Do we dare pass into the Forest of Dean?

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:27 pm

"Probably part of what they were trying to do," Victoria murmured. "If you're in a place that's magically hostile, the first thing you want to do is make it yours."

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:47 pm

And that's when they reached the border of the clearing some of which was still hidden past the opening. From what they could see the ritual circle was still there, still intact. The ground around it was dessicated, what little had lived around it was little more than decayed remains. Inside the the outer circle skeletons remained, bones bleached white the remains of were wrapped around them. The remains of a few twisted figures wer scattered around the clearing. The causes of death were many ranging from being burned until they were twisted by heat to simply being shattered into pieces.

Samantha saw the cloaked figures lead the prisoners to where the skeletons were sitting. Each had the sack removed from their head and the grotesquely large figure carried it's bundle to the center of the ritual circle. After uncovering the bundle it was bound at wrist and ankle to the central stone. Each cloaked figure took a spot behind one of the prisoner's and they drew blades.

"Oshtur you must if Gaea will not," said one of the prisoners now revealed to be a woman, "You must save him. He is as much yours as ours."

"She can no longer hear you and we swore he wouldn't die. What more can be asked of Oshtur or Gaea than that?"

"I..." Sean started looking about with eyes wide. The runes on his body began to glow whether because of internal turmoil or a reaction to the circle itself was hard to say at that moment. "This is it..."

That was when Victoria's sentries went silent.

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:51 pm

"Gaea didn't answer them, so they beseeched Oshtur. This is all falling into place..."

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:28 pm

"Careful," Victoria snapped quietly. "My eyes are gone now... I can't tell if the spell was neutralized of if it just couldn't hold out here."

Even so, she knelt down near the circle, trying to get a feel for what power was corrupting the woods. Even what 'family' that power was from. Something I can deal with. Please.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:54 pm

Despite being interrupted more than a decade ago the circle was still charged with magic from the incomplete ritual. The circle radiated dark magic whose source was fairly obvious at this point. It was this radiating magic that was slowly destorying the forest from the inside. The dark magic from the ritual was too poweful for the original enchantment to contain. It had been intended to hide and contain a circle that wasn't in use not one filled with this much magic. The magic itself was too potent to try to dispel unless you happened to have enough power to neutralize it, but maybe if you disrupted the magic enough it would break the ritual. The question was how to disrupt it without unleashing the pent up magic and killing them all.

Samantha had seen all this before. She watched as all the prisoners clothing was torn and symbols of power were carved into their flesh. There was something off though outside the clearing. It was like some of the cloaked figures were doubled.

It was Sean who noticed the ancient tree from his visions as he looked around the circle. It's leaves were tainted red, but despite all of the dark magic it looked untouched.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:01 pm

Hard not to notice one of the few unspared trees with red leaves and ominous or not, there has to be something about it and Nailah tries to feel if she can find out what makes this tree different within all the metaphorical darkness of the ritual circle.

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:02 pm

"...something isn't right..."

"It's like... I'm getting double-vision on some of them. As if... they're still here?"

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:05 pm

That certainly got Victoria's attention. She murmered off a quick rhyming incantation to charm her vision to see anything that was magically concealed, or only spiritually present.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:19 pm

Nailah would see that the tree was in fact the anchor for the forest's enchantment. The spell was incredibly potent and intended to devour magic by pouring it into the other growth of the forest. The spell itself had all the tell tale signs of having been created by something at the dawn of creation. The trees could contain a great deal of magic, but too much exposure to this much magic was killing off the growth. Over time all that would be left is the anchor and once the trees were gone the contamination would be able to spread beyond the forest.

Victoria would find her spell less than necessary when a form plummetted out of the sky and down into the clearing. It impacted the ground with bone cracking force. The figure had once had wings but they had been removed rather recently. It was curled around a sword, Elizabeth's sword.

Sean turned and looked at Elizabeth before he ran over to her.

"No, no, nononono," Sean said as he knelt down next to her as figures cackled. It came from above and around the group.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:31 pm

That was going to be a problem but they apparently had more immediate worries and she spins around towards the closest voice.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:32 pm

"Ohhhh, Goddess, I don't like this," Victoria murmured, looking up to see exactly what form their immediate danger was taking.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:55 pm

An angel descended or at least a near carbon copy of Elizabeth did. A khopesh covered in blood held idly in one hand. Symbols that hurt the eyes were branded into it's skin. Some were obvious those of Chthon others less so looking vaguely egyptian but similarities were few and far between.

Three other figures walked out of the forest. One a slight man in robes several sizes too large. The second a man whose eyes looked like bottomless pits. The third's mouth was stitched shut. Each one had a rune carved into their forehead.

"Children," the dead eyed figure said, "That's all they have to offer against the chosen?"

"Even cubs can tear your throat out, brother," the slight one said.

"They'll make excellent appetizers for our lord when we complete the ritual," the third said though how exactly with it's mouth stitched shut was beyond any of the group.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:03 pm

The power they were up against was palpable. Over my head. By far.

Victoria didn't dare speak out loud, but in her mind, the spell played off, calling for wisdom, even as she reached for power. There was nothing that she could touch here... no ambient magic that she could tap, not with the trees absorbing and deflecting it all... and tapping into those was something she couldn't risk doing on her own. She didn't notice her skin fading from white to Blue as she prepared to defend herself and her companions against whatever would come next.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:08 pm

"You'll complete nothing, defilers!" Nailah spits out, deciding to put bravado over fear. Spreading her wings she takes a couple of feet to the air.

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:33 pm

"I was there at Magh Tuireadh. I sang the doom of the kings of the Fomor, and their people were driven into the sea. I know the death of every warrior, and I say to you that you will not have this boy," she said with venom before her form exploded into a madness of ravens.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:40 pm

They all stared at Nailah after her outburst. It was the bird-woman who broke the silence.

"I'll take her wings," the angel growled before launching itself at Nailah khopesh leaving a glowing green trail.

"Always impetuos," dead-eyes said, "Kill them all. The host is mine."

"Of course, brother," the slim one shifted into 8 feet of black furred werewolf. It discarded it's robes before howling at the sky and charging at Victoria.

"Brutish as always," the one with stitched lips 'said' before looking at Samantha black energy coiling around it's hands, "Embrace eternity, raven."

Black energry leaped from the man's hands and headed towards Samantha's various pieces. What little living matter that was along the energy's path withered and died.

"That leaves you our precious host," dead-eyes said, "You could save them all you know. Elizabeth and your friends. You just have to submit to the ritual."

by **Nailah Weaver** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:50 pm

If you can even hear me at this place... Give me the strength to bring justice to this abomination.

With a beat of her wings she tries to gain height to try and dodge the strike, preparing to kick at the fallen angel should she manage to.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:56 pm

Oh bloody hell, a werewolf? "So what's special about you?" she mused. "Taming lycanthropy was the first trick I learned... I suppose in your case it would be lethal, wouldn't it."

It is time for your lessers to fear your power, Mistress, she thought, calling up one of Morgana's own spells to repel the werewolf so that she could come up with a suitable counterattack.

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:06 pm

Some of the flock withered, dropping from the sky. Still more managed to evade, and their size and numbers made them hard to get a fix on.

"Death? You try to beat me by throwing death at me? Oh, little man..."

Then it started to become clear that not all the flock was strictly there in the physical sense, as they started to claw and pry at the man's mind, seeking purchase.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:32 pm

Samantha McManus wrote:Snip

It was a strange sensation attacking his mind. He was essentially a fanatic, his cause was Cthons, and this man's fury was a righteous one. The walls around his mind echoed it, they were a wall of flame eating away at all that touched them. He wasn't a telepath, but his mental defenses were solid and reinforced by his twisted faith.

"Death comes for us all, little birds," the figure said energy gathering around him, "Wither in the outsider's flames."

Purple flame engulfed his form then exploded outwards.

Nailah Weaver wrote: Snip

Nailah dodged the blade but she could feel it's passage. The air smelled of rot as the blade passed by her. The bird-woman turned with the kick apparently somewhat experienced when it came to aerial combat.

"So pretty, I think I'll take your tail too," the woman hissed as she flew after Nailah her blade actually striking at the tail as she pursued Nailah.

Victoria Valentine wrote:Snip

Tattooed runes lit up on the werewolf's body as the spell hit it. The spell still rocked it as it charged causing it to veer past Victoria.

"Magi are all the same. Some of us have read the book you go by," it growled before throwing a fireball at Victoria.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:37 pm

"No," Sean said, "I cannot. Will not help you."

"Your choice is disappointing. Perhaps we could have brokered a deal for you with our master," dead-eyes said, "Your companions will die screaming and you will still become his host. You'll watch as this world burns before your spirit becomes just one more insignificant piece of his essence. Cthon needs you alive and I'll ensure you'll live through your lesson."

Dead-eyes drew a knife and lunged towards Sean form blurring as he channeled some unknown magic.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:46 pm

Fuck fuck fuck, you can't keep dodging her forever. Do something!

Reluctantly she reaches out to the magic percolating this place. It feels like reaching into the darkness, a place so utterly wrong there's almost a tangible sensation of something slithering and squirming, rot and twisted perversions. But it's all there is. It's revolting to even touch and even more so to channel yet at the same time deceptively easy to wield, right there at the tip of her fingers. Spinning around she throws the energy coalescing in her hand at the 'angel' in the shape of a swirling cone of flames that are a sickly purplish green like a deep bruise in reality.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 5:54 pm

"It's good to know that you do your studying," Victoria mused. "Here I thought this would be boring." She deflected the fireball, aiming it at the werewolf's closest companion and countered with a spell she'd been worked out during... private tutorings, based on Morgana's magic, but developed by two independent minds into a new form. "I guess I'll just have to innovate!" The spell blasted through the air in separate waves to prevent easy blocking.

by **Samantha McManus** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 6:59 pm

"Your mistake was in attacking one who decides when."

Part of the mental flock seemed to blur, forming into iron chains that wrapped around his mind, intent upon quelling the flames.

"Ask the Hound of Ulster what comes of denying me..."

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:10 pm

"Cú Chulainn is but a mote of dust to my lord," the man said, "He was here when the world first formed. It was he who molded the earth beneath our feet. It is this power that I wield, hag."

The chains broke and the man's eyes glowed and his form blurred out of existence and the world around him blurred with him changing shape. The Astral showed through the hole in reality and the man was on the other side his shape changed.

by **Sean Hall** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:30 pm

Victoria Valentine wrote:snip.

The werewolf took the blow and chuckling rolled from him. The wounds he'd taken began to stitch themselves shut.

"You have a bit of a bite to go with your bark, pup," the werewolf said, "Your teacher would be proud you held this long."

"But now you face the wrath of my master's power."

The werewolf held up one palm and a small tear in reality formed and a blast of dimensional energy shot forth at Victoria.

Nailah Weaver wrote:snip.

The flames surrounded the 'angel' as she chased after Nailah. Nailah would hear the 'angel' let out a yelp of surprise and pain. The flames vanished leaving a smoldering 'angelic' figure in their wake.

"You touched it voluntarily, aren't you a strange one," the angel said, "Chthon may want you alive...but my patron's orders are paramount."

The angel ran a hand down her weapon gathering power into her hand and responded to Nailah's blast of flame with a blast of decay.
"Now that was unexpected."

Sean Hall wrote: Snip.

Sean was saved from dead-eyes charge when Victoria deflected the fireball in their general direction. Dead-eyes blocked it with one hand almost casually.

"Oh, don't think they can help you with this," dead-eyes said.

Sean gathered energy of his own and fired off a cone-shaped blast of magical energy, which dead-eyes strolled through casually.

"You didn't think that would work did you?" Dead-eyes asked, "Oshtur and Gaea's blood. Magical potential beyond even me and it's been squandered. It's a shame, you could've put up quite a fight if you'd been trained."

"Just the opening volley," Sean said the runes on his flesh glowing brighter.

"How about some training then?" Dead-eyes asked launching a blast of energy at Sean.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:02 am

"I've kept true to myself through worse." she presses out through gritted teeth, dodging forward and dropping out of the path of the blast at the last moment before coming up again to grab the wrist of the hand wielding the sword, claws ready to sink into corrupted flesh.

by **Victoria Valentine** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 6:17 am

"Life, magic, power!" Victoria cried out, summoning up her magic. "Magic is a part of this world, and perversions of this order are not power, because the natural order will always find its balance!" Blessed Avalon, your youngest daughter invokes your power over these isles... Space rippled around Victoria as reality around her was reinforced, utilizing time to counter this disruption in space. The dimensional energies halted as she began turning the clock back on them. "However, you're free to leave it if you wish!" She reached for the energies as she grounded herself in this reality, twisting them to wash back to try to sweep the werewolf into its own portal. Mighty Morgana, mistress and guide, This battle I dedicate to thee! Presence of afar, brought into this world, Control of your power shall fall to me! As she worked her spells, Victoria's aspect seemed to change, skin growing pale once more, her hair shading to black, her ears elongating as she slid into the magic that was at her very core, which she generally kept within.

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 12:42 pm

Nailah Weaver wrote: Snip

Some of Nailah's claws dug into into the 'angel's' leather vambrace the others dug into corrupted flesh eliciting a hiss of pain from her opponent. Nailah could feel the blood and smell it as well. It smelled of corpses left out to rot. Nailah's grip kept her opponent from using her sword, but also locked the two of them rather close together. The 'angel's' hand glowed a sickly green before she attempted a palm strike against Nailah's abdomen.

Victoria Valentine wrote: Snip

The werewolf growled something indecipherable. The portal closed but not before having removed the hand the werewolf had been using to control the spell. The hand began to regrow but it wasn't quite as fast as before when it was recovering from considerably lighter wounds.

"I haven't had this much fun in ages," the werewolf said, "Dark magic is a part of the natural order, pup. Light casts a shadow and we control that shadow. The shadow is death and decay. The shadow beneath the earth. All sphere's of Cthon's control."

The werewolf howled out a spell. The spell initially took shape as purple lightning arcing between it's claws before it charged at Victoria. It moved faster than it had before and the smell of ozone filled the air. It's form began to blur showing multiple lifelike images each one crackling with electricity.

Sean Hall wrote: Snip

Sean deflected the blast into the ground near him. The second was deflected at a tree which exploded sending splinters in all directions. The was countered with an incandescent blast of magical energy. Each one was pushing Sean back towards the ritual circle.

"At least you aren not completely incompetent," dead-eyes said, "Lets see if you can deflect three at a time."

Three blasts of energy came at the same time now and Sean back pedaled, but instead of deflecting them put up blindlingly bright shield. The blasts of energy impacted it and Sean skidded backwards, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Impressive, most impressive," dead-eyes said, "But sadly not enough."

Elizabeth stirred ever so slightly and one of her eyes opened to see the fight between Sean and the dead-eyed Darkholder. She tried to say something, but it came out as a hiss.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:09 pm

She does her best to keep herself from gagging, her claws sinking deeper now that she found purchase. All while trying to brace herself for the incoming strike.

"<Hail to her in the heavens who is strong even before the terror of the darkness. She gathers the power from every place, from every person, faster than light itself. Before me the dwellers in chaos are dogs, their chiefs merely wolves. She bestows upon me this power from every place, faster than the shadow follows the light.>" she rapidly mumbles in Egyptian, sounding less like an incantation and more like desperate prayer.

by **Samantha McManus** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:45 pm

"The power of a god who fled creation and deals through proxies and trinkets."

A few of the flock started circling her avatar, changing form into a ring of wicked blades.

"In your mind, you are chosen. In mine, you are a pawn."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:10 pm

Samantha McManus wrote:"The power of a god who fled creation and deals through proxies and trinkets."

A few of the flock started circling her avatar, changing form into a ring of wicked blades.

"In your mind, you are chosen. In mine, you are a pawn."

"Better to be aware of your position on the chessboard," the Darkholder stated, "My god honors me with power. Both of yours have abandoned you to the nether. You aren't even pawns, raven."

The figure clacked his staff down on the 'ground' and twisted skeletal figures pulled themselves from the shadows. The figures were armed with spears and formed a phalanx in front of the Darkholder. After another gesture the skeletons lowered their spears tand advanced.

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:19 pm

Nailah Weaver wrote:She does her best to keep herself from gagging, her claws sinking deeper now that she found purchase. All while trying to brace herself for the incoming strike.

"<Hail to her in the heavens who is strong even before the terror of the darkness. She gathers the power from every place, from every person, faster than light itself. Before me the dwellers in chaos are dogs, their chiefs merely wolves. She bestows upon me this power from every place, faster than the shadow follows the light.>" she rapidly mumbles in Egyptian, sounding less like an incantation and more like desperate prayer.

Nailah's increase grip caused the 'angel's' grip to go limp and the sword to fall to the ground. The palm strike would sizzle as it hit Nailah's skin. The blow would come with searing pain as Nailah's skin faced the power of decay.

"Your god's have no power here. There is only Cthon," the 'angel' growled trying to hide her emotions behind religious fervor.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:32 pm

"<Hail to her in the heavens who is strong even before the terror of the darkness!>" she screams out as her skin begins to rot. It might be the pain or maybe she just wants to avoid worse, but Nailah's grip slips and she plummets away from the 'angel'. But as uncontrolled as her fall seems at first, her hand reaches out and her fingers close around the hilt of the falling sword before her wings break her fall just in time for her impact to only knock the air out of her.

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 2:58 pm

Nailah Weaver wrote:"<Hail to her in the heavens who is strong even before the terror of the darkness!>" she screams out as her skin begins to rot. It might be the pain or maybe she just wants to avoid worse, but Nailah's grip slips and she plummets away from the 'angel'. But as uncontrolled as her fall seems at first, her hand reaches out and her fingers close around the hilt of the falling sword before her wings break her fall just in time for her impact to only knock the air out of her.

The 'angel' looked a bit baffled for a moment as Nailah fell, but that expression was quickly replaced with one of rage as Nailah took up her fallen blade. She drew a smaller mundane blade in her off hand and dove down after Nailah.

When Nailah gripped the sword it was like something reached right back. The grip was cold and she could feel maggots crawling up her arm as something began to measure her. After a moment the blade growled and Nailah could feel it's hunger like a physical thing.

Must feeeeeed.

It's voice sounded as if it came from many mouths.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:15 pm

She forces herself to tighten her grip even as she feels the sword, this place, all of it creeping on and in her. I will not yield as she did. The only thing you shall have is her as I cut her free from corruption.

She pushes herself up on her feet and turns to face the former servant of Ma'at. "<The trembling of your flesh is at end, the troubles laid to rest as the veil of night is parted. The Ways are opened once more, the banks of the rivers are swollen, and the world dreams of his eternal slumber, even as he dreams of us.>" she says, pointing the sword at it's former owner.

by **Samantha McManus** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:26 pm

"Your mistake is in thinking we're separate."

The swords whirled around to bear against the skeletons, striking the spears aside.

That makes me a queen, and as you've seen fit to make this a battlefield, you just stepped into where I hold court."

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:34 pm

Samantha McManus wrote:"Your mistake is in thinking we're separate."

The swords whirled around to bear against the skeletons, striking the spears aside.

[i]That makes me a queen, and as you've seen fit to make this a battlefield, you just stepped into where I hold court."

"Only death holds court on the battlefied," the Darkholder said beginning to sound uncertain and the phalanx faltered for a moment under the assaulting blades. Skeletons exploded into nothingness as the blades struck home.

"And Cthon holds court over death, shadow, and earth."

The skeleton's regrouped and moved forward methodically striking back at the blades with points sharpened by the renewed confidence of their master.

by **Sean Hall** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:41 pm

Nailah Weaver wrote:She forces herself to tighten her grip even as she feels the sword, this place, all of it creeping on and in her. I will not yield as she did. The only thing you shall have is her as I cut her free from corruption.

She pushes herself up on her feet and turns to face the former servant of Ma'at. "<The trembling of your flesh is at end, the troubles laid to rest as the veil of night is parted. The Ways are opened once more, the banks of the rivers are swollen, and the world dreams of his eternal slumber, even as he dreams of us.>" she says, pointing the sword at it's former owner.

The sword gibbered happily as runes lit up along it's length and the power of decay took physical form. The energy shot out of the sword and caught the descending 'angel' as she dived down towards Nailah. The fallen servant of Ma'at screamed as she was covered by the green energy. Her skin changed color and maggots swarmed out from her flesh, her eyes became a cloudy white. Even the 'angel's' blade could not resist the magic of the sword turning brown and shattering. When the servant of Cthon hit the ground all that was left was rotting flesh. Nailah could feel the bird-woman's life-force flow back into the blade and through it into her and it was... exhilirating.

by **Nailah Weaver** » Tue Jan 31, 2012 3:57 pm

Nailah drops what remains of the sword in disgust at the realization what she just did. "Goddess forgive me..." she mutters, falling to her knees.

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