Memories Lost

[GamingLord]

*The tendril's screeched became gurgled, as black fluid slowly bubbled out of it's wound. When Sephiroth delivered the finishing blow, the severed tip flew into a rock, where it twitched and quickly dried up into a translucent, empty shell. It's remains wavered a bit, still bleeding, before sinking into the ground.*

Jacob: s**t.. you probably killed it in time, but we better get out of this area just in case...

*Minutes after they fled, a number of goblin demons rushed into the area, sniffing the spot where the tendril was severed.*

- - - - -

Xylanthos: "Oh, we've been alright. Nothing too eventful as of late..."  

[GamingLord]

*Before Jacob could reply, the ground shook violently. The goblins suddenly became very alert, chittering and screeching amongst themselves, until one of the larger blade goblins roared, demanding order. Immediately, they all began to run towards a large boulder, but the ground seem to cave beneath them. They fell in, howling, large amounts of dirt and debris following them.*

GL: What the hell!?

Jacob: Worm Goblin, RUN!

*Indeed, the massive worm creature emerged, shaking it's head violently as it tore apart the last bits of it's recent meal, tossing the remains into the air, and snapping it up. It gave out it's deep, rumbling call before submerging into the ground once more... Several others unburrowed, teeth gnawing at the surface. They snorted, the clawed limbs surrounding their mouths grabbed at boulders, dead trees, anything. One worm bite another, and the two suddenly began fighting. In response to the sudden chaos, more Jiluzix's Fingers unburrowed around the demons, and began to screech their non-existant heads off.*

Eztli: Yeah, probably a good idea to get the hell out of this area...  

[GamingLord]

Jacob: Good point, that's the slight disadvantage to these mind grubs... First strong thought just 'blurts out'.

*The same massive guardian demon rushed by overhead once more, and descended upon the worm goblins. It reached into the ground with a sickly looking clawed hand, and pulled out a fistful of the demons. With another hand, it quickly squashed the creatures, ceasing their fighting with the sound of gore and bone forcefully being expelled through tears in their skin. The false abomination ate the remains, and floated off, as if nothing had happened.*  

[GamingLord]

*Hours later, the group hadn't encountered anything else... it was oddly "smooth sailing"

Jacob: Something's not right. It's been far too quiet, and we're already half-way to the structure now. We'd better be extra careful.

Thas: I remember you mentioning there was more than one false abomination guarding this realm...

Jacob: Exactly... We should have run into the others by now. That's what bothers me..  

[GamingLord]

Thas: Here, allow me...

*Several glowing tendrils wrapped around Jacob's mid section, removing his weight from Rosemary. Eztli in the mean time was carrying GL on his back. His fiery wings kept getting in the reaper's face, but he didn't mind... it was heat energy afterall, and he was absorbing the excess the wings let off.*

*A while later, the structure was finally in view.. and it was grotesque. It was stories high, and seemed to stretch across the horizon... It seemed like it could go on forever. The group landed behind a group of rocks*

Jacob: There... there's an opening we can get into. We'll need to move quickly. Once that thing sees us, it'll try to tear us apart.

*The necromancer then indicated the various organ sacs that would shoot out poisonous quills, the orifices where clawed tendrils would emerge, and areas on the... thing... where it had eyes. The doorway itself seemed to be covered in a thin membrane, one they would have to cut...*  

[GamingLord]

Thas: My apologies... I suppose it did not occur to me to mention it at the time. I forget I have these tendrils, just as I used to with my hook-chains... I supose the sort of angel I am could best be described as... a manager of sorts, sending angels where they are needed. Along with helping to guard the Void and the Soul Portals as well. I don't have a specific element like you, or Eztli.

- - - - -

Jacob: A shield would help, actually. The structure doesn't have any actual magic of it's own. We should be a little bit safer once inside, but just.... brace yourselves as much as possible for what we may see.

*Once they were ready, they ran. Several of the structure's eyes opened, darting between it's targets rapidly. Several of it's sacs swelled, before bursting open, showering them with sharp, jagged spines. Tendrils flew by them, striking the ground as they dodged. Unsheathing his dagger, he ran straight towards the opening, and in one fluid motion, sliced the membrane and lept in.*

Jacob: Hurry, the membrane will grow back!

*Inside, they were surrounded by walls, floors, and ceilings made of living, pulsing flesh. There was just enough ambient light coming from strange crystals and growths in the walls to allow them to see. GL wish he didn't have the ability for sight at that moment, however. A variety of creatures and beings were attached to the walls, too many to count. They squirmed, trying to free themselves, or attack the group. Their screams and wails were in all manner of languages. A human, her lower half removed and attached by her spine to the wall, flailed her arms at Rosemary.*

Woman: "They stole my child... They'll give her back... She won't be a breeding mother, they promised... they stole my child. They want others, they'll give her back if I give them others... I don't want her to be a breeding mother! I DON'T WANT HER TO BE A BREEDING MOTHER!"  

[GamingLord]

*GL winced, his hands clutching the sides of his head. There was so much he didn't want to hear, but it was all coming at him at once... How many of these people were innocent? Corrupt? What did the Niearcim use them for!?*

Jacob: Uggh... follow me, I know a quiet place!

*He lead them to a small cavern, the flesh sealing up behind them. He quickly explained that was normal, and they walked for a while, the voices finally fading. GL shivered, disturbed at the thousands of things he had heard in that short time.*

???: "My children! Where are my children!?"

Jacob: "All are lost, but one. This child comes home..."

???: "Merak! So it is you... I'd say you'd be a sight for sore eyes, if I still had 'em."

*A figured descended from the ceiling in front of them, tendrils burrowed into his back. His legs were cut off at the knee, more tendrils tethering him to the floor, a bit more loosely now that he wasn't at his previous height. He had a thin build, long arms, and an inhuman face lacking eyes... empty sockets watched their movements, as if he still had sight.*

Jacob: Umlot, I see they haven't moved you yet...

Umlot: A cure! Have you found a cure, boy? *Jacob sighed, and shook his head*

Jacob: We're still cursed... I'm closer, but there's still something missing. Anyway, that's not why I'm here, no offense. We needed a quiet place to take shelter in.

Umlot: Ah, mmhmm, guests. Thought I sensed 'em. Figured they'd be friends of yers, you're usually plenty careful here. Yes, m'name's Umlot. Take yer time, jus' hide if ya hear somethin' comin' in here.

*Umlot moved himself to the side of a wall, where he stayed quiet, shivering a bit. Blood began to seep from his eye sockets, so he covered them with his hands, whimpering ever so quietly. Jacob then turned his attention to the others*

Jacob: I owe you all an apology. I... haven't exactly explained a lot about Ji'Nitogrimiz, and that was... idiotic of me. I especially should have mentioned the guardians. In fact...

*The necromancer quickly removed some paper and a pen, and started to make a rough sketch. He made this same sketch on each piece of paper... they looked like maps.*

Jacob:"... there. These are rough maps. I've been distracted, after finding out about Galantros' cure for his curse... Anyway... we are right.. here, I'd say. We've passed this area already, and now we've got to navigate out this maze... carefully. There are some areas here that demons nest, and niearcim slaves may be doing tasks in places."

*Jacob pointed out the areas on a copy of the map as he talked about them... Ji'Nitogrimiz seemed to be set up in a circular manner, and they were working their way in from the outside. The first area, was the barren wasteland, the second, the structure they were currently inside. A number of paths were sketched inside the image of the structure, but there seemed to be a lot missing. After that, there was a section full of jagged looking cliffs, and dotted lines indicating underground tunnels. Finally, these lead up to circled area with "Ni'Jitogrimiz" scribbled in it... the main city.*

Once we're out, we'll come across these canyons. While it would be safer to fly across to get to where we need to be, we'd be better off travelling through these caverns there. There are six guardians, and four of them are always in the air. One stays on the surface, and the last usually stays in the more active mining areas. This is an abandoned set of caverns, last time I was here. We follow it, it should take us about half-way to where the niearcim mages are holding their ceremony. Finally, we'll head through this valley, and... here. That's where the ceremony will be. We'll have to improvise from then on, and be stealthy about it. I don't even know what happens during those things exactly, but if it involves the niearcim... it's never pleasent."

"What's bothering me is... how uneventful everything has been, except for the situation with that one guardian. There are at least more demons roaming the area, sort of a "free-range" stock they use."

"Anyway... are there any questions that need to be asked?"

Umlot: "I have one.. who are yer friends, and what are you all doing here, boy? I sense angels too. Gotta wonder why angels are comin to a place worse than hell..."

Jacob: "Oh, right. We're trying to remove a different curse one of them. He has the forgetful one placed on his head. I managed to stumble upon the cure for that one while doing research for our own problem. Turns out, just dying doesn't solve the problem. The curse would pass on... er... Anyway, Umlot... This is Rosemary, Galantros, Thas, Eztli, and Sephiroth. Umlot is a fellow mage, one I knew centuries ago. We met while fighting the niearcim, and I later found him here again. We both have the same immortality curse on our heads."

Umlot: "Least we didn't get th' worse of it. I managed to crawl away here, where nobody thinks to look for some reason. Jacob actually got his tail outta Ji'Nitogrimiz. You dun wanna know what happens to the others.. Some of them are out there in that flesh maze, deeper in. Others are in the citadel... God help them, they still have the night horrors..."