Entered from
Escape from Aggrazzat >
-
158th Layer of the Abyss
To Part 5.2:
Characters:
[
Angel Dreamer] -
Angel Dreamer char
[
BadCat] -
BadCat Char
[
buddha_mjs] - as himself
[
Kim_Lundin] -
Kim char
[
Klyle] - as himself
[
medianduel] -
Aramil Nightbreeze (Medi)
[
Phyn] -
Lycander Tolbin
Game Moderators:
[
xido] -
Vulcarisksk,
Buddha Mahjdahaus of Downriver (partial, with [
buddha_mjs]), Demons,
Imorphixius,
Brother Deren
[
Nightshadow] (resigned) -
Caylandra,
Brother Deren
[
Sepharin] (resigned) -
Caelesta
In a moment of interplanar rifting subtleties, another set of beings find themselves falling from the portal created nearly 200 ft or so above the other. As their bodies quickly descend toward the ground, the shadowy substance of the realm falls in upon itself as their tied-together bodies impact into it, before slowly oozing back to its normal state, lifting the two to the surface.
Two humanoid beings, one a common human, and the other a tall, lanky figure with parched, yellow skin, flecked with mottled brown spots, long, thick dreaded locks of a mop of hair extending out from the back of his head. Suited in portions of thick padded armor, studded with iron and brass, and ragged clothes of burlap or hempthread, the figure looks out from yellow-orange eyes that convey a sense of relief seeing their arrival in the shadowy realm.
The human, unconscious, is tied with a slightly luminescent long rope to the Githyanki, who presently tries to free himself from the bondings. The human man has long brown hair, and beads and jewels lined in his hair. A ring on each hand, and a thick belt are all else that stand out from his brown and dark tan clothes. Thick cloth strappings tie up his feet in dark gauze sandlettes, and similar cloth wrappings are on his hands.
The Gith holds a huge bastard-style sword nearly as long as the human's height on his back within a sheath that holds it tight against his body, and has now freed his hands. "Pardon our entrance" he exclaims, seeing the others present. "We sought to escape certain death, and this was the closest destination, it seems. I have never seen such a place..... Where are we?"
A voice come from no where, seemingly, at least, and says, "You have tresspassed in my home. Why are you here?" Presently a figure appears in a swirl of shadows, and it is evident that the voice belongs to the cowled female in black and crimson...
"As I said, my friend," the gulleting voice of the Githyanki speaks louder, "We have fallen here by chance, as I tried to rescue my companion here from almost certain death in one of the most horrid layers of the Abyss. It seems that this realm was closest to safely harbor us in our descent. I must get to the outer edge of Limbo as soon as possible; this man must be revived, and healed. He is badly beatedn, and in horrible health, after remaining in the Abyss's acrid atmosphere for far too long. He has been attacked by demons of very high dangerous and poisonous level, and needs immediate supervision, while the rest of his comrades are returned from the plane. I fear the worst for them already..." he sais, issuing from the rope, which slowly loosens. Taking a few steps, he kneels, and sais, "Please, if you know of the horror of my people, know that I am a rebel mercenary, constituted for the Order of Peace for the Higher Realms, and give me whatever help you can. The lives of mortals rest upon my returning to save them."
She slowly pulls her cowl down, revealing a beautiful half drow woman's face, with silver hair and shockig blue eyes. Liftling him to his feet, she flashes him a rare smile, saying, "You are the first who has come to my home without malicious intent. I would be honored to help you, and I will come with you, doing anything I can." She walks to the bound man, unties him, and sits on the ground near him, weaving a complex spell of healing... She glows slightly, a blueish silver color as she works, and his wounds are bound, and he slowly comes to... "You will be safe here. I control this realm, and will allow no harm to befall you here. When he is completely well, I will open the nessesary portal to get you to Limbo." She leads them to her house, beckoning them inside. Cats weave around their feet as she calls each one by name, explaining to all 27 of them that thses are friends, not to be attacked. One of the cats, a tiger stripe, turns from house kitty to tiger, offering to carry the weak man in for them... "I am Caelesta, by the way..."
"My name i..." is all the being can get out before the groaning, slowly awakening human sits up quickly, and violently calls out, "ANGEL!!!"
The githyanki flinches, then bows beside him saying, "Calm yourself, Buddha, she is well... You need to rest.." "VULC! Where is she..?" the human cries.
"BE STILL, mortal... you will see her soon. You need to rest now..." the gith sais, pushing him lightly to his back.
Nodding grimly to herself, Caelesta slowly and carefully kinesis the weak man to the tiger's back, then uses shadow bonds to carefully tie him in place until they get upstairs to a bed... Once upstairs in her home, Caelesta uses here telekinesis to lower the human down onto the bed, where she makes him comfortable before turning to his Githyanki companion.
"He will rest here, safe from the wiles of this dimension. In the meantime, why don't you come with me and explain further why you are in such a hurry to get back to the Abyss?"
Vulc keeps his eyes on the many cats in the establishment, curiously staring at them all, as he says, "That man's wife is trapped there, along with several of their comrades. His name is Buddha, and mine is Vulcarisksk. His weak and damaged body had been knocked through a portal into a layer of the Abyss that is nothing more than a vast ligthning storm, sweeping across a sea of ash. Surely, any living thing that finds themselves there will eventually fall victim to the horrendous bolts of lightning that reduces everything to ash. In an attempt to save him, I dashed to leap down the portal, and was tied to him with an enchanted rope. I am able to sidestep the realms once a day, but I cannot do it more than this. His comrades remain there stil, and I fear the worst for them. Before I leapt, I was helping them to fight off Yugoloth mercenaries, which will have undoubtedly caught them by the time I return.... I have no knowledge of where they will be taken, nor of what will be done to them."
As Buddha lies moaning on the bed, his aching limbs shifting about like coiled snakes in his pain, Vulc continues, "They are not of my comradery, but they are mortals in a land of immortal chaos and evil and death....they will not last, but will perish in the torment of that horrendous world, if I do not return to help them. They are hopeless, otherwise." Vulc's gulleting, clicking voice is new and distinct to Caelesta, Githyanki warriors not falling into the realm every day... However, it is not entirely difficult to understand his words.
"I came upon them as they leapt back through the portal created in a rift, where Uridezu demons had tried to escape through the rifting vortex. They said they came from a tavern? I know not what they spoke of, but as I had no need to see innocent mortals perish in the Abyss, I decided to pause my operation to help them back, and while that happened, we were ambushed by the mercenaries, and I would assume a raiding or slaving trade."
Looking at Caelesta deeply, and with grave imminence, Vulc says, "They will not survive there without help. I have help in a monestary in Limbo, with the monks there, but I know of no other way to solve this problem quickly.... You say that you can open portals at will? You must be most powerful......
" He peers at her from a sidelong glance, a small note of suspicion in his war-toned appearance.
Noting his suspicious glance, and indeed, not surprised by it, she nods quickly. "I can open portals at will because I am a mistress of any dimensions. This one has become my home of late, but I am aware of both the condition in the Abyss and the monestary you spoke of in Limbo. If you would be willing, my cats can watch over him while we work on getting the others here safely. If you describe where thet are to me, I might be able to get a direct protal to the room, and we can just pull them right through, eliminating some of the hassle of sneaking around... "
Raising an eyebrow at the comment of letting the cats watch Buddha, he lets her finish, before saying, "Unfortunately, they are nowhere near any room that I am aware of, and already it has been too long for me to be certain of their whereabouts, knowing the chaotic nature of the demons and yugoloths that were attacking in the wake of my jump."
Sighing, and remembering back to the cavern, he says, "It is most likely that they are above ground now, or plummeting to their dooms into the sea of ash.....*shudders* They would be in the Dead Plainslands of the 158th layer of the Abyss, near the demonic merenary-post city of Aggrazzat ()....or, otherwise, they'd be plummeting to the lightning storms of the sea of ash on the 159th." He looks back to Buddha, who's aching body is slowly caressed by the many cats' lithe bodies. "Is that some odd form of magic healing?"
"I believe it may be a bit more difficult than you optimise this to be" he finishes.
As he asks that, one of the cats, a midnight one, transforms into a woman, with raven har as dark as her fur. She tends to the man with a loving touch so unlike that of a normal cat, who would be aloof and distanced. Cael smiles slightly at her companion's face, and says, "THAT is why the cats could watch him. Each has three forms: house cat, their jungle cat counterpart, matched by their markings, and human girls. And before you ask, no spell was placed upon them. They are one of the earliest species of Rakashka... before they finally stopped evolving."
Vulc shakes his head, and sais abruptly, "You say you can open portals.... Are we waiting? I must get back to the others, and I believe I will need reinforcement... Are you willing to help, or only to give me free passage to the other realms? He should be healed in how long?" asking in persistence.
"Come." She waves a hand, opening a portal into the Abyss... " My cats will take care of him, but the others have naught but you and I."
Staring gravely, Vulc follows, on into The Abyss...
Lycander walking through his portal of swirling purple and black fog, summons Shaku his hound to guide him to his cause. Not noticing that he has just missed the one in which he seeks. Staring around at the plane in which he has come to know as home, in horror. The plane looks more like a brothel than the ignigmatic plane of shadows and secrets. Looking at one of the cats, he speaks out loud;
"And I suppose you're Fluffy right?"
However, Shaku, reguardless of his intelegence, reverts back to dog instincts, and begins chasing the cat Lycander had just dubbed "Fluffy".
"...damnit..." Lycander barrels after the *stupid dog*.
The cats scurry, many of them reverting to other forms, including the wilder forms of tigers, panthers, lions, and...a ram? Others are still cats, and some have become humanoid, two of those kneeling beside the blinking Buddha to protect him from threat.
One of the cats looks distinctly like a differently colored version of a particularly intriguing feline friend Luke had once encountered, and he found a bit of familiarity, accompanied by only a moment of surprise in his thoughts, as Shaku found himself a little overwhelmed by sheer numbers, he kept composure, but backed up a few steps, growling.
Lycander looking a little more than confused. This is DEFINANTLY not the shadowrelm he knew... of course, it would be like him to have nightmares about cats. Shaking off the random thought process, he darts his eyes off each cat, to end on the person lying in the bed. Lowering his eyes to the grimace position, he lends his typical sarcastic tone to his voice.
"I hope for your sake that these "kitties" aren't your doing."
Buddha merely shakes his head, a little astounded at what he was seeing as well. Shaku sniffs at the air rather intently for a moment, not giving way to the 'kitties' opposition while he redirects his attention only momentarily. He sends a shadowy thought to his boy that shows other scents on the air; scents that have exited.
"good..." snaps Lycander. "now where did you come from? And where did the others go?"
One of the cats, the tiger print that had carried Buddha, swiftly changes to her human form. She looks at him and then wlaks to a communication device, a mirror of some sort, and mrowls plaintively. Presently a portal is opened and Cael looks through. "Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a man in need. He and his companions sought me out in destress. A vision in my dreams speaks of demons, and of pain. I've come to find him. And I suppose you're the one who has befouled my fathers relm with these... things "motions toward the cats" they are not of shadow. Nor of secret and are a descrace to this plane." Barks Lycander.
Glaring at him rudely, she states with the utmost calm, "This is MY home, not yours. No one person owns any one realm. I took these Rakashkan into my hom efor reasons you need not know about. The man you seek is with me. Come through now, else I lose my patience and close it while you are halfway through."
Ignoring her comment about this relm being her home, Lycander moves toward the portal motioning shaku to his side. Stepping into the arogent womans portal he turns to look at the relm in which he was taught to worship. Grimmacing at the state in which it has fallen into, He makes a silent vow to return his father's Plane to it's rightful place. A place of nightmares and secrets, of shadows and fiends. A place where "Fluffy" would not DARE to enter. In his heart, this "woman" would forever be his enemy.
"Home is where the heart is melady..." Lycander speaks through clenched teeth.
She glares at him once more, then silently thinks to herself, "I love my home, its the first place where I can truely belong... When I saved those gilrs I didna want them with me, but they're loyal and semi-intelligent. None of the other parts of the Realm are like that, and I have payed dearly for making that Realm my home, becomming almost a shadow wraith myself... -sighs- I'll never abandon those girls, and I'll never leave my home, even if I make 1000 enemies fighting for it..."
Lycander steps through the portal followed by his shadow-hound, and buddha closes his eyes in exasperation.
A while later, the rift is reopened, and the gith leaps back through, running over to Buddha's side, he grips him tightly for a moment, commanding, "Give me your ring, Buddha."
"What? Why?" he responds.
"Just do it! Quickly, please!"
Buddha wrenches off the ring, and drops it into Vulc's extended hand.
"I'll return...just heal." Vulc stands quickly, to which Bud tries to stop him, and falls short of grasping the gith's belt. The githyanki leaps back through the portal and disappears from sight, leaving the wide-eyed Buddha behind, jaw hanging open. He spits out quietly, "Damn!" crossing his arms in anger.
Suddenly, a little further away, a portal opens. Out of it step two large persons. One humanoid, the other a minotaur. The human one speaks to the minotaur: "Now you behave like the sorcerer you are and not like the minotaur you appear to be, we're not here the smash things."
The human walks closer and some unhuman things become visible, two dragon claws instead of hand and dragon feet all silver scaled in the same color as his long silver hair.
He walks towards the house. He walks past the wounded man on the ground. He looks at the cats walking around everywhere. "Where is the one called Cealesta, I need to speak to her!"
One of the cats, the tiger print that had carried Buddha, swiftly changes to her human form. She looks at him and then wlaks to a communication device, a mirror of some sort, and mrowls plaintively. Presently a portal is opened and Cael looks through. "Can I help you?"
The figure nods. "Yes, my name is Aratil. I'm searching for a shadow diamond, which is a shadow of a magical diamond. I reckoned I'd find such a thing in the realm of shadows. That's why I looked for you. I thought you'd know where to find one. In return I will help you with your quest or something, because I believe you're busy and need help *looks at Buddha* So what do you say?"
Minotaur: I don't think she is going to co-opperate, should I....?
"Prove your loyalty and your intentions, stranger. Then I will help you. Comeon through. (follow the above link)"
Aratil nods, then looks at the minotaur "Izual, I said we weren't here to smash stuff, but I think we'll have plenty of opportunity now, let's go."
Izual:"Just looking out for you, you know what happen the last time, and I hate the thought of almost losing you again".
Aratil grumbles "Yes but the last time we were facing 2 hydra's with both 10 heads, that's something completly different."
Izual:"And your saying that these creatures are less dangereus? You might did not notesed, but we are outnumbered
Aratil shouts into the portal: "Where does this portal lead us too?"
Aratil raises his shoulders. "A well, c'mon Izual, we'll just go through."
Aratil jumps into the portal to The Abyss
Izual:"Guess we don't got much of a choise if we want to find the damn thing"
Many long hours later, Lycander materializes next to the bed where Buddah is currently laying. Disturbing some of the cats. Speaking softly to himself he says in disbelief. "Holly shit! it worked?"
Turning to the man, a single phrase leaves his lips as he holds out his hand where in his palm lay Buddah's ring.
"Come... Your friends are in danger."
The other hand rends a hole back where he came from. So the two could slip Between the Cracks of Reality.
Buddha grasps the ring quickly from his hand, and stares up a bit shocked, before letting the man lead him into the rift, thinking, Oh boy, here it goes again.... Slipping the ring on his finger, he calls out once to Angel while in the shadow realm, to which he receives no answer, and as he follows Lycander through the rift, his ring no longer works there. He wraps his clothes tighter around himself, and tightens his strapping-gloves quickly, now healed rather well.
Silently thanking the odd cats, they purr as he leaves, and he feels a small pang of guilt to Angel, although he doesn't really understand why. Could she still live? he thinks.
Aratil fell through Celestia's newest portal and landed on his face. He crawls up again, and looks around. He's in the shadow realm. He came here for a magical rock, but at the moment he doesn't feel like getting it anymore, he'll do his stuff another way then. Plus he lost Izual. He takes a knife from his pocket, slashes into the air and a portal to the material plane becomes visible. He steps in and when the tip of his tail dissapeared too the portal was neatly closed again.
Out of the shadows of her mind, the one that was made when Lycander Tolbin and Caelesta's powers swallowed one another emerges, dressed in tattered robes and talking to herself, or rather, arguing with herself... She opens a quick portal into another realm, and steps Between the Cracks of Reality...
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