RP:A Bolt From The Blue

Part of the The End's Not Near Arc

Part of the Rest in Pieces: Vailkrin! Arc

Summary: Tensions peak during a meeting of citizens and outsiders. A hooded naga, surrounded by a strong magic, attacked Larewen and Reginae. Is this an isolated incident or could this be the start of a full scale naga rebellion?

Fountain

The space surrounding the Fountain is packed with various naga citizens, wearing the Alithrya colors or crests on their garb. Tunics and gowns embroidered with white serpents, coiled down a staff; tail towards the top and the head delicately marked at the bottom. The colors intermix between stark white and golden hue. All of these designs are marked by the three stars, always to the right of the naga. They talk quietly among themselves while palace officials scatter themselves by the entrance of the Palace and along the path leading out to the rest of the Water Garden, and the town beyond. There’s a low platform that’s been placed ahead of the Palace stairs. In front of the platform, there’s a scattering of chairs and stones in various sizes. The stones are comfortably warm to the touch. Yozenra slithers up on top of the low platform, clearing her throat before calling the attention of those gathered. “If you all will kindly take your seats, we’re about to begin.”

Larewen is a far cry from the comfort of Vailkrin and its abyssal forest, yet she is here nonetheless. Garbed in a simple, form fitting verdant gown that displays her scarred flesh. Mismatched eyes sweep over those gathered, taking in faces and scales before the necromancer seeks a place to sit. Beneath her pale, scarred flesh, darkness writhes.

Muzo mills about, making quiet, polite conversation with his fellow nagas, giving reports on his recent activities (while doing his best to retain any confidential info), and generally discussing the recent state of affairs in Alithrya. Aha! There's Yozenra, and Muzo is gratefully excused from any further small talk. He is one of the first to take his seat, comfortably coiling himself around one of the rocks and waiting attentively.

Aaken shifts about sitting coiled near to the wall just to the left of the platform, he done his best to hide his towering size by holding his long neck close to his body and his coils spread tightly together. He wears but only a bright green scarf around his neck, the black scaled neon green striped, anthro snake naga of red eyes sits nervous as ever. His mouth hangs slightly open allowing two salmander jersher, to watch the proceedings, they are his girlfriend and her younger brother. If he needs to he would swallow them for their protection against the crowd.

Ngirturong happen to stumble upon the gathering while visiting the city, her goal was to find supplies and items for her research. The teen stood at the edge of the gathering in silence, crossing her arms as she remains standing. She blinks a few times as she scans over the crowd briefly and focuses her attention to the naga on stage.

Reginae will move through the crowd gathered on her way to the platform. She’ll offer personal greetings to all those gathered; Lady Larewen, Aaken, Muzo and Ngirturong even though the two have never met before. Yozenra takes her place near the base of the platform while Reginae slithers up to take her position, facing those gathered there. “Good afternoon, thank you for joining us today as we address some of local concerns. It’s no secret that Alithrya has long since suffered for the mistakes of our ancestors. It’s long been our plight to fight and struggle. This meeting has been called to bring more information to those present and to work towards finding a way to end the struggling…” Before she can get any further, a young male stands in the crowd, a few rows back. He’s occupying a large chair, his orange tail curled around it’s base stretches out as he moves to stand and shout above the crowd. “What do you propose to do about the recent attacks?” A low mummer begins in the crowd, as individuals converse in hushed tones with their niehgbors. Had they heard this news? Certainly the Liaison had? Reginae holds up the palms of her pale hands to silence the crowd. “It’s come to my attention that we’ve had a few incidents break out, targeting non naga and naga alike on Alithrya’s streets. Such hostilities will not stand. The Royal guard, lead by Yozenra, has been hard at work trying to find the cause of these instances. That’s another reason for this meeting. In the past, naga had shunned any and all outsiders to our realm and that time is coming to an end.” A few of the older naga in the crowd clammer with disbelief, their voices audible. ‘Is she serious? Allow in Outsiders?’ ‘It must be true, look how their are nonnaga here, even now!’. A young woman stands, raising her arm as if waiting to be called on before speaking. “But outsiders have only brought harm to the city!” Several people cheer out in agreement, turning their attention back to the stage. Reginae nods. “I know there has been a lot of unrest because the city is in a bad way but a lot of work has been done to combat the damages of the Archmosian Empire...Verbal Alliances are in the works for outside artisans to help with the reconstruction but it doesn’t welcome change or aid if people are being attacked in our streets.”

Larewen 's presence alone may likely spark further dissidence among the elder naga present, for those that recognized her for what she was. Though House Dragana is but an infant, come to Vailkrin long after the city was no longer under the Archmosian Empire's occupation, she is still one of the undead. The elf's jaw sets into a firm line, aware of the thin line Reginae is walking presently. Instead, mismatched eyes meet with Reginae's, an imploring lift of her chin requesting permission to speak.

Muzo throws discreet glances toward Larwen and Ngirturong as the uneasy topic of "outsiders" enters the discussion. "She's quite serious," he mutters snidely to himself, and only to himself, for he quickly catches the off-handed comment and grins apologetically at the naga sitting beside him, as though they might have overheard. Judging by their confused, somewhat concerned look, they... might have? Muzo sighs, and a droop enters his shoulders. It is, admittedly, depressing to hear Alithrya's troubles spelled out in such plain terms and, to make matters worse, what's this? Attacks. "Attacks?" Muzo's ophidian snout wrinkles, flashing his fangs in a moment of disgust. Again, he leans over to the naga beside him. "Behind on the news. Have you," Muzo whispers inquisitively, "heard anything about these attacks?" Again, silence, consern, and, oh there it is, *disdain* greets Muzo for his troubles. Another sigh, another slump.

Aaken seemed vaguely aware of the speech until it started. In the past before the freeze he had been kept in the palace to his duties but now he found himself nervous. realizing he was the only one not seated, he slithered to a large chair and tried to get comfortable his large body barely able to fit on the chair. Drawing stares from other naga and comments, "Hey, buddy could you like be normal, here everyone's jumpy." Aaken would swallow hard, mainly because his jershser friends had been in his mouth. "I can't" He whispered back trying to return his gaze to Reginae. It always made him nervous as to why he was different in appearance, this made even more so by a similar anthro naga elsewhere, but even then aaken knew he was different, and behind him more people began to stir about why he couldn't change.

Ngirturong would widen her gaze some as the words of the speech falls upon her ears. It was interesting to witness such an event in a world she's still somewhat new to, and hearing of the history of a new group of people. From her cloak, her hand reveal a small notebook, something the teen uses to remind herself of certian goals she wishes to complete. With a small writing tool she writes upon an empty page. "Research Archmosian Empire." She mumbles a lot, as she looks through her unchecked goals. Closing the book, the teen inch deeper into the seated crowd, gaining the stares of many naga as she comes to stand between the rows of seated naga. She stands, listening quietly as she once again folds her arms.

The young man in front of Muzo huffs. “You haven’t heard about outsiders being attacked on the streets? The other day some vampire girl was almost beaten to death. If not for Yozenra stepping in.” The older woman next to the male slaps him on the back of the head, clearly this was his mother encouraging him to watch his tongue. “That’s not good enough!” shouts an older female, towards the middle aisle at the platform. Yozenra’s gaze falls on Aaken, who is coming under fire for his size. She shifts through the crowd, bowing low to warn those threatening him to quiet down while Reginae is speaking. She carries her trident, staring hard at the shifting crowd as if she’d have no trouble taking them all on for her Queen. Ngirturong will find a few stare but most are pointed forward, as another citizen stands to call towards the platform.“All you’ve done is promise change. You haven’t done anything to deserve this title! What’s more, you let outsiders in to meddle with our problems! It’s the same thing Jaize did, and look where we are now because of her!” A few more cheers go up in the crowd, while Reginae stands, perfectly poised atop her coiled white scales. “Allow Lady Larewen the floor…” Her piercing Azurite gaze will sweep the crown. “Representative of House Dragana, from Vailkrin.” Yozenra announced the vampiress.

Larewen rises to her feet, circling carefully to stand next to Reginae. In comparison, the lithe elf is significantly smaller than the naga present, but the set of her stare, her corrupted features, and the very way in which she holds herself are signs that she does not fear those present. This may not have been what was intended, but it affords the necromancer the opportunity to meet every set of eyes that fall upon her. "Vailkrin," she begins, and a moment is given for any whisperings that arise to settle. "Vailkrin, as many of you know once stood as part of the Archmosian Empire under the reign of the Lich Queen Ryeanna Darkenhart. Since then, many of our kind, of the undead, have dismissed this truth. Many of the Houses of Vailkrin, of its citizens, will deny this if it is brought to their attention, claiming that our city was not a part of that empire. Whether it is true or not, it is a desire to be freed from consequences that might have arisen from such misfortune. House Dragana, my house, is the youngest of clans within the aristocracy that Vailkrin has become, and though Vailkrin's true history is before our dabbling in their political matters, we accept the past as it is. While I cannot speak for our city's empty throne, or for the older Houses among us, I can speak for House Dragana. Young we might be, but we are also powerful. Some of you may know who I am not by my House, but by my title, as Thanatos Domina of the Necromancer's Guild. I tell you this not to brag, but to reinforce the fact that Dragana is not merely a struggling, minor House of Vailkrin, but one that has carries some weight among the nobility within the City of the Damned. As such, I come here personally, as the head of House Dragana, not to offer you our aid, but to promise it. House Dragana will help fund the efforts to repair damages done to Alithrya and House Dragana will send bodies to help with reconstruction efforts. We will send trained soldiers to help patrol your streets, and to assist with quelling the attacks that have befallen your visitors."

Muzo startles, snapping his head forward to face the fellow addressing him then, subsequently, flinching and grimacing as the kid gets smacked upside the back of his head. "Oh, ah. Ssss." Muzo shakes his head, straightens upon his comfy rock, and takes a moment to straighten his robes, too. Well then. Larewen's turn to speak, and Muzo's is one among the many gazes greeting her. "A vampire," Muzo thinks, and his mind races back to his anatomy charts. Silently tabulating the physiological differences that distinguish vampires from their unsired kin, he tries to spot and mentally mark each.

Aaken gratefully nodded to Yozenra. but soon found himself shivering, not from the statements but from the new chatter behind him, "Rumor has it that we've had false naga in our midst for a while now..." Those words startled him, he flinched and started to try to leave his seat

Ngirturong has many questions that run through her ind as Larewen takes the stage. Are vampires the only race being attacked in this area? Does she stand a change to get attacked? What happened in this areas history? She seems to ignore the stares of naga as she seems to inch closer amd closer to the stage to listen. She may not have a say so in anything being discussed at this event, but she stands a chance to benefit from the idea of being allowed to freely work along side the naga race.

Reginae dips her head as Larewen speaks. She’s respectful, and quiet. Her eyes circle the crowd, most of the others are silent. Yozenra still stands by Aaken, Reginae catching the gaze of both naga before moving to Muzo. He came? Her lips tilt slightly, a brief smile. The vampire’s words have a far reach, her unwavering tone commanding attention of the most unruly citizen. “Are you under the Empire’s control?” The same old woman yells out, quieted by her grandson. It’s clear the days of the Empire are behind them. All Achmosian left was destruction and decay for those who survived to repair. “The Empire is Long Dead.” Answers Reginae, on Larewen’s behalf. “And we are grateful for the alliance with Vailkrin and her people. Lady Larewen’s kind have suffered a similar fate. Left to clean up the pieces of a selfish empire bent on destroying whoever and whatever it had to in order to fuel it’s dreams. Another male, closer to the back stands, pointing a webbed digit at Larewen before speaking out in an accusatory tone. “Are the vampires responsible for the bodies that have been vanishing from the graveyard?” This caught Regi off guard. Bodies were being taken from the graveyard? That’s the first she’s heard of it. “Of course not,” She calls back, in a loud authoritative voice that offers no other explanation. “Is it those false naga we’ve heard about? The ones that aren’t like us?” Reginae’s face is pinched, and she heaves a heavy sigh. “This is all alarmist talk, these are all false rumors fueled by those looking to disturb the balance…” The male shouts back. “I know the bodies are gone, I’ve seen it myself!” From the back of the gathering, a hooded naga enters, rushing past Ngirturong towards the middle of the aisle.. His scales are a flawless black, iridescent and perfectly pitch, except for one large scar running from the tip of his snout to his waist. The hood obscures his eyes, but the marking is clearly visible. Anyone who can sense magic will perk up with this stranger enters. His aura is alive with an unusual power. In his hands, he holds a polished stone. The stone, acting as a catalyst for this man’s powers, pulses with chaotic intent. A beam of lightning thick as a tree trunk and aimed at the platform is unleashed without further warning. The platform explodes, splinters of wood raining down on the crowd, the hole left behind near Larewen and Reginae could easily encompass the two women. It was clear this was just a warning shot. The attacker’s face is obscured by shadow, the stone in his hand pulsing a bright red as another attack is charged.

Larewen is quick to react, a few unrecognizable syllables thickening the air beneath her feet and Reginae's both. The stage crumbles, but the two remain afloat as the necromancer's eyes flash angrily. Mismatched eyes fix their would-be assailant in a glower as she calls out, beseeching those gathered. "You worry about what harm Vailkrin might seek to bring down upon your kind?" Her voice is louder now, undoubtedly amplified by magic. A gloved finger points toward the approaching attacker, even as naga begin to flea. "You have more to fear from your own than you do us. It appears there are those among you that seek to disrupt progress, that seek to hamper your efforts at becoming a great civilization. You would sooner flee an adversary, than come together and unite?" The darkness that writhes beneath her flesh intensifies as her lips curl wickedly. The elf descends from the air, coming to the ground and approaching the attacker. "If you make another move, serpent, then I will use you as an example to show Alithrya what I can offer them."

Muzo has apparently missed a lot of news! "Worse than I thought," Muzo frowns, trying his best to wrap his head around all this. Refutations, counter-accusations, oh dear... Nervously, the alchemist fiddles the hiem of his robe between his fingers and looks for some objective clue in all this. Intensely, he searches for some underlying thread, some semblance of a pattern. He doesn't get very long to think. "Grief! Zounds!" The bolt is, as they say, rather out of the blue. Muzo ducks. Around him, the crowd panics and begins rushing away, but the researcher's eyes swing up to the stage. "Oh dear," glossy black eyes flicker between Reginae and the smoking crater, "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear." Muzo reaches about his person, fumbling for something. "Ah, well, hrm, it's ah," nimble fingers close around a vial within his robes and he yanks it out. "Oh dear." Muzo throws it. While the vial sails through the air, he takes the second of opportunity to try and duck behind his rock, doing his best to put it between himself and the hooded attacker. The vial? It lands and shatters with a "whvoom!" soon spilling out copious clouds of acrid, emerald smoke. With luck, it will provide sufficient visual cover and confound the lightning-wielder's aim.

Aaken was already half way to the gate when the rogue Naga fired a warning shot and causing the crowd to disperse in terror, he watched the Vampiress raise to challenge the Rogue Naga, but his eyes turned to the orb the man was holding. Aaken heard the voice of his lover in his belly say, "do it." As he reacted like the rest of mob for a second fleeing so he could get with in range, he lashes his tongue out which stretches all the way to the orb and in an instant he reels his tongue in the orb stuck to it, and without hesitation he crushes the ball between his hands with his strength, the chaotic release knocking him off his coils from the orb's destruction leaving the Rogue Naga at the mercy of Vampiress.

Ngirturong gasps loudly with a startled jump as the lightening shot out at the stage. "Holy shyte!" The teen screams as paniced naga slither away, nearing trampling her in the process of fleeing. She herself stays, in face, she seeks to aid in the capture of the attacker. She throws open her cloak, reveal her somewhat battle ready attire. Covering her torso, the teen sports a black vest of hardened plate inserts, and a belt line of simple everyday item. A silver frame mirror, a yoyo, pouches of sand, vials of water and the broken fragments of a prism stone. From her ear she grabs her tuning fork and quickly pushes through the crowd of fleeing naga to the attacker back. She stays silent, but wields a stare that warns her willingless to take action.

The emerald smoke does just what it’s supposed to . Larewen’s voice booms as if amplified, causing a few of the naga to actually stop running and stare at the hazy green smoke spilling out over the area. Reginae is pulled in tandem with Larewen to approach the attacker. The hooded naga neither speaks nor reacts as if he has any intention of backing down. Aaken is the first to react against him; tongue darting out to snag the stone from his palm. As soon as the stone is no longer making contact with the male, it’s color dilutes to a dull clear in place of the former menacing red. The emerald cloud keeps most of these activities from being seen by those that panicked and dashed away from the Fountain. The chaotic energy released moves just enough of the smoke to allow all present to see the exit now, through which most of the naga can see Aaken knocked back and Ngirturong approaching. The attacker appears to twitch, before turning to face Ngirturong. A low rumble begins in his chest, like a stifled roar. Muzo goes unnoticed. Reginae pushes herself forward and binds the attacker with her tail, shooting a concerned glance at the teen and then to Larewen. The rumbling continues to grow, the ground around them shaking with notable force. Several chairs topple, Yozenra is helping the older naga towards the exit before rounding on the open size of the attacker. He’s completely surrounded and obscured by his hood. The rumbling roar shifts into a cackle, a higher alto pitch that didn’t belong to the male. He reaches his hands out to grasp Ngirturong, but they fall back under the layers of Reginae’s white scales as they envelop his body completely save for his face. His dark eyes, shrouded in shadow turn to Larewen while the laughter reaches deafening levels.

Larewen watches as the orb is snatched and there is a stirring of hunger within the depths of those mismatched eyes. Part of her wants that stone, but she is not blind to its dulling anymore than she is to the opportunity that has arisen before her. The cackling madness that reverberates through the area tugs at the looser strings wihin her mind, taunting her and beckoning her to that breach within her own sanity, but she pushes it back, effectively deafening herself to it. With the hooded naga bound, the necromancer closes what little distance remains and ebon-gloved hands reach outward to cup the creature's mein. There is a stirring within the shadows of the fountain and an unsettling crest of unholy magic can be felt by those sensitive to it. Stilling the creature, mismatched eyes fix on his own and then her mouth opens. It is not a natural opening of the jaw, but one that appears elongated by something otherworldly as words form within. Her magic snakes outward, into the assailant. It grasps its mind, its magic, and anything else within before withdrawing, pulling with it the very essence of the rogue naga. His magic, his being, escape through his mouth, his eyes, his nostrils, every orifice within his cranium as a blackened smoke, drawn to the corrupted magic within the necromancer. She is eating that which drives the rogue, drawing the very life from his body in a manner guided by death and not the abominable leech that she is.

Muzo expects more fearsome pyrotechnics, and he hunkers down into a ball, trying (and failing) to be a small target. There's just too much tail. Luckily for Muzo, no such assault follows. He hesitates. Uncurling, he looks around just in time to see Reginae squeezing this fellow to a pulp while Larewen sucks the guy's life out right through his face. The researcher makes a very brief effort to understand what he's just witnessed, but, abandoning this, Muzo briskly shakes his head. Cautiously, he emerges from "hiding" and begins slithering up. "Grisly scene," he offers. "Is that... ahm..." Muzo clears his thoat, and his voice breaks. "Is he dead then?"

Aaken shivers the chaotic magic rolling off of him, and soon vanishing. The loud noise of the laughter soon rocks his ears, the pain is intense, but his mind works to correct the problem by playing the same sound in his the frequency reversed which silences the sound to him, and soon feels is alerted that the sound has ceased altogether from Lemoni in his stomach who he soon reguritates the lime green curvacous female anthro salamander, emerges wiping some saliva off of her head, wearing a tshirt and shorts while her brother who unlike his 5ft tall sister about 3 ft tall, and orange all over shines his yellow eyes in awe of the spectacle as the vampires and queen of the naga dispatch the monster. Aaken still reeling from the blast tries to coil around them to keep what remaining naga aware that they are his.

Ngirturong would simply blink as she watches what she can only describe as awesome. She uses a similar spell which sucks the water from nearby plant life, but never could she imagine that anyone could simply drain the life out of someone in such a way. It makes her think of her mocking of Larewen once before, and makes her realize how lucky she was that she didn't end up like the attacker. The teen wants this magic. "You gotta show me how to do that." She utters in shocked tones, placing her tuning fork back to her ear.

The attacker slumps in Reginae’s coils as Larewen sucks all the life force and magic out of his body. The scales that had been flawlessly ebony, turn a sickening grey. His body becomes soft and soon he’s actually oozing a vile bile through Reginae’s scales before disappearing in a fluidy mush. If Reginae was less about her wits, she might have been overwhelmed by the smell. Instead, she does her best to gather her coils with dignity and watch as the rest of the crowd filters out. The emerald smoke dissipated, leaving a chaotic scene behind. “Thank you…” she said, to all those that had stayed behind. Even Aaken. He was a good distance away, coiled up around two salamander jershers, but she’d seen his tongue and knew he was owed her thanks. “Larewen, I’m afraid I owe you an apology. The naga are in a bad way right now. Please accept my apology on their behalf. It’s a work in progress.” Yozenra joins them, most of the guests safely out of the gardens and away from the Palace. It’s just their small group remaining. “Muzo, Aaaken…” She looks them over for damage and sees none, before turning to the unfamiliar vampire in front of her. “Thank you for coming, and standing your ground.” She says, to Ngirturong. Then to the Palace guards that have now assembled around them, she directs them to search for a cause or information about this attacker. “Someone must know something.”

Larewen turns toward Reginae, but not without first casting a smirk in Ngirturong's direction. "You know where to find me, fledgling. I am certain you know that my brand of magic is constantly under your mentor's scrutiny, as well. Come to the city where you belong, and you will be taught," she says to the teen-aged vampire. With Reginae's apology, the elf's head dips. "No apology is necessary. We both have visions for the kingdoms we call home that are in need of being realized, by their denizens and outsiders alike," the elf replies. "I must be in Rynvale shortly, but there is something you and I need to discuss in private." An inflection in her voice indicates urgency, though the elf does not see it as a threat that needs immediate discussion. At least, not presently. With those words, the necromancer turns and departs the palace as well.

Muzo watches the guy turn to goop. "Ah, that, yes, would answer my..." Muzo coughs. Looking to Reginae, he looks ready to ask several questions, but she seems like she has a lot on her hands. Remembering her position and her duties, he decides not to interfere. There would be time for explanations later. In the meanwhile, he tells himself, "suppose it shouldn't go to waste." Taking out a lab spatula and a test tube, Muzo holds his breath and begins scraping up a sample of the liquefied naga off the floor.

Aaken shivered slithering over to the remaining naga and one vampire. On his back stuck to it sat Lemoni while Cheddar wore a brown long brimmed hat and held a whip in his right hand, Aaken felt him slide off and bravely without fear looking up at the other naga before taking a sample of the gooed naga as well. "Never hurts." he muttered, Aaken eyed reginae, "I only did what I could." He said.

Ngirturong would blink as she begins to make her way from the city. "Well, I think my dad's calling me."