AN: I really enjoy writing Toland's flowery dialogue.
We emerge from the portal into the alien expanse of the Ascendant Plane, and the atmosphere shifts immediately. The air presses against us like a tangible force, heavy and malevolent, as though the realm itself resents our presence. Beneath my boots, the rocky terrain feels fragile, brittle underfoot, as if it could give way at any moment. Around us a labyrinth of floating platforms and fragmented structures spiral upward into a void of churning black-and-white mist. The horizon ripples unnaturally, refusing to hold still, its ever-shifting shapes mocking our attempt to find a path.
A shiver runs down my spine as flickering shadows dart at the edges of my vision. They have no form, no substance, but their presence feels watchful… Predatory.
Crow steps closer, his grip tightening on the hilt of his blade. His voice is low, tight with unease. "This place... it's wrong. Corrupted."
{Met 'Toland, the Shattered' +50 points
Discovered 'The Ascendant Plane' +100 points
Rolling…
Divination - The Almighty - Bleach (800 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 250 Points.}
I keep my eyes moving, ignoring the failed roll. "This is a Darkness Zone," I explain, my tone measured despite the tension coiling in my chest. "If you die here, the Light has trouble resurrecting you. I'll have to use my own energy to bring you back. So don't-"
"Don't die." Crow finishes dryly. "Stellar advice, Mavriel."
A faint, flickering orb of light drifts into view, Toland's fragmented consciousness bobbing lazily through the air like a candle caught in a storm. "So, the fledglings have stepped into the abyss. Brave, perhaps. Foolish, undoubtedly. But tell me, do you truly understand what it is you seek here? Or are you simply blind moths drawn to a flame?"
Crow glances at me, his body taut with wariness. I shake my head subtly, signaling him to stay silent.
When Toland speaks again, his tone carries a veneer of wistfulness "Ah, the Ascendant Plane… this shimmering mirror of desire and despair. I have lingered here for what feels like eternity, an unmoored soul adrift in the Sea of Screams. I have watched so many others step where you now tread. Desperation. Ambition. Greed. These are the forces that compelled them, yet few survived the trials this place demands."
He pauses, his orb pulsing faintly, before his voice takes on a sharper, almost hungry edge. "And then there are those who sought my weapon. It has danced from trembling hand to trembling hand, each bearer too frail to withstand its whispers, too weak to sate its boundless hunger. Tell me Wizard, are you the one who will break the cycle? Or will you, too, be devoured?"
Recognition sparks in my mind like a jolt of electricity, and my hand tightens instinctively on the grip of my hand cannon.
Bad Juju.
Toland's voice slithers through the air again, as if he senses my thoughts. "Ah, so you know. But do you know the blood it cost to create? How I tricked an Ahamkara into the form of a carrion bird and slew the beast, binding its bone and essence with all the curses I could muster?"
"Toland." I say, cutting through his theatrics. "If the weapon is here, where exactly is it?"
His orb flares, glowing brighter, and his laughter echoes like the chime of broken glass. "Patience. All things in their time. Do you not yet see the web spun around you? The weapon resides here, drawn to this twisted mirror of the Dreaming City, pulled by forces older than your stars. It hungers still; a famished predator scraping at the veil of existence, yearning for a hand bold enough to claim it. But beware: it is not alone in its longing."
The atmosphere grows heavier as Toland's voice dips. "Drachna, the Darkblade Knight, circles like a vulture around a feast. He desires the weapon, not for himself, but for his mistress, hoping to elevate himself to the position of her Fatesmith. Dûl Incaru, devious weaver of schemes, craves the essence of the Ahamkara. She would twist its power into ruin, as is the Hive's way, and use it to further her dark dominion."
Crow stiffens beside me, his unease evident as he asks. "An Ahamkara? What's that?"
I glance at him briefly, then let my focus return to the spectral orb. "Ahamkara…" I explain, my tone measured. "Creatures capable of granting wishes by bending the fabric of reality itself. They fed on the act of granting desires, but their gifts always came at a cost. Wishes fulfilled, but warped. They were hunted to extinction because of the havoc they wrought."
Toland's voice cuts through the thick air. "Dangerous indeed. For their power invites folly and tragedy, and your kind cannot resist reaching for what is beyond your grasp."
Shadows that were once still begin to writhe, their shapes distorting, twisting into grotesque forms that fill the air with an oppressive dread. Before I can react, they take on substance: Taken thralls, their eyeless faces flickering in the dim light, their clawed hands reaching hungrily for us.
Toland's disembodied voice rings out, tinged with cruel delight. "Ah, the realm stirs to greet you. How considerate! Come then, show me you can endure the horrors that await."
Before the words fully settle, Crow moves with practiced grace, his blade flashing in a deadly arc as it cleaves through the nearest thrall. The creature unravels with a shriek, its form dissipating into dark wisps. I draw my hand cannon, its barrel glowing with the faint heat of infused Pyro energy, and fire. Each shot punches through the air, precise and unyielding, reducing the thralls to wisps of nothingness. Yet, for every one we fell, two more surge from the suffocating mist, their claws reaching hungrily.
The battlefield swells with chaos. The brittle ground beneath us trembles, as if the realm itself reacts to the violence. Thralls pour in waves, their grotesque forms moving in relentless unison. I backpedal, firing round after flaming round, each pull of the trigger an attempt to carve out breathing room.
Crow's voice cuts through the cacophony from above. "We're getting surrounded!"
I snap my fingers, unleashing five bolts of Solar Light that streak through the horde, incinerating a cluster in an instant. "Conserve your Light!" I yell back, sidestepping a thrall's lunge. "This is just the beginning: worse things await us!"
Crow leaps to higher ground, scaling a jagged outcrop with effortless precision. From his perch, his blade becomes a blur of motion, slicing through climbing thralls in clean, efficient strikes. Meanwhile, I pivot to avoid another swipe, firing point-blank into a thrall's chest. The shot sends it crumbling into nothingness, but the reprieve is brief.
The mist thickens, and with it comes a new threat. Taken acolytes materialize among the thralls, their forms jittery and wrong. Their hands crackle with power as they summon orbs of dark energy, the glowing spheres flaring ominously before hurling arc bolts in our direction.
I dart to the side, the projectiles colliding with the ground where I stood moments ago. Crow is already on the move, using the rocky terrain to his advantage as he closes the distance to the acolytes. His strikes are relentless, each one killing an enemy.
{Rolling…
Illusion - Noble Reserve - The Gods Are Bastards (400 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 250 Points.}
"Cover me!" He shouts, and I oblige. A thrall lunges at his exposed flank, but my hand cannon barks once, then twice, the rounds tearing it apart before it can reach him.
The air hums with tension as I summon the Void. The familiar energy floods through me, coalescing into a grenade that hums with raw power. I hurl it toward the acolytes, and the explosion blooms in a brilliant burst of violet light. The blast sends several acolytes stumbling, their forms wreathed in a Suppressing energy that leaves them vulnerable, their summoned orbs collapsing into nothingness.
Crow doesn't miss the opportunity. He darts into the fray, his strikes methodical as he carves through the disoriented acolytes. Above us, the swirling mist churns ominously, as if feeding on the violence below.
A sharp cry draws my attention. Another wave of thralls materializes, their grotesque forms hurtling toward us. Holstering my hand cannon, I draw my sword, its pale blue glow slicing through the gloom. With a sweeping arc, I release a wave of moonlight that ripples outward, crashing into the oncoming thralls and obliterating them in a luminous flash.
The air around us trembles with unrelenting malice, the darkness itself seeming to twist and pull at the edges of my mind. But we press on. Every movement is a delicate balance of offense and defense. My slashes ring out in perfect rhythm, each one answering the unspoken call of the next.
The battle feels endless, the Taken pouring in like a tide determined to drown us. But slowly, their numbers begin to dwindle. I blink forward, dodging a blast of dark energy from the final acolyte. My blade sings as I bring it down in a decisive strike, cutting through the creature's form and sending it to its end.
The last echoes of the fight fade, leaving behind an oppressive stillness. My chest rises and falls with each breath, the weight of the battle still pressing against me. Across the battlefield, Crow lowers his weapon, his stance shifting slightly as the tension ebbs.
Toland's orb flickers into view, its faint glow a mocking beacon in the darkness. His voice fills the air. "Ah, what a performance. You've survived the overture, my little fireflies. But the symphony is far from its crescendo. The realm watches with bated breath, its appetite far from sated."
Crow glances at me, irritation clear in his voice. "He never shuts up, does he?"
I exhale sharply, sliding my sword into its holster. "Don't let him get to you."
Toland's orb drifts forward, its light casting eerie shadows on the jagged terrain ahead. "This way." His voice calls. "The path deepens, darker and more perilous with each step. But then, isn't it true? All worthy pursuits demand a plunge into the abyss."
After several skirmishes with groups of weaker enemies, Toland's voice slithers through the void once again. "You've come far, farther than most. But know this: you have merely stepped onto the threshold. Drachna is no mere knight; he is a Darkblade, forged in the Hive's shadow and steeped in their cruel, unyielding magics."
Crow sidesteps the swipe of a thrall's claws, his knife flaring as it sinks into the creature's chest. He throws a glance my way, his voice low and uncertain as we regroup. "Why is Toland helping us?"
"He's testing us." I reply simply, keeping my gaze trained on the shifting mist ahead.
Toland's laughter cuts through the thick air. "Indeed! A test of resolve, of fortitude, of will. But take heart, fledglings. Should you survive, you will emerge tempered, blades honed upon the whetstone of battle. If you fail… well, the realm hungers always, and it will feast upon you with delight."
We press forward, deeper into the labyrinthine expanse, until the terrain shifts. The mist recedes, unveiling a cavernous chamber so vast it seems to stretch into eternity. The walls pulse faintly, carved with glowing Hive runes.
Ahead, three Taken captains wait in grim silence, their forms imposing and terrible. Each wields a pair of gleaming Arc swords, the weapons' energy crackling ominously in the dark. Their Solar shields shimmer with oppressive heat, promising no easy battle.
Crow and I exchange a look, unspoken understanding passing between us. Then, the fight begins.
The captains move with jittery speed, their swords carving arcs of destructive energy through the air. Crow darts along the edges of the chamber, a streak of motion as he hurls flaming knives that explode against the captain's shields. The barriers flicker out in a blast of flame that lightly scorches each captain. I channel Void energy into my hand, hurling a grenade that detonates in a burst of violet light. The explosion suppresses the captains momentarily, their movements stuttering as their powers falter.
"Now!" I shout, lunging forward.
Crow seizes the opening, leaping from a jagged outcrop and driving his blade into one weakened captain's side.. I follow up, my hand cannon roaring as I fire round after round into its corrupted form. The captain dissolves into shadow, its essence scattering like ash in the wind.
The other two captains close in, their swords glowing brighter as their power returns. One swings toward me, and I barely evade, the blade grazing my barrier with a crackle of Arc energy. My sword ignites with moonlight as I slash upward, cleaving through its regenerating shield. The barrier shatters with a deafening crack, and Crow's blade finishes the job, slicing through the captain's neck.
The last captain roars, summoning a vortex of dark energy that surges toward me. I react instinctively, summoning a barrier of Pyro that absorbs the brunt of the attack, before exploding it outwards in an eruption of flame to destroy its shield. I charge forward, my sword glowing with righteous fury, and bring it down in a final, decisive strike. The captain collapses into nothingness, its sword clattering to the ground before fading into the ether.
{Rolling…
Benevolence - A Most Divine Constitution - The God of High School (400 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 250 Points.}
As if on cue, Toland's orb drifts into view, its flickering light casting eerie, shifting shadows on the walls. "Closer, my wayward companions. Closer than most have ever dared to tread. You are on the brink now, teetering at the edge."
Crow steps closer to me, his gaze narrowing. "What's next?"
Toland's orb pulses faintly, its light dimming as if savoring the moment. "Beyond this chamber lies your true test. The weapon you seek… it resides in the grasp of Drachna. But beware, for the Darkblade will not part with it willingly. He is a creature of wrath and ruin, a beast that lives only to extinguish Light. Prepare yourselves, fledglings. The abyss yawns wide, and it is oh so eager to swallow you whole."
The path ahead grows darker with every step, the oppressive weight of the Ascendant Plane weighing down on us. Shadows coil and writhe at the edges of my vision, thickening until they part suddenly, revealing a vast arena. Its jagged walls rise high, carved from stone twisted into cruel, unnatural angles. Spires jut outward like the teeth of some colossal beast, and the ground beneath my boots feels seared and fractured, the scars of countless battles etched into its surface.
The arena's center sprawls with broken terrain: shattered platforms float just above the ground, hovering on invisible currents. And there, at the heart of it all, stands Drachna.
The Hive Knight is immense, towering over twelve feet tall, a grotesque colossus of chitin and bone. His armor, a nightmarish patchwork that seems alive, pulses faintly, as though feeding on the very darkness surrounding him. Jagged horns crown his head, and from the shadowed gaps of his helmet, three burning eyes glare out with malice.
In his clawed hand rests a massive, spiked axe, more an executioner's tool than a weapon. Its blade, forged from bone and chitin, hums with dark energy.. And hanging loosely from his hip is a pulse rifle, out of place on such a hulking form but unmistakable in its design.
Drachna remains still, watching us approach. His head tilts slightly, almost curious, as if savoring the anticipation of what's to come. His presence is suffocating, a palpable weight pressing against my chest. For a moment, the arena itself seems to hold its breath.
Then, without warning, the battle begins.
Drachna's axe sweeps in a wide arc, its sheer weight cleaving through the air with a deafening roar. The force of the blow shatters the ground beneath him, sending cracks spidering outward. Crow reacts first, rolling to the side in a burst of agility that narrowly avoids the strike, but Drachna's speed belies his size. He's already moving, closing the distance with terrifying precision.
Crow raises his blade to parry, but the Hive Knight's sheer strength overwhelms him. The impact sends Crow sprawling, his body crashing into the jagged terrain with a sickening thud. He grits his teeth, struggling to rise even as Drachna looms over him, his next strike already falling.
"Crow, move!" I shout, lunging into the fray.
The Hive Knight's attention shifts to me as I charge, my sword crackling with moonlit energy. I aim for his exposed flank, swinging with all the force I can muster, but Drachna pivots with unnatural speed. His massive axe catches me mid-swing, the impact shattering my barrier and knocking the air from my lungs. I stagger, my boots scraping against the cracked earth as I struggle to regain balance.
Drachna doesn't relent. His axe comes down again, this time aimed squarely at Crow. The weapon crashes into his chest, the sound of splintering bones and the pop of a shield reverberating through the arena. Crow is hurled across the ground, his body landing in a crumpled heap.
"Crow!" My voice tears through the chaos, but he doesn't respond.
The sight of him, broken and still, snaps something inside me. A fury unlike anything I've felt before ignites in my chest, a searing flame that surges through my veins. The Light answers my call, burning bright and fierce. My sword reacts instantly, its moonlit energy consumed by an inferno of Solar power, transforming it into a blazing weapon of fire and fury.
Flaming wings unfurl from my back as my Daybreak super activates, the blinding explosion of golden light illuminating the arena like a newborn star. The shockwave ripples through the air, sending cracks racing across the stone and forcing Drachna to stumble.
With a battle cry that echoes through the void, I charge. My sword, now an extension of the Sun itself, slashes downward, each strike leaving trails of molten flame in its wake. Drachna raises his axe to block, but the Solar energy surges past it with terrifying ease, each blow sending shards of chitin and bone sizzling across the ground.
Drachna roars in defiance, swinging his axe in a desperate counterattack. I sidestep effortlessly, my wings propelling me upward as I unleash a torrent of fiery projectiles. The gashes of flame explode against his form, engulfing him in an inferno that scorches the very air.
The Hive Knight falters, his once-imposing frame buckling under the relentless assault. Cracks spiderweb across his armor, and his movements grow sluggish, the dark energy sustaining him waning with each strike. With one final, earth-shattering blow, I bring my sword down, cleaving through his chest in an explosion of golden light.
Drachna lets out a guttural cry as his body crumbles, the fire consuming him from within. His massive form collapses into a pile of smoldering ash and chitin, his axe embedding itself in the ground.
The arena falls still, the oppressive weight of Drachna's presence lifting. My sword dims, the flames retreating until only a faint blue glow remains. My chest heaves as I turn, my gaze locking onto Crow's motionless form.
I rush to his side, dropping to my knees beside him. His body is cold and still, but Glint materializes, hovering above him. My hands glow with soft Light as I channel energy to the Ghost.
Moments later, Crow's chest rises with a sharp inhale, his eyes fluttering open. He looks confused for a moment, then his eyes flicker to Drachna's smoldering remains.
"Figured out something new, then?" He mutters hoarsely, his voice tinged with exhaustion.
{Slew 'Drachna, Favored by Incaru' +200 Points
Passed 'Toland's Test' +100 Points
Successfully Cast 'Daybreak' +50 points
Rolling…
Control - Azathoth/Adam Kadmon - Persona 5 Royal (1200 points)
Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 600 Points.}
I help Crow sit up, running healing Pyro through him to ease the ache of resurrection. "Figured out Daybreak." I say, a faint smile tugging at my lips despite the failed roll. "Turns out, fury works wonders."
Toland materializes, his orb flickering faintly with its usual ghostly glow. "Ah, behold the prize." He muses, drifting closer to the pulse rifle laying upon Drachna's remains. "Her flame dimmed, her voice but a whisper. Once, she drank deeply of death and despair. Now? A husk, starved and hollow. Such is the plight of a weapon without a wielder."
The gun lies motionless where it fell, its birdlike skull dulled and lifeless, the green fire that once licked its edges now reduced to mere embers. I step forward cautiously, my gaze fixed on the weapon. It's strange, seeing something so infamous look so… mundane. Yet even in its diminished state, there's a weight to it, a sense of dormant malice waiting to awaken.
"Drink deeply of Drachna's essence." Toland croons, circling the fallen Knight's remains like a vulture. "Let it sate your appetite and return you to your former power."
As if summoned by his words, a thin, white wisp rises from the ashes of Drachna's crumbling form. It twists and writhes, a ghostly thread of energy that dances through the air before plunging toward the gun. The weapon trembles, levitating slowly off the ground as the essence floods into it. The dim embers along the skull reignite, green flames roaring back to life in an instant. The air around us vibrates with a dark energy, and the skull's hollow eyes seem to glow with renewed malice.
Toland's maddened laughter rises, soft at first, then louder, echoing off the jagged walls of the arena. He drifts closer, his orb casting long shadows across the fractured ground. "Do you feel it, Wizard? The hunger, the yearning? Such weapons are born not merely to kill, but to feed. If you believe your weapon wants to murder all existence, then so it shall. Call it a little Bad Juju, if you will…"
The gun floats gently upward, its flames licking the air with renewed vitality. I reach out hesitantly, feeling the heat of its power radiating toward me. As my fingers close around the grip, a jolt of energy courses through me, sharp and electrifying, as though the weapon is testing me. For a moment, my vision blurs, the edges of the world melting into shadow. I hear whispers; faint, indistinct, but insistent. They creep into my mind, weaving promises of power and destruction, of dominance over the darkness that surrounds us.
Then it passes. The weight of the gun settles into my hands, heavier than it should be, yet perfectly balanced. The green flames flicker around the skull, alive and eager, as though the weapon itself has been reborn.
Toland drifts closer, his voice softening. "You've claimed it, then. But beware, Wizard. Bad Juju is no mere tool. She is a partner, a companion in carnage. And like all partnerships, she will demand her due. Feed her well, or she will turn her hunger upon you."
Crow steps forward, his eyes darting between me and the weapon, his expression a mix of awe and apprehension. "That thing… it feels alive."
"It is!" Toland replies, his tone gleeful. "Alive with purpose, with malice, with the whispers of the Ahamkara. Treat her with care… or don't. Either way, she will be satisfied."
I glance at Crow, then back at the weapon in my hands. The whispers have gone silent, but the weight of their presence lingers. But in this moment, standing over the ashes of Drachna with the flames of Bad Juju flickering in my grip, I also know this: I will not let this weapon, or its hunger, consume me.
I tighten my grip and nod. "Let's move."
Toland's orb flickers into the shadows, his parting words lingering in the still air as another portal forms, this one leading back to the Dreaming City. "The path forward is yours to carve, Wizard. Let us see what blood you will spill."
CHAPTER 10 END
AN: Bad Juju acquired! Believe it or not, I planned this chapter from the very start, foreshadowing it with Mavriels very first vision when he connected with the Light. I had no idea when exactly I'd be able to do it, and I left it vague enough I could abandon the plot thread if I didn't feel it would fit in the story, but it seems to have turned out quite good.
Not a single successful roll this chapter huh? Must be a Savathûn plot.