Things had been going,relatively, well Tarvek had thought. They'd made it through one, minor, feast where two powerful factions that hated each other, and this, the second, had been, also, mostly, going well. No had been killing each other, and insults were only mild, largely non-life threatening as both the Mage-Lord and Warchief attempted to maintain good relations. For they were plotting a war against an undead army led by a powerful Lich, a former Prince lost to madness or greed, along with seeking to convince Tarvek himself to give as many secrets as he would give freely…

Which was very limited in range, but Tarvek was negotiating a deal, and was keeping Mayuko, relatively, quiet and well-behaved…

Tarvek considered this as amazing thing, as the trio of them had sat at the 'head' of the table, flanked by the Warchief and the Mage-Lord, their various advisors and guards. Wine, something like ale, and various cooked meats were served amidst glares and forced acceptance between a half-H shaped table…

Things were going well….

Then the world was awash with a blast of magic in the firepit and space between the table, or tables, as an elf in an ablaze in arcane energies was just…standing there. Protective wards had been smashed aside, and Tarvek could feel the rage almost covering the elven form as it looked around. Though that was only a part of his mind, as Tarvek's hand had already reached for his Compass, his power armour summoned forth in a heartbeat, in a pillar of sparkling light as Janet and Mayuko were staggered backwards. Just as the other guests, and the host, mages reacting even as they were thrown back, though Tarvek's was faster despite being the lesser, as Contingencies activated faster than his conscious thought.

His power armoured form shone with golden ward sigils even as he was forced back a step as the elf, clearly an Archmage or Mage-Lord, turned his gaze in Tarvek's direction. In the moments it had taken, light motes still pulsing off his armour, the shishkebob chain-sword had too been summoned into hand, flame beginning to ignite as Tarvek roared out in shock and fury. But even then, he was thinking of flight as the HUD of his suit appeared, screaming warnings of the archmage before him was beyond his power to engage judging by the swirl of arcane energies superimposed by sensor readings. What's more a second image was overlayed, a vast dragon held in a manner similar to his own disguises and polymorphs, almost as if the figure barely cared with the illusion even as they held to it…

"HOLD" it was demand as much as spell attempt, though Tarvek's armoured shuddered, forcing off the spell even as it sought to take hold and pin him. There were dimensional energies, and, worse, chrono energies, as his other hand, almost without thinking, summoned forth a dimensional anchor from within his Compass…

{DIMENSIONAL ANCHOR!}

Dragons. Another fucking dragon attacking and….

This was not thrown out of time as the others. Precious resources wasted in some ways, but it would prevent him summoning reinforcements, and limit…

Power exploded all around him, everyone, having reacted, or trying to as many…most…were paralysed by the spell/word. The Mage-Lord Proudmoore was drawing arcane energies to herself, shrugging off the effect…only to be blasted backwards at a hand gesture, the elf…no, dragon's, eyes on Tarvek "I demand answers of you travellers"

"Then…haa….ask" Tarvek answered, wards flaring, watching the bright beacon of magic, the inferno of blue-tinted energies swirling around the dragon-elf being before him. Standing, blade ready as the flame of the blade ignited, washed over by the enemy's energies. Talking, rather than fighting, might be the only option other than fleeing as he panted within the armour's defences. Fleeing was already being prepared, leashing Janet and Mayuko to his Will, to his Compass, as matters looked bleak if this Mage-Dragon-Being was hostile and…

He watched as the dragon-elf held up one hand, an image…of the….dimensional anchor. An outline amidst flicking symbols and sigils he did not know or recognise. Attempting to analyse it, study it…

'No…the effects?' part of grasped/wondered sensors blaring in the mere seconds, as the anchors themselves were 'black-boxed' as the humans of Bastion Earth referred to it. Or, called Enigmatic Engineering. Effects though were not. His Compass blazed hot and furious, a part of him, Light engulfing Tarvek's form, as well as Mayuko's and Janet's, though time seemed to…slow to a crawl.

"This….device" the dragon-elf said/demanded/growled "It stabilises…time and space, hardens the energies of the world against extra-dimensional force. Why did Nozdormu's whelps attack…no, because it hardens…THIS serves to prevent time displacement and travel. LOCKING A TIMELINE INTO PLACE?"

"Ye…es" Tarvek answered, for answers known to locals were okay as everyone seemed frozen, weapons drawn, that or pounding useless on a barrier around them as several of the non-frozen warriors, orc and human, hammered at the dragon-elf "It is a protective measure to protect against attacks, time-travelling attacks, from dragons for instances. Would you…explain why…"

Said dragon-elf ignored his response, nodding, eyes more the images appearing before him, or rather around him and between him and Tarvek "Light based energies, yet also…so many others, drawing from native energy of the planet…WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

"Travelling through this plane" Tarvek's armoured hand gripped his blazing weapon tightly "We mean no conflict with your kind dragon, nor have we offered insult, or attacked…"

"Implications. Firms' up timeline, indicates active man…ip…ulation…forward and backwards…" the insane dragon-elf was….talking at them, rather than too them Tarvek realised. A fucking demigod was not-attacking them, and was insane in the head while doing so "YOU ARE FROM AN ADVANCED ARCANE AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOCIETY?"

Tarvek would have shrugged, giving a questioning look, but instead could only stand there, in a defensive stance, while saying stupid things in response to a stupid question from a dangerous being "Eh…yes?"

"Interference with time…could have CHANGED IT…at any moment…attacked because…" the dragon-elf muttered, then again, mood swinging with a cold, commanding, voice "YOUR ANCHOR THREW MY BROTHERS SPAWN OUT OF TIME SYNCED TO THEIR LOCATION, YES?"

"Yes, it…is a protective measure. They are…pushed back to whatever their point in time was" Tarvek, carefully, explained to the insane dragon-elf demigod that, for now, wasn't attacking them. Yet also showing no weaknesses as if he had amassed energy for centuries without using it "Are you, uh, a different….faction? You are…blue…"

Which usually meant vicious, manipulative, but orderly and deal making. Unfortunately this the crazy plane, where things like that didn't happen, and the blue was clearly an insane lunatic hearing voices in his head or something?

"He did this….family betrays again….capacity to use natural energies to defend against…Titans were…our task, I should have…" mumbles the crazy dragon-elf mumbled, before having the calm, mood swing again "THERE ARE MANY WORLDS AND PARAELLS BEYOND THIS WHERE MORTALS USE MAGIC IN YOUR MANNER?"

"Yes. We are an alliance of various planes, dragons too, an ancient white of…"

"ENOUGH" the elf-dragon lunatic stated as more magic erupted, from the Mage-Lord and her advisor, who'd just stormed into the room, an inferno of energies, a vortex of might around the lunatic as Tarvek stood on guard, watching as the madness "WE WILL SPEAK AGAIN! BUT BLOOD MUST SPILL FIRST!"

….and the there was a thundering explosion of magical energies. Tarvek braced him, a Shield spell igniting from his Compass as he chanted, forming a golden-black barrier between himself and the detonation, shielding himself, Janet, and Mayuko. All the lights in the room, all the flames, were extinguished as orcs, humans, and others were flung backwards as the dragon-elf being vanished in a roar that reverberated throughout the entire castle. Maybe even the city beyond. Tarvek didn't care as his shield flared, absorbing the attack, or maybe just temper tantrum…