From down in the sewers - Archive 01:



     In the grand sewery beneath the crumbled Vraisynn Palace, a dark and mysterious entity works in the shadows to prepare a Rite most irreverent for life, law, and order.

     After many days of preparation and many hours of following the adventurers which he now led to this secret hiding place, Imorphixius hums happily to himself in his alien voice while he ties up a human female and two human males to the gridiron bracelets along the wall of the hollow shaft.

     When the Palace came crumbling down in the strange occurence that involved the arrival of this group of adventurers, Imorphixius wasted no time in preparing his Great Rite in this secret and mysterious hollow, nothing more than a simple sewery system that once connected the Temple of the Light and Vraisynn Palace. These hallowed waterways disappeared when the Temple of the Light blinked out of existence, so that now nothing is left but stone rubble and history.

     Securing the chain shackles tightly to the wall brackets, the strange-looking entity looks over the shackles one last time while one of the males stirs. Walking directly up to the face of Buddha, the alien devil looks directly into the human's eyes as he awakens.

     Coming to, Buddha looks up into a face with no eyes. A distinctive mouth slit opens up, saying, "Wakey, wakey, sleepy-head."

     Buddha cries out in shock at the strange presence before him, wrestling against the shackles to free himself and run. Both efforts are wasted, as the being had fastly secured the mechanisms before they had awoken.

     Laughing in a strange, warbling sonic effect, the being's eyes light up as they did before, a startling a sickening vibrant yellow-green. Where eyesockets would be, orbs of light emanate seemingly from nowhere. Dark black flesh is streaked with a deep bottle-green stripes like an alien tiger everywhere, the being appears naked. No sex organs mark the being as any gender, but the thick, muscled body delivers a masculine effect and aura. No chain-tentacles can be seen on his body where they were previously, as if he had hidden them or put them elsewhere. In the tiny cave-like shaft of hollowed-out rubble, there are very few places and items that could not be plainly seen.

     In this chamber, situated in a circle around a strange, glowing phenomenon that appeared like seven magical pillars of energy, shackles line the walls, which lean backward on a slight tilt, so that all of them were situated in a nearly-lying position. It was not in any way comfortable, and they would surely be in pain from being kept in such a discomforting position for any period of time. Unless this entity chose to kill them outright, Buddha became sure that they were going to be stuck here until something worse happened to them. The prospects of this venture were not looking good for them.

     The entity sneered with its mouth slit, then hovered (not walked) over in front of Buddha's lover, Angelique. The strange alien jellyfish still sat on her head, grasped around her face like a smothering blob of gelatin with tentacles. Imorphixius grabs the thing, squeezing hard on the bulb atop it body, and making the thing release her from its grip, and a tentacle slides out of her mouth - which may have been giving her air, or may have been sucking away her life force - leaving a thick glop of slimy gel on her face and hair.

     Kim begins to wake at the wretched sucking sound that the creature made coming off of Angel's face, the slime still dripping from its tentacled body. The left side of his chest is in dire pain, the two ribs having been broken by the slam against the tree, back in the clearing.

Groaning, Kim begins to wake up his sences slowly returning. It takes a moment for him to notice his environments, and to remember what had happened. He tries to move, but with his arms locked there is not much he can do, and the effort sends rays of pain from his ribs. He looks around as well as he can, trying to get a reading of his suroundings. His eyes find the face of Imorphixius, and he draws in breath through his teeth causing a hissing sound "What in the nine hells are you?" he asks with a low voice filled with anger.

     In the moss-laden stone corridor, a circular rotunda had been created between two hallways in a musty sewery, and for what looked like a few weeks had become the home and den of this strange humanoid creature with blood-encrusted cables protruding from its body. Its alien face looked directly at Kim, and its eyes glowed visibly in the dim firelight. A small fire filled the room with smoke, and the eerie light from the creature's face gave the appearance of death as it spoke into Kim's mind.
     Intuitive little snipe, aren't you? You might only barely understand my nature, but it will surely be too late for you before that time comes. This ritual is prepared and ready for the taking, and now that I have the Githyanki's magic scroll, you will play witness to the greatest game of the cosmos ever played; Destruction.
     Surely, that strange sound echoing in his mind was not laughing, but Kim got the impression that it was a cynical humor that poured into his thoughts like fluid through a sieve.
     Ever had the good fortune of travelling the realms of existence, outside of your jaunt into the Abyss? Perhaps you would like a choice of what poison I give you before we begin...? To be cordial, of course. The creatures playful thoughts tumbled through Kim's mind with ease, giving a sensation of being invaded.

Involuntarily, Kim shivers with disgust as the alien thoughts invade his mind "Destruction? What, you are one of those crazy freaks who want to destroy existance?" even before he had finished the words he realised that it probably was not a good idea to call the one who had him chained to a wall "crazy freak", so he continued by answering the beings question "No, I'm not used to realm travelling, and considering what happened in the Abyss I'm not so tempted to make it a habit." he pondered what the being meant with picking a poison. Red Dragon's Bane came to his mind, but he figured his captor was not one to offer quick deaths.

     Though it sickened him to think it, that was most certainly laughter in response. The lack of sound outside his body and the horrid vibrations in his head were disorienting. As he thought about the poison he had encountered in his earlier adventures, he could tell that the creature was intrigued by him.
     Buddha is stunned in horror by the sight before him along with seeing his lover hanging unconscious against the wall, some distance away from him, and he remains silent despite the fact that it appears he can hear the things that creature is saying as if aloud.
     For every birth there must be death of another. Destruction is a part of life, as any other. Don't worry, you won't have to worry about it. You're going to be a test subject. You see, I am performing a little experiment here, because I want to know what happens to mortals when you give them more energy than they are used to using. I think it will be fun.
     "You're sick," is all Buddha can say in response. The creature appears to be uninterested in him yet, concentrating alone on Kim.
     Beware, Sir Lundin, the poison I will be giving you is not something you'll have been used to hearing about. Look, and with the wave of his hand, one of the coils about him lashes out to a nearby cellar door, unhinging the small latch on it, and opening the door inward in one fluid motion. As the creature's hand appears to tense with force, he raises something dark and misty from the cellar beyond. The use of mental force to control this lifted object became apparent as it began to emerge from the moss-laden chamber beyond, and the writhing coils of metal that surrounded his body now had an explanation; This being was a telekinetic.
     Slowly, the object turned over in midair before them, wisps of black fog drifting off of it in tendrils to dissipate in the darkness of the rotunda. A robe fell away from a face, and Kim's eyes beheld something horrifying.
     This mortal was wandering the Shadow Realm when I found him, and took him for my own. You see, his soul was already prepared for the darkness that I could instill within him, because he had experienced such pain and remorse in his life. By imbuing him with the essence of that realm, I have made him more than what he was.
     This man had been destroyed and replaced with a horrific excuse for a body. Black, gaping holes lined every part of his body, oozing with a dark goo that was so dark, it made the shadows of the chamber appear bright. The wounds were like an evil stigmata, a sign of pain and revulsion from the terrible nowhere beyond their world. Black, withering veins covered the entire man's body, including the whites of his eyes. It looked painful and remorseless as the man's eyes stared into nothing in particular. Kim was sure that the man did not know that any of them existed in this chamber, he was so distressed from the experiments done to his body and mind.
     Now, from the energy I can tap from this quivering mortal frame, I will make you all immortal, and witnesses to the greatest game ever played... You will thank me for it in the end, when I am a legend among the Outer Realms. The creature smiled at him with his alien lips, and the thought of being like this man seemed like a very real possibility to Kim.
     Now, the real question is: If I do this to you, will I get a different result, or the same? Perhaps because your energy is different, I might try something else on you... Void, Umbra, Veil... Any of them will do... He seemed to be toying with a few ideas as if last minute. The ritual prepared between them all was surely the centerpiece of this terrible event.

"Thank you?" Kim's eyes were still fixed to the remains of the man that hung in the air "Why would I..." he stopped himself from finishing the question, as he was not sure he really wanted to hear the answer to what the chain-covered being wanted to do to him, exactly. He changed his approach to the subject "You are some kind of scientist, right?" he asked "Are you part of some larger group? Like a guild of multiplanar beings who try to... I don't know... find some new source of magic?". He forced his gaze away from the shadow-infused man and looked to Imorphixius instead "Or do you work alone?".

     As a look of curiosity came over the alien face of Imorphixius, Kim could see Buddha giving him a concerned look from across the chamber.
     So many questions... the dark figure empathically responded. I can tell that you are intrigued by what is happening here...
     "Kim," Buddha beckoned from across the room, but already he was becoming less important. Something was overcoming him and fast. "Kim!" Buddha repeated, but already he was a thousand years away.
     The creature's voice became a crooning, soft explanation of the method behind this event.
     You could say that I have become quite clinical over the years, and that I am indeed a mind of science. I would not go so far as to say that I am a scholar, but I do take pride in my work. Scholars are for the libraries. I prefer the ways of the explorer, conquering the unknown.
     The being was not really so alien at all. In fact, Kim had begun to think of him as something like a good friend, someone who was always around in times of need. This wasn't so scary at all. Buddha's cries from across the chamber to stop listening to the being seemed outlandish and surreal. Without a thought, Kim began tuning him out altogether. There was no need for such negativity in times like these.
     The creature - now flesh and blood, a man in a white apron with small spectacles on his long nose with a receding hairline and a bushy beard - began again:
     I work for a greater power, you could say. I was once even so lucky as to become a member of an elite organization of powerful minds, but after a bit of opposition with another member of the group, I was banished. But it is alright. I have everything I need here, right now. You see, he gestured to the ritual items before them, with all of this, I can open a doorway to another world, a world which has never seen passage into this realm. With this power, a great change will take place, and everything will be different.
     The kind and comforting man turned to Kim and described the items in front of him. It was all so interesting. There was the heart of every great creature of the realm; a Great Wyrm Dragon, a Sylvan Dryad, a magical Sphinx, and a great Titan. The flesh of a Baatezu Devil Lord and the lantern of a Grand Archon also lie atop the pedastals created for these six great powers. A mortal human brain lay aside in a shallow bowl, awaiting its own destiny, while a mysterious bound object lay against the far wall of the chamber.
     That, my friend, is the most important part of this Rite. It is the flesh of an ancient god, one that was hidden in a faraway realm for many eons. It was prophesied that this ancient god would be found and summoned, and when it entered the realm of mortals, it would become mortal itself. When my companion summoned this being, known as the Depthus, it became as flesh and blood. The heart of the Depthus is called the Depthnaught, and it now lies on an island in Horamont. This, and the man gestured once more to the chained mass of oozing substance, is the flesh of a god. Isn't it simply wonderful to behold? With these components, an ancient prophecy will be fulfilled, and we will all become legends among the cosmos.
     Moving closer to the center of the chamber, the aproned man was alight from the flames in the center of seven large pillars of pure energy. The hearts of these great creatures floated in mid-air, as if suspended by the energy of the pillars themselves.
     You see, all of this has come down to one final moment. The Great Temple, the Scroll of the Rite, the Prophecies of the East and West of Jashnia, and all other things here today have come down to this one moment. Behold it, for it is legendary to the wisest of sages and the most devoted of prophets.
     The quivering, mindless body of the shadow-man floats once more into its chamber, still staring into nothingness.
     His time has already come and gone, but yours has only begun. You will be a child of eternity, a legend among immortals. Here we begin our own cabal, and leave nothing to the likes of others. Your friends will surely fight back, but we can come to show them the wonders of this way. This is the only Path left to walk. For now I am alone, but together we can all become heroes.

Kim looked dreamingly on the objects that floated around in the chamber, everything the man said suddently sounded so right. He chided himself for ever questioning the morality of the robed man, once he heard the goals of the being he understood that all the actions, that had seemed purely evil at first, obviously must be for the greater good. He focused his look to the robed being "This is fascinating, most fascinating." he said "Please, tell me more. What must I do?". A tiny voice, coming from deep down in his mind, tried to tell him something, but it was quickly drowned.

     "Relax, and feel free to think of this place as your new home," the aproned man said aloud with moving lips. The shackled bracers around Kim's wrists unhinged and let him free. "I must assure you that we are now safe, and I trust you openly. Peer into the fire, and when you see more than simply fire, reach out and take hold of your gift."
     Kim could see only flames in the burning pit between the pillars of energy. The light within the flames was a strange iridescent glow, and he could perceive no heat emanating from the pyres.
     As he was beginning to be unsure if he would witness anything in the flames, his mind began to go numb, creeping into his body like a sedative, and he began to see colors swirling in the middle of the fire. These colors were multi-hued and diverse like the energies of the cosmos. Time was here, as was His sister, Destiny, and the pantheons of the multiverse called in a single tune to his soul. Divine Truth, and a series of visions. Though he was unsure if his eyes were still open, Kim could plainly see the fire in front of him. In his mind, he could hear the man's voice again. Reach out, and take hold of what is within you.

Kim shivered involuntarily as he heard the combined voices of the divine beings. For a moment he was dumbstruck by both awe for the beings and confusion as to what he was supposed to do. Very slowly, and wobbly like a child taking it's first steps, he tried to reach out for something with his mind, without being sure as to what he was meant to reach out for.

     As the child soul wanders nearer to the flames, rather than becoming clearer, the fire becomes more vague and insubstantial. It is alive with energy and light, and the colorful tendrils creeping their way from the bottom to the top are quite beautiful, just like staring into flames. But unlike the real thing, this fire and this place were both surreal. The more Kim thought about it, the more he was sure that this place was less of a location, and more like a thought, or a clear memory. Seeing his hands, they were not flesh and blood, but energy; alive and active. Looking into the flames was becoming more like staring at the sun, or looking inside one's soul. Kim's memories were written on the walls, both from this life and from others before it.
     The light in the center of this otherworldly place called out to the child-soul, like a sunny afternoon in a faraway vacation place. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps his friends and loved ones were here with him. Where was that man in the apron? It didn't matter.
     Reaching out to the fire, he could see within it a hazy fog of energy; soothing and cool, but alive with vibrancy. It's white energies caressed him even from afar. He could hear his father working away, and his mother cooking in the next room. His first time holding a sword; his first time seeing real magic. This place was inside of him. The center fire was the core of his being. It was like an open portal to the inside of his heart and soul...
     The call made his hand jerk backwards before he understood its sound or meaning: "Kendim-naru!" It was his name; he was sure of it. The dialect was thickly accented with the elven tongue, but it was ancient and serene.
     Quickly, the aproned man appeared back in this center-place, and around them both was drawn a thick, black line of soot and ash in a circle surrounding them, and the fire. "Do not mind that sound. Others must be trying to interfere with your most important time..." The circle became a protective barrier, and the voice from beyond the hazy curtains faded away even in memory. The curtains became dark, like a black violet, and the fire was all that could be seen.
     "Perhaps you are not ready for this... I may have rushed you. We can return..." The man appears calm and solemn as he suggests this, but the feeling that he was smiling inside would not go away. He anticipated Kim's response even before he made it.

"We can continue a while longer." Kim answered, partly because he actually meant it and partly because he was half-enchanted by the things he saw and heard. For a moment he wanted to ask about the elven sounding voice, and why others would want to interfere in this, but then he figured that it could all wait until later.

     "Very well," the man responded, and while the light was kept low in this thought-place, he looked at the center-light for some moments before continuing.
     "I will have to make certain that nothing goes wrong. This is too important of a time for you to have others intervene. I will do something for you which will keep others from harming you in such a state..." The figure moved closer to the spiritual pyres and leaning forward, removed a small vial from his incorporeal pocket. In it a thick, black substance coated the inside like oil. The man removed the stopper from the top, and poured the liquor into the flames, which mixed slowly and with some reluctance in the center space, now a swirling cauldron. The vibrancy of the white flames became as dull as the thick, black shadow-stuff, which also muted. Both powers lost their initial glamor, and then something else happened...
     It was in that moment, when the muted embers became laced with this leech-like darkness, and when the light of the space became dull like a lusterless chamber... There was a moment when everything became separated. Kim could see that this darkness was not already a part of him and his special place. This figure wanted something else from him, and not what was originally intended.
     The seed of doubt had been planted, but Kim's internal power overcame the moment so quickly that he minded not to make notice of it. This figure had helped him surely, but what was going on here? Why would he corrupt something so perfect and pure? The thoughts erased themselves as quickly as they came, and once more the figure urged him forward to take hold of the power within the flames.
     "Reach out to it and take hold of what is within you," the figure urged. A brave, bold and willful energy still cradled inside that murky gray depth held a luster still within its grasp. Kim was sure that he was unafraid. This corruption was only temporary, and what was inside him what was powerful enough to overcome this tiny setback, a mere divergence on a path to greatness.
     "Take hold of it, take it for your own," the man spurned him on.

Kim watched the weakened flames, hoping that they would regain their brilliance, but they didn't. The tiny voice yelled at him, trying to get through to him at this moment of doubt, but nothing passed the hold the aproned man had over him. After just gazing at the flames for what seemed like an eternity in this place where time didn't really have a meaning, he slowly began to stretch out for the flames again.

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