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Dantalian

Dantalian

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Ms. Pautenaude was both powerful and skilled, but as Mephos had said, her magic required time in order to be used effectively. In contrast, Skad Hellreighn while less powerful, was a meleeist who drew energy from infernal flames, rendering him both fast, and almost inexhaustible.

And thus, Ms. Pautenaude found herself flagging. She was able to block most of Skad's attacks, and severely reduce the damage of those strikes that did make it through her defenses, but even so, she had been repeatedly injured and it was beginning to wear her down. Without a doubt, she knew that if this fight continued, she would lose. Thus, she took something of a desperate measure; she stopped blocking.

The idea was simple; if she stopped blocking she could focus on casting an offensive spell. The execution was far more difficult, requiring her to dodge Skad's attacks as best she could. For a moment, it looked like she would succeed, remaining free from serious harm until her spell was cast. In fact, the spell was to the point where it would only take a few more words and a couple of motions before she could unleash it- and that was when Ms. Pautenaude felt a searing pain pierce through her side.

Alex could not help but stare, transfixed as Skad cut deep into his mother's side. The blade, glowing a harsh orange like one fresh out of the furnace hissed against Ms. Pautenaude's skin. And then she collapsed in a heap.

For a moment, Alex was afraid that Skad would finish his mother off; but instead, the warrior turned toward Alex and began slowly walking towards him, blade at the ready.

“Now would probably be a good time to use the Monolith,” Mephos commented softly. Still making a point of staying out of the fight.

Reluctantly, Alex took the stone in his hand, debating whether to use it. He wasn't given time to decide.

Skad, charging forward, slammed into the boy, knocking him to the ground and sending the Monolith flying across the room. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

04-Oct-2014 03:43:53

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
*Once you're dead,” he snarled, “No one will keep me from it.”

As Alex started up in shock, his former teacher broke into a demonic grin and raised his sword, bringing it toward Alex in a downward arch. Then, right before he hit, he made a small gasp, and his grip slacked, causing him to drop his sword.

“You really need to learn not to seize up like that,” a familiar voice reprimanded.

Alex moved, and to his shock, saw Chris behind Skad, his sword plunged into the fiend's back.

“Guthix curse it, his blood's boiling!” exclaimed Chris, yanking his sword free and shaking Skad's glowing, and literally steaming blood from his hands. “Well, now that that's over-” Chris was cut off as Skad turned, grabbing his sword and swinging it at Chris.

The boy barely managed to parry; losing his own sword in the process, and finding himself thrown across the room.

Realizing their dire straits, Alex picked up his own sword and slashed at Skad. The blade hit, but barely seemed to annoy the berserk warrior. Still, it distracted him enough to allow Chris to get his own sword.

“Something's changed about him,” said Alex, “He's way more tough.”

Chris nodded. “Well, the good news is, there are two of us. Let's use that to our advantage against Mr. Big, ugly and angry.”

Alex nodded, not wanting to mention he thought their odds were slim, even in a two to one fight. Swallowing his morbid thoughts, he began to charge at Skad from one side, just as Chris charged in from the other. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

04-Oct-2014 03:44:12

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The interior of the Cult of Order's floating ship was completely alien to Jen. The entirety appeared to be made of metal, with smokeless, glowing orbs providing light. Further adding to her shock, the doors seemed to slide open of their own accord when someone approached them.

The lady who had “invited” them, Calin, seemed entirely unimpressed by any of these oddities, walking with purpose toward a specific area of the ship. Finally stopping after she had walked through what seemed like the last of a dozen doors.

“Ah, you made it!” said a voice that sounded much like Usha's.

Usha and Jen turned to see Hekate and Linkso*a sitting at a table.

“Hello again, sister,” said Usha, “Amazing how we keep managing to run back into each other, isn't it?”

“It's the fate of twins of course,* replied Hekate. “So then, where are Alex and Chris?”

“Haven't seen them,” replied Usha, *This place is very confusing.”

“Agreed,” said Hekate, “It's almost as if it this place doesn't want us to catch up with them.”

“That's impossible though,” said Jen, “There's no way for a place not to want us to go somewhere...”

Both Hekate and Usha gave her pitying looks.

“Right?” Jen asked.

“I've seen similar things,” said Linksoma, stroking his hawk. “And this place is undecipherable even from air. So, I'd have to say that either this place, or something in it, is hindering our movements. I have no idea what end it's working toward though.”

“We detected something that suggests that as well,” said Calin, “Which is why we're here. There is a large amount of magic, and it seems to be working with a purpose.”

*What kind of purpose?” asked Usha.

*That, we do not know,” replied Calin, “However, we do not believe it is controlled by the Monolith. Which suggests that it is either under the control of some guard of the same, or someone seeking it." "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

11-Oct-2014 03:40:56

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
"One other thing we can say is that this magic is volatile. If it is not reigned in, it could cause trouble. Hence, our presence- we, the cult of order, are dedicated to the safety and stability of the world, neither of which benefit from wild magic.*

*And I suppose you want to take the Monolith as well?” asked Usha.

“Yes, such a thing is dangerous in the wrong hands,” said Calin, “Our cult alone can keep it safe.”

Usha and Hekate exchanged looks suggesting they did not believe this at all.

“That still doesn't explain why you picked us up...* said Jen.

“Our intent was simple,” replied Calin. “To see if you knew anything and to guarantee your safety... as well as to ensure that you wouldn't be causing our mission any problems.”

“So we're prisoners?” asked Jen.

“Rest assured,” answered Calin, “That so long as you don't cause us trouble, you will be treated well, and returned home as soon as we finish up our work here.”

Jen sighed and looked to her companions. Linksoma was quietly grooming his bird, while Hekate and Usha exchanged conspiratorial looks. Jen had no doubt the twins were up to something, but until they started there own plan, she supposed she had no choice but to stay put and wait." "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

11-Oct-2014 03:41:11

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Chris had been taught fairly well by the Kinshra. He knew the standard for fighting against multiple opponents; try to keep them separated as much as possible. Focus on the weakest opponent if possible, attempting to kill him so that the odds evened out.

He also knew the rules for being in a lopsided battle; work in unison so that the enemy is forced to split his attention. Stay on opposite sides of the opponent so that he can't keep his eye on both of you at once. Take advantage of the openings your comrade makes.

Chris hated to admit it, but he had to say, Skad was doing far better at following the former advice than he and Alex were doing at following the latter. Not since about the battle's start had the two managed to get close enough to work in unison. Meanwhile, Skad had managed to keep raining blows on Alex, and was quickly wearing the young warrior down. If something didn't change soon, the boys would likely find themselves dead. Of course, if that devil would help...

“Hey,” said Chris as he charged in, “Mephos, right?”

Before the devil could respond, Chris was sent hurling into a wall by a well aimed kick from Skad.

“Yes?” asked the devil, as if nothing had happened.

“The Monolith can do more than be used as a weapon, right?” asked Chris, “Could it, for example, teleport people somewhere?”

“It could,” replied Mephos, “In fact it could teleport the user to any place he knew of... or any person he knew.”

Chris nodded. So far so good. “Alex, you heard that right?” he asked. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

18-Oct-2014 03:21:56

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Alex, who was doing his best to dodge a flurry of blows, nodded. He knew his mother wouldn't appreciate him using it but... she was lying injured and unconscious, and there was no way Chris and him were going to survive at this rate. Grasping the Monolith, he willed it to teleport him, Chris, and his mom to Jen, hoping that either she was in a relatively safe place, or that increasing their numbers would give them a better chance. He could only hope the monolith would understand and react to his will.

Thankfully for him, it did. The Monolith flared to life, bathing him, and the others in a golden light. Skad howled in rage and charged at him, but the berserk warrior was too slow...


A moment later, Alex found himself in an odd room with a ceiling, floor and walls made of metal, illuminated by an overhead orb of light.

“Alex?” several voices asked at once.

Alex turned to their source and saw Usha, Hekate, and Jen, along with someone he didn't recognize.

*It worked,” said Chris.

“But where are we?* asked Alex.

“Well, we appear to be the prisone- I mean “guests” of the cult of Order,” said Hekate cheerfully.

*What?” asked Alex.

“Sit down,” instructed Hekate, “It's a long story...” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

18-Oct-2014 03:22:09

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Althume said :

Edit: Rereading the story and all the foreshadowing made Mephos's presence that much more epic (despite the whole thing being Endless Witch trickery). I'm also interested in Skad's ability to combat a Prantiqeth so effectively, even with his fiend powers. Ms. Pautenaude's magic seems similar to ritual magic with its high power and long preparation time, but I would've expected someone with the foresight to prepare a rule allowing her to enter the Monolith's room to also prepare some means of self-defense ahead of time.

The problem with preparing self defense is that rule magic is generally active once cast. Which, in effect, means that while she could put a rule in place to protect herself, it would be there regardless of it's use.

For example, one thing she could've theoretically done which would've made her fight against Skad particularly easy would be to put rules in the room which both made metal extremely heavy, and made fires ineffective. The problem is, while that would've made the fight with Skad easy, Ms. Pautenaude had no way of knowing she would be up against a fiend- if, instead, a being like Dentro (the druid/ent) were to be her opponent, those two rules would actually hinder her (negating two of her strongest weapons against him.)

Likewise, had she more time, she could've prepared defenses before teleporting into the room, but, given her short notice and the fact that she knew it was Alex who had entered gave her no reason to do so.

In addition to the aforementioned, the Monolith radiates a ton of power. And bluntly, no one is quite certain what kind of effect it would have on long term spells in close proximity- it can change them, strengthen them, or even nullify them. Any one of which could cause problems.

---------- "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

30-Oct-2014 00:05:50

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The world was fire, shadow, and fog. The fire, he could cope with, it coursed through his veins and filled him with power. Rage came from the fire as well, but he didn't mind; with the rage came more power. As the fire's heat radiated off him, from it, he felt alive, strong, and all but invincible.

The other two, he was less fond of. The shadow seemed to be attached to him on one end, and to some unseen being on the other. That being seemed to twitch the shadow, trying to control him. He had permitted it so far, since the unseen puppeteer made him mostly do things he wanted. But it irked him.

The fog was the worst. It settled in a thick haze over his mind, dampening and obscuring his own thoughts, and reducing the world around him to a blur. Oh, he could still fight, as he had just proved. But, he no longer knew who or what he fought- he understood their strengths and weaknesses, but was blind to everything else. Had someone asked him, he wouldn't have been able to tell them if he fought beasts or sapient beings. His entire world consisted of three things; enemies, obstacles, and the one spot of golden warmth that the shadow wanted, and demanded that he get.

He had tolerated this because it let him do exactly what he wanted- it let him fight. But now... his opponents were gone, as was the warmth. All of them had vanished. He had felt them trying to leave and attacked but had been unable to stop them. Given that no further opponents were to be found, he had time to think, and, fogged as his thoughts were, he made a decision- the shadow and the fog had overstayed their welcome. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

30-Oct-2014 00:06:14

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
With single minded focus, he turned his dazed mind to the fire and, with every effort of his will, he stoked it. It flared to life and he poured all his rage, frustration and bloodlust. The shadow realized what he was doing and tried to extinguish the flame, but it was too little, too late. With a sudden surge, the fire burst forward, dissipating the fog, and singeing the shadow, forcing the latter to retreat.

Alone in the empty room, and engulfed in flame, he stood, lucidity returning. Baring his teeth in a vicious smile, Skad Hellreighn turned to the door. As far as he was concerned his contract with that demon was null and void, however, that didn't mean he was going to let his targets get away so easily.

“Good, it looks like you intend to finish our deal.”

Skad's face betrayed his amusement as a man dressed in a red cloak walked into the room.

“Irfam Nejem,” he said, “Since when have you actually bothered to do your own dirty work?”

“I admit, the situation has become quite dire,” said the alchemist. “I had to rush over here- no mean feat, I assure you.”

“And why does this matter to me?” asked Skad.

“Because, my dear warrior,” replied the alchemist, *It will lead to you getting into quite the fight.”

Skad snorted. Of course the alchemist would stop talking right after that announcement. These magic users loved their ridiculous dramatics.

“Continue,” he hissed, his patience all but gone.

“So pushy,* complained the alchemist with exaggerated annoyance, “There are a couple reasons to work with me. First, I know where the foolish group and the Monolith is. Second, I can get you back the formidable long range defenses of the place they're in. Even you would have trouble with a barrage of cannon-fire, ballistae and magic, correct?” Of course, the alchemist reflected, missiles and energy beams weren't exactly cannons, ballistae and magic- but they were close enough to substitute the latter rather than launch into a lengthy side explanation. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

30-Oct-2014 00:06:34

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