Battle Tower: Crypts
Congratulations on Defeating Nezarec, Final God of Pain before he could attain full power. Preventing devastation, and yet depriving the universe of Eris Morn assuredly condemning many.
Universe State: Bad End
10 All Stats
Epic Gacha Token x 2
Orb of Companion
20,000 Currency
Uncompleted Quests have been removed from Quest Log.
The cold hard truth of it wasn't particularly pleasant but he took his blood money and ignored it. There was a passing moment he considered trying to resurrect Eris but he'd already taken her from the dead world, and doubted she'd be excited to hear that.
She was interred within the nicer crypt, he'd made a point to purge the inhabitants and scour it with magic to render it clean. Within a few moments he realised he needed extra hands and decided to crack open the deck-spellbook.
Upon the first page was someone familiar and yet alien. Two impressions and memories trying to figure out who was right.
[Vadmir, New Blood]
Legendary Creature - Vampire Rogue
Crime: Each time you target an enemy with a spell effect, Vadmir, New Blood gains a 1/1 counter. Upon reaching 4 Counters he gains Menace (Unblockable) and Lifelink (Damage done heals caster).
[2/2]
A vampire cowboy… sure. Menace was incorrect though, in the card game it just meant someone had to block a creature with two other creatures. Having him just being unblockable was fucked.
Zach placed a hand on the page and it sizzled with purple magic, a pool of shadows opened just a foot or so away and slowly rose a pale man.
He wore a dark blue tricorn, had shaggy black hair with burning yellow eyes. He wore a dark blue almost black coat with a high collar, a flowy white dress shirt with a frilly collar beneath a gold vest with black buttons, a pair of pistols holstered on his hips and long darkened claws that seemed to twitch with readiness.
"I need your help to move some stuff." Zach told the vampire, who looked around before tipping his head.
"Well sir, I don't mind helpin' ya with that." The speaking? Unexpected. The Accent? Quite expected. A southern drawl, his tone was respectful and without another word he was moving to remove loose, broken pottery that was scattered on the floor.
'Well how about that?' Zach thought, he was pleasantly surprised. Not to say he expected anything particular from Vad, just in the same way anyone is surprised to have a nice interaction with a stranger.
He flipped another page, figured the more the better, and spotted yet another vampire cowboy.
[Blood Hustler]
Creature - Vampire Rogue
Crime: When you commit a crime Blood Hustler gains 1 1/1 counter.
Blood Hustle: Pay Black Mana, Target opponent loses X Life and you gain X life, where X is how much mana you have spent.
[1/1]
Okay if this was going to keep coming up he should double check that Keyword. His deck-book had a handy dandy index that told him where to look.
Crime: Targeting opponents, anything they control and/or their graveyard is a crime.
The word Crime had lit up with a golden hue, so when he flipped back to his Blood Hustler, he saw that her active ability itself was a crime.
Good, that still worked the way he remembered it, or knew it. His head was starting to hurt.
He summoned her. Her outfit was a little more audacious than Vadmir's but still in keeping with the theme, her collar. Much broader, almost like a mantle or a frill of a lizard, to give a larger silhouette.
Her coat had two, tailed spirals, almost like a heart but he wasn't sure if that was intentional or not. The brim of her head was gilded with silver.
Her eyes were like silver, with the barest distinction between iris and sclera. It contrasted with her hazelnut skin but his eyes were drawn to the small mark beneath her eye that immediately seemed to draw a smirk from her.
A red glove rose up to brush a strand of black hair behind her ear as she took off her hat and placed it against her chest.
"Pleasure, sir." She gave a slight curtsey, "What can this ol' gal do for ya?"
"Cleanin' ma'am." Informed Vadmir, though his golden eyes shot towards Zach who waved him off.
"Such manners, not often seen in you young bloods." She praised, as she placed her hat back on.
"Just needed some extra hands, do you guys have somewhere to be?" Zach asked, "Probably should have asked that."
"I just came into being, Sir." Vadmir informed, "I got a past but it's like a dream. I just know we're on the same side."
The Blood Hustler offered another smile, "I'm an idea of something, Sir. Just point me where you need me, don't give it much thought."
'So what they're like living spells?' Zach's brow furrowed at the strangeness of it, he had a few minis that were living spells back from an ex many moons ago so he wasn't totally unfamiliar with the concept.
He put it to one side as he continued the thorough Prestidigitation cleaning of the crypt. They worked in relative silence for several minutes, the only sound being the slight rush of magic or the clattering of pottery.
Yes, he could have done it himself, but he was growing lonely and it was starting to itch at him.
He hated the sensation, that drowning feeling of solitude. He loved it and hated it at the same time.
Zach frowned as it all crept back up on him again his hand shook for a moment as he moved to clean another section.
"All done, Sir." Vadmir finally said, the floor spotless of debris and dust, the black marble was spotless.
Zach wasn't sure where the mop and bucket had come from, but didn't really put much thought to it. Maybe the Tower did it.
"Good job." Zach said flatly, looking over the floor before a familiar nudge of his mind to his mouth opened it again, "Excellent job, actually. This is perfect."
Vad didn't seem bothered, or even put off by the shorter comment, but bowed his head a little when the Planeswalker spoke again.
Blood Hustler righted the last sconce, it sprung to life almost immediately. A soft orange glow of flame bathed the room as each of the previously inactive sconces sprung to life.
"Good stuff, we're almost done." Zach moved towards one of the crypt walls and opened one of the - he wasn't sure what the actual word for it was - coffin storage slots.
It was uninhabited, because all of them were. He'd made a point to kill every undead in the Crypts and Laiken wasn't exactly one to waste corpses by interring them.
He'd forged a silver coffin, decorated with black metal roses, the interior was white and plush, like a mattress with a single crimson pillow.
Zach removed Eris from his inventory and gently placed her in the coffin. Considering how she died, she bore no physical damage. His mind played a cruel trick with the stray idea that she'd wake up.
"I'm sorry Eris, you were right." He apologised again, kneeling down to place her hands across her chest.
"...Pardon me for askin', Sir." Blood Hustler's voice carried across the quiet of the crypt, "But can you not reanimate your friend here?"
Zach stilled, a hand resting on Eris', "I don't want to." His voice was flat, almost curt, "I don't want a minion, with Eris' face. She doesn't deserve that."
Zach closed the lid of the coffin, the runes in place to keep her as she was when she went in. Zach was unsure if Eris would care what state her corpse would be in, but he did.
Funerals and crypts, they weren't for the dead. Not really, they were for the living. The list of reasons were endless, but for him or was a reminder.
He would not allow himself to forget, not just Eris, but everything that whole nightmare represented.
Vad stood on the other side of the coffin, without needing to be instructed, and lifted the opposite side, the two of them slid the coffin into the crevasse and sealed the hatch behind it.
"I'm going to do some stuff. You're welcome to come or go back to wherever you were." Zach said as he walked out of the crypt.
Vad and the Blood Hustler exchanged a look before she tilted her head and returned to the shadows.
The New blood considered doing the same, his job was complete. But he knew himself, he grew stronger the more time he was around.
So with that thought he followed after his Planeswalker.
Sentinel Island Western Beach
Zach observed the carcass of what he could guess was perhaps some kind of whale, or some erstwhile leviathan that had run aground.
He'd not really done much with Earthbending so decided to just sit, and try to feel something out.
His mind's eye was pretty good at it, and it generally was a good first step when approaching something new. At least when it came to something adjacent to magic.
If he remembered, Toph and Aang did a lot of bullheaded shit to try to get the Nomad into the right mindset.
Remaining as unmoving as stone when presented with a problem. Very immovable-object-unstoppable-force.
That seemed like perhaps the step after the one he was one. First he had to tune in on the magic's frequency.
The ground beneath his feet had seen much, experienced and forgotten more than he'd probably ever know.
At least if he kept throwing himself into the fires with little to no work done. Too transient, too stuck in his own ways. Growing bored with the incredible. It would be hilarious if it wasn't so infuriating.
Something kept poking at him, at first he thought that maybe he was simply homesick and tried to force some nostalgia to get over it all but it seems to have grown into a poor habit.
He'd simply have to consider his choices, before he threw himself headfirst into strife and got those around him killed.
His mind's eye turned back to the ground he placed his hands into the sand. As his hands moved through the sands he noticed a similarity in the way his senses collided with the sand to lightning.
Because of the contrast of sand between normal earth, it was like dragging his fingers through static. Each granule charged with energy as he passed it.
He could adhere the sand to his fingers, but that wouldn't be Earthbending, just a malformation of magnetism.
The Shop was out, sadly offline mode didn't include it. It made a kind of sense but it was a slight inconvenience, as he didn't really intend to visit the world of Avatar.
Just wasn't particularly interested. The story was pretty solid, all things said, nothing he really felt the need to change off the top of his head, and while he could simply visit, the urge didn't feel there.
Zach opened his eyes and breathed out, 'Manual it is. There's some shallow caves around here that would make fine enough spots.'
The only issue was the salt in the air, there was a plant off the top of his head that could tolerate it.
The cave Igor and his previous master was deep enough to have shade, while not being so deep the plants would be deprived of light.
Vadmir followed Zach, like a silent sentinel.
Going into his inventory he pulled out his Processor. The wondrous little box opened up for him to deposit a few from each other clusters of seeds he'd acquired.
The box ate them up and hummed for a few moments, seemingly reading his mind as it transmuted the seeds.
The humming of the machine drew the curious, gleaming eyes of the vampire cowboy he'd summoned.
'I wasn't really sure at first but the look is growing on me, dude looks pretty cool.' Zach admitted within his mind.
"What's that thing?" Vadmir asked, "Some fancy artifact?"
Zach looked at the Processor, the impossible box of convenience. "Sure." He answered, nodding slowly as he considered how to explain it.
"That's pretty much what it is. Makes stuff for me that I can't make myself. Also has a conversion option, so I'm turning my seeds into other seeds."
Vadmir nodded as he considered the box in a new light, "Lot you could do with somethin' like that."
Zach nodded, "Yeah, like make my Pigface seeds."
Vadmir looked a little galled at using such a wondrous thing for such a mundane reason, and muttered something under his breath about 'wasted opportunities'.
The box chimed at Zach, who placed a hand on its side, "Thank you, Processor." It was good practice to get in the good graces of machines you spent time around.
As his feet touched the solid stone of the cave he felt it pulse as his senses, and a memory surfaced in his head.
Earthbending could do a lot, but he was a basic bitch and sand wasn't something he could just walk into expertise with.
Solid rock however, felt more playable strangely. This would be a good spot to practice later he'd not exactly forget as he planned to start his little garden in this cave so would be making regular trips.
His hands brushed along the stone, the earth twitching in response. The basic skill he'd acquired gave him nominal knowledge, and in a similar way to the Ninjas of Naruto the martial-arts was a way to direct the energy required for bending.
When one had obscene decision making control over what one's energy did, this was not necessary.
He was still adjusting to the flood of potency that seemed to be steadily becoming his new normal, his massive stat jumps across the board seemed to make it so even though he was unbalanced he was paradoxically balanced by the sheer disharmony of his senses.
So he sat again, this time he actively dismissed Vadmir, he wasn't planning on moving for a while.
The cowboy tilted his hat as the pressure of the dismissal began to push him back into the shadows.
The gleaming golden eyes stayed locked on the Processor with fascination.
Zach breathed out, pushing his thoughts away imagining a void. The darkening of his mind's eye is one of the ways he found to navigate his old mental storm.
Thinking in images, in sounds, in moments, too much. Half the time he dreamed, he'd wake up covered in sweat because his dreams were a little too detailed.
Then he pushed away the noise that always followed, before it could start yelling.
He listened not to the waves, not to the gulls. He ignored the crabs crawling through the sands.
The sounds of the trees, so sparsely populous, rustling in the breeze, the creaking of their bark, didn't register.
The ground beneath his feet, that solid stone, was whispering to him. It told him of ages past, it told him of winds and skies.
The stones whispered gleefully about their blessed existence, that they could spy upon the glorious sky.
The rock rumbled of hardy strength the likes of which none could know. That certainty that only stone could bring.
Zach soaked it all in, to know the stone better. He felt a connection begin to intertwine with himself.
He allowed this, weaving himself into the connection sharing himself with the stone.
It welcomed him, its unyielding presence was like a glorious bulwark. A mighty shield of stone, not in practice but in presence.
He felt himself drift from his physical body, not far but separate.
He was the stone, the stone was him. They viewed the world as one another, Zach saw the skies as in a way that was mystifying. To comprehend in a new way.
The stone felt wind beneath wings, the clouds parting in their wake, the sun shining on scales, the warmth of blood.
Hours, maybe days later the connection began to unwind. Zach and the stone returned to their places.
The elfin man languidly opened his eyes and placed a hand on the ground, rather easy from his seated position.
He felt the earth beneath his hand tremble slightly, gently he lifted his index finger and tapped the stone.
In a spiral of motion, all around him the rough stone turned in on itself, devouring the sand at its perimeter. Like a great beast opening its jaws the mouth of the cave dipped down beneath the sands, and dirt rushed up.
Within a few heartbeats, the sand around the cave had turned over to soil, the rock had broken and fractured a garden bed lay before him.
He breathed out, not having realised he'd stopped breathing, and slowly stood.
He was unaware how long he spent down at the cave mouth near the beach, but his heart had ceased feeling like a jagged rock in his chest.
He could breathe again, without each one hitching. He could blink, without having to push down tears.
Death would have been easier. He was familiar with it. If they'd died he could navigate familiar roads to his resolution.
As he finished sewing the seeds and watering them, he stuffed a few organic pieces he had into the processor to feed the plant blood and bone.
He vaguely recalled his father pointing out a plant with just that as its best fertilizer, but for the life of him Zach couldn't recall which plant it was.
As he spread the mixture lightly across the Pigface he turned the soil once more, the seeds would either germinate or they wouldn't.
But he had hope, he quite liked those big purple flowers they had.
He was relatively certain they counted as a succulent, his eyes did another scan of the cave as he watched how the shadows loomed.
He nodded, pleased with the mixture of light and shade.
"Cool… yeah, this should be good enough for now." A quick flash of Territory Creation placed his runecarving tools in his hands.
He had no interest in his plants dying because he forgot to water them, so he was going to make a sprinkler system.
Once that was done, and several more hours had passed, he worked on adding a minor repelling ward. Specifically to mitigate anything small and hungry from coming into the cave.
In the strange, wild scenario bees lived on the island, they'd be able to come and go to pollinate without issue, but any small pests ideally shouldn't even notice the cave.
He couldn't pretend to be wise to the motivation of insects so made a guess when it came to the context of the ward.
He left, returning to the tower as night began to fall. Pleased with the work.
He walked rather than flew, more time to himself. It wasn't that he didn't enjoy company, it's just that he wanted to be alone, to ruminate on his failings, process the events, think of ways forward.
He pulled one of the gacha tokens from his inventory and crushed it, he idly noticed it flashed twice before the purple token turned a burning orange.
Reward Tier increased
A-Rank: Essence of Thunderaan, The Windseeker.
Imbues an item with the power of the Windseeker.
Zach blinked, staring at the elaborate glass vial in his hand. A swirling vortex of wind and crackling lightning coiled in on itself within the confines of the vial.
'Holy shit.' His eyebrows raised as it fully registered what he was holding, immediately he worried about somehow breaking it and stashed it away in his inventory.
Almost robotically he grabbed the other token and resumed walking, crushing it. The token flashed purple and he released a breath.
[B-Rank: Flask of Endless Refills.
Any fluid put into this flask will immediately be replenished after drinking. You can change which liquid you wish it to be by telling the flask.
"Hey, you wanna put something in me?" The flask greeted him, and Zach felt a little unnerved that something he'd be drinking from, would talk to him.
Something about that just made him uncomfortable.
An idea did come to him however, he uncapped the flask and slashed his wrist with a claw.
The casual self mutilation caught up with him as he flinched a little and ended up getting half of the blood onto the face of the flask.
But mission accomplished, as soon as about a teaspoon of blood sat in the flask it immediately filled to the brim.
His wrist healed quickly enough that he felt he could ignore it, and cast another two Prestidigitation cleaning himself and the flask.
"Bit weird but sure." Refillius said, being unaware of its new name.
Zach placed the flask in his inventory and kept it there, that was one feather in his cap of things to prepare.
Battle Tower: Lord's Chambers
Icy crystals hung in the air as Zach hummed to his forge.
He felt comfortable enough with his skills to make use of the exotic ingredients he'd gotten lucky enough to get.
He breathed out and in rhythm with the bellows of his forge, each gust of the bellows filled the ice with light.
Zach was sweating, despite the cold. He felt the Essence of Thunderaan trying to assert itself on the materials.
Two slim longswords, a pair of expert works. Both had managed to come out perfect, and he needed two for the shape of the blade he would be making.
The problem was that the idiot essence kept trying to split before he could even begin, to imbue both weapons.
Holding it in was a challenge, but not one he wouldn't rise to.
Lightning began to creep across his skin, Arc Light burning and humming as it carved its own space in the already magically dense room.
The paracausal energy hummed as a circle crept from his feet, ever expanding as it grew to cover every surface.
The bottle stilled, the essence completely sedated under the presence of the Light.
He moved towards his anvil, the swords floating over as though the wind carried them.
For a moment the Lightning flickered as Solar fire tools took its place, a hammer of Light burning in his hand.
Then slowly the Arc crawled its way across Zach's spine and ate away at the fires. It crept slowly down to the hammer and the hand holding it.
The lightning waited, ever moving in on itself, before suddenly the hammer was no longer forged of flames but of the storm.
Another bead of sweat slid from Zach's temple and his breath almost broke rhythm but he righted himself just in time.
The hammer in his hand was slammed onto the anvil between the two swords that were suddenly swallowed by the storm.
The two weapons were pulled into one another, the icy metal sang as it melded and shrieked as it twisted and turned.
Two prongs, the cutting edge being slightly longer. The blades bellied towards the hilt like a teardrop.
The suppression on the essence lifted as he summoned it to his free hand, it hummed with excitement in his grasp.
"Blessed Blade, wreathed in ice." His voice sounded distant to him, and there were a few spots in his vision he hadn't expected the drain to be quite so substantial.
The essence crackled in concert with his own storm, the resonance quaking the room and most likely the tower.
Good thing the door couldn't be opened.
"Ply thy trade, snare them in your vice." He had to shout, over the storm of his own making, the icy crystals conducting lightning in unbroken chains around him.
"Hear me, O' Windseeker." A beseechment, like a Shaman communing with elements. "Grant me your strength."
The vial shattered as the essence leapt into the blade, the metal humming as the energy of one who would be an Elemental Lord filled it.
The work was done, he got an alert and all.
Zach found the ground more comfortable than standing, the ice crystals on the carpet making for a fine pillow.
He dreamt for a while, the thrumming energy settled finally as the blade took shape.
The ritual sealing the room lifted and the door creaked open, a brunette head poked in, Sassan cautiously checking on her Lord.
The ice in the room began to dissipate the crackling hum of lightning and the stench of ozone lifting like it was never there.
Sassan observed the chaos of the room and clicked her tongue, "Come my Lord, this room requires mending."
Sassan approached the unconscious elf, and threw him over her shoulder, she adjusted her grip and was quite surprised.
"You must eat more, my Lord. You are too light." She reprimanded gently as she carried him from the chaos.
Zach roused shortly thereafter, finding himself on his throne with a blanket across his knees.
He blinked blearily coming back to reality, he heard chanting, distantly but heard it all the same. The same kind of pull on a thread leading him, just like when he'd returned home.
The chanting sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
He got up, throwing the blanket over a shoulder and walked back to his room, intent on retrieving his weapon before anything.
As Zach walked into his room he saw the veritable chaos that had been wrought by his creation.
The room was scarred, rough trenches were dug into the stone that hummed slightly.
The mess and debris seemed to have been dealt with, he'd have to thank Sassan, no one else had to balls to even ask to enter his room for some reason.
At his forge, a sword rested.
Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Storm King.
One-Handed Sword
Damage 150 Str/Int
Chance on hit to strike a target with Lightning that chains to any nearby targets within 20 metres.
Chance on hit to trap target in a vortex that silences them and deals nature damage.
Shredder: Each successive melee attack decreases targets armour by Str.
The numbers honestly didn't really seem to mean much in his own experience, getting stabbed in the chest killed most things.
So far at least.
He marveled at the blade, it looked strikingly familiar. The shape was correct, the colours were a little deeper and the spikes not so blocky as the in game model.
The name was different, but he didn't make the real thing, he made a version of it.
Making a sheath was not hard, though given the shape of the weapon it did look a little broad.
With that done he equipped the weapon in his off-hand and Harvester in his main-hand slots respectively.
The weapon seemingly vanished, but with a simple loadout swap, his simple clothes were replaced with his armour.
Weapons seemed easier to make but he was no slouch with armour. A sleek breastplate of dark, layered plates decorated with blue runes that glowed softly in low light, over dark blue scaled leather.
In place of a cape he had a very long scarf, two tails of azure silk sat dangled down to his waist
A good pair of boots and pants with as many pockets as he could manage without it becoming tacky.
The chanting returned, and the trickle of familiarity began to hum in recognition.
The Temple of Bhaal.
Colours flashed before his eyes, a peeling of reality as he felt a jolt, the world collapsed and reformed a dozen times like it was transforming before him in an ever switching rubix cube of motion.
Finally it settled, he stood atop a stone altar, the scent of blood crushing against his nose.
Eight hooded figures, each bearing an identical ritualistic knife were responsible for the chanting, the noise filled his ears and wormed its way to rattling his bones.
There was a person, bound to the altar below him with iron chains.
He didn't recognise this person, but he did recognise the sheer horror on their face, it seemed that only they noticed him.
He pressed a finger to his lips, pleading for silence, the stranger nodded.
Zach knelt down, not a single decibel of noise leaving him as he felt perception melt off his back, his Stealth skill was not particularly high, but it was better than nothing.
His eyes flicked to the victim of the cult, then to their bindings.
An elf woman, silvery hair and with amber eyes that spoke of many years. Elves were weird in Faerun, it was good in a roundabout way that he appeared to be an Eladrin.
Her skin was paper white aside from the weeping red slices on her arms and wrists, her exposed legs a lattice of cuts and slashes.
The bindings, he realised as his eyes searched her form, weren't necessary. Her tendons were cut and he'd be amazed if she could move any of her fingers let alone escape.
He felt eyes on him, and ignored them, he placed his hands on the sacrifices shoulders and they both suddenly turned into mist.
The only noise was the chanting and the sudden, quiet clink of manacles suddenly coming unbound.
They reappeared on a towering staircase that led down into the circular sacrificial arena.
"How do you think a god of murder responds to his followers being killed in a daring escape?" Zach asked the horrified looking woman.
She couldn't convey words, but her eyes spoke of the singular spark of hope, and the sheer manic need to survive.
"Probably positively. I mean, death is for everyone." The gem on his gauntlet hummed, an eye pressing against it like a viewing glass.
"Fury!" Frostfury screamed out, with the rage of a blizzard. Ice crept up his right arm, but the cold sensation never came; he felt the warm, heady concoction of potent power running through him.
Triple his Magic and Mana stats was like glimpsing a moment of eternity.
Dragonlock Stage 1: Raise Two Stats above 50 (Completed).
Spears or bone broke out the back of his skull, like a crown of keratin the ivory horns gleamed.
He released a breath, a cloud of icy wind leaving his lips, eyes wreathed in azure mist. Dark blue scales made themselves known along his cheekbones.
Time spent in the forge, time spent on the moon, these things had given him familiarity with the movements of his magic.
A Howling pierced the silence of the Temple of Bhaal, as a Blast of ice sheared right through the many Cultists blocking his way to the exit he knew.
Harvester hummed on his back contently at the sight of such a familiar spell.
The crash of Ice sprung the alarm more or less, as every pair of eyes in the Temple shot towards Zach and his passenger.
A cascade of spikes crashed down the stairs to the altar, creating a vicious barricade impaling those stupid enough to be direct.
The eyes of the skull idol burned red. A presence permeated the room, but remained idle.
Zach actively avoided looking directly at the skull on the wall, just to be on the safe side.
Frostbolts sailed through the air rapidly, occasionally, his fingers would freeze over and five bolts would fan out and shear right through any cultists.
It became a bullet hell, but for once he was the source of mayhem. The cultists were decimated, the ground a slurry of ice and gore.
Blessedly death by cold prevented a lot of immediate smell, Zach fished out a healing potion, and gently cradled the elf in his arms.
"Here, this should deal with your immediate wounds." His voice was soft and low, as he presented an uncorked vial to her.
She looked at him like he was insane for a moment, jerkily nodding her head and downing it with gusto.
The more severe wounds to her tendons would take more time and healing to fix, but she didn't look a step away from death.
She made to speak only to fall deathly silent. Then her eyes burned red. "You dare trespass into my temple. And attempt to claim my sacrifice. You slaughter and reap MY supplicants-"
The voice was like barbed wire to the ears, the noise coiled like an angry snake with each syllable.
"Murder is lame, fight a man and kill him to his face, you pussy." Zach rebuked disinterestedly, inwardly horrified his mouth ran without his go-ahead.
'What the fuck, dude!' He screamed internally.
Bhaal stretched the elf's face into a wicked grin, "You seek to lecture a god of his domain? Bold. Foolish."
The lack of immediate smiting drew a few conclusions to his mind, Vlaakith had no issues obliterating those that displeased her.
Though it was definitely a different scale of worship.
So he instead, ignored the petty god he saw the little piece of Bhaal that was trying to find purchase in the woman's spirit, like a parasite eating away at a host.
Power seeped out of him and wove into the woman for a moment, it was an intimate thing and not something he'd generally attempt with a stranger but he'd already decided to save this poor wretch.
The Light burned brightly, a blinding radiance foreign to the Plane screamed out its existence. Like a new predator in the woods announcing itself, the sheer inexplicability of Paracausality.
Like a flood snuffing a fire, the presence was pushed out, he retreated from her - spiritually speaking - before standing with her cradled limply in his arms and bailed.
He knew the way out, none of the cultists could stop him, he'd either turn them both into most or fly under the power of his own wings.
Crawling out of the sewers was a trial, but as soon as he saw the moon high in the sky he allowed himself a sigh of relief.
Sure, by being in Baldur's Gate, one was implicitly in danger from any manner of cultist or cutthroat, but just seeing the sky was enough.
His charge seemed equally pleased, she was radiant beneath the moonlight, like the celestial body itself was greeting her.
She looked up finally, and sighed at the sight of the moon, "I was so afraid she would not welcome me."
Zach blinked, "Because you were about to be sacrificed?" That seemed pretty extreme.
Her face crumpled, eyes glassy "I renounced her, they-Foolishly, I believed they would free me."
She tried to rally, but with only minor motor control it was only slight. Zach carried her through the quiet streets towards the park.
Thankfully he'd remembered the way to the Upper City from down below.
A familiar manor loomed in his field of view, his feet almost moved but he stopped himself and sat his charge-
"I'm Zach, pleasure to meet you properly." He couldn't keep thinking of the woman as a stranger.
"The pleasure is mine." She said with a chuckle, despite the misery of her state, "My name is Ceris, Cleric of Selune. You have my eternal gratitude."
Zach smiled, pulling a few more shining potions from his pockets, "Well, I hope you won't begrudge me helping you some more. This one-"
He pointed to the square shaped potion, it was a swirl of dark red and orange.
"Is a Potion of Regeneration, strong enough to fix up the worst of what you've endured with a good night's rest. That one-"
Ceris took note of how long his black nails were, he was no Fiend. That she would sense, and given the wings, the horns, the scales, the tail.
"You are a Blue Dragon, yes?" She couldn't help but ask, she didn't even really know why.
'Distraction.' Zach guessed, before putting down the blue vial and smiling, "I am indeed, though I'm not from around here."
Ceris snorted, "Yes, I could gather as much as you appeared standing over me."
The elf-dragon before her smiled brighter, "I'm just going with the flow, though I can't say I'm unfamiliar with where we are, it's my first time being here personally."
A silver brow rose in incredulity, "You mean to tell me Baldur's Gate is known throughout the planes?"
His grin told her all she needed to know on that front, "If it's any consolation, the Sword Coast itself is very well known. A lot just seems to happen in this city."
Ceris looked as though she'd eaten something sour, "Yes, it certainly does."
Without another word she began downing potions, not waiting for further information. At first Zach assumed Ceris had managed to find her centre.
But the look of resignation on her face and as she slowly managed to pry the stopper of the third potion, told him she didn't seem of the mind to care about consequences.
As the last potion lay empty, she took a breath feeling several magical effects take place all at once, she felt stronger, lighter, more agile. Her mind reopened.
Ceris felt clarity, and for a moment she truly hated it. As though she'd been rudely awoken from an already unpleasant dream.
But she breathed once more, and Ceris slowly compartmentalised. She had been in worse scrapes, and had been wielding the light of her Lady for centuries.
"I can go back down there and reduce it to rubble, if you'd like." The Dragon sitting on the park bench beside her offered, he was sincere.
Ceris was troubled by the sudden, kaleidoscopic entrance of the man before her. She had given up, and yet just before death caught up with her, a miracle had occurred.
A saviour had come, in her hour of need. Although it did not appear to be intentional, he had saved her nonetheless.
Her hand latched onto his wrist and Ceris stared at him with an intensity he'd not expected.
"If you go back down there, you will die. Their Chosen had not returned, if they were there. You would not have escaped."
The surety she spoke of did draw him to a pause, and Ceris spotted recognition in his eyes, "Chosen? I would think such a being would remain in the temple."
He spoke slower, Ceris noticed. Like he was choosing his words, she didn't care if he knew ridiculous things or not. The grip a god had on a sacrifice and the grip a god had on their Chosen, were two completely different things.
"They roam the city at night, I've never seen them but I've… followed their trail."
The Eladrin lookalike nodded understandingly, "Did you take it upon yourself, or is the Fist hiring out?"
Ceris snorted again, "Oh no, I took up this quest myself. Without backup mind you, because centuries of experience mean nothing in the face of that- that thing!"
Her words started pleasant but rapidly devolved into a frantic, furious hiss.
Zach digested her words, before offering his hand, "Would you like me to take you somewhere safe? I can keep watch over you, if you'd like while you recover."
Ceris felt a knot in her throat, "My Lady has graced me with her light, the Stormshore Tabernacle, may be the best place to be."
She watched as he gazed off into the middle distance for a moment as though he was looking for something.
"Oh the place with all the statues and the gnome dude, yeah good plan." His gaze snapped back to her, in a single motion he swept her up into his arms again.
With a roll of his shoulders, the wings, the tail and most of the scales sunk back into him, it was strange, Ceris noted as she watched from a front row seat, that it made no noise.
He began walking and as they exited the Park onto the main roads, a few people wandering home after nights out with friends, there was an air of merriment in the air.
Flaming Fist patrolled the streets, and Zach's ears twitched as he heard the thunderous clanking of a Steel Watcher.
He wondered if the creature within could even see him, his mind was a closed fortress. Would he register as a null zone, or a walking fortress?
He didn't stick around long enough to find out, weaving into a crowd with ease. The people around him didn't pay him much mind, their eyes conveniently sliding off his form.
He had a scale for his timeframe at least, depending on which Chosen Ceris was referring to would give him an even more concrete timetable.
His eyes flashed about to the various posters plastered across the walls, unfortunately bare of anything related to the goings on politically speaking.
He could always just ask, that was always an option. But he wasn't sure how deep he wanted to root himself immediately.
His current prerogative was to get Ceris the gods hangout, he'd have to keep his head down.
He wasn't really feeling up to pissing off any major gods, or really any more than he might have to, primarily because it could easily cause a lot of problems, but secondarily because he doesn't have a scale for how he would measure up.
It just wasn't worth the hassle.
Besides, he could pull a sleeping giant and get to a point where they couldn't bother him.
Though given the spark burning in his heart, the thousands of ribbons constantly dancing at the edges of his sight, the music of world's beyond worlds that he could get lost in.
He wasn't entirely sure he needed to worry.
As they crossed the threshold, he felt a tingle crawl up his spine, it wasn't unpleasant. It was like walking into a room that had been cooled after a hot day outside.
Multiple altars and statues of gods hugged the walls, each carved with a loving, practiced hand. The room itself was built from a white, weathered stone ornate pillars and decorated embossments dotted the entire tabernacle.
Stained glass windows - a personal favourite of Zach's - would by daylight glimmer and gleam, coating the floors with radiant colours.
Vicar Humbletoes - don't laugh, that's his name! - appeared from a side room almost as soon as they stepped inside.
A balding Rock Gnome with tanned skin and grey-blond hair, his warm brown eyes and inviting face let all before him know he was a man of peace.
"Gods preserve you child, what has happened?" He was at their side in a flash of movement guiding them into an adjoining room with a bed, several shelves filled with tomes, and a writing desk.
Zach laid Ceris down, "I know it looks bad." Began the Not-Eladrin, "But she's already a full course of potions, should be right as rain in the morning… depending on how early into the night it is."
"Vicar, this man saved me from being sacrificed upon an altar of a Bhaalist temple." Ceris informed swiftly, "They remain within the city."
The Vicar grimaced, a deep frown crossing his face, but rallied to a grim smile, "This is dire news indeed… though it is good you are safe now child, rest. We will speak more when you've recovered."
Ceris nodded, her silver hair bouncing about as she did, her eyes flickered over to the Dragon at her side.
"Thank you." She said simply, placing a hand atop one of his, "I owe you my life."
"You can repay that debt by living it well." Zach said with a smile, "I'll stay close by. Guarding the door as it were."
Ceris smiled, shifting slightly to get comfortable. "I'm glad it was you, who appeared in my hour of need."
Her breath evened out and with grace only elves seemed to possess, Ceris slipped into a trance. Somehow making the simple act of sleeping look elegant.
As the Vicar led him out, the two men stood idly in the main foyer for a moment. Zach's eyes wandered the room, as he admired the statues.
"They're gorgeously made." He complimented, gesturing to the statues. The representation of the goddess of magic in stone form seemed more pleasant than her actual deity, the rancid bitch.
The Vicar glowed, quite literally as a myriad of blessings could be seen across his shoulders, the man carried with him the favour of the gods.
They spoke for a time, just a short exchange before the man offered his services if they were needed, and brought up donations.
Zach considered the hoard of wealth sitting in his inventory just off to his left as soon as he thought of it, he had liquid assets like gold, silver and copper. He had ingots of all kinds, weapons and armour to outfit a kill squad.
His things.
'Ah…' He thought as he rolled his shoulder, cracking his index knuckle with his thumb, 'Hoard craze is like being drunk, gotta remember to not be an idiot.'
He approached the statue of Selune, deciding if he was going to pick a side, it was going to be the one with the hot babes with silver hair.
And Selune was cool too, he supposed. He knelt before the statue of the robed woman.
It was already quiet, the streets were empty and the daily grind of living had silenced. But something about the statue seemed to make the silence more noticeable.
He felt like a pair of arms had wrapped themselves around him, he felt warmth and comfort. He felt a great wellspring of gratitude flow over him.
Zach smiled, his eyes closed but felt like he could 'see' a faint outline of energy. He didn't move, didn't want to interrupt the moment for anything in the world.
This was like a hug to his soul, it was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He felt whole like empty spots he'd never even noticed were suddenly filled.
It was incredible.
A blessing draped across his shoulders, and he glimpsed for a moment how truly out of his depth he was when it came to a true god like Selune.
She was a cosmic force, not a physical being in the way he was. Yes, in a way the Hive Gods were similar but by no means were they on the same level.
He could definitely take a swing, but without Bomb Logic it would be ultimately idiotic to even consider it.
Blessing of the Moon Maiden: Selune has seen your actions and found them worthy of her favour.
Resistance to Necrotic Damage
Protection From Evil
Protection From Shadows
"A curious creature you are, I thank you truly for saving my lost light. I will be watching you, where my light reaches you will be safe." The words echoed through his being, he felt them in his bones.
Her voice was beautiful beyond words, like a song he yearned to hear again but the quiet returned. And then the faint sounds of activity beyond the tabernacle's walls.
Zach blinked suddenly feeling refreshed, like he'd slept for a dozen hours undisturbed. He went outside and sat on the steps of the tabernacle, wanting to get some air but also seeing it as the perfect place to stand guard.
He'd settled for only a few moments before he saw the strands rumbling in discord. Then his senses detected a portal about to open, then his eyes saw the writhing tentacles of the Nautiloid. His ears heard screams as the city seemed to come to life in terror.
And then, before he could blink, a tendril swung down and he was plucked from the street in a flash and caged in an Illithid Evolution Chamber. A cocoon of flesh and metal that tried to lull him to sleep but his mind was a fortress and it could not be breached.
Along with his freshly acquired blessing from one of the most potent gods in this sphere of planes.
He crossed his arms as a familiar figure floated nearby his pod. The Emperor, Zach, was unsure how fine the line between control and freedom was for the Ilithid at that time.
Didn't stop him from wanting to gut the stupid squid where it floated, the insufferable blight in the background pulling strings and having its strings pulled in turn.
The beady eyes of the squid locked onto his hand lifted up to force compliance, the enthrallment washed against his mind like a against a mountain.
The Emperor lifted the larvae towards Zach, the elfin man's eyes flickered to the writhing worm.
"You gonna put that in my eye?" He asked, the Mindflayer slowly lowering the tadpole towards the opening pod.
Opening the pod was definitely a choice, not necessarily a good one however.
The tadpole made contact with Zach's cheek and screeched in horrific agony as soon as it did. Arc Light singed it to ashes as it danced across the Eladrin's skin.
Stepping out of the pod and finally uncrossing his arms, Zach considered the being that was seemingly stunlocked.
The Emperor did bring together the party, technically. Though that was by kidnapping everyone, and then deceiving everyone and this was all after parading around as Balduran.
Mindflayers do not have souls. The thing that exists is the worm that subsumed the host. The ending where the player character is a Mindflayer cannot be considered because by nature of being a player character certain rules don't apply.
And also that was a game.
The rubbery skinned creature stood before him, glistening with a sickly fluid secreted when these monsters were well fed.
"I am the captain now." Zach said, "You are no longer needed."
The creature released a shriek of anger as it threw its hand out, a great blast of psychic energy slammed into Zach making him stumble back slightly.
"God it's like being screamed at in colour, fuck why does it taste so bad!" The man's face contorted with disgust.
From Zach's perspective, everything was covered with strings of magic. Everything connected to something else, for example, he has strings that stretched all the way back to his Tower.
The Emperor had one string and it was wrapped around his head. Ultimately Zach was still quite new to it all, so he only had assumptions.
But surely having no connection to the world around it, was a red flag.
The Illithid seemed to have taken his sudden silence as an opening, because with tentacles flared out the creature lunged at the elf.
Thunderfury, sparking with an intensity that made the Nautiloid tremble, the bioship cringing at the massive, foreign energy inside it.
The blade was buried into the Emperor's chest before those tentacles could make purchase.
The beast seized suddenly, before even a heartbeat could pass a storm of electricity exploded out from the point of contact.
Ashes remained, and Zach allowed himself a sigh of relief. "Okay, that's dealt with. Let's go pick up-"
The ship suddenly shivered as Zach felt a planeshift occur, and a great red head suddenly burst through the wall.
A red dragon's head, bearing a Githyanki rider, the green skinned man sneered at the sight of him.
Most likely assuming him to be a thrall, or perhaps just because he wasn't Gith.
Suddenly fire.
Zach was thrown back the force of the flames, more like being hit by an explosion than it was being bathed in fire. He was sent careening through the wall of the ship before rolling to a stop.
Psionic intrusion might be something he could get away from, but blunt force trauma was not covered.
You've taken a mortal blow, and have been rendered unconscio-
His brain fully shut off before it could process the information the eyes fed it and the man conked out in a pile of rubble and debris, resting next to the corpse of a dissected goblin.
Cosy.
Zachary
Body:32
Agility:19
Mana:24 (Fury: 72)
Magic:28 (Fury: 84)