[RP Thread] Cries of Urnung: Book of the Bladebringer

[Dragonson]

Above them the newcomers to the group saw the Pyramid city of Roag for the first time.
The grand black-stone dome which carried the pyramid looked almost like the night sky from their current location, and the many grey pillars that carried it seemed like they were ascending into the sky, and onwards into the black nothingness beyond.
Amidst it all was the grand pillar, the crystal tree, the last living tree in Urnung.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Without a backward glance, Meyla took wing and flew towards the suspended construct, headed for the Crystal tree.

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion followed Meyla from the ground trough the narrow streets.

 

[Dragonson]

As soon as Meyla reached the Crystal Tree Square, the same gateway that they'd entered through last time opened up down on the ground.
And like last time, random passerbys seemed unable to see it.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla banked and dropped through the gate, heedless of any onlookers.

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion stepped trough the gate entering the great hall of their hideout.

 

[GunSlinger]

Leo followed behind Ekiron.

 

[Dragonson]

Just like last time, they entered a Sunrah's grandeous hideout.
He was sitting in his chair, chained as always, reading a book that was floating in front of him.
Upon their arrival, the book hovered over to one of the many bookcases and Sunrah greeted the group with a smile.
"Welcome back. I've taken the liberty of packing some... basic gear, for the next part of this ordeal."
He nodded at a pile of backpacks lying in a corner.

 

[GunSlinger]

"And what may I ask would we do next?" Leo asked, moving to the backpacks.

 

[Dragonson]

"I know from your recollection of what the Gardener said that you have to find the 'Lamentation Spire'."
Sunrah said, while some of the books on the nearby bookcases started re-arranging themselves.
"I've never heard of it, but he also said it is somwehere in the tunnels of Roag, which we already knew.
What i do though not know, is what exactly the Gardener gave you. But i'm sure it will come in handy.
So, to answer your question, what you do now is gain entry to the tunnels below Roag.
That might be... slightly difficult."
A folded newspaper lying on a nearby table suddenly flew into the air and moved towards Sunrah.
"I got this a few hours ago.
Apparently, there's been a corpse worm attack in the southern part of the city, where the main tunnel starts.
The entrance has been completely laid to waste, and we dont know how many other places the tunnels have been blocked off.
It was one of the REALLY big corpse worms."

 

[Phoonix]

"so that is where that man was going..." Ekrion said. "such a coincidence..."

 

[Dragonson]

"I was thinking the same.
But to be honest i am not surprised. We're trying to steal from Holo Dragonson.
If you ask me, i dont even know why Taiion has issued this mission in the first place.
I mean, we're up against a Dragonpriest... But then, Taiion knows what he's doing. Usually..."
Sunrah's expression showed a small hint of doubt, but it was quickly washed away by another wave of spasms.
"At any rate, i've located two other entrances which you can use.
There's a connection to the tunnels somewhere in the city sewers, and then there's the one Taiion used when he went down there. We've got some decent maps drawn by Taiion of the tunnels around that entrance, but... Well, there's a catch too. I think you'd do better with just using the sewers."

 

[Grey Nightmare]

"Let us hear the catch" Meyla jumped in, "It'd have to be a pretty big one to give up our only cartography.."

 

[Arcisal]

IC: Arcisal listened to the conversation attentively, waiting for Sunrah to continue his sentence.

OOC: BTW, did we level up any time?

 

[Phoonix]

"Yes, Meyla is right. why would we use the sewers when we have a perfectly fine map of another entrance." he said somewhat confused.

 

[Dragonson]

OOC: Yeah, ya did.

IC: "Because that entrance is out in the open wastes."
Sunrah said.
"Not only is travelling there extremely dangerous if you're not travelling in a group the size of a small army, that worm is most possibly still somewhere near the city.
All kinds of things could go wrong on a journey there, and considering that you overall goal of this mission ALONE stacks the odds against you i wouldnt advice..."
"You give them too little credit, Sunrah. These people have performed more than one act of incredible nature in their time working as a group. And besides, i think i should be able to get them to that prized entrance.". The group heard footsteps behind them, and as they turned around they saw a man in a green cloak walking towards them.
He wore leather armour, covering his body completely.
His face was covered by a hood, also green, and ontop of it a dragon skull was fastened.
"My apologies for... Interrupting. I have come here seeking the crycon named Ekrion.
Unless i am wrong, which it has been a long time since i was, he is among you."

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion looked at the back at the hooded dragonpriest. "what are you doing here?" Ekrion said surprised. "How did you find me?"

 

[Dragonson]

"The energy i filled you with hapens to be the only reason you are still alive. You were awfully easy to track down."
The dragonpriest removed the mask that was covering the lower part of his face, revealing that by race he was a Drak'Ron.
"And infact, the energy that is currently sustaining you is exactly why i'm here.
You could say we have a halfway signed contract to discuss."
A scaly smile spread on the dragonpriest's face.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla went rigid. "You bound yourself to him!?", she moaned in despair.
Because if you die... Then so does he?

 

[Phoonix]

"A contract?" Ekrion said unsure. "what exactly do you mean?."

 

[Dragonson]

"Sort of... Yes. But first, i believe we need to be formerly introduced.
I know everything about you and your associates, so dont worry about that. The part that matters is that my name is Scardrake.
No, before you ask: It's a title. You get such things when you're technically the father of an entire sentinent race.
I am the Dragonpriest of Life, Earth as well the inanimate rocks within it, Resilliance and Memories."
Scardrake bowed graciously, his cloak making a dramatic movement through the air.
"What i am... 'offering' you, is to become the first 'Dracrend Disciple' in over a thousand years.
Yes, i realize that needs an explanation, but there are other things that must be said first.
One: You have very little choice in this matter, unless your life is something you are willing to part with. And to be honest, i think that is not.
Two: This whole thing will most possibly be a lot more beneficial to you than to me.
Three:..."
The Dragonpriest spun around and grabbed Meyla around the throat in a swift movement.
He snarled, his reptillian teeth shining in the candlelight of the sanctuary.
"This one has secrets. Maybe not more than some others of you have, but just one of them outweigh the combined amount of yours by a tenfold. I'd be doing you all a favor if i killed her, right now."

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion pulled out is sword and placed it in scardrake's neck. "And if you do that I'll be forced to kill you aswell." Ekrion said, his eyes flickering with a dangerous fury. "now that would not be fun, would it."

 

[Dragonson]

For a moment, the Dragonpriest was silent.
"Seriously?"
His grip around Meyla's throat loosened.
"First you think i'd not be able to track you down, and then you think you'l actually be able to hurt me?"
A hoarse laughter filled the room, as Scardrake let go of Meyla and pushed Ekrion's blade away from his neck.
"Yes, you're exactly the kind of person i'm looking for."

 

[Phoonix]

"if you keep threatening my friends like that I will not hesitate to strike." Ekrions voice emanating with threat. "Dragonpriest or not."

 

[Dragonson]

"With friends like these..."
Scardrake says, gesturing at Illios and Meyla.
"...it wont matter much what I do."

 

[Arcisal]

OOC: Alright, I added my stats. 10 stat points and one feat points right?

IC: Arcisal was observing the incident take place. Ekiron's face looked true to what he meant, if he were to be killed by this Drak'Ron, then he would miss out a chance that has never been presented to anyone in nearly a century, clearly something of incredible worth. Arcisal didn't know what a dragonpriest was but judging by his scars and his ability to track us down, he clearly had a right to be cocky about the threat Ekiron brought up.

Instead of preparing for battle, Arcisal suddenly called out "Sunrah!". Arcisal gazed at Ekiron and mentally prepared to cast a stun spell on him before he could do any harm upon the Drak'Ron. Any harm upon this creature would certainly mean more harm to us than to the dragonpriest. Arcisal growled softly, "Not a wise move. You may be my friend, your folly unchecked, will be the death of us all..."

 

[Dragonson]

Sunrah semmed completely unmoved by what was happening.
He was sitting in his chair, like frozen.
"You should listen to your friend, Ekrion. It is not every day a Dragonpriest goes against the will of another of his kind, but then again me and Holo are not exactly friends."
Scardrake said.
"I have to admit though, after thinking it over, my previous action against Meyla was... rash.
I've spent a lot of time fighting the Entity's forces, so when it's energies surged through her with incredible strength for just a small moment... You could say that i 'snapped'.
My apologies."
Scardrake sent Meyla a hate-filled glare.
"I suggest you take this apology. It's the only one you're getting."

 

[Arcisal]

"So, you dragonpriests are a kind? I think we deserve some kind of explanation...", said Arcisal, with no relief whatsoever evident in his voice or posture despite the commotion being over. If this "dragonpriest" suddenly changes his mind, we may have failed right here.

"What does a human, especially one who can recall events that has happened nearly a century ago, have to do with a Drak'Ron? If I can recall, our friend Meyla has some personal grudges against the head dragonpriest of yours? Is that the reason for your outlash against her?"

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla spat at the Dragonpriest's 'apology' as she clutched at her throat.
"I don't like the entity any more than you Dragonpriest but touch me again and I swear I'll break you... It took every last one of you bastards to trap and hold the entity in a parallel plane. I don't know what it did to me... " she trailed off.

What it's still doing to me!

"But I know it'll take more than one as pathetic as yourself to do me. . or rather it", she added.
"Any lasting harm".

Despite the malice and venom within her words the Faerie looked every bit as scared as she was attempting to make the priest.







OOC: Dragonson's EPIC rp = Only reason I'm still on hive atm. True story!

 

[Phoonix]

OOC: hear, hear. same, same.

 

[Dragonson]

Scardrake seemed like he was about to answer Arcisal, but at Meyla's words something terrifying happened.
A strange feeling of something that before was stable and secure now being on the brink of collapse filled the hearts of the adventurers.
The Dragonpriest stiffened. Slowly, he raised his hands to his head. With an even slower movement he took off his hood.
His eyes burned with pure hatred as he turned to face Meyla, but still they seemed... empty.
Scardrake started speaking, his voice suddenly mixed with an undertone of fear and hopelessness that seemed completely out of place.
"Dont... Dont you see? It's still here!"

Suddenly, Sunrah snapped out of what seemed like it'd been a trance.
"We... are in a lot of trouble."

 

[GunSlinger]

"What is it?" Leo asked, somewhat worrying.

 

[Arcisal]

The sight of the dragonpriest succumbing to an invisible inward force had immediately shaken Arcisal to the very core. Something or someone had managed to disable this ancient. His whatever was going to happen, Arcisal could tell it wasn't going to be good.

But then, as the dragonpriest stood there in utter hopelessness, Arcisal saw a glimmer of something in his eyes, a mere bending of light, but maybe it was that that had reduced this being to such a pathetic state...

"The Entity? A streak of purple goes across his eyes! Sunrah!" A mix of fear and uncertainty could be heard as Arcisal said those words like cannonfire. He was barely even sure of himself, but it was worth a try...

OOC: Nice drawing. BTW, I'm just making a wild guess so forgive me if I'm off tangent. I haven't even played any one of Drag's previous RPss. But, what the heck.

 

[Dragonson]

"If you are right Arcisal, then we have even more problems than i realized.
Whatever is going on, this is NOT Scardrake."
As the Dragonpriest started rambling about something incoherent, Sunrah closed his eyes.
The room around them started getting blurry.
"I dont know what is going to happen, but we cant let it happen inside a densely populated city. I'm getting us out of here."
The group felt themselves being pulled away from their current position, moving towards... somewhere.
A split second later the group found themselves on a strange, rocky platform. Above them the sky was a twisted mess, and the platform itself seemed to be floating in the middle of Nowhere.
"NO! Not this again! Not this place! I Left, and i'm not going back!"
The Dragonpriest let out a twisted scream and slowly started backing away from the group.


DM: Entire group moved to Planesedge.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

"Planesedge Arena.." Meyla murmered seemingly uncomfortable with the knowledge.
Her recent aggression had subsided in it's entirety and been replaced by somethink dark and dreary. a dreaded sense of forboding.

Looking up toward the broken sky she whispered "Of all places Sunrah.. why here?"

 

[Arcisal]

Arcisal looked at Meyla, surprised that she was still so calm after such an event.

"Where?"

 

[Dragonson]

"Because the warp is strong here."
Sunrah said. The green-ish flames emanating from his eyes burned stronger.
He took a deep breath.
"I need you to unchain me from this chair."

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla's gaze drifted down and settled upon the bound man, but she made no move to free him.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea... Sunrah" she said wearily, her nerves on the edge.

 

[Dragonson]

"You know what's also not a good idea? Insulting a Dragonpriest. If there wasnt something terribly wrong with Scardrake, you'd be dead. And we'd have the problem of trying to find something to bury.
Now get me out of this thing! Someone! I have a friend to save."
Sunrah's voice was filled with uncertanity and desperation, but for once his gaze remained resolute.
Scardrake seemed to be completely ignoring all of them, busy staring at the place where the sky should have been with immense zeal.

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion lashed with his sword at sunrah's chains trying to break them.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla wore a crude mask of painful indecision, her hands twitching by her sides.
"I don't like this... I don't like this at all" she moaned as she slowly made her way over to Sunrah.

She breathed in and began to dive into her mind searching for the elusive vortex of purple energy she now knew to be 'granted' by the Entity but soon decided against it and withdrew. It makes things unpredictable. It makes 'me' unpredictable...
Biting her tounge she raised her hands before Sunrah in a simple yet somehow elaborate series of gestures muttering to herself all the while. It was an agonizingly long and lengthy process, a frustratingly inefficent way of performing a task that - with the help of the entity - would've taken a flick of her wrist. In due course she cocked her head and pushed her arms out encompassing Sunrah and his chair, willing his release.

 

[Dragonson]

Ekrion's blade hit the chains, and small cracks sprung forth here and there.
As soon as Meyla started her magic the cracks started glowing in a foreboding mannner, but just as they looked like they were about to break a feral scream was heard from behind them.
The Dragonpriest was charging towards them in a whirlwind of green and purple flames, his mouth wide open and ready to bite.

 

[Grey Nightmare]

Meyla started, losing her concentration for but a second, but a second too much at that. "If Sunrah's right we don't stand a chance against him, it would be better to die freeing someone who does!" she cried over the roaring dragonpriest and without further comment or thought she clutched at the violent purple tendrils wrapped around her mind, wrenching them into a sharp, narrow cone which - with much regret - she released towards Sunrah's bonds.

Power racked her body, causing it to buckle and spasm but still she fed energy into the numerous cracks within Sunrah's restraints. "Almost.." she gasped weakly, the dark magic siphoning her life force with increasing ferocity.

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion turned towards the Dragonpriest "Golem grab him!" he yelled.
his Golem ran toward Scardrake and tried to grab him from behind.
meanwhile Ekrion tapped into his energy's, gifted by the same person they were fighting right now.
he tapped into them unsure what they were capable of and tried to reach withing the priests mind, trying to free it from whatever was controlling it.

 

[Fussiler1]

''Well.. this has been a strange chain of events.'' he said whilst quickly unsheating his blade. Was it really neccesary? He didn't think so, but it was more of a reflex.
He was sure that nothing he would do was going to actually have any effect, but he could at least try to slow him down, if that was even possible. Buying time. He closed his eyes and focused deeply, reaching into the very depths of his capabilities and proceeding to use his gift of the Warp. Seeing as the Warp was strong here, he figured his spells would have more effect. And so he focused his energies on this one spell and attempted to cast a powerful and great sphere of fire, specifically aimed at the mouth of the Dragonlord. Maybe it would do nothing. But it was an easy target. After all, it was wide open.

 

[GunSlinger]

Leo, seeing Meyla trying to break the bonds, tried to create a wall of fire between her and the Dragonpriest as to buy her some more time. He slammed his fist down on the platform, concentrating on summoning the deathly flames from the lower planes.

 

[Arcisal]

The dragonpriest has gone insane! Arcisal, as if almost unconsciously, prepared to fill the dragonpriests mind with pain, a psyblast of some sort.

 

[Dragonson]

OOC: For those with the Entity Touched feat, i've added some post-start edits to how it works and how it can be used.
Those edits will be active as of now, and i reccomend y'all go read them.

Chances are i'l do more of such edits on feats if i think of good ones as the game progresses, so be on the lookout (even tho i will notify you here).

DM:
@Meyla: Spell Check (DifLevel 5): Roll (1d6 +5 from Will, +20 from Entity Energy (Unstable) and +2 from Inspiring Pressence): 6 (33).
Rolling Extra Dice: 1 (34). Near-Success!
Entity Save Possible.
Meyla unleashed the vile energies with immense force, but it's unpredictable nature caused the dark energy to violently burst from her hands instead of focusing itself on Sunrah's chains.
Meyla could feel that she would lose control completely any second...

DM:
@Ekrion
Ekrion's golem charged at the Dragonpriest, but it was far too slow to even get close.
Scardrake charged on towards Sunrah as Ekrion focused his mind,
DM: Special Action (DifLevel 8): Roll (1d6 +5 from Endurance): 1 (6). Critical Failure!
but as soon as his mind made contact with Scardrake's an immense mental barrier sent a psychic backlash so strong that it manifested physically his way.
DM: Ekrion next action is a forced dodge or defensive maneuver. If neither is specified, Ekrion will be hit by the backlash.

DM:
@Illios: Spell Check (Warp, Diflevel 4): Roll (1d6 +8 from Cunning, +6 from Shroud of Lies and +2 from Inspiring Pressence): 6 (21). Success!
Endurance Check (Diflevel 2): Roll (1d6 +3 from Endurance and +1 from Clairvoyance): 5 (9). Success!
Illios formed a ball of warp flame between his hands and sent it flying towards Scardrake.
It hit it's mark, right between the beast's jaws, but although the Dragonpriest seemed to be in pain for a second Scardrake ignored the attack and charged on unhindered.
DM: Clairvoyance Active.
Illios suddenly felt that moving further away from Sunrah would be an immensely good idea.

DM: @Leo
Before Leo could finish his channelling the Dragonpriest shortly changed direction and rammed into him. The colission nocking him into the air, sending him flying with a course over the edge of the platform.

DM: @Arcisal
Seeing what happened to Ekrion, Arcisal decided to rethink his course of action.
DM: The cancelled action can be performed as an extra action (before any other actions) next turn, if you decide to carry through with it.

 

[Phoonix]

Ekrion rolled to the side trying to dodge the backlash.

 

[Fussiler1]

He suddenly knew that they needed to get away from Sunrah. He just knew. Perhaps this spirit vision thing was a great advantage.
''Everybody get away from Sunrah!'' he shouted loudly, knowing that whatever was going to happen, it was going to be bad. He stepped away from Sunrah even further and confident, perhaps too confident, tried to cast a wall of fire between the Priest and Meyla, much like Leo tried to cast. However, he made sure he was out of the course of the Dragon Priest.