the looks of things, however, they too have fallen prey to the ferocious beasts.
(( Hey Bab, do you think you could make an excuse for getting rid of Alex and Kite? I'm regretting bringing them on this mission ))
As the last of the blows went to strike him, Revelation flung his chain around the creatures leg and using the creatures own strength he yanked hard toward himself hoping to drag the creature down.
He quickly moved out of the way being sliced down the side but still trying to yank the thing down.
Chaos gripped the monsters head and using his full strength he flung the creature straight toward the other juggerknot.
"Weaklings, you are truly nothing!"
Two other demons spot the Emissiary towering over one of one their brood and charge it simultaneously. One brings its elongated arm all the way back before bashing it into the Emissiary with mountain shattering force. The other one brings its oversized, clawed foot down on the Emissiary in an attempt to trample it.
__________
Chaos soon realizes that his attempt to yank the demon's arm off may have been a bad idea. The demon performs a whirlwind, hoping such a manuever would send Chaos flying while it still has a grip of its arm.
If that didn't work then it stares Chaos down with all six of its snarling, cackling heads. With a another bleating noise an odious, scalding wave of miasmic air blasts forth out each of its gaping mouthes. The odorous air fills the lungs with smoke, malaria, and fire and melts away the living's flesh in an instant.
((Hey Aqua what exactly was Chaos doing for his second attack?))
The Emissiary takes the fist to the chest, not making a sound as it's chest plating dents slightly. It holds up an arm and catches the demon's foot, holding it above him effortlessly. It leans down, holding out it's free arm. A tentacle snakes it's way out from it's wrist, inserting itself into the dead demon's body. Corruption swiftly spreads throughout the corpse, warping the body beyond belief. The proces seems slow, though protracted. Abbalah-Doon had plans for these creatures. Their strength would be added to it's own. It shot another tentacle into the foot of the creature above it. The tendril tore through flesh like a hot axe through butter, reaching and climbing, heading swiftly for the brain.
He bared his teeth at the creature, his massive draconic wings tearing through his back causing more blood to drip onto the filthy dirt. He seemed to become far more feral as he allowed part of his transformation to take place.
"I'm going to tear you limb from limb! I hope you can hit me with alot more!"
He started running straight at the oversized demon, he opened his arms wide his claws and gem like protrusions growing sharper as he charged his foe.
Chaos lunged at his foe and moved for his chest, he was going to tear his way to the creatures heart as soon as he made contact.
Revelation's sun pulsed and a great surge of power seemed to be fed into it. He raised it higher and higher until it was high above the monster. He laughed wickedly and then flung it straight toward the oversized demon. He was intending to cause a devestating explosion and hopefully destroy it in the process while showing the rulers of this area he was here to make his name well known.
The Prelate looks at Beast levelly, all humor gone from his mind. " Indeed, I would prefer the universe to be destroyed before that thing spread further. As for Abbalah-Doon's ties to the infection, I do not know. I know little about this creature. I cannot scry him. Which is why I want you, Equus, and Lord to go to Baaltriel. Baaltriel and Everflame are the oldest things in existance. They can travel between realities on a whim. I do not know the location of Everflame, but Baaltriel I know. Go to him. Ask him what he knows about this creature, and how to stop it. And yes, if there is no other way, I have given Lord my permission to allow Baaltriel to destroy this reality, in hopes of saving others." The mention of Babzidu seems to go completely above the Prelate's head, as if he did not hear Beast.
The voice becomes angry, hissing and seething in Snow's head. It begins to cause her pain. A little at first, but the pain increases the longer she is away from Cloud. " Ignore him! Go to your uncle! Now!"
Claire seems to be doing alright, touching her head less and not screaming, until the Guardian turns it's bony head and looks at her. When it does that, she begins to scream, writhing on the floor and clutching her skull. Her teeth become jagged fangs, and her left hand begins to enlongate into a bladelike shape.
"Filth...You injure a child, it seems my brother was right you are far to weak to even harm us.."
Cloud swept his hand across her face using a calm emotion spell, he maximized it to get its full potential.
"Keep him from bothering her Genesis please, this is growing harder."
Snow slipped past Maelstrom who stumbled as the little girl moved in between his legs. She had to get rid of the pain and maybe the voice was telling her only Cloud could fix her. She slipped down the stairs quickly and started moving toward him.
She stopped when she saw the creature in the cage, it stood between her,Genesis and Cloud and whoever else was in the room...
She stood in fear as she stared at the thing, it reminded her so much of what had attacked her she started to grow sick and vomit started to flow from her mouth as she heaved upon the floor.
As he advanced forward blackwater slowly bubbled up out of the ground behind Azal, Squall was hoping the boy backed into it but if he didn't he would just hit him with it anyways.
"Give me the power boy! I don't care if you try to shoot me with your little gun or kill Beast or even Lord. I want the dragon in you. Let me tear it out of you and you can be on your little way...I have a spell made for you to free you of the damn thing. NOW LET ME HAVE HIM!"
Squall went into a frenzy, he was now bullrushing beast straight toward Azal still using him as a shield. He was going to get baal'triel one way or another...
Blackwater slowly bubbled underneath Lord and tried to wrap around all of his arms, he was going to kill him if Beast didn't choose who to protect...He was hoping the Lord was still messed up in the head to do anything about his attack but if he did then he would continue with his first plan.
Then, amidst the black infinity , there emerged a horror of the likes noone had never before witnessed. Somehow, its darkness was even blacker than the surrounding nonexistence, its form definite only by how it made the adjacent hollow reality seem overflowing with life compared to the utter desolation of its own anathematic being.
It was vaguely draconic in shape, with four colossal legs and a long serpentine neck. Two whip-like tails extended behind it, and four dark wings graced its back. A long, wispy mane of blood red ruby hair adorned its head and neck, and from its brow came two chillingly white, needle pointed horns curving into a lethal helix.
Its eyes were indescribable orbs of maddening pandemonium that swirled with the most deplorable ideologies ever to be contrived in the history of eternity; they stared straight through everyones very existence.
Its teeth and claws were unnaturally large for its size, crimson red and shimmering with feral lethality. It looked to be composed almost of smoke, an insubstantial haze of unreal matter that breached the laws of reality solely by the virtue of its abhorrent being.
By far the most horrific feature of the abomination however, was the malefic black crown that hovered above its unholy skull. Wreathed in entropic flames darker than the heart of midnight, it radiated an aura of malignant power unlike anything else in all Creation.
Its gaze burned the very core of all beings, and the voice that reverberated throughout the entirety of all the creations, essences was a cacophony spawned of an elder time, a mind shattering bellow of dark-willed defiance and insidious divinity.
His massive body broke free from Equus's trap and he now stood towering over the god. He could taste the divine power that radiated from Equus, he was going to enjoy eating this god....
He opened his mouth up and released a massive blast of black flames which seemed to eradicate everything in its path, Equus could feel something strange from these black flames, as if it was calling out to his divine power.
The black sun started to feed on Revelation's pain,rage and the other emotions of those around him. It was now enormous and it exploded downward going to swallow all those against its master.
(Night Hells cya tomorrow.)
The onlooking warforged begin to mutter among themselves, their hands also straying towards their weapons.
Blade lets out a metallic shriek of surprise. " Get your hands off me, you freaky breather!"
Blade is desperately wrenching his arm back, away from Beast. " Fine, yes, okay! Just let me go!"
(Night)
Cloud,Genesis,Maelstrom,Constatine and Tempest appeared back where they once were.
"Sorry Claire my nephew had a some anger issues and took us away from our mission on accident...Don't worry everything will be all right." He placed his hand on her head and tried to calm her down.
Genesis teleported outside and stood on the very rooftop scanning the area. He could seen Revelation's others still lurking around waiting for something to happen but nothing seemed to spark their interest.
"So much destruction and chaos...I hope grandfather will be ok..."
His head dropped as somethng dark twisted inside his body. He finally looked up and stared out toward the city.
(( My friends play Dethecus Horde Side, Aleria (sp?) Ally and Gurubashi with a mixed bag. I'm thinking about starting up again ))
So how is this guy crazy, exactly?
The Juggerknott looks after the retreating Espedal. Abbalah-Doon was wise enough to know that the mage had not given it everything, but that mattered little. It had developed Claire into the Magi for the very purpose of apprehending mages.
Azal looks at Beast slowly, careful to keep one eye on the trash. " He's obscenely paranoid. If you see anything pointed at you, don't flinch."
Revelation smiled as the creature blocked his attack, he raised his scythe and had it rest on his shoulder.
"I do not care if you torture the girl but how come something of nothing causes so much annoyance to my family?"
Genesis glared at the being, not at the girl but the damn symbiote which attached itself to the poor child.
"Cloud we need to leave...This area is lost to these creatures..We are fighting a war that can not be won."
Cloud shook his head, he would not back down but Genesis truth was sinking in...
"True, Aqua is gravely hurt and we are low on supplies. I have learned of nothing, I am sorry I have failed you all.." His head dropped and he looked at the ground, his hair fell over his shoulders and he shook with sadness.