Arc 3 - Glimmers in the Dark (Main Roleplay)

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

Finding a place to hide the jar, Ruin would turn his attention to the missing goliath pair. Pushing, pulling, shoving and tugging; Ruin would struggle to make a non burning path for his burnable allies.

(Stealth to hide the jar, +4
Strength chech to move statues, stones, or other large non-burnable stuff on to the path. -1 )  

[Kowsauni]

Using jars of liquid found in the laboratory, Novi and Kuori throw the glass containers out of the entrance way to the tower onto the burning debris before them. The containers shatter, splattering their contents over the fire. For the most part, the fire in their direct path is put out, though the remains of the unsightly contents within the jars give off an awful stench in the heat. The goliaths power their way through the fire and meet Ruin halfway as he desperately works to clear a path for them. Valac, being a Tiefling, simply walks out of the tower and meets up with everyone. The party is now free from the tower! They look back to see it slowly begin to get engulfed in flames. Who knows what dark secrets would now be lost, but at least they found the knowledge they needed in time.

As the party heads back to the enormous summoning circle, Kuori and Ruin study the 6 foot long page torn from the Mindflayer's research. Using the ritual presented in the notes, they would need to enter the pocket dimension where the Archdevil lord was being created. From there, they would need to defeat the half-formed archdevil to reverse the process trapping Vivi and the Goliaths, a task simpler said than done. What's more, the ritual was exceedingly complex, it looked as if they would another ritual caster to pull it off...

The party passes back through the broken gate to the field of cages where the glowing-eyed occupants stare transfixed at the titanic translucent demon forming in the center of the circle. Beneath it stands 4 familiar figures and two new ones. Before the devil stands Maukein, Kuori's sister, in her hybrid roper form. She is using her tentacles to pin Irene to the ground. The ghoul looks badly inured. She weakly struggles to try and bite the tentacles pinning her down but there is no fight left in her. It is only through her undead tenacity she is even able to move. Nearby stands Pierette with a distant look in her face, as if her mind was neither here or there, but somewhere lost in her thoughts. Beside her stands a tall, brawny lad that the party has never seen before. His head is bald and his features have a sharkish predatory make to them. Behind Maukein, Lionel is talking to a man that looks to be made entirely out of crystal, dressed in wizards robes. They seem to be having a heated discussion, but the party is still too far away to make out what is being said.

((For Muattles, your shardmind wizard was hired by the Kingdome of Aria to perform a special ritual. Scarce details were provided to you, but you were being paid handsomely enough to not ask questions. You then found yourself being transported through a magical portal to an assault on a mindflayer citadel in the Underdark! None of this was a concern to you however, as that was not you were paid here to do. You were quickly whisked away by your soldier escort to the back of the the citadel where an amazing sight greeted you. Hundreds of cages containing over a thousand prisoners were arranged in an in an enormous summoning circle where, in the center, stood the translucent form of some enormous monstrous devil. It was at this time you learned your job was perform a ritual to open a gateway to this devil so he could be destroyed. Using an unfamiliar magical device, one of the soldiers implanted directly into your mind the memories of a mindflayer on how to perform the ritual. However, you could tell, even with your impressive skill, it would be too complex to perform just by yourself. As you discussed on your way to the center of the summoning circle you were strangely attacked by some little girl, who turned out to be anything but. Stranger still, one of the soldier escorts suddenly transformed into some sort of monster and proceeded to beat the girl into submission. Shortly after, another soldier arrived, who looked too young to be soldiering, that had feathered wings for arms and the tail of a lizard! This was surely some strange circumstance you had gotten yourself into, but there was no turning back now! You had to find some way to complete the ritual!))  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"RELEASE THE GIRL, NOW!!" Ruin demands rushing over to Irene, leaving the page with Kouri. "I am Vaius Mizviir, a citizen of Aria, working for the General Valmist of the fort above. This girl is a valuable member of my team and I demand you release her at this moment. Or state the reason she is being held."  

[PupSage]

"Maukeen!" Kuori calls to her sister, flipping the visor up. "We have people to save. I can't do this ritual alone. Let the girl go."

Novi steps forward, drawing their spear. "Deceivers!" She levels the weapon at the non-Goliath Arians.  

[Muattles]

As the group approaches they might notice that the heated discussion seems to be happening only in one direction, each response made as if only hearing one side of a conversation. For that, it is clear that the shardmind is responding, and if rocks could be said to have emotions this collection of purple rocks seems frustrated. When Kuori claims to be unable to do the ritual alone Ash turns towards the approaching group, seeming to remember to broadcast their telepathic messages to those around them rather than just Lionel.

"Someone else who sees sense, who knows the complexity of the ritual you demand I perform. It may be possible for us to complete it together, if they are a passable ritualist."  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Two casters, at least, they would be casting the ritual in reverse. Which would take the casters and aids into the den of the beast. For the ultimate gamble against the b*****d. Win, the Lostlight tribe walks free. Lose..." Ruin quickly explained what he learn from the page.

"Well, Aria's elite doesn't get a cart full of Archfiend and Goliaths. Like they wanted last time we met..." Turning his gaze to Maukeen.  

[Kowsauni]

Maukeen would use her tentacles toss Irene at Ruin's feet before they retracted back into her back. She would respond matter of factly. "She attacked us, so we defended ourselves. I figured she might be one of your group so I kept her... in one piece. I cant really kill what's not alive."


Irene would weakly stammer out from the ground. "I..I tried to drive them off...but...they... were too strong...sorry." Irene's fancy dress lies in tatters.., her wounds fatal for one of the living. Luckily such a fate did not afflict her, but even with her unholy might she was still too weakened to even move.


Upon Kuori lifting her visor a full gamut of emotions would run across Maukeen's face, but she would eventually respond. "Yes, so you know why we are here, what this was all leading towards."

As Novi rushed forward and brandished her spear the large bald headed lad would quickly place himself between Novi and the Shardmind. Reaching his arms out to his side he would speak "Maukeen, I will defend, so ritual can be completed."

Maukeen would place her hand on the lad's shoulder. "No Brodus, no more fighting. That one there is my sister and these are her friends. They come with the same mission as us. The wizard is correct. We cannot do this alone, but I knew if I brought us here, the goddess would provide. We must work together now or all these people, my people," she would glance at Kuori and Novi, "our tribesmans, will be lost."  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"No need to apologize. They are unmoving overpowered assholes, at the best of times. Most Arian demi's are... I am reminded of the time Valac faced Maukeen, The one with tentacles. It ended about the same, and you know how strong he is." Ruin would state trying to make Irene feel better.

"I would bet their group could easily destroy the archfiend. Unless they want to capture it or the ritual," Pausing for a moment..."I don't know much of unlife, you going to be alright?"  

[Kowsauni]

With a great deal of effort Irene would lift slide her hand to her waist and pat one of her carefully hidden pockets. "E-Everlasting provisions....must........feed."  

[PupSage]

Kuori will step beside Novi, "Pierette made me realize that not all of Aria is evil, but the corruption within them runs deep. Even now they seek to harvest the power of an Elder Brain as an ulterior goal in coming here. I am not dumb enough to believe that they won't try to sabotage this somehow and free the Archfiend and try to control that too." She sighs, "Maybe the ones that you've met have seemed okay Maukeen, but I've watched them raze villages, torture innocents, kidnap children, and steal to achieve their goals. Even if it is a splinter group, they are a powerful one."

She looks around. "I will trust you Maukeen, we need the crystal ritualist to complete the mission, but Brodus was it? I don't know you, or trust you, and given my experience with the rest of Aria's leadership, I can't afford to take too many risks here. If you want to claim to be trustworthy, stay behind, I suspect there may be other soldiers ready to betray us when we finish. Potentially using the Elder Brain to control the Fiend."

She looks past them to the Shardmind, "If I am being honest, this whole chosen by the Gods thing is new to me. I've done my share of rituals though, and I have a pack filled with high quality ingredients."  

[SCN_ Grey_fox]

"I will leave you to it... But, can you be ready for the ritual?" Ruin would ask, "I don't want you to enter with us, but to destroy the page the ritual is on, after we cast it. It is the last of a large book of dark knowledge. And it needs to be destroyed."

"Kind of sad, I can't trust my country's military to do the right thing here."  

[Muattles]

Ash listens to the other ritualist talking frankly of Aria, apparently having more experience with the nation than Ash had. On being addressed the shardmind answers cooly.

"If one is chosen by the gods, I am unaware of it. I must say, I appreciate hearing caution being given towards this ritual given..." The sharmind pauses for long enough to take in the troubling sight of thousands of prisoners being used for the ritual, "...everything."  

[Kowsauni]

Brodus would cross his massive arms. "I don't know or trust you either, nor do I take orders from you. But, I will do as Maukeen says."

Maukeen would speak up. "We cannot risk any interruptions as the ritual is performed or in process. Lionel, Brodus and Pierette will be guarding us from the outside as we fight the archdevil. I hand selected them team from those Aria would allow me to take on this operation. I trust each of them with my life, as I am sure you do with your own comrades."

Maukeen would cast her gaze downward. "I...am fully aware of the evil's committed by Aria in their quest for power." Maukeen's eyes would wander over to Pierette, who was doing her best to avoid eye contact with anyone at the moment. She would then look back at her sister, her face full of determination. "But, none of that matters right now. I brought an army to defeat the mindflayers, now it is up to us to finish the job and destroy this archdevil and save our people!"

Lionel would suddenly add in. "Uh, while Kuori does bring up an interesting idea, I doubt that is Aria's goal. Now, Aria is king when it comes to compartmentalization, and any such plans would be kept secret from us. But, their past experiments with demons, devil, and other fiends in the lab did not end well. I don't want to go into details but I doubt they plan to embark down that road again any time soon. "Still, there are plenty of other threats in the underdark that could still interfere, we must keep our guard up."

Irene would let out a weak laugh to Ruin's request. "Cant...in this...state. Help...me eat..." Irene would again pat her pocket.  

[Southern Cross Nemesis]

"Oh... Sorry." Ruin would take the provisions from her pocket, and begin to help her feed.

As he helped Irene, he would turn to Pierette. "Pierette, What are you thinking?"  

[PupSage]

"Hence the Elder Brain." Kuori responds to Lionel. Then snaps at the Shardmind, "Let's get going on this before the heat arrives."