LoD Chapter 1- The Legend of the Salvaged Hope

[TheBlindMime]

‘He holds the key to bringing everything back’ As these words rang out the wolfkin's ears perked up. Yes, he thought, This key, if we have it we can put everything back. It will all return to normal, His fist slowly clenched as he his thoughts came to a close. Penance will be paid.

"I think if anyone had questions about this mission they wouldn't have shown up at all. Lets get going, I could use a hot meal." For the first time in 6 years he felt a spark of life within him and he wasn't going to let it get away from him for the sake of clarification.

[Raiden]

Samoht huffed a bit.

"Exactly. The note was suspicious as it is. No one showed up simply to ask who you were. I, for one, am here to do a job, get my payment, and leave."

Samoht lowered his hood, allowing his long black hair to flow out from it's confining space.

[Astral Harmony]

Renetta tapped her steel boots with her Arm-Blade. "We're staying in Goraz one more day? I think I overdressed for the current occasion, then. I don't mind staying here as long as I don't run into my father. He'd never let me do something so dangerous as go into some other realm."

[Bosolai]

"Good, you're all eager to start. Follow me then." Ayden led the party to a nearby, dimly-lit building. Inside were a few guards on watch, but seeing the two Dragon's Blood members caused them to stand aside. When everyone was inside, he told the guards, "Bring out the altar and stand back. You don't want to get sucked in by the gate."

"Of course, sir." Two of the guards went into the back room, and came out lugging a three-foot tall, five-foot long, and two-foot wide piece of uninspired work. There were no carvings or etchings in it. Not a single relief or decoration on the chunk of marble, save a single sapphire in the top. The sapphire itself was rather large, about six inches in diameter.

"If you're feeling weak in the knees, too bad. Here goes nothing." Ayden placed his hand over the gem, which instantly lit up. The rest of the previously unimaginative altar began to glow, revealing runic markings and various lore glimmering along the sides. The floor shook, and out of the gem came a brilliant blue light. All nine within range were blinded, and were in a very different place when they opened their eyes.

They find they are at one end of a suspended path made of some semi-transparent material. Above them is one brilliant, distant light that is illuminating the area. Below the path is an infinite pool of water. At the other end, about 30 feet away, are 6 steps leading up to what one could only imagine as a temple. The ground is a flat disc about 50 feet in diameter with pillars dotting the edge every 2 or so feet, climbing eternally high to the light above. At the center is a hole in the disc, 5 feet wide, and with a 10-foot statue of a man hovering in the middle. He is reaching upwards with his right hand, and from it flows water which is falling to the pool below.

But before anyone could comment, a dark mist descended and began to swirl around the statue. A deep, menacing voice boomed, "So... The chosen have come..." The mist started to collect together in front of the statue, taking the shape of a hunched over figure. Any features were impossible to distinguish due to a black cloak covering everything, even the face. Ayden walked forward, up the steps of the temple. An obsidian sword appeared in the figure's left hand as the voice continued, "And so... The chosen... shall... die." He lunged at Ayden, who sidestepped before being impaled, but changed direction in midair and knocked him to the side. He called down to the rest of the warriors, "Are you going to just let your friend die like this? Come on, make me work for the pleasure of your deaths!"

[Raiden]

Samoht rolled his neck, loud cracks coming from it.

"Finally. Some fun!"

Samoht held both of his arms out, his hands pulsing with electricity. He spun in a small circle, the electricity flowing in the air. In a graceful motion, he combined both of the swirling electric orbs, and made a large sphere of sparkling electricity.

He tossed the large ball at the shadowy figure, knowing that even if he blocked, the moment the ball hit any object it would explode.

[lazy man]

Kerith looked up at the arena he would have to go up to. "Just like the pits..." he thought absentmindedly as he walked up and yanked his claymore off his back. Noticing that the thing he was fighting was mostly, or pure, he didn't know, shadow, he would have to find some way to get some light off of his sword and into the creature. While he was going up the six steps, he enchanted his sword so it would reflect any light that it could get.

With a now mirror-like sheen on his sword, Kerith charged his enemy like he would in a pit fight, reckless, yet obviously with experiece and skill. With a wide and arcing swing, Kerith came in right after Samhot's electric ball.

[Astral Harmony]

"Get to it! I'll catch up!" Renetta said, her left hand glowing with red light. Her eyes closed and her teeth clenched in desperation, she started her chant, augmenting the damage her allies would do in combat with her Killing Aura enchantments.

Killing Aura - Slowly upgrades damage all nearby allies can deal over time. Renetta must keep chanting and cannot take any other action aside from moving at a walking speed, and the spell can be downgraded or interrupted by hitting Renetta. When the ally moves out of range, the Killing Aura slowly loses its effect at the same speed that the aura builds it when inside the field, and the ally must move back in range to reimbue his or her weapon in the aura. At Renetta's current power, the Killing Aura extends in a 15-foot radius all around her.

[Mintaro]

Karnok looks up at the shadowy figure and watches the blind charge. He kneels down slowly seeming to feel like he has all the time he wants. He taps his pipe on the ground, leaving a small pile of burning ember. Karnok then pulls out a dry looking moss from one pouch and adds it to the embers creating a small fire, into the fire he places a red herb. As it burns it gives off a musky scented smoke. Karnok closes his eyes and breaths the smoke deep into his body. His skin turns a slight shade of red and when he opens his eyes they too are red. In fact it even looks like his hair has taken on a slight reddish tint, though it may just be your imagination.

Karnok stands up, the veins all over his body are now standing out and pulsing. He seems bigger somehow, not just in height but in mass, and yet he still looks the same size. The entire effect is disorienting but it quickly fades and his body seems to return to normal. Except for his eyes which remain red. He pulls out a large trident which he had been keeping behind his back. He speaks softly to himself, his voice seeming to almost be doubled. "Now we be bein ready for da fightin." He looks to see what has become of his potential foe.

(OOC: I figure by the time hes done the lightning ball has expoded so rather then just attack I'm going to wait for a GM update.)

[Bosolai]

The cloaked man attempted to deflect the lightning ball with a shadow orb of his own, to little effect. The shadow orb merely altered the course and continued on to Samoht, while the lightning ball exploded, taking out the cloaked man's right arm. It didn't fall or fly anywhere, it just burned away.

He twisted his blade down to defend against Kerith's attack, but with Renetta's boost it merely shattered in front of Kerith's blade. The claymore continued to cut through, and managed to get halfway through the man's lower torso before it suddenly stopped, then was thrown back out. It went in like cutting through a chicken wire fence, but was thrown as if it hit several tons of steel.

The man jumped backwards and cackled. He spun around once, and his form was restored. Only now, he was slightly taller, and wielding a huge shield. He dashed towards the stairs, hoping to charge down anyone still on the path and knock them to the pool way below. When he was done with the charge, he hovered back to being just in front of the statue and changed his weapon back to the sword.

[Mintaro]

Karnok saw as the man returned himself to 'normal' and charged at him. He grabbed Renetta and leaped into the air as the man charged underneath him, landing and rolling with small female in his arms. He stops his roll with one hand and releases Renetta, letting her lay as she lands. He then looks up to see the shadowy assailant land in front of the statue. "It be bein our turn now" Karnok says with the same odd echo. He takes off toward the man at an incredible speed. His legs rocketing him across the ground. As he reaches the stairs he leaps into the air flying up all six steps to land and continue running past Kerith. He moves across the interceding 20 feet and thrusts his trident, putting all his built up momentum behind his thrust. He didn't however aim so as to thrust into the shadowy assailant, but rather attempts to simply pierce through him and then split the statue behind him with one stroke. With any luck he could pin his target down. At the very least, it all looked really cool.