Creeds

Elruin would have tried to read Dravon’s book but he couldn't bring up the energy to ask the Volkari for it instead he just reused his old spell and magically looked over his shoulder and observed that the large metal door that seemed to be their only way out. But why was it closed now? If that was the way out than why had the Blue daggers taken the time to seal it of? It was of little importance now they couldn't go back anyway but it could mean that this second exit wasn't behind the door but elsewhere. Elruin tried for a second to test his teleportation spell to look for his own way back but it looked like he was too far from the surface and too tired for it to work. Elruin walked towards the door and placed his hand on the surface he was testing it for weaknesses. The door appeared to be massive without any obvious sign of magical protection but Elruin had the suspicion it was hiding something. There existed little doubt in his mind that whoever had made the door had designed it to resist any assault. Trying to break through it in his current state would be a futile endeavor unless he could ‘lend’ some power from another source like the wounded. The idea of killing defenseless men that had just fought with him left a bad taste in his mouth but it would be a nice plan B.

Elruin set a step back and looked at the image of the statue. The fact the key was a sword and the keyhole was in her chest suggested that they would be symbolically killing her. The third eye suggested that there was death behind the door at least he thought that was what it meant in human folklore in his own a third eye symbolized wisdom not death. Elruin crossed his arms and said to himself “Disturbing.” The woman remembered him of his mother somehow with her empty expression. Elruin continued staring at the door while Enuren and Keyra pulled free something from the rubble but his expression grew darker.

Elruin knew they had to advance further no matter what but the door made him uneasy maybe it would be better to fight to the end? They could probably fight of the horde behind them if they prepared for the fight but what use would that be? Elruin shook his head as he decided going forward was the best solution as whatever was behind this door couldn’t be worse than what was behind them. Dravon gave him a worried look to tell Elruin to prepare for the unknown. Elruin drew his sword and using a small spell made the tip glow a soft blue light. The Ash fiend carved an intricate symbol in front of the door and imbued it with some energy. The rune was a simple trap that would set anyone alight if they approached it but Elruin had to carve eight additional symbols around it to make sure that it would ignore Ash fiends, Vall, Volkari, humans and Ariji. A glorious death fighting this darkness would be a fitting end to his house but how could he rest in the after live knowing his people suffered? “I’m at peace.” He said it in his native tongue so it sounded like he was mumbling nonsense to the others. Tired Elruin backed away from the door “Ready.” He still hated everything and everyone around him but at least it would be a worthy end to a noble house.

So Dravon had fought in a war? Interesting and apparently he had been good enough to earn himself a fearsome reputation and the right to call himself a knight. Elruin noted this new information together with the information the captain had served in the army since he was a boy. In ash fiend society it was normal to train your children to defend themselves and warfare was a good way to learn the art of combat. Humans seemed to dislike the idea of sending their children into a war how odd. Dravon opened the door and everyone prepared for whatever would be behind it but nothing moved inside the shadows. A soldier used his torch to illuminate the entire hall and in doing so revealed the slaughter before them. Many young women with their throats slit lay on the ground. Maybe they had been sacrificed? This pointed towards mages but if whatever they had done required so many sacrifices it had to be bad. Maybe each abomination required one sacrifice? That would be a waste of perfectly good sacrifices Elruin knew more efficient ways to use someone’s life. Keyra seemed unsettled by this slaughter her opinion was shared by most of the guards but Elruin had no problem with it calmly stepping on corpses as he walked towards the centre of the room. Elruin followed Dravon’s gaze upwards into the darkness maybe something was in there? If he hadn’t been exhausted he would have send up a ball of light but now that would be a terrible waste of his resources.

Whatever horror dwelled underneath Creed it had to be a truly vile and despicable being. Sacrifice, mutilation and all kinds of madness flowed through this misogynistic monster. Elruin crossed his arms and surveyed the slaughter with a more attentive gaze but there was no sign or clue that would tell him about what was about to happen. From the darkness above them a voice appeared that was so intimidating even Elruin felt a little startled. The darkness above him birthed a creature of epic proportions dwarfing those that had come before it. The Ash fiend jumped backwards his blue robe moving like a waves as he made some distance between him and this new opponent. This being had to play some important part in this corruption that had infected these caverns. Elruin didn’t appreciate being called unworthy by something as malformed as this mountain of gore. The creature had to have the same weakness as its spawn maybe this could be ended quickly if Elruin focused. "Gaze upon me... mortal.." Elruin’s entire posture turned into defiance. This THING dared to think so highly of itself? To think that anything so disgusting would dare to consider itself better than him made him smile. There was no reason to listen to more of this crazy being’ s banter they wouldn’t learn anything useful from it. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to kill it by himself but he wasn’t alone. Elruin stepped forward and with a voice cold as ice he said “I see nothing but a mountain of garbage that is just as worthy of my admiration as the one that choses to inhabit it.” He looked at the creature with his sword in his hand ready for almost anything. He mentally prepared a spell that would create a precision blast of energy to blow away most of the thing’s ‘head’ but in his state he needed to be careful and take his time weaving the intricate spell.

Elruin stood motionless as a statue as he labored in his mind trying to weave something that could take a possible magical counter attack and not drain more energy than was necessary. Sevral and Keyra coordinated their attacks and worked together to get Keyra in a good position to injure the creature. She used her natural gifts and skill to face the abomination once Sevral had thrown her stabbing it in its face/torso. In the end the size of the thing meant little only the size of the crystal powering it and Keyra’s attack did too little damage to it and she it attacked her as she tried to retreat. The creature hit her and threw her backwards where Sevral caught the Vall or more she crashed into him. Elruin didn’t care about them personally the truth was they were still ready to fight and that was all that mattered. The moment the creature stopped and refused to build on its initial success fighting of Keyra Elruin knew he was ready. With a triumphant smile that soon turned into a less than sane expression Elruin grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands and pointed it towards the huge beast’s malformed body. As he pulled the trigger on his spell the air around him seemed to charge up. Several corpses around him turned to dust as he used the last of their energy to fuel his spell. The tip of his sword glowed red as the entire pulsated with more and more energy. It seemed that for a moment the spell would escape his grasp and simply explode because the sword was never supposed to hold so much power and it started to tremble from the pressure. A red line shot from the blade towards the center of the creature’s chest just below the head signaling the final stage of the spell. “Worthy enough for you?!” Elruin forced his hands to release the sword as he braced himself for the recoil. The sword left his hands with such force it nearly threw him of his feet. The curved sword flew straight like an arrow but its red glow had turned into a vile dark red flame. Like a falling star it left a long tail of dark flames behind itself until it collided with the huge abominations body. The blade would penetrate the skin and bury deep inside its body using all of its momentum once in place a single blast of heat, fire and energy would launch from it towards the head. The blast was supposed to liquefy the crystal and then scatter it towards the back of the room away from Elruin and the others. Elruin set a step backwards surprised how cold the air around suddenly actually made him feel cold because some smaller temperature regulation spell had broken.

With a mighty bang the sword unleashed everything it got and blew of a large part of the monstrosity exposing its core. The odd structure radiated power and now he could perceive it Elruin knew it was far from dead. The sound of the smaller but just as ugly abominations sounded oddly distorted to Elruin as he struggled to maintain his footing. The pus bags jumped down from their tunnels and with them the quit powerful artifact/spirit reformed its huge body. “Just once more.” Elruin fell to his knees paler than before completely exhausted. No sword and no more energy it seemed like he would be dead soon and it sounded like this monster knew of a way to take over magical energy from his corpse. It would be shameful to die feeding something like this abomination. After it had absorbed the black mist and formed a new crown the being said something but Elruin couldn’t get himself to focus properly. Elruin felt like he was intoxicated as everything around him was a blur and every sound was a distorted mess. The Ash fiend groaned as Dravon used some impressive magic to stop the huge creature for a moment opening it to attack but Elruin was definitely no longer able to do anything.

Elruin suddenly felt like he was about to throw up and as precious seconds passed he did nothing but try to remain on his feet. Enuren came and she put one of his arms around her neck so he could lean on her for support her assitance confused him a little. She seemed to think he needed to be saved from the fighting and while that was true he felt a little like he deserved to die for his weakness. Enuren moved him away from the huge creature towards the back of the room while Dravon’s magic held the towering monster in place. There was a thundering sound as something seemed to move above them shattering stone as it went. Dravon joined Enuren grabbing him they quickly pulled him towards safety as the entire room seemed to shake. Parts of the ceiling fell down and in a moment removed most of the beast’s head. It appeared untouched as the abomination rose once again only to be smashed by a huge object falling from the roof. There was an explosion for some reason but Elruin couldn’t think properly. Once a wall was within arm’s reach Elruin set a step away from Enuren and Dravon. He would have lost his balance if he didn’t have the wall to lean on. The Ash fiend slowly sat down with his back to the wall breathing heavily. His exhaustion was the direct result of his extensive usage of magic he was a few spells away from dropping dead. “Both of you have my gratitude.” Elruin avoided eye contact with anyone and instead tried to calm his raging heart. He barely noticed that he had been hit by a few rocks but he was able to gather enough energy to respond to Dravon “Not dead… yet.” Elruin chuckled softly the pain and exhaustion made him feel a little odd.

Sevral was ready to lend his blade to the cause, he'd pledged himself to the ambiguity surrounding its circumstances without any doubt, ready to give himself for the lands which had overseen his life from humble beginnings. Whatever was asked, Sevral would undertake it if only to ensure no breach in the domestic tranquility of his people. However now, in the face of such a colossus, and after having seen the durability of the solidified husk, let alone its regenerative properties as a rebuttal to the devastating discharge of power from the Ash Fiend, did he feel as though perhaps he may not have been the best choice. It was said that everyone was chosen for some undisclosed reason, and he did not doubt his leaders; or at least, not any more or less than one should doubt anyone of authoritative nature in political standings; but Sevral was no soldier or esteemed retired Veteran, gifted Magic wielder nor could he fly. Sevral was a humble craftsman, an artisan whose name, while popular, was still benign in the presence of large industry and their, albeit lower quality, mass production goods.

He did not doubt his skill, however he was aware of his own limitations, and so far this hulking monstrosity had determined his void. As the creature stood repairing itself and allowing the dust to settle, Sevral was working as hard as he could to find a way to be useful. He was a close combatant whose skills were taught in the between time of forging. He could not be launched upwards in intricate aerial displays or launch ranged support, and so the only other option was a suicidal charge, though he failed to see what that would accomplish. The man's blades would do little in the way of penetration, sharp as they were. Keyra's blade had the momentum and power that came from her wings and mid-flight maneuvering. Any worthwhile swing Sevral would hardly be comparable, especially since his range limited him to the legs where no doubt the muscles were tougher in support of the mass of the body. Sevral merely shook his head now, feeling utterly useless with nothing to contribute. Even as Dravon unleashed his wrath in the form of that electrical strike in order to paralyze the beast, Sevral could not lend a hand as much as he wanted to. Fear did not hold him back; he felt it, but it did not hold him back; but rather, better judgment. Glancing over, it seemed Enuren had moved to assist Elruin. She must share some similar thoughts, Sevral reckoned. He wasn't sure the specifications of her bow, but at least she had a ranged advantage.

As the floor cracked in protest to the power being exchanged between the two beings rooted in place, Sevral adjusted his gaze to watch through the reflection of the blade he still held ready. It wasn't nearly as bright and he could turn the glare away from himself. Still, he felt silly having produced the weapon with no true intention of being offensive. As the spell broke, the creature reared back and fell, its overwhelming presence causing the entire structure to shudder such that Sevral was thankful that the ceiling held even before the drill decided now was a great time to lend its inadvertent support.

Strong as this creature was, it would not stand again after a drill had come careening from the ceiling in a shower of displaced chunks of stone, terminating into an infernos blast decorated with metallurgy. Sevral caught sight of one of the machines cylinders as it was hurled away from the impact zone towards the opposite wall, but remained between Keyra and the explosion. Whether or not she had retreated, he would follow.

When finally the scene had settled again, Sevral had to smirk somewhat at the thought that third time's the charm. Elruin's initial blast, Dravon's magic, and finally a drill sent from above. Quite literally... As silence befell the room, Sevral listened to the low crackle of the flames as it ate away at whatever sources it found to burn, breathing to expand and continue its modestly devastating life. Dravon was the first to break the silence, and Sevral glanced around through the wreckage. If the creature decided it would regenerate this time, Sevral would sprout wings and fly. Glancing back to Keyra now, he looked her over quickly yet still carefully.

"Are your wings still okay?"

Lowering his sword now, he still held it for lack of trust in the creatures' tenacity that dwelled in these ruins. Turning back to the destroyed carcass of the machine and its victim, Sevral stepped carefully forward, stopping after a few paces. Looking at his feet, the man placed the hell of his boot on a small patch of smoldering, well, he wasn't sure what it was, but he ground it out.

A magician has to be obsessed to have the dedication needed to wield true magic. It took Elruin years to learn how to shape energy like clay and it was something that completely absorbed him. He ignored the short conversation between Enuren and Dravon when something shattered his concentration. It was a tremble in reality most likely the result of advanced magic most certainly something he wanted to investigate. The Ash fiend rose from his bed in absolute silence masking his presence as best as he could he walked towards the room where Dravon, Enuren and the anomaly where. Standing next to the doorway Elruin used a small spell to peek through the wall to see the strange woman. Her odd attire was overshadowed by her puzzling aura. Elruin awaited her departure but she left using some odd spell he couldn’t identify without exposing himself. Elruin walked into the doorway nodding at the others before he asked Dravon with a monotone voice “Kul’thane? Is it some kind of title and might I inquire about this oddity? It appears she might be a servant of the council but I can be mistaken.”

Elruin walked inside the room stopping at the spot Viya had disappeared. Elruin crouched on the spot and closed his eyes and his mind searched for traces of magic but he couldn’t find any. It was considered shameful for a woman to wield magic in his culture but this Viya appeared skilled. “She’s good.” He said without looking at Dravon or Enuren. Elruin rose to his feet and scanned the room before he asked Dravon “We should get our equipment and collect our rewards as soon as possible, every second that passes gives the council more time to think of a way out of our agreement.” His own sword was most certainly unusable it had been severely damaged and Elruin doubted anyone would retrieve a sword from the roof of a gigantic cavern.

Elruin
Enuren seemed troubled by the idea of leaving Sevral and Keyra behind, how kind of her Elruin thought sarcastically. He wouldn’t have minded leaving Sevral in the middle of the cave to be eaten by the abominations so why would he ever care now? Keyra was another story but he didn’t feel like waiting for her any longer than he had too. A sound drew his attention back to the room Keyra was in and instinctively he reached for his absent sword. Keyra appeared in the hallway, she was still a little weak and after Dravon said some calming words he helped her walk. Elruin nodded acknowledging Keyra’s presence without a word.

As he followed the group on their way through the hospital Elruin watched the constructs pass carefully examining their internal and exterior structure with his magical senses. The intricate machines puzzled and fascinated him reminding him of another time something had stunned him with its complexity. "When we see this canoness, hopefully she can shed some light on our arrival here and return our belongings.” Dravon appeared to be calm or he was hiding his fears and suspicions. Elruin didn’t have the slightest idea what a canoness was but he didn’t even consider asking Dravon about it, he wasn't going to show his ignorance to Creed's religious orders.