Same as It Ever Was (Part 25)
As the last of Miquitlani's food is consumed, the idea that there is a ravenous beast set to consume Nepantla--as foretold by Miquitlani in a vision--spurs the party on to meet with Nepantla, the great dragon of this community. (Once Simony returns from her excursion, that is.) Miquitlani leads the group as far as the doors, but before the threshold, she excuses herself from entering the temple.
"Ay, I wish to stand guard outside." At any attempt to convince her otherwise (offered first by Telanmo, the gentleman-sorcerer, then by Nala), she makes a series of increasingly stubborn noises, eventually culminating in her waving off the offers with her walking stick. Miquitlani's duties are sacred and solemn things, and she will do this alone.
"Go on," she urges.
So Nala opens the doors, and her golden eyes widen as she looks at the beautiful creature on a tarp between two bodies of water, surrounded by dim torches. The whole structure is dark. Serene. Beautiful. It's lit sparsely by torchlight, letting shadow take hold of most of the room.
It also means there's precious little light dancing off of the blue scales of the draconic being before the group. Silver feathers, matching the argentine eyes of the serpentlike creature, stick out here and there from the scales, a feathered-and-scaled being that commands awe and grace. The being lifts a head to great the group.
Their voice reverberates in a slightly feminine tone inside everyone's heads.
"Otiquihiyohuih."
Zeke nods low to the dragon as they enter its temple and speaks draconic to it, choosing a language that he knows that it (she) understands, and which he can speak more eloquently within. "Peace on your nest Great One. This one is Giver of Life, this one is a servant of the Dragonfather who watches over us all." He says this humbly, offering another low nod to this great being. "We have come to aid you."
It's always impressive to meet a great wyrm of such size and power, though Telamon can't help but compare her to the almost incomprehensible titan that is Tanith. But he says none of this. Instead, he bows low, before he begins to speak in the Draconic tongue as well. "I am called Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon, Great One. As my friend says, we come to defend you against the ravening hunger that stalks you."
Aryia is stymied by the temple itself. The darkness looked almost glimmering to her, all the greyscale bisected by azure and sapphire. She blinks owlishly, pushing up her shades and bowing her head respectfully.
It's a little difficult to hide glowy eyes from stealing glances at Nepantla from head to tail. Didn't exactly get enough time to take in the last massive wrym.
The Goblin stares wide-eyed at the grand form of the dragon. She offers a deep bow. "Pialli. Nehua notoca Simony Smithsdottir.", she says, introducing herself in draconic. She eyes Telamon, and Zeke before looking back to Nepantla. "There is a possibility that the ravening hungerer is a tormented dragon we rescued from a cruel fae. I have removed it to another plane of existence to remove this possible danger. However, it could be that this danger exists here in Amshere, and so, we offer our aid."
Though this is the second dragon Rune has encountered in a very short matter of time, the sight of such a creature still brings about a feeling of awe. She is quick to bow her head forward, blue-tipped strands covering her face as she shows a deep respect. "Greatest honor to you." She replies in her own Draconic, her accent more like that of the Makari than one might expect.
She has no great titles to offer, so she simply shifts her arms in front of her, "I seek only to offer my services against the threat that stalks in the shadows. My blades are yours."
With Harkashan excusing himself to join Miquitlani outside--which is, apparently, accepted by the elder, as he's not ordered to go back in--the eyes of the great serpent take in everyone, especially as Shankahar reverently bows his head. This gesture is followed by Runelei, and seeming to pick up on this, Telanmo and Nala follow suit.
Yiara squints at her friends before seeing Aryia is bowing her head, and so she bows her own, too. Except... slightly lower.
"I introduce all of you to Nepantla, great guardian of my community," Shankahar says softly. "Among many other names and titles."
"Indeed." Nepantla eyes the group for a moment longer before she peers at the adventurers from another time--that is, Telamon, Simony, Rune, Aryia, and Zeke. "I admit that I am puzzled by your words. What threat do you refer to? There comes the future, yes, but so does the past."
Zeke lifts his head, his green eyes nictating. "This one has had a dream that this one was coming to try and eat you. This one had limbs of flame rather than limbs of crystal. This one knows that there is another of this one in this world, same but different. Miquitlani also said that she dreamed of a threat to you. One that would not be able to be diverted by our efforts."
The thought of future failure draws Zeke's head low once more, his expression sad and wrought with worry.
Simony lets out a little sigh, and looks to the others from her time, and gestures to them for Nepantla. "We are from another timeline, our world has many overlaps with yours." She gestures to Zeke, "Zeke's alternate in this timeline is possibly a fallen?" A glance to Zeke to seek confirmation. "With Zeke's and Miquitlani's dreams lining up, we were very concerned."
"Especially since it is foretold we would fail."
Telamon glides through to stand next to Zeke, placing his hand on the makari's shoulder. "But for all their portents, dreams are not true unless we make them so." The half-elf's eyes meet the great dragon's. There's no disrespect there, no attempt to influence. Only calm confidence, and a readiness to rise to the challenge. "I have borne witness to humble and mighty things, Great One. I do not believe failure is preordained."
Though Rune knows much of the guardian of Harkashan's clan, she has never met the dragon that lives behind her mate's eyes in person. She isn't entirely sure that he even exists in the material plane. In that way, Nepantla is far more straight-forward than she is used to, but there is still much about the dragons that the rogue doesn't know or understand.
"I side with the wisdom of our Archmage." Her blue eyes look to Telamon. "I don't believe fate is ever written in stone. It often has many paths, and we can choose which one we take." Then, Rune looks to Zeke. She can only suspect how hard this is on him.
Aryia manages to focus on the conversation as the dragon's voice echoes in her head, just barely catching Yiara's glance. And... is this a competition? There is contemplation for getting back at her mirror, but this place wasn't the time, reading the room. Instead, she notes it for later.
She nods towards Rune. "Fate has a funny way of changing slightly if you push hard enough," Aryia gestures, letting her arms fall to her sides and rest akimbo. Precognition of failure has no deterrence for her. <Handspeech/Tongues>
Nepantla's eyes stare through Zeke, like ancient eyes on an old statue. "I cannot be consumed." Her voice is solemn and weighted on every word with anchoring knowledge, as though every single syllable were a fact of its own. "I am the space between water. I am the space between bodies. I am the air. I am the unending mirror. Children may drink of the water, but it will never be gone, for I disappear into the air and rain down again."
A feathered tail snakes out from Nepantla's massive body. She reaches out to placate Zeke with the gentlest touch of one of those silver feathers. It becomes evident to him, upon touch, that Nepantla is both divine and elemental--not a deity, per se, but a servant of one, like him, like Harkashan, like Simony. "Do not assign yourself guilt. Do not grieve for me. The drought is always followed by the rain. I will return. If it is you, or another you, who will kill me, I am not--"
Her words are cut off by the sound of powerful magic opening up inside the temple. A gate, to be exact, where familiar soldiers in armor pour out of it...
Followed by a familiar platinum-blonde man with golden eyes, smiling sweetly in Nala's direction. "Hello again, my lost lily," Prince Raeluin of the Summer Court says, before he snaps a finger--
And Nala suddenly falls to the floor, glassy-eyed, as Raeluin draws his glaive. "Guards, do be gentle with her. It won't do to have the latest addition to my concubines broken before she ever hits the dungeon floors."
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (7)+21: 28 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (7)+21: 28 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (9)+21: 30 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (6)+21: 27 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (19)+21: 40 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (3)+21: 24 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (5)+21: 26 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+21: (17)+21: 38 GAME: Riptide rolls 32d6: (134): 134 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+14: (11)+14: 25
The Summer Knights surrounding Raeluin don't seem to have weapons equipped, except the moment Raeluin calls a command to fire upon Nepantla, they raise their hands, crystalline bows with ghostly arrows forming, and they all fire off at Nepantla. She's littered with arrows, and as she wheels around to try and defend herself, two of them lodge into her eyes--blinding her.
For a handsome and beautiful man, Raeluin's smile is like a beam of sunshine--perfect of his moniker as the First and Last Sun, or the First and Last Son. He claps his hands together just the once in a rather pleased expression, his golden eyes twinkling with delight at the horrible state of carnage.
His lips part.
"Die."
The horrible word roils over Nepantla, and the worst happens. She's moving one second, almost going to move--and then she stops. Her head falls to the ground.
She's bleeding out, but it doesn't matter. She's dead.
"NO!" Shankahar calls out in mourning and in disbelief.
GAME: Telamon rolls spellcraft: (6)+26: 32 GAME: Aryia rolls spellcraft: (7)+6: 13 GAME: Simony rolls spellcraft: (14)+15: 29 GAME: Zeke rolls Spellcraft: (18)+26: 44 GAME: Aryia spends ONE point of KI POOL. GAME: Aryia spends ONE use of STUNNING FIST. GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+30: (13)+30: 43 GAME: Aryia rolls punch: aliased to weapon0+2: (14)+31+2: 47 GAME: Aryia rolls crunch: aliased to 2d10+strength+2+1: (16)+7+2+1: 26 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+19: (18)+19: 37
It happened so fast.
Nala dropping. The Great Wrym, slain. It was so easy.
"Keep Nala safe!" Aryia sharply signs, her hands bursting into moonlight like an exclamation on its own. The pugilist is there- then not. Only a spray burst of water on the side pool marks where she is, only to reappear a few paces from Raeluin. The lancing glaive is twirled past, grabbed, and the haft is jammed into eye sockets. Almost. <Handspeech/Tongues>
GAME: Simony casts S8: Blessing of Fervor. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Simony casts Crushing Hand. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1: (6)+33: 39 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1d6: aliased to 1d6+8+1d6: (1)+8+(3): 12
Simony gasps, and then yells in anger, watching the great dragon slain in a flurry of blows and that awful spell. "You foul cretin. You will pay for that with your life."
Normally she would pray, beseech her God for his wisdom and power. But her blessing is fast, a simple snap of her fingers, and her friends and allies feel empowered, their combat prowess heightened, and are armed with a sense of confidence. Navos has your back, a familiar, comfortable feeling.
THEN the Goblin begins her prayers, beseeching Navos, the Holy Raven, for one of his devoted servants. An angel, in Navos' service, is bound to her will, and speeds to her, and their, aid.
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (3)+23: 26
Why, when people decide to make a nuisance of themselves, do they always have to appear on the exact opposite side of a large room? It really makes things quite inconvenient.
Rune snaps her attention towards the high and mighty Fae lord, a scowl on her lips. The fact that the group is so easily able to dispatch the dragon has her gritting her teeth. She's angry on behalf of her mate, as she is sure he would be upset if this were the guardian of his village. "Protect Nala. I'll try to slow some of these bow-wielding asshats down."
She isn't quite as fast as Aryia, but Rune can still use that bit of lent magic from Simony to race across the room, slashing a blade towards the nearest of the knights to her, trying to draw their attention and make sure Aryia has some back-up.
GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (7)+23: 30 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (7)+23: 30 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (7)+23: 30 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (4)+23: 27 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (11)+23: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (4)+23: 27 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (11)+23: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+23: (4)+23: 27 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d4: (1): 1 GAME: Zeke rolls 2d4: (6): 6 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d10: (2): 2 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d4: (4): 4 GAME: Telamon casts Shield/Quicken. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Telamon casts Horrid Wilting. Caster Level: 20 DC: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+19: (10)+19: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (11)+18: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (16)+18: 34 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (4)+18: 22 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (14)+18: 32 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (5)+18: 23 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (19)+18: 37 GAME: Telamon rolls 20d6: (68): 68
Zeke leaps up, flying over the body of the dragon that they had come to save. Something close to rage contorts his features, though it's not quite what it is. It's sorrow. It's the realization that they'd brought death to the door of this kind and gentle dragon and that it is their fault that she is dead. His wings flash with light from within and shine down upon those that would see such a protector fall and *grin* with *glee*. "May the Dragonfather judge you."
Telamon is caught off guard, his expression clearly shocked by the arrival of... Raeluin. Again. And when the fey lord simply slays the dragon out of hand... Telamon's face turns cold as ice. His anger untempered now, and he welcomes it. As his friends leap to the attack, he gestures swiftly, forming a shimmering shield before him. And then...
"Vnimanie, vnimanie," he chants, his eyes glowing with starborn power. "Lah mulan sumug, namgilima ilim..." In one hand, a ghostly, ominous blue light gathers, unnatural and foreboding. Without another word, he hurls it through the air, where it detonates soundlessly in the middle of the Summer Knights. The wave of blue-white energy passes harmlessly over Rune and Aryia, but the fey are raked by the starspawned energies, cracking and blistering skin.
As the melee ensues, Nala's friends rally around her, coming to form almost a shield wall around her. Runelei's swords are drawn, and Shankahar's assessing Nala's condition. He makes a bit of a thoughtful rumble in his chest. "It's a very powerful mental domination spell of some kind. I can't determine what, exactly."
Telanmo frowns as he pulls Nala into his grasp. "Nala? Nala, are you--"
"My love." The words are said without any emotions from Nala's lips as she's still glassy-eyed. "My love. Prince Raeluin. I'm right here. I'm right here. Come save me."
"Nala?!" Telanmo's eyes are wide in panic, and then he shoots a star-studded glare in Raeluin's direction. "You're _brainwashing_ her!?"
A soft chorus of 'oohs' and 'aaahs' come from the Summer Knights as they all behold Zeke. Zeke can even hear two of them... Weeping? "Beautiful. As beautiful as His Highness."
Another voice pipes up: "We should get it as a gift. For His Highness. His Highness loves beautiful things."
Then another: "No, it's not to His Highness's tastes; the draconic sun is not a young lady of childbearing age."
"His Highness has so many of those, though," another one comments mournfully. "I'll take the draconic sun if he will not!"
GAME: Aryia rolls grapple: aliased to : (10)+30+2+2: 44 GAME: Simony rolls 1d20+23: (13)+23: 36 GAME: Simony rolls 1d20+18: (10)+18: 28 GAME: Simony rolls 1d20+13: (2)+13: 15 GAME: Simony rolls 1d20+13: (9)+13: 22 GAME: Simony rolls 2d6+11: (11)+11: 22
Aryia girds herself as magic flies on by, and the light of Daeus's champion has their attention craned skyward. The words of the soldiers makes a vein pulse against Aryia's temple. A hand lashes out, grabbing Raeluin by the collar and begins to drag him. Dragging turns into hauling, then to high speed towing as her footfalls splash onto the water- not plunging into the depths- her movements halt abruptly in a spray of azure, only to shoulder throw the horrid fae man into the depths. That's that-
Wait. She's not letting go. The waters are a horrid moonlit sight of under reflections painting the roof and Aryia's snarling face, tributaries of white energies cracking her skin into a deeper onyx from the effort of her trying a more mortal manner of death - suffocation.
GAME: Simony casts Greater Angelic Aspect. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+20: (20)+20: 40 GAME: Rune takes ten on bluff+1: (10)+39+1: 50 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2-2: (16)+33+-2: 47 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (18)+18: 36 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1d6+10d6: aliased to 1d6+8+1d6+10d6: (6)+8+(5)+(29): 48 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1-7: (11)+33+-7: 37 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1d6+10d6: aliased to 1d6+8+1d6+10d6: (6)+8+(4)+(34): 52 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2-7: (9)+33+-7: 35 GAME: Rune rolls damage2+1d6+10d6: aliased to 1d6+8+1d6+10d6: (4)+8+(5)+(29): 46 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1-12: (9)+33+-12: 30 GAME: Rune rolls weapon2-12: (6)+33+-12: 27 GAME: Rune rolls weapon1: (6)+33: 39 GAME: Rune rolls damage1+1d6: aliased to 1d6+8+1d6: (4)+8+(3): 15
The Goblin is only vaguely aware of what is going on around her. Her lips curl ever so slightly at Aryia yoinking the Summer Prince by the scruff of his neck, and assisting said Prince in blowing bubbles.
But her prayer comes to an end, and moments later, practically in the midst of the knights, a lithe and beautiful man steps forth. His marble skin and feathered wings mark him as an angel. The tiny cleric's commands are quick and terse. "Protect the two women there, and put those fae to the sword." A nod is its only reply as its blade moves quickly, striking three blows in quick succession, though the knight's armor only fails once, blood drawn.
Simony starts another prayer, calling upon Navos' power once more, and at the end, wings sprout from the diminutive Goblin's back, and she begins hovering. There's a flash of white light around her, a light that touches Shankahar, Runelei, Telanmo, Yiara and Nala. An aura surrounds them in a dome, holy symbols circling the group, and Nala's eyes clear. The young woman shakes her head, blinking as she looks around, looking as if she'd just awoken from a dream.
GAME: Zeke rolls 1d20+29+2: (15)+29+2: 46 GAME: Zeke rolls 1d8+10: (4)+10: 14
One might think it is a bit distracting to have various magical effects going off around you in melee, but Rune seems quite used to it by now. Her friends and allies are all quite impressive in the sort of magical effects they manage to throw on the crowd of unwitting Fae soldiers. Not to mention that Aryia's neat handling of their foe has a smirk playing at the edge of her lips.
"Well, time to thin the herd a little bit." Rune lays into the first of the soldiers, stabbing in three neat strikes. His eyes widen for a moment before he opens his mouth, only for blood to dribble out before he falls over. One down...
Then, the rogue turns to the other nearest knight, her initial blows not quite as well aimed against this new target. Two glance off of the armor before a third catches just between the plates.
GAME: Telamon casts True Strike/Quicken. Caster Level: 20 DC: 26 GAME: Telamon casts Disintegrate. Caster Level: 20 DC: 27
Zeke is... not best pleased by the thought that people want to capture him for Raeluin's pleasure. Or their own. He flies over to one of the nearest fae and lashes out with his sword at them. The weapon scores a bit of damage as Zeke wings around and lands solidly on the ground. "You should have more ressspect for the Dragonfather!"
GAME: Telamon rolls ranged+2+20: (2)+17+2+20: 41 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (11)+18: 29 GAME: Riptide rolls 1d20+18: (15)+18: 33 GAME: Telamon rolls 5d6: (20): 20
Telamon watches Aryia grab Raeluin and shove his head underwater... and the archmage simply nods. His eyes are stern and cold. They did not start this fight, they did not seek this conflict. But it will be finished. And watching this so-called prince be drowned at Aryia's hands... well, that works for Tel.
Which leaves the rest of Raeluin's entourage. Tel points his rod at one of the knights, incanting a spell of focusing before unleashing his destructive magics. The disintegration beam rakes across the knight's shoulder, but fails to land a solid hit. "This is where the path ends," he states flatly.
As Nala comes to, Telanmo's eyes are full of worry. "My love, are you okay?" he asks with furrowed brows. "He had some kind of spell on you..."
"I'm going to kill him." Nala's words fall out of her mouth in a growl, which has Telanmo blinking as she pushes herself out of his embrace, walking past Yiara. "I wish I had claws like Grandfather's. I'd rip out his _throat_."
As she says that... Nala's hands change. The skin on her arms subtly begins to darken, and her hands metamorphose until they are... Claws. Claws like Alud'rigan's hands. "ARYIA! BRING HIM TO ME!" she demands.
Runelei, Shankahar, and Yiara all have their eyes bugging out as they look at Nala's brand new hands. "Are you sure you want to--" Shankahar begins, until Nala spins around, her eyes subtly glowing with magic power.
"Yes. He was putting memories in my head. False memories. I saw so many girls like me, all brainwashed, all falling over him." Nala's nostrils flare. "He deserves to die!"
-TBC