Endless Winter (Part 2)
GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (1): 1 GAME: Malik casts Break Enchantment. Caster Level: 14 DC: 19 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+14: (17)+14: 31
Malik shakes his head, getting a moment of clarity. His eyes narrow at the fae woman, and waves a mudra past his eyes, the small shimmer in them fading with a brief sparkle as his mind clears. The wizard is once-again clear eyed. And now looking very, very angry.
GAME: Seldan rolls 6d6: (26): 26
"There is not time, Mikilos." Seldan shakes his head at Mikilos, although the change in his username serves as a tacit acceptance of his words. "You will know what you must do." As he speaks, he lays that hand on his shoulder again, and that silver light forms beneath his hand once again, melting into his skin and easing some of the frostbitten chill in his flesh. He traces another set of sigils in the air, one he has used just moments ago and one that Malik has never before seen him use, a wall of pure blue-white force springing up inches behind Salina and attaching itself floor to ceiling. "As you do not explain yourself to me, so will I not explain myself to you, and for the same reason." He fishes a scroll from one of the side pouches on his backpack.
GAME: Seldan casts Wall of Force. Caster Level: 14 DC: 21 GAME: Seldan rolls reflex: (6)+17: 23 GAME: Mikilos rolls reflex: (5)+10: 15 GAME: Malik rolls Reflex: (20)+11: 31 (CRITICAL SUCCESS) GAME: Aftershock rolls 20d6: (68): 68
Another cold wind emits from Salina, ice rising from the floor as it has once before. This time Seldan manages to evade the blades of frozen snow, and so too does Malik but Mikilos.... It catches him up and freezes him to his core. A rhyme of frost cracks over his flesh and freezes his hair. The woman herself only shakes her head at Seldan's words. "What do you hope to do here? What do you hope to accomplish? Is vengeance a magic that will unmake what I have done?"
GAME: Mikilos used a Scroll of Breath of Life. GAME: Mikilos rolls 5d8+9: (24)+9: 33 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (10)+21: 31 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (20)+21: 41 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d100: (13): 13 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d100: (17): 17
Mikilos grits his teeth as the frost washes over him, starting to step foreward, then blinks as a thought occurs. Grabbing a scroll from his side pouch, the wizard murmurs quietly, the scroll crumbling to a cloud of sparkling dust that hangs fora moment before rushing into the wizard's frozen body, thawing and soothing.
The large section of floor that sat up before swings a pair of massive stone fists at the fae, seeming to kit, yet someone still managing to miss. For an immovable stone face, it manages to covey surprise and irritation quite well.
GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (18)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 41 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (16)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 39 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (14)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 37 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+6+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (15)+6+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 33 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+1+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (6)+1+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 19 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (9): 9 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (37): 37 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (17): 17 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (7): 7 GAME: Malik rolls Spellcraft: (18)+21: 39
Malik fires arrows at the fae woman, and yet all of them seem to miss. Inexplicably. Again. The wizard squints, considering, then shakes his head. "She is using displacement. She is not where she seems."
GAME: Seldan used a Scroll of Antimagic field.
"End this game of cat and mouse," Seldan answers simply. He flicks the scroll open and reads it, its words echoing into a shimmering in the air around him as it disintegrates into nothingness. "I am sworn to protect the people of Ea from the abuse of magic, and you in your desire to prove my words wrong have become among the most vile abusers of it the world has seen. In Eluna's name, I have had enough." There is very little of anger in the words, and even a trace of understanding beneath their implacability. He strides forward to meet her, then, Reunion raised.
"You will not find the end you seek here." Salina's voice intones as a wall of stone rises up between Salina and Seldan, smooth unbroken, shielding him from her and her from him. The wall is tall enough to block the woman entirely from sight. Now, there's no way of knowing what she's doing on the other side. Worse, there's no obvious way through the stone.
GAME: Mikilos casts Stone Shape. Caster Level: 14 DC: 23 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (4)+21: 25
Floor, wall, stone is stone, and the elemental moves in, swinging at the fae on the far side. Poorly.
Mikilos blinks, and murmurs rapidly, pulling a small wad of clay from his pocket. Smashing the clay into a flat surface, it turns is sideways, making a crude replica of the wall. The clay shimmers, and as the elf digs a tunnel though his model, a similar passage shapes itself in the full sized wall.
GAME: Malik casts Stone Shape. Caster Level: 14 DC: 18
A low growl escapes Malik's throat as he sees the wall of stone go up. Almost as soon as it does, and the elemental burrows through, Malik raises his hands, a small block of stone between his fingers. Tossing it at the wall of stone, he parts his hands sharply like a man parting a curtain, and the wall peels back from the middle outward like a potter's hands through clay. "The tower is hers to control. Strike while you can!"
GAME: Seldan rolls 1d20+18: (17)+18: 35 GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/arcana: (2)+14: 16 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d8+4: (6)+4: 10
Salina stares into Seldan's eyes as if she can see into the warrior. "Your weapon can bleed me Seldan, but it can not kill me." She moves finally, spreading her arms in a gesture that usually speaks of peace. "You can plunge it into my heart, but it will not serve you any better than this cut has. You do not understand. This, is my domain." The world grows dark suddenly, completely without any light. One can hear the sound of stone moving against stone, but theres no way to see it. No way to see anything at all.
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d100: (33): 33
Mikilos hesitates a moment and starts to move, trying not to trip as he blindly starts foreward to where he knew Seldan and Salina were. At least, that's the plan. Then there's something large and solid in his path. "...ow."
GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (14)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 37 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (8)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 31 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+6+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (18)+6+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 36 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+1+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (10)+1+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 23 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (57): 57 GAME: Malik rolls 1d100: (11): 11 GAME: Malik rolls 1d8+3+6+2: (2)+3+6+2: 13 GAME: Malik rolls 1d8+3+6+2: (3)+3+6+2: 14 GAME: Seldan rolls 1d100: (48): 48 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (15)+5: 20 GAME: Seldan rolls spellcraft: (19)+15: 34
"Of course not," Seldan straightens, his voice floating through the darkness. "I am only the distraction." He sheathes his sword, and his footsteps move away, back towards the stairs. He's mostly there when the lights come back on, and he examines the stairs before stepping on them. "Exploding runes. Clever." He turns back towards Salina.
The lights come back on like the sun rising slowly. There's no sign of the walls that Salina caused to rise up from the floor, but the woman is sporting a few arrows that managed to strike her in spite of the darkness. She lifts a hand to pull the weapons free, and drops them onto the ground with a little light clatter. "Where are you going Seldan?"
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+14: (7)+14: 21 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+14: (19)+14: 33 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+14: (16)+14: 30 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (13)+21: 34 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (12)+21: 33 GAME: Mikilos rolls 2d10+10: (10)+10: 20 GAME: Mikilos rolls 2d10+10: (16)+10: 26
Mikilos murmurs, and points, waves of disruptive magical force washing over Salina... to no apparent effect.
The massive elemental also attacks... to also no apparent effect. This is becoming a theme....
GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (10)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 33 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (4)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 27 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+11+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (7)+11+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 30 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+6+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (20)+6+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 38 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+1+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (11)+1+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 24 GAME: Malik rolls 1d20+6+6+5+2+1-2-3+1+2: (10)+6+6+5+2+1+-2+-3+1+2: 28 GAME: Malik rolls 1d8+5+3+6+2+1d6: (7)+5+3+6+2+(6): 29 GAME: Malik rolls 1d8+5+3+6+2+1d6: (1)+5+3+6+2+(1): 18 GAME: Malik rolls 3d8+48+1d6: (14)+48+(1): 63
Malik looks at the other two, the wizard's eyes narrowing as he's clearly in no mood to play games. He fires more arrows, this time at least partially unimpeded, the weapons finding their targets. "Would -someone- /please/ kill her already?" he shouts, exasperation rising in his voice.
GAME: Seldan rolls use magic device: (15)+10: 25 GAME: Seldan rolls knowledge/arcana: (9)+14: 23
"It is not so simple as that," Seldan answers, turning to face the others. "It is a mighty thing that you have stolen, Salina, and turned to your will." He concentrates for a moment, then turns bad shakes his head, hustling back to the others and drawing the blade again as he goes. "But, as with all things magical, knowledge is not enough. Wisdom must guide knowledge's eyes, and who breaking a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom."
"A distraction? For those below?" Salina tilts her head at Seldan. "So long as I will it, they will remain trapped beneath us with the demon. Unless you can put an end to this." She spreads her arms again and then shakes her head. "But the only weapon in this room that can kill me lies unused in the hands of one more than half dead." She turns her pale eyes on Mikilos. "Is that not so Mikilos?"
GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (20)+21: 41 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+21: (6)+21: 27 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+7+9: (1)+7+9: 17 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d20+7+9: (9)+7+9: 25 GAME: Mikilos rolls 1d8: (4): 4
Mikilos tsks. "I'm a -wizard-. Swordplay isn't my forte." The elf motions idly, and the blade flows from it's sheath on unseen forces. "But then, I don't need to be." The blade flies true, piercing Salina in the heart.
Mikilostravia Abrioudelanarchie Mithralla.
Mithralla, a clan dating back to the First Age, when elves fought beside the Gods of Light, clad in shining mithril armor. Literally, 'of Mithril'.
Mikilostravia, a family name, used by Miki's great-grandfather, and his grandfather before that. Usually thought to mean 'warrior', the original term implies change, 'to be made ready for battle.'
Abrioudelanarchie, from his mothers side, commonly used as a term for 'Gardnerer' but more properly 'a time of growth and newness'.
Mikilostravia Abrioudelanarchie Mithralla.
'Weaponized Spring of Mithril'
Of -course- he's going to be part of taking down Endless Winter.
The woman falls, her heart pierced by the wicked blade even as she collapses to the ground and then her form becomes a puddle of snow. The room around you begins to quickly thaw as if her lack of presence in it is speeding the thawing process. Suddenly, a man's voice echoes through the room. "Self-destruct sequence activated. Five seconds."
GAME: Malik rolls Use Magic Device: (3)+16: 19 GAME: Malik rolls Use Magic Device: (5)+16: 21 GAME: Seldan rolls use magic device: (14)+10: 24
Malik watches the woman go down, some small bit of tension releasing from him. That is, until the voice says those fateful words, and he stands up, looking around wide-eyed. He tries to exert his will on the artifact, feeling it blocked by the complex magics, shouting at nothing in particular, "GODS DAMMIT ZEHEIR CAN YOU AND YOUR BLOODLINE BE HELPFUL FOR -ONCE- IN YOUR LIVES?"
Mikilos is... less than fully surprised at the melting form. The disembodied voice is a little jarring. Considering for an instant, the wizard activates his Boots and heads for the steps at a swift pace, careful not too look too close at what he's walking on. "Halt Sequence!" It's not likely to be obeyed, but it's worth a shot.
There's no sense of accomplishment here, as Salina crumples to the floor, not for Seldan. Only a sense of unending relief - utterly shattered, like the ice encasing her, into tiny shards as the man's voice booms through the tower. "There's a control room! It is likely up the stairs, mind the runes and do not read them!" He pauses for just a moment, concentrating again, as if by willing alone he could make the tower obey, but it is no good.
Irritatedly, he shakes his head and, sword still in hand, fairly -jumps- into the air, pure white feathered wings unfolding from his back. One flap, two flaps as he gathers speed towards the stairway, then upwards in full cry towards the top of the stairs, Reunion still in hand.
"Four seconds." Says the voice unhelpfully... and notably a few seconds later than one might think given that you're only supposed to have a few seconds left. The stairs go up quite a lot higher than one might have thought from looking below.
Mikilos mutters something he picked up during a brawl in a dive bar... or it might have been Sandy's birthday party... and continues up the far too many stairs.
Not inclined to swear, Seldan saves his breath for the flight, focusing on gathering all the speed he can manage, using everything he was taught when first he learned to fly. He does not bother to wait for the others, instead flying as swiftly as he may.
Malik, of course, is not far behind. Because if they're all going to die they might as well die arguing about which rune does what, in the true spirit of arcane science.
"Three seconds." Again that notable pause. There's no door at the top of the stairs. Just a wall into which the stairs end.
Once again, Malik flicks one of those little stone cubes at the wall (how many of those things does he even have, anyway?), again parting the air in front of him with his hands as he wills the wall in front of them to part like a curtain, allowing passage -- praying to several gods at once that it works, though he's certainly no cleric.
Too much speed. Wall. Well ahead of the others, Seldan encounters the wall and, wholly unable to stop with the speed he's gathered, collides with the stone wall with an audible *thump* and a *crunch*, followed by a muttered word that Seldan's mother would most certainly not approve of! When the others arrive, he is standing up amid a small cloud of white feathers on the floor, the feathers on his right pinion rather crumpled and broken.
Mikilos does slow a bit, trying to think what spells he has left to get around this particular challenge. Then Malik is stepping up, and Mikilos resumes focus on moving quickly.
GAME: Malik rolls Perception: (20)+20: 40 GAME: Seldan rolls perception: (12)+5: 17 GAME: Mikilos rolls perception: (14)+21: 35
There's a room beyond the wall that Malik opens. It's rather simply appointed, a desk with a chair behind it. Another door set into the wall that you just came in. It's entirely empty. "Two seconds."
Malik sees Seldan hit the wall. Sees the man go down. Hears that crunch and that cursing. But the wizard doesn't have time to tend to him right now. Instead, he merely steps over the paladin in his race to find something that won't end in their inevitable deaths, eyes wide as he calls back over his shoulder, "WALK IT OFF!" He's moving toward the desk -- and then /over/ the desk, sliding across the top of the thing as he moves for -- something.
Mikilos considers for a moment, and heads for the far side of the desk himself. Less dramatically. "Check the door!" Because -someone- has to.
GAME: Mikilos rolls knowledge/arcana: (9)+28: 37
The last one into the room, Seldan blinks, then turns around and examines the door as instructed by Mikilos. He's still trailing the odd, crumpled feather as he turns around, but immediately picks it up as soon as he sees it fall.
"Shall I open it?" he calls swiftly to the other two.
"One second." Announces the voice calmly. It's very helpful to your thinking processes.
Mikilos says, "YES!" Mikilos, for his part, moves to stand on the small circle, and thinks -really hard-. "Control room!"
For the record - Mikilos doesn't go anywhere.
That's all he needs. -Immediately-, Seldan jerks open the door and looks around for some indicator of how to stop this thing.
For the briefest of moments, Seldan pauses, blinking at something only he can see. He strides through the door without hesitating, and appears - back in the same place he started, but facing the other direction - looking directly at Mikilos. "Mikilos! Command the tower to stop self-destruct, from within the circle! Now!" There's a panicked edge to his voice.
Malik turns, taking a step back toward Seldan and reaching for the paladin's hand, bruised or no. There's only room for one of them in that circle, after all, and Mikilos currently occupies it. He squeezes Seldan's hand, turning toward the paladin with a look that says he's ready to teleport them somewhere, anywhere else if it fails.
"Self destruct sequence initiated." You feel... a motion. As if the whole tower just shuddered. Something... something far beneath you... just blew up.
Mikilos can only hope this works. "Tower! Stop self-destruct!" ...he does NOT squeeze his eyes closed and flinch... or so we'll tell the bards that sing about this in the years to come.
GAME: Mikilos rolls use magic device: (16)+5: 21
Mikilos... disappears. Gone without a trace in the span of that single second after his words are spoken.
GAME: Malik rolls Spellcraft: (1)+21: 22 (EPIC FAIL) GAME: Seldan rolls spellcraft: (17)+15: 32
Mikilos is not dead.... yet... he is rather confused. And a bit concerned about the previously mentioned 'yet.' The elf hurriedly looks around for something useful... like a big red 'Stop' button he can mash.
Malik feels the explosions, watches as Mikilos disappears. He rushes to the circle, keeping to the edges of it -- but between the remnants of Salina's spell still swimming in his head, and the adrenaline coursing through his blood, the lines of magic -- well. Sometimes, you just look at something all wrong, and it hits you the wrong way. For the transmuter, that's exactly what he managed to do. He turns, bracing himself on the edge of the desk as he loses his balance, head swimming as he's clearly unable to muster the mental discipline necessary at this time.
There's another explosion. This one closer to you. It rocks the tower even more forcefully than the one before it and the tower groans. It's structural integrity beginning to give way. The tower is being destroyed - with you inside it. And Mikilos? Is definitely not finding what he's looking for.
GAME: Seldan rolls use magic device: (5)+10: 15
With a quick squeeze of Malik's hand, Seldan slides across the desk and into the circle, shouting, "The circle itself is the control system, but it has no living owner! We must pretend ... and I know not if I can stop it. I shall try." Placing both hands together into an attitude of prayer, he focuses -inward-, but - to no avail. It's too fast.
GAME: Malik rolls Use Magic Device: (8)+16: 24
Malik gathers himself, stepping into the circle with Seldan. He takes the man's hands, bowing his head as a rumble starts in his chest -- that becomes a full-fledged scream. A scream of anger, and frustration, and desperation as he focuses all the power that he's learned to channel into whatever arcane conduits are there, wishing for -- something.
Nothing happens. No explosion. No firey death. Nothing. A second later Malik opens one eye cautiously and... nothing happens. It's actually several seconds before a certain realization sinks in - Seldan isn't /breathing/. The paladin isn't /blinking/. Pushing against him results in nothing. He can not be moved. The world around Malik... has ground to a standstill.
Malik opens his eyes, looking around. It takes him a second to realize what's happened, but he laughs a bit as he figures it out. "Time stop. The tower stopped everything. To give me a minute to think. Exactly as I asked it to." He takes a second to breathe, getting his heart rate under control, turning over the paladin's words. "No living owner. It needs -- a living owner. So. How do we become the owner of a tower..."
The wizard glances around the room, curious. "Of course ancient towers don't come with instruction manuals. So, if I were a crazy, powerful wizard... how would I do it? Where would I put the keys?"
The air off to Malik's side waffles a bit, and then the image of a man appears. He's rather ordinary looking, with blue robes. He stands behind the desk. The man stares at the space before the desk for a few seconds and then turns toward Malik. "You have activated Manual mode." The man smiles. His hair is slicked back and graying at the edges, but he has a kind disposition. The sort of man who would be willing to help others. "Please state the information which you require."
Malik turns as the apparition appears. If the tower took him -overly- literally, he might not have much time, so he makes it fast. "I need to know how to grant control of this tower to a new individual," he tells the apparition. "Preferably before it continues to explode. The condensed version, please."
The image - likely that of Zehier - tilts his head to the side and blinks at Malik. "Linking the tower to a new individual is a complex process which takes years to accomplish properly. There is not a condensed version. If something in the tower has exploded there is no need for alarm - the tower's self-repair system will engage and repair the damage."
"A hostile presence has activated the self-destruct sequence. I doubt that the tower's repair systems are equipped for that. It would seem counterproductive, no?" Malik rubs at his face. "Alright, then -- can you abort the self-destruct?"
"The self-repair systems will repair the tower even from the self-destruct sequence given enough time." Zeheir smiles comfortingly - though it's not as comforting as he'd likely like it to be. "You can abort the self-destruct however merely by stating the following: I -insert your name here- abort the self-destruct. So long as you have completed the set-up process properly the self destruct sequence will abort. You may also simply think the same command clearly and this will also be effective."
Malik sighs. "Alright. Can you -- selectively unfreeze individuals?" He nods to Seldan. "He would be helpful. And the one that was on this circle previously. He was sent -- somewhere."
"You may move any individual to your location merely by recalling their image and thinking: Bring this person to my location. Or speaking the words out loud. Your other request is invalid. You may unfreeze time in your location however merely by thinking that you wish to 'Restart time in my location'. Though you should be warned that restarting time in the consol room will restart time in the entirety of the tower."
Malik blinks. "Just think of a person?" Malik smiles at that. "Excellent." He thinks of someone. Someone he clearly has in mind. "Bring me Zehier's son. Please. I wish to have a word with him."
GAME: Malik rolls Use Magic Device+2: (10)+16+2: 28 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d100: (82): 82 GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d100: (11): 11 GAME: Malik rolls Will+2: (6)+10+2: 18
There's a moment of silence and then suddenly Zeheir's son is standing in the room. It's almost really, easy to have forgotten how /handsome/ the man is. Until he's standing in front of you. Then it's like a slap to the face. He's dressed only in a white cloth girded around his loins, still damp from a shower, his black hair half in his face as he stands there and then... slowly realizes where he is. He blinks several times and then looks around the room. "Ah..." Dylan's voice is like music to the ears. A voice for listening to. He scrubs a hand through his wet hair and looks at Zeheir. "Zeheir? Wait... how did I get here? Was someone in here praying really hard and I missed it?"
Malik looks the man over, briefly at a loss for words as Dylan simply appears in the towel. He rubs at the back of his neck, struggling with what to say, though he apparently finds the words. "Well. Perhaps not praying. You would be an -- interesting fulfillment of several different sorts of wishes on most days, but today, I need you for something quite a bit different than what you're dressed for, I'm afraid." Or not dressed for. "We've killed the fae that has taken the tower, but apparently it has a self-destruct sequence. Which may not seem like a large issue until you also realize that there is a Duke of Hell in the basement and many of my friends, with their families, in here about negative two seconds from the detonation point, and apparently transferring ownership of this place takes some -- time." Malik looks him over once more, clearing his throat and leaning against the desk, crossing one leg over the other and looking uncomfortable.
Dylan blinks at Malik and his hair stays slicked back. Like this he looks a lot like his dad really, but... much more handsome its fair to say. He grins at Malik, but shakes his head a little at the man's words. "Seems like you've got yourself into quite a lot of trouble." His eyes flicker to the image of Zeheir. "I take it that's just one of his recordings. So. That leaves the question of what you were expecting me to do... in my towel."
"The 'in your towel' part is -- interesting. I did not think that the tower--" He shakes his head. "You were here before. You know how this place works. And my control of this tower is -- limited." He bites his lip, debating as he looks the man over. "Let's be clear. I didn't like you when we first met. I'm still not sure that I like you -now-. You're easy on the eyes. And so far, that is about your only redeeming quality. But I was trapped by the demon below, and forced into an agreement. Or death." He leans his head to the side, showing the scar. "Not one of my finer moments. But I can't take an action against him. And he's currently downstairs in the process of murdering everyone in this tower. That also has unleashed a plague upon the time that I come from. Among other joyous things that you already know of, because we spoke to you of this already, before you flew away with your harem."
He pushes himself off the desk, and his face softens. "You weren't much help, then, if I recall. But -- I can't think of anyone else to turn to right now who might be. You -- are the best shot I have of getting everyone out of here alive, and preventing the deaths of thousands. And I'm asking you -- please. Help us."
"So. You'd like me to get rid of the demon for you?" Dylan glances at his towel and sighs. "I'm not exactly at my best here, but I can manage that." Dylan steps closer eyeing Malik's scar. "I can't get rid of the mark for you though. Not unless you want to travel a lot outside your realm." He meets Malik's eyes. "Anyways, don't go complaining about how much help other people give you. Me and my friends did a lot more than you know, and we've our own concerns to worry about. But... you're right, and I don't like that we left you guys in the lurch so I'll do what I can now."
Malik grimaces a bit, realizing how strong his words are. "I -- apologize. I am unused to asking for help. And it's been a long day. You're right. Anything that you can offer is more than what we are owed." He gives Dylan a nod. "As far as getting rid of the demon -- I don't believe I can say that's what I want." Carefully chosen words, there. "But I am clearly in no position to question what assistance you might be willing to offer." He gives the man that trademark sly smile, the one that hasn't been seen in awhile. "The rest I can probably work out. It's just a matter of getting everyone home. And getting the damned slimes back where they belong."
Dylan nods and then lets out a little laugh. "Well. If all you want is everyone out of here that's easier than dealing with an irate demon in my book. I'll use the control panel and summon every living person to this room. Then you can just use the door to get out of here." He motions to the door on the wall. "It takes you wherever you most want to go at the time. Just watch that you don't go thinking of any strange destinations when you open it."
The man moves toward the control panel and a thoughtful expression crosses his features as he steps close to Seldan's immobile body.
Dylan looks a bit confused and then steps away, his eyes meeting Malik's. Only Mikilos arrives, paused in mid-motion. "Was there anyone else?" Dylan looks at Malik in confusion. "The way you were talking I expected more than three of you."
Mikilos was past the point where he could be productive, so he was doing what elves and wizards do best... be pedantic. The flap goes on the -underside- of the roll. So when the cat goes to play with it, you don't end up with all the paper on the floor, just claw marks in the first couple layers.
Malik blinks, looking confused. "What? No. There are others. A goblin, and a pair of sith-makar. A lucht and her strange pony-spider. The lucht's parents." He looks back at Seldan and Mikilos, then over to Dylan. "This is -- every living person in the tower?" The implications of that seem clear enough.
Dylan nods. "I even checked for the demon, but it's not here either." The man rolls his shoulders and has the grace to look a little embarrassed.
Malik looks at Dylan, confused. "They were in the lower levels. In the dungeons. They're -- gone?" He pushes off the table, brow wrinkling. "Where the hell did they go?" The wizard, who once would have happily grabbed the other two and given the missing not a second thought, seems at least genuinely concerned.
Dylan shrugs. "I just report the news, I don't make it. Either they escaped, or they died in the first two explosions. I couldn't tell you which. I just know that they're not here and alive." The man reaches out and touches Malik on the shoulder gently. "You'll have to hope for the best for them, and take care of who you can. The next explosions will take out this section of the tower. You'll have barely enough time to get through the door."
Malik looks like he wants to argue, to try something. Anything. But he's arguing with a man in a towel that knows this tower better than he can ever hope to. And there are things that ne needs to do. Moving over to Mikilos and Seldan, he stands between them, then looks back to Dylan. "You should return," he tells the man, voice a bit choked. "Thank you. For your help." He takes ahold of Seldan and Mikilos's wrist, even though he can't move them yet, looking for all the world like he's ready to sprint and drag the pair with him if need be.
Dylan gives Malik a winning smile and moves away, walking toward the door himself. "I wish you luck. I'm sorry I wasn't more help." He turns back as he reaches the door and he meets Malik's eyes. "You can do it. Just focus." The door opens and for a moment... what you see beyond the door doesn't make sense at all. It's all bright whiteness and then Dylan is stepping through. Gone.
Malik watches Dylan go, shaking his head. But there isn't time to think on that. He turns, grabbing Seldan and Mikilos by the wrist once more, bracing for a run. "If you really do hear prayers," he says, "don't let me fuck this one up, yeah?" He closes his eyes, willing time to start as he pushes off with his foot toward the door, trying to drag the other two along.
Seldan immediately draws in a breath and snaps to life, only to find himself being dragged - towards the door. "Wha -" But he's not arguing, though as he looks through the door he already walked through once, he visualizes the Temple District of Alexandria, as it must be right now, as hard as he can.
Mikilos isn't the most athletic of individuals, but he is smart. Scary smart. When something is exploding in th time skip tower, and time skips? Roll with it.
There's another explosion. This one /much/ closer. You're all almost shoved to your knees by the force of the explosion and you know that the destruction happened /just/ under you. You need out /now/ because there's no more time between you and the fireball of doom that awaits below.
Malik moves toward the door as well, visualizing the same place as Seldan. Because that's where they've agreed to meet in case anything goes wrong. "Temple of Eluna, right now!" he shouts to Mikilos, not giving him time to ask what that means and hoping against hope that it just puts the image in the wizard's mind, and that holding on to him is enough. "Seldan, open the door!"
Seldan doesn't hesitate. Swiftly, he pictures the Temple of a Eluna as it is right now, and with his free hand jerks open the door. "Temple of Eluna!" is all he shouts, willing the door to take all three of them there.
Mikilos seems to recall the meeting place as 'ten minutes later', but is full agreement of teh location.
You find yourselves walking through the door as if you had simply walked through the front door to the temple of Eluna. The door closes behind you with a soft click and you are... Safe.
Seldan walks through the front door of the Temple of Eluna, nearly staggering a pace, but then straightens and looks around him, draws a deep breath, and lets the wings melt away into nothingness, wincing visibly as they do so. He turns to the others, abruptly. "We are safe - but what of the others?"
Malik shakes his head. "I -- do not know." He releases both of them, running his fingers through his hair as he tries to get his breathing under control, looking on the verge of panic. "I tried. I tried to find them, but Dylan said that they were no longer in the tower, or no longer living, and we didn't have time... I'm sorry. I don't know." He glances back up at both of them, shaking his head, tears in his eyes. "I don't know."
Mikilos blinks. "Dylan? Zeheir's son? What happened?"
There's... a commotion of some kind from outside. The sound of shocked voices. It's coming from nearby.
"Dylan?" Seldan's question echoes Mikilos', even as the enormity of the loss involved settles over Seldan like a thick, choking black cloud. "All of them? No..." He hangs his head, guilt and grief settling into perches on his shoulders - but before he can move or do anything, there's a commotion outside, and he looks up, still looking haunted. "Come, we must go." Later is time enough to grieve, and to reflect on what their victory had cost. He turns, to return out the door and the way he came.
Malik doesn't have time to answer. He turns to follow the noise, attempting to see what's going on as well, a look of disbelief on his face.
Mikilos heads out as well. He has questions, LOTS of questions (a towel? Really?) but the easiest to answer right now is 'what's going on outside?'
There's a group of people fleeing from the sight of the Daeus temple quite quickly, and as you make your way across the temple district you can hear alarmed cries of 'demon'!
The one word is enough for Seldan, although how a demon got into the Temple of Daeus....never mind. The paladin takes off at a run for the Temple of Daeus not far away, pausing only enough to murmur a bolstering prayer to Eluna as he goes.
GAME: Seldan casts Divine Favor. Caster Level: 8 DC: 17
Malik runs after him, using what short time he has to throw out the single spell he can manage to cast before they get inside. "Will this nightmare never -end-?" he asks.
GAME: Malik casts Shield. Caster Level: 14 DC: 15
Mikilos is, for his part, low of preparation spells, but the wizard suspects he won't actually be needing them.
The charred, twisted body remains still for a moment, but healing light flows into it nonetheless.. and slowly some of the blackened, cracked skin softens, reforms. As these repairs continue the body jerks, then gasps... a terrible sound at first, for just as the body had been charred the lungs had been seared as well. But soon enough the breathing normalizes as well... and eventually what is left is a young, islander woman, no longer charred but still rather burned tender. Her eyes flicker open briefly, though she doesn't seem entirely lucid.. and a hoarse voice asks, "Vardama? We have to stop meeting like this..." and then she passes out again. Also? Most of her clothes are burned away, save for the more resilient magic bits. And all of her hair. Now.. she's a true monk.
The group of adventures taken by Salina is here in the temple of Daeus. Minus Acedia who... is gone. However there is no sign of a demon who clearly everyone was fleeing from. Instead just this group of battered adventurers. Zeke lays still on the ground off to the side. A lucht woman huddles near him fearfully. This... is all you've managed to save. Halani lays where she was once a charred corpse, the men enter just in time to witness her rejuvenation.
Cryosanthia crouches beside Zeke, simply being with him, watching him breathe. Inhaling his scent and staring at his terrible injuries. A part of her can't believe he is there beside her, and she won't leave him. The other arrivals draw her curiosity. She looks their way.
Seldan strides through the door - no, comes through at near on a run, Reunion in one hand, flecks of dried blood on the blade, a thing very much unlike the Elunan. He stops short at the tableau, looking around, searching the faces, looking for the worst injured. Cryosanthia ... Faranmidahn ... Halani ... Zeke and Kira! ... and yet is there a face missing. "You made it...who is hurt, and where is Acedia?"
Mikilos is much calmer than he might be, but looks around in curiosity. "I take it Eclavdran was here? Did he leave on his own, or driven away?" He frowns mildly at Seldan's words, and does a second look himself. "...what happened? I take it you all went to the dungeons, and.... What?"
Faranmidahn unfastens her cloak, thoughtfully considering her broach for a moment, then sets it aside to draw her cloak from her shoulders as Kira settles next to her. Her lips part, words failing to come forth at first, before she moves to drape her cloak over the poor woman's remains as Kira's prayer begins. With the effect apparent, she gasps in surprise, then, glancing quickly around, instead offers the spiderweb pattered cloth to Halani, "Ah... here, you might need this." Ahem, then she looks toward the door, the Elunian and, at his question, her ashen face lowers, "She's... she's gone... I'm so sorry..."
Malik looks around, his face blanching a bit. "So then where did you put her?" he asks, eyes moving around the temple. "Summon one of the priests. I'll pay whatever gold they require."
Kira doesn't appear in much better shape than Halani. Her robe is gone, clothes in tatters and likely wholly indecent or immodest. While not as bandaged as Zeke, she bears no shortage of freshly-covered or freshly-stitched wounds. As Halani is restored, the smile started with assurance to Cryosanthia, interrupted by Eclavdran, now returns. Some contentment, at least in the current scope that she can tolerate. A lazy smile, too, as she wobbles and topples over. Between her wounds, exhaustion, hunger, and, now, draining a bit of herself.
Seldan looks positively stricken at Faran's news, his eyes lowering. "Malik, you will not bear that burden alone," he manages, after some silence, a hard swallow, and a deep breath. "Where is her body?" Even as he echoes Malik's question, he begins to see to the worst of the injuries, tending to whom he can and finally pulling out a wand for the purpose. It will take him some time, but he seems in no hurry, his shoulders set, eyes focused.
"Eclavdran was there, in the dungeons, slaughtering the test subjects." Cryosanthia says quietly, raising her head and looking at the men. Her clothes are dirty with blood and other substances. "Acedia and Halani were brave, facing him, delaying him. There was an anti magic field. I... was occupied with Zeke, with helping Kira. Faran sought her mother. He kept advancing, killing the subjects. We tried to get them moving, help them. It's two floors up from the dungeon to the teleport circle. He was on our heels the entire way, dragged Halani down even as she climbed through. The others couldn't make it and we had no time. Acedia was bargaining with him, when the self-destruct started. He slaughtered her, there was no way to grab any remains. Even as we teleported to the Temple, he appeared with us. Acedia's body was left in the dungeon."
Faranmidahn winces under the pressed query, opening her mouth to reply when her sister, clearer headed, begins to explain. She sighs, her eyes finally beginning to uncork their truths in glistening trails around her facial gems in time for the shifting sound of the collapsing Kira catches her attention. The little sorceress twists with a yelp and leans in to catch her and, limbs trembling with exertion, eases her to the stones, "Somebody, help her!", even as she starts fishing through her pouches for a potion…
Mikilos tsks mildly, murmuring softly as he steps over to the slumped Kira. A gesture, and the woman's clothing kints itself back together, rips stitching back up, burns marks fading. It's not as helpful as healing the flesh, but magi can only do so much. He nods as Cryo clarifies, and frowns. "Eclavdran left on his own? We found Salina, or thought we did. Fought, killed the Simulacrum. It set off the destruction. Ran up the stairs to the control room, had some troubles, ended up in a wash room. I'm not clear what happened after that."
"It matters little what happened after that," Malik answers, looking between the ones in the temple. "How noble of you. Rescuing the ones you loved, and leaving behind the one that allowed you to do so." There's a hard, bitter rage in his voice, steely eyes focusing on each of them in turn. "And how utterly un-selfish. Commendable." That tone drips hurt and sarcasm. "Perhaps one day, someone will do the same for you." Looking to Seldan, he says, "I'm going to seek Harandel." As if that were all the explanation he needs to give the paladin. And all the explanation that will be coming to the other half of the team, at this time.
The whitescale nods at Mikilos, "I tried to activate the teleport circle to take everyone to the Temple of Daeus, even the dead bodies. It only took us, on the circle. The Demon left on his own. Were you able to get the Tower to respond? I almost did, it was so close but I needed to be in the control room. A wash room?"
Cryosanthia stares at Malik, "Really! So quick to judge something you weren't present for. Never speak to me again."
Seldan, already thoroughly engaged in tending to the wounded, looks up only when Malik speaks. "I will find you presently." That is all he says, turning back to the tending of wounded as swiftly as he can manage.
Faranmidahn rises to her feet, then and turns to look at Malik, "Don't you -dare- mount that high horse, Malik! I tried to turn him aside. Halani tried to stop him!" Her voice hot with the accusation, "Your loved ones are already dead. Wasn't that what you, so commendable, said to -US-?" She steps closer, "Cryo ordered the Tower to send everyone, alive or dead back here. I LEFT MY FATHER BACK THERE, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
Mikilos looks between Faranmidahn and Malik. "Perhaps it's best to rest and recover before giving judgement to anyone's actions. Heated words aren't going to bring those truly at fault to justice."
"Mikilos, this one appreciates your hospitality. It was very difficult to move Zeke and I don't think I can take him far. I'll take him to the room that was set aside here, tomorrow I'll come for my things. Your guest room was wonderful. I'm grateful." Cryosanthia says, looking at the mage. Faran has a little of her attention, most of it directed at Zeke. "I'll find places for Kira and Halani too. In a few minutes, a few minutes..."
-End