Oddestsey V: The Seven Lords

The Monsterworks · Post by **The Monsterworks** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 1:00 am

The Being turns to Sir DeMerfrall, scowling slightly. "Do you know anything of Sikander? A fellow arbiter tells me that he kills with words and is a man of evil intent."

Hopefully a deserving target, it thinks. Unless the knight reveals anything new or has a particularly strong objection, The Being will gladly change back into Mortimer and join the others in pursuing this new target, informing them of its intent to offer all possible aid by communicator.

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 2:57 am

SCARLETT
Scarlett arrives to find Bear in Mind and the Sea Wizard she'd briefly seen earlier talking to Lissa's birds. Even as she gets there she sees she has a message from that very Bear about a plan Lissa has pitched to him.

TELLU AND CYRUS

The Many that are Ooglox takes two forgotten memories in exchange for the info - a trip at a young age resulting in a bloody knee, and one of the first flickers of his powers manifesting a flicker of sight of two strangers in the street glowing blue and copper respectively. A moment later both are just gone.

"Sikander is both weakest and strongest of all the competitors. A pit viper hidden while Lions clash around him. Once cornered, he will vulnerable, but while he still remains in the shadows he is deadly."

A new message flickers onto your communicators from Bear in Mind (OOC: see the everybody post above)

THE BEING
DeMerfrall ponders the name - it clearly strikes a chord with him and he is trying to place it... then eventually you see the memory click into place.

"I think I've heard that name mentioned once - I think it was when the Golden Man captured me he was discussing the name with one of his lackeys. He didn't seem sure at the time whether this Sikander was a competitor or not, but seemed very concerned at the possibility. I think I heard him refer to him as 'the first of them' and that it would "make sense if he were a combatant", but I'm not sure what that meant.

Post by **MadBull** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:48 am

"SEA WIZARD! CAN YOU NOTIFY SOME COMPETITORS OF THIS WAY OUT LISSA IS SUGGESTING? WHICH ONES CAN YOU CONVENIENTLY REACH?"

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Fri Mar 30, 2018 11:12 am

BEAR IN MIND (AND SCARLETT)

The Sea Wizard says that he will merely assist - you have to do your own persuasion. He summons up four strange circular mirror like devices that show the faces of Volgorthan, Ser DeMerfrall, Ziggy and Sasha - you are able to see and hear them and they in turn are able to hear you.

THE BEING

A strange mirror like disc suddenly appears and floats in the air in front of you facing DeMerfrall - through it you can see and hear Bear in Mind and the Sea Wizard.

QUINN

A strange mirror like disc suddenly appears and floats in the air in front of you facing Ziggy - through it you can see and hear Bear in Mind and the Sea Wizard.

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 9:02 am

BEAR IN MIND
<blockquote class='quote_blockquote'><dl><dt>Quote:</dt><dd> </dd></dl><div>"Hello there is a plan that Lissa came up with, and that plan is [insert plan]"[/quote]

- VOLGORTHAN
The Volgorthan makes it's seemingly unintelligible sounds for a while until Bear in Mind manages to synch with it's strange meta-language. It is deeply remorseful of all the chaos that it has caused, and so is willing to go through with this in an attempt to be free of it. Besides, the... (word that doesn't seem to translate directly into your language... hunter? specter? reaper? slayer?) will arrive soon if something is not done to stave it off.

- SER DEMERFRALL (ALONGSIDE THE BEING)
Ser DeMerfrall sheaths his sword and responds.

"I feel I too am inclined towards going through this ritual - after the Golden Man fiasco I do not feel like I can with good conscience attempt to win this tournament. Plus, with this apparent imminent threat about to appear should we not progress the tournament further, it would seem drastic action is required."

- SASHA
Sasha seems indignant at being contacted like this.
"I am not giving in like this. This is the place I was born in, and I haven't the slightest interest in giving it up to the mercy of some unknown personage who would have who knows what motive for doing so".

- ZIGGY (ALONGSIDE DURG AND QUINN)
"I too have no interest in giving up; my own objectives are not fulfilled. I can leave the tournament at any point anyway should it be necessary anyway. My leaving now just further risks this mysterious seventh Combatant winning, gaining control of both the Castle and of Myself. "

So in conclusion you have three combatants (Lissa, DeMerfrall, Volgorthan) willing to go through the ritual which still leaves you one short. That means that to go through with it, you'll either need to get an arbiter to fill the final slot or to force one of the 3 other combatants in somehow. And form the sound of it, it'll need to be soon - this thing the Volgorthan speaks of appears to be imminent.

Post by **MadBull** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 10:34 am

roight

"Sea Wizard! Summon Anjushree! I need her! Lissa, be my 3rd mage alongside Anjushree and the Sea Wizard! Summon the 2 other combatants that want to have a shot at this, Ser Demerfall and the Volgorthan! We will do this!"

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:23 am

BEAR IN MIND, THE BEING AND DURG

Upon the agreement of everyone involved, a complex series of teleportations ensue, and eventually Bear in Mind, Durg (with SGR) and the Being find themselves in the destroyed area by the Volgorthan, joined by Ser DeMerfrall and a timid looking woman with oversized glasses and an ill fitting green jumper who you assume must be Lissa. She is carrying a pile of arcane looking books and begins to rustle through them as she and the Sea Wizard begin to set up the ritual, joined shortly after by the Griffon Anjushree who swoops in from above.

Firstly, the Sea Wizard summons a huge cube of turquoise that must weigh many tons and the three of them begin to weave complex spells using some particularly elaborate magics. The magic is not quite like any they have seen before - there is a slight smell of honeysuckle on the wind and a calming influence as layers of magic are constantly folded inwards to create the desired effect. Eventually the whole thing hovers a few feet off the ground, as if it weighs nothing at all.

"The stone is now prepared" Lissa says with an anxious sigh. "All you need do now if you return is touch it and have the consent of your two fellow arbiters..." she gestures to Being and Durg "...and you will become a competitor yourself. I have no idea why you'd want this, but so be it".

Meanwhile Lissa sets up the other ritual - she is terrified - you can all practically hear her heart thumping in her chest. Her hands shake, but through force of will, eventually the square ritual area is ready. DeMerfrall has taken off his armour and sword and laid them on the ground nearby. He speaks to the Being; "If I am the one who does not return, my weapon and armour are yours. Please use them in the cause of righteousness or give them to someone who you feel will use them so". He seems so much smaller and frailer than before - no armour, no mighty sword - just an old man who has always tried his best to fight for right.

Durg approaches the Giant and looks into it's strange "eye" and can tell the Giant is scared but kind of excited at the same time at the prospect of being free of this finally, one way or the other. The Giant picks him up in his vast hands and for a moment, Durg thinks the giant is feeling better. Durg is placed gently back on the floor and the Giant steps towards its side of the square. The others follow suit. Then Lissa speaks the ritual words and the six lines that connect the points of the square begin to glow a pale unearthly lavender. It's not quite the hellish colours normally expected in such occassions, but it neatly divides the shape into four right angled triangles that seem to open up into infinite voids beneath them.

DeMerfrall bows first to the Being once more, and then to his fellow sacrifices and finally, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon, steps boldly into the breach and his form evaporates to dust.

The Volgorthan gives a single timid wave to Durg one last time and shuffles into his own segment. He too just evaporates onto the wind.

Bear in Mind after watching the other two steps across the line and his form briefly begins to become softer in outline before he too is gone.

Lastly Lissa, with tears streaming down her cheeks, eventually closes her eyes and jumps. She never reaches the ground inside her triangle.

For Durg, the Being, SGR, Anjushree and the Sea Wizard... now all there is to do is wait. Three of the great stones that surround the castle begin to ever slightly lose orbit.

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It's been a nearly unbearable amount of time, but suddenly the sound of crackling electricity rises across the grid and violent sparks leap between the vertices of the square. They grow in frequency and intensity until... COORTTHOOOOOM... the light of it is too blinding to look at and then suddenly die back and a figure sits at the centre of the square on all fours, sobbing. As Lissa gets up and makes her way outside the circle you don't even think she herself knows whether she is happy or sad or still terrified. She looks around wildly to see if the others have got out yet... but already the lightning begins to build again.

In a few instants, the light is blinding once more and COORTTHOOOOOM appears again as the form of Bear in Mind rematerialises in the middle of the square looking utterly perplexed. He lumbers outside the square to join the others, even as the energy builds for the final time....

COORTTHOOOOMMMMM The titanic form of the Volgorthan reappears in the square and staggers out to the side, looking somewhat dazed.

Then the lightning fades away and nothing is left of the ritual but the square etched into the ground in smouldering ash. Ser DeMerfrall isn't coming back.

But behind them, 3 of the great stones begin to crumble - the malachite, the bismuth and the moonstone all begin to crumble apart. There is not much time for the second ritual to be completed however... and Bear in Mind lumbers over to his own turquoise block and plants his paws against it; all it needs now is the Being and Durg to hold up their ends up the bargain - it awaits their statements...

Madman · Post by **Madman** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:39 am

DURG LONG NAP OVER. LONG EAT OVER. MISS VERY MUCH. HAPPY SEE GIANT BACK. VERY HAPPY. HAPPY GIANT FREE. DURG OFFER SACRED FIST BUMP. BIG RELIEVE.

DURG LITTLE SAD KNIGHT GONE. KNIGHT GOOD GUY. STILL NOT TRUST BEAR MAN MUCH, BUT DURG KIND OF PROMISE. STILL, BEFORE SAY YES, DURG ASK BEAR MAN QUESTION:

"BEAR MAN, NO BULLSHIT. WHY WANT BE IN BIG FIGHT? HONEST ANSWER, NOT 'FIND OUT MORE'. ONLY THREE OTHER PEOPLE LEFT. MAYBE YOU WIN. WHAT REASON DURG WANT YOU WIN? ANSWER GOOD, DURG SAY YES. YOU LIE, DURG KNOW."

Post by **MadBull** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:53 am

"I trust myself more than any of the remaining competitors, really, but I must add, if I end up winning, I am fine with the arbiters, or whoever of them want to, manning the castle together. Most of us have done a fine job leading this battle so far, most of us have shown more competence than any of the remaining combatants..."

Cha0sFerret · Post by **Cha0sFerret** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 2:20 pm

[OOC: I guess Scarlett goes with Bear in Mind to watch all this go down because I'm quite lost]

Everything starts moving so fast all at once when Scarlett arrives, and between information overload and some sort of teleporting nonsense, she feels quite disorientated. From what she can gather, Lissa and the Giant are out of the tournament, Bear in Mind is about to be in, and DeMerfrall is dead.

It's good to finally see Lissa as herself and not a flock of birds. Scarlett tries her best to give her a reassuring smile, but finds it difficult when she barely understands the situation herself.

It looks like Bear in Mind's ritual isn't quite done yet. She doesn't want to interrupt (for her own safety), but she also doesn't want to add more competitors to the mix when she's so close to being able to go home. Durg and the gray thing from before are here, too, and she waits to see what they do.

Post by **That Kode Guy** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 2:44 pm

"Hmm... well it takes a crook to know a crook..." says Tellu thoughtfully, referring to her Death Busters days.

Feeling a little nauseous now, she addresses the... Ooglox. "Where can we find Sikander, and if we can't find him where can we find someone who does know where Sikander is?"

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 2:55 pm

SCARLETT
Lissa wanders over to Scarlett sheepishly.

"Err.....hi.."

A small flock of her birds suddenly land around her and she seems a little more comforted.

"Don't worry about the Bear's ritual - it's pretty fool proof right now - he just needs two other arbiters to consent, it's pretty much impossible to disrupt the magic itself once it's in motion.

Err and thanks again for wanting to protect me. I appreciated it a lot"

TELLU
For the first time in the conversation, the Many that are Ooglox seems to shift in discomfort.

"This is no small thing you ask of the Many, and we must ask a great price in return for it. Memories of great value. We will give you this in exchange for your memories of the face of the one known as Eudial. All of them."

Post by **That Kode Guy** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:09 pm

Tellu hears, but doesn't believe. All the colour drains from her face.

"...<small>what did you say?</small>" she whispers, chalk-white.

Wide-eyed, she looks at Cyrus, looking for some support. But before long the Daimon voice inside of her cackles.

Ah ha ha ha ha... you're just a sentimental little fool. As I thought. Can't let go of something precious to you.

N-no... you're wrong, I -

Am I? You'd rather let the worlds end than part with your beautiful little memories. Pathetic.

But memories are important!!! I don't want to forget about Eudial!!!

Memories fade with time, and eventually you'll forget her anyway... be it in a few moments, or a few years. And if you're so willing to stand in front of everyone else who are trying to do what's good for them, just to defend your selfish choice, they'll cut you down. Cyrus will do it. He won't pity your foolishness.

Tellu swallows, her throat dry, and begins to ponder the words spoken to her. We will give you this in exchange for your memories of the face of the one known as Eudial. All of them. Memories of the face of Eudial? What could that mean?

Turning away from Cyrus, teary-eyed, Tellu addresses that which offered her such a horrendous exchange.

"What do you mean by 'memories of the face'?!" she cries. "Are you saying that I won't forget about her entirely?!"

Alexjh · Post by **Alexjh** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 4:10 pm

TELLU AND CYRUS

"As I say - her face. You will remember all the time you spent together, but you will only retain what memories of her appearance as you have seen in pictures or other representations"

It somehow gestures at the doll Tellu has been carrying with her - an impressive gesture form a being with no discernable head or limbs.

"If she were to walk past you in the street, you may recognise her, but it would lack a certain level of intuition that goes with the face of someone you had spent time with. You would lose the nuances of her expression and emotions and be left with just the actions she performed"

It pauses... as if trying to re-evaluate its own pitch.

"We do not ask of this out of cruelty - but what you ask is exceedingly valuable and so in return we must ask of something of great value to collectors and connoisseurs in exchange..."

Post by **Venice Queen** » Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:52 pm

Cyrus is rather confused by her whole ordeal here... what value is there in those memories?...what they do any say is more important than what they looked like, is it not?...

"I don't really see how these memories are of that great value to you. Is a direct knowledge of her appearance really that valuable? I've never felt like I've lost anything in my life, not having the ability to remember something like that."